ã€ŠNEET Receives a Dating Sim Game Leveling Systemã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Cast of characters (organized by order of appearance)

    <h4>Chapter 1: Cast of characters (organized by order of appearance)</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Trantor note: There are many, many spoilers in this. I tranted the cast of characters how the author wrote them, read ahead at your own risk!

    One more time, just for emphasis: BEWARE SPOILERS! Read ahead to the next chapter which is chapter 1 if you started from this.

    Seiji Haruta (Male): The main character of this novel. The original Seiji was a NEET that had been exiled from his family. When Seiji transferred to Genhana High School, he used the alias of Seigo Harano.

    Mika Uehara (Female): Seiji¡¯sndlord¡¯s daughter. Was once stabbed to death by Takao Yamamoto, then saved by Seiji¡¯s save/load ability. She likes Seiji.

    Takao Yamamoto (Male): A blond bully at Genhana High School that was seriously injured by Seiji during an attempt at murder. Later taken away by Okubo Yoshiaki and transformed into a zombie, and finally in by Seiji.

    Rika Amami (Female): The store manager and owner of the confectionery store that Seiji works at. She gave Seiji a button that burst from her shirt.

    Natsuya Yoruhana (Female): A young mistress/scion who is the student council president of Genhana High School. The first Yin Yang Master that Seiji meets. She won a duel against Okubo Yoshiaki with Seiji¡¯s assistance.

    Hitaka Shuho (Female): Genhana High School¡¯s student council vice president. One of Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s Spirit-branded retainers. She acts cold towards people she doesn¡¯t know well, and is unskilled atmunication.

    Rana Kirin (Female): Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s second Spirit-branded retainer. She¡¯s a middle school girl that enjoys wearing cat ears, and is affectionate towards Seiji.

    Kazufuru Ooike (Male): Genhana High School¡¯s student council secretary. He believes himself to be better than others, and his target is to make Natsuya Yoruhana fall in love with him.

    Kahei Watari (Male): Seiji¡¯s ssmate, a delinquent. Saved by Seiji during an incident.

    Takashi Kobayashi (Male): Seiji¡¯s ssmate, a delinquent. Saved by Seiji during an incident.

    Chiaki Wakaba (Female): Mika Uehara¡¯s best friend. A tomboy in the drama club. After meeting Seiji through Mika, she became Seiji¡¯s good friend and received his assistance with the matter of her ex-girlfriend.

    Hideya Aizawa (Male): The tennis club captain. Defeated by Seiji in a tennis match.

    Shiina Shiho (Female): The vice president of the drama club. Strict yet gentle, she works hard in maintaining the drama club. Her special abilities include hitting people with books and forceful retorts.

    Anya Saigenji (Female): The drama club president. The legendary person who revived the drama club. She has a habit of "capturing" students. Often lectured by Shiina.

    Shika Kagura (Female): Possesses the "Reaper¡¯s Curse" that will bring misfortune to everyone around her. She became Okubo Yoshiaki¡¯s temporary Spirit-branded retainer and ended up dying. Seiji saved her, and she became Seiji¡¯s adopted sister.

    Kaho Miyamoto (Female): Seiji¡¯s ssmate. A fat otaku girl that was helped during P.E. ss by Seiji. She worked hard to lose weight, and wishes to be friends with Seiji. Excellent at cooking.

    Mayuzumi Amami (Female): Rika Amami¡¯s cousin. The creator of the super popr anime "Honey Candy Girl." Her pen name is Peach-sensei, and she has severe androphobia. Her cousin Rika encouraged her to have a date with Seiji at the school festival.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish (Female): Seiji¡¯s only spectator for his live streams. A NEET otaku girl. Seiji¡¯s younger sister.

    Kaede Juumonji (Female): A young mistress from a mafia family. Saved (?) by Seiji while being chased by her father¡¯s subordinates. Fell in love with Seiji at first sight. Currently working as a nurse at Genhana High School.

    Hoshi Amami (Male): Rika Amami¡¯s nephew. Seiji¡¯s junior from work at the confectionery store. A boy who has a cute and lovely appearance. He oncemitted suicide due to his family problems. Seiji saved him using the save/load ability. He worships Seiji.

    Rion Amami (Female): One of Hoshi Amami¡¯s older twin sisters. Secretly abuses her younger brother. Controls and ckmails other people at school. Later defeated by Seiji, and begins to change herself for the better.

    Kotomi Amami (Female): One of Hoshi Amami¡¯s older twin sisters. Secretly abuses her younger brother. Controls and ckmails other people at school. Later defeated by Seiji, and begins to change herself for the better.

    Michirou Juumonji (Male): The leader of the Juumonji mafia group. Kaede Juumonji¡¯s father. He wishes to befriend Seiji.

    Zankita Juumonji (Male): Michirou Juumonji¡¯s eldest son. He loves fighting. He challenged Seiji but was defeated, so now he¡¯s resting in a hospital.

    Hisashi Juumonji (Male): Michirou Juumonji¡¯s youngest son. A true otaku who¡¯s also skilled in other areas. Has simr interests as Seiji, and they became friends.

    Karen Miyamoto (Female): Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s older sister. She has unbelievable I-cup breasts. She wishes to have a better rtionship with her younger sister.

    Yui Haruta (Female): Seiji¡¯s older sister. The person who exiled the original Seiji from his family.

    Saki Yoshizawa (Female): An editor working for Thunderbolt Literature. Mayuzumi Amami¡¯s good friend that got to know Seiji through Rika¡¯s introduction. Currently helping Seiji to publish his novel.

    Haruka Shimizu (Female): Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s ex-girlfriend. A student at Koaki High School. Hasplex feelings for Chiaki.

    Tetsuo Sakaki (Male): Haruka Shimizu¡¯s younger cousin. The ace member of Koaki High School¡¯s karate club. Has an arrogant personality. After angering Seiji, he was knocked unconscious by him.

    Kyosuke Akanishi (Male): The karate club captain of Genhana High School. Was once under the control of Rion and Kotomi Amami. Has now been freed.

    Mai Houjou (Female): Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s maid. The former student council president of Genhana High School. Took good care of Seiji and Shika.

    Okubo Yoshiaki (Male): Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s duel opponent. He tried to take advantage of Shika Kagura¡¯s "Reaper¡¯s Curse" but was foiled by Seiji. He couldn¡¯t ept his loss in his duel with Natsuya, so he attempted to kill everyone by blowing himself up. Finally defeated by Seiji.

    Ayami Himiki (Female): The judge presiding over Natsuya Yoruhana and Okubo Yoshiaki¡¯s duel. She has a husky dog Spirit-branded retainer.

    Yukari Asamiya (Female): A first-year high school student at Genhana High School. Gave Seiji many love letters and tried confessing to him but was rejected. She resolved to start from being friends with him.

 Chapter 2 - Dating Sim Game System

    <h4>Chapter 2: Dating Sim Game System</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Lin¡­ No wait, now he was known as Seiji Haruta.

    Seiji knew that he had hit the jackpot.

    After reincarnating into this body, he had been experimenting with this system that he inexplicably received.

    Since the functions of this system were simr to most dating-sim game systems, he just called it the ¡®DS system¡¯ for short.

    What were the functions of this DS system?

    Well, any gamer that¡¯s yed a dating-sim game before should know the basics. Although each dating-sim game had its individual quirks, there were somemon characteristics found in most of them.

    One was conversation options.

    When talking to one of the primary characters¡ªfor instance, a beautiful girl, three conversation options would appear at various points, and one would definitely improve her feelings towards you, while one would decrease them, and the other one was neutral and had no effect.

    Then, there was the conversation memo.

    Whether it was the main character¡¯s conversations with everyone else or the game text, everything could be viewed again on the dating sim¡¯s memo. This meant Seiji was able to look at the record of his conversations with everyone!

    Next was the ability to inspect his own stats and check someone¡¯s current level of friendship or affection towards him.

    After Seiji reincarnated, whenever he talked to a girl whose appearance was above average, he could see their current opinion of him, and he was also able to check his own stats.

    [Academics: 5 - Rubbish¡ªwith this level you¡¯d be the worst even in elementary school!]

    [Physical ability: 5 - Rubbish¡ªeven a loli elementary schooler could defeat you with a single kick!]

    [Art: 9 - Low level¡ªit barely counts as having some minor ability to appreciate beauty, hmph!]

    [Music: 10 - Low level¡ªcan understand some popr music, but you¡¯re still basically an idiot.]

    [Communication: 2 - Garbage¡ªtrying tomunicate with others is like insulting them!]

    [Charisma: 0 - Even a pile of dog poop on the roadside is more attractive.]

    ¡­

    The descriptions next to his statistics were painful to look at, but that wasn¡¯t important¡ªbecause Seiji still retained memories from his new body, he could onlyment that the original Seiji truly deserved the oue of choking to death on instant noodles in a tiny apartment.

    All his ssmates looked down on him, the school bullies picked on him, the prettiest girl in school insulted him, his childhood friend kicked him away, his younger sister pped him, his older sister forced him to leave home, and his adoptive mother treated him coldly¡­ Okay, these memories were far too painful. Seiji didn¡¯t want to go through them anymore; just remembering them once was distressing enough.

    Along with stats came the ability to level them up. For example, academics could be raised with options like [go to cram school], [study at home], [hire a tutor], et cetera, while physical ability had options like [exercise at home], [jog in the morning], [workout at the gym], et cetera.

    Other than that, there were also CGs and video ybacks, which could rey some scenes of him interacting with girls; almost like a type of album.

    But all of the above wasn¡¯t really that special.

    Thest function was the one that Seiji found the most astounding and the most gamebreaking¡ªeven if he didn¡¯t have any of the above abilities, he could subvert the entire world with just this ability!

    It was no joke!

    Because the final ability of the dating sim system was¡­

    Saving and loading!!!

    This game function was the most ordinary of all; after all, every game came with this function.

    But, for this ability to appear in real life, heavens¡­ This cheat was truly broken!

    After reincarnating, Seiji spent the majority of his time experimenting with this final ability; at first he was astounded, then he was overjoyed, but now he was starting to feel slightly scared.

    As long as he saved a file beforehand, it didn¡¯t matter what he did afterwards; all he had to do was load the saved file, and he could start all over again with a clean te!

    He could already imagine it: he could do anything wicked that he wanted, and after the police caught him, he could just load the file, and it would be like nothing ever happened.

    This was akin to a gift from the Devil!

    Although Seiji didn¡¯t think that he was a hero, he definitely wasn¡¯t an evil person either, so those wicked ideas only shed through his mind briefly before he sealed them away and decided to set some rules for himself that he definitely would never vite.

    After opening this Pandora¡¯s Box, he closed it immediately, using all of his self-control to prevent himself from opening it again, and he had finally managed to calm himself down with great effort.

    ¡®Well, let¡¯s just go with that,¡¯ Seiji thought.

    At this moment, he silently opened up the load menu, before choosing the first save file and returning to that time.

    His entire world turned dark momentarily, before bing light once more.

    He was still in the same room, but it was now early morning instead ofte night.

    This was his first save file, and it was also the one immediately after his reincarnation.

    Let¡¯s just start from here now¡ªa new life after reincarnation.

    First, he needed to clean up the instant noodles that choked this body to death¡­

    His room was 30 square meters, furnished with a shower and bathroom, and the rent was 5000 sakuras every month.

    That¡¯s right¡ªsakuras, not Japanese yen.

    After Seiji reincarnated, at first he thought that he was in Japan, butter he discovered that this was actually a parallel world; the entire world map was significantly different from Earth¡¯s, and history had changed significantly.

    The European pioneers had fought a series of wars whichsted for several hundred years against the Native Americans, so both Europe and America¡¯s development had stagnated, while the Asian Huaxia Empire became the world¡¯s only superpower.

    But seventy years ago, arge continent arose from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, and the ancient civilization which dwelled on it had attempted to conquer the entire world. Eventually, the war ended up in a stalemate as they were pitted against the allied armies of the entire world. Ultimately, they signed a peace treaty, thus bing the world¡¯s second superpower.

    What the hell was all of this!?

    Seiji¡¯s face could only distort when he learned the fantasy-like history of this world.

    Not only that, the military equipment in this world made his eyes sparkle; apart from conventional weapons, such as guns, tanks, and cruisers, there were also robot warriors, single-pilot mechs, flying castles, and biologically engineered living giants¡ªtechnology that he had only seen in sci-fi manga before.

    Even though there was no apparent magic or superpowers to be seen, Seiji believed there may be something under the surface¡ªit¡¯s just that ordinary people were incognizant of the true situation.

    Okay, so this was a new world that seemed as if it hade out of a 2-D manga.

    And the most obvious part about this being simr to a 2-D world was thatpared to Earth, the average boys and girls were much better-looking, with well-proportioned bodies and a multitude of different hair and eye colors!

    For example, thendlord¡¯s¡­ daughter that was currently standing in front of Seiji.

    She hadrge amber eyes, a small and exquisite nose, cherry lips, and her silky ck hair was braided into pigtails. Her hairclips were dark red, and she was wearing a beautiful sailor-style school uniform. She had an ample chest, and she was wearing white stockings on her fair thighs, which seemed especially tender. The distance between her miniskirt and the white stockings created a mesmerizing territory filled with the attractiveness of youth.

    If this had been Earth, 100% of guys would stare at her as she walked down the street, and she¡¯d be able to do cosy or be a fashion model without makeup¡ªa top-ss beauty! But in this world, it seemed that she was only above average.

    "You fat pig! You¡¯re already behind on rent by half a month¡ªwhen are you going to pay up!?"

    When the pigtailed beauty opened her mouth, insults spewed out instantly, and her expression was filled with contempt and impatience.

    Seiji could only smile wryly inside; after all, whose fault was it that his body¡¯s previous owner attempted to ****** her in their first meeting? It was only natural that she would have such a negative impression of him.

    Seiji sighed helplessly. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being an otaku, but if you act as disgusting as the previous owner of the body, even without being an obese otaku, it was only natural that all his friends and family would abandon him.

    "I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Uehara. Please give me two more days; I¡¯lle up with enough money for you."

    Seiji kneeled on the floor and lowered his head in a formal apology.

    Even though all of this was the previous Seiji¡¯s fault, since he had obtained this body now, he couldn¡¯tin; he might as well attempt to fix things.

    The girl whose name was Mika Uehara was stunned for an instant; this was the first time she had ever seen him being so confident and sincere. Before, it always sounded like he was mumbling every word, and every sentence was sexually harassing, which made her feel disgusted.

    She hated having to talk to this fat pig, but she was worried about her kind and gentle mother having to collect rent from him. Unfortunately, her father died young, so she needed to be strong on behalf of her mother and to protect their family!

    And seeing this fat pig acting so sincere for the first time, she was slightly moved.

    "We¡¯ve already given you such a long period¡­"

    "I know, it¡¯s my fault, but I really don¡¯t have any money right now. Give me two days¡¯ time; I¡¯ll sell some of the things in this room and give you the rent." Seiji raised his head and gazed directly into her eyes.

    Just looking at that chubby face made Mika Uehara feel disgusted again, but that sincere look was something she¡¯d never seen before, which piqued her curiosity.

    She took a look around the room; just two months after moving in, this guy had made it into a pigsty: CDs, games, fast food trash, drink bottles, and a huge amount of dirty tissues were everywhere¡­

    Just by observing her ncing around and her expression, Seiji knew what she was thinking, and it was also expressed by the three conversation options that suddenly appeared in front of him.

    [A: You¡¯ll get your money anyways, so get the hell out!]

    [B: I know that my previous actions made it difficult for you to trust me, but please give me onest chance!]

    [C: I really don¡¯t have any money, I¡¯m begging you!]

    The correct answer was obviously B.

    "I know, I was very rude to you before, and it may be difficult for you to trust me. However, I¡¯ve self-reflected on my previous actions, and I¡¯ve decided to start living a new life; please give me onest chance!"

    Seiji bowed his head once again in a sincere request.

    *Ding!* After making his choice, he heard a sound in his mind.

    This was the game system telling him that he had sessfully raised her friendship level!

    "O¡­ Okay, onest chance." Mika Uehara pouted with her lips. "I¡­ I¡¯lle back in a week."

    He requested two days, but this girl gave him a week.

    "Thank you so much!" Seiji thanked her in a clear, deep voice.

    "You¡¯re wee¡­" Hearing such sincere gratitude, Mika Uehara felt for an instant that this fat pig didn¡¯t seem as disgusting as before.

    Her departure meant that he wouldn¡¯t be evicted, so the corners of Seiji¡¯s mouth curled upwards in a small smile.

    Then, he immediately went to the bathroom to wash himself.

    He washed his face, took a shower, cut his messy hair, shaved all his facial hair, and put on the cleanest clothes he could find.

    *Ding ding ding!* A brand new fat pig has now arrived!

    Even though he was still obese, he was now a rtively normal-looking chubby person instead of a fat otaku that everybody hated; his charisma stat had even increased by five points as proof of this.

    Just taking a shower improved charisma from 0 to 5¡ªjust how uncaring was the previous person about his appearance?

    Well, Seiji didn¡¯t wish to dwell on the previous person¡¯s self-serving lifestyle, so after cleaning himself up, his next task was cleaning the room.

    He threw away all the trash, organized all the things that were still useful, and made a pile of what he could sell.

    Let¡¯s do the important stuff first before finishing the final organizing and cleaningter.

    Seiji ate some snacks that he found in the room for breakfast, before gathering up a huge bundle of CDs and games to sell and walking out of the room with them.

    Outside, the sun shone brightly.

 Chapter 3 - Working

    <h4>Chapter 3: Working</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    After he had sold everything that he could to the second-hand games shop, Seiji finally received a sum of money that was sufficient to pay off the rent.

    But it was only enough for the rent. After he paid, he would have little money left over, and if he didn¡¯t think of something soon, he would run out of money within three days after paying the rent.

    The original Seiji truly deserved what he got. Originally, his family gave him enough living expenses for half a year¡¯s worth of rent and food, but this guy wasted it all in two and a half months; he didn¡¯t even consider the implications ofcking money to buy food!

    If Seiji wanted toment on the previous person¡¯s ridiculous actions, he could rant endlessly for three consecutive days and nights¡­ Let¡¯s just forget about it.

    The original Seiji also stopped going to school a long time ago, and Seiji didn¡¯t intend to go back to school either. Currently, he waspletely free every day, so he decided to find a job first, thereby making enough money to ensure that he didn¡¯t starve.

    Truthfully, although there were various methods to obtain money through saving and loading, Seiji didn¡¯t intend to use his cheat that way; he didn¡¯t want to wantonly use his power.

    So, in the end, he decided to get a job. However, with such a fat body thatcked any skills, what could he possibly do? If he went to ces such as restaurants, any normal manager probably wouldn¡¯t hire him.

    Seiji contemted deeply before finally thinking of a solution.

    There was a street filled with businesses nearby, and it seemed that a number of stores were employing people to stand in full-body costumes to attract customers, so Seiji felt like this job would be suitable for him.

    After all, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see him!

    His fat body, low attractiveness, and the wretched atmosphere around him¡­ as long as he hid inside a full-body costume, none of that would be a problem!

    These costumes only contained children¡¯s dreams, not a fat otaku!

    But could he really obtain a job?

    Well, in his previous life, he had already passed the tests to be a government worker, so Seiji felt like he should make an attempt.

    But at the first store, he was rejected instantly¡ªwhere was his resume?

    Even a job like this needs a resume¡­ fine, he¡¯ll return home and prepare one.

    Then, the second store wasn¡¯t hiring.

    The third one wasn¡¯t either.

    As for the fourth store¡­

    The fourth store was just putting up a sign to hire a costumed employee!

    And the store manager was a great beauty!

    "Oh my! Just when I put the sign up, someone already came."

    The woman was around thirty years old, slightly foxy, with permed brown curly hair and a majestic chest. She dressed like an officedy, with form-fitting formal clothes, a short skirt, ck stockings, high heels; her entire body oozed with sex appeal.

    Especially when she sped her hands against her chest¡ªthe moment where her chest jutted out almost caused Seiji¡¯s lower half to have a reaction.

    If this had been the original Seiji, he probably would have started sexually harassing her already.

    Seiji forced himself to control his expression, without exposing even a hint of being a lowlife¡ªafter all, that would incur a destructive amount of disgust.

    The woman took his resume and looked at it for a minute.

    "You¡¯re still a high school student, so why are you applying for this full-time job here?"

    After she said this, the options appeared¡ª

    [A: None of your business b*tch!]

    [B: Because of some personal reasons, I¡¯ve temporarily dropped out of school, and need money now.]

    [C: For the beautiful you.]

    Obviously, the correct answer was B.

    "Because of some personal reasons, I¡¯ve temporarily dropped out of school¡­ And currently, I could use the money. Please hire me, the sry at first¡­ it can be lower than usual."

    He chose the most honest and polite option, and he made a great effort to request the job with sincerity.

    *Ding!* [Friendship level has increased!]

    "Well¡­ ording to your resume, you have no work experience. This is indeed a problem; although this job appears easy, it still requires a certain degree of patience and skills." She rubbed her chin hesitantly.

    "I¡¯ll give you half of the normal sry at first; if you don¡¯t do a good job, you¡¯ll be fired immediately. If you perform well, I¡¯ll give you the normal sry after one week. Will you ept these conditions?"

    "I ept!" Seiji instantly agreed.

    And so, he acquired a job.

    The beautiful store manager¡¯s name was Rika Amami.

    It was a confectionery shop¡ªone that sold various desserts, cakes, and drinks. Their store costume was the lucky mascot of a popr anime, and they''d apparently acquired licensing rights to advertise with it, so the full-body costume was created with great care, which meant that it was quite popr with many children and even some teenagers passing by.

    The full-time job¡¯s hours were from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

    After one day on the job, Seiji discovered that this job was much more difficult than he expected.

    First, it was a huge drain on his strength mostly because the costume was stiflingly hot; even with the store manager being considerate for him and putting some bags of ice inside, after a while, he¡¯d get soaked in sweat.

    Besides that, there were more mischievous kids than he was prepared for, and they often kicked or hit the costume; even though it didn¡¯t hurt, if he wasn¡¯t careful he¡¯d trip, and that was a huge problem.

    Making money wasn¡¯t easy anywhere¡­

    Although it was quite tiring, he had to persevere, so he treated it as losing weight.

    The next day, before Seiji went to his job, he sought out Mika to pay his rent.

    Mika Uehara was surprised at how fast this guy paid his rent. In addition to this, her sharp senses told her that the fat guy in front of her seemed slightly different from the fat otaku before.

    Did he really self-reflect and change his ways? She held a trace of confusion as she watched him leave, but she forgot about it quickly.

    Who cared? After all, she received the rent money!

    Seiji arrived punctually to his job every day, and he stopped eating snacks and fast food, instead buying his own ingredients to cook.

    As he was single for 30 years in his past life, even though he wasn¡¯t a skilled cook, it was no problem to feed himself, and it also saved him money.

    Waking up and sleeping early, working hard, and eating healthily.

    Just by living a normal life like this, his stats were gradually increasing!

    One weekter.

    "Thanks for your hard work, Haruta-kun."

    In the afternoon, after he finished his job and changed back into his regr clothes, the manager Rika Amami handed him a cup of iced coffee.

    This was the first time!

    "Thank you as well¡­ you¡¯ve also been working hard." Seiji took the coffee and had a taste¡ªit was pretty good.

    "This is your sry for the past three days." With a smile, the beautiful store manager handed him an envelope.

    Seiji opened it and took a look.

    "It seems a bit much."

    "Just count it as reward money; you were better than I thought you¡¯d be."

    "Thank you¡­" Seiji gratefully took the money.

    "Haruta-kun, I didn¡¯t feel like it was appropriate to ask before, but actually I¡¯m rather curious; why was it that you dropped out of school?"

    "This¡­" Seiji smiled wryly, "it¡¯s because¡­ well¡­ I was quite terrible in school before."

    "I think Haruta-kun is a nice boy, a hard worker, and very polite." Rika blinked in confusion.

    "That¡¯s because I¡¯ve reflected deeply on my actions and decided to start a new life. But my actions in the past cannot be erased."

    "Haha, you¡¯re just a student, but you seem to have quite the story."

    "It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a student; life is about living." Seiji replied lightly.

    This wasn¡¯t a conversation option¡ªit was his personal realization.

    "It has nothing to do with male or female, young or old, life treats every person the same way; you may not receive anything for your efforts, but if you don¡¯t do anything and give up on everything, then life will give up on you."

    Thisment moved Rika, and the words he said so lightly seemed to have deep philosophy behind it, especiallying from a youth.

    *Ding!* [Your favorability rating has increased.]

    Seiji took nced at the system while sipping his coffee, but he almost ended up spitting it out!

    With just one sentence he had actually gained 10 favorability points with the beautiful store manager!?

    He worked his hardest for an entire week, and he only obtained 10 favorability points from that!

    He was speechless¡ªit was truly difficult toprehend what women were moved by.

    Because of these 10 points he suddenly received, the store manager now viewed him as a "friend" in the system, meaning that Rika Amami was no longer treating him as a mere employee.

    Although Seiji felt it was pretty nice, it was of little significance¡ªafter all, he didn¡¯t intend to go out with this store manager.

    After finishing his coffee, he took his leave.

    Seiji then bought some ingredients from the supermarket, before heading home.

    The sky was darkening, and the air was slightly stifling, indicating that it was about to rain, so he increased his pace.

    When he was almost at his apartment, he could make out some strange sounds.

    "Why are you rejecting me!?"

    "Let go, pervert!"

    The second voice sounded like a girl that he knew, and a notion shed through Seiji¡¯s mind, so he quickly saved a file in the system.

    Then, he followed the sound and saw a student with dyed-blonde hair and a western-style school uniform pushing thendlord¡¯s daughter against the wall and pping her face while ranting angrily.

    "You made me lose face, you stupid ****! It¡¯s an honor for me to want you! You were *** around everywhere so happily, but I didn¡¯t even care and wanted you to be my girlfriend but you actually rejected me¡ªyou shamed me in front of everyone!"

    Under this blondie, Mika Uehara was struggling fiercely, her cheeks were tear-streaked, as well as red from being pped.

    "Stop¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­" She desperately tried to shout, but the blonde-haired student covered her mouth.

    "You¡¯re still saying you didn¡¯t, everyone says so¡­"

    *Smack!*

    A clean hit with his foot.

    Seiji secretly approached the blondie from behind and kicked him straight in the back of his head, causing the blondie to fall down instantly.

    Mika Uehara was surprised for an instant as the blondie slumped to the ground, but then she noticed the huge figure in front of her.

    "Are you alright, Miss Uehara?" Seiji reached his hand out to her.

    Mika Uehara just stared at him in shock.

    "That hurt, you bastard¡­" Somehow, the blondie had stayed conscious after taking the heavy kick, and he struggled to get up.

    *Smack!* Another ruthless kick.

    With a cold expression, Seiji urately kicked the blondie¡¯s lower half.

    It seemed like blondie¡¯s eyes were about to bulge out of his forehead, and with a strange shriek, he fell over in the fetal position on the ground, convulsing madly¡ªit was clear that he wasn¡¯t able to stand up anymore.

    "Let¡¯s get up, Miss Uehara. Would you like to call the police?" Seiji spoke once more.

    He didn¡¯t give a damn whether or not he severely injured the blondie; if something really happened, all he had to do was load again.

    Perhaps due to his confident appearance, Mika Uehara felt a sense of safety, so she took his huge hand and let him pull her up.

    "You¡­you bastard, do you know who I am¡­" The blondie red at him viciously.

    "A ** hoodlum who didn¡¯t get what he wanted." Seiji frowned and thought about kicking blondie again in the face, but he considered that bloodying him would frighten Mika, so he said instead, "Miss Uehara, let¡¯s call the police after all."

    "No¡­ no need¡­" Mika Uehara hesitated for a while before weakly saying, "he¡¯s my ssmate¡­"

    Appeasing him wasn¡¯t a good method. Seiji took a look at the spiteful expression on blondie¡¯s face and was utterly convinced that there would problems againter down the road, but since the victim was saying this, she must be worried about something else.

    Well, if they weren''t going to call the police, there was no need to stay here like idiots. Seiji quickly pulled Uehara away from this location.

    The apartment wasn¡¯t far from here, and Mika lived on the first floor, since she was thendlord¡¯s daughter.

    Seiji brought her to the door, noticing that she couldn¡¯t even put her key into the keyhole properly because her hand was shaking so hard.

    "Let me." Seiji took the key from her hand and opened the door for her.

    "Where¡¯s your mother, thendlord?"

    "She¡¯s not here today¡­" Mika said weakly.

    "Give her a call, then drink some hot water. You should listen to some music; you¡¯ll feel better after you calm down." Seiji said.

    Considering the impression that the original Seiji had left her with, he decided not to go in with her, and he turned around to leave.

    "Wait!"

    Suddenly, Mika called out to him.

    He turned around, seeing a pitiful expression on her face, and he noticed that she was still trembling.

    "How about you¡­e in for a while?"

 Chapter 4 - Escort

    <h4>Chapter 4: Escort</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Mika Uehara felt like there must be something wrong with her head.

    Even though the incident just now was somewhat frightening, and she wanted someone tofort her, why did she¡­ how could she invite that fatty to her home?

    Even though he seemed to have changed himself, and he did indeed help her, in the end, he was still a fat otaku¡­

    Her heart was filled with apprehension and agitation.

    Fortunately, her worries were unfounded.

    After Seiji Haruta was invited inside by her, he acted proper and without a hint of vulgarity¡ªit could even be said that he was calm and reserved.

    She poured him some tea, before going to wash her face and change her clothes. When she returned, she saw that he hadn¡¯t moved and was sipping tea silently.

    ¡®It seems like¡­ he¡¯s a good person.¡¯ She thought about how he saved her in the nick of time and felt embarrassed at her earlier suspicions.

    "Your face¡­ is swollen." Seiji looked at her before asking, "Is there a first aid kit? I can tend to your wound."

    Mika handed over her first aid kit, and Seiji took a look inside. He then used the cotton swabs and disinfectant inside to gently wipe her face, before applying medicine and band-aids.

    Neither of them spoke during the entire process.

    Theforting silence finally calmed Mika¡¯s heart.

    "It¡¯s not very serious; it should be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep." Seiji gently informed her as he shut the first aid kit.

    "Thank you¡­"

    The room fell silent once more.

    "That guy really was your ssmate?" Seiji broke the silence.

    Mika¡¯s face darkened as she inclined her head in agreement.

    The blondie was her ssmate, and he was also the son of some majorpany¡¯s CEO who had donated a lot of money to their school, which meant that no teacher dared to contradict him¡ªhe was truly a school bully.

    Actually, she was tempted to call the police in the earlier incident, but remembering that guy¡¯s background, which she and her mother were powerless against, caused her will to waver.

    "Haruta-kun, I¡­ what should I do?" Mika Uehara was just an ordinary high school girl, and she didn¡¯t know how to deal with this type of situation.

    Seiji didn¡¯t have any good ideas either; after all, school bullies weren¡¯t that easy to deal with.

    "There are three methods." After contemting in silence, he finally spoke up.

    "First, give him a harsh lesson he won¡¯t ever forget, so that he¡¯s terrified of you. Second, find someone in school that¡¯s even stronger than him, and request their protection. Third, transfer schools."

    Mika Uehara remained silent for quite a while.

    "Are these really the only methods?"

    "Judging by his character, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to give up on you, and if something serious happens, it¡¯ll be toote for you to call the police, so these are the only three methods." Recalling the blondie¡¯s expression, Seiji felt that he was truly human scum.

    Mika Uehara remained silent.

    She didn¡¯t realize how serious the situation had gotten until Seiji had calmly pointed it out to her. Now she hade to the startling realization that she had been forced to the brink.

    The first option wasn¡¯t something she was able to condone. The third one would ce an undue burden on her mother. The second one was the only possible solution for her¡­

    "I know that in school, he seems fearful of the student council president¡­ but, I¡¯ve never even spoken to the president before."

    "If your student council president is trustworthy, then request aid from him. You should tell him the difficult situation you¡¯re facing, and plead for his assistance." Seiji advised her seriously: "Lowering your head to others is much better than having something unfortunate happen to you."

    Everyone had their own pride and wanted to live without relying on others, but in reality, that was almost impossible¡ªeveryone would have a time when they need to request aid from others.

    Mika Uehara was silent again for a significant amount of time, before she finally nodded in agreement.

    "Fine, I¡¯ll go and talk to the president tomorrow."

    So, she had finally decided on a n of action.

    "Thank you, Haruta-kun. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I might have¡­" Mika Uehara thanked him sincerely.

    She discovered that this fatty, whom she had previously despised before, had suddenly be cute in this moment.

    The fat youth had a simple and honest smile as he scratched his cheek somewhat awkwardly.

    "It¡¯s no big deal; I was just passing by."

    He sat and talked for a while longer, but eventually, he rose and bade farewell.

    After he left, he nced at his system and found out that Mika Uehara¡¯s favorability rating towards him had shot up by an entire 50 points! It was almost enough to pass the level of "normal friends," meaning that she was almost a "good friend" with him already.

    As expected, saving the damsel in distress is the ssical method of grinding favorability rating points.

    When he returned to his room, Seiji turned on theputer out of habit.

    The original Seiji spent the bulk of his living expenses on a high-specputer, so thisputer was capable of many functions. This week, in addition to ying games on it, Seiji was also doing some research on the inte.

    And the result was just as he expected: things from his previous world, such as stories, manga, anime, and movies were absent from this world.

    Since he had been transported to another world, he should bring some of his old world¡¯s culture with him!

    Although that¡¯s what he thought at first, he quickly realized that without a cheat-like photographic memory, there was no way for him to reproduce the ssics.

    Seiji sighed. Why was he only a normal fan, instead of an obsessed expert¡­

    Since he didn¡¯t have the ability to reproduce them, Seiji decided to give up and enjoy the products of this world.

    Currently, he was watching the most popr 3-D video in Sakura Ind, the ce he lived in.

    In the dreamlike artistic scenery, a beautiful girl with long, straight ck hair was wearing a fancy eastern-style dress, dancing vividly and singing melodiously. Her every action and every smile was able to tug at people¡¯s heartstrings, and she had a magical allure to her that could hook onto people¡¯s souls.

    Ever since finding this video, Seiji had been repeatedly watching it for several days, and he felt like he was missing something if he didn¡¯t watch it at least three or four times every day! He even felt the desire to put it on endless repeat!

    After he had finished watching the video, just as he was about to go cook himself some food to eat, there was a soft knock on his door.

    As he opened the door, he was greeted by the graceful figure of a beautiful pig-tailed girl.

    "My mother cooked this¡ªit¡¯s a bit too much for me, and I can¡¯t finish it, so¡­ would you like some?" Mika Uehara was holding a lunchbox and seemed slightly bashful as she said this.

    Alright, there was still plenty of time to have a heart-to-heart chat with this beautiful girl.

    ¡­

    The next day, when Seiji got up and finished his morning routine, there was a soft knock on the door again.

    After he opened it, Mika Uehara walked into his apartment like she belonged there, carrying a piping-hot breakfast.

    After chatting for an entire eveningst night, she discovered to her surprise that she actually shared somemon interests with the fatty, and she now viewed him as her good friend.

    Although she found this somewhat unbelievable, the reality was, whenever her mother wasn¡¯t by her side, she could only feel some semnce of security while being by this fatty¡¯s side.

    And Seiji Haruta definitely seemed to have truly changed his ways¡ªit was almost like he was a wholly different person from that disgusting fat otaku that moved in here!

    Why was it that he underwent such a huge change? She asked him out of curiosity, but he only smiled enigmatically.

    "There was no special reason in particr¡ªyou¡¯dugh if you knew."

    Although this type of answer only fueled her desire to find out, if he didn¡¯t want to tell her, she couldn¡¯t force him. However, unbeknownst to her, her interest in this fatty inexplicably increased.

    Yesterday morning, she would¡¯ve found the notion of eating breakfast with him inconceivable, but this was something she personally requestedst night.

    She would make breakfast for him as long as he escorted her to school.

    Seiji didn¡¯t feel like he was strong enough to protect anyone, but he had the cheat ability to save and load, so all he had to do was save first, and if something did happen, load another file.

    He was a cheat, so he felt utterly fearless!

    After eating breakfast, they left together, and seeing Mika hopping and skipping in front of him, Seiji¡¯s eyes became somewhat unfocused.

    "What¡¯s the matter?"

    "Nothing¡­ I just suddenly remembered back to going to school like this together with my older and younger sister."

    Last night, Seiji told Mika some basic information about the original Seiji, such as why he was no longer attending high school, and why he was living alone. Although it wasn¡¯t particrly detailed, it was sufficient enough for Mika to gain a greater understanding about his situation.

    "Do you want to go back and visit them?"

    "Yes, but not now¡ªI¡¯ve just started changing myself." Seiji smiled wryly, "I want to improve even more, only then¡­ will I have the courage to face them."

    Seeing the fatty depressed, Mika smiled slightly.

    "You can do it! You¡¯ve already changed so much, haven¡¯t you? As yourndlord, I give you my assurance!"

    "Thendlord should be your mother."

    "I¡¯m her representative!"

    The fatty and the beautyughed and chatted as they walked down the street bathed in warm sunshine.

    In the end, blondie never appeared, and Seiji sessfully brought Mika to school.

    As she walked inside,st night¡¯s fear and anxiety began to surface again, and she was scared that she would suddenly see blondie¡¯s vicious face. Unconsciously, she looked back and saw the huge form of Seiji still standing there, smiling gently as he watched her.

    "Good luck." She felt like she could hear his encouragement.

    Suddenly, she felt a lot braver.

    She looked forward, raised her head, and walked swiftly towards the math building.

    ¡®Now, it all depends on how she interacts with the student council president.¡¯ Seiji thought silently as he walked back to the apartment.

    If the president was willing to protect her, that would be the best case scenario, but if not, Seiji couldn¡¯t think of any ideas other than having Mika transfer schools.

    Seiji was still too weak; even the son of a majorpany¡¯s CEO was someone he was helpless against. Honestly, although he could thrash that scumbag or even kill him, but what then? When blondie took revenge, or when the police caught him, he had the ability to load any previous save file and start over, as if nothing had ever happened.

    But he wanted to see the future, not repeat the past over and over again.

    Silently, Seiji checked his own stats.

    [Academics: 18 - A bit low¡ªno longer elementary school-level. You have the ability of an average middle school student.]

    [Physical ability: 14 - Low level¡ªno longer at the level of being exhausted after running two steps, but still pretty low.]

    [Art: 12 - Low level¡ªjust enough to appreciate porn on the inte.]

    [Music: 11 - Low level¡ªyou can understand some popr music, but you¡¯re still barely different from an idiot.]

    [Communication: 21 - Medium-low¡ªaround the average level of a normal adult, but slightly mature¡­ just slightly!]

    [Charisma: 15 - Low level¡ªjust a fatty with a shabby appearance.]

    ¡­

    In this week, his stats had increased significantly, and he could feel himself changing noticeably. Combined with his experiments when he first reincarnated, it seemed that his stats aren¡¯t only physical, they also raise his abilities.

    After checking all his avable options for raising his stats, Seiji made a decision.

    From today onwards, he would work hard to level up his stats!

 Chapter 5 - Exercise

    <h4>Chapter 5: Exercise</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    The dating sim system¡¯s options for increasing stats were quite wondrous.

    If the conditions weren¡¯t fulfilled, the option would be grayed out and unselectable. For example, the [morning jog] option to raise [physical ability] couldn¡¯t be selected unless it was actually morning. But in the morning, it would light up and could be chosen.

    If he selected an avable option, Seiji would have a strong urge to do what he just chose, and if he forced himself to go against it, the option would turn gray again, and the relevant stat would actually decrease!

    On the other hand, if he followed his urge to finish what he chose, after a certain amount of time, the urge would disappear, and his stat would increase.

    In conclusion, it was quite a convenient function and was especially suitable for thezy.

    The stat that Seiji wanted to raise most right now was of course [physical ability]. He didn¡¯t have to work today, so it was a perfect time to utilize his system.

    After he returned to his apartment, he chose the option to [exercise at home].

    Then, his mind was suddenly filled with an urge to do warmup exercises, and his brain automatically heard a fast-paced "one, two, three, and four¡­" His body then instinctively started to move, and his mind was wholly focused on exercising¡­

    ¡­

    *Plop!* Seiji made a sound like he was justing out of a swimming pool, and in truth, his whole body waspletely drenched. Every pore was oozing sweat, and his sweat-soaked clothes emitted a foul odor.

    After panting heavily, he nced at the time.

    Whoa, he had actually exercised without resting for three whole hours!

    What the hell, this option must be bugged! When he experimented with it before, it wasn¡¯t at this level!

    What could have caused the change¡ªwas it because his stats were higher than the first time he tried it? Or was it because he was seriously intending to exercise this time?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t figure out the answer as hey copsed on the floor, paralyzed with exhaustion.

    Although it was quite hard on his body, the effect was evident; his physical ability stat had instantly increased by two points already.

    Two points wasn¡¯t an insignificant gain. Despite his physical ability stat increasing several times when he had first started working, after that it had stagnated, and itpletely stopped increasing no matter how much he worked. For three hours of exercising to increase it by two points¡­ it was truly astounding.

    If he could increase his physical ability stat by two points every time he exercised, then wouldn¡¯t Seiji be a super athlete in before long¡­? No, it couldn¡¯t possibly be that easy, could it?

    After lunch, he took a long nap.

    In the afternoon, Seiji used the [exercise at home] option again, and he felt the unstoppable urge to exercise once more¡­

    It was now evening.

    Mika Uehara had spent an especially long day at school, and she finally returned home apanied by her good friend.

    After entering her home, she rxedpletely, jumping on her sofa and rolling around on it.

    The president was so cool!

    After hearing her circumstances and listening to her request, the student council president instantly took action, giving the blondie a stern lecture and warning.

    This resulted in the blondie avoiding her for the whole day.

    While the blondie¡¯s family was quite powerful, they were insignificantpared to the president¡¯s family; the president¡¯s warning should be more than enough to pacify him.

    Having sessfully received the student council president¡¯s protection, Mika Uehara felt quite relieved.

    And now that she was at home, she thought about the person who gave her the idea, feeling a sudden urge to share her joy and sess with him.

    She was the type to act on her feelings, and besides, he lived right upstairs.

    Mika Uehara walked upstairs to the second floor and knocked on Seiji Haruta¡¯s door.

    It took quite a while for the door to open slowly, and the face behind it appeared exhausted.

    Mika Uehara jumped in surprise.

    "What happened, Haruta-kun!?"

    "Nothing, I was just exercising¡­" Haruta¡¯s words seemed tock energy to the extent which it seemed like he was just a husk of himself.

    "Exercising?"

    "I¡¯m off from work today, so I exercised in my room and sweated tons. I just finished showering."

    "Oh¡­" She nodded, suddenly noticing that his figure seemed slightly smaller.

    Of course, he was still fat, but¡­ it seemed like he was slightly skinnier than this morning?

    It must be her imagination, right? Just working out in your room couldn¡¯t possibly be this effective.

    "How about your situation?" Seiji asked.

    Mika Uehara recalled why she came here and happily told him what had happened.

    "That president seems like a good person."

    "Yep, she¡¯s the coolest! I¡¯m also going to join her fan club!"

    "¡­Her?"

    "Yeah, the president is a girl; she¡¯s beautiful, gentle, and really cool!" It was as if stars were sparkling in Mika Uehara¡¯s eyes.

    The mental image that Seiji had of a respected family¡¯s scion instantly copsed.

    At first, he felt like it didn¡¯t matter, but the next minute, he felt like things wouldn¡¯t end this simply.

    It was because the president was female.

    If the president was male, with a powerful family backing him up, warning that scumbag to keep his distance from a girl would most likely cause him to stay away out of fear. However, with the president being a girl¡­ Having a girl warn that type of scumbag was likely to cause him to want to rebel against the warning even more.

    Seiji could only hope that his worries were unfounded.

    "Even though the president has acted on your behalf, you should still be cautious for the time being."

    "Yep! I returned home apanied by a friend." Mika nodded, before showing a trace of shyness, "but¡­ about going to school¡­"

    "I can take you, however¡­" Seiji smiled slightly.

    "I know, I¡¯ll take care of your breakfasts!" Mika showed a brilliant smile.

    *Click!* Seiji heard the sound of his system saving the picture as a CG.

    He never imagined that he¡¯d be able to see this type of smile in 3-D!

    A life filled with enjoying daily pleasures¡ªthat was the kind of life he wanted!

    After Mika left, Seiji returned to his room and took a good look at himself in the bathroom mirror.

    There was no mistake; he was definitely skinnier. Although he didn¡¯t know what his weight was, he had definitely lost at least 2.5 kilograms.

    This efficiency was terrifying!

    With this speed, if he kept up the exercise routine for a week, he could have a normal person¡¯s body shape, or maybe even be fairly strong¡­ But wouldn¡¯t this scare everyone around him?

    In one week, turning from a huge, fat otaku into a strong youth¡­ This would be such a great difference¡ª it would be perfect for a weight-loss advertisement!

    Should he decrease the speed a little?

    Then, when he thought about what was possible, Seiji decided that he would exercise with all his might!

    There were so many strange and wondrous things in this world anyway, so bing thin in one week shouldn¡¯t really be such a big deal.

    And after using the system¡¯s option to exercise twice, Seiji had discovered that he actually enjoyed the feeling of increasing his stats after a session of hard work.

    Leveling was so fun; he just couldn¡¯t stop himself!

    The next day.

    Seiji woke up at the crack of dawn and chose the [morning jog] option after leaving the apartment.

    "Oh oh oh oh oh!" Seiji felt a sudden urge to run to the edge of the world, and his brain was filled with nothing but the thought of running on endlessly!

    He didn¡¯t know what happened afterwards, or for how long he ran for, or where he went, as when he realized what was going on again, he was standing in front of his apartment, soaked in sweat, panting like a dog in summer heat, his expression looking simr to a dead fish.

    Just standing there for a few seconds caused a puddle of sweat to umte by his feet.

    "I¡­ I¡¯m almost dying¡­" He shakily headed for the stairs and didn¡¯t even notice that a beautifuldy was observing him from close by.

    "Ha¡­ Haruta-kun?"

    "Hm?"

    Seiji turned his head around, and a mature young woman came into his view. She was well-dressed, ample-bosomed, had short dark red hair, and a delicate, pretty face. Her amber eyes, which were the same color as Mika Uehara''s eyes, were intently fixed on his face.

    "Good morning, Mrs. Landlord."

    This person was Mika Uehara¡¯s mother and thendlord of this simple apartment, Nozomi Uehara.

    "Good morning, Haruta-kun, were you¡­ just out for a morning jog?" Nozomi walked over with a slight smile on her face.

    Seiji nodded lightly.

    "I¡¯m soaked in sweat, so it¡¯s embarrassing to be seen by you."

    "Not at all, Haruta-kun¡­ you¡¯re working so hard¡ªit¡¯s no wonder Mika said it was like you have be a different person."

    Of course, Nozomi remembered Seiji from when he first rented an apartment. The way in which the former lowlife otaku looked at her made her feel revolted. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that shecked tenants, she would never have epted him as a renter.

    But now, the fat young man in front of her waspletely different: his eyes seemed clear and calm, his words steady and reserved, and he was filled with the smell of someone who had been exercising seriously instead of a strange, perverted stench.

    "I know that I used to be¡­ quite awful, so I have been changing myself, and I hope it¡¯s not toote." Seiji smiled wryly, "I was rude to you before as well, Mrs. Landlord. I hope you¡¯ll be able to forgive me."

    He was truly different; the fat otaku from before never would have said something that sounded so sincere!

    "No, I should also ask for your forgiveness¡ªmy attitude before¡­ also wasn¡¯t the best." Nozomi bowed and spoke sincerely.

    "Also, thank you very much for helping my daughter. She told me that if it wasn¡¯t for you, then¡­" Remembering back to what she heard from Mika, Nozomi¡¯s face was filled with fear.

    If this boy hadn¡¯t appeared at that time, then Mika might have¡­

    "It was nothing; I was just passing by. I think any man would do the same thing in that situation." Seiji scratched his cheek awkwardly, "Uehara¡­ Miss Mika also thanked me already, so you don¡¯t need to be so formal with me."

    "Honestly, I¡¯m truly grateful to you." The young mother bowed deeply.

    Seiji could only ept her gratitude.

    "Mrs. Landlord, were you waiting here to thank me?"

    "Mm¡­ No matter what, I wanted to thank you personally." She stood up straight again. "My daughter Mika is probably just getting up now, and she mentioned that the two of you have a promise."

    "Yes, she brings me breakfast, and I take her to school. I think it¡¯s a pretty good deal." Seiji kept scratching his face.

    "Just a deal?" Nozomi covered her smile: "From what I can see, Mika seems to be quite happy."

    Seiji was rendered speechless at the young mother¡¯s joke, and after some awkwardness, he said that he needed to hurry up and take a shower before hastily escaping upstairs.

    ¡®Oh, he¡¯s gotten so much cuter. And¡­ he seems a bit skinnier and more handsome?¡¯ Nozomi thought, while watching Seiji go upstairs.

 Chapter 6 - Miracle

    <h4>Chapter 6: Miracle</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    What could happen in a week?

    For Mika Uehara, every week seemed ordinary: maybe there was a new magazine she wanted to read, or a new episode of a program she liked, or she would go out shopping once with her friends; but in her life, extraordinary events were umon.

    However, in the past week, she had deeply ingrained into her mind that miracles could indeed happen within the space of a week.

    That was right¡ªa miracle!

    It happened right in front of her, to that formerly fat otaku, Seiji Haruta.

    At first, she discovered that Seiji Haruta had begun exercising.

    Even on the days when he was working at his full-time job, the fat youth kept exercising unceasingly¡ªhe jogged every morning, exercised in his room each night, and he was almost always caked in sweat.

    In the beginning, Mika Uehara was moved. After a while, she became impressed as it was obvious he was taking it seriously¡ªeven though it must have been difficult, he never gave up.

    If she had to work a full-time job, could she still be able to keep exercising every day? She truly didn¡¯t know the answer to that question.

    However, on the fourth day, she suddenly discovered that he had changed greatly.

    And when she finally noticed the change, she felt that she had been blind before for failing to notice!

    Seiji Haruta, that otaku whose weight was definitely over 100 kilograms before, had be skinnier after exercising for only a few days.

    Not just a normal level of skinnier¡ªit felt like he reduced himself by almost an entireyer!

    His stomach that once jutted out had disappeared.

    His formerly bby arms were now muscr.

    And his chubby face and neck were now contoured.

    When did it all start?

    No, he was changing every day. It was just that for some unknown reason, she had been too ignorant to notice!

    "Haruta-kun seems to be getting more and more handsome." If it wasn¡¯t for her mother coincidentally saying this, she probably would¡¯ve stayed ignorant, lost in her own delusions.

    And then the fifth day, the sixth day, and the seventh day passed¡­

    In the evening, when she opened her door, she was greeted by a handsome guy with a shy smile. He had a cool and bright face, a strong and well-built body, a slightly messy hairstyle that seemed carefree, and wore a jacket and jeans, which caused Mika Uehara¡¯s eyes to bepletely unfocused.

    This was Seiji Haruta, the fat otaku?

    No matter what, she was unable to connect this clean, manly, handsome guy in front of her with the otaku in her memory, who liked to shut himself in his dark room and wear filthy clothes. The otaku who reeked of mysterious stenches, had a protruding beer belly, and unkempt, ragged hair with a dreadful expression in his eyes.

    There was no mistake; this was a miracle!

    A true miracle!

    It took only one week.

    The fat otaku, who stood right before her, had transformed magnificently!

    "Miss Uehara? Umm¡­ Do these clothes look that bad on me?" Seiji nervously tugged on the clothes that he had bought just earlier today.

    Because his body shape had changed so much, his former clothes wouldn¡¯t fit him anymore, so he was forced to go shopping for some new clothes. Of course, they were all cheap ones.

    "No¡­ not at all!" She finally regained her senses, and her cheeks flushed deep red: "They don¡¯t look bad at all¡­ my apologies for not inviting you in, please¡­ pleasee in!"

    Seiji nodded lightly before following her in. Although it wasn¡¯t his first time here, since thendlord had formally invited him to eat dinner together this time, he was somewhat nervous.

    Nozomi Uehara had invited him as she felt that expressing her gratitude verbally was insufficient, so she decided to treat him to a good meal to show her gratefulness.

    Seiji felt like all this was rather unnecessary; if they truly wished to thank him, the easiest method would be to give him a discount on the rent. Of course, he felt too embarrassed to say that out loud.

    Okay, at least he got the opportunity to eat together with the beautiful mother and daughter pair, so he couldn¡¯tin.

    "Wee, Haruta-kun¡­ Oh my, you¡¯ve be quite handsome." Nozomi Uehara came out of the kitchen, and her eyes began sparkling when she noticed the sturdy youth.

    Even if she had sharper senses than her daughter and was mentally prepared, she could only mentally exim at the fat youth¡¯s magnificent transformation that was a veritable miracle.

    The shadow of that fat otaku from just two weeks ago waspletely gone now. Just what had happened to this young man for him to have changed so much?

    "I just lost a little weight, that¡¯s all." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    Even he felt disgust at the way he was pretending how this had happened. Even though he had expected this to ur, when he actually saw his own changes, he was shocked at how strong his system really was. But there was no helping it; in front of his elder, no matter how difficult it was for him to act, he still needed to keep up the pretense that this was just "ordinary" weight loss.

    That¡¯s just not possible!

    Mika Uehara felt like yelling that out loud. Right now, there was a mishmash of emotions in her heart, and she wasn¡¯t sure what she was feeling.

    The dreadful appearance of that fat otaku, and the clean, cool appearance of this handsome boy in front of her kept swirling around in her mind. She just couldn¡¯t decide what to make of it.

    So miracles were indeed possible.

    The ugly duckling was capable of turning into a majestic swan.

    That was when she had appeared to realize one of life¡¯s maxims¡­

    Dinnertime.

    Nozomi and Seiji were chatting happily.

    Although Seiji was an NEET in his past life, he also used to be an eptable government worker, so he knew how to entertain guests. If he made an effort, he wouldn¡¯t let those conversing with him feel bored.

    Nozomi was slightly shocked inside; she didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d be able to have such a deep conversation with Seiji, considering that he was still a youth. Right now, he felt more like an adult her age.

    Mika ate in silence. It wasn¡¯t that the other two were leaving her out of the conversation. It was that her indecisiveness caused her to be unable to talk, but every so often, she snuck furtive nces at his face, and the light red blush on her face didn¡¯t fade.

    "Haruta-kun, how long do you intend to remain absent from school? Actually, you should be able to go back home and continue going to school, right?" Nozomi brought up a sensitive topic.

    Seiji was surprised for a moment.

    "Well, I¡¯ve been considering it recently as well, but¡­ really, my previous mistakes were incredibly severe. Even though I¡¯ve decided to change myself, I think it may be difficult for them to ept me if I decide to return in my current state."

    ¡®They might find it difficult to ept him for another reason.¡¯ Mika silently thought to herself as she listened intently. After all, anyone that once knew him would definitely find his current state inconceivable.

    "Then what do you intend to do?" Nozomi propped her chin up on her hands and stared directly into Seiji¡¯s eyes, showing the appeal of a mature woman.

    "I still don¡¯t know yet. Maybe¡­ I can find a new job¡ªone with a higher sry¡ªand then buy some gifts for my family¡­"

    His body type was normal now¡­ Okay, both his body type and appearance now had improved to "not bad," so now he didn¡¯t need to wear a full-body costume anymore. Looking for a better job was definitely viable now, especially considering that it would allow him to save up some money.

    "How considerate of you¡ªI¡¯m sure that your family will be delighted to see the way you are now." Nozomi nodded.

    "Surely you jest."

    "I¡¯m not joking¡ªyou¡¯ve be so handsome now. Haven¡¯t you already noticed that Mika¡¯s been blushing this entire time?"

    "Mom!" Mika was suddenly ambushed by her mother teasing her, and her face became even redder as she shrieked in a tender voice.

    Seiji could only smile awkwardly.

    "By the way, that blondie¡­ no, that hoodlum actually dropped out of school. Isn¡¯t that great news, Miss Uehara?"

    "Call me Mika!" She wasn¡¯t happy about always being called Miss, so she unconsciously said it out loud. Immediately afterwards, she noticed what she had said, and her face turned bright red to the roots of her ears.

    In Sakura Ind, calling someone directly by their name was considered quite intimate¡ªonly family members or close friends would do this.

    She was just being teased by her own mother, and now she immediately let Seiji call her own name! Mika truly felt like she was digging her own grave!

    "It¡­ it¡¯s just that if you call me Uehara, it¡¯s confusing to know who you¡¯re talking about, so¡­ so that¡¯s the only reason!" She didn¡¯t even know what she was saying anymore.

    "Oh my, oh my¡­" Nozomi nced gently over at her daughter acting shy.

    *Cough!* Seiji forced himself to fake a coughing fit: "Well, for it to all end like this is the best we can hope for."

    Two days ago, Mika told him that the blondie had suddenly dropped out of school because his father¡¯spany went bankrupt, and his family was no longer powerful, thus causing him to be too ashamed to stay at school anymore. Besides, his family was apparently forced to sell their home to pay their debts, so they had moved away as well.

    Did all of this have something to do with the student council president? Neither Seiji nor Mika knew the answer to this, as this was all they had to go on.

    "Mm¡­ That is wonderful¡­" Mika considered it calmly and thought about something else that would happen, which caused her to turn slightly unsatisfied.

    "Mika, were you thinking that it¡¯s nice that you won¡¯t have to be scared, but Haruta-kun doesn¡¯t need to take you to school anymore, so you were disappointed?" Nozomi didn¡¯t pull any punches with her daughter and continued to tease her.

    "Not¡­ not at all!" Having her inner thoughts pointed out, Mika felt a mixture of anger and embarrassment, and her face turned a deep red hue while her eyes became slightly teary.

    ¡®Even¡­ even if he lost weight, even if he was more handsome, he¡¯s still an otaku. I¡­ I absolutely won¡¯t fall in love with him, humph!¡¯ She desperately tried to conceal her inner feelings in her heart.

    "Ha¡­ haha, auntie sure loves to joke around¡­" Other thanughing foolishly, what else was Seiji supposed to do?

    And so, the bountiful, delicious meal ended with an ambiguous atmosphere.

    Not long after, Seiji took his leave.

    Right after he left, Mika instantly jumped on her mother like an angry kitten.

    "Mom, what are you saying in front of him!?"

    "I don¡¯t think I was wrong, hehe¡­" The young woman covered her mouth as she chuckled, showing her profound experience in life.

    "Everything was wrong! I¡¯m not¡­"

    "Then why was your face so red¡ªlook, it¡¯s still red even now."

    "I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just angry!"

    "You¡¯re not honest with your feelings at all. You¡¯re my daughter; of course I know what you¡¯re thinking." Nozomi gently touched her daughter¡¯s cheek before saying, "Haruta-kun used to be quite a terrible person, but now he¡¯s changed to be much better, and he even saved you. Besides, he didn¡¯t mind protecting you for all this time; it¡¯s only natural for you to be moved."

    Mika shyly lowered her head and twiddled her fingers.

    "But from your mother¡¯s perspective, Haruta-kun is trying his utmost to change himself; he might not even be interested in you¡­ And your mother has a premonition¡ªthis may only be the beginning. Perhaps he¡¯ll be even handsomer¡­ Hehe¡­ no matter what Mika thinks, if you¡¯re serious about it, you can¡¯t let this opportunity escape."

    "Mom¡­" Mewling like a kitten, Mika tugged on her mother¡¯s shirt, "Just¡­ what should I do?"

    "Think about it yourself; just don¡¯t do anything overboard¡ªboys¡­ even good boys have times when they be beasts. Just remember to be careful about this."

    "Mom¡­"

    It seemed that the beautiful mother and daughter¡¯s secret conversation was going to continue on for quite some time.

 Chapter 7 - Protection

    <h4>Chapter 7: Protection</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    It was a new day.

    As usual, Seiji went out for a morning jog and returned home after working up a sweat.

    After washing up, he prepared to make his own breakfast. Truthfully, he was slightly disappointed that breakfast wouldn¡¯t be provided for him every morning by a beauty.

    Just as he was thinking this, there was a knock on his door.

    "Miss Uehara?"

    The pigtailed beauty pouted upon hearing this.

    "¡­Mika?"

    She finally showed a smile of satisfaction.

    "For you!" She handed him the lunchbox that was in her hand.

    "Oh, but this¡­"

    "She¡­ she already got used to making them, so she made one extra out of habit¡­ that¡¯s what mom said this morning!" Mika looked away from him and showed a hint of shyness, "so there¡¯s breakfast for you today as well, and in the future¡­ well, we¡¯ll probably make breakfast for you asionally."

    "Thank you so much, but wouldn¡¯t this be too much trouble¡­"

    "It¡¯s no trouble at all; it¡¯s just food for one extra person. In¡­ in exchange, if there¡¯s some work that requires physical strength around our house, you need toe help out!" She looked back directly into his eyes.

    Seiji was surprised for an instant, before a gentle smile suffused across his lips.

    "Thanks¡­ I will."

    His smile was breaking the rules with how dazzling it was, ahh! Mika felt like her face was burning up again.

    After talking to her momst night and confirming her feelings, she felt as if she was no longer able to look at Seiji normally anymore. Every time she did, she felt nervous inside, and her heartbeat seemed to increase severalfold!

    Just hearing his voice and seeing him smile would make her cheeks heat up.

    Ahhhhh¡ªshe couldn¡¯t take this anymore!

    "I¡­ I¡¯m going to school!" She turned around and scurried off, leaving Seiji with the impression of her back and those twin pigtails swaying in the air.

    "Be careful!" Seiji was slightly concerned she would trip.

    Then, he returned back to his room to enjoy his breakfast.

    When he opened the lunchbox, Seiji paused; he had noticed that the food inside was evidently different from before as every dish seemed to have been made by someone inexperienced.

    He realized instantly that the previous breakfasts must have been made by thendlord, and this one must have been cooked personally by Mika Uehara!

    He could envision that pigtailed girl waking up at the crack of dawn and clumsily cooking under the instruction of her mother.

    The eggs were slightly burnt, the squid was twisted into a strange shape, and this cucumber¡­ just how did she cut it into something that looked like it was an ingredient for dark magic?

    Seiji sighed deeply.

    He didn¡¯t have the ability to eat this type of breakfast calmly.

    Mika Uehara was walking down the sunny street.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably eating his breakfast now¡­ I wonder what he¡¯s thinking.¡¯ Her heart kept pounding as she thought this.

    "Ahh¡ªMom¡­ she forced me to cook for him personally, but this will be exposed instantly¡­ it¡¯s so embarrassing!" She touched her own cheek and found that it was burning.

    "I¡­ I admit, I do like him a little, but this is so¡­ direct. Urgh, it¡¯s all mom¡¯s fault!"

    Nozomi Uehara sneezed as she washed dishes at home.

    No matter how embarrassed Mika was, she had already made the breakfast, so there was nothing she could do.

    ¡®I hope that he¡¯ll like it¡­¡¯

    This was the first time in her life that she made food for a boy, humph¡­

    As she was lost in her thoughts, a figure suddenly darted out from a nearby alley.

    The figure had filthy clothes, messy dyed-blonde hair, and bloodshot eyes.

    "It was all because of you, you fucking b*tch!" Blondie was viciously ring at the girl in front of him; he felt like he had fallen down into hell because of his family going bankrupt, and he had lost all sense of reason.

    All because of this **** in front of him, he had lost everything!

    He was going to take revenge!

    He was going to fuck this b*tch up!

    He was going f*cking to kill her!

    Mika Uehara was terrified by the malevolent aura emitted by blondie, and her mind was frozen with fear; however, before long, she instinctively turned around and shouted for help.

    "Help! Someone save me¡ª"

    "Don¡¯t run, you fucking b*tch!"

    While cursing, blondie brought out a glimmering dagger and chased after her.

    He was very fast and managed to catch up to her swiftly.

    Mika Uehara despaired upon feeling the blondie behind her catching up, but then a familiar figure abruptly appeared in front of her.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ Seiji!"

    Seiji, who was crossing the street, opened his eyes wide in astonishment at this scene, before immediately rushing over.

    "Mika!"

    He had to get there in time!

    But it was toote.

    Blondie reached Mika just a few steps before Seiji did, and he viciously stabbed his dagger into her back.

    *Splurt!* Bright red blood gushed out incessantly.

    Mika¡¯s expression froze at this instant, while Seiji felt an icy feeling from the depths of his heart, followed by absolute rage.

    "Bastard!" He roared and kicked the blondie with manic fury.

    *Smack!*

    Blondie was toppled over, and he dropped his dagger.

    But it was toote.

    Seiji caught Mika, who was copsing, and saw her blood spreading quickly on her back.

    In his arms, she blinked and looked at his face.

    Ahh! Her body felt unnaturally cold.

    Mika Uehara felt like she saw many things, and then nothing at all, and thest thing she saw was the anxious, worried face of a young man.

    He went to all that trouble to be handsome; why was his expression so negative?

    She wanted to smile at him, but she wasn¡¯t able to, and something wet dripped out of the corners of her eyes.

    The boy¡¯s face was twisted; all his features were distorted and filled with endless self-regret and pain.

    It¡¯s not your fault¡­ don¡¯t have such an expression, Haruta-kun¡­ no, Seiji.

    Thank you foring to save me.

    She opened then closed her mouth, trying her best to say the words she wanted to express the most.

    "Was breakfast¡­ good?"

    Then she saw nothing but darkness.

    "Ahhhhhhh! Damn it!!"

    Seiji hugged the bloody girl and began roaring uncontrobly.

    It was only by a few steps¡ªnot even five seconds!

    This incident which should have been over already instead led to this terrible ending!

    Reality was definitely the worst game there was!

    However¡­

    Luckily, he still had save files.

    Load!!

    The world around became dark, before lighting up once more.

    Seiji was in his room, sitting on the bed.

    It was earlier this morning, when he had just woken up.

    In case of emergencies, Seiji would save a new file whenever he woke up.

    This time he definitely wouldn¡¯t allow the tragedy to repeat itself!

    He didn¡¯t go for his usual morning jog; instead, he waited silently in his room.

    At the same time that he remembered, there was a knock on his door.

    When he went to open it, he saw a girl carrying a lunchbox for him.

    There was no dagger, no blood, and she was still safe.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ your eyes are a bit red¡ªis there anything wrong?" Mika Uehara was concerned about him.

    "Nothing, just some dust in my eye." Seiji smiled and blinked, "what about you¡ªdo you have something on your mind?"

    ¡­

    On her way to school, Mika couldn¡¯t help sneaking nces at the boy beside her.

    She wanted to go to school after giving him breakfast, but after receiving it from her, he adamantly insisted on keeping his promise to continue escorting her to school.

    She couldn¡¯t convince him otherwise, so that was how it ended up.

    Was his insistence on escorting her after receiving breakfast a roundabout way of telling her he didn¡¯t want to be in her debt? Thinking this, Mika felt slightly disappointed.

    Suddenly, a figure dashed out in front of her.

    He had filthy clothes, messy dyed-blonde hair, and bloodshot eyes.

    "It was all because of you, you fucking b*tch!"

    Mika Uehara was terrified by the malevolent aura emitted by blondie, and her mind was frozen with fear, but instantly, a huge shadow protected her from the front.

    It was Seiji Haruta.

    He stood firmly in front of her, just like a thick wall.

    He was waiting for this bastard.

    "Mika, stand back and call the police." He whispered to the girl. "Leave this guy to me. I will protect you."

    He remembered the sight of her soaked in blood and silently vowed that he would never allow time to repeat itself!

    "Get the hell out of my way!" Blondie roared madly as he lunged at Seiji with his glimmering dagger.

    Seiji fearlessly countered his attack, using both hands to grasp firmly onto blondie¡¯s wrist which was holding the dagger, as his right foot aimed for blondie¡¯s crotch and kicked out with devastating force!

    *BAM!* As they collided, there was the sound of something breaking.

    Blondie¡¯s crazed expression had abruptly frozen.

    Then he screamed as if he was dying.

    I¡¯ll never tell you that you seeded the first time, so I had to load once.

    I¡¯ll never tell you that in order to defeat you without getting injured, I had to load twice.

    I¡¯ll never tell you that in order to take advantage of this perfect chance of iming self-defense and crippling you for life, thus leaving you functionless down there forever, I had to load three times.

    I came back to this scene a total of six times!

    Seiji viciously knocked over blondie as he was shrieking madly and making inhuman sounds!

    Mika Uehara watched all this with her mouth wide agape.

    She was unable toprehend how this boy, who was just a weak otaku not long ago, was able to fearlessly block someone so malicious.

    And there was no way for her to understand why his movements were so urate as he defeated blondie.

    The only thing she could see was his thick shadow, and his words rung incessantly in her ears.

    "Stay back, Mika. I will protect you."

    Something hot flowed out from her heart, burning her chest, scorching her entire body, and almost causing her to shout out loud.

    She shouldn¡¯t be like this; she should be calmly observing the situation and worrying if he was injured or not.

    But she could only stay where she was right now and feel the impact of blissful fortune upon her.

    Her legs were shaking, and something hot was oozing out of the corner of her eye.

    Ahh!! She couldn¡¯t deny it any longer.

    At this very moment, Mika Uehara was utterly certain that she hadpletely fallen in love with this boy named Seiji Haruta.

    ¡­

    After that, everything progressed as expected.

    The street-side surveince cameras recorded everything. Blondie was the one who was intended to harm someone, and Seiji only acted in pure self-defense.

    In that sort of situation, for a boy who wasn¡¯t knowledgeable in martial arts, identally giving the attacker such a permanent injury was understandable.

    In fact, for him to be able to calmly and urately stop the crime was incredible already.

    And so, Seiji Haruta was judged to havemitted no crime; not even his guardian was required for him to leave the police station. Blondie, however, had been charged with attempted murder.

    And with this, the incident had finallye to a conclusion.

    ¡­¡­

    It was a brand new day.

    Mika Uehara held a lunchbox and was about to knock on the door.

    But she hesitated, putting the lunchbox down and taking out a hand mirror to check her appearance once more.

    If her mother could see her, she would definitely smile wryly and say: "This child, you already checked your appearance several times before going out today."

    Okay, perfect.

    She touched her chest and attempted to subdue her frantic heartbeat, before raising her hand to knock on the door.

    At that moment, the door suddenly opened.

    "I felt like you might have been standing outside." He smiled at the girl who was now frozen solid.

    "A¡­ argh! Don¡¯t scare me like that!"

    "Haha, sorry." Seiji took a good look at her face and felt a sense of relief in his heart. "Good morning, Mika."

    She had a faint red tinge on her cheeks as she looked at him, and she somehow felt as if he was feeling the same way. A brilliant, alluring smile of peerless beauty gradually suffused across her face.

    "Mm¡­ good morning!"

    The girl who was smiling radiantly in the early morning sunlight seemed as if she could brighten the entire world.

 Chapter 8 - Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 8: Meeting</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Mika Uehara should not have to face any more danger now.

    There was nothing more than a scary story behind that brilliant smile; it almost seemed perfect this way.

    After he had brought Mika to school once again, Seiji mulled things over on his return journey.

    It was good that this fiasco had ended.

    However, there were some aftereffects. First, it seemed that he was bound by the promise to escort Mika to school.

    Second, Mika Uehara¡¯s favorability rating towards him had surpassed 90¡ªhis system told him that she would instantly agree to be his girlfriend or even have sex with him if he asked!

    Not only that, even thendlord Nozomi Uehara had a favorability rating towards him of over eighty, and if he asked her to have sex, apparently she would consider it seriously¡­

    ¡®Haha, this is like aplete walkthrough¡­ Hey, this is no time for me to act like a capture target god!¡¯ Seiji reined himself with great difficulty.

    He didn¡¯t have any useful abilities that a capture target god would have, like causing his targets to lose their memories. In fact, Mika Uehara¡¯s deep feelings towards him were troublesome for him by itself.

    He liked Mika, but it was only to the extent of an adult that was friendly with a child; it wasn¡¯t to the point of love. Just thinking about having to deal with her sincere feelings was something that gave him a headache.

    Forget about it; he would just take things as theye. As a thirty-year-old virgin otaku in his past life, he was clueless on how to deal with a high school girl¡¯s love¡­

    ¡­

    "You want to change jobs?" The confectionary shop¡¯s manager Rika Amami¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    "Yes, I would like a higher sry." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. After all, directly telling any boss that he wanted to change jobs, even if she was just his manager, made him feel awkward.

    "I¡¯m so grateful to you, Store Manager, for taking me in during one of my most difficult times, but I want to earn more money as fast as I can, so¡­"

    "Alright then, you can work inside the store. Your sry will be increased by fifty percent, and if you do a good job and work overtime often, there¡¯ll be extra reward money." Rika Amami said cheerily.

    "Oh¡­ this¡­" Seiji didn¡¯t expect her to use this tactic.

    "Do you still think it¡¯s too low?"

    "No, it¡¯s pretty good." Seiji scratched the corner of his mouth: "I just thought Store Manager would get angry¡­"

    "It¡¯s only normal to desire a higher sry, especially after you have be so handsome. I thought that you¡¯d want to take off your full-body anime costume sooner orter." Rika had a knowing expression on her face.

    Just like the Uehara mother and daughter pair, this store manager was also a witness to the miracle.

    A bby fatty had changed into a strong, handsome guy in the short span of one week; she was absolutely bbergasted as well. Luckily, she wasn¡¯t familiar with the original Seiji Haruta¡¯s otaku lifestyle, so the contrast wasn¡¯t as evident to her.

    Rika could only sigh in envy when she thought about how difficult and slow it was for her to lose weight. This youth who was in front of her was unrecognizable as the same person from one week ago.

    It was perfect timing, though, as the store¡¯s business was getting better and better, and she had wanted to hire some more workers. She absolutely wouldn¡¯t let go of this polite, hard-working, and handsome guy!

    "I¡¯m not really that handsome¡­ anyway, thank you, Store Manager. I¡¯ll take my work seriously."

    And thus, he went from a full-body costumed employee to working inside the store.

    d in the store uniform, this fresh, energetic neer¡¯s appearance instantly attracted the eyeballs of many female customers inside.

    Rika¡¯s eyes were shining as well; even though she had expected it, she still didn¡¯t realize that the store uniform would look so great on Seiji Haruta. With his good looks and body shape, he was undoubtedly ranked number one in terms of appearance among the store employees!

    Even if there were only four employees¡­

    As the other employees had below average appearances, Seiji stood out among the crowd, and no matter where he was standing, that slightly bashful smile was the focus of female attention.

    The store idol¡­ no wait, the store hunk will be you!

    And thus, time passed by quickly as they worked busily.

    Later that evening, Seiji received a phone call from Mika.

    Mika: "S¡­ Seiji, are you free?"

    Seiji: "Sure, what is it?"

    Mika: "The president found out about what happened yesterday, and she asked me about the details. After hearing them¡­ she said she wanted to meet you."

    Seiji: "Oh? That student council president wants to meet me? Howe?"

    Mika: "She said that she knows you¡­"

    Seiji: "What?"

    Mika: "She said she knows you, but you probably don¡¯t know her¡­ anyway, she would like to meet and chat with you."

    Seiji rubbed his chin and was rather curious. Just who could this student council president possibly be?"

    Seiji: "Okay then. When does she want to meet?"

    Mika: "If it¡¯s alright with you, she said she¡¯d like to meet tomorrow afternoon in the business district at the confectionary store called ¡®Divine Taste.¡¯"

    The ¡®Divine Taste¡¯ confectionary store¡­ that was the ce he worked at! Was this an innocuous coincidence, or was it¡­

    Seiji: "Alright, but you know I need to work tomorrow, so it has to be after 5:00 pm."

    Mika: "Okay, I¡¯ll let her know."

    After hanging up, the pigtailed beauty had aplicated expression on her face while she wasying face-down on her bed.

    Her first time calling him was actually to talk to him about another girl¡­ Mika Uehara felt like a deted balloon.

    Also, she detected a sense of danger.

    The student council president had said that she was familiar with Seiji Haruta¡ªwhat was that about?

    She was grateful to the President-sama, who had coolness, beauty, and gentlenessbined in one body. She almost seemed like a goddess¡ªthe idol of the entire school as well as Mika herself. And that was why she was worried about the president contacting Seiji¡­ after all, the president¡¯s attractiveness was at the level of an alluring witch!

    In conclusion, what if Seiji fell in love with the president? It would be a huge obstacle to her love!

    Rolling rolling rolling rolling! She was so indecisive that she could only roll around on her bed.

    "Ahhhh! What should I do!?"

    Seiji could hear some strange noisesing from downstairs.

    Seiji had no clue as to what Mika was thinking just then. He held curiosity towards the true identity of the president.

    By stating that she knew him, she had, of course, meant that she was familiar with the original Seiji. However the original Seiji¡­ would only leave nothing but destructive impressions behind.

    Because she had known the original Seiji and his true personality, she had be curious after learning about the good deed he did for Mika, and she wanted to meet him and confirm his change. After all, it was only natural for her to react like that.

    Seiji shook his head; he didn¡¯t want to overthink things. Anyway, he would find out everything after the meeting.

    ¡­

    The next day.

    Seiji worked his usual shift until the afternoon. After his shift had ended, he changed out of the store uniform, before walking out of the employees¡¯ back exit and walking back in the front door.

    "Haruta, why aren¡¯t you leaving?" His male coworker was mildly surprised.

    "I¡¯m meeting someone here."

    "Haha, I know, it¡¯s a date, right?" Seiji¡¯s coworker instantly had an enigmatic expression on his face. "Our store¡¯s sweets are quite good¡­ but I think instead that you should let her see you hard at work. Girls like that sort of thing, and you look good in your uniform, even if I don¡¯t want to admit it, haha."

    "She¡¯s not my girlfriend, Tanaka-senpai." Seiji smiled wryly.

    Tanaka-senpai, as well as all his other coworkers, were all nice people, but they liked to joke around too much.

    "Oh, so she¡¯s your future girlfriend. Rx, we¡¯ll all help you out; if you need some special service, ask away!" Tanaka winked at him before he went to attend to some other customers.

    Seiji could only smile helplessly. He then walked towards a table and sat down at a window seat, resting his chin on his hands.

    "Hey¡­ that boy over there is quite handsome."

    "Where? Oh yeah, that one¡ªhe looks like he could be a television star."

    "He must be waiting for his girlfriend. How cute! I also want a boyfriend like that¡­"

    A couple of new customers chatted whilst they walked in, and Seiji Haruta overheard them whispering about him due to his excellent sense of hearing.

    With his physical ability constantly increasing, Seiji had discovered that his sight, hearing, and other senses all seemed to be bing increasingly sharper.

    Especially sight¡ªas an otaku, his sight was rather weak before. However, with the exercise options, his sight had improved tremendously, to the point where he no longer even needed sses.

    This was no longer at the extent of "exercise"; this was more like "cultivation"!

    Seiji eagerly anticipated what he would be as his stats kept increasing. In addition, he was currently only grinding his physical ability stat, yet it already had such an effect. What would happen if he improved his others?

    His lips reflexively tilted upward as he imagined his future abilities.

    "Look, look! He¡¯s smiling!"

    "He must be thinking about his girlfriend¡­ how cute! He must really love her; she really is lucky!"

    *Click.*

    ¡®Hey, hey, hey! Thatst sound was the sound of a camera, right? It must have been! Comments are fine, but don¡¯t just take pictures without permission! Hmph, I should sue that person for infringing my privacy rights!¡¯ Seiji¡¯s face darkened.

    "And you insist that you¡¯re not waiting for your girlfriend when you¡¯re just sitting there, smiling stupidly at nothing; it¡¯s truly intolerable." Tanaka brought him a menu.

    "Just give me a ss of orange juice."

    "Everyone is curious who you¡¯re waiting for, so why don¡¯t you tell us? Oh, also, the store manager said that if you¡¯re willing to let us know, she¡¯ll give you a free tiramisu cake."

    Seiji¡¯s face darkened even more.

    "I definitely won¡¯t do that. Besides, won¡¯t you find out anyways just by waiting?"

    "Hmph, stingy."

    ¡®Was that stingy? Was it really?¡¯ Just as Seiji was wondering that to himself, a familiar person walked into the store.

    It was Mika Uehara.

    She was still in her school uniform and radiated an innocent and cute aura. With her well-developed figure filled with the sexiness of youth, she was undoubtedly an above average beauty.

    But her spotlight waspletely stolen away by the subsequent figure that entered.

    The next girl was wearing the same school uniform, and her long ck hair reached her waist. She had snow-white skin, sensual eyes, red lips, and a full bosom which seemed like it was precariously close to bursting out of the school uniform. Her butt was prominent and pert; inbination with her short skirt and ck stockings, everything about her was the highest level of sexiness!

    But the girl with such a devilish figure had an angelic, untainted face and held a righteous expression. Her eyes had a sharp gaze to them which stopped any male nearby from thinking impure thoughts. It was as if she had an aura of holiness surrounding her.

    But the most noticeable thing was that this girl carried a short sword sheathed in a ck and scarlet scabbard¡ªording to Seiji¡¯s memories of his past life¡¯s manga, this sword was called a kodachi!

    ¡®Hey, isn¡¯t having a sword in public against weapon controlws?¡¯ Seiji thought silently to himself.

    Beautiful, cool, and righteous, but¡­ something seemed odd about her.

    This was the first impression that Seiji Haruta had of the famed student council president.

    Mika Uehara nced around the shop, instantly finding Seiji. She smiled at him brightly and walked over.

    The student council president also met Seiji¡¯s gaze, and her eyes widened in obvious surprise.

    "Seiji, did you wait long?"

    "Not at all, I was only waiting for a short while."

    Just as he stood up to wee the two girls and led them to their seats, he abruptly noticed that his table had be the center of attention for the entire store.

    Not only were many customers watching in stunned amazement, even Tanaka and the other employees were standing motionless in surprise.

    It took quite a while for time to begin turning in the store again.

    "That girl is unbelievably beautiful! But¡­ why is she carrying a sword?"

    "Even though that sword seems to suit her appearance, it¡¯s still a little weird¡­"

    "The other one is pretty cute as well¡­ By the way, which one is his girlfriend?"

    Everyone was whispering furtively to each other.

    "Seiji, this is my school¡¯s student council president, she¡­" Mika Uehara began an introduction.

    "My name is Natsuya Yoruhana." The ck-haired girl interrupted Mika and looked directly at Seiji, an indescribable light flickering within her eyes.

    "I almost became your fianc¨¦e, Seiji Haruta."

    "Huh?"

 Chapter 9 - Come to our school!

    <h4>Chapter 9: Come to our school!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    The words of the ck-haired girl, Natsuya Yoruhana, the student council president, shocked the table into silence for a lengthy period of time.

    "Erm¡­ hi." Seiji¡¯s face twitched, "I¡¯d like to ask¡­ what did you mean just now?"

    "It was exactly what it sounded like." Natsuya Yoruhana gazed searchingly at his face and smiled slightly: "But that was something from a long time ago."

    Seiji¡¯s mind was teeming with questions. He nced at Mika beside him and discovered that she was still sitting there, stunned, with her mouth wide agape and eyes fully widened.

    *Cough cough.*

    He forced a coughing fit.

    "Well¡­ it looks like we should really have a good chat, mm¡­ Miss Yoruhana, you and Mika should take a good look at the menu first and choose something to eat."

    He had finally alleviated the tense atmosphere. As the two high school girls looked at the menu, Seiji sighed inwardly.

    This president sure didn¡¯t act like how most ordinary people would.

    "President, that drink is specially for a couple to drink together¡­"

    "Eh? Couples together¡­ in a public location¡­ Hmph, how shameless!"

    Natsuya¡¯s thoughts were indeterminable as her cheeks flushed slightly red, and her clear, righteous expression suddenly became purer.

    Just as Seiji was observing her with mild surprise, the ck-haired girl¡¯s expression instantly regained its indifference.

    Perhaps she was one of those legendarydies that never went out?

    Seiji had never expected that he would meet such a character in real life.

    Okay, maybe a sword-carryingdy¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t all that strange in this world filled with 2-D elements?

    After everyone had ordered some food, the table fell silent once more.

    "Miss Yoruhana, don¡¯t you intend to exin anything further?" Seiji broke the silence yet again.

    "There¡¯s really not much to say. Honestly, the incident was from a long time ago and doesn¡¯t have much meaning towards your current self." Natsuya took a deep look at him: "Even though it was an unforgettable childhood memory for me, you¡¯ve never even met me before, so we¡¯ve nevermunicated. I admit that I spoke slightly too rashly, but it was just a venting of my emotions."

    "Oh¡­"

    "If I surprised you, I apologize." Natsuya smiled gently. "This meeting today was because of my wish, so I appreciate that you epted my invitation. Also, by meeting you here, in addition to giving my memory a face I can associate your name with, it is also an opportunity for me to thank you."

    "Thank? I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve done anything before that Miss Yoruhana needs to thank me for."

    "You risked your life and protected my ssmate, Uehara-san, an important student of our school, so that deserves my gratitude as the student council president."

    Natsuya¡¯s smile was reced by a serious expression. "Thank you very much, Seiji Haruta. You protected a high school girl and prevented a huge scandal at our school. Our school¡ªGenhana High School, owes you a debt!"

    She formally lowered her head in seriousness as she finished talking.

    "President¡­" Watching this scene, Mika was rather moved.

    "No need to be so polite; I just did what I should have." Seiji smiled,

    "Anyway, it¡¯s President-san that done the bulk of the work. After all, you were the one who protected Mika. Otherwise, if that guy had made a move at school, I¡­ would have been powerless."

    *Ding!* The system indicated that her favorability rating towards him had increased.

    "I just did what the president should do¡­ Ha, this is the exact same as what you were just saying." Natsuya lifted her head, and she smiled again.

    At this moment, their desserts arrived.

    "This store¡¯s sweets are quite delicious¡ªyou should have a taste." As an employee, Seiji naturally gave them some rmendations.

    Both Mika and Natsuya used their spoons to try a bite, and their eyes instantly lit up.

    "It¡¯s really delicious!"

    "It seems good¡­ I¡¯ve never tasted this vor before."

    The three of them happily ate together.

    "Actually, Miss Yoruhana, I have something on my mind. Um¡­ I heard that blondie¡¯s family¡¯spany suddenly went bankrupt, did¡­ did you do that?"

    "It wasn¡¯t me. Although I had already made preparations to do that if he didn¡¯t heed my warning. But without me moving a finger, thatpany suddenly went bankrupt." Natsuya shook her head.

    "So it was just a coincidence?"

    "In my opinion, yes. Unfortunately, he focused all of his hatred on Uehara-san, which is why he ended upmitting such a crime."

    Natsuya sighed deeply.

    "And I actually didn¡¯t expect¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for you, Haruta-kun, something truly regrettable may have happened."

    Actually, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Seiji had the ability to save and load, everyone would be regretting what had happened.

    So Seiji could understand the president¡¯s frustrations, as something that she thought was already over had suddenly turned into a bad ending; those capricious twists of fate were difficult for anyone to ept.

    "It¡¯s all over now, and Mika¡¯s safe; that¡¯s enough for me."

    "Yeah, I¡¯m so grateful to both of you. President, Seiji¡­ because of you guys, I didn¡¯t¡­" Mika thought back to the incident, and a teardrop formed in the corner of her eye.

    The table fell quiet again, but this time there was a gentle atmosphere permeating throughout the silence.

    "Haruta-kun, you¡¯re currently living by yourself and you¡¯ve dropped out of school. You need to work to support yourself, right?" Natsuya changed the topic of conversation.

    Seiji smiled wryly and nodded.

    "Our school is indebted to you¡ªif it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to give you some assistance¡­ If you can¡¯t go back to your original school, why don¡¯t you consider transferring schools to Genhana High School?"

    "Eh?"

    Mika widened her eyes in surprise, and Seiji was also stunned.

    "Your previous mistakes are of no significance, as the current you seems like a good person to me. You shouldn¡¯t be wasting your time like this; you should go to school and study diligently." Natsuya was serious about this.

    "If you need to work, our school also allows part-time jobs, and I can introduce some nice jobs to you that can help with your living expenses. If you¡¯re willing, I can take care of all the procedures for you, and your guardian doesn¡¯t even need to get involved. So, what do you think?"

    After Natsuya said this, the conversation options appeared¡ª

    [A: I don¡¯t want to go back to school, it¡¯s not necessary, thank you.]

    [B: Can I really do this? Of course I¡¯d like to go back to school¡­]

    [C: This is an important decision; I need some time to consider it.]

    Since the conversation options had appeared, it meant that it was rted to her favorability rating. And judging by the importance of these options, it was probably worth quite a few points.

    ¡®This was probably the critical decision starting off the student council president¡¯s route¡­ if there was such a route,¡¯ Seijimented inwardly.

    "Seiji¡­ President-sama¡¯s idea seems like a good one¡­" Although she was shocked by the president¡¯s sudden proposal, Mika couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. Naturally, she had instantly realized that this was a wonderful chance! "Our school is pretty nice, if youe¡­ it¡¯ll definitely be great!"

    She imagined herself going to and returning home from school together with him, being in the same sses, eating lunch together, and being in the same club or activities. She desperately wanted him to agree to Natsuya¡¯s proposal!

    Seiji nced at Mika and noticed that her expression was filled with expectation for him to say yes.

    Hmm¡­ it seemed like this choice would seriously affect two girls¡¯ favorability ratings towards him, as well as their future routes.

    Seiji thought about it seriously.

    After a while, he came to the conclusion that that he had no reason to refuse.

    His main goal after reincarnating was to enjoy his new life. And going back to school again felt much more exciting than continuing to work.

    Even though he had the soul of a thirty-year-old adult, and going back to high school was a bit shameless, it was still fun!

    The only worry he held was that he would have increased contact with Mika, so she might fall even further in love with him. But maybe it was too narcissistic of him to think that, and perhaps the opposite would ur as well.

    As a virgin otaku, Seiji had no confidence in his ability to get along with girls.

    And so, the answer he chose was B.

    "Can I really do this? Of course I¡¯d like to go back to school again¡­ but I made some serious mistakes before; if news of this spreads, then it might be a bad influence on your school."

    Seiji expressed his desire with a hint of nervousness.

    "As long as you want to, then there¡¯s no problem! If you¡¯re worried about rumors, there¡¯s a method¡­" Natsuya smiled widely, "you can change your name."

    "Eh?"

    Seiji and Mika both widened their eyes in astonishment.

    "ording to thew, young people that havemitted a crime or made serious mistakes in the past but show signs of reformation are allowed to temporarily use a fake name. This is in order to help them adapt to a new life. As long as they receive permission from the relevant school or workce, they are free to start anew." Natsuya folded her arms, causing her plump breasts to bulge out slightly; Seiji had to admit that it was quite the impressive sight.

    Seiji restrained himself to the utmost extent from staring at those killer mounds, while he inwardly thought: ¡®There were these sorts ofws in this world? Wasn¡¯t this world way too convenient!?¡¯

    Well, it was not like he was a legal expert in his previous life. Perhaps there were simrws in his old world that he didn¡¯t know about?

    Anyway, since it was the first time he had ever heard about such a strangew, it almost felt like it was created just for him¡­

    "So listen carefully, Haruta-kun. Your current appearance is quite different from before, right? If you changed your name and transferred to a new school, nobody would recognize you, so naturally there wouldn¡¯t be any negative news spreading around." Natsuya spoke in a tone filled with confidence.

    "That¡¯s right¡­ if Seiji changed his name, with the way he was before, anyone that knew him before would probably¡­ No, they definitely wouldn¡¯t recognize him¡ª I¡¯m sure of it!" Mika Uehara said adamantly.

    The change in Seiji Haruta was just too big!

    Anyone that previously knew the fat otaku would definitely never imagine that he had now turned into a handsome boy, and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Mika was thendlord¡¯s daughter and personally witnessed the change in him, she wouldn¡¯t have recognized him either or believed her own eyes.

    Because his change was definitely a miracle!

    "Besides¡­ if Uehara-san is willing to help out, we can even make the process even more perfect." Natsuya nced at Mika.

    "Me?"

    "Yep, if Haruta-kun changes his name, instead of choosing a random name, it would be more convincing if he had a family background. For example, if he changed hisst name to ¡®Uehara,¡¯ and we said that he¡¯s your older cousin, it would add an extrayer of protection. Of course, this is only if your family consents, Uehara-san."

    Seiji was speechless.

    Mika was shocked momentarily before her heartbeat increased to maximum speed!

    Let Seiji change his name to ¡®Uehara¡¯!?

    If she had the samest name as him, they would have to pretend that they were close cousins. She would have the perfect excuse to do various things with him, and her face began burning as she pictured this in her mind.

    ¡®I¡¯m willing!¡¯ She shouted passionately in her heart.

    "Oh¡­ This is all a bit too much; it¡¯ll be troublesome for Mika and Miss Landlord." Seiji smiled wryly and decided to avoid this route.

    ¡®It¡¯s no trouble at all!¡¯ Mika wanted to shout this out loud desperately, but as her final shreds of female pride prevented her from doing so, she kept her silence with a reddened face.

    "Okay then, we can just change the name. What do you think, Haruta-kun?"

    "Miss Yoruhana has considered all of the details. I¡¯ll just listen to your suggestions."

    "Okay then, it¡¯s decided." Natsuya looked at the youth, her eyes shining,

    "Wee to Genhana High School, Haruta-kun."

    "Thank you¡­ I¡¯m so grateful for this opportunity you¡¯ve given me to start anew, Miss Yoruhana, no¡­ President Yoruhana." Seiji looked at her and smiled, "I promise that I will not disappoint you."

 Chapter 10 - It seems like heâ€™s become more handsome again

    <h4>Chapter 10: It seems like he¡¯s be more handsome again</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "I believe in you as well."

    How stunning!

    Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s smile was more than enough to cause any young man to have endless fantasies, and Seiji¡¯s heart jumped as well. If it wasn¡¯t for his self-awareness and experience from his previous thirty years of life, then he might have made the mistake of thinking she was trying to flirt with him.

    In reality, however, it was probably nothing more than small unconscious movements by her.

    Mika Uehara panicked slightly as she saw that the President-sama was unknowingly releasing that bewitching charm of hers again. Countless boys and girls had lost themselves to Lady Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s unintentional movements and had be enraptured.

    That included herself.

    There was no helping it; the president was just too beautiful!

    Her looks were cheat-like, and her figure was even more ridiculous. Although her family background was illustrious, she wasn¡¯t arrogant and haughty¡ªbeauty, coolness, righteousness were allbined in her, and she was the epitome of perfection!

    Mika nervously watched Seiji¡¯s face and noticed that although his eyes seemed to admire her, there was no trace of love, which caused her to sigh in relief.

    At that moment, another suspicion arose in her mind: if he wasn¡¯t moved by even the likes of the president, then just who could move his heart¡­

    A girl in love¡¯s heart was indecisive and confused, like Mika Uehara¡¯s current state.

    At that moment, a melodious piano sound rung out.

    "Excuse me." Natsuya took a cell phone out of her school uniform pocket and received a call.

    "Okay¡­ Got it."

    After such a short phone call, Natsuya showed an apologetic expression to Mika and Seiji.

    "I¡¯m very sorry, something¡¯s suddenlye up, so I need to leave. Haruta-kun, do you have anything else to say about transferring schools?"

    Seiji shook his head.

    "Then I¡¯ll start the process for you tomorrow. You should give me your phone number now, so I can contact you if I need anything."

    "Okay."

    Seiji and Natsuya then exchanged phone numbers.

    After that, Natsuya took her leave and bade farewell.

    Seiji and Mika remained seated as they watched her leave and noticed a luxurious ck caring to pick her up the moment she exited the store.

    He didn¡¯t have a chance to ask her what that sword was about¡­

    Seiji was actually quite curious about that kodachi that Natsuya Yoruhana carried around with her, but there wasn¡¯t an appropriate moment to broach the subject during the entire conversation.

    "President Yoruhana¡­ seems like an amazing girl in every aspect." Seiji sighed with emotion.

    "Yeah, the president is so great¡­ If you absolutely must find a w with her, the only one is that she¡¯s so outstanding some people don¡¯t even dare to talk to her." Mikaughed, "Such as my previous self. If it wasn¡¯t for this incident, I think¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have talked to her on my own even until graduation."

    Seiji nodded sagely. He could understand the feeling; for someone who was too outstanding, there were those that chose to silently avoid them.

    Nobody spoke for a while.

    "Anyway, no matter what she was thinking, I¡¯m very grateful to her for giving me this opportunity to return to school." Seiji smiled, "And¡­ we¡¯ll be ssmates in the future, Mika, so please take good care of me."

    "Oh¡­ Mm! Please¡­ please take good care of me as well!" Mika¡¯s face flushed red as she lowered her head.

    Meanwhile, in the luxurious car.

    "Mdy, did the one from the Haruta family¡­ agree?" Sitting across from Natsuya Yoruhana was a girl with bright red hair and a sharp glint in her scarlet eyes. She was wearing the same school uniform.

    "Yep, he seemed quite delighted to be able to return to school and was happy to change his name." Natsuya gazed outside the window as she spoke.

    "Doesn¡¯t he have any resolve to protect his own family name?"

    "Currently, he probably doesn¡¯t even know the true meaning of the ¡®Haruta¡¯ family name, even though I had hinted at it right from the beginning. It seemed like he had no idea, nor did he show any curiosity or desire to inquire more about it."

    "Hmph, what a shallow man."

    "Maybe not. His eyes were sincere, his actions resolute, and everything he said and decided upon seemed like it had some degree of forethought; he¡¯s definitely not an ordinary person. I think that¡­ maybe it¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t think about it, he just didn¡¯t want to think too deeply about it. And as for the mistakes hemitted before, which were severe enough for his sister, Yuiyume Haruta, to force him to leave home, unless he manages to receive Lady Haruta¡¯s forgiveness, nothing rted to the ¡®Haruta¡¯ name will have any meaning to him. As it¡¯s meaningless, there¡¯s no need to think about it. He only needs to take the chances that lie before him. Although he may not be thinking far ahead for the future, it could be said that he¡¯s quite decisive at taking the correct action."

    The interior of the car remained silent for a while.

    "Then what does Mdy think he was thinking?"

    "Ha, Hitaka¡ªwhat you really want to ask is whether or not this character known as ¡®Seiji Haruta¡¯ is of any use to us, right?"

    The red-haired girl fell silent upon hearing this.

    Natsuya Yoruhana did not speak as well, as she thought about how to express her thoughts.

    "The current him ispletely different from the previous him, in both looks and personality. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that evidence says they¡¯re the same person, I¡­ no, anyone would think that these are twopletely different people." Lady Yoruhana slowly stated.

    "But after seeing him personally, I saw just a slight glimpse of the elegant demeanor of a young master from the Haruta family, just like when he was little. So, I¡¯m also quite curious just what it was that he encountered¡­ Let¡¯s leave the past alone for now, as I¡¯m beginning to suspect that the fall into depravity of this young master from the Haruta family may have been caused by external factors. And now, his enormous change may be due to the fact that he¡¯s finally free from the ¡®external factors,¡¯ and he has rediscovered his earliest, truest self."

    Natsuya had just given her an abundant amount of information; the girl named Hitaka needed some time to digest it all.

    "Then, does Mdy believe that Seiji Haruta will be very useful to us?"

    "He has the potential to be enormously useful to us, but it hasn¡¯t been that long since he changed, so it¡¯s not that easy to say yet." Natsuya chuckled lightly, "If he remains in his current state, or if what I believe is correct, then this young master Haruta will create a terrifying whirlwind in society. Just this possibility alone was worth me personally inviting him to our school. Not only that, he truly did save Mika Uehara and prevented the school from having a huge scandal, so it was only proper that I aided him."

    The car quietened down again. The luxurious ck car soundlessly drove off into the dark night.

    ¡­

    The next day, Seiji received a call from Natsuya, who asked him about his personal information.

    On the subsequent day, when Seiji was taking Mika to school, they had almost reached the school when they saw a girl with short auburn hair and scarlet eyes with a sharp glint in them. This girl, who exuded a heroic aura, came to take his documents containing personal information.

    "My name is Hitaka Shuho, and I am the vice president of the student council. I¡¯ve received your personal information documents, so please go back home and wait for the news."

    She seemed to have a cold attitude, but ording to Mika, this vice president treated everyone this way.

    Another week passed.

    Natsuya Yoruhana called him again, saying everything waspleted sessfully, and that he would be able to go to school as a transfer student from next Monday.

    That night, Mika Uehara brought a male high school uniform for him.

    While it was within his expectations, Seiji still felt that thedy president was truly capable in getting things done. From start to finish, she had only called him twice; he only had to give them some of his personal information, and she managed to take care of everything else!

    He didn¡¯t need his guardian, he didn¡¯t need to return to his old school to say goodbye, and he didn¡¯t even need to go meet with Genhana High School¡¯s principals¡­ This was far from what any normal student council president would be able to pull off; it was evident that she had used some of her personal connections.

    There must be a motive behind her trying her utmost to help him transfer schools.

    Seiji had considered this already, so naturally he had thought about what could be going on. It was just that there was no use in paying attention to her ulterior motives for now.

    The next week, Monday.

    Aftering back from his morning jog, Seiji washed up and put on the Genhana High School uniform. He stood in front of his mirror tob his hair.

    Mm, not bad.

    Maybe it was a bit narcissistic, but in Seiji¡¯s eyes, didn¡¯t the boy in the mirror seem a bit too handsome?

    He wasn¡¯t the type to often look in the mirror, so every time he looked in the mirror, after "cultivating" all this time with his system, he would always feel like his appearance had improved.

    At first, he thought he was mistaken, but his constantly increasing charisma stat proved that this was all real. And the strongest evidence of all was that everyone¡¯s attitudes towards him were gradually changing, and the number of girls that came to the confectionary store just to see him was increasing daily as well¡­

    Would it be a problem if he kept getting handsomer?

    Maybe he deserved a beating for worrying about this, but Seiji was seriously frustrated.

    While it was nice to be quite handsome, if he was overly handsome, then strange things would begin to disturb his daily life.

    But there was no helping it¡ªeven though he was only concentrating on increasing his physical ability stat, his charisma stat kept improving alongside it, to the extent where it surpassed even his physical ability stat!

    Well, this must be attributed to the fact that his body had already inherited excellent genes beforehand. ording to the original Seiji¡¯s memories, his younger and older sisters were both S-ss beauties, and he should have been a hunk as well to match the rules of gic inheritance.

    The way that fat otaku looked in the past was truly unnatural. Once again, Seiji sighed at how truly self-deserving the original Seiji was; he had even wasted his own handsome genes.

    After the self-reflection, Seiji finished his preparations and left his room.

    Mika Uehara sat on the couch in her home and waited in nervous silence.

    Even though walking to school together with him had already be a daily urrence, she found it difficult to slow down her racing heart every time.

    Because¡­ because Seiji Haruta was bing increasingly handsome!

    Mother¡¯s premonition had been true; Seiji had continued exercising every day even after he gotten skinnier. His body shape was getting stronger and sturdier, and his entire person seemed healthier and brighter. Every inch of his body seemed like it was subtly evolving.

    If the Seiji who had just be skinnier was at the level of a normal handsome guy, then the current Seiji had already evolved to be idol level.

    It was no joke!

    Mika Uehara truly believed that the current Seiji couldnd a job as a television star without even needing to put on makeup!

    Ahhhh¡ªwhy did he be so handsome? And why was he still getting handsomer by the day!? It put too much pressure on her!

    The little girl within Mika¡¯s heart was screaming in frustration.

    Today was the first day that Seiji would go back to school.

    At first, she was delighted that he would be able to attend school together with her, but currently, that joy was now tainted by frustration.

    The current Seiji was definitely a ticking time bomb for the female students at Genhana High School.

    Although her crush was now going to school together with her, he had be far too handsome. The other girls at school would definitely have their eyes on him.

    Mika felt unsure what to do! She was waiting for immediate advice on this topic.

    Her countless frustrations were vented by a mncholy sigh of depression.

    Nozomi Uehara watched her daughter silently.

    Well, she could understand how her daughter was feeling because¡­ even her heart beat faster at Seiji¡¯s appearancetely!

    That handsome boy¡¯s gentle smile was turning him into ady-killer.

    At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

    Mika suddenly lifted her head up, jumped off the sofa and almost tripped on the floor.

    "C¡­ing!"

    "Mika, your bookbag! Lunchbox!"

    "Oh¡­ oh¡­"

    Mika hurriedly rushed to open the door as she gathered her things.

    Outside the door was a boy who had sunlight shining down on his shoulders, which added an even gentler aura to that well-chiseled face of his, giving his faint smile the beauty of a picture drawn by a master artist.

    "Let¡¯s go."

 Chapter 11 - Transfer student

    <h4>Chapter 11: Transfer student</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    School was a stage.

    Kazufuru Ooike inspected his appearance and clothing onest time and gave a practiced smile in front of the mirror before he left home.

    Compared to those ordinary folks who wasted their valuable youth, he discovered the true nature of school life early on, and he dressed smartly every day in order to spend each day at school perfectly.

    Just like an actor on stage, he would show off his dazzling appearance, graceful elegance, and eloquentmunication, thus giving the audience a deep impression as well as raising his own fame and status.

    As for finding yourself? Youth? Enjoyment? Haha, they were the shallow ideals of foolish and ordinary people who understood nothing about reality. The future was just a hazy fog to them¡ªwhat else could they do besides wasting their time here?

    Kazufuru Ooike saw reality for what it was long ago and had made detailed ns for his own future. To him, school was the prelude and stepping stone to society, and he intended to stand at the top of thisparatively simple enclosed society in order to have a head start when he entered society for real.

    Naturally, an excellent impression and outstanding grades were necessary. The next step was to obtain a position in the student council. However, his highest goal was¡­ an exceptional partner!

    And who could match the student council president, Natsuya Yoruhana?

    As he walked into the school and sighted her feminine figure, the corners of Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s mouth arced upwards, and he went over to greet her familiarly.

    "Secretary Ooike and President Yoruhana¡­ the sight of them together is just like a painting¡­"

    "Both of them have top-ss grades and appearance, and they¡¯re both elites that entered the student council as freshman students¡ªthey¡¯re just too perfect!"

    "Are they really not going out with each other?"

    Listening to the whispers around him, a sense of pride welled up in Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s heart, but he carefully hid his feelings, remaining impassive as he continued his conversation with Natsuya.

    Most people in school knew that Natsuya Yoruhana was from a rich and powerful family, but they didn¡¯t know the full extent of her family¡¯s wealth.

    However, Kazufuru Ooike was different. Although all his knowledge came from browsing the inte, that alone was quite shocking.

    He didn¡¯t understand why ady of her level was studying at Genhana High School. Doubtlessly, this was an incredible chance for him¡ªmaybe even an once-in-a-lifetime chance!

    As long as he seeded in gaining her affection, he could reduce the number of years where he had to work hard by at least thirty years!

    The moment he realized this, he worked hard at getting closer to this brilliant and beautifuldy from an illustrious family. And currently, he was one of the closest males at school to Natsuya Yoruhana.

    Almost every student at school recognized the two of them as a perfect couple, and based on the president¡¯s attitude towards him, Kazufuru Ooike also believed that.

    Until today.

    "That person will transfer into your ss today, so please take good care of him, Ooike-kun."

    Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s sentence as she smiled stirred dark emotions within Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s heart, but of course he didn¡¯t allow it to show.

    "I will."

    Seigo Harano.

    This was the name that gave Kazufuru Ooike the deepest impression recently, because in order to allow him to transfer to Genhana High School, Natsuya Yoruhana even went to the extent of using her family¡¯s connections.

    As a student council member, he also helped with part of the process and saw the picture on the documents.

    Seigo Harano was a good-looking handsome boy.

    This caused Kazufuru Ooike to feel a sense of danger.

    The picture could have been doctored; perhaps the real person wasn¡¯t as handsome in real life. He could only silently console himself this way.

    Year 1, ss 5.

    When Ooike entered the ssroom, he found that the new transfer student who was about to arrive had be the hot topic of ss.

    "I heard the new student is a boy¡ªit¡¯ll be nice if he¡¯s handsome!"

    "Eh, it isn¡¯t a girl?"

    "I wonder why he¡¯s transferring at this time of the year."

    "I heard that the President used her connections to allow him to join; maybe he has some rtion to the President?"

    "Perhaps he¡¯s a young master from a rich family?"

    Ooike maintained his smile as he greeted his friends, and when they asked him about the transfer student, he only smiled politely in response.

    Suddenly, the entire ssroom fell silent.

    Ooike followed everyone¡¯s lines of sight and saw the two people he expected.

    Kahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashi.

    The first boy had an imposing height of 1.9 meters and was slightly chubby. His eyebrows were thick and bushy, and he carried a dark, severe expression.

    The other boy had dyed-purple hair and was wearing earrings. He had thin lips and nted eyes. Pale cotton bandages were wrapped around his hand, and his expression was cold and antisocial.

    They were the famous delinquents of Year 1, ss 5.

    Legend has it that both of them had the incredible record of having individually defeated seven or eight hoodlums before, and when they acted together as partners, just their res alone would scare any low-level hoodlums.

    Even though there were countless legends about their fights outside of school, they had never acted up inside of school before. However, this wasn¡¯t due to fear¡ªit was more likely that they couldn¡¯t be bothered to act.

    Every time they appeared together in ss, their fearful atmosphere caused everyone to unconsciously stop talking, hence the uncanny silence which currently permeated throughout the room.

    They didn¡¯t care about their fellow ssmates¡¯ reactions at all, and they kept chatting to each other as they walked towards the corner of the ssroom.

    "How was¡­st night?"

    "I only defeated eight¡­ not many."

    "I only took out thirteen myself, not enough at all."

    "Let¡¯s continue tonight."

    "Alright."

    The simple conversation they had with each other was scary to the point where anyone who heard it felt their heart rates rapidly increase.

    Only when they sat down at their seats and closed their eyes in order to rest was the ssroom¡¯s atmosphere able to rx, and conversation gradually started up again.

    ¡®Hmph, morons.¡¯ Kazufuru Ooike mentally snorted at them.

    He looked down upon these hoodlums that acted tough but already belonged to the dregs of society. Although he was forced to admit their skill in violence did give others a forceful pressure that was difficult to resist.

    Not long after, the bell rang.

    The ss¡¯s teacher, a sses-wearing unmarried woman who was twenty-nine years old, walked into the ssroom, her face blushing deeply.

    "Erm¡­ everyone should have heard already that there will be a new student joining us today."

    After that simple exnation, she gestured to outside the door, and her movement was sultry enough to the point where it seemed like she was flirting.

    A boy walked into the ssroom.

    As he walked in, everyone in the ssroom sucked in their breaths simultaneously.

    The new student was tall and handsome, with a pretty face, clean-cut short hair, and a slightly shy expression¡­ Even though he was wearing the same western-style school uniform as everyone else, he somehow managed to give off a charismatic impression, as if he were a noble at a banquet!

    In the short time that he walked from the ssroom door to the ssroom podium, time seemed to slow down.

    Just about all the girls in ss had their moods markedly improve in just these few seconds, while almost all the boys had grim looks on their faces.

    What the hell! Why did such a handsome guye here!?

    To be fair, if he was only a normal handsome guy, the boys wouldn¡¯t have minded so much. However, since the person in front of them was clearly a S-rank super handsome guy, the boys were battling withplex emotions.

    "Hello everyone, I¡¯m Sei¡­ cough, Seigo Harano. I transferred at this time due to various reasons, so please take care of me from now on."

    Seiji smiled gently at everyone.

    Cough, he was a bit nervous and he had almost identally said his real name.

    Suddenly there was a hugemotion in ss, and the volume was all caused by the girls.

    "So handsome! Hey, don¡¯t you think he looks a bit like the star Hidemi Kimura?"

    "Eh? I think he¡¯s more like Mitsuaki Kaneshiro?"

    "He¡¯s tall, handsome, and has a great atmosphere about him. I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­"

    "He¡¯s even more handsome than Ooike-kun!"

    When Kazufuru Ooike heard his name randomly beingpared to the transfer student, his face started twitching, and his heart also twitched as well.

    Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s hope was futile¡ªnot only was the new student a handsome youth, he was a supermodel-level idol-like handsome youth that greatly surpassed his picture!

    He instantly realized why the president had spent so much effort on helping this person transfer schools. Unfortunately, his newly acquired understanding made him sink even deeper into the abyss.

    Apart from him, there was one other whose feelings had fallen deep into the abyss.

    It was Mika Uehara.

    Even though she had already expected it, when Seiji¡¯s transfer was met with as much excitement as she expected, she still felt unhappy.

    Yep, absolutely unhappy.

    She pouted with her mouth, and muttered in her heart: ¡®Humph, what¡¯s with all thismotion? He was nothing but a disgusting fat otaku not long ago.¡¯

    Ironically, her own feelings almostpletely ovepped with one of the school idol¡¯s feelings, student council secretary Kazufuru Ooike.

    The teacher arranged for Seiji to sit in the empty seat in the corner, and he happened to pass by Mika¡¯s seat as he walked there.

    She looked at him, and he nced back at her and smiled.

    Then, he sat down at his seat and greeted the students around him quietly.

    Two of them didn¡¯t respond to him, so Seiji assumed that they were most likely the two delinquents that Mika instructed him to stay far away from¡ªKahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashi.

    Since as long as he didn¡¯t bother them, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems. After all, Seiji had no reason to meddle in their affairs.

    Currently, he was enjoying the feeling of immersing himself in school again.

    Only after experiencing the cruelty of society did he truly understand just how precious the days in school were.

    At the beginning of ss, he opened his system, and noticed that the option [go to sses at school] which had been grayed out all this time was finally avable for selection. He instantly decided to select it. Then, he was overwhelmed by a desire to study and learn, and he was able to fully concentrate. He didn¡¯t pay attention to anything other than the teacher and the ckboard¡­

    After ss.

    Right when Seiji recovered from his [studying] status, he noticed that he had beenpletely surrounded by his ssmates.

    And the only ones surrounding him were girls!?

    They chattered endlessly. With the fragrance of perfume and other good smellsing from their bodies, Seiji was slightly overwhelmed by all their questions.

    "Harano-san, why did you transfer at this time of year?" This was a normal question.

    "Harano-san, what kinds of things do you like?" This was a roundabout question.

    "Harano-kun, do you have a girlfriend?" This was such a direct question.

    "Harano-kun, are you straight or gay?" This one must be into boys-love¡­

    ¡­

    "Okay, stop!"

    After Seiji struggled for a while, a clear female voice suddenly rang out, which caused the girls to settle down.

    Seiji looked at the speaker, and saw a tall, well-proportioned "handsome boy" with soft silver-gray medium-long hair and a bit of an invasive smile enter the crowd of girls.

    "Free talk time is over now¡ªthe remaining time belongs to his official owner. Please back off now, thank you!"

    "What are you talking about? His¡­ his official owner¡ªthat¡¯s not it at all!" Mika Uehara shyly disagreed with what this "handsome boy" just said.

    "How is he not yours? He transferred schools because of you, and you live together. You evene to school together, right?" The "handsome boy" shed a mischievous smile.

    After a momentary silence, all the girls were shocked and stared at Mika with their eyes widened!

    "That¡¯s not it at all! He¡¯s¡­ the president¡­ he¡­ he¡¯s just a renter at my family¡¯s apartment!" Mika Uehara panicked upon seeing everyone ring daggers at her, and she blushed furiously in embarrassment. In fact, she was so flustered that she started spouting out gibberish.

    "Renter? Is it really just that? You know, you guys¡­"

    "I¡¯m begging you, Chiaki, stop going on! Everyone¡¯s misunderstanding!" Mika tearily begged her friend.

    Seiji smiled wryly.

    "You must be Chiaki Wakaba, right? Mika¡¯s best friend¡ªshe¡¯s mentioned you before."

    "Oh, so you directly call her Mika, do you? Hehe¡­" The tomboyish beauty in male clothes smiled with deep meaning. "That¡¯s right, I¡¯m Chiaki Wakaba. I¡¯m pleased to meet you, Seigo Harano." She took a handsome posture before she reached her hand out to shake his hand. If it was an ordinary person doing it, it might seem pretentious, but it didn¡¯t seem off at all when she did it; it was almost as if such handsome movements were patented by her.

    "Pleased to meet you." Seiji smiled in return and shook her hand.

 Chapter 12 - Please become my friend!

    <h4>Chapter 12: Please be my friend!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    The tomboyish beauty that loved to wear male clothing, Chiaki Wakaba, was the ace member of the drama club. Therefore, she was quite famous in certain circles.

    With pressureing from her, the chattering girls reluctantly left until only Chiaki, Mika, and Seiji remained.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ not bad for a fake name, but I still think your original name sounds better." Chiaki said in a low voice and smiled at him. She knew about Seiji¡¯s real name and situation through her best friend, Mika Uehara.

    Seiji scratched his face.

    After personally meeting this best friend of hers that Mika had told him about beforehand, he finally understood some of the things that Mika had previously said.

    Why did blondie have his eyes on Mika? Other than her outstanding appearance and attractiveness, there was also the fact that blondie had seemed to have heard some rumors and hade to a misunderstanding.

    Then the next problem was the origin of these rumors. And why did they spread in the first ce?

    Mika believed that it was because she had an excellent friend with high charisma. As this friend of hers was quite popr with certain female student cliques, it caused Mika to be the target of jealousy as she was quite close to Chiaki.

    "It just can¡¯t be helped. As Chiaki¡¯s truly beautiful and has her own unique charm, many girls are secretly in love with her¡­" That was what Mika told him at the time with a wry smile.

    As one of the best friends of this famous, charismatic tomboy prince, Mika became the target of vicious rumors fueled by jealousy.

    School was a bit simpler than adult society, but some nastiness was still unavoidable.

    "Harano-kun, can you drink alcohol?"

    "Huh?" Seiji blinked. "I¡¯m still underage, and I believe you are as well."

    "Don¡¯t be such a drag¡ªas Mika¡¯s best friend, I¡¯d really like to have a drink with the hero that saved her!" Chiaki smiled and licked her lips: "There¡¯s plenty of alcohol at my ce¡ªyou shoulde on over!"

    Her tiny action in tandem with her words made her seem quite devilish.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows and was just about to retort, when he was suddenly interrupted.

    "No! Sei¡­ Er, Seigo can¡¯t drink alcohol!" Mika interrupted the conversation, "You as well, Chiaki. I¡¯ve said it many times¡ªyou should stop secretly drinking!"

    "Alcohol is one of the greatest joys in life. You won¡¯t miss out if you try it a bit earlier!" Chiaki smiled seductively, "And if you get drunk, you can do some even more interesting things¡­"

    "What interesting things are you talking about!?" Mika forcefully denied her. "No is no. Alcohol is something that¡¯s not good for you."

    "Ugh, fine." Chiaki had a regretful expression.

    "Drinking juice will be fine." Seiji smiled, "If you have free time, you cane to the shop I work at¡ªthe sweets there taste delicious."

    With him leading the conversation skillfully, they began talking about everything.

    The pigtailed beauty, the tomboyish prince, and the idol-like handsome boy¡­ the three of them chatting happily seemed like it was a scene out of an idol drama.

    However, such a beautiful scene was unappreciated, even hurtful, to certain people.

    Such as Kazufuru Ooike.

    Witnessing this scene, the clogged feeling in his heart increased even further. Mika Uehara wasn¡¯t anyone special, but Chiaki Wakaba was a well-renowned and popr girl at school, and even Natsuya Yoruhana appreciated her talent.

    He had tried his best to make friends with Chiaki Wakaba before as well, but she used skillful methods to reject him politely.

    And now, that Seigo Harano was having a conversation with her as if they were old buddies.

    He absolutely couldn¡¯t stand it!

    But what could he possibly do?

    Although some dark ideas popped into Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s mind, he firmly pushed them away.

    In every instance, he always defeated his opponents directly from the front. Regardless of whether it was looks, elegance, grades, or sports, he would always defeat them fairly, and he never cheated or used any dirty tricks whatsoever.

    He believed in his own excellence¡ªapart from his family background, every quality of his was upper-ss!

    Judging by his appearance, Seigo Harano seemed like a strong opponent.

    But so what? He, Kazufuru Ooike, could defeat him as well, just like all the others!

    ¡­

    During all the sses in the morning, other than chatting with Mika and Chiaki, Seiji had be acquainted with some other ssmates.

    But he could only smile wryly at the fact that the only ones who treated him warmly were the girls. In fact, none of the boys proactively came to talk to him, and if he tried talking to any boy, any response he received was either indifferent or clearly distant.

    It seemed that there were downsides to having such a good appearance as well.

    What should he do about this?

    It was already time for the lunch break, and as Seiji considered his problem and stood up from his seat, he noticed a male student with short brown hair, sses, and a delicate face walking over.

    "Hello, Harano-san."

    "Hello."

    "I¡¯m the student council secretary, Kazufuru Ooike, and President Yoruhana specially ordered me to take good care of you after you transferred here." Kazufuru nudged his sses upwards, "After a morning of sses, do you feel like you are having any troubles? If you feel like you can¡¯t understand the sses or if there¡¯s some other problems, I would be d to assist you."

    Seiji took a good look at this above-average handsome guy who embodied the very image of an excellent student.

    "W¡­ what is it?" Kazufuru felt ufortable being stared at like this.

    "Can you help me with any trouble?" Seiji¡¯s mouth arced upward.

    "Er¡­ yes, if I¡¯m able to be of help." Kazufuru nodded. Since the president had made a request, he had to at least look good on the surface.

    Seiji suddenly stepped forward and suddenly grabbed his hand.

    "Please be my friend!"

    This one sentence resounded clearly throughout the whole ssroom.

    All the surrounding students turned their heads around to look, surprise evident on their faces.

    Mika, who was on her way over towards them, froze in her tracks, and even Chiaki was stunned.

    The entire ssroom fell into an eerie silence.

    After an indeterminate length of time, he foolishly responded with a confused, "Huh?"

    ¡­

    The school courtyard.

    Kazufuru adjusted his sses again and tried to organize his thoughts, but he found that his brain still wasn¡¯t working properly yet.

    In front of him was the cheerful Seigo Harano, the still-shocked Mika Uehara, and Chiaki Wakaba who was smiling ambiguously.

    All four of them had brought their own lunches, so to the others, they looked like a perfect scene of two boys and two girls eating lunch together.

    "Harano-san¡­"

    "You can just call me Harano, or even just call me Seigo. I¡¯ll just call you Kazufuru as well, bro."

    ¡®Who wants to be your bro!?¡¯ Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s face twitched, and he almost said that out loud, but he barely managed to restrain himself.

    "Man, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to make any male friends. I¡¯m d that I met someone as weing as you, Kazufuru bro. Here, as a sign of our friendship, I¡¯ll give you this green pepper from my lunch."

    "I hate these!" Kazufuru wasn¡¯t a picky eater, but he considered green peppers to be the green work of the devil, so he unconsciously rejected it.

    Wait a moment, that didn¡¯t seem like the most important thing right now?

    "Don¡¯t worry, it tastes really good. After all, this green pepper is specially made; it was cooked by my gentle and beautifulndlord." Seiji remained smiling.

    "Seigo!" Mika couldn¡¯t bear watching it anymore, "Stop being picky!"

    "Is that the only part you want toment on?" Chiaki took a sideways nce at her friend.

    Kazufuru suddenly felt tired of it all.

    "Harano-san, just what are you up to?" He sighed and looked straight into Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    "Nothing at all." Seiji retracted his mischievous smile that he was faking and said lightly, "Just as I previously stated, I¡¯d like for you to be my friend."

    "¡­Why?"

    "Isn¡¯t it obvious¡ªit¡¯s quite hard for me to talk to the other boys." Seiji forthrightly stated the root of the problem. "They¡¯re jealous or can¡¯t stand the sight of me¡ªat any rate, I¡¯m having trouble getting along with them. So I need a sufficiently strong enough stepping stone. And you, Student Council Secretary, are obviously a popr and excellent student. You¡¯re the best choice, Kazufuru Ooike-san."

    Seiji¡¯s revtion was far too direct, and the other three students werepletely shocked.

    It took quite a while for Kazufuru Ooike to regain his senses.

    "So you¡¯re saying¡­ you¡¯re taking advantage of me?"

    "You¡¯re partially correct. Yes, I want to be friends with you¡ªthat wasn¡¯t fake at all." Seiji smiled again and gave him an omelet from his own lunchbox, "You¡¯ll ept a new friend, won¡¯t you, Student Council Secretary Ooike-san?"

    "What if I refuse?" Kazufuru stared directly at Seiji.

    "Well, it won¡¯t be a big deal. At the very most, I¡¯ll just act disappointed in front of all our ssmates, and I¡¯ll also tell President Yoruhana about my disappointment as well." Seiji shrugged nonchntly.

    Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s face kept twitching uncontrobly.

    He could already imagine what amotion the scene from earlier must have caused, and if he refused Harano, and Harano exaggerated it in front of the ss, this would be a huge problem, and in the end, it would damage his status.

    Not to mention, there was also President Yoruhana¡­

    As he kept thinking it over, Kazufuru found that he had no other choices.

    "You¡­ you¡¯re quite something." In the end, he looked at Seiji and stated coldly, "As you wish¡ªI shall be your friend, but we still aren¡¯t friends."

    His statement was obviously self-contradictory, but it was understandable as well, and Seiji definitely understood what he meant.

    "I¡¯ll treat you as my friend, and I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll change your opinion of me." He reached his hand out with a smile.

    Kazufuru Ooike looked at his hand for several seconds before he slowly extended his own hand out and shook Seiji¡¯s hand lightly.

    Mika Uehara, who was a spectator for this entire scene, was still in shock, while Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s eyes glittered with an indescribable light.

    As Kazufuru ate his lunch, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had been pulled into some sort of strange trap¡­ but it was still eptable.

    Just let me see who you truly are, Seigo Harano.

    After lunch, Kazufuru used the excuse of being upied with student council matters and left them.

    After she watched the student council secretary leave, Mika Uehara turned her gaze towards Seiji, with an expression begging for an exnation.

    "It¡¯s quite simple, really¡ªI didn¡¯t want to be left out of everything by all the boys in ss, so I forcefully took advantage of the student council secretary." Seiji truthfully told her his intentions.

    The personal rtionships in school could be a big or a small issue. He came to school in order to enjoy daily life, not to be a lone wolf, so even if his method was a little overbearing, he had to ensure own ce in school first.

    Mika Uehara nodded half-knowingly.

    "That was¡­ brilliant." Chiaki Wakaba smiled as she assessed him, "I thought that you¡¯d find yourself in great difficulty¡­ if it became like that, Mika and I would still stay by your side. But you were able to break through it on your own¡ªnice."

    Even though the method was slightly underhanded.

    But to be able to see the true nature of that excellent student who always wore a mask and to sessfully take advantage of him, Seiji was definitely gifted.

    Seigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta, wasn¡¯t a simple person at all.

 Chapter 13 - This world isnâ€™t one that only cares about appearances!

    <h4>Chapter 13: This world isn¡¯t one that only cares about appearances!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    For the remainder of lunch break, Mika and Chiaki took Seiji around to explore the school.

    Genhana High School covered a vast amount of ground and had a middle school section as well as a high school section, although the two sections were mostly separated apart from some shared facilities.

    "Haha, seeing those tender juicy middle school girls isn¡¯t an easy task, but if you beg me, I can tell you just how to meet them!" Chiaki smiled impishly.

    "Stop talking nonsense, Chiaki¡ªwhat are you saying, tender and juicy¡­"

    "It sounds attractive, but I can¡¯t afford to be thought of as a pervert right now, so let¡¯s talk about itter." Seiji rubbed his chin.

    "What!? Seigo?"

    "Ha, I was just joking."

    Seiji felt thatpared to Mika, the slightly devilish Chiaki was easier to have a conversation with.

    Mika Uehara was still stuck between her mischievous friend and the otaku that was graduallying out of his shell, so she found it difficult to keep up with them.

    As Chiaki teased Mika, Seiji took a look at the schoolyard, when he suddenly noticed a petite girl looking in their direction.

    The girl was wearing a middle school uniform, and she was quite short, with thin, spindly limbs. She had an exquisite face andrge eyes with heterochromia¡ªthe left eye was green while her right eye was blue. She also wore a pair of huge cat ears which were swaying cutely in the wind, leaving Seiji with a deep impression.

    She looked at Seiji, and Seiji wordlessly looked back at her.

    Suddenly, she ran off and shrouded herself in the shadows of the nearby trees, disappearing in an instant.

    "Was she a first-year middle school student? And the way she was dressed¡­"

    That was how Seiji spent his lunch break.

    After thest ss in the afternoon, a boy with short pointy blonde hair and sharp features¡ªwhich made him seem like a cosyer for a hot-blooded anime¡ªwalked up to the podium.

    "As everyone already knows, the school festival will be held at the end of this month, so we should decide now on what topic our ss will be doing."

    As he talked, Seiji asked one of the students beside him and learned that the blonde boy was the ss representative, Koji Hoshihara.

    "I¡¯ve gathered some of the ideas from the students, and I¡¯ll write them on the ckboard now¡ªif there are any other rmendations, please go ahead and say them now. Afterwards, everyone will decide the topic by voting."

    A school festival¡­ this was a ssic scene from any manga about school life. Seiji¡¯s interest was piqued by this.

    ss Representative Hoshihara then wrote on the ckboard: haunted house, coffee caf¨¦, confectionary store, y, and miniature theater. Every option seemed ordinary to Seiji, as they were allmon options seen at every school festival.

    After writing down all the possible projects, the entire ss began lively debating which option to choose.

    Just as they wereing to a conclusion and the atmosphere was quieting down, a clear voice suddenly rang out.

    "Harano-kun, even though you transferred in just today, you shouldn¡¯t remain silent at such a time. Why don¡¯t you let everyone know your opinion as well?

    It was Kazufuru Ooike.

    He took advantage of the timing, and everyone¡¯s attention instantly focused on Seiji.

    Was this assisting him or an attack against him?

    Seiji nced over at his "friend" and smiled.

    "Sure. After hearing everyone¡¯s discussions, I have an idea of my own as well." Faced with gazes of the entire ss, Seiji¡¯s face did not show a hint of either panic or nervousness and spoke his thoughts eloquently: "I believe that a confectionery store would be a good choice. This seems to be one of the more popr options, but the students against it mostly believe that it¡¯s too difficult to make the sweets due to theck of equipment and ingredients. As it happens, I have a method to take care of those issues, since I currently work at an outstanding confectionery store.

    "We could just obtain our desserts from there, and then give our customers those desserts directly from the store. I can take care of the price negotiations, and I¡¯ll be able to get a discount for us. Besides, we should be able to make the simple desserts ourselves, and our supply will be assured if both sides make the desserts.

    "Also, I would rmend turning the confectionery store into a cosy cafe as well, with the main theme of the anime that¡¯s been hugely poprtely: "Honey Candy Girl." If necessary, I can even contact the creator of this anime and obtain the permission to use the copyright¡­"

    Seiji described his idea with a well-organized thought process.

    The entire ssroom was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

    Uh-oh! It seemed that he wasn¡¯t careful and had identally used speaking techniques from his previous life as a government worker¡ªdid he make it too boring? Seiji felt himself breaking into a cold sweat.

    Kazufuru Ooike mentally sighed.

    That was excellent improvising! Although he expected that something of this difficulty level wouldn¡¯t be too hard to deal with, it was still¡­

    *p p p.* As his "friend," Kazufuru gave the brilliant speech his apuse.

    Soon after, the girls all began pping, and the boys could only follow the momentum and p along.

    "I think Harano-san¡¯s idea was pretty good," ss Representative Hoshihara agreed and looked around at the whole ss, "how about we go with his idea? A cosy confectionery store!"

    The ss began heatedly debating again, and the girls strongly indicated their approval for the idea. Due to the girls¡¯ passion, the boys could helplessly agree.

    This was mainly because that "Honey Candy Girl" was indeed quite popr these days and was viewed as one of the trademark creations of Sakura Ind. It was especially well-known among teenagers.

    The full-body costume that Seiji had worn for his first job was a mascot from this anime.

    And Store Manager Rika Amami was actually rted to the creator of that anime; the creator had even found part of the inspiration for that anime from Rika Amami!

    So that was why he was confident that he could obtain the copyright permission from the creator through the store manager. However, since this was only a temporary confectionery shop for the school festival, going through all the formalities probably wouldn¡¯t be necessary.

    In the end, when the ss went through with the voting, the cosy confectionery store overwhelmingly won against all the other options, and thus, Year 1 ss 5¡¯s school festival topic was decided upon.

    "Now that the discussion is over, we¡¯ll decide on the specific tasks for everyone tomorrow. Everyone can go to their club activities now," the ss representative ended the discussion.

    The students all got up and left slowly in pairs or small groups, while Mika and Chiaki approached Seiji.

    "Seiji, are you going to work?"

    "Nah. I want to get to know the clubs at school," Seiji smiled, "could I request the two of you to be my tour guides once more?"

    Naturally, the answer he received was "of course."

    Seiji also wanted to grab Kazufuru to go along with them, but that guy had used the student council as an excuse to leave again.

    Well, there were plenty of chances to train him in the future¡­ no wait, maybe he should say improve Kazufuru¡¯s impression of Seiji instead.

    With Mika and Chiaki leading the way, the three of them went to the tennis club first, as this also happened to be the club Mika was a member of.

    "Our school¡¯s tennis club is a bit weak¡ªwe don¡¯t have the skill topete nationally¡­ Usually, we just rx and have fun." Mika awkwardly told Seiji about her club, "I just y for fun myself."

    "She says she¡¯s only a casual yer, but she¡¯s actually the second best yer in the club. She¡¯s actually quitepetitive, you know?" Chiaki spilled Mika¡¯s secrets again.

    "Not¡­ not at all, I¡­ I just y at my own pace!" Mika¡¯s face flushed slightly red.

    "The second strongest¡­ that¡¯s great. Then who¡¯s the best? The tennis club captain?" Seiji said.

    Mika nodded.

    "The captain is by far the strongest¡ªhe almost made it to nationals this year."

    The tennis club captain¡¯s name was Hideya Aizawa.

    He was an above-average good-looking guy with light green hair. In reality, though, his greatest goal wasn¡¯t getting into nationals, but he instead focused his attention on the most beautiful freshman girl in the tennis club, Mika Uehara.

    Earlier, when he had heard rumors that the school bully had his eye on Mika, he became quite unhappy, but that was all. Ultimately, hecked the courage to confront the school bully.

    But for some reason unknown to him, the school bully received a stern lecture from the student council president, and then he mysteriously dropped out of school.

    Aizawa felt like he still had a chance!

    Having caught the attention of the school bully, his underssman was surely frightened by the experience. If he took good care of her during this time, and then picked a good time to confess to her, he should be able to make her his girlfriend.

    But the situation was different from what he had expected. Mika didn¡¯t seem like she was feeling depressed at all during club activities, and she treated him more distantly than before, making him feel like all his previous efforts had gone to waste.

    Why was that?

    Today, when he saw Mika Uehara leading a boy who was so handsome that it hurt to look at him to school, he understood.

    Seigo Harano, the transfer student in Year 1 ss 5, was already acquainted with Mika Uehara before transferring here.

    Every girl in the tennis club had sparkles in their eyes after seeing this handsome boy!

    And all the boys, including Aizawa, felt an incredible sense of pressure.

    For the first time, all the tennis club boys felt like they had amon enemy, and when Mika Uehara borrowed a tennis racket and loaned it to that guy in order to have a practice match with him, their enmity reached a peak!

    Why was there a scene from an idol TV drama here at their club!?

    Just about all the female members were using their cell phones to film this scene, and all of them were blushing fiercely. Those girls usually liked to act untouchable, but now they were all agog over this one boy¡ªwhat was up with this!?

    Especially Mika Uehara, who was having a practice match with him¡ªthat look in her eyes, her bodynguage, and her expression all seemed so flirtatious. Even an idiot could tell that she had feelings for the new student!

    This beautiful underssman of his had never acted like this in tennis club before, but now it was like she was giving herself away for free, trying her utmost to catch that guy¡¯s attention¡­

    What a b*tch!

    Aizawa¡¯s mind was filled with anger; it was as if he had seen the world for what it truly was and witnessed the cruelty of fate.

    No!

    He refused to ept, or even admit it.

    Who cared if that guy was a supermodel-level handsome guy!?

    He was going to use his ability that was almost enough to reach the nationals to let that guy know this world wasn¡¯t only about physical appearances!

    "Harano-san, you probably won¡¯t be able to go all out when ying with a girl." Aizawa had a smile on his face as he approached them, "Your footwork is pretty good; I think you could be rather talented¡ªhow about practicing a little with me?"

 Chapter 14 - Youâ€™re only at this level?

    <h4>Chapter 14: You¡¯re only at this level?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Judging by his expression, the tennis club captain¡¯s intentions were obvious.

    Seiji had never expected that one day he would receive enmity from other males due to his handsome appearance. He just didn¡¯t know what to make of it.

    Alright, he was already mentally prepared for it after seeing the boys¡¯ attitudes earlier in ss.

    He should probably reject the invitation to y¡­ but judging from the captain¡¯s expression, as well as the hostility being emitted by all the other boys, Seiji felt like it wouldn¡¯t be that simple to reject his invitation.

    On the other hand, it was true that he wasn¡¯t ying seriously with Mika. He was only having some light exercise with Mika. Since his physical ability stat had already surpassed 60, he was slightly curious to see the full extent of his ability if he yed seriously, and he wanted topare himself to the captain that had "almost made it to nationals."

    After mulling over it for a few seconds, he nodded his head in agreement.

    "I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m really all that talented¡­ but I can¡¯t go all out against a girl, so if the captain is willing to teach me some tennis, I¡¯d be more than happy."

    Aizawa was surprised that he had epted his invitation so willingly.

    The other boys watching this felt their enmity increasing even further!

    "You should ¡®teach¡¯ him to the best of your abilities, Captain!"

    "Show him what tennis is truly about, Captain!"

    "It¡¯s time to show him your real power, Captain!"

    Many people got agitated to the point of shouting out loud before they immediately felt the hostile res of the surrounding girls upon them.

    "What are you saying to a first-year student that¡¯s only a beginner?"

    "Are you guys just jealous? How awful¡­"

    "That¡¯s why the boys in our club are¡­"

    The girls made numerous negative remarks, which caused the boys to suffer yet another critical hit on their already injured hearts as well as rubbing salt into their wounds.

    As Aizawa regained his senses, he looked at the other male members that had never been so energized as a team before, and he smiled faintly at them, giving a huge thumbs-up.

    "Captain!!!"

    The boys all felt like they were crying inside.

    ¡®¡­It seems like I¡¯m the bad guy here?¡¯ Witnessing this spectacle, Seiji was speechless.

    "Seigo, are you really going to y against the captain?" Mika was slightly concerned about him.

    "Mm, it¡¯s a rare chance for me¡­ Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just trying this sport out¡ªthis isn¡¯t apetition or anything." Seiji smiled at her confidently.

    "But¡­ I¡¯ve never seen the captain looking so serious before¡­"

    Upon hearing this, Seiji coughed awkwardly and remained silent.

    Mika exited the practice field, while Aizawa entered the field, and they faced off against each other.

    "You can serve first." Aizawa posed in a way that he felt was quite gentlemanly as he tossed the ball to his opponent.

    Seiji had an average serve.

    Aizawa chased down the ball, and as if he was performing, he swung his arm grandly, and his racket made a booming sound as he returned the serve!

    The tennis ball arced upwards in the air,nding about three or four meters to Seiji¡¯s side, instantly bouncing away.

    "Perfect!" All the boy students were sighing in praise.

    "Heh, Harano-san, how was that ball just now? If you think it¡¯s a bit too difficult, I can go a bit easier on you." Aizawa tried his best to not sound pretentious.

    "It was alright." Seiji said faintly as he caught the ball that Mika tossed back to him, "You don¡¯t need to go easy on me, Captain¡ªfeel free to y however you like."

    As he said this, he served again.

    Aizawa returned it once more, and this time the ballnded even farther away from Seiji!

    And then, just as everyone thought the ball would bounce unanswered again, Seiji suddenly increased his speed and urately returned the ball before it flew out of bounds!

    ¡®Ha, although he increased his speed, but¡­ it¡¯s still useless!¡¯ Aizawa triumphantly shouted in his heart as he returned the ball beautifully yet again.

    This time, Seiji wasn¡¯t able to catch up to the ball, so Aizawa scored again.

    "Ah, I apologize. I thought you would be able to keep up¡ªit seems like I overestimated you. From now on, I¡¯ll be careful to go easier on you." Aizawa¡¯s eyes glinted with a mocking light as he spoke.

    It was evident that he was trying to conceal his delight, but his words and attitude gave him away. This was obvious to everyone observing.

    He was enjoying the feeling of beating a newbie!

    "What¡¯s this, the captain had this kind of personality¡­"

    "I already thought he was a bit too flirtatious. I never thought his true personality was even worse than that."

    The girls kept muttering secretly to themselves¡ªall of them were thinking how unfair it was for the freshman.

    ¡®Captain, we¡¯ll never forget your sacrifice!¡¯ The boys, who could barely make out what the girls were saying, felt their hearts trembling.

    Next to the practice field, Mika Uehara was already beginning to pout.

    She had already felt before that the captain seemed unreliable, and this time her impression of him was utterly ruined.

    ¡®Humph, he¡¯s bullying Seiji¡ªhow despicable!¡¯

    "There¡¯s no need to be angry¡ªjust watch the show quietly." Chiaki Wakaba, who had been watching silently up until now said, "That¡¯s your hero¡ªdo you reallyck confidence in him? I doubt he¡¯s got all those muscles for nothing. In my opinion, he¡¯s probably not even using half his strength yet."

    On the field.

    "I said there¡¯s no need to go easy on me, Captain," Seiji enunciated each word clearly as he opened up the buttons on his western school uniform: "You can y however you like. I¡¯ll¡­ also treat you well."

    As he spoke, he slowly took off his western school uniform and ced it outside the practice field before he opened up the buttons on his shirt as well, along with taking off his tie.

    "Wow! So handsome!"

    Upon seeing this scene, all the girls started shrieking madly, and their eyes sparkled with excitement as they repeatedly took pictures with their phones!

    Mika Uehara¡¯s face reddened as well, and she silently held up her phone¡­

    Urgh! Aizawa felt like he had suffered a huge blow, and his mouth twitched. Not only was this guy milking his handsome face, now he was taking off his clothes!

    ¡®Who cares if he¡¯s tall? Is it really that amazing if he has good muscles!?¡¯ Aizawa cursed inwardly.

    While he was cursing inside his heart, Seiji served the ball for the third time.

    ¡®Humph, it doesn¡¯t matter how handsome you are¡ªyou still suck at tennis!¡¯ Aizawa used his full power to return this serve.

    This time, Seiji¡¯s speed increased even more! He urately swung and returned the ball.

    Smack¡­ smack¡­ smack¡­ The tennis ball kept going back and forth, and it actually seemed like they were equally matched.

    Aizawa became increasingly astonished as they continued ying. Aizawa¡¯s opponent wasn¡¯t just showing off his looks after taking off his clothes, but he was actually going all out instead, and he had increased his speed to a level where he could return each ball!

    Aizawa was using tennis techniques, while Seiji, a beginner, was returning all his balls purely with reactions and speed!

    The tense rally continued for several minutes.

    The tennis club members were also astounded as they kept watching, as they had discovered that Seigo Harano was keeping up with the captain purely with his astounding physical ability!

    "You¡¯re amazing, Harano-san!" The girls praised him enthusiastically.

    "Who cares if he has good stamina? There¡¯s no such thing as endless stamina, and the captain will win in the end!" The boys were allining.

    But, unexpectedly for the boys, the first one to make a mistake due to fatigue was Hideya Aizawa.

    After the stalemate situation persisted for around seven or eight minutes, Aizawa finally slipped and missed the ball. He could only stare helplessly as his opponent scored.

    "He scored!" Cheers arose from beside the practice field.

    Mika Uehara was so overjoyed that she started jumping up and down before she noticed that everyone was looking at her, which made her feel somewhat awkward.

    Seiji smiled and looked at his opponent.

    "Captain, should we still continue?"

    "Of¡­ of course!" Aizawa ground his teeth as he stood up.

    It was only a slight mistake. Aizawa¡¯s opponent had used up far more stamina than him, so his opponent would undoubtedly be the first one to fall!

    And so, the tennis ball started flying back and forth again.

    A few minutester, Aizawa was the one who lost the point, and he had a look of shock on his face. His expression was unwilling as he wasn¡¯t able to ept the oue.

    "This isn¡¯t possible¡­"

    A few minutester, Aizawa lost a third point.

    "This won¡¯t¡­"

    Aizawa lost a fourth, fifth, sixth, and finally a seventh point¡­

    ¡­

    "Pant¡­ pant¡­ pant¡­"

    Approximately half an hourter, everyone observed in silence as the sweat-covered Aizawa struggled to catch his breath. His expression was akin to a dead dog¡¯s.

    Meanwhile, on the other side, Seigo Harano wasn¡¯t even breathing heavily.

    There was a stark contrast between their current conditions.

    Was he a monster!!??

    This guy had been exercising strenuously for over forty minutes now, returning each ball urately with various movements. Even though he had not missed a single ball, he wasn¡¯t even breathing heavily. In fact, he had barely sweated either¡ªjust how monstrous was his stamina!?

    All the boys couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing!

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    "I feel like we¡¯ve been practicing for a bit too long. I¡¯m getting tired¡ªhow about we stop now?"

    Even though that was what he was said, nobody believed his words! It was apparent that this was nothing but an excuse to end the practice.

    Although Aizawa was reluctant for it to end like this, he understood that there was no way to bridge the wide gap in points anymore.

    His physical ability wasn¡¯t even close to his opponent¡¯s level.

    While his tennis techniques that he held great pride in had helped him, his opponent¡¯s overwhelming stamina had utterly crushed him!

    No matter what techniques he used, or how much force he struck the ball with, his opponent always managed to urately return the ball; it was like he was facing a wall, not a human!

    Ever since he had learned how to y tennis, he had never felt such a sense of defeat.

    But even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, a loss was a loss. If he acted like a sore loser, he would only shame himself even more.

    After remaining silent for a long while, Aizawa finally gritted his teeth and nodded slowly.

    "Let¡¯s stop here."

    "Captain¡ª" All the boys were crying inside for their captain.

    "See, like I said, you didn¡¯t need to worry." Chiaki had an expression like she¡¯d already seen through everything, but even she was taken aback by Seiji¡¯s excellent stamina.

    Mika¡¯s face was slightly red as she nodded quietly.

    And in the end, this was all that an almost-national-level yer amounted to.

    Seiji actually felt rather unsatisfied. He felt as if he hadn¡¯t yet used his full potential, but unfortunately, his opponent had already fallen far behind him.

    Seiji decided to forget about it. At least he had learned that his physical abilities were now significantly better than a normal person¡¯s. If he received another opportunity in the future, he could test himself again.

    After Seiji left the practice field, he epted the towel and water Mika handed him, and he wiped his sweat with it and drank some water.

    After that, he ended up being surrounded by all the girls!

    "Harano-san, your stamina is amazing! What exactly is your workout routine?"

    "Harano-san, your muscles are so strong¡ªcan I squeeze them?"

    "Harano-san, join our club¡ªthis older sister can teach you everything!"

    Seiji felt dizzy upon listening to their endless chatter.

    *Ding!* Suddenly, there was a light sound, and he saw some words appear in front of him¡ª

    [There are now five females that have a favorability rating of over 90 towards you, and the [action points] system is now avable. You can use various [actions] to obtain [action points]. The [items] system is now avable; you may use your action points to exchange for various items and use them].

    New system options!?

    Seiji was shocked and felt the urge to check it out instantly, but it was inconvenient for him to do so at this moment.

    After he had finally managed to deal with the gaggle of girls, with Mika escorting him, he broke out of the group and escaped.

    After leaving the tennis club.

    "Haha, their eyes were like wolves¡¯!" Chiakiughed, "Why didn¡¯t you join right then and there? Judging from their actions, you could probably start a harem after joining tennis club!"

    "Chiaki!" Mika red at her as she caught up to them, "What nonsense are you saying!"

    It wasn¡¯t nonsense¡­ Seiji could only smile wryly to himself. There were five girls that currently had a favorability rating of over 90 towards him! Apart from Mika, that meant that there were at least four female club members that were willing to have sex with him if he asked, and all he did was y some tennis there!

    Should he say that there were many sluts in the tennis club, or was it that mega-handsome guys have always had it this easy?

    "That was some pretty good exercise, but it doesn¡¯t seem suitable for me." Seiji shook his head. Honestly, he felt some regret, but if he actually stayed in that club, he was afraid that¡­

    "Sigh, what a pity¡­" Chiaki shrugged, "Then where would you like to go visit next?"

    "Mm¡­ how about the drama club? I¡¯d like to check out your club, Wakaba."

    "Ok!" Chiaki chuckled lightly, "Our club has many cute kids in it¡ªI think you¡¯ll love it!"

 Chapter 15 - Today was a black lace day?

    <h4>Chapter 15: Today was a ckce day?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    On his way to the drama club, Seiji secretly checked his system.

    In his new [actions] menu, there were several options which included [write a diary], [y basketball], [sing], [dance], [draw], and [work]. Each category required a certain amount of stats as a prerequisite. For example, the [write a diary] option required him to have an academics stat of 15 or higher.

    And ording to his system¡¯s exnation, if he chose options from here, he would obtain action points.

    His action points could be utilized in the new [items] menu, where he could exchange them for useful items. For example, there was a [favorability rating increase card], which could be used on a girl. As the name suggested, it would double the rate of increase for favorability rating, and itsted for one day.

    Another choice was the [physical ability¡ªtrack and field activation card], which had the ability to open up some more specific options avable to him in the [physical ability] category as well as giving him a bonus to any track and field activities¡­

    After briefly browsing through his system, Seiji felt rather excited inside. He felt like his system¡¯s functions had greatly improved!

    Although he could barely restrain his desire to try out the leveled-up system, he still had to visit the drama club.

    The drama club had a huge ssroom as its clubroom.

    "I thought that you would use the auditorium for your club activities."

    "The auditorium isn¡¯t allowed to be used for just anything, and besides, we don¡¯t only perform there."

    "Where else do you perform then?"

    "Outside, of course. We perform for elementary school kids and kindergarteners as well as performing for the elderly in ourmunity. Sometimes, we also have exchange visits with other schools."

    "I see¡­"

    As they chatted, the three of them entered the drama clubroom.

    *Wakaba!* A thick book came flying towards Chiaki.

    In the blink of an eye, Seiji had moved in front of Chiaki and reached out, catching the book with a loud "thud" sound.

    "Eh?"

    "What?"

    When he returned to his senses, Seiji was briefly surprised at his own superhuman reactions. Even Chiaki, whom he had protected, the girl that threw the book, and all the other students that witnessed this scene were all momentarily stunned.

    After several seconds of silence, the clubroom burst out into uproar.

    "Wow!" Someone eximed in amazement.

    "That was so cool! Who is he?"

    "That was the first time that the drama club vice-president¡¯s book toss attack has been blocked!"

    "Amazing! That was just like a scene from a movie!"

    One person even started pping.

    Seiji felt really awkward and looked back at Wakaba for assistance, but he discovered that the tomboy in male clothes was blushing slightly.

    "I now understand why Mika fell for you¡­" Chiaki said in a tiny voice.

    "What?" Seiji didn¡¯t hear her clearly.

    "Nothing. Your reactions are quite something."

    Chiaki took the book from Seiji¡¯s hand with a joyful expression and walked towards the still-stunned brown-haired ponytailed girl with willowy eyebrows and light yellow eyes.

    "Vice Prez, your ultimate attack has been countered¡ªhow do you feel?"

    "What the hell! Did you just call that an ultimate attack!?" The ponytailed girl unconsciously retorted as she took the book back, "Why are you returning sote, Chiaki Wakaba? We already said that we were going to discuss the program for the school festival today!"

    "You can just discuss it among yourselves. It doesn¡¯t matter what program or what character¡ªI, Prince Wakaba, shall perform it for you all." Chiaki smiled seductively as she walked up to the ponytailed girl and lightly raised the girl¡¯s chin.

    The ponytailed girl¡¯s face reddened, but then her expression immediately turned strict, and she pped away Chiaki¡¯s hand angrily.

    "Don¡¯t get cocky, first-year! I admit that you¡¯re pretty good at acting, but you still have a long way to go!"

    No matter how you analyzed it, those words seemed quite haughty.

    Chiaki shrugged nonchntly.

    "Haven¡¯t you guyse to a conclusion yet? Where¡¯s the club president?"

    The ponytail girl¡¯s expression darkened.

    "I bet that chick went ¡®hunting¡¯ again, right? I mean,st week she said it wasn¡¯t necessary to rush and prepare for the school festival. She wanted to capture something called the ¡®legendary creature¡¯ first. I figured she might not evene to the clubroom today." Chiaki smiled with a knowing expression

    "Ahhh!! That freaking president! What is she treating this important once-a-year activity as!?" The ponytailed girl seemed to be angered past her boiling point, and she shouted with all her might¡ªit seemed as if she was about to undergo a transformation.

    Seiji and Mika that had been observing this could only have ambiguous expressions.

    "Don¡¯t mind her¡ªshe¡¯s always like this." Chiaki waved her hand casually at her twopanions.

    "By the way, who are these two?" The ponytailed girl returned to her senses and instantly calmed down.

    "This is my good friend Mika Uehara, and this is Seigo Harano, her boyfriend that just transferred to our school. This couple¡¯s here to observe us!"

    "He¡­ he¡¯s not my boyfriend! Chiaki, stop talking nonsense!" Mika¡¯s face reddened again.

    "This is the Vice President of the drama club, Shiina Shiho." Chiaki ignored the vice president¡¯s haughtiness: "People also call her ¡®Demon Face¡¯ Shiina¡­"

    "What the hell¡¯s with demon face!?" She was ruthlessly attacked by the book once again!

    "Haha, you¡­ get along really well with each other." Seiji could only smile faintly.

    "You¡¯re wee to observe us if you like. My apologies for this idiot member¡¯s unbing behavior, but our drama club consists of mostly normal people¡ªplease don¡¯t misunderstand." Vice president Shiho had a serious expression on her face as she exined.

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t this equal to admitting that some of the members weren¡¯t normal?¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    "Harano-san, you¡¯re a transfer student? What sports club were you in at your previous school?" Shiina¡¯s eyes were shining with curiosity.

    "Oh¡­ I¡¯ve never been in any clubs before."

    "How is that possible? Your body is in great shape, and your reactions are excellent¡ªI¡¯d believe it even if you said you were the ace of some sports club."

    "I just do some daily exercising¡­" Seiji scratched his face and began to feel awkward.

    Shiina Shiho obviously didn¡¯t believe him, but she didn¡¯t press him further.

    "You seem excellent¡ªyou¡¯re more than wee to join our drama club at any time. You¡¯re also wee as well, Mika Uehara. I¡¯ve heard about you from Wakaba before."

    "Y¡­ yes."

    "If you want to observe, as long as you don¡¯t bother our members, you can do whatever you want. Right now I need to take this idiot with me for a few minutes¡ªis that fine?"

    "No! I don¡¯t want to get lectured; save me, Mika¡ª"

    "Shut your mouth!"

    After using the book to stop Chiaki in her tracks once more, Shiina dragged Chiaki towards one side of the ssroom, while Seiji and Mika could only watch on wordlessly.

    "She¡¯s¡­ such a strong-willed upperssman."

    "I¡¯ve heard about her from Chiaki before; even though she¡¯s a bit strict, she¡¯s a nice upperssman, and she¡¯s a great actress herself. She also takes good care of her underssmen, and the entire drama club is mostly run by her."

    "A strict, yet gentle vice president¡­ then the president¡­"

    Before he finished talking, the clubroom¡¯s door was violently opened.

    "Everyone! Your President has returned victorious¡­ Oh my!"

    Before the girl who suddenly opened the door was able to finish her words, a book flew towards her at lightning speed and urately smashed against her head!

    After the book bounced off its target, Seiji just happened to catch it again.

    And with everyone watching, the tall girl that got hit wore a dazed expression as she slowly copsed to the floor.

    "Demon Face¡¯s ultimate attack¡­ increased in power again¡­"

    "Pre - si - dent -"

    Shiina Shiho¡¯s entire body seemed to be infused with anger, as she took one step at a time towards the tall girl, and her words seemed to contain an unspeakable amount ofints.

    "Before I pass judgement on you, do you have anything else to say?"

    The president let out a small whimper before saying, "Shiina, for you to¡­ transform into a demon¡­ It¡¯s all my fault, so even¡­ even if I lose my life at your hands, I still¡­ love you!"

    The tall girl who seemed to hold the prestigious position of the drama club presidenty motionlessly on the floor and looked upwards with tears in her eyes as she sighed affectionately.

    Even though she was tall, she had a body shape that wasparable to a supermodel¡¯s. Her short orange hair was naturally curly, and she had thick eyshes, a high nose bridge, and slightly deep-set eyes that were blue. She had the beauty of someone that seemed like a mixed-blood.

    Her pose and her lines¡­ Even though the scenario seemed a bitical her full-hearted performance made it quite moving.

    Unfortunately, her next wordspletely ruined the atmosphere.

    "Eh, today you¡¯re wearing ckce?"

    The scene instantly froze over.

    Everyone quickly came to the realization that the president¡¯s head just positioned under Vice President Shiho¡¯s skirt¡­

    Shiina Shiho slowly revealed a smile that contained a vast amount of killing intent.

    "I pass a death sentence upon you."

 Chapter 16 - He could only awkwardly smileâ€¦ what the hell!

    <h4>Chapter 16: He could only awkwardly smile¡­ what the hell!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "W-wait a moment!"

    Once the president detected the horrific killing intent radiating from Sheena, she jumped up in panic.

    "I apply for a dy in execution! Sheena, there¡¯s a reason why I¡¯mte today. Have a look¡ªthis is the result of my ¡®hunt¡¯ today!"

    She pulled in a short girl who was standing outside the clubroom, and pushed her in front of everyone.

    "See!"

    Everyone instantly fell silent.

    "Wow!" After a short moment of silence, the ssroom once again broke out into uproar, but this time, it was purely due to their appreciation of beauty.

    Even Seiji was momentarily shocked.

    The girl in the middle school uniform was petite yet full-figured. She had an exquisite face with no blemishes and snow-white tender skin. Her hair was jet-ck and silky-smooth with cute bangs hanging down on both sides. Her eyebrows were thin and elegant, and her nose was small and delicate. Herrge and clear eyes sparkled with a soft light, and her luscious lips were the color of cherry flowers¡­ As she stood there shyly with a poetry book in her hand, her beauty was indescribable.

    She was an undisputable, super S-rank beauty.

    This girl was the second such beauty that Seiji had met¡ªthe first being the student council president, Natsuya Yoruhana.

    And if Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s beauty could be described as an alluring mix of seductiveness mixed with purity, then the beauty of this girl wasparable to the beauty of an untouched snow field¡ªpure and detached from ordinary people.

    A girl with sufficient beauty to move an entire country¡ªthat was the type of girl that she was.

    "Wow, so pretty! Is she a middle schooler? Where did the president find her?"

    "She¡¯s just like a porcin doll¡ªso beautiful! Who is she?"

    A multitude of excited voices arose once again in the clubroom.

    "Heh heh, I¡¯m great, aren¡¯t I?" The drama club president had a self-satisfied smile as she spoke: "Even though I still wasn¡¯t able to find the legendary creature, I coincidentally discovered this one, so I instantly decided to capture her!"

    ¡®Capture¡­ Does she think this is Monster Hunter or Pok¨¦mon?¡¯ Seiji was rendered speechless as he heard the president¡¯s words.

    The Vice President Sheena Shiho looked at the beautiful girl who was currently expressionless, and then ended up sighing.

    "President¡­"

    "Praise me, Vice President! This way, our club will¡­"

    "How many times have I told you to not kidnap our underssmen!?"

    The urate and powerful book attack once again arced through the air, leaving a trail behind as if it was a sword!

    And so, Anya Saigenji, the drama club president, was executed by the vice president for kidnapping a middle school girl, at the age of¡­

    Just kidding.

    This president was actually quite something; when she took the position of president in her first year, the drama club had so few people that it was in danger of being abolished. In just one year, she had revived the entire club! And after another year passed¡ªthat is to say¡ªthe president was in her third year and it was now the present time, the drama club was already one of the ten biggest clubs in Genhana High School.

    It was possible to make a movie out of the entire experience, with her as the main character. Even a 24-episode anime or television drama could be produced. For any normal student, the president¡¯s life experiences were way out of the ordinary.

    And this legendary club president had just one bad habit that outsiders didn¡¯t know about¡ªkidnapping¡­ No wait, finding talented students, and forcefully bringing them to the drama club!

    "About one-third of the club members were brought back here like this by her, including me." Chiaki Wakaba was grinning as she exined the situation to Seiji. "At first, I intended to check out every club beforehand, but halfway through, the club president met me, and she captured me and dragged me over here just like with this girl. Well, it just so happened that I was a bit interested in acting, and this seemed like a fun ce, so I decided to join."

    ¡®So that¡¯s what "hunt" and "capture" meant. It seems like the president was treating finding new members as a game like ying Pok¨¦mon in real life!¡¯ Seiji could only inwardlyment to himself as he watched the club president being forced to sit in a corner and receive the brunt of Vice President Sheena¡¯s lecturing, which was akin to a raging thunderstorm.

    "When I heard Chiaki telling me about this before, I thought she was joking¡­" Mika Uehara spoke with a trace of disbelief: "Doing such a thing¡­ isn¡¯t she ever punished?"

    "In her first year, the president had a debate with the student disciplinemittee, and she emerged victorious from the debate. This means that as long as there are no officialints, the student disciplinemittee won¡¯t interfere with anything she does."

    Hey, this was too much information to take in!

    Seiji and Mika awkwardly exchanged looks with each other before they nced back at Chiaki Wakaba, who was still grinning widely. Finally, they looked around the clubroom at all the other members who were taking this scene for granted, and¡­ all they could do was awkwardly smile?

    ¡®Smile, what the hell?!!!

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t this almost at the level of a crime!? And she even had a freaking debate with the student disciplinemittee and had managed to win!?

    ¡®Was there something wrong with this school¡¯s student disciplinemittee!? They actually had a debate with a first-year student and had lost pitifully!? What on earth!!¡¯ Seiji¡¯s innermentary continued like an unstoppable torrential downpour.

    "Chiaki¡­ before, I had always thought that you were rather unique and willful, but now¡­ I¡¯ve learned that I was wrong¡ªmy apologies." Mika¡¯s worldview had suffered a huge blow.

    Don¡¯t give up onmon sense so easily, Miss Uehara!

    Seiji rubbed his mouth that was twitching uncontrobly, and he turned around to look at the other side of the clubroom.

    The middle school girl that was brought here by the president was sitting quietly on a chair by the window and reading the poetry collection that she had brought with her.

    A light gust of wind blew in, and the gentle breeze lifted a few strands of her hair upwards.

    If a picture was taken at this moment, the scene captured would be more than sufficient to enter a photography contest.

    The president who brought her here was currently receiving a lecture, and perhaps all the other club members were too awestruck by the girl¡¯s aura of purity, so nobody went over to talk with her.

    Seiji thought about it briefly before he walked over.

    "Hello."

    The girl didn¡¯t respond to his greeting.

    Seiji scratched his face and crouched down in front of the girl, staring directly at her face.

    "I¡¯m Seigo Harano, a freshman in high school that transferred here just today. Right now, I¡¯m checking out the drama club. Which grade are you in? If it¡¯s alright with you, could you tell me your name?"

    After several seconds had passed, the girl finally responded.

    "A fool is a fool¡ªnot because of ignorance, but because of his ownck of knowledge." A soft and gentle voice responded in a clear and calm manner to his question.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Seiji blinked in confusion.

    As he attempted to grasp the meaning of the girl¡¯s sentence, the conversation options appeared¡ª

    [A: What are you talking about? Are you insulting me?]

    [B: Sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you mean.]

    [C: Wise people are wise¡ªnot because of their knowledge, but because of their desire for knowledge.]

    Option C seemed philosophical, so it had to be the correct choice.

    "Wise people are wise¡ªnot because of their knowledge, but because of their desire for knowledge." Seiji said lightly.

    *Ding!* [Favorability rating has increased!]

    The girl¡¯s eyebrows arched upwards, and she finally took herrge eyes off her book and focused her gaze on Seiji.

    "Have you also read Taylor¡¯s poetry before?"

    "Er¡­ yes¡­ a few." Seiji thought to himself that he knew who Tagore was, but who the hell was Taylor!? After acting so pretentious just earlier, though, he couldn¡¯t say that he had no clue who Taylor was!

    "What¡¯s the distance between you and me? First, you must ask yourself what the distance between our hearts is."

    Again!?

    This time no conversation options had automatically appeared.

    ¡®Come on, system, give me some help!¡¯ Seiji mentally urged the system to no avail.

    Seiji broke out into a cold sweat, but he had a sudden sh of inspiration.

    "The farthest distance between us¡­ is when I¡¯m right in front of you, but you don¡¯t realize¡­ I love you."

    ¡®Man, what an embarrassing thing to say!¡¯ Seiji thought to himself. He only copied something he had read on the inte before in his previous life, but he didn¡¯t know if this world had a simr phrase.

    Hearing his answer, the girl¡¯s watery eyes opened slightly wider.

    "That wasn¡¯t a poem by Taylor¡­ But¡­ it was¡­ pretty good."

    She closed her poetry book.

    "Kagura¡­"

    "Hm?"

    "My name is Kagura¡­ Shika Kagura."

    Her voice was soft and gentle and also contained a slight hint of coldness, but it wasn¡¯t something that would make anyone feel ufortable¡ªit was just like snow on a sunny day.

    "Shika Kagura¡­ is it?" Seiji scratched his face, "It¡¯s a beautiful name."

    The girl looked directly at his face.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ what do you need me to do?"

    "Eh?" Seiji blinked in confusion. "No¡­ I don¡¯t need you to do anything; it¡¯s just that I heard you were forcefully taken here, so I thought that you might be feeling somewhat ufortable."

    Shika Kagura tilted her head slightly.

    "You thought I might be ufortable, so that¡¯s why you asked for my name?"

    "Yeah¡­"

    "Strange person."

    ¡®Was that really strange!?¡¯ Seiji felt exhausted; it was difficult to hold a conversation with this girl¡ªtheir wavelengths just weren¡¯tpatible!

    "I thought that if someone talked to you, it would help you calm down¡­ but it seems that I was probably just an annoyance¡ªyou were always calm to begin with."

    He wasn¡¯t skilled at dealing with girls that were interested in literature, and after he had confirmed that she wasn¡¯t nervous or feeling ufortable here, he already felt like retreating.

    Perhaps some people thought that the difficult-to-approach typebined with a S-rank appearance made the ideal goddess, but Seiji wasn¡¯t very interested. If even having a normal conversation was difficult, then forget about it.

    Shika Kagura was silent for a few seconds.

    "Were you¡­ trying to console me?"

    "I suppose."

    "I see¡­" Shika Kagura nodded. "Seigo Harano¡­ is a good person."

    She suddenly had the impression that he was a good person?

    Seiji was clueless on how he should to respond to this. Thankfully, just as he was contemting his next words, he heard footsteps approaching.

    Turning around, he saw that it was Sheena Shiho, followed by Anya Saigenji who seemed rather dizzy.

    Finally, someone was here to rescue him! Upon seeing the duo, Seiji mentally sighed in relief.

    "They¡¯re the president and vice-president of the drama club. If you¡¯re interested in this ce, why don¡¯t you have a chat with them?"

    As he said this, he waved his hand and walked away.

    Shika Kagura watched him leave wordlessly.

    "He seems¡­ rather special¡­"

    Her soft words faded into the wind.

    Finally, she retracted her gaze from his figure.

 Chapter 17 - I donâ€™t really like poems

    <h4>Chapter 17: I don¡¯t really like poems</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "Seiji, what did you say to that girl?"

    When he returned to where Mika and Chiaki were standing, Seiji was instantly peppered with their questions.

    "I just wanted to ask her name and grade to start a conversation with her, but I failed." Seiji shrugged.

    "Did you really fail? It seemed like you were getting along pretty well." Chiaki blinked innocently, "Mika was even getting jealous."

    "Not at all!" Once again, Mika was the unwitting target of her friend¡¯s teasing, but her face was indeed slightly flushed red.

    "I just¡­ felt like she was really cute, but she had a cold aura about her. It seemed that it would be difficult to talk with her, so¡­ I was impressed with Seiji being able to talk with her so easily."

    "No, it wasn¡¯t easy at all," Seiji sighed lightly, "I just wanted to greet her, but she immediately quizzed me on two poems¡­ I almost wasn¡¯t able to follow up."

    "But that means you were still able to respond¡ªamazing!" Chiaki gave him a thumbs-up, "In my opinion, for girls that love literature, as long as you can converse about her favorite topics, it¡¯s rtively easy to capture their heart. If you make a sincere effort, maybe you can even get her phone number!"

    "Forget it, I really can¡¯t deal with her type." Seiji smiled wryly before realizing what Chiaki just said. "Why would I want a middle schooler¡¯s phone number!? Chiaki, you sound so certain¡­ Do you usually¡­"

    Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s expression suddenly became unnaturally stiff, and then she conspicuously looked away while whistling.

    Seiji and Mika were rendered speechless upon seeing Chiaki¡¯s reaction.

    Unfortunately, the two leaders of the drama club failed to convince Shika Kagura to join.

    While Shika Kagura was indeed beautiful, her personality was entirely unsuited to be on stage, so the president had wasted her effort in ¡®capturing¡¯ Shika this time.

    Anya Saigenji didn¡¯t seem disappointed at all, though¡ªit seemed that she derived the most joy from the process of hunting down potential members.

    "Chiaki¡¯s good friend, Mika Uehara, and transfer student, Seigo Harano¡ªare the two of you interested in joining the drama club!?"

    With her eyes sparkling, Anya Saigenji directly questioned the two observers.

    "I¡¯m in the tennis club¡­"

    "I still want to check more clubs out¡ªI haven¡¯t made a final decision yet."

    "Acting is really fun! Why don¡¯t you try on some costumes first? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll awaken a new passion!" Saigenji eagerly began trying to tempt the two of them to join.

    *Smack!* The vice president who disagreed with deceiving students in this way stopped her with a book again.

    "We¡¯re about to begin our club activities¡ªfeel free to watch." Sheena Shiho smiled amicably to the two of them before sighing: "By the way, could I trouble you guys to take care of that girl the Prez dragged here? She¡¯s quite cold to us, and she won¡¯t even tell us her name¡­ Maybe she¡¯s angry at us¡­"

    "No¡­ you guys just didn¡¯t pass her test." Seiji answered reflexively.

    "Huh?" Sheena was confused.

    "I just chatted a little with her¡­ From my perspective, I don¡¯t think she hates you guys, nor does she care about being dragged here¡­ she¡¯ll probably leave automatically once the timees."

    "Oh¡­" Sheena nodded, unsure of whether or not to believe him.

    "Harano-kun, were you able to learn her name!?" Anya was quite perceptive.

    Seiji nodded.

    "Amazing! Please tell me her maiden name!" Anya suddenly put her face up close against Seiji, and her blue eyes were sparkling in anticipation.

    Her actions resembled those of a certain rich girl with long and straight ck hair from the anime called Hyouka; they were only missing her adding on the phrase: "I¡¯m curious! I want to know!"

    She was close enough for Seiji to smell her fragrant scent, and he unconsciously took a step backwards.

    "Her name¡­ erm¡­ even though I¡¯d really like to tell you, I¡¯d better not."

    "Don¡¯t be like that¡ªtell me!" Anya forced herself closer again.

    *Smack!* The vice president restrained Anya yet again.

    "If she doesn¡¯t want to tell us her name, then we shouldn¡¯t ask any more." Sheena dragged the president away by her shirt¡¯s cor, "We can let you take care of that girl, right?"

    Seiji nodded.

    The drama club finally began their activities.

    Seiji and Mika were careful not to disturb the members as they explored the clubroom.

    "These costumes are made with care."

    "The scenery backdrops and stage props are quite impressive as well¡ªit seems like much thought was put into their designs."

    The atmosphere in the clubroom also impressed them¡ªalthough it was disorganized and chaotic earlier, the moment they officially began club activities, they all turned serious, making them seem like the major club they were.

    Seiji and Mika unconsciously felt affected by their attitude, and they started feeling bad about being idle, thinking that it was incongruous with the club¡¯s atmosphere.

    "It¡¯s so different from the tennis club¡­" Mika sighed.

    "Do you think it¡¯s better in here? How about changing clubs, then?" Seiji said.

    "I¡­ wish that our club would be a little more serious, but if they were all as serious as Wakaba¡¯s club, then it would seem¡­"

    Although it seemed like a waste if they weren¡¯t serious enough, it was a lot of pressure if everyone was too serious. Seiji could understand Mika, since this was something that many students would think, even if it was self-contradictory.

    "Seigo, how about you? Do you want to join the drama club?"

    "Well, I¡¯m a little interested in acting, and Wakaba¡¯s club looks pretty lively, but I still need to go to work, so it might not be possible for me to participate in club activities as seriously as I¡¯d like." Seiji shrugged.

    "Is that so¡­"

    The two of them observed for a while longer, before Mika nced at the middle school girl who was reading her book silently.

    Seiji gazed briefly in her direction as well and exchanged nces with Mika.

    "I think we¡¯ve observed enough¡ªlet¡¯s call her and leave together."

    Mika nodded in agreement.

    Seiji walked back over to Shika Kagura again.

    "Kagura-san, if you don¡¯t intend to join this club, how about leaving together with us? Let¡¯s not disturb their club activities any longer."

    Shika Kagura lifted her head and lightly nced over at the boy in front of her, before she closed her poetry book and stood up.

    She was surprisingly obedient¡­ Seiji scratched his face.

    He indicated to Mika that they should leave now, and they said goodbye to Wakaba and the others as they left the drama club together.

    "Seigo Harano, do you still need me for anything?"

    When they reached a practice field, Shika Kagura suddenly asked a question.

    "Er¡­ no, you can go wherever you want." Seiji looked deeply at this unique girl with a cold aura and said, "Although I¡¯m not from the drama club, I¡¯d still like to apologize on their behalf for taking up your time. That president¡­ even though she¡¯s a little entric, she¡¯s a nice person at heart. Please don¡¯t mind her."

    "I know," Shika Kagura answered lightly as she looked up at the setting sun. "Appearances may be a disguise, actions may be faked, and you may see nothing but hypocrisy. Only the heart is true."

    "¡­Another one of Taylor¡¯s poems?"

    "No, that was from Lee Yuan."

    ¡®A Chinese¡­ no, Huaxia poem?¡¯ Seiji blinked.

    "Actually, I don¡¯t really know much about poetry. I was just lucky earlier when I was able to respond to your poem." He honestly informed the girl.

    Kagura was silent.

    "I¡¯m sorry if you felt like I was deceiving you," Seiji smiled wryly, "but I didn¡¯t have any bad intentions¡ªif you don¡¯t mind the fact that I know nothing about poems, we can still be friends."

    She remained silent.

    He supposed this was how it was. Seiji didn¡¯t mind being ignored or rejected as this wasmonce for him.

    "I don¡¯t need friends," she spoke up in her soft voice, "I¡­ don¡¯t like poems either."

    Once again, her words were like bubbles that disappeared in the wind.

    "Oh¡­" Seiji was surprised.

    Before he was able to figure out what she meant, she turned around and left.

    Seiji and Mika speechlessly watched her silhouette depart.

    "She¡¯s¡­ rather unusual." That was Mika¡¯s opinion.

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji was a bit concerned about her, but it was obvious that she wanted to be by herself, so he couldn¡¯t chase after her.

    ¡®She doesn¡¯t need friends¡­ this could be seen as a middle schooler¡¯s immaturity, but what could she mean when she said she didn¡¯t really like poems?¡¯ Seiji mulled over her words for a while, but he eventually decided to give up.

    Either way, he was unlikely to meet her very often, since she was a middle schooler.

    "Seiji, do you still want to look at any other clubs?"

    "Nah, that¡¯s enough for today. I¡¯d like to go home now¡ªhow about you?"

    "I¡¯ll go home as well with you."

    As he left school together with Mika, Seiji ceased thinking about the previous events. His mind was filled with anticipation regarding his new system options!

 Chapter 18 - In order to obtain items, itâ€™s time to grind grind grind!

    <h4>Chapter 18: In order to obtain items, it¡¯s time to grind grind grind!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    After Seiji returned home, he eagerly opened up his system and checked his new options with great anticipation.

    [y basketball] required him to have teammates and opponents; [sing] and [dance] both required an audience; and [write a diary] and [draw] were the only options which he could select immediately, provided that he had prepared the necessary materials beforehand.

    Seiji instantly went out and purchased a notebook.

    After returning home with the notebook, he sat in front of his desk and chose the [write a diary] option that was now avable for selection.

    Suddenly, an urge welled up within him to record everything that had happened to him throughout the day in the notebook, and his memories about everything that had happened today became crystal clear.

    He followed his urge and began to write briskly in his notebook.

    Since it was his first day as a transfer student, there were numerous things to write about. When Seiji finally finished, thirty minutes had already passed.

    *Ding-dong!* Seiji heard a new sound from his system that he was certain he had never heard before.

    Seiji immediately checked his system and found that his [action points] for exchanging items had increased to 2.

    In the [items] option, the lowest cost for anything was the [physical ability¡ªtrack and field activation card], but even that required 20 points. Obviously, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to acquire any [items] in the near future.

    After using [write a diary], the option was grayed out again; it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to grind for points by constantly repeating the same action.

    ¡®If I want to obtain many action points quickly to trade for items, I can only do different actions¡­¡¯ Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    Wasn¡¯t the system basically forcing him to develop himself in a bnced manner?

    ¡®Even though this is obviously a dating sim system, it seems that the more I take advantage of it, the less of an otaku I be!¡¯ Seijimented to himself.

    After reincarnating, he had been spending all his free time on working or exercising with his system. Wouldn¡¯t that make others think that he was a bright, handsome boy that loved to live life to the fullest extent and exercise his body?

    What had happened to his original self that was supposed to be an otaku!?

    Truthfully, the tedious nature of workbined with the great increase in his physical ability stat, which put him at a level far beyond the average human, caused Seiji consider using his save and load ability to make some money and temporarily stop working and training. This was to just enjoy being an otaku in this world for some time.

    But with the new [actions] option appearing, along with the attractive [items] option, this thought was instantly banished from his mind.

    "Alright, System¡ªyou win! I¡¯ll do it; I¡¯ll work hard!" Seiji said forcefully.

    Well, leveling his stats was rtively enjoyable, and with the help of his dating sim system cheat, he could discover the true limits of his growth potential.

    Of course, as an otaku, his favorite hobbies remained the same, so he decided to prioritize improving areas rted to his hobbies if possible.

    Right now, there were rtively few options in the [actions] and [items] menus, but Seiji believed that as long as he fulfilled certain hidden conditions, more options would be avable.

    Maybe even options like [write a story], [draw a manga], and [create a game] would appear in the future!

    Although he didn¡¯t have the ability to reproduce the most sessful products from his original world, he could always create his own¡ªwith the power of his system, anything was possible!

    Rather than reproducing works from his original world, he preferred to create new stories, and it would feel great if they were his own! He almost felt like he could already taste the joy of creating his own story.

    Naturally, he had to begin from the basics.

    Seiji went out again, and purchased some sketching pencils and an artbook as required by the [draw] option, which also needed an art stat of at least 15 points.

    Perhaps due to the poor quality of his drawing, his art stat had only increased by a measly 1 point after Seiji had performed the action.

    He learned something else: even with different options, he could obtain a different amount of stats. He theorized that it may have something to do with his base stats, or it may be rted to the equipment he used while carrying out the action¡­ Maybe the stat gain depended on the overall quality of his [action].

    Then, did that mean if he increased the quality of his [action], he could receive an increased amount of stat points?

    Seiji felt like this was possible, but he would need to wait until tomorrow to experiment with those options again.

    After using [write a diary] and [draw], the four options still avable to him were:

    1. [y basketball] (prerequisite of 20 physical ability, 15munication)

    2. [Sing] (prerequisite of 15 music, 15 academics)

    3. [Dance] (prerequisite of 15 music, 20 physical ability, 20 charisma)

    4. [Work] (prerequisite of 20munication, 20 physical ability, 20 academics, 20 charisma)

    Basketball wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d be able to choose without a team and opponents, and working would require him to go to the store. As for choosing to sing or dance¡­ should he ask Mika to be his audience?

    Going over to her ce and asking her to watch him dance or listen to him sing¡ªwhat kind of idiot would do that?

    However, it seemed like a great waste to not make use of these options, and unlike basketball, he only needed a minimum of one other person as a spectator.

    Seiji kept mulling it over, and as he unintentionally nced at his high-specputer, he had a sudden sh of inspiration.

    What if it didn¡¯t have to be a person next to him? Could an audience on the inte work?

    In Sakura Ind, live-streaming was already quite popr, and with this high-specputer and the inte speed in his apartment, it should be quite easy to be a live-streamer!

    Seiji became excited at the prospect of live-streaming, and just as he was about to sit down in front of hisputer, his stomach started growling.

    Alright, he would begin live-streaming after eating first¡­

    Several minutester¡­

    Cat-loving Flying Fish was the inte username of a true otaku girl.

    She hadn¡¯t been a shut-in for a long time yet, as it was due to a certain recent incident that she stopped interacting with the outside world.

    Even though that incident didn¡¯t cause any physical harm to her, and the aggressor was eventually caught and punished, the wounds in her heart made it difficult for her to go outside and interact with other people.

    Her older sister and her good friends were all quite worried about her, but none of them forced her to do anything, and her psychiatrist also agreed that she should rest at home for the time being.

    Without anything to do, she had fun every day at home by going on the inte, ying games, watching anime, and reading manga¡­

    Ironically, these were all the favorite activities of the person who caused those scars in her heart before!

    Just thinking about that made Flying Fish feel disgusted, but she didn¡¯t want to let go of her hobbies. It would be akin to admitting defeat if she gave up her own favorite hobbies just because of that person!

    There was nothing wrong with being an otaku or her own hobbies; the only one in the wrong was that person. That was what Flying Fish believed wholeheartedly.

    Tonight, she was surfing the web.

    She logged on to her favorite streaming site, and after seeing that her favorite streamers weren¡¯t online, she randomly decided to scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the newest streamers.

    Rather than following the most popr streamers, she preferred those that weren¡¯t very popr, as long as they had their own unique personality and style.

    Of course, there were scarcely any streamers that met her requirements, and the few that she discovered previously gradually became popr streamers themselves.

    Maybe she had a talent in discovering popr streamers?

    After she realized this, she began to enjoy finding unpopr streamers even more.

    She pulled the page to the very end, to the pitiful streamers that only had one or two spectators.

    Flying Fish chose the ones that she liked, and once she decided that she didn¡¯t like it, she chose another one, repeating the process endlessly.

    Finally, she clicked on a streamer who had a broadcast named "I Only Need One Spectator."

    "H¡­ hello!"

    Right after entering his stream, she saw a boy nervously greet her while wearing a silver half-mask on his face.

    "Cat-loving Flying Fish¡­ thank you so much foring. If you could spend a few minutes at my stream, it would be a huge help for me." His slightly odd-sounding voice had obviously been modified by theputer to disguise his true voice.

    "Haha¡­" Flying Fish couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly.

    This was the first time she¡¯d ever seen a streamer like him. He was obviously shy and nervous, which made her feel like he was quite cute, too.

    Even though he was wearing a silver half-mask which revealed only the lower half of his face, she could still tell he was rather handsome by the features that were revealed. In addition to this, he had a strong, well-shaped body. His physical appearance was probably much better than most male streamers.

    "Oh¡­ I¡¯m going to start singing now, and then I¡¯m going to dance. I hope that you can watch till the end."

    And thus, this streamer with the broadcast titled "I Only Need One Spectator" began singing the theme song of "Honey Candy Girl," one of her favorite animes!

    Flying Fish smiled as she watched the boy who still appeared to be quite nervous.

    In all honesty, his singing ability was mediocre. He was neither terrible nor amazing, nor was he able to inject sufficient emotion into his singing¡ªit was just normal singing at the level of a middle schooler singing karaoke.

    The song wasn¡¯t long, so it was over quickly. The boy seemed incredibly happy after performing.

    "Thank you for listening to the entire song. Now I shall dance for you, erm¡­ feel free to go ahead andugh. I can¡¯t see you anyways."

    "Haha!" Flying Fishughed out loud for the second time.

    Since the boy had seeded in making herugh out loud twice, she decided to follow his stream. She also gave him some "apples," which were a type of online currency used to reward streamers.

    "Thank you for the apples, but I don¡¯t need these. All you have to do is finish watching me perform." The masked boy seemed to be surprised at getting rewarded, and he shed a brilliant smile.

    His smile was alluring. Flying Fish couldn¡¯t help thinking to herself that he must be an attractive boy in real life. If only he was willing to take off his mask¡­

    On the stream, the masked boy turned on some music before he begun to dance to the music. Overall, it was a fairly simple anime dance.

    At first, his movements seemed stiff, but he gradually rxed, and sometimes, he even exaggerated his movements on purpose.

    After his dance was halfway over, Flying Fish was already covering her mouth,ughing unstoppably.

    This boy was just too cute and adorable!

    "Why don¡¯t you take off your mask, handsome?" She couldn¡¯t resist typing to him.

    "Oh, that¡¯s no good. I¡¯m actually quite shy, generous beautiful girl!" He replied.

    Flying Fish almost copsed onto her desk.

    "How do you know that I¡¯m a beautiful girl?"

    "Of course it¡¯s my sixth sense!"

    "You¡¯re amazing! I really am a beautiful girl; the type that could be an idol."

    "Let¡¯s be idols together!" The boy pointed to the sky as he performed a half-split and shook his hips vigorously.

    Flying Fishughed out loud for the third time.

    The boy finished dancing and breathed a sigh of relief as he returned in front of his camera.

    "Ah, thank you for watching my entire performance. I¡¯m going offline now."

    "Eh? You¡¯re not going to stream for a bit longer? I can help you increase your followers!"

    "Thank you, but that won¡¯t be necessary. I only need you." The boy smiled sincerely at her.

    Even though Flying Fish thought to herself that he was probably just being polite, she still felt her heart skip a beat¡ªhis smile was just too charming.

    Ahh¡ªwhy wouldn¡¯t he take off his mask, damn it!

    "I hope that you¡¯lle watch me tomorrow as well. Goodbye." With that, the boy left and the stream turned dark.

    ¡®Did he really leave just like that?¡¯ Flying Fish was confused, but the boy¡¯s distinct personality gave her a deep impression.

    ¡®Tomorrow¡­ let¡¯se watch him tomorrow again at the same time.¡¯ Flying Fish had a small sliver of expectation in her heart.

    ¡­

    "Whew! I finally did it sessfully." Seiji took off his silver mask and breathed a sigh of relief.

    Thanks to that nice person named "Cat-loving Flying Fish," he was able to finish grinding the [sing] and [dance] actions and managed to gain 2 action points.

    Even an inte spectator counted as an audience. It seemed that his theory was indeed correct.

    However, live-streaming wasn¡¯t consistent¡ªhe couldn¡¯t be sure if he would have any spectators tomorrow.

    ¡®A first-rate streamer can make millions, while a nobody gets nothing.¡¯ Hemented to himself inwardly. After he had begun his stream, it took almost thirty minutes to get a spectator, and he was on the verge of giving up.

    ¡®I hope¡­ that beautiful girl wille tomorrow to watch me as well.¡¯

 Chapter 19 - P.E. class

    <h4>Chapter 19: P.E. ss</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    It was Seiji¡¯s second day after transferring, and the ss he was looking forward to the most was P.E., thest ss of the day.

    He didn¡¯t intend to astound everyone in P.E. ss, although he could probably do so if he tried.

    After ying against the tennis club captain, he had already understood that his physical abilities far surpassed normal students, and that he had the potential to be outstanding at any sport.

    So, if he didn¡¯t want to stand out, what was his intention?

    It was to watch, of course!

    Currently, although the weather was slightly chilly, the school hadn¡¯t transitioned to its winter uniform yet, so the P.E. ss was still using the summer sports uniform.

    Heh heh¡­ it should be easy to understand after that exnation.

    In Sakura Ind, girls wore the same thing as some anime from his previous world¡ªa white T-shirt with bloomers underneath!

    Just the thought of all the girls wearing that P.E. ss was enough to get his blood boiling!

    Witnessing such a sight in 3-D was the apex of any gentleman (otaku)¡¯s desire.

    It would be t heresy to im otherwise!

    The day passed quickly, and it was finally time for the ss he had been anticipating eagerly.

    Seiji had finished changing at Mach speed, and he was already waiting at the exercise grounds before anyone else.

    When the girls had finished changing and came out in small groups, he felt like he was ascending to heaven¡­

    All those lovely white necks and arms.

    And all the various-sized breasts that ranged from full to almost nonexistent.

    Not to mention the firm, peachy butts that were covered by tight shorts.

    Ah¡­ it felt good to be alive!

    Seiji put great effort¡ªa truly monumental amount of effort¡ªinto hiding the fact that he was almost in nirvana.

    It was mentioned previously thatpared to Seiji¡¯s original world, people had better looks on average, and this world had certain elements which resembled a 2-D world.

    This caused Seiji to feel like everything in front of him was a real-life version of an anime, thus causing his heart to pound rapidly.

    Due to how moved he was by the heavenly sight, he didn¡¯t even notice the fact that someone was stealthily approaching him.

    "Harano-kun, you¡¯re about to get a nosebleed!"

    Chiaki grinned broadly as she ced her hand on Seiji¡¯s shoulder.

    Seiji finally regained his senses and turned around to look at her.

    "Why are you still in the boy¡¯s uniform?"

    "Oh my, are you disappointed?" Chiaki stuck her tongue out at him and did a sexy pose: "If you want to see me in a girl¡¯s uniform, I¡¯ll wear it for you if youe to my home¡­"

    "Oh¡­ it sounds like some type of special service¡ªforget about it."

    "Sigh, I got rejected again¡ªdo I have zero charisma? How about I throw Mika into the deal? She¡¯ll definitely agree to show you her sports uniform, and I have plenty of other clothes in my house as well!"

    "Don¡¯t just sell out your friends like that! And just what type of ce is your house!?" Seiji forcefullymented.

    Chiaki kept chuckling bawdily.

    "You¡¯re a really strange person, Harano. Weren¡¯t you a scumbag otaku before? After bing this handsome, normally you should be a yboy, but you restrain yourself without concealing your bad points."

    Even though she was smiling casually, her eyes shed with a serious glint.

    "Just what type of person are you, Seiji Harano?"

    This was probably what she had wanted to ask yesterday.

    After she said this, the conversation options appeared¡ª

    [A: I¡¯m simply me¡ªstop bothering me.]

    [B: I don¡¯t know either ¡ªI only swore to stop being useless.]

    [C: I¡¯m just an otaku.]

    Seiji considered the options carefully before making his choice.

    "I¡¯m just an otaku. Even though I changed myself and have be handsomer, I¡¯m still an otaku, and I enjoy things that otakus like. Compared to before, my hobbies didn¡¯t change; what changed was the way I deal with things and my moral principles. I¡¯ll use all of my willpower to follow my new principles and not fall back into depravity like the useless person I was before."

    After saying that, Seiji smiled sincerely at Chiaki.

    "In conclusion, I have slightly more backbone than before as an otaku."

    *Ding!* Favorability rating increased!

    Chiaki retracted her casual smile.

    "Just¡­ slightly? It¡¯s not ordinary for a person to risk his life fighting to save a girl that used to call him disgusting. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what you experienced for you to change so much."

    Seiji smiled and was about to say something when he was interrupted by a female voice.

    "Chiaki! Why are you walking so fast? Wait up for me." Mika Uehara approached them whileining.

    After she caught up, she discovered the strange atmosphere between Seiji and Chiaki.

    "Er¡­ what happened?"

    "Nothing much. We were just admiring the scenery, right, Seigo?" Chiaki pped Seiji¡¯s shoulder.

    Unlike before, she didn¡¯t call him "Harano-kun," but called him "Seigo" instead.

    "Ah, yeah. The scenery is wonderful." Seiji¡¯s smile became even gentler.

    "What scenery?" Mika looked around in confusion.

    This was the scenery. Seiji snuck a look at Mika¡¯s long, creamy-white legs.

    Chiaki squeezed Seiji¡¯s shoulder with a mischievous grin. ¡®So you understood what I was talking about, heh heh.¡¯

    ¡­

    The students had all arrived, but their homeroom teacher was overseeing ss instead of the usual P.E. teacher.

    "Sasaki-sensei said he had something to do today, so I¡¯m here in ce of him," said their homeroom teacher, a 29-year-old unmarried woman who was named Keiko Satou.

    And thus, P.E. ss began.

    Seiji was hesitating whether or not he should excel in ss today and draw everyone¡¯s attention.

    He didn¡¯t actually enjoy attention, but he somehow managed to increase the favorability rating of arge number of girls towards him in the tennis club yesterday, thus unlocking several new options in his system. If he grinded even more girls¡¯ favorability ratings, then there was a possibility he would gain new options yet again.

    After deliberating over it, he decided against it.

    He had barely discovered his recently unlocked options, and he hadn¡¯t been able to fully take advantage of it yet, so it would be far too greedy to desire more. Besides, he didn¡¯t feelfortable doing things that were against his nature. Finally, the boys in his ss already had a negative impression of him¡ªif he kept standing out, something strange or unexpected may ur.

    It was better to keep the rtionships with everyone in his ss bnced.

    After ss had begun, the first activity was a two-person warmup. Seiji instantly chose Kazufuru Ooike, without giving him a chance to reject, in order to avoid the danger of being alone at the end of pairing.

    Kazufuru¡¯s expression was grim, but he could only ept¡ªafter all, what else could he do as Seiji¡¯s ¡®friend¡¯?

    After the warmup was long-distance running. It was a fairly usual activity with a substitute teacher.

    Seiji ran in the middle of the pack for the duration of the entire run.

    Honestly, this was a first for him, as he experienced the difficulty of going easy on everyone in sports.

    After onep, most of the boys had begun breathing hard, but he didn¡¯t feel a thing. He could only pretend to have breathing difficulties as he kept running. And close to the end, he was forced to further reduce his pace, in order to prevent himself bing the leader of the pack. He also had to copy everyone¡¯s panting, and he had to attempt to act naturally exhausted. The whole process could almost be described as torturous.

    When all the boys finished, there were still a few girls running. The one at the very end was the fattest girl in the ss.

    She wasn¡¯t nearly as fat as Seiji used to be, butpared to the other girls in ss, she was definitely the least attractive.

    She could barely catch her breath as she swung her head around, and her hair was ragged and wild. Her sweat and drool were also flying everywhere¡ªit definitely wasn¡¯t a pretty sight.

    "Urgh¡ªthat Miyamoto¡­ She¡¯s still so disgusting¡­"

    "Her running is so terrible¡ªwhy doesn¡¯t she just give up?"

    "Hey, she¡¯s trying her best! Don¡¯t say that!"

    The boys were gossiping with each other.

    Seiji frowned in discontent.

    Suddenly, the fat girl tripped and fell over with a resounding smack, which sent dust flying everywhere.

    "Miyamoto?" The other girls that hadn¡¯t yet finished running turned around and immediately went to go check on her out of concern.

    The homeroom teacher also ran over together with some of the other girls.

    After a minute, the substitute teacher Satou-sensei¡¯s voice rang out: "Miyamoto injured her foot. One of the boyse over and carry her to the infirmary!"

    "What?"

    "I definitely don¡¯t want to carry that Miyamoto."

    "You¡¯ll be ttened, haha."

    Seiji¡¯s frown deepened.

    He didn¡¯t want to hear their chitchat anymore, so he walked out in front of everyone.

    Instantly, everyone¡¯s eyes were gathered on him.

    "Oh my, the hero has arrived." Chiaki quietly praised him, but nobody heard her other than Mika who was standing next to Chiaki.

    As everyone stared, Seiji briskly walked towards the group of girls were standing over Miyamoto.

    "Harano-san, can I ask you to do it?" Satou-sensei had an anxious expression, and when she noticed that it was the new transfer student who volunteered, her countenance changed slightly.

    "Not a problem." Seiji smiled at her and all the other girls.

    Then, he went over to the weeping fat girl and carried her. Contrary to the expectations of the others, he didn¡¯t carry her with his back¡­

    Instead, he princess-carried her!

    "Miyamoto-san, right? This is my first time speaking with you." Seiji smiled at the stunned girl in his arms: "Please wait for just a moment¡ªyour personal ambnce will take you to the infirmary immediately."

    Then, he started running whilst carrying her.

    "Wow!"

    "Amazing¡ªa princess-carry!"

    "That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a princess-carry in real life, and he can even run while doing it!?"

    "Harano-san is so cool, and he¡¯s so strong!"

    All the girls instantly fell in love with the valiant youth.

    And once again, all the boys had incredulous expressions on their faces.

    "No way! Just how much does Miyamoto weigh!?" One boy eximed in surprise.

    In reality, almost all of the boys were thinking that to themselves and were mentallyparing their own strength to Seiji¡¯s. Soon after, they all came to the realization that they wouldn¡¯t be able to aplish what he had just done.

    "Harano-san is so cool¡ªhe volunteered to carry her!"

    "I think I¡¯m in love with him¡ªI want him to carry me like that!"

    "Me too, me too! I¡¯d love to be carried like that!"

    The girls kept chattering endlessly, and even the homeroom teacher¡¯s face was flushed slightly red.

    In this type of atmosphere, the boys could only remain awkwardly silent.

    This included Kazufuru Ooike, whose expression was grim.

    He had actually wanted to step out and help her, as it was an excellent chance to improve his reputation, but he had used up a lot of stamina when running earlier, so he hesitated¡ªif he tried carrying her but failed instead, he would only lose face.

    He couldn¡¯t imagine that Seigo Harano still had such great reserves of stamina remaining.

    ¡®I truly lost this time¡­¡¯ Kazufuru Ooike reluctantly thought to himself.

 Chapter 20 - You canâ€™t conceal that otaku scent of yours!

    <h4>Chapter 20: You can¡¯t conceal that otaku scent of yours!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s heart was pounding rapidly.

    She had never imagined that she would be princess-carried one day, and by such a handsome boy to boot!

    It shouldn¡¯t be this way, right? A prince-like boy like him should be carrying a princess-like girl, not a disgusting otaku girl like her!

    Kaho Miyamoto was self-aware of her own appearance being on the ugly side, and along with being a loner whose interests were different from most, no matter how you looked at it, she was at the bottom of the rung.

    And as for Seigo Harano who was carrying her, even though this was only his second day in school, his appearance and body shape was A+, and he had a gentle personality and was polite. All the girls had excellent opinions of him, while the boys seemed rather jealous.

    The difference between her and this shining fellow who was top-ss in everything was like that of a mountain and a valley¡ªthey shouldn¡¯t have had any contact with each other in the first ce.

    Nevertheless, she was currently being princess-carried by him.

    When she had identally injured her foot earlier, she had thought that today was an unlucky day, but perhaps today she was fortunate after all?

    While Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s heart was all aflutter, they reached the infirmary.

    The infirmary nurse was a friendly woman in her 40s that had plenty of experience in treating this type of injury, so her injury was quickly treated and bandaged. Kaho was then informed that she should rest her foot for the next two days.

    After that, the nurse allowed Kaho to rest on one of the beds, before she hurriedly departed from the infirmary to attend to another task.

    "Does your foot still hurt, Miyamoto-san?"

    "It¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt as much anymore. Thank you, Harano-san."

    Kaho lowered her head after ncing at the boy who was worried about her.

    "I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m probably so heavy¡­ my apologies for all the trouble when I¡¯m such a disgusting girl¡­"

    Seiji frowned upon hearing her words.

    "Look here." He put both his hands in front of her.

    "Mm?" Kaho reflexively raised her head.

    *Smack!* In front of Kaho, Seiji pped himself hard on the hand, and the sound resounded clearly through the infirmary room, startling her.

    "Give yourself more credit¡ªyou haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so why are you lowering your head?"

    Seiji smiled at the girl who felt a mixture of shock and confusion at his action.

    "Yes, you¡¯re rather fat and somewhat disgusting."

    Kaho Miyamoto felt like she had received a critical hit.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Was there anyone that would say it so directly like you!?¡¯

    Even if she was fully aware of the truth already, it would still hurt if someone else said it out loud.

    "But, so what?" Seiji continued. "Your weight means nothing to me. I could carry you and run for 100 kilometers if necessary, and as for you being disgusting¡­ sorry, but I¡¯m already used to someone that¡¯s 100 times more disgusting than you are."

    "Oh¡­" Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s eyes widened in amazement.

    Someone 100 times as disgusting as she was¡ªwho could that possibly be?

    "I¡¯m talking about myself," Seiji pointed as his own chest, "more urately, the person I previously was until not long ago."

    "¡­Huh!?" Kaho¡¯s astonishment further increased.

    "It¡¯s true¡ªjust a month ago, I was even fatter than you, and I was also uglier than you. I had fallen to the utmost depravity; I was basically human scum, a walking pile of garbage." Seiji shrugged casually.

    Considering the state of the original Seiji, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration no matter how much he insulted himself.

    But to Kaho, it seemed utterly inconceivable¡ªhow could this possibly be!?

    "Harano-san¡­"

    "Do you think I¡¯m lying? I¡¯m definitely not. You can go ask Mika Uehara if you don¡¯t believe me¡ªshe¡¯s quite knowledgeable about how depraved I was before. My depravity even led to me being chased out of my own home, and currently, I¡¯m living on my own and have to work to support myself."

    "What¡­ what!?" Kaho felt like her world was turning upside-down.

    Could all this be true!? It truly didn¡¯t seem possible!

    But there was no reason for him to make all this up¡ªa normal person wouldn¡¯t denigrate himself to this degree!

    And if all of this was real, was it something to say out loud so easily!? Wouldn¡¯t a normal person want to desperately hide his own dark past!?

    Kaho Miyamoto felt dizzy thinking about it all.

    "Well, none of that was really important." Seiji lightly passed over the subject.

    They¡¯re super important, okay!?

    "I just wanted to say that you aren¡¯t heavy at all to me, nor are you disgusting, so you don¡¯t need to apologize to me. If you were helped by me, all you need to say is ¡®thank you,¡¯ don¡¯t you think?"

    Seiji smiled gently.

    A light breeze blew the window curtain open, and a ray of sunlight illuminated his handsome face, increasing the radiance of his brilliant smile.

    This scene etched itself deeply into Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s heart.

    A part of her that had been numbed for so long suddenly awakened.

    "¡­Why?"

    "Hm?"

    "Why¡­ were you able to change yourself so greatly? If¡­ you were really like the person you said you were?" Kaho gripped the bedsheet tightly.

    "Well¡­" Seiji scratched his face. "Actually I prefer to keep that private, but I may as well do you a service. Not long ago, I almost¡­ choked to death on some instant noodles."

    Kaho who was listening to him seriously felt like she heard something iprehensible.

    "Huh!?"

    "I almost choked to death on some instant noodles." Seiji repeated while pointing at himself again. "Does it sound funny? Well, it really happened. When I almost choked to death on the instant noodles, it was like I saw my entire life sh before my eyes, and I was able to observe myself from a bystander¡¯s viewpoint. That¡¯s when I finally discovered the truth: that this guy was so terrible, I should get rid of him. However, I didn¡¯t end up dying and coughed up the instant noodles. That¡¯s when I realized that I must change myself, and thus I began exercising, set new life principles to live by, and did my utmost to follow them. Actually, I didn¡¯t expect to be this handsome¡ªI only intended to lose some weight. I¡¯m not used to being a handsome guy at all¡ªall those attractive girls surrounding me makes me feel rather nervous." Seiji shrugged again.

    Kaho heard a story that sounded like a fantasy to her, and her eyes remained wide open and round throughout.

    At the end, she began giggling.

    "What¡¯s with this¡­ such a haphazard thing happening¡­ It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard someone saying how handsome they are. It¡¯s a little sickening¡­ but you really are quite handsome, Harano-san."

    Sheughed to the point where tears were flowing out.

    It felt like something within her heart had been shattered and dissolved into a liquid that was releasing itself from her eyes.

    Seiji just watched her as he smiled.

    "This is my secret¡ªeven Mika and the others don¡¯t know about it. Please let it remain a secret for me."

    Something moved in Kaho¡¯s heart.

    "Really?"

    "Yeah, I don¡¯t have the courage to tell them something this shameful."

    "Then why¡­ did you tell me?"

    "Because you¡¯re the same type as me," Seiji said sincerely, "just like my previous self, you¡¯re fat, an otaku, and not good-looking at all. Oh, and by the way, I¡¯m still an otaku¡ªI only just became a little more handsome."

    Upon hearing this, Kaho giggled¡ªshe couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing again.

    "How did you know I was an otaku?"

    "I can sense my kind¡ªyou can¡¯t conceal that otaku scent of yours!" Seiji pressed against his forehead, while pointing to her in an exaggerated pose copied from an anime.

    "Don¡¯t say it like you¡¯re someone from a shonen manga who sensed an enemy, ok!?" Kahomented reflexively.

    The two of them looked at each other and broke out intoughter.

    "I don¡¯t have any otaku friends currently, so will you be my friend, Miyamoto-san?"

    Seiji stretched out his hand.

    Kaho looked at hisrge hand, and her expression was fluctuating rapidly. After a long period of time, she slowly shook her head.

    "I can¡¯t¡­ not now¡­ Harano-san, you stand out too much. You¡¯re a prince now, even if you used to be the person you just described to me. I don¡¯t have the confidence to be by your side yet."

    "Is that so¡­" Seiji retracted his hand regretfully.

    "But, I¡¯ll work my hardest." Kaho smacked her lips, and her eyes sparkled with the light of conviction, "I¡¯ll do my best to reach where you are, and when that timees¡­"

    ¡®Please allow me to reach out to you, my beloved¡­ prince on a white horse.¡¯

    ¡­

    Seigo Harano had already left.

    Everything that just happened seemed as if it were a dream.

    But the secret that Kaho Miyamoto kept deep within her heart reminded her that it was no dream.

    This was the first time since she was born that she truly fell in love with a real-life boy.

    This was the first time since she was born that she truly felt d to be alive.

    This was the first time since she was born that she felt like she could achieve her dreams.

    The gods that had ignored her for fifteen entire years may have been waiting for this moment to give her hopes and dreams to reach for.

    "Harano-kun¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ make you wait long."

 Chapter 21 - Peach

    <h4>Chapter 21: Peach</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    He was rejected¡­ was it because he had be too handsome, or did he ask at a inopportune timing?

    After leaving the infirmary, Seiji felt rather helpless.

    It was obvious that Miyamoto was a nice girl who justcked self-confidence. If she gained self-confidence and lost some weight, she would probably be a cute girl.

    Even if she didn¡¯t lose weight, as long as she gained self-confidence, she¡¯d be a great otaku friend.

    Sadly, he was rejected.

    Because Miyamoto wasn¡¯t considered as a "beautiful girl" by his system, Seiji wasn¡¯t able to view her favorability rating towards him.

    ¡®I hope she doesn¡¯t hate me. Perhaps my story was too unbelievable for her to handle.¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    He was rejected, he was rejected, he was rejected¡­ important things should be repeated three times.

    He had only wanted to make a friend with whom he could discuss otaku topics. Seiji sighed helplessly. Although Mika and Chiaki were both nice, neither of them were interested otaku topics.

    The school didn¡¯t seem to have a club rted to otaku activities either¡ªhe had already looked into it.

    Then just where was he supposed to release all the otaku energy that was gathering inside him!?

    Anyway, with Genhana High School being such arge school, why weren¡¯t there at least a few otakus that created clubs for their interests!?

    Just as he was pondering over the matter, he had a sh of inspiration which caused him to stop walking.

    ¡®Is this¡­ the part where I should be creating my own club?¡¯

    He suddenly felt like all the resistance blocking his clogged feelings had disappeared.

    ¡­

    After P.E ss had ended, ss representative Koji Hoshihara led a ss meeting for assigning everyone various tasks for the school festival¡¯s preparations.

    Koji¡¯s apportioning of the tasks was fair and reasonable, so they only discussed some small details before finalizing the ns.

    "Harano-san, your task is extremely important. I hope that you¡¯ll be able to discuss things with the confectionery store swiftly and sessfully."

    "No problem, ss Rep, I already called the store managerst night and asked her about it¡ªshe¡¯s quite happy to help us. I¡¯m going to work tonight, so I¡¯ll discuss the other details with her then."

    "Oh, wonderful¡ªas expected of Harano-san!" Koji thought about it for a while:

    "After you talk to her again tonight, can you give me a call and tell me about the situation? I want to know as much as possible."

    "Sure." Seiji exchanged phone numbers with Koji.

    As the ss representative of Year 1 ss 5, Koji Hoshihara was a reliable person who was clearly the type that was ustomed to leading. He was one of the people in ss that was well-respected by both the boys and the girls and was also one of the only boys that didn¡¯t feel any jealousy towards Seiji.

    Seiji felt quite fortunate that his ss rep was a person like Koji, otherwise he¡¯d have an even more difficult time in ss.

    Unluckily, Koji was only thinking about managing the situation in a more convenient manner, and even though Koji wasn¡¯t biased against Seiji, it didn¡¯t seem that Koji intended to be friendlier with Seiji either.

    "Seigo, are you going now?"

    "Yeah, I¡¯m going to the sweets shop now¡ªhow about you guys?"

    "I¡­ don¡¯t feel like going to tennis club today. I¡¯ll just go home with you." Mika said.

    "I¡¯m going to drama club¡ªwe need to practice our program for the school festival."

    After Chiaki left, Seiji and Mika also departed from school and started walking home.

    "How¡¯s¡­ the tennis club doing?"

    "I don¡¯t know, but I doubt the atmosphere will be very good today."

    "Sorry¡­"

    "Seigo¡­ Seiji, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong," Mika sighed, "the club¡¯s always had simr problems before, and after seeing things there yesterday¡­ honestly, I¡¯ve been considering leaving that club."

    "Mm¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem like that club is suitable for you."

    "But even if I leave that club, I don¡¯t know what club I¡¯d want to join¡­" Mika sighed once more, as she turned around and looked at Seiji: "How about you, Seiji¡ªwhat club are you interested in?"

    "Mm¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "When I was chatting with you during lunch, I asked if there were any club activities for otakus, right? You said there weren¡¯t any. That¡¯s why I was thinking about creating my own club."

    "You want to create your own club?" Mika was momentarily stunned.

    "I¡¯m an otaku after all¡ªI¡¯d like to be together with fellow otakus that share my interests." Seiji smiled, "Of course you¡¯re wee to join in as well¡ªeven if you aren¡¯t an otaku, you also enjoy watching some animes and we can chat about it together."

    "Oh¡­" At this moment, Mika felt a distance between her and the boy in her heart.

    Although she did enjoy watching some animes, and she would also watch some idol videos online asionally, she wasn¡¯t a fully-fledged otaku like Seiji.

    Ever since Seiji had changed himself, she was getting along pretty well with him, but his true essence was that of an otaku, while she had ordinary interests.

    This made Mika feel a sense of panic.

    "Do you know what the requirements for me to establish a club are?" Seiji asked.

    "Oh¡­ it probably it requires a minimum number of people, and then you have to apply to the student council." Mika buried herplicated feelings deep inside her heart as she answered his question sincerely.

    "As expected, the number of people is the first hurdle¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "Maybe I should do something like send out a summons¡­"

    "Summons?"

    "Put up an advertisement on the bulletin board, and search for students with simr interests."

    "Will¡­ that work?"

    "I don¡¯t know, but at the very least I have to try." Seiji rubbed his chin as he considered it carefully.

    Even though it was rather bothersome to create a club, it would be an excellent method of enjoying his newfound youth, wouldn¡¯t it?

    But anyway, he had to take care of the school festival first.

    ¡­

    At the Divine Taste confectionary store, Seiji chose the [work] option from his actions menu after changing into his work uniform. He then began working with smooth and experienced movements.

    He remained fully upied until 7:30 in the evening.

    After he finished his shift, Seiji went to the store manager¡¯s office instead of changing out of his work clothes.

    Rika Amami was already waiting for him there.

    As usual, she was well-dressed. She wore a suit that showed off her excellent figure, and in tandem with her ck stockings and beautiful legs, she was oozing with sex appeal.

    What surprised Seiji was the fact that there was another woman in the store manager¡¯s office.

    The other woman was wearing a cap that covered her medium-length silvery-brown hair. She wore a gray sweater with ck sweatpants, and her chest was just as ample as the store manager¡¯s. She sat on the sofa with her legs tucked to her chest like an elementary schooler would, and she had a despondent aura about her.

    "Harano-kun, you¡¯ve arrived."

    The fact that Seiji was using a fake name was supported and known by the store manager, so all his coworkers changed the way they addressed him as well to mitigate any potential problems.

    "Before we talk, let me introduce someone to you¡ªthis is the author of "Honey Candy Girl," her pen name is¡­"

    "Peach-sensei!?" Seiji¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.

    His voice suddenly rose an octave, which seemed to frighten the cap-wearing woman. She trembled violently as she retreated further into her own embrace.

    "Yep, she¡¯s known as Peach, and she¡¯s also my younger cousin," Rika Amami sighed, "she hasn¡¯t been outside for a long time, so I dragged her out here today to talk with you."

    "I never imagined that I¡¯d be able to meet Peach-sensei! Your story is wonderful!" Seiji felt like his otaku portion¡¯s passion had been ignited, "I¡¯ve watched every episode of your anime, and I even wanted to buy the special edition. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have enough money¡­ Oh, would it be alright to ask for your autograph?"

    He approached her as he talked.

    The woman in the cap named Peach kept retreating from him.

    "D¡­ don¡¯te over!"

    Seiji was instantly petrified as if he had been stricken by a curse.

    Rika Amami sighed deeply.

    "My apologies, Harano-kun. My cousin here has severe androphobia."

    "¡­Oh?"

    This was the first time that Seiji was hearing about this legendary phobia in real life.

    He hurriedly took several steps away from her, and as if she was reacting to his presence, she seemed to loosen up.

    ¡®Wow, it was actually real?¡¯ Seiji looked at the store manager inquiringly.

    "This isn¡¯t a secret or anything¡ªjust about everyone that is familiar with her knows about it. She¡¯s always attended girl-only schools in her childhood, and because of an incident with a boy in college, she developed androphobia. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t that bad of an incident¡ªit was just normal mimunication. However, I underestimated her tolerance. As it wascking, she became an otaku. From there she embarked upon the path of an author." Rika exined.

    "Oh¡­" Seiji nodded understandingly. "My apologies for scaring you, Sensei," he said to the woman.

    Peach adjusted her body on the sofa.

    "No¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry."

    Her voice was so gentle¡ªif she could talk without stuttering, he was sure that she would sound amazingly attractive.

    "Since Sensei is here, do you wish to talk about obtaining the copyright permission?" Seiji then turned towards Rika: "Since she has androphobia, we could have just talked about it over the phone." Seiji felt like a matter such as his ss borrowing the theme of "Honey Candy Girl" for the school festival was on arge enough scale to justify the presence of the author, though.

    Rika Amami had a serious expression as she looked at him.

    "Actually, I have a suggestion. You can receive the copyright permission from Peach, and the store will give you its full assistance in helping your ss for the school festival. There¡¯s just one condition."

    "What is it?" Seiji felt an ominous premonition.

    "I want you to have a date with Peach on the day of the school festival."

    "¡­What!?"

 Chapter 22 - Snail and sparrow

    <h4>Chapter 22: Snail and sparrow</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Seiji was shocked at the unexpected request.

    "Have a¡­ date with Peach-sensei?"

    "Even though I called it a date, it¡¯s more like just showing her around your school, grabbing a bite to eat, watching some students¡¯ shows and so on." Rika folded her arms before continuing, "Currently, she can¡¯t deal with adult men at all. While little kids and elementary schooler boys are okay for her, they don¡¯t help with curing her androphobia at all, so right now she needs to get used to middle school and high school boys. You¡¯ve been working here for quite some time now, and I feel like you¡¯re a trustworthy and reliable person who can deal with most situations. The timing was perfect with your school festival, so I requested your assistance in order to help her familiarize herself with boys your age. It would also help her get out more and talk to real people¡ªkilling two birds with one stone, so to speak."

    Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    "Just experiencing the school festival¡­ will that really help her cure her androphobia?"

    "I don¡¯t know; it¡¯s just something I want to try." Rika unfolded her arms, "Are you willing to do it? Is a young man such as yourself willing to have a date with a stranger in the once-a-year experience of the school festival?"

    "¡­What if I refuse?"

    "Then we¡¯ll just have to reconsider the copyright issue and the store¡¯s assistance."

    Seiji scratched his face as he thought about it.

    "By the way¡­ what does Sensei herself think of all this?" He turned to Peach, "Sensei is someone I don¡¯t know at all, and of course Sensei doesn¡¯t know me either¡ªfor two strangers to go to a school festival together, is it really alright?"

    Rika also turned to look at her cousin.

    Peach remained silent for a long time before she finally spoke up.

    "Actually¡­ I¡¯m¡­ afraid. But, I¡­ trust Rika¡­ and the boy she believes in. As I am now¡­ even if I don¡¯t get married, I can live by myself. But, if this goes on¡­ I can¡¯t draw male characters¡­ I don¡¯t want myself to be limited to female characters forever!"

    She slowly raised her head as she finished talking.

    Bangs covered half of her forehead, but he could still tell that she had an alluring face which bore some resemnce to Rika¡¯s. In fact, her facial features were even prettier than Rika¡¯s, even if her skin didn¡¯t seem quite as healthy.

    However, the determination behind her words was what moved Seiji the most.

    That was the determination of a manga author!

    After being moved by her determination, Seiji smiled.

    "Alright, if Sensei says so, then as her fan, of course I should support her."

    He turned towards the store manager, Rika Amami.

    "I ept your condition!"

    Rika smiled upon hearing this.

    "Thank you, Harano-kun."

    "You don¡¯t need to call me Harano here." Seiji turned towards Peach again: "Since Sensei is bravely facing her phobia, I feel it¡¯s impolite to keep using my alias in front of her. My real name is Seiji Haruta, and various circumstances have led to me using an alias for the time being. The store manager knows about this as well."

    Peach widened her eyes slightly as she looked at her cousin, who subsequently smiled and nodded in affirmance.

    "I want to be honest with Sensei, and I feel like giving her my real name can strengthen the bonds of trust between us. Oh¡­ but I¡¯d still prefer it if you could use my alias when talking with other people."

    Peach nodded lightly.

    "My real name is¡­ Mayuzumi Amami," she said in a soft voice as she lowered her head again, "please take good care of me¡­ Haruta-kun."

    "I should be the one saying that¡ªit¡¯s truly an honor for me to speak with Sensei. By the way, is it alright to ask for an autograph now?"

    Rika Amamiughed.

    "Why don¡¯t you just give him an autograph, Mayuzumi? This guy here¡¯s a true otaku."

    And so, Mayuzumi Amami gave him an autograph.

    After that, the three of them discussed some details about the school festival, and they quickly finalized the details.

    Seiji bade farewell and left after the details were concluded.

    "What do you think, Mayuzumi¡ªthis boy¡¯s quite a nice one, isn¡¯t he?"

    "Mm¡­ it feels like¡­ he¡¯s sparkling."

    "What kind of feeling is that? Forget it; I can guess what you mean." Rika smiled,

    "Apparently, he was an awful guy beforeing to work for me, but I haven¡¯t seen a hint of awfulness. If he truly changed himself to that extent, I think that he could be quite useful to you as you want to change yourself as well."

    Mayuzumi nodded as her cheeks flushed slightly red.

    "I¡¯m looking forward¡­ to my date with him."

    On the way home.

    Seiji checked his system and found that the [work] option had increased his action points by 4.

    ¡®The [work] option gives me so many points¡ªit¡¯s a pity that I can only use it once per day, and it¡¯s not like I go to work every day.¡¯

    When he reached his apartment, he immediately used the [write a diary] option.

    This time, it took him 20 minutes, and he gained 1 action point.

    ¡®As expected¡­ I¡¯ll gain a different amount of points depending on the quality of the action performed.¡¯

    Then, if he wanted more points, it meant that he would have to develop himself in a bnced manner and grind all his action options simultaneously. Alternatively, he could choose to focus on a few specific actions and improve the quality of the actions performed.

    ¡®Should I be a generalist or a specialist¡­ a difficult choice.¡¯ Seiji rubbed his chin contemtively.

    Well, he didn¡¯t need to make a decision immediately, so he decided to carry on as usual for the time being.

    He decided to [draw] to gain another action point. Finally there was [sing] and [dance] still avable for selection¡­ It seemed that it was time to start streaming.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish was repeatedly refreshing the streaming site.

    ¡®Is he not going to appear today?¡¯ Cat-loving Flying Fish thought disappointedly.

    ¡®Hmph, letting down your only follower¡ªwhat kind of streamer are you!?¡¯

    Just as she thought this, the stream named "I Only Need One Spectator" appeared.

    She hurriedly clicked on it and was greeted by the sight of the boy with the silver mask again.

    "Hey, beautiful girl by the name of Flying Fish, were you waiting for me?" He smiled while asking her.

    "Who was waiting for you!? Humph!" Flying Fish sent a bunch of angry emoticons to express her dissatisfaction.

    "Sorry, I waste tonight due to work. In order to express my sincere apology, you can request any song you want me to sing, but I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll know how to sing it."

    "Then what¡¯s the point, stupid!" Although Flying Fish wasining in herments, her mouth was arching upwards in real life.

    "It¡¯s a good test of ourpatibility¡ªmaybe the song you want is the one that I just happen to know how to sing?"

    "Who wants to do apatibility test with you, silly!?"

    "Don¡¯t say that¡ªI¡¯m at least the most handsome boy in my ss!" The boy posed in what he believed to be a cool posture.

    Flying Fish sent him a string of emoticons indicating she was looking down on him, but she was actuallyughing in front of her screen.

    "Do you have any special requests, oh beautiful girl? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m just going to start singing! This is a special service just for you¡ªdo you really want to waste it?"

    Flying Fish sent him another stream of "I look down on you" emoticons, but she was actually thinking about it.

    She had a sudden sh of inspiration and remembered a children¡¯s song.

    That was one of her favorite songs when she was little, but it wasn¡¯t a particrly popr one.

    Its name was "Snail and Sparrow."

    He definitely wouldn¡¯t know this one.

    Deep within, she harbored a slight intention to give him a song he probably wouldn¡¯t know. She typed the song¡¯s name with a slight smile.

    On the other side of the screen, when Seiji saw his only follower¡¯s song request, he was momentarily surprised.

    This wasn¡¯t a very popr children¡¯s song, but it was one that he just happened to be extremely familiar with.

    To be specific, it was one which the original Seiji was familiar with.

    He didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d be able to meet someone who had the same interests as the younger him¡­ He didn¡¯t think too deeply of it¡ªeven if "Snail and Sparrow" wasn¡¯t a particrly popr song, it wasn¡¯t particrly strange to meet an inte user that was familiar with it either.

    "I know this one. It¡¯s¡­ a children¡¯s song from long ago, right? I¡¯m pretty familiar with it."

    Hearing the boy in the stream say this, Flying Fish was shocked.

    He actually knew it!?

    "It seems like we¡¯re quitepatible, beautiful girl known as Flying Fish!" The boy chuckled before he cleared his throat and began to sing.

    His singing was still nothing special.

    However, Flying Fish felt touched somewhere in her heart and listened to him attentively.

    For a moment, she felt like she had returned to her rxing worry-free childhood.

    In her childhood, "he" was there as well, although that person was nowhere near as much of a bastard as what he eventually became.

    Why did that person be like that? Flying Fish didn¡¯t want to think about that anymore; she just quietly reminisced about the past.

    The song ended.

    "Okay, beautiful girl named Flying Fish, did you recall any childhood memories?"

    The boy seemed like he could see right through the screen to her, "I remembered my own childhood¡­ How nostalgic¡­"

    Even though it wasn¡¯t his own memories, it was still quite touching, and it also triggered his memories of being a child in his original world.

    Both of them remained silent for a while.

    "Okay then, it¡¯s dance time next. Just like yesterday, feel free tough if you like!"

    Once again, his had such an awkward dancing pose that it instantly pulled Flying Fish out of her memories and drove her into aughing fit once again.

    "Alright, the dance is over now, so that¡¯s it for the performance. See you tomorrow!"

    "Wait, you¡¯re leaving again!? Why aren¡¯t you continuing to stream? You won¡¯t get any followers this way!" Flying Fish hurriedly typed to him.

    The silver-masked boy rubbed his chin.

    "Just like the title of my stream, I only need one spectator."

    "Why!?"

    "Well¡­ it¡¯s a little difficult to exin. I don¡¯t really know how to say it¡­" Seiji thought about how to fool her. "I don¡¯t really want to be a streamer, I just¡­ want to give a single person a little joy in his or her life. This is because¡­ I hurt many people in the past. Even though I¡¯ve worked hard to change myself, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy for those I hurt to ept me. I don¡¯t dare hope for their eptance either, and honestly, I don¡¯t even have the courage to appear in front of them¡­ But, I was thinking that I should do something to atone for the pain I¡¯ve caused others before. I know that I¡¯m only doing this to make myself feel better, but this is all I can do now. I only need one spectator, and I¡¯ll leave instantly after my performance. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯mughed at, insulted, looked down upon, or even if people see me as a clown. I just want to do this; there¡¯s nothing more to it. Hey, beautiful girl known as Flying Fish, did I bring you at least some joy? If so, then that¡¯s enough for me."

    On his stream, the boy was smiling sincerely at her.

    "See you again tomorrow¡ªif you have the free time."

    Then, the stream shut off.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish had a nk expression on her face.

    "What¡¯s with this guy that¡¯s doing it just for himself¡­"

    However, she was also slightly moved.

    Someone who had made mistakes in the past began streaming awkward performances, solely in order to give joy to another person, not for the purpose of seeking marypensation or poprity.

    Even though it was only to make himself feel better for his own self-satisfaction.

    But it could be said as well that this was his way of seeking self-redemption.

    "¡­I wish that person could see this boy."

    Even if that person saw him, he probably wouldn¡¯t pay any attention.

    If that person truly regretted his actions even a little, her older sister wouldn¡¯t have forced him to leave home.

    Nor would she be at the extent of never being able to forgive him.

    "Seiji Haruta¡­" Flying Fish muttered that name that she would never forget or forgive.

    "You can just go and rot in a corner somewhere where nobody can see you. Someone who doesn¡¯t understand the concept of regret doesn¡¯t deserve redemption."

 Chapter 23 - The legendary creature

    <h4>Chapter 23: The legendary creature</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    ¡®Whew¡­ I hope I can keep fooling her.¡¯ Seiji sighed aftermenting inwardly.

    He should have known that running off right after the performance would arouse the suspicion ofizens. He should¡¯ve thought of an excuse beforehand, but he could only ad-lib as he didn¡¯t think to prepare one.

    He hoped that Flying Fish would ept his excuse. If she didn¡¯t ept it, feeling that his story was too ridiculous, then it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Should he give up on the [sing] and [dance] actions?

    It seemed like such a pity, though¡­ He was sorelycking in points, and he felt a burning desire to buy an [item] and use it.

    ¡®Well, let¡¯s observe the situation for a little longer.¡¯

    ¡­

    Because Seigo Harano had sessfully obtained the confectionery store¡¯s cooperation and had even acquired copyright permission from the author, Year 1 ss 5¡¯s program was assured. This meant that everyone could go about their preparations with peace of mind.

    Koji praised Seiji¡¯s ability toplete tasks in front of everyone, which slightly improved Seiji¡¯s prestige in ss.

    Only Mika and Chiaki knew the real price that Seiji had to pay for everything.

    "Well, it wasn¡¯t actually a price¡ªin fact, you could say that it¡¯s a rare opportunity. After all, there are countless fans who would be willing to pay money to spend a day with Peach-sensei at the school festival!"

    During lunch, Seiji ate his prepared lunchbox as he chatted with the two girls.

    Kazufuru Ooike had hastily fled to God-knows-where. Tsk, Seiji really needed to train¡­ no, convince him.

    "But¡­" Mika wanted to say something but paused abruptly.

    "She wants to say that this means you won¡¯t be able to go with her for the school festival, and that she¡¯s disappointed." As usual, Chiaki had seen right through her friend.

    "T¡­ that¡¯s not it at all! It¡¯s just¡­ the school festival is a once-a-year event, and¡­ it should be more rxed and enjoyed together with friends!" Mika¡¯s face turned beet red.

    "What¡¯s the difference? The only friends that would go together with Seiji are us two, right? And in addition to helping out with the confectionery store for our ss, I also have to prepare for the drama club program, so I probably won¡¯t have any spare time." Chiaki grinned at Mika.

    "Er¡­" Mika couldn¡¯t think of a suitable retort.

    "I never said that I wouldn¡¯t be with you guys." Seiji blinked, "You guys cane with me and Sensei, and we can check out the school festival together¡ªhow about it?"

    Mika and Chiaki were both speechless.

    "Well, I suppose that¡¯s true. Mika, can I get an interview about how you¡¯re feeling right now?"

    "Don¡¯t ask me!"

    The haughty kitten was angered.

    As usual, Seiji ignored this situation. He had a delicate rtionship with Mika currently, and as long as Mika hadn¡¯t confessed seriously to him yet, he preferred to keep pretending to be ignorant. He was simply friends with Chiaki.

    In order to change the topic, Seiji suddenly remembered something.

    "By the way, Chiaki, that day when we visited drama club, what was the ¡®legendary creature¡¯ that we heard about? I was curious but forgot to ask."

    "Oh, that?" Chiaki blinked, "actually that¡¯s one of the legends of our school¡ªa mysterious middle school girl who pops up asionally. Apparently, she¡¯s ultra cute, has heterochromia, and likes wearing cat ears."

    "Oh?" Seiji was surprised for an instant.

    That description sounded familiar.

    "The strange thing is that there are no girls in the entire middle school section that have heterochromia, not to mention anyone that typically wears cat ears. Even if she wears contact lenses and cat ears only when she¡¯s out having fun. Although people who have personally seen her have searched the entire middle school section, they still weren¡¯t able to discover her identity!" Chiaki described it as if it was an urban legend. "That¡¯s why this girl has be a legend at our school known as ¡®the wandering heterochromia cat-eared middle-schooler,¡¯ although it¡¯s a littlecking to be one of the seven wonders of our school."

    "I¡¯ve heard about this legend as well¡­ ording to my upperssman in tennis club, it started only this year, with the recent batch of new students." Mika added.

    "That¡¯s right. Our drama club president was very interested in this legend and wanted to capture the real creature after hearing the story, but just as you saw before, she¡¯s failed every time."

    ¡®They¡¯re really treating this girl like a legendary Pokemon!?¡¯ Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "This legendary creature¡­ er, girl, I think I saw her once before." Seiji said hesitantly.

    "Really!? When?" Mika and Chiaki were astounded.

    "On the first day I transferred here, I coincidentally saw her after lunch during the time when you were taking me around to tour the school grounds." Seiji recalled the previous incident. "Just like you described, I saw a very cute girl with heterochromia that was wearing cat ears¡­ She was wearing the middle school uniform and was short and petite, like a first-year middle school student¡­ She scurried off so quickly that she disappeared instantly."

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us at that time!?"

    "She disappeared before I could tell you; I thought that she was just an ordinary girl who enjoyed cosying."

    "It¡¯s already out of the ordinary for a middle school girl to enjoy cosying!" Chiaki forcefullymented. "Darn it, I didn¡¯t even get to see her¡ªI also want to see that legendary creature!" She lifted her head to the sky with an expression filled with regret.

    "Chiaki loves cats¡­" Mika exined.

    "I see." Seiji nodded sagely.

    The two of them calmly observed the tomboy in male clothes who was wallowing in a sea of regret.

    After sses were over, in the afternoon.

    Seiji was just about to go home together with Mika, when he received a call from Natsuya Yoruhana.

    "Harano-kun, can you swing by the student council room? There¡¯s something important I need to say to you."

    After some momentary confusion, Seiji agreed.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Seigo?" Mika and Chiaki came over.

    "The student president wants me to go to the student council room¡­ by the way, where is that?"

    Mika and Chiaki looked at each other awkwardly.

    "Oh right, student council¡­" Before they were able to say anything, Seiji thought of someone.

    "Secretary Ooike!"

    Kazufuru Ooike felt a sudden chill run down his spine just as he was leaving ss, and he instinctively increased his pace, but arge hand sped firmly down on his shoulder.

    "No need to walk so quickly, brother!"

    ¡®I¡¯m no brother of yours!¡¯ Ooike¡¯s mouth was twitching violently.

    "Is¡­ something the matter, Harano-kun?"

    "Actually, I just received a phone call from Miss President¡ªshe wants me to go to the student council room. I was wondering if you could take me there¡­" Seiji was all smiles.

    "But I¡¯m going home now¡­"

    "Oh? You always need to go to the student council room for work, but right when I need someone to show me the way, you¡¯re going home? Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me, hm!?" Seiji maintained his smile and grinned with his eyes narrowed: "I¡¯m so disappointed in my friend¡­ Perhaps I¡¯ll evenin about it when I see the president¡­

    Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s expression changed upon hearing this.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll take you¡­"

    "That¡¯s more like it¡­ Oh, my bad, if you have something you need to go home and do, go ahead. I can find the way myself, and I won¡¯tin to the president."

    "¡­No, I didn¡¯t have anything important." Ooike could only helplessly adjust his spectacles.

    Seiji then bade farewell to Mika and Chiaki before he followed Kazufuru Ooike, who led him away from the ssrooms.

    On the way, Seiji tried making conversation, but Kazufuru ignored all his attempts.

    The student council room was in another building that had a respectable thick wooden door, giving it an aura of authority.

    "This is it."

    "Oh, thanks. Feel free to go home now." Seiji waved friendlily.

    Kazufuru furrowed his eyebrows, and he abruptly halted after taking two steps.

    "Why did the president want to see you?" He turned around and asked.

    "Ah, so you finally asked¡ªI thought you actually didn¡¯t care." Seiji smiled, "Honestly, I don¡¯t know either, but it¡¯s probably not something you need to be jealous about, so rx, Secretary."

    Kazufuru Ooike remained silent for a while before he walked away.

    Seiji rang the doorbell.

    The door opened automatically after a moment.

    "So this was an automatic door¡­" He walked into the room, observing his surroundings.

    The room was filled with items which were fitting for the atmosphere of an office.

    Various file drawers and storage cabs lined the wall, and a huge desk stood in the center of the room. Upon the desk were severalputers, along with what seemed to be a printer and a scanner, while a few authentic leather chairs were ced around the table.

    There was anotherrge desk beside the window. Aputer monitor, a stack of well-organized documents, a tea set, and a kodachi rested on it¡­ And the student council president Natsuya Yoruhana was sitting on the swivel chair behind the table.

    "Wee to the student council room, Harano-kun." Natsuya stood up and asked,

    "Would you like tea or coffee?"

    "Oh¡­ it¡¯s not necessary, I¡¯d be scared of having the president personally pour tea or coffee for me." Seiji half-joked.

    Natsuya smiled faintly.

    "You don¡¯t seem to actually be scared¡­ tea is fine then?" She picked up an electric tea kettle on a smaller round table and poured a cup of hot tea.

    With her looks, even the sight of her pouring tea was one that people would appreciate.

    ¡®Being able to see a beauty like her would be one of the special benefits of joining the student council,¡¯ Seiji thought as he watched the scene.

    "Here."

    "Thank you."

    Seiji received the tea and had a sip, finding that the temperature was just perfect, and the tea¡¯s vor was quite strong. Even an ordinary person like him that didn¡¯t understand anything whatsoever about tea could detect that this tea was of high quality.

    "I¡¯m sorry for asking you toe here on such short notice, but it¡¯s for a truly important matter¡­"

    "Does it have something to do with our previous matters?"

    "Yes¡­ and no¡­" Natsuya¡¯s face was serious as she looked directly at Seiji.

    "Takao Yamamoto has vanished."

    "¡­Who¡¯s that!?"

 Chapter 24 - Thereâ€™s no legendaries in this game!

    <h4>Chapter 24: There¡¯s no legendaries in this game!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Natsuya Yoruhana firmly pursed her lips and remained silent.

    Seiji racked his brain upon seeing her expression.

    "Oh, that blondie." He finally managed to remember him.

    Takao Yamamoto was the name of that blondie whose ability to have children was crushed by him. He hadn¡¯t even bothered remembering the name of that worthless scum.

    "That guy disappeared? What¡¯s going on?"

    Although his injuries were extremely serious, it wouldn¡¯t be something so easily cured, would it? Seiji wasn¡¯t very familiar with this world¡¯s medical capabilities, but he found it difficult to believe that blondie would be able to get out of the hospital so quickly.

    "He left the hospital, and neither his family nor the police have been able to locate him. Normally speaking, he shouldn¡¯t even be able to walk with his injuries." Natsuya said lightly.

    "That does sound strange¡­ are you worried that he¡¯lle seeking revenge on Mika or me? Is that why you¡¯re letting me know?"

    Natsuya Yoruhana remained silent for a few seconds.

    "This is one reason, but¡­ actually it doesn¡¯t have much to do with you guys anymore." She sighed as something glittered in her eyes; it seemed like she had just made an important decision.

    "Seiji Haruta," she formally said his real name out loud, "how much do you know about ¡®Yin Yang masters¡¯?"

    Yin Yang Master? (Note: this is one of the top-ranked most popr cell phone games in Asia.)

    That game doesn¡¯t have legendaries at all!

    He suddenly remembered his inability to discover any legendary creatures in that game during his past life, and Seiji almost felt like covering his face.

    "Haruta-kun?" The perceptive Natsuya noticed the slight change in Seiji¡¯s expression.

    "Ah¡­ nothing¡­ you said ¡®Yin Yang masters,¡¯ right? Did I hear correctly?"

    Natsuya nodded.

    "About that¡­ I can only think of what I¡¯ve heard before in games and manga; are you asking about that?" Seiji was doubtful.

    "Of course not." Natsuya Yoruhana folded her arms with a serious expression on her face, "I¡¯m asking how much do you know about real-life ¡®Yin Yang masters¡¯ that exist among us?"

    The atmosphere changed.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    In reality, he expected that something like this might happen when he had first learned about the history of this world.

    The original Seiji¡¯s memories also had some portions which were hazy and even mysterious.

    But he didn¡¯t expect that such a thing would appear in front of him so quickly.

    He finished his tea and set the cup down.

    "Do Yin Yang masters¡­ really exist?"

    "If you¡¯re asking that question, it seems that you know nothing about this subject." Natsuya Yoruhana continued to stare directly at Seiji¡¯s face: "Even though you¡¯re from the Haruta family, you know absolutely nothing about this subject?"

    Seiji remained silent for a while.

    "Honestly, I do have some strange inexplicable childhood memories, but that was a long time ago, and I might have been mistaken since I was only a child."

    "So that¡¯s how it is¡­ I suppose it¡¯s only natural you would think that way. As far as I¡¯m aware of, you were considered to have no talent, so you were never taught about it."

    Natsuya rxed slightly and blinked.

    "Yin Yang masters really do exist."

    She reached out her hand as she spoke, and the kodachi on the table suddenly began shaking and flew into her hand!

    "Just like the ones you¡¯ve read about in mangas and seen in animes, we conceal our existence from society, and we have the ability to control spirits to use various powers. But unlike those fantasies, us modern Yin Yang masters fight mainly against humans, not demons. Nor do we do anything like protect the bnce of Yin and Yang or defend humanity. Instead, we use our powers for personal benefits, and protect our status in society."

    Seiji took his eyes off the kodachi that mysteriously flew to her hand, thinking that he had finally understood why she carried that around.

    "It sounds¡­ realistic."

    "Yes, we¡¯re realists; it¡¯s not romantic at all." Natsuya smiled as she let go of the kodachi.

    Before the kodachi dropped to the floor, it paused in midair as if something invisible was grabbing it and began flying again, while leaving a faint red trail that condensed into a mysterious marking.

    "We choose to conceal ourselves from society, as this will maximize the benefits that we can obtain from our power in addition to minimizing the number of threats we face. Ordinary people that don¡¯t know the existence of Yin Yang masters are easier to manipte. And, of course, an existence that isn¡¯t recognized to exist can¡¯t be judged by thew. Therefore, the number one rule that we Yin Yang masters abide by is to conceal ourselves from society. Any information that exposes us will be instantly destroyed, distorted, or smoothed over, no matter where ites from. Those that intentionally try to expose us to the public will face the full force of our retribution."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    In some of the mangas he had read in the past, main or side characters with superpowers would always conceal their identity for some contrived ridiculous reasons. But in the real world, people concealed their identities for a simple, realistic reason¡ªpersonal benefit.

    Compared to being exposed to the public eye, it was much more advantageous to remain hidden¡ªthat was all there was to it.

    "Do you feel like your fantasies are being destroyed?" Natsuya asked.

    "No, I just feel like¡­ this is how reality is." Seiji shrugged.

    "Even though you¡¯re just an otaku."

    "It¡¯s exactly because I¡¯m an otaku."

    Natsuya and Seiji nced at each other for a moment, before both of them broke out intoughter.

    "What of it? Yin Yang masters exist, and they¡¯re a secret society that uses their abilities to maintain their own status and authority like bastards, but so what? For those of lower social status, just about everyone in the higher echelons are considered bastards¡ªwhat¡¯s the difference between the ones at the top?"

    "You have a magnificent ability to see through things, Haruta-kun."

    Natsuya summoned the kodachi that was twirling around in midair back to her hand, and those reddish rune markings faded away.

    "As for normal people, maybe they will just resolve things normally. But as for us¡­ since we aren¡¯t bound by thew, disputes between us aren¡¯t settled by thew either¡­ we aren¡¯t able to use normal ways to decide things."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "Then, how do you settle things?"

    "Duels between Yin Yang masters." Natsuya said in a calm voice.

    However, her eyes indicated that she wasn¡¯t as calm as she appeared on the surface.

    "Under certain rules that we Yin Yang masters abide by, we will duel with each other in order to determine a winner."

    "So¡­ it¡¯s like an all-or-nothing gamble?"

    "That¡¯s right, and just like I said earlier, Takao Yamamoto¡¯s disappearance might be the beginning of a new duel¡ªa duel involving me as one of the Yin Yang masters."

    Seiji felt a chill. Duel¡­ this word sounded rather barbaric when used in real life.

    "¡­Why?"

    "As I mentioned previously, Takao Yamamoto¡¯s injuries shouldn¡¯t have allowed him to be up and about already, but he disappeared¡­ only one security camera captured his back as he was walking by himself." Natsuya continued to exin the details of what had happened. "It¡¯s quite obvious that a Yin Yang master has intervened. Takao Yamamoto was under the control of a Yin Yang master rather than walking off using his own power. He¡¯s a hoodlum scumbag with a strong grudge against me, as well as a former student of Genhana High School. I can only imagine that someone must be targeting me by using a Yin Yang master to take him away."

    Natsuya sighed deeply.

    "This is my problem. Originally it shouldn¡¯t have had anything to do with you, but¡­ Haruta-kun, you¡¯re also from a Yin Yang master family, not to mention one of the ¡®seven major families¡¯¡ªa collection of the oldest and strongest Yin Yang master families. One of your family¡¯s ancestors is the strongest Yin Yang master in Sakura Ind¡¯s history that even ordinary folk know about¡ªSeimei Kamijou!"

    Seiji was astounded.

    What the hell was this situation?

    Seimei Kamijou? Is that the Seimei Abe of this world!?

    "Since the family name of ¡®Kamijou¡¯ was renowned to the extent that anyone with the name was considered to have mystical powers, your family decided at some point in time to change theirst name to ¡®Haruta,¡¯ and only the strongest Yin Yang masters within the family are allowed to use the true family name of Kamijou."

    Seiji had no clue what his expression was anymore.

    "Even though you were already kicked out of your family, you¡¯re still a ¡®Haruta,¡¯ and you have a direct connection with this case, so I think there¡¯s a chance you may end up getting involved in this again somehow." Natsuya showed an apologetic expression. "Haruta-kun, I admit that when I helped you transfer schools here, I thought about my personal benefit, but I never expected such a thing to happen. I must truly apologize."

    Natsuya Yoruhana bowed deeply towards Seiji.

    "Please be on guard from now on, and contact me if you notice anything strange happen around you. I¡¯ll also arrange some protection around you and try my very best to not let you identallye to any harm."

    Seiji finally returned to his senses and looked at this youngdy who was lowering her head towards him.

    "Don¡¯t be like that, President. Even if they¡¯re targeting you, I have a connection with this incident as well, so I¡¯m not exactly innocent, am I?" He smiled gently. "I was the one who severely injured that guy, so if he transforms into something strange andes looking for revenge, I¡¯ll face him head on."

    Seiji said it with such confidence mainly because he had the ultimate cheat that could take care of any situation.

    He had the ability to save and load repeatedly! If they truly had any ability, then bring it on!

    When Natsuya Yoruhana heard his confidence, it seemed like he had enough courage and resolve to face anything head on!

    "Seiji Haruta¡­" She slowly stood up with a smile of relief: "¡­Thank you."

 Chapter 25 - Spirit-branded Retainers

    <h4>Chapter 25: Spirit-branded Retainers</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "Why are you thanking me?"

    "For your understanding¡­" Natsuya averted her eyes, "I thought that you would have someints¡­"

    "Oh, right¡­ can I stillin now?"

    "You¡¯d better not."

    The two of them looked at each other again, and they both smiled.

    "Let me introduce you." Natsuya Yoruhana looked behind Seiji, causing him to reflexively turn around as well. The legendary creature¡­ no, girl was standing there!?

    The short and petite middle schooler wearingrge fluttery cat ears was watching him with her mysterious heterochromia eyes. Seiji hadn¡¯t even noticed when she had appeared in this room and stood behind him!

    "She¡¯s one of my guardians as well as one of my Spirit-branded Retainers. Her name is Rana Kirin. On the surface, she¡¯s a first-year middle school student that enrolled this year, but she¡¯s a student in name only and has never attended any sses, for the supposed reason of being sick. She¡¯s actually one of my Guardian Retainers, and she often patrols the school grounds. She also goes to ss on asion, but without letting anyone notice her." Natsuya Yoruhana exined.

    "Oh¡­ hello." Seiji greeted the middle school girl named Rana. Her ears quivered before she suddenly jumped up and hugged him without saying anything. She then rubbed her face against Seiji¡¯s face! Seiji was startled as her refreshing body scent wafted into his nose.

    "W¡­ what¡¯s this?"

    "It seems like she really likes you." Natsuya blinked, "Rana almost never gets so close with anyone¡ªyou¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve ever seen her act this way with on the first meeting."

    "I should feel happy¡­ right?" Seiji nced at the petite girl who was hugging him.

    She had actually closed her eyes while hugging him¡ªit seemed that she had the intention to rest on his body!

    Seiji tried to move his hands and carefully hug the girl¡¯s body, which gave him an incredibly soft feeling. Rana wriggled and made a sound resembling a kitten¡¯s purr, before she snuggled in his arms quietly again.

    "Wow¡­" Natsuya was astounded, "Even though she does that to me as well asionally, this is her first time meeting you¡­" She had aplicated expression on her face, as if she was witnessing her beloved daughter fall in love with aplete stranger.

    "I think¡­ it¡¯s not our first meeting?" Seiji told Natsuya about seeing Rana on his first day after transferring.

    "This means that she might have been paying attention to you all this time¡­" Natsuya voiced her thoughts out loud, "I wonder why¡­

    "Why don¡¯t you just ask her directly?"

    "Rana basically doesn¡¯t talk. Although she¡¯ll obey mymands, and sometimes even act spoiled to me, she doesn¡¯t talk." Natsuya smiled wryly, "I originally intended to have her watch out for your safety, but it seems like I don¡¯t need to even give her that order anymore." Her expression was like a mother who was witnessing her daughter attempt to obtain a boyfriend.

    Seiji was confused as well. Rana¡¯s inexplicable friendliness wasn¡¯t something that could be exined by merely his handsome appearance¡­ Was this a hidden effect of his charisma stat?

    In all honesty, the true reason was of no importance¡ªSeiji only felt a fatherly affection for the girl resting in his arms. Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, his true essence was that of a middle-aged man already!

    There was a brief moment of silence.

    "Oh, what should I do now?"

    "You don¡¯t need to do anything. I originally intended to introduce Rana to you before finishing our conversation, but it seems like¡­ Why don¡¯t you just sit down for a little while?" Natsuya said rather helplessly, before suddenly ring at him: "I don¡¯t think you¡¯re this type of person, but just in case, I will warn you: Rana is my Guardian Retainer, so don¡¯t get any ideas about her! She¡¯s quite powerful¡­ as am I, do you understand!?"

    "Yes, Madam President!" Seiji could only respond to her in a serious manner. "By the way, what exactly is a Spirit-branded Retainer?"

    "A Spirit-branded Retainer is someone with spiritual power that signs a contract with a Yin Yang master¡­In manga, Spirit-branded Retainers are typically some sort of demons or spirits, but real-life Yin Yang masters will have contracts with humans that possess spiritual power and utilize the powers of demons, spirits, spells, and so on to increase their Spirit-branded Retainer¡¯s power, while the Retainer fights for their master."

    "I see." Seiji nodded in understanding. "You¡­ probably have more Retainers than just Kirin, right?"

    "It¡¯s not strange that you were able to guess¡­ you¡¯re correct, the vice president of the student council, Hitaka Shuho, is also my Retainer. With my current abilities, I can only maintain two Spirit-branded Retainers," Natsuya stated.

    "How many Spirit-branded Retainers can a person have?"

    "As long as your spiritual energy is sufficient, in theory, you can have an infinite number, but in reality¡­ Your family¡¯s strongest ancestor Seimei Kamiaki had 12 high-ranked Retainers, 72 mid-ranked Retainers, and 856 low-ranked Retainers. The amount that he could control far surpassed any other Yin Yang master in history; nobody has ever broken his record."

    "Spirit-branded Retainers have rankings?"

    "Of course they do. Their ranking is dependent on the level of spiritual power and type of energy the Retainer possesses, along with the Yin Yang master¡¯s spiritual power and summoning spell strength. Spirit-branded Retainers are separated into high, mid, and low ranks, and there¡¯s huge power differences between each rank."

    "Then what ranks are Kirin and the vice president?"

    "¡­Mid-level low-ranked Retainers." Natsuya¡¯s expression seemed awkward, but she immediately straightened her expression: "This¡­ is already considerable! People in the modern dayck spiritual power, and the average Yin Yang master has greatly decreased in ability as well. My spiritual power would be considered as outstanding among my peers! My spells and summoning ability are also excellent; I¡¯m top-ranked within my family for my age group¡­"

    "Erm¡­ President, you don¡¯t need to exin in such detail." Seiji¡¯s tugged at his lips,

    "I know nothing about Yin Yang masters to begin with, so I have no clue about whether you¡¯re weak or strong, but if you make such an effort to defend yourself, it¡¯ll make me feel like¡­ you¡¯re covering for insecurities?"

    Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s expression stiffened as her face flushed red.

    "F¡­ fine." She seemed to lose the will to continue with this topic.

    Seiji felt like the whole scenario was quite amusing. It seemed like even the president, whom everyone believed to be perfect, had her own small imperfections as well.

    They remained silent for a few seconds again.

    "Would¡­ you like some more tea?"

    "Please, I¡¯d like another cup."

    Momentster, Seiji was carefully sipping his tea while sitting on the sofa and holding on to the middle schooler named Rana who had fallen asleep while cuddling him. He let out a sigh of contentment as he appreciated theplex vor of the tea.

    After enjoying the high-quality tea, he turned his gaze back towards the president.

    "I have another question: what¡¯s with Kirin¡¯s ears and eyes?"

    "Those are real. Due to her highpatibility rate with the cat demon spirit that Ibined her powers with, she developed such an appearance. As long as she wants to, though, she can cancel theirbination and revert to a normal appearance, but she seems to prefer this appearance for some reason." Natsuya shrugged. Suddenly, she thought of something and stared at Seiji: "I¡¯ve heard that otakus really love her type¡­"

    "¡­Haha, that type is really attractive; they¡¯re just so cute!" As he said this, he suddenly noticed that the kodachi by Natsuya¡¯s side was quivering violently, and he hurriedly eximed: "But I swear I won¡¯t do anything, I swear!"

    After saying this, he hastily changed the topic: "So it¡¯s a physical phenomenon due tobining with a spirit¡­ If theirpatibility rate was even higher, in theory, at the maximum, wouldn¡¯t her body change like a transformation?"

    "¡­Yes, but that would be quite dangerous. There is a risk of her soul being damaged, so it¡¯s absolutely forbidden," Natsuya said in a serious tone of voice.

    Seiji nodded sagely.

    "Onest question: it¡¯s¡­ been determined that I have no ability to be a Yin Yang master, right? Then, is it possible for me to be a Spirit-branded Retainer?"

    Natsuya Yoruhana was surprised momentarily. "In theory, anyone can be a Spirit-branded Retainer. But¡­ you have no spiritual power, so it¡¯s almost impossible for you to be one."

    Seiji nodded again in understanding.

    "Why do you ask?"

    "I just wanted to see¡­ since it sounds romantic to be someone¡¯s familiar and fight just for that person." Seiji chuckled, "Otakus have their fantasies, you know."

    Natsuya remained silent at that.

    After that, the two of them didn¡¯t mention the topic of Yin Yang masters. Although Seiji desired to gain a deeper understanding of Yin Yang masters, he figured that since he didn¡¯t have the talent for it, it would only increase his frustrations. Natsuya would probably inform him of any important information anyway.

    In this instance, Natsuya had told him out of her personal honor, not because he needed to know. He wasn¡¯t a Yin Yang master to begin with¡ªhe was basically an ordinary person in her eyes¡ªso it would have been eptable for her to treat him as one.

    It was likely that Natsuya Yoruhana had told him of her own volition because she was concerned and apologetic towards him, which showed herpassionate nature. It would be inappropriate if he kept digging for information, and it would increase the risk involved for both of them.

    About fifteen minutester, Rana finally opened her eyes, stretched, licked Seiji¡¯s face, and hopped onto the floor before vanishing instantly.

    "She really is like a cat."

    ¡®If Chiaki knew about had just happened, then she¡¯d probably be bursting with jealousy!¡¯ Seiji thought as he bade farewell to Natsuya.

    Not long after he departed, a red-haired girl arrived at the student council room.

    Natsuya took her eyes off the documents on her desk, and looked at her friend as well as familiar with a sharp glint in her eyes.

    "Make your report¡­ Hitaka."

 Chapter 26 - Fighting

    <h4>Chapter 26: Fighting</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Seiji was unsurprised after learning about the hidden side to this world, as he had already expected it long ago.

    He just didn¡¯t anticipate that he¡¯d find out this quickly.

    Yin Yang masters¡­ Spirit-branded Retainers¡­ Recalling his body¡¯s memories after learning all this increased the mystery.

    ¡®Man, the original Seiji must have been truly hated; it¡¯s been so long and my family hasn¡¯t even contacted me.¡¯

    Even if the incident with blondie that required him to go to the police station and him transferring schools didn¡¯t require his guardian either time¡­ his family would probably know about it, right?

    Seiji was uncertain. With the sins that the original Seijimitted before, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for them topletely ignore him.

    If he wanted to truly enjoy life, he felt like a harmonious family rtionship was necessary, and¡­ he also felt like he should make it up to this body for taking it over. Seiji really wanted to reconcile with his family.

    But the original Seiji was so terrible! What he did in the past before¡­ honestly speaking, if Seiji had a brother like him, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist killing him!

    Since even he didn¡¯t think the original Seiji was forgivable, he had no idea how to obtain forgiveness.

    But he couldn¡¯t just keep waiting. Even if it was inadequate, he should at least attempt to make up with his family, right?

    Especially after learning about his family being a Yin Yang master n¡­ Seiji felt like he should initiate contact with his family.

    But just thinking about how to do it gave him a heavy feeling in his stomach.

    ¡®Forget it, let¡¯s just wait a little longer,¡¯ Seiji sighed inwardly.

    ¡­

    The next few days were rather uneventful.

    Preparations for the school festival progressed normally.

    Mika formally quit the tennis club and felt conflicted over what new club to join.

    Chiaki was busy rehearsing for the drama club¡¯s school festival program. Supposedly, they had daringly created an original script, and the actors¡¯ performances were critical to its sess.

    Seiji continued improving his [academics] stat every day at school, while grinding action points after school.

    On Thursday afternoon, he used the excuse of ¡®checking things out¡¯ to grind his [y basketball] option at the basketball club and obtained 3 points along with crushing the basketball club members¡¯ pride into dust and increasing the favorability ratings of the spectating girls.

    Judging from the atmosphere, it would be impossible for him to return to the basketball club¡­ As well as that, rumors about the copse of the tennis club were circting rapidly around school now. This,bined with the recent incident at the basketball club, could propel him into infamy.

    In the evenings, he continued to sessfully grind [sing] and [dance] with just one spectator.

    His only follower named Flying Fish seemed to have believed his ridiculous excuse about why he was doing it. Although it made him remorseful, he was also inwardly relieved that she persisted in watching his performances. Also, the two of them began chatting about various topics and found that they coincidentally shared many interests inmon, so they became increasingly friendlier with each other.

    Thest ss on Friday was home economics, and the topic was cooking.

    Seiji was in a group with Mika, Chiaki, and Kazufuru Ooike, whom he had forcefully recruited. The food that they made tasted average.

    However, there was one group who cooked food at a level which evidently surpassed the others.

    It was Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s group.

    The fat girl that typicallycked presence was shining with such brilliant splendor when it came to cooking! Even though they were only making somemon dishes, she actually gave them the taste of a 5-star hotel chef¡¯s cooking¡ªeven the teacher praised her endlessly.

    Seiji finally understood why she wasn¡¯t isted in ss and had some female friends, even though she was an introvert who wasn¡¯t good looking.

    ¡®What¡¯s this¡­ don¡¯t you have an ability you can be proud of? You oughta be more self-confident,¡¯ Seiji sighed to himself mentally.

    Just as a faint sense of pride welled up within his heart, Miyamoto seemed to notice his gaze, and she met his eyes.

    Seiji smiled at her while giving her a big thumbs-up.

    Miyamoto immediately turned around again.

    This was a blow to Seiji.

    After ss, he worked like usual before he returned home.

    Then he performed all his avable actions to grind points, which finally gave him enough points to purchase the item Seiji wanted all this time!

    [Physical ability¡ªfighting activation card], which required 35 points!

    Honestly, he felt that spending 35 points for an [activation card] was a bad deal, since there was another [activation card] for [physical ability¡ªtrack and field] which only required 20 points.

    After finding out about the hidden facets of this society, though, Seiji felt like he should prioritize increasing hisbat ability.

    ¡®35 points¡­ I really hope that you¡¯re worth the price, my dear system¡­¡¯ Seiji muttered as he made the exchange.

    A card that fit into his hand instantly appeared in front of him in a sh of light. There were many stick figures in the process of fighting drawn on it, and each stick figure had a different martial arts pose.

    Seiji lost himself in looking at the card for a while before he regained his senses and carefully chose the [use card] option.

    The card instantly disappeared into a white light that drilled into his brain.

    At first, Seiji had a headache, then it felt like something was dissolving and being forcibly poured into his brain.

    This continued for an unknown period of time. When Seiji regained consciousness, he found that he had copsed onto the floor. His hands were clutching his head, and his temple was still throbbing violently.

    ¡®That was rather ufortable¡­¡¯ He stood up slowly: ¡®But¡­¡¯

    Seiji looked at his hands and suddenly punched the air.

    *Whoosh!* His fists caused a small but fierce gust of wind to arise!

    Seiji continued punching several times, and each punch was powerful; it felt like his waist, back, and legs were properly applying force to each punch, and he was able to easily use his entire body with each attack. Indeed, it seemed as if he was already at that level!

    Finally, he ended with an explosive whirlwind kick. It was literally as if a small tornado had urred in his room.

    "This was worth it! Hahaha!"

    Seiji couldn¡¯t restrain himself anymore and broke out intoughter while looking at his hands, feet, and body.

    Even though there was no apparent change on the surface, he feltpletely different.

    It was as if a switch had been turned on in his brain. He now had a natural understanding of how to properly utilize his body¡¯s muscles and energy!

    Although Seiji was unsure what level he was atpared to a real martial artist, or whether he was still a novice in martial arts, he definitely felt like he was more than twice as strong as he was before!

    Before, it took him six tries in order to seriously injure blondie without receiving any injuries himself, but now he could probably do it in one try. He could even make blondie permanently handicapped; it would be extremely easy to cripple him for life!

    As expected of a card that required 35 points! Not only was it worth its value, it was an absolute bargain!

    ¡®Excellent quality as expected of the system.¡¯

    Seiji sighed in wonder as he checked his system again, then, to his astonishment, he noticed that in [physical ability], [actions], and [items], new options had appeared once more!

    [Physical ability] now included the sub-category of [fighting], which had its own stat, in addition to options like [self-training], [mock duel], and [wilderness training] to improve it¡­

    [Actions] now had [exhibit martial arts], with a prerequisite of 40 physical ability and 25 charisma; [empty-handedbat practice], with a prerequisite of 40 physical ability and 25munication; [do a heroic deed], with a prerequisite of 50 physical ability, 25munication, 25 charisma¡­ and so on. All of these also required the [fighting] sub-category to have been activated.

    The [Items] category now included [Ultimate skill¡ªCannon Fist] for 50 points; [agility technique card¡ªSnake Style Footwork] for 45 points; [defense technique card¡ªSparrow Flight] for 45 points; [throwing technique¡ªSpinning Throw] for 50 points; [suppression technique card¡ªBone-Shattering Hit] for 40 points¡­ and so on.

    Seiji¡¯s mouth kept twitching as he scrolled down the list.

    ¡®Wow¡­¡¯

    So activating the [fighting] option was just the beginning¡­

    Disregarding the new options in [physical ability] and [actions], just all the new items alone were enough for him to get dizzy over.

    If he exchanged for all those new technique cards and used them, he would doubtlessly transform into a human weapon!

    And was this all that his system had?

    Of course not!

    Seiji began to feel that his system wasn¡¯t nearly as simple as he had originally thought¡ªokay, even if it wasn¡¯t simple to begin with, he had nowe to the realization that this was an endless grind!

    ¡®Just activating the [fighting] option is like this¡­ If I activate the other options, it¡¯ll probably be the same way¡­¡¯ He rubbed his temple.

    ¡®Alright, system, you sessfully astounded me,¡¯ Seiji thought as he closed his system menu.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just end things here today and figure the rest out tomorrow.¡¯

    He felt like taking a shower, surfing the web, then resting for the night.

    However¡­

    There was a restless urge within his heart that he had to release.

    Seiji thought about his new avable options.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go out for a walk instead.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t really feel like grinding for points; he was just too excited and wanted to move his body.

    He put on his jacket and left his apartment.

    Outside, it was a cool and dark autumn night.

 Chapter 27 - Monster

    <h4>Chapter 27: Monster</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Why did things be like this?

    Kahei Watari panted heavily as he sprinted furiously at maximum speed. His face was drenched in sweat, and the sweat included both normal sweat from strenuous exertion as well as cold sweat from fear.

    The purple-haired youth next to him, his good friend Takashi Kobayashi, was in a simr condition, and his expression was filled with confusion and fear as he ran desperately.

    They were pursued by a nasty bunch of brutes in suits. They all had ferocious expressions, and most of them were brandishing metal poles or even stun guns, which radiated a fearsome aura.

    It was clear that they were on apletely different scale from teenage hoodlums.

    If Watari and Kobayashi were caught, they would definitely be thrashed badly if not killed outright. The beating would almost certainly be severe to the extent of at least some broken bones, and there was even the chance of being permanently crippled.

    ¡®Why did it all happen?¡¯ Watari forced his brain to work with great difficulty as he focused his eyes on the girl running in front of him.

    That¡¯s right¡ªit was all because of her.

    He had juste out of an inte caf¨¦ together with Kobayashi when he saw a man in a ck suit struggling with this woman. The very slight sliver of justice he possessed as well as his overly hot-blooded nature prompted him to ambush the man and save her.

    But without even a chance to say anything, another man in a ck suit appeared out of nowhere, then a whole bunch¡­ and things turned out like this.

    Other than telling them to hurry up and escape, that woman didn¡¯t have the chance to tell him anything.

    Just who was she? What trouble was she in? Watari had no clue whatsoever.

    He and Kobayashi were only ordinary delinquents, and all he did was protect a woman to fulfill his sense of justice, doing a rare good deed!

    They were currently running down a street filled with businesses, and all the passersby watched them sprint past with bewildered expressions, ignorant of what was currently transpiring.

    Just as they ran through the entire business section, a ck car appeared from the street corner. With the sudden sound of rubber screeching, it braked at the intersection and some more men in ck suits rushed out of the car and blocked their way before the car even came to a full stop!

    The girl in the lead attempted to change direction, but it was toote. The three people escaping had slowed down due to the car¡¯s interference and they were quickly captured.

    Watari and Kobayashi instinctively tried resisting, but two hulking men approached them and instantly knocked them over with a punch and a stun gun.

    "S¡­ stop, they¡­ they have nothing to do with me¡­" The girl said as she desperately attempted to catch her breath.

    She was wearing a jacket and a leather skirt that showcased her excellent figure. She had curly blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and a soft oval-shaped face¡­ even though she was also covered in sweat, it could still be seen that she was an above-average beauty.

    "Let them¡­ go¡­" She said to the man with the vicious-looking scar. Upon hearing this, he coldly strode towards her and ruthlessly pped her on the face!

    "This is a lesson from our leader." The scarred man said icily, while he indicated towards the others that they should teach a lesson to the boys sprawled on the ground.

    And so, Watari and Kobayashi, who were lying motionless on the ground, suffered a brutal beating!

    Upon witnessing this brutal scene, the expressions of the pedestrians underwent a drastic change. Most hurriedly left, some watched from far away, the few honorable ones called the police, while a small number of reckless ones secretly filmed the beating with their cell phones.

    "I said¡­ stop!!!" The girl covered her face where she was pped, and she shouted with tears in her eyes.

    The scarred man merely watched her coldly.

    Seeing the two boys that had defended her were receiving an increasing number of injuries, the blonde girl ground her teeth.

    "I get it¡­" It seemed like she finally gave up on something important as tears incessantly rolled down her face, "I¡­"

    "Oh my¡­"

    A voice filled with resignation interrupted them.

    "Misters¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s going on, but beating someone like this in public, not to mention there¡¯s so many of you beating up on two teenagers, there¡¯s gotta be a problem with that, right?"

    The person to whom the voice belonged to was a boy wearing the mask of a cute character from an anime.

    He was tall and muscr, but it was still evident that he wasn¡¯t very old yet. It was a strange feeling as his appearance in the anime mask was ratherical, which conflicted with the serious nature of the situation.

    The blonde-haired girl was stunned, while the scarred man frowned.

    As the boy approached, a ck-suited man blocked his way and reached out to grab him.

    *Boom!!!*

    A resoundingly clear smack was heard by everyone.

    It sounded like a bag or a balloon had suddenly been popped by a mischievous child.

    The man who was over 1.8 meters tall and weighed more than 100 kilograms was knocked about two meters back and heavily fell to the ground!

    In that instant, everyone was stunned.

    Nobody had ever imagined that they would see a movie-like scene in a real-life scenario.

    "My apologies¡­ I don¡¯t have much experience with fighting, so it¡¯s difficult to control my strength." The boy retracted his fist before he continued striding forwards.

    Everyone came to their senses again.

    Another two ck-suited men approached him, disregarding their fallenpanion, and nked him with a pincer movement. One man wielded a metal pole while the other was armed with a stun gun, and they attacked him without uttering a single sound.

    Their movements were swift, and their attacks had great force behind them.

    But the boy was even faster.

    He suddenly took a step backwards and dodged both their attacks, before he spun around with natural-looking movements, jumped up, and kicked!

    *Boom! Boom!!*

    A sound that was almost like an explosion echoed out again.

    As the boynded lightly, the two men simultaneously fell over and fainted just like the first, without even putting up a struggle.

    Some spectators gasped out in awe¡ª

    "That¡¯s too amazing-"

    "Is this a television drama? This is too unreal¡­"

    "What makes you think it¡¯s a TV drama? Do you see any cameras!?"

    More people started recording this with their cell phones, while some youngsters with high typing speeds even began blogging!

    Three of hispanions were defeated with only a single blow. This caused the scar-faced man¡¯s expression to change.

    He was quite clear about the skill level of hispanions: while it wasn¡¯t exactly like they were all boxing champions, each of them individually should suffice for handling a bunch of low-level hoodlums.

    However, in front of that mysterious boy wearing that ridiculous mask, they were the ones that seemed like low-level hoodlums.

    Just as his expression was changing, another wave of ck-suited men rushed at the boy.

    *Boom!* A beautiful uppercut.

    *Smack! Pound!* A brilliantly executed empty-handed attack to disarm his opponent, followed by an elbow that almost pierced through a ck-suited man¡¯s chest.

    *Smack! Pound! Boom!* He stole a metal pole and struck someone¡¯s head with it, before he broke another man¡¯s arm, and used a merciless knee attack to disable the other one.

    *Pound! Smack! Pound! Smack!* A right uppercut straight to the face, a left kick to the shin, with his left hand blocking attacks as his right leg suddenly kicked over two people.

    ¡­

    By the roadside.

    There was a pack of unconscious men in ck suits behind him that had all copsed on the road.

    He continued walking onwards without a single injury on him!

    This scene was a huge impact to all the remaining men.

    The scarred man¡¯s mouth dropped open.

    He suddenly realized who this boy might be.

    This boy might be that person with "special abilities" that their leader wanted to recruit so badly that he would even sell out his only daughter!

    How ironic¡­

    But he still wasn¡¯tpletely certain.

    The scarred man stopped his few remainingpanions from going up to attack him and took out something from his suit.

    After seeing what it was, the bystanders started shouting panickedly!

    "A gun¡­ he has a gun!!!"

    "This is dangerous¡ªlet¡¯s run!"

    "Did anyone call the police!? Why haven¡¯t theye yet!?"

    That¡¯s right, it was a gun.

    One of the weapons that human civilization has invented, and the strongest weapon that ordinary people could acquire.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re really that person with "special abilities¡­"¡¯ The scarred man¡¯s mouth twisted into a strange smile as he aimed for the boy with his gun.

    But suddenly, he noticed that something was flying towards him.

    It was a metal pole!

    Before he could react, the metal pole urately knocked the gun out of his hand, and the force of the impact also broke his finger.

    The scarred man nced at the gun flying away for an instant, but when he turned back around again, that ridiculous mask was already right in front of him!

    "So fast¡­"

    As expected, this person was¡ª

    *Boom!*

    A fist that felt as heavy as a hammer hit his chest.

    He retreated several steps in order to keep his bnce, but it took about three or four meters for him to stabilize, while his leather shoes even scuffled up some sparks against the pavement!

    *Rip!* The back of his suit also ripped open.

    The heavy blow, which was unlike anything he had ever taken before, felt like it exploded within him!

    He noticed that he was groaning in a low voice while a trail of blood flowed out from from his mouth.

    Had¡­ he ever tasted this feeling before?

    He had been a boxing champion before.

    He had also been an underground fighting champion as well and had fought for huge quantities of money.

    Never from any of his opponents had he ever taken¡­ such a blow that felt like an explosive!!

    "Haha¡­" The scarred man¡¯s face distorted, and his vision was blurry, but he still made an effort to raise his head and look at the boy.

    What kind of¡­ monster was behind that ridiculous anime mask?

    "Wonder¡­ ful¡­"

    Then he fell unconscious. The scarred man copsed onto the ground listlessly.

    The masked boy¡ªSeiji¡ªsecretly heaved a sigh of relief.

    The moment he saw the scarred man reach for a gun, he instantly decided to load back to before the fight, and as he defeated the scarred man¡¯spanions, this time he kept a metal pole and used it at the perfect timing to resolve the dangerous situation.

    "He actually had a gun¡­ that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to fight."

    He had just wanted to test his luck and grind against some low-level mobs; he didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of a huge group of men in ck suits!

    But there was no helping it. After he recognized that the two boys being beaten up were his ssmates, he felt like he was obliged to help them.

    ording to his memories¡­ they were called Watari and Kobayashi?

    Seiji sighed. Delinquents were just too talented at attracting trouble.

    ¡®Well, you were lucky that this time I came and saved you,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself as he looked at the two of them who were moaning on the ground.

    Then, he looked at the remaining ck-suited men.

    Alright, who could tell him what he should do to resolve this terrible situation!?

 Chapter 28 - Director, the script is wrong!

    <h4>Chapter 28: Director, the script is wrong!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    If this was some sort of mystical fantasy cultivation world, Seiji could just ughter them all, then wash his hands and walk away without a care in the world. However, this was a modern society. If someone died, it would be a serious matter.

    Well, that was unless he had the power to cover it all up, but he didn¡¯t.

    So, should he knock out all the remaining ck-suited men before leaving?

    In all honesty, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea, and it was the only idea he currently had. He could just pretend to be a masked hero of justice.

    But even though he was wearing a mask and he purposefully lowered his voice when speaking, there was still a possibility of his identity being discovered, however unlikely.

    Onlyics would have a situation where a masked superhero couldpletely fool everyone about his identity with just a mask and a tightsuit!

    There were many ways to find out someone¡¯s identity in real life that were difficult to deal with.

    And he would prefer to be able to go back to his normal daily life after this¡­

    Seiji remained motionless as he mulled this over in his mind. However, to the remaining ck-suited men, after defeating the scarred man with the gun with a single punch, it seemed like he was coldly gazing at them with an aura of danger surrounding him.

    All of them believed that after being threatened by a gun, he wouldpletely lose his temper! After all, street fights with and without guns were atpletely different levels.

    In such a situation, they didn¡¯t think it would be strange if the masked boy instantly started thrashing all of them.

    Even the bystanders were looking on with bated breath, and they nervously watched what the masked boy would now do¡­

    "Please¡­ please wait!"

    Just as everyone expected violence to break out once more, a girl¡¯s voice rung out.

    It was the curly-haired blonde girl.

    "Please¡­ please stop fighting. They¡¯ve already lost¡­ is it alright if you just let them go?" She nervously begged the boy.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Seiji looked at the girl with a confused expression that was concealed by his mask. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she the victim? Why was she requesting mercy for these guys? Was she some legendary saint?¡¯

    Perhaps she had perceived his doubt as the blonde-haired girl nced at the ck-suited men.

    "They¡­ they¡¯re all my father¡¯s subordinates. This all happened because they were trying to catch me¡­ they were just following orders. I¡­ I know that you were being threatened by a gun, and you must be very angry¡­ but, please believe me¡ªthey¡¯re actually not as bad as you think¡­"

    The blonde-haired girl red at the remaining ck-suited men, took a deep breath, and her expression suddenly distorted.

    "What are you standing around idly for¡ªhurry the hell up and kneel, idiots!!!"

    Instantly, those ck-suited men reflexively rushed up into an orderly line and kneeled together in synchronized unison using the ssic dogeza style.

    "Apologize to this gentleman, bastards!!!" The blonde-haired girl had a severe expression as she gave them another order.

    "We¡¯re truly sorry!" The men shouted together, causing a sound that reverberated throughout the night sky.

    All the bystanders looked on with their mouths wide agape.

    Hidden by his mask, Seiji¡¯s expression was no different.

    The entire street became dead silent¡ªit was possible to hear a pin drop.

    A cold breeze blew down the street.

    "That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s how it is." The girl ran her fingers through her messy hair: "I apologize on their behalf to you as well. I hope that this will quell your rage. If necessary, we can alsopensate you¡­ but I¡¯d need to talk to my father about that first."

    Seiji finally returned to his senses.

    ¡®Director, wasn¡¯t this the wrong script!!?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t stop himself from mentallymenting on this ridiculous situation. He didn''t even know what his current expression looked like. Fortunately, the mask concealed his true expression from the others.

    He eyes flicked back to the blonde girl, who seemed to have made a sincere request. He then turned to look at the remaining men, who were deferentially prostrating themselves to him in a neat row. It took him over ten seconds to finally figure out a suitable reply.

    "Oh¡­ I¡¯ll ept your apologies then¡­ since the situation is like this¡­"

    He turned around and looked at Watari and Kobayashi; their mouths were wide agape, mirroring the expression that the bulk of the bystanders had.

    "What about those two boys?"

    "They were identally involved in this incident¡­" The girl exined the events that had previously urred.

    "I see, then you shouldpensate these two kind-hearted fellows¡­" Seiji spoke in a righteous tone.

    ¡®Man, so in the end it turns out this was all just a family dispute,¡¯ Seiji sighed inwardly.

    "Indeed¡­ my deepest apologies." The blonde girl bowed deeply to him.

    "There¡¯s no need to say it to me; just apologize to those two, and take them to the hospital. Remember to pay off all their hospital fees, and give them properpensation." Seiji waved his hand casually.

    "Yes! We¡­ I¡¯ll make them do that," the blonde girl answered respectfully.

    Seiji nodded lightly.

    "I¡¯m gonna leave now; you guys take care of the rest, and don¡¯t give anyone else any trouble."

    He waved his hand again and prepared to leave without giving any clues to his identity, like leaving his name behind.

    "Oh¡­ um¡­" The blonde girl seemed like she wanted to say something.

    "What else is there?"

    Seiji looked back behind him, when he realized that he just did the pretentious action of leaning his head back 45 degrees to look at her.

    "Um¡­ this¡­ may this girl¡­ know your name?"

    The curly-haired blonde girl¡¯s face was flushed red, and her eyes were sparkling. She was nervously ying with her hands, and her expression seemed like that of a shy girl trying to make a boyfriend.

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon seeing her demeanor.

    What the hell!

    Lady, wasn¡¯t this too much of a difference from the impression you gave just now!?

    A few seconds ago, you were a person of authority ordering those ck suits about¡ªwhat was with this abrupt change in pose and expression!?

    And she even addressed herself as "this girl" in the third person¡­ Seiji felt like goosebumps were erupting all over his skin!!

    Seiji¡¯s brain was racing like a river that had burst from its dam, and his thoughts were unstoppable.

    "Ah¡­ er¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t have any name." He finally managed to suppress his tumultuous thoughts with great difficulty, and said something. "I¡¯m just a passerby that stuck his nose in where it didn¡¯t belong; there¡¯s no need to remember me."

    Then, he turned around and left as he waved.

    "¡­So handsome¡­" The blonde girl watched his silhouette gradually disappear with hearts popping out of her eyes as she murmured to herself.

    Even though she didn¡¯t see his face, Kaede Juumonji believed that he must have an absolutely charming face beneath that mask.

    It was no fantasy; it was her instinct as a woman!

    Tall, strong, handsome, and gentlemanly¡­ he seemed to be perfect in every way.

    That was the type of man that Kaede desired!

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t want to tell her his name.

    Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. After all, this was him merely passing by and saving some random people. The incident was of such a small scale that it didn''t even merit him leaving his name behind.

    Ah¡­ amazing, wonderful.

    If he didn''t want to give his name, then she¡¯d just have to find him by herself, and then¡­

    "M¡­ Miss, what should we do now?" A ck-suited man lifted his head and asked her weakly.

    Kaede was extremely displeased at being interrupted in midst of her fantasies.

    "Of course you should be helping these idiots that have fallen unconscious!! Do I need to teach you each and every little thing!?"

    "Of course! Sorry!"

    Like little chickens being ordered about by a mother hen, the remaining conscious ck-suited men leaped up and tended to their injuredpanions.

    "¡­It feels like, we had it all wrong¡­"

    "Yeah¡­"

    Kahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashi had managed to crawl up and stand. They inspected their sore bodies, whilementing on this situation to each other.

    What the hell was all this!?

    "How are your¡­ injuries? In a moment, we¡¯ll take you to check them out at a hospital." Kaede had noticed them getting up: "My apologies for your unfortunate injuries. You have my gratitude for being willing to assist me¡­ Your hospital fees as well aspensation¡­ I¡¯ll have my family prepare it for you."

    "Ah¡­ there¡¯s no need¡ªwe weren¡¯t that seriously injured." Watari and Kobayashi exchanged nces, and both of them silently agreed that neither of them wanted anything more to do with this girl.

    "That¡¯s not eptable¡ªthat gentleman requested me to do so, so you must ept," Kaede said in a serious tone.

    ¡®We were basically just carried by him¡­ Well, if he didn¡¯t appear to save us, we probably would have been beaten until we fainted by the roadside,¡¯ Watari thought to himself, admitting his own weakness.

    As he had expected, only the strong could be heroes.

    Suddenly Watari noticed that his friend Kobayashi had a hesitant expression.

    "Takashi, what¡¯s the matter?"

    "Oh¡­ not much, I just feel like that person¡¯s figure and sound seemed a little familiar to me." Takashi Kobayashi reflexively answered him, as he tried searching for who it was in his mind.

    ¡®Could he be¡­ was it really him?¡¯

    "What did you say?"

    A low-pitched female voice caused Kobayashi to return to his senses, and then he saw the blonde girl with an almost fanatical expression staring at him!

    *Smack!*

    The blonde girl fiercely gripped Takashi Kobayashi¡¯s shoulder.

    "You said¡­ you felt like you¡¯ve seen that person before? Then, could you please¡­ exin in detail, okay?"

    Even though she appeared to be smiling, there was a fierce atmosphere about her.

    Takashi Kobayashi waspletely frightened; he never imagined that a girl would have such an aura around her!

    "O¡­ okay."

    "Achoo!" Seiji suddenly sneezed inexplicably while on his way home. (Note: Asians believe that sneezing means someone is talking about him/her behind his back.)

    "The wind is cold tonight¡­"

    He checked his system. Even though the incident didn¡¯t really fit the scenario, at least he was able to sessfullyplete the [do a heroic deed] option, which gave him the unexpected windfall of a whopping 15 points.

    Not only that, his system also mentioned [for sessfully defeating an enemy with a gun without a gun yourself, you¡¯ve gained 10 bonus points, and the new card [limit break technique¡ªBullet Time] is now avable and discounted for the limited period of one week!]

 Chapter 29 - Newcomer

    <h4>Chapter 29: Neer</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    [Bullet Time]¡­ Just the name of this technique made it sound like a godly ability.

    Filled with expectation, Seiji opened up a more detailed description of the ability.

    [Limit break technique¡ªBullet Time]¡­ ording to the system, after he had exchanged for this card, his body would awaken an ability that could reach the limits of human potential.

    Specifically, in dangerous situations, such as when he was threatened by gunfire or about to be run over by a car, all the limiters on his body¡¯s physical ability would be removed, and he¡¯d enter an adrenaline rush mode. This would slow down his perception of time, which would enable him to make ultra-fast reactions in order to avoid imminent danger.

    A godly technique! This was definitely a god-level technique, and most importantly, it was a life-saving ability!

    Seiji wanted it more than anything.

    Even though he had the cheat-like ability to save and load, he was greatly concerned about what might ur if he died before he had a chance to load!

    What would happen if he suddenly died before he could load? Would he automatically load the newest save file, or would he truly die? He didn¡¯t know, nor did he wish to experience the truth. After all, what if he died for real?

    So, it could be said that this was currently his only weakness.

    Due to this, when he had noticed that the scarred man intended to take out a gun, he instantly decided to load. He had managed to time it perfectly, so that he was able to knock the gun away before the scarred man could react and fire!

    But what if he didn¡¯t see iting? For example, if an enemy was sniping at him from a long range¡­

    Also, what about getting poisoned? Or being ambushed while he was asleep? If he thought about it carefully, there were actually numerous situations that were difficult to deal with.

    After he had considered all the possibilities, this [Bullet Time] ability seemed even more valuable.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t powerful enough to guaranteeplete safety, it was probably adequate for dealing with many dangerous situations that he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with otherwise.

    It was time to buy! He absolutely must exchange for it!

    The price for it was¡­ 75 points! And this was after the system gave it a "one week only" discount! The original price¡­ was an incredible 150 points!

    As expected of a [limit break technique]¡­ It seemed that being able to push a human body to the utmost limits wasn¡¯t cheap at all.

    "I just received 15 points, and with a bonus of 10 points, that¡¯s 25. So I need to earn 50 more points in a week in order to buy it while it¡¯s on discount." Seiji murmured to himself.

    For 50 points, he could obtain 28 points from grinding [sing] and [dance] for seven days. Was it possible to earn 22 more points by working?

    "Working gives me 4 points each time, so I can get enough after 6 days¡¯ work. It should be possible." Seiji felt confident about it after doing some simple math.

    "But it¡¯s still cutting it close¡­ These points¡­ if something happens, I won¡¯t have enough. Hmm¡­ I need to devise a method to obtain more points."

    ¡­

    It was currently Saturday morning. This Saturday morning marked Hoshi Amami¡¯s first day at work.

    He was working at his aunt¡¯s confectionery store, Divine Taste, where she was both the store manager and owner.

    In reality, Hoshi had some reservations about working for his own family, but because his older sisters were strongly opposed to the idea of him working¡ªeven though he wanted to¡ªthe only ce they agreed topromise on and allow him to work at was his aunt¡¯s shop. Even thispromise required desperate arguments on his part.

    Hoshi couldn¡¯t help but sigh as his thoughts turned towards his older sisters.

    Even though they had their individual problems, generally speaking, they were all quite nice to him.

    However, he was already in ninth grade, and like many teenage boys, he desired a certain degree of independence. Unfortunately, his older sisters were too "nice" to him!

    Hoshi was grateful to them for taking care of him ever since he was a baby. But he was already a third-year middle school student, and his sisters were still "spoiling" him every way possible¡ªit was to the extent that it seemed rather strange to him!

    Even though he was "spoiled," he also had to obey many of his sisters¡¯ limits, and he possessed zero privacy. Not only did his sisters know about his favorite type of girl as well as where his porn stash was hidden, they even knew about how many times he did it a week with his hand¡­ It was just too much for him!

    Not long ago, he had finally worked up the courage to confess to a girl that he¡¯d been interested in for a long time, but he had been rejected with the sentence: "I prefer a manlier type¡ªAmami-kun, you¡¯re a little¡­"

    Hoshi had suffered a huge blow due to the nature of this rejection. After being depressed for a whole week, he had finally decided to change himself!

    He wanted to improve his manliness as well as independent spirit, and he felt like working was an excellent way to begin. It would also enable him to earn some pocket money. After all, as a mild otaku, his hobbies required some money.

    However, sisters were strongly opposed to the notion of him working, and it took desperate resistance on his part in order for them to finally agree to thispromise.

    In the store¡¯s changing room, Hoshi changed into the store uniform while silently encouraging himself to be confident.

    ¡®My aunt said I can do a good job, and all my seniors are nice people¡­ It¡¯s no problem; I can do it!¡¯ He stood in front of a mirror and repeatedly chanted words of encouragement mentally.

    The mirror reflected a skinny boy with thin, long eyshes, soft and gentle cyan eyes, and dark reddish-brown hair that was shiny and sleek. His full lips were a light shade of red¡­ He was so beautiful that didn¡¯t appear to be a boy at all!

    When he was younger, Hoshi felt like he had no problems with his face. However, as he grew older, he gradually realized that his own appearance had a critical w¡ªhe looked too much like a girl!

    After realizing this, he slowly became cognizant that some situations he was already ustomed to¡ªsuch boys who would blush when seeing him, argemotion whenever he walked into the men¡¯s restroom, all the other boys avoiding looking in his direction when changing clothes for P.E. ss, and even receiving the asional love letter from boys he didn¡¯t know¡­ All of those were actually abnormal urrences!

    With such a beautiful face and skinny body shape, it was only natural for him to be seen as feminine.

    But that was of little importance.

    From today onwards, he was going to work hard to change himself!

    Hoshi neatly adjusted his uniform.

    At this moment, the changing room¡¯s door opened.

    "Morning¡­ oh? A neer?"

    "Y¡­ yes!"

    Hoshi turned around and looked at who it was. His eyes instantly became like round saucers.

    So handsome!

    The person who came in was a tall, handsome boy, whose muscles were bulging beneath his jacket. He had a gentle smile on his face, and his entire person seemed bright and sunny.

    Hoshi was stunned¡­ he had never seen such a handsome boy before.

    Even though it may sound narcissistic, apart from on TV and in magazines, he had never seen a prettier boy than himself before! And this was the first time in his entire life that he had admitted defeat in the looks department. Plus¡­ the other boy seemed so manly!

    That was right¡ªnot only was this boy prettier than him, the other boy didn¡¯t seem feminine at all¡ªonly handsome.

    He¡­ had¡­ basically Hoshi¡¯s ideal appearance!

    "Hm¡­ you must be the neer that the store manager mentioned; you¡¯re her nephew, right?" The handsome boy strode over to his own locker and began changing as he watched Hoshi with a hint of amusement: "She described your appearance perfectly¡ªyou really do look like a girl."

    Hoshi felt like he had just been stabbed.

    Did¡­ even his aunt view him that way? He could only smile bitterly.

    "Oh? You seem to really mind?" The handsome boy seemed to detect Hoshi¡¯s disappointment and arched his eyebrows while also taking off his T-shirt and jeans, revealing his strong muscles all over his body.

    "My apologies¡­ but since it¡¯s something you are also aware of, then you just need to work hard and face it. Stand tall and be spirited! If you¡¯re distressed about it and get depressed all the time, people will think you¡¯re even more simr to a girl."

    The handsome boy smoothly put on his work uniform as he talked and organized his appearance neatly in a practiced manner before he shed a brilliant smile at Hoshi.

    "Let¡¯s begin working, neer!"

    "Oh¡­ yes! Senior!"

    Hoshi reflexively answered him loudly and followed his handsome senior out of the changing room.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long until Hoshi learned that this handsome boy¡¯s name was Seigo Harano, and that he was the number one most popr employee at the Divine Taste confectionary store!

 Chapter 30 - Ace

    <h4>Chapter 30: Ace</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    The time period from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on a Saturday morning was always a battle for the employees of the Divine Taste confectionery store.

    There was normally an abundance of customers on the weekend, not to mention the fact that Store Manager Rika Amami always stocked new products each Saturday. Some older sweets on the verge of expiring would be temporarily discounted as well, so the store would always be packed with customers, unless some uncontroble factors like bad weather intervened.

    This Saturday morning was bright and sunny, and the air was crisp and cool. It was perfect weather for going out, so as expected, the store became a hellish battleground.

    "Table 6¡¯s customer has been waiting for too long!"

    "Are the sweets for table 8 not ready yet!?"

    "Table 1 needs more napkins¡ªhurry up and bring some more!"

    "Table 10¡¯s customer has finished eating and left¡ªgo clean up the dishes!"

    "Table 5¡¯s customer has knocked over a cup of juice¡ªhurry up and wipe down the table!"

    ¡­

    Hoshi Amami kept hearing incessantmands at a dizzying pace through his store¡¯s headset.

    The store appeared orderly on the surface, and as customers queued up in a patient manner to be served, the servers were responsible for taking orders, bringing sweets to the tables, wiping tables down, and cleaning up the dishes. Meanwhile, the cashiers would politely smile and greet the customers warmly¡­

    But only the store employees knew from the rapid-fire pace ofmands given in their headsets that everyone¡¯s workload was at the limit!

    Not only were the bakers preparing confectioneries nonstop, the servers were busy dealing with a whirlwind of tasks without the customers noticing. It was at the extent where, if anything happened, the entire store would be plunged into chaos.

    Hoshi knew that as a neer it wasn¡¯t necessary for him to do an excellent job on the first day; as long as he didn¡¯t increase the burden on the other employees, it would be eptable.

    But even that was difficult!

    He had never imagined that a server would have to pay attention to so many small details and situations, as he had zero work experience before.

    For example, taking orders when dealing with customers of varying personalities required different attitudes, or else he risked unintentionally offending the customer. Also, some customers were hesitant and took too much time deciding what to order, while others spoke so fast that it was difficult for him to write down the order¡­

    In summation, Hoshi felt like he was on thin ice as none of his seniors had any time to teach him.

    Just what should he do? How should he do it?

    When his aunt Rika Amami noticed his confusion, she only said one sentence to him.

    "Pay attention to Harano-kun¡ªjust follow his lead."

    "Harano-senpai¡­" Hoshi remembered this sentence and searched for his figure.

    Seigo Harano had an overwhelming presence within the battlefield of the store.

    "Here are the orders for tables 3 and 15."

    "Here are the dishes I cleaned up from tables 10 and 12."

    "Table 7¡¯s customer has enough store points with us to exchange for aplimentary item. Please prepare it at the front register."

    "Here are the desserts for tables 8 and 9."

    Every sentence he uttered in the store headset sounded reliable and steady and helped to counter the anxious atmosphere. He was just like an ace veteran soldier who remained stoic in the face of enemy gunfire.

    In the store, he was indisputably the fastest working and most efficient server. He always managed to swiftly note down the customers¡¯ orders, instantly clean up their leftover tes, and deliver the most desserts to the tables.

    While doing all this, he didn¡¯t show a trace of fatigue, and a gentle smile was ever-present on his face.

    All the customers saw only his calm, collected side, and just this alone drove many girls to be his enthusiastic fans.

    As for the other store employees, there was one part that they universally admired: his reliability!

    As long as it was Harano doing it, they definitely didn¡¯t need to worry. He always aplished his task to a higher standard than anyone else!

    Suddenly, someone started crying inside the store.

    It was a little girl at table 2; she had abruptly started crying for some unknown reason. Her young mother tried her best to calm her, but her attempts were met with failure.

    The crying echoed throughout the entire store and attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    This was a disaster!

    Even though Hoshi Amami had never experienced such a situation before, he understood that this was truly terrible for the store.

    The entire store¡¯s atmosphere was disrupted by her crying, and the customers found it difficult to savor their desserts. Although her crying had nothing to do with the store, that was just human nature.

    If it wasn¡¯t taken care of, the store¡¯s hard-earned poprity would plummet rapidly!

    But even the girl¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t able to hush her crying, so what could they possibly do!?

    "A little girl is crying!"

    "Harano-kun!"

    "Leave it to me."

    There were only three sentences mentioned about this incident in the headset.

    Hoshi witnessed Harano-senpai finish handing out the desserts he carried with the tray in his hand before he headed over to table 2.

    "S¡­ sorry, she¡¯s¡­"

    The young woman with a fairplexion that was the mother didn¡¯t seem like she had much experience dealing with crying children. She seemed helpless for ideas, and when she saw Harano walking over, she realized that she¡¯d inconvenienced the store, so she had an awkward expression.

    Seiji smiled gently at the young woman.

    "Your daughter is really cute¡ªwhat¡¯s her name?"

    "Haruna¡­" Upon seeing such a handsome server smile gently at her, the young woman became slightly flustered, and her face flushed red.

    "Haruna¡­ that¡¯s a good name."

    Seiji kneeled in front of the table and faced the crying girl.

    "Haruna-chan, look at me!"

    Seiji extended his hands and did some strange movements to attract her attention.

    "I¡¯m gonna cast a magic spell now! But if there¡¯s the sound of crying, the magic spirits won¡¯te¡­ So, Haruna-chan, would you mind not crying for the time being?"

    His gentle demeanorbined with the interesting topic and warm smile caused the crying girl to open her eyes wide and slowly stop crying.

    "Alright! Haruna-chan is awesome¡ªthe magic spirits wille now that you¡¯ve stopped crying! Take a good look¡­"

    Seiji smiled as he quickly performed some sleight of hand.

    A brilliantly decorated chocte figure of an anime character appeared in his hand!

    "Wow-" The girl was astounded at the anime chocte that seemed like it had appeared out of thin air.

    "See, this is a present for you from the magic spirits because Haruna-chan is such a good girl!"

    Seiji handed the anime chocte over to the little girl.

    The little girl¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly with excitement as she took the chocte figure with her tiny hands and inspected it with awe.

    "Haruna-chan, remember that you shouldn¡¯t cry! Since the magic spirits dislike the sound of crying, if you always cry, they¡¯ll stay far away from you," Seiji spoke in a soft tone, "but if Haruna-chan smiles frequently, they¡¯lle visit you more often¡ªyour mother can confirm this as well¡­"

    Seiji indicated with his eyes to the young woman that she should agree with him as he said this.

    "Oh¡­ oh, yeah, that¡¯s right, Haruna¡­" The young woman, who had gotten a little too absorbed in watching Seiji, finally returned to her senses and agreed with him as she gently talked to her daughter while looking at Seiji with an expression full of gratitude.

    The girl hadpletely stopped her crying now, and there was a joyous atmosphere between mother and daughter again; it seemed that the store had emerged victorious from their battle.

    "Wonderful!"

    "As expected of Harano!"

    "Too cool! He¡¯s so handsome that even I feel like I¡¯m falling in love, damn it!"

    "Tanaka-senpai¡­ could I ask you to stay a little farther away from me in the future?"

    Theirmunication channel was all abuzz.

    After Hoshi Amami had witnessed and listened to this incident, he respected Seigo Harano more than anyone else he had ever respected.

    The beautiful boy¡¯s heart was filled with excitement as he observed the smiling Seiji continue working.

    "Senpai is amazing¡­"

    He was literally perfect!

    Hoshi Amami¡¯s heart was filled with adtion.

 Chapter 31 - Your femininity is at the max!

    <h4>Chapter 31: Your femininity is at the max!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Seiji breathed a sigh of relief as he watched thestrge group of people depart from the store. The store¡¯s rush hour had finally finished.

    Even though he wasn¡¯t physically fatigued, having to concentrate on work for such a long period took a great toll on his mind.

    Today was yet another normal day of work at the confectionery store. Although today was a different experience, mainly due the new employee.

    Hoshi Amami.

    The store manager¡¯s nephew was a beautiful boy that didn¡¯t look like a boy at all¡ªhe was one of those "cute boys".

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Seiji heard about him from the store manager beforehand, Seiji would¡¯ve definitely mistaken him for a girl.

    There were probably many customers that mistook him as a girl in boys¡¯ clothing as well. Some customers had evenmented to him on how their store had finally hired a female server, even if she seemed rather inexperienced¡­

    Seiji could only exin the truth in every instance. Some customers were shocked upon learning the truth, while others were strangely excited upon hearing the truth, and their eyes glinted with an indescribable light.

    Typically, Seiji was the biggest attraction in the store, but today, Hoshi Amami also attracted a great deal of attention. However, the female customers that had figured out Hoshi¡¯s true gender kept looking back and forth between Seiji and Hoshi with glittering eyes.

    Even though Seiji was reluctant to admit it¡­ those female customers were probably "that" type.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t opposed to otaku girls, since he was an otaku himself and didn¡¯t mind homosexuality either, but it still felt awkward for him to be the target of an otaku girl¡¯s BL fantasy.

    He could only try his best to avoid the subject in his mind.

    As for Hoshi Amami¡­ Seiji felt like Hoshi wasn¡¯t into that either, but his appearance was just too feminine¡­ There was no other way to describe it; if he dressed in a girl¡¯s clothing, he¡¯d be a perfect trap!

    As expected of a world with 2-D elements¡­ even such a character was present in real life.

    Seiji was unsure whether Hoshi had noticed the special treatment he was receiving from the other employees due to his status as the store manager¡¯s nephew and his appearance. Since Seiji had noticed Hoshi¡¯s frustration, Seiji took care not to treat him differently from anyone else.

    Eventually, there was a brief lull in their work. Seiji then took the initiative to start a conversation with Hoshi.

    "Hey, hard worker, how¡¯re you feeling?"

    "Ah¡­ Harano-senpai!" Hoshi had just finished bringing a tray of sweets to a table and smiled at Seiji, "Senpai¡¯s been working hard as well. I¡­ I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m getting used to it even if it¡¯s a little tiring!"

    He lifted his hands and clenched his fist by his face in a cat-like posture as he finished talking.

    ¡®It¡¯s actions like that which cause people to consider you as girlish!¡¯ Seiji eximed mentally.

    "Alright then, the most important thing is to be spirited and enthusiastic. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand about work, you can ask me, or you can ask the others as well."

    "Okay¡­ got it! Senpai¡­ actually, I do have a question¡ªcan I ask it now?"

    "Of course."

    After hearing Seiji¡¯s affirmation, Hoshi took out a small notepad and pen before he asked him some questions regarding small details in work while he took notes in a serious manner.

    Seiji was influenced by Hoshi¡¯s serious attitude and answered each question thoroughly.

    A pretty boy conversing with a tall and handsome boy¡ªthe scene of the two of them standing side-by-side was just like a painting; the female customers especially felt like it was fortunate for them to have visited this store!

    "Those two boys look perfectly suited for each other!"

    "A gentle and handsome Senpai with a pretty Kouhai that needs his protection¡­ Heavens, it¡¯s too beautiful to behold!"

    "Just this sight makes me want some extra confectioneries!"

    The girls¡¯ eyes were ravenous, and they looked as if they could devour them down.

    They chatted excitedly among each other while the "click click" sound of cell phones capturing pictures was clearly audible.

    It seemed that the Divine Taste confectionery store would be even more popr than ever before¡­ This didn¡¯t escape the notice of Manager Rika Amami, whose mouth arced upwards as she had a devious expression of "mission sessful".

    ¡®Let¡¯s increase Haruta-kun and my cute nephew¡¯s bonuses, hehehe!¡¯

    The lull was only momentary, so Seiji and Hoshi had to go back to serving the customers again.

    With guidance from Harano-senpai as well as the other employees, Hoshi felt like he was gradually getting ustomed to the job, and he wasn¡¯t as nervouspared to when he first started doing the job this morning.

    However, incidents often urred once you let down your guard.

    Hoshi was bringing two desserts to a table when a little kid suddenly ran out of nowhere and startled him, causing him to slip. As he slipped, the two desserts on his tray flew up into the air!

    ¡®Ah¡­ darn it!¡¯

    He had made a mistake!

    Just as he wasmenting over his clumsiness, his fall was halted by something, and tworge hands took his tray from him and with a "whoosh" sound, caught all the utensils and sweets that were still in midair!

    This whole process took only a few seconds, and many people witnessed it.

    As Hoshi Amami tripped and was falling backwards, Seigo Harano just happened to be nearby and instantly dashed to his side, using his chest to block his fall as well as catching both tes of desserts sessfully with incredible reflexes!

    It was literally a scene from a movie.

    All the customers and employees that witnessed this scene were stunned before theyuded him with praise after recovering their senses.

    "Amazing! Someone is actually capable of doing all this!?"

    "I¡¯ve only seen such things in movies before¡­ I never imagined that I¡¯d see someone to it in real life!"

    "That was spectacr! Nothingnded on the ground!"

    *p p p¡­* Some customers even broke out into apuse.

    "Amami, you alright?"

    "Ah¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­" Hoshi stood up and finally regained his senses: "T¡­ thank you, Senpai."

    "That¡¯s good then¡­ Go exchange these sweets in the kitchen since we shouldn¡¯t be giving these to the customers anymore, and be careful not to slip anymore," Seiji instructed.

    "Okay¡­" Hoshi¡¯s face was slightly red as he took the tray and walked off.

    Some of the female customers were secretly worked themselves into a fervor at this sight.

    "Hey, did you see that!?"

    "Yeah, yeah! That was wonderful¡­"

    "I wasn¡¯t able to get a picture, damn it!"

    They were all thought to themselves that they needed to show gratitude to God for gifting them such a beautiful scene to etch into their memories!

    ¡®I was saved by Harano-senpai¡­ even like that he could prevent an incident¡­ He¡¯s just too amazing!¡¯ Hoshi was even more impressed than before.

    He secretly wished to be endowed with just 10% of Harano-senpai¡¯s coolness.

    But it seemed difficult.

    Senpai¡¯s body shape appeared so strong and sturdy; it was a stark contrast to his own petite and fragile body.

    Just what should he do? Even if he couldn¡¯t be like Senpai, he wanted to improve himself at the very minimum.

    ¡­

    It was finally time for their break.

    Seiji felt more eyes than usual on him today, which made him feel vaguely ufortable¡­

    While he was resting in the back-room, he noticed that Hoshi Amami had tagged along as well.

    "Amami, you¡¯re also resting at this time?"

    "Yes, Senpai."

    "Oh, then let¡¯s eat our lunchboxes together."

    The store provided its employees with simple lunches, and the taste wasn¡¯t too bad.

    They sat opposite each other in the rest area for the employees.

    Seiji gulped a swig of water and began eating, while the beautiful boy in front of

    Seiji kept his head lowered, and his chopsticks remained motionless.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Amami?"

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi slowly raised his head and looked directly at Seiji as his eyes sparkled: "Actually¡­ I¡­ want you!"

    *Cough!*

    Seiji spat out the half-chewed food in his mouth.

    "Er, Senpai!?"

    "What did you say!? Silly!!"

    "Oh?" Hoshi realized the inappropriateness of his previous words, and his face instantly burned up.

    "Ah¡­ er, that¡¯s not it, that¡¯s not it, that¡¯s not it!" He stood up with apletely red face and identally knocked over the table as well as a cup of water in his furious denial.

    "Ahh, sorry!"

    "Alright, that¡¯s enough! Stop for a moment!"

    When Seiji scolded him, Hoshi froze solid.

    "Calm down¡­ I¡¯ll get a rag to wipe this with." Seiji sighed.

    "Oh¡­ sorry¡­" Hoshi lowered his head in disappointment.

    A minuteter, after the table was wiped clean again, they sat themselves down again.

    "Senpai¡­"

    "I know that you probably just made a mistake with your words. You don¡¯t seem like the type to¡­"

    "I¡¯m not!" Hoshi shook his head vigorously.

    "Then, what exactly did you mean?" Seiji began eating again.

    "I meant, I want¡­ to be someone like Senpai," Hoshi said weakly, "Senpai¡­ is really manly and can do anything well, but I¡­"

    He swallowed his saliva and told him about the impact he suffered recently to his heart.

    "If that girl likes manlier boys¡­ then it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all for her to reject you." Seiji directly said that out loud.

    *Stab!* Hoshi felt like he had just been sliced by a knife.

    "Your height is lower than average, your body is petite, your face is pretty, youck presence, your voice is soft, plus your general demeanor makes you seem girlish¡­ Your femininity is basically at the max! It¡¯s at least 100 times stronger than your masculinity." Seiji relentlessly continued his fierce attack.

    *Stab!* Hoshi suffered yet another blow.

    "I feel like that girl saying that you weren¡¯t manly enough was already being too indirect with you. I think that perhaps she felt like if she was together with you, then you wouldn¡¯t be boyfriend and girlfriend, but two girlfriends instead. Not only that, but maybe she¡¯d even think that you were more feminine than she was!" Seiji ended with a finishing blow.

    *Stab! Stab! Stab!*

    Hoshi felt like he had been pierced all over as he slumped over lifelessly on the table.

 Chapter 32 - Could you become my sistersâ€™ boyfriend!?

    <h4>Chapter 32: Could you be my sisters¡¯ boyfriend!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    ¡®Ah, that sure felt good!¡¯

    Seiji felt like he had exacted revenge as he saw the neer lying prostrate on the table. Well, that was the consequence of startling him earlier.

    "You want to be like me? Physically speaking, it¡¯s a bit difficult¡­ With your body shape, even if you work out at a gym, it¡¯s probably impossible to hope for any noticeable effects within a short timeframe," Seiji said in a confident tone. "In my opinion, if you want to change yourself quickly, you should start with your state of mind."

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi slowly lifted his head with tears in his eyes.

    "You think so as well, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re working here, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re on the right track, but you need to pay more attention to small details. Firstly, you need to change your girlish behavior, and act more spirited. You also need to have more presence."

    "Senpai¡­ is right." Hoshi sat up again and wiped his nose as he took out a notepad and diligently wrote down Seiji¡¯s advice.

    "But¡­ anyway, why do you have those habits of yours? Even if you have the appearance of a girl, your family wouldn¡¯t raise you as one, right?" Seiji asked a question that was lingering in his mind while he ate.

    Hoshi¡¯s hand abruptly froze, and his expression distorted.

    "Actually¡­ I have two older sisters, and they¡¯re twins¡­"

    Hoshi slowly began to inform Seiji about his family life. He spoke about how his beautiful and excellent sisters "spoiled" him, how his parents just allowed his sisters to do whatever they liked; about the things that always happened to him, his realization of the truth as he matured and his resistance, his sisters¡¯ suppression of him, and his desperate struggling¡­

    Seiji didn¡¯t pay him much attention at first, but he eventually began to slowly sympathize.

    What a life Hoshi had!

    To summarize it simply, Hoshi Amami¡¯s life was almost identical to that of a capture target from an otome game, minus any 18+ rated portions or anything overly intimate. The only difference was that his sisters only held familial love towards him and ced a huge amount of restrictions on him as well as training him thoroughly.

    Although the way in which his older sisters treated him technically counted as spoiling, Seiji strongly felt that these twin sisters were ultra-sadists who were intentionally trying to raise their younger brother into bing a masochist trap!

    What cruel witches they were¡­

    "You¡¯ve¡­ had such a hard life, Amami-kun. It must have been rough for you." Seiji gave his condolences.

    "Senpai-" Hoshi Amami was delighted as felt like there was finally someone that understood him!

    His friends and ssmates only saw the external beautiful appearances of his twin elder sisters and their excellence. They were even jealous of the "spoiling" he received from them, but none of them knew just how rough his life was.

    If possible, I want two sisters that are more normal¡ª Hoshi Amami¡¯s very soul desired this more than anything.

    "I think you¡¯ve discovered it at well; you¡¯ve be like this due to your sisters¡¯ training¡­ er, over-spoiling. Uh¡­ how about you live separate from your sisters for a while?" Seiji asked cautiously.

    "Even just getting them to agree to let me work took a great deal of effort," Hoshi smiled wryly, "if at all possible, I¡¯d like to live separate from them as well, but¡­ I don¡¯t know how. Even if I had some idea they¡¯d be sure to stop me¡­"

    Seiji fell silent. "Do your best and keep on living, Amami-kun."

    That was all he could say.

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi was stuck for words.

    Suddenly, he thought of something, and his eyes began to sparkle as he gazed at the handsome face in front of him with excitement.

    "Senpai, do you¡­ currently have a girlfriend?"

    "Oh?" Seiji had an ominous premonition. "For the time being¡­ no," he replied.

    Hoshi Amami instantly stood up.

    He didn¡¯t have the spare time to ponder on why an outstanding boy like Seiji didn¡¯t have a girlfriend; he could only grasp this chance gifted to him by the heavens!

    "Then, Senpai¡­ please be my sisters¡¯ boyfriend!"

    "¡­What!?"

    "As long as Senpai bes my sisters¡¯ boyfriend, you can control their behavior! I¡¯ll finally be free!!"

    Seiji waspletely stunned.

    Hoshi¡¯s eyes continued to sparkle.

    "Senpai, if it¡¯s you, you can definitely do it! My sisters always say the boys they see are all good-for-nothings: either the boy isn¡¯t handsome enough, or his body shape isn¡¯t good enough, or there¡¯s a problem with the personality or too immature¡­ But you¡­ you¡¯re so perfect that you¡¯ll definitely meet their standards!" Hoshi eximed animatedly.

    ¡®I¡¯m being praised, right? But why don¡¯t I feel happy about it!?¡¯ Seiji thought inwardly.

    No, wait, that wasn¡¯t the most important part!

    "Wait a moment! Calm down, Amami-kun!" He raised his hand to halt Amami¡¯s speech: "Although I have various things I want to say, but first¡ªthe most basic part ¡ªyour sisters are twins, so that means two girls, right? And I¡¯m just one person!"

    "That¡¯s right!" Hoshi didn¡¯t notice anything odd about the situation at all.

    Seiji looked at Hoshi with a strange expression and remained silent.

    ¡®Damn it, his junior¡¯s brain didn¡¯t exactly work too well!? What should he do!?¡¯

    When he finally noticed Seiji¡¯s strange expression, Hoshi calmed down and figured out how typical people would view this situation.

    "Oh¡­ Senpai, were you worried about that? It¡¯s not a problem! They¡¯re twins, and they¡¯ve said before that they only need to share one boyfriend between them!" Hoshi revealed a brilliant smile.

    ¡®No problem!? That¡¯s just what you think!!¡¯

    Seiji didn¡¯t even know what to say anymore; he felt helpless against his junior whose thought process didn¡¯t seem to abide bymon sense.

    "Okay then¡­ let¡¯s just say that your sisters are fine with sharing a boyfriend! Even if I meet their standards as well, that doesn¡¯t mean that I need to go be their boyfriend," Seiji sighed, "the current me doesn¡¯t have any time to spare on getting a girlfriend."

    "What!? Why!?" Hoshi was shocked.

    "I¡¯m not as perfect as you think. I was chased out of my home, and I have to work wholeheartedly in order to support myself." Seiji finished thest bite of his lunch: "Our break time is almost over; you should finish eating soon as well."

    "Er¡­ Senpai?" Hoshi was confused.

    "As for my situation¡­ everyone in the store knows already, and we still have a few minutes, so I might as well tell you."

    Seiji poured himself a cup of water and took a sip.

    "Just a while before, I was still a depraved otaku¡­"

    ¡­

    Today was the first day of their younger brother Hoshi Amami¡¯s new job.

    While he was working, it was just helping out at their aunt¡¯s store, so the scenario was barely eptable.

    However, the twin sisters Rion Amami and Kotomi Amami still felt greatly ufortable.

    The sensation was difficult to describe. It felt as if a dog that they had painstakingly trained to be obedient suddenly broke free from his leash and wanted to get rid of his master, breaking free from their control.

    That was right¡ªcontrol.

    Their little brother actually had the courage to break free from their grasp! How dare he!!

    "Hey hey, Kotomi Kotomi, we should definitely punish our little brother somehow, don¡¯t you think?"

    "Yep yep, Rion Rion, we definitely need our little brother to realize what a terrible mistake he¡¯s made!"

    The twins were lying on their bed together in an intimate position, with both hands sped in each other¡¯s hands. They were a tall and slender pair of beautiful twins that were curvy in all the right ces, and their breasts were especially full.

    They both had dark reddish-brown side ponytails. Rion wore hers on the left, while Kotomi wore hers on the right. They had identical facial features with thin eyebrows, cyan-colored eyes, and soft red lips. Their expressions were seductive as they sped each other¡¯s hands with their twin mounds tightly pressed together¡­

    If this scene could be glimpsed by a boy, especially those that were into yuri, it would definitely be a precious memory!

    But s, this was in the privacy of their bedroom, so nobody else was present to witness the scene.

    Enjoying their sisterly intimacy was one of their favorite things to do; it even surpassed even one of their greatest joys in life¡ªtraining their cute younger brother.

    But, even though it didn¡¯t matter as much, they had still spent many years training him, and he was a cute toy that was the source of great enjoyment over the previous years. How could they possibly allow him to break free from his leash?

    They absolutely had to tighten the leash and cor him, so that he was forced to acknowledge that they were his absolute masters.

    Hey, wasn¡¯t that how life was? Oh dear, foolish brother¡­

 Chapter 33 - Twin witches

    <h4>Chapter 33: Twin witches</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Rion Amami and Kotomi Amami loved each other the most in the world.

    Or, more specifically, the herself each girl could see reflected in the other.

    Normally speaking, even identical twins would have at least a few differences. It wasmon for them to have differing opinions on certain subjects, and the things they liked and disliked would also naturally be different.

    But the Amami twins had always been identical ever since they were born¡­ In fact, they werepletely identical, to the point of sharing the same opinion on everything, without even a single difference!

    This was definitely an extraordinarily rare urrence, and it could even be called abnormal, but they¡¯d long since gotten used to it. It was even a source of pride for the twins, as it caused them to believe that they were special and superiorpared to everyone else.

    And they were indeed quite excellent.

    Their looks were already top ss, and, in addition to that, they were at the top of their school in academics as well as excelling in sports.

    In their clubs, they were the aces of the choir club and karate club respectively. They¡¯d also been receiving awards in everything since they could walk, and they enjoyed creating their own songs that became popr online. As well as that, they also live-streamed, and they even modelled for fashion magazines in their spare time. In conclusion, everything they did was outstanding.

    Their entire school referred to the duo as the ¡®twin witches¡¯.

    When they had first started attending school, there were numerous boys who had chased after them fervently, but they had ascertained the true motives of each and every one of them while teasing and toying with their feelings. This ultimately resulted in them being bestowed with such a notorious nickname.

    Unbeknownst to the other students, the twins despised all other men; the only ones that were slight exceptions to this rule were their father and younger brother.

    They only truly loved each other and themselves.

    "Kotomi Kotomi, what type of punishment should we give our brother?"

    "Rion Rion, let¡¯s make him wear a bunny girl costume, and kneel and meow like a cat!"

    "Okay okay! That sounds awesome and amazing."

    "Yep yep! Let¡¯s do that, let¡¯s do that."

    The way they talked to each other sounded like the meaningless repetition of two young children. This was because instead of having a proper conversation with each other, they just enjoyed the process of talking.

    It wasn¡¯t important what they actually said.

    They continued to embrace each other intimately, soft skin touching soft skin, and they chatted about meaningless topics, leisurely letting time pass by¡­

    ¡­

    Hoshi Amami returned home.

    When his shift was over and he had to part ways with Harano-senpai, he felt reluctant to leave just yet.

    Not only was that because Harano-senpai listened to his frustrations and gave honest replies in return¡ªeven if he was so blunt that it hurt¡ªit was also because Harano-senpai happened to be an otaku!

    After discovering that they had simr interests, they had an enjoyable time chatting about various otaku topics.

    Even though this was only his first time meeting Harano-senpai, Hoshi could onlyment at not meeting him earlier, and he already considered him as one of his best friends.

    Harano-senpai was previously a fat otaku, and purely through his own hard effort, he had managed to transform himself into his current handsome form. This miraculous discovery prompted Hoshi to set Harano into his ideal life¡¯s goal to be¡ªthe light which illuminated his dark life!

    On his way back home, he had even changed his cell phone screensaver to Harano-senpai¡¯s picture¡ªof course it was secretly taken.

    If Senpai knew about it, he¡¯d probably have some stern words for him!

    He really wanted Harano as his screensaver, though, so he could only secretly beg for forgiveness.

    As he was about to reach home, he felt like looking at Senpai¡¯s picture again to grant him the confidence he needed to confront his devilish sisters.

    ¡®N¡­ no good! I have to be courageous and face them directly. Senpai told me that I must face all difficulties head-on!¡¯

    Hoshi was bursting with boundless courage ever since receiving Harano-senpai¡¯s encouragement.

    "I¡¯m back!" He put spirit into his voice as he returned home and took off his shoes.

    His sisters weren¡¯t in the living room, and he felt thirsty, so he went to the kitchen, grabbed a can of juice from the refrigerator and drank it as he paced towards his room.

    Two familiar figures appeared.

    Hoshi instinctively shrank somewhat at seeing the familiar silhouettes of those two beauties, but he managed to stand up tall again and retain his manly spirit.

    "Rion, Kotomi, I¡¯m back."

    He greeted them calmly as he bravely gazed directly at them.

    Rion and Kotomi simultaneously tilted their heads and nced at each other before they looked back towards Hoshi.

    "Little bro, did your work go well?"

    "It definitely didn¡¯t go well; he probably caused trouble for others."

    "Yep yep, little bro is always so clumsy and can¡¯t do anything correctly."

    "Yep yep, without his older sisters to take care of him, he¡¯s just a good-for-nothing pretty face."

    Their attacks had started.

    Hoshi secretly ground his teeth.

    His older sisters had always been like this: they saw through everyone and talked to each other while exposing everything.

    If this had been the former him, he probably would have begun retreating already, since it was indisputable that his older sisters were indeed speaking correctly.

    But he had changed vastly now.

    He took a deep breath in order to keep himself spirited.

    ¡®Yes, Senpai repeatedly mentioned that spirit is the most important factor.¡¯

    "Yeah¡­ yes! I didn¡¯t do it too well! But so what!? I¡¯m just a normal boy; of course I would give my seniors trouble on my first day working! But all my seniors are nice people. Instead of ming me, they trust that I¡¯ll be able to learn quickly and improve! I¡¯ve already learned so much after finishing my first day at work. None of what I¡¯ve learned is anything that I can learn at home under all of your restrictions! Sisters, you¡¯re excellent, and I¡¯m definitely a good-for-nothingpared to the two of you, but¡­ I¡¯ll do my best, and I¡¯ve always been working my hardest in order to¡­ prove my worth!"

    As Hoshi finished talking, the emotions he had been suppressing for so long erupted explosively, and he almost ended up shouting. The juice can in his hand was nearly squeezed to an unrecognizable piece of scrap metal by him.

    Some of the remaining juice spilled onto the ground.

    Hoshi nced at the spige before he tilted his head back and finished the rest of the can in one gulp, and tossed the can forcefully into the dustbin.

    This was quite a spirited action by him.

    It definitely wasn¡¯t something he would do normally. He attempted to imagine what Harano-senpai would do in such a situation and was consciously trying to imitate him.

    "Manliness sometimes is just going ahead with your own ideals¡­ you don¡¯t need to think about anything else, you don¡¯t have to be afraid, and don¡¯t be suppressed. Just do what you like as long as you don¡¯t go overboard." Those were the exact words that Harano-senpai told him.

    After throwing away the can, Hoshi silently found a rag and wiped the floor clean before putting the rag away again.

    That was when he noticed that his sisters were still standing in their original positions, staring at him.

    "Do you have anything else to say? If not, I¡¯m going to my room," he said lightly as he passed by the two of them and went to his room.

    The moment he closed the door to his room, Hoshi broke out into a sweat as released a huge sigh.

    "That¡­ was so scary¡­ I thought for sure that they would scold me. But, I aplished it¡­ I did it!"

    Hoshi Amami felt the joy of releasing his true self for the first time in his life after being suppressed unfairly for the past ten-plus years of his life.

    Inside the living room.

    Rion and Kotomi nced at each other with confusion.

    "Kotomi, little bro¡¯s be quite strange."

    "Rion, little bro seems different."

    Their pet puppy that they¡¯d been feeding and training for ten-plus years suddenly bared his fangs.

    Even though it was just a form of venting without much true substance behind it, he was definitely baring his true fangs for the first time ever!

 Chapter 34 - A lesson on how to deal with confession letters

    <h4>Chapter 34: A lesson on how to deal with confession letters</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "Kotomi, little bro only went to work once¡ªhow could he have changed so drastically?"

    "Rion, little bro must have met a weird person and fallen under their strange influence."

    "Yep yep, Kotomi, we must find out who this weird person is."

    "Yep yep, Rion, let¡¯s call our aunt; she¡¯d definitely know~"

    The twin sisters had figured out the truth just by talking to each other, and they had also determined the correct person to ask.

    Their eyes contained the glimmer of having discovered interesting prey to y with as they sped each other¡¯s hands and their smiles arced upwards.

    Their chuckling echoed throughout the living room.

    It was almost like the whispering of witches.

    ¡­

    Seiji had a strange feeling.

    It was a brand-new week, on Monday morning.

    After waking up, Seiji kept feeling like something was about to happen, like he had forgotten something important¡­ It was an indescribable subtle feeling.

    He wondered if he had slept poorlyst night?

    He was slightly tired from thest two days of work, but he also received some nice bonuses, so he wasn¡¯tining. The neer was quite clumsy at first, but he was much better already on his second day, so everything ran smoothly.

    If there was something that seemed off, it was the fact that his junior, Hoshi Amami, seemed way too friendly towards him. Perhaps it was over enthusiastic admiration?

    At any rate, Hoshi Amami seemed to have an exaggerated opinion of him, and with his appearance looking like that of a trap, strange looks would always fly in their direction whenever they stood together.

    Not only that, Hoshi Amami just happened to be a third-year student at Genhana Middle School.

    ''Haha, no matter what, he wouldn¡¯te looking for me in the high school section, would he?'' Seiji joked to himself.

    But he couldn¡¯t bring himself tough at his own joke.

    Darn it, it felt like this had a real possibility of happening!

    Even if Hoshi Amami didn¡¯t have a favorability rating that he could view with his system, Seiji definitely noticed that Hoshi clearly saw him as far more than just normal friends¡­ not only Seiji, everyone had noticed it, since Hoshi¡¯s actions were so obvious!

    Seiji felt a sense of pressure as he imagined his school life with Hoshi stuck to his side at all times like he was in the store.

    ''Give me a break¡­''

    Even though he had an ominous premonition, Seiji never expected that today would truly be filled with bothersome things for him¡­

    The first event was at the shoe locker.

    Seiji went together with Mika to school as usual, but when he opened his shoe locker, he discovered several letters inside.

    Pink, pale blue, light purple¡­ various letters of cute colors were inside, and all of them had heart marks on them.

    ''These¡­ could these be¡­''

    The legendary confession letters in a shoe locker!?

    "Good morning, Mika, Seigo¡­ Oh my?" Chiaki greeted her friends cheerily as she arrived at school until she discovered what Seiji was holding.

    "Heh heh, as expected¡­ I was wondering when they would appear. It was this Monday after all¡­"

    Chiaki didn''t look surprised at all as she patted Seiji on the shoulder.

    "Having so many in just your second week after transferring¡­ Congrattions~"

    "What¡­ oh, love letters." Mika pouted but didn¡¯t seem surprised at all, "Seigo received them as expected¡­ hmph."

    Wait a moment¡ªwhy were those two so calm aobut it!?

    ''This was a love letter in a shoe locker event! And more than one, to boot!'' Seiji felt a strong urge to say that, but after some consideration he realized that it had to do with his physical appearance and the things that had urred after he transferred in.

    He was a popr handsome guy!

    His former way of thinking from his life as an otaku before was too deeply ingrained in him, so even though he realized that he was very handsome, he had never considered the consequences before.

    That was why it was such a huge shock for him to receive love letters in his shoe locker like a popr main character of a manga would!

    At this school, he was no longer an otaku with zero presence; he was someone with beauties by his side at all time, someone who was brightly sparkling, someone considered as high-tier!

    Seiji confirmed all this through Mika¡¯s and Chiaki¡¯s unsurprised reactions to him receiving love letters. It seemed like a natural urrence to them.

    He was able to calm down as well.

    "I¡­ I¡¯ve never received anything like this before." He looked at the letters in his hand while smiling wryly, "I was¡­ only a fat otaku before¡­"

    "Oh, that¡¯s right¡ªyou were that type before." Chiaki looked like she had just remembered.

    Mika was also had aplex expression.

    "So, what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯re so surprised at this event that you feel confused on what to do or how to handle it, right?"

    "Absolutely correct! Please give me some advice, Chiaki Wakaba-sama! I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve received love letters as well before¡­"

    "Of course, I¡¯m not being narcissistic, but I really do have tons of experience in this field. By the way, Mika has experience as well, just a little less than me¡­" Chiaki grinned mischievously.

    "A lot less, okay! I¡¯m not like Chiaki¡­ or Seigo." Mika twisted her head in the other direction.

    Okay then, Chiaki and him were now the popr type that attracted the envy of others!

    Aftering to the realization that he was now the type of person that he envied in his past life and that he was now simr to a main character from the manga known as Boys Over Flowers, Seiji had an indescribable feeling in his chest.

    Actually, he had realized it long ago, but such a ssic event like love letters appearing in his shoe locker gave him a huge shock to the point where his realization was reconfirmed.

    "Just take the love letters with you; I¡¯ll teach you how to deal with them~" Chiaki smiled.

    Shoe locker love letters had approximately three main types.

    One was purely to express admiration¡ªthis type was the easiest to deal with as all he had to do was acknowledge reading it.

    The second type expressed that a girl fancied him and requested his contact information. The girl would usually include her own phone number or email address in this type of letter. If he was interested, then it was fine to approach and befriend her. If not, it was eptable if he politely refused by responding to her contact information.

    The final type directly gave a time and ce for a confession. This kind was also known as a confession love letter, and it was both the rarest as well as the most difficult to deal with.

    If there was only one confession, then it was simple; he just had to go the meeting ce and either say yes or politely refuse her. However, if there were two or more, and if there was a time or ce ovep, then it would get awkward.

    If it was at the same time but different ce, it could still be barely resolved by moving quickly.

    If it was at the same ce but different time, then it would mean time was of the essence; he would need to try his utmost to prevent the two girls from meeting each other.

    As for the same ce, same time¡­ Unfortunately, there was no other way; he had no option but to bravely face the confessors! After all, the most awkward position wasn''t his; it was the two girls that met each other identally.

    "And that concludes Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s lecture! Thanks for listening~"

    Chiaki pretended to push on nonexistent spectacles as she acted the part of a teacher.

    Seiji thought to himself that he had learned the knowledge of the elites¡­ He forced himself to stop thinking that as he recorded everything.

    So even the most popr kids in school had their own difficulties!

    In mangas, the handsome male leads were often the love rival to the main character, and their school lives weren¡¯t described in much detail, and beautiful female leads were only shown interacting with the male lead. There was very little content about their actual lives as well.

    Shoujo mangas would have a little more content about the handsome boys, but very few otakus read shoujo mangas! Even if they did, it usually wasn¡¯t that popr! And if shoujo mangas worked on the same logic as shounen mangas, then there probably wasn¡¯t much detail about the main characters¡¯ lives other than their interactions.

    Besides, the stories in mangas were typically filled with out-of-the-ordinary events, Seiji doubted the usefulness of referencing them anyway.

    That was why Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s lecture was quite important to Seiji.

    He felt like he owed her a favor in a strange way¡­

    ''I''ll treat her to a meal sometime,'' Seiji thought.

    But he didn''t know that this was only the beginning¡­

 Chapter 35 - Destroyer of clubs!

    <h4>Chapter 35: Destroyer of clubs!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Since Chiaki told him that it wasn''t necessary to rush with his replies to the love letters, Seiji temporarily put them in his backpack and decided to look at them during the lunch break.

    During ss.

    While under the effects of his system¡¯s [study] option, Seiji felt like there was a strong gaze upon him, and when he instinctively looked, he noticed¡­ a purple-haired boy.

    It was Takashi Kobayashi.

    He and Kahei Watari were attending school like normal, with bandages on their bodies. It didn¡¯t seem like they were seriously injured. The ssmates didn¡¯t pay their bruised conditions much attention either. As delinquents, it was only normal that they asionally got injured.

    When Takashi noticed Seiji looking back at him, he turned around and averted his gaze.

    Seiji felt a bit confused. Kobayashi was one of the ssmates he saved with his [do a heroic deed] actionst Friday night. Even though that incident became a little out-of-the-ordinary, objectively speaking, he had saved two ssmates and aplished a good deed.

    He was wearing a mask at the time¡­ and no police or ck-suited men came looking for him over the weekend.

    When he searched the incident on the inte, he found videos taken by some bystanders using their cell phones, but due to the video footage being too exaggerated and the final result so oundish, mostments doubted the veracity of the video, and there were rtively little views.

    There were even less people blogging about it, so it didn¡¯t cause even a ripple.

    Nothing special happened; a masked hero didn''t be popr overnight after just one act of justice.

    Seiji thought that the incident had been fully concluded.

    But now, Takashi Kobayashi was silently watching him.

    Had he¡­ been exposed!?

    Seiji felt quite tense. Did Kobayashi recognize him? Was it only Kobayashi¡¯s intuition or imagination? Or was it a coincidence and Kobayashi wasn¡¯t even thinking anything, and he just happened be looking in Seiji¡¯s direction?

    Even if he had been recognized¡­ it should be fine, right? He was the one who saved him, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much to ask them to protect his secret¡­ right?

    ''I''ll observe the situation before making a decision afterwards.''

    Seiji decided to stop thinking about it since he didn¡¯t know Takashi Kobayashi''s true motives.

    After ss.

    Takashi Kobayashi didn¡¯t approach Seiji to speak with him. Seiji nced to see what he was doing, and found that he was chatting with Kahei Watari just like usual. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

    Seiji stopped observing them and was about to get up to go to the bathroom.

    Just as he walked out of his ssroom, a tall and sturdy boy walked up to him.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t exactly short, but this¡­ senpai? This boy was taller than Seiji by at least half a head, and he had a ferocious appearance like that of a bear.

    Seiji looked at the tall boy in confusion, but Seiji wasn¡¯t the type to meddle in others¡¯ affairs, so he was about to walk around the tall boy.

    However, he was intercepted.

    "You¡¯re¡­ the legendary transfer student, Seigo Harano, right?" The stocky senpai asked.

    Legendary¡­ when did he be legendary!? Seiji was quite astonished.

    "I¡¯m the captain of the ser club, Daiki Takagi." Before giving Seiji a chance to respond, the tall and sturdy senpai continued: "After hearing about your exploits at the tennis and basketball clubs, I¡¯m certain that you¡¯re the person that the ser club¡¯s been looking for!"

    "¡­What?" Seiji blinked in confusion.

    *m!* Takagi-senpai abruptly ced hisrge hands on his junior¡¯s shoulders.

    "I request that you join our ser club! We¡¯re not an ipetent club like the tennis and basketball clubs¡ªwe¡¯re all hot-blooded, passionate boys! Come, aim for nationals together with us and spend your hot-blooded youth here!"

    His voice was loud and full of spirit.

    Everyone in the ss and hallway could hear him clearly.

    "That¡¯s Takagi-senpai from the ser club¡­ He¡¯s here to convince Harano-kun."

    "As expected, since Harano-san¡¯s so strong at sports¡­ I heard he singlehandedly defeated two clubs by himself!"

    "I heard that as well¡ªwas it true? The tennis and basketball clubs were¡­"

    "That¡¯s right, it definitely happened. The tennis club has copsed on itself, and the morale of the basketball club is rock-bottom!"

    "Wow, that sounds like something only Harano-kun could pull off~"

    "He¡¯s a destroyer of clubs¡­"

    People were gossiping secretly with each other.

    ''Just how did such rumors begin!?'' Seiji was secretly astounded.

    He had already anticipated that he might be infamous for the tennis and basketball club incidents, but¡­ destroyer of clubs? What was with this immature nickname!?

    It seemed that he had imperceptibly be a legendary creature himself¡­

    Takagi-senpai was still staring at Seiji with shining hope in his eyes.

    Seiji slowly opened his mouth and was about to say something when another voice interrupted.

    "Let him go, Takagi, the legendary transfer student should belong to our volleyball club!"

    A tall and slender senpai in a sports uniform with a bright and handsome face and wearing a ponytail suddenly appeared.

    "Your ser club already has quite a strong team; it¡¯s not like you need a new student, right? Do you intend to make one of the senior students mad by adding a first-year neer to the varsity team, or do you intend for a talent like Harano here to be a benchwarmer?"

    The ponytailed senpai chuckled coldly as his words hit the mark.

    "Our volleyball club is different¡ªwe stillck a consistent, reliable ace! Harano-san can definitely join our club andpete with the other candidates. As long as he proves that he has sufficient talent, there¡¯s no problem with him joining the main team! Everything in our club is decided based on talent! Harano-san, I¡¯m the volleyball club captain, Shouta Eguchi. I sincerely request that you to join our volleyball club!" Eguchi-senpai eximed as he showed off his glistening teeth in a brilliant smile.

    Seiji was rendered speechless at this.

    "Heh, it seems that I was a bitte to the party, but that¡¯s not important. I believe that the legendary transfer student will make the correct decision."

    Another senpai appeared; this one was short but well-built, and he had a spiky hairstyle.

    "For a talent like Harano-san who has such incredible stamina, the track and field club is obviously the best ce for him to utilize his ability! Unlike team sports such as volleyball or ser, track and field has both individual and team categories. Such a sport is definitely the most suitable for such an outstanding talent like Harano-san to show off his true ability! He can help raise the level of the entire team as well as joining individualpetitions without worrying about any of his teammates being too much of a burden on him! That¡¯s why you shoulde to our track and field club, Harano-san. In fact, as the track club captain, I, Kogorou Fujimoto, will promise that you¡¯ll shine spectacrly in track and field!" The stocky Fujimoto-senpai spoke with great spirit.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what expression he was showing anymore.

    "The volleyball, ser, and track club captains are all here¡­ They¡¯re all the captains of major clubs!"

    "Is this the true ability of Harano-san? Destroyer of clubs¡­"

    "Harano-san is too amazing¡ªthis is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen anything like this~"

    "Which club will he choose?"

    The spectators continued to gossip between themselves.

    "Harano-san! Please join our club!" Three voices rung out simultaneously.

    Each of the senpais had such a fierce atmosphere about them that it felt stifling and difficult to breathe.

    ''Somebody save me!!!'' Seiji shouted mentally.

    ¡­

    It took much effort, but Seiji finally managed to rify that he wasn¡¯t interested in joining any club for the time being, and convinced the three captains to leave him alone.

    However, other clubs kepting for him.

    Baseball, swimming, football, bicycling, weightlifting, wrestling, gymnastics, mountain climbing, handball, ping pong, badminton¡­ Just about every sports club he could imagine came to invite him!

    Most of the club captains personally invited him, while the others were all vice-captains or managers. Even some strange clubs such as the fitness club, idol club, public affairs club, and butler club sought him out.

    ''So this school had that many clubs¡­'' Seiji thought as he copsed listlessly onto a table.

    "Hahaha, you¡¯re so popr, Seigo! You¡¯ve be the target of every single sports club~" Chiaki couldn¡¯t stopughing. "But of course, your stamina is like that of a monster¡¯s, and your reactions are incredible as well. You crushed your opponents in the tennis and basketball clubs with purely your physical ability, even if your technique wasn¡¯t up to par. As long as you master the techniques of any sport, you¡¯ll probably be the ace of that club, or maybe even an ace among aces! As long as you¡¯re not held back by your teammates, it should be quite simple to obtain some awards~"

    Mika next to her silently nodded; it seemed that she agreed with Chiaki¡¯s conclusion.

    "But I truly don¡¯t want to join a club right now¡­" Seiji moaned from his position on the table.

    As an otaku, his true nature wasn¡¯t one where he liked sports¡ªall the exercise he previously did was purely in order to raise his stats; going to the tennis club was only to test his newfound strength, and basketball was for the purpose of grinding points.

    Joining a club without actually enjoying the relevant sport¡­ That would make himself feel shackled, and it also felt disrespectful to the members that truly loved that sport.

    How about¡­ not going to any sports clubs to test himself in the future? But he still wanted to grind some points on asion, especially this week¡­ What should he do?

    Time passed by as Seiji battled with his frustrations, and it was now lunch break.

    Another wave of events were about toe for Seiji.

 Chapter 36 - Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 36: Gifts</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    When the lunch break started, Seiji immediately began reading through the love letters.

    Seiji sat together with Mika and Chiaki in their usual spot in the courtyard before he took out the love letters and began to open them.

    ''Wow!'' Even though he had mentally prepared himself, when Seiji saw the dainty writing of female high school students confessing their feelings for him, Seiji¡¯s face instantly flushed red as if he had been lovestruck.

    The original Seiji definitely didn¡¯t have any simr memories, nor did he have such an experience in his past life!

    All of this was far too out of the ordinary for an otaku!

    After reading just the first letter, he could feel his entire face steaming up. If this had been a manga, he was certain that his face would have been releasing smoke.

    So embarrassing¡­

    By the way, was the person they were talking about in the letters really him!?

    Even though Seiji knew that he was a handsome boy now, he still felt that the person the letters were describing sounded far more exaggerated¡­ It sounded like his appearance had undergone photoshopping!

    Was this the phenomenon where people would see their potential lovers as absolutely perfect?

    That didn¡¯t seem right¡­ those girls probably just had an overly positive impression of him due to their fantasies.

    That''s right¡ªteenage girls were still quite shallow; they only saw his physical appearance and thought he was quite handsome, so they imagined him as perfect in every aspect and fell in love with their fantasy version of him.

    Actually, the real him wasn¡¯t that handsome at all, and apart from his current appearance, his past life¡¯s experience told him that he wasn¡¯t all that popr with girls.

    Reminiscing about the past caused him to feel slightly depressed, but he also felt secretly relieved.

    If these girls that had written these letters actually went out with him and saw the true him, they¡¯d surely be disappointed.

    Plus, he was inept at dealing with romantic situations¡­ Naturally, the obvious thing to do was to reject these letters politely. There was no need to be friends, and as long as they didn''t get close to him, he could protect the fantasy version of him in their minds.

    "Seigo, how¡¯re you feeling?" Chiaki smiled, "Are you going to continue reading the letters? Do you need us to get out of your way?" She asked concernedly.

    "Of course I¡¯m going to continue¡­ You guys don¡¯t need to leave¡ªfeel free to eat here. Don¡¯t mind me," Seiji smiled naturally.

    Chiaki squinted slightly at Seiji¡¯s expression, but she remained silent as she began eating her own lunch.

    Mika was feeling slightly depressed at seeing the boy she liked read love letters from other girls right in front of her.

    But, if she left, she knew she would feel even worse, so she also stayed, eating silently while observing Seiji¡¯s expression intently.

    Seiji continued reading through the letters, and his reading speed gradually increased.

    After ten minutes, he had finished all five letters.

    *Ding!* His system made a sound and a notification appeared in front of him¡ª

    [After receiving five love letters, the [gifts] option is now avable. Every time you receive an object from a girl that indicates their love, you can receive reward points or items, as well as exchange points for information on the gifts that a girl prefers.]

    ¡®A new option!¡¯ Seiji instantly widened his eyes in excitement, but he forced himself to to keep hisposure.

    He didn¡¯t expect that another new option would be avable so soon¡­ He decided to check it out in detail when he was alone.

    ording to the notification he had just received, the [gifts] option seemed to be two-way. If he received any type of gift¡­ or objects like love letters, he would be rewarded by his system in the form of points or items.

    Not only that, he could also exchange his points for information on the favorite gifts of whoever he wanted to send something to!

    The first part was a nice bonus, being another method of obtaining points and items apart from his [actions]. The second part was basically a boon for him, as it allowed him to give a suitable gift to people he was unsure about!

    He wasn¡¯t 100% certain as he didn¡¯t have a chance to verify it yet, but that should be the case.

    Seiji thought deeply about his newly unlocked option as he folded the love letters carefully.

    "You¡¯re finished reading? How were they?"

    "Three of them were the first type, and two were the second type."

    "There weren¡¯t any direct confessions; how boring!"

    "Stop joking around¡ªit¡¯s a good thing there weren¡¯t any." Seiji smiled wryly at Chiaki: "I¡­ I¡¯m really not used to this sort of thing."

    "You¡¯ll get used to it." Chiaki chuckled, "I¡­ unlike Mika, I don¡¯t know anything about what you were like before, but I can assure you that the current you is quite excellent! So have some confidence in yourself and ept your current self! Stop immersing yourself in your dark past!" The tomboy reached out and used her index finger to poke Seiji¡¯s forehead.

    Seiji eyes widened slightly.

    "Are you¡­ encouraging me?"

    "What do you think, silly?" Chiaki still had a casual expression.

    Mika, who was watching them, felt there was a strange atmosphere about them.

    "I¡­ I think the current Seiji is awesome as well!" She hurriedly chimed in.

    Seiji looked at her and smiled gently.

    "Thank you guys."

    ¡®Wow¡­ I made them worry about me.¡¯

    "Then¡­ what are you going to do? How are you going to deal with those two girls that gave you their contact information?"

    "I¡­ I¡¯ll reject them politely." Seiji smiled wryly, "I don¡¯t have the heart to think about getting a girlfriend currently."

    Chiaki nodded sagely.

    She was just about to say something else, when footsteps approached in tandem with a soft voice.

    "Harano-senpai!"

    Seiji¡¯s hand jerked violently.

    It couldn¡¯t be¡­ he turned around and looked. Unfortunately, it was exactly who he thought it was: a beautiful middle school boy.

    Hoshi Amami had ran all the way to the high school section, so his face was red from exertion, and his eyes were sparkling from the anticipation of meeting his idol. He carried a lunchbox in one hand, and his other hand clenched his chest as he panted lightly.

    Such a pose was way too cute!

    Mika was stunned at the sight.

    Even Chiaki was rendered speechless.

    There was no helping it¡ªthe petite "girl" that stood before them had a flushed face. This,bined with her delicate panting and the light sheen of sweat that coated her face, caused her to emit an alluring charm that was sufficient for even beautiful girls like them to feel appreciative¡ªthis "girl" had an almost unearthly aura of beauty surrounding her.

    ¡®Well, in all honesty, this man-trap is just too attractive!!!¡¯ Seiji felt like covering his face in embarrassment.

    "Amami, what are you doing here?" He asked helplessly.

    "I¡­ I want to eat lunch together with Senpai¡­ I want to talk more with Senpai!" Hoshi¡¯s eyes continued to glitter as he walked over; he even failed to notice the two beauties standing beside Seiji.

    He finally discovered that there were actually other people with Seiji when he neared Seiji¡¯s position.

    "Ah¡­ sorry, Senpai, am I bothering you?"

    "Yes, you¡¯re bothering me!" Seiji retorted bluntly. However, as soon as he said this, he instantly felt remorseful as Hoshi¡¯s expression fell pitifully. He sighed deeply and continued: "But¡­ since you¡¯vee all the way here, you might as well sit down."

    "Thank you, Senpai!" Hoshi instantly cheered up again.

    Chiaki and Mika nced at each other with nk expressions.

    "Let me introduce you¡­" Seiji sighed, "This is one of my junior coworkers, Hoshi Amami, a third-year middle school student¡­ and a boy."

    "Hello, Senpais!" Hoshi greeted them politely.

    "Hello¡­" Chiaki and Mika replied dazedly.

    Boy¡­!?

    Did Seiji make a mistake? Or was there a mistake with this world!? Both of them were currently filled withplex feelings.

    "This is Mika Uehara. The other one is Chiaki Wakaba; they¡¯re both my good friends from ss."

    "Oh? I thought that they were both Senpai¡¯s girlfriends," Hoshi said innocently.

    "I said before that I didn¡¯t have a girlfriend!" Seiji eximed forcefully.

    "Oh right, hehe~" Hoshi stuck out his tongue cutely.

    "What¡¯s with that hehe!? And stop doing such cute actions! Didn¡¯t you decide to be manlier!?"

    "Senpai¡¯s observations are just as sharp as yesterday¡­" Hoshi had a delighted expression as he closed his eyes.

    Seiji felt all his strength leaving him.

    ¡®That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to meet this person at school, damn it!!!¡¯

    Nothing he said was of any use, but if he was too strict, he would hurt Hoshi¡¯s feelings, and Hoshi held no bad intentions whatsoever or any strange romantic inclinations; he simply idolized him.

    How was he supposed to deal with such a person!?

    Seiji felt a sudden urge to go on the inte and ask a question¡ªjust how was he supposed to manage a trap who overly idolized him!!??

 Chapter 37 - Iâ€™m Harano, what do you want?

    <h4>Chapter 37: I¡¯m Harano, what do you want?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "He¡¯s¡­ really a boy?" Chiaki had hollow eyes as she stared at Hoshi: "I feel like¡­ I¡¯ve lost¡­"

    Don¡¯t admit defeat so readily, Prince Wakaba!

    "I think¡­ he¡¯s more feminine than most girls¡­" Mika muttered to herself.

    Don¡¯t let your worldview be warped, Mika!

    Hoshi Amami¡¯s appearance was quite a blow to both girls.

    That was evidence of just how striking Hoshi¡¯s appearance was as a trap.

    ¡®Okay, calm down.¡¯ Seiji forced himself to cool off.

    He didn¡¯t want to meet this person at school since he didn¡¯t want to attract strange gazes from everyone, but¡­ evidently that wouldn¡¯t be possible anymore, so he could only ept it.

    Or should he harden his heart and chase him away?

    No. That wasn¡¯t an option because Seiji wasn¡¯t a bastard who would harm his friends¡¯ feelings just because of strangers¡¯ opinions.

    Yes, even though he was rather annoying, Hoshi Amami was still his friend, not to mention an otaku friend that was so difficult toe by.

    "You could have just called or texted me if you wanted to talk," Seiji said as he opened his own lunchbox.

    "Although that works as well, I wanted to see Senpai in person¡­ I kept imagining what it would be like to eat together with Senpai at school." Hoshi took out his lunchbox as well.

    "Why¡­ does it feel like I¡¯m still at the confectionery store?" Seiji sighed, "Also, I said it before as well, right? You need to be more aware of your own actions and appearance. Stop saying things that are easy for others to misunderstand, otherwise you¡¯ll be food for otakus like ourselves. For instance, in the store, being stared at by everyone makes you ufortable as well, right?"

    "Mm¡­ even though it¡¯s a slightly odd feeling, but if it¡¯s Senpai¡­" Hoshi looked at Seiji, "I think¡­ I can ept it¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind."

    "Please, don¡¯t just ept it! Pay more attention to yourself, bastard!!" Seijimented forcefully again.

    "Okay~" Hoshi giggled. It was evident that he was enjoying this conversation.

    ¡®Harano-senpai¡­ he¡¯s so amazing, he always speaks his mind, and says what he believes is right¡­ Even though he obviously dislikes being stared at by girls fantasizing about BL, he cares more about his friendship with me! He¡¯s¡­ such an awesome friend and senpai!¡¯

    If Seiji had the ability to see Hoshi¡¯s favorability rating towards him, he would have discovered that this conversation was causing Hoshi¡¯s feelings towards him to skyrocket¡­ and he definitely would have seriously considered chasing this guy away.

    But unfortunately for him, Hoshi Amami was a "cute boy", not a "beautiful girl," so the system didn¡¯t give him any notifications!

    Chiaki and Mika were affected by Seiji¡¯s calm eptance of the situation and returned to their senses as well.

    However, the sight of Seiji chatting away with an impossibly beautiful boy was exceedingly difficult for them to swallow¡­

    "Chiaki¡­ could it be that¡­ Seigo likes that type?" Mika¡¯s imagination was running wild, and her face turned ashen white.

    "No¡­ take a closer look¡ªthey don¡¯t have that type of rtionship. But¡­ I gotta say that this sight is¡­ rather ambiguous and easy to misunderstand. It¡¯s probably a delicious banquet for some girls as well." Chiaki sighed deeply.

    "If you want to change the impression you leave on others, you can ask your Wakaba-senpai here¡ªshe¡¯s the ace of the drama club¡­"

    Seiji¡¯s clever sentence brought Chiaki into their conversation, and he subsequently manoevered Mika into joining their discussion.

    With Seiji leading the conversation, Hoshi began familiarizing himself with Chiaki and Mika.

    However, the short-lived calmness was soon to be disturbed.

    "We found him, Rion."

    "We got him, Kotomi."

    Footsteps approached together apanied by the melodious voices of two unfamiliar people.

    The four of them nced at the approaching figures and widened their eyes in surprise upon doing so.

    "Rion and Kotomi!?" Hoshi Amami was shocked, and his face paled visibly in fright: "Why¡­ why are you two here!?"

    "Kotomi, our little bro¡¯s expression is so amusing!"

    "Yep, Rion, he looks just like a puppy that was caught stealing food!"

    The identical twin sisters giggled in unison. The only difference between the two seductresses was the way in which they wore their side ponytails. Every other feature waspletely identical; they both had thin eyebrows, cyan-colored eyes, and soft red lips. They were both tall and slender with bodacious chests. Either one of them by herself would be a top-ss beauty, and if they appeared together, they would inevitably attract everyone¡¯s attention with their devilish figures and stunning looks!

    "Twins? They¡¯re both so pretty¡­" Mika¡¯s eyes became unfocused once more.

    "Could they be¡­ the ¡®twin witches¡¯? The legendary second-years¡­" Chiaki muttered to herself.

    ¡®Hey hey, didn¡¯t that sound like an immature teenager¡¯s nickname?¡¯ Seiji tilted his head in curiousity.

    They were indeed twin beauties, just as Hoshi had told him.

    Nevertheless¡­ their smiles were somewhat disconcerting, as per Hoshi¡¯s words.

    "Twin witches?" He nced questioningly at Chiaki.

    "They¡¯re the legendary twin sisters from high school second-year. It¡¯s said that they¡¯re endowed with both beauty and intelligence, and they¡¯ve toyed with the feelings of countless boys¡­ It¡¯s just a rumor, though; I don¡¯t know for certain," Chiaki whispered to him.

    "Have you met them before?"

    "No, I¡¯ve only heard about them."

    "What do you think after meeting them?"

    "I think I understand why they have such an infamous nickname and the various rumors surrounding them."

    Those twins were quite pretty, but there was definitely something unsettling about the duo.

    Chiaki and Seiji silently agreed on this point.

    Only the rtively innocent Mika remained oblivious.

    "Why are you guys here!?" Hoshi questioned his sisters warily.

    "Our amusing brother asks such amusing questions as well," Rion started.

    "This is the high school section, and we¡¯re second-year high schoolers," Kotomi continued.

    "We can go wherever we like in the high school section." Rion stated.

    "But as for our cute brother¡­" Kotomi began.

    "Why would you be here?" They finished together.

    The two of them finished each other¡¯s sentences, and thest sentence waspletely synchronized. Their voices ovepped perfectly with each other; even the small action of putting their index fingers over their lips was exactly the same.

    There was an unusual beauty about their synchronistic actions.

    "Oh¡­" Hoshi Amami furrowed his eyebrows and was about to retreat out of habit, but he thought about how the person that had been encouraging him was standing beside him, and a burst of courage welled up inside him.

    "I¡¯m just here¡­ to find a friend!" He stood up straight and eximed, "Sisters, if you would like to talk to me, my apologies¡ªI¡¯m busy right now¡­ If you¡¯re just taking a walk, then feel free to continue!"

    His tone of voice sounded normal and was filled with spirit; there was not a trace of fear to be found.

    However, for the twins, this was a truly unusual urrence.

    Their little puppy with such a weak, cowardly, and soft personality¡ªthe puppy that had always been under their control¡ªdared to have such an attitude towards them!

    Strange¡ªit was too out of the norm.

    Interesting¡ªthis was truly fascinating.

    Even though Rion and Kotomi Amami felt like their little puppy was barking at them, they were still enjoying the experience.

    That was because they had met someone worthy of their interest: the student who had caused this unusual phenomenon.

    "Chiaki Wakaba, the first-year ace of the drama club."

    "Mika Uehara, the first-year ace of the tennis club, although you recently quit."

    They walked past their puppy, looking at the people behind him as they giggled and called out the names of two of those behind him.

    "We¡¯re not here for you."

    "We¡¯re here for¡­ the legendary transfer student; the destroyer of clubs who single-handedly trashed the entire tennis and basketball clubs, Seigo Harano."

    They synchronized their words perfectly once more as they spoke in an amused tone.

    Seiji frowned slightly.

    Their voices were quite pleasing to the ears, but for some reason that he couldn¡¯t quite discern, he felt a sense of enmity towards these twins!

    It definitely wasn¡¯t because the content of their words sounded so immature.

    It was something about their essence¡­ There was something dark hiding within these twin sisters¡ªthat was the source which invoked his hostility.

    "You¡¯re here to find me? Even though I don¡¯t know why, could you please not refer to me using such a stupid method?"

    He stepped out in front of Hoshi.

    "I¡¯ve heard Amami telling me about you two before¡­ His beautiful sisters that have mental issues. What business do you two witches have with me?"

 Chapter 38 - The hero and the witches

    <h4>Chapter 38: The hero and the witches</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    A heavy atmosphere permeated the air.

    A showdown between the twin witches and the destroyer of clubs was about to begin¡­ Even though a ¡®showdown¡¯ sounded rather immature, everyone here could detect that they were shing with each other through their imposing manners.

    That was right¡ªimposing manners.

    Of course, the twins¡¯ beauty and intelligence was already well renowned, which naturally led to them bing arrogant and haughty. This caused them to unconsciously emit an aura of disdain.

    Nevertheless, as for Seiji¡­ the three people chatting happily with him moments ago were all astonished; as he stood in front of Hoshi, his imposing manner seemed no weaker than the twins¡¯ at all!

    Mika inadvertently reminisced about the time when he courageously stood in front of her, protecting her from that scumbag blondie.

    Chiaki recalled back to when he caught the book thrown at her when she took him to visit the drama club.

    Hoshi remembered the charismatic figure that coaxed the crying child during the store¡¯s busiest period.

    They all instantly understood one thing.

    Seiji Haruta¡­ or Seigo Harano was this type of person.

    Normally, with his friends, he would chat naturally, so nobody would feel anything. In actuality, his true essence was actually that of a¡­ hero!

    He wasn¡¯t a hero from a movie that performed glorious deeds. He was an ordinary one who would help the struggling people around him and even stand up for and defend those in danger¡­ a brave and resolute person.

    It wasn¡¯t possible for such a person to have a non-imposing manner!

    His usual casualness was merely an illusion!

    The hero within him was always present, but it only appeared when it was needed.

    That was what the three of them were secretly thinking.

    The twin sisters squinted at Seiji.

    "Hey, Kotomi, it seems like he¡¯ll be difficult to deal with."

    "Yep, Rion, he seems different from all those good-for-nothings we met before."

    The boys their age that they had previously met were always affected by their beauty in some way¡ªeither obviously or beneath the surface. Some pretended to be calm, while others were gentlemanly; some were arrogant and haughty, while others were hypocrites¡­

    Even though the boys¡¯ appearances and behaviors would be different, none of them were different in their disgusting essence.

    Lust, the naked desire to have sex¡ªthat was what boys¡­ what all boys lived for!

    The twins firmly believed this because they¡¯d observed it countless times.

    Even their father and younger brother were no exception to this rule. But as they were family, their target wasn¡¯t the twins.

    Men were all the same¡­ disgusting perverts.

    That was why they were always able to deduce their true motives.

    But¡­ it seemed that they¡¯d encountered¡­ a rare one?

    "Kotomi, is this our first time? Seeing someone so strange?"

    "Rion, I think so. This junior of ours is really strange."

    From the very start, they used their deductive abilities to the utmost.

    However, they failed to find any weaknesses whatsoever!

    Although Seigo Harano seemed like he appreciated their beauty, he wasn¡¯t moved by it, and his eyes seemed quite straightforward and revealed no signs of lust at all. It was as if he was looking at a collection of store mannequins rather than living, beautiful girls.

    Apart from that, his hair didn¡¯t appear like he put any effort into it, nor did he seem to use any makeup or skin care products.

    His cor was quite clean; he didn¡¯t wear a watch or any other essories, and his clothes were unruffled; he didn¡¯t have the slightest trace of being intimate with anyone.

    His pants weren¡¯t especially tattered, his fingernails were clean with nothing underneath, and his shoes werepletely ordinary as well.

    No smell of smoke, gum, cologne, or girls¡­

    There was nothing at all!

    They couldn¡¯t find any hidden signs that could help them shake him.

    "Have you finished looking at me?"

    A light voice interrupted their observation and thoughts.

    "You were just observing me closely, right? Do you believe that your deductive abilities are on par with a famous detective¡¯s?" Seiji asked calmly. "My apologies, unlike a character in a novel, I¡¯m just an ordinary person that has nothing special for you to deduce. At least¡­ everything about me is normal, so I¡¯m extremely sorry that I haven¡¯t been able to provide any interesting fodder to test me with. Oh, if there is any, though, I¡¯m an otaku; not to mention I used to be aplete scumbag just a while before. Maybe that will get your attention, but that¡¯s nothing special either, since I¡¯m not trying to hide it. Did you find any weaknesses of mine? If so, let¡¯s hear it, or else if you keep standing there stupidly, you¡¯ll turn into a pair of idiots."

    His tone of voice remained light and calm throughout.

    To the twin sisters, it sounded like the most arrogant challenge they¡¯d ever received.

    He was basically saying that he was looking down upon them.

    This was a clear insult to them.

    However, they simply weren¡¯t able to detect any weaknesses.

    How was this possible?

    Perverted, disgusting boys would all have their hidden secrets, and these secrets would be their critical weaknesses.

    However, they couldn¡¯t discern a single weakness in him at all!?

    They felt a hint of anxiety at being unable to rid themselves of this insult.

    But they managed to remain calm.

    Even if they temporarily couldn¡¯t find anything, all was not lost.

    Long ago, when they first began observing boys, it wasmon if they weren¡¯t able to instantly spot every boy¡¯s weakness. This was just a repeat of that type of situation.

    The boy in front of them definitely didn¡¯t have zero weaknesses; he just hid them much better than others.

    "Oh my, Kotomi, I¡¯m rather heartbroken."

    "I know, Rion, I feel so bad."

    The two of themughed lightly as they sped each other¡¯s hands.

    "We didn¡¯t even do anything; we just wanted to meet the person that our younger brother admired."

    "Yep, yep, our little bro that we took such good care of for more than ten years went to work for just one day."

    "And then he became someone that yelled and shouted at his older sisters."

    They giggled softly.

    "So, that¡¯s why Kotomi really wants to know¡­"

    "Indeed, Rion would love toprehend¡­"

    "Just what kind of weird person would make our brother so strange!?" The duo eximed together.

    "Sisters¡­" Hoshi Amami¡¯s face flushed deep red, and he prepared to say something charged with emotion, but Seiji raised his hand and stopped him.

    "As you can see, I¡¯m just a normal person," Seiji said calmly as he stared at the twins with a strong light radiating from his eyes, "instead of meeting me, you should reflect on yourselves. Why did your younger brother that you¡¯ve ¡®spoiled¡¯ for so many years feel closer to me, someone he met at work and hasn¡¯t even known for three days,pared to the two of you?"

    "Oh my, Kotomi, did we do something wrong?"

    "Oh my, Rion, we didn¡¯t do anything wrong."

    The beautiful duo both wore confused expressions and blinked together cutely.

    "We always gave our brother beautiful clothes to wear~"

    "They¡¯re just about always girls¡¯ clothes and some really strange clothes! None of it is anything I want to wear, and¡­ you guys never give me anything that I want to wear!"

    "We always cooked delicious food for our brother~"

    "You always put strange ingredients into the food and love to watch my reaction andugh at me!" Hoshi continued denying his sisters¡¯ statements.

    "We always took our brother to fun ces~"

    "Even if you did, you always yed tricks on me! Leaving me behind on purpose, taking me to scary ces, forcing me to go on rides I was too afraid to go on, or making me participate in abnormal programs¡­" Hoshi trailed off as he continued to list his sisters¡¯ deeds against him.

    "We¡¯ve always been thinking about what¡¯s best for our brother!"

    The twin sisters tantly ignored all of Hoshi¡¯s replies and cackled together in unison.

    "Sometimes, I wish that you wouldn¡¯t care so much about me¡­" Hoshi sighed helplessly.

    The giggling twin sisters and the dejected younger brother made for an almostical sight.

    Were they acting in aedy sketch?

    Mika and Chiaki failed to suppress theirughter at the sight.

    Mika and Chiaki seemed to believe that they had a close family rtionship.

    Until they suddenly noticed that Seiji, who had been looking directly at the twins all this time, wasn¡¯t smiling at all.

    Rather, his expression turned grave.

    Without even blinking, he stared directly at them with a sharp glint in his eyes as if he could see through them.

    "You¡­ don¡¯t feel like you¡¯ve done anything wrong?" He suddenly spoke up again in a severe tone.

    "Senpai?" Hoshi also noticed that Harano-senpai wasn¡¯t his usual self.

    "Of course not! Kotomi hasn¡¯t done anything wrong."

    "Obviously not! Rion wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes."

    The twins continued to giggle. Their eyes sparkled brightly, and their mouths faintly arced upwards alluringly.

    "The one in the wrong is¡­"

    "The one who¡¯s be so strange¡­"

    "Our little brother!"

    Their tone of voice, their bodynguage, and even their words were cute.

    Seiji widened his eyes.

    He saw it.

    "Sisters Rion and Kotomi¡­" Hoshi smiled wryly, not knowing what to say, "you guys¡­"

    "¡­Are disgusting." Seiji interrupted.

    "Er?"When Hoshi heard Seiji interrupt him, he looked curiously in Seiji¡¯s direction.

    The result was that Hoshi saw an expression he¡¯d never seen before.

    His Harano-senpai had such a grim, dark expression.

    "You two are truly disgusting."

    Cold, direct, harsh, clear, and condescending.

    That was the tone of voice that Seiji had towards the giggling twin sisters.

 Chapter 39 - Perception

    <h4>Chapter 39: Perception</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Seiji looked at the beautiful faces of the twin sisters, and he clearly saw what was hidden beneath their external appearances.

    What he saw made him feel sick.

    Without a doubt, the words he just said were unmistakably condescending.

    The twins¡¯ expressions stiffened.

    Mika, Chiaki, and Hoshi froze solid.

    The twins were shocked as they had never been insulted so directly before in their entire lives.

    Seiji¡¯s friends paused because they¡¯d never expected such harsh words toe out of his mouth.

    This wasn¡¯t in ordance with the "heroic" impression they had just received!

    However, that was their misunderstanding.

    Seiji Haruta had never considered himself a hero, nor did he wish to be one; in both lives, his life¡¯s principles werepletely unrted with the word "hero."

    Perhaps in some people¡¯s eyes, some of his actions could be deemed as heroic, but that wasn¡¯t what he intended. It was merely a coincidence that his actions were aligned with what people considered as heroic.

    From start to finish, his life¡¯s principles had never changed; all he wanted was to do what he liked, nothing else!

    "You two¡­ are just so disgusting¡­ What else do you have other than your appearance? Hypocritical words, pretentious actions, and a wicked look in your eyes¡­ Even a stinkbug crawling around in a toilet is more attractive than the two of you. Even though you haven¡¯t learned anything yet, you brats already think you know everything. You¡¯re a perfect example of people that have grown up in ignorance. You misunderstand yourselves and your surroundings, but have never been corrected ¡ªyou¡¯re just nothing but a failure of the education system. In the end, you¡¯ll amount to nothing more than rotten garbage in a sewer somewhere¡­ Nobody will care if that¡¯s what happens, but you actually strive to harm others; even your own rtive isn¡¯t spared from your madness! You two im to have taken care of your little brother for more than ten years? What a joke! Can you truly say to yourselves¡ªto your hearts¡ªthat you¡¯ve been treating him as your younger brother!?"

    Seiji¡¯s eyes were filled with icy rage, and his face disyed an expression simr to someone who had just smelled a dposing pile of garbage.

    He was certain that the twin sisters in front of himcked certain qualities a normal human being would have.

    These twin sisters were awful, ultra-selfish people that only cared about themselves!

    In his previous life, he had experience with other rotten characters simr to them before.

    Way too many.

    He saw them far too clearly.

    That was why¡­ he felt such strong disgust.

    "I can already tell! Your attitudes, the looks in your eyes; you treat your own rtive like a dog¡­ No, it¡¯s worse than that¡ªyou see him only as a toy, don¡¯t you!? If you feel like it, you can tease him or y with him, and when you¡¯re bored, or think that he¡¯s worthless, you¡¯ll just kick him aside! Do you dare to say that¡¯s not the case!?"

    Seiji¡¯s imposing manner¡­ No, it had surpassed an imposing manner already; it was more like an overwhelming momentum that felt almost physical, like a frozen ice cube.

    It was like a raging humongous beast that was slowly opening its maw as it red with eyes that could clearly perceive the twin sisters¡¯ true nature.

    "I want to vomit just at the sight of people like you!!!"

    Time seemed as if it had stopped.

    Everything was dead silent.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami werepletely frozen solid.

    That condescending gaze felt like it was piercing right through them, as if they were naked in front of it, and its unconcealed rage and contempt buried them like a copsing mountain!

    Ever since they were born, they had never experienced anything like this.

    Of course, they had faced angry, violent, flustered, or frustrated people and so on before, but¡­ this time was different.

    Seigo Harano¡¯s eyes showed no sign of him having lost control of his emotions, which meant that he was in full control of himself as he logically attacked and vivisected them emotionally.

    This waspletely out of the ordinary. However, what was even more unusual was the fact that the amount of emotions that had welled up within him seemed endlessly massive.

    Massive to the extent where it seemed like it would materialize!

    It was difficult for them to resist.

    This was scary, way too frightening.

    This was dreadful, way too horrifying.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami realized that they were facing an iprehensible existence!

    They weren¡¯t able to see through him.

    Not only that, he saw through them with ease.

    He wasn¡¯t even in the slightest affected by their beauty, and he saw directly through them and spat on them.

    How could there¡­ be such a boy!?

    ¡®So, I finally said it out loud,¡¯ Seiji thought wryly.

    The moment he discovered that they were the type of people he loathed the most, an endless amount of memories from his past life shed in front of him, causing the darkness in his heart to swell up. This prompted him to voice the words that were so harsh and insulting.

    This incident would probably scare everyone else.

    However, he didn¡¯t regret it at all.

    Since everything he previously said was exactly what he wanted to say.

    Even if¡­ they might not understand.

    Mika, Chiaki, Hoshi¡­ Their mouths were all wide agape, and it was clear that they hadn¡¯t regained their senses yet.

    Mika and the others never expected that¡­ Seiji could be so brutal.

    Both in words and attitude.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t directed at them, just being bystanders was enough to feel that frightening wave of icy rage.

    Mika and the others felt like he had be a bit of a stranger.

    Nheless, even if that was the case, when they noticed Seiji silently turning around, taking his lunchbox and leaving, Mika and Chiaki reflexively ended up following him.

    Even Hoshi Amami nced at his sisters and hesitated for a moment, before he left them standing there, deciding to chase after his senpai.

    ¡­

    "My apologies for letting you guys see me like that."

    In another section of the courtyard, Seiji sighed as he apologized.

    Mika, Chiaki, and Hoshi all nced at each other awkwardly.

    "Seigo, why¡­ why were you so angry? It felt¡­ rather scary," Mika said weakly.

    "I admit I agree with her¡­ although I can probably guess the reason," Chiaki said as she studied the beautiful boy beside her.

    Hoshi Amami wore aplex expression on his face.

    "Senpai¡­ was everything you said just now¡­ true?"

    Although Harano-senpai¡¯s condescension and cruel insults made him felt like he was an unfamiliar person, what he worried about even more at the moment was the content of what he just said.

    "Sisters Rion and Kotomi, they¡­"

    Seiji remained silent.

    After some moments, he looked his junior directly in the eyes.

    "Do you want me to be honest? It won¡¯t sound pretty, and it¡¯s all just my personal opinion."

    Hoshi Amami felt a little intimidated, but after some hesitation, he ground his teeth and nodded.

    "I¡¯m not 100% sure, but I¡¯m over 90% certain that your sisters are¡­ scumbags." Seiji went with the blunt approach, "At least¡­ mentally."

    "What¡­"

    It was obvious to see that Hoshi was deeply affected by this, and his face was filled with confusion.

    Mika seemed confused as well, while Chiaki had a thoughtful expression.

    "They look so beautiful, and they¡¯re excellent in everything including behavior, so it may sound a bit ridiculous, but I can tell. In fact, I¡¯m almost certain, because¡­" Seiji paused.

    After all, he couldn¡¯t exactly say that he¡¯d previously seen many of this type in his past life.

    "Because¡­ they¡¯re so simr to the past me."

    The original Seiji was truly such an excellent target to disparage.

    "The past me had a rotten body and heart¡­ but they¡¯re only rotten in the heart and mind¡­ or maybe I should say twisted. Before I met them, judging from your description, I thought that maybe they were a little mischievous. I thought that although they may have some minor personality defects, they were probably still cute older sisters. But after meeting them personally, I could tell from the look in their eyes and their attitudes that it was something all too familiar to me. This was why I could conclude that the depravity in their hearts far exceeds what the others around them could imagine. They never think about anyone else, including their younger brother. They¡¯re extremely selfish and willful, and in their eyes, perhaps everything is just a receable toy to them¡­ parents, little brother, friends, rtives, ssmates¡­ everyone is the same to them."

 Chapter 40 - Loneliness

    <h4>Chapter 40: Loneliness</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Seiji had a serious attitude as he exined his viewpoint, and the content was unbelievably scary.

    "It¡­ couldn¡¯t be? How could there be people like this?" Being the most simplistic, Mika was the first to unconsciously reject Seiji¡¯s conclusion.

    "My previous self was exactly like them." Seiji looked directly at her, "To the past me, all other people were items that could move, and were separated into only two categories: useful and worthless¡­ You should know this well."

    Mika instantly remembered back to that brooding, dark fat otaku from before and trembled.

    After hearing all this from Seiji, she finally remembered that apart from perverted lust, there seemed to be an abnormal light in that fat otaku¡¯s eyes.

    "Now I¡¯ve already realized my mistakes, and everything in the world is different to me. It can finally be said that I¡¯ve be a normal person." Seiji smiled towards Mika.

    "But¡­ they still haven¡¯t realized. As I used to be the same type as them, I can see their true nature, but for others¡­ It would probably be incredibly difficult for others since they¡¯re so beautiful and outstanding, and they don¡¯t seem to get into any trouble of any sort. That¡¯s why you can just treat all this as my own personal fantasy; it¡¯s up to you if you want to believe me or not."

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi clenched his teeth, wanting to say something, but he stopped himself.

    "You need to make your own decision, Hoshi¡­ Amami." Seiji gazed directly at his junior while voicing Hoshi¡¯s name out loud.

    "Perhaps this is a little cruel, but you need to think this out for yourself, Hoshi¡­ You can recognize if my words¡ªas well as more important things¡ªare valid¡­ These are things about your sisters that you¡¯ve always been thinking about before, both consciously and unconsciously. Of course, avoiding the problem is one method of dealing with it, but those who avoid the truth will eventually end up being swallowed by it. I don¡¯t wish for you to be¡­ a sacrifice like that."

    Hoshi remained silent.

    Mika also stood there wordlessly.

    Chiaki appeared contemtive for a while before she seemed to have a sudden epiphany.

    "I just realized¡­ those twin senpais have never shown their true selves to anyone before, right? They¡¯re excellent at hiding their true feelings; as long as they¡¯re in front of others, they¡¯re always acting! No wonder ever since meeting them, I felt that something was off about them."

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika looked at her friend.

    "They¡­ truly have excellent acting techniques." Chiakiughed, but condescension appeared in her eyes, "I¡­ can¡¯t stand such actors though."

    Seiji sighed.

    "Forget about it; let¡¯s stop here. If we talk any more it¡¯ll be like we¡¯re viciously gossiping about others behind their backs."

    "Senpai¡­"

    "Hoshi, you need to beware of your sisters. That¡¯s thest piece of advice I can give you¡­ Beware of them until they realize their own mistakes, or expose their true selves¡­"

    Hoshi Amami lowered his head, and his beautiful face showed a conflicted expression.

    "I¡­ can¡¯t ept this¡­ Senpai, telling me all this¡­ I have no idea what I should do¡­"

    Seiji looked at him and smiled gently.

    "Even though I hate having to use such a clich¨¦ phrase, all I can say is this: do what you want to do. You can choose to believe me, ignore me, or even stop being friends with me; it¡¯s all up to you."

    A trace of pain crept into Hoshi Amami''s expression.

    On one side was his sisters that he had been living with for more than ten years; even if he wasn¡¯t close to them, they were still family¡­ However, on the other side was his senpai that he had known for only a few days but idolized to the extreme¡­ Just how was he supposed to choose?

    And so, everyone finished their lunches in silence.

    As they watched Hoshi Amami leave, Chiaki looked at Seiji.

    "Perhaps¡­ he won¡¯t be talking to you anymore."

    Seiji smiled thinly; his thin smile contained a lonely feeling.

    A few secondster, he turned around and stopped, watching the petite figure disappear from view.

    Seiji sighed. The period where he¡¯d been idolized by a junior was so short, and it was difficult for him to make another otaku friend.

    However, he chose against loading and repeating this day.

    No matter how many times he experienced this day, he would still say the same things, because those were his true feelings.

    There was something seriously wrong with those twins.

    But¡­ it probably didn¡¯t have anything to do with him anymore¡­

    Seiji felt like things would end like this. Hoshi Amami would stop being friends with him, and the twins probably wouldn¡¯t appear in front of him anymore.

    Unfortunately, reality often worked differently from people¡¯s expectations.

    ¡­

    During afternoon sses, Seiji inspected the new [gifts] option in his system.

    Just as he had anticipated, he received an award for each gift he received in real life. For example, the five love letters he previously received increased his points by 7, with three 1s and two 2s.

    The love letters gave him varying amount of points, so it meant that the "quality" of the letter mattered as well¡ªin this case the amount of love contained within each letter.

    The higher the "love" of the letter, the handsomer the reward.

    Also, Seiji could say a person¡¯s name and pull up a gifting list in his system. The gifting list contained information cards he could purchase. The information cards had information regarding the gifts each girl liked, and they ranked from levels 1 through to 9. The highest rank, 9, required the most points to unlock the information about the girl¡¯s gift, so he believed it was probably the most important gift information the system could provide and the gift that would be the girl¡¯s favorite.

    For instance, when he said Mika Uehara¡¯s name, the system listed nine information cards that he could exchange for, from levels 1 through 9. However, when he said Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s name, the system only listed information cards up to rank 7. From this, Seiji concluded that he could only purchase information at the level equal to the target¡¯s favorability rating towards him.

    Seiji wanted to try things out and exchange for a gift information card, but he couldn¡¯t waste any points to spare currently¡ªhe needed to save as many points as possible for the [Bullet Time] skill.

    Trading points for gift information cards that contained the target¡¯s gifts she wanted the most¡­ Wait a second, wasn¡¯t this akin to "mind reading?" Seiji had a sudden realization.

    He didn¡¯t doubt the ability of his system; since it even had the power to save and load, mind reading wasn¡¯t anything special anymore. Besides, being able to see beautiful girls¡¯ favorability ratings towards him was already a type of mind-reading; now, however, he was able to view their favorite gifts as well.

    Just how deeply could these [gifts] "mind read?"

    Seiji thought about it a little, but he eventually decided not to think too deeply into it.

    During a break between sses.

    Mika and Chiaki went to the girls¡¯ restroom together.

    "Are you still thinking about what happened during lunch break?" Chiaki asked her good friend.

    Mika looked at Chiaki and nodded.

    "I know that you must have received a huge shock, suddenly seeing such an unfamiliar side of the person you liked." Chiaki smiled, "That was indeed a bit scary; just being by his side I could feel his chilly emotions¡­ I think that I would pee myself if I was the one being insulted by him like that."

    Mika¡¯s expression froze solid.

    "What¡­ what are you saying!?" Hearing her friend use such a phrase, the pigtailed girl¡¯s face flushed deep red.

    "I¡¯m just saying the truth¡ªdo you have the confidence that you wouldn¡¯t pee yourself?"

    "I¡­ I don¡¯t know! Stop talking about that!" The red-faced Mika red angrily at her friend.

    It was supposed to be a serious topic, but her tomboy friend ruined the atmosphere with those tititing words of hers.

    Well, that was Chiaki¡¯s goal to begin with.

    "Rx, no need to be so serious. Even if I say that, it probably won¡¯t be easy for you to ept, since that scene just earlier would leave too deep of an impression," Chiaki shrugged. "But¡­ I feel like Seigo¡¯s¡­ Seiji Haruta¡¯s intended to prove that he was just a normal person after all. He had been too perfect before this, to the point where¡­ I thought he was a bit fantastical. Even if he seemed a little scary earlier, I still feel like it makes him seem more like a living person."

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "Mika, people always have their faults, including the person that you like. It could even be said that taking so long to disy a fault of his was incredible already," Chiaki chuckled. "Besides, if you analyze it more deeply, this fault of his¡­ might not even be much of a fault."

    "Oh?" Mika blinked.

    "Carefully think about what he previously said: if those twin sisters were so simr to the previous him, then when he was so angrily insulted them, he was actually angrily insulting the worthless him from before, right?"

    With a deep expression in her eyes, Chiaki nced at her friend.

    "Just like you were doing to the old him as well."

    "Er¡­" Mika was stunned.

 Chapter 41 - Honesty

    <h4>Chapter 41: Honesty</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    "Ah¡­" Mika suddenly recalled her harsh treatment of the previous Seiji.

    That was right indeed¡ªwhy had she forgotten the way that she used to treat and insult that fat otaku?

    As the memories surged back into her mind, Mika became increasingly embarrassed.

    Her face was scorching hot to the touch.

    The way she used to angrily shout at Seiji was simr to how Seiji had lectured the twins a few minutes ago.

    So simr¡­

    Considering how she was exactly the same way before, she was unqualified to judge Seiji¡­

    Mika covered her burning face with her hands as tears seeped out the corners of her eyes.

    "I¡¯m the worst¡­ I¡¯m terrible¡­ I¡­"

    She absolutely had to apologize to Seiji!

    ¡­

    "What?"

    When Mika suddenly apologized to Seiji out of the blue, Seiji had no idea what was going on.

    He had no clue how he should respond to Mika as she seemed extremely embarrassed and depressed, but he noticed that Chiaki, who was standing behind her, was trying to conceal herughter.

    "Chiaki¡­ you must have said something weird to Mika, right!?" Seiji instantly saw through her.

    "Chiaki?" Mika looked behind her and abruptly noticed that her friend was nowughing openly.

    "Hahaha, sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t think that you would think this much into it. Haha, you¡¯re so cute, Mika!"

    Chiaki couldn¡¯t stop herughter.

    Mika was stunned for quite a while; even though she wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, judging from her friend¡¯sughter, her mischievous friend must have yed a prank on her again!

    "Chiaki! I¡¯m gonna get angry!"

    "Sorry¡­ but, haha, Mika, I¡¯m guessing that you still don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Honestly¡­"

    "Hmph¡­ waah!" Mika puffed out her cheeks: "Fine¡­ I¡¯m just an idiot!"

    She whacked her good friend lightly with her fists as she said this.

    ¡®What a party.¡¯

    Seiji calmly watched the two girls that were now yfighting with each other.

    It took quite a while for them to calm down.

    Chiaki gave Seiji a brief and simple exnation that easily helped him understand what happened. Her exnation almost rendered him speechless.

    "I see, no wonder Mika was entrapped by you¡­"

    He then looked over at Mika and inwardly remarked on her simple-mindedness. However, her naivety was also one of her cute points.

    "Mika, you don¡¯t need to feel apologetic to me at all. After all, your anger towards my previous self was rightly justified¡­ The old me was human scum; your anger and loathing was all due to my own faults, not because you¡¯re a bad person. Maybe there are some people out there that believe you shouldn¡¯t insult others in any situation, but I disagree; sometimes, insulting others is a method of protecting oneself¡­ It¡¯s much like protecting yourself from an evil person that¡¯s threatening you¡ªthere¡¯s nothing wrong with self-defense. That¡¯s why you weren¡¯t mistaken at all, and you don¡¯t need to apologize." Seiji smiled gently.

    "But¡­" Mika wanted to say something.

    "Besides, during lunch break," Seiji interrupted her, "I admit that perhaps my attitude went a bit overboard, but the words I said then were what I truly wanted to say. Even if I remainedpletely calm throughout, I would still say the same things to those twins. For me, that was my method of expressing my distaste towards those wicked twins, and perhaps the method wasn¡¯t entirely correct, but I don¡¯t regret anything. Objectively speaking, Mika, from your standpoint it seemed like I was saying something so ridiculous to two beautiful girls that I never even met before. You thought my words were overly harsh as they haven¡¯t even done anything that merits such a severe lecture. For you to feel shaken and even doubtful is only natural."

    "I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­" Mika was shocked and tried denying Seiji.

    Seiji smiled as he looked at her.

    "You¡¯re a kind, simple girl, Mika. But¡­ I¡¯m not exactly who you think I am. I used to be a depraved otaku, and even though I¡¯ve changed myself, I don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m a nice, kind person. The true me¡­ is different from the me in your imagination. My apologies for disappointing you, but¡­ this is the real me."

    Seiji opened his hands to disy his sincerity to the pigtailed girl in front of him.

    "I¡¯m just an otaku. An otaku isn¡¯t someone that¡¯s good. An otaku isn¡¯t someone that¡¯s evil. An otaku just does what he wants to do, what he likes to do, and ignores others¡¯ opinions. Lastly, every otaku in the world is different, so I can only represent myself. That¡¯s all."

    Seiji retracted his hands and had a deep smile on his face.

    Mika Uehara¡¯s eyes seemed slightly unfocused.

    Chiaki, who was also listening to all this, could only smile helplessly and shake her head.

    "Mika, Seigo¡¯s already been quite clear with you. You need to figure out the rest on your own. Maybe¡­ it will be rather difficult for you, but you already know what you should know, and if you make an effort, you should be able to understand. I can¡¯t¡­ always be beside you, exining things to you."

    After speaking, Chiaki patted Mika on the shoulder and left.

    Then, it was time for afternoon sses.

    ¡­

    After sses.

    Seiji grabbed his backpack and looked in Mika¡¯s direction.

    The pigtailed beauty was also observing him, but she instantly averted her gaze when their eyes met.

    Seiji smiled wryly before looking at Chiaki whoughed and mouthed a word at him.

    "Idiot." That was the word that she mouthed.

    This "idiot" contained such deep meaning¡­ At the very least Seiji failed to figure it out.

    Was Chiaki saying that he was an idiot? Or that Mika was an idiot?

    Or both?

    Well, forget it.

    He waved at Chiaki, said goodbye to Mika, and prepared to leave school.

    This long, fatiguing day was finally over¡­

    Or so he thought¡­

    As soon as he had taken a few steps out of the ssroom, Seiji detected that someone was following him.

    The two people following him weren¡¯t attempting to conceal themselves, and they actually sped up and approached him.

    "Harano-san¡­"

    They were the delinquents of his ss: the purple-haired Takashi Kobayashi and the tall one, Kahei Watari.

    They nked Seiji from his left and right.

    Upon seeing their behavior, Seiji knew what was going on.

    He must have been recognized by them!

    He could onlyugh at himself mentally, but on the surface he remained unaffected.

    "Harano-san¡­ pleasee with us," Kobayashi whispered to him.

    "What if I don¡¯t?"

    "Then they¡¯lle looking for you directly," Watari said in a grave tone.

    Seiji raised his eyebrow.

    He didn¡¯t ask who "they" were, since he could guess.

    Even though he could probably attempt to feign ignorance, it seemed meaningless.

    "Fine." Seiji made his decision. Even if trouble came looking for him, he wouldn¡¯t retreat from it.

    Watari and Kobayashi continued walking past him, and they intentionally walked in front of Seiji. To the other students, it seemed as if they coincidentally happened to walk past Seiji.

    ¡®Are they trying to look out for my reputation?¡¯ Seiji suddenly thought as he observed their backs.

    Watari and Kobayashi were famous delinquents in school, so any student walking together with them would obviously attract a lot of unwanted attention. The way they were purposefully putting distance between themselves and Seiji could only be exined as acting to protect Seigo Harano¡¯s reputation.

    As he came to this realization, Seiji¡¯s opinion of the duo greatly improved.

    Watari and Kobayashi walked out the front gate of the school and turned down a street after walking for a bit.

    Seiji followed them wordlessly.

    After some more walking, they reached an empty construction lot.

    There were three ck passenger cars parked there, and a row of men in ck suits were standing in an orderly formation in between the cars. In front of the men was a red-haired man wearing a dark red jacket and ck leather pants. Beside him was a blonde girl with curly hair. She wore a brown windbreaker together with a dark blue one-piece dress and ck stockings.

    Watari and Kobayashi halted approximately 10 meters before reaching them and turned around to look at Seiji.

    Seiji also stopped.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Seiji.

    "Is that him?" The red-haired man tilted his head and asked.

    "¡­There¡¯s no mistaking it." The blonde girl stared at the handsome boy as her pretty face tinged with a hint of red, "I absolutely wouldn¡¯t make a mistake."

    Upon hearing this, the red-haired man looked at Seiji and smiled so widely it seemed that his mouth was about to split open.

    The next moment, he suddenly rushed towards Seiji!

 Chapter 42 - Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 42: Invitation</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    A short while earlier.

    "Why did youe here as well?" Kaede Juumonji furrowed her brows at the red-haired man.

    The red-haired man held a cigar in his fingers, which he intermittently took long drags from. He had fierce, bushy eyebrows, a hardened face, and his eyes gleamed with a savage light. His name was Zankita Juumonji, and he was her half-brother from a different mother as well as one of the top-notch fighters in their mafia gang. He was a true battle maniac.

    "Is that how you should be talking to your older brother? Hmph, I even saved you recently!"

    "Big Brother Hisashi was the one who saved me, not you."

    "What!? It was clearly me¡­"

    "Big Brother Hisashi was the one who convinced father to not punish me, or did you really think that you could convince father with your fists?"

    "Er¡­" Zankita Juumonji scratched his head with a trace of embarrassment, "Well, at the very least, I was on your side!"

    "Fine then. Thank you, Big Brother. But¡­ why are you here?"

    "Your gratitude sounds totally insincere!"

    Zankita spat out the cigar dangling from his mouth.

    "I¡¯m obviously here to see the guy you were talking about."

    "You could meet him after I invited him to our ce as well." Kaede sighed, "Big Bro, are your hands itching for a fight again?"

    Zankita merely chuckled without replying.

    "I knew it¡­ let me warn you beforehand¡ªyou¡¯re definitely no match for him!" Kaede told him seriously.

    "You can know just by seeing Furu-chan¡ªhow long would it take you to defeat Furu-chan? Three minutes? One minute? Hmph, well he used only one second and one punch!"

    Furu-chan was the scarred man who Seiji had one-hit-KO¡¯d while reaching for his gun. He was one of the stronger fighters in their organization.

    "How would I know if I don¡¯t try for myself?" Zankita¡¯s eyes were showing the determination of a duelist.

    Zankita loved fighting. Matching bare fist against bare fist was Zankita Juumonji¡¯s favorite activity in the world!

    He had the unwavering belief that men should talk with their fists! For him, that was the only type ofmunication where he could determine a man¡¯s truest personality.

    Unfortunately for him, his younger sister and brother both strongly disagreed with him, and they even told him his way of thinking was too archaic and old-fashioned.

    Who cared!? That was Zankita¡¯s opinion.

    He didn¡¯t understand the way his little sister and brother thought either; all he needed to know was that they were his cute family members.

    Ever since bing undefeated and rising to be the number one fighter in their organization, Zankita wished to seek for someone stronger to fight with. However, due to his father¡¯s restrictions as well as his status, he hadn¡¯t been able to achieve that goal until now.

    An interesting fellow had finally appeared.

    He single-handedly defeated one-third of all the goons in their gang, and he even defeated Furu-chan with a single punch. All the members he defeated were still resigned to resting in the hospital.

    Even though Zankita could do the same thing, he had to admit after watching videos of the incident that he couldn¡¯t do it the same manner.

    No¡­ more importantly, is a person with such an outrageous amount of power even human!?

    Zankita Juumonji knew that there was a hidden side to this world that ordinary people didn¡¯t know about. Not underground organizations like the mafia gang his family ran, but "mystical" things that were iprehensible to ordinary people.

    This person probably belonged to that category.

    This idea alone made Zankita more excited than anything, to the point where his entire body trembled with anticipation!

    He couldn¡¯t bear to wait for his little sister to invite that person over to their ce.

    He wanted to meet that person as soon as possible and challenge him!

    ¡­

    Seiji already anticipated what would happen next when the red-haired man looked at him.

    As the red-haired man began to rush towards him, he chucked his bookbag into the air.

    *Whoosh!* As the red-haired man approached Seiji, he threw a straight uppercut, aiming directly for Seiji¡¯s face!

    *Smack!* Seiji was unfazed by his uppercut and easily blocked his punch.

    The red-haired man immediately followed up with a rapid flurry of tornado-like punches!

    To everyone else, his fists were thrown with such speed that they could only see blurs. Before they could even see the attack clearly, Zankita had already punched again.

    Even with this blindingbination, Zankita had failed tond a single punch.

    The boy in the high school uniform was able to block each and every attack!

    ¡®Amazing!¡¯ Zankita Juumonji shouted in his heart.

    He was pushing himself to his utmost limit. He used his full power and maximum speed for every punch, desperately hoping that at least one blow wouldnd on this youth¡¯s body!

    But it was still fruitless!!

    The high school boy¡¯s expression remained calm throughout, just like¡­ No, hepletely saw through each of his attacks and was able to block everything!

    Then how about this!?

    Zankita feinted with a punch, before he suddenly kicked out with his right leg towards the high school boy¡¯s left shin!

    Juumonji style kicking technique¡ªWhirlwind Kick!

    This move had broken the leg bones of countless underground fighters.

    How would this brat block it? Or would he dodge instead!?

    Zankita received his answer in the next moment.

    Seiji neither blocked nor evaded his kick.

    Instead, he took a single step towards Zankita and closed the distance between them.

    His one step was followed by a devastating elbow attack!

    *Bang!*

    Zankita discovered that he was flying through the air.

    It felt like he had been hit by a car!

    When he finallynded back down to the ground, the leftover force forced him to roll him several times before friction finally absorbed the impact.

    In order to maintain his image in front of his subordinates, Zankita crawled up again after receiving Seiji¡¯s elbow. However, his chest was throbbing explosively, and he failed to suppress the mouthful of blood that spurted up.

    Everyone silently watched Zankita struggle.

    *Thud!* Suddenly, a loud sound echoed out.

    Seiji reached out with his left hand and managed to perfectly catch the bookbag that he had previously thrown into the sky.

    The spectators wordlessly focused their gazes on him.

    What the hell! How could he possibly be this¡­ cool!?

    Kahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashipletely astounded.

    He tossed his backpack into the air before the fight started, had a high-speed fistfight which they could barely perceive, obtained victory with ease, and timed it perfectly to catch his backpack again¡­ Was this even real life!?

    Was this supposed to be a scene from a movie!?

    The two delinquents¡¯ minds were in turmoil.

    Kaede Juumonji¡¯s eyes were starstruck. Her pale face flushed deep red, giving her a sultry appearance.

    "B¡­ brilliant¡­" Zankita Juumonji barely managed to speak as he forced himself to remain standing while wiping the blood from his mouth.

    "It¡­ seems like you¡¯re real¡­"

    ¡®Don¡¯t act like you did that simply to see if he was the real one or not!¡¯ Kaede Juumonji thought to herself as her half-brother interrupted her daydreaming.

    She then sighed deeply.

    "You guys¡­ hurry up and take this idiot away to see a doctor."

    After ordering her subordinates, she turned around and walked slowly towards the high school boy.

    "My deepest apologies, my idiot big brother was rude to you."

    Seiji silently watched the blonde girl who lowered her head and bowed towards him.

    "Sorry for troubling you toe all the way here. But please believe me¡ªwe harbor no ill intentions towards you. My name is Kaede Juumonji, and the idiot that attacked you is Zankita Juumonji. We¡¯re from the ¡®Juumonji Group¡¯. It¡¯s fairly well-known in this area, and we would like to invite you to our ce to have a chat with us about various matters," Kaede said in a soft and gentle tone.

    "What if I refuse?" Seiji asked.

    "Then we¡¯ll invite you every day until you agree." Kaede quelled her nervousness and continued to speak softly.

    After a moderate period of silence.

    Seiji finally let out a sigh.

    "Alright, seeing as how you were rtively polite about it, I¡¯lle with you to your ce for a chat."

    At any rate, if something bad happened, he could just load again.

    Not only that, he also needed some more information about this group of theirs¡­ At the very least, he needed to know their intentions in order to know how to deal with them.

    Kaede inwardly heaved a huge sigh of relief.

    "Thank you very much. Please get on our car then." She indicated to a nearby car with her hand.

    Just as Seiji stepped forward, two voices suddenly spoke up.

    "We¡­ we want to go as well!"

    It was the two delinquents. Kahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashi seemed tense yet resolute as they looked at Kaede.

    "You only found Harano-san because of me." Kobayashi ground his teeth as he spoke: "He¡¯s our ssmate and our¡­ savior! We can¡¯t just watch you guys take him away!"

    "Even though we don¡¯t have the power to stop you, but¡­ at the very least we want to apany him." Watari also opened his mouth and spoke in a low voice.

    Seiji blinked in surprise.

    Kaede was also somewhat taken aback.

    "We¡¯re inviting Harano-san as our guest, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. However¡­ if Harano-san wishes to, you two can also tag along." Kaede allowed Seiji to choose.

    Those two delinquents didn¡¯t seem all that bad.

    Seiji smiled mentally. At least they weren¡¯t the ungrateful type.

    "If you want, feel free toe. I¡¯d also like to ask you two just exactly what happened."

 Chapter 43 - Juumonji group

    <h4>Chapter 43: Juumonji group</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    That night, Takashi Kobayashi felt a wave of regret wash over him as he remembered his previous words.

    The person who saved them obviously didn¡¯t want to have his identity revealed, and if he really was Seigo Harano, then that meant that he had exposed the identity of the person who saved him¡­ Wasn¡¯t that the act of an ingrate!?

    As a delinquent, Takashi Kobayashi wasn¡¯t exactly a paragon of virtue, but he had his own principles as well; he would never sell out someone that had helped him before.

    But he already said it out loud without thinking, and the information was forcefully obtained from him by that blonde girl and her overwhelming aura.

    Thus, he could only pray that Seigo Harano wasn¡¯t the person that she was looking for.

    On Monday during sses, he observed Seigo Harano closely for a while, and as a result¡­ he became certain that Seigo Harano was the masked person they were seeking!

    He was both shocked and depressed at this.

    When the blonde girl called him and asked him about the results of his observation, Takashi Kobayashi told her on purpose that he had been mistaken.

    But maybe his acting skills were poor, or the blonde girl just didn¡¯t believe him, she still forced him to secretly take a photo of Harano and send it for her to decide.

    Takashi Kobayashi could only obey her.

    He was only a normal person, after all; if he disobeyed the mafia, there were plenty of ways for them to punish him¡­ And besides, even if he resisted with all his might, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to obtain the information they wanted.

    He and Kahei Watari were only unimportant characters in the grand scheme of life; they were taken advantage of because they were easy to make use of.

    A few seconds after, he sent her a cell phone picture of Seigo Harano, and she subsequently confirmed that Harano was the masked hero.

    She could confirm instantly just through a cell phone picture!?

    Takashi Kobayashi felt even more afraid as he confirmed how resolute the blonde girl was.

    Everything else that happened was only natural: Kobayashi was asked to bring Seigo Harano to the ce that she requested, or else the blonde girl would take her goons and wait directly in front of the school.

    After consideration¡­ well, there was actually nothing to consider¡ªKobayashi and Watari could only obey.

    ¡­

    "I see." Seiji finished listening to Kobayashi and Watari¡¯s exnation.

    "I¡¯m so sorry, Harano-san¡­" Takashi Kobayashi bit his lips regretfully: "If only I didn¡¯t say it out loud back then, you wouldn¡¯t have¡­"

    "Even if you didn¡¯t say it, as long as they seriously searched for me, I would have been discovered sooner orter." Seiji sighed, "Aren¡¯t I right, Miss¡­ Kaede Juumonji?"

    Lightughter resounded from the direction of the passenger seat.

    "Indeed, although it might have taken some time, all you wore was a simple mask, and there were so many videos taken¡­"

    "Did you hear her? There¡¯s no need to beat yourself up about it; even though it did give me some trouble, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, so forget about it." Seiji smiled at Kobayashi.

    Takashi Kobayashi nodded, but inwardly, he remained ashamed of himself.

    "By the way, Kobayashi-san, you¡¯re quite perceptive. I¡¯ve never even talked to you before, and even though I wore a mask that night and tried to speak in a lower voice, you still recognized me." Seiji changed the topic by praising him.

    "Er¡­ it¡¯s nothing really. I instinctively felt that I¡¯d seen you somewhere before¡­" Kobayashi scratched his head.

    "Takashi often notices the small details." Kahei Watari who had remained silent suddenly spoke up.

    "Oh, indeed¡­ you¡¯re often together. By the way, what do you guys usually do together?"

    Seiji casually changed the topic again in order to relieve their tension as well as to help himself remainposed.

    Seiji wondered if they actually weren¡¯t delinquents. Going to inte cafes, reading manga in bookstores, and ying games in game centers¡ªthese activities caused him to suspect that the duo were otakus!

    A delinquent couldn¡¯t possibly be an otaku!

    Just as Seiji was thinking that to himself, wanting to ask more about this topic, the car slowed down.

    "We¡¯ve arrived," Kaede Juumonji announced.

    Seiji and the others got off the car and were greeted by the sight of a majestic wooden door. It was the type that usually belonged to the huge, secluded houses he would often see in mangas.

    The door slowly opened from the inside, and it could be seen that there were two rows of men in ck suits, lined up neatly to both the left and right of the pathway, creating an imposing atmosphere.

    "Please enter," Kaede politely said to Seiji as she led the way.

    Seiji followed her.

    Kobayashi and Watari walked behind Seiji.

    After they walked past the wooden door, they entered a huge courtyard. At the end of the pathway was one of Sakura Ind¡¯s traditional wooden mansions.

    "WELCOME TO THE JUUMONJI GROUP!!!" x2

    All the men in ck suits on both sides bowed together in synchronized unison, and their shouting echoed loudly in their ears.

    Just this scene could probably make ordinary people thatcked courage pee in their pants.

    Kobayashi and Watari had extremely tense expressions. As low-level hoodlums, they¡¯d never experienced anything like this before.

    If things didn¡¯t go well¡­ perhaps¡­ they wouldn¡¯t live to see tomorrow.

    Both of them had the same thought and reflexively looked at each other as they prepared themselves mentally.

    After entering the mansion.

    Seiji was invited by Kaede to enter the deeper part of the mansion, while Kobayashi and Watari were blocked by some ck-suited men.

    "You guys wait here."

    That was all they were told.

    "Harano-san¡­" They looked towards Seiji.

    Hearing what happened, Seiji turned around.

    "¡­Rx, there¡¯s no need to worry." He thought about it, and decided not to have them apany him, so he just smiled at them and left.

    Kobayashi and Watari could only look at each other awkwardly and remain where they were.

    Finally, Seiji was brought by Kaede to a room which had a view of the garden.

    A middle-aged man wearing the traditional clothing of Sakura Ind¡ªto Seiji, it seemed exactly like a Japanese kimono from his previous world¡ªwas sitting formally in the seiza position next to a table in the center of the room.

    Bookshelves that were crammed with various texts lined the room¡¯s walls, and the scent of paper permeated through the air¡­ This seemed like a study.

    "Father, he is the one." Kaede only spoke one sentence calmly to the middle-aged man before she smiled at Seiji and left.

    Seiji exchanged nces with the middle-aged man.

    The middle-aged man had neatlybed greying hair. Although wrinkles were already appearing on his face, he could be described as having a clear, handsome face. He was wearing spectacles made of a dark wood, and behind them were a pair of light blue eyes that looked both ordinary and sharp.

    Rather than being the leader of a mafia group, he looked more like a college professor, not to mention the type that would be popr with women. That was Seiji¡¯s initial impression of him.

    "Please have a seat, young man." The middle-aged man indicated to the seat across the table from him.

    Seiji looked at the table, then walked over and sat down in the cross-legged position.

    He didn¡¯t know how to sit on his knees¡­ even though he knew about it from his previous life as well, he thought it was hugely ufortable, so he decided to sit Indian style instead as it felt more natural.

    "My name happens to be Michirou Juumonji."

    After seeing Seiji sit down, the man lowered his head slightly and began talking in a low and steady voice.

    "Seigo Harano-san, I deeply apologize for inviting you here in such a manner. My daughter and son have both given you trouble, so I apologize on their behalves as well, and express my gratitude for your generosity in forgiving them."

    ¡®¡­Did I ever mention forgiving them?¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think

    Well, forget about it. He didn¡¯t want to have a verbal confrontation, so he might as well ept it and be the generous one.

    "I¡¯m not exactly all that generous; I just didn¡¯t want any trouble." Seiji said calmly, "Michirou Juumonji-san¡­ right? Inviting me here in such a manner¡­ What was it that you wanted to discuss?"

 Chapter 44 - All I did was say my name, why are you kneeling!?

    <h4>Chapter 44: All I did was say my name, why are you kneeling!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Steady, calm, and unruffled. That was the impression Michirou Juumonji got from the boy he knew as Seigo Harano.

    Even now, he remained unsure about what attitude he should take with this youth.

    If the boy was truly someone with mystical powers, he would be willing to treat him extravagantly, but it wasn¡¯t absolutely confirmed yet, and¡­ since this boy was invited here sessfully, that lowered the chances he was a mystical ability user.

    Michirou believed that it would be incredibly difficult to sessfully invite a real person with mystical powers.

    As mystical ability users were arrogant and haughty, they would look down on ordinary people, which included their mafia group. It was doubtful that they would even want to be seen associating together with them¡­ at least on the surface.

    When Michirou heard that the invitation was sessful and this boy had agreed to meet him, Michirou actually frowned and lowered his expectations.

    The development he expected was that if the boy had been a mystical ability user, Kaede would be rejected, perhaps even warned and threatened, and he would ultimately have to personally invite the boy in the most polite and formal manner.

    But the current situation waspletely different from what he anticipated, so he felt like there was a lower chance that this boy was a mystical ability user¡­In other words, it was a delicate situation.

    After meeting him personally, Michirou could tell that the boy was quite self-assured.

    So, was this boy a mystical ability user or not?

    Michirou Juumonji felt helpless when faced with these types of uncertain situations.

    So, when the boy directly asked him what he wanted to discuss, he contemted the situation at lightning speed in his mind while mentally frowning. In the end, he decided to use the direct approach.

    "What I¡¯d like to discuss is strongly connected with your identity¡­ Could you tell me who you really are?"

    ¡®Who I really am?¡¯ Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "You haven¡¯t investigated?"

    "No, we haven¡¯t done a deep investigation of you. We only know that your name is Seigo Harano, and that you recently transferred to Genhana High School as a first-year student¡­ We know that you have some connection to the student council president there, Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ as well as the fact that you¡¯re far more adept at martial arts than any normal person. That¡¯s the full extent of our information," Michirou informed Seiji calmly.

    "You invited me over with just this knowledge?"

    "We considered the fact that you might be a person with mystical powers, so it would be rude of us to pry with a deeper investigation. We¡¯re inviting you with sincerity, not because we wish to do harm to you."

    The room remained silent for a while.

    ¡®I thought that they¡¯d be able to find everything out about me already in such a short time¡­ It turns out they didn¡¯t even bother to investigate deeply; they only invited me over because they were certain that I was the masked person,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself, ¡®well, that would only be normal as the martial arts abilities I showed off that night were incredulous.¡¯

    Honestly, Seiji didn¡¯t expect either that his fighting ability would be so ridiculous immediately after activating the [Fighting] card¡ªhe felt almost as if he had be the main character of a fighting video game.

    Just kidding. He still wasn¡¯t as oundish as a fighting game character would be in real life, but if he kept increasing his strength through his system, maybe reaching that level would actually be achievable. Come to think of it, he would soon have ess to a technique called [Bullet Time]¡­

    ¡®Cough cough, let¡¯s stop getting sidetracked¡ªafter all, there¡¯s a mafia boss sitting across from me!¡¯ Seiji stopped himself from going off on a tangent.

    "My true identity¡­ even though it¡¯s nothing special, I hope that you guys won¡¯t spread it around," Seiji said in a normal tone of voice as he gazed directly at Michirou Juumonji.

    "Seigo Harano is a fake name¡ªmy real name is¡­ Seiji Haruta."

    Haruta¡­ after taking a few seconds to absorb it, Michirou¡¯s gaze towards him instantly changed!

    "Haruta¡­ Are you talking about the Haruta from the ¡®Seven Great Families¡­¡¯"

    ¡®The Seven Great Families?¡¯ Seiji blinked, and he recalled that Natsuya Yoruhana mentioned this phrase before, so he nodded in confirmation.

    Michirou¡¯s entire expression distorted. This boy imed that his real family name was "Haruta," and acknowledged being from one of the Seven Great Families¡­ Could he be lying? Michirou didn¡¯t think that was the case¡­ since he couldn¡¯t detect any telltale signs of lying from this boy at all. As the leader of the Juumonji Group, he was quite confident in his own judgement regarding other people!

    Not only that, considering the out-of-the-ordinary skill in martial arts that this boy disyed, even if he wasn¡¯t a person with mystical powers, he would definitely have some connection with those that did and know about them. Anyone that knew about mystical powers would understand the true meaning of the family name "Haruta," and would alsoprehend the scary end he would meet if he falsely imed to be from the Haruta family!

    Michirou honestly admitted to himself that even if he had ten lives, he wouldn¡¯t dare to falsely im the Haruta name. Those people were far above ordinary mortals, and anyone that stained the honor of their family name like that would be punished with a fate in hell far worse than death! The existence of a scammer that could falsely masquerade as a "Haruta" without changing expression waspletely impossible!

    So the answer was obvious. Michirou Juumonji broke out into a cold sweat.

    He maintained his seiza position, but backed away three steps.

    "I¡¯m so incredibly sorry¡­" With a flourish of his oversized sleeves, he ced both hands on the ground and formally kowtowed to Seiji!

    "You were actually an important member of the Haruta family¡­ Everything we¡¯ve done before has been overly disrespectful to you; I deeply apologize and hope for your forgiveness!"

    Seiji was astounded. What the hell, all he did was say his name¡ªwhy was this guy suddenly kneeling and kowtowing to him!?

    By the way, were all mafia members so used to doing such gestures!? His movements seemed too practiced!!

    After remaining in a state of shock for a dozen seconds, Seiji finally recalled the words that Natsuya Yoruhana told him before¡ªhe had received the impression back then that his family was incredibly powerful. The original Seiji didn¡¯t have any relevant memories about how powerful his family was, so even Natsuya¡¯s exnation didn¡¯t leave much of an impression on Seiji originally.

    Only now did Seiji realize the true might of the "Haruta" name. It was ridiculous!

    Just saying it out loud could scare a mafia boss into such an action¡­

    ¡®Oops, he¡¯s already been in that pose for quite a while.¡¯

    "Juumonji-san, none of this is necessary, so please get up first." Seiji forced himself to speak as calmly as possible, "Even though I¡¯m from the Haruta family¡­ I was exiled from my family, so there¡¯s no need for you to be so tense."

    ¡®Exiled from his family? A boy who was able to single-handedly defeat one-third of the members in the Juumonji group by himself with a single punch each time, including Furu-chan who was armed with a gun, not to mention my own son who¡¯s the number one fighter in our group? He¡­ he¡¯s only someone who was chased out of his family!?¡¯ Michirou, who only had a blurry impression of the "Haruta" family name before, instantly felt what he imagined to be the family¡¯s terrifying nature!

    If someone who was exiled from his family had such power, what about a member of the main Haruta family? Perhaps just a single person could easily destroy the entire Juumonji group!

    Aftering to this realization, Michirou Juumonji had a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

    "No¡­ even if you¡­ have some special circumstances, you¡¯re still a ¡®Haruta,¡¯ for people like me that are part of the underground society, we must look up to your existence." He slowly raised his head. "I¡¯m truly¡­ truly apologetic for everything that we¡¯ve put you through."

    Okay, having been apologized to so many times, Seiji was beginning to feel awkward.

    "I¡¯ll ept your apology, so no need to keep repeating it." He scratched his face. "Seeing your behavior¡­ I think I don¡¯t need to exin anything further about my real identity, so¡­ just what was it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

    "Before that, please allow me to show you the courtesy of the Juumonji group." Michirou Juumonji bowed again, then lifted his arms and pped his hands. Instantly, two young and beautiful women wearing traditional Sakura Ind clothing entered the room. One woman was holding arge tray that contained many small tes filled with a dazzling array of desserts, while the other woman had a tray with a teapot, teacups, tea leaves, stirring spoon¡­ and so on. After the two of them entered, they kneeled by the table and ced the tes on the table one by one. After cing the dessert tray on the table and the tea items next to Michirou, they bowed and left wordlessly.

    "Allow me to make some tea for you. Please enjoy some desserts first." Michirou indicated to Seiji.

    Seiji could tell that Michirou Juumonji definitely didn¡¯t seem to harbor any ill intentions towards him, and even seemed to respect him a little too much, so he rxed his guard slightly as well, stopped exchanging pleasantries, and picked up some sweets that caught his eye.

    ¡®Mm, delicious! They were probably made by a skilled baker¡ªthe taste is even better than what the Divine Taste confectionery store produces. Well, after all, the store mass-produces sweets in bulk.¡¯

    A thought suddenly popped into Seiji¡¯s mind: how good would the desserts that Rika Amami personally baked with care taste? Not only was she the owner and store manager, all the desserts in their store were personally designed by her.

    As an employee working in the front, he¡¯d never had the opportunity to taste her cooking before. Most likely only those working in the kitchen would have that chance. Seiji thought about all this as he tasted the sweetsid out before him.

    Meanwhile, Michirou Juumonji was doing something with the tools to make tea that Seiji didn¡¯t really understand. He boiled some water, added tea leaves, and stirred¡­ All his actions seemed serious as he went about the tea ceremony.

    ¡®This probably isn¡¯t a real tea ceremony¡­ It¡¯s just enough to act pretentious and fool some young girls into falling in love with him, if he had actually been a college professor,¡¯ Seiji casually thought.

    After some smooth and pretentious¡­ no wait, tea ceremony actions, Michirou held a cup of hot tea in his hand for Seiji to take.

    This was the first time that Michirou had ever respectfully offered such a young person a cup of tea personally brewed by him; even his own children had never received this from him before!

    Michirou didn¡¯t think of all this as insulting at all, but rather considered it his honor to do so. That was because there was a "Haruta" in front of him!

    Even if Seiji was exiled from his family¡­ no, Michirou received this opportunity exactly because Seiji was exiled from his family.

    This was the answer to his earlier doubts. He assumed Seiji wasn¡¯t as arrogant as he expected and agreed to the invitation because he had been chased out of his family.

    Otherwise, he might not ever get the chance to meet someone with mystical powers during his entire lifetime!

    "Please, have some tea."

    "Oh¡­ thank you."

    Seiji took the teacup and carefully took a sip.

    "Mm, this tastes nice¡­ It¡¯s good tea."

    Michirou Juumonji smiled faintly at hearing Seiji¡¯spliment. He inwardly considered this to be the most glorious moment of his life.

 Chapter 45 - Frozen to death

    <h4>Chapter 45: Frozen to death</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    After Seiji finished eating the desserts and drinking tea, it was time for the main topic of conversation.

    "Approximately two weeks ago, in our group¡¯s territory, something strange urred," Michirou Juumonji began to calmly narrate a story to Seiji, "somebody¡­ froze to death."

    "Froze to death?" Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    It was currentlyte autumn, so two weeks ago would count as midte autumn. The temperature at that time meant that it impossible for someone to freeze to death.

    The only exception Seiji could think of was if the person was homeless and in a truly terrible situation. This, inbination with absolutely awful weather, and the person in question coincidentally possessing a weak constitution¡­ But, even so, it still seemed uncanny.

    "Yes, he froze to death in a corner of the street." Michirou pped his hands three times as he spoke.

    A man in a ck suit entered the room and bowed respectfully towards them before he ced an envelope onto the table and left the room.

    ¡®¡­Just how many people were standing outside the door awaiting orders?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s curiosity was roused, but he decided to look at the envelope¡¯s contents first.

    Michirou Juumonji removed several pictures from the envelope and slowly ced the first one on the pile in front of Seiji.

    The photograph depicted a young man with a punk-like hairstyle. He wore a leather jacket, jeans and was curled up into a ball in the corner of some obscure alleyway. He was hugging himself tightly; his face was ashen-white, his eyes were wide open, and his expression was filled with terror.

    "This was the first one to be discovered, and as you can probably tell, he wasn¡¯t a homeless person, nor was he an old person with a weak body¡ªhe was merely an ordinary lowlife scumbag," Michirou informed Seiji.

    ¡®Hearing a mafia boss say the words lowlife scumbag, what a strange feeling¡­¡¯

    "Indeed, he doesn¡¯t look like someone that would have been reduced to freezing to death in an alleyway." Seiji nodded in agreement.

    "However, it¡¯s indisputable that the cause of his death was freezing to death¡­ My organization was looking for him for a certain reason, but when we found him, he was already in this terrible condition. His body waspletely rigid and icy cold¡ªjust like a solid cube of ice," Michirou spoke in a calm tone. "My subordinates reported the incident to me as they felt the situation was abnormal. ording to my judgement, it wasn¡¯t something we should meddle with, so I anonymously reported his death to the police. But we learnedter from our sources within the police that this abnormal body wasn¡¯t even forensically inspected and ended up immediately cremated! No investigation, no deeper analysis of what happened, nothing!"

    Seiji frowned. "What about the deceased¡¯s family members?"

    "No idea. This guy came to our city about one year ago, and nobody cared about his past or family members, nor did he have any close friends¡­ He¡¯s the type of scum that nobody would care about even if he died." Michirou¡¯s tone of voice remained unchanged

    ¡®Scum¡­ When a mafia boss uses such a word, there¡¯s no condescension in his voice at all¡ªhe¡¯s merely stating a fact. This person died with nobody caring about him at all¡ªa worthless person to others. There are a surprising number of such people in society.¡¯ Since Seiji had thirty years of experience from his previous life, he understood that the world had its dark ces, so he wasn¡¯t surprised by this at all.

    However, what Michirou Juumonji saw was the boy in front of him remaining calm and steady in front of such a situation, which he interpreted as the education that Seiji¡¯s family must have given him.

    "This is only the first one." Michirou picked up another photograph and ced it in front of Seiji.

    This picture seemed even more abnormal. It showed an almost naked middle-aged man with messy hair and an unshaven appearance stered spread-eagled against a wall with the same terrified expression while clenching his teeth.

    "This is the second one¡­ My group was looking for him for a certain reason as well, and they discovered him in the same condition as the first one. Just like the previous person, the cause of his death was freezing; his entire body was ice cold and frozen solid to the point where his flesh had connected with the wall behind him as if he had melded with it." As always, Michirou¡¯s voice remained calm.

    Seiji rubbed his chin. "If my guess is correct, this guy is another¡­"

    "He¡¯s another scumbag, as well as a wanted criminal. He¡¯s another person that nobody would miss upon his death."

    "The same as thest one¡­ the same type of person, the same kind of death¡­"

    Michirou Juumonji nodded before he silently handed the remaining pictures to Seiji.

    In total, there were five people, five corpses, and although each of them died in slightly different positions, they all shared the same terrified expression, and their bodies were all contorted strangely.

    "These are all that we¡¯ve discovered¡­ They¡¯re all scumbags that froze to death in alleyways and other such ces that people usually don¡¯t go to, and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that my group was looking for each of them, who knows when each of them would have been discovered."

    "Why were you guys looking for them?" Seiji inquired.

    "Because of¡­ a specific type of ¡®medication.¡¯" Michirou lowered his head slightly.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows. A mafia group looking for ¡®medication¡­¡¯ This probably referred to illegal drugs.

    "This ¡®medication¡¯ you speak of¡­ they sell it? Is it ¡®high quality,¡¯ or ¡®low price?¡¯"

    Michirou remained silent for a moment, before he slowly spoke up, "This ¡®medication¡¯ they were selling, although nobody from our organization was able to obtain a sample, based on reports, there was something odd about it. It was something half-solid and half-liquid¡ªa small, soft, mushy lump that would shake by itself if you ced it on the palm of your hand. After ingestion, you could feel it moving in your stomach, then your entire body would heat up, and finally¡­ you¡¯d feel like you were visiting another world. Those observing a drug user reported that the user would enter a near-death state for almost an hour. Their breathing would shallow, and their body temperature would also drop precipitously. But the user would wake up eventually and recover to normal in about half an hour."

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows. "Your group¡­ has never seen this ¡®medication¡¯ for yourselves?"

    "That¡¯s right, we¡¯ve never seen it," Michirou agreed strongly. "It¡¯s only natural that we would want to find out more about such a thing appearing in our own territory."

    "But all the suppliers you found ended up dying in such an unusual fashion?"

    "That¡¯s correct, and we haven¡¯t been able to find out anything useful on their possible cause of death. There are no clues whatsoever."

    "Are the police just ignoring all these deaths?"

    "Yep, all the corpses have been ignored and cremated with no investigations done on any of them."

    "What price were they selling this at? And who were they selling to?"

    "They were selling the ¡®medication¡¯ for one-third the street price of other simr ¡®medications,¡¯ and selling mostly to young people¡­ to be more specific, to people younger than twenty-five."

    There was a momentary silence.

    "There are too many inexplicable things about this situation¡­ The police are ignoring whatever¡¯s happening, so you believe that this may have something to do with a mystical ability user?" Seiji asked calmly.

    Michirou nodded. "That was the only possibility I could think of¡­ That¡¯s why I desperately wanted to seek out another mystical ability user and learn just what exactly has been happening here in our Juumonji group¡¯s territory¡­ Or what¡¯s still currently happening¡­"

    The mafia boss sighed at the situation. "Since the situation is one where even the police are remaining silent about, it¡¯s probably not one that underground folks like us can hope to unravel¡­ But, even if it means I¡¯m old-fashioned and stubborn, I believe that since our group lives in this city, we should know exactly what¡¯s going on. Only if we know what¡¯s happening can we think about how to protect ourselves as well as¡­ everything else we want to protect! Haruta-sama¡­ we¡¯re the mafia; we¡¯re an existence that¡¯s far beneath those on the top, but just like how ants have their own order in ant society, we have our honor as well, and there are certain things we simply cannot back down from."

    After Michirou Juumonji slowly finished his statement, he backed away once more while remaining seated opposite from Seiji and kowtowed again. "I respectfully request you to aid us¡­ Please untangle this mystery!"

    ¡®Even if you beg me, I have no clue what¡¯s going on, uncle!!¡¯ Seiji thought inwardly. Although his outward expression remained unfazed, he mentally broke out into a cold sweat.

 Chapter 46 - Praising the Sun

    <h4>Chapter 46: Praising the Sun</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Honestly speaking, Seiji felt a sense of admiration for Michirou Juumonji who was willing to kowtow to Seiji just for the sake of protecting his own organization¡¯s territory. Of course, the Juumonji group was a mafia organization that engaged in illegal activities¡ªit was not exactly a group that was praiseworthy, but even among the underground society, some people would beplete scumbags, while others had their own morals and honor.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly like the second group would be able to take the moral high ground, but Seiji still felt some respect for people who were still able to maintain their moral codes in such a society. Those in the bottom rungs of society might not necessarily bepletely evil, just like how those at the top might not always be shining examples for everyone¡ªit was the same logic. Everyone was¡­ simply human.

    Faced with the mafia boss kowtowing to him for a second time, Seiji remained silent for a lengthy period of time.

    ¡®Even though you want to find out an answer from me, I have no idea either, uncle¡­¡¯ He felt helpless about the situation. How was he supposed to fool Michirou Juumonji? He didn¡¯t want to ruin Michirou¡¯s impression of him.

    "Please get up for the time being, Juumonji-san." At the very least, he needed to prevent Michirou from kowtowing to him.

    "I¡­ do indeed know some things about this, but I don¡¯t know how much I should say to you." Seiji rubbed his chin. "I need to go back and think on all this and¡­ discuss it with some other people. If there¡¯s something I can let you know, I¡¯ll contact you¡­ Will that be sufficient?"

    Michirou Juumonji¡¯s eyes began to glitter as he raised his head. "Haruta-sama¡­ even though you¡¯ve been exiled from your family, I imagine there are still rules that you must adhere to. I recognize the fact that it may trouble you to ask you about this situation and for you to tell me the truth. It¡¯s only natural that Haruta-sama would wish to consider things. Even if it¡¯s shameful of me, I shall¡­ sincerely await your news¡­ I¡¯m begging you!" As he finished, he lowered his head respectfully once more.

    "I¡¯ll consider it over carefully." Seiji could only respond in such a manner.

    And so, their formal discussion finally ended.

    ¡­

    Takashi Kobayashi and Kahei Watari were silently waiting in the same spot.

    Not all that much time had actually passed, but it felt like eons to them as their imaginations ran wild.

    But no matter what they imagined or thought, they couldn¡¯t do anything.

    This powerless, helpless feeling was so irritating!

    "Sigh¡­ Kahei, just what exactly are we?" Kobayashi crouched down and clenched his head in a depressed manner.

    "Takashi¡­"

    "We were almost beaten to death while fighting on the street¡­ We were saved by our ssmate, but sold him out¡­ and even though we followed him here, we can only stand here foolishly¡­ I¡¯ve never ever felt so useless before!"

    Watari crouched down in silence beside him.

    "There¡¯s no helping it; we are indeed useless, since weck strength," he said lightly.

    If they had the strength, then they wouldn¡¯t have gotten their ssmate Harano involved in the first ce.

    "Strength¡­ is that so? If only we had strength¡­" Kobayashi¡¯s eyes glinted with an indescribable light.

    "By the way, just why is Harano-san so strong?"

    ¡®How could I be¡­ as powerful as Harano-san? He¡¯s exactly the same age as us, yet he has unimaginable martial arts skills.¡¯

    That night, as well as the impression he gave them today, etched deep memories into their minds.

    Kobayashi suddenly wondered if Harano-san using his full ability would be able to escape from this mansion even if everyone here attacked him together.

    If so, then wasn¡¯t him and Watari following him here nothing but a burden upon him!?

    He identally sold his ssmate out with his carelessness, and he selfishly wanted toe along, but he turned out to be useless¡­ How worthless¡ªhe was basically garbage!

    Takashi Kobayashi fell deeply into self-criticism.

    Before today, he had never felt like there was anything wrong with the way he lived; but today, for the first time, he began reflecting upon his life.

    Beside him, Kahei Watari was having simr thoughts.

    The two delinquents remained crouching there in a depressed, dark manner until Seigo Harano finally reappeared in front of them.

    "Harano-san¡­ are you okay!?"

    "Oh¡­ I¡¯m fine." Seiji waved at both of them, "I just chatted a little with their group¡¯s boss."

    He just¡­ chatted a little with the boss!?

    Even though Seiji said it so lightly, Kobayashi and Watari instantly imagined many oundish hypothetical scenarios.

    For example, a hulking bald man with many tattoos on his body facing off with the calm high school student, about to have a duel¡­ and so on.

    "Even though I said it wasn¡¯t necessary, he insisted on inviting us to dinner, so let¡¯s just stay here a little longer and enjoy our meal." Seiji smiled at the two of them.

    Did hee to an understanding with the boss after a life-and-death duel!?

    Kobayashi and Watari nced at each other awkwardly as their imaginations went even further off-track.

    Seiji was oblivious to their thoughts, but if he knew, he would surely have many interestingments about them.

    The three of them were led to a grand hallway that was majestically decorated butcked chairs.

    Seiji was taken to the edge of the table, which was reserved for the most important personage, while Kobayashi and Watari were arranged to sit on his right side.

    Momentster, Michirou Juumonji entered and greeted Seiji respectfully before he sat down next to Seiji at the other seat cushion reserved for the most venerated person.

    Was this¡­ the mafia boss? Michirou Juumonji¡¯s appearance instantly shattered all of Kobayashi and Watari¡¯s fantasies.

    Following behind Michirou Juumonji was Kaede as well as a man with messy blonde hair and a slightly hunched back.

    This man was wearing a normal shirt and cks, which made him look like an ordinary person, and he seemed somewhat handsome. However, his pair of ck ssesbined with the dark sleep circles under his eyes made him look wretched rather than handsome.

    There was something almostical about this fellow walking together next to a brightly shining beautiful maiden.

    The two of them entered and sat down across from Watari and Kobayashi.

    "Harano-sama has already been acquainted with Kaede, right? This is my younger son, Hisashi Juumonji. I apologize for hisck of respect shown by his appearance¡ªhe¡¯s always like this." Michirou sighed.

    He actually would have preferred to let his oldest son Zankita join them¡ªeven if Zankita was an idiot, at the very least, Zankita would give them a better image. But his idiot son was currently in the hospital¡­ so he could only make his youngest son Hisashi join them instead so that there were enough people.

    As for his youngest son, Michirou felt helpless when thinking about him. His youngest son¡¯s appearance and intelligence were both top-notch. It didn¡¯t matter to him that his son was physically weak, since this era depended on brains over brawn.

    Still, his son enjoyed some rather strange hobbies and turned himself into the way he was today.

    Michirou had previously asked his son on multiple asions to change his ways, but his son continued to do as he pleased. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that his youngest son also contributed in his own way to the organization, he would have kicked his son out long ago!

    ¡®Well, this is only eating a meal together¡ªnothing much can happen in front of Haruta-sama¡­¡¯ Michirou thought.

    But when his gaze passed over Haruta-sama, he noticed that he was observing his younger son with a strange look in his eyes.

    "Hisashi Juumonji-san¡­ right?" The more that Seiji looked, the more he felt like he was right about something. "I have a question I¡¯d like to ask you¡­"

    "Oh?" Hisashi Juumonji was surprised, and he finally turned his eyes towards the young man in the main seat of honor for the first time.

    The moment their gazes met, there was a spark as if both people realized something.

    A question?

    Michirou was also surprised, and Kaede next to him was mystified as well.

    Kobayashi and Watari were even more confused than they were before.

    They just met for the first time! What could he possibly want to ask?

    "Compared to Idelia, Le is a better fit for Sparrow¡¯s true love. Do you agree?"

    Silence fell upon the table.

    While Michirou had no idea what was going on, Hisashi¡¯s eyes that originally seemed despondent suddenly became charged with energy, and he pped the table angrily and stood up!

    "You¡¯re wrong!!!"

    He was almost shouting at the top of his lungs.

    "Even if Le¡¯s been getting all the focus in the recent episodes, and Idelia hasn¡¯t been getting the spotlight! But, no matter if you¡¯re looking at it from the author Peach-sensei¡¯s viewpoint, or Sparrow¡¯s viewpoint, Idelia is the true love!

    "The recent episodes are only a method to set up an even more remarkable story in the future! Even if Le has been the center of attention recently, she¡¯s still going to be a stepping stone for Idelia. Admittedly, it¡¯s a little cruel, but that¡¯s the truth, and the current storyline¡¯s direction can prove it as well¡­ Le¡¯s going to disappear from the story, while Sparrow and Idelia will meet up and give us the biggest climax of the story!

    "All the fools that believed in Le up until then will discover that what they believed in was nothing more than a temporary red herring by the author! As a member of the Idelia faction, I shall achieve victory under the direction of the creator goddess Peach-sensei!"

    Hisashi lifted his hands high into the air as he kneeled on one knee, in a pose that seemed like he was praising the sun as he shouted into the air.

    Everyone at the dining table was rendered speechless by Hisashi¡¯s passionate speech.

    Michirou¡¯s eyes bulged wide in shock, while Kaede clutched her forehead and sighed. Kobayashi and Watari had no idea whatsoever what was going on.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help chuckling.

    He knew it¡ªhe was right!

    This guy, Hisashi Juumonji, the youngest son of the mafia boss, was a true, unmistakable,plete otaku!

 Chapter 47 - Calm down, right hand of mine!

    <h4>Chapter 47: Calm down, right hand of mine!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    The question that Seiji had suddenly asked was one of the most contentious topics of the popr anime "Honey Candy Girl" recently. It pertained to the so-called factions about which character the author Peach-sensei favored in her original story.

    As long as Hisashi was a true otaku, it would be impossible for him to resist!

    Hisashi Juumonji easily fell for Seiji¡¯s bait hook, line, and sinker, and he didn¡¯t even attempt to conceal the fact that he was an otaku, making it obvious that Hisashi was a hardcore otaku.

    Except for Seiji, Hisashi¡¯s passionate speech and exaggerated posing shocked everyone there.

    Well, it shocked his father Michirou Juumonji more than anyone else.

    This mafia boss waspletely stunned with no idea what had just happened.

    All he knew was that Haruta-sama beside him suddenly asked an iprehensible question, which stimted his younger son so much that Hisashi prattled on endlessly about something he couldn¡¯t understand and finished with a mysterious pose¡­ What the hell was going on!

    Well, all the other people present¡ªfrom Kaede Juumonji to Takashi Kobayashi and Kahei Watari¡ªwere younger, which meant they were more or less familiar with the most popr anime in their country which even became a symbol of Sakura Ind, so they had some idea what was going on.

    They were still speechless about this situation, though!!

    Of course, Kaede knew the true nature of her younger brother already, and she was absolutely embarrassed.

    Kobayashi and Watari never expected that a mafia boss¡¯s son would act soically, so they were stunned!

    Seiji was the only one whopletely understood what just happened, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing out loud.

    Hisashi turned to face Seiji.

    *Cough cough¡­* Seiji finally managed to restrain himself and faked a coughing fit.

    "I¡¯m also part of the Idelia faction. I¡¯m pleased to meet you, Hisashi Juumonji-san."

    "Comrade! Delighted to meet you, Seigo Harano-sama!" Hisashi sat back down as he shed a big thumbs-up in tandem with a brilliant smile.

    Everyone else was rendered speechless by the duo¡¯s antics.

    "Harano-sama, what exactly¡­" Michirou couldn¡¯t help asking.

    "Oh¡­ Hisashi-san and I happen to be fans of the same anime; we were just talking about that."

    "Anime?" The mafia boss¡¯s mind was filled with question marks.

    "Father¡­ It¡¯s a cartoon called ¡®Honey Candy Girl.¡¯" Kaede sighed, "It¡¯s currently a super popr anime in Sakura Ind. Most young people know about it, and I¡¯ve watched it a little¡­ As for Hisashi, he¡¯s probably watched every episode."

    "But of course!"

    Hisashi adjusted his eyesses and it seemed like his lenses shed.

    "¡®Honey Candy Girl¡¯ is a brilliant, once-in-a-ten-year story! As a true fan, I am obliged to watch each and every episode a minimum of three times! It¡¯s just that¡­ I didn¡¯t imagine that the honored guest that father invited would¡­ also be a fan¡­"

    Hisashi exchanged a knowing smile with Seiji.

    Communication between otakus didn¡¯t need to be verbal.

    "¡­That¡¯s how it is, Father."

    Kaede felt as if her energy was being sapped.

    "Harano-sama asked a question about this anime, and Hisashi answered him reflexively."

    "Oh¡­" Michirou finally had a rough understanding of what just happened.

    Harano¡­ no, Haruta-sama saw through his son¡¯s nature in an instant; that was why Haruta-sama asked his son such a question as a test¡­ what powerful insight!

    ¡®Animes¡­ that¡¯s something that young people love to watch¡­ Hmm, perhaps I should make some free time to watch it as well, so that I know what young people these days are up to,¡¯ Michirou Juumonji thought.

    "What¡¯s the story of this anime?" Michirou began talking about this topic in order to fit in better with the youngsters.

    Hisashi adjusted his sses again, and his lenses definitely shed this time!

    "About this anime¡­ Father, please allow me to give a short exnation¡­"

    And so, the lecture began.

    ¡­

    After the dinner had concluded, Takashi Kobayashi and Kahei Watari were still dazed.

    As they finally regained their senses and thought over the previous events, they found it all rather unbelievable.

    They had a meal at a mafia boss¡¯s home and the main topic of conversation was all about anime!?

    Were they lost in their own delusions? Or was there something wrong with the world!?

    However, their logic told them that it had all actually happened.

    First, that Hisashi Juumonji had a lively but endless exnation of the anime¡¯s storyline with Seigo Harano asionally chiming in, before Kaede also decided to join in. Finally, even the two of them started chatting about it as the mafia boss listened intently. He even seemed to be deeply interested, and he kept asking questions about the anime¡­

    This topic of conversation continued from start to finish during the entire course of the meal.

    What the hell!!!?

    Kobayashi and Watari couldn¡¯t help but think that throughout the entire meal.

    Was this really a mafia boss¡¯s home? Or was this an anime club discussion!!??

    Well, it¡¯s eptable for the young people to chat about this anime that they all know, but why was it that even the mafia boss seemed so interested in this topic!?

    Thispletely ruined their image of how a mafia should be like!!!

    As delinquents who previously had a fearful impression of the mafia, Kobayashi and Watari had an endless stream ofments running through their minds.

    As for the person who caused all this, Seiji vastly enjoyed this dinner and had lots of fun.

    Especially because he got to meet Hisashi Juumonji¡­ They got along very well as they chatted with each other, and they instantly became friends.

    "Harano-sama, if only I could have met you earlier in my life! Would you like to take a tour of my room? I could show you my collection¡­" Hisashi invited Seiji sincerely.

    Actually, he was even more excited than Seiji, since it was quite difficult for an otaku in a mafia group to make another otaku friend!

    "Oh, can I? Of course I¡¯d love to!" Seiji agreed without even considering it.

    He then turned around to look at his two ssmates who were still mired in confusion.

    "Kobayashi-san, Watari-san, there¡¯s not going to be anything else tonight, so go ahead and return home first without me. I¡¯m going to stay here a little while longer."

    "Oh¡­" Kobayashi and Watari returned to their senses and exchanged awkward nces with each other. "Then¡­ we¡¯ll go back first."

    "I shall arrange for a car to take you guys back home," Kaede informed them.

    And so, Kaede sent off Kobayashi and Watari as Seiji followed Hisashi to his room.

    Michirou was more than happy at the fact that his son was getting along so well with Seiji, thinking that his son had done quite good.

    Hisashi Juumonji¡¯s room was actually ratherrge. However, due to how crammed with items it was, his room appeared quite narrow.

    There were several shelves filled with figurines in various poses, bookshelves filled with mangas, CDs, cassettes, and so on. The rest of the shelves were filled with various anime products while anime art and posters were stered on every wall¡­

    There was a pile of anime pillows and dolls on the bed. There were two humongous LCD televisions with all the newest, limited edition game systems. Some obviously high-specputers hooked up to sixrge monitors were the centerpiece of the room, and the newest, most expensive edition of VR ssesy beside them¡­

    The way this room was arranged caused Seiji to recall something about an article of news he read about in his previous world entitled "The most otaku person in the world." Although this room probably still wasn¡¯t at that level quite yet.

    Seiji suddenly felt a strong urge to make some money with his save and load ability, and create a hideout of his own like this¡­ no, a heaven!

    ¡®Ahh, calm down, restrain thyself, oh right hand of mine! I can¡¯t release my seal and abuse my power just because of something like this!¡¯

    Seiji used the entirety of his willpower to prevent his dark urges from oveing him.

    Seiji remained silent for the entire time while Hisashi delightedly talked about his proud anime collection. After a while, he finally sighed.

    "Hisashi¡­ can I pull an all-nighter here?"

    "You¡¯re more than wee, Harano-sama!"

    "Don¡¯t address me by -sama¡ªwe¡¯re close friends now!"

    "Ah¡­ happily!"

    The two otakus shook each other¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 48 - Befriending

    <h4>Chapter 48: Befriending</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: - -

    Only after having fun in Hisashi¡¯s room in an all-nighter did Seiji finally leave with satisfaction.

    At first, Kaede came to y with them as well, but she fell asleep as she yed, so Hisashi unhesitatingly called for the maids to take his sister away while they continued ying on his game systems.

    So this otaku wasn¡¯t a sis-con¡­

    After spending the night at his house, Seiji learned that besides being a true otaku, Hisashi was also a sharp investor. All of Hisashi¡¯s otaku products were purchased with money earned by himself through the stock market with risky investments such as futures.

    His family only provided him with some initial funds which he had returned with interest long ago, and he was now allowed ess and control over half of the Juumonji group¡¯s total funds.

    In addition to this, Hisashi was also a skilled hacker. He proved himself by hacking into the websites of several majorpanies before Seiji¡¯s eyes in a short period of time. His typing speed and programming ability was difficult to keep up with, and even Seiji, who knew nothing about hacking, could instantly recognize his incredible skill!

    After meeting a person like Hisashi Juumonji, Seiji felt like he had previously been a waste of an otaku.

    Hisashi was a truly skilled otaku!

    As they parted ways, they exchanged contact information with each other and promised to keep in touch.

    ¡­

    "Hisashi, what do you think of Harano¡­ Seiji Haruta-sama?"

    After Seiji had departed, Michirou summoned his younger son to his study and questioned him in a grave tone.

    Hisashi adjusted his sses.

    "Setting aside the fact that we have the same interests and I get along great with him, he¡¯s someone well worth our time to befriend."

    The current Hisashi showed no hint of being a depraved otaku as he wore a solemn expression, and his eyes gleamed with cold intelligence.

    "He¡¯s direct and honest yetcks naivety. He isn¡¯t a scheming character that enjoys plotting against others, yet he has the ability to see through hypocrisy and darkness. After discovering my ability and status in the family, his attitude towards me remainedpletely unchanged, which means that he regards me as a true friend, not just someone he can take advantage of. Of course, there¡¯s also the chance that he has little regard for my abilities at all, but I believe that to be a low possibility, since he¡¯s currently exiled and should be in a state where he needs to take advantage of anything he can. I¡­ as well as the Juumonji group has value to the current him, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be the type that¡¯s only polite on the surface. He neither disparages us for who we are, nor does he view us as simply tools to be used; he simply treats us equally. Thisbination of traits is incredibly rare."

    Michirou nodded. He wholly agreed with Hisashi¡¯s opinion.

    "Then how much value do you think Seiji Haruta-sama has to us?"

    "We have too little information on him, so it¡¯s difficult to judge. However, there are no downsides to befriending him, as he is not a man to abandon his friends and allies. In fact, the more we aid him, the more he¡¯ll want to return our favor. Ignoring whether or not he¡¯ll be able to return to his family in the future, just his martial arts ability alone could help us resolve various difficult problems if he¡¯s willing¡­ When he was facing our goons, Furu-chan, and my brother Zankita, he barely even used his true abilities. If he was equipped with some guns and went all-out, I¡¯m sure that his destructive ability would be truly frightening! At the very least, I doubt that the entire Juumonji group could harm him."

    Silence fell in the study.

    Michirou couldn¡¯t find any faults with Hisashi¡¯s judgement.

    Actually, he had also been considering the situationte into the night, and he ultimately came to the same conclusion as his son.

    If Seiji Haruta was equipped with guns, Seiji could probably defeat the entire Juumonji group by himself! This was no exaggeration.

    So, even if they didn¡¯t befriend him¡­ there was no way they could make an enemy out of someone with such monstrous strength.

    "And if we take into consideration the fact of his probable eventual return to his family, his value to us will skyrocket uncalctedly!" Hisashi¡¯s eyes were glistening with excitement.

    "Honestly, I strongly believe that he¡¯ll eventually be allowed to return to his family, because he was only exiled originally due to his former depravity, not because of anyone plotting against him, and now that he¡¯s changed himself for the better, there¡¯s a high chance that his family may ept him again. If I was in the Haruta family¡¯s shoes, I wouldn¡¯t discard a talent like him that¡¯s self-reflected on himself already. He should be quite valuable to them even if he¡¯s only in their bottom ranks."

    Michirou nodded in agreement.

    Seiji was an exiled member of his family, yet he possessed mystical powers; this meant that he still had the possibility of returning to his family. He was currently in the most abject state of poverty he¡¯d probably ever been in before, but his personality and morals weren¡¯t malicious. Besides, his martial arts skills alone were at the pinnacle of what mortals could achieve!

    There was no need to even consider this matter any further; if they let the chance to befriend him slip by, they would bepletely idiotic!

    "So, what should we do in order to befriend Haruta-sama?"

    Hisashi smiled victoriously.

    "He¡¯s into the same things I am, so I naturally have an advantage when conversing with him. As long as I maintain my sincerity, it won¡¯t be hard to truly befriend him¡­ Although I¡¯m already his friend, I¡¯ll attempt to be even closer to him without messing things up between us. Also, didn¡¯t Kaede fall in love with him at first sight? Just let her do as she pleases. Men are weak against a beautiful girl like Kaede, especially when they¡¯re sincerely attempting to obtain his love. It will be best if my little sister can quickly capture his heart, but even if that doesn¡¯t work in the short-term, as long as she¡¯s able to constantly have contact with him, she¡¯ll naturally be closer to him as well.

    "In summation, we should use normal methods: we must be direct and sincere and honestly show him that we intend to forge a friendship with him, and that we are willing to assist him in order to befriend him. This is the only way which won¡¯t evoke his disgust. However, we cannot be overly friendly either, or else he¡¯ll be annoyed with us¡­ How about giving full control over the situation with him to me? I¡¯ll do my best and bnce things."

    Michirou raised his eyebrows.

    "Asking of your own volition for a task¡­ This seems like the first time, Hisashi."

    "That¡¯s because I feel like this task is the most appropriate one for me. After all, nobody else in our organization can outshine me in this field; not even Kaede, since she¡¯s fallen in love, which will affect her rationality. But most importantly, I¡¯m quite interested in him as well¡­ If he marries Kaede in the future and rises to be the future leader of the Juumonji group that¡­ that¡¯ll be the absolute best future I can foresee for us!"

    Hisashi¡¯s eyes were filled with passion.

    Michirou could only smile wryly upon seeing his younger son¡¯s uncharacteristic manner.

    "You¡­ both you and your older brother¡­ you¡¯re so strongly against inheriting the leadership of the Juumonji group?"

    "I¡¯m just an otaku. All I¡¯m willing to do ise up with some ideas from time to time, forget about working as hard as you, Father! And Zankita¡¯s just an idiot; even he¡¯s clearly aware of this fact. Kaede¡­ even though she¡¯s qualified, she¡¯s stillcking in some areas. And the person that she¡¯s currently in love with might be the perfect candidate! Father, don¡¯t you think so? Compared to me, Zankita, and Kaede, doesn¡¯t he feel more suited to be the future leader of our group?"

    Michirou Juumonji recalled Seiji¡¯s actions, bodynguage, words, attitude, manner, and the look in his eyes before a smile slowly suffused across his face.

    Indeed, if he had another son like Seiji, he¡¯d feel absolutely secure about the future of the Juumonji group.

    It surely wouldn¡¯t be an easy task to befriend him to such a degree, but you couldn¡¯t know without trying.

    "Then I¡¯ll leave it up to you, Hisashi. Do everything in your power to aplish this task."

    "Yes, Father."

 Chapter 49 - You Know Too Much!

    <h4>Chapter 49: You Know Too Much!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji returned home, washed up, changed clothes, and headed for school.

    Even though he hadn¡¯t slept all night, he wasn¡¯t all that fatigued¡ªa one-time all-nighter had little impact on his vastly strengthened body.

    As he headed downstairs, he found Mika waiting at thending for him.

    "Good morning." Mika smiled and handed him a lunchbox, "Here you go."

    "Good morning. Thanks for preparing my lunch today as well." As usual, Seiji epted the favor from the Uehara family.

    After greeting each other, the two of them spoke no further and exchanged a smile before heading together towards school.

    "I considered many thingsst night." Only after walking a while did Mika slowly begin speaking while keeping her gaze fixed on Seiji.

    "If you¡¯re wondering if I was shaken¡­ I was definitely shaken to some extent, but not because I doubted you or anything. You had your reasons for saying what you did towards those twins, and I believe in you." A resolute light shone in Mika¡¯s eyes as she continued: "I believed you¡­ but I was still shaken, not because of doubts, but rather¡­ because I wasn¡¯t able toprehend. Chiaki wasn¡¯t shaken at all. Although she told me she was rather surprised, she trusted in you and was able to understand you. But as for me, I wasn¡¯t able to understand your way of thinking¡­ or hers. That¡¯s the true reason why I was shaken and disappointed." Mika lowered her head.

    "I¡­ felt a distance between us. Even though I already felt that there were some differences between me and Chiaki, I felt it even more strongly with you this time, that¡¯s why¡­"

    ¡®That¡¯s why I felt so pained.

    ¡®My chest hurt, like there was something congested.

    ¡®Even though one is my best friend, and the other is the person I like¡­ Even though they¡¯re right beside me, I can¡¯t follow their way of thinking.¡¯

    Mika Uehara felt mncholy about it all.

    "Hey, Seiji, what should I do? Just how can I understand you and Chiaki better?"

    Seiji looked directly into her eyes and smiled. He raised his hand and patted her head.

    Mika was surprised at the sudden contact, but her face began to turn red at the warm andforting feeling.

    "Just take things slowly, and if you meet any problems, simply ask or think, and you¡¯ll be able to understand. There are some things that you still can¡¯t notice yet, Mika, or maybe you won¡¯t think of them. It¡¯s not because you¡¯re an idiot¡ªit¡¯s because you¡¯re still inexperienced. Being the way you are isn¡¯t a bad thing. I suspect Chiaki befriended you precisely due to your innocent nature, and I¡­ I think that you¡¯re cute like this."

    ¡®C¡­ cute?¡¯ Mika¡¯s face burned up even more.

    ¡®Hey, isn¡¯t this the first time Seiji¡¯s praising me as cute!? Ahh¡ªhow embarrassing!¡¯

    "Chiaki and I aren¡¯t quite as simplistic. You already know about me, and as for Chiaki¡­ she probably has her own circumstances as well." Seiji failed to notice her embarrassment as he continued.

    "You¡¯re the simplest one among us, and that¡¯s exactly why you bring us¡­ rxation? I don¡¯t know how to put it into words, but regardless, you¡¯re an important friend of ours, and that won¡¯t change. It doesn¡¯t matter if youpletely understand our way of thinking or not; you¡¯re still our friend, so you don¡¯t need to feel anxious. Just do as you like."

    He retracted his hand upon finishing his speech.

    Mika instantly felt disappointed that he was no longer patting her head, but she didn¡¯t allow the disappointment to appear on her face.

    "You could have patted me a little longer¡­" She muttered under her breath.

    "Hm?" Seiji didn¡¯t hear her clearly.

    "Er¡­ nothing!" Mika twisted her head away in embarrassment. "I get what you¡¯re saying!"

    "Oh, that¡¯s good then." Seiji smiled.

    That¡¯s good.

    As always, sunlight shone down brilliantly as they walked down the familiar street together.

    ¡­

    At school, Seiji discovered another two love letters in his shoe locker, so he ced them into his bookbag.

    Next, he saw Takashi Kobayashi and Kahei Watari in ss.

    The two delinquents acted just like they always did; they greeted Seiji by nodding slightly when they noticed him.

    ¡®It seems like they¡¯ve decided topletely avoid any contact with me at school in order to avoid affecting my reputation,¡¯ Seiji thought.

    Well, if that was their choice, Seiji decided to go along with it.

    During ss time.

    While Seiji was on his way to the restroom, he stopped in the hallway and made a call with his cell phone.

    "Hey, it¡¯s me. There¡¯s something important I¡¯d like to tell you in person. It¡¯s not urgent, however. Lunch break¡­ okay, I¡¯ll head over at that time."

    After he hung up, he looked out the window with a serious expression on his face.

    "Were you just talking to some secret organization?" A voice suddenly sounded out from behind him.

    It was Chiaki.

    "Why are your footsteps so cat-like?"

    "Heh heh, this is the proper cat-style footwork," Chiaki stated pridefully.

    "There¡¯s no such cat-style footwork like this!" Seiji responded reflexively.

    They exchanged nces.

    "I just wanted to scare you, but it sounded like I overheard something incredible, plus your expression just now¡­ Will I be killed off in order to protect your secret?" Chiaki pretended to act frightened.

    "Ha, you¡¯re right¡ªyou know more than what¡¯s good for you!" Seiji tilted his head forty-five degrees and also acted the part of the viin.

    After a few seconds of silence, both of them broke out intoughter.

    "I was just on the phone with President Yoruhana. I wanted to inform her about something, but she won¡¯t have any spare time until lunch break, so I¡¯m heading to the student council room." Seiji put away his cell phone and continued, "As for what it¡¯s about¡­ that¡¯s private, I apologize."

    "A secret discussion with the beautiful and brilliant president? Sounds immoral~" Chiaki pressed her index against her lips in a shushing pose.

    "How is it immoral!?"

    "Is it pure love then?"

    "It has nothing to do with love, okay!?" Seijimented forcefully.

    Thanks to Chiaki¡¯s joking around, the serious atmosphere from the previous phone call hadpletely vanished.

    "You¡¯rementing as forcefully as always! That¡¯s the Seiji I know!" Chiaki chuckled.

    "I¡¯ve always been like this."

    "But just earlier, you appeared so uncharacteristically serious." Chiaki retracted her yful smile, "Since you said it was private, I won¡¯t pry. Just¡­ if there¡¯s anything I can help you with, you must let me know."

    ¡®Well, she probably just wanted to tell me that she¡¯s here for me.¡¯ Seiji smiled at his friend.

    "But of course! How can I not take advantage and use such a good friend by my side?"

    Chiaki sighed. "Treating people as objects¡­ How terrible!"

    "Hmph, I¡¯m an ice-cold man who¡¯ll stoop to any means¡ªdid you finally notice?"

    They continued joking as they walked off together.

    "Mika¡¯s already calmed downpletely¡ªdid you do anything to herst night?"

    "Nothing at all."

    "Tsk, how boring¡­" Chiaki pouted.

    "What did you expect me to do to her!?"

    "A haughty princess like Mika is actually quite easy to conquer. All you need to do is hug her gently, whisper sweet things to her while she¡¯s feeling anxious, kiss her, and then¡­"

    "Halt your words! It¡¯ll get R-rated if you say anything more!" Seiji stopped her decisively.

    "What an excellent chance you had¡­ You failed to even take advantage of it¡ªhow disappointing." Chiaki shook her head and shrugged smugly.

    "It would have been a problem if I took advantage of her!"

    ¡®Whenever Mika¡¯s not with us, I suppose this is how it¡¯ll be like between Chiaki and me.¡¯ Seiji suddenly thought in between their joking.

    Right before Seiji arrived at the restroom, Chiaki seemed to suddenly recall something.

    "By the way, Seigo, do you need me to keep your secret date with the president a secret from Mika?"

    "I already said it¡¯s nothing like that!"

    ¡®Yep, in summary, I can have fun chatting with her, but she¡¯s definitely a good friend that will asionally give me headaches.¡¯

    ¡­

    Lunch break time.

    "You¡¯re going to the student council room again?" Mika asked in surprise. "Why?"

    "Mika, boys always have one or two secret da, er¡­ secrets. You should just smile, ept it, and let him leave." Chiaki extended her hands and wore same smug expression from earlier.

    Mika and Seiji were rendered speechless by Chiaki¡¯s words.

    There was something odd about what Chiaki just said.

    For differing reasons, they each felt like objecting to her statement.

    "Stop joking around¡ªI just have some personal matters to take care of." Seiji sighed. "So let¡¯s get going¡­ Chauffeur, begin driving."

    "Who¡¯re you calling your chauffeur!? And we¡¯re not even in a car!"

    Kazufuru Ooike, who had been captured by Seiji, couldn¡¯t help but retort.

    "Besides, don¡¯t you already know where the student council room is? Why do you still need me to show you the way!?"

    "I forgot." Seiji pretended to be self-righteous about it.

    "You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re definitely lying!"

    "If I say I forgot, I forgot, so let¡¯s go. Secretary Ooike-sama, we can improve our friendship while on the way." Seiji began dragging Kazufuru away with a vice-like grip on his neck.

    "I¡¯m not your friend! Let go of me¡ª!" Kazufuru made a fruitless attempt to struggle free, but Seiji¡¯s iron grip was too strong to break free from.

    Mika was stupefied as she watched them leave, while Chiaki remained cool and collected.

    "Mika, I¡¯m thinking¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "Seigo¡­ perhaps he¡¯s secretly actually a bit of a demon?"

    Mika was lost for words upon hearing this.

 Chapter 50 - Idiotic Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 50: Idiotic Mistake</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    On the way to the student council room.

    When Kazufuru Ooike was finally released from Seiji¡¯s iron grip, he adjusted his spectacles and cor before frowning.

    He began to regret¡­ no, he already regretted agreeing to be Seigo Harano¡¯s "friend."

    He originally intended to discover Seigo¡¯s weaknesses and take advantage of this "friendship" agreement, but he hadn¡¯t learned anything useful, and instead always felt pressured by Seiji¡¯s imposing manner.

    Kazufuru was clearly a popr and excellent student with no reason to fear Harano, but he always felt unable to stand up to Harano whenever they were together.

    Was it because Harano was so outstanding in sports?

    No, this didn¡¯t have anything to do with the difference between their physical abilities¡­ Kazufuru couldn¡¯t understand why, though.

    "Why¡¯d you stop walking? Secretary, continue leading the way." Harano¡¯s voice sounded from behind him.

    Kazufuru sighed.

    "You know the way, don¡¯t you? Why do you insist on having mee along?"

    "I told you before¡ªI just wanted to chat with you."

    "I don¡¯t think I have anything I¡¯d like to say to you." Kazufuru¡¯s expression was icy and his voice distant.

    Seiji observed this excellent student in front of him for a while before he released a sigh.

    "Is taking that attitude with me really fine? You know, I¡¯m¡­"

    "I¡¯m not friends with you!"

    "I wasn¡¯t talking about that. It¡¯s quite rude to interrupt people while they¡¯re speaking, Ooike-san¡­" Seiji nced at Kazufuru out of the corner of his eye: "You seem like an intelligent person, so why are you making such an idiotic mistake about something crucial?"

    "What are you saying?" Kazufuru furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Your target is President Yoruhana, right?" Seiji said lightly, "Don¡¯t deny it¡ªit¡¯s quite obvious¡­ You want to be her partner, and you¡¯re making an effort to reduce the distance between the two of you."

    "¡­What¡¯s it to you if I am?" Kazufuru squinted.

    The fact that his target was the president wasn¡¯t exactly a huge secret, so it couldn¡¯t be said that it was his weakness.

    "You still don¡¯t realize your mistake? You want to get closer to the president, and I, Seigo Harano, am someone that the president personally helped transfer into the school, which means that she and I have a special rtionship. For someone like me to voluntarily be your friend, and for you to resist¡­ How else can I describe it other than idiotic?"

    Seiji smiled upon finishing.

    Kazufuru Ooike was surprised for a moment as his brain worked at analyzing what Seiji meant, before he suddenly came to an epiphany.

    Yeah¡­ Harano was right!

    All he had to do was change his way of thinking slightly, and he had to admit that Harano had a point.

    He had previously viewed Seigo Harano as a strong enemy to be defeated, but Harano had never truly opposed him in any way¡­ Not only that, there was the possibility of Harano bing his ally!

    Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s expression contorted.

    ¡®Just where did I go wrong? I¡­ at such a crucial junction, I¡­ actually became stupid!?¡¯

    Seiji silently watched the delicate and pretty boy¡¯s expression change in front of him.

    ¡®Kazufuru has a slightly twisted personality, but it¡¯s not too severe. With how he is, even if he remains like this, it probably won¡¯t be a problem. As long as he receives enough experience in the future, or if a difficult situation befalls him, he should be able to realize his own faults. He thinks he¡¯s better than others, he thinks he¡¯s so smart, and he thinks he¡¯s the best¡­ he believes that he¡¯s a special existence¡ªthis is amon thought process that many young people possess before reaching maturity; it¡¯s especiallymon among middle schoolers. Combine it with some strange behaviors, and you get what¡¯smonly known as middle schooler syndrome.

    Kazufuru Ooike¡­ to put it simply, he never awoke from his middle schooler syndrome, and he never saw through a few specific ws in his personality.

    With Seiji¡¯s life experience, he could see through even the twin witches that concealed their true selves so deeply from others, so of course an immature brat like Kazufuru Ooike was simple for him to understand.

    Seeing as how this model student didn¡¯t seem to have a rotten personality at his core, Seiji wanted to help him out a little¡­ But Seiji preferred abstaining from such activities as he wasn¡¯t used to them.

    It wasn¡¯t like he was Great Teacher Onizuka or anything.

    ¡®Let¡¯s prank this guy onest time, then that¡¯ll be enough.¡¯

    "Harano-kun¡­"

    Kazufuru Ooike seemed to finally understand what Seiji meant as he carefully considered his words.

    "You¡¯re toote, Ooike-san." Seiji purposefully showed a cold smile.

    "I originally wasn¡¯t your enemy to begin with, but you kept showing me enmity for no apparent reason and kept resisting against my friendliness towards you¡­ So, I apologize, but I¡¯m already tired of you. So, as you wish, we¡¯re no longer ¡®friends¡¯ anymore. You¡¯re free, Ooike-san; go do as you like."

    Seiji waved his hand casually as he turned to leave.

    "Wait¡­ Please wait, Harano-kun¡­"

    Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly rushed to catch up to Seiji.

    "Everything¡­ everything was my bad, I was¡­ a bit mistaken, so¡­"

    Seiji ignored him and continued walking onward.

    A wave of anxiety rushed over Kazufuru Ooike upon seeing Seiji¡¯s apathetic attitude.

    He was already at a bottleneck in improving his rtionship with Natsuya, and this mysterious transfer student might be a breakthrough point¡­ Perhaps he was even the only breakthrough point!

    And Kazufuru, due to falling victim to negative emotions such as jealousy and fear, automatically listed him as an enemy¡­ A love rival.

    But thinking it over more closely, Seigo Harano had never showed any special feelings for Natsuya Yoruhana!

    At the very least, in the past week, Kazufuru had never heard him talk about the subject of the president, nor did he hear anything about this topic from the other students. Rather, he heard several times that Seigo Harano had informed the other female students in ss that he didn¡¯t have any special rtionship with President Yoruhana.

    Considering the fact that President Yoruhana helped him transfer in, they definitely had some kind of rtionship with each other, but it was not a romantic one¡ªif they were romantically connected, it should¡¯ve be a hot topic in school long ago!

    Kazufuru inwardly beat himself up. For some pointless negative emotions that weremon during puberty, he overlooked such an obvious fact and made a huge mistake.

    Had he been infected by the other students who were much lower in ability than he was? Those idiotic morons who held envy, fear, or hatred towards Seigo Harano¡­ Had those low-ss emotions really infected him!?

    How could it be possible!? He should have remained calm and in control, without being affected by the atmosphere! But imperceptibly, he had be just like those idiots.

    It¡¯s all those guys¡¯ fault! Kazufuru was furious at them.

    But no matter what, objectively speaking, he made a crucial mistake just as Seigo Harano mentioned.

    Seigo Harano hoped for his assistance in being able to get along better with everyone in ss, and in exchange, Seigo would be able to help him improve his rtionship with the president¡­ This should¡¯ve been a mutually beneficial rtionship for both of them, but he resisted it for an idiotic reason and had ultimately ruined things!

    Kazufuru put himself in Seigo Harano¡¯s shoes and thought about it. If it was him voluntarily approaching another person with a good deal in hand but receiving only an unfriendly response, he, too, would feel anger and treat the other person with cold condescension as well.

    He believed that Seigo Harano was currently feeling such emotions.

    ¡®Damn it! I¡­ How could I make such a low-level mistake!!¡¯

    Kazufuru Ooike bit his lips.

    "S¡­ sorry, Harano-kun! I was wrong for everything before. I¡¯m¡­ sincerely begging for your forgiveness!"

    He tried to speak as loud as possible without attracting the attention of any other nearby students as he apologized to Seiji¡¯s back.

    Seiji halted his footsteps.

    "I¡¯ve received your apology." Seiji didn¡¯t turn around, leaving Kazufuru with a view of his back. "But if I forgive you so easily, will you believe me?" He questioned.

    "Er¡­" Kazufuru paused for a moment in surprise as he regretfully ground his teeth.

    "Feel free to get going, Ooike-san. There¡¯s no need to waste your time standing behind me." Seiji lightly left behind onest sentence as he continued striding forward again.

    Kazufuru was left rooted on the spot, filled with regret as he watched Seiji leave.

    Seiji dismissed the model student Secretary Kazufuru Ooike from his mind as he left him standing there.

    The important thing now was his uing conversation with President Yoruhana.

    Seiji arrived at the student council room once again.

    "Excuse me." He entered the room.

    To his surprise, he discovered another person seated beside Natsuya Yoruhana in the student council room.

 Chapter 51 - Snow Girl

    <h4>Chapter 51: Snow Girl</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The student council vice president, Hitaka Shuho.

    As a red-haired, red-eyed beauty, her outer appearance was already quite shy. Plus, she had something akin to a warrior¡¯s spirit emanating from her and always apanied President Natsuya Yoruhana as if she was the president¡¯s personal bodyguard, making her rtively popr within the school.

    Actually, when Seiji met her for the first time, he almost felt as if she was a swordswoman from some video game. He didn¡¯t meet her thest time he visited the student council room, so he decided to observe her closely this time around.

    Hmm¡­ She definitely had a warrior¡¯s aura, and especially now that he knew she was one of the president¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers, Seiji wondered if she was actually a living version of Rurouni Kenshin from his previous life¡­

    If possible, he wanted to ask her to try using Kenshin¡¯s ultimate technique¡­

    *Cough cough.* He went off on too much of a tangent.

    Faced with Seiji who was obviously studying her intently, Hitaka Shuho ignored it as she was already used to such a thing.

    Seiji seemed appreciative of her without showing any perverted lust, which was eptable. However, Hitaka noticed that his eyes seemed to be shining with a strange light.

    Hitaka didn¡¯t know what it was, and although she was a bit curious, as long as it wasn¡¯t enmity, she didn¡¯t really care.

    "Hey, President Yoruhana." Seiji greeted Natsuya, who sat by the round table. After greeting her, he suddenly noticed two unopened luxurious-looking lunchboxes resting on the table.

    "Wee back to the student council room, Harano-kun." Natsuya smiled warmly.

    "I feel bad about bothering you during lunch break." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly: "Do you two¡­ often eat lunch here?"

    "Yeah, it¡¯s nice and quiet¡­" Natsuya averted her gaze slightly.

    "Why aren¡¯t you eating together with your friends outside?" Seiji detected something and continued asking along this line of thinking.

    "Mdy doesn¡¯t need useless friends." Hitaka Shuho stated coldly as she opened her mouth.

    After a period of silence.

    Natsuya Yoruhana sighed.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll admit it¡­ Hitaka, you don¡¯t need to clumsily cover for me any longer; it¡¯ll just make things more awkward."

    "I¡¯m not covering for you at all; there¡¯s hardly anyone that¡¯s worthy of bing Mdy¡¯s friend." Hitaka¡¯s expression showed she remained convinced of the validity of her previous statement.

    Natsuya smiled wryly as she looked in Seiji¡¯s direction.

    "In school, I don¡¯t have any close friends. If I wanted to, I could eat lunch together with many other students, but the atmosphere would always feel a little strange¡­ It¡¯s not rxing at all. Also, I¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I should be making friends with ordinary people. You¡¯re aware of my true identity, so¡­ there are restrictions I must observe."

    Seiji nodded sagely.

    "Your worries are that of a young mistress from a powerful family."

    He didn¡¯t even know how to respond as she was unexpectedly forthright with him about her situation.

    A scion who could naturally eat lunches together withmoners¡­ this scenario wasn¡¯t realistic, albeit it wasn¡¯t impossible either¡­

    A real scion like Natsuya Yoruhana would possess excellent etiquette and appearance, not to mention her outstanding field of vision and the virtue of her self-cultivation¡­ In conclusion, everything about her would be far above ordinary people.

    Normal people would feel unworthy just by standing beside her, and even if they worked up the courage to speak to her, it would only take a few sentences before they realized the vast distance between them. It was as if a thin membrane separated them, an insurmountable wall.

    As for the reverse, even if there were some rare ones among themoners that didn¡¯t care about Natsuya¡¯s status and were willing to continuously chat about ordinary topics with her, would ady like Natsuya really be interested in those topics?

    And as for reality¡­ there were all sorts that would appear: sycophants, those who wanted to take advantage of her or her connections, and those wanting to capture her heart, causing her to fall in love with them. If she had been a vain scion in search of ttery, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but Natsuya would most likely feel only disgust towards such people.

    Finally, even if there was someone great enough to ovee all those barriers, Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s true identity was still that of someone with mystical powers. She would always have¡­ various worries when making friends with ordinary people that were ignorant of such powers.

    Differences in social statuses simply weren¡¯t so easy to ovee.

    Seiji mulled it over.

    "Even though you just said you don¡¯t have any close friends, although it might be impolite for me to ask further, I¡¯d still like to ask something: what¡¯s your opinion of Kazufuru Ooike?"

    "Ooike-kun?" Natsuya tilted her head slightly before replying, "He¡¯s an above-average student and an excellent secretary."

    "Apart from that?"

    "Nothing else." Natsuya lightly skipped over anything else she thought of Kazufuru.

    Seiji felt it was impossible for her to be incognizant of that guy¡¯s true feelings towards her. In fact, she was probably crystal-clear about it. If that was all she had to say about him, it meant¡­

    Ooike-san, you¡¯re not even at the level of a "nice person" in her heart!!

    Even Seiji felt a twinge of pity for that guy.

    Well, forget about it; it had nothing to do with him.

    In actuality, Seiji could¡¯ve kept asking why she was studying here if she couldn¡¯t make any appropriate friends. However, he wisely avoided this question as he believed she had her own reasons; it might even end up being a minefield question!

    Seiji decided to get to the main topic at hand.

    "Actually, I received some information yesterday¡­"

    He informed her of what he learned from the Juumonji group while skipping over the details of how exactly they invited him.

    Natsuya Yoruhana and Hitaka Shuho silently listened to his tale.

    "I didn¡¯t expect that the local mafia would have such backbone." Natsuya sighed before continuing, "Normally speaking, people like them would avoid this topic when they discover that even the police are keeping silent."

    "As I expected¡ªit has something to do with Yin Yang Masters, right?"

    "Indeed." Natsuya acknowledged his assumption with a nod before she fell silent, evidently in midst of considering something.

    Seiji patiently waited for her.

    "The enemy is making arrangements for arge spell formation."

    Natsuya finally looked back at Seiji and spoke up again.

    "Arrangements for a spell formation?"

    "Yes, my opponent¡­ It¡¯s almost certain that it¡¯s my opponent who¡¯s about to challenge me to a duel who¡¯s making these arrangements. That mysterious drug is probably something used for absorbing ordinary people¡¯s spiritual energy¡­ Although I don¡¯t know what that drug is specifically, from its description and the reactions of its users, that¡¯s probably what it¡¯s for. Gathering arge amount of spiritual energy for a massive spell is one type of preparation that a Yin Yang Master will do before a duel. In order to prevent a massive outcry, the ordinary people that have spiritual energy stolen from them won¡¯t die¡­ nor will there be any severe aftereffects, but they¡¯ll still be permanently weakened." Natsuya sighed.

    "Actually, I¡¯ve already had Hitaka attempt some countermeasures, but they haven¡¯t been working well."

    "Mdy¡­" Hitaka seemed downcast: "My apologies, I was useless."

    "I said it already, Hitaka¡ªit¡¯s not your fault." Natsuya furrowed her brows as she looked meaningfully at her good friend: "If only my spells were more powerful, you would¡¯ve been able to stop the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers."

    "It¡¯s because I¡¯m not fast enough! Every time, I¡¯m always just a littlete¡­" Hitaka chewed on her lips, expressing her discontentment.

    Seiji blinked in realization.

    "So, these incidents¡­ Those corpses were all because of the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers?"

    "Yes, the enemy is ordering their Spirit-branded Retainers to make use of those hoodlums to peddle the spiritual energy absorption drugs. As a precaution, they also cursed those hoodlums so that if there was any risk of them being discovered, or if they broke some restriction that was imposed on them, the curse would activate and kill them. I attempted to use spells to locate the enemy¡¯s retainers, but every time we were always just a minute toote, so Hitaka was unable to catch them."

    Natsuya lowered her head.

    "I know¡­ I¡¯m not good enough as a Yin Yang Master."

    "No, Mdy is excellent!" Hitaka wore an unhappy expression: "If it wasn¡¯t for me¡­"

    "Don¡¯t say anything more, Hitaka¡ªmy strength is insufficient. That¡¯s an indisputable fact."

    Natsuya Yoruhana raised her head again as her expression turned serious.

    "I need to¡­ work harder!"

    Seiji could only look on in silence.

    "Haruta-kun, tell that mafia group to cease attempting to investigate this affair, and advise them to avoid it entirely," Natsuya cautioned in a grave tone.

    "The enemy will continue to use his or her Spirit-branded Retainers to do what they¡¯ve been doing, and I¡¯ll try my utmost to prevent it. This is a duel between Yin Yang Masters¡ªordinary people shouldn¡¯t get involved."

    "If they interfere¡­ they¡¯ll be eliminated by the enemy¡¯s retainers, right?" Seiji clutched his arms.

    "That¡¯s right¡ªsince it¡¯s allowed by our own rules for Yin Yang Masters to get rid of anyone that may discover their identity, the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers will kill any interfering parties without hesitation," Natsuya stated. "Presently¡­ we can¡¯t even find out the identity of the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers, much less order around whoever this enemy Yin Yang Master is. All I know is that the spirit that this retainer¡¯s bonded with is most likely one of the strongest among the spirits with ice powers¡ªSnow Girl!"

 Chapter 52 - Donâ€™t Be Afraid and Step Forth!

    <h4>Chapter 52: Don¡¯t Be Afraid and Step Forth!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Snow Girl, a medium-ranked spirit in a popr video game Seiji yed before in his past life, whose main attack was an AOE crowd control¡­

    ¡®How nostalgic. She was the first character I received for free in that game.¡¯ A memory shed through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    *Cough cough.* He went on a sidetrack again.

    In Sakura Ind, snow girls were a spirit that everybody had heard stories about before. ording to legend, she would possess incredible beauty paired with heartless cruelty; she wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to take human lives, a frightening yet beautiful contrast.

    Her appearance rate in animes in this world was very high, reaching almost 100 percent in animes regarding ghosts or spirits.

    To Seiji, snow girls were the exact same legend from Japan in his previous world about the yuki-onna.

    Anyway, snow girls were considered beautiful yet life-stealing existences.

    "We¡¯ll meet a snow girl if we continue investigating¡­ It sounds like a joke, but I think they¡¯ll believe me." Seiji rubbed his chin. "Let¡¯s do it like you say, then; I¡¯ll advise them to back off while doing my best to not reveal too much. But¡­ as for you two, will you be able to deal with the enemy?"

    Seiji directly faced the two adolescent girls in front of him.

    Both girls remained silent.

    "It doesn¡¯t seem like you have high chances¡­ Let me ask you a different question¡ªhow do you think the situation will develop?"

    He was yet again greeted by silence.

    Seiji received the impression that he wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain an answer.

    Just as he was about to take his leave, someone suddenly jumped onto his back and hugged him!

    "Eh¡­ Kirin?" Seiji was quite startled until he discovered that the person hugging him was the cat-eared girl who loved to appear out of nowhere!

    "Rana?" Hitaka was astounded upon witnessing this sight: "Why are you¡­"

    Much like Natsuya, Hitaka was nothing short of astonished at seeing the cat-eared girl acting so intimate with a boy she¡¯d just met.

    Rana Kirin was clinging Seiji¡¯s back like a ko bear would, and she ced her head on Seiji¡¯s shoulder while looking in Natsuya and Hitaka¡¯s direction without blinking.

    "Rana¡­" Natsuya seemed to detect something from the cat girl¡¯s heterochromia eyes.

    Silence returned for another few moments.

    "Rana, hurry up and get off his back!" Hitaka called out to the cat girl.

    But instead of letting go, she instead closed her eyes and rubbed her face against Seiji¡¯s.

    Seiji felt like it was a bit itchy.

    He had no idea why she was acting so friendly towards him, or how he should respond to her. Should he just continue standing there?

    Natsuya Yoruhana sighed.

    "Rana, you feel like Haruta-kun will be of assistance to us?"

    "Eh?" Hitaka was surprised at this revtion.

    "Meow~" Rana purred as she continued rubbing against Seiji¡¯s face.

    How cute! Seiji was overwhelmed by a dose of moe.

    "Mdy?" Hitaka looked to Natsuya for direction.

    "I don¡¯t know what Rana is thinking either, but it seems that she believes we should let Haruta-kun know more about this situation."

    "How could¡­ Even if he is a ¡®Haruta,¡¯ he¡¯s currently only a¡­"

    "I know." Natsuya sighed.

    Then, she fixed her gaze upon Seiji once more.

    "Rana seems to believe you should hear more details¡­ Would you really like to listen?"

    From Natsuya¡¯s eyes, Seiji received the impression that this matter was not one he could simply listen to then forget about.

    Should he advance further into the realm of mystical ability users?

    Seijiughed in his mind.

    There was zero hesitation within him.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the student council president who helped him was possibly in danger, and without taking into consideration the fact that he was a member of the Haruta family by blood, just Seiji¡¯s own natural curiosity would impel him to learn more about mystical powers.

    After reincarnating and obtaining such an overpowered cheat, how could he possibly back down from other mystical powers!?

    There was no need to be afraid; he¡¯d simply step forward!

    "Please tell me. Even if I¡¯m not certain I can be of any help¡­ I don¡¯t wish to watch without doing anything!" Seiji eximed resolutely with a firm look in his eyes.

    Natsuya widened her eyes slightly.

    Hitaka also showed a surprised expression.

    Seiji¡¯s current imposing manner moved both of these girls that possessed mystical powers of their own.

    "Alright¡­ as you wish."

    Natsuya nodded.

    "Hitaka, could you pour some cups of tea for us?"

    A minuteter.

    The three of them sat around the round table with a steaming hot cup of tea in front of each of them.

    Seiji originally wanted to just hug the cat girl likest time, but she closed her eyes and fell asleep while clinging on to his back. She was just like a real ko.

    Well, she didn¡¯t weigh much to him, and she was warm, soft, and cute, so he decided to leave her there!

    Seiji took a sip of the president¡¯s tea for the second time. It was good tea, just likest time.

    "Haruta-kun, I think you¡¯ve noticed already, but we don¡¯t exactly have the upper hand." Natsuya drank some tea as well before speaking up. "The enemy¡¯s already made a move, but we still don¡¯t even know who the enemy is. We haven¡¯t even seeded at stopping the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer. If this situation persists as it currently is, the enemy will get closer to finishing their preparations. When the enemy challenges me to a duel, they¡¯ll bepletely prepared¡­ I think I don¡¯t need to exin what that means."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    "If it¡¯s that difficult to prevent the enemy¡¯s actions, why aren¡¯t you making your preparations? If the enemy knows how to prepare a spell formation, you should know simr techniques, right?"

    "Our spell formation is already located here." Natsuya peered outside the window. "The entire Genhana High School is part of our spell formation."

    ¡®Whoa, she suddenly got the entire school involved!?¡¯

    Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "You don¡¯t appear all that shocked."

    "I¡¯m still a bit surprised¡­ It¡¯s just that I can imagine it due to seeing so many simr plotlines in animes before."

    "You¡¯re right¡­" Natsuya chuckled.

    Her smile made Seiji recall the question he wanted to ask her thest time they met, but now wasn¡¯t an appropriate time for it.

    "You can view Genhana High School as my personal castle in which I hide my identity as a Yin Yang Master. The school grounds are covered by a huge spiritual barrier, and there¡¯s many hidden magical traps awaiting any enemies. There¡¯s also many spirits and demons patrolling, both out in the open and in hiding¡ªonly those with mystical abilities are able to detect these. Hitaka and Rana are like my left and right arms while I¡¯m themander that¡¯s controlling everything here while only appearing to be the student council president on the surface. So this ce is usually safe, which means a Yin Yang Master would be unable to invade the school in a normal situation. However, things are different in the case of a duel between Yin Yang Masters.

    "Continuing to use the analogy of a castle, if I¡¯m the one that¡¯s in a strong defensive fortress, then what the enemy is currently doing is akin to building siege weapons and arranging their armies. When they¡¯re finished with their preparations, they¡¯ll challenge me to a duel, which is equivalent to beginning their attack on my castle. You should understand now, right, Haruta-kun?"

    Seiji rubbed his chin as he nodded.

    The enemy would only attack her figurative castle when fully prepared. If the enemy didn¡¯t feel optimistic about their chances of winning, they wouldn¡¯t even bother to challenge her.

    This also meant that when the enemy began their attack for real, there would be a high chance of her castle¡¯s defenses being unable to withstand the enemy¡¯s attack!

    So the only options that Natsuya¡¯s side currently had were to either interrupt the enemy¡¯s preparations, thus disrupting their preparations toplete the spell formation necessary to attack Natsuya¡¯s castle, or to discover the enemy¡¯s identity and hideout before they finished preparing andunch a preemptive attack to defeat them!

    "I¡­ understand. The most important task right now is to stop the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer that¡¯s currently making the preparations for a spell formation. No matter if we want to interrupt their arrangements or find out whoever this hidden enemy, the Spiritual Retainer is the only breakthrough point."

    Seiji nced at Natsuya.

    "Indeed, that¡¯s right." Natsuya sighed before continuing, "But we¡¯re currently stuck with no progress on this."

    Silence fell once more.

    "Hypothetically speaking¡ªjust in theory¡­" Seiji spoke up again cautiously, "If the present situation persists, and you aren¡¯t able to prevent the enemy from finishing their preparations, what will happen to you guys when the enemy begins the attack after fully preparing? And what will happen to this school?"

 Chapter 53 - Detection

    <h4>Chapter 53: Detection</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "If the situation continues¡­"

    Natsuya looked directly at Seiji.

    "The best result will be that we repel the enemy¡¯s attack sessfully and defeat them or force them to retreat. The worst result will be¡­ that all three of us will die."

    Death.

    Even though Natsuya said the word in a calm tone, Seiji was still able to detect a sliver of fear deep within her.

    "A duel between Yin Yang Masters¡­ Must it always end in one of their deaths?"

    "No, but as a ¡®duel,¡¯ both sides will use everything in their power to achieve victory, so injuries or deaths are quitemon."

    Natsuya slowly sipped her tea.

    "As for the school, it probably won¡¯t be affected; duels between Yin Yang Masters typically don¡¯t involve normal people."

    Seiji sharply analyzed Natsuya¡¯s diction.

    "You say ¡®probably¡¯ and ¡®typically¡¯¡ªyou don¡¯t sound very sure."

    "¡­I can¡¯t say with certainty that innocents won¡¯t get harmed." Natsuya sighed before continuing: "Yin Yang Masters live by the rule of not attracting the general public¡¯s attention¡­ but the flip side is, as long as it¡¯s not to the degree of attracting a huge amount of attention, a few deaths are permitted."

    "So it¡¯s a natural thing to them like how two lions dueling might identally crush a few insects to death?" Seiji frowned.

    He had already felt a bit ufortable when he viewed the pictures taken by the Juumonji group, which depicted the drug dealers who had frozen to death.

    Although they were human scum that nobody cared about, were willing to be taken advantage of, and their deaths were brought about by their own greed, the fact that human lives were ruthlessly taken still had a profound effect on him.

    And now, hearing that there was a possibility that his fellow students were at risk from suffering the same fate of being frozen to death, the ufortable feeling lingering within his heart magnified.

    Seiji¡¯s frown deepened as Mika and Chiaki¡¯s faces surfaced tin his mind.

    "I can now somewhat understand the reason that Mdy doesn¡¯t want to make friends with ordinary students."

    Natsuya smiled wryly in response.

    Hitaka red at Seiji before eximing, "What do you know? Mdy is¡­"

    "Hitaka!" Natsuya interrupted.

    The red-haired girl could only bite her lips.

    ¡®There¡¯s something they¡¯re hiding¡­¡¯ Seiji could tell as it was obvious.

    But if they decided not to inform him, he would remain ignorant.

    "My apologies; my words may have been hurtful."

    "No, what you said was a fact."

    Seiji and Natsuya exchanged nces.

    "In order to prevent the worst oue, the first thing we need to do is stop the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer." Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

    Actually, he already had an idea.

    The solution was quite simple; all he had to do was find out when and where the next incident involving this Spiritual Retainer would be, then load, turn back time, and notify Natsuya and Hitaka about it.

    The only problem he faced with this was how to tell them!

    ¡®Should I tell them about his save and load ability?¡¯ Seiji firmly rejected this course of action in his mind; he knew that his system and the save/load power were his trump cards. He absolutely must keep it as his personal secret for his own safety.

    So, should he deceive them by pretending that he had some type of power to predict the future, or that he possessed a special sense or instinct?

    This seemed possible¡­ But for an amateur like Seiji to deceive people with mystical powers like them required him to make sure his story was airtight.

    So what exactly should he do?

    Seiji continued to contemte.

    "You mentioned that you use a spell to locate the enemy¡¯s Spiritual Retainer¡ªhow exactly do you do it?" He inquired.

    "I¡¯ve set up a detection spell formation¡ªas long as the Spirit-branded Retainer uses mystical powers within the detection area, the detection spell will automatically notify me."

    "And then you¡¯ll inform Hitaka-san and order her to catch the culprit, but you¡¯re still toote on every instance¡­ There¡¯s nobody else that can help you?"

    Natsuya sighed.

    "Of course I can ask my family for help, but unless I absolutely have to, I don¡¯t wish to do that."

    "There seems to be a deep reason behind that¡­"

    "Yes, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, so please don¡¯t inquire any further." Natsuya wore an ufortable expression as she averted her gaze.

    "I¡¯m not the type whocks that muchmon sense." Seiji scratched his face. "Then, how about viewing it from a different angle¡ªwhy don¡¯t you request the assistance of an ordinary person?"

    "I just mentioned that ordinary people shouldn¡¯t be getting involved, right?" Natsuya looked confused as she furrowed her eyebrows: "Haruta-kun, was your attitude earlier simply faked?"

    "Of course, I¡¯m not talking about having a normal person fight a Spirit-branded Retainer or anything like that." Seiji waved his hand.

    "I just want to say this: is it possible that they can support your detection formation, without catching the attention of the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer, thus increasing the overall power of your detection spell¡­ Is something like that possible?"

    "Support¡­" Natsuya showed surprise at Seiji¡¯s idea before she mulled it over seriously.

    Seiji wanted to drink some more tea but found that his cup was empty. He gestured to Hitaka, indicating his cup was empty and that he wanted her to pour him a refill, but she coldly ignored him.

    ¡®Ah, she doesn¡¯t like me all that much¡­¡¯ Seiji could only smile wryly inside his mind as he was forced to rise in order to hold the teapot. He then poured some additional tea for all three of them.

    It took a minute for Natsuya to finish considering Seiji¡¯s idea.

    "What you just said¡­ is possible," she stated slowly. "I can create a talisman that will enable an ordinary person to increase the power of the detection spell, as long as it¡¯s ced on their body and they move around within the detection spell¡¯s range. However, its effectiveness is quite low, and many people are required in order to strengthen the detection spell significantly. I don¡¯t have that many people I canmand¡­ And even if I somehow managed to do so, making them walk around everywhere within the detection spell¡¯s range would be quite apparent, and the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer might notice them."

    Seiji smiled slightly as he listened attentively.

    "Arge amount of people that won¡¯t be noticed easily even if they¡¯re walking around on the street, right? What a coincidence! I just met a group of people yesterday that fits these criteria."

    Natsuya Yoruhana blinked.

    "Are you talking about the local mafia?"

    "Of course I am. They¡¯re the leader of the local undergroundmunity; asking the local hoodlums that go about their business on the streets every day to do something insignificant like wearing a talisman should be quite simple for them to achieve."

    "Will they be willing to help us? Normally speaking¡­"

    "Normally speaking, they¡¯d avoid a situation where even the police are remaining quiet about, right? But the Juumonji group is an exception! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they have more backbone than even the police, they wouldn¡¯t have even bothered inviting me over, nor would I have appeared in front of you like this."

    Seiji extended his palms.

    "They want to protect their own territory; even if they¡¯ve realize that the enemy is something iprehensible to them, they still want to know. As for their backbone and their so-called pride¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t understand it all that well, and perhaps looking at it from a different angle it¡¯s merely stubborn foolishness, but mafia like them really do exist! Their boss even kneeled to me and kowtowed when asking for information!

    "So that¡¯s why I came to find you, and now that I know what¡¯s going on, I think that he won¡¯t refuse to help us when I give him the information that he¡¯s been seeking. Of course, he¡¯s a mafia boss, so perhaps he¡¯ll add in some extra conditions. If that¡¯s the case, you can just go ahead and have a discussion with him; I believe that you cane to an ordance with him."

    Silence fell in the room as Natsuya began considering Seiji¡¯s proposal once again.

    This time, she thought it over for a much shorter time.

    "The mafia¡­" She sighed.

    "Using the mafia¡¯s power¡­ Honestly speaking, it¡¯s quite a shameful thing, but right now¡¯s not the time to be worrying about honor. The fact that my power is insufficient is indisputable. In order topensate for myck of power, I should set aside some of my pride as a Yin Yang Master."

    "Mdy¡­" Hitaka Shuho furrowed her brows before she viciously red at Seiji, evidently ming him for Natsuya¡¯s ignoble decision.

    Natsuya turned and faced Seiji directly with a serious expression on her face.

    "Your idea is excellent. You have my heart-felt thanks, Haruta-kun. I¡¯m going to need to trouble you to talk to the leader of that Juumonji group once more, and request their assistance. If it¡¯s necessary, feel free to contact me if I¡¯m needed to talk directly to their leader. I¡¯ll leave it up to you, then!"

    Natsuya lowered her head towards Seiji.

    "No need to be so polite with me, President Yoruhana." Seiji smiled before continuing: "It¡¯s nothing, really."

 Chapter 54 - Mysterious Phone Call

    <h4>Chapter 54: Mysterious Phone Call</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    When faced with the sunshine after leaving the student council room, Seiji suddenly felt as if he had returned to reality after a trip to fantasynd.

    Of course, that was wholly due to the nature of the topic he had just been discussing.

    ording to his system, the idea and assistance he provided to Natsuya and Hitaka had apparently increased their favorability ratings towards him. Even Hitaka, who carried such a cold attitude towards him, now viewed him more favorably.

    As for Rana Kirin, that cat girl had a super high favorability rating towards him since the beginning, but as for why? That was a mystery.

    Well, there was no need to think too much into it.

    Seiji took out his cell phone and made a call.

    "Hey, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ve confirmed I can tell you what you wanted to know. Ok, let¡¯s do that then."

    After finishing his side of the conversation in a natural tone of voice, he hung up the call normally.

    Nobody would have guessed that he just called a mafia boss and arranged another meeting with him. The casual way he carried it out sounded much like the way a normal high school student would call his friends to hang out and have some fun.

    Only after putting away his cell phone did Seiji realize that he¡¯d casually acted unbelievably cool a few seconds ago¡­

    Well, forget about it.

    For the current him, the most important thing was rushing back and eating lunch together with his friends.

    ¡­

    He gained another 7 points from his [gifts] option today.

    He obtained 2 points from two love letters and 5 points from Mika Uehara¡¯s handmade lunchbox!

    The amount of points that a personally handmade lunchbox gave was even higher than a normal day¡¯s [work], which showed the full extent of the feelings imbued into the lunchbox.

    Seiji gratefully enjoyed the lunchbox and made sure not to leave even a morsel of leftovers.

    This made Mika feel delighted inside.

    As usual, Chiaki watched over the duo, smiling both outwardly on her face and inwardly in her heart.

    After they finished their lunches, there were still a few minutes before lunch break was over, so the three of them just rxedzily.

    Suddenly, Chiaki¡¯s cell phone started ringing.

    When Chiaki took out her cell phone and saw who the caller was, her expression instantly changed.

    "Oh, Chiaki, what¡¯s the matter?"

    Noticing that Chiaki had a strange expression as she looked at her cell phone, Mika couldn¡¯t help but question her

    Chiaki returned to her senses and forced a thin smile.

    "Nothing¡­ I need to go take a phone call."

    After speaking, she hurriedly walked off.

    Mika widened her eyes in surprise, and Seiji also noticed something seemed peculiar.

    "What¡¯s going on?"

    "I don¡¯t know¡­" Mika paused before continuing, "I¡¯ve never seen Chiaki¡­ have such a forced smile before!"

    The pigtailed beauty¡¯s face was filled with concern for her friend. They¡¯d been best friends for all this time, but she¡¯d never seen such an expression on Chiaki¡¯s face before, so she noticed it all the more clearly.

    Judging from Mika¡¯s tone and expression, Seiji realized that the situation was probably quite serious.

    "It has something to do with that phone call¡­ Who could it be?"

    The two of them could only silently watch the tomboy¡¯s back as she walked off into the distance while talking to someone on her cell phone.

    During afternoon sses.

    Chiaki seemed to be paying zero attention. Even an idiot could tell that her mind wasn¡¯t on the lesson, which naturally meant that the teacher also noticed.

    The teacher called on her to read a passage from the textbook, but Chiaki attempted to read the textbook while holding it upside-down, eliciting an outburst of uproariousughter from the other students.

    Seiji and Mika didn¡¯t join in theughter; instead, they exchanged nces filled with concern for their friend.

    Thest ss of the day was P.E. ss, and the topic of the ss happened to be volleyball.

    *Smack!* The ball crashed into Chiaki¡¯s right cheek.

    *Smack!* The ball crashed into Chiaki¡¯s left cheek.

    *Smack!* The ball smashed directly into Chiaki¡¯s face.

    "Chiaki Wakaba, get off the ying field!¡¯¡¯

    The P.E. teacher Oosuke Sasaki¡¯s (27 years old, unmarried, with the nickname of ¡®Orange Orangutan¡¯) roaring resounded throughout the entire field.

    Seiji could only shake his head wordlessly. Mika hurriedly helped her friend Chiaki to sit down outside the ying field, and Chiaki immediately sat down in a contemtive pose, her chin resting against her fist.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Chiaki¡¯s sudden nosebleed ruined the image, it would have been a pretty scene to look at.

    "Chiaki!?"

    "Wakaba-san is having a nosebleed!"

    "Medic! Er¡­ Take her to the infirmary!"

    This tomboy was quite popr with both boys and girls in ss, so her sudden nosebleed caused a smallmotion.

    A girl brought out some tissues which Mika epted and used to staunch the bleeding as she slowly supported Chiaki, helping her to the nurse¡¯s office.

    "Harano-san, what¡¯s going on with Wakaba-san?" The ss representative Koji Hoshihara approached Seiji and inquired about the situation.

    Seiji could only shake his head since he, too, was ignorant of what had previously transpired.

    Who was that call from, and what did that person say to Chiaki? With their words they had managed to turn the heartless Chiaki¡­ er, no, the lively and direct Chiaki Wakaba into a mncholy girl¡­

    Seiji was quite curious.

    After school.

    All the other students had already left.

    Chiaki remained in the ssroom. She had even skipped drama club, and now sat listlessly in a daze, with her chin resting on her fist, gazing at something outside the window.

    There was nothing outside but milky-white clouds in a blue sky¡­ Could it have triggered some sort of memory within her?

    It was truly a striking scene.

    Seiji took out his cell phone and silently took a picture.

    "You¡¯re taking a picture!?" Mika scolded him.

    "Because I¡¯ve never seen her like this. It¡¯s quite rare¡­ Would you like a copy?"

    "No! Stop joking!" Mika was getting angry.

    "But she¡¯s not telling us anything, so there¡¯s nothing we can do." Seiji sighed before speaking: "She¡¯s not even responding to jokes¡ªhow about trying a perverted joke instead?"

    "Don¡¯t do that!" Mika seemed slightly embarrassed.

    "Sigh¡­" Chiaki finally moved, and she sighed while letting her head copse onto her desk.

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika went over to her out of concern.

    "Oh, Mika, Seigo¡­ you guys still haven¡¯t left?"

    "Seeing the way you are, how could we possibly leave you!?"

    "I¡­ I¡¯m fine. I was just thinking about some things." Chiaki smiled wryly.

    "It was a phone call from your debtor, but you have no money, so that¡¯s why you must now escape, and you were wondering about whether or not to run away tonight¡­ Something like that?" Seiji expressionlessly blurted out a long sentence without any pauses.

    "That¡¯s way too long! And so clich¨¦!" Chiaki retorted reflexively.

    "Then are you considering about what sex position to debut with for your first pornography video?"

    "What a terribleme excuse of a joke!"

    Mika was rendered speechless upon hearing this exchange.

    Seiji and Chiaki exchanged a nce before they both burst out intoughter.

    "If you still have enough energy toment aboutme jokes, then it means it¡¯s not something as terrible as the world is ending, so I can rx," Seiji remarked.

    Chiaki sighed before speaking, "Even though I want you guys to stop worrying about me, but to stop so suddenly¡­ it makes me feel a little sad as well¡­"

    "My concern for others shuts down at 3:30 in the afternoon," Seiji retorted.

    "Don¡¯t talk about emotions like it¡¯s a part-time job!" Chiaki rebuked.

    Seiji snorted disdainfully. "How bothersome¡­ I¡¯ll just have to trouble myself to worry about you a little longer."

    He then pped the desk while exaggeratedly tilting his head 45 degrees: "Now hurry up and tell me, or you won¡¯t have a chance anymore! Just who was it that was calling you!?"

    "Don¡¯t pretend that this is a police interrogation!" Chiaki responded forcefully.

    She then followed up her words with a sigh.

    "Man, my girlish heart which rarely appears was ruined by you, Seigo."

    "You have such a thing?"

    "I¡¯m gonna get mad!"

    *Smack!* Chiaki punched Seiji lightly.

    "Hmph, yourbat ability is a paltry five points." He pretended to adjust some fictional sses as he spoke condescendingly.

    "Are you ever going to stop!?" Chiaki and Mika shouted in unison.

    Seiji finally stopped acting like a clown.

    *Cough cough.*

    Now that her friends seemed ready to listen to her seriously, Chiaki broke out into a coughing fit. After she finished, she turned her gaze towards the two of them.

    "Um¡­ actually¡­ I¡­" She scratched her face awkwardly.

    "Now that I have to say it¡­ I¡¯m feeling embarrassed, hehe¡­" The tomboy acted bashfully.

    Mika and Seiji were lost for words.

    What the hell!!

    Just as Mika¡¯s eyes were turning hollow and Seiji¡¯s cheek was beginning to twitch, Chiaki scratched her hair forcefully.

    "Fine, I¡¯ll say it! I¡¯ll talk! Actually, that phone call¡­ was from¡­ my ex-girlfriend!"

    Oh, so that was how it was.

    Hm? Wait, something seemed a little¡­ ex-girlfriend?

    Ex-girlfriend!?

 Chapter 55 - Ex-Girlfriend

    <h4>Chapter 55: Ex-Girlfriend</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Ex-girlfriend, you say?"

    Seiji sat opposite from Chiaki; he was currently seated in a reversed chair, supporting his chin with both hands as he stared directly at her.

    "That¡¯s right, ex-girlfriend." Chiaki sighed.

    "What type of ex-girlfriend?"

    "Probably¡­ Exactly the type that you¡¯re thinking about."

    "Ah, so you swung that way!"

    "Well, urately speaking, I¡¯m actually bisexual." Chiaki also propped up her face with her hands and suddenly revealed a sultry expression: "By the way, I¡¯ve never had an ex-boyfriend~"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by her abrupt disy of emotion.

    Mika¡¯s face slowly began to redden.

    "C¡­ Chiaki, honestly¡­"

    "Oh my, was it too much stimtion for our innocent and lovely Mika?" Chiaki chuckled as she looked towards her friend¡¯s direction. "That¡¯s exactly why I never told you¡­ Well, of course it was also because I didn¡¯t want to talk about it."

    "I have a premonition; a strong prediction that the following content may be mid-level restricted, or maybe even powerful high-level restricted ess content," Seiji said in a mock-serious tone. "So, Mika, go ahead and leave first! Don¡¯t mind me; I¡¯ll stay behind and take the hit for you¡­ Come, Chiaki! Give me your best shot!"

    "Seigo¡­ no, Seiji, your face is distorting!" Mika coldly nced at the boy who was currently acting slightly idiotic and showing a hint of anticipation for the uing steamy topic.

    "Haha, it¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s only low-level restricted content; as I was still purer back then, I didn¡¯t do anything too overboard." Chiaki rubbed her cheek in embarrassment.

    ¡®She really did do it with a girl before!?¡¯

    Seiji and Mika both felt like they suffered a serious impact before Seiji began cackling, while Mika¡¯s blush deepened even more.

    "While I was in middle school, I was at Shimizu Middle School, which was a supposed high-ss girls¡¯ school that prided itself on its dormitories, discipline, and high grades." Chiaki recalled her past. "When I first began attending there, I was already a rather boyish girl. I didn¡¯t want to change myself even in that environment, no matter how the teachers lectured me. Perhaps because it was during my rebellious phase, I turned even more boyish. I was very popr with the girls, so I pretended I was like an actual boy and attempted to get close to them, and¡­ doing some certain things with them."

    "Could you add some more details about thest part?"

    "Seiji!"

    The idiotic boy was forced to close his mouth with a p to the face.

    "That may have been the best time of my life! Middle school girls are so soft and delicious~"

    "Chiaki!"

    The idiotic girl was also suppressed with a smack.

    Judge Mika ced both hands on her hips as she viciously red at both of her friends.

    "Talk only about the important things."

    "Yes, ma¡¯am¡­" Chiaki rubbed her head where she was smacked.

    "At any rate, back then, I was basically a girl acting like a boy. In fact, I was a bit of a yboy: I dated various cute girls, doing this and that, and lost myself in their admiration and flirtation."

    ¡®What an envious lifestyle!¡¯ Seiji kept his mouth tightly shut, but he shouted ament inside his heart.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Chiaki was a girl, this type of experience would probably stir intense feelings of jealousy within many boys.

    But unless you were a girl, you wouldn¡¯t be able to go to a girls¡¯ school¡­ Although that wasn¡¯t always necessarily the case¡­

    "And so, I became a second-year middle school student. But that¡¯s when I met her."

    Seiji returned to his senses since Chiaki continued to tell her story.

    "She was different from the other girls around me¡­ She was exceedingly beautiful and gave others a quiet impression. She wasn¡¯t particrly friendly with me, nor did she dislike me. She had a few friends she would converse with, but she also often read books by herself. She¡­ I don¡¯t know when, but she became a special existence to me."

    Chiaki looked outside the window as she muttered; it was obvious that she was lost in her recollections.

    Seiji and Mika exchanged nces and allowed Chiaki to continue uninterrupted.

    "After discovering that I hadpletely fallen in love with her, I began trying my best to vie for her love. This was obviously a difficult process, since towards me¡­ no, towards everybody, there was a type of distance she kept from us all. I stopped all my interactions with every girl I was intimate with and concentrated fully on her; I tried every method I could think of, but I was rejected on every instance. This situation persisted until my third year in middle school."

    Chiaki paused and slowly stood up, without taking her gaze from the scenery outside the window.

    "Due to my constant advances, her attitude did soften towards me, but even so, I failed to see any hope with her. I didn¡¯t have any ideas how I should progress, so I thought that perhaps being able to befriend her would be a good result. However, on one night¡­"

    Chiaki¡¯s face had aplex, contradictory expression that seemed like a half-smile, half-frown and was happy yet lonely.

    "After that night¡­ the rtionship between us changed. Even though I wondered what happened to her, I was happier at being able to finally get closer to her. We became¡­ lovers, and when I said that out in public, she didn¡¯t deny it either. We stuck together for a long, long time, and made many pleasant memories. Until¡­ our graduation approached."

    Chiaki¡¯s expression turned downcast.

    "I thought that we¡¯d be able to continue going to the same high school together and have more fun times. But, she¡­ told me many things. Afterwards, I was disconste, and I wept uncontrobly. She also shed many, many tears, but her attitude remained resolute. And so¡­ we broke up. She didn¡¯t go to the high school attached to that school, and as if I was escaping, I transferred schools as well."

    Chiaki finally stopped gazing out the window, instead fixing her gaze on her two good friends once again.

    "I never changed my cell phone number¡­ I probably should have changed it and deleted her number. But, just earlier¡­ I received a phone call from her."

    The tomboy forced herself tough and hid her mncholy expression.

    "What do you think? It¡¯s not much of a story, right?"

    Mika¡¯s face was bright red, and she was evidently lost for words.

    "Indeed, it¡¯s not much of a story¡­ You skipped over all the juicy parts! Wakaba-sensei, you¡¯re skimping on the word count!"

    "Oh my, I¡¯m so sorry! The final edition is still in the writing process, so please wait a little longer~"

    "Please tell me the expected publication date!"

    "Oh, in approximately 100 years or so."

    "That¡¯s way toote!" Seiji clutched his head.

    Mika silently watched the two of them ying around.

    "So, what do you intend to do about the second season?" Seiji suddenly stopped joking around and asked in a serious tone.

    "Mm¡­ It doesn¡¯t count as a second season. I think at the very most it will only be a special extra episode." Chiaki tilted her head. "Honestly, even now I don¡¯t know what I should do about her."

    Her tone was simultaneously self-deprecating and helpless.

    "The phone call was most likely about wanting to meet you again¡­ or something like that." Seiji observed her expression and advised solemnly, "Then go and meet her! If things go well, you can get back together again; if not, you can just treat it as meeting an old friend."

    "You make it sound so easy¡­" Chiaki pouted.

    This was the first time that she¡¯d ever used such an expression, and it was actually quite cute.

    "Then you don¡¯t want to go?"

    "I didn¡¯t say that either¡­"

    Seiji tugged at his lips.

    "Fine then; just stay conflicted! When you¡¯re done deciding, let me know. I still need to go to work, so see youter!"

    "You¡¯re so heartless! Abandoning me at such a time; have you forgotten about all those marvelous days and nights we spent together?" Chiakiined jokingly.

    "I haven¡¯t spent any evenings together with you! Don¡¯t say it like we have a rtionship that could be easily misunderstood!"

    Aftermenting forcefully as always, Seiji turned around and waved.

    "Sorry guys, but I really do need to go work now; the highest-level person is waiting for me."

    Although Seiji¡¯s words didn¡¯t contain any falsehoods, Mika and Chiaki naturally assumed he was referring to the confectionery store owner. They would never have imagined that he was talking about a mafia boss.

    The two beauties watched Seiji leave the ssroom.

    "Sheesh¡­ That Seiji, always joking around." Mika sighed.

    "He¡¯s trying his best in his own way to help my mncholia dissipate." Chiaki¡¯s lips arced upwards: "I¡¯m quite thankful to him; it¡¯s reallyforting to have him by our sides."

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika nced at her friend and was forced to admit that if it had just been the two of them, the atmosphere wouldn¡¯t have been this rxed.

    Indeed, she was still unable to follow their leads.

    Perhaps she should seriously try to study forceful retorts and casual jokes? The pigtailed girl was soon trapped in this line of thought.

    Chiaki continued to stare in the direction Seiji left from as her eyes glistened with an indescribable light. After a while, she finally squinted warily at Mika.

    "Mika, I need to apologize to you beforehand."

    "Hmm?"

    "Because¡­ I want Seiji to be my boyfriend."

    Mika couldn¡¯tprehend what she had just heard.

    A few secondster.

    "Eh? EHHH¡ª" Her panicked shouting resounded throughout the entire ssroom.

 Chapter 56 - Your Name

    <h4>Chapter 56: Your Name</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After leaving school, Seiji walked to the construction site from yesterday and boarded a car owned by the Juumonji group.

    When he reached their residence, he entered Michirou Juumonji¡¯s study again and began to recount the story that he had prepared to Michirou, in order to enable the Juumonji group to understand the current situation. Seiji made sure not to reveal too many details.

    As Michirou Juumonji expressed his gratitude, Seiji took the opportunity to request his assistance, and it didn¡¯t take much considering on Michirou¡¯s part for him to readily agree.

    This was doubtlessly the best oue.

    In fact, the proceedings were uncannily smooth. This gave Seiji a peculiar feeling about the whole scenario.

    Michirou Juumonji was a mafia boss, and even though he treated Seiji politely, it should have been obvious that there was something more behind this request. Seiji didn¡¯t expect Michirou to acquiesce so easily.

    Although Seiji considered it strange, he didn¡¯t disy anything untoward on his face. At any rate, as long as Michirou agreed, Seiji considered his mission sessful.

    Afterwards, Michirou invited Seiji to stay for dinner, but Seiji refused, saying he was busy.

    Surprisingly, yet again, Michirou didn¡¯t insist; all he did was speak a sentence filled with deep meaning as they parted ways.

    "In the future, I hope that¡­ Haruta-sama will take excellent care of my daughter and son, and give them lots of advice."

    Seiji failed to grasp the profound meaning behind this sentence.

    Forget about it; it was fine as long as Michirou agreed to provide his assistance.

    "President, the Juumonji group has agreed to help us."

    Seiji called the president to make a report while he walked towards the confectionery shop.

    "There were no problems; everything went really well¡­ Although the mafia boss¡¯s attitude was slightly strange, it shouldn¡¯t be anything of concern. I¡¯ll ept your gratitude. I didn¡¯t really do anything all that amazing; just take it as me repaying your favor."

    ¡®Let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡¯ Seiji rxedly hung up his cell phone.

    On the other side of the call, Natsuya, who was still in the student council room, was theplete opposite of rxed.

    The extremely difficult problem she previously faced now had a hope of being resolved due to the boy who had just called her. As long as she was able to quickly mass-produce as many talismans as possible to enhance her detection spell, she¡¯d be able catch the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer efficiently!

    "I owe him a huge favor¡­"

    Thedy scion with sleek, long ck hair was seated in the chair reserved for the student council president. She currently wore a different type of frustrated expression.

    Although Seiji Haruta acted like it wasn¡¯t a big deal to him, and perhaps it wasn¡¯t that difficult for him, Natsuya regarded his assistance with this matter a huge favor for her.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Seiji¡¯s help, and the current situation persisted, Natsuya would be forced to use herst resort n. Except from that, she didn¡¯t have any other methods left. And even if she used her final trump card, there was still a chance of failure.

    If the present situation developed without changing, the end result could have devastating consequences for Natsuya and her two Spiritual Retainers, Hitaka and Rana¡­ The ending was so horrifying that Natsuya didn¡¯t even dare to consider it.

    So, no matter how Seiji Haruta viewed this affair, this definitely wasn¡¯t a small favor at all in Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s eyes.

    Giving him money would be the most direct method, but thedy scion with sleek, long ck hair felt like that would be insulting to him.

    If Seiji Haruta had wanted money, he probably would have asked for it already with his direct personality. However, he hadn¡¯t asked for money nor had he requested for anything else, which meant that he was truly helping her out of friendship.

    Natsuya wanted to repay his sincerity with her own.

    So that was why she was now faced with a difficult problem.

    Ever since her birth, Natsuya Yoruhana, a beautiful, brilliant scion and the Genhana High School Student Council President, had never even once had the experience of showing her true self to a boy!

    How should she disy her appreciation to a boy who¡¯d given her so much help? She wanted to give a gift that wasn¡¯t clich¨¦; one that would make him delighted in addition to showing her gratitude and sincerity¡­ Giving such a heartfelt gift was something she¡¯d never even had to think about before!

    "Hitaka, tell me¡ªhow should I return his favor?" After being frustrated with this problem for a while, she sought the advice of the red-haired girl beside her.

    Hitaka Shuho regarded Natsuya with a nk gaze.

    ¡®Fine! My friend and Spirit-branded Retainer is even less experienced than me in this topic! I¡¯m really an idiot for attempting to ask her,¡¯ Natsuyamented inwardly.

    But she really didn¡¯t know what to do¡­ Should she just send him a pile of otaku goods as a gift?

    In the end, this was the best idea that she coulde up with.

    ¡®Forget about it; let¡¯s think it overter. Right now the most important thing is creating as many talismans as possible!¡¯

    Finally, Natsuya chose to avoid her problem for the time being.

    ¡­

    After finishing his work shift, Seiji returned home.

    He didn¡¯t see Hoshi Amami at work today, but Seiji didn¡¯t put any thought into it, since he figured they¡¯d meet again sooner orter anyways.

    In his apartment, after grinding [write a diary] and [draw] like usual, Seiji put on his mask and opened his live-stream.

    "Cat-loving Flying Fish" instantly joined his stream.

    She instantly greeted him with a long string of angry and condescending emoticons.

    Seiji chuckled.

    "Where did you disappear tost night!? Idiot streamer! Stupid streamer!" A longment, shing with vivid colors, appeared on Seiji¡¯sputer screen.

    "It¡¯s too long to exin. I had quite an eventful day yesterday, with various situations popping up at school, before I ended up getting invited to a mafia boss¡¯s home for a discussion, and finally, I was stuck in some fierce battles; I didn¡¯t have any spare time at all!"

    ¡®Yep, I didn¡¯t lie at all! The fierce battles are referring to the all-nighter of games I yed together with Hisashi Juumonji. I¡¯m such an honest person,¡¯ Seiji inwardly ttered himself.

    "You¡¯re just making it all up!!!"

    He was once again peppered with a stream of vividly colored exmation marks,bined with another long line of angry and condescending emojis.

    ¡®Sigh, why is it that nobody these days believes the truth on the inte?¡¯

    Seiji pretended to act hurt.

    "I¡¯m not lying¡ªwhy don¡¯t you believe me?"

    "Who¡¯d believe that!? Hmph, you probably forgot the time while ying games together with someone and identally pulled an all-nighter!"

    The bright words flying across his screen saw through half of the truth.

    "My apologies, but you¡¯repletely wrong, beautiful Flying Fish¡­" Seiji shook his finger at his webcam and acted cold and haughty.

    "I didn¡¯t forget the time, nor was it an ident. It was¡­ I got to know a new rich otaku friend and intentionally stayed over at his ce for an all-nighter!"

    He revealed his secret.

    "Go to hell¡ª!"

    An endless stream of colorfulments and countless emoticons drowned his entire screen.

    Seijiughed out loud.

    Ever since he began live-streaming, it¡¯d been one week since he met this cute spectator of his.

    He¡¯d already be inte friends with her.

    Apart from live-streaming, they also chatted asionally on other messaging devices. Although they didn¡¯tmunicate frequently, Seiji felt like they were quitepatible with each other.

    He wasn¡¯t certain if she felt the same way, but judging by her words, it seemed highly likely.

    If this was in real life, they could be even closer friends, but this was the inte.

    She didn¡¯t seem to intend to be any closer than this to him, and Seiji cooperated by doing the same, so they just casually chatted about their hobbies, the news, and whatever struck their fancies.

    At any rate, she was a pretty good inte friend, but in the end, she was only an inte friend.

    Hmm¡­ Only¡­?

    To be honest, Seiji had already considered another possibility.

    Perhaps¡­ this girl behind the screen was actually¡­ a person that the original Seiji knew!

    Because they were remarkablypatible with each other!

    Ever since that song "Snail and Sparrow," any old songs, movies,ics, animes, games, and everything from their childhoods¡ªwhatever they liked and hated¡ªthe reasons for liking and hating¡­ every detail seemed to be the same.

    It was almost as if they were childhood ymates who had been separated and coincidentally met again on the inte after growing up.

    In the teeming sea of people out there, meeting someone with the exact same interests as you wasn¡¯t impossible.

    But, wasn¡¯t it also likely that the two of them actually knew each other, grew up in the same environment at the same time, and yed together? They saw and liked the same things together and hated the same things together¡­ Wasn¡¯t that a possibility as well?

    Which of the two possibilities was a greater one?

    ¡®Hey, Cat-loving Flying Fish, do we actually know each other? Could I ask your name in real life?¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

 Chapter 57 - Cat

    <h4>Chapter 57: Cat</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    There¡¯s a legendary cat known as "Schrodinger¡¯s cat."

    The simple exnation about it was that unless a subjective observer made an observation, the result would be uncertain.

    Although it sounded fantastical, it was actually high-level theoretical quantum physics, and that was the subtlest part about it.

    Schrodinger¡¯s cat wasparable with Cat-loving Flying Fish¡¯s current situation.

    After her personal observations, she still couldn¡¯t decipher if the person across the screen from her was, as she imagined, a person she previously knew.

    The boy with the silver mask that she¡¯d only known for one week was one of the strangest live-streamers she¡¯s ever seen, as he was satisfied with her as his only spectator for the entire week¡­

    At first, she simply thought that this boy was cute and funny, then she discovered that they had manymon interests; but now, she was beginning to suspect something.

    Ever since that "Snail and Sparrow" song, there were so many small details that they were coincidentallyplementary on.

    In the teeming sea of people out there, meeting someone with the exact same interests as you wasn¡¯t impossible. But, wasn¡¯t it also likely that the two of them actually knew each other?

    Cat-loving Flying Fish was having the exact same thought as Seiji. She couldn¡¯t figure out which of the two possibilities seemed more likely.

    She thought about it from the angle of some sort of plot to ensnare her as well, thinking that perhaps this boy was targeting her for some reason, but the more she thought about it and the more she chatted with him, she believed this scenario wasn¡¯t the case.

    But it still wasn¡¯t impossible, since if a scammer was serious about it, such a plot seemed possible.

    That was the reason behind her current indecisiveness.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish was hesitating whether or not she should confirm his identity.

    If he really was a perfect stranger who coincidentally had the same interests, then it was fine, and they could continue being friends and improve their rtionship.

    But what if he was someone she knew, or a boy that was targeting her to capture her heart, or he had some other nefarious intention?

    For the first, depending on who he was, it could have various oues. If he was specifically targeting her, then it would be as if she had poked a bubble¡ªit would pop, and he would disappear.

    She genuinely enjoyed chatting with him and enjoyed hearing him sing and watching him dance, even though he was nothing special.

    But the moment she tried to confirm his identity, everything might change.

    Schrodinger¡¯s cat.

    Her inte username "Cat-loving Flying Fish" didn¡¯t have anything to do with the legendary Schrodinger¡¯s cat whose concept was even in this parallel world, but she didn¡¯t expect that such a situation much like Schrodinger¡¯s cat would arise.

    The state of life or death of the cat would be decided by an observer.

    And the rtionship between her and him would be decided by her observations.

    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to observe anymore and confirm his identity.

    Nobody had ever truly observed Schrodinger¡¯s cat before, so even now, nobody knew if that cat was living or dead.

    She could copy that.

    If everything would end if she observed the result, then all she had to do was remain passive.

    Although she wouldn¡¯t be able to improve her rtionship with him if she couldn¡¯t confirm his identity, that didn¡¯t really matter. It was just an inte friendship to begin with; there was no need to make it any deeper.

    ¡®Yep, this will be fine.¡¯

    Cat-loving Flying Fish decided to continue raising this cat.

    ¡®Well, forget it. I won¡¯t think too much into it.¡¯

    Simultaneously, from across the screen, Seiji also made the same decision to give up on asking her name and identity after some hesitation.

    Sometimes, leaving a bit of mystery would be more romantic.

    The two of them made the exact same decision without even discussing it.

    "My apologies. I¡¯m so sorry for leaving you alonest night, beautiful Flying Fish¡­ But now it¡¯s time for my singing performance. Mdy, which song would you like to hear tonight?"

    Seiji grinned widely as he talked to theputer screen.

    ¡­

    The next day.

    Kaho Miyamoto quietly got out of her bed, put on some clothesfortable to exercise in, washed her face, and was about to go out for her morning jog.

    However, she saw her older sister at the door.

    Karen Miyamoto.

    With sleek brown hair tied in a ponytail, a beautiful oval-shaped face, thin and dainty eyshes, soft and gentle orange-colored eyes, a small birthmark that just happened to be at the corner of her right eye, and attractive luscious lips that were gently smiling, Karen Miyamoto was a beauty that embodied the ideal of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

    But for the opposite gender, the first thing they would notice about her wasn¡¯t her serene beauty, but rather what was underneath her own workout clothes¡ªthe two bulging mounds that her clothingpletely failed to conceal!

    Herrge breast size was just too obvious; even if all she did was stand there with her arms folded, it would still make her breasts stand out like a pair of ripe fruits!

    "Good morning, Kaho."

    Seeing her beautiful sister smile and wave towards her, Kaho¡¯s shoulders instantly drooped.

    Kaho loved her older sister, but the thing she hated the most in the world was standing by her sister¡¯s side!

    Not only was her older sister beautiful, Karen had a gentle yet resolute personality and was skilled at just about everything.

    Karen was skilled at housework and helping their parents out at work. She was a good athlete, had high grades, and she was even adept at making friends; in conclusion, Karen Miyamoto was perfect in everything.

    Kaho Miyamoto could only pale inparison¡ªeven though she was actually decent at everything, she would only seem like an idiot whenpared to her sister.

    When they were still little, Kaho would always stick by her sister¡¯s side. However, thanks to constantparisons with her sister, cruel reality attacked Kaho¡¯s heart, distancing her from her sister and changing her into a loner obsessed with otaku things. She stopped caring about her personal appearance and finally turned into a fat otaku girl.

    During this process, her parents lectured her countless times about learning from her older sister, being as hard-working as her older sister, and living like her older sister¡­ It was so annoying!!!

    Kaho was aware that her parents were right, and she also knew that her sister didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but she was so annoyed at everything that she didn¡¯t want to listen or build a closer rtionship with her sister.

    Her parents¡¯ attempts at persuasion and her sister¡¯s gentle demeanor would only cause her to feel pain and frustration, even if she was clear that her family didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and it was her who was in the wrong.

    But those were her feelings.

    She shut herself in, just like a tiny animal living in a dark corner, and continued to eke out an existence by herself.

    Until that day.

    "Yes, you¡¯re rather fat and somewhat disgusting."

    "But so what?"

    "I¡¯m already used to someone that¡¯s 100 times more disgusting than you are. I¡¯m talking about myself."

    "I didn¡¯t expect to be this handsome¡ªI only intended to lose some weight."

    "Please let it remain a secret for me."

    "Because you¡¯re the same type as me."

    That impossibly handsome boy had been reaching out to with his hand while smiling in the brilliant sunshine.

    "Will you be my friend, Miyamoto-san?"

    That moment was like a beautiful fantasy to her.

    It had been just like a dream, but it was all real!

    She was the only one who¡¯d ever learned of the boy¡¯s secret.

    Neither the bright and shiny pigtailed girl nor the charismatic tomboy that were always by his side knew this about him!

    This was something that belonged only to her; it was her personal experience, a dreamlike¡­ reality.

    She wanted to hold onto that hand of his.

    But she couldn¡¯t.

    She felt like she¡¯d contaminate him if she impulsively touched that boy who was shining so brightly after he¡¯d finally managed to break free from his dark past following his great effort to change himself.

    Even if he didn¡¯t really mind.

    Especially because he didn¡¯t mind.

    She wanted to change herself!

    She wanted to hard at losing weight, learn how to put on makeup, buy some new clothes, and be prettier.

    Change herself to the degree where he¡¯d be rather surprised, before appearing in front of him, saying: "Look at me, I¡¯ve be beautiful!"

    He¡¯d definitelyugh at her saying how silly she was, but he¡¯d probably be mentally praising her at the same time.

    That¡¯s when she¡¯d finally be able to happily reach her hand out to him and say¡ª"Please be friends with me!"

    "Honestly, did you reject me the first time because you wanted to do this?"

    He¡¯d probably say that whileughing and taking her hand.

    "You shocked me¡ªI¡¯ve lost to you, Miyamoto-san¡­"

    With that fantasy in mind, and convinced that she could make it a reality, Kaho Miyamoto was currently working hard towards her goal.

    In the past week, she¡¯d been secretly exercising and decreasing her food intake appropriately.

    The change was clearly noticeable. In just one week, she¡¯d lost more weight than she expected, which gave her more confidence that she could seed.

    However¡­ it was only natural that she¡¯d be found out.

    Kaho sighed; it was evident her older sister was intentionally waiting for her there.

    "Good morning, Sister¡­ What are you waiting here for?"

 Chapter 58 - Goal

    <h4>Chapter 58: Goal</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I¡­ I¡¯d like to go running together with you, Kaho¡­ Is that alright?" Karen Miyamoto spoke up cautiously.

    "That won¡¯t be necessary. Go ahead and get some more sleep, Sister, or prepare breakfast or something," Kaho replied in a disinterested tone while walking past Karen.

    "Breakfast¡¯s already been prepared." Karen followed her younger sister while speaking in a weak voice.

    ¡®Just how early did you wake up!?¡¯ Kaho helplessly thought as she failed to think of a suitable retort.

    She knew what her older sister wanted, but it really wasn¡¯t necessary for her sister to do things to such a degree!

    "If it¡¯s already finished, then go back and rest."

    "But¡­ I want to have a morning jog together with Kaho."

    "I already said it¡¯s not necessary! Your weight is fine¡ªthere¡¯s no reason for you to exercise more, so don¡¯t tire yourself out needlessly."

    After she finished speaking, Kaho began jogging.

    "I won¡¯t get tired!"

    Karen began jogging as well, causing her ample chest to jiggle.

    "Kaho¡­ you¡¯ve changed recently. I¡¯m so happy, and I want to do things together with you¡­"

    "Why be together? We¡¯re not little kids anymore!" Kaho increased her running speed.

    "This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with our age!" Karen also sped up, causing her breasts to bounce up and down even more violently.

    "Even though I don¡¯t know the reason, my younger sister¡¯s begun to make an effort to change herself and is currently working hard. Naturally, as your older sister, I should¡­"

    "That¡¯s pointless!" Kaho red at her sister.

    "It has meaning to me!" Karen red back at her: "It does, to me!"

    "You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡¯¡¯

    "Is there something wrong with a girl that wants to be together with her sister!?"

    "Karen, don¡¯t say something that could be misunderstood as a double entendre!"

    "I don¡¯t know, I just¡­ I just want to be by your side, Kaho¡ª"

    Honestly, what an annoying sister.

    A wet glimmer sparkled in Kaho¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®You¡¯re so perfect, so I feel like I¡¯m nobody when I¡¯m standing next to you. But, as a family member, you¡¯re the best sister I could ask for!¡¯

    "Forget it. If you want to follow me, juste along¡­"

    "Kaho!" Karen was delighted.

    "Hey! Don¡¯t pull my hand while we¡¯re running! Your chest is getting in my way, let go¡ª"

    The sisters ran down the street at dawn, into the rising sun¡­

    The end.

    The end¡ªwhat the hell!?

    This wasn¡¯t a clich¨¦ idol drama!

    When Kaho arrived at school, she felt fatigued as she¡¯d overexerted herself and spent her "youth" together with her sister earlier this morning.

    But she instantly saw someone that could havee right out of an idol drama, which erased all her weariness.

    Seigo Harano.

    He looked handsome today as usual. It was almost as if he was shining brightly. He walked into the school grounds chatting andughing together with the tomboy prince Chiaki Wakaba from the drama club as well as the cute and lovely girl next-door-type who was surprisingly innocent, Mika Uehara.

    With the gentle sunshine beaming down upon the three of them, if someone took a cell phone picture of them right now, it would probably be mistaken as a scene right out of an idol drama.

    After all, that was just how brilliantly each of them seemed to be shining!

    Kaho Miyamoto stared at his face for a long period of time.

    Suddenly, he seemed to detect something and turned his head in her direction!

    Then, before she could even react, he smiled and nodded at her.

    Wah!

    Kaho hurriedly averted her gaze and felt her face was burning hot.

    ¡®He noticed me! He even smiled towards me. How embarrassing¡­¡¯

    "Hey hey, was Harano-kun just smiling in this direction?"

    "It seemed like it? Who was he smiling towards?"

    "I don¡¯t know¡­ But he¡¯s so handsome! Just like an idol."

    "I know! He¡¯s so tall and strong, and he seems reliable as well¡ªit¡¯s amazing!"

    The girls around her were gossiping idly.

    ¡®He smiled towards me!¡¯

    A sense of pride welled up in Kaho,bined with some otherplex emotions.

    Harano-san was so popr.

    He was handsome, had a nice body, a good personality, and he wasn¡¯t bad at academics¡­ Not to mention his physical ability that was way overboard¡­ Kaho still remembered what happened two days ago when he had been surrounded by all those club presidents desperately trying to recruit him.

    Because of that incident, his reputation as the "destroyer of clubs" became even more well known within school.

    By now, most students had learned that Year 1, ss 5 in Genhana High School had a new handsome transfer student who was ridiculously amazing at sports, to the extent where several club presidents had stated that as long as he joined their club, he¡¯d easily be able to be the ace and go to the nationals!

    Unfortunately, the transfer student didn¡¯t seem interested in joining any club, which disappointed all the club presidents, although each of them maintained a sliver of hope.

    Many students were curious about him simply due to the rumors, and girls were constantly falling in love with his physical appearance.

    In addition to this, his personality was indeed nice, so he was given an excellent assessment by the girls in his ss. Even all the boys that were jealous of him found it difficult to find any ws; all they could do was make a few snidements.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had two beauties apanying him at all times, and the fact that he hadn¡¯t joined a club yet and shown off his true abilities, he¡¯d probably be even more popr with how outstanding he was.

    The more she thought about it, the more Kaho felt the vast distance between them.

    That day, she wasn¡¯t dreaming, was she¡­ No!

    ¡®I can¡¯t deny reality. Don¡¯t get depressed¡ªbe more spirited!¡¯

    Kaho Miyamoto clenched her fists in order to galvanize herself.

    She didn¡¯t want to be his girlfriend; she wanted to be his friend.

    Besides, he already reached out to her; she just temporarily decided not to take his hand.

    ¡®There are no problems and no obstacles. All I need to do is change myself slightly!¡¯

    "¡­What are you doing?"

    A familiar voice abruptly sounded from behind her.

    Startled, Kaho turned around and was greeted by a round face staring at her.

    "Don¡¯t scare me like that, Momoko!"

    Momoko Matsuoka was one of Kaho¡¯s ssmates and good friends. She was short and petite with a roundish face, light orange short hair, light yellow eyes, and a quiet personality.

    "I wasn¡¯t trying to do that intentionally¡­ You were lost in thought about something, and you didn¡¯t even notice me standing right behind you." Momoko tilted her head. "Were you perhaps thinking about Harano-san?"

    She hit the mark on the first try.

    "N¡­ No!" Kaho reflexively denied it.

    "Heh, your face is reddening. Kaho, you¡¯re so bad at lying." Momoko chuckled, "You probably saw Harano-san pass by and were awestruck by his presence."

    "Er¡­" Kaho couldn¡¯te up with any words to say.

    "Stop being silly and standing there! Hurry up and go to ss¡ªit¡¯s almost starting¡­ Honestly, you can stare at him all you want in ss, but you insist on watching him while outside." Momoko began walking as she nced at her friend out of the corner of her eye.

    "It¡­ It¡¯s not the same!" Kaho followed her friend¡¯s footsteps.

    "You¡¯re not denying it anymore?"

    "Fine. I admit it, I admit it!" Kaho could only give up the act helplessly. "Is it wrong for a girl to enjoy looking at a handsome boy!?"

    "Of course not. Harano-san¡¯s quite handsome indeed¡ªhe¡¯s much better than any of those other idiots in our ss in both appearance and personality," Momoko stated calmly. "However, precisely because he¡¯s that way, he¡¯s on such a different level from all the other boys that he¡¯s not the type of person ordinary girls like us can hope to approach. You should realize this as well."

    "I¡­ I know." Kaho pouted.

    "If you understand, then don¡¯t fall too deeply in love with him." Momoko sighed before continuing, "I know that he¡¯s helped you before in such a gentlemanly fashion; it¡¯s only natural for you to fall in love, but¡­ I don¡¯t wish for my friend to get her feelings hurt."

    "Momoko¡­" Kaho could feel her friend¡¯spassion. She felt a sense of warmth along with an apologetic feeling.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it¡ªI won¡¯t have my feelings hurt, so rx!"

    ¡®Because I don¡¯t wish to overstep my boundaries¡ªI simply want to be able to shake the hand that he reached out to me.¡¯

    ¡­

    In the ssroom.

    Seiji saw Kaho Miyamoto entering ss with another girl and couldn¡¯t help but take an extra look at her.

    He just nodded towards her in greeting, but upon seeing her instantly turn away from him at an amazing speed, he felt a little hurt.

    Did she really hate him? He didn¡¯t think he did anything to deserve it.

    He didn¡¯t really understand¡­ Well, forget it.

    What Seiji cared more about currently was that Chiaki had informed him that she wanted to discuss something important with him after ss.

    When Chiaki told him this, Mika¡¯s expression turned strange. It was obvious she was aware of what Chiaki nned to discuss with him.

    Just what could it be?

 Chapter 59 - Fake Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 59: Fake Boyfriend</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Between sses.

    Seiji walked out of ss together with Chiaki and Mika before finding a secluded spot for their discussion.

    "Okay, what¡¯s up?" Seiji took a rxed pose as he leaned against the wall.

    Chiaki nced at Mika first before turning to Seiji. She then sped her hands together and bowed towards him.

    "I¡¯m begging you, Seigo¡ªbe my fake boyfriend!"

    "What?" Seiji raised his eyebrows. "Be your fake boyfriend?"

    What a ssic situation!

    This situation usually happened in stories when it was necessary to attend a party or some event with a date, or when refusing to find a marriage partner found by pushy parents, whereas the current situation was¡­

    "Does this have to do with your ex-girlfriend?"

    "That¡¯s right!" Chiaki grinned widely. "I want to make her jealous by taking a super-hot boyfriend along with me!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon hearing her words.

    ¡®Ok, somebody exin to me¡ªwhat¡¯s going on with this scenario!? Director, there¡¯s something wrong with the script again!¡¯

    "Can I interview you, as you¡¯re a les¡­ er, bisexual girl? Just what exactly impels you to take a boyfriend and make her jealous!?"

    Seiji could onlyment forcefully on this situation without holding back at how strange it all seemed.

    "I don¡¯t know either, but she said that she¡¯s bringing her boyfriend to our reunion, so I¡¯m taking one with me as well." Chiaki¡¯s grin remained, but there was a steely glint in her eyes.

    "So she did it first¡­ Hey! Don¡¯t refer to boyfriends like they¡¯re items!"

    "Is there much of a difference?"

    "There¡¯s someone with a malfunctioning brain here!!"

    After a period of awkward silence.

    "Alright, I understand what¡¯s going on now." Seiji sighed in exasperation. "She invited you to a meeting, but she said that she¡¯s bringing along her boyfriend, and that you could also bring your boyfriend if you wanted¡­ Something like that?"

    "Yep."

    Chiaki retracted her arms as she finally let the grin drop from her face, revealing aplex expression.

    "I really do want to see her again, but her doing this¡­ I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s real or if she has a fake boyfriend as well; either way, it¡¯s definitely upsetting. That¡¯s why I need a splendid boyfriend to act as my own shield and sword. Perhaps she didn¡¯t intend to hurt my feelings, but there¡¯s no doubt that it will definitely hurt me, so I¡¯m going to hurt her back!"

    Chiaki even repeated the word "hurt" three times in a single sentence. It was quite obvious to see how she viewed the invitation.

    "Are you certain that she¡¯ll be upset at this like you are?"

    "I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m going to do it regardless."

    Chiaki¡¯s expression was now devoid of any traces of mirth; even the usual rxed air about her had disappeared. She was beingpletely serious.

    Such an expression made Seiji imagine Chiaki shouting, "Come at me!! Let¡¯s just hurt each other¡¯s feelings some more!!" in a fictitious scenario.

    How messy.

    Well, it was definitely a n befitting of Chiaki¡¯s style.

    ¡®Going to a meeting by herself, trying to bear the pain in her heart while smiling, and greeting her ex-girlfriend who now has a new boyfriend¡­ Such a garbage scenario wasn¡¯t suitable for her personality at all; she¡¯d never be able to do that.¡¯

    As he thought this, Seiji smiled to himself and stood up straight instead of leaning against the wall.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll do it. Even though I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll properly be a good item for your usage, go ahead and use me as you wish!"

    The tall and handsome boy saying such a juicy sentence withughter in his tone¡ªthis alone would cause many a girl¡¯s heartbeat to quicken.

    Mika¡¯s face reddened as she listened to their conversation.

    Even Chiaki¡¯s cheeks were tinged with a hint of red.

    "Er¡­ Yes, I will." The tomboy averted her gaze slightly as she couldn¡¯t bear to look at the shining sun.

    ¡®You¡¯ll definitely be an excellent shield and sword for me, Seiji. You¡¯re just that handsome!¡¯ Chiaki thought as silence fell for a few seconds.

    "When will you be meeting her? And where?" Seiji asked for the specific details.

    "I haven¡¯t discussed it yet¡­ I¡¯ll reply to herter ande to an agreement about when and where to meet."

    "Oh, I¡¯ll be waiting for you to contact me about the details then."

    "Okay¡­ Let me know when you have free time. That way I can arrange a time convenient for you."

    "Apart from school and work, I¡¯m usually free. As for my work schedule this week¡­" Seiji informed Chiaki of his schedule.

    Chiaki nodded after noting down the information.

    "Got it¡­ I¡¯ll call her tonight and arrange a time to meet. Now, before we go to her meeting, we need to prepare some things."

    "Prepare?" Seiji blinked in surprise.

    Chiaki chuckled.

    "Before we head to the battlefield, we should make sure our equipment¡¯s top-notch."

    ¡®Don¡¯t say it like we¡¯re heading to a real battle¡­¡¯

    Seiji couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it out loud, though. Perhaps to Chiaki, this was indeed a true battle¡ªemotionally speaking, at least.

    "How do we need to equip ourselves?"

    "Our clothes and appearance!" Chiaki became more spirited and energized upon saying this. "We¡¯re going to appear our best in front of them! That¡¯s why, Seigo, you need to go shopping with me.

    We¡¯re going to buy a matching set of couples¡¯ clothing that¡¯ll brilliantly enhance your handsomeness and my beauty!"

    The ferocity in her words was almost tangible.

    "Oh¡­" Seiji couldn¡¯t resist her fervor. "But¡­ I don¡¯t have much money¡­"

    "I¡¯ll pay for the costs!" Chiaki bluntly stated before she shifted her gaze to her best friend who was still looking on: "Mika,e with us¡ªtell us your objective opinion!"

    "Oh¡­" Mika also fell victim to Chiaki¡¯s fervor and could only respond in a stupor.

    "This is my specialty, heh heh. Allow me to show you guys my true ability as the ace of the drama club!"

    Chiaki focused her attention outside the window with a sparkle in her eyes. It seemed almost as if she was shining brightly.

    *p p p.* Seiji couldn¡¯t help but p for her in support.

    *p p p.* Mika followed up with another round of apuse.

    The two of them felt like as if the tomboy in front of them was currently putting her all into performing on a stage.

    ¡­

    Later that evening.

    Seiji received a call from Chiaki.

    "The battle will ur on Sunday at 8:30 pm. The location will be the White Snow Coffee Cafe in Silver Valley."

    "Silver Valley¡­ I¡¯ve never been to such a high-ss area."

    "We¡¯ll go scout the ce out on Saturday night, and we¡¯ll also buy some clothes there!"

    "The clothing there must be quite expensive."

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay. I¡¯m actually quite well off, you know~ If you¡¯re willing, I could even give you an allowance!"

    "Nah."

    "Don¡¯t reject me so quickly¡ªat least hesitate a little!"

    "It¡¯ll be bad if I do hesitate!" Seiji retorted decisively.

    He heard Chiaki¡¯sughter on the other end of the cell phone.

    "I¡¯m really looking forward to picking clothes together with you¡­ Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that; I still need to let Mika know as well."

    "Ah, okay." Seiji prepared to hang up.

    "Don¡¯t you want to know how I persuaded Mika to let you be my boyfriend without her objecting?" Chiaki suddenly asked him an unexpected question.

    "I¡¯m just a fake boyfriend."

    "Even if it¡¯s fake, a girl will mind."

    Chiaki wasying on a luxurious canopy bed while talking to Seiji. She was ying with a cute plush cat doll while chatting lightheartedly on her cell phone.

    "I used my deep friendship, intimate hugs, gentle wording, as well as passionate lips to¡­"

    "Stop! I don¡¯t need any special sex chat services over the phone!"

    Chiaki¡¯sughter increased in volume.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Seiji? Nobody else could hear anything!"

    "Oh, right¡­ the hell! Do you want me to look at the two of you with a strange look in my eyes in the future!?"

    "Sure, if it pleases you."

    "That¡¯s not what you¡¯re supposed to say!!"

    Chiaki could vividly imagine Seiji forcefully retorting towards his cell phone¡ªthat was just how familiar and clear the scene was to her.

    Speaking with him was never tiresome. Even though she knew that it was time to hang up, she felt a little sad about having to go.

    "Anyways, that¡¯s enough about this topic. Hurry up and let Mika know the time and ce. I have something else to do, so I¡¯m hanging up."

    Ahh, he escaped!

    Chiaki pouted as she heard the cell phone¡¯s beeping after Seiji had hung up.

    ¡®I wonder if he¡¯s noticed the subtle changes in my heart¡­¡¯ Chiaki thought to herself. ¡®Well, even I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on with myself¡­¡¯

    While hugging the round, cute cat plushie, she rolled around on her bed while staring intently at the picture on her cell phone¡¯s screensaver with something glittering in her eyes.

    Her cell phone¡¯s background picture was a selfie taken together with Seiji and Mika.

    In that picture, the handsome boy was in the middle of the two beauties while showing off that gentle, sun-like smile of his which exuded a radiant aura.

 Chapter 60 - Dream

    <h4>Chapter 60: Dream</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji opened his system after hanging up on Chiaki.

    Thanks to all the extra unexpected points he received from his new [gifts] option, he had managed to gather the 75 points required for activating the [Bullet Time] skill tonight!

    Compared to [actions], it seemed quite easy to rack up the points using [gifts]¡­ Should he attempt to be a popr idol for real?

    Seiji imagined what the hypothetical scenario would be in his mind. He would have to sing and dance passionately on stage, act in deep, emotional scenes on television, and he¡¯d be surrounded by fans at all times¡­ and so on.

    ¡®Yep, I¡¯d much rather just be an otaku!¡¯

    He resolved to follow his heart.

    Even though he didn¡¯t particrly dislike the feeling of being admired, he decided against developing himself in this direction. He felt that he¡¯d get tired of it eventually, and perhaps he¡¯d even get depressed about it¡­

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to make a living which relied on others¡¯ adtion.

    The system was only supposed to be a cheat to help him live morefortably. If he had to do things he didn¡¯t enjoy in order to obtain more points, then it wouldn¡¯t serve its purpose anymore.

    It was much like trying to obtain a reward in some game and having to stay up all night grinding a certain level over and over again. The game would be ying you, instead of you ying the game.

    Getting more points was indeed important, but doing the things he truly enjoyed came first. That was what Seiji wholeheartedly believed.

    Well, it was all simply ordinary logic.

    And now, he finally obtained the ability he had desired for so long.

    Just like when he purchased and activated the [fighting] card, a swirl of light surrounded the card as it hovered in front of him. A ck shadow facing countless silver bullets was depicted on the card.

    Activate!

    This time, Seiji was mentally prepared for what would happen next. He ground his teeth whileying on his bed as his brain absorbed the knowledge¡­

    He regained consciousness some timeter.

    ¡®This learning process kinda sucks.¡¯ He rubbed his aching temple.

    Seiji finally stood up and slowly observed his surroundings.

    He could feel as if he¡¯d changed imperceptibly. There was only one problem: how should he test out his new skill?

    ¡®I can¡¯t exactly go rushing into traffic to test myself against cars, can I¡­?¡¯

    Seiji came up with an idea within several seconds.

    He went to the kitchen in his apartment and took out a sharp vegetable knife, which shed with a metallic glint.

    Seiji took the knife to the middle of his room before taking a deep breath to prepare himself.

    Then, he suddenly chucked the knife upwards!

    The knife spun upwards at a high speed, almost reaching the ceiling before dropping back down towards Seiji.

    Seiji concentrated fully on the falling knife.

    A sudden burning sensation rushed through his body, activating his hidden potential.

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    A subtle electric shock coursed through his entire body.

    After that, Seiji felt as if the rapidly descending knife was actually falling down in slow motion.

    Just like how movies would slow action scenes down for audiences.

    He could vividly detect each and every knife rotation; he could tell exactly where it wouldnd, and he even swung his hand through the twirling knife sessfully without getting injured!

    It was just like what that triple sword user in One Piece could do.

    But that character relied on astonishing luck, while Seiji relied on his newfound skill!

    The knife was almost about to hit the floor as it came within centimeters of his right hand.

    Seiji reached out with his foot and caught the knife handle with his toes right before the knife was about to hit the ground.

    [Bullet Time] ended.

    Seiji suddenly felt like his body became heavy, and his breathing turnedbored. It was as if a switch had turned off part of the energy in his body.

    So that was the price for using the [Bullet Time] limit break ability¡­ Right after it ended, his body would be temporarily weakened for a period of time.

    Well, as long as he rested properly, Seiji would quickly recover with his body¡¯s current strength level.

    But if he activated [Bullet Time] again during his weakened state, it would sap even more of his energy afterwards.

    Seiji figured that if he activated it many times in quick session, it might even exhaust him to death!

    But if he ever met with such a dangerous situation, he should probably just load as the main priority.

    At any rate, just like the [fighting] card¡¯s activation, this skill was even stronger than Seiji expected, making him feel like he¡¯d received a good deal!

    Of course it was a good deal! It was because Seiji was able to obtain it for half-price¡ª75 instead of 150 points!

    So, no matter what, this was an excellent exchange.

    Seiji opened up his system again, filled with self-satisfaction.

    Unlike when he purchased the [fighting] card, no new options appeared in his system.

    This was within Seiji¡¯s expectations; after all, [Bullet Time] was simply a skill card that was also a reward, not a skill tree activation card. If he wanted new abilities such as [Bullet Time lvl. 2], he¡¯d probably have toplete a specific action or be stronger to unlock it.

    Seiji began thinking about the next ability to exchange for after confirming that no new options had appeared.

    ¡®Should I continue increasing my fighting prowess or begin improving something else? Considering what I might face in the future, perhaps it¡¯ll be reassuring to raise mybat ability, but¡­¡¯

    Even with the new [gifts] option, Seiji still felt like he wasn¡¯t umting points quickly enough.

    Rather than continuing to increase his skills in the [fighting] ability tree, perhaps he should activate more skill trees instead, so that he could have additional [actions] in order to grind points quicker, resulting in more skills at a faster pace¡­?

    "This is almost like a strategy game¡­ Should I recruit a stronger army and increase my military strength, or do I increase my economic production, so that I can hire a higher-level army in the future¡­ A decision like that," Seiji muttered to himself.

    He recalled a vastly time-consuming famous strategy game from his previous life.

    The game had been wonderfully intricate with numerous development strategies. Every move the yer took would have an effectter down the road.

    The sense of instant aplishment the game had on gamers would make them unable to stop themselves from ying once they got hooked!

    "Just one more turn¡­ Eh, when did it get light outside?" This was a phrase that became popr due to the game¡¯s influence.

    Seiji had yed that game in his past life as well. Not very deeply, but he knew the basics.

    At any rate, he believed that even though such a game had many choices, there were only two major directions¡ªobtaining strength immediately, or umting resources in order to be stronger at ater point in time.

    In that game, he always chose thetter option.

    As for the current situation¡­ Seiji nced at his system indecisively. Finally, he came to a decision.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen in the future, so there¡¯s no way I could make the right decision.

    In that case, I might as well just do what I originally preferred to do in the first ce!¡¯

    Besides, he could simply make a save file at this point in time. He had prepared himself.

    ¡®Next, I¡¯m going to exchange for the [academics¡ªwriting activation card].¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s [academics] stat had reached a high number as he¡¯d grinded for points.

    He was full of hopes for what might happen to him after he activated the [writing] ability!

    If he had the skill, he wanted to write his own novels¡­ light novels!!

    Novels which weren¡¯t from his previous world; he wanted to create brand-new stories that werepletely his own¡ªones that everybody loved reading!!!

    Instead of simply being a reader, Seiji desired to author one of his favorite mediums. This was one of Seiji¡¯s unrealized dreams from his previous life.

    In this new world, he absolutely had to realize his dream!

    Otherwise, what difference would there be from his previous life an ordinary, unremarkable person!?

    ¡®On Earth, I was merely an idle fish at the bottom of theke, and now¡­ it¡¯s time for me to go ashore.¡¯ Seiji¡¯s grin grew wider as he considered the endless possibilities the future held.

 Chapter 61 - Trying on Clothes

    <h4>Chapter 61: Trying on Clothes</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The next few days passed by uneventfully.

    The only thing that caught Seiji¡¯s attention was the fact that Hoshi Amami still hadn¡¯t appeared at work this Saturday.

    Being somewhat worried, Seiji decided to ask the owner Rika Amami about the situation. All she knew was that Hoshi supposedly felt sick, so he hadn¡¯t shown up to work this week.

    Was he actually sick with a cold, or was there something more to it?

    ¡®Perhaps¡­ he¡¯s trying to avoid me¡­¡¯ Seiji had his suspicions.

    ¡®Well, forget about it. Since his aunt doesn¡¯t feel like there¡¯s anything wrong, then it¡¯s probably fine.¡¯

    Saturday night.

    Seiji, Mika and Chiaki took a bus to the upper-ss district Silver Valley to grind¡­ oops, buy clothing.

    Right across from the bus stop was the flourishing business district filled with bright, colorful lights sprinkled across all the store signs, illuminating the night sky. The surroundings were filled with a fashionable, luxurious air.

    "Wee to Silver Valley, the shopping and gaming heaven¡ªif you have money, that is!" Chiaki grinned as she informed her friends.

    The ex-NEET who¡¯s now working and the female high school student with no ie of her own: "¡­"

    "Do youe here often?" Seiji ended up sighing.

    "I often took girls I was intimate with here during middle school, but I haven¡¯t been here since I started attending high school," Chiaki exined. "Now don¡¯t just stand there; let¡¯s get going!" She waved at them with a huge smile on her face.

    ¡®This really feels like a rich and experienced gamer taking two free-yer newbies along to grind for experience,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    It was obvious that Mika was also out of herfort zone here.

    It was her first time here, mostly due to the costly nature of the products they stocked. No ordinary high school girl would be able to afford them, which why she¡¯d never shopped here.

    When Seiji noticed how nervous she was, he smiled at her, attempting to relieve the tension.

    "You don¡¯t need to mind too much. Other than the fact that all the prices have one or two more zeros at the end, things aren¡¯t really that different here."

    "That¡¯s a huge difference, okay!" Mika responded reflexively.

    "Who cares? After all, we have a rich gamer¡­ Cough cough, Chiaki¡¯s paying today, not you or me." Seiji shrugged nonchntly.

    "That¡¯s true, but your attitude¡­" Mika couldn¡¯t think of an appropriate adjective to describe Seiji with.

    "Follow the rich girl and don¡¯t worry about anything! By the way, why is Chiaki so rich?" Seiji finally thought to ask that question.

    "Her father¡¯s a famous artist that¡¯s really wealthy. But he¡¯s never home, so he gives Chiaki a lot of spending money aspensation," Mika exined.

    Seiji nodded in response.

    ¡®I see. Mika didn¡¯t mention Chiaki¡¯s mother, so perhaps the Wakaba family is also a single-parent household¡­ I wonder if Chiaki¡¯s mother got divorced or something else¡­ For two beauties with such differing personalities to be friends requires some points inmon.¡¯

    "What are you secretly chatting about? Come, we¡¯re gonna head over there to the Grand Spring department store!" Chiaki who had been walking ahead of them suddenly bounced back to Seiji and tugged his right arm.

    "The Grand Spring department store¡­ That¡¯s the most expensive ce in all of Silver Valley!" Mika muttered to herself.

    Mika¡¯s eyes became unfocused as she gazed at the majestic structure in front of them. She didn¡¯t even notice the fact that Chiaki was getting cozy with Seiji.

    "Rx rx, I¡¯m here,e!"

    "You don¡¯t need to pull on me¡­"

    "This is the practice performance for tomorrow."

    "Wait¡­ wait up!"

    They bantered yfully with each other as they walked down the bustling street together.

    The Grand Spring department store.

    This store had fifty years of history and tradition behind it. After experiencing various ups and downs and booms and recessions, it was now one of the top-ss department stores in all of Sakura Ind.

    It was currently at the apex of Silver Valley¡¯s merchants.

    Any normal person¡¯s evaluation of this store would only contain one word: expensive! If you had to add another word to assess it, it would simply be "very expensive!"

    But to those who were better off financially, the consumption level here was appropriate for them.

    Each item for sale here had a price suitable for its brand name and quality, so this store was actually quite popr with the upper-middle ss.

    After entering the store, an average person would almost be blinded by the extravagant yet fashionable clothing selection which stunned them with its traditional yet splendid garbs. In addition to this, the sound of a piano ying was audible throughout the entire store. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t a recording yed through a loudspeakers; instead, it was a real person who was performing¡ªa pianist of some renown.

    Every customer here was well-dressed, with the women seeming elegant and graceful while the boys were gentlemanly hunks. Even though there were a decent number of customers, it wasn¡¯t too noisy inside the store.

    Each brand name store disyed clothes, essories, purses, and other products that were expensive to the point where an ordinary person wouldn¡¯t even want to inquire about the prices.

    This was like apletely different world for Seiji and Mika who were only used to shopping in supermarkets and bargain stores!

    Seiji wouldn¡¯t shrink back at such an atmosphere thanks to his experience in a previous life, but Mika seemed as if she¡¯d be smaller somehow, and she was acting stiffly.

    "Don¡¯t be nervous, Mika. Everybody here is so pretentious, so just treat them all as vegetables. It¡¯s fine!" Chiaki gave her good friend a big thumbs-up.

    "I know you¡¯re just trying to alleviate her tension, but don¡¯t just make fun of everybody here." Seiji gave Chiaki a look of exasperation: "It¡¯ll be bad if someone overhears us."

    "So what will you say if nobody could overhear you?"

    "Heh heh¡­" Seiji covered his face with one hand, and peeked through his fingers in a ssic middle schooler¡¯s pose: "From my angle, humans are simply garbage."

    "How terribly overboard!" Chiaki retorted.

    Mika was lost for words upon witnessing the duo¡¯s manner.

    ¡®Hah, it¡¯s impossible to be tense for more than a minute whenever I¡¯m with these two,¡¯ Mika thought.

    In fact she was both delighted and thankful to be with them.

    "Let¡¯s start exploring from the store I¡¯m most familiar with. To the third floor!" Chiaki led the way.

    And so, a joyous shopping trip began¡­

    ¡­Just kidding.

    Two hourster, Seiji wore a helpless look on his face as he watched the two beauties that apanied him absorbed in picking out clothes.

    Perhaps there were quite a few boys that would have simr thoughts when shopping together with a girl. To the average boy, a girl would transform into a mysterious creature who didn¡¯t feel fatigue, hunger, or thirst; she¡¯d be able to try on an endless array of clothing without needing to stop for rest at all.

    Seiji had fun at the beginning as well, since he was able to watch Chiaki and Mika (Chiaki told Mika to not pass up this chance to try out some clothes) wear various types of attractive clothing with morous styles. He kept snapping an endless amount of pictures.

    But after two hours¡­ Meh.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t tired physically, but he wanted to rest mentally and just sit down somewhere for a little while, even if it was doing nothing but resting. However¡­

    "Seigo,e over here¡ªtry this on!"

    How many times had he worn clothes for them to judge? Seiji hadpletely lost track.

    Without being narcissistic about it, Seiji truly possessed an excellent body now. Every article of clothing suited him perfectly him, and the different styles did little to change his overall appearance.

    Chiaki and Mika were that type as well; every article of clothing enhanced their charisma.

    But the two beauties just couldn¡¯t decide as they continued pulling him around here and there, forcing him to try different sets of clothes. It seemed like they could continue this until they¡¯d made him try every piece of clothing in the entire store.

    Seiji sighed mentally as he walked over and took the clothes they selected for him into the changing room.

    He failed to notice that every woman in the store, including the employees, the customers, and Mika and Chiaki¡­ were all quietly paying attention to him!

    "That boy¡¯s so handsome! He¡¯s really tall and strong, so he¡¯s basically a perfect clothes mannequin!"

    "So handsome! If only I had a boyfriend like him!"

    "Such a handsome and strong young man¡­ My husband can¡¯t even begin topare¡­"

    "Is he a model? Or an idol?"

    "He seems more like a rich young master¡­ It almost feels like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before?"

    "Stop it! You just want to flirt with him, heh heh."

    "No, I really do feel like I¡¯ve seen him before¡­"

    One of the female employees furrowed her brows deeply as she searched her memory.

    A minuteter, the door to the changing room opened again.

    A crisp, handsome youth with a slightly cold expression walked out wearing a white windbreaker over gorgeous, luxurious clothing.

    His figure exuded the aura of a tall, rich, and handsome young master as he simply stood there. This, in tandem with his disinterested look (which was actually due to his mental fatigue), made him seem as if he were a male model in an advertisement!

    ¡®Wow!¡¯ All the women who were secretly observing him simultaneously thought precisely the same thing.

    This included the female employee who had been wondering where she¡¯d seen him before. She was dazed as her attention waspletely stolen away by his handsomeness.

    Mika and Chiaki became slightly drunk on this scene as well.

    Ever since they began forcing Seiji to try out various types of clothing, they¡¯d already received many such impacts, which was why they¡¯d gotten addicted to making him into their personal model.

    ¡®I knew he was handsome before, but this is¡­¡¯

    ¡®Only after making him wear these clothes did I discover that he¡¯s really¡­¡¯

    ¡®Just way too handsome!!¡¯ Both girls shared the same sentiment in their hearts.

    Seiji was idol level¡­ No, he was even above idol level!

    All he did was wear some high-quality clothes¡ªno makeup was even necessary!

    His genes were ridiculously broken!!

    ¡®Hey, Seiji Haruta, just who are you, really? Are you actually some rich young master that¡¯s been exiled from your family!?¡¯ The same thought ran through both Mika¡¯s and Chiaki¡¯s minds.

 Chapter 62 - Older Sister

    <h4>Chapter 62: Older Sister</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Neither Mika nor Chiaki knew that the thoughts that randomly passed through their minds were actually correct.

    If only Mika could have connected the dots to the first meeting between Seiji and Natsuya Yoruhana¡ªespecially the words Natsuya¡¯d spoken to him¡ªshe may have been able to realize the truth after thinking it through.

    However, that didn¡¯t happen.

    Was it that she simply wasn¡¯t very bright, or was something unconsciously preventing her from thinking along that direction?

    While Chiaki was also aware of their meeting, she only knew that Seiji saved Mika, which led to the president¡¯s gratitude and the subsequent invitation to transfer to Genhana High School. She didn¡¯t mull over this incident too deeply.

    That was because Seiji acted too much like a normal person! He made a living by working, bought ordinary products, and had otaku hobbies¡­ None of these actions seemed befitting of a rich young master!

    This was why the two girls only treated their passing thoughts as a joke and didn¡¯t think it was really serious.

    But, unbeknownst to them, their ¡®joke¡¯ was actually fairly close to the truth.

    The trial that Seiji endured continued as the duo brought out even more clothes for him to wear.

    Feeling helpless, Seiji was forced to use the excuse of going to the restroom in order to give himself a little break.

    The piano music continued to echo throughout the entire store. Listening to such a melodious tune while being in a grandiose store was a form of enjoyment in itself.

    Leaning against the guardrail, Seiji peered down at the first floor. He noticed a female musician ying wholeheartedly as a small crowd quietly listened to her in a nearby rest area.

    The female musician wore dark red ceremonial clothing. Her hair was wrapped up in a bun, exposing her jade-white, delicate neck.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t see her face from the angle he was at, but he figured she was probably a beauty.

    He rxed there for a few seconds, enjoying the sight.

    At that moment, two girls appeared on Seiji¡¯s floor.

    "Mdy, it¡¯s almost time."

    "I know. Let¡¯s shop for just a little while longer."

    An alluring, sultry voice as well as a light and clear voice came within Seiji¡¯s earshot.

    Seiji suddenly felt as if he¡¯d been struck by lightning.

    The original Seiji¡¯s memories flooded into him.

    Seiji¡¯s body trembled, and he almost reflexively turned around in order to catch a better view of the voice¡¯s owner. He barely managed to stop himself at thest moment, instead settling for stiffly twisting his head slowly and peeking at them out of the corner of his eye.

    He saw two beautiful girls walking past him at the edge of his vision.

    There was no mistaking it.

    It was her.

    Even though he only saw her out of the corner of his eye, that beautiful figure of hers matched perfectly with the person in his memory!

    Seiji covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to conceal his identity as he once again followed those two girls with his eyes.

    Those two girls undoubtedly entered the store where Mika and Chiaki were currently shopping at!

    Everything was over.

    Seiji¡¯s face twitched uncontrobly.

    Right now, he wanted to shout loudly at the ceiling.

    ¡®Why did she have toe here at this exact time?

    ¡®Why did she walk into the exact same store?

    ¡®Why¡­ why all these coincidences!?¡¯

    Meanwhile, inside the store.

    While they were picking out clothes, Chiaki and Mika noticed the atmosphere within the store had suddenly changed.

    Following an employee¡¯s line of sight, they saw an unimaginably pretty girl.

    Even for above-average beauties like the two of them, this girl was pretty to the point where they were left dazed for a short while.

    She was wearing the ssic pairing of a camisole under a light jacket. Her chest was ample, her silky and shiny ck hair cascaded down to her shoulders, while her bangs, eyebrows, and eye color were a mysterious light purple. Her facial features seemed exquisite, and there was a sharp light in her eyes. As well as possessing great beauty, she also seemed to have a strong personality.

    Although people might mistakenly assume she was a gentle person, on deeper inspection, it could be seen that there was a fierce, unyielding spirit within her. She was like a sword of the finest craftsmanship that had been slightly pulled out of its scabbard.

    Her aura seemed almost contradictory but suited her well, thus creating an unique and memorable impression.

    By her side was another girl with curly green hair and a seductive look in her slightly droopy eyes.

    Her mouth was arced upwards in a slight smile, and she was wearing a tight one-piece dress with ck fis stockings. Her curvy body seemed devilishly charming.

    If this green-haired girl was unapanied, she¡¯d be sure to attract lots of attention, but the ck-haired girl beside herpletely suppressed her!

    These two beauties attracted almost all the customers¡¯ and employees¡¯ attention.

    "So pretty¡­" Mika couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself.

    The ck-haired girl caused Mika to recall Natsuya Yoruhana. The ck-haired, full-chested president was the only other girl who¡¯d ever given Mika the impression of such an ultimate beauty.

    No, wait, there was one other as well¡ªthe middle school girl she saw at the drama club; she seemed like a beautiful, untouched snowke.

    Perhaps the two girls were already used to being the center of attention, as they ignored the surrounding stares and began to pick out clothes from the store.

    An employee hurriedly went to greet them and respectfully attended to their needs.

    "Those two girls are so beautiful, especially the ck-haired one! Are they idols?"

    "They don¡¯t seem like the type¡­ They¡¯re probably scions of major families."

    "I¡¯ve seen them before¡ªthey seem like regrs here. I¡¯ve met them quite a few times."

    "Even though the green-haired girl is sexier, the ck-haired girl is someone you simply can¡¯t take your eyes off of."

    "If only I had such a beautiful daughter! I¡¯d die happy!"

    "Haha, I bet what you truly want isn¡¯t such a beautiful ¡®daughter¡­¡¯"

    The customers discussed the beauties with each other in low voices.

    ¡®As expected of a high-ss department store¡ªI can even meet these kinds of beauties here¡­¡¯ Mika mentally sighed in amazement.

    Suddenly, she discovered Chiaki was gazing at the two girls intently.

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika called out softly to her friend. "Those two are indeed beautiful, but don¡¯t just stare at them."

    Chiaki finally returned to her senses and retracted her gaze.

    "They are rather pretty, but I was staring at them¡­ for another reason."

    "Eh?" Mika blinked in surprise.

    Chiaki nced at her good friend.

    "You didn¡¯t notice? That ck-haired girl¡­ strongly resembles Seiji."

    Mika widened her eyes in surprise upon hearing this.

    Indeed, Chiaki was right¡ªin terms of top-ss appearances, other than the president and the girl who visited the drama club, there was still the boy who had just been beside her¡­

    Seiji Haruta.

    Currently, Seiji was seated in a bathroom stall in the department store. He seemed to be in deep thought.

    No, he wasn¡¯t actually using the bathroom.

    Even though he would have liked to do so in order to waste some more time, his body didn¡¯t feel the need, so all he could do was sit there helplessly and waste time.

    As he anticipated, his cell phone started ringing.

    Seiji answered it.

    "I¡¯m currently contemting about life. Please don¡¯t bother me, thank you very much."

    "What the hell¡¯s with that greeting!?" Chiaki retorted forcefully.

    "How could you possibly go from the bathroom to thinking about life!? Hurry up and get back here!

    Or¡­ is there a reason that you can¡¯te back?"

    Upon hearing Chiaki ask thest question so calmly, Seiji knew Chiaki must have realized it as well.

    "You probably should have confirmed it as well. When I said I was just contemting life¡­ I wasn¡¯t entirely joking. The girl that¡¯s currently inside the same store as you is most definitely the person who made me restart my life all over again."

    After a period of silence.

    "She¡­ she¡¯s really a family member of yours? Older or younger sister?" Chiaki asked cautiously.

    Seiji heaved a deep sigh.

    "That¡¯s right¡ªshe¡¯s my family. Her name is Yui Haruta. She¡¯s my¡­ older sister. The one who exiled me from the family."

 Chapter 63 - I Didnâ€™t Think You Were Such a Rich Young Master!

    <h4>Chapter 63: I Didn¡¯t Think You Were Such a Rich Young Master!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    If Seiji attempted to, he could probably devise some excuse to fool them, but he preferred to tell the truth.

    Telling the truth simplified everything. Chiaki and Mika left the store and met up with Seiji outside the entrance before they all left the Grand Spring department store together.

    "My apologies¡­"

    "You don¡¯t have to apologize for anything. I only feel awkward about not purchasing anything after trying on so many clothes. I feel bad for the store." Chiaki shrugged as she nced at Seiji.

    "Are you alright, Seiji?" Mika sent him a concerned look.

    Seiji smiled at the duo reassuringly.

    "I¡¯m fine. I was just slightly shocked at seeing her so unexpectedly. Fortunately, I happened to be outside the store at the time, so she didn¡¯t notice me. Otherwise, that could¡¯ve turned bad, haha¡­"

    Chiaki and Mika stared at him silently.

    Seiji slowly retracted his smile as aplex emotion appeared in his eyes.

    "I still haven¡¯t¡­ prepared myself mentally to face her. It hasn¡¯t been long since I changed myself, nor have I aplished anything of note. I¡¯ll continue working hard and face her properly when I feel like I¡¯m ready."

    Seiji looked off into the distance with a contemtive expression.

    A hand slowly rose up and heartily pped him on his back.

    "Honestly, you were hiding such a beautiful older sister! When you return, and you reconcile with her and your younger sister, you have to introduce us!" Chiaki grinned as she spoke. "Don¡¯t you agree, Mika?"

    Mika hurriedly nodded.

    "Seiji¡­ You¡¯ll definitely be able to repair your rtionship with them, so be more spirited!" The pigtailed girl raised her fist in a cheering motion in an attempt to uplift Seiji¡¯s mood.

    Seiji smiled gratefully at the pair. "Thank you, guys."

    They walked down the street wordlessly for a minute.

    "By the way, Seiji¡­" Chiaki broke the silence.

    "Hm?"

    "Who was the girl by your sister¡¯s side?"

    "I don¡¯t know her. Perhaps she was her¡­ friend?" Midway through his sentence, Seiji suddenly recalled the fact that the green-haired girl had addressed his sister as "Mdy."

    "What¡¯s with that uncertain tone of yours?"

    "It¡¯s also possible that she could be my sister¡¯s subordinate."

    "Subordinate!?" Chiaki and Mika widened their eyes in amazement.

    "Hey, hey, your sister¡¯s status seems to be rather special?" Chiaki recalled the discussions she had overheard from the other customers in the store. "Is your sister a true scion!? Then¡­ are you actually a rich young master!?"

    Seiji blinked in response.

    "Yep, it would seem so," he answered affirmatively.

    Chiaki and Mika both froze over. The duo were dumbstruck and simply stood there in astonishment, staring at him nkly.

    "What¡¯s up with you guys?"

    "What did you say¡­? Think about what you just said!!"

    "What I said? All I did was answer your question."

    "That¡¯s the problem!" Chiaki retorted forcefully. "You¡­ you just acknowledged being a rich young master!?"

    "Hmm¡­ Probably."

    "What¡¯s with that ¡®probably!?¡¯ Exin in more detail!"

    Seiji rubbed his chin.

    "It¡¯s like this¡­ My family seems to be quite powerful with an ancient history. However, this was just something I recently heard from someone else. Before that, I was oblivious of my family¡¯s prestigious identity. After all, the original me was nothing but a NEET. I only knew how to ask my family for money, and I had little interest in their affairs."

    Chiaki and Mika were rendered speechless as they listened to his exnation.

    What the hell!?

    ¡®There¡¯s actually this type of person in real life! He had no knowledge regarding his own family¡¯s identity!?¡¯

    ¡®He only became aware of his family¡¯s status after being exiled and hearing it from somebody else¡­? Heavens! How could such an abnormal person exist!!?¡¯

    The two girls failed to halt the unending stream of mentalments that rushed into their minds.

    Seiji awkwardly scratched his face upon seeing the strange expressions on the girls¡¯ faces.

    "This isn¡¯t really a big deal. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?"

    "It¡¯s a really big deal!!!" Mika and Chiaki eximed together.

    "Mika¡­ Chiaki¡­"

    "I really want to beat this guy up right now! How about you?"

    "What a coincidence! Me too~"

    Chiaki and Mika cackled maliciously in unison after exchanging nces. Seiji noticed some dark emotions that he¡¯d never previously witnessed were glittering in their eyes as they rushed at him!

    "You¡­ idiot!!!"

    The girls vented all their frustration on him.

    A minuteter.

    "Are your hands okay?" Seiji calmly asked the two girls.

    "Damn it, it still hurts¡­ Just why is your body so ridiculously strong, you idiot!"

    Chiaki rubbed her hand as sheined. Beside her, Mika also massaged her hand as she nodded in agreement.

    "You guys were the ones who suddenly attacked me! Why is it my fault?"

    Seiji mentally sighed. He felt as if it was impossible to reason with them sometimes.

    "Why is the nature of my background important? Why do you guys care about it?"

    Chiaki and Mika exchanged nces again before sighing together.

    "Mika, Seiji is still a boy in the end."

    "Chiaki, boys are definitely all idiots."

    "You guys are suddenly looking down on all boys because of me¡­" Seiji was in a state of disbelief.

    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re definitely an idiot. Hmph, you failed toprehend the basic fact that rich young masters are the modern-day version of princes for us girls."

    Chiaki sighed deeply and took a mncholic pose as if she was the main character of a shoujo manga.

    "Just the words ¡®rich young master¡¯ can cause endless fantasies to sprout in a girl¡¯s heart. As well as being a descendant of a well-known family, they¡¯re handsome and cool, young and rich, gentlemanly, forceful yet gentle, and spoil us yet toy with other girls¡¯ hearts, making us love and hate them at the same time."

    "We¡¯ll be filled with indecision; we¡¯ll be unable to discard them or figure out the proper rtionship to have with them, knowing it¡¯s difficult to make himmit and settle down. However, even after considering this, we still can¡¯t make up our minds to leave him¡­ and so on. At any rate, it¡¯s a fantasy for us girls simr to how you guys might dream about princesses ordies from proper families. However, girls are more emotional than boys are, so we¡¯re more imaginative than boys, and our fantasies will be deeper and moreplex."

    Mika¡¯s face was tinged with a hint of red as she nodded in understanding while listening to Chiaki¡¯s exnation.

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I still don¡¯tpletely understand." Seiji rubbed his chin: "I now realize that you have unrealistic fantasies towards this concept, but what else?"

    "You still don¡¯t understand!?" Chiaki ced her arms on her hips, now taking a frustrated pose. "You¡¯ve been hanging out with us up until now. Apart from being slightly too handsome and rather oundishly strong, you¡¯ve always been just like amoner in your eating and dressing habits. You¡¯re also an otaku, so it¡¯s too much for us to cope with when you suddenly proim that you¡¯re a rich young master! It¡¯s too difficult to believe that you¡¯re a fantasy so many girls wholeheartedly believe in! It¡¯s just as if me or Mika suddenly told you that we were princesses from another country or even alien princesses that have fled to this in order to escape our marriages! Wouldn¡¯t you be shocked!? Wouldn¡¯t you care!?"

    "Well¡­ of course I¡¯d be shocked and I would care, if that was the case." Seiji looked directly into their eyes. "But I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s your analogy, which doesn¡¯t work too well on an otaku like me, or perhaps my way of thinking is just too abnormal to begin with, I still feel¡­ Even if that was the case, our friendship with each other wouldn¡¯t change, would it?"

    "Eh?" Chiaki and Mika were stunned for the umpteenth time today.

    "Whether it¡¯s me that¡¯s a rich young master, or if you two were rich youngdies or alien princesses or whatever, it¡¯s still all the same to me: our friendship wouldn¡¯t change, right?"

    Chiaki and Mika were lost for words as they mutely stared Seiji¡¯s calm, forthright expression.

    "At least for me, I wouldn¡¯t believe I differed from you even if I was a rich young master. I¡¯ve always treated you two as important to me¡ªboth before I discovered my identity, and after I discovered my identity as well."

    A gentle smile suffused across Seiji¡¯s face.

    "So that¡¯s why something like that¡­ isn¡¯t important¡ªdon¡¯t you agree?"

    In conjunction with his brilliant smile, Seiji¡¯s heartfelt words, spoken under the brightly lit night sky, left a deep,sting impression in the two girls¡¯ hearts.

    ¡®Ahh¡ªhonestly.¡¯

    ¡®This person, he really is¡­¡¯

    After regaining their senses, Chiaki and Mika exchanged nces once more, and they instantly knew that their thoughts were exactly the same!

    ¡®He¡¯s an idiot!¡¯

    ¡®But he really is a modern-day prince as well¡­¡¯

 Chapter 64 - Writing

    <h4>Chapter 64: Writing</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    In the end, the three of them went to another store in order to purchase a set of suitable clothes for Seiji.

    Although Chiaki seemed dissatisfied, time didn¡¯t allow for her to continue picking clothes for Seiji, so she could onlypromise.

    Seiji and Mika both felt that the clothes Chiaki had picked out were pretty good.

    After buying herself and Seiji a matching set of clothes, Chiaki also bought some clothes for Mika¡ªdespite thetter¡¯s vehement protests¡ªand forced Mika to ept them.

    After returning home.

    Seiji opened the [gifts] option in the system and discovered that he had received 8 points from the clothes Chiaki bought for him in addition to an item card!

    [Full recovery card¡ªEncouraging Heart].

    ording to his system¡¯s exnation, this card contained the feelings of beautiful girls who had encouraged him to return to his spirited and energized state again. After using this one-time item card, his physical energy and mental state would be instantly restored to its peak!

    ¡®Wow, isn¡¯t this the full-recovery medicine¡­ the ultimate potion, Elixir!?¡¯

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    Upon closer inspection, it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t cure any external injuries he had. Instead, it would restore his physical energy and mental state¡­ but even so, this was still quite powerful!

    It was akin to a divine medicine¡ªif he used it at a critical junction!

    Seiji considered why this item had appeared. Upon mulling over the matter, he concluded it was probably rted to seeing Yui Haruta.

    After he saw his sister, both Chiaki and Mika were quite worried about him and even encouraged him. That was why this item had appeared in his [gifts] menu.

    ¡®Thank you so much, Chiaki. Mika, you as well¡­ this card must also contain your feelings.¡¯

    Seiji truly felt grateful towards the two girls.

    In addition to this, 8 points was quite a considerable sum to him. He had now stockpiled 35 points.

    [Academics¡ªwriting activation card] only required 30 points, and he was now able to exchange for it.

    He unhesitatingly made the purchase!

    After making the exchange, as usual, a new card shed into existence. It depicted a moving shadow, which was swiftly writing something while sitting at a desk. The shadow¡¯s movements seemed to flow smoothly and beautifully; it flourished its pen majestically with each stroke.

    Seijiy on his bed and observed the card for a little while longer before taking a deep breath. He was bursting with anticipation as he finally used the card.

    The card turned into a sh of white light as it pierced into his brain.

    Once again, Seiji steeled himself for the ufortable learning process¡­

    After an indeterminate length of time, he finally regained consciousness.

    ¡®It¡¯s still a little painful, but I¡¯m getting used to it.¡¯ He rubbed his aching temple as he leaned up from his reclining position and rose from his bed.

    Seiji then walked to his desk and took out the thick notebook he used for writing his diary. He seated himself on the chair before he began writing.

    The moment his pen touched the paper, a wondrous sensation poured out from within him.

    He was able to visualize a scenario in his mind.

    A crimson full moon hung overhead while a young man in extravagant white clothing rested on the edge of a skyscraper¡¯s roof. He clutched a broken sword in as he gazed thoughtfully at the night sky¡­

    Seiji¡¯s right hand started writing at a furious pace; it almost seemed as if he wasn¡¯t the one controlling it.

    Every stroke was swift and precise¡ªhis writing speed was top-notch, and each word flowed smoothly out of him onto the page!

    Seiji continued working his imagination. A girl in a red gothic dress appeared on the roof of the skyscraper directly opposite the boy and slowly unsheathed a pair of twisted longswords¡ªseemingly carved out of bone¡ªfrom her dress¡­

    Words unceasingly appeared on the page as Seiji wrote in his preferred style, breathing life into the concept in his mind.

    Writing swiftly¡­ Finished!

    Seiji flicked the pen exaggeratedly as he finished writing the final word.

    ¡®That was¡­ wonderful!¡¯

    He inwardly praised his newfound ability as he reread his own words.

    Amazing¡­

    The words he had written in his notebook perfectly described the image in his mind in just the right style he desired¡ªmysterious yet romantic in addition to containing a hot-blooded yet cruel fight scene.

    This [writing] ability that he¡¯d activated was too powerful!

    If a normal person had tried to write this scene, it would probably turn out to be at only the embarrassing level of a middle schooler¡¯s fantasy.

    But after Seiji gained the [writing] ability from his system, this scene would make a reader feel passionate as if their blood was boiling; it was like the words on the paper coulde to life, assisting the reader in visualizing such a moving, interesting story!

    Thanks to his otaku experience from his past life, Seiji was certain that his current writing level already reached that of a story like "5 Centimeters per Second" from his previous life. Even a normal slice-of-life story would give readers the feeling of that type of moving story!

    *Cough cough.* Perhaps he was exaggerating a little too much?

    But ever since he activated the [fighting] card, he¡¯d obtained martial arts capabilities which seemed to be at the peak of what a human body could achieve, so it only seemed natural that activating the [writing] card would give him such amazing writing skills¡­ right?

    After all, Seiji¡¯s [academics] stat had already surpassed 50 points thanks to his incessant grinding in school!

    In summation, his current writing level was more than adequate to write something like a light novel.

    The only obstacle that remained was the limits of Seiji¡¯s own imagination.

    Since [writing] only improved his writing ability and not his imagination¡­ To rify, it only helped him write down whatever was in his mind, but it didn¡¯t have the power to create the entire story and its characters for him.

    He would need toe up with his own story, world-building, character settings, background, and so on. Only after organizing his thoughts was he able to write them down and create a final product.

    That was how it worked.

    Seiji could feel his blood beginning to boil already. In fact, he could barely restrain the urge to begin writing his own original story; but first, he still needed to check his system.

    As he expected, new options appeared in his system, just like when he¡¯d previously activated the [fighting] card.

    The [writing] subsection was a new addition to his [academics] menu, and it contained options such as [self-creation], [imitate another author], [studying writing techniques]¡­ and so on.

    His [actions] now included [write an essay], [write a poem], [write a story], [write a song]¡­ and so on, with various prerequisite stats.

    New [items] appeared as well, including [speed writing card¡ªwriting with a pen in each hand], [cryptography¡ªencryption techniques], [writing on theputer¡ªtyping]¡­ and so on.

    Seiji browsed his new options.

    ¡®[Writing on theputer¡ªtyping] is the next one I need to aim for, or it¡¯s going to be inconvenient if I can only write on a notebook.¡¯

    Although his newly acquired writing skills were undisputedly amazing, there was still something strange about it¡ªhe had to put pen to paper in order to utilize his newfound skill.

    System, why were you so inflexible?

    In this day and age, leaving aside other types of stories, light novels would always be typed on aputer, and publishers also used digital editions.

    Of course, the most popr method right now was to post your story on the inte, hoping to get published after gaining poprity and being chosen by a publisher.

    Even though using a pen to write seemed romantic as well as unique, Seiji would prefer to directly type out his story as it seemed like a waste of time to write a story on paper then type it out again.

    However, the [writing on theputer¡ªtyping] card required 55 points.

    Hey, wasn¡¯t this was more expensive than the ability cards under the [fighting] tree!?

    Seiji subtly felt as if he¡¯d fallen into his own system¡¯s ploy¡­

    55 points seemed like a lot, but with his [gifts] and additional [actions] now avable to him, it should be easier to grind than before, right?

    So let¡¯s test out the new [actions]!

    Seiji mulled it over before he ultimately decided to pick [write a story] from his actions menu, which had a prerequisite of 40 academics and 25munication, and began writing the story in his mind.

    ¡®Yep, let¡¯s make the story¡¯s title "I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t be handsome!"¡¯

 Chapter 65 - Iâ€™ll Die If I Donâ€™t Become Handsome!

    <h4>Chapter 65: I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After an entire night.

    "Eh¡­ Why is it light outside?"

    Seiji finally returned to his senses after he¡¯d spent all night in a writing frenzy. The bright sunlight which streamed through his window roused him from his unnatural state.

    He hurriedly checked the time.

    What the hell¡ªhe pulled an all-nighter while writing!?

    He nkly looked at the thick notebook in front of him. Previously, its pages werergely nk. Now, it had only three or four empty pages remaining.

    He had lost himself in the process of writing his story¡­

    While it was a fact that choosing an option like [write a story] would cause an irresistible urge to well up within him, Seiji had also been addicted to the enjoyment he derived from creating his own story, so he simply wasn¡¯t able to stop himself.

    ¡®Might as well stop here.¡¯ He put down his pen and stretched.

    Then, he picked up his book and speed-read through his creation that he had spent the entire night on.

    ¡®¡­Wow.¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s eyebrows gradually rose upwards as he continued reading.

    ¡®Just¡­ wow."

    He flipped through the pages at a rapid pace.

    ¡®Incredible¡­ wow."

    His eyeballs flicked from one line to the next as he finally finished.

    *Smack!* Seiji forcefully closed his notebook.

    ¡®Did I¡­ truly write all this?¡¯

    He tried his best to restrain the excitement within him.

    If he didn¡¯t, he felt that he would begin shouting loudly with excitement right then and there.

    That¡¯s because his own story¡­ was so engrossing!!

    Seiji put down his notebook before he suddenly jumped up and backflipped,nding and finishing with a victory pose!

    ¡®Yeah!!¡¯

    He was shouting as loudly as he could within his heart.

    This would be the first story that the author Seiji ever wrote¡ªa short story by the name of "I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t be handsome!"

    The main character was a formerly hot-blooded young man who fell into the clutches of depravity and became a NEET after life dealt him a cruel blow. One day, a mysterious spirit possessed him and forced him to be a handsome boy; if he didn¡¯tply, the spirit threatened to curse him to death.

    Just from the story¡¯s synopsis, one would think that this story was rted to the supernatural genre as well as being a motivational novel. Instead, it was actually a huge battle between good and evil.

    At first, the main character had to engage in activities he didn¡¯t enjoy purely due to the mysterious spirit¡¯s threats. He left his home, worked hard to lose weight, and made an effort in his studies, all in order to reach his target of bing a handsome boy.

    Theedy in this story came from the contrast between the protagonist¡¯s innerments and his actions: his depraved heart was furious at being coerced into doing all these things which were actually for his personal benefit, but the spirit forced him into behaving like a proactive, bright, even heroic person, thus helping him obtain the love of several beautiful girls.

    Then, after receiving the female characters¡¯ affection and care, the protagonist was moved by their feelings and finally began to live life seriously again. However, at this point, the story took a steep downturn.

    A mysterious antagonist suddenly appeared and injured his childhood friend who had always cared for him right before his eyes. Only when the spirit which possessed him bequeathed a strange power unto him was he able to force the antagonist into retreating.

    After that, the spirit exined its identity and meaning for existence to the protagonist. It stated why it was fighting against the antagonist and so on.

    It needed the aid of the main character and required him to be truly handsome on the outside as well as heroic on the inside in order to defeat the evil forces that were invading and protect theirnd.

    Under huge pressure and fearing the risk of death, the protagonist chose to escape from reality. He hid in his room, not wanting to do anything, and in the end, the disappointed spirit was forced to abandon him and face the evil head-on without even a corporeal body.

    At thest moment, thanks to a gift from his childhood friend, the main character finally recalled his hot-blooded former self who resolutely believed in justice.

    "So what if I die!? Rather than living on as someone worthless, I¡¯d prefer to die as a true handsome boy!!"

    The main character rushed to the battlefield filled with newfound resolution.

    Hebined with the spirit and transformed on the battlefield. After a fierce battle, he finally defeated the antagonist and saved the life of his childhood friend.

    When his childhood friend regained consciousness, he had already returned to his human form which had sustained terrible injuries. He cried and apologized in front of her in an undignified manner, his face stricken with snot and tears.

    Although the girl had been unconscious during the battle, she could still feel that something had happened, prompting her to gently stroke the protagonist¡¯s face.

    "The current you looks so awful¡­ You¡¯re even uglier than when you were hiding in your home. Nevertheless, I still feel like the current you¡ªjust like this¡ªyou¡¯re¡­ the handsomest boy I¡¯ve ever seen!"

    The story ended at that sentence.

    Under Seiji¡¯s newfound writing ability, this somewhat clich¨¦ story filled with various otaku references and a hot-blooded story of justice turned into a top-level bestseller potential story.

    The beginning of the story had the main character¡¯s depravity and unwillingnessing into conflict with the spirit¡¯s arrogance and silliness, thus creating aedic contrast. Each girl had her own unique character and personality that seemed almost life-like; they were all filled with humor and had their individual cute points.

    In thetter part, the strange and evil antagonist¡¯s cruel actions caused the main character to feel fear and inferiority, causing him to lose motivation and be depraved again. Then, his memories with his childhood friend instilled him with courage once more as he recalled his former hot-blooded self. This, the final climactic battle, and the moving feelings of relief and regret after victory¡­ Every scene was described in considerable detail to the fullest extent of Seiji¡¯s ability!

    This was an excellent story.

    At least in Seiji¡¯s opinion, it was a story that he could finish in one sitting. It contained humor, tension, and even a moving scene at the end. It was a fun light novel that would leave him with no negative feelings after he finished reading it!

    The only part was that it was so short¡­ but that was why it was a short story.

    At any rate, the story was so good that he could hardly believe it was something that he had written with his own hand.

    Plus, it only took him the timeframe of one night!

    Seiji slowly forced himself to calm down.

    He wanted to get it published immediately¡­ but first he had to type it again on hisputer, save it in a document, and print it.

    Or should he publish it on the inte instead?

    ¡®Hmm, it seems like even getting it published requires some thought.¡¯

    Seiji nced at the clock and noticed that it was time for him to go to work.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, work¡­¡¯ He recalled the store¡¯s owner, Rika Amami, and her cousin, Mayuzumi Amami, who was the author known as Peach-sensei.

    Even though Peach-sensei was a mangaka, it was a field closely rted to light novels, so it could be said that they were connected fields. Perhaps she¡¯d be able to give him some advice?

    She was probably quite busy¡­ If so, then he should ask his boss Rika first, as she may know a few things as well.

    After consideration, Seiji decided to bring his notebook to the confectionery store¡­ Of course, he ripped out the portion containing his diary first.

    It would be nice if Peach-sensei could read his story as well, even if she has androphobia. A story should be no problem at least, right?

    Seiji didn¡¯t expect her to have the free time, though, as he knew being a popr mangaka was bound to consume the majority of her time.

    ¡­

    At the Divine Taste confectionery store.

    Seiji walked directly to the store manager/owner¡¯s office after arriving at the shop.

    "Good morning, Haruta¡­ er, Harano-kun. So¡­ what brings you to my office today?" Rika Amami blinked in surprise upon seeing Seiji enter her office.

    "Good morning, Store Manager." Seiji smiled in greeting. "Actually, I just wrote a short story in light novel format, and I want to get it published¡­"

    He exined the situation and showed the notebook to her.

    ¡®Light novel?¡¯

    Rika Amami was rather curious.

    She knew that Seiji was an otaku, but being a consumer and a creator were twopletely different things. Even if you read many otaku novels, you wouldn¡¯t necessarily possess the creative ability required to write one.

    Of course, after seeing and reading so many others, it was only natural to desire creating your own. In fact, most authors started like this.

    However, a hobby or an impulsive action didn¡¯t equal talent; it was only a part of what was required. It was na?ve to think that you could enter the professional world with only this much.

    Rika Amami didn¡¯t feel that Seiji Haruta was the na?ve type.

    If he seriously wanted to get this published, it probably wasn¡¯t a rough draft written on impulse, or else he wouldn¡¯t even be able to get her approval.

    A sense of curiosity welled up within her¡­ What could he have written to make him act so seriously?

    "Even though I¡¯m not in that business, I know some basics thanks to my association with Mayuzumi. If you would like, I can introduce an excellent editor to you. But, before that, may I read your story?" Rika Amami smiled as she spoke.

 Chapter 66 - Editor

    <h4>Chapter 66: Editor</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "asionally, I also read light novels as well. Although I probably don¡¯t read as often as you or Mayuzumi, I think I can distinguish between what¡¯s good and what¡¯s not."

    "Ah¡­ I¡¯ll be more than happy to let you read it." Seiji nodded as he ced his notebook on the table. "Then feel free to have a look. Give me your review after you finish¡­ I¡¯m going to go change clothes for work now."

    "Alright, you go ahead."

    Rika picked up and opened the notebook as Seiji left the room.

    ¡®Unexpectedly, he hand-wrote the whole thing¡­ His handwriting is pretty neat. I didn¡¯t know that Haruta-kun had such a talent. "I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t be handsome!" is the title? Haha, could it be¡­ Did he really use himself as the model for his main character?¡¯

    The somewhat unorthodox title instilled Rika with a sense of curiosity, so she began reading, filled with expectation.

    ¡®His word choice isn¡¯t bad at all¡­ It¡¯s easy to read, and the sequences are pictured vividly in my imagination. All in all, it¡¯s quite interesting.

    ¡®There are a few references that I don¡¯t get, but thementary is hrious; there¡¯s a subtle feeling of enjoyment.

    ¡®The girls are lovely as well! Hah¡ªI wonder if he based them on people he knew¡­¡¯

    The beautiful store manager slowly lost herself in reading Seiji¡¯s story.

    ¡­

    This morning, the kitchen employees felt that something strange was happening.

    The joint store manager and owner, Rika Amami, didn¡¯t show up until reallyte, and it was obvious that her heart wasn¡¯t in her work. She kept leaving for some unknown reason.

    Her uncharacteristic daze was a huge contrast with her typical reliable and strict nature.

    What was going on?

    The kitchen employees chatted with each other about this topic whenever they had some free time in between baking.

    "Did something happen in her family?" This was the normal line of thought.

    "My guess is that an ex-boyfriend called her." This was a gossipy way of thinking.

    "Could it be that she¡¯s on her period?" This was a biological way of thinking.

    "You¡¯re all so na?ve! Heh heh, ording to my deduction, the store manager is actually wondering if she¡¯s pregnant or not!" This was an oundish way of thinking.

    "Who¡¯s pregnant, you say?" The store manager¡¯s icy cold voice suddenly sounded in their headset¡¯s channel.

    The male employee who had been acting rather pretentious with his ridiculous deduction suddenly froze up as the others all stared in his direction. They gave a sympathetic nce towards the microphone on his headset which he had forgotten to turn off before they averted their gazes in unison, pretending to be unfamiliar with this idiot.

    "Katou, would you prefer to have a sry deduction or kneel and apologize to me? It¡¯s your choice."

    "No!!! I¡¯m sorry!! Forgive me, Store Manager¡ª!"

    The other employees inwardly cringed upon hearing such a desperate yet silly reaction from him.

    "What¡¯s going on back in our kitchen?" Seiji sighed as he adjusted his headset.

    "Well, who knows?" His coworker Tanaka shrugged, disying that he, too, was unaware of what was happening.

    After the store¡¯s rush hour, Seiji finally received an opportunity to rest.

    Seiji returned to the store manager¡¯s office and noticed Rika Amami was still reading his notebook.

    "Harano-kun¡­ you¡¯vee."

    Rika lifted her head and smiled in greeting at the boy entering her office.

    "Your story is pretty good." She directly gave him an excellent review. "As a normal reader, this story is one that I¡¯d be willing to purchase."

    Naturally, Seiji was delighted to hear such a review. "Thanks for your appreciation, Store Manager. I¡¯m happy to hear that you enjoy it."

    Rika Amami¡¯s smile arced upwards, adding to her already potent allure.

    "I¡¯m also happy to be your first reader, Harano¡­ no, Haruta-kun. After finishing your story, I can say that your writing style left me with the deepest impression.

    "Both your literary talent and your descriptions are also top-notch; in fact, it¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever seen among all the light novels I¡¯ve read¡­ Well, I haven¡¯t read all that many light novels, though.

    "Your depictions are excellent to the point that¡­ while I¡¯m reading, I can visualize each and every scene. In addition to this, I can visualize the characters¡¯ movements and actions in my mind! It¡¯s almost as if I wasn¡¯t reading, but instead watching an anime which showed me everything visually!"

    Rika let out a heart-felt sigh of appreciation.

    "Such an excellent story makes me want to re-read it multiple times. You must have polished it many times over, right? I can literally feel your passion through the story!"

    Seiji smiled in response.

    While it definitely contained his passion, this story only took him one night to finish¡­ But it was probably better to not say that out loud, heh.

    After all, that would sound too pretentious.

    "Disregarding your depictions, your plot and characters are excellent as well. However, my experience in light novels is rather limited, so I won¡¯t say much else about it. I¡¯ll contact the editor I was talking about earlier right now. She¡¯s the editor for Mayuzumi¡¯s story and a nice person."

    Rika Amami took out her cell phone and called a number from her list.

    "Hello, Yoshizawa-san. Sorry to call you at this time, but there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you¡­" Rika sinctly briefed the editor about the current situation.

    "Mayuzumi mentioned him to you before? Yes, he¡¯s the high school student in question. You¡¯ll being over immediately? Yep, he¡¯s in the store¡­ I think he¡¯ll be fine with it." Rika nced at Seiji. "Alright, that¡¯s how we¡¯ll do it then."

    The beautiful store manager hung up the call.

    "You heard that, right, Haruta-kun? That editor ising here soon to read your story¡­ as well as meet you."

    Seiji nodded in response. "Peach-sensei mentioned me to her before?¡¯

    "That¡¯s right. Mayuzumi told her about her uing date with you." Rika sighed before continuing, "Of course, Mayuzumi wouldn¡¯t tell her your real name; all she said was that she was going to go to a school festival together with a first grade high school student from Genhana High School named Seigo Harano."

    "Doesn¡¯t that mean that she told her editor everything about me except my real name?"

    "Indeed¡­ There¡¯s no helping it; the two of them were high school ssmates, and the editor is one of Mayuzumi¡¯s few trusted close friends. It¡¯s only natural that Mayuzumi told her editor about this."

    Seiji nodded again.

    "You don¡¯t mind, do you?" Rika blinked her eyes cutely.

    "Of course not. This isn¡¯t an important secret or anything."

    "The thing is, because Mayuzumi told her about you, it seems like she¡¯s really taken an interest in you¡­"

    After a subtle silence.

    "Allow me to ask, about Yoshizawa-san¡­" Seiji tugged on his mouth, "is she¡­ into that?"

    "Nope." Rika apparently understood his meaning as she smiled wryly. "She¡¯s not into that, but perhaps because she has a deep friendship with Mayuzumi ever since high school, or for some other reason¡­ At any rate, she treats Mayuzumi a little¡­ specially?"

    What was with that uncertain tone of hers?

    Upon seeing the look in his eyes, Rika seemed to realize Seiji had noticed her uncertainty, so she awkwardly coughed twice.

    "Anyways, she¡¯ll being over soon, so you¡¯ll meet her in a bit. She¡¯s a good editor, so no matter what, she¡¯ll assess your story fairly¡­ I think."

    ¡®Hey, Miss, thatstment of yours really makes me nervous!¡¯

    Seiji suddenly felt like perhaps it wasn¡¯t a good idea after all to have the store manager introduce an editor to him?

    Well, forget about it. He might as well meet the editor.

    Approximately one hourter.

    Seiji was summoned to the store manager¡¯s office once again. When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar woman sitting on the sofa and flipping through his notebook.

    She was a well-proportioned woman and wore a short, yellow one-piece dress with stockings the same color as her skin. She had a long, shiny orange-colored braid, slightly bushy eyebrows, a sharp chin, a light coating of lipstick, and a sharp glint in her dark yellow eyes.

    With the sharp aura emanating from her, she gave of the impression of a cold yet clean beautiful young businesswoman.

    "Hello¡­" Seiji prepared to greet her.

    The woman suddenly lifted her head and looked directly at him, that sharp glint shing fiercely in her eyes.

    "You¡¯re Seigo Harano?"

 Chapter 67 - Take Responsibility for the Rest of Your Life!

    <h4>Chapter 67: Take Responsibility for the Rest of Your Life!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Er¡­ I am." Seiji blinked in surprise.

    "My apologies, I was a little too excited." The orange-haired woman realized her actions were slightly inappropriate, so she set the notebook down and stood up in a formal manner.

    "Hello and nice to meet you. My name is Saki Yoshizawa, editor for Thunderbolt Literature."

    She fished out a business card from her pocket when she finished and presented it to Seiji with both her hands while lowering her head respectfully.

    "Hello, nice to meet you too¡­" Seiji took the business card and nced at it before putting it away.

    "Yoshizawa-san, no need to be so stiff and formal¡ªhe¡¯s just a high school student." Rika Amami, who was observing them from the side, smiled wryly. "You can just rx and have a normal conversation with him. Acting formal will only make the atmosphere tenser."

    ¡®How right you are, Store Manager!¡¯ Seiji heartily agreed with her.

    "Really?" Saki Yoshizawa tilted her head. "But regardless of whether or not he¡¯s a high school student, work is work¡ªone should treat it seriously."

    "I didn¡¯t say you shouldn¡¯t treat work seriously. It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re not at your editing department, nor is it work hours currently. He¡¯s my employee, and you¡¯re my cousin¡¯s close friend; there¡¯s no need to treat this like a formal interview." Rika shrugged. "You can have a serious conversation without being so formal¡ªthat¡¯s all I meant."

    "Oh¡­" Saki blinked and seemed to realize Rika¡¯s intentions. "Harano-san, would you prefer to rx a little?"

    "Indeed. By the way, you don¡¯t need to add -san to my name; just call me Harano." Seiji smiled politely.

    Saki Yoshizawa squinted slightly upon seeing his smile.

    "Okay then, Harano, just call me Yoshizawa as well," she said rather directly.

    Seiji¡¯s expression distorted slightly.

    Normally speaking, as his elder, shouldn¡¯t she refuse and use the more familiar "Harano-kun" instead? It seemed a little awkward to go straight to using no honorifics on the first meeting and even asking him to do the same with her? This¡­

    Seiji didn¡¯t even know what to think anymore.

    Rika Amami was clutching her forehead wordlessly.

    Saki seemed oblivious to the subtle air in the atmosphere as she picked up the notebook again and flipped through it.

    "I just skimmed through your story, Harano. Apart from the fact that the story¡¯s a bit clich¨¦ and the characters are still not fleshed out enough, this short story¡­ is quiteplete. Amami-san especially praised your depictions to me, and I also have to admit that your writing is¡­ perfect! That was just my impression from skimming through, which means that my review of it is¡­"

    An indescribable light sparkled in Saki¡¯s eyes as she looked directly at Seiji.

    "It¡¯s a considerably interesting story that¡¯s definitely at the level our publisher is willing to ept!"

    Seiji smiled in response to the high praise he received.

    This was the review of an actual editor at a publisher, after all!

    Unlike his subjective personal opinion and Rika¡¯s opinion as a casual reader of light novels, she was an expert on the subject matter.

    "Thank you. I¡¯m delighted to be able to obtain Yoshizawa¡­ Editor Yoshizawa¡¯s recognition. It feels like a load¡¯s been taken off my shoulders¡­" He awkwardly scratched his face.

    This was still his first time writing his own story, so he had been quite nervous.

    "We¡¯ll be more than happy to ept and publish your short story, but typically we only ept electronic documents, so you¡¯re going to need to type it again on aputer." Saki continued. "Also, even though your short story can already reach a high level without editing, I still think it has ces where it can be improved¡­ If you would like, I can look it over again in more detail, then give you my suggestions for where I believe you can improve."

    "Please do so for my sake!" Seiji agreed decisively.

    Although the system had bestowed a wonderful writing ability upon him, Seiji was fully aware of his own limitations. He was still inexperienced in many aspects, so he had no doubt that the advice of an experienced editor would be necessary for his growth.

    Saki Yoshizawa blinked in surprise upon seeing how quickly Seiji made his decision. She smiled for the first time.

    Rather than saying that her smile was like that of thawing ice, it was more like a flower in a thorn bush disying unexpected gentleness and beauty.

    ¡®This is probably her true self concealed beneath that cold businesswoman outer shell of hers,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself. ¡®An editor who¡¯s tough on the outside and soft on the inside¡­¡¯

    "Alright, since you agree, please send an electronic copy to my email after you finish typing it up on aputer. I¡¯ll give you myments after reading it so that you canplete your final edition. My email address is on my business card." Saki handed the notebook back to Seiji after she finished speaking.

    "Okay, thank you." Seiji took his notebook back.

    ¡®Well, that probably finishes our discussion.¡¯

    The details regarding the publication of his novel, what steps were still necessary, and his next course of action after publication could be discussed after finishing the final draft of his story.

    *Cough cough.*

    Just as Seiji was about to take his leave, Saki Yoshizawa faked a coughing fit.

    "So that¡¯s it about the story¡­ Harano, I have something else I¡¯d like to discuss with you."

    The female editor¡¯s gaze turned even sharper than earlier!

    Seiji suddenly felt as if he was facing off against a female cougar.

    "I heard that you¡¯re going to have a date with Peach¡­ with Mayuzumi at the school festival!"

    As he expected¡ªit was about this topic!

    Seiji¡¯s face stiffened slightly as he nced towards the store owner.

    Young man, take care of it by yourself¡­ Rika Amami responded with a nce; its meaning was evident as she idly stood by, enjoying the spectacle.

    ¡®Hey hey! Miss, you were the cause of all this!! Why are you tossing this hot potato to me!?¡¯ Seiji inwardly cursed her.

    He really wanted to betray his boss right now, but considering his sry¡­

    "Yeah, it¡¯s¡­ true. I have an agreement like that with Peach-sensei." Seiji tugged on his mouth as he spoke.

    "Mayuzumi has strong androphobia," Saki stated in a low and heavy tone as she aggressively moved one step closer to Seiji.

    "I know¡­ But this is intended to help her cure her phobia¡­ Although I¡¯m uncertain how effective it will be." Seiji retreated one step in response.

    "Can you promise that you¡¯ll be able to protect Mayuzumi? No, before that, as a man, can you promise that you yourself won¡¯t harm Mayuzumi!?" Saki approached one step closer again.

    "I¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to not scare Sensei and protect her¡­ I promise!" Seiji retreated once more.

    "What will you use to back up your promise!?"

    Saki shortened the distance between her and Seiji to the point where her face was almost touching Seiji¡¯s. Her gaze seemed as sharp as twin daggers while her manner was akin to a cougar that was on the verge of pouncing on its prey.

    ¡®Miss, what am I supposed to promise with!?¡¯ Seiji could only smile wryly inside his heart.

    He somehow managed to nce at his boss out of the corner of his eye and discovered that Rika Amami was covering her mouth with her hand while her shoulders were trembling violently¡­

    Was sheughing? She was definitelyughing!

    ¡®What the hell! If you have the spare time tough at my situation, help me relieve this editor¡¯s anxiety!!¡¯

    Seiji suddenly lost control of himself and blurted something out without thinking.

    "I¡­ I promise on my life! If any harmes to Sensei, I¡¯ll take responsibility for the rest of my life!!"

    Saki Yoshizawa and Rika Amami both froze solid.

    Seiji only realized the consequences of his words after he finished shouting.

    Uh-oh, he said something that could easily be misconstrued!

    He just wanted to express that he¡¯d get it done properly no matter what, but due to his impulsiveness, his sentence just earlier evidently wasn¡¯t the right one.

    "Take¡­ take responsibility for the rest of your life?" Saki muttered to herself as her face reddened.

    Just earlier she seemed almost as vicious as a female cougar, but now the cold and steely editor suddenly turned shy and bashful!?

    This contrast was just too much¡­ Seiji was left stupefied.

    Eh, it felt like he had witnessed such a scene justst week?

    "Oh¡­ like that¡­ that seems okay, then." Saki nced at his face and nodded repeatedly while blushing heavily. "You¡¯ve even prepared yourself resolutely to marry Mayuzumi. That really surprised me¡­ But, it¡¯s pretty good."

    ¡®Oh no, this misunderstanding has gotten out of control!¡¯ Seiji shouted in his mind.

    Just how did it be like this!?

 Chapter 68 - Unexpected Luck

    <h4>Chapter 68: Unexpected Luck</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Um¡­ Editor Yoshizawa, actually I¡­" Seiji wanted to exin.

    "You don¡¯t need to say anything more, Harano. I¡¯m aware of your resolution now." Saki interrupted him, her cheeks still flushed deep red. "Amami-san believes you¡¯re an excellent employee and a hard worker, and I trust her judgment. Plus, from what I can tell, you have a nice appearance and a good personality. Since you also have simr interests as Mayuzumi and potential in the same career as her, you¡¯ll make an excellent boyfriend for her."

    Seiji was rendered speechless by her attempt tofort him.

    "Even though you might not really get married with Mayuzumi, I think it¡¯s nice that you¡¯ve prepared yourself for that oue. Mayuzumi is¡­ a girl that really needs someone to take good care of her, so I humbly request that you treat her with love and respect." Saki finished by bowing to Seiji in a serious manner. "Let¡¯s finish our conversation here; I still have other matters to attend to, so goodbye."

    Saki bowed to Rika Amami as well before giving a final nce to Seiji and leaving. Her face remained tinged with red as she left, and her footsteps seemed rather hurried.

    Was she¡­ escaping? Seiji was stunned.

    Just what exactly happened!?

    He turned to his boss and discovered that she was still covering her mouth, attempting to conceal her amusement by turning her head in the opposite direction. Looking down, Seiji noticed her shoulders were still trembling.

    "Store Manager!"

    "My apologies¡­ Haruta-kun, I can¡¯t stop myself, hahahaha!" Rika finally burst out intoughter.

    This was the first time that Seiji had ever seen the store ownerughing like this.

    The seductive, beautiful store owner was covering her mouth while holding herself with her other hand, unable to suppress herughter. Her breasts kept jiggling under her shirt as sheughed; it was an appealing sight to almost any sane man.

    Sigh¡­ Just as Seiji prepared to speak up, there was a popping sound.

    Although it was slightly faint, it was still audible. The source of the sound was in front of the store manager¡¯s majestic chest.

    The cause of the sound was a tiny, glimmering¡­ button!

    Seiji instantly widened his eyes and focused on it.

    Time seemed to slow down for him as he saw the button¡¯s trajectory clearly. He also caught a brief look of the slightly opened shirt, which exposed a tantalizing glimpse of the store manager¡¯s ivory-white cleavage ¡­

    Ahh, this was the legendary unexpected lucky event¡ª"button-popping breasts!!!"

    This scenested for only an instant.

    However, Seiji felt as if itsted for an eternity!

    So what if he was mocked or misunderstood? Everything was worth it just for witnessing this moment!

    With a ttering sound, the buttonnded on the floor and coincidentally rolled in front of him.

    With a devout feeling in his heart, Seiji leaned over and picked up the button.

    "Oh my! Sheesh, another one popped off!" Rika was finally forced to halt herughter as her face reddened slightly. She covered her chest with her hand and said, "Haruta-kun, that button¡­"

    "Store Manager."

    Seiji clutched the button tightly with a fervent expression; he almost seemed like a monk under divine guidance.

    "Could you possibly permit me to keep this holy artifact?"

    "¡­What?" Rika wasn¡¯t sure if she heard him correctly. "Holy something¡­ What did you say?"

    "Holy artifact." Seiji coughed shamelessly before continuing, "This button¡­ please may I keep it?"

    "Why do you want that button?" Rika dazedly looked at the boy in front of her. She then came to a sudden realization, causing her face to turn even redder.

    "No! Give that button back to me!"

    "Eh? I can¡¯t? I just want to take it home and worship it¡­"

    "What the hell¡¯s with worshipping it!!?"

    For the first time ever, Rika Amami rebuked Seiji forcefully as she red at him with a reddened face while covering her bountiful chest with both hands,pletely ruining her strict image as the store manager and owner.

    "Hurry up and return that button to me, then get out!"

    "Oh¡­ Okay." With a regretful expression, Seiji ced the button on the table while showing an obvious unwillingness to do so.

    "You want it that much?" Rika continued to blush. "Honestly, Haruta-kun¡­ You¡¯re obviously so handsome, but you still have such a strange habit¡­"

    "Store Manager, you should know already that I¡¯m an otaku." Seiji nced outside the window, acting as if he was looking into the distance. "Otakus all conceal a gentlemanly perverted spirit within them."

    Rika was lost for words upon hearing him speak so shamelessly.

    And so, the gentleman who was unable to obtain the holy artifact (button) finally left the store manager¡¯s office, filled with regret.

    As he sincerely told her "thank you for the treat" just before leaving, the beautiful owner gave him a death re.

    It didn¡¯t matter!

    Seiji was in an excellent mood.

    That legendary event gave him a deep andsting impression. It didn¡¯t even matter if that icy beauty of an editor misunderstood him; after all, that was such a small matter inparison! All he had to do was exinter.

    He went back to work in high spirits.

    ¡­

    After the end of his work shift.

    Seiji took his notebook home with him and typed it all up on hisputer. After saving the document, he emailed it to Saki Yoshizawa.

    ¡®This will be fine. I wonder when I¡¯ll receive a reply¡­ I hope it¡¯s quick.¡¯ He stretched himself.

    Finally, Seiji checked his system in order to confirm how many points he received from an all-nighter¡¯s worth of the [write a story] option.

    The result was a surprising 10 points!

    It seemed quite high, but upon consideration, the efficiency rate was actually quite low.

    ¡®Not only that, the option¡¯s now darkened. I can¡¯t select it again for the entire day¡­ So yesterday¡¯s [write a story] optionsted for two days and counted for today as well. It¡¯s actually points for two days¡¯ worth." Seiji rubbed his chin as he pondered on the situation.

    He earned 10 points in two days, which meant he received 5 points per day¡­ It seemed pretty good at first nce, but if the action required such a long time, then it wouldn¡¯t be good.

    ¡®Let¡¯s try it again tomorrow. If I just [write a story] normally without pulling an all-nighter, how many points will I receive?¡¯

    Seiji looked at his other avable [actions].

    Like usual, he could grind [write a diary] and [draw]. He could also [write an essay], which had a prerequisite of 40 academics, and [write a poem] which had a prerequisite of 40 academics and 25 charisma.

    Of course, it was time to grind.

    Writing an essay was fairly simple. All Seiji had to do was think of a topic, and he was able to inject his feelings into his essay thanks to his newfound writing ability.

    As for writing a poem¡­ Seiji scratched his head.

    It was mostly simr to writing an essay. He just had to imagine the scene and inject his emotions into it, butpared to an essay, it was deeper. His word choice also needed to be more precise and simple.

    To use an analogy, Seiji believed that writing an essay was like casually pouring loose sand. In that case, a poem needed to be like an hourss. He couldn¡¯t just pour the sand everywhere; he had to use a specific format instead to allow the sand to trickle and form into a beautiful hill.

    It seemed difficult.

    After finishing his poem, Seiji read it over but couldn¡¯t tell if it was high quality or not.

    He received 2 points for his essay and 3 for the poem.

    Not bad.

    Seiji inferred from this that [write a story] would normally give him 3 or 4 points, more likely 4.

    ¡®Let¡¯s calcte it as a minimum of 3. This means that all the new [writing] actions avable to me now will give me 8 points every day. It¡¯ll take only a mere four days for me to earn back what I spent on it!¡¯

    Seiji believed he had made the correct decision to focus on more ways to earn points.

    So, should he activate some more cards instead of exchanging for skills? He felt that would be a good choice.

    It didn¡¯t matter much if he had to type his stories into theputer after writing it, as it would only take some extra time. He didn¡¯t need to hurry and exchange for [writing¡ªtyping].

    That skill seemed like a waste of 55 points, sheesh!

    Seiji finally realized that unless he had enough actions to earn points with, skill cards were all a huge trap for his points!

    Even including [Bullet Time]¡­

    But [Bullet Time] was a limited time only discount; even if it slowed down his development, it saved him 75 points.

    So did he profit or not? Seiji wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡®Forget it. Let¡¯s stop thinking about this topic.¡¯

    Seiji yawned as he had pulled another all-nighter followed by a day at work. It was time to rest.

    After all, there was another battle to be fought tonight.

 Chapter 69 - Its Almost the Whiteâ€¦ Season Again

    <h4>Chapter 69: It''s Almost the White¡­ Season Again</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Sunday night, at the Silver Valley bus station.

    A handsome boy whose dashing looks attracted nces from almost all the women passing by stood near the station¡¯s entrance.

    He wore a dark shirt under a light gray windbreaker on his torso. His legs were clothed by form-fitting long pants which disyed his impressive physique. His clothes went well with his amazingly handsome idol-like looks. He was so handsome it was almost unfair.

    The sight of him standing there and looking at his cell phone seemed like a scene out of a television drama. Many women were even looking around to see if they could find any hidden cameras secretly recording this scene.

    Only the others nearby who were also waiting for someone knew that this wasn¡¯t a scene out of a television drama. Just like them, this boy was just a normal person waiting for someone.

    The part that wasn¡¯t normal was the fact that in the space of a few minutes, he was already approached by a total of three girls and four talent managers!

    The handsome boy politely rejected each and every one of them the same way and treated each girl and talent manager seeking the next star with a polite yet firm attitude.

    Was he an idol? A model? A rich young master?

    The other people around him were quite curious about his true identity as well the person who he was waiting for.

    *Tap tap¡­* The sound of footsteps echoed out.

    A girl walked out of the bus station, heading towards the boy.

    "I¡¯m sorry¡ªdid you wait long?"

    She¡¯s finally here!

    All the curious onlookers turned their heads, eagerly wanting to discover the identity of this girl.

    They were greeted by the sight of a girl with medium-long silver-colored hair tied with a red ribbon. Her face was clear and beautiful, her eyes seemed likekes, and her pink lips were arced upwards seductively¡­ She was wearing ace one-piece miniskirt dress with a dark-colored jacket on top. She also had on ck stockings and high heels that entuated her wonderful figure and the mesmerizing absolute territory of her creamy white thighs!

    Beautiful!

    The girl didn¡¯t go overboard with decorating herself, nor was she missing the youthfulness of a teenage girl. Taking everything into consideration, she seemed almost fantastical.

    She was definitely a head-turning pretty girl.

    When she approached the handsome boy with a smile on her face, the bystanders who were furtively paying attention could only sigh in their hearts, ¡®what a perfect couple!¡¯

    "No, I only waited five minutes." The boy put away his cell phone as he smiled in a way that would make a girl¡¯s heart flutter.

    "Liar¡­ But your answer passes the test." The girl covered her mouth and chuckled, before linking arms with the boy as if it was the natural thing to do.

    The two of them then left the bus station together.

    As everyone else watched them depart, some thought about the person they were waiting for, while others thought about how that couple would spend the night¡­

    "How is it? It definitely feels more like a date this way, don¡¯t you think?"

    The silver-haired beauty also known as Chiakiughed as she talked to Seiji.

    "Indeed, it does. Everyone watched me while I was standing there, and some girls even came up and flirted with me. It feels like I¡¯m part of a museum exhibition." The handsome boy named Seiji sighed helplessly.

    ¡®Sigh, we could have juste together, but Chiaki said that it would improve the atmosphere by doing this. This isn¡¯t a real date, though¡­ However, we do need to act like we¡¯re a couple.¡¯

    At the Snow White coffee cafe.

    Seiji suddenly thought of the anime called "White Album" in his past life.

    Yep, it¡¯s almost time for that season. It seemed like they were going to encounter a simr situation to what happened in that story¡­

    What was about to happen wasn¡¯t an ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend meeting each other; it was two ex-girlfriends¡­

    Or to be more precise, two ex-girlfriends and two current boyfriends¡­

    Or to be even more specific, an ex-girlfriend and her current (fake) boyfriend and an ex-girlfriend and her current (real) boyfriend?

    Eh¡­ It was difficult to tell everyone¡¯s rtionship with each other!

    Seiji lost himself in philosophical thoughts.

    While he was taking a mental vacation, Chiaki had already pulled him into the store. They followed the server to a second-floor room that had been previously reserved.

    In front of room 203.

    Seiji finally regained his senses from his pointless philosophical pondering as he looked at Chiaki, who was beside him.

    The silver-haired girl¡¯s eyes were fixed on the door in front of her. Although she appeared calm on the outside, her eyes disyed a variety ofplex emotions such as nostalgia, anticipation, disappointment, and depression¡­

    Seiji could feel her grip on him unconsciously tighten.

    He could even feel her soft, supple chest pressed against his arm. So, it turned out that Chiaki was¡­

    *Cough cough!*

    ¡®It isn¡¯t time for such thoughts, you idiot!¡¯ Seiji mentally reprimanded himself.

    "It¡¯ll be fine." Seijiforted her with a smile as she nced over at him. "Go ahead and face them. No matter what happens, you just need to remember that you¡¯re not by yourself."

    There a faint light glistening in Chiaki¡¯s eyes.

    "You¡¯re acting so brave now, even though you didn¡¯t even dare to face your older sisterst night~" She suddenly took a casual tone of voice and teased him yfully.

    "Er¡­ That¡¯s different!" Seiji averted his gaze.

    "Hehe." Chiaki let out a short giggle, and her mouth began to arc upwards again as she observed the boy.

    Ah, that confident, casual smile of his, just like usual!

    ¡®Thank you, Seiji.¡¯ She was truly grateful to him in her heart.

    Then, she pressed the doorbell.

    "Please enter." The door opened automatically after hearing a voice from inside.

    Seiji nced at Chiaki before holding the door open for her as they entered the room.

    The room had a huge window overlooking the street below, allowing a clear view of it. Seiji recalled, however, that he couldn¡¯t see into the store, which meant it was a one-way mirror at work.

    The room was wide, elegant, and luxurious. There was music ying from somewhere, and the soft singing of a female singer could also be heard. It seemed like an excellent ce for a date.

    There was a circr table in the right half of the room. One boy and one girl were seated there.

    The girl had light blue long hair that had a silky sheen. Her waist-length hair was clipped together by a white barrette adorned with pink essories.

    She was wearing an elegant blue one-piece dress with a white fur coat draped over her shoulders. Her blue eyes had a quiet air to them, and her round face seemed soft and gentle. Her smile seemed almost wistful; she was a ssical beauty.

    The part of her that gave Seiji the deepest impression was her atmosphere of tranquility. It was as if her beauty was something natural and unblemished, like an undiscoveredke or virgin forest.

    An ultra top-notch beauty¡­ Seiji understood just by meeting this girl why Chiaki had instantly fallen in love with her.

    This girl seated before him possessed enough charisma to attract anyone, regardless of gender!

    Her name was¡­ Haruka Shimizu.

    "Chiaki¡­" The blue-haired girl stood up with a enigmatic sparkle in her eyes as the two of them entered. "Long time no see."

    "Haruka¡­" Chiaki nced at the girl, an indescribable light shing through her eyes. "Indeed, it¡¯s been quite a while."

    The two of them didn¡¯t allow their gazes to waver one bit as they walked closer towards each other.

    Finally, they stopped, a person¡¯s width separating the two beauties.

    It was a subtle distance where they could easily reach out to the other and hug their counterpart if they wanted, but it also seemed slightly distant from each other.

    "You¡­ seem to have been doing quite well," Haruka muttered.

    "¡­You as well¡ªyou¡¯re more beautiful than before." Chiaki smiled.

    Chiaki reflexively lifted her hand and was about to touch Haruka¡¯s hair, but she instantly stopped herself right after lifting her hand.

    Haruka nced at Chiaki¡¯s hand before retracting her gaze.

    "Please take a seat¡ªI¡¯ve already prepared coffee for you guys."

    This room in the Snow White cafe contained its own coffee beans, instant coffee, as well as a coffee machine, coffee pot, and so on. Everything was do-it-yourself; it seemed that it was specially designed this way for the guests¡­

    The guests came all the way to a coffee cafe but have to make their own coffee!?

    Well, Seiji didn¡¯t understand what the rich were thinking.

    It didn¡¯t matter anyways, since he wasn¡¯t the one making the coffee.

    Only when he sat down next to Chiaki did he start paying attention to the boy with Haruka.

    Cough cough, it definitely wasn¡¯t because Shimizu-san was just too eye-catching¡­ Ok, fine¡ªthat¡¯s what it was.

    Seiji curiously inspected the tranquil girl¡¯s supposed boyfriend, who was currently seated beside her.

 Chapter 70 - Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 70: Boyfriend</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    This boy was handsome as well. He had a head of slightly curly brown hair, bushy eyebrows, and dark brown eyes which contained a hint of arrogance. He was wearing a tight-fitting jacket from a well-known brand, entuating his muscr body. He was seated upright and exuded an aura filled with confidence and pride.

    This boy seemed somewhat simr to Kazufuru Ooike who was an excellent student, but with more spunk to him, and a more imposing manner. If he was sitting next to Kazufuru Ooike, everyone would most likely think that this person was the more imposing one.

    Confidence was fine and all, but if he looked down on everyone else, that was an unpleasant feeling¡­ Seiji could tell that there was condescension hidden within this boy¡¯s eyes.

    This fellow was the boyfriend of someone as serene as Shimizu-san?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Even if they really were boyfriend and girlfriend, Seiji preferred to believe that there was something hidden behind it, such as their parents forcing them to get married and so on. Of course, the more probable exnation was¡­ this guy was also a fake boyfriend!

    Two ex-girlfriends and two fake boyfriends, maybe?

    Ok then, this situation might be simpler than he anticipated.

    But this was all just his own deduction; perhaps the world worked in stranger ways than he thought, and this blue-haired girl didn¡¯t have an eye for men?

    Seiji¡¯s observation and deduction took only a few seconds.

    He smiled politely at the boy in front of him.

    "Hello, nice to meet you."

    "¡­Hello." The brown-haired boy responded in a prideful and condescending tone of voice.

    An aromatic fragrance wafted over at this point in time.

    Haruka Shimizu had removed the lid from the coffee pot.

    She gracefully poured coffee for the other three seated teenagers first, before finally pouring out her own portion.

    Chiaki had a mesmerized, nostalgic, yetplex expression on her face as she watched her ex-girlfriend¡¯s movements.

    Seiji nced at her before fixing his attention on the boy in front of him again.

    The brown-haired boy was watching the blue-haired girl with a gentle look in his eyes¡­ It was as if the condescension from earlier didn¡¯t even exist.

    When the brown-haired boy noticed that the handsome boy in front of him was observing him, he instantly retracted his eyes from Haruka and returned Seiji¡¯s gaze directly, his gentle look reced by arrogance once more.

    Seiji was lost for words upon seeing this youth¡¯s strange behavior.

    ¡®Even though it¡¯s still an unpleasant feeling, if I look at it from another angle, this guy¡¯s really easy to understand,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    "Chiaki, do you¡­ still take two sugars with your coffee?" Haruka opened the sugar container after sitting down and inquired in a soft voice.

    "I don¡¯t know." Chiaki chuckled. "I haven¡¯t drunk coffee in so long."

    Haruka stopped her movements as she stared directly at Chiaki.

    Chiaki met the blue-haired girl¡¯s gaze with her own.

    After a long period of silence.

    "Why not?" Although her voice seemed calm on the surface, it felt as if she was concealing some emotions.

    "Ever since a certain day, I stopped being able to taste coffee." Chiaki responded in the same manner: calm on the surface yet concealing something beneath.

    Silence fell in the room once more.

    ¡®Sheesh, this atmosphere is really ufortable!¡¯ Seiji could only think that to himself.

    Perhaps some people enjoyed watching scenes of love and hate y out, but it was torturous to be in the middle of it. At least that was what Seiji believed.

    "Please give me two sugars." Seiji decisively broke the silence.

    Haruka Shimizu slowly turned to look at him.

    This was the first time that she directly observed the boy that had entered together with Chiaki Wakaba.

    He was tall and handsome with a straightforward look in his eyes. Just his gentle smile, ordinary haircut, andpletely natural appearance were more than enough to strongly attract most girls. It was as if he was shining brightly.

    A boy with an excellent appearance. Haruka Shimizu instantly finished her evaluation of him.

    After attending high school, she¡¯d met many handsome, pretty, cool-looking boys with various differing styles. Inparison to them, this boy in front of her seemed rather in, but his handsomeness wouldn¡¯t lose to any of them.

    It would be difficult for her to evaluate him more than just his looks without knowing more about him. But the blue-haired girl¡¯s first impression was that this boy ranked among the highest in physical appearance out of all the boys she¡¯d ever met.

    This was Chiaki¡¯s "boyfriend!"

    Haruka had already expected such a thing would happen when she learned that Chiaki would bring a boyfriend along as well.

    Haruka was intimately famr with Chiaki¡­ With her ex-girlfriend¡¯s personality, Haruka didn¡¯t feel her ex-girlfriend would be capable of immediately finding a boyfriend in the first year of high school. This boyfriend of Chiaki¡¯s would most likely be fake, just a boy who was close friends with Chiaki.

    Haruka strongly believed that this would be the case and resolutely firmed herself to remain unshaken by Chiaki¡¯s probably fake boyfriend in any way; she would pretend that Chiaki¡¯s fake boyfriend was nothing more than a decoration.

    But reality was different from her expectations.

    The boy that Chiaki had with her was higher ss than the boy beside Haruka, at least in physical appearance!

    This caused a small ripple in Haruka¡¯s heart.

    A boy that would apany Chiaki here had to at least be close friends with her, even if he wasn¡¯t her real boyfriend.

    And this friend of hers had such an outstanding appearance¡­ Would Chiaki truly have no feelings for him?

    Haruka was uncertain.

    She believed that Chiaki always had deep feelings for her, but they had broken up. Besides, Haruka was the one who wanted to break up, causing Chiaki to suffer a huge impact.

    After having her heart injured, Chiaki met such a handsome boy in high school and then became close friends with him¡­ Like this, objectively speaking, wasn¡¯t it actually quite likely that they¡¯d develop into a real couple!?

    Haruka found it difficult to calm down after analyzing the situation to such an extent.

    Even she was surprised at this fact.

    In the space of a few short seconds, various thoughts kept spinning in Haruka¡¯s mind.

    On the surface, she just looked at the boy who had asked her for sugar for a few seconds before naturally adding two sugar cubes to his coffee.

    Nobody knew that the blue-haired girl was no longer as calm as she appeared anymore after this moment.

    "Nice to meet you. I believe that Chiaki must have mentioned me to you before already, but allow me to introduce myself properly."

    She formally and politely greeted the boy across from her.

    "My name is Haruka Shimizu, a ssmate of Chiaki¡¯s from Yoshimizu Middle School. I¡¯m currently a first-year high schooler from Koaki High School. This person with me today is Tetsuo Sakaki, my¡­ boyfriend from the same school."

    Seiji noticed Chiaki suddenly tremble at hearing the word "boyfriend."

    But at this moment, he wasn¡¯t in the correct state of mind to take care of her feelings.

    That was because he¡¯d received a huge shock as well!

    Koaki High School¡­

    That was the school the original Seiji Haruta attended before he transferred to Genhana High!

    It was also the high school where his sisters and childhood friends and so on were attending.

    Inherited memories from the original Seiji instantly welled up within him, some of them deeply unforgettable humiliating scenes¡­

    Seiji knew that it was all the fault of the original Seiji before him, but as his sessor, it still made Seiji ufortable.

    He made an effort to suppress those memories and not allow anything to show on his face as he smiled politely.

    "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m a first-year student at Genhana High School. I¡¯m Seigo Harano, Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s ssmate and boyfriend."

 Chapter 71 - Apology

    <h4>Chapter 71: Apology</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki had informed Seiji prior to the meeting about her ex-girlfriend.

    But since they had never contacted each other since breaking up, Chiaki didn¡¯t know which school Haruka Shimizu was currently studying at.

    That was why Seiji received such an unexpected shock.

    But it actually wasn¡¯t that important.

    Both Haruka Shimizu and Tetsuo Sakaki didn¡¯t have any apparent reaction upon seeing Seiji, which meant that they didn¡¯t even recognize Seiji as the depraved otaku that used to attend their school.

    Perhaps neither of them knew the original Seiji, or perhaps they were unable to recognize the current Seiji. He didn¡¯t know which it was.

    The original Seiji didn¡¯t know either of these two people, but due to his infamous reputation at Koaki, there were plenty of students that knew him but not vice versa.

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    It didn¡¯t matter at all.

    Even if they recognized him, Seiji felt like nothing of significance would follow. It wasn¡¯t like either of these two were his family members who he wronged to such a great degree; they were only strangers that had nothing to do with the original Seiji.

    Haruka Shimizu¡¯s sharp senses perceived that the boy across from her had been slightly shaken.

    Was his difort rted to the fact that she¡¯d introduced herself as a student from Koaki High School?

    Koaki High School was a famous school in this district. Many of its students hailed from rich, governmental, or powerful families. The other students all specialized in various fields and were among the top scoring students in the country. It was definitely a modern-day school for nobles.

    Normal schools couldn¡¯t evenpare to Koaki High School, and while Genhana High School was above average, they simply weren¡¯t on the same level.

    Seigo Harano probably knew of Koaki High School¡¯s illustrious reputation and had received a shock upon hearing that she and Tetsuo studied there. That was what Haruka believed.

    The handsome boy¡¯s shock instantly disappeared without a trace after a brief moment, but Haruka was already certain that he wasn¡¯t as calm as he appeared.

    Was he only¡­ a decorative but empty-headed person?

    A sudden impulse from somewhere almost made Haruka want to ssify him as such, but her logical reasoning told her that it wasn¡¯t wise to judge others so hastily.

    "Genhana High School¡­ that¡¯s a decent school, and I¡¯ve heard that the clubs there have lively atmospheres." She started a topic of conversation. "Chiaki, what club are you currently in?"

    "Drama club." Chiaki had already recovered herposure as she answered lightly.

    "Not a sports club?" Haruka blinked in confusion. "I thought that you¡¯d be more like when you were at Yoshimizu Middle School¡­ but drama club is nice, too. You seem suited for acting."

    "Yeah, whenever I¡¯m acting on stage, I can temporarily forget myself¡­ I forget my real identity, and what I¡¯ve experienced; it¡¯s much morefortable to act as characters other than myself." Chiaki rested her chin on her hands as she made a subtle, cold statement.

    Haruka¡¯s expression froze over.

    ¡®¡­How scary.¡¯ Seiji could only inwardly sigh at the grudge Chiaki evidently bore.

    So this was probably the true reason that Chiaki joined the drama club¡­ She wanted to mitigate her own painful feelings after being dumped.

    Saying it so straightforwardly to her ex-girlfriend was akin to a direct attack.

    "Hmph."

    A cold snort sounded out from Tetsuo Sakaki, the arrogant youth seated beside Haruka.

    His eyes were filled with condescension as he looked at Chiaki.

    Seiji frowned. "Did you make a sound just now?" he asked Tetsuo without any hesitation.

    Tetsuo Sakaki turned to face him, the same condescending look still in his eyes.

    "What if¡­"

    "Tetsuo," Haruka¡¯s voice interrupted him mid-speech, "don¡¯t be rude." She nced over at herpanion as she reprimanded him.

    "¡­I didn¡¯t say anything." The brown-haired boy extended his hands in a gesture of innocence as he shrugged and slightly restrained the condescension in his eyes.

    His attitude, however, disyed his true thoughts clearly.

    "It¡¯s obvious that you have something you want to say." A calm-sounding voice echoed out. It belonged to Chiaki. "Your name is Tetsuo Sakaki, right? Why don¡¯t you just say whatever you were thinking it out loud?"

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "Haruka, since the beginning, this ¡®boyfriend¡¯ of yours has carried a scornful attitude, yet he won¡¯t voice his thoughts¡­ It¡¯s like he isn¡¯t even a man." Chiaki arced her mouth upwards in a taunting smile. "He¡¯s a petty gossiper who enjoys talking about people behind their backs¡­ Disgusting."

    A sudden chill swept through the room!

    ¡®What the hell, Wakaba-sensei! You¡¯re really challenging them now!?¡¯ Seiji felt the urge to clutch his head.

    "What did you just say!?"

    As expected, Tetsuo Sakaki was furious.

    Not many boys would be able to withstand a taunt like that, and this brown-haired boy definitely wasn¡¯t the type who had a good temper. Besides, in his heart he truly looked down on Chiaki and Seiji to begin with, so he was unable to bear any disrespect from those he deemed unworthy.

    "Tetsuo!" Haruka raised her voice.

    "They were the ones being rude first; you heard it too! Haruka¡­"

    Sakaki nced at his femalepanion before viciously focusing on the pair in front of him again.

    "Sorry, my girlfriend has a straightforward personality; she voices whatever¡¯s on her mind." Seiji smiled as he tried to alleviate the tension in the air. "Chiaki, you went overboard with what you said just now; hurry up and apologize."

    "Mm¡­ Fine. Since Seigo says so." Chiaki smiled at him in response as she straightened her back, sitting more formally. "My sincere apologies. I was too direct."

    The two of them smiled the same way, and even their attitudes and tones almostpletely matched. They were saying sorry, but it soundedpletely insincere.

    "You guys¡­" Tetsuo Sakaki¡¯s face started twitching.

    ¡®In his perspective, he probably thinks we¡¯re a couple of bastards that love to make fun of others,¡¯ Seiji thought in his mind. ¡®My bad, it¡¯s your own fault for being such an easy target! You¡¯re too easy to read, young man.¡¯

    It was obvious that Chiaki wasn¡¯t in a good mood right now, and Seiji could understand her feelings. Seiji was resolutely on Chiaki¡¯s side, so unfortunately for Tetsuo Sakaki, he was doomed to be the target of their mockery.

    "Tetsuo, they apologized already." Haruka sighed.

    "They¡¯re not sincerely apologizing at all!" Tetsuo stated a fact.

    "What?"

    This time it was Seiji who intentionally raised his voice by a dozen decibels.

    Seiji¡¯s gaze sharpened as he stared directly into the brown-haired boy¡¯s eyes.

    "What did you say? Sakaki¡­san. My girlfriend¡¯s apology has been quite clear! Just what do you mean by saying we¡¯re not apologetic? You think it¡¯s not enough? Could it be that¡­ you think that only something like kneeling to you is ¡®enough¡¯ of an apology!?"

    He even added a hint of anger to hisst sentence. Of course, it was faked.

    It was sufficient enough to suppress Tetsuo, however.

    "Er¡­" Tetsuo Sakaki was slightly shaken and shocked at Seiji¡¯s sudden imposing manner.

    He¡¯d never expected the boy who he looked down on just a few seconds ago would suddenly be so intimidating.

    Seiji¡¯s sharp gaze seemed like it could pierce right through Tetsuo!

    A momentary silence filled the room.

    Haruka was also astonished at how powerfully spirited the boy in front of her seemed to be. Was it that he hadn¡¯t been shaken earlier at all? But why did it seem like he had been shaken at the mention of Koaki High School?

    She didn¡¯t understand.

    "My apologies, my boyfriend¡¯s rather impulsive, honestly. He just can¡¯t bear to see me wronged~" Chiaki said in a soft voice. She then looked towards Seiji and said, "Hey, he seems to frightened! Hurry up and apologize!"

    "Mmm¡­ Okay, since Chiaki says so." Seiji rxed his facial expression in order to appear calmer and sat up more formally.

    "My apologies, my words just now were in the heat of the moment; please don¡¯t mind them."

    Heh heh.

    Chiaki and Seiji wore matching smiles on their faces and bore the exact same attitude from earlier, but reversed. Their synchronization rate was one hundred percent perfect.

    Tetsuo Sakaki was rendered speechless. His face reddened with an anger that could only tumultuously toss and turn inside his chest without being let out.

    It was as if he could hear them taunting him beneath the thin veneer of their polite words¡ª"Hey, little boy, we¡¯re just toying with you!"

 Chapter 72 - Truth

    <h4>Chapter 72: Truth</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Tetsuo Sakaki felt like agreeing to this meeting had been a mistake in the first ce.

    As the ace member of the karate club and one of the top-ranked students in Koaki High School, he was bursting with confidence.

    Koaki High School was already a gathering ground for the best of the best, so standing at the top even among them was definitely something to be proud of. In his eyes, he only regarded his ssmates as well as those equal to or above him in status.

    Tetsuo Sakaki couldn¡¯t even be bothered with those who he considered as below him. Of course, that included students from other schools that weren¡¯t of the same quality as Koaki High School.

    He failed to grasp the reason behind Haruka Shimizu¡¯s stubbornness regarding this matter. Genhana High School? This normal girl was from a low-rated school which wasn¡¯t even worth paying attention to.

    Yes, they previously bore affection for each other, but that was over with now. It was wrong to continue it!

    Since Haruka already decided to break up, she should have said goodbye to Chiaki forever and never bothered with her again, but¡­

    He¡¯d already directly told Haruka he didn¡¯t understand why she was doing this, but Haruka remained adamant about continuing, so he could only apany her.

    Haruka was too much of a softie.

    Such a girl wasn¡¯t even worth her attention or love!

    At this moment, Tetsuo Sakaki was more certain of this than anything else.

    "The two of you¡­ don¡¯t even know you¡¯re basically no different from garbage." His eyes were filled with unrestrained condescension as he finally voiced his true thoughts.

    "Tetsuo!" Haruka raised her voice.

    "Don¡¯t stop me, Haruka! You saw how rude they were being for yourself!" Tetsuo gave Haruka a sidelong nce before ring at the two in front of him again. "We were nice enough to meet up with them, but they¡¯re being so rude to us¡­ They¡¯re nothing but scum!"

    Seiji and Chiaki retracted their fake smiles as they exchanged nces.

    "It appeared."

    "Yep, it was exposed rather quickly¡­ the true face of the arrogant boy."

    They both anticipated this scene, so their attitudes remained calm.

    Tetsuo felt another wave of anger sweep through his heart; he was incensed at being seen through by the duo he¡¯d looked upon.

    If only he could have remained calm, perhaps he would have realized the mistake he was making, but the current him was blinded by rage and arrogance.

    He stood up violently and pounded the table with his fist, causing hot coffee to spill out of the cups.

    "Let¡¯s go, Haruka! These scumbags aren¡¯t even worth our time¡­"

    *p!*

    A clear sound resounded throughout the room.

    The blue-haired girl had pped the brown-haired boy.

    Tetsuo was shocked at the sudden p and was left dazed.

    "You¡­ stop acting so shameful!"

    Haruka stood up and yelled in a low voice as she struggled to suppress the burning rage which welled up within her.

    Although she knew that the boy with her wasn¡¯t very reliable, she didn¡¯t expect him to fall for their taunts so easily.

    In actuality, Haruka¡¯s sudden loss of control over her own emotions surprised her even more than her ssmate¡¯s poor behavior.

    Witnessing how shamefully Tetsuo was acting, she acted on sudden impulse and ended up pping him.

    This shouldn¡¯t be¡­ Her normal self wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!

    At this moment Haruka Shimizu finally realized how shaken she truly was deep inside.

    A withering silence reigned over the room for several moments.

    Chiaki finally sighed wistfully, breaking the silence.

    "Haruka¡­ Actually, I really missed you."

    A soft, gentle expression appeared on Chiaki¡¯s face for the first time as she looked at the blue-haired girl.

    "Chiaki¡­"

    Haruka returned the silver-haired girl¡¯s gaze.

    "After separating from you, I thought about you¡­ Every day, every moment, for such a long time," Chiaki began slowly. "Every time I thought about what you said while breaking up with me, my heart would ache. You said so much, and all of it was logical¡­ But none of that was important to me. I didn¡¯t care; I couldn¡¯tprehend or ept the reasons. I only knew that you wanted to break up with me, and you were resolute about it. It hurt me severely. Nevertheless¡­ I still loved you."

    A teardrop formed in the corner of Chiaki¡¯s eye and slowly dripped down her pale white cheek.

    Haruka was unable toe up with words as she listened to Chiaki¡¯s heartfelt words.

    Tetsuo still hadn¡¯t regained his senses.

    If he had dared to say anything to ruin the current mood, Seiji definitely would have smacked him a good one in the mouth.

    Wordlessly, a tissue was handed over to Chiaki.

    Of course, the only one who would do this was Seiji.

    Chiaki wiped her eyes with the tissue and took a deep breath.

    "Finally, I was able to ovee it. One reason was the fun club I was in¡­ Although the drama club president is a bit of a weird person, she¡¯s really nice, and everyone else in drama club is nice as well. Another reason was one of my best friends who clumsily approached me and consoled me when I was at my most disconste¡­ Even though she herself was unaware of it." Chiaki smiled lightly.

    "Finally, I got to know Seigo." She nced at the boy beside her with a gentle expression.

    "When I was hanging out with him¡­ I had lots of fun¡ªeven more than before. That¡¯s when I received your phone call."

    Chiaki shot Haruka a look filled with deep emotion.

    "I was surprised and happy, yet frightened. I didn¡¯t know why you did it, but no matter the reason, I still wished to meet you. You told me that you were bringing your boyfriend, which hurt me deeply, but that wouldn¡¯t stop me from wanting to see you. Even though I was so afraid, even though I knew this might not be a joyous meeting, I wanted to see you. I¡­ miss you¡­ Haruka¡­"

    Glistening tears rolled down from Chiaki¡¯s eyes which currently shed with variousplex emotions.

    "Chiaki¡­"

    Haruka Shimizu could no longer maintain her impassive expression; even she could not veil her true feelings which were hidden deep within herself.

    Complex sadness, nostalgia, and longing burst out from the confines of her heart¡­

    She walked over to Chiaki, kneeled, and hugged her.

    "Sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­" Tears also slid down the blue-haired girl¡¯s cheeks. "Everything was my fault¡­ Sorry, Chiaki¡­ Actually¡­ I¡­ missed you too¡­"

    Seiji remained silent, respecting this heart-touching scene.

    After a while, he stood up noiselessly and looked at Tetsuo.

    Tetsuo Sasaki was still reeling from Haruka¡¯s p, but he¡¯d almost regained his rity of mind.

    Seiji stared at him until Tetsuo noticed, and gave him a silent signal.

    Let¡¯s talk outside!

    If Tetsuo couldn¡¯t even understand such a simple gesture, Seiji was about to give him a good lesson on how to behave.

    Luckily, the brown-haired boy wasn¡¯t that stupid.

    Tetsuo Sasaki gave a parting nce towards the two girls, before following Seiji out of the room.

    After leaving the room.

    "I deeply apologize for my rude words earlier." Seiji began with a sincere apology right off the bat. His tone of voice suddenly turned cold as he continued, "But that was also because the look in your eyes was quite unpleasant. You shouldn¡¯t believe that you¡¯re good at concealing it."

    Tetsuo remained silent.

    "I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re really that girl¡¯s boyfriend or not, nor do I care, but taking your attitude into ount, they won¡¯t be able to have a good conversation. That¡¯s why I had to expose your true self first." Seiji bluntly told him the truth. "I also don¡¯t know, nor care, why you were looking down on us. At any rate, you¡¯re just an unimportant character; it doesn¡¯t matter what you think. But I¡¯ll never allow you to interfere with Chiaki! She mustered her courage and resolved herself to potentially having her feelings wounded again bying here. As herpanion, my role is to remove all obstacles for her. Now, let us wait here for them until they¡¯re finished talking."

    ¡®If you dare to try anything, I swear that you¡¯ll never be able to do anything again.¡¯

    Seiji didn¡¯t say thatst sentence out loud, and stood there in silence, ignoring Tetsuo.

    Tetsuo Sasaki was currently battling withplex emotions.

    He had been pped by Haruka and saw her true feelings revealed¡­ He finally had an inkling of the mistake he had made.

    That girl¡­ Chiaki Wakaba was someone that Haruka had truly been in love with before.

    However, he looked down on her¡­ He was condescending towards her, and he¡¯d ignored Haruka¡¯s feelings¡­ He fell for such a simple taunt and exposed his way of thinking.

    That was why Haruka got angry at him.

    He totally deserved that p he received!

    Tetsuo felt downcast aftering to this realization.

    He didn¡¯t intend to hurt Haruka¡¯s feelings but made such a mistake.

    Haruka¡­ would she hate him now?

    Tetsuo felt like she wouldn¡¯t because she was a softie inside. However, this made his heart ache even more.

    ¡®Aw man!! What have I done!?¡¯ The arrogant boy suddenly fell into a state of self-loathing.

    He then noticed the handsome boy who stood beside him wordlessly.

    This guy¡­ was actually quite smart.

    Thinking about what this person had spoken and done, Tetsuo could only shamefully admit to himself that the other boy hadpletely outwitted him!

    Seigo Harano¡­ from Genhana High School.

    Tetsuo etched this name into his mind.

 Chapter 73 - Isnâ€™t Your Boyfriend Still Outside!?

    <h4>Chapter 73: Isn¡¯t Your Boyfriend Still Outside!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Inside the room, the two girls finally calmed down a little and were drinking coffee in silence.

    "As I expected¡ªI still¡­ love this coffee¡¯s vor the most." Chiaki smiled gently at Haruka. "The taste of coffee that you personally brewed for me."

    "Is that so¡­" Haruka averted her gaze as her cheeks flushed slightly red.

    ¡®Honestly, wasn¡¯t this exactly just like before?¡¯

    But there was no helping it; even though she knew that she shouldn¡¯t, these were her real feelings.

    Although she¡¯d tried her utmost to restrain herself and to forget¡­ she couldn¡¯t.

    That alluringly sweet, dazzling, mesmerizing time she spent together with Chiaki.

    It had been like a dream she couldn¡¯t wake up from.

    Haruka thought that she had gotten over Chiaki after breaking up with her for so long. For the first time, she discovered that she was still hung up on her.

    She told herself she brought a malepanion in order to prevent Chiaki from getting close to her again. But on closer inspection that was probably¡­ her fear of facing her true inner self.

    ¡®How terrible am I¡­¡¯

    Like her ssmate outside, Haruka Shimizu also fell into a state of self-loathing.

    At this moment, Chiaki took her hand.

    Chiaki gently caressed her hand before bringing it to her soft lips and licking gently. As her cute red tongue darted out, she eyed Haruka with a seductive expression.

    Haruka¡¯s face instantly turned bright red.

    That gaze, these feelings¡­ they¡¯re so distressing¡­ Her body trembled slightly, half in fear and half in anticipation.

    Chiaki used well-practiced motions as she licked every inch of Haruka¡¯s fingers, fingertips, back of her hand, and palm of her hand¡­ Without missing a single spot, Chiaki licked her softly and gently, taking her time as if she was tasting an exquisitely fine meal.

    As the blue-haired girl¡¯s trembling became more and more obvious and her cheeks med crimson red, Chiaki gently pulled Haruka into her arms.

    Haruka suddenly regained her senses.

    "N¡­ No¡­"

    ¡®We¡¯ve already broken up, we can¡¯t¡­¡¯

    However, her resistance was so soft and helpless that it didn¡¯t seem like she was resisting at all.

    To Chiaki, Haruka seemed like she¡¯d regained her feelings for Chiaki as her eyes were watery, her face flushedpletely red, and her tiny mouth was slightly puckered open.

    Chiaki brought her face close to Haruka¡¯s, then leaned in and kissed her.

    "Mmm¡­ Ah¡­"

    After their lips came into contact, they stuck together as they mashed lips.

    Haruka felt like all her energy had been drained; she could only allow Chiaki to tightly hold on to her body and let Chiaki do whatever she wanted.

    ¡®We can¡¯t¡­¡¯ She was shouting this in her heart, but her body had zero strength as she was enjoying this, unable to resist.

    Time became a blur to them.

    After losing track of time, Haruka finally felt herself being released.

    Chiaki licked her lips in an alluring expression that seemed like she was saying "thanks for the meal."

    "Wahh¡­ Honestly!" Haruka summoned a sliver of energy and lightly hit Chiaki. "We can¡¯t be like this¡­ Your¡­ your boyfriend, isn¡¯t he waiting outside for you!?"

    "Oh, do you care a lot about him?" Chiaki chuckled.

    "This¡­ this isn¡¯t about whether or not I care about him! You¡¯re the one who should be caring!" Afraid of having her true feelings found out, Haruka raised her voice in an attempt to cover them.

    Chiaki wore a light smile as she gazed at Haruka¡¯s face.

    As long as she was able to open the door to Haruka¡¯s heart, Haruka would be unexpectedly soft and express a rich variety of emotions. This was one of the traits which caused Chiaki to fall in love with her.

    "Seigo¡­ isn¡¯t my boyfriend." She told her the truth. "I actually haven¡¯t known him for all that long, so we haven¡¯t moved on to being boyfriend and girlfriend."

    "Oh¡­ That means, as long as time passes, you¡¯ll be¡­" Haruka furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

    "I don¡¯t know~" Chiaki shrugged. "If you ask me whether or not he¡¯s suitable to be my boyfriend, I¡¯ll say yes, and add a definitely in front of yes. Even though we¡¯ve known each other for only a short time, he¡¯s really an amazing as well as handsome guy. He¡¯s basically like the main male idol lead in a television drama¡­ No, even an idol actor wouldn¡¯t move me as much as he does.

    "If it wasn¡¯t for your existence, I would definitely fall in love with him¡­ Actually, I¡¯ve already fallen for him a little, but one of my best friends fell in love with him first, and I don¡¯t want to ruin our rtionship. But human emotions are very difficult to control¡­ So I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future."

    "Wah¡­" Haruka puffed out her cheeks.

    Chiaki really wanted to poke her cheeks like she would in the past, but she managed to restrain herself.

    "That¡¯s my story. How about you, Haruka?"

    Haruka¡¯s face stiffened slightly before she ended up sighing.

    "Okay, I admit it as well, Tetsuo¡­ is not my boyfriend; he¡¯s actually my younger cousin."

    "I knew it; you would never fall in love with his type." Chiaki smiled knowingly.

    Haruka¡¯s expression flickered.

    "Tetsuo¡­ is a good guy. It¡¯s just¡­ maybe he¡¯s a little too arrogant¡­"

    "¡®A little?¡¯ Hah, fine, I teased him plenty anyways, so I¡¯ll let it go with that," Chiaki said casually.

    ¡®If that guy still keeps acting up, Seiji will definitely give him a good lesson.¡¯ She was certain of this.

    ¡®Seiji Haruta can be quite fearsome if he truly gets angry, after all~¡¯

    At any rate, the two of them went outside quite a while ago, and who knows what they¡¯d been up to. Chiaki suddenly wanted to see the arrogant Tetsuo Sasaki learning a well-deserved lesson from Seiji.

    That¡¯s right; she still bore a grudge towards him!

    Even if she knew now that he was only a fake boyfriend, she still felt unhappy inside and wanted to see him suffer!

    Seiji would surelyment about how illogical her grudge was, but this was just a part of her nature.

    Actually, her taunts just earlier were already unreasonable, but Seiji resolutely stood by her side and helped her out in order to make her feel better.

    Chiaki was inwardly delighted about this.

    Just as Seiji said, he wasn¡¯t exactly a "good person," nor did he believe in right and wrong. He simply helped those he wanted to help, protecting and taking care of his friends.

    This made Chiaki extremely happy and instilled her with a feeling of safety.

    Of course, if she went overboard Seiji would surely stop her. This would be a method of protecting her as well, otherwise the situation would get out of control, and she¡¯d be the party who¡¯d bear the brunt of the consequence.

    At any rate, Seiji Haruta was simply a trustworthy and reliable person.

    ¡®Honestly, you seem so cool; what will happen if I really fall in love with you?¡¯ Chiaki mentally asked the person who was outside the door.

    Seiji sneezed.

    ¡®Why am I feeling a sudden chill?¡¯ He rubbed his nose.

    He didn¡¯t know what was going on inside.

    But Chiaki would surely be able to take care of things. He had confidence in her.

    He was a bit bored just standing outside like a door guard, though.

    With nothing to do, he nced at the boy beside him, and just happened to notice Tetsuo looking towards him as well.

    They looked at each other wordlessly for a few seconds before Tetsuo finally piped up.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ right?"

    Seiji raised his eyebrow at the unexpected question.

    "Yes, what is it?"

    "Just earlier¡­ Perhaps I was a bit rude." An indescribable light shed through Tetsuo¡¯s eyes. "However, you and me, we¡¯re different."

    ¡®Sigh¡­ Arrogant people like him are so difficult to deal with.¡¯

    "Yeah yeah, you¡¯re an excellent student from Kaoki High School, you¡¯re a genius, you¡¯re an elite, you¡¯ll definitely be sessful in life, you¡¯re at apletely different level from amoner like me, you¡¯re so great." Seiji praised Tetsuo in a sarcastic tone that made it obvious it wasn¡¯t praise at all.

    Tetsuo furrowed his eyebrows.

    He¡¯d already calmed down, so it was easy for him to tell that Seiji didn¡¯t mean his praise, but¡­ It was difficult for him to say anything back.

    If he did anything rude, it would hurt Haruka.

    But there were some things he still needed to say.

    "It¡¯s good that you understand," he said lightly. "We¡­ Compared with you guys, Haruka and I are vastly different, not only in the school we go to."

 Chapter 74 - Allow Me to Show You True Strength!

    <h4>Chapter 74: Allow Me to Show You True Strength!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Grades, talent, identity, family¡­ Perhaps you consider all of this quite vulgar, but such is reality." Tetsuo continued speaking in a tone that indicated he was serious.

    "The differences in our schools¡¯ ranks is just one such actualization of the difference between us. Even if the two of you went to the same school as us, you¡¯d discover that the differences between us can be realized through many other ces as well. Haruka and¡­ Chiaki Wakaba¡¯s feelings for each other may have been genuine, but they¡¯re also a mistake. Haruka originally made the correct decision, but because she¡¯s too soft-hearted, she still made a mistake at this point in time."

    Seiji frowned. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

    Tetsuo stared directly into Seiji¡¯s eyes in an arrogant manner.

    "What I want to say is, even though Haruka was the one who took the initiative to invite Chiaki Wakaba today, don¡¯t think that they¡¯ll be what they were before again. Haruka doesn¡¯t intend that at all; she took me with her in order to prove¡­ that she still cares about Chiaki Wakaba, but she definitely won¡¯t make such a mistake again and have that sort of intimate rtionship. You guys¡­ You and Chiaki Wakaba need to recognize it and have zero expectations!"

    Tetsuo warned Seiji in a stern manner.

    ncing at the recipient of his speech, he noticed the boy he knew as Seigo Harano looking at him as if he were an idiot.

    ¡®There¡¯s an idiot here! Everyonee look!¡¯ Seiji felt the urge to shout that out loud.

    ¡®Not even taking into consideration this bastard¡¯s speech about differences, Chiaki never had that sort of intention in the first ce, okay!

    ¡®Haruka took you here in order to stop Chiaki from having any second thoughts, while Chiaki took me here in order to¡­ Do you think that she simply brought me here to give me a chance at seeing a beautiful girl!?

    ¡®You don¡¯t even know the basics of thinking from someone else¡¯s viewpoint; is your head filled with nothing but grass!!?¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s mentalments were flowing through his mind like an unstoppable rushing torrential flood.

    Chiaki only came to meet her ex-girlfriend, and perhaps the situation would develop in some manner after that, but Seiji was 100% certain that she didn¡¯te here in order to make up and be girlfriends again.

    Yes, she still missed Haruka Shimizu after their breakup, but would she shamelessly want to be intimate with Haruka again after being invited so suddenly? Impossible!

    Chiaki Wakaba definitely wasn¡¯t this type of person. At most, she would want to relive a sweet time together again for the sake of nostalgia and only if Haruka didn¡¯t resist the idea.

    Even if she still wanted to be with Haruka, she would never request it of her own volition; it would have to be Haruka voluntarily saying that out loud.

    Just what was wrong with Tetsuo Sasaki¡¯s brain? Looking down on others to such a degree couldn¡¯t even be said to be arrogance anymore; it was pure idiocy.

    Tetsuo was confused about the way Seiji looked at him.

    If "Seigo" had turned grim, or even angry, he would have understood. But what was with looking at him like he was an idiot?

    Did he make another mistake again? Tetsuo reflected on his previous words.

    No, he didn¡¯t say anything wrong. After confirming that to himself, he firmed his resolution once more and looked directly at Seiji, his eyes filled with pride.

    Seiji felt his energy was draining from him as he saw Tetsuo¡¯s unchanging attitude. Forget it, it was useless talking reason to an idiot. It was best to let Tetsuo believe whatever he wants.

    It¡¯s just¡­ it still felt rather unpleasant.

    "Sasaki-san, what club are you in at Koaki High School?" He opened his mouth and asked.

    ¡®What was with this sudden question?¡¯ Tetsuo was confused once again.

    "I¡¯m in the Karate club; although I¡¯m not the captain, I¡¯ve won prize money in variouspetitions before," he said with a clear note of pride in his voice.

    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Seiji raised his eyebrows as a grin started to form on his face.

    If Chiaki or Mika could see him right now, they¡¯d definitely notice that this smile meant¡­ he was up to no good!

    Since this definitely wasn¡¯t Seiji¡¯s normal smile; there was something fearsome hidden behind it.

    "Perfect, I¡¯ve studied freestyle martial arts a little bit myself. Why don¡¯t we go somece empty and have a little duel?"

    Tetsuo furrowed his brows.

    "You want to fight me?"

    "Don¡¯t make it sound so bad. I¡¯d just like to have a little practice with you, ace member of the Karate club, Tetsuo Sasaki-san." There was a dark shadow in Seiji¡¯s smile. "You said so much just now, so of course you wouldn¡¯t back down from such a challenge, would you?"

    This was a direct challenge.

    Tetsuo Sasaki remained silent for a few moments.

    "If this can help you to realize the difference between us, fine. I¡¯ll show you just what true strength is!"

    ¡­

    After Chiaki and Haruka finished their conversation, they walked out of the coffee caf¨¦¡¯s room and saw that the two boys weren¡¯t waiting for them outside the door.

    Chiaki called Seiji and found out that the boys were waiting for them on the first floor.

    When they went downstairs, they saw the two boys sitting by a window.

    However, Tetsuo Sasaki was copsed strangely on the table for some reason and wasn¡¯t moving.

    "What¡¯s with him?" Chiaki asked suspiciously.

    "Actually¡­ while waiting for the two of you, we had a friendly little chat." Seiji scratched his face. "After learning that Sasaki-san here was the ace member of the Karate club, I got a little curious and asked him to teach me, and he kindly agreed to show me the ropes, so we went out to the alleyway behind this caf¨¦ and had a little duel, but¡­"

    "I didn¡¯t control my strength very well and identally knocked Sasaki-san out."

    Chiaki and Haruka were rendered speechless.

    "You two¡­ went out and had a fight?" Chiaki squinted and berated Seiji in a righteous manner: "How could you do this, Seigo!? Even though you¡¯re not in any sports clubs, you possess physical abilities that every sports club at our school is drooling over! How could you not go easy on an ordinary person like Sasaki-san!?"

    Even though it seemed like she was criticizing Seiji on the surface, her tone made it clear that she was praising him instead.

    ¡®Good job, Seiji! I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint me!¡¯

    Chiaki had nothing but praise inside her heart.

    Haruka Shimizu looked stunned as she studied the unconscious brown-haired boy in front of her.

    Tetsuo, an ordinary person?

    Tetsuo Sasaki was one of the ten strongest members of the Karate club, which had an abundance of talented members as was natural of Koaki High School!

    Tetsuo¡¯s family ran a dojo, so he had been practicing karate ever since he was born. Even though he wasn¡¯t necessarily the winner of everypetition, he always ranked highly in each one; these were feats to be proud of! He definitely had real skill in karate.

    As his older cousin, Haruka had witnessed Tetsuo¡¯s martial artspetitions many times before, and the solid foundation of his training regimen and his slow growth into bing stronger gave her a deep impression.

    However.

    Right now, in front of her.

    Her incredibly strong cousin of hers¡­ Tetsuo Sasaki was actually defeated and knocked unconscious¡­ by someone from an ordinary school who wasn¡¯t even in any sports clubs!?

    "Sorry, I thought he would be really strong, so I used more of my strength than usual, but I didn¡¯t expect that¡­" Seiji shrugged.

    "Even though he¡¯s unconscious, he shouldn¡¯t be seriously injured. Should we¡­ take him to the hospital for an inspection?" Chiaki looked towards Haruka.

    Haruka stood motionless, ovee by a mixture of amazement and shock, so it took her a dozen seconds to regain her senses.

    She looked back at Chiaki.

    Chiaki¡¯s expression was calm, but her eyes showed she was delighted with this oue.

    Haruka slowly turned her gaze towards Seigo Harano.

    Seiji had an innocent expression on his face.

    You¡­ just who exactly are you!?

    Haruka really wanted to ask him this question as she stared at his handsome face.

    But right now, Tetsuo¡¯s condition was more important.

    Let them take her cousin to the hospital?

    Haruka was already imagining how much of an impact Tetsuo would receive after finding out what had happened to him!

    And if he experienced Chiaki¡¯s merciless teasing on top of that¡­ it would be too pitiful!

    Chiaki definitely wouldn¡¯t feel any sympathy for Tetsuo, nor would Seigo Harano, who was on her side.

    Tetsuo couldn¡¯t withstand their taunting to begin with, so if they added oil to the fire¡­ Haruka felt a shiver run down her spine just imagining it.

    That left her with only one choice.

    "I¡¯ll take Tetsuo to the hospital. It¡¯s fine, you guys¡­ can just return now." Haruka sighed.

    "That¡¯s no good, is it? My Seigo knocked him unconscious after all, so he should be there to apologize when Tetsuo wakes up." Chiaki seemed like she was apologizing, but in reality, she was inwardly holding her sides withughter.

    ¡®You dare to look down on others, you bastard? Ace member of the Karate club at a well-known school? How does it feel to be knocked unconscious by someone at an ordinary school who isn¡¯t even in any sports clubs!?¡¯

    ¡®Yep, I really want to see what kind of expression this Tetsuo Sasaki has when he wakes up! Oh yeah~¡¯

    ¡®Chiaki, you¡¯re getting a little evil,¡¯ Seiji thought as he noticed the silver-haired girl¡¯s gleeful expression.

    Although, honestly speaking, Seiji felt a slight urge to see what expression this brown-haired brat would have when he woke up as well, but he decided to be merciful. After all, it would be good to leave him with a little shred of pride.

    "Oh, I think that Sasaki-san probably won¡¯t want to see me when he wakes up, since I was so impolite to him, so let¡¯s just listen to Shimizu-san instead," Seiji said.

    ¡®Eh, are we letting him go? Man~¡¯ Chiaki mentally pouted. ¡®But since Seiji has spoken already, let¡¯s just stop here.¡¯

    "What do you think then, Haruka? Is it really fine for us to just leave?"

    "Please, go ahead!" The blue-haired girl could only helplessly request this from the bottom of her heart.

 Chapter 75 - Secret

    <h4>Chapter 75: Secret</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji and Chiaki slowly walked down the street after leaving the coffee caf¨¦.

    "Haha, you actually knocked him unconscious, you¡¯re pretty evil, Seigo¡­ No, Seiji." Chiaki broke out intoughter again as she thought back to the previous events. "But you did a great job¡ªas expected of my S-ranked weapon!" She gave him a huge thumbs-up.

    "Heh, but of course." Seiji pretended to gaze into the distance. "A person capable of defeating me does not exist in this world."

    After one second of silence.

    Both of them broke out intoughter.

    "What¡¯s with those embarrassing words of yours!? But it¡¯s actually unexpectedly moving~" Chiaki stepped closer to Seiji as if it were the natural thing to do and clung on to his arm.

    "We don¡¯t need to fake being a couple anymore, do we?"

    "We don¡¯t. I just feel like doing this."

    Seiji nced at the silver-haired girl.

    "How did¡­ your conversation with her go?"

    "Mmm¡­ Should I say that it didn¡¯t go very well, or that it was fine?" Chiaki had aplex expression.

    "It doesn¡¯t seem like you two have gotten back together again, so what¡¯s your current rtionship with her?"

    "It¡¯s¡­ friends," Chiaki said wistfully, "a special type of friendship. Friends that miss each other when apart. Perhaps we¡¯ll meet each other soon again, but maybe we might never see each other again¡­ Friends like that."

    Seiji remained silent.

    Although that Tetsuo Sasaki was nothing more than an idiot, one thing he mentioned was indisputable¡ªthe fact that Haruka Shimizu didn¡¯t intend to get back together with Chiaki again. Her taking along a fake boyfriend was plenty of evidence for this.

    And if Haruka didn¡¯t intend this, Chiaki definitely wouldn¡¯t request it either, so¡­

    At any rate, why exactly did Haruka Shimizu invite Chiaki out of the blue? This still remained a mystery.

    Seiji was waiting for an answer.

    After a long period of silence.

    "Even though Haruka told me not to tell anyone else, including you¡­ I think I should still let you know." Chiaki looked up at Seiji as her eyes shed with an indescribable light.

    "Are you sure? If it¡¯s an important secret, you don¡¯t need to tell me."

    "It¡¯s not a secret¡­ Er, I don¡¯t know." Chiaki sighed. "I don¡¯t know what exactly this is¡­"

    She didn¡¯t know?

    Seiji furrowed his brows.

    "Haruka, she¡­ first, she asked if I could transfer to Koaki High School, and be normal friends with her again." Chiaki slowly began to speak. "Of course, I rejected her and said this wasn¡¯t possible."

    "Then, she requested that I¡­ take a temporary leave of absence from school."

    "Leave of absence?" Seiji was confused.

    He could understand asking her to transfer schools and be friends again, but what was with the leave of absence request?

    "That¡¯s right, a leave of absence." Chiaki nodded. "She said she wished for me to not attend Genhana High School for the time being, as there could be danger."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "What kind of danger?"

    "She didn¡¯t tell me what it specifically was, she only said that there was a danger which could cause students to die," Chiaki said in a heavy tone of voice.

    Hey now, could it be?

    The only uing thing that might be dangerous enough for students to die at Genhana High School¡­ Seiji could only think of one such incident.

    The Yin Yang Master duel!

    Was this what Haruka Shimizu was alluding to? Did she know about it? Was she a person with mystical powers!?

    Sessive doubts kept arising in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    "It sounds really strange, right? What danger could befall Genhana High School?" Chiaki sighed before continuing, "But Haruka seemed so serious; she begged me to believe her and do as she requested!"

    "She invited me out solely for the purpose of telling me this."

    Seiji now understood the logic behind Haruka¡¯s sudden invitation.

    But now, new questions arose.

    For Chiaki, at least.

    "She obviously wasn¡¯t making all this up, but she wouldn¡¯t tell me anything about the danger¡­ I don¡¯t understand why¡­" the silver-haired girl muttered to herself. "And she even told me not to tell anyone else¡­ I honestly don¡¯t get it; what kind of secret is this? Something which is dangerous enough to cause the death of high school students is a huge incident! It shouldn¡¯t be hidden. Why didn¡¯t Haruka tell me the details clearly, ask me to keep it a secret, and tell me to take a leave of absence from school?"

    "I don¡¯t understand. She refused to speak further on the subject no matter what, so I don¡¯t get it."

    Chiaki looked at the boy by her side.

    "That¡¯s why I told you, Seiji¡­ Seiji?"

    Chiaki¡¯s sharp senses detected something from Seiji¡¯s expression and bodynguage.

    "You¡­ know?" She was astonished.

    Seiji remained silent.

    "Do you perhaps¡­ know what Haruka was talking about?" Chiaki slowly began to furrow her brows.

    Seiji sighed after considering his options.

    "I don¡¯t know if what I know is what she was referring to."

    He faced Chiaki directly.

    "But¡­ it seems quite probable. Chiaki, you know that I recently discussed something with the student council president, something I couldn¡¯t tell you and Mika. What Haruka just mentioned to you is¡­ most likely the same topic that I was talking with the president about."

    Nobody spoke for a while.

    Chiaki took a good, long look at Seiji¡¯s face.

    "I see." She finally ended up nodding. "Our school¡­ there¡¯s something hidden to it, isn¡¯t there?"

    Seiji nodded in response.

    "It¡¯s a huge secret that can¡¯t be made public. It¡¯s for the best if fewer normal people know about it," he said in a soft voice. "That¡¯s why¡­ I¡¯m so sorry."

    Chiaki shook her head.

    "If you could, you¡¯d surely tell us. If you can¡¯t, that means there¡¯s a deep reason behind it. There¡¯s no need to feel apologetic. Even though I have my doubts and want to know the truth, I won¡¯t pry. You and Haruka are both people I trust. Although it¡¯s a little ufortable to know that both of you are hiding the same thing from me, I trust that it¡¯s for my own good."

    Chiaki shed a brilliant smile.

    "I feel sorry towards Haruka as well for telling you something she absolutely insisted on keeping secret¡­ but it seems that you coincidentally knew about it."

    Seiji smiled as well.

    "Yeah, luckily I was the one who heard about it."

    "Honestly¡­ just how big is this secret? What if I told someone else about what Haruka just told me? If it hadn¡¯t been you¡­ What would have happened if it had been someone who didn¡¯t know what it was about?"

    Chiaki¡¯s expression showed a trace of nervousness.

    Seiji mulled it over.

    "I doubt much would happen if you did. You¡¯d probably end up apanion who¡¯s also oblivious to what is going on¡­ As long as you guys didn¡¯t spread any more rumors, that is."

    "Whew¡­ I was so worried." Chiaki pretended to wipe nonexistent sweat from her forehead. "It¡¯s good if it¡¯s not that serious."

    "While it is a big secret, nothing should happen as long as you don¡¯t go around telling everyone. But keep in mind that if you keep telling people, the consequences would be unpredictable," Seiji warned her in a strict tone of voice.

    It was best not to even think about the identities of the upper ranks of the Yin Yang Masters as they were bent on hiding their existence in order to continue reaping huge benefits.

    "I get it, I won¡¯t tell anyone else!" Chiaki stuck her tongue out at Seiji. "Should I call Haruka and apologize to her? By the way, do you need to talk to her? You both seem to know the same secret, after all." Chiaki¡¯s expression was hard to read as she contemted the thought of Seiji having ess to Haruka¡¯s number.

    Seiji considered Chiaki¡¯s suggestion.

    "I¡¯m not sure if I need to talk to her, but you might as well give me her contact information. It mighte in handy."

    Giving her ex-girlfriend¡¯s cell phone number to the boy that she secretly liked a little, especially considering the fact that they shared a secret together¡­ Chiaki was currently battling withplex, indescribable emotions.

    Was she¡­ about to NTR herself?

    No no, she liked both of them so much; if they could be a couple¡­

    *Ding-dong!*

    Chiaki¡¯s mind suddenly envisioned a brand-new scene that she¡¯d never considered before.

    This scene dashed away all her uncertainties, and she could feel new horizons opening up for her!

    If Seiji and Haruka could get together¡­ this seemed pretty good!?

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes began sparkling after she felt like she just opened the door to new possibilities.

    Even though it was currently nothing more than a fantasy, it still seemed possible to her!

    Possibility meant hopes and dreams!

    After Seiji entered Haruka Shimizu¡¯s phone number into his cell phone contacts, he discovered that¡­ Chiaki¡¯s expression had be rather strange.

    The silver-haired girl smiled brilliantly as she pped him heartily on the shoulder.

    "Go ahead and contact Haruka as much as you like! Flirt with her to the best of your ability; I think you have a good chance!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡®What the hell?¡¯

 Chapter 76 - Suicide

    <h4>Chapter 76: Suicide</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji assumed Chiaki was tired from the long night, causing her to behave so mystifyingly.

    "The night¡¯s still young; let¡¯s go get a drink together!"

    "Denied. It¡¯s already gettingte, so I¡¯m taking you home now."

    "Objection, judge!"

    "You don¡¯t have permission to speak!"

    Chiaki sighed. "You¡¯re terrible!"

    Seiji countered all of Chiaki¡¯s unreasonable requests and took her home.

    Chiaki lived in an extravagant apartmentpletely on a different level from Seiji¡¯s. Seiji wouldn¡¯t even be able to enter unless he had a card or could pass a retina scan.

    The silver-haired girl stepped up to the apartment¡¯s front gate before she turned around and smiled at Seiji.

    "Thank you so much for apanying me tonight."

    Seiji scratched his face. "Do you need to be so formal? You¡¯re making me feel awkward."

    Chiaki chuckled. "Actually, I wanted to make you embarrassed on purpose. You¡¯re so cute like this~"

    "I¡¯m going back now. Have a good night." Seiji decisively turned around and waved.

    "Don¡¯t! No escaping; I wasn¡¯t finished talking yet!" Chiaki grabbed on to his hand.

    "What else is there?"

    Seiji heard a light swishing sound. The silver-haired girl untied her red hairband and let her long hair cascade down her slim shoulders.

    This scene felt familiar to Seiji as he¡¯d seen simr scenes in animes before. Even he was forced to admit that Chiaki¡¯s current appearance was quite stunning.

    Chiaki was simply returning to her normal hairstyle, but due to her current clothing and her elegant movements, she exuded a special type of charisma.

    "This¡­ I¡¯m giving it to you." Chiaki ced her red hairband in Seiji¡¯s hand.

    "Eh?"

    "This was the first present that Haruka ever gave me, but now¡­ I don¡¯t need it anymore," Chiaki said with a serious expression.

    Seiji failed toe up with a suitable reply.

    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving it to you! You can do whatever you like with it: throw it away, give it to someone else, or¡­ give it back to Haruka." Chiaki disyed an alluring smile.

    Then she finally turned around.

    "That¡¯s all! Good night, Seiji~"

    "Wait a moment! Something so important¡­ is it really fine to give this to me!? By the way, why are you giving it to me?"

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t she be giving it to Mika if she wants to give it away?¡¯ Seiji was confused by her unexpected gift.

    Chiaki merely waved at him with her back turned and walked through her apartment¡¯s front gate without replying.

    Seiji stood there stunned for a few minutes before he finally sighed and carefully put away the red hairband.

    He nced at the apartment one more time before leaving.

    This long night had finally ended.

    ¡­

    A new week, on Monday.

    Seiji recountedst night¡¯s urrences to Mika on the way to school.

    He didn¡¯t mention the real reason behind Haruka Shimizu¡¯s invitation. He only told her that Haruka wanted Chiaki to transfer schools and be friends again, without bringing up her request for Chiaki to take a leave of absence or anything about danger.

    Nor did he mention the red hairband.

    That¡¯s because after Seiji reached his apartment and checked his system, he was shocked!

    This [gift] gave him an excessively high amount of pointspared to normal! Innumerable emotions must have been contained within this red hairband!

    Just why did Chiaki give him something so important to her? Seiji couldn¡¯tprehend the reason behind Chiaki¡¯s gift, but this definitely wasn¡¯t something he should treat carelessly.

    He decided not to tell Mika for the time being, not because he wanted to conceal it, but because he felt like he shouldn¡¯t speak rashly before he deciphered the intentions behind Chiaki¡¯s gift.

    As expected, Mika didn¡¯t think too deeply about what Seiji told her, and she epted his words without question.

    "That person¡­ named Sasaki-san, he was pped by Haruka then knocked out by you; he seems a little pitiful."

    "I was already kind enough to spare his life."

    "Is that what you call kindness?" Mika¡¯s eyes were bing unfocused.

    "Do you wish to behold how cruel I can really be?" Seiji pretended to adjust a pair of imaginary sses.

    "I don¡¯t want to know¡­"

    "How regrettable. You¡¯ve missed an opportunity to see the world for what it really is."

    "What does this have to do with the truth of the world!?" Mika retorted forcefully.

    Yep, today there was a pleasant atmosphere as well.

    At this point in time Seiji didn¡¯t expect what he was about to face next would be¡­ rather unpleasant.

    After reaching school, Seiji removed some love letters from his shoe locker again, greeted Chiaki, and went to ss together with the silver-haired girl and Mika.

    Everything was normal.

    During ss time.

    "Chiaki, what do you intend to do about Shimizu-san¡¯s request?" Seiji asked her when he met her in the hallway after using the bathroom.

    To tell the truth, he would have preferred to ask her what she wanted him to do with the red hairband¡­ However, he felt like she¡¯d just tell him some excuse as it wasn¡¯t an appropriate time to yet.

    "About that¡­ I haven¡¯t decided¡­ What do you think?" Chiaki asked him a question in return.

    "Danger is only a possibility, but taking a temporary leave of absence will indeed lower the risk to the minimum," Seiji said firmly. "It¡¯s just that if you take a leave of absence, even without considering how to apply for it, you¡¯ll fall behind in sses, you won¡¯t be able to attend drama club, and you¡¯ll even miss the uing school festival¡­"

    "Yeah, I know, so even though it¡¯s Haruka requesting me, I¡¯m still hesitating about it." Chiaki sighed. "I know she cares about me, and I want to acquiesce to her wish, but taking a leave of absence¡­ That¡¯s a lot to ask for. I don¡¯t care about my sses as much, but as for drama club¡­ If I take a leave of absence now, I¡¯d feel bad for everyone in drama club. Besides, if I take a vacation by myself, I¡¯d feel like¡­ I abandoned everyone else and escaped by myself."

    Chiaki looked towards Seiji.

    "What do you think I should do?"

    As she asked this, the conversation options appeared¡ª

    A: [You should take a leave of absence so that Haruka can rest assured.]

    B: [I can¡¯t make this decision for you.]

    C: [Stay at school¡ªI¡¯ll protect you no matter what happens!]

    Conversation options appearing meant that this was an important answer which would affect Chiaki¡¯s route¡­ er, whether or not she would take a leave of absence from school.

    Conversation options would appear from time to time, but Seiji typically ignored them nowadays as he preferred answering with what he believed rather than answering insincerely in order to improve a girl¡¯s favorability rating.

    As for what he preferred this time, he thought option B was the best, since he truly didn¡¯t feel like he should make such an important decision for Chiaki. But considering what might happen in the near future¡­ he decided to make a save file for this point in time.

    If danger truly befell the school in the future, he could return to this time and tell Chiaki choice A in order to keep her safe.

    After saving, Seiji finally replied to Chiaki.

    "I can¡¯t make this decision for you; you have to decide on your own. Haruka and school are both important to you, so you must resolve to choose the one which is more important to you."

    The system didn¡¯t give him a notification of improved favorability rating towards him this time.

    If this was a dating sim instead of real life, this would definitely be the wrong choice. Option C was obviously the correct route¡­ whoops, the correct choice to improve favorability rating.

    Chiaki smiled.

    "I knew you would say that¡­ You should have taken this opportunity to act cool! You should¡¯ve told me to stay at school and promise to protect me. If you said that, I might even fall in love with you~"

    Seiji chuckled. "Why do I need to make you fall in love with me? You¡¯re making it sound like I love to act cool."

    "Eh, you don¡¯t~?"

    "Of course not!"

    Chiaki chuckled when she heard that.

    Even though she didn¡¯t receive the answer she wanted to hear, this felt more like Seiji¡¯s style.

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t need to act cool because he¡¯s already cool.¡¯

    The two of them returned to ss after their conversation ended.

    Not long after, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the next ss.

    Just like always, the students, the teachers, the sses, the weather, and everything else was normal. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, and the temperature was cool andfortable. It was a day perfectly suited for taking a stroll outside.

    Time passed just like this, and there was only one ss remaining before lunch.

    Right before ss began, someone suddenly called Seiji.

    When he checked his cell phone, he saw it was¡­ Hoshi Amami!

    "Hey, Amami." Seiji took the call. "I heard you got a cold¡ªhow are you feeling now?"

    There was no response on the other side.

    "Amami?" Seiji furrowed his brows, sensing that something was wrong.

    He still received no response.

    "Hoshi Amami, is that you!? Say something!" Seiji raised his voice.

    "Senpai¡­" He finally received a response, in a voice he could barely hear. "¡­I¡¯m sorry."

    Sorry? What did that mean?

    Seiji suddenly had an ominous premonition.

    "Hey, Amami, why are you apologizing!? Where are you right now!?" He stood up and began yelling.

    His sudden movement and loud voice attracted all the other students¡¯ attention in the ssroom.

    The bell rang for ss, and the teacher arrived at the ssroom.

    "Hoshi, answer me!!!"

    Seiji¡¯s voice was now louder than the bell¡¯s ringing.

    Almost everyone jumped upon hearing him, and the elderly teacher almost dropped the textbook he was holding.

    "Harano-san¡­ what¡¯s the matter?" asked thenguage teacher, an old man over fifty years of age, as he adjusted his sses.

    All the students were looking in Seiji¡¯s direction.

    Seiji didn¡¯t care about any of this right now.

    Hoshi Amami didn¡¯t say anything else in the call; all he could hear was the beeping sound which indicated Hoshi had hung up.

    Seiji instantly called him back.

    "Harano-san, what are you doing?" the elderly teacher asked him again, his voice tinged with a note of displeasure.

    Seiji nced at the teacher.

    "Sorry, Sensei," he said bluntly as he rose from his seat. "I¡¯m going to skip ss!"

    He left with that sentence, and everyone could only watch on in stunned amazement as he swiftly exited the ssroom.

    Chiaki and Mika exchanged nces filled with confusion and worry.

    "Harano-san¡­ what¡¯s the matter with him?"

    "Who¡¯s¡­ Hoshi?"

    "Where is he going?"

    "I¡¯ve never seen such a cool method of skipping ss¡­"

    The students were all discussing what happened with each other.

    *Cough cough.* The teacher interrupted everyone¡¯s discussion by coughing.

    "How¡­ unseemly!" he eximed angrily.

    Outside the ssroom.

    Seiji ran rapidly through the hallway, jumping down two or three steps at a time when he reached the stairs.

    He was still unable to get a call through to Hoshi.

    He didn¡¯t know where Hoshi was currently, so he could only¡­ run to the middle school section!

    With his speed, it didn¡¯t take him much time to arrive at the middle school section.

    But when he arrived, he noticed a crowd of people circled around the school building. Upon seeing this, Seiji instantly knew he was toote.

    A group of teachers with either solemn or terrified expressions huddled together, their eyes fixed on the ground.

    There was something red lying there.

    "Hoshi Amami!" Seiji rushed over.

    All the teachers turned around in unison to look at him. It almost seemed like a ridiculousedy scene.

    "Who are you!?"

    "Don¡¯te over here!"

    "Wait a moment, he shouted out this child¡¯s name¡­"

    "Someone he knows!?"

    "Get away!!" Seiji rushed towards the group of teachers and roughly pushed aside those in his way so that he could get a clear look of what they were looking at.

    What he saw was¡­ something he definitely didn¡¯t wish to see.

    Dark crimson blood coated the floor, and a pungent smell wafted into Seiji¡¯s nose.

    A feminine-figured boy clothed in a middle school uniformy motionless on the floor.

    "Ahhhhhh!!! You bastard!!!" Seiji¡¯s roar pierced through the skies.

    Hoshi Amami, third-year middle schooler at Genhana Middle School.

    Today was a bright and sunny new Monday morning.

    Today was the day that Hoshi Amami jumped out of the school building and fell to his death!

 Chapter 77 - You Must Fight On!

    <h4>Chapter 77: You Must Fight On!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Load.

    After carving that horrifying scene deep into his mind, Seiji instantly chose to load.

    The world around him turned dark before lighting up again.

    In this point in time, he was talking to Chiaki, and the three conversation options appeared in front of him again.

    He didn¡¯t expect that he would have to make use of this save file so quickly.

    Seiji forced himself to hide the grimness he felt from Chiaki, and answered exactly the same way asst time.

    Then he returned to ss just likest time.

    Seiji instantly took out his cell phone and called Hoshi Amami.

    This time, the call connected.

    "Senpai¡­"

    "Amami¡­ no, Hoshi, I heard you caught a cold¡ªhow are you feeling?" Seiji asked in a calm voice, although he was clenching his fists.

    There was a long period of silence.

    "I¡­ I¡¯m fine, thanks for caring about me, Senpai." A soft voice finally responded.

    ¡®Caring about him¡­?¡¯ Seiji felt a twinge of guilt.

    "You don¡¯t sound like you¡¯re doing fine."

    "Senpai¡­"

    "Did something happen after that incident with your sisters?"

    Silence fell for several moments again.

    "Nothing¡­ Nothing happened."

    ¡®Nothing happened? Then why would youmit suicide!?¡¯ Seiji frowned deeply.

    "Senpai¡­ it¡¯s almost time for ss to begin." Hoshi sounded like he wanted to hang up the call.

    "Cut ss."

    "What?"

    "I don¡¯t care what ss you have next, skip it!" Seiji started walking out of his ss as he said this.

    "S¡­ skip ss?" Hoshi was clearly shocked.

    "That¡¯s right. Afterwards, go to the roof of the middle school building and wait for me there."

    All the school buildings in Genhana¡¯s middle and high school sections had roofs that were unlocked at all times, but they were fenced off with 10-meter-tall steel mesh wire fences. The only opening in the fences were the tiny holes between the links. So if Hoshi wanted to jump off from the building andmit suicide, the roof was actually the most difficult ce to do it from!

    "Wait for you? Senpai, what¡­"

    "I¡¯ming over there right now!" Seiji said in a forceful tone. "Don¡¯t hang up; keep your cell phone on this call until I see you."

    Hoshi Amami¡¯s body began trembling as he listened to the forceful voiceing from his cell phone.

    Senpai¡­ was about toe over and see him!?

    ¡®All Senpai did was ask me a few questions over the phone, and I said I was fine already, but he¡­¡¯

    Hoshi felt a warm feeling in his heart from his Senpai¡¯s obvious concern.

    He couldn¡¯t help but begin to move.

    He left his seat, walked out of ss, and ignored everything.

    He went to the roof as Senpai instructed him to and waited.

    ¡­

    Had the sky always been so wide?

    After reaching the roof, Hoshi looked past the tall fence at the sky and slowly walked towards the fence.

    Today was a wonderful day with no clouds in sight. The pure blue sky was beautiful to behold.

    Hoshi acted as though it was the first time he¡¯d ever seen this beautiful scene as he looked at it dazedly. As he gaze upwards, the dark feelings in his heart began to dissipate.

    Just earlier, he had lied to Harano-senpai.

    He wasn¡¯t feeling fine; something definitely happened.

    What he had experienced¡­ was a nightmare.

    He didn¡¯t know what to do, and the dark feelings in his heart had magnified to the extent where he felt like he was about to be swallowed.

    He was already at the point where he wanted to die and end it all.

    Compared to living, death seemed so rxing¡­

    "Hoshi!"

    A forceful voice rang out from behind him.

    Hoshi trembled upon hearing the voice and slowly turned around.

    He saw Seiji putting away his cell phone as he walked towards Hoshi.

    Something shone in the eyes of the tall and handsome figure standing before him as he looked directly at Hoshi.

    Those eyes seemed like they could pierce through the darkness.

    ¡®Ahh¡ªSenpai, Seigo Harano¡­ Senpai.¡¯

    The moment Hoshi Amami saw his Senpai, he finally realized that he had actually wanted to see him.

    But¡­ even if he met his Senpai again, what could Senpai possibly do?

    Seiji looked towards Hoshi.

    He furrowed his brows as he recalled the scene he had just witnessed.

    "It¡¯s been a week since west saw each other, junior of mine."

    "Yes¡­ Senpai."

    The two of them remained silent for a moment.

    "This is my first time ever going up to the school roof." Seiji suddenly broke the silence.

    "Eh?"

    "I was really looking forward to receiving a girl¡¯s love letter which invited me to the school roof where she would confess to me¡­ Such a ssic scene." Seiji spoke slowly as he walked towards Hoshi. "But now, the first person waiting for me on a school roof is a boy instead."

    "My hopes have been ruined! How will you make this up to me!?"

    Senpai seemed to beining as he red at Hoshi.

    Hoshi was too stunned to say anything.

    Silence reigned over them for a short period of time.

    "Man¡­ you don¡¯t even know how to make aeback?" Seiji sighed. "You need to learn more, junior of mine!"

    "Oh¡­ oh." Hoshi was still in a daze.

    Seiji looked at him.

    "You didn¡¯t really have a cold, right? Why didn¡¯t youe to work?"

    "Er¡­" Hoshi averted his gaze.

    "What happened in the past week?"

    Hoshi remained silent with his head lowered. A dark shadow seemed to appear on his face.

    Seiji slowly raised his head forty-five degrees upwards to look at the sky after seeing the pretty boy in front of him, who seemed to stand in the darkness instead of the sunshine.

    "Last week, you were much cooler. Even though you seemed a bit feminine, and not much like a boy, at least you knew that you wanted to change yourself. At that time¡­ you were definitely a man."

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi slowly raised his head.

    "But what exactly is the current you?" Seiji didn¡¯t look at him, and instead continued looking up at the sky. "You¡¯re depressed and downcast. Your entire person has be dark. Not only are you no longer a man, you no longer even seem like a cute girl. You¡¯re not a boy, or a girl¡­ you¡¯re only a loser dog."

    Feeling ashamed, Hoshi lowered his head again.

    "Hey, Hoshi Amami. I personally believe that we need to fight to get what we want in life. Things we don¡¯t like, things that are unreasonable or uneptable¡­ Things we want to avoid but still meet up with; anything bad that¡¯s difficult to tolerate is something we must fight. And when I say fight, I don¡¯t mean just using physical violence.

    "For example, a child that¡¯s being ignored will desperately misbehave in order to attract attention. A female prisoner that¡¯s been dered guilty when innocent will scream and cry that she wants to live. There are many methods of fighting, but what¡¯s most important is possessing the willpower to never give up. As long as you still have the will to resist, then it doesn¡¯t matter how ugly your struggle is¡­ It¡¯s a fight!"

    Seiji finally shifted his gaze back towards Hoshi.

    "Hoshi, perhaps you¡¯ve fought already, but have you truly fought your utmost? Why have you given up your resistance? Continue your struggle! Who cares if you fall into a swamp and get covered in mud, or if you look terrible and ugly; you can still lift up your head and shout, can¡¯t you!?"

    "Senpai¡­" Tears began dripping down Hoshi¡¯s downturned face.

    "If you don¡¯t even have the energy to struggle anymore, then why don¡¯t you use the final remnants of your energy to think about what other methods you still have left other than struggling, no matter how unseemly they are!?" Seiji stared at Hoshi. "I¡¯m talking about asking for help!"

    "Even if you can¡¯t struggle anymore, you can¡¯t even bring yourself to ask for help? Is your spirit so weak that you don¡¯t even have a shred of resistance anymore!?"

    "Answer me, Hoshi Amami!"

    "Senpai¡­ Senpai¡­ I¡­"

    Hoshi was no longer able to stop his tears from flowing out. He began choking up, and his runny nose soon ensured that his face was coated with snot. His previously beautiful face was nowhere to be seen.

    Seiji took a deep look at Hoshi.

    "I¡¯m standing right here, junior of mine. As your Senpai, I have the responsibility to assist you. But nobody can help someone who¡¯s already given up on himself. I don¡¯t have that power."

    "So¡­ ask me for help, you bastard! Even if you don¡¯t even have a shred of resistance left in you, find it somewhere deep within your soul!! It doesn¡¯t matter how pathetic you seem, how ugly you seem, or how underhanded it is¡­ Don¡¯t ept defeat, and continue fighting!!!"

    "Wah¡­ Wahhhhh!"

    Hoshi Amami began crying out loudly this time as his body copsed, devoid of energy.

    He crouched on the roof¡¯s floor with his body curled into a ball as he cried. He seemed so small, so weak.

    However, something within him that had been buried so deeply was beginning to break free from the darkness within him.

    "Help me¡­ Please, help me¡­ Help me¡­ Save me¡­ Senpai!"

    A clear voice which sounded as if came directly from Hoshi¡¯s soul broke through the tears.

    Seiji finally smiled in rxation for the first time while watching Hoshi.

    "I hear you, Hoshi," he stated in a firm yet gentle voice. "Leave things to me!"

 Chapter 78 - Iâ€™ll Be Your Playmate!

    <h4>Chapter 78: I¡¯ll Be Your ymate!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A cool breeze was blowing.

    After Hoshi had calmed down, Seiji attentively listened to his story in silence.

    ¡­

    The day of the incident with Hoshi¡¯s sisters.

    Last Monday, exactly one week ago, Hoshi Amami had been contemting things after he¡¯d separated from Seigo Harano.

    He was unable to make a decision between his sisters and his Senpai, whom he greatly admired.

    Hoshi was unable to believe that his sisters had such wicked personalities as Seiji had stated. On the other hand, there was no way for him to ignore the stern warning his Senpai had just given him about them.

    He was stuck with his frustrations even after school ended.

    He stayed in the club rooms aste as possible until Hoshi was forced to go home.

    When he returned home, Rion and Kotomi Amami acted like nothing had happened at all.

    In front of their parents, the twin sisters acted just like they always did. They wereughing, teasing him, and speaking cutely.

    Dinnertime with his family seemed warm andforting on the surface.

    But the more it seemed to appear this way, the more Hoshi felt it was abnormal.

    His sisters had been looked down on to such a degree and insulted humiliatingly. Was it possible for them to act just like normal as if nothing had happened?

    Impossible.

    Hoshi¡¯s heart was telling him that.

    However, he ignored it.

    Perhaps his sisters were actually magnanimous? He wanted to believe that, just like how he wanted to believe that the warm dinner scene in front of him right now was real.

    However¡­

    "I have something to announce." His father spoke up. "Mypany is giving me a new project to work on. For the next few nights I¡¯m going to work overtime at thepany, and sleep there instead of returning home."

    Overtime?

    Hoshi had his doubts.

    His father was indeed busy with work, but suddenly working overtime for several nights in a row¡­

    Before he could ask, his mother spoke up as well.

    "Actually, I have an announcement as well. There¡¯s something happening at Grandpa¡¯s ce that I need to go over and take care of, so I need to leave home for a few days as well."

    Mother was leaving as well!?

    Hoshi was no longer doubtful; he was now shocked.

    Why?

    Was it all just a coincidence!?

    His mind was thrown into chaos.

    At this moment, he exchanged nces with his sisters sitting across from him.

    Rion and Kotomi had light smiles on their faces.

    Their seemingly innocuous smiles seemed to turn into masks that were concealing something icy cold underneath!

    Hoshi Amami froze solid.

    Although it was just for a short moment, and perhaps it was merely a hallucination caused by the lighting, the image he had just witnessed gave him a huge impact, and he etched the scene deep into his heart.

    His parents were still speaking, but Hoshi was no longer listening.

    By the time he regained his senses, he noticed that his parents were jovially looking at his twin sisters. In fact, his parents seemed to be smiling widely; it almost seemed as if they were sucking up to his sisters.

    "Got it, Mom, Dad~"

    "We¡¯ll take good care of the house and our brother~"

    The sisters chuckled as they happily promised their parents to take care of him.

    What a beautiful scene it was.

    But Hoshi, who had been ignored by his parents, suddenly felt the urge to vomit as he saw his sisters smiling at him!

    Disgusting.

    Why¡­ did he feel that way?

    Hoshi suddenly remembered the sentence that he¡¯d heard from Senpai earlier today: "I want to vomit just at the sight of people like you!!!"

    Senpai¡­ Seigo Harano Senpai.

    Were you feeling like this¡­ at that moment!?

    "Those who avoid the truth will eventually end up being swallowed by it."

    That was another sentence from Senpai.

    Hoshi finally understood what he¡¯d meant.

    This was what he had been unconsciously avoiding and escaping.

    He could have recognized it for what it was.

    He could have discovered it long ago!

    As the closest person to his sisters¡­ being their younger brother, he should have seen his sisters for who they really were!

    But he didn¡¯t.

    And that was why, just as Senpai had warned him, he waspletely swallowed up by the ugly truth that night.

    ¡­

    Over the course of one week.

    From Monday night to Sunday night, Hoshi Amami had constantly been suffering from Rion and Kotomi¡¯s torture.

    His body wasn¡¯t particrly injured, but his mental state was suffering tremendously!

    His parents weren¡¯t home¡­ no, Seiji was certain that Hoshi¡¯s sisters had something to do with that.

    Those twins even had their parents under their control!

    This was definitely something that the "twin witches" would do and had the ability to do.

    Perhaps it sounded ridiculous that two teenagers could control adults like this, but Seiji knew that it wasn¡¯t impossible.

    As long as you gave the "teenagers" the outer appearance of beautiful girls, it would be easy for people to lower their guards. It would be quite easy for the extortionists the twins were to understand and make use of this.

    Since the extortionists were their own children, not to mention children who seemed to behave so excellently, this gave their parents the¡­ necessary excuse to not oppose their wishes seriously and even spoil them to such an extent.

    Although Seiji didn¡¯t know when such a thing began, he guessed that this type of twisted rtionship in Hoshi¡¯s family must have existed for a long period of time already, being one of the important factors in causing those twins to be like that¡­ Perhaps it was even the main cause.

    After all, as kids who controlled their parents, the twisted enjoyment they probably received out of it would be tremendously fearsome!

    The twins might have developed twisted personalities while they were young and be abnormal before their mental states matured.

    Seiji was no psychologist.

    While his experience from a previous life allowed him to see through those sisters as well as make some educated guesses about their personalities, he was unable topletely analyze and understand them.

    Nor did he want to.

    After all, neither the reason behind the twins¡¯ twisted personality nor the Amami family¡¯s fall into depravity had anything to do with him.

    All he did was promise Hoshi Amami that he would save him.

    That was why Seiji was clear about his next course of action.

    He asked for Hoshi¡¯s cell phone and made a call.

    It was already ss time currently, and there were a few other students around, but that didn¡¯t interfere with him making his call in a corner of the roof.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami: beautiful twins as well as unmistakable¡­ witches.

    The call connected.

    "Our dear brother, your sisters were just looking for you~"

    Seiji heard the low sound of cackling from Hoshi¡¯s cell phone.

    "It¡¯s been an entire week without being able to see that Senpai you respect so much; you must be so lonely, right?"

    "Go ahead and see him during lunch break¡ªbut you can only say what we tell you to say."

    "¡®Senpai is a huge liar¡ªI hate you!¡¯ ¡­You absolutely have to say this to him~"

    "It¡¯s just a little prank, and if you don¡¯t do this, the ¡®punishment¡¯ you receive tonight will double, and your Senpai that you respect so much will undergo even worse pranks than you~"

    Seiji was speechless after hearing this phone call.

    Heh heh, he understood the situation now.

    This phone call had been the breaking point for Hoshi.

    He began chuckling coldly.

    "What an interesting prank, you two."

    His tone of voice was just as icy as hisughter.

    This caused the cackling sounds on the other side of the call to disappear.

    "But I still don¡¯t think it¡¯s interesting enough. What do you think about meeting up and doing something even more interesting? Rion Amami, Kotomi Amami¡­ you two enjoy ying!? I, Seigo Harano, will be more than happy¡­ to apany you!!!"

 Chapter 79 - Letâ€™s Go Visit Hell Together

    <h4>Chapter 79: Let¡¯s Go Visit Hell Together</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The angry shouting from the cell phone seemed to pierce through time and space.

    Rion Amami, who was holding on to her cell phone in the ssroom, waspletely frozen solid in both body and spirit, as was her sister Kotomi, who was seated beside her.

    The terror they feltst week from facing this boy instantly resurfaced! It was akin to encountering a ferocious beast!

    Seigo Harano.

    The person that they couldn¡¯t see through, yet he saw through them¡­

    After a week¡¯s time, they thought that their fear had already dissipated. In fact, they even believed it to be their hallucination.

    That was because they carried out an investigation on him.

    Seigo Harano, the legendary transfer student who was confirmed to have defeated the tennis and basketball clubs single-handedly. By aplishing this feat he received the nickname "destroyer of clubs," causing all the remaining sports clubs to vie with each other vigorously to acquire him.

    But exaggerated stories aside, this only meant that he was a boy who had above-average physical ability and talent in sports.

    What caught their attention more was the fact that his transfer to Genhana High School was rumored to have something to do with Natsuya Yoruhana, a true scion of an extraordinarily powerful family.

    Two weeks after transferring in, he had been seen visiting the student council office twice, both times to have a discussion with Natsuya Yoruhana.

    There were no other student council members present either time¡­ except possibly Hitaka Shuho, but the vice president was someone who treated everyone coldly and remained solidly faithful to President Yoruhana. She had almost no interaction with other students, so it was impossible to acquire any information from her.

    That was why it was impossible for them to establish the nature of Seigo Harano¡¯s rtionship with Natsuya Yoruhana!

    This was the point that the twins were most worried about.

    But Seigo Harano only visited President Yoruhana twice in two weeks, and there were no other reports of them being seen together.

    Both twins had separately asked many other students and student council members, learning that Seigo Harano and Natsuya Yoruhana didn¡¯t seem to have much to do with each other¡­ this didn¡¯t seem like it was false.

    From this they inferred Seigo and Natsuya weren¡¯t actually that close; perhaps they weren¡¯t even friends.

    Was it that Seigo and Natsuya¡¯s parents were friends? Was that their rtionship to each other?

    If that was the case, then the Harano family must also be at a simr level to the Yoruhana family, to even be able to speak to the Yoruhanas.

    Seigo Harano¡¯s powerful eyes, which saw through them instantly as well as¡­ his grave and dignified bearing could be exined this way. A young master from a great family would definitely be different from ordinary people.

    If that was his true identity, then Seigo wasn¡¯t someone that the twins could afford to mess with.

    However¡­ Seigo Harano was someone who currently lived alone and worked in order to make a living.

    ording to the person himself, he had been exiled from his family due to a past mistake!

    Just what kind of an act had hemitted to be punished with expulsion?

    Seigo refused to say, and only his two close friends might know the truth of the matter. Chiaki Wakaba and Mika Uehara kept their lips firmly closed on this subject¡­ but it must have been something big.

    Someone who had been exiled from his family.

    In the end, thinking that Seigo Harano was from a powerful family was nothing more than the twins¡¯ hypothesis. The fact of the matter was that he had left home, was living by himself, and had to work to support himself¡­

    This was basically a confirmation that he was no longer under the protection of his family!

    Out of an abundance of caution, Rion and Kotomi Amami even went to the extent of using the students under their control to follow and spy on Seigo sincest Wednesday.

    The report they received matched the rumors.

    Every time Seigo left school, he would go either back home to the Uehara apartment where he lived, or go to work at Rika Amami¡¯s confectionery store.

    Apart from that, the only exceptions were on Saturday and Sunday night. He went to Silver Valley together with Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba on Saturday, and met up with only Chiaki in Silver Valley on Sunday.

    On Saturday night, the three of them went shopping together at a high-ss department store. On Sunday night, Seigo and Chiaki went to a high-ss coffee caf¨¦ and stayed inside for a period of time before exiting and going straight home.

    There was no evidence that they were having an indiscreet rtionship, but that didn¡¯t matter. The pictures taken of them were good enough evidence as weapons for the twins.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami were full of confidence in the results of their investigation.

    They were certain that they¡¯d be able to defeat him like all the other boys before him. They would defeat Seigo Harano, the boy who seemed so imposing, andpletely conquer¡ªeven control¡ªhim!

    Today, they gave their lovely brother the order to begin their attack against Seigo¡­ Hoshi had been "trained" by them for an entire week and hadpletely lost his will to resist; they¡¯d turned him into a little puppy who was even more obedient than before.

    However.

    The response received was this one!

    Hoshi¡¯s cell phone was actually in Seigo Harano¡¯s hands!?

    Rion and Kotomi Amami finally discovered the truth.

    The fear from before was like a parasite that wormed itself deep into their bones; it never left! The terror they felt back then had been no hallucination!

    They¡¯d spent a considerable amount of time plotting their nefarious scheme against Seigo Harano. The first step they intended was using Hoshi to shake Seigo¡¯s emotions.

    After that, they would expose his inappropriate rtionship with Chiaki Wakaba, then add more vicious rumors about Mika Uehara so that his two female friends would be shaken as well and abandon him, isting and frustrating him¡­

    But this seemingly perfect n of theirs met an obstacle already, at the most critical first step which they absolutely didn¡¯t think would fail!

    Hoshi¡­

    They had spent an entire week using various methods topletely destroy that weak-spirited, weak-willed, good-for-nothing brother of theirs.

    How could Hoshi possibly take the initiative to go and find Seigo!?

    This shouldn¡¯t have been possible!

    In their eyes, their younger brother should have be the most obedient puppy of all, with no more will to resist existing!

    However, nevertheless¡­

    "Answer me, you two!"

    The icy voice continued speaking, proving that this was all real.

    No matter how much they didn¡¯t want to believe it.

    Seigo Harano had locked on to and was targeting them!

    The things they¡¯d done to Hoshi were exposed now! Their plot would be unable to proceed as nned!

    "You¡¯re not going to answer? Then I¡¯m going over right now to find you! Maybe it¡¯s not kind to Hoshi, but I won¡¯t hesitate to reveal the truth! I¡¯m going to tell your entire ss, in the loudest voice I can, everything you¡¯ve done to your little brother!! Then¡­ what do you think will happen? Heh heh, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be an interesting scene~"

    "Hey, let¡¯s go visit hell together. Witches¡­"

    The first part of Seigo¡¯s speech contained anger, but thest half had nothing but ice-cold fury.

    Witches.

    The entire school called them witches with variousplex meanings attached to the nickname. They were actually quite proud of being addressed by this nickname.

    But when Seigo called them that, they felt it was terrifying.

    They felt like a frog that was being targeted by a snake.

    They felt like a witch who had a pdin¡¯s sword against her throat.

    They felt like¡­ witches that were judged to be executed!

    ¡®Let¡¯s go visit hell together.¡¯ Seigo Harano definitely wasn¡¯t joking; he¡¯d been absolutely serious!

    He was going toe over here and tell everyone about what they¡¯d done!

    And¡­ they didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what would happen afterwards.

    Because no matter what, it was certain that they¡¯d be ruined!

    Since everything was true!

    The things they did to Hoshi¡­ The unspeakable, cruel, and abusive way in which they¡¯d treated him would bepletely exposed to everyone!

    Everything that they carefully constructed up to now would be destroyed and copse!!

    Rion and Kotomi Amami hade to this realization, causing blood to drain from their faces, and turning them as pale as vampires.

    They were just like vampires living in the darkness: beautiful, strong, and long-lived. They drank human blood and were proud of being higher up on the food chain than ordinary humans, which lead to arrogance forming over time, making even the abuse of other humans into an elegant art form.

    The only thing they couldn¡¯t resist was the sun.

    The sunlight¡­ wasing for them.

    If they didn¡¯t do anything about it, they¡¯d turn into dust under that blinding sunshine!

    "W¡­ Wait!!!"

    The twin sisters panickedly shouted in unison.

 Chapter 80 - Go Forth and Defeat the Witches, Hero!

    <h4>Chapter 80: Go Forth and Defeat the Witches, Hero!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Another rooftop, this time in the high school section.

    It was almost time to go to ss, so the students were all returning to the ssrooms. Seiji passed by these students who were oblivious to the shocking chain of events as he went upstairs.

    Seiji had already contacted Chiaki and Mika with his cell phone and informed them about the situation. They were waiting for him by the staircase.

    Seiji had one hand in his pocket when he appeared. He was walking with heavy steps, almost rhythmically.

    There was a sharp gazeing from his eyes, and his entire body was giving off a powerful, pressuring aura. Chiaki and Mika felt like they were witnessing a soldier about to head off to the battlefield, equipped to the fullest!

    Chiaki felt a sliver of pity for the twin witches. If it was her, she would never want to face off against Seiji in his current state, because the normal open and friendly Seiji had turned into a seemingly demonic existence, who would destroy anything in his path.

    No¡­ he would only be a demonic existence to his enemies.

    For the people he protected, he was still someone who could defeat all the wicked¡­ A hero!

    "Seiji¡­" Mika softly called out to him as he approached.

    Seiji stopped and smiled at her.

    "No need to worry; I¡¯ll take good care of things. You guys just need to help me take good care of Hoshi¡­ He¡¯s currently in the courtyard, sitting where we usually eat lunch at."

    Mika nodded as she focused on Seiji¡¯s face.

    Then, Seiji fixed his gaze on Chiaki.

    "If there was some background music ying right now, it would definitely be some hot-blooded battle music." Chiaki smiled as well. "Go forth and defeat the witches, hero! Just leave your back and your junior to us!"

    Seiji chuckled.

    He didn¡¯t say anything to Chiaki; all he did was give her a big thumbs-up with his left hand as he walked off.

    So cool¡­ Chiaki and Mika deeply etched this scene into their minds.

    They had no doubts about what the conclusion would be.

    All they needed to do was wait.

    On the rooftop.

    The beautiful twin sisters were waiting.

    Time seemed to pass as slow as a snail to them. They were quite ufortable with waiting. But time also seemed so short, as they would have preferred to wait for a little longer.

    Calm down, calm down.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami had told each other that many times over already, but their hearts still beat quickly, ignoring their orders.

    Unfortunately, the person they were waiting for wasn¡¯t someone they were about to confess their love to; instead, it was the opposite.

    They only met him once before, and he left them with such a fearful impression. Just one phone call forced them here today¡ªhe was a true monster!

    Seigo Harano.

    He was no normal human; he was a demon, a beast in human flesh!

    The twins were cursing him in their hearts; theycked their usualposure.

    How could they deal with this monster?

    The plot they had been cooking up was useless now. It was to be a direct face-off, which was quite disadvantageous for them.

    Seigo had the trump card of¡­ what happened to Hoshi.

    If he was a normal person, he should have been worried about harming Hoshi, so he wouldn¡¯t publicize those things, but he was no ordinary person!

    Those threats they heard on the cell phone were no mere bluffs.

    "Let¡¯s go visit hell together¡­"¡ªjust thinking back to this sentence, Rion and Kotomi felt chills running down their spines and they felt the urge to shiver.

    A heartless demon¡­ that was who Seigo Harano truly was!

    Nheless, they were still fortunate.

    Seigo still wanted to maintain his hypocritical fa?ade, and act the part of a hero of justice.

    That was why they still had a chance.

    The trump card he had in Hoshi was also their trump card.

    If he wanted to protect Hoshi thouroughly, he would need them to delete all the embarrassing pictures and videos they took of him in their "training sessions."

    That was why it could be said that each had a trump card¡­ No, wait! He still had the advantage, since he was willing to publicize everything, but they couldn¡¯t, as they wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences!

    So, they calcted it as a 70% advantage to Seigo with only 30% in their favor.

    30% definitely wasn¡¯t enough. They needed something else up their sleeves.

    Did Seigo Harano have any personal weaknesses?

    None.

    There definitely weren¡¯t any! He had a simple life of only school and work; he didn¡¯t have any bad habits like smoking, drinking, or fighting. He also didn¡¯t seem to be engaged in any inappropriate rtionships. In conclusion, there was nothing dark about him at all, or at least the twins couldn¡¯t find anything.

    The only possibilities were the secret nature of his rtionship with President Yoruhana, as well as his intimate rtionship with Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba. However, they weren¡¯t able to make use of either.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami had plotted to "create" a weakness in Seigo, but they hadn¡¯t been able to carry out their scheme yet!

    So they currently had nothing they could use on Seigo Harano whatsoever.

    The twin witches began to use their brains for nefarious purposes once more¡­

    Step, step, step.

    Rhythmic steps approached from the staircase.

    Then he appeared.

    A tall and handsome boy¡­ the twins currently saw his bright appearance as nothing more than an excellent mask for concealing his true self.

    The terror in their hearts worked to twist Rion¡¯s and Kotomi¡¯s perception of Seigo Harano.

    They didn¡¯t know the true source of their fear, or perhaps they didn¡¯tprehend it, or maybe it was that they didn¡¯t even try to understand it.

    Seiji looked at the twins.

    "Your current expressions are far more appealing than the first time I met you."

    No anger, no insults, only calmness.

    The twins were surprised at this, and it showed on their faces.

    "Are you surprised that I didn¡¯t start right off by insulting you?" Seiji stared intently at them. "If insulting you whenever I see you would take care of this problem, I¡¯d do that. But it obviously won¡¯t, so I won¡¯t do something so meaningless."

    He walked closer and closer to them as he spoke.

    The twins tensed up, and their beautiful faces were devoid of expression.

    He stopped after reaching a certain distance from them.

    There was one second of silence.

    Then.

    Seiji squinted slightly at them.

    "Now let¡¯s begin our discussion."

    The atmosphere suddenly became heavier!

    Rion and Kotomi instantly felt as if they were being pressured from all sides by the air!

    All he did was calmly say something ordinary.

    But it made them feel like this rooftop had be a violent battlefield!

    It was difficult for them to breathe.

    They could hear their each and everyboured breath.

    Before they were able to recover, he continued speaking.

    "First, you need to delete or destroy every picture, video, or whatever else you have on Hoshi Amami as ckmail! And you can never do anything to harm him again!"

    He was speaking in an indescribably strict tone of voice which seemed as inflexible as steel.

    Rather than a discussion, it was more like¡­ he was giving them an order!

 Chapter 81 - Family

    <h4>Chapter 81: Family</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Rion and Kotomi Amami were cowed by his imposing manner.

    But either their long-cultivated arrogance or pride was able to support them.

    After their negative feelings crossed a certain point, the twin sisters were actually able to calm down.

    It was a disadvantageous situation for them, but so what?

    They¡­ could deal with it!

    "Kotomi, what¡¯s he saying? I don¡¯t really understand~"

    "Rion, this person¡¯s saying something idiotic; we don¡¯t have anything like what he¡¯s describing~"

    "Besides, how could we possibly¡­ harm our cute little brother~"

    The twins cackled and acted cutely; they¡¯d returned to speaking in this manner as it was only natural for them.

    However, in the next second.

    "Don¡¯tugh like that."

    A light yet icy short sentence pierced through their hearts like an arrow!

    Seigo Harano¡¯s current gaze was piercing, icy, and distant; it was almost as if¡­ he were looking at two people who had already died!

    Rion and Kotomi¡¯s expressions froze over.

    "Just seeing that disgusting act of yours makes me want to beat you up." Seiji coldly stared at the twins in front of him. "So stopughing like that."

    ¡®Otherwise, you¡¯ll die.¡¯

    Although this sentence remained unspoken, the twins could almost imagine him saying that out loud.

    It couldn¡¯t be possible! No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t dare do something like kill them¡­ But the look in his eyes confirmed the twins¡¯ suspicion!

    Their terror resurfaced.

    The twins were forced to retract their fake smiles as they exchanged nces and forced the fear back down within themselves.

    Several seconds of silence passed.

    "Don¡¯t make me repeat myself." Seiji broke the silence. "Getting rid of your materials on Hoshi is something you absolutely must do, or else there¡¯s no need for further discussion!"

    "¡­Kotomi, I still don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about."

    "Rion, I don¡¯t know either, since we really don¡¯t have such a thing, and we¡¯ve never done it either."

    "Even if we have¡­ we don¡¯t have it anymore." They said thest sentence in unison.

    Seiji furrowed his brows in displeasure.

    "So this counts as your answer?"

    The twin sisters didn¡¯t reply, and only looked at him calmly.

    "Responding in such a roundabout fashion¡­ I get it; you¡¯re currently recording this conversation, aren¡¯t you?" Seiji calmly stated the truth.

    They were seen through.

    But that wasn¡¯t important; they already anticipated that this little trick would be seen through. The twins still didn¡¯t waver.

    "If I hade up and started out by insulting you, it would have been perfect for you," Seiji said lightly. "I unintentionally avoided a trap¡­ it seems that I¡¯m quite lucky."

    ¡®Lies!¡¯ Rion and Kotomi didn¡¯t believe him one bit; they felt as if he expected them to record him, which was why he was able to remain so calm.

    Recording a conversation and guessing that it would be recorded was only a normal exchange of attacks between them. This wasn¡¯t particrly at a high level yet.

    "If you like recording, then go ahead. It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you want to publicize this conversation or do something else with it. As long as you promise me the most basic request, we can continue our discussion.

    "Now my second request is for you to delete or destroy all of Genhana High School¡¯s¡­ No, all ckmail material you possess! This is to reflect on yourselves and forever stop you from getting involved in shady business."

    A cold breeze blew over.

    Rion and Kotomi wore grim expressions as an unreadable light shed in their eyes.

    Seiji stared at them wordlessly.

    Silence¡­ A long, dead silence followed.

    Rion and Kotomi didn¡¯t even exchange nces as they began walking off in unison.

    "You want to leave?"

    Seiji was still staring at them.

    "I simply gave you my price, and you¡¯re just going to leave without even haggling?"

    The twins stopped at looked at him with a distant expression on their faces.

    "You think that you can¡¯t ept my terms? I think you can. Rion Amami, Kotomi Amami, you should know that you¡¯re a pair of very fortunate girls. You were born into a well-off family, you have parents that love you, you have a nice brother, you have excellent appearances, and you¡¯re talented in various aspects¡­

    "People praise you, idolize you, envy you, and seek to befriend you. You have just about everything people your age could want, so you should be happily living your lives under the bright sunshine.

    "Yet¡­ You prefer doing those shady deeds, forcing yourselves into the darkness! Why? Simply because those things are fun, they¡¯re interesting?"

    Seiji took a deep look at those two beautiful faces. "You¡¯ve never even once doubted yourselves. Is it¡­ really that fun!? Perhaps from the very beginning, due to your naivety, you mistakenly enjoyed such an act.

    "But today, starting right now¡ªfrom this moment¡ªyou¡¯re no longer na?ve. You¡¯ve matured, so you should be able to see clearly and think clearly: these ¡®interests¡¯ of yours aren¡¯t really that fun at all!

    "They¡¯re actually boring and pointless; there¡¯s never anything new about it, plus you have to take huge risks in order to ¡®enjoy¡¯ it. Perhaps one day you¡¯ll have to pay a painful price you can¡¯t handle!

    "You¡¯ve already been tightly bound by darkness of your own creation¡­ Haven¡¯t you realized this yet? Has this thought never evene into your heads!?"

    Seiji made a wholehearted attempt to convince the twins that their actions were wrong.

    At first, he never even considered it.

    A few minutes ago.

    When Seiji hung up Hoshi¡¯s cell phone, his heart was filled with rage and all he had in mind was how to ruin these twin sisters¡¯ lives.

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯tpletely their own fault that they became like this, but every time he thought back to the pitiful way Hoshi died in the previous timeline, he felt zero pity for them.

    However¡­

    "Senpai¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­"

    "Hoshi? Why are you apologizing?"

    Seiji was wondering why Hoshi Amami was slowly kneeling to him.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Senpai¡­ I¡­ I know, this request is unreasonable¡­ It will definitely give you a hard time¡­"

    Tears dripped down Hoshi¡¯s face as he kowtowed to Seiji.

    "But¡­ please, I still want to make a request¡ªdon¡¯t¡­ don¡¯tpletely destroy my sisters!"

    His voice was a hoarse, pained sound which sounded as if he¡¯d squeezed it out of his soul.

    Seiji slowly furrowed his brows.

    "Hoshi¡­ You¡­"

    His tears had umted into a pool on the floor around Hoshi¡¯s knees.

    "Being¡­ abused¡­ by my sisters¡­ it was painful, and I had times when I hated them to death¡­ But¡­ but¡­ no matter what, no matter what they did to me, or how much I cursed them at the time¡­

    "They¡¯re still¡­ my sisters that I grew up together with¡­ my family¡­ my sisters¡­ Ahh!!"

    Seiji heard the painful sound of crying.

    He was moved by theplex, murky, yet deep emotions contained within Hoshi¡¯s crying.

    The other students on the rooftop noticed themotion and were beginning to look in their direction.

    "It¡¯s okay to get up, Hoshi." Seiji sped his arm with a firm hand and helped Hoshi rise.

    "Senpai¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­" Hoshi had a tearful face as he continued to apologize repeatedly.

    He asked his senpai for help, yet he¡¯d made such a difficult request. He knew how unreasonable he was being.

    But that was how he felt.

    Even if he had been abused extensively and treated as a puppy and a ything.

    He still considered Rion and Kotomi as his family.

    "You¡­ you¡¯re such an idiot¡­"

    Seiji let loose a deep sigh as he watched his junior.

    If any other person had requested mercy for Rion and Kotomi Amami, he wouldn¡¯t be moved. The person currently in front of him was the only one who could change his mind.

    ¡®Hoshi Amami¡­ only you have the right to give your twin sisters a chance.¡¯

 Chapter 82 - Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 82: Challenge</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Due to Hoshi¡¯s pleading, Seiji made an attempt at convincing the twins to change their ways.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t know if he would seed. At the very least, he had to try.

    He could have ignored Hoshi¡¯s request, instead using the fury from the scene he¡¯d witnessed to load andpletely destroy the twins¡¯ lives!

    But he would gain nothing other than temporary self-satisfaction, and he¡¯d be ignoring his friend¡¯s feelings.

    Seiji¡¯s anger stemmed from Hoshi, but he also held his anger back due to Hoshi.

    He felt that Hoshi¡¯s gentleness was rather stupid, but this idiot was a friend of his! That was why he decided to respect Hoshi¡¯s opinion.

    Seiji would respect Hoshi and follow his wishes, but as for whether or not he would be able to achieve what Hoshi wanted¡­ that was another thing entirely. He could neither predict nor promise a suitable oue.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami were slightly shaken after being confronted so directly by Seigo Harano.

    Yes, shaken.

    They had indeed considered before what might happen to them in the future if they continued living like this.

    They were intelligent, after all¡­ Even idiots had hopes and dreams about their futures, so of course they would consider their futures carefully due to their intelligence. In fact their hopes were all the more vivid and realistic due to it.

    Their futures¡­ They had always considered their futures to be wonderful.

    But was that really true?

    Would they really never have to be punished for what they¡¯d done!?

    With their pride, they would have confidently replied in the negative.

    But the tiny bit of objective reason which remained within them whispered otherwise deep in their hearts.

    It was possible.

    After all, it was impossible for them to control the whole world. There would always be events that were out of their control.

    And that day¡­ They didn¡¯t dare to nor wish to broach the subject; deep within themselves, they feared it more than anything. The day when they would have to pay the price for everything they¡¯d done¡ªa daypletely out of their control!

    The Sword of Damocles.

    A sharp sword hanging over their heads which could fall at any moment.

    Truthfully, they¡¯d always been living in such fear.

    Precisely because of this fear, they¡¯d never done anything that would get them punished severely¡­ Not because they cared about others, but out of self-protection.

    "Change yourselves, before it¡¯s toote," Seiji calmly stated. "Destroy all your ckmail material, and stop doing underhanded activities. Sincerely repent, free everyone, and free yourselves."

    Rion and Kotomi remained silent.

    Their wills were shaking in the silence, but¡­

    "You want to convince us simply by giving a speech?" one of the twins responded rudely without even addressing Seigo by name.

    "You think far too little of us, Seigo Harano!"

    This meant that they had finally dropped their act.

    Even the twins themselves were unable to recall thest time they had faced someone so honestly and directly.

    Seiji hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off them for a single second.

    "Then how will I be able to convince you?"

    "You can¡¯t!" the twins replied simultaneously.

    "If you don¡¯t say it, how do you know I can¡¯t?" Seiji remained calm. "Obviously I¡¯m not talking about doing something ridiculous like dancing around naked in public or jumping off a tall building. Forget those¡ªI¡¯m asking you seriously."

    Kotomi and Rion were rendered speechless.

    The way he was phrasing it was as if he was offering himself up as amb to be ughtered.

    This didn¡¯t seem possible; there had to be something behind it!

    But what could there possibly be?

    The twin sisters tried their utmost to detect anything, but they perceived nothing.

    Seigo Harano was simply facing them head-on, in such a direct and blunt manner!

    How could they defeat such a person?

    A nefarious scheme seemed like the best method, as it was also their strong suit. However, it seemed unlikely that any plot devised by them could work taking into ount his keen perception. Any ill-conceived n would surely be countered.

    Then they had no choice but to change their method.

    Rion and Kotomi silently exchanged nces and came to an unspoken agreement.

    "Seigo Harano, you have the nickname of ¡®destroyer of clubs.¡¯"

    "We wonder if this legendary nickname of yours will be effective on the karate club as well."

    "If you can singlehandedly defeat every single person in our karate club by yourself¡­"

    "We¡¯ll seriously consider what you just said!"

    The twins were being unusually straightforward; it was normally quite difficult for them to speak in such a forthright manner.

    Normally speaking, what they just proposed was ridiculous, and nobody would agree.

    But Seigo Harano was no ordinary person.

    The tall boy squinted in their direction.

    "One against all¡­ How many people are in your karate club."

    "Including both of us, forty-seven."

    "Forty-seven¡­ Are you talking about one at a time?"

    "Nope!" The twins had the same icy gaze. "We¡¯ll decide the number of people you¡¯re facing each time!"

    They knew that Seigo Harano had outstanding stamina and physical prowess. As ridiculous as it sounded, they still worried that he would be able to defeat more than forty people in a row even if he didn¡¯t know martial arts!

    No matter how low the possibility¡­ They wouldn¡¯t take any chances.

    If they were able to choose how many people could go at him at one time, they could adjust things ording to the situation. Whether it be using a few at a time to deplete his stamina, or going at him with many people at once to defeat him once and for all!

    Of course, no matter how self-confident Seigo was, there was no way he would agree to such ridiculous conditions.

    "That won¡¯t do."

    See, it was only natural.

    "There needs to be an upper limit to how many people I face at once! Otherwise, if you just rush me with everyone right from the start, it¡¯ll be nothing but a farce."

    Seigo made a reasonable counterargument.

    "Then we¡¯ll have at most ten people against you at once." The twins already expected this.

    "Ten people¡­ Are we going to have fun creating a ser team? At most three¡ªthat would be eptable."

    "We can¡¯t ept that!" the twins stated. "A minimum of eight, then!"

    After a short period of silence.

    Seigo let out a sigh. "Five, then¡­ This is how many people a basketball team has, even though this isn¡¯t about basketball."

    Of course, the twins knew that.

    A barehanded duel, or naming it directly for what it was, a fight could have apletely different oue depending on just one more or one less person.

    Something like one person facing off against an entire group and winning shily didn¡¯t seem possible in real life!

    Perhaps if he wasn¡¯t a martial artist he would have the mistaken idea of relying on his overwhelming stamina or some techniques to get by. However, since both twins were expert martial artists themselves, if there wasn¡¯t too much of a difference in skill level, facing off against many by himself while barehanded in an empty arena with nowhere to run to was akin to suicide!

    Seigo Harano was indeed incredibly strong, and as for whether or not he had experience fighting¡­ They didn¡¯t know, but even if he was skilled in some fighting techniques, all of them were real karate club members!

    One against five seemed to be the limit of what an ordinary person could achieve.

    But Rion and Kotomi still weren¡¯t satisfied.

    Seigo Harano was incredibly strong! They kept telling themselves that they couldn¡¯t underestimate him!

    "Seven people¡­ We refuse to go any lower!" the twins said simultaneously.

    Seigo¡¯s face revealed nothing.

    He remained silent for a long while.

    Just as the twins thought he would object again, he ended up sighing.

    "Alright, it looks like I¡¯ll have to fight my hardest¡­ But I still have more to say. You said you¡¯ll ¡®seriously consider¡¯ what I said¡­ I don¡¯t want a promise as soft as that. If I win, you will definitely discard anything dark and truly change yourselves."

    The tall boy stared into the girls¡¯ faces.

    "And if I can¡¯t do it¡­ Then whatever, just do as you like; as long as you fulfil my basic request, then I don¡¯t really care."

    They felt an immense sense of pressure once more!

    Just by staring at them, Seigo¡¯s eyes were able to emit such a clear, forceful pressure.

    Seigo Harano was definitely serious!

    He was definitely serious about taking on the unreasonable challenge they gave him; he was going to attempt soloing the entire karate club by himself, not even worrying about facing up to seven at a time!

    He was definitely a monster¡­ His heart as well¡­ He was a demon.

    The twins¡¯ thought processes fell into a quagmire in front of Seigo¡¯s imposing manner.

    They were unable toe up with any new plots or use anything they¡¯d considered before.

    This didn¡¯t seem good¡­ Should they refuse him?

    But at this moment, Rion and Kotomi saw a sliver of¡­ pity in the boy¡¯s eyes as he remained silent.

    ¡®I¡¯ve already made concessions to such an extent, yet you two still don¡¯t even dare to ept a direct challenge? You¡¯ve hidden in the dark for so long to be this cowardly¡­ How pathetic.¡¯

    They imagined that he was saying that to them.

    Pity was a type of condescension as well sometimes, and it had the potential to cut deeper than normal condescension.

    The twins¡¯ pride and arrogance didn¡¯t allow them to ept such a bone-piercing insult!

    That was why¡­ they epted the challenge.

 Chapter 83 - Light

    <h4>Chapter 83: Light</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Why did things be like this?¡¯ Hoshi inwardly wondered.

    Why and when did his sisters¡­ stop being his sisters?

    Hoshi still remembered his childhood. Back then, he yed happily together with Rion and Kotomi.

    His sisters definitely weren¡¯t like this back then; they were as simple and innocent as other girls their age, just a little smarter and cuter.

    Hoshi had been proud of his sisters back then since they could do anything, and they always did it well while taking care of their weak-willed younger brother.

    The memory which left him with the deepest impression was the time where he¡¯d identally enraged a wild dog and was desperately scrambling to shake it off his tail. His sisters rushed over to his side, and despite their fear, risked being bitten in order to drive it off.

    This memory had turned hazy with the passing of time, but the image of his sisters smiling at him with teary eyes remained clear.

    But as for now¡­

    Just where did things go wrong for them to be this way? Hoshi really didn¡¯t know.

    He had been angry and even loathed them while they were abusing him, but now that he had calmed down, he discovered that there was no rage within him, only sadness.

    Hoshi thought about himself after considering everything.

    He¡¯d always been consciously and unconsciously avoiding the truth; that was why he had been unable to see his sisters for what they really were before this.

    If he could have found out sooner, perhaps he could have done something about it?

    Yes¡­ that was the case.

    He was so useless. If only he could have thought more clearly or smartly, he could have done something before his sisters reached their current state!

    ¡®I¡­ I¡¯m so weak.¡¯ Hoshi fell into a state of self-deprecation.

    If only he could be stronger, or if he had thought this way much earlier, or met someone like Harano-senpai much sooner¡­

    ¡®That¡¯s right¡ªSenpai. What¡¯s Harano-senpai doing now? How is he¡­ after discussing things with my sisters!?¡¯

    Hoshi finally returned to his senses and realized that it wasn¡¯t time for him to wallow in his thoughts; he should be worrying about his Senpai.

    A concerned expression appeared on his face.

    "Are you worrying about Seigo?" A gentle voice sounded out next to him.

    It was the beautiful upperssman named Mika Uehara.

    Hoshi felt that this friend of Senpai¡¯s had dainty features. An aura of freshness hung about her, and she had a gentle attitude with a friendly personality. She was quite the charismatic girl.

    "You don¡¯t need to worry too much about him¡ªSeigo¡¯s really strong¡­ Especially when he needs to protect something important to him." His female upperssman seemed to think of something as a tinge of red crept into her cheeks.

    Could she¡­ possibly? Hoshi noticed something strange about her behavior.

    "Oh my, are you thinking about your romantic times together with him?" A casual flirtatious voice spoke out from behind them. "You¡¯re acting like a girl in love in front of your junior, you know~"

    This was Chiaki Wakaba, Senpai¡¯s other ssmate and good friend.

    She enjoyed wearing the boys¡¯ school uniform for some reason, but it was totally suited for her.

    She had silver-gray hair with a boyishly handsome face. Chiaki always spoke and behaved in a casual and rxed manner. She seemed to possess a heroic spirit, yet it was still easy to tell that she was female; she was another charismatic character.

    "N¡­ Not at all! Stop making stuff up, Chiaki!" Uehara-san blushed heavily as she denied it.

    Although Hoshi didn¡¯t know her all that well, even he was able to detect that she was most likely lying.

    What a ssic tsundere¡­

    Hoshi mentally chuckled.

    Last week, when he met these two upperssmen of his for the first time, he focused almost entirely on Harano-senpai, so they flew under his radar. Now that Senpai wasn¡¯t by his side, it was only natural that he finally noticed their beauty when being together with them.

    It seemed only natural for the ultra-handsome Harano-senpai to have good friends like these two.

    And one of Harano-senpai¡¯s good friends felt more than just friendship towards him¡ªthat seemed natural as well.

    Hoshi truly believed that it wouldn¡¯t be strange even if every girl in the entire grade fell in love with a boy like his Harano-senpai!

    Of course, Harano-senpai would have some choicements for him if he knew what Hoshi was thinking.

    Everyone around Seigo Harano definitely knew how cool he was, but Senpai was always so humble.

    This was one of the factors which made him so charismatic.

    Harano-senpai was indeed handsome on the outside, but his inside was important for Hoshi¡­ Hoshi thought back to when he was at the darkest point in his life. His Senpai had been able to detect that something was wrong simply through a few questions in a phone call.

    Not only did Senpai instantly rush to his side, Senpai even gave him heartfelt encouragement that forcefully crushed his shell of darkness and pulled him out from the abyss of despair.

    He was just like the sun¡­ No, Seigo Harano was light itself.

    Hoshi Amami viewed Seigo¡¯s tall figure as light itself!

    This light had dispelled his darkness, but¡­ could it dispel his sisters¡¯ darkness?

    Just as Uehara-san told him, Harano-senpai was very strong and didn¡¯t need him to worry. But he still couldn¡¯t help worrying.

    Also, Hoshi was concerned about Rion and Kotomi.

    Light could dispel the darkness, but it could also destroy it¡­ Even though he begged Senpai already, what action would Senpai end up taking?

    "Believe in Seigo," Wakaba-san told him.

    Hoshi noticed that she was looking towards him. She must have noticed what he was thinking.

    "Seigo definitely won¡¯t lose, nor will he make the situation worse. But¡­ as for what ending awaits your sisters, he can¡¯t promise anything. In the end it depends on them. If he feels like he should destroy them, Seigo won¡¯t hold back. But as long as your sisters¡­ have even a shred of remorse and decency left, he will give them a chance."

    Hoshi slowly nodded upon hearing these words.

    That was when a cell phone rang.

    It was Wakaba-san¡¯s. She took it out and took the call after seeing who it was.

    "Hey, Seigo, how did it go?"

    Hoshi and Mika instantly paid full attention to Chiaki.

    They observed Chiaki¡¯s face distort into a strange expression.

    "What the hell¡¯s with saying you¡¯ll be fine!!?" A sharp retort came out of the tomboy¡¯s mouth. "Facing off against the entire karate club by yourself!? What the hell are you thinking! How did it be like this!?

    "Everything will be fine if you win!? Stop being ridiculous! Do you think you¡¯re a Spartan!? Even the ancient diators didn¡¯t act so ridiculous!!!

    "You¡¯re strong, Seigo! But you¡¯re just a normal person!! You¡¯re not a superhero wearing tights, nor do you have the power to transform and rip your clothes off in the process; you¡¯re just a normal person living in reality!!!"

    Chiaki¡¯s stream of retorts came like endless bolts of lightning.

    Hoshi and Mika were stunned in amazement.

    What exactly was going on?

    On the other side of the phone call, Seiji could only smile wryly at being on the receiving end of so many thunderous retorts.

    He took a look at Rion and Kotomi who were currently sending messages with their phones.

    After Chiaki quieted down, he finally spoke up in a soft voice again. "I said I¡¯ll be fine, so I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll win¡­ I shall definitely achieve victory. Feel free toe over and spectate; it¡¯s already turned into such a big deal anyways, so it shouldn¡¯t matter if a couple more watch what happens. You really don¡¯t need to worry about me¡­ I¡¯m hanging up."

    Seiji hung up the call as he continued to watch the twins in front of him.

    He kept staring at them until Rion and Kotomi stopped using their cell phones and looked over at him.

    "You¡¯ve let the karate club know? Alright then. Now I¡¯m going to change the passwords on your cell phones. This it to prevent any shady business from going on while I¡¯m busy with your karate club buddies."

    Seiji kept his gaze firmly fixed on the duo.

    "After this is all over, I¡¯ll give you the password I changed it to¡­ even if I don¡¯t, you can figure it out by just spending a little time."

    He reached out his hand as he finished speaking.

    Rion and Kotomi exchanged a long nce.

    They definitely suspected there was some deeper meaning behind this.

    But his request seemed so reasonable that they were unable to refuse¡­ Because if they did, it would sound like they were brewing yet another plot of some sort!

    "If you want things to be equal, feel free to change my phone¡¯s password as well. I didn¡¯t intend on using it anyways."

    The twin sisters remained silent for a long period of time.

    Finally, they slowly took out their cell phones and handed them over.

    ¡®That¡¯s everything,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    His final step was nowplete.

 Chapter 84 - Summons

    <h4>Chapter 84: Summons</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Kyosuke Akanishi, the karate club captain of Genhana High School, received a message¡­ no, an order from his club members Rion and Kotomi Amami.

    Yes, order.

    Any of the twins¡¯ "requests" were akin to orders for Kyosuke and the other members of the karate club!

    Nobody would resist, because nobody could resist.

    They were the true leaders of the karate club. Kyosuke was nothing more than their puppet, even though he was the captain.

    Of course, this was an abnormal situation, but this was how things were.

    Why?

    In Kyosuke Akanishi¡¯s case, it was because the twins held ckmail material on him. A few of the other karate club members were in a simr situation. Some others were forced to go along with the crowd, while the rest were seduced by the twins¡¯ appearance and unknowingly became their servants¡­

    The entire school called them the twin witches. This was more than just a nickname.

    No, perhaps that was a bit overboard.

    Those twins might be slightly on the bad side, but they weren¡¯t anywhere near the level of criminals¡ªat least that was what Kyosuke Akanishi believed.

    The twins had previously made "requests" of him several times already, and nothing he did seemed overboard to him. He even got a "present" in return, which was the twins¡¯ assistance in helping him get together with his current girlfriend who he¡¯d admired secretly for a long time.

    That was why Kyosuke didn¡¯t resent Rion and Kotomi for manipting him. He only felt slightly dissatisfied; after all, it was a little strange for club members to control the club captain.

    This time¡¯s "request" was for him to go to the karate club during lunch break and take care of a challenger.

    Year 1 ss 5¡¯s Seigo Harano.

    The legendary transfer student known as the "destroyer of clubs!"

    Of course, Kyosuke had heard about this famous student.

    Every single sports club captain in school knew his name. This student had single-handedly wiped out the tennis and basketball clubs, and he possessed amazing stamina and reactions¡­ plus he was ridiculously handsome!

    If such a person to join any sports club, as long as he trained for a period of time and understood the techniques of that sport, he would quickly be the ace, or even the main attraction!

    An ace would help the club to achieve great victories, but an attraction was more than that; an attraction could raise the club¡¯s poprity to the point where it would remain strong for the next few years toe.

    Bothpeting in nationals and increasing the poprity of their club was a desirable oue for the club captains, so it was only natural that they would focus on vigorously inviting him. ording to the rumors,st Monday so many captains triedpeting with each other to invite him that the scene was ridiculous.

    Kyosuke wasn¡¯t one of the captains which went to invite him. Honestly, he wanted to go as well, but when he asked for Rion and Kotomi¡¯s permission, they refused his request.

    He didn¡¯t know why, but since they were the true leaders of the club, he could onlyply.

    But now, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t that the twin witches weren¡¯t interested in the transfer student, it was the opposite: they¡­ were personally taking part!

    ¡­

    Lunch break.

    Kyosuke Akanishi and several karate club members arrived at the club room, which had been converted into a dojo.

    As one of the biggest clubs in Genhana High School, the karate club was allocated a veryrge room which acted as its dojo. Exercise mats were ced over the floor, and an entire wall was filled with mirrors. Another wall was decorated with the club¡¯s goals and achievements over the years. There weren¡¯t any other decorations apart from that.

    Many people were already sitting down, waiting inside.

    On the left side of the room were Rion and Kotomi d in their karate uniforms, as well as the other club members whom Kyosuke was already acquainted with. Seated on the right side were some students Kyosuke had never met before.

    One of the boys stood out from his peers. He had a tall figure with a handsome face. He sat casually with his legs crossed and arms folded; even seated he emitted a sharp and imposing aura.

    Facing off against Rion, Kotomi, and all the other karate club manners, his imposing manner didn¡¯t seem even slightly ruffled!

    While the three students apanying him were all handsome or beautiful in their own way, they were nothingpared to¡­ hm?

    Kyosuke observed the three students closely, and noticed that one person who he thought was a boy at first nce was actually a girl wearing the boys¡¯ uniform, while the person he thought was a girl actually happened to be a boy wearing a middle school boys¡¯ uniform?

    Kyosuke was rendered speechless.

    ¡®What exactly was going on here!?¡¯

    The karate club captain wondered to himself if there was something wrong with his perception of gender.

    It was easier to judge the tomboy¡¯s true gender even though she was wearing a male uniform, but as for the middle school "boy¡­" it was so difficult to tell his real gender!!

    Wait a moment, this "boy¡¯s" appearance¡­ Kyosuke recalled something and nced over at Rion and Kotomi, beforeparing their appearances to the "boy¡¯s."

    They looked simr¡­ He¡¯d heard of the twins having a younger brother; could this person be the one?

    And if he is, why was the twins¡¯ younger brother here, and why was he seated opposite them?

    Kyosuke was plunged into a state of confusion.

    But Rion and Kotomi looked over at him at this time, and he understood what they meant.

    ¡®I should get changed.¡¯ Kyosuke headed for the changing room.

    Although he didn¡¯t know the identity of the other three students, the boy who had his arms folded was surely the legendary transfer student.

    Seigo Harano¡­ he definitely had an imposing manner to match his nickname. That was the first impression that the karate club captain received.

    It took a few minutes for all the remaining karate club members to gather.

    Seiji admitted to himself that he was quite impressed with Rion and Kotomi¡¯s ability to summon¡ªor perhaps he should call it control¡ªthe entire karate club.

    Right after they sent out the text messages, the entire karate club gathered here at lunch break, without a single member missing!

    ¡®These twins are basically the true leaders of the karate club¡­¡¯ Seiji felt a sliver of pity for the karate club captain.

    ording to Chiaki, the boy with the squarish face, thick eyebrows, and smallish eyes was the karate club captain named Kyosuke Akanishi. His facial features made him look like a main hero of an old-fashioned television drama.

    Kyosuke Akanishi was also the strongest member of the karate club. In his previous year as a high school first-year student, he managed to reach all the way to the top 32 of nationals by himself!

    "But since you can even knock out Tetsuo Sasaki, he should be a cinch for you to defeat."

    Chiaki held little regard for even the president of the karate club.

    "The problem is¡­ you¡¯re actually going to take on seven people at the same time!? You¡¯re going one against seven in the karate club¡¯s dojo¡­ This isn¡¯t a joke!! Seigo, just what are you thinking!?"

    Chiaki¡¯s doubts were also shared by Mika and Hoshi. All three of them were worriedly looking towards Seiji.

    One against seven; this was more like suicide than a joke.

    Nevertheless, Seiji smiled back towards them.

    "It¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll win."

    "How could it possibly be not a problem!?" Chiaki seemed rather frustrated.

    She really wanted to believe in Seiji, but one against seven seemed impossible!

    The moment Seiji¡¯s opponents began their attack, Seiji would definitely be unable to block them all, so he¡¯d be hit somewhere and get injured!!

    Even if Seiji managed to grit his teeth and take a few blows while defeating seven people, the opponents had a total of forty-seven people. They could send six waves of seven people plus a few extra left over!!!

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this was Seiji, Chiaki would definitely have believed that whoever agreed to this proposal was an idiot!

    But this was Seiji.

    Seiji definitely was not an idiot; he must have a n of his own.

    But Chiaki had no idea what he was thinking.

    At this moment, Chiaki felt like she empathized with Mika¡¯s feeling of "being unable to follow Seiji¡¯s thought process."

    Chiaki wanted to believe in him, and she did, but¡­ it was impossible to understand!

    ¡®Seiji, just what are you thinking? Could it be¡­ you want to sacrifice yourself for this bet?¡¯

    Chiaki suddenly considered a frightening possibility.

 Chapter 85 - Please Take Good Care of Me

    <h4>Chapter 85: Please Take Good Care of Me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Perhaps Seiji means to sacrifice himself in this fight.¡¯

    Chiaki didn¡¯t want to consider this idea after she thought of it.

    But she had to.

    If this was really the case, then rather than truly trying to win this ridiculous duel, he might be attempting to sacrifice himself in order to move Rion and Kotomi Amami¡¯s hearts!

    The twin witches¡­ she¡¯d never heard of them doing anything terrible before, so perhaps they still possessed some empathy deep within them?

    If the twin sisters witnessed a boy trying to change them for the better by getting beaten up and struggling pitifully¡­ perhaps they would be shaken and change their ways?

    This was so stupid!!!

    Chiaki vehemently denied the possibility of it happening.

    Not even considering whether or not the twins would even be moved, even the idea of letting oneself be injured in order to convince others of their misdeeds was so stupid!!

    Chiaki didn¡¯t want to believe that Seiji would stoop to using such a foolish idea.

    But Seiji¡­ he said before the twins resembled the old him, so perhaps he thought saving them would be just like saving himself, exining his willingness to sacrifice himself.

    If that was really the case¡­ ¡®Idiot! Stupid! Silly! You have lower intelligence than a monkey!!¡¯

    Chiaki ground her teeth as she threw a nce at the boy beside her. ¡®Perhaps that¡¯s what you intend, but I won¡¯t let you do as you please.¡¯

    Both Mika and Hoshi Amami won¡¯t allow you to do so either!

    If you get injured, I¡¯m definitely going to stop you! They¡¯ll stop you together with me!! No matter what!!!

    Chiaki Wakaba firmed her resolution.

    She didn¡¯t care about the twin sisters at all! She only cared about Seiji Haruta, who was now one of her best friends, as well as¡­

    Seiji was oblivious to Chiaki¡¯s thought process.

    If was aware of it, he¡¯d probably be shocked and left with his mouth wide agape, unsure how to respond!

    He didn¡¯t have that kind of idea to begin with. After all, he wasn¡¯t a saint who was prepared to sacrifice himself!

    Seiji was actually feeling rather rxed.

    He¡¯d already finished his preparations. The rest was merely giving those sisters a chance for Hoshi¡¯s sake.

    Every karate club member had finished changing into their uniforms and sat by Rion and Kotomi¡¯s side.

    The room fell silent.

    Seiji finally uncrossed his arms. "Alright, let¡¯s begin."

    He rose from his seated position, his back as straight as a spear. "I¡¯m ready whenever. Who¡­ will you send first?" He looked towards the twins.

    Kyosuke Akanishi also looked at Rion and Kotomi, waiting for their orders.

    After all, the message he received only said that he needed to deal with Seigo Harano¡¯s challenge. He had no idea about any of the details.

    Rion and Kotomi stood up slowly.

    They saw all the karate club members looking at them questioningly and knew an exnation was expected.

    "Seigo Harano has challenged our entire karate club. He intends to face every member of our club¡­ by himself!"

    After the karate club members took a moment to digest the twins¡¯ im, the room was thrown into a state of uproar.

    "Face all of us¡­ on his own!?"

    "Is he joking!? Is he looking down on us!?"

    "He¡¯s definitely looking down on us! Even if he is the ¡®destroyer of clubs,¡¯ this is oundish!!"

    "All he has is aical nickname! He dares to act so arrogantly!?"

    Voices of protest filled the room.

    "Silence!!" Kyosuke Akanishi¡¯s loud shout quelled themotion.

    ¡®It seems that this karate club captain still has some authority.¡¯ Seiji inwardly nodded in approval.

    Kyosuke slowly stood up and fixed his eyes on the twins questioningly.

    "This is a promise between Seigo Harano and us. If he wins this duel, we¡­ need to listen to his request. And if he loses¡­" the sisters paused, "he¡¯s going to join the karate club."

    Kyosuke came to a realization after hearing the twins¡¯ exnation.

    He wondered what happened between Seigo and the twins. For Seigo to request something of them, it must not be a simple matter. And if Seigo joined the karate club, it actually meant that he would fall under the twins¡¯ control.

    The entire karate club, including him as the captain, were just tools being used by both sides.

    No, that made it sound really bad.

    If Seigo Harano won, the karate club wouldn¡¯t lose anything¡­ no, that was wrong! Their renown would be left in tatters!

    If the entire karate club was defeated by a single person, the club¡¯s reputation would be ruined!

    It would help Seigo¡¯s "destroyer of clubs" nickname be a reality rather than just an exaggeration!

    So they definitely couldn¡¯t lose! Not to mention Rion and Kotomi wouldn¡¯t allow them to lose, so all the members had to fight at full strength¡­ Besides, this match-up wasn¡¯t possible to lose, was it?

    Kyosuke Akanishi studied Seigo Harano¡¯s face.

    Seigo Harano¡­ the legendary transfer student wore a serious expression!

    Did this guy truly believe that he could defeat the entire karate club by himself!?

    Kyosuke felt that the notion itself was ridiculous.

    Even though he¡¯d just suppressed his club members¡¯motion, he actually wanted to join in with them and shout out: "Just who the hell do you think you are!?"

    While Kyosuke may have been calmer than the other club members¡ªor perhaps denser was a more fitting word to describe him¡ªhe was still a hot-blooded youth. After he realized what was happening, the ridiculousness of the situation caused his anger to boil!

    His club members were right. This transfer student merely received a little nickname and got popr with the club presidents, causing his self-confidence to spiral out of control!

    It didn¡¯t matter what he wanted the twin sisters to doing to the karate club with such an attitude was a tant insult!!

    He absolutely must be taught a lesson!

    I must teach him that karate isn¡¯t a sport like tennis or basketball! Nor was the karate club a weak club like the tennis and basketball clubs!!

    In his heart, Kyosuke had already decided to give that bastard a good lesson. And after Seigo joined the karate club, he would give Seigo a vicious sparring session to teach him the meaning of the word "respect!"

    This was probably Rion and Kotomi¡¯s goal.

    He didn¡¯t know how they got Seigo to fall for their bait, but their plot was wonderful! Seigo Harano would pay the price for his arrogance and join the ranks of their servants!

    Kyosuke was impressed by the twin witches; this borate scheme was befitting of the karate club¡¯s true leaders.

    They were easily able to discern the weak spot of this excellent athlete the other clubs had failed to recruit and brought him here!

    The karate club would definitely flourish under the secret control of these twins. As their puppet¡­ whoops, representative, even if he was a little dissatisfied, he had to admit that they were better at the role than he was.

    Kyosuke wanted to enjoy the benefits of a strong and flourishing club as the club captain! All he needed to do was tolerate some slight displeasure at being secretly controlled. It seemed¡­ like quite a good deal to him.

    "I understand what¡¯s going on." Kyosuke believed that he had enough information now, so he spoke up.

    He looked at the boy seated across from him.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ Harano-san, I don¡¯t know what request you have for the twin flowers in our karate club, but it¡¯s an insult to us if you¡¯re arrogant enough to challenge our entire club.

    "I admit you¡¯re an excellent athlete that all the clubs are trying to recruit, but no matter how excellent an athlete you are, arrogance is a critical weakness! It¡¯s more than enough to surpass all your strengths."

    Kyosuke looked directly into Seigo¡¯s eyes as he took a strict tone. "So, from now on, I shall allow you to witness the full strength of the karate club! I shall make you recognize the faults of your own arrogance!! And after you lose and join our karate club, we¡¯ll train you to our utmost and wipe away your faults, making you into a truly outstanding individual!!!"

    His loud voice echoed clearly in the dojo.

    Every karate club member¡¯s spirit shot up to the maximum level due to his speech!

    Everyone red daggers at the first-year high schooler they perceived as an arrogant bastard.

    ¡®Allow me to witness your strength¡­ I heard something simrst night; do all karate club members like to use words like this?¡¯ Seiji wondered inwardly.

    Then he might as well use the same reply asst time.

    "Please take good care of me."

 Chapter 86 - Legendary Strength!

    <h4>Chapter 86: Legendary Strength!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji wanted to duel in his school uniform, but the karate club captain lectured him on how disrespectful that would be, and loaned Seiji his own spare uniform for Seiji to change into.

    And so, Seiji went and got changed. After he walked out of the changing room, many people¡­ or rather, all the girls¡¯ eyes lit up!

    Tall, handsome, and strong. Even if he was wearing a karate uniform that wasn¡¯t a perfect fit on him, he still cut a rather heroic figure, and his face was so cool that the girls felt like they were being blinded!

    Cough cough, they shouldn¡¯t be falling in love with their opponent! Mm¡­ but after he loses, he¡¯d be one of them, and then¡­

    Most of the female members were getting slightly lost in their daydreams.

    The male members were struck wordless.

    The atmosphere in the room had subtly changed, but Kyosuke, who was denser than most people , didn¡¯t notice at all. He simply sighed to himself, thinking that this Seigo fellow was way too handsome!

    He definitely didn¡¯t want his girlfriend to meet a person like this¡­ He suddenly had the feeling that maybe it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to ept Seigo into his club after all¡­

    At any rate, it was time to begin.

    ording to Rion and Kotomi¡¯s request, they were going to use the rules of a real karate contest.

    Generally speaking, it was illegal to strike anywhere above the corbone with your fists, palms, or elbows. Pulling, scratching, hugging, and pushing were forbidden. Attacking your opponent¡¯s back or crotch was banned.

    If you caused your opponent to lose the ability to fight for 3 seconds or less, you would be awarded with "1 point" while disabling the opponent for more than 3 seconds would result in being awarded "2 points." umting 2 points resulted in an instant victory.

    As a non-martial artist, Seiji understood the rules as forbidding the use of scratching or other simr dubious techniques and not being allowed to attack the area near the head, back, or crotch. He also realized that he had to disable his opponents for a minimum of three seconds.

    Yep, it seemed simple enough.

    He stood in the middle of the dojo and looked inquiringly at the twin sisters.

    Rion and Kotomi exchanged nces before taking turns to call out three names.

    The members they called stood up¡­ they were three girls!

    Seiji frowned. It seemed they were going to start off this way¡­

    "They actually went with three girls for the first round¡­ They want Seiji to feel uneasy fighting girls and waste his energy," Chiaki muttered to herself.

    "How could they¡­ It¡¯s so low¡­" Mika seemed concerned.

    Hoshi furrowed his brows and bit his lips anxiously.

    Likewise, Kyosuke Akanishi also furrowed his brows.

    Starting right off the bat with three against one¡­ Although he could understand the twins¡¯ reasoning, he personally thought it was a bit overkill.

    With everybody thinking different things, the three female karate club members walked to the center of the dojo, nced towards the twins, before exchanging awkward nces with each other as they lined up in front of the handsome boy.

    Seiji smiled towards them politely.

    The three karate club members¡¯ faces flushed red as they were slightly dazzled by his beauty.

    "Prepare!" Kyosuke shouted, acting as the judge. "Bow!"

    The three girls bowed slightly towards Seiji.

    Seiji returned their bow out of respect.

    "Begin thepetition!"

    "Hah!" the three girls shouted in unison as they moved into a fighting stance!

    Of course, Seiji didn¡¯t shout anything.

    He immediately went on the offense!

    He dashed three steps forward, covering the distance in an instant. He sent out a palm strike, aiming at the first girl¡¯s sr plexus.

    At almost the same time, his other palm flew towards the second girl¡¯s sr plexus.

    He followed up by twisting his body like a whirlwind, unleashing a third palm strike!

    *Pound! Boom! Smack!*

    The spectators only saw Seiji¡¯s tall figure flicker as three loud sounds rang out in the dojo, and the three girls fell over almost simultaneously!!

    Even Kyosuke, who was the closest spectator, failed to grasp Seiji¡¯s attack.

    When he blinked, he saw the three girls copse onto the soft exercise mats! They all clutched their stomachs with pained expressions.

    Seigo Harano had already returned to his original location and was standing there silently, his expression unruffled.

    Everyone fell silent.

    The three girls¡¯ pained moans were the only audible sound. One of them ground her teeth and attempted to stand up, but immediately clutched at her stomach again as her knees buckled.

    ¡®Did I use too much force?¡¯ Despite his seemingly calm exterior, Seiji was rather worried about the girls.

    What just happened!?

    Every karate club member was plunged into a state of shock.

    The duel was over before they could even see what was going on!

    So fast¡­

    It wasn¡¯t that the duel ended too quickly; Seigo was just too swift!

    How could this be possible¡­ Even though it actually happened right before them, the karate club members still found the situation difficult to believe.

    Chiaki, Mika, and Hoshi also received an incredible shock.

    They were all stupefied. Although they knew Seiji was very strong and believed that he wouldn¡¯t be easily defeated ¡­ this was so far out of the ordinary!

    Chiaki and Mika then recalled how Seiji caught the drama club vice president¡¯s book attacks.

    Hoshi thought back to when he identally tripped at the confectionery store. Not only did Senpai rush over and catch him, Senpai also astonishingly managed to catch everything that flew through the air from his tray!

    That when the three of them came to a realization.

    Perhaps Seiji (Senpai) was much stronger than they knew!?

    "Hey, I already won, right? Why aren¡¯t you making a decision as the judge? They should take a rest or get their injuries looked at." A voice broke the silence.

    Naturally, it was Seiji.

    The karate club captain was still dazed and had forgotten his task, so Seiji impatiently gave him a reminder.

    Kyosuke Akanishi finally regained his senses.

    "2¡­ 2 points! Seigo Harano¡¯s victory!" he hurriedly proimed.

    He then called over some other female members to help out the three copsed girls.

    "My apologies; I don¡¯t have too much fighting¡­ er, dueling experience, so I¡¯m not that good at controlling my strength." Seiji sincerely apologized to the three girls he¡¯d just defeated.

    ¡®This¡­ just one palm strike from him was so brutal!!¡¯ Chiakimented to herself in part disbelief.

    She could tell that Seiji was being sincere. He truly wasn¡¯t able to control his strength, and he felt apologetic towards the three girls.

    But the karate club members¡¯ thoughts werepletely different ¡­

    Inexperienced?

    All the karate club members felt like they were being insulted!

    You im to have no fighting experience, yet you managed to defeat three of us in an instant? Then what are we!?

    They were currently filled with displeasure, anger, and¡­ some panic.

    Some members believed Seigo was being sarcastic to humiliate them, while others realized Seigo was being sincere.

    Rion and Kotomi were among those that could tell Seigo was being sincere.

    Seigo Harano wasn¡¯t taunting the karate club at all; he was simply apologizing. That made him¡­ even more frightening!

    He was being honest! He didn¡¯t have any fighting or dueling experience; he relied solely on his monstrous physical ability to aplish a tremendous feat!

    He wanted to crush them all using his overwhelming physical might!!

    This was exactly what he did at the tennis and basketball clubs!

    All this was simply a repeat.

    The monster¡­ he already showed his true face before, only¡­ everyone still underestimated him!!

    Fear rose up within the twins¡¯ hearts once more.

    Only this time their fear was shared by the other members of the karate club.

    In the first round, the three girls were defeated.

    It was time for round two.

    Rion and Kotomi immediately went for the maximum number and called for seven boys to face him!

    ¡®Boys¡­ I don¡¯t need to go as easy on them anymore.¡¯ Seiji felt a bit more rxed.

    His opponents were able to unconsciously detect what he was thinking from his expression. They all woreplex expressions and cold sweat trickled down their backs.

    After what just happened, none of them dared to look down on this solo challenger anymore.

    "Destroyer of clubs!"

    It was an exaggerated nickname which sounded like a joke. But as they stood before the bearer of the title, it suddenly seemed like cruel reality.

    This was a true legend.

    The person in front of them was endowed with legendary strength!

    "Prepare!" Kyosuke¡¯s expression was filled with tension as he shouted.

    "Bow!"

    Both sides bowed. One side was a row of seven people, while the other was merely one. It was¡­ almostical.

    However.

    "Begin thepetition!"

    "Hah!" the seven boys shouted in unison.

    *Pound! Pound! Smack! Boom! Pound! Smack! Boom!*

    The seven boys were sent flying as seven thuds resounded in quick session!

    This time, Kyosuke was concentrating as much as he possibly could on the fight, but he could barely discern Seigo rushing towards the boy closest to him, followed by¡­ a flurry of punches and kicks that were too quick for the human eye to follow. The speedybo caused the seven male karate club members to be sent flying!

    A fiery invasion, fierce as the wind.

    Although Kyosuke wasn¡¯t particrly talented in literature, he suddenly recalled a line from a poem!

    Seiji stopped right after he defeated all his opponents and adjusted his borrowed karate uniform.

    The casual movementbined with the seven boys copsed at his feet¡­ added to the indescribable imposing manner which surrounded him!

    This was only how the boys viewed him.

    As for the girls, they needed merely three words to describe this scene: way too cool!

 Chapter 87 - Collapse

    <h4>Chapter 87: Copse</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Even though they knew that they would inevitably have to face Seigo, some of the female members were still starstruck.

    It was because¡­ he was too cool and too strong!

    If Seiji¡¯s victory over the three girls surprised everyone, this second battle, where he defeated seven boys in an instant, shook everyone down to their bones.

    All the karate club members that personally witnessed this scene didn¡¯t know what to make of it.

    They watched on in stunned silence as the imposing figure walked back to his original spot and stood there casually, acting as if nothing had happened.

    However the seven male karate club members lying copsed on the ground, unable to get up, indicated that this was indeed reality.

    How was this possible!?

    The karate club members¡¯ brains finally whirred back into motion, but they still couldn¡¯t believe it.

    How was he so quick!?

    How was he so powerful!?

    Why¡­ was the difference between them so gigantic!?

    Doubts kept popping up in their minds, but no matter how incredulous the situation was, the reality was right in front of them.

    This¡­ they couldn¡¯t even fight with him! Kyosuke Akanishi could only inwardly sigh.

    Seigo Harano¡¯s speed and power was astounding. Even Kyosuke was unable to follow Seigo¡¯s movements clearly despite concentrating intensely. As for the other karate club members who fought against him¡­ they probably saw nothing more than a blur before they were defeated.

    This wasn¡¯t a duel; this was a single-sided beatdown!

    Karate techniques, fighting skills, or dueling experience?

    None of those were necessary for Seigo Harano!

    He didn¡¯t need any of these, nor did he need to care about his opponent having them. He only needed to get close and defeat his opponent.

    The karate club members had no way of stopping him.

    How could you block blows that you couldn¡¯t even seeing!?

    Kyosuke Akanishi was certain that even if he personally fought Seigo, he would be defeated as well. And¡­ he was already the strongest member of the karate club.

    Could they evenpete against him?

    He recalled his previous words at the beginning of the duel. He said something about showing true power to Seigo¡­ Kyosuke felt his face burning up, and he felt the urge to hide in a corner!

    But he wasn¡¯t able to do so. Instead, as the referee, he had to stand the closest to Seigo.

    "Two¡­ two points! Seigo Harano¡¯s victory!" Kyosuke finally made the announcement and gestured for the other members to help their fallenrades.

    Nobody spoke.

    It was literally silent to the extent of being able to hear a pin drop.

    What should they do next?

    Kyosuke looked towards Rion and Kotomi for guidance, but to his surprise, he found that twins¡¯plexion was ashen. Their faces werepletely drained of all color.

    ¡®We were deceived. We were deceived, deceived, deceived, deceived¡­¡¯ Rion and Kotomi¡¯s minds were endlessly repeating the same word.

    All of Seigo Harano¡¯s arguments, retorts, sighs, silence, and helpless expressions as he discussed the conditions with them shed back before their eyes.

    Finally an image of the current Seigo Harano appeared, standing calmly at the centre of the dojo .

    ¡®We were deceived! At that time, Seigo Harano was merely acting!! All his expressions, actions, and words were all a big lie!!!

    ¡®He wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit afraid of facing the entire karate club by himself; in fact, he was probablyughing inside when we brought the idea up!¡¯

    The twins were filled with anger and fear.

    To normal people, this would definitely be impossible to ovee.

    But Seigo Harano was no ordinary person¡ªthe twins believed they were already aware of that.

    But they never realized their so-called "knowledge" of him¡­ merely scraped the surface!!

    They knew that he was a monster, a demon, but they couldn¡¯t have imagined that he was¡ªand still is¡ªsomething far beyond their pitiful imagination.

    He must beughing at them.

    While he pretended to be an ordinary person conversing with us, he must have beenughing demonically underneath at that time!

    And right now, beneath his calm exterior, beneath that tall and handsome shell of his, he must beughing maniacally!!

    ¡®He must be looking down on us, filled with disdain for our ignorance¡­¡¯

    Seiji was indeed looking down at the twin sisters.

    But that was only in the literal sense, since he was currently standing and they were seated.

    He neither knew nor wanted to know what the twin sisters thought of him, or their reaction to his inhuman physical ability.

    Seiji only wanted to obtain victory and give them a final chance to choose. He would observe if they kept their promise to change themselves and destroy all the ckmail material, or if they would go back on their word and desperately fight to the end.

    He didn¡¯t realize that Rion and Kotomi currently viewed him as a tremendously evil, arrogant, haughty, and terrifying demon in human guise.

    Even if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have cared.

    Seiji was doing all this for Hoshi¡¯s sake. As for how the twins viewed him, or how they ended up, did he need to care?

    This was why he was so rxed.

    As for those behind him¡­ they weren¡¯t so rxed.

    Chiaki, Mika, and Hoshi were also among the astonished.

    Due to the first battle, they were somewhat prepared for Seiji¡¯s incredible fighting prowess, but personally witnessing seven male karate club members being dispatched at lightning speed, simr to the three girls from earlier, shocked them to the core of their souls.

    So strong¡­

    Seiji was actually this strong all along¡­

    Our friend here¡­ Is he actually a costumed superhero?

    The three of them exchanged silent nces and came into unspoken agreement.

    Hoshi was truly amazed. Senpai was stronger than he ever imagined. His worship of¡­ no, his adtion towards Seiji increased even further.

    Mika fell into deep thought; it seemed that the depraved otaku had transformed into a miraculous existence beyond her understanding.

    Chiaki was seriously considering and guessing at just what type of powerful family the Harutas were!

    They must have had several world-ss powerful people in Seiji¡¯s family¡¯s history¡­ Was Seiji¡¯s father actually the world champion of some martial arts technique? He was probably the type who won several world championships in session!

    All three of them remained silent, unable to stem the surge of thoughts which came flooding in.

    This was just too much to ept!

    Although Seiji kept telling them not to worry as he¡¯d win without any problems¡­ they never imagined this oue!!

    As the trio nced at the opposition¡­ they noticed that they were also in a state of stunned amazement !!!

    Silence reigned over the dojo room.

    If a person¡¯s mental state was reflected in reality, this room would definitely be the opposite of silent. It would be absolute chaos.

    As the eye of the storm who was responsible for everyone¡¯s unstable mental state, Seiji was actually the calmest.

    That was why he was the only one who could break the silence.

    "We¡¯re still not going to begin the next round?" After waiting to the point of impatience, he looked at the judge, Kyosuke.

    All Kyosuke did was look towards the twin sisters for direction.

    He saw that they were still sitting there with ashen faces, neither moving nor blinking.

    They seemed petrified.

    ¡®Hey, Harry Potter, zap them with a spell!¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think this to himself.

    "If you don¡¯t hurry up and send someone else¡­ Why don¡¯t you two juste at me personally!? How about it!?" he shouted in a loud voice. The entire room of spectators heard him clearly.

    "Answer me! Rion Amami, Kotomi Amami!"

    The twins finally trembled as they regained their senses.

    They lifted their heads and saw Seigo Harano across from them, staring at them with an apathetic expression.

    It seemed as if there were a huge dark shadow behind his figure, on the verge of pouncing upon them ferociously and filled with condescension and tauntingughter!

    This was only a hallucination caused by too much fear, but the twins viewed it as reality.

    "Come, why don¡¯t we have a personal duel?" Seiji said while gesturing for them to attack him.

    Rion and Kotomi were terrified to their cores.

    "Monster¡­ monster! Don¡¯te over here!"

    They began shrieking.

    "Who will go defeat it!? Anyone is fine! Go! Everyone go at it!!"

    "Everyone go! Defeat¡­ kill this monster!!"

    Everyone was shocked.

    Kyosuke Akanishi was stunned.

    The karate club members were stunned.

    Chiaki, Mika, and Hoshi were stunned.

    Seiji was the only one with a different expression: he frowned instead.

    "You¡¯re now viewing me as a monster? And you want everyone toe at me and kill me?"

    He stepped forward as his expression turned icy, and his gaze became even more distant.

    "You can¡¯t even obey your own rules which you set yourself? You two¡­ if that¡¯s all you have, then this is over."

    He walked closer and closer to the twins.

    They watched him approach with increasing terror, as if he were truly a demon.

    "Even if everyonees at me together, I¡¯ll defeat all of them. And then I¡¯llpletely, utterly destroy you for breaking your promise!"

    His words were ice cold, with zero pity.

    Seiji¡¯s words filled Rion and Kotomi¡¯s ears, sounding like a hellish curse.

    The twin sisters were unable to resist or escape.

    "Wahh¡­"

    Rion and Kotomi broke down in front of their overwhelming terror.

    "Wahhhhh!!"

    They hugged each other tightly as if they were two young children and began crying.

 Chapter 88 - Yes or No

    <h4>Chapter 88: Yes or No</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The sound of crying echoed throughout the dojo.

    Almost everyone was shocked to their cores by this scene, but it was a different type of shockpared to their earlier surprise.

    The twin witches¡­ the beautiful, talented girls who never showed their true feelings; the girls that the entire grade secretly feared¡­ were actually crying!?

    Not only that, they were crying so wretchedly.

    They hugged each other tightly, and both tears and snot flowed out as their bodies trembled.

    Theycked their usual imposing mannerism and behavior.

    Suddenly, it seemed liked they ¡®d recalled something as they let go of each other and hurriedly brought out their cell phones¡­ before despair clouded their expressions yet again!

    "I set a new password for your cell phones¡ªdid you forget?" Seiji stated calmly.

    After ncing at him, the twins threw away their cell phones and started crying again as they embraced each other once more.

    Everyone was struck speechless by this situation.

    Just what exactly was going on!?

    Kyosuke Akanishi and all the other karate club members were utterly confused. Chiaki, Mika, and Hoshi began to understand what was happening after they recovered from their shock.

    "My sisters¡­" Hoshi had aplex expression.

    "They¡¯ve been forced to the brink¡ªthat¡¯s why they¡¯ve broken down," Chiaki sighed.

    While she was surprised at how the twins lost control of their emotions, after thinking about it with a clear head, she considered it to be the natural oue of facing off against Seiji.

    "They¡¯re¡­ crying like young children," Mika muttered to herself.

    "I¡­ I¡¯ve never seen my sisters cry like this¡­ Thest time I saw them shed tears was so long ago¡­" Hoshi said in a soft voice.

    ¡®From a certain angle, these twins are still children,¡¯ Seiji thought as he watched the girls.

    Their mental development became twisted at an early age and was never corrected. They grew up abnormally, and their immaturity and weakness was well concealed by their excellent appearance and behavior on the surface.

    They were just like a tree that grew up crooked. The treetop was covered with flourishing leaves and branches, but the trunk below had a twisted shape. The moment it met a true thunderstorm, it would break¡ªand expose its weak nature!

    Perhaps they deserved some measure of sympathy, but regardless, they weren¡¯t children anymore. There was no more room for forgiveness no matter how slight the mistake.

    Seiji took his gaze off them and nced at Kyosuke the club captain before sweeping over the other karate club members with his eyes.

    "Since it¡¯se to this, there¡¯s no need to hide anything. My request for Rion and Kotomi Amami¡­ was to make them destroy all their own ckmail material on others and change themselves for the better if I achieved victory!"

    His loud words temporarily overwhelmed the twins¡¯ sobbing and rung clearly in every person¡¯s ears.

    ckmail material? Change themselves for the better?

    All the karate club members felt another wave of shock surge over them upon realizing what they had heard!

    Those like Kyosuke, who were being ckmailed by the twin sisters, quickly understood what it meant!

    And those that weren¡¯t being ckmailed, but were still under the twins¡¯ control, due to reasons such as fear of their dominance, inwardly shouted in joy as well!

    This was¡­ freedom!

    That¡¯s right¡ªfreedom. If Seigo Harano had spoken truthfully, then his victory meant the freedom of every single person under the twins¡¯ shadowy control!

    Aftering to this realization, they looked at Seigo Harano differently. They wanted to believe in him, but they still held doubt.

    There was just one problem.

    Was this all true!?

    "Of course it¡¯s true." Seiji detected the crowd¡¯s suspicion and relieved it directly. "I have no reason to lie. It¡¯s up to you guys whether or not to believe me. With how these two¡­ are in their current state, it¡¯s equal to admitting defeat¡­ But if any of you still aren¡¯t satisfied and don¡¯t believe that I¡¯ve won yet, or want to defend them, I¡¯m more than happy to continue this duel."

    Seiji folded his arms over his toned chest. "But I¡¯m going to say it straight out¡ªI¡¯ll treat anyone who still wants to stand before me as my serious opponents, just like the twin sisters. I won¡¯t promise¡­ to go easy anymore."

    His voice remained calm.

    But all the karate club members were filled with terror as an almost tangible pressure swept over them!

    He wouldn¡¯t promise to go easy anymore¡­ This meant that he hadn¡¯t even used his full ability!

    As they recalled his previous duels, this seemed quite obvious.

    He just instantly defeated ten people over two rounds, and not a single person was able to withstand more than a single blow. That meant that none of them were close to being able to bring out his true ability.

    Also, the most obvious evidence was the fact that this "destroyer of clubs" just defeated ten people, but¡­ he didn¡¯t even break into a sweat!!!

    Monster.

    This was what the twin witches had just called him.

    Now, all the karate club members were inwardly agreeing with that assessment.

    Merely the thought of an all-out fight against this terrifying existence filled them with fear!

    No wonder the witches had broken down.

    They tried to imagine being in the twins¡¯ shoes, facing an angry Seigo Harano¡­ heavens, no more imagining this topic!

    As they pictured the scene the karate club members unconsciously shivered.

    The twin sisters had always been enduring such frightening pressure¡­

    The karate club members started to feel a sliver of pity for the crying twins¡­ even though they knew that the twins received their just desserts.

    "Does anyone still want to fight?" Seigo¡¯s voice rang out again.

    The karate club members looked towards the monster¡­ whoops, the legendary "destroyer of clubs," and all of them averted their gazes or lowered their heads when Seigo looked in their direction.

    Who would want to fight on behalf of the witches!?

    The taste of freedom was wonderful as well as unexpected! Perhaps they would have wanted to face him if they didn¡¯t know the truth, but now that they knew his motives, anyone that still wanted to face him would be an idiot!!

    No, they¡¯d be even lower than an idiot! Fighting the sake of those two unworthy girls and facing off against that¡­ dragon! Yes, dragon!

    Not even that crazy knight who attacked a windmill would do such a thing for the twin witches!!

    None of the karate club members believed themselves to be crazier than that fictional insane knight, which was why none of them stood up.

    No, wait¡ªthere was still one person standing.

    Seiji looked at Kyosuke Akanishi. They exchanged nces,municating nonverbally.

    ¡®Do you want to fight me?¡¯

    ¡®No, no¡­ this lowly one doesn¡¯t dare!¡¯

    ¡®If you admit I¡¯ve won, that means admitting that I¡¯ve defeated the entire karate club by myself¡­ As the captain, you¡¯re not even going to try?¡¯

    ¡®No, no, no¡­ this lowly one definitely wouldn¡¯t dare; it¡¯s your victory!¡¯

    Although all of the above was nonverbal, it was the basic essence of theirmunication through their eyes.

    Kyosuke Akanishi averted his gaze from Seigo Harano and pretended to be engrossed by a butterfly flying outside the window.

    Seiji was rather surprised that even the club captain admitted defeat so readily. He believed that Kyosuke would personally fight him for the sake of the karate club¡¯s pride.

    ¡®I suppose Rion and Kotomi are just that unpopr.¡¯

    As soon as he stated the truth of the matter, none of the karate club members¡ªincluding the captain¡ªwere willing to stand and fight for her anymore; nobody even spoke up on the twins¡¯ behalf. This was despite having to swallow the bitter medicine of admitting defeat to a single person.

    Seiji believed that to be the truth, but he didn¡¯t realize that it was his overwhelming physical ability which scared them into submission.

    He believed that if the entire karate club swarmed him, he¡¯d be plunged into a sticky situation¡­ but he didn¡¯t know that the karate club members now considered him to be a dragon!

    "If nobody wants to fight anymore, let¡¯s end it here," Seiji dered.

    He then looked towards Rion and Kotomi.

    They were still crying, albeit softly.

    "It¡¯s my victory. Now then, are you going to adhere to your promise, or are you breaking it?"

    The words that the twins said right before they broke down, and even their actions that proved they still wanted to try something with their cell phone. Seiji decided to ignore all that onest time for Hoshi¡¯s sake.

    This was the final time he would calmly ask the sisters this question.

    Yes or no.

    Do you two¡­ want to see what¡¯s on the other side of life?

 Chapter 89 - Hahahaha-

    <h4>Chapter 89: Hahahaha-</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Rion and Kotomi wept softly as they started to recover from theirplete breakdown and faced the horrifying dark figure in front of them.

    It was as if they¡¯d returned to their childhoods.

    Since they were twins, they¡¯d always faced everything together. As long as they held each other¡¯s hands, they would be able to ovee sadness, misery, and even despair.

    Their first memory of despair stemmed from their childhood.

    Since they¡¯d identally broken their father¡¯s rather expensive prized antique vase, they were angrily shouted at, beaten, locked in their room, and starved.

    They were sore, hungry, and very frightened¡­ The two young girls hugged each other in the dark room and cried as they tried to bear the pain and hunger.

    Their father¡¯s figure turned monstrous in their young minds.

    However, this didn¡¯tst for very long.

    After punishing them, their father forgave them and sternly reminded them not to y in inappropriate ces.

    As intelligent children, Rion and Kotomi kept their father¡¯s teaching in their heart and gradually became rule-following obedient children.

    Since they no longer made mistakes, they weren¡¯t punished and always received praise from everyone around them, including their father.

    The twin sisters were delighted. They thought they had discovered the rules of this world. As long as they did the right things and didn¡¯t do anything wrong, they could lead a joyful life.

    Until that day.

    It was truly a coincidence.

    Because of an issue at school, the students were allowed to go home early. They happily returned home and witnessed¡­ their father doing strange things with various unfamiliar men and women.

    They were beaten even more harshly than before!

    They trembled as their father bellowed at them like a raging demon!

    They were cowed by the threat that they were never to tell anyone about what they saw, or else they would be forced out of this home!

    Their father¡­ became that frightening monster again! And this time, they didn¡¯t even do anything wrong.

    Why!?

    The twins hugged each other tightly once again and cried and shivered, filled with pain and terror. They didn¡¯t understand at the time.

    Nheless, they were intelligent children.

    Finally, Rion and Kotomi understood. Father was the one who was in the wrong¡­ and Father hadmitted such a serious mistake!

    They weren¡¯t the ones in the wrong, yet they were the ones punished.

    Their father who "punished" them was the one who should have been punished!

    The twin sisters were furious. They decided to rebel against his control and take revenge.

    They wanted their father to be punished as he should have been, so they researched methods on the inte and added their own ideas to formte a n.

    Their n was wildly sessful!

    Their father¡¯s face turned ashen white in front of them, and he was forced to listen to theirmands. He punished himself, admitted his wrongs, and promised to make it up to them¡­

    It was supposed to be a small revenge n, but they unexpectedly acquired an incredible sense of joy from it!!

    The twin sisters became addicted to the sensation.

    So this was the truth of the world!

    Right and wrong wasn¡¯t important. As long as they controlled a person¡¯s weakness, they would be able to conquer and control him¡­

    Rion and Kotomi slowly began to change after understanding the "truth" of the world as they saw it.

    And finally, they turned out the way they were today.

    ¡­

    Seigo Harano, who currently stood before them, seemed much like their father in the past¡ªa dark and terrifying monster.

    But that was only because they weren¡¯t able to discover his weakness.

    As long as they discovered his weakness, even this monster would be conquered and controlled by them!

    Rion and Kotomi¡¯s eyes began sparkling again.

    Change themselves for the better?

    That was what the world believed to be right, but so what!?

    Even if they stopped doing such things, would the world truly change!?

    It wouldn¡¯t!

    "Right and wrong" weren¡¯t actually important in this world. Information was the only thing that mattered!

    That¡¯s why they would never¡­ destroy their ckmail files!

    Because that was truly everything to them¡­ everything they possessed!!

    Rion and Kotomi stopped crying as they thought about it.

    They actually had a breakdown due to terror¡­ how unsightly.

    But it wasn¡¯t important. Even though Seigo Harano achieved victory, he couldn¡¯t force them to uphold their promise!

    This was the most basic reason they agreed to this duel after thinking it over and remaining indecisive for so long!

    In the end, it was just a verbal promise.

    Even if we break our promise, what can you do to us, Seigo Harano!?

    The twin sisters slowly raised their heads and looked towards him, meeting his eyes.

    Then, they saw that he was showing¡­ deep pity for them.

    Pity?

    Why pity?

    "It seems like you¡¯ve chosen to break your promise," Seiji said lightly. "I suppose it¡¯s only natural. In your opinion, I have no way to force you to keep your promise. As long as you break your word, this won¡¯t amount to anything more than you losing some reputation¡­ that¡¯s probably what you think."

    Rion and Kotomi remained silent.

    All the karate club members became tense again.

    What the hell!?

    We all thought that you won, so you truly had the ability to make them change themselves for the better¡­ or at the very least destroy their ckmail files!!

    But they were still able to break their word!? This¡­ how unreliable can you get!!!?

    The club members¡¯ emotions becameplicated again as they thought about how the twin witches¡¯ reign over them would continue.

    Some were even regretting that they didn¡¯t at least make a show of it! Since nobody was stepping up to defend the witches, anyone that stood up probably would have received their favor or some other reward.

    Mika and Hoshi¡¯s faces showed signs of tension as well. Chiaki¡¯s expression merely flickered slightly before she regained her calm.

    ¡®Seiji already said something out loud, so he must have a n of some sort. Perhaps this was his true intention to begin with¡­¡¯ Chiaki inwardly believed in Seiji.

    And she was correct.

    Seiji slowly turned to look at Hoshi.

    "Sorry, junior of mine¡­ I gave them a chance, but you saw it for yourself."

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi¡¯s expression turnedplex and pained.

    Hoshi turned back to look at Rion and Kotomi and saw only their cold, uncaring stares.

    ¡®Ahh! Damn it!¡¯ He hated and regretted his weakness, ignorance, and powerlessness.

    "They didn¡¯t keep their promise, but I will." Seiji¡¯s expression slowly changed as he spoke. "I willpletely, utterly ruin them."

    The twin sisters felt a terrible chill sweep over them as they met his eyes once more!

    That was because his eyes were now pitch ck, filled with condescension, derision, and contempt¡ªapletely patronizing attitude!

    "Heh heh heh¡­ Hahahahahaha!" Seiji suddenly startedughing loudly.

    This wasn¡¯t his usual gentle and warmughter. It was bone-chilling tauntingughter filled with condescension!

    It felt like the entire dojo¡¯s temperature had dropped with hisughter!

    Everyone was stunned for the umpteenth time!!

    "My apologies, I couldn¡¯t hold myself back anymore¡­ I just really wanted tough at how you believed yourselves to be so smart and strong, with that look in your eyes that said you could resist to the end!"

    *Swish!* Seiji extended his palms like a mad scientist.

    "Use those rotten brains of yours and think a little! Even you can find the gigantic hole in this promise!! Do you really think that I wouldn¡¯t consider it!!? Oh, I forgot¡ªyour brains have probably turned to mush already! After all, everyone you¡¯ve ever faced wasn¡¯t on guard against you!

    "Everyone was misled by your beauty and excellence! Just like the sailors from myths who were entranced by the beauty and songs of the Sirens! They all fell into the sea, bing your prey!!

    "But I¡¯m different from everyone."

    Seiji gave them the most condescending gaze he could possibly muster as he looked down at the twins with utter contempt. "That¡¯s because I saw through you from the very start! Take away your outer appearances! After stamping out your paltry smarts!! You¡¯re nothing more than two girls¡­ whoops, two piles of rotting, disgusting filth!!!"

 Chapter 90 - Judgement

    <h4>Chapter 90: Judgement</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Ice.

    Pure bone-chilling ice filled Rion and Kotomi.

    They involuntarily recalledst week¡¯s memory.

    This person in front of them saw through their essence in the first meeting and spat such condescending words at them back then!

    Just like this time.

    No¡­ he was far more terrifying thanst time!!

    The twin sisters faintly perceived that they had made a huge mistake.

    Why were they afraid of Seigo Harano?

    Why did they constantly feel pressured by his imposing manner!?

    Why did they continue to underestimate him, despite reminding themselves how strong he was!!?

    That was because¡­ they still hadn¡¯t seen him for who he truly was.

    They thought that he was a monster, a demon¡ªbut that was the limit of their understanding!

    Seigo Harano¡­ just who on earth was he? What type of person was he!? They had no idea whatsoever!!

    But he knew so much about them.

    At this moment, a cell phone began ringing.

    It sounded out of ce given the current atmosphere.

    "Ha, perfect timing." Seiji smiled without turning around as he spoke, "Junior, take out your cell phone."

    "Oh¡­ Oh!" Hoshi finally regained his senses and took out his cell phone¡ªit was his phone which was ringing.

    An unfamiliar number was disyed on the screen.

    "Give that to me¡­ And you might as well stand next to me to witness the spectacle of your sisters." Seiji waved his hand.

    "Oh¡­" Hoshi dazedly obeyed as he stood next to Seiji and handed Seiji his cell phone.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, here¡¯s a question for you all." Seiji acted like he was about to begin a performance as he took the cell phone. "Who is calling at this time? And why? No need to be anxious¡ªI shall reveal the answer shortly.

    "But what you should pay attention to isn¡¯t this cell phone or me, but those two in front of me instead."

    Seiji looked down on the and let out a burst of tauntingughter again. "As long as you watch their faces, you¡¯ll be able to enjoy their unseemly appearances as their minds are broken and they fall into absolute despair~

    "This will be one of the best memories of your lives, as you¡¯ve all been under their control through various methods and threats for so long.

    "Please¡­ don¡¯t miss this entertainment!"

    His words were clearly inmmatory and abnormal in tone.

    They had the effect Seiji intended, as most of the karate club members turned and looked directly at the twin sisters.

    Due to the angle, there weren¡¯t actually all that many who could clearly see their faces.

    However, Rion and Kotomi still felt a huge sense of humiliation.

    Simultaneously, an unprecedented fear was slowly building up within them.

    They were just like¡­ convicted felons who were about to be publicly executed with everyone watching!

    The executioner was about to swing his de.

    Seiji took the call and put it on speakerphone.

    "Hey, hey, is this Harano-kun?" a male voice spoke up from the other side.

    If the delinquents Takashi Kobayashi and Kahei Watari had been present, they would have recognized the voice. But none of the current people here knew who this was.

    "It¡¯s me. How¡¯re things on your end?"

    "Everything went smoothly. Amami-san didn¡¯t really cooperate at the start, but after our sincere ¡®persuasion,¡¯ he epted our assistance. After all, this was something that he¡¯s always dreamed of¡ªto break free from his daughters¡¯ control and regain his self-dignity as a father¡­"

    Seiji made sure to look down at the twin sisters¡¯ faces as he said, "He¡­ must have been overjoyed."

    Currently, the wicked arc of his smile seemed like nothing more than the devil¡¯s grin to Rion and Kotomi!

    Amami-san?

    Regain his self-dignity as a father?

    The twins suddenly thought of what that meant and instantly began trembling as color drained from their faces once more!

    Their father!!

    Their father who had remained under their control for so long¡­ the man who¡¯d even been forced out of his home to live at hispany for an entire week!!!

    "Yeah, at first he suspected our motives, but after he believed that we truly wished to assist him, he cooperated with us." The voice in the cell phone continued speaking. "He took us to his home and gave us permission to enter, as well as pointing out his daughters¡¯ room and allowing us to attempt at unlocking the door."

    These words chilled Rion and Kotomi¡¯s very hearts!!

    Their room¡­

    "How was the experience of trying to unlock the room of two high school beautiful twin girls?" Seiji continued acting like the talk show host of a variety program.

    "It sounds more exciting than it actually is¡­ Hey! Is this really a high school girl¡¯s room!?" The voice on the phone cooperated with Seiji by also mimicking a talk show host¡¯s attitude. "Steel anti-theft doors equipped with artificial intelligence! Electronic and fingerprint locks together, and if you enter the wrong password three times or have the wrong fingerprint, or if you identally set off some other strange rms, it will automatically send out a preset message to the original owners¡¯ cell phone as an rm!

    "Besides, there was even a mechanical lock as the final barrier. I give it perfect points as an anti-theft system! I find it so difficult to believe that the owners of this room were actually two high school girls!!"

    "Eh¡ªaren¡¯t you exaggerating a little? I¡¯m getting scared~" Seiji clutched his forehead with mock fear.

    "We were the ones who were scared, okay! I almost wanted to kneel in defeat in front of this door! Heavens¡­ are all high school girls as paranoid as them!?" the voice on the cell phone energeticallymented.

    "Well¡­ this should be a special exception, since the owners of this room hid so many things which can¡¯t see the light of day in it." Seiji squinted while grinning at the twins in front of him. "The fact that they¡¯re using such an oundish door shows just how much they¡¯re afraid of someone invading their privacy."

    Rion and Kotomi no longer knew what expressions they had.

    They felt as if everything around them was beginning to teeter, bing distant and hazy, as if they were dreaming.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯ they shouted inside their hearts.

    But the nightmare was just beginning.

    "I feel almost bad about invading such a room, but I received a request from you, and I also have the homeowner¡¯s permission, but the most important part was¡­ I was so excited!" the voice on the phone shouted. "I¡¯ve never been in a fragrant high school girl¡¯s room before! This is a dreame true for me!!"

    "Don¡¯t get so excited¡­ Hey, how did you guys break through that door?"

    "We weren¡¯t able to!" the voice directly stated the truth.

    "What? How could that be!?" Seiji acted as if he were shocked.

    "Well¡­ just joking~ It¡¯s not that we¡¯re unable to break through it, it was just too much of a hassle! So after obtaining Amami-san¡¯s permission, we used another method!"

    "Stop scaring me, damn it! What method did you end up using?"

    "We removed the iron bars from the window and broke through from there! It was much easier than breaking in directly through that ridiculous door with such a high defense value! Even though there were some traps and sensors here as well, it was a simple task to disable them with electronic scramblers!"

    "What a marvelous method¡­ not! You actually stooped to breaking in through the window bars¡ªthere¡¯s no beauty to that!!"

    "Who cares about beauty when entering a room!? We¡¯re not noble thieves!! It¡¯s fine as long as we get in!!!"

    Seiji and the voice on the phone clearly derived enjoyment from their exchange ofments.

    Everyone listened to them in a daze.

    This was almost exactly like a variety show program¡­ apart from the contents of their conversation.

    Seigo Harano actually went and requested a group of people to go talk to Rion and Kotomi¡¯s father in order to obtain his permission and invade the twins¡¯ room!?

    This¡­ this method was just like¡­

    Everyone had no words they could use to describe their feelings! It was impossible to describe!

    But they all realized the same thing.

    The twin witches¡­ perhaps¡­ they were truly done for!!

 Chapter 91 - Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 91: Nightmare</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    While fighting against the witches, he had hispanions perform a sneak attack on the witch¡¯s castle.

    It sounded simple, but what person in real life could think of such an idea and actually carry it out?

    At the very least, none of the karate club members would be able to think of it or pull it off!

    Since they were all just normal high school students, all of them would unconsciously view breaking in and entering as illegal!

    Not even considering the fact of what to do after entering, just entering would give them a mental roadblock.

    But Seigo Harano gave them the answer: go find the homeowner, the twins¡¯ father! He obtained their father¡¯s permission to enter and break the locks.

    Why would their father acquiesce to this type of request? The answer was unexpected but understandable, since even the twins¡¯ father was one of their ckmail victims!

    Even their blood-rted father was one of their victims, proving just how frightening the twin witches were. But precisely for the same reason, they had a critical weakness!

    Just as Seigo said, Amami-san would be more than happy to cooperate with him as long as Amami-san received his freedom and was able to regain his self-dignity as a father!

    And thus, Seigo¡¯spanions assaulted the castle.

    What next?

    "Okay, even though it wasn¡¯t beautiful, at least you seeded in entering," Seigo continued speaking. "Then¡­ did you find what you were supposed to look for?"

    "Of course we did; we¡¯re professionals!" The voice on the phone was filled with pride.

    "USBs, hard drives, notebooks, pictures¡­ Although they cleverly hid the information, everything might as well been transparent to us professionals! But they have such a scary amount! Are you certain this is really the room of two high school girls!? I feel it¡¯s more like the room of a professional spy!?" the voice on the phone energeticallymented on what he found. "Even though the room appears so cute on the surface, it had such things hidden beneath¡­ Itpletely ruined my fantasy!!"

    "My apologies; I made you witness something that destroyed your dream," Seigo apologized sincerely.

    "I¡¯ll ept your apology¡­ Sigh, it was a huge shock for me. But there were interesting things as well, such as panties¡­ No wait¡ªI meant theirputer!"

    "I feel like I just heard your true inner voice speaking."

    "You misheard! I was talking about theirputer! My, my, theirputer was the most impressive of all¡ªit was loaded with so many defenses! The first barrier was breaking through the password filled with puzzle-like mysteries, but in front of my professionalputer skills¡­"

    "Stop! Please skip the professional vocabry and pretentious acting; our audience is filled with normal people!"

    Seigo made a "stop" gesture even though the person on the phone obviously couldn¡¯t see him.

    "Eh? But then I¡¯ll have nothing to brag about."

    "Of course there¡¯s stuff to say! What was hidden on theirputer!? Did you find their online ounts, passwords, and stored information!?" Seigo forcefully retorted.

    "Oh, those, of course I got them all! I¡¯m¡­"

    "Professional! I got it¡ªcut to the chase!"

    "You¡¯re so mean, Harano-kun¡­ Fine, I found and figured out every piece of hidden information on theirputer, as well as all their ounts and passwords," the voice on the phone stated in a rxed manner.

    The casual tone indicated the voice was supremely confident in his own skills.

    Confident to the point that¡­ nobody would doubt the veracity of his statement!

    The karate club members all wanted to start trembling.

    This person¡­ on the phone call, Seigo Harano¡¯spanion¡­ just who exactly was he!?

    A hacker¡­ The karate club members which possessed someputer knowledge figured this much out.

    He was definitely a hacker¡ªa supremely skilled hacker!

    He had the ability to break through the twin witches¡¯puter¡¯s defense and find out all their inte ounts and passwords! This definitely wasn¡¯t something an ordinary hacker could aplish!!

    For Seigo Harano to actually know someone like this, and for him to be capable of making a request of him¡­

    Everyone felt a new sense of fear and respect for the tall figure in front of them.

    "Just who exactly is that on the phone with Seigo?" Mika muttered to herself.

    She always believed that Seiji¡®s only friends were her and Chiaki. Apart from them, he was only acquainted with his other co-workers, the store owner/manager, and some repeat customers and so on¡­

    Wait¡ªperhaps the hacker was a co-worker or repeat customer!

    Was this person really one of Seiji¡¯s co-workers or repeat customers? But someone who could ept such a request and carry it out¡­

    Mika didn¡¯t understand.

    She only felt that Seiji currently seemed to be shrouded in mystery.

    Chiaki was also just as curious.

    She only knew as much as Mika, but now she discovered Seiji had more connections than he appeared to have on the surface.

    No, she didn¡¯t discover it just now! She¡¯d learned itst night!

    Chiaki thought back tost night and the huge secret that Seiji mentioned, which involved both the student council president and her ex-girlfriend Haruka¡­

    Was this formidable hacker who listened to Seiji¡¯s request one of the select few who knew this "secret?" Could he also have some connection to President Yoruhana?

    Thinking about Natsuya Yoruhana, who was the scion of an amazingly powerful family, then considering the fact that Seiji was actually a young master from a simrly powerful family, Chiaki suddenly felt that Seiji being able to find such a person to carry out such a request wasn¡¯t a strange thing at all.

    Rather, this could be said to be¡­ Seiji Haruta¡¯s true power!

    Inparison, the twin witches, who merely ruled over a single grade at Genhana High School, weren¡¯t even close to being on the same level!!

    Seiji gave them so many chances, but the witches still didn¡¯t know what was good for them, so they ended up being looked down upon, being the target of condescension, and being¡­ crushed! Truly¡­ they received their just desserts.

    Chiaki felt this scenario bore resemnce to an adult defeating two children.

    And¡­ in a way, this was how it was.

    Hoshi, who stood closest to Seiji¡¯s side, was plunged into shock as he listened to the conversation between Seiji and the mysterious hacker.

    He was unable to think of anything right now, since Rion and Kotomi¡¯s expressions filled his field of vision.

    Just what kind of expressions were those¡­

    Ashen, gray-white¡­

    The immeasurable despair which clouded his sisters¡¯ faces made them seem like they were going to turn into dust¡­

    This was the expression his twin sisters bore as they were truly forced to the brink after refusing to ept their loss and change for the better!

    Hoshi had no joy in seeing their expressions like this; he merely felt like his mind was going nk.

    But no matter what, he would never forget this scene until he died.

    "You found everything! Nice! As expected of professionals!!" Seiji gave a big thumbs-up to the cell phone.

    "No, we weren¡¯t certain that it was everything, Harano-kun! Since we felt that this room¡¯s owners were truly scary, we searched the entire house one more time out of an abundance of caution, including even the yard!" The voice on the phone began chuckling. "But in the end, we didn¡¯t find anything else! It seems like the high school girls felt like their defense was sufficient¡­"

    "What excellent service!" Seiji wagged his thumbs-up back and forth.

    "Finally, as you requested, and as Amami-san strongly requested, we took the information we discovered¡­ and destroyed everything!"

    As the voice said, Rion and Kotomi acted as though they were truly being executed; they copsed onto the floor with a sudden jerk of their bodies.

    Nightmare¡­ this must all be a nightmare¡­

    Their senses had gone entirely hazy.

    Everything seemed to go dark around them, as they were filled with bone-chilling cold, and light seemed to be leaving the world; it was as if they were falling down a bottomless abyss¡­ falling¡­ dropping¡­

    The nightmare continued with no end in sight.

 Chapter 92 - Freedom

    <h4>Chapter 92: Freedom</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "All their data has beenpletely wiped, any physical information in their notebooks and pictures has been burned, and all their inte files have also been deleted. I took the liberty of changing all their passwords as well. I don¡¯t remember what they are, since I just entered new passwords randomly," the voice on the phone continued in a jovial manner.

    "So, are you satisfied with our service, Harano-kun?"

    "I¡¯m satisfied! I¡¯m satisfied to the max! I give your service and attitude a five-star rating!!" Seiji praised him exaggeratedly.

    "Thank you so much for your excellent review! We¡¯re pleased to be of service!! If you need us again, please call at any time¡ªthe Cream Bunny Family Service Company wees you!!!" the voice on the phone eximed in excitement.

    The Cream Bunny Family Service Company!?

    Just about everyone present noticed the familiar name.

    Cream Bunny¡­ that was the mascot of the massively popr anime "Honey Candy Girl." It was also the costume Seiji had to wear when he first started working for the confectionery store. Just about every young person and teenager on Sakura Ind knew about this character!

    Did thispany really exist? The club members were doubtful, but they still made note of the name.

    "Oh, that¡¯s right, Harano-kun¡ªafter we destroyed all the information, we noticed Amami-san¡¯s expression seemed rather scary, so we asked him if he was dissatisfied with our service. He replied to us by saying¡­ he was thinking about the best way to teach his unfilial daughters a good lesson after they returned home!

    "His expression was truly frightening at that time! It made me want to go hide in a hole. But it¡¯s understandable, since his daughters were involved in something so scary. They had so much ckmail material¡­ just how many people were these girls threatening!?

    "Besides, even their father Amami-san wasn¡¯t spared! These high school girls are just too scary!! Even though they seem beautiful and cute in their pictures, forget about what¡¯s on the outside! If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t date them even if they paid me!! How will they ever find a boyfriend!!!?"

    The voice on the phone kept up his energeticmentary.

    "Yeah, I agree¡­ But you shouldn¡¯t have said all that out loud, since they¡¯re right in front of me, and you¡¯re on speakerphone."

    Seiji looked down at the two girls while smiling rxedly.

    "What!? Really! Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!? You¡¯re pushing me off a cliff here, Harano-kun!!"

    "They heard everything? From the very beginning!? Damn it! How will youpensate for my losses if such scary girls start paying attention to me!!?"

    The voice on the phone sounded pitiful on the surface, but it was clear that he was being sarcastic.

    "Ha¡­ 3-D girls are so dangerous! I¡¯m going back to my 2-D life as you¡¯re too much, Harano-kun! I¡¯m going to have to really take advantage of you the next time we meet!!"

    "Yep, I¡¯ll treat you to a really good meal. I deeply appreciate your assistance." Seiji smiled.

    "You don¡¯t need to thank me so formally; we¡¯re good friends after all." The voice on the phoneughed. "Well then, talk to youter."

    The conversation ended on that note.

    Seiji smirked in satisfaction as he looked down once more on the twin sisters.

    "Your expressions are¡­ simply wonderful."

    He used his cell phone to take a picture of the twin sisters.

    "Yep, not bad at all. It¡¯s an interesting expression that¡¯s worthy of my album. I¡¯ll treasure this picture forever, heh heh¡­ Hahahahaha!"

    His raucousughter resounded throughout the dojo again.

    This time, hisughter, filled with condescension and contempt, caused everyone to shiver!

    Monster¡­ no, he was a demon!

    And as for the witches that were being taunted by the demon¡­ Some people couldn¡¯t help but nce at them with pity-filled eyes.

    Even though they knew that the witches deserved it, this still seemed¡­

    "Hey, hey, at least react a little! It¡¯s quite boring if you just stand there wallowing in despair!" Seiji continued to taunt themughingly. "Tell me what emotions are currently coursing through your veins! Let me interview you¡ªhow do you feel about all the ckmail files you¡¯ve painstakingly collected being destroyed in one go!?

    "Your father is waiting at home for you right now, and when you return, he¡¯ll really give you a ¡®good lesson~¡¯ Just what exactly will he do to you? I¡¯m really curious~ Why don¡¯t you take a guess?"

    Rion and Kotomi didn¡¯t respond at all.

    Seiji continued his tirade. "You¡¯ll definitely be shouted at and beaten, and it¡¯s pretty likely that you¡¯ll be locked up¡­ no, even shackled! Heh, you¡¯ll be locked up like disgusting animals! You¡¯ll be forbidden from leaving, barred from usingputers or cell phones, and confined to a small room. Your father will only give you food and water, and even this he will do grudgingly; he¡¯ll inwardly hate the notion of feeding you¡­

    "Hahaha, merely picturing it is entertaining to say the least! Don¡¯t you agree? While you were having so much fun manipting your father, did you ever consider how frightening he would be if he ever broke free from your control one day?

    "Oh wait, there¡¯s your mother as well! Since you¡¯ve even been threatening your father, perhaps you¡¯ve done the same thing to your mother? When she finds out she¡¯s been liberated, how frightening will her anger and rage be? I¡¯ve heard that women are often scarier than men when their rage is heated to boiling point!

    "Hahahaha! I truly wish I could bear witness to your parents giving you a ¡®good lesson!¡¯ Just imagining it is amusing enough!! I¡­ can¡¯t stop myself fromughing!!!"

    Seiji¡¯s loudughter echoed continuously throughout the dojo.

    Apart from him, nobody dared to make a single sound.

    Everyone was overwhelmed with shock.

    Seigo Harano¡¯s words¡­ were all true.

    Just how would the twins¡¯ parents punish them after all the ckmail material was finally destroyed and they regained freedom¡­ Just imagining it chilled everyone down to their bones!

    Even the karate club members who resented Rion and Kotomi felt a sliver of pity for the twins mixed in with the enjoyment they derived from the witches¡¯ downfall.

    This situation was simply too pitiful.

    Seiji finally calmed down after his fit ofughter. "With this, your final hiding ce has been destroyed. And from now on, the school¡­" He swept his gaze over everyone in the dojo. "¡­everyone here from the karate club is probably either being threatened by you or under your control. This is the only exnation for every single member heeding your summons during lunch break.

    "Your control over them is quite something to behold! Honestly, I was astounded when I saw that the entire karate club gathered here for your sakes without a single person missing! You wield such control over them!!"

    Seiji extended his hands, gesturing at the club members. "This club is basically your army! You¡¯re in control, and youmand them!

    "This club captain or whatever is only your puppet, a marite! No, he¡¯s better than a puppet! As you don¡¯t need to do anything yourselves; he¡¯ll obediently do whatever you say!!"

    Seiji nced at the karate club captain whom his words concentered.

    Kyosuke Akanishi felt a chill followed by a hot flush wash over him. The chill was from his heart, while his face was burning up like fire.

    He was indeed the twin witches¡¯ puppet. The entire karate club knew about it, but nobody mentioned it verbally. Having the truth of the matter dered so bluntly¡­ made him feel a deep sense of shame.

    "And now, the basis of your threats which you used to control everyone¡­ is gone." Seiji retracted his gaze from the captain as he chuckled hoarsely.

    "Everyone here, you heard everything just now. These two no longer have a method tomand you anymore; you¡¯re¡­ all free!"

 Chapter 93 - Once More, the Hero and the Witches

    <h4>Chapter 93: Once More, the Hero and the Witches</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    All the karate club members remained silent, but their eyes shed with an indescribable light.

    "What will all of you do after receiving freedom? I believe that everyone here is a good student, so you guys won¡¯t bully the twins as revenge. But none of you will listen to their orders anymore, and you¡¯ll distance yourselves from them, in addition to letting everyone know the witches no longer possess their ckmail material. Eventually, everyone will learn that the famous twin witches are finished!

    "Just how many students were under their control or being threatened by them? I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure that some among them harbor hatred and will seek revenge!" Seiji let out a burst of mockingughter. "Just like how your parents are going to ¡®educate¡¯ you, there will also be those who seek to exact their vengeance at school!

    "Before, you used to be queens, and you enjoyed the feeling of controlling others with your excellent appearances and behavior. But did you ever pause to consider the repercussions if you happened to lose your position!? You probably didn¡¯t, because your brains have already turned to mush andck the capability to n ahead! Nor do you dare consider the consequences!!

    "But no matter; the fate of a tyrant who loses their power is well known! Newspapers, magazines, television, the inte, even history books¡ªthe examples are everywhere!!

    "You must have seen simr examples as well! You can probably recall them, right!? Just imagine yourselves in their situations! Since you¡¯re going to need to prepare yourselves!! Hahahaha-"

    His cold yet pragmatic taunts and chillingughter echoed in the air.

    This was theugh of a demon.

    Currently, Rion and Kotomi were incapable of doing anything except wallowing in despair.

    They didn¡¯t even have the energy to cry anymore. It was as if they were only empty husks.

    Seiji¡¯sughter finally died down.

    "Your school life will be over. What else do you still have¡­ oh, right, I almost forgot. Even though I had the ck material in your room destroyed, you still have these."

    Seiji bent over and picked up the twin sisters¡¯ cell phones, which they had previously thrown on the floor in a fit of rage.

    This action of his instantly helped Rion and Kotomi to regain their senses as their eyes flickered to life in their ashen-white faces!

    "Cell phones¡­ such a powerful tool. There¡¯s probably some important content hidden in these phones, right? Actually, my true goal in ying with you for so long was simply to watch you, and prevent you from using your cell phones.

    "I agreed to this so-called duel with you on the condition of you two relinquishing your phones, but you two actually gave them up!! Even I didn¡¯t expect to meet with such sess! I felt relieved after changing your cell phones¡¯ passwords, because no matter what your cell phones were capable of, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use them during this time, and that was enough for me."

    Seiji continued his tauntingughter as he manipted a cell phone in each hand.

    "Now, I¡¯m going to delete all the information stored on your cell phones, so that¡­"

    *Whoosh!*

    Although the twin sisters had remained silent, they made a sudden attack while Seiji was speaking!

    The twins mustered every bit of energy they had remaining and put every drop of strength into their fists, as they threw two vicious punches targeted at their opponent¡¯s waist!

    They had been waiting for the best timing.

    Seigo should have been preupied with their cell phones with both his hands.

    As long as they knocked him over and recovered their cell phones, they¡¯d be able to make use of them!

    However, Seiji had anticipated this from the very start.

    In the same moment the sisters began their attack, his foot was raised off the ground.

    *Pound! Smack!*

    With a single sweep of his leg, he viciously kicked both girls in their faces!!

    Rion and Kotomi instantly copsed backwards as their faces slumped down onto the soft mats. Their full-force punches didn¡¯t even reach their intended target.

    "I said it already; I¡¯m not someone who rxes their guard against you."

    Seiji made aical face at them. "Even though I even informed you of this, you still forgot. What idiots!"

    Everyone could only watch on in stunned silence.

    The twin sisters suddenly tried ambushing him, but they were defeated instantly. It all happened so quickly.

    By the time everyone finished blinking, all they saw were the two sisters copsed on the mats, with both their faces beginning to swell up; their beautiful faces were ruined!

    This¡­ was so vicious¡­

    Did he bait them into attacking him¡­

    Another chill ran down everyone¡¯s spines as they contemted this possibility.

    "Return the cell phones to factory settings, confirm yes or no, of course yes¡­ Okay, finished." Seiji showed both cell phones¡¯ screens to the twins after he had finished resetting the phones. "Now these cell phones have nothing in them anymore!

    "Oops, I didn¡¯t get permission for such an action¡­ But it¡¯s not important; I believe that your father Amami-san won¡¯t think badly of me, after all. Maybe he¡¯ll even thank me for it, since I got rid of the final problem!

    "You can feel free to report me for doing so, but how will you report me? Tell the school moralsmittee? I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯ve long been cklisted by them! And you¡¯ve probably been cklisted by the teachers too¡­ It¡¯s impossible for you to report this to your parents, so would you go to the police?

    "Disregarding whether or not the police will care about something as trivial as deleting your cell phones¡¯ information, what will you tell them if they did care? Are you going to say that you had tons of ckmail files on other students, but they were deleted by me, so I did something illegal!? Hahahaha!"

    Seiji let another round ofughter loose as he casually tossed the two cell phones in front of the twins. "Wonderful! Fighting against evil feels so marvelous!! Nobody will help you! Nobody will protect you! Everyone hates you! Any action taken against you counts as justice!!"

    "I! Am a hero of justice!!" Seiji pridefully pointed at himself with his thumb.

    Everyone was dead silent.

    Their gazes were all unfocused.

    Was he¡­ right?

    It sounded like he was¡­ but something felt wrong¡­

    Before anyone had figured it out, Seiji moved once more, as he approached the twins and began stomping on them.

    "Hey, react a little! This is supposed to be a show where the hero of justice faces off against the evil witches! It won¡¯t be a good show if the witches are so pathetic!!"

    He continued to kick the twin sisters repeatedly.

    "Honestly, I thought you¡¯d at least be able to put up a token struggle; you getting defeated like this is so boring! I don¡¯t even have a sense of aplishment! Hey, weren¡¯t you incredible? Weren¡¯t you so arrogant!? If you¡¯re witches, then act like witches for me!!

    "There¡¯s still some things I haven¡¯t told you yet! Such as how I had my partner secretly copy your personal pictures and videos, to put on the inte! This way you¡¯ll be ruined in society as well! You¡¯ll be totally ruined! The only things you¡¯ll have left are your bodies!

    "If you use your beauty, at least you¡¯ll still be able to please some men! Then you can depend on that for your survival!! By going to some sort of secret sex shop, and using your bodies and your low cunning, perhaps you¡¯ll even be the most popr girls¡­"

    "ENOUGH!!!" a thunderous roar interrupted Seiji mid-speech.

    Seiji stopped kicking the twins as he slowly turned his head.

    He saw Hoshi Amami standing there, ring at him with a tear-streaked face.

    "Stop hitting them¡­ don¡¯t say any more¡­ why¡­ why do things to such an extent¡­ Senpai!?"

    Seiji¡¯s arrogant expression slowly disappeared from his face; it had all been just an act.

    "Why? Wasn¡¯t it obvious, junior? It¡¯s because they¡¯re evil! They¡¯re rotten scum, who fail toprehend the meaning of regret! This is what they deserve!"

    "No¡­ Not at all!!!" Hoshi shouted with all his energy.

    Everyone nced at him.

    Even Rion and Kotomi who seemed like they had lost their very wills, slowly turned to look at him.

    "My sisters¡­ my sisters were kind before¡­ they were just like other girls¡­ they¡¯re not¡­ scum¡­" Hoshi¡¯s tears flowed down his face like a waterfall. "They just made a mistake¡­ if they change themselves, they can be good people¡­ Just like¡­ Senpai! Senpai¡­ didn¡¯t you say before that you¡­ used to be so simr to my sisters!?" Hoshi shouted while crying.

    Everyone heard him clearly.

    They all fixed their gazes on Seigo Harano again.

    They saw that his expression was surprisingly calm.

    It was as if¡­ he had been waiting for Hoshi to say this.

    "Ah, indeed. You¡¯re absolutely right, junior."

 Chapter 94 - What They Saw in the Deepest Depths of Their Despairâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 94: What They Saw in the Deepest Depths of Their Despair¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seigo Harano¡­ was once simr to the twin witches!?

    The karate club members had already lost track of how many times they¡¯d been shocked today; they were beginning to feel numb about it all.

    Seiji paid no attention to them as he looked over towards Rion and Kotomi again.

    The twins seemed incredibly pitiful as theyid there on the mats, their faces swollen after receiving a beating from him.

    "Did you see that? Did you hear that? When you lost everything and became ruined, as you fell into the deepest depths of despair. The only people who will help you, and can help you, are those who truly care about you; nobody else."

    He no longer showed condescension or contempt; his words were spoken with utter calmness.

    He stared at the twins¡¯ faces, and he seemed to peer into their very souls. "You relied on ckmail material to threaten and control others and forcefully formed twisted rtionships with those around you. You were lost, so you failed to notice how fragile this type of rtionship truly was.

    "The moment you lose your ckmail material, everything you constructed will have been for naught, and everyone will be your enemy!

    "You¡¯ll bebeled as ¡®evil¡¯ and attacked by ¡®justice!¡¯ You¡¯ll receive a brutal punishment!" Seiji¡¯s words rang clearly throughout the dojo, and each and every sentence carried the force of a weighty hammer.

    "Actually, you could have had something even better. I¡¯m talking about¡­ true connections with other people. I¡¯ve told you before that you¡¯re actually very fortunate girls: you have parents who love you, a kind and caring brother, you¡¯re beautiful and talented, and everyone wants to be friends with you.

    "You were born with silver spoons in your mouths. You were gifted with conditions hundreds, even thousands of times better than those twisted ones you created! But you chose to create such fragile, utterly twisted rtionships with those around you, bound to copse and even turn on you in a moment¡¯s notice!

    "This is akin to abandoning wealth right at your fingertips, and instead choosing to hug a piece of garbage which seems beautiful on the outside!!

    "It¡¯s foolish¡­ to the extreme!!!"

    Seiji looked deeply at the duo, his gaze piercing right into the twins¡¯ cores.

    Within their hearts, Rion and Kotomi were trembling violently.

    "And even though you did such a foolish thing, you took pride in yourselves. You became addicted to adhering to the supposed ¡®truth of this world,¡¯ and unknowingly constructing a kingdom made of trash. Even so, you were still lucky."

    "That¡¯s because there was still something incredibly valuable by your side: your little brother. Even though you enjoyed teasing, humiliating, and doing other extreme things to him, he still believed in you two, and treated and loved you like his close sisters!"

    "Even though you exposed your true selves to him and did even worse things to him, he still¡­ treated you as family!!"

    "After you were swallowed up by your own twisted web, hated by your parents, and abandoned by everyone, who will remain distant from you and regard you as an enemy, he stood by your side. When you fell into endless despair with an iparably cruel situation facing you, and you were being beaten by me, only he stepped forth and defended the two of you!!!"

    "If you still don¡¯t understand even up to now, then your brains must have be absolutely rotten!!!" Seiji roared in a stern voice.

    The twin sisters¡¯ expressions became even more pained.

    At this moment, they had no way to deny his words.

    Since they personally experienced just how easily everything they were once proud of was destroyed!

    And their younger brother that they always ignored and hurt¡­ Hoshi was the only person who still stood up for them after they had lost everything and looked so miserable!!

    Everything Seigo Harano said was indisputable, irrefutable¡­ and it was the truth!!!

    The so-called "truth of the world" they believed in before was nothing more than an immature viewpoint that they possessed; only part of the bigger truth that they had refused to see.

    The world¡­ didn¡¯t work that way all the time.

    "Imagine it: if you weren¡¯t trash that made such a foolish decision, if you weren¡¯t scum that harmed someone who you should have treasured, just how¡­ strong and beautiful you would be today!" Seiji continued his lecture. "It¡¯s something quite easy to imagine; I can see it quite clearly¡­"

    "Your parents would have protected you, your brother would have respected you, all the club members would have trusted in you, and the entire grade would idolize you¡­ People would rely on you, believe in you, and they¡¯d be willing to be your power!"

    "If you ever met with any difficulties or threats, without even needing to ask, countless people would stand up, help you, and protect you! You¡¯d be beautiful, beloved by everyone, you¡¯d be strong to the point where nobody can hurt you."

    "And not like this! Your faces have be swollen, yourplexions are ashen-white, and you¡¯re lying on the mats in such an unsightly manner. You¡¯re getting beaten up and insulted and you¡¯re despairing, while everyone watches on with distant looks on their faces!"

    "Many people are even feeling happy about it, and you can¡¯t request assistance from anyone. Not even your parents wille help you; they¡¯re the ones who loathe you more than anyone!!"

    Seiji took a long, good look at the twins. "How pathetic¡­"

    *Wahh¡­* Tears gushed out of Rion and Kotomi¡¯s eyes once more.

    ¡®Yep, we¡¯re pitiful, just too awful.¡¯

    ¡®We were foolish¡­ to the point of¡­ reaching this ending¡­¡¯

    ¡®Just what¡­ were we doing!!??¡¯

    They were unable to stop their tears.

    Rion and Kotomi looked at each other and saw only stark ugliness¡­ as well as bone-deep regret!

    "This is too pathetic, too ugly; I don¡¯t want to see this anymore," Seiji stated calmly as he turned around and began walking off. "Goodbye, scum."

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi dazedly watched his senpai¡¯s tall figure walk past him.

    Just as he thought Seiji was about to leave, Seiji suddenly halted.

    "As for my junior¡¯s question¡­ I might as well answer it." Seiji didn¡¯t look back as he calmly spoke, his back turned towards everyone. "I used to be scum as well¡­ scummier than even those two currently copsed on the mats.

    "But at the very least, they still have a rtive that stood up for them, but as for me¡­ I¡¯ve already been abandoned by all my rtives. I deserved no less, but in my foolishness I still didn¡¯t realize my misdeeds as I hid alone in a dark corner and stubbornly believed myself to be in the right while hating the entire world and everyone in it."

    "Until¡­ I met with an ident and almost died¡­ in a hriously unbing method. While facing death, in the deepest depths of despair, I finally saw how¡­ rotten I was. Finally, I was awakened. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t toote, or maybe it was already toote¡­ but I tried my best to be¡­ a true human being."

    "And now¡­ I¡¯m the person who stands before you. I¡­ tried my best, junior."

    After hearing these words, Hoshi¡¯s brain, still in a state of disarray, suddenly made the connection and came to a sudden realization.

    Just now, all of Senpai¡¯s¡­ terrible behavior, oundish words, and awful actions¡­ were all for the sake of¡­

    And all of Senpai¡¯s actions actually dug up his old scars!

    He forcefully endured his own pain to do all this!!

    "Senpai¡­ Senpai¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry!!!" Hoshi couldn¡¯t help but cry out loudly aftering to this realization.

    Everyone in the karate club was also moved by this.

    This person¡­ Seigo Harano¡­

    They couldn¡¯t find any words to express their feelings as they looked towards his figure.

    But, deep within their hearts, all of them were moved.

    Rion and Kotomi also heard those words while lying on the mats, and¡­ they were unable to stop the shaking deep within their souls.

    "Seiji¡­" Mika muttered, tears glistening in her eyes as she covered her face.

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes also sparkled wetly.

    ¡®You¡¯ve worked hard, Seiji,¡¯ she thought to herself as she silently watched that tall figure slowly walk to the changing room.

 Chapter 95 - After

    <h4>Chapter 95: After</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    What happened after that?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know.

    After all, he left together with Mika and Chiaki.

    Hoshi stayed behind.

    It was now after school. Seiji had to stay behind and write a self-reflection piece as punishment for skipping sses with no apparent reason.

    Mika and Chiaki naturally apanied him, and both were given the same punishment.

    While writing, the two girls secretly snuck looks at Seiji and discovered that he was merely staring out the window in a daze, his pen motionless in his hand.

    What a memorable scene of this mncholic, handsome youth¡­ Forget it; just take a picture!

    "Chiaki!" Mika scolded her friend when she saw Chiaki taking her cell phone out to snap a picture.

    "Sorry, it was just such a nice scene. I couldn¡¯t help it¡­" Chiaki scratched her head. "Would you like one?"

    Mika¡¯s face reddened slightly as she nodded.

    "What¡­ do you think he¡¯s thinking?" Mika asked after she received a copy of the picture.

    "He¡¯s probably still thinking about what just happened."

    "Mm, I think so as well, since¡­ Seiji is a gentle person."

    "Mm, yeah." Chiaki¡¯s eyes shed as she nced between the boy and Mika. "How much of what happened in the dojo did you understand?"

    Mika blinked as she disyed a thoughtful expression. "I can¡¯t really say¡­ I just felt like everything Seiji did was for their sake¡­"

    "I knew you wouldn¡¯t understand, so allow me to exin for you, Uehara-san!" Chiaki faked a coughing fit and posed, acting as if she were a teacher about to give a lecture. "What you probably care about the most was the second tost scene, where Seiji seemed to turn into a much darker person."

    "That Seiji seemed rather scary, but thinking about it, he was quite cool as well~" Chiaki licked her lips in excitement. "Let¡¯s just call him ¡®Dark Seiji!¡¯"

    "Why are you even making up a special nickname!?" Mika questioned forcefully. "The way he was¡­ I cared a lot about it, because I didn¡¯t like it, but¡­ that was necessary, right?"

    "Seiji must have considered it necessary, and I think he didn¡¯t make any mistakes, because I can¡¯t think of anything better," Chiaki exined. "In my opinion, Seiji turned into ¡®Dark Seiji¡¯ for three purposes!"

    "First, to give the twin sisters a huge impact! Second, to act the part of the viin and awaken Hoshi Amami¡¯s inherent goodness! The above two were fairly easy to understand, but as for the third¡­ I bet you didn¡¯t even think of it." Chiaki chuckled yfully.

    "So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m stupid¡­" Mika pouted.

    "You just didn¡¯t think too deeply into it; you could have perceived it if you considered it a little more." Chiaki pretended to crack a whip before she continued, "His third goal probably aimed to make the karate club members pity the twins and leave them with a sympathetic impression. If the club members regard the twins as people deserving pity, they¡¯re less likely to bully them in the aftermath."

    "After all, those sisters lost their ckmail material, so it¡¯s likely there are many people who seek to take revenge on the twins and bully them. However, after such a performance by Seiji, this possibility was greatly reduced."

    "Oh¡­" Mika nodded in understanding. "That sounds¡­ right."

    "Now, if those twin sisters stay at this school, at the very least¡­ they won¡¯t be as bad off as they could have been."

    "So Seiji took that much into consideration¡­"

    "Yeah, but in the very end, his third goal was just tacked on. The main ones were the first and second goals: to cause the sisters to fall into the depths of despair, before letting Hoshi, the person who cares about them the most,e and save them." Chiaki pretended to crack a whip once more. "This was the most vicious method at Seiji¡¯s disposal; he was forced to use it after the twins refused adhere to their end of the deal."

    Mika nodded in understanding again. "I think¡­ that he was probably sessful, or else Seiji wouldn¡¯t have left like that."

    "Acting the part of someone so terrible¡­ he probably felt the worst about it."

    "Yeah, but he still did it because he¡¯s a gentle idiot." Chiaki smiled gently.

    While the girls were discussing their thoughts with each other, the boy was pondering over his own actions.

    ¡®Whoa, I almost couldn¡¯t act the part out entirely¡­ Man, I can only do something humiliating for so long.¡¯ Seiji sighed. ¡®It¡¯s not easy ying your part at all, Lelouch of the Rebellion!¡¯

    His n could have fallen apart in so many ces.

    The most obvious one was the location of Rion and Kotomi¡¯s ckmail material. If they stored other copies outside of their room¡­ It would be easy enough to search their house, but if there were more stashed away at a location only they knew, the situation could have turned sour.

    But apparently that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The twins put slightly too much trust in their room¡¯s defense¡­ Or perhaps they didn¡¯t feel safe hiding the ckmail material outside¡­ Would they feel insecure about it? Was it too bothersome? Or did they feel assured as they had already saved the information on the inte as well, so they didn¡¯t need to put effort into making physical copies?

    Or did they unconsciously hope in their inner hearts that someone would¡­

    No matter which it was, the twins were rather na?ve about this¡­ If they hadn¡¯t been, Seiji could have taken care of it as well, but it would have been more troublesome.

    Luckily, things didn¡¯t go that way, and nothing he worried about ended up happening, so it counted as his sess.

    As for the effect¡­ it was alright.

    Seiji was certain he finally witnessed true regret disyed on Rion and Kotomi¡¯s faces¡­ it was the expression of people who had had finally realized their wrongs!

    They would probably change for the better now.

    The current problem was their father¡­ and mother.

    Of course, the best result was the twins sincerely admitting their mistakes, their parents forgiving them, Hoshi bing overjoyed, and their family returning to a happy life.

    But that was basically impossible.

    The rtionships within that family had already beenpletely broken down.

    Going back to a normal family¡­ it wasn¡¯t absolutely impossible, but it definitely wouldn¡¯t happen overnight. There needed to be an external factor!

    Seiji yed his final trump card which he¡¯d saved forst here.

    Rika Amami¡ªhis boss, Hoshi and the twins¡¯ aunt, and their father¡¯s younger sister!

    After leaving the scene, he borrowed Chiaki¡¯s cell phone to call Rika and gave her a basic exnation of the situation.

    He also sent a message to Hoshi¡¯s cell phone telling him to go find his aunt and ask for her help as well as personally inform her of everything that had happened.

    This was all he could do.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how the Amami family would be like tonight, nor did he know what the future would hold for them.

    He could only trust in the heart of his cards¡­ whoops, Rika Amami, his strict boss.

    Ahh¡­ he felt a sense of pressure. Seiji was ovee by a sudden feeling of helplessness.

    Beside him, Mika and Chiaki seemed to be chatting about something.

    ¡®They probably felt like I did a really bad job, so although they want to discuss it, they¡¯re kind enough to talk in low voices in order to spare my feelings¡­ how considerate of them.¡¯

    Seiji was touched by what he perceived as the girls¡¯ gentleness.

    ¡­

    Later that night.

    Seiji went out by himself to amercial street and walked into an exquisitely decorated bar.

    The interior was decorated by a mixture of traditional and modern furnishings. This made the bar seem fairly upper-ss, and there were many white-cor workers of both genders drinking and chatting happily.

    Seiji walked upstairs to the second floor, catching sight of the person he came to meet sitting by a window.

    "Hey, Harano-kun!" The person waved at him.

    It was Hisashi Juumonji.

    The mafia boss Michirou Juumonji¡¯s younger son, and a true otaku.

    He was wearing a cotton shirt and long pants. His hair remained messy, and there were still dark circles under his eyes, indicating hecked sleep. As usual, his appearance was wretched.

    Just by judging from his appearance, it would be difficult for anyone to think that he was also a highly skilled investor and hacker and that he possessed such high ability in two different areas. He could probably rise up to the position of a top-level executive in any majorpany.

    Seiji shed a smile as he sat down across from Hisashi.

    "You¡¯re rather early, Juumonji-kun."

    "I didn¡¯t have anything to do, so I came early." Hisashi casually extended his hands and ced a menu in front of Seiji.

    Seiji took a look at the menu, asked Hisashi what he had already ordered, and chose two appetizers and a fruit juice.

    "Thanks for all your help this time."

    After the server took his order, Seiji expressed his gratitude once more in person.

    "I even told you it wasn¡¯t necessary to thank me like this¡­ but I¡¯ll ept it." Hisashi smiled. "I did a good job acting on the phone, didn¡¯t I?"

    "A brilliant job!" Seiji praised him generously.

    The two of them exchanged smiles as they both felt like they were talking with someone who truly understood the other.

    "This is the data that mighte in useful for you." Hisashi took a USB drive out of his shirt pocket. "This is the only copy I made, and there are no backups¡­ By the way, I might as well mention that I didn¡¯t check the contents."

    He ced the USB drive on the table.

    Seiji looked at it for several seconds.

    "You can take it back and delete all the information on it, as it won¡¯t be necessary." He fixed his gaze on Hisashi as he spoke.

    "You¡¯re certain?" Hisashi adjusted his sses.

    "Honestly, no, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to make use of something like this." Seiji smiled thinly.

    Hisashi took a long, deep look at Seiji.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll take this and get rid of the information." He retrieved the USB drive.

    They both remained silent for a few moments.

    Hisashi broke the silence. "Even though I heard some things from you, and I can guess at the rest, I still don¡¯t know everything about this incident. Could you please inform me of the entire story?"

    "Of course." Seiji smiled. "Once I tell you¡­ it¡¯s actually not that big of a deal, to someone from your world."

    At this moment, their order and drinks arrived for them.

    Hisashi raised his beer and nodded at Seiji.

    Seiji raised his fruit juice and reached out towards Hisashi, ss in hand.

    There was a slight ¡®clink¡¯ as the two sses came together.

    Seiji felt satisfied as he gulped down the tasty fruit juice.

    He then thought about how to begin the story. "This incident¡­ was about a pair of idiotic twin sisters, and their even stupider younger brother¡­ it¡¯s a story filled with clumsy foolishness."

 Chapter 96 - Did You Awaken to Something You Shouldnâ€™t Have!?

    <h4>Chapter 96: Did You Awaken to Something You Shouldn¡¯t Have!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji detailed the entire story to Hisashi, who remained silent a few moments, digesting his words.

    "As you say, it¡¯s about a stupid younger brother and a pair of idiotic twin sisters¡­"

    Seiji smiled slightly. "I originally only wanted those sisters to be punished, but the person who they harmed the most still cared for them. As that idiot¡¯s senpai and friend, I could only¡­ do my best to help."

    Hisashi looked deeply at Seiji, smiled, and raised his ss again. "It seems just like what you would do, Harano-kun."

    "Is that apliment, or something else?" Seiji also smiled and raised his ss.

    They made a final toast, their ssesing together with a ¡®clink.¡¯

    Then there was silence.

    "This time, I owe you¡­ you guys a favor, and I¡¯ll return it," Seiji promised. "If you ever require my assistance, let me know."

    Hisashi adjusted his sses. "It wasn¡¯t much; just think of it as helping me find something less boring than usual to do¡­ Besides, just as I mentioned earlier, breaking and entering into a high school girl¡¯s room is an exciting experience I¡¯ve always dreamed about!"

    The first half of the sentence was spoken like a mafia member, but the second half carried the tone of an otaku.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "So don¡¯t mind it. There¡¯s no need to talk about favors." Hisashi shrugged, before he seemed to suddenly recall something.

    "But there is one thing I¡¯d like to invite Harano-kun to participate in."

    "What is it?"

    "I¡¯d like to create a game." Hisashi smiled.

    "A game?" Seiji blinked in surprise. "If you wanted to make a game¡­ shouldn¡¯t it be easy for you?"

    "If I pay money to hire someone, sure, but I don¡¯t want to do that!" Hisashi adjusted his sses as his lens shed.

    "I want to work together with someone who is my equal, someone who shares the same interests as me, but has a different opinion. We can each add our specialized touches to create an excellent game together, filled with our passion and will!"

    Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata¡­ several animes about this type of topic from his previous life shed through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    "You can understand this pure idea of mine, right, Harano-kun!?" Hisashi gesticted with his hands excitedly.

    "Of course!" Seiji¡¯s sses also¡­ whoops, his eyes shed! "Of course I understand your way of thinking, Juumonji-kun, because that¡¯s my wish as well!"

    "Ohh¡ªyou truly know me!" Hisashi was incredibly moved as he reached out his hand.

    "Yep! Then let us work on it together! I¡¯ll ept your invitation dly!" Seiji reached out his own hand in response.

    The two otakus shook each other¡¯s hands.

    After that, they heatedly discussed their ns for their game together for a rather long time¡­

    ¡­

    The next day.

    During school time, Seiji seemed to be brooding over something. He had remained silent for the whole day.

    Mika thought he was still thinking about yesterday¡¯s incident, and although she knew it was slightly inappropriate to ask, she couldn¡¯t restrain her curiosity and ended up asking anyway.

    As a result¡­

    "Make¡­ make a game?" The pigtailed beauty was stunned.

    "Yep, together with a friend¡ªthe same person you heard on the phone yesterday. I¡¯ve decided to make a dating sim together with him!" Seiji told her honestly.

    Seeing Mika¡¯s nk expression, Seiji thought for a while before he decided to give her an exnation.

    "A dating simtion game is also known as a gal game, and it¡¯s mostly focused on capturing¡­ whoops, it¡¯s a romance video game focused on interacting with various beautiful girls, each of whom have different backgrounds and personalities!"

    "Oh¡­ oh." Mika nodded dazedly.

    Truthfully, she still hadn¡¯t understood what this was about, as she was still in a daze.

    "Making an excellent dating sim is a dream that many otakus will have!" Seiji clenched his fist as his excitement peaked. "I already discussed it with him; I¡¯ll create the scenario, and he¡¯ll take care of the coding, but we¡¯re still missing an artist for the graphics and someone to take care of the background music.

    "We definitely won¡¯t make it in time for the holy battle of winter, so our target is the holy battle of summer next year! We¡¯re not tight on time, but nor can we rx. I¡¯m going to start working on the scenario right away, and he¡¯s going to scout for more people. At the minimum we need an artist before we can begin for real!"

    Mika had no words to say in response.

    She could barely manage to understand what he said about the scenario, artist, and coding¡­ but what the hell was a "holy battle!?"

    Plus, a "holy battle of winter" and a "holy battle of summer!?"

    What type of battle was this? Twice a year!?

    A barrage ofments flew past her mind. "Seiji¡­ aren¡¯t you worried about what happened yesterday?" she couldn¡¯t help ask.

    Seiji blinked. "Worried, yeah, but worrying won¡¯t help," he responded calmly. "I already did everything I could. The rest¡­ it¡¯s up to us to believe."

    Mika was slightly moved.

    "Yeah, believing¡­" She nodded as a smile slowly broke out on her face. "They¡¯ll definitely be fine! After all, you worked so hard!"

    "What type of logic is that?" Seiji chuckled.

    "The Uehara family¡¯s logic!" Mikaughed.

    They went together side by side to school, just as normal.

    At the school, they met Chiaki in front of the shoe lockers.

    She was smiling rather strangely.

    "Seigo, here¡¯s a special delivery just for you!" She handed Seiji a light blue envelope.

    Seiji and Mika were filled with questions.

    "This is¡­ a love letter? From you?" Seiji felt that something was abnormal as he took the letter and examined it.

    "It¡¯s a love letter, but I told you it was a delivery. I¡¯m just giving it to you for someone else¡¯s sake~"

    Chiaki kept covering her mouth strangely.

    A plot of some sort¡­ Something definitely smelled fishy about this.

    Seiji was one hundred percent certain that this was a ploy.

    "Who is it from? Is this really a love letter? Will it explode when I open it?"

    "You¡¯ll find out soon enough, so hurry up and read it!" Chiaki kept chuckling.

    Chiaki then hopped over, grasped Mika by the arm, and dragged her away.

    "C¡­ Chiaki? What¡¯s going on!?"

    "I¡¯ll tell you, but juste with me first!" Chiaki dragged her friend towards the ssrooms, then turned her head and shouted one more time, "You absolutely must hurry up and read this!"

    Seiji had a nk expression on his face.

    He stood there motionless, holding the mysterious envelope in his hands. He had no clue what was going on.

    This definitely smelled fishy! What the hell was this!?

    Forget it; he might as well take a look. It probably wouldn¡¯t explode for real¡­ this wasn¡¯t Full Metal Panic, after all.

    Seiji prepared himself mentally as he opened the envelope.

    "I wish to confess my feelings for you. I can¡¯t hold them back anymore, so pleasee as soon as possible to the rooftop. I¡¯m waiting for you~"

    There was only a few unsigned sentences written on the paper.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows; something was clearly abnormal.

    He changed into his school shoes and walked upstairs.

    At this time, the rooftop was usually empty.

    After Seiji arrived, he noticed a blue-haired girl wearing a pure white one-piece dress standing in the corner. She had her back faced towards him and was looking up at the sky. The scene seemed dream-like.

    He walked towards the girl.

    She detected that someone was approaching and turned around daintily.

    Her fine blue hair reached her shoulders, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of sky blue. Her delicate light red lips were pursed together, and her pale face was tinged with a hint of red¡­ She appeared to be a pure yet seductively alluring beauty.

    The blue-haired girl showed off a dazzling smile as she saw the tall and handsome boy approaching here. As she squinted, her eyes shone with a brilliant light.

    "Harano-senpai! I¡­ have always liked you!! Please go out with me!!!" She held a hand over her chest as she worked up her courage to make a soul-felt confession.

    Faced with the beautiful girl¡¯s confession, Seiji¡¯s expression¡­ was cold and steely!

    He continued walking straight towards the beautiful "girl" and raised his hand.

    "Go out with you!? What the hell, bastard!!!?"

    A hard palm-strike to the top of the "girl¡¯s" head apanied his forceful retort!

    "What are you doing to me so early in the morning!? Did you finally awaken to something you shouldn¡¯t have, Hoshi Amami!!!?"

 Chapter 97 - Once Again, This Is All That Happened

    <h4>Chapter 97: Once Again, This Is All That Happened</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Yes, the beautiful blue-haired "girl" was Hoshi Amami wearing female clothing and a wig.

    "Hehe, you saw through me as expected¡­" Hoshi rubbed his head where Seiji had struck him as heughed and stuck out his tongue.

    "Of course I saw through you, idiot!" Seiji struck him lightly on the head one more time.

    "Ouch¡­"

    "Then don¡¯t do such a thing!! Do you realize that right now I really want to fucking beat you up!!?"

    "But Senpai, yesterday you said that you were really looking forward to the ssical scene of being confessed to on a rooftop¡­ I just wanted to do something for you." Hoshi was now cradling his head with both hands as he knelt on the floor. Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.

    "Do something for me!? What the hell!? A boy confessing to me like this will leave me with nothing but a bad memory!!! Also, stop acting cute, you bastard!!"

    Seiji¡¯s roaring rang throughout the entire rooftop, and it seemed to pierce through the heavens.

    ¡®Okay, take a minute to calm down.¡¯

    ¡­

    After a one minute cooling-off period.

    Seiji was finally able to calmly face Hoshi, who had now taken off his wig.

    "Where did you get these clothes and the wig from?"

    "I borrowed them from a ssmate in drama club. Iter learned that she was an acquaintance of Wakaba-san, so I asked my ssmate to contact her, and Wakaba-san helped me¡­"

    "I see."

    Seiji¡¯s face twitched slightly as he recalled Chiaki¡¯s unnatural expression. He felt like he really wanted to beat someone up right now.

    It was definitely a plot, damn it!

    "Honestly, making me see such a thing in the early morning¡­ I feel like all the energy¡¯s been drained from my body."

    "But¡­ Wakaba-san said that Senpai would be happy to see such a scene?" Hoshi nervously poked his index fingers and thumbs together, forming a diamond with his hands.

    "Chiaki!!"

    ¡®There¡¯s a witness statement providing concrete evidence. She is hereby judged guilty, and a beating will be administered to Chiaki the next time I see her!¡¯

    Seiji clenched his fists tightly. "I wouldn¡¯t be happy at all! Even though a trap character can be cute, to me, they¡¯re only cute when they¡¯re in 2-D!!"

    "Oh¡­ How regrettable; I had confidence in myself¡­"

    "What the hell¡¯s with saying it¡¯s regrettable!? Don¡¯t have confidence in yourself in such a strange way!!"

    "But this is just how I am."

    "It doesn¡¯t matter even if it¡¯s true! Anyway, didn¡¯t you want to be manlier!?"

    "Yeah, even though that¡¯s the case¡­" Hoshi smiled. "I¡¯m beginning to feel like being a girl wouldn¡¯t be all that bad either."

    "Stop! If you dare to continue this, be careful as I¡¯ll really beat you up!!!" Seiji forcefullymented.

    ¡®I knew Senpai would react like this,¡¯ Hoshi thought to himself as he smiled wryly.

    ¡®But this is how I really feel, Senpai. There¡¯s no way I can finish expressing all my gratitude and adtion towards you. If there¡¯s another life, I¡¯d want to turn into a girl¡­ But, right now, in this life, I¡¯m a boy. That¡¯s why¡­¡¯

    "Just joking, I¡¯m a boy after all, so¡­ I¡¯ll be stronger in the future." Hoshi looked directly into Seiji¡¯s eyes. "I¡¯ll work hard to improve myself and get stronger, in order to be¡­ someone worthy of being Senpai¡¯s junior!"

    Seiji was stunned.

    He could feel Hoshi¡¯s determination.

    A momentary silence fell between the pair.

    "What¡¯s this about being worthy? You¡¯re my junior regardless of whether you¡¯re worthy or not." Seiji chuckled as he averted his gaze and looked towards the sky.

    "But it¡¯s great that you have the determination to be stronger. Just maintain your spirit, and don¡¯t forget your goal as you continue taking steps forward."

    "Yeah¡­" Hoshi turned around and also looked up at the sky.

    The two of them gazed off into the distance and remained silent for a few seconds.

    "How¡­ is the situation?" Seiji broke the silence first.

    "My sisters¡­ they¡¯re going to leave home and temporarily live with my grandparents," Hoshi said in a soft voice. "And me¡­ I¡¯m also going to leave home and live together with Aunt Rika."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "What about your parents, then?"

    "Grandfather wants them to truly self-reflect on their own actions and decide if they will get a divorce or continue living together¡­ something like that."

    Another brief silence fell.

    "It seems like you must have had quite the imposing family meeting."

    "Yeah, as Senpai instructed me, we talked to Aunt Rika and told her everything. Then¡­ Aunt Rika went and brought along my grandfather and grandmother, as well as my uncle."

    "My grandparents¡­ they¡¯re really strict. Father¡­ he¡¯s afraid of them." Hoshi smiled wistfully. "If only I could have seen the truth much earlier and asked for help¡­ from Aunt Rika, my grandparents, and my uncle¡­ Things wouldn¡¯t have be the way they are today."

    Seiji had no words to say in response.

    "I regret it so much¡­ But I also feel that it¡¯s wonderful how things didn¡¯t turn out even worse. My sisters truly wish to change themselves now, so they¡­ will definitely be better than before under my grandparents¡¯ guardianship.

    "My parents¡­ are being watched over by my uncle, and I think they¡¯ll reflect on themselves as well. I¡¯ll continue to work in my aunt¡¯s confectionery store to train myself and be stronger."

    Hoshi¡¯s smile kept increasing in brilliance as he looked once more at the tall figure besides him. "And I feel like the best part of it all was meeting you, Senpai. Even though I suffered a lot recently, if I think of it as something I needed to go through in order to meet Senpai, I feel like I can ept it all."

    ¡®Thank you for saving me. Thank you for saving my sisters. Thank you for preventing my entire family from sinking into a bottomless abyss. Thank you for everything¡­ I¡¯m grateful to this world for allowing me to meet you.¡¯

    Seiji smiled and turned around to look at the person beside him.

    "Don¡¯t say it like I¡¯m someone incredible, silly. I¡¯m simply your Senpai, as well as your friend; that¡¯s all there is to it."

    That¡¯s all there is to it.

    This was simply another case of "that¡¯s all there is to it."

    Hoshi kept smiling. His current smile was the most joyous smile of his entire lifetime!

    He couldn¡¯t restrain his tears any longer, and they began rolling down his cheeks.

    Ahh¡ªhe hadn¡¯t wanted to cry; he didn¡¯t want to seem unsightly in front of this person anymore.

    But he couldn¡¯t stop himself.

    "Thank you¡­ Senpai¡­"

    "You¡¯ve finally stopped apologizing; at least that¡¯s progress."

    Seiji looked deeply at Hoshi¡¯s brilliantly smiling yet tear-stained face.

    Then, he averted his gaze, turned around, and began walking off.

    "I¡¯ve received your gratitude. No need to be courteous with me, junior."

    He casually waved his hand as he walked off.

    Hoshi etched the handsome figure¡¯s back into his memory and slowly bowed deeply towards Seiji.

    ¡­

    *Ding!* A notification came from Seiji¡¯s system.

    A notification appeared in front of him.

    [A male friend of yours now has a friendship rating towards you of over 100. The [friendship] option is now avable. You can now see your male friends¡¯ friendship ratings towards you, and if a male friend with 60 friendship points or higher gives you any gifts containing their emotions, you¡¯ll also receive rewards through the [gifts] option.]

    [A person now has a favorability or friendship rating towards you of over 100 for the first time. You have now acquired this person¡¯s character reward card.]

    Seiji was speechless at the situation.

    What the hell, favorability¡­ whoops, friendship rating over 100!?

    This¡­ could only be Hoshi.

    If 1 friendship point equaled 1 favorability rating point, then this value¡­ was even higher than Mika¡¯s favorability rating towards him!!

    Seiji received yet another shock from his system.

    Boys actually had a friendship rating, and it could even surpass 100¡­

    When Mika passed 90 points, his system had informed him that she would readily agree to be his intimate girlfriend. Now Hoshi¡¯s friendship rating was over 100, what would he do?

    Heavens, stop imagining such a thing!

    Hoshi Amami! Your friendship is too much for me, hey!!

    Seiji clutched at his face in frustration.

    It was a good thing that a new option appeared, but his current feelings¡­ were indescribable!

    System¡­ this is your idea of a joke, isn¡¯t it!?

    You¡¯re just a freaking dating sim system, but you have an option like [friendship]!? How can this be seen as anything other than a joke!!!

    If Seiji¡¯s anguished mental shouting had been physical in nature, surely his shouting would have pierced the heavens!

    He needed three minutes to calm down.

    No wait, after three minutes, Hoshi will probablye downstairs as well¡­

    Seiji could only sigh to himself as he continued walking.

    He should have been happy about unlocking a new option, but right now he didn¡¯t feel like inspecting it more closely at all.

    When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he suddenly caught sight of two identical beauties standing there.

    It was Rion and Kotomi Amami.

 Chapter 98 - Connections

    <h4>Chapter 98: Connections</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Yesterday night was the longest and slowest night of Rion and Kotomi Amami¡¯s lives.

    Everything they built was destroyed.

    But a new ray of hope shone through their despair.

    They sat in their grandparents¡¯ yard, watching the night sky. In their hearts, they felt a peaceful calmness which they had never felt before.

    Rion, we made so many mistakes.

    Kotomi, we did so many foolish things.

    Foolishly making so many mistakes, doing wrong by so many people, seriously hurting the most important person¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be enough no matter how much they apologized.

    They¡­ were finally able to see just how ugly and terrible their past selves had acted.

    They felt awful, regretful, sad, pained, and yet¡­ a burden had been taken off their shoulders.

    It was as if they''d been released from an invisible dark cage and were able to see the endless sky again.

    The sky wasn¡¯t anything new to them.

    It was something they possessed before, but abandoned unknowingly. Only now did they finally see it again¡­

    It was as if they had truly returned home.

    Ah, so it had been like this.

    Ever since that day when they stumbled upon their father¡¯s secret, they¡­ lost their way.

    They discovered a dark and narrow alley, believed that it was the correct path, and continued walking down it.

    If they had persisted in walking down that path, it was likely they would have remained lost forever.

    However, someone found them and pulled them back onto the path to home.

    One person withstood the terrible agony of digging up his own past scars and reached hisrge hand out to them.

    Another person withstood all the terrible things they had inflicted on him and reached a much smaller hand out to them.

    This is the wrong road;e over to our side!

    Being pulled along by therge hand and the small hand, they finally¡­

    Rion¡­

    Kotomi¡­

    We¡¯ve¡­ returned.

    The lost sisters finally recognized their own misdeeds.

    The two lost little girls finally returned home.

    ¡­

    Seiji merely nced at the twins before he continued walking without missing a beat.

    The bandages on Rion and Kotomi¡¯s faces slightly dampened their beauty, but apart from that, they didn¡¯t seem too different.

    The biggest difference was their eyes.

    Even though he only caught a brief glimpse of them, Seiji saw a clear light shining in the twins¡¯ eyes.

    Maybe they wouldn¡¯t be able to make aplete turnaround so quickly, but they¡¯d still made a good start.

    Anyway, it didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. He no longer had anything to say to them.

    Seiji silently walked in between and past the twins.

    "Seigo Harano¡­" a voice spoke up.

    "We hate you."

    "Since you defeated us so utterly."

    "That¡¯s why¡­"

    "We¡¯ll be stronger¡­ and prettier than before!"

    "Just like you."

    "And then we¡¯ll surpass you."

    "Finally, we¡¯ll overturn things and defeat you!"

    The twins¡¯ voices quavered with emotion as they took turns to speak.

    Doubtlessly, this was something akin to a revenge deration.

    However, it didn¡¯t sound dark at all; instead, it sounded bright.

    Seiji smiled. "If you cane, thene. No matter when, I¡¯m always happy to ept a challenge¡­ Just like I said before, I¡¯ll y with you anytime. Even though you¡¯re older than I am, I¡¯m your senpai in life experience. As former scum, I¡¯ll wait for you¡­ my senpais that are also former scum."

    He left them with that sentence as he walked off.

    Rion and Kotomi¡¯s faces were now covered in tears.

    They only had one sentence left in their hearts that they couldn¡¯t say, wouldn¡¯t say, didn¡¯t dare to say, but they would say eventually one day: "Thank you."

    ¡­

    *Ding!* Seiji received yet another notification from the system as a block of text appeared in front of him.

    [A female character now has a connection rating that¡¯s 50 points higher than their favorability rating, so your [connections] option is now avable. You may now inspect all connection ratings of all characters with over 50 favorability/friendship/connection points.]

    [Two female characters have a connection rating that¡¯s 50 points higher than their favorability rating; you¡¯ve received the special reward of [Item Duplication card!]]

    [A male character has a connection to you of over 100 points, and you¡¯ve already received his character reward card. His character reward card has now been increased in level!]

    Connection rating?

    Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    ¡®Something wondrous hase out again. You¡¯ve been quite active today, system of mine.¡¯

    Two female characters with a connection of over 50 points¡­ This could only be talking about the twins.

    Just what exactly did that sentence mean? What exactly was¡­ a connection rating?

    Seiji was curious about his new option.

    He returned to the ssroom.

    "How did it feel, Seigo? Receiving the forbidden love confession from your middle school junior! Allow me to interview you¡­ Eek!!"

    Chiaki greeted him with an evil grin, but instantly received a merciless blow, causing her to copse onto her desk.

    Mika and all the other students were shocked into speechlessness.

    Yep, everything was peaceful and calm today in Year 1, ss 5.

    There were a few minutes remaining before ss started.

    Seiji heldplex emotions towards Hoshi¡¯s prank on him, but he still needed to check out his system¡¯s new options.

    Seiji opened up his system¡¯s menu.

    First, he checked the [connections] option.

    ording to the system¡¯s exnation, a connection rating meant how strongly a boy or girl was connected to him, and it usually had a direct rtionship to favorability or friendship rating, but it was also independent.

    Typically speaking, the connection rating would increase in tandem with favorability and friendship rating, but there were also exceptions.

    Seiji understood it as a ssic example of the two main characters of the anime Naruto.

    Before Naruto and Sasuke finally made up with each other, their favorability towards each other¡­ whoops, friendship towards each other definitely would have had a low value, but their connection to each other would be strong.

    Hmm¡­ at least from Sasuke¡¯s angle, his connection rating to Naruto must have been at the max! It was probably so high that Sasuke wanted to kill Naruto.

    After Seiji suddenly thought about Hoshi, he felt like he could understand Sasuke¡¯s feelings a little bit better!

    *Cough cough.* Seiji veered himself away from that line of thought.

    At any rate, this was what connection rating meant. Now that he understood it, if he looked at it more closely¡­

    Mika¡¯s connection rating with him was simr to her favorability rating towards him. Chiaki¡¯s connection rating was higher than favorability rating; in conclusion, both of them seemed normal.

    Hoshi¡­ er, Seiji decided to skip over him.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami¡­ both of their favorability ratings were about 30, but their connection ratings¡­ were both over 90!!

    Seiji squinted at the number for several seconds to make sure it was real.

    That was right; it was over 90!

    This number was even higher than Chiaki¡¯s connection to him! They were at the same level as Mika!!

    Was this¡­ two female versions of Naruto!?

    No, no, that didn¡¯t feel right!

    Then¡­ two female versions of Sasuke?

    It still didn¡¯t seem right!

    Seiji¡¯s thoughts were thrown into disarray.

    Okay then, mix it up; two female Sasukes with Naruto¡¯s connection rating!

    That was much better¡­ not!!

    What the hell was with his chaotic analogy!? An endless barrage ofments flew through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    But he still couldn¡¯t think of any better way to understand this.

    He really wanted to ask someone for help regarding this matter!

    Seiji sighed deeply. ¡®Forget it¡­ this probably isn¡¯t something that¡¯s bad anyway.¡¯

    Seiji finally decided to leave this matter alone.

    ¡®Let¡¯s take a look at the actual rewards.¡¯

    Two female characters with a connection rating 50 points higher than their favorability led to him receiving a reward called the [Item Duplication card].

    When Seiji looked at this in his [items], he was stunned!

    ¡®Wtf, this is¡­ a godly card!¡¯

    It had no effect on skill activation or ability learning cards. But it could duplicate precious one-time items like [encouraging heart]; in short, it was basically an extra copy he could use at any time he wanted!

    Really¡­ an excellent reward.

    Duplication¡­ Seiji couldn¡¯t help wondering about those twins. Did he receive this as a reward because he reached the condition required, or was it because he reached the condition with the twins?

    This was something only the system would know.

    Seiji was still filled withplex emotions as he finally took a look at Hoshi Amami¡¯s [character reward card].

    Although he was mentally prepared for any possibility, he was still shocked when he read the card¡¯s effects!

 Chapter 99 - Character Reward Card

    <h4>Chapter 99: Character Reward Card</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    [Character reward card "Hoshi Amami"¡ªin my eyes, you¡¯re the light itself.]

    [This card will have an evesting passive effect. This card cannot be used or disappear.]

    [All basic stats increased by a bonus of 2 points. (Connection rating has surpassed 100; another 1 point bonus awarded to all basic stats.)]

    [Encouragement effect improved by 20% for all characters with optimistic or bright personalities. (Extra 10% awarded for connection rating.)]

    [Suppression effect improved by 20% against all characters with negative or dark personalities. (Extra 10% awarded for connection rating.)]

    [Additional ability 1: Light which dissipates darkness from the brink of despair.]

    [After using this ability, energy and mental spirit will be restored to the maximum value. In the following two minutes (extra 1 minute awarded for connection rating), nothing you do will consume your energy or mental spirit. Limited to one use per day. "In the deepest depths of despair, one ray of light heralds hope!"]

    [Additional ability 2: Lightning Strike (fighting skill activation necessary.)]

    [Fighting suppression-type skill: A strike at lightning speed (Consumption of energy and mental spirit decreased by 35% due to connection rating). Energy and mental spirit will be consumed. "The power of lightning is contained within my fist!"]

    [Additional ability 3: Writing with the power of light (writing skill activation necessary.)]

    [Writing passive skill: Increases ability to write about optimistic or bright characters by 50%. The written product¡¯s ability to draw in readers will be increased. Mental spirit level will be consumed (35% extra writing ability and 10% reduced mental spirit consumption due to connection rating). "Take a good look; this is light in physical form!"]

    [Additional ability 4: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 5: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    ¡­

    Seiji¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he read over the character reward card.

    What¡­ where did this piece of godly equipmente from!?

    After he finally regained his senses, this was the first thought that popped into his mind. This reward card was akin to obtaining a mega-powerful piece of equipment in an MMORPG game.

    This character reward card couldn¡¯t be used or lost¡­ wasn¡¯t that just like an item bound to his ount?

    And it had so many effects, and all of them seemed rather powerful! Judging by the number of effects listed, it totally seemed like a piece of orange-grade legendary equipment!

    And the card even contained quotations about the effects. It all seemed so pretentious¡­

    Even without the quotations, the card names and effects already seemed like a full onught of middle school syndrome¡­ no, pretentiousness.

    ¡®Alright, calm down a little.¡¯

    Seiji really wanted to make morements about the quotations, but he felt helpless about it, so he decided to leave it for the moment.

    Taking another look at the effects, +3 to all stats for the first one¡­ ording to his system, the +3 was a bonus which didn¡¯t count towards his base stats.

    This meant that if his base stats had a maximum cap of 100, and Seiji raised something like [academics] or [physical ability] to the cap of 100, this +3 effect would still take ce, so he could increase his stats beyond the limit!

    Seiji had already discovered that the higher his base stats went, the more difficult it was to raise them.

    His [academics] and [physical ability] stats had increased rapidly in the beginning, but it was now incredibly difficult to raise them any higher. It felt like he was approaching a bottleneck.

    Seiji was certain that a bottleneck really existed.

    After all, this was realistic. The more you increased your stats, the more difficult it would be to further increase them.

    Otherwise, if he could continue to raise them limitlessly¡­ [physical ability] alone would turn him into One Punch Man without even needing three years¡¯ time to train.

    That was why the bonus +3 to all stats was so valuable! As Seiji''s stats reached closer to his stat cap, the value of this passive ability would increase proportionally.

    Next, the two bonus effects which encouraged bright characters and suppressed dark characters.

    Seiji¡¯s understanding of this effect was that it would be easier for him to cause fear or worry in people with dark, negative personalities. And, inversely, it would be easier for him to encourage and boost the morale of bright, optimistic personalities.

    Although it was difficult to envision the effects, it still sounded useful.

    Not only that, there were a total of¡­ 5 added extra abilities!

    This was truly a piece of legendary equipment!

    *Cough cough¡­* He was getting off topic again.

    Of the 5 abilities, only 3 were disyed as active.

    The other 2 were inactive, and their information window was filled with question marks. The prerequisite he needed to fulfill was probably rted to with activating other skill areas.

    As for the 3 abilities he already had¡­

    [Light that dissipates despair from the brink] was equal to yet another full recovery plus three minutes of a superhero state¡­ whoops, three minutes of using abilities with no cost!

    If hebined this ability together with [Bullet Time], or the other additional ability, [Lightning Strike], it seemed like an excellentbination!

    Seiji tried imagining what would happen if he used [Light that dissipates despair from the brink], [Bullet Time], and [Lightning Strike] in tandem on a really strong opponent¡­ Whoa, it seemed like his attack rating would go through the roof! It carried the wonderful feeling of using an ultimate ability!!

    Yep, this definitely worked; it definitely seemed possible!

    Seiji couldn¡¯t restrain himself from breaking into a smile.

    Even though he¡¯d only met low-stat opponents¡­ whoops, people weaker than him, he still didn¡¯t forget that this world had a hidden side to it. Spirit-branded Retainers¡­ Yin Yang Masters¡­ and so on.

    No matter what, bing stronger was never a bad thing.

    [Light that dissipates despair from the brink] was doubtlessly a godly ability.

    As for [Lightning Strike], the other ability, apart from being able to work in tandem with the first ability, it was a suppressive ability, not an ultimate ability. Hitting someone with it wouldn¡¯t kill them¡­ probably.

    This meant that he could use it on normal people without worrying about the aftermath too much. The drawback was that while the attack was fast, its power wascking, and it would take many hits to defeat a truly strong opponent. The strongest advantage of speed lied in aiming at the opponent''s weak spots.

    Yep, it seemed like a normal fighting ability. Of course, when used inbination with [light that dissipates despair from the brink] and [Bullet Time], it turned godly.

    The final ability, [writing with the power of light], was the only one usable in daily life as it was a passive buff to his writing skill.

    Seiji decided to test out the buff''s strength immediately.

    He grabbed a pen lying nearby and opened his notebook.

    Then, he began to imagine.

    A girl wearing a holy crown was clothed in white ceremonial clothing. She stood alone, surrounded by pure white flowers, disying a beautiful, pearl-white smile¡­

    *Swish¡­* His pen instantly began moving.

    While writing, a subtle feeling of heat coursed through Seiji''s fingers. He concentrated, allowing the warm feeling to spread throughout his entire hand.

    [Writing with the power of light] activated!

    After a short pause, words instantly began flowing out from his pen, describing the character and scene that Seiji wanted.

    *Swish swish swish¡­* Finished.

    It took only a few minutes to finish writing.

    Seiji¡¯s eyes instantly lit up as he read his own writing.

    Amazing!

    The words on his notebook described a holy girl smiling livelily in a flower garden.

    Although the word count wasn¡¯t high, it was easy enough for readers to imagine that beautiful and saintly scene and feel as if this girl was wonderful, pure, and holy.

    Seiji read it for quite a while. Then, he tried to write the exact same scene without making use of his passive ability.

    Afterparing the two finished products, he noticed a significant difference!

    While his writing when he didn''t use his newly acquired ability wasn''t bad, it still seemedcking inparison to when he used the ability. It was basically like the difference between a neer to writing and a veteran author.

    Seiji finally had a measure of how useful his ability was.

    "It¡¯s quite strong, but not easy to use¡­" He rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    After all, if he wrote a light novel, his ability would make the bright, sunny characters stand out, which caused the other characters to pale inparison and thus affect the entire story¡¯s bnce between its characters.

    This limited its usage, which was why he said it wasn¡¯t easy to use.

    But the ability was a strong one, and writing a light novel with a bright and sunny main character was something he could consider.

    Seiji suddenly had another idea: he could simply make all the main characters into the bright and sunny type!

    A group of bright and sunny characters¡­ like a group of holy knights?

    This seemed like a good idea!

    Seiji was unable to stop his imagination from running wild.

    Holy knights¡­ a school¡­ a youth who aimed to be the strongest knight¡­ the holy girl in the flower garden¡­ ssical¡­ cliffhanger¡­ sudden downturn¡­

    ¡®Even though writing a ssical story that the general audience would like is fine, in the end I still want to write something rxed and more interesting to me!

    ¡®The female main character is a clumsy and dense girl who wants to be the strongest knight, and the male main character¡­ let¡¯s make him into a highly skilled otaku who wanted to be a priest acolyte but identally became a student at the holy knight academy!

    ¡®The story¡¯s temporary working name shall be "There¡¯s Definitely Something Wrong with My Holy Knight Career Path!"¡¯

 Chapter 100 - Hello, Iâ€™m Living Next Door Starting from Today

    <h4>Chapter 100: Hello, I¡¯m Living Next Door Starting from Today</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    During ss, Seiji spent about half an hour writing the character settings for "There¡¯s Definitely Something Wrong with My Holy Knight Career Path!"

    After using his newfound writing skill several times in a row, he noticed that his concentration level was rapidly decreasing. He realized that this was an aftereffect of draining his mental spirit.

    "Concentration" was also connected to "mental spirit," so using it up would affect his mental acuteness. Seiji could feel a tangible difference now that his mental spirit was depleted.

    Energy and mental spirit¡­ perhaps they were the equivalents of HP and MP, but it was rather inconvenient that Seiji was unable to view a physical stat for these two values.

    ¡®System, could you help me out with this matter?¡¯

    Naturally, the system didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡®Fine, it¡¯s a dating sim system, not an RPG game system. I¡¯ll give it some allowance.¡¯

    After making thosements to himself, Seijizily stretched before standing up.

    An ordinary and peaceful school life awaited him.

    Everything that urred yesterday happened in the course of a single day, but it seemed to take a lot longer than that.

    "Heh heh, Seigo¡­" The tomboy grinned evilly as she approached him.

    "If you dare to bring up what happened this morning one more time, be careful ¡®cause I¡¯ll hit you again!"

    "Eek! So violent~"

    "Stop pretending like you¡¯re a masochist!"

    "Seigo¡­" Mika started.

    "Mm? Mika, what¡¯s the matter?"

    "Um, I¡¯m actually a little curious¡­" The pigtailed beauty was acting bashful. "That person¡­ was he beautiful after wearing female clothing and a wig? Did you take a picture of him?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a full three seconds by the unexpected attack before he was able toe up with a forceful retort. "Who would take a picture of that!!?"

    A peaceful and joyous daily life was indeed the best¡­ right?

    ¡­

    After sses had ended in the afternoon.

    Seiji received a text message during lunch break, so he headed for the student council office at this time.

    After he arrived.

    "These¡­ I¡¯ll leave them to you, Haruta-kun."

    Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s expression was serious as she ced a leather briefcase in front of Seiji.

    "The talismans are inside?" Seiji took the briefcase and tested its weight.

    Natsuya sighed. "Yeah. I made them as quickly as I could. Please take great care with them as you make your delivery."

    Seiji nodded. "I will."

    From what Seiji could see, the student council president seemed rather haggardpared to her normal appearance. Her paleplexion added a different touch to her beauty; she now seemed weak and lovely.

    She was probably fatigued from creating such arge amount of talismans.

    "I¡¯ll take these immediately over to them¡­ As for how to use the talismans, it¡¯s fine to just have people walking about while carrying a talisman on their bodies, correct?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s the case."

    "Understood. I¡¯ll be leaving then." Seiji stopped before he turned around and said, "Take a good rest, Prez; yourplexion doesn¡¯t seem so good."

    A hint of surprise showed on Natsuya¡¯s face, before she disyed a soft and gentle smile. "I don¡¯t really have the time to rest¡­ But thanks for your concern, Haruta-kun."

    The beautiful missus¡¯ smile in her slightly weakened state was a sight to behold.

    ¡®This smile was definitely worth the trip!¡¯ Seiji praised it in his heart.

    Seiji finally left the student council room.

    The leather briefcase filled with talismans wasn¡¯t heavy at all.

    But as he thought about what they signified, Seiji felt the briefcase¡¯s weight increase.

    After he delivered the briefcase, the strengthening of the detection spell would begin. After that, the attempt to stop the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer would begin, and Hitaka Shuho would do battle with the Snow Girl.

    A battle between Spirit-branded Retainers¡­ how would that look like? And what would the result be?

    Seiji didn¡¯t have a strong impression of Hitaka Shuho. After all, he¡¯d only met her twice, and the red-haired girl had always acted cold towards him. They¡¯d barely exchanged any words, but still¡­ she was someone he knew; someone he¡¯d shared tea together with.

    What was she like as a Spirit-branded Retainer? Would she be injured, or even¡­ die in battle against the enemy?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know.

    This uing Yin Yang Master duel could have possible repercussions for the entire school. The duel would begin soon, and he knew what would happen, but he couldn¡¯t predict the result.

    ¡®Forget it; I should stop thinking about it. It would be better to believe that Hitaka will be able to defeat her opponent, and Natsuya will end up victorious in this duel.¡¯

    At least for the time being¡­

    Seiji left school carrying the leather briefcase.

    He didn¡¯t notice that a pair of eyes were watching him from afar.

    "Seigo Harano¡­" a voice softly spoke his name, and the sound quickly dissipated into the wind.

    The leather briefcase was sessfully delivered to the Juumonji group.

    Michirou Juumonji¡¯s expression was grave as he received the briefcase and promised that he would handle the talismans carefully.

    Just likest time, Seiji politely rejected the invitation to eat dinner with the Juumonji family.

    Also, just likest time, Michirou didn¡¯t insist. His eyes shed with an enigmatic light as he politely said goodbye.

    What was going on?

    One time didn¡¯t mean much, but for this to happen twice¡­ Seiji felt something was slightly abnormal. Not because of Michirou not insisting on dinner, but because of Michirou¡¯s strange attitude!

    It didn¡¯t seem like malice or a plot of some sort, and it was difficult to describe.

    He didn¡¯t understand it at all.

    Seiji was toozy to think more deeply into Michirou¡¯s motives.

    He didn¡¯t expect that he wouldn¡¯t need to think about it anymore, since he would learn about it soon!

    Seiji returned to his apartment.

    He had only rested inside for a minute when he heard a knock on his door.

    ¡®Is it Mika?¡¯ Seiji stood up and opened the door.

    And the result was¡­

    "Hello, I¡¯m living next door starting from today, so please take good care of me."

    He was greeted by the sight of a beautiful girl with curly blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and a delicate appearance smiling at him brightly. The girl wore a light blue one-piece dress and exuded a seemingly gentle aura.

    Please take good care¡­ what the hell!?

    Seiji stared at the beauty in front of him in astonishment. "You¡­ you¡¯re living next door?"

    "Yep, this is a moving-in present for you. My dear neighbor, please don¡¯t mind this insignificant present and receive it." The blonde girl held out an exquisitely packaged cake towards Seiji.

    "Oh, thanks¡­ what the hell!" Seiji almost reflexively epted the present, but he instantly recovered his senses. "You¡¯re living next door starting from today!? What¡¯s going on, Kaede Juumonji-san!!?"

    That¡¯s right; this gentle blonde beauty happened to be the daughter of Michirou Juumonji, who he had just talked to. She was a mafia boss¡¯s daughter!

    Kaede shed a pretty smile. "I want to temporarily leave home and live by myself, and my father agreed, that¡¯s all!"

    It sounded quite normal, but that wasn¡¯t the problem!

    "I want to ask why you¡¯re living here!? You¡¯re¡­ a missus from a respectable family! And this is a simple low-ss apartment!"

    "My apologies for this being a low-ss apartment." Nozomi Uehara suddenly appeared out of nowhere and let out a sigh.

    "Ah¡­ Mrs. Landlord!?" Seiji was surprised by her arrival. "No¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant! I meant¡­"

    "Harano-kun, you don¡¯t need to try and exin; this isn¡¯t a high-ss apartment anyways." Nozomi didn¡¯t seem to mind too much as she looked at the blonde-haired girl and continued, "That¡¯s why I was curious as well: why would a beauty like Juumonji-san who is ustomed to afortable life want to live here? I asked her this question already.

    "She told me that she was an acquaintance of yours, Harano-kun, and that she knew you lived here¡­ She didn¡¯t bring too much money from her home, so living here next to you would help her save money as well as giving her a feeling of safety."

    Nozomi fixed her eyes on the handsome boy. "This apartment¡¯s greatest benefit is the cheap rent. As for a feeling of safety¡­ Harano-kun, did something happen between you and Juumonji-san in the past? Exactly what type of rtionship do the two of you have?"

    Thendlord¡¯s amber eyes, which bore a strong resemnce to Mika¡¯s, blinked repeatedly and shone with a curious light.

 Chapter 101 - I Donâ€™t Need to Know Your Feelings Towards My Younger Sister!

    <h4>Chapter 101: I Don¡¯t Need to Know Your Feelings Towards My Younger Sister!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji didn¡¯t get a chance to answer Nozomi Uehara¡¯s question as Kaede had already answered for him.

    "Harano-kun saved me once before! On the street¡­ when I was being harassed by someone, he acted the part of the hero and saved me."

    Nozomi looked at her searchingly upon hearing this. She noticed the blonde beauty had a coy look in her eyes and was blushing slightly.

    "That¡¯s why I¡­ feel gratitude towards Harano-kun, and I know that he¡¯s a really strong boy. I¡¯ll feel very safe being by his side."

    Seiji had no idea what to say to all this.

    Nozomi covered her mouth to suppress a smile as the curiosity in her eyes changed into a look of understanding. She looked back and forth between Kaede and Seiji.

    "I see. I understand now; this¡­ is just like my daughter¡¯s situation."

    ¡®Hehehe, Haruta-kun, you¡¯re such a¡­¡¯

    All of Seiji¡¯s hairs stood on edge as he saw thendlord¡¯s smile, which was filled with such deep meaning!

    Mrs. Uehara, just what exactly does that expression of yours mean!?

    I¡¯m still inexperienced and can¡¯t understand it!

    "Oh my, the same as your daughter?" Kaede blinked innocently and disyed an enigmatic smile. "Your daughter¡­ was also saved by Harano-kun in the past?"

    "Yep, Harano-kun is a wonderful boy¡­ My daughter currently has an excellent rtionship with him."

    Nozomi and Kaede exchanged nces as their smiles remained unfaltering, but it seemed like something beneath the surface had imperceptibly changed.

    Oh ho ho ho¡­

    Seiji felt that the scene of these two beauties smiling subtly at each other was horrifying. It seemed too perfect on the surface!

    Perfect to the point where he found it difficult to tolerate; he really wanted to escape from here!

    "Is that so? I¡¯d really like to meet your daughter, then. I think¡­ I¡¯ll definitely have somemon interests to discuss with her." Kaede¡¯s smile remained stered on her face.

    "I sent Mika out on a shopping errand, and there are many things on her shopping list, so she¡¯ll be away for quite some time." Nozomi smiled as she looked back at Seiji again. "By the way, Harano-kun, if you¡¯re currently free, could you go give Mika some assistance?"

    "Of course!" Seiji instantly agreed.

    He normally wouldn¡¯t have refused such a request anyways. But for some reason, he had an ominous premonition that something frightening would happen if he refused this request.

    Nozomi¡¯s smile seemed quite joyous.

    "Thank you. I knew Harano-kun would be reliable¡­ Juumonji-san, as you just witnessed, if you wish to have a conversation with Harano-kun, you¡¯ll have to wait for next time. My apologies."

    Kaede¡¯s smile seemed to change slightly.

    "It¡¯s not a problem. I have plenty of time¡­ but instead of waiting for next time, I¡¯d prefer to go together with Harano-kun, with the added convenience of being able to meet your daughter."

    "Oh?" Nozomi¡¯s eyes shed with a strange light as she looked at Kaede. "You want to go together with Harano-kun? You barely just moved in; don¡¯t you need to organize your room?"

    "I can organize my roomter," Kaede stated.

    "No, you should take care of such a thing immediately. If you dy organizing your room, you¡¯ll leave it until reallyte, which means that you won¡¯t have a good rest tonight." Nozomi sped her hands. "You¡¯re a young missus, so living in such an apartment must be challenging for you. If you just leave your room in a messy state, not only will you feel ufortable, it¡¯ll also seem¡­ unsightly, don¡¯t you agree?"

    Thendlord showed off what it really meant to be andlord!

    Seiji felt as if he had been enlightened after witnessing such pressure being emitted by Nozomi¡¯s seemingly gentle words! He had witnessed a new, unfamiliar side to Mika¡¯s mother.

    Kaede¡¯s expression changed slightly as she took a deep look at the handsome boy.

    "O¡­ Okay, you¡¯re right. I should properly organize my things." Kaede¡¯s smile seemed a little forced now.

    "Then let¡¯s go do that right now." Nozomi was still smiling enigmatically as she turned her gaze towards Seiji, using her eyes to indicate he should go.

    "I¡¯ll go and find Mika right away!" Seiji eximed.

    Even though he wasn¡¯t really sure what just happened, he knew that he should just go and do what he was supposed to do.

    And thus he left his apartment even though he had just arrived home.

    ¡®The mafia missus became my neighbor¡­ why does it make me feel like I¡¯m in a romance television drama? Have I seen such a situation before?¡¯ Seiji was thinking random things as he walked.

    Fine, he simply wanted to run away from the situation.

    But now that it happened, he had to face it!

    Seiji sighed as he called a number on his cell phone.

    "Hey, Seigo, what¡¯s up?"

    When Seiji made an agreement with Hisashist night about creating a game together, they started addressing each other by their first names.

    "What¡¯s up? That¡¯s what I want to ask, Hisashi! Why is your younger sister living next door to me?" Seiji inquired.

    "What? My younger sister? Kaede, she¡­" There was a pause on the other side of the phone. "Oh, right¡­ I think she said something about that, and I was going to tell you, but I identally forgot. Hahaha."

    "Why the hell are youughing!? You shouldn¡¯t forget such a thing!" Seiji forcefullymented.

    "That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t feel like it was anything important¡­" Hisashi faked a coughing fit. "Okay, my bad; it was my mistake," Hisashi apologized. "Did Kaede inconvenience you by doing such a thing?"

    "It wasn¡¯t much of an inconvenience. I only received a huge shock! I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s¡­"

    "You really don¡¯t understand, Seigo!?" Hisashi interrupted Seiji before he could finish. "My younger sister¡¯s motives should be totally obvious, Seigo! You should be able to figure it out."

    Seiji remained silent for a moment before sighing.

    "Fine¡­ cough, your sister, Kaede Juumonji, is a nice girl, but¡­"

    "I don¡¯t need to know your feelings towards my younger sister! That¡¯s something she needs to know. She likes you and wants to go out with you; that¡¯s why she went to the trouble of living next door to you. That¡¯s all there is to it!" Hisashi went with the direct approach.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Kaede fell in love with you at first sight, Seigo¡­ Seiji Haruta!" Hisashi continued. "As her older brother, I can definitely tell you that this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen her fall so deeply in love! In fact you¡¯re basically her first love!!

    "She wants to be together with you, and like my father, I¡¯m happy to let her do so. Her method and actions are her business. Of course, if Kaede asks me, I¡¯ll give her my advice, but I won¡¯t needlessly interfere with anything. The same applies for my father.

    "You can think of it as moreplicated than it really is, or simpler; it¡¯s all up to you. How you respond to her feelings is also up to you."

    Seiji clutched his forehead wordlessly.

    "Perhaps now you¡¯re feeling inconvenienced, but that¡¯s what you get for being so handsome and strong! Just take responsibility like a man! Hahahaha¡ª eh, why is my face getting wet?

    "Fine, I admit it¡ªI¡¯m actually a little angry! Seigo¡­ no, Seiji, I¡¯m jealous of you, you overly popr handsome person! You can obtain a girl¡¯s wholehearted love with ease, and it¡¯s even my sister¡¯s!!

    "I¡¯m already at this age, and I¡¯ve never received such deep love! Even though 2-D girls are my true love, I still have a few expectations from the 3-D world. I want to be loved by a real beauty as well!!!"

    Seiji hung up the call without saying anything.

    A few momentster, his cell phone started ringing again.

    He took the call.

    "Wahh¡­ take good care of my sister, damn it! Also¡­ go explode and die somewhere, you popr and handsome winner of life!!" frenzied shouting which felt like it came from Hisashi¡¯s soul could be heard from the cell phone.

    Seiji hung up wordlessly once more as he gazed off into the distance.

    Ah, the setting sun¡­ How beautiful it was¡­

 Chapter 102 - Letâ€™s Practice the Alphabet!

    <h4>Chapter 102: Let¡¯s Practice the Alphabet!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    While shopping, Mika suddenly received a text message from her mother.

    "The new tenant who moved next door to Haruta-kun is a young missus who fell in love with him after being saved, just like you."

    It wasn¡¯t a long sentence, but a lot of information was contained within it.

    A wave of anxiety swept over Mika.

    She was already aware that a female blonde beauty was bing a tenant today. She knew the beauty requested to live in the apartment adjacent to Seiji¡¯s, iming she was familiar with him.

    Mika had an ominous premonition about it at the time, and now her premonition had proved itself correct!

    ¡®A young missus¡­ that was saved by him just like me?¡¯

    Although Mika didn¡¯t know the origins of this young missus, for a young missus to be willing to live in a cheap apartment due to a boy meant that this¡­ definitely wasn¡¯t some random impulse!

    ¡®That beauty should¡­ no, she¡¯s definitely serious about Seiji!¡¯ Mika made a swift judgement.

    This instilled her with an impending sense of danger.

    Seiji Haruta was very popr with the fairer sex. He received daily love letters the second week after he¡¯d transferred into Genhana High School! Although the "confession" love letter which Chiaki had mentioned hadn¡¯t appeared yet, one would probablye sooner orter.

    Luckily for her, Seiji wasn¡¯t inclined to being in a romantic rtionship for now and rejected all the girls politely. Even if a confession love letter appeared and he was confessed to, he would likely reject it politely as well.

    This made Mika feel rather relieved inside.

    She was the closest girl to Seiji¡­ Although she felt like Chiaki¡¯s bond with him could surpass hers, Chiaki only viewed Seiji as a friend, so it wasn¡¯t a problem¡­ probably.

    At any rate, she had the best chance as long as Seiji still didn¡¯t want to get a girlfriend!

    She had the greatest advantage since Seiji was living as a tenant of her family¡¯s apartment.

    Mika nned to spend more time together with him and deepen their feelings before confessing to him.

    That was because she could detect Seiji currently didn¡¯t feel any romantic feelings for her.

    She needed time, so she could put in more effort.

    But she was unprepared for a girl who liked Seiji moving in next door to him!

    A blonde beauty who was a young missus to boot!

    After this person came here, Mika¡¯s greatest advantage, formerly exclusive to herself, would disappear!

    ¡®Honestly, Mom, why did you let such a persone live here and even give her the room she wanted¡­¡¯ Mika couldn¡¯t help butin in her heart.

    Truthfully, she knew herint was unreasonable.

    After all, an apartment was a business which rented the room to anyone who was willing to pay, and the apartment next door just happened to be empty. For a customer who was moving in to request a specific room was quite reasonable.

    Apartments needed customers, especially reliable ones. As andlord, Nozomi Uehara shouldn¡¯t refuse a paying customer just for her daughter¡¯s romantic feelings.

    But apart from being andlord, Nozomi was still Mika¡¯s mother, so of course she would help Mika out wherever possible.

    Such as now, when she sent the information she obtained after spying¡­ oops, that she heard.

    Mika sighed. ¡®Thank you, Mother, even if this is giving me pressure.¡¯

    Suddenly, her phone started ringing.

    It was Seiji!

    Mika realized her mother had requested for Seiji toe help her do the shopping.

    ¡®Good job, Mom!¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what I can do in such a short time, but I need to do something.¡¯ Mika clenched her fists in anticipation.

    Before long, she saw his familiar figure walking over towards her.

    A tall and handsome figure which attracted many young women¡¯s gazes just by walking past¡­ he was simply that handsome.

    Mika let out a light sigh. ¡®Seiji, why did you have to be so handsome?¡¯ Mika couldn¡¯t help butin once more.

    Seiji was mystified. He felt like the look in Mika¡¯s eyes was slightly abnormal.

    "What else do we need to buy?" he asked as he took the shopping cart from Mika.

    "An item to make you less handsome¡­" Mika mumbled to herself.

    "What?"

    "Nothing! Next on the shopping list is paper." The haughty pigtailed girl flicked her hair around as she walked in front of Seiji with resounding steps.

    Seiji could only follow behind her.

    Since Mika was being distracted by her thoughts, she didn¡¯t pay attention while turning the corner and ended up crashing into another girl.

    The other girl wasn¡¯t paying attention either; she was looking at her cell phone while walking, so she lost bnce after being crashed into.

    "Eek!"

    "Ah¡­"

    The girl was about to hit the ground when a tall figure instantly rushed over. One of his hands supported the girl¡¯s back firmly while the other hand caught the cell phone which was sent flying by the initial collision!

    Of course it was Seiji.

    "Are you okay?" he asked the girl in his arms.

    Looking up at him, the girl was greeted by the sight of an incredibly handsome face smiling gently at her. She was momentarily dazzled.

    As for Seiji¡­

    ¡®Wtf, this girl¡¯s breasts are huge!¡¯

    Please forgive his shock that was just like that of a middle schooler¡¯s. This girl had shiny brown hair, delicate eyshes, orange eyes, and she was wearing a khaki cardigan¡­ But her breast size was just too astonishing!

    Was it F, or was it G?

    No! It was even higher that that!!

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but remember a harem anime (for gentlemen) that he enjoyed in his past life. The female lead¡¯s name was Ai-chan, but this name actually had a double meaning¡­ it referred to her cup size!

    The legendary I-cup.

    Seiji felt like this girl in front of him was probably at that level.

    Let¡¯s practice the alphabet.

    ABCDEFGHI¡­

    Who can say it out loud, what level is I?

    That¡¯s right, the ninth level! The ninth level, everyone!!

    Even Kamijou Touma¡¯s world had only five power levels; do you understand what the ninth level means!?

    That was a divine level!! Breasts that unfailingly surpassed all others!!!

    Seiji¡¯s mind was thrown into turmoil due to these divine breasts!

    If it wasn¡¯t for his strong mental resistance, he would surely be left with a dazed expression right now. Actually, his current expression wasn¡¯t all that far off from such an expression¡­ If the girl had observed him a little more closely, she would have discovered his face had already frozen solid.

    "I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­" Therge-breasted beauty took a while to recover her senses before she answered, her soft, beautiful face flushing deep red.

    Seiji regained his senses as well and let go of her after steadying her on her feet.

    "Your cell phone."

    "T¡­ thank you." The girl took her cell phone back and lowered her head in thanks.

    "No need! My friend is the one who should be apologizing to you." Seiji looked towards Mika.

    Mika¡¯s expression was ratherplicated, and a hint of red crept into her cheeks.

    "I¡¯m sorry¡­ I wasn¡¯t paying attention and bumped into you," she apologized sincerely to therge-chested girl.

    The other girl smiled brightly. "It¡¯s okay. I was also in the wrong for walking while being distracted by my cell phone."

    And so, the ident left no ill will between either party.

    ¡­

    "Her chest sure was big! Wasn¡¯t it, handsome?" Mika asked in an icy and strange tone of voice after the girl had left.

    Seiji could tell she wasn¡¯t feeling happy about the way he¡¯d reacted.

    "Objectively speaking, of course she did. Very few girls have such arge chest¡­ Are you jealous?"

    "Of course not!" Mika flicked her pigtails in disdain once more, disying her innate haughtiness. "Having arge chest¡­ It¡¯s very ufortable to have suchrge breasts! It¡¯ll be really inconvenient with many frustrations! Only you idiot boys would like such a thing!!"

    Seiji could only smile wryly.

    He felt like no matter what he said right now, she would find something toin about, but not talking seemed even worse¡­

    Seiji sighed inwardly. ¡®Mika seems to have suffered quite the impact, but I still need to try and console her.¡¯

    Seiji continued following behind the tsundere girl.

    He didn¡¯t notice that behind him, the big-breasted girl had stopped walking, and her gaze was firmly fixed on his back.

    "Such a handsome boy¡­ Is that cute girl his girlfriend?"

 Chapter 103 - The Melancholy of Mika Uehara

    <h4>Chapter 103: The Mncholy of Mika Uehara</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Enough already!¡¯

    Rampantly disying his handsomeness everywhere, saving girls everywhere he goes, and making girls fall in love with him so easily¡­ It was obvious that he was staring at her huge chest just now, but he still had the gall to act so gentlemanly. What was up with that!?

    Mika¡¯s heart was filled with frustration.

    Her inner self was raging with turmoil.

    That girl¡­ just happened to have a bit of arge chest¡­ Just what was up with his expression when he looked at her!?

    Of course, this was her biggestint.

    ¡®Mine aren¡¯t all that small; besides, the shape is the most important¡­¡¯

    "Mika."

    ¡®What do you want!?¡¯

    Although Mika inwardlyined upon hearing Seiji call her, she still obediently looked back at him.

    She saw that he was smiling gently at her while pointing to the freezer next to him.

    "I¡¯ll treat you to some ice cream, how about it?"

    His sincere smile was quite moving.

    Mika couldn¡¯t think of any words to say.

    ¡­

    They left the supermarket and were now in a park together.

    Mika and Seiji were sitting on Chiaki¡­ whoops, swings as they opened up their ice cream cups.

    "This is probably thest month we can enjoy ice cream outside like this." Seiji ced a spoonful of ice cream inside his mouth as he talked. "Yeah, this ice cream is really cold¡­ The weather will turn chilly soon, and the supermarket¡¯s ice cream sales will probably fall."

    "Yeah¡­" Mika also tried a spoonful of ice cream, shivering as it sent chills running through her body.

    ¡®D¡­ don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll forgive you just because you treated me to some cheap ice cream, hmph!¡¯

    Although she said that in her heart, Mika knew that her frustration had alreadyrgely dissipated.

    Seiji secretly nced at the girl beside him. He noticed that she still seemed slightly unhappy, but her dissatisfaction was obviously much weaker than earlier.

    ¡®So easy to bribe¡­ whoops, I meant to say that she¡¯s so simple.¡¯

    She gets lost in her thoughts easily, and she¡¯s prone to acting out and getting angry easily. However, she¡¯s also really easy to coax¡­ Mika Uehara was just a ssic tsundere, a soft and cute beauty who had arge variety of expressions.

    She wasn¡¯t a natural jokester like Chiaki; he felt a different type of rxation when he was with her.

    Seiji smiled as he averted his gaze from her.

    As the sun set in the park, the beautiful girl and handsome boy eating ice cream on the swings seemed like an attractive scene out of a television drama.

    "A new tenant moved in today." Mika suddenly broke the silence.

    "Yep, I met her already."

    "She said she already knows you, and that she absolutely has to live next door to you in order for her to feel safe."

    "Er, about that¡­" Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "One night when I was out walking, I met her on the street¡­ She was being harassed by some people, so I slightly helped her out a little."

    "What kind of ¡®slight help¡¯ are we talking about here?" Mika looked directly at him.

    "Er¡­" Seiji averted his gaze. "I¡­ knocked out¡­ most of the people that were harassing her."

    Mika thought back to Seiji¡¯s astonishing performance at the karate club, before she envisioned her version of the meeting between Seiji and the blonde beauty.

    The blonde girl, who had been out on her own business, unfortunately bumped into a group of hoodlums. While they were harassing her, a tall and handsome boy just happened to pass by and¡­

    This was the most clich¨¦ scenario possible: a prince on a white horse saving the damsel in distress! Even television dramas weren¡¯t using such scenes anymore!!

    Mika couldn¡¯t help but make a forcefulment at her own imagined scene.

    But no matter how clich¨¦ or overused, he still saved a damsel in distress, and handsome was handsome!

    Didn¡¯t she herself also fall victim to his charm because of such a clich¨¦ event?

    ¡®I have no right toment about how others are the same as me,¡¯ Mika reprimanded herself. ¡®Mm, I¡¯ve improved since before, young woman.¡¯

    Mika pouted. "Hmph, Seiji, you¡¯re just too cool."

    Seiji couldn¡¯t formte a response to this.

    Was she praising him? Why did it sound like she was actually unsatisfied?

    "Congrattions, you saved a beauty, and now she¡¯s speciallye all the way just to find you. She¡¯s even living next door! You must be overjoyed!"

    "No¡­ although she¡¯s living next door to me on purpose, it might not have beening here just to find me¡­"

    Mika stared at Seiji in disbelief.

    "¡­Fine, she came here all the way just for me."

    Seiji had no choice but to admit the truth when faced with Mika¡¯s unfamiliar sharp gaze.

    "I didn¡¯t expect such a thing would happen, and I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m overjoyed¡­"

    "You don¡¯t like her?" Mika asked incredulously while blinking in disbelief.

    "I can¡¯t say that either¡­ I should say that it¡¯s not at the degree of like or dislike, since I¡¯ve only met her a few times, and we haven¡¯t even talked much yet."

    "But she likes you to the point of following you all the way here!"

    "Er¡­ yes, that¡¯s why¡­ I don¡¯t know what I should say." Seiji tilted his head in confusion. "She seems to have fallen in love with me at first sight, and as for me¡­ I just think she¡¯s an okay person. I don¡¯t have a bad impression of her, nor do I dislike or like her. She¡¯s just¡­ a normal acquaintance to me."

    "You weren¡¯t even moved by the fact that she followed you all the way here?"

    "More than that, I¡¯m surprised." Seiji smiled wryly. "As for what I think of her feelings¡­ I¡¯m happy, since it¡¯s only natural to be happy at being liked, but as you already know, I currently have no desire to get a girlfriend."

    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m grateful for her feelings, but as for her actions¡­ it¡¯s slightly inconvenient."

    A strange light shed through Mika¡¯s eyes. "Then will you reject her bluntly and tell her to go home?"

    "If she confesses to me, I¡¯ll reject her politely, but as for whether or not she returns home¡­ That¡¯s her choice; I can¡¯t tell her what to do," Seiji told Mika honestly.

    Mika looked deeply at Seiji.

    ¡®Seiji¡­ he¡¯s just this type of person.¡¯

    He would face girls¡¯ feelings directly and respond honestly to them. Even if a girl¡¯s actions inconvenienced him, he wouldn¡¯t force her to leave, and he¡¯d respect her freedom as much as possible.

    ¡®Ahh, enough already! Why is he so cool even in this matter!?¡¯Mika inwardlyined. But she secretly felt delighted at the fact that the person she liked was such a good person.

    ¡®The person I like is too cool! It¡¯s really frustrating; what should I do!?"

    Mika Uehara felt quite torn over this matter.

    Mika finally let out a deep sigh. ¡®Forget it. At least I know how Seiji feels about that blonde beauty. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t hook up with the new tenant anytime soon.¡¯

    But this was only the beginning!

    Although Mika hadn¡¯t met her yet, she was certain this blonde-haired young missus she¡¯d heard about wouldn¡¯t give up easily, even if she was rejected by Seiji and learnt of his attitude.

    After all, being willing to leave home and move in next door to the person she liked showed an incredible determination. This girl definitely wouldn¡¯t retreat easily!

    Also¡­ it was certain she knew how cool and worthy of her love this boy was!

    Just like Mika.

    After being moved by being saved as a damsel in distress, she discovered that he was cooler than she expected!

    How could any girl easily give up on such a boy!?

    Mika wouldn¡¯t give up.

    That blonde girl she hadn¡¯t met yet would act in the same way; this blonde beauty definitely wouldn¡¯t give up either.

    It was going to be a long battle!

    "What¡¯s her name?" Mika suddenly inquired.

    "Eh?"

    "That blonde beauty, what¡¯s her name?"

    "Oh, she¡¯s called Kaede Juumonji."

    ¡®Kaede Juumonji¡­ a beautiful name. I¡¯m going to remember it!¡¯ Mika felt an intense feeling ofpetition well up within her.

    At almost the exact same time.

    "What¡¯s your daughter¡¯s name?"

    "Her name is Mika."

    "Mika¡­ Mika Uehara, right?"

    ¡®This name, I¡¯m going to remember it,¡¯ Kaede Juumonji silently thought to herself.

    The battle between the girls was about to begin.

 Chapter 104 - Thank You for Liking Me

    <h4>Chapter 104: Thank You for Liking Me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After finishing their ice cream, Mika and Seiji walked back to the apartment building, carrying the groceries together.

    An enigmatic light shed through Mika¡¯s eyes. "Seiji,e over and eat dinner at our ce tonight."

    "Eh? Why so suddenly¡­"

    "I¡¯m telling you toe, soe!"

    "But thendlord¡­"

    "My mom will agree¡­ I¡¯ll call her right now!" Mika decisively took out her cell phone.

    Nozomi Uehara answered her call.

    After the call had ended, Nozomi smiled faintly.

    ¡®Nice job, this is how you have to be, Mika! With an opponent¡¯s appearance, my daughter has be more decisive.¡¯ Thendlord approved of her daughter¡¯s slight growth in maturity.

    "My mom agreed, but you need to help out with the cooking as well. You don¡¯t need to return to your room; juste over to my ce!" Mika was rather spirited as she talked to Seiji after hanging up the call.

    "Oh¡­ oh." Seiji reflexively agreed.

    He was more than happy to help out with the cooking and have dinner together with the Ueharas. He just felt that something about this particr meal was¡­

    ¡®Well, whatever. I should stop thinking too deeply into it.¡¯

    The boy and the girl walked back home together.

    ¡­

    After Nozomi Uehara returned home, she found her daughter preparing food in the kitchen together with the tall boy, who was also her tenant.

    Both youngsters wore aprons as they prepared the food, and they asionally made idle conversation while cooking together. It was such a warm scene.

    Nozomi truly felt that it was an excellent thing to behold.

    Of course she was already used to her daughter being there, and as for the boy¡­ it would make her feel reassured if there was a strong and reliable male in her family.

    Her husband died early, so she had to raise her daughter as a single mother. There were various difficulties as she had to put up with life¡¯s pressures.

    Even though she¡¯d considered remarrying, time passed by quickly, and before she knew it, her daughter had grown up. Only now did she remember her husband.

    She had almost forgotten what it was like to have a man in the house, but in this instant she recalled it clearly.

    The boy¡¯s back seemed to ovep with her husband¡¯s figure.

    Nozomi was lost in her thoughts for a while before she recovered her senses and discovered her face was burning with embarrassment.

    Honestly, what was she thinking!

    He was only a boy, a student the same age as her daughter. Even though he was tall and strong, he was still only a child.

    But it really did feel reassuring to have him around, honestly¡­

    Nozomi stopped thinking along these lines as she reined back her slightly unstable emotions. She shed the pair a small smile and walked over to greet them.

    "Mom? Wee home."

    "Excuse mying over today, Miss Landlord."

    Her cute daughter greeted her normally, and the gentle boy greeted her politely.

    "Yep, I¡¯m home¡­ Wee, Haruta-kun."

    Nozomi smiled in response as she started to help them with preparing the food in the kitchen.

    They seemed just like a real family.

    Cooking with Mika and thendlord, before eating dinner together with them was a process which didn¡¯t disappoint Seiji¡¯s expectations.

    He thoroughly enjoyed theirpany¡­

    Only¡­ something had caught his attention. Mika¡­ was more proactive than before.

    She intentionally sat close beside him and gave him food to eat with her chopsticks. She kept looking directly at him and talked to him more than she typically did¡­ Anyway, it was obvious that she was being more proactive. Even though her face was reddening, she still worked hard to¡­ get closer to him.

    As for why, this was easy to guess. Seiji could only sigh.

    Kaede Juumonji¡­

    Seiji suppressed the mixed emotions he felt when thinking about the blonde girl as he continued smiling in front of the Uehara family.

    After dinner.

    Seiji helped with washing the dishes and returned to his room afterwards.

    But he wasn¡¯t able to rest for more than a minute before he heard a knock on his door.

    Seiji silently clutched at his head for several seconds before going to open the door.

    As expected, it was the blonde young missus from the mafia family.

    She must have been waiting for him to return home!

    Kaede Juumonji was still smiling, but there was a dark shadow beneath her smile.

    "Hello, Harano-kun, have you eaten dinner?"

    "Hi¡­ I just ate."

    "Actually, I ordered some sushi for takeout, and I wanted to invite you if you hadn¡¯t eaten already¡­ But it seems like I¡¯ll have to wait for next time." There was a hint of frustration in Kaede¡¯s eyes as she sighed.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how to reply to this.

    "This is the moving-in present I was going to give you, but we were interrupted. Is now¡­ a good time?" Kaede handed him the cake box for the second time.

    "¡­Thanks, I¡¯ll ept it." Seiji took the cake box from her.

    "Sorry to be a bother. Please take care and have a good rest now." Kaede bowed slightly as she turned around to leave.

    Her pretty figure looked lonely as she walked off.

    Seiji¡¯s expression flickered as he held on to the cake box.

    "Wait a moment!" he called out to her.

    The blonde girl¡¯s footsteps paused.

    "Would you like toe in and sit down? Although I don¡¯t have much to entertain guests with¡­"

    Kaede slowly turned around.

    "I¡­ would be delighted to do so."

    Her beautiful face was blushing, and her eyes were sparkling.

    ¡®I¡¯m such an idiot!¡¯ Seiji thought to himself as he watched the blonde girl walk towards him.

    But he couldn¡¯t let things remain the way they were.

    It was necessary to have a discussion with her.

    Thinking this, Seiji invited her into his room.

    His apartment was small and narrow; it wasn¡¯t suited to amodating guests. Seiji let her sit on his own chair, while he sat on the edge of his bed.

    Thankfully he had two cups¡­ They were the only two cups he possessed.

    He poured two cups of tea and opened the cake box, putting everything together on his table. He figured this would count as him treating a guest.

    "These tea leaves are rather cheap, so there¡¯s no need to have any expectations about the vor. Please feel free to have as much as you would like."

    "No¡­ as long as you brewed this tea, it¡¯s good tea to me." Kaede¡¯s face reddened slightly as she spoke. She slowly took the teacup in both hands and lifted it to her mouth.

    Seeing how careful she was being with even the teacup, Seiji inwardly sighed.

    For such a high-ss beauty to have such feelings towards a boy, what were the odds that the boy wouldn¡¯t be moved at all?

    Seiji felt like it was zero.

    At the very least, he would definitely be moved.

    At school, when he received all those love letters, the situation was different. After all, they were only love letters; he didn¡¯t have to meet the girls personally, so he was able to deal with it.

    But Kaede Juumonji was an unmistakable beauty who had followed him all the way here!

    Although he was slightly inconvenienced, it was impossible for him to remainpletely unmoved.

    It still wasn¡¯t at a romantic level yet, though, and he still had to consider her identity as a member of the mafia.

    ¡®No matter what, it¡¯s best to have a fruitful discussion first.¡¯

    "Juumonji-san, you don¡¯t need to act so polite around me. Feel free to rx and little and be more casual."

    "Is that really alright?" Kaede¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing those words.

    "By all means, please do so. It¡¯s nice to have manners, but I¡¯m not used to such etiquette." Seiji lifted his own teacup and took a sip.

    "Okay¡­" Kaede was delighted at closing the distance between her and Seiji.

    Silence fell in the room for a few seconds.

    "I¡¯m not very good at beating around the bush, so I¡¯ll just say things directly." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "If I¡¯ve misunderstood things, or if I¡¯m being impolite, then I apologize beforehand¡­ Anyways, I need to ask, you came here because of me, right?"

    Kaede¡¯s face became a deeper shade of red as she nodded slowly.

    "Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m happy that you¡­ have feelings for me, but I currently have no intention of getting a girlfriend," Seiji stated sincerely while looking into her eyes.

    Kaede¡¯s face darkened slightly.

    "Harano-kun¡­ am I bothering you bying here?" she asked in a small voice.

    "No, you¡¯re not bothering me¡­ but honestly, it¡¯s a little bit inconvenient," Seiji told her directly.

    Kaede¡¯s face darkened yet again.

    "But you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Living here or wherever, it¡¯s your freedom to choose. You came here for me, so I should respond to your feelings, and that¡¯s what I just did. Although I don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m worthy of you doing so much, but¡­ in any case¡­"

    Seiji¡¯s gaze became slightly unfocused as he scratched his face awkwardly, showing a hint of embarrassment. "Thank you for liking me."

    Hearing these words and seeing his expression, Kaede¡¯s dark expression cleared up, and an indescribable light shed through her eyes.

    This person is definitely¡­

    A difficult-to-describe feeling of warmth welled up within her heart. It felt as if all the bitterness she¡¯d rued from her earlier defeat had been herded out of her chest.

    ¡®I won¡¯t¡­ give up,¡¯ she resolved, gritting her teeth in determination.

 Chapter 105 - Drawing

    <h4>Chapter 105: Drawing</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®This probably counts as a direct and polite rejection,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself as Kaede Juumonji left his room.

    She didn¡¯t formally confess to him, but she admitted her feelings, while he rejected her with sincerity¡­ The result was okay like this, wasn¡¯t it?

    Seiji felt like he had made the right choice by responding truthfully to her feelings.

    Kaede¡¯s future actions were up to her.

    If she gave up, then that was that. If she didn¡¯t give up¡­ since she had just been rejected, she probably wouldn¡¯t do anything immediately. Even if she continued living in the apartment building, her actions probably wouldn¡¯t be too proactive¡­ probably.

    If Kaede wasn¡¯t proactive, then Mika would be calmer, and she wouldn¡¯t explode or anything. This way everyone could get along¡­ at least for the time being.

    ¡®Forget it, I shouldn¡¯t think about it anymore.¡¯ Seiji sat down in his chair; now all this was over, he thought that he could finally rest.

    After he rxed for a while, he opened up the [gifts] option in his system.

    The dinner at the Uehara family gave him 15 points, and as for the moving-in present cake that Kaede gave him¡­

    [Stat increase card¡ª"Admiring Heart!"]

    [This card contains the pure feelings of admiration a girl has towards you. For a girl in love, the target of her affection seems perfect in her eyes. After using this card, you can choose a specific stat and increase its value permanently. The lower the stat you choose, the greater the increase.]

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    Even though he just rejected her politely, he had received such a good [gift]. No, he should reverse what he just said; he just received such a good [gift], but rejected her.

    Okay, whatever it was, he felt guilty¡­ as if he hadn¡¯t done right by her!

    Seiji clutched his face.

    He didn¡¯t really want to use this card¡­ But ording to the exnation attached, it had a greater value if used while his stats were lower. Wasn¡¯t this just asking for him to use it right now!?

    He felt that his system was toying with him!

    He didn¡¯t want to use it, but if he let it sit there, its value would decrease, and he would feel like he was ignoring Kaede¡¯s feelings, which seemed even worse.

    ¡®System, you¡¯re making me feel so conflicted inside¡­ You¡¯re enjoying this, aren¡¯t you? Answer me!¡¯

    Naturally, there was no response from his system.

    Seiji imagined a devilish fairy chuckling at him behind his back, and after that he imagined beating up the fairy with his own hands.

    After deliberating for a few moments, he came to a conclusion. The card reflected Kaede¡¯s true feelings, so he should ept them by using this card.

    In that case, which stat should he increase?

    He instantly eliminated [physical ability] and [charisma] as they were too high. [Academics] could be eliminated as well, so he was left with munication], [music], and [art].

    From these three choices, munication] wasn¡¯t terribly low, while [music] and [art] were both about the same. Those two were his lowest stats, so he decided to pick one of them.

    So, [art] or [music]?

    Seiji considered it for a while.

    It surely had to be [art]!

    Considering his increase in writing ability after activating the [writing] card, as long as he increased his [art] stat and activated the [drawing] card, he could create his own manga! Manga! Manga!! Important things should be repeated three times.

    Although it also sounded nice to improve his [music] stat and write his own songs, Seiji was more interested in manga, and he wanted to create his own awesome manga in the future!

    And improving his drawing ability woulde in handy for the game he promised to create together with Hisashi Juumonji.

    After all, if they were unable toe up with their own original music for the dating sim they nned on creating, they could draw heavily from popr songs on the inte to create a soundtrack.

    The art for the game had to be absolutely unique, though, since it would affect the first impression the user received from the game!

    Although Hisashi promised to find an artist, Seiji believed that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to make his own preparations.

    Okay then, [art] it was.

    He¡¯d barely focused on this stat at all, so his [art] stat was currently at a paltry 19 points.

    Seiji chose the [Admiring Heart] card, and a shining card of light appeared and floated up in front of him. A certain blonde-haired girl was depicted on the card. Her hands were sped together in prayer, but the image could also be construed as her thinking of somebody.

    Seiji looked deeply at the card before choosing to [use] it as he selected [art].

    The card of light instantly disintegrated into motes of dust, which promptly entered his brain.

    Seiji¡¯s head felt slightly heavy as a warm feeling spread through his brain. It didn¡¯t hurt; on the contrary, the process was quitefortable.

    His mind stopped working, and he was unable to make conscious thought as he fell into a trance-like state¡­

    After a long while, he recovered his senses.

    When he checked his system again, his [art] stat had increased to 27 points!

    An increase of 8 points.

    ¡®Pretty nice¡­¡¯ Seiji nodded to himself. ¡®I should exchange for the [drawing] card now, but before that¡­¡¯

    He slowly looked towards the reward he had been trying his best to ignore for all this time.

    The reward his system gave him for Hoshi Amami¡¯s "love confession!"

    Until he opened up his [gifts] option, he hadpletely forgotten that such a reward existed¡­

    When the system opened up the [friendship] option, it had informed him that whenever a male character with friendship rating of over 60 points gave him a present, he would also be rewarded.

    Since Seiji had been so shocked by the rewards he¡¯d received from the twin sisters as well as Hoshi¡¯s character card, hepletely forgot about this "love confession."

    Or perhaps it should be said that he was unconsciously trying not to think about it!

    But his system was just and fair (and evil!). A reward was a reward; no matter how he felt about it, it would be in the system.

    Seiji was destined to face the dark shadow which had loomed over his mind since the morning.

    That¡¯s right; it was a dark memory! How could receiving his first ever confession from a boy dressed in female clothing be anything otherwise!? It didn¡¯t matter even if this boy was cute enough to pass as a girl!

    Maybe some people would be happy about receiving such a confession, but Seiji definitely wasn¡¯t included in that category.

    Be sealed away forever, dark history!

    System: "I won¡¯t allow you to forget it!"

    Seiji failed toe up with a response to his own imagined words for his system.

    ¡®Fine, I¡¯ve even already inspected the character card! I can handle some [gifts]!¡¯ Seiji steeled his resolve as he checked the rewards.

    [I¡¯m willing to do anything for you]; [Forbidden Love]; [Promise to meet after reincarnation]¡­

    Turn off!

    Seiji instantly decided to stop looking at his system.

    ¡®I saw nothing, I saw nothing, I saw nothing!¡¯

    Seiji tried his utmost to self-hypnotize himself into forgetting everything he just saw.

    Hoshi Amami! Just what were you thinking in your head at the time!?

    Seiji¡¯s mind was filled with forcefulments for his junior. He even felt a sense of fear from what he had just witnessed in his system.

    Hoshi had given him even more rewards than Rion and Kotomi Amami¡­

    Seiji definitely had a dark memory within his heart now.

    He wondered what the three siblings would think if they were aware of their information in his system.

    His self-hypnosis attempt¡­ was ineffective.

    How could such a hopeless self-deceiving effort possibly work!?

    Seiji imagined the system fairy evilly cackling at him again.

    ¡®Okay, bastard system! I¡¯ll take a look eventually¡­ but not now!!¡¯

    He¡¯d wait till his mental resistance was improved before checking out the details of those rewards.

    Seiji attempted to banish these harmful thoughts from his mind as he opened his system again and exchanged 35 points for the [drawing activation card].

    A card of light appeared in front of him once more. A shadow drawing something swiftly was depicted on this card. Various life-like pictures appeared in front of the shadow as its hands moved dexterously.

    Seijiy down on his bed before activating the card.

    The card turned into a bright light which drilled into his brain, and just like the previous few times, he had to endure a somewhat painful learning process.

    After he woke up, Seiji rubbed his temples as he got out of bed.

    He walked towards his desk, opened up a notebook, and picked up his pen¡­

    ¡®Hmm¡­ What should I draw?¡¯ he contemted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

 Chapter 106 - Infirmary Nurse

    <h4>Chapter 106: Infirmary Nurse</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji imagined a vivid scene.

    A girl with long ck hair was clothed in a baggy white robe. With her left hand she wielded a shiny metallic kodachi in a reverse grip, while her right hand was removing the ribbon which bound her hair. A light breeze caused her hair, clothing, and the ribbon in her hand to flutter, giving her a beautiful and carefree feeling.

    The moment his pen touched paper, it instantly began moving as his imagination came to life through the pen in his right hand.

    *Swish swish swish¡­*

    Seiji found it difficult to contain his excitement as he watched his imagination take life under his pen.

    However¡­

    "This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem that great."

    The more that Seiji looked at the paper, the deeper his frown grew as his drawing gradually reachedpletion.

    And before he finished, he ended up putting down his pen.

    Just from what he had alreadypleted, he could already tell that his drawing skill was far inferior to the scene he¡¯d imagined.

    ¡®Although this must partially be caused by myck of drawing equipment, the most basic reason should be due to my art stat not being high enough.¡¯

    Unlike when he¡¯d activated the [writing] card, his [art] stat was only 27; it was less than half of his [academics] stat which had already surpassed 50 long ago.

    If his base stats weren¡¯t high enough, even having the ability activated wouldn¡¯t let him do a good job. Seiji confirmed that through this instance.

    He activated [drawing], but his drawings weren¡¯t good¡­ it felt like a waste.

    Not only that.

    Seiji opened his system.

    His [actions] now contained [speed drawing], [outline sketching], [portraits], [background illustration], and so on¡­ And the lowest prerequisite among them, [speed drawing], required a minimum of at least 35 points in [art]!

    In conclusion, he was unable to perform any of his new [actions].

    ¡®If my base stats aren¡¯t high enough, I won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡¯

    Seiji sighed to himself. If he wanted to [draw] sessfully, he would have to improve his [art] stat.

    But every day he was already [studying] at school, and he had to do various [actions] after school; he didn¡¯t have enough time to focus on [art].

    Seiji felt like there wasn¡¯t enough time in a day for him.

    If he wanted to quickly improve his [art] stat, he would have to skip sses, or cut back on his other [actions], or else¡­ sacrifice his recreational and resting time.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to choose any of those three options. Were those his only choices?

    Oh, right, there was a fourth option.

    Seiji recalled that there was an [item] avable which could allow him to reallocate his stats from one stat to another. If he used that, he could temporarily reallocate some of his [academics] points to his [art] stat!

    Seiji opened up his list of [items] and found what he was looking for.

    [Point reassigning card], price of¡­ 55 points?

    So expensive!

    Seiji¡¯s mouth began twitching.

    With his current avable [actions], he could obtain 55 points in just a few days, but it still seemed way too expensive!

    All he was doing was reallocating his stats, not gaining new stats, so why did it cost so much!?

    Seiji imagined his system informing him that it was his choice whether or not he purchased the card, but there was no haggling regardless.

    Seiji imagined himself beating up the system fairy for the umpteenth time.

    He rested his chin on his hands as he mulled over his options.

    ¡®Hmph, system of mine, do you think I¡¯m willing to admit defeat to you?¡¯

    Finally, he came to a decision.

    ¡®I definitely won¡¯t purchase such a ridiculously priced card! You can go cry in a corner with your overpriced wares that nobody wants!

    ¡®I¡¯ll choose the third option¡­ All it means is that I¡¯ll have to temporarily stop indulging in my hobbies and sleep a little less!! I¡¯ll do it!¡¯

    Seiji folded his arms and acted in an imposing manner.

    Naturally, there was no response from his system.

    Seiji felt slightly empty inside.

    He finally stopped ying the one-manedy skit and began grinding today¡¯s [actions].

    ¡­

    Grind grind grind¡­ after doing all the options he could, Seiji turned on hisputer and opened up a file.

    This was Editor Yoshizawa¡¯s edited version of his short story "I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome!".

    As Seiji looked over herments, the part that left him the deepest impression wasn¡¯t the specific suggestions. Instead, it was¡­

    What was with her overly cute tone of voice!?

    She even used several emojis in thements! Although there weren¡¯t many, as Seiji scanned through thements, he was left with an unnaturally cutesy impression!

    Thements seemed like they came from an elementary school teacher who was acting serious while giving a young child her advice.

    Thesements¡­ were they really written by that editor who seemed like she was such a cold woman?

    What a huge contrast!

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help butment inwardly on the situation.

    Reading herments would make him imagine a gentle and easy-going elementary school teacher, perhaps one who was younger and still an intern. It waspletely impossible to visualize a cold and professional businesswoman like Editor Yoshizawa¡­ The contrast was simply too big!

    Of course, Seiji understood that many people would actpletely different on the inte from how they would in real life, but¡­ was this an example of that?

    Perhaps it counted¡­ Hmm.

    No matter what, this strange contrast left him with a deep impression.

    Ignoring the abnormality of herments, Seiji was impressed by the content. Her editing skills were truly top notch! All the advice she gave him was precise and certain, and Seiji agreed that all the editor¡¯s suggestions would improve his final work.

    And so, Seiji picked up his pen, chose his [write a story] option from his system, and began writing on his notebook.

    *Scribble scribble scribble¡­*

    Seiji followed his editor¡¯s suggestions and polished up his story. Then, he typed it up on hisputer and closely looked over his story.

    After ensuring that there weren¡¯t any problems, he sent the final draft to Editor Yoshizawa.

    He took a look at the time after finishing and realized that it was gettingte.

    "It took such a long time even though I was only editing."

    At first, Seiji felt it wouldn¡¯t be a lengthy process, but time seemed to mysteriously disappear away from him.

    Should he begin improving his [art] stat?

    ¡®No need to rush; I can begin tomorrow.¡¯ Seiji decided to rest for the night.

    ¡­

    The next morning, a brand-new day.

    After exiting his apartment room and walking down the stairs, Seiji noticed that Mika hadn¡¯te out yet, so he went over to knock on the Uehara family¡¯s door.

    As he waited for Mika toe out, he saw a blonde beauty descending the staircase. She was wearing a professional uniform which showed off her excellent body in tandem with a pair of ck stockings which emphasised her long, well-toned legs.

    "Good morning, Harano-kun," Kaede Juumonji greeted Seiji politely when she saw him waiting outside the door.

    "Good morning, Juumonji-san," Seiji also responded politely.

    "Are you preparing to go to school together with thendlord¡¯s daughter?"

    "Yeah."

    "I¡¯m about to go to work, so could I go together with you?"

    "What?" Seiji doubted what he had just heard.

    Going to work¡­ that was normal, but why¡­ go together?

    "My job is at Genhana High School, the same ce you¡¯re going to." Kaede shed a dazzling smile as she spoke. "From today onwards, it¡¯s my fortune to be an infirmary nurse at Genhana High School."

    No words could express Seiji¡¯s feelings at this moment.

    ¡®Hey, what did I just hear now? Infirmary¡­ nurse? This girl¡­ who¡¯s a mafia princess!?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t help but be stunned as he dazedly looked at the smiling blonde beauty in front of him.

    "Please take good care of me from now on, Harano-kun¡­ Or perhaps I should call you a student, Harano-san."

    Kaede Juumonji¡¯s smile seemed especially brilliant in the morning sunlight.

 Chapter 107 - I Donâ€™t Need to Use That~

    <h4>Chapter 107: I Don¡¯t Need to Use That~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mika enjoyed going together with Seiji to school every morning.

    No matter how popr he was at school, at the very least, he belonged exclusively to her on the way there.

    Eh, was she being too possessive of him?

    At any rate, Mika considered it a precious daily urrence.

    However, this precious daily urrence of hers had been invaded.

    Kaede Juumonji.

    This morning, Mika met the new tenant, a stunning blonde beauty, for the first time.

    "Hello, nice to meet you¡­ You¡¯re Mika Uehara, thendlord¡¯s daughter, correct?"

    The blonde-haired blue-eyed beauty, who was wearing a white nurse''s uniform and ck stockings, greeted her politely.

    "Hello, nice to meet you¡­ You must be Kaede Juumonji-san."

    The pigtailed beauty, clothed in her school uniform, was almost awestruck by Kaede¡¯s imposing manner. Despite this, she instantly managed to stand up straight and greet Kaede politely in return.

    Mika had already anticipated how their meeting would go. She bravely faced Kaede directly as her mother had rmended, trying her utmost to show no signs of backing down.

    It seemed almost as if sparks were flying between the two beauties as their gazes met.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find any words to say in this situation.

    ¡®Hey, readers, do you know about a term called "hellish battleground?" Could you tell a newbie like me whether or not such a scene is considered a hellish battleground? Then, no matter if it is or isn¡¯t, could you please also tell me how to deal with this situation?¡¯

    Seiji visualized himself posting on inte forums and asking imaginary users to give him advice, as a way to escape from reality.

    Right in front of him, Kaede had just finished informing Mika about her new job and politely asked if she could go along to school together with them.

    On the surface, Mika didn¡¯t appear shaken at all. She politely agreed to go together with the new health teacher.

    Truthfully, she was already at the point of wanting to shout out loudly to vent her frustration!

    Kaede was actually a new teacher at her school!?

    What did that mean?

    It meant that not only did Kaede Juumonji move next door to Seiji, she even purposefully got a job at where Seiji would be on the weekdays!

    Mika wasn¡¯t sure how Kaede managed to obtain this job, but she could clearly feel Kaede¡¯s determination from this action.

    As a young missus, Kaede was able to do this much for the boy she liked!?

    Originally, moving next door to him was already shocking enough. Mika never expected Kaede to take such drastic measures.

    As her rival, Mika felt a sense of¡­ being impressed by Kaede¡¯s resolution.

    ¡®No, I can¡¯t be defeated by Kaede¡¯s determination! But still¡­ this person¡­ is¡­ so incredible¡­¡¯

    Maintaining her calm fa?ade was Mika¡¯s limit right now. Internally, she was quite shaken by witnessing Kaede¡¯s determination.

    Seiji was still in the midst of avoiding reality.

    Kaede was delighted at seeding in being allowed to go to school together with them, so a wide grin was stered on her face.

    And so, the three of them walked together on the way to school.

    "Harano-kun, what ss are you guys in?" After walking for a bit, Kaede posed a seemingly casual question.

    "Year 1, ss 5." Seiji returned to his senses and finally faced reality.

    "Year 1, ss 5¡­ I wonder when I¡¯ll have your ss." Kaede¡¯s smile seemed a little too enthusiastic. "Although I don¡¯t have any actual teaching experience, I¡¯ll do my best to give you a proper education~"

    ¡®That sounds too much like a double entendre!¡¯ Seiji shouted inside his heart, although he could only smile on the surface.

    In Sakura Ind, there was only one ss that infirmary nurses would teach, and that was the legendary "health" ss!

    That¡¯s right, the ss which included the tititing subject of gender differences¡­ Although some biology and psychology content was taught, the first part was definitely the point everyone would pay the most attention to!

    The most embarrassing ss in all of Sakura Ind had to be this ss.

    A male teacher¡­ wasn¡¯t that bad, but if a female teacher taught this ss¡­ It would still be fine if it was an older teacher, but a younger one¡­ heh heh¡­

    If it wasn¡¯t simply a young female teacher, but a beautiful one as well¡­ uh-oh, that scene! Just imagining it caused some¡­ er, embarrassment to arise!

    Even Mika¡¯s face was turning red from imagining the scene!

    ¡®As a teacher, saying¡­ such words that could be easily misconstrued¡­ How shameless!¡¯ the pigtailed girl energetically retorted in her mind.

    But she couldn¡¯t say it out loud for real, since this sentence could also be innocently interpreted as something said by an inexperienced teacher.

    "Just how much does Harano-kun know about this particr subject? If you would like some special lessons, feel free toe find me at any time~" Kaede continued smiling coyly.

    ¡®That¡¯s enough!¡¯

    In that instant, Mika¡¯s anger level peaked!

    "That¡­ there¡¯s no need for special lessons for that type of ss!" Mika couldn¡¯t help but retort in the end. "R¡­ right, Seigo?"

    ¡®Don¡¯t ask me.¡¯ Seiji¡¯s face twitched violently. ¡®Sigh, Mika¡¯s really too sweet¡­ er, too na?ve.¡¯

    When facing someone who was fully armed to teeth like a Kantai Collection battleship, the best way to deal with them was to avoid the subject¡­ Forcing a smile and ignoring their words was the wisest option; if you casually counterattacked, it would turn out¡ª

    "Oh my, why is it unnecessary?" Kaede blinked cutely as she smiled. "No matter what type of knowledge it is, there are no downsides to learning about it. Besides, the knowledge that I¡¯m going to teach is quite important for high school students~

    "Don¡¯t you believe so, Uehara-san? Perhaps¡­ you feel like you¡¯re already an expert in this subject?"

    *Boom!* A direct hit to Battleship Mika Uehara! Heavy damage taken!

    The pigtailed girl¡¯s face instantly turned bright red.

    "I-I¡­ of course not!!" Her reflexive denial sounded panicked.

    "If you aren¡¯t an expert, then why do you feel like you don¡¯t need to learn?" Kaede tilted her head slightly. "If you feel like you know enough about this subject already, you might as well tell me honestly. After all¡­ there are quite a lot of high school students who are rather knowledgeable in this area.

    "But there¡¯s another type: the type who believe they know everything there is to know already, when they actually have many misunderstandings of various types. That is rather dangerous.

    "Uehara-san¡­ as a small test, could you answer a simple question for me?" The corners of Kaede¡¯s mouth arced upwards in a slight smile.

    *Click ck! Ka-ching!* Seiji imagined that he could hear the sound of a cannon preparing to fire as it aimed for its target.

    "Do you know how to use¡­ condoms?"

    *Boom!*

    Battleship Mika Uehara took another direct hit! Critical damage taken!

    "I-I-I¡­ don¡¯t know!!!" Mika blushed beet red as she stuttered embarrassedly. She was on the verge of bursting into tears.

    "Hmm? You don¡¯t even know this much? Could it really be¡­ I think that you should at least know the basics of how to use one?"

    "I¡­ I don¡¯t! I¡­ I don¡¯t intend to use such a thing!!"

    It was over.

    Seiji silently covered his eyes¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bear to watch this scene any longer!

    Mika was merely denying things in a panic¡ªshe didn¡¯t realize that she had just said something incredible!

    Even Kaede¡¯s expression froze over, as she didn¡¯t expect to hear something so ridiculous either.

    An ufortable silence fell between the trio.

    The pigtailed girl was able to calm down slightly in this silence, until she discovered¡­

    "Wahh¡­ No¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant¡ª"

    Her shout of humiliation resounded clearly throughout the street.

 Chapter 108 - Fallen Angel in White

    <h4>Chapter 108: Fallen Angel in White</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mika Uehara, a fresh high school first-year female student in the prime of her youth¡­ experienced a dark memory she would have loved to forget on her way to school.

    "My apologies, Uehara-san. I just wanted to tease you a little¡­ sorry," Kaede Juumonji sincerely apologized to Mika.

    Mika was still clutching her head tightly; she was unwilling to even show her face!

    The sincerer the apology, the worse she felt!

    But it was still better than receiving no apology at all.

    Seiji could somewhat empathize with Mika¡¯s current emotional state. He felt that perhaps it would have been better for Kaede to not say anything at all, but¡­ no matter what, it was still a good thing she had apologized sincerely.

    "I¡¯m truly sorry for getting carried away." Kaede smiled wryly. "Actually, I¡¯m quite happy to receive this job, since I want to interact with all the students¡­"

    "I¡¯ll take care to not act like this anymore. Please forgive me, Uehara-san."

    Mika continued covering her face without saying anything.

    Seiji sighed. "You don¡¯t need to mind it, Mika. After all, you only said something slightly perverted by ident. You should know that when Juumonji-sensei is teaching or working, she¡¯ll probably have to much more embarrassing things."

    Kaede was rendered speechless.

    While he was technically correct, it still didn¡¯t seem all that right for some reason? The blonde beauty felt like she somewhat objected.

    Mika was somewhat consoled by Seiji¡¯s subtle words.

    She could feel her face burning up; it was probably bright red now.

    A soft touch suddenly descended upon her head.

    "Rx~ There was hardly anyone on the street at that time, so I doubt anyone else heard it. Neither me nor Juumonji-sensei will go around telling anyone about this, so you don¡¯t need to worry too much about it."

    Seiji petted Mika¡¯s hair as heforted her gently.

    "If you¡¯re still acting like this by the time we arrive at school, you¡¯ll actually attract more attention, shy goddess."

    After patting her lightly one more time, he retracted his hand.

    Mika slowly uncovered her face and nced at Seiji. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions.

    Kaede felt a tinge of jealousy at witnessing this scene.

    ¡®It feels like I have lost again,¡¯ she helplessly thought to herself.

    But¡­ his gentleness moved her heart.

    ¡®As long as I work as hard as I can to get closer to him, I¡¯ll experience that as well someday¡­¡¯ Kaede consoled herself.

    By the time they¡¯d reached school, Mika managed to calm down.

    She had received a huge impact from the blonde beauty bing an apartment tenant as well as the infirmary nurse and health teacher. However, Mika no longer felt disheartened.

    Kaede was amazing in her own way, but so what?

    ''I am Seiji¡¯s ssmate!''

    As Seiji and Mika split up from Kaede, Mika had recovered the resolute look in her eyes as she looked at Kaede fiercely.

    Kaede merely smiled in response to Mika¡¯s challenging gaze.

    ¡®A rxed attitude¡­ As expected of a more mature woman. I won¡¯t lose either, and I¡¯ll work hard!¡¯ Mika encouraged herself enthusiastically.

    In the ssroom, Chiaki greeted the duo with a big grin stered on her face.

    "Seigo, I saw it~ When did you conquer such a stunning blonde beauty?"

    The tomboy¡¯s smile seemed to contain a hint of depravity.

    Mika was stunned speechless at her friend¡¯s attitude.

    Before making her effort, she needed to take her friend outside and beat her up¡­ whoops, make her idiotic friend understand the circumstance!

    ¡­

    ss time.

    News of the new joint infirmary nurse/health teacher being a beautiful long-legged blonde woman, who enjoyed wearing ck stockings, quickly spread throughout the entire high school.

    Or, more urately, the rumor spread to all the high school boys.

    Although the former middle-ageddy was kind and did a good job, she didn¡¯t make for a good high school fantasy!

    A blonde beauty with huge breasts and a white nurse uniform paired with ck stockings was a high school boy¡¯s fantasy¡­ This was the actualization of every hot-blooded boy¡¯s fantasy towards an infirmary nurse!

    Fine then, it was slightly regrettable that Kaede¡¯s breasts weren¡¯t huge, but her chest was still above average and well-proportioned.

    The most important part was her long legs and ck stockingsbination! ck stockings! ck stockings! Important things should be repeated three times.

    A white nurse uniform in tandem with ck stockings; this was an absolutely perfect white-and-ck pairing!

    Just imagining it caused the high school boys¡¯ beast¡­ whoops, hot blood to boil!

    And so¡­

    The infirmary was filled with students.

    Well, just to rify, no boy did such a foolish thing like injuring himself on purpose to visit the nurse.

    They used the "pure and gentlemanly" excuse of needing psychological counseling, since the nurse also had the responsibility of looking after the students¡¯ mental health.

    Yep, psychological counseling, heh heh¡­

    The boys¡¯ fantasies raged wildly. They wore expressions of mutual understanding as they lined up in front of the nurse¡¯s office in a long queue!

    It seemed just like a scene from an idol¡¯s "handshake and meet the fans greeting."

    ¡®Boys are all idiots!¡¯ the high school girls thought in unison as they watched the boys¡¯ fervent reactions.

    Well, the new health teacher was popr. But how was the quality of her work?

    Let¡¯s interview a few random passers-by¡ª

    Boy A: "Juumonji-sensei is an excellent teacher; she helped me to learn¡­ some things I¡¯ve never heard about before."

    Boy B: "At first it was a little painful, but it was pleasurable afterwards. And finally¡­ I feel like a whole new world has opened up for me."

    Boy C: "¡­I think I¡¯m getting addicted."

    Hey, hey, just what exactly has happened here?

    The newspaper club member, who conducted the random interviews, was stunned at hearing these answers.

    At first, it was mostly a joke when he thought about doing these interviews. After all, the boys all had the secretly wanted to take a peek at the beautiful new teacher. Naturally, there wouldn¡¯t be any serious answers.

    He never expected to hear something so incredible!

    But when he asked further questions out of curiosity, all his interviewees refused to tell him any details. All they responded with were mysterious smiles as they told him to just check it out for himself.

    After some hesitation, this newspaper club member finally adjusted his sses as his eyes gleamed with determination.

    ¡®For the majestic high school newspaper club, for everyone¡¯s right to know, as a newspaper club member, I have the mission to discover and spread the truth!¡¯

    Even if some sacrifices must be made.

    Thinking this, he walked over to the office and joined the queue.

    After a long wait, it was finally his turn.

    He finally met the legendary new beautiful teacher whose name was¡­ Kaede Juumonji.

    She was as pretty as the rumors. Her name sounded nice as well.

    But what exactly was up with the stories about her¡­?

    "Hello, do you have anywhere that¡¯s feeling ufortable? Or do you have a problem you need help with?"

    At first, she had a polite attitude. However¡­

    "An interview? The truth?"

    "Oh¡­ so this means that you¡¯re not a patient or a student with any actual problems. You¡¯re just here to be nosy!"

    After she¡¯d confirmed the newspaper club member¡¯s intentions, her polite attitude disappeared.

    What reced it was a cold look of utter condescension.

    "Honestly, you¡¯re just a moron that only knows how to inconvenience others!

    "At the very least you¡¯re supposed to be that person¡¯s fellow schoolmate, even if you¡¯re miles away from his level! Don¡¯t be so vulgar as to be lower than even the dirt under his fingernails, alright!!

    "I¡¯ve already seen so many idiots like you today!! It¡¯s really annoying!!!"

    The brave newspaper club member was utterly stunned.

    Following that, he received his life¡¯s first-ever insult-filled rampage¡­

    After that.

    This person quit the newspaper club and entered a small club by the name of "The Education and Training Club."

    The details of this club, the reason behind the student abandoning his beloved newspaper club, the student¡¯s inexplicable devotion to this new club, and how he expanded this club together with his newfoundrades, who shared his interests¡­ was another story entirely.

    Kaede Juumonji became a legend on her first day as a school nurse and health teacher.

    Her legendary nickname was¡­

    "The fallen angel in white!"

 Chapter 109 - This Is a Punishment~

    <h4>Chapter 109: This Is a Punishment~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Fallen angel in white¡­" After hearing such a nickname, Seiji¡¯s expression was nk.

    After thinking it over, he felt that he understood what had probably happened. Even though Kaede always acted politely on the surface, she was still the daughter of a mafia family!

    Seiji¡¯s deepest impression of her was the scene where she¡¯d loudly lectured the ck-suited men¡­ Or, to be more specific, this scene inbination with her shy and embarrassed behavior right after. It was such a huge contrast¡­

    Those who visited her office driven by the desire to meet a beautiful teacher probably received polite treatment at first. However, once it became clear that they had no physical or mental problems at all, Kaede would be incensed, and they probably received vicious lectures.

    The contrast was almost as huge as Jekyll and Hyde. This, inbination with her beautiful appearance, meant it was almost impossible for her not to leave the male students with a deep impression. In fact, some of them were currently feeling a mix of emotions.

    Seiji¡¯s understood this phenomenon as cuteness from unexpectedness.

    Perhaps some idiots would be enchanted by this. They might even fall in love with her special charisma, awaken new interests, and open the door to a whole new world of masochism, or something simr.

    ¡®Well, it has nothing to do with me.¡¯

    Seiji didn¡¯t care whatsoever about the other boys who¡¯d received their just desserts for queueing up solely for the purpose of meeting Kaede.

    Personally, he felt like such a type of cuteness was alright in 2-D, but in reality¡­ Well, as long as he wasn¡¯t the target of the insults, it was probably still eptable.

    As for Mika and Chiaki¡¯s reaction to this¡ª

    "That Juumonji-san¡­ had such a side to her?" The pigtailed girl was shocked.

    "Heh heh~~ It seems quite interesting, Seigo. Let¡¯s go experience it together!" The tomboy shed a brilliant smile."As your good friend, I should go and greet Mika¡¯s foremostpetitor!"

    "Chiaki!" Mika protested angrily.

    That¡¯s how it was.

    At any rate, today was a peaceful day at school as well.

    ¡­

    After school.

    Seiji headed to the confectionery store.

    After he arrived, he was called to Rika¡¯s office as he¡¯d expected.

    "Thank you so much, Haruta-kun."

    After seeing him, Rika Amami bowed in thanks to Seiji.

    "If it wasn¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t know how bad things may have turned out¡­ I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice that their family was¡­"

    Rika¡¯s expression was filled with regret.

    She med herself for failing to notice the abnormalities within her own older brother¡¯s family.

    "If only I paid more attention in the past, I could have detected it, but¡­ I didn¡¯t care about them enough."

    Seiji could only remain silent.

    After a momentary silence, Rika sighed before showing a smile again."At any rate, I¡¯m truly grateful for all you¡¯ve done¡­ Not only me; our entire family owes you a huge favor."

    Seiji smiled in response at this.

    "No need for that, Owner. Hoshi¡¯s my junior and friend¡ªI just did what I should have."

    "You just did what you should have¡­" Rika echoed."How many people in this world can go so far for a friend which they¡¯ve only known for a short time?"

    Rika smiled as she looked straight at Seiji¡¯s face."That child, Hoshi¡­ he¡¯s basically treating you as his idol. I can understand why he feels that way."

    "I¡¯m proud that you¡¯re my employee, Haruta-kun. I¡¯m truly fortunate to have hired you at that time."

    "Then can you increase my sry?" Seiji blinked in an attempt to act cute.

    Rikaughed out loud at this."Sorry, I can¡¯t do that, but if you need it, I can give you an abundant amount of reward money in front of everyone!"

    "Forget it then. I don¡¯t want to be killed off by Tanaka-senpai and my other coworkers." Seiji shrugged and extended his palms in an act of helplessness.

    After this, theyughed together heartily.

    Seiji wouldn¡¯t truly ask the owner for money for such a thing. Rika also knew that he was just joking. If she really did offer money, he wouldn¡¯t ept it.

    Another short period of silence followed.

    "Haruta-kun, actually I still have a question¡­ Although I thought about the possible reasons, I felt it would be better to ask you." Rika nced at Seiji as her eyes shed with a strange light."At the very beginning why didn¡¯t you¡­ When you learned about what happened from Hoshi, why didn¡¯t you contact me immediately?"

    Seiji was momentarily stunned.

    "Owner, you¡¯ve already considered it, so there¡¯s no need for me to answer that. It¡¯s embarrassing."

    "Why would you be embarrassed?" Rika walked two steps closer, a gentle expression in her eyes.

    "Er¡­ that¡¯s because¡­" Seiji averted his gaze."At the time, I was so angry. I only wanted to make a huge scene out of it, and I¡­ forgot¡­ about you until I finished with that spectacle."

    Rika was stunned at this.

    She then seemed toe to a sudden realization as sheughed out loud again.

    "Honestly, Haruta-kun¡­"

    Rika shook her head slightly as she kept her eyes fixed on him.

    "That¡¯s why I said it was embarrassing!" Seiji awkwardly scratched his face as he continued to avert his gaze."Owner, you¡¯ve probably figured it out yourself, but you still asked me¡­"

    ¡®This idiot.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence¡­ as Rika Amami suddenly walked right up to him and kissed him on the cheek!

    He felt a soft feeling, a warm touch, and the scent of maturity¡­

    Seiji froze solid.

    "This is a punishment for the idiot child who can¡¯t be honest in such a situation."

    Rika stepped back, her cheeks slightly flushed as she smiled alluringly.

    She had already considered it, so she knew Seiji must have been worried about how difficult it would have been for her to interfere in the situation just based on Hoshi¡¯s words.

    She was the younger sister of Hoshi¡¯s father, as well as Hoshi and the twins¡¯ aunt, their blood rtive¡­ If she haphazardly interfered in the darkness which enveloped her rtives¡¯ family, she would¡¯ve been ced under immense pressure.

    She had the right to interfere, but the right to do so didn¡¯t mean that it would be easy to aplish anything. If she didn¡¯t pull it off correctly, she¡¯d only be rejected by everyone, or even be viewed as a viin.

    Even if things didn¡¯t turn out that way, presuming she could sessfully intervene in their family affairs based solely on her nephew¡¯s words, and she somehow managed to dispel the darkness from them, then what?

    Sometimes helping others wouldn¡¯t be viewed as an act of kindness by them. Even if you were a blood rtive¡­ or, perhaps, exactly because you were a blood rtive. Things weren¡¯t that simple.

    At the time, contacting Rika Amami would have been the correct thing to do in theory. It was the most sensible and appropriate method to take.

    But in that case, all the responsibility of dealing with the family¡¯s situation would have fallen upon Rika Amami¡¯s shoulders.

    That was why Seiji didn¡¯t do such a thing.

    As an outsider, he chose to shoulder all the responsibility by himself and faced the twins together with his friend¡¯s assistance¡­ Only after he¡¯d seeded at the most difficult part did he contact Rika.

    On the surface, he made a huge mess before making Rikae clean up after him.

    But in reality, this was his gentleness¡­ or perhaps his way of protecting her.

    Rika Amami had considered all this already and understood his intentions.

    That was why she was so moved.

    Her goal in asking Seiji to his face was to force him to admit his own gentleness, enabling her to praise him.

    It wasn¡¯t for the sake of her brother¡¯s family¡ªshe wanted to praise him for shielding her from the brunt of the trouble.

    However, she didn¡¯t expect Haruta-kun to y the fool to the very end. He was normally direct and forthright, yet he¡¯d deceived her on such an issue!

    ¡®Haha, there¡¯s no helping it.¡¯

    Rika¡¯s heart was filled with a warm feeling as she couldn¡¯t help walking up to and kissing this¡­ cute, handsome, yet clumsy boy.

    ¡®This is a punishment, silly fool!¡¯

 Chapter 110 - Reward

    <h4>Chapter 110: Reward</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Punishment?

    ¡®I want more punishments like this, please!¡¯ Seiji coughed and tried to suppress his turbulent emotions.

    Seiji¡¯s face was slightly red after he regained his senses. He didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He knew that Rika had a chance of detecting his true way of thinking, but he didn¡¯t anticipate her¡­"punishing" him like this.

    Truthfully, Seiji did consider contacting her, but he didn¡¯t think too much into it.

    Compared to contacting her right from the start, he preferred to make a huge incident of it first, before asking for her help at the end. This way, he could vent his frustrations on the twins, and Rika would appear to be the nice person in this event. There was nothing else to it.

    After all, he was still an outsider. He wouldn¡¯t have to hold back against the twins, nor would he care what the twins¡¯ parents thought of him after the incident¡¯s conclusion. Rika Amami was different, though. She would have reservations which would hold her back and give her pressure.

    Seiji felt he¡¯d selected a method which helped out everyone in the end¡­ one that any normal person would choose if they could think of it.

    Rika¡¯s disy of gratitude was still unexpected.

    Nobody spoke for a while in Rika¡¯s office.

    When she noticed Seiji¡¯s blushing face and embarrassment, Rika inwardly smiled.

    ¡®He¡¯s too cute¡­¡¯

    "Now that I¡¯ve punished you, it¡¯s time¡­ for your reward."

    ¡®There¡¯s a reward as well?¡¯

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but look at Rika curiously as he noticed her seductive smile.

    "I recall that there was something you really wanted, but I didn¡¯t give to you¡­ And now, although it¡¯s not the same one, I¡¯ll give you the same item."

    Rika slowly reached into her pocket and brought something out from it. Her fist was closed, so Seiji was unable to see what she¡¯d brought out. She ced her closed fist in front of Seiji.

    "Give me your hand."

    "Oh¡­ oh."

    Seiji dazedly obeyed her order as he gave her his open hand.

    Rika slowly opened her hand, revealing a small, shiny, translucent¡­ button!

    ¡®Could¡­ could this be!?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s eyes widened in excitement.

    Rika¡¯s face was tinged with a hint of red as she ced the button in Seiji¡¯srge hand.

    "You¡¯re forbidden from telling anyone else about this," she whispered as she handed the button over.

    For something like this to be a reward, it was a little¡­ But this was the only thing that he had ever expressed wanting in front of her!

    Seiji nodded in understanding as he clutched the button tightly to his chest. It was still warm due to the residual body heat left behind by Rika.

    The holy artifact has been obtained!

    He missed his previous opportunity to receive this legendary holy artifact, which was a byproduct of oversized breasts that countless gentlemen wished for, but now he¡¯d finally obtained it.

    Seiji¡¯s expression was grave as he sped his hands in mock prayer; he was about to reincarnate¡­ no, raise himself to the heavens!

    Rika wasn¡¯t sure how she should respond to his iprehensible movements and expression.

    All she could do wasugh.

    "Okay, stop acting weird! You¡¯ve already received your reward, so hurry up and start working!"

    "Yes, Buddha¡­ no, Store Manager!" Seiji¡¯s reply was filled with passionate spirit as he turned around and began to leave. Even his tall figure exuded a hot-blooded aura of passion.

    "What the heck¡¯s with calling me Buddha!?" Rika scolded him as he walked out.

    It seemed that it would take a long while for the smile and redness on her face to disappear.

    ¡­

    After work was over.

    Seiji opened the [gifts] option in his system and checked the holy artifact¡­ no, the reward he received from his system for the gift.

    He had gained 7 points, as well as the discount card item [My Heartfelt Gratitude].

    This card contained the gratitude the beautiful store manager felt towards him, as well as appreciation and praise. After using the card, he could choose any item he wanted in the shop, and the price would be reduced to 50%. There was no limit on the total discount amount, and he could even use it to purchase arge stock of the same consumable. It was, however, a one-time use item.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    A 50% reduction on any item he wanted was an incredibly strong effect! It was a pity that it was a one-time use item, but thankfully there was no limit attached to it.

    This meant that there was two ways he could use this card. One would be to exchange for an incredibly expensive item with a powerful effect, saving him arge amount of points in the process.

    The other way was to purchase a consumable item he needed in arge quantity, which would also save him many points in the process.

    However, Seiji currently had neither of those types of items avable for purchase.

    Nothing expensive seemed particrly enticing to him, nor did he have any consumables which he needed to use arge quantity of¡­ It seemed that he would have to leave this item card unused for the time being.

    Although it wasn¡¯t useful right now, it still had a strong effect, and the 7 points it gave him was nothing to be scoffed at.

    ¡®Thank you, Store Manager!¡¯

    Seiji was delighted as he walked past the park on his way home.

    As he was walking, he heard a creaking sounding from the swing set in the park.

    ¡®Are there really children still ying on the swings thiste at night?¡¯ Seiji looked at the swings with that doubt in mind.

    He saw someone sitting on a swing, and it clearly wasn¡¯t a child.

    It was a girl wearing the Genhana Middle School uniform.

    Due to the poor lighting and distance between them, Seiji was unable to see her face clearly.

    But his instinct told him that¡­ he¡¯d seen this person before somewhere.

    *Creak¡­ creak¡­*

    The middle school girl¡¯s figure seemed lonely as she swung on the swings by herself.

    Seiji stopped walking towards home.

    Instead, he headed towards the swing set.

    "You must be a middle schooler at Genhana. It¡¯s already thiste, so why are you¡­"

    Seiji began speaking as he approached, but before he finished his question, he saw who it was and stopped on his own.

    That was because he recognized her.

    Even though he only met her once, on the first day when he transferred in, she had left him with a deep impression.

    She was a beautiful girl who looked like a porcin doll. She had exquisite facial features, snow-white skin, neat bangs, delicate eyshes, clear eyes, and silky-soft ck hair styled casually. At first nce, she appeared to be an icy beauty.

    "You¡­" Seiji¡¯s steps paused slightly as he continued walking towards her."You¡¯re¡­ Shika Kagura, right?"

    Yes, this was her name.

    She was the middle school student who had a top-ss appearance¡­ She was the girl who¡¯d been captured and dragged to the drama club by the club¡¯s president.

    Seiji recalled the scene of Shika sitting on a chair by the window, quietly reading her poem collection.

    At that time, he went over to greet her of his own volition.

    Just like this time.

    "Do you still remember me? I¡¯m Seigo Harano, a high school first-year student¡­ Two weeks ago at the drama club, we exchanged a few words." He walked in front of the swingset as he continued speaking.

    The girl¡­ Shika Kagura stopped swinging as she looked at his face.

    Just likest time.

    "Seigo Harano¡­"

    Her voice was gentle yet cold.

    ¡®It seems that she remembers me," Seiji thought to himself.

    "I was just passing by and noticed the sound, so I came to see who was here. It¡¯s quitete already, so why are you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be going home?"

    Shika remained silent as she looked at Seiji wordlessly.

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

    Although he was tempted to ask if there was something on his face, he figured that asking Shika such an idle question probably wasn¡¯t the best course of action.

    "Did¡­ something happen in your family? Did you argue with your parents?"

    He might as well cut to the chase and ask something sensitive.

    A middle school student remaining away from home at this time of night probably meant something had happened in her family.

    Shika continued staring at his face, as if she were waiting for flowers to magically begin blooming there.

    Seiji sighed."Fine then. I¡¯m probably poking my nose in business that¡¯s not meant for me."

    He walked up to her and sat down beside her on the adjacent swing.

    "I don¡¯t really want to interfere with anything; I just want to help you if I can be of any assistance. It¡¯s dangerous for a beautiful girl like you to be out herete at night, especially in an empty area like this.

    "Perhaps you don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to leave you alone."

    That¡¯s all there was to it.

    This was just a normal action of kindness.

    At this moment, however, Seiji was unaware of what would eventuallye of his act.

 Chapter 111 - Someone Said â€œYouâ€™re Light Itselfâ€

    <h4>Chapter 111: Someone Said ¡°You¡¯re Light Itself¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "You¡¯re a good person, Seigo Harano."

    Shika Kagura finally spoke her first sentence and instantly attached thebel of a "good person" to Seiji for the second time.

    "I¡¯ve already heard you say that at Drama Club." Seiji looked at her."Although I don¡¯t really think I¡¯m such a good person¡­ But perhaps I am, just a little."

    "Someone told me that you¡¯re ¡®light itself.¡¯"

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    A feminine¡­ no, the image of a boy in female clothing shed through his memory. He felt a sudden urge to cover his face!

    But he still had to ask to make sure.

    "Who did you hear that from? Was it Hoshi Amami? Do you know him?"

    Shika nodded in response.

    Seiji ended up clutching his face when Shika nodded.

    ¡®Hoshi, it¡¯s one thing if you¡¯re just thinking it in your mind! Are you really telling others as well!? It¡¯s too embarrassing!¡¯

    After mentally cursing his absent junior, Seiji decided to give Hoshi a proper education with his fist when they next met.

    "Seigo Harano?" A confused voice called out his name.

    "Oh, my apologies, I was just¡­" Seiji coughed and lowered his hands again."You¡¯re ssmates with Hoshi?"

    "Same club." Shika¡¯s answers were rather sinct.

    "What club?"

    "Literature."

    "I see¡­"

    So Hoshi was in the Literature Club, hmm. It seemed quite suitable for him.

    ¡®No, wait!¡¯

    "How did he tell you about it?" Seiji¡¯s face began to twitch.

    ¡®Did that guy tell the entire Literature Club about his wild fantasies!?¡¯

    Shika remained silent.

    ¡®Hey there, don¡¯t remain silent here! I¡¯m nervously waiting to hear what you have to say!¡¯

    Seiji was filled with tension as he awaited Shika¡¯s answer.

    If that idiot junior of his really did tell the entire Literature Club something so embarrassing¡­ damn it! This wasn¡¯t something that could be taken care of with just one educational punch!

    Achoo¡­ Hoshi sneezed while doing housework at his aunt¡¯s house.

    "Senpai¡¯s work has probably ended now¡­ Man, I want to go as well," he muttered to himself as he wiped down a surface.

    But first, he had to clean up his aunt¡¯s house.

    After all, they were going to live together now. He felt it would be best to get everything cleaned.

    Anyway, Aunt Rika seemed to be so strict, but her home was¡­

    Hoshi couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly as he thought back to the chaotic mess in the house when he first arrived.

    Aunt Rika seemed to feel awkward about it as well.

    Still, she was always busy with work and lived by herself, so it was understandable that her house was messy.

    Hoshi felt that the first thing he should do after moving in was to clean up the whole ce, both for his aunt and for himself.

    He decided that this was more important than going to work at the confectionery store. Even though he really wanted to be next to Senpai at work, he controlled his urge and didn¡¯t go to the store.

    He should do what was necessary first¡­ Did this count as maturing?

    ¡®When I see Harano-senpai again, I¡¯ll tell him¡­ and reveal Aunt Rika¡¯s true living conditions at home!¡¯ Hoshi chuckled to himself as he imagined the conversation.

    He had no idea that the next time he met his Senpai an iron fist would be waiting for him.

    In the park.

    Shika remained silent for a long period of time.

    Finally, she averted her gaze before speaking.

    "I asked him why it was that¡­ he didn¡¯t die."

    Seiji who had been waiting for the answer was stunned at the unexpected response.

    Why Hoshi didn¡¯t die?

    This type of question¡­ it sounded almost as if¡­ she knew Hoshi Amami originally should have died!

    Seiji¡¯s expression instantly changed.

    "Why did you ask him that question?" His mind went through various scenarios, but he decided to seek rification from her first.

    Shika gazed off into the night with a calm expression.

    "He also asked me this, just like you."

    "My answer was that¡­ I saw it."

    "He had an expression¡­ that said he wanted to die."

    ¡®An expression?¡¯ Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Then, he seemed to understand what I meant, as he thanked me for caring about him. Actually, I didn¡¯t care about him¡­ I told him that as well. I just wanted to know who had¡­ changed his mind when he had wanted to die¡­ into someone who saw the light again."

    Shika slowly moved her gaze back on Seiji¡¯s face again as she spoke.

    "He then told me that¡­ he met the light itself. The light¡¯s name was¡­ Seigo Harano."

    Seiji was speechless.

    Her story was rather choppy, but he could understand her meaning.

    For a moment, he thought that Shika had some sort of¡­ mystical ability, but it must have been his misunderstanding.

    She didn¡¯t actually witness Hoshi¡¯s death. She only noticed Hoshi¡¯s dark expression when he was in a mental abyss, and from that she inferred he was going to¡­

    But that didn¡¯t end up happening to Hoshi. Instead, he recovered and even surpassed his original self¡¯s spiritedness.

    This made Shika feel something was strange, hence her question.

    Hoshi answered her¡­ in a rather immature middle schooler¡¯s way.

    Seiji inwardly breathed a sigh of relief after confirming his fears were unfounded, and Shika wasn¡¯t someone with mystical powers.

    He was also relieved, as apparently Hoshi hadn¡¯t informed the whole club about the way he considered Seiji to be the light itself.

    "That guy may have exaggerated a bit too much. His analogy was a little¡­ you know." Seiji scratched his face."All I did was help him out a little¡­ He was having some difficulties due to a certain issue, and I helped him out. That¡¯s all there is to it."

    Shika stared at him.

    "While he was telling me this, it seemed as if he were exuding an aura of light. That type of aura¡­ it was my first time witnessing such a thing. I¡¯ve never seen it before."

    Fine then! This girl and that guy¡­ were both part of the Literature Club!

    Did all Literature Club members find it so easy to ept the immature thinking of middle schoolers?

    ¡®I surrender,¡¯ Seiji mentally sighed.

    "You¡­ well, whatever you guys want to say, it¡¯s up to you. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m light itself; I merely did what I should have as his Senpai and his friend, as it was within my power to do so."

    Shika tilted her head slightly."So you¡¯re admitting it?"

    ¡®Hey, girl, just how did you understand that as I was admitting it!?¡¯

    Seiji forced down his urge to retort.

    This wouldn¡¯t end if he continued to deny it.

    Seiji sighed inwardly.¡®I might as well take the direct approach with her.¡¯

    "Fine then. I suppose¡­ I am the light."

    Damn it, only after he said it out loud did he realize how embarrassing it sounded!

    Seiji forcefully clutched his face with his hands.

    "I admit it, okay? I¡¯m the person who gave him light, so he views me as light itself! I¡¯m the physical actualization of light!! Then? So what!?"

    He gave up on himself as he covered his face.

    His words sounded way too much like the immature rambling of a middle school student!

    ¡®Why am I acting like this deep into the night in a dark park together with a middle school girl that I barely even know!?¡¯

    Seiji could only console himself by thinking that he had just done something equally embarrassing and pretentious two days ago. Compared to how he acted towards the twins, this was nothing¡­

    ¡­But this made him lose even more spirit!

    At that time, he had relied on his imposing manner to get by! And after that was ss time, which barely managed to help him stop thinking about it!!

    Seiji was engulfed by his dark memories. The physical actualization of light was about to copse.

    "I¡­ also want to have the light," Shika stated in a soft, calm voice.

    Her voice didn¡¯t contain any particr emotions. It was a simple, pure desire.

    "Could you¡­ give me light as well?"

 Chapter 112 - Smile

    <h4>Chapter 112: Smile</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    She wanted to have the light?

    Was she asking for his help?

    Seiji slowly put down his hands and looked at Shika once more.

    "Didn¡¯t I just say it? I¡¯d like to help in any way I can, if I can be of service."

    "¡­So you¡¯ve agreed?" Shika was still looking at him intently.

    Her tone of voice and gaze were both calm, but her beautiful eyes seemed to contain some deep emotions within them.

    Seiji looked directly at her.

    This sounded like a perfectly ordinary confirmation question, but for some reason, Seiji felt Shika¡¯s question¡­ might not be ordinary at all.

    This felt like Kyubey cutely asking if he wanted to sign a contract to be a magical girl¡­ er, was this analogy a bad one?

    At any rate, Seiji had the premonition that something big would happen if he promised her directly.

    But so what?

    ¡®I¡¯m the physical actualization of light, and light is fearless!¡¯

    ¡­Of course not! Why was his brain thinking such things!?

    ¡®Am I actually enjoying this!? Acting like an immature middle schooler with this girl I barely even know¡­ No, stop thinking about this!¡¯

    But still, since she remained so calm throughout, he would seem like an idiot if he cared so much about appearances.

    Seiji smiled as he came to a conclusion.

    "Yep, I promise. It could even be said that I came here especially for this reason." Seijibed his hand through his hair in an attempt to look cool.

    "Oh, lonely girl in the darkness, your summoning of the light has been heard by me. I shall bestow the light upon you!"

    Seiji made the most pious expression he could manage as he reached his hand out to her.

    He had activated his clown mode.

    In this mode, Seiji was able to temporarily forgo all sense of embarrassment and double his mental resistance. It didn¡¯t matter if he was acting like an immature middle school student or if he was being pretentious; he could do anything!

    Normally, he would only use this mode with close friends such as Chiaki and Mika.

    But since he was already so embarrassed, he decided there was no harm in using this mode on the literature-loving girl named Shika Kagura!

    Would she be stunned in amazement orment on it?

    Neither.

    She continued to silently watch Seiji¡¯s pretentious act.

    This¡­ was more damaging to Seiji¡¯s psyche than either of the above options!

    He felt an overwhelming urge to take his hand back.

    However, Shika¡¯s hand rose in response.

    She slowly extended her tiny hand as she moved her gaze towards his muchrger hand.

    There wasn¡¯t much distance between the two swings they were sitting on. It would be easy for the two of them to touch each other.

    Seiji was a bit surprised at seeing this, but he cooperated and straightened his arm.

    Shika Kagura¡¯s tiny hand slowly edged closer.

    In the quiet atmosphere, this scene seemed rather¡­ formal, almost ritualistic.

    Their hands were almost touching.

    Seiji waited for her.

    However, just as they were about toe into contact, Shika¡¯s hand stopped moving.

    "No¡­ This won¡¯t work¡­"

    For the first time, her face showed an expression other than calmness.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t obvious, Seiji realized her expression was filled with a mixture of pain, sadness, and darkness.

    He had witnessed a simr expression on Hoshi¡¯s face a few days prior. He had no desire to see this type of expression around him again.

    "You¡­" Seiji furrowed his brows and prepared to speak.

    "I cannot possess the light," Shika muttered to herself, retracting her hand and averting her gaze.

    She then stood up and began walking out of the park.

    Seiji was stunned.

    "Wait a moment!" he called as he rose from the swing.

    She was leaving just like this?

    What the heck? Why?

    Shika¡¯s steps didn¡¯t slow down at all for him as she continued walking.

    Seiji chased after her.

    "Wait up! You¡­" He reached out his hand, wanting to stop her.

    Shika turned around, avoiding his hand.

    "Don¡¯t touch me," she said expressionlessly.

    Her tone of voice was still calm; it contained no coldness, condescension, or any other emotions.

    Seiji finally noticed that¡­ no, it should be said that he confirmed it.

    This girl named Shika Kagura was abnormal.

    Or, she was in some sort of abnormal situation.

    She wanted to ask for help.

    But she didn¡¯t dare to do so¡­ or for some unknown reason, wasn¡¯t able to do so.

    Seiji furrowed his brows deeply.

    "Sorry, Seigo Harano."

    She left only those calm words behind as she gradually walked off.

    "I know it¡¯s your choice whether or not to tell me anything," Seiji called out to her back."But if you don¡¯t say anything, nobody will be able to help you."

    The girl showed no signs of slowing down.

    "Weren¡¯t you actually waiting here for me!?" Seiji raised his voice as he asked a question.

    This time, her steps finally halted.

    "You must have learned from Hoshi that I was working at the Divine Taste confectionery store. You even found out my work schedule and the path I would take home and waited for me here on purpose as you knew I¡¯d pass by here after work!"

    Seiji kept looking towards her back.

    "Spending so much effort to meet with me and talk to me¡­ you must have had something you wanted to say!"

    Shika merely stood there without turning around or continuing to walk.

    "If you want to say something, then say it! I don¡¯t have mind-reading powers, so I won¡¯t know anything if you don¡¯t tell me!"

    Nobody would be able to help someone who remained silent.

    Seiji started walking forward.

    "Hoshi Amami¡­ he seemed so simr to you at that time. But you did something better than him; you chose to ask for help of your own volition. But why did you give up at the very end? There was only one more step to go!

    "Do you feel that I¡¯m not as reliable as you imagined? You think I won¡¯t be of any help? Of course, I¡¯m no superhero, and I can¡¯t promise that I can do anything, but you made such an effort to meet me, so at the very least¡­ say something!

    "Even if I can¡¯t do anything, I can at least¡­ listen to your problem."

    He walked closer to her as he spoke; he was now mere inches away from her back.

    She slowly turned around.

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise when he saw her expression.

    She was smiling.

    A faint smile bloomed across Shika Kagura¡¯s exquisite, delicate face.

    The dim streetlights granted this scene an indescribable beauty!

    However, it wasn¡¯t only Shika¡¯s beauty that left Seiji stunned.

    It was her smile, which contained¡­ numerous deep emotions!

    Her emotional smile was a huge contrast with her seemingly unshakeable calmness from earlier.

    This was what struck awe into Seiji¡¯s heart.

    Although it was such a short moment, he could detect sadness, helplessness, gentleness, and loneliness in her smile¡­

    "Thank you."

    A soft voice weakly faded and dissolved into the night as if it were a bubble.

    Her expression subsequently returned to its typical calm state.

    She turned around as she continued to leave.

    Seiji remained rooted to ground as he watched her leave.

    Only when her figure was on the verge of disappearing into the night did he suddenly shout,"I¡¯lle back here tomorrow! At the same time and ce!"

    ¡®If you want to ask for help, or tell me something,e,¡¯ he said in his heart.

    This was all that he could do.

    ¡­

    "Shika Kagura?"

    Hoshi was overjoyed at receiving a phone call from his senpai, but he was confused about the name his senpai asked him about.

    "How do you know her, Senpai?"

    "What? She went to look for you!?"

    Hoshi was dumbfounded.

    This¡­ this was quite different from the girl that he knew.

    His Harano-senpai continued to ask him about her on the phone.

    "What type of person is she?"

    Hoshi returned to his senses as he contemted the question.

    "Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe her¡­ At any rate, in our Literature club¡­ as well as in our ss, she¡¯s secretly called¡­"

    Seiji¡¯s eyebrows shot upwards as he heard Shika¡¯s nickname from Hoshi.

    ¡®What the hell?¡¯

 Chapter 113 - Heaven-Sent Calamities

    <h4>Chapter 113: Heaven-Sent Cmities</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "The holy maiden with divine protection."

    This was Shika Kagura¡¯s nickname in her club as well as ss.

    After witches was a holy maiden¡­ What was all this!?

    "Your older sisters are called the ¡®twin witches,¡¯ and now you have a fellow club member that¡¯s a ¡®holy maiden?¡¯ Hoshi, are you actually the male lead of a dating sim!?" Seiji could make numerousments on this situation.

    Hoshi could hear Seiji chuckling on the other end of the phone.

    "Now you mention it, that¡¯s an apt description. I¡¯m just as useless and ordinary as the male lead of a dating sim, so even if there are witches or holy maidens by my side, I won¡¯t be able to do anything," Hoshi spoke as he gazed outside the window.

    "But you¡¯re different, Senpai. You¡¯re so gentle and strong, and you possess the power to save others¡­ that¡¯s what a true main character is."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Should he activate his clown mode again?

    No. His energy level for that was depleted and currently recharging.

    He could only face this embarrassment head-on.

    "I¡¯m no superhero, and I can¡¯t promise that I can do anything¡­ Those were the words that I told her."

    "Senpai, humble as always."

    "I wasn¡¯t being humble at all, okay! I merely told her the truth. Since I knew nothing about what was going on, of course I couldn¡¯t promise that I could be of any help," Seiji stated the truth of the situation."And even if I knew what was going on¡­ I¡¯m only an ordinary person. There are always going to be situations where I¡¯m powerless."

    ¡®No, Senpai, you¡¯re a hero,¡¯ Hoshi thought in his heart.

    "Although you¡¯re humble, gentle, and strong, you aren¡¯t arrogant¡­ You only show your true power when other people need your help.¡¯

    Compared to the superheroes in the movies, Senpai was much more like a true hero!

    "At any rate, if it¡¯s something I can help with, I¡¯ll do everything in my power. But right now she isn¡¯t telling me anything, so there¡¯s nothing I can do. Although I informed her that I¡¯d wait for her in the park at the same time tomorrow, I doubt she¡¯lle. So just tell me everything you know about her."

    It seemed Senpai was basically telling him that he wanted information on Shika Kagura.

    Hoshi smiled at thought of assisting his hero.

    "Shika Kagura¡­ Kagura-san transferred to Genhana Middle School earlier this semester¡­"

    ¡­

    Shika Kagura was a middle school second-year student in Year 2, ss 4.

    On her first day after transferring in, her self-introduction shocked everyone in ss, including the teacher.

    "I don¡¯t need friends. Please don¡¯t approach me, please don¡¯t touch me, and please don¡¯t talk to me."

    Anyone would be shocked at how calm her words sounded. She even retained that tranquil expression of hers while she was speaking.

    Her attitude didn¡¯t seem cold, haughty, or condescending. It was merely calm.

    She acted as if she were saying the perfectly ordinary "please take care of me," but her words clearly showed her unwillingness to bond with her ssmates. Even the teacher was stunned by this scene.

    Of course, she waster called to the teacher¡¯s office for a discussion.

    But no matter what the teacher said, she remained imcable.

    As for her ssmates, some worked up the courage to talk to her, and others were instructed by the teacher to attempt to talk to her. Naturally, there were also those who tried to harass her for being different¡­

    Shika¡¯s only response to all this was calm rejection, or eptance with zero reaction.

    And just as the people harassing her were about to escte the level to bullying, they were struck by misfortune.

    Instead of Shika Kagura, harm came to those who wanted to bully her.

    One person tripped and got injured on the stairs, one was burned by scalding hot water, one was viciously beaten up by some thugs, and one was even in a car ident and hospitalized!

    These idents happened in such quick session, and the victims were all obviously connected. This made it easy for people toe up with their own theories.

    A curse, or¡­ heaven-sent cmities!

    There were also some students that believed the worst of Shika Kagura, hypothesizing that she was under the protection of some unknown powerful entity or organization.

    Well, that could exin the thugs¡¯ beating as well as the car ident, but that wouldn¡¯t be able to exin the person who tripped on the stairs by himself or the one who was identally scalded by boiling water in her own house.

    Not only were the ordinary middle school students unable to understand it, even the teacher didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    These incidents appeared to be unfortunate idents on the surface, but they happened almost simultaneously. All the victims were known by the entire ss as those who were harassing Shika, so this didn¡¯t look like any normal series of idents.

    Her ssmates could only believe that the idents were¡­ heaven-sent cmities.

    Shika Kagura was being protected by something divine or mystical.

    This became something that Shika¡¯s entire ss fervently believed in.

    Right after, the ident that happened to their ss¡¯s teacher seemed to verify their belief.

    A fire disaster.

    Fortunately the house was empty, so nobody in the teacher¡¯s family was injured. Even so, their teacher would undoubtedly sustain huge losses, despite the fact that insurance would cover the fire¡¯s damage.

    As for the cause of the fire¡­ the fire departmentter determined that it was due to an old iron that had been left on and forgotten after being used to iron some clothes.

    However, Year 2 ss 4¡¯s middle school students preferred to believe in a different type of exnation.

    It was the gods showing their power! They punished¡­ the person who was bothering Shika Kagura.

    The beautiful girl who always had a calm expression in ss and quietly rejected everyone who made an attempt to talk to her was now secretly called "the holy maiden with divine protection" by the entire ss.

    Why wasn¡¯t she called the "cursed girl" instead?

    It was because nobody wished to incur a heaven-sent cmity.

    And thus, Shika becamepletely isted¡­ just as she wanted from the beginning.

    Later, she ended up joining the Literature club.

    One of the female club members invited Shika rather forcefully because she always saw Shika reading in the library.

    But this female club member was brutally struck in the head during P.E. ss by a stray basketball and was knocked unconscious! After that, she never dared to speak to Shika again.

    After all the members of Literature club learned about Shika¡¯s legend as well as what happened to that female club member, they acted the same way as Year 2 ss 4 and isted her.

    Shika had always remained like this by herself.

    Always quiet, calm, and lonely; she never showed pain, or indeed any other emotions at all. It was almost as if she had always wanted it this way.

    ¡­

    "I thought Kagura-san¡¯s inner state was simr to her outer state, an infinite ocean of tranquility. As if¡­ She was merely an eternal observer.

    "When she suddenly asked me what it was that changed me, I was actually quite shocked. After all, I¡¯d never spoken to her before that, nor had I ever seen or heard of her ever speaking to anyone of her own volition.

    "I know all the stories about her, and why she became isted. But she was so¡­ calm about it, so I never thought of doing anything to change the situation. I think others feel the same way about this.

    "No¡­ Even if we knew that she was actually in pain, we wouldn¡¯t do anything¡­ due to fear." Hoshi¡¯s voice took on a heavy tone as he continued,"The ¡®heaven-sent cmities¡¯ indeed urred, even if they were all idents¡­ But it was precisely because they were all idents that they were so scary.

    "If we approach her, who knows what could happen? We¡¯d encounter unexpected, unpredictable disasters, and¡­" Hoshi sighed deeply."This is all so frightening. At the very least, I¡¯m scared, even now, although I¡¯m only talking about it."

    Hoshi¡¯s voice sounded even darker than earlier. He was likely disgusted with his own weakness and powerlessness.

    On the other side of the phone, a light smile was disyed on Seiji¡¯s face.

    "Being scared of unknown disasters is normal. Even for me, something like this¡­ I have no idea how to go about it."

    "Senpai¡­"

    "But fortunately, I know someone who might be able to take care of this matter."

    "Senpai!"

    "But she might not be free right now, and even if she has the spare time, I still don¡¯t know if she can really solve this issue," Seiji stated bluntly.

    "But you¡¯ll try, right, Senpai!?" Hoshi¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he proudly supported his senpai.

    "Ah, of course." He heard a resolute voice on the other end of the phone.

    The conviction in Seiji¡¯s voice was the same as when he had been dealing with Hoshi¡¯s problem.

    Hoshi was incredibly moved.

    That was because he felt that he was witnessing the hero¡¯s first-ever expedition.

 Chapter 114 - Reaperâ€™s Curse

    <h4>Chapter 114: Reaper¡¯s Curse</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Natsuya Yoruhana didn¡¯t pick up her phone when Seiji tried calling her.

    Perhaps she was busy or resting. At any rate, this wasn¡¯t a good time for her.

    Seiji gave up on attempting to contact her. She was probably worried about the uing Yin Yang Master duel, so bothering her about another matter seemed inappropriate to him.

    Shika Kagura¡¯s issue wasn¡¯t something that needed to be solved immediately. While he sympathized with her, she had already lived with her condition for a long time, so one or two more days probably wouldn¡¯t make a difference.

    The most important part was that she herself had given up on asking for help.

    Seiji sighed at the situation.

    If he was able to meet her again tomorrow and have a discussion again, then he would try contacting Natsuya one more time.

    ¡®Let¡¯s stop thinking about it for now.¡¯

    Seiji returned to his apartment.

    After turning on hisputer and checking his email, he noticed that Editor Yoshizawa had sent him a message.

    The message basically said that his final draft of "I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome" was excellent and asked whether it was his final version which would be published by Thunderbolt Literature.

    If so, he needed to fill out some forms via email.

    ¡®Final version to be published¡­ of course, yes.¡¯

    Seiji filled out all the necessary applications and sent the confirmation to Editor Yoshizawa.

    It was now time for his usual grinding session.

    Oh, starting from today, he nned to begin grinding [art] as well¡­

    ¡­

    The next day.

    Seiji and Mika walked to school together with Kaede Juumonji for the second time.

    Kaede began the conversation with normal topics. She didn¡¯t talk about anything strange.

    Mika, who had mentally prepared herself beforehand, felt this situation was even more unexpected for her.

    Seiji, however, considered this to be only natural.

    If Kaede acted up every single morning, then that would give him and Mika an excuse to refuse to walk together with her, so of course she wouldn¡¯t behave that way.

    Since Kaede was making normal conversation, Seiji also responded in turn and smoothly pulled Mika into the conversation.

    And so, they reached school with no conflict whatsoever between the trio.

    After splitting up from Kaede and meeting up with Chiaki, Seiji suddenly remembered the drama club president¡¯s kidnapping¡­ er,"capturing" of Shika Kagura. Did something happen to the drama club president as well then?

    "Chiaki, has something unlucky happened in the drama club recently?"

    The tomboy blinked in surprise."Why do you suddenly ask?"

    "Because I heard some strange rumors¡­ so I just wanted to ask." Seiji acted rather casual about it.

    "Hmm¡­" Chiaki looked deeply at him before running her hand through her hair as she considered things.

    "Our demonic vice president has been feeling tons of stresstely due to the uing school festival. Her forcefulments and book throwing ability have greatly improved as a result. Everyone in the club has been victims, especially the club president! Does this¡­ count?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    "What strange rumors were you talking about?" Chiaki asked a question of her own.

    Mika also looked in his direction curiously.

    Seiji rubbed his chin.

    About Shika Kagura¡­ he felt that it might have something to do with "mystical abilities," so he didn¡¯t really want to say it out loud.

    "Not much of a big deal, really¡­ Just leave it at that for now. If it bes something, I¡¯ll let you guys know."

    Chiaki tilted her head slightly.

    Mika reflexively copied her and also tilted her head.

    "Okay, that¡¯s that, then." The tomboy epted it for what it was, and didn¡¯t pry further into the matter.

    The pigtailed girl had a confused expression on her face.

    ¡­

    In between sses.

    Seiji received a call from Natsuya.

    "Sorry for not picking up your call yesterday, Harano-kun."

    "Not a problem, President. I¡¯m the one who should apologize for bothering you so impulsively when I know you have so much on your te¡­"

    Natsuya smiled at hearing Seiji¡¯s apologetic tone.

    "Since you knew all that and still contacted me, it must have been something important."

    "Important¡­? To tell the truth, I don¡¯t really know." Seiji paused for a moment."President, do you know the middle school second-year student named Shika Kagura?"

    There was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone.

    "President?" Seiji had an ominous premonition.

    "Shika Kagura¡­ I know her name," Natsuya answered in a calm tone.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    The president actually knew Shika¡¯s name, and had such a tone, which meant¡­

    "She¡¯s¡­ a unique existence¡­ but as for you, how did you know about her, Harano-kun?"

    "It was like this¡­"

    Seiji gave a brief exnation of what happenedst night.

    "I see, so she wanted to ask for help." There was a hint of sympathy in the president¡¯s voice."But¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Harano-kun. Nobody will be able to help her."

    Themotion from Seiji¡¯s fellow ssmates having fun, walking around, or chatting with each other during break suddenly seemed to fade into the distance for him.

    Seiji frowned.

    "Why¡¯s that, President?"

    Natsuya could tell that Seiji wasn¡¯t as calm as he appeared on the surface.

    "She¡¯s a unique existence, because her problem¡­ isn¡¯t one that¡¯s solvable, even by mystical abilities.

    "It¡¯s difficult to exin over the phone, soe on over to the student council office if you would like to know more.

    "Although I think that it would be better for you to give up on knowing or doing anything about this¡­"

    "I¡¯lle right away during lunch break; is that fine?" Seiji interrupted her without giving her a chance to finish.

    Natsuya remained silent for several seconds.

    "Okay."

    And so, their conversation ended.

    Seiji put away his cell phone and looked out the ssroom window up towards the sky.

    Dense dark clouds loomed overhead. It seemed like it was about to rain.

    ¡­

    Lunch break.

    Seiji arrived at the student council office.

    Natsuya was waiting inside by herself.

    "It seems like there¡¯ll be bad weather today, Haruta-kun."

    "It seems likely it¡¯ll rain, President."

    The two of them casually conversed about the weather before they bothpsed into silence.

    Natsuya sighed.

    "Are you angry, Haruta-kun?"

    Seiji blinked.

    "Not at all; why do you ask?"

    "Because I feel like you¡¯re angry." Natsuya walked over to the table and began to pour some tea.

    Seiji stood where he was as something shed in his eyes.

    "Fine, perhaps I am, just a little." He sighed."But not at you, Prez. I¡¯m angry at¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it."

    "Sit down first and have some tea." Natsuya remained calm.

    "Mmm¡­ Thank you."

    Both of them sat down and began sipping tea at the round table.

    "Shika Kagura¡­" Natsuya slowly began to talk after she set down her teacup."She was someone that I noticed during my investigation.

    "After I confirmed that I was about to be challenged to a Yin Yang Master duel, I investigated every single student that came to this school either this or evenst semester¡­ Of course, that didn¡¯t include you.

    "In order to prevent the enemy from sending a Spirit-branded Retainer as a spy?" Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    Natsuya nodded.

    "Yes, this type of example is rathermon. Sending a Spirit-branded Retainer into the enemy¡¯s defense to obstruct their ns or attack from within are all popr tactics. Only one person stood out from the other students¡ªShika Kagura.

    "Her identity was filled with abnormalities, and as a student she was abnormal as well, to the extreme¡­ This made it obvious she wasn¡¯t a spy."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    An enemy¡¯s agent who had secretly infiltrated the school would want to avoid standing out more than anything else. Any spy who was ridiculously handsome or beautiful and attracted attention everywhere he or she went like in some television dramas was no better than suicidal.

    "Nobody else seemed abnormal, while she was theplete opposite. Although I didn¡¯t feel that she would be a Spirit-branded Retainer, I still carried out a deeper investigation on her. Then I discovered¡­ her uniqueness." Natsuya sighed.

    "What uniqueness?" Seiji asked in a calm manner.

    Natsuya looked directly at his face.

    "The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯" she said in a soft but clear voice."In the realm of Yin Yang Masters, we call it by that name."

    Seiji paid attention quietly.

    "In this world, every person¡¯s actions will have some effect on him or herself, on others, and on the world¡ªsome people call this ¡®karma.¡¯

    "ording to this exnation, all of these effects and people that produce them are like a huge unstoppable wave, as huge as the ocean¡ªthe so-called ¡®Sea of Karma.¡¯

    "Everyone is caught within it, and they create karma and are affected by it¡­ Fortune or misfortune are produced by it as well.

    "But within the ¡®Sea of Karma,¡¯ sometimes unique existences simr to whirlpools will appear. They themselves won¡¯t be affected, but will affect everyone around them instead¡­

    "¡®Karma¡­¡¯ Those thate into contact with these special existences will be strongly influenced by ¡®karma;¡¯ they will either meet with great misfortune or fortune, or even sink into chaos.

    "The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ is the term for the unique abnormality which affects everyone around the carrier¡­ and brings them misfortune."

 Chapter 115 - White Mask

    <h4>Chapter 115: White Mask</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Abnormality¡­

    ¡®This seems like a scene out of Fate/Grand Order¡­¡¯ Seiji coughed dryly.¡®I should stop getting sidetracked!¡¯

    There was another moment of silence in the student council room.

    Seiji finally spoke up again after digesting the information Natsuya had just told him.

    "So, there¡¯s no way to solve this?"

    Natsuya shook her head.

    "Nobody know why these abnormalities¡­ how these unique existences came to be. Everything I just said about the ¡®Sea of Karma¡¯ and the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ are actually mere legends, although everybody believes in them.

    "Yin Yang Masters can onlyprehend their existence and what they can cause. We don¡¯t know where these things originate from, or how to deal with them. Perhaps if it was some type of curse¡ª demons or spirits¡ªthen that would be within our realm, but this¡­ has far surpassed that. This is more like¡­ a type of natural phenomenon."

    A natural phenomenon.

    It was like the passing of the seasons, or the changing of the weather?

    That girl was carrying such a heavy burden!?

    Seiji furrowed his brows.

    "In the past¡­ something like the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ must have appeared before, right? Then¡­ what happened in the end?"

    Natsuya sighed.

    "This type of existence is incredibly rare; there are few records about it, so I¡¯m not sure myself¡­"

    Her expression changed as she came to a sudden realization.

    "But there is¡­ one legend."

    "What is it?"

    "It¡¯s a legend about your ancestor, Seimei Kamijou." Natsuya looked directly into Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    "The legend goes something like this: your ancestor encountered a terrifying demon, whose mere presence brought down cmitous misfortune upon others. He battled with it for seven consecutive days and nights, before seeding in its suppression. He then spent seventy-four days to positively influence and reform the demon. Finally, he signed a contract with it and turned it into one of his Spirit-branded Retainers.

    "This Spirit-branded Retainer waster known as Guren. It was one of your ancestor¡¯s 12 highest-ranked Spirit-branded Retainers."

    Seiji was unable to formte a response to all this.

    "ording to the legend¡¯s description of that demon, it possessed something simr or equal to the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯ But at the time, people didn¡¯t have a proper understanding of it, and everyone believed it to be a type of curse rather than a natural phenomenon, so its uncertain whether or not it really was the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯" Natsuya blinked."But even if it was, the only person powerful enough to subdue and coerce it to sign a contract was your ancestor. Nobody else could aplish such a feat."

    "There has never been anyone else like Seimei Kamijou. Nobody in existence before or after him has ever reached the same height as a Yin Yang Master."

    Seiji sighed.

    "So, you¡¯re telling me that the problem cannot be resolved, aren¡¯t you?"

    "That¡¯s right. Even though it¡¯s regrettable, nobody will be able to help Shika Kagura¡­" Natsuya sighed."Including you, Seiji Haruta."

    Natsuya¡¯s eyes seemed to be trying to tell Seiji something as she said this.

    Seiji understood what she meant.

    "I got it," he said in a calm tone of voice.

    Just as he told Hoshi earlier, there would always be times when he wasn¡¯t strong enough.

    He wasn¡¯t arrogant to the point where he thought he could save everyone.

    A whileter, Seiji left the student council office.

    Natsuya sighed again after she watched him leave.

    She could tell Seiji still hadn¡¯t quite given up just yet. However, some things were truly impossible to change, and if you forcefully went against the flow, you would only be¡­

    She shook her head.

    She already told him everything she should have. She could only hope that he wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish now.

    Besides, it wasn¡¯t a suitable time to be worrying about others.

    Natsuya furrowed her brows.

    Her own matters¡­ were quite troublesome as well.

    Outside the school.

    A red-haired girl was standing on the edge of a certain tall building¡¯s roof. Her arms were folded as she surveyed the surroundings.

    This person was Hitaka Shuho.

    Her pupils were colored gold, and wispy waves of red light floated up into the sky from her body. It seemed as if a long red cloak were trailing behind her, adding to her mysterious and beautiful appearance.

    "Hurry up ande out, Snow Girl¡­" She focused intensely on the area below her as she continuously swept her surroundings with her enhanced vision.

    "This time¡­ I¡¯ll definitely capture you!"

    ¡­

    Seiji found it difficult to concentrate in his remaining afternoon sses.

    Should he go back to the park again tonight?

    He already learned that he wouldn¡¯t be able to help her. It seemed meaningless to go.

    He suddenly noticed that it had started raining outside. He could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops against the window.

    ¡®It¡¯s already started raining now?¡¯

    Seiji idly wondered if the rain would continue into the night. That¡¯d make it even more inconvenient to go.

    ¡®It isn¡¯t convenient, and it¡¯s meaningless as well. There¡¯s no point in going¡­ No! There¡¯s meaning to it!¡¯

    He had made a promise, and promises should be kept.

    Even if it was only his side that kept the promise.

    At the very least, he wanted the girl who shouldered such a heavy burden to feel someone¡¯spassion, however small.

    He was merely going to fulfill a promise.

    This was something that he could and should do. That meant that he must do it.

    Seiji came to that decision.

    ¡­

    At a location that wasn¡¯t school.

    Shika Kagura slowly removed her clothing and put on a different set of clothes.

    Her perfect, petite, snow-white body was reflected in the mirror. Her well-developed chest, firm butt, and straight, slender legs all disyed her alluring beauty.

    However, all of this was meaningless to her.

    ¡®One day, this so-called beauty will end up wilting. Then, I¡¯ll turn into the ugly form that I should have originally possessed. If I can live to that time, that is.¡¯

    She finished the slow act of putting on her clothes.

    ¡®I might as well go now and follow my contractor¡¯s orders.¡¯

    Shika Kagura took a final look at herself in the mirror, before she slowly wore a white mask over her face.

    The mask waspletely nk and expressionless.

    Just like her inner heart.

    She walked outside wearing her mask.

    It was currently raining.

    Seigo Harano had promised to wait there for her tonight.

    Would he still go with how hard it was raining?

    If she could go, should she take a look?

    Her eyes flickered as she thought about the boy who had reached out his hand to her.

    Shika Kagura was unable toe to a decision.

    ¡­

    The rain continued falling through the night.

    Seiji covered himself with an umbre as he walked to the park and waited by the swings.

    Would shee? He was filled with doubt as he quietly waited in the torrential downpour.

    If she came, what should he say to her?

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but your problem is on the scale of a natural disaster attached to you. I can¡¯t help you. Nobody can help you¡­¡¯

    Of course he couldn¡¯t say something like that!

    In that case¡­ was consoling her the only thing he could attempt?

    Seiji smiled bitterly to himself.

    ¡®I¡¯m still an ordinary person after all. Even with the system being a game-breaking cheat for me, the most I can do is protect myself. Saving others is truly difficult.¡¯

    He turned his head to look at the unmoving swing.

    In the distant past, he, too, had fantasized about bing a hero. But as he matured, he understood that true heroes who were able to save everything and everyone didn¡¯t exist.

    It wasn¡¯t possible for them to exist.

    Even so, people always hoped things would develop for the best. That was why everyone should strive to do what was within their abilities.

    This was a very normal way of thinking¡­ At the very least, this was how he thought.

    Seiji contemted the problem deeply.

    Even if she brought misfortune down upon others and was destined to live in istion, she could still enjoy life.

    Istion didn¡¯t equal misfortune. As long as you had things you enjoyed or liked to do, then you could still lead a happy life.

    ¡®Yep, let¡¯s just give Shika some advice like that!¡¯

    I¡¯ll tell her about all the various fun things to do in life. She can pick and choose from them¡­ She can do something which she¡¯ll enjoy for her entire life!

    Poems¡­ if she didn¡¯t actually like them, she could try reading stories. If reading stories became boring, she could try manga or anime. Perhaps even movies and games¡­ At any rate¡­

    *Boom!!!*

    A deafening sound rung out.

    Something hurtled down from the sky and crashed into the empty ground in the park.

    Seiji was extremely startled as his train of thought was interrupted.

    What just happened!?

    He squinted, trying to discern what had caused the impact through the dense cloud of dust.

    He saw a person wearing strange clothingy copsed in a small crater.

    A white mask was on that person¡¯s face.

 Chapter 116 - Rain

    <h4>Chapter 116: Rain</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The ground surrounding the figure was sunken in and had begun cracking.

    This showed how huge the impact must have been when this person crashed down from the sky.

    Seiji slowly approached the person.

    ¡®This person¡­ is probably a girl.¡¯

    Her clothing¡­ resembled that of a knight from an anime, but it was gray rather than white in color. It didn¡¯t expose her cleavage, and there were pieces which appeared to serve as armor strapped on the girl¡¯s waist and shoulders.

    Her armor was engraved with mysterious runes, which Seiji assumed was some sort of magical spell. When he looked closely at her armor, Seiji could make out the outline of a pentagram and a Yin Yang diagram.

    Her skirt reached her knees, and there were slits on both the left and right side. Her shins were also covered in runic ting, and she was wearing white socks and shoes.

    Her clothes were tattered; it seemed as if something sharp had sliced them. Seiji noticed dark red fluid seeping out of a few of the tears¡­

    A cosyer?? No, these clothes didn¡¯t seem this simple at all! Besides, she really did fall down from the sky, and she even caused such arge hole to appear in the ground from her impact!!

    This was¡­ real.

    Seiji took a closer look at her face. It was covered by a white mask, so he couldn¡¯t identify her, but¡­ her hairstyle and overall appearance¡­

    "¡­Shika Kagura?"

    Seiji felt a cold chill run down his spine.

    He hurriedly approached her and kneeled on one knee, cing his umbre in order to shield her from the majority of the raindrops. He adjusted her body into a morefortable position, before slowly supporting her upper body as he carefully removed the mask.

    Shika¡¯s face was indeed the one underneath the mask.

    Her originally beautiful face was now as white as paper. Streams of blood ran down her eyes and mouth. Her eyes were barely open, and her mouth kept opening and closing slightly. It was obvious to see how weak she was.

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    It really was her!? How did she be like this!? Was she a Spirit-branded Retainer!? But didn¡¯t Natsuya Yoruhana already investigate her, and eliminate the possibility!?

    A series of questions shed through his mind.

    "Urk¡­" The girl in his arms struggled to move.

    Seiji instantly came back to his senses.

    "Shika Kagura! What¡¯s the matter? Hold on! I¡¯ll call an ambnce immediately!"

    He ced the mask down on the ground as he scrambled for his cell phone.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ no need¡­" a soft voice rang out.

    She slowly opened her eyes.

    Seiji¡¯s hands couldn¡¯t help but tremble when he saw her eyes¡¯ appearance.

    Blood red¡­

    It was already impossible to see Shika¡¯s eye pupils. Her eyes had turnedpletely blood red, and the moment she opened them, a fresh trickle of blood poured out of the corners of her eyes.

    "To hell with that! You need to go to a hospital immediately!!" Seiji dialed the emergency number on his cell phone using only one hand.

    "It¡¯s useless¡­ I¡¯m¡­ about to die¡­" Shika informed him in a calm voice.

    "Don¡¯t be stupid! As long as you receive treatment in time, you won¡¯t die!!"

    However, his phone was unable to connect.

    "What¡¯s going on!? Connect, you bastard!!" Seiji roared at his phone.

    Until he noticed that his phone was showing that there was absolutely no cell phone signal whatsoever here.

    No signal!?

    This was the middle of a city, not some mountain wilderness or unsettled ins!

    "What the hell!? What is this¡­?" Seiji suddenly thought of a possibility which stifled his tongue."Could it be¡­ are you interfering with the cell phone signal?" He looked at Shika.

    Her face was pitiful to look at, but her expression was calm.

    Just like usual for her.

    "It¡¯s a¡­ spell¡­"

    "I don¡¯t care what it is! Hurry up and cancel it! Otherwise¡­"

    "It¡¯s toote¡­ My¡­ soul¡­"

    Shika suddenly revealed a painful expression as she closed her eyes, which were still dripping fresh blood.

    "There¡¯s enough time! Hurry up and cancel that¡­ spell or whatever!" Seiji furrowed his brows.

    Soul? What happened to her soul?

    If Shika¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t something that a normal hospital could take care of, then even sending her to emergency care would be useless¡­

    ¡®Idiot! I can only know if it¡¯s useless after I try it!¡¯

    "Seigo Harano¡­" she called out his name in a soft voice while closing her eyes."You¡¯re¡­ a good person¡­"

    "That¡¯s my third time hearing that from you! You¡­ you can call me that as many times as you want, as long as you get better. That¡¯s why¡­"

    "I don¡¯t want to¡­ harm good people¡­" Shika continued talking with many pauses."But¡­ I always¡­ harm¡­"

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find anything to say at this.

    "Seeing¡­ those¡­ that care¡­ about me¡­ in pain¡­ pains me¡­ So that¡¯s why¡­ I don¡¯t need¡­ anyone¡­ to care about me¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­ if¡­ I¡¯m alone¡­"

    Seiji chest throbbed with pain.

    What was this¡­? He was na?ve enough to believe being isted could still bring her happiness¡­

    What was all this about istion not equaling misfortune, and thinking that having a hobby which you enjoyed was all that was needed!?

    Such thoughts were ridiculous!

    ¡®I¡­ I¡¯m such an idiot!!¡¯

    "Being by yourself¡­ isn¡¯t good at all!" he said forcefully."When you¡¯re sad, nobody will console you; when you¡¯re happy, you can¡¯t share it with anyone; when you¡¯re angry, nobody will coax you; when you¡¯re scared, there¡¯s nobody to rely on¡­"

    "Humans¡­ need family and friends¡­ So¡­ don¡¯t say that it¡¯s fine to be by yourself. Don¡¯t¡­ leave this world all by your lonesome¡­" Seiji paused mid-speech."Live! Live!! Find friends!!!"

    He was basically roaring at this point.

    Shika widened her eyes ever so slightly.

    "Friends¡­ Impossible¡­"

    "There will be! Right now¡­ right in front of you, there¡¯s one right now!"

    Seiji put down his cell phone as he grabbed her tiny hands.

    They were icy cold and startlingly soft¡­

    "I¡¯ll be your friend! I am your friend!! That¡¯s why you must live! We¡­ still need to do so many things together!!"

    "We can chat together, read books together, browse manga together, go shopping together, watch movies together, y games together¡­ There are so many fun things we can do together!!"

    His shouting seemed to echo in the cold rain.

    The girl whose body was turning ice cold felt a sliver of warmth.

    Shika slowly began to smile.

    "Friends¡­ are so nice¡­" she rasped."Can I¡­ really¡­ have one?"

    "Of course! I¡¯m right here, aren¡¯t I!?" Seiji looked directly at her wan yet still beautiful and moving smile."So don¡¯t be in a rush to die; tell me how to save you! I¡¯ll absolutely do it!!"

    "¡­Sorry¡­ It¡¯s impossible¡­"

    Shika¡¯s voice became almost imperceptible.

    "My older brother¡¯s¡­ing for me¡­"

    Older brother?

    "I¡¯m¡­ going to leave together with him¡­"

    Seiji felt a chill over his entire body.

    The girl in his arms was rapidly losing all warmth from her body.

    "Don¡¯t go! You can do it!! You can live!!!"

    "¡­Thank you¡­"

    Shika¡¯s smile seemed to be even softer and more brilliant.

    It was almost as if she were showing off her pure untainted soul in her final moments.

    "Farewell¡­ My only¡­"

    "¡­Friend¡­"

    Her body turned into nothing but pure iciness.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over.

    The rain pounded down with increased intensity.

    However, he could barely hear the sound of raindrops right now.

    He closed his eyes and lifted his face up towards the sky.

    "DAMN IT ALL!!!"

    He couldn¡¯t do anything but vent the indescribable emotions bursting from his chest.

    He didn¡¯t know what just happened, or what he should do.

    He could load, but how was he supposed to save this girl in front of him?

    ¡®Someone¡­ tell me!!¡¯

    *Boom!!!*

    Almost as if in answer to his shouting, another loud sound resounded from a ce nearly adjacent to Seiji.

    He turned around to look at the new arrival.

    He saw a red-haired girl who was wearing clothing simr to Shika Kagura¡¯s.

    But her appearance¡­ something seemed unsettling about it.

    Seiji recognized her.

    She was Hitaka Shuho, Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer.

 Chapter 117 - Plot

    <h4>Chapter 117: Plot</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Hitaka Shuho was wearing a red dress with front side-slits. She was d in ck armor, and underneath her dress she wore shorts with stockings. While her clothes were also somewhat tattered, they had sustained rtively little damagepared to Shika Kagura¡¯s clothing.

    The rain nced away from her body; presumably she was shielded by some invisible barrier.

    However, this wasn¡¯t the important thing right now.

    She was wielding a longsword with her right hand. The sharp de was etched with runes and blood dripped down from its edge and tip.

    In her left hand she held a gun. This gun wasrger than the average handgun, and simr to the longsword, it was also engraved with runes. Seiji saw a pentagram and various crisscrossing lines which shone with a faint green glow on the gun¡¯s body.

    But this wasn¡¯t the important thing either.

    The important part was her expression.

    The¡­ veins on her forehead¡ªor at least Seiji assumed they were veins¡ªwere bulging and squirming strangely. She currently looked was shockingly fierce and strange due to this phenomenon.

    Her bloodshot eyes were filled with a distant sense of iciness.

    Just the way she stood there on the cracked ground caused her to emit an almost tangible frosty pressure.

    "Shuho¡­san?" Seiji called out to her.

    He had an ominous premonition.

    Hitaka didn¡¯t respond to his greeting and walked towards him with a hollow look in her eyes.

    One step, two steps.

    She suddenly revealed a pained expression, and her expression contorted.

    Her left hand let go of that mysterious gun, but it disappeared in a sh of green light before it could hit the ground. Then, she clutched at her face in a way that indicated she was suffering.

    "Shuho-san, what¡¯s the matter¡­?"

    This time, the red-haired girl finally turned her gaze towards Seiji.

    "Seiji¡­ Haruta¡­ why¡­ are you here!?"

    ¡®She finally recognized me.¡¯ Seiji blinked and was about to speak up.

    "That¡¯s¡­ Snow Girl¡­ What¡¯s¡­ the rtionship between you and her!?"

    A strange light shed through Hitaka¡¯s eyes as she suddenly raised the longsword in her hand.

    Snow Girl?

    Seiji¡¯s mind raced at top speed.

    Shika Kagura was the Spirit-branded Retainer which Natsuya and Hitaka had desperately been trying to find and obstruct!? No¡­ that was impossible! Natsuya had already investigated her background and eliminated Shika from her list of suspects!

    ¡®That can only mean one thing: Snow Girls¡­ there must be two of them!¡¯

    Seiji finally understood.

    The Snow Girl who had spread the energy-draining drug and froze people to death was one Snow Girl retainer.

    And Shika Kagura, who had entered school and tried to live an ordinary school life, was another Snow Girl.

    Shika never did anything strange at school and tried to lead as normal a life as possible for her. That was why Natsuya had been unable to detect Shika¡¯s true identity.

    But when Natsuya¡¯s detection spell activated and Hitaka set out to stop Snow Girl, the two Snow Girls exchanged ces!

    And so, Shika Kagura who shouldn¡¯t have been a suspect anymore was the one who ended up fighting with Hitaka Shuho.

    Shika possessed the "Reaper¡¯s Curse."

    In that case, since Hitaka had injured Shika to the point of death, what would happen to Hitaka¡­

    "Answer me, Haruta!!" Hitaka screamed at Seiji.

    It was evident that her current state was abnormal.

    "Calm down, Shuho-san¡­ Hitaka Shuho! I¡¯m not your enemy!" Seiji said in a loud voice. "I¡¯ve figured it out; you might have made a mistake¡­ You¡¯ve fallen into a trap!"

    "Trap¡­ Me?" Hitaka clutched at her face again. "I can¡¯t¡­ fall into a trap¡­ I can¡¯t fail¡­ for Mdy¡¯s sake¡­

    "Wahh¡­ AHHHH!!!!" she shouted in pain.

    However, she suddenly stopped.

    Seiji¡¯s ominous premonition grew even stronger.

    The red-haired girl slowly allowed her hands to fall down as her eyes turned empty and hollow again, disying an iparable iciness.

    Pressure¡­ or some sort of formless energy seemed to be pressing down on Seiji!

    He almost felt like throwing up.

    The next second.

    The red-haired girl disappeared from where she was standing and reappeared right before Seiji in a sh, her sword raised¡­ and she swung at him!

    [Bullet Time] activation!

    Seiji saw the sword speeding towards his neck.

    He managed to dodge it in the nick of time by rolling on the ground.

    *sh!*

    Even though Hitaka¡¯s sword clearly didn¡¯t touch the ground, a deep crevice appeared in the direction she had swung her sword!

    Seiji stood up as fast as possible and backed away from her in an attempt to put some distance between them.

    Hitaka woodenly looked towards him and was about to step forward again when she revealed yet another pained expression.

    Her right hand loosened its grip on the longsword as it dropped and disappeared in a green sh just like the gun before it.

    "Wahhhhhhhh!!" Hitaka clutched her face and screamed at the top of her lungs.

    Seiji carefully observed her from a good distance.

    He might as well¡­ load now.

    This was all he could do.

    Just as he was about to load and leave this ce, Hitaka¡¯s shouting stopped.

    "Ahh¡­ Haruta-sama¡­" she said in a soft tone which was unfamiliar to Seiji.

    Seiji paused for a moment in surprise.

    Hitaka slowly removed her hands from her face. In her eyes was a look that Seiji had never seen her have before.

    "I am the spirit¡­ Inugami¡­" the hoarse voice stated.

    Inugami? [Note: Inugami is a Dog Spirit.]

    "My contractor¡­ can no longer¡­ be saved¡­"

    Seiji furrowed his brows.

    "She can¡¯t be saved¡­ is it because she killed the person possessing the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse?¡¯"

    Hitaka¡­ No, Inugami nodded while controlling the red-haired girl¡¯s body with that painfully distorted expression.

    "As Haruta-sama¡­ stated¡­ this¡­ was a trap. Kill my¡­ contractor¡­ otherwise¡­"

    Her right hand reached out and suddenly dragged the longsword out from some pocket dimension. She then tossed the sword to Seiji.

    The sword twirled through midair andnded right at his feet.

    "Hurry up¡­ kill me¡­"

    Seiji took a look at the longsword before turning back to Inugami/Hitaka.

    "I won¡¯t do it."

    ¡®I¡¯ll save you all.¡¯

    He said thest sentence in his heart.

    Then, he loaded.

    The world sank into darkness before lighting up again.

    Seiji returned to early morning when he had just woken up. It was his habit to make a save file every morning.

    He slowly turned to look outside the window and saw that the weather was foreboding today with dark clouds in the sky.

    He shut his eyes and sighed.

    ¡­

    Just like thest time he went through this day, he went together with Mika and Kaede to school.

    Seiji gave Hoshi a call after reaching school. He asked Hoshi to check Year 2 ss 4 to see if Shika Kagura hade to ss today.

    Hoshi happily epted this task.

    A few minutester, he called Seiji back and reported that¡­ Shika Kagura hadn¡¯te today. She imed to be sick.

    Later, once again.

    Just likest time, Seiji received a call from Natsuya, and heard her exnation in the student council office.

    This time, he didn¡¯t leave as soon asst time.

    "President, you investigated Shika Kagura and discovered her abnormality¡­ but you didn¡¯t do anything else. This means that you must havepletely eliminated the possibility of her being a hostile Spirit-branded Retainer," Seiji stated. "Can I ask just how you confirmed this?"

    Natsuya blinked in surprise.

    "Apart from investigating her personal traits, I also sent someone to follow her every movement. I¡¯m certain that she didn¡¯t do anything while the enemy Spirit-branded Retainer was active. She definitely didn¡¯t disappear or do anything else which seemed suspicious.

    Seiji nodded.

    "This does seem to eliminate the possibility that she¡¯s that Snow Girl. However¡­ I still feel like there¡¯s something strange about it all.

    "President, you should be able to feel it as well, right? A special existence like Shika Kagura transferring in to Genhana High School right at this period of time¡­ Do you really believe it¡¯s just a simple coincidence?"

    Natsuya slowly began to furrow her brows.

    "Haruta-kun, what do you mean?"

    He was waiting for this.

    Seiji took a deep breath.

    "I¡­ smell a plot behind all this."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless by this sudden revtion.

 Chapter 118 - Trojan Horse

    <h4>Chapter 118: Trojan Horse</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The wooden horse of Troy.

    This was a legendary story that was quite the simple tale.

    The Greeks had difficulties conquering the city of Troy, so they pretended to retreat ignominiously, leaving only a huge wooden horse behind.

    The Trojans took the horse back inside their city with them. Later that night, the Greeks emerged from the secretpartment within the horse, easily overwhelmed the soldiers defending the city¡¯s gates, and opened the gates for more soldiers to pour in, ultimately achieving victory.

    Seiji felt this story had many weaknesses to it.

    That was the simplified version of the story. There was a moreplex one called The Odyssey, but there was no need to go into so much detail.

    At any rate, Seiji felt that it was a subtly strange story. He didn¡¯t understand why it was considered a ssic back in his previous world.

    But the Trojan Horse strategy was a definite strategy that came from this anecdote.

    Seiji felt this ancient legend from his original world was quite fitting to describe the current situation.

    Genaha High School was akin to Troy, while Shika Kagura was the Trojan Horse¡ªa special existence which stood out way too much.

    This type of special existence¡­ the "Reaper¡¯s Curse" would definitely attract any Yin Yang Master¡¯s attention, making her seem like she wasn¡¯t a spy sent by the enemy.

    Of course, Natsuya Yoruhana wasn¡¯t anywhere close to being as stupid as the Trojans. She investigated this "Trojan Horse" properly and didn¡¯t find any problems.

    But what if this was the enemy¡¯s intention all along?

    The enemy¡­ Natsuya¡¯s unknown opponent might never have intended for Shika Kagura to do anything at school in the first ce.

    As long as the "Reaper¡¯s Curse" stayed within the school, even without doing anything herself, she might cause some incidents which would attract Natsuya¡¯s attention and distract her from focusing on other important things such as maintaining the school¡¯s spell formations¡­ and so on.

    The best part about this move was the fact that even if it didn¡¯t work, the enemy still had another trick up their sleeve.

    Shika and the unknown Snow Girl who was actually behind the incidents could swap with each other at a critical time to face Hitaka Shuho, the Spirit-branded Retainer which Natsuya would inevitably send out.

    This way, Hitaka would unknowingly do battle with the "Reaper¡¯s Curse," and harm Shika, or even¡­

    Just getting close to Shika Kagura could cause cmitous misfortunes to fall upon someone, so if a person injured her¡­ or even killed her, what would happen?

    ¡­

    Natsuya¡¯s face slowly turned ashen white as she attentively listened to Seiji¡¯s "inference."

    "Haruta-kun¡­ There¡¯s something I still haven¡¯t told you yet," she started slowly. "Actually¡­ every single student and teacher at Genhana is meaningful to my spell formation here.

    "They¡­ provide spiritual energy for my formation, and the spell formation also has the¡­ responsibility to protect them."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows at hearing this.

    "Hitaka¡­ and Rana are the defenders of this spell formation, and they¡¯ll be strengthened within it, as well as having the same responsibilities as the spell formation."

    Natsuya slowly began clutching her own arms.

    "That is to say, they¡¯re the defenders of all the teachers and students at Genhana High School. And Shika Kagura¡­ the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ is also considered a normal student of Genhana High School."

    "If she changes ces with the Snow Girl retainer, fights with Hitaka, and ends up dying by Hitaka¡¯s hands¡­"

    The student council president¡¯s body was trembling slightly.

    "What will happen?" Seiji furrowed his brows, but kept his tone of voice calm.

    Natsuya looked directly at Seiji¡¯s face.

    "Hitaka¡­ will definitely die! And it will affect the entire spell formation¡­ the entire school! Every single student and teacher at Genhana High School¡­ might have catastrophes befall them!"

    Herplexion was ashen at this point.

    Although Seiji¡¯s expression remained calm apart from his furrowed brows, he slowly began to clench his fists under the table.

    "It seems that my guess was closer to the truth than I expected."

    Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes as she nodded.

    "Yes, I¡­ didn¡¯t even notice this blind spot. But this is¡­ too frightening. If the enemy does things to such a degree¡­ they won¡¯t get off lightly either."

    Seiji blinked.

    "I don¡¯t know what type of person your enemy is, nor do I know the average moral standards of Yin Yang Masters, or more specifically, their morals for duels.

    "But I believe that blindly trusting the enemy¡­ and ignoring something so terribly possible is beyond naivety."

    It was stupidity.

    Natsuya understood his unstated meaning.

    She was praising him in her heart.

    "I¡¯ll contact Hitaka immediately to tell her to be cautious when looking for the Snow Girl retainer!"

    The president stood up from her chair.

    "We also need to pay attention to Shika Kagura¡¯s current movements," Seiji said.

    He didn¡¯t mention that he¡¯d already found out Shika hadn¡¯te to school today. After all, he had set back time. To the president, he came up with his "educated guess" right after hearing about the "Reaper¡¯s Curse" for the first time.

    Natsuya nodded once more.

    "Thank you so much, Haruta-kun. No matter if your guess is true or not, you¡¯ve been a great help."

    She showed a sincere smile.

    "I¡­ owe you yet another favor."

    Seiji smiled back at her.

    "Don¡¯t mention it, President. If what I just thought of is real, then my reminder for you is actually helping to save myself¡­ and my friends.

    "Oh, by the way¡­" He finally thought of another topic. "President, you made the entire school¡¯s students and teachers¡­ unknowingly be part of your spell formation. Isn¡¯t this a little¡­"

    Natsuya¡¯s expression froze over.

    She averted her gaze as her cheeks began to flush red. It was evident that she was panicking.

    "I¡­ I know, this is a little overboard¡­ but¡­ there was no other way. This was the only method I could make the school into a spell formation¡­

    "I only let the students and teachers provide a minor amount of spiritual energy without them knowing it. No harm will be done to them. The only reason they might have been affected this time was because of the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­¡¯

    "Besides, the spell formation will also protect them in return¡­ It won¡¯t let them get attacked by any type of demons or spirits¡­ that¡¯s why¡­"

    Seiji looked at her quietly.

    "Wah¡­ Sorry¡­"

    Natsuya Yoruhana, the student council president that everyone at Genhana High School idolized, the young missus with long straight ck hair, was crying.

    "I¡¯m so sorry, I¡­"

    "Yep, I¡¯ve received your apology. I forgive you." Seiji nodded.

    "¡­Eh?" The young missus with long, straight ck hair paused in surprise.

    "I trust in your strength of character. Even though I haven¡¯t known you for all that long, I believe in my own judgement of you."

    Seiji showed a smile to Natsuya.

    "You¡­ are actually a gentle girl."

    ¡®Probably¡­ one of the kinder Yin Yang Masters around.¡¯

    Natsuya Yoruhana was stunned.

    Faced with his handsome smile and gentle words, her face started burning up for an entirely different reason.

    "Er¡­ Um¡­ Thank you¡­"

    She barely managed to stammer out those words as she hurriedly turned around.

    Her face was so hot to the touch.

    Her heartbeat was also way too quick.

    Why¡­ was this?

    The young missus didn¡¯t understand.

 Chapter 119 - Older Brother

    <h4>Chapter 119: Older Brother</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Natsuya Yoruhana didn¡¯t understand this feeling¡­ or perhaps she didn¡¯t have the time to consider it.

    She was currently preupied andcked the time to pay her emotions arge amount of attention.

    After instantly regaining her senses, she turned around, took out her cell phone, and began dialing as she walked to the window.

    Seiji looked at her back silently.

    With this, he figured that the situation wouldn¡¯t develop likest time.

    The memory of Shika¡¯s death and Hitaka¡¯s crazed appearance after losing control of herself shed through his mind.

    Now, Natsuya would instruct Hitaka to carefully ensure that she was pursuing the correct "Snow Girl" in addition to tracking Shika Kagura¡¯s movements. This would confirm that his so-called "guess" was actually correct!

    The enemy Yin Yang Master utilized such a vicious, underhanded plot¡­ If the ploy seeded, it meant that he or she was willing to sacrifice Shika, their own retainer, in order to destroy Natsuya¡¯s spell formation. They were unconcerned about the ripple effect, which would cause cmities to befall every single ordinary student at Genhana High School. Someone who would go so far to achieve victory could only be described as evil.

    Seiji felt a sense of rage towards this unknown person.

    He wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable about Yin Yang Masters and their morals, but judging from Natsuya¡¯s reaction, this probably counted as something contemptible even by their standards.

    At any rate, Seiji believed that if an incident huge enough to affect the safety of all the students in Genhana High School was still considered "normal," then Yin Yang Masters would never be able to hide their existence on Sakura Ind in the first ce!

    In summary, the enemy Yin Yang Master¡¯s n was far from "ordinary."

    Just why, and for what, was that bastard going to such a degree for?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know, nor did he want to know, nor did he need to know.

    He was a student at Genhana, and all his friends studied here as well.

    The moment that this bastard decided on such a malicious plot, he or she became Seiji¡¯s enemy.

    Besides, he personally witnessed the result of this malicious plot¡¯s sessful oue.

    The way Shika¡¯s body was sapped of all warmth as she died, and her final words which were so pure¡­

    Hitaka Shuho, who single-mindedly fought for Natsuya¡¯s sake, but ended up going crazy in such an unseemly fashion¡­

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had the ability to save and load, the continuance of this plot would only result in him being forced to personally y Hitaka, then watch as he and the entire school¡¯s students had terrible catastrophese for them one after the other; a tragic ending, so to speak.

    The cause behind all this was that¡­ currently still-unknown Yin Yang Master!

    For himself, and for his friends, he¡­ Seiji Haruta was definitely going to kill off that bastard!!

    No, he should say instead that he needed to assist Natsuya Yoruhana in killing off that bastard.

    Very good; target locked on.

    At this moment, Seiji¡¯s eyes were burning with fervor.

    Outside the school.

    Hitaka Shuho received a phone call from her young missus.

    They were still able to use cell phones as they hadn¡¯t deployed the antimunication spell yet. Although they had more effective and reliablemunication methods avable to them, they wouldn¡¯t use such a method unless it was a special time such as in the midst of battle in order to save spiritual energy.

    After hearing what Natsuya had to tell her, she felt chills running down her spine as she considered it for herself.

    ¡®If this is really the situation, then this plot is truly a malicious one!¡¯ Hitaka concluded.

    Hitaka attempted to imagine the consequences of her falling for such a plot. In the end, the spell formation would¡­ and the entire school¡¯s teachers and students would be affected as well, and even her young missus¡­

    She couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    This was far too frightening.

    Thankfully, her missus thought about this possibility and warned her.

    Otherwise, she might have really fallen for such a trap¡­ if this trap was real.

    Even though she wasn¡¯t certain yet, Hitaka instinctively perceived that "Natsuya¡¯s" guess was on the mark!

    That was what her intuition told her.

    She definitely needed to be cautious about stopping that Snow Girl retainer!

    The red-haired girl who had been so full of battle spirit calmed down significantly due to receiving this phone call.

    "Snow Girl¡­ The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­¡¯"

    In the student council room.

    After calling Hitaka Shuho, Natsuya Yoruhana immediately sent someone to check on Shika Kagura¡¯s whereabouts.

    After making the appropriate arrangements, she finally hung up her call and turned around to face Seiji once more.

    As she observed his face, her heart surged with emotions, but she instantly quelled theplicated feelings which rose up within her.

    She smiled at him.

    "I¡¯ve finished the preparations."

    Seiji nodded and smiled in return.

    "That¡¯s good then¡­ No matter what the result is, please inform me on Shika Kagura¡¯s activities."

    "Sure thing, if you¡¯d like to know."

    "Yep¡­ I¡¯m leaving now, then."

    Everything was finished here. Seiji turned around to leave.

    Natsuya blinked and slowly rubbed her chest as she watched him walk out of the room.

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    ¡­

    Later that night.

    Just like the previous iteration, it was raining.

    Just like the previous time, Seiji had brought an umbre to the park.

    He was filled with worry as he stared at the thick, dark rainclouds.

    ¡®I hope¡­ it won¡¯t be like that again.¡¯

    Before sses had ended, Natsuya called him and told him of her attempt at establishing Shika¡¯s whereabouts.

    Unsurprisingly, she was unable to locate the middle school girl who was pretending to be on sick leave anywhere.

    Oh, more urately, Seiji was the one who wasn¡¯t surprised.

    In Natsuya¡¯s mind, this increased the probability that Seiji¡¯s "theory" was correct, but it wasn¡¯t 100% confirmed yet.

    But by now, she should be able to confirm it¡­ if Hitaka was able to do a good job.

    Seiji could only put his trust in the red-haired girl now.

    He silently stood by the swings and waited.

    The rain kept up its torrential downpour.

    And then, finally¡­

    *Boom!!*

    Just likest time¡­ no; this time, the sound wasn¡¯t as loud as before!

    The silvery-gray figure descended from the sky and caused the ground to crack.

    She was half kneeling.

    She hadn¡¯t copsed.

    And¡­

    She wasn¡¯t wearing a mask!

    "Shika Kagura!"

    Seiji shouted out her name as he clearly saw who she was.

    That white mask fromst time was missing, and her beautiful face could clearly be seen!

    What did this mean?

    It meant that Hitaka must have removed her mask while fighting with her!

    After Natsuya¡¯s warning, Hitaka must have aimed for Shika¡¯s mask first in order to confirm her identity; that way she wouldn¡¯t go all-out from the start!

    Then, Shika was now¡­

    The girl, who was still slightly dazed from her recent battle, turned around as she heard someone shout her name.

    She saw Seiji¡¯s tall figure standing there.

    His handsome face didn¡¯t disy astonishment or fear, like she¡¯d expected.

    His emotions were moreplex than that; he showed worry and relief¡­

    Why was that?

    Shika couldn¡¯t help but wonder, even though her mind had not yet regained full function.

    But in the next few moments, all her doubts were washed away.

    That was because he instantly ran to her side, chucking away his umbre as he kneeled on one knee and pulled her into his embrace!

    She was being hugged.

    To Shika Kagura, this was something she hadn¡¯t experienced in far too long¡­ Not since her hazy childhood memories.

    Those hazy memories suddenly became a lot clearer.

    Hugs felt so firm, so warm, this concrete feeling¡­

    "This is wonderful¡­"

    A gentle voice sounded by her ears.

    The sound of rainwater seemed to diminish somehow as the entire world grew quiet. This gentle voice was all she could hear.

    "You¡­ came¡­"

    His voice was filled with relief and satisfaction as she¡¯de here, was standing here, and existed here.

    ¡®Wonderful. You were here.¡¯

    Her distant memories ovepped with this moment.

    Shika felt like both her entire body and soul were being warmed up.

    Her eyes started tearing up as she was unable to control herself anymore.

    Within the depths of her body and soul, something ck and white, icy, and lonely; something which had been sealed for so long was finally released.

    Together with her tears.

    A voice that she had sealed away for so long spoke out from within her innermost soul.

    ¡®I-I¡¯m right here. I¡¯m so happy¡­ that you found me¡­''

    ¡®Big brother¡­¡¯

 Chapter 120 - Fake Brother

    <h4>Chapter 120: Fake Brother</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    When Seiji regained his senses, he discovered that Shika was in his embrace.

    ¡®I actually did such a thing!?¡¯

    He was shocked at his own actions.

    He discovered that he was more worried about her than he had previously believed.

    Once again, he thought back to those¡­ innocent dying words of hers.

    As shey there dying, she neverined about any of the difficulties that she faced.

    She had plenty of right toin or to hate this unreasonably cruel world.

    But she didn¡¯t.

    She only smiled.

    At him¡­ saying farewell to her only friend in the world.

    Like this¡­ for such a girl¡­ such a death¡­ How could he possibly ept it!?

    Seiji was unable to ept it.

    That was why he was unable to¡­ control himself when he saw her alive and well in front of him again.

    He went up to her, kneeled, and hugged her.

    She must be confused at this situation.

    Perhaps¡­ he would be pushed away by her.

    Seijiughed wryly at himself in his heart.

    However, he didn¡¯t let go.

    ¡®This is wonderful.¡¯

    He had wanted to say that she was fine¡­ but he changed it in the end to "you came."

    You came, you¡¯re safe, and you¡¯re here. How wonderful¡­

    Seiji was attempting to transmit his emotions.

    At the same time, he also mentally prepared himself for him to be shoved aside.

    Instead¡­

    No fist, foot, or any type of beating awaited him.

    Shika Kagura didn¡¯t resist at all.

    Rather, she also reached out and hugged him!

    "Older brother¡­"

    Older brother?

    Seiji paused in surprise at hearing her call him this.

    "My older brother¡¯s¡­ing for me¡­" Those were the words she spokest as she died during thest iteration.

    Her "older brother¡­" Seiji assumed this older brother was once a truly important figure in her life, but he¡¯d already passed away.

    Was she mistaking me for her older brother?

    ¡®Are her injuries that serious?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he imagined it.

    No, that wasn¡¯t it! When she came down from the sky, she could still stand¡­ and now she was still kneeling on one knee! It meant that she still had some energy!

    It was just¡­ perhaps she received some type of impact, and she temporarily¡­ wasn¡¯t in full possession of her faculties¡­ something like this.

    ¡®Yes, that must be it. That was why she didn¡¯t push me away. I¡¯ve be someone else in her eyes.¡¯

    Seiji was certain of this.

    "Older brother¡­ Older brother¡­" A soft and gentle voice was calling to him.

    Seiji blinked.

    "Yep¡­ your older brother¡­ is right here."

    He decided to pretend to be her older brother.

    Even if this was only a temporary fantasy, he decided to allow this girl to feel a sense of familial warmth, however brief.

    She¡­ must have not felt it for such a long time already.

    "It¡¯s okay. Everything will be fine. Your older brother¡­ has always been by your side and will always apany you. You¡­ are not alone."

    Seiji hugged her while speaking in the gentlest deep voice he possibly could.

    He wished that his words would console her lonely heart at least a little.

    "Older brother¡­ Wahh¡­ Older brother¡­ Wahh¡­"

    She began to sob lightly.

    "Wahh¡­ Ahh¡­ Ahhhh!"

    Her crying began to increase in intensity.

    After a while, Shika Kagura was weeping in her loudest possible voice as she clung on to the warm, strong body in front of her.

    This was crying that came from her soul.

    Her older brother was here.

    Her older brother had found her.

    Her older brother would always apany her.

    She¡­ was no longer by herself¡­

    A huge warm feeling seemed to envelop her entire world and fill her heart.

    It squeezed out the iciness, loneliness, and her original distant attitude.

    It turned into unstoppable crying.

    It turned into a never-ending flow of tears.

    ¡®Just what type of crying is this?¡¯

    Seiji trembled as he listened to her crying.

    It seemed like her crying was venting all her cold, dark feelings¡­ Just how deep did they run¡­

    Was she always shouldering such a burden?

    By herself.

    On her own.

    In calmness.

    She suppressed her feelings¡­ and treated it as normal.

    Seiji felt terrible just thinking about it.

    The only thing he could do for her right now was hug her tightly and ept her crying.

    Even if¡­ he was only temporarily her fake brother.

    Rain continued to pour down from the sky.

    Tears continued to pour down the girl¡¯s cheeks.

    Coldness.

    Warmth.

    Everything dissolved together.

    ¡­

    The crying continued for a long period of time, before it finally came to a slow halt.

    Shika¡¯s hands also slowly fell downward from where she had been holding on to Seiji.

    Seiji became nervous at this situation.

    He hurriedly let go of her and inspected her face.

    Shika¡¯s eyes were closed, and she was silent. Despite her pallidplexion, it was clear that she was still alive.

    "Rx¡­ she merely fell unconscious."

    Someone spoke up behind him.

    Seiji turned around to see who it was.

    He saw the red-haired girl standing there.

    "Shuho-san¡­"

    Hitaka Shuho had basically the same appearance asst time.

    The difference was that veins weren¡¯t bulging from her face, and her eyes were golden and calm. Nor was she wielding a weapon at the moment.

    She hadn¡¯t gone crazy or lost control of herself.

    "I learned from Mdy¡­ everything is thanks to your help, Harano¡­ Haruta-kun." She walked towards Seiji as she spoke. "It was your inference that avoided¡­ something disastrous from urring."

    The red-haired girl¡¯s voice contained a sliver of fear.

    Thanks to Seiji¡¯s warning to the president, she had held back when fighting. President Yoruhana also acted swiftly and went through the procedure to remove the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ student from her status as a student, temporarily expelling her so that she was no longer a "Genhana student." This way Hitaka wouldn¡¯t feel any repercussions from the spell formation for having raised her hand against a student that she was supposed to have been protecting, which would inflict the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ upon the entire school¡¯s poption and spell formation.

    That¡¯s why, even though she¡­ even though Hitaka Shuho would probably still have some cmity befall her due to having fought with and injuring the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ it was a much better situation than falling for the enemy¡¯s trap and having things turn into the worst-case scenario.

    "Shika Kagura¡­ just as you believed, she was the enemy¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer, and the spirit she fused with was also Snow Girl. But she wasn¡¯t the Snow Girl who carried out all the dirty work for the enemy. Mdy confirmed that already; Shika was definitely still at school when the enemy Snow Girl was active."

    "That¡¯s why¡­ we had a blind spot.

    "We already eliminated Shika Kagura from our list of suspects, so we never expected her to be a Spirit-branded Retainer, not to mention a second Snow Girl!"

    Hitaka sighed.

    "Mdy¡­ and I, we both fell for the enemy¡¯s trap¡­ If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯m afraid that¡­"

    Hitaka lowered her head.

    She lifted it back up quickly again.

    Then she lowered her head again¡­ this time in a bow.

    "Thank you so much, Haruta-kun."

    ¡®I owe you my life,¡¯ she whispered to herself in her mind.

    Seiji smiled at Hitaka.

    "No need to be so polite, Shuho-san. I¡¯m so happy¡­ that you¡¯re safe."

    A strange light shed in Hitaka¡¯s eyes as she slowly lifted her head and straightened her stance once more as she listened to Seiji¡¯s sincere words.

    She walked up to him and made a mysterious gesture with her hand. After forming some type of "seal," she uttered an incantation.

    Seiji instantly felt a warm feeling wash over him as the chill from the rainwater disappeared.

    His wet clothes quickly became dry¡­ Shika¡¯s clothes were the same as well.

    "Thank you."

    "There¡¯s no need for thanks."

    He exchanged nces with Hitaka, and both of them remained silent for a while.

    Hitaka shifted her gaze to Shika.

    "You¡­ seem to ce a great deal of importance on her."

    "Yeah¡­ I¡¯m surprised at it myself," Seiji answered honestly.

    "You and her¡­ you don¡¯t know each other very well, right?"

    "That¡¯s right. This is just my third time meeting her. We¡¯ve barely even talked."

    "Then¡­ just why?" The red-haired girl seemed slightly perplexed.

    "I don¡¯t know either!" Seiji forced himself to inject spirit into his voice. "But that¡¯s just how it is¡­ I feel it¡¯s rather strange as well, but that¡¯s just how things are, as you can see for yourself!"

    Hitaka found no words to respond to this.

    "If I had toe up with some forceful reason, it would be¡­ I think that Shika is a nice girl. She shouldn¡¯t¡­ be like the way she is¡­" Seeing the vacant expression on Hitaka¡¯s face, Seiji tried his best to justify himself.

    "Oh¡­" Hitaka still couldn¡¯tprehend Seiji¡¯s actions.

    But there was a strange feeling inside her chest.

    How to describe this feeling? Hmm¡­

    She tilted her head slightly as she considered it, and she had a sudden sh of inspiration as she found the word she believed she was looking for.

    This word perfectly described a boy who had underhanded motives for showing an abnormal level of affection towards a beautiful girl that he hadn¡¯t known for all that long¡ª

    "Pervert."

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

 Chapter 121 - Come Hug Me!

    <h4>Chapter 121: Come Hug Me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Hey, hey, what¡¯s with this sudden character assassination!?¡¯

    But¡­ it even seemed reasonable on the surface. Seiji found it difficult to counter Hitaka¡¯s statement.

    Being so affectionate with a beautiful girl who he was still unfamiliar with¡­ This indeed seemed like¡­

    ¡®No, I¡¯m not!¡¯ he denied vehemently. ¡®Perverts¡­ have dirty minds! Mine is pure!!¡¯

    Hitaka regarded him coolly.

    Seiji looked back at her, his expression calm.

    Inwardly, however, Seiji was having a mental copse.

    "I still don¡¯t quite understand." If this was a manga, there would surely be a series of question marks above the red-haired girl¡¯s head.

    "Then please don¡¯t follow this line of thought anymore, and ignore it," Seiji begged sincerely.

    "Alright."

    "Thank you."

    After a puzzling silence.

    "What should we do now?" Seiji asked seriously, forcing himself to forget the little awkward episode.

    Somehow, taking Shika Kagura to a hospital and returning home didn¡¯t seem like a good idea.

    "We¡¯ll take her back to Mdy," Hitaka stated.

    Seiji nodded in agreement. This seemed like a reasonable development.

    Seiji seemed to think of something else, as he looked at the cracked ground from Shika¡¯snding dubiously.

    "Don¡¯t worry; the ¡®Cleaners¡¯ will take care of it," Hitaka said.

    ¡®Cleaners?¡¯ Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    This definitely didn¡¯t sound like a janitor or anything like that¡­

    ¡®Forget it; since Hitaka said it wasn¡¯t necessary to worry, I shouldn¡¯t think too much about it.¡¯

    ¡­

    A seemingly ordinary three-story building was located in the eastern part of Genhana High School¡¯s grounds.

    This was Natsuya Yoruhana, Hitaka Shuho, and¡­ Rana Kirin¡¯s residence.

    More urately speaking, this was their temporary residence due to the current situation.

    Seiji looked outside the window as he slowly sipped from the cup of hot tea in his hand.

    The warm tea slid down his throat, giving him a soothing feeling.

    A short while after they¡¯d left the park together, Seiji, Hitaka, and Shika were picked up by a ck luxury car, thetter being carried in Seiji¡¯s arms.

    The driver was a brown-haired woman who wore dark grey professional clothing.

    After getting on the car, the driver took them to this residence.

    As Seiji lifted Shika out the car, he saw Natsuya awaiting their arrival outside the door of the building¡­

    Footsteps sounded from behind him, interrupting Seiji¡¯s musings.

    Seiji turned around and saw President Yoruhana.

    "How¡­ is she?"

    "Her injuries aren¡¯t too serious. I¡¯ve had them treated already," Natsuya stated in a light voice as she walked to the table, took a teacup, and poured herself a cup of hot tea from the kettle.

    "At the same time, I also sealed her powers as a Spirit-branded Retainer."

    After her red lips blew twice on the hot tea, she took a sip.

    "After she wakes up, I have some questions to ask her¡­"

    "Information gathering¡­ Of course." Seiji put down his cup as he finished the tea. "But I doubt that she¡¯ll have any useful information."

    Natsuya remained silent for a few moments, before sighing.

    "You¡¯re probably right, Haruta-kun." Judging from the part she yed in the enemy¡¯s plot, as well as¡­ the battle clothes she was wearing, it can be deduced that she was nothing more than a chess piece to be used and discarded by the enemy."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "Her¡­ battle clothes?"

    "The formal name for these clothes is ¡®Standard Retainer Combat Equipment¡­¡¯ As you saw for yourself, Hitaka was also wearing a simr type, but the specific¡­ details were different," Natsuya exined.

    "Their clothes did seem quite simr, just with different colors." Seiji thought back to what both of them had been wearing.

    "This is the standard form, and most of them will greatly resemble each other. The differencese from¡­ each Spirit-branded Retainer¡¯s individual differences, so they normally have appropriate customizations." Natsuya paused for a moment. "I inspected Shika Kagura¡¯s battle clothes closely and found no customizations whatsoever. Apart from the fact that she was wearing the correct size, it was just the standard basic model with absolutely no modifications."

    "Not only that, it was also of rather low quality."

    Seiji mulled over Natsuya¡¯s words in silence.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t familiar with the equipment that Spirit-branded Retainers used forbat, but it wasn¡¯t hard for him to understand what the president had just told him.

    Shika¡¯s equipment was basically the lowest-level starting gear that was avable!

    In tandem with the role she yed in the enemy¡¯s plot, it was certain that she was nothing more than¡­

    Seiji slowly began frowning.

    Even though he already expected this, confirming it still gave him a sense of difort.

    "She probably won¡¯t have any useful information, but even the very basics are helpful to me since I still don¡¯t know anything¡­ If I can find out just this much, then our actions tonight won¡¯t have been wasted."

    Natsuya continued sipping from her tea.

    "Such as your enemy¡¯s name and identity?" Seiji folded his arms.

    An indescribable light shed through Natsuya¡¯s eyes.

    "Yes, that¡¯s the most basic information, and it¡¯s what I am most eager to know."

    "I¡¯d also really like to know what type of bastard would use such a malicious plot," Seiji said lightly.

    There was a momentary silence between the two.

    "Haruta-kun, I can understand your anger, but¡­"

    "I¡¯m already deeply involved, President Yoruhana."

    He looked deeply at her face.

    "I feel that I can¡¯t back out of this anymore¡­ alright, fine, I don¡¯t want to back out of this, and I want to get even more involved. That bastard used a plot which would have dire consequences for every teacher and student at our entire school! Just this alone means that I can¡¯t just ignore this situation and idly stand by¡­ This isn¡¯t because I doubt your strength or Hitaka¡¯s abilities, it¡¯s just that I want to be able to do something as well, otherwise I won¡¯t be able to rest assured."

    "There¡¯s also another reason¡ªwhat happened to Shika Kagura was uneptable."

    "I sympathize with her, and I feel rage at the way she was treated¡­ In summary, I want to give this enemy a vicious beating!"

    Seiji unfolded his arms and clenched his fist; the sound of his knuckles cracking was audible.

    "That¡¯s why I wish to participate to the end, even if there isn¡¯t anything I can do. At the very least¡­ I can give you some ideas."

    Natsuya eyes were focused on his face.

    "You¡¯ve already done plenty, Haruta-kun. Without you, things would have¡­" She lowered her eyes slightly. "In the end, as a Yin Yang Master, I¡­ sigh¡­ but being depressed right now is nothing more than a waste of time."

    Natsuya shook her head and forcefully injected some spirit into her voice

    "This request of yours¡­ I have no way to refuse you. Haruta¡­ Seiji Haruta, I¡¯m so sorry for getting you involved so deeply. I¡¯m grateful for everything you¡¯ve done so far, and¡­ please continue to lend your strength to me."

    She epted his request.

    Not only that, she even gave him a sincere invitation.

    Seiji blinked as he smiled.

    He definitely wasn¡¯t wrong about Natsuya¡¯s character.

    "Thank you, President. I¡¯ve received your request¡­ and I¡¯ll do my utmost to assist you."

    Natsuya also smiled.

    The sleek long ck-haired girl¡¯s smiles were always so moving.

    ¡­

    Approximately 30 minutester.

    Hitaka reported that Shika had woken up.

    However¡­

    Seiji and Natsuya exchanged awkward nces as they went to the room Shika was in.

    As they entered.

    They saw that Shika was sitting on the bed and quietly looking out the window.

    Hearing them enter, she turned her head around.

    She quickly focused her gaze on Seiji¡¯s face.

    Then, a brilliant smile appeared on her face!

    "Brother~"

    Her voice was exceedingly gentle, and it sounded like she was begging to be spoiled.

    After she spoke, she opened up her arms and gestured towards Seiji.

    "Come hug me!"

    Seiji and Natsuya were rendered speechless by this.

    Just what the hell was going on!?

 Chapter 122 - Memory Loss

    <h4>Chapter 122: Memory Loss</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Memory loss.

    Some called it amnesia, but this wasn¡¯t aplex word, so there was no need for further exnations.

    This was amon setup in many games, stories, movies, and so on.

    Even Seiji recalled a story or two from his past life about an amnesiac girl descending from the sky; it was a ssic scenario. However, he never expected to meet this development in real life.

    Shika Kagura had lost her memory.

    "Brother~ Hehe¡­"

    Currently, he was sitting on the bed, and the girl beside him clung onto him tightly.

    "Kagura¡­"

    She puffed out her cheeks.

    "Shika-chan¡­" Seiji relented.

    She smiled again.

    "What is it, Brother?"

    Seiji¡¯s right cheek twitched violently.

    ¡®What is it, you say? There¡¯s so much I want toment on!¡¯

    But he knew that it wasn¡¯t an appropriate time to blurt out his true thoughts to Shika, who was currently behaving like a little child.

    He could only sigh inwardly.

    "You¡­ really don¡¯t remember who I am?"

    He might as well confirm it one more time to absolutely make sure.

    "Brother¡­ you¡¯re my older brother!" Shika blinked her eyes innocently.

    Then, her pure and beautiful face flushed slightly red.

    "My¡­ brother that I love the most."

    *Boom!*

    Seiji suffered from a mental blow¡­ no, a heavy cannon-hit of cuteness! His face began burning up as well.

    This was too cute! It was breaking the rules!!

    She was clearly the ice-cold archetype a few days before. It was too much of a contrast for her to suddenly transform into a cute character like a sister with a brotherplex! Seiji felt like his entire world was turning upside-down!!

    He kept up his stream of innerments in an effort to keep calm, but he felt himself wavering as he looked at Shika¡¯s beautiful face, colored with a mixture of embarrassment and shyness.

    Luckily for him, there were bystanders. Without this, he would have trouble retaining his reason.

    Natsuya and Hitaka silently watched this situation y out.

    The president¡¯s expression seemed calm, but her eyes revealed a hint of iciness.

    Natsuya felt slightly annoyed as she watched Shika hug Seiji Haruta tightly with puppy-eyes which begged to be spoiled.

    She personally believed that this was due to the unexpectedness of the situation, in addition to¡­ the disgust she felt at how perverted all boys were.

    She didn¡¯t detect¡ªor perhaps she didn¡¯t want to think about¡ªthe true reason behind her annoyance.

    As for Hitaka, she was simply watching this scene calmly.

    "Shika-chan, what I mean is¡­ do you remember my name?" Seiji continued questioning her gently.

    "Name? Brother is just called Brother~"

    ¡®Fine then; it seems like she¡¯s forgotten me.¡¯

    "Then do you know who they are?" Seiji pointed at the two girls who were watching them silently.

    Shika nced at Natsuya and Hitaka.

    "These big sisters are so beautiful! Are they your girlfriends, Brother?"

    *Boom!*

    Seiji felt like he had received an actual punch¡­ that was how sudden this impact was for him.

    Luckily, he had already finished his tea, otherwise he surely would have spat it all over the ce.

    Natsuya failed toe up with a response to this.

    However, she didn¡¯t notice her icy gaze softening upon hearing this question.

    "They¡¯re not my girlfriends¡­ Just why would you suddenly say that?"

    "Brother, you taught me~"

    "Have I really taught you that?"

    "Of course, Brother, you¡¯re so forgetful~"

    ¡®I don¡¯t want you of all people to call me forgetful!¡¯ Seiji shouted inside his heart while mentally clutching at his head.

    Seiji sighed inwardly, feeling his energy being drained away from his body.

    ¡®Can¡¯t I take a little break from this?¡¯

    He used a slight amount of force in an attempt to peel off the girl who was hugging him so tightly, but¡­ he was unable to budge her.

    Shika was holding on to him that tightly.

    It was as if she was afraid that if she let go, he¡­ or her "older brother" would end up disappearing.

    Seiji felt helpless about it, but more than that, he felt pity for her.

    "Brother, pat me on the head~" She made another request. "I haven¡¯t seen Brother in so long¡­ I really missed you¡­"

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over slightly.

    Natsuya blinked in anticipation, her eyes fixed firmly on Seiji.

    Everyone was silent in the room.

    "Brother?" Shika tilted her head questioningly.

    Seiji had no choice but to reach out his hand and ce it on her head.

    "Mmm¡­"

    Shika had a blissful cat-like expression, and she purred softly in satisfaction.

    Aplex helpless yet relieved smile slowly suffused across Seiji¡¯s face when he saw Shika¡¯s content expression.

    Natsuya looked deeply at his expression, forcing down her indescribable emotions. She hade to a decision.

    "Haruta-kun, I¡¯m going out with Hitaka. You might as well apany her for a while."

    "President¡­"

    "I¡¯m leaving her to you. I trust that you know what to do¡­ and know what you shouldn¡¯t do."

    Seiji was speechless at the implications behind her words.

    Natsuya turned around and exited the room. Hitaka followed right behind her.

    And so, they left as they closed the door behind him.

    Seiji and Shika were the only ones remaining in this room.

    "Brother¡­"

    "Kagura¡­ er, Shika-chan¡­"

    Seiji smiled gently at the girl.

    "You told me that you haven¡¯t seen me for so long¡­ Now, I¡¯m right here, and I won¡¯t be going anywhere."

    "Let¡¯s¡­ have a really good chat."

    ¡­

    After Seiji finally managed to extract himself from Shika¡¯s room, he returned to the main hall.

    He saw the president standing in his previous position, sipping tea while gazing out the window.

    "How is she?" Natsuya asked when she heard his footsteps, turning around to look at him.

    ¡®A 180-degree turn of character¡­ Prez, is this intentional on your part?¡¯

    Seiji tugged at his lips.

    "She fell asleep." He walked over to the table and poured himself a cup of tea from the kettle. "I asked her what I could and confirmed that she can¡¯t remember anything.

    "All she knew was that¡ªor I should say what she believed¡ªis that she had always been waiting in her home near a snowy mountain, waiting in istion for her ¡®older brother¡¯ toe back. She waited for a long, long time."

    Seiji sipped some tea.

    "Other than that, there were some personal stories about her family time with her ¡®older brother¡­¡¯ They were just some normal family memories."

    Those were far-off, warm, and blessed memories.

    "I suspect¡­ it isn¡¯t purely a case of amnesia. Rather, her true personality which she has been suppressing for so long has finally reappeared."

    Seiji walked besides Natsuya and also gazed outside the window.

    "Before, Shika Kagura definitely didn¡¯t seem normal¡­ She always seemed unnaturally calm¡­ almost as if she were devoid of emotions like a normal human.

    "But in truth, she was always suppressing herself from a very early age. The current her is what she has always been suppressing¡­ her innermost personality buried deep within her heart."

    The lonely little sister who had always been waiting for her older brother toe back home.

    Under that cold and calm outer shell of hers, this was the true personality of the girl named Shika Kagura

    Natsuya remained silent for a few moments.

    Finally, she ended up sighing.

    "I sympathize with her plight. However, there¡¯s a practical problem facing us¡­"

    No memories meant that she would be unable to supply them any information.

    No information meant the situation was still a terrible one!

    Seiji obviously understood this.

    "We¡¯ll have to¡­ find some method to make her return to normal."

    Make that girl return to how she was.

    Seiji hadplex feelings about this.

    But even he could see that it wasn¡¯t good to leave her in her current state. They should do something about her.

    "I can investigate it¡­ then try something." Natsuya¡¯s eyes shed with light as she looked at the boy beside her. "It¡¯s just that¡­ she might end up getting hurt."

 Chapter 123 - The Maid Isâ€¦ the Student Council President!

    <h4>Chapter 123: The Maid Is¡­ the Student Council President!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji remained silent for a few moments.

    "She definitely shouldn¡¯t stay like this. We need to help her recover her memory. It can¡¯t be helped if we need to take some risks for this¡­ but even so, I still hope that we won¡¯t end up hurting her."

    Natsuya nodded in understanding.

    "I¡¯ll try my best."

    There was yet another period of silence.

    Finally, Natsuya came up with an unexpected yet reasonable suggestion.

    ¡­

    The next morning.

    Mika had a strange premonition as she received Seiji¡¯s phone call.

    "Hey, Seiji, what¡¯s the matter?

    "Eh!? Staying¡­ somewhere else overnight!?"

    The pigtailed girl was shocked.

    That was because he told her over the phone that due to some circumstances, he slept over at a friend¡¯s housest night, and he nned to stay there for an extended period of time! He would be unable to go to school or walk home together with her.

    What was going on? What happened!?

    "Well¡­ just think of it as¡­ me working on a project together with a friend¡­ Yep."

    In the dining room, Seiji was sitting on a soft chair as he watched a maidy down breakfast on the table in front of him.

    That¡¯s right¡ªa real maid!

    She was wearing a ck one-piece dress with a white apron and a ck hair tie. A white ribbon was tied around her neck¡ªin short, she was wearing stereotypical maid attire.

    She had dark grey long hair which cascaded down to the middle of her back. Her face was white and her features exquisite and delicate. Her dark brown eyes had a gentle look to them, and there was a faint smile disyed on her face.

    Just about perfect¡­ full marks for being a maid!

    When Seiji woke up this morning and saw this beautiful girl in maid attire, he was stunned for several seconds.

    As an otaku, it was only natural for him to have various fantasies about the perfect appearance for a maid. Now that he¡¯d met his maid in real life, all his fantasies were reced with the single thought of ¡®this is what a maid should really be like!¡¯

    Her entire person, appearance, atmosphere, and attitude was perfect. Everything about her was perfect!

    After a while, Seiji finally managed to calm down.

    When he regained his normal state of mind, he chatted a bit with her.

    He discovered the maid was called Mai Houjou.

    She was currently a third-year student at Genhana High School¡­ which meant that she was his Senpai!

    "As for the truth¡­ I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s time. For now¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about me. After everything is over, I¡¯lle back to the apartment. See you at school. I¡¯m hanging up."

    When Seiji had ended his call with Mika, the maid¡­ or Houjou-senpai, just finished setting breakfast in front of him.

    "Please enjoy, Mdy, Shuho-sama, Kirin-sama, and Harano-san."

    The dark grey-haired beauty backed up one step and bowed to everyone seated at the table.

    Natsuya and Hitaka nodded slightly at her.

    The cat girl, Rana, who was still in her middle school uniform, seemed to be half asleep, as she seemed to unconsciously stuff a dried sardine into her mouth.

    Seiji watched Houjou-senpai leaving the room while pushing the food cart.

    "Are you feeling that it¡¯s strange how I¡¯ve hired an upperssman to be my maid?" Natsuya spoke up.

    "A little¡­" Seiji nodded.

    "The Houjou family has a deep rtionship with my family and has always been in our employ." Natsuya also took a dried sardine and ced it into her bowl.

    "Houjou-san¡¯s father is one of my father¡¯s most skilled subordinates. That¡¯s how I got to meet Houjou-san when I was little."

    "I regard her as a gentle big sister and treat her as a close friend of mine, not a subordinate. However, she herself insists on maintaining a proper rtionship."

    "She doesn¡¯t have to be my maid, but when I, Hitaka, and Rana moved here for school and needed to hire someone for the housework, she¡­ volunteered toe here and even resigned from her job as the student council president."

    ¡®What!?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s eyes bulged in surprise.

    "Wait, wait¡­ student council president?"

    Natsuya ced the dried sardine into her mouth.

    "Yep, Houjou-san is the former student council president before me. She¡¯s my predecessor."

    The current student council president¡¯s maid was the ex-student council president!?

    Seiji¡¯s mind was thrown into chaos.

    Was this a real-life version of Maid Sama!? Or was it Hayate the Combat Butler?

    It seemed like them¡­ but it was also somewhat different.

    ¡®Forget it; I should stop thinking about it.¡¯

    Anyway, for such a thing to happen at Genhana High School¡­ This must count as a huge piece of news, right? If it was publicized, it would probably shock many students.

    But even if they were shocked, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be difficult for them to ept it.

    Everyone knew already that Natsuya Yoruhana was the scion of a rich and powerful family, so hiring a former student council president as a maid seemed reasonable enough, right?

    Although some people might suspect that there was something dark behind the office of the student council president, hmm¡­

    Random thoughts flitted past Seiji¡¯s mind as he enjoyed the abundant breakfast.

    After eating.

    "Hitaka and I are going back to my main home in order to investigate a method which will allow Shika Kagura to recover her memory. Rana will be staying behind to guard the school."

    "Haruta-kun, I¡¯d like you to take good care of Shika in the meantime. I¡¯ll let the school know you have some circumstances, so you can choose whether or not you want to attend ss."

    Seiji nodded after hearing Natsuya¡¯s words.

    He definitely still had to go to school, since he told Mika he would meet her there. Although he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell her or Chiaki the details, he still needed to exin the situation briefly.

    ¡®Before that, I should take another look at Shika.¡¯

    After Natsuya and Hitaka left, Seiji went to Shika¡¯s room again.

    She was still sleeping.

    Seiji pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, quietly observing her in peaceful slumber.

    Currently, the problem facing Natsuya and him was discovering a method which would allow her to recover her memory.

    But this wasn¡¯t the only problem.

    Presuming that they were able to sessfully help her recover her memory without harming her, what would they do afterwards?

    Ask her for information¡­ then imprison her until the duel was over?

    Would they be able to extract the information out of her sessfully? The enemy was a bastard who didn¡¯t even care about her life, so wouldn¡¯t it be possible for him to leave some sort of secret spell on her in order to prevent her from leaking information?

    Besides, as for imprisonment¡­ this wasn¡¯t too much of a concern, since Natsuya wasn¡¯t the type to do anything to Shika as long as she got the information she wanted.

    But they couldn¡¯t forget that Shika was the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯

    Imprisoning the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­¡¯ Even before that, Hitaka had fought with her, and Seiji himself had so much contact with her. Natsuya had helped treat her injuries and sealed her powers as a Spirit-branded Retainer¡­

    All three of them had "approached" her in different ways and still needed to have various dealings with her, so what would befall them?

    Natsuya didn¡¯t mention this at all.

    Nor did Seiji.

    Was it because there was no point in saying it out loud? They already did what they did, so they had to continue along their current course.

    Or was it because of¡­ their unconscious fear?

    Seiji wrung his hands thoughtfully.

    He didn¡¯t know if the president had fear deep within her, but as for him¡­ while he was worried, he wasn¡¯t afraid at all.

    That was because he possessed a powerful cheat.

    ¡®As long as it¡¯s not something like a lightning strike instantly killing me, I should be able to load. As long as I¡¯m able to retain consciousness, I can deal with anything by loading.¡¯

    Seijiforted himself as he untwisted his hands and reached out to gently brush Shika¡¯s hair.

    ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­¡¯ so what?

    Even if he met with 100 catastrophes due to her ability, he would be able to escape 101 times.

    That¡¯s why he had no fear.

    The morning sun afterst night¡¯s rain was shining into the room.

    It granted the handsome boy an aura of light.

    Hisrge hand was gently stroking the beautiful girl¡¯s face, which was still slightly shadowed.

    This scene appeared almost holy.

 Chapter 124 - Calm Down, Listen to Me Explain

    <h4>Chapter 124: Calm Down, Listen to Me Exin</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Mmm¡­ brother¡­" Shika muttered as she stirred and gradually opened her eyes.

    Feeling that someone was next to her, she turned around to look.

    She saw a handsome boy sitting by her bedside, gazing at her gently.

    Seiji smiled. "Good morning, Shika-chan."

    Shika Kagura widened her eyes.

    Then, she squinted as her lips arced upwards in blissful satisfaction.

    "Good morning, Brother~"

    ¡­

    In school.

    Mika was unable to concentrate.

    The first ss had just ended, but Seiji still hadn¡¯t appeared.

    Some ssmates¡­ fine, just the girls, were worried about how he was and asked Chiaki and her about him.

    Chiaki gave him a call, and the response she received was: "I have something to do, so I¡¯ve asked for a break."

    What could be going on? Did he have a cold? Many pairs of curious eyes blinked in unison, and all the girls were gossiping about it.

    Diplomat Chiaki responded by saying, "Sorry, ssified."

    While the girls still wanted to know what was going on, they finally scattered and stopped prying. They were unable to withstand the pressure of the tomboy, who acted as if she were Seiji¡¯s ambassador.

    "He said that he¡¯lle to school in a bit and contact us," Chiaki whispered to Mika in a low voice after their ssmates left them alone.

    This finally helped the pigtailed girl to recover some of her spirit. Despite this, she was still rather unsatisfied.

    ¡®Just what exactly is Seiji up to!?¡¯ sheined inwardly.

    Without him there, the awkwardness between her and Kaede as they went to school together was¡­

    Mika was unwilling to dwell on what had happened¡­

    Of course, Kaede also seemed concerned about Seiji¡­ or what happened to Seigo Harano, as she worded it. But after Kaede discovered that Mika didn¡¯t know either, she ceased her inquiries.

    Mika made up her mind. ¡®After seeing him, I definitely will ask him what¡¯s going on!¡¯

    After the second ss was over.

    Mika was shocked at the scene in front of her to the extent that her mind wentpletely nk.

    "This girl¡­ isn¡¯t she¡­"

    "Yep, that¡¯s right, she¡¯s Shika Kagura. We met her before at the drama club."

    The tall and handsome boy had a gentle smile on his face.

    A petite girl whose beauty seemed almost ethereal tailed behind him. She was tugging on his clothes and hiding behind him while blinking her eyes cutely.

    They seemed almost like brother and sister¡­

    Mika and Chiaki were both speechless at this situation.

    They had received a message from Seiji to meet him in this corner of the school garden, but they never expected to witness such a scene.

    The person behind him¡­ Was this really the same person that had been forcibly "captured" by the drama club president before!?

    This was a totally different feeling!

    Back then, they had met a literature-loving girl. Previously, she exuded a natural iciness which seemed to reject everybody who thought of approaching her.

    But now, she seemed like a girl who always stuck close to her own brother, acting all shy and cute like an ordinary girl next door!

    The contrast between the two impressions she gave off¡­ this wasn¡¯t even a contrast! It was like multiple personalities!!

    Why were the two of them together!?

    Why did they behave like a real brother and sister!?

    Although Mika and Chiaki knew that Seiji and Shika weren¡¯t real siblings, they were beginning to suspect it could be possible!

    Mika and Chiaki¡¯s inner thoughts were like unstoppable tornadoes.

    But Shika¡¯s next sentence increased the tornadoes¡¯ strength even further.

    "Brother, there¡¯s another two beautiful girls here! You have so many girlfriends~" Shika Kagura stated in her soft voice.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over.

    Mika and Chiaki were rendered speechless.

    The tornadoes in their minds were upgraded to typhoons!

    "Seiji!!" both of them shouted in unison.

    Seiji could only feel utter helplessness upon seeing his two female friends¡¯ indescribably shocked expressions.

    He knew that he shouldn¡¯t have taken the amnesiac girl with him!

    But there was no helping it.

    After waking up, Shika Kagura clung by his side and refused to let go. If he tried toughening his attitude even a little, she would pout and tear up, and when he tried to leave she really did cry¡­ She was basically a little child that was inseparable from an adult.

    He also considered noting to school, but he promised that he would, and besides¡­ he also wanted to take Shika out for a walk, so she could get a little sunshine.

    Safety shouldn¡¯t be an issue with the spell formation still protecting the school. Rana was present as well.

    "Calm down a little, and listen to me exin¡­" Seiji smiled wryly as he began speaking.

    Then, he suddenly discovered that he was talking like how a typical scumbag male lead in a harem story would!?

    Cough cough, this was just a coincidence!

    ¡­

    It was a difficult task to exin to his two friends what had happened without giving any specific details, but Seiji managed to aplish it.

    "Mmm¡­ Allow me to summarize the situation. Seiji was trying to help Kagura-san here with some difficult circumstances of hers, but she met with an ident caused by Student Council President Natsuya Yoruhana."

    "After receiving treatment and waking up, Shika lost her memories and now believes Seiji is her brother."

    "President Yoruhana feels deeply apologetic about this situation. Since Kagura-san¡¯s parents can¡¯t be contacted right now, President Yoruhana is providing her own home for Kagura-san to live in, and she¡¯s also providing treatment and care."

    "And because Kagura-san isn¡¯t letting Seiji leave her side, Seiji has to temporarily live at the Yoruhana residence."

    "Did I get the gist of it?"

    Chiaki pretended that she was adjusting a pair of imaginary spectacles as she exined.

    Seiji sighed. "Yep, that¡¯s right."

    "It all seems so unbelievable¡­ it could even be the background story of a television series." Chiaki rubbed her chin. "But since it happened to you¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem all that strange after all."

    Mika nodded silently in agreement.

    ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ Seiji had the subtle feeling that he was being looked down upon. ¡®Was it just an illusion?¡¯

    "It means that you¡¯re the type of idiot who always gets wrapped up in some incident, or even rush into something troublesome." Chiaki extended her palms and shrugged.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Fine, he was indeed being looked down upon in a subtle way.

    "I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t tell you guys the exact details, but the basic situation is the same as Chiaki¡¯s exnation."

    "It¡¯s fine; if you can¡¯t say it, you can¡¯t say it¡­ In fact we¡¯re already satisfied that you can tell us so much." Chiaki smiled. "Right, Mika?"

    Mika also energetically nodded and smiled.

    Even though she was slightly annoyed at being left in the dark, if Seiji felt like he couldn¡¯t reveal any more details, he must have his reasons.

    It probably wasn¡¯t easy for him to tell them this much.

    ¡®In fact, he didn¡¯t have to tell us anything, but he didn¡¯t want us to worry¡­¡¯

    Mika felt a warm feeling in her heart when this thought crossed her mind.

    She felt that it was a¡­fortable feeling to be viewed as important by the person she liked.

    "Brother, I¡¯m getting tired! Hug me~"

    Mika¡¯s recently uplifted feelings instantly took a heavy blow.

    Seeing the fresh and cute¡­ no, seeing this middle school girl who wasn¡¯t even familiar with Seiji before this incident sticking so close to him, acting all spoiled with him, and talking so childishly¡­ Even though she knew that this was all due to amnesia¡­ she still didn¡¯t like it!

    "Didn¡¯t I just hug you? Why are you getting tired so quickly?"

    "I¡¯m still feeling under the weather. Only when brother hugs me will I feel better¡­ it feels the best~"

    ¡®That¡¯s enough!¡¯

    Mika felt an indescribable surge of anger rising up within her.

    Although she knew Shika was deserving of sympathy due to the fact that her mental age had regressed, seeing this and hearing this right in front of her was still maddening!

    ¡®I still haven¡¯t been hugged by Seiji before!!¡¯ the pigtailed girl mentally shouted at the top of her lungs.

 Chapter 125 - A Minimum of Three Years, a Maximum of the Death Penalty~

    <h4>Chapter 125: A Minimum of Three Years, a Maximum of the Death Penalty~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji was racking his brains on how to deal with Shika Kagura acting so spoiled.

    Even though this was merely a corner of the school garden, for a high school boy to be seen hugging a middle school girl was still¡­

    Hey hey, there was something wrong about the important part!

    He should have been thinking of how to refuse her; why was he thinking about dealing with the aftermath!?

    His selfmentary helped him to regain his senses.

    That was dangerous. He was almost seduced by her cuteness.

    Seiji firmed his resolve and was about to strictly reject the amnesiac girl¡¯s request to hug, but at this moment she already had her arms opened to him, with a face filled with expectation as her eyes sparkled in an innocent and cute manner.

    ¡®¡­Hugging her wouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal, would it?¡¯

    "Seiji," Chiaki started, "although I don¡¯t want to say this, but¡­"

    Seiji looked at the tomboy and saw that she was smiling like a convenience store clerk.

    "A minimum of three years, a maximum of the death penalty~"

    Seiji¡¯s face twitched.

    ¡®Hey, don¡¯t say something so terrifying in such a fake tone of voice! It sounds like you¡¯re in the service industry!¡¯

    "I¡­ I won¡¯t be like that!"

    "Eh, you knew what I was talking about?"

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you have beenmenting about what I meant first?¡¯ was what Chiaki¡¯s grin seemed to say.

    Seiji broke out into a cold sweat.

    "I¡­ of course I know! I¡¯ve seen this on the inte!"

    "Which website did you see it on?"

    "I don¡¯t remember! At any rate, I¡¯ve seen it. Does it really matter where!?"

    Seiji forcefully injected spirit into his answer, but he averted his gaze from Chiaki.

    "Brother~" Shika was still waiting expectantly for him.

    Chiaki was watching this while grinning widely.

    Mika¡­ her aura seemed a little terrifying!

    As Seiji looked around everywhere in search of a solution, he finally reached out hisrge hand¡­ and patted Shika Kagura¡¯s head.

    "I just hugged you earlier. Hold on for a little longer."

    Pat~ Pat~~

    "Mmm¡­ Mew¡­"

    Shika didn¡¯t get the hug she wanted, but the head pats were effective as well. She was content like a kitten.

    Chiaki¡¯s smile seemed to lose some darkness.

    Mika¡¯s aura also softened somewhat.

    Peace returned to this scene for the time being.

    The bell signaling the beginning of ss finally rang.

    "You two should go back to ss. I need to apany her today, so I won¡¯t be going," Seiji informed the duo.

    Chiaki nodded.

    "During lunch break¡­ will youe by?" Mika asked.

    "I¡¯ll have lunch together with her at the president¡¯s home¡­ could it be that you¡¯ve prepared a lunchbox for me?"

    Mika nodded.

    Seiji felt a twinge of guilt.

    To be honest, he wanted to eat lunch together with Mika and Chiaki. But Shika was sticking so closely to him, and she was the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­¡¯

    Just a short meeting should be fine, but if they ate lunch together, he didn¡¯t know whether cmities would befall Chiaki and Mika.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want them to undergo mysterious catastrophes.

    For the first time, he felt what Shika Kagura must have felt in the past when she rejected other people.

    He was forced to reject other peoples¡¯ kindness and good intentions and remain distant from them.

    "Thank you¡­ during lunch break, I¡¯lle over and take it."

    "But I thought you needed to apany her¡­"

    Seiji grinned. "The president¡¯s residence is quite close to school, so it won¡¯t take much time."

    Mika blinked in surprise as she also smiled and nodded.

    And so, the four of them separated.

    Mika and Chiaki walked back to the school building. After walking a few steps, they couldn¡¯t help looking back at Seiji and Shika.

    What they saw was the tall boy holding on to the petite girl¡¯s hand as they walked off into the distance.

    ¡­

    Seiji stayed by Shika¡¯s side for the entire morning.

    They watched TV together, surfed the inte, yed hide-and-seek, read manga, yed Monopoly, and yed some other card games¡­

    The maid Mai Houjou brought everything they watched, read, and yed to them, includingptops, manga, cards, and so on.

    Yes, the maid-senpai was also unable to attend sses.

    ording to her, serving herdy¡¯s guests was much more important than attending ss.

    ¡®Senpai, you¡¯re a third-year high schooler; is this really alright?¡¯

    She didn¡¯t seem to mind, so¡­ it was fine?

    Seiji found it easy to forget about his senpai¡¯s presence while he was having fun with Shika, but whenever he needed something, he noticed her immediately.

    Her skills as a maid were extraordinary.

    Seiji came to the conclusion that she was definitely not an ordinary person!

    She said she was here to serve him and Shika, but perhaps¡­ she was actually putting them under surveince?

    Well, either way, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Seiji was merely apanying a girl¡­ who¡¯d developed amnesia which caused her mental age to regress. They were only ying normally.

    Dusk.

    The tall boy was sitting in the hallway and observing the scenery in the backyard.

    The petite girl used hisp as a pillow, and her head was resting on his thighs. She had fallen asleep while clutching onto one of hisrge hands.

    The maid appeared at the end of the hallway with a tray in her hand as she silently walked over.

    Walking next to the boy, she crouched, ced down the tray, arranged the teacups, and slowly began pouring tea.

    None of her movements created any sound, and there was an indescribable elegance to her actions!

    Considering the fact that she aplished all this in ck-and-white maid attire, it further increased the difficulty of soundlessly performing everything.

    Seiji¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration.

    The maid-senpai didn¡¯t say anything as she smiled gently and ced one cup of tea by his hand. She then took another cup of tea for herself.

    And so, they quietly sipped tea together.

    Shika¡¯s body moved slightly as she seemed to mutter something. There was a light smile on her sleeping face.

    Seiji observed her for a few moments and also smiled faintly.

    He finished his tea and ced down the teacup.

    "Thank you for your efforts today, Harano¡­ Haruta-san," Mai said in a soft voice while refilling Seiji¡¯s empty teacup.

    Seiji blinked in surprise at this.

    "It wasn¡¯t all that much of a big deal¡­ Senpai, I thought you would constantly remain silent."

    The maid threw him a sidelong nce. "I¡¯m not mute. Everyone has times when they want tomunicate."

    Since she was still smiling as she done this, this sidelong nce actually seemed rather cute.

    Seiji almost chuckled out loud at the sight.

    "Okay then, just that Senpai¡­ you seem so professional¡­ too professional."

    "I¡¯m being paid a sry to do this job. Of course I need to be serious about it."

    "What about what you¡¯re doing right now?¡¯

    "Even when working seriously, there are times when people need to rx a little~"

    "Mmm¡­ you seem to be right about that."

    "Of course I am."

    They exchanged nces as they bothughed soundlessly.

    "I¡¯ve been constantly watching you today." Mai¡¯s tone of voice suddenly turned more serious as she continued, "I¡¯ve been observing you, to see what type of person you are.

    "And now, I understand¡­ why it was that Mdy was willing to invite you into her home, as well as why¡­ this amnesiac girl relies on you so much."

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "Er¡­ should I interpret that as praise?"

    "It is praise. I haven¡¯t praised many boys before, so you should be proud of yourself."

    "Heh, you¡¯re just a maid~"

    "I have another identity, and it¡¯ll scare you upon hearing it~"

    "I already know about it: you¡¯re the former student council president, right?" Seiji looked at her with a mock disdain. "But now you¡¯re nothing more than a maid."

    Mai puffed out her cheeks slightly. "Hmph¡­ you need to fix your attitude, junior!"

    "Since you view me as your junior, then there¡¯s no need for honorifics. Don¡¯t call me something like Harano or Haruta-san; it sounds quite strange."

    Mai paused for a moment at hearing this, before she broke out intoughter. The pout from earlier was nowhere to be seen.

    "Okay then, you¡­ you win, junior Haruta."

    "What did I win? Is there a prize, Houjou-senpai?" Seiji blinked his eyes innocently.

    "I¡¯m just a maid; what prize would I even have to give you?" Mai grinned as she sipped her tea.

    "But," Seiji started, "ording to legend, maids can provide some ¡®special¡¯ services¡­"

    Seeing Mai smile as she mockingly raised the tea kettle to chuck at him, Seiji hurriedly put a stop to his clown act.

    "Of course they¡¯re all fake! Please forget I said anything!"

    That smile was still stered on Mai¡¯s face as she tilted the tea kettle¡­ and poured more tea for herself.

    Seiji also lowered his head and sipped some more tea.

    "By the way, Senpai¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "If¡­ If I didn¡¯t pass your inspection¡­ er, observation, what would have happened?"

    Mai slowly revealed the most brilliant smile she had ever shown him.

    "Did you know, junior Haruta? The most important job of a maid isn¡¯t to take care of her master¡¯s basic living needs. It¡¯s to exterminate all pests around her master~"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

 Chapter 126 - Dont Lick Me! Dont Suck on Me!

    <h4>Chapter 126: Don''t Lick Me! Don''t Suck on Me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji felt as if he had barely managed to escape with his life¡­ No, this must be a mistaken impression!

    How could someone as gentle and kind as Mai Houjou-senpai do something so cruel?

    "Senpai, you¡¯re really good at making jokes."

    "I wasn¡¯t joking, junior~"

    Haha¡­ Hehe¡­ the two of them exchanged smiles.

    ¡®Please tell me you were just joking! I¡¯m starting to get scared here!!¡¯

    Seiji tugged at the corner of his lips.

    He decided not to think too deeply about the hidden meaning behind this beautiful maid-senpai¡¯s smile¡­

    Yep, all he had to do was pay it little attention.

    ¡­

    Natsuya and Hitaka returned.

    When they returned, Seiji was ying with his cat¡­ whoops, he was throwing snacks at Shika to feed her.

    "The two of you¡­ seem to be having a fun time today," Natsuya remarked.

    Seiji noticed that both girls seemed rather fatigued and paused his movements, causing him to be bitten on the fingers by Shika as she attempted to get at the candy in his hand.

    "The two of you¡­ seem to have had a hard time today," he observed.

    Natsuya sighed. "Yeah¡­ we met with some troublesome matters."

    Her tone of voice sounded so jaded! Just what exactly could have happened!?

    Seiji was in a state of shock.

    Then, he noticed that Hitaka seemed to be ring fiercely at Shika.

    Oh, so that¡¯s how it was¡­ or maybe he should say that he should have expected it.

    Seiji nced at the amnesiac girl.

    He discovered that she was currently in the midst of licking his finger.

    "Hey! Stop licking! Stop sucking!"

    "Eh¡­ But there¡¯s still a good smell here~"

    "Don¡¯t lick it even if there is a good smell! Are you really a cat!?"

    While Seiji wasmenting on the situation, his face also began flushing red.

    He definitely needed to remember that feeling just now¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t it! Forget that feeling! Hurry up and forget it!!

    This was yet another memory that he would need to seal away.

    Why ¡®another?¡¯

    That was because so many things had happened today when he was apanying Shika!

    Seiji¡¯s sense of reason was constantly being shaken by this overwhelmingly cute creature beside him, and he had to continuously ce seals on his memory, or else he might have turned into that which was forbidden.

    Sigh¡­

    Seiji wasn¡¯t the one who had sighed.

    Rather, it was Hitaka who had done so as she helplessly retracted her gaze.

    She was still a reasonable person and knew that the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ would bring various difficulties down upon them¡­ The misfortune wasn¡¯t something anyone could decide.

    So, even though today was rather¡­ difficult for her and herdy, there was no reason for her to hate orin about Shika Kagura.

    She quickly returned to her state of calmness.

    Seeing that herdy didn¡¯t appear shaken at all, Hitaka was inwardly impressed with her master¡¯s regal bearing.

    But, the truth was¡­

    ¡®Why do I really feel like giving Seiji Haruta a good punch right now?¡¯

    Natsuya didn¡¯t understand her own feelings.

    But that thought had definitely shed through her mind, especially when she witnessed how intimate Shika acted with him while ying.

    A mysterious sense of rage appeared from nowhere in her heart, and she almost felt like venting it. She barely managed to control herself and somehow used a normal, calm tone of voice.

    ¡®This must be due to us encountering many difficulties today during our investigation, while they just spent this day being idle and having fun¡­ That must be why I lost control of my emotions, right?''

    ¡®Honestly, I can¡¯t be this immature, Natsuya Yoruhana!¡¯

    The scion inwardly warned herself to not stoop to such a low level and managed to regain her calm.

    The scene was temporarily silent.

    All three of them were adjusting their emotions during this time.

    As for the other person¡­

    "Brother, give me some more candy~"

    "Nope, you can¡¯t have too many snacks before dinner."

    "Hmph¡­ Stingy!"

    Shika puffed out her cheeks discontentedly.

    ¡®So cute! I should¡­ just give her one more candy¡­¡¯

    "Haruta-kun."

    Natsuya¡¯s voice helped Seiji toe back to his senses.

    "I¡¯m going back to my room to rest for now¡­ After dinner, we¡¯ll discuss ¡®that¡¯ again."

    "Oh¡­ okay."

    Natsuya left the room together with Hitaka after Seiji nodded in agreement.

    After watching the two of them leave, Seiji looked back at Shika again.

    "Shika-chan¡­" He smiled at her. "How about I teach you how to draw?"

    ¡­

    After dinner.

    Seiji took Shika back to her room, then left by himself and returned to the main hall.

    Natsuya was currently pouring tea.

    "How did you do it?" she asked.

    "I asked her to draw by herself for a while." Seiji shrugged. "I told her that I hoped she would be able to show me a great drawing and give me a surprise¡­ something like that."

    Natsuya blinked in surprise as she put down the tea kettle.

    "You¡¯re quite skilled at coaxing girls."

    "She has a child¡¯s mentality now, and she¡¯s an obedient one, so she¡¯s easy to deal with."

    Seiji walked over to the table and sat down as he took a teacup and poured himself some tea.

    "Girls¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m good at coaxing them¡­ I¡¯m actually not all that good at dealing with girls."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    She really felt like beating him up again!

    This time, she was quite clear about why that was.

    "Houjou-san gave you an excellent evaluation. This is the first time she¡¯s ever praised a boy so much to me."

    ¡®So stop acting like you aren¡¯t one! Admit it! Seiji Haruta, you¡¯re a¡­¡¯

    ¡­a what?

    yboy? No, that didn¡¯t seem right; he was nothing more than a depraved otaku not long ago, and even now¡­ he was still an otaku.

    Speaking of otakus, one would normally think of someone who wasn¡¯t good at social situations, especially dealing with girls as they would have introverted personalities¡­ So was he telling the truth then?

    No, no, this didn¡¯t seem right!

    Natsuya¡¯s mind fell into chaos.

    This boy in front of her seemed so bright, sunny, handsome, honest, and direct¡­ he was a perfect, wonderful, handsome boy in the eyes of so many women, yet his hobbies were all otaku-ish, so how should he be described?

    ¡­Handsome and cool otaku?

    The scion had a sh of inspiration.

    That¡¯s right; this was the description she was looking for!

    ¡®Although this still seems like an awkward description, this is the right one. Seiji Haruta¡­ you are a handsome and cool otaku that¡¯s popr with girls and actually good at dealing with them! So stop denying it!!¡¯

    "Really? Senpai was too kind." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "I thought that I almost made her angry."

    Anger? What anger!?

    Natsuya recalled Houjou-san¡¯s attitude when she was speaking about Seiji. Houjou-san was smiling so sweetly¡­ it was rare for even Natsuya to see her smile like that. Natsuya suddenly felt another burst of frustration rise up within her.

    Honestly!

    But still¡­ she could tell that he wasn¡¯t faking it.

    No, it was impossible to fake things to such a degree.

    This person, he really was just like this¡­

    Ah, yep, that¡¯s why Houjou-san would¡­ That¡¯s why girls would¡­

    Natsuya seemed toe to a realization.

    "Haruta-kun, you¡¯re just so¡­ cool."

    Seiji was mystified.

    Why was the president suddenly saying this?

    And this tone of voice felt somewhat familiar¡­ even though it sounded like praise on the surface, he felt that there was something prickly beneath.

    While Seiji was still in a state of confusion, Natsuya sipped some tea as her expression turned more serious.

    "Let¡¯s begin discussing the main topic at hand. Our progress on helping Shika Kagura recover her memory¡­"

    Hearing this, the idle gossip from before left Seiji¡¯s mind, and his expression changed to a serious one.

    "Before we discuss a method to restore her memory, we must first understand her current situation. There are three possibilities: the first is that her soul sustained injuries during the battle. This caused her mental spirit and consciousness to be severely damaged, thus ounting for her amnesia."

    "The second is that, due to losing in battle against Hitaka, a condition of some sort was met, causing an underlying spell previously cast upon her to activate, resulting in amnesia."

    "The third possibility is that both of the above werebined. Her memory loss may have been due to both of the aforementioned factors. An underlying spell was cast upon her, and her soul sustained injuries in the battle¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what the order was, as the end result is the same."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "An underlying spell?"

 Chapter 127 - Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 127: Investigation</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Natsuya¡¯s eyes shed with an indescribable light.

    "I¡¯m talking about if the enemy¡­ no, if her master thought about the possibility that she may lose and be taken captive and cast such a spell in order to prevent any information leaking out. It¡¯s just a possibility."

    Seiji remained silent for a few moments.

    "I think that this possibility is quite high."

    Considering what type of person the enemy seemed to be, this was quite a logical thing to assume.

    "I also feel the same way," Natsuya agreed. "The first possibility can mostly be eliminated, so I believe it to be either the second or the third. And it¡¯s quite difficult to determine what it really is. So, we should consider it as the third, which would be the most difficult situation."

    Natsuya took another sip of tea.

    "Assuming that Shika¡¯s situation is the third possibility, it means that in order to help her regain her memory, we will need to dispel the spell cast upon her as well as helping to heal her injured soul. Finally, we need to guide her spiritually, so she can recover her memory."

    "Three steps¡­"

    "And the most difficult step is to dispel the enemy¡¯s spell." Natsuya paused before continuing, "Spells that can erase people¡¯s memories¡­ actually aren¡¯t all that umon, but most of them are rather simple spells. Those are easy to discern and quite easy to cancel out.

    "While treating her and sealing her powers as a Spirit-branded Retainer, I scanned her thoroughly and failed to detect such a spell. This means that the memory-loss spell cast upon her must be hidden quite deeply.

    "Oh¡­ there¡¯s still one more possibility: the spell could be a permanent one which wiped out her memory forever¡­ but I feel that this possibility is quite low.

    "Spirit-branded Retainers aren¡¯t their contractors¡¯ puppets. Anyone sane wouldn¡¯t ept such a spell being cast upon them¡­ And Shika Kagura¡¯s situation is rather unique. Even if she was being forced or tricked in some way, I doubt the enemy would dare to use such a spell on her."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    A spell that caused someone to lose their memories forever wasn¡¯t all that different from killing that person. Doing such a thing to the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ was akin to suicide.

    So, this must be a type of spell that was hidden quite deeply.

    If it really existed, that is.

    While it seemed quite probable, it hadn¡¯t been confirmed yet, so it was only a possibility. That¡¯s why the first thing they needed to do was¡­

    "If you do a deeper investigation, would you be able to confirm it?" Seiji looked directly at Natsuya.

    Natsuya gazed back into his eyes.

    "Yes, but¡­ it¡¯s highly likely to cause her some harm."

    Seiji furrowed his brows.

    "However, if someone is willing to take the risk, the harm to her can be avoided."

    Seiji slowly began to fold his arms.

    "If it¡¯s not a spell that can be detected on her body, then it must have been cast on her soul¡­ or more urately speaking, within one of her soul¡¯syers," Natsuya exined while keeping her gaze fixed on Seiji.

    "ording to the current knowledge we Yin Yang Masters possess, the soul isn¡¯t a simple mass of energy at all. In fact, its structure is even moreplex than our physical bodies. I won¡¯t go into the details, but simply speaking, souls have sevenyers to them."

    "As far as I know, even the strongest Yin Yang Masters of today can only cast spells affecting up to the fourthyer of a person¡¯s soul. That is the upper limit."

    "Anyone whose spell can affect the soul¡¯s thirdyer is already at grandmaster-level¡­ and our enemy definitely isn¡¯t at such a high level."

    "If he or she was, then all they would have to do is crush you with their overwhelming strength instead of using schemes, right?" Seiji interrupted.

    "¡­More urately speaking, this duel wouldn¡¯t even take ce." Natsuya didn¡¯t deny his question; instead she took it into another direction.

    "The enemy¡¯s spell is located somewhere in between the soul¡¯s firstyer or the surface of the secondyer."

    "Is this also within your powers?"

    "I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not good at this type of spell, but I know how to check for them."

    Natsuya lowered her head and took another sip of tea.

    "If I investigate Shika Kagura¡¯s soul directly, she might receive some additional damage to her soul since she¡¯s already injured."

    "But¡­ if there¡¯s someone who she trusts and is close to, someone who¡¯s willing to be¡­ an intermediary, then I¡¯ll be able to investigate her soul without causing any harm to her."

    Seiji blinked. "This seems like a perfect job for me."

    "You¡¯re indeed the perfect person to do it¡­ no, you¡¯re the only person that can do it, Haruta-kun." Natsuya sighed as she looked back up at him.

    "Is there any danger to being this intermediary?" Seiji had a calm expression.

    "If everything works sessfully, nothing will happen, but if things aren¡¯t sessful¡­ the worst situation would be that your own soul would sustain damage."

    "If my soul is damaged¡­ will I die?"

    "No." Natsuya¡¯s tone was firm. "I¡¯d stop my investigation spell the moment things start to go wrong, or you yourself can also stop it at any time, so that you won¡¯t receive too much damage."

    "That¡¯s fine, then." Seiji was decisive about it as he unfolded his arms. "Let¡¯s just do it like that¡­ make use of me!"

    Natsuya paused in surprise.

    "You¡­ agree to it just like this?"

    "Are there any other choices for me to consider?"

    "Er¡­ no, I meant¡­"

    She was talking about his soul potentially being damaged! Although it might not happen, just the possibility meant that he should have been hesitant!

    "Aren¡¯t you going to ask for more details? What it means for your soul to be damaged, what will happen, will you recover¡­ questions like that?"

    "I do want to know, but no matter if I know or not, my answer will be the same."

    ¡®It¡¯s fine as long as I won¡¯t die from it. If I don¡¯t die, I can always load. If I can load¡­ I have nothing to be afraid of!¡¯

    Seiji was filled with confidence due to his cheat.

    But to Natsuya, his firm and decisive attitude seemed¡­ so cool.

    The scion with long, silky ck hair felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at his handsome face.

    She expected that he would hesitate at least a little, or at the very minimum, ask about the possible aftereffects of having his soul damaged.

    She never expected that he was decisive to such an extent; he didn¡¯t seem to be worrying about anything at all!

    Just¡­ like an idiot.

    But he was so cool! This¡­ bravery and resolution resembled foolishness so closely.

    Natsuya was shocked to her core and definitely moved.

    Her face was burning up slightly.

    Her heartbeat increased rapidly.

    Just like¡­ the time before.

    Silence temporarily fell in the room.

    "President?" Seiji broke the silence.

    "Er¡­ Eh?" Natsuya finally regained herposure.

    "I¡¯ve agreed to be the intermediary, so what next?"

    ¡®Young missus, why were you in a daze just now?¡¯

    "After that¡­ it¡¯s¡­" Natsuya hurriedly averted her gaze and lowered her head to drink some more tea in an effort to conceal her emotions.

    However, there was no more tea in her cup.

    This made her feel even more awkward.

    "I need to make some preparations¡­ after they¡¯re finished, we can begin the investigation." She pretended to drink some non-existent tea as she put all her effort in trying to speak calmly.

    Seiji nodded.

    "Do I need to do anything on my end? Will we begin tonight or tomorrow?"

    Natsuya tried her best to regain control of her emotions as she considered Seiji¡¯s question.

    "Tomorrow. I¡¯ll prepare for it tonight, and it also gives Shika one more night to rest. As for you¡­ all you need to do is mentally prepare yourself; nothing else will be necessary."

    "Ok, got it."

    Seiji sipped on some more tea.

    ¡­

    Seiji returned to Shika¡¯s room after the conversation with Natsuya ended.

    After he entered, he noticed that she was still sitting in front of her desk and energetically drawing.

    Before he even reached her side, she already heard his footsteps and turned around with a delighted expression on her face.

    "Brother~"

    "Are you done drawing?"

    "Not yet. Hey, you¡¯re not allowed toe over here! No peeking!"

    Seiji chuckled as he stopped in his tracks.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll wait here for a little bit."

    "Yep, it¡¯s almost done!"

    Shika turned back around and continued to draw while hunched over the table.

    Seiji sat down on a chair beside the bed as he watched her slim back.

    Her beautiful face was smiling, and there was a serious look in her eyes as she drew. She seemed so innocent and cute.

    Seiji merely watched in silence without thinking anything.

    "I¡¯m done drawing!"

    Shika put down her drawing pencil and looked over her sketch with satisfaction before closing the sketchbook.

    She then turned towards Seiji and brought the sketchbook over to him while hopping and skipping.

    "Close your eyes, Brother."

    Smiling, Seiji did what she asked and closed his eyes.

    "Ta-da! You can open them now!"

    Seiji opened his eyes.

    He was startled by the drawing disyed in front of him.

    This drawing was¡­ somethingpletely unexpected.

 Chapter 128 - I Want to Sleep Together with Brother!

    <h4>Chapter 128: I Want to Sleep Together with Brother!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    It was a rough sketch.

    In the center was a tall boy whose facial features weren¡¯t drawn urately. However, it was still possible to see that he was smiling gently.

    To his right was a petite girl. She was clutching his hand with a delighted smile on her face.

    This was obviously a depiction of Seiji and Shika.

    This didn¡¯t surprise Seiji.

    What surprised him was that there were also other people in the sketch.

    The girl with silky, long ck hair had a calm expression.

    The red-haired girl seemed slightly angry.

    The silver-haired ¡®boy¡¯s¡¯ eyes were widened in surprise

    The girl with two pigtails stood out from the others.

    The girl wearing ck-and-white maid attire had a gentle smile on her face.

    Everyone¡­ everyone that Shika Kagura met after receiving amnesia was in this picture!

    Arge house could be seen in the background, and an orangey-red sun hung low in the sky.

    This gave a wonderful atmosphere to the rough sketch of these people standing together in a row.

    "Hehe, how is it, Brother?" Shikaughed in a manner which seemed like she was begging for praise. "I did a good job, right?"

    Seiji returned to his senses and smiled gently at her.

    "Yep¡­ you did a great job!"

    He gave her his honest praise.

    Shika¡¯s smile seemed to increase in magnitude, and her eyes curved into twin crescent moons.

    She turned around and sat down on his thigh while nuzzling him affectionately.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over.

    The soft warm feeling of a middle school girl on hisp, the nice faint smell of her body scent¡­

    But seeing the drawing, which was still in her hand, instantly helped to repress any uncertain feelings he had in his heart.

    "Brother, since I¡¯ve done such a good job, you should give me a reward~"

    "A reward¡­ what would you like?"

    Seiji believed that she would likely ask for a snack or something simr.

    "I want to sleep together with my brother!"

    *Boom!*

    Seiji received a mega-impact direct hit!!

    It actually appeared! The legendary "I want to sleep together with my brother" request! Countless gentlemanly older brothers with sisterplexes dreamed about being able to hear this sentence!!

    Seiji personally believed that this sentence could rank fourth among all sentences that sis-con brothers wanted to hear!

    Although Seiji believed that he himself wasn¡¯t a sis-con, any boy would find it difficult to restrain themselves after hearing such a sentenceing out from the mouth of a beauty on Shika Kagura¡¯s level!

    The feelings he managed to repress earlier returned in full force! More urately speaking, they were focused on his bottom half!! He was about to lose control, ahh!!

    Seiji poured all his effort into not allowing his expression to be distorted.

    How should he deal with this situation? Right, recite an incantation!

    ¡®3.141592653589793¡­ Hey, wait! This isn¡¯t an incantation; this is pi!¡¯

    Inwardly, his mind was as chaotic as a battlefield.

    "How about it, Brother?" Shika nudged her pale face against his and acted spoiled again. "I¡¯d really like for brother to hug me as we sleep~"

    Soft words with a warm feeling behind them.

    Something was standing up.

    ¡®Don¡¯t get up! Don¡¯t be like this, little brother!!¡¯

    Seiji attempted to persuade his lower half desperately.

    But he quickly figured out how foolish this was, so he hurriedly tried to distract himself.

    "Er¡­ Shika-chan, a girl as old as you are now shouldn¡¯t be sleeping together with boys anymore."

    "I¡¯m not sleeping together with boys; I just want to sleep together with my brother."

    "Your brother is a boy as well!"

    "I don¡¯t care! I still want to sleep together with my brother! I want you to hug me; that¡¯s the mostfortable~"

    ¡®But I won¡¯t befortable! No, no¡­ I should say that I¡¯ll be reallyfortable as well¡­ But I won¡¯t be able to befortable, so I won¡¯t befortable! Get it!?¡¯ Seiji sighed inwardly. ¡®Just what exactly am I thinking anymore?¡¯

    Seiji forcefully rubbed his face in an effort to calm himself down.

    "Shika-chan, you can¡¯t act too spoiled, you know! I can¡¯t sleep together with you. At most¡­ I can stay by your bedside until you fall asleep."

    Shika puffed out her cheeks at hearing this. "That¡¯s no good¡­"

    "Don¡¯t be selfish, Shika-chan." Seiji tried his best to put on a stern expression. "You¡¯re not going to listen to your brother?"

    "Wah¡­" Shika¡¯s face instantly darkened.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry! Just seeing such an expression makes me want to apologize! I feel so guilty!! But I really can¡¯t; sleeping together is forbidden¡­¡¯

    "How¡­ how about this: I¡¯ll go ask the maid-san to give Shika-chan some delicious sweets like strawberry milk pudding to make it up to you. How does that sound?"

    "¡­I¡¯d prefer chocte."

    "Got it! I¡¯ll go ask her for some!"

    Seeing her expression rx slightly, Seiji inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

    Then, his gaze fell upon that sketch again.

    "Shika-chan, could you tell me how¡­ why was it that you wanted to draw it like this?" he asked gently.

    ¡­

    And so, the night passed.

    Shika didn¡¯t go to sleep until reallytest night, but it wasn¡¯t a problem for Seiji.

    After getting out of bed, washing up, and eating breakfast, he apanied Natsuya to a certain room at the end of the second floor.

    When he went inside, he saw that there was a huge Yin Yang diagram inscribed on the floor, with a gigantic pentagram inscribed on the ceiling.

    This room was windowless. Whitenterns hung from all four walls, candlelight flickering inside them. Despite this, the room seemed neither stifling nor hot.

    Besides the Yin Yang diagram and pentagram, various runes in anguage that Seiji couldn¡¯t read were also scribbled all over the walls, ceiling, and floor¡­ There were also two reclining chairs in the center of the Yin Yang diagram on the floor.

    They seemed like rather ordinary wooden chairs which could be found in just about any home.

    "Shika and I will be using these two chairs?"

    Natsuya nodded. "Yes, and I¡¯ll be casting the spell upon the two of you.

    "As for the specific procedure, it¡¯s just like I told youst night. First I¡¯ll have you two undergo a special hypnosis. After that I¡¯ll cast a spell upon you, so that your ¡®spirit¡¯ can enter her soul and aid in the investigation."

    Spirit¡­ ording to Natsuya¡¯s exnationst night, it was the self-awareness of the soul. It was something quite simr to your consciousness but still different.

    ording to Seiji¡¯s understanding, to use aputer as an analogy, consciousness was simr to the Windows operating system for everything on the surface, while spirit was like the DOS system that controlled the disks. Both systems were separate yet worked together. In conclusion, consciousness worked on the surface, while spirit functioned on a deeper level.

    Natsuya¡¯s assessment of his understanding was that it seemed rather subtle. It was correct in some parts, but incorrect in others.

    Well, since Natsuya didn¡¯t deny it straight out, Seiji just took it as him being correct. It didn¡¯t matter to him whether or not he understood how it worked, as long as he understood the big picture.

    What would it feel like for his spirit to enter someone else¡¯s soul?

    Hearing Natsuya¡¯s description made Seiji recall a popr science fiction film in his previous life about entering other people¡¯s dreams and nting memories in an effort to change them.

    He believed that to be an excellent movie with fantastic writing. At the time, he even watched it twice in the movie theater, which left him with a deep impression.

    What he was now about to do was rather simr to the main character of that film. That protagonist needed to nt memories in other peoples¡¯ dreams, and he needed to enter a girl¡¯s soul to locate a spell.

    That protagonist had to deal with peoples¡¯ unconscious defense systems, while Seiji would face the natural defense of Shika Kagura¡¯s soul.

    This was why Natsuya said that only someone Shika Kagura was close to would be able to act as an intermediary.

    If it was a stranger, doubtlessly Shika¡¯s soul¡¯s defenses would be increased to the maximum. For someone she felt close to, the defenses should be much easier to deal with.

    But there was still an element of risk involved.

    Seiji had already mentally prepared himself.

 Chapter 129 - Its Just a Dream

    <h4>Chapter 129: It''s Just a Dream</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Apart from the fact that Shika¡¯s soul might view Seiji as an intruder, there was one greater risk that he had to face.

    The "spell" that he was looking for.

    There was the possibility of another spell being bound to the amnesia-causing spell located in Shika¡¯s soul in order to prevent its cancetion.

    Even if his task was merely to find the spell, not dispel it, there was still some degree of risk involved.

    An abundance of caution would be necessary.

    ¡­

    After Shika woke up and ate breakfast, Seiji brought her to the room where the spell had been prepared.

    After entering, the amnesiac girl scanned the entire room, her eyes wide with surprise.

    She seemed to realize that something was about to happen, so she shrunk back in fright and stuck as closely to Seiji as possible.

    "No need to be scared, Shika-chan," Seiji consoled her in the gentlest voice he could manage. "We¡¯re just¡­ going to make you have a dream, and I¡¯ll apany you."

    "Brother¡­"

    "It won¡¯t hurt. It might be a little ufortable, but I promise that no harm wille to you."

    Seiji patted Shika on the head, his gaze gentle yet firm.

    Shika blinked while facing him directly.

    Even though she didn¡¯t know what was about to happen, seeing her "brother¡¯s" firm expression helped to reassure her.

    "Have a seat," Natsuya, who was beside them, requested.

    The president was currently wearing shrine maiden clothing.

    That¡¯s right, it was also known as Shinto garb! A white wide-sleeved shirt on top, with a long red skirt on bottom¡­ well, its technical name was hakama. She was also wearing white socks and red-colored shoes woven from dried grass, a ssic pairing.

    It was incredible for the ck-haired scion with huge breasts to wear such an outfit!

    When Seiji noticed her attire after entering the room, he was astonished to his core. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Shika was sticking by his side, he would likely have stood there, dazed, for a full dozen seconds.

    The president¡¯s long straight ck hair, white shirt, and red skirt were a perfectbination. Her breasts which always jutted out, regardless of her clothing, seemed even sexier than normal. The contrast between the holy impression that these clothes were originally supposed to give off and Natsuya''s devilish figure gave her an almost irresistible allure.

    Seiji felt an urge to take a picture of this scene with his cell phone!

    He was even willing to bet his own virginity that a picture of the president wearing this outfit would be mega popr at school! And if he tried selling the picture on the inte, perhaps he¡¯d be able to charge a high price and make huge profits¡­

    ''Cough cough, I''m getting too far off topic here.''

    At any rate, she was beautiful and excellent.

    It was a pity that he wasn¡¯t able to take a picture.

    Seiji was certain that if he asked permission to take a picture, she would likely reject him and perhaps even re at him.

    That was why he could only admire this scene in secret by saving it in his system.

    Heh heh, his dating sim system had the ability to save CGs! Even though he almost never used it, it still seemed to be good for situations like these!

    Hmm¡­ about his dating sim system.

    Privately, Seiji was a little worried about it.

    Just what exactly was his dating sim system? Seiji didn¡¯t understand.

    Was this system connected to his body? Or his soul? He didn¡¯t know this either.

    He was someone who had reincarnated into an entirely different world with possession of a mysterious system. Just what would his soul look like to Natsuya? Would she find something strange in it? Or would he be unable to do such a task for Shika¡¯s sake?

    He was rather worried.

    But just worrying about it wouldn¡¯t be of any use; he had to¡­ at least try.

    He sat down on one of the reclining chairs, his heart still filled with worries. He indicated for Shika to sit down on the other chair.

    "Lay down and rx. Just treat it as resting normally," Natsuya informed them in a calm voice.

    Then she slowly raised her right hand. She was holding an item. Many golden bells were attached its red handle, and five ribbons of different colors were tied to its base.

    As she shook this item lightly, everyone heard the sonorous sound of bells chiming.

    Seiji, who had justid down, instantly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.

    *Ding ling ling¡­ Ding ling ling¡­*

    Natsuya shook the bells rhythmically as she walked in a circle around the two chairs.

    "The long night, what will you hear¡­ Spirits and ghosts, what will you confide¡­"

    Her calm voice began chanting some words that Seiji couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of. He assumed it was part of her spell.

    As he rxed andid there on the chair, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier as he listened to her incantation and the bells ringing.

    He was holding on to Shika¡¯s tiny hand. The two of them exchanged nces with each other.

    "Brother¡­ I¡¯m so sleepy¡­"

    "It¡¯s fine, Shika-chan¡­ It¡¯s just a dream," Seijiforted her gently and smiled. "Didn¡¯t you want me to¡­ sleep with youst night¡­ Does this¡­ count¡­?"

    "Brother¡­"

    An indescribable light shone in Shika¡¯s eyes as her eyelids drooped.

    Seiji was filled with numerousplex feelings as he focused on her expression.

    Would they seed? If they sessfully discovered and eliminated the memory loss-inducing spell and helped her to recover her memories¡­ would she remember what she did during her amnesiac period?

    If she ended up forgetting¡­

    Seiji would be¡­ rather sad¡­

    As Seiji gazed at Shika¡¯s face, he felt his senses of sight and hearing gradually fade, before he finally shut his eyes as well.

    ¡­

    "Wake up, Haruta-kun."

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes as he heard someone call to him.

    He discovered that he was in an unfamiliar room.

    The room was rather small. There was a bed, a desk, a chair, a bookshelf, and a cab¡­ and all the furniture seemed rather small as well.

    There was a little girl sleeping on the bed. The dolls, building blocks, and stuffed plushies were either scattered about or organized neatly, indicating that this was a child¡¯s room.

    Seiji peered at the little girl closely.

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    That¡¯s right. Although this girl was much younger than the one he knew, this was doubtlessly Shika Kagura.

    "Where am I?" Seiji muttered to himself.

    "You¡¯re in her¡­ Shika Kagura¡¯s soul," Natsuya¡¯s calm voice sounded in his ears.

    "President? Where are you?"

    Seiji nced around at his surroundings.

    "I¡¯m still in reality, taking care of you guys," Natsuya responded. "Just as I informed youst night, I can only hear you and respond in turn."

    "I won''t be aware of anything you see or meet there. I can only learn about it if you tell me. If you need me to answer any questions, or do something, you¡¯ll have to say it clearly."

    Seiji thought back to their conversationst night and nodded. She had indeed told him this.

    "My brain doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s working too well¡­ my thoughts feel rather sluggish."

    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re still not used to being in soul form. It¡¯ll get better once you get used to it."

    Getting ustomed to it¡­ Seiji rubbed his temples.

    That¡¯s when he realized that he wanted to take a look at his current self!

    Just what type of appearance would he take on in such a situation¡­

    Seiji looked around the room and instantly discovered a mirror.

    When he took a look, the person reflected in the mirror was Seiji Haruta¡¯s handsome face.

    ¡®This means that¡­ even my soul haspletely merged with the original Seiji Haruta¡¯s?¡¯ He rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    Well, it was all fine as long as there was nothing wrong with his soul.

    The other thing that Seiji really wanted to check was¡­ his system.

    When he willed it, its familiar menu and options floated up in front of him.

    It appeared!

    It actually appeared!?

    ¡®I can even use my system in such a state!?¡¯ Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    He attempted to use its functions. It seemed the same as normal. Every option was present, including his save and load ability!

    What did this mean?

    ¡®Does this mean that¡­ the dating sim system is intricately connected to my soul?¡¯

    Various thoughts shed through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    No matter what, he felt a great sense of relief that he was able to ess his system even in his soul form.

    Well, that concluded his self-inspection.

    It was time to do what he came to do.

 Chapter 130 - I Dont Want Brother to Go!

    <h4>Chapter 130: I Don''t Want Brother to Go!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "President, I¡¯m currently in some sort of bedroom. Shika Kagura¡­ a much younger version of her is sleeping on the bed right now."

    He put down the mirror and asked for instructions. "What should I do now? Should I wake her up?"

    Natsuya didn¡¯t reply to this.

    "President?"

    "I was thinking about what to do," she finally responded. "It¡¯s possible to wake her up right now, but I rmend looking around first. Are you able to leave the room?"

    Seiji took another look at his surroundings.

    "There¡¯s no door in this room¡­ not even a window."

    "Then¡­ go ahead and wake her up. But prepare yourself first," Natsuya advised in a serious tone of voice.

    ¡®Prepare for what?¡¯ Seiji wondered.

    Without warning, the young version of Shika on the bed muttered something and stirred.

    Seiji looked at her.

    The young Shika slowly opened her eyes.

    When this happened, all the toys in the room suddenly began hovering in midair!

    Seiji felt like he was being propelled upwards as well, and he couldn¡¯t help but look at the ceiling. He noticed that the ceiling¡­ magically seemed to be far away from him when it was so low a few moments earlier!

    He had barely registered this when his perspective turned upside-down!

    He began "falling" towards the ceiling!

    "Whoa!!" He couldn¡¯t control himself and let out a shout of surprise.

    He imagined that this was what a first-time bungee jumper would feel!

    Seiji¡¯s mind was going nk!

    He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Just as he calmed down slightly and prepared to take action, he suddenly fell in a different direction again!

    The room¡ªor perhaps it was more apt to describe it as a space in the shape of a room¡ªhad now changed. Multipleyers of the room ovepped in his vision.

    Seiji felt like he was trapped inside a kaleidoscope! ''Thispletely breaks everyw of physics.''

    Countless flying stuffed plushies, building blocks, dolls, and so on were strewn everywhere, just like the colorful contents of a kaleidoscope.

    They grewrger or smaller, distorted, changed colors, or transformed back into their original states in a maddening cycle!

    Seiji crashed into a teddy bear. The rebound sent him hurtling into a castle constructed of wooden blocks, which were sent flying everywhere after the collision. He then grabbed onto the hem of a doll¡¯s skirt, but it suddenly turned minuscule, making him unable to hold onto it anymore. He ended up falling into a giant whale puppet¡¯s mouth and being ejected from the blowhole on its back, whereupon he continued crashing left and right into many other strange, distorted objects.

    But, unexpectedly, it didn¡¯t hurt at all.

    Seiji was unsure of speed which he was falling at, but if he calcted it ording to real-world physics, he guessed that he would have been seriously injured from the impacts long ago.

    ''Welp, so much for Newton¡¯sws of gravity!''

    At first, Seiji had been confused by the situation. Now, he had calmed down enough to assess the situation, even while flying through midair.

    After an indeterminate length of time passed in this chaotic kaleidoscope, Seiji finally crashnded onto the floor together with arge number of toys.

    Seiji slowly regained his feet and used his arms to shield his head from the subsequent downpour of toys.

    After he finished catching the final teddy bear, the room returned to its original state¡­ or was it slightlyrger than before? He had no way topare or know.

    Shika-chan finally rose from her bed and opened her eyes.

    "Brother~" she called out happily upon seeing Seiji.

    Then she hurriedly ran towards him and jumped into his arms with her arms outstretched.

    "Good morning, Brother!"

    After rubbing her face against him several times, she raised her face to reveal an expression that was just too cute to withstand!

    Seiji felt as if he could hear his sense of reason bing twisted.

    She was just too cute!

    He repeatedly tried to recite as many numbers of pi as he possibly could and somehow managed to maintain his sanity.

    "Good morning, Shika-chan," Seiji smiled and greeted her normally, putting his earlier mysterious experience behind him.

    ¡­

    This was the inside of Shika Kagura¡¯s soul.

    The younger version of Shika¡­ Shika-chan was the manifestation of her soul.

    That was to say Shika-chan had the ability to affect the entire area inside here. Her knowledge, emotions, and thoughts had the ability to change the surrounding environment.

    But she couldn¡¯t control it.

    Humans were unable to control every part of their bodies, and their souls functioned in the same way.

    Although Shika-chan was powerful in this realm, she couldn¡¯t control everything.

    Thanks to Seiji¡¯s personal experience and Natsuya¡¯s exnation beforehand, he was now able to understand all this.

    Currently, he was apanying Shika-chan in her room¡­ ording to her current knowledge, this was the living room of her "home." They sat together on a couch and watched some TV.

    The TV was only ying just a few scenes from a really old anime repeatedly instead of broadcasting some normal episodes.

    Shika-chan appeared to bepletely engrossed by this. She didn¡¯t feel that anything was wrong.

    It was just like a dream.

    Well, this was indeed a dream.

    A beautiful, eternal dream about her "family" and her "brother."

    "Have you finished inspecting the entire room?" Natsuya''s voice asked.

    "Yep, I¡¯ve checked everywhere, and nothing seems particrly abnormal," Seiji replied.

    "In that case¡­ the enemy¡¯s spell isn¡¯t located in this room. Or, more urately, it¡¯s not located in this soulyer," Natsuya muttered.

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji observed the window that had now appeared in the room.

    This window didn¡¯t seem like it could be opened. Everything outside was pitch dark.

    However, strange white shadows kept streaking past the window. asionally, blood-red eyeballs could also be seen staring at the inhabitants.

    "If it¡¯s not inside, it can only be outside¡­ but it doesn¡¯t look very pleasant out there."

    "Shika-chan is only capable of maintaining this room, the setting of the ¡®house¡¯ in her soul." Natsuya sighed before continuing, "ording to Shika-chan¡¯s knowledge, the area outside her ''house'' is dangerous and unfamiliar. That¡¯s why it looks foreboding and dark."

    After a period of silence.

    "What should I do?" Seiji asked for Natsuya¡¯s advice.

    "You have two choices," Natsuya said, pausing for a second. "Your first choice is to venture outside Shika¡¯s house by yourself. You would have to protect yourself by using your personal spiritual powerbined with my support in order for you perform your investigation."

    "Your second choice is to take Shika-chan with you, so she can assist you. But¡­"

    "She might end up getting hurt by the enemy¡¯s spell, right?"

    "That¡¯s right; it¡¯ll be risky for her."

    There was another momentary silence.

    Seiji knew that he needed to make a choice.

    The innocent little girl was still sitting there, watching TV. She kept singing together with the characters in the show, and sometimes she even stood up to dance along with them.

    Take this girl out of her warm home to face unknown dangers?

    No¡­

    Seiji instantly made his decision.

    "Shika-chan."

    She turned around and blinked innocently. "Hmm? What is it, Brother?"

    Seiji smiled gently and patted her on the head.

    "I¡­ have something to do outside. Can you watch TV by yourself for a while?"

    Shika-chan squinted happily upon being patted on the head, but after hearing her brother¡¯s words, her eyes her shot back open.

    "Outside?"

    "Yeah¡­ I have to go outside for a little bit."

    "¡­Don¡¯t go."

    Shika-chan had an unwilling expression.

    Her brows were furrowed, her mouth was pouting, and her eyes showed signs of sadness.

    "I don¡¯t want Brother to go outside¡­"

    Seiji felt a twinge of pain in his chest at this sight.

    But it was necessary for him to do this.

    "I have something important to do. There¡¯s no helping it, but I¡¯lle back as soon as I can."

    "No!" Her voice rose an octave.

    The little girl ran to Seiji and hugged him tightly.

    "I don¡¯t want Brother to go outside! I¡­ won¡¯t allow Brother to go!"

    She was almost screaming now, and she whimpered softly midway.

    "Shika-chan¡­" Seiji was moved.

    "Thest time Brother went out¡­ you were gone for so long¡­ so long¡­"

    Tears started streaming out of her eyes.

    "I waited for so long¡­ so long¡­ by myself¡­ I was so lonely¡­ so scared¡­"

    She was hugging him tightly, clinging onto him with all her might.

    "Finally¡­ Brother returned¡­ I was so happy¡­ I wanted to be together forever, for eternity¡­"

    Tears kept dripping down her face.

    "Don¡¯t go out! Brother¡­ I¡¯ll be a good girl! I¡¯ll listen to everything Brother says! As long as Brother doesn¡¯t leave again¡­ as long as Brother doesn¡¯t leave me alone¡­"

    "Wahh¡­"

    Her miserable sobs echoed off the walls.

    The warm house was filled with sadness.

 Chapter 131 - Going Outside

    <h4>Chapter 131: Going Outside</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The room instantly turned dark.

    All the doors and windows disappeared, nothing but static appeared on the television, and an icy chill filled the dimension.

    Many tiny hands reached out from the sofa and grasped every part of Seiji¡¯s body.

    Two snake-like chains also slid out and slowly began to wrap around his ankles. It was evident that their purpose was to restrain him.

    ¡®This suddenly turned into a horror film!¡¯ Seiji mentally sighed to himself.

    Shika-chan was still crying in front of him. She paid no attention to the changes in the environment and acted like this was natural.

    His instincts warned him that if those two chains which were slowly inching around his legs managed to tie him uppletely, he would be in grave danger. Despite this, Seiji remained calm!

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    He used his left hand, the only moveable part of his body remaining, to pat her head once more. Seiji''s mind went into overdrive as he attempted to think of a method to extricate himself from this precarious situation.

    He had made a mistake.

    He didn¡¯t want Shika-chan to take any risks, but he ignored her feelings.

    After her "brother" left, she waited here by herself for such a long time¡­ Loneliness, worry, and fear¡ªall dark emotionsid dormant deep within her heart.

    He wanted to leave her alone and go out by himself. This stimted her deepest fears and caused such a situation.

    In that case, how should he fix things?

    The answer was obvious.

    "Sorry¡­ I was wrong," Seiji apologized sincerely. "I shouldn¡¯t have tried to leave you alone again and go outside by myself."

    He spoke in the gentlest tone he could manage.

    Her crying¡­ died down.

    The dark space seemed to brighten ever so slightly.

    "I didn¡¯t consider Shika-chan¡¯s feelings. It was my mistake. Please forgive me," he requested sincerely while patting her head gently.

    Shika-chan¡¯s crying stopped.

    She wiped her nose and raised her head, looking up at Seiji.

    Her pale face was tear-streaked, and her mouth was still pouting. She looked pitiable.

    Seiji inwardly smiled. ¡®She really is too cute¡­ even her crying face seems so soft and cute!¡¯

    The numerous hands which had been reaching out beneath the sofa retracted themselves and disappeared.

    The chains wrapped around Seiji¡¯s ankles also stopped moving and disappeared into the floor.

    The room lit up again.

    Seiji took Shika-chan into his arms and hugged her.

    "Do you forgive me, Shika-chan?"

    She nodded as the expression on her face became less tense.

    "Thank you. Shika-chan really is such a good girl," Seiji said truthfully.

    Shika-chan slowly began smiling again.

    "Brother¡­" She was feeling warmth andfort from being hugged by her favorite rtive.

    "I won¡¯t leave Shika-chan behind anymore, but I really have something important I need to take care of outside. That¡¯s why¡­ Shika-chan,e together with me."

    His gentle voice was also resolute.

    If it was risky¡­ then all he had to do was protect her!

    Leaving her by herself wasn¡¯t truly protecting her.

    Taking her together with him and, if there was danger, using all his effort to ensure her safety was the correct way to protect her!

    "Okay¡­ I want to be together with Brother," Shika-chan answered delightedly.

    As long as she could be together with her brother, she was willing to go anywhere.

    ¡­

    Seiji took Shika-chan outside with him.

    It was lighter than Seiji expected outside. It wasn¡¯t dark to the extent of being unable to see more than one meter.

    This was due to taking Shika-chan together with him.

    Although the sky turned much lighter, the environment was still treacherous.

    Snow.

    Piles and piles of snow were falling from the sky.

    Seiji was now wearing a thick winter jacket. He also made Shika-chan wear the thickest clothes they could find, including gloves and a hat.

    He still felt cold, however.

    "Shika-chan, are you cold?"

    "A little¡­ I¡¯m fine."

    Seiji felt a twinge of pain in his heart upon seeing the girl trying to endure the chill.

    "President, what should I do in this situation?" He briefed Natsuya on the situation and requested her assistance.

    "Wait a moment, I¡¯ll help you out."

    After a minute.

    "Alright, I¡¯ve cast a spell on your body. If you¡­ try your best to imagine what you want, you should be able to create it."

    Imagination¡­ Seiji thought in detail about what he wanted.

    ¡®I want a car! One that will run even in heavy snow, with excellent heating. I want a high-ss SUV that¡¯s asfortable to sit in as my own home¡­"

    Something suddenly shed into existence before him with a golden glow.

    This golden glow seemed just like the flow of water. It swiftly formed into the shape of a car and began materializing. After its color changed, it finally solidified into existence!

    A silver-white SUV magically appeared in front of him.

    "Amazing!" Seiji couldn¡¯t help but praise it.

    The car didn¡¯t have any brand markings¡­ he forgot to imagine one, as all he did was think about the outer appearance and inner functions of the car he wanted, and this was what he got.

    It seemed fine on the surface, but what about the inside?

    Seiji opened the car door.

    He saw that inside¡­ didn¡¯t seem bad at all.

    Although there were some details which were obviously missing, everything necessary was present.

    Shika-chan merely blinked upon seeing a car materialize in front of her. She didn¡¯t seem to think it was strange, nor did she ask any questions.

    Seiji helped Shika-chan sit down on the passenger seat and put on her seat belt. He sat down on the driver¡¯s side, put on his own seat belt, turned on the car, its heating system, and the radio.

    The opening theme song of "Honey Candy Girl" started ying, while the warm air which sted from the heating system instantly dispelled all coldness.

    Excellent!

    Seiji smiled. ¡®This was just what I wanted.¡¯

    "President, this is really nice!"

    "It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s helpful¡­ by the way, what did you make!?"

    "An SUV for traipsing in the snow!" Seiji replied.

    Natsuya, who was still in the real world, was astonished upon hearing this.

    He created a car?

    In such a short amount of time!?

    ording to her knowledge, the "power" of this creation spell depended on both the caster¡¯s spell power as well as the user¡¯s spiritual power and imagination.

    She had some confidence in her own spell, but this was the first time she¡¯d actually used it, so its power should only be at a normal level.

    "Creating" a car wasn¡¯t impossible.

    But it wasn¡¯t easy to imagine such arge andplex object! Creating something soplex should have taken a rtively long amount of time.

    But Seiji Haruta did it in the span of a mere thirty¡­ no, ten seconds!

    Natsuya was quite clear that her own spell¡¯s power wasn¡¯t at the level where it could support an ordinary person¡¯s spiritual power to this extent. In that case, Seiji himself must possess an incredibly high spiritual power level or imagination!

    And it wasn''t merely above average.

    Natsuya didn¡¯t know how she should calcte it, but she knew Seiji¡¯s spiritual power was definitely many times higher than average! It was multiplication, not addition!

    Having high spiritual power could be due to the Haruta family¡¯s bloodline, or some other reasons.

    As for high imagination¡­ was it because he was an otaku? No, it might have some influence, but saying it was all because of his otaku hobbies seemed ridiculous.

    The reasons as to why Seiji Haruta possessed such abnormally high spiritual power were unclear. And this type of spiritual power meant¡­

    Various thoughts shed through Natsuya¡¯s mind.

    But she quickly regained her senses.

    First, she needed to do what they intended to in the first ce.

    "President."

    The boy who was seated in front of her in real life mentally spoke to her again.

    "I¡¯m currently driving the car to a ¡®snow mountain¡­¡¯ I feel like there¡¯s definitely something there."

    That¡¯s because it was too obvious.

    The snow flying everywhere was pure white. There was only one ce where it was pitch-ck instead.

    That location was the top of the "snow mountain" that Shika-chan had talked about before.

 Chapter 132 - Nothing Can Stop Me!

    <h4>Chapter 132: Nothing Can Stop Me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The snow and wind were quite fierce.

    Although it couldn¡¯t be called a blizzard, it seemed pretty close to one.

    Even so, Seiji and Shika-chan didn¡¯t feel a hint of coldness. Instead, they were rxed enough to sing the "Honey Candy Girl" anime theme song together.

    Warm air filled the interior of the car. There was almost no shaking at all as the car drove over the rough terrain. The seats were perfectly soft, and with plenty of snacks and drinks stocked inside as well, the journey was ridiculouslyfortable.

    This almost seemed like a joyous family trip¡­

    Seiji was pleased at himself for thinking of creating a car. Of course, he was most grateful to the president!

    And so, the car arrived at the snowy mountain.

    Real-life cars would be unable to climb mountains.

    But this wasn¡¯t real life. Seiji had realized this many times over by now, so when the road in front of him became too steep to drive on, he simply had his car transform.

    Seiji exerted his imagination. ¡®Stand up, mecha!¡¯

    After a sh of golden light, the silver-white SUV turned into a gigantic robot!

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but feel excited when he saw the SUV¡¯s transformation. "What the hell!? This actually worked!"

    He had only wanted to try it out, but he didn¡¯t expect that it would work on the first try.

    He witnessed all the changes through the car window, but the car¡¯s interior didn¡¯t change one bit.

    Everything waspletely breaking all thews of physics¡­ Newton and Einstein would definitely toss and turn in their graves!

    While he was controlling the robot and climbing the mountain, Seiji felt that using a normal steering wheel seemed too low-tech for such a robot.

    ¡®Let¡¯s change it!¡¯

    With a golden sh, all the controls on the dashboard turned into a high-tech system which resembled something from a science-fiction anime.

    Seiji sat in the middle of it all while pulling on a lever which was quite easy to manipte. He felt the sudden urge to shout "I am Gundam!"

    Being able to drive a huge robot is the dream of a real man! It¡¯s okay for men as well, not just boys!

    At least, that¡¯s what Seiji believed.

    He never expected that his childhood science-fiction anime fantasies could materialize like this. He couldn¡¯t help but feel incredibly excited.

    But he shouldn¡¯t forget this trip¡¯s goal.

    The sky gradually turned darker as the robot continued ascending the mountain.

    Seiji felt an ominous premonition; something was about to happen.

    "Shika-chan, are you tired?" Seiji noticed that she seemed to be drowsy.

    "Yes, meow¡­"

    "Have a little nap. If you sleep for a while, everything will be over," he whispered gently as he imagined something again.

    After another golden sh, Shika-chan¡¯s car seat turned into a soft bed to sleep in. It even included warm nkets and a soundproof barrier.

    "Okay¡­ Good night, Brother~"

    "Good night, Shika-chan."

    That took care of things.

    When Shika-chan fell asleep, the sky outside darkened at an even faster pace. Abnormal white-d figures also started appearing.

    But Seiji felt that he¡¯d be able to take care of everything by himself, even without Shika-chan¡¯s assistance¡­ For some reason he was brimming with confidence.

    That was because creating anything he could imagine in this space seemed too powerful an ability!

    ¡®President Yoruhana, this is such an amazing spell!¡¯

    He pressed onwards.

    It was nowpletely pitch-ck. Even more abnormal white-d figures appeared and began to surround his mecha. They seemed like they were about to attack.

    ¡®But so what?¡¯ Seiji curled his lips into a smile.

    He imagined a huge gun appearing in his robot¡¯s right hand.

    He pointed the gun at the sky and opened fire!

    A white light burst out from the gun¡¯s mouth, etching a white trail in the sky before exploding at the apex of its arc!

    It was a shbang which was on the level of an artificial sun in brightness!

    The blinding light instantly dispelled the darkness and destroyed all those abnormal-seeming figures in white.

    He shot out a second and a third shbang¡­

    After two more shbangs, the sky¡¯s color seemed to turn back to normal¡­ No, it was even brighter than it should have been!

    "Nothing can stop me!" Seiji said something rather immature out loud.

    He paced forwards in his giant robot, breaking into a sprint and jumping over any obstacles as he traveled towards the only patch of darkness that hadn¡¯t dissipated.

    He finally saw¡­ a huge ck wall!

    This endless dark wall reached all the way from the mountaintop to the limits of the skies¡­ This was the true identity of the darkness.

    "President, I¡¯ve discovered it."

    Seiji described what he had found to her.

    "Wait for a little while. I need to confirm things on my end," Natsuya replied.

    After that was nothing but silence. It was evident that she was searching for information.

    Seiji waited patiently.

    However, a blood-red mass appeared in his field of vision. It seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.

    "They¡¯re¡­ demons!?¡¯

    As they approached, Seiji was able to make them out more clearly.

    He didn¡¯t know what they were exactly, but they had red bodies with blueish-purple limbs and ferocious expressions on their faces. They had sharp fangs and horns as well as bat-like wings on their backs. They were flying towards Seiji rapidly with guns in their hands!

    There were¡­ seemingly thousands of them!!

    "Many strange creatures are heading this way, President!" Seiji shouted as his brain worked at top speed.

    With two golden shes, a pair of gigantic Gatling guns materialized in his huge robot¡¯s hands. Several anti-air missile turrets also appeared nearby, their cannons aimed in the unwee visitors¡¯ direction.

    It¡¯s firework time!

    Both Gatling guns and all the anti-air turrets opened fire simultaneously!

    Together with the thunderous sound of gunfire, a dazzling amount of bullets filled Seiji¡¯s vision as they spread out towards the countless enemy monsters.

    And¡­ they were effective!

    The red flying creatures exploded into clouds of blood mist as they were struck by the high-caliber bullets and cannon shots.

    As long as it worked, nothing mattered!

    Seiji¡¯s blood began to boil.

    "Explode! Be demolished, you scum!"

    Another golden sh appeared on the robot¡¯s ck as silvery-white wings materialized. With a st of golden mes, its sharp wings spread out and¡­ took flight!

    Seiji piloted the mecha into the air, and its two Gatling guns, equipped with an infinite amount of ammunition, endlessly sprayed death at the monsters, turning them all into blood mist.

    As the monsters flew in his direction, Seiji hurriedly dodged them by performing an aerial maneuver and flying above his own cannon formation.

    The torrential gunfire thinned out the ranks of the demons.

    "Haruta-kun, what¡¯s the situation!?" Natsuya¡¯s voice finally sounded in his mind.

    "Not bad! Although I thought it was bad at first, it turns out I can deal with things!"

    Seiji was having a lot of fun right now. This felt more exciting than even a VR shooting game!

    "Oh¡­ that¡¯s fine then." Natsuya¡¯s voice paused. "I did a little research, and it turns out¡­ that what you¡¯re facing currently isn¡¯t a spell to cause amnesia. It¡¯s a defense spell instead!"

    "Then what should I do?" Seiji shot several monsters that got too close to his robot, causing them to explode into blood mist.

    "I can wake the two of you up, then try my best to eliminate the spell. Or I can cast a spell on you and have you destroy it right now!"

    "Which will be better for Shika-chan?"

    "The second one."

    "Let¡¯s go with that then!"

    Seiji created 18 floating cannons which had the ability to shoot in every direction. Bullets literally covered the entire sky.

    "I feel like I can do anything right now! Hahahaha¡ª"

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    She nced at Seiji¡¯s body, which was currently seated in a chair and sleeping. For him to speak so arrogantly andugh¡­ felt rather strange!

    She really wanted toment on the situation, but there was no time for that.

    Natsuya instantly began casting another spell on Seiji.

    "This spell will take some time, Haruta-kun¡­"

    "I can hold on! Rather, I don¡¯t even want to stop! Wow! Arge one is here! Wonderful!! Come battle!!!"

    Seiji was now shouting words filled with battle fervor. He seemed like the incarnation of a war god on the battlefield.

    ¡®As long as you¡¯re having fun, Haruta-kun.¡¯

    Natsuya let out a helpless sigh as she continued casting her spell.

 Chapter 133 - The Strongest Technique in the Universe!

    <h4>Chapter 133: The Strongest Technique in the Universe!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A monster that was 100 meters tall¡­ no, over 100 meters tall appeared in Seiji¡¯s field of vision. It was the same type as the other monsters, and it was wielding an enormous rifle which was pointed in his direction.

    Seiji¡¯s cannon formation was eradicated by this colossal monster¡¯s footsteps.

    The previous cannon fire, which annihted the smaller demons with ease, left nothing but white scratches on this huge monster.

    Seiji¡¯s robot seemed like nothing but a child inparison to this monster''s size. Even the Gatling guns and floating cannons weren¡¯t able to inflict any damage on it, even after Seiji tried concentrating his fire on one location.

    ¡®I need a stronger weapon!¡¯

    Seiji dodged the gunfireing from the colossus while simultaneously dealing with the endless waves of smaller demons. He felt like he was in danger for the first time.

    ''Something stronger¡­ bigger¡­ Yes, let¡¯s go with that!''

    He drew back from the enemies and stayed as far out of the colossus¡¯ range as he could. He used the floating cannons to deal with the smaller enemies which chased him and gave himself time to imagine.

    Another golden glow enveloped Seiji¡¯s robot.

    The golden light rapidly increased in size to ten meters, thirty meters, then several hundred meters¡­ In just ten seconds, Seiji¡¯s robot transformed into an enormous monstrosity which was over several hundred meters tall. Finally, the light gradually dissipated as the new robot took its form.

    It was a gigantic orange-red demon fox with nine long tails!

    Seiji¡¯s current location in this robot was at the demon fox¡¯s chest.

    Go! Nine-tailed demon fox from Naruto!!

    With one sweep of its nine tails, the new robot instantly vaporized a huge amount of small demons.

    When the colossus charged towards his new form, the demon fox batted away the enemy¡¯s oversized rifle with one swipe of its left w, closed the distance with a single leap, and viciously swiped its right w!

    *Boom!* The sound of the impact shook the heavens and earth.

    This swipe left a deep bloody scar on the colossus¡¯ body!

    Excellent, this attack was effective.

    "Again!" Seiji continued controlling the nine-tailed demon fox robot.

    The huge demon fox headbutted the colossus, causing it to stagger.

    Seiji took advantage of this opportunity and followed up with a brutalbo of w attacks¡ªswipe swipe swipe swipe swipe!!

    Using abination attack after breaking through the enemy¡¯s defense was amon tactic in many video games.

    Finish it with an ultimate ability!

    The demon fox opened its mouth and spat out a ck energy ball towards heavily injured colossus!

    *Rumble!!!* *Boom!!*

    The energy ball crashed into the colossus¡¯ chest. The impact sent the huge body flying! Finally, the ball of energy exploded, and golden mes engulfed the colossus¡¯ entire body!!

    "It¡¯s over," Seiji stated in a light tone, smiling like an immature middle schooler.

    Several secondster, the ze disappeared.

    There was a huge empty crater left in the ground¡­ the colossus hadpletely disintegrated.

    A perfect victory.

    "Who else dares face me!?"

    Seiji felt like he was turning into a bastard¡­ whoops, a king!

    The ck wall responded to Seiji''s coronation by¡­

    One, two, four, eight¡­

    A total of more than thirty colossi, each one identical to the previous colossus, charged ferociously at him!

    Seiji was rendered speechless at the situation.

    "President, is your spell still not ready!?"

    He instantly decided to call for assistance.

    This number of enemies was no joke! Even if he went through the effort to defeat this wave of enemies, who knew how many the next wave would contain!!?

    While battling was fun, battling nonstop would be exhausting!

    "It¡¯s done," Natsuya¡¯s voice sounded in his ears.

    Simultaneously, Seiji discovered that he was now glowing.

    A soft golden glow that seemed to contain great power was exuded from his entire body.

    ¡®Am I truly bing light itself now?¡¯

    He felt his cheek twitching.

    "Haruta-kun, imagine yourself attacking that giant wall¡­ Use the all the force that you can possibly imagine!"

    "Got it."

    The actualization of light was about to defeat total darkness with a single blow!

    Well, that¡¯s how it seemed to him.

    Seiji closed his eyes and focused on his thoughts on visualization.

    The giant demon fox stood up and reached its ws up to the sky.

    Countless blueish-white balls of light appeared in the air and gathered at the demon fox¡¯s ws, forming a pulsating mass of energy.

    The energy ball¡¯s expansion was extremely rapid; by the time the enemy colossi drew close, the energy mass had grown several hundred timesrger than even the demon fox¡¯s current size.

    "Hmph, be proud that you¡¯re allowed to die to this technique."

    Seiji opened his eyes and continued acting like an immature middle-schooler.

    Although he was acting immature, it really did describe his true feelings right now.

    That¡¯s because this technique was one of the greatest legends of all time. In his previous life, he was also someone from that anime¡¯s generation and one of its greatest fans. He would give the #1 ranking to this technique, which was the strongest in the world¡­ no, the greatest in the entire universe.

    "KAMEHAMEHA!!!"

    The gigantic demon-fox robot, driven by Seiji''s will, forcefully chucked the blueish-white energy mass!

    The energy mass crushed all the enemy colossi into a fine blood mist and continued forward towards the ck wall without obstruction.

    Seiji silently watched the energy mass collide into the huge wall and explode into a blinding white light!

    The dark sky was bathed in radiance.

    Everything was returned to its initial state.

    Cough cough¡­ thest part was a bit of an exaggeration.

    At any rate, Seiji followed Natsuya¡¯s instructions and imagined the strongest attack he could think of to destroy the ck wall, which was also the defense spell.

    "I¡¯ve seeded, President."

    "¡­That¡¯s good, then," Natsuya¡¯s voice replied. "Now¡­ continue investigating, but remember to be cautious."

    "Got it."

    Seiji continued onwards.

    After having the demon fox robot run towards where the ck wall had been, he saw it.

    A pure white¡­ chain.

    Countless white chains intertwined in a way which clearly vited thews of physics. It seemed like some sort of spell formation.

    A light blue diamond-shaped crystal hovered in the middle of the spell formation.

    Seiji reported all this to Natsuya, who took a few minutes to research and confirm the details once more.

    "This is the amnesia-inducing spell," she told Seiji after confirming it for herself. "The white chain is the limitation, and that crystal-like object contains the sealed memories."

    So, they¡¯d discovered the spell.

    Seiji took a deep breath. "What next, then?

    "Just like destroying the enemy¡¯s defense spell, I can do it on my end, or you can do it on your end," Natsuya replied.

    "Allow me to continue then. That¡¯ll be the best for Shika-chan, right?"

    "Yes, you¡­ have excellent talent in this area. It should be quite a suitable task for you. Compared to me trying to cancel out the spell, it¡¯ll be much safer and easier for you to do it."

    "Excellent talent?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Yeah. I detected it when you created that car using your imagination." Natsuya paused before continuing, "Haruta-kun, your spiritual power¡ªor perhaps imagination¡ªis at a far higher level than average. This is why your battles in Shika¡¯s soulyers were rather easy¡­ much easier than I anticipated."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin. "President, you mean to say that all my actions up to now like creating a car for convenience and battling against monsters summoned by the defense spell¡­ None of this could have been aplished by an average person, is that it?"

    "That¡¯s right. You¡¯re a special case." Natsuya seemed convinced.

    ¡®Not only have you surpassed average people, even average Yin Yang Masters such as myself can''tpare to you¡­¡¯

    After she cast her spell, Seiji took less than 30 seconds to perfectly destroy the enemy¡¯s defense spell. This indisputable fact caused the president to feel a gap between their abilities.

    She didn¡¯t feel that she herself had the ability to aplish the same task in the same conditions in so little time.

    ''Should I say that it was to be¡­ expected of someone from the Haruta family?'' Natsuya wondered as she sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 134 - Waking Up

    <h4>Chapter 134: Waking Up</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji was confident in his own imagination, but he didn¡¯t feel that it was far stronger than an average person¡¯s or anything like that.

    In that case, it had to be his spiritual power that was outstanding.

    Was it because his soul hadbined with another person''s? Was it because of this body¡¯s original specs? Or was it because¡­ of his dating game system?

    He didn¡¯t know, nor would he know no matter how much he thought about it, so he might as well forget about it.

    At any rate, this was beneficial for him¡­ His talent helped him reach this step.

    After the president cast yet another spell on him, his body glowed with a golden-red hue.

    It seemed almost as if he were a video game character whose fury value had risen to the maximum¡­

    "Unlike dealing with a defense spell, you can¡¯t simply destroy the amnesia spell. Otherwise you may damage the memories that are being sealed," Natsuya informed him.

    "What should I do then?"

    "You must search for a weakness in the enemy spell¡­ Using your own imagination once more, imagine that you can detect whatever weakness the enemy spell has, and that you can break through its weak point."

    "Got it." Seiji nodded in understanding.

    Seeing through the spell¡¯s weakness was simple.

    He covered his eyes with his hand and imagined.

    As long as it was something living, even gods could be killed by it¡­

    Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, activate!

    He uncovered his eyes.

    Seiji¡¯s eyes glowed with a mysterious reddish-blue hue.

    He was now able to view the "death" of all objects!

    Endless dark lines of various sizes and thicknesses appeared on theplex spell formation created by the countless white chains intertwined together.

    Seiji had the demon-fox robot lift its w and sliced through one of the lines with ease.

    *Crash!*

    Several dozen chains were destroyed.

    He continued cutting along the lines which his transformed eyes allowed him to perceive, snapping the white chains which held the crystal.

    Before long, all the chains had been untangled.

    The memory crystal slowly descended as it was no longer being bound by the chains.

    Seiji had the demon-fox robot grab the crystal with its right w.

    However, at this moment the crystal suddenly exploded, sending razor-sharp shards flying in all directions!

    Seiji felt chilled to his bones.

    His intuition told him that it would be disastrous if he was pierced by one of those shards!

    He barely had time to even think due to the shards¡¯ terrifying speed. They instantly shot straight towards him!

    The shards easily pierced through the demon fox¡¯s body and the robot¡¯s control room.

    Seiji still hadn¡¯t had time to react yet. It seemed that he himself was about to be pierced.

    [Bullet Time] activate!

    Suddenly, time slowed down.

    Even in this dimension the system¡¯s powers were protecting him!

    Seiji instantly materialized a dagger with his imagination and guided it to cut through all the shards¡¯ death lines.

    *Swish swish swish!*

    After several cuts, he sessfully destroyed all the shards, and they dropped from midair before ttering onto the floor.

    After confirming that he and Shika-chan were both unscathed, Seiji breathed out a sigh of relief.

    That situation had posed no small amount of risk to him.

    "What¡¯s the matter, Haruta-kun!?" Natsuya¡¯s voice was filled with anxiety.

    "Nothing. President, that crystal just exploded and turned into many shards which shot towards me, but I managed to block them all," Seiji exined. "I felt like it would be dangerous if I was hit by any of those shards."

    "Your intuition was absolutely correct," Natsuya replied.

    Natsuya¡¯s expression in the real world was rather serious and pale at the moment.

    "Just earlier¡­ a murky gas suddenly came out of Shika Kagura¡¯s body¡­ this gas is the aftereffect of a vicious soul spell¡¯s activation. Its target must have been whoever sessfully eliminated the amnesia spell on Shika."

    "Since you were the one who dispelled this spell in Shika¡¯s soulyer, you became its target¡­ If you were hit by it, it¡¯s probable that¡­ no, you definitely would have had your soul damaged to the point where it wouldn¡¯t recover!"

    Seiji remained silent.

    He wasn¡¯t too certain about how serious this really was, but he knew from her tone that it was no mereughing matter.

    But he wasn¡¯t scared to think about it, and his feelings remained calm¡­ due to his dating sim system¡¯s existence.

    Even if he didn¡¯t block it, and it pierced him, all he had to do was load and do the same scene over again.

    That¡¯s why Seiji remained calm.

    But things were different for the president¡­ he could tell how worried she was about him.

    "Thankfully you¡¯re alright, Haruta-kun." Natsuya¡¯s voice was sincere. "Otherwise¡­ I¡­ wouldn¡¯t know¡­ what I should¡­"

    Seiji felt touched as he imagined the president who had always acted so resolute showing off a weaker, gentler side.

    He wanted to say something, but no words came to his mouth.

    So, silence fell between them.

    "Thankfully you¡¯re alright¡­ Also, everything is thanks to you," Natsuya continued after a while. "If it was me who tried to dispel the enemy¡¯s amnesia spell, I¡­ I¡¯m certain that I would have been hit by that final attack."

    "While I have some defensive spells ced on myself, I don¡¯t know whether or not they¡¯d be able to block that spell¡­ It¡¯s basically the equivalent of you having saved me yet again, Haruta-kun."

    ¡®I owe him more and more,¡¯ Natsuya inwardly thought to herself.

    "So, thank you¡­ I¡¯m very grateful to you for everything."

    Seiji smiled at hearing her words.

    "It¡¯s my honor, Mdy," he casually said a ssic line.

    Natsuya blinked in surprise at these words and smiled.

    Discussing the spell could wait.

    Seiji took a look at the demon fox¡¯s w and saw that a girl wasying on top of it.

    The girl was Shika Kagura¡­ her teenager form from Seiji¡¯s first meeting with her!

    And¡­ she was naked.

    Yep, that¡¯s right; she waspletely naked!

    White, soft, full-figured, plump¡­

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks kept twitching as he hurriedly and gently closed the demon fox¡¯s ws to block that sight from his view.

    What a beautiful scene¡­

    Seiji coughed in an attempt to clear his mind. ¡®Stop thinking about it!¡¯

    Seiji shook his head and somehow managed to store the scene he just witnessed deep inside his mind somewhere.

    "President, after that crystal exploded, what remained was¡­" Seiji exined the situation.

    "This is the true memory¡¯s form or Shika Kagura¡¯s other personality¡­ or, in other words, it¡¯s a manifestation of her soul," Natsuya told him. "Take her and the other one¡ªShika-chan¡ªback to Shika¡¯s room."

    "Although I think there shouldn¡¯t be any more hidden spells, it¡¯s still best to be cautious¡­ Remain on your guard, Haruta-kun."

    "Got it."

    And so, Seiji began his return trip.

    Everything went smoothly, with no demons or abnormalities of any kind appearing.

    He returned to the room he woke up in: Shika¡¯s "house."

    Seiji ced both nket-wrapped girls onto the sofa in the living room.

    Both Shikas were sleeping together peacefully as if they were sisters.

    With Natsuya¡¯s assistance, Seiji woke both of them up at the same time.

    "Mmm¡­ Brother~"

    "¡­Seigo Harano?"

    When the young Shika and the adolescent Shika opened their eyes, they both spoke to him before pausing in surprise and exchanging nces with each other.

    "You¡­ are¡­"

    "Big sister¡­ you¡¯re¡­"

    They stared at each other.

    Shika Kagura¡­ was staring at herself.

    Both of them had almost identical expressions¡ªexpressions full of confusion, doubt, and finally¡­ realization.

    ¡®So it was you.¡¯

    ¡®You were here.¡¯

    ¡®You¡­ are me.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m here.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m home.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ve¡­ returned.¡¯

    ¡®Wee back.¡¯

    The young Shika reached out her tiny hands.

    The teenaged Shika also extended her palms.

    When their hands touched each other, a white light shed between them.

    Seiji, who had been watching them silently, was blinded by this and couldn¡¯t help but cover his eyes.

    The light was too bright for him to see anything. He was being bathed in this bright light.

    He felt as if he heard something in this light; something touching and gentle.

    "Thank you, Brother¡­"

    Shika-chan appeared before him and smiled; it was a younger version of adolescent Shika¡¯s innocent and pure smile.

    ¡­

    Seiji opened his eyes.

    He discovered that he was resting on the chair in the spellcasting room.

    He slowly stood up and looked at Natsuya who was beside him.

    "I¡¯m¡­ awake."

    After he spoke, he realized that his voice was a little hoarse.

    For some reason, his heart¡­ was filled with an indescribable feeling of sorrow.

 Chapter 135 - Hurt

    <h4>Chapter 135: Hurt</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "What¡¯s the matter, Haruta-kun?" asked Natsuya concernedly when she saw Seiji looking somewhat sad.

    Seiji let out an awkward cough as he averted his gaze. "It''s nothing, really."

    Shika Kagura had yet to wake up.

    "All the spells on her have been dispelled, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with her condition. She should wake up shortly," Natsuya exined.

    Seiji nodded.

    After that, he carefully returned Shika back to her room in Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    Having ced her on the bed and covering her with a nket, Seiji sat down on her bedside and observed her face.

    Just earlier¡­ what he had just heard was probably Shika-chan¡¯s gratitude¡­ as well as her farewell¡­

    Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Seiji still felt a twinge of sadness when he recalled the scene.

    This was despite him knowing the young Shika-chan for barely a day.

    That innocent girl who wanted to be spoiled by him and addressed him as "brother" so cutely left him with a deep impression.

    This was a precious memory to him.

    Seiji would never forget it.

    However, as for Shika Kagura¡­

    Shika-chan wasn¡¯t Shika¡¯s main personality. It was her hidden personality. Shika herself might not remember everything that Shika-chan had experienced.

    Even if Shika retained her memory after she woke up, it was likely that her recollection of the previous two days would be hazy, just like childhood memories that people could only vaguely recall.

    Shika-chan was Shika Kagura.

    But Shika Kagura¡­ wasn¡¯t Shika-chan.

    Seiji¡¯s sadness welled up again as he realized this.

    ¡®Ahh, idiot. I¡¯ve actually¡­ be so lonely.¡¯

    Seiji covered his face.

    He was being too unseemly.

    He didn¡¯t have the right to say how spoiled Shika-chan liked to act¡­

    "Mmm¡­"

    He heard a sound from the bed.

    Seiji uncovered his face and looked in the girl¡¯s direction.

    He saw the ck-haired girl furrowing her brows slightly as her eyelids slowly flickered open.

    "Where¡­ is this? Seigo Harano?"

    She noticed the boy sitting by her bedside.

    Seiji took a deep breath in order to calm his emotions.

    "It¡¯s me." He smiled lightly. "I¡¯m delighted that you¡¯re awake, Shika Kagura."

    The girl looked straight into his eyes.

    "You¡­ aren¡¯t happy," she stated calmly. "You¡¯re¡­ sad, aren¡¯t you?"

    Seiji didn¡¯t reply.

    "You¡¯re definitely sad right now," Shika stated with certainty, continuing to stare at him. "You¡­ don¡¯t want to see me waking up."

    "No!" Seiji denied instantly. "I¡¯m definitely happy to see you wake up, truly! But, at the same time, I¡­"

    ¡®I was sad at losing Shika-chan¡­ the you in the past.¡¯

    How could he exin such a thing?

    Should he even exin it?

    Seiji was unable to say it out loud.

    "I was¡­ just a little sad for a different reason¡­ unrted to you." He forced himself to smile. "So, there¡¯s no need to think too much about it. Shika Kagura¡­ it¡¯s great that you¡¯re awake again."

    Shika''s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Seiji''s forced smile.

    She felt a throbbing pain somewhere deep within her chest.

    She had never experienced such a feeling before.

    ''Seigo Harano¡­'' she muttered his name in her heart.

    "Judging by how you¡¯re acting, I think that you probably forgot already, but I¡¯ll ask anyway. Do you remember what happened during thest two days?" Seiji asked calmly.

    Shika searched her memory for an answer.

    "I remember that¡­ I went to the park and saw you there¡­ and then¡­ I don¡¯t know," she said after a length of time.

    She felt a faint warm and happy feeling in her heart as she said this¡­ but she didn¡¯t know what it was.

    Seiji sighed. "As I expected¡­"

    There was a brief silence between them.

    "I¡¯ll be blunt, then." Seiji looked directly at her. "Shika Kagura, you¡¯ve be our captive."

    ¡­

    Seiji met Natsuya, who had changed out of her shrine maiden attire after he left Shika¡¯s room.

    "She¡¯s awake and she has her memories back, but she forgot what happened during her bout of amnesia. I informed her that she¡¯s be our captive, and she lost her memory at one point in time due to a hidden spell. I told her that now the spell¡¯s been dispelled, we have some questions to ask her," Seiji exined.

    Natsuya nodded. "It turned out the second possibility I mentioned happened: she lost her memories solely due to a spell, not because of any significant injuries to her soul¡­ At any rate, it turned out to be easier than I anticipated."

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji¡¯s expression seemed a little distant.

    Natsuya felt that something was off about his expression.

    "Did she forget everything that happened the past two days?" the president probed.

    "Yep," Seiji replied calmly. "I¡­ just told her that she lost her memory, but I didn¡¯t tell her the specifics¡­ I hope that you won¡¯t tell her either."

    Natsuya blinked in surprise. "Why¡¯s that?"

    "It¡¯s because¡­ those one and a half days seem meaningless now." Seiji averted his gaze. "Telling her will only increase her confusion."

    Shika Kagura was a gentle girl.

    Even though it was difficult to tell with her teenage self, Seiji was certain that she was a gentle person.

    That¡¯s why she would definitely feel awful and apologetic inside if she discovered what had happened in the past two days and the true reason for Seiji¡¯s sadness.

    None of this seemed necessary.

    Shika Kagura didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so she shouldn¡¯t have to apologize or feel bad about this. That was what Seiji believed.

    That¡¯s why it was best to not say anything.

    It was best to not let her know anything.

    That girl already shouldered such a heavy burden, and the incident which had urred waspletely unnecessary knowledge that would only increase her burden¡­ especially at this point in time.

    Natsuya took a long, deep look at Seiji¡¯s face.

    "Alright, I understand," she replied calmly. "I won¡¯t tell her¡­ and I¡¯ll also let Houjou-san and Hitaka know as well. Will that be alright?"

    "That would be perfect¡­ Thank you."

    "There¡¯s no need for thanks."

    Natsuya turned around and walked towards Shika¡¯s room.

    Seiji remained in the hallway standing alone, gazing out of the window.

    ¡­

    "Is that all you know?"

    Natsuya was looking at Shika Kagura.

    Shika nodded calmly.

    "Thank you for your cooperation." Natsuya stood up to leave. "Before this incident is finished, please understand that I¡¯m going to have to keep you confined here.

    "Someone will bring you three meals every day. If you need anything at all, you can tell me now, or you can tell Hou¡­ the person who will bring you your meals. As long as they¡¯re reasonable requests, we¡¯ll fulfill them."

    Natsuya waited for Shika to speak after saying this.

    Shika didn¡¯t say anything.

    Natsuya turned around to leave.

    "I want to know," she said in a soft-sounding voice, "while I was¡­ suffering from amnesia, what¡­ did I do?"

    ¡®What did I do, and just what happened?¡¯

    Shika was unable to recall it no matter how hard she tried.

    But she felt that something must have happened.

    Whenever she tried to recall what had urred, she felt warm, happy¡­ and important.

    Natsuya footsteps paused, but she didn¡¯t turn around.

    "What you did? You¡¯ll have to ask Haruta-kun¡­ no, Seigo Harano this." Natsuya hesitated for a moment before saying, "His real name is Seiji Haruta."

    "Haruta¡­" An indescribable light shed in Shika¡¯s eyes.

    "He¡¯s an exiled ¡®Haruta,¡¯" Natsuya stated calmly. "In his family, he¡­ he¡¯s always been a hated existence. Simr to you, ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ Shika Kagura.

    "Also, he has a younger sister that¡¯s about the same age as you. He¡­ was probably quite concerned about you due to all these reasons. During your bout of amnesia, he was the one who took care of you.

    "Not only that, if it weren¡¯t for him, you might have ended up¡­ even more seriously injured, or even dead."

    Shika didn¡¯t respond to this.

    Natsuya walked out of the room, leaving Shika alone.

    The ck-haired girl sitting on the bed slowly turned to look outside the window.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ Seiji Haruta."

    A scene popped into her mind.

    The boy that she met right when she woke up; the boy she met when she escaped to the park after losing in battle; the boy she met in the park for the first time; and his words on their first meeting.

    "Shika Kagura¡­ is it? It¡¯s a beautiful name."

    "I don¡¯t need you to do anything; it¡¯s just that I heard you were forcefully taken here, so I thought that you might be feeling somewhat ufortable."

    "Fine, perhaps I¡¯m just meddling."

    "Maybe you don¡¯t really think you mind, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to leave you alone."

    "I shall bestow the light upon you!"

    "¡­But if you don¡¯t say anything, nobody will be able to help you."

    "I¡¯lle back here again tomorrow! At this same time and ce!"

    All those scenes and all those sentences shed through her mind.

    Those seemingly ordinary memories suddenly felt full of warmth and color.

    Her memories finally settled on the one where he was just sitting by his bedside, forcing himself to smile.

    "¡­I¡¯m delighted¡­ that you¡¯re awake."

    ¡®You don¡¯t have to think. You don¡¯t need to think. It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re here and you¡¯re alright.¡¯

    ¡­Something wet was dripping down from the corners of her eyes.

    Shika felt her face with her fingers and discovered that they were teardrops.

    ¡®I¡¯m¡­ crying? Why?¡¯

    Shika couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind her tears.

 Chapter 136 - â€œDivine Childâ€

    <h4>Chapter 136: "Divine Child"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji was sipping on tea when Natsuya returned to the main hall.

    "Did you find out our enemy¡¯s name and identity?"

    Although Seiji seemed calm on the surface, a pent-up rage was simmering beneath.

    Natsuya sat down on a chair. "Yes, I did¡­ it was who I expected."

    "Who you expected?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "I recognized the final spell which attacked you in Shika¡¯s soul and thought of a certain person," Natsuya exined while pouring tea for herself. "There¡¯s only one person I¡¯m acquainted with who knows how to use that spell¡ªOkubo Yoshiaki."

    She took a long sip of tea after she finished pouring it.

    "He¡¯s a Yin Yang Master of the Yoshiaki family from my generation. He¡¯s one year older than me, to be exact.

    "When he was young, he was viewed favorably by everyone in his family. He was known as a ¡®divine child,¡¯ but as he grew older, the ¡®divine child¡¯ didn¡¯t mature into a ¡®genius¡¯ as everyone had hoped. Rather, he became more and more ordinary.

    "I¡¯ve only met him three times. The first time was during my childhood. Back then, he was already known as a ¡®divine child,¡¯ and everyone in his family doted on him. He seemed prideful and haughty. Recalling how he was back then, he was basically a child that had beenpletely spoiled, resulting in too much arrogance."

    "My second meeting with him was¡­ when I was a 5th-grade elementary school student. At that time, he was no longer considered as much of a ¡®divine child.¡¯ He still was better than his peers, but he was already showing signs of being ordinary. The grim and dark expression on his face left me with a deep impression."

    "The third time I met him was when I was a middle school second-year student, which was two years ago¡­"

    Natsuya took another sip of tea as her eyes shed with a thoughtful light. She seemed to be thinking about how to describe the meeting.

    "At that time, I had a bit of a heated discussion with him¡­ an argument, really. It was a pretty bad argument. In our passion, we asked our elders to be the judges and had a Yin Yang Master duel."

    "In the end, I emerged victorious from the duel. Before the duel, he was supremely confident that he would be the ultimate victor, so¡­ he seemed to receive a huge shock at the oue."

    "The expression he had back then left me with quite the deep impression. Even now, I can recall it clearly. It was¡­ an expression that couldn¡¯t ept reality. It was filled with anger, unwillingness, and¡­ hatred."

    Natsuya paused for a moment.

    "This unnned duel waster taken as irrefutable evidence that the ¡®divine child¡¯ had be nothing more than ordinary," the president stated calmly. "Another way to put it is that I was the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back¡ªthe final blow that knocked away all his past pride."

    "It¡¯s only natural¡­ that he would hate you," Seiji said.

    "His name was included in the list of my opponent¡¯s potential identity. Now, I¡¯ve confirmed it."

    Silence reigned once more in the hallway.

    Seiji finally raised his own cup and took a sip of tea after he finished listening to this story.

    "A fallen ¡®divine child¡¯ trying to take revenge and prove himself by dering a duel against his enemy¡­ what a clich¨¦ story."

    "But reality is made from clich¨¦s. Clich¨¦s are how many incidents begin."

    "Now that we finally know who our opponent is, do we have any other information? For instance, just why it was that this guy dared to treat Shika Kagura in such a way?"

    This was the biggest suspicion in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    Recruiting the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ as his Spirit-branded Retainer, using her as a scapegoat, and even going so far as to ce a hidden spell in her soul¡­ Didn¡¯t this Okubo Yoshiaki fear having spectacr catastrophes befall him?

    Natsuya remained silent for a few moments.

    "Okubo might believe that he¡¯s really strong, to the point where he can resist against any catastrophes, or perhaps he¡¯s resolved himself to withstand any catastrophe in order to defeat me¡­ There¡¯s also another possibility: that he has a way to control the misfortune brought about by the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­¡¯ or to mitigate it."

    "What method is that?" Seiji felt like he was catching on to something.

    Natsuya sighed. "That would be to¡­ before a cmity befalls him, he makes one for himself. He either makes his own catastrophe or forces someone else to harm him."

    ¡®Harm¡­¡¯ A sh of inspiration came to Seiji.

    In his previous conversation with Chiaki, he inquired whether any disasters had befallen the Drama Club, and the answer he received had been¡ª

    "Our ¡®demon¡¯ vice club president has been under so much pressuretely due to the uing festival, so her forcefulmenting and book-throwing abilities have greatly increased! Every club member, especially the club president, is suffering because of it!"

    So, was it truly since Anya Saigenji, the strange person and drama club president who "captured" Shika Kagura was being harmed (trained) at the hands of the vice club president every day that no cmities befell her!?

    Seiji was left dumbstruck when he thought of this possibility. ¡®Wtf, is this really possible!?¡¯

    What exactly was "karma," anyway?

    Even this could help to mitigate a "heaven-sent cmity," it kind of feels like "heaven-sent cmities" aren¡¯t really that bad after all!?

    Seiji kept up a stream of mentalments.

    Natsuya knew what he was thinking about from his expression and couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.

    After all, she found it difficult to believe as well.

    For the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ to be mitigated in such a fashion¡­ even though it wouldn¡¯t bepletely mitigated, it still sounded a little ridiculous!

    Wasn¡¯t the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ supposed to be something more mystical!?

    The exact same thoughts ran through her mind when she heard Shika exin the situation to her.

    So-called misfortunes or cmities could actually be paid off beforehand like credit card debt¡­ What the hell!!?

    The contrast was as stark as the gods in heaven working as the cashiers in the bank next door; in other words, it was truly oundish!!

    Natsuya let out a small cough and cleared her thoughts

    "When I heard about this method¡­ from Shika Kagura, I found it unbelievable as well, but ording to her, all her previous contractors also used this method to avoid having serious cmities befall them."

    "All her previous contractors?" Seiji asked in surprise.

    "Yep, she supports herself financially by hiring herself out as a Spirit-branded Retainer to whoever pays her," Natsuya exined. "She used to live in an orphanage until a Yin Yang Master took her in."

    "This Yin Yang Master had discovered that she was the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯ Feeling that she was a useful tool, that person took her and trained her into a Spirit-branded Retainer."

    "Afterwards, that Yin Yang Master became seriously ill. Believing it to be a cmity sent by her powers, that person exiled her."

    "After some other Yin Yang Masters learned about her nature, they contacted her of their own volitions in order to sign temporary contracts with her to use her powers¡­ to aplish what they wanted. Then, they would dissolve the contract after paying her the contract fee."

    "This continually happened¡­ so without her realizing it, she became a mercenary Spirit-branded Retainer for hire."

    "The act of hiring a human to be your Spirit-branded Retainer is supposed to be registered with the Yin Yang Master Association or dealt with by a personal manager, but she waspletely unaware of the regtions¡­ Even if she knew about it, I suspect that trying to get registered or to find a manager would likely fail as well."

    That was all because she was the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯

    Everyone wanted to take advantage of her, but also hated and feared her.

    Shika Kagura had been living like this in calm istion.

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    "As for ¡®mitigation¡­¡¯ Having some type of harm befall yourself isn¡¯t a definite method, but it was rather effective. It was a way to make use of her without having to ept dire consequences."

    "If the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ ability is used properly, it¡¯s an incredibly strong tool. As long as the risks are properly controlled, it has its own unique value, which was why various Yin Yang Masters woulde and employ her," Natsuya concluded.

    Shika Kagura was able to survive until now thanks to people paying her and hiring her.

    The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ caused her istion, but it also maintained her life through this strange method.

 Chapter 137 - I Donâ€™t Have That Type of Interest!

    <h4>Chapter 137: I Don¡¯t Have That Type of Interest!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    It could even be said that the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ had protected Shika.

    Shika Kagura was extraordinarily beautiful even from a young age.

    Since the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ indiscriminately harmed everyone who tried to approach her, it also helped eliminate any people with underlying bad intentions towards her and prevented anything terrible from happening to Shika herself.

    Her ssmates in Year 2 ss 4 of Genhana Middle School were a perfect example of this.

    It was the same for the Yin Yang Masters that wanted to employ her. They would be afraid to do anything overboard to her, which was why she could still lead a rtively peaceful life.

    This was¡­ a situation that was truly difficult to describe.

    Seiji felt it was ratherplex.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just¡­ stop thinking about the rtionship between Shika Kagura and the "Reaper¡¯s Curse," and think about something more tangible instead.¡¯

    He changed his train of thought.

    To Seiji, the treatment that Shika received seemed way overboard. However, to her and her contractor Okubo Yoshiaki, it might have seemed normal.

    That bastard Okubo Yoshiaki merely ordered Shika Kagura to be a distraction, but he didn¡¯t order her to fight to the death. The spell he cast on her was also a memory seal, not memory destruction.

    Did that guy believe that she wouldn¡¯t die while substituting in for the real Snow Girl, or did he simply not care if she died?

    Was Shika Kagura¡¯s death in the previous timeline something unexpected for Okubo Yoshiaki?

    Judging by the fact that there was a trap on the memory-sealing spell, Okubo likely believed that she wouldn¡¯t die. He probably anticipated that Shika would be defeated and taken captive, which was why he went to such borate lengths with his trap.

    Or was it that he didn¡¯t care one whit if Shika Kagura ended up dying? After all, it wouldn¡¯t be him that personally ended her life. So just how far did his trap extend? Was it simply in case she got taken captive, or was he willing to sacrifice herpletely?

    Seiji really wanted to know.

    But no matter what the answer was, Shika died once already due to it, and that wouldn¡¯t change.

    It still wouldn¡¯t lessen his rage.

    He simply wanted to know.

    Well, it didn¡¯t matter even if he didn¡¯t find out, since he already decided what he would do to Okubo Yoshiaki.

    Even if he ignored the fact that Okubo used Shika as a scapegoat to receive the me for the freezing incidents, casting such vicious spells upon Shika was more than plenty to stoke Seiji¡¯s rage.

    Perhaps Shika herself felt that Okubo¡¯s actions were fine.

    However, Seiji couldn¡¯t ept it.

    Harming someone wasn¡¯t fine just because the victim was used to it.

    In Seiji¡¯s eyes, all those Yin Yang Masters that took advantage of Shika¡¯s powers whilepletely ignoring her feelings, the ones who put her in various dangerous situations for their own selfish needs, and only refrained from harming her out of fear for her ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ power were all bastards that deserved good beatings!

    "Haruta-kun?"

    Natsuya calling out to Seiji helped him toe to his senses.

    "Did you say something, President? Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention, so I missed what you were saying."

    "I was saying that perhaps we should use the ¡®mitigation¡¯ method as well¡­ Since we¡ªyou, me, Hitaka, and perhaps even Houjou-san¡ªhave all had significant contact with Shika Kagura, we should ¡®mitigate¡¯ things for ourselves in order to prevent worse catastrophes from befalling us."

    Natsuya¡¯s face became grim as she recalled the events that befell her in the previous day during her investigation outside.

    "What do you suggest that we do?" Seiji thought about the example of the drama club president and her¡­ subtle punishment in the form of the vice president¡¯s book throws.

    "I don¡¯t have any ideas yet; how about you, Seiji?" Natsuya tossed the question back to him.

    Seiji rubbed his chin.

    "The only methods I can think of right now¡­ A normal beating, wax torture, whipping, water torture, freezing, electrocution, clothespins, hanging, bondage, and so on¡­ I¡¯ve heard that as long as you control it properly, the victim will receive varying amounts of pain, but no marks will be left on the body."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    She was shocked to her core!

    The handsome boy in front of her seemed so proper, yet he stated so many¡­ methods in quick session as if it were only natural. This scene gave her an unexpected shock and threw her heart into chaos.

    Seeing Natsuya¡¯s expression caused Seiji to suddenly realize the inappropriateness of his words.

    "Don¡¯t misunderstand, President! I learned all this from various anime and manga! It¡¯s definitely not because I have some strange interests!!" He tried his best to clear his name.

    Natsuya seemed to be frightened as she withdrew from Seiji and covered her chest with her hands.

    This was basically the scene of a weak pure maiden trying her best to protect herself against a pervert.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find anything to say.

    An awkward atmosphere permeated the air.

    After a period of silence, Natsuya finally calmed down, put down her hands, and coughed lightly.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ It¡¯s not that¡­ Well, I can understand you having such interests, but¡­"

    "I said I don¡¯t have that type of interest! Please believe me!! President, it doesn¡¯t matter if you understand or not, so please stop talking about it!" Seiji pleaded with every fiber of his being.

    "Er¡­ Okay then." Natsuya appeared to ept his begging. "Your methods¡­ er¡­ might have some value, so¡­ we can consider them." She tried to speak about them at face value, but she suddenly thought of something that caused her face to turn slightly red.

    ¡®Don¡¯t blush at this timing! It¡¯s terribly embarrassing to imagine what you must be thinking!!¡¯ Seiji inwardly shouted.

    He was also really curious just what she envisioned¡­

    ¡®Cough cough, stop going off on a tangent!¡¯

    "As long as they were useful¡­ By the way, we don¡¯t really need to ¡®mitigate¡¯ things immediately, do we? It¡¯s not like any catastrophes will instantly befall us, so we can take the time to consider our next course of action properly."

    Natsuya nodded. "You¡¯re right."

    There was yet another period of silence.

    "Also," the president continued, forcefully putting the awkwardness behind her, "now that I¡¯ve confirmed my enemy¡¯s identity, I¡¯m going to formally request a duel with him. I hope to change this duel to a direct one."

    Seiji blinked. "Will that work?"

    "It¡¯s likely that it won¡¯t," Natsuya stated calmly. "It¡¯s quite probable that my challenge will be refused, since he¡¯s already made so many preparations, and he wouldn¡¯t allow the situation to develop into a duel, which would be in my favor."

    "Then what will happen?"

    "It depends on the results of our discussion¡­ I expect that in the end, one side will be the attacker and the other side will be the defender."

    "Then what¡¯s the purpose behind you doing this?"

    "Making a duel request and discussing terms¡­ this in and of itself can help us to obtain information and make inferences from it.

    "Even if it¡¯s almost impossible to change the duel method, there are still details that can be discussed, and I¡¯ll do my best to take any advantage I can get. Of course, it¡¯s the same for him."

    Seiji¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. "Can I understand this as apetition between two families now?"

    Natsuya blinked in surprise. "You¡¯re free to interpret it this way¡­ you have the ability to see through certain subtle matters, Haruta-kun."

    "I believe I¡¯ve heard something simr from you before," Seiji replied.

    "Indeed."

    Seiji and Natsuya smiled as they exchanged nces.

    "I have full confidence that you won¡¯t be at a disadvantage if ites to a direct negotiation, President Yoruhana." Seiji smiled before continuing, "I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news."

    "I¡¯ll put in my best effort to respond to your trust in me¡­ For me to even reach this step has all been thanks to you, Haruta-kun." Natsuya smiled as well. "Once more, I express my gratitude to you."

    "Once more, it¡¯s my honor." Seiji scratched his face and averted his gaze. "By the way, what should I do now?"

    "You don¡¯t need to do anything else; you can go back to ss¡­ Or you can continue taking care of Shika Kagura." Natsuya fixed him with a searching gaze. "She really wants to know¡­ what happened while she had amnesia," she said in a light tone.

    Seiji froze for a moment.

    Natsuya rescinded her gaze, stood up, and left without any further words.

    Seiji remained in a daze for several moments in the hallway before he finally sighed.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go see how things are at school.¡¯

 Chapter 138 - Delicious!

    <h4>Chapter 138: Delicious!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    It was currently lunch break at Genhana High School.

    Right before the final morning ss, Seiji had called Mika and Chiaki to inform them that he wasing to lunch break.

    Shika Kagura wasn¡¯t by his side.

    "Hey." He smiled as he greeted the two of them and sat down.

    Mika and Chiaki both stared at the lunchbox in his hand.

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "This was cooked by Houjou-senpai¡­ er, the maid working at the president¡¯s residence."

    When he called and promised Mika and Chiaki to eat lunch together at school, he had nned on buying some bread from the school¡¯s convenience store, but when Mai Houjou found out about it, she cooked a lunchbox for him.

    It was a luxurious lunch!

    Mika and Chiaki kept staring speechlessly at the threeyered lunchbox topped with intricate patterns. It was oozing with an aura of high quality.

    This seemed like a luxurious lunchbox that could only be seen in television shows!

    Houjou-senpai? Maid? Just who exactly was this!?

    The pigtailed girl and tomboy exchanged nces as they felt the aura emanating from the lunchbox.

    "Mika, let¡¯s go eat over there instead."

    "Yep, Chiaki,moners like us shouldn¡¯t be eating lunch together with a prince."

    The two of them stood up after saying this and were about to leave.

    "Hey, hey, where are you two going?" Seiji was confused about what was going on.

    "To a ce where we won¡¯t be blinded by your lunchbox," Chiaki stated.

    "Why would it make you blind!?"

    It was just a lunchbox to him, and the contents weren¡¯t particrly shiny.

    "That lunchbox is telling us that meremoners should stay away," Mika stated.

    "Is this lunchbox a noble!?"

    ¡®Not to mention the arrogant type?¡¯ Seiji inwardlymented, before sighing.

    "Don¡¯t act up over this; she had good intentions. Although I feel it¡¯s too luxurious as well, I thought it would have been rude to refuse her."

    He finally opened up the lunchbox after he spoke, revealing an abundant amount of exquisite-looking food.

    "¡¯Enjoy this together with your friends¡¯ is what she told me."

    Mika and Chiaki couldn¡¯t find any words to say.

    They felt like they couldn¡¯t bear to look at the opulence of the lunchbox any longer, but the beautiful, exquisite food inside gave off such an appealing smell; in fact, it was attractive to the point where they no longer felt like leaving!

    After battling with their emotions for a while, both girls relented and returned to their original seats.

    All three of them picked up some chopsticks and ced some food from Seiji¡¯s lunchbox into their mouths.

    Delicious!

    Seiji picked up a tiny fried fish. The moment he ced it into his mouth and chewed, the delightful vor of well-prepared fish spread out all over his tongue.

    Although he¡¯d tasted Houjou-senpai¡¯s cooking before this, he still inwardly praised it.

    Well, although he didn¡¯t think that it was possible to orgasm from simply eating food, it was simply delicious, really delicious!

    As an ordinary person, all he could do was give such acking review.

    What about Mika and Chiaki¡¯s reactions?

    Seiji looked at the two girls curiously.

    He found out that both of their expressions had frozen solid!

    "Er, what¡¯s the mat-"

    He was interrupted.

    He suddenly saw a sh of light in Mika¡¯s eyes!

    "This egg roll¡­ its delectable softness is clearly many levels above ordinary egg rolls, so it definitely wasn¡¯t made with ordinary eggs. It must have been cooked using the most expensive, highest-quality eggs on the market! The cooking method is far out of this world as well! The egg roll is so soft yet it doesn¡¯t lose the subtle crispiness that egg rolls should possess, and the most amazing part is that the egg¡¯s vor stands out so much with just one bite! It¡¯s so amazing!"

    ¡®Amazing?¡¯ Seiji was stunned at this sight.

    But before he could even react to Mika¡¯s sudden change, a sh of light also appeared in Chiaki¡¯s eyes.

    "Not only is this barbecued meat perfectly tender, its chewiness is also wless! And just as I was admiring its texture, a juicy explosion of meaty vor robbed my ability to think! No ordinary meat or spices could do this. First, the meat¡¯s quality is definitely equal to or above that being served at Silver Valley, and as for spices, I can only taste ck pepper, vani, and some type of fish sauce, but I can¡¯t figure out theposition of the sauce, although I can faintly detect that it helped to perfectlybine the meat¡¯s vor with the other spices. In addition to this, the heat used for cooking was absolutely on point, which was the only way someone could have created such a mouth-watering savory dish!"

    ¡®What the hell!? Chiaki as well!?¡¯

    Seiji was utterly bewildered.

    How did the two of them suddenly turn into characters from a cooking manga!? This didn¡¯t seem like the right story!

    They both suddenly gave such expert-sounding critiques that bothcked pauses or paragraphs! They had such a hidden ability!?

    Perhaps¡­ the two of them were those that could climax simply from food alone, or the legendary type of human that could detect auras of light being emitted by food!

    Seiji¡¯s mentalments were like an unstoppable chaotic tornado.

    "Hm? Seigo, what¡¯s with your expression? Is anything wrong?"

    Chiaki and Mika were confused at the sight of Seiji in a daze.

    ¡®You¡¯re asking me what¡¯s the matter!?¡¯

    "I¡¯m the one who wants to ask you, what was with that just now!?" Seiji finally spoke loudly.

    "What do you mean by ¡®what¡¯s with that¡¯?" The two girls exchanged confused nces.

    "That¡­ that review! Both of you just said so much¡­"

    "Review? Oh¡­ we were just normally expressing our thoughts. This lunchbox¡¯s cooking was on a pretty high level," Chiaki exined.

    Just "normally expressing?"

    ¡®Then what would be your serious reviews be like!? Would you transform and rip your clothes off!?¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched slightly.

    When he saw the calm expressions of the two girls before him, Seiji felt his energy being sapped away.

    ¡®Am I the one that¡¯s actually strange here? Is this the normal level for people in this world to be able to review food like they¡¯re food critics from food manga? Any average person is already at this level!?¡¯

    Seiji was beginning to doubt himself.

    "It¡¯s so scrumptious; I¡¯m really impressed," Mika praised once more after taking another bite.

    "Hey, Seigo, who was the one who made this lunchbox for you? You said ¡®Houjou-senpai,¡¯ didn¡¯t you? But you also said something about the president¡¯s maid; what was that about?"

    Seiji returned to his senses.

    "Her name is Mai Houjou. She¡¯s a third-year high school student here who used to be the student council president¡­ She¡¯s currently working as President Yoruhana¡¯s maid," he stated lightly, waiting for the inevitable impact.

    Two secondster.

    "What!?" both girls screeched in unison.

    As he expected, the two of them were shocked to the core.

    "The former student council president¡­"

    "Mai Houjou¡­"

    "Is currently President Yoruhana¡¯s maid!?"

    "That¡¯s how it is. I was shocked as well when I found out, but President Yoruhana and Houjou-senpai are¡­" Seiji exined the rtionship.

    "I see." Mika and Chiaki nodded in understanding.

    "President Yoruhana is truly a scion from a rich and powerful family¡­" Mika sighed. "Seigo, you¡¯re currently living at such a scion¡¯s residence¡­ you must be delighted."

    Mika felt like needles were piercing her.

    "I¡¯m just staying there temporarily. Although it may seem like juicy news for gossip, there¡¯s nothing behind it, really." Seiji casually took some more food. "It just feels like¡­ the food has suddenly vastly improved in quality, nothing more than that."

    Judging by the expression in Mika¡¯s eyes, she still wanted toin, but she didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Chiaki smiled wryly. "Mai Houjou¡­ Houjou-senpai had such a rtionship with President Yoruhana, so her being a maid¡­ seems reasonable, but I still feel¡­"

    She then nced at the luxurious lunchbox with aplex expression.

    "Did the two of you know Houjou-senpai¡¯s¡­ nickname while she was still the student council president?" Chiaki suddenly posed this question to Seiji and Mika.

    Mystified, both of them shook their heads.

    "No need to respond: as I expected, you didn¡¯t know." Chiaki sighed before continuing, "Her nickname was the ¡®Smiling Executioner.¡¯"

    Seiji and Mika were astounded by this!

 Chapter 139 - Treasure

    <h4>Chapter 139: Treasure</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    What was with this terrifying yet immature-sounding nickname!?

    "¡®In this school, the only person that I¡¯m truly afraid of is the ¡®Smiling Executioner¡¯ Mai Houjou-sama.¡¯ This was something that the drama club president personally told me," Chiaki stated.

    The drama club president¡­ that legendary weirdo who was basically a kidnapper, the one who debated against the school moralsmittee and won was actually addressing someone the same age as her with an honorific like -sama!?

    No, wait, that wasn¡¯t the important part! He should have been paying attention to the contents of that quote!

    "The only person she¡¯s truly afraid of¡­" Mika repeated dazedly.

    Chiaki nodded. "You guys know that our club president is an idiot who isn¡¯t scared of anything. That¡¯s why when she said that so seriously, it gave me such a deep impression.

    "Later, I checked it out due to my own curiosity and found out that President Mai Houjou¡­ Houjou-senpai was activest year, which was right before the three of us entered Genhana High School, when she was still a second-year high school student.

    "As the student council president, she ruled with an iron fist and eliminated half the clubs in this entire high school!"

    Seiji¡¯s and Mika¡¯s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.

    "Half the clubs¡­ so Genhana High School used to have twice the number of clubs as it currently has?" Seiji asked.

    "That¡¯s right, and Houjou-senpai was the one who eliminated them¡­ She didn¡¯t lead the student council in doing this; she did it entirely by herself!"

    "This¡­ is that even possible?" Mika asked in confusion.

    Chiaki sighed. "There¡¯s no need to even talk about possible or not possible, because it¡¯s an indisputable fact."

    "I know it¡¯s difficult to believe, but the facts are there. Houjou-senpai used various methods to¡­ eliminate, or perhaps I should say delete, all those clubs that she believed shouldn¡¯t exist."

    "The scenes from that time sounded rather brutal¡­ all the third-year high school students I asked didn¡¯t want to tell me the specifics, and the drama club president only used one word to describe that time period¡ªbloodbath."

    Seiji and Mika were rendered speechless.

    "Houjou-senpai earned her nickname of ¡®Smiling Executioner¡¯ during that time. Inbination with everything I found out about her, it gave me the impression that she was a truly frightening third-year high school student senpai."

    "I didn¡¯t expect to hear about her from Seigo just now¡­" Chiaki smiled wryly as she looked back at the lunchbox.

    Seiji and Mika also followed her line of sight.

    The fine, exquisite food was still sitting inside, giving off a tantalizing aroma.

    All three of them were lost for words.

    Seiji kept looking at these delicacies while thinking back to the time he spent together with Houjou-senpai. He recalled her gentle smile, then thought about everything that Chiaki had just recounted.

    Erm¡­ just what was it, this indescribable feeling he currently had?

    He didn¡¯t understand.

    It was probably best not to understand.

    Some things in this world were better off left alone, and it would be foolish to pay too much thought to these things.

    At least he should probably leave it alone for the time being.

    Chiaki and Mika also wisely chose to avoid thinking too much about this topic.

    There was a lengthy period of silence between the trio.

    "Seigo, how is our junior Kagura-san doing?" Chiaki asked.

    Seiji blinked in surprise.

    "She¡¯s already recovered her memories," he stated lightly.

    "Oh? That¡¯s great news!"

    "But she forgot everything about what happened while she had amnesia," he continued in a light tone.

    "Oh¡­" Chiaki paused.

    She exchanged nces with Mika before looking back towards Seiji, who seemed calm on the surface.

    "Seigo¡­ are you mad?"

    "Hrm? Why would I be mad?" Seiji seemed confused.

    "It feels like¡­ something¡¯s off about your emotions," Mika said in a tiny voice.

    "¡­Maybe something¡¯s a little off." Seiji nodded in acknowledgment. "I¡¯m slightly¡­ sad, that¡¯s all."

    Mika and Chiaki exchanged awkward nces.

    Yet another period of silence fell between them.

    Seiji sighed after a while, breaking the silence.

    "It¡¯s a wonderful thing for her to recover her memory without any mishaps. I¡¯m also happy for her."

    "But¡­ how do I put it? For her to have forgotten what happened while she had amnesia¡­ it gave me a greater impact than I expected."

    "I also feel that me being this way¡­ is rather unseemly, but there¡¯s no helping it. I can¡¯t force myself to suddenly be happy."

    He was unable to ignore or instantly seal off those memories of a mere one and a half days.

    That girl who kept calling himself "brother," as well as the young Shika¡¯s smile were difficult for him to forget.

    ¡­Was he awakening to the path of a sis-con?

    No, no, that couldn¡¯t be! It wasn¡¯t the case!!

    He wasn¡¯t a sis-con; instead, he was¡­ er¡­ this¡­ seemed like¡­

    Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched as a strange light shed in his eyes.

    "I admit it then! I¡¯m actually someone who¡¯s awakened as a sis-con but I just lost my younger sister character so I¡¯m feeling awful right now! Ahhh!!!"

    Seiji suddenly started shouting, startling Mika and Chiaki.

    Since he was speaking too quickly and didn¡¯t even usemas properly as punctuation, they didn¡¯t hear every word too clearly.

    But since "sis-con" was a word that stood out too much, this was a word they both heard.

    "Seigo, you¡­" Chiaki¡¯s expression changed drastically.

    Seiji slowly looked at her, a serious expression on his face.

    "From now on, you may address me as the ¡®fallen sis-con gentleman.¡¯"

    What the hell!?

    "Don¡¯t give yourself strange nicknames like that, idiot!" Chiaki had a forceful retort at the ready.

    "This is the name of my soul."

    "What the hell¡¯s with saying it¡¯s your soul¡¯s name!!? Don¡¯t even imagine that people will be able to ept it just because you say it¡¯s your soul¡¯s name!!!"

    ¡®Breathe¡­¡¯ Chiaki had used too much oxygen with her angry retorts, so she was forced to take a deep breath.

    Mika was in a total state of shock now.

    Seiji scratched his face.

    "Then I¡¯ll change it to¡­"

    "No changing! No nicknames, period! Otherwise I¡¯m going to kick you to the curb like you¡¯re an actual pervert!" Chiaki warned with a strict expression.

    "Fine." Seiji gave up on the idea and averted his gaze, a mncholy look in his eyes. "I shall be the nameless sis-con then."

    "Why do you keep insisting on calling yourself a ¡®sis-con!?¡¯ Although ¡®nameless¡¯ sounds a little cool, it¡¯s actually meaningless!!"

    That was enough out of him! The tomboy really did end up giving Seiji a good kick.

    The pigtailed girl was beginning to blend into the scenery.

    Although the atmosphere may have be awkward, at the very least he was able to exin the situation.

    Chiaki sighed. "So basically, you¡¯re feeling disappointed because Kagura-san forgot about the time she spent together with you."

    Seiji nodded honestly.

    "She¡­ does Kagura-san know that she treated you as her brother and acted all spoiled with you while she had amnesia?"

    "I didn¡¯t tell her¡­ I didn¡¯t want her to know."

    Chiaki frowned. "Why not?"

    "It would only bother her," Seiji said lightly. "That time is meaningless now. If I bring it up again, it would only be bothersome for her. That¡¯s why I decided not to mention it again."

    ¡®I¡¯m the only one who needs to remember it and feel bad about it. Even though it¡¯s saddening, I¡¯ll get over it eventually. I won¡¯t always be steeped in sadness.¡®

    ¡®That¡¯s why I¡¯ll just allow this short yet beautiful memory to disappear with the wind.¡¯

    Seiji felt like his mncholia was almost poetic.

    His poetic musings were interrupted by yet another vicious kick from Chiaki!

    "Stop acting like you¡¯re actually some sort of free-spirited depressed poet! Do you think you¡¯re being cool right now!? Idiot!!"

    The tomboy even stood up and ced her arms on her hips. There was a condescending look in her eyes.

    "It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re only disappointed, yet you have the gall to act immature and pretend to think of others! You¡¯re too unseemly, you idiot!"

    "Er¡­" Seiji was stunned.

    "Just tell her what happened! Let Kagura-san know what went on between you! Even though it was only for a short period of time, but since you care so much, then it¡¯s something important to you!"

    "Even though Mika and I only saw it for a few moments, the two of you really were like real siblings! She was acting spoiled towards you, and you cared about her; isn¡¯t this a warm and beautiful story? Tell that warm and beautiful story to her!"

    "Tell her how much you valued your time together, and that you¡¯re incredibly sad about her having forgotten it! Perhaps she¡¯ll be bothered and confused by it, or maybe she¡¯ll find you disgusting, but¡­ she deserves to know!!"

    Seiji felt like he hade to a realization as he listened to Chiaki lecturing him.

    "Since that time was so important to you, do something about it! Don¡¯t just arrogantly decide on your own that you¡¯re acting cool by burying it forever!"

    "Saying that you¡¯re thinking of others, while you¡¯re trying to hide the truth and suppress your feelings. Although it seems correct on the surface, you¡¯re actually nothing more than an idiotic coward!"

    "Go tell her the truth! Tell her your feelings! Even if you end uppletely being rejected, that¡¯s still much better than arrogant idiocy or cowardice from trying to hide the truth, and at least you¡¯ll look cool, even if you fail!!"

    Shika Kagura deserved to know that there was someone who cared about her like a real brother.

    Seiji Haruta should have told her how much he liked that temporary, cute little sister.

    No matter how short the time, no matter if it was only an illusion, as long as it was warm, beautiful, and valued¡­ then it was an irreceable treasure!

    Treasures shouldn¡¯t be buried like this.

    That was what Chiaki Wakaba believed.

    Seiji¡­ epted it.

    He understood it.

    ¡®Yeah, she¡¯s right. I¡­ was wrong. The time we spent together definitely wasn¡¯t meaningless, since it was beautiful and precious. At the very least, I viewed it as precious.

    ¡®I should let her know, and she has the right to know.¡¯

    Even if it was only for a day and a half.

    We were¡­ siblings.

 Chapter 140 - Bliss

    <h4>Chapter 140: Bliss</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Shika Kagura discovered some strange items in her temporary room at Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    Aptop, that was normal¡­ some manga and poker cards, those were normal as well.

    But she also discovered the Monopoly board game, stuffed plushies, and drawing pencils used by young children¡­ what was with these items?

    The strangest item of them all was a sketchbook.

    Inside was a drawing that was rather amateurish in skill.

    There was a reddish-orange sun, arge house, and seven roughly drawn characters were standing together in a row.

    Shika felt strange emotions well up within her when she saw this drawing.

    As she inspected the seven figures, the sense of strangeness within her only kept growing.

    Finally, her line of sight fell upon the tall boy and petite girl in the center of the rough sketch.

    They were smiling while holding onto each other¡¯s hand.

    Even though it was only an amateurish sketch, it felt¡­ so blissful.

    Bliss?

    ¡®Why¡­ am I able to feel bliss?¡¯

    Shika slowly held her hand over her chest.

    Her current feelings were indescribable for her.

    She kept staring at these two characters.

    ¡®Who drew this? Who are the people in these drawing?¡¯

    She was suddenly possessed by a strong desire to find out.

    At this moment, someone knocked on the door.

    Shika turned around to see who it was.

    "I¡¯m here to deliver your lunch; may I enter?" a gentle female voice asked on the other side of the door.

    "¡­Please enter."

    ¡®I¡¯m being imprisoned under house arrest, right? Why is she being so polite with me?¡¯ Shika wondered.

    A girl with a light smile and a gentle look in her eyes entered the room carrying a tray in her hands. She was wearing ck-and-white maid attire.

    Shika didn¡¯t know who she was, but this girl felt vaguely familiar.

    ¡®That¡¯s right¡ªthe drawing!¡¯

    She hurriedly turned around to look at the sketch again. Shika noticed a smiling girl wearing ck-and-white clothing in the drawing; the girl resembled the maid who was currently in front of her.

    Was this¡­ her?

    She picked up the sketchbook and turned around again topare the two.

    Mai Houjou had just ced the tray on the table when she noticed that Shika had picked up the sketchbook and was looking in her direction.

    That sketchbook was¡­

    The maid blinked as her smile deepened.

    She had already received an order from her master, Natsuya, to keep tight-lipped about the events which had happened over the past two days.

    Since Mai was a highly intelligent person, she quickly realized the reasons behind this order.

    Personally, Mai didn¡¯t particrly agree with this course of action.

    That cute junior of hers was likely making a silly mistake with this.

    Even though she didn¡¯t agree, since it was her master¡¯s order, she would obey.

    But the degree to which she obeyed was up to her.

    "My apologies, I should have cleaned up these items," Mai said as she walked over to Shika. "These items may be bothering you, so I¡¯ll clean them up right now."

    She reached out to the sketchbook as she spoke.

    Shika suddenly retracted her hand, preventing Mai from taking the sketchbook.

    ¡®Why did I just do that?¡¯ she wondered immediately after.

    An indescribable light shed in Mai¡¯s eyes as she witnessed Shika¡¯s reaction.

    "You¡­ would you like to keep this?"

    The ck-haired girl nodded slowly.

    "Why is that? I heard that you¡¯ve already forgotten the past two days¡¯ events," Mai said calmly.

    Hearing this, Shika felt as if a light bulb had suddenly turned on in her mind.

    "This is¡­ something I used¡­ from when I had amnesia?"

    That¡¯s right¡ªshe should have thought of this long ago.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of it? The answer was so obvious.¡¯

    Shika looked back towards the sketchbook.

    This was something that she used. This was something that she sketched.

    ¡®Why did I sketch this? Why did I use drawing pencils typically used by young children and draw at the level of a young child?¡®

    ¡®Those plushies¡­ did I y with those? Monopoly, poker cards¡­ those aren¡¯t typically one-yer games; was someone ying together with me?¡¯

    Various doubts surfaced in Shika¡¯s mind.

    Finally, she remembered Seigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta¡¯s smile.

    ¡®He was the one taking care of you while you had amnesia.¡¯ Shika recalled Natsuya¡¯s words as her mind worked at full speed.

    Shika suddenly felt something erupting inside her brain, causing her to tremble.

    Those were¡­ hazy, unfocused scenes.

    She was saying something to a tall figure who exuded a warm,fortable aura.

    That person was smiling at her while patting her gently on the head with arge hand.

    It was so warm.

    It felt so reliable.

    It felt sofortable.

    It was so¡­ reassuring.

    Her vision turned hazy in real life as well.

    Something wet poured down her eyes.

    Shika regained her senses and abruptly noticed that her face was tear-streaked and wet.

    ¡®What¡¯s¡­ going on? Why¡­ am I¡­¡¯

    There was a tight and painful feeling in her chest.

    It was impossible for her to control her tears.

    Even though she decided long ago that she would never cry again.

    ¡®But why¡­ am I¡­¡¯

    The ck-haired girl hugged the sketchbook and sobbed without making a sound.

    Mai¡¯s smile turned incredibly gentle upon witnessing this scene.

    "Kagura-san, are you expressing sadness?"

    Sadness¡­ that wasn¡¯t it.

    Shika had no idea about what emotions she was currently experiencing. All she knew was that everything was a chaotic swirl.

    Was this sadness? Pain? Difort?

    It felt like none of the above.

    Then what was it, exactly?

    "You¡¯re crying, but it isn¡¯t a pained expression¡­ I feel like you¡¯re experiencing nostalgia," the maid said in a gentle voice.

    Nostalgia?

    ¡®I¡¯m being nostalgic¡­ about something that happened? Something in the past?¡¯

    The hazy scenes in Shika¡¯s mind suddenly increased in number.

    Shika closed her eyes.

    The most distant, warm feeling in her innermost self was¡­

    It was snowing outside.

    The room was very warm.

    There was a bright and colorful anime program ying on the television.

    She was watching andughing while sitting on a sofa.

    There was a tall figure apanying her by her side.

    She looked at him and said something.

    He smiled gently and said, "Shika-chan¡­"

    ¡®Brother¡­¡¯

    Shika finally remembered.

    The deepest memory within her. A warm, blissful feeling.

    She had long since forgotten, or perhaps it should be said that she purposefully sealed off her most valuable memory.

    She carefully locked it away in the deepest recesses of her heart and intended to never open it again.

    That was because she felt that she didn¡¯t deserve that type of bliss.

    That was because she needed to get used to living painfully in istion.

    That¡¯s why she could only say farewell to these blissful memories and forget them.

    However¡­

    A certain person caused her to remember again.

    A certain person caused her to feel it again.

    That blissful feeling that she thought she¡¯d never possess again.

    The scene in her mind gradually changed.

    In this memory, she was seated inside the room she was currently in.

    She was in the midst of drawing the sketch that she was currently holding.

    Footsteps sounded from behind her.

    She turned around and smiled as she called out to him.

    He also smiled at her in a sincere fashion that showed he truly cared for her.

    The hazy face became clear.

    It was¡­ Seiji Haruta¡¯s face.

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    "I¡¯m right here, and I won¡¯t be going anywhere."

    "How about I teach you how to draw?"

    "It¡¯s just¡­ a dream."

    "I won¡¯t leave Shika-chan behind¡­"

    "Good night, Shika-chan¡­"

    "I¡¯m delighted¡­ that you¡¯re awake, Shika Kagura."

    It was him.

    He took care of her and apanied her.

    Like a real brother would.

    He epted her childish behavior, spoiled her, cared for her¡­ and finally, said farewell to her.

    Shika Kagura finally realized it.

    At that moment.

    Just why he had been sad.

    She felt bliss from him again.

    But she had forgotten him.

    He didn¡¯t say anything.

    All he did was smile.

    He endured his pain in silence as he smiled for her.

    "I just¡­ was a little sad for a different reason¡­ unrted to you. So don¡¯t think too much about it¡­"

    ¡®It¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re awake. It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re alright.¡¯

    ¡®You don¡¯t need to worry about me. My sadness has nothing to do with you.¡¯

    Shika understood everything now.

    Her tears dripped down onto the sketchbook she was holding.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    Her soul¡¯s whisper seemed to dissipate into the wind.

 Chapter 141 - Beautiful Name

    <h4>Chapter 141: Beautiful Name</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji returned to the president¡¯s residence.

    He was rather nervous at what he was about to do next.

    It felt almost like he was about to confess to a girl he was secretly in love with¡­

    No, no, that wasn¡¯t it! All he needed to do was inform Shika about what happened during the past two days! Since Natsuya let him know that Shika seemed to be curious about it, then all he had to do was casually bring it up during their conversation and exin things clearly to her.

    After exining things, he would tell her that if she wanted, they could be good friends¡­ or something like that.

    But upon further consideration, wasn¡¯t this¡­ exactly like a confession?

    No, it definitely wasn¡¯t! Although they were simr, this wasn¡¯t a confession!

    ¡®I merely awakened to bing a sis-con! I like her younger form as a brother would, that¡¯s all!¡¯

    ¡­But didn''t this seem even worse than a normal love confession?

    Seiji discovered this important fact.

    Seiji received a huge impact.

    Seiji prostrated himself on the ground.

    "Just how should I say it, damn it!" He hammered the ground with his fists.

    If he went and exined it like this, he felt that it was highly probable for him to be misconstrued as a simple pervert. He would be rejected while being looked down upon.

    But he really didn¡¯t have any improper intentions. He was simply a pure sis-con.

    ¡®Hey, even sis-cons are considered perverts, aren¡¯t they!?¡¯

    "No, no! Even sis-cons are separated into pure sis-cons and dirty sis-cons! I¡¯m pure!!"

    "Pure¡­ what?" A gentle female voice sounded out from behind him.

    Seiji was shocked to his core!

    He hurriedly got up from the floor and turned around to see the maid, Mai, tilting her head slightly.

    The Smiling Executioner¡­ whoops, Houjou-san!

    "What are you doing, Haruta-san? I seem to have overheard you saying something strange," Mai said with a faint smile on her face.

    Seeing such a smile on her face, Seiji recalled his earlier conversation with her as well as the legends he had just heard and almost broke out into a cold sweat.

    "No¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything! I was just checking to see if the floor was clean or not! Yeah, I inspected it and found that it was extraordinarily clean! This must be Houjou-san¡¯s doing! Houjou-san is incredible!!"

    He attempted to justify his strange actions, but it was only after the words left his mouth did he realize how he idiotic he sounded.

    Mai slowly stopped smiling.

    "You can¡¯t meet my eyes, your face is all tense, and your words sound clearly unnatural. I bet you wouldn¡¯t even be able to fool an elementary schooler with this, Haruta-san."

    "Er¡­ indeed¡­" Seiji awkwardly scratched his face.

    "Lying children aren¡¯t cute¡­ If you don¡¯t want to say anything, then just do that. As a mere maid, I won¡¯t pry," Mai said lightly before turning around to leave.

    "Wait¡­ please wait a moment, Senpai!"

    "Hm?" Mai¡¯s footsteps paused.

    "Um¡­ I want to ask how Shika is doing right now¡­"

    Upon hearing this, Mai¡¯s lips arced upwards slightly.

    "Her body¡¯s fine, but¡­ her mental state isn¡¯t that good," she responded as she turned around again.

    "Mental state?" Seiji became tense at hearing this. "Could it be¡­ are there aftereffects?"

    "I don¡¯t know¡­ she didn¡¯t say very much, nor did she request for treatment¡­ I¡¯d really like to ask Mdy what I should do, but she currently isn¡¯t here right now. Her cell phone can¡¯t be reached, either," Mai stated calmly.

    "Let me go take a look!" Seiji instantly started takingrge strides towards Shika¡¯s room. However, he paused after taking only two steps.

    "Um¡­ Senpai, just now, I¡¯m¡­ sorry!"

    He left only after apologizing sincerely.

    Mai¡¯s smile reappeared as she watched his figure disappear into the distance.

    "Honestly, him and her¡­ they¡¯re all so silly."

    ¡®Cute yet silly~¡¯

    The maid continued her work in a joyous mood and even began humming some songs.

    Seiji paused in front of Shika¡¯s room.

    He wanted to open the door, but he stopped himself and knocked on the door instead.

    "Shika, it¡¯s me, Seigo Harano. May I enter?"

    There was no response.

    Just as Seiji was bing even more worried, a gentle female voice spoke up from inside.

    "Please enter."

    Seiji pushed open the door and entered.

    He saw the petite girl inside clutching and looking at a sketchbook.

    That was¡­

    He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he scanned the room, finding that everything in it was the same as when he was ying together with Shika-chan!

    ¡®Why wasn¡¯t any of this cleaned up?¡¯ Doubts appeared in his mind.

    Did Houjou-senpai forget to do it? Or was it that she was busy with other matters, so she left it forter?

    Neither of those seemed like they were correct.

    ¡®Forget it; that isn¡¯t important!¡¯

    Seiji approached Shika¡¯s bed.

    "Shika, I heard that your mental state isn¡¯t so good right now, so how are you feeling?" he asked in a gentle manner.

    The girl who currently had her back to him slowly closed the sketchbook.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ Your real name is Seiji Haruta, right?"

    "Eh?" Seiji was surprised at this. "It¡­ it is," he admitted. "Who told you? President Yoruhana? Or Houjou, the maid?"

    Shika didn¡¯t answer him.

    "This¡­ I didn¡¯t intentionally try to conceal it from you. I just¡­ used an alias for some personal reasons." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. "If you¡¯re unhappy due to this, I apologize."

    "You don¡¯t need to apologize," Shika responded softly. "Seiji Haruta¡­ just like Seigo Harano, they¡¯re both beautiful names."

    "Eh?" Seiji was confused at being praised so suddenly. "Er¡­ thank you."

    This was the first time someone had said something like this to him¡­ it was praise, right? He felt almost itchy and somewhat strange inside.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, this sentence¡­¡¯

    "Didn¡¯t I say this to you when we first met? I remember I said something like ¡®Shika Kagura¡­ is a beautiful name.¡¯"

    Seiji smiled as he recalled the fond memory.

    "So it¡¯s been returned to me. I never knew what it felt like to have someone praise your name."

    It felt nostalgic, even though their first meeting was merely a few weeks ago.

    "At that time¡­ I could never have imagined that things would turn out like this," Seiji eximed as he mused on the nature of the situation.

    Watching the girl¡¯s back, he felt like he had so much to tell her, but he didn¡¯t know how to begin.

    There was a momentary silence in the room.

    Seiji slowly turned to look outside the window.

    "Hey, Shika. That time¡­ on that rainy night, you came. I told you that I would be there waiting for you at that time again¡­ you didn¡¯t respond, but you still came."

    ¡®And then, you died in front of me. Leaving behind¡­ only those pure white dying words.¡¯

    Seiji recalled the bitter memories that only he possessed; the ones he would never be able to forget.

    During that rainstorm, he swore to be her friend.

    She epted it, but still ended up dying.

    Being unable to ept it, he loaded back time and saved her.

    "¡­I was delighted at seeing youe that night.

    "No matter if it was because you wanted to ask for help, or if it was simply because you didn¡¯t want me to wait there in vain, or¡­ even if you only went there coincidentally, I¡¯m still quite happy.

    "That¡¯s because I was worried about you."

    Only when seeing her again did he notice that he cared so much for this girl, who, despite being lonely and struggling with intense pain, died smiling in the icy cold rain.

    He sympathized greatly with her plight.

    He truly worried about her.

    "I¡­ don¡¯t quite know why I¡¯m so worried about you, since we¡¯ve obviously only met twice before that, and we haven¡¯t even talked all that much. But I just¡­ want to care for you."

    Before he said that would be her friend. This was a promise.

    Even though these were words that she didn¡¯t know about and hadn¡¯t heard before in this timeline, a promise was a promise.

    "I want to be your friend. I want to help you. I want to¡­ see your joyous smile."

    ¡®Not sadness, and not a smile that onlyes when you¡¯re on the verge of death. I want to do so many things together with you.

    ¡®I want you to experience the beautiful things the world has to offer. I made such a promise with you.¡¯

    Seiji closed his eyes and recalled that scene during the rain.

    In order to fulfill his promise in the current timeline, he had to exert his full effort to make her understand his feelings!

    "I¡­ think that you¡¯re a good girl, Shika Kagura. You deserve a blissful life¡­ no, you absolutely must have one!"

    ¡®For someone like you who never evenined about the world despite being in such a difficult situation, you have this right; you deserve it.¡¯

    "I want you to know the feeling of bliss; that¡¯s why at that time I¡­"

    His words were interrupted.

    Even though there were so many things he still wanted to say¡ªwhen he impulsively hugged her, and she mistakenly took him as her brother; how he decided to y the part of her fake brother, but didn¡¯t anticipate the fact that she lost her memories and truly treated him as her "brother."

    He wanted to tell her about how she pleaded to be spoiled by him like she was a young child, and that he truly cared for her. He longed to tell her about his sadness when he saw all this disappear when she recovered her memories¡­ and so on.

    He wasn¡¯t able to say any of that.

    That was because he suddenly felt a warm, soft touch together with a faint and pleasant smell.

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise and saw¡­ Shika Kagura hugging him tightly.

    Her embrace was reminiscent of Shika-chan¡¯s.

    "You don¡¯t need to say anything else," she whispered in a soft, emotion-filled voice. "I already understand. I know everything now."

    Shika slowly raised her head.

    She disyed a soft and cute expression, overflowing with gentleness and innocence, to the dazed boy.

    "Seiji¡­ Brother."

 Chapter 142 - From Now On

    <h4>Chapter 142: From Now On</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    *Ding!*

    [A character¡¯s connectivity rating to you has surpassed 100. You¡¯ve received that character¡¯s reward card].

    [A female character¡¯s favorability or connectivity rating to you has surpassed 100. You¡¯ve now unlocked the ¡®Spiritual Power¡¯ statistic, as well as the ¡®Spiritual Abilities¡¯ option. You may now exchange points for items to increase your Spiritual Power stat and use Spiritual Abilities to obtain points or items].

    [A female character with spiritual powers has a favorability or connectivity rating to you that has surpassed 100. As a reward, you¡¯ve received a card for free¡ª[Spiritual Ability activation card].

    A few lines of text appeared in front of Seiji.

    ¡®Spiritual Power statistic? Spiritual Abilities options!?¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s system suddenly reminded him of its existence and helped him toe back to his senses.

    Although he was quite curious about his new abilities, it currently wasn¡¯t a good time for him to check them out.

    Seiji smiled back at Shika, who was smiling so movingly.

    "Calling me that¡­ seems a little embarrassing."

    He softly hugged the girl and slowly pulled her closer.

    Just like before.

    "But¡­ I¡¯m so happy. I¡­ don¡¯t even know how to express it."

    He enjoyed her warmth, bing aware of just how inwardly moved he was.

    "You¡­ remember everything?"

    Shika slowly shook her head.

    "There are still some parts that are hazy, but I remember the main parts¡­"

    Seiji took a deep breath.

    "Wonderful."

    Those memories he saw as precious were recalled by her. She considered them important as well. This was the best oue.

    The two of them hugged in silence for an indeterminate length of time.

    Seiji slowly let go of her as the tumultuous feelings in his chest finally calmed down.

    Shika also let go of him.

    Seiji scratched his face. "How did you remember?"

    He was under the impression that she wouldpletely forget everything or only have faint impressions. That¡¯s why¡­ Ahh, it was too embarrassing to remember!

    "Natsuya Yoruhana told me that you were the one who took care of me while I had amnesia. Seeing the items in this room gave me a strange feeling, and the maid here gave me some hints¡­"

    Shika slowly and clearly exined things to Seiji while keeping her eyes constantly focused on his face.

    Seiji felt that his face was beginning to burn up a little as she watched him with those deep, emotion-filled eyes of hers.

    Wait a moment! Was this akin to some type of shameless role-ying?

    He wanted to stop himself but couldn¡¯t¡­ Eh? Was that the correct usage of this phrase?

    ¡®Forget it! Who cares? I¡¯ll just die in shame!¡¯

    "I thought that you¡¯d forgottenpletely, so I didn¡¯t want to burden you any further. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "But Chiaki, the silver-haired girl in your sketch¡­ er, she always likes to wear the boys¡¯ school uniform, so Shika-chan¡­ might¡¯ve mistaken her for a boy when you had amnesia. At any rate, she pointed out that I was making a huge mistake, which was why I wanted to exin everything to you now. That¡¯s why¡­"

    He seemed to be rambling? Just what was it that he wanted to say?

    Seiji averted his gaze, looking at everywhere except Shika as he somehow managed to exin things before looking back towards her again.

    He saw that Shika was still looking at him with such deep feelings in her eyes.

    Ahh¡­

    He was no longer able to even speak.

    "Brother Seiji~"

    Seiji felt that his heart had been pierced!

    The ck-haired girl was smiling in her own beautiful unique style, but she was using Shika-chan¡¯s soft and cute tone of voice to call him brother. This was too much for him to handle!

    It felt like he was on the receiving end of a secret ultimate hiddenbination technique from a fighting game.

    "Can I call you that from now on?"

    "Mmm¡­ of course."

    Rapidly increase mental resistance levels! Sergeant Haruta, construct fortifications to preserve your sense of logic and reason!

    Seiji was worried about whether or not he would¡­ but this type of request was impossible to refuse, so he definitely couldn¡¯t refuse it!

    Sergeant Haruta epted the mission while resolving himself for possible death in the line of duty!

    "Brother Seiji¡­" Shika was grinning at him.

    Yet her grin was tinged with a hint of sadness.

    "I¡¯m thankful for everything you¡¯ve done for me," she said. "But I still possess the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯ If you get too close to me, you¡¯ll¡­ That¡¯s why¡­"

    "There¡¯s no that¡¯s why!"

    Seiji decisively interrupted her when he realized what she was about to say.

    "I¡¯m already so close to you, but aren¡¯t I still fine? Even if something happens to me in the future, I¡¯ll definitely be able to ovee it! That¡¯s why you should never say something like that! Don¡¯t try to push me away, and don¡¯t try to keep me at a distance!

    "Shika Kagura¡­ Shika-chan, I¡¯m going to stick as annoyingly close to you as I can! Resolve yourself!"

    ¡®I¡¯ll never let you pass away from this world while in istion again. I¡¯ll apany you to the future together.¡¯

    Seiji stared directly into her eyes, his gaze filled with stubbornness and determination.

    Seiji seemed to be smiling, yet it was clear he was on the verge of crying.

    "But¡­"

    "Believe in me!"

    "I¡¯m¡­"

    "You¡¯re the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ I know! But you still don¡¯t know who I am yet!"

    Seiji Haruta pointed at himself with his thumb. His manner seemed to suddenly be imposing.

    "I am Seiji Haruta! The Haruta family is actually the Kamijou family! I¡¯m the descendant of the strongest Yin Yang Master in history, the only person who ever truly contained the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ Seimei Kamijou!

    "I have the strongest bloodline! I¡¯m truly powerful! I¡¯ll be even more powerful in the future!! I¡¯ll even¡­ surpass my ancestor!!!

    "The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ can¡¯t do anything to me! Nothing will ever harm me!!"

    ¡®Well, I possess the ability to save and load. And my system just increased even further in strength just now, thanks to you. I¡¯ll use my newfound power to take care of everything!¡¯

    That¡¯s why¡­

    "That¡¯s why you should stop thinking like that! Don¡¯t say or do such foolish things. Just obediently be my friend¡ªit¡¯s fine to just be my little sister as well!"

    Seiji shed Shika a brilliant smile brimming with self-confidence, energy, and passion.

    To Shika, Seiji¡¯s smile seemed to be as blinding as the sun.

    The dark iciness in her heart could only melt under the sun¡¯s warmth.

    Tears trickled out from her eyes once more.

    "I¡­ can I¡­ really?"

    ¡®Can I really enjoy such bliss? It¡¯s not only a temporary fantasy; I¡¯ll have it even now and in the future¡­¡¯

    "Of course." Seiji¡¯s tone was adamant.

    He reached out his hand to pat her on the head just like before.

    Pat pat, console.

    "You can¡­ I can¡­ We can go on living together. Shika-chan¡­ I¡¯m going to call you this from now on. You¡¯re not allowed to object or refuse."

    His somewhat forceful words seemed to pierce through Shika¡¯s heart.

    She smiled through her tears, and the sadness in her smile disappeared.

    ¡®Believe in him.¡¯

    Her heart was telling her that.

    Objectively speaking, it still seemed like he was acting rather pretentiously, but¡­ rather mysteriously, it didn¡¯t sound like he was being hypocritical at all.

    His imposing manner was just that powerful.

    Even the gods would likely respect someone with such an imposing manner.

    Perhaps he really could turn his "pretentiousness" into reality¡­

    Shika wanted to believe him.

    Shika was willing to believe him.

    She wanted to pin her hopes for leading a joyous life in the future on him.

    "Brother Seiji¡­ please take good care of me from now on."

    "Yep, Shika-chan¡­ me as well. Please take good care of me from now on."

    And thus, the two of them smiled as they promised to stay by each other¡¯s sides.

    This promise started from her death, and it would continue until¡­ death do them part.

 Chapter 143 - Is There a Bug in the System!?

    <h4>Chapter 143: Is There a Bug in the System!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After a long period of time.

    Seiji finally left Shika¡¯s room and told her to take a good rest.

    His current mood was a joyous one.

    It was almost as if he had seeded in a love confession.

    No, no, they just promised to be good friends¡­ no wait, to treat each other as brother and sister, the pure kind of rtionship!

    ¡­Really?

    Really! Shika was only a second-year middle school student! Even if¡­ even if their rtionship became even deeper in the future, it definitely wouldn¡¯t happen now!

    Seiji suddenly came to his senses as hemented on himself.

    He forcefully suppressed the emotions in his chest by reciting the numbers of pi again.

    ¡®Yep, okay, I¡¯ve regained myposure.¡¯

    Seiji had a fresh and bright expression on his face as he returned to the main hall.

    He poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly as he opened up his system.

    In his personal statistics, he saw the new stat of [Spiritual Power] just as his system had informed him.

    [Spiritual Power: 0]

    The system didn¡¯t even leave a quirkyment next to it.

    Even more unexpectedly, Seiji didn¡¯t have any options to increase his [Spiritual Power]!

    Seiji¡¯s brows furrowed.

    [Academics], [physical ability], and so on all had options to help Seiji increase his stats from the very beginning, but there was nothing for [Spiritual Power].

    How was he supposed to increase it then?

    It wasn¡¯t really important that the system didn¡¯t evenment on this stat, but what did it mean for it to be so different from his other stats? It seemed rather mysterious.

    His biggest priority was to increase this [Spiritual Power] stat. If there was no way to increase it, then¡­

    After remaining silent for a few moments, Seiji opened up his new [Spiritual Abilities] menu.

    After opening it up, it was nk inside.

    nk¡­ what the hell!!?

    Seiji was in a state of shock now.

    Hey, hey, system, just what do you mean by this?

    ¡®Didn¡¯t you just tell me something about [Spiritual Abilities] being able to grind for points and items as well??¡¯

    What was with all this nkness!? Was there a bug in the system!?

    Of course, the system didn¡¯t respond to anything that Seiji said or thought.

    After finishing his stream ofments, Seiji opened up his [items] menu to check what he just received.

    [Character reward card "Shika Kagura"¡ªfrom now on, I¡¯ll always be with you.]

    [This card will have an evesting passive effect. This card cannot be used or disappear.]

    [All basic stats increased by a bonus of 3 points.]

    [30% increased resistance against ice-type spiritual magic attacks.]

    [30% increased attack against ice-type spiritual magic defense.]

    [??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 1: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 2: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 3: Brother and Sister Drawing (Drawing prerequisite met.)]

    [Drawing improvement ability: 65% increase in ability to draw brother or sister characters and improved visualization technique. Mana will be consumed while using this technique. "The distance between a brother and a sister might be the closest or the furthest apart in the world."]

    [Additional ability 4: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 5: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 6: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    Seiji was speechless for a good long while.

    He felt as if he had just received some godly equipment, but he was too low-level to equip it.

    Just what the hell was all this!?

    He didn¡¯t even feel like imagining the system as a fairy and beating it up anymore. He merely felt drained of all energy.

    Well, at the very least, there was still one more reward.

    He inspected the [Spiritual Ability activation card] that he had received. It was called [Spiritual Ability¡ªSpiritual Power Transference activation card]. It would activate the [Spiritual Power Transference] option.

    That was all that the system told him.

    This exnation¡­ it wasn¡¯t any type of exnation at all; it was just increasing the word count!

    System, you might as well have left it nk as well if you wanted to act cool!

    It had already left two nk sections for him.

    Was it simply because it didn¡¯t want to use nkness three times in a row, so it forcefully added a few words in!?

    Seiji energetically kept up a stream ofmentary on his own system.

    After he had nothing more to say, Seiji sighed.

    ¡®I might as well use it and check out its effects.¡¯

    Seiji had a sudden epiphany right before he was about to activate the card.

    Wait a moment! Perhaps this was all some devious scheme?

    The character reward card aside, it seemed rather abnormal that his [Spiritual Power] and [Spiritual Abilities] were nk, and the activation card was basically a reiteration of its name as the exnation.

    Seiji imagined the system as a fairy chuckling at him evilly again.

    He felt as if activating this card would be like opening up a jack-in-the-box which would have something strange pop out at him. There was a chance that some unusual situation would ur.

    He shouldn¡¯t use it so casually in the main hallway.

    Seiji closed his system, finished his tea, and went back to his temporary room in Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    He closed the door andy down on his bed before opening his system again and choosing the activation card.

    He mentally prepared himself and activated it!

    The [Spiritual Ability¡ªSpiritual Power Transference activation card] broke up into six shes of golden-red light. The six shes of light proceeded to shoot into his head, chest, both hands, and both feet.

    Seiji felt a strong sense of soreness from his entire body; it was akin to the sensation of dissolving!

    His mind wentpletely nk as he was no longer able to concentrate or make conscious thought.

    He witnessed countless scenes, heard countless sounds, breathed countless smells, and touched countless items in a dream-like state. After experiencing infinity, everything became nothing again as he forgot all his experiences.

    ¡­

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes.

    He reflexively tried lifting his hand, but when he tried doing so, he felt an incredible sense of soreness.

    It was a feeling simr to having exercised for far too long after not exercising for a long period of time. It was a type of intense muscle soreness.

    What just happened?

    ¡®Oh, right, I used that activation card, then¡­¡¯

    Seiji slowly recalled what had happened.

    He tried moving his hand one more time, then his feet, and then his body. He discovered that every inch of his body was incredibly sore!

    His head also felt rather numb, and his thoughts were dull and sluggish. Just what the hell happened!?

    This [Spiritual Ability] activation card was just too much! Inparison to this, the difort from the [fighting], [writing], and [drawing] activation cards was nothing!

    Seiji sighed to himself before realizing that the sunlight entering the window had be rather dim.

    Was it already dusk?

    Just how long had he been unconscious for?

    His body screamed in pain as he took out his cell phone and checked the time¡­

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s a relief. At least I don¡¯t need to go ss anymore as it¡¯s already over!¡¯

    Seiji inwardly praised himself for returning to his room before activating the card. Otherwise, if he copsed in the hallway for such a long time, Houjou-senpai would definitely notice and that would inconvenience him.

    His system was really toying with him this time around.

    Seiji¡¯s face twitched as he opened up his system again.

    ¡®You better have given me something really good for all you put me through, bastard!¡¯

    Upon first inspection, he noticed that his [Spiritual Power] stat had increased to 5 points!

    An increase from 0 to 5¡­ still seemed rather¡­ pointless.

    The important part was still how to further increase his [Spiritual Power] stat!

    He then opened up the [Spiritual Abilities] menu and, as expected, he saw the new option of [Spiritual Power Transference].

    Apart from this, there were one, two¡­ three new options!?

    Seiji was stunned at the sight. ¡®Hey, hey, didn¡¯t I only use one activation card?¡¯

    Was the system being generous today? Impossible! There must have been a bug!!

    ¡®Calm down. Resist the numbness in my brain, and check over everything carefully.¡¯

    The three new options were [Spiritual Power increase], [Mana increase], and [Contract with a Spirit-branded Retainer].

    So this was how to increase [Spiritual Power]!

    As for [Mana], that was probably something akin to increasing MP.

    As for [Contract with a Spirit-branded Retainer].

    Contract!?

    Seiji¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

 Chapter 144 - Youre Actuallyâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 144: You''re Actually¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    He instantly opened up the [Contract] option and saw¡ª

    [Shika Kagura]

    [Beginner-level Spiritual Retainer, uncontracted]

    [Special characteristics: Possesses a unique ability. Well-bnced type. High growth rates. Incredible potential]

    [Avable contract: Connectivity Contract.]

    Seiji inspected the [Connectivity Contract] more closely.

    ording to his system¡¯s exnation, a [Connectivity Contract] was a contract that would automatically be avable when a potential retainer character¡¯s connectivity rating to him exceeded 100. After both parties agreed to the contract, the retainer would change from [Uncontracted] to [Connectivity Contract] status, which would decrease his [Spiritual Power] stat by 10 in order to maintain. In return, 10 points would be produced every day, and the retainer¡¯s abilities and growth would be greatly increased, with new abilities being awakened as well!

    All this seemed quite good.

    However, Seiji tugged his lips when he saw the next message.

    [Contracting condition: Make the potential retainer into a contracted Spirit-branded Retainer in the real world.]

    Although he was willing to contract Shika as his personal Spirit-branded Retainer, he wasn¡¯t even a Yin Yang Master!

    This thing wasn¡¯t something he could use immediately. Why did such an option appear, anyway?

    Seiji checked his system¡¯s message history in order to understand what had happened.

    Momentster, he understood.

    After activating the [Spiritual Power Transference] ability, he had received a huge shock to his physical body¡­ and while he was in a state of semi-unconsciousness, many things had happened.

    The [Spiritual Power Transference] ability activated automatically and began transforming the [Karma of Reaper¡¯s Curse] power into [Spiritual Power].

    The system didn¡¯t give any exnations for this so-called [Karma of Reaper¡¯s Curse], but it was most likely referring to the abnormal catastrophes that were supposed to befall him as a result of approaching the [Reaper¡¯s Curse].

    This [Spiritual Power Transference] ability passively converted the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] into his own [Spiritual Power]!

    It also used up a portion of his stockpiled points as payment.

    He was able to absorb 5 [Spiritual Power] in this conversion, costing him 25 points.

    A ratio of 1:5¡­ it was eptable.

    Seiji paid more attention to the fact that his dating sim system was able to transform the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] ability into his [Spiritual Power], as it helped him to gain some insight into the system¡¯s workings.

    His [Spiritual Power] increased to 5 points, and his two character reward cards from Hoshi and Shika gave him a bonus of +6 to all his stats, so he actually had 11 [Spiritual Power]. This helped to activate three new options: [Spiritual Power increase], [Mana increase], and [Contract].

    The first two options required a minimum [Spiritual Power] of 10 points to activate.

    The [Contract] option also required 10 points in addition to a retainer character with a favorability or connectivity rating of above 100 to activate.

    That was how he obtained these three options.

    It was quite wonderful that his system wasn¡¯t bugged.

    Of course, the system didn¡¯t reply and stayed silent as always.

    Seiji quietly stared at his system¡¯s menu as if he could pierce through it with his vision and see it for what it really was.

    "ording to Natsuya Yoruhana, the only person in history to ever sessfully suppress the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] was Seimei Kamijou, my ancestor. I¡­ as Seimei Kamijou¡¯s descendent, I have a mysterious and powerful system.

    "This system has the ability to absorb and transfer power from the [Reaper¡¯s Curse]. In conclusion¡­ system¡­ dating sim system, DS system, whatever I call you, you¡¯re actually the strongest Yin Yang Master in history, Seimei Kamijou, aren¡¯t you?" he stated his inference out loud in a light tone.

    This was doubtlessly a shocking revtion.

    Seimei Kamijou¡­ although Seiji still didn¡¯t know much about him, Seiji faintly detected just how far his ancestor¡¯s power spread throughout the realm of Yin Yang Masters.

    If this person was still alive or still existed somehow in a unique method in one of his descendant¡¯s bodies¡­ just how much of a wave would it cause in the Yin Yang Master society?

    Others notwithstanding, the Haruta family would surely be thrown into utter chaos!

    Their most venerated ancestor still existed in this world, within the body of one of his descendants¡­ not to mention a descendant that had been exiled from the family! This would surely shake the entire family down to its core.

    Seiji thought to himself that it even seemed like a clich¨¦ story trope that he would often see in his previous life.

    Well, this was still just his guess.

    As always, the system didn¡¯t respond to anything he said.

    Perhaps the dating sim system was actually Seimei Kamijou, or perhaps it was a power derived from his bloodline, or something else entirely.

    Or maybe Seiji simply mistook everything in the first ce, and this system had nothing to do with Seimei Kamijou. It simply had power equivalent to his ancestor¡¯s.

    The system¡­ he decided for himself to call it a dating sim system, but he still didn¡¯t know just exactly what it was.

    It seemed probable that it was connected to Seimei Kamijou, but in the end it was just his guess.

    Seiji smiled after silently thinking it over for a while.

    "Well, no matter what you are, system, I¡­ I¡¯m truly grateful to you. I don¡¯t know whether or not you were responsible for taking my soul into this world after I died on Earth, so that I could live again. If you were responsible, then I owe you my life.

    "Also, I was only able to save Mika, Hoshi, and Shika-chan thanks to you¡­ I have no words with which I can express my gratitude¡­ And apart from this, you¡¯ve helped me learn how to fight, how to write¡­ and you¡¯ve given me so much assistance.

    "At any rate, thank you so much," Seiji sincerely said all this out loud.

    Perhaps there was a hidden motive to the system helping him, but so what? He had already died in his previous life as an otaku, so even if something happened to him, it couldn¡¯t get much worse than dying again.

    Seiji was rather open-minded.

    He didn¡¯t know what the system was. Maybe he would find out in the future, or maybe he would never know.

    Seiji continued checking out his menu after expressing his gratitude.

    Unbeknownst to him, a hazy white shadow had appeared behind him.

    The faint shadow seemed androgynous, and it exuded a gentle silver light from its eyes. Its mouth was arced upwards in a faint smile.

    ¡®No need to be polite, Lin¡­kun,¡¯ the white shadow silently mouthed before disappearing silently.

    It was as if it had never appeared.

    Seiji inspected the [Spiritual Power increase] and [Mana increase] options.

    The only option under [Spiritual power increase] was called [Visualization], and it was grayed-out and not selectable. ording to the exnation, a [Spirit Image] was required to assist him in [Visualization].

    There was no exnation avable as to what a [Spirit Image] was supposed to be.

    As for [Mana increase], there was only one option of [Beginning Technique], which was also grayed-out. The exnation said that he could only choose it when he was wearing a [Mana Cultivation Outfit].

    Fine then, a [Spirit Image] and a [Mana Cultivation Outfit]¡­

    Seiji felt that he would need to ask President Yoruhana about these.

    But she viewed him as a normal person who knew nothing about spiritual cultivation, so asking these specialized vocabry terms all of a sudden would surely raise her suspicions.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ how should I ask her about it? Wait¡­ perhaps I can ask Shika-chan instead?¡¯

 Chapter 145 - Spiritual Power and Mana

    <h4>Chapter 145: Spiritual Power and Mana</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Dinnertime.

    Shika, who was reading some manga while rxing on a chair, heard a knock on the door.

    "Please enter."

    Rather than the maid whom she expected, the person who entered was a handsome boy.

    Seiji smiled. "Shika-chan, I¡¯m here to eat dinner together with you."

    Shika paused in surprise for a moment, before a smile slowly bloomed on her face.

    "Thank you¡­"

    "There¡¯s nothing to thank me for; I just wanted to eat together with you."

    Seiji brought two trays of food over and ced them on the table.

    "I¡­ haven¡¯t eaten together with anyone for a terribly long time," she informed him in a soft voice.

    Seiji¡¯s hands paused in midair upon hearing this.

    "That¡¯s why¡­ thank you," Shika said, gazing directly into his eyes.

    Seiji turned around and patted her on the head.

    "I¡¯ve received your gratitude, but starting from next time, there''s no need to thank me anymore. We¡¯ll be eating together quite often in the future."

    Seiji retracted his hand and smiled warmly at her after patting her twice on the head.

    "Okay¡­" Shika nodded as an indescribable light shed through her eyes.

    Their dinner was emitting an appetizing aroma.

    They sat diagonally across from each other and began enjoying their sulent meals.

    Seiji watched her as he ate.

    Shika took tiny bites and ate slowly, giving him the impression that she was a small animal.

    Shika blinked and returned his gaze when she noticed him watching her.

    ¡®How cute¡­¡¯

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall the way she ate during her bout of amnesia. While she also took tiny bites, she ate quickly with a sparkle in her eyes.

    Which of the two was cuter if he did aparison?

    Both were really cute!

    *Ding!* Sis-con rating increased by 5 points.

    Seiji imagined hearing such a sound in his mind.

    "Brother Seiji, what¡¯s the matter?"

    "Nothing¡­ I just felt that the way you ate is really cute." A trace of red crept into Shika¡¯s face upon hearing this. "Brother Seiji¡­ you look really cool when you eat as well."

    Seiji was rendered speechless at this unintentionaleback.

    He suddenly realized how embarrassing it sounded!

    Why did it feel so embarrassing when the target being praised was switched to him!?

    He had only felt it was a normal exmation when he was talking about her¡­ Was what he said actually something so embarrassing after all?

    Seiji¡¯s face also reddened.

    Shika was still looking directly at him.

    Unable to take it, Seiji averted his gaze.

    Shika continued to look directly at him.

    "Er¡­ why do you keep looking at me? Eat! Let¡¯s eat!" Seiji panicked a little as he lowered his head and focused on chowing down.

    Shika¡¯s mouth arced upwards as she finally stopped gazing at him and lowered her head to eat as well.

    After a period of silence.

    "Shika-chan," Seiji started, "do you know how to increase Spiritual Power?"

    Shika¡¯s movements paused for a brief moment.

    "Yes, I know¡­ why do you ask?"

    "Do I even need to say it? Of course it¡¯s because I want to increase my strength and be a Yin Yang Master," Seiji stated calmly.

    ¡®I will be strong¡¯ was what he promised her.

    Shika blinked in realization. ¡®I see. He¡¯s¡­ already beginning to work hard for his goal.¡¯

    "Increasing Spiritual Power¡­ The most basic and mostmon method to increase Spiritual Power is called ¡®Visualization,¡¯" Shika said in a soft voice.

    [Visualization]! Excellent, the first question was right on the mark.

    "What is ¡®Visualization?¡¯"

    "To exin it roughly, it means observing and imagining. In Visualization, you must observe a ¡®Spirit Image¡¯ and imagine it wholeheartedly. If it¡¯s done properly, your consciousness will temporarily reside within the image and experience it."

    "What¡¯s a ¡®Spirit Image?¡¯"

    "It¡¯s an image that¡¯s drawn using Spiritual Power. There are various images used for cultivation, used in casting spells, and also spell formations¡­"

    "For ¡®Visualization,¡¯ it would have to be a cultivation-type Spirit Image; do you happen to have one?"

    "Yes, only one¡­ They¡¯re considered really valuable."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji took another bite of food.

    A valuable cultivation tool¡­ Shika obviously wouldn¡¯t carry it around with her.

    "I was thinking that I could borrow one from President Yoruhana and attempt cultivating¡­ Er, will it use up the Spirit Image if I cultivate with it?"

    Shika shook her head. "No, Spirit Images only have time limits on when they expire, but they won¡¯t be used up."

    "So it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s used or not, as it will be ineffective once it reaches its use-by date?"

    "Yes."

    "Then I won¡¯t feel bad about borrowing one." Seiji continued shoveling food into his mouth. "Oh, right, about Mana¡­ just what is the difference between Spiritual Power and Mana? I only know that Yin Yang Masters also require Mana¡­"

    Shika seemed to consider the question he posed.

    "To use an analogy, Spiritual Power is like a bowl." She pointed to her own food bowl after thinking about it. "And Mana is like rice. In order to contain rice, you need a bowl. Therger the bowl, the more rice it can contain, but the amount of rice in each bowl is different for each person."

    "For two identical bowls, some people have more rice, while some people have less. If a small bowl has enough rice in it, it can equal arge bowl that doesn¡¯t have much rice in it¡­"

    "The normal situation is thatrger bowls have more rice, and smaller bowls have less rice."

    Seiji attentively listened to her analogy.

    It didn¡¯t seem too difficult to understand, at least in his mind.

    Spiritual Power was like a vessel, while Mana was the substance which filled the vessel. The vessel itself determined the maximum storage capacity, but not everyone would reach their maximum capacity. There would be those with high Spiritual Power but low Mana.

    Usually people with higher Spiritual Power would possess arger amount of Mana.

    Seiji made an educated guess. "To cast spells, it costs rice to cast them¡­ whoops, Mana, right? And Spiritual Power won¡¯t be used up¡­ and the stronger your Spiritual Power is, the faster your Mana will regenerate, is that right?"

    Shika nodded in response.

    It seemed that his guess was correct, so his understanding of it must be correct as well.

    "Spiritual Power is the foundation that must be raised first, and mana must be raised as well¡­ so how do I increase my Mana?"

    "You have to wear a ¡®Mana Cultivation Outfit¡¯ and perform a ¡®ritual.¡¯"

    Yep, he heard some vocabry words that he wanted to hear again.

    "¡®Mana Cultivation Outfit¡¯ seems like it''s really easy to understand. It¡¯s just like it sounds: a special outfit which helps you cultivate, right?"

    Shika nodded again.

    "Are they also as valuable as Spirit Images?"

    Another nod.

    "Will it be used up after a ritual?"

    Yet another nod.

    "This seems like it will be more difficult to borrow." Seiji rubbed his chin. "What does the ritual involve, then?"

    "It¡¯s¡­ actions, breathing, incantations, spirit¡­ everythingbined." Shika seemed to think of something as she put down her chopsticks and suddenly stood up. "It¡¯s difficult to describe, so let me show you."

    After walking a moderate distance away from the table, she stood up straight, turned her palms upwards, ced them in front of her, and closed her eyes.

    Seiji was instantly able to detect a change in the atmosphere.

    It almost felt as if something invisible was gathering here.

    Was it¡­ the Mana present in the environment?

    Before he could finish his thoughts, Shika began her movements.

    Her hands began moving about in seemingly gentle yet steady movements¡­ it gave Seiji the impression of shadowboxing.

    "Ee---" A sonorous sound came out of her mouth. "La---So---La---Yo---"

    The words didn¡¯t seem to have any particr meaning; they were just musical notes that were connected together by tones.

    Inbination with her hand movements, this definitely seemed ritualistic.

    Her feet began moving as well.

    Again, her feet were moving in light yet steady movements. It was akin to a dance.

    Her hands and feet kept waving and weaving as she sang her mysterious incantation. It seemed like she was both dancing and practicing martial arts at the same time.

    The feeling of something invisible coalescing in the air became even stronger.

    Shika was at the eye of the storm.

    Seiji slowly started to get absorbed in her performance.

    So beautiful¡­

    It wasn¡¯t a dance, yet it resembled one¡­ Watching such a mysterious performance by a beauty like Shika was a type of enjoyment in and of itself!

    Finally, Shika stopped her steps, drew a circle with her hands in midair, exhaled lightly, inhaled, and her breathing returned to its normal rhythm.

    She opened her eyes and looked back at Seiji.

    What she saw was his smile as he began apuding.

    "So this is a ritual¡­ it seems so beautiful when you perform it, Shika-chan!" Seiji praised her sincerely.

    Shika¡¯s face turned red once again at hearing this.

    Even redder than before.

 Chapter 146 - Gradually Slipping into the Abyss

    <h4>Chapter 146: Gradually Slipping into the Abyss</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Honestly, Brother Seiji is so¡­¡¯

    Shika was feeling embarrassed inside.

    But, strangely enough, it wasn¡¯t ufortable¡­ in fact, it felt rather nice.

    Eating together with him, speaking with him, and being praised by him¡­ was really enjoyable.

    She almost felt like crying when shepared her current life with the way she used to live.

    ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t cry here. I should be smiling in front of him at such a time.¡¯

    Shika disyed a smile that came from her heart again.

    Her slightly shy and moving smile almost caused Seiji to fall into a daze.

    Only when she sat down again did Seiji regain his senses.

    ¡®My little sister¡¯s too cute! What should I do!?¡¯

    He felt that he was gradually slipping into the abyss¡­ No, he had to stop thinking about it!

    "Thank you for your performance. I understand what a ritual is now, so we can finish our meal."

    "Yeah¡­"

    Neither of them spoke for a while after this, and only the sound of the pair eating remained.

    Since the ¡®ritual¡¯ was what Shika just performed¡­ then the [Beginning Technique] in the system was probably referring to the most basic version of what she just performed.

    Seiji presumed it was simr to an entry-level technique in martial arts.

    If he truly wanted to learn cultivation, he would have to wear a special outfit¡­ he was rather curious about its appearance.

    ¡®Would Shika-chan look even prettier if she performed that ritual again while wearing it?¡¯ Seiji really wanted to see it. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll have plenty of chances in the future!¡¯

    ¡­The abyss was beckoning.

    ¡®So what!? I really want to see!!¡¯

    Seiji forcefully banished his idle thoughts after inwardlymenting on himself.

    "Ah¡­ I have onest question: how do I be a Yin Yang Master? Are there any other conditions apart from Mana and Spiritual Power?"

    Shika shook her head. "I don¡¯t know. I¡­ I¡¯m just a retainer, so I only know about retainers."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Sorry¡­"

    "Eh? You don¡¯t need to apologize, it¡¯s not like this is anything to apologize for. If you don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t know." Seiji smiled again as he patted her on the head. "Don¡¯t say sorry so often, especially to me," he said in a forceful yet gentle tone as he looked into her eyes.

    "Okay¡­" Shika nodded slightly.

    She felt like crying again. How unseemly¡­

    She needed to get used to this feeling.

    The warmth andfort¡­ that she received from being together with him.

    ¡­

    After they finished eating dinner.

    Seiji brought the trays and tes back to the kitchen, where Mai informed him that Natsuya still hadn¡¯t returned.

    Due to this, he decided to go back to his room and grind for some points.

    Even though absorbing the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] today cost him 25 points, he still had plenty left over, so he wanted to exchange for something, but¡­

    ¡®I have a new statistic now, with a new category of options and four lesser options within it, but there¡¯s no new [Items] to go along with this update! Just what are you thinking, system!?¡¯ As usual, Seiji had a stream of energeticments.

    This waspletely against the maxims of any sessful MMORPG!

    A massive update must be apanied by new items that people could spend money on! If a huge update didn¡¯t have any new products to purchase, not only would the game lose out onrge potential profits, the richest yers would curse at the game developers!!

    This otaku that wanted to spend his money (okay, points) was angry!

    But in the end, it was all useless.

    After finishing his immature small fit of rage, Seiji could only silently grind whatever he could.

    Then he logged on to his email and discovered that Editor Yoshizawa had sent him a new message.

    The contents of the message stated that his short novel "I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome!" had been formally epted by Thunderbolt Literature.

    As long as he printed the contract in this email, signed the bottom, and mailed it to their editing department, his novel would be published in next week¡¯s magazine.

    Published! Published! Published!! Important things need to be repeated three times.

    ¡®My story is going to be published!¡¯ Just imagining it filled Seiji with a burst of overwhelming excitement.

    This story wasn¡¯t one that he giarized from his own world; it was an original workpletely created using his own imagination!

    Although his system improved his writing level, he still came up with his own characters, story, and setting. Everything he wrote was a product of his own mind.

    This type of aplishment and joy was wonderful.

    Seiji had high expectations for when he would be able to first witness his story in a magazine.

    But before that, he needed to sign the contract.

    Was there a printer in this residence?

    Seiji left his room in order to search for Mai.

    There were some soundsing from the main hallway.

    "Houjou-san, I¡¯d like to¡­" Seiji started¡ªbut when he entered the hallway, he instantly retracted his words.

    That was because he witnessed the scene of Mai Houjou watching TV while imitating the singing and dancing actions of the idol girl group that was performing.

    "I truly wish~~ You¡¯d embrace me~~ On that sunset-stained hillside~~ I like you~~"

    The beautiful girl in ck-and-white maid attire was dancing happily with light, quick steps as she smiled brilliantly while making various cute poses with her hands.

    Seiji waspletely stunned at this sight.

    He just stood there at the entranceway to the main hallway with eyes wide open and mouth agape, watching Mai flutter around like she was a little girl.

    The former student council president¡­

    The Smiling Executioner¡­

    The person that even the drama club president, no that every Genhana High School senior feared¡­

    The older sister figure whom Natsuya trusted so wholeheartedly, the mysterious maid that Seiji felt seemed gentle on the surface and reserved on the inside, was actually¡­ doing such¡­

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how to describe his current feelings, nor did he know what his current expression was anymore.

    He was only capable of staring in shock at the figure before him.

    "Sunset shimmer~~ Color the sky orange~~ Your passion~~ Is burning like the sun~~ I love you~~"

    The idols¡¯ song on television reached its climax.

    Mai also jumped together with them, forming a heart with her fingers as she sang together with them in a small voice.

    Finally, she turned around and did an extravagant pause for her finishing flourish.

    Of course, she locked gazes with the boy who was frozen solid.

    Mai froze solid as well.

    The idols on the television finished their poses and smiled as they stood in a neat row, bowed towards the audience, and left the stage.

    In the hallway, however, time itself seemed to freeze.

    The air was so heavy that it felt tangible.

    It was just as if Izayoi Sakuya cast her time maniption ability¡­ oh right, that character was a maid as well.

    As was typical of Seiji¡¯s mind, it startedmenting energetically as soon as it began working again.

    Mai was still frozen in that ridiculous cute pose. Not even her smile budged a centimeter, despite the fact that quite a while had passed.

    She seemed petrified.

    "Um¡­ Senpai?" Seiji decided to break the silence.

    Mai¡¯s body trembled.

    She slowly straightened herself from her pose, retracted her smile, lowered her head, and averted her gaze.

    Seiji could detect that something was brewing within her.

    It seemed¡­ rather ominous.

    Just as he felt a sensation of danger and was about to do something to defuse it, Mai opened her mouth and spoke.

    "You¡­ saw everything?"

    A low, chilling voice came from the maid who still refused to meet Seiji¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 147 - I Promise on My Virginity!

    <h4>Chapter 147: I Promise on My Virginity!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Killing intent.

    Seiji was certain that he had, for the first time, detected the legendary so-called killing intent in real life!

    This was a basic instinct that humans possessed to protect themselves from danger.

    How was he supposed to answer this question?

    Just as he was attempting toe up with a suitable answer, three conversation options appeared in front of him¡ª

    [A: No, I didn¡¯t see anything.]

    [B: Yes, I saw it.]

    [C: I felt like I just saw something¡­ but I¡¯ve already forgotten it.]

    The correct answer was probably C.

    Honestly speaking, C wasn¡¯t exactly an ideal option; it seemed too unnatural!

    But B sounded like suicide, and A was basically lying through his teeth, so by process of elimination, C was the only correct answer.

    "Er¡­ I felt like I just saw something, but I¡¯ve already forgotten it¡­" Seiji averted his gaze and pretended to look elsewhere. "Eh? Why am I standing here?"

    *Ding!* [Favorability rating has increased!]

    The killing intent vanished.

    Yes, that was the correct answer!

    Seiji inwardly praised the system for helping him out of this dangerous situation.

    Across from him, Mai slowly turned around to face him.

    Her face waspletely red, and her expression still seemed rather awkward.

    To describe it in anime terms, Mai¡¯s current expression greatly resembled Rena Ryuuguu from Higurashi. The nk expression in her eyes indicated that she was on the verge of going crazy.

    Seiji broke out into a cold sweat upon seeing the expression on his face.

    If he answered incorrectly just now¡­ what would have happened to him!?

    He didn¡¯t dare imagine it.

    Just let everything he just witnessed fly away with the wind! Seal those memories! Bury thempletely!!

    "You¡­ did you really forget about it?" she asked him in low, hoarse voice.

    Seiji tried to act normal. "Yep, really, I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m standing here right now. Please allow me to go back to my room and consider this topic."

    He could always ask to borrow a printer tomorrow.

    Mai nodded. "Oh¡­ please go ahead."

    Seiji turned around, walked out of the hallway, and returned to his room.

    At first, he was walking at a normal pace, but he gradually quickened his footsteps.

    His room was right before him.

    He reached out to turn the door handle, but right at this moment¡­ a hand was silently on his shoulder.

    "Junior¡­ actually¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be impossible for you to forget it?" A low and gentle female voice sounded from behind him.

    Terrifying!

    This is so scary!!

    Seiji felt as if all his hairs were standing up on their ends.

    ¡®Houjou-san, you¡¯ll really scare me to death like this! Don¡¯t use your skills as a maid to move around soundlessly like this!!¡¯

    She almost seemed like a ghost.

    "Junior¡­"

    If she said a line like "vengeance~~" right now, it would literally be like a ssical ghost haunting.

    "Senpai¡­" Seiji¡¯s cheeks were twitching slightly. "I¡­ definitely won¡¯t tell anyone. You¡­ can rx about it and let me go."

    Seiji felt like he was about to be forcefully sent to heaven!

    "How could I possibly rx¡­" The gentle female voice began to sound abnormal¡­ no, it sounded abnormal from the very start. "If Mdy learns about this, I¡­"

    Seiji¡¯s shoulder was about to pop out from being clutched so tightly.

    ¡®This maid¡¯s strength sure is abnormal.¡¯

    "She won¡¯t find out, I promise."

    "You¡­ what do you promise with?"

    Eh, he felt like he heard something simr to this before?

    Oh right,st time, he¡­ gave such an embarrassing response.

    He didn¡¯t expect to hear such a question again, but this time he wasn¡¯t going to respond that way!

    Seiji had a sh of inspiration.

    "I promise on my virginity!"

    This time he would answer Gintama style! Cough cough, stop going off on a tangent.

    The hand on his shoulder shook at this answer.

    "Virginity?" The ghost¡­ whoops, Mai was confused at this response.

    "Virginity is a gentleman¡¯s¡­ an otaku¡¯s most important asset," Seiji exined in a serious tone. "You can understand it as something simr to a normal person¡¯s most important moral principle."

    "Oh¡­"

    It sounded rather strange to Mai, but since Seiji had exined it to such an extent, she felt like she had no choice but to let it go.

    "Alright, I¡­ will believe you¡­ Junior."

    The hand on Seiji¡¯s shoulder was finally retracted.

    Seiji inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Good night, Senpai."

    He was about to open the door to his room.

    But he was grabbed on the shoulder yet again!

    ¡®Just what else are you about to do, Sister!?¡¯

    "Thank you¡­ for being willing to keep my secret. Allow me to treat you to some good food."

    This time, her voice finally sounded normal.

    ¡®Well, this is much better.¡¯

    Seiji tugged at his lips. "Can I call for Shika-chan¡­ for Shika Kagura to join us?"

    Mai paused in surprise for a short second at hearing this, before smiling.

    "Of course."

    ¡­

    The gentle yet bright orange-yellow glow of the lights in the corridor illuminated the three people walking through it.

    "So Senpai was referring to red bean cakes when you said you would treat me to something delicious."

    Seiji recognized the object that Mai showed him.

    Mai smiled as she nodded.

    "I personally made these red bean cakes. I didn¡¯t put too much sugar into these, so they¡¯re not particrly sweet, but I hope that you¡¯ll enjoy them."

    Red bean cakes were a traditional dessert in Sakura Ind. It was a gtin-style dessert made using beans. Usually, they were made with red beans and chestnuts, but there were arge variety of avable vors.

    The red bean cakes that Mai shared with them were a translucent blue. They looked beautiful¡ªalmost like works of art¡ªunder the light in their porcin dishes.

    Shika, who was beside Seiji, stared unblinkingly at the red bean cakes for a good while.

    Although her face was expressionless on the surface, Seiji could tell that she was really looking forward to tasting them.

    Mai began pouring tea after she set out the red bean cakes for them.

    When the clear green tea was poured into the cups, the fragrant aroma of tea began to envelop them, causing this atmosphere to seem almost poetic.

    ¡®No, not seem; it definitely is poetic,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Watching the quiet night scenery together with two beauties while drinking top-ss tea and enjoying sweets personally made by one of the beauties¡­ how could such a scene not be poetic?

    At this moment, Seiji experienced peace, quietness, and bliss.

    "Please enjoy." Mai smiled and invited them to begin after she finished pouring tea for everyone.

    Seiji and Shika exchanged nces before both reaching out and cing the teacups on their palms as they took a sip.

    Yep, delicious tea.

    The tea¡¯s temperature was just perfect¡ªit was neither scalding nor lukewarm. The tea¡¯s rich vor lingered in his mouth, leaving him with a feeling of deep satisfaction.

    Next up were the red bean cakes.

    Shika¡¯s eyes sparkled as she took a toothpick, pierced one of the red bean cakes, and ced it into her mouth.

    Her eyes widened, and her expression was filled with joy as she closed her eyes in ecstasy.

    So she didn¡¯t turn into a character from a cooking manga¡­

    ¡®Cough, stop getting sidetracked.¡¯

    "Is it delicious?" Seiji asked, smiling at Shika.

    Shika nodded vigorously.

    "Then you should properly thank Houjou-senpai, as she treated us out of the kindness of her heart."

    "Mmm¡­ Thank you." Shika gave the maid Mai her sincere thanks.

    "No need to be so polite." Mai smiled gently; she seemed quite pleased.

    Seiji also tasted a red bean cake.

    The moment he chewed, the cake melted in his mouth¡­ it truly dissolved instantaneously!

    Its appealing tastebined with the aftertaste of the tea created a brand-new rich,plex vor. The vor seemed sweet, bitter, and aromatic at the same time, causing him to savor it.

    Well, with Seiji¡¯s level, that was the best description he coulde up with.

    If Mika or Chiaki were present, perhaps they¡¯d be able toe up with long essays about it, or even show their climaxing faces¡­ just joking.

    "It¡¯s truly delicious¡­ everything that Senpai cooks is so wonderful," Seiji praised sincerely. "Anyone that marries Senpai would surely lead a blessed life."

    Full points in cooking skills and top-notch at housework! As long as you ignored some strange little things, hmm¡­ a perfect wife!

    At any rate, any man that could be together with her would surely be a lucky one. That was what Seiji believed, anyway.

    Suddenly he noticed that the atmosphere felt somewhat strange.

    Turning around, he noticed that Shika was staring at him, and Mai was also looking at him, her eyes slightly widened in shock and her face flushed red.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡®Did I say something wrong?¡¯

 Chapter 148 - Lets Work Together on a Story!

    <h4>Chapter 148: Let''s Work Together on a Story!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Why are they looking at me like that? All I did was¡­¡¯

    Seiji thought back to what he just said and realized that they must have misunderstood his words.

    He hurriedly tried to defend himself. "No, no, Senpai! What I meant was that anyone who married you would be lucky to be with you! I wasn¡¯t talking about me¡­ er¡­"

    Shika¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, while Mai narrowed her eyes.

    "I understand¡­ Haruta-san, you fool all the girls with this act of yours."

    "Er, fool?" Seiji was confused. "I¡¯m not trying to fool anyone; I¡¯m just stating my honest opinion."

    Mai¡¯s face reddened even further as she averted her gaze.

    Shika blinked cutely. "Brother Seiji¡­ is a yboy?"

    "Why did such a word suddenly appear here!?" Seiji asked in disbelief.

    ¡®Just how was I acting the part of a yboy? All I did was make a mistake with my words; is it really necessary to brand me as a yboy!?¡¯

    "Shika-chan, you can¡¯t just go around casually calling people ¡®yboy,¡¯ especially your brother. I¡¯m a righteous, chaste man!"

    The girl that he forcefully recognized as his younger sister and the embarrassed maid reacted with nothing but silence.

    Seiji continued sipping tea after he finished his serious performance.

    "Kagura-san, as you see for yourself, Haruta-san¡­ is an idiot."

    "Yeah¡­ Brother, his mind works¡­ in a subtly different way from other people."

    *Cough cough!* Seiji almost choked on his tea.

    What was all this? Why was he being looked down upon!? Forget about the strange maid saying weird things about him, even Shika-chan¡­

    If this was a manga, there would be numerous question marks popping out above his head right now.

    Shika and Mai both ignored his presence and merely drank tea as if they were long-time friends who had reached a mutual understanding.

    The atmosphere seemed a little strange.

    ¡®Forget it. It isn¡¯t necessary to argue over every word¡¯s meaning with them.

    ¡®Being together with girls means that I shouldn¡¯t care about every little detail. Yep, I¡¯m such a magnanimous fellow.¡¯

    Seiji inwardly praised himself for his tolerance.

    After a period of silence.

    "Houjou-san, is there a printer in this residence?" Seiji asked the question that he wanted to ask originally.

    "A printer? Of course. What do you want to do, idiot¡­ whoops, junior?"

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched violently. ¡®You must have said ¡®idiot¡¯ on purpose! You must have!¡¯

    Once again, he reminded himself to be magnanimous by not arguing over every little word. Otherwise there would be no end to it¡­

    "I wanted to print a contract for a story I wrote¡­" He continued to exin that a publishingpany had picked up his story.

    Mai blinked in surprise. "Oh¡­? Junior, you¡¯ve written a light novel which got epted by Thunderbolt Literature. That¡¯s not shabby," she praised sincerely.

    "I was just fortunate," Seiji replied with a humble look on his face.

    Suddenly he noticed that Shika was looking at him, her eyes sparkling with light.

    After a while, she expressed her desire: "I¡¯d like to read¡­ the story that Brother wrote."

    That¡¯s right; she was originally a literature-loving girl.

    Seiji smiled. "Of course. I¡¯ll send you the file in a bit, Shika-chan."

    Then he thought of something.

    "Shika-chan, you read books often, so have you ever considered writing your own story?"

    Shika paused in surprise before shaking her head.

    "No¡­" Her face gradually darkened. "Even if¡­ I wrote one, I don¡¯t know¡­ if I could show it to other people¡­"

    There was a brief period of silence.

    Would the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] ability even affect those that read Shika¡¯s stories?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know. But as long as Shika was worried about that, she wouldn¡¯t even want to pick up a pen due to her gentle nature. She would hate to harm others, even if it were only a possibility.

    Seiji had a heavy feeling in his heart.

    Shika was currently supporting herself financially by hiring herself out as a mercenary Spirit-branded Retainer. That was why she kept being harmed. In order for her to break free from this lifestyle, he had to first help her find some other method to support herself.

    Although he could take care of his adopted younger sister as her self-proimed adopted brother, she might lose her self-confidence or pride because of it, and he didn¡¯t want that to happen.

    As for money? Money was never a problem to Seiji.

    If he wanted to, he could get money any time through saving and loading. A single lottery ticket was all it would take!

    Before, he didn¡¯t want to abuse his power, since he believed in earning money through his own hard work. But if he really needed money for an emergency purpose, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate.

    And if he attracted too much attention by suddenly winning the lottery, he still had the option of borrowing money from any of the rich people around him, such as Chiaki Wakaba, Natsuya Yoruhana, or Hisashi Juumonji. He would definitely return their money afterward.

    At any rate, money was the least of his concerns; what worried him was Shika-chan herself.

    Just what should he do?

    "Shika-chan¡­ why don¡¯t you work together with me to write stories?"

    "Work together?" Shika asked him in a confused tone.

    "Tell me your thoughts about the characters, story, background, and settings¡­ and I¡¯ll be in charge of writing it all out.

    "Of course, I¡¯ll also add in my own ideas. In summation, you¡¯ll provide your ideas, I¡¯ll also provide a few of my ideas and write the story, and we can try to get it published together afterward.

    "If our story is published sessfully, we can split the payment. I¡¯ll take 60% and you¡¯ll take 40%."

    Honestly, Seiji wanted to reverse the ratio, but he knew that she definitely wouldn¡¯t ept that.

    "Is that¡­ really fine?" Shika still seemed doubtful.

    "I think it¡¯s fine, since I¡¯ll be the one doing the writing, and I¡¯ll also add in my own content. This way, the finished product will belong primarily to me, so it shouldn¡¯t¡­ affect others like how you¡¯re worried about," Seiji said calmly.

    Doing it this way probably wouldn¡¯t result in the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] affecting others.

    Otherwise, if the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] was that ridiculously strong, it would have destroyed Sakura Ind long ago when it appeared in the distant past.

    Honestly, this ability seemed rather subtle, just from the fact that it could be "mitigated." It was indeed scary, but calling it terrifying seemed to be an exaggeration¡­ At any rate, Seiji felt it was unnecessary to worry too much about it.

    It wasn¡¯t like this ability was a weapon meant for war.

    Shika was a good girl, and it was nice that she was gentle, but being too gentle and worrying too much about others to the extent of throttling her own future and personal interests was a bad thing.

    Since she worried that her stories would cause cmities to befall other people, then he would take responsibility for the stories.

    A clear way to put it was that Seiji believed himself to be a simple-minded person who would do what was necessary without thinking too much about it.

    Shika remained silent for a little while.

    "I don¡¯t know whether or not I can do it¡­ but I want to try. I want to¡­ write stories together with Brother Seiji!"

    Her eyes zed with a passion light.

    Seiji smiled at witnessing this sight.

    "Thene." He reached out his hand to her. "Please take good care of me, Teacher Kagura."

    "I-I¡¯m no teacher!" Shika¡¯s face turned red as she shook Seiji¡¯srge hand. "I¡¯m the one who should call you Teacher, Brother! Teacher Haruta, please take good care of me."

    And thus they agreed to cooperate.

    Mai witnessed all this with a gentle smile.

    "Also¡­" Shika began.

    "Hmm?"

    "As for the payment, I only need 20%¡­ no, 10% is enough," Shika said.

    "Nope!" Seiji countered instantly, sipping his tea in a casual manner. "We¡¯ve already agreed on it! You get 40%."

    "But¡­"

    "If you keep going on about this, I¡¯m going to increase it by another 10% and give you 50%!" Seiji remained calm as he took another red bean cake.

    "Er¡­" Shika didn¡¯t know what to say anymore, and she revealed a dazed expression.

    "Haha¡­" Mai, who was observing the sibling¡¯s conversation on the side, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡®These two are just too cute¡­¡¯

 Chapter 149 - Magic-Devouring Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 149: Magic-Devouring Dragon</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    And so, the evening tea party concluded joyfully.

    Seiji returned to his room first and sent his story to Shika¡¯s email. After that, he sought out Mai.

    Mai was waiting for him in front of a room on the third floor.

    When she saw him arrive, she opened the door of the room for him and led him inside.

    There was arge window directly across from the door in this room. The right side contained a row of bookshelves while arge desk outfitted with afortable-looking chair stood on the left side. There were threeputer monitors arranged on the desk together with oneptop, some file-folders, books, and photographs.

    Beside the desk was also a high-quality scanner/printer/copier machine in one¡ªit was amon model which could be found at any business.

    This room was obviously Natsuya¡¯s study.

    Mai turned on the printer, before starting theptop and inputting a password.

    "Go ahead and use this to download your contract and print it."

    "Okay, thanks."

    Seiji logged on to his email, downloaded the contract, and selected the "print" option.

    The printer whirred and quickly began printing his contract.

    During this space of a few short seconds, Seiji scanned the bookshelves in search of anything interesting.

    ¡®Aha¡­ I found it!¡¯

    On the farthest left corner of the bookshelf, he noticed an entire row of manga books as well as a row of CD cases containing anime episodes.

    "So the president¡¯s also an anime and manga lover."

    Seiji sighed and walked over to take a closer look at these all-too-familiar items.

    Even before temporarily moving into her residence, he already suspected that she might have such interests, but he never had the chance to ask her directly about it.

    When Mai brought some manga for Shika-chan to read, he believed it was further evidence of his inference being correct.

    That was because the manga was clearly used before, which meant that they weren¡¯t purchased recently at a bookstore and were already here!

    Natsuya Yoruhana wasn¡¯t an otaku at all, but she did understand anime and manga to some extent. This meant that she would sometimes watch or read them, but she wasn¡¯t at the level of an otaku, meaning she simply enjoyed them.

    ¡®This is rock-solid evidence of her personal interests,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself as he browsed through Natsuya¡¯s collection. He felt even closer to her now.

    "Indeed, Mdy does enjoy these, especially anime and manga about Yin Yang Masters, demons, and spirits." Mai smiled as she walked over to Seiji¡¯s side. "But she¡¯s worried about the elders perceiving her as immature, so she restrains herself. She never watches or reads such things at her main home, and she¡¯ll only do it here."

    Seiji snorted. "Tsk, there are always some rigid old fellows who believe anime and manga are only for young children."

    In his previous life, Seiji was an extreme 30-year-old otaku; he definitely didn¡¯t care about the biased opinions of these so-called "mature people."

    Without even understanding the beauty of the 2-D world, they condescendingly looked down upon and discriminated against anime and manga. Just what was "maturity" supposed to be to them?

    Seiji couldment on this topic for well over a century.

    ¡®Forget it. Anyhow¡­¡¯

    "These rigid old fellows will die eventually¡­ whoops, I mean pass away. Just let them believe what they want; the future belongs to young people anyways."

    Mai covered her mouth to conceal a smile upon seeing the boy before her express such an obvious sense of distaste.

    "Haruta-san, you¡¯re really such a¡­ resolute otaku."

    "Yep, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been one for my entire life." Seiji smiled as an enigmatic light shed through his eyes. "I love anime and manga, and I love everything 2-D. All the beauty and brilliance humanity is capable of is within them. Well¡­ of course some ugly or strange things are also in them, but that¡¯s what makes them an enriching experience.

    "Any person can find in manga and anime what they can¡¯t find in reality. Perhaps what they are looking for doesn¡¯t even exist in reality. Perhaps¡­ they are seeking forbidden or taboo pleasure. Regardless of their nature, there are endless possibilities within manga and anime, because the limit is only human imagination! Everyone can find something to enjoy.

    "We can find people withmon interests and enjoy the experience together. We can also refuse tomunicate with those whose views different ours, in order not to obstruct or harm others.

    "Everyone can construct their own perfect world; that¡¯s the type of ce thend of manga and anime is."

    Dreand, Utopia, Shangri-La, Fairy Land of Peach Blossoms¡­ all of these were different terms for humanity¡¯s fantasies. They were eternally peaceful and blessed ces to live in. None of them had ever been actualized, and they might never appear.

    But they existed in humanity¡¯s imagination.

    Fantasy and imagination were things that every human being could enjoy. The actualization of fantasy was the 2-D world.

    That was because the 2-D world could disy the splendor of such ces!

    At least that was what Seiji believed.

    Mai quietly listened to Seiji¡¯s exnation.

    As a non-otaku, she wasn¡¯t particrly struck by the nuances of Seiji¡¯s speech, but she faintly felt that what he said sounded reasonable.

    So imagination was the limit of possibilities¡­

    ¡®Well, it sounds¡­ grand.¡¯

    "You¡¯re an excellent public speaker, Haruta-san." Mai grinned at him. "Even I am slightly infected by your enthusiasm."

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "It wasn¡¯t a speech or anything; I just wanted to voice my feelings."

    He could have continued for even longer. There was no way to verbally express his full love as an otaku for the 2-D world.

    But that would be essay-length material, so he decided to stop midway.

    At this time, the printer beeped to indicate that it had finished printing.

    Seiji examined all the pages and ensured that there were no problems. He then went back to theputer, logged out of his email, and deleted the downloaded contract.

    "Alright, thanks for your help. Let¡¯s leave now."

    "Haruta-san¡­" Mai had stopped smiling and her expression was serious.

    Seiji detected that she had something important to say, so he also put on a solemn face.

    "What is it, Houjou-senpai?"

    "You intend to continue living in the future together with Kagura-san like this, yes?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s right."

    "Then how do you intend to¡­ deal with her ability?"

    "I¡¯ll just take things as theye. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll deal with it."

    "Do you truly believe you¡¯re capable of doing that?"

    "I can."

    Thanks to his [Spiritual Power Transference] ability, he didn¡¯t need to worry about the [Reaper¡¯s Curse] at all. In fact, Shika-chan¡¯s ability was even beneficial to him, since he could constantly improve his [Spiritual Power] stat using her karma power!

    But he wasn¡¯t able to say that out loud.

    Mai studied Seiji¡¯s expression thoroughly but failed to find a hint of false bravado or fear.

    This could only mean one of three things: he was either supremely self-confident, extremely idiotic, or¡­

    "You have something you can rely on¡­ is that it?"

    Seiji blinked. Unsurprisingly, Mai Houjou had seen through him.

    "You can say it like that. I¡­ have my own type of power."

    Mai also blinked in response.

    "That¡¯s good¡­ Courage and resolution are good and all, but it¡¯s nothing more than foolhardiness unless you have the power to back it up," she said, sighing lightly.

    "Thank you, Senpai, for worrying about me¡­ for worrying about us." Seiji detected her genuine concern and smiled. "I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t tell you more than that¡­ You don¡¯t need to worry too much for our sakes. We¡¯ll continue living together sessfully."

    Mai¡¯s usual gentle smile reappeared.

    "I just wanted to confirm your safety, since Kagura-san¡¯s ability¡­ is rather unique. Everyone has their secrets, so it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to reveal yours. No need to feel apologetic, Junior."

    They exchanged nces and smiled as they reached a mutual understanding.

    They then proceeded to walk out of Natsuya¡¯s study together in silence.

    "By the way, Junior, do you know about your current nickname in school?" Mai asked as they walked downstairs, unable to conceal the mirth in her tone.

    Seiji had an ominous premonition. "Nickname¡­ what?"

    "Everyone at school now knows about your heroic aplishment at the karate club, and many students have taken to calling you the ¡®Magic-devouring Dragon.¡¯"

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    ¡®What the hell!!?¡¯

 Chapter 150 - Spirit Image

    <h4>Chapter 150: Spirit Image</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Magic-devouring Dragon¡­" was this supposed to be an upgrade from "Destroyer of Clubs!?"

    This was almost like getting a job change in a video game!

    Seiji¡¯s eyebrows rose to their maximum height as his expression distorted heavily.

    Mai couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and conceal another smile upon seeing this.

    "Senpai, how did you learn about this nickname?"

    "My friend told me about it. Even the third-year high school students know about your name now, since what you did¡­ was truly astonishing."

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find any words to respond to this.

    "You single-handedly defeated all the members of the karate club and trampled over their corpses as you conquered the ¡®twin witches.¡¯ After that, you treated the crying twins mercilessly and devoured thempletely as if you were a vicious and greedy evil dragon¡­"

    "Slow down! Wait a moment!!"

    Seiji waspletely shocked to his core.

    "What¡¯s with this overly exaggerated legend!? I didn¡¯t actually face off against the entire club! What the hell¡¯s with saying I ¡®trampled over their corpses¡¯ or ¡®devoured the twinspletely!?¡¯ Why was I turned into some sort of incredible viin!?"

    An incredibly clich¨¦ viin at that.

    "You didn¡¯t deny treating the crying twins mercilessly," Mai observed; as always, her intuition was sharp and on the point.

    "Oh¡­! That¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s a reason for that!" Seiji received an impact from this. "At any rate, I¡¯m not a viin. There was a reason behind everything I did! This legend is a ridiculous lie!"

    "No, Junior, the legend wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. I made all that up just now~"

    "Senpai!!"

    Mai couldn¡¯t stop herself fromughing.

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks kept twitching nonstop as he watched herugh.

    "Senpai, aren¡¯t you also called¡­ something like the ¡®Smiling Executioner?¡¯"

    Mai¡¯s expression froze over. "Er¡­"

    ¡®Oh, nice! So she minds this nickname!¡¯

    Seiji felt he had discovered a chance to counterattack.

    "Ah, I was really startled when I heard my friend telling me about it. Houjou-senpai who appeared so gentle on the surface actually had such a scary nickname~"

    Seiji pretended to be gossipy and did his best to talk in an exaggerated tone.

    The corner of Mai¡¯s mouth was beginning to twitch.

    "ording to the legend, you did something truly frighteningst year, to the extent where not a single high school third-year student dared to even speak of it again. In my ears, it sounded like an atrocious disaster; one which people wouldn¡¯t even want to ever recall again."

    Mai¡¯s eyebrows were beginning to tick up and down.

    "Junior¡­"

    "My friend even said that her legendary club captain, who is reputed to be utterly fearless and was unafraid of debating against the entire school moralsmittee, stated that the only person in the entire school she feared was Houjou-senpai! The reason was due to Senpai¡¯s magnificent aplishment which still remains a mystery to me! I¡¯m actually quite curious about what it was~"

    Seiji¡¯s voice grew increasingly energetic as he recounted the story.

    "Junior¡­" A dark and chilly voice sounded from beside him.

    "Senpai, you¡­" Seiji turned to look at her and instantly froze solid.

    Mai was now standing there while still smiling. However, the chilly aura emanating from her made this maid seem like Hell¡¯s own messenger.

    "Would you like to try dying?" she asked him in a gentle voice.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    ¡®Hey, don¡¯t just steal a line from Hell Girl like that!¡¯

    Even while breaking out into a cold sweat, he was unable to stop himself from inwardlymenting on the situation.

    After a few seconds of silence.

    "Er¡­ Cough, my apologies, I wouldn¡¯t want to try." Seiji retracted his exaggerated expression and tone of voice.

    "Then shut up." Mai¡¯s smile seemed harmless and gentle.

    "Yes¡­"

    The atmosphere seemed rather awkward now.

    Seiji turned to go to his own room when they reached the second floor.

    "Haruta-san."

    "Oh, is there something else, Houjou-senpai?"

    "If you need any assistance, or want anything at all, just let me know." Mai continued smiling at him. "I might not be of much assistance, but I¡¯ll help you as much as I can in my capacity as a maid."

    Seiji¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

    Then he smiled sincerely. "Thank you so much for the offer."

    ¡®I¡¯ve received your heartfelt message.¡¯

    He sincerely gave her his thanks.

    Mai blinked at this before turning around and leaving.

    As he watched her figure walk down the corridor, Seiji suddenly recalled something.

    "That¡¯s right, Senpai, about something I want¡­"

    "Hmm?" Mai stopped in her tracks and turned around again.

    "Spirit Image¡­ you should know what it is, right?" Seiji inquired in a serious manner. "If there are any here, I¡¯d like to borrow one. Is that alright?"

    Mai remained silent for a moment.

    "I know what they are¡­ and we do have them here," she said haltingly after a moment of consideration. "You want to¡­ begin cultivating?"

    Seiji nodded.

    "I don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re an ordinary person, but I don¡¯t feel either that you¡¯re¡­" Mai inspected him from head to toe. "Do you know how to begin cultivating?"

    "Yes, it¡¯s called ¡®Visualization,¡¯ right?"

    "¡®Visualization¡¯ is correct, but ¡®Visualization¡¯ is separated into many different types and methods. Do you know what to do specifically?"

    Seiji furrowed his brows at this.

    He didn¡¯t know, but thanks to his system, all he would have to do was obtain a Spirit Image and choose the [Visualization] option in his system under [Spiritual Power Increase]. That was all he had to do.

    "I¡­ know."

    Mai kept her gaze fixed on him. "Your answer doesn¡¯t sound very definite."

    "I really do know¡­ well, it counts as knowing," Seiji told her honestly. "As long as I have a Spirit Image, I¡¯ll be able to cultivate¡­ I¡¯m sure of this."

    Mai stared at Seiji¡¯s face for a long while.

    "Cultivating is neither safe nor easy. If you attempt it by yourself, it¡¯s actually quite risky. Did you know that?"

    "I didn¡¯t¡­ but I believe that I¡¯ll be fine." Thanks to his system, he was unconcerned about such a thing.

    "Just where does your self-confidence stem from?"

    Seiji smiled mysteriously. "Senpai, didn¡¯t you just say that everyone has their secrets?"

    "I¡¯m somewhat regretting saying that now." Mai sighed. "Right now I¡¯d really like to know what you¡¯re hiding."

    Seiji merely continued to smile mysteriously in response.

    After another period of silence, the maid finally spoke up again.

    "The Spirit Image isn¡¯t something portable that I can bring to you¡­ put away your contract in your room and then follow me."

    "Thanks!"

    Seiji hurriedly put his book contract on the desk in his room before following Mai.

    Mai took him to a room in the left corner of the first floor.

    It was a narrow storeroom filled with various wares.

    Seiji felt that this didn¡¯t seem like the right type of ce to store such an item, but noticed that Mai walked to the right side of the room, ced her palm against the wall, and said something in a low voice.

    *Click!* There was the sound of some mechanism activating.

    Seiji then witnessed the floorboard in the center of the room soundlessly slide away to reveal a hidden set of stairs leading downwards.

    "This ce¡­ had a basement?"

    He suddenly felt like he was about to explore a secret base!

    "Go downstairs." Mai indicated for him to go ahead of her.

    Seiji began walking down the steps. It got darker and darker as he continued descending, but there werenterns on the walls that illuminated the passageway with their orange-yellow flickering lights.

    Seiji entered a corridor upon reaching the bottom.

    The moment that Seiji entered the corridor, every light in it automatically turned on, revealing various spell formations on the left side, and several thick wooden doors embedded in the right wall.

    Mai came down and walked past him, heading for the wooden door closest to the staircase.

    Once again, she pressed her palm against the door and murmured something in an inaudible voice.

    The wooden door opened soundlessly.

    Mai entered with Seiji following after her.

    ¡®This is¡­ a forest!?¡¯

    Seiji was stunned.

    This didn¡¯t seem like any type of secret base that he ever could have imagined. Tall, leafy trees stretched out endlessly,nterns hanging from every branch. The air was filled with tiny flying lights¡­ fireflies were everywhere!

    He was currently standing in a small clearing in the forest, which was where they entered this room.

    When he lifted his head, he saw the deep and beautiful night sky, embedded with countless shining stars.

    There was a peaceful aura about this entire ce thanks to thenterns¡¯ and the fireflies¡¯ illumination.

    There were also some insects chirping melodiously from somewhere that couldn¡¯t be seen.

    All of this gave this space a wondrous feeling to it.

    Mai stood in the middle of the small clearing.

    There was a stone pir before her with a gigantic brush art painting hanging from it.

    "This," she said to Seiji, "is a Spirit Image."

 Chapter 151 - Visualization

    <h4>Chapter 151: Visualization</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji walked closer and observed the watercolor painting closely.

    The first image that caught his attention was a handsome man wearing a tall ck hat and d a white wide-sleeved robe¡­ it was a traditional Japanese hunting robe. The handsome man had a clean-shaven face and a clearplexion. He was making a Naruto-like jutsu pose with one hand while looking off into the distance.

    Beside the man were various demons and spirits. Seiji saw a cat demon, a dog beast, a demon fox, a Snow Girl, an Arachne, and a Gorgon¡­ all of these were drawn with impossible detail; Seiji felt as if they coulde to life and leap out of the painting at any moment.

    "¡®Spirit Images¡¯ are drawn by ¡®Spiritual Artists¡¯ using their own spiritual powers. There are various types of Spirit Images, and each one has a different use. This one is a Spirit Image that¡¯s used in cultivating spiritual power," Mai exined.

    Spiritual Artist¡­ it was yet another new term.

    "¡®Visualizing¡¯ in front of the Spirit Image will improve your Spiritual Power if sessful, but if it isn¡¯t sessful¡­" Mai paused before continuing, "The most ordinary result is simply a waste of your time and no improvement in your Spiritual Power. But the worst oue would be that your soul will be damaged."

    Soul damage¡ªit was his second time hearing this term.

    "Just what exactly will happen if your soul is damaged?" Seiji asked.

    "It¡¯ll be extremely painful¡­ You¡¯ll be ovee by various ufortable feelings, lose control of your body, see hallucinations, lose your memories, and so on."

    "Oh¡­" That definitely sounded quite awful. "If the soul is damaged too severely¡­ will a person die?"

    "Yes. But ¡®Visualization¡¯ won¡¯t cause such damage to your soul, as it¡¯s the most basic as well as safest cultivation technique, which is why it¡¯s also the mostmonly used."

    ¡®That¡¯s the same as what Shika-chan told me,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Mai fixed her gaze on the boy. "Although it¡¯s the safest and most basic method, you still can¡¯t ignore its dangers, especially for total beginners that haven¡¯t been trained in cultivation."

    ¡®You¡¯re a total beginner, right? Are you certain you¡¯ll be okay?¡¯ her eyes seemed to say.

    "I¡¯ve already resolved myself." Seiji smiled in response. "I¡¯ll be fine¡­ probably."

    Mai looked at him searchingly before sighing.

    "It¡¯s probably impossible to have you give up now."

    "Of course. I must learn how to cultivate."

    "In order to be a Yin Yang Master?"

    "Yes."

    There was a brief silence between them.

    "Just having high Spiritual Power alone won¡¯t help you to be a Yin Yang Master," Mai stated calmly.

    "Senpai, please teach me."

    "The most basic conditions for bing a Yin Yang Master are for Spiritual Power and Mana to reach a certain level. But to truly be a Yin Yang Master, you must materialize a Yin Yang Seal."

    Seiji blinked in surprise. "Yin Yang¡­ Seal?"

    "Do you know what the most important ability of Yin Yang Masters is?" Mai inquired.

    "It¡¯s¡­ summoning and controlling Spirit-branded Retainers, right?" Seiji answered after some consideration.

    "That¡¯s right, but more specifically, it¡¯s to control demons and spirits, or any creatures with magical powers, so that they can be used to aid the Yin Yang Master." Mai nodded at his answer. "And summoning, suppressing, controlling, assisting¡­ the center of everything involving magical creatures is the ¡®Yin Yang Seal.¡¯

    "¡®Yin Yang Seals¡¯ are the main difference between Yin Yang Masters and other ability users. It could be said that it¡¯s the specialty of the job ss. And each Yin Yang Seal is unique; each Master possesses a different type. It¡¯s both the source of their abilities to control magical creatures and a way for others to distinguish between each different Master¡¯s magic."

    Seiji rubbed his chin. "So it¡¯s simr to personal business seals?"

    "As an analogy, that would be urate," Mai concurred.

    "Alright then, how do I go about obtaining this Seal?"

    "Materializing it by yourself is supposed to be quite difficult. You need to have talent and be willing to work hard," Mai stated calmly. "I don¡¯t know much more than that about it; you¡¯ll have to ask Mdy about the details."

    Seiji smiled at her politely. "I¡¯ll ask her then¡­ thank you for letting me know so much already."

    Another period of silence fell between them.

    "Actually, I had another question¡­ right from the start when I entered this room, what¡­ what¡¯s with this area?" Seiji pointed around him and at the sky.

    "This is a VR simtion. The entire room, including the walls, floor, and ceiling, are actually gigantic monitors that are capable of disying high-quality images. This setting is used as the background to help rx the mind."

    Seiji was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    He had been under the impression that it was the work of magical spells! But in the end it was just high-tech science!? This didn¡¯t seem to match the style!

    He looked towards the watercolor painting once more after finishing his stream of mentalments.

    "Who¡¯s the person in the painting?"

    "I don¡¯t know; he¡¯s just a Yin Yang Master." Mai blinked at this. "If you must insist, he might be¡­ it could be that he¡¯s your ancestor, the legendarily strong one."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji nodded reflexively. Suddenly, he noticed that something seemed to be off.

    "Wait a moment! Could it be¡­ do people not know what Seimei Kamijou looks like?"

    "Hmm? You didn¡¯t know about that fact?" Mai asked in return. "Nobody actually knows the true appearance of that famous person."

    Seiji was stunned upon hearing this.

    "Wait a moment! So, Senpai, you mean to say¡­ the physical appearance of the strongest Yin Yang Master in history, Seimei Kamijou, hasn¡¯t been passed down the ages? Does even the Haruta family not know what he looked like?"

    "Indeed, not a single person knows what he truly looked like," Mai told him in a serious tone. "Most people, including the ordinary citizens that have heard of his legends, imagine him as one of the most handsome men to have ever existed, but all this is a mere fantasy.

    "There¡¯s not a single credible report of his physical appearance left in any record, and there are many contradictions in the writings about his physical appearance, so there¡¯s no way whatsoever to ascertain the truth.

    "That¡¯s why there are also legends stating that Seimei Kamijou had already surpassed human form, and could take any appearance that he wished. Some even believed that perhaps Seimei Kamijou was actually a woman¡­ or that he was born a girl at birth and then turned into a man¡­ and so on."

    Seiji was absolutely speechless.

    The greatest Yin Yang Master in history, acknowledged by everyone¡­ Nobody actually knew what he looked like!?

    And not even his gender was certain¡­ What the hell!!

    Seiji had a mental coughing fit and forced himself to calm down.

    Upon thinking it over more deeply, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to ept. After all, he lived so long ago that it wasn¡¯t really strange that people today didn¡¯t know what he looked like, regardless of how famous he was.

    The ancient times in this world couldn¡¯tpare to modern society. People back then didn¡¯t have cameras and cell phones.

    Seiji could ept this after he considered it, but he still felt something about the whole situation was strange.

    ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s just a mistake of my intuition. I should stop thinking about it.¡¯

    "May I¡­ begin now?" he asked Mai.

    "Please go ahead as you wish."

    "Is there a chair?"

    Mai walked over to a certain location and stepped on it three times, causing a luxurious sofa to rise out from within the floor.

    A motion-sensing detector plus an automatic lift? How high-ss.

    "Thank you." Seiji rxed on the sofa while staring at the drawing.

    Mai watched him from the side.

    "Senpai¡­"

    ¡®I¡¯ll feel rather awkward if you watch me in the process,¡¯ Seiji said with his eyes.

    "I need to take care of you and wake you up if something goes wrong."

    "Oh¡­ Okay then," Seiji relented.

    Seiji decided to ignore her presence as he stared at the painting in front of him once more and opened his system.

    He selected [Spiritual Abilities], chose [Spiritual Power Increase], before he finally clicked on [Visualization]!

    He instantly felt everything around him bing distant, and even Mai¡¯s figure became hazy.

    The watercolor painting seemed to magnify endlessly as the pictures on it appeared to draw closer to him. They became even more vivid, realistic, and living¡­ until the drawing finally crashed into him.

    Seiji entered the painting.

 Chapter 152 - Seiji Kamijou

    <h4>Chapter 152: Seiji Kamijou</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A soft voice sounded from beside him.

    "Seiji-sama¡­ Seiji-sama¡­ Please wake up¡­ It¡¯s time¡­"

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes.

    He saw Shika Kagura standing before him smiling gently and alluringly.

    ¡®Hmm? Wait a moment.¡¯

    Shika-chan¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t supposed to be blue colored!

    And her smile seemed somewhat strange.

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    "Yes, I¡¯m your Snow Girl, Shika-chan! I¡¯m the retainer that loves Master the most, the retainer that wishes to make love to Master the most!"

    The blue-haired beauty¡¯s smile seemed to grow even sultrier. The light in her eyes showed the full depth of her love towards him.

    Seiji was rendered speechless at this situation.

    Yep, he was 100% certain that something was wrong here, since Shika-chan would never say something like this! Nor would she have such an expression!!

    He was too stunned by how many things he could possiblyment on here.

    "Hey, Snow Girl, don¡¯t get too close to Master! What if you cause our Master to catch a cold!?"

    "I won¡¯t! My heart is filled with love for Seiji-sama! Ahh, it¡¯s burning up!"

    "If it really was burning up, you would have melted long ago!!"

    A hand appeared in his field of vision and yanked away the blue-haired girl that was clinging on to him.

    "Eek! Let go of me, stinky Zombie!"

    "Who¡¯s stinky!? I shower every day! Stop calling me stinky!!"

    She was a beauty with twin dark red ponytails and a blueish-purple-colored face. Her expression was currently seething with rage.

    ¡®It¡¯s Mika¡­ No, it¡¯s someone that looks almost exactly like Mika!¡¯ he realized after observing her closely.

    She was wearing a dark golden robe, and her skin was blueish-purple hue. She had a yellow talisman stuck to the right side of her face, and she seemed a little short.

    Apart from that, her facial features were exactly identical to Mika Uehara¡¯s.

    But she definitely wasn¡¯t Mika Uehara.

    Who was she?

    Who was this blue-haired girl?

    Where was this?

    Seiji¡¯s head felt heavy when he tried to think about these questions.

    "Ah¡­ Master! What¡¯s the matter!?"

    "Seiji-sama!?"

    A number of panicked and anxious voices filled with concern sounded out around him.

    "Nothing¡­ I just¡­ still feel a little woozy from waking up," Seiji said, rubbing his temples.

    "Master, yourplexion doesn¡¯t seem too good. Is it because this idiot Snow Girl identally froze you?"

    "I can control my powers properly! Don¡¯t treat me like a little child that can¡¯t control herself, hmph!"

    "Master, should I call Firefly Grass over?"

    "I¡¯m already here¡­ Honestly, stop arguing in front of Master; it¡¯s unseemly."

    Another girl appeared.

    She had light green long hair and was wearing a green-colored wide-sleeved outfit, which revealed her beautiful long legs. She wore white socks with green grass sandals. This was a beautiful girl that looked exactly like Chiaki Wakaba.

    "Let me through, let me through! I¡¯lle help out Master."

    After making her way past the girl with twin ponytails and the blue-haired girl, the green-haired girl ced both her hands on Seiji¡¯s shoulders.

    "May the nt spirits cleanse our Master¡­" she said in a gentle voice.

    A cool sensation flowed into his body from his shoulders. The energy enveloped his entire body, dissipating his fatigue and cleansing his heart.

    Then Seiji finally remembered.

    He was the Yin Yang Master, Seiji Kamijou.

    The three girls before him were all his Spirit-branded Retainers.

    Snow Girl, Zombie, and Firefly Grass spirit¡­ he gave them the names of Shika-chan, Mika, and Chiaki.

    He smiled gently at Chiaki. "Thank you, Chiaki, I feel much better now."

    "This is my job, Master." Firefly Grass Chiaki smiled at him. "No matter when or where, healing Master and ourpanions is what I live for."

    "I know, but I still want to thank you." Seiji reached out and patted her head. "You¡¯ve always been working hard. Thank you for your efforts."

    Chiaki¡¯s face flushed slightly red.

    "Ahh, Seiji-sama, I want to be treated like that too~"

    Snow Girl Shika-chan opened her hands and attempted to hug him, but she was forcefully dragged away by Zombie Mika.

    "Stop clinging on to Master, you idiot Snow Girl!"

    "Let go of me, stinky Zombie!"

    "I¡¯m not stinky!"

    Seiji sighed.

    ¡®These two are always fighting,¡¯ he thought, mentally shaking his head.

    "Master, have you woken up?"

    A beautiful girl with ck hair and a red robe¡­ no wait, a beautiful boy appeared at the door and bowed towards him while greeting him politely.

    This was a Zashiki-warashi spirit. Seiji had given him the name of Hoshi.

    "I¡¯m awake¡­ has everyone gathered?"

    "All ourpanions have gathered together and are awaiting our Master¡¯s arrival."

    "Alright then, I¡¯lle out right away."

    Seiji walked over to the clothes rack and slipped into the traditional Japanese hunting robes hanging there.

    Zashiki-warashi Hoshi retrieved Seiji¡¯s hat for him, and Seiji ced it on his head.

    After he finished putting on his clothes, Seiji walked out of his bedroom with Zashiki-warashi Hoshi following behind him.

    "Stop messing around and follow Master!"

    "Okay¡­"

    "Alright~"

    Behind him, Seiji heard Firefly Grass Chiaki lecturing the other two spirits, and Zombie Mika and Snow Girl Shika-chan¡¯s replies.

    Seiji walked through his home¡¯s hallway and out to the garden, only to see that many Spirit-branded Retainers were waiting for him there.

    Mountain Kid Zankita Juumonji and Starving Ghoul Kazufuru Ooike.

    Floorboard Spirit Tetsuo Sasaki and Ancient Fire Lantern Koji Hoshihara.

    Crow Tengu Michirou Juumonji and Blue Priest Hisashi Juumonji.

    Shadow Girl Haruka Shimizu, Fireball Spirit Shiina Shiho, and Long-haired Ghoul Anya Saigenji.

    Demon Fox Rion Amami and Demon Fox Kotomi Amami.

    Mermaid Shell Kaho Miyamoto and Rain Girl Saki Yoshizawa.

    Maiden of the Bridge Rika Amami and Wisteria Spirit Nozomi Uehara.

    Smoke Demon Mai Houjou and White Wolf Hitaka Shuho.

    Flower Demon Rana Kirin and Blue Lantern Ghost Natsuya Yoruhana.

    ¡­

    Seiji exchanged nces and nodded at all his trusted subordinates. To him, they were more than mere servants; they were his valuedpanions.

    Blue Lantern Ghost Natsuya bowed to greet him. "Greetings to Master."

    With her leading the crowd, all the other Spirit-branded Retainers also began greeting Seiji.

    "It¡¯s been so long, Master. It¡¯s wonderful that you remain healthy."

    "Kamijou-sama, I await your orders."

    "Seiji-sama, this one really missed you~~"

    "Please give us your orders. No matter what they are, we¡¯ll aplish them."

    "Master, I¡­ I¡¯ll work hard this time as well!"

    "Master, I heard that we¡¯re going to fight against an incredibly powerful demon today? Haha, I can hardly wait!"

    Various emotions such as concern, respect, and passion could be heard from his retainers¡¯ greetings.

    Seiji smiled gently upon hearing them all.

    "Everyone," he began, the sound of his voice prompting the crowd to fall into silence, "I¡¯m delighted to see that you¡¯re all doing well. I meet frequently with some of you, yet there are also others that I haven¡¯t seen in a long time.

    "If it were possible, I would throw a party for everyone, so we can gossip idly and enjoy ourselves. But we don¡¯t have the time for that right now.

    "You¡¯ve probably all heard the news already: there is an incredibly powerful evil demon currently rampaging east of here¡ªand I suspect the demon is not alone. At a rough guess, more than a 100 people have already fallen victim to it.

    "I¡¯ve searched for every piece of information I can, but I¡¯ve been unable to ascertain this demon¡¯s true identity.

    "However, we cannot remain idle for any longer; even as I speak, it draws closer to the city. If we do not make haste and defeat it, many more will fall prey to this evil monstrosity.

    "Out of an abundance of caution, I summoned every single one of you here today in order to fight against this unknown demon or demons. We will crush whatever lies before us with ourbined strength."

    Seiji swept his gaze across his retainers.

    "All of you are mighty heroes.

    "Many humans and spirits owe their lives to you.

    "As long as we remain united, I believe no feat, task, or threat is an impossibility!"

    Every retainer smiled upon being praised by their master. Someughed heartily, and others smiled faintly. Yet more covered their mouths in embarrassment, while the rest let out light, somewhat shy chuckles.

    "This time, we shall emerge victorious once more! But¡­ what is of utmost importance is that¡­" Seiji paused, and his imposing manner rose to a crescendo. "Everyone! Not a single one of you is allowed to die!! This is the most important order!!! Do you hear me!?"

    "We hear you¡ª" every retainer cried in unison.

    Saving people was important, victory was important, but the most important thing to Seiji was hispanions¡¯ lives.

    As long as all hispanions were still alive, even if they temporarily suffered a defeat, they could alwayse back for revenge at ater time!

    On the other hand, even if they achieved victory at the price of apanion¡¯s death, that still equaled defeat.

    That was what Seiji Kamijou believed.

    Up until now, he had never lost a single retainer before, nor had he ever been defeated in battle.

    He was convinced that this time would be the same.

    "Everyone, move out!"

 Chapter 153 - Dream

    <h4>Chapter 153: Dream</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji Haruta had been Visualizing for an entire night.

    This caught Mai Houjoupletely off guard.

    She never anticipated that her junior could Visualize to such an extent!

    Not even counting the fact that this was apparently his first time, doing it for so long was already an incredible aplishment.

    As far as Mai knew, her master¡­ Natsuya¡¯s longest ever record for Visualizing was only slightly over two hours. Natsuya was already considered outstanding among the young generation of Yin Yang Masters.

    But this boy from the Haruta family had already Visualized for an entire night, or more urately, nine hours!

    And he still hadn¡¯t finished.

    Mai felt shocked to her core at this.

    She knew quite clearly just how difficult Visualizing was, and it had stringent talent requirements.

    She herself was unable to do it.

    At a very young age, she was appraised to have no talent for Spiritual Power. Although her Mana level was quite high, her Spiritual Power was almost non-existent, which meant that she would be unable to progress as a Yin Yang Master.

    The younger Mai was quite despondent over this unresolvable problem, butter she managed to ept her lot and stop worrying about it.

    She worked extremely hard to improve her Mana. Although she couldn¡¯tpare with an actual Spirit-branded Retainer or legitimate ability users with high reserves of Spiritual Power, she was able to achieve the limits of her potential and surpass an ordinary person¡¯s level.

    As for Haruta-san¡­ she inspected him from the very start with her Mana ability and saw that he had both low Spiritual Power and low Mana.

    If one were to judge him by his innate spiritual talent, he could only be deemed aspletely useless. It was easy to understand why he had been discarded by the Haruta family.

    Mai felt a sense of sympathy towards him.

    Although her spiritual abilities weren¡¯tpletely useless, she wasn¡¯t much better than Seiji. It was merely the difference between low quality and terrible quality. Only someone like her master Natsuya was chosen by the gods.

    Her sympathy turned into a favorable impression of him after learning more about his personality and way of life.

    Supposedly, Seiji Haruta had be apletely depraved useless scumbag in the past but changed himself after experiencing something unknown.

    At the very least, the person that Mai saw was an outgoing, gentle, and sunny tall and handsome boy.

    She was moved by his sincere care for Shika Kagura and how far he went to help her.

    Mai liked this type of boy and wanted to do something for him.

    That was why she told him so much and even agreed to lend him the Spirit Image.

    She didn¡¯t think that he would be able to do anything with it, due to knowing how low his stats were, but she couldn¡¯t help but have a feeling of expectation after seeing his self-confidence.

    And as a result, she witnessed¡­ a miracle!

    An entire night of Visualization.

    Mai inspected him several times with her Mana ability and discovered that his Spiritual Power was definitely increasing at a rapid pace!

    Although he was still at a low level, if he was able to maintain this rate¡­

    Just imagining it caused Mai¡¯s heart to start pounding rapidly.

    It was as if she had picked up a treasure!

    Just walking normally down the street and suddenly discovering a piece of gold on the ground¡­ No! It was more like discovering a huge, shiny diamond!

    Mai had trouble grasping the full extent of Seiji¡¯s transformation, but it was an indisputable fact¡­ and after she finally managed to ept it, she felt delighted!

    ¡®Calm. I need to calm down.¡¯

    First she needed to report this to her master.

    And then she would rmend that her master should¡­ form a closer rtionship with Seiji Haruta by setting up a formal alliance with him.

    Her master would be able to help him increase his power more efficiently. When he became truly strong in the future and returned to his family, he would repay Natsuya¡¯s favors.

    Yep, this was a perfect win-win situation!

    Mai was quite clear that her master was direly in need of allies, as well as true friends that would help and protect her in dangerous situations.

    Mai definitely wouldn¡¯t let such a high-quality treasure like Seiji Haruta slip out of her hands!

    Wait a moment¡­ the two of them were the same age, and Haruta-san¡¯s looks and personalities were both excellent, so after they both became adults, they could definitely be a couple!

    Mai felt like she had been enlightened.

    Many boys were in love with her master, but in Mai¡¯s opinion, most of them were idiots. Haruta-san¡¯s physical appearance alone would defeat half his challengers, and his personality would defeat half of those that remained.

    After he grew more powerful, he could defeat half of the one-fourth that remained, and if he returned to his family, he could defeat yet another half of the one-eighth that remained with the power of his family. Those that could trulypete with him amounted to almost nothing.

    So there wasn¡¯t a problem with him, but what about Natsuya?

    Her master¡¯s appearance and personality were both excellent, and as for her family¡­ perhaps it wasn¡¯t as powerful as the Harutas, but it was still quite strong, so it wasn¡¯t a problem at all.

    Alright, both of them matched up perfectly, almost too perfectly, as even their names went well together!

    Seiji and Natsuya¡ªeven the sounds of their names flowed smoothly in Mai¡¯s mind!!

    And the final and most important part were both parties¡¯ feelings.

    Er¡­ this was rather¡­

    Mai felt that there was finally a problem when it came to this step.

    She understood her master perfectly. Haruta-san definitely had a chance with Natsuya, and the best evidence was the fact that Natsuya invited him to temporarily reside at her residence. However, her master was a bit prideful and awkward, which would obstruct her from developing any romantic rtionships.

    Haruta-san had a problem as well, although he himself still hadn¡¯t noticed it¡­ but that was exactly why it was all the scarier: he was too skilled at attracting girls!

    Perhaps it was because he was an otaku that he didn¡¯t fall in love easily with girls in real life. At least that was what Mai inferred.

    Handsome plus naturally skilled at attracting girls¡­ He was basically a walkingdies¡¯ man!

    Mai¡¯s face reddened as she thought back to how even she almost identally fell for him.

    At any rate, there were problems here! For both of them!!

    The maid kept wracking her brains. The more she thought about it, the more difficult she believed it would be.

    At this moment, there was a sound from the sofa.

    "Mmm¡­" It was a low groan.

    The handsome boy stirred. A few secondster, he sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes.

    Haruta-san had finally returned to his senses!

    Mai hurriedly checked the time.

    It was 6:29 A.M. His Visualization took a total of nine hours and neen minutes!

    This was undoubtedly an unprecedented feat.

    On the sofa.

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes after rubbing them.

    Everything he saw was as he remembered it before entering the Visualization trance.

    His head still felt a little dizzy.

    He had just experienced such a strange dream¡­ if it counted as a dream, that was.

    His mouth arced slightly upwards as he recalled what he had just ¡®experienced.¡¯

    In the dream, he was a Yin Yang Master. All his acquaintances and friends became his retainers, and all of them formed a raid party together to defeat a boss monster¡­ What the hell!!?

    Even though it was quite interesting, thinking back on it caused Seiji to be rather embarrassed.

    Well, he had never expected that the Visualization wouldst until he defeated the boss, so how long did this dream take?

    In that dream, he struggled bitterly together with his retainers against a demon and fought for a long while. When he finally achieved a difficult victory, every single retainer as well as himself was injured.

    After that, hisst memory was falling asleep on the horse-drawn carriage that was taking him home. When he fell asleep there, he woke up again here in the real world.

    Seiji kept rubbing his temples as he thought more about what just happened.

    When he was in that ce¡­ during that dream, he seemed to recall bits and pieces of reality, but he also forgot many things. It was almost like¡­ he had fully transformed into a denizen of that world.

    That type of feeling waspletely unfathomable.

    ¡®Was it¡­ truly just a dream?¡¯

 Chapter 154 - Heart

    <h4>Chapter 154: Heart</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ''It must have been a dream¡­''

    "Junior, how are you feeling right now?"

    Smoke Demon¡­ whoops, Mai Houjou was in front of him.

    "I had a really long and strange dream, and I still feel like I¡¯m in a daze," Seiji replied.

    "That wasn¡¯t a dream; you entered the Spirit Realm while Visualizing, which is the best state you can possibly achieve during Visualization," Mai exined.

    "''Spirit Realm?''"

    "It means that you Visualized wholeheartedly enough to enter an entirely different mental realm."

    "Then, what I experienced there¡­ Is everything in the Spirit Realm the product of a dream?"

    "Yes, that''s one way of putting it. What each person sees in their individual Spirit Realm is unique. Some will witness old memories, and others will experience a modern-day situation. However, a fantastical or chaotic sequence of events is moremon, much like a real dream."

    It was simr to a dream, yet it wasn¡¯t a dream.

    Seiji recalled the time when his awareness entered Shika¡¯s soul. That was also simr to a dream, yet it wasn''t a dream.

    Seji assumed anything rted to Mana and the soul probably functioned this way.

    "If I¡¯m in the Spirit Realm and meet with misfortune there¡ªsay, for example, I die¡ªwhat would happen?"

    "You¡¯ll end up harmed in some way, but it¡¯s difficult to predict the severity of your injuries. If you''re lucky, you¡¯ll only be left with the memory of a frightening experience when you wake up. In a less fortunate scenario, your soul would sustain damage. This is one of the risks associated with Visualization."

    Mai looked at Seiji. "Judging by how calm you seem, you must have woken up naturally. Are you feeling fine?"

    "I¡¯m fine¡­ but I almost met with some trouble." Seiji recalled the difficult battle he faced in his Spirit Realm.

    "Was it dangerous?"

    "A little."

    "Although it''s risky to encounter a dangerous situation in your own Spirit Realm, your Spiritual Power will improve at a faster rate as a result. There are upsides and downsides," Mai exined before blinking. "At any rate, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay."

    "Yeah¡­ Senpai, how long did I Visualize for?" he finally asked.

    Mai looked at him searchingly. "You¡¯ve been Visualizing for an entire night," she stated calmly. "It¡¯s already 6:30 A.M. now."

    Seiji paused in surprise.

    "That long!?"

    He searched his memory and attempted to calcte approximately how long he had spent in his Spirit Realm. After a while, he came to the conclusion that Mai''s figure actually seemed reasonable.

    It was almost as if he had lived a second life.

    Or should it be said that it was simr to an overly realistic VR game?

    Hey, if he thought about it like that, Visualization actually seemed rather fun!?

    The Spirit Realm¡­ it seemed much cooler than VR games that still relied on headgear and controllers!

    It was rather embarrassing that all his friends and acquaintances were his retainers, but at least nobody knew about it. As long as he was having fun, everything¡­

    Suddenly, Seiji froze as he came to a sudden realization.

    He had identally trodden upon a subject which he''d forbidden himself from thinking.

    Visualization was akin to living another life in a different reality.

    But what about the current ¡®reality?¡¯

    In this world where he could even save and load, what evidence was there that this wasn¡¯t all a dream, or¡­ an amazingly high-tech virtual reality game as well?

    The answer was that there was none.

    His current situation bore resemnce to the "brain in a jar" theory, which was a famous hypothetical situation from his previous world. The hypothesis stated: how would one know that he or she wasn¡¯t simply a "brain in a jar?"

    The answer was that they couldn¡¯t¡­ That¡¯s right, there was no method at all!

    Seiji¡¯s current situation was the same; it could also be stated that any person in ¡®reality¡¯ faced the same dilemma as well.

    Nobody could provide evidence that the world they were currently living in was the so-called ¡®reality.¡¯

    Absolute reality was a concept that was inherently unprovable.

    In the end, whether or not one perceived their world as ¡®reality¡¯ relied on oneself.

    Seiji recalled his experience when he first arrived in this world.

    Back then, he felt as if the question was simr to walking circles around the edge of a deep pit.

    Finally, he decided that regardless of the true nature of this world, he would treat everything as he wanted to. He decided not to treat this world as a fictional game.

    He closed the Pandora¡¯s Box. He designated this endless dark abyss as a forbidden zone.

    That was why Seiji could remain Seiji.

    This Visualization identally led to Seiji encroaching on his own forbidden zone. Seiji, however, instantly throttled such thoughts and instead began a new train of thought.

    The Spirit Realm was a ce that resembled a super-realistic VR game¡­ And damage to his real self was possible as well¡­

    Wasn¡¯t this just like a less serious version of Sword Art Online!?

    The deepest, most thought-provoking aspect of SAO was the boundary between the real world and the virtual world. When a group of people were unable to exit the VR game and could really die inside it, the game transformed into reality for those people.

    Visualization was simr. Since it was like another life entirely, he would do well to treat it as another life and take it seriously.

    Seiji came to a decision.

    It took him a few minutes to organize his thoughts and decide on his path.

    Mai had been watching him silently all this while.

    "Have you been taking care of me for such a long time, Senpai? I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you for so long¡­ and I¡¯m truly grateful." Seiji apologized for inconveniencing her and thanked her sincerely.

    ¡®That¡¯s your only reaction?¡¯ Mai thought to herself.

    Didn''t he have any special reaction to hearing that he Visualized for so long?

    Then what had he been thinking about for several minutes just now? Did he truly not know how astonishing his Visualization time was!?

    Mai really wanted to believe that Seiji was merely acting the part of a fool, but she didn¡¯t think that was the case.

    It seemed that this guy truly didn¡¯t know the magnitude of the feat he''d just aplished.

    Even though she did expect that it was his first time, this feeling was still¡­

    For an untalented girl to have to tell a boy who used to be aplete scum with the lowest spiritual stats that he was actually a genius¡­ just how was she supposed to feel about it?

    Who could answer her? At any rate, this particr girl, Mai Houjou, was unable toe up with an answer.

    If she absolutely had to find a way to describe it, she sort of wanted to beat someone up right now, but a sense of helplessness was mixed in with herplex emotions.

    Well, regardless of herplex feelings, it was her duty to tell him.

    "I¡¯ll ept your gratitude. But¡­ I also need to exin to you just how amazing your Visualization really was," Mai said in a serious tone of voice.

    "Eh?" Seiji was surprised yet again.

    Momentster.

    "Oh, I see." Seiji rubbed his chin. "Visualizing for so long isn¡¯t something an ordinary person¡­ or an ordinary spirit ability can aplish. My Spiritual Power is increasing at a far swifter rate than others¡­ Got it."

    Mai stared at him incredulously. "If you understand, then why are you so calm about it? You should know what this means, right?"

    "Ha, of course."

    Seiji suddenly smiled wickedly as he ced one leg¡¯s ankle on his other leg¡¯s knee and took a condescending pose. He looked like a figure who held nothing but disdain for the entire world.

    "I shall soon be the supreme ruler. I will make all those who previously disregarded and harmed me pay a painful price for their sins! My family that exiled me will wallow in regret!! I shall take back everything that rightfully belongs to me!!!"

    Mai was rendered speechless by Seiji¡¯s act.

    "Did you hope that I would react like this?" Seiji kept up his immature pose as he looked at her mirthfully.

    The maid¡¯s eyes seemed rather hollow. "Er¡­ well¡­ I feel like it is, but it also isn¡¯t."

    "Yourmenting ability iscking, Senpai."

    "What¡¯smenting ability supposed to be!?" Maimented forcefully.

    "Exactly that." Seiji gave her a big thumbs-up and shed a smile.

    "Ha¡­ Junior, you¡¯re¡­"

    "I know what you want to say, Senpai: I¡¯m just a novice beginner right now, aren¡¯t I?" Seiji shrugged. "Even if I really do be much stronger in the future, I¡¯ll still be me. Perhaps some things will change, but the important parts will remain the same." He smiled gently. "That¡¯s why Senpai only needs to treat me the same as always."

 Chapter 155 - You Were Fooled by Her!

    <h4>Chapter 155: You Were Fooled by Her!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Just be your normal gentle self¡ªthat¡¯s all you need to do. You don¡¯t need to respect me or feel that you¡¯re below me.¡¯

    Mai could feel the heartfelt sincerity in Seiji¡¯s words and widened her eyes slightly in surprise.

    This was when she finally noticed that she had been imperceptibly feeling beneath him.

    She noticed that he was special and began to treat him as such.

    He perceived this fact.

    Rather than caring about his talent, he paid more attention to the change in her.

    Honestly¡­

    Mai felt helpless about the warm feeling that rose up in her heart.

    ¡®You¡­ you make girls fall in love with you so easily, Junior."

    A period of silence fell between the pair.

    Seiji stood up and stretched. "I didn¡¯t expect that I would be resting on that sofa for so long," he said. "I¡¯m feeling hungry. Although I¡¯m a little embarrassed to ask, Senpai¡­ when can I have some breakfast?"

    Mai smiled gently as usual upon seeing the handsome boy scratch his face awkwardly.

    "I¡¯ve been taking care of a certain someone for the entire night, so I¡¯m tired and want to rest instead of making breakfast."

    "Ah¡­"

    "But as long as that certain someone is willing to do one thing for me, I¡¯ll go cook breakfast."

    "What is it?"

    "Sign a marriage application form."

    "¡­What?" Seiji was stunned.

    Did he hear that correctly!?

    Tee-hee.

    "Just joking~" Mai said, chuckling.

    When she saw how silly he looked, she felt a pleasant feeling in her heart.

    "I just wanted to say that the only man who I¡¯d possibly be willing to work an entire night for and still cook breakfast after is my husband." She turned around. "You¡¯re not my husband, so I won¡¯t cook breakfast for you¡ªit¡¯s as simple as that."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji answered dazedly.

    "What¡¯s with that ¡®oh¡¯? Shouldn¡¯t you be forcefullymenting at this situation?" Mai suddenly turned back around with a devilish grin on her face. "Yourmenting skills arecking, idiot junior!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless at this.

    Only after he dazedly watched her walk off and exit the room did he finally regain his senses and smile wryly.

    He sighed helplessly to himself. ¡®Thateback was pretty good.¡¯

    He then proceeded to follow her back upstairs.

    As Mai said, she wouldn¡¯t cook breakfast for Seiji.

    But they still needed breakfast, so she asked Seiji to do the honors.

    Seiji listened to her instructions and got to work in the kitchen¡­ although he felt it seemed a little off.

    Well, as a temporary guest, it was only natural that he should help out around here. Not to mention Mai took care of him for an entire night. He definitely should do something to pay her back.

    Seiji¡¯s cooking abilities were rather average.

    There was no way for him to cook at the level of Mai¡¯s professional maid skills, so he mainly just heated some leftover dishes fromst night, and made a few simple breakfast dishes to go together with them.

    After bringing the tes to the dining hall, he saw that Mai was already waiting for him at the table.

    The two of them had switched roles perfectly.

    Seiji finally recalled that there were only three people here today for breakfast: Mai, Shika-chan, and himself, otherwise there was probably no way that Mai would have allowed him as a guest to cook for everyone.

    He had been swindled by her.

    Seiji smiled as he imitated Mai¡¯s typical maid behavior while cing the breakfast on the table.

    "Please enjoy, Houjou-sama." He backed up one step and bowed after he finished cing the breakfast dishes.

    Mai also pretended to be important and merely nodded slightly towards him.

    After that, she tasted the food.

    "Mmm¡­ I suppose it gets passing marks, for a single boy living by himself."

    "Is that supposed to be praise?"

    "Yes."

    "But why do I subtly feel like it was a dig at the fact that I¡¯m single?"

    "Oh, is that so?" Mai smiled gently. "My bad, as an apology, would you like this senpai of yours to help you stop being single~"

    Seiji instantly admitted defeat.

    He¡¯d just requested her to "treat him normally," didn¡¯t he? Wasn¡¯t that right? Why did he feel like Mai¡¯s attitude towards him was now changing in a strange direction!?

    "I¡¯ll call Shika-chan over for breakfast as well."

    He escaped using a logical excuse.

    Mai rubbed her chest after she watched Seiji leave the dining hall.

    Her heart was beating rather quickly.

    ¡®I went a bit¡­ overboard.¡¯ She smiled wryly as she suppressed her fluctuating emotions.

    Seiji¡¯s cell phone rang while he was on his way to Shika¡¯s room.

    When he took out his cell phone, he saw that it was a number he didn¡¯t recognize.

    He frowned slightly at his cell phone but chose to ept the call anyway.

    "Hello, who¡¯s this?"

    "Are you Seigo Harano¡­ Seiji Haruta?" A grim and dark-sounding male voice was on the other end of the call.

    Seiji stopped walking towards Shika¡¯s room. "I am. Who might you be?"

    "My name is¡­ Okubo Yoshiaki," the male voice stated.

    Seiji narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

    Okubo Yoshiaki¡­ He was Natsuya¡¯s duel opponent as well as Shika¡¯s most recent temporary contractor.

    "Natsuya Yoruhana probably didn¡¯t tell you, but I¡¯m¡­"

    "I know who you are. She told me everything. You were a ¡®divine child¡¯ in the past, right?"

    The voice on the phone remained silent for a period of time.

    "So she told you¡­ what a vulgar woman."

    Okubo Yoshiaki sounded like he was trying to remain as calm as possible, but his tone sounded even grimmer and darker than before, and from this Seiji could detect Okubo¡¯s inner rage.

    "Vulgar?"

    "She puts down her opponent and brags about her underhanded victory. She¡¯s that type of woman; she¡¯s always been that type of woman."

    "I feel that she only told me the truth."

    "That wasn¡¯t the truth! You were fooled by her! Everyone was fooled by her!!" Okubo Yoshiaki¡¯s voice rose in volume as he continued, "Two years ago, I should have won that duel! She only won using underhanded techniques!"

    "Underhanded techniques?" Seiji remained unflustered.

    "That¡¯s right¡­ The duel was supposed to be a one-on-one duel, but she managed to secretly borrow another¡¯s power."

    "There were judges present at the duel, right?"

    "Judges¡­ Both those old guys favored her! They merely pretended not to see anything! I finally detected it afterwards andined about it, but not only did they ignore me, they even made fun of me viciously!!"

    Seiji could feel the hatred and contempt emanating from the other end of the cell phone.

    Seiji decided to move his cell phone slightly farther away from his ear.

    "Why? When you asked for elders to be the judges, were all the judges her elders?"

    "There was one judge from each family acting as the two judges, but the Yoshiaki family elder secretly hated me because I defeated his grandson before¡­ I only learned this afterwards."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Do you understand now? Everyone was fooled by her! Including you, Seiji Haruta!!" Okubo stated coldly. "I don¡¯t know what methods she used to convince you to join her, but I know that she¡¯s a vulgar woman who¡¯ll use any underhanded technique! The only reason she approached you was for your usefulness to her!"

    "Please tell me more about this." Seiji still remained calm.

    "You¡¯re someone from the Haruta family; even if you¡¯re currently exiled, you¡¯re still a part of their family¡­ If something really happened to you, the Haruta family wouldn¡¯t ignore your plight!"

    "That woman merely wanted to make use of this, so she convinced you toe to her territory as a human shield!"

    "Don¡¯t be seduced by her fanciful words! Don¡¯t lose yourself in the tiny insignificant things she gives you! And, above all, don¡¯t believe that she has any feelings for you!!" Okubo¡¯s words sounded rather steely as he continued, "I know that this will be cruel to you, but this is reality! So wake up, Seiji Haruta, and don¡¯t be seduced by that vulgar woman with nothing but a beautiful outer appearance!"

    "Oh¡­ Then what do you think I should do then?" Seiji acted confused.

    "Help me! Help me defeat her so that justice can win!!" Okubo said in a serious and earnest tone. "As long as I defeat her, I can regain my pride, take back the respect I deserve, and let everyone know about her true, ugly self!"

    "You¡¯ll be a hero, Seiji Haruta! I¡¯ll disy my gratitude and share my glory with you in front of everyone! Of course, there are tangible benefits for you as well. Whether you want money or women, I can grant you anything you desire!"

    "I can even help you return to your family! As long as I prove myself and reim my pride and honor, my family will listen to me! When that happens, if I ask my family to help you out, the Haruta family will seriously consider epting you back within their ranks."

    "Oh, that¡­ sounds pretty good." Seiji acted as if he was almost convinced.

    "I¡¯m truly sincere about all this, Seiji Haruta. Haruta-kun, as long as you help me, I¡¯ll help you as well. I¡¯m different from that vulgar woman who only wants to take advantage of you. I¡¯ll reward anyone that helps me generously."

    Okubo¡¯s tone of voice seemed rather self-confident as he must have believed that he had almost seeded in convincing Seiji to switch to his side.

    "What you say definitely sounds appealing." Seiji pretended to sound almostpletely convinced.

    But in reality, Seiji¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed one bit. His expression remained calm and distant, with not even an eyebrow budging.

    "I think I can consider it¡­ but before that, can I ask you a few questions?"

    The voice on the phone was silent for a few seconds.

    "What questions?"

 Chapter 156 - Questions

    <h4>Chapter 156: Questions</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji started with a direct question. "How do you intend to defeat Natsuya Yoruhana?"

    This time, there was a lengthy silence as Okubo fell into deep thought.

    "I have a perfect n¡­ but I can¡¯t tell you the details," he finally responded in a grim, dark tone.

    "You want me to help you but can¡¯t tell me what your n is?"

    ¡®Is that your so-called sincerity?¡¯

    Okubo felt as if he could hear that implied question needling at him, and he was ovee by a sudden wave of anger and frustration.

    ¡®This piece of garbage thinks he¡¯s actually someone important! I was polite to him for just a little while, so he dares to question me!¡¯

    He was incredibly annoyed inside.

    But he had to give Seiji a reasonable exnation.

    "It¡¯s because you might leak the information. Haruta-kun¡­ it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but you¡¯re currently in the middle of that woman¡¯s territory, so if I tell you anything, it¡¯s highly likely for her to learn about it. It¡¯s probable that¡­ no, she¡¯s definitely secretly cing surveince on you!"

    "Ah¡­ that sounds logical." Okubo heard agreement in Seiji¡¯s voice. "But, in that case, how can I be of any help to you? I¡¯m currently at Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s residence, and I¡¯m under her surveince, so I can¡¯t do anything."

    "That¡¯s not true! You can do many things as long as you follow my orders!" Okubo hurriedly stated. "Just follow my instructions, and you¡¯ll be able to break free from your surveince, and do¡­ what you¡¯re supposed to do!"

    "If I follow your orders, I¡¯ll be able to threaten her¡­ Just like Shika Kagura, right?"

    Okubo paused in surprise upon hearing the name of the temporary retainer he hired.

    "What do you mean by this, Haruta-kun?" Okubo asked, inwardly wondering why Seiji had brought up that useless retainer¡¯s name.

    "That is the second question I wanted to ask you," Seiji¡¯s said coolly. "Shika Kagura, the temporary retainer that you hired, has the ability called the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯, which will bring misfortune and cmities down upon other people. You ordered her to enter Genhana Middle School as a student, change ces with your real Snow Girl retainer to confuse Natsuya¡¯s retainer, and to have her lose and be injured on purpose.

    "This was all to make use of the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ ability, and destroy Natsuya¡¯s spell formation defending thebined Genhana Middle and High School¡­ right?"

    "¡­Indeed," Okubo admitted.

    This was a plot he had been proud of¡­ well, he had been.

    That was because the plot which he had been so confident in failedpletely!

    Genhana High School¡¯s spell formation and Natsuya Yoruhana both took zero damage.

    The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ ability and even the marvelous trap that he ced on Shika Kagura were all evaded by that woman!

    He didn¡¯t expect to be seen through to such an extent¡­ His self-confidence, which had received a short-lived boost, had been cast down by yet another humiliation.

    Okubo didn¡¯t wish to dwell on the subject, but he felt obliged to respond since Seiji had asked.

    "So everything Natsuya Yoruhana told me was true? You¡¯re not going to deny anything at all?" Seiji asked in a surprised voice.

    Okubo barely managed to restrain himself from yelling out loudly in anger.

    Deny¡­ He really wanted to deny Seiji¡¯s words, yet he couldn¡¯t. It was an indisputable fact that his useless temporary retainer had been taken captive and was locked up in the same residence that Seiji Haruta was currently residing at!

    Since he knew that garbage retainer would tell them about him, denying his previous actions would only make him sound like a hypocritical liar.

    That was why he could only admit it.

    "No, I don¡¯t deny it. It was my plot, but unfortunately she saw through it¡­ That woman is really devious, which is why I need your help¡­"

    "Wait a moment; I still haven¡¯t finished," Seiji interrupted him mid-speech. "Since you¡¯ve admitted to that plot of yours, the next question is what I want to ask you the most.

    "If your plot had seeded, Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s spell formation would have been destroyed, and every student and teacher at Genhana Middle and High School would have had cmities befall them. Is that right?"

    Okubo felt pressured by this question.

    Even though the voice on the cell phone sounded calm about it, he felt pressured.

    This was a critical question.

    He knew that if he didn¡¯t answer it well, it was likely that all his previous effort in convincing Seiji would go to waste.

    He hated this sensation of pressure, especially because it came from an exiled piece of garbage, someone he didn¡¯t even want as his teammate!

    He needed to make use of this piece of garbage, which was why he tolerated his feelings of condescension and even deigned to personally invite Seiji to his cause.

    But this bastard didn¡¯t show any respect for him at all! This bastard didn¡¯t know who he was talking to!

    Okubo felt another urge to yell obscenities at Seiji, but he forced himself to tolerate it.

    "Please answer, Yoshiaki-san."

    Seiji even had the gall to hurry him up.

    "¡­Yes," Okubo admitted reluctantly.

    The ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ definitely had the power to bring cmities down upon on everyone. Even if he denied it, it would be simple to call him out for lying.

    "So you¡¯ve admitted it again¡­ In order to reach your goal, you¡¯re willing to harm so many innocents¡­ I feel that¡¯s what evil is supposed to be."

    "Those people aren¡¯t innocent at all!" Okubo¡¯s voice rose in volume again as he hurriedly exined. "Those people provide Spiritual Energy for that woman¡¯s spell formation and are all a part of her spell formation, so they count as part of that evil woman¡¯s forces! Why should I care about them!?"

    "They never did anything to you, and none of them know about what happened between you and Natsuya Yoruhana¡­"

    "They¡¯re all in that woman¡¯s school, and are helping out that fucking b*tch! That itself is a sin!!" Okubo almost shouted in a steely voice.

    The other side of the phone fell silent.

    Okubo was somewhat worried at Seiji¡¯s silence. ¡®Maybe I went a bit overboard,¡¯ he thought.

    But that was what he truly believed.

    Why did he have to care about those people? Even if they were ignorant and innocent, that was their own fault.

    Since they went to Genhana High School and provided Spiritual Energy for that evil woman, it only served them right to have cmities befall them.

    Although Okubo truly believed this, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to voice his opinion.

    "Oh, I might have gone off on a bit of a tangent. Haruta-kun, I should have said that everything was Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s fault. That woman took advantage of every teacher and student in that entire school, and they¡¯d onlye to harm because she took advantage of them, not because of me.

    "The entire Genhana High School served as her spell formation, so it¡¯s only natural for me to treat all the people there as her subordinates, isn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If those teachers and studentse to any harm, if they want toin, they should hate her, not me."

    ¡®That¡¯s right; that sounds like a good exnation.¡¯

    Okubo truly believed that his actions were just and Natsuya was evil.

    The voice on the phone still remained silent.

    "Haruta-kun, I know that the part you probably care about the most is that a cmity could¡¯ve befallen you, since you¡¯re also a Genhana High School student. But everything is just as I said: it¡¯s all because Natsuya Yoruhana secretly took advantage of you guys. She¡¯s the vicious mastermind behind everything!"

    "Not only have you been taken advantage of as a student at her school, she¡¯s even making use of your identity as a member of the Haruta family. It¡¯s time for you to wake up now. Haruta-kun, as long as you help me¡­"

    "Onest question." A calm voice interrupted Okubo¡¯s words yet again. "Shika Kagura, the temporary retainer who listened to your orders, fought for you, and was injured and captured¡ªwhat do you think of her?"

    On the other side of the phone, Seiji¡¯s eyes gleamed with a terrible, icy light.

 Chapter 157 - Refusal

    <h4>Chapter 157: Refusal</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Okubo felt that this was a strange question.

    Shika Kagura was the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ and his temporarily hired retainer.

    He had wanted to utilize her special ability to destroy his enemy¡¯s spell formation, but he failed and wasted his time.

    Not only did he waste his time, money, and effort, he even suffered for it¡ªhe had to undergo some ufortable things in order to mitigate the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ on himself.

    His plot failed, and his self-confidence had turned into humiliation¡­ As for that temporary retainer, she was worthless.

    No, she was worse than worthless¡ªshe was a piece of garbage! He never wanted to see her again.

    Why was Seiji Haruta asking about this worthless piece of garbage?

    Okubo mulled it over.

    "Haruta-kun, are you worried that you¡¯ll end up just like Shika Kagura if you listen to my orders? You don¡¯t need to worry at all. As long as you help me, we¡¯ll definitely defeat Natsuya Yoruhana, and I¡¯ll keep my promise to you."

    Actually, he wouldn¡¯t.

    After making use of him, Seiji would be worthless. He didn¡¯t care about Seiji at all.

    But right now, it was necessary for Okubo to act sincerely.

    "That wasn¡¯t what I asked," the voice on the phone replied. "I asked what you thought of her¡ªplease answer me directly."

    Okubo felt confused again.

    Why did Seiji care so much about that piece of trash?

    Oh, right, Shika Kagura was rather beautiful; perhaps¡­

    What an idiot.

    Falling in love with the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ was foolish to the extreme! While Okubo admitted that Shika was extremely beautiful, anyone that got close to her would have misfortune befall them, and falling in love with her was akin to suicide.

    Okubo felt even more condescension towards the scum he viewed as Seiji Haruta.

    For scum to fall in love with garbage¡­ Hmph, it was truly a perfect pairing. He mentallyughed at them.

    Of course, he knew that he couldn¡¯t express this out loud.

    "Haruta-kun, could it be that you like Shika Kagura? She¡¯s quite beautiful, but I don¡¯t really rmend trying anything with her; you should consider your options more clearly. As for me¡­ I only treated her as how a contractor should, and I have zero interest in her. I¡¯ve never even touched her."

    ¡®I¡¯m an intelligent person who knows how to protect himself. I¡¯d never do anything so suicidal like touch the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ unlike an incredible fool like you.¡¯

    "You never worried about her or wanted to save her after she was injured and captured, is that right?" Seiji continued asking.

    Okubo was now feeling impatient.

    Enough with the idiotic questions!

    "Why do I need to worry about her!? She was just a temporary hireling, a mercenary! It didn¡¯t matter even if she were injured, captured, or killed! I merely hired her to work for me and paid her as she requested¡ªthat¡¯s all!"

    That girl was nothing more than a tool to him.

    Okubo expressed his sentiments clearly.

    If the scum wanted the garbage, then he was free to take it! Okubo didn¡¯t care at all.

    "I understand now," Seiji said politely. "Thank you for your honesty."

    "Haruta-kun, you¡­"

    "Yoshiaki-san, I shall reply now after hearing so much from you." Seiji raised his phone and stated his next sentence as clearly as he possibly could. "About your request for me¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I refuse."

    Refuse¡­ Okubo was surprised at hearing this word.

    But before he had any time to think, Seiji continued speaking.

    "I wanted to hear about it from you personally, but after hearing you confirm everything for me, Yoshiaki-san¡­ no, Okubo Yoshiaki.

    "You¡­ are aplete bastard."

    His calm yet forceful words felt like a hammer smashing against Okubo¡¯s chest.

    "No matter how many promises a bastard like you makes, it¡¯s nothing more than hot airing out of your ass, because people like you aren¡¯t worthy of my trust."

    "A bastard like you was actually considered a ¡®divine child¡¯ in the past? Or maybe it¡¯s exactly because you used to be a ¡®divine child¡¯. Either way, you¡¯ve fallen to the bottom of the abyss, Okubo Yoshiaki."

    "I¡¯m not only talking about your personality, I¡¯m also talking about your real-life situation¡­ My guess is that you¡¯re currently at the state of being forced to the brink."

    Brink¡­ Okubo received a huge impact from this!

    He felt as if he had been seen through.

    That was because there were indeed almost no other options left to him!

    Natsuya had sent him a formal duel request, which he had thought he could deal with easily. But in actuality, everything happened differently from what he expected.

    It was like he had been forced to run in circles from start to finish, and no matter how he resisted, counterattacked, and struggled, Natsuya was able to counter his every move.

    He discovered that not a single trump card of his turned out to be reliable! And as for her¡­ Natsuya Yoruhana seemed to have the entire world behind her as she consecutively yed trump cards that he didn¡¯t imagine her possessing!!

    He was forcefully crushed and defeated at the negotiation table on how to handle the formal duel.

    Why did things happen like this!?

    ¡®I thought that her family hated her due to her foolish beliefs!?¡¯ Okubo had roared in his mind. ¡®Why are there still so many people supporting her!!?¡¯

    Almost all his gathered information had been wrong.

    His own negotiation ns that he confidently nned on using¡­ werepletely useless, just like a joke.

    After the formal duel negotiation was finished, Okubo remained in a state of shock for a long while.

    He was just like an elementary school student that foolishly believed he would get a high grade on his test but ended up with a big fat red zero.

    When he finally managed to regain his senses, he went berserk and destroyed many inanimate objects.

    But after, he finally was able to face reality. Okubo desperately attempted to conceive a plot which he could use to turn around the situation. Finally, he figured that¡­ he could take advantage of Seiji Haruta!

    As long as he promised to give this piece of trash scum that was exiled from the Haruta family some material benefits, it would be easy to get Seiji on his side.

    That¡¯s what Okubo believed¡­ that¡¯s all Okubo could believe.

    That was why Okubo decided call Seiji and try his best at talking to this scum.

    But the result was¡­

    "My guess is that you werepletely defeated by Natsuya at the negotiation table when you were discussing the formal conditions for the duel. You were forced to ept many conditions that were unfavorable to you, making it inconvenient for you to do many things, to the extent where you felt that you were in danger of losing the duel."

    "And you absolutely can¡¯t afford to lose this duel, because your situation is already extremely precarious. In other words, you¡¯re betting everything you have remaining on this duel that you set in motion; it¡¯s yourst gamble."

    "Since you absolutely don¡¯t want to lose, you desperately tried to conceive a new n of some sort, and the result was that you attempted calling me, the outsider temporarily residing at Natsuya¡¯s residence. You wanted to make use of me for another underhanded plot against her¡­ such as the plot you attempted with the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse.¡¯"

    "If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I was necessary for your n, you wouldn¡¯t even consider talking with exiled scum like me, right? You definitely think this way, because your haughty attitude and condescension was revealed just by your tone of voice alone. Yes, it was that obvious."

    Seiji chuckled coldly on the other end of the cell phone. "Are my guesses on the mark, Okubo Yoshiaki?"

    Okubo¡¯s body began to tremble.

    Everything Seiji said had been urate.

    Literally everything he said over the phone¡­ was true!

    How could it be? How was this possible!? Just how did he¡­

    "Right now you¡¯re probably thinking just how could scum like him guess my actual situation?"

    It was almost as if he could read Okubo¡¯s mind. He said exactly what Okubo was thinking.

    "This is actually quite easy. After I confirmed what a bastard you were, I just needed to think a little. I could infer your current situation and what your ulterior motives were in contacting me," the voice on Okubo¡¯s cell phone stated coldly. "As scum, it should only be natural for me to understand a bastard¡¯s way of thinking."

    The deep sarcasm pierced Okubo¡¯s heart like a sharp knife.

 Chapter 158 - Spells

    <h4>Chapter 158: Spells</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Okubo had been seen through entirely and insulted by someone he viewed as nothing more than a piece of trashy scum.

    Okubo never considered¡­ no, he¡¯d never even imagined that such a day woulde for him.

    The impact he received was so enormous that his mind wentpletely nk. He was unable to think about anything; all he could do was shiver uncontrobly at the chill he felt.

    It was as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

    "Have you received so much of a shock that you can¡¯t even speak anymore?" the voice asked mockingly. "So that¡¯s yourughable limit. Okubo Yoshiaki, you know quite well that you¡¯re not even close to a match for Natsuya Yoruhana in an honest, fair match!"

    "Two years ago, she didn¡¯t use any underhanded techniques and defeated you fair and square! Two yearster, which is today, she¡¯s even stronger than before, so there¡¯s no way for you to defeat her directly, which is why you can only use sneaky underhanded tactics to try and catch her off guard."

    "Honestly, your plot wasn¡¯t bad at all¡­ but you still ended up failing," Seiji said calmly. "Your final chance has disappeared with your failed plot, but you haven¡¯t recognized this¡­ Your twisted pride and arrogance have refused to allow you to admit this."

    "But just because you refuse to admit it, reality won¡¯t change just for your sake. Reality will simply show you reality, no matter if you ept it or not."

    "Okubo Yoshiaki¡­ you were defeated once before by Natsuya Yoruhana. This time, you will be defeated by her again. You¡¯ll be defeated by her for eternity."

    "You¡¯ll never catch up to her in terms of power for your entire life, nor will you ever understand that even when you die, it¡¯s because your so-called ¡®divine child¡¯ brain is basically now¡­"

    Each and every sentence pierced into Okubo¡¯s dazed brain painfully.

    It evoked relentless waves of agony, like ss shardscerating the inside of his head.

    As for whatever final adjective Seiji said, he didn¡¯t hear it clearly¡­ he instinctively refused to hear it.

    Seiji hung up on Okubo after that and put away his cell phone.

    He then continued walking to Shika¡¯s room, knocked on the door, and entered after she said: e in".

    "Brother Seiji¡­" Shika blinked in surprise as she greeted him. "Your expression¡­ is a little scary."

    Seiji raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I just had a phone call with an annoying fellow."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Don¡¯t worry; it wasn¡¯t a big deal." Seiji walked closer and offered his arm to her. "Let¡¯s go eat breakfast together, Shika-chan."

    "Okay," Shika answered happily, linking her arm with Seiji¡¯s.

    The duo walked together towards the dining hall.

    "Today¡¯s breakfast was personally made by me, you know."

    "Eh¡­"

    Seiji smiled. "Maybe it¡¯s not as good as Houjou-senpai¡¯s food, but it¡¯s more than edible."

    Shika eyes sparkled as she looked at Seiji. "Whatever Brother Seiji cooks¡­ will definitely be delicious," she said in a serious tone.

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "Hah¡­ I feel embarrassed now."

    "Well, at least I believe it is," Shika added with a smile.

    ¡®Objectively speaking, it¡¯s probably not that delicious.¡¯ That was left unsaid.

    Fine then; at least Shika was an honest child!

    He couldn¡¯t help but reach out his hand and pat her on the head.

    A light smile bloomed on Shika¡¯s face.

    The two of them soon reached the dining hall.

    This was followed by the three of them eating breakfast together happily.

    "I read Brother Seiji¡¯s storyst night; I think¡­ it¡¯s really just like Brother¡¯s style."

    "Ahh¡­ What¡¯s your overall impression? Did you enjoy it?"

    "It was great¡­ I enjoyed it so much." Shika shed a movingly soft and gentle smile. "I believe that it¡¯s a wonderful story!"

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find any words to say after seeing such a beautiful smile.

    "That¡¯s no good, Kagura-san. If you praise him too much, he¡¯ll be arrogant." Mai entered the conversation with a frown. "You should be more objective."

    "But¡­ that¡¯s what I really believe."

    "Hmm¡­ Then allow me to read Haruta-san¡¯s story as well." Mai turned to the boy. "I¡¯ll give you a fair and objective assessment, for Kagura-san¡¯s part as well."

    Seiji smiled. "It¡¯ll be my pleasure to receive Senpai¡¯s review."

    Hepletely put that displeasing phone call behind him.

    ¡­

    After breakfast.

    Seiji returned to his room and emailed a copy of his story to Mai.

    After that, he checked his system.

    One night of [Visualization] had given him 5 extra points in [Spiritual Power]!

    ¡®An excellent improvement, but I doubt it will continue to rise so quickly.¡¯

    From previous experience, he knew that his stats would improve faster when they were low and slow down when they were high.

    Next, he chose [Spiritual Abilities]. There, he saw a new option called [Spells]!

    The prerequisite for [Spells] was to have 15 points in [Spiritual Power].

    When he chose [Spells] and looked at the options, there was only one choice called [Beginner-level Body Strengthening Spell], which was grayed out and unselectable.

    ording to the system¡¯s exnation, the requirements for learning the basic body strengthening spell were¡ª

    [Read and fullyprehend a beginner-level body-strengthening technique manual or its equivalent¡ªcurrent progress 0%.]

    [ept training from someone who understands the [Beginner-level Body-Strengthening Spell] or above andpletelyprehend their tutge¡ªcurrent progress 0%.]

    [44 points required to exchange for this ability.]

    Seiji¡¯s eyebrows twitched when he read this.

    This was rather different from the abilities on the other item cards. Not only did it require points, it had two additional requirements.

    Why did it need both points and these conditions? Or that is to say, why did he need to learn it both in real life and through his system?

    And as for the points required¡­ why exactly was it 44 points!?

    Normally prices would be set at something like 40 or 45 points, but why was it 44?

    Just what are you trying to say, system!?

    Seiji couldn¡¯tprehend it.

    44 points¡­ This was an eptable price; it was even cheaper than the abilities under the [Fighting] skill tree.

    But as for these conditions¡­ right, was it because of the other two requirements that the points required were lower?

    If it weren¡¯t for the two requirements, and he only exchanged points for this ability, just how strong would the [Beginner-level Body-Strengthening Technique] be?

    Seiji pondered on it.

    It was incalcble until he learned just how strong the body-strengthening spell was.

    As for exactly what this spell did, the only exnation the system had was [a spell that greatly increases the user¡¯s physical abilities. Beginner level.]

    Just how much do you want to skimp on the word count?

    Seiji began seriously considering whether or not to learn this spell aftermenting on the situation¡­

    ''No, I have to learn it.''

    This appeared to be the most basic spell, so it was a necessary requirement! What he needed to consider wasn¡¯t whether or not to learn it, but if he wanted to learn it right away, and how.

    Even though he could learn itter, he figured that it was best to learn the basics early for a solid foundation. He was unsure how difficult the two requirements would be to achieve¡­ If it was difficult, then it was all the more important that he began as soon as possible.

    Yep, he decided to learn this spell as soon as possible! As for how to learn it¡­ he could probably borrow a manual on this from Natsuya, and for his teacher¡­ Shika-chan was a perfect choice!

    He needed to think about how to ask Natsuya to borrow a technique manual¡­

    ¡®Ugh, when is she going to return?¡¯

    Seiji yawned as he kept thinking.

    He decided to take a rest. Last night¡¯s [Visualization] was simr to dreaming, but it wasn¡¯t real sleep, so he was rather tired.

    ¡®Wait! Before I go to sleep, I should sign the story contract and mail it out.¡¯

    ¡­

    He slept till noon.

    Seiji left his room, found Mai, and from her, he gleaned that Natsuya had returned and was in her study.

    Seiji thus walked to the third floor and knocked on her door.

    He entered after receiving her permission.

    He saw that the president was sitting on the chair behind her desk. When he came in, she smiled and turned around to look at him.

    Seiji returned her smile with one of his own as he greeted her. "Judging from how you seem¡­ your negotiations met with great sess."

    "Yep, they were a lot more sessful than I expected. The duel¡¯s format was as I expected, but apart from that, I received many advantageous conditions."

    "Just as I thought." Seiji observed her face intently. "You¡¯d never lose in a direct duel against that type of guy¡­ Not only that, you¡¯d achieve a great victory."

    "I¡¯m d that I didn¡¯t betray your trust." Natsuya¡¯s face flushed slightly red as she averted her gaze.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Actually, Okubo Yoshiaki gave me a phone call," Seiji said honestly. "He tried to get me toe over to his side and do something for him, but I refused."

    Natsuya looked directly at him. "That sounds like just how he¡¯d struggle¡­ Thank you, Haruta-kun."

    "No need for thanks; I told you before that I¡¯d stick by your side."

    The two of them exchanged smiles.

    "I also used this opportunity to ask him some questions and confirmed that he is an absoluteplete bastard." Seiji walked up to her desk. "Would you like to hear the details?"

    Natsuya shook her head. "I can guess at what he said, so it¡¯s not necessary."

    "Then I¡¯ll stop thinking about it, since that phone call was really unpleasant¡­ The only part that I enjoyed was being able to guess that you were sessful in your negotiation." Seiji rubbed his chin. "I won¡¯t ask about the details¡ªall I want to know is this: how soon can I beat him up¡­ I mean, how soon can I deal with him?"

    "Soon." An indescribable light shed through Natsuya¡¯s eyes. "This will all be over before the school festival."

 Chapter 159 - Say That Earlier!

    <h4>Chapter 159: Say That Earlier!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The school festival¡­ Seiji had almost forgotten about it.

    "The school festival is next week, four days from now, right?" he asked after a pause.

    "Yep¡­ Genhana High School¡¯s festival has always been rather sessful, so I hope that it¡¯ll only improve rather than decrease in quality under my student council. That¡¯s why we need to eliminate any obstacles or annoyances before it begins," Natsuya said in a serious tone.

    Seiji chuckled. "Simr to a grand end-of-year cleaning?"

    Natsuya nodded. "That¡¯s right."

    "On what day will the duel be held?"

    "Starting from tomorrow until the day before the school festival begins, he has three nights in which he can choose tounch an attack. If he can break through my spell formation¡¯s defense, it¡¯ll be his victory. If he fails, however, or if he attacks during a time that wasn¡¯t formally specified, it will count as my victory."

    "Ah¡­" Seiji had a basic grasp of the situation. "When do you think he¡¯lle?"

    "I think he¡¯ll wait until thest day, because he requires time to prepare." Natsuya smiled faintly. "But even if he waits until thest minute, he won¡¯t be able to finish the preparations that he wants."

    "You¡¯ve forced him to work on a deadline."

    "Apart from time, I¡¯ve also managed to limit one of his main preparation methods. That mysterious medicine he¡¯s been using to gather spiritual energy has been forbidden."

    "Nice." While Seiji wasn¡¯t sure about what exactly this entailed for Okubo, he was certain that it had dealt a serious blow to his morale.

    The president was really reliable in getting what she wanted on the negotiation table!

    "This will give me a great advantage, but we can¡¯t rx our guard. We must be cautious until everything is over."

    Natsuya wasn¡¯t overconfident simply because she gained an advantage during the negotiations. She was the type that believed everything would only be over when it was over.

    Seiji approved of her cautious personality.

    "Do you need my help with anything?"

    "Not particrly. But¡­" Natsuya looked directly at Seiji. "Did you¡­ want to join in some way?"

    "Hmm?"

    "I already heard from Houjou-san about you and Shika¡­ your determination, your actions, and¡­ your transformation."

    Natsuya narrowed her eyes slightly. Suddenly both her eye pupils turned blood-red and diamond-shaped!

    What the hell¡ªwas this Sharingan!?

    Seiji waspletely stunned.

    "Right now I¡¯m currently confirming your status," Natsuya exined as she stared at him with her Sharingan-like eyes.

    Seiji blinked in difort. "Er¡­ what exactly are you checking?"

    "I¡¯m checking your Spiritual Power level and your Mana energy waves," Natsuya answered calmly. "It¡¯s¡­ quite astonishing, Haruta-kun. Before, your Spiritual Power and Mana were both incredibly low, but after a single day¡­" She sighed as her eye pupils morphed back into their normal shape. "In such a short time, your Spiritual Power and Mana have increased greatly. Even though it¡¯s still at a very low level, the amount you''ve improved by¡ªor I should say the pace of your improvement¡ªis rather shocking."

    A brief period of silence fell between the duo.

    "If you improve by this much every day, it¡¯ll only take you a few days to reach the level of someone qualified to be a Spirit-branded Retainer," Natsuya informed him in a serious tone.

    "A Spirit-branded Retainer¡¯s level¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That''s the most basic level, right?"

    "It¡¯s indeed the lowest level, but even so, you need a certain amount of Spiritual Power and Mana to be a retainer." Natsuya sighed before continuing, "Haruta-kun, your transformation is incredibly astonishing¡­ You don¡¯t know about the realm of Yin Yang Masters, but I still need to let you know just how shocking your increase in Spiritual Power really is.

    "To the best of my knowledge, amongst modern-day Yin Yang Masters¡­ no, even amongst all modern-day Spiritual Ability users, your feat is unprecedented! To be able to improve such low Spiritual Power and Mana levels by a vast amount in a single night through only Visualization¡ªthere¡¯s never been an instance like yours!

    "This type of feat is recorded only in ancient texts and legends! Another way to put it is this: if people found out about your situation, you¡¯d be a modern-day living legend!"

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "A legend¡­ I can¡¯t really feel it right now, but I¡¯ll keep it in mind."

    "That¡¯s good then." Natsuya nodded in affirmation. "Honestly speaking, when I heard Houjou-san tell me about your situation, I almost thought that I misheard¡­ But no matter how unbelievable the situation, she would never lie to me, so I epted it. And just now, I personally confirmed it."

    The president revealed aplex expression as she considered the situation. "Houjou-san told me that you wanted to be a Yin Yang Master, so I thought that perhaps you¡¯d like to participate even further. If you witness the duel, you can understand more¡­ about my world."

    Seiji remained silent for a few moments.

    "If I want to witness the duel, I¡¯m going to have to increase my Spiritual Power level to at least that of a retainer¡¯s, right?"

    "That''s not necessary." Natsuya shook her head. "However, if you do reach that level, I can form a contract with you as my temporary Spirit-branded Retainer, so that you can witness the battle at the closest distance possible. But if you don¡¯t want to personally take part in the battle or if you can¡¯t achieve that level, you can simply watch as a spectator."

    "Oh¡­"

    "I have arge advantage in this duel, so it should be fairly safe, but there¡¯s still a risk¡­ What would you like to do?"

    Seiji pondered on her words. "If I be your temporary retainer and enter the battle itself, will it inconvenience you in any way?"

    "That will depend on your performance. I believe that you won¡¯t¡­ you could even be a great help."

    "How so?"

    "I feel that he¡¯s highly likely to use soulyer magic attacks against me, and you seem to be quite talented in this area. You could definitely be an unexpected factor in this duel," Natsuya said seriously.

    Seiji''s eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Does that mean¡­ there¡¯s a possibility for the battle to be simr to the one where I dispelled the amnesia spell on Shika?"

    "Yes, there¡¯s a possibility that there will be a battle in our soulyers, just like the battle you went through in Shika¡¯s soul," Natsuya confirmed.

    ''You should''ve said that earlier, Mdy!''

    Seiji couldn''t help but feel excited when he heard this. Battles that relied on the power of imagination were fun to him!

    A 2-D battle¡­ There were so many ways he could win! If it was a battle in the soulyer, he could use any method he could possibly imagine to beat that bastard viciously!

    This was so much better than beating him up in real life!

    Just imagining the possibilities caused Seiji to swell with excitement, and that was taking into ount it was only a possibility.

    But it was worth it for him to believe in this oue! Such an exciting all-out battle where he could let loose his inner bloodthirsty berserker!!

    "I¡¯d like to participate in the battle!" His mouth arced upwards, and his eyes began sparkling.

    "I¡¯ll do my best to cultivate myself in the next few days in order to reach the level of a Spirit-branded Retainer! Please take good care of me and help me to learn as much knowledge as possible, President Yoruhana!"

    "Oh¡­ okay." Natsuya was slightly stunned and could only reply dazedly at Seiji¡¯s sudden explosion of passion.

    "It¡¯s best to start as soon as possible, so I¡¯ll begin immediately! I''ll have to find Houjou-senpai if I want to borrow your Spirit Image again, right?" Seiji shed a brilliant smile. "Or would it be better if you personally taught me something first? For example, showing me some secret technique manuals, or teaching me how to use spells?"

    "Er¡­ just go ahead and do some Visualization first," Natsuya replied.

    "Got it! I shall take my leave then," Seiji answered spiritedly before turning around and leaving.

    Natsuya tilted her head in confusion as she watched his figure disappear dazedly.

    "What¡¯s with him?" she murmured.

 Chapter 160 - Curled-Up Cat

    <h4>Chapter 160: Curled-Up Cat</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The high-spirited Seiji sought out Mai and asked to borrow the ¡®Spirit Image¡¯ once more.

    But he was rejected.

    "It¡¯s almost lunchtime, so whatever you want to do should wait until after lunch, unless you want to skip it," Mai informed him calmly.

    He hit a red traffic light, so he could only put on the brakes.

    "You¡¯re about to cook lunch? Would you like my assistance?" Seiji volunteered of his own volition.

    "There''s no need for that, but thanks for the offer."

    The professional maid seemed to be exuding an aura which said: ¡®For Mdy¡¯s lunch, peoplecking experience will only get in my way.¡¯

    "Oh¡­"

    ''Ok then, I knew that it would turn out like this.''

    Seiji turned around and was about to leave, but Mai stopped him.

    "Your story¡¯s not bad at all. I give it 7.5 points out of 10." Mai smiled. "Tell me when it gets published¡ªI¡¯ll go buy the magazine it¡¯s in."

    "Thanks for purchasing it!" 7.5 seemed like an awkward number to Seiji, but, to him, any rating above 7 out of 10 was eptable.

    Mai¡¯s inner feelings were in turmoil as she watched an obviously joyous Seiji leave.

    Her true evaluation of Seiji¡¯s story had been 9 points!

    But if she told him the truth, she was afraid that he would be haughty. It¡­ it definitely wasn¡¯t because she was embarrassed at the fact that she was enchanted with his writing skills!

    Okay, the maid was being a tsundere now.

    Seiji went to the main hall and was about to pour some tea for himself when he saw a cute creature.

    It was Rana Kirin.

    The cat-eared loli¡­ whoops, the petite middle-school girl was taking a nap on the sofa with her eyes closed. Her expression was soft and peaceful, and the tworge cat ears on her head were trembling slightly.

    ''So cute!'' Seiji couldn¡¯t help but stare at her.

    Then she shook herself and curled up into a near-perfect circle.

    This was¡­ the legendary cat-curled-up-into-a-ball scenario!

    Seiji was deeply moved by this scene. Without a trace of hesitation, he took out his cell phone and captured a picture of the precious scene.

    *Click click¡­* The sound of the camera shutter echoed through the room.

    Rana¡¯s ears quivered upon hearing this sound, and she slowly opened her eyes, searching for the source of the disturbance.

    "Er¡­" Seiji froze solid as their eyes met. "Did I wake you up? I¡¯m so sorry!"

    He immediately put away his cell phone.

    Rana blinked her beautiful heterochromia eyes and began pouting slightly.

    It seemed that she was a little angry.

    "I¡¯m sorry¡ªyou were too cute, so I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­" Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    Rana¡¯s mouth seemed to rx slightly, but she was still ring at him.

    She then reached out with one of her paws¡ªer, hands¡ªand pped the sofa beside her.

    Seiji was mystified at her action.

    While he was confused, he finally realized what she meant when she patted the sofa beside her two more times.

    "You want me to sit there?"

    Rana''s tiny lips curled.

    It seemed that he was correct. Seiji walked over and sat down on the indicated spot.

    Rana rxed her body and ced her head on Seiji¡¯s thigh. Next, she grabbed one of his hands and ced it on her own head.

    Did she want him to pat her on the head?

    A helpless Seiji began patting Rana''s head.

    Pat~ Pat pat~~

    "Meow¡­" Rana purred in purefort.

    So cute!

    Seiji took a huge blow from the high-tech cannon of cuteness.

    If he had been a cat-ear lover, perhaps he would have fainted on the spot!

    Speaking of cat ears¡­ could he¡­ touch her cat ears?

    Once he had this thought, it became difficult to suppress the urge.

    The curiosity within Seiji had been fully unleashed.

    ''It would be fine to touch them for only a moment, right?''

    Hey everyone, these are authentic cat ears!

    These cat ears aren¡¯t mere essories, nor are they virtual reality holograms!

    They¡¯re real, moving, warm cat ears thate from Rana merging with a cat spirit!!

    As a gentleman, how could Seiji possibly let this chance slip past?

    ''Okay, I''ll do it!''

    All he had to do was feel them gently¡­

    Seiji slowly moved his hands, and just as he was about to touch¡­

    "Haruta-kun."

    ¡®Ahhh!!¡¯

    Seiji almost reflexively shouted out loud like a frog that had been stepped on as his hands froze in midair.

    "I¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything! I haven¡¯t done anything yet!" he stammered defensively.

    "Do¡­ what?"

    The person who appeared in his vision was a red-haired beauty with a sports drink bottle in her hand. She was wearing a midriff-baring shirt and ck-colored hotpants.

    Hitaka Shuho¡­ what was with her outfit!?

    Seiji was absolutely shocked.

    Her current appearance almostpletely went against every impression he had of her.

    From what Seiji thought of her, Hitaka was a serious, cold, strict girl, who only thought about matters rted to her master Natsuya Yoruhana; she was a loyal dog¡­ er, warrior-type retainer.

    She didn¡¯t seem like the type to care about her own affairs or personal appearance, and the clothes she wore should have been rather normal, or even traditional.

    However, this hot girl before him¡­ what was this about? With her personality, why was she dressed like this!?

    It wasn¡¯t that it looked bad on her, but rather it felt strange because it looked really great on her!!

    The red-haired beauty tilted her head upwards and took a huge gulp of her sports drink while Seiji remained shocked.

    This pose¡­ this appearance seemed right out of a sports drink advertisement!

    Seiji waspletely frozen solid.

    Hitaka looked at him in confusion.

    "Haruta-kun, did you say something just now?"

    "Er¡­" Seiji returned to his senses. "Did I¡­ say something?"

    Hitaka was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    "I forgot¡­ perhaps I was just muttering to myself." Seiji averted his gaze and did his best to fool her.

    "Talking to yourself unknowingly¡­ I do that from time to time as well." Hitaka nodded understandingly; she seemed to have epted Seiji''s tant lie.

    She actually epted it!?

    Seiji looked at her again and saw that she was taking another huge gulp of the sports drink, her head tilted upwards.

    She exposed her dainty white neck while drinking, and the view of her throat gulping as well as her shirt that showed off her smooth stomach and belly button¡­

    For the red-haired beauty d in revealing, figure-hugging clothes to do such an action, it was¡­ a truly admirable scene.

    Seiji almost impulsively took out his cell phone again.

    "Is she asleep?"

    "Eh?"

    "Rana."

    "Er¡­ I think she isn¡¯t? She¡¯s just resting." Seiji looked down at the cat girl.

    "I don¡¯t know why Rana is so intimate with you¡­" Hitaka flicked her gaze back to his face. "Could I trouble you to apany her like this for a little while?"

    "Of course."

    ¡®I¡¯m already doing it anyways.¡¯ Seiji smiled in an attempt to transmit that message.

    "Thank you."

    Hitaka thanked him and took another sip of her sports drink. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something.

    "Would you like some?" She lifted her drink and waved it at Seiji.

    Seiji looked at it and nodded.

    He had originally wanted some tea, but a sports drink didn¡¯t sound bad either.

    Just as he thought Hitaka was about to grab another bottled drink for him, he saw her walking over and handing him the same bottle that she had just drunk from.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    Hitaka stared at him with an expression which said: ¡®What are you doing? Hurry up and drink already.¡¯

    ¡®This doesn''t seem right!!¡¯ Seiji energeticallymented in his mind.

    No matter how he looked at it, she should have grabbed a new sports drink bottle for him! Why the hell was she giving her the one that she already drank from!?

    Although he could ept it, it still seemed really strange! Hitaka¡¯s favorability rating towards him wasn¡¯t high enough for such an action, was it!?

    Dating sim system: ''Would you like to confirm and make sure, dear?¡¯

    Seiji imagined his own system talking to him.

    It wasn¡¯t necessary to check! Seiji was confident that he didn¡¯t misremember; Hitaka¡¯s favorability rating towards him wasn¡¯t high at all. But why¡­

    There was only one truth.

    Hitaka Shuho¡­ waspletely ignorant regarding such matters!

    Seiji detected the truth.

    Her expression seemedpletely calm, and she believed nothing was wrong with her intimate offer¡­

    She appeared in front of a boy wearing such alluring clothing, but she didn¡¯t seem to be shy about it at all. Instead, she thought it was natural¡­

    He was 99% certain.

    The red-haired beautiful girl in front of him¡­ was aplete idiot about anything rted to gender matters and boys!

 Chapter 161 - Utter Confusion

    <h4>Chapter 161: Utter Confusion</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Shuho-san¡­ have you ever, just like this, offered a drink that you¡¯ve already sipped from to another boy?" Seiji asked in a clear voice, looking at her intently.

    Hitaka blinked in surprise. She then tilted her head slightly and considered the question. She averted her gaze after a few seconds, then focused on Seiji again after another few seconds.

    "No."

    It was easy to tell that she tried to recall any other such instances before answering.

    So, Seiji¡¯s guess had been on the mark.

    Seiji could only smile wryly.

    "Then, do you know the hidden meaning of such an action?"

    Hitaka blinked again, and there was a look of utter confusion on her face.

    "Alright, you don¡¯t need to answer¡ªI already know that you don¡¯t know." Seiji felt a sudden urge to cover his face.

    How should he exin it?

    He thought about it for a few seconds.

    "Shuho-san, a girl offering a drink she¡¯s sipped from¡­ or food she¡¯s already eaten to another boy is considered an incredibly intimate action by others."

    Hitaka was expressionless.

    "This type of action will typically only appear between boys and girls that have already confirmed their feelings for each other¡­ or in other words, couples.

    "Apart from that, there are a few exceptions, such as childhood friends that are really close to each other, or brothers and sisters, but even the exceptions are also between boys and girls that are really close with each other.

    "That¡¯s why, Hitaka-san, it¡¯s not suitable for you to offer me a drink like this. We¡¯re not a couple, nor are we super close to each other. For you to offer me a drink¡­ it¡¯s as if you¡¯re giving me an easily misconstrued signal that you have hidden feelings for me or that you secretly want to take our rtionship to another level¡­ something like that.

    "I know that Shuho-san isn¡¯t this type of girl, which is why I asked to make sure if you knew the hidden meaning to this action or not, and why I¡¯m exining it to you¡­ Do you understand?"

    Seiji looked at her face and noticed a strange phenomenon.

    Hitaka¡¯s face was slowly beginning to redden. It was almost as if an invisible red brush was drawing on her face! After a few short moments, her face had turnedpletely red!

    The red-haired, red-eyed girl¡¯s face was also red as well now.

    Yep, this scene had aplementary type of beauty to it.

    Seiji watched Hitaka quietly.

    The redder her face got, the more distant the look in her eyes became. The hand that was holding the sports drink also began to tremble slightly.

    Was she about to start smoking from her head? If this was a manga, Seiji was certain that white smoke would being out of her head right now.

    She was embarrassed to such a degree¡­ how pure.

    Even if she was wearing attire that made her seem incredibly hot.

    By the way, did she know just how attractive she looked in those clothes? It seemed quite probable¡­ that she also didn¡¯t know.

    This type of contrast was quite cute!

    Even her current expression was really cute.

    Whenpared to her usual icy, distant expression, her beet-red face was bursting with cuteness!!

    Seiji admired the scene quietly.

    Even though this was an inappropriate time to take out his cell phone, he still had his system¡¯s CG-saving ability.

    System: ''Leave it to me!¡¯

    Seiji imagined the (fake) system fairy giving him a huge thumbs-up.

    Nice job, partner!

    "H¡­ Haruta-kun¡­" Hitaka started hesitantly, lowering her crimson face, "I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry!"

    After saying that, she turned around and took two steps.

    *Boom! Pound!* Two heavy-sounding blows rang out in quick session.

    The red-haired girl¡¯s figure disappeared.

    That¡¯s right¡ªdisappeared!

    Seiji stared at the feet-shaped holes left in the floorboard in a daze.

    What was with her footwork technique? Did she have the ability to burrow into the floor? Or was it teleportation!?

    The way she escaped seemed so cool and out-of-this-world.

    Was it really alright for her to be using such a power in this residence¡¯s main hall?

    It seemed that it would be at least somewhat of a problem, since the floor now had two huge holes in it. Who was going to fix this?

    "Meow~" Rana moved her body and rubbed her face against his thigh.

    Ah, he identally touched them.

    Because the cat girl had turned her head slightly, Seiji had touched herrge cat ears, which gave him a wondrously smooth and soft feeling.

    Ear patting~ Ear patting~~

    Yep¡­ He was satisfied! His gentlemanly heart had obtained everything it desired.

    And so, he joyously passed some time together with Rana like this.

    Lunchtime.

    Seiji took a tray of food to Shika¡¯s room in order to eat together with her.

    Although he probably could take Shika to the dining hall to eat with everyone if he wanted to, as he didn¡¯t think Natsuya and the others would refuse, it was probably better for everyone if he didn¡¯t burden them with more underlying pressure.

    While eating lunch together with Shika, Seiji informed her that his cultivation process was going well and that he was going to do his best to reach a power level necessary to be Natsuya¡¯s temporary Spirit-branded Retainer.

    "Brother Seiji¡­ is amazing. But to be a temporary retainer and do battle¡­ such a thing¡­"

    Shika was delighted at Seiji¡¯s rapid improvement but concerned about the fact that he himself was nning on doing battle.

    "President Yoruhana is confident that we have a great advantage and that the situation will be fairly safe." Seiji smiled reassuringly. "She doesn¡¯t expect much out of me; she¡¯s merely allowing me to be a spectator and gain knowledge about the life of a Yin Yang Master.

    "I feel like it¡¯s a great chance¡­ I was going to join their ranks sooner orter regardless, but opportunities like this are hard toe by.

    "That¡¯s why I must go. And even if the situation turns dangerous, I¡¯ll simply run away at the first chance I get."

    Shika continued to stare at his face.

    ¡®Will she detect my true motive?¡¯ Seiji felt nervous about this possibility.

    While everything he had just said was the truth, there was actually one more reason, and this was the most important reason: he really wanted to give that Okubo Yoshiaki bastard a vicious beating!

    He felt that Shika definitely wouldn¡¯t ept this reason for joining the battle.

    She wouldn¡¯t want her adopted brother to be ced in such a dangerous situation for the purpose of taking revenge for her. If she knew his true reason for joining, it was almost certain she''d try and stop him.

    That was why Seiji didn¡¯t tell her.

    Even if Shika didn¡¯t feel like it was a big deal if harm befell her, Seiji didn¡¯t want to simply let it go. If he really didn¡¯t have any chance to personally deal with Okubo, then he would forget about it, but since he had a chance, he definitely wanted to give things a try.

    "You¡¯re lying," Shika stated calmly.

    Seiji¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Had she seen through him?

    "Brother, you¡¯re lying. If the situation turned bad, you¡¯d never run away. You¡¯d definitely help President Yoruhana and the others¡­ fight until the very end."

    "Er¡­" Oh, so she was referring to this. Seiji scratched his face .

    "Of course I wouldn¡¯t; I''m aware of my limits. If it¡¯s a situation that¡¯s difficult for even President Yoruhana and the others to deal with, then I¡¯d be nothing more than a burden on them, so I¡¯d escape immediately."

    Shika¡¯s expression showed that she obviously didn¡¯t believe him.

    Seiji was instilled with a sudden sense of curiosity. ¡®Just what is Shika-chan¡¯s impression of me like?¡¯

    "I promise that I won¡¯t go overboard! So you don¡¯t need to worry too much about me," he said reassuringly. "Besides," he consoled gently, "it¡¯s unlikely that the situation will be dangerous in the first ce, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it."

    "Mmm¡­" Shika was forced to ept this.

    But she still felt rather anxious inside, and she wanted to do something for her adopted brother¡¯s sake¡­

    She silently thought about what she could do.

    After lunch.

    Seiji returned the lunch tray and sought out Mai.

    For the second time, he was guided to the hidden underground basement where the Spirit Image was located.

    "This time I won¡¯t be apanying you, so you need to be careful. If there¡¯s any significant danger during your Visualization, or if there are any other strange-seeming situations, make yourself wake up immediately," Mai warned him with a serious expression.

    "I will." Seiji nodded.

    He then sat on the sofa, stared at the hanging watercolor painting, opened his system, and chose [Visualization].

    In just a few seconds, he entered the world of the painting again.

 Chapter 162 - Secret Technique Manual

    <h4>Chapter 162: Secret Technique Manual</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    When Seiji finally returned to the real world after his [Visualization], it was already evening.

    He checked the time, and it was 9:00 P.M. It had taken him nine hours again.

    He had missed dinner, and his stomach was growling.

    Seiji opened up his system and inspected his stats. [Spiritual Power] had increased by 6 points, which was 1 more point thanst time!

    ''Was it due to my newfound experience?'' Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    Taking into ount his bonus stats, his [Spiritual Power] was now above 20 points, but nothing new had appeared.

    Seiji closed his system after he finished inspecting his stats, stretched, and left the room.

    When he arrived at the dining hall, he saw a luxurious lunchbox resting on the table with a note tucked underneath it.

    Seiji picked up the daintily written note and read it.

    For you, Haruta-san. Please enjoy and remember to be grateful for this meal. After you¡¯re done eating, if it¡¯s still not past 10:00 P.M., please visit Mdy¡¯s study. She has something she¡¯d like to discuss with you.

    Seiji chuckled. "Thank you, Senpai."

    He then sat down, opened the lunchbox, and began eating.

    The lunchbox had a built-in heat-conserving function, so all the food inside was still hot and tasty.

    Seiji ate in silence.

    Suddenly, a petite figure slithered inside and stared at him with her heterochromia eyes.

    It was Rana.

    Seiji exchanged nces with her.

    "Would you¡­ like to eat some as well?"

    The cat girl nodded.

    Seiji picked up a fried egg.

    The cat girl shook her head.

    Seiji put down the fried egg and offered her a juicy meat rib.

    The cat girl shook her head again.

    Seiji wondered what she wanted. Suddenly, he was struck by a bolt of inspiration as his gaze was drawn to the corner of the lunchbox¡¯s thirdyer.

    He picked up a small dried fish.

    The cat girl¡¯s cat ears began to tremble.

    ''So, she likes to eat these¡­ well, she is a cat girl after all.''

    He held out the salty dried fish to her.

    Rana opened her mouth and chomped down on the dried fish, chewing it with a joyous expression.

    So cute!

    Seiji felt a strange sense of enjoyment from tossing food to the cat girl.

    He was about to ask if she would like another when she turned around and left abruptly.

    Seiji suddenly felt slightly lonely and let out a deep sigh.

    ''She really is as free-spirited as a cat,'' he remarked inwardly. A short whileter, the delicious food was finished.

    After dinner.

    Mai appeared just as Seiji was about to use the sink to wash out the lunchbox.

    "I¡¯ll wash that for you," she said. "Go and talk to Mdy¡ªit¡¯s already gettingte."

    "Okay, sorry for troubling you." Seiji handed the lunchbox over to the maid. "What did the President want to discuss?"

    "I don¡¯t know. I think it¡¯s probably about what you need to watch out for during cultivation."

    "Ah." Seiji nodded and left.

    At Natsuya¡¯s third-floor study.

    Seiji opened the door and walked into the room after knocking and receiving permission to enter.

    "You¡¯ve arrived, Haruta-kun." Natsuya fixed her gaze on him. "How long did you Visualize for this time?"

    "Nine hours¡­ plus about five or six minutes."

    "You didn¡¯t stop at any time in between? You didn¡¯t wake up at all?"

    "That¡¯s right."

    Natsuya stared at Seiji¡¯s face for a few minutes before letting out a wistful sigh.

    "You¡¯re too amazing, Haruta-kun."

    Both her praise and a slight sense of disappointment at her inability topare with Seiji was contained in this sentence of hers.

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly, unsure how to respond to Natsuya.

    Natsuya took a deep breath to calm herself.

    "How do you currently feel? Do you feel particrly tired, dizzy, or anything like that?"

    "I think everything''s fine¡ªI''m just a little tired, that''s all," Seiji said honestly.

    "Mmm¡­ It seems that you have a naturally high affinity for ¡®Visualization,¡¯ which is also evidence of either your high Mana level or incredible imagination." Natsuya blinked. "But I still rmend that you stop for tonight; it¡¯s better if you sleep like normal. No matter how high your affinity, good rest is still necessary."

    Seiji nodded.

    Since she was more knowledgeable than him regarding these matters, he decided to listen to her advice.

    "Also, you mentioned spells before¡­ I thought it over, and I might as well teach you the basics."

    Spells! Seiji''s ears pricked up.

    "As long as you became a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer, the spirits will aid you, enabling you to cast some spells naturally, which was why I didn¡¯t intend to teach you anything originally.

    "But you brought it up by yourself, so I pondered on the issue, and I decided that there¡¯s no harm in teaching you¡­ Although I doubt that you¡¯ll learn how to cast a spell in such a short time, it¡¯s always better to begin learning as early as possible."

    Natsuya paused for a moment. "The spell I n on teaching you is the most basic spell that almost every magic or Spiritual Ability user starts with¡ªthe ''Body-strengthening Technique.¡¯"

    [Body-strengthening Technique]! Seiji¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

    He had been wondering how he was going to ask to learn this particr spell, but now he was going to learn it without any trouble.

    "As the name suggests, it''s a spell which strengthens your body¡¯s attributes. This means that spellcasters almost always have strength far surpassing that of ordinary humans.

    "It¡¯s one of the most basic andmon spells, yet at the same time it''s also profound and mystical. It¡¯s not very difficult to grasp it, but to truly master it to a high degree of proficiency is an incredibly difficult task."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    To him, this situation bore resemnce to a fighting or action game. Everyone had the same controls, and everyone knew how to y games, but even if two people chose the same character, experts would defeat newbies instantly.

    "Here¡¯s some information for you to look over. You could even call it a secret technique manual. Go ahead and take it, but take care not to let others see it," Natsuya said, handing Seiji a yellow-sleeved booklet.

    Seiji took the booklet and flipped through it. Various life-like pictures filled many of the pages, with exnations written below them.

    "It sure doesn¡¯t seem like much of a secret technique manual. Shouldn''t a so-called ¡®secret technique manual¡¯ be¡­ more archaic, with ssical words and a mysterious historical aura?"

    "I also have that type of edition¡ªwould you prefer it?" Natsuya''s eyes flickered with amusement.

    "Oh, not really¡ªI only spoke out of curiosity."

    If there was a modern edition, who would want to look at the archaic edition!?

    "Even if it doesn¡¯t seem like a secret technique manual to you, its contents are unmistakably top secret, so please, don¡¯t let anyone know about it," the president informed him in a serious tone.

    "I¡¯ll be careful with it," Seiji promised solemnly.

    "Look it over tonight and tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll begin teaching you after breakfast."

    A secret ss taught to him by the scion herself? That sounded great!

    Seiji smiled happily. "Understood! Thank you, President Yoruhana!"

    After that, he left Natsuya¡¯s study.

    Before going to his room to study the manual, he headed to Shika¡¯s room to wish her a good night.

    He knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission.

    "Shika-chan, are you about to rest?"

    "Not yet¡­"

    "What are you up to?" Seiji nced at her desk and saw a notebook with something written inside.

    A hint of red crept into Shika''s cheeks.

    "I was thinking about¡­ the stories I want to write together with Brother."

    "Oh, nice! Have you thought of any good ideas?" Seiji was quite interested in this topic.

    "Some¡­ I don¡¯t think any are very good¡­" Shika seemed shy as she looked at the notebook on the desk.

    "You¡¯ve written them down? Can I look at them?" Seiji was filled with anticipation.

    What would this literature-loving girl use for her ideas? The more he thought about it, the more interested he became.

    "Mmm¡­" Shika¡¯s answer was rather ambiguous.

    Seiji felt the urge to say ¡®I¡¯m so curious!¡¯ because of the way she was acting.

    "It¡¯s okay if I look at it, right?" he asked, walking over to her desk.

    Shika didn¡¯t attempt to stop him.

    He picked up her notebook and began reading. Seiji was shocked to his core after he read the first page.

 Chapter 163 - Brother x Sister

    <h4>Chapter 163: Brother x Sister</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The first things to enter Seiji¡¯s line of sight were Shika¡¯s nned titles for her books.

    There was Haru-Kagu Story , Disqualified from Being Siblings , I am the Younger Sister , Story of a Brother , and so on¡­

    Seiji was rendered speechless by these titles!

    He detected an overpowering aura of bro-con just from the titles!

    Haru-Kagu Story was just abination of theirst names, Haruta and Kagura!

    Disqualified from Being Siblings was basically the same as Osamu Dazai¡¯s No Longer Human , which could literally be tranted as "Disqualified from Being Human!" Or was this going to be this world¡¯s version of Disqualified from ___? Perhaps it was giarized¡­ no, an imitation.

    Was I am the Younger Sister supposed to be an imitation of I am a Cat , or something simr?

    Story of a Brother was such a direct title that it was difficult toment on it.

    As for the brother x sister shipping atmosphere contained within these names¡­ it was so obvious that Seiji felt rather helpless.

    Okay, if he forced himself to be spirited and concentrated, Haru-Kagu Story , I am the Younger Sister , and Story of a Brother , still had normal-sounding names. However, Disqualified from Being Siblings ¡­ this name¡­ What the hell was with the word "disqualified!?"

    ¡®It sounds so ominous! Maybe I haven¡¯t read enough books to know the exact 100% definition of the word disqualified, but it doesn¡¯t seem right to use that word here! Just what exactly are the nned contents of this book!?¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s right cheek began to twitch uncontrobly.

    Upon looking over the notes in more detail, there were also character settings and story outlines included in each note.

    Haru-Kagu Story : A love story between a young master from a great and powerful family and a lonely, blind female musician.

    Disqualified from Being Siblings : A forbidden star-crossed lovers story between an older brother and younger sister that are rted by blood, ending in tragedy.

    I am the Younger Sister : A teenage romance story, written from an adopted younger sister¡¯s angle about how cool and strong her adopted older brother is.

    Story of a Brother : Aedy-romance story written from an adopted brother¡¯s viewpoint; it is a joyous andical slice-of-life story.

    Seiji truly wanted to cover his face right now.

    ¡®Shika-chan, there¡¯s something wrong with your way of thinking! Out of your four stories, three of them are love stories between siblings! Just how much do you like this topic!?¡¯

    ¡®Perhaps Shika-chan in her heart¡­ no, stop! Don¡¯t think about reality; stories are stories! But stories aren¡¯t that easy to write, especially ones like Disqualified from Being Siblings ; that¡¯s a forbidden dangerous taboo subject to write about!¡®

    ¡®It¡¯s already bad for normal stories to mention such topics, so it¡¯d be even worse for light novels. It¡¯s almost 100% that she¡¯ll get rejected right away!!¡¯

    Perhaps some dating sims for niche audiences would be able to ept such a scenario, as there were precedents in Seiji¡¯s previous world as well, such as Yosuga no Sora ¡­ No, no, stop thinking about it!

    ''Stop considering this story and erase it from your mind.''

    As for the other three, they were still worthy of consideration.

    Seiji looked over the finer details.

    Haru-Kagu Story ¡­ The young master and the blind lonely girl were actually cousins without knowing it¡­ Er, this was rather difficult to judge, plus this topic was a little¡­

    It would probably be better to remove this one from consideration as well.

    As for I am a Younger Sister and Story of a Brother ¡­ Actually, the only difference was in who the main character was. The settings and story outlines were almost identical.

    Seiji felt that the content of these two stories were much better and discovered many interesting story subplots within them.

    After he finished reading, he turned to look at Shika again and saw that she was currently fidgeting anxiously while waiting for him to finish.

    Seeing how she was acting, Seiji was unable to use any of his typical forcefulments. All he could do was smile at her.

    "Your stories¡­ are still a little rough around the edges, but they''re unpolished diamonds," he said honestly.

    Shika rxed visibly after hearing his praise and revealed a faint smile.

    "You can choose from one of I am a Younger Sister or Story of a Brother to focus on and use all your interesting ideas in it. For example, the mystical and mysterious elements in I am a Younger Sisterbined with the romance andedy in Story of a Brother ¡­" Seiji continued exining.

    Fantasy + mystical + romanticedy elements caused Seiji to recall the famous anime, Bakemonogatari , by Nisio Isin, from his previous life.

    Although Seiji felt that Isin was a rather difficult author in some ways, Seiji still admitted that Isin¡¯s style was rather unique. Plus, Bakemonogatari¡¯s anime director Akiyuki Shinbo just happened to match Isin¡¯s wavelength, which help to sculpt this anime into another unique product that became vastly popr.

    While Shika¡¯s ideas in her notebook were still rather unpolished, Seiji saw numerous possibilities within them.

    He would have her consider them over again with him taking charge of what made the final cut. If it was good enough, perhaps they¡¯d be able to create a Monogatari series together in this world!

    "Let me share my ideas. Let¡¯s temporarily say that the ¡®adopted sister¡¯ is the main character from I am a Younger Sister , and let¡¯s begin with a ¡®mysterious¡¯ angle and create a rather unique adopted older brother¡­"

    He continued on and on with his description.

    Shika listened to him attentively.

    The more she listened, the brighter the light in her eyes grew.

    Seiji¡¯s words helped her own creative ideas flow and gave her a clear direction to go in when she had writer¡¯s block.

    "¡­After such a huge battle, the adopted brother¡¯s mystery and strength are both at their highest levels."

    "After this, unleash Chekhov¡¯s guns by revealing how the ¡®adopted sister¡¯ character, the narrator, is actually the truly mysterious person of this novel, even more so than her ¡®adopted brother!¡¯ This will instill the readers with shock and confusion."

    "Then you should end the first volume of the book on this note, to leave enough of a mystery to attract readers into reading the second volume."

    "That¡¯s my main idea: to use a fantastical background together with romanticedy in order to create a mystical story. So¡­ what do you think?"

    Seiji looked at Shika.

    Shika blinked as she smiled lightly. "Brother Seiji¡­ is so amazing!"

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly upon hearing this type of praise again.

    "It¡¯s not really all that special; I was just giving you one possibility. Whether or not you take the story in this direction is up to you. And whatever you do, the specific details, character settings, background, and so on are all up to you to imagine."

    "Yep!" Shika nodded her head energetically.

    She was already envisioning many scenarios that she wanted to write down immediately.

    This was the urge to create her own work¡­ and she felt that it was a wonderful one.

    Seiji could almost see the passion radiating from Shika¡¯s face.

    ''Nice, this is what a teenaged girl is supposed to be like.''

    "It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯m going to return to my room¡­ If you decide to continue writing, make sure not to stay up toote."

    "Yep¡­ Good night, Brother Seiji."

    "Good night, Shika-chan."

    After Seiji left her room, Shika instantly sat down again at her desk and crouched over the table, writing at a furious pace.

    This was something that she was going to create together with her brother! Just thinking about it filled her with an endless amount of passion and motivation.

    ¡­

    The next morning.

    Seiji followed Natsuya to the hidden basement after eating breakfast.

    Natsuya opened up the third wooden door, which led to a different room. In the room was a passage to a narrow space.

    Was this an elevator?

    Seiji followed Natsuya inside and watched her press a button with a down arrow on it. The door then closed automatically, and he felt his center of gravity shifting slightly.

    As he had surmised, it was indeed an elevator .

    Momentster, the elevator stopped and the door opened.

    Seiji''s surroundings were pitch-ck.

    Natsuya stepped out first, and overhead, a light instantly turned on.

    Seiji followed after her. As they walked down the area, the lights overhead continued to light up, and the entire space was now blindingly bright.

    "This," Natsuya said, "is the practice field."

 Chapter 164 - Body-Strengthening Technique

    <h4>Chapter 164: Body-Strengthening Technique</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The practice field was rather wide.

    Seiji was unable to see every part of it clearly due to various facilities on it, but even the visible part was in no way smaller than a basketball court. There were at least 20 meters between the ceiling and the floor.

    There was such a huge space underground, so how was it created? When was it built?

    Seiji had several questions in his mind.

    But none of them were really important or necessary to ask.

    "You looked over the information I gave youst night, right?"

    "I did."

    "Can you understand it?" Natsuya blinked curiously.

    "Mostly¡­" Seiji thought back to what he''d learnedst night.

    The pornography book¡­ cough, the [Body-strengthening Technique] manual was easy to understand. In fact, for an otaku like Seiji, who possessed a wealth of knowledge regarding various mystical 2-D elements that were far moreplex, detailed, and mysterious, this was akin to a beginner¡¯s textbook.

    Well, this was indeed a manual for beginners after all.

    "In order to use the Body-strengthening Technique, you must first perceive the Mana within your body, before progressing to feel the Mana outside your body."

    "After that, you must start the flow of your internal Mana and force it to interact with the external Mana through specialized breathing techniques, in order tobine your internal and external Mana into a flow that will be a spiritual cycle both within and outside of your body."

    "Finally, a spell which stimtes this cycle in order to strengthen your body¡¯s physical capabilities must be cast."

    Seiji exined his own understanding of what he had read.

    "That¡¯s fairly urate." Natsuya nodded. "Did you attempt to feel the Mana, then?"

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "I did, but I didn¡¯t really feel much."

    Last night, he tried several times to follow the instructions detailed in the manual to no avail.

    "This is normal, since your Spiritual Power and Mana are still rather low." Natsuya turned to the right. "You need assistance, soe with me."

    She started walking forwards.

    Seiji followed after her.

    Arge Yin-Yang diagram with a diameter of approximately two meters was inscribed on the right corner of the practice field. Intertwining lines and runes¡ªwhich Seiji assumed was some kind of spell¡ªran throughout the diagram, and there were also six silver mirrors surrounding the diagram. All the mirrors were pointed towards the diagram¡¯s center.

    "This is a Mana gathering formation. As its name implies, it can gather high concentrations of Mana." Natsuya looked at Seiji. "Go inside the diagram, and try feeling the Mana. It should be easier to perceive it inside there."

    Seiji walked to the center of the Yin-Yang diagram.

    "I¡¯m guessing I should stand right here?"

    "That¡¯s right. Are you ready?"

    "I¡¯m ready." Seiji took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

    The president then muttered something, and he felt an invisible force gathering around him.

    ''Take steady breaths; rx my breathing; spread out my mental awareness; deepen my consciousness¡­''

    Seiji followed the instructions on the manual one more time and made a wholehearted attempt to perceive the Mana.

    Everything was dark.

    But after a while, he caught a faint glimpse of light.

    Within his own body.

    He tried to ¡®see¡¯ things more clearly and attempted to control the flow.

    However, it didn¡¯t work.

    Seiji remained patient and continued attempting to ¡®see¡¯ and ¡®control the flow.¡¯

    ¡­

    The invisible energy dissipated.

    Seiji opened his eyes.

    "One hour has passed already, Haruta-kun," Natsuya said when he saw him stir.

    "Eh?"

    ¡®Was it that quick?'' he thought. ''What happened to time?¡¯

    "How are you feeling?"

    "Things didn¡¯t go too well¡­" Seiji exined what he had felt.

    "It¡¯s actually pretty good already¡­" Natsuya praised. "With your current Mana level, being able to do this much with the Mana gathering formation¡¯s assistance isn¡¯t shabby at all."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Following this, you should continue your attempts to perceive the Mana and try your best to control its flow¡­ No need to rush; it¡¯s not important, even if you haven¡¯t learned it by the time of the duel. I told you before: as long as you have the spirits¡¯ assistance, you¡¯ll naturally be able to use some spells."

    Seiji blinked in curiosity. "President, can you teach me in more detail?" he asked sincerely. "I followed the manual¡¯s instructions, but I keep feeling like there¡¯s something I¡¯m missing."

    Currently before his eyes was his system menu that only he could see.

    [Read and fullyprehend a beginner-level body-strengthening technique manual or its equivalent¡ª100%pleted.]

    [ept training from someone who understands the [Beginner-level Body-strengthening Spell] or above andpletelyprehend their tutge¡ªcurrent progress 15.7%.]

    He already finished his first taskst night.

    As for his second task¡­ he believed that it would progress further if the president told him more information!

    "I suppose I could, but I don¡¯t know what more to tell you¡­ I think that the manual¡¯s quite detailed already, and you understood it clearly." Natsuya tilted her head in confusion.

    "Then what did you do during your first time, President?"

    "As for me¡­"

    With Seiji asking many questions, Natsuya slowly began telling him about the finer details.

    The progress level in his system rapidly increased.

    After a while, Seiji felt that it was difficult to continue this topic for any longer, so he ended his questions appropriately.

    "Are you going to continue practicing here, or are you going to back and Visualize again?"

    "I¡¯ll go and Visualize for now; that seems to be really important."

    "Alright. I¡¯ll keep the practice field unlocked, so you cane here at any time you wish to. It¡¯s really easy to activate the Mana gathering formation: all you have to do is say the incantation¡­"

    *Ding!* Seiji learned the incantation to activate the Mana gathering formation.

    It was actually quite simple.

    The two of them then walked together to the elevator.

    Right when they reached it, the elevator door suddenly opened.

    Hitaka, d in her retainerbat clothes, strode out of the elevator.

    "Mdy¡­ Haruta-kun¡­"

    The red-haired girl greeted Natsuya as usual, but when she noticed Seiji, her expression froze over and her cheeks flushed red.

    "Good¡­ good morning!"

    She averted her gaze awkwardly, and her "good morning" sounded rather stiff.

    Without even waiting for their reply, Hitaka immediately walked away at a brisk pace.

    Natsuya and Seiji were speechless at the situation.

    "Haruta-kun¡­" Natsuya red at the boy beside her and narrowed her eyes.

    "President¡­" When Seiji turned to face her, he caught sight of an ominous light in her eyes.

    "Please exin the situation! What¡¯s going on?" Natsuya¡¯s manner took a sudden imposing turn.

    Her current expression bore some resemnce to arge, angry lioness.

    Seiji smiled wryly. "I can exin; please allow me to do so," he said honestly.

    The duo walked into the elevator together.

    After the elevator reached its destination, the pair walked out and stopped a few paces from the elevator door.

    Natsuya had a helpless expression on her face after she listened to Seiji¡¯s exnation.

    "My apologies, Haruta-kun." She ended up sighing. "I should have¡­ reminded her."

    "President¡­"

    "Hitaka, she¡ªforck of any better words¡ªis not too good at getting along with others¡­ No, she¡¯s not even at the level of not good¡ªshe¡¯s just rather clumsy. She¡¯s already clumsy with girls, and it¡¯s even worse with boys¡­ This is a huge problem for any ordinary person, but she¡¯s no ordinary person."

    "She¡¯s my Spirit-branded Retainer as well as my good friend. She¡¯s willing to serve me for her whole life, and I also intend on being together with her for my entire life."

    "That¡¯s why even though I think it¡¯s not too good for her tockmunication skills, I never thought of it as a serious problem as long as I was taking care of her."

    "Of course, I¡¯ve thought about helping her to change as well, but I¡¯m¡­" Natsuya sighed. "If I tell her to change herself, she¡¯ll most likely interpret it as an order that she absolutely must carry out, and she¡¯ll try too hard. That¡¯s definitely something I don¡¯t wish to see."

    Seiji remained silent.

    In addition to being Natsuya''s subordinate, Hitaka was Natsuya¡¯s friend¡­ This type of true devotion resulted in a slightlyplicated situation whereby Hitakacked basicmunication skills.

    At this time, the optimal solution would be¡­

    "Haruta-kun¡­ I think that perhaps this is an opportunity." Natsuya unfolded her arms and faced the boy as an indescribable light shed through her eyes.

    Seiji looked at Natsuya, his lips twitching violently.

    ¡®Alright, we¡¯re probably thinking the same thing, Prez.¡¯

 Chapter 165 - Teach Her a Little!

    <h4>Chapter 165: Teach Her a Little!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Could you please teach Hitaka a little aboutmunicating with boys?"

    In regards to her request, Natsuya chose the direct approach.

    "I also think that it¡¯s a good idea for a boy she trusts to talk to her about this," Seiji answered. "It¡¯s not that I want to refuse, though; it¡¯s just that¡­ isn¡¯t there anyone else better suited for the task?"

    "There isn¡¯t." Natsuya averted her gaze awkwardly.

    No matter how much she considered it, apart from Seiji Haruta, who currently stood before her, there was truly no other boy that could teach Hitaka aboutmunication!

    The rest of the boys Natsuya and Hitaka were familiar with either had personality issues, trouble withmunicating themselves, or other various problems. If she left it to them, there was no way she could rest assured.

    Haruta-kun¡­ wasn¡¯t a bad person at all, but there was a different problem with him. He was¡­ too, um¡­ if he wasn¡¯t careful, Hitaka might¡­

    ''No, no, that''s impossible.''

    Hitaka had never been interested in that topic, so she probably wouldn¡¯t be like that.

    ''But what if she does?'' a tiny voice whispered from the depths of the scion¡¯s heart.

    She couldn''t help but imagine the scene of Hitaka and Seiji being intimate with each other¡­

    A strange,plex feeling rose up within her chest when she imagined this.

    What was this feeling?

    Natsuya was uncertain and confused.

    "Okay, since President thinks that I can be of service, I¡¯ll try my best," Seiji replied after considering the matter.

    Hitaka¡¯s problem wasn¡¯t something major, but nor was it minor.

    She wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. As the Spirit-branded Retainer and friend of a scion like Natsuya, perhaps Hitaka would be able to live without any problems, even if she never learned how tomunicate with others for her entire life. However, she¡­ would probably miss out on a lot of fun.

    Seiji believed that if she became more flexible, she would be able to enjoy life a lot more.

    So, he decided to help out.

    But he couldn¡¯t guarantee the results. After all, in his own opinion, his ownmunication skills weren¡¯t outstanding either.

    "President, how do you think I should teach her? Er¡­ I should state first that I can¡¯t promise any results; I can only try my best."

    "Thank you for agreeing, Haruta-kun." Natsuya stopped daydreaming and gave him her gratitude. "As for how to teach her¡­ Just treat her as a friend and chat with her while telling her about the relevant knowledge; that¡¯s all you need to do. I¡¯ll let her know and have her listen to you."

    "Oh¡­ that¡¯s fine."

    ¡®It sounds pretty easy.¡¯

    Natsuya took Seiji to the Spirit Image room and left him there.

    Seiji started his daily [Visualization].

    ¡­

    After he''d finished the [Visualization].

    Seiji checked the time only to find that another nine hours had passed. It was almost dinnertime now.

    Like hisst experience, the contents of this [Visualization] consisted of fighting demons.

    All three times that he went into his spirit world, he had been fighting demons together with his Spirit-branded Retainers, with the first asion being the grandest.

    The second and third times were on a smaller scale. He kept acting as "Seiji Kamijou" and took only some of his retainers to deal with evil demons and spirits.

    This seemed like it would be the basic format of his [Visualization].

    It was still a little embarrassing to think about it, but Seiji had gotten used to it; in fact, he even enjoyed it.

    But it did seem like a problem if it took nine hours every time.

    But it was exactly because his [Visualization] took so long that his [Spiritual Power] was able to increase so quickly.

    Even if this seemed like a problem to him, it didn¡¯t appear necessary to do anything about it immediately, so he decided to deal with itter.

    This time as well, Seiji¡¯s [Spiritual Power] increased by 6 points.

    Seiji closed his system and left the Spirit Image room.

    Right after he returned to the main hallway and poured himself a cup of tea, he saw Hitaka.

    This time, Hitaka wasn¡¯t wearing her midriff-baring shirt and hot pants. Instead, she wore a light red exercise jacket and long pants.

    However, they were still form-fitting.

    That¡¯s right¡ªone more time: form-fitting!

    The tight exercise clothes entuated her excellent youthful figure. Those beautiful and eye-catching curves were irresistibly attractive! And the wless white skin disyed above her corbone and on her forearms would cause people to start fantasizing as well.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    Natsuya had probably reminded her already, which was why the red-haired beauty wasn¡¯t wearing such "hot girl" clothing this time, but these clothes¡­ Honestly speaking, they were rather sexy as well.

    For some certain gentlemen with specific preferences, these tight-fitting clothes might even be more appealing to them than the "hot girl" clothes.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she had worn anything bad.

    She wasn¡¯t wrong to wear what she did yesterday either. After all, everyone was free to wear what they liked. Seiji felt that the problem was more about the fact that she didn¡¯t know about what her clothes signified to certain guys.

    What about now?

    If she knew how charismatic she appeared in her form-fitting exercise clothes, there was no problem with wearing them. But did she truly know?

    Hitaka also noticed Seiji.

    Her face flushed slightly red once again, but this time she didn¡¯t avert her gaze as it seemed like she forced herself to meet Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    "H-hello."

    "Hi."

    There was a crushing period of silence.

    Seiji decided to use a typical teacher line. "Shuho-san, can I chat with you for a moment?"

    "Mmm¡­ Sure."

    "Thank you. Please have a seat first."

    When he saw how obediently she sat down on the couch, Seiji believed for a moment that he really was a teacher who was about to lecture a student.

    This wasn¡¯t the scene that he wanted.

    He had imagined this being more casual¡ªan everyday, normal urrence.

    How could he change the atmosphere?

    He didn¡¯t know what to do for such a girl¡­

    Although he felt the urge to imitate Great Teacher Onizuka, this girl seemed like she would take him way too seriously, and that would be awkward.

    Seiji felt rather helpless about the situation.

    He felt a pang of sympathy for Natsuya, who previously had to deal with this situation.

    Well, even if it was a little stiff, he had to continue the conversation.

    He went with the direct approach. "Shuho-san¡­ what¡¯s your opinion about boys?"

    "Boys¡­" Hitaka muttered to herself, a nk expression in her eyes.

    It seemed that she rather ignorant regarding this matter.

    "What about girls, then?" Seiji asked, changing the topic.

    "Girls¡­" Hitaka¡¯s nk look cleared up slightly, but she was still unable toe up with an answer.

    So, she waspletely ignorant in this area after all.

    To be honest, these two questions didn¡¯t even require answers.

    Any normal people that heard these questions would typically respond with something like "Boys are boys, and girls are girls. What¡¯s with this question about your opinion? Just what are you trying to ask?"

    Of course, there would also be those who''d say, "Boys are all idiots," "Girls are all so haughty," or make a simrint.

    But for the most part, they weren¡¯t questions that required answers.

    It was just like asking the answer to 1 + 1; normal people wouldn¡¯t even consider it as it wasn¡¯t necessary.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want Hitaka¡¯s answer; he merely wanted to see her reaction.

    After watching her reaction, he was certain that this girl before her was¡­

    Teaching her to understand some things that she didn¡¯t know about before was his current task.

    "President Yoruhana told me to teach you a little about how tomunicate with boys," Seiji said in a gentle voice. "Has she talked to you about this already?"

    Hitaka returned to her senses.

    "Mdy told me that she asked you to do this¡­ and she requested that I listen seriously to you," she answered in a light voice.

    "That¡¯s fine then. I can¡¯t promise that I can do a good job, but I¡¯ll try my best." Seiji smiled brightly. "Shuho-san, if there¡¯s anything that you don¡¯t understand about boys, feel free to ask me."

    "¡­Thank you," Hitaka said, before mulling over his question. "Well¡­ I do have one question I¡¯d like to ask."

    "What is it?"

    "I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a type of boy known as a ¡®trap.¡¯ Just¡­ what exactly is this?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this unexpected question!

 Chapter 166 - Brother Monogatari

    <h4>Chapter 166: Brother Monogatari</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Just why did she suddenly ask such a highplexity question!?

    A stream of forcefulments ran through Seiji''s mind after he processed what he had heard.

    What was a ¡®trap?¡¯ He could answer it in many different ways, but it was easy for it to be misconstrued as "a pervert who enjoyed wearing female clothes." This was a misunderstanding that Seiji didn¡¯t want at all.

    It definitely wasn¡¯t because he had a junior that was a trap or anything! It was because as an otaku, he didn¡¯t want anyone to have a cultural misunderstanding about a 2-D element!

    So, how should he exin it?

    Before that¡­

    "Shuho-san, why did you think of this question? How did you learn about this word ¡®trap¡¯ which refers to boys?"

    "It caught my attention on television."

    Okay, now he knew the source. It was most likely from some sort of variety program.

    Seiji rubbed his chin as he formted a response.

    "A ¡®trap¡¯ is a boy who¡¯s very cute on the outside, to the point where he looks like a girl¡­ that¡¯s the simplest exnation. And in the 2-D world¡­ light novels, mangas, animes, and so on, this word has a deeper meaning. It''s not necessary for you to know all the deeper meanings; it¡¯s fine if you just know the basic definition."

    Yep, that was a good exnation.

    It was simple yet left some parts unexined.

    Hitaka blinked in curiosity.

    "A boy that¡¯s cute enough to resemble a girl¡­ then should I treat a ¡®trap¡¯ as a boy or as a girl?"

    Excellent question!

    It was such a good question that Seiji didn¡¯t know how to answer!

    Seiji¡¯s cheek began twitching slightly.

    Treat a trap as a boy? That didn¡¯t seem quite right. As a girl? That didn¡¯t seem correct either! As a transgender? That was even farther off the mark!!

    Transgender and traps were two different things entirely! They shouldn¡¯t have any rtion to each other!!

    Just how was he supposed to teach a female ssmate about traps when shecked knowledge about boys and girls in the first ce!? He really wanted to go on the inte and ask for help regarding this question!!

    Seiji never anticipated such a difficult question.

    It was impossible for the current Hitaka to truly understand the charisma of a trap, so he had to choose one of the three above answers.

    "You should treat traps as boys!" Seiji answered decisively as an indescibable light shed through his eyes.

    Yep, traps were still boys in the end. Biologically speaking, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to get pregnant or have children!

    "Oh¡­" Hitaka nodded in apparent understanding.

    So he managed to somehow get past the first question, phew.

    Seiji felt as if he could now empathize with what a new teacher would feel on the first day of ss.

    Teaching her didn¡¯t seem quite as rxing as he had hoped for.

    "Shuho-san, if you don¡¯t have any other questions to ask, let me teach you about the clothes you wear first¡­"

    The special one-on-one ss for the red-haired girl began on this note.

    ¡­

    Dinnertime.

    Seiji brought a tray of food to Shika¡¯s room.

    She was already waiting for him.

    After he ced the tray on the table, the two of them sat down and began eating.

    Seiji started the conversation. "Shika-chan, did you write anything today?"

    Shika nodded with a faint smile on her face.

    Seiji''s eyes shone brightly. "Show me in a bit¡­ no, just tell me about it right now!"

    Shika¡¯s face turned slightly red upon hearing this.

    The literature-loving girl wasn¡¯t all that adept at verbalmunication.

    "Just briefly exin the plot, the characters, and so on." Seiji was eager to hear what she''d wrote.

    Shika blinked as she prepared herself. "What I thought of was¡­" She slowly began to describe her story.

    Seiji continued eating as he listened. Naturally, the rate at which he ate at slowed down.

    Shika had made use of his idea and was using the "younger adopted sister" as the narrator to talk about the "older adopted brother" as the main character.

    Compared to his ideas which had been rather general, Shika added many details to the characters, such as specific physical appearances, personalities,monly used battle equipment, weapons, favorite lines to say, actions, and so on¡­

    Seiji was able to clearly envision the lively figure of this "older adopted brother" from these details and felt the urge to start writing immediately.

    The story seemed nice as well.

    The main plot point of the story were the "Wishing Candy."

    A mysterious candy known as "Wishing Candy" appeared in the school that the main characters attended. As long as a person made a wish while eating the candy, that wish was likely toe true.

    The wishes made about love were significantly more likely toe true.

    As a girl, the "younger sister" character had hopes and dreams about this candy, but her "older brother" suspected the veracity of this candy, causing the "younger sister" to be slightly angry at him.

    In order to prove things to her "older brother," the "younger sister" attempted to obtain a "Wishing Candy," but soon enough, she ran into a dead end. Not only that, she was also harassed by some hoodlums; however, they were all defeated by her "older brother" when he arrived just in the nick of time.

    This was the first time her "older brother" had ever showed off his moves. From the viewpoint of the "younger sister" character, the "older brother" who was the real main character showed off his charismatic coolness and strength for the first time.

    The two of them made up with each other regarding their silly verbal fight and began investigating together. They began to discover that the "Wishing Candy" was rather strange, abnormal even.

    During this time, the two adopted siblings¡¯ backgrounds were slowly revealed as well and the readers were familiarized with their daily life, but there were a few details left unrevealed by Shika on purpose.

    The "siblings" investigated the mysterious candy, but they themselves had many questions surrounding their heritage. And so, mysteries everywhere set the framework for the unique and fantastical atmosphere of the story.

    Their interactions with each other wereical and interesting. The "older brother¡¯s" interactions with other female characters also seemed like a romanticedy.

    And then, at the climax of the story, the two of them finally discovered the truth behind the "Wishing Candy," while encountering a dangerous situation at the same time.

    The main viin was one of the female characters in the story.

    The clues that she was the viin had been sprinkled and hidden in tiny details throughout the story, and at the climax, the "older brother" analyzed all the evidence and unveiled her true identity.

    This was followed by an exciting battle between the "older brother" and the unmasked viiness!

    The "younger sister" remained on the sidelines for the entire time, acting as a camerawoman¡­ whoops, narrator for this heart-pounding and stimting battle.

    Finally, the "older brother" defeated the demon in human form at the cost of losing half of his body.

    However, the "younger sister" didn¡¯t hurry to give him medical treatment as she merely waited in silence.

    Momentster, her "older brother" who had been so seriously injured suddenly regenerated under the moonlight, and he finally stood up again with not a scratch on his body.

    It turned out that he had an incredibly powerful demon spirit within him that wouldn¡¯t allow him to die even if he wanted to.

    On their way home, the "younger sister" kept joking with him about his immortal body, while he responded that it was all thanks to her¡ªthe terrifying demon spirit that was attached to his body was actually being suppressed by her.

    The story ended there.

    *p p p!*

    Seiji began apuding.

    Shika¡¯s fictional story was definitely an appealing one, and she even left a mystery for the readers at the end.

    This was a perfect application of his suggestions!

    This was exactly the type of story that he had imagined. Shika had really managed to create such a story.

    Her story wasn¡¯t overlyplex. It was easy to understand yet contained deeper mysteries within it. The most important part was the aura of mystery pervading the entire story.

    Not only was the main plot and the characters¡¯ backgrounds mysterious, even the interactions that seemed like simpleical or romantic elements were subtly strange once the reader looked back on them. It was like each character had their own dark secrets.

    Shika was wonderfully sessful at creating this air of mystery.

    Seiji even felt like this was simr to the "Monogatari" anime series in his previous life, but he enjoyed Shika¡¯s ideas even more, because he felt like this "older brother" main character was trashier than¡­ whoops, so much more interesting than Araragi!

    "Shika-chan, I think your ideas are excellent, and I want to write it for you right away!" Seiji smiled widely at Shika. "So, let¡¯s go with this story. This product¡­ our first cooperative work shall be this one!"

    "Yep¡­"

    Shika was also smiling happily.

    Her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were slightly flushed red. Her smiling face seemed to be oozing happiness.

    "So, are we going with ¡®I am a Younger Sister¡¯ for the title?" Seiji asked.

    Shika shook her head. "Not that one; I''vee up with a new one¡­"

    She slowly stated the name she wanted for her novel¡ª

    "Brother Monogatari."

 Chapter 167 - Upcoming School Festival

    <h4>Chapter 167: Uing School Festival</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Brother Monogatari."

    This novel had the potential to be extremely popr.

    No, it definitely would be a huge hit; they had to make it into one!

    Seiji was stoked with the fire of passion.

    ''I must begin writing it soon!''

    He hoped that he could finish it as early as possible and get it published.

    For the rest of the night, he discussed the finer details of the story together with Shika-chan, both trying their best to perfect and smooth out their story.

    ¡­

    The next day.

    Seiji didn¡¯t seem like he was intending toe to school today, either.

    Mika Uehara felt worried about him.

    Kagura-san had already recovered her memories, so what was he doing?

    He wasn¡¯t working or attending school¡­ was he really that busy?

    Even if he didn¡¯t want to work or attend school¡­ was he too busy to even visit them?

    Fine then¡ªshe admitted that she was feeling somewhat lonely!

    Even if it had only been two days since shest saw him¡­

    "Your expression is like that of an abandoned kitten," a flirtatious voicemented from beside her. Needless to say, it belonged to Chiaki Wakaba.

    "It¡¯s been a mere two days since thest time you saw him, but you¡¯re acting like a girl that¡¯s been ignored by her boyfriend for three weeks straight. Is such a mncholic, pitiful expression really necessary?"

    "Who¡­ who¡¯s acting all mncholy and pitiful!" Mika¡¯s face flushedpletely red. "I-I¡¯m just a little worried¡ªI definitely didn¡¯t have any strange expression like that!"

    ¡®And why did Chiaki say three weeks? This amount of time sounds rather strange¡­¡¯

    Yep, a familiar haughtiness, a familiar tsundere. Chiaki smiled warmly at Mika¡¯s reaction.

    "If you miss him, why don¡¯t you just give him a call? Maybe he¡¯s too busy to contact us, but he never said we couldn¡¯t contact him."

    Mika couldn¡¯t find any words to say in response.

    She felt like something was a little odd about Chiaki¡¯s statement this time as well.

    "No need¡­ I was just slightly worried."

    ''Would I be a bother if I contacted him over such a small matter?''

    At any rate, when he returned, he would probably exin everything.

    Even though she was a bit lonely and worried, Mika was still an understanding girl¡­ mostly.

    Understanding Mika''s feelings, Chiaki changed the topic.

    "The school festival will be held in two days, so no matter what he¡¯s busy with, I hope that he¡¯ll finish before then."

    "Yep¡­"

    Everyone at school was excited about the uing school festival.

    Apart from a select few programs where the members procrastinated too much or were taking too long toplete their task, the majority of sses and clubs had already finished preparing.

    Genhana High School¡¯s festival had always been rather popr. There were always many guests each year, lending it a bustling atmosphere.

    And as for the high schoolers themselves, apart from their efforts in preparing the festival programs, the three-day school festival was also a perfect opportunity for some special personal activities.

    Such as confessing, telling a boy or girl that you liked them, and asking to go out with each other¡­

    Confessing during the school festival was an unwritten custom at Genhana High School!

    It was no longer possible to ascertain just when and how this custom began, but nheless, this custom existed together with a legend.

    The basic gist of the legend was this: during the school festival, a girl wearing sakura-pink clothes would appear in some certain corners where nobody frequented.

    Anyone that asked the boy or girl they liked to these corners in order to confess would be 100% sessful if this legendary girl saw them or if they saw her! And the couple would always stay together and be blessed forevermore.

    Some people believe that the legend came after the custom, while others believed that the custom arose from this legend. It was basically a matter of chicken or the egg, with nobody knowing which truly came first.

    Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t all that important.

    The students knew that this was a time to burn¡­ whoops, confess, and that was enough for them.

    What else would happen other than confessions?

    Cough cough, those would be special activities for couples¡ªactivities which trod upon the forbidden. It would be best not to mention those.

    Mika didn¡¯t intend to confess during the school festival.

    But, she felt it was highly likely for other girls to confess to Seiji during this time.

    She faintly hoped that the school festival wouldn¡¯t ever arrive when she thought of this. However, she felt a twinge of guilt at her own selfish desire.

    ¡®I¡¯m such an idiot,¡¯ thought the pigtailed beauty, copsing onto her desk.

    ¡®She¡¯s such an idiot,¡¯ thought the tomboy, giving a sympathetic nce to her good friend.

    Not too far from them in the same ssroom, there was one other girl worrying about the same thing.

    ¡®Should I¡­ ask Seigo Harano to be friends with me during the school festival?¡¯

    Kaho Miyamoto was currently battling with her own emotions.

    After three weeks of constant exercising and dieting, her weight had decreased significantly, and even her face had be thinner to the point where she could now be called cute.

    Her friends had been surprised at her actions and intentions. At first, they tried to convince her against it, but seeing how resolute she was caused them to change their minds and support her encouragingly.

    "The school festival should be a good chance for you to request to be friends with Harano-san¡­ To be honest, I¡¯m still a little worried, but this is something that you¡¯ve chosen to do, so take your best shot at it."

    Her best friend Momoko Matsuoka had just told her this.

    Kaho really wanted to do it, but she also felt like waiting a little longer.

    She felt that she still hadn¡¯t done enough yet.

    But Momoko was right¡ªthe school festival was an excellent opportunity.

    If she let this chance pass by, then what timing would she choose? After the school festival, she needed to worry about the semester exams.

    Kaho didn¡¯t want to make Seigo wait too long for her.

    At any rate, she couldn¡¯t decide what to do and was quite bothered.

    ''Oh yeah, Harano-san''s been taking time off from school ever sincest week, and he still hasn¡¯te to sses. Has something happened?''

    His good friends Chiaki Wakaba and Mika Uehara didn¡¯t have any clear exnation.

    She was a bit worried¡­ hopefully it wasn¡¯t something too difficult or bothersome to deal with.

    Kaho cared about Seigo Harano.

    His sunny smile shed through her mind again.

    It had already been three weeks since that scene.

    It didn¡¯t seem like all that long had passed to Kaho, but it also somehow felt like time passed by in a sh.

    The school festival would be in two days, and after that, there would be the semester exams and the winter vacation¡­

    Kaho suddenly realized that there wasn¡¯t much time remaining in this semester!

    She actually still wanted to procrastinate?

    ''No, that won''t work¡­''

    She couldn¡¯t procrastinate anymore, nor did she want to procrastinate anymore.

    She didn¡¯t want him to wait any longer¡­ no, that was wrong! She herself was the one¡­ who didn¡¯t want to remain afraid anymore!

    Kaho¡¯s eyes began sparkling.

    Momoko was right¡ªshe needed to bring out her confidence!

    She needed to bravely step forward without waiting any longer!

    She made her decision.

    ''I''ll definitely tell him during the school festival!''

    A look of resolution slowly settled over Kaho¡¯s expression.

    This was a teenaged girl¡¯s determination.

    At the exact same moment.

    Everywhere in Genhana High School, in every ss and every grade, boys and girls were making simr decisions.

    They either told their friends about their decision or hid their resolution in their hearts, but the aura they exuded was identical.

    That was the scent of youth¡­ cough, that may have been a bit of ame joke.

    At any rate, Genhana High School was currently filled with an enthusiastic, lively atmosphere.

    As for a person who wasn¡¯t a Genhana High School student.

    The female mangaka, who had justpleted a manuscript, turned around to look at her calendar. She was sipping on some tea as it was her break.

    Her grayish-brown hair was tied in a casual ponytail. She was wearing thick ck-rimmed sses, and while her face was a little pale from fatigue, it didn¡¯t detract from her moving beauty.

    "It¡¯s almost time¡­ for the date," Mayuzumi Amami muttered to herself, staring at the date circled with a red pen on the calendar.

    Just imagining that tall, handsome, almost shining, boy caused her lips to arc imperceptibly upwards and her cheeks to flush with a tinge of red.

    ¡®I look forward to seeing you again, Haruta-kun.¡¯

 Chapter 168 - My Honor

    <h4>Chapter 168: My Honor</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Nighttime.

    Seiji was currently inside his room.

    Both requirements in his system for the [Beginner-level Body-strengthening Spell] had reached 100%!

    To fulfill the training requirement, he''d even asked Shika-chan and Hitaka to teach him in addition to Natsuya, learning from their tips and experience.

    This, in addition to his own hard efforts in learning and practicing, finally filled his progress bar in the system.

    And now, the only thing left for him to do was pay 44 points.

    Seiji confirmed that he was ready to pay on the system.

    The option for [Beginner-level Body-strengthening Spell] instantly lit up. An indescribable sensation overcame Seiji''s mind; it felt as if some sort of obstacle had disappeared and some type ofprehension had been injected into him.

    Apart from that, there was no other feeling of difort.

    Compared to using skill tree activation or ability learning cards such as [Bullet Time], this was much easier on him, and it only left him feeling slightly strange. Seiji had mentally prepared himself for a several-hour period of unconsciousness.

    Was it due to the other requirements?

    ''Forget it¡ªthere''s no need to think too much into it.''

    He''d finally learned the [Body-strengthening Technique!]

    But just as the system indicated, it was still at only beginner level.

    If he wanted, he could try it out right here, but his room didn¡¯t seem like a good location for such an experiment.

    Seiji searched through his system for more details regarding his new ability.

    After choosing [Beginner-level Body-strengthening Spell] in his system, he saw three new options underneath it: [Fierce Fire], [Swift Wind], and [Immovable Mountain].

    ording to his system, [Fierce Fire] was the attack-buff version of the Body-strengthening Technique. Entering this mode would greatly increase the power of his fists and legs, but it would also drain his Mana at a rapid rate.

    [Swift Wind] buffed his speed greatly, while [Immovable Mountain] would provide arge boost to his defense. All three spells would drain his Mana while they were in effect.

    And the requirements to learn them were:

    [Reach the required experience level with attack/speed/defense while under the effects of the [Beginning-level Body-strengthening Spell. Current progress level: 0%/0%/0%.]

    [Points required to activate each ability: 22/22/22.]

    22 for each? This number¡­ System, you¡¯re definitely doing this on purpose!

    Seiji¡¯s lips began to twitch as he read the instructions.

    Apart from the three new categories under [Beginning-level Body-strengthening Spell], there were also new options in his [Spells].

    [Beginner-level Astral Vision] and [Beginner-level Telekinesis].

    Once again, the names alone made them seem like foundational techniques he absolutely had to learn.

    When he read the exnations, Seiji found that these spells were exactly what he thought they were.

    [Astral Vision] allowed the caster to see spirits and other magical phenomena that were invisible to ordinary humans. Basically, it was an upgrade to his vision.

    [Telekinesis] was the ability to move objects with his mind. This was the same ability that the president must have used to control her kodachi in midair.

    If the [Body-strengthening Spell] was the foundational aspect of a human using their own Spiritual Power, Seiji believed that [Telekinesis] was the foundational aspect of a human using their own Mana to influence external objects.

    At any rate, there would be no harm in purchasing and learning all of these.

    The requirements for learning them were simr to the [Body-strengthening Spell]. He needed to read technique manuals, ask for instructions, and pay some points.

    [Astral Vision] required 66 points, while [Telekinesis] required 69 points.

    Seiji didn¡¯t even feel likementing anymore. Whatever made his system happy.

    He left his room after closing his system.

    He found Mai and learned from her that Natsuya was currently in her study. He proceeded to Natsuya''s study to talk to her.

    "You learned the Body-strengthening Spell already!?"

    The student council president was shocked to her core upon hearing him say that just after he knocked and entered.

    How long had it been? Just barely over a day?

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly at Natsuya¡¯s obvious shock.

    It was probably better to exin with actions, not words.

    He quietly began casting the spell.

    Activate the Spiritual Energy both within and outside the body, then use the spell to stimte the energy.

    Natsuya instantly felt a change in Seiji¡¯s presence and hurriedly activated her Astral Vision to inspect him. She was stunned to see a fiery yet gentle silver misty aura of Spiritual Energy surrounding him.

    Fiery yet gentle?

    That¡¯s right! It looked fiery due to the brightness of the mist surrounding him and gentle due to cid nature of the mist; there were no unsteady waves whatsoever.

    Natsuya widened her eyes upon seeing this.

    ''It''s absolutely¡­ perfect!'' she praised inwardly.

    For him to be able to control such a dense amount of Spiritual Energy without evidence of a single unsteady wave¡­ This was the optimal state of the Body-strengthening Spell!

    Most casters either had a high density withrge fluctuations¡ªthat was the type with high power and low control. Others had calm waves but a low density¡ªthat was the type with high control, easy maintenance but insufficient strength.

    Power versus control¡ªbncing these two aspects was the first difficult question that all Spiritual Ability users who''d learned the Body-strengthening Spell must answer, just like a pitcher in baseball.

    Even if a caster was specialized in one or the other, they still had to pay attention to their weaker type. In the end, it was a question of how much they bnced the two.

    This was an inevitable obstacle that every Spiritual Ability user needed to surmount. Each caster could onlye up with their own answer on how to bnce them.

    Natsuya felt that she was currently looking at a genius¡¯s response.

    In just barely over a day¡ªor, more urately, less than that, since he''d spent nine hours Visualizing instead of spending all his time learning¡ªhe''d seeded inpletely mastering this spell!

    Natsuya felt that only the word "genius" was sufficient to describe this feat.

    While inwardly praising him, Natsuya also felt as if she couldn¡¯t match up to him.

    She''d studied the Body-strengthening Spell for many years already, yet she couldn¡¯tpare to his quality. Her self-esteem was injured by this stark contrast.

    Of course, she didn¡¯t practice all those years for nothing. She could still easily overpower Seiji using her much higher Spiritual Power and Mana, but with how fast he was growing, it was obvious that he would rapidly surpass her.

    Just thinking about it invoked a series ofplex, painful emotions.

    It was as if a free-to-y gamer had spent so many hours grinding in order to raise her level, only to suddenly witness the brilliant spectacle of a pay-to-win gamer leveling up so quickly¡­ that kind of feeling.

    They weren¡¯t even on the same level.

    Natsuya could only inwardly sigh and admit defeat.

    This type of talent wasn¡¯t even exinable by his Haruta bloodline! Seiji Haruta¡­ just what type of divine person was he?

    And thinking about how he was once well-known as an utterly depraved otaku, she surmised that he was concealing a huge secret.

    What type of secret was it? Just imagining it sent chills down the Yoruhana family scion¡¯s spine.

    Although she knew from the very start that he was a diamond in the rough and would cause waves in the Spiritual Ability user society, his current level had far surpassed her imagination.

    It was as if she had thought there was a sleeping lion hiding behind a curtain, but when she uncovered the curtain¡¯s corner, she saw a dragon¡¯s w instead!

    It was utterly inconceivable.

    ''Then¡­ should I give up here? Should I distance myself from¡­ or even break off anything to do with Haruta-kun?''

    No¡­ Natsuya couldn¡¯t even imagine doing such an action.

    He had already helped her so many times and treated her as a friend while believing in and supporting her.

    That¡¯s why she wanted to repay his sincerity with sincerity.

    No matter who he was¡­ no matter what he was.

    "Excellent job, Haruta-kun."

    Natsuya finally revealed a smile.

    "I¡¯m¡­ incredibly shocked. I never thought you would learn so quickly and so well; it¡¯s truly amazing."

    "Really? I just learned it and still don¡¯t quite understand¡­" Seiji blinked, pretending to be confused. "But since President is praising me like this, I wonder¡­ if I should be a little proud of myself?"

    He intentionally shed a bright smile and acted smug.

    Natsuya chuckled.

    Even though she didn¡¯t know what the future would hold, she was certain in this moment that breaking off everything to do with a male friend like him would be something she would regret for the rest of her life.

    "I give you permission to do so before me, so be as proud as you like, Haruta-kun!"

    "My honor, President Yoruhana."

    The two of them exchanged nces and smiled.

    ¡®You¡¯re currently the one saying ¡®my honor¡¯ right now, but it¡¯s quite probable that someday in the future, I¡¯ll be the one saying that.

    ¡®It¡¯s my honor to have gotten to know you, Seiji Haruta.¡¯

 Chapter 169 - Amazing!

    <h4>Chapter 169: Amazing!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Night lent the school a unique atmosphere.

    During the day, it belonged to the youthful students, but a strange, isted feeling surrounded it at night. Perhaps it was because people would involuntarilypare the school''s atmosphere at night to the day, or maybe invisible beings actually dwelled inside the building.

    Invisible spirits¡­ Seiji was unsure if they really existed in his previous world, but he was certain that they existed in Genhana High School.

    It was just that he was still unable to see them.

    Currently, he was standing on apletely empty track at Genhana High School, with Natsuya beside him.

    "Let¡¯s begin with running, Haruta-kun," said Natsuya.

    Seiji nodded.

    While under the effects of the [Body-strengthening Spell], he stepped forward and began running.

    He felt his body turning lighter. With each bound, he covered twice the normal distance. His speed increased rapidly; after a few moments, he ran at thrice, then four times his normal speed¡­

    ''So quick!''

    Seiji was inwardly astonished.

    Although he didn¡¯t know his exact speed, he was certain that he''d already surpassed the world record¡ªfor ordinary humans, that was!

    It was like he had transformed into the wind.

    Seiji coughed. ''This sounds rather embarrassing¡­''

    But he truly felt like the embodiment of wind itself! His body was as light as a feather, and he was as swift as the wind. This floating feeling was like¡­

    Seiji slipped and lost his bnce. ''Damn it!''

    He flew forwards wildly. The momentum of the impact forced him to roll on the ground after he fell, and he covered a great distance before finallying to a halt.

    "Haruta-kun!" Natsuya shouted, "are you okay?"

    "I¡­ I¡¯m fine!" Seiji stood back up and brushed the dirt off himself.

    Due to the [Body-strengthening Spell] protecting him, he wasn''t injured.

    If he fell over at that speed in his normal condition, he was one hundred percent certain that he¡¯d be hospitalized.

    "Control your pacing and strength," Natsuya shouted. "You need to be familiar with it slowly!"

    Seiji nodded. "Got it!"

    He then began running again.

    This time, he no longer tried to take the biggest steps possible; instead, he attempted to find a pace that was right for him.

    For Natsuya, who was watching all this, the tall boy¡¯s running became increasingly faster and steadier. It could even be described as a beautiful scene.

    There was no helping it as he was just too handsome.

    Just watching a handsome boy run like this was a type of enjoyment for some girls, so it was only natural that they would think it a beautiful scene.

    Natsuya watched and appreciated this scene in silence.

    After running round the track several dozen times, Seiji finally slowed down and came to aplete stop in front of Natsuya.

    "Running¡­ I think that¡¯s how it is now. What do you think?"

    "Excellent." Natsuya nodded. "For normal movement and running, that¡¯s enough, but as for more special types of movement¡­"

    As she spoke, she cast the Body-strengthening Spell on herself and stepped forward.

    *Whoosh!*

    The president¡¯s figure vanished right in front of Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    With another whoosh , her figure appeared 20 meters away. She stood there steadily.

    Seiji blinked in surprise. ''Is this¡­ the technique that Hitaka used in the hallway?''

    "This is known as ¡®jumping steps,¡¯ and long ago it was known as ¡®tunneling into the ground.¡¯ It¡¯s actually just a type of jumping movement in conjunction with the Body-strengthening Spell."

    So it really had been a type of ¡®tunneling into the ground.¡¯ He had gotten it right.

    "To use this technique, you must first focus your energy on the foot that you¡¯ll jump with. After you jump, focus all your energy on your other foot in order to stop where you want," Natsuya exined.

    Seiji nodded in understanding and began attempting the technique.

    He stepped out with his right foot, focused his energy, and jumped.

    *Whoosh!* Everything passed by him in a blur!

    He focused his energy on his left foot and stopped.

    He stepped onto the ground in an effort to stop, but he slipped and lost his bnce again. Just likest time, he rolled a great distance on the ground beforeing to a halt.

    ''Okay, I''ll try again.''

    *Boom!* Another trip and fall.

    He tried for the third time.

    *Boom!* He continued falling over.

    He tried for a fourth time, then a fifth time¡­

    Seiji felt like he was turning into a roller coaster¡­ whoops, a tumbling expert.

    Even though it didn¡¯t really hurt, and he wasn¡¯t injured, he felt embarrassed about appearing so unsightly in front of a beauty like Natsuya.

    "It¡¯s always like this at first. When I first began practicing ¡®jumping steps,¡¯ I also fell over countless times, so you don¡¯t need to mind these temporary failures." Natsuya seemed to perceive exactly what he was thinking and smiled lightly.

    She was truly a gentledy.

    Seiji continued practicing in silence.

    When he reached the point where he was almost ready to perform tricks while tumbling, he finally figured out part of the method and barely managed to stop and steady himself without falling over.

    He reflexively recalled his childhood experience in his previous world when he''d learned how to ride a bike for the first time without falling over.

    The key to it was to keep working hard!

    After figuring out the crucial part, the rest became easier.

    Seiji gradually practiced to the point where he wouldn¡¯t fall over most of the time.

    But there was still an obvious gap between him and the president¡¯s well-practiced movements.

    "Let¡¯s temporarily stop practicing ¡®jumping steps¡¯," Natsuya said. "We''ll try ¡®high-jumping¡¯ now."

    High-jumping referred to concentrating the energy in both feet and jumping as high as possible.

    Seiji tried it out.

    During his practice of ¡®jumping steps,¡¯ he''d grasped the basics of controlling his energy. Now he tried focusing his energy on both feet and¡­ jumped up with full force!

    *WHOOSH!!*

    Seiji felt as if he were flying, just like a bird.

    Although this description also seemed rather embarrassing, it was what he truly felt in this moment.

    He recalled a distant memory of watching Dragonball: the scene where Son Goku and Krillin took off the heavy turtle shells used for training and jumped with all their might for the first time.

    At that moment, Son Goku and Krillin had jumped off the ground and flown to an incredible height.

    Seiji still remembered that scene clearly even up till today. He had imagined back then what it would have been like to be one of those characters and even remembered the words they had said in that scene.

    "We¡­"

    "Jumped up by ourselves¡­"

    "Amazing!"

    And right now, right here.

    This was no longer just an imaginary scene or a fictional character¡¯s feelings.

    ¡®I¡­ jumped up by myself. I flew up here!¡¯

    "Wow!!" Seiji yelled delightedly in midair, a brilliant grin on his face.

    He enjoyed this moment as much as he could. It was as if he were a child that hadn¡¯t grown up yet.

    When he reached the highest point of his jump, he took a deep breath.

    He then began falling back down to the ground.

    He continued to focus energy on both his feet, keeping himself bnced.

    *Pound!!* Hended back where he had originally jumped from, sending dust flying everywhere.

    He slowly straightened his body and smiled at Natsuya who wasn¡¯t too far from him.

    "Amazing!"

    Being able to personally experience something so moving from an anime scene with his own strength was just too awesome.

    Natsuya was stunned for a moment.

    The handsome boy¡¯s straightforwardness and slightly childish-seeming bright smile had suddenly made its way into her heart.

    Once again, her heartbeat quickened.

    She didn¡¯t even hear what he said next. It took a while for her to suddenly return to her senses and smile again.

    Their practice continued.

    Natsuya apanied Seiji and taught him patiently.

    She watched him run, watched him jump, watched him fail disgracefully, and watched his excited, joyous, even childish, expressions.

    There was an indescribable feeling in her heart.

    A powerful force was slowly umting there.

    The scion didn¡¯t know¡ªor perhaps it should be said that she intentionally ignored it.

    But no matter what, a flower that grew in a hidden location would eventually bloom¡­

 Chapter 170 - Spirits Arrival!

    <h4>Chapter 170: Spirit''s Arrival!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Today was the final day of the scheduled duel.

    This meant that Okubo Yoshiaki was certain to attack tonight, otherwise he would be considered to have forfeited by default.

    After several days of working hard at [Visualization], Seiji¡¯s [Spiritual Power] had already reached 39 points! His Spiritual Power was now equivalent to a Spirit-branded Retainer''s.

    Natsuya signed a contract with him so that he could be her temporary Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Since he was just supposed to be a bystander, the president wasn¡¯t going to share arge portion of her Spiritual Power with him, nor was she going to summon a powerful spirit for him, or use any taxing Mana support spells on him, but¡­ a Spirit-branded Retainer was still a Spirit-branded Retainer!

    Even the lowest level of Spirit-branded Retainers was already considered formidable among Spiritual Ability users.

    ording to Natsuya¡¯s exnation, the term "Spiritual Ability user" referred to the special group of people that had Spiritual Power and were capable of using their Mana. There was also a simple, widely used measure of power, which ranged from levels one through to nine.

    Level one was considered a dirt-poor idle fish, while level nine was a wealthy scion¡­ yep, there was no problem with understanding it like that.

    Even the lowest-level Spirit-branded Retainers were at least considered level two, which meant that they could crush most dirt-poor¡­ whoops, ordinary Spiritual Ability users. The slightly stronger Spirit-branded Retainers could even reach level three.

    Although the power level system for Spiritual Ability users only took Spiritual Power and Mana level into consideration and had nothing to do with actualbat ability, having more money¡­ er, having more Spiritual Power would doubtlessly result in a higherbat capability, which was why most Spiritual Ability users¡¯bat strength were equivalent to their power levels.

    Even so, it wasn¡¯t considered abnormal for a level-one Spiritual Ability user to defeat someone at level two, as there were always exceptions. If an idle fish was desperate enough, it could take out an ordinary yer.

    That''s why you shouldn¡¯t look down on idle fish!

    Cough, Seiji had identally gotten too excited.

    At any rate, Seiji was looking forward to bing a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer and wanted to experience what it was like to be even stronger.

    His summoning¡­ contracting time was scheduled after lunch. This way, he would have some time before evening to get used to what it was like to be a Spirit-branded Retainer.

    At lunch, Seiji ate together with Shika as usual.

    He didn¡¯t mention the topic of the uing duel at all and instead focused on chatting about "Brother Monogatari" with Shika. He hoped that this way, she wouldn¡¯t be too worried about him.

    Shika noticed his intention and cooperated by not mentioning the uing duel either.

    But there was one thing that she had to do.

    Seiji was preparing to leave after they finished eating lunch.

    He paused when Shika called out to him. "Brother Seiji¡­ this is for you," she said.

    Using both hands, Shika handed him a red protective talisman with gold letters embroidered on it. Seiji looked down and saw that it said "Keep Thy Owner Safe."

    "This¡­ where did ite from?"

    Seiji epted it with quite some surprise.

    "I made it¡­ I asked Houjou-san for the materials to make it."

    Shika looked searchingly Seiji. "This is all I can do for you."

    ¡®Please return safely to me.¡¯

    Seiji could feel her deep feelings as he clutched the protective talisman close to his chest

    "Thank you, Shika-chan." He patted her softly on the head with his free hand and smiled. "With this present of yours, I¡¯ll definitely be alright," he said resolutely.

    Seiji opened up his system after taking the food tray out of Shika¡¯s room and checked his [Gifts] option.

    Shika-chan¡¯s protective talisman had given him 18 points! He had also received a reward: [Soul Protection Card¡ª¡®Prayer of Safety¡¯]!

    [This card is infused with the deep feelings contained within Shika''s prayers for your safe return. Using it will instantly cure any damage to your soul and make you immune to soul damage for the next three minutes.]

    A full recovery and temporary immunity for his soul¡­ Seiji sighed deeply as he inwardly appreciated Shika-chan¡¯s feelings.

    He didn¡¯t fear the uing battle, but he wasn¡¯t blindly self-confident either.

    He had already confirmed every [Item] avable to him for the uing battle, including the three he''d received from Hoshi Amami¡­

    Even though he suffered some mental damage from confirming it, having a clear knowledge of the tools at his disposal was necessary. Only then could he say that he was preparing for the uing danger thoroughly.

    During the trainingst night for his [Body-strengthening Spell], Natsuya also discussed the specifics of the duel with him.

    Natsuya had already made counterns for every tactic that she believed Okubo Yoshiaki might use. There was only one area where she was unable to make a specific countern for due tocking information: the mysterious medicine that Okubo had used to drain Spiritual Energy from ordinary people.

    Even now, Natsuya still didn¡¯t know the function or use of the mysterious medicine.

    If draining Spiritual Energy was its only function, then it wasn¡¯t a big deal. But what if it had multiple purposes?

    What was it, where did ite from, and how did Okubo obtain it? Why did he use it instead of some other easier methods to obtain Spiritual Energy from ordinary humans? Did it have other functions, and if so, what were they?

    Natsuya held many doubts regarding this medicine, but it was impossible for her to obtain any information on it, nor was she able to uncover anything about it at the negotiation table. All she seeded in doing was to limit Okubo from using it to drain any more Spiritual Energy. Apart from this, she could do no more.

    "I have a premonition that if something unexpected happens during this duel, it¡¯ll likely be because of that medicine¡­"

    Those were Natsuya¡¯s exact words.

    Seiji trusted in the president¡¯s judgment.

    Even though Natsuya had fallen for Okubo¡¯s "Trojan Horse" plot in the past, the president was actually quite a talented person.

    It was just a single mistake on Natsuya¡¯s part. Even the best student wouldn¡¯t be able to get full marks on every test. The asional error, even a serious error, wouldn¡¯t wipe away the fact that she was a talented individual.

    Just looking at history should be enough for anyone to understand. Every outstanding historical figure had made mistakes in the past. Some had even made major mistakes, but everyone still recognized their abilities.

    Natsuya was an incredible girl. This was something that Seiji determined upon his first impression, and he still believed this firmly.

    Since she said that something unexpected might happen, Seiji would prepare for the unexpected.

    The worst situation was him being powerless to aid Natsuya in her time of need. In that case, all Seiji could do was learn the enemy¡¯s n and load back to an earlier time.

    ¡­

    Seiji returned to the room where they had dispelled the amnesia-causing spell on Shika before.

    Natsuya, who was wearing her shrine maiden outfit, was waiting there for him.

    Hitaka was also present.

    Over the past two days, Seiji and Hitaka had several conversations. Seiji taught her various things, and their rtionship had improved slightly.

    At the very least, Hitaka was no longer treating him as coldly as before.

    Although she was only barely warmer than before, a change was still a change, and Seiji was happy about it. The fact that Hitaka¡¯s favorability rating towards him had also increased in Seiji¡¯s system was the best evidence for this.

    "Stand in the center," Natsuya instructed.

    Seiji obeyed and stood in the middle of the Yin-Yang diagram on the floor.

    "Are you ready?"

    "I am."

    "Then close your eyes, rx your body, and calm your emotions¡­" Natsuya said in a gentle voice.

    Seiji did as she instructed.

    "Now, please answer me. What is your name?"

    "Seiji Haruta."

    "Are you willing to ept, with the Spirits of Heaven, the Souls of the Earth, the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the ck Turtle of the North, and the Yellow Dragon of the Center as your witnesses, and sign a contract with me?"

    "I am."

    "Then, with my blood as the contract, and my seal as the catalyst, I shall summon a spirit from the heavens and earth upon your body, to be your strength and fight for my cause¡­"

    She proceeded to chant a long incantation that Seiji couldn''t understand.

    As Natsuya muttered her incantation, he gradually heard countless whispers around him.

    It sounded like various people talking to each other in low voices mixed in with the cries of animals or insects¡­ it seemed as if he could distinguish them individually if he concentrated, but he was unable to do so.

    Seiji did his best to listen, and gradually, he was able to hear one voice clearer than the others among all the chattering.

    "Where is that demon? I can¡¯t find it¡­ damn it!"

    "I¡¯m so tired. I''m so hungry. I really want to rest¡­"

    "But if I don¡¯t hurry up and find that demon and stop it, more girls will be¡­"

    "Ahh¡­ this is¡­ such light and warmth¡­"

    "It seems rather familiar, but I can¡¯t quite recall¡­ who are you?"

    ¡®I am Seiji Haruta.¡¯

    Seiji answered the voice honestly.

    "Seiji? So simr to that person¡­ who was that again¡­?"

    "I can¡¯t remember¡­ Ahh, forget about it! Seiji¡­ Seiji-sama, please allow me to borrow you as a temporary vessel to dwell in. In return, I shall dedicate my swords for your usage, how about it?"

    ¡®Sure.¡¯

    Seiji could sense that this was a pure and strong existence, which was why he agreed unhesitatingly.

    "Spirit, descend! I summon thee as a Spirit-branded Retainer!! I decree it so!!!"

    Natsuya¡¯s shouting echoed around him.

    Seiji suddenly felt a strong force entering his head and filling his entire body.

    "You have my gratitude, Seiji-sama," the presence said. "My name¡­ I¡¯ve forgotten it, but I remember that I used to be called Light-chan, so you can call me that as well. Wherever your desire for battle leads you will be where I shall point my sword!"

 Chapter 171 - Heroic Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 171: Heroic Spirit</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes.

    He felt a new presence residing within his body¡ªone that he could borrow strength from whenever he wished.

    It was akin to having an additional AI cheat assisting him.

    He had now bined with a spirit."

    ''If I equip additional spirits, their effects will stack, and¡­ no, no, that''s from a game in my previous life¡ªlet¡¯s not get things mixed up!''

    "Haruta-kun," Natsuya asked, "how are you feeling?"

    "Pretty good." Seiji smiled at her. "I feel like I¡¯m stronger¡­ and although it¡¯s technically not my own strength, I have a faint feeling that I can use this power as I like."

    "This¡­ is far from being at the level of faint." Natsuya sighed, keeping her gaze focused on the handsome boy.

    "Eh?" Seiji blinked in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

    "You haven¡¯t noticed how special the spirit you received is?"

    "Special¡­" Seiji thought about it. "I heard his voice¡­ but spirits should all be able to talk, right? He said his name was¡­"

    Wait a moment.

    He noticed something strange.

    "My spirit¡­ isn¡¯t a demonic spirit?"

    "Of course I¡¯m no demon," a disgruntled voice said within Seiji¡¯s head. "Seiji-sama, please don¡¯t mix me up with those lowly spirits."

    "Oh, sorry," Seiji apologized reflexively. "What I meant was¡­"

    Weren¡¯t spirits all demons of some sort?

    He looked at the president, seeking an exnation with his eyes.

    Natsuya wore a serious expression on her face.

    "Your spirit is a heroic spirit, Haruta-kun," she said.

    Seiji was lost for words.

    Heroic spirit?

    Hey, hey, what exactly was going on this time!?

    He revealed a strange expression.

    Natsuya interpreted his expression as confusion, so she gave an exnation.

    "Heroic spirits refer to heroes from either history or legends that have been worshipped by people over many years. Due to this, they''ve formed as powerful spirits.

    "Compared to a demonic spirit, not only are the powers of a heroic spirit of a more positive type, theybine better with humans, and are at a much higher level than demonic spirits, which is why they are regarded as the most powerful spirit.

    "But it¡¯s extremely difficult to summon a heroic spirit. There are high requirements for both the Spiritual Ability user acting as the vessel and the Yin-Yang Master in charge of the summoning. Plus, you typically have to consume a precious item rted to the heroic spirit in question. Even if you make the perfect preparations, there¡¯s no guarantee of sess.

    "That¡¯s why heroic spirits have always been viewed as the rarest and most difficult type of spirit to obtain, but you¡­"

    The president stopped her exnation.

    Her meaning was quite obvious.

    ''This is the wrong genre again!'' Seiji energeticallymented in his mind.

    Heroic spirits were just like receiving an SSR in a Japanese cell phone game! What the hell was this!?

    Hey, wasn¡¯t this getting a little too clich¨¦!!?

    Seiji coughed to interrupt his rapid stream of thoughts. ''I should calm down.''

    Thinking about it more closely, weren¡¯t many demonic spirits humans to begin with?

    If a demon could be exined as the materialization of a human''s negative emotions, then a heroic spirit could be exined as the materialization of a human''s positive emotions.

    ''That¡¯s right¡ªthat''s how I should interpret it!''

    Well, he only considered it strange due to the memories he had of a previous life. If he set those aside and understood it simply as him having gotten lucky by receiving an SSR¡­ no, receiving a miracle, that was good enough!

    Seiji forced himself to calm down.

    "So, President, you mean to say that I identally received an incredible spirit, right? Then what am I right now? What level of Spirit-branded Retainer am I?"

    Natsuya blinked, and her eyes transformed into a Sharingan-like state.

    Seiji thought to himself that he should ask her the name of this ability and try learning it from her.

    Every Naruto reader had the dream of learning Sharingan!

    "You can now be considered as¡­ a medium-level, low-ranking Spirit-branded Retainer." Natsuya made her judgement after observing his condition.

    "The same as Shuho-san?" Seiji nced at the red-haired girl, Hitaka, who was watching them quietly.

    He recalled that Hitaka and Rana were both medium-level, low-ranking Spirit-branded Retainers.

    "Yes, this is already an incredible achievement. Your Spiritual Abilities are still considered rathercking, and I haven''t I given you arge portion of my Spiritual Power as support. You were actually able to reach Hitaka and Rana¡¯s level instantly, which is plenty of evidence for how strong your summoned spirit truly is.

    "But I can also tell that your heroic spirit¡­ doesn¡¯t seemplete, or perhaps he¡¯s currently in a weakened state."

    "This Yin-Yang Master-sama is correct," said the voice in Seiji''s mind. "I have indeed been weakened. I feel like I¡¯m missing many parts of myself, and I can¡¯t even remember my name."

    "He said that you¡¯re correct about his weakened condition, and that he can¡¯t even remember his real name. He only remembers that he used to be called Light-chan, and he also said I could call him that."

    "Light-chan¡­ a heroic spirit with the word for ¡®Light¡¯ in his name? Or perhaps this is his nickname?" Natsuya considered the information carefully.

    "He also remembers that he was searching for a certain demon¡­ one that particrly enjoyed harming girls," Seiji continued.

    "A demon that particrly enjoyed harming girls¡­ and this heroic spirit has ¡®Light¡¯ in his name¡­ Could he be!?" Natsuya''s eyes suddenly widened in shock.

    Could this heroic spirit be that spirit?

    Were there any other possibilities?

    Yes, one of that person¡¯s subordinates also had the word for ¡®Light¡¯ in his name.

    But if this spirit was that subordinate, it was an unbelievably high-level spirit! And if this spirit was who she thought he was, then this spirit was¡­

    Natsuya already had the feeling of randomly winning the lottery without knowing what was going on. Now, she felt as if she had won the lottery and the mother of all grand prizes!

    ''Heavens, how did something like this happen!?''

    She was simply performing a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer contract ceremony and using the simplest, lowest-cost spell to summon any random spirit, so a normal demonic spirit should have appeared.

    But a heroic spirit appeared instead!

    And even among heroic spirits, this one was at the very top!!

    This wasn¡¯t even at the level of a happy surprise¡ªit wasplete shock! It was as if she had went to a restaurant and asked for a waiter, but instead a world-ss idol handed her a menu. That was how shocked she was!!

    Natsuya was too stunned to know what was going on anymore.

    She was even a little frightened because she couldn¡¯tprehend the situation.

    "President, what¡¯s the matter?" the boy asked in a confused voice.

    Natsuya instantly returned to her senses.

    ''That¡¯s right¡ªHaruta-kun¡­ Seiji Haruta!''

    No matter how much she thought about it, the problem couldn¡¯t possibly have been with her, so he was the only exnation.

    The miracle-creating boy¡­ who had created miracles more than once.

    Because he was the vessel, she was able to summon this heroic spirit¡­ that had to be the exnation!

    Natsuya instinctively made that conclusion.

    Even though it was still rather mysterious to her and she didn¡¯t understand it, she was certain that the heroic spirit had bonded with him due to his uniqueness.

    Even if this heroic spirit wasn¡¯t in aplete state, it was still¡­

    By the way, this heroic spirit and his ancestor¡ªthe strongest one¡ªwere from the same generation, and legend had it that they''d worked together before¡­

    Various thoughts shed through the president¡¯s mind.

    "Haruta-kun¡­" She finally opened her mouth again. "I have a guess as to the identity of your heroic spirit."

    "Oh? Who is it?" Seiji asked curiously.

    "Although I can¡¯t be one hundred percent certain, I''m at least eighty or ny percent sure of his identity. If he¡¯s really who I think he is, then this is no longer at the level of simply shocking."

    To Natsuya, this matter was as shocking as thunder striking on a clear day.

    "It¡¯s even worth the effort for me to make a new battle n with this spirit¡¯s identity as the foundation," Natsuya said in a serious tone, focusing on Seiji¡¯s face. "This new battle strategy will have you as my main fighting force! Another way to say it is that you shall be my ace."

    "What?" Seiji was the one shocked this time.

    ¡®Ace!? Hey, hey, wasn''t I was supposed to be a bystander!?¡¯

    "I know that this is really asking a lot of you, but your strength¡­ your heroic spirit¡¯s strength is so strong that it¡¯s worth me doing all this! Of course, you have the right to decide. If you¡¯re willing to ept, I¡¯ll prepare this new battle n. If not, it¡¯s okay to forget I ever brought it up."

    ¡®What do you think?¡¯ Natsuya¡¯s inquired with her eyes.

    Just as Seiji was deliberating over his response, "Light-chan" spoke up again in his mind.

    "Go ahead and agree to her request, Seiji-sama."

 Chapter 172 - Preparations

    <h4>Chapter 172: Preparations</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "This Yin Yang Master-sama trusts in you and would like to assign the most important task to you. That¡¯s a good thing. I believe in her sincerity, and if you ept her request and live up to her expectations, she¡¯ll definitely repay the favor."

    ¡®That still requires me to live up to her expectations,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself. ''A newbie training right before the battle is about to be the ace of the duel? This is ridiculous! It''s just like making a video game noob the ace in a PK n!¡¯

    "Although I¡¯m not familiar with the situation, since this Yin Yang Master-sama has already requested it of you, it means she believes that you can do it. That why you shouldn¡¯tck so much self-confidence and believe in yourself! I shall also support you with all my might."

    ¡®Eh, you can hear me even in my mind? And you can understand my thoughts?¡¯

    "As long as you think it, I can mostly understand the meaning you¡¯re trying to express."

    ¡®I see¡­ by the way, I think you misunderstood. She believes in you, not me.¡¯

    "I am your strength! Believing in me and believing in yourself are identical!"

    Seiji was left speechless upon hearing this.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ as expected, am I asking too much?" Seeing Seiji¡¯s silence, Natsuya could only smile wryly. "I suppose so. Even if you have excellent spirit, making you into an ace immediately¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be so unreasonable. My apologies, I was too impulsive¡ªyou can forget¡­"

    Seiji interrupted her with a sigh. "President, you said you would prepare it as a new battle n, right? This means that it¡¯s not one hundred percent certain that this new n will be used, right?"

    "¡­Indeed." Natsuya nodded. "It¡¯s just in case."

    "What¡¯s the probability that it¡¯ll actually get used?"

    "Very low, and I hope that I won¡¯t have to use it¡­ but seeing your new strength, I want to make appropriate preparations."

    "To be fully prepared for every situation, is that it?"

    "Exactly." Natsuya looked into Seiji''s eyes. "Even if it¡¯s a low probability, there¡¯s still a chance, which is why I¡¯d like to ask your opinion."

    Seiji fell silent once more for several moments.

    "Okay, I ept," he said, sighing deeply. "I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯ll end up happening, nor can I promise to perform well if I truly do end up being sent into battle, but I guess you can never be cautious enough."

    "Thank you, Haruta-kun," Natsuya said, smiling brightly.

    "Oh, oh, this Yin Yang Master-sama¡¯s smile is so beautiful! It''s definitely worth fighting for such a moving beauty!"

    Light-chan shouted some hot-blooded passionate words in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    This guy was just someone who liked to suck up to beautiful women, wasn¡¯t he?

    "Chasing after beautiful young women is something every man dreams of!"

    Ok, fine, Seiji had now confirmed that this guy was that type of bastard.

    "Seiji-sama, aren¡¯t you myrade? You also appreciate this Yin Yang Master¡¯s beauty. Her breasts are¡­"

    Seiji couldn''t bear it any longer and shouted at his newly bonded spirit. ''Stop!'' he yelled in his mind. ''Don¡¯t peek at my innermost thoughts! Don''t you understand that people need privacy!!?''

    At any rate, thanks to this seemingly strong yet also unreliable heroic spirit¡¯s incitement, Seiji agreed to the president¡¯s request.

    Afterwards, Natsuya told him her thoughts regarding his heroic spirit¡¯s true identity and advised him to practice together with Hitaka in order to get ustomed to the power and battle methods of a Spirit-branded Retainer.

    In the final hours of their preparation time, Natsuya also wanted to use the ¡®mitigation¡¯ method to ward off Shika¡¯s [Reaper¡¯s Curse] to limit as many uncertain outside factors as possible.

    Seiji already had the power transference ability to cancel it out, so it was all actually an unnecessary process. Although he wanted to refuse at first, he decided to go along with it so that Natsuya and Hitaka could rest at ease.

    And so, he had a very ''special'' experience¡­

    Time passed just like this.

    ¡­

    Nighttime, at Genhana High School.

    Seiji and Natsuya stood together on top of a fence surrounding the roof of a school building and were looking below them¡­ it almost felt as if he were trying to act cool on purpose.

    Of course, they weren¡¯t actually attempting to act cool by standing at the highest location; the real reason was so that they could observe their territory as clearly as possible. But it had to be said that standing on top of the fence and feeling the cool night breeze made Seiji feel as if he were truly abat expert.

    Well,pared to ordinary humans, he was already in the realm of the ¡®mystical.¡¯ Just the fact that he could stand on top of the wire mesh fence so steadily would be shocking to any ordinary human.

    His attire was rather unusual as well.

    He was mostly d in gray; he wore a gray windbreaker, a tight-fitting gray T-shirt, and gray pants. Silver rune-inscribed pieces of armor were attached to his chest, shoulders, knees, and elbows. His outfit made him appear mysterious. He almost seemed like a cosyer, but the exquisiteness and quality of his armor were many tiers above an ordinary costume.

    Although it''d be rather embarrassing if he walked around on the street like this, it would definitely attract many eyes as well.

    And the president beside him had far surpassed the level of attracting attention¡ªshe was likely to cause a traffic ident to happen if she appeared on the street!

    Seiji was under the impression that Natsuya would wear the typical "hunting clothes" of a Yin Yang Master, much like what he''d previously seen in the Spirit Image: a tall ck hat and a white wide-sleeved robe.

    But what Natsuya''s attire left him reeling for several moments.

    She was wearing form-fitting clothes!

    Yes, that''s right¡ªform-fitting clothes! They were extremely tight clothes, just like Overbutt¡­ whoops, clothes that certain female characters in Overwatch would wear¡ªa short cape and a miniskirt with a slit in its side.

    Natsuya¡¯s body was truly excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Important things should be repeated three times.

    In terms of figure, she was by far the best woman that Seiji had everid eyes on!

    She was incredibly alluring even when she wore the Genhana High School''s female uniform. It was only that her serious expression and stern aura made it difficult for people to think impure thoughts about her, which was why people tended to ignore her sexiness¡­ er, her special charisma when interacting with her.

    But ignoring didn¡¯t equal forgetting.

    It was impossible to forget.

    asionally, Seiji would also realize that he was faced with an incredibly attractivedy. However, he had excellent self-control, so he usually wouldn¡¯t think any strange thoughts.

    But such an attractive beauty with an incredible figure appearing before him in form-fitting clothes was a huge blow to his sense of reason and self-control!

    It was just like ocean water overwhelming a dam.

    That was no joke! There was far too much destructive ability in Natsuya¡¯s attire, to the point where Seiji instantly averted his gaze after regaining his senses and didn¡¯t even dare to look at the details of her clothing, even though he was rather curious.

    Natsuya¡¯s form-fitting clothes had various runes and spells etched into them as well. They almost seemed like decorative patterns when viewed from afar.

    As for her short cape and miniskirt¡­ it was actually fortunate that she was slightly covered by those, otherwise her sexiness would break the scale! However, these articles of clothing were strangely beautiful as they flowed with the wind. The sight of the short cape and miniskirt pping added to her allure in a different way.

    Seiji believed wholeheartedly that if she went to a crowded ce in her current attire, she would definitely cause a traffic ident!

    ¡®You¡¯re simply too much of a distraction, Natsuya.''

    Natsuya didn¡¯t know what Seiji was currently thinking, as she was focusing almost entirely on the impending duel.

    Although she was confident of her chances, she was still somewhat nervous. An appropriate amount of nervousness, however, would assist her in utilizing her true abilities.

    As for the boy beside her¡­ Haruta-kun didn¡¯t seem nervous at all.

    ''Perhaps,'' she thought, ''it''s because he''s still an inexperienced beginner. Or is he simply confident in his own abilities?''

    It seemed like she didn¡¯t need to worry too much about him.

    The inconceivable part was that even though Haruta-kun was aplete beginner, as well as a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer, just him standing by her side made her feel more reassured.

    She felt like¡­ no matter what happened, as long as he was by her side, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about anything.

    ¡®Why do I feel like this?¡¯

    Natsuya didn¡¯t understand.

    This wasn¡¯t the time for her to be thinking idle thoughts.

    Suddenly, she detected something approaching their position!

 Chapter 173 - First Blood!

    <h4>Chapter 173: First Blood!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "They''re here! Haruta-kun, activate your Astral Vision!"

    Seiji instantly activated [Astral Vision] upon Natsuya¡¯s reminder.

    He actually hadn¡¯t mastered this spell yet. He was casting it with his bonded spirit¡¯s assistance.

    Seiji¡¯s eyes instantly turned blue, and everything within his field of vision was also tinted blue. The world around him became much sharper; it was as if he were wearing high-tech night goggles.

    [Astral Vision]¡­ This type of vision rendered the school in apletely different light.

    Spell formations of various sizes were engraved on each of the school buildings, and some were revolving slowly. All the spell formations were radiating differently colored light.

    Thergest spell formation was on the school grounds. It was sorge that it exceeded the boundaries of the school grounds, and even with his enhanced vision, it was impossible to see it entirely.

    Apart from the formations, there were many other defensive measures: interlinked chains which hovered above the ground; strange, totem-like objects; and flyingnterns, dolls, talismans, and sheets of paper. There were also a variety of other mysterious objects that were either flying in midair or following fixed paths. The chaotic scene made Seiji feel dizzy.

    But what stood out the most of all were the various demons and spirits either guarding specific locations or roaming around.

    There was a huge,rge hammer-wielding one-eyed monster with green skin and a bald head.

    There was a pitch-ck demon that looked like a growth of aquatic weeds, and its many tiny eyes were opening and closing rapidly.

    There were a team of skeletal warriors d in tattered armor and wielding rusty weapons¡ªSeiji assumed these were grudge-bearing ancient spirits from some battlefield.

    There was a smooth,pletely white abnormal-appearing demon. It wasnky, and in the ce of legs and arms, it had four sharp des. Itcked any facial features, and its head was also nk, save for a ck talisman attached to the top of its skull.

    ¡­

    Witnessing all these sights was a truly eye-opening experience for Seiji.

    Many of these entities'' appearances were inside of his expectations and were rather normal, while others seemed incredibly out of ce.

    There were a few that he really wanted toment on¡ªespecially that smooth, white demon. Seiji felt that without that talisman on top of its head, it would belong in a horror movie rather than a mystical school!

    There were far too many different types of demons and spirits for him to ask Natsuya about, which was why he didn¡¯t ask anything. There would be plenty of time to chat after the duel.

    At any rate, under [Astral Vision], the school was far different from how ordinary people saw it. Only after he personally witnessed this sight did Seiji finally realize what the president had meant by calling the school her "castle."

    This was indeed Natsuya¡¯s castle with her as its Yin-Yang Master; this was indeed her well-defended territory.

    However, the castle was currently under siege.

    A huge number of demons approached both from the ground and the air!

    The majority of them were red-skinned demons sporting horns and wings¡ªthey were the same type that Seiji saw when he was dispelling the amnesia spell on Shika.

    This time, there weren¡¯t a ridiculous amount of demons like in the soulyer, but there had to be at least several thousand pouring towards the school like an unstoppable tidal wave.

    When they got close enough, various spell formations suddenly lit up and shot orangesers at the demons, vaporizing most of them into thick, smoky mist.

    The remaining few demons continued to press onwards.

    Yet more spell formations lit up, filling the courtyard with beams of multi-colored lights that shot into the ranks of the remaining enemy demons.

    Thanks to yet another baptism bysers, only a few dozen demons remained.

    After they finally entered the school grounds itself, the barrier covering the school destroyed many of their number, leaving only a pitiful dozen or so that were instantly mopped up by the patrolling skeleton team¡¯s swords and arrows.

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. ''This feels like a tower defense game.''

    In actuality, that was probably what this was. The enemy¡¯s goal was to destroy the critical defense locations here, while Natsuya needed to protect the school, which was basically the exact goal of a tower defense game.

    Not only that, if Seiji thought of the Yin-Yang Masters as summoners and treated the Spirit-branded Retainers as champions¡­ this was basically freaking League of Legends!

    Come, let¡¯s shout "Demacia" together!

    Seiji coughed. ''I shouldn''t get too excited.''

    Seiji, a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer and a beginner to Yin-Yang Master warfare, felt that he could only be the equivalent of Garen if he werepared to a League of Legends champion.

    The starter champion, who was one of the cheapest ones to buy, had abilities which only needed a cooldown and no mana. He was easy to learn and had a bnced attack and defense but had a few obvious weaknesses.

    ''Hey, that means I should¡­ Whoops, I went off on too much of a tangent.''

    Seiji hurriedly made himselfe back to his senses.

    He saw that a new wave of demons had already arrived en masse. They rushed at Natsuya''s defense formation frenziedly.

    How long would the enemy¡¯s attack and their defensest? Just as he wanted to ask, he heard a thud from the side.

    "It¡¯s Rana."

    Natsuya gave only that simple statement before she instantly jumped off the fence and ran towards the right.

    Seiji followed her.

    Since both of them were using the Body-strengthening Spell to cover ground quickly, it wasn¡¯t long before they saw what was going on.

    Rana was currently battling with a man wearing strange ck clothing.

    The current Rana''s appearance was a far cry from how Seiji was used to seeing her. Her body was shrouded in a dark red mist which turned her invisible. Her eyes were especially bright in the mist, and they shone green and blue, leaving two bright color trails every time she moved.

    With both hands and feet on the ground, she moved about as if she were a real cat. She was agile, flexible, and unpredictable; sometimes she appeared to flow like the wind, while at other times she was as fast and deadly as lightning.

    The man was d in what seemed to be a special force uniform. Every piece of his clothing was pitch-ck, and his head was covered with a ck hood. It was standard ninja attire, disregarding the two assault rifles¡ªor two mystical firearms which resembled assault rifles¡ªthat were currently unleashing a hail of bullets at Rana!

    But it was useless.

    Rana avoided the majority of the bullets. The few which made contact with her were deflected by her mist, leaving her unscathed.

    Rana was darting into the man¡¯s blind spots beforeunching a lightning-fast offense.

    The man was barely managing to hold on, and he tossed one gun down onto the ground, attempting to change his ineffective weapon for a better one¡­

    *Pound!!*

    Just as the gun left his hand, Rana charged at him at an unbelievable speed and headbutted him, sending him soaring into the air!

    The man had obviously been injured by this. He panicked as he lost his bnce and was unable to pull out a new weapon¡­

    *Pound! Boom!! Smack!!!*

    There were three sessive midair thuds.

    The first two blows were too quick for Seiji to see clearly.

    However, he managed to capture thest move. In thest blow, Rana stomped both her feet onto the ck-d man¡¯s head, sending him hurtling into the dirt like a meteor!

    After a tremendous crash, the ck-d man was buried into the ground with only his lower half sticking out.

    First blood! What a ssical death¡­ whoops, he wasn¡¯t dead yet.

    In Seiji¡¯s [Astral Vision], the ck-d man still showed up as a color, which meant that this man¡¯s soul was still present, and he hadn¡¯t died yet.

    "He¡¯s Okubo¡¯s temporary Spirit-branded Retainer," Natsuya said after carefully examining the man. "Hisbat clothes are of the scouting type, which means that this retainer¡¯s role consists of only scouting¡­ He probably sneaked in during the demons¡¯ attack while the spell formations were preupied in order to find out the specific locations of our critical defense points."

    "Did he seed? Er¡­ what I mean is, is it possible that he already discovered the locations and sent out the information?"

    "It''s not possible in such a short time."

    "Oh¡­ what should we do next, then?" Seiji nced at the enemy retainer still buried headfirst into the ground, before looking back at Natsuya with an inquiring gaze.

    "Pull him out and I¡¯ll seal his powers and leave him here."

    "Is that really alright?"

    "It¡¯s fine; he won¡¯t die."

    Natsuya turned around to look at Rana, and Rana waved her paw¡­ whoops, her hand, then turned around and ran off, blending into the shadows.

    After Seiji and Natsuya took care of the ck-d man, they returned to the rooftop.

    They were just in time to witness the defeat of the second demon wave.

    "Are there going to be more?"

    "I doubt it. We¡¯ve already defeated his scouting retainer, so there¡¯s no more meaning to such an attack anymore unless he wants to waste his Spiritual Power and Mana."

    "Then what will be¡­"

    Before Seiji could finish his question, he saw a car turn around the street corner and head straight for the school.

    It was a funeral home car, the one also known as a hearse!

 Chapter 174 - Clash!

    <h4>Chapter 174: sh!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Sakura Ind¡¯s hearses had a very unique appearance, making it impossible to mistake one.

    It waspletely ck car, with a¡­ what was that thing on its back called?

    It was something that resembled a small temple and was most likely used to ce the coffin in. This one looked strikingly simr to a real temple due to its exquisite craftsmanship. Seiji could seeplex runes and spell formations inscribed upon it, and many yellow talismans were stuck on the top of it as well.

    The talismans floated in the wind as the car drove on, making the scene seem like¡­

    Seiji was stunned at the sight.

    This was too much stimtion for his vision!!

    While he was still in a daze, the hearse sped to the school and entered the spell formations¡¯ area of effect.

    The formations lit up, shooting orangesers at the car.

    The entire body of the hearse lit up, and a red spell formation appeared in midair and blocked the orangeser, refracting the light in all directions!

    The defensive attack had been blocked!

    Seiji returned to his senses.

    Even if this hearse appeared rather¡­ this wasn¡¯t the time toment, as the enemy was already here!

    Okubo Yoshiaki was most likely seated in that car.

    The spell formation''s second retaliatory wave arrived, engulfing the hearse with countless beams light from all directions!

    Variousrge and small multi-colored spell formations appeared above the hearse and blocked every single beam of light that attacked it without affecting the car¡¯s speed in the slightest.

    ''Hey, this doesn''t seem like the right style!''

    In the end, Seiji was unable to stop himself from mentallymenting on the situation.

    A car breaking through a barrage ofsers should have been either a hot-blooded or really cool scene. However, this hearse, with its abnormal appearance, made it feel strangely ridiculous for some reason! This kind of thing was simply wrong!

    Seiji¡¯s expression waspletely nk as he watched the hearse.

    After the hearse made something as cool as breaking past aser barrier look so uncool, it crashed past the magical barrier protecting the school without slowing, before mming into two white demons, breaking them into pieces. It then proceeded to crush a group of ck-blob monsters and knock over a one-eyed cyclops.

    It seemed that the school¡¯s defenses wouldn¡¯t be able to block it.

    Just as Seiji was about to turn around and ask Natsuya what to do in this situation, a tremendous explosion almost ruptured his eardrums.

    *Boom!!*

    The seemingly unstoppable hearse was now enveloped in orange-red mes from the huge explosion.

    Seiji was shocked to his core at this sudden development.

    "It was andmine," Natsuya exined calmly. "I already anticipated this situation, which was why I ced specialndmines that can only be activated by a car¡¯s weight. I modified them using anti-tankndmines."

    Landmines!?

    Seiji was incredibly shocked at this.

    Natsuya actually ced such things at school!? Was that really fine!?

    "I ced them after all the students left already, and I¡¯ll clear them away again after the duel," Natsuya said after noticing Seiji''s stunned expression.

    ''Oh, that seems fine then.''

    But cingndmines in the school grounds, not to mention anti-tankndmines; this¡­ seemed more outrageous than even the manga Kotaro Makaritoru!

    The fierce mes raged wildly, illuminating Seiji''s and Natsuya''s faces from where they were standing on the roof of the school building.

    ¡®It won¡¯t end so easily like this, will it?¡¯

    Just as that thought crossed Seiji''s mind, he glimpsed a few hazy silhouettes walking out from the fire.

    There was a boy wearing a yellow-green wide-sleeved robe together with a tall yellow hat; a girl wearing white form-fitting clothes and heavy silver gauntlets; and a tall boy wearing light green armor with a ck coffin held in just one of his hands.

    The trio emerged from the fire and remained motionless.

    The tall armored boy tossed the coffin onto the ground, and the impact scattered a cloud of dust into the air with a loud thump .

    The boy in the tall yellow hat tilted his head upwards and looked in Seiji''s and Natsuya¡¯s direction.

    When they exchanged nces, Seiji confirmed that this was Okubo Yoshiaki.

    Okubo was a handsome boy, but his face was slightly too sharp and gaunt. His skin clung tightly to his skull, and the look in his eyes was rather grim and dark.

    All the demons and spirits, together with the flying papers,nterns, dolls, and so on, gathered a few paces away from the trio.

    Okubo lifted his hand, revealing seven or eight talismans, which he proceeded to toss into the air.

    The talismans transformed into numerousrge diamond-shaped crystals that began spinning and shooting out fast red bullets of light in all directions. The hail of red bullets cleared away almost everything instantly!

    The tall armored boy crouched and suddenly jumped up, unsheathing his sword. His target was Natsuya!

    Seiji could feel real killing intent heading towards him.

    Just as he was about to respond, the president stopped him from doing so.

    Someone jumped out from behind them and moved to block the armored boy in midair.

    It was Hitaka.

    The red-haired girl also unsheathed her sword and exchanged a flurry of blows with the armored boy in midair.

    After the initial sh, Hitaka discovered an opportunity and kicked the armored boy into a school building as she twisted around in midair and ran through the air to follow him.

    Seiji could hear Hitaka and the armored boy continue their battle within the building.

    The remaining four people merely stared at each other.

    Suddenly, the white-d girl took two steps to the right and punched the empty air.

    *Pound!*

    Rana, who had been attempting to approach the enemy while invisible, was hit by this, but she tumbled onto the ground lithely, rolling with the impact.

    The white-d girl¡¯s speed was unbelievably fast as she pursued Rana, and each of the punches she threw out was as vicious as a bulky man¡¯s!

    Rana nimbly dodged and weaved the punches, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

    That was the beginning of the second battle.

    There were three people remaining¡­ and one coffin.

    As he looked at that coffin, Seiji faintly recalled something.

    Okubo reached out with his right hand, and the coffin started to begin floating in midair.

    With one forceful wave of his hand, the ck coffin flew towards Seiji and Natsuya like a shot cannonball!

    "Dodge it!" Natsuya shouted.

    Both of them dodged to the left and avoided the coffin. However, just as the coffin was about to fly into the air after missing its target, Okubo made a seal with one hand and cast a spell.

    "Zombie corpse, unseal!"

    *Boom!!*

    The coffin exploded.

    The force was akin to a loaded explosive.

    Protective barriers materialized in front of both Seiji and Natsuya.

    Of course, Seiji¡¯s protective barrier was mainly due to the assistance of his bonded spirit.

    Thanks to the barriers protecting them, neither of them were harmed.

    However, a dark green figure dashed out of the coffin and lunged at Natsuya.

    Natsuya was about to retaliate, but Seiji¡¯s reactions were faster than hers.

    His fist shot out, dealing a vicious blow to the dark green figure''s head!

    If this figure had been an ordinary person, the punch would have sent him flying already.

    But this dark green person took the punch in stride; he even grabbed on to Seiji¡¯s arm.

    *Smack!!*

    Seiji unleashed a brutal kick with his left foot and connected with the person¡¯s crotch area.

    There was nothing there at all.

    But the figure still seemed to feel something as he released Seiji¡¯s arm.

    "Hey, long time no see."

    Seiji had confirmed this person¡¯s identity, even though the dark green figure was basically unrecognizable now due to the drastic change in his physical appearance.

    Seiji twisted his body, lifted his foot, and gave the figure a taste of his whirlwind kick!

    His full-force kick mmed directly into the dark green figure¡¯s chest, sending him stumbling backward. The figure only regained its bnce after it was seven or eight meters away from Seiji.

    "You¡¯ve remained unchanged. Still lunging straight for the beautiful girls, eh?"

    Seiji was talking casually to this person¡­ or this monster that used to be a person as if he were familiar with him.

    Actually, Seiji wasn¡¯t familiar with the dark green person at all; he couldn¡¯t even remember this person¡¯s name. Was it something Yamamoto?

    Seiji had forgotten and was toozy to remember.

    At any rate, this bastard probably didn¡¯t even deserve a human¡¯s name anymore.

    "Even though you¡¯ve turned into this, you still haven¡¯t changed that part of you."

    Seiji fixed his gaze on his foe.

    The dark green person waspletely naked, and injuries covered his body. His hair was as messy as a pile of weeds, and his facial features werepletely distorted in mindless rage. His eyes bulged out from their sockets, shot with green-colored veins.

    "You don¡¯t even have what¡¯s down there anymore, so what¡¯s the point in still doing such things?"

    This wasn¡¯t a taunt; Seiji was merely making a meaningless statement.

    That was because this monster clearly didn¡¯t understand human speech anymore.

    "Rrr¡­ Rrrrrr¡­"

    The green monster growled deeply, and its dim, hollow eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 175 - Allow Me to Send Him Off

    <h4>Chapter 175: Allow Me to Send Him Off</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Takao Yamamoto¡­" Natsuya muttered the green monster¡¯s name under her breath.

    ''Oh, that¡¯s right¡ªit was Takao Yamamoto.'' Seiji recalled the name as well.

    Takao was the blonde bully who had ambushed and killed Mika long ago. He had disappeared from the hospital after Seiji crushed his ability to ever have children again. Okubo must have taken Takao, and Seiji assumed that he caused Takao''s abnormal state.

    "What exactly happened to him?" Seiji asked.

    "He was reared as a Zombie Demon¡ª" Natsuya started.

    "Rrr¡­ Roar!!" A strange shriek interrupted the president¡¯s words.

    The green, monster-like Zombie Demon lunged at Seiji and Natsuya, its arms spread wide open. A rotting, disgusting stench emanated from its body.

    Seiji, who was in front of Natsuya, was just about to defend against its attack, but he saw Natsuya drawing a seal in midair with both hands.

    "Be sealed, unclean object!"

    Numerous magical chains materialized and entangled the Zombie Demon''s body, preventing it from moving.

    Immediately after, several dozen white talismans appeared and attached themselves to its body.

    "Cleanse!!" Natsuya changed her hand-seal.

    *Boom!*

    There was a brilliant white explosion!

    A terrifying roar could be heard from within the blinding light.

    The next moment, a ck mist erupted from the Zombie Demon''s body, scattering the white light.

    Seiji could faintly perceive that the Zombie Demon had broken free from the magical chains.

    Its eyes were glowing greenly, and its body seemed¡­ no, it was definitelyrger than before.

    And it was still expanding in size!

    Hey, hey, was this supposed to be the Zombie Hulk!?

    Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched as he watched the Zombie Demon expand rapidly.

    "He¡¯s been cultivated into quite a powerful Zombie Demon," Natsuya stated calmly. "It seems that Okubo has spent a lot of effort on him."

    "Is he still alive?" Seiji inquired curiously. "As a human, I mean."

    "He¡¯s already dead, both in body and soul¡­"

    "Then there¡¯s no need for me to worry about anything at all."

    Seiji reached out his hand and drew out a longsword that appeared in a blue sh and entered a ready-forbat pose.

    "Allow me to send him off."

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    "I don¡¯t have any sympathy for this guy," Seiji said in a heavy voice. "I¡­ only feel slightly responsible."

    Natsuya blinked her eyes upon hearing this."I wanted to say that there¡¯s no need for you to deal with him, since I can take care of it on my own."

    "Eh?"

    The Zombie Demon that seemed like an undead version of the Hulk took another step forward while roaring, but even more magical chains appeared in midair, wrapping around him and stopping him from advancing!

    "While this Zombie Demon may indeed be powerful, I¡¯ve already been prepared for such a scenario."

    Together with the president¡¯s calm words, a seemingly endless amount of chains appeared, tying the enormous Zombie Demon in manyyers.

    At first, the Zombie Demon was able to break loose from the chains, but before long, it was unable to even struggle and could only roar helplessly.

    Finally, it was swathed in chains.

    It almost looked like a big yarn ball.

    Seiji was speechless as he stood there in his self-styled coolbat pose.

    He suddenly felt rather embarrassed.

    Seiji stopped posing, ashamed of himself.

    He was just a bystander to begin with, so why was he posing like that!? Plus, he said something so pretentious! Honestly¡­

    "Haruta-kun, do you really want to fight it?"

    "Er, um¡­" Seiji scratched his face awkwardly, unable toe up with a reply.

    "You want to send him off because you feel slightly responsible¡­ Is that how you truly feel?" Natsuya had a serious expression as she looked at him.

    Seeing her expression, Seiji also put on a serious face. "Yes¡­ it might be a little bit arrogant, but that¡¯s how I truly feel."

    After a brief silence, Natsuya spoke.

    "Then go ahead," she said calmly.

    She looked towards the pile of chains and made yet another seal with her hands.

    A huge number of white talismans furiously attached themselves to the chains to the point where nothing but white was visible.

    "Cleanse!!"

    A white light at least ten times stronger than thest one exploded, sending a pir of light shooting up into the sky!

    After the light gradually dissipated, the Zombie Demon returned to its original form. It was now kneeling on the ground somewhat pitifully.

    "Its power has been greatly diminished. You should be able to handle the rest." Natsuya turned around to leave. "Okubo¡¯s already begun breaking my defense, so I need to go deal with him. Go ahead, and¡­ do your best at sending him off." Right after she finished herst sentence, the president dashed off to find her enemy.

    Seiji and the Zombie Demon were the only ones remaining here, and they stood facing each other.

    ¡®She is such a gentle girl.¡¯ Seiji smiled and expressed gratitude towards Natsuya within his heart.

    He then raised the longsword in his hand once more.

    "Stand up, Takao Yamamoto."

    The Zombie Demon gradually rose to its feet, making it seem like it really could understand Seiji.

    "I don¡¯t know you. Nor do you know me. But, rather than being cleansed like this, you would probably prefer for someone to send you to hell."

    Takao wasn¡¯t Seiji¡¯s friend, nor was he really an enemy, and this was about as far from a fated battle between rivals as could be.

    This was merely one stranger sending off another slightly familiar stranger.

    The Zombie Demon roared as it lunged at Seiji.

    Seiji greeted it with a flourish of his sword.

    And so their sh began.

    ¡­

    Ayami Himiki was fond of battles.

    Well, she wasn¡¯t fond of personally battling. She enjoyed watching other people fight, and she especially loved watching fights where the participants were wagering their most precious possessions or even their lives¡ªthe so-called Yin-Yang Master duels.

    The Himiki n was well known in the mystical society for being an excellent judging n. Although Ayami was still young, she was renowned for her fair attitude and appropriate supervision. Her records of the duels were neither too detailed nor too simple¡ªthey described the situation perfectly while protecting both sides¡¯ secrets. As a result of this, she always received glowing reviews from both sides in the duel.

    That was why her "business" was excellent and she always received requests to judge duels. But she was still young and inexperienced, so it was mostly the younger generation that invited her to judge duels.

    This time, it was a duel between the daughter of the Yoruhana family and the son of the Yoshiaki family.

    Just like always, Ayami stayed outside the battlefield but not too far and watched the proceedings with a spell. There was only one husky dog apanying her.

    This husky was her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    That¡¯s right¡ªthe dog had been raised using a special method, and possessed Spiritual Power! Ayami had signed a contract with the husky and recruited it as her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    As a vessel for a spirit, it was difficult for an animal to match a human¡¯s power. But there were also advantages, such as never leaking any secrets.

    That was why Ayami was always able to take her husky retainer with her while judging.

    "This is a rather boring duel, isn¡¯t it, Tairou?"

    Ayami was snacking on potato chips while watching the duel unfold before her.

    "Woof!" Her husky, which had a strict-seeming ck-and-white face, responded with a bark.

    "So you agree as well¡­ there¡¯s too much of a difference between their powers, so there¡¯s nothing to even enjoy."

    Ayami continued chewing on her potato chips as she assessed the duel using her long experience as a judge of many duels.

    Well, this didn¡¯t actually even need that much experience to assess. Even an ordinary human who had watched fantasy movies before could probablye to the same conclusion after watching for a while.

    The red side, led by the Yoruhana family''s daughter, was certain to win!

    First was the red-haired girl¡¯s battle against the armored boy, who was part of the blue side and the retainer of the Yoshiaki family''s son.

    The armored boy had extremely high defense and was quite spirited, but it was all rather useless. It was almost impossible for his attacks to hit the red-haired girl, and instead the girl¡¯s attacks almost all managed to connect, steadily depleting the boy''s Mana level.

    Next was the red-side cat girl''s battle against the blue-side white gauntlet girl.

    The white-d gauntlet girl¡¯s movements were swift and her attacks were fierce. Many of her attacks connected with the cat girl, seemingly giving her an advantage. However, the cat girl had actually mitigated most of the attacks¡¯ force with her highly agile footwork, and in actuality, she took very little damage.

    By now, the white-d girl¡¯s speed was already much lower than it was at first, while the cat girl was still as agile as ever; it was as if she were merely toying with her opponent. It was easy to determine the superior party.

    And as for the red-side windbreaker boy¡¯s battle against the blue-side Zombie Demon¡­

    In this battle, it was even easier to tell who would emerge victorious. The Zombie Demon''s power had been greatly diminished. As long as the windbreaker boy wasn¡¯t a total idiot, he would be able to defeat the Zombie Demon by using physical attacks alone.

    To Ayami, this handsome boy seemed like a newbie to battle. Hisbat outfit and weapon were all totally standard with zero customizations, and his movements seemed rather¡­ er, stiff. Ayami could hardly believe it when he was actually injured by the brainless Zombie Demon''s swipes! How stupid of him to make such a low-level mistake!

    Why the heck did the Yoruhana family daughter recruit a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer like him? The teenage female judge¡¯s mind was filled with questions.

    Was there some special purpose? Or was there some other particr reason, like love¡­

    Ayami coughed. ''I must have watched too many television dramas.¡¯

    There was nothing interesting about this duel at all. If she had to find something watchable, the only slightly appealing part was the fact that the windbreaker boy was incredibly hot.

    If only his opponent wasn¡¯t an ugly Zombie Demon¡­ It would have been so much better if he was fighting against a handsome opponent that he was entangled in a love triangle with. That would have made for an amazing story!

    Ayami turned her attention to focus on the final and most important battle after sighing in her heart.

    The red-side Yoruhana family''s daughter versus the blue-side Yoshiaki family''s son.

    "So unsightly," she muttered, crunching on the potato chips in her mouth.

 Chapter 176 - Shutendoji!

    <h4>Chapter 176: Shutendoji!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Arrrghhh!!" Okubo was shouting fiercely.

    He sounded just like a wild beast struggling inside a hunter¡¯s trap.

    Dark grayish-ck mist poured out from his body, and countless pale white hands as far as the eyes could see were reaching out from the mist and rushing towards the girl across from him like an unstoppable flood!

    Natsuya remained expressionless at this.

    Her cape had now turned into a cloak that covered her entire body, and mystical runes shed and shone on the transformed cape. As the pale white hands drew close to her, her cape glowed with a dark yellow light, sealing every single hand without exception.

    She then brought her kodachi down upon the hands, and numerous motes of dark red light flew out from her de. With one swipe, all the hands were severed.

    "Gather!"

    With Natsuya¡¯s lightmand, a much darker glow instantly enveloped the kodachi. Before long, the kodachi transformed, lengthening by several dozen meters.

    She lifted the massive de and swung it down at Okubo!

    *Boom!!*

    Okubo attempted to block the sword with his mist, but the enchanted dark red kodachi managed to pierce through his defense and injure his body.

    Okubo instantly spat out a mouthful of blood from his injury.

    "Grr¡­"

    He was unable to even stand anymore, so he kneeled on one knee and stared at the puddle of blood that he had just spit onto the ground.

    He waspletely defeated.

    He tried to gain time for his cultivated Zombie Demon and cast spells to weaken the school¡¯s defensive spell formation¡­ but it ended in defeat!

    He created his own territory and tried to form a barrier that would bepletely unaffected by his opponent¡¯s spell formation¡­ but it ended in defeat!

    He used arge amount of Spiritual Power in an attempt to overwhelm his opponent with the first wave of attacks¡­ but it ended in defeat!

    He used low-cost Mana attacks and kept up a solid defense in order to wear Natsuya down while waiting for a chance to counterattack¡­ but it ended in defeat!

    He used a soul attack and attempted to drag Natsuya into the soul realm for battling¡­ but it ended in defeat!

    Every one of his actions had ended in failure.

    Every n, every plot of his, had been easily countered!

    Not only that, he was continuously injured by Natsuya¡¯s attacks.

    Okubo was now feeling despair.

    He couldn¡¯t win.

    Not only could he not win, he wasn¡¯t even able to seemingly bother her.

    Natsuya Yoruhana had maintained a cold and distant expression from start to finish. She hadn''t lost control of her emotions for even a second; it were as if she wasn¡¯t even battling, and was doing something like school homework instead, as she precisely countered his every move.

    No, it wasn¡¯t countering.

    She was basically dissecting him.

    She was dissecting him emotionally, like how a student would dissect a frog for their biology homework.

    Okubo beganughing.

    He actually found it funny how he came up with this analogy, and he was alsoughing at himself for how appropriate this analogy truly was.

    The ufortable sound of his ownughter caused him to recall all the tauntingughter he had constantly heard throughout his life.

    From his family, from strangers, and even from¡­

    "You were defeated once before by Natsuya Yoruhana. You¡¯ll be defeated by her for eternity. You¡¯ll never catch up to her in terms of power for your entire life, nor will you ever understand even when you die."

    Those bone-piercing taunts came from a good-for-nothing piece of garbage.

    "Hahahahahaha-"

    Okubo beganughing maniacally.

    Pain, hatred, anger, unwillingness¡­

    Despair from always being looked down on and condescended by everyone finally swallowed him.

    He was unable to deny everything that made his life ufortable.

    Because it was all undeniably true.

    He was unable to defeat Natsuya Yoruhana¡­

    He wasn¡¯t able to ept it, but he was forced to ept it.

    That was why he utterly broke down.

    Even through his maniacalughter, Okubo noticed that the beautiful girl''s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she observed him.

    ¡®So, there¡¯s finally a change in your expression. What¡¯s about to happen next will shock you even more!¡¯

    Okubo lifted his hand slightly. Three crystals appeared in a sh of a ck light and floated into his hand.

    Natsuya blinked in surprise at this. However, she acted swiftly andunched an attack!

    ¡®So you¡¯ve noticed it¡­ but your attack is useless.¡¯

    Okubo formed a seal with his other hand and used the entirety of his remaining Mana to create an impregnable barrier.

    Natsuya¡¯s attack was sessfully blocked by his barrier.

    She instantly began preparing a new and stronger spell.

    But, no matter how fast, any spell able to break through his barrier required at least a few seconds to cast.

    That was more than enough time for Okubo.

    Okubo recalled thest words of advice from the person who had sold these to him as he looked at the crystals on his hand.

    "There¡¯s one more way to use this drug, which I didn¡¯t want to mention, but I might as well tell you seeing how generous you¡¯ve been with your payments."

    "This is a method that only Yin-Yang Masters can use, and it won¡¯t work on Spirit-branded Retainers. It involves consuming the ''main body'' and summoning a spirit which will possess you. This will grant you a burst of explosive power¡ªbut the strength of the spirit depends on how much you consume."

    "As you can imagine, this is a highly dangerous technique. About fifty percent of this technique¡¯s users will end up dead¡ªyes, exactly half¡ªit''s just like flipping a coin. And even if the user manages to survive, there might be irreparable damage to the soul."

    "I truly hope that you won¡¯t need to use this forbidden technique."

    That person had chuckled while telling him this.

    As Okubo recalled the conversation, he realized that person probably anticipated that he would need to use this from the very start.

    ''Well, forget it¡ªhis motives aren''t important.''

    Okubo ced the three crystals into his mouth and bit down with all his might.

    *Crack!*

    The crystals were crispy and had a salty taste¡­ in fact, they were surprisingly delicious.

    Okubo swallowed the crystals and instantly felt a chill spreading throughout his body.

    Across from him, Natsuya was about to begin her next attack.

    Okubo now had to summon a spirit!

    It was a forbidden technique for a Yin-Yang Master to summon a spirit to possess him or herself.

    That was because spirits were mostly demonic spirits; they possessed negative energy, and it could even be said that they were evil.

    A Yin-Yang Master¡¯s task was to suppress them so that they wouldn¡¯t overtake the host¡¯s body!

    Another way of saying it was that Yin-Yang Masters were the seals on a spirit¡¯s power.

    If a Yin-Yang Master summoned a spirit to descend upon his own body, there was no longer any guarantee of sealing the spirit¡¯s power, and there was no more limiter present.

    The spirit¡¯s true potential would be unleashed, but at the same time it was highly possible for the Yin-Yang Master to lose control; in fact, it was high to the point where it was basically suicidal.

    That was why this was taboo.

    It was also known as a forbidden technique.

    Okubo consumed the "main body" of the nameless medicine and cast the forbidden spell.

    "Spirit, descend! I decree it so!!!"

    At the exact same moment, Natsuya¡¯s strong attack spell broke through Okubo¡¯s defense and was about to hit his body.

    Suddenly, a blood-red light exploded from his body, dispelling Natsuya¡¯s attack spell.

    Natsuya smelled a strong scent of blood.

    She felt an iprehensible sense of terror and reflexively retreated backwards at top speed.

    She soon found that this had been the correct action.

    That was because an enormous blood-red wine gourd smashed into the ground where she had just been standing!

    Not only did the gourd gouge out arge hole into the ground, it even destroyed part of the spell formation drawn into the school ground there.

    "Ahahahaha! A beautiful virgin!"

    The blood-red light dissipated.

    What appeared was a tall, strong figure with fiery-red long hair and two horns growing out of the side of his head. He was an incredibly handsome man wearing blood-red-colored traditional Sakura Ind clothing, with his right shoulder bare, revealing a collection of ck tattoos.

    "I¡¯m in love with you! Be with me and be my woman!!"

    The man grinned widely as his red eyes sparkled with a blood-red glow. Just his physical appearance alone would make him seem rather attractive.

    Natsuya felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

    Her body was instinctively afraid of this person to the point where it was difficult to control her fear.

    Not only that, she was shocked to her core.

    Okubo Yoshiaki actually summoned a spirit to descend upon his own body!?

    That was a forbidden technique for Yin-Yang Masters! Was he suicidal!?

    Not only that, he summoned this particr spirit!

    It was one of the most famous demons of them all: the King of One Hundred Demons, and this spirit was considered as one of the three strongest and evilest demons of them all¡­

    This demon particrly loved to harm virgins, and his favorite things to devour were exquisite wine and¡­ virgin flesh.

    People called this demon¡­ Shutendoji!!

 Chapter 177 - Minamoto no Raiko!

    <h4>Chapter 177: Minamoto no Raiko!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Ayami Himiki dropped the potato chip in her hand.

    "Shutendoji¡­" She was stunned, and her mouth was wide agape.

    The bonding rate was so high¡­ No, no, she should say that this was the first time she¡¯d ever witnessed such a high synchronization ratio. It was especially shocking as it was with the infamous demon Shutendoji!

    Ayami felt like this would turn into a huge incident!

    Synchronizing with the demon spirit Shutendoji was no joking matter! Shutendoji was one of the three strongest and evilest demons!! Topare this to a natural catastrophe, Shutendoji was the equivalent of an earthquake or a typhoon!!!

    Ayami returned to her senses and reflexively thought about giving an official warning to the duelist Okubo Yoshiaki.

    An official warning from the judge meant that there was something that broke the rules or a situation which absolutely required the duel to be paused. The moment she gave such a warning, both sides¡¯ personnel that had been prepared beforehand would immediately stop the duel and protect both duelists.

    Obviously, it was a serious matter to forcibly stop the duel.

    If the judge made an official warning that waster thought of as unreasonable, the judge¡¯s career would basically be ruined, and for the more severe cases, the judge¡¯s life would basically be over.

    Ayami judged that the situation had gone out of control and was about to give an official warning, but she paused right before giving the warning.

    Wait a moment, Shutendoji¡­ doesn''t seem all that terrifying or imposing¡­

    She continued observing the battle closely.

    In her spell that projected the fight, Shutendoji had begun attacking the Yoruhana family''s daughter, who dodged each attack and circled around the field.

    This Shutendoji was quite powerful, but not overwhelmingly so.

    Ayami wasn¡¯t looking down on the Yoruhana family daughter, but the fact that Shutendoji didn¡¯t overwhelm the scion immediately meant that this Shutendoji wasn¡¯t actually all that powerful, or at least not powerful to the extent that it wasn¡¯t allowed.

    If it didn¡¯t break the restrictions, there was no need for an official warning.

    Ayami decided on her new course of action.

    It was a forbidden technique for Yin-Yang Masters to summon spirits upon themselves, but that was only for their own safety. While synchronizing with a spirit to such a degree was also quite dangerous, all of this was still technically allowed by the duel as it wasn¡¯t breaking any rules. As long as the destruction wrought wouldn¡¯t surpass the expectations by too much, there was no reason to stop this duel.

    Ayami lowered her hand and grabbed a new bunch of potato chips.

    "It¡¯s be more interesting now, Tairou¡­ I thought that things would end like that, but I never anticipated this."

    "Woof!" her husky responded with a bark.

    "The Yoshiaki family¡¯s son is really giving it his all. Even if I¡¯m delighted that the duel¡¯s be more interesting, to use such a suicidal method¡­ it¡¯s difficult toment on." Ayami crunched on her potato chips.

    "Woof woof!"

    "I wonder if the Yoshiaki family''s son will still be alive after the duel¡­ Anyway, right now, the Yoruhana family''s daughter needs to get past this danger first."

    What would the final result be? Ayami continued observing the duel curiously.

    As long as the battle wasn¡¯t boring, she didn¡¯t really care what the result was.

    Inside Genhana High School.

    Seiji was highly worried about the deafening sound that rung out from the front of the school building.

    That was where Natsuya and Okubo were currently dueling¡­

    ''What is the situation like?'' he thought.

    It sounded as if one side had brought out something like a crazy Gundam swinging a huge battle hammer recklessly.

    He wanted to hurry up and deal with his opponent so that he could go see what was going on.

    Seiji¡¯s battle with the Zombie Demon was nearing its conclusion.

    His battle had started on top of the school building. As they fought, they jumped down to the ground, and they had been battling behind the school building all the way until now.

    Seiji had sliced off the Zombie Demon''s head at least seventeen or eighteen times already, and he was lightly injured as well, as evidenced by his slightly tatteredbat clothes.

    Seiji-sama, Light-chan said , this monster is no longer able to resurrect. If you take its head one more time¡­

    "It¡¯ll be over, I know."

    The Zombie Demon lunged towards Seiji for the umpteenth time.

    It had zero intelligence whatsoever and was relying purely on its instinct to fight.

    Seiji was only wounded as this was his first ever experience fighting a magical monster, so he made a low-level mistake.

    After he grew ustomed to fighting the demon, he didn¡¯t repeat the same mistake.

    Seiji sidestepped the zombie''s pounce and swung with his kodachi, lopping off the Zombie Demon''s right arm.

    A few seconds prior to this, the Zombie Demon''s arms and even head wouldpletely regenerate after a moment or so, but this time it was different.

    The zombie swiped at Seiji with its left w.

    Seiji blocked the zombie''s hand with his sword, spun around like a whirlwind, and used his momentum to slice again!

    The zombie''s left w went flying.

    That didn¡¯t hinder it in the slightest; it pursued its offense by attempting to headbutt Seiji.

    Seiji avoided the zombie''s clumsy attack yet again and brought his de down upon its head!

    Seiji¡¯s attack missed.

    It wasn¡¯t due to the zombie dodging. Instead, it had copsed!

    The zombie slid a great distance due to its wild charge.

    Seiji merely observed the zombie.

    Despite the loss of its right arm and left hand, it tried to w its way back up again. It attempted to support itself using the stump of its left arm but lost its bnce and fell over once again.

    Seiji sighed and walked over.

    "Farewell."

    The zombie had finally managed to climb up again when Seiji''s de descended upon its neck.

    The zombie''s head went flying, but it disappeared and transformed a puff of ck smoke before reaching the ground.

    The headless corpse slowly copsed to its knees and also transformed into a burst of ck smoke, which gradually dissipated.

    Seiji watched thest strand of smoke disappear before he turned around and left.

    He hurriedly ran around the school building and saw what was happening.

    Natsuya was currently battling a tall, red-haired man with the aid of Hitaka and Rana.

    ''Oh, they must have defeated their respective opponents.''

    ''Er, this man¡¯s appearance¡­'' Seiji was utterly gobsmacked at the sight. ''Isn''t this a fricking Shutendoji!?''

    Look at that red hair and that huge wine gourd! Look at the handsome face that deserved a beating!!

    Seiji coughed dryly. ''Alright, there''s no need to get too excited.''

    Who pulled that SSR card¡­ whoops, this was a transformation from a synchronized spirit, right?

    Who transformed into this? Was it Okubo!?

    "Haruta-kun!"

    While Seiji was still in a state of shock, Natsuya hurriedly dashed in his direction.

    Hitaka and Ranabined their efforts and seeded in drawing Shutendoji¡¯s attention, enabling Natsuya to break free.

    "President¡­"

    Seiji was just about to say something when Natsuya suddenly pulled his arm and dragged him away!

    Because Natsuya was running at such a high speed under the Body-strengthening Spell, Seiji flew through midair for a while as he was dragged like a kite.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by the situation.

    Natsuya didn¡¯t slow down until after dashing quite a distance, when she finally released her kite Seiji.

    "Haruta-kun, how¡¯s your condition?"

    "Pretty good¡ªI was only lightly injured."

    Natsuya inspected his wound.

    "Thanks for your hard work¡­ The current situation is just as you see: Shutendoji has appeared! That¡¯s the result of Okubo summoning a spirit to his own body and transforming into it."

    "I guessed as much¡­"

    "It¡¯s a forbidden technique for Yin-Yang Masters to summon spirits into their own bodies! I never expected him to do such a thing!! Not only that¡­ coincidentally, he summoned Shutendoji!"

    Natsuya looked at Seiji with a strange, indescribable expression on her face.

    Seiji tugged at his mouth.

    It was indeed far too coincidental.

    Was everything actually not a coincidence at all?

    If things were too coincidental, it was only natural to suspect that there was some unknown force behind it all¡­ but what could possibly cause all this? Was there a force that could control it?

    If it were truly a coincidence, just how unlucky was Okubo¡­

    ''Wait, unlucky!?''

    Seiji¡¯s eyes lit up as an exnation popped into his mind.

    ''Yes, there''s one force out there that could influence all this!''

    Even though the way this force acted was subtle and mysterious, it truly did exist, and it would bring "Heaven-sent Cmities" upon anyone that harmed the "Holy Maiden!"

    That was Okubo¡¯s greatest mistake.

    Seiji deeply felt the subtle workings of karma as he pondered everything that Okubo had done.

    "This is no coincidence, President."

    He looked at her, hinting his thoughts with his eyes.

    Natsuya suddenly grasped what Seiji was hinting at, and her expression became one of realization, before turning into stunned amazement.

    "Shika Kagura¡­ if the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ can even influence this matter, then it¡¯s¡­"

    Due to the fact that it could be "mitigated," this mysterious force seemed rather subtle, and even somewhat insignificant.

    But at this moment, Natsuya felt the mystical effects of karma, just as Seiji did.

    "Okubo¡¯s fate was already decided when he harmed Shika-chan," Seiji said, before smiling widely."I am his ¡®Heaven-sent Cmity.¡¯ And now, it¡¯s time for my appearance as the final act. No, more urately, me and you¡­ Light-chan."

    Ahh, that¡¯s right, Seiji- sama ! a spirited voice eximed in Seiji¡¯s mind. I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened, but it¡¯s great that I''ve encountered this vicious demon again! Light-chan continued in a voice filled with battle spirit.

    When I saw this demon, I remembered many things, including my name. Just as Natsuya- sama inferred, my true name is¡­ Minamoto no Raiko!

    Minamoto no Raiko, where the word Raiko contained the character for "Light." He was the legendary hero andmander, renowned as a top-ss demon yer among his fellow samurai, and the most famous legend regarding him was¡ª

    The ying of Shutendoji!!!

 Chapter 178 - Battle!

    <h4>Chapter 178: Battle!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Natsuya had merely felt that Seiji¡¯s newly received heroic spirit had great potential and was worthy of her making a specific n that took its powers into ount.

    Even if it didn¡¯t work out in the end, it would only be a minor waste of effort¡­ at least that was how it should have been.

    However, Shutendoji ended up appearing!

    Natsuya was shocked in many different ways upon witnessing Okubo ingest a mysterious drug and utilize a forbidden technique to transform into this legendary demon spirit.

    Okay, it wasn¡¯t the time for reflecting on that right now.

    "As ording to our back-up n, I¡¯m going to cast a spell to strengthen your synchronized heroic spirit¡¯s strength. Are you ready, Haruta-kun?"

    "Yep, let¡¯s begin immediately, President."

    ¡­

    ¡®Kill them. Kill them! Kill them! Kill them all!!!¡¯ Okubo shouted from deep within his soul.

    When he saw Natsuya escape, the only thing he desired was to use his newfound power which he risked his life for to chase after, abuse, and kill her.

    But this new power wasn¡¯t under his control.

    In fact, he wasn¡¯t even able to control his own body anymore.

    All he could do was watch as the demon spirit dwelling within him "toyed" with Natsuya¡¯s two Spirit-branded Retainers.

    Shutendoji was ying with them.

    He hadn¡¯t had a physical vessel acting as his body for centuries, and there were several beautiful and cute girls before him. He felt it was a waste to eat them up immediately.

    After toying with them for a bit, he¡¯d push them to the brink of despair, before finally capturing them and enjoying himself¡­ that was the way he liked it.

    Unfortunately for him, his new host¡¯s voice was rather noisy.

    *Boom!*

    Thanks to him being distracted by his host, an attack got through, and his eardrums were rocked as his face was caught up in a violent st.

    It was explosion-type magic.

    ¡®That stung a little¡­¡¯

    Shutendoji felt displeased and narrowed his eyes at the cat girl who''d hit him with the explosion-type magic.

    The cat girl turned invisible.

    ¡®Bad girl¡­ trying to hide is useless.¡¯

    Shutendoji waved his hand, causing red mes that seemed almost liquid in nature to appear and cover the entire area!

    *Sizzle!!*

    The mes burned furiously, forcing Rana out of her invisible state.

    Shutendoji waved his hand again, and this time reddish mes materialized into a huge w which swiped down towards the cat girl!

    Rana desperately attempted to evade it, but the w was faster than she was.

    Just as she was about to be seized, a figure appeared, blocking the fast-approaching w.

    It was Hitaka.

    A red shield was slung over her arm, and she focused all her efforts on defending against the giant w, with numerous red spell formations appearing around her body.

    But it was no good.

    With one swipe, the huge w broke through both the shield and the defensive barrier spell and caught the red-haired girl in its grasp!

    Hitaka was now screaming in agony.

    Rana gave a shrill shriek as she spat out a dark red bullet of light from her mouth which crashed into the huge w but only managed to scratch its surface.

    Shutendoji waved his hand that was now clenched into a fist.

    The giant w flicked its fingers at lightning speed, shattering the dark mist surrounding Rana and knocking the cat girl¡¯s petite body away! She flew for several dozen meters before crashing into the ground with a tremendous impact.

    "Rana¡­"

    Hitaka forced herself to bear the pain from the ming w and twisted her head to look at herpanion.

    Hitaka saw the cat girl slowly crawling up from where she fell as she trembled and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    "Escape¡ª!" Hitaka shouted in a strangled voice.

    In just an instant, both of them had been defeated.

    This was the true power of the great demon spirit Shutendoji!

    He was impossible for them to deal with.

    "Find Mdy¡­ tell her that I¡¯m¡­"

    ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    Hitaka shut her eyes.

    Being captured by a demon like this meant that even if she didn¡¯t die, she would end up being tortured or even end up being a hostage.

    Hitaka was the type that absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow herself to be Natsuya¡¯s baggage.

    That¡¯s why, for her final move¡­

    "Inugami, release¡­ Ah!!"

    Hitaka was just about tomit suicide with a self-explosion spell when the huge w squeezed her mercilessly, breaking several bones in her body.

    The pain was like a torrential flood that stole away her consciousness.

    "Don¡¯t be so naughty¡ªI haven¡¯t had enough fun yet~~" Shutendoji chuckled as he dragged the limp red-haired girl behind him.

    ¡®Kill her! Eat her!!¡¯ his noisy host screamed from the deep recesses of his soul.

    ¡®Honestly, humans are so scary. Who¡¯s the real demon here?¡¯ Even Shutendoji couldn¡¯t help but inwardly think that to himself.

    A beautiful girl should be paired with fine wine and be enjoyed deliciously.

    ¡®I¡¯m a gourmet, not some barbaric low-level demon!¡¯

    But this scent was so tantalizing. There was no harm in having a little taste, right?

    Shutendoji licked his lips as he stared at the girl¡¯s face.

    If a person only went off appearances, for a handsome man to do such an action in front of a girl, it would seem like¡­

    ¡®Where should I take a bite out of? Let¡¯s go with her ears. They''ll be sweet and crispy¡ªperfect for an appetizer.¡¯

    Shutendoji slowly edged his face closer and opened his mouth.

    *Schwup!*

    A sharp arrow pierced his head.

    "Eh?" Shutendoji grunted, looking up dazedly.

    When he turned to look in the direction that the arrow came from, another arrow prated the skin on his forehead!

    *Schwup schwup! Schwup schwup schwup!*

    Seven arrows in total¡­ magical arrows.

    All sevennded exactly on Shutendoji¡¯s forehead!!

    "Divine Wine Poison, ignite!"

    The magical arrows suddenly exploded into a burst of green mes that enveloped Shutendoji¡¯s head and quickly spread across his entire body!

    "Ahhh!!! It hurts!!!" Shutendoji screamed in agony. He reflexively tried to extinguish the fire on him by beating at the mes frantically. While upied with the green mes, he suddenly detected a deadly, razor-sharp intent approaching him.

    An azure sword sh sliced through the air, heading straight for his neck!!

    *Woosh!*

    Shutendoji retreated backwards and dodged this attack.

    With a sh of his body, he managed to blink several hundred meters away in just an instant. Immediately after evading the attack, dark red mes billowed from his entire body, extinguishing the azure mes.

    "Who!? Who dares antagonize me, a king!!?"

    Shutendoji roared in anger as he turned his head to re at the new figure.

    Then, Shutendoji¡¯s expression turned to stone at the sight of this figure.

    He had short purple hair and was wearing an azure headscarf with an ordinary light green martial arts outfit. He wielded a sword with two hands, and a longbow was slung over his back.

    Every now and then, the figure''s eyes, set in a smooth, handsome face, shed with azure light.

    As Shutendoji looked upon this person, he felt a surge of boiling anger as well as¡­ a sliver of fear.

    "It¡¯s actually¡­ you! The most underhanded human of all! The most vicious viin in all humanity!! Minamoto no Raiko!!!"

    The great demon¡¯s frenzied roars were capable of piercing the heavens.

    Seiji caught hold of the heavily injured Hitaka as Rana appeared beside him.

    Seiji handed Hitaka to Rana, who made herself invisible while retreating to the rear of thepound as hastily as she could.

    Hitaka was heavily injured, but it was more than likely that Natsuya would be able to save her.

    Seiji decided to trust in the president. After taking care of Hitaka, he looked back towards his opponent.

    Standing there was a ferocious demon who had gone berserk.

    "He seems to have a deep-seated hatred for you, Light-chan."

    Er¡­ that¡¯s because the first time I killed him, it was through an underhanded method, the heroic spirit replied sheepishly. But that was just one time; every time I slew him after that was fair and square¡­ most of the time, at least.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    There were so many parts he wanted toment on, but he didn¡¯t know where to start!

    ¡®Even though I really want to ask more about the specific details, now¡¯s not the time.¡¯ He mentally sighed at his bonded spirit''s former antics. ¡®The most important part is that you can y him, right?¡¯

    Indeed! Half of the reason I became a heroic spirit was to y Shutendoji!

    "What about the other half?"

    In order to protect beautiful girls!

    Seiji chuckled. "You¡­ you¡¯re quite honest."

    Minamoto no Raiko also let out a hoarse chuckle.

    Both the host and spiritughed together.

    As they wereughing, arge wine gourd hurtled towards them.

    The battle had begun!!

 Chapter 179 - Entrust

    <h4>Chapter 179: Entrust</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Once again, a potato chip dropped out of Ayami Himiki''s mouth.

    "A heroic spirit¡­ Minamoto no Raiko¡­" She stared at her magic holographic projection in stunned amazement once again.

    This handsome guy that she felt was an absolute newbie and made her wonder why the Yoruhana family daughter had even recruited him actually had a bonded spirit that was¡­

    Transforming into one of the greatest demon spirits, Shutendoji, was already rare enough. Now there was a heroic spirit as well, and it coincidentally happened to be Minamoto no Raiko!?

    What the hell!? Just what was going on!?

    A legendary duel was about to be fought before her! Not a hallucination or a movie!! The real deal!!!

    Just what was going on with this duel!?

    Ayami was in a state of shock.

    Did the red-side Yoruhana family''s daughter already anticipate Shutendoji¡¯s summoning, which was why she prepared this particr heroic spirit?

    No, no, that was impossible!

    Summoning a heroic spirit was difficult enough already, and summoning a top-ss specific heroic spirit like Minamoto no Raiko was even higher on the difficulty scale!!

    It was impossible for a Yin-Yang Master like Natsuya to aplish, no matter if Ayami looked at Natsuya¡¯s abilities and resources avable or any other factors.

    The heroic spirit¡¯s appearance was most likely a coincidence¡­ but even so, this was all too coincidental!

    Just how much luck was required for a beginner-level Yin-Yang Master like Natsuya Yoruhana to summon a high-level heroic spirit for aplete newbie Spirit-branded Retainer?

    And how much of a coincidence was required for the summoned spirit to be Minamoto no Raiko, Shutendoji¡¯s mortal enemy and perfect counter!?

    This seemed like lower odds than winning the lottery!!o

    Ayami would have preferred to believe that there was something behind it all.

    But what exactly was going on here? It could be understood that the Yoshiaki family son was able to summon Shutendoji due to using a special item like that mysterious crystal that he swallowed. But there was no exnation for how the Yoruhana family daughter could summon Minamoto no Raiko.

    The only way a beginner-level Yin Yang Master could summon a high-ranked spirit would be to expend a massive amount of Manabined with luck. To summon a specific spirit was even more difficult, although it wasn''t impossible.

    But to specifically target a high-ranked heroic spirit¡­ To Ayami¡¯s knowledge, it waspletely impossible for the Yoruhana family''s daughter!

    This was far too much out of herprehension.

    It was impossible! It couldn¡¯t happen!

    But the indisputable truth was right in front of her.

    In her magical hologram, Shutendoji was ferociously swinging around his wine gourd. He was locked inbat with Minamoto no Raiko, who was wielding his longsword. Dark red and azure mes shed with each other furiously; it was a battle that shook the heavens.

    If there wasn''t a barrier currently covering the entire battlefield, all the school¡¯s neighbors would surely have heard themotion.

    Ayami felt like her brain was currently filled with a heavy sludge.

    No matter what this was, her job was to merely observe this legendary duel and keep a record of it.

    But she really wanted to know what was going on behind it all!

    The judge furrowed her brows as she continued to observe the duel, feeling a slight sense of difort from being unable to figure out the situation.

    ¡­

    A huge wall of thick red mes imbued with a ck aura came crashing down towards Seiji!

    "Using another ultimate attack like this again¡­"

    Seiji was unable to dodge this attack, so he chose to concentrate azure light into his sword and bisected the wall of mes with a single swing.

    However, at this moment, a huge wine gourd prated the wall of mes and came smashing down at an incredibly high speed!

    *Smack!!*

    Seiji was dealt a vicious blow by the wine gourd.

    Even though he used clever footwork to deflect most of the blow¡¯s force, he still took enough of the impact to send him flying.

    The red-haired figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

    Seiji instantly adjusted his position and sessfully sliced through the figure, but he sensed that his de didn¡¯t slice through anything physical.

    "Damn¡­" His slice was too hurried.

    Shutendoji¡¯s true attack came from behind, and he was dealt yet another vicious blow!

    Seiji was knocked high into the sky.

    Before he was able to rebnce himself, another strong attack from above hit his back brutally!

    Seiji crashed into the ground like a falling meteor, the collision creating a huge crater.

    The wine gourd smashed down immediately, leaving him no time to catch his breath!

    *Boom!!!*

    A huge hole appeared in the ground together with cracks that spread out from the center like a spiderweb.

    Shutendojinded in front of his wine gourd and smiled delightedly as he observed his wine gourd.

    The next instant, his smile froze over as he turned around to look in the opposite direction.

    A lightly panting purple-haired boy stood there with only a tight-fitting vest covering his torso.

    "A decoy substitution technique¡­ Hmph, you¡¯re quite skilled in cowardly, life-saving techniques." Shutendoji¡¯s voice was filled with condescension.

    Seiji merely responded with a faint smile.

    However, he on the inside, he was anything but calm.

    ''This is bad, Light-chan!'' he shouted in his mind. ''We can¡¯t beat him!! Why are things like this!? This demon has grown extremely strong now¡­ he¡¯s too powerful¡­ What should we do!? We¡¯re going to be defeated at this rate!''

    Haha, this will happen on asion as well¡­

    ''Hey hey! Stop scaring me! You¡¯re supposed to be the Shutendoji yer!! What¡¯s with getting killed off by Shutendoji instead!?''

    ¡­idents happen, you know.

    ''Please,'' Seiji screamed at the top of his lungs, ''no idents at a time like this!!''

    The huge wine gourd smashed down towards him again.

    Haruta-kun¡­

    In the midst of dodging, Seiji received a mental message.

    ''President! Are you alright? What about Shuho-san? How is she!?''

    I¡¯m alright¡­ Hitaka¡¯s¡­ seriously injured¡­ but she¡¯ll manage to live. Natsuya sounded fatigued.

    Her weakness was probably due to overexerting her Mana.

    Subduing the Zombie Demon, battling fiercely against Okubo, casting a support spell to strengthen Seiji¡¯s bonded heroic spirit, and curing the heavily injured Hitaka¡­ All these actions must have used up all her energy.

    ''It¡¯s good then as long as she¡¯s alive.'' That was all Seiji could say.

    Haruta-kun¡­ I can see¡­ your situation¡­ Natsuya continued talking.

    Seiji remained silent without responding.

    It was difficult enough already for him to continuously dodge Shutendoji¡¯s fierce attacks. He couldn¡¯t find any opportunities tounch a counterattack.

    There was too much of a difference in their strengths!

    Even if his heroic spirit countered Shutendoji, he wouldn¡¯t be able to win with this power difference.

    You¡¯ll end up losing¡­ at this rate¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ give the remaining power of the spell formations¡­ to you¡­

    ''No! You¡¯ve already spent so much of your energy! Casting another spell¡­ will definitely have repercussions!!''

    Hastily casting a spell to increase Seiji¡¯s heroic spirit¡¯s strength used up much of Natsuya¡¯s energy.

    Right after she finished the spell, she fell over and kneeled, giving Seiji a big fright. That was when he learned the risks associated with the spell.

    One more such spell would definitely bring harm to the president¡¯s body.

    Yes¡­ but¡­ Hitaka¡­ Rana¡­ and you¡­ you¡¯re all fighting for me¡­ Natsuya had breathing difficulties as she continued her mental message.

    Seiji imagined the president barely managing to rise through sheer willpower.

    Hitaka almost died¡­ Rana¡¯s injuries aren¡¯t light either¡­ you¡¯re still fighting at the risk of your life¡­ How could I¡­ possibly¡­ allow only you guys to¡­

    Her words were filled with a firm resolution.

    That was the resolution to bet her life on Seiji.

    ''President¡­''

    Haruta-kun¡­ the rest¡­ is up to you¡­

    Natsuya¡¯s words ended there.

    Right after that, Seiji saw every single spell formation at school light up with dazzling auras!

    A rainbow-colored pir of light descended upon his body.

    This pir transmitted an enormous amount of energy to him!

    At this instant, Seiji visualized many things.

    The school, the students, and the teachers; boys and girls; peopleughing, chatting, walking, sitting, having ss, and exercising¡­

    Countless scenes, sounds, emotions, and wishes¡­ scattered in front of him.

    There was only one phrase that sounded particrly clear.

    School festival.

    This was the once-a-year major event that all the teachers and students were looking forward to tomorrow!

    "Ahhhhhh!" Seiji began burning up in the literal sense.

    His entire body zed with thick azure mes. He was undergoing a transformation in the mes.

    Seiji-sama! If this continues, you¡¯ll¡­

    ''It¡¯s fine! Isn¡¯t it just some damage to my soul!? I can handle it!''

    Seiji-sama¡­

    ''Light-chan, it¡¯s time to determine the winner! We absolutely must take care of him!!''

    Mmm¡­ Natsuya-sama¡¯s entrusted a task to us, and Seiji-sama¡¯s believes in me. I¡­ definitely won¡¯t disappoint you!!

    The huge wine gourd smashed towards them yet again.

    However, an azure sh cut through the air and sliced the wine gourd into two halves! The earth shook as the two halves fell to the ground.

    The azure mes finally dissipated.

    Seiji¡¯s new appearance was now that of a tall warrior d in mighty, azure-colored armor. An extravagant horned helmet protected his head, and he wielded a silver-colored runic longsword.

    Both his eyes and his de were burning with azure mes that seemed as tranquil as a pond of water.

    Seiji raised his sword and swung.

    *Boom!!*

    Shutendoji''s figure was enveloped with the blinding light of the azure mes!

 Chapter 180 - Deciding the Winner!

    <h4>Chapter 180: Deciding the Winner!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Shutendoji forcefully extinguished the azure mes on him and roared in anger.

    He was greeted with a lightning-quick sword sh.

    Shutendoji was unable to dodge, and his left arm was sliced off. He waved his right hand, unleashing a huge quantity of red mes.

    The azure sword sh pierced through the mes and into his chest!

    "Argh!!!!"

    Shutendoji felt the imminent danger of death.

    He clutched his enemy¡¯s sword de with his right hand and maximized his power output.

    Red mes erupted with the force of a volcanic geyser!

    If someone looked on from above, they would see a beautiful red flower of mes bloom where they were battling.

    Ayami Himiki watched the proceedings with an expressionless face.

    She was already prepared to intervene. This type of power was already barely at the boundary of being dangerous. If it increased any further, she would be forced to stop the duel and issue a warning.

    The red mes gradually dissipated to reveal an armored warrior d entirely in azure mes.

    The otherbatant had now transformed into a red-haired, long-horned, long-fanged, fierce-appearing demon. He was wielding arge blood-red axe in one hand and a blood-red wine gourd in the other.

    The heroic spirit Minamoto no Raiko and the great demon Shutendoji. From ancient times to modern times, they were legendary mortal enemies. They had now been rematerialized.

    They were now about to have their umpteenth deathmatch!

    Shutendoji tossed his wine gourd into the air.

    "Demon wine¡ª[Blood Corrosion]!"

    Many women¡¯s faces appeared around the wine gourd, their faces distorted with pain. They shrieked in unison, giving voice to their bone-piercing grudges and suddenly shot out a blood-red stream of light at Seiji!

    Simultaneously, Shutendoji rushed at Seiji with the imposing axe and prepared to unleash a powerful axe attack.

    Seiji, or Minamoto no Raiko, responded by swinging his longsword in a wide arc and sending out a strong beam of azure light that tangled with the red light.

    Secret sword technique¡ª[Upending the Winess]!

    With a high-speed twirl of the longsword, the azure light mixed with the red light and sent Shutendoji¡¯s attack back at its caster!

    Shutendoji received the bacsh from his own attack right as he was slicing down with his huge battleaxe, which tilted the angle of his attack.

    *Crash!!!*

    The extraordinarily strong axe attack created a huge crevice in the ground.

    However, that was all it aplished.

    In this opening, Seiji jumped and used a whirlwind attack infused with azure mes and shed the demon¡¯s neck! He managed to break through the firstyer of the demon¡¯s defense.

    The look in Shutendoji¡¯s eyes grew even fiercer.

    His muscles bulged as he swung his gigantic axe again.

    The axe viciously struck the heroic spirit that was unable to regain his bnce in time after the attack and sent him flying with a massive impact!

    The azure-armored figure exploded into small pieces in midair. It was the Decoy Substitution technique again.

    Another sword slice came from the side and sliced across Shutendoji¡¯s neck! This attack broke through his secondyer of defense.

    Shutendoji covered his neck with one of hisrge hands. He threw down the huge battle axe and attacked Seiji with his bare fist.

    Seiji didn¡¯t dodge this attack. He used the armor¡¯s defense to absorb the vicious punch, and twisting his body to mitigate the remaining impact, he jumped with both feet, exerting all his power for his counterblow!

    Fatal sword technique¡ª[Poison Wine Toast]!

    Every rune on the silver longsword lit up with dark azure light.

    *Pierce!!!*

    The longsword maneuvered in between Shutendoji¡¯s fingers at the speed of light and broke through his finalyer of defense as well as his tough demon skin. It pierced deep into his throat and released life-threatening energy.

    *Smack!* The huge impact and pain from being pierced through caused Shutendoji to fall over backwards heavily as his huge body crashed into the ground.

    "Execute!" Seiji and Raiko roared in unison, sending forth all their remaining energy.

    A huge geyser-like eruption urred again, only this time the mes were azure.

    The wine gourd that was floating in midair and the demon''s battleaxe was burned into nothing but dust

    Seiji and Raiko pressed all their strength onto the de stuck in their enemy¡¯s neck in an attempt to slice off Shutendoji¡¯s head right then and there!

    Shutendoji¡¯s expression was one of obvious panic and fear.

    He wanted to resist, but his enemy¡¯s power was invading his body, and he was being physically suppressed as well. He couldn¡¯t feel anything apart from incredible pain all over his body, and it was difficult for him to move even a finger!

    He was about to be executed.

    Once again.

    Just like before.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!! I don¡¯t want to die!!!"

    Shutendoji''s and Okubo Yoshiaki¡¯s despair ovepped with each other.

    The great demon sensed his host¡¯s thoughts and learned that there was still one final trick avable to them.

    A soul attack!

    Shutendoji used his host¡¯s soul as the final weapon.

    Okubo could only use this chance to struggle.

    Through Shutendoji, as well as his own eyes, Okubo gathered his remaining power and cast a spell on their enemy!!

    Seiji-sama, be care¡ª

    Minamoto no Raiko¡¯s shouting sounded in Seiji¡¯s mind but was interrupted.

    Then, Seiji sunk into darkness.

    At first, he was confused.

    But he instantly realized what was going on.

    This was in the soul realm¡­

    Just as he figured out the situation he was in, a figure d in a yellow-green wide-sleeved robe appeared in front of him.

    "Seiji Haruta¡­"

    "Okubo Yoshiaki¡­"

    The two of them exchanged nces.

    "You made the wrong decision," Okubo stated in a grim tone of voice.

    "No, you did." Seiji¡¯s tone was rather light.

    "Originally, you didn¡¯t have to die."

    "No, that¡¯s you!"

    "You shall die in the most painful method possible by my hands!" Okubo roared as he lifted his hand. "And then I¡¯m going to find that b*tch! And kill all those girls!! Torture them all to death!!!"

    "You won¡¯t have any chance to do so." Seiji remained calm.

    "Die!" Okubo reached out with his hand, and a pair of huge, white bone ws materialized from the darkness and swiped at Seiji.

    The ws were blocked.

    A hexagonal ovepping barrier appeared in front of Seiji, blocking the huge ws.

    "That pathetic defense is the best your imagination cane up with? Break through it!!"

    Severalrge red bullets of light appeared and collided the hexagonal barrier!

    *Boom boom boom¡­*

    There was zero damage inflicted upon the barrier.

    Okubo¡¯s expression froze over at this.

    Seiji chuckled at this. "Hey, have you heard of ¡®Absolute Territory?¡¯"

    Okubo had a mystified expression now.

    "The imprability of souls! A protective energy shield; a holy area no one can intrude upon! From Evangelion, an anime series that ovepped two different centuries!"

    "In the original story, it was known as the A.T. field, an incredibly middle school-level immature setting where this energy shield could even stand up against nuclear explosions."

    "You¡¯re calling this defense ¡®pathetic?¡¯ Just try and break through!" Seiji extended his palms. "However, I¡¯m not so foolish as to allow you to attack however you like. I may not be at your level in casting spells, but my imagination is at least one hundred times stronger than yours!"

    Right after he finished speaking, weapons of all shapes and assortments materialized behind him. Some weapons were extravagant, some looked in and ordinary, some seemed obviously sharp, while others were filled with killing intent¡­ The numbers continuously increased to the point where it was difficult to count!

    Okubo was astonished at this.

    What¡­ the hell was this!?

    "First, allow me to show you the ¡®Gate of Babylon.¡¯"

    Seiji made what he believed to be the most golden expression he possibly could as he pointed with his finger.

    The countless sharp and mystical weapons were sent flying towards Okubo like a torrential downpour!

    The white bone w was instantly crushed into tiny pieces.

    Okubo hurriedly imagined the strongest barrier he could to defend himself with.

    But those weapons flying at him were far more powerful than he anticipated! His barrier onlysted a few seconds before it was on the verge of copsing!

    Okubo began panicking as he desperately tried to imagine a way to defend himself.

    That¡¯s when he noticed his opponent drawing out a tinum gold sword from midair with a golden hilt and a blueish de.

    A holy sword¡­ just seeing its appearance naturally gave Okubo that impression!

    This sword¡¯s high-ss divine aura was simply that strong!

    Okubo was shocked to his core at the fact that his opponent still had the imaginative power to create such a fearsome weapon right afterunching a brutal all-out attack.

    No, this was impossible! How could a human¡¯s imagination be so epassing to such a degree¡­?

    But the indisputable truth was in front of him.

    Seiji lifted up his Excalibur sword from the Fate/Stay Night series as the sword shed with a blinding golden glow.

    "This is my second attack." Seiji revealed a light smile. "I still have so many more attacks I¡¯d like to try out, so please don¡¯t be defeated too easily."

    Seiji lifted his sword high into the air after he sincerely made that statement.

    He took a deep breath, then sliced with all his strength!

    "Excalibur!!!"

    Seiji¡¯s shout echoed throughout the entire soul realm.

    A golden sh shot from the sword and headed straight for Okubo, illuminating his ashen-pale face¡­

 Chapter 181 - After the Battle

    <h4>Chapter 181: After the Battle</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Seiji-sama!" He heard someone calling for him.

    Seiji returned to his senses.

    What he saw was¡­ a tall hat?

    The longsword in his hands had sliced this hat in half.

    What was going on?

    Shutendoji escaped , Light-chan exined.

    "Oh¡­" Seiji blinked in confusion as he looked back.

    He saw Okubo Yoshiaki copsed on the ground, his robe in tatters. Okubo''s hair had turned white, his expression was hollow, and he was bleeding from all his orifices.

    When you defeated Shutendoji¡¯s host¡¯s soul, I cut off his head, and was about to kill him off for real¡­ but he escaped. The heroic spirit¡¯s voice was filled with depression. I deeply apologize! I actually made such a crucial mistake at the very end!!

    So spirits had the ability to ditch their host and escape on their own?

    Please punish me, Seiji-sama!

    "Forget it¡­ It¡¯s fine as long as we won, Light-chan." Seiji smiled lightly.

    How many ultimate attacks did he end up using against Okubo in the soul realm?

    He stopped counting around the time that he used Moon Fang Heaven Piercer. Maybe there were about twenty or thirty moves that he copied from animes?

    The final move he used was Kamehameha from Dragonball Z in order to defeat Okubo once and for all.

    Seiji felt utterly content at thrashing Okubo in the soul realm.

    Suddenly, his vision began turning blood-red and an indescribable pain began welled up within his body, causing his consciousness to turn hazy.

    Seiji-sama! Light-chan shouted; your soul has been damaged! You need to receive treatment as soon as possible!!

    Damage to his soul?

    ¡®So¡­ it feels¡­ like this.¡¯

    Seiji''s surroundings began to blur, and his body started shaking as if he were drunk. However, this was far more unpleasant than being drunk.

    Seiji-sama!! His bonded heroic spirit¡¯s voice was filled with anxiety and worry.

    "Don¡¯t be so noisy¡­ Light-chan¡­"

    Seiji managed to somehow withstand his difort as he opened up his system¡¯s [items] menu, chose the [Soul Protection Card¡ª¡®Prayer of Safety¡¯] that he had received from Shika before, and used the item!

    He instantly felt a warm feeling flow through his body, and he could even envision Shika Kagura standing by her window with her eyes closed and hands sped in prayer. Right after that, Seiji felt his mind clearing and the pain disappearing from his body.

    Eh? This¡­ what is this power? Light-chan seemed to be stunned at this urrence.

    Seiji had now fully regained his awareness; it almost felt like the difort from earlier was nothing more than a hallucination. However, the remaining warmth in his body told him that he had indeed received some type of protection.

    Seiji¡¯s mouth arced upwards ever so slightly upon thinking of his adopted younger sister.

    After he confirmed his own status, he discovered that his own clothes were also damaged rather heavily. His body was also somewhat fatigued and slightly injured, but it was nothing serious.

    As for Okubo who was lying prostrate on the ground¡­ he was probably dead. Even if this bastard managed to survive by some stroke of luck, he was probably no different from a dead person or a vegetable.

    Seiji was toozy right now to check on Okubo¡¯s condition or deal a final blow.

    The duel was over.

    Natsuya Yoruhana was the victor!

    ''I wonder how the president is currently doing¡­ Who''s going to determine the winner, anyway?''

    Just as Seiji was standing outside the school and thinking about this, Ayami Himiki rose to her feet and sent out a message in the prescribed manner.

    "Duel over! The victor is¡­ Natsuya Yoruhana!"

    The next moment.

    Many shadowy figures emerged from the area surrounding Genhana High School and flew towards the school grounds.

    ¡­

    Several hourster, in a high-ss hospital near the school.

    Seiji was alone in a luxurious single-person hospital room, resting on his bed while looking out the window.

    He was taken here for a full physical checkup and treatment and was given one of the most luxurious rooms.

    Even though it was a hospital room, it didn¡¯t seem like one at all. It was more like a high-ss hotel¡¯s room.

    This ce had a bathroom and shower and was furnished extravagantly with costly items all over the ce. There was a huge LCD screen television, a high-specputer, and even video game systems as well as the newest and most popr mangas!

    And during his checkup and treatment, the doctors and nurses¡¯ attitudes were all extremely polite and warm¡­ to be honest, it was even a little overboard.

    Seiji had never met such kindly and affable doctors before, nor had he ever met such gentle yet sexy nurses that gave off the impression that they would give him "special services" if he even hinted at it.

    After he received his hospital room, a female nurse had stayed in the room with him and kept smiling even after she closed the door for him, gazing at him with a slightly flirtatious look in her eyes.

    Seiji found it difficult to withstand, so he could only politely inform her that he didn¡¯t need anyone to take care of him and that he wanted to be by himself for a while.

    The beautiful nurse seemed disappointed at this, but she left after saying, "If there¡¯s anything at all, please press the call button and I¡¯lle here immediately."

    Seiji heaved a sigh of relief. He felt that he was no longer ordinary due to the special treatment he was receiving.

    Now that the duel was over, he finally had the spare time to ponder various things about Yin-Yang Masters, Spirit-branded Retainers, duels¡­ and so on.

    After his thoughts came much-needed peace and quiet.

    Seiji wanted to have a chat with Light-chan¡­ but that guy told Seiji how tired he was after the battle and that he needed to rest for a while. There was no peep out of him after that.

    Did spirits also need to rest?

    Well, this time he had indeed worked hard. Seiji felt that most of the credit for defeating Shutendoji deserved to go to his bonded heroic spirit; Seiji, as the host, merely provided a vessel for Light-chan to dwell in.

    ¡®Let¡¯s take a look at the system.¡¯

    Seiji inspected his system¡¯s new rewards.

    [You have in your first undead creature with a sword-type weapon. You have received 11 points as a reward. Spiritual Power¡ªmartial arts option activated with the new addition of a martial arts technique¡ªDemon-ying: First Form!]

    [You have defeated your first enemy in a soul battle. You have received 23 points as a reward. New spell received¡ªBeginner-level Soul Attack!]

    [You have defeated your first highly synchronized transformed monster. You have received 33 points as a reward. New spell received¡ªDragon Counterattack.]

    ''So I''vepleted three achievements¡­ Fine, I''ll continue reading them more detail.''

    Seiji looked at his new option [Spiritual Power¡ªMartial Arts] and discovered that only the [Demon-ying: First Form] ability was within it.

    In order to learn [Demon-ying: First Form], he first needed to acquire more knowledge about undead creatures. He also needed to receive tutge from a person with knowledge about the undead in order to learn how to hit, injure, destroy, and seal the undead effectively.

    He also required 4 points to exchange for it.

    That¡¯s right¡ª4 points, not 14 or 24, a mere 4 points.

    ¡®This is too cheap!¡¯ Seiji felt like there was some sort of plot behind it, or that this skill was a rather weak one.

    The system¡¯s exnation for this skill was [A slicing skill that will suppress the undead. Can only be used with a sword-type weapon. The first technique in the Demon-ying technique series.]

    It was only the first technique, meaning that there was a second, third, and even fourth? What a ripoff! And as the opening attack in a technique series, it surely wouldn¡¯t have a high attack power.

    ''Yep, this is definitely a plot.'' Seiji felt as if he had seen through everything. ''Let¡¯s just leave it for now; it isn¡¯t necessary to learn such a skill immediately.''

    Next, he took a look at the [Beginner-level Soul Attack.]

    The prerequisite conditions were roughly the same as [Demon-ying: First Form]. He needed to read the relevant information, learn about the intricacies of the soul from a teacher, and gain experience in attacking and defending in the soul realm, as well as paying 32 points.

    [Through direct contact, close-distance roaring, or staring into a living creature¡¯s eyes, you can activate this ability to cause a stunning, dizzying, or headache effect.]

    A stun ability! That was Seiji¡¯s first reaction.

    After thinking it over, he felt that this ssic ability was actually quite useful.

    Obviously, it was good forbat. As for daily life, it seemed useful for dealing with someone in a situation where getting physical would be inconvenient.

    Just imagine: he could deal with a hoodlum simply by staring at him! How cool was that?

    Or, against a crowd of hoodlums, just one roar would knock all of them over¡­ This was basically just like Haoshoku Haki!

    ¡®Yep, this seems pretty good. I''ll learn it when I have time.¡¯ Seiji smiled in appreciation.

    The final new skill was [Dragon Counterattack].

    Seiji¡¯s eyes became hollow as he read the skill¡¯s effects.

    "This¡­ this is¡­"

    A quote from a well-known game in his past life sounded in his mind¡ª

    Taste the dragon¡¯s de!

 Chapter 182 - Joyful

    <h4>Chapter 182: Joyful</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Taste the dragon¡¯s de!" was what Genji from Overwatch would always shout when he used his ultimate ability.

    This [Dragon Counterattack] skill made Seiji recall that game skill.

    [This skill can absorb strong Mana attacks and transform the energy into dragon form to deal a counterattack.] That was the exnation from Seiji¡¯s system.

    During the battle where Seiji transformed and fought against Shutendoji, Seiji had used Light-chan¡¯s power to use a simr techniquethe secret sword technique "Upending the Winess."

    That technique had absorbed the enemy¡¯s wine gourd¡¯s blood-red light and reflected it back at Shutendoji¡­ the only difference was that the energy didn¡¯t transform into a dragon¡¯s form.

    [Dragon Counterattack] seemed like a stronger and more pretentious and magical version of [Upending the Winess].

    ''Giving such a reward, system, you¡¯re really¡­''

    But the part that Seiji wanted toment on the most was the prerequisite conditions for learning it.

    [Learn three mana-based attack spells or martial arts techniques - 0%.]

    [Learn three mana-based defensive spells or martial arts techniques - 0%.]

    [??? (Will be revealed afterpleting the first two prerequisite conditions.)]

    Just the first two prerequisites alone required him to learn a total of six spells and/or martial arts techniques!

    And the third condition wouldn¡¯t even be revealed until he finished the first two requirements!

    It was truly an ultimate skill.

    Seiji admitted to himself that [Dragon Counterattack] would probably appear rather shy, and it was both practical and pretentious at the same time. However, even the revealed prerequisites were so difficult to fulfill that he could only look at it in longing.

    This wasn¡¯t something that a newbie could learn.

    ''I''ll have to wait untilter to exchange for it.''

    In the end, apart from the huge reward of 67 points, the [Beginner-level Soul Attack] was the most useful gain.

    Seiji closed his system.

    He wasn¡¯t sleepy right now¡­ he got out of bed since he didn¡¯t want to rest anymore.

    Just as he was wondering what he should do to alleviate his boredom, the doorbell to his hospital room rang.

    "Haruta-kun, it¡¯s me."

    "President!?"

    Seiji was astonished by the unexpected visitor as he invited her in.

    Natsuya smiled lightly as she entered, despite the fact that she was in a hospital gown and obviously fatigued. "I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re alright, Haruta-kun," she greeted sincerely.

    "I¡¯m the same way as well, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re alright." Seiji also smiled in return. "I was so worried¡­ I didn¡¯t know how you, Shuho-san, and Kirin-san were doing. I could only ask the hospital staff members to let me know as quickly as possible."

    Seiji looked searchingly at the president¡¯s expression. Since she was still able to smile, both the other girls were probably fine.

    "I know¡­ I heard right after I woke up that you wanted to see me as quickly as possible¡­"

    Natsuya began to blush slightly when faced with Seiji¡¯s stare, so she averted her gaze.

    Seiji was rendered speechless at this.

    He felt a subtle feeling that something was abnormal.

    ''Is it just a mistaken impression? Did a doctor or nurse misconstrue the meaning of my message when they told Natsuya? Forget it, it doesn''t matter.''

    "Yep, I was really worried since you copsed after the duel¡­ How are you feeling now? You seem rather fatigued. If you aren¡¯t supposed to get out of bed, then don¡¯t get out of bed. Just tell me, and I¡¯ll go visit you," Seiji said gently.

    "Yeah¡­" Natsuya¡¯s face became redder than before.

    She felt a warm and itchy feeling as she listened to his gentle words that showed his care for her.

    This was a foreign feeling for her.

    Still, it felt nice.

    A period of silence fell between them.

    ¡®Why isn¡¯t she saying anything?¡¯ Seiji was slightly confused.

    "Er¡­ How are Shuho-san and Kirin-san?" He began the conversation again.

    "Hitaka was heavily injured, but she was fortunate enough to receive treatment in time. After special treatment, she¡¯s no longer in any danger. It will take a long while for her to fully heal, but she¡¯ll be able to recover fully without any negative aftereffects," Natsuya answered in a light voice.

    "That¡¯s good, then." Seiji finally felt the greatest load on his mind being taken from him.

    The red-haired girl had suffered greatly due to Shutendoji. Seiji had almost wanted to load upon witnessing that scene, but he resolved to continue.

    Even if he could get a better situation after loading, it would wipe away everyone¡¯s hard efforts so far.

    Hitaka¡¯s fierce battling and her injuries¡­ those weren¡¯t to be ignored lightly.

    At any rate, Hitaka Shuho had survived and would eventually make a full recovery. That was enough.

    "Rana¡¯s injuries are much lighter inparison. She¡¯s already fine right now after some basic treatment. They¡¯re both resting in their hospital rooms¡­ would you like to go visit them?"

    "Can I?" Seiji blinked his eyes in surprise.

    "You can, but I just went to visit them myself. I think it might be better to let them rest quietly for now," Natsuya answered softly.

    "Then I¡¯ll go visit themter."

    "Yeah¡­"

    Another period of silence fell between them.

    "It¡¯s the school festival today, Haruta-kun." The president looked out the window as she spoke up again.

    "Yeah, the school festival¡­" Seiji also looked out the window.

    Both of them envisioned the school as if they could see through the dark night.

    "Will the school return to its original state before the students arrive next morning?"

    "It should."

    "It can still return to its original state so quickly after being destroyed to such an extent. Amazing." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "Yeah¡­" Natsuya secretly snuck a look at Seiji. "Haruta-kun, what¡­ do you think?"

    "Hmm?"

    "About this duel¡­ the Yin-Yang Master duel."

    The atmosphere suddenly became heavier.

    Seiji fell silent for several moments.

    "Battles, serious injuries, and even deaths¡­ cruel fights like these will ur every day," Natsuya stated calmly. "After personally witnessing and experiencing such things¡­ what¡¯s your current opinion? Do you still want to know more about the mystical realm?"

    This was a direct question about his innermost feelings.

    "Duels¡­ honestly, they aren¡¯t exactly joyous things. That¡¯s because it¡¯s basically a fight in the end, and there¡¯s always going to be fighting, no matter what the method is."

    "Apart from the fighting, the scenes I witnessed¡­" An indescribable light shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he spoke his next words: "I feel that the mystical realm is amazing."

    Natsuya''s eyes widened slightly in surprise. She didn¡¯t expect to hear such an answer.

    "It feels amazing to be stronger like this! Casting spells and battling to my utmost capability is so fun! Not to mention it¡¯s also nice to fight together with myrades¡­" Seiji said sincerely from the bottom of his heart.

    Injuries, and even death, could be received in battle. This was indeed unpleasant, even scary.

    But the process of battling in and of itself was a joyful one!

    Just look at all the entertainment avable in the world. Products about or containing battles were by far in the majority.

    Humanity sought battle and sought to gain strength!

    This passion was inherent in humanity¡¯s genes.

    "I want to be stronger, as well as witness and experience even more powerful battles," Seiji exined honestly. "That¡¯s my subjective wish. As for important objective reasons, it¡¯s because of Shika Kagura¡­ my family¡­ and so on.

    "That¡¯s why I¡¯ll continue down this path."

    ¡®I definitely won¡¯t retreat. I¡¯ll resolutely walk the path I¡¯ve chosen.¡¯

    Natsuya detected such a will emanating from his eyes.

    At this moment, it seemed like his entire person was shining brilliantly.

    Natsuya¡¯s heartbeat quickened once again.

    There was something fluttering in her chest.

    Her lips felt dry.

    She felt a little dazed as she stared at his face.

 Chapter 183 - Welcome Back

    <h4>Chapter 183: Wee Back</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "President?"

    Seiji saw the dazed and blushing Natsuya and became worried about her.

    "What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re really red¡ªdo you have a fever?"

    If her body was weak, then she should be resting in bed.

    He walked closer to her and put his hand on her forehead to test her temperature.

    "Yep, you¡¯re really heating up, you should¡­"

    *Whoosh.*

    The girl with long, sleek ck hair andrge breasts suddenly hugged him!

    It was gentle, warm, fragrant, and tworge lumps of softness were pressing against his chest!!

    Seiji fell into a state of shock.

    What was with this situation?

    Did the president¡­ faint!?

    He hurriedly took hold of Natsuya.

    Wow, this feeling, this softness. This is¡­

    ''Stop! Now isn¡¯t the time to be distracted by idle thoughts!!''

    "President? Are you feeling alright?"

    There was no response.

    Seiji felt that the situation wasn¡¯t good, so he immediately bent over, ced his hands at the appropriate locations, and exerted his strength¡­ for a princess carry!

    "Haruta¡­ kun¡­" Natsuya protested feebly.

    Natsuya¡¯s face was flushed red, and her eyes were watery. Her current expression was one of "difort."

    It seemed that she was still conscious.

    "Where¡¯s your hospital room? I¡¯ll take you back there for a rest¡­ no, I should call for a doctor first¡­ Er, let me take you back to your room first. After that I¡¯ll call someone for you!" Seiji was lost on what to do.

    There was no helping it; the president¡¯s current appearance was too much of a distraction for Seiji.

    Her typical coolness and strictness hadpletely disappeared and had been reced by innocence and weakness!

    This contrastbined her beautiful figure as shey meekly in his arms¡­ He felt like he was almost about to have a reaction from his lower half!!

    "Where¡¯s your hospital room, President!?"

    The president looked at his face and didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she broke out into giggles.

    Why the heck was she giggling!?

    ¡®Did I do something strange?¡¯ Seiji was utterly confused.

    That¡¯s when he finally realized.

    ¡®Oh, so she wasughing because of¡­ how foolish I am!¡¯

    "It¡¯s not necessary to take you back to your room. This ce will be fine." He took several big strides towards the hospital bed.

    "Eh?" Natsuya was surprised at hearing this.

    A somewhat confused Natsuya was ced onto the bed by Seiji.

    At this moment, various scenes shed into her mind, and she panicked as her face reddened even more than before.

    But reality differed from her imagination.

    After Seiji ced Natsuya on the bed and covered her with a nket, he pressed a button.

    The female nurse arrived rather quickly.

    "Thisdy¡¯s not feeling too well. Call for a doctor to see her quickly."

    The nurse nodded and left the room.

    Seiji turned around and smiled at Natsuya.

    ¡®This is the right method, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ He expressed with his smile.

    But in Natsuya¡¯s eyes, she felt somethingpletely different.

    Being hugged by him, lying in the hospital bed that still had his faint scent, and seeing his warm and gentle smile¡­ the president felt rather embarrassed.

    She tugged on her nket and covered half of her face to hide her embarrassment, but this caused her to smell his scent even stronger than earlier.

    ¡®Ahh¡­ so embarrassing.¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t help but sneak another peek at Seiji, only to see that he was still gently looking in her direction.

    She would never be able to calm down if he kept watching her like this!

    The fluttery feeling in her chest wouldn¡¯t stop, her face heated up, and her body temperature rose rapidly¡­

    She waspletely unable to deny or ignore it anymore.

    ¡®I¡­ for Haruta-kun¡­¡¯

    Suddenly someone opened the door and entered with hurried footsteps.

    It was a female doctor.

    ''¡­Forget it.''

    Natsuya decided to temporarily stop this line of thought as she was interrupted.

    ¡­

    Seiji left the hospital.

    His injuries were light to begin with, and he didn¡¯t need to stay in the hospital, nor did he want to stay in the hospital.

    After his conversation with the president, he left the hospital.

    The sky outside happened to be light currently.

    With the sunlight of a fresh dawn greeting him, he walked out the hospital door and saw a ck luxury care to a halt in front of him.

    Seiji entered the car, which took him back to Natsuya¡¯s residence at Genhana High School.

    Mai greeted him there.

    "I¡¯m delighted to see that you¡¯re well, Junior," the maid said in a gentle tone.

    "Thanks for worrying about me, Senpai."

    "I only know that Mdy was victorious¡­ How are they all doing?"

    Seiji took a look at Mai¡¯s tightly clenched hands.

    "They¡¯re all going to be fine," he said gently. "The president, Shuho-san, and Kirin-san are all fine and in no danger."

    Mai heaved an obvious sigh of relief upon hearing this.

    An indescribable light shed through her eyes. "That¡¯s great¡­"

    "Shuho-san¡­ and Kirin-san were both injured, and the president is rather fatigued, but they¡¯ll get better and recoverpletely. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t need to worry so much, Senpai," Seiji reassured the maid while smiling.

    "Okay¡­" Mai also smiled in response. "Thank you, Junior¡­ I¡¯m so grateful to you for assisting Mdy¡­"

    She revealed an incredibly soft and moving beautiful smile.

    "No need to be so formal, Senpai."

    Seiji continued to smile as he walked inside after saying that sentence.

    The moment he opened the door, someone flew straight towards him.

    Shika Kagura embraced him tightly.

    "Brother¡­ I¡¯m so d¡­"

    The girl''s voice was choked up with tears as she greeted him. Her body was also trembling.

    Seiji hugged her tightly to himself as well.

    "I¡¯m back, Shika-chan."

    ¡®Thanks to your protection, I was able to safely return.¡¯

    "Wee back¡­"

    Shika finally began smiling while still crying.

    She had always been so worried and concerned about him. Now that he was so close to her, she thought that perhaps a cmity would¡­

    But it didn¡¯t happen.

    He returned safely!

    He returned in perfect condition and wasn¡¯t harmed by her ability.

    Just like he promised.

    ¡®Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful¡­¡¯ Shika kept repeating that word in her mind as she felt a heavy burden being taken off her along with endless amounts of relief and delight.

    The two of them simply embraced each other without a word for a long while.

    Finally, they let go of each other.

    "Everything is over," Seiji said in a soft voice, gently wiping away Shika-chan¡¯s tears. "The president said that you¡¯re free to go wherever you like."

    Shika fell silent upon hearing this.

    While she did have a residence to live in, that wasn¡¯t where she wanted to go. Compared to that lonely ce, this house¡­ the few days she spent here had been much more joyous.

    Because of the person before her.

    She didn¡¯t want to leave this ce¡­ no, she didn¡¯t want to leave him.

    Seiji noticed her silence and blinked as he contemted.

    "Shika-chan, you have a ce to live in, right?"

    Shika nodded.

    "Can you still live there? Er, what I mean is, does that ce have anything to do with Okubo?

    "Oh, right, about Okubo, what exactly was your contract with him? I heard from the president that for temporary contracts, even if you don¡¯t do anything, they¡¯ll automatically expire and don¡¯t require the original contractor to cancel the contract. Is yours like that?" Seiji asked to confirm Natsuya''s information.

    Shika nodded again.

    "That¡¯s great, then. As for your residence¡­"

    Shika gave him an exnation.

    She had rented two apartments. One was a single-bedroom apartment near Genhana Middle School, which was used as a temporary residence. The other one, her permanent residence, was arger apartment at a farther location.

    Seiji mulled things over.

    "Do you have any attachments to your permanent residence?"

    Shika shook her head.

    "Then move closer! Move to that temporary apartment¡­ no, since it was the ce you lived in while working for Okubo, you don''t have to live there anymore. Why don¡¯t you juste and live with me!"

    Shika widened her eyes in surprise at this unexpected offer.

    Live together!?

    "Er, not live together¡­ You can live in the same apartment as me! There are still many empty rooms there, and thendlord¡¯s really nice. Although the apartment¡¯s not exactly high-ss, all the basic amenities are present," Seiji exined. "The rent¡¯s quite cheap as well; you¡¯ll definitely be able to afford it. The rooms are a little small¡­ if you have too many things, you can rent arger one, as I suspect some of those are empty! If it¡¯s too difficult financially for you to rent arge apartment, then¡­ rent one together with me!"

    ¡®Eh, isn¡¯t this still living together in the end?¡¯ Seiji only discovered the truth of what he spoke after he already said it out loud.

    "Teehee."

    Shika began chuckling.

    "Brother Seiji¡­" She did her best to stop herself, but couldn¡¯t help but let her tears drip down again. "I want to move in¡­ I don¡¯t have many things¡­ but¡­ I want to rent a big apartment¡­ and live together¡­ with Brother¡­"

    Like a family.

    She wanted to live in the same ce as him like they were real rtives!

    "Is this¡­ really okay?"

    Was it alright for her to be so selfish? Could she really have such good fortune?

    "Shika-chan¡­" Seiji was both moved and relieved at hearing her answer. "Yep, of course!"

    ''I''ll just do it.''

    Even though various problems could crop upter down the road, this wish¡­ This pure-hearted wish of hers had to be satisfied at all costs!

    Seiji hugged Shika once again.

    Shika felt a warmth in both her body and heart while tears still trickled down her cheeks.

    This was the moment that a new family was born.

 Chapter 184 - Good Morning

    <h4>Chapter 184: Good Morning</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji had a good discussion with Shika after she finally calmed down.

    There were some personal belongings Shika needed to retrieve from her temporary apartment, and she also needed to cancel her rental contract there. After that, she would also gather some of her belongings from her permanent apartment before moving in.

    Seiji wanted to help her move, but she refused politely.

    "My belongings¡­ there¡¯s actually very few that I need to keep. Just myself will be enough for moving."

    This sentence gave Seiji a subtle heartache.

    But since she had already spoken, it was difficult for him to insist.

    Shika needed to say farewell to her past life. If he was by her side at that time¡­ it wasn¡¯t impossible, but it seemed that she wanted to do so by herself.

    She needed to say farewell to istion and walk towards the future. This was her ceremony.

    "Alright. I¡¯ll bring you to your apartment and talk to thendlord about renting arge apartment," Seiji told her. "I''ll be waiting for you."

    Shika revealed a beautiful, sweet smile from the bottom of her heart.

    "Okay!"

    After making their decision, they notified Mai and made preparations to leave Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    When Shika was captured and brought here, all she had were her Spirit-branded Retainerbat clothes.

    Now that she was leaving, she also wanted to take her sketchbook as well as the notebook containing her story ideas.

    Seiji merely packed up his clothes and other limited luggage.

    They found the maid Mai after finishing their preparations.

    "Houjou-san, thank you so much for taking care of me." Shika bowed politely in thanks. "I¡¯m going to leave now, and I¡¯d like to take these two booklets with me¡­ is that okay? And as for the clothes I¡¯m borrowing¡­ I¡¯ll wash them properly and return themter."

    "No need to be so polite, Kagura-san." Mai smiled gently. "Of course you may take the booklets with you. There''s no need to return those clothes; just treat them as a gift."

    "Thank you¡­"

    "No need. Do allow me to be a gossip and inquire, though: what are your ns after this?" Mai asked as she looked towards the younger girl.

    Seiji inwardly thought to himself that this situation had made an rming turn.

    "I¡­ intend to live together with Brother Seiji," Shika answered in a soft voice, her face flushed as she looked at the boy beside her.

    Mai was rendered speechless at this answer.

    Suddenly, Seiji sensed a terrifying aura emanating from the maid!

    He''d anticipated that things would develop in this fashion and could only smile wryly.

    "Junior¡­" While Mai¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change, her entire aura had transformedpletely. The terrifying Mai slowly turned to look in Seiji¡¯s direction. "Could you please give me an exnation of what this is about?"

    Just what would happen to him if he refused?

    Well, Seiji wasn¡¯t so suicidal as to refuse the "Smiling Executioner."

    That¡¯s why he informed her about the situation as truthfully as possible.

    Mai¡¯s terrifying aura gradually disappeared.

    "Living together from now on will probably cause you various problems¡­ If there¡¯s anything I can help with at all, please contact me."

    She took out her cell phone as she spoke.

    "No, that¡¯s too much trouble for Senpai¡­" Seiji wanted to refuse politely.

    "Tell me the address. If I have free time, I¡¯ll go visit in the future." The former student council president was now pressuring Seiji with an authoritative aura. "That¡¯s fine, right, Junior?"

    Seiji sighed. "Of course¡­"

    Mai nodded in satisfaction as she exchanged phone numbers with him and wrote down the Uehara apartment¡¯s address.

    "Kagura-san, after you move in, please live healthily and well, and remember to take care to protect yourself, and watch this idiot¡¯s¡­ whoops, this junior¡¯s actions and behaviors. You definitely need to correct any delinquent behavior and strictly forbid him from taking all sorts of random girls home." Mai turned to Shika and lectured her in a serious tone of voice.

    This time Seiji was the one who was rendered speechless.

    ¡®Correct what delinquent behavior? And what does she mean by "all sorts of random girls!?"¡¯

    "I know¡­ I¡¯ll do my very best," a nodding Shika answered solemnly.

    ¡®Shika-chan even promised!? Just what did she understand? What exactly is going on!?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s right cheek began to twitch. ¡®My adopted younger sister and the mysterious maid are having an inexplicable conversation.¡¯

    "Write my cell phone number in your notebook. Store it in your cell pher, and contact me if there¡¯s anything at all."

    "Okay¡­"

    It was a happy thing that someone cared about Shika-chan, but why did things feel slightlyplex?

    Seiji decided to stop thinking too much into it as Shika carefully wrote down Mai Houjou¡¯s cell phone number.

    ''Yep, it''s fine as long as Shika-chan is happy.''

    "Houjou-san, I¡¯m also very grateful that you¡¯ve taken such good care of me. I¡¯ve given you so much trouble during this time."

    "Indeed, you¡¯ve given me a lot of trouble, Haruta-san." The maid smiled. "But I was quite happy~" Her smile turned incredibly brilliant. "Please take good care of yourselves, you two. As a maid, I wee both of you back here at any time."

    Seiji and Shika exchanged nces, before they both shed smiles in Mai¡¯s direction.

    "Thank you, and see youter!"

    The two of them began walking towards Shika¡¯s temporary apartment after they left the president¡¯s residence.

    After Shika retrieved her belongings from her apartment, the two of them went to a nearby restaurant for breakfast before going to the bus station.

    At the bus station.

    "Brother¡­ you only need to take me here."

    "You really don¡¯t need me to apany you?"

    Shika smiled as she shook her head. "It¡¯s the school festival today. Brother Seiji¡­ you probably have a date."

    "Er¡­" Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    That was true, and he also needed to help with his ss¡¯s program.

    After taking a break for so many days, and skipping out on all the preparation work, he¡¯d feel really bad if he didn¡¯t at least help out a little.

    "Go ahead and have your date, Brother¡­ I¡¯ll go organize my things and see youter this evening."

    "Okay¡­ I¡¯ll let thendlord know."

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "I¡¯m¡­ going." Shika slowly turned around.

    Seiji watched her go.

    After Shika took a few steps, she gradually slowed and then stopped as she turned around again.

    She saw the handsome boy still standing there and smiling at her.

    This wasn¡¯t a hallucination.

    Nor was it a dream.

    It wasn¡¯t her delusion.

    He was really standing there!

    Seiji was smiling as gently as he could at Shika.

    ¡®She¡¯s probably feeling anxious, but she¡¯s facing her fears, and she can definitely ovee them. All I have to do is believe in her and wait.¡¯

    Just as she once believed in and waited for him.

    The two of them exchanged a long look.

    Shika finally turned around again and started walking off.

    Her figure no longer seemed as anxious as earlier.

    That was because he was waiting for her.

    ¡­

    Mika heard someone walking down the stairs as she walked out of her home.

    It was Kaede Juumonji.

    Mika sighed in disappointment.

    The blonde-haired beauty smiled faintly at the twin pigtailed girl¡¯s obvious disappointment.

    During these days that Seigo Harano had been absent, they had been going to school together.

    Although they didn¡¯t talk too much, they weren¡¯t as distant from each other as before.

    "It¡¯s regrettable how he still hasn¡¯t returned even though today¡¯s the school festival."

    "Yeah¡­"

    "I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a tradition to confess to the person you like during Genhana High School¡¯s festival¡­ Uehara-san, do you intend to confess to Harano-kun?"

    "I¡­ of course not."

    ¡®What does it have to do with you!¡¯ Mika thought to herself as she averted her gaze.

    "So you don¡¯t intend on confessing¡­ I don¡¯t know what you think, but I feel that there will be many girls confessing to Harano-kun during the school festival, and perhaps there will be a girl that he likes among them¡­"

    Kaede¡¯sment further inmed Mika¡¯s anxiety.

    "Thinking about it like this, the fact that Harano-kun¡¯s hasn¡¯t beening back¡­ whoops, has been absenttely is actually a good thing¡­ but it¡¯s a bit narrow-minded of me," Kaede said, smiling smugly. "I still hope that Harano-kun cane back, go to school as he should, and enjoy the school festival¡­ Don''t you agree, Uehara-san?"

    "Hmph¡­" Mika snorted and made no reply.

    Just how did she feel anyway? She didn¡¯t know either.

    But the only thing she did know was that she wanted to see him again.

    ¡®Seiji¡­¡¯

    She suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

    It took two seconds for Mika to finally react and look towards the sound¡¯s source, and what she saw was¡­

    "Hey, good morning!"

    A tall and handsome boy walking towards her while shing a smile that was as brilliant as the sun.

 Chapter 185 - Living Together

    <h4>Chapter 185: Living Together</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Sei¡­ Seigo¡­"

    "I¡¯m back, Mika."

    "¡­Wee back."

    Mika felt a warm feeling in her heart when she saw the boy in front of her, but she could only greet him simply.

    "Good morning to you as well, Juumonji-sensei."

    "Good morning. Wee back, Harano-kun." Kaede¡¯s eyes shed with an indescribable light as she smiled.

    "You guys must be on your way to school." Seiji blinked as he said his next sentence: "Go ahead without me; there''s no need to wait. After I change into my school uniform, I have something to discuss with Miss Landlord."

    "Discuss¡­ What are you going to talk about with my mom?" Mika was curious.

    "Well¡­ you¡¯ll find out."

    Seiji averted his gaze unnaturally as he began leaving.

    "See you at school."

    He waved towards them with his back turned as he walked upstairs towards his apartment.

    Mika and Kaede were rendered speechless.

    They felt rather disappointed inside.

    They were hoping to see him for so long, but when they finally saw him again, that was the attitude he had¡­ Hmph!

    The double-pigtailed girl began pouting slightly.

    Although this type of behavior¡­ was actually normal for him. But¡­ at the very least, the idiot should talk a little more and act as if he had missed her!

    Since he said not to wait, there was no need to wait.

    Mika began walking off while bearing a small grudge in her chest.

    But she stopped before taking a few steps and looked back.

    She saw Kaede standing there quietly without moving.

    "Juumonji-sensei¡­"

    "Uehara-san, go ahead and leave first." Kaede smiled faintly. "I suddenly feel like the scenery here is quite beautiful, and I want to appreciate it for a little longer."

    ''Scenery¡­ what the hell!?''

    Mika inwardly thought to herself that this was obviously just an excuse.

    Just how was a simple apartment and a normal street considered "beautiful?" That was impossible!

    It was quite obvious what Kaede intended.

    After Mika figured this out, she was no longer able to leave. She could only just stand there and wait in silence as well.

    Seiji returned to his small apartment, put down his luggage, and changed into his school clothes, before leaving his apartment.

    To his surprise, he saw that Mika and Kaede were still there.

    "Why haven¡¯t you guys left yet?"

    "I¡¯m admiring the scenery." Kaede ced her hand over her mouth as she chuckled. "As for Uehara-san, I don¡¯t know."

    "I¡­ I¡¯m just admiring the scenery as well!" countered a haughty voice.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    Okay, he would have to hurry up and finish the uing discussion with thendlord. While he was happy that both of them were so willing to wait for him, he also felt rather helpless about it.

    Seiji knocked on the Uehara family¡¯s door.

    Thendlord Nozomi Uehara answered and opened the door.

    "Haru¡­ Harano-kun, you¡¯re back."

    "Yep, I just returned¡­ Miss Landlord, I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you."

    "What is it?" Nozomi tilted her head slightly in puzzlement.

    She noticed that the blonde-haired beautiful tenant and her daughter were both waiting for the boy before her.

    "It¡¯s¡­"

    Seiji wanted to tell her in a whisper at first, but he paused before smiling wryly.

    ''Forget it¡ªthere''s no meaning in hiding it, so I might as well say it straight out.''

    "I¡¯d like to move¡­ to one of therger apartments!" he said in a loud voice.

    "Eh?" Mika gave an exmation of astonishment.

    Kaede merely widened her eyes slightly.

    "Oh my¡­" Nozomi blinked in surprise.

    "You have some emptyrger apartments, right, Miss Landlord?"

    "Yes. But Harano-kun, why¡­"

    "Because I¡¯m going to cohabit together with someone¡­ no no, I meant live together!"

    "Cohabit!?" three astonished voices eximed in unison.

    "Live together! Not cohabitation! I just said it wrong!!"

    For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost. Seiji almost wanted to cry at his slip of the tongue.

    Why did his mouth make such a mistake at such a critical moment? He deserved a beating!

    Seiji really wanted to p himself in the mouth right now.

    The twin-pigtailed beautiful girl, the blonde-haired beauty, and the beautiful maturendy were all looking at a handsome boy together in unison with looks of shock. This scene was basically¡­

    100% a misunderstanding! If there were any bystanders here, it was certain that they would misunderstand, and those with overactive imaginations could even dream of something spicy!

    An awkward silence permeated the air.

    "Miss Landlord¡­ that¡¯s just how it is." Seiji forcefully continued the conversation. "Please help prepare an emptyrge apartment for me, and I¡¯d like to move in there tonight¡­ We can discuss the rentter."

    "Er¡­ Alright." Nozomi finally returned to her senses.

    "Thank you¡­ Then I¡¯ll go to school now." Seiji turned around.

    He detected that Kaede and Mika were now cloaked in terrifyingly dark auras.

    That was why he didn¡¯t want them to hear in the first ce!

    Seiji could only smile wryly to himself in his heart.

    "Seigo¡­" Mika was ring daggers at him.

    "Harano-kun¡­" Kaede¡¯s smile seemed rather unsettling.

    If they had the ability to, Seiji was certain that they would be summoning monsters upon him right now.

    "I¡¯ll give you guys a clear exnation. Please listen to it on our way to school." He averted his gaze.

    The morning sun was so warm.

    ¡­

    Mika didn¡¯t know what her current emotions were anymore by the time they almost reached school.

    Seiji was going to cohabit with¡­ no, live together with Kagura-san.

    As for why they were going to do so, it was because Seiji learned that Kagura-san lived all by herself, and he was quite worried about her. That was why he adopted Kagura-san as his younger sister and decided to live together.

    They really did be brother and sister!

    Back then, she felt that they seemed to be like real siblings, but for things to actually be like this¡­ Fine, it wasn¡¯t all that difficult to ept.

    The difficult to ept part was that the stunning and cute Kagura-san was about to live together with Seiji! Live together!! Live together!!!

    If they were real siblings, this wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but they were adopted siblings!

    In the end, they were still a boy and a girl¡­ that still had the possibility of developing into a romantic rtionship!!

    Kagura-san was currently a second-year middle school student, and Seiji was a first-year high schooler¡­ This age gap wasn¡¯t an obstacle at all!

    Even if Seiji had strong self-control and wouldn¡¯t do anything to a young second-year middle schooler, two years down the road¡­ no, maybe even in just one year, the situation would be different!

    Going from the second year to the third year in middle school was an important time for a girl¡¯s growth. In just one year, girls could change drastically.

    Kagura-san was so beautiful¡ªtoo beautiful! She was already such an incredible beauty now, so in one year, or even half a year if she grew quickly, she would soon be an incredibly alluring adolescent girl in the prime of her youth.

    At that time, just what would Seiji do while they lived together¡­

    Mika didn¡¯t dare to imagine any further.

    At first, she heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Seiji¡¯s exnation and learning who he was going to live together with. However, pondering over the situation closely made her realize that she couldn¡¯t rx at all, and it was actually difficult to ept.

    She was currently filled with a variety ofplex feelings.

    What Seiji was doing¡­ wasn¡¯t wrong, nor could she say anything about it, but¡­

    ''Ahh, that¡¯s enough already!'' A blonde beauty had just moved in next door, and now he even found himself an adopted sister to live together with him!

    Just what would this end up developing into? Would the next girl be some fiancee that he had promised himself to!?

    Mika kept up a stream of forcefulints in her mind.

    What she didn¡¯t know was that in a certain hospital, a scion with long, ck sleek hair sneezed.

    "Meow?" The cat girl Rana tilted her head as she looked towards her master.

    "I¡¯m alright, it was just a sudden chill." Natsuya smiled as she continued peeling the apple in her hand.

    The cat girl blinked cutely as she approached her master and cuddled Natsuya. Rana buried her face in Natsuya¡¯s ample breasts while embracing Natsuya tightly.

    "Oh my¡­ thanks for warming me up, Rana." Natsuya perceived Rana¡¯s intention and smiled.

    She finished peeling the apple.

    She split half for Rana and bit into her own half.

    Sweet and sour¡­ it somehow caused her to think of a particr boy.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now?" the scion muttered to herself curiously.

 Chapter 186 - Id Like Some Peace and Quiet

    <h4>Chapter 186: I''d Like Some Peace and Quiet</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched violently.

    Why did this all seem so abnormal to him?

    He recalled when he first arrived at school¡­

    The first thing he saw were all the students busy with the school festival preparations. It was a lively and bustling atmosphere.

    There were no traces anywhere to be found of the fierce battle fromst night. All the holes left in the ground and everything else hadpletely vanished.

    The ground had returned to its original state, with not a single blemish to be found. At the very least, the students didn¡¯t notice anything wrong.

    Those¡­"Cleaners" were too amazing! Just how did they do it!? In such a short time¡­

    Seiji was rather astonished.

    This ability to wipe all traces seemed almost on par with turning back time.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he personally experienced it, he never would have imagined what had happened herest night. Seeing how everything was normal at school, with all the students ignorant of what had happened, he almost felt as ifst night had been nothing more than a dream.

    Of course his expression didn''t betray his thoughts.

    Seiji arrived at his shoe locker and opened it.

    A huge pile of envelopes tumbled out from his locker.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this situation.

    Although he somewhat expected it, seeing this "explosion of love letters" that he had only seen before in anime and manga still gave him an impact!

    "They¡¯ve been umting for so many days, so it¡¯s only natural there¡¯d be this many." Mika¡¯s eyes were cold and distant.

    "Oh my, Harano-kun is so popr." Kaede smiled faintly. "I can almost feel the passion emanating from those love letters~"

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find any words to answer them with.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy to take all those letters with him¡­ He should have brought his backpack. There weren¡¯t any sses during the school festival, which was why he hadn¡¯t brought his backpack. That was a mistake.

    He was stillcking in experience. Just what was he supposed to do?

    ¡®Let¡¯s just not take them and leave them in the locker untilter.¡¯ In the end, that was the idea Seiji came up with.

    Having decided to leave the letters, he changed his shoes, stuffed all the letters back into the locker, and closed it again.

    Kaede left after saying, "If you get tired from ying around at the school festival, you¡¯re wee to rest in the infirmary at any time."

    Seiji and Mika walked together to ss and discovered a wild Chiaki standing outside the room. She was chuckling while holding her hand over her mouth.

    Seiji and Mika were mystified at this.

    "Ah¡­ Seigo!" Chiaki saw the two of them and waved. "You¡¯ve finallye to school again! It¡¯s been so long!"

    "It¡¯s been so long¡­ the hell, it¡¯s only been a few days. What are you chuckling about?" Seiji asked.

    "I just feel like it¡¯s so interesting¡­ Hehe¡­" Chiaki continuedughing as she pointed inside the ssroom.

    Just what could be inside?

    Seiji and Mika walked to the ssroom door and peered inside.

    The preparations were alreadyplete.

    Most of the tables and chairs had been moved to the back of the ssroom and stacked up to make space. The remaining tables had been put together with "Honey Candy Girl" tablecloths on top, making them seem like lunch tables. They were also outfitted with stylish borrowed chairs to make the seem like a real caf¨¦.

    Anime posters were stered on the walls, and anime essories were also everywhere to be seen. Character figurines were ced in appropriate locations, and some character balloons and ribbons were hanging from the ceiling to help give this ce the atmosphere of a cosy caf¨¦.

    The ckboard and the area at the front of the ssroom was cut off from the other areas with stic and was turned into a temporary kitchen where they would prepare the food.

    While this wasn¡¯t a perfect caf¨¦ by any means, Seiji felt that it was good enough already. There didn¡¯t seem to be any obvious problems that he could find.

    The students acting as the servers were all wearing cosy uniforms. All these uniforms and everything else rted to the anime "Honey Candy Girl" had either been borrowed from the Divine Taste confectionery shop or through its connection to Peach-sensei.

    The student servers and cooks as well as some students from other sses were all attentively listening to a beautiful blue-haired girl wearing a cardigan and ace miniskirt.

    ''Wait a moment!''

    A blue-haired "girl?"

    Seiji¡¯s sealed memories of a dark history resurfaced as he looked at that figure!

    "He was asked by the confectionery store''s owner to oversee our cultural festival caf¨¦''s progress, and to tell us everything we needed to know¡­ But the way I see it, his main goal was to meet you again." Chiaki couldn¡¯t stopughing as she exined the ''girl''s'' presence. "The reason why he¡¯s dressed like that is because his own ss is doing a ¡®crossdressing¡¯ coffee shop¡ªall the boys are dressed like girls, and the girls are dressed like boys. The moment he arrived at ss this morning, he was pressed into changing his clothes and applying some makeup, so he could onlye over here looking like this."

    "Everyone in our ss¡­ none of our ssmates know about his real gender! And as for all the boys¡¯ reactions¡­ Haha, it¡¯s so funny!"

    The tomboy was unable to talk anymore as she broke out into yet another fit ofughter and had to cover her mouth.

    Seiji and Mika couldn¡¯t find any words to say.

    "Seigo¡­"

    "Don¡¯t look at me; don¡¯t talk to me."

    ¡®I¡¯d like some peace and quiet.¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks kept twitching non-stop.

    Why did he see this sight again?

    Why did he see this ¡®girl¡¯ that he never wanted to see again?

    ¡®Did I jinx myself today? Did Ie to the wrong school!?¡¯

    Yep, everything here was fake. Just a hallucination.

    The real school and ssroom were somewhere else. Yep, that was how it was.

    ¡®I should turn around and leave now to seek the truth of the world.¡¯

    But right before he was able to take any steps, the beautiful ¡®girl¡¯ seemed to detect something as she turned around and looked in his direction.

    When ¡®her¡¯ light blue eyes spied his figure, her eyes widened slightly as her red lips pursed open and smiled dazzlingly.

    "Harano-senpai!" Hoshi Amami (in female clothing) called out in delight.

    The students that were originally listening to him speak all turned their heads in unison and saw Seiji and his friends.

    "Harano-san¡¯s here!"

    "You finally healed, did you¡­ Magic-devouring Dragon?"

    "He¡¯s still so handsome! No, wait¡­ he¡¯s more handsome than before?"

    "That cute young female junior knew him after all."

    "She didn¡¯t actuallye here for him, did she¡­ Damn it¡­"

    Seiji suddenly felt numerous gazes fall upon him, each one containing a different emotion.

    The most passionate gaze among them was¡­

    Hoshi daintily walked in front of him and smiled while looking into Seiji¡¯s face. "It¡¯s great to see you again," he chirped happily.

    There was no problem with this perfectly ordinary sentence.

    But the feelings contained within those words and how he said it was certain to make everyone misunderstand!

    "As expected! This junior has feelings for Harano-san¡­!"

    "When did Harano-san attract such a beautiful female student?"

    "So he liked them young¡­"

    "Hooking up with such a cute middle school girl. Damn, I''m so jealous¡­ whoops, I meant disgusted!"

    The spectating students were gossiping among themselves.

    Mika was stunned by the crossdressing boy¡¯s alluring beauty and fell into a daze.

    Seiji heard the clear sounds of Chiaki doing her best to suppress herughter and failing.

    He really wanted to escape from everything right now¡­ his current expression was one of having given up on the world.

    "Senpai, what¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t look so good." Hoshi noticed that his senpai¡¯s expression seemed somehwat abnormal and was concerned.

    "Oh¡­ it¡¯s nothing," Seiji responded vacantly, his eyes hollow. "I heard that your aunt, the store owner, made youe here¡­ Thanks for your hard work, Junior."

    "It¡¯s nothing¡ªI¡¯m delighted to have a reason toe meet Senpai," Hoshi said while smiling widely.

    This caused another ruckus among the students.

    ¡®Please stop saying such subtle words that are easily misunderstood! Please be a little bit more self-aware!''

    Seiji felt incredibly drained of energy.

    "As long as you¡¯re happy¡­ you should finish your main work here first."

    "Yep, Senpai, chat with youter!"

    Hoshi daintily walked back towards the other students again.

    Seiji was unable to take the stares of all the other students that didn¡¯t know the truth of the matter. His eyes became hollow and distant as he entered a meditative state.

    ''Fine, I admit it¡ªI''m just escaping from reality.''

    This was the beginning of Seiji¡¯s school festival.

 Chapter 187 - â€œPrincessâ€

    <h4>Chapter 187: "Princess"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Hoshi finished speaking to the other students.

    Seiji was also finally able to face reality.

    "Senpai¡­"

    "Let¡¯s go outside the ssroom to speak."

    The stares from the other students were still a bit painful to bear.

    "Senpai¡­ you seem rather fatigued; have you been having a difficult time recently?" Hoshi seemed concerned for Seiji as they walked into the hallway.

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m having a difficult time. All my fatigue is because of you, damn it!¡®

    "It¡¯s okay¡­ some stuff happened, but it¡¯s already taken care of." Seiji sighed.

    "Was it about Kagura-san?" Hoshi blinked in seeming realization.

    Seiji nodded.

    "I knew it! I figured that Senpai must have been working behind the scenes for Kagura-san¡¯s sake!" Hoshi clenched his fist as his eyes began sparkling. "And now, Senpai¡¯s dealt with every problem and saved Kagura-san! Right?"

    "Saved¡­ I suppose." Seiji awkwardly averted his gaze. "But I didn¡¯t take care of every problem. I could only deal with some of them."

    "Senpai, you¡¯re being humble again."

    "Not at all; I¡¯m just telling you the truth¡­ Eh? I feel like I¡¯ve said something like this before." Seiji fixed his gaze on his junior. "Don¡¯t overestimate me. There are things I can¡¯t aplish either, so please remember that."

    Hoshi didn¡¯t reply and merely looked at him with a bright smile and stars in his eyes.

    There was nothing vicious whatsoever about Hoshi¡¯s expression.

    ''Why can I still feel a chill, then?'' Seiji''s eyebrows shot up.

    He wanted to say something else, but before he could speak, Hoshi began talking again.

    "How¡¯s Kagura-san doing now? She hasn¡¯t beening to school ever since that day, so I was a little worried, but when Senpai stoppeding to school as well, I guessed that she must have been together with you¡­"

    "Yeah. She and I¡­ got involved in some things that are hard to talk about." Seiji scratched his face. "Now¡­ she¡¯s be my adopted sister¡­ we¡¯re going to live together."

    Hoshi was rendered speechless.

    "Wha?" Two secondster, he finally realized what he had heard and made a sound of astonishment.

    Ever since that phone call that day, Hoshi had been imagining how the situation would be resolved.

    But this result was far beyond his imagination!

    "Adopted¡­ sister? Live together!?" The handsome boy (in female clothing) was utterly stunned.

    Seiji nodded in embarrassment.

    "Even though I wanted to wait for you guys to finish talking, I¡¯m no longer able to just stand by after hearing this," a voice said from beside them.

    It was Chiaki.

    Chiaki and Mika had been waiting on the side, but she couldn¡¯t help interrupting at this point in the conversation.

    "Kagura-san became your adopted sister and is even going to begin living together with you? Heh heh, Seigo, do you still remember what I told youst time?"

    The tomboy shed a dark smile.

    ¡®Even Chiaki is acting like this¡­ this is too much!¡¯ Seiji felt helpless about the situation.

    He didn¡¯t want to deal with this right now.

    ''I''ll use the decoy substitution technique!''

    "I already told everything to Mika, so just listen to her exnation. I¡¯m going to go help out in the ssroom now!"

    After giving them a decoy, he instantly fled.

    "Senpai!"

    "Seigo!"

    Seiji merely responded to the shouting behind him by waving his hand.

    ¡­

    Under the direction of the ss representative Koji Hoshihara, Seiji put on a cosy uniform. The role assigned to him in the caf¨¦ was a waiter.

    This cosy uniform was a butler-style humanoid fantasy creature. Seiji didn¡¯t know where his ss had borrowed it from, but the uniform¡¯s quality was quite high. Thanks to his excellent figure and appearance, it looked really cool on him. It was almost as if he were a handsome guy who had jumped out of a female-oriented fantasy manga.

    There was also a hood attached to the cosy uniform as well, but all the girls present strongly insisted that he couldn''t wear it after they saw his appearance in this outfit.

    That turned out to be a wise decision.

    As the poster boy for their ssroom to attract customers with, he was surrounded before long!

    All the visiting students and guests took pictures of him nonstop with their cell phones and continually requested him to take various poses or capture selfies together with them.

    Of course, most of them felt obligated to visit the ss¡¯s confectionery store after having taken pictures, which was why Year 1 ss 5¡¯s confectionery store was filled to the brim with a huge line of customers waiting outside!

    All the waiters were overwhelmed by the work.

    That¡¯s when Seiji shouted loudly: "Get out of the way; let the professional do this!"

    ¡­Okay, that was made up.

    He did temporarily halt taking pictures together with the guests, as he used his skills from the real confectionery store to quickly deal with the chaotic situation.

    Afterwards, he became the shift leader and gave instructions to his fellow students on what to watch out for, as well as assigning specific tasks to everyone so that the store could operate more efficiently.

    "Harano-san is so amazing! He must be an excellent employee in the real confectionery store as well with those abilities of his." Koji sighed in amazement. "Seeing your outstanding work, I canpletely understand why your boss was so willing to give us all this help in setting up for the school festival¡­ because she really values you!"

    Seiji smiled in response. "That¡¯s an exaggeration, ss Rep."

    Rika Amami helped him due to a certain trade he made with her.

    Well, it was due to his good performance in the store being recognized by the owner that he could make the trade in the first ce, so it wasn¡¯t exactly wrong to say that his work performance was what made her willing to help him.

    As for the trade¡­ he needed to contact with Peach-sensei soon.

    ¡®After I finish the hectic work here, take a rest, have some lunch, and finish reading the love letters, I''ll give her a call." Seiji nned out his day.

    Time passed by busily.

    It was finally time for a change of shifts.

    Seiji changed out of his cosy uniform and finished up his work in the ssroom before letting the ss representative and the other students know that he was leaving.

    Where were Chiaki and Mika right now? Chiaki was probably helping out at the drama club, but as for Mika¡­ he had no clue.

    Seiji took out his cell phone as he walked and was about to call them when someone interrupted him.

    "Harano-san¡­"

    Two unfamiliar girls were looking at him nervously.

    ¡®They seem to be first-year high schoolers like me.¡¯ That was Seiji¡¯s first impression of them.

    "Do you two have some business with me?"

    "We¡­ have a friend¡­ she has something she¡¯d like to say to Harano-san," the girl with short dark brown hair replied.

    Seiji blinked in realization. ¡®Oh¡­ that¡¯s what it is.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t one hundred percent certain if it was what he thought it was, but it seemed likely.

    "Is it something really important?"

    ''I might as well confirm it.''

    "Yep¡­ She¡¯s waiting somewhere else¡­" said the other girl, whose hair was dark red and curly.

    "Okay, let¡¯s go together then." Seiji put away his cell phone as he smiled gently.

    Both girls appeared slightly surprised, and their cheeks began to flush red.

    "Pleasee with us¡­"

    They led the way.

    "Harano-san is so handsome!"

    "Yep, handsome and gentle, so perfect."

    "That¡¯s why our princess likes him¡­"

    The two girls whispered to each other secretly and believed that the boy behind them couldn¡¯t overhear.

    But thanks to his improved physical abilities, Seiji could actually make out their conversation.

    ¡®Princess?¡¯

    That was probably just a nickname, not the real deal.

    This nickname, while rather cliche, was still regal. He looked forward to seeing what type of person she was.

    But thinking about his own current nickname, Seiji felt the urge to cover his face.

    As for all the well-known nicknames in Genhana High School, he felt that they were mostly rather exaggerated and immature, while the remaining ones were either cliche or ssical.

    Embarrassment aside, and considering them seriously, these well-known nicknames usually described the person¡¯s characteristics, or an obvious trait or famous incident attributed to them.

    The nickname "princess" was most likely the same and represented something one of her traits or a well-known matter she was involved in.

    These two girls leading the way seemed to be first-year high school students.

    The "princess" would most likely also be a high school freshman.

    For a first-year high school girl that was able to be called "princess" by other girls¡­ Seiji¡¯s first guess would have been Natsuya Yoruhana, but the president was still currently in the hospital, and she didn''t she seem like the type to act that way.

    Then that meant that this was a girl who was special enough to still be called "princess" even with the existence of the brilliant and eye-catching student council president Natsuya around.

    What type of person would she be?

    Seiji was truly curious.

    The two girls leading the way took him out of the school building, through the crowds, and all the way to a somewhat concealed ce behind the school building.

    A dark purple-haired girl was standing there, gazing at the tops of the trees.

    She turned around when she heard footsteps approaching.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over when he saw her face.

 Chapter 188 - Purple

    <h4>Chapter 188: Purple</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji had begun receiving love letters every day ever since the second week after transferring into Genhana High School.

    Most girls had only sent him only one love letter, but there were a few that had sent him multiple ones.

    And among the few that sent him multiple letters, there was only one girl who had sent him a love letter every single day.

    ording to Chiaki¡¯s definition, this girl¡¯s love letters were the first type. All the envelopes were light purple, and the letters were written on pure white paper. None of the letters were particrly long, but it was obvious each one contained the girl¡¯s emotions. The handwriting was also beautiful.

    There was only one word written for the signature¡ª"Purple."

    At first, Seiji had wondered what type of girl "Purple" might be, but he didn¡¯t pay it a great deal of thought.

    Due to everything that had happened in the previous few days, he even forgot about it.

    Until this moment.

    When he was taken here to this corner and met this purple-haired beauty for the first time, he instinctively realized that¡­ this girl must be "Purple."

    A slight breeze was blowing, causing the leaves to rustle.

    The girl¡¯s dark purple hair was swaying gently in the wind.

    She simply stood there with both hands sped in front of her as she smiled lightly.

    Her beautiful eyes were almost the exact same light purple as the envelopes she used. They looked deep and watery and the pupils shed and reflected flickering shadows. This,bined with her thin crescent eyshes and pink lips arced upwards in a faint smile, caused Seiji to think of a line from an unknown poem from somewhere: "ying with lowered eyshes and a faint smile amongst the shadows."

    She was beautiful, regal, and the epitome of a ssic beauty.

    Just her physical appearance alone was worthy of the nickname "Princess."

    While Seiji was unfamiliar with her personality, he believed that her level of beauty was definitely equal to Natsuya¡¯s.

    "Hello, pleased to meet you, Harano-san." The purple-haired beauty bowed slightly towards him. "My name is Yukari Asamiya, from Year 1, ss 3."

    Yukari?

    This was a popr name in Japan in his previous world, and he faintly recalled that the female lead of some ssical anime seemed to have this name as well. This name¡­ that was probably one of the reasons for her signature of "Purple."

    "Hello." Seiji looked directly at her. "Asamiya-san¡­ are you ¡®Purple?¡¯"

    "Indeed." Yukari stood up straight and smiled at him. "I¡¯m ¡®Purple,¡¯ as you surmised."

    "It¡¯s easy to guess after meeting you." Seiji also smiled. "Your eyes, your hair, and your name¡­ all these hints are too obvious." 1

    Yukari¡¯s smile grew wider.

    "I really love purple¡­ if people¡¯s lives had colors, then mine would surely be purple."

    "That sounds quite poetic."

    "Really? I said it rather casually¡­ Harano-san, do you like poems?"

    Seiji thought of Shika Kagura upon hearing this. 2 "I don¡¯t understand poems too much, but I admire their beauty."

    Yukari blinked upon hearing this. "I¡¯m not familiar with poems either, but I don¡¯t know why¡­ my ssmates all seem to think that I love reading poems and so on."

    "Is it that you actually don¡¯t like them?"

    A momentary silence fell between them.

    Then, both of them broke out intoughter.

    Seiji chuckled. "Sorry, but I can understand why your ssmates would think that way. The way you seem¡­ is just like a ssydy who would enjoy reading poems or ssical works and the like."

    "It¡¯s not good to judge people by appearances, Harano-san. I¡¯m not that type at all." Yukari also chuckled. "I don¡¯t enjoy poems, nor do I read ssics, and I¡¯m definitely not a ssydy or anything."

    "Eh¡­ but you definitely have that aura about you."

    "I don¡¯t feel so¡­ maybe it¡¯s thanks to my upbringing that my actions appear that way. I had a strict family education." Yukari toyed with her hair.

    Seiji felt that this tiny action was rather charismatic.

    "Princess¡­" he understood already why people referred to her as such, but she herself was¡­ a bit different from what he had imagined.

    Well, that was normal.

    It would be abnormal if the well-known nicknames in this school werepletely urate!

    "Harano-san¡­"

    Yukari looked directly into Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    "This is your first time meeting me. As for me¡­ I¡¯ve already been watching you for quite some time."

    Yukari¡¯s cheeks began to flush slightly red.

    The atmosphere just earlier had been normal, but now it suddenly seemed a bit romantic.

    Seiji felt himself tensing up slightly.

    He was nervous.

    "I¡¯ve always been watching you in silence, and writing letters to you. These are my single-sided feelings¡­ I apologize for making you deal with my selfishness. Now¡­ I¡¯ve finally worked up the courage to meet you in person to get to know you."

    The purple-haired girl took a deep breath.

    Her white face was nowpletely red, and her watery eyes were filled with attractive colors.

    It wasing.

    Seiji knew what wasing and mentally prepared himself.

    But he was still nervous¡­ of course he was! He had never had such an experience!!

    The only experience he had with being confessed to was by Hoshi¡­ No, no, that definitely didn¡¯t count! Forget it! Hurry up and forget about that!!

    This was his true first time in either life of his that he was being confessed to!

    "Perhaps this is selfish of me to say as well, but I¡­ still want to say that¡­ I-I like you!"

    A metaphorical fastball.

    A mega-powerful fastball struck Seiji in the chest like a cannon shot!

    He had wanted to catch it.

    But as a catcher, he severelycked both experience and ability! It was only natural that he missed.

    "I like you¡­"

    He had heard it personally from a girl¡­ these words imbued with many passionate feelings of youth.

    This was when Seiji discovered for the first time just how powerful these words could be!

    "I¡¯d like to be together with you, chat with you, date with you, and¡­ do various things together with you¡­"

    Yukari was still looking directly at Seiji.

    Even though Seiji could tell that she was quite shy about all this, she remained firm and maintained her regal bearing and resolution as she honestly and directly told him her feelings.

    Seiji really wanted to avert his gaze in order to hide his own emotions, but he was moved by her resolution, so he could only look directly at her as well.

    It was just like a duel.

    No, this was a duel! This girl had worked up her maximum amount of courage topletely attack the boy she liked directly, heart and soul!

    "I¡­ imagined many things by myself. I want to turn those dreams of mine into reality. I¡­ would like to be someone important to you¡­"

    The girl¡¯s body began trembling.

    It was as if something within her had reached its limit.

    She took another deep breath.

    Seiji almost felt like he wanted to run away at this moment!

    It was easy for even him to tell just how deep her feelings umted over all this time must have been.

    The final blow wasing.

    "Please¡­ please go out with me!! Please be my boyfriend!!!"

    Her eyes shone incredibly brightly as tears trickled down her face.

    Her face was so red that he could almost see the blood beneath her skin.

    But even so, her eyes didn¡¯t waver one bit from him.

    She kept looking directly into the handsome boy¡¯s eyes.

    Shepletely revealed her true feelings for him to see.

    She fully expressed those passionate fiery feelings of hers.

    This moment etched itself deeply into Seiji¡¯s mind, and even heart!

    There would always be some moments of any person¡¯s life that would be unforgettable even after several years or even dozens of years.

    This scene was one of them.

    That was how deep, how¡­ beautiful to the point where it was impossible to forget.

    Another breeze blew past them.

    The tree leaves were rustling again, but Seiji couldn¡¯t hear them.

    He had received an impact far stronger than he was expecting, and his heart and soul were moved.

    He slowly opened his mouth as he looked at the girl before him, his heart wavering.

    "I¡­"

 Chapter 189 - Discipline Committee Member

    <h4>Chapter 189: Discipline Committee Member</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Not good! Not good, not good, not good!¡¯ Mika shouted mentally. ¡®This is terrible!¡¯

    She was currently hiding behind some bushes, secretly watching the purple-haired girl confess to Seiji.

    Why were things like this?

    Let¡¯s turn back time a little.

    After Seiji tossed her out as his decoy, she was forced to exin Shika''s situation to Chiaki and Hoshi.

    "I see¡ªit does sound like something Senpai would do." Hoshi nodded in understanding after he learned what had happened.

    "Hmm¡­ adopted siblings¡­ that¡¯s actually fine and all, but it¡¯s still hard to not pay attention to the fact that they¡¯re going to be living together." Chiaki rubbed her chin as she looked towards the ssroom. "Even though I already knew that he¡¯s an idiot, to do things to such an extent, honestly¡­"

    The tomboy felt rather helpless about the situation but also understood.

    Later, Hoshi said goodbye to the duo and returned to his own ss.

    Mika and Chiaki watched Seiji work for a little longer and took some pictures of Seiji in his cosy outfit before they decided to leave as well.

    They explored the school festival together and visited various ssrooms¡¯ shops.

    They even stumbled on several confession scenes by ident but politely refrained from getting in the way.

    "Would you like to take a guess on how many times Seiji will be confessed to during this school festival?" Chiaki asked Mika jokingly.

    Mika was in no mood to joke about a serious topic.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t continue this topic of conversation after she noticed that Mika didn¡¯t answer.

    After that, Chiaki needed to go to drama club to help out, so she split up from Mika.

    The girl with twin pigtails wandered around by herself for a while, before returning to her ssroom and decided it was time.

    On her way back, she ran into the tennis club captain¡­ no, the former tennis club captain, Hideya Aizawa.

    Well, since Mika had quit the tennis club already, she wasn¡¯t sure what was happening in it anymore. She only knew that he resigned from his club president position.

    Meeting him again made her feel that this ex-club president hadn¡¯t changed at all, as he still seemed rather unreliable and not the likable type.

    Out of politeness, she greeted him, but he stuck on to her.

    Hideya and the other boys with him surrounded Mika, trying to persuade her to go with them and refusing to let her leave.

    Just as Mika was beginning to get angry as well as a little afraid, someone surprising appeared.

    "Former tennis club president Hideya Aizawa, and three boys not from our school."

    "What exactly do you guys intend to do by surrounding the first-year student Mika Uehara?"

    Two clear voices rang out.

    Two identical beautiful figures, and a unique speaking style where they finished each other¡¯s sentences¡­ Rion and Kotomi Amami!

    The high school second-year "twin witches¡­" or ex-witches.

    "Er¡­" Hideya who was also a second-year student cowered slightly at seeing these two, but he instantly recalled something as he stood up straight again and he smiled rather insultingly. "Heh heh, it¡¯s the Amami twins¡­ we weren¡¯t doing anything; we just wanted to invite her for a little lunch."

    "Surrounding someone for an ¡®invitation¡¯ is the most unsightly way to invite someone."

    "Mika Uehara, do you wish to ept such an ¡®invitation?¡¯"

    Rion and Kotomi spoke with calm expressions.

    Mika shook her head.

    "Hey, hey, what¡¯s all this? We were sincerely inviting her!" A brown-haired boy wearing earrings standing to the right of Hideya spoke up.

    "That¡¯s right, calling us ¡®unsightly,¡¯ how rude! Who the hell do you think you are!!?" Another blonde-haired boy spoke up as well.

    "They¡¯re rather beautiful, and twins as well¡­ Hey, Hideya, who are these two?"

    "Heh heh, they¡¯re¡­"

    "We¡¯re members of the Morals and Discipline Committee."

    "We¡¯re currently responsible for maintaining and protecting order during the school festival."

    Hideya was interrupted as Rion and Kotomi pointed to the emblems on their sleeves.

    "The first-year student Mika Uehara has clearly stated that she doesn¡¯t wish to ept your ¡®invitation.¡¯"

    "So, if you continue refusing to allow her to leave, that means that you¡¯re daring to disturb the public order, and we shall have to issue you a stern warning."

    There was a brief period of silence.

    Then, apart from Hideya, the three boys that weren¡¯t from Genhana began guffawing!

    "Morals and Discipline Committee¡­ Acting so serious¡­ Hahahaha¡ªit''s so funny!"

    "Maintaining order¡­ stern warning¡­ Ahahaha! This is the first time I¡¯ve heard something so foolish in real life! Hehehaha¡ªthis is bad; I¡¯m going to die ofughter!!"

    "There must be something wrong with these girls¡¯ brains! Hahaha, even though they¡¯re so beautiful, they¡¯re a pair of idiots!!"

    The three boysughed fearlessly and were looking at the twins with nothing but condescension.

    Hideya was affected by their behavior, and he knew that they were no longer the same "witches" as before, so he began chuckling as well.

    Mika felt a twinge of pity for the twins at this and looked at them with concern.

    She saw that Rion and Kotomi who had remained calm earlier were now narrowing their eyes.

    The atmosphere instantly changed.

    It was as if an invisible sword had been drawn. The atmosphere now seemed rather dangerous.

    Hideya¡¯s expression froze solid.

    The three boys from other schools were stillughing, but they noticed as well that something in the air changed, causing theirughter to diminish somewhat.

    "In the name of Genhana High School¡¯s Morals and Discipline Commitee, this is a formal warning."

    "Hideya Aizawa and the three outsiders, please stop these actions and allow Mika Uehara to leave."

    "Your time limit is ten seconds."

    "The countdown begins now."

    "Ten¡­"

    "Nine¡­"

    "Hahahahaha¡ª" The three boys began tough even louder than earlier.

    "This is so hrious! What¡¯s with these two girls!?"

    "And now it¡¯s a real ¡®formal warning!¡¯ With a countdown!! There¡¯s definitely something wrong with their heads!!!"

    "Hahaha! This is so funny, Hideya! Why does your school have¡­"

    "Shut up!!!"

    A fierce shout came out of Hideya¡¯s mouth.

    The twins¡¯ icy expression and icy tone as they began the countdown made Hideya frightened for himself.

    They were indeed not the "witches" that they had been before.

    But they hadn''t lost all of their power.

    After Rion and Kotomi were defeated, they lost all of their previous power and were in dire straits. But they joined the Morals and Discipline Committee and now had a new group to support them.

    With their brains and schemes, plus reason on their side, if they seriously wanted to deal with him¡­

    Just imagining it sent chills down Hideya¡¯s spine.

    This was no joke! If the former "witches" that now had the support of the Morals and Discipline Committee started paying attention to him¡­ No! He definitely couldn¡¯t allow that to happen!

    "We¡¯re leaving!" he shouted to his friends.

    "Eh¡­ Hideya, what¡¯s¡­"

    "I said shut up! We¡¯re leaving!!" Hideya yelled again at his three friends before ncing once more at the twins and turning around to leave.

    "What¡¯s the matter? Hideya¡ª"

    The three boys looked at each other in confusion, but in the end, they obeyed and chased after him.

    Mika stood where she was and watched the boys leave.

    She had been extricated from her sticky situation.

    She looked at the twins once more.

    "Thank¡­ thank you." She sincerely expressed her gratitude.

    "No need for thanks."

    "This is our responsibility."

    Rion and Kotomi retracted their previous threatening attitudes and responded to Mika calmly.

    They then turned around and left as well.

    Mika watched the twins leave, her heart filled with a mixture of subtle emotions.

    ¡®I should tell Seiji about this¡­¡¯ she thought as she walked back to the ssroom.

    Just as she arrived, she noticed Seiji leaving the ssroom.

    Mika was about to call out to him, but she paused when she saw two unfamiliar girls talking to him.

    ¡®It¡¯s¡­ a confession!¡¯

    Mika instantly knew what was about to ur.

    What should she do?

    She was unable to think it through. All she did was reflexively follow Seiji secretly.

    And so, she witnessed an incredibly beautiful purple-haired girl confessing wholeheartedly to the handsome boy.

    This confession¡­ was far too moving!

    Even she received an impact from it while secretly observing.

    Seiji, who was facing the confession directly, must have received an even bigger impact.

    Mika definitely saw that he was wavering!

    That was why she was shouting inwardly in her mind.

    ¡®Not good! This is terrible! What should I do!?¡¯

    She didn¡¯t have any ideas whatsoever on what to do, but she had to do something, otherwise¡­

    "I¡­" Seiji opened his mouth and was about to respond.

    Mika began moving her body and was about to stand up.

    At this moment.

    "Achoo!"

    Someone suddenly sneezed.

 Chapter 190 - Answer

    <h4>Chapter 190: Answer</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji, who was just about to respond, was interrupted by the sudden sneeze.

    His mind went nk at this unexpected surprise for a moment, but that helped him regain his calmness.

    ''What was I just about to say?''

    He noticed that he had almost impulsively agreed to be her boyfriend and was astonished at himself.

    ¡®I was actually moved to such a degree!?¡¯

    Well, it was the first time that he had ever received a confession. And she¡­ really did such a good job by confessing wholeheartedly.

    ''Should I simply say yes to her?'' No, that was no good! There would be various problems with this.

    "I¡­ am really happy to hear this," Seiji said slowly, turning his gaze to Yukari; "this is my first time ever receiving a confession, and honestly, I¡¯m quite moved."

    "But¡­ I still can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know anything about you yet, and you haven''t actually spent any time with me."

    "Just agreeing to go out like this¡­ it¡¯s not impossible, but I feel that various problems could crop up."

    Yukari quietly listened to him.

    Seiji paused for a moment as he considered what to say next.

    "Thank you for liking me," he said haltingly; "but I¡¯m sorry¡­"

    He sincerely thanked her and apologized.

    "I can¡¯t agree to go out with you just like this. If you¡¯d like, we can begin as friends."

    That¡¯s how it was.

    ¡®This is my answer.¡¯

    Seiji looked directly at Yukari.

    "Harano-san¡­" Tears dripped out of the corner of Yukari¡¯s eyes as she looked at him.

    However, her expression wasn¡¯t a sad one.

    "Your reply¡­ was just as I expected." The purple-haired girl wiped her eyes. "I feel that you¡¯re a serious and steady person, who probably wouldn¡¯t be able to ept an unfamiliar girl¡¯s sudden confession.

    "But I still did what I did. That¡¯s because I truly do like you."

    She looked directly into his eyes as she spoke her honest feelings and smiled once more.

    Seiji felt that his heart was wavering again as he looked at this beautiful girl.

    He suddenly wanted to ask "Why do you like me so much?"

    But he was unable to do so.

    That was because he instinctively realized that if he asked this question, he might receive an even bigger impact from the answer.

    And he was unable to take anything more¡­ if he wavered any further, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could still refuse her.

    Seiji inwardly sighed. ''Yukari Asamiya¡­ as expected of a "princess."''

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "Can I at least confirm if you have anyone you like right now?" Yukari asked him calmly.

    "Er¡­ romantically, no." Seiji scratched his face.

    "That means I have a chance then." An indescribable light shed in Yukari¡¯s eyes. "Let¡¯s start as friends then. Harano-san, please give me your cell phone number!"

    "Er¡­ Okay."

    Seiji told her his cell phone number.

    Yukari took out her cell phone and called him.

    Seiji¡¯s cell phone began ringing.

    Yukari looked deeply at Seiji as he took out his cell phone. She then turned around and left, but pressed her cell phone against her ear.

    Seiji epted the call and perked up his ears to listen to what she had to say.

    "Harano-san¡­" He heard her soft voice clearly through the cell phone. "I will capture you."

    The firm resolution in her voice made it easy for Seiji to imagine the expression she must have had while saying it.

    The phone call ended there.

    "Honestly," Seiji muttered as he slowly put away his cell phone, "she''s such an amazing girl."

    He stood rooted to the ground as he watched the purple-haired girl slowly disappear into the distance.

    After he stood there long enough for his emotions to finally settle, he also turned around to leave.

    "Seiji¡­"

    He saw Mika standing there before him with an apologetic expression on her face.

    "Mika¡­ did you see all that just now?"

    She nodded in response.

    "I¡¯m sorry¡­ It wasn¡¯t on purpose¡­ I just reflexively¡­"

    Mika was very apologetic.

    Secretly spying on him; this type of action was¡­

    Seiji blinked. "It¡¯s fine¡ªif you saw it, you saw it."

    This was still technically a public ce after all. There was no helping it if other people saw it.

    Mika apologizing to him even felt somewhat odd. With her haughty personality, shouldn¡¯t she currently be having a temper tantrum?

    Seiji figured out the truth after he mulled it over.

    "You must have followed me secretly, right? So, you were spying on me?"

    Mika nodded with tears in her eyes.

    ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s how it is.¡¯

    "That¡¯s a bit wrong to do then, but¡­ still, this is a public location." Seiji rubbed his chin. "By the way, was that sneeze a few moments ago from you?"

    That was quite an important sneeze.

    If it wasn¡¯t for that sneeze interrupting his thoughts, perhaps¡­

    Mika shook her head.

    "It wasn¡¯t me¡­" She revealed aplex expression. "It¡­ was Miyamoto-san."

    ¡­

    Kaho Miyamoto really wanted to go and hide in a hole somewhere right now.

    Earlier this morning, she had been working together in the ssroom confectionery store. It should have been a good chance for her to say something to him.

    However, Harano-san was too outstanding as an attraction and brought so many customers. She, as one of the cooks, was too busy, which left her no spare time whatsoever to approach him and strike up a conversation.

    That continued all the way until it was time to change shifts.

    After Harano-san finished his work, changed his clothes, and left, Kaho did the same thing and hurriedly followed after him. It was then that she saw Harano being called out by two unfamiliar girls.

    She instantly figured out what was about to happen.

    And so, coincidentally, Kaho secretly began following him. On the way, she discovered to her astonishment that Harano-san¡¯s good friend Mika Uehara was also secretly following him!

    At first, she was stunned, but then she felt reassured. That was because she wasn¡¯t the only one doing this¡ªthere was another stalker¡­ whoops, aplice!

    And so, they followed, hid, and secretly watched¡­

    Kaho was moved by the amazing confession she witnessed.

    At that critical moment, a leaf suddenly fell right in front of her face andnded on her nose, causing it to itch¡­

    "Achoo!" She was unable to suppress herself and sneezed loudly.

    She instantly covered her mouth and noticed someone looking at her. When she reflexively looked to see who it was, she exchanged nces with Uehara-san, who was also staring at her in astonishment with her mouth wide agape.

    An enormous sense of embarrassment began welling up within her¡­

    Kaho discovered that she had already escaped from the scene when she returned to her senses.

    Everything was fine now¡­ Not!

    ¡®I was discovered! Uehara-san saw me!!''

    Even though Uehara-san was also secretly spying, at the very least she was Harano-san¡¯s good friend. Even though it was also somewhat wrong, she could at least use the excuse of being concerned for a good friend, but as for Kaho¡­

    ¡®So humiliating! So embarrassing! I really want to go hide somewhere!!¡¯

    Kaho almost had an impulse to simply roll around on the ground.

    ¡®I secretly spied on his confession scene and even interrupted them at a critical moment by sneezing! I¡¯m the worst¡­

    ¡®Uehara-san¡­ will she tell Harano-san? If she tells him, then I¡­ how exactly can I face Harano-san?¡¯

    Kaho envisioned a pathetic scene in her mind.

    In her mind she imagined a handsome boy sighing. "I never imagined that Miyamoto-san was a person to do such a thing." There was an expression of disappointment on the tall and handsome boy¡¯s face. "I even wanted to be friends with Miyamoto-san. I must have been mistaken. Just forget about me saying that before."

    ¡®No!!!¡¯ Kaho inwardly shouted in her soul.

    "I just impulsively made a mistake in the heat of the moment! It wasn¡¯t on purpose! I was just a little curious, and that¡¯s why¡ª"

    Her voice died down mid-sentence.

    That was because someone familiar had appeared before her.

    "Kaho," asked a concerned voice, "what were you saying? You made a mistake?"

    "Er, it¡¯s nothing, Karen. Why are you here?" Kaho felt awkward that her sister had caught her raving like this.

    "Of course I¡¯m here to find you." The brown-haired girl with a huge chest smiled at her younger sister. "Didn¡¯t I tell you before that I woulde and have fun at your school festival!?"

 Chapter 191 - I Have Defeated The Enemy!

    <h4>Chapter 191: I Have Defeated The Enemy!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s older sister, Karen Miyamoto, was wearing a light-colored sweater and a floral long skirt which were rather in, but all the boys passing by would still take a second look at her.

    That was because this beautiful girl had a pair of breasts that were impossible to ignore!

    Karen¡¯s breasts, to put it frankly, were huge.

    But Kaho was in no way envious of this aspect of her older. Her chest wasn¡¯t small either, and now that she had sessfully slimmed down, she discovered that her chest size was in fact quite significant.

    ¡®Does Harano-san likerge breasts?¡¯ She suddenly had that thought, but forced herself to stop thinking about it.

    Why was she thinking about such a thing!? Now wasn¡¯t the time for idle thoughts!

    "You¡¯re here to have fun at our school festival, so why didn¡¯t you bring some of your friends with you?"

    "They¡¯re all in sses."

    "What about you?"

    "I asked for a leave of absence so that I could apany my cute little sister," Karen answered with a huge smile.

    Kaho averted her gaze. "That¡¯s not necessary."

    Karen sighed. "Don¡¯t say that; your older sister wants to be together with you~"

    "Don¡¯t stick to me, stop clinging onto me, and don¡¯t squeeze me with your breasts!"

    Honestly, why did she have to do things to such a degree? While Kaho put on a helpless expression, truthfully speaking, she was a little moved inside.

    "I just arrived at your school and was about to call your cell phone when I happened to see you¡­ By the way, Kaho, what were you doing just now?"

    "Er¡­ I said it was nothing, really."

    "Tell your sister: if there¡¯s anything that¡¯s troubling you, I can help!"

    Karen really wanted to have a better rtionship with her younger sister Kaho.

    Until two weeks ago, the rtionship between them had been like ice.

    Ever since thest time she proactively tried to break the ice between them, they began speaking more to each other, and their rtionship was gradually warming.

    Karen was delighted at this development but felt that she still needed to work harder.

    Now that she discovered something was troubling her sister, there was no way she could just leave it be!

    "Tell me, Kaho¡ªyour sister really can help you."

    "You¡¯re annoying¡ªit has nothing to do with you¡­"

    "You¡¯re my younger sister, so it has everything to do with me!"

    Kaho felt even more helpless upon hearing this.

    "Just don¡¯t worry about me¡­ You¡¯re here for the school festival, right? I¡¯ll apany you to see the sights. Stop asking me about what happened just now."

    While Karen was unhappy to see her younger sister shutting her out again, she could only temporarily give up.

    And so, the pair of sisters began touring the school.

    Kaho didn¡¯t know how to face Harano-san for the time being, so she could only use the excuse of having to apany her sister to avoid him for now.

    ¡­

    Seiji was rather surprised to find out that the other person spying on him had been Kaho Miyamoto.

    ¡®I wonder why she was spying¡­ I should ask her when I see her again.¡¯

    At any rate, it was only a small matter to him.

    ''Her sneeze even helped snap me back to my senses, so perhaps I should thank her?'' Seiji thought to himself.

    While spying wasn¡¯t exactly moral behavior, he didn¡¯t intend to make a big deal out of it.

    "Your actions weren¡¯t quite all that good, but it¡¯s not really a big deal. Let¡¯s just forget about it, Mika."

    He smiled at Mika to indicate that he forgave her.

    The double pigtailed girl blushed slightly.

    And so, the incident concluded.

    "Would you like to tour the school festival together before lunch?"

    "Yeah¡­"

    Even if it was only for a short while, Mika felt happy to be able to tour the school festival together with Seiji.

    While walking together, she told him about what she just experienced.

    "Rion and Kotomi Amami helped you out¡­" Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise.

    Those twin girls actually became members of the Morals and Discipline Committee!

    That was rather astonishing, but if he considered it closely, it was a wise decision for them to make.

    If they became connected to the Morals and Discipline Committee, even if their situation didn¡¯t improve significantly, it wouldn¡¯t get any worse for them thanks to their innate talent.

    On one hand, they would receive a certain amount of protection. On the other hand, they would also have the chance to change everyone¡¯s impressions of them¡­ at any rate, it was a good move.

    Seiji was curious about how they managed to join thatmittee.

    It was the Morals and Discipline Committee! Thatmittee would most definitely have a terrible opinion of the "twin witches." Just how did they convince themittee to let them join?

    That was the true mystery.

    Even though there was a bit of a mystery, it was still a good thing. Rion and Kotomi had changed themselves and were working hard in a positive direction.

    ¡®I should thank them the next time I see them to express my gratitude as Mika¡¯s friend,¡¯ Seiji mused.

    After that, he and Mika randomly went to various ssrooms¡¯ programs for the school festival and enjoyed themselves.

    During lunch.

    "I am the Fire Nation warrior, Wakamei Touhou! Who dares challenge me to battle!?"

    Chiaki jumped out and made a ferocious-looking pose.

    "Heh¡­" Seiji put down his lunchbox which contained fried noodles.

    "I am the Sand Nation¡¯smander, Murong the Unmatched! I shall use these twin des to take your head!!"

    With a chopstick in each hand, he also posed ferociously.

    The tomboy and handsome boy faced off against each other, before both giving a loud shout and rushing at each other in a "fight" with exaggerated movements and words.

    Mika was rendered speechless by this spectacle.

    Mika¡¯s eyes turned empty and hollow as she watched the two idiots getting more and more engrossed in their yacting to the extent where even some bystanders gathered around to watch them.

    "I have defeated the enemy general!"

    Seiji disyed a victory pose that he mimicked from Dynasty Warriors as he copied one of its lines.

    "Urk¡­ I actually lost! Damn it!"

    Chiaki pretended to copse onto the ground and wallow in regret.

    ¡®Just how did you two determine who won and lost!?¡¯ Mika was forcefullymenting on this situation in her mind.

    The bystanders even began apuding this amazing (ridiculous) spectacle.

    "Thanks for everyone¡¯s appreciation! Thanks so much!"

    "If you go to the auditorium at 2:00 p.m., you can see an even more exciting performance! Please support us!!"

    Seiji and Chiaki had the gall to thank the audience for their support, and thetter even attempted to advertise her club.

    Mika didn¡¯t even know what to say anymore.

    She felt the urge to pretend to be unfamiliar with the two idiots.

    "Oh my, I was just having a joke at first, but I never expected you to go along with it and do such a good job, Seiji! You¡¯re quite talented¡ªwhy don¡¯t you just join drama club?"

    "Forget it¡ªit¡¯s fine once in a while like this, but if I act like that every day I¡¯d die of embarrassment."

    ¡®I can¡¯t tell that you¡¯re embarrassed at all! It seemed like you were having so much fun!¡¯ Mika red at him out of the corner of her eye.

    "Not at all¡ªyou¡¯ll get used to it and open up a new world of possibilities!" Chiaki shed a brilliant smile as she gave him a huge thumbs-up.

    "I¡¯d prefer to stay in this current world, thank you very much." Seiji retrieved his fried noodle lunchbox and went back to eating.

    "Your fried noodles¡­ they gave you such an ample amount." Chiaki noticed that he had so many fried noodles that they were almost bursting out of the lunchbox.

    "Watari-san and Kobayashi-san were generous enough to give them to me," Seiji exined. "They¡¯re currently helping out with the cooking club¡¯s fried noodle stand, and they gave me extra when they saw it was me."

    He had been astonished to see the two delinquents Kahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashi selling fried noodles.

    When he asked them what they were doing, he learned that this was the cooking club¡¯s noodle stand, but they weren¡¯t members of the club. They were helping out because they were being paid to do so.

    Seiji could tell that while Watari and Kobayashi weren¡¯t particrly passionate about this job, they weren¡¯t cking off either.

    Who had them do such a task? And why was it that they didn¡¯t resist?

    Seiji was rather curious.

    But he didn¡¯t inquire too deeply, as it wasn¡¯t the time or ce to chat back then.

    "Watari-san and Kobayashi-san¡­ how unexpected." Chiaki blinked in surprise. "Seiji, when did you get to know them?"

    "Well, some stuff happened."

    Seiji smiled as he ate another mouthful of fried noodles.

 Chapter 192 - Is the School Festival a Martial Arts Competition?

    <h4>Chapter 192: Is the School Festival a Martial Arts Competition?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Everyone had their own story.

    This was quite ordinary logic. Seiji was feeling the truth of this maxim after he learned that the twin sisters had joined the Morals and Discipline Committee and that the delinquent duo had some type of rtionship with the cooking club.

    While he was busy with his own affairs, people that he knew were also leading their own lives.

    Seiji briefly exined how he met Kahei Watari and Takashi Kobayashi to Chiaki and Mika.

    He didn¡¯t mention the part about the Juumonji mafia group and only told them about how he saved the two delinquents.

    "So you save more than just beautiful girls or beautiful boys." Chiaki came to such a conclusion when he finished.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Just what was up with that remark of hers!?

    "You make it sound like I¡¯m only willing to help beautiful people¡­"

    "I thought that you were such a person, but now I know you aren¡¯t. Congrattions, how wonderful! Congrattions, how wonderful~"

    "What¡¯s with your congrattions!?"

    While retorting forcefully, Seiji used his chopsticks to speedily steal a rib from Chiaki¡¯s lunch and ced it in his mouth.

    "This is to make up for the harm you¡¯ve caused to my delicate heart."

    "Will that be sufficient payment?"

    "It''s not enough! I still want your fried egg and your takoyaki!"

    "Okay okay~ you can have them~~" Chiaki smiled rather gently.

    Mika blinked upon witnessing this scene.

    "Seiji was confessed to," she began abruptly, "by a beautiful girl named Yukari Asamiya. It was a truly amazing confession."

    Chiaki¡¯s expression froze over.

    "Yukari Asamiya¡­" She regained herposure and thought about this person. "I¡¯ve heard about her, the ¡®Princess¡¯ of Year 1, ss 3."

    "You know her?"

    "¡®Princess?¡¯"

    Seiji and Mika both entered their curious modes.

    "I¡¯ve only heard some stories about her. This girl¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s existence, in our freshman year, Yukari Asamiya would definitely be the number one most popr girl in our grade."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Eh¡­"

    Seiji and Mika both revealed expressions full of surprise and amazement.

    "Neither of you two pay much attention to rumors, so it¡¯s only natural that you didn¡¯t know. Allow me to fill you in."

    Chiaki pretended to put on some teacher¡¯s sses and lifted up her chopsticks, waving them around like a whip.

    "For all the girls and boys in our freshman year, there¡¯s a publicly acknowledged poprity ranking for the top ten."

    "For the girls, the number one rank solidly belongs to Natsuya Yoruhana. The student council president and scion¡¯s points are so far in front that it could be said her poprity exceeds that of the next nine girlsbined."

    "Number two is the student council vice president Hitaka Shuho, our president¡¯s so-called ¡®servant.¡¯ Some people believe that she shouldn¡¯t really be number two, as she¡¯s only there because of her association with number one. But it¡¯s an indisputable fact that Shuho-san is ranked number two, regardless of the reason behind her poprity."

    "Number three is Yukari Asamiya. To sum up her as the ¡®Princess¡­¡¯" Chiaki pointed at Seiji with her pretend whip and said, "She¡¯s a weaker version of Seigo Harano!"

    "Hah?" Seiji and Mika made twin exmations of astonishment.

    "A weaker version of¡­"

    "Me?"

    Chiaki nodded as she twirled her pretend whip.

    "Her ssmates in Year 1 ss 3 give her the review of beautiful, regal, honest, and direct. As for her stories, I¡¯ve heard many regarding how she helped other people or generously solved their problems for them. In summation, she¡¯s an outstanding yet humble person who helps others of her own volition and can be direct yet not overly blunt at the same time."

    "This¡­ she really does sound rather like Seiji." Mika looked at the boy beside her.

    "Yep, although her stories aren¡¯t as ridiculous as the ones about Seiji, her overall style is quite simr, which is why I said that." Chiaki nodded as she pointed with her whip once more. "And stories aside, just looking at people¡¯s evaluations of them, apart from the fact that she and Seiji are different genders, everything else is almost exactly the same."

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find any words to say at this.

    "As for the boys¡¯ poprity rankings, Seigo Harano is approximately in fourth ce right now, but I expect that he¡¯ll be able to jump to number one soon, since he defeated the ¡®twin witches.¡¯" Chiaki chuckled. "This incident has far more influence than you two can imagine, as it can be said to have overturned the entire rtionship web among all the second-year high schoolers!"

    "In such a short time, its effects have already be noticeable, and it will continue growing."

    "Another way to say it, Seiji, is that your name is going to eventually spread through the entire second year! You only had some fame as the ¡®destroyer of clubs¡¯ before, but now you¡¯re bing rather famous as the ¡®magic-devouring dragon!¡¯"

    "I expect that stories about the ¡®magic-devouring dragon¡¯ will spread out through the entire second year, before gradually bing known to the entire high school; perhaps it will even spread to the middle school section."

    "So, rejoice, Seigo Harano-sama! Your legend shall be known by all, and you shall take the venerated position of the number one most popr boy!"

    Chiaki opened up her arms and acted as if she were performing in a y.

    "It seems like I¡¯m supposed to be happy about it¡­ but I somehow can¡¯t bring myself to do so." Seiji smiled wryly.

    "Magic-devouring dragon¡­" Mika muttered to herself, ncing at Seiji''s side profile.

    Although it sounded rather embarrassing if she epted it¡­ it actually seemed rather cool!

    The double pigtailed girl¡¯s face began to flush red.

    "That¡¯s about all I know, and it¡¯s mostly based on hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt." Chiaki stopped acting like she was a lecturer. "By the way, how was the result? Seiji, did you ept the ¡®Princess''s¡¯ confession?"

    "How could I? I only met her for the first time just earlier." Seiji sighed. "While I¡¯m happy to be confessed to, epting¡­ and entering a rtionship with a girl I just met for the first time isn¡¯t something I can do."

    "What a pity¡ªshe¡¯s the third most popr girl in our grade."

    "That sounds rather strange¡­ since I didn¡¯t know about such a poprity ranking. But even if I knew, it¡¯s still the same, isn¡¯t it?"

    "Tsk, such a narrow-minded man."

    "Does this have anything to do with narrow-mindedness!?"

    Chiaki kept giggling in response to Seiji¡¯s retorts.

    "Your first confession is from a girl who¡¯s ranked number three in our grade; it shows how incredible of a person you are. I really look forward to who else you might end up facing in the future."

    "Now that sounds even stranger¡­ stop making it sound like it¡¯s a martial artspetition!"

    "From a certain perspective, the school festival is a martial artspetition. There¡¯s plenty ofpetitors (boys and girls) participating in duels (confessions)."

    Seiji couldn¡¯t respond to this.

    "Participant Seigo Harano has started off by defeating someone as strong as number three and is about to march towards the top of the school!"

    "Stop saying it like this is the beginning of a hot-blooded action manga!"

    This was too much for him to handle.

    ¡­

    After lunch, Seiji read through the love letters.

    He mainly wanted to see if there was anyone who requested to meet him during the school festival¡­ and there was.

    Seiji wrote down all the times and ces, and discovered that there would be no idents¡­ er, oveps, which was good.

    He just needed to go to all those ces at the appropriate times.

    He already survived the number three¡¯s attack¡­ er, a more appropriate way to put it was that after experiencing a confession like Yukari Asamiya¡¯s, he was now more resistant to confessions and felt that he could deal with them.

    After that, it was time to call Peach-sensei!

    Seiji dialed the number he had previously saved on his cell phone.

    The call connected.

    "H-Haruta-kun¡­" a weak female voice stammered from the other end of the call.

 Chapter 193 - Going Outside

    <h4>Chapter 193: Going Outside</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mayuzumi Amami finally received the phone call she had been waiting for.

    She had been looking forward to the agreed upon date, but now that it was here, she was so nervous that she was trembling and unsure of herself.

    Should she contact him of her own volition or wait for him to contact her?

    Just this question gave her over an entire hour¡¯s worth of frustration. She called her cousin Rika Amami, but the only response she received from her cousin was "Just do whatever you like!"

    "Are you a middle school girl that¡¯s going out to have fun with a boy for the first time to get frustrated over such a small matter!?" scolded her older cousin when she heard of her ''dilemma.'' "By the way, even among middle school girls nowadays, it¡¯s really rare to find one as shy as you."

    "Seiji Haruta is a good kid¡ªjust rx and be casual with him."

    Rika told Mayuzumi and went on saying simr stuff before she hung up.

    Mayuzumi could only copse listlessly on her bed.

    She honestly didn¡¯t have to courage to voluntarily call him first, so she chose to wait.

    At noon, she received a call from his number.

    "H-Haruta-kun¡­" she answered the call by speaking in a weak voice.

    "Peach-sensei, it¡¯s me. Long time no see." A hearty male voice spoke up from the other end of the call. "Sorry that I took so long to contact you. I had to help out my ss with their store earlier this morning, which is why I didn¡¯t have any free time until now."

    "So how about you, Sensei? Do you have time toe over and have some fun?"

    His words were so open and direct.

    Just like the way he remained in her memories¡­ this was only natural though, as only a few weeks had passed by.

    Mayuzumi no longer felt as nervous when she recalled her previous meeting with him.

    Just like Rika said, he was a trustworthy boy.

    ''I should just rx and be casual with him.''

    "I-I¡¯m free."

    "That''s great. Shall I wait for you at school ore by to pick you up?"

    "Er¡­" Mayuzumi was unable to respond immediately.

    ¡®When was thest time I went outside by myself?¡¯

    Going outside by herself to an unfamiliar ce? Just imagining it seemed really scary.

    Let hime and pick her up? This also seemed a little¡­

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "I got it." The voice on her cell phone spoke up again. "I¡¯lle over and pick you up, Sensei. What¡¯s your address?"

    "Er¡­ this¡­ troublesome¡­"

    "It¡¯s not troublesome at all¡ªjust tell me your address," he said in a steady tone.

    In Mayuzumi''s mind, Seiji''s image instantly felt more reliable.

    Mayuzumi blinked.

    "Then¡­ Sorry to trouble you." She told him her address.

    "Okay, got it. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can."

    Just like that, he hung up the phone call.

    Mayuzumi stared at her cell phone for a long time as she rubbed her chest and released her breath that she had been holding.

    It was great that their conversation proceeded smoothly.

    She didn¡¯t leave him with a bad impression of her¡­ probably.

    Mayuzumi put down her cell phone and curled up on her bed while hugging her pillow.

    There was no logic to her androphobia. Even if she didn¡¯t want to, she would still feel insecure and nervous when dealing with anyone male.

    ¡®Can I do a good job? Can I face Haruta-kun? What if he hates me¡­ No, no! I can¡¯t think such thoughts.¡¯

    All she could do now was continue to wait.

    ¡­

    Seiji rang the doorbell to Mayuzumi Amami¡¯s apartment.

    He recalled the way she appeared from theirst meeting.

    She was probably dressed like that again¡­ That seemed probable, or else she¡¯d probably be wearing something like a full outfit of sportswear.

    She was a manga author, after all; she didn¡¯t need to care about her personal appearance.

    Honestly speaking, Seiji felt that it was a bit of a waste. With Peach-sensei¡¯s innate beauty, if she took better care of herself, she¡¯d definitely be a great beauty.

    But Seiji also believed that people were free to dress however they liked. Besides, Sensei had androphobia, so looking more beautiful would probably increase the risk for her.

    Thoughts like these ran through Seiji''s mind as he waited for the door to open.

    A few momentster, the door opened.

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    "Sensei¡­"

    Seiji was on the verge of greeting her, but he paused in surprise when he saw her appearance.

    Mayuzumi Amami¡¯s brownish-grey hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her bangs were tied back neatly with a barrette to reveal her white and beautiful face. She was wearing a pair of ck-rimmed sses together with a woolen shirt and a small jacket on top, and a flower-patterned long skirt below. Although the overall style was in, it was elegant in nature, and her protruding breasts gave her a womanly charismatic appeal.

    While she wasn¡¯t astonishingly beautiful, she still seemed like a nice ssical beauty!

    At least that was what Seiji believed.

    This in and normal style that disyed her mature, womanly appeal was right in the middle of Seiji¡¯s strike zone and caused him to be stunned for several seconds.

    "¡­Hello."

    "Hello¡­"

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "Er¡­ Sensei, I feel that your current appearance¡­ is quite nice." Seiji gave her his honest praise.

    It was definitely much better thanst time!

    "Thank you¡­" Mayuzumi lowered her head and clenched her hands.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know if she was being shy or anxious.

    ¡®She¡¯s probably nervous and anxious, since she has androphobia and I¡¯m a male,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself. ¡®I need to be as considerate as I can.¡¯

    "If you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s go."

    "Okay¡­"

    Seiji walked in front of Mayuzumi.

    When he reached the elevator, Seiji turned around and instantly felt rather helpless.

    She was literally walking four meters behind him!

    This distance made it seem like they were perfect strangers.

    "Sensei, could you walk a little closer? At this distance¡­ we wouldn¡¯t even be able to get on the same elevator."

    "S-Sorry¡­" Mayuzumi slowly walked closer.

    She stopped at a distance of approximately one meter from him.

    Was this the limit for her? Okay, this seemed fine.

    The elevator arrived quickly.

    When the elevator arrived, there was a jacket-wearing middle-aged man already inside.

    Even one meter apart from her, Seiji noticed that Mayuzumi stiffened.

    "Sensei¡­ is it alright?"

    ¡®Should we wait for the next elevator?¡¯ He asked that question using his eyes.

    "I-It¡¯s fine." Mayuzumi forced herself to say that even though her muscles were stiff and tensed.

    ¡®Is everything really fine?¡¯ Seiji was rather worried.

    But since she herself said it was fine, they at least had to try.

    He walked into the elevator.

    Mayuzumi also slowly entered.

    The jacket-wearing middle-aged man felt that something was a little strange and shot an inquisitive look towards her.

    Mayuzumi instantly froze overpletely!

    ¡®So scary, so scary, so scary!¡¯

    She was about to tremble when she saw a tall figure block the middle-aged man¡¯s line of sight.

    It was Haruta-kun.

    "Sensei, it¡¯s fine¡ªjust rx."

    Seiji figured out that this wasn¡¯t good for her and instantly moved to block the middle-aged man¡¯s line of sight as he talked as gently to her as possible.

    "Mmm¡­ Mmm."

    Mayuzumi nodded as she retreated into the elevator¡¯s corner and did her best to loosen her tension.

    The tall Haruta-kun not only blocked the other man¡¯s line of sight, he evenpletely blocked out the other man¡¯s body from her own line of vision.

    This indeed helped her to rx.

    Even though Haruta-kun was a boy as well¡­ he was special!

    Mayuzumi believed in this and made an effort to increase her belief in this point.

    Otherwise, she would be unable to ept even his help.

    The elevator stopped.

    The jacket-wearing man exited rather quickly. Perhaps he was in a hurry to begin with, or maybe he felt that the boy and woman riding together in the same elevator were rather strange.

    "Sensei, are you alright?"

    "I-I¡¯m fine."

    "That¡¯s good, then." Seiji shed a gentle smile. "Sensei, you¡¯re working hard. There''s no need to rush¡ªwe can take things slowly."

    There was no helping it; after all, it was a legitimate phobia.

    It was good that she wanted to conquer her fear, but there was no need to challenge herself too much either. Slow steps were fine.

    As long as she made steady progress, it was certain that she would eventually ovee her phobia.

    Seiji smiled in an attempt to transmit such a message.

    Mayuzumi seemed to feel something from his smile as she also smiled back at him.

    "Okay¡­"

    The two of them exited the elevator and walked out of her apartment. It was a nice and sunny day.

    Their date had begun.

 Chapter 194 - Bus

    <h4>Chapter 194: Bus</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    They met their first obstacle immediately.

    "So the bus will be the first level¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin.

    On their way to the bus stop, he had noticed Mayuzumi''s obvious trepidation.

    There weren¡¯t too many people waiting for the bus at this time of day, but of course there were still some people which obviously included males.

    He felt sorry for how she was acting like a scared rabbit.

    Should he call for a taxi?

    His wallet would take a huge hit!

    For a part-time worker like him, the taxi fee from here to Genhana High School would cost quite a lot.

    But seeing how she currently was¡­ Sigh.

    "Sensei, let¡¯s take a taxi instead," Seiji said while mentally apologizing to his wallet.

    "There''s n-no need," Mayuzumi refused. "People¡­ men¡­ there aren¡¯t very many; I can do it¡­"

    She was very afraid.

    Her body wanted to escape, but that was no good.

    She needed to build up her courage and try her best to face all difficulties!

    The bus eventually arrived.

    Everyone lined up in an orderly fashion and began getting on the bus.

    "Sensei¡­"

    "Yeah¡­"

    Seiji walked in front and got on the bus.

    Mayuzumi followed him and also got on the bus, albeit a little slower than him.

    There was still an empty seat.

    Seiji let Mayuzumi sit down and stood an appropriate distance away from her.

    Mayuzumi felt a sense of relief as she sat down and saw how considerate he was. He stayed neither too close nor too far away from her.

    Her body wasn¡¯t as tense as before now.

    She looked out the window as the bus began driving.

    She hadn''t taken the bus for quite a long time.

    She didn¡¯t need to go out very often for her work, and the few times she did, she would usually take a taxi.

    To be honest, she really wanted to take a taxi this time as well and was on the verge of bringing it up herself.

    But she actually rejected Haruta-kun when he brought it up.

    She didn¡¯t know what exactly she was thinking either, but¡­ it was great that she wasn¡¯t running away!

    That was what Mayuzumi honestly believed.

    The first two stops passed by without incident, but many people suddenly got on the bus at the third bus stop!

    They were all young people wearing business attire¡­ were they going to an interview together or some type of group activity?

    No matter what, this was a bad situation for her.

    Seiji shot a nce at Mayuzumi and noticed that her face had be ashen pale; she seemed like she was about to begin trembling.

    He could only get closer to her so that he could use his own body to block all those men and women that just got on the bus¡­ well, mainly to block the men that were all strangers.

    Arge crowd squeezed onto the bus.

    Seiji was pushed by the crowd right next to Mayuzumi.

    "Sensei, how are you?"

    Mayuzumi didn¡¯t respond; instead, she curled up and attempted to make her body appear smaller.

    ¡®Just what should I do in this situation?

    ¡®Should we get off the bus at the next stop? No! When the bus is this crowded, it¡¯s certain that she¡¯ll have to have physical contact with other men in order to get off, which will be terrible for her.

    ¡®Sensei will just have to bear with it for a while¡­ I hope that all these people get off before the bus stop close to Genhana High School.¡¯

    "Sensei, just hold on for a little while. Everything will be alright." He tried to speak in his gentlest possible tone.

    Mayuzumi slowly looked towards him and nodded with an expression that seemed like she was about to cry.

    The bus continued on its path.

    It was a long period of difort for her.

    Seiji, who was observing Mayuzumi all this time, could tell that her mental condition was deteriorating.

    Thisrge group of men and women didn¡¯t get off the bus anywhere.

    And finally, just as Seiji was feared, therge group was still on the bus by the time they arrived at the bus stop closest to Genhana High School.

    He didn¡¯t really want to do this, but¡­ should they give it a try?

    "Sensei, it¡¯s our stop. Shall we¡­ try getting off?" Seiji asked her cautiously.

    ¡®Get off the bus¡­ and squeeze my way through this crowd of people?¡¯

    Just thinking about it caused Mayuzumi to begin shivering.

    ¡®No, impossible¡ªI can¡¯t do it!¡¯

    She didn¡¯t verbally respond and continued retreating into herself on her bus seat.

    Seiji could tell the answer just by looking at her.

    "Okay, there''s no need to worry," he said in a gentle voice. "We don¡¯t need to get off now. We can wait and get off the bus after thisrge group of people leaves."

    The bus drove on past Genhana High School.

    The tortuous time continued for Mayuzumi.

    Therge group of men and women that had got on the bus together finally exited the bus three stopster.

    By this time, Mayuzumi waspletely curled up into a ball. She was shivering with both hands covering her face and crying softly.

    Seiji was ovee by guilt upon seeing this sight.

    Some passengers noticed the situation and were looking questioningly in their direction.

    Seiji didn¡¯t care about what others thought. He just hoped that nobody would do something like call the police, as that would be awkward¡­

    ¡®We should have taken a taxi after all!¡¯

    He sighed to himself, but there was no use in crying over spilled milk.

    "Sensei, they¡¯ve gotten off the bus already. Let¡¯s get off the bus as well at the next stop."

    Mayuzumi sniffled and somehow managed to stop her crying as she nodded.

    The two of them got off at the next stop.

    After leaving the bus stop, they went to a nearby coffee caf¨¦.

    There were very few customers in this store at this time.

    Seiji had Mayuzumi sit in a seat by the corner while he asked the male waiter for a kettle of ck tea before he sat down across from her.

    He wanted to say something, but stopped himself because he felt that perhaps temporary silence would be better for her.

    Momentster, the waiter brought their ck tea. Seiji stood up to receive it from him and ced it on their table himself.

    When he finished pouring the tea and ced a cup in front of Mayuzumi, the manga author finally spoke again.

    "Thank you¡­"

    "Sensei, are you alright?"

    "I think¡­ I¡¯m a little better."

    Mayuzumi reached out and cupped her hands around the warm teacup as she revealed a weak smile.

    Her eyes were red, her face was still pale, and it was easy to see that she wasn¡¯t feeling too good.

    "You can slowly rx in here. There are very few people, and it¡¯s pretty quiet," Seiji said gently as he took a sip of his own tea.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ this tea doesn¡¯t seem all that good. I must have had too much good tea at the president¡¯s residence, making me pickier than before.¡¯

    Thinking about the tea¡¯s quality and the techniques for making tea¡­ Houjou-senpai¡¯s figure appeared in his mind.

    Seiji¡¯s mouth gradually arced upwards.

    "I just recalled someone who¡¯s quite excellent at making tea¡­" He started a conversation.

    This person was a maid to the current student council president, and an ex-student council president herself, plus she had the rather ridiculous nickname of "Smiling Executioner."

    ck-and-white maid attire looked perfectly beautiful on her, and she was supremely skilled at making tea as well as cooking and could even bake desserts such as red bean cakes.

    ¡®There¡¯s actually a girl like this in real life?¡¯

    Mayuzumi was interested in the conversation topic that Seiji chose.

    As a female manga author as well as otakudy, she was quite interested in the concept of maids. Hearing about such a person in reality would naturally catch her attention.

    Seiji used Houjou-senpai as a topic to catch her interest, and after she responded, he chatted about what he knew about the maid before moving on to another topic of conversation.

    And so, the atmosphere finally became less tense.

    The two of them had so much fun chatting that it seemed like they were unable to stop!

    After all, this was a conversation between an otaku and a female otaku manga artist.

    They hadmon interests, so after they broke the ice, they chatted on endlessly about a multitude of different topics.

    Without realizing it, they even finished their kettle of ck tea, and, as both of them were still in the right mood, they ordered a new kettle of green tea.

    They also ordered various confectioneries toplement their tea.

    They had forgotten about their original objective of touring the school festival and lost themselves in conversation.

    "Eh? It¡¯s going to develop in that direction!?" Seiji eximed in surprise after learning about the newest scenario in the "Honey Candy Girl" anime.

    "What a wondrous development. However, after considering it closely, there has indeed been foreshadowing for this."

    He praised Mayuzumi¡¯s amazing story writing abilities as an author for several seconds before he realized something.

    "Wait a moment¡ªthis new development hasn¡¯t been revealed yet, right? Is it really alright to¡­ give me such a spoiler?"

    The female manga author¡¯s smile froze solid.

    "This¡­ I just happened to casually say it, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­ right?" She awkwardly averted her gaze.

    Seiji was at a loss for how to respond.

    ¡®Hey, this is obviously a problem!¡¯

    "Sensei¡¯s creation is hugely popr, and spoiling something that hasn¡¯t been publicized yet could be rather troublesome¡­ You should be more cautious."

    "Wah¡­ will Haruta-kun tell other people?" Mayuzumi lowered her head slightly as she realized she had made a mistake.

    "Of course not¡ªI¡¯ll guard the secret to my death!" An indescribable light shed through Seiji¡¯s eyes. "But still, it¡¯s bad to give spoilers, so let¡¯s not do that again, Sensei."

    "Wahh¡­ Haruta-kun, you sound rather like Saki."

    Saki, that was Saki Yoshizawa, the editor.

    Of course, Mayuzumi knew that Seiji was acquainted with Editor Yoshizawa and that they were coborating on a story together.

    "Oh, since you mentioned Editor Yoshizawa¡­ Sensei, what type of person do you think she is?"

    Seiji took a sip of tea and asked a casual question.

    Mayuzumi didn¡¯t have a chance to respond because her cell phone rang at this time.

 Chapter 195 - Concern

    <h4>Chapter 195: Concern</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mayuzumi answered her ringing cell phone.

    "Hello, Saki?"

    Speak of the devil! They were just talking about her when she called!

    Well, these types of coincidences weren¡¯t all that umon.

    "I¡¯m with him right now¡­ I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s going well. Wah¡­ Sorry, it¡¯s actually not going that well."

    "No, no, I¡¯m fine! You don¡¯t have toe over¡ªdon¡¯t you still have work you¡¯re busy with?"

    Judging from the half of the conversation he could hear, Editor Yoshizawa sounded extremely concerned for Mayuzumi.

    Seiji recalled the figure of that icy female editor.

    He felt that with her personality, she would definitely rush over if she knew what had happened.

    Seiji was about to take another sip of his tea when his cell phone rang as well.

    The caller ID showed that it was from Mika.

    "Seiji, are you back at school?"

    "No, I¡¯m still outside. Some things happened while I was on my way over with Sensei," Seiji exined. "I¡¯m currently at a coffee cafe together with her."

    "Oh¡­ How¡¯s Peach-sensei doing?" Mika¡¯s voice contained obvious concern for him.

    "Her condition wasn¡¯t too good earlier," Seiji replied in a low voice, "but she¡¯s doing much better now. We¡¯re currently having tea and chatting."

    "Are you guysing back to school?"

    "It depends on the situation. If Sensei wants, then we¡¯ll go. If she doesn¡¯t, then I won¡¯t force her."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Don¡¯t mind us¡ªgo ahead and have fun with Chiaki."

    "Okay¡­" Mika¡¯s voice sounded a little lonely.

    Their call ended there.

    When Seiji looked across from him, he saw that Mayuzumi just happened to finish her call as well.

    "Saki¡¯s really worried about our situation and wanted to rush over immediately. I stopped her from doing so." Mayuzumi smiled wryly at her friend¡¯s concern.

    "Editor Yoshizawa¡¯s really concerned about Sensei."

    "Yes, and I¡¯m truly grateful to her¡­ it¡¯s just that sometimes, I think she can be too much of a worrywart." Mayuzumi sighed. "This one time when I was having a phone call with her, my cell phone ran out of battery, causing the phone call to be cut."

    "As a result, she took only five minutes to rush from the editing department to my home and check on my situation."

    Five minutes!?

    Seiji was astonished at this.

    While he didn¡¯t know just how far away Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s editing department was from Sensei¡¯s home, five minutes¡­ sounded too incredible!

    Did Editor Yoshizawa fly? Did she actually have the ability to secretly transform in phone booths!?

    There must be some mistake¡­ or was it that Editor Yoshizawa was a mystical ability user?

    ''No, no, it isn¡¯t possible to meet someone with powers so easily! I should stop randomly guessing.''

    "I was so shocked at that time. She was still panting with sweat pouring down her face, but after she confirmed that I was fine, she acted like her normal self."

    "I¡¯m truly grateful for the way she¡¯s taken such good care of me and her concern," Mayuzumi muttered. "But I also hope that she wouldn¡¯t worry so much."

    "So, she¡¯s like an overly protective big sister?"

    "Yeah¡­ you could say that." The female manga author tilted her head slightly. "I think that sometimes she treats me like a little child, or as if I can¡¯t do anything by myself without someone else around."

    ¡®¡­Honestly,'' Seiji remarked silently, ''I do get a little bit of that impression from you as well, Sensei.¡¯

    Although he hadn¡¯t known Mayuzumi Amami for very long, he had now fully realized why Editor Yoshizawa had told him that Peach-sensei was a woman who really needed someone to take care of her.

    Even though Mayuzumi was a popr manga author and professional who was already mature on the outside, she would break out into tears at simply a bus ride¡­

    ''No, no, stop thinking like that¡ªit would be too rude to Sensei, who''s working so hard to confront her fears.''

    At any rate, Seiji had such an impression already from just the short time he spent with her. In that case, it was perfectly understandable why Sensei¡¯s close friend, Editor Yoshizawa, would be so concerned about her.

    Seiji concluded that if Editor Yoshizawa knew about what just happened to Sensei on the bus, she would have rushed over here at top speed without listening to Sensei telling her not toe!

    Would it be a repeat of the astonishing five-minute record?

    He actually wanted to see it a little¡­

    Mayuzumi continued talking about some past events that had urred while she was together with Saki Yoshizawa.

    Seiji now had a better understanding of the deep friendship between Mayuzumi and Saki and had learned more about both of them.

    After a while, he nced at the time.

    "Sensei, do you still want to go to the school festival?"

    "If we go now¡­ is there still time to look around?"

    "There is, although there¡¯s not much time remaining." Seiji smiled lightly. "It¡¯s up to what Sensei wants¡ªeven if we don¡¯t go today, we can always go tomorrow. The school festivalsts more than one day."

    Mayuzumi lowered her head and remained silent for a considerable amount of time.

    "Let¡¯s go see it." She lifted her head again. "Just as Haruta-kun says, while the school festivalsts more than one day, just returning like this feels¡­"

    "Like you¡¯re admitting defeat?"

    "Yeah¡­"

    Seiji¡¯s faint smile arced upwards upon hearing this.

    "Okay, let¡¯s get going then." He indicated to the server that he wanted to pay the bill.

    This time a female waitress brought them their check, and, when Seiji brought out his wallet, he saw Mayuzumi cing some cash on the check first.

    "Sensei¡­"

    "Let me pay the bill¡ªI¡¯m the adult here!" Mayuzumi smiled. "Haruta-kun is really gentlemanly, but you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with money."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    This was the most adult-like he had ever seen this female manga author act.

    ¡­

    The two of them hailed a taxi to Genhana High School.

    Mayuzumi started tensing up again at the scene of so many people teeming around.

    "Sensei, let¡¯s go in."

    "Yeah¡­ yeah."

    Mayuzumi did her best to walk forward under Seiji¡¯s watchful eye.

    She tried walking as normally as possible in order to avoid attracting attention.

    Although she was a bit scared and instinctively wanted to walk slower, walking slower caused people to look at her inquisitively which made her even more scared.

    Walking and acting normally was the right way to do things.

    ¡®I¡­ can do it!¡¯

    Mayuzumi kept inwardly encouraging herself.

    A boy passed by her side.

    She was almost scared to the point of stopping dead in her tracks, but forced herself to continue only with her willpower.

    "Just like this, Sensei," someone praised from behind her. "Excellent job."

    Mayuzumi turned around to see Seiji Haruta looking gently in her direction.

    His expression bore resemnce to that of an adult encouraging a child.

    Mayuzumi felt both warm and embarrassed inside.

    "Haruta-kun, don¡¯t look at me like that."

    "Oh¡­ sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." Seiji retracted his gaze and fixed his sight forwards.

    "Sensei, you¡¯re¡­ really beautiful."

    "Er?"

    Mayuzumi felt like she received a sudden impact from this unexpected praise as something tightened in her chest.

    "Although you have a phobia and felt such difort on the bus earlier, you still resolved toe here and resolutely walk towards the crowd," Seiji said with a voice full of admiration. "Sensei, I feel that you¡¯re truly beautiful when you act like this."

    This was his honest and sincere praise.

    For someone to face his or her greatest fear and try their best to ovee it without escaping or stopping and resolutely pushing forwards¡­ this type of spirit and willpower was doubtlessly admirable.

    Peach-sensei, who had such resolve, could only be described as beautiful by him.

    That¡¯s what Seiji believed, and he told her this directly.

    Mayuzumi¡¯s heartbeat quickened, and her cheeks began to heat up upon hearing Seiji''s praise.

    ¡®This¡­ this¡­ Haruta-kun¡­¡¯

    She looked at the side profile of his face while inwardly feeling like she wanted to scream.

    ¡®How¡­ how on earth are you able to say something so embarrassing so naturally!?¡¯

 Chapter 196 - Lost

    <h4>Chapter 196: Lost</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mayuzumi was now experiencing just how scary boys could be in a different way.

    No, more urately speaking, she felt how scary the boy named Seiji Haruta could be.

    He had suddenly praised a woman next to him with utmost sincerity.

    It was clearly natural to him, and it obviously wasn¡¯t intentional ttery with hidden purposes; his words truly originated from his heart!

    Mayuzumi, who''d received such an unexpected attack, felt like she had been pierced by a sharp arrow as her heart was moved.

    She had never fallen in love before.

    But she had imagined being in love many times before and could recognize that this was the beginning of love¡ªromantic interest in a boy!

    The female manga author¡¯s face turned red as her emotions became chaotic.

    This child¡­ Haruta-kun¡­

    "Sensei."

    "Eh? W-what!?"

    "Would you like to y this?" Seiji pointed to a stall as he smiled.

    His faint smile seemed so gentle on his handsome face.

    ¡®Is this¡­ an added effect due to my fast heartbeat?¡¯

    Mayuzumi was dazed for a moment as she watched him.

    He never gave her such an impression earlier¡­

    Even though she felt that he was handsome and bright to the point of glowing, it was mere appreciation. It was much akin to watching a handsome idol on television: although she would recognise that the idol was good-looking, there were no romantic feelings involved.

    She never expected that after her heartbeat quickened, looking at him again¡­ felt so different from earlier!

    Mayuzumi was experiencing this for the first time in her life.

    Her heart was fluttering, and her face was ming hot¡­ how was she supposed to suppress this?

    ''I need to distract myself!''

    The manga author hurriedly looked at the stall he was pointing at.

    It was a shooting gamemonly found at any amusement attraction. There were various dolls ced on a shelf, and customers used a very simple toy air gun from the front to shoot the dolls. If they sessfully knocked over any dolls, they could take them.

    "Those dolls are all custom-made and aren''t purchasable anywhere else; they¡¯re all unique."

    Seiji introduced the stall¡¯s specialty to her.

    Mayuzumi also saw the same words being advertised on the stall¡¯s sign.

    Unique dolls crafted by the students¡­ the quality seemed pretty good as well, which would definitely attract customers as evidenced by the continuous stream of customers lining up.

    ¡®I want one¡­¡¯ whispered a tiny voice in Mayuzumi¡¯s heart.

    "Okay, let¡¯s go¡ªwe''ll give it one try." Seiji decisively walked up to the stall.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t wait for my reply¡­ no, he must have figured out from my expression that I wanted one.¡¯ Once again, Mayuzumi felt just how considerate he was.

    Such an amazing sessive attack from him.

    Not to mention he seemed to have zero awareness of it all¡­ Honestly¡­

    Seiji paid the money required for a try with the toy air gun.

    "Sensei,e over here."

    "Oh¡­ oh." Mayuzumi obediently walked closer.

    Only when she took the toy air gun from his hand did shee to the shocking realization that she was able to get so close to a boy!

    Even though she was still nervous, it waspletely different from nervous fear. Her body wasn¡¯t tense, nor did she feel ufortable in any way.

    This¡­ seemed pretty nice.

    With Seiji¡¯s instructions, Mayuzumi took her pose as she lifted the toy air gun and aimed.

    Three shotster¡­

    She had failed to hit any dolls.

    This was an obvious result. She felt rather helpless.

    "Sensei, good job."

    "Eh?" ¡®Why is he praising me?¡¯

    Seiji smiled lightly at her.

    "Thanks to Sensei, I now know how to hit the targets. Just watch me."

    His handsome face exuded self-confidence.

    For the second time, Mayuzumi was left dazed.

    Seiji paid again for another chance with the toy air gun.

    "Sensei, the one you want the most is the rabbit doll second from the right, correct?"

    Mayuzumi nodded.

    "Okay."

    Seiji took aim and fired!

    The first and second bullets both urately hit the target doll.

    The doll wasn¡¯t knocked over by either shot, but its position was shifted backwards. Atst, the third and final blow knocked it over with a headshot!

    The most important part was the location that was hit. Mayuzumi was able to notice this.

    "Congrattions to this customer for winning a prize!"

    The student running the stall gave Seiji the rabbit doll.

    Seiji took the doll and smiled as he handed it to Mayuzumi.

    "Thank you¡­"

    Mayuzumi epted the fluffy cute rabbit doll and felt its softness as she hugged it.

    Softness¡­ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but take a peek at Mayuzumi¡¯s breasts that were squeezed slightly out of shape as she hugged the rabbit doll.

    Mayuzumi felt shy when she detected his gaze¡­ but she didn¡¯t feel disgusted, repulsed, tense, or any other negative emotions.

    It wasn¡¯t that her androphobia had been cured.

    Her body and mind had managed to ept that Seiji Haruta was a special existence.

    Scary¡­ truly scary.

    ''Haruta-kun is too good at this,'' she thought to herself. ''It''s to the point of being overboard.''

    She snuck a look at the boy by her side, her face still flushed red.

    After that, the two of them explored the school festival for a bit.

    Seiji was considering whether or not he should contact Mika and Chiaki, or simply take Sensei to visit his ss¡¯s confectionery store with just the two of them.

    He felt that he should contact them and ask if they wanted to meet up and go together. If two extra girls came, Sensei would likely rx a bit more.

    ''I should ask Sensei¡¯s opinion first.''

    "Sensei¡­" He turned around but couldn''t see the manga author¡¯s figure anywhere.

    "Eh? Lost!?" He hurriedly looked around behind him when he heard her voice.

    Mayuzumi was standing several meters behind him and speaking to a little girl.

    "Sensei, what¡¯s the matter?" Seiji walked over.

    "This child got separated from her guardian," Mayuzumi replied.

    Seiji looked at the young girl.

    The girl appeared to be an elementary school student. She had braided light green hair and was wearing a floral-patterned one-piece dress with a thick jacket. She wore long socks and tiny leather shoes on her legs and feet

    The young girl had a pretty face andrge blue eyes. Her long eyshes which were tilted upwards gave her a cute, innocent appearance.

    She was staring at the rabbit doll that the manga author was clutching on to; it seemed like she really wanted it.

    ¡®So she got separated from her family¡¯s adults, and was attracted to this doll, which caused Sensei to notice her¡­¡¯ Seiji felt that was the likely course of events.

    "What¡¯s your name?" Mayuzumi asked gently.

    "My name¡­ I can¡¯t tell it so easily to strangers." The little girl¡¯s gaze moved from the rabbit doll to Mayuzumi.

    It seemed that she had decent knowledge on how to protect herself.

    Mayuzumi and Seiji exchanged nces.

    "It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell us. Do you have a cell phone?" Seiji asked.

    "Yes, but I don¡¯t have it with me right now." The elementary school girl nced at his face. "If I did, I would have called already." Her voice seemed a little depressed.

    "Then do you remember your parents¡¯ phone numbers?"

    "No¡­"

    "Then we can only go to the lost child booth."

    The young girl pouted slightly and kicked the ground.

    "I¡¯m definitely not a lost child."

    It seemed that she was prideful as well.

    Seiji¡¯s lips arced upwards.

    "I¡¯m sorry, but you definitely are a lost child. Just obedientlye with us."

    "Hmph¡­ I won¡¯t." The little girl averted her gaze. "As long as I wait here, my uncle will find me."

    It seemed that she was a stubborn one.

    Seiji chuckled.

    He walked in front of her and crouched down so that they were at the same eye level and looked into her face.

    "You¡­ you¡¯re really cute."

    The young girl was stunned for a moment before her face reddened and she twisted away in embarrassment.

    "For such a cute girl like you to stand here by herself, there¡¯s a chance that you may meet someone strange." Seiji¡¯s tone changed to a low and heavy one. "If you meet such a person, you may get off lightly with something bad happening to you, or at worst you may be kidnapped¡­ and that¡¯s no joking matter."

    The little girl couldn¡¯t find any words to reply with to this.

    "Perhaps you feel that admitting that you¡¯re lost is rather shameful, butpared to the possibility of meeting something bad, who cares about a little shame?

    "If you¡¯re a smart girl, you should have the self-awareness that you¡¯re really cute, and ce more importance on self-protection."

    Seiji stood up.

    "If you don¡¯t believe us or don¡¯t want to follow us, you can go find the Morals and Discipline Committee members. They¡¯re wearing emblems on their sleeves and are easy to identify, or you can find the big brothers and sisters that are running all these stalls here. They¡¯re all students at this school and won¡¯t harm you."

    He immediately turned towards the manga author as he finished speaking.

    "Let¡¯s go, Sensei."

    "Eh? But¡­"

    Mayuzumi seemed hesitant until she saw the look in Seiji¡¯s eyes and realized what he was up to.

    Seiji began walking off, and Mayuzumi took another look at the young girl before she followed him.

    After approximately six or seven steps¡­

    "Wait¡­ Wait!"

    The little girl called out to them.

    Seiji¡¯s smile widened as he revealed an expression of "all ording to n."

 Chapter 197 - Old Acquaintance

    <h4>Chapter 197: Old Acquaintance</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Please take me¡­ to that ce," the young girl requested shyly with a flushed face.

    ¡®Now that¡¯s really cute.¡¯

    Seiji inwardly praised her at this scene, while remaining calm on the surface.

    "Okay, follow us."

    He didn¡¯t say anything else to the girl as he led the way.

    ¡­

    Seiji and Mayuzumi followed the signs and took the little girl to the booth which was set up to deal with lost children.

    Coincidentally they saw a young green-haired man talking anxiously with the Morals and Discipline Committee members in charge here.

    He was tall and slender with a handsome face. He was wearing a dark-colored jacket and long pants, and his smallish eyes were set in a anxious, sweat-covered face.

    "Uncle!" the little girl shouted and ran towards him when she caught sight of his figure.

    The green-haired man turned around upon hearing her and showed an expression of shocked delight.

    "Reo!"

    He kneeled as he hugged the little girl.

    "You fool! Where did you run off to!? I was looking for you everywhere!!" His voice was filled with worry andint.

    "Uncle¡­" "My attention was diverted for a second and you disappeared! I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere in the middle school section!! I had toe look for you in the high school section, and here you are!"

    The man let go of her as he frowned and began to scold her in a severe tone. "Just how did you get over here!? If you got separated from me, then you should''ve waited where you were, or asked for help from nearby. Why did youe all the way to the high school section!?"

    "I-I don¡¯t know¡­" The little girl averted her gaze and lowered her head when faced with such strict questions.

    "It¡¯s dangerous to go so far away! I won¡¯t be able to find you!!" The green-haired man¡¯s voice was getting louder.

    It was obvious to tell that he was extremely worried, which was the source of his anger.

    "Excuse me, sir, let¡¯s calm down a little. It¡¯s easy to understand your feelings, but please don¡¯t get angry at such a ce." Seiji walked over and gently tried to alleviate the situation.

    "You¡¯re¡­" "I¡¯m a student from this school, and I just happened to see your niece standing there by herself, so I took her to the lost child booth here," Seiji answered calmly. "Your niece is really smart and knows how to be on guard against strangers. Perhaps she was trying to avoid some strange people which was why she walked all the way over to the high school section from the middle school section."

    "Is¡­ that so?" The young man frowned as he looked towards the little girl again.

    She slowly nodded.

    "If that¡¯s the case, then you were in the right¡­ No, wait, why did you follow him then?"

    The man¡¯s gaze moved from the little girl to the boy that he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡®Because my charisma stat is outstanding¡­¡¯ Of course, he couldn¡¯t say that out loud.

    "Because I¡¯m wearing a school uniform." Seiji shrugged as he extended his palms. "Wearing this school uniform means that I¡¯m a student from this school, plus I have a femalepanion, which makes me more trustworthy."

    "Oh¡­" The green-haired man nced at the woman standing beside Seiji.

    His expression froze over when his eyesnded on Seiji''s femalepanion.

    "You¡­ you¡¯re¡­ Mayuzumi Amami?"

    He spoke the manga author¡¯s real name out loud!

    ¡®Hm? You two know each other?¡¯

    Seiji looked towards Mayuzumi for confirmation.

    He saw that her entire body was tensed up and her face was ashen-white with obvious fear in her eyes! Her hands that were clutching on to the rabbit doll were even trembling.

    "Amami¡­ it¡¯s you, right?" The young man stood up again as he stared at her face. "I¡¯m Shouhei Hirai; it¡¯s been several years since ourst meeting¡­ do you still remember me?"

    Mayuzumi silently lowered her head without replying.

    Seiji furrowed his brows slightly upon seeing this.

    "Er¡­ I guess you don¡¯t really remember, haha¡­" The man let out a somewhat forced chuckle.

    Awkward silence fell between everyone.

    Seiji was just about to say something when the green-haired man turned around to speak to him again.

    "You¡¯re Amami-san¡¯s boyfriend?"

    "¡­No, just a normal friend." Seiji decided to answer this way.

    "I¡¯m a college ssmate of hers." The green-haired man smiled. "It¡¯s been several years since Ist met her, and I never expected to see her again here¡­" He sighed before lowering his head and bowing.

    "My gratitude to the two of you for helping out my niece." He formally gave them his thanks. "Reo, thank them as well."

    "Thank you¡­" The little girl politely bowed as well.

    "We just did what we should have; there''s no need to be so polite." Seiji also gave an appropriate response before he turned to Mayuzumi.

    "Let¡¯s go, Sensei."

    The manga author nodded slightly and slowly turned around to leave.

    An indescribable light shed in Shouhei Hirai¡¯s eyes as he watched them leave together.

    After walking a bit of a distance.

    "Sensei, who was that man just now?"

    Seiji tried asking her about it.

    Mayuzumi didn¡¯t answer and merely kept her head lowered as she continued walking in silence.

    "Sensei?" Seiji felt that something was wrong.

    The manga author stopped in her tracks.

    Then her body swayed as she fell forward!

    Seiji was able to catch her in time.

    She felt so soft, and he could faintly smell a whiff of her shampoo¡¯s scent¡­

    ''Cough, disappear, idle thoughts!''

    Seiji ced his hand on an appropriate location and carried the now-unconscious Mayuzumi in a princess carry.

    This was something which caught many people¡¯s attention as the bystanders looked on in curiosity.

    "A princess carry! Amazing!"

    "What happened to her?"

    "That boy is so handsome! I want to be in his embrace like that as well~~"

    "It¡¯s Harano-san¡­ Who¡¯s that woman?"

    It wasn¡¯t a good thing to attract so much attention.

    Seiji increased his pace as he went to the only ce he felt he should go to at this time.

    The infirmary.

    The blonde-haired nurse was sipping tea as she watched the festival from her window.

    ¡®It¡¯s so rowdy outside but so quiet in here¡­ which is a good thing. After all, it would be rather bad if the infirmary was crowded.¡¯

    Just as Kaede was thinking that to herself, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

    When she saw who it was, her eyes lit up.

    "Harano-kun¡­"

    "Juumonji-sensei, please take a look at this person."

    Seiji gently ced Mayuzumi on an infirmary bed.

    Kaede put down her teacup and immediately began inspecting Mayuzumi. "What¡¯s the matter with her?"

    "She¡­ has androphobia¡­"

    Seiji gave her a basic exnation.

    After a basic checkup.

    "She¡¯s fine," Kaede concluded after examining the unconscious girl. "There aren''t any serious problems with her physical condition. She¡¯ll naturally wake up after a bit of a rest."

    Seiji nodded. "That¡¯s good then."

    "So you¡¯re telling me that she saw¡­ a male ssmate from college and walked a little bit before fainting." Kaede looked at him for confirmation. "In that case, my best guess is that this college ssmate of hers must have left her with a dark memory in her heart."

    "That¡¯s my guess as well." Seiji folded his arms. "It¡¯s quite obvious that her condition became suddenly worse after meeting him. There must be some special reason."

    On the bus just earlier, Sensei was feeling so ufortable that she even cried, but she didn¡¯t faint. Just meeting that man made her faint so quickly!

    That man must have given her a negative stimtion that was far beyond the feeling of being crowded by other men on the bus¡­ or, it could also be taken as Sensei could have possibly received an additional shock after the overly stimting bus ride, overloading her mental capabilities and causing her to faint.

    No matter which it was, that man¡­ her college ssmate named Shouhei Hirai was definitely someone that Sensei was especially afraid of.

    Seiji furrowed his brows as he contemted the matter.

    Shouhei Hirai¡­ he didn¡¯t seem like such a bad person on the surface.

    ''Just what did he do to Sensei in the past?''

 Chapter 198 - Friends Younger Sister

    <h4>Chapter 198: Friend''s Younger Sister</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji recalled Rika Amami previously mentioning that Peach-sensei had only developed androphobia after meeting with an incident during college.

    Shouhei Hirai was Peach-sensei¡¯s college ssmate.

    In that case, was this guy the culprit behind Sensei¡¯s androphobia?

    It seemed possible¡­

    But the question was just exactly what could have happened?

    Seiji thought of two methods for obtaining the answer.

    The first would be to wait for Peach-sensei to wake up and ask her directly about it.

    The second would be to call Rika Amami, the confectionery store owner, right now.

    But if he asked for the answer, that would mean he was getting involved in this matter.

    He respected Sensei, got along quite well with her, and was willing to assist her. But still, they had known each other for a short time. For him to interfere just like this¡­ was it really appropriate?

    After consideration, Seiji felt that it wasn¡¯t.

    He decided to ask Sensei about it in an indirect manner after she woke up. If she wanted his assistance, then he would help out to the best of his ability. If she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, then he wouldn¡¯t pry any further¡­ that was what he ended up deciding.

    At that moment someone spoke up. "Are you thinking about how you can help her?"

    It was Kaede.

    The blonde-haired beauty was smiling widely as she looked at the boy.

    "No¡­ I don¡¯t even know what the situation is." Seiji shook his head. "If she tells me what¡¯s going on after she wakes up, and asks for my help, of course I¡¯ll help her. But¡­ she hasn¡¯t known me for all that long, so it¡¯s quite possible that she won¡¯t do that."

    "Oh¡­" Kaede blinked. "You¡¯re so gentlemanly."

    "Does this count as being gentlemanly?"

    "Yep, from my perspective it sure does. You¡¯re willing to help women, but you¡¯re not overly interfering in their lives and respect their privacy." Kaede looked searchingly at his face. "That¡¯s what makes a really great man."

    Seiji suddenly received heavy cannon fire!

    His face reddened as he coughed awkwardly.

    "You¡¯re being exaggerated with your praise, Juumonji-sensei. I was merely doing what a normal person would."

    Kaede smiled at him in response.

    After a momentary silence.

    "Have a cup of tea, Haruta-kun."

    The blonde-haired beauty brought out a new teacup from the cab and poured some tea for him.

    "Thank you." Seiji epted the teacup from her.

    Kaede also refilled her own cup and slowly began sipping tea again.

    Seiji also took a sip of the tea, inwardly noting that it was the perfect temperature, before looking back at her.

    Kaede Juumonji, the mafia family missus¡­ Honestly, he was clueless on how he should deal with or act around her.

    The two of them had a rather subtle rtionship. They weren¡¯t exactly friends, but if they became friends, it seemed¡­

    He suddenly recalled Yukari Asamiya.

    Seiji had rejected Yukari¡¯s confession but told her that they could begin by being friends. While this seemed like a polite rejection, Yukari seemed to ept starting as friends¡­ or at least Seiji felt she did.

    Kaede had expressed her feelings towards him just like Yukari, and he had also politely rejected her. But the difference was that he hadn¡¯t said that they should start by being friends, nor did Kaede request to be friends.

    Then came the question: what exactly was the current rtionship between him and Kaede?

    A love interest and a rejected confessor? Neighbors in the same apartment? An otaku and his friend¡¯s younger sister? A student and his infirmary nurse?"

    Seiji sighed inwardly. It seemed ratherplex.

    Seiji mulled it over and felt that the most important part to him was definitely "an otaku and his friend¡¯s younger sister!"

    It was a definite thing that he and Hisashi Juumonji were excellent otaku buddies.

    Kaede was Hisashi¡¯s younger sister, and Hisashi had told him to treat her well.

    ''Yes, I''ll treat her as "a friend¡¯s younger sister," and use that as the foundation! Excellent, I''vee to a decision.''

    An enigmatic light shed through Seiji¡¯s eyes shed as he determined his next course of action.

    "Juumonji-sensei¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "How''s your job as the health teacher and infirmary nurse?"

    Kaede tilted her head slightly. "I think it¡¯s alright."

    "Alright, I see¡­ What I meant was this: do you feel frustrated from your job? Or bored or anything like that?"

    "Hmm¡­ a little. There¡¯s some really annoying idiotic boys¡­ and when I have nothing to do and sit here by myself, it can also get a little boring."

    The blonde-haired teacher/nurse fixed her gaze on the boy.

    "Harano-kun, are you trying to show concern for me?"

    "Yes, you¡¯re Hisashi¡¯s younger sister, after all," Seiji replied calmly. "It¡¯s only natural to be concerned for my friend¡¯s younger sister."

    He intentionally ced more emphasis on the words "friend¡¯s younger sister."

    Kaede revealed a dazed expression before she chuckled.

    "Ha ha¡­ yeah, you¡¯re Elder Brother Hisashi¡¯s friend," she muttered with a chuckle. "Even though you¡¯re obviously several years younger than me, you¡¯re talking like someone from Hisashi¡¯s generation! It¡¯s so funny~"

    ¡®I definitely won¡¯t ever tell you that my true mental age is actually much older than yours,¡¯ Seiji quietly thought to himself.

    "Thanks for your concern¡ªthis job is actually one I¡¯m quite fond of, as I¡¯ve done it for some time now."

    Kaede took a sip of her tea and considered her next words before speaking again.

    "At first, there were many idiotic boys creating a lot of trouble for me, but they soon decreased in number. There¡¯s not actually that much to do, and while it may be boring sometimes, whenever I¡¯m busy I can realize the importance of my job and feel that what I¡¯m doing is quite meaningful."

    "A health teacher¡­ while her presence is easily forgotten at school, this is still an absolutely necessary character to have."

    "I remember that I said on my first day at work that I was delighted to have this job. I still feel the same way, and I believe I will continue to feel this in the future as well."

    She smiled sincerely as she spoke those words.

    It was rather difficult to imagine that the health teacher who could smile so gently was actually a mafia princess.

    "It¡¯s great that you enjoy it then." Seiji was somewhat dazzled by her smile.

    "What would happen if I didn¡¯t enjoy it, then?" Kaede changed the subject. "Harano-kun, would you feel bad about it inside?"

    "Eh?"

    "Would you feel responsible because I came all the way here for you and was only tolerating this job for your sake?" Kaede asked softly, taking a step closer to him.

    "Er¡­ I wouldn¡¯t," Seiji answered as he watched her close the distance between them.

    Kaede looked straight into his eyes, her face mere centimeters from Seiji''s.

    "I think you¡¯re lying," she stated in a gentle voice. "You¡¯d actually feel bad inside¡­ and feel responsible, right? After all, I¡¯m your ¡®friend¡¯s younger sister.¡¯"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    He was being checkmated by his own move!?

    "No, that¡¯s not right¡ªeven if you are my ¡®friend¡¯s younger sister,¡¯ I don¡¯t need to be concerned for you to such a degree!"

    Yep, that was it.

    She was the one who chose this job of her own volition, so why was he supposed to be responsible for it?

    "Oh, you¡¯re so cold." A strange look surfaced in Kaede¡¯s eyes.

    "Er¡­ that¡¯s right¡ªI¡¯m an ice-cold man."

    Seiji felt rather panicked when he saw that mysterious expression appear in Kaede¡¯s eyes and hurriedly averted his gaze. "I¡¯m only slightly concerned for you due to my friendship with your older brother; I definitely wouldn¡¯t feel responsible for you or anything like that!"

    "Is that so?" Kaede murmured in a downcast voice. "How regrettable¡­"

    ¡®Eh, did I go overboard?¡¯

    Seiji was worried that he hurt her feelings and turned around to look at her again.

    That¡¯s when Kaede took yet another step closer and hugged him!

    "Eh?"

    Seiji made a stupefied exmation.

    He saw that Kaede¡¯s face was flushed crimson. Her lips curled upwards alluringly when she noticed his gaze, and her watery eyes seemed to be shing.

    "You don¡¯t feel responsibility¡­ how terrible of you." Kaede clicked her tongue softly. "But," she whispered, "there are advantages to this as well."

    What¡­ advantages?

    "You don¡¯t need to feel responsible, so I only hope for you to console your ¡®friend¡¯s younger sister¡¯ that feels so lonely¡­ alright?"

    The seductive words spoken wistfully by the stunning blonde-haired nurse seemed to contain her fragrant scent.

 Chapter 199 - Non-acceptance

    <h4>Chapter 199: Non-eptance</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    This was the infirmary.

    Seiji was currently being hugged by the beautiful nurse in charge of the infirmary.

    She was requesting for him to "console" her, and that he "didn¡¯t need to take responsibility."

    Seiji felt that his head was on the verge of exploding! He had definitely seen plenty of scenes like this with nurses in both animes and with real actors and imagined various scenes involving hospitals, nurses, doctors¡­ and other such gentlemanly content.

    His sense of logic and reason almost copsed from this.

    But he managed to steady himself in the next moment.

    He forcefully blocked off all the gentlemanly content from his brain and maintained his sense of reason!

    Just as he was about to say something to Kaede, she giggled and released him.

    "Just kidding," said the blonde-haired nurse in a casual tone. She took a step backwards and continued: "I heard that boys like this type of¡­ lonely teacher or something simr, which was why I yed a small joke on you." Her voice sounded rather flirtatious.

    "How do you feel? Was your heart moved, Harano-kun?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    Finally, after a few dozen seconds had psed, he sighed helplessly. "What an incredible joke, Juumonji-sensei."

    "Oh my, are you angry? Are you disappointed that it¡¯s only a joke?"

    "Of course not! It¡¯s just¡­ if I really did believe you just now, and wanted to forcefully do something, how would you have reacted?" Seiji nced at her out of the corner of his eye.

    Kaede¡¯s smile remained unchanged.

    "Harano-kun isn¡¯t that type of person at all, which was why I dared to make that type of joke." Her words were normal, but her tone seemed rather warm in a subtle way.

    Seiji¡¯s lips twitched.

    ''Forget it¡ªit was my own mistake to think of so many forbidden topics earlier.''

    If he thought about it more carefully, her joke wasn¡¯t such a big deal.

    He decided not to worry about it any longer. But now, he was less motivated than earlier to keep up the conversation with Kaede.

    "Although I was joking, I was being truthful about the ¡®lonely¡¯ part," Kaede said, breaking the brief silence. "Whenever I¡¯m bored, I hope that someone wille see me and chat with me¡­ not an idiotic boy with strange underlying intentions, but a gentlemanly, excellent boy who truly cares about me."

    She looked searchingly at Seiji¡¯s face while saying this.

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    After that, only silence remained between them.

    Kaede retracted her gaze and slowly sipped her tea.

    Seiji also slowly sipped on his tea.

    Both of them downed several cups of tea without saying a single word.

    The blonde-haired nurse¡¯s expression seemed to grow increasingly mncholy during this silence.

    Just as she was truly about to be disconste, Seiji spoke up.

    "There are various stalls at the school festival, with interesting things being sold in each one."

    His tone of voice and words were all calm and normal.

    But anything he said at this moment would sound moving to Kaede right now as her eyes lit up!

    "Oh? What kind of stuff is being sold?" She naturally continued this conversation topic.

    Seiji calmly told her about what he saw.

    And so, the two of them passed the time by chatting in an ordinary fashion.

    ¡­

    Mayuzumi woke up.

    She was confused and dazed when she opened her eyes. The first thing she did was to examine her surroundings

    "Sensei, you¡¯re awake."

    She heard a boy¡¯s voice before she saw his handsome face.

    Mayuzumi recovered her senses upon seeing his face.

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    "It¡¯s me. How are you feeling right now?" Seiji asked her concernedly.

    "My¡­ head is a little dizzy."

    "Rest on the bed for a little longer then."

    "Okay¡­"

    Mayuzumi closed her eyes but opened them up quickly again.

    "Where¡­ where am I?"

    "We''re in the school building¡ªGenhana High School¡¯s infirmary office, to be exact," Seiji exined. "I took you here after you fainted. The infirmary nurse says that there are no major problems, so we didn¡¯t go to the hospital and allowed you to rest here."

    "Oh¡­" Mayuzumi remembered back to what happened.

    She had been touring the school festival together with Haruta-kun when she met a lost girl that had gotten separated from her guardian, and then¡­ Shouhei Hirai!

    Mayuzumi¡¯s body began trembling as she recalled that man.

    No¡­ she shouldn¡¯t be so scared of him.

    Hirai-san wasn¡¯t a bad person, and that incident in the past¡­ urred long ago and was over with already; she shouldn¡¯t keep remembering it. There was no need for her to be scared¡­

    Mayuzumi kept telling herself that.

    But, despite this, her body remained in a tense, nerve-wracked state.

    Seiji watched her tremble. "Go ahead: have a good rest and rx, Sensei."

    "Okay¡­" Mayuzumi closed her eyes once more.

    She retracted into the nket and felt its warmth as she made herself believe she was safe in an effort to calm down.

    By the way, just how much time had passed?

    Haruta-kun had been apanying her all this time¡­ that must have been troublesome for him.

    Even though they were supposed to have fun at the school festival, she never expected that¡­

    Mayuzumiid there for several moments as she dealt withplex emotions within herself.

    Then, she opened her eyes again and slowly sat up.

    "Sensei?"

    "Haruta-kun, I feel fine now." Mayuzumi smiled faintly towards him before turning her head and looking out the window. "What time is it now?"

    "It¡¯s about four in the afternoon."

    "The school festival¡­"

    "Is over now."

    "Ah¡­ sorry. I¡­"

    "No need for apologies, Sensei." Seiji smiled gently. "It¡¯s only for today. The school festival will continue tomorrow."

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    "I¡¯ve been watching Sensei¡¯s hard efforts, and I think you¡¯re doing a wonderful job." Seiji looked into her eyes. "I really had fun together with Sensei," he said in a sincere tone. "Although we didn¡¯t have all that long together, there¡¯s still tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, isn¡¯t there?"

    Mayuzumi was temporarily lost for words.

    "I heard that there will be some special activities tomorrow that will make this ce even livelier! I¡¯d like to continue enjoying them together with Sensei." Seiji smiled brightly.

    Mayuzumi felt a warm feeling inside her.

    But she still felt apologetic towards him.

    She didn¡¯t even dare get off at the correct bus stop, felt ufortable with crowds of any kind, and fainted upon meeting a college ssmate. Was it really alright for someone like her to ask Haruta-kun to apany her and continue using up his valuable time?

    Even if he himself didn¡¯t mind, she minded.

    This was a once-a-year school festival, and there would definitely be many girls that wanted to go see the school festival together with such an excellent boy like Haruta-kun.

    The more she thought about it, the more she thought that¡­ she was no good!

    "Haruta-kun, I-I feel very tired." The manga author decided to voice what was on her mind. "Let¡¯s¡­ just stop here. Tomorrow¡­ I¡¯d like to stay at home, and you can just go have fun at the school festival together with the girl you really want to be with." She averted her gaze and forced herself to say that.

    She suddenly visualized the handsome boy together with an unknown imaginary beautiful girl having fun together and chatting while visiting every attraction at the school festival.

    Yep, that was how it seemed like it should be to her.

    This was how he should pass his time. For someone like him in the prime of youth, he should be having fun dating a sparkling youthful girl and enjoying the fun things in life!

    He shouldn¡¯t have to apany a troublesome woman like her with androphobia. It was unfair that he had to think carefully before speaking and was required to take care of her like a babysitter.

    At least that was what Mayuzumi believed.

    ¡®Yep, let¡¯s just reject him. If we don¡¯t continue this tomorrow, I can stay at home, and he can enjoy whatever he likes. That¡¯s for the best.¡¯

    But¡­ why was it that there was a pain in her chest?

    Seiji looked at the manga author doubtfully.

    "If that¡¯s what Peach-sensei truly believes, then I¡¯ll ept it. But, Sensei, you¡¯re really bad at lying." His next words were spoken in the gentlest tone he could manage: "There¡¯s far too much evidence; even an elementary school student wouldn¡¯t be fooled by you. Sensei, if you¡¯re only rejecting me because you don¡¯t want to trouble me, I won¡¯t ept this kind of reason at all.

    "And even if I ept, I doubt the confectionery store owner would ept. What I agreed on with her was that she would assist with my ss¡¯s project and that I would have a date together with Sensei during the school festival.

    "If Sensei can¡¯t stand me, or if you¡¯re honestly too tired, then that¡¯s fine. But if you simply feel apologetic because you think you¡¯re troubling me, I highly doubt the owner would ept such a reason. She¡¯d definitely get angry."

    Mayuzumi was rendered speechless upon hearing this.

    "Of course, she won¡¯t have the chance to get angry, because I¡¯m going to refuse right here and now about your refusal, so she won¡¯t ever hear about this," Seiji informed her with a big grin on his face.

    "In conclusion, your request to stoping to the school festival has been rejected! Sensei, just take a good rest tonight, and recover your spirit, so that we can continue having fun together at the school festival tomorrow to make up for the lost time today."

    His voice sounded forcefully resolute to the point where she was unable to refuse.

 Chapter 200 - Harems are a Mans Dream (Fantasy!)

    <h4>Chapter 200: Harems are a Man''s Dream (Fantasy!)</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mayuzumi was unable to resist against Seiji¡¯s "forcefulness" and could onlyply.

    That painful feeling in her chest disappeared, and she suddenly discovered that she was looking forward to tomorrow.

    This caused her to feel embarrassed at her true feelings and her words just now in various ways.

    ¡®I¡¯m really not acting like an adult at all,'' Mayuzumimented to herself.

    Kaede was secretly a little jealous as she watched this scene unfold.

    She wanted to tour the school festival together with Seiji as well, but since she was working as the infirmary nurse, that was impossible.

    Just earlier during her conversation with Seiji, she requested that he help buy a few things for her and bring them over, which would make hime to the infirmary office again. Currently, having this much contact was sufficient for her.

    Deep inside, Kaede was rather anxious. But she knew that anxiety was no good and that patience was necessary. Even slow, steady steps still meant progress to her.

    Maybe the joke she''d made earlier was a little overboard, but it probably left him with a deep impression, so it was okay.

    Kaede smiled in a friendly manner as appropriate of an infirmary nurse but hid her emotions from Seiji and Mayuzumi as they left the infirmary.

    "That doctor¡­ er, nurse was quite beautiful." Mayuzumi sighed as she turned to the boy beside her. "Haruta-kun, you¡¯re acquainted with her, right?"

    "Yes, we know each other from before." Seiji nodded.

    "Do you like beautiful women like her?"

    "Er¡­ I think she¡¯s alright. Why the sudden question?"

    "I was just asking casually." Mayuzumi blinked innocently before posing her next question: "What type of girl do you like then, Haruta-kun?"

    Three conversation options appeared before Seiji''s eyes.

    [A: I like the older, more mature type.]

    [B: I like the younger, cute-looking type.]

    [C: I like many different types and feel that each type of girl possesses her own unique charisma.]

    Seiji couldn¡¯t find any words to express his current feelings at the moment!

    If he wanted to improve Mayuzumi¡¯s favorability rating towards him, the correct answer was probably A.

    As for his honest opinion, he was leaning towards C.

    But C seemed a bit like a scumbag man¡¯s typical statement to him?

    Hm, that was a mistaken impression. It had to be a mistaken impression.

    "I¡­ can¡¯t really say that there¡¯s only one type of girl that I like," Seiji responded. "I think that each type of girl has her own unique charisma, and none are better than the rest."

    Mayuzumi scrutinised his face. "That sounds like something that the main male character of a harem manga would say."

    "Urk!" Seiji received a direct impact and made a strange noise.

    "Could it be¡­ that Haruta-kun wants to create a marvelous harem?"

    Mayuzumi chuckled slightly at his reaction and continued joking with him.

    "Er¡­ not at all!" Seiji denied hastily.

    "Why not? Harems¡­ aren¡¯t they what every boy dreams of?"

    ¡®Wah! This¡­ it¡¯s impossible for me to deny!¡¯

    Seiji was unable to say something that went against his true feelings.

    As a man¡­ as a male, anyone would fantasize about it, right!? A harem of his own!!

    Various types of beautiful girls pleasing to the eye that all loved only him and belonged only to him¡­ What man hadn¡¯t imagined such a scenario before!?

    Seiji personally believed that any ordinary man would have this type of fantasy! That¡¯s why saying that harems were a man¡¯s dream was absolutely correct!!

    At least that was what he believed, which was why he found it impossible to deny what Mayuzumi had jokingly asked.

    "Haruta-kun?" Mayuzumi noticed his frustration and panic, and her grin grew wider still; it appeared she found his plight amusing.

    "Mmm¡­ yes." Seiji changed his expression to one of resolution. "Harems are indeed a man¡¯s dream!"

    "I¡¯ve fantasized before about harems! I hope that reality can just be like the 2-D world, with many beautiful girls that love me and belong only to me!"

    "I¡¯m willing to work hard for their sake, and they will be willing to do the same! Everyone can be together and do whatever they enjoy while living a happy and blissful life!"

    "Even if this is incredibly selfish and willful of me, that¡¯s what I truly want! This is the innermost desire that I wish for!!"

    Seiji used a serious attitude to voice the sentiments of his innermost gentlemanly (perverted) heart.

    The manga author was stunned upon hearing this.

    She never expected to hear something like this! She expected that he would try his best to cover it up.

    This confession was rather astonishing in its own way!

    "That¡¯s all. If I offended Peach-sensei, I apologize." Seiji saw her dazed expression and retracted his expression of resolution as he sighed. "That¡¯s what I truly believe, and it¡¯s my fantasy as an otaku. There¡¯s no way that I can lie to someone I respect like Sensei."

    "And of course, it¡¯s just what I believe, and a dream is just a dream.

    "Reality won¡¯t have any harems like in 2-D stories. Or, even if harems did exist, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m capable of creating one." Seiji shrugged.

    Yep, that¡¯s how it was.

    Fantasies were one thing, while realities were another. Even if a perfect harem truly did exist, that definitely wasn¡¯t something an ordinary man¡­ or a man with normal emotional intelligence could aplish.

    Seiji felt that his own emotional intelligence was at a normal level, or perhaps even slightly below average. Even with his dating sim system¡¯s existence, he didn¡¯t feel that he was all that smart in this area.

    Never underestimate the world or overestimate yourself. That was something important that he learned before from his life experience.

    Confidence was a good thing, but overconfidence was foolishness. He had witnessed this type of foolishness far too many times in his previous life.

    "You don¡¯t feel that you¡¯re capable of doing it, which is why you don¡¯t intend to do it¡ªis that right?" Mayuzumi regained her senses and asked another question.

    "That¡¯s right."

    "Ahh, you¡¯re a cup half-empty-type."

    ¡®Then am I supposed to be a cup half-full-type about it? Is this dream (fantasy) something that I¡¯m supposed to work hard at to achieve!? I¡¯m not the author of Love Hina!¡¯ Seiji energeticallymented in his mind.

    "Reality is like this, isn¡¯t it?" Seiji let out a deep sigh. "I¡¯ve never met someone in real life who was brave enough to believe that he could create an ideal harem and was willing to truly work hard for this goal."

    Well, he had met a few people in his past life before that had created harems in real life.

    After all, in the modern society, it wasn¡¯t difficult for a man to have many women as long as he had money and power.

    No, not only the modern society, it could be said to be from ancient times to the present.

    But that was the only type of harem that could exist in reality. The women wouldn¡¯t be truly in love with that man, nor would the man truly love each and every one of the women in his harem. Both sides¡¯ physical needs outweighed any emotional rtionships.

    Although that type of harem was enough to make some people jealous, Seiji had no desire for such a harem.

    Why? It was easy to tell¡ªjust go watch a few television dramas about an emperor¡¯s concubines fighting between themselves for power. While reality typically wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as a television drama, sometimes reality would have even worse events than a television drama, which would definitely be noughing matter!

    "Even if I have a gentlemanly soul, I¡¯m still a normal person in the end. It¡¯s fine if a perfect harem exists only in 2-D."

    "Mmm¡­ you¡¯re right. But¡­" Mayuzumi''s eyes lingered on Seiji¡¯s handsome face. "I think that perhaps you could do it, if it¡¯s you, Haruta-kun."

    "Eh?"

    "A majestic harem. Haruta-kun, if you work hard at it, you might really be able to create one. I have that feeling." The manga author¡¯s face reddened after she finished speaking.

    Seiji was rendered speechless yet again!

    "Stop joking, Sensei." His right cheek twitched violently.

    "This isn¡¯t a joke¡ªit¡¯s what I really believe." Mayuzumi averted her gaze. "I don¡¯t know why myself I have this opinion, but¡­ I just have this type of feeling."

    ¡®If it¡¯s you¡ªif a boy like Haruta-kun were to have a harem¡ªI think that the girls might even be able to ept it.¡¯

    ¡®At the very least, I¡­ no, no, what am I thinking!?''

    Mayuzumi felt like her face was on fire.

    She buried the fleeting thought deep within her heart.

    ¡®She has a feeling that I can do it? Just what does she mean?¡¯ Seiji didn¡¯t quite understand.

    He decided not to pursue it too deeply.

    ¡®Peach-sensei must still be in a daze because she just woke up, which is why she would say such strange things.¡¯ That was the "reasonable exnation" that Seiji came up with.

    The two of them walked to the practice fields and saw that there were only a few students cleaning up after the school festival, with the visitors having all left already.

    And so, the first day of the school festival came to a conclusion.

 Chapter 201 - Taiyaki

    <h4>Chapter 201: Taiyaki</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji contemted whether or not he should ask Mayuzumi about Shouhei Hirai as he escorted her home.

    It seemed like Sensei didn¡¯t want to bring it up by herself, so, in the end, he decided to forget about it and not pry too deeply.

    Seiji said goodbye and left after he apanied Peach-sensei to her apartment.

    After leaving the apartment, he called and confirmed that it wouldn¡¯t be an inconvenience for him to visit Natsuya in the hospital. He then considered what he should purchase as a get-well present.

    The most typical get-well presents were obviously fruits or flowers, but Seiji didn¡¯t want to buy such amon item. While he was in the middle of thinking, he passed by a small specialty store.

    "Oh¡­ let¡¯s go with this!"

    ¡­

    Haruta-kun returned.

    Well, he checked himself out of the hospital and was now visiting the patients'' ward, which sort of counted as "returning," although maybe it technically didn¡¯t.

    The important part was that he¡¯d returned.

    Natsuya was feeling happy about this.

    Seiji walked in holding a bag with unknown contents and a big grin stered on his face, causing her to be slightly curious.

    "Has Mdy ever tried this sort of snack before?"

    Seiji ced the bag on the table and used a napkin to take out a fish-shaped object from it.

    It was taiyaki!

    This was the favorite snack of Golden Darkness, and characters from Kanon, K-ON, and Bleach also loved it. It was a traditional Japanese snack that often appeared in many of his previous world¡¯s animes.

    Taiyaki was a simple snack made withmon ingredients that everyone could enjoy.

    Seiji felt that its high rate of appearance was mainly due to its cute shape.

    It seemed ssically cute to have a beautiful girl eating taiyaki!

    Especially if you fed one to a cat-eared loli¡­ heh heh~

    With nothing but pure and gentlemanly intentions, Seiji had purchased some taiyaki as a get-well present.

    "This is¡­ taiyaki!" Natsuya¡¯s eyes lit up. "I¡¯ve seen it before¡­ and know about it, but I¡¯ve never tasted it."

    She¡¯s seen it before? Was it in an anime? Hmm, that seemed rather possible. After all, she enjoyed anime about the supernatural.

    "Because it¡¯s amoner¡¯s snack, you¡¯ve never tried it before?" Seiji chuckled as he handed the taiyaki on the napkin to her. "Why don¡¯t you try one right now?"

    Natsuya took the napkin from him and hesitated on where to begin eating from before she opened her mouth slightly and took a tiny bite from the fish-shaped snack¡¯s head.

    ¡®So cute!¡¯

    Seiji was moved at how cute this scene seemed to him.

    "So sweet¡­ it¡¯s delicious." Natsuya gave her assessment.

    The beautiful scene of the scion in a hospital gown holding the taiyaki and carefully nibbling on it etched itself deeply in Seiji¡¯s memories.

    This scene was added to his CG collection album!

    "It¡¯ll taste even better if you pair it with tea." Seiji fetched the teapot and poured some tea.

    He also took a taiyaki and sat next to Natsuya. They enjoyed the snacks together and chatted about various topics.

    After they both finished eating one taiyaki, the two of them got up and left Natsuya¡¯s hospital room while taking the bag of remaining taiyaki with them.

    They visited Hitaka Shuho¡¯s hospital room.

    The red-haired girl was resting quietly on the hospital bed with a breathing apparatus attached to her face.

    She turned around and opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the door opening and saw Seiji and Natsuya entering her room.

    "Hitaka, Haruta-kun¡¯s here to see you," Natsuya exined.

    The red-haired girl blinked and looked towards Seiji¡¯s face.

    It was obvious that she was grateful for his visit.

    "Shuho-san, rest well for your recovery," Seiji said gently. "After you¡¯re healed, we can talk about various topics together."

    Natsuya clutched Hitaka¡¯s hand and also spoke some gentle words to her.

    After their visit with the seriously injured Hitaka, Seiji and Natsuya went to the next hospital room.

    When they opened the door and entered, they saw Rana Kirin sitting on arge couch with a game controller in her hands. She was wholly focused on ying a video game!

    On the television screen was a white girl wearing a ck one-piece dress with a short miniskirt, stockings, and boots that revealed a mesmerizing absolute territory. This game character was currently jumping between a bunch of mechanical monsters while wielding destruction in the form of a two-meter longsword.

    ¡®Oh, she¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ Seiji inwardly praised Rana for her video gaming skills.

    "Rana¡­" Natsuya could only smile wryly at seeing this scene.

    When she looked towards Seiji, he merely revealed an expression of ¡®I don¡¯t mind at all.¡¯

    Rana¡¯s cat ears twitched when she heard them entering her hospital room, and she quickly nced at them in between ying monsters before concentrating on her game again.

    Seiji walked up to Rana and sat beside her as he took a taiyaki out of the bag and held it next to her mouth.

    The cat-eared loli opened her tiny mouth, took a bite of the fish head, and chewed.

    Her expression was currently one of delight.

    ¡®This scene is just so cute!¡¯ Seiji was moved once again.

    He continued feeding Rana and enjoyed the process.

    Natsuya was rendered speechless by this scene.

    She could only silently pour a cup of tea for everyone as she sat beside Seiji, took out another taiyaki, and ate it in silence as she watched Rana.

    Seiji felt that his life had be more meaningful after he sessfully fed an entire taiyaki to the cat girl.

    Then, he helped Rana to drink some tea by holding her cup for her, before he also drank some of his own tea.

    After that, he picked up another game controller.

    "Let me join in."

    The cat girl nodded as she paused the game, exited, and restarted.

    This time she chose the two-yer mode.

    Seiji was using a white boy wearing a ck outfit, ck shorts, and sneakers, while Rana was still using that girl in thece one-piece dress. The two of them fought against the mechanical army together!

    After defeating a boss, Seiji took the opportunity while the game was loading its next scene to stuff another taiyaki into Rana¡¯s mouth as he also took a taiyaki for himself and ate it slowly.

    And so, the group of three teenagers sat together while eating the fish-shaped snacks, and two of them were even immersed in video games, such a scene was¡­

    ¡®This is the best!¡¯ Seiji was having a graet time.

    He had excellent teamwork with Rana. One of them focused on offense, while the other focused on defense; one was melee and the other ranged; and they split the equipment andbined their techniques for a finishing move. Everything was performed extremely well as they understood each other¡¯s intentions and took the best course of action.

    It felt as if they were old friends that had yed together for many years already.

    They were unstoppable!

    They finished beating the level and reached the next level.

    But instead of continuing on, Rana exited the story mode and selected the versus mode where two yers could practice against each other!

    ¡®Oh? You want to fight against me? Perfect, I was just wanting to test myself as well!¡¯

    Seiji shot a hot-blooded look at Rana and saw that she had a gaze which was simrly burning with passion.

    As they exchanged nces, they felt as if they understood each other perfectly once again.

    ¡®How nice that we¡¯re synchronized to such a degree.¡¯

    And so, their versus match was about to begin.

    Three, two, one¡­ Seiji¡¯s boy character in ck shorts and Rana¡¯s girl character in the ck miniskirt rushed towards each other as they both unsheathed their longswords!

    Attacking, defending, dodging, reflecting, shooting, exploding, chaotically dancing, using items, and using ultimate abilities¡­

    On the television screen, the game characters¡¯ amazingly fierce battle seemed to be on the scale of a sh between mortal enemies.

    Even Natsuya, who had originally been somewhat bored, got immersed in the video game battle without her realizing it.

    Slowly, both sides ran out of items.

    Their energy bars were empty.

    Their HP values were reaching the bottom.

    Even their weapons¡¯ durabilities had reached zero and were destroyed, so the boy and girl were now using their hands and fists for the final portion of the battle while wearing clothes that were now tattered from the drawn-out fight.

    "Meow!" Rana was so excited that she rose to her feet. Her cat ears pricked up, and her eyes shed with a sharp gleam as the battle came to a climax.

    "Ahhh!" Seiji learned forward with widened eyes as he shouted in a low voice while button mashing at top speed.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to lose!¡¯

    ¡®I have to win!¡¯

    Both yers injected their wills into their fingers through the controllers to the characters on the screen.

    The girl, who was almost naked now from sustaining so much damage to her clothes, grabbed a split-second chance and sessfully kicked the boy and prepared to kick once more again to deplete thest remaining portion of the boy¡¯s HP bar.

    However, at this instant, her n was thwarted! Seiji had expected this attack and was gambling on this chance.

    Seiji used a reflect-attack defense!

    There was only a small timeframe avable in which the game character would be able to sessfully reflect the attack, which would result in an unavoidable high-damage attack reflected back at the enemy. But if the reflect-attack was not timed appropriately, additional damage would be taken.

    Seiji¡¯s game character¡¯s HP was already so low that he wouldn¡¯t be able to take another hit.

    If this reflect-attack failed, he would lose!

    And the result was¡­

    The boy character coolly managed to block the girl¡¯s second kick, as he shed and used a high elbow attack that viciously struck against the female character¡¯s chest!

    There was a clear sound of an impact.

    And then, the girl character kneeled and copsed listlessly on the ground.

    KO!

    "I won!" Seiji clenched his fist and struck a victory pose as he looked towards Rana with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

    He was instantly smacked by a half-eaten taiyaki on his face!

    "MEOW!"

    He heard Rana meowing angrily and felt a sudden pain in his wrist.

    When he looked down, he discovered that the cat-eared loli was actually biting his wrist!

    Seiji was stunned at this.

    ¡®Hey, hey, don¡¯t do this to me!¡¯

 Chapter 202 - Payment

    <h4>Chapter 202: Payment</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The angry Ranatched onto Seiji¡¯s wrist with her teeth.

    Seiji felt more surprise than pain, as he didn¡¯t expect the cat girl to have such a side to her.

    He tried to peel her off, but failed.

    He tried using a taiyaki to distract her attention.

    Rana¡¯s eyes shed with light.

    He used a head-pat in addition to the taiyaki.

    "Meow~" the cat girl purred in satisfaction.

    Her jaws loosened slightly.

    Seiji tried peeling her off again¡ªand this time he seeded!

    He instantly stuffed the taiyaki into her mouth as he continued patting her on the head.

    Rana still had some unvented anger remaining, but she epted his coaxing and rubbed against Seiji¡¯s leg.

    There were teeth marks left on his wrist.

    This was a precious memory!

    Natsuya thought that this would develop into an incident when she saw Rana angrily biting Seiji, but now she didn¡¯t know what to say anymore when she witnessed this result.

    This game¡­ actually seemed pretty fun?

    Thedy president picked up a controller and tried pressing a few buttons.

    Suddenly, she noticed two pairs of eyes upon her and turned around to see that the handsome boy and the cat-eared loli were both staring at her with bright looks of expectation.

    Natsuya was rendered speechless by this.

    ¡®Come, let¡¯s y together!¡¯ She felt as if she could detect them saying that with simply their eyes.

    It was impossible for her to go against their expectations.

    "This game¡­ I don¡¯t really know how to y it, so could you teach me?" Natsuya asked them, having decided to go along with the flow.

    "I¡¯d be delighted to!"

    "Meow!"

    And so, the game tutorial for the scion began.

    ¡­

    One hourter.

    Seiji had copsed listlessly on the carpet, while Rana had copsed listlessly onto his back.

    Both of them gave off such a feeling of helplessness.

    Once again, Natsuya was rendered wordless as she watched them.

    On the television screen, her white-haired elder sister character was making a victory pose on the post-battle screen.

    That¡¯s right¡ªshe had been the victor.

    After the president learned how to y the game and figured out a few strategies, the president showed off an abnormal level of skill in reflecting attacks in a three-way free-for-all and defeated both her opponents!

    Seiji and Rana found it difficult to ept this indisputable truth, which was why they had both copsed onto the floor. From this it could be seen how ignominiously they had handled defeat.

    Although this seemed rather silly to Natsuya, she couldn''t help but admit that they looked a little cute.

    "Mdy, you¡¯re rather talented."

    The idle fish on the carpet¡­ whoops, Seiji spoke up.

    "Meow~" Rana also meowed in agreement.

    "We¡­ already have nothing else we can teach you."

    "Meow meow~"

    "Just use our bodies¡­ as the stepping stones to a higher realm."

    "Meow meow meow~"

    "Why do I need to use your bodies as the stepping stones? Where is this higher realm even supposed to be!?" the president couldn¡¯t help but forcefullyment.

    It was just a game, after all.

    "That realm is known as a utopia which people say is far removed from the world. They say that only the pure and battle-loving kings can reach it." Seiji lifted his head. "If you¡¯re going to that ce which you belong in, our sacrifices will have been worthwhile!"

    "Meow!" Rana also lifted her head.

    "What the hell¡¯s with utopia!? Stop joking around¡ªeven I know about the legend of Avalon!" Natsuya didn¡¯t even know whether she shouldugh or cry anymore. "Stopying there on the carpet, you two! Get up!"

    The boy and the cat girl obediently got up under the barrage of precise retorts.

    "I had a lot of fun, but it¡¯s time for me to go back now." Seiji patted Rana¡¯s head yet again. "I think that you¡¯re mostly alright now, but since you¡¯re still injured, you should rest properly and remember not to go overboard with the ying."

    Rana responded with a "Meow."

    Natsuya smiled at this scene.

    "Then, I¡¯m gonna get going, President."

    "Please wait a moment, Haruta-kun." Natsuya rose to her feet. "I¡¯d still like to discuss something with you, so let¡¯s return to my hospital room first."

    What else was there to discuss?

    The two of them left Rana¡¯s room and returned to Natsuya¡¯s room.

    "What I would like to discuss is the matter of your payment," the president said after they reached her room.

    "Payment?" Seiji blinked in surprise.

    "That¡¯s right¡ªyou didn¡¯t think that you should do all this for free, did you?" Natsuya smiled. "You helped me achieve victory in the duel. No, I should say that if it wasn''t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to win at all."

    "President¡­"

    "Don¡¯t deny it, Haruta-kun. It¡¯s the truth." Natsuya walked towards the desk in her hospital room.

    "You helped me to such an extent in this duel and even took huge risks that you didn¡¯t have to, so you deserve a generous payment. But, if I give you too much at once, that won¡¯t be good either, and I took many things into consideration¡­"

    She took something out of the desk¡¯s drawer.

    "Finally, I decided to give you this."

    The item was¡­ a bank card from Eastern Capital Bank.

    Seiji was familiar with this bank because it was the same bank that he used.

    "Five hundred thousand sakuras with no name attached to the ount. The password is ''123456.''"

    "Five hundred thousand¡­" This wasn¡¯t a ridiculouslyrge amount, but it wasn¡¯t small either. It was definitely more than enough to make many improvements to his life.

    "Do you think that this amount is appropriate? If you would like more, I can have it increased." Natsuya shot him an inquiring gaze.

    Seiji smiled. "It¡¯s fine¡ªit¡¯spletely appropriate."

    This amount of money was perfect for him, as it was neither too much nor too little.

    "This is far from the amount that you deserve. If you ever need more money, please call me and let me know at any time," Natsuya said seriously. "And if I¡¯m unreachable for some reason, then call the number on the card."

    The number on the card? Seiji took a look at the bank card and realized that there was a phone number written there. This definitely wasn¡¯t the number for Eastern Capital Bank, which he knew already.

    "What¡¯s this phone number?"

    "You can treat it as a rather special service line," the president replied lightly.

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Could I ask, if I really needed it, the upper limit of how much money I could ask for?"

    "Are you sure that you want to know?" Natsuya grinned widely.

    Seiji mysteriously felt that he shouldn¡¯t pry further upon seeing such an expression on her face.

    "Er¡­ nah, forget about it."

    It was fine like this. It was just a casual question to begin with, and he didn¡¯t intend to ask for more money.

    "Apart from the cash, I¡¯m also giving you this."

    Natsuya also handed him a golden key.

    "This is the key to my residence at school. You can go there anytime you like and use all the underground facilities, including the Spirit Image, the training grounds, and so on."

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise.

    This was exactly what he needed!

    Cultivation items for his Spiritual Power and Mana, along with training facilities¡­ It definitely wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to prepare all these in a short period of time by himself.

    How to purchase them, the money required, how to keep them and maintain them¡­ there were so many problems that even if they could all be taken care of, it was certain to be a huge bother.

    And with this key¡­ it was basically the president allowing him to permanently borrow all her items and facilities at her temporary school residence, which would make things much simpler. Just like when he was temporarily residing there, he could just go over there and use the facilities whenever he pleased!

    Saving him all that trouble and money was definitely enormously worthwhile.

    "Thank you so much, President!" Seiji paused for a moment before chuckling. "This is even more valuable to me than five hundred thousand sakuras in cash."

    "No need to be polite¡ªit¡¯s what you deserve," Natsuya said with a smile. "Apart from the underground facilities, if you want, you can even live in that residence whenever you like. I¡¯ll have the room you were staying in set aside exclusively for you."

 Chapter 203 - Farewell, Light-chan

    <h4>Chapter 203: Farewell, Light-chan</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Keep that room just for my use? That feels a little¡­¡¯

    In the end, Seiji just decided to treat it as having an extra personal room.

    "That¡¯s what I¡¯ll reward you with for the time being. This isn¡¯t everything that I want to to give you, but it¡¯s the most appropriate gift I can think of for the time being."

    "In the future," Natsuya said in a gentle tone, "if you ever need anything¡ªnot just money, anything at all¡ªfeel free to ask me. I¡¯ll help you to the utmost of my ability as long as it¡¯s reasonably within the range of the payment you deserve."

    The president gaze was fixed on Seiji while she was speaking, and her voice seemed especially gentle.

    Seiji faintly felt that he was being flirted with.

    Saying that she would take care of his needs¡­ did this count as her financially supporting him?

    Hey, it felt like this was rather simr!

    He suddenly came to this realization and immediately denied it.

    No, no, the president was simply paying him for helping her with the Yin-Yang Master duel, and her tone of voice was gentle merely because she viewed him as a truepanion, just like Hitaka and Rana.

    ¡®She¡¯s definitely not financially supporting me or anything! Yep, I¡¯m definitely not a gold-digging man!!¡¯

    Seiji resolutely calmed himself down and smiled.

    "I feel that you¡¯ve paid me more than enough, so there¡¯s nothing else that I could request."

    "If you don¡¯t request of your own volition, I¡¯ll save the favor I owe to you and give it to you when I feel it¡¯s appropriate," Natsuya said with a wide smile.

    ¡®That¡¯s truly something that fits the president¡¯s style,¡¯ Seiji inwardly thought to himself as he admired her character.

    This concluded their discussion.

    Seiji bade farewell to Natsuya and left with the bank card and key.

    Natsuya-sama is such an amazing beauty! It was my honor to fight on her behalf!

    A voice suddenly spoke up in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    "Light-chan? You¡¯re awake?"

    Indeed, Seiji-sama. I happened to wake up just earlier and heard that you were in the middle of a discussion with Natsuya-sama, so I decided not to distract you, came the heroic spirit¡¯s reply.

    "How¡¯s your current condition?"

    Great! I¡¯ve already recovered my strength after all this resting.

    "That¡¯s good then."

    But there¡¯s also something that''s not so good.

    "What is it?"

    My task is alreadyplete, and it¡¯s time for me to leave now.

    While thest sentence was still spoken in his mind, Seiji instantly detected a presence and turned around. He was greeted by the sight of a tall warrior''s figure who was d in light green military attire with a longbow on his back and a sword clipped to his waist.

    "Light-chan¡­" He instantly realized that this must be Light-chan.

    The handsome man was surrounded by an aura of heartiness. He had a mustache, fierce eyebrows, and eyes that were glowing green. The man smiled widely at Seiji when he saw him turn around.

    "That¡¯s me, Seiji-sama," Minamoto no Raiko acknowledged. "In this final moment, please allow me to take this form to walk a few steps together with you."

    "So you could materialize yourself in such a form¡­" Seiji looked at him. "Of course I allow it¡­ or rather, I¡¯m happy that I can see you like this."

    The warrior spirit smiled faintly.

    The two of them walked onwards together.

    "Time¡¯s up already. It seems so fast. I still wanted to chat more with you. I¡¯d really like to drink alcohol and feast together with Seiji-sama as well."

    "You¡¯re able to drink alcohol in that form of yours?"

    "Of course! It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s no time remaining. If there was, I¡¯d definitely have a drink together with Seiji-sama!"

    "Sorry, but I¡¯m still underage."

    "Don¡¯t mind such a small matter! Seiji-sama is an outstanding man, so you should drink alcohol when you want, and have fun whenever you want, without paying attention to what people around you think!!" Minamoto no Raiko spiritedly waved his hand with a grand flourish.

    Seiji didn¡¯t even know what to say to such a remark!

    "You probably just want an excuse to drink alcohol, don¡¯t you, Light-chan?" He ended up chuckling. "Even if your personality is somewhat questionable at times, all in all you¡¯re an incredible person, and¡­ an amazing heroic spirit."

    Seiji looked deeply at him.

    "I¡¯m truly grateful to you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have won the duel. Even though our time together was short, it was my honor to be your host. It was such a great thing that the spirit that came to me was you."

    "Seiji-sama¡­"

    "I regret not having the chance tomunicate with you more. I hope that I get the opportunity to meet you again in the future, Light-chan¡­ no, the great heroic spirit, Minamoto no Raiko!"

    A momentary silence fell between them.

    Then, the heroic spirit beganughing heartily.

    "It was my honor as well to be your bonded spirit and fight for you and Natsuya-sama."

    After he finishedughing, his tone turned serious.

    "You will be someone truly strong, Seiji-sama. Your personality, resolution, willpower, and strength¡­ will aid you in walking the path of the extraordinary! Please continue walking down this path at your own pace. If it¡¯s fated to be¡­ no, as long as you continue down this path, I will definitely meet you once again. Although the me at that time may not be the same me as from now."

    "What does that mean?"

    "Heroic spirits are formless, Seiji-sama," Minamoto no Raiko exined. "I was a human in the past, but the human me died long ago. The current me gained life through people spreading stories about my legend. You could say that I was born as a result of humanity¡¯smon knowledge. I am Minamoto no Raiko, yet I''m not the real Minamoto no Raiko. I¡¯m not a unique existence like a real human; instead, I possess many different forms all created by the different ways in which humans view me. I don¡¯t really know how to exin it clearly either. Seiji-sama, you just have to understand like this: many different versions of me exist, and these versions may even bepletely different from me."

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this. ¡®No way! Isn¡¯t this just like¡­¡¯

    He felt as if he didn¡¯t dare to continue imagining it, but he still had to confirm it.

    "For example, there will be a you that uses a different weapon?" Seiji tried testing the waters.

    "Yes."

    "There will be a younger or older version of you as well?" Seiji¡¯s eyes began to twitch.

    "Yes."

    "There will be an insane or maybe an even evil version of you all d in ck?" Seiji¡¯s cheeks were beginning to twitch as well.

    "Mmm¡­ it''s possible for there to be such a me as well."

    "Will there even be a female version of you with gigantic breasts?" Seiji covered his face with his hands.

    Minamoto no Raiko was temporarily rendered speechless by this!

    "Seiji-sama¡­" Thick ck lines covered the heroic spirit¡¯s face as his expression became ratherplex.

    "No need to say more, Light-chan." Seiji averted his gaze while still covering his face. "I just¡­ imagined some inappropriate things. I apologize."

    An awkward silence fell between them.

    Finally, Seiji ended up sighing.

    "Alright, I understand now that I might meet a different version of you in the future. If that¡¯s really the case, will that version of you remember who I am?"

    "I don¡¯t know. I might remember you, but I might also forget you." The heroic spirit shook his head.

    "I see¡­ I hope that the other version of you will remember me, otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll be sad." Seiji smiled wistfully.

    "I hope so as well."

    "No matter what other forms you take, as long as you can remember me, we¡¯ll still bepanions who fought together side-by-side in the past. Of course, what I hope for the most is that I can meet with the exact same you again, not any other version, in the future."

    "I hope for that as well," Minamoto no Raiko stated in a voice filled with sincerity.

    Both of them smiled at each other.

    "It¡¯s time for me to leave now."

    "Alright. Take care."

    "Farewell¡­ please take good care of yourself, Seiji-sama."

    The heroic spirit stopped speaking.

    As the figure of the warrior disappeared, Seiji felt an energy course through his body and travel through his head, before slowly disappearing into the air.

    "Goodbye, Light-chan."

    Seiji gave a sincere farewell to this great heroic spirit who had helped him so much.

    Neither he nor Minamoto no Raiko had even considered having Natsuya Yoruhana extend the temporary contract for Seiji to remain as her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    It was meaningless for her now, plus it would be a burden on her Spiritual Power as she would need to maintain their connection.

    Now that the duel was over, the president needed time to recover more than anything, so there was no need for her to maintain a temporary Spirit-branded Retainer. Lengthening the contract would mean slowing down her recovery process, which was something neither Seiji nor Minamoto no Raiko would wish for.

    Farewells should be done decisively right then and there. Just leaving a hope that they could meet again one day¡­ that was the emotional bond between Seiji and the heroic spirit.

    Seiji walked alone on his way back to his apartment.

    Overhead, high up in the sky, a green-colored sh finally disappeared.

 Chapter 204 - The Frustration of Mika Uehara

    <h4>Chapter 204: The Frustration of Mika Uehara</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji opened up his system to inspect his [gifts] menu on his way home.

    The bank card also rewarded him with something rather simple: 50 points, which was quite a significant amount!

    And as for the key¡­

    [Spell learning card¡ªGrateful Heart.]

    This card contained the president¡¯s sincere gratitude towards him. After using it, he could choose any single learning requirement for an unlearned spell, and its progress would automatically be filled to 100%!

    [Buff card¡ªTrusting Heart.]

    This card contained the president¡¯s unwavering trust in him. After using it, he could choose any spell categorized under [Spiritual Power], and the spell¡¯s power or effect would be doubled for the next 15 minutes!

    [Spiritual Power increase card¡ªHopeful Expectations.]

    This card contained the president¡¯s expectations for his future growth. After using it, his [Spiritual Power] stat would permanently increase, and the lower his stat was, the more it would increase.

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise.

    This key had given him three cards as a reward, and all of the cards were so useful!

    First, the Spiritual Power increase card could be used immediately to raise his [Spiritual Power] stat.

    Second, the spell learning card¡¯s effect was amazing to the point where he wanted another dozen! This could help him to quickly learn any spell.

    It was a pity that he only had one, and it would only fulfill one of the spell¡¯s requirements.

    Seiji thought back to that mega technique called [Dragon Counterattack.]

    It seemed nice that he could skip one of the requirements by using this card, but one still wasn¡¯t enough!

    Immediately using this precious card seemed like a huge waste.

    He might as well save it forter and use it in the future for a ridiculously difficult learning requirement. Seiji ended up making that decision.

    As for the buff card, this card¡¯s effect had explosive power! It was an incredibly simple cheat.

    It obviously seemed better to him to save this card and use it at an important time. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was for an ordinary spell or an ultimate technique.

    Since the buffsted fifteen minutes, it should be more than enough to finish any one battle. If used properly, it could even turn around a dire situation for him.

    ¡®You¡¯ve rewarded me so handsomely, President.¡¯ Seiji inwardly thanked the president yet again.

    It wasn¡¯t convenient for him to use a stat-raising card while outside. He quickened his pace as he headed back to his apartment.

    ¡­

    He saw Mika standing in front of his apartment.

    Seiji greeted her, but received no response.

    The double pigtailed girl was walking around slowly with an absentminded expression.

    "Mika?" Seiji walked closer to her and tried calling out to her again.

    Mika¡¯s body shook as if she was a frightened rabbit. If this had been a manga scene, her two pigtails likely would have stood up on end.

    "Er¡­ S-Seiji?" Mika rubbed her chest. "W-what are you doing? Don''t scare me like that!"

    "I wasn¡¯t trying to scare you. I just greeted you earlier, but you didn¡¯t hear me." Seiji felt that something was strange. "What¡¯s the matter, Mika? What are you thinking about? You were lost in your thoughts."

    "N-nothing¡­" Mika averted her gaze in an unnatural manner. "I definitely wasn¡¯t thinking about anything weird just now."

    Seiji didn¡¯t even know how to respond to this.

    It was so obvious that she was lying! She was definitely thinking about something "weird" just now!

    Seiji was curious about the matter.

    But more than that, he was concerned.

    "If you¡¯re troubled by anything, you can tell me. If it¡¯s something that¡¯s not convenient to tell a boy, then go talk to Chiaki about it. It¡¯s best not to randomlye to conclusions on your own," Seiji told her in a gentle manner.

    "I-I already said that I¡¯m fine." Mika nced at him while muttering, "Don¡¯t treat me like a little child¡­" to herself.

    Her tone of voice seemed ratherplex.

    This didn¡¯t seem like a simple temper tantrum or anything like that.

    Seiji quickly came to that conclusion, and his curiosity and concern both increased in magnitude.

    Just exactly what could have happened?

    Thinking back, he recalled that Mika still sounded normal when he called her at the coffee caf¨¦.

    So what could have happened in between that time and seeing her again now?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know the answer.

    Seeing how she currently was, he doubted that she would tell him.

    So, he could only remain silent.

    Mika walked back towards her own residence¡¯s door in the same awkward manner.

    Seiji followed behind her.

    "You¡­ what are you doing?" Mika looked at him doubtfully, until she came to a sudden realization that caused her expression to change. "You must be here to discuss moving apartments with my mother."

    "Yeah."

    Seiji was getting even more concerned for Mika now.

    He decided to call Chiakiter to ask if she had any inkling of what was going on with Mika.

    The two of them entered the Uehara family¡¯s residence.

    "Wee back." Nozomi smiled as she came out to greet her daughter.

    "I¡¯m back," Mika responded tly as she walked straight past her mother and into her own room.

    Thendlord instantly knew that something was wrong. She looked towards Seiji for an exnation as she watched Mika enter her bedroom.

    Seiji could only smile wryly at this.

    "Haruta-kun, what¡¯s she¡­"

    "I don¡¯t know either. She was already like that when I returned and saw her."

    Nozomi tilted her head in puzzlement. "It doesn¡¯t seem like she just had an argument or is throwing a temper tantrum¡­"

    "I definitely didn¡¯t have any arguments with her. I¡­ doubt that Chiaki did, either," Seiji exined.

    If it were a normal temper tantrum, Mika¡¯s mood would be simpler to read. But Mika¡¯s condition definitely seemed different from normal.

    "She might be thinking about some ¡®strange things,¡¯ but I don¡¯t know what specifically they could be."

    "Thinking¡­ well, she¡¯s probably stuck in her own way of thinking then." Nozomi blinked in realization. "This child¡­ she¡¯s probably confused because she met with a problem that she doesn¡¯t know how to solve."

    Both the young tenant who was Mika¡¯s good friend and her mother, thendlord, tried their best to figure out what frustration a teenaged high school girl would have.

    Nope, they couldn¡¯t figure it out!

    "I¡¯m going to call Chiakiter and see if she knows anything. Let¡¯s just go ahead and discuss the new apartment, Miss Landlord." In the end, Seiji decided to give up on this topic.

    ¡­

    The new andrger apartment that Nozomi helped clean out as per Seiji¡¯s request was on the first instead of the second floor¡­ and right next door to the Uehara family¡¯s residence!

    Seiji examined the interior.

    There were three smaller rooms and arger living room. While it couldn¡¯t be said to be spacious, it was plenty for two people to live in.

    Both him and Shika could have their own bedrooms, and the other small room could be used as a study or a storage room, which seemed quite good to him.

    There was no problem with the rent, either.

    Even without having received five hundred thousand sakuras recently, Seiji felt that he would be able to afford it. Money was even less of a problem now that he had been rewarded so handsomely.

    He decided to take this apartment!

    He instantly decided to begin the moving-in process.

    Nozomi offered to help, as did Kaede when she returned to her apartment, but Seiji politely rejected both their offers.

    There weren¡¯t many things to move, which made it easy for him to do by himself. It didn¡¯t take very long at all.

    After he finished moving everything, Seiji sat down by himself in the living room in idle silence.

    He would begin living together with Shika Kagura after she arrived.

    It seemed rather strange¡ªafter all, he hadn¡¯t even made up with his new body¡¯s real family, yet he already had a new family member of his own.

    Seiji recalled the time when he identally saw Yui Haruta.

    Not counting the memories he inherited from this body, that was the only time he ever personally saw his "family." Apart from his older sister, he also had a younger sister and an adopted mother.

    Even up until now, none of them had ever contacted him, nor had he attempted to contact them.

    Honestly, Seiji really wanted to mend fences with them, but he didn¡¯t know how to go about it.

    That was because he believed it was only natural for them to not forgive him, with how much of a scumbag the original Seiji Haruta had been.

    It would be best if he could make up with them, but he would be able to ept it even if it didn¡¯t happen and simply live the life of someone exiled from his family.

    But no matter what, his new identity was that of "Seiji Haruta," which was something he couldn¡¯t change.

    There were too many things recently, so he didn¡¯t have time to think about his family situation, but now¡­

    ¡®Let¡¯s think over carefully on what to do about my family after the school festival.¡¯ He came to this conclusion.

    Right now, the most important thing to him was his adopted younger sister, Shika Kagura.

    What was she doing right now¡­ and when would she arrive?

    Seiji turned around to look outside the window.

    The evening sunset was quite beautiful.

 Chapter 205 - Girl Walking By Herself

    <h4>Chapter 205: Girl Walking By Herself</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A beautiful middle school girl was walking by herself.

    Shika Kagura, who was wearing in-colored clothes together with a white scarf, attracted every passersby¡¯s attention as she dragged arge suitcase behind her.

    Her normal walk seemed like a beautiful scene out of a movie.

    Especially since there were many falling leaves on the road today.

    If some mncholy background music and a heavy-toned narration were added to this scene, it would truly be at the level of a movie in a theater!

    Every person that paid attention to her, regardless of their gender, couldn¡¯t help darting a few extra nces at her as they imagined who she was and where she was going.

    Shika was also currently in the midst of imagining.

    She couldn¡¯t help but imagine scenes of her life after she started living together with Seiji.

    In a normal¡­ or even a simpler home, the two of them¡­ would chat, cook, eat, and watch TV together.

    "Shika-chan, is the food ready? I¡¯m a little hungry."

    "Shika-chan, the hot water is ready, so go ahead and shower first."

    "Shika-chan, would you like to watch this program together with me? It¡¯s really interesting."

    "Shika-chan, I thought of a new plot for our novel¡ªit¡¯s like this¡­ what do you think?"

    "Shika-chan, it¡¯s time to sleep, have a good night."

    They were just normal wordsbined with an ordinary daily life, but as long as she was with him, everything seemed so beautiful and wonderful to her.

    This already made her quite happy, but¡­ since they were adopted brother and sister, perhaps they could¡­ be a little more intimate?

    Another group of scenes shed through her mind.

    "Shika-chan, the food¡¯s not ready yet? Let mee help you."

    "Shika-chan, the hot water¡¯s ready¡ªwould you like to shower together?"

    "Shika-chan, this program¡¯s a little scary¡ªyou shoulde over and sit right by my side."

    "Shika-chan, I think that it would be good for the plot if the main character got together with his younger sister¡ªwhat do you think?"

    "Shika-chan, it¡¯s time to sleep, how about sleeping with me tonight?"

    Her face reddened as she imagined the handsome boy¡¯s gentle smile.

    No, no, she couldn¡¯t do that! This was too¡­ um!

    He definitely wouldn¡¯t say or do such things! Even though he was rather¡­ um, he was still a gentle and polite person.

    Shika suddenly felt a little disappointed when she came to that realization.

    He was a polite and respectful person, which was a good thing. But¡­ sometimes she also wished that he wasn¡¯t such a respectful person and could act more intimate¡­ closer to her.

    Being hugged, or being patted by him on the head was a nice feeling.

    She wanted to have more fun acting spoiled to him.

    She wanted to have more time inhaling his scent.

    She wanted to keep looking at his face, hearing his voice and those gentle words of his.

    As a younger sister¡­ this was all natural, right?

    Hrm, yep, that was it!

    Shika managed to convince herself.

    As brother and sister, they should be more intimate. If he wasn¡¯t the type to act, then she would do it for him.

    What exactly should she do, then?

    Shika¡¯s lips faintly arced upwards as she continued imagining.

    She didn¡¯t notice that the expression on her face was moving so many passersby¡¯s souls.

    Everyone was praising and eximing at her beauty, and, finally, someone was unable to suppress their desire.

    "Um¡­ Miss, please wait a moment!"

    A person couldn''t bear let this beauty go and came to flirt with her.

    The speaker was a handsome boy who had a soft, shadowy appearance. His hair was soft and sleek, and his face was framed with twin bangs, with one side being longer than the other.

    He was wearing a dark gray jacket while holding a single reflex lens camera in his hands, making him seem like a photography enthusiast.

    Shika stopped walking as he blocked her path. She was displeased at having her thoughts interrupted.

    "What is it?" she asked lightly while staring coldly at him.

    The handsome boy¡¯s face was tinged with red.

    Most passersby could tell that he was shy and nervous. It was clear he had either painstakingly worked up the courage or that it was just an impulsive action that caused him to flirt with the ck-haired girl before him.

    "I-I¡¯d like to take a few pictures of you¡­ because¡­ you¡¯re really beautiful¡­" He looked around at everywhere but Shika while stuttering.

    In some people¡¯s eyes, perhaps this could be considered cute on his part.

    But Shika Kagura didn¡¯t think he was cute.

    "Sorry, I don¡¯t wish to be photographed."

    She politely rejected him before walking again and stepping around him.

    "Er¡­ wait a moment¡­ please wait!" The boy followed after her.

    His heart was truly moved by her beauty.

    Just earlier, when he saw her smiling faintly on the street while lost in thought, his heart started beating frenziedly; it was almost as if he had been struck by lightning.

    He was shaken to such an extent that he didn¡¯t even have the time to take her picture.

    When he regained his senses, he was already in front of her trying to strike up a conversation.

    This was his first time.

    Many girls had tried flirting with him before on the street due to how handsome he was, but this was the first time that he had ever tried to flirt with a girl of his own volition!

    Shika¡¯s beauty had propelled him into action.

    Her cold attitude towards him gave him an impact, but he didn¡¯t want to give up just like this.

    "Just¡­ I just need a little bit of your time!" he said as he followed behind her. "Just a few pictures. I¡¯m not some strange person or anything! I¡¯m a first-year student at Koaki High School, and I¡¯m in the photography club¡ªhere¡¯s my student ID!"

    The brown-haired boy reached into his pocket for his student ID and opened it up to show her.

    It wasmon for many people to be suspicious of his motives whenever he was looking around with his camera for things to take pictures of, which was why he had the habit of using his student ID to prove he wasn¡¯t a suspicious individual.

    Koaki High School was well renowned, so anyone that knew about its reputation would stop suspecting him after seeing his student ID, and some would even be much friendlier to him.

    However, this girl didn¡¯t even look at his student ID as she kept walking.

    This made him feel rather awkward.

    "Um¡­ I¡­ My name is Shunsuke Jinbe, I¡¯m really not a bad person. I just want to take a few pictures¡­"

    "You¡­ you¡¯re really beautiful; the pictures would¡­ definitely be beautiful¡­"

    "You¡­ you¡¯re not in a hurry, are you¡­? Just¡­ a few minutes¡­ please¡­"

    "I already told you." His persistence annoyed Shika, so her eyes were cold as she turned around to face him again. "I don¡¯t wish to have photos taken of me. Please don¡¯t get close to me, please don¡¯t speak to me, and please don¡¯t follow me."

    It was obvious that her calm words contained the tone of wanting to keep a great distance away from him.

    The boy named Shunsuke Jinbe was stunned by this.

    One reason was that he had been so absolutely rejected, and another was that¡­ even though her attitude was so cold towards him, she still seemed so beautiful to the point where his heartbeat quickened!

    By the time he recovered his senses again, he discovered that she had walked off again.

    He wanted to chase after her again, but after she said all that to him, if he kept following her, wouldn¡¯t that make him seem no different from a hoodlum?

    He wasn¡¯t a shameless person to such a degree.

    He could only watch as she walked into the distance, and the most he could do was take a photograph of her beautiful back as she walked off¡­

    ¡­

    Shika arrived at the address that Seiji had given to her.

    ¡®It should be close by¡­¡¯ Just as she thought this, she noticed that he was waiting at the roadside for her.

    Seiji Haruta was his name.

    In Shika¡¯s heart, this was the most beautiful name in the entire world.

    He also noticed her arrival and shed a gentle smile.

    In this instant, Shika¡¯s heart was filled with a warmth that almost caused tears to run down her cheeks.

    She quickly approached him while still dragging her suitcase behind her.

    He also walked towards her, and as if he felt something, he slowly opened up his arms.

    Shika let go of her luggage.

    She dashed over and tossed herself into his arms as she hugged him tightly.

    "Brother Seiji¡­"

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    She lifted her head and looked into her face.

    Her vision was a little blurry.

    ¡®So I ended up crying after all¡­ Honestly¡­¡¯

    "I¡¯m back."

    All the passionate feelings in her heart were poured into that one sentence.

    Then, she received the response that she had wanted to hear.

    "Wee back." Seiji smiled in response.

    ¡®Wee home, Shika-chan.¡¯

 Chapter 206 - Home

    <h4>Chapter 206: Home</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A ce with merely one person living in it could only be called a ce to live.

    Only a residence with two people living in it was a true home.

    Shika had arrived at her new home.

    The rooms were pretty much what she imagined, and it was only natural that there wasn¡¯t very much furniture. Even the few pieces of furniture were showing their age¡­ but that wasn¡¯t important.

    The wondrous part was that even though this was Shika¡¯s first time here, she felt more attached to this apartment than the ce she had lived in for so long before by herself.

    Was this a special feeling that only an older apartment possessed?

    That seemed possible, but Shika preferred to believe that it was because of the boy in front of her.

    "I don¡¯t have much, so if we need anything, we¡¯ll have to go out and purchase it." Seiji examined the empty living room. "Let¡¯s go out shoppingter together, and you can buy whatever you want without worrying about money. President Yoruhana gave me a five hundred thousand sakura payment for aiding her in the duel! That¡¯s why we don¡¯t have to worry about the rent or living expenses, so anything you want¡ªitems for daily life, furniture, and so on¡ªyou can buy it all without worrying about the cost."

    He turned his gaze to Shika with a gentle smile on his face. "How would you like to arrange this ce?"

    Shika blinked her eyes as she mulled it over.

    She also took a look around the living room as she began imagining it.

    She had zero experience with arranging rooms. In the past, she had never decorated the ces she lived in with anything at all. Both her temporary and long-term residence looked exactly the same when she moved in and when she moved out.

    But now, just one sentence from him gave her ideas that she had never even considered before.

    Just how should she arrange things in here?

    Shika¡¯s eyes gradually lit up as she considered it.

    "Brother Seiji, I¡¯d like to decorate this as a¡­ tatami-style room."

    "Tatami?" Seiji pictured it in his head.

    What he imagined was a scene which he often saw in manga in anime: watching television, ying games, resting, or having fun in a tatami-filled room, and cing a small kotatsu under a nketed table as they sat around it in winter andzily peeled some oranges¡­ scenes like that.

    That seemed pretty neat to him!

    "Let¡¯s go with that, then." He embraced her idea wholeheartedly.

    And so, they decided to change the living room into a tatami-style room.

    By the way, tatamis¡­ although Seiji often saw them in animes and mangas, he wasn¡¯t actually sure what they were made out of.

    From his impression of them, they seemed to be a type of grassy or wooden object made for cing on the floor and that was simr to abination of carpet and flooring.

    Was his understanding correct? Was it possible to simply ce it on the floor after purchasing? Or was there some assembly required, or special things to watch out for in maintaining it? He didn¡¯t know any details whatsoever.

    Shika didn¡¯t know anything either.

    "I¡¯ll have to ask Miss Landlord, then, or seek out a professional in this area."

    At any rate, he had money now, and this would easily be solved with money.

    "It¡¯s time for dinner. I¡¯m feeling like high-ss takeout tonight, but what would you like, Shika-chan?"

    For the first meal in their new home, the two of them ordered a luxurious sushi dinner to be delivered to this new address.

    ¡­

    After dinner, they purchased various necessities at the store and put everything in its ce.

    And then, Seiji and Shika wordlessly sat together in the living room.

    It wasn¡¯t an awkward silence where neither of them knew what to say. It was simply a silence where neither of them happened to be saying anything.

    What should they do next?

    If either of them was by him or herself, both Seiji and Shika knew what they would do at home, but they were living together now.

    While it was fine for both of them to do things by themselves, neither of them wanted to do that; instead, they wanted to do something together.

    ''Why don''t we work on our story together?''

    That was the best option that Seiji coulde up with.

    But Seiji didn¡¯t want that to be the only choice, as he believed they should have other activities they could do together as well.

    But he was unable toe up with anything else for the time being.

    Nor did Shika offer him any suggestions.

    And so, the silence continued. The two of them sat at the table and silently stared at each other.

    The atmosphere became rather subtle.

    A few momentster, Seiji suddenly came to the realization that he had be lost in thought while staring at her, which caused him to smile.

    That¡¯s when he noticed that Shika¡¯s face was flushed red.

    Seiji was mystified by this.

    Shika shyly averted her gaze.

    Seiji found this even stranger. Just what could she be thinking?

    While he was a slightly curious, he didn¡¯t intend to pry.

    "I think we definitely need to buy a TV, or else it¡¯ll be too quiet in here." Seiji finally broke the silence.

    "Yeah¡­" Shika replied in a soft voice.

    "Let¡¯s go buy one tomorrow. As for tonight¡­should we watch some videos on myputer together?"

    Shika nodded upon hearing this proposal. "I¡¯d like to watch them together with Brother¡­ the type that Brother Seiji typically likes to watch."

    "Eh, is that really alright?"

    "Yep, I¡¯d like to better understand Brother¡¯s¡­ interests."

    "Of course." Seiji blinked in understanding as he smiled. "But if you don¡¯t like them, or if you think they¡¯re boring, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to apany me and watch the videos together. I¡¯m quite happy that you want to understand my interests better, but, you know, interests should be about what you naturally like. If you like something, you like it, and if you don¡¯t like something, you don¡¯t like it.

    "Don¡¯t force yourself to watch the videos together with me if you don¡¯t like them. That¡¯ll make me unhappy instead, which isn¡¯t good for either of us, understand?"

    "Yes¡­ I won¡¯t force myself." Shika nodded again.

    She definitely wouldn¡¯t be forcing herself.

    ¡®As long as Brother likes them¡­ anything that you like is meaningful to me, and I couldn''t possibly hate it or feel that it¡¯s boring. As long as you¡¯re here¡­ this world seems so beautiful.¡¯

    Shika smiled faintly as she looked at the boy before her.

    And so, the two of them went to the study and sat down in front of theputer to watch some videos.

    At first, Seiji snuck looks at Shika on several asions to check if she was enjoying the videos or if she seemed annoyed or bored, but she seemed to be having lots of fun, so he got rid of his worries.

    Both of them simply enjoyed watching animes on hisputer, whileughing about the videos and discussing them together.

    ¡­

    Mika could faintly hear sounds of discussion andughter from Seiji¡¯s new next-door apartment.

    Mika slowly opened her eyes and then shut them again as sheid on her bed.

    ¡®They sound quite happy. I wonder what they could be doing?¡¯

    She impulsively felt like rushing over to see.

    But her body felt quite heavy and impossible to move.

    The double pigtailed¡­ no, she was no longer wearing double pigtails, as she had let down her hair.

    The ck-haired girlid there on her bed with a somewhat distant and cold expression on her face.

    If Seiji could see Mika at this moment, he would surely be shocked, as she was now revealing a type of beauty that he had never seen from her before.

    It was different from her typical haughty beauty. This beauty was somewhat cold and different.

    Frustration, anxiety, unwillingness, confusion, and shakiness¡­ various emotions were tossing about tumultuously within her chest, making her body heavier and her expression more negative than she realized.

    Her cell phone rang.

    Her phone tone that she usually enjoyed hearing made Mika feel frustrated.

    She looked at the caller ID, and, as expected, she saw that it was Chiaki.

    She knew why Chiaki was calling and what Chiaki was going to ask her.

    It was definitely because Seiji didn¡¯t know what was going on, so he must have called Chiaki to ask, but Chiaki didn¡¯t know either, so she must be calling her out of worry.

    ¡®Such an idiot.¡¯

    Not Seiji or Chiaki¡ªshe was talking about herself.

    She didn¡¯t tell them anything about what happened and was stuck by herself with her confusion and frustration. She knew that she was being an idiot.

    Mika truly felt that she was foolish.

    But it was impossible for her to say anything.

    That was because the words that "she" said to Mika were all indisputably true¡­ at the very least, it was impossible for Mika to counter anything "she" said.

    "That venerable person¡­ Seiji Haruta is a special existence, an outstanding individual."

    "And as for you, even though you¡¯re somewhat cute, in the end you¡¯re just an ordinary girl that can be found anywhere."

    "For someone as ¡®ordinary¡¯ as you, just why do you think you deserve someone as ¡®special¡¯ as him?"

    It was impossible.

    "For someone as ordinary as you, with nothing special whatsoever and no cards up your sleeve, it¡¯s impossible for you to win his heart, nor will you even be able to make him pay more attention to you."

    "She" smiled and expressed that to Mika with no malice whatsoever. It was a simple statement of a fact.

    That was why it seemed all the crueler.

 Chapter 207 - Special

    <h4>Chapter 207: Special</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Of course I realize it. I, Mika Uehara, am just an ordinary girl.''

    ¡®My family isn¡¯t particrly rich, I¡¯m not outstandingly beautiful, I can¡¯t always be honest with my feelings, my hobbies are ordinary, my grades are ordinary, my athletic ability is ordinary, and there are no specialties I can be proud of.''

    ¡®I don¡¯t have Chiaki¡¯s unique personality, Juumonji-sensei¡¯s maturity, Kagura-san¡¯s ethereal beauty, Asamiya-san¡¯s firm resolution, or President Yoruhana¡¯s illustrious family background¡­''

    ¡®I¡¯m not "special."''

    ¡®Those "special" girls have their own brilliant lights around them, while I am doomed to be engulfed in their lights, as I¡¯m "ordinary."''

    Seiji Haruta was ¡®special.¡¯

    Even though he was, at first, a fat scumbag NEET, after changing himself and making an effort, he became just like a reborn phoenix who was spreading its wings and shining like the sun.

    His experience, personality, appearance, and abilities had all far surpassed normal people, and he was unmistakably extraordinary.

    That was why Chiaki, Juumonji-sensei, Kagura-san, Asamiya-san, and even President Yoruhana¡­ Many girls were attracted to him.

    ¡®I¡¯m also one of the girls attracted to him. Considering it more closely, I might be the first girl to have deeply fallen in love with him.''

    ¡®If I try to force myself to find my ¡®specialty,¡¯ it might be the only unique point about mepared to the other girls attracted to him.¡¯

    But this ¡®specialty¡¯ was meaningless.

    If this was a television drama or a movie, the first female character that appeared would typically be the heroine.

    But reality wasn¡¯t like this.

    ¡®Even if I personally witnessed the change in Seiji, and I was the first girl that fell in love with him, his heroine isn¡¯t me.''

    ¡®He views me as an important friend. As long as I¡¯m in danger, he¡¯ll unhesitatinglye to save me and protect me, just like that time. But he doesn¡¯t love me¡­ he doesn¡¯t have romantic feelings for me.¡¯

    This was only natural to Mika.

    ¡®How could he possibly fall in love with an ordinary girl with nothing special about her apart from a cute appearance? Especially since she used to insult and look down upon him and has acking personality.''

    That seemed impossible.

    ¡®As long as I¡¯m "ordinary," I don¡¯t even have the ability to attract his attention. I am not his heroine. I¡¯m only a side character.''

    ¡®And I¡¯m only a side character that¡¯s soon going to be nothing more than a bystander thatcks presence.¡¯

    ¡­

    "It¡¯s impossible for you to obtain him. If you use certain methods, you could indeed be his woman, and with his personality, he¡¯d definitely take responsibility. But is that really what you want?"

    "She" kept smiling lightly as "she" talked to Mika.

    "Her" outer appearance was that of a mysterious beautiful girl, and she wore the regal traditional pink dress of Sakura Ind.

    "She" had silver-colored long, smooth bangs, a white face with exquisite features, and her peach-colored eyes seemed to be shining slightly. Her pink lips were arced ever so slightly upwards in an almost unnoticeable smile.

    "She" wasn¡¯t human!

    "She" was the legend of Genhana High School¡¯s festival: the girl in traditional pink clothing!

    Mika never expected that she would actually meet her.

    Was someone pretending to be the legend? No, it was impossible for anyone to think this if they personally witnessed her sight¡­ or, more urately speaking, it was impossible to doubt her after witnessing her float in midair.

    This was the real deal!

    "You¡¯re a good girl who wouldn¡¯t do such a thing to obtain him. That¡¯s why your best choice is to give up now."

    "Give up on your romantic feelings towards him, and just be his good friend. Or, be more extreme, and cut off all rtionship entirely with him¡­ but it¡¯s probably impossible for the ordinary you."

    "Just convince yourself to slowly give up. That¡¯s for the best."

    "She" kept exining to Mika with no malice whatsoever, with an attitude of merely stating the facts.

    It was painful for Mika to listen to.

    She really wanted to turn around and escape, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground as they wouldn¡¯t move.

    The silver-haired girl watched her for a long time in silence.

    "You¡¯re not willing to give up?"

    Mika didn¡¯t reply.

    She neither denied nor confirmed.

    But her unmoving body did somewhat express her true intention.

    The silver-haired girl wistfully sighed as she continued watching Mika.

    "How¡­ ugly. Ugly¡­ yet such a beautiful dream. Humans are such strange and mysterious creatures."

    "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t stop myself from observing humans or getting rid of my bad habit of interfering with human affairs."

    "She" suddenly revealed a gentle expression. "Mika Uehara¡­ if you absolutely can¡¯t bring yourself to give up, I can make you ¡®special.¡¯"

    Her calm words resounded clearly in the double pigtailed girl¡¯s ears.

    Mika widened her eyes in surprise.

    "But this is something risky, and harm maye to you. Your life will bepletely different from before."

    "I don¡¯t know what the result will be either, as I don¡¯t have the power to predict the future."

    "Apart from the fact that you may be harmed, you may not even like the fact that your life will change. You may even greatly regret choosing to change yourself. By the way, have you heard the original story of the Little Mermaid before?"

    "The beautiful mermaid transformed her tail into human feet and withstood the painful transformation all in order to go see her beloved prince, but the situation wasn¡¯t how she imagined. In the end, she turned into nothing but bubbles in the ocean."

    "I¡¯m just like the witch in that story, although I¡¯m slightly better than she is, and I won¡¯t ask anything from you, but you may still have to pay a price."

    "I can help you to change, but whether or not you can obtain what you desire after your transformation, or whether you¡¯ll end up the same way as that pitiful mermaid in the story, I don¡¯t know¡ªand nor can I take responsibility."

    The silvery girl looked deeply into the pigtailed girl¡¯s eyes.

    "Consider it over carefully, Mika Uehara, whether or not you truly wish to change and risk your life and your future in order to be ¡®special.¡¯"

    "On thest day of the school festival, if you still wish to change yourself, thene find me here again at the same location."

    After thatst sentence, "she," turned around and disappeared in a cascade of pink petals.

    ¡­

    This was the dilemma that Mika was currently facing.

    She still had slightly over a day to make her decision.

    Whether she should give up now, and settle for being "ordinary."

    Or if she should risk changing her entire life and be "special" for a chance to get closer to him.

    There were two options, just like a crossroad.

    Should she turn left or right?

    Mika¡¯s emotions were incrediblyplex as she stood at this fork in the road.

    Sheid there on her bed for a long while without moving.

    The night turned dark.

    On the other side of the wall.

    Since it was gettingte, Seiji had Shika go ahead and take a shower first.

    After his adopted sister left to change, Seiji opened an app for chatting with his friends and saw that "Cat-loving Flying Fish" was online, so he greeted her.

    "So, you¡¯re still alive, you idle fish streamer."

    She instantly sent him an unreserved message that even included a ring emoticon.

    "Thanks to your blessings, I managed to make it back alive."

    Seiji texted back with an emoticon of fatigue.

 Chapter 208 - Let me seeâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 208: Let me see¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Hmph, as if you really went through a major battle. You were probably just pulling all-nighters gaming with your otaku friends, you addicted gamer."

    "I really did go through a fierce battle. I joined a pay-to-win yer¡¯s team for a PVP defend-the-base game. I originally intended just to leech some experience, but I didn¡¯t expect the enemy team¡¯s leader to transform and defeat all the experienced yers on my team, so I, who was originally supposed to be a leecher, fought bitterly to the end and somehow managed to achieve victory."

    ¡®Yep, that¡¯s the truth. There¡¯s no problem,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    "You¡¯ve begun bragging again! Just keep making up stories! I can¡¯t possibly believe that your experienced team members all lost, yet an idle fish like you were able to make it to the end! You definitely must have been casually defeated by the enemy at the very start." Her message followed by a condescending emoticon.

    "I¡¯m not making this up¡ªthis time it¡¯s real! I became the hero of the defending side, and the pay-to-win yer even rewarded me with 500 thousand!" Seiji sent her a brilliantly smiling emoticon.

    "Wow~ 500 thousand! Amazing! What a hero~~" This was followed by an emoticon with an icy gaze.

    Seiji smiled upon seeing this message and changed the topic while casually chatting with his inte friend.

    On the other side.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish typed at a high speed that showed her familiarity with the keyboard while continuing to converse with her inte friend "Idle Fish that Never Gives Up."

    Not only did that guy stop streamingtely, he rarely logged in to the chatting application for thest few days. He must have gotten too addicted to gaming!

    Was he really just gaming?

    He wouldn¡¯t even say what game he was ying specifically¡­ Flying Fish felt that there must have been something going on in his life, and she was somewhat curious as to what he had been doing recently.

    If it was something normal, it wouldn¡¯t matter if he told an inte friend like her, as there would be no need to hide it.

    If there was something he wanted to hide¡­ did he get a girlfriend?

    Hm, that seemed likely.

    Flying Fish thought this possibility seemed extremely usible as she considered it.

    Although she still hadn¡¯t seen his true appearance under the mask, it was certain that he must be rather handsome. He also had a good figure, and hismunication ability¡­ if it was the same as what he showed on the inte, he was fine.

    No, not only fine¡ªhe was an excellent boy.

    The problem was his hobbies. This guy was a true otaku, which wouldn¡¯t make it easy for him to find a girlfriend that matched his interests, which was why he probably didn¡¯t have a girlfriend.

    But now, did he finally find one?

    Flying Fish feltplex emotions within her heart.

    The next message that appeared on herputer screen startled her.

    "My apologies, beautiful Flying Fish, but I think I¡¯m going to stop streaming. Thank you so much for supporting me."

    "Why!?" Flying Fish hurriedly inquired once she regained her senses.

    "Because," Seiji replied, "I¡¯m no longer living by myself now, so it¡¯s a little inconvenient."

    He felt that it would be really embarrassing if Shika saw him singing and dancing while streaming!

    Even though he felt it was a bit of a pity to let go of the points he could earn from [singing] and [dancing], he had plenty of other point-grinding actions now, so it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.

    "Although I might still stream once in a while¡­ just treat it as me retiring. Well, retiring might not be the correct word, since I was never much of a real streamer to begin with, nor did I stream for all that long, and you were my only ever spectator. I¡¯m truly grateful for your support. We¡¯re still friends after all, just like right now."

    Seiji felt that this was only a small matter.

    He had simply decided to stop streaming, but he was still an inte friend with Flying Fish that shared many of the same hobbies.

    Flying Fish didn¡¯t respond to his message for a long while.

    Just as he was beginning to feel it was a little strange, she sent him a new message.

    "You moved in together with your girlfriend!?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this!

    "That¡¯s so quick! Just what kind of person is your girlfriend!?" This was followed by a shocked emoticon. "Could it be that an idiotic idle fish like you is being fooled by her!? Just how long have you known her? Do you know exactly who she is!? Are you sure that she truly likes you!?" This was followed by a staring emoticon.

    "Wake up, idle fish! I know that since you¡¯re an otaku, you¡¯re delighted to find a girlfriend! But you should know that there are many wicked girls in this world!! You need to be careful!!!" This was followed by a roaring emoticon.

    The strong emotions seemed to jump at Seiji from across theputer screen.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry at this.

    His inte friend was obviously worried about him and had misunderstood. Somehow she construed "not living by himself anymore" as "having made a girlfriend and moving in together with her¡­" Wasn¡¯t that too much a leap of the imagination?

    Just as he was thinking about how to clear up this misunderstanding, Flying Fish sent him another message. To Seiji''s amazement, it was a link to a report about scams!

    And after the first link, a second link immediately appeared, followed by a third, and a fourth¡­ Before long, his conversation window was filled with webpage links that had some rather scary topic titles.

    "Stop! That¡¯s enough!"

    Seiji hurriedly typed out a message in an effort to stop his conversation window from appearing like a news webpage.

    "You got it wrong. Sorry, it was me that didn¡¯t exin clearly, causing you to misunderstand. I didn¡¯t get a girlfriend, nor am I cohabiting with anyone¡ªI¡¯m just living together with them!"

    Flying Fish was surprised when she saw this message.

    Then, her face began burning up slightly in embarrassment.

    "This¡­ you should say this earlier!!" She maximized the font size of this message and sent several angry and roaring emoticons behind it.

    She covered her face with one hand as she battled with her embarrassment and continued typing with her other hand.

    "Stupid idle fish!"

    "Stinky idle fish!"

    "You can¡¯t even exin things clearly! Go die!!"

    She sent a barrage ofints at him.

    Faced with such an attack, Seiji could only smile wryly and type gg¡­ whoops, respond with wryly smiling and helpless emoticons.

    He never said that he had gotten a girlfriend to begin with; it was Flying Fish who misunderstood in the first ce.

    But she was simply concerned about him. It was no big deal for him to shoulder the me.

    He kept consoling her until she finally stopped sending angry messages.

    Momentster, Flying Fish had calmed down.

    "Didn¡¯t you say that you started streaming in order to give joy to another person? What¡¯s with giving up like this?"

    She felt that perhaps this message was too direct after typing it, so she hurriedly added another message. "Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said it like that. I just feel¡­ it¡¯s a bit regrettable."

    ¡®I like your performance.¡¯ Flying Fish realized her own inner feelings.

    No¡­ it should be said that she wanted to see him.

    His performance was honestly nothing special, but it was fun.

    This was his charisma¡­ as a streamer.

    "I believe that you truly have potential," Flying Fish told him honestly. "If you treat it seriously and be a real streamer, you¡¯d definitely be able to attract many viewers! I have confidence in my eyes, which is why I can say that. It¡¯ll be a real pity if you give up like this."

    Seiji mulled over her words before sending a reply.

    "I¡¯m delighted to see that you appreciate my streaming," he wrote. "Perhaps if I continued working hard at this, I can get some results¡­ but that¡¯s not what I wish for. There are many ways to give other people happiness. There are more appropriate things for me to do, and things that I want to do more. For example, I¡¯m currently writing novels."

    ¡®Especially together with Shika-chan.¡¯

    "I do feel as well that it¡¯s slightly regrettable to give up on streaming. Even though you¡¯re my only spectator, you quickly became my friend due to it. That was a pretty nice feeling." Seiji added a sincerely smiling emoticon to the end. "That¡¯s why I said I may do it again sometime if I have the chance¡­ just for you."

    He had begun streaming just to grind points but got such a cute spectator as his friend, which was beyond his expectations.

    ¡®Sorry that I may have lied slightly to you, Flying Fish. But it¡¯s true that I wish to bring some joy to your life,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself as he looked at hisputer screen.

    Flying Fish didn¡¯t respond to him for a long time.

    Just as Seiji was considering whether or not to end the conversation here, another message appeared.

    "Stream again if you have the chance. I don¡¯t want to hear something so vague. Right now¡­ I¡¯d like for you to do one thing, and it¡¯s not to perform."

    "Please take off your mask¡­ and allow me to see your face."

 Chapter 209 - Impossible

    <h4>Chapter 209: Impossible</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Allow me to see your face."

    Even Flying Fish herself didn¡¯t know what emotions she was feeling when she sent this request.

    After he told her that he would still stream exclusively for her, she felt an inexplicable frustration in her chest, followed by the feeling that he was probably just being polite.

    If she epted it just like this, then it was quite possible that¡­

    She didn¡¯t want that. She wanted to do something with this chance which was perhaps her final chance.

    She had previously decided to not inquire about his real identity, and not pursue the matter any further, but that was in order to not change the status quo.

    And now, the status quo was about to change.

    If things continued like this, they would only be normal inte friends¡­ although it wasn¡¯t impossible for things to develop further, Flying Fish instinctively felt that if she didn¡¯t do something right now, then¡­ that was all they would be in the end.

    She didn¡¯t want for them to only be inte friends.

    That was why she decided to go against her previous decision and make such a request.

    Her heart was now beating rapidly.

    Would he ept?

    If he really did ept and showed her his face¡­ would she recognize who he was?

    Flying Fish was very nervous.

    To be honest, if he was just a stranger¡­ that would be the best result.

    If he was some boy plotting against her¡­ she felt that there was almost zero possibility of this now. After all, if that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t voluntarily bring up the fact that he was going to stop streaming.

    And if she actually knew him¡­ who might he be?

    There was no answer to her request for quite a while.

    Flying Fish felt her nervousness continuing to increase.

    Just as she wanted to send another message, she saw a reply in the conversation window.

    "Do you really want to see?"

    There were no added emoticons this time. The sentence seemed quite ordinary.

    But Flying Fish was so nervous that she even swallowed her saliva.

    She slowly moved her hand on the keyboard¡­

    Meanwhile, on Seiji¡¯s side.

    He currently was battling withplex emotions.

    He didn¡¯t expect that she would request to see his face.

    He treated her as an inte friend and believed that she saw him as the same. He previously believed she had no intention to deepen this friendship any further.

    They would just stay on the inte, a certain distance apart from each other, and get along.

    Seiji thought that this would continue.

    Perhaps something would change in the future, but that would be muchter, due to some type of unforeseen development.

    However, he never expected that she would take this step of her own volition right here and now!

    This was a step to dispel the fog.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish suddenly stood before him and reached out her hand to take off his mask.

    She must have realized¡­ no, as smart as she was, she definitely should have thought of it.

    The two of them most likely knew each other.

    If she wanted to see him, that meant she wanted to confirm the truth.

    Should he block her hand?

    Push her away now that she had grown closer and keep the status quo by being casual inte friends who could rx with each other¡­ that was what Seiji wanted.

    But he felt that he was unable to refuse this request of hers. After all, he did lie to her in a certain fashion and wanted to make it up to her somehow.

    Another way of putting it was that Seiji felt he owed her and was obliged to pay her back.

    Of course, he, too, desired to confirm the truth.

    Which was why he ended up agreeing.

    He asked for a final confirmation before he did it.

    Letting her see his real face¡ªto see the truth¡ªmight end their casual and rxing inte friend rtionship.

    She didn¡¯t reply for a long while.

    And then, finally, he saw a "Yes."

    It was just a one-word reply.

    Seiji could sense her determination from this simplest of all responses.

    ''So be it.''

    "Okay, I¡¯ll let you see me. Don¡¯t be scared of how handsome I am~" He followed that up with a brilliantly smiling emoticon.

    Both of them made their decisions.

    The only thing left was the result.

    Seiji found his mask, made his preparations, and put it on before starting his stream.

    "Cat-loving Flying Fish" began watching his stream.

    Seiji smiled at this. "Hey, beautiful Flying Fish. I was really surprised that you made such a request."

    "I believe you must have noticed it as well. We have a mysteriously high amount of simr interests, to the point where one would wonder if we actually know each other."

    The boy turned his gaze towards the camera, as if he could peer through to the other side and see her appearance.

    "I mentioned before that in my past¡­ I wasn¡¯t a good person. I hurt so many people, to the point where I think it¡¯s unforgivable. That¡¯s why, if you see who I really am, you might recognize me as a certain terrible scumbag."

    Seiji¡¯s smile became somewhat bitter. "I don¡¯t want that to happen. I don¡¯t want to lose you as a friend, so I actually really wanted to refuse. However, this was your request. You¡¯re my only spectator.

    "I don¡¯t have much self-awareness as a streamer, but at the very least I do have the resolution to fulfill my only spectator¡¯s request."

    Even if that might end up breaking this friendship apart.

    Seiji slowly lifted his hand.

    "Then, please go ahead and look."

    This wasn¡¯t a farewell performance or anything like that, but perhaps it could bepared to when a clown on the stage finally revealed his true appearance, meaning that it was time for the show to end.

    He took off his silver mask.

    An incredibly handsome face appeared beneath it.

    Seiji smiled faintly at the camera.

    ¡®This is me. Do you recognize me, beautiful Flying Fish?¡¯

    ¡­

    Cat-loving Flying Fish was absolutely stunned.

    At first, she was confused upon seeing his face, and then her expression changedpletely when she realized something.

    ¡®Impossible! Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible!! How could this be possible! Such a thing!!¡¯

    She felt as if she had encountered something utterly indescribable.

    A humongous, mysterious, and intangible presence swept over her.

    If she forcefully attributed a word to define it, she would call it "fate!"

    Her mind waspletely nk. She was unable to think.

    Her chest was filled with emotions that she didn¡¯t even know how to describe. Broken scenes and quotes from him kept shing through her mind.

    "Oh¡­ I¡¯m going to start singing now, and then I¡¯m going to dance. I hope that you can watch till the end."

    "Thank you, but that won¡¯t be necessary. I only need you."

    "This is because¡­ I hurt many people in the past."

    "I¡¯m not lying¡ªwhy won¡¯t you believe me?"

    "I think I¡¯m going to stop streaming¡­"

    "Do you really want to see?"

    "You¡¯re my only spectator."

    All these scenes and words, and the handsome boy before her, as well as the fat figure in her memories, and everything in the past¡­

    Flying Fish found it impossible to ept.

    She reflexively turned off her monitor and powered down herputer as she curled up in her bed under the nket.

    Impossible.

    All of this had to be a dream.

    ¡®I must have seen it wrong¡ªno, what I¡¯m thinking must be wrong! How could he possibly be¡­ how could he be¡­¡¯

    The emotions welling up in her chest were beginning to surge forth.

    Tears began pouring down her cheeks.

    "Wah¡­ Wahhhh¡­"

    She began sobbing quietly.

    Why was she getting all teary? Why was she crying?

    Flying Fish didn¡¯t know.

    She didn¡¯t know anything, nor did she want to understand anything.

    She simply hid within her nket, shutting out the entire world.

    However, as if the world¡¯s will didn¡¯t ept that she wanted to reject it, someone knocked on her door at this time.

    "Hana, I¡¯ming in."

 Chapter 210 - I feel like somethings wrong

    <h4>Chapter 210: I feel like something''s wrong</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji saw that Cat-loving Flying Fish had left his livestream.

    She even logged out of the chatting application without sending him a single message.

    Did she¡­ recognize him?

    Seiji wasn¡¯t one hundred percent certain, but judging from her reaction, he believed it was highly likely that she must have recognized and abhorred him.

    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t leave without saying anything.

    This was the worst possible result. Seiji could only smile wryly.

    There would be no more joyful casual conversation with her.

    Even though he had already mentally prepared himself for this oue, he still felt sad about it.

    He leaned back against his chair and stared at the ceiling.

    Just who could Flying Fish be, anyway?

    All those mysteriously simr childhood interests¡­ Being able to recognize his face in such a short time despite the huge change in him¡­ her hobbies, her way of talking¡­

    ¡®Could she be¡­¡¯ Seiji suddenly thought of someone.

    If Flying Fish was that person, then this was the worst of all possible oues!

    Even though there were also a few other possibilities, the more Seiji thought about it, the more he felt that this worst possible oue seemed the most likely.

    If that was the case, this was just too much of a coincidence! It truly made him feel the existence of the concept of fate, or perhaps it was just this world¡¯s idea of a prank.

    If Flying Fish really was his younger blood-rted sister, then what would her current feelings be? Seiji found it impossible to imagine.

    And if¡­ his older sister Yui Haruta found out about this, what would she think?

    This coincidence was too much to the point that it was almost impossible to believe it was truly a coincidence. Would Yui believe that¡­ he had nned this on purpose?

    Hmm¡­ that seemed quite possible!

    Seiji started to be nervous.

    Yui Haruta was probably¡ªno, she was definitely not someone to be taken lightly!

    At the very least, she was a Yin-Yang Master equal to or stronger than Natsuya Yoruhana. That day when he ran into her while shopping for clothes with Chiaki and Mika, the curly green-haired girl next to her seemed to be one of her Spirit-branded Retainers. She was basically someone who was the counterpart of Hitaka for Natsuya.

    What would the Haruta family Yin-Yang Master and scion¡­ be like if she got angry?

    Seiji tried imagining it.

    Using Natsuya as aparison, if the president got angry and wanted to seriously deal with someone, then she would probably send out Hitaka to give that person a vicious lesson, or even make that person disappear forever.

    In that case, for Yui Haruta¡­ would she send that curly green-haired girl or another Spirit-branded Retainer to deal with him?

    Was he supposed to start preparing for a possible battle?

    Just as Seiji was thinking so, his cell phone suddenly rang!

    He was startled by the sound and checked the caller ID on his cell phone.

    The caller was Chiaki.

    Seiji instantly breathed a sigh of relief that the call wasn¡¯t from his family.

    He took the call. "Hey, Chiaki, what¡¯s up?"

    "Seiji, I feel like something¡¯s wrong."

    "What¡¯s the matter?"

    "Mika didn¡¯t answer my phone call." Chiaki¡¯s tone of voice was rather serious. "After talking to you, I tried calling her many times, but she didn¡¯t answer a single time. This is something that¡¯s never happened before, which is why I think something¡¯s wrong."

    Seiji furrowed his brows. "It could be that she didn¡¯t notice, or her cell phone may be broken¡­"

    "Do you really believe that? I don¡¯t."

    "¡­You¡¯re right."

    "At any rate, I think that this must be no small matter. You need to pay extra attention to Mika." Chiaki sighed. "You also know that she¡¯s a girl that easily gets stuck on a single train of thought. If she meets an incredibly difficult situation that she can¡¯t find a solution to, she might¡­ do something we don¡¯t expect or something we don¡¯t wish to see."

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "I really don¡¯t want to give a real-life example, but¡­ when I was in middle school, I knew a female ssmate who had apletely different personality from Mika but would also easily get stuck on a single train of thought. One day, just like Mika, she suddenly started acting strangely and refused to tell all her family members and friends what was going on. Several dayster, she disappeared."

    "Disappeared?"

    "Yep, she didn¡¯t tell any of her friends anything; she only left her family a letter before leaving home. One entire yearter, I heard that her family finally found her, and she¡­ was pregnant at that time."

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say to this.

    "That girl was someone who had always been rather obedient, so it was difficult to imagine that she would¡­" Chiaki tailed off. "Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?" she asked after a pause.

    "Of course," Seiji said with a sigh.

    Chiaki meant that if he didn¡¯t pay extra attention to her, Mika might end up like that girl and do something that would make headlines and astonish society.

    Was this supposed to be some type of dark transformation?

    ¡®The potential to transform into a dark evil side¡­ Uehara-san, there¡¯s something dangerous in your character profile!¡¯

    "It¡¯s good that you understand, then¡­" Chiaki was about to end the conversation.

    "Wait a moment, Chiaki." Seiji thought of what he was currently dealing with. "Actually, I just stepped on an incrediblyrgendmine¡­ I think."

    "What?"

    "I¡¯ll skip over the specifics, but at any rate, my older sister¡ªthe person that you and Mika sawst time¡ªshe or someone working for her might being to find me." Seiji could only smile wryly. "At that time, I¡­ might have something happen to me¡­

    "If that really happens, then I can only leave Mika up to you."

    Chiaki was rendered speechless by this!

    "Just what exactly have you done!?" Shock permeated Chiaki¡¯s tone. "Why does it sound like someone¡¯se looking for revenge on you and that you¡¯re leaving yourst words to me!? This type of joke isn¡¯t funny, idiot!"

    "I wish that this was a joke as well, but unfortunately, it isn¡¯t," Seiji said, sighing. "That person, Yui Haruta, is, at the very minimum, a person as incredible as President Yoruhana, and what I did most likely will anger her¡­ if the situation is what I believe it to be."

    "It wasn¡¯t what I intended, but I doubt she¡¯ll listen to me exin¡­ so, even though it¡¯s only a possibility, I need to prepare myself."

    "If something really happens¡­ Chiaki, I can only leave it to you to take care of Mika."

    On the other side of the call, Chiaki was clueless as to what her expression was like anymore.

    What the hell!? His words sounded like they came right out of a television drama script!

    His incredible older sister was seeking revenge on him!? Exactly what could have happened!? Such a ridiculous plot wouldn¡¯t even be used by an 8:00 pm soap opera anymore!

    And it had to happen at such a time when Mika also had problems! Chiaki didn¡¯t even know what to say anymore as she kept up a torrential stream of mentalments.

    A period of silence fell between them.

    Seiji heard the sound of footsteps, which meant that Shika had finished her shower.

    "That¡¯s it, then¡ªI gotta go."

    He hung up the call and left the study.

    He saw Shika who had just exited the shower.

    He was stunned by the sight.

    Shika was wearing form-fitting pajamas with a jacket on top and she was still wiping her hair that was still wet with a towel.

    The slightly tight animal-patterned pajamas entuated her excellent curves, and her soft face, her watery eyes, and wet hair¡­ she seemed so charismatic when performing the simple action of drying her hair.

    Okay, fine, it was just all seductive!

    Seiji impulsively wanted to rush up and hug Shika¡¯s soft body, pet her head, and inhale her fragrant body scent¡­

    Seiji almost spluttered at his own thoughts. ''Stop!''

    He somehow managed to restrain himself, although his resolve was shaken.

    "Brother Seiji," Shika said softly, "I''ve finished taking a bath. You should hurry up and wash up as well while the bathwater¡¯s still warm."

 Chapter 211 - Having a Joyous Bath

    <h4>Chapter 211: Having a Joyous Bath</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Did this count as soaking in his sister¡¯s "juices?" No, no, this didn¡¯t count!

    Seiji kept thinking of various strange things andmented on his own thoughts while he washed his body.

    While he was staying at Natsuya¡¯s temporary residence, since every bedroom had an individual bathroom, there was no opportunity for him to see a scene like a beautiful girl that had just finished bathing. The chance to use the same bathwater as another girl was also non-existent there.

    When he thought how Shika-chan had just been using this same hot water, Seiji felt a subtle feeling¡ªit almost felt as if this water seemed different from all other ordinary water.

    Was this a mistaken impression? Yep, it had to be.

    Even if Shika had also soaked in this water, it was still just normal hot water that wouldn¡¯t have a special scent or taste¡­

    How about tasting it a little?

    No, no, what was he thinking!?

    ¡®I am a gentlemanly sis-con! Not a perverted sis-con! I definitely won¡¯t taste it!! I definitely won¡¯t!!!¡¯

    Seiji used his mighty willpower to stop himself from falling into the abyss.

    But¡­ it would be fine to bathe longer than usual, right?

    He temporarily put all the worrisome things out of his mind and enjoyed this bath to the utmost.

    After he finished, Seiji headed for his room.

    He discovered that Shika was sitting on his bed waiting for him.

    Could she be¡­ Would the "I want to sleep together with Brother" request appear here!? That was the first thing that popped into Seiji¡¯s mind.

    Then she stood up, walked up to him, and said, "Good night, Brother Seiji," with a smile.

    Seiji blinked in surprise. He returned her smile as he felt the warmth in her tone.

    "Good night, Shika-chan."

    Shika¡¯s smile seemed to grow even more blissful.

    She didn¡¯t say anything else as she walked out of Seiji¡¯s room and to her own bedroom.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t think of all these random things¡­¡¯ Seiji silently reflected.

    ¡®It¡¯s too difficult for me to say "I want to sleep together with Brother" right now¡­¡¯ Shika¡¯s face was slightly red.

    And so, the two of them were lost in their own thoughts as they spent their first night together under the same roof.

    The next morning.

    Seiji, who had been worried about various things all night, heaved a sigh of relief when dawn arrived uneventfully, although he was still left with some lingering concerns.

    Even though he didn¡¯t want Shika to begin worrying right after moving in together with him, he still felt obliged to tell her.

    He should have told herst night to begin with, but the atmosphere made it difficult for him to speak up. And besides, he felt that his worry was still only a "possibility."

    It was a good thing that Yui Haruta didn¡¯te looking for himst night.

    Would shee today? It would be good if he was wrong about Flying Fish¡¯s identity, but he still had an ominous premonition.

    He could only mentally prepare himself. As for actually preparing forbat¡­ if Yui was serious, Seiji doubted that the current him could stand up to her, so he might as well not do anything.

    If the situation truly became dire, then he would just need to load.

    He got out of bed, exited his room, and heard the sound of a knife against the cutting board.

    Going to the kitchen, he saw Shika wearing casual indoor clothing with an apron on top while preparing food in the kitchen.

    "Good morning, Brother Seiji."

    Shika turned around and smiled at him when she heard his footsteps.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over.

    For the ck-haired beauty to be wearing an apron while cooking and smiling at him while saying good morning¡­ this was such a ssical sight to behold!

    The scene before him seemed so beautiful that he could only freeze in his tracks.

    He only responded after he had finally regained his senses.

    "Good morning¡­ you get up really early."

    "It''s not that early¡­ I just wanted to make some breakfast."

    ¡®I want to make some breakfast for Brother.¡¯

    Seiji detected such an intention from her and was moved by it.

    It was truly worth bing a sis-con!

    Wait a moment¡ªthat doesn''t seem like the correctment to be making!

    However, there was nothing wrong with Shika¡¯s intention, and since he now had a cute sister who was willing to get up early to make food for her brother, how could he not be a sis-con!?

    He looked forward to tasting Shika¡¯s cooking.

    Well, before that, he should go brush his teeth and wash his face.

    After cleaning up, Seiji changed into a new set of clothes before walking into the dining room.

    He saw that Shika had already brought the tes of food to the table.

    Miso soup, fried eggs, tofu, and dried salted fish¡ªit was a very typical Japanese-style breakfast.

    "Please go ahead and try, Brother."

    "Okay, I¡¯m going to start eating."

    Seiji took his chopsticks and ced a piece of egg in his bowl.

    He noticed that Shika currently seemed to be rather nervous.

    The dishes were allmon ones, so Seiji was curious to see how they would taste. He ced the fried egg in his mouth.

    It was good!

    It wasn¡¯t extraordinarily delicious or anything, but it definitely tasted good.

    "It¡¯s delicious." He gave his honest assessment.

    Shika smiled and her cheeks flushed red upon hearing his praise.

    She had only ever cooked for herself in the past. At this moment, she was feeling a satisfaction that she had never experienced before.

    "Don¡¯t just watch me¡ªyou should eat as well."

    "Okay¡­"

    The two of them ate together.

    With cooking as the topic, Seiji had a nice and rxing casual conversation with Shika.

    They quickly finished their breakfast.

    Seiji wanted to wash the dishes, but Shika insisted on doing it herself, so he could only let her do so.

    As he watched her figure that was washing dishes, he honestly felt that it was great to have an adopted younger sister like her.

    As for the topic of younger sisters¡­ Seiji inwardly sighed as he recalled the younger sister that was blood-rted to him.

    "Shika-chan, I have something to tell you in a little bit."

    After Seiji told her this, he went to the living room and waited for her quietly.

    Shika came to the living room after she finished washing the dishes and sat across from him.

    "Actually, something happenedst night¡­ and it might have to do with my blood-rted younger sister." Seiji had already thought about how he should tell her as he began speaking.

    While thinking, he noticed the real reason why he didn¡¯t want to exin things to Shika, and felt rather helpless about it.

    But he had to tell her¡­ and she had the right to know.

    "This started from an incident about my past, where I¡­"

    He didn¡¯t go into the details, but he let her know what had happened.

    Especially about the incident that caused the original Seiji to be exiled from his family.

    The original Seiji had been such a scumbag, and it was a truly outrageous incident¡­ he had never told anyone about it before.

    Nor did he want to tell Shika about it, because¡­ he was afraid that she would be disgusted with him.

    Yes, that was the true reason why Seiji didn¡¯t want to exin the situation to Shika.

    He didn¡¯t want her to be disgusted, but since this was an undeniable incident caused by the original owner of his body, it would only make things worse for him if he attempted to conceal it.

    And, most importantly, Shika was now his adopted sister, his family, so she had the right to know.

    That was why Seiji steeled his resolve as he told her the story.

    Shika listened to him quietly.

    Her expression didn¡¯t change at all, and she remained calm all the way to the end of Seiji¡¯s story.

    After a brief period of silence, she finally spoke up.

    "So, this means that Brother Seiji might¡­ be hurt by that Yui Haruta¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer?"

    Seiji noticed the worry in her tone of voice and was surprised by it.

    He had expected that Shika would be somewhat disappointed in the past him, and, at the very least, require some time to digest his previous self¡¯s atrocious actions.

    He didn¡¯t anticipate that her first sentence would be filled with worry about his current situation.

    "It¡¯s just a possibility. If Cat-loving Flying Fish is who I suspect she is, it would probably cause an incident. However, it is still only my inference¡ªit¡¯s the worst possibility I can think of. The truth might be something else entirely¡ªand I hope that it isn¡¯t the case, but you know there¡¯s the saying to always be prepared for the worst. I need to mentally prepare myself." Seiji smiled wryly. "I¡¯ll probably be taught a vicious lesson, and although I don¡¯t know what I might face, I doubt that my life will be in danger."

    Shika looked searchingly at his face, which Seiji believed to be her way of discerning whether he was telling a white lie to her or not.

    "In the past, even though I did such a terrible thing, I was only exiled, nothing else. This time¡­ I think that I¡¯ll be alright in the end. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t need to be nervous. I¡¯ll ept the lesson I deserve and apologize sincerely so that they can let go of their anger."

    Seiji smiled faintly at Shika.

    This smile gave Shika an indescribable feeling.

    Her hand clenched on tightly to Seiji¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 212 - Im Strong Enough to Accept it!

    <h4>Chapter 212: I''m Strong Enough to ept it!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "By the way, do you really not mind? About my past¡­" Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    He believed that what he''d just told her about his past would be difficult for anyone to ept.

    It was certain that her impression of him would take a blow. As for how much of an impact it was¡­

    "If you think it¡¯s disgusting, then feel free to say it. I can ept it."

    He didn¡¯t want Shika to force herself.

    ¡®If she¡¯s disgusted by the past me, she can just tell me¡ªI¡¯m strong enough to ept it!¡¯

    Shika blinked her eyes upon hearing this. "Yes, it¡¯s unpleasant."

    *Schtick!* Seiji felt as if a sharp arrow had pierced his chest.

    "Yes, it¡¯s disgusting."

    *Stab!* Seiji felt as if a knife had pierced his brain.

    "It¡¯s basically¡­ perverted human scum."

    *Boom!* Seiji felt as if he had been sted away by a bomb.

    "But that¡¯s all Brother in the past," her soft voice stated calmly. "My current Brother isn¡¯t that type of person¡­ nor will he ever change into that type of person again, isn¡¯t that right?"

    Shika smiled gently at him.

    Seiji who was (mentally) injured all over felt as if he was seeing his goddess!

    He felt indescribably moved.

    "Yep, of course!"

    After all, he wasn¡¯t the same person as the original Seiji Haruta to begin with. It wasn''t the same soul, either.

    That guy was already dead. No matter how terrible of a person that bastard was, it was all over with since he was dead.

    But Seiji had inherited his body and received a second chance at life. Inheriting this body meant inheriting the name, identity, and everything this body did in the past.

    So even though those terrible deeds weren¡¯t his own, it was still his responsibility.

    "Even if I die, I¡¯ll never¡­ be that type of person again," Seiji stated with steely resolution.

    Shika simply continued smiling gently at him. "That¡¯s fine, then."

    ¡®This is my Brother, my beloved adopted older brother, my most important and only family member. I definitely¡­ won¡¯t allow him to be harmed!¡¯

    An emotion that the ck-haired girl had never experienced before welled up within her.

    ¡­

    As ording to the promise, Seiji nned on visiting the school festival again together with Peach-sensei.

    Even though he really wanted to take Shika with him, she was the "Reaper¡¯s Curse¡­" So he could only leave her at home to do whatever she liked.

    "I¡¯ll purchase something for you as a souvenir."

    After promising Shika this, he left his apartment.

    He immediately went next door and knocked on the Uehara family¡¯s door.

    Thendlord opened the door for him.

    "Mika said that she¡¯s not feeling well today, so she¡¯s holed up in her room and doesn¡¯t want to go to school." Nozomi Uehara could only smile wryly.

    She exchanged nces with Seiji before both of them sighed.

    "If she¡¯s going to stay at home, take good care of her, Miss Landlord." Seiji could only sigh again. "Both Chiaki and I have no idea why she became like this, so we need to find out something from her¡­ no, let¡¯s not force her¡ªit might be better to give her some time for her emotions to calm down before talking to her."

    "Yeah¡­ Sorry to make you worry, Haruta-kun."

    Seiji smiled lightly. "There''s no need for that¡ªMika is our good friend."

    After that, he waved goodbye to thendlord. Just as he was about to leave, he saw the blonde-haired nurse descending the stairs from the second floor.

    "Good morning, Juumonji-sensei."

    Kaede shed a brilliant smile at him. "Good morning, Harano-kun. The weather¡¯s nice today."

    Then, she noticed something was wrong. "Where¡¯s Uehara-san?"

    "She¡¯s¡­ not feeling well today."

    "Not feeling well?" The school nurse/health teacher blinked in surprise. "Then I should go visit her; perhaps I can help."

    "Er, it¡¯s not about her body; it¡¯s probably¡­" Seiji mulled it over.

    He doubted that Kaede would be able to aplish anything if she went over, but if Mika wouldn¡¯t tell her best friends or her mother anything, would reverse psychology work and she might tell someone she wasn¡¯t very familiar with like Kaede?

    That seemed possible.

    There were many examples in real life of people that were unwilling to tell things to their close friends and family, but would easily say to random strangers or people on the inte.

    "So it¡¯s not about her body. Is it a psychological problem then?"

    "I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s serious enough to be called a ¡®problem.¡¯ At any rate, the situation¡¯s like this¡­"

    Seiji exined Mika¡¯s recent odd behavior to Kaede.

    Kaede revealed a serious expression befitting of her status as a teacher.

    "Right now she won¡¯t tell her good friends and family anything about what happened, so I¡¯m thinking that maybe she¡¯ll tell you as her teacher."

    "Hmm¡­ You may be right," Kaede said, nodding, "but although I¡¯d like to go see her right now, I can¡¯t bete to work at school. I¡¯ll have to go and visit her after school finishes."

    "I¡¯ll trouble you to do so, Juumonji-sensei."

    "I¡¯m the health teacher, you know. It¡¯s my job to worry about my students¡¯ health." Kaede smiled gently. "Uehara-san is a good girl; I¡¯d really like to help her both as a teacher and a tenant."

    Seiji felt the power of a maturedy¡¯s charisma from her gentle smile, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly shaken in his heart!

    "As her friend, I give you my gratitude." He averted his gaze as he steadied himself.

    Kaede detected something from his action and felt delighted inside.

    "No need to be so polite, Harano-kun."

    After that, they didn¡¯t talk much, since Seiji split up from Kaede at the next intersection due to needing to go pick up Peach-sensei.

    Already being familiar with the way, he walked to the front door of her apartment and pressed the doorbell.

    The door opened before long. It wasn¡¯t Peach-sensei that opened the door¡­ it was Editor Yoshizawa!

    "Good morning, Harano."

    Saki Yoshizawa was wearing a shirt, long pants, and a formal jacket with a cor. This outfit, coupled with her cold beauty and sharp atmosphere, almost made her seem like a female special agent.

    Seiji felt like it would be really cool if she suddenly pulled out a gun and made an aiming pose with it.

    "G-good morning, Editor Yoshizawa." Seiji was rather dazed by her appearance.

    Why was Editor Yoshizawa here? No, more urately speaking, why was Editor Yoshizawa here at this particr hour?

    "Mayuzumi and I are currently eating breakfast¡­ have you eaten already?"

    "Yes, I have."

    "Thene in and sit down for a little while. I¡¯ll pour some tea for you."

    "Oh¡­ sorry for the intrusion."

    Seiji entered the apartment and removed his shoes at the entrance before following Editor Yoshizawa inside.

    He saw that Peach-sensei was sitting at the dining table.

    "Good morning, Sensei."

    "Good morning, Haru¡­ Harano-kun."

    Mayuzumi smiled wryly as she greeted Seiji.

    Seiji instantly understood what was transpiring when he saw her expression and no longer felt the need to inquire about it.

    Editor Yoshizawa acted like this was her own home as she yed the part of the host for Seiji. She had him sit in the living room, before pouring tea for him, bringing some desserts, and turning on the TV. After this, she headed back to the dining table to finish her breakfast with Mayuzumi.

    Seiji sipped on his tea as he nced around the living room.

    The decorations were quite appropriate, being neither too in nor too gaudy. There were various items from the "Honey Candy Girl" franchise, such as dolls and so on set in appropriate locations. They represented the apartment owner¡¯s identity, but it wasn¡¯t too otaku-ish in nature, so it all seemed natural.

    It was quite a nice living room, and, honestly speaking, Seiji even felt that it seemed too normal, as he didn¡¯t expect that Sensei would be able to create such an atmosphere in her living room.

    Cough, perhaps that was a bit rude of him to think.

    Compared to the living room, Seiji was more curious about Sensei¡¯s work room and felt a sudden desire to see it.

    However, it was a professional manga author¡¯s work room after all, so he doubted that he would be allowed to just casually enter it.

    He suddenly thought about the work room of the two main characters of Bakuman and wondered if Peach-sensei¡¯s work room was simr to theirs¡­

 Chapter 213 - Lively

    <h4>Chapter 213: Lively</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Time passed by as Seiji waited and imagined various things.

    Mayuzumi and Saki finished eating breakfast and cleaned up before they came to the living room.

    "I heard from Mayuzumi that you guys agreed to continue touring the school festival today," Saki said as she entered the room. "I¡¯d like to go together as well; is that alright?"

    It was just as Seiji had expected.

    He looked at Mayuzumi, and she simply smiled without saying anything.

    "If Peach-sensei agrees, I have no objections."

    There was no reason for him to object.

    He felt that Sensei would be able to rx a little more if Editor Yoshizawa apanied them. As for how Sensei herself felt about it¡­ she probably felt helpless that Editor Yoshizawa was such a worrywart about her, but she didn¡¯t seem opposed to the idea.

    "Okay then, let¡¯s get going." Saki wasted no time and cut to the chase.

    And so, the three of them went out together.

    While he was walking together with Editor Yoshizawa and Peach-sensei, Seiji suddenly felt as if Peach-sensei was a pampered youngdy who was afraid of the world, while Editor Yoshizawa and himself were her bodyguards.

    If only he was wearing an outfit like the editor¡¯s, together with a pair of dark sunsses. If he made a cool pose¡­ yep, it really would seem like he was a bodyguard!

    Seiji coughed and shook his head. ''I''m getting sidetracked.''

    It was mainly because Peach-sensei seemed so weak as she walked next to the editor, who was exuding an imposing aura, which really gave him the impression of ady and her female bodyguard.

    ''In reality, their rtionship is quite simr to that,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    After they left the apartment, Saki immediately called for a taxi; it didn¡¯t seem like she even considered taking the bus.

    ¡®Did she find out about Sensei taking the bus yesterday?¡¯

    Seiji cast a furtive nce at Mayuzumi, who noticed what he was asking with his eyes, and she shook her head slightly.

    ¡®So she didn¡¯t tell her¡­¡¯

    Seiji felt like he could understand how Sensei felt about Editor Yoshizawa, and he didn¡¯t intend to say anything about it.

    The three of them sessfully reached Genhana High School.

    That was when Seiji discovered to his astonishment that today Genhana High School was at least twice as livelypared to yesterday!

    It was a local holiday today. The students¡¯ family members had free time, and the families living close to the school brought their kids here so they could enjoy the festival. Some students from other schools came visiting to see what the festival was all about, and even some white-cor workers came together with their coworkers to rx. Various types of people could be seen wandering about; from this, it was clear that the festival had attracted a greater amount of visitors today.

    Seiji, who was slightly stunned at the sight of the teeming crowd of people, finally realized what Natsuya meant by telling him that Genhana High School¡¯s festival had always been rtively sessful.

    ¡®That¡¯s such an understatement, don¡¯t you think!? It¡¯s so popr!¡¯

    He had never seen such a school festival in anime or manga before¡­ er, not quite.

    There were some fictional schools that had ridiculous settings such as Academy City or that school from Mahou Sensei Negima which had rather exaggerated school festivals that made Genhana High School¡¯s seem like nothing¡­

    ¡®Wait a moment¡ªI¡¯m setting too high of a standard forparison!¡¯

    With this realization, Seiji managed to regain his senses.

    It was nice that it was so lively today, but wouldn¡¯t the overwhelming liveliness cause a mess?

    A huge number of people meant trouble. He hoped that the Morals and Discipline Committee in charge of maintaining order as well as the other student leaders would be able to manage them.

    By the way, both the student council president and vice president were still in the hospital¡­ was this really going to be alright?

    Seiji was somewhat concerned, but he figured now wasn¡¯t the time for him to be worrying about others.

    Seiji looked towards the person beside him at the same time as Saki.

    They saw that Mayuzumi, who was in between them, was taut with anxiety, and herplexion nched when she was faced with this massive crowd.

    Seiji and Saki didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.

    The editor ended up sighing. "This ce is much livelier than I thought," she observed. "Mayuzumi¡­ I feel that you shouldn¡¯t force yourself; how about giving up for today?"

    The manga author was obviously considering this proposal.

    But even though her expression flickered for a moment, her face hardened into a mask of steely resolve.

    "No¡­ I want to¡­ try."

    Even though she didn¡¯t sound particrly resolute, she was definitely working hard.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll lead the way then." Seiji smiled to reassure her. "I¡¯ll walk in front, Sensei can follow me, and Editor Yoshizawa can take care of Sensei from behind. Is this arrangement okay?"

    Mayuzumi nodded in response.

    Saki saw her friend¡¯s resolution and decided to support her.

    The three of them arranged themselves in formation and charged onwards!

    After entering the school, they were greeted by the sight of a huge map stuck on a billboard. It depicted the various activities avable.

    Seiji felt that pausing to examine the map wasn''t a wise idea. He took out his cell phone, snapped a picture of the map, and continued leading the way without stopping.

    After they entered deeper into the school, the dense crowd began to thin out noticeably.

    "Sensei, would you like to explore some of the stalls we didn¡¯t get to visit yesterday, or start with my ssroom¡¯s store?" Seiji turned around and asked.

    "Let¡¯s¡­ go to your ssroom¡¯s store." Mayuzumi¡¯s expression had eased up slightly. Still, passing by so many people made her rather ufortable.

    "Understood¡ªfollow me."

    Seiji took them to Year 1, ss 5¡¯s room.

    He saw a huge line waiting at the door!

    "Such a long line early in the morning¡­ seems like my ss has been pretty sessful." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "This is the poprity that a ¡®Honey Candy Girl¡¯-themed store deserves," the editor lectured in a serious tone of voice. "Since you even received direct permission from the author, it should at least be on this level."

    "Saki, don¡¯t say that." The manga author was getting embarrassed.

    "Editor Yoshizawa is rather strict¡­ but I can understand her feelings." Seiji smiled. "Anything rted to a product that you worked hard on together with your friend¡­ you¡¯d wish that it would be the best, isn¡¯t that right?"

    Saki nced at him and nodded in confirmation.

    "As a fan, I have the same hope. But this is still just a temporary store run by ordinary students, so there¡¯s no need to set your expectations too high. Honestly speaking, I think that being able to maintain this condition without any problems until the end of the school festival would be quite the achievement."

    Just as he finished speaking, they all heard the sound of a dish breaking from within the ssroom.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this unfortunate timing!

    He could only smile wryly at Saki and Mayuzumi as he indicated to them with a hand gesture that they should go over and see what was going on.

    The student that had broken the dish was hurriedly cleaning up the broken pieces, and the person who was apologizing on his behalf to the customer was¡­ Chiaki!

    She was wearing an exquisitely embroidered cosy outfit, one that was much more exaggerated and extravagant than the one that Seiji wore yesterday.

    Ordinary students wouldn¡¯t be able to do this outfit justice; it would only seem like a monkey in a circus outfit if the person didn¡¯t have an excellent appearance. But when Chiaki wore this outfit, not only did she do it justice, it even seemedpletely natural on her with no sense of abnormality.

    This was supposed to be a fantasy-themed cosy outfit! Why did it seem so appropriate on her!?

    Seiji was somewhat stunned at the sight.

    And all the customers in the store¡ªespecially the female customers¡ªwere all looking at Chiaki with stars in their eyes, as if they were seeing an idol¡­ or a prince!

    That¡¯s right¡ªChiaki was a prince wearing a fantasy-themed prince outfit that made her seem even handsome than Seiji and his butler-style outfit from yesterday!

    ''No wonder there''s such a long line so early in the morning.''

    After he recovered his senses, Seiji realized the reason behind the store''s unusual poprity.

    That was when he saw Chiaki looking in his direction.

    The resplendent prince¡ªwho was actually female¡ªsmiled at him and blew him a kiss.

    This instantly caused a hugemotion.

    Seiji, who was the recipient of the unexpected impact, was unable to stand the crowd''s gaze and immediately escaped.

    Mayuzumi and Saki were mystified by all this.

    "Harano, what just happened?"

    "N-nothing¡ªa friend was just ying a joke on me." Seiji could only sigh. "It seems that¡­ we won¡¯t be able to go to my ssroom¡¯s store for a while, so let¡¯s find somewhere else to sit down for a little while."

    "Then, pleasee visit our ss!" said a candid-sounding female.

    When Seiji reflexively turned around to see who it was, his vision was filled with nothing but purple.

 Chapter 214 - Eyeglasses

    <h4>Chapter 214: Eyesses</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    It was Yukari Asamiya.

    The purple-haired beauty was smiling widely while looking at Seiji.

    She was waving a sign, so she was probably trying to attract customers, but the part the Seiji paid the most attention to was the fact that she was now wearing a pair of silver sses.

    There was a saying that eyesses were the simplest type of disguise. At least, it seemed to work for a certain costumed superhero.

    The purple-haired girl wearing sses definitely gave Seiji a different impression from before. She seemed to have a more bookish aura about her.

    Originally she was someone who gave others the impression of a properdy, and now it was easy to imagine her elegantly reading ssical books in the library.

    Wait a moment¡ªsses¡­

    Seiji took a looked the sign that she was waving.

    The sign read "Eyesses Milk Tea Shop."

    ''What the hell is that supposed to be?''

    "Our Year One, ss Three¡¯s shop¡¯s main theme is ¡®eyesses.¡¯ We prepared many pairs of non-prescription sses for the guests beforehand, and each customer can pick a style that he or she likes to wear.

    "As for the customers that already wear sses to begin with, there¡¯s a discount for them, and we even offer the special service of cleaning their sses for free."

    Yukari noticed Seiji¡¯s confusion and gave a well-practiced exnation.

    "I see, eyesses¡­ an ingenious topic."

    He supposed that people who didn¡¯t wear sses would have some curiosity about the matter. If they wanted to try it, they would visit the store. And as for the customers who already wore sses, they could try out different styles.

    No matter who the customer was, he or she would be able to try out a new style that was different from usual. That would appeal to many.

    And the preparations necessary for this theme wouldn¡¯t be all that difficult as long as they had connections to any sort of eyesses store.

    In summary, it was a clever topic.

    "Thanks for your praise. But we can¡¯tpare to Harano-san¡¯s ss store¡ªthe ¡®Honey Candy Girl¡¯ cosy sweets caf¨¦ is just too perfect! No matter whether it¡¯s the cosy quality or the excellent taste of the sweets, it¡¯s all on another level. None of the other sses in our Year 1 canpare."

    Yukari smiled as she took a nce at the long line waiting in front of Year 1, ss 5''s store.

    "That¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration¡­ but thanks for your praise as well." Seiji smiled in response.

    "It¡¯s no exaggeration at all, in my opinion. At the very least, many of my ssmates think so, and you can include me in their ranks as well. If there was a vote for the best store, I think that, objectively speaking, my entire ss would vote for your ss."

    Her tone of voice was sincere without any trace of simply being polite or hypocrisy. Seiji could only ept her praise.

    "I heard that your ss¡¯s idea was singlehandedly brought up by Harano-san¡­ how amazing." Yukari changed the topic and praised him again.

    "I don¡¯t believe so¡ªit was the result of everyone¡¯s hard work."

    There was also the fact that Peach-sensei and the confectionery store owner Rika Amami had given him their full support.

    "I knew that Harano-san would say that." Yukari smiled as she looked towards the two people beside him. "Are these two¡­ your family members?"

    "No, they¡¯re my friends."

    "Oh¡­ Hello,dies. Would you like to join Harano-san ande visit our store? As for thedy in sses, we even have a discount~" The purple-haired girl shed a brilliant smile.

    Saki nced at Mayuzumi.

    Mayuzumi looked back at Seiji wordlessly.

    "Let¡¯s go in." Seiji made the decision.

    "Wee!" Yukari was delighted at this.

    With her leading the way, the three of them entered Year 1, ss 3.

    Seiji instantly felt as if he was the focus of attention of all the other students from ss 3.

    After thinking about it, he felt that he understood why and could only feel helpless about it.

    Oh well, he just needed to not pay it any attention.

    He nced around ss 3¡¯s store. While he felt that while the decorations were rather ordinary, the atmosphere was quite nice. It seemed interesting how all the customers were wearing different styles of sses while drinking their tea.

    "Please choose the style that you like, our dear customers."

    Yukari didn¡¯t let any of her ssmates take care of them and personally guided the three of them to a nearby table upon which arge selection of sses were ced.

    There were various colors, shapes, and styles of ssesid there neatly in rows with their lens shing. This made it seem just like the disy case of an eyesses store.

    ¡®I''ll just pick one randomly,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    "Harano-san, I rmend this pair for you."

    Yukari seemed to see through his intentions and made a suggestion specifically to stop him from just picking one at random.

    She picked up a pair of golden sses that seemed rather gentlemanly.

    "This pair is a ssical style. Although golden-colored sses aren¡¯t verymon to see these days, and perhaps many young people believe that the gold color is for middle-aged or even elderly people, their belief that it¡¯s not fashionable is just a misunderstanding. ssical styles always have their unchanging charisma! It¡¯s just that ordinary people are unable to activate the charisma. If someone who isn¡¯t at a high enough level wears golden sses, it¡¯ll seem just as inappropriate as a child trying to wear an adult¡¯s clothing."

    "Harano-san, I promise that you definitely won¡¯t have this problem! Wearing this pair of sses will definitely suit you and create a brand-new image!"

    The purple-haired girl¡¯s eyes shone as she made her mini-speech.

    Seiji felt that he was unable to refuse.

    "Okay, let¡¯s go with this pair, then." He reached out his hand and was about to take the sses from her.

    However, Yukari retracted her hand at thest moment.

    Seiji was mystified by this.

    "Let me help you put these on." Yukari held on to the sses and walked closer to Seiji with a big smile on her face.

    Seiji felt that the other students¡¯ stares grown more intense!

    Even Mayuzumi and Saki noticed something as they watched this situation unfold between Seiji and the purple-haired girl that they weren¡¯t acquainted with.

    "There''s no need," Seiji protested feebly. "I can do it by myself."

    "Please allow me to help you put these on!" Yukari looked directly into his eyes and remained firm.

    Her manner was resolute, reminding Seiji of her firm attitude when she made her confession.

    Once again, Seiji found it difficult to resist her direct friendliness.

    "Okay then¡­" It was just putting on a pair of sses, after all.

    Yukari smiled once again upon receiving his permission.

    She stood up on her tiptoes as she ced the golden eyesses on his handsome face.

    In order to help her out, Seiji bent his knees slightly as there was somewhat of a height difference between them.

    All the students in ss 3 were watching this scene.

    The guests had also noticed and turned to look at it.

    Beside Seiji, Mayuzumi and Saki silently watched the proceedings as well.

    A light breeze blew past in the ssroom that was currently so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

    In such a quiet atmosphere, under the watch of so many people, this perfectly ordinary action actually seemed rather ritualistic.

    Yukari slowly ced the sses on Seiji¡¯s face.

    Seeing his handsome face at such a close distance and doing such an action¡­ caused her heart to keep beating at a rapid pace.

    He was so handsome!

    Regardless of whether or not he wore sses, he was unbelievably handsome! However, they were two different styles of handsome.

    The person that she liked was right before her, and she was personally changing his style.

    This fact made her heart pound rapidly and caused her face to heat up and be faintly red.

    ¡®This is amazing¡­¡¯ Yukari sincerely believed this.

    Seiji only paid attention to the sses and didn¡¯t notice her expression.

    After the sses were ced on him, he blinked and stood up straight again before he noticed that something was different.

    The beautiful girl in front of him had a slightly flushed face, and her eyes shone with an enigmatic light. Her lips were arced upwards in a flirtatious half-smile.

    Almost everyone in the ssroom was watching them. Some female students had expressions as if they just saw "something good," while a portion of the male students had grudging expressions which said "popr handsome guys should just go explode and die." The adult customers had appreciative expressions like "it¡¯s nice to be young."

    As for the manga author and editor¡­

    Mayuzumi¡¯s face was slightly red, while Saki had a cold look in her eyes.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say anymore.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on? All I did was put on a pair of sses, so why is everyone paying attention to me to such a degree?

    ¡®Asamiya-san, why is your face so red? Does your action have some deeper meaning? It doesn¡¯t, does it!? At least I don¡¯t think it does, right!?¡¯

    He was absolutely and utterly confused.

 Chapter 215 - Magic-Devouring Dragon vs. Smiling Executioner

    <h4>Chapter 215: Magic-Devouring Dragon vs. Smiling Executioner</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Just as Yukari said, the golden eyesses looked amazing on Seiji. It made him seem almost regal, which definitely lit up many girls¡¯ eyes.

    Mayuzumi suddenly felt a sh of inspiration as she looked at him, and thought about a new character to write about.

    She reflexively began thinking about this new character and was lost in her thoughts for a while.

    When she finally regained her senses, she noticed that she was already sitting next to Saki and Seiji at a table.

    "You were lost in your thoughts just now, so you must have been thinking about a new storyline." Saki adjusted her sses, causing the lens to sh.

    She was wearing a pair of rather ssical ck sses that definitely went well with her appearance and aura. Even the action of adjusting her eyesses seemed as if she had practiced it for many years.

    Mayuzumi felt that this was a fresh experience for her. She didn¡¯t expect that her good friend would look so good in eyesses; it was almost as if Saki had been wearing eyesses to begin with.

    "Yeah, Harano-kun¡¯s appearance gave me an idea," the manga author answered. "As for you, Saki¡­ you look great in those eyesses; I¡¯m rather moved."

    "You already used me as a character anyways; the only difference is that I¡¯m wearing a pair of eyesses now."

    "Eh, Sensei used Editor Yoshizawa as the temte for a character in Honey Candy Girl? Which character?" Seiji instantly became curious.

    Even though he was still confused about what just happened when he put on the eyesses, it was just a small matter to him. He instantly put it behind him.

    "Ah, don¡¯t say yet, let me guess!"

    Seeing that Mayuzumi was about to tell him, Seiji changed his mind and wanted to have fun guessing.

    "The cold swordswoman Kulu who¡¯s bold and unconstrained?"

    Mayuzumi shook her head.

    "Then, the scar-faced female oracle Roleta?"

    Mayuzumi shook her head again.

    "Hmm¡­ the cannon soldier girl Okalia of Three Nots?"

    Yet another no.

    "I can¡¯t figure it out¡­ Just who is simr to Editor Yoshizawa?"

    Saki was rendered speechless by all his guesses failing.

    She currently hadplex emotions because she felt that he must have a weird impression of her.

    "She isn¡¯t an antagonist character, is she?"

    Seiji didn¡¯t feel like Sensei would write her editor into an antagonist character, but there were exceptions to everything, so he wanted to confirm it.

    Mayuzumi chuckled. "Nope, she¡¯s one of the main character¡¯spanions that was introduced quite early."

    Having received this hint, Seiji quickly went over the possibilities.

    "Could she be the gentle elder sister-type Ursia?"

    "Yep, that¡¯s correct."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji blinked in surprise. He turned his gaze to the female editor with a look of wonder in his eyes as he mentallypared her with the character Ursia from Honey Candy Girl¡­

    "Feel free to say whatever you¡¯re thinking," Saki said calmly. "Most people say that I don''t resemble that character at all."

    "No, in Sensei¡¯s eyes, Editor Yoshizawa probably seems just like a gentle big sister that always takes care of others, just like Ursia." Seiji smiled in understanding.

    "Yep," Mayuzumi agreed and smiled as well.

    Saki, faced with both their gentle looks, averted her gaze, and her face flushed red with embarrassment.

    The three of them had fun in ss 3¡¯s sses store.

    After they left, they went to check out ss 5 again, but found that the line had actually increased in length! It seemed like it would only get longer and longer.

    Prince Chiaki¡¯s charisma was simply too high.

    The three of them decided not to wait in such a long line and went exploring other ces and participating in various special activities.

    To sum it up simply, they toured the school festival.

    There were various activities set up all around the school, and they could join some simple games. Winning would reward them with a red emblem, and losing would still reward them with a blue emblem. At the end of the day, they could exchange their colored emblems for some prizes at the exchange booth at the school¡¯s entrance.

    Not only were there some small prizes, there was also an option to exchange for tomorrow¡¯srge-scale activity¡¯s participation rights and equipment that was also the final day of the school festival.

    When Seiji saw therge-scale activity¡¯s topic, his first reaction was ¡®Wow.¡¯

    It was a "Field Battle Game!"

    Field Battle Games were mock gunfights involving paintball guns orser guns and typically took ce outside, which was why they were called Field Battles. Seiji understood it as a real-life edition of Counterstrike.

    The school¡¯s n was to useser guns, which were safer than paintball guns. But even so, was it really alright to y such a game in the school?

    Games were definitely interesting.

    Girls aside, the boys would definitely be interested! At least, Seiji really wanted to participate and y. Especially since this would take ce at school, and this type of opportunity was rare.

    When he asked hispanions¡¯ opinions, the manga author felt that thisrge-scale activity was a fresh experience, while the editor was also somewhat interested.

    After discussing it, they agreed to all join together and exchange their emblems for the right to enter as well as some rted equipment for tomorrow.

    That meant that they would need to participate in many activities today as they toured the school festival.

    The three of them immersed themselves in the fun atmosphere of the school festival as they explored various stores and activities.

    The haunted house wasn¡¯t too scary. Seiji and Saki went through it with no trouble at all, and even Mayuzumi wasn¡¯t all that afraid. At the very least, it was much easier for her than dealing with unfamiliar men.

    When they had their fortunes told, Mayuzumi was told that she would be sessful in her career, but that she had problems with socialmunication. Saki was told the exact same thing.

    As for Seiji¡­ he was told that he would have women problems! His uing future regarding women would be quite unlucky and the fortune teller warned him to be careful about everything.

    Seiji felt that their forecasted fortunes were unexpectedly urate. That girl telling their fortunes was quite a genius!

    There was also an old bookstore, which none of them expected. Mayuzumi and Saki were both attracted to the excellent quality of the books within it.

    While they were busy browsing through the books, Seiji used the excuse of going to the bathroom to temporarily leave. He used this chance to politely meet and reject a girl who had called him out at this time to confess to him.

    Finally, both women ended up buying several old books.

    They didn¡¯t realize what Seiji had been up to at all. He returned with time to spare and helped carry their books as he continued apanying the two beauties.

    He felt as if he was advancing on the path to bing a scumbag man?

    Er, that must be his mistaken impression¡­

    The first activity that they came across was Rock-Paper-Scissors, one on one, best two out of three.

    Mayuzumi was told topete against Saki, and Seiji was arranged topete against another girl¡­ and, to Seiji''s surprise, it was Mai Houjou!

    Because she was wearing a school uniform instead of her typical maid attire, Seiji didn¡¯t even notice it was her. He was shocked when he noticed her identity.

    This was the first time he had ever seen Mai wearing the school uniform¡­ or anything at all other than her maid uniform. Even though she was quite beautiful in the school uniform as well, her perfect performance as a maid left too deep of an impression in Seiji¡¯s mind, which made him feel that her current appearance was slightlycking inparison to normal.

    "Oh my, I ran into you at such a ce, Junior."

    Mai smiled when she saw that she waspeting against Seiji.

    Seiji felt that there was nothingcking anymore when he saw her smile¡­ Yep, that¡¯s right, this was Mai indeed.

    "I was going to say the same thing, Senpai." He smiled in response as well.

    "But," Mai said, "toe to the same stall at the same time, and to be arranged aspetitors, it¡¯s such a coincidence."

    "Yep, it¡¯s almost as if it was fated to be."

    "Hahaha¡­" Both of them chuckled at this.

    "My apologies, Senpai, but I won¡¯t go easy on you. The red emblem shall belong to me, the victor!"

    Seiji lifted up his hand and made a pose that he copied from Yugioh. He looked like he was about to draw another card.

    "You¡¯re so cute, Junior. The blue emblem¡¯s losing color is more suitable for someone as na?ve as you~"

    Mai also raised her hand and unfurled her Duel Disk¡­ whoops, she smiled in a mock condescending manner.

    Their surroundings seemed to blend into the scenery.

    The two of them focused only on each other.

    Both of them had an intense aura ofpetitiveness as they made their initial moves.

    The Magic-Devouring Dragon vs. the Smiling Executioner.

    It¡¯s time to duel!

 Chapter 216 - Rock Paper Scissors!

    <h4>Chapter 216: Rock Paper Scissors!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Rock-Paper-Scissors¡­ this game was said to have originated in the 19th century and carried its own history behind it.

    The three hand gestures countered each other: once one was picked, the winner would be decided. The rules were simple and nothing was needed to y it, so it could be yed anywhere and anytime. These qualities helped it to spread around the entire world.

    Seiji and Mai began their duel that would be the first of many in the future¡­

    Just kidding.

    But they were both serious about wanting to win.

    First round!

    Seiji concentrated intensely on his opponent¡¯s actions and instantaneously made a judgment about what his opponent was going to go with, so he responded in turn.

    Scissors!

    Mai had used Paper.

    Excellent, he''d received the first victory.

    Seiji¡¯s mouth arced upwards, and he had a smug look of self-satisfaction.

    Mai¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but there was a sharp glint in her eyes.

    "Not bad," she said slowly, "but the next time will be different."

    "Hmph¡­ no matter what you want to use, nothing will escape my excellent dynamic visual acuity. I shall emerge victorious next time as well!"

    "Dynamic vision¡­ then how about this?"

    Mai ced her hand behind her back.

    "What!? This¡­ this is¡­" Seiji acted as if he was truly shocked.

    "This is the secret technique for Rock-Paper-Scissors: the ¡®Behind the Back¡¯ technique! Instead of showing my move from the front, I¡¯ll conceal it behind my back, and this will greatly decrease your ability to perceive my next move with your dynamic vision!"

    "Oof¡­ there was such a secret technique! The dynamic vision that I was so proud of was sealed so simply¡­"

    "That¡¯s right¡ªyou¡¯ve already lost your power, and victory shall be mine! Come, it¡¯s time for the second round!"

    "Er¡­"

    Scissors!

    Rock!

    This time Mai was victorious.

    "Ahhhh¡­ I actually lost!" Seiji acted as if he had received a heavy blow.

    "Haha, so you¡¯ve witnessed how incredible my secret technique is. This is an ultimate skill that you shall neverprehend. In the final round, I shall obliterate youpletely." Mai acted utterly condescending.

    "Secret technique¡­ ultimate skill¡­ It¡¯s indeed incredible, and I can¡¯t counter it, however¡ª" Seiji changed his expression to one of resolution as he slowly closed his eyes and posed imposingly. "I¡¯m willing to sacrifice the dynamic vision I¡¯m so proud of and temporarily awaken my tribe¡¯s forbidden technique: ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye!¡¯"

    "¡®Mind¡¯s Eye?¡¯ Could it be the legendary¡­"

    "Exactly right¡ªit¡¯s a legendary undefeatable technique once it''s awakened! Yet, it requires a huge sacrifice to awaken, which is why it¡¯s my tribe¡¯s forbidden technique." Seiji assumed a fake grave tone. "I shouldn¡¯t be using this forbidden technique, but in order to defeat a strong enemy like yourself, I¡¯m willing to pay the price!"

    "Hm!? You¡¯re actually willing to throw away the vision that you¡¯re so proud of! You¡¯re insane¡­"

    "In order to defeat you, it¡¯s all worth it! Come, for the final showdown¡ª"

    Rock!

    Paper!

    Mai was victorious.

    "Ah¡­ I have been defeated."

    "But of course¡ªthis is only a luck-based game to begin with. What¡¯s with your ¡®Mind¡¯s Eye¡¯? You were having a little too much fun, Junior." Mai stopped acting immaturely.

    "Didn¡¯t you have plenty of fun as well, Senpai?" Seiji also stopped acting like an immature middle school student. "Creating an atmosphere can help increase the tension and make things more interesting."

    "We went a little overboard; everyone¡¯s looking at us strangely."

    This was indeed the case.

    "What exactly are those two people doing?"

    "Are they working for this activity and doing a performance?"

    "It¡¯s only Rock-Paper-Scissors; why are they treating it so seriously?"

    The passersby were all staring at them and seemed to be muttering things like that.

    Even the manga author and the editor wore looks of confusion.

    It didn¡¯t matter¡­ fine, Seiji was slightly embarrassed!

    Seiji and Mai hurriedly reported their result and received their emblems from the student running the activity.

    Then, Seiji grabbed Mayuzumi and Saki and left the activity together with Mai.

    "Sensei, this is my Senpai that I told you about yesterday at the coffee caf¨¦: the part-time maid, Mai Houjou."

    Seiji introduced Mai to Mayuzumi.

    When the manga author heard this, her eyes instantly lit up.

    "Senpai, this is¡­" He was unsure of how to introduce Mayuzumi, since he didn¡¯t want to reveal that she was the massively popr Peach-sensei.

    "H-hello, nice to meet you. My name is Mayuzumi Amami, and I¡¯m a manga author." Mayuzumi ended up introducing herself. "I heard about you from Harano-kun, who told me you¡¯re an extraordinary maid, so¡­ I was really curious, but I didn¡¯t think that I would get to meet you so soon¡­"

    She seemed rather excited.

    "Hello, nice to meet you, Amami-san." Mai smiled politely. "An extraordinary maid is a bit exaggerated¡­ I¡¯m merely being paid a sry and doing my job."

    She then gave Seiji a sidelong nce.

    ¡®You actually just went ahead and told someone else about me, you¡ª¡¯ Seiji could read this meaning from her eyes.

    He did feel somewhat awkward about it.

    It was just to spice up the conversation yesterday. He didn¡¯t expect that they would all meet up so soon; once again, it seemed like a subtly wondrous act of fate.

    Mayuzumi¡¯s eyes were glimmering as she stared at Mai.

    She imagined how Mai would look like in ck-and-white maid attire and felt that it would definitely look great on her, just as Harano-kun had mentioned.

    She really wanted to see Mai in actual maid attire. However, she felt that it would be impolite to make such a request when they weren¡¯t even familiar with each other yet.

    Saki helped to curb Mayuzumi¡¯s fantasies.

    "Harano, Houjou-san here seems to be by herself. How about inviting her to go along with us?"

    "Eh?" Seiji looked in surprise at the editor.

    Mai also looked over at her inquisitively.

    "Junior, who might this be¡­"

    "I¡¯m an editor from Thunderbolt Literature. My name is Saki Yoshizawa." The female editor introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you, Mai Houjou-san."

    "Nice to meet you too, Yoshizawa-san," Mai responded, before turning to look at Seiji again. "A manga author and an editor¡­ what an umon pair for you to be with, Junior."

    "Haha, there¡¯s a reason for all this." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "Senpai, you¡¯re exploring the school festival by yourself, right? How about going together with us? You want to participate in the special activities too, don¡¯t you? Then that¡¯s the same as us, and we can all have fun together."

    Mai blinked as she contemted the offer for a short moment.

    "I am by myself, and I was intending to wander around the school festival like this, but since Junior has offered to treat me, then I won¡¯t have any reservations."

    "Er¡­ I didn¡¯t say that I would treat you." After a brief pause Seiji relented. "Okay, I¡¯ll treat you then."

    Under the suppression of the Smiling Executioner¡¯s attack, the Magic-Devouring Dragon lost his treasure hoard.

    He had just received five hundred thousand sakuras from the student council president, but now her maid was trying to take advantage of him! To Seiji, this seemed somewhat ironic.

    Well, it was alright as long as she agreed to apany them.

    And now, he was apanied by three beauties, each one with her own unique style. He was truly a winner in life!

    His cell phone rm vibrated in his pocket. He nced at it and saw that it was a reminder: Winner in life, it¡¯s almost time for you to go to your next confession event.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    It was a good thing to be apanied by beauties, and being confessed to was also good, but¡­ this was making his stomach ache a little.

    He was feeling some pressure from it all.

    Now that he had anotherpanion, his adventure¡­ whoops, his joyous school festival experience was about to continue.

 Chapter 217 - Grinding Monsters

    <h4>Chapter 217: Grinding Monsters</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After the team was assembled andplete, it was time to begin grinding monsters for experience.

    ¡®If this was a fantasy RPG, I would probably be the Warrior, Peach-sensei would be the Priest, Editor Yoshizawa would be the Ranger, and Houjou-senpai would be the Assassin¡­ er, actually, she''s probably more of a Mage.¡¯

    Seiji amused himself with his own imagination.

    If everyone wore fantasy RPG-like clothing and stood together in a battle formation¡­ that seemed like it really could happen!

    Please forgive him for this mindlesspse of attention.

    As for why Seiji had such thoughts to begin with, it was due to the appearance of hordes of monsters¡­ whoops, admirers that tried flirting with the women.

    After Mai joined them, Mayuzumi was very interested in learning more about her and stuck close to Mai to ask her many questions, while Mai politely answered each question.

    Since there were too many people at the festival today, it was impossible for all four of them to walk together in a row. Naturally, Mai and Mayuzumi walked together, while Saki and Seiji also became a pair.

    Mayuzumi looked like a ssical frail beauty, while Mai¡¯s outer appearance made her look like a gentle beauty as well, so, unfortunately, it was only natural that the two of them were quickly set upon by flirtatious admirers.

    These admirers were one of the most disliked groups at the school festival¡ªmen looking to score with the girls here.

    These unreliable males that were aiming for this school festival and joined up in groups together in order to flirt with high school girls were the existence that the Morals and Discipline Committee, and even the high school boys, wanted to get rid of the most. In a certain way, they were indeed simr to the monsters in an RPG game.

    "Hey, you two, you look familiar¡ªhow about hanging out with us?" Monster A began his attack with a flirtatious look in his eyes.

    "How about I invite you two for some coffee? We can chat and be friends~" Monster B used a smiley-face technique.

    "It¡¯s always more fun with more people, soe with us!" Monster C used a domineering attitude.

    Priest Mayuzumi was afflicted with the ¡®fear¡¯ status at this close-quartersbat situation and was unable to move.

    Mage Mai began smiling coldly and began to cast an ultimate spell.

    "Sorry, they¡¯re together with us." Warrior Seiji went in to support and used his oppressive smile technique.

    "You guys are in the way, and it¡¯s really annoying. Move." Ranger Saki shot out cold barbed arrows in order to give Priest Mayuzumi some cover fire.

    "Oh¡­ so you hadpanions." Monster A was suppressed sessfully and retreated slightly.

    "Another beauty? Perfect, join us as well! We¡¯ll treat you!" Monster B continued using the smiley-face technique.

    "Hmph, you think I¡¯ll move just because you want me to move? I¡¯d lose too much face if I just slunk away!" Monster C used a strong and arrogant counterattack.

    "It¡¯s a free society where you can choose to flirt with who you please, but still, please forgive me for being direct¡­"

    Mage Mai finished her incantation and began casting her ultimate spell.

    "Just look at how ugly you guys are!"

    "Eh!?" The three monsters received critical attacks simultaneously.

    "Your hairstyles are so ridiculous, and there¡¯s too much of a hairspray scent! Your clothes are all low quality, and you don¡¯t even know how to match colors! Your shoes are dirty, there¡¯s dust on your pants, and stains on your shirts! And forget about the uneven makeup on your faces, there¡¯s even nostril hair showing! Not to mention the massive amount of gunk in the corners of your eyes!"

    The strong AOE magic hit the all the enemies at once.

    "Wah!!" The monsters A, B, and C all cried out in pain.

    "Frivolous, vulgar, and dirty¡­ you actually dare to talk to us with such a level. Heh heh, if you still have functional eyesight, please take a look at the person beside us." Mage Mai activated a teleportation spell and sent Seiji, who was the backline support Warrior, into the frontlines.

    Warrior Seiji cooperated by shing a brilliant handsome smile!

    "Ahh!" The three monsters were blinded by the sight.

    "You guys can¡¯t even match up to ten percent of him¡­ no, there¡¯s no way to evenpare."

    Mage Mai used her finishing move¡ªa condescending gaze. It was akin to an ordinary person looking down on some filthy insects, a move that pierced the monsters¡¯ hearts.

    ¡®Get the hell out! Garbage.¡¯

    They felt as if they could clearly hear her insulting them like this.

    "I¡¯m sorry!!" All three monsters were defeated and fled after leaving that message.

    ¡®What an excellent way to grind monsters for experience.¡¯ Seiji inwardly praised Mai¡¯s technique.

    Cough cough, all of that was exaggerated by Seiji¡¯s mind, so please take it with a grain of salt.

    Simr incidents urred multiple times in session after this.

    Each time, Saki would protect Mayuzumi, while Seiji and Mai teamed up to get rid of the frivolous men.

    No matter what type of men they faced, the handsome boy and the female maid defeated them effortlessly and looked cool while doing so.

    At least, the manga author thought they did.

    Mayuzumi had another sh of inspiration, as a torrent of ideas flowed through her mind. She thought of another new character as well as a plotline and couldn¡¯t stop herself from falling deep into thought.

    ¡­

    They reached another activity stand.

    This was a riddle-solving game. Seiji received an incredibly simple riddle and quickly solved it to receive a victorious emblem.

    Saki also solved her riddle.

    Mayuzumi and Mai were still thinking and discussing their riddles with each other.

    The editor stood in an out-of-the-way location as she quietly watched her good friend having fun while chatting with the girl they just met.

    "Here you go, Editor Yoshizawa," someone said from beside her.

    Of course, it was Seiji.

    He had gone to purchase a few drinks and handed one to the editor.

    "Thank you."

    Saki epted it, opened the cap, and took a swig.

    The cool and refreshing liquid tasted delicious as it slid down her throat.

    "Sensei seems to really like Houjou-senpai." Seiji also observed the other two as he drank from his own drink.

    "Yeah¡­"

    "I always felt that Sensei was rather passive, but seeing this makes me realize that she has her proactive side as well. Is she always like this when she meets someone she¡¯s interested in?"

    Saki blinked as she thought about it. "I suppose so. It¡¯s very rare to see her like this¡­ at least, I haven¡¯t seen her like this for a long time now."

    "Oh¡­"

    Saki took another sip of her drink.

    Seiji did the same.

    "Editor Yoshizawa, how long have you known Sensei for? I heard that you became friends with her during high school."

    "Yeah, I got to know Mayuzumi in high school. It¡¯s been¡­ ten years since then."

    "Ten years¡­ being friends for ten years is really great." Seiji smiled. "Yesterday when I was chatting with Sensei at a coffee cafe, she told me that you¡¯re just like a worrywart big sister, who always takes good care of her, and she¡¯s really grateful to you for it. At the same time, she also hopes that you won¡¯t worry so much about her, as she doesn¡¯t wish for you to tire yourself out doing so."

    "Oh¡­" Saki¡¯s expression became gentler.

    "In Editor Yoshizawa¡¯s eyes, what type of person is Sensei then? Do you think that she¡¯s indeed a woman who really needs someone to take care of her?"

    "¡­Not entirely," Saki said after a pause.

    Saki looked deeply at her good friend. "For me, Mayuzumi¡­ apart from being someone I need to take care of, more importantly, she¡¯s¡­ someone I must protect."

    She said the final few words in a very faint voice.

    A normal person probably wouldn¡¯t have heard her, but Seiji managed to make out her words and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    Someone she must protect¡­ what did she mean?

    It didn¡¯t seem like the type of "protect" that involved romantic feelings¡ªRika Amami had already told him that Editor Yoshizawa wasn¡¯t a lesbian that was in love with Peach-sensei. Seiji himself felt the same thing as well.

    This "protect¡­" made it sound like it was her "duty" to do so.

    Duty¡­ if that was really the case, why did Editor Yoshizawa feel that it was her duty to protect Peach-sensei so strongly?

    Seiji was curious about the whole situation.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a question that he should pry too deeply into, as he felt it was rather personal. He decided not to continue down this line of questioning.

    "How about you then, Harano?"

    "Eh?"

    "Didn¡¯t you want to take Mayuzumi as your wife? In your eyes, what type of person is Mayuzumi?" Saki revealed a serious expression as she waited for his answer.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say to this!

    He had almost forgotten about this misunderstanding!

 Chapter 218 - The Inevitable Shall Always Come

    <h4>Chapter 218: The Inevitable Shall Always Come</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Editor Yoshizawa, I apologize for the misunderstanding. That was actually¡­"

    Seiji exined the mistake he had made with his words during their first meeting.

    Saki¡¯s face flushed red as she listened to him exin.

    "So it was like that¡­ I made a mistake, I apologize." She awkwardly averted her gaze.

    "No, it¡¯s my fault for not saying things clearly. There¡¯s no need for you to apologize, Editor Yoshizawa."

    "For you to say something like that, it means that you do hold some sort of interest in Mayuzumi, right?" Saki suddenly brought this topic back up again.

    "Er, this¡­"

    "Mayuzumi is a beauty with an excellent appearance and figure. As long as she wears some proper clothing, she¡¯s an incredible beauty. She has a gentle and kind personality, and she has a high ie as the author and artist of a popr manga that was made into an anime. Even if her future partner doesn¡¯t have a job, that will be no problem as well."

    "She has simr interests to you, the two of you indeed get along pretty well, and I feel you¡¯ll able to take good care of her. From every aspect, the two of you seem quite well suited for each other¡­ so have you ever thought about it?"

    He felt as if Saki was trying to introduce a marriage prospect to him.

    Seiji could only smile wryly as he recalled going to marriage interview meetings in his past life.

    "Editor Yoshizawa, I get what you¡¯re saying. If you directly ask me whether I like Sensei or not, of course I''ll say I like her."

    "But it¡¯s not to such a degree yet¡­ even though we¡¯re not new acquaintances anymore, we actually aren¡¯t all that familiar with each other yet."

    "Right now, I¡¯m merely treating Sensei as Sensei¡­ yep, that¡¯s how it is."

    Seiji looked directly at Saki.

    "I like you as well, Editor Yoshizawa."

    Saki was shocked and confused by this sudden unexpected revtion!

    "Those words that you just used to describe Sensei could also be applied to yourself. You¡¯re an editor, and I¡¯m a writer, so we¡¯d make a good pairing as well."

    "I respect you, just like I respect Sensei, and I also like you, but not to a deep romantic degree; after all, we haven¡¯t interacted all that much either."

    "Editor Yoshizawa, it¡¯s the same for you as well, right? I think that you don¡¯t hate me, and like me as well, but have never considered romantic feelings, right? For me, I have the same feelings for both you and Sensei."

    ¡®Yep, that was a good exnation. This way, I think that Editor Yoshizawa will clearly understand what I mean,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Saki was rendered speechless.

    Her face flushed crimson.

    Suddenly being told that she was "liked," caused her brain to temporarily stop working.

    She only heard the gist of what Seiji said after that, although¡­ she felt as if she understood what he meant.

    By the time that she regained her senses, Mayuzumi and Mai had finished solving their riddles and received their emblems.

    Seiji greeted them with a wave. "Let¡¯s get going."

    "Okay¡­" Saki followed behind him, her cheeks still tinged red.

    Mayuzumi and Mai each took a drink from Seiji and chatted as they drank without noticing the expression on the editor¡¯s face.

    ¡­

    Lunchtime.

    Seiji¡¯s group ate at a ramen store run by students.

    Seiji hurriedly finished his noodles and told the threedies that he needed to leave for a little bit as he rushed to make it to another confession.

    He had already left like this several times already, so the threedies had gotten used to it.

    "Harano-kun is so popr," Mayuzumi said with a sigh.

    "Yes, it¡¯s understandable how popr he is. After all, he''s extremely handsome and has a good personality. But," Mai said with aplex expression in her eyes. "how should I say it¡­ I think that he has a rather subtle problem."

    "A subtle problem?"

    "Sometimes, to girls¡­ he¡¯ll do some things that are difficult for me to describe, while he himself doesn¡¯t even realize it."

    "Oh¡­" Hearing this hint made Mayuzumi think of what happened to herself yesterday, causing her to begin blushing slightly. "I can understand¡­ indeed, Harano-kun, he¡¯s¡­"

    The two of them quietly came to an unspoken mutual understanding.

    Saki was the only one who didn¡¯t understand.

    "¡®Something difficult for you to describe¡­¡¯ what is it exactly?" The editor wondered what it was about.

    The manga author and the maid both turned their gazes on her.

    "Saki probably never experienced it before."

    "Editor Yoshizawa seems to have excellent resistance, so there¡¯s no need to mind this."

    Mayuzumi and Mai both smiled at her.

    Neither of them realized that not long ago, the thing that they thought didn¡¯t happen or would never happen to the editor had already just urred¡­

    ¡­

    "Achoo!" Seiji suddenly sneezed.

    It was good that this happened only after the confession. He felt that it would have been impolite if he sneezed while he was being confessed to.

    After dealing with so many confessions, he felt that he was actually getting ustomed to it¡­ this was something impossible for the previous him to imagine.

    Although maybe it wasn''t a kind thing to think, all of the girls that had confessed to him after Yukari Asamiya hadn''t even made half of the impression that the "Princess", Yukari, had left him with.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t even shaken by any of these confessions. Of course, he still thanked them for their feelings and politely rejected each of them. He felt that he hadn¡¯t been rude towards anyone.

    After all theseparisons, he was now deeply appreciating how special the girl named Yukari Asamiya was.

    He recalled the scene where she ced the sses on him in the morning¡­ and felt his heart beat slightly quicker.

    He decided to stop thinking about it and hurried back to meet Sensei and the others.

    Just as he was about to quicken his pace, he suddenly saw a girl in front of him.

    He instantly froze in his tracks.

    This devilish-seeming girl had curly dark green hair. A demon face mask was diagonally strapped over her head. She was wearing a tight one-piece dress with a red jacket on top, and ck fis stockings covered her legs.

    She was holding a chocte-covered banana, and she smiled faintly, took a bite, and even licked her lipssciviously when she noticed his gaze.

    It was quite obvious that she was doing it on purpose.

    If Seiji had been an ordinary person, perhaps he would have been dazed by her beauty, and ovee by a stream of fantasies, but currently, Seiji had no such train of thought at all.

    That was because this green curly-haired girl who was obviously waiting for him was¡ª

    "Oh my, it seems that you remember me, even though we only met once at the Grand Spring department store."

    The girl chuckled as she sauntered closer to Seiji.

    "This is our first meeting, Seiji Haruta¡­ Young Master."

    Seiji noticed her abnormal tone of voice when she said this. "There''s no need to call me by that title. Before I was exiled, I didn¡¯t even know that I was a ¡®Young Master.¡¯"

    "That¡¯s your own fault¡­ well, anyway, I was just going through the motions. After all, Mdy refuses to acknowledge that you¡¯re a Haruta anymore, so I¡¯m going to call you Seigo Harano from now on." The girl with the curly green hair took another bite of her banana.

    "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself: my name is Iroha Hasegawa, and I¡¯ll be in your care~" She waved her handzily before licking her lips again.

    "I¡¯ll be in your care." Seiji eyed her calmly. "You¡ªno, I know that Yui Haruta sent you to find me¡ª but for what exactly?"

    "You¡¯re so direct. I like that." Although the girl named Iroha chuckled, her eyes shone with an icy light. "Mdy asked me to ascertain what you are thinking, as well as check on your current level of strength¡­ another way to put it is that I¡¯m going to ask you some questions and then beat you up."

    "¡­That¡¯s all?" Seiji caught unprepared by her answer. What about the streaming¡­ about Flying Fish?

    "What else do you want? Would you like to die?" A smile remained on Iroha¡¯s face despite the chilling look in her eyes. "If Mdy gave the order, I¡¯d be more than happy to carry that order out, but she¡¯s such a softie~"

    "Oh, right, don¡¯t directly call Mdy by her name. You should address her as Haruta-sama."

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    "At the very least you have some self-realization, and didn¡¯t call Mdy ¡®sister.¡¯ Otherwise, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d still be able to stop myself from taking care of you right here and now."

    "Seigo Harano," the girl said in a clear, cold voice, "honestly speaking, I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking at all. You were a piece of garbage to begin with, so you should have stuck to your role as garbage and just died off! But, instead, you¡¯re jumping around chaotically like a grasshopper and making even more trouble for Mdy."

    "From talking to you face to face, I have realized that this is more of a disgusting ordeal than I imagined. Damn it, I really don¡¯t want to have to even see you, but I still have to do what I must." She finished off her banana before casually tossing the peel urately into a garbage can that was over ten meters away.

    "Tonight at eight o¡¯clock,e to the Nagawa amusement park in the west side of town," she said in a cold voice as she walked past Seiji. "Don¡¯t bete¡­ otherwise I¡¯m going to be quite angry."

    Iroha walked off as she left that sentence behind.

    Seiji stood there, rooted to the spot, as he watched her leave.

    After all, this was inevitable.

    Since it came for him, he just had to deal with it properly.

    He walked onwards with steady steps as always.

 Chapter 219 - Watching a Play

    <h4>Chapter 219: Watching a y</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    He would be asked some questions, before receiving a beating. Or, in Iroha''s words, ¡®asking what he was thinking and checking his current strength.¡¯

    Their meeting was scheduled for tonight at eight o¡¯clock, in Nagawa amusement park.

    He felt bound to go. No matter what he encountered, it would finally set him on track.

    It sounded like it was certain that he was about to receive a beating¡­ to rify, it meant that Iroha was going to fight him.

    Light-chan had already left, so Seiji felt that the current him probably wouldn¡¯t match up to an experienced Spirit-branded Retainer, and Iroha probably thought the same as well.

    If just getting beaten up once would help him to be forgiven, that would be a great deal for him, but Seiji doubted that would be the case.

    Check his strength meant seeing his current level¡­ but then what?

    If his strength was sufficient, would he be permitted to return to the family?

    If that was the case, it was quite pragmatic. But from another angle, it could be considered generous.

    Seiji returned to the ramen stand as his head swum with thoughts.

    When he saw the three women waiting for him, he temporarily left his own matters behind and greeted them with a smile.

    ¡­

    After leaving the ramen stand, Mai said that she had other things to do, and left.

    Seiji, Mayuzumi, and Saki continued exploring the school festival, this time in the middle school section.

    They discovered a wild Hoshi Amami (in the boy¡¯s middle school uniform).

    "Senpai, you¡¯ve finally arrived!" The handsome younger boy shed a brilliant and warm smile.

    "What¡¯s with the ''finally?'' I contacted you by cell phone less than ten minutes ago, you know."

    "I really wanted to see you, Senpai. Even though I didn¡¯t wait for all that long, it felt really long to me."

    Seiji didn¡¯t even know what to say to this.

    Forget it¡ªHoshi wasn¡¯t currently in female clothing, so it was still within his abilities to withstand.

    "You should greet your elders first," Seiji said. "Sensei is your¡­ what exactly is the rtion again?"

    "She¡¯s my father¡¯s cousin. Aunt Mayuzumi, hello, long time no see." Hoshi greeted Mayuzumi politely.

    "Hello, Hoshi, long time no see." Mayuzumi smiled gently at him.

    Quite a natural scene¡­ wait a moment.

    "Sensei, you¡¯re not afraid¡­ of Hoshi?" Seiji noticed this part.

    "Yeah, because¡­ Hoshi¡¯s really like a girl," Mayuzumi replied in a low voice.

    "I''m the only male that doesn''t trigger Aunt Mayuzumi¡¯s androphobia, which gave me quite an impact in the past." Hoshi smiled and added, "I don¡¯t really mind anymore, all because of you, Senpai¡­"

    "Stop, stop!" Seiji felt that this was heading in a bad direction and hurriedly lifted his hand and gestured for Hoshi to stop. "It didn¡¯t have anything to do with me¡ªit¡¯s all because of yourself you found your self-confidence and worked up your courage to face everything, right?"

    "Yeah¡­ but I¡¯ve changed now thanks to Senpai¡­"

    "I did a few things, yes, but you became stronger thanks to your own willpower!" Seiji lectured in a serious tone of voice. "So don¡¯t say stuff like it¡¯s because of me; your strength"¡ª''as a trap,'' Seiji added in his head¡ª"stems wholly from yourself, not from anyone else."

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi was visibly moved by Seiji¡¯s speech.

    To Seiji''s relief, Hoshi didn¡¯t say anything else.

    While Seiji pretended to be serious on the surface, he actually heaved a secret sigh of relief that he''d made it past this without thedies hearing about anything too awkward.

    From a bystander¡¯s viewpoint, this was just a normal and nice scene of a conversation between a junior and his senpai. Even the manga author and editor believed this.

    Hoshi joined their group and took them on a tour of the middle school section.

    The activities and programs were simr to the ones in the high school section, but the average quality was a bit lower than the high school section. The students¡¯ performances and behavior were also less professional and filled with a youthful aura.

    But this aura of youth was the essence of middle school!

    The students trying to attract customers were blushing, the servers were shy, the fortune tellers were stuttering, and the performers were tentative¡­ all this seemed rather cute.

    Seiji was all eyes for the tender and juicy¡­ whoops, young and cute middle school girls, while Mayuzumi felt a lot more rxed than earlier; it was as if a game had suddenly switched to easy mode.

    It wasn¡¯t that she waspletely unafraid of middle school boys, it was just that she was less afraid of thempared to high school boys or adult men.

    Afterwards, it was time to watch a y.

    Therge performance was arranged by the drama club of which Chiaki was a part of!

    Seiji and his friends arrived at the auditorium and purchased tickets to enter.

    The performance began.

    All the lights in the auditorium were dimmed, while the stage was brightly lit up, creating a suitable atmosphere for the opening scene.

    The curtains slowly drew open.

    The lights revealed that the scene on the stage was a fantasy-style city.

    While the backdrop wasn¡¯t particrly extravagant, it was still of good quality; it was, after all, crafted exclusively by high school students.

    The sound of slow, deep melody washed over the members of the audience.

    The song rose in pitch as it reverberated throughout the auditorium.

    Seiji recognized the voice singing the song as Chiaki¡¯s.

    He was amazed because her singing voice sounded gentle and sweet. It was as if the singer was a girl deeply in love and missing her lover. It was rather different from the tomboy¡¯s typical impression¡­ okay, totally different!

    This contrast was akin to a man singing in a high-pitched voice falsetto¡­ er, Seiji suddenly recalled a famous Russian singer from his past life who sung like this and was an excellent and popr singer.

    At any rate, he was rather surprised to find out that Chiaki was singing in such a manner, but at the same time, he felt that it was fresh and something to look forward to.

    Alongside Vitas¡¯s¡­ whoops, Chiaki¡¯s singing, a girl with long me-red hair walked onto the stage wearing a beautiful dress.

    After her appearance, she lightly twirled around while singing. She continued to dance elegantly, with one dainty hand holding up the hem of her dress. Her performance attracted the entire audience¡¯s attention!

    Her first appearance was definitely amazing.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what the other audience members felt, but his eyes lit up as he appreciated the performance. This had nothing to do with the fact that the main star was his good friend; it was purely because of her¡­ of this red-haired girl¡¯s charisma.

    This was Chiaki, but the current red-haired girl had nothing to do with the silver-haired Chiaki Wakaba. At this moment, she hadpletely transformed into the red-haired girl on the stage!

    She finished singing her song.

    An unseen student began a narration.

    The clear male voice simply narrated the background and main characters and told the audience that the red-haired girl was a noble daughter of the Fire Kingdom named "Wakamei Touhou."

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    So their yacting yesterday wasn¡¯t entirely yacting after all?

    Well, it didn¡¯t matter. He would enjoy watching this anyways.

    Wakamei Touhou was a gentle and extroverted girl, who excelled at singing and dancing. Many noble boys chased after her, but she never had any interest in any of them.

    One day at a weing party for the Ice Kingdom¡¯s prince, she met one of the Ice Kingdom¡¯s young knights and fell deeply in love with him.

    However, due to a fight over a mysterious artifact, the Fire and Ice Kingdoms¡¯ rtionships worsened, and war finally broke out.

    Wakamei lost all contact with the person she loved, and, even worse, her older brother that she had a good rtionship with was summoned to the battlefield.

    Her older brother had a weak constitution and would likely die on the battlefield, but fighting for the country was the duty of the nobility, and the family had to send someone.

    Her father was already at an advanced age, and her younger brother was too young¡­ so the red-haired girl resolutely decided to go to battle herself!

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this just this world¡¯s version of Mn?¡¯

    No¡­ this story had her directly join as a female soldier, which was different from his previous world¡¯s story about a woman who pretended to be a man.

    By the way, Seiji was quite impressed how Mn had managed to avoid discovery as a female in the army for so many years. He found it difficult to imagine how she did it. It was such a mystery to him.

    Cough, he was getting sidetracked.

    On the stage, Wakamei Touhou was forced to fight for her life on the battlefield.

    After witnessing so much death and getting ustomed to ughter, her personality began to imperceptibly morph into that of a cold and cruel female general.

    Finally, the red-haired girl discovered that the person she fell in love with wasn¡¯t a knight after all. In actuality, he was the real prince of the Ice Kingdom masquerading as a knight!

    The magical artifact that both countries were fighting over was possessed by the Ice Prince, so she would have to fight him if she wanted to obtain the artifact.

 Chapter 220 - Deux Ex Machina

    <h4>Chapter 220: Deux Ex Machina</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki¡¯s whole-hearted performance perfectly disyed the female general¡¯s inner conflict and tugged at the audience¡¯s heartstrings.

    Seiji inwardly praised her performance.

    This was the first time he had witnessed her formal performance. Surprisingly, she had sted his expectations out of the window!

    He wasn¡¯t particrly knowledgeable about what would be considered professional-level acting. But in his eyes, Chiaki¡¯s performance was on that level: it was just as good as the acting in a television show or movie performance.

    After some inner struggle, Wakamei Touhou finally chose to attack.

    She faced almost certain death resolutely as she led her squad in an ambush against the strong Ice Kingdom squad defending the prince.

    After a fierce battle between both sides, only the red-haired female general and the Ice Prince remained standing.

    The two lovers finally met again, but the times and people had changed.

    Wakamei was pained as she recalled her na?ve and innocent past self, as well as the cruel battles she had been through, and cried as she requested the Ice Prince to destroy the artifact and thus end the war.

    The Ice Prince refused.

    He had the artifact after all, and as long as he could bring it back home, it would be the Ice Kingdom¡¯s victory.

    The two of them dueled against each other in singlebat. In the very end, the female general personally slew the Ice Prince.

    She won and obtained the artifact.

    But her heart and body were bothced with injuries.

    The previously gentle girl, transformed into a cold general after years of bitter war, grit her teeth as she destroyed the artifact, the culprit of the war between the two countries, and the cause of many sacrifices.

    This action of hers was doubtlessly a betrayal of her country! It was a cruel betrayal of all herrades that had fallen in battle just for the sake of this artifact.

    Standing amongst the crowd of corpses, the red-haired general reminisced about her past.

    This was the most tearjerking part of all.

    Chiaki¡¯s monologue as the female lead, who had received such an impact to her body and soul, was extraordinarily moving!

    Seiji could hear Mayuzumi, who was beside him, crying softly, as well as Saki sniffling. Some other audience members seemed to be making simr sounds of sorrow.

    The red-haired general let her hair down and sang a slow, final verse as she danced elegantly.

    Compared to the beginning, her voice was slightly hoarse, and her dance steps were purposefully clumsy.

    However, it gave the audience a sense of¡­ indescribable beauty.

    The sounds of crying and sniffling grew louder.

    The female general suddenly tripped and fell on the ground.

    Of course, the song and dance stopped because of this.

    While lying prostrate on the ground, she slowly turned to look at the Ice Prince¡¯s corpse.

    "If I can go to a better, more beautiful world after death, I hope that I¡¯ll be able to dance once more with you there¡­"

    After speaking thatst sentence, she smiled faintly, picked up the prince¡¯s sword, and stabbed it into her own chest.

    The lights gradually dimmed

    The curtains slowly closed.

    The story was over.

    At least that was what Seiji and the audience believed.

    Nobody left their seats. Everyone was waiting for the curtains to open back up again so that they could give their vigorous apuse to all the drama club actors and actresses.

    However, when the curtains opened up again, they didn¡¯t see a row of high school students as they expected.

    Instead, they saw the backdrop of the first scene again!

    The red-haired girl walked out just like the first time, but with a confused expression on her face.

    "I clearly already died¡­ why¡­"

    "Because you made a pure wish, young maiden."

    A goddess appeared.

    The actress was¡­ Anya Saigenji!

    Seiji was shocked by the drama club president¡¯s extravagant appearance and serious expression.

    There was no helping it¡ªit was just far too much of a contrast from the impression he had of her¡­ honestly speaking, he almost spat out his drink!

    Luckily he managed to restrain himself and not bother anyone else.

    The audience watched in shock as they learned from the goddess just what the artifact¡¯s true identity was.

    It was an artifact that belonged to the gods, and it had the marvelous ability to manipte time and space.

    The gods identally dropped this artifact in the mortal world, causing humanity to fight over it.

    And Wakamei Touhou destroyed it and released all its power while also making a pure wish.

    The artifact¡¯s power responded to this wish and created a huge time-space dimensional hole that even the gods noticed! Which was why this goddess interfered. She helped change the flow of time back to before the start of the battle and reimed the artifact.

    It was truly a deus ex machina¡­ a direct interference from the gods as the ending.

    Seiji even suspected that the drama club president, who was currently wearing something that resembled chicken feathers on her head, might have edited the end of the story to fit her own taste.

    Yeah¡­ the ending was somewhat forced.

    But he still enjoyed it!

    Compared to tragedies, Seiji personally preferred stories with happy endings, even if the happy ending wasn¡¯t a particrly logical one.

    The deus ex machina was a bit much at the end, but at least there was foreshadowing of the artifact¡¯s power, so the audience was able to ept it.

    After this scene, the high school actors and actresses finally lined up in session and danced to some joyous music before they all took each other¡¯s hands and bowed to the audience.

    The auditorium¡¯s lights turned on again, signifying that this was truly the end of the story this time.

    All the audience members stood up and gave them a huge round of apuse!

    ¡­

    "Heya, Seigo, what did you think of my club¡¯s performance?"

    Chiaki had taken off her wig but was still wearing her acting outfit as she grinned and talked to Seiji.

    Seiji simply smiled and gave her two big thumbs-ups.

    "It was the best stage performance that I have ever seen!"

    This was theplete truth.

    "I bet you haven¡¯t seen all that many stage performances¡­ but thanks for your praise anyways."

    "You guys did a really good job. Especially you as the main character¡ªyou did amazingly well. I think that you¡¯d even be fine if you went and acted in a movie. Your performance was quite moving, and many spectators were crying, including this person beside me." Seiji nced at the manga author.

    "Y-yeah." Mayuzumi¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she looked at the girl before her. "I-I was incredibly moved! Your acting was amazing¡­ can I get your autograph?"

    Chiaki blinked and smiled. "I should be the one requesting an autograph. You¡¯re the creator of ¡®Honey Candy Girl,¡¯ Peach-sensei¡­ correct?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s right." Seiji confirmed it.

    "Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Seigo Harano¡¯s ssmate and good friend, Chiaki Wakaba from drama club." Chiaki raised the hem of her dress and curtsied elegantly.

    "N-nice to meet you, I¡¯m Mayuzumi Amami¡­" The manga author reflexively tried to greet Chiaki in the same fashion but was obviously awkward about it.

    It was rather cute.

    Seiji and Hoshi both smiled, and even Saki¡¯s mouth arced upwards.

    Chiaki also got to know the female editor. Then, everyone chatted about the performance just earlier with great gusto.

    "Wakaba-san is so incredible," Hoshi said as they left the auditorium. "After seeing her awesome performance, I really feel like I want to try it out too and join the drama club."

    Join the drama club?

    Seiji nced at his junior, his eyes twitching as he attempted to imagine it.

    But he had to admit, in a certain way, it seemed to fit¡­

    "What about your literature club? Are you going to give up on that?"

    "Er¡­ It¡¯s just that in that club, I¡¯m only reading books, and I feel like I¡¯m not doing anything," Hoshi muttered. "Although sometimes we write a few things¡­ I feel like writing isn¡¯t for me."

    Those that enjoy reading might not necessarily enjoy writing. This was very normal.

    "That¡¯s why I want to try to do something else¡­ something more proactive. Wakaba-san¡¯s performance¡­ and everyone else¡¯s performance moved me so much. I also want to be someone who can move everyone like that."

    "I think that,pared to staying in literature club and only reading books, this type of action¡­ is what counts as progress." Hoshi looked up at the sky before ncing at the tall figure beside him. "What do you think, Senpai?"

    Seiji smiled in response. "I believe that you¡¯re correct. Proactively doing what you want to do is indeed progress. No matter what the path is, or what the obstacles are, just taking the step in the direction you want to take is correct."

    This was how young people¡­ how youths should be.

    He reached out his hand and patted Hoshi on the back.

    "Just do as you want, and make progress, Hoshi."

 Chapter 221 - Amusement Park

    <h4>Chapter 221: Amusement Park</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji identally encouraged his junior.

    Even though he was somewhat worried about Hoshi joining the drama club¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?

    Seiji wanted to convince himself to not worry about it.

    But it was that drama club!

    There was the strange club president there, as well as Chiaki, who had alreadymitted the previous crime of encouraging Hoshi to wear female clothing. It was also possible that there were even more strange members were lurking there. If Hoshi Amami entered that demon¡¯sir, just what would end up happening to him!?

    ¡®Am¡­ I doing something bad by encouraging him to join drama club?''

    ¡®But that¡¯s something Hoshi himself wanted to do. All I did was give him some encouragement. Even if I didn¡¯t say anything, he probably would have done the same thing himself.''

    ¡®Yep, that¡¯s right, it was his choice. I was merely admiring his proactiveness and responded to it.¡¯

    Should he forcefully prevent Hoshi from joining the drama club?

    No¡ªno matter what, Seiji wasn¡¯t that type of person.

    Seiji decided to stop thinking about this matter.

    After watching that performance, they explored the school festival for a while longer, before finishing up for the day.

    After saying goodbye to Hoshi, Seiji and thedies headed to the activity stand at the entrance and exchanged their emblems for the entry tickets to tomorrow¡¯s specialrge-scaleser tag activity as well as equipment for it.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll take Mayuzumi home," Saki said. "Go on home, or do whatever you like, Harano."

    Her tone sounded like she was giving orders to a subordinate, but Seiji already understood the editor¡¯s personality. He knew that this was her way of saying, "You worked hard today, thank you very much. There¡¯s no need to trouble you anymore today, so please go home and take a rest."

    "Okay. I still have some things I want to buy, so I¡¯ll see the two of you tomorrow." Seiji smiled. "I had lots of fun today."

    "I had fun as well¡­ see you tomorrow, Harano-kun." Mayuzumi also smiled.

    "See you tomorrow, Harano." Saki said goodbye as well.

    And so, they went their separate ways.

    After Seiji watched the manga author and editor leave, he turned around and re-entered the school.

    He headed for the infirmary as he''d already purchased everything that the blonde-haired infirmary nurse had requested, and he''d remembered to buy a souvenir for Shika at the school festival.

    At the infirmary, Seiji and Kaede simply chatted until Kaede¡¯s shift was over.

    The two of them went back to the Uehara apartmentplex together.

    Kaede was secretly pleased at this, as this was the first time they had ever walked home together.

    Even though she knew that Seiji was more concerned about Mika than her currently, she was still delighted.

    Although it was small, it was still progress for her.

    "After dinner, I¡¯ll go meet Uehara-san and try and see if I can help her by talking to her," said the blonde teacher when they reached the apartment.

    "I¡¯ll leave it up to you, Juumonji-sensei." Seiji was worried about Mika¡¯s situation, but, unfortunately, he was currently facing quite arge problem.

    Tonight at eight o¡¯clock¡­

    He felt some pressure from it, but when he walked in front of his apartment¡¯s door, he forced himself to calm down and smiled naturally.

    Then, he opened the door.

    "I¡¯m home, Shika-chan."

    He saw a clean house¡­ it was incredibly clean everywhere!

    The floors, the walls, the windows, the furniture, and even the ceiling¡­ everything that was cleanable had been cleaned and every surface seemed to be sparkling.

    ''Shika-chan must have done a lot of cleaning today,'' Seiji thought as he nced around the room.

    Seiji''s adopted sister strode into the living room a few seconds after he entered the apartment, still carrying the souvenir he bought for her.

    "Wee home, Brother Seiji."

    While she was at home, Shika Kagura had only done two things: clean and write her novel.

    Earlier today, thendlord had also visited and greeted her. Shika greeted Nozomi Uehara politely in return, but she assumed her usual cold personality, distancing herself from Nozomi¡¯s friendliness.

    Even though she had a family member now, her condition was unchanged. She still had the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ so she would still keep others at a distance.

    She was happy that her adopted brother brought a gift back for her, but, to her, it didn¡¯t matter either way. She would be happy as long as he came back.

    Afterwards, the two of them went to an electronics store.

    They purchased an LCD television and arge refrigerator, arranging for them to be delivered back to their apartment and assembled for them by the evening.

    They also went to the supermarket to buy for some ingredients for dinner.

    Shika wanted to make dinner by herself, but Seiji insisted on helping.

    Together, they made an abundant meal.

    They felt even more like a family than yesterday.

    Shika was enjoying this feeling of bliss.

    However, after washing the dishes, Seiji told her that what he''d feared hade for him.

    "That¡¯s how it is¡­ I need to go, and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back. I might bete getting home." He tried exining the situation in as light a tone of voice as possible. "It¡¯s just like what I said earlier this morning. I¡¯ll be fine, so don¡¯t worry."

    "I¡¯ve experienced a Yin-Yang Master duel already, and this time I¡¯m only facing a Spirit-branded Retainer. I¡¯ll be alright; there''s no need to worry."

    Shika looked at him searchingly.

    She was unable to keep calm.

    How was it possible for her to not worry?

    Before, when he was participating in the duel, she had waited in her room. That painful feeling of only waiting but being unable to do anything welled up within her again.

    Seiji saw that his adopted sister remained silent and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He had a sudden impulse¡­ if it was difficult to put in words, then he would just use his actions.

    He stood up, gently pulled the ck-haired girl to him, and enveloped her in his embrace while softly patting her head.

    ¡®Just likest time, I¡¯ll return safely. That¡¯s why you just need to wait for me.¡¯

    Seiji attempted to transmit such a message.

    Shika felt such a message from him.

    Her eyes shed with an indescribable light, before she closed them and hugged him back, feeling his warmth.

    Not long after, Seiji headed out.

    He had already checked out Nagawa Amusement Park beforehand.

    Nagawa Amusement Park was an abandoned amusement park that had gone out of business six years ago. For some unknown reason, nothing was ever done to the empty amusement park, and now it just stood there in ruins. The rides were now rusty hunks of metal, and an innumerable amount of wild weeds had sprung up on the grounds¡­ or at least that was how it appeared on the surface.

    When Seiji hailed a taxi and told the driver he wanted to go to Nagawa Amusement Park, it was only natural that the driver was somewhat confused.

    "Are you thinking about going inside there, young man?" The middle-aged driver chatted with Seiji as he drove.

    Seiji simply smiled without answering.

    "It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t go inside, especially at this time of night. I heard that there are ghosts there. I¡¯ve heard rumors," the kind-hearted driver exined, "that strange sounds can be heard from there, as well as strange lights such as floating fireballs. It went out of business six years ago; apparently, it was because of an ident where someone died, so people stopped visiting and the park became unprofitable. There¡¯s even a rumor that some bored youngsters went there on a dare, and they all vanished and haven¡¯t been found to this day."

    Seiji didn¡¯t pay too much attention to these rumors.

    But then he suddenly realized, what if that abandoned amusement park was a ce specially set aside for Yin-Yang Master duels?

    Hmm¡­ this seemed quite possible.

    That would be the exnation for it remaining abandoned for six years without anyone redeveloping the ce, as well as the strange sounds and lights. As for people going missing¡­ if this was true, they might have been killed to keep the Yin-Yang Masters hidden from society.

    Time passed as he imagined various random possibilities.

    The taxi reached Nagawa Amusement Park.

    The abandoned amusement park was wreathed in darkness; no lights could be seen within the grounds.

    Honestly speaking, it seemed a little scary.

    After Seiji paid the driver his fare, the driver sped away.

    Seiji stood there at the park¡¯s entrance, motionless for a while.

    Should he wait here, or enter?

    He figured that he should wait here.

    It was sorge inside, and he had no clue where to go exactly, as Iroha hadn¡¯t told him a specific location.

    There was a breeze blowing tonight, which made him feel slightly cold.

    "You came¡­ Tsk." A figure appeared on top of the park¡¯s entrance.

 Chapter 222 - Lightning Strike

    <h4>Chapter 222: Lightning Strike</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Iroha Hasegawa.

    The girl with curly green hair was still wearing the same outfit: the tight one-piece dress and red jacket. She was a strangely beautiful contrast to the abandoned amusement park¡¯s rusting entrance, which she was currently standing on.

    "You really came all the way to this ce, honestly¡­" Iroha clicked her tongue.

    "You told me toe here," said Seiji coldly.

    "Yeah, yeah, but wouldn¡¯t most people not want toe to such a haunted ce? Plus, I was brutally honest with you. I even told you I would beat you up here! You actually came, and even arrived early¡ªare you actually a masochist? Pervert."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt that using logic and reason with this girl was impossible.

    "If you didn¡¯te, I could have reported that to Mdy, and then she wouldn¡¯t have to care about you anymore. I could simply just kill you." Iroha¡¯s gaze was icy cold.

    But she quickly smiled again.

    "Nah, just kidding~ I would never kill you; that would get me into lots of trouble. I don¡¯t want to meet a terrible end just because of a bastard like you."

    Seiji simply watched her quietly.

    She grinned as she fixed her icy gaze on him.

    The two of them quietly stood still for a moment.

    "Come in¡­ you¡¯re not incapable of jumping over this little entrance, are you?" Iroha turned around and jumped into the amusement park.

    Seiji took a deep breath, silently cast [Body-Strengthening Technique] on himself, and leaped up into the air. He stepped on top of the entrance sign and entered the amusement park.

    There was an empty field inside with various run-down stalls, all in states of disrepair.

    Iroha walked through this field, going further inside the amusement park.

    Seiji followed after her.

    They stopped nearby the merry-go-round.

    Or, more urately speaking, the former merry-go-round.

    There were many deep crevices in the ground, including some that passed through the merry-go-round. It was as if huge, unseen swords had sliced into the abandoned ride. The merry-go-round¡¯s horses all seemed as if they had been through a battle, and there was even a sliced-off wooden horse¡¯s head sitting on the ground and staring at the sky. The scene was rather frightening to behold.

    Apart from this, when Seiji looked closer, he also saw many other abnormal things, but it was currently nighttime and weeds were growing everywhere, so it was difficult for him to see clearly.

    This was indeed a ce for duels. Seiji felt that his guess had been on the mark.

    This ce definitely had experienced many Yin-Yang Master duels before, although he didn¡¯t know the exact number.

    If an ordinary person ignored the trespassing signs outside and broke inside here, would that person be killed to remove the evidence?

    He doubted that was the case, but¡­ if that person actively tried contacting the media or posting about this ce on the inte, then perhaps¡­

    However, since this ce was rumored to be a haunted, scary, and dangerous abandoned amusement park, normal people wouldn¡¯te inside. People who truly had a death wish were a rarity, after all.

    "What spells do you know?"

    Iroha, who had stopped walking, suddenly asked him a question.

    "I only know the ¡®Body-Strengthening technique.¡¯"

    "Eh, you don¡¯t even know how to use Astral Vision? Then you can¡¯t even see the spirits. You are truly a piece of garbage," said Iroha condescendingly.

    Seiji remained silent at this.

    He indeed couldn¡¯t see anything. Since he didn¡¯t know how to use Astral Vision, not only was he unable to see demons and spirits, he had rather poor night vision as well; it was only at an ordinary human¡¯s level. He could barely make out his surroundings with the help of the moonlight.

    "Just this alone has taken off half of your points. You¡¯re under 60 points, so you fail. Don¡¯t even think about returning to the Haruta family; just give up, go home, and go to sleep." Iroha shooed him away with disgust.

    Seiji looked and remained motionless. "I didn¡¯te here because I wanted to return to my family."

    "Hm?"

    "I wanted to speak with you¡­ or, more urately, speak to Yui Haruta through you."

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what you think of me. The important one here is the person behind you.¡¯ Seiji expressed such a meaning to her.

    Iroha began frowning as she looked at him.

    "Didn¡¯t I tell you to address her as Haruta-sama?"

    She was now exuding a dangerous aura.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter what I call her. If she wants, I can even call her Goddess-sama." Seiji¡¯s expression remained calm. "But that¡¯s not the case, is it? She didn¡¯t request for me to address her like that; it¡¯s just your own childish preference."

    "Heh heh¡­" Iroha¡¯s mouth rose in a vicious grin, and her icy gaze flickered. "You¡¯re looking down on me?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t dare. But¡­ you¡¯re just Yui Haruta¡¯s subordinate," Seiji said lightly. "Not to mention you¡¯re a subordinate that¡¯s been sent to do an unpleasant task, so perhaps you¡¯re not that valued by her¡­" He didn¡¯t get the chance to finish speaking.

    Iroha suddenly disappeared.

    Seiji was prepared for this and instantly began moving as well.

    *Stomp!*

    Iroha¡¯s foot missed him, but she pursued Seiji with an icy smile on her face.

    Seiji attempted to block and dodge her attacks to the best of his ability.

    In the dark amusement park, their figures kept appearing and disappearing, and the loud sounds of objects crashing echoed throughout the otherwise silent night.

    Momentster, the tall boy¡¯s figure was sent flying by a massive flurry of blows, and he crashed into the ground at a high speed, his momentum sending him rolling towards the remains of the merry-go-round.

    He forcefully adjusted himself and managed to stand up before he crashed into the merry-go-round, mitigating the remaining force of his momentum.

    There was the taste of blood in his mouth. He spat some of it out.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright¡­ I¡¯m not seriously injured.¡¯ Seiji wiped his mouth.

    "For your remaining points, I suppose I can give you at least a 10 out of 100," said Iroha coldly. "That¡¯s all that you¡¯re worthy of, Seigo Harano. Now get the hell out of here. You¡¯re unworthy to return to the Haruta family. Just use that weedy alias of yours to keep living like a weed."

    Iroha turned around to leave when she finished speaking.

    Seiji spoke up as he watched her back. "Didn¡¯t you want to confirm what I was thinking?"

    "That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll just say some disgusting words like ¡®I know I was wrong; I¡¯ve changed myself now, so please allow me to return home. I¡¯ll work hard from now on.¡¯" Iroha cackled in amusement at her own thoughts. "I don¡¯t want these words to dirty my ears, nor will I allow these words to sully Mdy¡¯s ears."

    Seiji furrowed his brows. "You¡¯re not willing to tell her even one sentence from me?"

    "I don¡¯t want to~ Forget one sentence¡ªI won¡¯t even tell her half a word from you." Iroha smiled coldly as she walked away. "I¡¯m still someone who takes my work seriously, though. If you had shown me enough strength, even if I hate you, I¡¯d listen to you. But you don¡¯t have such strength." She shed a taunting thumbs-down gesture at him.

    "Game over, you¡¯ve already lost, garbage," she said mockingly.

    Seiji clenched his fists. "Yui Haruta made a mistake when she sent you here."

    Iroha, who had just retracted her gesture, stopped in her tracks at this.

    "You¡¯re disrespectful, you contradict yourself, and you do as you please¡­ if I were your master, I definitely wouldn¡¯t want to see such a subordinate."

    "Shut up," Iroha snapped.

    Seiji continued, undaunted. "You say you hate me, but what is it about me that you hate? How is your ugly, willful attitude any different from the garbage me in the past?" There was a short, cold chuckle; this time it came from Seiji.

    "I said, shut up! Do you really want to die!?" Iroha¡¯s words wereced with icy malevolence.

    "The only difference is that you¡¯re a beautiful girl, while I used to be fat. Willful beauties are always easily forgiven, how nice~ In the end, you just look beautiful on the outside, if it wasn¡¯t for that, Yui Haruta would probably treat you the same way as me, and¡­"

    *BOOM!!*

    This loud sound was caused by Iroha¡¯s sudden footstep.

    The angry girl was now filled with murderous intentions, and she instantly rushed back towards Seiji, unleashing a full-force attack!

    ¡®I was waiting for you to do that.¡¯

    [Bullet Time] activate!

    [Light From the Brink] activate!

    [Lightning Strike] activate continuously!!

    He had three minutes.

    Thanks to Hoshi Amami¡¯s reward card¡¯s first ability, [Light From the Brink], Seiji could use all his abilities at no cost for three minutes, and he had limitless stamina and Mana during this time, so he could maintain [Bullet Time] continuously while also using his fastest technique, [Lightning Strike]!

    Iroha Hasegawa was one of Yui Haruta¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers.

    Would she be able to block this?

    In just an instant.

    Iroha who was just about to send Seiji flying with her punch witnessed the light.

    Before she could even react to this, her instincts automaticallypelled her to respond by casting a barrier spell.

    The light was blocked by her barrier.

    But the very next instant, even more lights appeared, shattering her barrier!

    Her punch had only reached halfway to Seiji.

    Her punch was quite fast.

    But inparison to the light rushing towards her, her speed seemed like the darkness that was fated to be conquered by the light.

    Iroha was unable to retract her punch.

    She didn¡¯t even have time to think about what was going on.

    That was because all of this happened instantaneously.

    The light broke through her defense, and one ray directlynded on her body.

    That light was actually a fist.

    *Smack!*

    The powerful fist hit her stomach with a resounding sound.

 Chapter 223 - Stop!

    <h4>Chapter 223: Stop!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    One punch wasn¡¯t enough.

    Seiji knew that Spirit-branded Retainers were humans who borrowed powers from the spirits, so their bodies were much tougher than ordinary humans¡¯ bodies. Just one punch from [Lightning Strike] wouldn¡¯t deal enough damage.

    He needed more.

    Seiji continued punching.

    *Smack smack smack smack smack smack smack smack smack*

    He was like a machine gun¡­ no, even faster than a machine gun!

    He was currently under the effects of his [Body-Strengthening technique] spell, so his fists¡¯ power was greatly increased. When the effects of [Bullet Time] and [Lightning Strike] were taken into consideration, the result was unbelievable.

    Iroha Hasegawa was stunned by the flurry of blows!

    For her, the force from the impact of his punches wasn¡¯t that great.

    But his punching speed¡­ was inconceivable!

    ¡®How is this possible¡­¡¯

    Even in the short time that she was thinking this, she received a countless number of punches.

    Every single punch was aimed at her stomach.

    As long as Seiji aimed for the same location each time, he figured that he would eventually prate her defense.

    He was correct.

    After a barrage of punches, a punch that dealt her significant damage finallynded!

    Iroha found it unbelievable.

    Her, a Spirit-branded Retainer, was actually injured by an ordinary human with such low Spiritual Power!? He wasn¡¯t even a Yin-Yang Master or Spirit-branded Retainer!

    Her original powerful blow was still on its way.

    Too slow.

    Seiji could easily dodge it¡­ but he didn¡¯t even have to dodge it.

    He only needed to keep punching her!

    Just how many punches had he thrown, and how many would be necessary?

    He didn¡¯t know, and he didn¡¯t need to know.

    *Punch punch punch punch punch punch punch punch punch*

    He punched until her actions were no longer smooth.

    Her body contorted from pain.

    After Seiji confirmed that he had caused actual damage to her, he stopped punching and lifted his foot.

    [Lightning Strike], continuous kicking!!

    His [Lightning Strike] could be used in additional ways other than punching.

    At this moment, he was basically the living version of a character from a fighting manga.

    Iroha was sent flying by his volley of kicks.

    Her entire body was revolving as she flew through the air.

    She had a nk expression. Her mind was nk as well.

    Actually, it would have been easy for her to adjust her body andnd safely and steadily.

    But since she couldn¡¯t regain her senses, she crashed into the ground heavily and rolled a considerable distance before she finally stood up.

    She was bleeding from the mouth as well now, and her disheveled figure seemed rather pitiful.

    Seiji¡¯s kicks had left many footprints on her clothing.

    Iroha finally regained her senses and realized what just happened, causing her anger to rise to the boiling point!

    "You¡­"

    "Is this amount of strength sufficient?" Seiji asked, looking at her.

    ¡®You said that if I showed you sufficient strength, you would listen to me speak. Then, is this amount of strength enough for you?¡¯

    That was the message Seiji was transmitting.

    Iroha understood what he meant.

    She should have calmed down, but¡­ that was impossible for her!

    ¡®I-I actually¡­ this type of bastard did all this to me¡­¡¯ Her heart was filled with unquenchable anger.

    She was unable to think about anything else.

    "You¡­ prepare to die!!!" she howled.

    Her murderous intention exploded.

    She began casting a spell that instantaneously cleared out all the weeds and pebbles near her. Mana began gathering around her, as she lifted her hand and pointed at Seiji.

    ¡®This is something serious!¡¯

    Seiji felt an enormous sense of danger. He was on the verge of making his move when¡ª

    "Stop!" someone shouted loudly.

    A figure suddenly appeared beside Iroha.

    *ng!*

    This person blocked a sharp de that had soundlessly appeared from the dark night.

    Immediately after, this person waved their hand and changed the direction that Iroha was pointing at.

    A strong spiritual attack erupted from Iroha¡¯s hand.

    Seiji didn¡¯t move.

    Although he couldn¡¯t see what happened, he felt a huge gust of wind pass by him several meters to the right.

    *BOOM!!*

    The gust of wind smashed into the remains of the merry-go-round and sent the entire ride flying with an explosion.

    To Seiji, this seemed just like a rocket explosion.

    The broken wooden horses and all the other shards from the merry-go-round were sent flying high into the sky, beforending with sharp crashing sounds.

    Seiji looked towards Iroha and the unknown person.

    He was shocked to see another person there as well.

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    That¡¯s right¡ªit was Shika Kagura.

    Without him realizing it, she''d somehow appeared behind Iroha with a longsword in her hand. It seemed like she was about to slice off Iroha¡¯s neck.

    The person who had blocked this blow was the person who suddenly appeared: a blonde boy wearing a ck jacket.

    He was holding a short dagger¡­ no, a kunai, which was what he''d blocked Shika¡¯s sharp de with.

    At the same time, his other hand was pressing down on Iroha¡¯s shoulder, preventing her from willfully taking action.

    After a standstill of several seconds.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ I apologize that I can only address you like this for the time being," said the blonde boy. "Could you please have Kagura-san here back down? I promise that Iroha won¡¯t be rash anymore¡­ we¡¯re not supposed to be mortal enemies!"

    Seiji blinked at this. "Shika-chan¡­e over here."

    Hearing this, Shika slowly put down her longsword and retreated a few steps, fading into the darkness.

    Momentster, she reappeared without a sound near Seiji and walked over to him.

    This seemed pretty cool to him.

    The beautiful ck-haired girl, who could traverse through the darkness silently while holding a longsword, seemed just like an assassin to him.

    Seiji was now seeing a new side to his adopted younger sister.

    Why was Shika here? He understood it immediately; she must have been quite worried about him¡­ so she decided to secretly follow him.

    Shika looked at Seiji, and they exchanged nces.

    She was actually really nervous about receiving a lecture from him, but when she saw that there was a gentle look in his eyes, she rxed.

    They could talkter.

    Their immediate concern was the people facing them.

    "Allow me to introduce myself¡ªI¡¯m Naoki Hasegawa, Iroha¡¯s older brother." The blonde boy patted Iroha¡¯s shoulder. "Because I was concerned about the situation here, I was secretly watching. Judging by what just happened, I was correct to do so. This is our first meeting, Seigo Harano-san."

    Seiji scrutinized the blonde boy carefully.

    Naoki had short light blonde hair and was wearing a ck jacket and pants. His appearance¡­ was rather ordinary. He felt like someone who would blend into the crowd.

    Yep, another way to describe him was that he had the appearance of a side character who would easily be forgotten. There was nothing special about him at all, not to mention he was a bit short.

    But not only did this ¡®ordinary¡¯ boy block Shika¡¯s ambush, he even changed the direction of Iroha¡¯s attack and wonderfully took control of the situation.

    People shouldn¡¯t be judged by appearances¡­ Seiji felt that this was an excellent proverb.

    "Pleased to meet you, Hasegawa¡­san," Seiji responded.

    Naoki smiled. "I apologize for what just happened; my younger sister has a bad temper. Please be magnanimous and forgive her since no significant harm was done in the end."

    Iroha¡¯s expression changed, and she wanted to say something, but she felt a heavy pressure from Naoki¡¯s hand on her shoulder, so, in the end, she remained silent.

    Seiji noticed this detail.

    "You¡¯re being too polite. As for forgiveness¡­ I apologize as well. My adopted younger sister¡­ can be slightly rash."

    ¡®Slightly?¡¯

    ¡®If almost cutting off someone¡¯s head can be considered "slightly rash," then what would "rash" look like? Would she be a psychotic killer?¡¯ Naoki coldly thought to himself.

    Contrary to the friendliness he disyed on the surface, he was actually quite angry with the pair before him.

    Even though he admitted that his younger sister had a bad temper, was willful, and unreasonable, she was still his family.

    His younger sister had gotten thrashed in front of him, and she was almost killed, so it was impossible for him to not be angry!

    But he forced himself to suppress his anger.

    Otherwise, this situation would be impossible to deal with.

    Seigo Harano¡­ was an exiled member of the Haruta family, who was personally exiled by his master, Yui. But, no matter what, he was still Yui Haruta¡¯s younger brother!

    Killing Seigo¡­ would be quite easy for him, but if he really did that, he and his younger sister would definitely die, even if they had a hundred lives.

    Naoki definitely didn¡¯t want to meet such a pitiful end.

    That was why he could only smile: he had to smile, and he must smile.

    "Now then, I hope that puts things behind us. Why don''t I take the ce of my younger sister and continue the discussion with you?"

 Chapter 224 - Adopted Siblings? Whod Believe That!?

    <h4>Chapter 224: Adopted Siblings? Who''d Believe That!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®This guy definitely isn¡¯t as harmless as he appears.¡¯

    Seiji had this impression of Naoki and warned himself to be cautious of the blonde boy before him.

    While having a discussion with this Naoki Hasegawa might not be the best option, it still seemed better than discussing with his younger sister, who was probably still fuming with anger.

    At least it seemed like Naoki would be more reasonable.

    "As long as you¡¯re someone sent by Yui Haruta," said Seiji, "it doesn¡¯t matter who I talk to¡ªas long as we can discuss things properly."

    "That¡¯s fine, then."

    Naoki smiled as he looked at the ck-haired girl across from him. "Before our discussion," he said, "I¡¯d like to ask Kagura-san here to leave for the time being."

    "Why¡¯s that?" asked Seiji coldly.

    "Because this is an issue about the Haruta family."

    "She¡¯s my adopted younger sister. I have nothing to hide from her."

    "It¡¯s good that you¡¯re so honest with her. But this isn¡¯t about only you." Naoki continued smiling. "It¡¯s about you and Mdy¡­ so even if it¡¯s just for show, outsiders shouldn¡¯t be here." He faintly emphasized the word "outsiders."

    Seiji furrowed his brows slightly.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "After the discussion, feel free to tell her whatever you like. It¡¯s simply asking her to leave for the time being during our discussion; this isn¡¯t something uneptable, right?" Naoki said casually.

    ''It has begun,'' Iroha thought as she nced at her brother.

    This was a familiar feeling for Iroha. This sinister sensation from her older brother was something she was incredibly familiar with.

    Naoki Hasegawa was someone who always appeared harmless on the surface.

    He had an ordinary appearance, and he always spoke politely. This impression that he gave others¡­ made it quite easy for them to drop their guard.

    But that was only on the surface.

    Naoki was actually a hypocritical, vicious person.

    Iroha had already witnessed her older brother use underhanded tactics on numerous asions. He ruined other people¡¯s originally perfect lives or sowed conflict between the people in organizations bothrge and small with poisoned words, causing individuals¡ªor even groups¡ªto sink into the depths of despair.

    Even though Iroha was his blood-rted younger sister, she didn¡¯t particrly approve of the fact that he enjoyed doing such things just for the fun of it. It was definitely rather evil.

    But still, he was her older brother.

    Even if she didn¡¯t approve, Iroha wouldn¡¯t say anything about Naoki¡¯s "hobbies." She would simply watch in silence.

    Seigo Harano¡­ just how would he deal with her older brother¡¯s hidden venomous fangs? She was looking forward to it.

    Asking Shika to leave during the discussion?

    This was indeed a rather small matter, but Seiji still felt displeased about it.

    He wasn¡¯t certain why he felt so displeased, but his instinct told him that he shouldn¡¯t let her leave.

    No, it should be said that he didn¡¯t want her to leave!

    "It¡¯s not uneptable at all, and your request is quite reasonable." Seiji decided to go with the direct approach. "But I simply don¡¯t want her to leave my side."

    Naoki¡¯s expression froze over slightly.

    An indescribable light shed through Shika¡¯s eyes.

    "Just stay here, Shika-chan," Seiji said, turning to his adopted sister. "Don¡¯t mind what this person says; you only have to listen to me."

    "Okay, Brother Seiji."

    Both of them had resolute looks in their eyes.

    "Heh heh¡­ this is¡­" Naoki discovered that he didn¡¯t even know how to respond to this.

    That "small matter" of a request sounded quite reasonable to him, and he acted friendly about it, so he thought that Seiji wouldn¡¯t refuse, but¡­

    What was with this sudden "forcefulness!?"

    ¡®Didn¡¯t you want to have a discussion? Didn¡¯t you want to gain Mdy¡¯s recognition and return to the family!? Be a little more polite with me, you bastard!¡¯ Naoki had an energetic stream of mentalments.

    "It¡¯s just a show of formality, but you¡¯re not even willing to ept this. That¡¯s¡­" Naoki paused and looked at Seiji meaningfully.

    "Didn¡¯t you say it was just a small show of formality?" Seiji asked coldly. "Then we just have to pay it no mind, don¡¯t we? Let¡¯s just start with the main discussion, and not mince words."

    Naoki almost choked at hearing this. "Fine¡­"

    He could only put it behind him.

    "Mdy¡­ wants to know what you¡¯re thinking¡ªwhat the motive behind your recent actions is."

    "My recent actions? Could you be a little more specific?"

    "It refers to transferring to Genhana High School, approaching Natsuya Yoruhana, and assisting her in her duel¡­ these actions."

    Seiji thought for a while.

    "Let me confirm¡ªYui Haruta sent you guys to find me, only because I helped out President Yoruhana? There''s no other reason?"

    "Yes¡­ Is there some other reason that I should know about?" Naoki countered with a question.

    ¡®So this has nothing to do with Cat-loving Flying Fish and the livestream? Was I wrong? Is Flying Fish not my younger sister? Or¡­¡¯

    Various thoughts shed through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    "I did various things after transferring to Genhana High School other than helping President Yoruhana¡­ that was all I meant, but it would seem that Yui Haruta doesn¡¯t care." On the surface, he kept his calm as he spoke.

    "Indeed, Mdy doesn¡¯t care about anything else that you do, because it isn¡¯t necessary. Only the fact that you got involved in Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s duel was worthy of her attention," Naoki said. "So, doing such a thing¡­ just what was your motive for it? To show off your own strength and attract attention? Or solely because of Natsuya Yoruhana? Or in order to get yourself into the Yoruhana family¡¯s good graces as a way to help you return to the Haruta family? Or do you have some other intention? Mdy wants to clearly hear your answer."

    "What will she do when she hears it?" Seiji asked with a frown.

    "Depending on what you say, and the ability you show, Mdy will respond appropriately," replied Naoki.

    "And if I say that I want to return to the Haruta family?"

    "Mdy will consider it¡­ but I personally believe that this idea isn¡¯t realistic." A strange light shed in Naoki¡¯s eyes as he tried to speak as politely as possible.

    Another period of silence fell between them.

    Shika looked at Seiji again. Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "I helped President Yoruhana because I was simply going along with the flow. I didn¡¯t put too much thought into it. If you really have to search for a reason, it wasn¡¯t particrly for the president, but instead for the person beside me¡­ my adopted younger sister."

    He looked at Shika. It was her death that caused him to truly get involved in that duel and viciously thrash that bastard named Okubo Yoshiaki.

    This was the true reason why he got involved in the duel.

    "Brother Seiji¡­" Shika said, ovee with emotion.

    Shika saw the gentle look in her adopted older brother¡¯s eyes and felt a warm feeling in her chest.

    The handsome boy and beautiful girl exchanged deep nces filled with emotion.

    Naoki and Iroha were rendered speechless.

    Both of them felt a tinge of jealousy.

    That¡¯s right¡ªboth of them were still single, and they didn¡¯t have a particrly loving sibling rtionship!

    While their rtionship with each other wasn¡¯t bad, both of them looked down on what they saw as the other¡¯s problematic personality.

    And to be honest, since Naoki had an ordinary appearance and a twisted sadistic personality, while Iroha was beautiful but extraordinarily willful and acted only as she pleased, it was only natural that neither of them would be able to find a girlfriend or boyfriend!

    Damn it! They felt that all couples should be burned to death!

    Wait a moment¡ªthe two people before them weren¡¯t a couple¡­ the hell!?

    The way they looked at each other! The atmosphere! What else could they be!? Adopted siblings? Who¡¯d believe that!?

    "Cough cough!"

    Naoki interrupted this beautiful (heart-wrenching for him) scene by coughing.

    "So, in other words, your only goal was Kagura-san here¡­ and you¡¯ve already aplished your goal, right?"

    "Indeed." Seiji looked at him again. "I don¡¯t have any thoughts about returning to my family, but¡­after seeing Iroha Hasegawa-san here, I had some thoughts about it. I wanted to know why Yui Haruta would send someone to find me. But now, I already know."

    "I just have a few words I¡¯d like to say to her." Seiji slowly smiled a sincere, gentle smile that came from his heart. "As her intractable younger brother, I¡¯d like to say a few things to my older sister that had to worry about so many things¡­"

 Chapter 225 - Idiot

    <h4>Chapter 225: Idiot</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Even Naoki, who had a twisted personality, was somewhat moved by Seiji¡¯s sincere expression.

    No, perhaps it was because he had such a personality that he could be moved by this sincerity.

    Apletely honest, direct, undecorated expression that came from the heart¡­ this was the type that he found the most difficult to deal with.

    "¡­What do you wish to tell Mdy?" Naoki asked after a pause.

    "Will you tell her for me?" countered Seiji.

    "That," said Naoki, "depends on the message¡¯s content."

    Seiji blinked when he heard Naoki''s answer.

    He then looked up at the sky, as if he could see someone there, and began speaking.

    ¡­

    After they finished talking, Seiji and Shika left the amusement park.

    Naoki and Iroha watched them leave.

    Although they should have left this ce immediately as well, the two siblings stood there motionless for a long while.

    "What¡¯s this? Just what exactly¡­" Iroha muttered to herself, her eyes awash withplex emotions.

    What Seiji had said waspletely different from what she''d expected.

    At first, it sounded ridiculous, but upon closer consideration, it was¡­

    "Telling Mdy to forgive herself¡­ what is that? How dare he say that! It was correct of Mdy to exile such a piece of garbage from the Haruta family! He is simply human scum! He has no sense of guilt at all!! This bastard¡­ this bastard is so arrogant! Just who does he think he is!?"

    Her angry shouting echoed in the abandoned amusement park.

    Naoki furrowed his brows, looking pensive.

    "Say something as well, my stupid brother! Aren¡¯t you really eloquent!? Why didn¡¯t you say anything to him!? Use your conversational abilities that you¡¯re so proud of, and defeat him in a debate!!" The girl fixed her brother with a vicious stare.

    The blonde-haired boy remained silent.

    "Why aren¡¯t you talking!?"

    Iroha shoved him, pushing him back two steps.

    Naoki finally sighed. "I was unable to counter anything he said¡­"

    "What!?" Iroha eximed in disbelief.

    "I couldn¡¯t counter him since what he said¡­ is exactly what Mdy needs to hear the most right now." He seemed to be struggling with inner conflict.

    "You¡­ what the hell are you talking about! Is something wrong with your brain!?" Iroha stared at her brother in disbelief.

    "Don¡¯t shout so loudly. A loud voice reflects your hollow words."

    "What¡ª" Iroha started angrily.

    "You probably detected it as well but simply can¡¯t ept it." Naoki voiced the truth that even his younger sister knew in a light voice. "Mdy feels guilty about exiling her own younger brother from the family."

    Iroha didn¡¯t know what to say to this.

    "Mdy is a resolute individual," Naoki continued, "so she didn¡¯t show any signs of being shaken after she personally exiled her own brother from the family. That¡¯s why we were all under the impression that she did the right thing and wouldn¡¯t feel any guilt about it."

    "But, if you think about it carefully, although she''s a resolute character, Mdy is, at heart, still a gentle girl. Exiling her younger brother¡­ yes, it was the correct thing to do¡ªeveryone agreed with it, and nobody thought it unjustified. Despite this, would she be able to forgive herself?"

    This was a blind spot that Naoki hadn¡¯t noticed before.

    "Before he told us, I never even considered such a thing. You were probably the same as well, Iroha. We just naturally assumed that Mdy wouldn¡¯t feel any guilt. But, truthfully, with her personality, it¡¯s impossible for her to not feel guilty."

    "After all, he''s still her blood-rted younger brother. And she personally had him exiled. Even though her younger brother, the lowest of scumbags, truly deserved it, our gentle master¡¯s heart was still pained by the decision. We ignored this. Even though we had always been by Mdy¡¯s side, we never even considered it¡­"

    Naoki¡¯s voice was filled with regret as he forcefully clenched his fists.

    Iroha fell silent. She couldn¡¯t speak, as she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    "Mdy wants forgiveness¡­ and only two people are able to give it to her: one is Mdy herself, and the other one is¡ª" Naoki looked at the direction that Seiji and Shika had left "¡ªSeigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta."

    "He noticed this. He thought of something that we¡ªand everyone by Mdy¡¯s side¡ªdidn¡¯t think of, even though he himself was the one who should be the least likely toe up with it. Any normal person would be brimming withints or bottled resentment¡ªor at least that''s what I''d expect."

    "But¡­ why¡­ Why can he say something like having Mdy forgive herself with no trace of hatred whatsoever!!?" Naoki roared thest few words.

    He thought back to the scene from just earlier.

    That handsome boy smiled faintly. "Sister," he said gently, "when you exiled me before¡­ you were correct to do it. If you still feel bad about what you did, then listen to me, and stop thinking about it."

    "Please forgive yourself. You did the correct thing by exiling me, and you shouldn''t feel any lingering regret for doing so. I was the one who was in the wrong¡­ everything was my fault."

    "I¡¯m sorry¡­ even if I¡¯m saying it toote now. If you are worrying about me, there''s no need to do so. I¡¯m living quite well now."

    "I hope that you¡¯re living quite well as well."

    ¡­

    Just what exactly was this?

    Was this the speech that an exiled person was supposed to give!?

    Was this arrogance? Or naivety? Or stupidity!?

    Just what type of idiot would say something like this!!?

    Some emotions that Naoki had never experienced before were currently filling his chest.

    He didn¡¯t know how to describe these emotions, as he didn¡¯t recognize them.

    He really wanted to curse out loud at this, but he was unable to.

    He was pained by these emotions. He was unwilling to have them. He felt regretful¡­

    ''Ahh, that¡¯s what it is.'' Naoki suddenly came to a realization.

    He was regretful; he regretted never noticing his master¡¯s true feelings. His unwillingness was due to the fact that he was unwilling to have painfully lost to Seiji in noticing Yui Haruta¡¯s feelings.

    He was regretting that all this had happened.

    And the most painful part of it all was that he had to tell Seiji¡¯s entire speech, without changing a single word, to his master.

    That was because his master, Yui Haruta, needed to listen to these words.

    She needed to listen to her younger brother¡¯s message to her!

    Those words contained no trace of malice or hatred and were truly sincere.

    Seigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta had been aplete piece of garbage human scum in the past. And now, he was already¡­

    Naoki didn¡¯t know how to judge him, and he didn¡¯t even know if he had the right to judge Seiji.

    He could only tell everything as it was to his master.

    "Let¡¯s go, Iroha."

    The green-haired girl was still looking at the direction Seiji and Shika had left in.

    She didn¡¯t react to her older brother calling her.

    She only started moving when Naoki had already walked about seven or eight meters.

    "Such an idiot¡­" she muttered.

    Who was she talking about? Iroha herself didn¡¯t know.

    A multitude of indescribable emotions swirled around in her tumultuous heart. She faintly realized that she¡­ might have made quite a big mistake.

    ¡­

    "Brother Seiji¡­" Shika started.

    "Yes?"

    "¡­It¡¯s nothing."

    As they headed back to their apartment in a taxi, Shika wanted to say something but didn¡¯t, and she lowered her gaze.

    Seiji smiled at her.

    Even if she didn¡¯t say anything, he could tell what she was feeling.

    "No need to think too much about it, Shika-chan."

    Seiji reached over and patted his adopted younger sister on the head.

    Yui Haruta¡¯s actions were self-contradictory. After he met with Iroha Hasegawa, he hadbed back through his inherited memories.

    If Yui Haruta truly looked down upon him, then she should have ignored himpletely, and not sent out anyone to look for him or pay attention to what he was doing in the first ce.

    If Yui truly had expectations for him, then the person she sent out wouldn¡¯t have assumed such an attitude, or, at the very least, it wouldn¡¯t have been someone like Iroha Hasegawa. Perhaps she would have contacted him directly or even met him personally.

    The fact that her actions were self-contradictory and didn¡¯t match the Yui Haruta in his memories meant that she was probably struggling with internal conflict.

    To put it simply, she was being difficult. Yui Haruta was being difficult.

    The Hasegawa siblings never noticed this and misunderstood her behavior.

    This almost caused Seiji to chuckle.

    He could tell that the Hasegawa siblings were very loyal to and respectful of Yui Haruta. But precisely because of this, they were unable to see certain things.

    Instead, Seiji was the one who noticed.

    For his older sister who was being difficult, what should he do as an exiled younger brother?

    Seiji chose to give her that message, in the hope that it would help her to ovee her internal conflict.

    ¡®Honestly, idiot sister¡­¡¯ He actually wanted to add that on at the end, but he was worried that the Hasegawa siblings would explode in anger if he actually said that.

    They were really respectful of Yui. It was obvious just from how they addressed her¡ªand Iroha seemed especially respectful.

    He already said what he wanted to say, so he was relying on those siblings to convey his message for him. He figured that they would do it, as it was exactly what their master needed to hear.

    As for what would happen after? Seiji didn¡¯t know.

    He figured that he didn¡¯t need to think too much on this for the time being.

    Seiji leaned back against the taxi seat, rxed, and slowly closed his eyes.

    Shika lifted her gaze again and stared at her adopted brother¡¯s face.

    ''Brother is an idiot¡­'' she thought to herself, her mind filled with worry due to their uncertain future.

 Chapter 226 - Mika Uehara Wavers

    <h4>Chapter 226: Mika Uehara Wavers</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A guest arrived for Mika.

    It was Kaede Juumonji.

    Originally, she didn¡¯t want to say anything to her, but after chatting for a while, she was ovee by a talkative mood.

    No, perhaps it was better to describe it as her curiosity.

    "Juumonji-sensei, I¡¯d like to ask you something." She looked at the blonde beauty sitting across from her. "As a youngdy, you left your family and started living here by yourself. You even applied for a job at Genhana High School¡­ why is it that you can do this much just for him?"

    Kaede''s eyes shone with a resolute light when she heard this.

    Mika¡¯s considerate mother had already gone to another room, leaving them to chat alone. Mika and Kaede were the only people in the living room.

    "Why¡­" Kaede slowly sipped on her tea. "Because I like him and want to get closer to him¡­ but that¡¯s not the answer you¡¯re looking for, is it?"

    "Mmm¡­ What I want to ask is¡­ what I mean is this: even when liking a boy, doing things to such a degree isn¡¯t easy. Haven¡¯t you¡­ ever hesitated before?" Mika asked in a low and heavy tone of voice. "Before you did all this, haven''t you ever considered that even if you do all this, you might not necessarily seed. It might not even be worth it for you to do all this, and your efforts could all end up going to waste¡­ something like that? Honestly, he¡­ Seigo told me before that he only has a good impression of you, but¡­ he wasn¡¯t moved by your actions; he was only surprised¡ª even bothered slightly. Everything you did¡­ everything you did for him, he only feels¡­ just like that! Don¡¯t you feel¡­ bad about all this?"

    Moving, finding a job¡­ it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded.

    Considering it carefully, this was basically akin to changing your entire life.

    Although she''d made such huge changes for the person she liked, he wasn¡¯t moved by it. Wouldn¡¯t this¡­ cause her to feel regret?

    Normally speaking, wouldn¡¯t feeling regretful be the first reaction? Even someints and hatred wouldn''t be unusual.

    However, the blonde teacher sitting across from her remained quite calm.

    "Indeed¡­ if you put it like that, I do sound rather pitiful." Kaede smiled at her situation.

    This definitely wasn¡¯t an expression that someone who truly felt she was pitiful could have.

    "But I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m pitiful¡­ honestly speaking, I am a little sad that he wasn¡¯t moved by it in the end, but¡­ it¡¯s still only natural, isn¡¯t it?"

    "Eh?"

    "Even though I did all this for him, in the end, it didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. He didn¡¯t request that I do this, nor did he wish that I would do this; I did this all of my own volition," Kaede said lightly, keeping her eyes fixed on Mika. "If he was moved by it, I¡¯d be delighted, but just as you said, he was only surprised, and, unfortunately, somewhat bothered. This type of reaction is actually normal. If it were me, and a man I wasn¡¯t familiar with suddenly did the same things just for me, I might react the same way."

    "Simply speaking," Kaede continued, "doing something for someone doesn¡¯t actually have much to do with that person. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?"

    "This¡­" Mika felt as if she had received an impact.

    "Let me give you an extreme example. If a crazed fanmitted suicide just because the fan¡¯s favorite idol found a boyfriend, does this incident have anything to do with the idol?"

    Mika was unable to answer.

    "The answer is no. Even though the answer may sound cold and cruel, that¡¯s the truth. What this fan did wasn¡¯t what the idol would have wanted, nor is it what anyone would have wanted. The fan did it of his own volition, that¡¯s all. For his idol¡­ for love¡ªfor the person he loved¡ªhe was willing to die¡­ well, I suppose you could phrase it like that. But at the same time, you could also say that he selfishly used the name of the idol tomit a foolish act of his own volition."

    "Of the above two ways to look at it, which do you agree with, Uehara-san?"

    Mika was unable to answer.

    "No matter what you believe to be urate, the idol has zero responsibility for the fan¡¯s death. Perhaps she¡¯ll feel guilty, publicly apologize, or even retire because of it, that¡¯s all because of the idol¡¯s personal opinion, not their responsibility."

    Kaede finished talking about her example in a light voice and began sipping tea again.

    The scene remained silent for a few moments.

    "How cruel¡­ this¡­" Mika muttered softly.

    The example that the blonde teacher had given, or more urately, what she expressed to Mika through the example, left her with a huge impact!

    Doing something for the person you liked¡­ any action at all, even death, was unrted to that person?

    Was this reality? If so, this type of reality, this type of world¡­ was too cruel.

    Mika Uehara found it difficult to ept.

    "Yes, it¡¯s quite cruel." Kaede nodded, agreeing with Mika¡¯s assessment. "That¡¯s why acting for someone else¡¯s sake is incredibly risky. Acting for your friends could result in betrayal, but acting for the sake of strangers is an even greater risk. Some people don¡¯t know about or don¡¯t truly understand this risk and the pressure involved and simply act out of passion. However, a few understand all this perfectly; they are familiar with the cruelty of reality and still choose to make this step."

    "The first type of person is courageous, but the second type of person is a hero." Kaede began smiling again. "I feel that he¡­ Haruta-kun is a hero."

    Haruta-kun.

    ¡®Not Harano-kun!?¡¯

    Mika''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "Yes, by the way, I know Harano-kun¡¯s real name. I know more about him than you realize." The blonde teacher¡­ no, thedy from the mafia family recalled the first time she met him.

    She had fallen in love with Seiji at first sight, and Seiji even received her father¡¯s and her two brothers¡¯ approval, so Seiji was truly strong!

    "Currently, I¡¯m still quite far from being able to reach him. But I¡¯ll still keep striving to close the distance between us. Another way of putting it is that I¡¯m going to take action for the sake of my own feelings. No matter what the result is, I won¡¯t regret it. Because¡­ he¡¯s my hero."

    ¡®He¡¯s someone worthy of my love.¡¯

    Kaede¡¯s eyes were filled with staunch resolution.

    This was her answer.

    Mika was shocked by this, despite the fact that she already knew this blonde beauty that came out of nowhere was an amazing person.

    At this time, she finally recognized the full extent of Kaede¡¯s resolution¡­

    She inwardlypared her feelings to Kaede''s unwavering resolution.

    She was still hesitating because of "choosing." Frustratingly, for the past few days, she had been stuck in her own train of thought. She''d not revealed her situation to him and had made him worry about her¡­

    ¡®Just what exactly are my feelings? What am I thinking about?¡¯

    Mika felt confused about everything. And then, suddenly, she discovered her true feelings.

    She was afraid!

    The hidden truth behind herplex feelings was weakness and fear.

    On one hand, she was afraid of staying "ordinary:" she feared to remain only as his friend and be increasingly distant from him.

    On the other hand, she was afraid of changing: she feared to be "special." She was afraid of the uncertain future.

    She was afraid of both "choices." This was due to her own weakness. There was no other reason: it was undeniable that she was weak.

    Yes, that was how it was.

    ¡®I¡­ am just such an ordinary girl after all.¡¯

    Mika Uehara understood herself now.

    In front of Kaede Juumonji, who was also in love with Seiji, but was resolutely moving forward, she felt that she couldn¡¯tpare.

    ¡®Just what should I do, Seiji¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 227 - Maturity

    <h4>Chapter 227: Maturity</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji headed to the hospital that Natsuya was staying for a checkup. He didn¡¯t go into the details about his injury.

    The president didn¡¯t ask him for details, either. She informed him that he had been registered on the "VIP special guest" list for this hospital. As long as he came to this hospital or called them, he would be able to receive the best avable service, which even included magical-rted treatment, without her having to arrange it.

    Seiji was very thankful for all this. He didn¡¯t know what would happen in the future. Having a good medical facility as a safeguard was always reassuring.

    And his injuries today were on the light side, just as he assumed. He was fine after some basic treatment.

    Seiji and Shika took a taxi home.

    "Shika-chan, about secretly following me¡­ although I still think it isn¡¯t a good thing¡­ this time, thank you for protecting me."

    After consideration, Seiji decided to express his gratitude.

    His adopted younger sister secretly followed him and ambushed Iroha. Even though there were some problems with her actions, what she did was for his sake, so he was quite grateful.

    "Brother Seiji¡­"

    "Rather than worrying about myself, I¡¯m more concerned that something will happen to you, so please try not to do dangerous things on your own, alright?"

    Shika looked at her adopted brother¡¯s smiling face and nodded.

    And so, this night came to a conclusion.

    On the next, brand-new day, during the morning.

    Seiji exited his apartment and walked to the Uehara residence.

    When he knocked on the door, Mika greeted him!

    "Good morning¡­"

    "Good morning¡­"

    The two of them exchanged nces.

    Then, Seiji smiled.

    "Let¡¯s go," he said.

    "Okay."

    Mika didn¡¯t smile as she averted her gaze, but she also nodded.

    She hadn''t recoveredpletely yet, but she was definitely feeling better.

    ¡®This must be thanks to Juumonji-sensei.¡¯ Just as Seiji was thinking this, the blonde teacher walked downstairs.

    "Good morning, Haruta-kun."

    "Good morning¡­ eh?"

    Seiji realized that she''d addressed him by his real name rather than his alias.

    Kaede smiled. "Yesterday, I chatted with Uehara-san about many things, including Haruta-kun."

    "Oh¡­ I see." Seiji blinked in understanding as he nced at Mika.

    She had a calm expression.

    The three of them started walking to school together.

    Seiji was curious as to what they chatted about yesterday night, but it would be imprudent to pry.

    Kaede acted just like normal. She started a conversation with the school festival as the topic, although she only talked to Mika.

    Mika answered her normally.

    The two of them acted just like an ordinary student and teacher who had a good rtionship.

    Seiji was left out of it.

    He was happy that Mika could talk normally now, but¡­ what was with this situation?

    He didn¡¯t believe that he was the center of the world or anything like that, but¡­ this still seemed rather odd to him.

    He had no clue what happenedst night or what they''d talked about.

    It was slightly ufortable for him.

    However, Mika had indeed gotten better, and this was thanks to Kaede. Seiji decided to believe in that Kaede could help Mika recover fully from whatever was on her mind.

    After a few minutes, the three of them arrived at school.

    After separating from Kaede, Seiji and Mika headed for their ssroom.

    On their way, they met Chiaki.

    "Good morning, you two." The tomboy smiled just like usual.

    "Good morning."

    "Good morning¡­"

    Chiaki looked at Mika¡¯s face. Mika averted her gaze.

    "Why didn¡¯t you answer my phone calls, Mika?" asked Chiaki.

    The tomboy was smiling, but her tone of voice was serious.

    Seiji felt that the situation could possibly turn bad.

    "Let¡¯s go to the ssroom first; we can discuss thingster¡­" He tried defusing the situation.

    Chiaki ignored him. Mika also didn¡¯t move.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say at this.

    "Answer me, Mika." Chiaki¡¯s smile faded as she narrowed her eyes. "I was really worried about you¡­ but you wouldn''t say even a word to me."

    The atmosphere turned heavy.

    Just as Seiji felt that things really would turn bad, Mika lowered her head.

    "Sorry¡­" the double-pigtailed girl apologized in a tiny voice.

    Although her voice was extremely faint, it was clear.

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes softened after hearing this.

    "Instead of an apology, I would prefer to hear an exnation. No matter what you were thinking about, it¡¯s foolish to simply be frustrated by yourself. Not long ago, wasn¡¯t I simrly being foolish? Weren¡¯t you also really worried about me back then? If I treated you like you treated me, what would you think?"

    Mika didn¡¯t respond to this.

    "Perhaps your frustration currently and my frustration from back then are different, but at the very least you should exin things. Even if you don¡¯t want me to interfere, you should tell that clearly to me, instead of ignoring my phone calls and saying absolutely nothing."

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes were filled with fury. "Shutting yourself in like that is difficult to see, idiot!" she scolded Mika angrily.

    Mika trembled from Chiaki¡¯s lecturing.

    Seiji inwardly sighed. ¡®Wow, she''s pretty strict.¡¯

    "Can you hear what I¡¯m saying? Are your ears still working properly!?"

    "I heard you¡­" Mika muttered softly.

    "Then answer me: why didn¡¯t you answer my phone calls!?"

    Mika¡¯s expression changed to a soft andplex expression. "Because¡­ I wanted to contemte by myself¡­ about my own things."

    "You don¡¯t want me to ask about it? You think that I can¡¯t help you at all?"

    "¡­That¡¯s right."

    Faced with Chiaki¡¯s fierce interrogation, Mika was finally forced to take action. She took a deep breath, lifted her face upwards, and finally faced Chiaki directly.

    "I¡­ don¡¯t want to be asked about this, nor do I want to answer anything about it. That¡¯s because it¡¯s entirely my personal problem, and I need to figure it out by myself. I need to make a choice without depending on anyone else¡­ at all."

    "I know that, perhaps this is rather foolish, rather stupid of me. But¡­ if I don¡¯t do it like this, I feel¡­ that I¡¯ll always be¡­ just like this."

    Yes, that was right.

    When Mika said this, she came to a sudden realization.

    No matter what choice she made, whether it was to stay "ordinary" or be "special," she needed to make the decision by herself and take responsibility for the consequence of her choice.

    This was her one and only¡­ unique life.

    Frustrations, fear, thoughts, decisions, choices¡­ Everything she experienced was simr to countless other ordinary people. But this was her life, not someone else¡¯s life.

    No matter what choice she made, or what the result would be, as long as she made her decision resolutely instead of in a state of confusion, then there would be meaning!

    This was her story. This was Mika Uehara¡¯s story.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to forever remain like this. I want to¡­ step forth with my own power! Without relying on others. Even if they¡¯re my best friends, the person I like, or my mother¡­¡¯

    Mika realized all this. Her newfound will on her face was disyed on her face.

    Chiaki''s eyes widened in surprise.

    Seiji also noticed the change in Mika.

    In just this short moment, something in the girl before them seemed to have changed on a foundational level.

    This was the term known as maturity. Seiji was the first to realize what he had witnessed, and he smiled.

    Even though he still didn¡¯t know what Mika had been pondering all this time, he felt that it no longer mattered.

    She was fine.

    Since she possessed such an independent spirit and willpower, no matter what difficulties she faced, she wouldn¡¯t need others to worry about her too much.

    "Good answer, Mika," Seiji praised as he smiled. "This answer is just fine¡­ right, Chiaki?"

 Chapter 228 - All of You Are My Wings!

    <h4>Chapter 228: All of You Are My Wings!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki looked at Mika searchingly.

    "Alright, I suppose I can ept this." Her tone of voice returned to normal. "Since you¡¯ve said all this, I won¡¯t pry anymore. It¡¯s just that when you¡¯re ready to say it, you should tell me¡­ tell us."

    "Okay." Mika nodded.

    The conflict between friends disappeared just like that.

    ¡®No,'' Seiji thought, ''there was no conflict to begin with. It was simply youth.¡¯

    Then, the three of them reached their ss, helped open the temporary confectionery store, and then went together to the school entrance to wait.

    Before long, they saw Mayuzumi and Saki.

    "Good morning, Sensei¡­" When Seiji greeted the manga author, he noticed that something was wrong.

    Mayuzumi¡¯splexion didn¡¯t seem so great.

    Seiji could tell that it wasn¡¯t due to the crowd. There must be some other reason¡­

    "Sensei¡­ your condition doesn¡¯t seem so good?"

    "I¡­ I¡¯m fine." Mayuzumi smiled faintly. "I just didn¡¯t sleep very wellst night."

    Seiji shot an inquistive look at the editor.

    "She definitely didn¡¯t sleep well. I tried convincing her to rest at home today, but she insisted oning," said Saki, sighing.

    "Today¡¯s thest day after all, and I had lots of fun on thest two days. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have fun today as well," said Mayuzumi before looking at the girl that she didn¡¯t recognize.

    "This is Mika Uehara, another one of my friends and ssmates." Seiji introduced Mika to Mayuzumi.

    Mayuzumi greeted Mika politely, while Mika returned the popr manga author''s greeting nervously. Then, Seiji also introduced Mika to Editor Yoshizawa, and the two of them exchanged greetings as well.

    And so, the extravagant five-person team was created.

    "Seigo, with four beautiful women apanying you, don¡¯t you think your life is rather brilliant?" Chiaki asked flirtatiously.

    "Of course, I feel that I¡¯ve already surpassed the mortal realm and be a saint, so please address me as the four-winged archangel." Seiji made a magnificently pretentious pose.

    "Four-winged archangel¡­ why¡¯s that?"

    "All of you are my wings!"

    Mika, Mayuzumi, and Saki were rendered speechless.

    Chiaki broke out intoughter at this. "What the hell¡¯s with wings!? Which anime did you steal that line from?"

    "It came from my soul."

    "Who the hell would believe that!?"

    Mika and Mayuzumi smiled as they watched Seiji and Chiaki clowning around and exchanging banter. Even Saki allowed herself a small grin.

    Their team¡¯s atmosphere soon became lively as they visited the various stands and stores together.

    Then, it was time for the school festival¡¯s greatest event for the final day: the "Field Battle" was about to start!

    In the Field Battle, all the teachers and students in the entire school would participate together with therge number of visitors in a huge, chaotic battle¡­ whoops, that was of course impossible.

    In theser tag game, the participants would be split into two teams: red or blue. The red team would face the blue team, with twenty yers on each side. Victory would be achieved once one side defeated all members of the opposing side. If the battle hadn''t concluded after fifteen minutes, the side with more members remaining would be dered the victors.

    The "dead" members of the victorious side would receive prizes, while the "survivors" would proceed to the next round. The greatest prize would be awarded if you managed to "survive" three rounds.

    The more rounds you "survived," the better the final prize would be. There would be three rounds in total.

    The battle was to take ce in the gymnasium, which had been modified for this activity. Everyone could only take part by exchanging emblems received from the festival activities for entry tickets and items necessary for battle. Of course, it was also possible to directly purchase tickets and items, but that was rather expensive.

    Mika and Chiaki hadn¡¯t participated in yesterday¡¯s activities, so they had no emblems to exchange for tickets. However, Chiaki was rich, so she directly purchased two tickets for herself and Mika.

    And so, the five of them banded together, forming a small team. They were about to draw for which color team they¡¯d be on, when a girl approached Seiji.

    It was Kaho Miyamoto.

    "H-Harano-san¡­" She had worked up all her courage to finally approach and talk to him as she felt this was thest chance during the festival. "I-I also want to join this game¡­ Can¡­ can I y together with you?"

    She was stuttering badly, looking around everywhere, and sweating profusely.

    ¡®I¡¯ll probably be rejected¡­¡¯ Kaho thought to herself with zero self-confidence.

    Actually, she had wanted to speak with him yesterday, but Seigo Harano had several beauties apanying him, so she didn¡¯t have any chances to speak to him¡­ no, it should be said that she didn¡¯t have the courage to speak to him.

    After noticing that he intended to join thisser tag activity, Kaho felt that this was her final¡ªand only¡ªchance.

    ¡®I¡¯ll grasp this opportunity! I''ll join his team, so I can speak to him a little¡­¡¯ She had this small hope in her heart.

    "Miyamoto-san¡­" Seiji was rather surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that this female ssmate of his woulde talk to him of her own volition.

    Then, he started smiling.

    "Of course,e join our team!"

    ¡®He epted¡­ He said yes!¡¯ Kaho¡¯s heartbeat rapidly quickened.

    She could literally hear her own heartbeat right now. Her body was hot, her face was burning, and her mind was empty.

    By the time she regained her senses, she discovered that she was already a part of his team and was standing together with him.

    This was just like a dream to her.

    ¡®Am I actually still sleeping on my bed at home?¡¯ Kaho wondered that to herself.

    But Harano-san¡¯s figure, smile, and words¡­ were all so clear.

    This was all real!

    It didn¡¯t take much time to incorporate Kaho into their team.

    Mika and Chiaki didn¡¯t have anything against this ssmate of theirs, nor did Mayuzumi or Saki mind adding one extra person. So just a few short introductions were in order.

    The five-person team became a six-person team.

    Seiji was voted to be their team representative to pick a random side for them.

    When he went and drew lots, he received the blue side.

    And so, their six-person team was added to the blue side. Together with fourteen other participants, they faced the red team.

    The standard equipment for all the participants were helmets, vests, and protective gear. As for their gunsser guns, of course¡ªthey could exchange for various types depending on their emblems.

    Seiji, Mayuzumi, and Mika exchanged for assault rifleser guns.

    Chiaki, Saki, and Kaho exchanged for sniperser guns.

    Apart from guns, they could also exchange for walkie-talkies (cell phones were forbidden), grenades (light effects only), extra ammunition (yes, even theirser guns imitated real guns and required ammunition), medicine, and other such items. There was a limit to all their items, and nobody would be allowed to restock on any items once the game started.

    Seiji and all his team members exchanged for walkie-talkies, and everyone made their own decisions about the other items.

    After they fully equipped themselves, everyone seemed like they were prepared for battle.

    Of course, the most eye-catching person of them all was Seiji.

    After someone as tall and handsome as him was fully d in military gear and stood in front of everyone, he looked so cool that he could definitely be the model for an advertisement!

    Not only were his five wings¡­ whoops, five female teammates rather stunned when they saw him, the other female blue-team members¡¯ eyes were shining as well.

    The male blue-team members were rather unhappy about this.

    Luckily, friendly fire was turned off on everyone¡¯sser guns for this fight, otherwise Seiji might have been ambushed by his own team¡­

    After both sides finished preparing their items, they entered the gymnasium.

    Therge gymnasium had purposefully been remodeled by paper, wooden, and steel structures into aplex terrain. Judging from the map provided, there were narrow passages, normal rooms, and high spots suitable for sniping from¡­ it seemed all rather professional.

    During their preparation time before the game¡¯s official start.

    "I have experience ying this type of game, so let me be themander," said a male blue-team member confidently. "Everyone listen to my orders."

    "What? Why you? I¡¯ve yed this type of game before as well," protested another blue-team member.

    "I¡¯ve yed it before too, and I¡¯ve been themander! Let me lead!"

    "You¡¯ve been amander? Look at how noobish you look¡ªyou can¡¯t even hold your gun correctly, so you must be making things up!"

    The blue team instantly began arguing with each other.

    It was the boys that were arguing. It was obvious that they each wanted to be the leader so that they could look cool in front of their femalepanions. Seiji frowned upon seeing this sight.

    "Seigo, what do you think?" Chiaki asked.

    "I think that no matter which of them leads, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea," Seiji answered.

    "I agree." Saki¡¯s voice was rather cold in tone. "I feel that we should move by ourselves instead of relying on those people."

    The editor¡¯s suggestion was instantly agreed upon by all six of them.

    None of the six had ever yedser tag before¡­ as the only boy, Seiji was unanimously voted their team captain by all the girls.

    "I shall do my best to help everyone ¡®survive.¡¯" Seiji lifted hisser gun. "First¡­ let¡¯s find a good location."

    He took his team and led them away from the other blue team members.

    Not long after, the preparation time ended.

    The whistle blew, signifying the start of the battle!

 Chapter 229 - Dont Go Around Raising Death Flags!

    <h4>Chapter 229: Don''t Go Around Raising Death gs!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Before long, there was the sound of gunfire.

    Theser guns were made to imitate the sound of real gunfire, making the converted hall really sound like a battlefield.

    "Blue #4 has ¡®died.¡¯ Please leave the field. Blue Team has 19 people remaining."

    "Red #7 has ¡®died.¡¯ Please leave the field. Red Team has 19 people remaining."

    "Blue #2 and #13 and Red #17 have ¡®died.¡¯ Please leave the field. Blue Team has 17 people remaining, while Red Team has 18 people remaining.

    These announcements continually sounded throughout the entire battlefield.

    This also informed the current ¡®survivors¡¯ of the current situation and created a sense of tension.

    Seiji was getting excited about this. He wanted to rush forward and look cool while defeating all his enemies!

    But that was impossible, since this was a team game.

    Even in the games where characters had ultimate abilities like League of Legends and Overbutt¡ªwhoops, Overwatch¡ªcarelessly rushing into the enemy would result in one¡¯s death.

    As for his vast personal experience involving first-person shooters¡­ Fine, he was only familiar with Counterstrike¡ªhe hadn¡¯t yed many others besides that one. What was the Golden Gun supposed to be? He felt that the best way to y this game together with five female yers that were ying for the first time was¡­

    "Everyone, don¡¯t casually move around; stay on guard and stand where you are. Just fire at will if you see an enemy, that¡¯s it. Does everyone copy?"

    "Blue #9 copies." This was the cold and calm Saki.

    "Blue¡­ #10 copies." This was from Mayuzumi beside Saki.

    "Blue #12, copy!" This was from the excited Chiaki.

    "Blue #11 copies." This was from Mika, who was beside Chiaki.

    "Blue¡­ Blue #8 copies." This was from Kaho, who was right next to Seiji.

    Their team had six people, which was perfect for separating into three small groups of two that could watch each other¡¯s back.

    Their three smaller teams separated into a triangr formation, a basic and safe defense formation. They just had to take care of any enemies that they saw.

    *Boom!*

    A gunshot sounded from Saki and Mayuzumi¡¯s direction. It was the sound of Saki¡¯sser sniper rifle opening fire.

    An announcement immediately rang out. "Red #14 has ¡®died.¡¯ Please leave the field. Red Team has 17 people remaining."

    Wow, a single shot did the trick?

    This was a game with HP values, and even the sniper rifle could only one-hit KO someone with a headshot.

    "Nice shooting, Editor Yoshizawa," Seiji praised.

    He heard her chuckling.

    "It was just a coincidence." Her voice was filled with delight.

    She seemed to be having fun. It was good that she was enjoying this.

    "Please keep up this condition, #9."

    "Aye aye, Captain."

    Cool! This was the type of conversation he enjoyed having in games.

    "Harano-san!" He suddenly heard someone shouting for him.

    Seiji returned to his senses and saw that Kaho was firing in the opposite direction. He instantly located the enemies and rolled as he dove behind a wooden board for cover.

    As he peeked out, he saw¡­ more than one enemy!

    "Team 1 has met two enemies¡­ no, more than three, in the nine o¡¯clock direction!" He hurriedly reported the situation and began firing.

    "Er¡­ what direction is nine o¡¯clock?" asked Mayuzumi sheepishly.

    "Mayuzumi, it¡¯s that direction," said the editor. "You don¡¯t need to do anything¡ªlet me. Chiaki, over there!"

    "I know¡ªjust watch me!" came Chiaki''s reply.

    *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

    Two sniper rifles provided cover fire for them.

    The sounds of gunfire covered the area.

    "Miyamoto-san, don¡¯t strain yourself! Take cover!" Seiji shouted.

    When he heard the beeping sound of Kaho¡¯s vest, which indicated that she had taken damage, tried his best to suppress the enemies with his own gunfire.

    "Red #20 has ¡®died¡­¡¯"

    "Red #18 has ¡®died¡­¡¯"

    "Red #19 has ¡®died.¡¯ Please leave the field. Red Team has 14 people remaining."

    After defeating three enemies, they didn¡¯t see any sign of other Red Team members for the next few minutes.

    It seemed that the remaining Red Team members had retreated.

    "Miyamoto-san, how are you doing?" Seiji asked.

    "I¡­ I¡¯m alright," she said. "I still have some HP left."

    "Use your medicine immediately."

    "Okay¡­"

    Kaho used some HP recovery medicine on herself. While Seiji was reloading his ammunition Chiaki spoke up on his walkie-talkie.

    "Hey, hey, Captain, are you still alive?" she asked yfully.

    "Of course, the announcement didn¡¯t say that I ¡®died¡¯ after all, did it? Miyamoto-san is still ¡®alive¡¯ as well."

    "I know, I just wanted to ask. Don¡¯t you feel moved by the fact that I care about you?"

    "Of course. Then, let me ask as well. Are you still alive, #12?"

    "I¡¯m still alive, Captain. There¡¯s still a beautiful girl fianc¨¦e waiting for me in my hometown, so I can¡¯t die just like this!"

    "Stop intentionally raising death gs like that! And shouldn¡¯t you be saying male fianc¨¦!?"

    Their joyous banter helped to dissolve the feeling of tension.

    Everyone else chuckled at their yacting.

    What none of them realized was that there were many people watching and listening to them.

    There were many cameras and microphones installed in the entire gymnasium, which transmitted all of these images and sounds to the control room.

    The students in the control room that could listen and watch to all this shared the parts that they felt were interesting or exciting to the big screens and projectors in the school, so that everyone who was interested in this activity could watch what was going on.

    Seiji and his friends¡¯ antics attracted many spectators¡¯ attention.

    His team had five girls in it, with four of them being definite beauties. Seiji, the captain, was also a handsome boy. This type of team would naturally attract attention, not to mention that they were also performing well and had such amusing conversations.

    Seiji and his friends didn¡¯t realize all the attention they were receiving and soon enteredbat with the enemy again.

    This time, the enemy attacked from the direction that Mika and Chiaki were guarding against.

    "Wah! I¡¯ve been shot¡­" Chiaki wailed. "Captain, please take my belongings back to my hometown¡­"

    "Stop joking around! Fight seriously!"

    "I really did get shot, though. It doesn¡¯t seem good¡­ Ah, Mika was also shot as well."

    "If it doesn¡¯t seem good, then retreat towards Editor Yoshizawa¡¯s location!"

    "Don¡¯t we need to guard this ce to the death?"

    "What the hell¡¯s with that!? This isn¡¯t a base defense game¡ªhurry up and move!"

    "Understood! Mika, let¡¯s go."

    "Miyamoto-san and I are approaching your location, and we¡¯ll provide cover fire for you guys."

    Seiji hurriedly moved to an appropriate position to ambush from and readied hisser assault rifle.

    "Miyamoto-san, wait for an opportunity. Don¡¯t shoot immediately upon seeing an enemy, and listen to mymand."

    "Okay." Kaho nodded her head.

    Kaho was currently having a lot of fun. It felt awesome to be partnered with Harano-san and fight together with him!

    She definitely wouldn¡¯t allow herself to be a burden on him, and she would do her utmost to fight! Kaho was burning up with passion.

    Seiji observed the situation.

    The serious look on his face was shown to everyone watching, and it even caused several girls¡¯ eyes to light up.

    The scene changed to Mika and Chiaki¡¯s attempt at escaping.

    Red Team members were chasing after them and continuously firing. The rapid sound of gunfire sounded like a thunderstorm and definitely made people think of a bullet-filled scene from a movie.

    The students in the control room had excellent editing techniques, and they managed to make the scenes from the hidden cameras like something from a television show, attracting everyone¡¯s attention.

    "Get ready¡­" Seiji whispered to Kaho in a low voice when he decided it was time tounch his ambush.

    The scene instantly flicked back to him again and even erged his face for a close-up.

    His eyes were burning passionately. His mouth suddenly arced upwards as he grinned with hot-blooded passion.

    "Fire!"

 Chapter 230 - The Battles Only Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 230: The Battle''s Only Beginning</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    There was the sound of gunfire as Seiji pressed down on the trigger.

    This scene seemed cool to the max!

    Some female audience members couldn¡¯t help but exim in wonder.

    The scene momentarily paused on his dashing figure before changing to the Red Team members that he had just ambushed.

    There was a chorus of beeping sounds, indicating that they were taking damage continuously. The Red Team members, under heavy fire, started panicking.

    Two people were immediately eliminated.

    "Red #3 and #9 have ¡®died.¡¯ Please leave the field."

    By the time they finally reacted and started hiding and counterattacking, the Red Team had lost an additional member.

    "Cover me, Miyamoto-san!"

    Taking out three people was already an excellent result, but Seiji still wasn¡¯t satisfied. He rushed out immediately after shouting, crouched down, and moved swiftly, utilizing the cover of the terrain to avoid being shot at.

    Kaho was concerned about his safety and unleashed a furious barrage with herser sniper rifle. While under pressure, her uracy was much higher than would normally be possible. She ensured that none of the enemy team yers dared to show themselves.

    Seiji used this chance to nk the enemy and begin an unexpected sweeping assault with hisser assault rifle!

    This scene was once again disyed on the big screens.

    The handsome boy heroically charging towards the enemy formation and "ying" two unprepared enemies seemed amazing.

    Quite a few spectators felt their blood beginning to boil passionately. It also caused many people to sign up for theser tag activity.

    ¡®That was an incredibly fun ambush attack!¡¯ Seiji felt extremely satisfied with his own performance, but he also knew that he had been rash, that he shouldn¡¯t have rushed in like that.

    But it was just a game, so he wanted to y in a style that was fun for him!

    ¡®Would it have been more immersive if I shouted ¡®Justice rains from above¡¯ or ¡®It¡¯s high noon?¡¯¡¯ Seiji wondered to himself.

    Seiji rejoined Kaho as he thought these things. They retreated back to their original positions to continue battling.

    The Red Team, now at a serious disadvantage, did their best to counterattack, but they were unable to overturn the situation.

    The Blue Team achieved victory!

    "We won," said Seiji.

    "And all six of us lived!" added Chiaki.

    "But the battle has only just begun," said Saki calmly.

    A moment of silence fell between them. Every member of Seiji¡¯s team turned to look at the editor, who had said such a ssical line.

    Saki¡¯s face reddened slightly from receiving all this attention, and she averted her gaze.

    ¡®Editor Yoshizawa has a secret chuunibyou side to her¡­¡¯ Seiji smiled and shot her a warm nce.

    Seiji¡¯s entire team of six ¡®survived!¡¯ They all signed up to join the second round ofser tag.

    During the preparation time for the second round, the other participants started chatting with Seiji.

    Only then did he learn what had happened outside.

    His own performance had actually been disyed on the big screens for all the spectators to see¡­ he was so embarrassed!

    He felt as if something was itching the inside of his body.

    He didn¡¯t particrly hate it, but nor did he like it. It just felt awkward.

    His teammates allughed when they learned about this.

    Chiaki chuckled. "Isn¡¯t it nice to be the action star of a live performance? If you continue to do well, your poprity will enjoy a huge boost~"

    "I don¡¯t wanna be that popr," Seiji responded.

    "Hey, boy with ten thousand fans!"

    "Please don¡¯t address me like that!"

    "Your first target is to increase the number of your fans to one hundred thousand!"

    "Stop making it sound like I want to be a popr inte star!"

    ''Although I have indeed streamed before,'' Seiji added in his head.

    While he retorted to Chiaki, Seiji approached by various participants. Some people even wanted to join his little team.

    Seiji politely rejected all such requests. He felt that it wasn¡¯t wise to allow strangers to join his team.

    When all the new participants were decided, the two new Red and Blue Teams entered the gymnasium.

    During the prebat preparation time, Seiji was voted as the overallmander by everyone. After some consideration, he epted.

    "I rmend that everyone creates small teams with the friends that they came with and select team captains. During the battle, I¡¯ll givemands to each team captain, while the team captains will decide how to specifically carry out our strategies."

    This would give them an overall sense of teamwork and cooperation while also allowing each team their own freedom. It seemed appropriate to him.

    Most people agreed with his idea, so it was settled.

    What about the ones on their team that were by themselves, or the ones from the previous round whose friends had ¡®died¡¯ inbat?

    Seiji had these people join other teams or make their own teams. For the few that were uncooperative, he could only let them act on their own.

    Preparation time ended.

    The second round¡­ well, it was the second round for Seiji and his team, began just like this.

    "Team #2 and my Team #1 will guard the front entrance, while Team #3 shall attack from the right wing, and Team #4 shall attack from the left wing! The other teams should stand by and await orders."

    "Our left wing¡¯s attack has met with difficulty? Team #4, retreat! Team #5, take their ce."

    "The enemy¡¯s frontal assault is too fierce¡ªTeam #2 retreat immediately! My Team #1 will cover you and retreat afterwards."

    "Team #3¡¯s assault has been sessful. Team #6 please immediately reinforce them and defeat all enemies there!"

    Under Seiji¡¯s overallmand, the Blue Team advanced in an orderly fashion. Although it couldn¡¯t be said that they all performed excellently, it was more than sufficient to deal with the Red Team, where everyone was obviously disorganized with no leadership.

    In this round, the Blue Team members had lots of fun. In the end, only six of their members ¡®died¡¯ by the time they defeated all twenty of the Red Team members.

    Seiji¡¯s entire team ¡®survived¡¯ again!

    Now that they had ¡®survived¡¯ for two rounds already, they only needed to ¡®survive¡¯ one more round in order to receive the greatest prize: a two-day, three-night voucher to an onsen hotel!

    That¡¯s right¡ªthe legendary outdoor bath, an onsen!

    This type of hotel would often appear in anime and manga. There would always be ssical bathing scenes, mixed-gender bathing, or peeking¡­ cough, at any rate, interesting scenes like that.

    Seiji was stunned for a full three seconds when he found out that the final prize for ¡®surviving¡¯ three rounds was such a prize.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this type of voucher a prize typically found as part of a lottery in the market district? Why is it the highest prize for aser tag game!?¡¯

    Cough cough, thisment had some problems.

    Always drawing the grand prize in a market district¡¯s lottery was the special ability of the main character¡­ no, it should be said that it was the will of the universe. It couldn¡¯t bepared to reality.

    At any rate, Seiji felt that something was off about it, but when he saw that everyone else treated it normally, he figured that he had probably just seen too much anime and read too many mangas.

    "The second round was really easy. If we ¡®survive¡¯ just one more round like this, all of us will receive hotel vouchers," said Chiaki. "Why don''t we all find a time to go together if that happens?"

    All of them going together to an onsen hotel? Seiji instantly imagined various possibilities.

    He only had one word for it: excellent!

    ¡®Excellent suggestion, Chiaki. As expected of my friend that knows me so well!¡¯ he said in his soul.

    The tomboy¡¯s suggestion was greeted with unanimous approval from everyone.

    Seiji¡¯s response was obvious, and Mika naturally agreed as well. Mayuzumi indicated that she could make some free time in her schedule, and Saki mentioned that she had some paid vacation days saved up. As for Kaho¡­ she agreed while stuttering somewhat.

    To be honest, she had almost fainted.

    Going on a trip with Harano-san! A trip!! A trip!!!!

    Although it was with a group of people, it was still a chance to be together with him!

    ¡®Going together with him to an onsen hotel for two days and three nights¡­ Gods, am I dreaming?¡¯

    Kaho was dazed; she felt as if her body was floating, as if she could shoot up into the air.

    No, she couldn¡¯t fly; she couldn¡¯t go to the next world yet!

    She forced herself to regain her senses and hardened her resolution.

    Although they all agreed to go, they still hadn¡¯t finished the third round yet. They had to ¡®survive¡¯ in order to absolutely obtain the voucher and realize this beautiful dream!

    ¡®I can¡¯t be overconfident. I have to give it my all for victory,¡¯ chanted Kaho in her mind.

    Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Seiji and the others, a certain girl with a fearsome nickname was currently waiting for the start of the next round in the enemy team.

    "Not bad, Junior, but it all ends here."

    The sniper rifle in her hands glinted sharply.

 Chapter 231 - The Girl with 100% Accurate Shotsâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 231: The Girl with 100% urate Shots¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    In the third round for Seiji and the others, Seiji was yet again voted the Blue Teammander, and he epted once more.

    Withst round¡¯s experience, he believed that he could perform even better thanst time. As long as nothing unexpected happened, he was confident of winning and ensuring the "survival" of all his teammates.

    Yes, if nothing unexpected happened¡­

    For some reason, after Seiji entered the gymnasium, he had an ominous premonition. He felt a faint sense of difort and felt that he had forgotten something important.

    The whistle blew, signaling the start of the battle.

    Seiji passed down orders to each small-team captain. They were to attempt a direct frontal attack.

    That¡¯s right¡ªhe''d changed his tactics.

    He considered the fact that everyone outside had seen their tactics from the previous round. If some of them were now participating against him, they might be on guard, which was why he decided to change his strategy.

    However, this was ultimately a mock battle-game, and everyone had varying levels of skill, soplex strategies were unfeasible. It was just a simple change.

    Their direct attack¡­ was rather sessful¡ªthey managed to take out two Red Team members.

    Just as Seiji was contemting whether to press his advantage or to cautiously maintain the current bnce and attempt a nking attack, someone from Blue Team ¡®died.¡¯

    ¡®No, I won''t press the attack. I''ll y it safer.¡¯ Seiji decided on thetter strategy.

    "Teams #3 and #4, don¡¯t proceed any further¡­"

    Before he even finished talking, he heard the announcement that two more Blue Team yers had ¡®died!¡¯

    "Commander, there¡¯s an incredibly strong person on the other team; this person used only three shots to¡ª"

    *Boom!*

    The sound of a grenade explosion interrupted the message on his walkie-talkie.

    Seiji instantly heard the ¡®death¡¯ announcement for this person.

    Four people had ¡®perished!¡¯

    "Team #4, retreat! There¡¯s an expert yer in the Red Team! Hurry up and retreat!"

    Seiji shouted into his walkie-talkie as he followed the sounds and looked in the direction of that particr battle.

    There was fierce gunfireing from that direction.

    "Blue #13 has ¡®died¡­¡¯"

    "Blue #14 has ¡®died¡­¡¯"

    Another two people from Seiji¡¯s team were killed.

    "Team #4 squad leader! Please respond¡­"

    "Damn it! I can¡¯t even hit her!! What¡¯s with that girl!?" He could hear Team #4''s squad leader yelling in frustration.

    A girl?

    *Boom!* Seiji could faintly hear the unmistakable sound of a sniper shot through the walkie-talkie.

    Then, there was an announcement that the Blue Team had lost another member¡ªthis time it was Team #4''s squad leader.

    ¡®A female expert who¡¯s a sniper and can make perfect headshots every time¡­¡¯ Seiji had a hazy image of who he was facing.

    "Everyone watch out: there¡¯s an incredible female sniper on the enemy team! Everyone needs to protect their heads. Don''t allow her to pick you off with a single shot!" He informed the remaining Blue Team members.

    Teams #3 and #4 had been eradicated.

    That one person¡­ that single female sniper expert took out seven people all by herself!

    ¡®Which movie did shee out of!? She¡¯s a little too amazing as a main character, isn¡¯t she!?¡¯ While Seiji was energeticallymenting in his mind, everyone outside watching the proceedings on the big screens was awestruck.

    They had just witnessed a beautiful girl carrying a heavyser sniper rifle and moving about as swiftly as a ghost. She dodged her enemies¡¯ gunfire with incredible skill and used her chances toe out from cover, aim, and fire, one-hit-KOing every single one of her enemies.

    For seven people, she only shot six times and made a headshot every time! She also took care of one person with a grenade.

    How amazing could this person possibly be!?

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was obviously a teenager and was still wearing the Genhana High School uniform, many people would misconstrue her as some type of special forces agent or secret assassin.

    This definitely was far above the average level of someone who simply enjoyed field battles as a hobby!

    Was she a professional yer? By the way, did such a game even have professional yers? Were all professional yers as strong as she was?

    The girl with the big gun who could shoot with 100% uracy¡­ she seemed exactly like a character out of a movie or an anime.

    Her back against a wall and a sniper rifle in her hands, she cautiously stuck her head out to observe the situation¡ªthis scene was one of indescribable beauty.

    The handsome Seiji had originally been the center of attention on the big screen, but now this dark gray long-haired beautiful girl was cast into the limelight.

    The Blue Team had sunk into a bad situation.

    So, what would the youngmander do in such a situation?

    They''d lost seven members¡­ this was a huge loss. His ominous premonition hade to fruition. They were likely to lose now that the opposition possessed such an expert female sniper.

    Seiji smiled wryly; he felt he had just been pped in the face after believing that he could easily obtain his third victory.

    He even wondered if this expert female sniper was a secret weapon from the student organizers, who had the special role of preventing people from obtaining three victories.

    No, he couldn¡¯t give up so easily. An expert¡­ that meant a worthy challenge for him!

    Seiji¡¯s eyes shed with anticipation. First, he had to confirm her location.

    Teams #3 and #4 had met her head-on, so if she proceeded onwards instead of retreating, then she would soon reach this location.

    Then, he had to devise a method to deal with her.

    He would have to surround her with everyone. Seven people in total had already been "killed" by her alone, which meant that the only way they could possibly defeat her would be to surround her with the remaining thirteen and attack from all sides.

    Thirteen against one¡­ even with such arge numerical difference, Seiji still felt it would be difficult to win, which was rather¡­

    He could only chuckle wryly.

    It was time to put their n into action!

    "Everyone listen closely¡ªif we can¡¯t take out the enemy¡¯s expert right here and now, we won¡¯t be able to win¡­ no, honestly speaking, it¡¯s already almost impossible for us to win. But, at the very least, it¡¯s still possible for us to defeat their expert!

    "As themander, I¡¯m going to lead everyone to surround this expert, and use all our forces to defeat her!

    "I won¡¯t ept any objections. If any of you object, then just go hide somewhere and wait for defeat." Seiji paused for a moment. Nobody objected. "Now, let me make the arrangements for the ambush¡­"

    All the members of Blue Team followed Commander Seiji¡¯s orders.

    "Captain, thirteen against one is rather shameful," Chiaki said.

    "That might not be the case. The other members of Red Team aren¡¯t inanimate pieces of wood after all, and they maye as well," Seiji answered.

    "That¡¯s true¡­ you¡¯re not going to make any preparations against the other members of Red Team?"

    "There¡¯s no point¡ªwe need to use all our forces to deal with that female sniper and have no leeway to care about anything else."

    "How shameless indeed."

    "Who cares about honor or shame when ying a game! As long as we can defeat the strong enemy before us, that¡¯s enough!"

    "Sigh¡­ the hot spring hotel¡­"

    "Wah¡­ let¡¯s stop thinking about that."

    Even though they felt excited when they discussed the hot spring hotel trip, they were now at such a disadvantage¡­ how heartbreaking!

    ¡®It¡¯s time to transform our broken hearts into strength to take out this expert,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    The preparations for the ambush were quicklypleted. The only part left was to wait¡­ and they saw her!

    Right when Seiji saw that figure, he stiffened as he finally recalled the important detail he had forgotten.

    Yesterday, there was someone that participated in the activities together with them in order to collect emblems to participate in this game today¡ªMai Houjou!

    The Smiling Executioner¡­ President Yoruhana¡¯s maid, the legendary person who had singlehandedly eliminated half of the clubs in Genhana High School.

    Right now, she was in front of him as a sniper in Red Team.

    She was the expert sniper who had singlehandedly defeated seven members of Blue Team by herself!

    After he figured that out, Seiji¡¯s expression rxed and he smiled.

    "Senpai, you¡¯re really quite something¡­"

 Chapter 232 - This Isnt a Game Where You Play By Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 232: This Isn''t a Game Where You y By Yourself</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "That must be Houjou-san," Saki¡¯s voice said through Seiji''s walkie-talkie.

    "Yeah, I never anticipated that it would be her, nor did I expect her to be so incredible¡­ yet having said that, I should have expected it! She was nning on joining this game to begin with, and she¡¯s quite an amazing woman."

    "As¡­ as expected of a maid," Mayuzumi said.

    "Yeah, a maid¡­ er, this is a little¡­" Seiji felt as if there was something wrong with this.

    But thinking it over more closely, a maid that was great at housework, cooking, making sweets, and shooting¡­ seemed rathermon?

    Yep, there was no problem with that. Of course there was a problem with that!

    ''Being amazing at shooting isn''t something a maid is supposed to be good at, okay!'' In the end, Seiji couldn¡¯t help but inwardlyment on the strange turn of events.

    "Eh, a maid¡­ could that person there be Mai Houjou-sama? The Smiling Executioner!?" Chiaki finally realized what was going on.

    "Yep, that¡¯s her," Seiji said. ¡®What¡¯s with the sudden honorific?¡¯

    "Wow, I¡¯ve met the legend¡­ Mika, take a look as well!"

    Were they here to gawk? Seiji hoped that they would take this a little more seriously.

    *Boom!*

    It was a gunshot from Mai; she''d noticed someone¡¯s presence as she advanced, so she decisively began shooting.

    "Blue #13 has ¡®died¡­¡¯" An announcement instantly rung out.

    ¡®Chiaki, you idiot!¡¯

    And so, she met her end as her death g dictated. Seiji didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry.

    "Seigo¡­ Captain, Chiaki, she¡­" Mika¡¯s helpless-sounding voice spoke up in the walkie-talkie.

    "I know, let her go in peace." Seiji could only sigh. "Everyone listen," he said, addressing his team. "Our target has detected our presence, so she¡¯s stopped and hasn¡¯t fully entered our ambush area. Everyone move forward¡ªwe will surround her now."

    After giving his orders, Seiji took a deep breath.

    "I¡¯ll go attract her attention, so you guys hurry up and take action!"

    After saying this, Seiji suddenly stood up. "Hey, Senpai!" he shouted at Mai.

    Mai looked over in his direction. They both smiled as they exchanged nces.

    *Boom!*

    Mai started shooting at Seiji.

    Seiji was already prepared for this and managed to duck as he returned fire with hisser assault rifle.

    Something flew towards him.

    It was a grenade!

    ¡®Damn, she¡¯s really good at lobbing these.¡¯

    *Boom!!*

    The grenade exploded.

    Seiji had already turned and rolled on the ground to dodge it, but the beeping of his vest indicated that he had still taken heavy damage.

    Was he ¡®dead¡¯ yet?

    He wasn¡¯t!

    Noticing that he still had a few hit points left, Seiji hurriedly used some medicine as he trained a vignt eye on his surroundings.

    She was really amazing¡­ but that was what made it so interesting!

    He saw a figure dashing out of the corner of his eye.

    He hurriedly rolled on the ground again and barely managed to dodge her shot. Once again, he lifted hisser assault rifle and counterattacked.

    He knew that he couldn¡¯t remain in the same location for more than a few seconds. He had to keep moving continuously!

    Outside the gymnasium, on the big screens.

    The audience was watching the girl with the dark gray hair fight one-on-one against the young leader of the Blue Team. Both of them were dashing around quickly, making nimble dodges, and furiously firing at the other party¡­ it was incredibly exciting to watch!

    Everyone was unable to take their eyes off the screen, and some audience members couldn¡¯t help but gasp as they watched the battle.

    Seiji fired hisser gun, moved, and dodged¡­ he was doing his best to fight against Mai.

    He didn¡¯t have the time to urately aim in her direction. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was using a high-poweredser assault rifle, then he wouldn¡¯t even be able to pose a threat to her.

    With his constant dodging and fierce counterattacks, he was barely managing to survive.

    At this rate, he would definitely be the loser in the end.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a game where he was fighting by himself!

    Seiji had more fun in the short period of time that he fought with Mai than in all the roundsbined up until now.

    But it was time for it to end.

    ''The encirclement should beplete by now.''

    After he used up his ammunition, Seiji rolled behind an obstacle, but he didn¡¯t take this opportunity to reload. Instead, he picked up his walkie-talkie.

    "Everyone, fire at our target!" Seiji gave clear instructions.

    In the next moment, guns opened fire from all directions!

    Mika, Mayuzumi, Saki, Kaho, and the other members of Blue Team all popped up at once and began firing at the gray-haired girl!

    Mai sniped off one person immediately, then she made the split-second judgment that it would be impossible for her to "survive" all this, so she ignored everything else and rushed straight in Seiji¡¯s direction in an attempt to "kill" the Blue Team¡¯smander before she "died."

    Kaho, who was the closest person to Seiji, noticed Mai¡¯s intention.

    She wanted to protect Harano-san!

    Kaho reflexively started moving; she rushed out from behind an obstacle and stood right in front of Mai!

    Mai saw that a girl suddenly appeared before her, so she instantly used herser sniper rifle and¡­ *Boom!*

    Kaho fired first.

    "Red Team #19 has ¡®died¡­¡¯"

    Hearing this, Seiji, who was still hiding, finally heaved a sigh of relief.

    They''d seeded in defeating Mai! They''d only lost two people while doing it, which was much better than he''d expected.

    The gunfire didn¡¯t stop, though. That was due to the arrival of other Red Team members.

    There was arge gap in the number of yers remaining on both sides, but there was still hope.

    "Everyone, we just sessfully defeated the expert on the enemy team, which basically means we¡¯ve defeated the boss! There are only a few disorganized enemies left, so there¡¯s no reason that we can¡¯t win after defeating the boss! I said before that it¡¯s almost impossible for us to win, but that doesn''t mean the possibility is zero! Let us work our hardest to achieve victory!" Seiji shouted into his walkie-talkie, pouring all his passion and battle-lust into his words.

    "Urf!" Saki was the first to answer¡­ why did she sound like a teddy bear?

    Then, Seiji heard all the other Blue Team members respond as well.

    "You¡¯re right, Commander!"

    "This really feels like a war, hahaha, nice!"

    "Commander, you¡¯re so cool! Can I get your phone number afterwards?"

    These were some of the various responses he received from the other random Blue Team members.

    ¡®These teammates of mine are pretty cool.¡¯ Seiji smiled as he thought that to himself.

    If that was the case, he felt they could win again!

    The fierce fighting continued¡­

    Finally, this round went to the fifteen-minute time limit.

    In the end, Seiji''s Blue Team barely managed to eke out a victory over the Red Team by one person!

    When the round ended, all the remaining Blue Team members cheered out in victory.

    Eight people from Blue Team managed to survive in the end.

    Seiji had lost two members of his small team: Chiaki and Saki.

    Chiaki had already ¡®died¡¯ earlier, while Saki had sacrificed herself while protecting Mayuzumi.

    Neither of them obtained the free voucher for the two-day, three-night hot spring hotel trip, but Chiaki reminded them that she was rich, so she would just purchase a ticket at the regr price and go together with them. As for Saki, Mayuzumi insisted on paying for her trip, and Saki was unable to refuse.

    And so, they were able to n a future hot spring hotel trip together!

    They would discuss the exact time and details of itter.

    "I really thought we¡¯d lose, I didn¡¯t expect to have such a great reversal¡­ even if I identally ended up ¡®dying.¡¯" Chiaki sighed as they left the gymnasium and headed back to Year 1, ss 5.

    "It¡¯s your own fault for setting up your own death g¡­ we were only able to win in the end thanks to everyone¡¯s hard efforts." Seiji told her his honest opinion.

    "Everyone that was on our team this time was pretty good, and at the very least they listened to your orders with no one just doing as they pleased¡­ The biggest factor in our victory, apart from you, was probably Miyamoto-san here."

    "Eh?"

    Hearing this, Kaho was rather surprised.

    "Yep, I agree." Seiji also looked at his ssmate who was walking together with them.

    Kaho was the person whonded the final blow on the boss¡­ er, Mai Houjou. She also performed excellently in the subsequent battles.

    Seiji, who had been partners with her, felt as if he had been partnered with a perfect support, and he had quite a lot of fun.

    They had good unspoken cooperation, and their pairing was the one which obtained the most kills for the Blue Team! They were the biggest factor in catching up despite the difference in numbers.

    "Miyamoto-san did a really good job. If I was Seigo¡¯s partner, I don¡¯t think I could have done as well as you." Chiaki also looked at her ssmate and smiled. "I think that Miyamoto-san is really talented in ying this type of game."

    "N-not at all." Kaho flushed crimson as she hurriedly shook her hands in a denying gesture. "I-I was merely following Harano-san¡ªhe¡¯s the amazing one¡ªI was just trying my best not to be a burden."

    "That¡¯s not right¡ªyou performed spectacrly, and you¡¯re quite talented." Seiji smiled. "Not only were you not a burden, didn¡¯t you save me several times? If it wasn¡¯t for your help, I surely would have ¡®died.¡¯"

    "I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­"

    Kaho blushed furiously when she saw Seiji¡¯s smile and received the praise apanying it. "I don¡¯t have any ability¡­"

    She was just trying her best and giving it her all.

    ¡®In order to be together with you¡­¡¯

    At this moment, Kaho came to a sudden realization.

    There was still something she wanted to say to Seiji.

 Chapter 233 - Believe in the Me Who Believes in You

    <h4>Chapter 233: Believe in the Me Who Believes in You</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "There''s no need to be so hard on yourself. You should have some more self-confidence, Miyamoto-san." Seiji smiled gently. "You¡¯re actually quite a talented and cute girl."

    Kaho''s eyes widened when he said this.

    She was seeing his smile again. This was that same gentle and brilliant smile that seemed to exude light, just likest time.

    She still remembered that scene as clearly as if it happened yesterday.

    That impulse in her heart reached a boiling point.

    "Harano-san, I¡­"

    Her feelings came out through her throat, and she began speaking before she realized it.

    ¡®No, this is no good. I have to say it! No matter what, I have to say it!¡¯

    "Miyamoto-san?" Seiji realized that Kaho¡¯s expression was a little strange.

    "Harano-san!" Kaho¡¯s voice suddenly increased in volume. "Please¡­ please go out with me!!" Kaho shouted with an incredibly red face.

    Everyone instantly fell silent.

    Not only were Chiaki and the others shocked, even the bystanders had noticed this outburst and were looking in their direction.

    Seiji and Kaho both remained silent for quite a while.

    When Kaho noticed that Seiji¡¯s expression froze over, she realized what she had said and felt as if a volcano was exploding within her!

    Needless to say, Wakaba-san, Uehara-san, and the other two olderdies were looking at her in amazement, the bystanders were doing so as well, but the most important of all was Harano-san¡¯s expression!

    The handsome boy was obviously shocked.

    What would his expression change into after?

    Would it be an awkward one, or cold, or¡­

    Kaho was unable to force herself to imagine it.

    She wanted to exin, but was unable to say anything. She was unable to take it anymore.

    Her body automatically started moving. She turned around, began running, and escaped!

    "Wahh!!"

    She cried as she ran off.

    Seiji and the others were dumbstruck by this.

    What was going on?

    Seiji had never expected Miyamoto-san to suddenly confess in front of everyone or that she would suddenly run away.

    He didn¡¯t know how to react, but when he saw her crying as she ran away, he reflexively felt the urge to chase after her.

    After all, he was worried. Although he didn¡¯t understand what was going on, letting a girl leave in that condition seemed wrong to him!

    Seiji nced at Chiaki and the others.

    Chiaki was the first to regain her senses. Seeing Seiji¡¯s expression, she instantly understood his intention.

    "Go after her, Seigo," she said.

    "I¡¯m going."

    After letting Chiaki and the others know, he dashed off at top speed and chased after her.

    Kaho was running with all her might.

    The effectiveness of her daily early morning jogs really showed here. She speedily ran through the crowd, exited the school, and kept running for as long as she could, until she no longer had the energy to run.

    When she stopped, she was panting heavily and covered with sweat. Rivulets of sweat dripped down her face.

    Her entire body felt hot, and her mind was in chaos. She was unable to think¡ªor perhaps it should be said that she didn¡¯t want to think.

    Kaho slowly walked forward. She had no clue where she currently was or where she was heading.

    ¡®It¡¯s over¡­¡¯

    Even though she didn¡¯t want to dwell on it, the more she tried to not think about it, the more it ended up happening.

    ¡®It¡¯s over¡­ I said something wrong to Harano-san¡­ he misunderstood me¡­ he¡¯ll reject me¡­ he¡¯ll look down on me¡­ he¡¯ll think I¡¯m a strange person¡­¡¯

    Kaho was emanating waves of negativity.

    She looked zombie-like¡ªher eyes had no life to them, she was staggering, and her entire aura was downcast.

    ¡®As expected, someone like me shouldn¡¯t have tried toe close to him¡­¡¯

    "Miyamoto-san."

    ¡®Someone like me¡­ how could I be with him¡­¡¯

    "Miyamoto-san!"

    A clear, familiar voice rang out from beside her.

    Kaho was startled and turned around to see the boy that she was thinking about.

    "Are you alright?" Seiji asked in a gentle voice. There was a kind smile on his face.

    Kaho was dazed by this.

    If this was a manga, she would currently have nk eyes. That was how much of a daze she was in.

    ¡®It seems like she¡¯s not alright.¡¯

    Seiji watched her and wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    A brief period lingered between them.

    "H-Harano-san¡­ why are you¡­" Kaho stuttered, having finally broke out of her stupor.

    "You suddenly started crying¡­ and suddenly ran off. I was really worried, so I came to see how you were."

    He was worried about her¡­ Kaho felt a warm feeling in her chest at hearing this.

    ¡®He actually chased me all the way here just for me¡­ and left everyone else behind!¡¯

    She felt warm, but she also felt ufortable about it.

    "You¡­ you didn¡¯t have to follow me¡­" She averted her gaze.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine to just leave me alone.¡¯ She wanted to express this.

    Seiji blinked at this. "How could I not follow you? I wouldn¡¯t just leave Miyamoto-san alone like that."

    ¡®Seeing a girl cry in front of me and run off¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something that should be ignored.¡¯

    But after Kaho heard this, the mix of emotions within her grew even more befuddled.

    Warmth, delight, difort, depression, regret¡­ there were various emotions mixed up together within her, and it was impossible for her to separate them from each other.

    She quietly kept walking. Seiji silently followed beside her.

    The two of them reached a riverside after a while. They saw the clear water of the river, as well as the scattered leaves floating on top.

    Kaho somehow felt herself settling down as she watched the leaves float past.

    "Harano-san¡­" She stopped in her tracks.

    "Hm?" Seiji also stopped as well.

    "I-I didn¡¯t want to go out with you; I wanted to be your friend¡­ normal friends," Kaho said in a tiny voice.

    "Oh¡­ sure." Seiji smiled in response. "I¡¯d be delighted to¡­ rather, I should say that I asked this a long time ago."

    "At that time, I¡­ didn¡¯t have the self-confidence to think that I had the right to stand beside you, which was why¡­"

    "Don¡¯t say something like ''right''! I¡¯m not exactly¡­"

    "No, I have to say it!" Kaho furrowed her brows. "I feel that I, who never worked hard at anything, didn¡¯t have the right to stand next to you when you worked so hard to change yourself. That was why I rejected you at that time. After that, I put in some hard work, and felt that I barely counted as good enough, so I decided to talk to you during the school festival¡­ to ask the same thing of you that you asked of me before."

    "But I failed¡­ and did something foolish." Sheughed helplessly at herself. "Asking to go out with you¡­ in front of that many people, just how foolish could I be?"

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say to this.

    "Doing such a foolish thing, not being able to ept it, and even causing you to worry about me¡­ Honestly, someone like me is just¡­"

    "Look here." Seiji put both his hands in front of Kaho.

    "Eh?" Kaho reflexively looked at them.

    *Smack!*

    Seiji suddenly pped his hands rather loudly and scared her.

    After Kaho recovered from her shock, she suddenly recalled that this had happened to her once before already.

    "Miyamoto-san, perhaps you are a bit foolish for falling for the same trick twice." Seiji smiled. "Minding something that you don¡¯t need to mind and suffering needlessly really seems like something you would do."

    "Harano-san¡­"

    "So what if you said something wrong, or did something foolish in front of everyone? People always do something foolish at some point in their lives, and even me¡­ No, I should say that everyone does foolish things. It¡¯s only natural to be embarrassed at doing something foolish. But there¡¯s no need to be too depressed, or say something like ¡®someone like me¡ª¡¯ it¡¯s terrible to hear.

    "Listen up, Miyamoto-san, I¡¯m more than happy to be your friend, and I¡¯m your friend already, and I really don¡¯t like you talking like that about yourself! Nor do I wish to see you getting down on yourself over such a trifling matter and getting all depressed over nothing.

    "Be spirited and have some self-confidence! Didn¡¯t you make an effort already? You are indeed talented, and you¡¯ve shown off your abilities, and haven¡¯t you even be much prettier as well? Why do you still seem so grim and dark? Find your spirit!"

    Seiji patted Kaho on her back.

    "You¡¯re an excellent girl, and as long as you keep working hard, you¡¯ll definitely be an excellent person as well! Believe in yourself, and if you think that¡¯s not enough, believe in the me who believes in you!"

 Chapter 234 - Theres More Choices Than What You Gave Me!

    <h4>Chapter 234: There''s More Choices Than What You Gave Me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ¡®Believe in the me who believes in you.¡¯

    This sounded like a familiar sentence¡­ it was probably copied from some anime, wasn¡¯t it?

    That was Kaho¡¯s first reaction, and then she really wanted tough out loud.

    She had been encouraged by him once again.

    Whatever it was that had been making her feel disheartened disappeared, and she felt more spirited again. Immediately after, she felt angry at herself for needing his encouragement to be spirited again.

    ¡®Honestly, I¡­ I¡¯m such an idiot. Is it really alright for someone as foolish as me to be your friend, Harano-san? No¡­ I can¡¯t say this out loud, or I¡¯ll look more foolish!¡¯

    Kaho''s eyes shed. Being self-confident¡­ was rather difficult. However, believing in Seigo Harano was quite easy.

    And Harano-san believed in her, so it was just as he said.

    "I can¡¯t bring out too much self-confidence yet, but I believe in you¡­ I believe in the you who believes in me, which is why I¡¯ll continue working hard!" she said, looking at him while she spoke.

    ¡®I want to be this excellent girl that you speak of.¡¯

    Seiji smiled reassuringly as he stretched out his right hand.

    Kaho¡¯s face reddened as she looked at his hand. She stretched out her right hand as well.

    The two of them shook hands.

    "Please take good care of me from now on."

    They said that almost simultaneously, and both of themughed.

    ¡­

    Seiji returned to school. Kaho wanted to return home, so she said goodbye and he returned by himself.

    He returned to Year 1 ss 5¡¯s store, and found Chiaki and the others.

    Mika wasn¡¯t there.

    "Mika said that she needed to go somewhere by herself and left," the tomboy exined before Seiji could even ask.

    "Oh¡­"

    "How¡¯s Miyamoto-san?" Chiaki asked.

    "She¡¯s alright; she said that she just made a mistake with her words¡­" Seiji gave them a rough exnation.

    "Made a mistake with her words¡­ is that really the case?" Chiaki¡¯s tone was one of suspicion.

    Seiji ignored her as he turned around to look at Mayuzumi and Saki.

    He discovered that the manga author¡¯splexion was obviously worsepared to earlier.

    "Sensei, what¡¯s the matter?" he asked.

    Mayuzumi smiled weakly at Seiji¡¯s concern and wanted to say something, but Saki spoke up first.

    "Mayuzumi¡¯s not feeling well, and she needs to go home and rest. I¡¯ll take her home¡­ go ahead and have fun with your ssmates, Harano."

    "Ah¡­ Okay." Seiji nodded in understanding. "Actually you guys didn¡¯t need to wait around for me. If Sensei needs to go home, you should have gone back immediately; all you had to do was tell me over the phone."

    "No¡­ I wanted to say goodbye to Harano-kun." Mayuzumi smiled weakly. "I had lots of fun¡­ I originally wanted to y a little longer, but¡­ I suddenly feel rather drowsy."

    ¡®This must be because she didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, plus she just yed that rather activeser tag game with us and got a lot of exercise,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    "No need to be so polite, Sensei. I had lots of fun as well. In the future¡­ we¡¯re going to go to a hot spring hotel together, right? We can make more arrangements after that as well, and we¡¯ll have plenty of chances to see each other again." Seiji smiled. "Your body is the most important thing; if you need to rest, then make sure to have a good rest."

    "Okay¡­ Harano-kun. Thank you so much¡­ for the past few days." The manga author thanked him sincerely, her eyes on his face.

    Afterwards, she left the ssroom store together with Saki.

    Seiji looked back at Chiaki after watching them leave.

    "Come, let¡¯s have some fun together, handsome~" the tomboy said seductively, gesturing at him with her hand.

    "Stop acting like you¡¯re a veteran at this."

    "Would you like to feel really good, uncle~?"

    "That¡¯s even worse!"

    "It¡¯s okay to do it outside as well, but you¡¯ll have to pay me extra~"

    "Why is it only getting worse and worse!?"

    Seiji kept up an endless stream of retorts.

    Whenever he and Chiaki were alone together, it was always like this.

    The two of them had fun chatting with each other in their ssroom¡¯s store.

    ¡­

    Mika met with the girl in pink-colored Sakura Ind traditional clothing again.

    "You came, and you have a nice expression. You must havee to a resolution," said the silver-haired girl.

    "Yes, I want to be ¡®special,''" Mika said in a firm voice.

    "Then¡ª"

    "But before that, I want to clearly know, just what exactly does making me ¡®special¡¯ entail?"

    The silver-haired girl blinked in surprise at this. "This¡­ it¡¯s a little difficult to describe¡­ if the content of what I say is difficult for you to ept, will you refuse?"

    "Yes," Mika said bluntly.

    "But didn¡¯t youe to a resolution already?" The silver-haired girl seemed confused.

    "Yes, I want to be special." Mika kept her gaze fixed on the silver-haired girl. "But not necessarily by your method."

    The silver-haired girl''s eyes widened in surprise. "What¡­ do you mean?"

    "What I mean is, I can be special thanks to my own power, not necessarily thanks to your help," Mika said clearly. "After thest time that I met you, I kept thinking and pondering about my dilemma¡­ What you said was correct: the ¡®ordinary¡¯ me has no way to win the ¡®special¡¯ him¡¯s heart. If I want him to pay attention to me, I have to change myself."

    "But that doesn¡¯t mean that I have to ept your help." The double-pigtailed girl slowly began clenching her fist. "There are various methods to be special, and as long as I work hard, resolutely step forward, and get closer to him, I can definitely do it!"

    ¡®Just like Juumonji-sensei¡­ Kaede Juumonji.¡¯

    Even if Kaede wasn¡¯t already the scion of a rich family, her willpower and resolution alone made her special. Yukari Asamiya was also simr to her as well.

    Being special¡­ these factors didn''t necessarily stem from one''s birth.

    Perhaps being born with an excellent appearance or into a renowned family would make someone special to begin with, but there were also others that were just ordinary but became special through their own hard efforts.

    ¡®While I may not be the first type, I can be the second! Any ordinary person has this type of potential.¡¯

    "I still don¡¯t know how I should do it. But I¡¯m right beside him¡ªI¡¯m his good friend, and he isn¡¯t my only friend. If I don¡¯t know what I should do, I can ask my other friends."

    Seiji and Chiaki were her closest friends, and one of them was the person she liked¡­ this was the most powerful advantage that Mika Uehara possessed.

    This was actually an incredible strength. If one really tried to find something "special" about her, this was it.

    Not everything needed to be told to her friends.

    But wanting to change herself¡­ that is to say, maturing through her own hard efforts wasn¡¯t something she should conceal.

    That was something Mika realized after meeting Chiaki today.

    After avoiding Chiaki for so long and seeing her today, Mika realized that she had been isting herself, and that helped her to realize that she really should exin things to her good friend and ask for help.

    People should make decisions about their lives on their own, and after making a decision, if that person didn¡¯t know what specific direction to take or where to spend their efforts, asking a good friend for advice and help was only natural¡­ in fact, it was the most natural thing to do!

    That was the correct way to treat your friends.

    Well, maybe that sounded a little too pragmatic, but that¡¯s what it meant. You should do the things that you should do, and if you need help, just honestly ask for help.

    "That¡¯s what I¡¯vee up with. There are more choices than what you gave me! You¡¯re willing to help me, and I believe that you offered aid out kindness, but you also said that the way you can help make me ¡®special¡¯ has risks to it. I need to know exactly what the risk is, and what will change in me. If your ¡®change¡­¡¯ will make me end up like the Little Mermaid¡­ then I refuse." This was Mika¡¯s choice that wasn¡¯t in the girl¡¯s originally provided options.

    This was the final answer that she arrived at after being mired in confusion.

    She resolutely faced the silver-haired girl and disyed her unflinching will.

    The girl observed Mika¡¯s expression closely.

    A momentter, she chuckled lightly. Her expression was bright and warm.

    "You said something excellent with an excellent expression on your face," she said. "When was thest time I saw such a beautiful expression? I don¡¯t even remember."

    "Mika Uehara, I¡¯m rather surprised that you¡¯ve matured so much in such a short amount of time¡­ but this is exactly why humans are so mysterious."

    "Thank you for allowing me to see such beauty¡­ and as for your question, my answer is¡­"

 Chapter 235 - Spiritâ€¦ Egg?

    <h4>Chapter 235: Spirit¡­ Egg?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "You don¡¯t need to know anymore," said the silver-haired girl. "Right now, you would definitely refuse after you learn about it, so there¡¯s no need to exin."

    Mika¡¯s eyes shed with a strange light.

    "Okay, in that case¡ª" Mika bowed deeply towards the mysterious existence of the school festival "¡ªthank you for saying all that to me, caring about me, and wanting to help me. Even though I don¡¯t exactly know what you are¡ªa spirit, ghost, demon, or something else¡ªI¡¯m d to have met you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I might¡­ have never learned the truth about him."

    Yes, the truth.

    The fact that Seiji Haruta was no ordinary person.

    The things he did during his break from school, the identity of President Natsuya Yoruhana, and the secret of this school¡­ Mika learned all these things from this mysterious girl.

    Yin-Yang Masters and Spirit-Branded Retainers¡­ all of this sounded fantastical, but it really existed, out of sight from normal people.

    When Mika heard all this two days ago, she found it difficult to believe and received a huge shock. But she couldn¡¯t deny it, because the pink-clothed girl standing before her was the best evidence!

    There were mystical things in the world, and a mystical realm to go along with them. Seiji was part of that world.

    Kagura-san and President Yoruhana were a part of that world as well. There was a huge gap between this side (the ordinary world) and that side (the mystical world).

    The silver-haired girl had promised that she could be ¡®special¡¯ by joining the ¡®mystical¡¯ world. However, Mika didn¡¯t lose control simply due to this alluring offer. Now that she''d realized the importance of independence, she wouldn¡¯t choose this risky option without paying thought to the risks associated with it. She wouldn¡¯t be just like the Little Mermaid from the fairy tale.

    "Thank you for telling me the truth¡­ and goodbye." Mika decided to leave after saying a polite farewell and turned around to go.

    The silver-haired girl watched her figure. "Wait a moment," she called.

    Mika was already seven or eight paces away when she heard the girl call out to her.

    Turning around, Mika saw the silver-haired girl smiling as she floated over.

    "I like you, Mika Uehara."

    "Eh?"

    "When I met you for the first time, I actually didn¡¯t think much of you, but after meeting you again¡­ I discovered that I actually really like you."

    "Er¡­"

    Mika was dazed at this sudden confession.

    Just how was she supposed to react to a spirit¡¯s "confession!?" She had experience being confessed to, but this wasn¡¯t the same at all!

    Just how was she supposed to deal with a spirit¡¯s confession!? Especially when the spirit was the same gender as her!

    "I haven¡¯t liked a human for such a long time¡­" the silver-haired girl sighed wistfully.

    "Um¡­ sorry, I already have someone I like, and you¡¯re a spirit¡­" Mika attempted to reject her politely.

    "Hmm?" The silver-haired girl tilted her head in confusion. "Ahh¡­ sorry, you misunderstood what I meant. What I meant by ¡®like¡¯ wasn¡¯t about the type of like that you have for Seiji Haruta-sama¡ªI meant¡­ appreciation."

    "Eh¡­ appreciation?" asked a surprised Mika.

    "Yes, appreciation¡­ well, you can interpret it as appreciation."

    Mika was rendered speechless. She still felt that the sudden turn of events was a little strange.

    "You decided to use your own efforts to make yourself special, and I would like to support you. I¡¯d like to give you a present."

    "¡­A present?" said Mika after a pause.

    "Yes, this." The silver-haired girl ced her hand on her chest. After a moment, she slowly lifted her hand, withdrawing a white ball of light from within her body.

    The ball of light was slightlyrger than the girl¡¯s hand and was glowing faintly.

    "What¡¯s this?" Mika studied the ball of light curiously.

    "This is a spirit¡­ or perhaps I should call it a Spirit Egg."

    "Spirit¡­ Egg?"

    "Spirits are what Yin-Yang Masters use to increase their powers¡ªtypically they do this by summoning spirits andbining them with a human to make a Spirit-Branded Retainer. However, this spirit is different¡ªit requires you to raise it carefully¡­ Well, it¡¯ll be difficult for you to understand if I go into a long-winded exnation. Simply speaking, once youbine with this spirit, you can suddenly be much stronger, with no risk whatsoever."

    "Oh¡­"

    "I¡¯m going to give this Spirit Egg to you. It can¡¯t be used in its curent status. Whether or not you can receive its power depends on you."

    The silver-haired girl lightly waved her hand and tossed the ball of light to Mika.

    Mika reflexively put her hands out to catch it. It felt rather warm.

    Then, the silver-haired girl pointed, and a red rune appeared on the ball of light. The exact same rune also appeared on Mika¡¯s forehead.

    Mika felt a surge of heat on her forehead, then the rune on the ball of light vanished, and she was left with a subtle feeling inside her body.

    "That was¡­"

    "I used a spell to connect the two of you together. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to see the Spirit Egg once I leave your side," the silver-haired girl exined. "Also, for you to take it more conveniently with you, all you have to do is say ¡®put in,¡¯ and it will seal itself into your hand. If you say e out,¡¯ you can release it."

    "You will have to wish from the bottom of your heart for it to be yourpanion, and imagine the form that it should have¡­ that is to say, your ¡®hopes¡¯ are what will help it ¡®hatch.¡¯"

    "¡®Hatch¡­¡¯"

    "It¡¯s not truly hatching, but its the most simr analogy. It¡¯s too difficult to exin, so you can just understand it like that."

    "Oh¡­"

    Mika felt as if many things were being glossed over.

    ¡®This ball of light¡­ wouldn¡¯t be something dangerous, is it?¡¯ she wondered to herself.

    "You don¡¯t need to worry¡ªit isn¡¯t dangerous at all." The silver-haired girl detected Mika¡¯s concern and smiled. "After you go back, feel free to show it to Seiji Haruta-sama, and he¡¯ll probably have Natsuya Yoruhana-sama inspect it. This way, you¡¯ll be taking the first step into their world."

    "But whether or not you can ¡®hatch¡¯ this Spirit Egg, possess true power, and be someone ¡®special¡¯ just like them will depend on your own hard work and luck."

    "Hard work¡­" Mika muttered thoughtfully. "Luck¡­"

    "Perhaps you¡¯ll be able to ¡®hatch¡¯ it very quickly, or maybe you¡¯ll never be able to hatch it. I don¡¯t know what the result will be, either." The silver-haired girl began to rise up into the air. "Goodbye, Mika Uehara¡­ I shall appear in front of you again when I wish to see you. I hope that by that time, you¡¯ll have be an extraordinary person."

    Her figure gradually vanished.

    Mika was ovee by a sudden impulse as she watched the girl fade.

    "Wait!" she called. "Can I know your name?"

    Out of a mysterious sense of respect and fear, she hadn¡¯t thought to ask her name until now. Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming desire to know it.

    The silver-haired girl was surprised for a moment but then shed a brilliant smile.

    "My name is Sakura. Sakura¡­san. Yep, make sure to remember it, Mika."

    After leaving this sentence behind, the pink-clothed¡­ no, Sakura¡¯s bodypletely disappeared in a stream of light.

    ¡­

    Mika returned to Year 1 ss 5 and walked over to Seiji and Chiaki.

    Both of them smiled in greeting upon seeing her return.

    "Did you finish what you had to do?" Chiaki asked.

    Mika nodded. "Yep."

    "All good," Seiji said. "Let¡¯s have some more fun before the school festival ends."

    "Yep." Mika nodded again and smiled as well.

    She sat down at the table in between her two good friends.

    The three of them chatted, ate confectioneries, and had fun¡­ just as always.

 Chapter 236 - I Want to Go Buy Some Groceries

    <h4>Chapter 236: I Want to Go Buy Some Groceries</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Genhana High School¡¯s festival ended on an upbeat note.

    After school, Seiji and Mika walked back home in casual silence.

    "How is it¡­ cohabitation with Kagura-san?" Mika asked abruptly.

    "It¡¯s not cohabitation¡ªwe¡¯re just living together!" Seiji was acutely worried about the correct wording.

    This was no joke to him¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to be thrown in jail for a minimum of three years for a certain crime.

    "¡­Is it really only living together?" Mika gave him a sidelong nce. "You¡­ didn¡¯t do anything strange to her?" Her face flushed slightly after she asked this.

    "I didn¡¯t! Just how do you view me?"

    ¡®All that happened was that I couldn¡¯t have myself from having a few perverted¡­ no, gentlemanly thoughts! I didn¡¯t do anything to Shika at all; she¡¯s perfectly fine.¡¯

    "You''ve previously admitted to being a sis-con."

    "Ack!" Seiji had taken an arrow to his knee. "Precisely! Because I¡¯m a sis-con and I dote on my adopted sister, I would never do anything to harm her!" He tried to justify his situation.

    Mika didn¡¯t know how to respond to this.

    After a period of silence, she spoke up again. "I¡¯d like to visit you guys; is that alright?"

    "Eh? You¡¯d like toe over? Sure," Seiji replied.

    "Thank you. I¡¯ll bring some desserts over."

    "You don¡¯t need to be so polite; we live right next door after all. Come over any time you want¡­ Er, but¡­"

    He suddenly remembered that Shika possessed the "Reaper¡¯s Curse." This curse was indiscriminate and would bring cmities upon anyone that grew too close to her. Seiji was the only person who was immune to this thanks to the power from his system.

    Of course, he was more than happy to have Mikae over, but if she had a cmity befall her due to this¡­

    "But what?" Mika looked at him curiously.

    "Shika-chan¡­ she¡¯s afraid of strangers¡­ or, I should say that she doesn¡¯t likeing into contact with other people¡­ there¡¯s a reason that¡¯s difficult to exin," Seiji said slowly, considering each word carefully.

    He couldn¡¯te up with a suitable exnation on the spot.

    Mika watched him and thought to herself that this must be due to mystical reasons just like Sakura had told her.

    "It¡¯s because of ¡®mystical¡¯ reasons, isn¡¯t it?"

    "¡­Eh?"

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise. ''What did I just hear?''

    "Kagura-san doesn¡¯t want toe into contact with others¡­ or she can¡¯te into contact with others¡­ There are ¡®mystical¡¯ reasons for it, right?" Mika calmly asked again.

    Seiji was rather shocked to hear this. After he regained his senses, his expression wasplex.

    "You¡­ know?"

    Mika nodded in response.

    "The incident troubling you was rted to something ¡®mystical?¡¯"

    Mika nodded once again.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows. This was¡­ rather unexpected.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "The road isn¡¯t the best ce to talk; I¡¯ll give you a good exnation after we reach your apartment," Mika said in a soft voice. "After that, could you also tell me about¡­ the things you¡¯ve concealed from me before. Is that alright?"

    Her heart pounded nervously in her chest.

    Seiji looked at her for a while and smiled.

    "Sure."

    He didn¡¯t expect such a development to ur¡­ just what could Mika have met with?

    ¡­

    Not long after Seiji returned home, Mika knocked on the door.

    Seiji opened the door for her.

    "Please excuse my intrusion," she said as she entered.

    "No need to be polite."

    Mika stayed true to her words¡ªshe''d brought over some desserts: packaged small cakes.

    Seiji had her sit down in the living room.

    After sitting down, Mika''s eyes fixed on Shika Kagura.

    The two of them simply stared at each other and continued to do so until Seiji finished pouring tea and setting the desserts down for everyone.

    "Allow me formally introduce you two¡ªthis is Mika Uehara, my ssmate and good friend, as well as thendlord¡¯s daughter.

    "And this¡ª" he gestured at Shika¡ª"is Shika Kagura, my adopted younger sister that I¡¯m now living together with. She was previously a student at Genhana Middle School, but now she¡¯s left school for a certain reason."

    Mika had met Shika twice before already. Once was at the drama club, and the other time was when Shika had amnesia.

    At the drama club, the two of them never had an opportunity to exchange words, and when Shika had amnesia¡­

    "Shika-chan, do you still remember meeting Mika when you had amnesia?" Seiji asked.

    "Yes, but not very clearly. I vaguely recall that there was one other person with her¡­" Shika tilted her head slightly.

    "That was Chiaki Wakaba, another one of my ssmates and good friends, as well as Mika¡¯s good friend," Seiji exined.

    "Yes¡­ I remember now."

    "You¡¯ll have an opportunity to meetter for sure¡­ for now, let¡¯s have a discussion with Mika."

    Seiji and Shika turned their gazes to Mika.

    The double-pigtailed girl felt slightly nervous being watched by the two of them like this.

    She knew that it was time for her to exin what had happened to her recently.

    "I¡­ two days ago¡­"

    Mika recounted her meeting with the legend of the school festival, the spirit girl, Sakura, who was clothed pink-colored Sakura Ind garb.

    Sakura had told her the truth and gave her some options.

    After she considered her options, she replied to Sakura. In the end, she refused Sakura¡¯s offer of assistance.

    However, despite this, Sakura had still ended up still giving her a mysterious present.

    "This is the present¡­e out!"

    Mika reached out her right hand and ced her palm facing upwards as she said the very simple words to summon it, causing the white ball of light to suddenly jump out of her palm.

    She then looked towards Seiji. Seiji turned to Shika.

    "I can¡¯t see anything¡­ What about you, Shika-chan?"

    "Hold on one moment."

    Shika cast Astral Vision on herself, and her eyes turned blue. "I see it¡­ a glowing white ball of light."

    "Can you tell exactly what it is?"

    The ck-haired girl focused on the ball of light for a while, then shook her head. "I can¡¯t¡­"

    "Sakura-san told me that this is a Spirit¡­ a Spirit Egg¡­" Mika recounted the details of what the silver-haired girl had told her to Seiji.

    Afterwards, the living room fell into silence.

    "That¡¯s everything?"

    "Yes¡­"

    There was another short silence.

    Mika could hear the loud pounding of her heart in the silence.

    Her body was boiling, and her face was burning. She looked downwards, feeling embarrassed¡­

    Why?

    Because she had actually basically just confessed!

    The fact that Sakura gave Mika these options, and that Mika had been frustrated, considering the options carefully before finally giving her answer¡­ she didn¡¯t go over this part in much detail, but she''d already expressed her intention clearly¡ªto be together with Seiji!

    She felt that Seiji was surely aware of this fact.

    As Mika was talking about that part, she paid especially close attention to his expression, and she was able to ascertain that he definitely understood!

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible for me to not understand.¡¯ Seiji inwardly sighed as he remained silent.

    He never expected that Mika would confess to him in such a form.

    Although she didn¡¯t say the words "I like you" directly, but by recounting her experience, she was clearly sharing her feelings about him.

    Seiji was only pretending to be dense and ignorant of Mika¡¯s feelings for him. He wasn¡¯t actually unaware of her feelings.

    Since she had already said things to such a degree, if he still pretended not to realize anything¡­ then he would be turning himself into the main character of a harem story who was as dense as a ck hole!

    It was impossible for him to pretend to be dense for any longer. He needed to give her a direct reply.

    How should he say it? Should he even respond right here and now? Shika was still right beside him!

    After mulling it over for a few moments, Seiji came to a decision.

    "Mika¡­ I¡¯d like to go out and buy some groceries. Would you like toe together with me?" he asked in a solemn voice.

    "Oh¡­ Eh?" Mika was dazed by this unexpected topic.

    Groceries? This was too much of a change of topic, so she couldn¡¯t respond in time.

    Shika blinked her eyes at this.

    "Brother Seiji, I already purchased the groceries," she said.

    "¡­Then I¡¯ll buy groceries for tomorrow."

    "I¡¯ve already filled the entire refrigerator with groceries."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    It was good that he had a hard-working adopted younger sister now, but¡­ she was slightly too hard-working.

    The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.

    After Mika finally realized what Seiji actually wanted, she blushed furiously, but she also wanted to inwardlyugh.

    ¡®You actually said you want to go buy some groceries¡­ can¡¯t youe up with any better excuses? Idiot!¡¯

 Chapter 237 - Ive Neverâ€¦ Heard of This

    <h4>Chapter 237: I''ve Never¡­ Heard of This</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Brother Seiji, if you would like to be alone together with Uehara-san, you should''ve just said it directly," Shika said with a calm expression. "I¡¯ll go back to my room."

    It was even more awkward now that his adopted sister had seen through his small trick!

    Seiji wanted to cover his face.

    He peeked at Mika and saw that she was blushing furiously with her head hanging down. She was acting like a shy little girl.

    This atmosphere was really¡­

    He didn¡¯t care anymore! Just let it be.

    "Shika-chan, please allow me to be alone with Mika for a little while," he said directly.

    "Okay, Brother." Shika stood up, walked back to her room, and closed the door.

    Seiji looked back towards Mika again. Mika was still looking at the ground.

    He felt it was really difficult to speak¡­ but he had to say something.

    "Mika¡­ I¡­ said before that I currently don¡¯t have any intentions of getting a girlfriend. This intention of mine¡­ still hasn¡¯t changed yet, so¡­ to your feelings¡­"

    Seiji felt his words weighing heavily upon him as he spoke.

    Was this type of answer really okay?

    He wasn¡¯t facing just anyone. This was Mika Uehara¡ªthe first friend he made after reincarnating in this world. Was using such words to answer her feelings really alright?

    Her face was still lowered.

    Seiji could tell that she was nervous and disappointed.

    This was no good!

    He stopped himself from saying anything else and took a deep breath.

    "Mika!" he shouted her name loudly and clearly.

    Mika was so stunned that she trembled and reflexively raised her head.

    Suddenly, she discovered that Seiji was enveloping her in a bear hug!

    Hugging¡­

    She could feel the warmth from his body, as well as thefort of his chest and arms.

    Mika was unable to react to this. Her brain felt as if it had frozen just like how aputer would. But her body could feel things clearly.

    This was the first time she had been hugged by him.

    Warmth, touch, smell¡­ all of these sensations etched themselves into her heart and gave her asting memory.

    "You''re really important to me," Seiji told her in a serious voice. "I¡¯m really happy about how you feel about me. Whoever gets to be together with you will surely be fortunate."

    "But I don¡¯t want to lie to you¡­ Currently, I don¡¯t have any romantic feelings towards you. You¡¯re my important friend, my very important friend, but I don¡¯t have any feelings on top of that¡­"

    "That¡¯s why I''m sorry!"

    He didn¡¯t give any excuses, and he didn¡¯t leave anything unclear as he told her his sincere feelings.

    He hugged her tightly and told her his true feelings.

    Mika received all of this from him. Her brain still wasn¡¯t working quite yet, but her body and heart received the feelings from him.

    Her chest felt ufortable. Tears were dripping out of the corners of her eyes. However, it wasn¡¯t very painful. Because he tried so hard to transmit his feelings¡­

    "Seiji¡­" Mika slowly lifted her hands and hugged him as well. "I knew¡­ I knew that this would be the result."

    She had hesitated about this and considered whether or not to force herself to hide her true feelings and continue with the status quo.

    But¡­ Kaede Juumonji and Yukari Asamiya¡­ such outstanding girls were able to honestly express their feelings.

    Then why was she still beating around the bush?

    Even though she was clearly beside him, even though she clearly liked him so much, she wasn¡¯t expressing her feelings clearly¡­ she felt that she was so foolish.

    That was why she decided to say it.

    She did her best to pretend to be calm and made an effort to say it.

    Even if she knew what the result would be.

    "I resolved myself¡­ for pain¡­" They hugged each other tightly. "But right now¡­ it¡¯s so strange; I feel like¡­"

    The feeling of warmth and bliss was actually stronger than pain?

    "It feels like¡­ just this is enough¡­"

    This was fine.

    She didn¡¯t know how else to express it.

    She could only hug him, cry, and take in the situation.

    Being rejected wasn¡¯t the end.

    Instead, it was a beginning. A chance for her to work hard and get closer to him¡­

    ¡­

    A long timeter.

    The two of them separated from each other.

    Seiji handed Mika a tissure.

    Mika took it and wiped her face before she smiled at him again.

    Seiji also smiled. Many things were transmitted through their smiles, and everything was settled.

    "About that¡­ spirit of yours. I¡¯ll call President Yoruhana and have her help you and confirm its real identity. If it¡¯s dangerous, we¡¯ll have to get rid of it, and if it really turns out not to be dangerous¡­"

    "I will ¡®hatch¡¯ it," Mika said in a firm tone of voice.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say to such a Mika.

    This time, it was Mika¡¯s turn to ask Seiji questions. She wanted to know all about everything that Seiji had been hiding from her about the mystical side of things.

    Apart from his system and the secret of his reincarnation, Seiji told everything else to Mika.

    "Kagura-san¡­ Shika-san¡¯s body¡­ Is the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse¡¯ truly impossible to deal with?"

    After Mika learned the truth, she sympathized with the ck-haired Shika.

    "Right now there¡¯s no method to contain it, but in the future¡­ I¡¯ll definitely think of something!" Seiji''s eyes shed with a determined light as he spoke with resolution in his voice.

    Mika felt a warm feeling in her heart as she watched him.

    ¡®Juumonji-sensei, you were right; he¡¯s a true hero,'' Mika inwardly thought to herself.

    After their discussion, Mika left.

    Seiji went to go knock on Shika¡¯s door.

    "Shika-chan, what¡¯s your opinion about that object Mika showed us? Is that really a ¡®spirit?¡¯"

    That Sakura girl who was the legend of the Genhana school festival was a mysterious existence that nobody knew the true identity of. Was that object really what Sakura said it was? A¡­ Spirit Egg?"

    Seiji suddenly recalled an anime in his previous life called "Beautiful Bones: Sakurako¡¯s Investigation." Although Sakura and Sakurako obviously weren¡¯t the same person, that anime had a rather disturbing title and Seiji felt an ominous feeling.

    Shika remained silent for a moment. "I don¡¯t know too much about the spirits that Yin-Yang Masters deal with¡­ from what I can tell, that ball of light¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s something dangerous."

    "Oh¡­ at least it doesn¡¯t feel dangerous, right?"

    "Yes."

    Seiji was able to rx slightly after hearing his adopted sister¡¯s opinion.

    But still, he wanted to have Natsuya take a look at it.

    He immediately gave her a call.

    "President, sorry to bother you again like this, here¡¯s the situation¡­"

    Seiji had just gone to the hospital yesterday and inconvenienced her. He felt really bad about having to call her again today.

    He exined the situation to her, and Natsuya fell silent for a few moments as she mulled it over.

    "So such a thing happened¡­" Natsuya sighed.

    "President, do you know Sakura-san?"

    "I do. She¡¯s an incredibly strong demon that has Genhana High School as her territory. Not long after I came to this school, she came to find me of her own volition for a discussion. At any rate, she¡¯s a good demon. While I was cing my spell formation to defend the school, she assisted me, and she also helped me out in my duel against Okubo Yoshiaki."

    "The duel¡­" Seiji thought back to the duel.

    At that time, he definitely didn¡¯t recall seeing any pink-clothed spirit girl.

    "During the end part of the duel, when I was transferring the remaining power from the spell formation to you, she was the one who assisted me. If she didn¡¯t help me¡­ I¡­ might still be unconscious even now."

    "I see." Now Seiji understood.

    After thinking about it, Natsuya at that time seemed like she was very serious about it to the point of betting her life, but she was able to get out of bed not long after the battle in a pretty good condition¡­ so a powerful demon was helping her behind the scenes.

    "I¡¯m really grateful to her, and I was going to go and thank her personally after my body recovered somewhat, but I didn¡¯t expect that she would¡­"

    "She told Mika about us, and she even gave Mika a rather strange present."

    "Yes¡­ She¡¯s mostly on the side of good, but her nature is¡­ rather carefree, and she does as she likes." The president sighed.

    A brief silence fell between them.

    "President¡­"

    "I know what you want to say, Haruta-kun. Go ahead and take Uehara-san to see me tonight, and I¡¯ll check the object that Sakura-san gave her."

    "Thank you, President."

    "No need. I¡¯m also rather curious what Sakura-san gave her¡­ I¡¯m very familiar with ¡®spirits,¡¯ but I¡¯ve never heard of a ¡®Spirit Egg,¡¯ or the concept of ¡®hatching¡¯ a spirit."

    "You don¡¯t know about Spirit Eggs?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Indeed. At the very least, I¡¯ve never heard of them." Natsuya confirmed this for him.

 Chapter 238 - Strange Spiritual Creature

    <h4>Chapter 238: Strange Spiritual Creature</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Spirits" existed.

    But "Spirit Eggs" didn¡¯t exist, ording to Natsuya¡¯s knowledge.

    Genhana High School¡¯s hidden boss¡­ whoops, the legendary girl of the school festival, Sakura, apparently gave Mika quite the gift.

    The pink-clothed girl in the legend was someone that yed a matchmaker. But the truth wasn¡¯t so, as she was actually a powerful demon that simply did as she pleased. She was just closer to the side of good.

    During this evening, Seiji took Mika to the hospital.

    Natsuya Yoruhana was waiting for their arrival.

    "Good¡­ good evening, President." Mika was rather nervous as she greeted Natsuya.

    Thest time that she''d spoken to the student council president was more than a month ago.

    "Good evening, Uehara-san. Long time no see." Natsuya smiled in response.

    ¡®The president is really beautiful¡­¡¯ Mika couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh in appreciation upon seeing Natsuya¡¯s beautiful smile.

    Seiji also greeted Natsuya, before immediately opening up with the main topic.

    "Mika, show that object to the President."

    "Okay¡­"

    Mika held up her palm and released the ball of light.

    Natsuya looked at Mika¡¯s hand and cast Astral Vision to inspect her.

    Mika was rather shocked to see Natsuya¡¯s eyes suddenly change, but she was already mentally prepared beforehand, so she was able to remain calm.

    The president¡­ was beautiful like this as well.

    Mika found that she waspletely able to ept this, with no fear in her heart.

    In fact, she was feeling slightly¡­ excited? She realized that she was definitely beginning to delve into the realm of the mystical.

    Natsuya looked at the ball of light for a quite a while before she stopped using Astral Vision.

    "How is it, President?"

    "This is¡­ a Spiritual Creature, but I can¡¯t be certain if it¡¯s the same type of spirit that we Yin-Yang Masters use, as its condition is rather strange¡­" the president muttered to herself, folding her arms. "I need to do a deeper inspection, not only to this Spirit Egg, but also to Uehara-san¡¯s body," she said to the two of them.

    "My¡­ my body?"

    "Yes, this strange Spiritual Creature has connected itself to you, so it¡¯s best to inspect your body as well so that we can gain a better overall understanding of the situation."

    Mika looked towards Seiji upon hearing this.

    "Let¡¯s do as the president says," Seiji said.

    "Okay¡­" After hearing Seiji''s opinion, Mika no longer felt uneasy, and she looked back at Natsuya again. "Sorry to bother you, President."

    "No need to be polite. Follow me."

    Natsuya brought Mika over for the more detailed examination.

    Seiji didn¡¯t need to apany them, but he did so anyway out of consideration for Mika¡¯s feelings. Of course, while Natsuya was inspecting Mika¡¯s body, he waited outside the door.

    After the inspection was finished, the trio headed to Natsuya''s hospital room.

    "This isn¡¯t a spirit," Natsuya said directly,ying down the examination report. "Spirits like these don¡¯t exist. I can only say that this is a type of Spiritual Creature¡ªa very strange one."

    "If it¡¯s like that¡­ then Sakura-san must have lied to us." Seiji furrowed his brows slightly.

    "No¡­ I¡¯m not certain." Natsuya folded her arms again. "From what I can tell, this isn¡¯t a spirit. As for why Sakura-san said this was a spirit and called it a ¡®Spirit Egg,¡¯ I don¡¯t know. Logically speaking, I don¡¯t think she would lie¡­ because it¡¯s not necessary for her to tell such a lie."

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "Could you exin it to us a little more clearly?" Seiji asked. "Why is this not a spirit? And why is it a little strange?"

    "Exin¡­ it¡¯ll be a little long. Let¡¯s all sit down."

    Momentster, all three of them were seated on a sofa with a cup of tea in each of their hands.

    The president took a sip of tea and considered her next words before she finally spoke up.

    The spirit Mika received was a Soul Spirit, which Yin-Yang Masters would need to personally raise in order to strengthen their own abilities. Soul Spirits were different from the spirits that Yin-Yang Masters summoned for their human Spirit-branded Retainers.

    The spirits that Spirit-branded Retainers used needed to be suppressed by the Yin-Yang Master¡¯s power in order to prevent the spirit¡¯s power from possessing the host, but Soul Spirits needed to be carefully raised so that it would belong only to the Yin-Yang Master, and there was basically zero chance of it taking over the Yin-Yang Master.

    That¡¯s why a mature Soul Spirit wouldbine entirely with its host, and nobody else could use it in any way. If the host died, the Soul Spirit would also disappear. It would also disappear if the host stopped taking care of it.

    ¡®So it¡¯s basically a piece of bound equipment that you have to continually enhance.¡¯ Seiji came to this conclusion after hearing the president¡¯s exnation.

    "But if someone who isn¡¯t a Yin-Yang Master raises a Soul Spirit¡­ or another way to put it, for someone without the Yin-Yang Master seal, it won¡¯t be a true Soul Spirit. Since Uehara-san obviously isn¡¯t a Yin-Yang Master, that¡¯s why it isn¡¯t exactly a Soul Spirit.

    "From what I can tell, as a Spiritual Creature, it has an incredibly chaotic internal structure. It''s unlike any normal Spiritual Creature. Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t even be able to be alive, but it definitely is, which is why I said it was rather strange."

    ¡®Do you guys understand?¡¯ Natsuya had such an expression on her face currently.

    Seiji looked towards Mika. Her expression was a nk one.

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Mika, imagine that the Spiritual Creature you received is a puppy."

    "Okay¡­"

    "First, Soul Spirits are dogs that Yin-Yang Masters have given cors and dog tags to, but the one you received doesn¡¯t have these, so it¡¯s not a Soul Spirit."

    "Also, this puppy that you received, all its organs and body parts are in the wrong positions, so it has a chaotic structure, and logically speaking it shouldn¡¯t be alive, but it still is, which is rather strange."

    "In summary, you received a masterless, zombie dog," Seiji told her in a serious tone of voice. "That¡¯s the basic meaning of the President''s words, understand?"

    Mika was rendered speechless by this.

    "Haruta-kun¡¯s exnation¡­ sounds even stranger, but¡­ I suppose it¡¯s urate." Natsuya sighed. "At any rate, this Spirit Egg is a rather strange Spiritual Creature. Sakura-san said that it was a ¡®Spirit Egg,¡¯ and that it could even ¡®hatch.¡¯ This is something that¡¯s out of my understanding. From what I can tell, it doesn¡¯t appear to be dangerous. But I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future if you do as Sakura-san says, nor do I know what this spirit will be like."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "I understand." Mika¡¯s eyes shed with a strange light. "Thanks for your assistance, President."

    "Uehara-san, what do you intend to do?"

    "I believe in Sakura-san, and I¡¯m going to work hard to ¡®hatch¡¯ it."

    Natsuya blinked and looked towards Seiji.

    Seijimunicated with her nonverbally using his eyes.

    Natsuya understood what he meant.

    "Uehara-san, suppose that this object sessfully ¡®hatches,¡¯ and bes¡­ a useful Spiritual Creature, then you¡¯ll have be a ¡®Spirit Summoner.¡¯"

    "Spirit Summoner?"

    "A Spiritual Ability user who can control Spiritual Creatures using various methods." The president looked towards Mika as she continued to exin in a serious tone of voice, "There are benefits and downsides to bing a Spiritual Ability user. At any rate, your life will be far different from an ordinary person¡¯s, and you¡¯ll get involved in the mystical realm. I don¡¯t want to make it sound dark, but the fact is that there are many things here that ordinary people would consider scary, cruel, and dangerous."

    "My current situation is a good example. Due to my duel right before the school festival, I ended up in this hospital to recuperate, same as my twopanions, and one of them¡­ Hitaka almost died during the duel, and she¡¯s still bedridden. She even needs a breathing apparatus to help her breathe right now."

    The atmosphere became heavy.

    "Also, there¡¯s¡­" Natsuya looked straight into Mika¡¯s eyes. "We¡¯ve killed a person, Uehara-san."

 Chapter 239 - Chirp

    <h4>Chapter 239: Chirp</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Killing a person.

    Without a doubt, this was an impactful statement.

    "The person that was dueling against me has already died, and we were the ones that killed him. And we¡¯re still doing fine right now. Not only have we not had to take any responsibility, we even benefited from his death."

    There was a deep look in Natsuya¡¯s eyes.

    Mika couldn¡¯t help but stiffen when faced with Natsuya¡¯s expression.

    "This is just how magical ability users work¡­ Uehara-san, do you understand? Do you really realize what it means to join us? Have you really considered it?"

    Natsuya¡¯s tone of voice was normal, but the content of her words was rather heavy.

    Seiji silently watched all this unfold.

    With his rtionship to Mika, he felt that it wasn''t appropriate for him to be saying these things to her. Natsuya was the best person to do it.

    He knew very clearly of Mika¡¯s resolution.

    But he still hoped that she would think about it some more, and understand what she was getting into.

    A brief silence fell between them.

    "I know¡­ I know that I still know too little¡­ almost nothing," Mika slowly began speaking. "But I¡¯ve already decided. I want¡­ to walk down this path, and no matter what, not regret my choices."

    Mika¡¯s eyes shone with a resolute light.

    Her hands were clenched and trembling slightly.

    Maybe she wasn¡¯t entirely fearless, but at the very least, her resolve didn''t appear to be shaken.

    Another period of silence fell between them.

    Natsuya sighed. "Alright then¡­"

    Natsuya still wanted to say something, but Mika''s face was ovee by a strange expression. She lifted her hand.

    "It¡¯s getting hot¡­e out!" Mika summoned the ball of light.

    Natsuya instantly reacted and cast Astral Vision again.

    Both girls could see the white ball of light shaking and glowing brilliantly as its shape extended; it seemed like something was about toe out of it!

    "What happened?" Seiji hadn¡¯t learned Astral Vision, so he couldn¡¯t see anything and could only observe the girls¡¯ reactions.

    "It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s hatching¡­" Mika muttered.

    What? Now? So quickly!?

    Wasn¡¯t it only supposed to ¡®hatch¡¯ after ¡®hard work?¡¯ That made it sound like it would take a long time¡­ or at least some time was supposed to pass before it ¡®hatched!¡¯ Why was it already hatching!?

    Seiji was astonished.

    "Haruta-kun, take a few steps backwards," Natsuya said as she lifted her hand.

    Her kodachi flew into her hand from where it was resting on her hospital table.

    Seiji reflexively obeyed the president¡¯smand.

    Natsuya prepared for battle just in case.

    Mika nervously looked at the ball of light.

    *Crack¡­* She heard the sound of the egg opening up.

    *Swoosh!*

    Two silver sparkles shot out from the ball of light''s sides and suddenly expanded.

    It was¡­ a pair of wings! The two bat-shaped silver wings were roughly twice the size of a human¡¯s hand.

    After the wings expanded, they began pping clumsily, and the entire ball of light began to fly shakily.

    Mika and Natsuya were rendered speechless.

    Both girls watched the now-winged ball of light flying around the room without knowing what to say.

    Seiji could only deduce from their lines of sight that there was something flying around the room.

    The ball of light flew for a while before it presumably grew tired as it flew into Mika¡¯s arms.

    *Chirp chirp!*

    Mika heard a cute sounding from it resembling that of a bird¡¯s.

    The two wings lightly pped against Mika¡¯s body, and the ball of light kept twisting and turning around, as if it was acting like it wanted to be spoiled by Mika.

    No, it wasn¡¯t just like that¡ªit indeed wanted to be spoiled by Mika!

    Mika realized this and slowly began petting it.

    *Chirp~* A sound of delight came from the ball of light.

    Mika felt a sense of attachment to it.

    ¡®It¡¯s so cute¡­¡¯ she couldn¡¯t help but think as she continued to gently pet the ball of light.

    The ball of light seemed to curl up in her arms as it chirped and moved in seeming delight.

    "This¡­ this is truly wondrous," Natsuya eximed, slowly putting down her kodachi. "This egg¡­ its structure actually changed! Even though it was clearly so chaotic earlier, now¡­ how is this possible? Spiritual Creatures should have their own structures, and even changing or evolution has its own rules, but something like this¡­ what exactly is happening? Just what exactly is this?"

    The president had a confused expression on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry, but please tell me what just happened. I can¡¯t see anything." Seiji helplessly raised his hand like he was in a ssroom and made a request.

    Natsuya returned to her senses and gave him an exnation.

    Mika was still petting the ball of light and feeling its emotions.

    ''It''s so cute,'' she thought to herself.

    "It hasn¡¯t hatchedpletely yet¡­ These wings are so beautiful. I¡¯d really like to see what you look like when youpletelye out."

    *Chirp~!*

    The ball of light jumped up and down in her arms.

    "Don¡¯t force yourself, you still need to grow more first, take it slow." Mika smiled gently.

    *Chirp¡­* The ball of light epted her coaxing.

    ¡®It¡¯s able to understand me¡­ it¡¯s just like a young child.¡¯

    At this moment, Mika made the decision to not treat it like a pet, and to view it as a young growing child, hoping that it would finally have a humanoid form!

    Sakura had told her to use her own "hopes" to help it "hatch."

    As long as her wishes were strong enough, it was possible to give it a humanoid form, right?

    What form should Mika imagine?

    First, she wanted a girl, and then¡­

    Mika nced over at Seiji and her face reddened.

    *Chirp~* The ball of light was still acting spoiled.

    "Right, let¡¯s give you a name first." Mika suddenly thought of this.

    "Name?" Seiji had already finished listening to Natsuya¡¯s exnation and looked over at her.

    "Yes, a name for this child. Help me think of one, Seiji." An enigmatic light shed in Mika¡¯s eyes.

    "Oh¡­ okay."

    The ball of light hadn¡¯tpletely "hatched" yet, but part of its structure had changed, and it grew a pair of silver wings. The rest of its internal structure was still chaotic.

    Natsuya informed them that this Spiritual Creature waspletely unheard of, and incredibly strange. If this Spiritual Creature was publicized in the realm of Spiritual Ability users, it might cause a hugemotion, which wouldn¡¯t be good for Mika.

    Mika was determined to "hatch" itpletely. Judging by what had happened so far, it would change its form based on her own wishes, although its final form was still unknown.

    "My best advice for you would be for you toy low, and definitely never bring it out in a public ce or where there¡¯s people around, to prevent it being seen by other Spiritual Ability users," Natsuya said.

    ¡®I suppose that¡¯s all we can do,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Mika''s determination was unwavering. All he could do was watch over her the best he could.

    ¡­

    After saying goodbye to Natsuya, Seiji and Mika left her hospital room.

    Mika kept looking at something on her body, a big smile stered on her face.

    Seiji felt that this seemed rather abnormal. Of course, he knew what she was looking at, but if other people saw this sight, they would definitely feel like it was strange.

    It was fine to walk in the hospital corridors where nobody was around, but Seiji felt that he had to make her put that Spiritual Creature back inside her body before leaving the hospital.

    That digimon¡­ whoops, that mysterious Spiritual Creature ended up with the name of "Mashiro," which had the meaning of "Pure White."

    Seiji was the one who came up with the name, based on the description that the ball of light was white.

    The creature¡¯s nickname would be "Shiro-chan¡­" No, Mashiro-chan. Although he felt that Shiro-chan would be a fine nickname, Mika didn¡¯t like it.

    The Spiritual Creature''s full name was to be Mashiro Uehara.

    Come, let uspare.

    There was an anime in Seiji¡¯s past world called "The Pet Girl of Sakurasou," with the main female character being named Mashiro Shiina.

    Sakura gave a present to Mika that hatched into a creature called Mashiro.

    This felt like too much of an ovep to Seiji!

    ¡®By the way, Mika, is it really alright to give your family name to a mysterious Spiritual Creature without even getting your mother¡¯s permission first?¡¯ He really wanted to ask that, but judging from Mika¡¯s expression, he already knew what her answer would be.

    Mika really liked this creature and had decided to treat it like a child.

    It would transform ording to Mika¡¯s wishes¡­ What type of form would "hope" help it to "hatch" into in the end? Would it really be humanoid? Was this supposed to be Digimon or Shugo Chara!?

    Seiji tried to imagine the following scene: a cute and lovely loli with silver wings speaking cutely and calling Mika "mother¡­" eh, this scene actually seemed pretty good?

    Not only was it pretty good, he even began looking forward to it!

    ¡®No, I can¡¯t fall into the abyss due to my own wild imagination! I have to remain calm!¡¯

    "It¡¯s impossible to predict the final form that this Spiritual Ceature will have. So far it seems alright, but there¡¯s still the possibility of something bad forming, so be careful." That was what Natsuya told them before they left.

    Seiji decided to keep calm and observe.

    But before that, he had to learn [Astral Vision]¡­

 Chapter 240 - This Name Is Too Revealing!

    <h4>Chapter 240: This Name Is Too Revealing!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The two of them returned to the Uehara apartment.

    After Seiji took Mika back home, he was about to return to his own apartment when Mika called out to him.

    "Should we¡­ tell Chiaki as well about the mystical world?" Mika asked.

    Seiji paused in surprise for a moment as he considered it.

    "Indeed¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel good to be deceiving her alone." He sighed. "I even promised Chiaki before that I would tell her when the situation permitted it."

    "Yeah¡­"

    Seiji recalled the conversation he had with Chiaki after he had pretended to be her fake boyfriend.

    At that time, he didn¡¯t exin things clearly to Chiaki, and she let him know that she understood back then. But he felt it was really bad to do it to her again, even if she was able to ept it.

    Besides, there was also Mika¡¯s promise with Chiaki to tell her.

    After considering it carefully, Seiji came to a decision.

    "Let¡¯s tell her. It didn''t matter much when I was the only one who knew, but now that we both know, I¡¯d feel really bad about leaving only her in the dark."

    "Yeah, Chiaki is our important friend." Mika smiled.

    The two of them decided to tell Chiaki about everything the next morning when they saw her again.

    ¡­

    The next morning.

    Even though he didn¡¯t need to get up early today, Seiji still woke up at the same time he usually did and gave a mighty stretch.

    When he went out of his room to take a look, he saw Shika making breakfast as expected.

    "Good morning, Shika-chan."

    "Good morning, Brother Seiji¡­ breakfast is almost ready."

    Seiji nodded in understanding. He watched his adopted sister with a loving light in his eyes.

    During breakfast time.

    "Shika-chan, let¡¯s go out and have some funter today."

    "Fun¡­"

    "That¡¯s right; we can go out together and go shopping, or watch a movie or something." Seiji smiled gently.

    Shika blinked before shing a dazzling smile.

    This was his carrying out his promise. The promise that didn¡¯t exist in this timeline anymore; the one from that rainy night.

    After eating breakfast, the two of them went out together.

    Seiji was wearing a jacket and pants, and Shika was wearing a one-piece dress with a jacket on top. It was perfectly ordinary clothing.

    But since they both had excellent physical appearances, even if they wore such ordinary clothes, they attracted many people¡¯s attention simply by walking down the street.

    A tall handsome boy and an incredibly beautiful girl¡­ it was easy for the passersby to imagine the two of them having fun together while elegantly drinking coffee or going to some high-ss shop.

    But actually, the ce they went to was¡­ arge bookstore¡¯s light novel section!

    "This is a treasure trove." Seiji''s eyes roved over the entire section, drawn to all the exquisitely drawn covers.

    There were beautiful girls wearing extravagant clothing, beautiful girls in cold haughty poses, beautiful girls with faces flushed red in embarrassment, and beautiful girls that were barely about to reveal their¡­ cough, attractive beautiful girls¡­ and so on. The covers of light novels were simply too excellent in Seiji¡¯s eyes!

    "Go ahead and buy whatever you like, Shika-chan. They¡¯ll be our references (strength)."

    "Okay!" Shika¡¯s eyes also began to shine.

    And so, the two of them began moving, as they jumped towards¡­ whoops, walked towards the stories they were interested in, flipping through the light novels.

    Why did it be like this?

    After they''d left their apartment, Seiji had asked Shika where she wanted to go, so she said she¡¯d go wherever her brother wanted to go, so Seiji mentioned going to read light novels, and in the end¡­

    What happened to going shopping or seeing a movie!?

    Those could wait.

    After Seiji looked through some novels, he suddenly felt curious about what Shika was reading, so he approached her stealthily.

    He saw that the ck-haired girl was holding on to a novel and giving it her full attention. Her face waspletely red.

    Seiji was shocked at her expression, so he hurriedly peeked at the name of the novel she was holding.

    The title was: I Can¡¯t Sleep When I¡¯m Sleeping Together With my Younger Sister.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡®Hey, hey, isn¡¯t the title of this book a little too revealing!¡¯

    Even though he already knew that many light novels tried to use eye-catching titles to attract certain types of readers, and that the contents might not necessarily be as exaggerated as the title, but still¡­ this title seemed a little bit overboard!?

    But Shika¡¯s face was already so red, so what could the contents be? Were the contents really that bad after all!?

    Seiji instantly decided to grab another copy of I Can¡¯t Sleep When I¡¯m Sleeping Together With my Younger Sister .

    On the cover was a sexy girl wearing cute pajamas that were unbuttoned at the top, revealing¡­ some sensitive parts of her chest.

    This was cover artwork that was bordering on hentai¡ªthe girl had seductive watery eyes, and her non-nakedness made her seem even more like tantalizing fruit¡­

    ¡®This artist is a grand master of drawing the forbidden zone!¡¯ Seiji instantly came to that conclusion with his countless experience of seeing many simr pieces of "art."

    Compared to art from his previous life¡­he felt that this was very simr to the art style of a certain genre of artists¡­ whoops, to Shokugeki no Soma.

    He took a look at the artist¡¯s name¡ª Romance of Ice and Fire.

    A rather subtle name that seemed slightly immature, yet also normal.

    Seiji took note of this name and decided to do some research about this artist on the inteter.

    He quietly opened up the novel and began reading through it quickly.

    Yep, the contents were just exactly as terrible as he expected from the book¡¯s title.

    The author of this story was simply too amazing! He somehow managed to describe scenes that were so tantalizing without trodding upon anything that was outright explicit, and it was easy for readers with excellent imaginations to visualize the forbidden.

    What amazing writing talent.

    Seijipletely understood why Shika¡¯s face had gotten so red.

    This story was basically an R-rated story masquerading as PG-13! Combined with the oh-so-sexy insert art on several pages, its power level was a least 530,000!!

    It was difficult to give it an overall review since Seiji only skimmed through it, but just the author¡¯s incredible storytelling technique, as well as the artist¡¯s exquisite drawing skills, were enough for this story to receive a high rating from Seiji.

    As Seiji praised it, as a newbie to writing stories himself, he was rather curious just what this author was thinking while writing this story to reach such a high level.

    The author¡¯s pen name was "Sharphorn Ironcliff." This was a rather fierce pen name, with ferocity emanating from the very words.

    Seiji took another look at his adopted sister, who was still lost in reading that novel.

    "Shika-chan, don¡¯t read one novel for too long. If you like it, then buy it, and read it at home."

    Shika suddenly came back to her senses as she turned around to see her adopted brother, then she suddenly recalled what she was reading¡­

    "Wah¡­ wahh¡­ this¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­"

    Her face was so red that it seemed like all the blood in her body had rushed to her face. She covered her face with the novel out of incredible embarrassment.

    ¡®Sigh, if this was a manga, puffs of smoke would being out of your head.¡¯

    Seiji felt that she seemed incredibly cute right now, especially with the contrast between her shy expression and that alluring cover picture on that book she was holding. He really felt like taking a picture of this.

    It was time for his system¡¯s CG saving ability toe in handy!

    He saved a photo of this asion in his CG gallery.

    "Let me go check out some other books over here."

    After quietly appreciating the shy beauty, Seiji turned around and went to look at some other books.

    Only after he left her immediate vicinity did Shika finally put down the novel. Her face began to return to normal.

    The two of them spent more than an hour in the bookstore¡¯s light novel section without realizing it.

    Finally, when they chose the books they were going to purchase, Seiji discovered that Shika had chosen to purchase every single volume of I Can¡¯t Sleep When I¡¯m Sleeping Together With my Younger Sister.

    He didn¡¯t even know how to react anymore, so he decided to pretend that he didn¡¯t see anything.

    After paying for their books, the two of them grabbed the shopping bag containing all their books and were about to leave!

    "Harano-san!"

    Seiji heard a familiar female voice calling out to him.

    It was Yukari Asamiya.

    The purple-haired girl had just walked into this bookstore and was obviously delighted to run into him here.

    "What a coincidence to see you here¡­ what books did you buy?"

 Chapter 241 - I Also Really like Light Novels!

    <h4>Chapter 241: I Also Really like Light Novels!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji was rather surprised at Yukari¡¯s appearance.

    This was due to the clothes she was wearing. She was wearing rather in clothes¡ªjeans and a hoodie¡ªand they almost made her seem like a boy.

    Honestly speaking, Seiji¡¯s first impression was that it didn¡¯t suit her.

    With Yukari¡¯s looks, she still looked great in this, but Seiji felt that it wasn¡¯t as nice as how she looked in her school uniform. He felt that if she wore a dress or skirt, it would look much better on her, even if it was a in skirt.

    Well, this was mostly because her beauty while wearing a school uniform had given him too strong of an impression, which was why he felt such a contrast when he saw her wearing a totally different style.

    It was just a momentarypse, though.

    "Hello, Asamiya-san, what a coincidence¡­" Seiji gestured to the bag of books he was holding. "I purchased a bunch of light novels."

    Yukari''s eyes widened slightly as she looked at the books, and her smile grew even wider.

    "Harano-san, do you really like light novels?"

    "Er¡­ Yes."

    "I also really like light novels!" she eximed gleefully.

    Yukari walked closer to Seiji and looked at his face with a sparkle in her eyes.

    She was getting a little too close. Seiji could see his own reflection in her eyes and faintly smell the fragrance of her perfume.

    "Oh¡­ I see."

    It was somewhat unexpected.

    Seiji recalled her mentioning that she didn¡¯t like reading ssical novels and that she was different from how she appeared. Despite this, her liking light novels was¡­ rather unexpected.

    "I¡¯m here to buy the newest volumes of Reincarnated Golden Eagle , Record of the Demon Sword , and I Can¡¯t Sleep When I¡¯m Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister . Do you happen to like any of these novels, Harano-kun? Or did you buy any of these?"

    "Er¡­ I bought all of the above."

    ¡®And Shika even bought every single volume of I Can¡¯t Sleep When I¡¯m Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister ¡­ By the way, even you read such stories!?¡¯

    Seiji was even more surprised and didn¡¯t know how to react.

    "You bought all of them? That¡¯s wonderful!" Yukari eximed, edging closer to Seiji. She was now dangerously close to him.

    "I¡¯ve been following these three stories for so long, so it¡¯s great that Harano-san likes them as well! I¡¯d like to chat about these stories with you; is that okay?"

    "Sure¡­ it¡¯s okay." Seiji quietly took a step backwards. "But I just bought them and haven¡¯t finished reading."

    "Then let¡¯s chat about them after you finish reading!" Yukari stared at him with hungry eyes.

    "Okay."

    Seiji had no reason to refuse. It was great that he had someone to chat with about his hobbies.

    "Then it¡¯s settled! Harano-san, when will you be able to finish reading?"

    "Probably¡­ about three or four days."

    "In that case, I¡¯ll contact you then." Yukari¡¯s smile was quite alluring, and the expression in her eyes seemed rather seductive.

    "Mmm, okay."

    Seiji reflexively answered, then he discovered that he was somewhat shaken.

    Why did it feel like he''d just agreed to a date? This¡­ would just be a conversation between friends about shared interests, right?

    "I¡¯m really looking forward to it~" the purple-haired girl said in a soft voice. She averted her gaze from his face. "That¡¯ll be all then, Harano-san¡­ see you then."

    Yukari began walking off after saying that sentence.

    Shika had been watching her all this time. Yukari looked in Shika¡¯s direction, nced at her, and shed a friendly smile.

    That was the only nce she gave Shika.

    From start to finish, she didn¡¯t seem to pay any attention to the ck-haired beauty beside Seigo Harano. She didn¡¯t greet her or ask her name; it was as if she didn¡¯t even notice her.

    A strange light shed through Shika¡¯s eyes as she watched the purple-haired girl leave.

    ¡®She¡¯s an¡­ amazing person. She only looks at her target and leaves right after achieving her goal, without doing anything extra or unnecessary. She made no mistakes and did a great job.¡¯

    Shika felt as if Yukari was just like a frosty warrior from a novel. Without hesitation, she unsheathed her sword, executed a one-hit-KObo, sheathed her sword, and walked away in one breath. There was no indecision whatsoever.

    "Shika-chan, let¡¯s get going."

    Seiji didn¡¯t pay any attention to the fact that Yukari didn¡¯t react to Shika. It was just a coincidental meeting, and not asking too much seemed normal to him.

    "Okay." Shika stopped looking in Yukari¡¯s direction. "Brother Seiji¡­ who was that person?"

    "She¡¯s a girl in the same grade as me but a different ss, and her name is Yukari Asamiya."

    Shika¡¯s eyes gleamed. "She¡­ likes Brother Seiji, right?"

    "Er¡­ yes, she confessed to me before, but I rejected her politely," Seiji said awkwardly.

    "Why?"

    "Because that was the first time I ever met her. I didn¡¯t even know her when she confessed to me." Seiji smiled wryly. "I¡¯m very grateful for her feelings, and to be honest I was quite moved, but I¡¯m not the type to go out with a girl I just met."

    "You didn¡¯t ept her confession¡­ so you became friends?"

    "Yes."

    Shika fell silent.

    "Shika-chan¡­ she didn¡¯t pay any attention to you earlier. Are¡­ you angry?" Seiji wondered what was going on.

    Shika shook her head.

    "I just¡­ feel like she¡¯s an amazing person."

    "Oh¡­ I also think she¡¯s an amazing girl."

    A brief period of silence fell between them.

    "Is she going to be my sister-inw soon?" Shika asked abruptly.

    *Cough!* Seiji choked upon hearing this.

    "N-no, I-I barely even know her yet¡­"

    "But she seems just like a strong warrior."

    "Eh?"

    "Brother Seiji just fell to her attack and couldn¡¯t defend at all."

    "What?"

    Just what was she talking about? Seiji was rather confused.

    "Brother is too weak to face her." Shika looked towards her adopted brother. "I¡­ have to be Brother¡¯s shield."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    From the look of resolution in her eyes, he could tell that his adopted sister seemed to havee to some sort of realization. However, he didn¡¯t know what it was about or what to say.

    Afterwards, the two of them toured some shops.

    They ate lunch at a rather high-ss restaurant, then had fun watching a movie before returning to their apartment.

    Back in front of the apartment, they saw Nozomi Uehara cleaning the area with a broom.

    "Good afternoon, Miss Landlord."

    "Good afternoon, Harano-kun."

    "Good afternoon¡­"

    Shika greeted Nozomi politely before hiding behind Seiji¡¯s back.

    It gave her the appearance of being shy around strangers, but it was actually her way of avoiding Nozomi so that she wouldn¡¯t bring misfortune upon the kindndlord.

    Seiji could only smile helplessly.

    Right, there was something he wanted to ask thendlord.

    Just as he was about to speak up, Nozomi spoke up first.

    "Harano-kun, Mika has returned to normal, which is very good, but¡­" The maturedy was frowning slightly. "Now she¡¯s begun talking to the air, or smiling at nothing at all¡­ what¡¯s going on?"

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over.

    ¡®Mika!¡¯ He restrained himself from covering his face. ¡®Be a little more careful, idiot! Don¡¯t let your mother see such a strange sight!¡¯

    But even while inwardlymenting on her actions, he smiled on the surface.

    "This¡­ I think that Mika is practicing her acting skills."

    "Acting?"

    "Yes, we went to see Chiaki¡¯s y yesterday, and she was really moved; it seemed like she was interested in drama club."

    He used what happened to Hoshi on Mika and hoped that it would be enough to convince Mika¡¯s mom.

    Nozomi blinked at this. "I see, she¡¯s practicing¡­ that¡¯s wonderful, then. I was worried that¡­" She heaved a sigh of relief and nodded in understanding.

    It seemed that he''d sessfully fooled her. Seiji also inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.

    He was going to have to give Mika a lectureter!

 Chapter 242 - Youâ€™reâ€¦ Getting Married?

    <h4>Chapter 242: You¡¯re¡­ Getting Married?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Miss Landlord, I¡¯d like to redecorate the living room of my apartment and change it to a tatami-style room. Do you have any advice?" Seiji asked.

    "Redecorate? If you want, you can do it yourself, or hire a renovationpany," Nozomi replied. "Of course, it¡¯ll save you money to do it yourself, but it¡¯ll be more difficult, and it¡¯s the reverse if you hire a renovationpany."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji thought about it.

    Since he had plenty of money on hand right now, he decided not to make the effort, and have the professionals help him.

    "I¡¯d like to hire a renovationpany. Miss Landlord, do you have any good ones that you would rmend?"

    "If you want, I can introduce one to you, but¡­ is that really alright?"

    Seiji knew what she was worried about when he saw her expression, and he smiled in reassurance.

    "No problem, Miss Landlord. I recently¡­ helped someone who was rather wealthy and received a generous payment, so money¡¯s not a problem and you don¡¯t need to be worried."

    "Oh¡­ that¡¯s fine, then." Nozomi also smiled.

    She then gave Seiji the phone number of a renovationpany with an excellent reputation.

    Seiji thanked Nozomi and returned to his apartment with Shika.

    After he returned home, the first thing he did was call Mika and tell her about what her mom had just said. He lectured her and told her to pay more attention to her surroundings when having fun with Mashiro-chan so that she wouldn¡¯t scare her mother.

    Mika was rendered speechless. Seiji could almost feel her helplessness from her across the phone. She obediently promised that she would pay more attention in the future.

    After that, Seiji contacted the renovationpany.

    After a short discussion, the renovationpany said that they would send a person over and that they would arrive in approximately fifteen minutes.

    Seiji decided to read some light novels to pass the time. About twenty minutester, he heard a knock on his door.

    The renovationpany employee was a tall and thin man, who introduced himself with his family name, Takagi. Takagi was polite and got to work inspecting the living room immediately, making various measurements, and asking specific questions like what style they wanted or what specific tatamis they desired.

    Seiji answered the questions as he watched Takagi doing the measurements.

    After Takagi finished measuring, and with Seiji¡¯s responses, he gave Seiji an approximate price quote, which Seiji felt was eptable.

    Takagi told Seiji that he would return to hispany, prepare the contract, and bring it over tomorrow for Seiji and thendlord to sign together. After making the deposit, work could begin as soon as the day after tomorrow.

    After this Takagi-san left, Seiji exined the situation to Shika-chan.

    "We¡¯re going to sign the contract tomorrow, and the work will begin on the day after tomorrow. He said that the work can be finished in the same day. That means that we¡¯ll be able to enjoy watching TV while sitting on tatamis as soon as two days from now."

    Shika smiled in delight upon hearing this. Their home was improving day by day.

    Nighttime.

    Seiji went out together with Mika to participate in the party for their ss to celebrate the sessful conclusion of the school festival.

    Originally, the party was scheduled for the same night as the school festival¡¯s conclusion, but many students preferred it to be held on the next night, so Year 1 ss 5¡¯s representative Koji Hoshihara agreed and moved the party to the following night.

    The party was to take ce at the Divine Taste confectionery store that Seiji worked at.

    This was sort of like a mutual exchange of favors. After all, the Divine Taste confectionery store owner Rika Amami was the sponsor who provided everything necessary for the students to run their temporary school festival store, so having the party at her store and spending some money there was only normal.

    When Seiji and Mika arrived, many students were already gathered at the store.

    "Harano-san, this is your home turf. Why don¡¯t you introduce some delicious desserts for everyone!" ss Rep Koji smiled and greeted Seiji.

    Seiji epted this task and began describing each dessert on the menu to his fellow ssmates.

    At this time, Chiaki arrived. "If Seigo¡¯s providing service for everyone¡­ then he really should put on his store uniform~"

    The tomboy¡¯s sentence instantly caused all of Seiji¡¯s female ssmates to look at the handsome Seiji hopefully with sparkling eyes.

    Seiji had no choice but to change into his uniform. After he changed, it was only to be expected that many students took pictures of him with their cell phones.

    All of Seiji¡¯s ssmates finally arrived.

    Koji gave a speech befitting that of a ss representative, and all of them responded with good-natured cheers.

    Afterwards, everyone ate desserts while looking over pictures from the school festival.

    The pictures were taken during the operation of the temporary store and the preparation time. There were plenty of pictures.

    The pictures were of students hard at work, identally making mistakes, intentionally acting funny, helping each other out, and setting up the store right before they opened up. There were also ones of them cosying and baking in the kitchen. A few were snapped when there were many customers, or when the students were rxing, busy, resting, or closing the store and cleaning up¡­

    All these pictures contained hard work, joy, cuteness¡­ and other such wonderfully moving scenes.

    As the students reminisced over these pictures, they had the so-called sensation of youth.

    No, not only this. Year 1 ss 5¡¯s students showed each other the pictures and appreciated them while having happy discussions about the pictures¡­ this fiery scene was also youth itself.

    Seiji had a much stronger feeling about this than anyone else, as a reincarnated person.

    ¡®This is¡­ an amazing feeling.¡¯

    After they finished looking at the pictures, each student wrote down which pictures they wanted and paid an appropriate fee to the ss rep, so that he could print extra pictures for everyone.

    After that, they simply enjoyed the desserts. All of the students were having fun; some chatted as they ate, while others yed some small games.

    Afterwards, there were even some small prizes for the minigames they yed, and, on this note, the celebration party ended.

    Seiji left the party together with Mika and Chiaki. The three walked down the street, enjoying the cool night air.

    "I don¡¯t want to go home just like this. Let''s go have fun somewhere else. How about going to the game center?" Chiaki still wanted to enjoy the evening.

    Seiji and Mika exchanged nces before both looking at her.

    "¡­What¡¯s with the look in your eyes?" The tomboy felt that something was abnormal.

    "We have something important to tell you, Chiaki," Seiji said in a serious tone.

    Chiaki blinked, her eyes darting back and forth between him and Mika.

    "You¡¯re¡­ getting married to each other?"

    *Pfft¡­* Seiji almost choked.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "That¡¯s not it! Don¡¯t just make stuff up like that!" Seiji waved his hand.

    "I wasn¡¯t making stuff up at all¡ªboth of you had such serious expressions on your faces; it seemed just like you were about to dere your uing marriage."

    "We haven¡¯t even gone out with each other yet!"

    "You don¡¯t need to go out with each other to get married, as long as there¡¯s been a physical rtionship¡­"

    "There hasn¡¯t been a physical rtionship either!"

    "Then, marriage can also be decided by your parents."

    "That¡¯s enough!"

    Seiji didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    The serious atmosphere from a few seconds ago hadpletely vanished, so he didn¡¯t know how to continue.

    Chiaki kept giggling.

    Mika sighed. "It¡¯s not marriage¡­ it¡¯s that Seiji and I now have a child together."

    *Pfft!* Seiji choked once again, even stronger thanst time.

    Chiaki¡¯s smile froze over. "C-child¡­" she stammered.

    "Yes, she¡¯s called Mashiro¡­ Seiji came up with her name." Mika averted her gaze and her face reddened as if she was embarrassed.

    ¡®Damn! Mika¡¯s acting skills¡­¡¯ Seiji was stunned. ''Just where did she learn such acting skills from!? You¡¯re making it seem too real!¡®

    ¡®Did you actually secretly practice acting? I was just making it up when I said you wanted to join drama club; it wasn¡¯t real, was it!?¡¯

    Chiaki was also stunned.

    She was unable to take in what Mika just said, but Mika¡¯s words and actions¡­ truly astounded her!

    She felt as if she was seeing apletely new side to her good friend.

    This was the second time in a short while since yesterday.

    ¡®Mika¡­ just what did you experience!?¡¯

 Chapter 243 - I Want You to Drink with Me!

    <h4>Chapter 243: I Want You to Drink with Me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A long period of silence fell between them.

    "Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?"

    Mika felt embarrassed when her two friends stared at her, dazed, and her face flushed even redder.

    "Do you want us to say anything?" Seiji asked after he''d returned to his senses.

    "Of course, this¡­ was obvious, wasn¡¯t it!?" Mika said, her face crimson. "I¡­ was just ying a joke to lighten the mood."

    ¡®Your joke was a little too much for us, Uehara-san!¡¯ Seiji and Chiaki exchanged nces and both smiled wryly.

    "You seeded in scaring us, Mika." Chiaki sighed. "Your level is far too high, and we can only admire you from afar."

    "What¡¯s this¡­ don¡¯t you guys always act like this?" The double-pigtailed girl looked genuinely surprised. "I was only imitating you."

    "Imitating¡­ okay, I suppose that¡¯s fine," Seiji said with an air of helplessness.

    It seemed that Mika had only wanted to y a joke on them, but her acting was too convincing, making it difficult to respond.

    Another period of silence fell between them.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll be serious¡ªwhat was it that you guys wanted to tell me?" Chiaki asked. She ignored what had just happened and led the conversation back to a serious direction again.

    "It¡¯s like this¡­"

    Seiji summarised the "mystical" world to Chiaki.

    Chiaki was rather surprised to hear all this, but she was able to ept it quickly.

    "A hidden side to our world¡­ Yin-Yang Masters and Spirit-branded Retainers¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that real life was just as wondrous as a movie. But that¡¯s just how it is, since real life is always¡­ stranger than fiction."

    Currently, the three of them were drinking some refreshments purchased from a vending machine in a park.

    After speaking, the tomboy fell silent for a moment before looking towards her two friends again.

    "Thank you guys for telling all this to me." She smiled at them. "I¡¯m very happy that you chose to be honest with me rather than concealing the truth. I don¡¯t know what else I can say¡­ We¡¯re good friends, and always will be, just like before, right?"

    Seiji and Mika also smiled.

    "Of course," the two of them said simultaneously.

    The three of them exchanged grins.

    Seiji first took Mika back to the Uehara apartment, before taking Chiaki home.

    They walked back to Chiaki''s house in silence.

    "Seiji¡­ I¡¯m actually slightly downcast," Chiaki said, breaking the silence.

    The tomboy sighed; she''d decided to reveal her true thoughts to Seiji after remaining silent earlier.

    "I¡¯m indeed happy that you were willing to share this secret with me, but despite this¡­ I also feel like as if I¡¯m only an ¡®ordinary person.¡¯ I feel different from you guys. I know that I¡¯m thinking too much about it, but I can¡¯t control my own emotions¡­ that¡¯s how it is."

    Seiji looked at her with a gentle look in his eyes. "If you can¡¯t control them, then there¡¯s no need to. Just express whatever you want, and I¡¯ll listen to yourints."

    "That¡¯s all, you¡¯ll only listen to myints?" Chiaki asked.

    "What else do you want, then?"

    Chiaki looked at him, and a strange light shed through her eyes. "I want to drink alcohol! I want you to drink with me!!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "You¡¯re not allowed to refuse!" she said merrily. "You¡¯re not allowed to talk back; that¡¯s how it is then!"

    Chiaki was acting spoiled before Seiji could get a chance to speak.

    ¡®She¡¯s just like a kid throwing a temper tantrum.¡¯ Seiji inwardly sighed.

    "How do you want to do this?" he asked helplessly.

    "Let¡¯s go to a bar!"

    Seiji silently raised his hand and made it into a fist in an imposing manner. It felt as if he was saying ¡®If you make any unreasonable requests, you shall be punished.¡¯

    Chiaki cowered in fear. She recalled being vanquished by the fist of justice.

    "Then¡­e over to my ce for some drinks," she said, relenting.

    Seiji silently mulled it over.

    "Come, have a little drink in my home; it won¡¯t be anything." Chiaki grabbed his arm and shook it. "I¡­ I really am a little depressed and just want you to apany me."

    Seiji could only sigh in front of how spoiled she was acting. "You can only drink a little."

    "You actually agreed!?"

    "Even if I didn¡¯t, you would probably drink on your own." Seiji looked at her face.

    "Hehe~" Chiaki stuck out her tongue and giggled.

    While this pose was unbearably cute, Seiji had the urge to give her a smack on the head!

    ''Forget it¡ªshe said that she''s a little depressed, which is probably true¡­ I might as well apany her in drinking just once.''

    Seiji made up his mind and apanied Chiaki back to her luxurious apartment.

    Chiaki took him inside, and they took an elevator to her room.

    "Pleasee in," she said.

    "Please excuse my intrusion."

    Seiji entered Chiaki¡¯s home for the first time.

    The living room was rather grand. It was one that would appear in a television show in some idol¡¯s home. It was spacious and well-lit, with extravagant furniture.

    The most eye-catching part was all the artwork hanging from the wall. There was scenery, real people, and even abstract artwork¡ªand all seemed rather high-ss.

    Seiji recalled that Chiaki mentioned before that her father was a famous artist.

    ''All this artwork here is probably from her father, then¡­''

    "Have a seat anywhere; I¡¯ll bring the alcohol!" Chiaki said, before disappearing into another room.

    Rather than sitting down, he walked over to the artwork hanging on the wall and inspected it.

    He didn¡¯t know how to appraise art, so he couldn¡¯t estimate its value. He just judged it using his own sense.

    He randomly looked at several and thought that they were pretty good. Then, he looked at a portrait.

    The portrait depicted a woman wearing a long dress. She was standing in the midst of flying cherry blossoms, spinning around while holding her hair.

    The artwork was rather beautiful, but only the side of the woman''s face was visible, and her eyes were covered by the cherry blossoms, so Seiji couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.

    It was a piece of art that would capture the viewer¡¯s imagination, but as for the overall impression it gave him¡­ Seiji didn¡¯t know how to describe it.

    This indescribable feeling made him feel internally conflicted, so he couldn¡¯t help but stare at this artwork for quite a while.

    "Here¡¯s the alcohol!"

    Chiaki¡¯s voice snapped him out of his daze.

    When he turned around to look, he saw that she''d brought out a tray with an expensive-looking bottle of red wine, along with two tall winesses and a ss bowl filled with ice cubes.

    Thebel on the wine¡­ seemed to be written in French. Seiji was unable to read it.

    At any rate, he felt that the wine was likely expensive.

    ''Is it really alright to be drinking it?''

    "What red wine is this, Chiaki?" he asked.

    "I don¡¯t know; I randomly picked one from my dad¡¯s collection," she responded flippantly.

    "This wouldn¡¯t be an incredibly expensive high-ss brand of wine, would it?"

    "Who knows? I just casually picked one, and I¡¯ve drank so many of his wines already¡­ cough, I meant that there¡¯s many of this exact same bottle in his collection, so it¡¯s not a rare one."

    "If your father scolds you harshly, it has nothing to do with me," Seiji said after a pause.

    Chiaki chuckled. "Rx, he won¡¯t; if he wants to scold me he has toe home first, and he onlyes here a few times a year."

    Her expression seemed normal, but Seiji could detect a trace of loneliness deep within her.

    She always stayed at home by herself¡­ so what did Chiaki typically do at home? Seiji felt a sudden burst of curiosity.

    The tomboy put some ice cubes in the two winesses, then she took out an uncorker and uncorked the wine bottle with practiced movements before pouring some wine for both of them.

    The pungent smell of alcohol instantly wafted out of the bottle.

    Just this odor made Seiji realize that this alcohol was out of the ordinary.

    Seiji was no wine appraiser, but he had some experience with alcohol in his previous life. Once again, he wondered in doubt if this alcohol was really just randomly grabbed by Chiaki¡­

    Was it that this world had higher quality wine than his previous world, or was Chiaki¡¯s family just too rich?

    "Come, cheers!"

    After Chiaki finished pouring the wine, she lifted a ss and indicated to Seiji that he should lift the other ss.

    "¡­Cheers."

    Seiji took the winess and clinked it lightly against Chiaki¡¯s before bringing it to his mouth.

    After savoring the scent for a while, he finally tipped the winess and slowly began drinking the sweet red wine.

    The alcohol left a pleasant feeling and scent behind as he drank.

    It really was great wine.

    Seiji released a sigh of contentment as he put down his winess.

    He saw the silver-haired girl sitting across from him smiling sweetly.

 Chapter 244 - A Toast, for This Worldâ€¦ and You

    <h4>Chapter 244: A Toast, for This World¡­ and You</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "What do you think?" Chiaki smiled. "How¡¯s the taste?"

    "It¡¯s delicious," Seiji answered honestly.

    "Is this your first time tasting alcohol?"

    "I suppose so," Seiji said after a pause.

    He had drunk asionally in his past world, but he had no memories of ever drinking alcohol before in this world.

    "You suppose?" Chiaki asked, a brow raised. "What does that mean?"

    "I¡¯m not sure if I''ve drunk alcohol before when I was a child. I feel like I might have, but I also might not have."

    "Oh¡­" Chiaki nodded and poured some more wine for them.

    The beautiful girl poured the wine so that it ran down in a slow stream into the tall, clear wine ss. It was a rather beautiful scene to look upon.

    What was that phrase again? Did it go something like "The alcohol won¡¯t make you drunk, but people will get drunk on people?"

    It was something along those lines, and although he didn¡¯t know if it suited the current situation, Seiji felt that it was an apt description of the current scene.

    He wasn¡¯t drunk yet, but drinking together with a beauty like Chiaki made him feel as if his heart was drunk¡­ It sounded rather poetic to him, but he was also slightly embarrassed for thinking that it seemed poetic.

    "Come," Chiaki said enthusiastically "cheers again!"

    "No more cheers! Drink slowly."

    "Eh~ Don¡¯t be so stingy."

    Seiji smiled as he raised his fist again. Chiaki could only submit to him.

    "Fine," she said, sounding defeated, "if you insist, we¡¯ll drink slower."

    "Wine is about slowly savoring the taste anyway; if you drink it so quickly, you won¡¯t be able to savor it."

    "You''re trying to sound like an expert, even though this is clearly your first time."

    ¡®This may be my first time in this world, but if you count my previous life, I¡¯ve probably drunk even more alcohol than you,¡¯ Seiji remarked in his head.

    "Even if it¡¯s my first time, that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t understand it¡­ besides, this isn¡¯t exactly high-level knowledge. Just think about it: if you¡¯re drinking something delicious, it¡¯s only natural to take it slow and enjoy the experience."

    "Hmph¡­"

    Chiaki shook her winess and nced at the ice cubes within it.

    Seiji took another sip before looking at the artwork on the wall.

    "Were all these drawn by your father?" he asked.

    "Yes¡­ they must seem terrible to you."

    "No¡­ I think they¡¯re pretty good."

    "I see them every day, and I¡¯m annoyed of them," Chiaki remarked casually.

    Seiji looked at her searchingly. He wanted to say something, but he didn¡¯t know how to say it.

    "Were you just looking at the drawing of the woman in cherry blossoms?" Chiaki asked.

    "Yeah." Seiji nodded.

    "Don¡¯t you feel like drawing a woman whose face can''t be seen is bad taste?"

    "It does seem a little strange," Seiji admitted.

    "That¡¯s my mom," Chiaki said in a light tone. "All of my father¡¯s drawings of her are like this¡­ either you can¡¯t see her face clearly, or her face isn¡¯t drawn at all."

    Seiji raised his brows in surprise. "Why¡¯s that?"

    "My father said he can¡¯t remember her face anymore." Chiakiughed. "Pretty funny, isn¡¯t it?"

    It wasn¡¯t funny at all¡ªor at the very least, Seiji was unable to bring himselfugh at it.

    "My father is a cold-hearted person. My mother notwithstanding, even if he said he couldn¡¯t remember my face, I wouldn¡¯t think it strange either, since he only sees me a few times a year."

    Chiaki had a wistful look in her eyes as she lifted her winess and gulped a mouthful of wine. "I¡¯ve seen him far more times on television than at home¡­ sometimes I wonder just what meaning I have to him as a daughter?"

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "I know that many people consider me incredibly lucky, as I have a very famous father, a luxurious home, and an endless amount of spending money¡­"

    "That¡¯s why I won¡¯tin about it¡ªand living like this is fine. But¡­ it¡¯s just that sometimes¡­ I feel it¡¯s rather empty."

    She swirled her wine gently, and the icecubes inside tinkled softly.

    There was a brief silence between them.

    "You¡¯re not alone, Chiaki," Seiji said in a serious voice. "Mika and I both really care about you, and so do our ssmates and the other members of drama club¡­ everyone cares about you. So you don¡¯t need to think too much of it, and keep living properly, which has meaning in and of itself."

    Chiaki looked at him and chuckled. "Of course I know that! Did you think that I was thinking about bad things? I was just pretending to be mncholy. How was it? Was it such a huge contrast from my usual self that you fell for me?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "If you want to drink alcohol, a little acting like this is what really spices up the atmosphere!" Chiaki shed a brilliant smile. "And the atmosphere will create an aura, and an aura will create charisma. Seiji, as long as you learn this technique and act it out in some bar, I guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to hook up with some girls! And I mean the type that¡¯s willing to use her body to helpfort your injured soul, not the type that charges you a fee."

    "It sounds nice," Seiji said, "but I¡¯m not interested in learning."

    "Go ahead and learn~ As an exiled handsome young master, you have the innate ability to do it. As long as you dress up slightly, you¡¯ll be immensely attractive, I promise!"

    "Please allow me to refuse." Seiji said his next words in a strict tone: "Stop luring me into doing these dirty, underhanded things; do I look like such a person!?" He acted as if he was a just and righteous character rejecting the temptations of a viin.

    "Just look at what you¡¯re saying," Chiaki said coyly. "This isn¡¯t anything dirty or underhanded at all~ It¡¯s a beautiful consensual affair."

    "I won¡¯t be swayed by you, temptress¡ªjust give up!"

    "Heh heh, you¡¯ll understand sooner orter, young one. Obeying the so-called rules of morality is only for the weak; the strong just follow their desires! Hehehe¡ª" Chiaki''s face twisted into a wicked expression, and she cackled like a typical witch.

    "No, those that give in to desires aren¡¯t strong; they¡¯re simply beasts! Perhaps they''re even below a beast¡¯s level!"

    Seiji, in turn, assumed the most righteous expression he could; his current countenance seemed almost saintly. "I definitely won¡¯t fall into the darkness! The light of my faith shall protect me to the end and shall be the source of my strength!"

    And then, both of them broke out intoughter.

    "Seiji, I honestly do want to invite you to join the drama club. We¡¯d be excellent partners." Chiaki lifted her winess.

    "It''s an excellent suggestion, but I fear I cannot. I don¡¯t have time because I¡¯m busy saving the world." Seiji also lifted his winess.

    "If you have to save the world, then there¡¯s no helping it," Chiaki said with a small smile. "A toast, for this world."

    "A toast, for this world¡­ and you."

    They clinked their wine sses against each other lightly, then both of them finished off thest of the wine in their sses.

    Seiji poured a refill of wine for both of them and they continued chatting.

    He listened to Chiaki¡¯sints and got to know her better, and he consoled her and cheered her up with jokes.

    Slowly, the bottle of wine was polished off.

    Chiaki brought out another bottle.

    The two of them yed a small game, and, without Seiji realizing it, they''d finished off the second bottle as well.

    They proceeded onto the third bottle¡­

    "Seiji¡­ it¡¯s really great to have you around." After finishing the third bottle, Chiaki¡¯s face was already rather flushed, and her eyes shone with a seductive light.

    She unbuttoned the top part of her blouse to reveal the alluring white skin beneath it. Sheid limply on the sofa, soft and weak, just like a drunk beauty.

    "Let¡¯s¡­ just do it with each other," she said in a soft voice, looking up into the handsome boy¡¯s eyes. "If it¡¯s you¡­ I can totally ept it¡­ no, I should say that I want you¡­"

    "What are you saying?" Seiji''s cheeks were tinged with red, and he was getting a little tipsy. Of course, he was also slightly drunk on the allure of the beauty before him. "Drinking together with you is already an extra special service, and you actually want to request more¡­ please pay up first, Mdy."

    "Okay¡­ you can have however much you want. Just take my bank card¡­"

    "I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean for you to pay in money." Seiji reached out his hand and patted her head gently.

    "Then what is it that you want¡­?" she said in a half-whisper.

    Chiaki felt an overwhelming sense offort flood through her when he patted her. It was to the point where she couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes.

    Seiji said something else, but she felt that everything was a haze and she didn¡¯t hear him clearly.

    Then, she felt as if she was in a warm ce. Somewhere solid and reliable with a homely scent.

    It was so warm andforting here¡­ Just like her father¡¯s embrace from so long ago.

    Seiji hugged the lonely girl, gentlybing her hair and patting her head until she dozed off peacefully.

    "Good night, Chiaki."

 Chapter 245 - Girls Have a Lot of Secrets, You Know

    <h4>Chapter 245: Girls Have a Lot of Secrets, You Know</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The next morning.

    Chiaki¡¯s cell phone rm rang. She groggily fumbled for her cell phone. When she found it, she turned off the rm and casually tossed her cell phone aside.

    She wanted to sleep more¡­ sleep¡­

    *Woosh!*

    She suddenly realized something and instantly sat up and opened her eyes.

    Last night¡­ her memories were a little hazy, but she still remembered the gist of what happened, and what she said. Her face was flooded with a sudden rush of color.

    ¡®Just why did I say that to Seiji!? Ahh, it¡¯s so embarrassing that I want to die!¡¯

    Chiaki kept rolling around on her bed, and it took a few minutes of rolling for her to regain her senses and check the condition of her clothes.

    She was wearing the same clothes asst night; only her jacket and socks had been removed. Her body felt perfectly normal.

    She heaved a sigh of relief at this discovery, before realizing she felt slightly conflicted. When she looked around, she noticed a note addressed to her on her bedstand.

    She opened it with a feeling of tingling anticipation. A handsome muscr boy with a serious expression and folded arms was drawn on it. He exuded an aura of light, and arge speech bubble was drawn by his mouth. It read:

    From now on, you¡¯re forbidden from secretly drinking by yourself! If you really want to drink again, you can invite me. Of course, I¡¯m cing a severe restriction on the number of times you can do this. If you vite this, you¡¯ll face the wrath of my iron fist!

    P.s.: No being tardy to school.

    Chiaki looked at the drawing and these words for a long moment, before bursting intoughter.

    She covered her face with the note, her lips pressed against the drawing of the handsome boy.

    "Idiot¡­" she mumbled.

    The so-called idiot was currently in the midst of preparing breakfast.

    Yesterday night, when he returned home while smelling of alcohol, Shika¡¯s expression had been rather¡­

    Seiji was unable to face his adopted sister¡¯s expression. Even though he exined and Shika said she understood, he still felt that he should do something to mitigate her displeasure.

    He got up extra early to make a nice and abundant breakfast as his way of making it up to her.

    "Brother¡­"

    "Good morning, Shika-chan," he said with a smile.

    Shika paused for a moment before returning his greeting. "Good morning."

    Shika was slightly dazed when she saw the generous amount of foodid out, which made Seiji grin in delight.

    This was exactly the effect that he''d wanted.

    "Breakfast is just about ready; go wash up."

    Shika nodded silently.

    Seiji finished cooking, but he didn¡¯t realize that his adopted sister was still standing there, watching him cook, her cheeks reddening by the second.

    ¡®He¡¯s so cool! It¡¯s amazing to watch him cook seriously while wearing an apron! It''s too great to see his handsome face and for him to greet me gently and say good morning!¡¯

    This scene struck Shika''s heart chords; she was charmed by it.

    Her face was heating up, and she found it difficult to move away from her brother.

    Only after her eyes had drunk their fill did she finally walk to the restroom and wash up. The fire in her cheeks was finally quenched by the cool water.

    Afterwards, the two of them ate their breakfast together. Then, Seiji prepared himself for school.

    "Shika-chan, do you want to go back to school again?" he asked at the doorway.

    Shika shook her head.

    Seiji expected this reaction from her, but he felt that having her always stay home by herself was a little¡­

    "No need to mind me, Brother." Shika knew what he was thinking and smiled. "I like staying at home."

    This wasn¡¯t a lie. She had no preferences regarding school either way. Just quietly staying in this home was her primary source of joy.

    Seiji smiled helplessly as he looked at her. "I¡¯m going to school."

    "Be careful on your way," she cautioned.

    Just like usual, Seiji walked to school apanied by Mika and Kaede.

    They chatted casually on their way to school and met Chiaki when they arrived. The tomboy acted just like normal: she smiled and greeted them, cracking a few jokes as always while they made their way to their ssroom.

    They entered the ssroom (without Kaede) and nodded amicably to their ssmates. A brand-new day had begun.

    The school festival was now over. The next and final major event of the school year that the students had to deal with were the final exams.

    There were three weeks remaining until these critically important exams.

    But Seiji didn¡¯t mind; he felt that with his current level, he could deal with them easily, even if he had missed many days of ss recently.

    He didn¡¯t need to worry about his grades, and he had other things on his mind.

    Naturally, he was concerned about Yui Haruta, as well as Cat-loving Flying Fish.

    He''d already sent his older sister Yui a message; now all that was left to do was to wait. As for Flying Fish¡­ he supposed that he could send her a message over the inte.

    But if he did that, what should he say in the message?

    Did you recognize me? Could you tell me who you are? Something like that, perhaps?

    It didn¡¯t feel right to him. But doing nothing felt wrong somehow.

    He hid his cell phone from his teacher¡¯s sight and secretly logged in to his chatting app. He typed and sent a message to Cat-loving Flying Fish:

    I¡¯m waiting for you.

    ¡®No matter if you are or aren¡¯t the person I think you are, I¡¯m waiting for you to contact me.¡¯

    He only sent those four words¡­ and, message sent. Now, he could only wait for her.

    After that, he needed to learn [Astral Vision] as quickly as possible while cultivating his powers and writing his novel.

    [Astral Vision] was critically important for him to learn as quickly as possible, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t even be able to take good care of Mika and her new Spiritual Creature. Cultivating wasn¡¯t nearly as important to him.

    As for writing the novel¡­ he wanted to finish "Brother Monogatari" as soon as he could, so that he could show it to Editor Yoshizawa and get it published quickly.

    This was both Seiji and Shika¡¯s dream, and he really wanted to realize it!

    So, he decided to focus on learning [Astral Vision] and writing "Brother Monogatari." These were his current most important duties.

    He decided to begin immediately.

    Seiji ignored the fact that he was in ss as he opened up his notebook and began writing the novel.

    He spent all his time during the entire school day on his novel without paying attention to a single ss.

    During lunch break, he called Natsuya and asked to borrow a little something.

    After sses.

    Seiji walked to the president¡¯s residence and met Mai, who was waiting for him, there.

    "This is the manual on Astral Vision that you requested to borrow." The maid, who wasn¡¯t currently wearing her maid uniform, handed him the information.

    "Thank you." Seiji received it gratefully.

    Mai smiled. "On the day before yesterday, you did a great job in thatser tag game," she praised.

    "It was thanks to Senpai going easy on me," Seiji said humbly. "With Senpai¡¯s abilities, if you yed it more cautiously, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to win at all."

    "Indeed," Mai agreed, unabashed.

    Seiji¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®Haha, you¡¯re not humble at all, my dear maid.¡¯

    "I just entered with the intention of having fun, but you won in the end," she continued. "You definitely did a good job, Junior."

    "I only defeated Senpai with everyone¡¯s assistance," Seiji said. "I couldn¡¯t have done it by myself."

    "Indeed," Mai conceded. "But you were irreceable," she added. "If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you were the one facing me to begin with, the others couldn¡¯t possibly havepleted their encirclement."

    ¡®I can take care of any normal person in an instant!¡¯ Mai emitted an imposing aura which left these words all but unspoken.

    "It¡¯s truly¡­ frightening to face Senpai in battle," Seiji said, sighing. A strange light shed in his eyes. "Could I possibly ask, Senpai, are you¡­"

    Before he could finish his question, Mai ced her index finger on his lips and shushed him.

    "Girls have many secrets, you know," she whispered. "There are some questions that are better not to ask~"

    Mai¡¯s smile seemingly became very gentle.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    That feeling of terror reappeared. And this time the feeling was even stronger than before!

    He decided not to ask. Just likest time, it was probably better not to think too deeply about it. All he had to do was appreciate her beautiful smile.

    Mai retracted her finger. "Junior, when do you intend to use that free hotel voucher that your team won?"

    "We haven¡¯t decided yet," Seiji said. "My team¡­ everyone from that time decided that we would go together, but we haven¡¯t decided on a specific date yet."

    "Oh¡­ well, when you guys decide on one, let me know."

    Seiji blinked in surprise. "Howe?"

    "Because I¡¯m going as well." Mai smiled, an enigmatic light flitting through her eyes.

 Chapter 246 - Actually, Iâ€™m Writing a Novel

    <h4>Chapter 246: Actually, I¡¯m Writing a Novel</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Senpai¡¯s going as well!?" Seiji was shocked at this sudden revtion.

    "Yep, I also want to take a vacation soon, and going to a hot spring hotel seems like an excellent choice," Mai exined.

    "This¡ª"

    "Could it be that you don¡¯t want me toe along?" Mai asked sharply.

    "No, of course that isn¡¯t it," Seiji said hurriedly. "It¡¯s just¡­ if you want to go out and have some fun, wouldn¡¯t it be better to go with your friends?"

    "Of course it would be nice, but from time to time I¡¯d like to change things up and go together with my cute junior~" Mai had a seductive look on her face.

    Seiji was speechless.

    "Of course, it''d be nice to chat to Amami-sensei and Yoshizawa-san again. How about it¡ªis it alright?"

    "Of course, you¡¯re more than wee," Seiji replied.

    He didn¡¯t expect that Mai would want to go as well. +1 to his team of beauties.

    *Ding-dong!* [Congrattions for leveling up from a four-winged angel to a six-winged angel.]

    Seiji imagined hearing such a notification from his system.

    Afterwards, Seiji said goodbye to Mai and walked back home together with Mika, who had been waiting for him.

    Not long after he arrived home, Takagi-san from the renovationpany brought over the contract.

    Seiji and thendlord went over the contract together, and satisfied that there were no problems, they signed the contract and Seiji paid the deposit.

    Takagi-san left with the signed contract and promised that he would send workers over to begin renovation tomorrow.

    That night, Seiji inspected his system in the privacy of his own room, and since he had a plethora of points, he decided to exchange for [Writing Card¡ªtyping on theputer]!

    Being able to write by typing on aputer would surely be much faster than writing by hand.

    The card''s price was a hefty fifty-five points, so he hoped that it was worth the cost.

    After exchanging for it, the card materialized in front of him as usual. A ck shadow typing rapidly on a white keyboard was depicted on one side.

    Seijiid on his bed as was his habit now when activating cards, and applied it to himself.

    The card transformed into a sh of light that drilled into his brain.

    Seiji felt his head heat up. Suddenly, he felt that he''d been enlightened somehow.

    ¡®This is rather easy,pared to activation cards,¡¯ he mused.

    A few minutester, Seiji sat in front of hisputer and opened his novel document.

    He thought about what he wanted to write, and the moment he ced his hands on the keyboard, he felt a familiar, wondrous feeling.

    *ck ck ck ck.*

    His hands moved with blinding speed; the information he imagined was quickly typed onto the document.

    His new typing speed was definitely twice as fast as his writing speed!

    Seiji felt as if he was just like a hacker in a movie; he typed at such a rapid pace that he saw the afterimages of his hands as glided across the keyboard. The only difference was that he was typing a novel, not coding for a program.

    ¡®This is really cool!¡¯

    This was just the speed that Seiji wanted.

    Shika came to the study to check out what was going on due to hearing the tter of Seiji¡¯s keyboard.

    She was astonished to see Seiji "viciously" pounding away at the keyboard.

    ¡®Amazing¡­¡¯ Shika wanted to get closer to see just what exactly he was typing.

    In order to not distract her adopted brother from typing, she walked over as stealthily as possible and peeked at his screen from over his shoulder.

    After watching for a while, her eyes lit up.

    His writing skills were amazing! Not only could he write quickly, the quality was also high.

    Words kept appearing on the screen as if he was tossing down handfuls of sand. In almost no time, he had filled up an entire page. He didn¡¯t even make a single typo or miss a single word anywhere.

    This was¡­ simply wondrous.

    No, it was beautiful! That was Shika¡¯s sincere opinion.

    Watching her own imagined scenario being written so exquisitely by her adopted brother was a wonderful feeling for Shika.

    Seijipletely lost himself in creation, so he didn¡¯t even notice Shika behind him as his imagination worked at a furious pace to keep up with his hands.

    Shika secretly watched him for a long time before she left on tiptoes.

    She felt that Seiji was truly amazing. In order to not be a burden on him, she felt that she needed to work even harder!

    Shika knew in her heart that Seiji had the ability to write excellent stories even without her assistance, but he chose to cooperate and write a novel together with her.

    This was done with warm intentions. Even if she didn¡¯t do a good job, she was sure that he would insist on continuing to cooperate.

    Shika was very grateful to her adopted brother, and it was her wish to continue writing stories with him. For that purpose, she needed to continuously raise her own level, so that she could write stories worthy of being his eternal partner in writing.

    ¡®I''ll read more light novels and other stories! I''ll improve my own powers of imagination and writing so that I can do better!¡¯

    Shika firmed her resolve as she returned to her room.

    ¡­

    The next day, during ss time.

    "Seigo, what are you writing during ss time?" Chiaki asked.

    "Hmm?"

    "It doesn¡¯t seem to me like you were taking notes since you were writing continuously without stopping," Chiaki said before turning to Mika. "You agree with me, right, Mika?"

    "Yeah." The double pigtailed girl nodded and shot an inquisitive look at Seiji.

    "Ah, so you guys caught me." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "Actually, I¡¯m writing a novel."

    "Writing a novel?" Both Mika and Chiaki''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "To be more specific, I¡¯m writing a light novel¡­ you guys know about light novels, right?"

    "Of course, I read them asionally on the inte," Chiaki said.

    "I¡­ I¡¯m not sure," Mika said hesitantly.

    Both Chiaki and Seiji turned to look at Mika with expressions of horror.

    It seemed that it was time to train her¡­ whoops, teach her some knowledge.

    "Light novels¡­ just like its name, it means a novel that¡¯s light to read, although there¡¯s no strict definition of it," Seiji exined.

    It would be rather difficult to define just what exactly was and wasn¡¯t a light novel, so he decided to make his exnation as simple as possible.

    "Overall, light novels are rather rxing to read, and they have exquisite cover and insert art, so it¡¯s more enjoyable to read than traditional novels. Their story types are very simr to manga and anime, and many of them have been adapted into anime or vice versa, so many people think of light novels as a novel version of manga. Mika, you can interpret it that way as well."

    "Oh¡­" The double pigtailed girl nodded.

    "I¡¯m currently writing a light novel in cooperation with Shika-chan. She¡¯s in charge ofing up with ideas, and I¡¯m in charge of the actual writing¡­ we don¡¯t intend to put it on the inte and are intending to have it officially published instead.

    "Actually," Seiji continued, "I¡¯ve already submitted my draft, and it was epted; it¡¯s scheduled to be published in Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s magazine."

    "Published!?" Mika and Chiaki''s eyes bulged in surprise once again.

    "Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s magazine¡­ isn¡¯t that thepany that Yoshizawa-san works for?" Mika asked.

    "Yep, that¡¯s how it is." Seiji proceeded to exin how he''d gotten to know Editor Yoshizawa.

    "I see¡­ amazing! Seigo, your story is about to be published," Chiaki said, impressed.

    "Yes, you¡¯re really amazing," Mika praised. "The story that Seigo wrote¡­ I really want to read it."

    "You¡¯ll be able to see it when it¡¯s published."

    Seiji felt a little embarrassed when faced with the two beauties¡¯ sincere praise.

    "When¡¯s the magazine being published?" Chiaki asked. "I¡¯ll definitely buy a copy¡­ by the way, what¡¯s the name of the novel you¡¯re having published?"

 Chapter 247 - Novel Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 247: Novel Rewards</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t be handsome."

    When Seiji told them the name of his novel, he noticed that both Chiaki''s and Mika''s expressions changed slightly.

    He was slightly embarrassed at this. Even though Seiji could proudly p his chest and im that his novel was an excellent story, he was still embarrassed about it.

    "It¡¯s quite an amusing name; I feel tempted to read it right now," Chiaki said with a chuckle. "I¡¯m really curious about the contents."

    Mika also nodded energetically.

    "It should be published in the Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s next magazine, which will be released on¡ª"

    Before he could finish speaking, Seiji¡¯s cell phone started ringing.

    When he checked the caller ID, he saw that the call was from Editor Yoshizawa!

    ''Could it be¡­''

    When Seiji received the call, his suspicion was confirmed. The editor had called him especially to notify him that the magazine with his story being published in it would be released tomorrow.

    After he finished the call, Seiji immediately ryed this news to the two girls.

    "What a coincidence! We were just talking about this subject when your editor called you." Chiaki smiled. "I¡¯ll get up early tomorrow and buy a copy of the magazine to check out just what you wrote, Seigo."

    Mika also had an expression of anticipation.

    Seiji smiled, and his eyes burned with a proud light. "I¡¯m confident in my own story, and I hope that you guys will like it."

    To Mika and Chiaki, his current expression made him seem like he was shining with the brilliant light of charisma.

    "What about the current story you¡¯re writing together with your adopted younger sister Kagura-san? What¡¯s the name, and what¡¯s it about?" Chiaki asked.

    "About this¡­" Seiji averted his gaze. "The name will be ¡®Brother Monogatari,¡¯ and it¡¯s about a brother and sister dealing with demons."

    "Brother Monogatari?"

    A brother and sister fighting against demons?

    Chiaki and Mika exchanged awkward nces with each other.

    Chiaki lowered her voice. "This¡­ could it be a story about the real life of you and Kagura-san?"

    It really seemed so to her.

    After all, Seiji and Shika Kagura both had "mystical" powers, and the two adopted siblings indeed could be fighting against demons¡­ this already sounded like a fantasy story!

    "Of course not! I wouldn¡¯t write about something from my real life." Seiji waved his hand in denial.

    "I suppose so. But¡­" When Chiaki considered it more closely, she felt that the situation was somewhat strange.

    An actual magical ability user writing a fantasy story¡­ would his story count as non-fiction or fantasy?

    The tomboy was struggling with internal conflict; she wanted to remark on the strange situation but was lost on how to go about it.

    Not long after, the bell that signified the beginning of the next ss began ringing.

    ¡­

    When Seiji returned home after school, he saw a brand-new living room.

    High-quality tatami mats had been ced all over the floorboard, and some renovations were also done to the walls and ceiling. Together with the newly installed furniture, it seemed simple and beautiful. It gave the room the atmosphere of a family dwelling.

    The renovationpany did an excellent job, as expected of apany personally rmended by thendlord.

    Seiji sat down by the table, and Shika brought out a teapot and some teacups, sitting down beside him.

    The ck-haired beauty sat down on a tatami mat, ced the cups, and began pouring tea.

    This scene was so beautiful that Seiji was slightly startled He only regained his senses when Shika handed a teacup to him.

    He took the teacup, had a sip, and felt the warm and slightly bitter tea run down his throat.

    ''Mmm¡­ it''s pretty good.''

    Seiji and Shika enjoyed their tea for a while in silence. Then, Seijiid down on the tatamis and tried rolling around on them.

    Shika imitated him and also rolled around. Both of them exchanged nces andughed as theyy on the mats.

    The ck-haired girl rolled over to Seiji¡¯s side, and Seiji offered her his arm as a pillow. Shikaid her head on his arm and closed her eyes.

    Seiji watched his adopted sister¡¯s face for a while, before closing his eyes as well. Without saying anything, the two of them napped like two idle cats.

    Nighttime.

    Seiji stretched; he''d just finished another chapter of "Brother Monogatari" and had decided to stop for the day.

    He felt that resting was necessary. Last time, he was so engrossed in writing that he identally pulled an all-nighter, which he didn¡¯t enjoy.

    He also wanted to rx after concentrating for so long on writing. Seiji went to the living room and poured himself a ss of water.

    After he finished off most of the water, he simply sat down quietly on the tatami mats for a few minutes to help his brain to rx after working so hard.

    ''Should I continue writing?'' he wondered.

    After a few moments of internal deliberation, he decided on a change of pace; he would practice his [Astral Vision].

    So, Seiji simplyid down on the tatamis and began practicing. Yesterday night, he''d finished reading the material on [Astral Vision], and his system indicated that he had reached 100% progress for the [reading a manual] requirement.

    The difficult part of this spell was concentrating his Mana on his eyes. If a person didn¡¯t have good control of their Mana, this would be impossible. To make aparison with a certain game from his past life, Seiji felt that the [Body-Strengthening Technique] was akin to "awareness" of Mana, while [Astral Vision] relied more on "mechanical skills" to use Mana.

    He needed patience and refinement. His body rxed and his mind calm, he concentrated on perceiving and controlling the Mana.

    Satisfied that he was sufficiently connected with the surrounding Mana, he took the opportunity to activate the power in his eyes with an incantation and his eyes shot open.

    There was a red sh in his eyes¡ª[Astral Vision], activate!

    His vision sharpened, and everything in his field of vision glowed faint red, but his vision returned to normal after only a few seconds.

    It was still no good. Seiji was aware that it wouldn¡¯t be this easy to seed and that he still needed to practice.

    ¡®I should chat with Shika about this and have her teach me.¡¯

    He rose to his feet and went to knock on his adopted sister¡¯s door.

    ¡­

    The next morning was a special day for Seiji.

    The weekly edition of Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s magazine was publishing Seiji¡¯s story I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome on this day.

    He got up early to purchase a copy and read it together with Shika during breakfast. Seiji felt inwardly satisfied at seeing his own original work being published on paper.

    This was just the beginning. This was only a short story published in a magazine, and his next goal was to publish his own full-length light novel!

    It was a light novel that he worked on together with Shika, one which would have an exquisite cover and excellent insert art.

    Seiji and Shika both wished to see this in the future. On the way to school, Seiji showed the magazine to Mika.

    Kaede asked what was going on when she saw this, and she showed interest after she learned about it. She promised to purchase a copy to show her support, and Seiji thanked her for this.

    When they arrived at school, they saw that Chiaki was already in the ssroom reading the same magazine.

    When Chiaki saw Seiji, she gave him a big thumbs-up.

    "I haven¡¯t finished reading yet, but I think you¡¯ve written really well so far." The tomboy smiled as she gave him her review.

    Then, she kept on reading.

    Mika also sat in her seat and read her borrowed copy of Seiji¡¯s magazine; she seemed to be very enthused.

    ss time.

    Seiji ignored the content of the teacher¡¯s lesson and secretly worked on his novel.

    Suddenly, a system notification popped up in front of him¡ª

    [Your written novel has been officially published and truly liked by one hundred readers. The [novel rewards] option has been activated under your [rewards] option, and you can now be continuously awarded points and items as more and more readers truly appreciate, praise, and support your novels.]

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise. ¡®Wow, this is¡­¡¯

    He hurriedly opened up his system and checked the new option.

    First, he noticed that he''d received four reward points.

    And right as he was looking at it, this four changed into a five!

    The system said he would be continuously awarded¡­ so this was like ie, not a one-time deal! The more readers that liked his novel, the more points he would receive.

    And there were item rewards as well as points.

    Seiji took a look at the first item reward; it was called [Random Draw Shard]!

 Chapter 248 - Popularity Is Strength!

    <h4>Chapter 248: Poprity Is Strength!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    A [Random Draw] card¡­ so such a card finally appeared, and it was even in a "shard" form!

    Seiji instantly understood what it was by the name. He checked the system¡¯s exnation to confirm his thoughts, and it was just as he expected.

    [When you have five [Random Draw Shards], you maybine them into a [Random Draw] card. If you don¡¯t have enough [Random Draw Shards], you may also exchange for them with points.]

    [Each [Random Draw] card will reward you with a random item.]

    ¡®Now you¡¯re giving me [Random Draws] and even [shards]¡­ You¡¯ve finally fallen to such an extent, system of mine,¡¯ Seiji inwardlymented.

    As anyone who¡¯d yed an inte-based browser game or cell phone game before would know, terms like [Random Draw] or [shards]¡ªor their equivalent¡ªwere incrediblymon in such games and the yers viewed them with mixed feelings.

    The thrill of [Random Draws] was addictive: there were wonderful surprises like "drawing a legendary on the first try" or depressing events like "drawing nothing butmons fifty times in a row." It was a contrast between heaven and hell, the lucky and the unlucky¡­ and games reaped huge amounts of profit from the maths behind probability. There were probably enough regretful yers to form a line around the world¡¯s equator.

    And while "shards" could give yers a specific reward, they would have to obtain many of them through certain tasks or by grinding specific levels and so on, which wasn¡¯t all that fun by itself.

    Sometimes, yers would even wax philosophical about it: ¡®Am I ying the game, or is the game ying me?"; "Is the time spent on this worth it?"; "What is the meaning of life?¡¯ Such philosophical questions were just a few examples from the many out there.

    At any rate, if he wanted to, Seiji couldment on these twomon game factors for three consecutive days and nights, but he decided to forgo that.

    No matter what, it was good that he would be rewarded.

    Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s magazine would surely sell more copies, so his story would receive more exposure, and more and more readers would enjoy his work, so he would constantly receive more rewards.

    ¡®Now that I have such a reward option, I really need to take novel writing super seriously,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself. ''After all, poprity is strength!¡¯

    If he wrote even better novels, more readers would enjoy it, and he would reap arge number of points and items.

    He continued writing his novel. And like this, it was lunchtime before he knew it.

    Chiaki and Mika had both finished reading his novel and had given him excellent reviews.

    "I think that your novel has the potential to be extended into a longer one¡­ no, you definitely should continue it," Chiaki told him. "After I finished, I still wanted to read; I felt that there wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy me."

    "I also agree; Seigo¡¯s really good at writing!" Mika gave him her honest opinion: "I¡­ don¡¯t know how to describe it. I just think it¡¯s really good, and the end was rather moving. It left enough open for me to want to read more."

    "It¡¯s good that you guys like it." Seiji smiled. "As for continuing that story¡­ I may do so in the future, but I don¡¯t have any ns to do so right now. First, I want to focus on doing a good job for ¡®Brother Monogatari,¡¯ as I believe it will be an even better story than this short story here! That¡¯s because I worked hard on creating it together with Shika-chan."

    Seiji assumed a resolute eexpression.

    Both Mika and Chiaki were rather moved; they felt that he looked really cool with such a serious expression.

    "I really look forward to it¡­ when you¡¯re done, could you let me look at your draft?" Chiaki asked.

    "I¡¯d like to see your draft as well." Mika made the same request.

    Seiji grinned. "Of course. I should say that I''m hoping for the two of you to give me an early review."

    At this moment, someone walked up to them. It was Kaho Miyamoto.

    She had a lunchbox in her hand and was blushing furiously as she walked over to them. She was obviously nervous.

    "I¡­ would like to eat lunch together with you guys. Is¡­ is that alright?"

    Seiji exchanged nces with Chiaki and Mika. "Of course."

    "You¡¯re more than wee, Miyamoto-san," Chiaki said.

    "Please have a seat¡­" Mika chimed in.

    Naturally, three of them had no problem with her presence.

    Kaho inwardly heaved a sigh of relief and rxed visibly when the trio greeted her amicably. She was still nervous, though, and sat down tentatively.

    Her good friend Momoko Matsuoka had repeatedly encouraged her, and her friend''s urging had bolstered her courage to the point of doing this.

    If it had been up to herself, she would have been satisfied with just being able to talk to Seigo Harano during ss time. A "big event" like eating lunch together with him was something to be left forter¡­

    But Momoko argued against her way of thinking and advised her that she needed to take action as quickly as possible in order to ensure their new status as friends.

    Eating together during lunchtime wasmon for friends to do. If she could do this much, it would secure her rtionship with him as a friend.

    And if she didn¡¯t do this much, their rtionship as friends¡ªwhich was only verbal¡ªwould gradually fade over time if they didn¡¯t have constant contact. Eventually, they¡¯d end up being "casual friends."

    Kaho felt that Momoko was right, so she epted her advice and decided to take this step forward.

    Voluntarily getting closer to him and adding herself to his social circle¡­ she''d done it once already during theser tag activity, but this was different, as this was amonce, everyday activity rather than a one-time event.

    Participating in an one-time event together was poles apart from doing something like eating lunch with him every day.

    This was truly taking a step into his social world. She had taken this step, but she hadn¡¯t crossed the threshold just yet.

    She needed to do a good job and make it through lunchtime.

    Just what should she do? What should she say? Should she bring up a topic of conversation? Would she be able to follow their topics of conversation? Such anxieties filled her heart.

    Everyone was able to see how nervous she was.

    Seiji smiled to reassure her. "Miyamoto-san, do you like reading light novels?"

    "Er¡­ I do."

    "We¡¯re currently chatting about light novels¡­ the one that I wrote."

    Kaho''s eyes widened in surprise. "Harano-san¡­ wrote a novel!?"

    A copy of Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s magazine was ced in front of her.

    Seiji exined how his short novel was published and asked her to read it as well and give him a review.

    Kaho was shocked that Seigo Harano had written a light novel which had been published!

    She marveled at this in her heart and quickly began reading the novel in the magazine. The beginning of the story gripped and captured her interest.

    Naturally, Seiji involved her in the topic of his light novel as he began chatting with the three girls.

    Unbeknownst to her, Kaho''s nervousness soon dissipated due to the fact that light novels were one of her favorite topics.

    By the time she finally realized it, they had finally finished a fun lunch together.

    ¡®I seeded!'' she thought jubntly. ''No¡­ Harano-san seeded¡­¡¯

    Kaho realized that Seigo Harano was the one who sessfully helped her integrate into his social circle, and she felt a warm feeling in her chest upon realizing this.

    They definitely weren¡¯t just "casual friends." He really was treating her as his friend.

    The handsome boy¡¯s smile remained in her mind for a long time without fading.

    ¡­

    Atsushi Suzuki was a normal first-year middle school student.

    He wasn¡¯t one of the most popr, nor was he an outcast in his ss. He had ordinary friends, ordinary grades, and was ordinary at sports¡ªin short, he was a perfectly ordinary student.

    Since his older brother was very fond of light novels, manga, and anime, Atsushi was influenced by him and shared his tastes, albeit not to the same extent as his older brother. Just about everything he read was borrowed from his older brother.

    Today, Atsushi¡¯s brother bought the newest week¡¯s edition of Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s magazine just like always and put it down on the table after finishing the series he was following. After that, he began watching some anime. Atsushi wasn¡¯t interested in this anime, so he took the magazine back to his own room.

    When he opened it up, a title in the table of contents caught his attention.

    I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome ¡­ This title was rather interesting, so he decided to give it a try.

    Atsushi flipped to the page the story was on and yed some music to listen to while reading. He soon lost himself in reading.

    Heughed loudly at theical moments, became nervous at the tense moments, and frowned when the main character acted depraved. He was overjoyed when the main character recovered his spirit and joined the final battle and was moved by the final scene.

    Atsushi remained in a daze for quite a while after he finished reading.

    Then, he flipped through to the beginning and read the entire story over again while paying more attention to detail.

    ¡®This is really an amazing story. Why isn¡¯t it a little longer? This isn¡¯t enough at all!¡¯

    He felt that this story was his ideal light novel.

    Especially the fighting scenes, as Atsushi felt like reading them was just as descriptive as watching an anime¡­ no, it was even more vivid than watching an anime! He could imagine each scene in such vivid detail; he redited this to the author¡¯s nearly professional-level descriptions.

    This author seemed too amazing to him.

    The pen name was¡­ Idle Dimension by The Shore.

    Atsushi felt that it was a rather strange pen name butmitted this name to his memory nheless.

    This was the first time in his life he had evermitted an author¡¯s name to his memory as well as the first time he had ever wanted to write to an author to express how much he liked the story.

    Atsushi walked out of his room.

    "Bro, can I write the reply letter to the magazine for this week¡¯s edition?" he asked.

    "Hmm? Of course. I don¡¯t mind at all¡­ but why are you suddenly interested in writing the magazine a letter?" his brother asked casually. He was curious about this unexpected request.

    "There¡¯s a story that I really enjoyed, so I wanted to write in and support the author."

    "Oh, which story is it?"

    Atsushi told his brother the name of the story, then he went back to his room to fill in the magazine¡¯s reply letter.

    He voted for I¡¯ll Die If I Don¡¯t Be Handsome as his #1 favorite in the magazine¡¯s weekly fan poll.

    He wasn¡¯t the only reader to do this.

 Chapter 249 - Do You Have Time Tomorrow?

    <h4>Chapter 249: Do You Have Time Tomorrow?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    On the third night after the magazine was published with Seiji¡¯s story.

    Seiji had umted 133 points and five [Random Draw Shards] as a reward from his novel. Hebined these five [shards] into a [Random Draw Card], wanting to try his luck.

    He wanted to shout out a line from some popr game¡­ but decided against it.

    He would entertain himself like this if he were alone, but Shika-chan was in the room adjacent to his, so she would definitely hear him if he shouted anything.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want his adopted sister to look at him strangely, so he could only choose to [use] the card.

    He really wanted a card that would let him learn a spell! Although he didn¡¯t feel like it was likely, he felt that life was all about hoping.

    The [Random Draw Card], a card with a golden question mark depicted on one side, transformed into white light and rearranged itself into a new card¡ª[Stat Reassignment Card]!

    Wasn¡¯t this the card that he had wanted before to reassign some stats to his [art] stat, but didn¡¯t exchange for because he felt it would be a waste of his points?

    Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched slightly. At the time, he had been wanting to raise his [art] stat, but the incident with Shika happened right after, so he had decided against it.

    Right now, he wanted to focus on writing his story as well as learning spells, so he didn¡¯t have time to improve his [art] stat.

    He had actually received such a prize¡­ It wasn¡¯t bad, though, and he felt as if the imaginary system fairy was getting some payback.

    To be honest, he did consider loading and drawing again, to see if he could draw something different and more desirable.

    However, Seiji didn¡¯t want to abuse his save and load ability like this.

    Where did the save and load ability originate from? His dating sim system. What about the [Random Draw] reward card? Also his dating sim system.

    Would such a strong system¡ªone that could even turn back time¡ªhave such a design w which would allow him to repeatedly try drawing for different rewards? Impossible.

    At least, Seiji felt it was impossible. And he had a faint premonition that if he tried to toy with his system like this, something bad would happen.

    So he decided to just ept whatever it was that he drew. Seiji closed his system and was about to continue practising [Astral Vision] when he heard his cell phone ring.

    The caller was Yukari Asamiya.

    "Hey, good evening, Harano-san." When he picked up, she greeted him politely.

    "Good evening, Asamiya-san."

    This week, Seiji asionally saw Yukari in the hallways at school, but they only greeted each other and didn¡¯t have any conversation.

    "Have you already finished reading the light novels we were discussing previously at the bookstore?" she asked.

    "I have."

    Although he was busy with writing his story and learning spells, he still spent some time on rxing as well.

    During his recreation time, Seiji had finished reading Reincarnated Golden Eagle , Record of the Demon Sword , and I Can¡¯t Sleep When I¡¯m Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister .

    The first two were fine, but¡­ Shika was also reading the third!

    He felt rather awkward about borrowing a light novel with such a name from his adopted younger sister.

    "What did you think of them?" Yukari asked.

    "They¡¯re all pretty good. All three have very different styles, but they¡¯re all excellent stories with their own selling points." Seiji gave his review.

    "I know!" Yukari eximed in a obviously excited voice. "I¡¯ve been following these three for quite a while now, and I can¡¯t stop reading them at all."

    "I agree. Especially Demon Sword; the story is just too thrilling. I actually wanted to finish reading all the volumes in one go, but I barely managed to restrain myself."

    "Yeah, I¡¯m the same as well! I think that the story of Demon Sword is just amazing, and I ended up reading all the volumes when I first started. I even pulled an all-nighter to finish them."

    She pulled an all-nighter reading light novels¡­ Seiji found it difficult to imagine the purple-haired girl doing that, but he could tell that the passion in her voice was genuine.

    She truly loved to read light novels. Seiji realized this and now had a better impression of Yukari.

    The two of them chatted passionately for a while.

    "Harano-san, do you have time tomorrow? I¡¯d like to meet you and chat in person!" Yukari brought this up naturally.

    ¡®Is this¡­ an invitation for a date?¡¯ Seiji saw it for what it was.

    But he also had a feeling that if he refused, she would take some other action instead of giving up.

    Besides, he really did have a lot of fun chatting with her.

    She was definitely a true lover of light novels who had read many books and was familiar with all the tropes. She wasn¡¯t a reader in name only.

    He really did want to have a nice chat with such a beautiful girl that shared his interests¡­ so why would he refuse?

    After thinking about it, Seiji replied: "I¡¯m free."

    On the other side of the call.

    Upon hearing this answer, Yukari temporarily covered her cell phone, clenched her fist, and shouted "Yeah!" in order to vent her sheer excitement.

    She was actually quite nervous in addition to being excited, and her face had turned red.

    "That¡¯s great! Let¡¯s set a time and ce, then. What time and ce will be good for you?" Yukari was looking at a chart in front of her as she said this.

    All the time blocks for Saturday and Sunday were drawn on it, and various good ces for dates were written for each time block.

    She had done plenty of homework.

    "When would it be convenient for you, Asamiya-san?"

    "I¡¯m fine with tomorrow morning and afternoon."

    Actually, she was free during the evening as well. But she felt it was better to not have a first date at night.

    Boys with other intentions would probably want to have a date at night time, but Harano-san wasn¡¯t that type of person, so she felt having a date with him during the evening would have the opposite effect of what she wanted.

    "Then¡­ let¡¯s go with tomorrow morning. As for the ce¡­ I don¡¯t have any idea," Seiji confessed. "Asamiya-san, do you have any ces where you¡¯d like to meet?"

    Yukari instantly told him the first ce listed in her chart for that time block.

    "Let¡¯s meet there, then. As for the specific time¡­ how about 9:30 A.M.?"

    "Okay, it¡¯s settled then, Harano-san." Yukari ced her hand over her chest in an attempt to suppress her own excitement. "Don¡¯t bete~"

    "Of course I won¡¯t," Seiji said withughter in his voice. "See you tomorrow, Asamiya-san¡­ have a good night."

    "Have a good night, Harano-san," Yukari replied in a soft voice, before hanging up the call.

    She then tossed her cell phone away, leaped onto her bed with a loud thump , and hugged arge stuffed golden lion. She rolled around and around on her bed, burying her face in the lion doll and shouting.

    ¡®He agreed! I seeded on my first attempt at inviting him to a date! I¡¯m so happy, so delighted, so excited¡­¡¯

    The purple-haired beauty didn¡¯t care about her current appearance at all; she kept rolling around for several minutes before finally stopping.

    "Harano-san¡¯s reaction¡­ was almost exactly the same as how I thought he¡¯d react," Yukari muttered to herself.

    This meant that he was exactly the type of person she thought he was. She hadn¡¯t expected to be able to meet her perfect match in real life.

    He was handsome and possessed a good figure and an open and direct personality. Despite this, he had otaku-ish hobbies¡­ heavens, this was an absolutely perfect match for her.

    She felt as if the gods themselves had personally crafted him for her as her partner!

    The first time she saw him, she was attracted to him, and then she investigated a little about him and was even more attracted. When she finally regained her senses, she was already in love with him.

    The more she learned about him, the more she liked him. Yukari felt that she was really lucky. She was determined to get this boy in her grasp.

    She really wanted to develop things more quickly, but she knew that she shouldn¡¯t rush, that she should be patient, and that she needed to make progress one step at a time.

    Yukari revealed a sweet smile as she imagined her future together with him.

 Chapter 250 - Itâ€™s Just Pure Communication!

    <h4>Chapter 250: It¡¯s Just Pure Communication!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji had agreed to a date with someone from his grade. When he hung up, he discovered that his heart was beating rather quickly.

    He was actually nervous¡­ well, he supposed it was only natural.

    She had confessed to him before and had clearly expressed romantic interest in him. For such a beauty to ask him out on a date, and him promising to meet her meant that¡­

    ''No, I shouldn''t think too much of it.'' Seiji stopped himself from dwelling on the matter for too long.

    Currently, Yukari was simply a friend he enjoyed chatting with aboutmon interests.

    Tomorrow, he was just going to meet a friend and chat a little.

    ¡­But was it really like that?

    He imagined hearing that question in his mind.

    ¡®Of course! I don¡¯t have any other intentions; we''re only talking!¡¯ Seiji attempted to persuade himself.

    Then, he thought of Shika-chan. He was going on a date tomorrow¡­ no, just chatting with a friend. He felt like he should tell her.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright to tell her tomorrow as well, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Seiji suddenly had that thought, and he discovered that he was actually feeling like he didn¡¯t believe himself.

    ¡®Why do I feel like I don¡¯t even believe myself?¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand, so he decided to immediately tell Shika about it.

    Right at this time, there was a knock on his door.

    "Brother Seiji, I¡¯ve finished showering¡­ it¡¯s your turn."

    Seiji opened his door to see the ck-haired beauty in pajamas.

    He had begun to build up a resistance against seeing his adopted sister straight from the shower. Now he was able to simply appreciate it in silence.

    "Shika-chan, I¡­ I¡¯m going out for a bit tomorrow."

    Shika blinked at this. "Are you going to see Yukari Asamiya?"

    "¡­How did you know?"

    "Tomorrow is Saturday, and I figured that it was about time that she would contact Brother," Shika said lightly.

    Seiji felt a subtle chill.

    "What time are you going, and where did she arrange to meet you?" Shika asked.

    "Tomorrow morning at 9:30, at¡­" Seiji answered honestly.

    "Got it." Shika nodded. "Good night, Brother Seiji."

    She turned around and left.

    As Seiji watched her leave, he faintly felt as if he had made some sort of mistake.

    Upon considering it over more carefully, he felt that he didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ all he did was tell his adopted sister about going out to chat with a friend aboutmon interests.

    He decided to not dwell on the matter and to go take his shower.

    Meanwhile, after Shika entered her room, she immediately whipped out her cell phone and called someone who instantly picked up.

    "Good evening, Uehara-san¡­" she said.

    Mika was surprised when she saw that the caller was Shika Kagura. Since tomorrow was Saturday and she was free, she was just thinking about what to do when she received a call from Shika.

    "Good evening. What¡¯s up, Kagura-san?"

    "Uehara-san, do you know the person named Yukari Asamiya?" Shika asked her in a calm voice.

    "Yukari Asamiya¡­ I know her."

    "Brother Seiji is going to have a date with her tomorrow."

    Mika froze solid in shock for a good two seconds.

    "D-date!?" she spluttered.

    "Yes, using the excuse of a meeting between friends to chat aboutmon interests¡­"

    Shika gave Mika a summary of what happened when Seiji and her coincidentally ran into Yukari at the bookstore.

    "Just now, she contacted Brother, and arranged a time and ce to meet tomorrow¡­"

    Mika hurriedly wrote down the information.

    "Kagura-san, why did you tell this to me?" Mika asked.

    "Do you not wish to know, Uehara-san?"

    "N-no, I do want to know. But why would you¡­"

    Shika remained silent for a moment as she contemted this. "Because I feel like you should know."

    Mika didn¡¯t know what to say to this. "Kagura-san¡­ are you on my side?" she ventured.

    Shika remained silent for a long moment. "For the time being."

    "Time being¡­" Mika echoed.

    "I¡¯ve already given you the information; the rest is up to you, Uehara-san," Shika said in her typical light tone before hanging up.

    Mika slowly put down her cell phone with a dazed expression on her face.

    She didn¡¯t know what Kagura-san¡­ just what Seiji¡¯s adopted younger sister was thinking. Did she dislike Yukari Asamiya? Was she supporting her to be with Seiji?

    It didn¡¯t feel like either was the case¡­ Perhaps Shika herself wanted to¡­ Mika¡¯s feelings were ratherplex as she thought about it.

    No matter what, Seiji¡¯s date tomorrow with Yukari¡­ she couldn¡¯t just let it be! Yukari Asamiya was an amazing girl. Mika was very clear on this after watching her confess to Seiji.

    If Mika simply allowed such a beautiful and amazing girl do as she pleased on a date with Seiji, perhaps¡­

    She needed to do something, but what should she do? Mika''s brain raced for inspiration but couldn¡¯te up with any ideas.

    Mika decisively decided to ask for help. She picked up her cell phone again, dialed a number, and made a call.

    "Hey, Chiaki¡­"

    ¡­

    The next morning.

    Seiji had a rather strange sensation.

    Was he was just feeling ufortable today, or was it due to a poor sleepst night? He didn¡¯t feel like everything was quite right today, and the atmosphere was stifling. It was as if a tremendous thunderstorm was about to ur.

    But the weather outside was wonderful. The leaves swayednguidly in the gentle breeze, and the skies were clear with nary a cloud in sight. Even dark clouds seemed impossible, much less a thunderstorm.

    He didn¡¯t understand why he had this type of feeling¡­ he decided to forget about it, figuring that it would disappear after a while.

    After he finished eating the breakfast that Shika prepared for him, he practiced some [Astral Vision], then prepared to go out.

    "Shika-chan, do you have anything you¡¯d like me to buy for you while I¡¯m out?"

    Shika shook her head.

    ¡®Let¡¯s buy something delicious for her before I return,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    "I¡¯m leaving," he said.

    "Be careful while outside," Shika said to his back.

    He left his apartment and walked to the agreed-upon ce: the Bamboo Dragonfly coffee cafe in the business district.

    When Seiji found this store and walked inside, he instantly noticed an entire array of bookshelves stocked with manga on the right wall.

    This was a manga coffee cafe.

    The store was decorated in a 2-D fashion. Apart from the bookshelves filled with manga, there were also anime posters, anime figurines, character sketches, cute dolls, and so on.

    A server weed him. Seiji was guided to a seat, and he ordered a coffee as well as a few manga he was interested in. He began drinking his coffee while reading manga.

    There weren¡¯t too many customers in here at this time of day. Some were reading manga quietly, while others passed the time by chatting with each other. The atmosphere seemed quite nice to Seiji.

    Since Yukari had asked him to meet at such a ce, he figured that this meant she was also really into manga.

    This was only natural, since someone who liked light novels was also highly likely to enjoy anime and manga. It could even be said that many people got into and learned more about light novels through watching anime in the first ce.

    Seiji had already thought about this when he learned that Yukari Asamiya really liked light novels. Now, it seemed that she was indeed¡­

    While he was thinking about Yukari, she walked through the door.

    Today, the purple-haired beauty was wearing a dress. She was wearing a one-piece light purple dress with a light blue jacket on top. Her beautiful, creamy-white legs sported half-translucent white stockings.

    This outfit entuated her beauty in a wonderful way. The distance between her skirt and her stockings creating a mesmerizing absolute territory, lending her an astounding charisma!

    Not only was Seiji rather dazed by the sight, even the other customers were dazed upon noticing her arrival. A male waiter who was holding a coffee tray even identally tripped over a chair as he walked while watching her¡­ *Crash!*

    There was amotion at this. Yukari paid no attention to the chaos she created; she smiled and walked up to Seiji when she saw him.

    "Sorry that I¡¯mte; did you wait long?"

    "You weren¡¯tte; you¡¯re right on time." Seiji smiled as he put down the manga in his hands. "I didn¡¯t wait long."

    Yukari sat down across from him. "How is this store? Not bad, right?"

    "Yep, it¡¯s pretty nice."

    "I enjoy the atmosphere here. It¡¯s easy to get lost in reading manga here without paying attention to the time."

    They chatted casually until a waiter came over to take their order.

    Yukari ordered a cup of coffee, then began chatting with Seiji about the three light novels, continuingst night¡¯s conversation.

    It was as if she really only did want to talk about and exchange their opinions on the light novels after reading.

    Seiji was in his element here, as he expressed his opinions on these stories andmented on various scenes in these light novels.

    Just as their discussion reached a passionate crescendo, some customers arrived.

    Seiji didn¡¯t pay them any attention until he heard their footsteps approach his table. He reflexively nced over at them, and his expression froze over.

    "Hey, Seigo! What a coincidence."

    It was Chiaki. And Mika as well!

    Seiji was unable to react to suddenly seeing these two here.

    ''Why are they here?''

 Chapter 251 - You Two Arent Even Close to My Level

    <h4>Chapter 251: You Two Aren''t Even Close to My Level</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Mika and I just happened to be shopping around here, and we thought that this store seemed interesting, so we decided to check it out. We didn¡¯t expect to see you here," Chiaki said naturally.

    She made it sound so believable. Mika, who was standing beside her, chose to remain silent.

    "Oh¡­ what a coincidence," Seiji muttered, still dazed.

    "Who¡¯s this beautiful girl sitting across from you? Are you on a date?" Chiaki turned to Yukari and smiled.

    "She¡¯s¡ª" Seiji started.

    "I¡¯m Yukari Asamiya, from Year 1, ss 3." Yukari was no longer smiling; there was a sharp look in her eyes as she faced the tomboy. Hello, it''s nice to meet you¡­ You don¡¯t know me, but I know you two, Chiaki Wakaba¡­ and Mika Uehara-san."

    "You know us?" Chiaki''s smile faded when faced with Yukari¡¯s imposing manner.

    "Yes, many people know you¡­ the two good friends that are often by Harano-san¡¯s side," Yukari said lightly, cing extra emphasis on ¡®good friends.¡¯

    Chiaki''s smile looked rather forced, and her eyes shot sparks. Yukari looked directly into Chiaki''s eyes, radiating an imposing aura.

    Mika remained silent; her eyes swam with a wistful look.

    Seiji was rendered speechless. Was this¡­ the legendary hellish battleground between women? Why did it be like this!?

    It wasn¡¯t difficult for him toe up with the answer. He only told about the date¡­ whoops, the time and ce of the meeting with Yukari to one person.

    For Chiaki and Mika to show up here precisely at this time, it was highly likely that they received information from that person.

    Even though it might have been a coincidence, Seiji felt that¡­ this was most likely the case.

    ¡®Shika-chan¡­¡¯ He felt somewhat conflicted as he thought about how his adopted younger sister had probably created this situation.

    He was about to speak up and say something, but the purple-haired girl beat him to it.

    "Since we coincidentally met here, why don¡¯t you sit down together with us? You two are Harano-san¡¯s good friends, and I''ve wanted to have a good chat with you, so this is an excellent opportunity."

    Yukari¡¯s words were very direct; they didn¡¯t seem to contain any trace of falsity at all.

    Chiaki blinked at this. ¡®As expected of the ¡®Princess,¡¯ she mused.

    Just this short first meeting with Yukari caused Chiaki to understand why Yukari had a nickname which she could only inwardly exim at.

    ¡®Mika, you have such an incredible opponent.¡¯ Chiaki nced at her good friend before sitting down at the table.

    Mika sat down as well. Both of them ordered coffees from the waiter that came by.

    After that, everyone remained silent for a little while.

    "I was just chatting with Asamiya-san about light novels¡­ what we felt about them after reading," Seiji said, breaking the silence. "When I was purchasing light novels at the bookstore, we coincidentally ran into each other, and I learned that she was also really fond of light novels, so we arranged a time to chat about them."

    "I see¡­ I thought that you two were having a date, but in the end, it''s justmunication between friends about amon interest ."

    Chiaki strongly emphasized thest few words of her sentence. It was a counterattack against Yukari.

    Yukari smiled faintly. "Indeed, Harano-san and I have somemon interests. I¡¯m very happy about this and had lots of fun chatting with him earlier. By the way, Wakaba-san and Uehara-san, do you two like light novels? What novels have you read?"

    Yukari made another stab. Her riposte was rather difficult to deal with for Chiaki.

    If she had to answer, she would say, "Of course I like light novels," but her passion was only at a normal level. It was probably not even close to Yukari¡¯s or Seiji¡¯s level.

    Chiaki wasn¡¯t aware just how much Yukari liked light novels, but she could sense her imposing manner, which seemed to say "You two aren¡¯t even close to being on my level."

    The purple-haired girl¡¯s eyes revealed self-confidence and resolution, and she was surrounded by an atmosphere which wouldn¡¯t be shaken by anything whatsoever.

    ¡®I can¡¯t just answer her like this and let her control the flow.¡¯ Although this thought passed through her head, Chiaki didn¡¯t know how she should answer.

    "I don¡¯t like light novels," a voice said calmly. It was Mika. She looked at Yukari and answered her question calmly.

    This was the first sentence she had spoken since entering the manga coffee cafe, and her response surprised Yukari.

    "That¡¯s because I¡¯ve never even read light novels before, and only learned about them recently, so I can¡¯t say that I like them," Mika continued. "But¡­ I like the light novel that Seigo wrote," Mika said in a resolute tone, looking towards Seiji.

    "Harano-san wrote a light novel?" Yukari was surprised yet again.

    "Yep. Seigo didn¡¯t tell you? His story was published in a magazine, and Chiaki and I both read it and thought that it was great." Mika looked towards Yukari and smiled.

    There seemed to be a strong force behind her smile.

    "I really enjoyed his short novel, and the only drawback was that I thought it was too short; it wasn''t enough for me to read at all. I¡¯ve already be Seigo¡¯s fan. In the future, I¡¯ll read anything that Seigo writes, and I¡¯ll like his other stories as well." There was a passionate fervor in Mika¡¯s voice.

    Yukari¡¯s expression changed as she noticed Mika¡¯s passion.

    Chiaki also noticed and inwardly eximed: ¡®Mika¡­ you really have changed. In a good way.¡¯

    Chiaki was proud of her friend¡¯s growth.

    Seiji also felt Mika¡¯s passion and was slightly moved. "Mika¡­"

    "Seigo, I¡¯m really looking forward to your next novel¡­ before you finish your new novel, could you rmend some good stories to me? I¡¯ll read them all." Mika said that to Seiji as her face began flushing red in embarrassment.

    Even though she had matured, some things were still the same. She still became shy easily.

    She was relying solely on her willpower to not be surpassed by her opponent. She expressed her true feelings confidently and without hesitation. After she said these words, her instinct to be embarrassed reasserted itself.

    ¡®So cute.¡¯ Seiji felt that the shy, embarrassed girl in front of him was rather cute and couldn''t help but feel moved

    "Okay¡­ I¡¯ll give you some rmendations; I hope that you will enjoy them," he said without thinking.

    When he regained his senses, he discovered that he had already given her a promise.

    Both Yukari and Chiaki saw how he reacted. The purple-haired girl¡¯s expression turned slightly grimmer, and the tomboy inwardly whistled.

    ¡®Nice one, Mika!¡¯

    This helped ease them into the topic of conversation, and the most importantly of all, it attracted Seiji¡¯s attention.

    This was a victory.

    However¡­

    "It¡¯s wonderful that Uehara-san is willing to join us light novel fans in bing one," Yukari said. "I¡¯d also like to hear Harano-san¡¯s rmended light novels, and see if there are any differences from the ones I would rmend, and we can chat about these."

    The purple-haired girl instantly reorganized and continued her attacks.

    Chiaki scrutinized Yukari¡¯s expression and judged that she was just the same as earlier; her imposing manner hadn''t decreased in the slightest.

    ¡®As expected, she¡¯s an incredible person.¡¯

    They continued to chat, and the girls exchanged many verbal spars.

    ¡­

    When Seiji finally left the manga coffee cafe, he was in a happy mood.

    At the very beginning, it seemed to him like this ce would transform into a hellish battleground between women, but that seemed to disappear after they chatted a bit, and everyone seemed to be having fun¡­ on the surface.

    Yep, on the surface.

    What about in actuality? Seiji didn¡¯t know, nor did he want to think too deeply about it. To him, he had fun chatting about light novels, and that was enough for him.

    After this, he figured he would go around with Mika and Chiaki and find a ce to eat lunch together.

    Right now, though¡ª

    "Asamiya-san, I had fun chatting with you today. See you next time."

    "I had fun as well. Let¡¯s have another coffee together sometime. See youter."

    Mika and Chiaki smiled as they said goodbye to the purple-haired girl; it was as if it had been decided from the very beginning that they would split up after leaving the manga coffee cafe.

    Yukari kept her smile. "It was great to meet and chat with the two of you; you¡¯re both really nice people¡­ I look forward to our next meeting."

    The three beautiful girls exchanged smiles; it was a beautiful scene for any bystander.

    Only Seiji, who was close to them, felt as if he could detect something invisible shing between them in midair.

    ¡®It¡¯s just my mistaken impression, yep, nothing but a mistaken impression. They¡¯re just saying friendly goodbyes to each other; there¡¯s nothing else to it.

    ''But¡­ is that really the case?¡¯ a voice asked from the deepest part of his heart. ¡®Just what am I supposed to think of it then, bastard!¡¯ Seiji shouted in his mind.

    "Harano-san¡­" Yukari called out to him softly, snapping him out of his daze.

 Chapter 252 - Ill Do a Good Job in Accompanying You

    <h4>Chapter 252: I''ll Do a Good Job in Apanying You</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I had tons of fun today chatting with you. Let¡¯s chat again some other time." The purple-haired beauty had a soft and alluring expression in her eyes as she gazed at Seiji¡¯s handsome face.

    "Yes¡­ I had lots of fun as well." Seiji felt rather itchy from being looked at like this.

    Yukari finally retracted her gaze and looked back at Mika and Chiaki onest time.

    "Goodbye, the three of you," she said. She turned around and left after saying goodbye.

    The three of them watched her leave. After she was gone from sight, Mika and Chiaki both sighed in unison.

    "She¡¯s¡­ such a strong enemy, Mika."

    "Yeah," Mika agreed, "as expected of the ¡®Princess.¡¯"

    Both girls seemed fatigued as if they had just fought a difficult battle as they muttered to each other.

    Seiji was rendered speechless. He decided to pretend ignorance.

    "After this¡­ how about going together somewhere for lunch?" he tried asking.

    Mika and Chiaki still had fatigued expressions as they looked towards him.

    "I want to go home," Mika said.

    "Mika¡­ I haven¡¯t been to your home in so long, can Ie over?" Chiaki asked.

    "You¡¯re more than wee to¡­ let¡¯s eat some desserts together and listen to some music."

    "Yes, let desserts and music heal our bodies and hearts."

    The two of them talked only to each other andpletely ignored Seiji as they turned around and left just like that.

    Seiji was left absolutely speechless.

    Forget it¡­ he decided to give a call to Shika to see what she wanted to eat for lunch, and he would purchase some takeout and bring it home for lunch.

    ¡­

    "I¡¯m home," Seiji called as he entered the apartment, the takeout in his hands.

    Shika wasying on the tatami, her ck hair slightly scattered. Both hands were folded on her chest as she slept there with a calm expression.

    This was a beautiful scene, at the level of an idol¡¯s picture.

    ''Is she really asleep?'' Seiji doubted it, as they had just been talking over the cell phone.

    "I brought back lunch," he said to the "sleeping" Shika. "Even though it¡¯s a bit early, let¡¯s eat it while it¡¯s still hot."

    Seiji put two lunchboxes down on the table and opened them, causing a marvelous aroma to spread through the air as the heat escaped from the food.

    "Shika-chan¡­" He turned around to call his adopted younger sister, but discovered that she had already disappeared. Then, he suddenly felt someone hugging him.

    The ck-haired girl had soundlessly approached his back and was hugging him from behind.

    "Shika-chan?" he asked. "What¡¯s the matter?"

    "I¡¯m sorry¡­ Brother Seiji."

    "Eh? Why are you apologizing?" Seiji was surprised for a moment, then he figured it out. "Is it because you told Mika and the others about the time and ce that I was going to meet Asamiya-san?"

    "Yeah¡­" Shika admitted.

    "I suspected so," Seiji said, sighing. "This action of yours¡­ is a bit of a problem, but it isn¡¯t too big of a deal, since it isn¡¯t anything that¡¯s a secret."

    He was rather surprised that his adopted younger sister "exposed" him, but he wasn¡¯t angry at her about it.

    While chatting at the coffee cafe, Seiji had already put this behind him. If Shika-chan didn¡¯t bring it up by herself, he probably wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it until after finishing lunch.

    "It¡¯s fine as long as you apologize; just pay more attention in the future¡­ let¡¯s eat lunch."

    Shika didn¡¯t let go; her arms were still wrapped around him with no signs of loosening.

    ¡®She must be more worried about this than I am,¡¯ Seiji thought.

    "Do you really mind that you did such a thing? If you yourself think that it¡¯s wrong, then why did you do it?"

    Shika remained silent and only hugged him even tighter than earlier.

    "Shika-chan¡­ I said this already the first time that we met in the park," Seiji told her in a soft voice. "I don¡¯t have the ability to read minds, so if you don¡¯t say anything, I won¡¯t understand anything. Whatever you¡¯re thinking, just say it. No matter what it is, I¡¯ll listen to you." His voice was as gentle as he could possibly make it.

    Shika felt this gentleness from him, and she couldn¡¯t help but rub her face against his back, as if she could absorb gentleness from him by doing so.

    ¡®It¡¯s so wondrous¡­ so delicious¡­ almost like a drug.¡¯

    She felt that she was addicted to this "drug"; she didn''t think she could live without.

    She didn¡¯t want to let go; she didn¡¯t want to lose it, and she wanted to always have it for herself.

    That was why.

    "I¡­ don¡¯t want Brother Seiji to get a girlfriend so quickly," Shika said in a soft voice.

    "Hmm?"

    "Yukari Asamiya¡­ is a beautiful and incredible girl. If I just leave her alone and let her have dates with Brother¡­ something definitely might happen. I don¡¯t want that to happen¡­ I don¡¯t want Brother to take it quickly with her and be her boyfriend.

    "Because I¡­ want things to be just like this¡­ so that I can be together with Brother."

    She wanted the status quo to continue a little longer, so that she could have her adopted brother¡¯s gentleness to herself for a little longer.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say for a while at this.

    This was his adopted sister acting spoiled towards him. He felt her intentions.

    As for how he responded, he¡­

    "I understand," Seiji told her gently. "I promise you that I won¡¯t be getting a girlfriend anytime soon. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend on getting a girlfriend anyway¡­ because of various things."

    He wanted to write his novel, to learn spells, and he was concerned about his family. He also wanted to increase his Spiritual Power and be a Yin-Yang Master¡­

    "I¡¯d like to just stay like this and be with Shika-chan for a lot longer¡­ I feel the same way as Shika-chan in this matter."

    ¡®That¡¯s why you don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ll do a good job in apanying you.¡¯

    "Brother Seiji¡­" Shika sensed the intention behind his words and felt something welling up within her. It transformed into something warm in her eyes and caused her vision to grow hazy. "Thank you¡­"

    Seiji smiled. "What are you saying? We¡¯re family, after all."

    There was no need to be polite with each other or concerned about anything. Just say whatever it was out loud and have propermunication¡ªthat¡¯s how family was supposed to be to him.

    ¡­

    "I feel as if we were taken advantage of."

    Chiaki, who was currentlyzing about in Mika¡¯s room, suddenly said this.

    "Eh?"

    "Thinking it over more carefully, didn¡¯t Kagura-san next door basically take advantage of us? All she did was give us the information, and we ended up working so hard to face off against such a strong enemy. In the end, she benefited the most because Seiji ended up returning home together with her."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "Even second year middle-school girls like her will have their plots¡­ and she¡¯s no ordinary girl to begin with. Perhaps Kagura-san is actually the scariest hidden boss of all," Chiaki said casually as she rolled over like azy cat.

    "Kagura-san¡­ doesn¡¯t seem like that type of girl," Mika protested.

    "But you don¡¯t know just exactly what type of person she is."

    Mika remained silent.

    Chiaki smiled at her. "Don¡¯t mind me; I¡¯m just saying Kagura-san definitely isn¡¯t a bad girl, otherwise Seiji wouldn¡¯t have epted her as his adopted younger sister. Judging by her contacting you, my deduction is that she was worried that her adopted brother Seiji would be taken away by some other girl, so he would no longer pay as much attention to her, which led to her taking action to bnce things out.

    "She definitely has plots of her own, but whether that is all there is to it, or if she will reveal herself to be a bad type, I don¡¯t know. At any rate, you should pay more attention.

    "Besides, the current greatest threat is still that ¡®Princess.¡¯" Chiaki changed the topic of conversation back to their opponent from earlier this morning.

    "Yes, Asamiya-san¡­ she¡¯s really too amazing," Mika said, sighing.

    "She¡¯s beautiful, confident, resolute, and smart. But," Chiaki said slowly, "the most critical of all is¡ª"

    "She¡¯s an otaku!" the two of them said in unison.

    During their conversation this morning, Chiaki and Mika learned that Yukari Asamiya was very fond of light novels and vastly experienced as well as fond of anime and manga and equally experienced in these areas.

    This was rather shocking to Mika and Chiaki. It gave them a lot of pressure.

    "At first, I thought that they just had simr personalities. I didn¡¯t expect that they even had the same hobbies! Being so simr to Seiji, is just¡­" Chiaki let out a huge sigh.

    She had previously said that Yukari Asamiya was like a weaker version of Seigo Harano¡­ but she didn¡¯t expect that her phrase would be so urate!

    "She¡¯s¡­ basically like a female version of Seiji." Mika also heaved a deep sigh.

    They perfectly understood why Yukari Asamiya would like Seigo Harano so much.

    Subjective factors aside, when only talking about objective factors¡­ Seigo Harano and Yukari Asamiya seemed like a match made in heaven!

 Chapter 253 - Please Teach Us About Otaku Culture!

    <h4>Chapter 253: Please Teach Us About Otaku Culture!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki and Mika could easily imagine it: with Yukari and Seiji¡¯s personalities, in addition to theirmon interests, they¡¯d surely be happy together.

    They seemed likely to be a blindingly bright beautiful couple that everyone would envy.

    Just imagining it made Chiaki and Mika feel like it was wrong to stop them from being together¡­ they would feel really guilty about it!

    So they didn¡¯t dare imagine any further, as they instinctively felt afraid.

    "The only lucky part is that Seiji still isn¡¯t that romantically interested in her yet; although I can tell that he¡¯s been slightly moved, he hasn¡¯t got there yet."

    "Yeah¡­ if we didn¡¯t go this morning, then¡­" Mika clenched her hands tightly.

    She didn¡¯t dare imagine the possibility of Yukari and Seiji developing a rtionship either.

    She felt it was great that she was able to receive information from Shika about Seiji¡¯s date with Yukari. This was despite Shika being worried about the same possibility as them, which was the motivation behind her telling Mika this information.

    Yukari Asamiya was simply a girl who gave people tremendous pressure and just happened to match Seiji so perfectly to the point where it was scary.

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "What should we do, Chiaki?" Mika asked weakly.

    "First, we need to tighten our defenses." Chiaki rubbed her chin. "With Kagura-san as our spy, we should be able to keep track of Seiji¡¯s movements and respond appropriately just like today. Next, we need to increase our own level¡­ our understanding and enjoyment of otaku culture."

    "Yukari Asamiya¡¯s strongest advantage over us is the fact that she has the same interests as Seiji. Her strong self-confidence stems from knowing this. If we want topete with such a girl, apart from obtaining the exact same weapon, there¡¯s no other better method."

    Mika nodded in understanding. "But how are we supposed to increase our level? Just watching some anime and reading some manga by ourselves¡­ I think it¡¯s still difficult."

    Interests weren¡¯t cultivated that easily. It would actually be quite difficult to like something that a person originally had no interest in with just a short period of time.

    "Indeed, it would be very difficult just by ourselves," Chiaki said. "If we ask Seiji to help us¡­ well, firstly he¡¯s busy writing his novel, and secondly he¡¯d probably believe that we¡¯re just forcing ourselves."

    "Yeah¡­" Mika said.

    "In that case, we can only find someone else around us who¡¯s familiar with otaku culture. Someone that¡¯s interested in it, has ample free time, and can teach us how to ¡®be otakus¡­¡¯ There just happens to be a perfect candidate around us." Chiaki smiled.

    "You mean¡­" Mika also thought of someone as she came to a realization.

    "Miyamoto-san!" "Kaho Miyamoto!" the two of them eximed simultaneously.

    ¡­

    Kaho sneezed.

    She had a free day today and, just like usual, she was browsing the inte at home and having fun reading things she was interested in.

    Suddenly, her cell phone rang.

    When Kaho checked the caller ID, she saw that it was a number she didn¡¯t recognize. Although she felt it was a little strange, she still decided to take the call.

    "Hey, hello, is this Miyamoto-san?" a voice asked.

    Kaho recognized that this open and direct-sounding voice indeed belonged to the tomboy that was her ssmate. "Yes, hello¡­ Wakaba-san?"

    "It¡¯s me, Chiaki Wakaba. I¡¯m sorry to bother you by calling. I wanted to ask you something¡ªare you free this afternoon?"

    "This afternoon¡­ yes."

    "Then, could youe out for a meeting? I have something I¡¯d like to request of you."

    ¡®Something to request from me?¡¯ If this had been a manga, Kaho¡¯s forehead would have question marks drawn all over it.

    "What¡­ is it?"

    "Even though I could tell you over the phone, I still feel it¡¯s better to ask you in person, since it¡¯s an important matter. Could we meet up this afternoon?"

    Something important? Kaho was even more confused, and she also felt some pressure.

    With her personality, she wasn¡¯t the type that liked to get involved in others¡¯ affairs. But this was Chiaki Wakaba, Seigo¡¯s good friend, so she felt that she should at least hear out her request first.

    "Alright," she replied.

    "Thank you, in that case¡­" Chiaki asked if the time and ce she specified would be alright, and Kaho had no objections, so they settled on that.

    "Mika will being together with me as well. Also, please don¡¯t tell anyone about this meeting. Including Seigo," Chiaki added.

    "Eh?" Kaho''s eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡®Uehara-san¡¯sing along as well? And we need to keep this secret, without even telling Harano-san? Why!?¡¯

    "I¡¯ll exin when we meet up," Chiaki said. She had anticipated her confusion. "That¡¯s it then, Miyamoto-san."

    Chiaki hung up.

    Kaho had a dazed expression on her face. Only several secondster did her brain begin slowly working again.

    Just what was going on here!? She sunk into an enormous state of confusion.

    Later that afternoon¡­

    Kaho arrived on time at the agreed-upon meeting location, a coffee cafe in the business district. Chiaki and Mika were already there waiting for her.

    "Good afternoon, Miyamoto-san," they greeted.

    "G-good afternoon, Wakaba-san, Uehara-san."

    Kaho felt nervous when faced with the greetings of two of the most beautiful girls in her ss.

    Seigo wasn¡¯t here right now, so for her to be alone with these two¡­ she felt an immense sense of pressure.

    She even reflexively tried looking around for that gentle and reliable figure of his, but she hurriedly restrained her impulse and did her best to look more spirited.

    After she sat down, a waiter came over to take her order, and Kaho randomly ordered one of the cheapest coffees on the menu.

    "I¡¯m so sorry for suddenly calling you out like this," Chiaki said, starting the conversation, "but Mika and I had something really important we¡¯d like to request of you."

    "It¡¯s alright," Kaho said, nodding. "But what is it?"

    Kaho saw the two girls exchange nces before lowering their heads to her in unison.

    "Please teach us about otaku culture!" they eximed spiritedly.

    Kaho looked at them, stunned. "What?"

    She was astonished to hear this.

    "We would like to understand more about light novels, manga, and anime, and be able to like them and appreciate them more," Mika said, lifting her head to look at Kaho.

    "Simply speaking, we would like for you to help us cultivate an interest in otaku culture." Chiaki also lifted her head and looked at Kaho. "I have some understanding of otaku culture, but not much, while Mika¡¯s understanding is basically zero. We want to learn how to like otaku culture, but it¡¯s quite difficult to do it by ourselves without anyone¡¯s help, which is why we thought of you. We are making a formal request for your assistance."

    Kaho finally understood what was going on as she listened to the two of them.

    "You¡¯re doing all this¡­ for Harano-san?" she asked.

    Mika silently nodded. Chiaki smiled and also nodded.

    Kaho didn¡¯t know what to say to all this. She was shocked to her core by the will of these two girls.

    In order to get closer to Seigo Harano, they actually lowered their heads towards her, asking her to teach them otaku culture and saying that they wanted to learn how to like it. This was¡­

    Kaho didn¡¯t even know how to describe it.

    She wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t know what to say, so she fell silent and averted her gaze.

    "Are you willing to help us, Miyamoto-san?" Chiaki asked.

    "This might be an unreasonable request," Mika said, "but we really do need your help,"

    Kaho slowly looked back at them.

    After thinking deeply about how to express what she wanted to say, she finally spoke up: "Otaku culture¡­ isn¡¯t something that a person can teach. It isn¡¯t something to be ¡®learned.¡¯"

 Chapter 254 - I See You!

    <h4>Chapter 254: I See You!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "It¡¯s something that you should naturally enjoy. Those that are interested will naturally like it, and those that aren¡¯t shouldn¡¯t force themselves¡­ that¡¯s just my personal opinion."

    "Harano-san wouldn¡¯t wish for you two to force yourselves in order to get closer to him¡­ you guys should know this as well, which was why you said to keep it a secret from him."

    "I¡­ think that you shouldn¡¯t do it like this¡­ and that you don¡¯t need to do it like this."

    Kaho had a sincere expression as she looked towards Chiaki and Mika.

    The two of them didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Then, Chiaki began smiling.

    "I didn¡¯t expect to be lectured by Miyamoto-san like this," she said.

    "Er¡­ I just¡­"

    "No need to exin," Chiaki added. "Your words were clear enough. I just want to say that Miyamoto-san is a gentle girl."

    "No¡­ something like gentle isn''t¡­" Kaho unconsciously curled into herself. She didn¡¯t feel that her little speech counted as "gentle."

    "Mika and I want to do this due to a pressing matter, but now that I''ve calmed down and thought it through a little more logically, perhaps we were a little too hot-blooded. We were rushing into things." Chiaki sighed.

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika looked towards her friend.

    "Wait a moment¡­ maybe it was just me that was rushing into things," Chiaki mumbled to herself. "Mika is fine." Chiaki turned to Mika. "Right now, I¡¯m just Seigo¡¯s ¡®good friend,¡¯ so perhaps I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. But Mika, you¡¯re different; considering your position, you should make a clear request of Miyamoto-san for yourself."

    Mika was slightly surprised at this.

    "I will back out now; the rest is all up to you. Let¡¯s witness how you express your feelings and convince Miyamoto-san to help out." Chiaki smiled at Mika.

    The double pigtailed girl blinked in understanding as she nodded.

    "Miyamoto-san." Mika looked towards her ssmate again, this time directly into Kaho¡¯s eyes.

    "Yes¡­ Present!" Kaho sensed a sudden imposing mannering from Mika and couldn¡¯t help but tense up again.

    "I like Seigo!" Mika said something that couldn¡¯t be any more direct.

    Kaho felt as if she had received a sudden impact and froze over slightly.

    Mika¡¯s face reddened; she felt slightly embarrassed about telling a ssmate that she wasn¡¯t very familiar with about her inner feelings, but she didn¡¯t avert her gaze. She continued to look into Kaho¡¯s eyes as she spoke in a serious tone:

    "I want to be together with Seigo, so I want to like what he likes¡­ no, I must learn how to like it! Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to win against the person that appeared¡­ a super-strong love rival."

    "This is an impure motive. I know that this may be disrespectful to ask someone like you that truly loves otaku culture to help someone like me. But I promise this: even if my motivation is impure, I shall truly find what¡¯s fun about otaku culture during the ¡®process of learning¡¯ and cultivate it into one of my interests, without just acting like it is."

    "Even if¡­ I don¡¯t get the result that I want from doing this, I won¡¯t regret it, nor will I give up on this new hobby that I¡¯ve cultivated."

    "I¡¯m doing this for Seigo¡¯s sake, but at the root of it all, I¡¯m doing it for the me that likes Seigo. So, please assist me!"

    Mika strongly expressed her true feelings.

    Kaho clearly felt Mika¡¯s emotions and will and waspletely astounded. The shock she received from Mika''s words exceeded her earlier surprise.

    "Uehara-san¡­"

    ¡®A-amazing, so beautiful.¡¯ Kaho truly believed that the girl before her right now was far more beautiful and charismatic than what Mika¡¯s outer beauty indicated.

    It seemed¡­ almost as if Mika was shining like the sun, simr to Seigo.

    Yes, that was right. She was someone who was always by Seigo Harano¡¯s side! And she liked him and was persevering to get closer to him.

    For such a girl to have such charisma seemed only natural to Kaho. Inwardly, Kaho was truly impressed by Mika.

    She no longer felt like refusing any more. She felt it was appropriate to ept Mika¡¯s request.

    "Alright, I¡­ hope that I can be of assistance."

    Mika¡¯s eyes lit up at this. "Thank you, Miyamoto-san!"

    "You¡¯re wee¡­"

    Chiaki chuckled as she watched this scene. "Excellent, it¡¯s settled, then! From today onwards, Miyamoto-san will be Mika¡¯s otaku culture teacher. Mika, call her Sensei."

    "Yes, Miyamoto-sensei!" Mika said with a surprising amount of spirit.

    "N-no need to call me like that!" Kaho¡¯s face instantly reddened. "Don¡¯t call me something like Sensei¡­ it feels so awkward! I¡¯m just¡­ an otaku girl."

    "How about Tutor Miyamoto then?"

    "Tutor is no good either!"

    "Master Miyamoto?"

    "That¡¯s even worse! Please don¡¯t use any formal titles!"

    "Young Master Miyamoto?"

    "It¡¯s not going to be any different even if you add ¡®young¡¯ in front!!" Kaho raised her voice.

    Mika chuckled. "You¡¯re so cute, Miyamoto-san."

    "Eh? I-I¡¯m not¡­"

    Kaho¡¯s face grew even redder due to the unexpected praise.

    "If you don¡¯t want any formal titles, how would you prefer Mika to address you, then, Miyamoto-san?" Chiaki asked while grinning.

    "Just¡­ just like normal¡­"

    "That¡¯s no good; our rtionship has already moved to the next level." Mika smiled.

    "Er¡­" Kaho didn¡¯t know what to say anymore.

    "Miyamoto-san, what do your friends call you?" Mika asked.

    "Just¡­ Kaho."

    "Then, can I call you Kaho as well?"

    Hearing this and seeing Mika¡¯s sincere expression, Kaho instantly understood. "Yes¡­ Uehara-san, is it alright if I call you Mika as well?"

    "Yep!" Mika¡¯s faint smile became a brilliant one.

    This was the moment when the two girls became good friends.

    ¡­

    At nighttime, Seiji was practicing [Astral Vision].

    He had been practicing continuously after dinner, without even working on his novel, because the experience progress bar for this spell was almost at 100%.

    He resolved himself to definitely learn it tonight. He''d worked hard at practicing and mastering the spell.

    Finally, he seeded and reached 100% progress.

    After he confirmed this, Seiji brought up the final requirement in his system and paid the required amount of points.

    Just like when he learned the [Body-Strengthening spell], [Beginner-level Astral Vision] lit up and now became avable to use in his system. It felt like new knowledge had poured into his head as he learned [Astral Vision]!

    *Ding!* A system notification popped up in front of him.

    [Character reward card [Hoshi Amami]¡¯s additional ability 4 has now met its prerequisites and can now be used.]

    Seiji raised his eyebrows at this.

    He then brought up his Hoshi card in his system and saw that the ability which had been nothing but question marks before was now revealed before him.

    [Additional ability 4: Light¡¯s Marking (prerequisite of Beginner-level Astral Vision required.)]

    [Astral Vision power-up technique: Can mark any target currently in your field of vision. Within the next seven minutes (+5 minutes for level reward), you can see this target through any obstacles that may block your view. This technique even works against the majority of concealment techniques. Using this ability will consume mana and your ability to concentrate. Limited to three uses per day. I see you~ !]

    Ah, so it had been a power-up for [Astral Vision]. That would exin why it was all question marks before.

    To be able to see a marked target clearly for the next twelve minutes¡­ this technique would definitely be effective against enemies that were skilled in concealment and stealth techniques.

    Its weaknesses were that he could only mark someone who was already in his field of vision to begin with and the three times a day limit. As for the mana cost and concentration required¡­ he figured that it would probably be rather low.

    Seiji really wanted toment on the system¡¯s final vor text sentence as always, but he felt that this was an apt one.

    Come, let us make a scary pose like a monster ying hide and seek with children, and say¡ª

    "I see you~!"

 Chapter 255 - Peach-senseis Present

    <h4>Chapter 255: Peach-sensei''s Present</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After Seiji checked out his new ability on Hoshi¡¯s card, Seiji took a new look at [Beginner-level Astral Vision], and discovered that there were three new options under it: [Near Vision], [Far Vision], and [Total Vision].

    Seiji was astonished when he saw the exnations.

    [Near Vision] was a special type of [Astral Vision], and under this mode, he could focus on any target within his vision. He would be able to see every little detail of his target and every movement they made, as if he were using a microscope.

    [Far Vision] extended his vision and enabled him to see things clearly even if they were far away. It was as if he were using binocrs.

    [Total Vision] was another way of seeing everything. Under this mode, he would be able to see 360 degrees around him with perfect rity.

    Just what was all this?

    ¡®This is just likebining every eye power in Naruto together!¡¯ Seiji was energeticallymenting in his mind about all this. ¡®System, you¡¯re basically ripping off of Naruto here! How incredible!¡¯

    Although it did seem weaker than the powers from Naruto, this was just [Beginner-level Astral Vision]! If he improved it even further, it might be just like the powers from Naruto.

    It didn¡¯t seem like copying Sasuke¡¯s signature ability was just a fantasy anymore. What was next, copying some of Naruto¡¯s greatest forbidden techniques!?

    ¡®Cough cough, I should stop getting sidetracked. First, I should check out the conditions to learn these.¡¯

    [Read a manual or equivalent information on Intermediate Astral Vision. Understand and learn its contents¡ªcurrent progress 0%.]

    [Continue practicing Astral Vision, and improve your control of Astral Vision¡ªcurrent progress 0%.]

    [??? (Will be revealed after the previous two conditions are met.)]

    All three new modes to his [Astral Vision] had the exact same requirement.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ''Fine then!'' He knew that it wouldn¡¯t be so easy. He could only sigh as he closed his system menu.

    At any rate, he had finished learning [Astral Vision], and now he would be able to see spirits whenever he wished.

    What should he learn next, then?

    For the time being, he didn¡¯t have anything essential to learn, so he decided to focus on writing "Brother Monogatari" for the time being.

    Seiji nced at the time.

    It was already getting prettyte, so he felt it was inappropriate for him to go visit Mika and ask to see Mashiro-chan. He decided to spend some free time browsing the inte.

    And so, he left his room, went to the study, turned on theputer, and began browsing.

    Suddenly, his cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was from Peach-sensei!

    Seiji answered the call.

    "Hello¡­ Haruta-kun, good evening."

    "Good evening, Sensei."

    "I apologize for calling sote¡­ were you sleeping?"

    "No, I was merely surfing the web," Seiji answered casually. "Most high school students don¡¯t go to sleep so early on the weekends."

    He heard Mayuzumi chuckle at this.

    "It¡¯s good that I didn¡¯t bother you, then," she said. "Actually, I drew a picture that I would like to give to you as a present for apanying me all this time during the school festival."

    "A picture drawn by Sensei? That¡¯s awesome!" Seiji¡¯s eyes lit up at this. "I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s necessary for Sensei to give me a present for what I did, but I feel like it¡¯s impossible to refuse such a gift from Sensei, because I¡¯d really like it!"

    The manga author chuckled even more heartily at hearing Seiji¡¯s obvious and direct delight.

    "I got your email address from Saki, and I¡¯ve already emailed it to you."

    "If it¡¯s a picture drawn by Sensei, I¡¯ll definitely like it."

    Seiji immediately logged on to his email, opened up the message, and downloaded the attachment.

    When he opened up the picture, he noticed that it was drawn in the art style of "Honey Candy Girl," with the school being the setting¡­ and as for the characters¡­ all the people that toured the school festival with Mayuzumi were drawn in it!

    Saki, Mai, Hoshi, Chiaki, Mika, Kaho, Seiji, and Mayuzumi herself were there. All of them were drawn in the "Honey Candy Girl" anime style by Peach-sensei, who was both the author and the artist of her own series.

    In the center of the picture were Seiji and Chiaki. Seiji, who was making an exaggerated pose, was wearing angel wings and extravagant clothing. Chiaki, who was clothed in her drama costume, was dancing.

    Everyone else in the picture were standing around them, watching. Saki was wearing sses and sipping on tea; Mayuzumi was joyously eating some cake; Mai, in maid attire, was holding a huge tray containingrge amounts of food; Hoshi was pping; Mika was eating some takoyaki; and Kaho was wearing theser tag game uniform and was carrying arge gun.

    Every character was drawn in a cute fashion, moe and lively. The entire picture had a joyous atmosphere about it.

    Just like Seiji said, he loved the picture the moment heid eyes on it.

    "Sensei, you did an excellent job! I really love it." He smiled at his own cell phone. "This present is just perfect for me; I¡¯m truly grateful."

    "It¡¯s just a small present for you, so I¡¯m d that you like it."

    "I¡¯d like to show this picture to the others as well; I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll also love it."

    Seiji examined the picture again when he thought of something.

    "Sensei, you can draw male characters now?"

    Had she already ovee her androphobia? It seemed that she had¡ªat least in the field of art.

    "N-not yet." Mayuzumi sighed. "I can only draw you and Hoshi¡­ not anyone else."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji thought about it. "Then, Sensei, how about you try treating all male characters as either me or Hoshi wearing various styles of clothing?"

    "Eh?"

    "For example, if Sensei draws an older version of me or Hoshi, won¡¯t that be a brand-new character? Or draw either of us in some type of costume or uniform. It''s a way of circumventing your phobia¡ªwhat do you think?"

    Seiji¡¯s phone remained silent for a few moments.

    Mayuzumi broke out intoughter. "I never thought about such a method¡­ it could be worth trying."

    "Haha, it¡¯s good as long as it¡¯s useful. Although this isn¡¯t truly oveing your phobia, at the very least Sensei will be able to draw more characters."

    "It feels a little strange for all the male characters to either be based on you or Hoshi, though¡­"

    "Nobody will know!"

    Seiji and Mayuzumi had fun chatting for a little while longer. Then, both of them said good night, and hung up the call.

    Seiji immediately went to his system, and checked his [Gifts].

    The picture that the manga author had given him rewarded him with -

    [Art stat increase card¡ªGrateful Heart.]

    [This card contains Mayuzumi¡¯s heartfelt thanks. After using it, your [Art] stat will permanently increase. The lower your [Art] stat, the higher the increase.]

    [Defense buff card¡ªGentle Thoughts.]

    [This card contains Mayuzumi¡¯s belief that you are gentle and reliable. After using this card, your defense will temporarily be doubled for the next 7 minutes!]

    [Item exchange card¡ªTrue Praise.]

    [This card contains Mayuzumi¡¯s sincere praise for you. You may exchange this card for any one item without needing to pay the point cost.]

    The rewards were truly marvelous.

    He could use [Grateful Heart] immediately to improve his [Art] stat.

    As for the defense buff card, [Gentle Thoughts]¡­ ording to his system¡¯s exnation, defense referred to his personal stats, as well as any defensive equipment and spell effects on him. All of the above would temporarily be doubled for seven minutes!

    Seiji felt only one word was necessary to describe this: strong! It definitely was on a cheat-like level.

    Seven minutes was a rather short amount of time. He would have to pick a good timing to use it, either to save his own life or to forcefully withstand an enemy¡¯s attack and counterattack.

    As for [True Praise], that was just a one-time free item exchange, but there was nothing Seiji currently wanted, so he decided to just leave it in his inventory for the time being.

    Seiji closed his system menu after he finished inspecting everything.

    He decided to use [Grateful Heart] after he returned to his own room.

    While it was good that he could improve his [Art] stat, he was currently busy writing his own novel. Even if his artistic ability improved, he didn¡¯t have any ns for his own artistry for the time being, apart from grinding daily points.

    His current main focus was to hurry and finish writing "Brother Monogatari" as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 256 - Framed

    <h4>Chapter 256: Framed</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    On Sunday morning, Seiji Went to work at the confectionery store for the first time in a long time.

    He no longer needed money. He only worked for the sake of helping out the owner, Rika Amami.

    After all, he had worked there for quite a while and still bore positive feelings for the ce. Even if it was no longer necessary, Seiji felt that it would be fun to visit the store once in a while.

    When Seiji exined his current financial situation and intentions to Rika, she smiled and said: "I¡¯m happy to hear that you think that way. We¡¯ll always wee you, regardless of whether you¡¯re an employee or a guest."

    Seiji began working just like normal.

    Hoshi was here this morning as well. Theirbination was the legend of the Divine Taste confectionery store: a bright and sunny handsome boy paired with the weak-seeming beautiful boy. Many female customers received a happy surprise when they saw the duo back in action again.

    These customers all called their friends, and they came promptly. In a matter of minutes, the store was overflowing with customers.

    And so, Seiji, who hadn¡¯t worked for so long, finally experienced the difficulties of working during a rush hour again.

    After he finished his work shift.

    "Senpai, here¡¯s some water."

    "Thank you."

    Seiji gulped down the entire cup of water that his junior handed him in one go and released a huge contented sigh.

    "You¡¯ve worked hard, Senpai," Hoshi praised, all smiles.

    "Yep, you worked hard as well."

    "I don¡¯t feel like I have. Senpai came today, and it''s really nice working together with Senpai, since I feel like the time goes by so quickly."

    Seiji was rendered speechless. In a way, he felt that Hoshi Amami had already be strong¡­ probably.

    "It seems that you¡¯re alreadypletely used to the work here."

    "I suppose so. Now I¡¯m at the point where I won¡¯t get in everyone else¡¯s way¡­ but I still have a long way to go till I reach Senpai¡¯s level."

    "No, I think you¡¯re doing a fine job already. You¡¯ve made so much progress since your first time on the job, so don¡¯t belittle yourself."

    Hoshi¡¯s smile grew even more dazzling as he received his idol¡¯s praise.

    "Oh, right," Seiji said suddenly, "there¡¯s something I want to show you."

    Seiji took out his cell phone and opened up a saved image of the picture that Mayuzumi drew to show Hoshi.

    "What¡¯s this?" Hoshi asked.

    "Peach-sensei drew it and gave it to me as a present for apanying her during the school festival. I told her that she didn¡¯t need to give me anything, but this present was right up my alley, so I found it impossible to refuse her," Seiji replied with a chuckle.

    "It really is an excellent drawing," Hoshi eximed.

    Seiji handed his cell phone over to Hoshi so that Hoshi could have a closer look.

    "As expected of Aunt Mayuzumi¡ªshe¡¯s really talented at drawing." Hoshi¡¯s eyes shone as he examined the picture.

    "I can send you a copy of the picture¡ªwould you like one?"

    "Of course!"

    "Tell me your email address, then."

    After he learned Hoshi¡¯s email address, Seiji sent him a copy of Mayuzumi¡¯s drawing.

    "Thank you, Senpai. I shall print it out and treasure it," Hoshi said happily as he confirmed that he had received the picture.

    "¡­You aren¡¯t intending to have it framed, are you?"

    "I am!"

    "That¡¯s not necessary! Just treasure it normally, normally!"

    "Eh, but this is a very precious picture¡­"

    "It is precious, but framing it is a little too much! Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed!?"

    "Not at all; it would seem like a pity to not use an excellent frame for such a beautiful picture."

    "It won¡¯t be pitiful at all!"

    Seiji really wanted to cover his face as he imagined the scene of the picture with him in the center. He cringed at the thought of a drawing of him wearing an extravagant angel costume while making an immature pose being framed and hung on a wall somewhere.

    In order to prevent such a scene from bing reality, for once he decided to be strict and use his authority as Hoshi¡¯s Senpai to absolutely forbid Hoshi from doing so!

    Hoshi could only reluctantly cancel his n.

    "I heard from Chiaki that you officially joined the drama club¡ªhow is it?" Seiji changed the topic.

    Hoshi smiled thinly. "It¡¯s very nice, and the club¡¯s atmosphere is even better than I thought. Wakaba-senpai and the others really take good care of me, and everyone is so close with each other."

    "Is that your honest opinion?" Seiji detected something abnormal.

    Hoshi¡¯s smile froze over slightly. "The drama club president¡­ is rather unique, and the vice club president¡­ is a little scary. Wakaba-senpai¡­ and many other members seem to really enjoy seeing me wearing female clothing¡­"

    ¡®I knew it!¡¯ Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    "The club atmosphere is indeed nice, but¡­ I think I may need some time to get used to it," Hoshi said sighing.

    ¡®It¡¯s really difficult to get a job ss change. Good luck, former literature club boy.¡¯

    ¡­

    Kaho Miyamoto was feeling slightly mncholy.

    No, mncholy was the wrong word to describe it¡­ she wanted to say that she felt some indescribable subtle sense that something must have gone wrong somewhere, as if something were troubling her.

    She could still clearly recall everything that happened yesterday afternoon, but even so, today she was unable to believe that she made friends with one of the most popr and beautiful girls in ss just like that.

    But thinking it over more carefully, she was friends with Harano-san already, so it seemed only normal to be friends with the beautiful girls by his side as well?

    No matter what, she already promised Uehara-san¡­ no, Mika, to help her understand and enjoy otaku culture.

    How should she go about doing this?

    Kaho spent the entire afternoon pondering this question. In the end, she decided to have Mika watch various top-notch anime in each genre and have her write down the characters and storylines that she was most interested in.

    The goal was for Mika to learn her own preferences, or what her sweet spot was.

    Everybody enjoyed different things and found different things interesting or funny. It wasmon for two otakus to have different preferences or even opposite opinions.

    Even two people that enjoyed watching the same anime might argue fiercely because of different ways they viewed a specific character, and there were obviously plenty of examples of people being in "factions" supporting various characters. People that didn¡¯t understand might view this as rather strange, but this was quitemon in otaku circles.

    Mika needed to first recognize her own preferences before she could enter the otaku world.

    "I understand¡ªI¡¯ll absolutely do my best, Kaho-sensei!" was the double pigtailed girl¡¯s reply.

    ¡®I already said to stop calling me Sensei!¡¯ As Kaho recalled this memory, she wanted to retort just like how she did when she heard it.

    Kaho felt an itchy feeling at how Mika was epting her advice and taking it so seriously. She hoped that Mika would be able to find her own likes.

    Just as Kaho was thinking this, her cell phone rang. When she looked at the caller ID, she saw that Mika was calling.

    "Hey, Kaho, I already know what type of character I like now!" Mika¡¯s voice was bright and peppy.

    "Oh, what type is it?" Kaho asked.

    "Many types¡­ first, the open and gentle handsome boys."

    ¡®Princely handsome boy characters¡­ isn¡¯t this just Harano-san?¡¯

    "Also, tomboyish, friendly, and lively beautiful girls."

    ¡®Amon female character type¡­ isn¡¯t this Wakaba-san?¡¯

    "Also, I like young girls that like to act spoiled."

    ¡®Loli characters¡­ this is rathermon.¡¯

    "Also boys that are really cute and look somewhat like girls."

    ¡®Trap characters¡­ they aren¡¯t somon in real life.¡¯

    "Also girls that are really cute but easily get embarrassed or maybeck self-confidence."

    Kaho was rendered speechless by this point.

    "Yes¡ª" Mika showed no signs of ending her monologue "¡ªI like all these types of characters. Whenever I see such a character in an anime, I think it¡¯s more interesting." Mika finished as if she were concluding a report.

    ¡®Mika¡­ she¡¯s probably the type that unconsciously oveys the people she knows in real life on the anime characters.¡¯ Kaho made such a judgement.

    "Then what about storylines?" Kaho asked. "Do you know what type of stories you enjoy?"

    "Stories¡­ I think I really like the school romance type."

    ''Yep, just as I expected.''

    "Now that you know what you like, I¡¯ll rmend some manga in this category to you," Kaho said. "I¡¯ll give you a few to start with, and apart from that, you can find more of the same genre on the inte."

    "Yes, Kaho-sensei!"

    "I said to not call me Sensei!"

    This type of retort was bing a habit for her.

    Mika chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Hey, Kaho, what type do you like, then?" she asked Kaho the same question.

 Chapter 257 - Chirp!

    <h4>Chapter 257: Chirp!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "What I like is¡­" Kaho had a wide variety of genres that she enjoyed, including some rather special genres suitable only for veterans, such as BL and gender-bender¡­

    Those weren¡¯t good rmendations for neers! She answered Mika with some normal genres.

    After that, Mika asked additional questions which Kaho answered. Without realizing it, the two of them chatted for quite a while and had lots of fun.

    ¡­

    Nighttime.

    Seiji gave Mika a call, asking to see Mashiro-chan.

    The double pigtailed girl immediately came over and summoned her spiritual creature in Seiji¡¯s living room.

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision]!

    Now he was finally able to see the silver-winged white ball of light. ording to Mika, it also chirped cutely, but he couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    Seiji extended his right palm, and with Mika¡¯s encouragement, the ball of light¡ªMashironded on his hand. She retracted her wings and shuffled around on his palm.

    It felt warm. Seiji tried petting Mashiro with his left hand. Mashiro¡¯s movements grew faster, and she rubbed herself against his palm.

    This was definitely proof that Mashiro was indeed a living creature, and¡­ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but admit that she was rather cute.

    "She really likes you," Mika said. "When you were petting her, she was making sounds of delight."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji continued petting Mashiro.

    Mashiro didn¡¯t seem like something dangerous; no wonder Mika liked it¡­ liked "her" so much.

    Seiji sincerely hoped that Mashiro would indeed be able to follow Mika¡¯s own hopes and transform into a kind and beautiful existence.

    Mika smiled gently as she watched Seiji ying with Mashiro. Suddenly, the ball of light suddenly shook and began glowing brightly.

    Was this¡­ another transformation!?

    Seiji and Mika both widened their eyes in anticipation.

    Seiji could feel heat emanating from the ball of light in his hands; it was now slightly hot to the touch. The ball shook and shone; it appeared it was undergoing a transformation¡­

    *Whoosh.* A pair of tiny tender white hands reached out from the sides of the ball.

    *Swoosh.* A pair of tiny tender white feet suddenly stuck out from the bottom.

    *Swish.* A tiny head popped out from the top.

    That¡¯s right¡ªa head!

    She had a head of silky ck hair,rge and clear amber-colored eyes, an exquisite nose and mouth, and pink cheeks that made her resemble a newborn. She was unbearably cute.

    *Chirp~* She opened her mouth and made a cute sound, staring at Seiji with herrge eyes for a while before turning to look at Mika and blinking.

    *Chirp!* She revealed an expression of delight as she jumped up and pped her wings, fly-jumping into Mika¡¯s arms with her small hands outstretched for a hug.

    "Mashiro-chan¡­" Mika hugged her with an expression that was moved and surprised. Her eyes were shining with excitement.

    ¡®She really did be humanoid! Even though the transformation still isn¡¯tplete yet.¡¯ Seiji was inwardly astonished.

    This Spiritual Creature was now the size of a human baby, but apart from its limbs and head, its body was still an "egg" shape.

    Such a big transformation in one go¡­ judging by its progress, just one more evolution would probably be enough for it to bepletely humanoid.

    Just like Mika wanted. This really resembled evolution¡­ was this supposed to be Digimon? Or a Digimon version of Shugo Chara?"

    "Mashiro-chan, you¡¯re so cute¡­ just too cute~" A red blush crept into Mika''s cheeks as she inspected the silver-winged loli¡¯s face and praised it lovingly.

    "Chirp~ Chirp~~" Mashiro kept making cute sounds as she also looked at Mika¡¯s face.

    They really did seem just like mother and daughter.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but smile as he observed them.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine as long as it doesn¡¯t be something dangerous¡­¡¯ was what Seiji believed at first, and after seeing this scene, he was also looking forward to Mashiro-chanpletely "hatching".

    "Your voice is beautiful, but it¡¯s no good if you can only call out like this; it¡¯s time to begin teaching you how to speak."

    "Chirp?"

    "Come, try saying ¡®mommy,¡¯" Mika said with an expression of delight on her face.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    For a high school girl to be so excited about having a silver-winged loli call her "mommy¡­" This scene was somewhat awkward for him to witness.

    "Yaya?" Mashiro blinked and tried making a different sound.

    "Yes, that¡¯s what I mean, but you need to work on your pronunciation. Come, try again, say ¡®mommy~¡¯"

    "Yaya~"

    "Try again¡ª¡®mommy~¡¯"

    "Yaya~"

    "Try again¡­"

    ¡®Give me a break!¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but turn around because his cheeks were continually twitching, causing his expression to involuntarily be distorted.

    Mika herself might not be feeling anything while doing it, but observing it was like¡­

    He decided to film this with his cell phone and show herter to help her realize how embarrassing it was.

    Wait a moment¡­ he realized that his cell phone wouldn¡¯t be able to record Mashiro, so rather than embarrassing, this would actually be more of a scary or abnormal scene.

    ''Forget it¡ªit''s better to not give Mika a dark memory like this. It¡¯s fine for me to bear this indescribable awkwardness by myself.¡¯ Seiji averted his gaze.

    "You need to practice lots and lots, so that you can say ¡®mommy¡¯ urately as soon as you can~"

    "Chirp!"

    "And apart from ¡®mommy,¡¯ there¡¯s one more word you need to learn¡­"

    Mika looked towards Seiji and pointed at him. "¡®Daddy.¡¯"

    "Gugu?" Mashiro looked towards Seiji with apletely innocent expression on her face.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over.

    "He¡¯s ¡®daddy!¡¯ Come, try saying it." Mika seemed to be enjoying the process of teaching.

    "Gugu!"

    "Try again, pronounce it like this¡ª¡® daddy ~¡¯"

    "Gugu~"

    "Okay, try again¡­"

    "Mika!" Seiji couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud. He didn¡¯t know what his own expression was anymore after receiving such a sudden impact. "Why are you having her call me that?"

    Mika¡¯s face flushed deep red, and her eyes glistened. "Because you are her daddy," she said gently.

    "How am I¡ª"

    "You were the one who helped to ¡®hatch¡¯ her."

    Eh, this sounded rather¡­ no wait!

    "You were the one who ¡®hatched¡¯ her!" Seiji protested. "She just happened to be on my hand when she began transforming."

    "It was no coincidence; your feelings were what helped her ¡®hatch.¡¯ I¡¯m certain of it."

    "Why are you so certain?"

    "It''s just a feeling."

    "Don¡¯t say that based on your feelings!" Seiji retorted.

    Mika ignored his retort. Her expression was dreamy as she continued to teach Mashiro how to call him "daddy."

    ¡®She isn¡¯t listening¡­ I guess she¡¯s lost in her own little world.¡¯ Seiji felt helpless about it. ¡®It¡¯s a little ridiculous for her to be so delighted about seeing Mashiro-chan transform into a humanoid shape. It''s almost as if something¡¯s wrong with her head¡­ wait a moment.¡¯

    Seiji suddenly thought of something in a sh of inspiration. He turned around and left to go knock on his adopted sister¡¯s door.

    "Shika-chan,e out and have a look."

    Shika came out of her room, and as Seiji asked her to do, she cast her own [Astral Vision] and looked at Mika and Mashiro.

    The silver-winged loli seemed to notice something as she turned around. Her expression instantly tensed up upon noticing the ck-haired girl.

    "Chirp!" She red at Shika and spread her arms wide, as if she were trying to protect Mika.

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Mika seemed confused. She turned to look at Shika. "That big sister isn¡¯t a bad person, Mashiro-chan."

    Mashiro continued ring at Shika.

    Shika squinted slightly as she took a closer look at the silver-haired loli and the girl with pigtails.

    "Brother Seiji¡­ although I can¡¯t see it too clearly, this Spiritual Creature¡­ is probably casting a charm on Uehara-san," she said in a soft voice.

    "As I expected¡­" Seiji frowned.

    He should have noticed earlier that Mika was in a rather strange condition.

    At first, he thought that Mika was simply acting a little bit foolishly due to being overjoyed, but this wasn¡¯t the case. The Spiritual Creature had influenced her behavior!

 Chapter 258 - Innocent Doesnt Mean Harmless

    <h4>Chapter 258: Innocent Doesn''t Mean Harmless</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I should be able to¡­ if I use a spell," Shika answered. "But this creature¡­ seems to feel enmity towards me."

    Seiji understood what Shika meant. In this situation, if Shika tried to dispel the charm on Mika, Mashiro might do something.

    Even though he didn¡¯t know what this Spiritual Creature was capable of, it was obvious that she was no longer just a ball of light which knew how to fly. Perhaps she had considerable power of her own.

    What should he do? Seiji mulled it over.

    He walked up to them and smiled. "Mika, could you let me hug Mashiro-chan for a little while?"

    "Of course," Mika replied with a smile. "Mashiro-chan, let daddy hug you for a while~"

    "Chirp?" The silver-winged loli looked towards Mika, before blinking at Seiji.

    Seiji extended his arms to Mashiro. With Mika¡¯s encouragement, Mashiro flew into Seiji¡¯s arms.

    Seiji hugged the silver-winged loli and gently patted her head. He then furtively turned around, using his body to block off her vision of Mika and Shika.

    This was the perfect chance!

    Shika took this opportunity to immediately create a seal and cast a spell on Mika. Mika¡¯s body shook; her expression turned nk before she snapped back to her senses.

    "What was I just¡­" Her memories were a little hazy. She felt as if she were dreaming¡­ a wonderful and happy dream.

    "You were under a charm, Uehara-san," Shika said.

    "I¡­ was charmed?" Mika was astonished.

    "I¡¯ll give you a detailed exnation in a bit. Please unsummon your Spiritual Creature first."

    ¡­

    Mika took the silver-winged loli back from Seiji, coaxed her, and unsummoned her. After that, the three of them sat down at the table for a discussion.

    Mashiro had already developed her own Spiritual Powers.

    Mashiro was able to charm Mika and make Mika feel bliss and joy, much like the experience of an incredible dream.

    This seemed to have no effect on Seiji.

    "When I was hugging her, I was thinking that I would immediately let go if I felt like something was off, but I didn¡¯t notice anything," Seiji said.

    "This is probably because Brother Seiji has a strong will. You were on guard to begin with," Shika exined. "From what I can tell¡­ that Spiritual Creature Mashiro-chan¡¯s charm spell isn¡¯t that strong. If Uehara-san pays attention, she probably won¡¯t be charmed by it again, either. But I don¡¯t know how strong Mashiro-chan truly is¡­ Mashiro-chan didn¡¯t even intentionally use her powers. All she wanted was to make Uehara-san happy, so she used her natural powers instinctively."

    "So what you mean is, if Mashiro-chan uses this power consciously of her own volition, its strength will be greatly magnified?"

    "Yes." Shika nodded.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "I feel like we should test Mashiro-chan¡¯s Spiritual Powers. We should understand what powers she has, and how strong they are." Seiji furrowed his brows. "We need to understand the situation clearly, otherwise¡­ something bad may happen."

    "Mashiro isn¡¯t a bad child!" Mika red at him. "She just wanted to make me happy, and she didn¡¯t cause harm to anyone; you shouldn¡¯t talk about her like that¡­"

    "No, Mika, you misunderstood what I meant." Seiji nced at her, privately thinking that she was just like an overprotective mother who couldn¡¯t bear hearing anything bad about her precious child. "What I mean is that even the best-behaved children will sometimes throw tantrums on asion. And when naughty children throw tantrums¡­ sometimes their destructiveness can be rather frightening."

    Mika couldn¡¯t find any words to respond to this.

    "Innocent doesn¡¯t mean harmless, and this already applies to normal children¡ªMashiro¡¯s a child with Spiritual Powers." Seiji sighed. "I don¡¯t want to speak badly of Mashiro-chan, and I believe that she¡¯s a good girl. But still, we need to have a better understanding of her powers, so that we can prevent any idents from urring."

    "Yeah¡­" Mika nodded in agreement.

    She felt that what Seiji said was quite reasonable. But she was even happier at how Seiji was treating Mashiro as a "child" and even saying that she was a "good girl."

    ¡®Seiji will definitely be a good father,¡¯ Mika thought happily.

    When she imagined the scene of the three of them together with Mashiro having learned how to say ¡®mommy¡¯ and ¡®daddy,¡¯ she felt her face burning up.

    "As for how to test her powers¡­ I¡¯ll have to bother President Yoruhana once again." Seiji took out his cell phone and dialed that familiar number.

    She answered his call.

    "Hey, good evening, President."

    "Good evening, Haruta-kun."

    "Sorry to bother you again. How are you doing? Are you feeling better after resting for one week?"

    "Thanks for your concern. I¡¯ve already left the hospital, and I¡¯m currently outside drinking tea with someone."

    In a luxurious traditional Sakura Ind themed room, Natsuya turned on speakerphone so that the girl sitting across from her could also hear the conversation.

    "Congrattions for being able to leave the hospital," Seiji said sincerely. "My apologies for bothering you when you¡¯re busy. I had a small request to make of you, but it¡¯s nothing urgent, so I¡¯ll call back again tomorrow."

    "You can ask me right now; it¡¯s fine."

    "Eh? But weren¡¯t you with someone¡­"

    "It¡¯s okay; she won¡¯t mind." Natsuya smiled faintly at the girl sitting across from her.

    "Oh¡­ I¡¯ll exin then, actually¡­" Seiji summarized Mashiro''s situation and made his request.

    "Testing her powers¡­ of course, that¡¯s fine." Natsuya readily agreed. "Tomorrow after school¡ªcould you and Uehara-sane to my residence?"

    "No problem¡ªand thank you." Seiji agreed to the time and politely said goodnight before hanging up the call.

    "Mika Uehara¡­ that apartmentndlord¡¯s daughter¡­ Wasn¡¯t she just an ordinary human?" the ck-haired beauty sitting across from Natsuya asked up in a light, clear voice.

    "She used to be, but she encountered a miracle¡­ I was astonished to learn about it as well at the time." Natsuya smiled. "Would you like to hear this story?"

    "¡­I still have some time, so I might as well."

    "After all, it¡¯s about something that happened around him, right?" Natsuya asked with a smile.

    "Please don¡¯t say anything unnecessary."

    "Hee hee¡­ alright. This actually happened during the school festival¡­" Natsuya began a summary.

    The ck-haired girl listened quietly as she sipped her tea.

    "¡­And that¡¯s how it is." After a while, Natsuya finished her exnation. "Now, apart from Shika Kagura, he also has a Spirit Controller by his side. If he seeds in bing a Yin-Yang Master, I presume that these two girls will be more than happy to be his Spirit-branded Retainers."

    "One is the ¡®Reaper¡¯s Curse,¡¯ and one is just a normal girl that coincidentally managed to receive a strange Spiritual Creature¡­"

    "Even so, for a boy who¡¯s been exiled from his family, and has no resources or help from his family at all, this is quite excellent in my opinion," Natsuya replied. "If it were me, in the same conditions, I don¡¯t have the self-confidence to say that I could have done as well as him."

    "¡­Are you making fun of me?" the girl asked.

    "Of course not. I just mean that he¡¯s already done a great job. And, he¡¯ll definitely do even better in the future."

    The ck-haired girl didn¡¯t respond to this.

    "You actually believe this as well, right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have specially invited me to a meeting to ask so many details about him."

    "Natsuya Yoruhana, my meeting you is primarily for business. Anything else I ask is just making conversation."

    "Primarily for business? We talked business for less than five minutes and spent much longer on chatting." Natsuya smiled faintly. "This isn¡¯t like you at all, Yui Haruta."

 Chapter 259 - Ability Test

    <h4>Chapter 259: Ability Test</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    On Monday, during lunch break.

    Seiji was rather surprised to learn that Kaho and Mika had be friends on a first-name basis.

    After all, they seemed rather unfamiliar with each otherst week. He didn¡¯t expect that they would improve their rtionship so much over just one weekend.

    Mika exined it by saying she''d met Kaho coincidentally on the street on Sunday and had found out that they actually got along quite well after chatting for a while. This was how they had be good friends. As Kaho and her had discussed female-oriented anime and manga, Mika learned many interesting things and began to take an interest in anime and manga herself.

    Seiji felt that new friendships and hobbies were always good for anyone to have. Of course, the truth wasn¡¯t like this.

    Kaho felt conflicted as she watched all this. She felt as if she now had a deeper understanding of societal rtionships.

    That indescribable feeling aside, objectively speaking, she now had a new friend, and Mika could now get closer to Seigo Harano. Harano-san seemed pretty happy about it all as well, so all was good.

    So she decided not to think too much about it.

    Just as Kaho was thinking this, she heard Harano-san say: "I think something¡¯s wrong here."

    "Eh?"

    ¡®Did he notice something?¡¯ Kaho instantly became nervous.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Chiaki asked.

    Seiji rubbed his chin. "I was the first one here to be friends with Miyamoto-san, but Mika started calling Miyamoto-san by her name before me; I think that¡¯s wrong."

    All the girls were rendered speechless.

    "In order to fix this, from now on, I¡¯m going to call Miyamoto-san by name as well. Kaho, is that alright?"

    Kaho¡¯s heart gave a sudden lurch at hearing her name from his mouth.

    "O-of course," she stammered.

    Seiji smiled. "Great, just call me Seigo as well in the future."

    "Okay¡­ Seigo," Kaho answered in a soft voice. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

    "Since the two of you are calling each other by name now, I¡¯ll feel really awkward if I¡¯m the only one using honorifics." Chiaki smiled. "Which is why we should call each other by name starting now as well, Kaho."

    "Okay¡­ Chiaki." Only after Kaho said it out loud did she discover to her astonishment that she was now on a first-name basis with the three people in ss that shone the brightest.

    ¡®I can actually do all this¡­¡¯ Kaho was still inwardly astonished at the unexpected turn of events.

    The four of them, now bound by their new friendship, continued to chat and enjoyed their lunches.

    Seiji had already given Mika a copy of Peach-sensei¡¯s new drawingst night, and now he gave Chiaki and Kaho each a copy as well.

    With this picture and Honey Candy Girl as the main topic of their conversation, they had an enjoyable lunch.

    "Although I don¡¯t really want to talk about it, next Thursday is our final exam; are you guys confident about it?"

    After discussing anime for quite a while, Chiaki changed the topic to school.

    "I¡¯ll be fine," Seiji answered casually.

    "I-I¡¯m not so confident," Mika replied.

    "¡­I¡¯m also not so sure," Kaho added.

    "There¡¯s a few idiots in our club that might fail, and our vice club president has decided to begin creating study groups so that they don¡¯t affect the overall reputation of the drama club," Chiaki said. "I¡¯ve been ordered to participate¡ªI''ll be one of the tutors."

    ¡®A study group¡­ this is perfectlymon for high school,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    "If you two aren¡¯t confident about the final exam, how about joining our study group?" Chiaki offered.

    "Can people who aren''t in drama club participate as well?"

    "Of course; we¡¯re all studying the same things anyways, and more people will create a better atmosphere."

    Mika and Kaho exchanged nces. Both of them seemed to be considering it, but neither agreed immediately.

    "Go ahead and participate¡ªimprove your academic ability, and try to aim for better grades." Seiji attempted to encourage them.

    Both girls were swayed by his words.

    "Come join as well, Seigo!" Chiaki eximed. "You can be one of the tutors."

    "I need to work on my novel."

    "You can write your novel in the study group as well, just like in ss. Just do some tutoring whenever someone has a question," Chiaki said with a smile.

    Seiji thought about it for a few seconds. "When¡¯s the study group supposed to meet up?"

    "At the same time as all the club activities. It starts from today and carries on all the way to the day before the final exams. It¡¯ll be in the school library."

    "During club activity time¡­ alright. If Mika and Kaho participate, then I¡¯ll join in as well." Seiji nced at the two girls.

    "I¡¯ll join!" Mika and Kaho chimed up almost simultaneously.

    They were both inwardly delighted when they imagined receiving personal tutoring from Seiji (Seigo).

    "Excellent, everyone¡¯s participating." Chiaki shed a happy smile. "Then, let¡¯s all go together to the library after school."

    "Er, wait, today¡¯s no good. Mika and I¡­ have something to do after school."

    "Eh? What do you have to do?"

    "Some personal matters. Right, Mika?" Seiji looked towards the double pigtailed girl.

    Mika nodded at this without saying anything.

    Chiaki assumed that it must involve the mystical based on their expressions and nodded. "Since you¡¯re busy, then juste join in tomorrow instead."

    Kaho was rather curious what Seigo and Mika were going to go do, and judging by how Chiaki reacted, she seemed to know what was going on as well¡­

    She faintly felt as if she was being left out, but she instantly suppressed this feeling of hers.

    ¡®The three of them have been good friends for a long while, and I only befriended them recently. It¡¯s only natural that there would be some things I don¡¯t know about.¡¯ Kaho decided not to pay it any mind.

    After school, Seiji and Mika paid a visit to the president¡¯s residence.

    Mai weed them in her maid attire.

    This was the first time that Mika had seen the former student council president in maid attire, and she was left stunned for several seconds before she managed to regain her senses.

    Mai invited both of them into the living room, and, momentster, Natsuya appeared.

    Compared to when Seiji met herst week, the president was obviously in a much better condition. She was radiating her natural beauty in full force once again.

    After they greeted each other, Natsuya asked Mika to summon Mashiro.

    "Chirp!" The silver-winged loli with an egg-shaped body appeared and flew towards the ceiling, chirping cutely. It flew two circles delightedly before settling down in Mika¡¯s arms.

    Natsuya was rendered speechless as she watched this scene in stunned amazement.

    "President?" Only when Seiji tried calling out to her did she regain her senses.

    "Although I already suspected what would happen, I¡­ am still astonished," the president eximed. "This creature¡­ is truly wondrous."

    "President, since you¡¯ve left the hospital now, why don''t you meet Sakura-san and ask her about it?"

    "I¡¯d like to do that as well, but she hasn¡¯t been answering my call."

    "You¡¯re unable to find Sakura-san by yourself?"

    "It''s possible for me to do it¡­ but that would require a lot of effort, and I haven¡¯t tried it before."

    ¡®It¡¯s only a possibility, and I might not seed. Even trying is rather troublesome, so I¡¯d rather not.¡¯ Seiji understood the implicit meaning behind her words.

    He decided to treat Sakura-san as being unlocatable.

    "I¡¯m also really curious what abilities such a wondrous Spiritual Creature will have. Come with me¡ª we¡¯re going to the practice field."

    Natsuya led the way. Seiji had Mika carry Mashiro as they followed the president.

    "Chirp~ Chirp chirp~~" Mashiro¡¯s eyes were innocent and wide as she looked around her and chirped melodiously. She seemed to be having fun.

    Mika was somewhat nervous, but she felt reassured having Seiji by her side.

    They entered the secret basement and went to the practice field.

    Just like Seiji¡¯s reaction when he saw this ce for the first time, Mika was astonished that there were all these facilities underground.

    Natsuya took them to one of the ces within this practice field. There were various targets and practice dummies used for training here.

    Natsuya turned on a nearbyputer and fiddled with the controls. A white, round target started moving closer to them.

    "We''ll have her release her power at that target."

 Chapter 260 - What the Hell Is That!?

    <h4>Chapter 260: What the Hell Is That!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mika was hugging Mashiro while standing in the practice field.

    "Mashiro¡­ try hitting that." She attempted to get Mashiro to attack the target by pointing at the round target.

    "Chirp?" It was clear that the silver-winged loli didn¡¯t quite understand.

    "Hit that target with your power," Mika tried exining again.

    Mashiro blinked in seeming realization.

    "Chirp!" She appeared to understand and flew towards the target.

    Seiji and Natsuya observed her carefully.

    They witnessed the silver-winged loli flying towards the target, and then¡­ crashing into it!

    *Smack!*

    She bounced off the target.

    "Chirp¡­" Mashiro flew around dazedly in midair for a few circles and almost dropped out of midair.

    "Mashiro!" Mika shouted, rushing over just in time to catch her.

    Seiji and Natsuya were rendered speechless.

    "How was that just now?" Seiji asked anyway, holding no expectations.

    "It was on the level of a young child¡¯s punch," Natsuya answered calmly.

    ''Yep, a normal level¡­ the hell!''

    "Mika, how¡¯s Mashiro-chan?" Seiji asked.

    "She¡¯s alright; she doesn¡¯t seem to be hurt." Mika gently patted the silver-winged loli¡¯s head.

    "Chirp!" Mashiro was excited. Seiji suspected she believed that she was being praised for doing well.

    "It¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s okay." Seiji sighed and rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "Mika, perhaps you should change the way you ask her to hit the target. She misunderstood you and crashed into the target headfirst instead. Maybe you should word it more urately, so that she uses her true powers."

    "Yeah¡­ but what should I say?" Mika felt that it was a difficult problem.

    "¡®Don¡¯t use your body; use your internal power to attack that thing¡­¡¯ Try saying something like that."

    Mika copied Seiji¡¯s sentence word for word and pointed at the round target again.

    "Chirp?" The silver-winged loli tilted her head in confusion.

    It seemed that there was a failure inmunication.

    "This is a difficult problem¡ªhow should we have a Spiritual Creature that only half understands us and can¡¯tmunicate to attack the target that we want?" Seiji felt helpless about it. "President, do you have any ideas?"

    Natsuya mulled it over. "When Yin-Yang Masters control Spiritual Creatures, we don¡¯t use words; we use spells¡­ a connection through Mana. Uehara-san and that creature, Mashiro-chan, have a connection already. Perhaps words aren¡¯t necessary; she just needs to think it, and Mashiro-chan will understand¡­ Just maybe."

    "Mika, did you hear that?" Seiji asked. "Try thinking what you want her to do as hard as you can."

    Mika nodded and looked towards Mashiro. Mashiro returned her gaze with an innocent expression.

    Mika stared into Mashiro¡¯s eyes and attempted to transmit her intentions. Mashiro¡¯s¡­ expression of innocence didn¡¯t change one bit.

    The two of them simply stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

    *Chirp~~* The silver-winged loli suddenly broke into a burst of cuteughter.

    Mika revealed a helpless expression as she looked back towards Seiji and Natsuya. She had failed again.

    Seiji covered his face in exasperation.

    Just what could they do?

    Seiji recalled how Mashiro tensed up upon seeing Shika.

    Since Mashiro felt enmity towards Shika, it was likely that she detected Shika¡¯s nature as the [Reaper¡¯s Curse], wasn¡¯t it? The most likely exnation as to why Mashiro had been so defensive was in order to prevent Shika from getting close to and harming Mika.

    In that case¡­ Seiji looked over at the targets and pondered a while longer.

    "I have an idea that we could try," he said slowly.

    He gestured for Mika to release Mashiro-chan and beckoned Natsuya and her toe closer to him.

    When the two girls were standing beside him, Seiji whispered his idea to them.

    "Is this how we''ll do it?" Natsuya muttered softly. "Alright. I promise that Uehara-san won¡¯te to any harm."

    "Fooling Mashiro-chan like this doesn¡¯t seem good to me¡­ but we do need to be able to see her true powers¡­" After hearing Natsuya''s promise, Mika agreed after some hesitation.

    They began implementing Seiji¡¯s idea.

    Mika walked back to the practice field and walked over to the spot that Natsuya indicated.

    Natsuya manipted something on herputer and controlled a human-shaped target to move towards Mika.

    As Mika saw the human-shaped target approach, she pretended to be afraid and started shivering.

    "Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯te over here!" she shouted out in (fake) terror.

    "Chirp!?" The silver-winged loli who was currently flying around in midair saw this, and her eyes widened in shock.

    The human-shaped target approached closer and closer.

    "Don¡¯te over!!" Mika pretended to be terrified; she was now screaming.

    Natsuya increased the speed of the human target at the perfect time, making it seem like it was about to crash into Mika.

    "Ahh!!" Mika continued acting.

    "Chirp!!!"

    Something instantly changed in the atmosphere. For just an instant, Seiji felt a deep chill as he watched Mashiro.

    It was as if he had plunged into a freezing river!

    He saw the silver-winged loli¡¯s hair suddenly turn blood-red, her wings changed to pitch-ck, and arge amount of dark red mist suddenly materialized before her and began condensing into the form of a ball.

    In just an instant, the dark red ball shot out, leaving a colorful trail behind that seemed almost like a streak of blood.

    *Boom!!* A low and deep explosion reverberated throughout the underground facility.

    The human-shaped target that was struck by the dark red ball vanished.

    It didn¡¯t explode and it wasn¡¯t destroyed; it vanished entirely!

    Mika, Natsuya, and Seiji were all stunned.

    After a few seconds of dead silence¡ª"Chirp!"

    The silver-winged loli had already returned to her original colors and flew towards the double pigtailed girl.

    Mika reflexively caught Mashiro.

    "Chirp~" Mashiro once again disyed a cute expression. It seemed like she wanted praise for having done a good job.

    Mika, nk-faced, could only pat Mashiro listlessly. Seiji felt that it was incredible how she hadn¡¯t shown any expressions of fear from that.

    He himself definitely had an expression of shock. Natsuya, standing beside him, had the exact same expression.

    That just now¡­ what the hell was that!?

    It seemed like some technique from an anime, but the target that was hit just instantly vanished, without leaving a single shard or trace behind¡­ Was it a dimensional transfer bomb or ck hole bomb or what!?

    Frightening.

    This attack¡¯s effect was frightening, and the change in Mashiro was frightening and overall¡­ terrifying!

    Seiji was inwardly patting himself on the back for having sessfully avoided a sh between Shika and Mashirost night, otherwise¡­ he definitely would have needed to load.

    Mashiro was actually able to use such a powerful attack¡­ just what was she?

    "Her power¡­ is immeasurable," Natsuya muttered to herself after she regained her senses. She looked at herputer monitor, shaking her head in disbelief.

    On the screen was a warning disying that the measuring equipment had undergone an error.

    If the target had been destroyed, and the numbers were off the charts, that would have been astonishing but still understandable.

    But what was with the measuring equipment disying nothing but errors?

    What exactly was that ball-shaped attack? It was impossible to know.

    The target disappeared after being struck, but did it transform into something too microscopically small to see, or was it transported elsewhere? If it were instantly vaporized, then its destructive power was insanely strong! And if it were transported elsewhere, where did it go?

    This was definitely unimaginable.

    After all this, this Spiritual Creature¡ªno, the mysterious creature who''d been given the name of Mashiro¡ªseemed likely to have a nature which was far more frightening than what it appeared like.

    Cute chirping sounds echoed throughout this quiet, empty space.

    Mika looked towards Seiji. Seiji and Natsuya exchanged nces.

    The two of them nonverballymunicated and came to an unspoken agreement.

    "Let¡¯s stop the test."

    "Yep."

 Chapter 261 - Yui Harutaâ€™s Present

    <h4>Chapter 261: Yui Haruta¡¯s Present</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The ability test hade to a conclusion. It would be too dangerous to continue.

    The fact that Mashiro didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit fatigued after performing such a powerful attack meant that she still had plenty of power left over.

    How many such attacks could she perform in a row? Did she have some even more terrifying power?

    Even though they really wanted to know, it would be too risky to continue to the test under the current situation where they couldn¡¯t effectivelymunicate with her.

    Mika unsummoned Mashiro.

    "Uehara-san, you¡­ truly ¡®hatched¡¯ an unbelievable creature," Natsuya eximed. "She has a dangerous power. You need to keep her under control, and the first priority is to learn how tomunicate with her."

    Mika remained silent. She clenched her own hands and didn¡¯t say anything.

    "Mika, even though Mashiro-chan made one of President¡¯s targets vanish, she isn¡¯t ming you; she¡¯s just objectively saying what she believes," Seiji told her in a gentle tone. "And I agree with the President: no matter what type of existence Mashiro-chan is, you need to be able to effectivelymunicate with her and keep her under control."

    Mika looked at Seiji with a soft expression in her eyes.

    "No need to worry. Just because Mashiro-chan has dangerous powers it doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s a dangerous individual¡ªor at least that¡¯s what I believe." Seiji smiled. "I¡¯m standing on your and Mashiro-chan¡¯s side. I definitely won¡¯t say something like making you give up Mashiro-chan or seal her away."

    "Seiji¡­" Mika¡¯s eyes glistened.

    "Controlling Mashiro-chan is a must, just like how mothers need to teach their children how to behave. You don¡¯t need to think too much about anything else or be worried." He extended his hand and gently patted Mika on the head.

    "Okay¡­" Mika was finally able to rx somewhat.

    Natsuya silently watched this unfold. "Let¡¯s wait until Uehara-san can effectivelymunicate with this creature before we try testing its powers again."

    The president ended this test with these words.

    Seiji and the others left the practice field and returned to the first floor.

    When they returned to the living room, Seiji saw that a blonde-haired boy was sitting on the sofa waiting for them, and he was astonished to see who it was.

    It was Naoki Hasegawa!

    Why was he here?

    "He¡¯s here to see you," Natsuya exined; she seemed to have heard Seiji¡¯s mental question.

    "That¡¯s right, Harano-san." Naoki smiled. "Mdy had mee find you."

    Yui Haruta¡­ so she was finally giving a response.

    But why here?

    "Last night when you called me, I was actually having tea with Yui Haruta," Natsuya exined again.

    Seiji now looked at her with a surprised expression.

    Natsuya smiled in response. "I talked with her about many things, including what you are here for today, which is why she knew you would be here at this time. As for why she wants to talk to you, I wouldn¡¯t know." Natsuya looked towards Naoki. "Should I leave for the time being?"

    "It would be impolite of me to have the owner of this residence leave her own living room," Naoki said with a chuckle. "It¡¯s actually not much; I¡¯m just a messenger. I''m only here to give you guys some items on behalf of Mdy and to say a few words."

    He took a long box out from under the table and opened it. There was a silver de with a ck hilt inside, as well as two smaller boxes.

    "This is a Muramasa de. It¡¯s a present from Mdy to Kagura-san," Naoki exined.

    A Muramasa de? A present¡­ for Shika!?

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise. "Muramasa¡­ could it be¡­"

    "Yes," Natsuya said, "the ¡®Demon de¡¯ Muramasa, a Spiritual Weapon that even the general public has heard about. Authentic Muramasa des are produced in very small quantities, and they¡¯re difficult to purchase even at a high price, so as a present¡­ it¡¯s quite a significant one."

    Demon de Muramasa!

    This was indeed rather famous.

    Seiji knew that this name didn¡¯t belong to a single de, but rather a series of swords.

    The swords crafted by the Muramasa desmith family not only had extravagant designs, they were also iparably sharp and extremely popr.

    In Seiji¡¯s previous world, there was a legend about Tokugawa Ieyasu and his rtives all being injured by Muramasa des, which was why they were viewed as harbingers of misfortune and banned by the Ieyasu shogunate.

    That was how the Muramasa des obtained the nickname of "Demon de."

    Seiji wasn¡¯t certain if the history in this world was the same, but he figured it was mostly the same.

    And, the biggest difference was that the "Muramasa" from his previous world was just a legend, while this one¡­ was real!

    Yui Haruta gave Shika the present of a Muramasa Demon de.

    Why?

    Seiji was astonished at this.

    But Naoki didn¡¯t give any exnation. He proceeded swiftly, opening the smaller of the two remaining boxes.

    There was a light gold talisman inside¡­ or something that resembled a talisman.

    There were white and ck lines inscribed on it withplex formations and runes. It was rather dizzying to behold.

    "This is a Taoist Spirit Raising Talisman, a present from Mdy to Uehara-san here," Naoki exined.

    A Spirit Raising Talisman? For Mika? Seiji¡¯s surprises kept increasing in number.

    "For me?" Mika was also surprised.

    "This is another significant present. Spirit Raising Talismans are a magical tool that just about every Spirit Controller wants, as it¡¯s an excellent aid in helping to raise Spiritual Creatures," Natsuya exined.

    Naoki then opened up the slightlyrger box.

    There was a ck cell phone inside.

    "This is a present from Mdy to you, Harano-san." Naoki looked at Seiji. "Pleasee over and take it."

    Seiji blinked upon hearing this. After thinking for a few seconds, he walked over and picked up the object that seemed like an ordinary cell phone.

    He then sensed something and immediately cast [Astral Vision].

    His eyes shed red, and he saw two tentacles emerging from the cell phone screen! Or, what seemed to resemble spirit tentacles.

    Seiji almost reflexively tossed the cell phone away, but he steadied himself, and allowed the two spirit tentacles to touch his wrist and enter his body.

    He didn¡¯t feel anything from this.

    Several secondster, the two spirit tentacles retracted themselves and went back into the cell phone.

    Seiji looked towards Naoki for an exnation.

    "You can use this cell phone now," Naoki said. "This cell phone is only usable by you alone. There are various pieces of important information stored inside, so please take caution with it."

    Information?

    Seiji tried turning on the cell phone. There was only an emblem that he didn¡¯t recognize on the screen.

    "Mdy only has one sentence for you." Naoki stood up and looked at the youth before him. "Be a Yin-Yang Master."

    Seiji heard him clearly.

    Then, he understood why Yui Haruta gave him and his friends all these presents.

    He looked towards the blonde boy and was ovee by the urge to ask something, but then he realized that there was no longer any need.

    "Goodbye, Harano-san. Sorry for the bother, Lady Yoruhana." Naoki politely said his goodbyes and prepared to leave.

    "Wait¡­ help me pass along one message. Tell her I said thank you," Seiji told him with great sincerity.

    Naoki nodded upon hearing this and left.

    Seiji decided to check out the cell phone¡¯s contents since he''d already turned it on. He saw that stored within were¡­ secret technique manuals!

    The Haruta family¡¯s spells and cultivation manuals¡­ this was just what he needed.

    After all, he could borrow beginner-level technique manuals and information from the president, but intermediate and above would be difficult to ask for, as they would probably be family secrets.

    Seiji was truly grateful to his older sister.

    ¡®Be a Yin-Yang Master.¡¯ This was her wish.

    He would fulfill her expectations.

    One day, he would stand in front of her again, and he hoped that at that time¡­ they could be family again.

 Chapter 262 - My Sister Is Amazing

    <h4>Chapter 262: My Sister Is Amazing</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Seiji¡­ what¡¯s all this?" Mika was still confused.

    "You heard it as well¡ªthese are all presents from Yui Haruta, my older sister. I suppose it¡¯s¡­ her encouragement." Seiji smiled. "She wishes for me to be a Yin-Yang Master and meet her again¡­ probably."

    "Encouragement¡­ why give me and Kagura-san presents as well?"

    "She probably views Uehara-san and Kagura-san as Haruta-kun¡¯s importantpanions," Natusya interjected. "I assume she hopes that the two of you will be able to assist him in the future."

    "I concur with Natsuya," Seijia agreed.

    "Oh¡­" Mika nodded in understanding. "At any rate, it¡¯s a good thing, right?"

    Seiji nodded. "Yep, it¡¯s a good thing." He put away his cell phone and picked up the Spirit Raising Talisman. "This present is for Mika¡­ how can she use it?"

    "A Spirit Raising Talisman is a container for Spiritual Creatures. As long as you let a spiritual creature stay within it, there are many benefits, such as rapid growth, or speedy recovery after expending too much energy or getting injured," Natsuya exined. "If the owner knows how to use Mana, there are even more uses, but Uehara-san currently doesn¡¯t know how to use mana yet, right?"

    Mika nodded again.

    "Then all you have to do is let your Spiritual Creature stay inside it."

    "Let¡¯s listen to the president, and try it out, Mika." Seiji handed the Spirit Raising Talisman to Mika.

    Mika epted the talisman and then summoned Mashiro.

    "Chirp!" The silver-winged loli twirled in mid-air three times after she was summoned.

    "Mashiro-chan, this¡­" Mika showed her the talisman.

    "Chirp?" Mashiro''s eyes widened. She studied the talisman with a confused expression.

    "How do we have her go inside?" Seiji inquired.

    "It should activate as long as she touches it," Natsuya answered.

    Mika put the Spirit Raising Talisman on Mashiro.

    As soon as the talisman came into contact with the silver-winged loli, it shone gold and instantly sucked Mashiro into it!

    "That¡¯s¡­ it?" Mika asked.

    "Yep," Natusya said, "if you want her toe out again, just squeeze the talisman."

    Mika tried squeezing it.

    "Chirp~"

    The talisman lit up again and the silver-winged loli hopped out from it.

    "How does it feel inside?" Mika asked.

    "Yaya! Chirp~~" Mashiro revealed a brilliant smile.

    It seemed that she was quite happy.

    Mika touched Mashiro with the talisman once more and put her inside.

    "This is an extremely valuable magical item; try your best not to let anyone else see it," Natsuya cautioned.

    "Such a valuable item¡­ is it really fine for me to keep it?" Mika looked towards Seiji.

    Seiji smiled reassuringly. "Just rx and ept it. Make sure you use it properly."

    "Thank you." Mika carefully stowed away the talisman.

    Then, everyone fell silent. Seiji felt that it was time for him to leave, so he said goodbye to the president.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ did you mind the fact that I told Yui Haruta about you without informing you first?" Natsuya didn¡¯t reply to his goodbye. Instead, she looked into his eyes and asked a question of her own.

    "Hm? Of course not," Seiji said. "There¡¯s no need to conceal anything about me from her. If you said it, you said it. There¡¯s no need to mind at all, President. And from the result, I should even thank you¡­ did you put in a few good words for me?"

    Natsuya smiled. "I just told her the truth."

    "No matter what, I still have to thank you," Seiji told her sincerely.

    "There¡¯s no need¡­" Natsuya¡¯s face flushed slightly red, and a strange light shed across her eyes.

    ¡­

    After saying goodbye to Natsuya for the second time, Seiji returned back to his apartment together with Mika.

    When he returned home, Seiji opened the box containing the Muramasa Demon de and gave it to Shika, telling her who it came from.

    An indescribable light shed through Shika¡¯s eyes as she listened to this. She epted the sword wordlessly.

    Seiji went to his own room, took out his cell phone, and checked the information inside. The first thing he wanted to check was precisely how to be a Yin-Yang Master.

    He recalled that Mai told him the critical part to bing a Yin-Yang Master was to materialize his own Yin-Yang Seal. But she didn¡¯t know how to obtain this "Job ss Seal."

    After searching through for a while, Seiji found what he was looking for.

    The secret technique manual on how to be a Yin-Yang Master and how to materialize his personal Seal!

    He instantly began reading through it. This manual¡­ the contents weren¡¯t particrly hard to understand or long.

    It wasn¡¯t even dinnertime by the time Seiji finished reading through it.

    *Ding!* There was a notification from his system, and a few lines of words appeared before him.

    [You¡¯ve understood the basic concepts of how to be a Yin-Yang Master. The [Yin-Yang Seal] option is now avable under [Spiritual Abilities], and you may now be a Yin-Yang Master.]

    Seiji raised his eyebrows and instantly checked the new [Yin-Yang Seal] option in his system.

    As he expected, it was still grayed out, so he looked at the system exnation.

    [Read a technique manual detailing how to be a Yin-Yang Master or read other equivalent information. Learn and understand it fully¡ª82%pleted.]

    [Cultivate your Spiritual Power and improve your level¡ªcurrent progress 0%.]

    [Cultivate your Mana and improve your level¡ªcurrent progress of 0%.]

    [??? (Prerequisites not met; will be revealed afterpleting the above 3 conditions.)]

    ¡®Isn¡¯t the system basically telling me "You¡¯re not even close to being at a high enough level yet?"¡¯ Seiji tugged at his lips.

    Then, he browsed through his [Gifts] in the system.

    Yui Haruta hadn¡¯t given the Muramasa Demon de and Spirit Raising Talisman to him, so there were no rewards for this. But the ck cell phone had rewarded him.

    [All-stat improvement card¡ªHeartfelt Relief.]

    [This card contains Yui Haruta¡¯s heartfelt relief for her younger brother. After using it, all of your stats will be increased. Lower stats will increase by a greater amount.]

    [Ability reload card¡ªConcerned Heart.]

    [This card contains Yui Haruta¡¯s concern for you. After using it, all your limited-use abilities for the day will be reset and can be used again!]

    [Yin-Yang Seal activation card¡ªExpectant Heart.]

    [This card contains Yui Haruta¡¯s ardent expectations for you. You may use this card on any two learning requirements for the Yin-Yang Seal, and both will instantly be increased to 100% progress!]

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡®Sister, you¡¯re amazing.¡¯ This was all he could think of at the moment.

    An all-stat increase card¡­ he didn¡¯t need toment on it, as it was much stronger than any other stat increase card he¡¯d ever received!

    A limited-use ability reload card¡­ presently, Seiji only had two abilities that were limited in use: [Light of Despair from the Brink] and [Light¡¯s Marking].

    While it probably wasn¡¯t important to reuse [Light¡¯s Marking], using [Light of Despair from the Brink] again was critically important; it had the potential to be an extra lifesaver!

    And if he saved this card forter and had more limited-use powerful abilities in the future, he could use them right away again, which was¡­ just amazing!

    As for the final Yin-Yang Seal learning card¡­ dear lord, it would give him two requirements for free!

    He could just ignore the two most troublesome or difficult conditions, which meant that this card meant he was almost a Yin-Yang Master already!

    Seiji believed that this was all honestly amazing, as all these items were indicative of Yui Haruta''s true feelings.

    Seiji decided to stop thinking about all this after mulling it over for a long while.

    ¡®I should go help Shika cook dinner.¡¯

    With that, he put down his cell phone and walked out of his room.

 Chapter 263 - The Murderer Is Among Us!

    <h4>Chapter 263: The Murderer Is Among Us!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji entered the Genhana High School library for the first time today. He was apanied by Chiaki, Mika, and Kaho. They were there for the drama club¡¯s study group.

    When he arrived, he saw that several drama club members had already arrived.

    Chiaki greeted them and helped make the introductions.

    Seiji noticed a handsome boy in drama club with a head of curly light blue hair, a pale face, and a haggard expression.

    Seiji took a closer look and confirmed that this boy was the person who was ying the part of the "Ice Prince" during the drama club¡¯s performance for the school festival.

    At that time, this person had been quite spirited, and he acted quite convincingly. While he wasn¡¯t at Chiaki¡¯s level, he was pretty good for a high school student.

    But now he was like this¡­ what could be the matter?

    Just as he was thinking this, Chiaki introduced him as "Hiroshi Fuuma."

    "Fuuma-san, you don¡¯t seem so well¡ªare you feeling ill?" Chiaki also noticed his strange condition; she seemed slightly worried about him.

    "I¡¯m fine¡­ I just didn¡¯t sleep wellst night; there''s no need to worry," Hiroshi Fuuma replied with a weak smile.

    Was it just "not sleeping well?" Seiji couldn¡¯t believe this.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t believe it either, but seeing as he obviously didn¡¯t want to talk about it, she didn¡¯t pry.

    After the introductions, everyone exchanged greetings and sat down.

    After a while, all the drama club members arrived, including the vice club president Shiina Shiho.

    Under "Demon Face" Shiina¡¯s constant pressure, all the club members studied obediently and asked each other questions that they couldn¡¯t understand.

    The only person who wasn¡¯t studying was Seiji.

    He was continuing to write his novel. In order to not affect the atmosphere of serious studying, he arranged several textbooks around himself and pretended to learn.

    Half an hour passed.

    While Seiji was engrossed in the middle of his storyline, he suddenly heard a *thud.*

    "Fuuma-san!" someone shouted out in surprise.

    When Seiji went to go take a look at themotion, he saw Hiroshi Fuuma copsed on the ground.

    Shiina walked next to Hiroshi and crouched next to him to check his condition. Everyone else watched with worried expressions.

    "Fuuma-san has fainted¡­ someone needs to take him to the infirmary." Shiina looked concerned.

    "Allow me," Seiji offered.

    As the tallest and strongest boy present, it was only natural for him to take this task.

    With Shiina and Chiaki¡¯s assistance, he carried Hiroshi on his back and hurriedly walked towards the infirmary, followed by the two girls.

    ¡­

    "He¡¯s probably overly fatigued," Kaede said after assessing Hiroshi

    "Overly fatigued?"

    "Yep, his body was tired and he pushed himself to his limit, which led to him fainting," Kaede exined. "It isn''t too serious; he¡¯ll wake up naturally after resting for a while."

    Vice club president Shiina heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing her club member would be alright.

    Chiaki also rxed slightly.

    "Why was Fuuma-san overly fatigued?" Seiji was rather curious.

    "I don¡¯t know¡­ When I saw him yesterday, he seemed unwell, but he was finest week," Chiaki murmured. She then looked at Shiina to see if she had any clue. "Vice president, any ideas?"

    Shiina shook her head. "I¡¯ll stay here and watch over Fuuma-san. You guys should go back and keep studying."

    She nced at her club member resting on the bed before turning to Seiji. "Harano-san, thanks for carrying him here."

    "No problem, Shiho-senpai."

    Seiji and Chiaki left the infirmary, returned to the library, and told the other people about Hiroshi Fuuma¡¯s condition.

    Everyone rxed after hearing it was only fatigue.

    And of course, everyone was just as curious as Seiji as to why Hiroshi would suddenly copse from fatigue.

    "Did Fuuma-san go out and secretly get a very difficult part-time job?"

    "If so, what job would be so tiring? And why would he need to go work?"

    "Did something happen in his family?"

    "It doesn¡¯t seem like it."

    The club members were all gossiping.

    If "Demon Face" Shiina was still here, then she would definitely suppress all this idle chatter, but she was still in the infirmary apanying Hiroshi.

    "Hmph¡­ It would appear that I¡¯m the only one who knows the truth," said a short, red-haired boy assuming a pretentious pose.

    Everyone looked in his direction.

    Seiji recognized his voice as the actor who was doing the narration for the drama club¡¯s school festival y.

    "Nakajima-san, what do you know?" a person asked.

    "Yep, I¡¯ve already seen the mysterious death of Fuuma-san," Nakajima said smugly.

    "Don¡¯t just go off killing people; he¡¯s not dead yet!" another person eximed.

    "Now," Nakajima announced with a flourish, "allow me to unveil the mystery of the locked-room puzzle."

    "What locked room?"

    "The murderer who killed Fuuma-san is actually among us!"

    "The hell with murderer! Stop pretending to be some famous detective!!"

    Yep, the drama club members really knew how to have fun.

    Seiji chuckled at this scene. After yacting for a bit and getting everyone¡¯s attention, Nakajima finally told the study group the "truth."

    "Last week, Fuuma-san got a girlfriend from another school."

    "A girlfriend?"

    "From another school?"

    "Yep, I found out by eavesdropping on his conversation with Zawai-san."

    "You were eavesdropping!?"

    "Andst weekend, I coincidentally spotted Fuuma-san behaving intimately together with a beautiful girl on the street, so I followed them for a bit."

    "You even stalked them!?"

    "That girl was incredibly proactive, and Fuuma-san was the one on the receiving end. I only followed them for a little while before I saw them kissing. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have my cell phone at the time, so I was unable to get a picture."

    "You even wanted to secretly take their picture!? You¡¯re too much!"

    "With how proactive that girl was being in the rtionship, Fuuma-san would definitely fall for her, so that¡¯s why¡­ he was overly fatigued!" the red-haired boy named Nakajima said with adamant conviction.

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    "So after all this time you were just telling a raunchy joke on us!!" several male membersmented in unison.

    "No, this is the truth! The dark, cruel truth." Nakajima had a serious expression and even acted as if he were pained. "For me, who¡¯s still single, it¡¯s¡­ unbearably heavy."

    Everyone was rendered speechless again.

    "Cough cough." Chiaki interrupted the boys. "Everyone, let¡¯s stop here, and continue learning," she said calmly.

    Everyone silently obeyed and went back to studying seriously, without continuing that topic.

    ¡­

    Seiji received a call from Editor Yoshizawa.

    "Your short story received excellent feedback, and in the readers¡¯ votes of the most popr stories, you¡¯re ranked number six!"

    "Number six¡­"

    "For a brand-new author¡¯s short story to rank so high is already astonishing," the editor said solemnly. "Such a high ranking is sufficient enough for it to be modified into a full-length series and be published by itself."

    Published by itself! Seiji raised his brows at this.

    "Are you interested in this? Writing I¡¯ll Die if I Don¡¯t Be Handsome as a full-length story and publishing it?"

    "This is an attractive proposal." Seiji mulled it over as he spoke. "But there¡¯s another book I want to publish more: the one I¡¯m currently writing. I believe that it¡¯s even better than Be Handsome ! Although I¡¯m not finished yet, I¡¯m almost there. Why don''t I show you what I have written already, for you to review? I believe that you¡¯ll share my opinion about it after you''ve read it!"

    Saki Yoshizawa remained quiet for a few moments. "If that¡¯s what you say, then I¡¯ll take a look¡­ What¡¯s the name of your next novel?"

 Chapter 264 - Amazing

    <h4>Chapter 264: Amazing</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Brother Monogatari," Seiji confidently told her his novel¡¯s nned name.

    "This name¡­ isn¡¯t quite as eye-catching as I¡¯ll Die if I Don''t Be Handsome ," Saki remarked. "I hope that its contents are as outstanding as you say."

    "You¡¯ll have to see for yourself," Seiji said with a chuckle. "I¡¯m going to call my home now and have Shika-chan¡­ my rtive send you the draft."

    "Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting."

    They ended the call on that note.

    Seiji instantly called Shika-chan and had her email a copy of his draft to Editor Yoshizawa.

    All he could do now was wait. He was confident that Editor Yoshizawa would definitely call him back again today!

    Saki instantly received Seigo Harano¡¯s draft. She immediately began perusing it.

    As a professional editor, Saki had strict standards for story drafts. If it couldn¡¯t attract readers within a set word count, she would unhesitatingly give up on it, no matter who the author was.

    And if she finished reading a draft from start to finish, then that basically meant the draft had passed her standards, and she would objectively give a review based on her impression.

    She had given Seigo¡¯s Be Handsome short story a review of "quite an attractive story" after one quick read-through.

    Very few stories could actually receive such a good review from her on the first read-through!

    Saki Yoshizawa¡¯s strict standards were by far the highest in Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s editing department.

    When she was still a newbie, she had the astonishing feat of having criticized a young, formerly sessful author to the point of making them break down in tears. And after she became more familiar with the line of work and increased her standards, she received the exaggerated nickname of "Wall of Disappointment."

    All her coworkers had witnessed her rejecting neers¡¯ drafts before and criticizing them to the point of despondency or leaving them in tears.

    Even veteran authors would be nervous when sending her their drafts, and some even went to the point of specifically requesting editors other than her if possible.

    The head editor had lectured her several times about it¡ªhe had tried to tell her to be "gentler" with the authors, and not break them.

    At any rate, the nickname of "Wall of Disappointment" was no joke. If a draft could sessfully get past this "Wall," it was considered a type of glory in the authors¡¯ circle, just slightly behind that of receiving the head editor¡¯s praise.

    All the drafts that sessfully passed this "Wall" would have good results after publication, better than the average results of drafts that didn¡¯t pass this "Wall¡¯s" standards. That¡¯s why even though the authors alwaysined how Saki was too strict, she was still viewed as an important employee by the editing department.

    All her coworkers believed in her ability and believed that she would eventually be an editor team leader, although this would depend on luck¡ªthe luck of receiving an excellent draft.

    Saki had processed many good stories, but none were wildly popr hits yet, so shecked absolutely convincing result. This meant that she was right on the border between an excellent editor and a famous editor known by everyone¡ªshe was barely on the wall.

    Saki herself didn¡¯t mind too much. She was just going through Seigo¡¯s draft as per normal, using her own standards.

    After she quickly read through the first page, she paused for a moment.

    Instead of reading the next page, she started over again from the beginning and read again while paying closer attention to detail!

    This was something she had never done before.

    Saki didn¡¯t even notice the change from her normal behavior, because all she could think of was the story she was reading right now.

    This story waspletely different.

    It had a totally different writing style from Be Handsome , but it was just as excellent¡­ no, even better!

    The writing quality was quite high, andpared to Be Handsome , the part where it stood out the most was that it was something "fresh!"

    At the very least, Saki felt that it was a fresh type of story, as she had never read such a style of light novel before.

    This story seemed like a real-life romanticedy at first. However, it was also mysterious and mystical, and there were also serious and elegant elements in the novel.

    "Monsters; the abnormal; the unexined; mystery¡­ Brother, which word do you prefer?"

    "The world may not be pure ck and white, but ck and white do exist and will always exist."

    "Those that wear masks are humans; those that don¡¯t wear masks are inhuman."

    "Sister, don¡¯t run around, something bad will happen."

    ¡­

    Saki was drawn to sentences like these. As she quickly skimmed through the draft, she felt a strongpulsion to read further.

    And when she read it again in more detail, she got addicted and lost herself in the words.

    She was so lost in the story that she didn¡¯t even hear one of her coworkers calling out for her, as her eyes were glued to herputer screen.

    Saki¡¯s female coworker thought it was rather strange. Just what was the famous "Wall of Disappointment" so busy reading?

    She got curious and went over to Saki¡¯s side to take a look at Saki¡¯sputer screen.

    A novel¡­ when she tried reading it, Saki¡¯s coworker also got lost in the story.

    Who wrote this story? It was so well written.

    Amazing!

    Saki¡¯s coworker forgot what she originally wanted to do and stood next to Saki, dazed, and read the story together with her.

    This attracted another coworker¡¯s attention.

    Several editors came over as well, looked at the screen in curiosity, and were likewise attracted by the story.

    When the head editor arrived at the office, he was astonished to see so many editors clumped together in one spot.

    What was going on?

    He walked over to the gaggle. "What are you guys doing?"

    There was no response.

    The head editor frowned at this and repeated his question in a louder voice.

    The editors finally regained their senses and were sheepish to notice that their boss was standing beside them.

    "Head editor, we¡¯re reading a draft¡­ it¡¯s incredibly well written! The author is¡­"

    The editors looked at Saki, unsure.

    "The author is Idle Dimension by the Shore," Saki said, giving Seigo Harano¡¯s pen name.

    "Idle Dimension by the Shore¡­ The person who wrote Be Handsome?"

    "That author!? This is a totally different style from Be Handsome!"

    "Can he change styles? Or is this his real style!?"

    Idle Dimension by the Shore was a brand-new author who managed to rank #6 with his first short story.

    This was an excellent result, so all the editors in the department had remembered this author¡¯s pen name.

    This might be an incredible neer¡­ no, not might¡ªthis was definitely an incredible neer!

    There was no doubting it anymore: his stories would definitely be bestsellers! All the editors who''d just read his draft shared this belief.

    How long was it since thest time that all the editors would crowd together in front of the sameputer screen to read a draft together?

    The newer editors didn¡¯t have such a memory, and only some of the veteran editors could recall¡­ that thest time must have been about five years ago?

    "Let me take a look," the head editor said in a solemn voice.

    Saki stood up and let the head editor sit down in her seat.

    The head editor¡¯s name was Souzo Hattori. He was about fifty years old. His hair was greying, and his face was lined with deep wrinkles. He wore a pair of ck-rimmed sses and had dark gray eyes.

    He went to the beginning of the draft and began reading with a sharp expression.

    He read one page, two pages, three pages¡­

    And stopped right there, took off his eyesses, and rubbed his eyes.

    "Ten years¡­ it¡¯s been ten years since I¡¯vest had this feeling while reading a light novel." Souzo sighed as he put on his eyesses again.

    Ten years¡­ could it be, Souzo wasparing it to that story!? All the editors were astonished.

    They all believed that this story was quite good, but they didn¡¯t expect that Head Editor Hattori would actuallypare it to that story from ten years ago.

    That story not only became a huge hit in Sakura Ind, it even became popr in many other countries and began a new legend for its generation!

 Chapter 265 - A Promise to Publish

    <h4>Chapter 265: A Promise to Publish</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Don¡¯t misunderstand¡ªI¡¯m just going by my impression as a reader, not my review as the head editor," Souzo exined after he noticed the editors¡¯ expressions. It seemed that he''d realized what they were thinking. "This story made me recall the feeling I had reading that story from ten years ago¡­ and as the head editor, I can only say that so far this story seems to be written quite well and has a good chance of bing popr. As for how popr it can be¡­ that will depend on luck and the audience¡¯s tastes."

    The editors finally understood.

    A popr story¡¯s sess didn¡¯t depend solely on the quality of the written work. Luck was also a factor, and more precisely, it depended on what the general public wanted to read at the time.

    If luck wasn¡¯t on a story¡¯s side, even an excellently written story wouldn¡¯t be popr. And if the audience simply wanted to read a certain genre, some stories that had only average writing quality could also be a huge hit.

    Another way of putting it was that some stories mysteriously fell t, while others became popr for no apparent reason. The light novel market was just such a mysterious creature.

    This was already the case for popr stories, so of course it also applied to legendary stories.

    Even Head Editor Hattori, who had been in this business for several decades, and read countless amounts of light novels wouldn¡¯t be able to tell just from a draft if it would be hugely popr or a legendary sess.

    "Yoshizawa-san, give me a report about this story¡¯s situation¡­ as for everyone else, why are you just standing around here? Hurry up and go do your work!"

    All the other editors scattered after being reprimanded by the head editor.

    Saki then informed Souzo about the story and the author.

    "He doesn¡¯t want to publish Be Handsome and wants to publish this Brother Monogatari instead," Souzo muttered to himself. He mulled it over, considering the matter deeply as he stared at theputer screen. "Judging by the quality of his draft so far, it¡¯s probably okay. But still, we should wait until he finishes the final draft to set it in stone. Yoshizawa-san¡­ tell him that if he can finish the final draft with this same quality¡ªif he passes our standards¡ªthen we¡¯ll give him the highest-level contract for neer authors and promise to get his story published as soon as possible!"

    A strange light shed in Head Editor Hattori¡¯s eyes as he made his decision.

    ¡­

    Seiji received another phone call from Editor Yoshizawa during his lunch break.

    Although he hadn¡¯t finished his draft yet, his word count was quite high already, so Seiji had figured that she wouldn¡¯t call him untilter this afternoon or even tonight as it would take time to finish reading his draft. This was earlier than he expected.

    Saki gave him a glowing review of his draft and told him that he would receive the highest-level contract for neer authors if he could finish the final draft with the same quality. She also informed him the head editor had promised to get his story published as quickly as possible.

    Seiji was delighted to hear all this, and, moved by Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s sincerity, he agreed.

    He immediately called Shika to tell her about the good news.

    Shika was also delighted and said that this was only to be expected. "Brother Seiji¡¯s story is the best!"

    "No, this wasn¡¯t written by me alone¡ªwe wrote this together!"

    Seiji wished that Shika could be prouder of herself, instead of giving him all the credit.

    After he finished talking to Shika, Seiji also informed Mika and Chiaki, who were both eating lunch with him, of the situation. Kaho wasn¡¯t with them this time.

    More than ever, Mika and Chiaki were anxious to read the finished version of Brother Monogatari now that it had received recognition from a professional editor.

    After school, Seiji and his friends walked to the library again to join the drama club study group.

    Hiroshi Fuuma, who had copsed yesterday, didn¡¯te today.

    The club members asked Vice President Shiina about how he was doing.

    "Fuuma-san didn¡¯t tell me why he fainted; he simply thanked me and also asked me to thank Harano-san and Wakaba-san for helping to take him to the infirmary," Shiina said. "He also mentioned that we shouldn''t worry about him. As for today, he took a day''s leave to rest at home, so he hasn''te to school."

    In the end, they still didn¡¯t know the real reason. It wasn¡¯t actually the so-called "truth" from yesterday, was it?

    Seiji and everyone had rather subtle expressions as they thought about it.

    "What¡¯s the matter?" Shiina felt that everyone was acting a little strange.

    Everyone looked in Nakajima¡¯s direction.

    "The cruel truth shouldn¡¯t be told more than once; it should be allowed to disappear peacefully and rest in the darkness," Nakajima murmured, looking off into the distance wistfully.

    ¡®The hell with disappearing! You¡¯re probably just afraid of ¡®Demon Face¡¯ Shiina¡¯s forceful retorts!¡¯ was what ran through the drama club member''s minds.

    Shiina was mystified by his vague words. "Nakajima-san, what are you saying?"

    "Don¡¯t mind him, Vice President," Chiaki said quickly. "It¡¯s just a joke. We should begin studying now."

    Shiina still wondered what was going on, but after Chiaki told everyone to study, she decided not to pursue her inquiry.

    Everyone began studying diligently. Seiji continued working on his novel and tutored Mika and Kaho whenever they had any questions.

    Time passed steadily just like that.

    After the study session was finished, Seiji and Mika said goodbye to Chiaki and Kaho and went back to the apartment together with Kaede.

    When they reached a certain street intersection, they saw a boy who was walking rather unsteadily.

    Seiji recognized him¡ªit was Hiroshi Fuuma.

    This actor who had yed the "Ice Prince" now looked much worse than yesterday. His face was as pale as paper, he had dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed incredibly fatigued. Inbination with his unsteady gait, it seemed like he had been hollowed out.

    Hiroshi was also crossing the intersection, but apparently he didn¡¯t notice the fact that the traffic light was red. He walked to the middle of the road shakily.

    A truck was passing through the intersection; the driver was going rather fast.

    The truck driver suddenly noticed that there was a pedestrian jaywalking through the red traffic light and hurriedly ground his foot on the brakes, but he wasn¡¯t going to make it in time.

    Just as an ident was about to ur, a figure rushed over at an incredible speed and dragged the curly blue-haired boy to the roadside just in time to avoid the truck!

    "Seigo!?" "Harano-kun!?" Mika and Kaede both shouted in astonishment.

    The other bystanders were also awed by this spectacle.

    The truck driver broke out into a cold sweat as he reflected how lucky he was to have not hit this person.

    "Bastard! Don¡¯t you see that there¡¯s a red light!? Do you want to die!!?" the middle-aged driver stuck his head out and yelled at the blue-haired boy. He was evidently angered by the fact that the pedestrian was clearly in the wrong.

    He then drove off in a foul mood, swiftly escaping from the scene.

    Seiji nced at the truck as it left, before looking back at his fellow schoolmate, who he''d just saved.

    "Are you alright, Fuuma-san?"

    Hiroshi Fuuma¡¯s expression was rather nk; it was if he hadn¡¯t realized what had just happened.

    "You didn¡¯t pay attention to the red light just now, and you were almost hit by a truck," Seiji told him.

    Hiroshi finally reacted and blinked his eyes. "Oh¡­ you¡¯re Harano-san¡­ thank you for saving me," he said in a weak voice as he lowered his gaze. "I¡­ wasn¡¯t being careful¡­"

    Seiji furrowed his brows upon noticing that Hiroshi was absolutely shattered.

    At this moment, the light turned green, and Mika and Kaede hurriedly crossed the intersection.

    "Seigo¡­"

    "Harano-kun¡­"

    Both the double pigtailed girl and blonde beauty had expressions filled with concern.

    "I¡¯m fine; there''s no need to worry." Seiji smiled in an attempt to reassure them.

    Only when they confirmed that he was indeed fine did bothdies finally rx.

    "Honestly, suddenly rushing out like that¡­ it¡¯s quite startling!" Mika¡¯s tone carried a trace ofint.

    Kaede didn¡¯t say anything, but her eyes shed with a strange light.

    "My apologies for having scared you two," Seiji said sincerely, before turning back to look at Hiroshi. "Fuuma-san, yourplexion really seems terrible, you can¡¯t even walk steadily, and it¡¯s obvious that your attention was elsewhere. Just what exactly happened to you?"

 Chapter 266 - Can I Have Big Brotherâ€™s Phone Number?

    <h4>Chapter 266: Can I Have Big Brother¡¯s Phone Number?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "It¡¯s nothing¡­ it¡¯s none of your business." Hiroshi Fuuma turned his head; it was obvious he was unwilling to answer Seiji''s question.

    ¡®None of my business? You think I have a lot of free time to care about your business?¡¯

    Seiji frowned slightly. It would have been normal to just thank Seiji for having saved him, but his instant change of attitude made Seiji rather displeased.

    "It¡¯s not that I want to care about your business, it¡¯s that with your current condition, anyone would be worried about you," he said in a calm voice. "I just risked my life to save you, and seeing how you¡¯re currently doing, if I let you leave just like this, I think that you¡¯ll have another ident, which would waste my efforts."

    Hiroshi remained silent.

    "If you don¡¯t want to tell me why you¡¯re like this, then I¡¯m toozy to ask. But I¡¯m obligated to at least take you home so that you can at least survive to make it there."

    Hiroshi lifted his head and red at Seiji, his eyes rife with displeasure and rejection.

    Seiji ignored him and looked back at Mika and Kaede. "I can¡¯t help but worry about this guy, so I¡¯m going to take him home; you guys go on home without me."

    "Seigo¡­" Mika stared at Seiji for a while before turning to Hiroshi and ring at him.

    "¡­Be careful on your way," Kaede cautioned.

    "You guys as well," Seiji said.

    After he watched the double pigtailed girl and blonde beauty fade into the distance, Seiji turned back to Hiroshi, who remained obstinately silent.

    "Where do you live, Fuuma-san?" Seiji asked.

    "It''s none of your business," Hiroshi replied with a cold expression.

    "Do you think I really enjoy taking care of a boy who seems like he probably had too much fun out ying? I already said that I simply don¡¯t want my effort to go to waste," Seiji said, his face impassive. "I¡¯m only going to mind your business this one time. After I take you home, it won¡¯t have anything to do with me if you want to die or whatever."

    Hiroshi didn¡¯t respond to this.

    "If you don¡¯t want to talk, then walk. I don¡¯t have that much free time. If you keep dragging your heels, I¡¯m going to want to beat someone up." Seiji clenched his fists and popped his knuckles.

    Hiroshi finally rose to his feet and began walking. Seiji walked beside him to make sure that he didn''t fall.

    Neither of them spoke a single word as they walked.

    Seiji thought that there might be something of a mystical nature involved and secretly cast [Astral Vision] to inspect Hiroshi for a while, but he didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. Seiji didn¡¯t know if this was because his [Astral Vision] level was still rather low.

    After a while, they reached the residential area.

    As they walked up a steep street, Hiroshi¡¯s footsteps slowed; he was evidently having a hard time.

    Seeing how listless this guy was, Seiji wondered to himself if Hiroshi was going to faint again before they reached his house.

    Even after they made it past the hill, Hiroshi¡¯s footsteps still retained the same slow pace, and he kept hanging his head low. He seemed just like a zombie.

    Seiji was getting impatient with this slow pace. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a cute girl¡¯s voice.

    "Big Brother!"

    He reflexively looked in the direction of the voice and saw a beautiful little girl dressed in a school uniform standing on the street.

    This girl had a head of short, curly sky-blue hair. Her eyes were light red, and the brows above them were shaped like a gentle hill. Her face was creamy white and sweet, and she was bursting with liveliness. She seemed just like the epitome of a beautiful young girl.

    Her appearance greatly resembled Hiroshi Fuuma¡¯s, and she was currently looking straight at him. She was apparently the one who had just called out "Big Brother."

    "Brother¡­ what¡¯s the matter?" The blue-haired little girl walked over and noticed how strange Hiroshi appeared.

    Hiroshi didn¡¯t react.

    "Fuuma-san, is this your younger sister?" Seiji asked. "She¡¯s calling for you."

    Hiroshi still didn¡¯t react.

    "Brother!!" the girl shouted at him in a much louder voice.

    Hiroshi finally reacted this time: his body swayed and he began falling forward.

    Seiji managed to catch him in time.

    "Brother!?" The little girl was astonished to see this.

    Seiji checked Hiroshi¡¯s condition.

    ¡®As expected, he fainted again.¡¯ Seiji could only inwardly sigh.

    "Brother¡­" the little girl murmured.

    "He¡¯s fainted," Seiji told the little girl. "He¡¯s probably overly fatigued."

    "Overly fatigued?"

    "I don¡¯t know the specific reason either, but he should wake up again after resting a while¡­ do you live close to here?"

    "¡­Big brother, who are you?" The blue-haired little girl didn¡¯t answer his question; instead she blinked and peered up at Seiji¡¯s face.

    "I¡¯m Seigo Harano from Genhana High School, Year 1, ss 5." Seiji took out his student ID and showed her. "I¡¯ve met your brother once before. I coincidentally ran into him on the street just now and noticed that he was in a terrible condition, so I decided to interfere and take him home."

    "Oh¡­"

    "If you believe me, I can help carry him to your home. If you don¡¯t, feel free to make a phone call and have your familye pick him up." Seiji put away his student ID.

    The blue-haired little girl examined Seiji. "I believe you, big brother!" she said eventually. The girl smiled and introduced herself: "My name is Airi Fuuma. I¡¯m¡­ Hiroshi Fuuma¡¯s younger sister."

    Airi? Seiji suddenly thought of a certain h¡ª

    ''Cough cough, gentlemanly thoughts, begone!''

    "My home is nearby; please help carry my brother there." The little girl led the way.

    "Alright." Seiji agreed and carried the fainted Hiroshi on his back.

    Just like Airi said, their home was only a short distance away. After a few minutes they reached a house with a sign that read Fuuma nailed to it .

    Airi opened the door with a key, and Seiji followed her inside. Upon entering the living room, he ced Hiroshi on the sofa.

    "This will probably do¡­ he should wake up after a little while. If he doesn¡¯t wake up for a long time or if you¡¯re really worried, you can call for an ambnce," Seiji told Airi. "I¡¯m going to get going now."

    "¡­You¡¯re not going to stay for a while?" The little girl looked at him with confusion.

    "No need. I¡¯m not his friend or anything. I only met him once and then coincidentally ran into him again on the street." Seiji smiled at her. "Goodbye, little sister."

    Airi¡¯s face reddened slightly upon seeing his smile.

    ¡®This big brother is so handsome! Brother is a handsome boy as well, but he can¡¯tpare to this person at all, and he¡¯s an idiot to boot! As for Brother¡¯s friends, they¡¯re all pretty much on the same level as Brother.''

    ¡®But this person right here is different. His handsomeness is on another level entirely¡­ He¡¯s so tall, so gentle, so reliable, and his smile is so alluring¡­ He¡¯s just like a prince!¡¯

    "¡­Goodbye, big brother." Airi reflexively said goodbye to him, and he turned around to go. Inwardly she felt a little unwilling to watch him leave.

    Just as this handsome boy was about to walk out the front door, she was seized by a sudden impulse.

    "W-wait!" she stuttered.

    "Hmm?" The handsome boy turned around.

    "Um¡­ could I have big brother¡¯s phone number?" the little blue-haired girl asked him bashfully, her face flushing crimson.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Airi was an elementary schooler, judging by her age, wasn¡¯t she? Were all elementary schoolers like her these days? He blinked his eyes in surprise.

    No, he decided to not think in that direction and to receive rification first.

    "Why do you want my phone number?"

    Airi didn¡¯t know how to respond to this.

    ¡®Because you¡¯re so handsome, so I want to get to know you¡­ but how could I possibly say this out loud!?¡¯

    "I just¡­ want to¡­ is this no good?" Her face was beet-red, and her eyes were glistening as she looked up at his face.

    ¡®Cute!¡¯ Seiji definitely received an impact from the beautiful little girl¡¯s embarrassed manner.

    He suddenly felt as if he understood why there were so many lolicons in the world now¡­

    ''No, stop!'' He decided to cut off this line of thought.

    "Well¡­ I suppose it¡¯s alright." After he thinking about it rationally, it was just a phone number, and it wasn''t a big deal, so he decided to give it to her.

    He assumed that this little girl just had an impulse in the heat of the moment and that she would end up forgetting about him.

    Seiji told her his phone number.

    Airi took out her cell phone and recorded it.

    This was the first time in her life that she''d asked for a boy¡¯s number of her own volition, and it was also the first time that she had a male contact in her cell phone other than her father and her older brother!

    Seigo Harano¡­ a handsome, prince-like boy.

    After he left, Airi stared at the new number in her contact list for quite a while and smiled dazedly while adding the description of "Prince" to Seigo¡¯s name.

    He actually wasn¡¯t even one of her brother¡¯s friends¡­ her brother was so useless!

    ¡®Then I¡¯ll have to be his friend myself,¡¯ Airi thought, a happy smile still on her face.

 Chapter 267 - I Killedâ€¦ My Older Brotherâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 267: I Killed¡­ My Older Brother¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji quickly walked back home.

    He had already left what had happened behind him and only wanted to get home as quickly as he could.

    Suddenly, his cell phone rang. It was from an unfamiliar number.

    Was it from Airi Fuuma?

    He took the call.

    "Hello, who¡¯s this?"

    "Big brother¡­" He heard a little girl crying.

    It was indeed Airi, but why was she crying?

    "Fuuma-chan, what¡¯s the matter?" Seiji stopped in his tracks.

    "I¡­ my brother¡­ wahhhh¡ª"

    She sobbed uncontrobly.

    Seiji had an ominous premonition.

    "Fuuma-chan," he said firmly, "I¡¯m listening to what you have to say. Try to calm down and tell me what happened."

    The little girl continued to sob.

    Seiji patiently waited for her without speaking another word.

    After she''d cried for quite a while, he spoke up again in the gentlest tone he could manage: "I¡¯ll help you, so try your best not to cry, and tell me what happened."

    "Big brother¡­"

    "Only if you tell me what happened, will I be able to help you, Fuuma-chan¡­ Airi."

    The little girl sniffled. "Big brother¡­ I¡­ I killed¡­ my older brother¡­"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Just what was this!? He was astonished.

    He didn¡¯t hear wrong, did he? This little girl¡­ said that she killed her older brother, Hiroshi Fuuma!?

    Just what could have happened!?

    He¡¯d only left their home a little less than ten minutes ago, so what had happened in such a short period of time!?

    Even if he said that he¡¯d only bring Hiroshi Fuuma home and that Hiroshi could die as he pleased afterward, Seiji didn¡¯t expect his words toe true! And to be killed off by his own younger sister¡­ why was it in such a scary way!!?

    ''Calm down, I have to calm down.'' Seiji chanted in his mind. He used a steady voice to coax Airi into exining the situation more clearly.

    ¡­

    Seiji ran back at top speed to that residential area and found the local park that Airi had told him about.

    Airi was crouching in a children¡¯s y area in a structure that somewhat resembled a cave.

    Her clothes were in disarray, her eyes were wet and red, and her face was filled with tear streaks. She had a nk expression.

    When she saw Seiji appear, tears streamed down her cheeks.

    "Big brother¡­"

    "Come over here, Airi," Seiji said gently, reaching out with his hand.

    Tears rolled down the blue-haired girl''s and dripped onto the floor as she grabbed his hand and allowed him to lead her out of the yground cave.

    Seiji hugged her and gently patted her head to try to calm her down.

    As Airi clung on to Seiji tightly, her tears poured down without any sign of stopping.

    A few minutester, she finally stopped crying.

    "We need to go back and take a look at your brother," Seiji said. "Perhaps he isn¡¯t dead yet."

    Airi remained silent.

    Seiji took her hand and swiftly walked to her home.

    The front door was left ajar. Airi remained at the threshold of the door, rooted to the ground, not daring go inside.

    Seiji had her wait outside and entered by himself.

    In the living room, he saw Hiroshi Fuuma copsed on the sofa. Hiroshi was bleeding from his head, but it wasn''t a serious injury.

    Water had been spilled on the sofa and floor, and there was a porcin cup lying on the floor with some blood streaks on it.

    The scene was just as Airi had described. ording to Airi, after he left, Hiroshi had woken up and said that he wanted to drink some water, so Airi poured a cup of water for him and brought it over, but he suddenly pushed her down on the sofa¡­

    Airi struggled against him out of fear and smashed the cup against Hiroshi¡¯s head several times in order to break free from his vice-like grip.

    After seeing Hiroshi bleeding from his head and unconscious, Airi was scared witless into believing that she killed her own older brother, so she tossed away the cup out of fear, ran out of her home, and hid in the park.

    In her panic, she reflexively called the nice-seeming big brother figure that she had just gotten to know¡­

    That was all that Seiji knew.

    When Seiji checked Hiroshi Fuuma¡¯s condition, he discovered that Hiroshi was still alive!

    It was as he expected. An elementary schooler didn''t have enough strength to kill a person so easily.

    He immediately called an ambnce. Then, he went outside to tell Airi that her brother was still alive.

    Tears welled up in thr blue-haired girl''s eyes, and she started crying again.

    These were tears of relief.

    Seiji apanied her and waited until she calmed down before asking her to call her parents.

    Her father was away on a business trip, and her mother had something to do at her grandmother¡¯s home in another city, so neither parent was in town today.

    Airi was scared to tell her parents about this, so Seiji coaxed her gently. After some coaxing, Airi finally worked up the courage to call her father.

    Seiji watched her silently and encouraged her with his eyes.

    While Airi was on the phone, the ambnce arrived rather quickly.

    Seiji led the medical personnel to check on Hiroshi. After they stablised Hiroshi¡¯s condition, they lifted him up into the ambnce.

    The paramedics asked which family member would be going to the hospital together with Hiroshi.

    Seiji nced at Airi and could only give the paramedics a rough summary of what happened and told them that nobody would be able to ride along in the ambnce and that someone woulde overter.

    The ambnce thus left with Hiroshi inside.

    "Big brother, my father would like to talk to you."

    After Airi exined the situation to her father, she handed her cell phone to Seiji.

    Seiji epted the cell phone.

    "Hello, Fuuma-san. My name is Seigo Harano."

    "Hello, Harano-kun. I¡¯m Hiroi Fuuma, Airi¡¯s father," a low voice said on the other end of Airi¡¯s cell phone. "I¡¯m truly grateful to you for helping my daughter¡­ and son."

    "No need to be polite; it¡¯s what I should have done."

    "I shall thank you more properly in the future. But right now¡­ please apany my daughter for a while longer, and wait for me to send someone over to take care of her."

    "Alright," Seiji agreed.

    "Thank you once again, Harano-kun," Hiroi Fuuma said in a solemn voice, before hanging up.

    Seiji returned Airi¡¯s cell phone and told her about her father¡¯s ns. Airi then said that her father would tell her mother about it.

    Seiji and Airi went inside. He called Shika to let her know what was happening and to tell her that he woulde home a bitte today.

    Then, Seiji spent some time cleaning up the living room.

    "Big brother, I don¡¯t want to stay here. Could you apany me in my room?" Airi asked him weakly.

    "Sure," Seiji replied.

    And so, he followed the elementary school girl into her room.

    The room was decorated in a cute style befitting that of an elementary school girl.

    Seiji noticed that her bookshelf contained anime discs and manga for Honey Candy Girl , and that she even had arge stuffed doll of the Milk Cream Bunny mascot from that series sitting on her bed.

    ''So, she''s a young fan of Honey Candy Girl !'' This would give him a nice topic to talk about with her.

    After Seiji sat down, he began talking about this popr story and chatted with her in a casual manner.

    Airi¡¯s interest was piqued, and as they chatted, her worry and anxiety imperceptibly began to lessen.

    When Seiji imitated the characters from the story and acted out their lines, sheughed at his antics, even though she felt that she shouldn¡¯t beughing right now.

    Thinking back to what just happened, Airi became somewhat downcast again.

    Arge hand patted her tiny head. It was rather warm andforting being patted by him.

    "It¡¯s alright; you don¡¯t need to worry," Seiji told her gently. "Your brother will get better¡­ he was the one in the wrong, not you. You were just protecting yourself."

    Airi had a mncholy look, and her eyes glistened with tears.

    "Brother, he¡­ why would he¡­"

    She didn¡¯tplete her sentence, but Seiji knew what she wanted to express.

    Why did Hiroshi Fuuma do such a thing?

    Seiji felt that it had to do with what Hiroshi was hiding. They could only find out by asking him.

    Under his parents¡¯ pressure, Seiji figured that Hiroshi would end up saying it, no matter how much he wanted to resist. While Seiji was curious just what had exactly happened, this was a Fuuma family private matter, and he felt it best not to pry.

    After a while, they heard the doorbell ring.

    There was a brown-haired woman wearing professional attire at the door. She imed to be Hiroi Fuuma¡¯s coworker and friend.

    Seiji had Airi call her father to confirm before handing Airi over to her.

    "Thank you, big brother." Airi smiled and thanked him sincerely as Seiji left.

    "No need to be polite, little sister."

    Seiji smiled in response and turned to leave.

    The blue-haired little girl stared at his back until he faded into the distance.

 Chapter 268 - Thatâ€™s Who I Am! How Is It? You Have Any Objections!?

    <h4>Chapter 268: That¡¯s Who I Am! How Is It? You Have Any Objections!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Later that night, Seiji had a chat with Hisashi Juumonji over the inte. They hadn''t talked for a long time.

    Thest time he chatted with his otaku friend about Kaede, the incident with Shika had urred, so he hadn''t contacted Hisashi until now.

    "Have you found an artist yet?" Seiji asked.

    "During this time, I''ve contacted many artists over the inte, but only a few have shown any interest in helping to create our game, and most of them are more concerned about their sry than wanting to cooperate. The ones that are willing to cooperate have all requested to see our game storyline first before making a decision."

    "Hmm¡­ that''s understandable."

    "That''s why, Seigo, we need a storyline! At the very least, we need a general direction in order to convince others to join."

    "A storyline¡­ I have some ideas, but haven''t put pen to paper yet." Seiji told Hisashi about how he was currently busy writing his own novel and how he''d already had a short story of his published already.

    "Oh, you actually had your story published; that''s quite something! This is definitely something that will convince others to join our venture!"

    "Your younger sister knew about this a long time ago; didn''t she tell you?"

    "I haven''t talked to Kaede much recently. How''s she doing?"

    "From what I can tell, pretty good. She''s enjoying her job as infirmary nurse and health teacher, ording to her."

    "That''s good, then."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "I''d like to discuss a few options with you about the storyline," Seiji said, restarting the topic of the dating sim game they nned to create together. "Basically, we need to discuss and decide the overall direction to take. Do you think a normal romanticedy would be good, or do you want to do something special and more unique?"

    "Please exin the other options in detail," Hisashi said.

    "The candidates I have in mind¡­ include mystery and suspense." Such as Higurashi .

    "A heartwarming family story." Such as nnad .

    "A boy in female clothing story." Such as Otome wa Boku ni Koisheeteru .

    "A love-triangle story." Such as White Album .

    "A magical monster story." Such as Shakugan no Shana .

    "An SM story." Such as _____ Nurses .

    "A harem conflict story." Such as School Days .

    "Those are all the candidates I have in mind," Seiji said. "If you have any good ideas, feel free to bring them up as well."

    "No, I think that you''ve given me plenty of options already!" Hisashi sent him an amazed emoticon. "Seigo-sama, which do you like the best?"

    "Why are you suddenly using honorifics with me? I personally like the normal romanticedies the best, but if I were forced to choose from thetter options, I think the heartwarming family story is my type!"

    "You''re quite normal."

    "That''s because I''m a pure and honorable gentleman!"

    "How about the truth in your heart?"

    "What I want is the most blissful and wonderful harem of all! The main character and all the female characters are all in love, and their lives together are wonderful, with no misfortune whatsoever! I prefer to toss all the strange things in the garbage bin andpletely dispose of any bad thoughts!!"

    "Being ''normal'' to such a degree is actually a bit scary."

    "That''s who I am! How is it? You have any objections!?"

    "Nope, this humble one truly respects you."

    "That''s more like it. I''ve already exposed my likes now¡ªhow about you?"

    "Please allow me to keep it private¡­"

    "Say it!!"

    "I personally like the topic of traps! For a cute boy to wear female clothing and disguise himself in a school for girls is both interesting and has plenty of space for imagination, and creating a harem while masquerading as a female and a false lesbian is just scratching the surface! This topic definitely deserves to have greater development¡ªfor example we canbe it with SM, mystery and suspense, a love triangle, and harem conflict in order to build a deeper plot!!

    "SM and mystery rank second and third in my personal list! The first helps me vent all my desires, and thetter stimtes my brain cells! My fourth and fifth are a love triangle and harem conflict! Winners in life should all sink into endless suffering! Be jealous of each other, hate each other, fight each other, and kill each other! Your explosions are my source of joy!!"

    "You''re really quite a dark one."

    "That''s just who this humble one is! How is it? Any objections!?"

    "None, I respect your courage for telling me upfront."

    Hisashi sent Seiji a series of moved emoticons followed by a handshake emoji. Seiji retorted with a series of shiny emoticons followed by a handshake emoji.

    The two of them managed to have a heart-to-heart conversation across theirputer screens.

    Then, they finally calmed down and began seriously discussing the content they intended to create.

    "In order to attract the audience and create a good first impression, some special topic is still going to be necessary," Seiji said, sighing. "An excellently written romanticedy story is the most attractive and will reach the widest audience, but it naturallycks an impact that can draw in the audience at first nce."

    "Indeed," Hisashi agreed. "It is difficult to appeal to the masses with merely the synopsis of a romanticedy, and right now we need to appeal to them more than anything in order to attract an excellent artist who''s willing to cooperate with us."

    "Then let''s just use the boy-in-female-clothing trope that you''re so fond of," Seiji said. "To be honest, I''m not really into this trope myself¡­ but I admit that it can be interesting, and it''s worth trying to write."

    "Ohh, Seigo-sama!" Hisashi sent a series of excited and grateful emoticons.

    "As for anything else, I''ll consider it appropriately¡­ let me think a little more about it."

    "Alright! This humble one sincerely awaits!!"

    ¡­

    The next morning, during ss time.

    Seiji received a message from Yukari Asamiya, saying that she wanted to meet up.

    "Sure, but howe?" Seiji replied in this manner.

    "I have something to say to you," she told him.

    Seiji wondered what it could be.

    After ss, he walked out of his ssroom and headed for Year 1, ss 3, where he met the purple-haired girl.

    "I''d like to reserve Harano-san''s lunch time for today."

    "What?" Seiji blinked in surprise.

    "Harano-san, you always eat together with Uehara-san and Wakaba-san, right? This time, I''d like to have Harano-san all to myself. I request that you leave them this one time and eat together with me." Yukari smiled. "It''ll just be the two of us eating lunch."

    "Er¡­ isn''t it fine to have everyone eat together?"

    "Nope," the purple-haired beauty said with a trace of amusement in her voice. "I have something important to tell Harano-san¡­ something that they can''t know about." She raised a finger to her lips and made a shushing gesture.

    This small gesture paired with her tone was quite alluring. Seiji was inwardly shaken.

    "What important thing?" he asked.

    "You''ll know when it''s time, but I''ll give you a small hint for now¡­"

    Yukari walked closer to Seiji, who reflexively tried to retreat, but she caught him by the sleeve. She edged up super close to Seiji''s face and whispered something, looking into his eyes.

    Seiji almost lost himself in her beauty and the faint fragrance that hung about her, but he clearly heard what she said and raised his eyebrows in response.

    "That''s what it is, so I''ll see you then, Harano-san."

    After leaving him with her hint, Yukari released his sleeve, backed away, shed a moving smile, and then turned around and left.

    Seiji watched Yukari enter her ssroom.

    He never expected to hear that¡­ Could it be¡­ various guesses shed through his mind.

    And as for the other students, they only saw the purple-haired beauty and the handsome boy speaking oh-so-close to each other, then separating with a slightly intimate and mysterious atmosphere around them. It was akin to a teenage romance scene out of a movie.

    "ss 3''s ''Princess'' and ss 5''s ''Magic-Devouring Dragon¡­''" a bystander muttered.

    "What did they say to each other?" another asked.

    "I heard that the ''Princess'' confessed to the ''Magic-Devouring Dragon'' during the school festival, but got rejected."

    "I heard this rumor as well, but then what''s up with this situation?"

    The spectators kept gossiping.

    Seiji didn''t pay any attention to this and left Yukari''s ssroom, only to see Mika and Chiaki waiting for him.

    "Seigo, what happened?"

 Chapter 269 - Romance of Ice and Fire

    <h4>Chapter 269: Romance of Ice and Fire</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Asamiya-san invited me to lunch," Seiji told Chiaki and Mika. "She said that she has something important to tell me¡­ that she couldn''t let you know."

    Mika and Chiaki exchanged nces.

    "Why can''t she let us know?"

    "I don''t know either."

    "You agreed to her request?"

    "Yeah¡­ because I was really curious." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    Although he didn''t directly agree to Yukari''s request, he had agreed implicitly. A period of silence fell between them.

    Mika and Chiaki felt as if they had been ambushed.

    Yukari was going to eat lunch together with Seiji, and she even said that there was something important that they couldn''t know about. This gave them an impending sense of danger.

    They felt that they needed to do something about it, but what?

    Thest time Yukari had a date with Seiji, she used the excuse of "talking about amon interest," which was why they could forcefully use the method of coincidentally meeting them and joining in, but this time Yukari specifically said that they couldn''t be included.

    This was a great tactic by Yukari.

    The ideas they could immediatelye up with were spying and eavesdropping, but this was no good.

    Ignoring whether it would work or not, just this action itself was a bad one.

    "I''m sorry, this time I won''t be eating lunch with the two of you¡­ is that alright?" Seiji asked the two of them.

    Mika was unable to answer.

    Chiaki blinked and smiled. "Of course¡ªgo ahead and chat with the ''Princess.'' I''m really curious what she has to say to you. Afterwards, if you feel like you can tell us, then do so. If you really can''t, then it''s fine."

    Seiji nodded.

    "Chiaki¡­ what should we do?" Mika asked weakly. She''d used the excuse of needing to use the bathroom to separate from Seiji.

    "Asamiya-san made an excellent move with this; I don''t know how to counter it," Chiaki said, sighing. "She clearly asked to exclude us so that she could be alone together with Seiji, and Seiji agreed, which is checkmate. There''s nothing to be done. It''s her victory this time, Mika."

    The double pigtailed girl was rather despondent to hear the tomboy being so convinced.

    "Eating lunch together just once isn''t all that much. I''m more concerned about what she has to say to Seiji," Chiaki continued. "I have a faint feeling that this lunch date will be a critical part of her attack on Seiji¡­ but I hope that this premonition of mine is wrong."

    During lunch break.

    Seiji met up with Yukari, and they walked to a quiet area of the school together.

    "That''s a nice-looking lunch¡­ I''ve heard that you live by yourself, so did you cook it?"

    When Seiji opened up his lunchbox, Yukari looked at the contents and asked Seiji about it.

    "I used to live by myself, but not anymore. As for this lunchbox, thendlord was kind enough to make it for me," Seiji exined.

    Yukari blinked at this. "Harano-san¡­ have you returned to your family?"

    "No, there''s just someone living together with me now."

    "Oh¡­ thendlord is Uehara-san''s mother, right?"

    "Yes, she''s always taken good care of me," Seiji said while eating his lunch.

    Yukari also took a bite of her own food.

    "Asamiya-san, do you make your own lunches?"

    "I don''t. But I''m pretty good at cooking, and I could if I wanted to." The purple-haired beauty looked at his face. "If a certain person is willing to be my boyfriend, I could make love-filled lunches for him every day~"

    *Cough!*

    Seiji almost choked at her unexpected flirtatious attack.

    Yukari''s face was slightly red as she smiled at him.

    Seiji felt rather awkward being looked at by her, so he buried his face in his meal.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Asamiya-san, what was the main thing you wanted to talk to me about?" Seiji moved the conversation to the main topic at hand. "And besides, how did you know about that inte username?"

    The "hint" that Yukari had told him was an inte username¡ª"Milk Cream Sweet Sweet Pig."

    This wasn''t Seiji''s inte username¡ªit was the username of the person he was chatting withst night, Hisashi Juumonji!

    This caused Seiji to think of something, but his guess still needed confirmation.

    Yukari''s smile turned rather mysterious. "Sweet Pig contacted me approximately two weeks ago on the inte, asking me to cooperate together with him to work on a dating sim game. I''m interested in creating games, but not interested in working together with people from the inte. When I had a discussion with him, I learned that the game he wanted to create didn''t even have a storyline or n on what direction it would take, so I rejected him.

    "Afterwards, he contacted me a second time, asking that I give it some more consideration. I responded politely and ignored his offer.

    "However,st night, he contacted me for the third time, saying that the storyline was now being written by the person who had the achievement of getting published by Thunderbolt Literature, whose story was recognized by such a well-known light novel magazine.

    "And that novel this person had published was called I''ll Die If I Don''t Be Handsome , and the author''s pen name was Idle Dimension by the Shore¡ªthat''s you, Harano-san!"

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise.

    During their previous meeting he had talked to Yukari about theirmon interest of light novels and had told her about his own published story and pen name.

    Since she had been contacted by Sweet Pig, who was Hisashi Juumonji, that meant that she was¡­

    "The next part I''m about to tell you is an important secret of mine that I''ve been protecting for all this time." Yukari''s face flushed red. "I''ve always been keeping it a secret from all my friends and ssmates. Only my family members know. Harano-san, if you promise to keep this secret for me, I''ll tell you about it, and I''ll agree to join you and Sweet Pig in creating a game together!"

    Seiji nodded as he looked into the purple-haired beauty''s clear eyes. "I promise you that I shall keep it a secret.

    Yukari''s smile grew even more brilliant.

    "I''m actually an artist, and I started drawing for light novels three years ago¡­ my artist name is ''Romance of Ice and Fire.''"

    Even though Seiji had mentally prepared himself, he was still astonished.

    ''Romance of Ice and Fire?''

    Wasn''t that the same artist that drew the cover art and insert art for I Can''t Sleep When I''m Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister ?

    Because Seiji felt that this artist was amazing at drawing the tantalizing forbidden zones, Seiji had even searched for this artist''s work on the inte and browsed this artist''s personal blog, which further convinced him that this artist was a master.

    But he didn''t expect that¡­

    "You¡­ you''re really Romance of Ice and Fire? The person who drew the art for I Can''t Sleep ?"

    Yukari nodded, her facepletely red. "Ice represents blue, and fire represents red. Romance of Ice and Fire alludes to thebination of blue and red, which is purple¡­ my color," she exined softly.

    ''I see!'' Seiji now understood.

    Heavens, this world was¡­ he didn''t even know how to describe it.

    A beautiful girl that drew hi drawings¡­ Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu, Eromanga Sensei, and such anime shed through his mind.

    So ero!

    For a beautiful girl to be an ero artist, this itself was so ero! It was stimting to the imagination!!

    It was no wonder Yukari always kept it a secret. If it were exposed, people would definitely look at her strangely.

    Seiji realized how much Yukari trusted him by telling him her secret.

    "I got it¡­ I''ll definitely keep my promise and protect your secret to the death!" he dered solemnly.

    "You can''t even tell Uehara-san and Wakaba-san about it."

    "Of course."

    Yukari''s eyes twinkled as she regarded Seiji''s solemn expression.

    "I knew that Harano-san wouldn''t look at me strangely, that you would ept and understand me, and protect my secret for me," she said in a soft and gentle voice.

    ''I like this part of you and want to be together with you.''

    "Harano-san¡­ I''d like to call you ''Seigo'' from now on¡ªis that alright?"

 Chapter 270 - This Seems Quite Promising!

    <h4>Chapter 270: This Seems Quite Promising!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The purple-haired beauty''s expression was rather flirtatious as she said this, and Seiji couldn''t help but feel moved by it.

    "¡­Sure," he agreed.

    ''Since she''s willing to create the game together with me, then she''s going to be my partner from now on, and that''s a step up from being normal friends, so of course it''ll be fine if she calls me by name.'' That was what Seiji was thinking.

    Of course, Yukari was thinking something entirely different.

    "Go ahead and call me ''Yukari'' from now on as well."

    "Alright."

    The purple-haired girl was delighted to have achieved her important goal.

    The two of them continued eating together.

    "By the way, what type of game storyline are you intending to write¡­ Seigo?" Yukari asked. Her heart pounded rather quickly at calling him directly for the first time.

    Seiji told her the result ofst night''s discussion with Hisashi.

    "A boy in female clothing as the main topic¡­ not bad!" Yukari''s eyes lit up. "I also think that this is an interesting topic, and I agree with it!"

    "That''s good, then. Do you have any specific ideas or thoughts on this matter?"

    "Hmm¡­ I think that the standard fake lesbian rtionship is a good one, but if it were me¡­ I''d want something more special." Yukari pondered on it for a moment. "How about using the ssical story outline of a cute boy wearing female clothing and sneaking into a girls'' school, but there are actually two boys sneaking in¡­ how about that?"

    "Oh?" Seiji''s eyes also lit up at hearing this. "This sounds pretty good; do you have any more details?"

    Yukari gave the matter some more thought. "We can have the two boys as opponents! These two boys actually have the same goal¡ªperhaps they are searching for some type of artifact, which was why they both disguised themselves as girls and entered the girls'' school. These two boys don''t know each other''s identity, but know of the other''s existence and arepeting with each other to find the artifact or reveal the other''s existence and get the other kicked out of the girls'' school¡­ something like this."

    "So, we''re adding mystery, suspense, and apetition of smarts¡­ Yep, this seems quite promising!"

    Two cute boys both disguising themselves as girls and dueling in a battle of wits against each other? It definitely sounded interesting to Seiji.

    "We can use one of the traps as the main character. He faked his identity as a girl and became a new student at the girls'' school, and after he entered the dormitory, he learned that he has apetitor who also joined the school in the same way and is even in the same dormitory! Likewise, his rival also learns about him¡­" Seiji began imagining the basic plot of the story out loud.

    "In the female dormitory," Seiji continued, "there are actually two boys with the same goal who are upromising enemies! One will focus on self-preservation and y the part of a girl as perfectly as possible, while the other wants to expose his rival, or reach his goal first at all costs!

    "I think¡­ this type of storyline will be great! I think it''ll work, and I really feel like writing it right away!

    "If we make the artifact require a condition where you need a girl to truly be in love with you, the main character will need to both be cautious of his rival and also date the girls, and different girls will have different routes, and one of the girls will even include his rival, where the two of them will end up¡­ er¡­"

    When Seiji thought about this idea, he suddenly paused.

    A misunderstanding route between two traps?

    No!

    It sounded interesting, but he was going to be the writer!

    It might give him a dark memory or mental injury that would be impossible to cure!!

    Yukari chuckled upon seeing Seiji freeze.

    "How about giving the artifact the power to change a person''s gender?" she suggested. "This way, it won''t end up being a boy with a boy, and it can still be a boy with a girl."

    "¡­No, that''s no good." Seiji rejected this suggestion with great difficulty. "In the end, I feel that this type of change is somewhat meaningless. Instead we could consider a surprise reveal, where he believed his rival to be male, but she was actually female, and it was all a misunderstanding by the main character. But this¡­ feels like we''d be tricking the yers too much."

    Seiji thought hard on the direction of the storyline.

    "Or, after the storyline progressed to a certain point, and the main character and his rival found each other, the mistaken beginnings of love turned into friendship. The two of them allied in retrieving the artifact and managed to cooperate and solve an underlying vicious plot. Alternatively, they could duel against each other to determine the rightful owner of the artifact¡ªsomething like that.

    "This¡­ seems like it would work, and it would be reasonable as well, emotionally speaking. After finding out that a love target was actually a boy and even your rival, normally speaking, very few people would still be able to retain their feelings of love! After some small conflicts, the two of them bing friends sounds much more reasonable."

    "I think that this sounds fine and that the yers will be able to ept it." Yukari praised his idea.

    "Yep, that''s what it''s going to be then!"

    Seiji thus settled on boys love between traps¡­ whoops, a friendship between the two male rivals as the basic storyline.

    "This friendship route¡­ should it be just treated as a normal route at first, or should it be a hidden route that''s the true ending? We''ll consider it slowlyter; we need to get the story background settled first."

    Seiji continued to eat his lunch and think.

    Yukari looked at him and felt that boys were always more handsome when they were being serious. As Seiji was already exceedingly handsome to begin with, his handsomeness was now shooting through the roof!

    She felt as if she were about to be a nymphomaniac.

    The purple-haired beauty did her best to maintain her sense of reason and logic as she listened to him, chatted with him, and gave her own ideas and advice.

    They passed the time together having fun just like this.

    ¡­

    Mika, Chiaki, and Kaho were waiting for Seiji''s return.

    "Yukari did indeed have something important to say to me. I promised her that I wouldn''t tell about it, so¡­"

    Seiji honestly exined everything to three girls.

    Mika and the other girls exchanged awkward nces.

    "You''re calling her ''Yukari'' now," Chiaki observed.

    Seiji smiled. "Yep, our rtionship with each other became closer."

    Mika had aplex expression, and Chiaki appeared rather calm on the surface. Kaho grew nervous as she detected something was wrong with the atmosphere.

    Seiji considered things as he looked at the girls.

    He couldn''t tell them about how Yukari was an artist, but the other things were still okay.

    "I''ve almost finished writing Brother Monogatari . After I''ve finished, I''m going to write a storyline for a game." He sat down and told them about it.

    "A game storyline?"

    "Yep, a dating sim game''s storyline." Seiji smiled. "Mika, do you still remember? I mentioned it to you before¡­"

    He began chatting with them about the game and didn''t mention Yukari Asamiya again.

    Chiaki suddenly thought of something and came to a realization while they were chatting.

    After lunch break, during ss.

    "I can probably guess at what the ''Princess'' did now," Chiaki said to Mika while Seiji was taking a bathroom break.

    "What did she do?" Mika asked curiously.

    "After Seigo returned to us, he suddenly began talking about writing a game storyline. I suspect that he was chatting with Yukari Asamiya about this same topic." The tomboy''s eyes shed. "Creating a dating sim game will require more than one person.

    "Seiji said that his friend is taking care of the programming and that he''s providing the script. Then, the remaining jobs will be the artist and the musician¡­ probably. I''m going to make a daring guess and say that Yukari Asamiya most likely joined his game group as the game''s artist or musician!

    "As for why she needs it to be kept secret¡ªand seeing how Seiji is willing to keep it a secret, even from us, it probably means that¡­ she''s an artist! An artist who knows how to draw hi drawings!

    "Dating sim games typically have art which pushes the boundaries of taboo. Yukari Asamiya must be an ero artist that knows how to draw sexy drawings! In order to prevent people from looking at her in a different light, she needs it to be kept secret. Yes¡­ this all makes sense!" Chiaki posed like a famous detective and assumed an expression of having seen through the truth.

    Mika was dazed at all this.

    In this moment, she felt that her good friend truly was just like a famous detective¡­ amazing.

 Chapter 271 - I Just Received a Phone Call from Your Grandfather

    <h4>Chapter 271: I Just Received a Phone Call from Your Grandfather</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Later that night, Seiji told Hisashi Juumonji about how "Romance of Ice and Fire" had agreed to join them and set up a chat group, adding all three of them as members.

    "It''s great that Ice and Fire Sensei is willing to join us! Could I ask how you found Idle Fish? And why was it that you agreed to join us?"

    "No need to use honorifics; you can just call me Ice and Fire," Yukari typed in the chat group. "I''m actually real-life friends with Idle Fish and knew that he was the author of Be Handsome . When you told me that the game scriptwriter would be the author of Be Handsome , I was astonished and told him about the fact that I''m actually an artist. After discussing it with him, I felt that it would be interesting to create a game together with you guys, so I agreed to join in."

    "I see¡­ such a subtly wondrous connection of fate!" Hisashi eximed.

    "Indeed, I was shocked to find out that my friend was the artist Ice and Fire; I never expected someone right beside me could turn out to be a potential coborator," Seiji typed. "I chatted a lot with Ice and Fire at lunch today, and here''s what we came up with for the game''s storyline¡­"

    Seiji exined what he and Yukari came up with during lunchtime to Hisashi.

    "Two traps secretlypeting against each other¡­ this definitely sounds interesting! I give my full support to this story!" Hisashi even added several emoticons with excited expressions. "Please go ahead with this storyline! Let''s also add suspense and novelty to make the story even fiercer, deeper, and impactful!" Hisashi then added a few hot-blooded passionate emoticons.

    "Suspense is a definite yes, but as for novelty¡­"

    "I object! I don''t wish to draw bloody scenes, and I''ve never drawn them before."

    "Isn''t it good for artists to try topics they''ve never practiced before, Ice and Fire Sensei? Also, it can even be an advertisement for the game: we can promote it as ''a new, unprecedented genre fro Romance of Ice and Fire; she aims to surpass her limits!" Hisashi was clearly very passionate about this topic.

    Yukari fell silent.

    "Sweet Pig, no need to be so forceful with your requests. Perhaps Ice and Fire will want to try new things in the future, but not now," Seiji typed. "I think that just adding suspense will be fine and that adding novelty is slightly overboard."

    "If Idle Fish says so, then I''ll retract my request. My apologies, Ice and Fire Sensei."

    "No, Sweet Pig-san," Yukari responded, "you didn''t say anything wrong. Artists should challenge their own boundaries without fear. But¡­ now is not the right time for me. I don''t have any interest in drawing such a style."

    There was a brief moment of silence in the chat group.

    "So the storyline''s basically decided now, and the keywords are trap, school, artifact, romance,petition, and suspense¡­ I''m going to start working on the game script after finishing the novel that I''m working on," Seiji said. "Ice and Fire, why don''t you start thinking about the character appearances and draw a charismatic main character."

    "Got it."

    "Then this humble one shall continue searching for people," Hishashi said. "We still need to find a musicposer for our game. Also¡­ should we get an office for ourselves?"

    An office¡­ Seiji blinked at this proposal. "Ice and Fire, what do you think?"

    "I¡­ think it won''t be necessary."

    As he expected, she didn''t want to reveal herself.

    "I think it''s unnecessary as well. Let''s forget about the office, then."

    "This humble one simply wanted all the team members to be together and happily work in the same room¡­ but if neither of you are interested, it''s fine." Hisashi sent an emoticon of regret.

    "Actually, I''d also like an office, but Ice and Fire doesn''t want to expose their true identity; please understand." Seiji secretly sent a message to Hisashi. "Also, don''t expose the fact that this artist is currently a student at Genhana High School."

    "Got it! No worries, Seigo."

    ¡­

    One dayter.

    Seiji typed out thest word of Brother Monogatari''s final chapter.

    After the final period was added, he stared at the screen for a long while before finally removing his hands from the keyboard, stretching, and letting out a huge sigh of relief.

    It wasplete!

    He''d finally finished writing this story!

    Seiji felt a sense of satisfaction and achievementparable to running a marathon afterpleting his draft.

    He scanned over it one more time to confirm that there were no obvious errors like missed words before calling Shika over.

    Shika sat down in front of theputer and began reading the story. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter as she immersed herself in the story.

    Seiji watched her for a little while before walking to the living room and pouring himself some tea. He picked up a light novel that he hadn''t read yet and started browsing through it casually.

    After being busy for so long, he could finally rx and take a break.

    Half an hourter, when Seiji was about to refill his tea, his cell phone rang.

    He checked the caller ID and saw it was an unfamiliar number. After a brief pause, he took the call.

    "Hello, who might you be?"

    "Good evening. Is this Seigo Harano-san?" a slightly raspy voice asked on the other end. It sounded like an old man''s voice.

    "I am."

    "Sorry for bothering you in the evening. My name is Shouzou Amami; I''m Hoshi''s, Rion''s, and Kotomi Amami''s grandfather."

    Hoshi and the twins'' grandfather!?

    Seiji was rather surprised.

    "Harano-san, are you currently busy?"

    "No, not at all."

    "Then allow this old fellow to say a few words," said the elderly man named Shouzou. "I sincerely thank you, Harano-san, for helping that child Hoshi."

    "I should have given you my gratitude long ago, but I was preupied with various affairs, which was why I took so long. Please forgive me for the dy."

    "No, there''s no need; I just did what I should have," Seiji told him sincerely. "Hoshi¡­ and the owner¡­ ah, I mean Rika Amami-san, they''ve already thanked me. There''s no need for you to thank me so formally."

    "Their thanks is their thanks, my gratitude is my gratitude," Shouzou said in a serious tone. "In the end, this is all because I didn''t teach my son properly, which caused such an incident. It''s my responsibility. Thanks to Harano-san, this incident was resolved. I''m feeling the painful effects of my own mistake, and I''m sincerely grateful to you."

    "In order to personally express my gratitude, I''d like to invite Harano-san over to my humble residence for dinner tomorrow night. Would you happen to be free then?"

    "¡­I am free."

    "Then I shall wait here to wee you tomorrow."

    "I really feel like it''s not necessary to be so polite¡­"

    "By all means, please attend," the old man said sincerely.

    After that, he gave Seiji a time and ce. Seiji could only record it.

    After repeating once more that he would await Seigo Harano''s arrival tomorrow night, Shouzou Amami hung up the call.

    He was rather polite and formal for the call''s entire duration.

    The incident with Hoshi was about a month ago now, and Seiji thought that it waspletely over with. He didn''t expect to receive the gratitude of an Amami family elder as well as an invitation to dinner.

    He truly felt that this all was unnecessary, but since it was an invitation from an elder who meant well, he believed he should ept.

    Tomorrow night at seven o''clock¡­ should he bring over some presents?

    Seiji mulled it over. Then, he checked his contact list and called someone.

    That person picked up immediately.

    "Good evening, Senpai!"

    "Good evening, Junior," Seiji greeted. "I just received a phone call from your grandfather."

    "Eh¡­ Eh!?" Hoshi choked out a sound of astonishment.

 Chapter 272 - I Never Expected Him to Be You

    <h4>Chapter 272: I Never Expected Him to Be You</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Why did Grandfather¡­"

    "He expressed his gratitude for me and invited me over for dinner at his home tomorrow night."

    "Oh¡­"

    "I was wondering whether or not to bring them some presents. What do your grandfather and grandmother like?"

    "I¡­ I don''t really know," Hoshi replied.

    "I see." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Although I could still call the confectionery store owner and ask¡­ forget it, I''ll just bring over some desserts."

    "I think that it''s not necessary for Senpai to bring anything."

    "That''s fine as well, but I still think it''s better to bring something rather than arrive empty-handed." Seiji sighed. "I never expected your grandfather to express his gratitude to me in such a formal fashion."

    "Yeah¡­ I''m surprised as well, but it does seem like something my grandfather would do," Hoshi chuckled. "Senpai, just ept my grandfather''s gratitude."

    "I will." Seiji paused for a moment. "Actually, what I''m really wondering is what I should say to your twin sisters when I see them at your grandfather''s home."

    Hoshi didn''t know how to respond to this.

    "During this period of time¡­ how was the rtionship between you and your sisters?" Seiji decided to ask a sensitive question.

    "We see each other from time to time and also chat asionally on the phone," Hoshi answered. "I think¡­ it counts as doing fairly good."

    It seemed that they weren''t able to recover and form a normal brother-sister rtionship yet.

    This was quite normal, as mental injuries wouldn''t heal so easily¡ªor perhaps it should be said that the distance between them wouldn''t shrink so quickly.

    "That''s fine, then," Seiji could only say this.

    It was fine to take it slow.

    They were all still young, and as long as both sides made a sincere effort to repair the rtionship, then one day they would finally be a family again.

    ¡­

    Saturday morning.

    Seiji sent thepleted version of Brother Monogatari to Editor Yoshizawa, as well as Mika and Chiaki.

    Then, he considered what he should begin cultivating next. He still needed to write the game''s storyline, but he wasn''t in a hurry. He felt that he should also cultivate¡­ no, focus on cultivation as the priority!

    After all, making a game was just a personal interest; bing a Yin-Yang Master was rted to his family.

    Should he focus on cultivating Spiritual Power and Mana with the aim of directly bing a Yin-Yang Master, or should he first master the basic spells?

    After thinking for a while, Seiji decided to focus on mastering the basic spells.

    After all, only by mastering the spells would he finally feel a tangible increase in strength. Furthermore, the requirements for bing a Yin-Yang Master might include learning those spells.

    Another way of putting it was this: just what use would a Yin-Yang Master that hadn''t mastered the basic spells be? He''d be useless.

    Seiji believed that he should first be a passable Spiritual Ability user before cultivating and bing a Yin-Yang Master.

    Then, what spell should he focus on?

    [Beginner-level Telekinesis]! This one seemed good, as it was the basic spell for using Mana.

    And so, Seiji took out his ck cell phone, looked up the secret technique manual on [Telekinesis], and studied it carefully.

    After he finished reading it, he asked for Shika''s guidance. Finally, after gaining a basic understanding of the spell, he began to practice [Telekinesis].

    The most difficult aspect of [Telekinesis] was gathering the Mana and manipting it outside of his body.

    First, he would need to gather Mana to the point where it was dense enough to affect physical reality. He then had to release it from his body, wrapping it around the object he wished to move and setting a direction and path for the moving object. Finally, he had to activate the [Telekinesis] with an incantation, and the object would move.

    Seiji felt that it was akin to creating a mental rope, cing the rope on the object, tossing it out, then dragging the rope¡ªit was both annoying and bothersome.

    He tried his best toprehend and utilize [Telekinesis].

    He progressed much quicker than he expected!

    Although he struggled on his first attempt, after trying it many times, it didn''t take him long to get the hang of it.

    When he checked his system, he noticed that his progress bar was increasing rapidly, much faster than when he was learning [Astral Vision]!

    ''Do I have a talent for learning this particr spell?''

    Regardless of whether it was merely a mistaken perception, Seiji was filled with excitement and redoubled his efforts at practicing the spell.

    And so, time passed just like this. When Seiji returned to his senses, he found that it was already evening.

    For Seiji, cultivation was just like writing¡ªa mysterious action that made time fly by.

    Seiji was quite satisfied with his progress.

    With this speed, he''d be able to master [Beginner-level Telekinesis]pletely by tomorrow!

    Compared to learning [Astral Vision], the time passed by in a sh. It was simr to how he was able to master the [Body-Strengthening Spell] quickly.

    It seemed that cultivation also required talent.

    Seiji rested for a while after he finished cultivating, and then he told Shika that he was going out for a bit.

    ¡­

    Seiji purchased a box of desserts on the way before arriving at Grandfather Amami''s residence.

    It was a ratherrge house that seemed somewhat archaic and dated. Its grounds were expansive, with numerous trees and nts abound.

    He pressed the doorbell, and someone quickly walked out of the residence. It was an elderly man wearing in, traditional Sakura Ind clothing.

    He had neatlybed white hair, and although his gaunt face was creased with wrinkles, he didn''t seem particrly ancient. His eyes were lively and he was smiling widely; Seiji reckoned that he was probably quite the handsome man in his younger days.

    "Wee, Harano-san," he greeted Seiji with a smile and opened the gate to the residence. "I am Shouzou Amami."

    "Hello, Amami-san," Seiji greeted politely. "You don''t need to address me as -san ; feel free to be more casual."

    "I''ll call you Harano-kun then." Shouzou immediately switched to a more familiar way of addressing him.

    He led Seiji into the residence.

    As expected, the living room was decorated in the traditional style of Sakura Ind. The decorations were far more borate than Seiji''s apartment, and the ce was wide and well-lit as it was clean and organized.

    Shouzou politely received the desserts that Seiji gave him as a present.

    "The food won''t be ready for a while yet, so let''s have a chat first." The old man poured some tea before squinting and looking up at Seiji''s face. "Harano-kun, what club are you in at school?" he asked.

    "I''m not currently in any clubs."

    "Oh¡­ then what do you like to do after school?"

    "I like to¡­" Seiji began conversing with Shouzou, and he answered Shouzou''s questions honestly.

    Shouzou''s eyes were fixed on Seiji''s face the entire time; he seemed to be in deep thought.

    "Harano-kun," he said abruptly, "I''d like to ask a question: do you know Yui Haruta-san?"

    Seiji''s heart skipped a beat at this question.

    "Yui Haruta¡­ I know her." While surprised, he admitted to knowing her. Then, he asked a question of his own to Shouzou: "Why do you suddenly ask, Amami-san? Do you know her?"

    "Indeed¡­ I felt that the two of you resembled each other," Shouzou muttered. "Harano-kun, what your rtionship with her?"

    Seiji blinked upon hearing this question. "She''s my older sister."

    Just as the elderly Shouzou showed surprise, Seiji added another sentence on top of that: "My real name is Seiji Haruta."

    "Seiji Haruta¡­" Shouzou''s brows shot upwards from receiving yet another, even greater surprise.

    "I apologize for using a false name, but there''s a good reason for it," Seiji exined. "As for my real name¡­ Rika Amami-san and Mayuzumi Amami-sensei are already aware of it."

    "Reason¡­ it must be that your former reputation was rather bad." Shouzou had an understanding expression in his eyes, and then his expression turned ratherplex. "Yui Haruta-san''s younger brother¡­ I never expected him to be you." His words sounded deep and profound.

    ''Not only does this elder know Yui Haruta, he even knows the previous me!''

    This was beyond Seiji''s expectations.

    Seiji triedbing through his inherited memories, but couldn''t find anything about this old man.

    "Amami-san¡­ who exactly are you?" he decided to ask about Shouzou''s identity.

    Shouzou didn''t answer immediately; instead he kept his gaze trained on Seiji for a long moment, before slowly opening his mouth: "I''m¡­"

 Chapter 273 - Go out with Each Other!

    <h4>Chapter 273: Go out with Each Other!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "¡­a florist."

    Florist? Seiji was rather confused to hear this.

    "Yui Haruta-san is a regr customer of mine¡ªshe always purchases the flowers that I nt," Shouzou exined. "I''ve chatted with her about various things in the past, including her younger brother. Young Master Seiji Haruta. I never expected that I would meet with you like this."

    "I didn''t expect that Amami-san would know my older sister, either," Seiji said, sighing.

    Then, a brief silence fell between them. Both of them sipped their tea.

    "Young Master Seiji, how long have you been using the name ''Seigo Harano?''" Shouzou inquired.

    "No need to call me ''young master,'' as I''m no young master," Seiji told him. "I started using this alias when I transferred to Genhana High School, so I think I''ve been using it for about a month and a half now."

    "Does Yui Haruta-san know about this?"

    "She does."

    "Does she know about you helping my grandson?"

    "Er¡­ this, I wouldn''t know." Seiji was unsure.

    Shouzou blinked upon hearing this. "Harano-kun¡­ is it alright if I still address you in this way?"

    "Of course."

    "Harano-kun, your personality and behavior¡­ are incredibly different from the person that I heard about. Just what exactly is this about? Could I hear the story?"

    Seiji smiled at this. "Of course¡ªthis isn''t aplex tale at all."

    He recounted his fake story about how he decided to change himself after he almost died from choking on instant noodles. After all, he felt it wouldn''t be appropriate to say that he was actually an entirely different person that had reincarnated.

    "You witnessed ''death¡­''" Shouzou muttered to himself with a mncholy look in his eyes. He was evidently moved. "Indeed, this does have the power to influence people greatly."

    Seiji silently sipped his tea. At this moment, somebody arrived.

    It was a beautiful girl with an excellent figure, delicate eyshes, and blue eyes. She was wearing casual clothes.

    Rion Amami¡­ or Kotomi Amami.

    Seiji didn''t have the ability to differentiate the twin sisters from each other.

    "Grandfather, dinner is ready," she said before turning to Seiji.

    This was their first meeting in just over a month.

    "Hello, Harano-san. Thank you foring here, and wee."

    "Hello, Amami-san. Sorry for the bother."

    The two of them greeted each other calmly. Shouzou watched this scene, an enigmatic light shing in his eyes.

    "Harano-kun, let''s have dinner now," he said.

    The elderly man and the teenage boy rose and followed the girl to the dining hall.

    Apart from the other twin sister, there was also a kind-looking elderlydy in leisure wear. She had a slightly round face and her silver-white hair was bundled up on top of her head.

    Shouzou introduced her as his wife, Yukina Amami; she was also the twin sisters'' and Hoshi''s grandmother.

    Seiji politely greeted her, and she also smiled and returned his greeting.

    Then, everyone sat down and began eating dinner together.

    The food was delicious and abundant. Seiji felt that every dish was wonderfully cooked, and he gave his sincere praise.

    "All these dishes were cooked by Rion and Kotomi," Yukina said proudly. "I merely guided them."

    "No, we only seeded in cooking them so well thanks to Grandmother''s guidance."

    "Yeah, if it was left only up to Rion and I, we wouldn''t be able to cook so well."

    "You don''t need to say that; it was still made by you after all¡­ You''re really quick learners when ites to cooking; you''re already skilled to the extent where you''d make excellent brides." Yukina looked at the twin sisters.

    Rion and Kotomi''s faces flushed slightly under their grandmother''s gentle gaze.

    Seiji felt relieved at witnessing such a gentle family scene.

    "By the way, I''ve been wanting to thank my two Senpais." He smiled. "During the school festival, thanks for helping out my good friend."

    Rion and Kotomi exchanged nces before looking at him.

    "Are you talking about Mika Uehara?"

    Seiji nodded.

    "That was merely our duty," the two of them said lightly.

    "What''s this about?" Shouzou wondered. "Harano-kun, mind exining?"

    "It''s like this¡­" Seiji repeated what he had heard from Mika.

    "Oh¡­ well done, Rion, Kotomi." Shouzou sincerely praised the twins after hearing about what they had done.

    "We only did what we should have¡­"

    The twins'' faces flushed slightly redder when their grandfather also praised them.

    Seiji chuckled at this. Everyone looked at him.

    "I never expected¡­ that my Senpais would say something simr to me," Seiji exined. "I just did what I should have."

    He''d said that exact sentence to Shouzoust night on the phone.

    And now, the twins were saying the same thing to Shouzou.

    He felt that this was rather ironic, which was why he''d let out a chuckle.

    Shouzou understood his meaning and smiled in realization.

    Yukina was still curious about it, so Shouzou exined it to her. After she understood, she also smiled gently at the twin sisters.

    Rion and Kotomi blushed even deeper.

    Seiji felt that they¡­ were actually quite cute like this.

    ''Wonderful.'' The various exmations within him finally coalesced into this onement.

    ¡­

    After dinner, Shouzou asked Seiji return to the living room, and he also called Rion and Kotomi over.

    "I have a suggestion," he said to the boy and the two girls. "You might feel that it''s rather sudden, but I''ve taken it into serious consideration, and I think it''s an excellent idea."

    Suggestion?

    Seiji was rather curious what it could be.

    Rion and Kotomi were simrly curious.

    "My suggestion is¡­ go out with each other!" Shouzou announced with a serious expression and tone.

    Seiji and the twin sisters were all rendered speechless.

    "What?" All three of them were stunned and simultaneously uttered the same word.

    This was ratherical; it was akin to a scene out of a gag manga.

    ''What did this elder just say? Go out with, as in date? Me and Rion and Kotomi!?''

    Seiji knew what he''d heard, but a part of him suspected that he was afflicted with hearing problems and that he''d misheard.

    He could only stare dazedly at the beautiful twins. It just happened that the twins were also staring at him with nk expressions.

    After they exchanged stunned looks for a full three seconds, all three of them turned in unison to look at the elderly man sitting across from them.

    ''You must have made a mistake with your words!?'' the boy and girls'' eyes and expressions seemed to say.

    "I didn''t make any mistakes with what I said," Shouzou continued seriously. "Just earlier in our discussion, I learned that Harano-kun doesn''t have a girlfriend, and Rion, Kotomi, you don''t have a boyfriend either, so there''s no problems with you dating each other."

    ''No, no, there are going to be huge problems!'' Seiji inwardly moaned.

    "Amami-san," Seiji said cautiously, "not having a girlfriend or boyfriend is just one of the conditions for dating, but it isn''t the only condition¡­ Between me and the Amami twin Senpais¡­"

    "I know that perhaps you don''t view each other favorably right now, but that doesn''t mean that you''re not appropriate for each other," Shouzou said. "Harano-kun, based on my observations and understanding of you, and now that I''ve added on my experience of you, my judgement is that you''re the most suitable boy to date Rion and Kotomi!"

    "Your physical appearance, personality, eloquence, and behavior¡­ it''s all excellent. And the most important part is this: you''re the person who defeated them and caused them to change for the better! If you were the one to be with them, you''d be someone they''d respect, and you''d also be able to guide them down the right path. This is something that other boys aren''t able to do."

    Seiji was rendered speechless at this.

    He understood what Shouzou meant, but¡­

    "And Rion and Kotomi¡­ may not be the most suitable girls for you, but they''re truly excellent, beautiful, and talented as well as good cooks. As long as they continue going down the proper path, they''ll be incredibly charismatic women! They''re definitely up to par for being yourpanions."

    ''Before any of this, aren''t you ignoring a fundamental problem!? Rion and Kotomi are two girls, and I''m just one boy!!''

    ''Wait a moment, I''m feeling a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu from this retort of mine¡­ oh, I recall! Isn''t this exactly what I said to Hoshi before!?''

    ''This Amami-san''s suggestion¡­ isn''t it exactly the same as Hoshi''s suggestion long ago!!!?''

 Chapter 274 - The Twin Witches Final Counterattack!

    <h4>Chapter 274: The Twin Witches'' Final Counterattack!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Before this, Hoshi had requested for Seiji to "be his twin sisters'' boyfriend" during their first meeting.

    Seiji never expected to hear the exact same suggestioning from the Amami family elder after all this time!

    What was with the grandfather and grandson of this family!?

    Should he say that it was to be expected of grandfather and grandchild?

    ''For them to actually say the exact same thing¡­'' Seiji didn''t even know how he should react.

    Even though he really wanted toment on this, he felt that it would be inappropriate to do so in front of an elder.

    Ultimately, he didn''t know how else to express his feelings, so he chose to remain silent.

    Shouzou looked back towards the twins.

    "Just now, what I said to Harano-kun, was also for you. Rion, Kotomi, consider it carefully. Is there anyone better for you than Harano-kun at your school? And in the future, do you think that you''ll meet someone more suitable for you?

    Rion and Kotomi remained silent.

    Seiji sensed their gazes upon him and turned to see that the twin beauties were both looking in his direction. Their eyes shed with a mysterious light, and they appeared to be in deep contemtion.

    Seiji suddenly had an ominous premonition. ''Hey, hey, these two wouldn''t really¡­''

    "Rion, what grandfather said¡­ seems to be urate."

    "Kotomi, I also feel that¡­ there''s nothing wrong with what he said."

    ''Nothing wrong, the hell! Try disagreeing a little!!'' Once again, Seiji was stunned. ''No way! How could you two ept it so easily!? Are you that obedient to your grandfather''s words!?

    ''Even if you aren''t the ''witches'' anymore, there''s no need to be docile to such a degree, is there!? This is too much of a contrast!!''

    "Rion, objectively speaking, Seigo Harano is the most excellent boy in our entire school. He''s excellent all-around, and hepletely fits the requirements to be our lover!"

    "Indeed, Kotomi. We''ve sworn to be stronger than him and then defeat him. We can use the method of going out with him, bing his girlfriends, andpletely conquering him to realize our oath!"

    "That''s right, Rion. This is an even better method to defeat him with¡­ in fact, it''s the best method! That''s because even if he bes even stronger and more charismatic, he''ll still belong to us!"

    Seiji was rendered absolutely speechless.

    He didn''t even know what expression he had any more or what he should say in response to them.

    They had indeed changed, but it was obvious that some aspects of their personality remained the same.

    ''It''s to be expected¡ªafter all, how could they possibly make a full 180-degree change!?''

    Seiji really felt that he was in a precarious situation. This was an entirely different type of threat¡ª one worse than facing off against the ''twin witches'' from before.

    ''No, wait!'' He thought back to hisst meeting with them, and the critical words that they''d said.

    "Didn''t¡­ the two of you say that you hated me?" Seiji asked.

    Rion and Kotomi blinked upon hearing this.

    "Rion, have we ever said something like that?"

    "Kotomi, I recall nothing of that sort at all."

    The twins smiled mischievously.

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise. ''They''re actually straight-up lying now!?''

    "You definitely did! At that time in the stairwell you said that you hated me, which was why you''d be stronger and defeat me!" He recalled the scene in his mind.

    These two girls definitely remembered it! It was impossible for them to forget!!

    "Eh, is that so, Rion? I still can''t remember anything."

    "Er, it seems like it, but it might not be the case. My memory''s not too good either, Kotomi."

    The twin beauties continued to smile.

    ''So they''re going to deny it to the end!'' Seiji felt the urge to choke; he didn''t know how to continue using them anymore.

    "Even if we really said that, sometimes when girls say they ''hate'' a boy, it doesn''t really mean hate~"

    "Indeed, so you shouldn''t take it too seriously when girls say they ''hate'' you, Harano-san."

    ''Stop pretending like that''s the case! At that time, you definitely meant hate; there''s no mistaking it!'' Seiji expressed his thoughts using his resolute look in his eyes.

    "No matter what things were like in the past, the current us would like to get along well with Harano-san."

    "Yep, we feel that it''spletely fine to date with Harano-san¡­ probably."

    Rion and Kotomi exchanged nces and imagined something that caused both their faces to flush red.

    "Rion, I think¡­ it''s not just probably."

    "Kotomi, I also feel that¡­ it''s not probably¡ªit''s definitely."

    The two identical beauties now looked directly towards Seiji and said their next sentence softly: "We can definitely truly fall in love with you, Seigo Harano!"

    Their eyes were clear, and their faces were red. They spoke sincerely¡ªas if they''d realized the true feelings in their hearts¡ªand it didn''t sound fake at all.

    At the very least, Seiji didn''t feel like they were faking it.

    That was why he was so shocked. He was suddenly struck by a huge impact because his mind was wholly unprepared!

    Inwardly, he was slightly shaken. He couldn''t help but feel the twins before him were incredibly cute.

    His face also reddened slightly.

    "Don''t you¡­ feel that you might be wrong about what you''re feeling?" Seiji averted his gaze.

    He seemed embarrassed. No, he was definitely embarrassed!

    Seigo Harano was embarrassed.

    This was the first time that the twins had seen such a side to him, and it caused their hearts to skip a beat.

    They were rather nervous to meet the handsome boy again today.

    As for feelings like hate and wanting revenge? Those emotions were long gone already; it was as if they had never existed. They had imperceptibly disappeared with time. The twins were astonished to discover this, but that was how it was.

    They maintained calm appearances on the surface as they greeted him and ate dinner together.

    After hearing his sincere praise for their cooking, receiving his thanks, and seeing his gentle smile¡­ they noticed for the first time how handsome he was!

    Seigo Harano was handsome to begin with.

    After dinner, when they heard their grandfather''s suggestion, they were indeed just as shocked as Seigo.

    But upon closer consideration, they thought that their grandfather was correct.

    There was no boy more suitable for them than Seigo Harano.

    He received full points from them in physical appearance, body shape, and he was handsome and gentle¡­ and the most important part was that he was the man who utterly defeated them!

    They personally experienced just how strong he was.

    That''s why, in order to defeat him¡­ no, conquer him! They were willing to give their everything.

    In order to obtain his body and heart, they were willing to pay using their own bodies and hearts¡­ Seigo Harano was the only boy in the world that they felt was worthy of them doing so, and the only one they would be willing to do so!

    This was their wholehearted "revenge;" it was the twin witches'' final counterattack!

    Thoughts like these ran through Rion''s and Kotomi''s minds.

    And after seeing his embarrassment, they were inwardly moved and confirmed that this was the best way to conquer him.

    "We don''t believe ourselves to be mistaken," Rion said.

    "Seigo Harano, you''re handsome and gentle."

    "We want you for ourselves, and we''re willing to pay¡­ ourselves."

    The twin beauties smiled sweetly at him. Their flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes made the sisters almost irresistible.

    Seiji was shaken even further by this astonishing attack from them.

    ''Witches¡­'' he couldn''t help but think this again.

    The ''twin witches'' still existed¡­ right here and now, and they were targeting him!

    This was their true final attack, the most honest and straightforward type of attack¡ªa strong deration that they would conquer him!

 Chapter 275 - Young People These Days Should Be More Open-Minded

    <h4>Chapter 275: Young People These Days Should Be More Open-Minded</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "It seems that Rion and Kotomi agree with my suggestion," Shouzou eximed with obvious delight. "Harano-kun, you''re willing to ept it as well, right?"

    "No¡­ I¡­"

    "I know that you aren''t particrly fond of them right now, but this matter if you''re just going out with them. After gradually umting feelings for each other, you all can be true lovers, or even partners for life." The elderly man''s eyes shed with an enigmatic light.

    "This¡­ although it''s not impossible, I still feel that¡­ people should only go out with each other after they begin liking each other first." Seiji could only smile wryly.

    "No need to be so conservative, Harano-kun. We''re living in the twenty-first century. Young people these days should be more open-minded."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    It felt rather strange for him to hear an elder saying such a sentence!

    "Rion and Kotomi are my granddaughters and I''m proud of them. Having beautiful twins like them as your girlfriends will definitely satisfy you! Besides, it''ll be something for you to be proud about as well."

    ''Things are escting on the weirdness scale! So you didn''t ignore the fact that they were two girls, and you even treated it as an advantage for the twins!?''

    "This¡­ rather than saying it''s something to be proud about, I think it would be more likely to cause controversy¡­"

    "Controversies all stem from jealousy. You can simply treat it as your honor."

    ''It''s not only because of jealousy! Aren''t you being too optimistic about things!?''

    "Treating controversies as honor, this is¡­"

    "If you don''t wish to do so, then just ignore any controversies. Harano-kun, you''re not the type of person who particrly cares what other people think about you, right?"

    "Er¡­"

    Seiji considered things over, then looked directly into Shouzou''s sincere gaze.

    "It''s not a bad suggestion, Amami-san, but it''s a little too sudden, so it''s difficult for me to ept." He tried to be as polite and honest as possible. "I believe that both my Senpais are beautiful and excellent girls, and I''d surely be the one greatly benefiting if I went out with them. Honestly, I was moved inside as well! But¡­ I still can''t just be someone''s boyfriend so simply. I''m delighted that you thought of me so highly, and I''m also happy that my two Senpais were willing to ept me, but my two Senpais and I still don''t understand each other very well, and I still feel that¡­ my own level is still insufficient."

    "At any rate, thank you so much for your suggestion. To me, it was the highest form of praise! Although I''m delighted, please allow me to politely refuse."

    The room fell silent.

    Something was shing in Shouzou''s eyes.

    Rion and Kotomi''s eyes were also shing.

    Seiji had a serious expression and a resolute look in his eyes.

    "How regrettable¡­" After a while, the old man finally broke the silence. "I truly believed that it was a good idea of mine. A pity that it was rejected. But, it didn''te as a surprise." He smiled while saying so. "It was indeed too sudden, so it wasn''t strange for you to refuse at all."

    "My apologies¡­" Seiji lowered his head slightly.

    "Why are you apologizing? Harano-kun, you gave your serious reply, that''s good enough for me." Shouzou kept smiling. "Although it''s regrettable that my suggestion wasn''t taken up on, I''m still quite happy, because I can see all the clearer just what type of person you are, and I''m quite confident that I haven''t misjudged you. You''re an excellent youngster, Seigo Harano¡­ no, young master Seiji Haruta."

    Seiji lifted his head.

    Rion and Kotomi showed surprised expressions.

    "No matter what you were like in the past, from what I can tell, the current you is an excellent person in both physical appearance and inside as well. You should be more proud of the current you."

    Shouzou lowered his head slightly towards him. "It''s my honor to meet you, young master Seiji."

    Seiji felt that this was¡­ recognition.

    At this moment, Shouzou Amami was truly recognizing him as Seiji Haruta, Yui Haruta''s younger brother.

    "Please don''t say that. I said it before, I''m no young master; I wasn''t in the past, nor am I one now."

    "But you will be one in the future." Shouzou raised his head again. "And I feel that it will be soon."

    Seiji remained silent at this.

    Rion and Kotomi''s eyes were sparkling in curiosity and excitement.

    "Grandfather¡­ what exactly is all this?"

    "Rion, Kotomi, the two of you should work even harder in the future, and increase your charisma, so that you can be together with young master Seiji." Shouzou exined to them. "Seigo Harano is young master Seiji''s alias. His real family name is Haruta, and he''s the son of the Haruta family. As for the Haruta family¡­ it''s a very powerful family with a long history and incredible status."

    A powerful family!

    The twins had long since made that inference about him, and now their eyespletely lit up at hearing so.

    Everything made sense now!

    He had a personal connection with the student council president Natsuya Yoruhana who was from a simrly respectable family background, he had amazing perception and a sense of authority, he had martial prowess far surpassing ordinary people, and he had a mysteriously powerful hacker friend¡­ everything made sense now to them, because he truly was a young master from a powerful family!

    A prince.

    Not only was his appearance prince-like, he really was a prince.

    Rion and Kotomi looked towards Seigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta with passionate fervor in their eyes.

    Their choice was correct after all, surpassing even their expectations.

    It was a pity that he didn''t ept them.

    But that was no matter. They already knew their goal, and had locked on to their target.

    This was just the beginning of their attack!

    Seiji noticed the twins'' passionate gazes and could only smile wryly in his mind.

    "Young master Seiji, even if you don''t ept the idea of dating my immature granddaughters, it''ll be alright to at least be friends with them, right?" Shouzou looked towards Seiji again and spoke with sincerity in his voice.

    "¡­Of course." Seiji agreed to this.

    He already refused to go out with them, so if he also refused to be friends with the twins, that would make him seem too¡­ wait a moment.

    ''Don''t tell me that this was Amami-san''s true goal all along?''

    ''No matter what, the suggestion to go out with the twins was too sudden. Even he himself admitted that it was likely that I would refuse.''

    ''But he still said it so seriously, just why was that?''

    ''Apart from really wanting to make us go out with each other, the more important part was probably to provide cover for his true motive!''

    Bing friends.

    If he started with such a request, there was the possibility that Seiji would refuse.

    But first suggesting to go out with each other, getting rejected, and then suggesting that he be friends with the twins would make the chances of Seiji''s rejection minimal, and the effect would be much better!

    "Rion, Kotomi, from now on you''re young master Seiji''s friends. Get along well with him and make the most of your opportunity," Shouzou told them kindly.

    "Understood, grandfather." Rion and Kotomi answered happily.

    ''¡­I did fall for his trap after all, didn''t I?''

    Seiji could only helplessly think that to himself.

    "Young master Seiji, please take good care of us from now on." The twin beauties said that in unison with sincerity in their voices and brilliant smiles.

    "Please don''t call me like that, just call me as before¡­ please take good care of me, my two Amami-senpais," Seiji responded.

    Forget it, after all, bing friends was still a good thing.

    At one time in the past, he had told them that he would be more than happy to "apany" them whenever they wanted to "y."

    He never expected that his statement woulde true in this form.

    From now onwards, was he really going to have to "apany" them?

    Well, only the gods would know.

 Chapter 276 - Freeze, Dont Move!

    <h4>Chapter 276: Freeze, Don''t Move!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After a while, Seiji said goodbye.

    Before he left, Shouzou gave him a gift. It was arge box of flower tea.

    "My wife and I personally cultivated this flower tea. I hope that it''s to your tastes."

    "Thank you, I''ll sample it with care." Seiji politely epted the gift.

    "Once again," Shouzou Amami said seriously, "thank you for helping out my grandson, and please take good care of him in the future as well."

    Seiji understood Shouzou''s feelings when he saw his expression. "I will," he promised.

    After leaving Shouzou''s residence, Seiji began walking back to his apartment. He inwardly reflected on what had transpired.

    Seiji decided to take out his cell phone and make a call.

    The call connected quickly.

    "Good evening, Senpai!" Hoshi''s voice greeted.

    "Good evening, junior," Seiji returned. "I just left your grandfather''s home. You''ll never guess what just happened."

    "Er¡­ what happened?" Hoshi asked in a confused voice.

    "Your grandfather said the exactly the same thing as you did long ago¡­" Seiji chuckled and exined the basic situation to Hoshi.

    Hoshi was astonished to hear what had transpired.

    His grandfather had actually¡­ His sisters had actually¡­

    The final result was actually¡­

    "Senpai¡­ became friends with my sisters!?"

    "Yep," Seiji said, sighing. "This was your grandfather''s true motive in inviting me over¡ªto make me befriend your sisters. Another way of putting it is a total reconciliation."

    Hoshi was rendered speechless.

    "Although I feel that it''s all too sudden," Seiji continued, "I think that this is something good. Even if your grandfather didn''t do this, I might have reconciled with your sisters someday in the future, but that would definitely take longer. Your grandfather used himself as the catalyst. He quickened the process of us reconciling and bing friends¡­ this is his way of showing his care.

    "And his care isn''t only for your sisters; he cares greatly for you, too, Hoshi. I''vepletely reconciled with your sisters, so that means you will be able to get along better with your sisters as well, right?"

    There was a brief moment of silence.

    After a few seconds Hoshi finally responded: "It''s all too much for me to take in right now, but¡­ it''s indeed as you say, Senpai. After learning that you''ve reconciled with my sisters, I¡­ feel like there''s less pressure on my heart¡­ I feel as if I can face them better than before."

    It was a mental block.

    Up until now, the person who minded the most about the conflict between Seiji and the twins was Hoshi.

    Shouzou Amami had seen all this clearly.

    He must have done all this for the sake of his grandson and granddaughters after much consideration.

    He was truly an excellent grandfather.

    Seiji looked up at the evening sky as he recalled Shouzou''sst sentence to him.

    "How about we eat lunch together sometime next week?"

    "Eh?"

    "Me, you, and your sisters. How about the four of us eat lunch together sometime?"

    Hoshi''s eyes widened in surprise. Then, he tried imagining the scene which gave him an indescribable feeling.

    "That¡­ sounds good."

    Seiji smiled when he heard Hoshi''s response.

    "As for the specific time¡­ on which day do you have a free lunch?"

    "Any day is fine."

    "Alright, I''ll invite your sisters in a bit, then send you a message about the day."

    "Alright¡­ thank you, Senpai."

    "There''s no need to thank me for this, silly." Seiji chuckled. "We''re friends, you know."

    Then, he hung up the call. Meanwhile, on the other end, Hoshi''s eyes were glistening with tears as he held his cell phone.

    Eating lunch together with Senpai and his sisters¡­ as joyful friends!

    Just imagining the scene felt like a beautiful dream to him.

    He was so happy, so delighted¡­

    Tears dripped down the pretty boy''s face, and the warm feeling in his chest didn''t fade for a long while.

    ¡­

    Sunday morning.

    After waking up, Seiji continued practicing [Beginner-level Telekinesis].

    His condition was just as good as yesterday, and his progress bar continued filling up. It was just that the closer it got topletion, the slower the rate of progress.

    After practicing for the entire day, from morning to afternoon to evening¡­ Seiji''s progress bar was finally filled, and he could now use his ultimate ability¡­ whoops, he could now officially learn [Beginner-level Telekinesis] through his system!

    He paid the required points and learned this spell just like the other two beginner-level spells before it, [Body-Strengthening] and [Astral Vision].

    A notification popped up on his system after he bought it.

    [Additional ability 2 of character reward card [Shika Kagura] has now been activated due to the prerequisites being met.]

    The second ability of Shika''s card was now unsealed!

    Seiji immediately checked it out. He saw that the ability which was previously nothing but question marks now showed something different.

    [Additional ability 2: Ice Prison (prerequisite of [Beginner-level Telekinesis] required.)]

    [Buff ability for Telekinesis. This ability can be activated when you use Telekinesis on a living target. This will cause the target to feel an unbearable chill and restrict their movement. The strength of this effect will depend on the target''s power level. The maximum duration is ten seconds, and it may be ineffective on stronger targets. This will cost Mana and concentration to use. Can only be cast three times per day. Freeze! Don''t move !]

    ''This time there was a quote from Mei from Overwatch¡­ System, just how many times do you want to giarize from Overwatch?'' Seiji inwardlymented to himself.

    This was a ssic freezing technique and would doubtlessly be useful in many situations.

    Seiji surmised that it would be useful for locking down and controlling the enemy''s movements right before using an ultimate ability. Alternatively, he could use it to interrupt an enemy''s ultimate ability, or to prevent an enemy from escaping, just like the skill''s description suggested. He could also use it to intimidate someone¡­ At any rate, it had a wide variety of usages and was an excellent skill to have.

    The weaknesses were that the skill''s effective duration wasn''t set, and it might even be ineffective against stronger targets. It also had the limitation of only being usable three times per day.

    Seiji went back to [Telekinesis] in his system and checked it out in more detail.

    There were two new options here now. One was called [Focused Telekinesis], while the other was called [Scattered Telekinesis].

    ording to his system''s exnation, [Focused Telekinesis] was a stronger version of [Telekinesis], which could only be used on a single target at a time. However, the power of the [Telekinesis] would be greatly improved.

    [Scattered Telekinesis] would allow him to move arge number of objects all at once, but the power would be greatly reduced.

    They seemed like upgraded versions of [Telekinesis] to Seiji. The requirements for learning them were also simr to [Beginner-level Astral Vision]: they required him to read technique manuals about them and practice cultivating in order to improve his ability in using these spells. The difference was that the third requirement wasn''t question marks; instead it required sixty-six points per spell!

    It seemed that his system was fond of the number six today.

    Seiji then browsed through the new options in his [Spells] tab.

    [Mana Bullet]. This was obvious just from the name. It was beginner-level attack magic.

    [Fire/Water/Thunder/Wind/Earth Mana]. This was also rather obvious. These were beginner-level elemental magics.

    [Roaming Spirit''s Curse]. This sounded rather dangerous. Did it involve controlling a demon spirit to harm someone?

    [Mana Shield]. A beginner-level defense spell.

    [Beginner-level Cleansing]. This was beginner-level exorcism magic for eliminating the unclean or impure.

    [Beginner-level Summoning]. This seemed like essential magic for an aspiring Yin-Yang Master.

    [Beginner-level Sealing]. Was this the first step on his way to bing a Pokemon Master?

    [Beginner-level Healing]. The first step to bing a healer.

    ¡­

    There were so many new options that it would take some time for him to look them all over in more detailter.

    There was also a new [Item] avable to him¡ª[Spell learning speed-up card]!

    With it he could choose any avable spell and increase the speed at which he would learn it for twenty-four hours.

    It was a practical card, but it required ny-nine points to exchange for. Seiji could only describe it as too expensive.

    Seiji tugged at his lips.

    He now had plenty of pointspared to before, but he still didn''t have enough to just casually purchase a ny-nine-point item. This was definitely a luxury item.

    He could consider it in the future if he ever had an abundance of points.

 Chapter 277 - Im Actually a Body-Stealing Reincarnator!

    <h4>Chapter 277: I''m Actually a Body-Stealing Reincarnator!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji finally finished reading all the detailed exnations of the new spells.

    Afterward, he felt that he needed to n out his evolution¡­ whoops, path for cultivation.

    But, before that, there was an important question that required an answer: what type of Spiritual Ability user or Yin-Yang Master should Seiji be?

    The answer to this question would affect which spells he learned first. It would also determine the spells he would learn if he had an excess of time and the spells that were unnecessary to learn. Basically, it influenced the order he would learn spells in, much like choosing from a skill tree.

    After some consideration, he arrived at an answer. Based on his answer, he nned out his future path.

    The first spell that he wanted to learn was [Mana Bullet]!

    ording to the exnation, this spell could attack both physical and spiritual objects, and ordinary people would be unable to see it. It was quite a practical and useful spell.

    The requirements for learning it were simr to the other spells: he had to read the relevant technique manual and practice it.

    Seiji wasn''t in a big hurry to begin his practice.

    He had already practiced cultivating for an entire day, and he''d just spent a considerable amount of time reading through his system''s exnations, so he felt like doing something else for a change of pace.

    And so he left his room, went to the study, and turned on hisputer. He browsed the inte and also logged on to his chatting application¡­

    Time passed just like this.

    Seiji took a shower, then watched a few videos before he decided to shut down hisputer and go to sleep.

    Just as he was hovering his mouse over the "shut down" button, his chatting application beeped . It seemed that someone had sent him a message.

    When Seiji reflexively checked the sender of the message, he froze over in surprise. He blinked to check if he had seen things wrongly.

    The shing message was still from that person.

    He didn''t see things wrongly.

    It was from "Cat-loving Flying Fish!"

    Seiji clicked on the message, causing a message box to pop up.

    "Who are you?" Only those few words were written in the message to him.

    Seiji looked at it for a while, before he typed: "I am Seiji Haruta."

    He sent the message. There was no immediate response from the other end, but she didn''t log off likest time either.

    Seiji patiently waited for a response.

    Several minutester.

    Cat-loving Flying Fish sent him another message: "Liar."

    Seiji responded by typing: "I''m not lying."

    Cat-loving Flying Fish sent a stream of words: "Liar liar liar!"

    "I''m really not lying," Seiji replied calmly.

    "Seiji Haruta¡­ the person who bears this name couldn''t possibly be like you¡­ so you''re definitely lying!!"

    Complex emotions were contained within this message. Seiji felt as if he could feel the conflicted emotions within the girl on the other end of theputer screen.

    ''She''s probably crying¡­ tears must being out. She''s in pain and difort. But she still didn''t turn off herputer; she''s facing me bravely.

    ''What should I say to her? What should I say¡­'' Seiji thought hard about this question.

    An apology? That didn''t seem like the correct answer. An admittance of his wrongs? Asking for forgiveness? None of those seemed correct, either.

    That wasn''t what she wanted to hear, nor was it what she needed to hear.

    What she wanted to hear was¡­

    Suddenly, a string of text popped up in front of him; his system had given him three choices:

    [A: I really am Seiji Haruta, your blood brother.]

    [B: That''s right, I was lying. I''m actually a perfect stranger.]

    [C: That''s right, I was lying. I''m actually a body-stealing reincarnator!]

    Seiji was rendered speechless by his system. After looking at the options for several seconds, he knew what answer to give her.

    It was actually quite simple.

    ''System, thank you so much for your hint.''

    It was just that¡­ what would happen after he said it?

    Seiji decided not to think too much about it after some consideration.

    He started typing.

    "You saw through me.

    "That''s right.

    "I was lying.

    "I''m not Seiji Haruta.

    "Seiji Haruta is already dead.

    "I''m just a person who has died already. I took over his body and memories after I reincarnated!

    "My real name is¡­ Seigo Harano."

    That was how it was.

    If she didn''t want to see "Seiji Haruta," then all he had to do was tell her that this person was already dead.

    After a long period of silence¡­

    Cat-loving Flying Fish sent him another message: "I knew it¡­ You couldn''t possibly be that guy, nor could that guy possibly be you! Seigo Harano¡­ a nice name."

    Just as he''d expected, she epted this answer.

    This might cause problems for himter down the road, but¡­ he didn''t feel that he needed to worry about this right now. It was fine if he could make it up to her for the harm the original Seiji had caused to her.

    Seiji continued to type: "I''ve already told you my real name, so how about you? Could you please tell me your name?"

    Cat-loving Flying Fish started at the words on herputer screen.

    She slowly began typing and entered: "Hana Haruta."

    ''As I expected.'' Seiji''s guess had finally been confirmed.

    This was truly¡­ a coincidence that seemed like fate.

    Seiji could only smile wryly as he inwardly eximed at this situation.

    "I know you, but I''ve never met you before," he typed.

    "I''ve met you, but I don''t know you," she typed back.

    "Then let''s get to know each other all over again¡­ Hello, blood-rted younger sister of mine."

    "Hello, blood-rted older brother of mine."

    This was the moment when te blood-rted siblings got to know each other all over again for the first time.

    Even though there were still some problems¡­ fine, this still seemed rather strange, but both of them felt that this was fine, and this was enough for them.

    At the very least, it was fine for the time being.

    "How have you been recently, Sister?"

    "I''ve been having tons of fun staying at home and being a NEET. How about you, Brother?"

    "I''ve been living well. I''m having lots of fun every day at school, and I''m getting along excellently with my friends. Even the story I wrote recently has been published."

    "Winners in life should all go explode!"

    "If you ever leave your home, I''m sure that you could be a winner in life."

    "No need¡ªbeing a NEET is the best! All I have to do is y, eat, and sleep; it''s the mostfortable life of all!"

    "That''s the way someone who''s fallen to depravity would think."

    "You don''t need to worry so much about me!"

    "If you don''t exercise for a long time, your figure will change."

    "I do exercise for fifteen minutes in my room every day, so my figure definitely hasn''t changed!"

    "Amazing, but you should at least increase your exercising time to thirty minutes every day."

    "No! I''ll die of fatigue and dehydration from sweating!"

    Seiji chuckled.

    This seemed like a normal brother-sister conversation to him. But if he thought back to what the original Seiji did to her¡­ then he didn''t know how to describe things anymore.

    "Sister, do you have anything you''d like to do? Not just ying games, but doing something yourself, like creating something or anything like that?"

    "I don''t want to work."

    "I''m not talking about work; I''m talking about developing your interests. Instead of always ying or watching someone else''s creations, haven''t you ever had the impulse to create something better by yourself, even a little?"

    "I have, but I feel that if I really tried to make something it would be quite bothersome, tiring, and would require so much effort~"

    "Then you don''t need to try so hard. Just give it a casual attempt¡ªjust for fun. Just trying it will be quite fun in a much different way from only ying~"

    "You''re just trying to fool me! I won''t be depraved so easily! I''m going to always be a perfect NEET!"

    "No, I''m not trying to fool you into bing depraved; I''m actually trying to help you evolve into a beautiful NEET angel!"

    "What the hell''s a NEET angel!? This type of creature doesn''t exist!"

    "No, it does exist in another world."

    "There must be something wrong with that world!"

    "It''s actually quite simr to this world. In fact, I even feel that this world has various strange things in it."

    "You''re saying it as if that world actually exists."

    "It does exist; I transmigrated from that world."

    "Weren''t you a reincarnator?"

    "I''m a transmigrator and a reincarnator."

    "Are you trying to say that you''re actually a hero from another world!?"

    "If you want to view me in this way, that works as well."

    "Hey, hero! Where''s your holy sword?"

    "Within the bosom of my fated person. It''s a pity that I still haven''t met that girl yet, nor have I awakened the power of a king."

    "What the hell type of setting is that!?"

    "If you can ept it, it''s actually a good story. It has its own unique way of being hi, and the art and music are actually pretty good as well. The beginning of the story was excellent, but the ending was rather bad."

    "Are you actually talking about some anime!?"

    "Yep, one from my previous world."

    "You actually managed toe back to this topic again!"

    And so, Seiji seemed like he was clowning around with made-up stories that actually weren''t made up, while Hana had funmenting on his stories.

    This brother and sister had fun chatting online untilte into the night.

 Chapter 278 - I Can Become the Model for the Main Character!?

    <h4>Chapter 278: I Can Be the Model for the Main Character!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After Seiji ended the conversation with Hana, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to ask her why she didn''t tell Yui about him.

    Hana probably had her own thoughts on the matter. He would simply ask her next time if he had the chance.

    No matter what, being able to regain a normal rtionship with his blood-rted younger sister was something wonderful for him.

    ¡­

    Monday.

    Rion and Kotomi Amami were concerned about a certain matter.

    After saying goodbye to Seigo Haranost night, they thought of their younger brother, Hoshi.

    They wanted to tell Hoshi about what had happened, but they didn''t know how to go about telling him.

    Rion and Kotomi felt deep regret towards their previous treatment of Hoshi.

    Although they had already apologized, what they did to him wouldn''t be so easily forgiven with just an apology. It was only natural to not be forgiven for even their entire lives.

    Yet, Hoshi chose to forgive them.

    He even wanted to get along better with them and be normal siblings again.

    This made Rion and Kotomi''s hearts ache.

    Hoshi could have shouted at them or be angrier at them.

    They wanted to make it up to him, but they didn''t know how to go about it. Whenever they saw him or called him, they wanted to express something, but were unable to say anything other than the most ordinary of words.

    With their grandfather''s assistance, they were able to be friends with Seigo Harano¡­ although for now it was still only in name.

    Afterwards, if they could improve their rtionship with Seigo, then they would probably be able to get closer to Hoshi again.

    But before any of that, how should they talk to Hoshi about this?

    Just as Rion and Kotomi were pondering this question, they received a phone call.

    It was from Seiji Haruta¡­ Seigo Harano.

    They had just exchanged phone numbers during their meeting, so they hadn''t expected him to call right away!

    "I''d like to eat lunch sometime together with Hoshi and the two of you; what do you think?" he asked in a casual tone.

    Rion and Kotomi were unable to respond for a full three seconds.

    After they finally regained their senses, they expressed their confusion, and learned that he''d already told Hoshi about what happenedst night. He''d even taken the initiative to invite Hoshi, and Hoshi had epted!

    Just¡­ how proactive was he in taking action?

    They almost impulsively wanted to tell him to also consider their own feelings.

    Rion and Kotomi exchanged nces and smiled wryly.

    He¡­ was just such a boy.

    They could always feel a powerful strength from his method of dealing with situations. When they had opposed him, his strength had instilled them with great fear.

    But now that they were on the same side, they felt fortunate and safe. Of course, their response was that it was a great idea.

    As for when they had free time, they said that any day''s lunch break was fine.

    "Let''s go with tomorrow, which is Monday, then," he said casually.

    His tone was so rxed. He treated it like an ordinary lunch.

    Rion and Kotomi hung up withplex emotions in their hearts. Afterwards¡­ they had difficulty sleeping all night.

    It yed on their minds all throughout Monday morning, from the first to the final morning ss of the day. The bell finally rang, signifying the end of thest morning ss.

    It was now time for lunch break.

    Rion and Kotomi took out their lunchboxes and exited their ssroom. They met him in the hallway.

    He smiled at them gently.

    The tall and handsome boy was illuminated by the sunlight streaming in through the window. This scene of him gently smiling hit Rion and Kotomi in their hearts.

    He was just too charismatic.

    The twins'' heartbeat began to increase in pace.

    "Let''s go," Seiji said, before he began walking through the hallway.

    Many students witnessed the sight of the "Magic-Devouring Dragon" walking together with the "Twin Witches."

    All the students who knew the rumors about them were shocked by this sight! A few students furtively took pictures of them together with their cell phones and immediately began uploading them to their social media ounts.

    "Why are they together!?"

    "Could it be the continuation of the original incident?"

    "It couldn''t be¡­"

    "There seems to be a good atmosphere surrounding them¡­"

    "Could it be that due to the previous incident, special feelings were born between them!?"

    "After a fierce battle, they actually hooked up with each other? This is basically just like a scene out of a television show!"

    The bystander students'' desire to gossip was strong today as well.

    Seiji didn''t mind their gossiping, nor did Rion and Kotomi.

    They headed for the middle school section where they met up with Hoshi.

    From a distance away, Hoshi saw the sight of his senpai walking together with his sisters, which caused his eyes to glisten.

    ''No, I don''t want to cry; that would be too unsightly.''

    Hoshi did his best to control himself and revealed a brilliant smile as he greeted them.

    After meeting up, the four of them found a quiet ce in the school to sit down and eat together.

    Seiji naturally started a topic of conversation and began chatting with the Amami siblings.

    The atmosphere between them quickly became friendly with all awkwardness disappearing.

    "Senpai, how''s your novel going?" Hoshi asked. He already knew about the publication of Be Handsome and that Seiji was writing a new story called Brother Monogatari .

    "It''s alreadypleted, and I''ve sent it to my editor already. I think she''ll probably respond today," Seiji told him. "If there are no surprises, it should be able to get published by itself."

    "Getting published by itself rather than in a magazine¡­ amazing!" Hoshi eximed with a sparkle in his eyes. "Senpai is incredible!"

    Seiji felt rather awkward upon hearing his junior praise him so directly and look at him in adtion.

    "I still need to hear from my editor on the final decision whether to publish it or not, and some final edits will probably be necessary. And even if it''s published, I still need to observe how well my story sells¡­ the market can be cruel, after all."

    "I believe in Senpai. Senpai''s story will be the best! After it''s published, I''ll definitely purchase a copy to support you!"

    "Thank you."

    Seiji noticed that Rion and Kotomi had curious expressions, so he exined the situation to them.

    After hearing this, the twins also hinted that they would buy a copy of Brother Monogatari after its publication to check it out.

    "Senpai, what are you going to write next?" Hoshi asked. "Volume 2 of Brother Monogatari , or something else?"

    "I''m going to write a game scenario next¡­ I''m going to cooperate with some others in creating a dating sim game."

    "Dating sim game!?"

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji looked towards Hoshi. "The game''s storyline is mostly set already; a ''trap'' is the main character¡­"

    "Oh? Senpai means that¡­ I can be the model for the main character!?" Hoshi instantly became overjoyed.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "No, that''s not what I meant¡­ but if you want to be, you really could be¡­" Seiji replied, feeling and sounding somewhat conflicted.

    The pretty boy clenched his fist tightly. "Please allow me to do so! I''d like to help out Senpai as much as I can!"

    "Er, thank you for your willingness, but deciding whether we need a model or not is up to our artist, not me. I¡­ feel that you''d be a good model, but I don''t know our artist''s opinion."

    "Then please allow me to meet that artist!"

    "That person doesn''t enjoy meeting others¡­ I''ll let that person know about this, and then give you a response, alright?"

    Hoshi agreed with an expectant look on his face.

    Rion and Kotomi inquired about the game this time, and Seiji obliged them with an exnation of the game.

    "¡­Right now it''s just the beginning. There''s only me, the artist, and the programmer, and we still need to find a musicposer in order to finish our basic team."

    Musicposer¡­ Rion and Kotomi exchanged nces, their eyes shing with a strange light.

    "What''s the specific job of the musicposer?" they asked.

    "Setting appropriate music for each of the game''s settings and certain scenes, just like arranging music for a movie," Seiji answered. "All the music needs to be original creations or something that theposer holds the copyright to."

    Rion and Kotomi both began smiling upon hearing this.

    "Perhaps we could take the part of the musicposer," they told him in unison.

 Chapter 279 - This Must Be the So-Called People Shouldnt Be Judged by Appearances

    <h4>Chapter 279: This Must Be the So-Called ''People Shouldn''t Be Judged by Appearances''</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Not only were Rion and Kotomi Amami the ace members of the karate club, they were also ace members of the choir club.

    Ever since they were young, they hadposed their own music. Their own songs had even ranked top 10 in some review site rankings multiple times, and they had some fame in the music circle. They were already at the level where if they wanted to go professional, they could easily find a music productionpany willing to sign a contract with them.

    After hearing that from them, and with Hoshi adding his own opinion, Seiji now had a much better understanding of just how excellent these sisters were.

    "Why didn''t you two sign a contract and go professional, then?"

    "Because we don''t think it''s time to do so yet."

    Rion and Kotomi exined that if they signed a contract and went professional, they would be dealing with the real market, which would be a lot crueler than just putting their songs on the inte for free.

    At their current level, they didn''t feel like that going professional would be beneficial for them. Basically, they still didn''t think their current abilities were good enough to go professional yet.

    Singing andposing songs was just their hobby, but they weren''t yet certain whether they wanted to be singers or musicposers in the future, which was why they didn''t take any of this seriously.

    Seiji understood. There was arge difference between those that did things as an interest and those looking to go professional, after all.

    Although they would perform well in the beginning, those that went professional due to their interests wouldmonly receive heavy impacts down the road.

    The twin sisters were very clear about this. They were self-aware enough to not turn professional solely based on the fact that their own created songs had good reviews on the inte. This was a wise decision by them.

    "I understand your basic situation now. Even though you don''t have any experience, I believe that the two of you will be able to handle the position of musicposer for us," Seiji told them. "But why is it that you want to join in? You two shouldn''t have¡­ any understanding of dating sims, do you?"

    Rion and Kotomi both looked towards him.

    "That''s because any game that you create would surely be interesting."

    "We want to create a game together with you. It''ll definitely be fun."

    "Honestly speaking, I''m just one member of a team, and I can''t promise that this will be a very interesting topic for you guys, nor can I process that the process will be fun," Seiji told them honestly. "The only thing I can promise is that we''ll all give it our best, and do what we can to create it and finish it¡ªthat''s all.

    "If you two join in, you have to do this as well and work like professionals to cooperate with us in making the best game that we can.

    "Before we finish this game, there will be no sry for you whatsoever. And even after the game''s publication, there may be no guarantee of much ie from sales.

    "Making this game is purely due to our personal interests, but even so, there are still strict requirements. I hope that you two will consider it carefully."

    After the twins heard this, they blinked and exchanged nces.

    "Rion, what do you think?"

    "Kotomi, I think there are no problems."

    The twin beauties looked back towards Seiji again.

    "We definitely wish to join!" they said loudly.

    Seiji raised his brows at this. "Alright, thanks for being willing to join in. I''ll discuss things tonight with the other members, then give you a reply."

    "Okay." Rion and Kotomi were both smiling.

    Hoshi, who was watching this, was incredibly happy.

    Within him, the desire to be the character model for this game''s main character grew stronger!

    No, it was okay if he wasn''t the main character; any character was fine¡ªin fact, anything at all was fine! He also wished to be of assistance and join this team somehow.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, as Seiji was eating lunch together with the three Amami siblings, Chiaki was also eating lunch together with a purple-haired beauty elsewhere at school.

    Yukari Asamiya.

    Yukari was rather astonished to receive an invitation from Chiaki Wakaba to eat lunch together.

    Since she was rather curious, and had no reason to refuse, she agreed. That was why they were currently eating lunch together.

    "Seigo told me something rather interesting." After some fairly normal conversation, Chiaki''s mouth arced upwards in a small grin. "Asamiya-san, you''re an ero artist¡­ this is rather shocking."

    Yukari heart lurched. She stopped eating and her eyes bulged in shock.

    "I never expected that someone with an elegant nickname like ''Princess'' would have such a job! I was really surprised when I heard it from Seigo." Chiaki looked searchingly at Yukari''s face. "This must be the so-called ''people shouldn''t be judged on appearances.''"

    ''Seigo revealed my secret!?'' Yukari was inwardly astonished. ''No, he wouldn''t!'' She instantly denied this idea.

    She didn''t believe that Seigo Harano would do such a thing. But how did Wakaba-san know about this?

    Yukari was unable toe up with an answer.

    She was about to ask regarding this matter when she had a sudden realization! Yukari hurriedly swallowed down the words she was about to say.

    "Wakaba-san, what are you talking about? I don''t understand." Yukari slowly began to smile. "What exactly is an ero artist? I don''t know what that is; could you give me an exnation?"

    Chiaki''s expression froze over at this. "Stop acting, Asamiya-san¡­"

    "I''m not acting; I truly don''t understand what you''re talking about." Yukari kept smiling, although there was now a fierce glint in her eyes. "Was this really something that Seigo told you about? It seems that I need to make a phone call to him and personally inquire about this." She took out her cell phone as she said this and her finger hovered over the ''call'' icon.

    Chiaki''s expression changed entirely at this. "Alright, you win," the tomboy said, sighing. "There''s no need to make any calls."

    The purple-haired girl stopped and put away her phone.

    "How did you see through me?" Chiaki asked.

    "I didn''t see through anything; I just don''t understand what''s going on," Yukari told her calmly.

    The two of them kept silent for a while and only looked at each other.

    "Seigo didn''t tell me anything. He only mentioned that he was making a game together with some others, but didn''t mention you," Chiaki exined. "I just did a little deduction, and used my deduction on you. Judging by your expression just now, was I on the mark?"

    Yukari didn''t reply.

    "You couldn''t know how I knew, and the only possibility you coulde up with was that Seigo revealed your secret, but you still chose to believe in him. You''re¡­ incredible," Chiaki praised. "This beautiful nickname of ''Princess'' that you have is truly appropriate for you. I''m honestly impressed. I apologize for lying to you and deceiving you. I''ll tell Seigo myself about this matter, and I''ll also tell him that you really believe in him."

    Yukari remained silent and continued looking at Chiaki.

    "If it were possible, I''d be your friend, not your opponent; how regrettable¡­" Chiaki stood up. "Have a good lunch, Asamiya-san."

    Chiaki left after saying that.

    Yukari watched the tomboy leave. When her figure disappeared from view she finally released her calm facade and copsed on the stone table, drained of energy.

    "You actually figured all that out with only deduction¡­ you''re the amazing one, Wakaba-san."

    ''Seigo Harano only told Chiaki Wakaba about making a game, and just with that, she guessed that I, Yukari Asamiya, am an ero artist! This¡­ is just basically like a famous detective! So scary.'' That was Yukari''s honest opinion.

    She had managed to make it through only by acting calm. She was almost fooled by Chiaki''s words into suspecting Seigo.

    If it wasn''t for her own resolve in believing Seigo Harano''s moral character, then she would have admitted to being an ero artist, she would have received an impact, she might have gotten angry at Chiaki or even Seigo¡­ and various bad things would have happened!

    ''You''re an amazing one, Chiaki Wakaba," the purple-haired girl muttered to herself. "If it were possible, I''d be friends with you as well, not your opponent¡­"

 Chapter 280 - Hes the Idol Type and Youre the Actress Type!?

    <h4>Chapter 280: He''s the Idol Type and You''re the Actress Type!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Later that afternoon, in the ssroom.

    Seiji was astonished to learn that Chiaki had actually guessed Yukari''s identity. He was even more astonished when he discovered that Chiaki had even used her guess to test Yukari.

    The tomboy sighed. "She really believes in you and was barely shaken at all; she''s amazing."

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "I already apologized to her. I''ll reflect on myself and not do such an action again."

    Seiji looked at Chiaki''s face mutely.

    Mika was quite nervous as she watched this. She had been opposed to Chiaki doing this, but not resolutely¡­ because she also wanted to give Yukari Asamiya an impact.

    She knew that this was wrong, but that was just how she felt, and it was difficult for Mika to control herself.

    Seeing the awkward atmosphere between Seiji and Chiaki right now, Mika thought hard about what to do.

    Finally she plucked up her courage and said: "I¡­ I''m an aplice!"

    Seiji and Chiaki both turned to her.

    "When Chiaki said that she was going to do this, I¡­ I agreed, so I''m an aplice." Mika was too nervous, so she averted her gaze. "That''s why¡­ Seigo, don''t only me Chiaki. I also¡­"

    Seiji and Chiaki were both rendered speechless.

    Seiji sighed. ''Just what is all this?''

    Chiaki smiled faintly.

    "You can still smile?" Seiji looked at her.

    Chiaki instantly changed her expression to a poker face.

    "Deceiving others is a bad thing¡­ but since you already apologized and said that you would reflect on your actions, I''ll choose to believe you," Seiji said, sighing again. "Yukari''s a nice girl, and I hope that you guys can all get along. I don''t know what else to say. As for her secret, I hope that you can keep it for her, since it''s her own private matter."

    "I know," Chiaki promptly agreed.

    Seiji then turned to Mika. "Chiaki already admitted to being in the wrong, and I didn''t intend to continue ming her, so what''s with you jumping out and saying that you''re an aplice?"

    "Er¡­" Mika realized that she had acted foolishly.

    "If you feel that you''re in the wrong as well, then go apologize to Yukari. She was the one who was almost deceived, not me. And as for her secret¡­"

    "I''ll keep her secret as well."

    "That''s good, then."

    Another moment of silence fell between them.

    Seiji faced his two good friends¡­ the two beauties by his side and recalled Shika making a certain request.

    They were different from Shika, and definitely iparable, but¡­

    "Ah, let me tell you guys about something; I made a promise to Shika-chan," he said in a calm tone. "I promised her that I wouldn''t be in a hurry to get a girlfriend so that I could stay with her for a while longer."

    Chiaki and Mika both widened their eyes upon hearing this.

    "I don''t know what will happen in the future. But for the time being, I''d like to¡­ maintain the status quo, at least until Shika-chan can get used to her new life." Seiji fixed his gaze on the two girls. "Do you understand what I mean?"

    Chiaki and Mika mulled it over.

    Momentster, Chiaki smiled. "Got it."

    Mika also nodded.

    ''It''s good that they understand.'' Seiji smiled as well.

    "By the way, how was it on your end?" Chiaki changed the topic. "What did it feel like to have lunch together with those twins and your junior?"

    "Pretty nice." Seiji told them the basic situation.

    "They actually want to be your game''s musicposers!?" Chiaki and Mika were astonished.

    "I was rather surprised as well¡­ I didn''t expect that they would be so interested in creating a game." Seiji averted his gaze as he spoke.

    Earlier this morning, he didn''t tell them about Shouzou Amami requesting that he date the twins, not to mention how the twins even epted the idea. He only mentioned that he''d ended up bing friends with the twin sisters, thanks to Shouzou''s encouragement.

    Chiaki and Mika were rather surprised to hear this, but immediately afterwards they seemed to understand. They believed it was natural for an elder who was worried about his grandchildren to do such a thing.

    And so, they believed that Seiji having lunch with the Amami siblings was just a normal lunch. They never expected such a result.

    "I think they''re not actually interested in creating a game; they just want to improve their rtionship with you! This is due to their grandfather''s request and also because their brother is watching them." This was Chiaki''s analysis after she recovered from her astonishment.

    "Actually, I feel that as well," Seiji confessed. "That''s why I told them how difficult it was to create a game, but they remained firm and insisted."

    "Did you ept their offer to join?"

    "Not yet; I need to discuss it with the other members first."

    "What about your personal opinion?"

    "If the others don''t object, then I''d ept them."

    "Even if they weren''t really joining to create a game?"

    Seiji shrugged. "At the very least, they showed interest¡­ and they indeed have the talent and insisted on joining, not to mention I can''t just refuse someone when we stillck personnel."

    Chiaki rubbed her chin in contemtion. A few secondster, a strange light shed through her eyes.

    "Then, can I apply to join you using the same logic?"

    "What?"

    "Not because of the game, but rather to improve our rtionship with you. Basically, we want to join this game team to be together with you!" Chiaki shed a brilliant smile. "If you can ept those twins, then you should be able to ept me using that same logic!"

    "Er¡­" Seiji was rather dazed by this attack.

    ''Even so, her request¡­ seems rather reasonable¡­ No, no, don''t get caught up in her logic! Before talking about reasons why she can or can''t join, the first thing is¡ª''

    "What can you do if you join?" Seiji asked.

    "I can be a character model!" Chiaki made an elegant pose. "As the ace member of the drama club, I can y the part of any character, so I''d definitely make an excellent model."

    ''The same job as Hoshi! He''s an idol type and you''re an actress type!? You actually thought of the exact same method! Should I say that it''s to be expected of two drama club members?''

    Not to mention, with this, two traps¡­ the slightly more boyish one was nowplete as well!!

    Seiji was stunned to realize that it actually seemed like it might work.

    "How is it? I''m a rare talent, you know, and if I were a card rarity, I''d be at least SR!"

    The tomboy changed to yet another elegant pose; this one looked slightly flirtatious.

    Seiji felt that her current appearance was definitely one that wouldpel yers to spend money in game.

    At the very least, Seiji was slightly moved by her current appearance.

    "Being a character model is a nice suggestion, but¡­"

    "That''s right! For dating sims, don''t you still need¡­ voice actresses for the characters!?" Chiaki suddenly had that thought as well. "I can even be a voice actress for any character!"

    Voice actress!

    Seiji had a sudden realization.

    How did he forget about this important role?

    He was only considered how to find the basic members and forgot about this important position¡­ more urately, "these" important positions!

    In order to give life to the game characters, there would be at least several voice actors and actresses needed, not just one or two.

    And not just anyone could be a voice actress, since acting out the part of a character by voice really was quite difficult. Yet Chiaki¡­ was perfect for it!

    Seiji had personally witnessed her wondrous acting talent.

    With her acting skills, she could even be the voice actress for a professionally made dating sim!

    This was truly an appropriate suggestion.

    "You''re correct." Seiji honestly agreed with her aftering to this realization. "Indeed, you could be a voice actress. Chiaki, with the level that you showed us on stage, you could even be the main character''s voice actress!"

 Chapter 281 - Perform Fireworks Ceremonies for the Crowning of the New King!

    <h4>Chapter 281: Perform Fireworks Ceremonies for the Crowning of the New King!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "So can I join in?"

    "Yes, I think it''s okay, but I still need to discuss it with the others first¡­ by the way, are you really sure about joining? You''re going to have to work properly if you join in."

    "It''s not a problem. I promise to work hard!" Chiaki pped her chest.

    "Alright, I''ve received your application, so please await your notification." Seiji smiled.

    "I¡­ I want to join in as well!" Mika spoke up.

    Both of them looked towards the double pigtailed girl.

    "Although I don''t know what I can do¡­ I want to join in as well," Mika said weakly.

    Chiaki chuckled. "Then be a voice actress just like me! It''s quite easy."

    ''No, it wouldn''t be easy at all¡­'' Seiji thought.

    "Of course it would be easy for someone like you who''s skilled at acting, but for Mika¡­"

    "I''ll work my hardest!"

    "This isn''t something that should be treated like that. There''s no need to work so hard since it was just a project born out of interest to begin with¡­"

    Seiji really wanted to say that she didn''t need to mind this so much, but when he saw Mika''s expression¡­ he was unable to say it.

    "Allow me to discuss this tonight with the other members," he said, relenting.

    Right then, the bell for ss started ringing.

    After their lessons were over, Seiji had Chiaki, Mika, and Kaho go to the library first, while he went to go find Yukari.

    "Chiaki told me about what she did to you." He lowered his head slightly to the purple-haired girl. "For this, I apologize to you on her behalf once again, and I also apologize for not being able to protect your secret¡­ I''m sorry."

    Yukari remained silent.

    "Chiaki promised to protect your secret, and Mika, who learned it as well, also agreed. I won''t dare to ask for you to forgive Chiaki immediately, but¡­ I hope that you won''t bear too much of a grudge against her," Seiji told her sincerely.

    "¡­What if I don''t forgive her and really hate her now?" Yukari asked softly.

    "Er¡­ if that''s the case¡­" Seiji had an awkward expression.

    Yukari smiled slightly upon seeing his expression. "I was just saying what if. To be honest, although I can''t forgive Wakaba-san immediately, I don''t bear a grudge against her, so there''s no need to worry, Seigo." After saying this, she turned round to leave. "I need to go back now. See youter."

    The purple-haired girl left just like that.

    Seiji silently watched her leave before he headed to the library.

    "What did Asamiya-san say?" Chiaki asked in the library.

    Seiji told her what Yukari had said.

    "I see," the tomboy muttered to herself.

    After that, Chiaki didn''t say anything else.

    ¡­

    After dinner, Seiji began practicing [Mana Bullet].

    This was the most basic offensive spell of all. It just involved gathering Mana into a certain shape before activating and firing it with a runic spell.

    However, basic didn''t mean simple. The more Mana that was gathered, the moreplex the structure of the Mana Bullet would be, and this also increased the difficulty level and power of the spell.

    And the upper limit for the Mana one could gather for this spell¡­ was limitless!

    That''s right¡ªording to his system, it was limitless.

    This meant that there was no limit on the strength of this spell. As long as one had sufficient Mana and the ability to gather it into a usable shape, it was theoretically possible to destroy the earth in one shot!

    It was akin to Kamehameha .

    Although it sounded overpowered by having no upper limit, it actually wasn''t very useful. After all, it was impossible to have that much Mana.

    Even if someone did have that much Mana, it was difficult to gather such a huge quantity and give it form. Besides, if someone really did have that much Mana, that person could just cast some other world-ss spell instead, so why would he or she have to bother with this one?

    Seiji coughed and shook off his idle thoughts. ''I should stop getting sidetracked.''

    It would be rather dangerous to practice most attack magic spells at home, but there would be no consequences if he failed to cast the [Mana Bullet] spell, so it didn''t matter.

    But just in case, Seiji still asked Shika to cast a barrier spell for him, and he practiced within the barrier.

    Shaping his Mana into a form he could use to attack with¡­ he felt it was like a mix between crafting with y and ying with a Rubik''s cube.

    After some crafting and ying, he aplished it!

    Seiji confirmed that the shape was suitable, and activated the [Mana Bullet] spell.

    *Whoosh¡­ Smack!*

    The bun¡­ whoops, the [Mana Bullet] flew out, hit the barrier, and exploded.

    The power was rather weak. Seiji estimated that it could only knock over an empty can, but it was still a sess!

    Pleased with his progress, Seiji checked the progress bar in his system.

    ''Hmm, it''s filling up pretty quickly.''

    He continued practicing for a while. Then, it was time for him to stop and go on the inte at this pre-arranged time, so he asked Shika to cancel the barrier.

    Seiji turned on hisputer, logged on to his chatting application, and sent messages to Yukari and Hisashi.

    "The first knight has answered your summons! My king, what orders do you have?" Hisashi responded with a respectful image of someone giving a bow.

    "The second knight has answered your summons. My king, what orders do you have?" Yukari also answered in almost the exact same way, adding an elegant expression at the end.

    "My knights, your king wishes for¡­ Hey! What are you two doing!?" Seiji was almost dragged into their pace.

    "This is the setting for our team," Hishashi typed. "I believe that ''Knights of the Round Table'' would make an excellent name for our game-developing team, and Idle Fish is the leader and also the ''king.'' All the other members are ''knights!'' The numbering order shall be determined by the order in which they joined the team."

    "I think it''s pretty good, and I like the name of ''Knights of the Round Table.'' I also have no objections to Idle Fish being our king," Yukari typed.

    "I have a few objections! It''s fine to be a knight squad, but why am I the ''king?'' Sweet Pig was the one who began work on this game, so if anyone should be king, it should be him," Seiji pointed out.

    "I can''t; I''m not qualified to be king. I couldn''t pull out the sword in the stone."

    "I haven''t pulled out such a thing either! Besides, that doesn''t even exist!!"

    "No, you have such a quality. I''ve witnessed the holy light within you¡ªthat''s a light only a king would possess!" Hisashi followed up with a divine emoticon.

    "I agree." Yukari followed up with a polite-smile emoji.

    "What the hell''s with ''the light of a king!?'' I''m not a walking human light bulb! Even King Arthur wasn''t glowing, was he!?" Seiji retorted forcefully.

    What glowed was King Arthur''s sword, not King Arthur himself¡­ or herself, in some genderbent versions.

    "This is the evidence that you possess the quality to surpass the legendary kings of yore!"

    "That''s right."

    "What the hell kind of evidence is that! That''s enough!! Ice and Fire, you as well; stop egging him on and joining him!"

    In the end, they yed around for quite a while.

    "I''m already tired ofmenting¡­ Let''s get serious here¡ªI don''t feel like I''m suitable for being the team leader. Isn''t it better if you take the position, Sweet Pig?"

    "I really can''t. I''m not cut out to be a leader. Let''s pretend that I was the leader, and I gave an order for Ice and Fire to do something. How would you feel about that, Ice and Fire?"

    "This pervert actually dares to give me an order!?"

    "Although I expected it, I''m still astonished! Ice and Fire Sensei actually views this humble one as a pervert!?"

    "Aren''t you?"

    "Er¡­ although I am¡­ I''ve always been very polite to you, Sensei! I don''t think I''ve overstepped my boundaries."

    "From the very start of our discussion, you wanted me to draw some rather extreme scenes. I could smell the scent of your perversion even from across theputer screen," Yukari told him bluntly while adding an emoticon with a look of utter condescension.

    "Wahhhh!" Hisashi used an emoticon of suffering.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "See, that''s how it is, Milord Idle Fish. You shall be our king, and this humble one will be taking the next ship out to sea to find a quiet haven¡­" This was followed by an emoticon of a wandering traveler.

    "Come back here already! Fine, I got it¡ªI''ll be the team leader." Seiji sent a helpless emoticon.

    "Perform fireworks ceremonies for the crowning of the new king!" Hisashi instantly typed.

    Yukari immediately cooperated with him by sending a long series of celebratory emoticons, which included trumpets, exploding firecrackers, scattered confetti, pping, and even some cannon fire¡­

    ''So this world had such a phrase as well!'' Seiji''s cheeks twitched.

    "Thank you for your trust in me and for choosing me as the leader. I can''t promise anything other than this: I''ll try my best."

    "The first knight hereby swears to follow my king to my death!"

    "Please be a little more serious, Sweet Pig Knight."

    "Being called that suddenly makes me feel like a fool!"

    "Then how about Milk Cream Knight?"

    "That''s even worse! No! I want to change my name!!"

    "I feel like Sweet Pig Knight sounds rather cute¡­ Yes, it''s not bad at all," Yukari typed in an attempt to console Hisashi.

    "Really?" Hisashi asked.

    "Yep, there''s no need to change it."

    "Oh¡­ then I''ll listen to Ice and Fire Sensei."

    "Please call me Knight of Ice and Fire."

    "That''s a really cool name inparison to mine! Now I really feel like I''ve received a huge impact!!"

    Yukari responded with an emoticon that wasughing while covering its mouth.

    "Stop talking about this stuff! As your king, Imand you to stop! It''s time for us to get serious."

    Seiji picked an emoticon that he felt best represented Gendo Ikari''s serious expression.

    "Let us begin the Knights of the Round Table''s first-ever conference!"

 Chapter 282 - I Cant Take It Anymoreâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 282: I Can''t Take It Anymore¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    It was the Knights of the Round Table''s first-ever conference.

    Going along with the flow, Seiji casually suggested a name, but he never expected that this conference wouldter be recorded in the history books as the beginning of this legendary team''s first aplishment!

    Just kidding.

    "First of all, I need to tell you all that I have a friend who wants to be the musicposer for us¡­"

    After the Amami twins determined that they wished to join in, Seiji asked them if they wanted to reveal their real names or not.

    Rion and Kotomi discussed it with each other and decided to stay anonymous for the time being, having only Seiji know their real identities.

    That was why Seiji hid the twin sisters'' true names and identities. He only told Yukari and Hisashi that an experienced singer and songwriter had learned that he was making a game, and, upon learning that theycked a musicposer, volunteered to join the project.

    "This person has excellent songwriting abilities and has been rather sessful with their songs on the relevant websites, but doesn''t wish to be identified, so I won''t go into the specifics. He isn''t very knowledgeable about dating sims, and he''s mainly interested in joining due to being my acquaintance, but he is interested in it and is willing to learn more. He promised to cooperate fully and put in all his effort to contribute to this game."

    "I personally think that we should ept his offer. What do you guys think?"

    "I have no objections to a person that the king has recognized."

    "This humble one has no objections either, so let us wee this new knight to join us!"

    "Hey, hey, you guys are agreeing just like this? I wanted to have a good discussion about it¡­"

    "I feel that there''s nothing to discuss as I believe in my king''s judgment." Yukari sent an elegant-smile emoticon.

    "Our king''s vision can perceive everything, so a person that he has recognized must be excellent!" Hisashi sent a saluting emoticon.

    "¡­I''m happy that you believe in me so much, but I''m also feeling pressured." Seiji sent an emoticon with a wry smile. "Is this really fine?"

    Yukari and Hisashi indicated once again that they had no objections.

    "Then I''ll let him know tomorrow."

    "Why wait until tomorrow? Why not just tell him now and have him join our chat group immediately? I want to meet the third knight right away!" Hisashi sent an expectant emoticon.

    Yukari copied Hisashi''s emoticon.

    "Right now¡­ fine, I''ll call and ask."

    Seiji took out his cell phone and called the twin sisters.

    He exined the situation to them when they picked up.

    Rion and Kotomi responded by saying they would be delighted to join the chat group right away.

    And so, Seiji invited the twins, who had the inte username "Silver Crystal," into the chat group.

    "Good evening, everyone," Rion and Kotomi greeted.

    "Good evening, and wee," Yukari responded.

    "Good evening. Nice to meet you, knight #3!" Hisashi answered.

    "Nice to meet you¡­ knight #3?" the twins asked.

    "This is the theme of our team!" Hisashi gave a brief exnation.

    "That''s a fun setting. In that case, I''ll be the Silver Knight #3," Rion and Kotomi said after hearing the exnation. They added a brilliantly smiling emoticon to the end.

    "Crystal Knight #3 sounds pretty good as well," Yukari suggested.

    "Both sound great! Damn it, this humble one definitely needs to change his name!" Hisashi seemed to have worked himself up into a fervor. "Both Sweet Pig and Milk Cream Knight sound so uncool!"

    "Stop worrying about the name," Seiji said coolly. "If we''re going by these terms, then I''m the Idle Fish King, but I don''t mind at all."

    "Idle Fish King¡­" Yukari sent an emoticon with a can''t-help-butugh expression.

    Rion and Kotomi sent the same emoticon.

    Seiji sent a calm-face emoticon in response.

    Hisashi sent two emoticons: one with its head bowed in shame, and another in admiration.

    "Silver Crystal, wee to our group," Seiji typed. "Let me introduce you to everyone. Romance of Ice and Fire is our artist, and Milk Cream Sweet Sweet Pig is our programmer. I won''t bother talking about their true names and identities, but regardless, they''re both people with excellent abilities, and I hope that you can get along well with them."

    "I will. I''m delighted to be working together with you guys! Please take good care of me in the future!"

    "Please take good care of us as well," Yukari and Hisashi responded in tandem.

    "Let''s discuss another topic¡­ Ice and Fire, do you feel that there''s a need to have a model for the main character?" Seiji inquired.

    "Model for the main character?"

    "I have a friend; his physical appearance is¡ªfine, I''ll just directly say that he''s quite cute even though he''s a boy! His physical appearance is simr to the trap main character that we intend to create, and he''s willing to be our character model. Do you feel that it''s necessary to have him join?"

    Seiji then noticed a private message pop up for him from Yukari.

    "Eh¡­ could he be¡­ possibly¡­ Could he be Hoshi Amami!?"

    "You know him?"

    "I do. He''s the junior that you helped before in the past, Seigo! I''ve even seen him before, and he indeed looks incredibly like a girl. In fact, he''s even cuter than most girls!" Yukari sent a heart emoticon.

    "Yep, that''s him. When he learned that I was making a game with a trap as the main character, he volunteered to be the main character''s model of his own volition¡­ I think he''s definitely suitable for the task, but whether it''s necessary or not will be up to you as the artist to decide."

    "It''s necessary! Of course it''s necessary!! With him as the main character''s model, I''ll definitely be able to draw something wonderful!!" Yukari sent a spirited emoticon.

    "Oh¡­ let''s have him join us, then."

    Seiji felt the strong passion Yukari had as an artist even through theputer screen.

    "I''m really looking forward to meeting him, ha¡­ Just imagining what clothes to have him wear and what pose to make him do¡­ I¡­ can''t take it anymore¡­"

    ''Can''t take what anymore!?'' Seiji was instantly stunned.

    "No¡­ I can''t stop myself! I keep having so much inspiration! I have to start drawing right away!!"

    And then, Yukari''s username suddenly switched to the "Away" status.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    In the chat group, Sweet Pig and Silver Crystal, who were still discussing the topic of the "cute boy," also noticed that Ice and Fire had gone away from the keyboard.

    "What happened? My king, why did Knight of Ice and Fire suddenly leave!?"

    "He suddenly had something important to do¡­"

    "Did something bad happen?"

    "No¡­ He just said that he had a sh of inspiration and had to immediately start drawing."

    "I see, as expected of the second knight! He''s so strong that he can''t control his own power," Hisashi praised.

    "I can understand as well," Rion and Kotomi agreed. "That''s just how it is when you have a sudden sh of inspiration."

    ''She left because her imagination became overactive when she pictured Hoshi in female clothing¡­'' Seiji felt that it was best to not tell the twins about this.

    "I apologize on his behalf. It seems that he won''t be back anytime soon."

    "No problem. This humble one is actually quite delighted to have such a strongpanion."

    "I agree as well. I believe that anyone who''s so passionate about their work is worthy of our trust."

    "That''s good, then."

    "By the way, did Knight of Ice and Fire feel the need to have that cute boy be the character model?" Hisashi asked.

    "He said yes," Seiji replied.

    "Then that means we''re about to wee our fourth knight! A cute boy who''s more beautiful than any girl!! Please introduce him to me in real life!!!" Hisashi sent a series of excited and expectant emoticons.

    Seiji silently sent a private message to Rion and Kotomi''s mutual inte ount.

    "Is this really okay with you two? Introducing Hoshi to this person."

    "Definitely not! This guy''s a true pervert, and Hoshi will be in danger!!" The twin sisters sent an emoticon of resolute refusal.

    Why did they have such an impression of Hisashi Juumonji in such a short time? Although Hisashi was indeed somewhat perverted, it wasn''t that bad, was it?

    "How did you two realize that he was such a pervert?" Seiji asked, astonished.

    "His pervert stench is thick enough to smell even from across aputer screen!"

    They actually said something so simr to Yukari!?

    What type of ability was this supposed to be? Did all girls have such a sixth sense!?

    It really seemed somewhat mystical to Seiji.

    Seiji silently mourned the first knight''s fate for two seconds, before rejecting his request in the group chat.

 Chapter 283 - Salted Fish Is a Food with Deep Meaning

    <h4>Chapter 283: Salted Fish Is a Food with Deep Meaning</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "How regrettable¡­ but this humble one won''t give up. After the fourth knight joins us, I''ll work my hardest to obtain his trust and meet him in person!" Hisashi sent an emoticon of hard work and effort.

    ''No, you''ve already struck out, because his older sisters are watching this,'' Seiji thought to himself. ''Have Rion and Kotomi guessed that this Milk Cream Sweet Sweet Pig was that hacker who messed with them before?'' He suddenly wanted to know this.

    It was the same for the reverse. ''Would Hisashi guess that Silver Crystal is actually the username of those twin sisters?''

    Seiji thought about how subtle all this really was.

    But that incident was long over already. He figured that even if they discovered each other''s identities, nothing significant would happen.

    He considered whether or not he should tell them about the truth of each other''s identities. He decided to bring it upter if it was necessary; for now, he would focus on the task at hand.

    "My third topic of discussion is about voice actresses," Seiji said.

    "Voice actresses¡­ my king means to give voiced lines to the main characters!?" Hisashi asked.

    "Yes, I have another friend who''s a skilled actress. She volunteered to be a voice actress for this game."

    "Another one! As expected of my king; you have so many talented people around you!" Hisashi eximed.

    "Don''t praise me like that¡­ I''m just fortunate to know such skilled friends." Seiji also felt somewhat ovee with emotion. "I believe that she''s definitely skilled enough to be a voice actress, but I''m not certain whether or not our game needs voice acting, which is why I wanted to discuss it."

    Professionally made dating sim games would typically have voice acting, but Seiji''s group was just a non-professional group working out of their personal interests.

    If they intended hire voice actors for the characters, it would obviously increase the difficulty severalfold. One voice actress wouldn''t be enough, and they would need at least several.

    It wasn''tpletely impossible for just one voice actress to be used for the entire dating sim game, but that meant it would have to revolve around only one female main character, and Seiji didn''t intend to write such a story.

    "If we do decide to add voice acting," Seiji typed, "then after we let her join, we still need to find other voice actresses, which will be rather troublesome."

    "Indeed," Hisashi agreed, "it''s not easy to find talented voice actresses, but we still have plenty of time, and we can take it easy. If we can''t find enough people, then we can even contact professionalpanies and try hiring professional voice actresses!"

    "But that will greatly increase our cost of production, and it''ll also go against our original intentions in creating this game."

    "Yes, so that''s why it''ll only be ast resort," Hisashi typed. "I wish to give our characters voice acting, because I feel that only with voice acting will our game feel alive! That''s why I sincerely request my king to add voice acting to our game! This humble one will do his best to find those that can help us, and if we can''t find enough voice actresses in the end, I''m willing to single-handedly pay the costs of hiring professional actors!"

    There was a short pause before Seiji responded: "I also feel that a top-quality game should give voice to its characters! Sweet Pig Knight, I agree with your idea!"

    "Ohh, my king!" Hisashi sent a passionately weeping emoticon.

    "Then let''s add voice acting to our game! After letting my friend join in, everyone should also look for other voice actresses. If we can''t find enough in the end, I shall also help Sweet Pig Knight to pay the costs of hiring professionals."

    "My king is truly wonderful! But it''s not necessary for you to do so; I can handle it by myself. The small contract fee for hiring a few voice actresses is nothing at all for the first knight!" Hisashi sent an emoticon of grandness.

    "I know," Seiji typed, "but this is a matter of responsibility. Since I made this decision as the group leader, I should bear the burden as well."

    "My king¡­"

    "Alright, stop going on about it¡ªthat''s just how it''s going to be," Seiji said bluntly, ending that line of discussion. "Now to the fourth discussion topic: I have yet another friend who can''t help with anything as of yet, but still wants to join this group. Forcefully letting her join is of course out of the question, but I believe we can let her be a backup candidate. She may be able to help us as a voice actress or in some other way. Consider this as granting a personal favor for me¡ªI know it''s a bit unreasonable. If anyone objects, I shall give up on it¡­ what are your opinions?"

    "I believe that it''s not as unreasonable as you think. We currentlyck voice actresses, so it would be appropriate to make anyone that could potentially be a voice actress into a backup candidate. I agree with this idea and suggest giving our backup candidate the title of ''apprentice knight!''"

    "I think it''s fine as well; no objections here." Rion and Kotomi also agreed.

    "Thank you," Seiji said, before sending a grateful emoticon. "I still need to ask for Ice and Fire''s opinion, but he''s not here right now, so let''s tackle this issueter. At the very least, I have no more topics to discuss¡­ do any of you have anything to discuss or add on?"

    Hisashi and the twin sisters both indicated that they didn''t have anything else to mention.

    "Then let us end the Knights of the Round Table''s first conference here!" Seiji dered.

    Hisashi sent a bowing emoticon.

    Rion and Kotomi also sent bowing emoticons.

    "Now then, we can just chat about anything, or if any of you have something to do, feel free to leave now."

    "This humble one would like to meet the fourth and fifth knights!" Hisashi said. "King, please summon them here! Oh, and also that apprentice knight!"

    "Same here¡ªI''d also like to meet everyone."

    And so, Seiji performed a grand summoning¡­ whoops, contacted everyone.

    And so, "Disciple of the Light" (Hoshi), "Phantom of the Drama" (Chiaki), and "Cyan Bird of the Blue Sky" (Mika) all joined the chat group.

    After exchanging mutual greetings, they all began chatting.

    "This is a nice setting. Knights of the Round Table, I am the fifth knight, ''Phantom,'' hereby joining in! I like this type of dramatic ir; it''s quite fun." Chiaki sent a delighted emoticon.

    "Wahh¡­ all of you have such cool names; this humble one wants a cool name as well! I should change my name after all! My king, let''s change our names together!!" Hisashi sent an emoticon of painful struggle.

    "No need; I shall just enjoy being the Idle Fish King." Seiji remained calm.

    "You should be the Indomitable King instead¡ªthat would be a really fierce name," Hoshi typed.

    "I think so as well," Mika agreed. "Actually, on second thought, the Salted Fish King 1 sounds rather cute."

    "By the way, why did our king choose such a name? Do you love eating salted fish crackers that much?" Rion and Kotomi asked.

    "No, this has a much deeper meaning." Seiji used an emoticon depicting vast experience. "In the ancient civilization on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, salted fish is a food that has incredible meaning, with deep connections to hopes and dreams."

    "Oh¡­ I see." The twin sisters came to a "realization."

    "It means hopes and dreams? How wonderful," Hoshi eximed.

    "Then¡­ ''the Indomitable Salted Fish'' means to never give up on your hopes and dreams," Mika typed. "This truly sounds¡­ royal."

    "No way! Everyone, you''ve all been fooled! How could a salted fish possibly represent all that?He''s just making it up!" Chiaki used a forceful-retort emoticon.

    "Hmph, why do you say that, Phantom Knight?" Seiji used a pretentious emoticon to look down upon Chiaki''s words.

    "It should seem strange to anyone that even thinks a little about it! Just give up and admit it: you just randomly gave yourself a strange inte username!!"

    Their joyous chatting and fun retorts continued for a long while.

 Chapter 284 - Allow Me to Tell You Some Unfortunate Newsâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 284: Allow Me to Tell You Some Unfortunate News¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After the group finished chatting, Seiji checked his email but didn''t see any new emails from Editor Yoshizawa.

    ''Maybe it''ll arrive tomorrow.''

    At this moment, he received a message from Yukari. It was a drawing.

    When Seiji downloaded and opened the picture, he saw a beautiful girl wearing a pretty one-piece dress. She was trying to hold back her silky brown hair, which was blowing in the breeze. The girl''s light blue eyes were gazing into the distance, and her red lips were arced upwards in an alluring smile. The wind blew her dress upwards, revealing a mesmerizing absolute territory that entuated her seductive charm.

    "How is it? I just finished drawing it! Although it''s not very detailed yet, I think it''s quite good already. If I spend some more time polishing up the details and adding some background scenery, it''ll be a great drawing!" Yukari said in her message.

    "It''s quite good indeed¡­ is this going to be the male main character?"

    "Yep! I used Hoshi Amami as the model in my mind to draw it!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    This definitely looked exactly like a beautiful girl to him¡­ but he supposed that was just what a trap character was supposed to be.

    Seiji tried imagining Hoshi wearing the same clothes as the ''girl'' in the drawing and making the same pose¡­ it seemed quite natural for Hoshi!

    In fact, the more he thought about it, the more natural it seemed; there was no sense of abnormality at all!

    Amazing.

    He looked at the drawing for a long while and kept imagining this scene. After a while, he honestly praised Yukari''s drawing skills: "As expected of a famous artist, Romance of Ice and Fire Sensei."

    "Hehe~" Yukari sent a shy emoticon.

    "After you left just now, we discussed some things regarding¡­" Seiji exined what happened in the conference to her.

    "I absolutely can''t wait to meet that cute junior of mine named Hoshi! I also support adding voice acting to our game, and our first voice actress is¡­ it''s Wakaba-san, isn''t it?"

    "Indeed," Seiji admitted.

    "Then the apprentice knight is Uehara-san?" Yukari asked.

    "Yes¡­ If you feel like it''s inappropriate to have her join in, I can cancel it."

    "Then Uehara-san would me me for it."

    "No," Seiji said, "it''s my decision in the end. This only came about due to my willfulness."

    "It''s okay to be willful once in a while," Yukari said in a casual tone. "I don''t object; this is fine."

    "Thank you."

    "I shall receive your gratitude." Yukari sent him a joyous expression.

    Seiji returned the same emoticon to her.

    "As for Hoshi, if you want to meet him, I can contact him right now. As for your real identity and how to meet up¡­ by the way, is it alright to tell him about you?"

    "If he''s going to be the model, then of course he needs to know who I am," Yukari said. "He''s not a loose-lipped type, is he?"

    "I don''t think so. I believe that Hoshi can keep a secret."

    "That''s good, then."

    And so, Seiji sent Hoshi a message telling him to contact Yukari, while he said good night and headed to sleep.

    ¡­

    The next day, during ss, Seiji was thinking about how to write the game''s storyline.

    After he finished writing Brother Monogatari , he seriously began to consider how he would start writing this game scenario.

    But the more he thought about it, the deeper he fell into a quagmire.

    Suddenly, he had a realization.

    The story was rather interesting, but was it really suitable for a dating sim? After that thought rose up in his mind, it became difficult to suppress.

    If he was writing this storyline for a novel, Seiji felt like he could immediately begin with no problems whatsoever! But writing many routes and many endings for a game seemed quite difficult to him.

    In the beginning, he merely felt that having two traps secretlypete against each other would be quite amusing, but he didn''t contemte the storyline any deeper than that, nor did he think about how to integrate it into the story typically required of a dating sim game.

    After he thought of this, Seiji began reconsidering the storyline anew¡­

    And so, time passed just like this.

    During lunch break, Seiji ate together with Mika and Chiaki, and had fun casually chatting with them.

    Seiji''s cell phone rang at this moment. When he checked, it was from an unfamiliar number.

    "Hello, who might you be?"

    "Hello, are you Mister Idle Dimension by the Shore?" a low, deep voice asked from the other end.

    "I am."

    "Good afternoon. I''m the head editor of Thunderbolt Literature, Souzo Hattori." The male voice paused. "Might I ask what Shore-san is doing at the moment?"

    "I''m currently eating lunch together with my friends."

    When he heard the heavy and serious voice of the man who called himself the head editor, Seiji felt an ominous premonition.

    "Head Editor Hattori¡­ is this about the publication of my novel? Where''s Editor Yoshizawa?"

    Head Editor Hattori fell silent for a moment.

    "Head Editor Hattori?" Seiji''s furrowed his brows.

    He heard a deep sigh on the other end.

    "Shore-san, allow me to tell you some unfortunate news¡­" Souzo Hattori''s voice was filled with sadness. "Ourpany''s excellent editor, Saki Yoshizawa-san¡­ has passed away¡­"

    Seiji''s expression instantly froze over.

    "Passed away?" he muttered.

    "Yes," the head editor said in a low voice, "it was quite unfortunate¡­"

    His tone definitely wasn''t a joking tone. Nobody would use such a topic as a prank!

    Why¡­ How was this possible!?

    ''Editor Yoshizawa¡­''

    "Why did she pass away!?" Seiji recalled the female editor''s appearance and smile, and his volume went up several notches as he asked this question.

    Mika and Chiaki both widened their eyes when they saw Seiji''s reaction and heard the question he asked.

    "Please calm down, Shore-san," Head Editor Hattori said in a heavy voice. "I shall exin."

    "¡­My apologies, I was rude just now."

    "It''s alright¡­ when I learned about this from the police, I was shocked as well¡­ it was just too sudden." Head Editor Hattori sighed. "It happened like this¡­"

    Seiji quietly listened to his exnation.

    After the head editor told Seiji what he knew, he changed the topic to Brother Monogatari . After a long silence, Seiji finally spoke and indicated that he would prefer to talk about this topicter, before hanging up the call.

    "Seiji, what''s the matter?" Both Mika and Chiaki were looking at him with concern.

    Seiji remained silent as he looked for Peach-sensei''s number in his contacts list and dialed it.

    Nobody picked up the call.

    Seiji slowly put down his cell phone.

    He told Mika and Chiaki in a soft voice that he was going to go to the restroom.

    Then, he turned around and left.

    While on his way, Seiji opened up his system and chose to load.

    The world around him darkened, and everything vanished before lighting up again.

    ¡­

    Early in the morning, Saki Yoshizawa woke up due to her cell phone''s rm as usual.

    After she shook off her sleepiness, she softly pushed away her good friend Mayuzumi, who was still clutching on to her while sleeping, as she got out of bed.

    She was just about to go wash up when her cell phone started ringing.

    When she checked it, she saw that it was a call from Seigo Harano.

    ''Why is he calling so early in the morning?'' The editor was somewhat mystified.

    When she picked up, she heard him greet her politely, before he went directly to the main topic.

    "It''s about Brother Monogatari; I have something important I''d like to discuss with Editor Yoshizawa face-to-face. Where might you be currently?" Seigo asked after greeting her.

    "I''m currently at Mayuzumi''s home."

    "At Peach-sensei''s home?" he asked.

    "Yes, I stayed over herest night."

    "Then I''lle over there right away." He hung up with that.

    ''Something important to discuss face-to-face¡­ what could it be?'' Saki was still somewhat confused.

    Well, she didn''t think too much of it, as she figured she would find out when he got here, so she put down her cell phone and left Mayuzumi''s bedroom.

    Meanwhile, Seiji told Shika that he was going out before leaving hurriedly.

    He hailed a taxi and had the driver speed to Peach-sensei''s apartment at top speed.

    He hoped that he would arrive in time.

    Seiji''s expression was incredibly grave as he sat in the taxi.

 Chapter 285 - Just Who Are You? Why Have You Come Here!?

    <h4>Chapter 285: Just Who Are You? Why Have You Come Here!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After washing up, Saki went to the kitchen to cook breakfast.

    As Mayuzumi''s good friend, she had stayed over here countless times in the past, and the same could be said for cooking breakfast. She already knew where everything was.

    A few seconds after she started cooking, she heard footsteps approaching.

    When Saki turned around, she saw the manga author Mayuzumi behind her, still wearing pajamas.

    "Saki¡­" Mayuzumi mumbled, looking weak and teary-eyed.

    When she saw Mayuzumi''s state, Saki stopped cooking and headed towards her friend. Mayuzumi walked to her and hugged her tightly, letting her friend support her.

    Saki gently patted Mayuzumi on the back.

    "It''s alright," she consoled. "It''s just a dream; everything''s fine now that you''re awake."

    Mayuzumi continued to tremble. Mayuzumihugged her good friend tightly and sniffled gently, like a young child who had been frightened but was trying to ovee their fear.

    The two of them simply hugged each other for a while. Only after Mayuzumi had finally stopped shivering did she release Saki.

    Saki also released Mayuzumi. "You should go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready."

    "Okay¡­"

    Mayuzumi nodded and turned around to go to the restroom.

    Saki inwardly sighed as she watched her friend.

    Mayuzumi started having nightmares two weeks ago, on the second night of the school festival.

    At first, she just imed to have some slight insomnia, but then Saki noticed that something was off. It was only when Saki asked her seriously about it did she learn about the severity of the situation.

    Mayuzumi had started having nightmares every night since that day, and the nightmares kept getting worse.

    She went to go see a doctor and had some medicine prescribed, but it was ineffective.

    Why did this begin?

    All Mayuzumi said was that on the first day of the school festival, she coincidentally ran into a male ssmate of hers from college and fainted when she came face-to-face with him.

    Had this incident activated her subconscious fear and cause her nightmares to begin?

    But when she met him, they only exchanged a few sentences, and they never even saw that man again afterwards. Even if there was some fear, it should have dissipated by now.

    However, Mayuzumi''s condition was still worsening.

    Saki was extremely worried.

    All she could do was to apany Mayuzumi as much as she could and hope that the situation would get better.

    ''But if things keep getting worse¡­'' The editor was quite concerned.

    It didn''t take long for her to finish cooking breakfast.

    Saki brought the food to the dining table.

    Mayuzumi had finished washing up and she''d already changed into her casual clothes. She smiled faintly and said good morning to Saki. Since she''d finished washing up and was now more awake, herplexion had noticeably improved.

    Saki returned her greeting. "Harano called me just now, and said that he wasing over to have an important face-to-face discussion with me regarding his novel."

    "Harano-kun¡­ is going toe here?" Mayuzumi blinked in surprise. "What could be so important that it needs to be said face-to-face?"

    "I don''t know." Right as she said this, the doorbell rang.

    ''It''s probably him,'' Saki thought. ''He arrived rather quickly.''

    Before she opened the front door, she looked through the peephole and saw that it was indeed Seigo Harano.

    "Good morning, Editor Yoshizawa." Seiji smiled when he saw Editor Yoshizawa open the door, and greeted her politely.

    "Good morning, Harano. Pleasee in." Saki invited him inside.

    "Sorry for the bother."

    "We''re currently eating breakfast. Would¡ª"

    *Boom!* A sudden muffled sound interrupted her words.

    Mayuzumi, who was sitting at the dining table, reflexively looked at the source of the sound.

    She saw a man wearing a gray cap and a ck jacket on the veranda! His face was obscured by a breathing mask and sunsses.

    Mayuzumi was shocked by this sight.

    This¡­ was supposed to be the twelfth floor!

    ''How did he¡­ how is this¡­''

    *Shatter!*

    While the manga author was still dazed, the ck-jacketed man strode forwards and crashed through the locked window, entering the room!

    Without stopping, he walked towards her and reached out with his hand¡­

    "Mayuzumi!!" Saki shouted loudly. She was simrly astonished by this scene, and after she shook off her shock, she rushed over to Mayuzumi.

    However, there was someone who was faster than her.

    Seiji cast the [Body-Strengthening Spell] on himself, charged at the intruder with amazing speed, and punched!

    *Smack!!*

    The ck-jacketed man''s body was distorted by this punch. He flew back through the window again and came to a jarring stop against the veranda''s guardrail.

    It seemed that he was about to topple over the guardrail, but he managed to catch the edge of the guardrail with his hand and prevent himself from falling.

    Unfortunately for him, Seiji immediately followed up with a kick that sent the ck-jacketed man flying off the veranda!

    And so, the ck-jacketed man fell from such a high height just like this.

    Mayuzumi, who witnessed all of this up close, was so shocked that she couldn''t snap out of her daze.

    It was only until Saki came over and hugged her did she finallye back to her senses.

    "I¡­ am I still dreaming?" Mayuzumi muttered disbelievingly.

    "This isn''t a dream." Seiji returned to the room with a solemn expression on his face. "Who was that man?" he asked them.

    Both the manga author and editor could only look at him with nk expressions.

    Seiji furrowed his brows. "Neither of you guys know?"

    Mayuzumi and Saki slowly exchanged nces.

    "I don''t know him¡­" Mayuzumi confessed.

    "Neither do I¡­" Saki said. "I don''t know any strange people that can suddenly appear like that on a twelfth-story veranda."

    They looked towards Seiji again.

    "You¡­ killed him¡­?" Mayuzumi asked haltingly.

    "No," Seiji said, "he won''t die from such a height; he''s¡­"

    Before he finished, there was another boom .

    Once again, the ck-jacketed man was standing on the veranda.

    Seiji and the twodies were all rendered speechless.

    "Hurry up and escape!" Seiji pointed to the door with a finger. "Get away from here! I''ll deal with this guy¡­"

    *Smack!!*

    He was sent flying by a sudden blow and crashed into the living room sofa, sending up a plume of dust.

    "Harano-kun!" Mayuzumi and Saki both shouted in astonishment and fear.

    This ck-jacketed man was perfectly fine and reappeared after falling off from such a height! He even sent Seigo flying with a single punch! Just what was¡­

    The ck-jacketed man turned towards them, the dark lens of his sunsses gleaming with a cold light.

    The manga author and editor were both engulfed by a terrible sensation of fear.

    Mayuzumi shivered. ''Monster¡­''

    ''We need to escape!'' Saki was the first to recover her senses, and she pulled Mayuzumi along with her, intending to escape.

    However, the ck-jacketed man shot towards them and reached out with his hand to grab Mayuzumi.

    He was instantly sent flying backwards by Seiji, who had rushed back over again. The ck-jacketed man crashed into the veranda guardrail for the second time.

    "Hurry up and go!" Seiji shouted.

    "Harano¡­" Mayuzumi protested weakly.

    "I''ll be fine!" Seiji insisted. "Leave everything to me!!"

    Seiji clenched his fist tightly as he faced the ck-jacketed man.

    Seiji''s tall, broad back was etched deeply into Saki''s and Mayuzumi''s minds.

    Saki dragged Mayuzumi along with her and began running.

    Once again, the ck-jacketed man attempted to pursue them.

    Seiji blocked him, and the sounds of their fierce, intense sh were audible!

    "Harano-kun¡­" Mayuzumi turned around and looked back in his direction with a face filled with worry.

    "He doesn''t seem like an ordinary person either¡­ he said he would be fine, so let''s believe in him!" Saki dragged Mayuzumi all the way to the elevator and pounded on the elevator button until it arrived.

    A few momentster, when the elevator arrived, they got in.

    "Where should we go?" Mayuzumi asked.

    "There''s only one ce we can go," Saki replied; "the police station!"

    Seiji was still in the midst of battle.

    He had already cast [Astral Vision], which revealed a gray-ck mist around the ck-jacketed man''s body. Ethereal humanoid figures that popped out of the mist at random intervals. To Seiji, it seemed like they were in great pain.

    Just what the hell was this?

    He had no doubt that this man was also a Spiritual Ability user, but the way he was¡­ just what type of ability user was he!?

    Seiji didn''t know, but he felt that it seemed rather evil. Were those ethereal humanoid figures actually some sort of grudge-holding ghosts?

    He remained vignt as he circled around the room and fought fiercely with the man.

    *Smack! Whack!!*

    Seiji grunted as another punch mmed into his chest; but at the same time, he managed to kick the man. Both impacts sent the pair flying backwards, shattering many of the more fragile objects in the room.

    The interior of Mayuzumi''s apartment was now a mess.

    In theory, with such a loudmotion, one would normally expect some neighbors toe see what was going on andin about the noise. But since this was a high-ss apartment with excellent soundproofing, no such neighbors came.

    "They''ve already gotten far away, and you won''t be able to catch them," Seiji said coldly, rising to his feet. "Just who are you? Why have youe here!?"

 Chapter 286 - I Choose Her!

    <h4>Chapter 286: I Choose Her!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    As Seiji expected, the man didn''t reply.

    ''Well, I''ll just have to find an opportunity to remove this fellow''s mask and sunsses to find out what he looks like.''

    Actually, Seiji had wanted to do that already, but his opponent was quite strong, and he couldn''t find any opportunities.

    He decided to use one of his abilities.

    When the ck-jacketed man rushed him once again, Seiji lifted his hand and opened it in midair.

    [Telekinesis technique¡ªIce Prison]!

    Seiji locked on to his target and cast a spell which stopped the ck-jacketed man in his tracks.

    ''This is my chance!''

    Seiji rushed forwards and pped the man''s face with his left hand, ripping off the mask and sunsses as well as knocking off the cap in the process. At the same time, he used his right hand to deliver a full-force blow to the man''s stomach!

    *Boom!!*

    The ck-jacketed man was sent crashing into the wall.

    "You''re¡­ Shouhei Hirai!"

    Seiji recognized this person; he was Peach-sensei''s college ssmate, and they had run into him during the school festival!

    The green-haired man named Shouhei Hirai lifted his head with a nk expression. His eyes seemed hollow.

    His appearance was akin to a robot''s or a puppet''s¡­ it was as if he was being controlled by someone else.

    Seiji furrowed his brows when he realized this.

    The gray-ck mist around Shouhei suddenly expanded threefold. A few ethereal human-shadows popped out and started to dance strangely, flickering in and out of his sight as they did so.

    Seiji was ovee by a sudden sense of danger.

    At that moment, Shouhei dashed towards Seiji at an incredibly high speed. His right fist, wreathed in dense gray-ck mist shot towards him like a cannonball!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Seiji rolled on the floor and dodged this attack.

    *Boom!!*

    Shouhei''s fist caused the apartment wall to copse and left behind a huge hole!

    Even top-quality soundproofing couldn''t muffle the noise from the impact; Seiji heard yelps of astonishment from the next-door neighbors.

    Shouhei retracted his fist and suddenly ran onto the veranda before jumping off the balcony.

    ''He''s running away!?''

    Seiji watched him leave and frowned. In the background, the neighbors continued to curse angrily.

    After speedily thinking through the situation, he immediately turned around and ran out the front door to the elevator.

    By the time that the neighbor went over to Peach-sensei''s apartment to see what was going on, Seiji was already going down the elevator.

    While in the elevator, Seiji took out his cell phone. He felt it was lucky that it hadn''t broken during the fight.

    He wanted to contact Editor Yoshizawa and Peach-sensei, but he recalled that they hadn''t taken their cell phones during their rush to escape.

    He couldn''t contact them and didn''t know where they would go¡­

    ''Wait¡ªwould they go to the police station?''

    Seiji felt that this was the most likely possibility.

    As he walked out of the apartment, Seiji called Natsuya Yoruhana.

    She picked up.

    "Good morning, President."

    "Good morning, Haruta-kun."

    "I apologize that I have to bother you with yet another incident, it''s like this¡­" Seiji quickly gave her a concise run-down of what had happened.

    "That person¡­ has most likely been possessed by an undead spirit," Natsuya concluded after listening to his story. "Although I can''t say so with one hundred percent certainty without seeing him for myself, ording to your description, that seems the most likely scenario."

    "Possessed by an undead spirit¡­ why would such a thing happen? Was he cursed by someone? Or did he cast some sort of curse on himself?"

    "Both are possible, but it''s also conceivable for him to have met with some incident and was simply unlucky to have this fate befall him. However, thisst possibility is quite unlikely."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Haruta-kun, are you injured?" Natsuya asked in a concerned voice.

    "I took a few blows, but I''m fine."

    "You should get yourself checked out at the hospital, just in case."

    "I''ll go after this incident is resolved." Seiji paused for a moment. "President, I''d like to ask a question: if such an incident is reported to the police, what will happen?"

    Natsuya remained silent for a moment before answering. "The police will perform their investigation and send people to investigate as usual. There''s a secret department which deals with any reports about the ''mystical.''

    "This secret department will suppress these types of reports and send their own members to re-investigate the situation¡­ if the situation isn''t one that''s too bad, they''ll give the Spiritual Ability user a warning and forcefully request a ''cleanup fee.'' If the Spiritual Ability user obeys the warning and pays the cleanup fee, then that''ll be the end of the incident."

    Seiji frowned upon hearing this. "If some Spiritual Ability user has priormunication with this department, then if someone meets with some incident or reports it to the police, it''d just end up getting ignored, wouldn''t it?"

    "That''s right?"

    "The hoodlums that froze to death were probably dealt with in this way as well, weren''t they?''

    "That''s right."

    "Okubo Yoshiaki could aplish all this already, which means that you could as well, President¡­ no, any Spiritual Ability user with enough clout can utilize this secret department to hush up the police about anything ''mystical,'' even if people died."

    "That is indeed the case."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Alright, I understand it now. Basically, if a Spiritual Ability usermits a crime, as long as it isn''t anything overboard, all that person would have to do is pay some money." Seiji sighed. "This incident is the same¡­ which means that reporting it to the police will be useless!"

    "That''s correct."

    "So, in order to resolve this incident, I have to find the person behind all this by myself, then stop him, or even kill him; is that right?"

    "Yes¡­ or you can even hire other Spiritual Ability users to do it for you."

    "¡­How much money would that cost?"

    "In order to deal with someone who can possess others with undead spirits¡­ I''m not sure about the specific price, but it shouldn''t be more than ten million sakuras."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "You can definitely pay the price, as long as you want to," Natsuya said, chuckling lightly.

    She said before that he could request more money from her, but Seiji also said back then that he wouldn''t ask for anymore. He felt as if he would lose out in some way if he requested for more money now.

    ''No, wait. This isn''t an incident involving me to begin with! Why do I need to pay!?''

    Seiji had a sudden realization. He had been wanting to help out but forgot that the person at the center of this incident wasn''t him, but Peach-sensei!

    Did Peach-sensei have this type of money?

    Of course she did!

    She was the original creator of one of the most popr animes of all time!

    Although he didn''t know how much money she actually had, she would definitely have well over a hundred million sakuras!!

    Seiji felt as if it was all clear to him now.

    Money could aplish anything. This phrase was quite true, even in the mystical society.

    Shouhei Hirai¡­ he was filled with demonic energy, and his nk face seemed like the Terminator''s, but was that supposed to be cool?

    Peach-sensei will use the power of money to crush you!

    "The payment will be no problem, but I won''t be the one paying; it''ll be the person at the center of the incident instead." Seiji smiled and continued to exin: "She''s really rich, and 10 million sakuras definitely won''t be a problem."

    "Eh?"

    "So, introduce an appropriate ability user to me, President!"

    "Oh¡­" Natsuya paused for a moment. "An appropriate person¡­ actually, Houjou-san would be quite suitable."

    Seiji was astonished. '' Mai Houjou !?''

    "She does this sort of thing?" Seiji asked.

    "Yes, Houjou-san has always been in this line of work, and she possesses some fame in her field of work. I''m not sure about the specifics; even if I ask her, she wouldn''t tell me anything about it. She just says that it''s only a small matter not even worthy of being mentioned."

    Seiji suddenly had a mental image of the beautiful maid senpai''s "gentle smile" and was rendered speechless.

    Hiring Mai Houjou¡­ indeed sounded like a good choice.

    In fact, she could even be said to be the best choice!

    Seiji had personally witnessed her abilities, although he knew that what he saw only scratched the surface.

    Although he didn''t know how strong she actually was, he felt that she was probably quite strong!

    Besides, Peach-sensei herself also was a fan of the beautiful maid. If Mai was the one being hired, Peach-sensei would surely agree.

    "Okay, I choose her!" Seiji said in a voice like the main character of a Pokemon anime.

 Chapter 287 - Your Maid Houjou Is Here; Please Give Your Orders

    <h4>Chapter 287: Your Maid Houjou Is Here; Please Give Your Orders</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "President," Seiji said, "please tell Houjou-senpai about this incident. I''ll go find the person in question and discuss it with her before contacting Senpai personally and formally requesting to hire her."

    "Alright," Natsuya agreed.

    Seiji thanked Natsuya and hung up. He then took a taxi to the police station.

    "Harano-kun!"

    "Harano, are you alright?"

    As he expected, he found Mayuzumi and Saki at the nearest police station.

    They were currently exining the situation to the police. When they noticed Seiji, they both showed concern for his state.

    "I''m fine¡­ but that guy escaped." Seiji smiled to reassure them.

    As he indeed seemed to be unscathed, both women heaved a sigh of relief.

    "That man was Shouhei Hirai," Seiji told them.

    Mayuzumi and Saki were stunned to hear this.

    "Shouhei Hirai¡­" Mayuzumi muttered.

    "Yep. During our fight, I managed to knock off his mask, sunsses, and cap, so I recognized him," Seiji exined. "He''s Sensei''s college ssmate, and we met him that one time during the school festival¡­"

    "I know about this; Mayuzumi told me about it," Saki said. "I''ve also seen this person in college. He was one of Mayuzumi''s admirers at the time and got into a conflict with another admirer. Later he did¡­ something bad to Mayuzumi due to a misunderstanding." The editor''s tone of voice was rather low and heavy.

    "¡­Did Sensei develop androphobia because of him?" Seiji looked towards Mayuzumi.

    The manga author remained silent.

    "Not solely because of him. He was only a factor¡­ albeit an important one," Saki told him softly.

    "Can you think of why that guy would do such a thing now?" Seiji asked.

    Mayuzumi and Saki exchanged nces.

    "I don''t know¡­" Mayuzumi said.

    "I really don''t have any idea either," Saki said. "The incident at college was resolved back then. He doesn''t have any reason to still hate Mayuzumi."

    "I see." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Then just exin what you can to the police."

    "Harano¡­" Mayuzumi protested softly.

    "I know what you guys want to know, and I''ll exin everythingter. I''ll also tell you how we''ll truly resolve this incident."

    As expected, the police found their report rather strange, but they still epted the case and sent someone to check out the scene of the crime.

    The hole in the wall that Shouhei created astonished the police, as they couldn''t believe a human could make such a hole with his bare fist!

    Seiji didn''t care whether or not they believed it. He knew that this case would likely be suppressed in the end. Reporting this case was merely a cebo effect to make the twodies feel better, as it was the proper thing to do.

    Mayuzumi and Saki felt fear revisit them when they saw the huge hole in the wall.

    If Seigo Harano hadn''te over¡­ they definitely wouldn''t have been able to resist against a man with such fearsome strength! They didn''t even dare imagine what would have happened.

    Fortunately for them, he arrived and managed to stop Shouhei.

    Mayuzumi and Saki both recalled his tall, broad back as he protected them.

    They would never forget that scene in their lives.

    ¡­

    At a coffee caf¨¦ near the apartment.

    Seiji gave Mayuzumi and Saki a rough exnation about Spiritual Ability users and the hidden mystical side of society.

    The manga author and light novel editor both fell silent after hearing about this facet of the world. It bore an eerie resemnce to the world of mangas that they both worked with.

    "The police can''t resolve this issue, but there is another way to deal with it," Seiji continued. "You can hire a professional Spiritual Ability user to take care of this matter. There''s an excellent candidate that both of you know already. I rmend Mai Houjou."

    "Houjou-san!?" Saki eximed.

    "That¡­ maid that we met at the school festival?" Mayuzumi asked in astonishment.

    Both Mayuzumi and Saki were surprised to hear this.

    "Indeed," Seiji said, smiling. "Recently, I learned that she''s a professional in this field. You all witnessed her ability during theser tag game¡­ and that was probably the tip of the iceberg. I don''t know how powerful she is when she gets serious, but she''ll definitely be quite strong¡ªmuch stronger than me. Mai Houjou is worthy of our trust. I feel that hiring her to deal with Shouhei is the best choice we have."

    Mayuzumi and Saki exchanged nces.

    "Then¡­ how much will it cost to hire Houjou-san?" Mayuzumi asked.

    "I don''t know the specifics. Let''s ask her directly." Seiji took out his cell phone and called Mai.

    Mai picked up the call. "Hello, Junior," she said as soon as the call connected. "I heard from Mdy that you have a job for me¡­"

    "Hello, Senpai. That''s right¡ªI have a good job for you. In fact, you should pay me for being the middle-man."

    "How about giving you a free ticket for a full-body massage?" Mai asked innocently.

    "I feel like that''s pretty cheap," Seiji replied.

    "My massages are quitefortable, you know~"

    "¡­I feel like it''ll be bad for me if I ept."

    "It''ll break all the bones in your body and cause your blood and flesh to meld together~"

    "That''ll kill me, hey!"

    ''Damn, that''s really a dangerous special service.''

    "I''ll stop joking around now," Seiji said, changing the topic. "I''ll pass my phone over to Amami-sensei, the person involved in this incident, so you can talk to her."

    Seiji handed his phone over to the manga author.

    "Hello, Houjou-san¡­"

    Mayuzumi and Mai began discussing what happened. They finished their discussion after a short while.

    "She said that she''lle over here immediately." Mayuzumi hung up and returned Seiji''s cell phone.

    "How much did she request to be paid?" Seiji asked.

    "An upfront payment of 100,000 sakuras, and she said she''ll bill me for the rest depending on the situation¡­"

    ''Only 100,000 sakuras?'' Seiji raised his brows.

    ording to Natsuya, this was two less zeros than the going rate!

    Was it that the President really didn''t know what she was talking about, or had the maid given them a mega discount for being her friend?

    Seiji felt that thetter was far more likely.

    After all, Senpai was a gentle girl.

    A whileter, Mai Houjou arrived. She was wearing a windbreaker and long pants, giving off an impression of a professional beauty.

    "Amami-san, I didn''t expect that you''d hire me for this type of work the next time we met." Mai smiled faintly.

    "Indeed¡­ I didn''t expect it either." Mayuzumi also smiled.

    "Should I call you ''Mdy?''"

    "Er¡­ that''s not necessary¡­ but if it''s alright, I''d like to hear it once to see what it feels like¡­" the manga author answered rather awkwardly.

    "Alright then, Mdy Amami," Mai said gently, making an elegant curtsy. "Your maid Houjou is here; please give me your orders."

    Mayuzumi seemed to receive a great impact from these words; her expression showed that she was greatly moved.

    Seiji and Saki were rendered speechless.

    "Senpai, do you do this for everyone that hires you?" Seiji asked.

    "No, this is a special service for Mdy Amami."

    "Then if I hire you, what would you call me?"

    Mai nced over at him. "What do you want me to do for you, Young Master Harano~" she said in an obsequious voicebined with a flirtatious expression.

    Just like Mayuzumi, Seiji received a huge impact; the beautiful maid acting cute had astonishing power!

    ''If only she was dressed in her maid uniform, the impact would probably be doubled,'' Seiji mused.

    When Seiji regained his senses, he discovered that he had the same moved expression as Mayuzumi.

    *Cough cough.*

    He hurriedly faked a coughing fit in order to settle his expression.

    "In that case, we''ll leave things up to the professional maid¡­ whoops, Senpai the professional Spiritual Ability user, and I shall take my leave¡­"

    "Where are you going, Junior?"

    "To attend my sses at school, of course."

    "You''re going to abandon these beautiful women and not worry about them?" Mai asked, snorting. "How ungentlemanly."

    "Eh? But Senpai''s already here¡­"

    "I need to go investigate and deal with the enemy, so I can''t possibly stay by Mdy Amami''s side. Someone else needs to protect her."

    "¡­You''re right." Seiji came to a realization.

    "Harano-kun¡­" Mayuzumi said softly.

    "Allow me to be a temporary personal bodyguard." Seiji looked towards Mayuzumi and smiled. "I''ll give it my all to protect you, Sensei."

    The manga author was slightly stunned at this, and her face reddened.

    "¡­Thank you," she replied shyly.

    Mai and Saki was rendered speechless by this.

    "I need to learn about the enemy. Please tell me everything you know, Mdy Amami," the maid requested.

 Chapter 288 - Im About to Go on a Spiritual Journey

    <h4>Chapter 288: I''m About to Go on a Spiritual Journey</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Allow me to exin, Houjou-san," Saki said. "Feel free to ask Mayuzumi about the details."

    Shouhei Hirai was a handsome, rtively popr guy in college. He fell in love with Mayuzumi and attempted to woo her, but Mayuzumi didn''t have any feelings for him and rejected his advances politely.

    Another boy was also attempting to woo Mayuzumi, and Shouhei ended uping into conflict with his love rival.

    Afterwards, most likely due to his anger and frustration, Shouhei blindly believed some unfounded rumors and misunderstood the type of person Mayuzumi was. Not only did he viciously shout at her in front of many people, he even did some rather rude things to her.

    Mayuzumi was frightened by this and started ignoring him.

    Shouheiter learned that he had been mistaken and regretted his actions. He apologized to Mayuzumi and sincerely asked for her forgiveness.

    Mayuzumi forgave him, but she still remained distant from and avoided him.

    Shouhei saw that there was no hope for him anymore, so he gave up, and, a few weekster, he hooked up with a different girl in another ss.

    After graduating from college, Mayuzumi hadn''t seen Shouhei again¡ªuntil the day of the school festival, that was¡­

    "And from the second night of the school festival, Mayuzumi was gued with nightmares," Saki said, concluding the story. "Is this rted to Hirai in any way?"

    When she heard Saki''s question, Mai looked towards the manga author, and her eyes flickered briefly. It was evident to Seiji that she had just cast Astral Vision.

    "I don''t see any sign of a curse upon Mdy Amami¡­ but I can''t say definitively that it''s unrted to him," she said after examining Mai for a while. "Is this all the information you have on him?"

    Saki nodded.

    "Understood," Mai said curtly. "I shall now begin tracking down this person, and, when I find him, I''ll deal with him. Wait for my news."

    After saying this she left, she left.

    Seiji, Mayuzumi, and Saki exchanged awkward nces after Mai left.

    "We can stay here, or wait somewhere else," Seiji suggested. "Let''s not go back to Sensei''s home for the time being, because we might get attacked again."

    "Let''s go to my home then," Saki offered.

    "No, if we''re discovered and there''s another fight, your home will be trashed." Seiji mulled over the options. "I think that going to a hotel and booking a temporary room would be better. Alternatively, we could just go shopping or have fun somewhere else¡­ we can treat this as a vacation!" He started smiling.

    Mayuzumi and Saki both blinked in surprise at this.

    ''Treating it as a vacation¡­'' This made it feel more rxing for them as well, and both women began smiling.

    "Sensei, why don''t you decide where to go? I''m the bodyguard, and no matter where you and Editor Yoshizawa want to go, I''ll apany you."

    "It feels like the school festival all over again," Mayuzumi muttered. "I''m so sorry to trouble you like this, Harano-kun."

    "No need to say that; I''m more than happy to help Sensei." Seiji smiled.

    Faced with his gentle smile, the manga author''s heartbeat quickened once again.

    Although she was previously frightened by the attack, all the nervousness and anxiety in her heart seemed to have magically disappeared.

    ''Where should I go with Seiji and Saki?'' Mayuzumi asked herself.

    ¡­

    Mika''s phone started ringing, and, when she saw it was from Seiji, she answered the call.

    "Hey, Seigo, where did you go?" she asked.

    When she knocked on his door in the morning to go to school together, Shika told her that he''d set out early in the early hours of the morning to do something somewhere. When Mika tried calling him, he didn''t pick up and only sent her a message saying that he would contact herter.

    "I''m about to go on a spiritual journey," Seiji told her.

    ''Spiritual journey!?'' The double pigtailed girl was shocked by this.

    "Some things happened, so I won''t be going to ss today. I''ll give you an exnationter, and there''s no need to worry."

    These words¡­ and this type of situation¡­ made her feel a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu!

    "Hey! Seigo, could it be that¡­"

    "The monorail is here! I''m getting on now, gotta go."

    Monorail?

    Was he really going on some type of trip!? Mika was absolutely stunned.

    Meanwhile, Seiji, Mayuzumi, and Saki boarded the monorail and found some empty seats to sit down in.

    Saki brought out a deck of poker cards and put them on a table. Seiji brought out some snacks and drinks and put them on the table as well.

    It was time to have some fun!

    Not long after, the monorail began moving.

    The monorail began driving off while the three of them idly yed cards.

    Their destination was the ocean, which was what Mayuzumi wanted to go see. It obviously was out of season to go visit the ocean at such a time of year.

    But since Mayuzumi wished to do so, Saki and Seiji would naturally apany her.

    Even if it wasn''t seasonal, that didn''t mean that they couldn''t go. In fact, precisely because it was out of season, it would be a rather fresh experience.

    ying cards, chatting, and eating snacks¡­ time passed just like this.

    The monorail reached its destination.

    After they exited the monorail station, they took a taxi to the ocean. There was nobody at all by the seashore.

    The three of them walked together on the seashore and faced the ocean, feeling the ocean breeze and listening to the sound of waves.

    It was rather cold¡­

    Of course it was, as it was already winter!

    Fortunately, both women had already prepared thick jackets for this trip beforehand, otherwise they would have suffered greatly.

    "It''s been so long since I came to the ocean," Mayuzumi mused aloud with a sigh.

    She walked up to the water and kneeled close to it. She casually drew on the sand with a finger.

    Saki looked deeply worried as she watched her friend''s back.

    "Harano¡­ about Mayuzumi''s nightmares, there''s actually one thing¡­ it happened ten years ago, in the year when I got to know her¡­" the editor began telling a tale from the past.

    Seiji quietly listened to the story.

    In the freshman ss of their high school, Saki Yoshizawa became acquainted with Mayuzumi Amami, who happened to sit next to her, and two quickly became friends. Later, the two of them both entered the literature club.

    During summer vacation, the literature club attempted to hold a certain activity known as a test of courage.

    Mayuzumi originally didn''t want to join in, but Saki wanted to have fun together with her and convinced her to join.

    The activity was quite well received in the end.

    After it finished, many members even felt that it wasn''t scary enough, and they wanted more.

    And so the club president suggested an additional activity befitting the literature club: everyone would tell ghost stories together!

    Mayuzumi was even more reluctant to participate, but Saki dragged her along and forced her to join in.

    "At the time, I thought that the scared Mayuzumi was¡­ rather cute and wanted to see her like that some more, so that I could enjoy the feeling of her tightly clutching onto me¡­" Saki paused and sighed. "I was vulgar back then," she said in a low, remorseful voice.

    "No," Seiji interjected, "I think that you just wanted to tease a good friend slightly; it was just a joke or prank¡­ Editor Yoshizawa, you didn''t really have evil intentions towards Sensei."

    Saki fell silent for a moment before continuing her tale.

    The literature club members took back all the candles they used for the test of courage earlier and returned to the clubroom. Without turning on the lights, they lit all the candles and began telling ghost stories.

    After each story was told, they would blow out a candle.

    This was¡­ the story of a Hundred Demons game!

    This was a famous scary game with hundreds of years of history behind it. Its basic flow was very simple. It was merely to blow out a candle every time a ghost story was finished.

    A genuine version of a Hundred Demons game required one hundred candles to be lit up, and the ssic version had even more detailed requirements. All of them had one part inmon, and it was the most important rule of all: you definitely couldn''t blow out thest, 100th candle!

    But many modern people didn''t fear things such as ghosts, demons, and spirits anymore. They wouldmonly break this rule on purpose when ying this game.

    What would happen if someone blew out the 100th candle?

    It was said that a demon would be summoned, and some even believed a portal to theherworld would be opened.

    And there was one major demon had a famous connection with the Night of One Hundred Demons or this simrly named game.

    Green Lantern Demon!

    It was another major demon on the same level as Shutendoji, who was also an SSR card, and her ultimate ability was¡­ cough, Seiji was getting sidetracked.

    Seiji didn''t know what the Green Lantern Demon really would be like in this world, nor did he know if the One Hundred Demons game would really be able to summon this legendary existence.

    As the game continued, the atmosphere in the clubroom gradually changed.

    Fear took seed and grew in the hearts of the gathered club members. Even Saki felt that something was seriously wrong.

    The club presidentughed it off and said that everyone was doing a good job with their ghost stories. She joked that they were really about to summon a demon. Although the literature club president said this in an attempt to ease the atmosphere, only a few members forced themselves to go along with it and smile.

    Near the end, even the club president felt that it would be bad to continue on; she offered to tell thest story and blow out the final candle.

    At this moment, Mayuzumi, who had clung onto Saki for the entire duration of the game, spoke up weakly: "You shouldn''t blow out the final candle in the story of One Hundred Demons."

    The club president ignored her; she said that this wasn''t the real story of One Hundred Demons and that there weren''t a hundred candles or a hundred stories.

    The club members didn''t pay any attention to her either, and some even joked howcking in courage she was.

    Saki didn''t pay this any mind, either.

    The club president told a final story before casually blowing out thest candle.

    "But after that something frightening¡­ appeared in the darkness." Saki began to shiver.

 Chapter 289 - The Scenario Seems Wrong Again!

    <h4>Chapter 289: The Scenario Seems Wrong Again!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Saki definitely wasn''t shivering because of the cold wind.

    "I can''t recall what happened clearly, as my memories are hazy¡­ I just remember that I seem to have witnessed something incredibly scary, and I was frightened to the point of screaming¡­

    "Mayuzumi pushed me down on the ground and shielded me with her body. When I saw that thing approaching, I fainted, and I don''t know what happened after that¡­ when I woke up, it was already the next morning.

    "Everyone else copsed as well. For a moment I thought that they had all died, but they soon woke up just like me¡­ I tried to rouse Mayuzumi, but I couldn''t get her to wake up; I soon noticed that her face was hot to touch¡­

    "Two others were just like Mayuzumi; they wouldn''t wake up and were gripped by a fever. One was the club president, and there was another girl as well. We called an ambnce and took them to the hospital.

    "It took an entire day for Mayuzumi to wake up. Her feversted for an entire month¡­ and she had nightmares every day¡­" The editor''s voice was filled with deep regret. "It''s all my fault¡­ I caused¡­ Mayuzumi to be like that."

    "No, that was just an ident," Seiji told her in a serious tone. "You didn''t expect such a thing to ur. Nobody could, so that''s why it was only an ident."

    "But if it wasn''t for me¡­"

    "Editor Yoshizawa, you may have pushed Sensei to join the activity, but you weren''t forcing her against her will. You didn''t have any bad intentions; you just wanted to spend some time together with your friend."

    "¡­Even so, I still make a mistake." Saki lowered her head with a dark expression.

    Seiji sighed inwardly when he saw Saki''s glum expression.

    It exined why Editor Yoshizawa cared so much about Peach-sensei and strove to protect her¡ªit was due to this incident in the past.

    Because she believed that she''d made a huge mistake, she was filled with deep regret. She felt obliged to protect her good friend.

    Her resolution was truly astounding; she even¡­ sacrificed herself.

    Before Seiji loaded, Editor Yoshizawa had done her best to stop Shouhei Hirai and was killed in the process.

    Seiji could even imagine the scene that must have urred.

    Shouhei Hirai¡­ Seiji had met him one time already, but didn''t feel like he was evil back then.

    And judging from Sensei and Editor Yoshizawa''s description of Shouhei Hirai during college, he was, at most, just a rash and stupid college student in possession of a bad temper. Even Sensei herself, who was the one treated rudely by him, didn''t feel that he was actually evil or anything like that.

    Seiji thought back to Shouhei''s nk expression during their fight.

    He seemed akin to the Terminator¡­ or a robot; it was like he was being controlled.

    Natsuya Yoruhana had also mentioned the possibility of someone cing a curse upon him.

    Was there truly a culprit behind this, or was Shouhei the main culprit? If there was another culprit, who could it be? What did the culprit want? Why did the culprit attack Sensei?

    There were countless questions.

    Seiji hoped that Mai would be able to discover the truth.

    ''Oh yes, I almost forgot¡­''

    "Editor Yoshizawa, you said that this incident from ten years ago may be rted to Sensei''s current nightmares. Is it because Sensei''s current nightmares are simr to the nightmares from that time?"

    Saki nodded. "When I saw how much difort Mayuzumi was in, I recalled the scenes from that time¡­ do you think that it''s possible¡­ that the aftereffects of that incident have remained dormant till now?"

    Seiji brooded over her words in silence.

    "The water''s so cold!" Mayuzumi suddenly shouted.

    The ocean waves were nowpping at her feet, and sheughed as she rose from where she was sitting and walked back to them.

    "Saki¡­ what''s the matter?" She noticed that something seemed to be wrong with her friend.

    "Nothing¡­ I''m just a little cold." The editor forced a smile.

    "Eh¡­ Sorry for making you apany me here." Mayuzumi took Saki''s hand into her own. "Your hand is so icy. Let''s go, we don''t have to stay here anymore."

    "I''m alright," Saki said. "It''s rare for us toe to the ocean, so stay here and look around for a little longer."

    "I''ve seen enough already. We can go back now."

    "How could we? We''ve barely just arrived¡ª"

    Saki was cut off mid-sentence when a boy''s jacket was suddenly ced around her.

    Of course, it was Seiji''s. He had taken off his own jacket and put it on Saki.

    "Now you should be warmer," he said, smiling. "It''s rare for you toe here, so we should at least walk around the shore and see a little more of the sights."

    Mayuzumi and Saki were rendered speechless.

    ''Haruta-kun always makes looking cool seem so natural,'' the manga author inwardly sighed.

    ''This jacket¡­ has his smell and is really warm¡­'' was what the editor felt.

    "Saki, are you still cold?" Seiji asked.

    "Not anymore. Thank you, Harano."

    "No problem."

    And so, the three of them left a trail of footprints behind as they slowly walked down the shoreline.

    "By the way, Harano, you said this morning that you had something important to discuss with me face to face. What was that about?" The editor suddenly remembered to ask about this.

    "Er¡­ that¡­"

    ''I didn''t have anything at all; it was just an excuse toe see you because I knew you would die¡­ but of course I can''t say that!''

    Seiji thought about what to say.

    "Actually¡­ it''s nothing," he said after a pause. "I originally wanted to discuss the conditions for publication, but now I feel like it''s not a big deal, so let''s just go with what we originally had."

    Saki blinked upon hearing this. "You''re not satisfied with your treatment as a neer and want better conditions?".

    "Er¡­ that''s how it was, but when I thought about it again, I felt it would be too arrogant of me. I must have not gotten enough sleep or something. So forget it; there''s no need to even remember I mentioned it." Seiji used this as his excuse.

    Saki, however, had a serious expression.

    "Harano, your Brother Monogatari is wonderfully written. The entire editing department, including the head editor, all believe that it''s highly likely to be a popr hit, or even a bestseller! So you indeed have the right to request better conditions even if you are a neer. If you would like, I could try negotiating with the head editor for better conditions for you."

    Seiji had only wanted toe up with some excuse but didn''t expect this type of development.

    He wanted to tell her that it actually wasn''t necessary, but felt that would sound unnatural so he could only go along with it.

    "Er¡­ is that really alright?" he asked haltingly.

    Saki nodded in confirmation.

    "Then¡­ I''m sorry for the extra trouble." Seiji felt awkward about all this.

    "No need to be polite." Saki''s lips tugged upwards.

    She was pleased to be able to help this boy out.

    At this moment, Seiji''s cell phone rang. He checked to find out that it was a call from Mai Houjou!

    He instantly picked up the call.

    "Hey, Senpai, how''s the situation?" he asked.

    "I found Shouhei Hirai," Mai told him. "He''s currently in a hospital."

    "A hospital?"

    "Yes, he''s seriously injured and currently unconscious."

    "How could that be? I''m pretty sure that I only lightly injured him¡­" Seiji was astonished.

    "I also inspected him with Astral Vision," Mai continued. "I''m certain that there''s no undead spirit possessing him."

    "This¡­" Seiji was surprised to the point of not knowing what to say anymore.

    "It seems that after battling with you, he fought with someone else, and was injured to this extent. Even the undead spirit was cleansed from him," Mai added. "Judging by his injuries, it''s obvious that the person who did this must be a powerful Spiritual Ability user."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Shouhei Hirai was defeated by someone else!?

    He was rather stunned by this urrence.

    Hey now, this scenario seemed wrong again!

    After they located their opponent, they discovered that he was defeated by someone else and that he''d even been cleansed!?

    Who did it? An enemy of his, or a passing-by defender of justice!?

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Since the enemy has already been defeated, does this mean that my task ispleted?" Mai asked him.

    "This¡­ probably¡­ I suppose so."

    Seiji had a conflicted expression. Shouhei Hirai was currently unconscious, so it would be impossible to ask him anything.

    Everything was so perplexing!

    Would the incident really end like this? It didn''t seem like so, but¡­

    "If we want to know what happened, I suppose we can only wait for Hirai to wake up," Seiji said, sighing.

    "There''s another method as well. I could investigate where he lives, and perhaps there will be some clues," Mai informed him.

    "Oh, right¡­ if we trouble you to do so, will you charge us additional fees?"

    "Just count it as my full service instead. I''d feel awkward about epting payment if things ended just like this," the maid said with a chuckle. "I''ll get started on investigating Shouhei Hirai''s residence right away, and leave it up to you to tell Mdy Amami about things."

    "Alright."

    They ended the call there.

    Seiji immediately exined the situation to Mayuzumi and Saki.

    When they heard that Shouhei Hirai was defeated already by some other person, bothdies revealed subtle expressions.

    "No matter what, at least that guy won''t be attacking us again anytime soon. As for whether this is all over or not¡­ it''s hard to say." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "If Shouhei Hirai was behind all this, then it''s over. But if someone else cursed him and was manipting him, that means there''s another perpetrator and this isn''t over yet!"

 Chapter 290 - Im Hearing About You Again, My Ancestor

    <h4>Chapter 290: I''m Hearing About You Again, My Ancestor</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mai entered Shouhei Hirai''s residence.

    Regardless of whether it was her normal eyesight or Astral Vision, she couldn''t detect anything unusual in his residence.

    Even after a detailed investigation, she couldn''t find anything rted to Spiritual Ability users.

    Shouhei Hirai seemed just like an ordinary white-cor worker. But it was also possible that he owned another residence.

    There was an elementary school girl named Reo Tachibana who also lived together with him. Based on the information she already received from her temporary employer, she knew that this girl was his niece.

    Mai easily discovered Reo''s bookbag and school uniform. It seemed that this girl hadn''t gone to school today.

    Although Reo was just a little girl, she was still someone that lived together with Shouhei Hirai. Perhaps something could be learned if Mai found her and asked some questions. Besides, this elementary school girl was neither at school nor home; where else could she even go? Mai was somewhat curious about the answer to this question, so she decided to search for Reo.

    She collected some of Reo''s hair from her room, drew a spell formation in the living room, and cast a spell, using Reo''s hair as the catalyst.

    The spell was sessful. A cyan-colored ball formed in midair. Within it were a few ck strands, and they pointed in a direction like apass. However, they were unsteady and kept trembling.

    Mai roughly followed the direction that her spell indicated.

    ¡­

    While on the monorail back to the city, Seiji took the opportunity to make a phone call at another seat. Mayuzumi and Saki were resting against each other for a small nap.

    The call connected.

    "President, I''m sorry to bother you yet again, but this is important. I learned some new information about the person at the center of the incident this morning¡­"

    Seiji recounted the story Saki had told him to Natsuya.

    Natsuya was silent for a moment as she mulled it over.

    "The Story of One Hundred Demons game¡­ this actually originates from an ancient ritual. It''s a horrifying ritual which demands the sacrifice of one hundred young children and uses the power of their deaths to open the gates of hell. No records that exin the specifics of the ritual and its origins remain. It''s said that it was intentionally stopped by someone. And this specific someone was that famous ancestor of yours."

    ''I''m hearing about you again, my ancestor.'' Seiji raised his brows.

    "The basic legend goes like this: there was an organization by the name of ''Eternity'' that performed this ritual and caused great havoc. Seimei Kamijou led his numerous retainers in a fierce battle against them and finally seeded in closing the gates of hell.

    "Since Seimei Kamijou judged this ritual to be incredibly evil and harmful, he decided to eliminate all those who intended to use this ritual, as well as obstruct the knowledge about this ritual from passing down through the ages.

    "As it stands today, at least on the surface, the knowledge about this ritual has been lost to time. But the Story of One Hundred Demons game, which imitated this ritual, has been passed down.

    "There''s a very low probability of this game causing any actual harm. ying this game a thousand times might not result in even a single incident.

    "However, no matter how low the probability, there''s still some danger involved, since it''s still fundamentally an imitation of the original ritual. And the ritual it imitates is something frightening¡ªfrightening enough to give pause to the strongest Yin-Yang Master in history.

    "Unfortunately, your two friends involved in this incident met with that improbable urrence and must have summoned something very real.

    "But to find fortune among misfortune, they didn''t die from it. As for the person in question to suffer from the same nightmares as before, it''s quite likely that some sort of lingering aftereffect was triggered again.

    "As for what the aftereffect is, what the trigger could be, and how to cure it¡­ these issues can only be dealt with after a specialized examination."

    "So," Seiji asked, "we need to take her to that hospital, right?"

    "Yes," Natsuya replied.

    "I''ll tell her about it in a bit."

    After thanking Natsuya again, Seiji hung up the call and returned to his seat.

    As he looked at the twodies opposite him sleeping peacefully, he decided to tell them about going to the hospital after they woke up.

    At this moment, he noticed Mayuzumi had begun to furrow her brows.

    "Nooo¡­" she mumbled in a tiny voice. Her body began to tremble, and her face was twisted in pain.

    ''Is she having another nightmare?''

    Seiji hurriedly checked her condition with [Astral Vision], but he couldn''t see anything out of the ordinary.

    It was just like his previous inspection. Everything seemed normal; one the surface, nothing about her differed from any other ordinary person.

    Suddenly Mayuzumi''s trembling began to intensify, and beads of cold sweat dripped down from her brow. "Ah¡­" she moaned. "Hah¡­ Uhh¡­ No¡­"

    Saki opened her eyes and looked at her good friend beside her.

    "Mayuzumi!" the editor shouted, her face filled with concern.

    "Is she having another nightmare?" Seiji asked for confirmation.

    "That''s right¡­ those are her symptoms." Saki hugged Mayuzumi tightly and whispered into her ear: "Mayuzumi, hurry and wake up! I''m right here, right by your side. You''re in a dream; don''t get lost in it! Open your eyes and wake up!"

    After calling out to her like this for a while, the manga author slowly opened her eyes.

    There was a confused look in her eyes that gradually cleared as her body also slowly stopped shaking.

    "Saki¡­" Mayuzumi murmured softly.

    "You''re alright, you''re alright¡­" the editor cooed gently, hugging her.

    Mayuzumi blinked before melting into Saki''s embrace, the look on her face changing to a peaceful one.

    Seiji quietly watched this scene.

    Even during the nightmare, he couldn''t see anything unusual with [Astral Vision]¡­ which meant that the cause was deeply rooted within her.

    He recalled Shika''s condition when she had amnesia. Natsuya had told him that any spells which couldn''t be detected on the surface were most likely hidden in the soul!

    No matter what Sensei was currently experiencing, if it couldn''t be detected on the surface, it meant it was highly likely that it was embedded in her soulyers. This made it rather difficult to deal with.

    Would he have to do the same thing as he did with Shika, and search Mayuzumi''s soul and battle within it?

    After the twodies calmed down, Seiji spoke up: "About nightmares, I have to exin something¡­"

    After hearing his exnation, the manga author agreed to get a checkup at the hospital.

    "What''s the probability of them being able to cure Mayuzumi?" Saki asked.

    "I don''t know, but¡­ personally speaking, it might be rather difficult," Seiji answered.

    The editor became downcast after she understood.

    "Don''t need to worry so much, Saki. Even if I''m not cured, I''ll probably be fine after some time passes." Mayuzumi turned around and was now consoling her friend instead. "They''re just dreams. I''m fine, really¡­"

    "You''re not fine at all!" Saki suddenly burst out with this, before hugging Mayuzumi tightly again. "It''s not fine¡­ I know¡­ about your pain¡­"

    "Saki¡­" Mayuzumi protested weakly.

    "I''m sorry, Mayuzumi¡­ it''s all because of me¡­"

    Mayuzumi hugged her friend tightly as well. "It''s not your fault¡­ I said this before as well¡ªstop thinking like that."

    "Mayuzumi¡­"

    "Although we met with something scary, I actually had lots of fun being together with you at that time," the manga author told her gently. "Don''t me yourself anymore. That truly wasn''t your fault, Saki."

    The editor was unable to respond.

    Seiji was rather moved as he watched them.

    "Without a detailed checkup to find out the situation, I can''t promise anything. But as long as there''s a chance, I''ll do whatever I can to help cure Sensei," he told them.

    After all, it might be another chance at a soul battle for him!

    Thest curse on Shika had been rtively easy for him to dispel. Just dealing with a mere nightmare seemed even easier to him.

    ''No matter what strange thingse at me, I shall destroy them all with my own copied Imagination Breaker!''

 Chapter 291 - Am I Being Flirted With?

    <h4>Chapter 291: Am I Being Flirted With?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After the monorail returned to the city, Seiji and the twodies hailed a taxi and headed for the special hospital that Natsuya had previously registered him at.

    Mayuzumi received a checkup upon arriving at the hospital. While he was waiting, Seiji received a phone call from Mai

    Mai told him about the result of her investigation at Shouhei Hirai''s residence: absolutely nothing!

    "At the very least, based on that residence of his, he seems just like a normal person, but I''m not certain whether or not he has other ces he lives in. Right now, the part that I''m most concerned with is his niece, Reo Tachibana, who''s currently living together with him. I tried to find this elementary school girl, but I failed. It''s highly probable that she was taken away by a Spiritual Ability user!"

    Seiji frowned upon hearing this. He recalled the lost little girl that he met during the school festival.

    This little girl was taken away by another Spiritual Ability user and was missing¡­ was she currently a hostage?

    Was the unknown Spiritual Ability user behind Hirai holding her hostage to force him to ept a curse being ced upon him?

    This sounded like a reasonable inference.

    "In that case, it''s highly likely then that Shouhei Hirai was cursed by someone, or forced to ept a curse due to a hostage?"

    "Yes," Mai agreed, "that can be inferred from the current situation."

    There was a moment of silence between them.

    "I''ll continue investigating, and I''ll try to find this girl. Be on guard at your end as well."

    "I will. Senpai, you be careful as well."

    Mai hung up the call.

    Although it wasn''t one hundred percent certain yet, it was likely that Hirai was a victim here, and that the Spiritual Ability user who took young Reo was the true perpetrator!

    ''This isn''t over yet,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    It didn''t take long for the checkup to bepleted. The examination confirmed that the source of Mayuzumi''s nightmares was indeed hidden deep within her soul!

    It was just as Seiji had expected. The doctor confessed that she was unable to cure this and told them that she could only prescribe some better-than-average Spiritual Medicine.

    Seiji contacted Natsuya yet again.

    "I''m willing to help you with any of your requests, Haruta-kun. But that doesn''t mean this will be curable, since this is a different situation from the previous one."

    "I understand¡­ I''m truly sorry for bothering you yet again, President."

    The scion chuckled lightly upon hearing this. "No need to say that, Haruta-kun. You''re the person who saved mine and my retainers'' lives, and more than once at that. I''m sincerely happy to be able to pay you back¡­ or I should say that I hope you''ll rely on me even more."

    "¡­What does that mean?" Seji asked after a pause.

    "What do you feel it means?" Natsuya countered in a gentle voice.

    Seiji was rendered speechless. ''Am I being flirted with?''

    He could imagine the scene of the beautiful scion smiling gently and softly¡­ and it definitely moved his heart.

    ''Stop! This isn''t the time to be getting distracted.''

    "Er¡­ um¡­ so¡­ where should we meet you at?" He forced himself to ignore what just happened.

    "We can just meet at my residence."

    "Alright, thank you."

    "No problem¡­" Natsuya paused for a moment before continuing in a yful voice: "Although I want to say that, don''t you think just thanking mecks sincerity?"

    "Then what should I do?"

    "After helping you out this time, could you do one thing for me?"

    "What is it?"

    "It''s nothing big or difficult. It''s something that only you can do," Natsuya told him in a gentle voice.

    ''This tone, these words¡­ you''re going to make my imagination go wild!'' Seiji felt as if there was an itch in his heart.

    "Is that alright?" Natsuya asked.

    "Yes¡­ of course." He agreed to do it.

    After the call ended, Seiji gave Mayuzumi and Saki an exnation.

    "I can''t promise that you''ll be cured, but it''s worth a shot¡­ thest time that I worked together with that person, we managed to cure another girl who had a curse cast upon her soul. Perhaps this can be resolved in the same way."

    "How much is the fee to hire that person?"

    "Er¡­ she''s helping me out of friendship. Please don''t mention money in front of her, as she''s a rich scion of a powerful family."

    ''The type who has enough money to bury any ordinary person.''

    Mayuzumi and Saki were both astonished.

    "A rich scion¡­ Is it really okay to have such a person helping us for free?" Mayuzumi asked.

    "I already finished discussing it with her, and she said she''d be more than happy to help out."

    "It must be all for Harano-kun''s sake." Mayuzumi looked up at Seiji''s face. "Truly¡­ I''m so thankful to you¡­"

    "Don''t say that, Sensei. I''m the one who''s willing to help out here of my own volition." Seiji smiled. "I''m one of Sensei''s biggest fans!"

    Mayuzumi and Saki both looked at him deeply.

    Then, the three of them left the hospital together and took another taxi to Natsuya Yoruhana''s residence.

    They met the student council president after reaching her residence.

    Mayuzumi and Saki were both astonished to see that Natsuya''s beauty was far above the average person''s.

    Seiji introduced everyone to each other.

    "I''m very pleased to meet you, Peach-sensei. I''ve also watched the anime Honey Candy Girl before; it''s truly a great story!" Natsuya told her sincerely.

    Mayuzumi smiled faintly. "Thank you¡­ I''m delighted to receive your recognition."

    When she heard Haruta-kun say that Natsuya was a rich scion, Mayuzumi became quite nervous. But after learning that Natsuya was a fan of her work, Mayuzumi suddenly felt closer to her.

    This girl''s full name was Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ she seemed like a nice match for Haruta-kun.

    ''Both her name and her appearance seem to shine so brilliantly¡­'' Mayuzumi eximed inwardly.

    "Let''s sit down first and have some tea. Resting and rxing will be helpful for what we''re going to doter," Natsuya told them.

    And so, the three of them sat down.

    Natsuya poured tea for them, and each person began sipping from their teacups.

    There was a momentary silence.

    "Although I heard it from Harano-kun already, I still wish to hear it one more time from the person in question. The ritual from ten years ago¡ªI wish to hear the entire process of what happened during the Story of One Hundred Demons game," the president told them in a serious tone.

    Mayuzumi and Saki exchanged nces before looking towards Seiji.

    "Go ahead and tell her about it." Seiji let them know it was okay.

    "Alright," Saki said, nodding. She then began recounting the story: "It happened when Mayuzumi and I were first-year students in high school¡ª"

    "Wait a moment," Natsuya interrupted. "Although Yoshizawa-san also has a firsthand ount, I''d like to hear Peach-sensei¡­ Amami-san''s version."

    "¡­Why''s that?" Saki asked.

    "It''ll be helpful for treatment afterwards." Natsuya looked towards Mayuzumi. "Even if it''s a bit difficult or unpleasant, please do your best to remember what happened at that time. It''ll help stimte the ''curse'' left behind and make it be more active, which will mean that it''ll be easier to detect."

    Saki revealed a stubborn, unwilling expression. "This will cause Mayuzumi too much pain!" she protested. "We can''t do that!"

    "Saki¡­" Mayuzum murmured.

    "Mayuzumi finally managed to forget about that frightening experience after such a long time! We can''t possibly make her remember it again!"

    "Saki¡­ I''ll be fine!" The manga author''s voice was louder this time.

    "Mayuzumi¡­"

    "It''s fine. I''ll be able to talk about what happened at that time." Mayuzumi smiled softly at Saki. "After that¡­ incident happened, I indeed spent a long period of time desperately trying to forget about it¡­ and I believed that I had seeded.

    "However, in reality, I hadn''t.

    "I was merely running away from the truth. The fear I felt at that time, the scary presence that I witnessed, and that icy feeling¡­ has always been inside my heart.

    "Without truly removing it at the roots, I''ll never be able to break free from my fear. And now is a chance to remove the root of the cause.

    "I want to get rid of it, which is why I''ll face it directly!

    "You''re by my side, Saki, and so is Harano-kun, and Yoruhana-san will help me as well¡­ I-I can do this!"

    Mayuzumi showed a resolute expression. This was the same expression of resolution that Seiji saw the first time that he met her.

    This was why he wanted to help her so much.

    Because¡­ she was a manga author who had such a touching expression.

 Chapter 292 - She Knows When to Continue and When to Stop

    <h4>Chapter 292: She Knows When to Continue and When to Stop</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mayuzumi slowly began recounting the tale.

    The content of her story was basically the same as what Seiji had heard

    from Saki, but since it was from her perspective, there were some

    additional details.

    Although she was afraid during the literature club''s test of courage and

    storytelling game, she actually had a lot of fun being together with her

    good friend.

    She just didn''t expect such a thing toe out.

    When Mayuzumi started speaking about how some entity seemed to

    have been summoned, she shivered intensely, and Saki, who was

    sitting next to her, clutched her hand tightly.

    Seiji and Natsuya attentively listened to her tale.

    Finally, she finished, and sheid weakly against the editor after doing

    so.

    "Good job, Amami-san," Natusya praised sincerely. "Thanks for your efforts."

    "Sensei," Seiji said admiringly, "it was very brave of you to face your fears."

    The manga author smiled faintly.

    "I understand the entire process of what urred now. But I have a

    question: what happened to the literature club president and the other

    female student that also fell ill, just like Amami-san?" Natsuya inquired.

    "Like Mayuzumi, they were struck with a long illness and suffered from

    nightmares every night. And, simr to Mayuzumi, they also ended up recovering in the end." Saki continued to exin: "That girlter ended up transferring schools, and the club

    president graduated one yearter; we lost contact with both of

    them."

    Natsuya remained silent.

    Seiji suddenly had a thought.

    "What were the names of your club president and that female

    student?" he asked.

    Saki looked towards him. "The club president was named Hinako Haza,

    while the girl''s name was¡­ Risa Kobayakawa."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji muttered.

    "Why did you ask about this?"

    "Because I suddenly thought of a possibility," Seiji replied.

    Seiji told them about the result of Mai''s investigation at Shouhei Hirai''s

    residence, as well as how his niece Reo Tachibana seemed to be

    missing.

    "The fact that Hirai attacked and that Sensei is having nightmares¡­

    while these two may seem unrted on the surface, could there be

    some connection after all? Is it possible that this Hinako Haza or

    Risa Kobayakawa have some connection to either Shouhei Hirai or Reo

    Tachibana? It''s just a sudden thought I had, and it might not even be on

    the mark, but¡­ isn''t it possible?"

    Nobody spoke for a while as they contemted Seiji''s words.

    "Indeed," Natsuya agreed. "You should tell Houjou-san about these

    two people, and perhaps she''ll be able to find something out."

    Seiji immediately called Mai with his cell phone.

    Mai picked up promptly, and Seiji told her about the new information. After Mai agreed to look into it, she hung up the call.

    "Take another rest." Natsuya finished her tea and rose to her feet. "I need to

    make some preparations. Let''s begin in a bit."

    After saying that, she left.

    Seiji took another sip of his tea.

    "How will the treatment process work?" Saki asked.

    Seiji gave her an exnation of the process.

    "¡­And so, that''s how it is. Last time, when that girl''s soul was damaged, an intermediary was necessary in order to prevent additional damage. This time, there''s no damage to Sensei''s soul, so a direct examination should be possible. Of course, if it''s required, I can be the intermediary again and assist in the investigation just likest time. After we find the root cause in Sensei''s soul, we''ll think of a way to eliminate it."

    Saki nodded in understanding.

    After some time passed, Natsuya returned to the living room of the residence, dressed in her shrine maiden attire.

    Her outfit astonished Mayuzumi and Saki once again. Mayuzumi was especially astonished; her eyes began sparkling when Natsuya walked into the room.

    "It''s time to begin; please follow me," Natusya said.

    She led Seiji and the others to the room at the end of the second floor.

    The Yin-Yang diagram inscribed on the floor, the pentagram drawn on the

    ceiling, theck of windows, whitenterns, and runes and spell

    formations etched everywhere¡­ there was no end to the

    surprises for Mayuzumi and Saki, although Seiji had been in this room

    before.

    Natsuya had Mayuzumi lie down on the reclining chair and then cast

    her spell.

    Just likest time, she shook some bells and uttered an incantation.

    Natsuya stood beside the chair and touched Mayuzumi''s forehead

    before gradually closing her eyes as well.

    The room fell utterly silent.

    Seiji silently cast [Astral Vision] to see what was going on.

    He saw tworge spell formations, one above and one below the

    room, along with many spell formations all over. Each one was currently

    spinning and emitting a soft glow. Several of the runes were also glowing.

    The white-colorednterns now appeared to be many different colors,

    with many dots of light flying in and out of them. Although the dots of

    light seemed chaotic, there was actually a pattern to their movements, lending the room a beautiful atmosphere.

    Natsuya, who was standing in the very center of the room, was covered with many glowingyers of light. Strange emblems were now visible on her shrine maiden outfit. Her hand, which was ced on Mayuzumi''s forehead, suddenly shed a blinding white. The radiance engulfed

    Mayuzumi''s entire body, and gray waves rippled across the surface of her skin.

    After observing for a while, Seiji stopped using [Astral Vision] and decided to quietly wait for the results.

    Time passed just like this.

    Mayuzumi, still prone on the chair, suddenly moved. Her expression was ovee by pain and she shuddered. "No¡­ er¡­ ahh¡­" Mayuzumi mumbled.

    Her current condition was almost identical to her state on the monorail.

    "Mayuzumi!" Saki eximed in a concerned voice. She attempted to get

    closer, but was stopped by Seiji, who a hand on the editor''s shoulder and indicated that she

    shouldn''t interrupt.

    "Ugh¡­ no¡­ it hurts¡­ ahhhh¡­ urk¡­" Mayuzumi continued to mutter, and her trembling intensified. She was now sweating, and her eyebrows were deeply furrowed. It was

    obvious that she was in immense difort.

    Saki was even more worried now. She kept looking back and forth

    between Natsuya and Seiji with a look of panic on her face.

    Seiji shook his head at her.

    "Mayuzumi is in pain!" Saki shouted. "Why are we continuing!?"

    "I don''t know, but I believe in the president," Seiji said resolutely.

    "She knows when to continue and when to stop, and she won''t let

    Senseie to any real harm."

    Saki''s expression indicated that she was unable to ept this, but Seiji

    prevented her from interfering.

    She could only watch.

    Mayuzumi began panting heavily, and her face was now covered in sweat. Not only was her body violently shaking now, she even began twitching.

    This scene made Seiji ufortable as well. But he trusted in Natsuya

    and stayed where he was without moving while restraining

    the editor from taking action.

    The student council president also began sweating, and her hand was

    now shaking slightly. It was evident that she was doing her best to continue.

    This short period was extremely difficult to bear.

    Mayuzumi, who was now panting, had a pained expression as if she were suffocating. Her panting grew hoarse and breathy, and it began to sound worse and worse.

    "Stop it!" Saki couldn''t help but shout loudly. "Mayuzumi can''t take anymore!!"

    After a while, Natsuya slowly opened her eyes.

    Her hand stopped shaking, and she lifted it very slowly, removing it from

    Mayuzumi''s forehead.

    Mayuzumi''s pained expression finally started to ease up, and her breathing regained its normal rhythm.

    "How is Mayuzumi!?" Saki asked.

    "She''s alright and hasn''t been injured from this," Natsuya answered calmly. "There''s no need to worry."

    She lightly waved her hand and used a spell to remove all the sweat from the manga author''s face. Mayuzumi now looked as if she was sleeping naturally.

    The president also wiped off her own sweat. "Let her rest like this for a while."

    "How are you, President?" Seiji was concerned about her.

    "I''m fine as well¡­ just slightly tired," Natsuya answered while looking

    at him.

    When he saw the fatigue in the president''s expression, Seiji recalled that she had

    just left the hospitalst week and was still supposed to be resting at

    home now.

    "You''ve worked so hard, President," he said sincerely.

    Natsuya sighed. "I''m alright¡­ the one who''s truly had it hard is Amami-san."

 Chapter 293 - A Critical Piece of the Puzzle!

    <h4>Chapter 293: A Critical Piece of the Puzzle!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I detected a¡­ mysterious power in her soul that I couldn''t identify. It''s not apletely negative power, and it doesn''t seem to be demonic in nature, but nor is it a curse.

    "I tried to dispel it, but just as you witnessed, it put a burden on Amami-san''s body, and I failed to dispel it. Whenever I dispelled part of it, it would immediately regenerate. When I tried to venture deeper into her soul to try and locate a core or the spell''s main body, I failed as well. Trying to forcefully dispel it or going deeper into her soulyer would cause too much of an undue burden upon Amami-san. Also, this power¡­ feels incredibly strong. If it was activated at full force, perhaps Amami-san would¡­" Natsuya broke off.

    "Die?" Saki asked.

    "¡­It''s possible." Natsuya furrowed her brows. "It isn''t a wholly negative power, so it feels rather strange, and I can''t tell what would happen if it''s activated." Her face suddenly lit up. "Right," she eximed excitedly, "it''s rather simr to that mysterious Spiritual Creature that Uehara-san has!"

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise. ''What? Simr to Mika''s¡­ Mashiro-chan!? Isn''t this too much of a jump in connectedness?''

    "President, you''re saying that the curse Sensei''s been suffering under for ten years is¡­ the same as Mika''s Spiritual Creature!?"

    "No," Natsuya said, shaking her head, "that''s not what I meant. I just mean they feel simr. Uehara-san''s Spiritual Creature is living, while whatever is in Amami-san''s soul is some type of power. They''re fundamentally different. However, I feel that both of them have simr properties as they''re both chaotic and mysterious. Both of them don''t seem to be negative on the surface, yet I can vaguely sense something frightening hidden deep within¡­"

    Seiji fell silent as he contemted this.

    "At any rate, if this power is activatedpletely, Amami-san might undergo great pain, and, in the worst-case scenario, death is possible," Natsuya told them in a serious tone. "Even her soul and body¡­ might transform into something else. Compared to the other possible results, suffering from nightmares is rtively light as it is¡­ not that I''m saying suffering from nightmares is something to celebrate about. But¡­ Amami-san is incredibly fortunate to live peacefully until now with such a mysterious power hidden deep within her soul."

    There was a brief silence.

    Saki started tearing up. "It''s all because of me¡­"

    "Editor Yoshizawa, no matter how much you me yourself, you won''t help anyone," Seiji told her. "Nor would Sensei wish for you to act like this."

    The editor bit her lip as she looked at her sleeping friend. It seemed that Saki was on the verge of crying.

    "Currently," Natsuya continued, "I have two possible solutions for dealing with Amami-san''s nightmare problem.

    "The first is to find a Spiritual Ability user who''s more skilled than me and ask for that person''s assistance. The second is to investigate this power''s nature and find out the link between it and Mayuzumi''s nightmare before attempting to deal with it.

    "I personally rmend against the first method. That''s because even if we find a Spiritual Ability user stronger than I am in the area of soul curses and seed in getting that person to help us, there''s still no guarantee of being able to cure Amami-san.

    "And most importantly, there''s still no way to avoid the huge risk of dealing with this power head-on. The second method is probably safer. Having a better understanding of this ability will help in establishing the foundation for curing Amami-san."

    Seiji understood after hearing all this. "So you''re saying to not be too rash in trying to cure this immediately, and to take it slow, right?"

    Natsuya nodded in affirmation. "Indeed. Acting without caution could activate this power and cause everything to go kaboom."

    This was just like a bomb. Although they wanted to get rid of it somehow, they didn''t know the correct method to do so.

    If they tried to dismantle it, they might identally activate it, and that would spell the end of everything.

    First, they needed to understand this "explosive" and the conditions under which it would activate before attempting to stop it slowly but surely¡ªthis was the safest method.

    But, in the end, this was just a cycle. One question still remained unanswered: just what triggered the nightmares in the first ce?

    Sensei started having nightmares on the second night of the school festival. The only part worth mentioning was that she met Shouhei Hirai just prior, but they really didn''t have much contact at that time.

    So, this was a dead end.

    Seiji sank into silence once more.

    ¡­

    Mai was currently investigating.

    After she heard Seiji''s new information and his inferences, she started investigating Reo Tachibana and Shouhei Hirai''s family background.

    She discovered that Reo Tachibana''s parents were called Kazuya Tachibana and Hinako Tachibana, and Hinako Tachibana was Shouhei Hirai''s older sister. But, despite this, her maiden name was Hinako Haza!

    Why did this brother and sister have different family names?

    The most likely possibility that Mai could think of was that the siblings'' parents had divorced, and each parent had taken custody of one child. After that, the children took the family name of the parent they''d gone with.

    Mai didn''t intend to investigate this, as it wasn''t important.

    The important part was that Reo Tachibana''s mother was Hinako Haza¡ªthe literature club president who was the host of the Story of a Hundred Demons game from ten years ago!

    Just as her junior had guessed, there was a connection between the two incidents.

    Mai instantly called Seiji and told him about her findings. When Seiji heard this, he instantly felt like he had just received a critical piece of the puzzle!

    "Where is Hinako Haza currently?" Seiji asked.

    "She''s already passed away," Mai answered.

    Apparently, one year ago, the Tachibana family had been out on a vacation when a traffic ident urred.

    Both parents died at the scene, and only Reo survived. Afterwards, she was taken in by her uncle Shouhei Hirai.

    They were dead already, and the one-year anniversary of their death was yesterday!

    Seiji''s brain raced at top speed. Reo''s mother was Hinako Haza, the literature club president from ten years ago who had been cursed just like Mayuzumi Amami and had passed away already.

    As Reo was Hinako''s daughter, could it be that she "inherited" something from her mother?

    Assuming that Hinako Haza also had some sort of mysterious power affecting her just like Peach-sensei did, could this power be passed down and also affect her daughter?

    And if it was inherited?

    Taking this inference one step further, what if this power had been activated within Reo Tachibana!?

    The catalyst might very well have been the anniversary of her parents'' deaths!

    Perhaps Shouhei Hirai took Reo Tachibana to visit her parents'' graves and something might have urred, causing a change within her.

    When he came to this realization, Seiji felt that this must have been the case.

    He also thought about how Shouhei Hirai had never touched Sensei during the school festival.

    But as for Reo Tachibana¡­

    Seiji quickly turned to the manga author that already had woken up. "Sensei, I have a question for you! During the school festival, did Reo Tachibana, that is to say, Shouhei Hirai''s niece, touch you?"

    "Er¡­ yes." Mayuzumi was surprised by this question, and she pondered for a moment before replying. "At that time when she was lost¡­ it was because she ran into me that I noticed her."

    The story of the Hundred Demons game from ten years ago. The coincidental meeting at the school festival ten yearster.

    Was it truly just a coincidence?

    Seiji didn''t know.

    But what he had now confirmed was that Reo Tachibana had indeede into physical contact with Mayuzumi Amami.

    Mayuzumi''s nightmares began from the second night after the festival, and she was even ambushed by Shouhei Hirai, who was possessed by an undead spirit. Meanwhile, Reo Tachibana had gone missing, and it was likely that she was taken away by a Spiritual Ability user¡­

    Regardless of who or what beat up Hirai, was Reo''s disappearance really caused by someone forcefully taking her away? Or was it that she herself¡­

    Seiji''s eyes shed with light. "Perhaps there''s nobody behind all this at all. The perpetrator of all this was¡­"

 Chapter 294 - Whereâ€¦ Is My Mom?

    <h4>Chapter 294: Where¡­ Is My Mom?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Reo Tachibana was currently flying. She soared through the moonlit sky, gliding like a bird while observing the lights below her and feeling the gentle breeze of the wind.

    She couldn''t find who she was looking for anywhere, despite searching in every possible ce she could think of.

    ''Where¡­ is my mom? I want to see her. I want to hear her voice again. I want to be hugged by her and feel her warmth. Just where could she be?''

    Reo Tachibana kept flying, or perhaps it could be said that she was roaming.

    Suddenly, her eyes shed crimson red.

    ''I can feel it! Over in that direction, there''s¡­''

    A sensation resembling her mother''s.

    "It''sing!" Mai warned.

    Seiji instantly jumped out of the bed and hurried to the next room when he received Mai''s message. "Where!?"

    "Outside!"

    Right as those words faded, he saw it.

    A ball of pitch-ck mist appeared outside the window. Seiji cast [Astral Vision] and studied the ck mist.

    In his enhanced vision, he could see a strange winged figure within the ck mist. Its eyes shone a dull blood-red.

    "Hurry up and leave!" Mai shouted.

    Seiji instantly carried Mayuzumi, who had just gotten out of bed, in his arms as he cast the [Body-Strengthening Spell] upon himself and dashed off at top speed.

    The ck-mist-enshrouded figure broke the window and rushed into the room.

    Mai unleashed the spells that had previously been cast on the house as a trap.

    Various spell formations appeared and shot out numerous chains that tangled themselves around the ck mist!

    *Boom!!*

    The ck mist continued on its path.

    Not only did it smash through all the chains and spell formations, it even knocked Mai into the wall with its heavy force!

    "It''s strong¡­" Mai furrowed her brows as she pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it.

    A low explosion shook the entire room.

    Seiji carried Mayuzumi out of the hotel and kept running down the street, jumping over all sorts of walls along the way until he reached Genhana High School''s grounds.

    He put Mayuzumi down on the practice field.

    "Um¡­" The manga author looked back in the direction they just came from.

    Seiji turned around to see that the ck mist had followed them at a high speed!

    "Reo Tachibana, is that you!?" he asked.

    There was no response to his question.

    The ck mist continued to approach closer.

    When the demon spirits defending the school grounds attacked it, the ck mist responded with a wide area-of-effect mist that instantly destroyed the nearby demon spirits and other defenses.

    Seiji also felt the impact but stood his ground and protected Mayuzumi using his body.

    The ck mist was very strong, but¡­

    *Boom!*

    Just as the ck mist got close to the two of them, a high-speed bullet of light hit the ck mist and exploded into blinding white light!

    The ck mist was forcefully dissipated, and the figure within the mist was sent flying over ten meters away.

    Before Seiji could even see the figure''s appearance, it was surrounded by ck mist yet again.

    *Boom!!*

    A second bullet of light struck the ck mist and sent the figure flying once more, dissipating the ck mist surrounding it.

    Seiji looked in the direction that the bullet of light came from and saw Mai holding on to a heavy sniper rifle.

    The girl with a sniper rifle had one hundred percent uracy. The scene from theser-tag game had now recreated itself.

    But this time, Mai didn''t have an imitationser sniper rifle in her hands. She had an evenrger, fiercer-looking real version!

    It was a magical anti-spiritual sniper rifle, customized just for her¡­

    She lifted her gun, aimed, and fired!

    *Boom!!*

    The strong recoil of the sniper rifle shook her body slightly and lifted her dark gray hair as if it had been blown by a breeze.

    This scene was rather impactful, and Seiji could only inwardly exim at seeing it.

    Behind him, Mayuzumi was also stunned at the sight.

    When they looked towards the figure in the ck mist again, they saw that the ck mist had finally been destroyed.

    After being struck by three consecutive shots, the figure no longer released any more dark mist, and they were now able to see her true form.

    As expected, she was Reo Tachibana!

    The figure was a little girl in a red one-piece dress. She had messy hair and a nk expression, and her eyes were glowing crimson red.

    There also seemed to be an ethereal figure behind her which had almost taken material form.

    This figure was a beautiful woman with long light green hair. Her body was covered with green feathers, and she even had a pair of wings just like a bird''s.

    Her eyes were closed and she had a faint smile as she enveloped Reo in a hug.

    She seemed just like a mother.

    When Seiji looked closer, the woman''s appearance greatly resembled Reo''s.

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise. ''Could she be¡­ Hinako Haza!? Did she possess her own daughter!? Or is this merely an image?''

    While he was wondering this, Reo raised her hand and pointed towards the sniper-rifle-wielding Mai that was quite a distance from her.

    Mai decisively shot her fourth bullet of light!

    Numerous green feathers shot out and forced the bullet of light to explode in midair. Immediately afterwards, the green feathers continued on and shot towards Mai!

    Mai tossed her sniper rifle into the air, grabbed another grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it while casting a shield barrier to protect herself from the grenade''s explosion.

    Then, she caught her sniper rifle, speedily changed the magazine, and began firing again while her shield barrier blocked the green feathers!

    This time, she shot blue bullets of light that had a sharper tip and left a color trail in the air as they flew towards her target and pierced through numerous patches of green feathers.

    Reo was knocked back by these blue bullets of light, but she managed to stop herself in midair.

    She lifted her hands, causing the ethereal figure behind her to envelop her with its wings, and countless feathers gathered together and speedily formed into a gigantic green ball of light.

    Mai shot another piercing bullet at Reo, but the bullet of light evaporated in midair as it approached Reo''s green ball of light!

    ''This is bad! If Reo fires that green ball of light, it''ll be unblockable!'' Seiji clenched his fists. ''It''s up to you¡­ Shika-chan!''

    A sharp de suddenly appeared at Reo''s back from the shadows, and silver runes shed on the snow-white de. It was the Demon de Muramasa.

    *sh!*

    The de descended towards Reo!

    The de sliced through the green-haired woman''s ethereal figure andnded right on the little girl''s head.

    Reo took a direct impact from this and trembled. Her eyes turned even nker, and the green-haired woman''s ethereal figure disappeared.

    Reo copsed, falling forward.

    Shika Kagura reached out and grabbed Reo, instantly dragging her away from her current location.

    The green ball of light that had gone out of control started shaking¡­ and exploded!

    *Boom!!!*

    After a blinding green sh, a huge crater appeared in the area it exploded in.

    "Shika-chan!" Seiji called.

    "I''m fine, Brother."

    Seiji heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his adopted sister was indeed uninjured.

    After learning the result of Mai''s investigation, he inferred that it was Reo Tachibana¡­ or perhaps the already-deceased Hinako Haza''s mysterious power that caused this incident.

    Reo Tachibana inherited the mysterious power from her mother, and her power had been activated.

    Shouhei Hirai had been affected and was changed into that strange form. He was then forced into attacking Peach-sensei, who also possessed this same mysterious power.

    After Hirai was defeated, the next person who would attack would naturally be Reo herself. That is to say, Seiji had guessed that Reo Tachibana would attack Mayuzumi Amami, just like how Shouhei Hirai had!

    And if his inference was on the mark, how should they respond?

    Seiji had discussed it with everyone and crafted the n that they put into motion, with everything happening as they had nned it.

    They remained vignt and made their preparations as they intentionally moved to a hotel that was close to Genhana High School.

    The moment that Reo appeared, Mai would be in charge of slowing her down, while Seiji would take the chance to lure Mayuzumi to the school grounds.

    When Reo came chasing after them, Seiji would be in charge of protecting Mayuzumi while Mai fought with Reo and diverted her attention.

    Shika Kagura would ambush Reo from behind and take her down without harming her life.

    If Reo''s strength was too powerful, then they would have to ask Natsuya Yoruhana toe help them as well.

    Natsuya was still recuperating from her previous duel. Seiji really didn''t want to ask so much of her.

    Luckily, everything went ording to n, and, in the end, they didn''t need to rely on the student council president.

    Mai approached the now-unconscious Reo and cast a spell on her to seal her powers.

    "Can that child¡­ return to normal?" Mayuzumi asked.

 Chapter 295 - Please Listen and Understand These Words!

    <h4>Chapter 295: Please Listen and Understand These Words!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I don''t know," Seiji answered. "It depends on the situation."

    After a momentary silence, Mayuzumi looked up at Seiji''s face. "Thank you so much for protecting me, Haruta-kun," she said, bowing respectfully.

    "Sensei¡­"

    "If it wasn''t for you, I¡­ I really don''t know what would have happened. I''ll remember this debt I owe you for the rest of my life," the manga author told him in a serious voice.

    "Please raise your head, Sensei," Seiji said softly. "I''ve received your gratitude. I actually didn''t do all that much; Houjou-senpai, President Yoruhana, and Shika-chan were the ones who contributed the greatest."

    "Of course everyone else is deserving of thanks as well, but the one I should thank most is still you." Mayuzumi lifted her head and something shed in her eyes. "It''s truly wonderful that I was able to get to know you, Haruta-kun. You''re a truly cool boy." Her face was tinged with red as she expressed the words in her heart.

    Upon receiving such honest and direct praise from the beautiful manga author, Seiji''s face started to redden as well, and he awkwardly averted his gaze.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of things¡­

    "Mommy¡­" a weak voice muttered.

    Of course, it was Reo Tachibana.

    She didn''t open her eyes. Instead, she was muttering to herself as if she were still in a dream.

    Mai, who was still in the process of sealing Reo''s powers, furrowed her brows upon hearing this. Shika, who was still standing beside Mai, unsheathed her Demon de Muramasa again.

    "Mommy¡­ it hurts¡­ I''m so scared¡­" The little girl slowly raised her hands towards the sky, as if she wanted to grab something. At the same time, tears also starteding out of her eyes. "Mommy¡­ please wake up¡­"

    The ck mist suddenly surged out explosively again!

    The world before Shika and Mai was instantly wreathed in darkness, and they heard a mor as if countless people were making noise. To them, it felt as if something enormous and fearsome had suddenlye into existence.

    Both of them reflexively tried to escape. While doing so, they were attacked.

    They could neither see nor hear anything. They could only instinctively counterattack in the direction that the attack came from, but after doing so, they were attacked even more aggressively than before.

    They both instinctively attacked back as they escaped. However, this darkness seemed to have no end, or perhaps it should be said that they had lost their sense of direction and didn''t know how to escape.

    Seiji saw the ck mist suddenly erupt in their area and hurriedly observed the situation with [Astral Vision] again.

    He saw many ethereal figures popping in and out of the ck mist, as well as¡­ Shika and Mai fighting against each other!

    One was wielding the Demon de while the other was attacking with both a handgun and a short sword as they fiercely shed.

    ''What''s going on!?'' Seiji was astonished by the situation.

    Those ethereal figures were¡­ undead spirits! They were what possessed Shouhei Hirai.

    Why did they suddenly appear!? Were Shika and Mai possessed by them!?

    A painful groan suddenly sounded beside him.

    When Seiji reflexively turned to look, he saw Mayuzumi clutching her head and kneeling on the ground. Light gray mist was seeping out from her body!

    "No¡­ this¡­ don''t¡­" she said, obviously in great difort. "STOP!!!!"

    When Mayuzumi suddenly shouted, Seiji instantly felt as if something had exploded within his brain. His head rung with an enormous sound, and he saw a chaotic scene: countless colors, endless darkness, and an infinite amount of figures¡­

    It seemed like a short yet also long time to him.

    *Whoosh!*

    He made a strange sound as he exhaled forcefully, and his vision recovered to normal. His head ached, and he felt rather dizzy. His body felt rather light.

    "Sensei¡­"

    He saw that Mayuzumi had copsed on the ground.

    When he looked over to the others, he saw that the ck mist and undead spirits had all disappeared. Shika and Mai had also copsed on the ground.

    "Shika-chan! Senpai!!" Seiji shouted loudly.

    Then, he saw that both of them started moving.

    Shika Kagura grasped her Demon de tightly to support her body and barely managed to stand up again.

    Mai clutched her head as she stood up rather shakily. Both of them seemed like they didn''t know what had just happened, but they had now regained their senses.

    Seiji heaved a sigh of relief before inspecting Mayuzumi''s condition.

    Her forehead was burning up¡­ she had a fever!

    ''Why is she like this? Just what exactly happened!?'' Seiji recalled the earlier situation. ''The ck mist came from Reo, but Sensei¡­ stopped her?''

    He was unsure.

    Seiji picked Mayuzumi up and carried her in his arms as he walked towards Shika and Mai.

    "Brother¡­"

    "Junior¡­"

    "Are you two alright?" Seiji asked.

    Shika and Mai both indicated that they were lightly injured, but it wasn''t anything serious. Seiji told them about what he had just witnessed¡ªthat the two of them had been fighting each other.

    Both girls were astonished to hear this.

    "I¡­ was under the impression that I was fighting against demons," Mai said in a shocked voice.

    "Same here," Shika agreed.

    A brief period of silence fell between them.

    Mai sighed. "It managed to confuse both of us¡­ her power is rather frightening."

    Shika nodded with a grim expression on her face.

    Seiji also sighed. "Luckily, you''re all okay."

    He then exined what happened afterwards.

    "I think that Sensei might have stopped something worse from happening, but I''m not sure just what happened¡­ we''ll have to ask the president toe and check the situation."

    Mai nodded in agreement and nced over at Reo, who was still lying copsed on the ground.

    Whatever explosive power that Reo Tachibana had used just now¡­ was out of the scope of Mai''s powers; she couldn''t control it.

    Mai took out her cell phone and called Natsuya.

    When the student council president heard the maid''s summary of the situation, she said that she woulde over immediately.

    After conducting a detailed inspection and observation of both Reo and Mayuzumi, Natsuya sighed and said, "They''ve been connected together.

    "It''s a connection that can''t be seen on the surface, as it''s in the soulyers. It''s just like what I did to Harano-kun and Kagura-sanst time. Amami-san and Reo Tachibana are currently in a simr state. And based on Harano-kun''s description of the event, the most likely scenario is that Amami-san made a connection with Tachibana and prevented her from losing control.

    "So, what that means is that Amami-san''s consciousness is probably within Reo Tachibana''s soul. In order for Amami-san to wake up, we must have her consciousness return to her body, and in order to do that, we must first locate her consciousness within Tachibana''s soul.

    "And right now, Reo Tachibana''s soul is currently filled with this mysterious power that''s been activated. Casting spells in such a condition will be an unknown for me¡­ but if we don''t locate Amami-san''s consciousness, judging by her current condition¡­ she might not live to next morning."

    A cold night breeze blew past everyone.

    Seiji frowned upon hearing this. "This is all unknown¡­ does this mean that you won''t be able to guarantee even your own safety, President?"

    "Indeed," Natsuya replied.

    "Is there a method to keep yourself safe while casting a spell to venture within Reo Tachibana''s soul?"

    "There is," Natsuya replied.

    "What is it?" Seiji asked.

    Natsuya averted her gaze. "¡­I don''t want to say it."

    "It''s actually the same method asst time, isn''t it? Someone must act as the intermediary to enter the soul and conduct an investigation." Seiji''s eyes shed with light. "In such a scenario, President, you would only have to observe from the side and you could avoid any danger in time."

    The president remained silent.

    "You don''t want to say it, because you don''t want me to think of and request to use this method again." Seiji smiled. "Thanks for your concern, President. But I''ve already guessed it for myself now, and I want to use this method again. I request that you use this method to cast a spell to enable me to enter Reo Tachibana''s soul and save Peach-sensei!"

    "Stop being stupid!" Natsuya said sharply, looking back towards Seiji. "This time, the risk is on apletely different scale from before! It''s the unknown !! Please listen and understand these words!!!"

 Chapter 296 - A Little Girls Soul Shouldnt Be like This!

    <h4>Chapter 296: A Little Girl''s Soul Shouldn''t Be like This!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I understand quite clearly," Seiji said calmly. "What you mean is that I might die, or even meet a fate more terrifying than death. But that''s also only a possibility. The fact of the matter is that Reo Tachibana is still alive, and she hasn''t transformed into a monster or anything like that. Sensei is also alive as well, although she''s burning up with fever. Even if this power has activated itself, it didn''t immediately kill them, which proves that it isn''t something incredibly dangerous.

    "I''m really strong in the soul realms. You know this as well, President. Before, you told me that I''m very talented in this area and suitable for this type of task. Not only did I perform better than you expected that time, didn''t I also block an unexpected ambush?

    "I believe that I''ll be fine! If I really do meet with a dangerous situation, President, you''ll definitely be able to cancel the soul spell in time! When you think about it closely, it''s actually pretty safe!!" Seiji shed a brilliant smile.

    "Safe? The hell!!" Natsuya retorted forcefully. She really felt like shouting as loudly as possible just now.

    Her face was crimson and her emotions were in turmoil as she stared at the handsome boy before her.

    ''Idiot idiot idiot¡­ even though he''s handsome and cool, he''s still basically an idiot!'' Those were the scion''s current thoughts.

    However, her bodypletely betrayed her words and thinking.

    Her heartbeat rapidly increased, and she found it difficult to suppress herself as Seiji was just too cool right now.

    He was courageous, resolute, and fearless. Those were all qualities that she found attractive.

    However, Natsuya wasn''t the only person attracted by those qualities. Shika Kagura was looking at her adopted brother with sparkling eyes, and Mai was also looking at this idiot junior of hers with a gentle expression.

    Saki, who had arrived here together with Natsuya, didn''t entirely understand the content of what was said, but she understood that Seigo Harano was willing to risk his life in order to save Mayuzumi, which moved her immensely.

    Another night breeze blew past them. However, this time, none of them felt that it was chilly.

    "Please, President," Seiji implored, looking into Natsuya''s eyes.

    ''His look, his tone¡­ it''s just like cheating!''

    The student council president was unable to refuse. She sighed deeply. "Alright¡­"

    They were currently gathered at the president''s mansion, in the room which she used for casting soul spells.

    "Brother¡­ you absolutely have to be careful," Shika warned.

    "Junior, I believe that you can do it." Mai smiled.

    "Harano¡­ I leave Mayuzumi up to you." Saki bowed deeply.

    "Please raise your head, Editor Yoshizawa." Seiji smiled. "Leave everything to me!"

    And then, he went to the chair andid upon it. Reo Tachibana was to his left, Mayuzumi was to his right, and he held on to bothdies'' hands. He rxed his body and closed his eyes.

    Natsuya began casting her spell. She shook her bells and uttered an incantation.

    Seiji''s consciousness gradually became hazy¡­

    "Harano-kun!"

    Seiji suddenly opened his eyes when he heard someone calling him. He discovered that he was currently high in the sky, and falling downwards at a rapid speed!

    All he could see was a dark haze with many shadowy figures shing and dancing within it.

    He began imagining. ''Come, Iron Man''s armor!''

    After a bright sh, he was encased in a mighty-looking golden-red armor.

    He covered his face with a golden mask, and mes shot out from his armored feet and hands, stopping him from falling any further.

    This was a special situation where he could meet with danger the very instant he entered Reo''s soul realm, which was why Natsuya cast a spell on him from the beginning. This way, he could use his imagination to create whatever he wanted in the soul realm to protect himself.

    Suddenly, a few ck shadows shot towards Seiji. Seiji stopped emitting mes from his hands. Instead, he transformed them intosers which vaporized the dark shadows.

    Looking up, he saw an endless stream of dark shadows rush towards him. He imagined that he was covered by aser barrier, and this automatically vaporized all the approaching shadows.

    "Harano-kun, are you alright?" Natsuya asked.

    "I''m fine; the situation is stable for now," Seiji replied. He then went on to exin the situation. "I''m going to head down to check things out."

    He lowered the intensity of the mesing from his feet and slowed his speed as he descended to the ground.

    Momentster, he exited the haze, and his vision finally returned.

    What he saw was¡­ a city!

    Seiji stopped in midair. His eyes were globes as he attempted to make sense of the scene beneath him.

    Below him was an incredibly strange "city" that couldn''t exist in real life. Wood and concrete, modern and ancient, regal and broken-down¡ªevery type of building material and style was present. Some structures wereid out in a neat and orderly fashion, while others were chaotically spread out. A few were even stacked on top of each other in a gross vition of thews of physics!

    Countless ck and gray shadows roamed around the city, yet there were also figures that seemed like normal humans walking around. The streets held a bewildering mixture of cars. horse-drawn carriages, and misceneous animals. In addition to this, there were a few strange, indescribable entities strolling about as well¡­

    *ck ck ck¡ª*

    Seiji heard something approach and turned around to see a monorail pass by!

    He was dazed as he watched this long monorail pass him by. He could see figures of humans as well as strange shapes within the monorail.

    After the monorail faded off into the distance, he looked up at the sky and saw various flying creatures and objects flying everywhere under the dark clouds.

    Blimps, airnes, hot air balloons, dragons, demons, shadows, figures on magic carpets, figures on brooms¡­

    *Whoosh*

    A somewhat stereotypical UFO whizzed past him. There were arge number of zombie-like creaturesying on top of it.

    Seiji''s mind was upied by one overwhelming thought: ''This is¡­ incredibly strange! A little girl''s soul shouldn''t be like this!''

    The only exnation for this was the mysterious power. He told everything that he witnessed to the president.

    Natsuya was surprised to hear this.

    "I didn''t expect it to be like this," she said. "It''s truly abnormal. At least it doesn''t seem highly dangerous for the time being, which is good. Just proceed carefully, Harano-kun¡­ try your best not to incite those strange things."

    "Can I trymunicating with those figures that look like humans?" Seiji asked.

    "I think¡­ it''s best not to. Our goal is to find Amami-san''s consciousness, and anything that might cause us trouble should be avoided." Natsuya paused for a moment. "But that''s just my opinion, and you''re the one taking actions there, so you should decide the best course of action by yourself. Communicating with those people might even help you to find out relevant information¡­ if those ''people'' are truly able tomunicate at all."

    Seiji understood. "I got it."

    Everything here was unknown, and even the president didn''t know what he should do. Seiji looked around this enormous city.

    Finding Peach-sensei''s consciousness in such arge area would be incredibly difficult.

    Although talking with people here might incur some risk, as long as he could obtain some information¡­ he decided to give it a try.

    Seiji descended to the ground. He avoided the chaotic-seeming ces andnded on a rtively orderly roadside.

    ''Should I cancel my armor transformation?'' he asked himself. ''There are so many strange things going on around here¡­ I probably shouldn''t.''

    And so, Seiji still wore the Iron Man suit while he spoke to a person passing by.

    "Hello, I''d like to ask¡­" He greeted a jacketed man that walked past him.

    However, the man seemed as if he didn''t hear Seiji. He continued onwards without even slowing down.

    "Excuse me!" Seiji called loudly.

    Seiji chased after the man and blocked his way. The jacketed man crashed into his hand and stopped.

    "Sorry," Seiji started, "but I have a question I''d like to ask¡­"

    Seiji talked to the man, but the man didn''t react or move at all. There was no change in the man''s expression, and he kept looking straight ahead of him.

    Seiji waved his hand in front of the man''s face.

    No reaction.

    Seiji ced his hand on the man''s shoulder.

    Still no reaction.

    Seiji let go and unblocked the man''s way. The man started walking again and continued onwards as if nothing whatsoever had happened.

    Seiji watched him leave and blinked in surprise.

    "Is he¡­ an NPC?" he muttered.

 Chapter 297 - Ive Already Stayed Here for More Than Five Months

    <h4>Chapter 297: I''ve Already Stayed Here for More Than Five Months</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After the jacketed man left, Seiji attempted to interact with other humans as well as non-humans.

    No matter what he did or said in front of everything and everyone, they all had zero reaction and continued to do whatever they were doing.

    Seiji was now certain that all of them were simr to NPCs!

    NPC stood for non-yer character. These characters weremon in just about every game.

    Seiji had yed various open-world RPG games in his past life, such as Assassin''s Creed , The Witcher , and so on. There wererge amounts of realistic NPCs in those games that walked, talked, and performed various actions.

    But no matter how realistic they were, they were still only fake humans that would act ording to their programmed actions, just like puppets or humanoid androids that were capable of moving on their own.

    All the living creatures in this city were like NPCs¡­ although Seiji hadn''t explored the entire city, he believed that this was likely to be the case.

    He didn''t try anything too extreme as a test, for example breaking the scenery, because he didn''t know what would happen. If he was viewed as an enemy invader and every creature here ganged up on him, that would be bad.

    This wasn''t a game, after all.

    He couldn''t find out any information¡­ so how was he supposed to find Sensei''s consciousness?

    Seiji thought about it, and tried imagining a dog that would be able to track Sensei down!

    This tactic failed.

    He tried imagining being able to cast a spell that would directly help him see Sensei''s location.

    This also failed.

    He tried to imagine a spell that would allow him to view the entire city!

    Another failure.

    Everything he tried ended up failing.

    Was he really going to have to search through this entire city by himself?

    He wracked his brains for a solution. If Sensei''s consciousness was still awake, then¡­

    Seiji thought of another method, so he decided to fly into the sky and imagine arge cannon.

    ''Fire!''

    The cannon shot out a burst of light that exploded into brilliant, longsting fireworks!

    Seiji observed all the living creatures'' reactions. There was no reaction from anything, which was very good for him.

    He continued flying above the city and shot fireworks everywhere.

    If Mayuzumi''s consciousness was still awake, then she would surely notice him upon seeing these fireworks!

    Seiji also imagined a holographic projector and made it continuously project his image in the sky. The enormous hologram version of himself flew back and forth above the city, and it caused Seiji to feel rather embarrassed.

    After doing this for a while, he suddenly saw a small firework shoot up from a part of the city!

    Seiji instantly flew in that direction.

    He arrived at an apartment.

    Standing in front of the apartment on the street was¡­

    "Sensei!"

    Seiji flew in Mayuzumi''s direction.

    The manga author stood there dazed as she watched the golden-red iron-armored figure descend from the sky andnd next to her.

    Seiji opened up the mask to reveal his face.

    "I finally found you, Sensei!"

    "Harano-kun, how did you¡­"

    "I imagined this iron suit of armor. How is it? Pretty cool, right?" Seiji made what he imagined to be a cool-looking pose.

    "¡­It is pretty cool." Mayuzumi blinked. "But what I wanted to ask was¡­"

    "Why I''m here, right?" Seiji chuckled. "Of course, I''m here to find you!"

    "Harano-kun¡­" Mayuzumi''s eyes sparkled.

    "We can''t waste any time here; you''ll learn the situation anyways once you wake up in real life. We should leave this ce immediately." Seiji paused here for a moment. "President, did you hear me earlier? I found Sensei!"

    There was no response.

    "President!?"

    Seiji felt an ominous premonition. He shouted for Natsuya several more times, but received no response at all!

    ''Did something happen? Is it that my voice can''t reach her? Or did something happen in the outside world!?''

    Seiji''s expression became serious.

    Mayuzumi watched him quietly.

    "I apologize, Sensei¡­ maybe something has happened," Seiji exined. "It should be fine after we wait for a while."

    "My apologies, Harano-kun. You''ve been trapped here as well because of me," Mayuzumi said, sighing.

    "It''s just a small problem. I''ve already located you, and as long as the president can get in contact with me again, she can wake both of us up." Seiji smiled reassuringly. "No need to worry. The president is quite strong. She''ll definitely be able to handle things."

    Mayuzumi remained silent and lowered her head slightly.

    "By the way, did you¡­ meet with anything here in this world?" Seiji asked her out of concern.

    "No¡­ I wasn''t harmed," Mayuzumi answered softly. "It''s just¡­ Harano-kun¡­ how much time has passed outside in the real world?"

    ''Time?''

    "In the real world¡­ from when I discovered that Sensei fainted to when I entered, I think it was slightly over one hour," Seiji replied.

    After all, the preparations for casting the spell to enter Reo Tachibana''s soul had taken some time.

    "As I thought¡­" Mayuzumi slowly lifted her head. "Time here flows differently to time outside."

    "Eh?"

    "I''ve already stayed here for over five months, Harano¡­ no, Haruta-kun," she said in a grave tone, looking up into his eyes.

    ''Over five months?'' Seiji was astonished at this. ''Over five months!?''

    He inwardly repeated it one more time.

    Peach-sensei had a serious expression, and she obviously wasn''t joking. She¡­ Mayuzumi Amami had really stayed inside this soul world for over five months!

    Yet only an hour had passed in the real world.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    el World , Inception , Interster ¡­ and other such anime and movies shed through his mind.

    Time flowing at different rates was amon urrence in many anime, manga, and movies. The Room of Spirit and Time from Dragonball was a ssic example.

    Staying one year in that room would only cause one day to pass in the real world.

    And¡­ Sensei''s experience was even more exaggerated! The time ratio wasn''t one day to one year¡ªshe''d spent almost half a year in the world while a mere hour had passed in the real world!

    Seiji fell silent. He didn''t know what to say anymore, and could only look at Mayuzumi nkly.

    Mayuzumi also looked back at him. After a while, she retracted her gaze.

    "Follow me," the manga author said, walking into the apartment.

    Seiji followed after her. He cancelled the iron-armor transformation as he entered the apartment.

    They took the elevator to an upper floor.

    After exiting the elevator, they started walking down the corridor. A middle-aged woman walked up to them and warmly greeted Mayuzumi when she saw her.

    Seiji''s gaze focused on the woman. Although the middle-aged woman had greeted the manga author warmly, she hadn''t even spared him a nce.

    Mayuzumi also responded to the woman as if she were talking to an ordinary neighbor. Afterwards, the woman walked off.

    Seiji followed Mayuzumi to her apartment. The inside of the room¡­ was unfamiliar to him.

    "This is the Tachibana residence," Mayuzumi exined. "This is where Reo Tachibana and her parents lived."

    "Reo¡­"

    "She''s currently at school, her father is overseas on an extended long-term business trip, and her mother is¡­ me."

    Seiji was astonished for the umpteenth time upon hearing this.

    "She''s treating me as her mother," Mayuzumi said, sighing. "If I deny it, she''ll start crying and make everything around here turn really frightening."

    "I can understand¡­ I have a simr experience." Seiji recalled meeting the younger version of Shika.

    This was Reo Tachibana''s soul. She had the power to influence the entire environment here, not to mention there was also some mysterious power present.

    Mayuzumi would bepletely unable to defy Reo.

    "In the past five months, I''ve always been living together with her. That child¡­ it''s as if she''s living in a dream, and she can''t sense anything abnormal here. I apany her and follow her will by doing anything she wants, and I haven''t been harmed, but still¡­ At first, I still wondered what I should do, and tried various things, but¡­ none of it worked. And finally, I began getting used to it¡­"

    Mayuzumi looked towards Seiji again. "When you appeared, at first I thought that I was finally hallucinating, and didn''t react at all.

    "Thank you foring to find me, and I''m so sorry that you''ve also been trapped here¡­ Even though maybe I shouldn''t be saying this at such a time, but¡­ I''m really happy¡­"

    A faint smile spread across the manga author''s face. "I''m truly happy¡­ to see you again."

    Crystal-clear tears began to roll down from her eyes.

 Chapter 298 - Do Your Best to Get Along Well with Him

    <h4>Chapter 298: Do Your Best to Get Along Well with Him</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Sensei¡­" Seiji was moved to his core.

    He wanted to say something but felt that words were insufficient to describe how moved he was. Instead, he chose to walk over to Mayuzumi and hug her.

    "Haruta-kun¡­" Mayuzumi was obviously surprised by his sudden action.

    And then, she slowly closed her eyes and hugged the boy back. After a few moments, she began crying

    "Wah¡­ wahh¡­ wahhh¡­"

    She had been stuck here for over five months. Even she herself was unable to put her torturous experience into words.

    At this moment, Seiji had finally appeared to save her, and it was Mayuzumi''s first opportunity to vent her emotions since she''d arrived in the soul world.

    "Wahh¡­ wahhh¡­"

    Fear, pain, loneliness, difort¡­ various emotions finally broke through her numbed emotions and poured out together with her tears.

    ''You''ve been so strong, Sensei¡­ Mayuzumi,'' Seiji thought solemnly.

    He hugged her tightly and allowed her tears to dampen his shirt.

    A long timeter.

    Mayuzumi finally stopped crying and let go of him. She smiled at Seiji despite her reddened eyes.

    Seiji also smiled back at her.

    What were they supposed to do next?

    The first thing that came to mind was to wait.

    Wait and believe that Natsuya Yoruhana would be able to take care of the problem on her side and contact Seiji again, no matter what the problem was.

    Seiji trusted the president.

    But how long would they have to wait?

    One hour in reality was equal to almost half a year here.

    With that ratio, even if it took only ten minutes to deal with whatever problem that cropped up, they would have to wait for nearly one month in the soul world.

    Optimistically thinking about it, it might take less than ten minutes.

    But pessimistically¡­ it would take half a year or even a full year!

    Seiji felt that it was best not to run down this avenue of thought anymore.

    The most important task they had was finding a way of convincing Reo Tachibana to ept the truth.

    They had to tell her that her mother had already passed away, and that Mayuzumi Amami was someone else. They had to help her to truly ept that her mother was no longer in this world, so that she would release Mayuzumi.

    This was something that Mayuzumi had tried already. However, she''d failed.

    If he tried again¡­ would he be able to seed?

    ''This question is meaningless, as I have yet to try my absolute best!''

    He felt that it was pointless to wait without doing anything.

    Although it was possible that the president would contact him before he could convince Reo and they would seed in breaking free, making an effort to do something was always better than standing around and doing nothing.

    Perhaps the president would be able to contact him after he convinced Reo. That was why he absolutely had to convince Reo.

    And if¡­ he couldn''t convince her, and they waited for too long, what else could they do?

    Kill Reo Tachibana?

    No! No matter if it was even possible or not, she was only an elementary school girl.

    She was just a girl that had lost both of her parents in a traffic ident.

    Everything was due to that ident, Hinako Haza''s death, and the mysterious power that she had identally summoned ten years ago.

    Reo Tachibana was innocent. In fact, she was a victim as well.

    To kill such a young and innocent girl¡­ Seiji was unable to do such a thing. So, if it came to it, he would choose to load.

    Unless things came to a dead end, he decided to try his very best to do what he should do.

    "Sensei, let''s discuss Reo Tachibana¡­" Seiji said after he had finished contemting.

    Reo Tachibana returned home.

    She was rather surprised to see a rather handsome older boy rxing on her sofa at home.

    ''Who is he?'' she thought to herself.

    "Hello, little sister Tachibana." Seiji smiled at her. "Do you still remember me?"

    "Hello, big brother." Reo blinked questioningly. "Who are you?"

    She didn''t remember him, just as Peach-sensei had told him.

    Reo had forgotten meeting Peach-sensei and him at the school festival.

    "It seems that you don''t remember¡­ well, there''s no helping it, since we only met once. It was when you went to go y at Genhana High School''s festival together with your uncle." Seiji continued to smile.

    "My uncle?" Reo echoed, confused. "I haven''t yed together with my uncle in a really long time."

    She had forgotten an entire year''s worth of memories together with Shouhei Hirai! In her mind, her parents had never died, and simrly, she had never been adopted by her uncle.

    "That''s why you wouldn''t remember me; it''s¡­ been so long." Seiji maintained his smile as his eyes shed. "Let''s get to know each other again. My name is Seigo Harano. I''m your mother''s friend."

    "Mother''s¡­ friend?"

    At this moment, Mayuzumi entered the living room.

    "Mom!" Reo called excitedly.

    "Wee home, Reo," Mayuzumi said warmly.

    "This big brother says that he''s your friend, Mom¡­"

    "Yes, he is." Mayuzumi smiled as she nced at Seiji. "He''s your mother''s good friend. Due to some issues, he''s going to start living here from today onwards. Get along well with him, Reo."

    "Eh¡­ live here!?" The little girl''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "That''s right. Sorry to bother you with this temporary stay." Seiji chuckled. "I won''t live here for free. I''ll help your mother out with the chores, and I can even help you with your homework or y games together with you."

    "I¡­ I don''t need you to help me! Nor do I need you to y with me!" The little girl automatically rejected him.

    "No need to say that; your mother told us to get along. Let''s be friends, Reo-chan."

    "Don''t call me Reo-chan!" the little girl said, snorting.

    "How about little sister Tachibana?"

    "That''s no good either!"

    "Sister Reo."

    "So disgusting!"

    "Little sister Reo~"

    "Even worse!" The little girl kept up a stream of forceful retorts.

    Seiji enjoyed his yful talk with Reo and cleverly manipted the topic of conversation so that she imperceptibly started to lose her feelings of rejection towards him.

    Mayuzumi smiled as she watched all this.

    Actually, she was quite nervous inside, because if Reo didn''t ept him, then¡­

    Fortunately, what she worried about didn''te to happen.

    Although Reo didn''t seem too happy, she epted this sudden strange big brother and agreed to allow him to live in her home.

    That night, Mayuzumi and Seiji cooked a huge feast together.

    During dinner, Seiji used appropriate conversation topics to have a fun discussion with the "family" and told them all sorts of interesting stories.

    Reo felt that this dinner was a lot livelier than usual, and her mother also smiled a lot more as well. She had lots of fun.

    This big brother¡­ didn''t seem bad to her at all.

    Later, when she was doing her homework, this big brother really dide and help her.

    Under his instruction, shepleted all the questions easily, even the ones she felt were difficult. Homework was over with so much faster than was typical!

    Afterwards, they yed games together.

    Reo yed together with him on a team against theputer. They had lots of fun and beat a level that she could never beat by herself before. She got to see a new level and boss monster.

    After they lost to the new boss monster, the big brother taught her about what went wrong and created a new strategy. After they challenged the boss again, they seeded in defeating it!

    Reo felt like she was having the time of her life. In the past, when she yed together with her mother, they weren''t so sessful in their games.

    When this big brother said that it was gettingte and that it was time to sleep, she didn''t even want to go to bed and wanted to y a little longer with him.

    "Let''s y tomorrow. Although I want to y the next level together with Reo-chan as well, sleeping toote will be bad for your body," the big brother said, smiling. "Especially since Reo-chan is currently growing; only by sleeping properly can you grow from a child beauty to an adult beauty."

    The "child beauty" Reo felt rather embarrassed to hear this, and her face started heating up.

    "Good night, Reo-chan."

    "G-good night, Brother Harano."

    This was the first time she directly addressed him by his name.

    When he heard this, his handsome smile seemed to be even brighter.

    Reo became even more embarrassed and daintily ran off.

    Seiji''s smile slowly faded as he watched her leave. He felt that his first night had been rather sessful.

 Chapter 299 - Could Her True Wish Actually Beâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 299: Could Her True Wish Actually Be¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Yep, this incident arose from the Story of One Hundred Demons game, which is based on the Night of One Hundred Demons, so maybe it''s not an appropriate suggestion. Despite this, I think transforming into Blue Lantern Ghost is a way for you to confront your fears directly." Seiji rubbed his chin. "Sensei, you know about Blue Lantern Ghost, right?"

    "I do," Mayuzumi replied. "It''s thentern that''s used in ancient times when ying the Story of One Hundred Demons game, right?"

    "That''s right. Lanterns with blue covers can transform into this type of demon. Some say that they''re tiny demons who carrynterns. Others believe they''re young women who like to listen to ghost stories, or female demons who collect ghost stories; in short, there are many different views about this. At any rate, it''s a demon with no set appearance."

    Seiji''s eyes shed with a strange light. "I personally believe that Blue Lantern Ghost is a beautiful female demon and one of the strongest among all demons! That''s because she was born from gathering a hundred ghost stories. If you think about it, isn''t that equal to the Night of One Hundred Demons? Just this one demon is equal to one hundred demons, so of course she''s incredibly strong!"

    "Sensei is a beautiful manga author, which could be reworded as ''a beautiful woman who continually tells stories!'' Although you don''t tell ghost stories, modern-day fantasy manga and anime probably seem simr to ghost stories for ancient people, so it could sort of count as tales of the abnormal."

    "A beautiful woman who tells tales of the abnormal receives powerful strength from the Story of One Hundred Demons ritual. If you view it like this, isn''t this almost exactly like Blue Lantern Ghost!? You could definitely transform into a powerful beautiful demon!!"

    Mayuzumi was rendered speechless by all this.

    "Cough cough, excuse me for getting somewhat carried away." Seiji did his best to retract his excitement. "Please don''t mind me and treat that as a joke. My thought process suddenly exploded on me, so I apologize."

    The manga author chuckled. "Blue Lantern Ghost¡­ a powerful female demon¡­ Honestly, Haruta-kun?"

    Technically, telling her to transform into a demon was rather rude, but she didn''t dislike it.

    ''A beautiful and powerful female demon¡­ If I can really transform into something like this, perhaps I''ll be able to truly conquer my fear.'' Mayuzumi thought of it like this.

    The third day in Reo''s soul.

    After Reo went to school, Seiji took Mayuzumi outside to go meet with the angel-winged "Seiji" and the others.

    And then everyone had fun chatting and ying cards together¡­ whoops, Mayuzumi did as Seiji suggested and tried to influence them using her imagination.

    After a while, the angel-winged "Seiji" said, "I''m yourpanion; I''ll fight for your sake!"

    Seiji decided to create a wooden target dummy with his imagination and asked Mayuzumi to imagine that it was her enemy.

    Then, the angel-winged "Seiji" really took action and smashed the target dummy to pieces with a single punch!

    After a few more tests, they confirmed that this indeed worked.

    Seiji and Mayuzumi were both in high spirits from this.

    By the end of this day, Mayuzumi sessfully converted "Seiji," "Saki," "Mai," and "Hoshi," to her cause. She now had a total of four characters willing to fight for her, and she even seeded in increasing theirbat strength.

    The situation was developing even better than they expected.

    The fourth day.

    "Chiaki," "Mika," "Kaho," and "Mayuzumi" were also converted sessfully.

    As nned, Mayuzumi divided them into two small teams of four.

    Seiji acted as their opponent for a practice battle.

    And he was almost defeated!

    Together, these two small teams had excellentbat strength, and he was unprepared for theirbination attacks. He had to get serious in order to gain the upper hand.

    Seiji gave Mayuzumi a big thumbs-up after the practice fight. "This is great. Let''s continue addingpanions and creatingbat teams."

    The manga author revealed a delighted smile.

    The fifth and sixth day passed¡­ time marched on just like this.

    Mayuzumi converted more and more NPCs every day and continued to increase the strength of her army.

    On the other side, Reo grew closer and closer to Seiji and grew to like him more and more.

    Every day they would do homework and y games together. Every weekend they would go out to have fun. Together they toured the streets, visited the amusement park, went camping, and explored the aquarium¡­

    Seiji was happy to see the little girl having fun.

    Disregarding the nature of their situation, it was actually pretty fun living together with Mayuzumi and Reo.

    It was also an experience that gave him¡­ some benefits.

    After all, since they were living together, he saw the beautiful manga author in so many different ways. He got to see her while she was cooking, immediately after she finished showering, and when she woke up. On a few asions, he saw her making silly mistakes, and once he even saw her when she was in the middle of changing her clothes¡­ cough cough, at any rate, he would asionally get lucky.

    Not to mention the gentlemanly benefits such as bathing or hanging panties and bras out to dry. He was truly grateful for these opportunities.

    After they felt that it would be okay, Seiji and Mayuzumi moved onto the next phase of their n.

    "I have some things to do, so I won''t being back tonight. Reo, stay at home and watch the house together with Brother Harano."

    Reo was dissatisfied with her "mother''s" words, but after Seiji''s gentle coaxing, she agreed.

    She didn''t have any particr reaction to the fact that her "mother" was absent for the entire night. With Seiji apanying her, the next morning arrived just as normal.

    This was a symbolic first step.

    Afterwards, Mayuzumi continued to leave the house for extended periods, slowly getting Reo ustomed to the fact that her "mother" would not always be at home.

    The next step was to increase the time that Mayuzumi remained away from the house.

    At first, it was two days. Then, three days.

    During this, Seiji paid close attention to Reo''s condition.

    Whenever she began to show obvious signs of loneliness, he woulde to her room before she fell asleep and tell her stories as a way of coaxing her.

    For example, the story of "The Feather Cloak Girl."

    The plot was basically about how a boy found an extravagant feather cloak andter met a crying girl. When he asked what was wrong, he learned that she had lost her feather cloak.

    The boy returned the feather cloak he picked up to her, causing her to be overjoyed. After she thanked him, she put on the feather cloak and turned into a bird that flew away.

    Afterwards, the boy grew into an adult and met a beautiful woman. They fell in love with each other, got married, and gave birth to a cute baby girl.

    Later, the husband felt that his wife was keeping a secret from him. He secretly investigated and found that his wife was hiding an extravagant familiar feather cloak, which he took and confronted his wife with. However, his wife gave a deep sigh, put on the feather cloak, turned into a bird, and flew away.

    The husband greatly regretted his actions and fell ill as a result. In the end, he died of illness caused by depression.

    Their daughter was left all alone and continuously cried.

    Finally, their daughter saw arge bird bring a feather cloak to her, and she put it on. She also transformed into a bird and flew away with therge bird.

    It was a rather tragic bedtime story, but it was Reo''s favorite story. She had Mayuzumi tell it to her countless times already.

    Seiji surmised that the feathered woman''s ethereal figure he saw in the real world was created from Reo''s image of her motherbined with the feather-cloak woman from this story.

    This story probably represented one of Reo''s deepest memories of her mother Hinako Haza.

    He didn''t know what the specific connection was. Mayuzumi had asked Reo long ago why she liked this story so much. Her only answer was that she enjoyed listening to it.

    "What part of it was enjoyable?" Mayuzumi had asked.

    Reo replied by saying that it was enjoyable because it was enjoyable.

    This was aplete child''s answer. It didn''t answer the question at all.

    Although Seiji knew that it was probably meaningless, he still tried asking again. "Why do you like this tragic story?"

    "Because the mother came back and took her daughter to fly away with her¡­" Reo muttered.

    Then, she blinked and revealed a confused expression.

    "What did I say just now, Brother Harano?"

    Seiji looked at her and blinked as well. "You said that this story was enjoyable to listen to."

    ''Reo Tachibana¡­ could her true wish actually be¡­'' He inwardly sighed.

    He reached out his hand and patted the girl''s head.

    "Good night, Reo-chan."

    The little girl didn''t respond. It seemed that she had fallen asleep.

    Seiji got up and left.

    After he exited Reo''s room and closed the door, some light green feathers quietly appeared, floating in the air for a few brief seconds. After that, they disappeared just as quietly as they had appeared.

 Chapter 300 - Just Thinking About It Is Scaryâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 300: Just Thinking About It Is Scary¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Gradually, the memories trickled in. Mayuzumi recalled a multitude of broken, chaotic scenes. Endless darkness, a blood-red moon, a broken-down house, figures of maniacal shadows¡­

    She stayed alone in that nightmare, ovee by bone-piercing terror.

    It was bereft of everything but despair. Her overwhelming sense of fear made her hesitate, but as long as she could see that person and feel that he was by her side, he would give her the courage to recall those memories.

    And so, she tried her best to clearly remember those things. One day, when Reo was at school, she remembered them in their entirety.

    "Ten years ago," Mayuzumi said abruptly, "I also met with something simr to this."

    "Hmm?"

    "After the literature club president Hinako Haza blew out thest candle and something scary appeared¡­ my¡­ my consciousness was also trapped in a world. I think it was my own soul realm."

    "That ce was far scarier than this one, and I was also the only one there, so I was terrified¡­"

    "I stayed there for a very, very long time. I felt like I was going insane¡­ perhaps I really did go insane." Mayuzumi lowered her head slightly.

    "That must be the time when you fainted for a day," Seiji said gently after a moment''s thought. "Actually, you were unconscious for more than a day before you woke up. If we go by the time ratio in Reo''s soul realm, then¡­ you must have stayed there for at least ten years."

    Ten years. In a terrifying world. By herself.

    Just thinking about it was scary¡­ no, the word "scary" was insufficient to describe such an experience.

    Anyone would go insane.

    It was highly possible¡­ perhaps even definite¡­

    "You don''t need to think too deeply about this," Seiji told her decisively. "You just need to remember that you previously had such an experience¡ªthat''s enough!"

    Mayuzumi nodded. "Yeah¡­"

    "By the way, why did you remember? Is it because we''re in a simr environment now?"

    "I don''t know¡­ maybe so." Mayuzumi lifted her head. "Now that I''ve recalled it, I finally understand that all my nightmares were actually my memories of being trapped in my own soul realm. After I woke up at that time, I forgot those memories, but they still remained¡­ deep within my unconscious mind."

    "My androphobia is actually because of this as well. While I was in college, I met with various bothersome things and didn''t want to take a step outside my house¡­ because many things would unconsciously awaken some of my memories and ovep those terrifying memories with reality. This caused my phobia."

    "I''m not truly afraid of the men in real life. I''m afraid of those¡­ maniacal, terrifying puppets in that frightening soul realm."

    "I¡­ I think that I was killed by those frightening puppets¡­ many¡­ many times."

    "Stop thinking about it!" Seiji berated in a loud voice. "You only need to remember the basics."

    Mayuzumi stopped describing it to him.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "It''s good that we now know the source of your nightmares and phobia," Seiji said after some consideration. "Although they stem from this mysterious power, the direct source of your pain isn''t the mysterious power, but rather your own memories."

    "We don''t know how to dispel this mysterious power within you quite yet, but memories can be sealed with certain spells! After we wake up, I''ll ask the president to cast a memory-sealing spell on you. It willpletely wipe your terrifying memories, which might be able to cure your nightmares and phobia!" Seiji smiled reassuringly at her. "Being stuck in here hasn''t been without its benefits, Sensei."

    "Yeah¡­" Mayuzumi smiled back at him.

    Then, Seiji''s expression froze over as he thought of something.

    "Sensei, about those memories¡­ are you able to stop yourself from thinking about them any more deeply?"

    Mayuzumi''s expression also froze over. She knew what Seiji meant with this question.

    "I¡­ don''t know."

    Mayuzumi had suddenly recalled those memories on her own. She was uncertain if she could use her own willpower to stop those memories froming back.

    She could only try.

    The situation took a turn for the worse.

    Peach-sensei was unable to stop her own memories from returning!

    Ever since that discussion she had with Seiji, she stopped intentionally thinking of those things, but those scenes and those sensations¡­ would still keep reappearing at an increasingly frequent pace.

    Seiji noticed that Mayuzumi''s mental condition was deteriorating.

    He tried using his own ability of imagination in the soul realm to cast a memory-sealing spell upon her, but failed.

    The situation kept worsening even further.

    Finally, Mayuzumi began having nightmares again.

    These nightmares were far worse than the ones she had in the real world. She felt as if she returned to that terrifying ce in her dreams and was experiencing everything there all over again!

    ''I have to take action now,'' Seiji thought as he looked at Mayuzumi''s pale face.

    If things continued like this, she would be forced to bear an increasingly heavy burden, which would only send the situation into a downward spiral.

    There was only one thing he could do.

    Although the preparations weren''t entirelyplete, they had to¡­

    "Sensei, let''s proceed with the final step of our n."

    Reo''s "mother" had fallen ill.

    She was extremely worried when she saw that her mother''splexion worsened every day. She prayed for her mother to get better, but it didn''t help.

    Then, her mother had to stay in the hospital.

    Reo went to visit her mother every day.

    However, her mother''s illness still didn''t improve. Instead, her mother showed signs of weakening every day.

    Reo began to fold paper origami cranes. Brother Harano apanied her in folding them.

    She folded cranes and prayed every day. She folded a countless number of paper cranes.

    But¡­

    "Why isn''t mother''s illness getting any better!?"

    After one visit, Reo threw a temper tantrum.

    She tore up an unfinished paper crane to pieces and randomly threw some already finished paper cranes as tears welled up in her eyes.

    "Because it''s a very serious illness," a calm voice told her.

    It came from Brother Harano. He picked up the paper cranes she threw on the ground and put them back on the table.

    "Once someone gets a serious illness, it''s quite difficult to cure."

    "Why did mom get such a serious illness!?" Reo asked sharply.

    Brother Harano looked in her direction.

    The look in his eyes¡­ Reo felt that it was rather strange.

    "It has to do with you, Reo-chan," he told her in a serious tone.

    "W-what?" Reo was confused by this.

    "The fact that she has a serious illness actually has to do with you. You did something rather bad to her, which is one of the reasons why she fell ill."

    "I¡­ to mom¡­" Reo was even more confused.

    She didn''t understand what Brother Harano was saying at all.

    "I¡­ didn''t¡­"

    "No, you did. It''s just that you forgot, or¡­ you''re intentionally trying to forget." Seiji looked into the little girl''s eyes.

    "I''m not!" Reo shouted angrily. "Brother Harano, you''re lying!!"

    Her eyes turned blood red.

    The room instantly darkened, and gray-ck shadowy figures appeared. Large mouths with sharp teeth suddenly opened up on the walls, and numerous eyeballs appeared on the ceiling. Cold ck mist rose up from the floorboard.

    Seiji imagined a barrier which blocked the ck mist that was attempting to curl itself around him and continued to look calmly at Reo.

    "I''m on your side, Reo-chan," he told her gently. "I don''t want to lie to you, and I also want her to get better. I would like for you to get better as well. Throwing a temper tantrum won''t aplish anything. Let''s calm down and talk properly. I''ll listen to anything you have to say, and do what I can do for you, because¡­ I''m your friend."

 Chapter 301 - Do You Remember What Your Mother Looks Like?

    <h4>Chapter 301: Do You Remember What Your Mother Looks Like?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    He had helped Reo with her homework, yed games together with her, and apanied her outside¡­

    Seiji may have been partially acting when he spent so much time with Reo, but he also truly wanted to help her out.

    "Brother Harano¡­" The red in Reo''s eyes slowly subsided after hearing his gentle and sincere persuasion.

    The shadowy figures vanished, the mouths and eyes disappeared, and the ck mist dissipated as everything returned to normal.

    "I¡­ don''t know¡­" Reo muttered.

    "If you don''t remember, then take your time." Seiji smiled faintly. "By the way, are you hungry? How about I cook something delicious for you?"

    Reo was rather confused.

    ''Why did Brother Harano say that to me? Did I¡­ really do something terrible to Mommy?''

    She couldn''t recall anything at all, but it didn''t seem like Brother Harano was lying to her.

    He didn''t say anything else in response to her denial. He treated her just as gently as always, just¡­ he seemed sadder than usual.

    Time continued to pass by.

    Her mother''s illness kept getting worse and worse, and apparently she would have to go overseas¡­ to another country in order to receive treatment.

    The way Reo understood it, that was a very, very far away ce.

    She didn''t want this, and she wasn''t willing to ept it!

    Her mother smiled gently in response to her willful selfishness.

    "If Reo doesn''t want me to leave, then I''ll just stay here," her mother told her.

    "But if you stay here, your illness won''t be cured, and you''ll end up dying," Brother Harano said.

    Death¡­ Reo felt a chill from this.

    It was as if she was looking into a deep, icy-cold, pitch-ck abyss. In that abyss was something scary that she definitely didn''t want to know about.

    ''Mommy¡­ will die? No¡­ I don''t want this¡­''

    Her mother was still smiling gently and looking at her.

    However, Brother Harano was looking at her mother with an expression filled with sadness.

    ''¡­Is it my fault? Am I in the wrong to not want Mommy to leave?''

    "Brother Harano¡­ if Mommy goes overseas¡­ will she be able to get better?"

    "I don''t know¡­ it''s just that if she stays behind here, she definitely won''t get better."

    Why were things like this?

    Reo felt like this was all so wrong.

    Even going overseas might not cure her mother, and staying behind meant that her mother definitely wouldn''t get better¡­ this was wrong!

    She felt difort and confusion¡­

    After they finished visiting her mother, left the hospital, and returned home, she was still in a state of confusion.

    Brother Harano finished cooking dinner for them.

    She had zero appetite. He didn''t eat anything either and simply sat across from her, watching her in silence.

    "Brother Harano¡­"

    "Yes?"

    "What¡­ should I do?"

    "That''s something that you have to decide for yourself, Reo-chan," Seiji told her gently. "Perhaps it''s a bit difficult for you, but since you''ve met with such a situation, you should face it head on."

    The little girl remained silent.

    "Everyone is like this. After meeting with something painful, even if they don''t want to, they still have to face and bear it before surpassing it. It''s just like if you were walking on a road: if you suddenly fell into a pit and injured yourself, it would definitely hurt.

    "But even if it hurts so much that you don''t want to move, you can''t stay down in the pit forever¡ªthat''s no good.

    "Telling yourself that you actually didn''t fall down is no good either.

    "Moving will hurt, but not moving at all will also be painful. And, as time passes, your situation will just be worse.

    "You must climb out of the pit. If you can''t do it by yourself, then you should call for help, and someone wille help you¡­ such as me." Seiji looked directly into Reo''s eyes. "I will help you. However, Reo-chan, first you must recognize the situation and make a decision by yourself. Do you prefer to continue on in your state of pain, or bravely face the pain?"

    Reo didn''t answer him. That night, she didn''t say another word.

    She only spoke again on the next day after visiting her mother in the hospital again.

    "Mommy¡­ you should go overseas for treatment."

    "¡­Is that alright?"

    "Only by going overseas will Mommy be able to get better, which is why¡­" Reo sniffled. "¡­I''ll do my best."

    Her mother had a gentle look in her eyes.

    "Reo, you''ve matured." She smiled softly and gently as she patted the little girl''s head.

    Reo nced at Brother Harano beside her as she felt this warmth.

    She saw that he was also smiling faintly.

    "You''ve be braver. That''s excellent, Reo-chan," Seiji praised her sincerely.

    Reo was delighted to hear this. She felt that she had done the correct thing.

    Her mother had left. There would be a very long time where she wouldn''t be able to see her mother, but that was fine.

    ''Brother Harano will apany me, all the way until Mommy returns. Mommy''s illness will definitely get better. I''ll fold paper cranes every day and pray for Mommy.''

    Reo withstood her loneliness with those feelings within her.

    Time passed day by day. Many days ended up passing.

    Her mother stopped calling back home.

    Brother Harano almost never mentioned her mother.

    Whenever Reo asked him, she noticed that the sadness on his face seemed to grow heavier and heavier.

    She had an ominous premonition.

    She wanted to speak to her mother again. She wanted to see her mother again. But¡­

    "Why can''t I!?" Reo shouted out loudly after her request to call her mother was denied once again.

    Brother Harano didn''t answer and simply looked at her in silence.

    "I want to talk to Mommy¡­ I haven''t heard her voice in so long. I''ve endured for so long without Mommy; I always waited! But¡­ why¡­" The little girl revealed a pained expression. "Why can''t I even talk to her!!?"

    The surroundings changed again. Fearsome things appeared from every corner of the room, and ck mist swirled around her.

    Seiji sighed. "You do have reason to be angry, but this isn''t right, Reo-chan. As long as you don''t act like this, I''ll tell you everything that you want to know. Is that alright?"

    Reo looked at him levelly. Everything around them gradually returned to normal.

    "Let us sit down and have a good discussion."

    The two of them sat down in the living room.

    "Reo-chan, do you remember what your mother looks like?"

    Brother Harano asked what Reo perceived to be a strange question.

    "Of course I do!"

    "Then please try your best to remember as clearly as possible. Thest time that you saw your mother, Hinako Tachibana, what did she look like?" Seiji asked calmly, looking directly at Reo.

    Thest time that she saw her mother¡­

    Reo tried to recall. Then, she noticed that something was wrong.

    The way her mother looked¡­ she was unable to recall it!

    ''Why!? Even though I''ve missed her so much and was able to remember her so clearly!''

    Reo did her best to remember, but her mother''s face remained hazy.

    ''Why is it like this? Why are things like this!?'' Reo sunk into a state of confusion.

    "Is it that¡­ you can''t recall?" Seiji asked softly. "In that case, let me ask a different question. Do you still remember what your ''mother'' that lived here looked like?"

    Reo felt that this was another strange question.

    "Mommy that lived here¡­ is just Mommy."

    "She''s indeed who you call ''mommy,'' but do you remember what her ''real appearance'' is?"

    Real appearance¡­

    Reo reflexively tried thinking about it, but discovered that, once again, she couldn''t remember!

    ''What''s going on!?'' Not only was she confused, she was now scared as well.

    "Why¡­"

    "You can''t remember again, right?" Seiji kept looking at her.

    "Brother Harano¡­"

    Reo seemed like she was on the verge of tears, and fear showed in her eyes.

    "Be courageous, Reo-chan. I know that it''s very painful, but just like before, you can surpass it," Seiji told her gently. "Don''t be defeated by pain and sadness, and face them properly so that you can see the truth."

 Chapter 302 - Youve Been Having a Really Long Dream

    <h4>Chapter 302: You''ve Been Having a Really Long Dream</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Truth? What was¡­ the truth?

    Reo didn''t understand.

    "You can''t remember thest time that you saw your real mother Hinako Tachibana because you intentionally forgot.

    "You can''t remember the real appearance of the ''mother'' that apanied you here for so long because you never truly looked at her for who she was."

    Seiji talked to Reo using the gentlest¡ªyet serious¡ªtone he could.

    "You''re dreaming, Reo-chan. This is your dream world, not reality. You''ve been having a really long dream."

    Reo didn''t know what to say.

    She heard what Brother Harano said to her, but she didn''t understand.

    ''I''m dreaming? How is that possible¡­''

    "In this dream, you believed that your mother Hinako Tachibana was still alive and treated another person as your mother. Even if she told things to you herself, you couldn''t ept it.

    "You treated her as your mother, but you didn''t actually listen to her at all or see her for who she truly was.

    "This was a terrible thing to do to her."

    ''This can''t be,'' Reo thought. ''This can''t be possible¡­''

    "Her name is actually Mayuzumi Amami. She was your mother''s high school ssmate. You forced her to act as your mother, which made her suffer.

    "She didn''t hate you for this. She just felt that having you continue like this wasn''t good, so she hoped that you would be able to be braver and stronger, so that you didn''t have to dream anymore, so that you could face reality."

    ''It''s false. This is all a big lie¡­''

    Seiji looked deeply at Reo, who was obviously confused.

    "Look at me!" he suddenly boomed.

    Reo trembled involuntarily, spooked by the abrupt noise. She focused her gaze on the boy in front of her again.

    "Don''t run away, because this is impossible to run away from! Don''t avert your gaze, because you must look at it! Don''t think that this is just a lie, because this is the truth!"

    Seiji looked into Reo''s eyes and continued in a powerful voice: "Even though you are just a child, if you meet with something like this, you still need to face it head on.

    "This is cruel. This is painful. However, it has to be this way, because there''s no running away from the truth. Be brave, be strong, Reo."

    If possible, Seiji would have preferred to use white lies to fool her and let her know the truth once she was slightly older.

    But due to the mysterious power, this was no longer possible.

    ''I''m sorry¡­'' he apologized inwardly.

    "I know that you don''t want to ept or admit it, but¡­ you saw it for yourself, and you actually realize it as well. It''s just that you''ve always been lying to and deceiving yourself.

    "If things continue like this, your heart will eventually break. I want you to get better! I''d like to be able to y andugh together with you in real life rather than living like this in a dream."

    Seiji tried his utmost to express his heartfelt feelings within his message.

    "Brother Harano¡­" Reo looked at him; she felt his heartfelt intentions.

    "Listen well, Reo-chan," Seiji said. "The truth of the matter in real life is actually¡­ your mother Hinako Tachibana has actually died already. Together with your father Kazuya Tachibana¡­ you were there at the scene."

    Reo''s mind went nk upon hearing this.

    ''Mommy¡­ is already dead? Together with Daddy? Impossible¡­''

    However, some memories gradually resurfaced.

    Bloody streaks, broken car seats, a terrible stench, snacks scattered all over with blood trails on them¡­

    "Wahhhhhhh!" She was scared to the point where she suddenly screamed.

    That was because those memories were so clear; it was if they had really happened.

    They had indeed happened!

    She didn''t want to admit it, but that was what her memory was telling her.

    This was the truth.

    "Reo¡­" her bloodstreaked mother said, looking at her. "I''m sorry¡­"

    Her eyes lost the light of life.

    "Mommy!!!!!"

    There was nothing but icy darkness. In it, something tremendous and fearsome rushed over her¡­

    *Boom!*

    Seiji broke out of the apartment.

    He was forced to do so, as Reo had transformed into her dark form and integrated into the apartment.

    He wanted to say something more to her, but numerous monsters suddenly appeared, forcing him to escape.

    From outside, he could see that the entire apartment had turned into what resembled a monster nest. Many gigantic tentacles with eyes and sharp teeth were waving from the apartment building, and countless gray-ck shadowy figures were flying out from there. The apartment''s resident NPCs had also transformed into monstrous forms.

    Even his Iron Man armor could barely stand up to their attacks. Seiji immediately imagined himself in a huge robot that was equipped with a full array of gatling guns and floating cannons!

    It managed to impede the monster nest''s attacks, but the effectiveness was limited.

    With the monster nest as the centre, darkness rushed out in all directions. It turned everything it touched into something out of a Lovecraftian horror. Just looking at them would drain anyone''s sanity meter at a rapid pace!

    Fortunately, Seiji had a resolute spirit, so his sanity value would drop rather slowly.

    He suddenly had the idea to imagine a filter!

    Seiji immediately installed a filter for anything too disgusting or horrifying in the robot''s disy screen¡­

    ''Hey, it seems even worse now that everything is only mosaics!''

    He tried switching the filter to holy light mode, but to his chagrin, it almost blinded him.

    Then he tried switching to a beautifying mode like what many cell phone apps could do¡­ er, he supposed that he could tolerate this.

    ''Let''s go with this then!''

    After Seiji took care of the matter of his vision, he was able to fight wholeheartedly.

    However, the rate of everything darkening was too quick. Enemy monsters were multiplying exponentially, and humongous monsters were beginning to appear as well.

    He really wanted to cast some sort of ultimate ability to clear everything away, but he was unable to use such high-level spells in the soul realm without Natsuya''s support.

    Just as Seiji was beginning to get disadvantaged, a long monorail, several gigantic airships, and approximately ten strange-shaped flying dragons arrived.

    On the monorail, the airships, and the dragons were countless numbers of well-armed characters from Honey Candy Girl!

    Girls armed with swords, knives, guns, staves, ws, cannons, whips, axes, hammers, and spears¡­ well, there were only girls because Mayuzumi could only draw girl characters.

    There were also various ferociously impressive mythological creatures!

    As they approached, all these characters drew their weapons, jumped down onto the ground, and began attacking the monsters while making cool poses!!

    This was an impressive sight to behold.

    It seemed just like a royal army!

    "Haruta-kun!" Mayuzumi waved from on top of the monorail to the huge robot.

    "Sensei!" Seiji had his robot wave back at her.

    Beside Mayuzumi was the angel-attired "Seiji." He carried Mayuzumi in his arms as he flew down from the monorail and approached the robot.

    Seiji weed them into his robot''s cockpit.

    Mayuzumi''splexion didn''t seem so good.

    She had been suffering from nightmares all these days. Fortunately, she resisted to the best of her abilities. With her strong resolution, she was able to persist.

    Meanwhile, she continued to persuade NPCs to fight for her cause. With the number of Honey Candy Girl characters that she had gathered, it was basically an army.

    ''Amazing!'' This was Seiji''s honest opinion.

    "Reo is inside that apartment that''s turned into a monster nest. We need to defeat the monster nest! We have to find her and be able to talk to her again." He immediately briefed the situation Mayuzumi.

    "Sensei, try to use your imagination to prevent the darkness from spreading. If that''s not possible, then justmand your army to the best of your ability!"

    "Okay!" Mayuzumi nodded in agreement.

    This was to be a battle.

    Their objective was to suppress Reo''s dark form and do their best to convince her.

    The Honey Candy Girl army began their fierce offense. Every character had enormous strength and excellent cooperation, which further improved theirbat strength.

    Seiji was astounded that Sensei had sessfully "trained" them to such an extent.

    The monsters that were transformed by the darkness were instantly destroyed like they were nothing more than cannon fodder. Numerous ultimate abilities the likes of which were rarely seen in anime were continuously being cast, lighting up the sky with dazzling shes.

    If only a picture could be taken of this scene, it would definitely seem like an epic scene of an army of heroes facing off against the minions of evil!

    Seiji wished that there was some background music ying for this scene.

    To Seiji''s surprise, some heart-pounding music red throughout the city due to his passing thought!

    Seiji wasn''t sure if it was just a mistaken impression or not, but to him it seemed that the Honey Candy Girl characters'' attacks grew even fiercer after the music started, as if they were affected.

    Even if it was just a mistaken impression, what they needed the most right now was momentum!

    At the climax of the music, Seiji had his robot shoot out arge number of missiles towards the monster nest, which destroyed countless numbers of monsters and tentacles with explosions, helping to push forward the line ofbat.

    "Reo, we won''t be losing this battle!" he yelled spiritedly.

 Chapter 303 - I Justâ€¦ Want to See Mommy Againâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 303: I Just¡­ Want to See Mommy Again¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Reo was in a very cold, deep, and dark ce. She felt as if she were in the bottom of a pit. Her body felt frozen and numb, but she could still feel pain inside her heart.

    She was unable to move. She didn''t want to move. She didn''t care.

    ''Let''s just leave things like this.'' Reo stopped thinking, because she could only feel despair. ''Mommy won''t being back anymore, nor will Daddy. I''ll just sleep. I''ll stay in my dream. I don''t want to wake up.''

    Longsword of the Remnant me!!

    Seiji controlled his robot as it wielded a gigantic longsword. He stood at the very front of thebat line, killing many monsters at once with moves copied from anime. He even managed to slice off a corner of the monster-nest apartment.

    The heavy weapon he created was nearly one hundred meters long, and it could easily slice any battleship in half. Combined with his wide arsenal of anime techniques, almost anyone would tremble, wouldn''t they!?

    He just needed to use one ultimate ability to wipe out so many monsters! One use would simply cost 9998¡­

    ''Cough cough, I should stop going off tangent.''

    At this moment, with Seiji and the Honey Candy Girl army''s efforts, they had already pressed all the way to the front of the monster nest.

    Seiji continued to wield his anti-battleship de as he led the charge at the monster nest. It seemed like they were right at their goal, but this would also be the most dangerous step.

    Mayuzumi failed to suppress the darkness from spreading. The darkness had spread to an incrediblyrge area already and kept increasing in size, with new types of monsters endlessly appearing. Their party waspletely surrounded.

    A few swings of his de destroyed a small portion of the monster nest. Then, Seiji turned around his mega de and forcefully stuck it into the ground.

    "Bankai! Senbonzakura!!"

    Numerous huge des popped out of the ground around the monster nest and then shattered and split into countless cherry-blossom-shaped sword pieces that filled the air, causing huge damage to the monster nest.

    "Destroy!!" Seiji pulled out his anti-battleship de again and continued slicing at full force!

    "Haruta-kun, Reo''s still inside¡­" Mayuzumi reminded.

    "She won''t be injured because she sealed herself already. She''spletely shut off from the world!"

    It was akin to using an A.T. field. A barrier of the heart¡­ just what should he do to break past it?

    No matter what, he decided to first focus on getting her out!

    Many bright shes appeared as various ultimate abilities were unleashed on the monster nest, causing massive destruction!!

    These attacks came from the Honey Candy Girl army.

    ''They were having difficulty dealing with the overwhelming swarm of enemy monsters, so how could they still have time to cast so many ultimate abilities!?''

    Seiji looked at Mayuzumi. "Sensei!?"

    "I didn''tmand them to do that. They did that on their own." Mayuzumi was simrly astonished.

    Seiji reflexively looked over at the Honey Candy Girl army.

    The Honey Candy Girl army didn''t seem to be in chaos or disadvantaged after using so many ultimate abilities. Instead, they actually seemed more mobile than before, and many characters were also looking in their direction and smiling vividly.

    It felt like¡­ almost as if they weren''t NPCs!

    ''It''s as if something has been injected into them.'' Seiji suddenly had that thought.

    He looked over at the angel-attired "Seiji" next to him.

    This "Seiji" had a nk expression.

    But the very next moment, that "Seiji" actually looked back at him, and also smiled brilliantly at the real Seiji.

    Seiji and Mayuzumi were both astounded by this.

    But this smilested for only one second before "Seiji''s" expression turned nk again.

    ''Hey¡­ just what the hell is this!!?''

    Seiji and Mayuzumi were now feeling somewhat frightened.

    Just what was this? However, it wasn''t the time to investigate this matter.

    "It doesn''t matter what it is! They''re on our side, so let''s destroy¡­ whoops, let''s get Reo out first!!"

    Seiji took a look at the mostly demolished monster nest as he continued wielding his anti-battleship sword.

    "Ora ora ora ora ora ora!"

    Have you ever witnessed an anti-battleship de being wielded like a kitchen knife?

    Seiji wielded his de furiously as hepletely demolished what remained of the monster nest, like slicing vegetables with a kitchen knife. Half-buried under rubble, he finally saw what he was looking for.

    A pitch-ck crystal.

    "Right here!" He had his tremendous robot fly over and grab the crystal and bring it before him.

    He could faintly see the little girl''s figure within the crystal.

    "Reo, wake up!!!" Seiji shouted at the top of his lungs.

    The little girl within the crystal moved slightly.

    "I told you before: staying at the bottom of a pit just because it hurts and you don''t want to move won''t aplish anything!

    "And what''s even more unsightly and worse than not moving is sealing yourself offpletely in an effort to escape from everything!!

    "This is incredibly foolish! Because your pain won''t diminish, nor will it vanish; it will only remain in your heart and continue to increase!!

    "Rather than doing something so foolish, why don''t you vent it out instead! Say something! Shout! Cry!! Get angry!!!

    "I told you that I''d listen to you! No matter what method you use tomunicate with me, I''ll listen! I''ll do what I can for you!!

    "Come, Reo! Stop huddling in your nket, and open your eyes!! Come out!!"

    Seiji''s shouts contained his heartfelt feelings, and they echoed throughout Reo''s entire soul realm. The sincere feelings within his words were transmitted to the little girl''s soul.

    Reo slowly opened her eyes. "Brother Harano¡­"

    Seiji immediately opened up the cockpit and jumped out to face the crystal when he heard her voice.

    "I''m right here, Reo-chan." He smiled gently and reached out his hand. "Come out now¡­"

    Reo remained silent.

    "Although you met with something incredibly unfortunate and extremely painful, the world isn''t as cruel as you think," Seiji said, looking straight at her. "In reality, you still have your uncle, and your friends¡­ your life is just beginning, and there are still so many wonderful things that you haven''t experienced yet.

    "That''s why you shouldn''t seal yourself off. Don''t hide in the bottom of the pit: bravely walk forth, and go experience those wonderful things and lead a blessed life.

    "That''s¡­ what your mother and father hope for as well."

    Reo''s entire soul realm fell silent.

    It was true silence. The darkness stopped spreading, all the monsters froze in their tracks, and even the Honey Candy Girl army temporarily ceased battling.

    A nervous Mayuzumi observed this from the robot cockpit in silence.

    Seiji''s hand remained extended to Reo as he looked at her. Reo was also looking at him.

    "Thank you, Brother Harano¡­" she said in a soft voice. "What you say is probably correct. But¡­ I have no more strength left. My heart hurts, and I feel so tired. I can''t move; I don''t want to move; I just want¡­ to keep sleeping¡­ to sink downwards¡­" Her eyes began to droop as she spoke.

    "Reo!"

    "I''m sorry¡­ Brother Harano¡­ I just¡­ want to see Mommy again¡­"

    Tears poured out from the little girl''s eyes. Shepletely shut her eyes.

    "Reo¡­"

    Seiji wanted to say something else when he suddenly heard a strange noise from above. It sounded like countless bats, bees, and various other types of insects were flying above.

    He reflexively lifted his head to see what it was. Seiji saw that the sky which had always been covered in dark clouds was now filled with an incredible amount of gray-ck shadows!!

    The shadows now covered the sky¡­

    The sky couldn''t even be seen anymore due to the sheer number of shadows in the sky! Seiji felt that anyone with trypophobia would instantly faint at this sight!

    Seiji and Mayuzumi were both rendered speechless by the sight.

    They saw that arge portion of the shadows started gathering together rapidly and twisting together, transforming into what appeared to be a gigantic female head. The body, feathers, and ws soon followed suit¡­

    Two humongous wed hands formed underneath the feathered shadow and began to reach down towards Seiji.

    Seiji''s first reaction upon seeing these disgusting and abnormal ws reach for him was to jump back in his cockpit and have his robot hold on tightly to Reo''s crystal. He focused fully on dodging the grasping ws!!

 Chapter 304 - Anyone That Acts to Save Someone Is a Hero!

    <h4>Chapter 304: Anyone That Acts to Save Someone Is a Hero!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji shot the w with his floating cannons while retreating backwards.

    When the cannon shots hit the w, they knocked away many shadowy figures, but the huge w''s speed didn''t slow down one bit.

    Many shadowy figures also flew down from the gigantic feathered woman. Some were incorporated into the w, while others flew directly towards Seiji''s robot, just like a swarm of bugs!

    The robot was slowed down by the countless number of shadows. The ck w caught up with Seiji''s robot!

    Seiji did his best to counterattack and shot out a barrage of missiles which whizzed towards the w. Almost all the missiles exploded against it.

    However it was ineffective, and the huge w grasped the robot!

    Seiji''s robot was instantly crushed to tiny pieces and exploded into golden light. Seiji tried imagining something else again but discovered that he wasn''t able to create anything.

    His ability to create things in the soul realm using his imagination was gone!

    Was it that Natsuya''s spell giving him this power had finally expired? Or was there some other reason!?

    At this moment, what entered his vision was Mayuzumi and angel-Seiji as well as the ck crystal.

    He witnessed the crystal containing Reo being sucked into the w. He saw countless gray-ck shadows swarming towards him and Mayuzumi. There was no way to resist.

    He could only¡­

    Suddenly there was a sh of light!

    Angel-Seiji released a strong yet gentle white light that instantly destroyed the numerous shadows that surrounded them.

    Then, he picked up Mayuzumi and carried her in his arms before flying to Seiji and also grabbing onto him.

    *Whoosh!*

    In that instant, Seiji felt as if he were transforming into a streak of light. Everything around him turned white. When his vision recovered, he discovered that he was on top of a high tower, far away from the giant w.

    He looked around in astonishment. He saw that angel-Seiji was smiling widely.

    "Who¡­ are you?" Mayuzumi was the one who asked that question to angel-Seiji.

    Angel-Seiji responded by saying, "Long time no see, ssmate Amami-san. I''m Hinako Tachibana¡­ you may know me by the name of Hinako Haza."

    "Haza¡­ President Haza!?" Mayuzumi''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "What a nostalgic title¡­ I haven''t seen you after we graduated from high school, so I never expected that we would meet again like this."

    Angel-Seiji¡­ no, Hinako Haza smiled.

    "President¡­ how are you?"

    "I was called back by my daughter¡­ my silly daughter¡­" Hinako sighed as she looked into the distance at the gigantic female monster-shadow. "During this time, I''ve always been watching Reo and you guys¡­ I wanted to talk to you, but I was unable to.

    "Until this moment, Reo, she¡­ Let''s not talk about this now. There''s not enough time. At this rate, Reo will die! I need your help, Amami-san!" Hinako looked back towards Mayuzumi and made a sincere request.

    "President¡­" Mayuzumi blinked before she looked towards Seiji.

    Seiji, who was simrly astonished, knew what Sensei wanted to ask him.

    ''Is she trustworthy? Is this the real Hinako Haza? She''s already died for over one year already; why is she¡­''

    No matter what, the fact that she had just helped them was undisputable. Seiji had just been about to load, but he decided to gamble one more time before resorting to loading!

    "Although I don''t know what you really are, that thing there is indeed too strong, and we can''t do anything about it anymore. If you have a way to overturn the situation, please go ahead and use it!" Seiji said to Hinako before ncing in Mayuzumi''s direction.

    Mayuzumi understood the implicit meaning behind his nce. She turned to Hinako and nodded.

    "Thank you," Hinako said gratefully. "Amami-san, please open up your soul and don''t resist. Allow me to temporarily enter your body."

    "Alright¡­ President."

    Seiji then witnessed a white light shoot out of angel-Seiji. A white, half-translucent female figure walked out of angel-Seiji and into the manga author''s body.

    An expression of slight difort flitted across Mayuzumi''s face but faded quickly.

    "Alright, let''s go."

    "Okay, President."

    Mayuzumi appeared to be talking to herself, but due to the different tone of the two short sentences, Seiji was able to determine that it was actually two different people speaking.

    ''Does this count as¡­ them havingbined?''

    Just as Seiji was thinking this, Mayuzumi¡­ er, Mayuzumi-Hinako, jumped up and started flying.

    Then, there was a pale blue sh. The light transformed into beautiful cyan mes which enveloped her entire body, making it seem as if she were wearing an extravagant ceremonial dress. The light cyan mes spread out behind her like long wavy hair.

    That wasn''t all. The remaining mes gathered into numerous cyan-colorednterns. A pale blue me flickered within eachntern as they floated around her.

    Seiji was stunned at this sight. This was Blue Lantern Ghost!

    More urately speaking, this was the Blue Lantern Ghost that Mayuzumi had designed for herself to transform into.

    But her previous attempts to transform had failed. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to transform herself into what she imagined, so she gave up in the end.

    Seiji didn''t expect¡­ that it could still be aplished!

    The transformed Mayuzumi-Hinako shot through the air towards the tremendous female monster and instantly pierced through the teeming masses of shadows.

    The shadows attempted to swarm her, but they evaporated before they could even approach. her body

    After Mayuzumi-Hinako got closer to the giant female shadow, Mayuzumi-Hinako waved her hand and caused thenterns around her to shoot out blinding white light which illuminated the shadowy figure.

    The huge shadow started to melt like snow that had juste in contact with fire. It also made a morous sound that somewhat resembled a howl.

    It swung viciously at Mayuzumi-Hinako with its huge w! She attempted to dodge, but the w too fast and caught up with her.

    Mayuzumi-Hinako used the numerousnterns as a shield.

    *Boom!!!*

    There was an earth-shattering impact, and a tremendous amount of cyan-colored mes exploded. The huge w copsed and broke into pieces.

    Mayuzumi-Hinako was sent flying away by the impact.

    Although it seemed like a loss for both sides on the surface, the endless amounts of gray-ck shadows soon started to repair the w!

    The other w streaked through the air towards Mayuzumi-Hinako.

    After another huge impact, Mayuzumi-Hinako was sent flying again. She rolled on the ground several times before steadying her body.

    "Sensei¡­" Seiji was quite anxious as he watched this. He no longer had any power in the soul realm and was unable to fight anymore.

    If only they had more power¡­

    ''Wait, they do have more power!''

    The Honey Candy Girl army flew to the battle!

    He didn''t know if they decided to join the battle of their own volition or if there was some other reason, but at any rate, all the Honey Candy Girl characters were gathered together!

    They¡­ the heroic army began another wave of attacks against the forces of evil!!

    Watching their flexible movements and extravagant abilities, as well as their excellent teamwork, which would be difficult for any real human to pull off, they seemed like the most veteran of warriors!!

    Seiji refused to believe that these characters were still only NPCs!

    ''Something must have entered them and is powering them up! Just like how Hinako entered Mayuzumi''s body!!

    ''So, what exactly are they now? I don''t know. There are too many things that I don''t know. But there''s one thing I know for sure¡ª''

    "We must win!!!" Seiji roared at the top of his lungs. If he was no longer able to battle, then he would cheer them on. "No matter who or what you are! Anyone that acts to save someone is a hero! Don''t lose, heroes!!"

    Reo Tachibana was a little brat who was extremely difficult to deal with. She was foolish enough to be so depressed and despairing to the point of wanting to die!

    To be honest, Seiji almost felt tempted to not care about her anymore.

    But¡­ she was only a child, a little girl who was deeply lost in her pain and sadness.

    Her parents had died right before her eyes, so it was understandable that she''d slipped into depression. It wasn''t unreasonable that Reo was a little selfish and willful, right?

    Seiji wanted to help her! Seiji wanted her to be able to live well in the future!!

    Which was why¡­

    "Shatter her despair!! Make her understand that apart from unreasonable bad things, there are also unreasonable good things in this world!!!" Seiji shouted, venting the sentiments from the bottom of his soul.

    His shout seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. That was because¡­

    "Stop shouting so loudly! It''s too noisy, Harano-kun!!" Natsuya Yoruhana''s voice finally responded.

 Chapter 305 - I Love You, Mommy

    <h4>Chapter 305: I Love You, Mommy</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Er¡­ President!?"

    "It''s me. I finally managed to reestablish contact with you. What''s going on?"

    "Perfect timing! Amazing timing!!" Seiji grew excited. "It''s the critical point of the battle here! Hurry up and cast a spell so I can use my imagination here again! The stronger the better!!"

    A mage who was out of mana would only be able to watch the enemy hordes and stand by idly. How would he feel if a mana replenisher suddenly appeared beside him? Like he was about to ascend to heaven!

    "Oh¡­ okay." Natsuya immediately cast the spell for him again.

    "Hahaha! I''ve been revived!!"

    Seiji instantly imagined himself clothed in the Sagittarius Gold Cloth, which was so bright to the point of being blinding.

    "Thank you! President, I love you!!"

    "Eh¡­?" The student council president could only make a dazed sound when she heard such a sudden "love confession."

    "Burn! I''m filled with passion!"

    Seiji rushed towards the battlefield as he flew up again! He transformed into a gold and left a trail behind him as he pierced through the group of shadows, destroying every shadow in his way.

    "Sensei, I''m here!" He flew to Mayuzumi-Hinako''s side.

    "Eh? Haruta-kun¡­"

    "I''ve already reestablished contact with the student council president," Seiji said in a joyous tone. "After this battle, we can finally go home¡­ whoops, I mean wake up!" He nced towards the huge female monster-shadow, which consisted of a countless number of smaller shadows.

    "Don''t think that having numbers means strength. In front of the strongest saint warrior, numbers are meaningless!"

    He made a pose and clenched his fist, which then began to glow. He gathered the power of the cosmos and sent out an attack at faster-than-light speed.

    "Pegasus Meteor Fist!!!"

    In that instant, countless beams of light appeared. An uncountable number of fists and attacks connected with the huge female monster-shadow.

    *Boom!!!*

    The huge shadow copsed, and the sky and earth trembled. A ck crystal was revealed, and it was tugged upwards by some type of power.

    Seiji chased after the ck crystal, but countless shadows blocked his way.

    "Don''t get in my way!"

    ''I shall shatter all unreasonable bad things as well as the dark despair that makes you want to seal yourself away!''

    "Imagine Breaker!!!" Seiji yelled, reaching out with his right hand.

    He destroyed every shadow that came into contact with him and caught up with the ck crystal. He touched the ck crystal with his right hand and destroyed it!

    "Come here you troublesome little brat!!"

    He grabbed Reo Tachibana and hugged her close to him. The endless amounts of shadows furiously threw themselves at him.

    Seiji protected Reo using his body and hurriedly descended.

    After using so many ultimate abilities, his power had weakened. He was now in a tough spot from being attacked by so many shadows.

    "Haruta-kun!"

    Mayuzumi-Hinako activated all of hernterns.

    Everyntern released an incredibly strong white light, and powerful cyan mes burned through arge number of shadows to protect Seiji as he descended.

    However, it still wasn''t enough.

    The Honey Candy Girl army raised their swords, guns, staves, and various weapons in unison and simultaneously cast another wave of ultimate abilities which filled the sky with light, destroying anotherrge group of shadows.

    However, it still wasn''t enough.

    ''Who else is there?''

    Angel-Seiji flew over and rushed to Seiji''s side rapidly. He unfurled all his angel wings, and they emitted a gentle yet blinding white light.

    Seiji looked towards angel-Seiji and saw that angel-Seiji was smiling in a gentle, friendly manner. He saw angel-Seiji open his mouth; he seemed to be saying something, but Seiji was unable to hear him clearly.

    Then, angel-Seiji''s expression froze over. His body turned into rays of white light, which added to the already-blinding radiance.

    This light was so strong that it lit up the entire sky! Even the unfathomableyers of dark clouds in the sky retreated somewhat, and deep within the clouds the sky rumbled and trembled, as if a god were roaring angrily.

    "Who are you?" Seiji asked angel-Seiji.

    There was no response. The angel-Seiji turned snow white and translucent before he shattered into pieces and disappeared in midair. Nothing remained of him.

    Seiji could only faintly see the disappearing traces of a white figure. The Honey Candy Girl army caught up with Seiji and lent him their support. Seiji also joined Mayuzumi-Hinako andnded on the ground.

    A white female figure walked out of Mayuzumi''s body and quickly materialized into a solid form. The form was a beautiful, gentle-looking woman who had long light green hair: Hinako Tachibana.

    "Reo¡­" She hugged her daughter.

    The little girl opened her eyes and saw her mother''s form.

    "M-mommy?" Reo''s eyes widened in surprise before they quickly became tear-filled. "Mommy!!!!"

    She hugged her mother and cried as hard as she possibly could.

    Seiji watched this scene in silence. Mayuzumi''s eyes were now moist and glistening.

    "Don''t cry, Reo," Hinako said gently. "Mommy received help from many good people in order to be able to meet you like this. I don''t have very much time, so I need to tell you a few things while I can."

    Reo was unable to stop sobbing, but she did her best to reduce the volume of hr sobs.

    "Mommy," she said in a trembling voice, "I missed you so much¡­"

    "Mommy also really missed you¡­ and wants to continue being with you and living together. But that''s not possible anymore. Mommy¡­ is already dead.

    "I can''t apany you like before. I can''t talk to you anymore or hug you anymore¡­ but as long as you still remember Mommy, I''ll forever be in your heart.

    "Reo, you need to eat properly, wear your clothes properly, learn and exercise properly, sleep properly, grow up properly, find someone you like, and lead a happy life.

    "When you''re in pain, you must be brave. When you''re in difort, you must be resolute. When you meet with a setback, you must be spirited. When you meet with something you can''t deal with, ask for help from your friends and rtives¡­"

    Tears dripped down from Hinako''s eyes but she continued: "Reo, Mommy really, really wants to keep apanying you and tell you so many things, as well as teach you and do so many things together with you; I want to help you and protect you and always take care of you¡­

    "But¡­ that won''t be possible anymore. You must stand up and walk this path by yourself. Mommy¡­ will love you forever¡­"

    After she said this, her body started to fade into dots of white light.

    "Mommy¡­ Mommy!!!!"

    Reo started crying uncontrobly again as she tightly grabbed on to her mother.

    "Don''t go, don''t leave me! I want to be together with Mommy! I don''t want anything else!! I want to go together with Mommy¡­"

    "Stop being selfish!" someone suddenly shouted. It was Seiji. He red furiously at the little girl.

    "Didn''t you hear anything that your mother told you!?" he demanded. "She did her best to make a final farewell to you and hoped that you could be stronger. Is this how you pay her back!?

    "Don''t say something so foolish like you want to go together with her! Don''t be in such a hurry to die!! Your life is just beginning!!!" he shouted in a loud voice.

    "Brother Harano¡­" Reo was shocked by his behavior.

    Seiji crouched down and put his hand on her shoulder.

    "That''s enough now. Do you want your mother to be anxious even in the afterlife and always worry about you?" He looked deeply into the little girl''s eyes. "Let her go, Reo-chan. Could you let your mother depart in peace¡­ alright?"

    Reo''s face was filled with tears. She finally understood.

    "Mommy¡­"

    Hinako''s figure was now half transparent. She looked towards her daughter and smiled gently while tears rolled down her face.

    Reo had a rather pained expression on her face as she looked towards her mother. However, she slowly, gradually let go of her hands, her whole body trembling.

    "Mommy, I¡­ will be braver. I''ll eat properly¡­ wear my clothes properly¡­ learn¡­ and exercise. I will try my best¡­ to grow up healthily.

    "Which is why¡­ don''t worry¡­ I¡­ I¡­" The little girl sniffled her nose loudly. "I love you, Mommy!"

    Hinako also had tears streaming down her face. She smiled gently and softly as she watched her daughter.

    She said something. Seiji knew what she was going to say. Mayuzumi also knew what she was going to say.

    Reo knew what it was going to be as well.

    "Goodbye."

    Hinako''s entire body now transformed into specks of light and disappeared into the air.

    "Goodbye, M-Mommy¡­ wahhhhh!"

    In the end, Reo still ended up crying, and it may have been a little unsightly, but it was doubtlessly the most sincere farewell of all.

 Chapter 306 - Youâ€™ve Had a Really Long Dream, so Itâ€™s Time to Wake Up

    <h4>Chapter 306: You¡¯ve Had a Really Long Dream, so It¡¯s Time to Wake Up</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The battle concluded.

    The remaining shadows all flew up to the clouds, and the Honey Candy Girl army descended from the skies and stopped fighting.

    The dark clouds parted to reveal the sunlight, a beautiful pir that pierced through the clouds.

    The light illuminated the city, quickly scattering the lingering darkness. But the city wasn''t restored to its original form. Instead, it started copsing.

    It was time for the dream to end.

    Seiji and Mayuzumi weren''t in a hurry to leave. Instead, they apanied Reo and waited for her to stop crying and calm down.

    "Brother Harano¡­"

    "Let me introduce you, Reo-chan," Seiji said. "This is Mayuzumi Amami. For all this time, you''ve been treating her as your mother¡­ you should say something to her."

    Reo looked towards Mayuzumi.

    "Sorry¡­ I''ve given you so much trouble." The little girl bowed and apologized.

    "It''s alright." Mayuzumi smiled gently and crouched down in front of Reo. "Reo, you gave your mother a proper farewell. You''re really strong."

    The little girl had an expression of sadness, but she didn''t cry again.

    Mayuzumi patted her gently on the head.

    "This child''s given you so much trouble, and you''re going to let her off so easily, Sensei¡­" Seiji sighed. "Forget it. Since Sensei isn''t going to make a big deal out of it, I won''t say anything else either.

    "Reo-chan, you did a very good job in saying farewell to your mother," he told her seriously.

    "Brother Harano¡­" Reo looked towards him.

    "You''ve had a really long dream, so it''s time to wake up now." Seiji smiled. "Let''s meet each other again in reality."

    The sunlight reached the area where they were standing, and all three of them were covered by bright light.

    Seiji opened his eyes.

    "Brother!" he heard Shika-chan call.

    "Mayuzumi!" he also heard Editor Yoshizawa''s voice.

    He looked to his right side and saw that the manga author had opened her eyes. They exchanged nces and both of them smiled.

    Then, Seiji looked to his left. He saw that Reo was slowly opening her eyes as well. The little girl looked confused when she saw the scene in this room.

    "Wee back, Reo-chan," Seiji said.

    Thest clear memory that Reo Tachibana had in the real world was visiting her parents'' graves with her uncle Shouhei Hirai, and then going to sleepter that night.

    It seemed that while she was sleeping¡ªor perhaps while she was dreaming¡ªthe mysterious power within her was somehow activated. It transformed Shouhei Hirai, who was living with her, to transform into that puppet-like state and attack Mayuzumi.

    Reo also had some hazy memories of searching many ces for her mother and then finding her¡­ Fine then¡ªsimply speaking, Reo Tachibana was sleepwalking!

    She sleepwalked and located Mayuzumi who had the same mysterious power as she did, which caused this entire incident.

    As for this power, the little girl didn''t know anything about it. As for why she possessed it, or how she activated it, she knew nothing. After all, she was only a young child.

    She forgot most of the dream-like experiences she had in her soul realm. She could only remember the basics of daily life there, as well as the most important things.

    It was the same for Seiji and Mayuzumi. After they woke up, their memories of what happened in the soul realm were somewhat hazy.

    Natsuya and the others were astonished to learn just how long the three of them had spent in Reo''s soul realm.

    After the connection to Seiji was cut off, everyone was incredibly worried. However, Natsuya was able to ascertain that nothing was wrong with Seiji''s condition, and she didn''t know what would happen if she decided to cut off the spell sending him to the soul realm.

    Whenparing their options of either maintaining or canceling the spell that sent Seiji to the soul realm, everyone trusted in Seiji''s abilities and so they decided to not cancel the spell, focusing on reestablishing contact with him instead.

    In the end, their decision had been correct. However, what they never expected was that Seiji, Mayuzumi, and Reo had spent such a long time in Reo''s soul realm!

    "I''ve heard that the greatest masters of soul spells can cast spells that change the passage of time within the soul realm." The student council president sighed. "It seems that this mysterious power has a simr effect."

    This effect¡­ if it was used properly, it could have many advantages, but the flip side was¡­

    Seiji felt that he was lucky how the time ratio was still eptable to him. If it had been evenrger, such as one minute outside equaling one year inside, that would have been¡­

    At any rate, it was fine since it was all over with.

    After all this effort by everyone, not only did they help Reo and Mayuzumi to wake up again, they also discovered the true reason for Mayuzumi''s nightmares and androphobia. The terrifying nightmares Mayuzumi experienced within her own soul realm ten years ago had left her with deep mental scars. It was caused by some effect of the mysterious power within her.

    While they still didn''t know what to do with the mysterious power, they couldpletely seal her rted memories, which would likely cure her nightmares and androphobia.

    Natsuya mentioned that she could try it.

    "After hearing your experiences, I think that the critical factor in activating this mysterious power is the mental state of the person acting as the host to this power¡­ basically emotions, feelings, willpower, and so on.

    "After Reo Tachibana went to visit her parents'' graves, she strongly desired to see her dead mother again, which activated the power within her and caused this incident.

    "In her soul realm, whenever she strongly denied something, everything would transform into darker, more sinister versions, and when she stopped denying and sank into despair instead, a huge wave of undead spirits appeared.

    "While the exact logic behind this power is still unclear, there''s still a clear connection. This power will act ording to the holder''s emotions.

    "From this, I can conclude that as long as the person remains calm and controls their own emotions, this power won''t be activated.

    "This means that as long as Amami-san maintains her normalposure, and allows me to cast my spell on her, I should be able to sessfully seal her memories."

    This was something that should be done as quickly as possible. Mayuzumi had already suffered so long in the soul realm due to all her nightmares. She had only made it through thanks to her strong will.

    While she was "sick" in the soul realm, what she showed Reo wasn''t entirely acting. It was necessary to seal those frightening nightmares as soon as they could.

    Before that, there was one final matter, the biggest issue and thergest mystery of all¡­

    What was that "Hinako Tachibana?"

    Was she really Reo Tachibana''s mother, the soul that had already died one year ago? Or was it just a very realistic phantasm imitation?

    Seiji and Mayuzumi who had both personally witnessed and interacted with her believed it to be the former.

    If that was indeed the truth, then it led to a startling revtion: it meant that the mysterious power possessed the powerful ability to summon the dead!

    This was on another scale entirely from something like summoning a heroic spirit. After all, heroic spirits were existences born from humanity''s collective understanding of the concept of a person in the past, not an actual dead person''s soul.

    It was also different from summoning a soul of the dead that had remained in this world after death. That was either a person''s soul or a part of their soul that had remained in this world for certain reasons and merely summoned by a spell.

    The mysterious power had managed to summon a formerly living soul who had already departed from this world!

    What did this mean?

    This meant that the mysterious power hadpletely shattered the barrier between life and death!

    This was a serious matter. Although it seemed simple and wasn''t a big deal in some anime stories, Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation in Naruto being a ssic example, it was actually a frightening power.

    A dead person coulde back to life with this power. This meant that death could be vanquished and opened up the possibility of resurrection.

    Could there even be immortality? If so, it would definitely make many people go crazy with desire for this power!

    Even if it was only a possibility, fearsome battles would ur over it.

    There was no need to think deeper about it. The seriousness of the matter was evident to anyone who still had a normal working mind, even if they gave it little attention.

    "This definitely can''t be revealed to anyone," Natsuya said to everyone present in a grave voice.

    Shika, Mai, and Saki were all worthy of their trust. The biggest uncertain factor was¡­ Reo Tachibana who was still only an elementary school student.

    "Reo-chan, you can''t tell anyone about this because it''s an important secret. There may be scary consequences if you tell others," Seiji said in a serious tone. "You can''t even tell your uncle about it. There''s nothing good that can happen if he knows about it. It may even put him in danger.

    "You don''t need to worry about how to exin to your uncle about what happened today. I''ll help you with that. I just need you to promise me to keep this a secret."

    There was actually another method as well: to seal Reo''s memories about all this. But that meant that she would forget about meeting her mother and saying farewell.

    That would be bad, and Seiji didn''t want to do that.

    Keeping a secret was important, but the connection between mother and daughter was also very important.

    Reo looked at Seiji''s face.

    "Okay¡­ Brother Harano, I promise you." She nodded and responded in a serious voice as well.

 Chapter 307 - Let Me Temporarily Take Care of Her

    <h4>Chapter 307: Let Me Temporarily Take Care of Her</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Apart from Hinako Tachibana, another rather eye-catching issue was the Honey Candy Girl army. Seiji suspected that something had possessed them from within.

    Hinako imed to have "received help from many good people." Were those "good people" she referred to other dead souls just like her?

    If that was really the case, apart from the fact that this mysterious power was incredible, it was quite moving. For so many now deceased souls to fight for the sake of a mother and daughter¡­ this was something which would move anyone.

    They were all heroes. At least that was what Seiji believed.

    He would remember that battle forever, especially the scene where angel-Seiji self-destructed and sacrificed himself.

    Angel-Seiji said something at that time which he didn''t hear clearly. He felt this was truly regrettable.

    Just who were they? And what was the world of the dead like? Seiji was quite curious, but he decided not to think too much about this topic.

    The next morning, Seiji and Shika took Reo to the hospital where Shouhei Hirai was recuperating.

    Mayuzumi and Saki returned to Mayuzumi''s apartment. Mai also apanied them just in case. Although this incident was likely over with, it was always better to be cautious.

    There was still one mystery left, after all. Who exactly defeated Shouhei Hirai?

    Judging from what they knew now, perhaps that person really was just a passer-by with a sense of justice. However, other possibilities existed as well.

    Seiji, Shika, and Reo hailed a taxi to the hospital that Mai had told them about. They located Shouhei Hirai''s hospital room and saw that he had already woken up.

    "Uncle," Reo called happily.

    "Reo!" Hirai had a relieved expression when he saw his niece. Then, he turned around to look at the two people beside her.

    "You were with Amami-san." He recognized Seiji.

    "Hello, Hirai-san." Seiji looked back at him. "My name is Seigo Harano. I''m Mayuzumi Amami''s friend and a high school student at Genhana High School."

    "Hello. Why is Reo together with you?" Hirai seemed bewildered by this.

    "Before I exin, I''d like to ask you something first: Hirai-san, do you remember what happened to you recently?"

    Hirai furrowed his brows. "I can''t remember. I''ve been trying to recall what happened to me ever since I woke up, but I have no idea why I''m so heavily injured and lying in a hospital bed. I don''t know if I was caught up in a car ident or something simr.

    "Thest thing that I can remember is that I was sleeping on my bed at home. Then, I can''t remember anything after that, most likely because I got injured. I really wanted to know what happened. I was also really worried about Reo, but you guys arrived." He looked straight at Seiji. "Do you know what happened?"

    Seiji observed him closely and felt that he wasn''t lying. "I don''t know how you got injured to this extent either. In fact, I was going to ask you about this as well. But I do know what you did before you were injured and just what happened to you. When I tell you, you may find it difficult to believe, but it''s all true."

    Then, Seiji approached the hospital bed and gave Hirai a basic rundown of what had happened to him.

    Shouhei Hirai was astonished to learn that his niece was a Spiritual Ability user who lost control of her powers, causing him to ambush and attack Mayuzumi Amami.

    ''What the hell is this!? It must be made up!'' That was his first impression. His facepletely revealed his thoughts.

    "As expected, it''s difficult for you to believe. Unfortunately, I don''t have any hard evidence that you did what I just said you did, but I can immediately prove that there are Spiritual Ability users in this world." Seiji took out a coin from his wallet and showed it to Hirai. "Look closely. This is just an ordinary coin. There are no strings or any other mechanisms manipting it."

    Then, he casually tossed the coin away, before activating [Telekinesis]. The coin flew in an arc and was about tond on the ground when it suddenly turned around in midair and flew to Seiji''s hand.

    Hirai''s eyes widened in surprise at this.

    "This is a Spiritual Power, and I''m a Spiritual Ability user. I was the one who stopped you from harming Mayuzumi Amami," Seiji informed him calmly.

    "This must be nothing more than some stage magic, although I don''t know the trick behind what you just did." Hirai was still doubtful.

    "If you could move, I''d take you to an appropriate ce and show you something more ridiculous, like punching through a wall with my bare fist." Seiji shrugged nonchntly. "By the way, that''s exactly what you did before under the influence of Reo''s power. The hole in Amami-sensei''s home still hasn''t been fixed yet. Should I call her and ask for a picture to show you?"

    Hirai was rendered speechless.

    Seiji really did take out his cell phone and called Mayuzumi Amami. He put the call on speakerphone so Hirai could hear as well.

    The call connected.

    "Sensei, I''m currently here in front of Shouhei Hirai." He exined the situation and asked for a picture of the hole in the wall. Mayuzumi agreed to send him the picture.

    "Would you like to talk to Sensei?" Seiji asked, offering Hirai his cell phone.

    After some hesitation, Hirai took the cell phone. "Amami-san."

    "Hirai-san," a female voice said from the other side. "You must be confused right now, but please believe me. Everything that this boy is telling you is true."

    Hirai remained silent. Then he hung up the call and handed the phone back to Seiji. Momentster, Seiji received a picture from Mayuzumi and opened it to show Hirai.

    "Hirai-san, I know that it''s difficult for you to ept, but this is indeed the truth. There''s no need to deceive you. I''m not trying to get money from you or make you join some strange cult, as these are simply the facts," he told Hirai honestly. "This is how the situation unfolded: you were obviously being controlled by something and attacked Amami-sensei. I just happened to be present, so I stopped you.

    "Afterwards, you ran off, and I had Amami-sensei hire a professional to investigate you. The result was that we discovered you were seriously injured and hospitalized. In order to find out the truth, that professional went to your residence and found that your niece, Reo, had vanished.

    "We guessed that Reo had something to do with this incident. Afterwards, Reo attacked Amami-sensei, again in an abnormal state. We prevented her from harming Sensei and came up with a method to help her return to normal.

    "As for why all these things happened, we''re not very clear on that either. I came here in order to tell you what happened. I also wanted to know who it was that injured you to such an extent, but it seems that you don''t know the answer to that.

    "I still have one more question. What do you intend to do with Reo-chan, since you''re too heavily injured to take care of her?"

    Hirai remained silent for a long while before he looked towards his niece.

    "Uncle, I''m sorry." The little girl lowered her head.

    Hirai looked at Reo for a while.

    "I still don''t quite believe all this," he muttered, "but if it''s real¡­ the only rtive who can take care of Reo now is my father, Reo''s grandfather. But he''s already quite old, and even taking care of a normal child would be difficult for him. If Reo really is a Spiritual Ability user, then¡­"

    Seiji furrowed his brows.

    The hospital room was silent for a moment.

    Reo''s head lowered even more.

    "I understand." Seiji broke the silence and patted the little girl''s head. Reo perked up as she felt Seiji''s hand. "Allow me to temporarily take care of Reo-chan."

    Hirai looked back towards Seiji.

    "Hirai-san, just rest and work on recovering from your injuries. After you can get up and move again, we can have another discussion about the damage you caused during your attack. I''ll talk to Amami-sensei about it and have her exin things to the police. Don''t worry; you won''t have to take responsibility for the damages."

    Hirai remained silent; he gave Seiji a deep look that spoke volumes.

    Seiji smiled. "Rx, I''ll take good care of Reo-chan."

    Actually, in her dream world, he had taken care of her for a long time already.

    In order to retrieve Reo''s clothes and other personal belongings, he asked Hirai to loan him the key to their residence.

    After considering Seiji''s request in silence, Hirai handed the key to him.

    Seiji left his cell phone number with Hirai. He also cautioned Hirai in a serious voice to not tell anyone about the contents of their conversation. Otherwise, trouble maye looking for him. Hirai nodded slightly and agreed to this.

    Seiji expressed that he hoped Hirai would make a full recovery soon before he took Shika and Reo with him and left the hospital.

    After leaving the hospital, Reo started tearing up.

    "Uncle hates me now!"

 Chapter 308 - This Home Welcomes You

    <h4>Chapter 308: This Home Wees You</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "He doesn''t hate you; he''s just finding everything difficult to ept," Seiji told her. "At the very least, judging from his tone, there''s no indication that he hates you, or even that there''s any disgust. Your uncle is just confused, and he needs some time toprehend this matter."

    "What if¡­ Uncle¡­ doesn''t want me¡­ anymore¡­" Reo sniffled.

    Seiji crouched down in front of Reo and looked straight into her eyes.

    "With how cute you are, how could he possibly not want you anymore, Reo-chan?" He wiped away her tears with his hand. "I believe that can''t be the case¡­ but if it really happens, Reo-chan, why don''t you juste live in my home?"

    "Brother Harano¡­"

    "I told you before that I would help you. Although that was in your dream, that promise still stands in the real world as well." Seiji smiled gently. "And didn''t you promise your mother that you would be braver? So don''t always cry, and be more spirited, alright?"

    "Okay¡­" Reo nodded. Her cheeks reddened slightly when she saw his gentle smile. "Brother Harano¡­ thank you."

    "No need to be so polite, Reo-chan."

    Taking care of an elementary school girl wasn''t as easy as it seemed, not to mention the fact that she possessed a mysterious power.

    Seiji admitted to himself that he might have been too impulsive in the heat of the moment. But taking into ount Reo''s situation, he felt that he couldn''t just watch from the sidelines.

    There was still plenty of space in his new apartment for an extra child to live with them, but the problem was¡­ Shika''s ability, the "Reaper''s Curse."

    Would the solution be forcing Shika to move out?

    No! Seiji would never do such a thing.

    They would all live together. As long as Reo didn''t talk to ore into contact with Shika, she would probably remain unaffected.

    "Shika, not only did I get you involved in this, we even added a child to our home. I''m sorry¡­"

    Seiji and Shika were currently in the living room of Shouhei Hirai''s residence, waiting for Reo to finish packing up the things she wanted to take. Meanwhile, Seiji apologized to his adopted younger sister.

    "I''m happy to have been of help to Brother." The ck-haired girl smiled faintly. "And taking care of Reo Tachibana¡­ this is something that Brother would do, and there''s nothing wrong about it."

    "Shika-chan¡­" Seiji was moved by his adopted sister''s understanding.

    To be honest, Shika Kagura was somewhat dissatisfied. She felt that her adopted brother suddenly deciding to take care of an elementary school girl was a bit overboard. She felt that he was undertaking a responsibility that he shouldn''t have.

    However, she knew that Seiji Haruta was just such a person.

    Precisely because he was such a person, Shika herself was able to be his adopted younger sister and live together with him.

    Reo Tachibana was indeed an unfortunate child who was in a somewhat simr circumstance to her previous self. Shika was also worried about Reo.

    "Brother, is it really alright for her live together with me? How about¡­ I move out?" Shika offered in a soft voice.

    "No! I won''t have you move out; you definitely can''t do that!" Seiji said seriously. "Although there is some risk, as long as we all pay attention, nothing major should happen, so there''s no need to mind too much. And even if something really does happen, it can definitely be taken care of¡ªfor sure!"

    Seiji''s tone was resolute to the point where it was impossible to doubt him. Shika felt a warm feeling in her heart and didn''t say anything else about this matter.

    After Reo finished packing her things, Seiji formally introduced Shika to Reo.

    "You''ll meet with misfortune, but there''s no need to be afraid. Just be careful not to talk to her or touch her."

    "Oh¡­" Reo blinked as she looked at the ck-haired girl.

    Shika smiled at Reo.

    Reo''s eyes widened upon seeing Shika''s smile. ''So pretty! Such a beautiful big sister¡­ not being able to talk to her is really¡­''

    The little girl felt it was truly regrettable.

    "Not¡­ not even one sentence?" she asked.

    "It''s not absolute, but if you talk to her, you need to mentally prepare yourself, as something unfortunate may ur to you," Seiji exined.

    Unfortunate things¡­ Of course Reo didn''t want that to happen, but she also really wanted to speak to the beautiful big sister.

    "Brother Harano, aren''t you afraid? Of meeting with unfortunate things¡­"

    "I have a special ability that protects me from that happening."

    "Oh¡­" Reo thought about it. "Then, is it alright if I talk to you, and you help me talk to Big Sister Kagura?"

    "This¡­ I suppose so."

    "Then, Brother Harano,e over here."

    At Reo''s indication, Seiji sat beside her and tilted his head so that she could whisper into his ear. He felt her hot breath tickle his ears as she spoke.

    "Hello, Big Sister Kagura," Seiji said. "You''re so pretty, especially when you smile."

    It was honest, direct praise. Shika smiled upon hearing Seiji tell her that.

    Reo was dazed by Shika''s beautiful smile once more. Even Seiji was somewhat dazzled by her smile. Then, Shika sat on Seiji''s other side and indicated for him to move his ear closer to her mouth.

    "Thank you. You''re also quite cute yourself, Little Sister Tachibana." He acted as a messenger for Shika as well.

    "I''d like to be able to speak to Big Sister directly, but I''m afraid of meeting with unfortunate things¡­ is it very difficult for Big Sister to have such an ability?" This was from Reo.

    "It''s quite difficult, but I don''t feel so anymore, because¡­ I met this person." He transmitted this message from Shika while simultaneously pointing at himself.

    Shika had actually said "Brother Seigo," but Seiji felt it would be too awkward to say that out loud! He was quite embarrassed by it.

    "This person has the ability to not be affected by you¡ªthat''s awesome. If only I had such an ability as well." From Reo.

    "He does have nice abilities, but what''s even better is his¡­ heart. He cares for me and took me in, just like how he''s treating you now." From Shika. Seiji got even more embarrassed!

    "So Big Sister Kagura is just like me¡­ how long have you lived together with him?"

    "Not long, but it''ll be very long in the future. I have nowhere else to go and will always stay together with him."

    "If Uncle doesn''t want me anymore, can I do this as well? Always stay together with him¡­"

    ''Eh? I probably shouldn''t have transmitted this sentence.'' Seiji came to that realization only after saying it out loud.

    He was just about to say something to Reo when Shika indicated for his ear again.

    "Of course, didn''t he say that it was fine already? That''s why you don''t need to worry about having no ce to go. This home wees you, Little Sister Tachibana."

    Reo looked towards Shika''s face. Shika looked back at Reo and smiled faintly. Reo responded with a cute smile.

    She didn''t have Seiji say the next sentence; instead, she said it herself.

    "Thank you, Big Sister Kagura."

    Aftermunicating through Seiji, Reo Tachibana and Shika Kagura officially became familiar with each other.

    Seiji felt gratified at their conversation, and then he thought about how they were going to need to use this method in the future tomunicate as well. Seiji felt rather itchy inside; it was a subtle sensation.

    Was he going to get addicted to this embarrassing "y?"

    ''¡­It doesn''t matter even if I get addicted, right?

    ''No, no! I should be thinking about how to cultivate and get stronger, so that I can find a method to deal with Shika''s ''Reaper''s Curse'' problem from the foundation!'' He criticized himself.

    Afterwards, the three of them hauled Reo''s luggage and left her residence. They returned to the hospital and gave the key back to Hirai.

    "You¡­ why are you willing to take care of Reo?" Hirai asked, looking at Seiji.

    "Because I think Reo-chan is a good girl," Seiji responded.

    Hirai looked at him for a while before turning to look at his niece.

    "Reo¡­ do you think it''s alright to be together with this person?"

    "I¡­ I think it''s okay¡­" Reo responded weakly.

    Hirai looked at her for a while before retracting his gaze.

    "Then¡­ let''s just temporarily do this for now. Seigo Harano-san¡­ I''ll be leaving Reo in your care."

 Chapter 309 - Thenâ€¦ Letâ€™s Just Sleep Together

    <h4>Chapter 309: Then¡­ Let¡¯s Just Sleep Together</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "As I said, I''ll take good care of her," Seiji promised. "Leave her to me, Hirai-san."

    The three of them left the hospital after saying goodbye to Hirai and took a taxi back to the Uehara apartmentplex.

    Seiji brought Reo inside. "This is our home. Unfortunately it''s not as spacious as your uncle''s residence."

    The little girl didn''t seem to be dissatisfied with the apartment. She merely looked around curiously.

    "We can clean up the study a little bit and it can be your room. Or," Seiji added as an afterthought, "you can live together with me in my room; it''s pretty big,"

    Reo''s eyes shed with a strange light when she heard this.

    Seiji then showed her the study.

    "There''s not much furniture here, and I need to go buy another bed¡­ or perhaps we could move the one in your uncle''s residence here."

    "What about Brother Harano''s room?" the little girl asked after seeing the study.

    Seiji blinked at this. "It''s over here¡­ do you really want to live in my room?"

    He really did say the second half of that sentence casually without thinking about it.

    "I''d like to see it first."

    "Alright," Seiji said, taking her to see his room.

    Seiji didn''t have many things in his room, which helped in making it seem spacious. There was also arge window, so the room was quite bright. It seemed far morefortable than the study that was just a tiny room.

    "I want to live here!" Reo said decisively. "I don''t want to live in that small room. I want to live here in this big room together with Brother."

    ''Really!?'' Seiji thought. "Are¡­ you sure?"

    "Yep!" Reo nodded before she looked towards therge bed in Seiji''s room. "If I sleep together with Brother, I won''t even need a new bed."

    ''She even wants to sleep together with me!?'' Seiji was rather stunned by this. ''For an elementary school girl of her age¡­ shouldn''t she object to sleeping together with a high school boy?''

    "Although that bed''srge enough for two, do you really want to do this, Reo-chan?"

    "Yep, I think it''s fine like this. Don''t you want to, Brother Harano?" asked the little girl, her eyes sparkling and her face flushed with a tinge of red.

    Seiji felt like he had been struck by a heavy cannon shot from the loli. ''So cute!''

    "I¡­ Of course I wouldn''t be unwilling. I just mean that you don''t need to force yourself; you can sleep by yourself¡­"

    He felt it would be awkward if he confessed that he had just mentioned it casually. It seemed to him like he had fallen into a pit trap dug by himself.

    "I don''t think I''m forcing myself at all. It¡­" Reo looked down at her feet bashfully, "seems pretty nice to be able to sleep together with Brother."

    Seiji was struck by yet another heavy cannonball! Where was the medic!?

    "Oh¡­ I see." Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "Then¡­ let''s just sleep together."

    She was just a child. Sleeping together with her wasn''t a big deal. She would likely want to sleep by herself after a while.

    *Shing!*

    Seiji suddenly heard a sound that resembled the unsheathing of a sword! His expression froze as he turned around and saw Shika Kagura standing behind him with an expressionless face.

    ''When did she get there!?''

    The ck-haired girl''s hands were behind her back; Demon de Muramasa was there as well¡­ and Seiji was unable to see if it had been unsheathed or not.

    "Shika-chan¡­" Seiji''s expression remained frozen solid.

    Shika nced at Reo, then she focused on her adopted older brother''s face for a good while, giving him a deep look.

    Then, she turned around and left.

    ''What did that mean?'' Seiji broke into cold sweat.

    Did she or didn''t she unsheathe her sword just now? Was it just his mistaken impression? He was rather scared¡­

    Afterwards, he helped carry in and organize all of Reo''s luggage, making her move-in official. Then, Seiji called Peach-sensei to tell her about the results.

    "You''re going to take care of Reo¡­ won''t that be inconvenient for you?" Mayuzumi asked after hearing about the situation. "How about¡­ I take care of her instead?"

    "That''s not good, Sensei. We don''t know what might happen if you and Reo live together," Seiji exined. "It''s better that I take care of her. If¡­ if Reo loses control of her power again, Shika-chan and I should be able to suppress her."

    Mayuzumi fell silent for a moment.

    "You''re right," she said, sighing deeply.

    The root cause of the incident¡ªthe mysterious power¡ªwas still there, and there was no known way to dispel it.

    Solely based on this, the incident wasn''t entirely over, because they didn''t know what would happen in the future.

    It was also unknown just who had defeated Shouhei Hirai and injured him so badly. It would be best if it was done by a passer-by with a sense of justice, but there was no way to confirm this either, so it was also a cause for concern.

    They could only leave things as they were. No matter what, life had to go on.

    "Sensei¡­ how''s your phobia?" Seiji tried asking.

    Last night, Natsuya helped to seal Mayuzumi''s memories. Afterwards, Mayuzumi stopped having nightmares, which was evidence that this tactic had been effective.

    "It''s already improved greatly," Mayuzumi told him. "When I went home, I intentionally took a bus, and¡­ although I''m still a little nervous, it feels much, much better than before."

    "That''s great, then." Seiji was delighted to hear this news. "In that case, it''s probably only a matter of time before your phobia ispletely cured."

    "Yes¡­ it would seem so." Mayuzumi smiled and said, "Haruta-kun, there are no words that can express my gratitude. I might have to trouble you in the future as well. I¡­ don''t even know what to say. Thank you¡­ if there''s ever any time when you think I can help you out, please let me know¡­ even though I might not be able to do anything."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment before he smiled as well. "Sensei, I''ll remember what you said just now! A mega-popr beautiful manga author is quite a useful friend to have! When I need your help, I''ll ask without hesitating, so prepare yourself!"

    "Oh¡­" Mayuzumi responded dazedly upon hearing him suddenly speak in such a tone.

    "Don''t regret saying this in the future! As an icy-cold man, I won''t ept regret or objections! Wahaha¡ª"

    Seijiughed maniacally like the epitome of a viin. Then, he hung up the call just like that.

    Mayuzumi''s expression remained confused for a good while as she looked at her cell phone, before she finally chuckled. "Honestly¡­"

    After school, Mika and Chiaki both visited Seiji''s apartment. They were here to listen to his story.

    Seiji told them about everything that happened yesterday.

    He recounted the battle at Amami-sensei''s house and the undead spirits possessing Shouhei Hirai. He then exined how they hired Mai Houjou and solved the mystery of the Story of a Hundred Demons game from ten years ago and linked it to the nightmares, the mysterious power, and the inheritance passed down from mother to daughter. Then he retold the battle at school and his experience in the soul realm¡­

    Mika and Chiaki wallowed in a state of constant astonishment as they attentively listened to his tale.

    The two of them received the greatest shock when they heard how Seiji had entered the soul realm and searched for Amami-sensei everywhere in the strange, fictional city where time passed at a different ratepared to reality. They were especially amazed when they learned that Mayuzumi had spent almost half a year inside there by herself!

    To act as someone else''s dead mother in that fictional, dreamlike ce for almost half a year¡­ they found it difficult to imagine would that would be like. Then, Seiji told them about how his connection to President Yoruhana was cut off, leaving him trapped within the soul realm as well.

    Their eyes widened to saucers at this part.

    He told them about summoning the Honey Candy Girl army and attempting to convince Reo to let go, as well as the long, intense battle that he fought in. After that, he recounted how he had sessfully convinced Reo toe out, allowing them to return to reality¡­

    Seiji intentionally skipped over the part about Hinako Tachibana''s appearance. He felt that it would be best if as few people as possible knew about the dead being resurrected.

    He also told them about his meeting with Shouhei Hirai and their discussion. He mentioned how they weren''t able to solve the mystery of who had subdued and thrashed Hirai and that he had promised to take care of Reo Tachibana, concluding the story.

    Mika and Chiaki were speechless for a long while. This basically seemed like a huge movie!

    A battle involving a mystical element, as well as suspense, other various exciting elements, and even horror. There was a beginning, story development, a plot twist, and a climax¡­ the setup was clear andplete.

    If it were to be worked upon, it didn''t even require any touching up. It was basically a movie plot! The story seemed that majestic to them.

    They looked at Seiji withplex expressions on their faces.

    They wanted to say so much, but didn''t know what to say, because they didn''t know where to begin.

    Everyone remained silent for a while.

    "So," Chiaki said, finally breaking the silence, "the result in the end is¡­ you now have another younger sister, right?"

 Chapter 310 - The Accusedâ€™s Defense Is Meaningless!

    <h4>Chapter 310: The used¡¯s Defense Is Meaningless!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "No," Seiji replied. "I''m just temporarily taking care of her."

    "So that means you now have a temporary younger sister."

    "She''s not my younger sister!"

    "Then, a daughter?"

    "That''s even further off the mark! She''s just a child that''s temporarily living here. There''s no other meaning behind it."

    "But you''re treating her as a younger sister, aren''t you?"

    "Er¡­ I suppose you could say that."

    "Then she''s a younger sister!"

    There was a sharp glint in Chiaki''s eyes. She pointed at Seiji in a pose that seemed toe straight out of Phoenix Wright and said: "You perverted lolicon!"

    "Objection! I''m definitely not a pervert; I''m just a pure sis-con!" Seiji did his best to clear his name.

    "Fooling an elementary school girl intoing here and bing your younger sister is clearly a pervert''s action!"

    "Objection! I didn''t fool her at all; I brought her here through intimate friendship!"

    "The used''s defense is meaningless! Judge Mika, what do you say?"

    "I agree with Prosecutor Chiaki''s viewpoint. The used, please make a more meaningful statement, or show some evidence to prove your point," Mika said expressionlessly.

    "Wah¡­ Reo-chan can be my witness."

    "A minor that''s at the centre of this might currently be under a certain someone''s undue influence, so she can''t be a witness for you."

    "Why is it like this!?" Seiji acted as if he had received a heavy impact.

    "Hmph, our side is easily able to summon witnesses." Chiaki revealed a smug expression. "Judge Mika, please allow my first witness to enter!"

    "I allow your witness to enter."

    "Come, my witness, Kagura-san!"

    Shika really did walk into the room and sat down on the tatami. Seiji was surprised for a moment at this.

    "Shika-chan¡­" he murmured.

    "Please introduce yourself, prosecutor''s witness," Mika said to Shika.

    "I am the used''s adopted younger sister, Shika Kagura," the ck-haired beauty said calmly.

    ''No way, you''re ying along with them as well!?'' Seiji was rather stunned now.

    "Kagura-san, do you feel that the used''s words just now are true?" Chiaki asked.

    "They were not," Shika said, scrutinizing her adopted older brother''s face closely.

    ''Hey, hey, what''s going on now!?'' Seiji was stunned even more.

    "Oh? Which part was he lying about?" Chiaki smiled faintly, and Seiji saw a dark shadow flicker across her face.

    Mika also had a faint ck aura around her.

    "The sentence ''I''m definitely not a pervert,''" Shika said.

    "Why do you say that this sentence is a lie?" Chiaki asked.

    "Because he intended to sleep together with the little girl that he just brought home." Everyone heard her calm voice clearly.

    Mika and Chiaki were both rendered speechless. Seijipletely froze over. He didn''t know what his expression looked like anymore, nor did he dare to check what the prosecutor and judge''s expressions were like.

    He felt as if¡­ he really were a suspect on a defense stand! This experience was way too realistic for him.

    "Seiji¡­" a low voice called.

    He was about to be judged.

    ''So, being judged actually feels like this¡­'' Just as Seiji decided to escape from reality, he was saved by a young girl''s voice.

    "Brother Harano¡­ what are you all doing?" the little girl asked, walking out of the study. There was an inquisitive look on her face as she swept over everyone with her eyes.

    After some introductions, Reo became acquainted with Mika and Chiaki. The atmosphere eased up¡­ or perhaps it should say that the atmosphere changed entirely.

    Seiji felt as if the atmosphere where he was just about to be judged earlier had disappearedpletely. Somehow it had transformed into something beautiful and peaceful. However, when Reo admitted that she had promised to sleep together with him, the atmosphere instantly changed back again!

    "Little sister Tachibana, even if you''re only an elementary school girl, it''s not good for you to be sleeping together with a boy," Chiaki said grinning widely. She then shot Seiji a sharp gaze, and added, "He might touch you in strange ces, you know."

    *Shtick!* A sharp arrow pierced Seiji''s chest.

    "Yeah, boys are all messy when they''re asleep. He''ll interfere with your own sleep," Mika added.

    "Oh¡­ Brother Harano, are you really like this?" Reo asked.

    "I¡­" Seiji broke out into a cold sweat when faced with the sharp eyes of the prosecutor, judge, and witness. He ended up averting his gaze. "I don''t know. Perhaps¡­ I really might do something I don''t know about while I''m asleep."

    ''This is a lie! I''m perfectly normal while I''m asleep!'' At least that was what Seiji believed. But due to the sense of pressure he felt from the three girls, he could only say what he did just now.

    Reo blinked at this. "Then, I''ll try sleeping together with Brother Harano for one night first, and if Brother really does move around too much at night, I''ll just sleep by myself in the future."

    Try sleeping together with him for one night first?

    Both Mika and Chiaki''s expressions froze over slightly at this.

    "Little sister Tachibana, why do you¡­ insist on sleeping together with him? Are you afraid to sleep by yourself?"

    "I''m not afraid; I just¡­ I just want to be together with Brother Harano." The little girl''s face reddened slightly after she said this.

    Mika and Chiaki were rendered speechless. Then, they both viciously red at the perverted sis-con in front of them!

    ''Ah¡­ the sky sure is beautiful.'' Seiji looked outside the window in an attempt to escape from reality.

    Mika and Chiaki felt awkward about continuing this any further after seeing Reo''s attitude.

    To be honest, they knew that with Seiji''s moral character, he definitely wasn''t the type to do anything to a loli like Reo. But¡­ they still felt ufortable and displeased inside!

    As for just why they were displeased, only they knew.

    After chatting for a while longer, the two of them said goodbye and left.

    After that was dinnertime.

    Seiji and Shika worked together to cook an abundant dinner in order to wee Reo to move in together with them.

    Reo felt that the food was quite delicious. She ate from many dishes and even had an extra bowl of rice.

    After dinner, Seiji did the same thing that he did in the soul realm and yed video games together with Reo. Of course, the game system and games were borrowed from Hirai''s residence.

    Just like in the soul realm, Reo had lots of fun while ying.

    It finally reached bedtime.

    ''If I do anything at all to Reo-chan, will a Demon dee slicing at me in the middle of the night?''

    Seiji couldn''t help but think that when he saw Shika''s expression as she said good night to him.

    He definitely wouldn''t do anything to Reo. He definitely wouldn''t.

    ''So¡­ Shika-chan, you don''t need to guard our bed all night, you know.''

    He was unable to say this out loud in the end.

    Reo-chan in her pajamas was of course incredibly cute.

    Seeing this incredibly cute little girl get on his bed andy beside her, Seiji found that his heart wasn''t as calm as he had expected.

    There were three advantages to lolis, they were light, soft, and easy to push¡­ ''Hey hey! Stop!!''

    Seiji brought out the method of reciting as many digits of pi as he could recall that he hadn''t used for so long in order to speedily calm himself down.

    No matter how moved he was by the scene of a loli in his bed, no matter how strong the cannon fire he was under, he absolutely had to protect his line of defense! He absolutely had to withstand everything!!

    ''Understood! Sergeant Haruta swears that he shall aplish this mission!!''

    "Good night, Reo-chan."

    "Good night, Brother Harano."

    They turned off the lights and closed their eyes.

    Before long, Seiji felt Reo getting closer to him and hugging his arm.

    It was a warm and soft feeling. He could also faintly smell a nice aroma.

    ''Calm down, rx, she''s just a young child¡­''

    Seiji maintained his sense of logic and reason.

    He gradually fell asleep¡­

    He heard the sound of crying.

    It was as he expected.

    Seiji inwardly sighed.

    Reo-chan was crying.

    This was only natural. She had said farewell forever to her mother, and was now living in an unfamiliar ce¡­ as a child, she would definitely feel sad and anxious.

    She needed someone to apany her.

    This was the very reason that Seiji had agreed to sleep together with her in the first ce.

    He didn''t say anything as he listened to her cry. He merely reached out with his hand that she wasn''t holding on to and gently patted her on the head.

    ''If you want to cry, then cry to your heart''s content. I shall apany you for this long, long night.''

 Chapter 311 - Do You Feel Uncomfortable Anywhere?

    <h4>Chapter 311: Do You Feel Ufortable Anywhere?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The crying continued for a while. Seiji retracted his hand, turned over, and enveloped Reo''s warm and soft little body in his embrace.

    Reo felt warmth andfort from his firm chest muscles. Her crying gradually died down and eventually stopped.

    The two of them slowly fell asleep in the silence. Feeling that something was abnormal, Seiji opened his eyes.

    He noticed that the light was onno, the sky was lightand his room¡­ felt somewhat strange.

    He was astonished when he recognized where he was. This was Reo''s bedroom from her soul realm!

    "What the hell! It''s here again!?"

    ''Why are things like this? I don''t have that same mysterious power as her and Mayuzumi, nor did Natsuya cast a spell on me this time. Will even sleeping together with Reo-chan pull me into her soul realm again?''

    Various thoughts shed through Seiji''s mind. He got out of bed and walked out the bedroom. There was nobody in the living room.

    "Reo-chan, where are you?" he called.

    He searched the residence for Reo but couldn''t find her. He attempted to leave the residence but was unable to open the door. He was simrly unable to open the window.

    When he tried to forcefully break the window, the ss absorbed his blow without even cracking. The scene outside the window was a normal blue sky. However, he couldn''t see anything moving or living at all. He felt as if he were looking at a very realistic scenery painting.

    He was unable to find Reo or leave this ce. Nor did he know what was going on.

    ''How am I supposed to wake up and leave this ce?'' Seiji sat on the sofa and contemted this question, using his palms to prop up his chin.

    Then, an idea came to him, and he decided to try it. He found a foldabledder in the storage room and ced it in front of the sofa.

    He climbed to the top of thedder, and then jumped off backwards from the top at an angle so that he wouldnd on the sofa on his back!

    *Plop!*

    Seiji closed his eyes as he fell down onto the sofa, giving his body a jolt. When he reopened his eyes¡­ he saw only darkness.

    He was now sleeping in his own bed again, with Reo-chan in his arms.

    He had woken up sessfully!

    Seiji heard before that intentionally falling down from a height was the best way to wake up from a lucid dream¡­ and this actually worked!

    If it worked, did it mean that entering that room was simr to having a lucid dream? Seiji looked towards Reo-chan again.

    The little girl''s breathing was calm. She seemed to be in a normal sleep, with nothing unusual about her condition. Seiji considered everything that had happened briefly before he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

    He remained asleep until he detected something abnormal again. Seiji opened his eyes once more. He had returned to Reo''s room in her soul realm!

    He walked out of the bedroom and saw thedder still ced in the living room.

    ''Nothing changed about the condition. Is it because Reo-chan''s been asleep for all this time? If she wakes up and then goes to sleep again¡­ will the condition in this room be reset? Or will it be some other dimensional space?''

    Seiji was now intrigued. Since he now knew how to wake up and exit this space, he started to wonder if this space coulde in useful somehow¡­

    When he attempted to open his system, Seiji''s eyes instantly lit up! He was able to use his system.

    All his options to train and increase his stats as well as grind for points were selectable, including¡­ the ability to cultivate his Spiritual Power!

    This was unlike his previous experience in Reo''s soul realm. In that city, everything was grayed out; now everything was selectable!

    He didn''t know why this was, but it meant that he could cultivate in the room!

    He didn''t know what the time ratio here was. If it was still the same as before, with one hour in reality being half a year inside here, wouldn''t this basically be¡­ a super version of the Room of Time and Spirit !?

    Seiji felt that this was rather unlikely.

    The current situation was obviously different from his previous experience in Reo''s soul realm, so he suspected that the time ratio was probably different as well. In fact, if it wasn''t different, then his options would likely still be grayed out. Seiji had a feeling that his conjecture wasn''t far from the truth.

    At any rate, he decided to give things a try. And so, Seiji began cultivating in this ce. After a while, Seiji''s cell phone rm rang, startling him awake.

    "It''s light outside¡­"

    The time that he spent in that ce¡­ seemed equal to the time that passed in the real world. As he expected, the time ratio had changed. It was now basically 1:1.

    He wasn''t fatigued at all from cultivating while sleeping. As for his mental spirit¡­ that felt unaffected as well.

    Time-wise, it was the equivalent of pulling an all-nighter to cultivate, but in actuality, he had cultivated all night while still maintaining the benefits of having rested well all night.

    Seiji looked towards Reo. The little girl was still asleep, so Seiji gently woke her up.

    "Mmm¡­ mew¡­" The loli slowly opened her eyes and blinked when she saw him.

    "Good morning, Reo-chan."

    "Good¡­ morning, Brother Harano," she said rather groggily.

    Seiji patted her head. "Did you sleep wellst night?"

    "Yes¡­"

    "Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"

    "No¡­" Reo smiled adorably at him. "Brother Harano, you didn''t move at all and slept so solidly. I want to keep sleeping together with Brother from now on!"

    "¡­Sure, as long as want." Seiji smiled as he looked at her.

    What he experienced hadn''t caused any negative effects to Reo-chan¡­ at least on the first night.

    Being able to cultivate all night was a good thing, but he would give it up if there were any negative side effects for Reo-chan. It seemed that this wasn''t the case¡ªat least for the time being¡ªso Seiji was relieved.

    He got out of bed and drew back the curtains. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating everything.

    Today was a bright and sunny day.

    Seiji walked Reo to her elementary school. After Seiji ensured Reo arrived safely at her school, he took a bus to Genhana High School and barely managed to step into the ssroom right before the bell rang.

    Today was the first day of the high school final exams.

    Seiji nced over the questions after he received the test. He found that the questions were quite easy for him, as he had expected.

    He immediately began filling out his answers.

    Time passed, and the final exams for today came to a conclusion.

    After the teachers collected the tests, everyone instantly started chattering and sighing.

    "How''d you do, lolicon¡ªwhoops, I mean Seigo," Chiaki asked with a chuckle.

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a moment.

    "I think I did a pretty good job."

    He gave up on saying anything about what she just called him. He felt that there couldn''t possibly be a good end for him if everyone in the ssroom heard that term.

    "How about you, Chiaki?"

    "I think I did alright. However¡ª" the tomboy shifted her gaze to her friend¡ª"it doesn''t look so good for Mika."

    Seiji looked over at Mika as well and saw that the pigtailed girl had copsed listlessly on her desk.

    ''An expression like that makes it seem like she has nothing left to live for. But really? She even participated in our group study sessions with the drama club.''

    The two of them walked up to her.

    "Mika¡­ how''d you do?" Seiji asked.

    "Not good," Mika said softly. "I didn''t know how to answer so many questions."

    "You should at least be able to pass, right?"

    "Wah¡­"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say anymore after seeing her expression.

    "The questions this time were difficult, but it''s alright, Mika," Chiakiforted.

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "I bet that there are many people that aren''t going to pass and will have to take makeup exams. You won''t have to worry about being alone," Chiaki added with a grin.

    "That''s what you were talking about!?"

    "With enough students taking makeup exams, it won''t be any different from going to school on a normal day."

    "I''m not reassured by that at all!"

    "If you''re walking on the road with a bookbag during school vacation, bystanders will think that you''re an excellent, hard-working student and respect you."

    "That won''t happen at all! Even if that''s true, I don''t want to experience it!!"

    Seiji looked towards Kaho who had also revised with the drama club study group while Mika was energetically retorting against Chiaki''s jokes.

    He saw that Kaho was sitting in her seat with a listless look in her eyes. She seemed to be as pale as a ghost.

    ''The study group seems to have been ineffective.'' In his heart, Seiji smiled wryly.

    As his thoughts went back to the study group, he couldn''t help but recall that student named Hiroshi Fuuma, along with his younger sister Airi Fuuma.

    How¡­ was the Fuuma family doing now?

 Chapter 312 - Of Course, It Was Amazing!

    <h4>Chapter 312: Of Course, It Was Amazing!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    During lunch break.

    Chiaki shot him a condescending look. "How did it feel to sleep together with a tender and sweet loli?"

    "I knew that you would ask this question¡­" Seiji sighed before changing his expression to a serious one. "Of course it was amazing!" He shed them a big thumbs-up as he praised the experience.

    *p!* *p!*

    He was pped on both his left and right cheek.

    "Eh? My hand involuntarily moved by itself."

    "Same for me. I only noticed that I had pped after I already finished."

    Chiaki and Mika both acted as if what they had done was inconceivable. Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I already expected to be pped when I said that, at least by Mika. Chiaki, you don''t have the right to lecture me, I''d think?"

    ''Haven''t you ''tasted'' many tender and sweet lolis yourself?'' He looked at her with that query in his eyes.

    "I''ve never slept together with any elementary school boys," the tomboy replied.

    Seiji was unable to find anyebacks to this. After all, what they did was indeed different.

    "I really didn''t do anything," Seiji said, sighing. "Of course I wouldn''t have done anything either. We merely slept together. If I did anything on top of that, Shika-chan would probably be the first to kill me."

    "You''re right about that. Kagura-san had such a serious expression in her eyes." Chiaki took a bite of her lunch. "With her keeping a tight guard on you, I suppose I can rx."

    "You should trust in my moral character more."

    "Your moral character was ced into doubt right from the moment you agreed to sleep together with an elementary school girl."

    *Schtick!* Seiji took a direct arrow shot to his forehead.

    "She''s only a child, and besides, she''ll probably want to sleep by herself after a while," Seiji said, sighing once again. "And in the end, she won''t live with me forever."

    "That''s what you say¡­" Chiaki gave him a meaningful look. "But even if she''s only a child, she''s still a ''girl.''"

    "¡­And what does that mean?"

    "Nothing in particr." Chiaki continued eating her lunch.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Um¡­ How''s Amami-sensei doing now?" Mika asked.

    "Pretty good," Seiji answered. "After her terrifying memories were sealed, she stopped having nightmares. Her androphobia has greatly improved as well, and it seems likely that she''ll bepletely cured soon."

    "That''s wonderful. Sensei suffered so much¡­ I hope that she gets well soon."

    "Yep. We still don''t know how to dispel the mysterious power that caused all this, but¡­ when there''s a will, there''s a way!" Seiji said resolutely.

    "That mysterious power¡­ just what could it be?"

    "I don''t know. Since we don''t know, we just call it the mysterious power. But the President did mention something¡ª" Seiji looked towards Mika¡ª"she said that it resembled your mysterious Spiritual Creature."

    "Eh?" Mika was surprised to hear this. "Like¡­ Mashiro-chan?" she asked with a dazed expression.

    Seiji nodded. "Yep, the President said that they feel simr¡­ in the way they work. Of course, it''s obviously not the same thing as Mashiro-chan.

    "But since the President intuits that they''re simr, then could Mashiro-chan actually have some sort of secret connection to this mysterious power? And if there is a connection, then Sakura-san who gave Mika Mashiro-chan might know something about it. Also, having Mashiro-chane into contact with Sensei or Reo-chan might cause something to ur if that''s the case."

    Mika didn''t respond to this.

    "I''m not asking for you to take Mashiro-chan out for an experiment. You just need to pay attention to the fact that this could be possible," Seiji told her. "It''s best if we could meet Sakura-san and ask her about this, but she hasn''t been showing up recently. If she does appear before you, remember to ask her about it, Mika."

    The pigtailed girl nodded.

    "The President infers that the mysterious power is activated or affected by the holder''s strong emotions or willpower. I agree with her inference."

    "Another way of putting it is that as long as Sensei and Reo-chan remain calm during their daily lives, they''ll be able to live just like normal without any problems."

    "Sensei is a mature adult with a strong resolution. She shouldn''t have any problems because she can consciously control herself."

    "As for Reo-chan¡­ She''s still just a child and might not be able to control herself as well. If another ident urs, Shika-chan and I should be able to suppress her. After some time passes and her condition stabilizes, everything should be fine."

    Another moment of silence fell between them.

    "I''m pretty curious about how you guys spent so long in the soul realm," Chiaki said abruptly. "Can I ask what it felt like?"

    "Now that I think back on it, everything''s rather hazy. It''s just like how you wake up after a dream. I can only remember the most important things and moments." Seiji rubbed his chin. "As for what I felt at the time¡­ it was just like daily life, except for the fact that I knew it was all fake. It was a rather subtle feeling."

    "Oh¡­" Chiaki thought about something that caused an ambiguous smile to pop up on her face. "Then, some good things must have happened while you were cohabiting with Amami-sensei?"

    "I wasn''t cohabiting with her; I was simply living together!"

    "Don''t mind the small details~ Hey now, something must have happened, so share it with us~"

    "It''s absolutely crucial to use the right word! Even if it''s only a dream!" Seiji continued to act serious about the correct word to use.

    "Fine then, let''s just call it living together. Share your benefits with us, handsome~ Don''t you say that nothing actually happened." Chiaki acted as if she were a perverted male.

    "I did enjoy some benefits, since Sensei''s figure was actually even better than it appeared on the outside, such as¡­"

    *p!* *p!*

    "My hand moved again, but this time it was intentional." Mika swept over them with cold eyes. "Please don''t discuss such a topic during lunch."

    "Yes ma''am¡­" Chiaki rubbed her head. "In that case, Seigo, let''s discuss this topic in more detailter over the phone."

    "It''s not alright to discuss itter either!"

    Lunch passed by with fun times for all just like this. Only when they returned to the ssroom did Seiji recall to ask Chiaki about Hiroshi Fuuma.

    "Fuuma-san? I haven''t seen hime to the study group in the two days that you were gone. Nor did I hear anything about him." Chiaki blinked in surprise. "Why are you suddenly asking about him? Is something the matter?"

    "Not much, just that¡­" Seiji told her about how Hiroshi was almost hit by a car and that he saved Hiroshi and took him home. He decided to keep the incident involving Airi private for the time being. "¡­I feel like something''s off about his condition, which is why I''m a bit concerned."

    "Oh¡­ do you need me to ask about him for you?"

    "You don''t need to make such an effort. It''s fine as long as you haven''t heard any rumors."

    ''It''ll be fine if there are no rumors; there''s no need to worry too much.'' That was what Seiji believed.

    More final exams were waiting for them in the afternoon. The sounds of sighing were even louder after the exams concludedpared to this morning.

    "It''s all over." Mika, who had copsed on her desk again, now had an even higher-level expression as if her whole life had been a waste.

    Seiji could almost see the manga-like scene of her soul escaping from her mouth¡­

    "It did feel a bit more difficult than this morning," Chiaki said. "I think I might have difficulty getting eighty points¡­"

    "Yes, it was a bit more difficult," Seiji agreed. The questions were certainly trickier.

    Well, he still didn''t feel like they were anything much, but it was evident from everyone else''s reactions that perhaps they didn''t do as well.

    "It seems that you''re going to have makeup exams, Mika." Chiaki had a sympathetic expression.

    "I don''t want to¡­" the pigtailed girl muttered.

    "Before the test results are out, there''s still no saying," Seiji told her. "Getting depressed now won''t be useful at all. Be spirited, and don''t think too much into it. Do your best on the remaining subjects. If you really must think about it, you should at least think instead about what you want to do after the tests during winter vacation."

 Chapter 313 - Ice and Fire Sensei, Have You Ever Used Yourself as the Model for Any of Yourâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 313: Ice and Fire Sensei, Have You Ever Used Yourself as the Model for Any of Your Drawings?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Winter vacation was rather short. It was mostly a break for the students to celebrate the new year. It might be more appropriate to call it the New Year''s vacation.

    "Winter vacation¡­ what can I even do?" Mika grumbled. "It''s just going to be celebrating the new year."

    Seiji smiled upon hearing this. "Apart from the new year, there''s also another important event. You definitely shouldn''t take that event lightly¡­"

    Mika''s heart was moved when she saw his expression. Apart from the new year being celebrated over winter vacation, there was one other important holiday known as the Winter Snow Festival.

    The Winter Snow Festival was a holiday exclusive to this world. In name, it was supposed to be for appreciating the snow, but in actuality it was a holiday where young people¡ªmainly young couples¡ªwould engage in special activities.

    Fine then, the special activities were actually "dates," "first kisses," "renting a hotel room," "the first experience," and so on!

    It was just like a version of Valentine''s Day. But in some ways, it was even more open than Valentine''s Day.

    ''What does he intend to do during the Winter Snow Festival?'' The pigtailed girl''s heart started beating quicker. This was a topic that was very close to her heart.

    "During the holy battle of winter, I absolutely must receive the abundant prizes of victory!" Seiji eximed with a clenched fist and bright eyes.

    "¡­Eh?" Mika could only make a foolish dazed sound. The holy battle of winter? This term seemed somewhat familiar¡­ it was almost as if she had heard it from him before.

    "Oh, so you''re talking about that." Chiaki blinked in realization. "I know about it, although I''ve never visited it before¡­ the otaku doujinshi convention, right?"

    "That''s right! It''s only held twice a year¡ªonce during summer and once during winter, and it''s thergest doujinshi convention of all!!" Seiji exined animatedly. "Since there''s so much hard work and preparation involved in this doujinshi convention, it''s also known as the ''holy battle!''"

    Mika didn''t even know what to say anymore. She now recalled that Seiji had mentioned the phrase "holy battle of winter" when he first told her that he intended to make a game.

    "When is it exactly?" Mika asked.

    "It starts next Saturday andsts for three days," Seiji answered. "I''m going to attend for all three days and buy everything that I like! Perhaps there will even be products there that will be useful when we make our game¡ªsimply as reference material, not giarism."

    "Would you guys like to go together with me? We intend to sell our game at next year''s summer convention. I think it would be a good idea to go see what type of ce it is."

    Chiaki looked towards Mika. "I''d like to go check it out. How about you, Mika?"

    "¡­I''ll go as well." Mika felt rather disappointed inside when she realized Seiji wasn''t referring to the Winter Snow Festival.

    As for this doujinshi convention thing, since it was an event that Seiji ced such importance on, it was only natural that she would go along and check it out. And so, the three of them agreed to go to the convention together next Saturday.

    Later that night, Seiji logged on to his chatting application and summoned his knights to their chat group.

    Hisashi, Yukari, Rion and Kotomi, Hoshi, Chiaki, and Mika all logged on and arrived.

    "Everyone gathered, I now dere the second meeting of the Knights of the Round Table." He sent a solemn emoticon. "There''s an important topic to discuss¡ªreconsidering the basic scenario of the game script."

    "Why are we reconsidering it, Milord?" Hisashi asked.

    "Because after careful consideration, I feel that our original storyline will be quite difficult to write into an excellent dating sim, so it''ll be ineffective," Seiji answered. "The storyline is interesting, without a doubt, but as I consider it, the more I think it''s novel-material instead of dating-sim-material."

    "Its main points are too different from the way a dating sim works, so there''s too little synergy¡­" He exined what his thoughts regarding the game''s storyline. "That''s why I believe we should discuss the game''s storyline together and create a new one."

    "Originally, the storyline came from me, Sweet Pig Knight, and Knight of Ice and Fire. Now, we have over double the original number of members, so I believe that we should have a new discussion which will help us to create an even better storyline."

    "Now, let us state our ideas in order. While each knight is giving his or her opinion, the other knights may also request to speak up as well. Sweet Pig Knight, you''re up first."

    Hisashi remained silent for a moment. "A better, more suitable story for a dating sim¡­ This humble one doesn''t have any ideas at the moment," he confessed. "As for me, as long as the main topic is about a boy in female clothing, I can ept anything. Although it''s also okay to incorporate other interesting topics as well, I would still like to use my favorite topic for the first game I create. Milord, how do you n on changing the storyline? Do you wish to change the topic entirely and start afresh or create side-plots within the main plot?"

    "I''d like to take everyone''s ideas into consideration before adding my own thoughts," Seiji replied, "but this is just my personal opinion. I would like to keep a trap as the main character and still find a voice actress for each female character''s route and write the routes appropriately. For example, Phantom Knight can be the female lead''s voice actress, and I''ll also use her as the original character model. Taking her ideas into consideration, I''ll write an appropriate female lead''s route based on her own personal life story!"

    Everyone was rendered speechless by Seiji''s passionate inte speech.

    "So you mean to say that you''ll write a story about me for my route?" Chiaki asked.

    "Yep," Seiji responded. "I believe that this method will both assist me in writing an excellent story as well as help you, a voice actress, act the part of the character convincingly."

    "This¡­ is awesome!" Chiaki sent a delighted and excited emoticon. "I like this idea. Just imagining what story our king will write based on my life makes me excited! I''d definitely be able to do an excellent job at being the voice actress for a story based on myself! I''d be at 100%¡­ no, 120% of my usual level, or even higher!!"

    Chiaki sent several more excited emoticons in a row.

    "I think it''s excellent as well," Yukari added. "With our king saying that he''ll base the female lead''s route on the voice actress, I''m also a little tempted to voice act as well¡­ Can I be a voice actress while simultaneously being the artist for this game?"

    Hisashi sent a shocked emoticon. "You''re actually female, Ice and Fire Sensei?"

    "I am. You should have noticed long ago, Sweet Pig Knight, so stop pretending."

    "I did faintly perceive it, but I didn''t think it was actually true! My shock isn''t faked at all!!" Hisashi sent a series of shocked emoticons. "For a professional master-level ero artist like Romance of Ice and Fire to actually be female! This is a huge scoop!!"

    "If you dare to tell anyone, I''ll kill you."

    "Er¡­ If Ice and Fire Sensei doesn''t wish for it to be known, this humble one shan''t mention it to anyone. However¡­ there is one question I''m really curious about."

    "What?"

    "Ice and Fire Sensei, have you ever used yourself as the model for any of your drawings?"

    "That''s sexual harassment, you pervert!"

    "I can''t control this humble one''s overwhelming curiosity! Milord wishes to know the answer to this question as well, right? Or¡­ have you asked it already?"

    "Of course I haven''t asked such a question!" Seiji said angrily. "Don''t get me involved somehow in this."

    Yukari sent a shy expression. "If Milord wishes to know, I can tell you in secret."

    "Why is there such arge difference in treatment!?" Sweet Pig cried.

    "Because our king is incredibly handsome."

    "Wah! As I expected, that was the answer¡­ Damn you, this cruel world¡­" Hisashi sent a given-up-on-the-world emoticon.

    "Enough, we should be discussing the game. Let''s stop getting off topic." Seiji sent a stern emoticon.

    "Milord," Yukari said seriously, "I apply for the position of voice actress in addition to being the artist, so please write a story for me as well!"

    "Milord, we would like to make the same request," Rion and Kotomi said immediately after.

    Hisashi was astounded once again. "Silver Knight is a girl as well!?"

    "Can I also be a voice actress?" Hoshi asked.

    "The Knight of Light is also¡­ wait a moment, aren''t you a boy!?"

    "I can act as a girl, since I''m already the character model for the trap." Hoshi sent a sweet-smile emoticon.

    "Act as a girl!?" Seiji snorted furiously. "Like hell you will! Please, stop making things more chaotic!"

    Their lively round-table discussion continued for a good while.

 Chapter 314 - The Female Cast Has Been Completed

    <h4>Chapter 314: The Female Cast Has Been Completed</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Knight of Ice and Fire and Silver Knight have both applied to be voice actresses¡­ won''t this be too much work for you two?" Seiji asked after he finally managed to get Hoshi and Hisashi to stop fooling around. "Since you''re also acting as our artist and musicposer respectively, I think it''s too much to ask you to be voice actresses as well."

    "Perhaps," Yukari said, "but I want to do this. Since I''ve already joined in, then I should do what I think would best add to this game instead of caring about my losses, don''t you think? Of course, making my request is one thing, and whether or not you approve it is another. If Milord feels that it''s inappropriate, I shall ept it as well."

    "I agree with Knight of Ice and Fire," Rion and Kotomi said. "Everything should be decided by Milord."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment and contemted the matter. "Sweet Pig Knight, what do you think?"

    "It could be a problem if any of you are overburdened," Hisashi responded, "but I agree with Ice and Fire Sensei. They should do as they feel best, rather than being concerned about their losses."

    "So you approve of their request?"

    "I have no objections."

    Seiji fell silent again for a while. "You''re all absolutely certain that you can work as voice actresses on top of your other job?" he asked solemnly.

    "I''m not certain, but I''ll try my best!" Yukari promised.

    "Same for me," Rion and Kotomi said.

    "Alright¡­ so we now have three voice actresses for three female characters: Phantom Knight, Knight of Ice and Fire, and Silver Knight." Seiji came to this decision.

    "You should make it four," Chiaki said. "If the other two can be epted as voice actresses in addition to their original positions, then I believe that Blue Sky Apprentice Knight should be epted as well."

    "Hmm¡­ that''s reasonable. Then, shall we formally initiate Blue Sky as an official knight?"

    There were no objections. And so, Mika became an official member of their group.

    "Now that we have voice actresses for four female characters, this humble one is of the opinion that with just one more, we''llplete our female cast!" Hisashi said. "And this humble one just happens to have someone to rmend."

    "The person that you''re rmending¡­ could she be¡­"

    "It seems that our king instantly saw through me. That''s right! I''m about to rmend my younger sister who fills me with pride!!" Hisashi sent a brilliantly shining emoticon.

    Yukari''s curiosity was piqued. "Sweet Pig Knight has a younger sister? What kind of person is she?"

    "She''s a great beauty! Milord knows her in real life. As for her beauty and talent¡­ not only am I proud of her as her older brother, even Milord recognizes her beauty and talent!"

    "Yes¡­ indeed," Seiji admitted. Kaede Juumonji was indeed a beauty who had both looks and brains. "But is she really willing to do this?"

    "I''ve already asked her. I wouldn''t have rmended her if she wasn''t willing. Milord, what''s your opinion on having her as the fifth female character?"

    "I¡­ think that it''s fine."

    "Then let''s invite her immediately!" Hisashi instantly sent Seiji Kaede''s inte ID for the chatting application.

    Seiji added the ID "Merry-Go-Round" to their chatting group.

    "Good evening, everyone. I''d delighted to be able to join you all. I shall do my best to do my part as well." Kaede greeted them politely with a smiling emoticon.

    Everyone else greeted her as well, and exined their group''s purpose and setting to her before they resumed their conversation.

    "Back to the main topic, as for our game scenario¡­ are we going to use my idea of writing the female characters'' route based on our voice actresses?" Seiji asked. "Does anyone have any other ideas?"

    "I think that using Milord''s idea is fine; I have no other ideas." Yukari sent an emoticon of approval.

    Chiaki, Mika, and Rion and Kotomi sent the exact same emoticon.

    Kaede asked about the specifics of the story, and Hisashi gave her a basic outline. After she understood, she agreed as well.

    "Okay then, let''s go for this as the basic plot, and then write the overarching scenario," Seiji said. "In that case, I''m going to need to have a personal discussion with each of our voice actresses¡­ and before that, what''s everyone''s opinion the main theme¡ªa boy disguising himself as a girl in order to secretly enter a renowned girls'' high school?"

    Everyone unanimously agreed on this theme.

    "Then it''s settled. This concludes the second meeting of the Knights of the Round Table!"

    Seiji rose from hisputer seat after ending the group chat. He intended to get himself a cup of tea.

    He saw that Shika was quietly sitting at the table, sipping at some tea. Seiji sat down beside her, poured himself some tea, and took a sip.

    "Shika-chan, do you have any good ideas about what to write next?"

    "I do have some I think are good¡­ but Brother, aren''t you currently working on your game''s storyline?" Shika looked towards him curiously.

    "I do have to write that, but it doesn''t mean that I can''t work on both at the same time." Seiji smiled. "I don''t have any intentions of writing a new work after finishing the game''s storyline. I want to continue writing together with you to the end."

    "Brother Seiji¡­"

    "Tell me about the ideas that you think are good. Is it a second volume of Brother Monogatari, or a new story?"

    Shika''s eyes lit up. "I have ideas for both." She went back to her room and retrieved her notebook.

    Seiji looked at the ideas that she pointed out to him. Compared to the rough ideas she had when he first asked her toe up with story ideas, these were much better nned out and mature.

    The main plot point in the second volume of Brother Monogatari was Redfrost leaves.

    The storyline would still be about an investigation of some mysterious magical item, discovering the truth, and resolving the incident¡ªthe style of the first volume would remain unchanged. There would be a mysterious atmosphere for the setting, with romance and tragedy injected into it as well.

    The adopted older brother and adopted younger sister''s backgrounds and true rtionship are expanded upon, and more mystery and suspense is added to their rtionship.

    And Seiji believed that the greatest selling point of Brother Monogatari''s second volume was that one of the female side characters from the first volume revealed her true identity as an exorcist! She got into intense conflicts with the main sibling characters.

    At first, the adopted younger sister believed that as an exorcist, the other girl wanted to eliminate her adopted older brother who was possessed by a demonic spirit.

    However, sheter discovers that this isn''t the case. This exorcist girl''s real goal is to steal the demonic spirit so that it would possess her instead! She wanted to be undying so that she could be more powerful.

    A demonic spirit was doing the job of an exorcist, while an exorcist was attempting to transform into a demon¡­ it was a strange reversal of roles.

    After finding out the truth behind the Redfrost leaves, the adopted older brother is on the verge of facing off against the culprit when the exorcist appears and voluntarily asks the culprit for some Redfrost leaves. Her goal was still the same: to be more powerful.

    "Is it alright if you''re no longer a human after you be more powerful?" the older brother asks.

    "Humanity¡­ I wanted to discard it since long ago," the exorcist replies.

    The female exorcist had an obsession with the concept of getting stronger. After remaining silent for a while, the adopted older brother decides to attack the culprit first in order to destroy the Redfrost leaves.

    The exorcist attacks the main character in order to prevent him from doing so.

    After a fierce battle, the adopted older brother defeats the main culprit but is unable to destroy all the Redfrost leaves, and the female exorcist escapes with a portion of the Redfrost leaves.

    Afterwards, when she reappears at school, everyone else still sees her as a normal, rather beautiful girl.

    But in the adopted younger sister''s eyes, she has already transformed into a monster.

    "As fellow demonrades, let''s get along well with each other," the former exorcist says to the adopted older brother, smiling.

    "Why is it that you''re willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of power?" he asks.

    "In order to be justice,"es the answer.

    Seiji felt that this female side character was quite charismatic. It was difficult to say whether she was on the side of good or evil, or whether she was an ally or an enemy. Although the main characters learn her true identity and goals, there was still a mysterious air around her, which matched the overall atmosphere of the story.

    By the way, this character''s setting¡­ he felt a subtle sense of deja vu.

    "Shika-chan, did you base this female exorcist on a real person?" he asked.

 Chapter 315 - I Have Ten Thousand Little Sisters!

    <h4>Chapter 315: I Have Ten Thousand Little Sisters!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Yes," Shika said. "I based her on Yukari Asamiya."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ''Fine then, so that''s how it is¡­'' In his honest opinion, they did seem to resemble each other, but if he couldn''t say exactly how.

    "I think that you''ve created an excellent character. She''s not at the point where she overshadows the two main characters, but she leaves people with a deep impression. Excellent job creating her." Seiji gave Shika his honest praise. Afterwards, he gave Shika his opinions on the small detailed portions of her story outline.

    Shika wrote down every single one of his opinions and told him that she would work on editing her story.

    After that, Seiji looked over her ideas for new books. They all seemed like nice ideas. The one that attracted Seiji''s attention the most, or perhaps it should be said that the one he wanted toment on the most was called¡­ I Have Ten Thousand Little Sisters !

    This story took ce in a world where demons, not humans, ruled the world. The male lead was a tall and handsome boy whose goal was to be a warrior and fight against these demons¡ªa demon yer, so to speak. However, his talent was rathercking, and he could only make up for things with hard work.

    The female lead was his beautiful and gentle adopted younger sister. She wanted to be a demon yer together with her adopted older brother and had outstanding talent. One day, the female lead received a special summon from the demon yer association. They wanted her to join a special mission.

    She embarked on this mission after saying goodbye to the male lead. The male lead was quite worried about and missed her. He kept feeling anxious. Then, he heard the news that the demon yer association had undertaken another campaign to y the demon king!

    The demon king was the leader of all demons. He was the strongest, most fearsome demon of all. ying him would definitely help turn the tide in favor of humanity.

    The demon yer association had undertaken several major campaigns in the past, but all ended up failing with heavy losses. The male lead''s father, as well as both of the female lead''s parents, had perished in the previous campaign.

    This time, most people believed that the campaign against the demon king would fail once more. However¡­ it seeded!

    The demon yer association''s strongest squad,posed of elites, attacked the demon king''s main base. Meanwhile the human armies attracted the attention of the demon armies, enabling the elite squad to y the demon king!

    Everyone in the world was shocked and ecstatic! They all celebrated this grand victory. The male lead was also overjoyed to the point of breaking out in tears. Just like everyone else, he was curious to know who the heroes that slew the demon king were.

    The demon yer association broadcasted a media announcement in front of the entire world''s cameras, praising the elite squad''s heroes for their achievements as well as making note of their sacrifices.

    Then, the association had all the elite squad''s members take off their helmets and reveal their true appearances.

    Everyone in the world was shocked. The male lead was the most shocked out of everyone. That was because¡­ everyone in the hero squad was identical¡ªthey all had his adopted younger sister''s face!!

    The head of the demon yer association personally exined the truth to the media.

    Apparently, the special mission that the female lead joined was dubbed the "one-person army." It was an ambitious n to clone one person tens of thousands of times, activating the full potential of every clone, and creating a mega army that had wless teamwork.

    This transformation was irreversible. Every single clone left alive after the battle had less than five years of lifespan remaining.

    Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. A reporter asked the clones why they were willing to volunteer for this process. The female lead answered by saying that it was for her family¡­

    The clones'' true and sincere expressions moved the world. Everyone started pping, with their thunderous apuse shaking the skies.

    Only the male lead kneeled on the ground and cried loudly. He swore that he would definitely save his adopted younger sister¡­ er, sisters, and definitely not allow them to die in the near future!

    And so, the story began. Yep, all of the above was just the prologue! The main phase of the story started when the male lead reunited with his adopted younger sisters.

    He worked together with the association''s research division in order to search for ways to increase his adopted sisters'' lifespan.

    Soon, the research division discovered that the girls'' love for the male lead was able to improve their bodies'' conditions.

    And so, the male lead was given the divine task of flirting with his roughly ten thousand adopted sisters all at once! And so, a shameless romanticedy began¡­

    He really wanted toment on this story!

    However, he couldn''t deny that this ridiculous plot was quite appealing. To flirt with ten thousand of his sisters at the same time¡­ just hearing this topic would make anyone think "what the hell," but also be interested at the same time.

    Seiji recalled all the Misaka Misaka clones from A Certain Magical Index ¡­ but even though the author of that story was incredibly skilled ating up with ridiculous plotlines, he doubted that Index''s author would dare to have Kamijou Touma flirt with ten thousand Misakas at the same time!

    Shika''s story basically the same clich¨¦s as all romanticedy stories, but the setting where the female lead was actually ten thousand versions of the same girl changed everything to be out of the ordinary! There were so many strange and subtle things about the story that would make the readers ache toment upon.

    At the very least, Seiji couldn''t help but mentallyment on it.

    Would Shika really be able to continue writing the ridiculous plot required for this story!? It would be challenging for anyone''s imagination¡­ and just how did Shikae up with it in the first ce?

    He asked Shika about this.

    "I just thought of it casually," she replied, averting her gaze. "There''s no particr meaning behind it; it''s just¡­ I suddenly felt like this story would be rather interesting and wrote an outline for it. After I finished the outline, I felt like it was pretty good, so I showed it to you, Brother."

    The product of a sh of inspiration? That was natural. Seiji nodded in understanding.

    "If you continue writing this story, do you think that you can finish it?" he asked.

    Shika fell silent for a moment and blushed. "I think that¡­ I wouldn''t be able to."

    It was as he expected.

    "Ah¡­ regrettable. This is a nice temte, but it does seem difficult to continue writing about it. After all, having ten thousand love interests is a little too much." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "If you really want to write about it, perhaps it would have to be limited to only one volume or just a few volumes."

    They decided to save the idea for a possible storyter in the future. There was no need to write every single good idea into a story immediately.

    He discussed Shika''s other story ideas with her as well. In the end, they decided to first focus on the second volume of Brother Monogatari .

    After his talk with Shika, he went to sleep with Reo-chan. This time, the little girl instantly buried her head into his chest. Both of them gradually fell asleep after saying good night to each other.

    Seiji re-entered Reo''s room in her soul realm. He stood up from the bed there and walked to the living room to inspect the changes.

    "This ce seems to have restored itself to its original appearance," Seiji mumbled.

    The objects he''d moved previously had returned to their original positions. The paper he''d intentionally ripped up was whole again, and the cup that he''d intentionally shattered was restored. Everything was restored, including the notes that he had writtenst time.

    Basically, it was a reset.

    "Every time that Reo-chan sleeps, this dimensional space will be refreshed, and everything within it reset. Perhaps the resetting could also be time-based.

    "I don''t know if there''s a price she has to pay for resetting this room¡­ to err on the side of caution, I shouldn''t make any major changes or do any destruction to this space."

    Seiji set that rule for himself. Then, he began cultivating.

    As time passed, Seiji''s progress bar was filled, and he paid the points required to learn [Mana Bullet]!

    Due to the rule he set for himself, he decided against testing his new spell in this dimensional space. He decided to visit the president''s residence at school tomorrow and practice in her underground practice field.

    Seiji checked his system and noticed that nothing new had appeared. This was the first time that nothing had appeared after he''d learned a new spell.

    There was still some time before morning, so Seiji continued to cultivate. He began to practice [Spirit Shield].

    After learning some offensive magic, he thought it would be wise to learn defensive magic. No matter what, he had to focus on improving his strength!

    The second day of final exams.

    Things were better for Mika today. At the very least, she was confident that she''d passed today''s exams.

    "I hope that it''s not a mistaken impression," Chiaki said, chuckling.

    "Don''t jinx me like that!" Mika retorted.

    During lunch break, Seiji received a phone call from Editor Yoshizawa.

    "I sent you an email containing your draft with editing suggestions included as well as a final contract to your email address. Read over the contract conditions carefully. If there are no problems, then just print it out likest time and mail it back to our editing department."

 Chapter 316 - This Is Gender Equality!

    <h4>Chapter 316: This Is Gender Equality!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Alright," Seiji said. "Thank you, Editor Yoshizawa."

    "I should be the one thanking you, Harano," Saki replied. "Mayuzumi hasn''t had any nightmares for the past few days, and her androphobia is well on track to being cured now. It''s all thanks to you¡­ I''m truly grateful for what you''ve done."

    "Editor Yoshizawa¡­"

    "In the future, if there''s anything I can help you with, please let me know," Saki said solemnly. "I''ll do everything within my power to assist you, no matter if it''s rted to your story, or to something else."

    "Editor Yoshizawa, you said something almost identical to Peach-sensei," Seiji said, chuckling. "I only did what I should have for Sensei. There''s no need to be so polite with me, but still, please take good care of me in the future."

    "Yes¡­ likewise. Please take good care of me, Harano¡­ Haruta-kun," Saki said, smiling to herself.

    Saki ended the phone call.

    Seiji told Mika and Chiaki that Brother Monogatari was approved for publication and he had received a formal contract, and both of them congratted him.

    "I think this book of yours is incredibly fun to read. I''ve already read it three times." Chiaki smiled. "It''ll definitely be a bestseller!"

    "I feel like that as well," Mika added. "It''s a wonderfully written story."

    Both of them had already read the draft that Seiji sent them multiple times.

    "I have more confidence after hearing your reviews," Seiji said with a smile. "Shika-chan is currently hard at work thinking of the storyline for the second volume of Brother Monogatari . I intend to write the light novel and work on the game storyline simultaneously."

    "Will you be able to cope?" Chiaki asked.

    "Of course¡ªneither is on a tight deadline. It''ll be simple enough to do both." Seiji paused for a moment. "And as for the game storyline, I need to discuss that with you before anyone, Chiaki. Do you have any thoughts regarding the female lead''s route?"

    Chiaki looked towards Seiji and grinned. "First, I''d like to ask you something¡ªwhat are you intending to write about me?"

    "I''m not going to write about you. I''m just using you as inspiration." Seiji rubbed his chin. "First, I need to establish a theme for the female lead. I have a few thoughts on this¡ªwe could go for ''drama club ace,'' ''rich girl,'' ''very popr,'' ''bright and starry,'' ''elegant,'' or something else of your choosing.

    "The basic route could go something like this: the male and female lead meet, and they interact with each other from day-to-day. I could then create a catalyst, which leads to them falling in love, then show daily life after the first date. After that, an obstacle to their love would crop up, and after a struggle, the main characters ovee their love obstacle, and they live happily ever after.

    "I''d like your opinion on the specifics, though."

    "I see." Chiaki nodded in understanding. "Can I give you any opinion that I want?"

    "Yes, I''ll take whatever you say into consideration and do my best to write it in. However, I can''t promise that I''ll use everything exactly as you say it."

    "Hmm¡­" Chiaki rubbed her chin, a sly smile spreading across her face. "My first opinion¡­ is about the male lead!

    "He needs to be tall and handsome! Even if he''s dressed like a girl, he needs to seem like one of those girls who appear powerful and spirited, not the weak type who need protecting. Also, he needs to be a skilled fighter, filled with a sense of justice, open and direct, and have otaku hobbies!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "That''s right, I''m talking about you!" The tomboy pointed directly at him. "I want the male lead to be just like you, Seiji, and the more simr he is to you the better!"

    "Why?" Seiji asked hoarsely.

    "For fairness!" Chiaki responded, acting as if she were on the side of logic and reason. "Since you''re using me as the female lead, then the male lead should be the same as you. This is gender equality."

    ''Gender equality¡­ that''s not what it means!'' Seiji didn''t know whether tough or cry.

    "Is it that necessary to have equality in this aspect? The storyline should be written so that it''s interesting¡­"

    "I think that this is rather interesting¡ªperhaps it''s even the most interesting storyline possible! Mika agrees with my opinion, right?"

    The pigtailed girl hurriedly nodded.

    "I-I agree with Chiaki; I think her idea is excellent!" Mika blushed slightly.

    "And now, it''s thebined opinion of two of your voice actresses! That should be quite weighty." Chiaki shed a brilliant smile.

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this.

    "Alright¡­ I''ll consider it carefully." He decided to give it some thought.

    "And also, I have an opinion about my¡ªor I should say the female lead''s¡ªidentity," the tomboy continued. "She should be childhood friends with the male lead. Their parents agreed to their engagement long ago, and everyone else thinks they''re a perfect match!"

    Mika was now the one who was rendered speechless.

    "After all, I''m the female lead, so shouldn''t the female lead receive all these grand advantages?" Chiaki continued to smile brilliantly. "Of course, these advantages don''t mean that the story needs to be smooth sailing for the female lead, otherwise it''ll be too boring.

    "You should also add a few tragic elements¡ªher family copsing, secretly being abused by her stepmother, or being forced by her father into a political marriage. As for the ending, it should be something along the lines of ''the female lead was forced by her family to marry another man, and the male lead rushed to the site of the marriage and made a huge scene, taking away the female lead!''"

    Chiaki posed like she was a teenage girl who addicted to such stories. "For the ending, the two of them elope to a faraway ce, marry, and have a wonderful life¡­ what do you think?"

    "A ssic story," Seiji reviewed. "This is okay¡­ but I want something that stands out more¡­"

    "Alright, let''s change it so that the female lead is sold by her parents to the mafia to pay off their debt, and the mafia tries to force her into making pornos¡ªhow about that?"

    "Why is it suddenly getting R-rated!?"

    "And the first porn video that the mafia wants the female lead to produce is about ***, ****, and *****."

    "And it''s even the hardcore stuff!?"

    "The male lead in female clothing rushes over to the scene just in time to stop them, and says in a cool voice, ''Let me rece her!''"

    "Cool!? The hell! This ispletely going down the wrong track!!"

    What was the dating sim supposed to be if the male lead in female clothing reced the female lead in a hardcore porn video!?

    Rather than being creative, wasn''t this just a hardcore sex scene!? Not to mention it would be BL!!

    Seiji energeticallymented on this both mentally and out loud.

    Chiaki kept giggling uncontrobly. "I''d really like to see it, the male lead being a**''d."

    "That''s enough out of you!" Seiji shouted. "Do you have a grudge against the male lead?''

    "I want to see it as well¡­" Mika added.

    "That''s enough out of both of you!! Is it true after all that all girls are into BL?"''

    Well, that was enough with the jokes.

    Seiji and Chiaki went back to discussing things seriously, but neither had any particr shes of inspiration, so they ended the lunch break just like that.

    After the end of the finals on the second day, Seiji split up from Chiaki and Mika and headed towards the president''s residence. He intended to try out the power of his new spell [Mana Bullet].

    He opened the door with the key that Natsuya had given him and went to the secret underground practice field.

    When he arrived at the area with many targets, he couldn''t help but remember the time when they tested Mashiro''s power. He looked around and turned on the nearbyputer.

    However, unlike Natsuya, he didn''t know how to control the targets with theputer.

    ''I might as well call Natsuya and ask her whichputer program it is¡­''

    Natsuya answered the call and told him what he wanted to know. He immediately used the program and brought out a circr target.

    He pointed his hand directly at the target.

    [Mana Bullet]!

    In his [Astral Vision], a white mass of energy rapidly increased in size within the palm of his hand. It soon reached the size of a baseball, before it started glowing and flew out from his hand.

    *Crack!!*

    It hit the target with the sharp, whip-like sound of something blunt and heavy colliding with an object fast and hard.

 Chapter 317 - She Wants Him to Accompany Her at the Winter Snow Festival!?

    <h4>Chapter 317: She Wants Him to Apany Her at the Winter Snow Festival!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ''How powerful was my attack?'' Seiji looked at theputer screen.

    There were some numbers on the screen¡­ but he didn''t really understand them. Well, the main thing was that he didn''t know what standard was being used. Basically, hecked anything topare the numbers to.

    Seiji thought about it for a moment and memorized the main number before resetting the program.

    He walked back to the practice field, and aimed a strong punch at the practice target.

    He didn''t use the [Body-Strengthening Technique] for this punch. He estimated that it was a punch which would probably knock out an average adult.

    He returned and checked the monitor again,paring the number on the screen to the earlier number. He now had a better understanding of [Mana Bullet]''s strength.

    That baseball-sized [Mana Bullet]¡­ had roughly ten times the destructive force of his normal punch!

    Basically, if he hit any ordinary human with [Mana Bullet], that person would 100% die. It was quite powerful¡­ testing it out was indeed useful.

    Seiji continued to experiment. He increased and decreased the size of his [Mana Bullet]¡­ and recorded the necessary information such as how much Mana was used each time and the difference in power, so that he could use [Mana Bullet] appropriately in future situations.

    Gradually, casting [Mana Bullet] became increasingly difficult. Seiji stopped his experiments; he had expended too much Mana. His tests had proved him with useful insight into his power.

    He left the practice field and returned to the living room. Natsuya Yoruhana was sipping tea at wooden table; she had been waiting for him.

    "President, you''ve returned."

    The scion smiled at him. "Yes, I''ve returned."

    Seiji felt her smile seemed somewhat strange.

    "I heard that you''ve adopted Reo Tachibana."

    "No, not adopted; I''m just temporarily taking care of her."

    "This is the second one after Kagura-san."

    "It''s just temporary¡­"

    "It''s the same with Rana¡ªI feel like your attitude is rather¡­ Haruta-kun, could it be that you especially prefer younger girls?" Natsuya maintained that subtle smile of hers, but Seiji saw an abnormal light sh in her eyes.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ''Are you a lolicon?'' He felt as if he could imagine being asked such a direct question.

    If he didn''t do a good job answering this question, there would be serious consequences!

    "I don''t have such a preference!" he denied in a serious voice. "I''m normal; I like all beautiful and cute girls."

    Natsuya didn''t respond to his answer for a while.

    "I figured as much." She finally retracted her gaze and continued sipping her tea.

    A moment of silence fell between them. Just as Seiji wanted to say goodbye and escape, Natsuya put down her teacup and fixed him with her stare.

    "Didn''t you forget about something, Haruta-kun?" she asked softly.

    Seiji was mystified by this question.

    "Forget¡­" He suddenly recalled something as he observed her expression. "President¡­ you''re talking about the promise to ''do something'' for you?"

    Earlier, when he requested the student council president to help Peach-sensei, he had promised to do something for her in exchange for her assistance.

    Natsuya nodded. "That''s right."

    "I''m sorry, I almost forgot¡­" Seiji scratched his face awkwardly.

    Since he had spent too much time in the soul realm, and there were various things to deal with after he woke up, he had almost forgotten about his promise until Natsuya''s reminder.

    "President, what would you like for me to do?"

    Natsuya''s eyes shed with an indescribable light as she continued to look at him.

    Seiji recalled how she said at the time that it was "something that only you can do." When he remembered her flirtatious tone at the time and being stared at by such a beauty, Seiji couldn''t help but feel his heartbeat quicken.

    "The Winter Snow Festival."

    "Eh?"

    "On the day of the Winter Snow Festival, do you have ns?"

    "The Winter Snow Festival¡­ er, I don''t have any ns."

    "Then, I want you to apany me."

    "Eh?" Seiji blinked in surprise.

    "On the day of the Winter Snow Festival, apany me for the entire day. This is what I want you to do." The president elucidated this as clearly as possible.

    Apany her for the entire day? Was this¡­ a date?

    And on the Winter Snow Festival¡­ Seiji knew that in this world the Winter Snow Festival was an upgraded version of Valentine''s Day.

    ''The president wants to have a date with me on this day!?'' Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    However, Natsuya, who was sitting before him had quite a calm expression. It was as if she had just asked him something incredibly normal.

    "Is there a problem, Haruta-kun?" she asked him, her eyes piercing his.

    "¡­No problem at all." Seiji could feel her strong will and retracted all doubts from his mind.

    Obviously, she would know the meaning of the Winter Snow Festival, but she was acting so calm about it. Could it be that she merely wanted someone to apany her for the duration of the holiday?

    For lovers, the Winter Snow Festival was a special holiday. However, they weren''t lovers, so he figured he shouldn''t think too much into it.

    "It''s fine if there are no problems," Natsuya said lightly. "That settles things, then. Let''s talk about it again when it''s time, Haruta-kun."

    Seiji smiled. "Alright, sure thing, President."

    Afterwards, he said goodbye and left.

    After he left, the president poured some more tea for herself, but her hand was shaking. Her face flushed red, she was trembling, and her eyes were teary¡­

    "Ahhh! What did I say!!? Ahh!!"

    She roughly put down the teapot, and then began rolling around on the sofa in a manner that seemed theplete opposite of her typical, refined, scion-like behaviour.

    "I actually asked him to apany me on the Winter Snow Festival!? Isn''t this a date!? And on the Winter Snow Festival¡­ Wahhh!!"

    ''This is so awkward! I''m so embarrassed! I want to go hide in a hole somewhere!!'' Natsuya didn''t know what she had been possessed by to ask him something like that. That wasn''t what she wanted from him at all!

    "I just¡­ wanted him to directly call my name¡­"

    She wanted him to stop calling her "President," and to call her "Natsuya" instead. This was all she had wanted. Then, why didn''t she ask that of him just now?

    She actually requested something even more embarrassing of him!

    "We aren''t lovers, so what''s with having a date with him for the Winter Snow Festival!?" Natsuya continued to pound the innocent sofa with her fists. "Why did I say something like that? What was I thinking just now!!!?"

    She didn''t know what she was thinking, nor did she know why she did something that she wasn''t intending to do.

    ''How¡­ scary¡­" The scion couldn''t control her emotions as she kept thinking back to what just happened. The situation which would ruin the impression she gave others continued for quite a while.

    If Seiji saw her right now¡­ no, if any student from Genhana High School witnessed the student council president right now, they would surely be astonished.

    The beautiful, elegant, strict scion and student council president, was actually¡­

    This scene of her rolling around on and smacking the sofa was quite impactful.

    Finally, Natsuya barely managed to calm herself down, and stopped her out-of-character actions. However, the redness on her face hadn''t faded yet.

    "Wahh¡­ what should I do¡­"

    She had already done it. There was no use crying over spilled milk.

    Luckily, she managed to use her strong willpower to maintain her image just now. It seemed to her that he didn''t think too much of it.

    ''But he must have been inwardly astonished! He definitely must have!!

    ''He probably didn''t think that I''m a casual girl, but he must have wondered. It was just that he trusted me, so he didn''t think too much or ask too much about it Luckily, he didn''t ask¡­'' Natsuya felt that was very fortunate indeed.

    If Seiji had wondered what she wanted, or asked her directly about it, she probably wouldn''t have been able to maintain her image any longer.

    And now, she definitely couldn''t tell him the truth¡ªthat she had made that request of him without even thinking about it. She could only act to the end! And have a date with him during the Winter Snow Festival¡­

    "No, no! It''s not a date! I''m just having him apany me!!" Various scenes shed through her mind, and Natsuya''s face suddenly started burning up again. She immediately vocalized her inner thoughts to the empty air: ''¡­Actually, a date would be pretty nice as well.''

    But even deeper in her heart, a tiny voice whispered: "Pretty nice¡­ that''s not it! It''s too quick for me!!"

    The president''s shouts of embarrassment echoed throughout her residence.

 Chapter 318 - Are You My Master?

    <h4>Chapter 318: Are You My Master?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After picking up Reo from elementary school, Seiji bumped into Kaede in front of his apartment.

    "Oh my¡­ this must be your new little sister, Harano-kun." The blonde health teacher''s eyes lit up upon seeing the little girl.

    She had already heard that there was now a new person living together with Seiji.

    Kaede didn''t know the specifics¡ªshe only knew that Seiji had been busy doing something for the past few days. When he appeared again, he brought back a little girl who would temporarily be living with him.

    Seiji did the introductions for Kaede and Reo.

    "H-hello, Juumonji-neesan," the little girl greeted politely. "Please take good care of me."

    "So cute!" Kaede crouched to meet Reo''s eyes and smiled. "Hello, Tachibana-chan. Let us get along well in the future." Kaede''s eyes shed as she turned back to Seiji. "Harano-kun, where did you find yourself such a cute little sister?"

    "I''m sorry," Seiji said, chuckling, "but that''s a trade secret."

    "I''ll pay you, so can you sell me this trade secret? Or¡­ you could even sell Tachibana-chan to me."

    "I''m sorry, but neither is okay¡ªespecially the second."

    "How stingy, Harano-kun."

    "Is stingy really the right word?"

    "Tachibana-chan, don''t live together with this stingy big brother anymore. How abouting to live together with me?" Kaede asked with a wide grin.

    Reo didn''t know how to respond to Kaede''s question and tone. She turned around to look at Seiji.

    Seiji assumed a severe expression. "Please don''t try to kidnap the cute child from my family, Juumonji-sensei!"

    "I''m not kidnapping; I''m just inviting her! But¡­ for my actions to be described like that¡­" Kaede rose to her feet, a helpless, disappointed expression on her face.

    Seiji exchanged nces with Kaede, then they bothughed.

    "Do you need any help taking care of this child?" she asked seriously.

    "No¡­ not for the time being."

    "If I can be of any assistance, feel free to call me any time," Kaede said before looking back at Reo. "When you have free time, can Ie find you to y, Tachibana-chan?"

    "S-sure," Reo stammered, making the blonde teacher reveal a gentle smile.

    Seiji brought Reo inside the apartment. He then left it to print out, sign, and mail his book contract.

    It was now certain that Brother Monogatari would be published! But first, he would still need to edit his final draft ording to Editor Yoshizawa''s suggestions.

    Later that night, Seiji carefully edited his draft and gave it a final inspection before emailing the finished version to Editor Yoshizawa. He also mentioned in the email that he had mailed out the signed contract.

    Then, he stretched, intending to rx for a while, but his chatting application rang, notifying him of a new message.

    Seiji raised his brows when he saw who it was from. He immediately opened the conversation window.

    "Hey, hero from another world." The message was from Cat-loving Flying Fish¡­ his younger sister, Hana Haruta.

    "Hey there, Angel NEET," Seiji responded.

    "Don''t call me an angel!"

    "How about Witch NEET instead?"

    "That feels somewhat strange as well, so don''t call me that either!"

    "Alright then, I''ll just call you cutie cat."

    "Meow to hell!"

    They had fun joking around for a little while.

    "Hero, do you have any ns for the uing holy battle?"

    "Of course. Rushing together with mypanions to the battlefield, fighting heroically, collecting the reward loot ofbat¡­ You shoulde with us, little sis."

    "I''m currently being sealed and can''t move."

    "You can break free from that seal any time you want."

    "No, I don''t want to go outside!"

    "Then you won''t be able to participate in the holy battle or obtain the spoils of victory. How regrettable."

    "No, I can participate!"

    "In your dream?"

    "Of course not!" Hana sent a cool-looking emoticon. "I have a perfect n, and I''ve already prepared all the necessary equipment. Now, I justck a familiar."

    "Are you going to perform a summoning?" Seiji sent an emoticon of a summoner uttering an incantation and performing a ritual.

    "I''ve already summoned my familiar: it''s you!"

    "Eh¡­ But I didn''t hear any summoning incantations, nor did I sign any contract."

    Hana immediately sent him a video that automatically began ying.

    In the video, a beautiful witch in pitch-ck ceremonial clothing was reciting an incantation with her melodious voice. With some grand background music, the witch drew an extravagant spell formation, and then stuck her magic wand into the ground, opened her arms, and called, "Come! My familiar!!" making her ample breasts jiggle.

    Colorful words shook in his conversation window. Seiji sighed, surprisingly impressed. Then, he responded: "This hero from another world has answered your summons! Are you my master?"

    "That''s right!"

    "The contract has been sealed, and I shall fight for your cause!"

    "Excellent." Hana sent him an expression of satisfaction.

    "By the way, just what exactly do you want to do?"

    "Make you livestream the event."

    "What?"

    "I''ve already prepared a full set of top-tier livestreaming equipment, so just wear these, start livestreaming when you participate in the holy battle, and listen to my orders!" Hana exined her "perfect n" using only a single sentence.

    Seiji was rendered speechless. ''This is indeed a method that can allow you to participate without taking a single step outside. What a smart idea toe up with, my master, but¡­''

    "This top-tier equipment must be really expensive¡­ is it really alright to buy a full set and send it to me?"

    "I''m rich!"

    Fine then, his younger sister was rich.

    "If you don''t have any problems with it, and that''s what you want to do, then it''s fine with me." Seiji agreed to livestream for her at the otaku doujinshi convention.

    Just like he promised her before, if he had the chance, he would stream again, just for her only.

    "Give me your address. I need to mail the equipment I purchased to you."

    Seiji gave Hana his current address, and she wrote it down.

    Hana was currently smiling delightedly. Participating together in battle with him¡­ er, joining the doujinshi convention with him in this form made her quite happy.

    Although it was through a livestream, his livestream was only for her, and her alone. To her, was no different to the two of them going outside together¡­

    ''Wait a moment!'' Hana suddenly recalled Seiji''s earlier words.

    "You said ''together with mypanions¡­'' are you intending to go together with some friends?" she asked.

    "Yes," Seiji said, "I''ve already agreed to go together with two of my friends."

    "Male or female?"

    "Female."

    "Both female?"

    "Both female."

    "Are they beautiful?"

    "I think they''re both quite beautiful."

    Hana was rendered speechless. She was ovee by a huge influx ofplex emotions, and soon they formed into a single sentence: "Winners in life should go explode and die!"

    Then, she sent an exploding emoticon, as well as a funny face emoticon, and logged off.

    Seiji was left staring at hisputer screen, not knowing whether tough or cry.

    ¡­

    The final exams had ended. No matter how everyone did, at least they were finally over.

    The homeroom teacher reminded the students about the things they were supposed to do over winter break, and then the students were freed.

    "It''s the Winter Snow Festival in just a few days. Seigo, do you have any ns?" Chiaki asked.

    "I''m going to apany President Yoruhana," was his answer.

    Chiaki and Mika were shocked and confused to hear this. They had never expected to hear this answer, so they werepletely astounded.

    "Did you say President Yoruhana¡­ Natsuya Yoruhana!?" Chiaki asked with wide eyes.

    Seiji nodded and told them about the request Natsuya made yesterday.

    "She probably just wants me to casually apany her to have a little fun, basically the same as hanging out together with ssmates¡­ that''s what I think."

    Chiaki and Mika were both temporarily rendered speechless. The same as simply hanging out together with ssmates? They instinctively refused to believe that was possible!

    This was Natsuya Yoruhana, a person who every single student at Genhana High School knew. Had thisdy scion ever had a record of hanging out and having fun together with an ordinary student?

    Never! Not even once!!

    Her behavior wasn''t arrogant, and she had a friendly attitude, but actually, as the scion of a rich and powerful family, she wasn''t easy to approach or get close to.

    Apart from Hitaka Shuho, was there even a single other person that was rather intimate with her?

    The answer was that there wasn''t anyone! At least, nobody knew of anyone who was. Natsuya Yoruhana was a high-up, isted existence who nobody could reach.

    Even if she didn''t give others this impression, this was actually the case. And now, she had actually requested a boy to apany her for an entire day on a holiday like the Winter Snow Festival¡­

    This wasn''t even at the news of major gossip¡ªit was a torrential flood! If news of this spread out, the entirety of Genhana High School would be astonished!!

 Chapter 319 - The Opponentâ€™s Level Has Surpassed All Limits

    <h4>Chapter 319: The Opponent¡¯s Level Has Surpassed All Limits</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki and Mika were wiped away by this torrential flood, and it took a long while for them to finally recover their senses. Both had already returned to their respective homes by the time they regained control over their minds.

    They simultaneously tried calling each other at the same time. It took several tries before they seeded in contacting each other.

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "Mika¡­"

    Both of them fell silent for a while and then sighed.

    "This should be¡­ that ," Mika said.

    "Yep, no matter how you look at it, it has to be that ," Chiaki said. "Otherwise, with the way Natsuya Yoruhana is¡­ although I don''t know her very well, I can only understand it as her having those types of intentions."

    An invitation during the Winter Snow Festival¡­ if she didn''t have those types of intentions towards Seiji, then this isted, untouchable scion definitely wouldn''t ask such a thing because she wasn''t a flirtatious, casual, or unthinking type of girl.

    Although Seiji said that she appeared quite calm when she invited him, Chiaki and Mika were both girls. Even if they didn''t personally see Natsuya at that time, they were both one hundred percent certain that Natsuya must have been acting!

    Even normal girls would pretend to be proper, not to mention Natsuya, a scion.

    Seiji probably had the ability to see through things, but he chose to believe in her surface appearance. This was either dullness or gentleness. After all, Natsuya was a properdy scion.

    At any rate, this was a rather bad situation.

    No¡­ it wasn''t even at the level of bad anymore.

    Compared to normal girls, Natsuya Yoruhana was on apletely different level. If she got serious¡­

    "Mika, although I really don''t want to say something like this¡­ I can''t think of any way to fight back," Chiaki said, sighing. "President Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ although she may not be as simr to Seiji as Yukari Asamiya is, they seem to be quitepatible, especially in regards to their family backgrounds, not to mention that she''s also a Yin-Yang Master. Her conditions simply match too well with him. And if Seiji gets together with her, they''d be a better match in physical appearances than even him and Asamiya, not to mention even their names. At any rate, they''re extremelypatible all-around."

    That''s right¡ªthey were easily able to imagine Seiji and Natsuya together.

    Young Master Seiji and the scion Natsuya, both of them wearing extravagant clothing, dancing elegantly to ssical music in a grand hall, looking at each other all lovey-dovey¡­

    This seemed too realistic, so they couldn''t even stop themselves from imagining along these lines! Mika was frustrated to the point of rolling around on her bed.

    Chiaki silently sipped some tea.

    "I just recalled something¡­ the first time that Seiji met the president, she said that she had almost be Seiji''s fiancee¡­ long in the past." Mika sighed after she finally stopped rolling on her bed.

    "Oh¡­ a family arranged marriage, is it? It seems to be quitemon for families in high society." Chiaki mulled it over. "If the Haruta family and Yoruhana family still maintained good rtionships despite the canceled engagement, then there won''t be any obstacles to Seiji and Natsuya being together. In fact, it may even be great news for both of their families."

    "Wahh¡­" Mika let out another wail of frustration.

    "The opponent''s level has surpassed all limits, and we can''t fight her, so we can only give up. Although I say this¡ª" Chiaki paused and smiled mysteriously¡ª"something like romance isn''t determined simply bypatibility. Perhaps there''s still room to struggle."

    Mika remained silent. After a period of silence, she weakly asked, "Hey, Chiaki, currently¡­ what exactly do you think of Seiji?"

    Chiaki also fell silent for a moment. Her eyes shed with a warm light as she recalled the night when she drank together with Seiji.

    "I¡­ like him," she admitted. "As for how much I like him¡­ I would say that it''s at the level where I would unhesitatingly agree if he asked to have sex with me. But¡­ I don''t want to be his one and only."

    "Eh¡­?" Mika was confused to hear this.

    "Should I say that I don''t have such a desire, or is it that I think it''ll be too much of a burden¡­ I myself don''t know that clearly either." Chiaki took another sip of her tea.

    "Mika," Chiaki continued, "you know already that I''m the casual type. For me to hoard a boy like Seiji all to myself is far too difficult for me, both objectively and subjectively speaking. If I make an incredible effort, perhaps I could seed, but I don''t want things to be that way. I just want to have a rxing rtionship with Seiji¡ªmuch like how things are now. I''ll asionally be intimate with him, and when the timing''s appropriate¡­ have his child, and then I''ll raise the child up by myself."

    "Chiaki¡­ this¡­" Mika''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "Yep, to put it clearly, I don''t want to be his wife¡ªI''d prefer to be his mistress!" Chiaki said directly.

    Mika was rendered speechless. ''Chiaki actually wants to be a mistress!? This is¡­''

    She didn''t even know what to think anymore.

    "The reason why I objected so much to Yukari Asamiya getting closer to Seiji was because I felt that a girl like her would be extremely possessive of her boyfriend. If she got together with Seiji, then I''d have zero chance," Chiaki continued. "And as for why I''ve always supported you¡­ one reason is that you''re my good friend, and another reason is that¡­ if it''s you, you should be able to ept me being Seiji''s mistress, ehe~"

    "What''s with your ehe!" Mika retorted reflexively. "I¡­ I can''t ept something like that at all! Something like a mistress¡­"

    "Then, you''d be willing to watch your good friend remain alone forever, without a lover to take care of her, and die of loneliness?"

    "Wah¡­ this¡­ this wouldn''t happen! Chiaki, you wouldn''t be alone¡­"

    "Why wouldn''t I be? Although I have many people I get along well with, there aren''t many I''m truly close to, especially boys," Chiaki said in a serious tone. "Before I met Seiji, although I didn''t object to boys, I never expected that I would end up liking a boy¡­ and now, I can''t even imagine liking a boy other than him anymore. The only boy I''ll ever like in my life is Seiji¡­ I think that this is highly possible."

    "Why is it like this¡­" Mika mumbled.

    "I''m not intentionally making trouble for you; I''m just voicing my true thoughts. Try thinking about it from your angle, Mika¡ªcould you imagine yourself liking a boy other than Seiji?"

    Mika was rendered speechless. She indeed felt like it was impossible to imagine. A boy even better than Seiji¡­ she felt like that wasn''t possible at all.

    Even if there was a boy like that, and even if she met that boy, would she be able to fall in love with him just like how she fell in love with Seiji?

    Mika recalled the scene from long ago when Seiji had protected her from the blonde bully.

    ''Impossible.''

    That scene couldn''t possibly be re-enacted again, so there was no way that she would fall in love with someone else the same way. Chiaki¡­ probably had simr feelings to her.

    Perhaps this feeling wasn''t reasonable, and perhaps it would change in the future, but right now, it indeed existed and didn''t seem like it would change.

    "I apologize if I made things unpleasant, Mika. But this is what I really think," Chiaki exined. "What about you, Mika, what do you think right now?"

    "I¡­ want to be together with Seiji."

    "In what type of fashion?"

    "I¡­ don''t know¡­"

    She had thought it would be in a normal fashion, the normal type of couple that everyone knew about. But after hearing her good friend''s words, Mika was uncertain about her feelings anymore.

    Having him to herself was quite difficult. ''If even an excellent girl like Chiaki is convinced of this, then what about me?''

    First there was Yukari Asamiya, and now¡­ President Natsuya Yoruhana¡­

    Mika thought about the beautiful scion who she idolized even now. It was her who had helped her so much in the past in the matter of the blonde bully. Mika didn''t even know how she was supposed topete against her¡ªor perhaps it should be said that she didn''t even want topete against her.

    ''Then¡­ what should I do?''

 Chapter 320 - Can Only Wallow in Loneliness

    <h4>Chapter 320: Can Only Wallow in Loneliness</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mika fell silent for a long while. She couldn''t make sense of her own feelings or just what she should do.

    "I rmend that you discuss things with Yukari Asamiya," Chiaki said, breaking the silence

    "Asamiya-san¡­" Mika mumbled thoughtfully.

    "I was intending to tell her about this as an apology for what I did to her before. But considering things more closely, it might be better for you to be the one to tell her."

    "Do you think that Asamiya-san will have any ideas?"

    "I don''t know; I have no clue how she will react. I just feel like she''ll do something about it because she''s not the type who can wait around and do nothing." Chiaki paused for a moment. "Since she''s a weaker version of Seiji or perhaps even a female version of Seiji¡­ I''m quite curious what she''ll do after learning about this. In a way, this situation is actually quite interesting."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "Anyways, go ahead and tell her about this. No matter how the discussion goes, just make sure to tell her about Seiji''s date with President Yoruhana at the Winter Snow Festival." Chiaki smiled. "Also, although this might not be too much of afort, don''t forget that Seiji promised his adopted sister Kagura-san that he wouldn''t be getting a girlfriend any time soon.

    "No matter what happens on the Winter Snow Festival date, it''s certain that Seiji definitely won''t get together with the president immediately after."

    "Yeah¡­" Mika felt slightly better.

    "By the way, what will Kagura-san do after knowing about this? I''m quite curious about this as well." Chiaki''s voice suggested that she was enjoying the situation.

    ¡­

    Kaede really dide over to y with Reo.

    At first, the little girl was rather shy around the blonde teacher, but Kaede continued to treat her gently, and Reo quickly lost her shyness.

    Kaede and Reo yed games together, while Seiji and Shika sat nearby and observed them while sipping some tea.

    The mature blondedy and the green-haired loli ying together was a scene that made Seiji feel warm inside.

    After they finished ying, Reo went to go take a shower, while Seiji poured some tea for Kaede.

    "Harano-kun, what are your ns for the Winter Snow Festival?" the blonde teacher asked.

    "I already agreed to apany someone for the whole day," Seiji replied. Shika, who was sipping tea next to him, looked sharply in his direction he said this.

    "¡­Congrattions, Harano-kun." Kaede''s words seemed somewhat forced.

    "Eh?" Seiji was surprised for a moment before he realized what she meant. "No, no! I don''t have that type of rtionship with her."

    "It''s not? Even though you''re having a date with her on the Winter Snow Festival¡­"

    "It''s not a date," Seiji replied. "I think it''s more simr to going out to have fun together with a ssmate."

    "No female high school student would simply ''go out to have fun'' with a male student at the Winter Snow Festival. No female would spend the day with a boy they''re only friends with, and they definitely wouldn''t use the term ''apany.''" Kaede directly hit the nail on the head.

    "Er¡­ maybe¡­ probably," Seiji answered in an uncertain voice.

    "Who is it with, Brother?" Shika asked calmly.

    "President Yoruhana," Seiji answered honestly.

    The ck-haired girl was unreadable.

    "President Yoruhana¡­ the student council president, Natsuya Yoruhana!?" Kaede was astonished.

    "Yeah."

    "¡­Congrattions, Harano-kun."

    "Why are you saying that?" Seiji asked.

    "Because it''s Natsuya Yoruhana," the blonde teacher said, sighing.

    Seiji could only grasp part of the meaning behind her words. Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "Juumonji-sensei, how are you intending to spend the Winter Snow Festival?" Seiji asked in return.

    "Since the person I wanted to invite already has a date, I can only wallow in my loneliness," Kaede said wistfully.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Just joking. I''ll go visit home since I haven''t returned there for quite some time." Kaede smiled before looking towards Shika Kagura. "Kagura-san, how about you? What are your ns for the Winter Snow Festival?"

    The ck-haired girl didn''t reply. Her gaze was fixed on her adopted older brother.

    Seiji started to feel a little insecure inside.

    "Could it be¡­ that you''re going to stay home?" Kaede tried asking. Shika nodded ever so slightly. Kaede looked back towards Seiji again. "Is it the same for Tachibana-chan? Are you just letting her stay at home and do nothing on the holiday?"

    Seiji felt even more insecure now. He found it difficult to meet the blonde teacher''s eyes.

    Kaede sighed after looking at him for a while. "I don''t have anything to say about you going out on a date, but¡­ Harano-kun, I don''t think this is right. For you to go out and enjoy yourself on a holiday and leaving your adopted sister and a kid who needs to be taken care of at home¡­"

    *Ka-shing!* Seiji''s chest was pierced by a vicious knife.

    "I apologize for saying too much, but¡ª"

    "No need to say any more, Juumonji-sensei. You''re correct." Seiji sighed. "This is indeed not right." Then, he turned to Shika. "I shall mention it to the presidentter. Why don''t I return early and spend the evening together with you and Reo-chan¡­ would that be alright?"

    Shika''s eyes lit up and she nodded.

    Seiji smiled. "I''ll buy something delicious for you guys. No matter what you and Reo-chan want to eat, I''ll buy it."

    "You should buy some presents as well," Kaede rmended. "Girls are always delighted to receive a few small presents."

    "Presents¡­ you''re right. Shika-chan, do you have anything that you want?"

    Shika shook her head. "I only want Brother."

    A gentle and beautiful smile spread itself across the ck-haired girl''s exquisite features.

    Seiji''s gaze froze on her for a moment.

    Kaede widened her eyes slightly upon seeing this.

    ''She''s so beautiful,'' the blonde teacher inwardly praised.

    She really wanted to get along better with Shika Kagura, but Shika always maintained a distance, which Kaede felt was regrettable.

    "I''m happy to hear you say that, but it''ll make it really difficult for me to pick out a present for you." Seiji reached out and patted Shika on the head. "I''ll need to think hard about what I should give you."

    "As long as it''s something that Brother gives me, anything is a good present."

    Shika truly believed this.

    ¡­

    Yukari Asamiya was preparing to contact Seigo Harano. Of course, it was to ask him about his ns for the Winter Snow Festival.

    The best possible answer would be that he didn''t have any ns, but she figured that was highly unlikely, due to the two girls beside him.

    Chiaki Wakaba and Mika Uehara¡­ they definitely wouldn''t let an opportunity like the Winter Snow Festival pass by. They might have made arrangements with him already.

    No matter what, it was necessary to contact him. She still had a chance if she tried, and if she didn''t even try, she knew she would have no chance at all.

    Just as she was mentally preparing herself for her call with Seigo, her phone started ringing. The caller ID was Mika Uehara. Yukari was rather surprised to see this.

    She picked up the call.

    "G-good evening, Asamiya-san."

    "Good evening, Uehara-san."

    "Um¡­ are you currently free?"

    "I am. Is something the matter?"

    Mika fell silent for a moment. "Actually, Chiaki wanted me to tell you¡­"

    Yukari''s eyes bulged when she heard what Mika had to say.

    ''The student council president, Natsuya Yoruhana¡­'' She couldn''t help but recall the first time she saw her fellow first-year high school student.

    Natsuya Yoruhana had long ck hair that flowed in the wind, an elegant figure, a perfect, beautiful face, lively eyes that would move anyone, and her lips were arced upwards alluringly¡­

    She was too beautiful! Yukari, an ero artist, had been quite shaken at the time.

    If she had been a boy, she would have one hundred percent fallen in love with the scion at first sight. Yes, it was no joke¡ªshe truly believed this!

    However, she was a girl.

    Immediately after she returned home that day, her strong first impressionpelled her to draw several ero pictures using Natsuya Yoruhana as the character model! She was unable to stop drawing that night.

    There was no helping it; President Yoruhana was simply too beautiful. Her beautiful face and excellent figure made her an incredibly alluring beauty! Yukari, who was already at the level of a professional artist, felt that President Yoruhana was the living definition of the word ero!!

 Chapter 321 - This Type of Scene Has Finally Arrived!

    <h4>Chapter 321: This Type of Scene Has Finally Arrived!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    With her perfect, ero-worthy appearance and illustrious family background, Natsuya Yoruhana was basically the fantasy of every boy at Genhana High School.

    To be polite in describing it, she was the dream girlfriend of every high school boy, and if a more vulgar description was used, er¡­

    At any rate, Yukari felt that Natsuya Yoruhana was an incredibly alluring girl. Yukari herself was attracted to Natsuya''s beauty, despite being a girl, so there was no need to even mention how a boy would feel.

    There were many rumors that said Seigo Harano had some type of connection to Natsuya Yoruhana.

    But afterwards, the two of them hadn''t been seen contacting each other¡­ more urately speaking, most average students hadn''t seen them together in public at all, which was why this rumor had died down.

    Yukari never expected that now¡­

    Yukari didn''t doubt Mika''s words at all; if she were lying, it would be a meaningless lie as it could be easily proven.

    She believed that Natsuya Yoruhana had indeed invited Seigo Harano to spend the Winter Snow Festival together!

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Why are you telling me about this?" Yukari asked.

    "Chiaki said that this is an apology for what she did to youst time," Mika answered.

    "Then why isn''t Wakaba-san telling me about this herself?"

    "Because¡­ she felt that it would be better for me to tell you."

    Yukari fell silent for a moment, contemting Mika''s words. "Has she given up?"

    "Eh?"

    "Wakaba-san thinks that President Yoruhana is too strong of an opponent, so she''s decided to give up on Harano-san¡­ is that the case?"

    "No¡­ I don''t think¡­ er¡­ I don''t know." Mika didn''t know how to answer.

    Chiaki didn''t want to give up on Seiji¡ªshe wanted to be his mistress! That was too awkward for Mika to say out loud.

    "Uehara-san?" Yukari was a little confused by Mika''s reply.

    "Chiaki said that she couldn''t think of any method to resist¡­ I suppose it counts as giving up." Mika could only answer in this way.

    "Oh¡­"

    "Asamiya-san, do you have any ideas?"

    "Nope," Yukari answered without hesitation. "President Yoruhana is a girl above all other girls. I don''t have any ideas about how topete with her, either. To put it extremely, if I were a boy, I would definitely choose Natsuya Yoruhana, not myself. That''s simply how strong President Yoruhana''s charisma is."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "But Harano-san isn''t me, he''s himself, so it''s still up to him." Yukari smiled. "My opponent is incredibly strong, but this isn''t a valid reason to give up. At the very least, I won''t give up so easily, and I''ll still do what I can. The winner isn''t decided until thest moment¡­ that''s what I believe. How about you, Uehara-san?"

    Mika fell silent for a moment, before hardening her resolution. "I¡­ don''t want to give up either. The president¡­ she''s truly beautiful, truly amazing¡ªa perfect girl in every aspect. Just like Asamiya-san said, if I were a boy, perhaps I would choose the president, not myself. But even so, I don''t want to give up just like this."

    Yukari smiled. "I feel like I can get along quite well with you, Uehara-san. You''re different from Wakaba-san¡­ although when the two of you are together, she seems like the leader. But¡­ I believe that you will walk farther down this path than her in the future."

    Mika didn''t know what she should say to this, so she chose to remain silent.

    "Please continue being yourself, Uehara-san. Thank Wakaba-san for telling me about this as well."

    And then, Yukari hung up the call.

    "Asamiya-san¡­" Mika put down her cell phone andy down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a while and slowly closed her eyes.

    ¡­

    Seiji called to Natsuya.

    "Good evening, President," he said when she picked up.

    There was a five-second lull.

    "Good evening, Haruta-kun," Natsuya said in a weary voice.

    ''Hmm? Why is Natsuya''s response rather slow andcking in energy.''

    "What''s the matter, President?" Seiji asked.

    Natsuya sighed. "Nothing much¡­ yes, it''s really nothing much¡­"

    "Are you not feeling well?" Seiji ventured. "Or¡­ is there some trouble?"

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "There is indeed a troublesome matter," she confessed. "I was just forced to join a Winter Snow Festival party."

    "A party?"

    "A party for all the major families'' young Yin-Yang Masters¡­ at least that''s what it is in name¡ªit''s actually more like a goukon ."

    "A goukon ¡­"

    "You can also call it a marriage-interview party. At any rate, our generation of Yin-Yang Masters will show their abilities and look for boyfriend or girlfriend candidates at this party."

    "Oh¡­"

    "I don''t want to join this party at all, but my family is forcing me into it, which is troubling me," Natsuya said in a soft voice. "Haruta-kun¡­ although it may be a little overboard, I would like to make a request of you."

    "What is it?"

    "Please be my temporary Spirit-Branded Retainer once again and apany me to this party."

    Seiji blinked in surprise. "Is this request¡­ overboard?"

    "Yes, because you may be injured, perhaps even seriously so," the president told him in a serious tone.

    Battling was the mostmon way that Yin-Yang Masters liked to disy their abilities. This would definitely ur at that party.

    Natsuya was reluctant to fight, but she knew that she would be unable to stop those who were looking for trouble. It was likely that she would be forced into fighting at that party.

    If Seiji agreed to apany her, he would be taking a serious risk. She worried that the worst-case scenario was Seiji being seriously injured and hospitalized.

    "I will avoid any conflicts at all if possible, but I can''t guarantee that there won''t be any fights. Apart from the risk of being injured, there''s also the matter of your identity¡­ if you use your real identity, it may not be good for you, and even if you disguise yourself, someone may still recognize you." Natsuya paused for a moment. "If it were possible, I wouldn''t request this of you, but Hitaka still hasn''t recovered from her injuries, and Rana has something urgent to do and isn''t here right now. Unfortunately, hiring or borrowing a Retainer have both been forbidden for this event.

    "Any apanying Spirit-Branded Retainer must be officially recognized, and you¡­ will definitely be officially recognized because you helped me in my previous duel. Apart from you, there''s not a single other Retainer that will be able to apany me."

    Seiji mulled things over for a moment. "If I refuse, President, would you go by yourself?"

    "Yes¡­"

    "What will happen if you go by yourself?"

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment. "A really annoying person will use this as an excuse to attempt getting closer to me."

    "Eh?"

    "I''ll beughed at and taunted if I don''t have a Spirit-Branded Retainer apanying me¡­ but I can tolerate all that," the president continued. "What I have difficulty tolerating is a certain person who I greatly dislike taking this opportunity and approaching me in the name of ''protecting'' me. I don''t want him to get any closer to me, and he''ll definitely take this chance. I even suspect that the reason I''m being forced by my family to attend this event is because of his meddling."

    Natsuya''s tone remained calm throughout, but Seiji could hear the deep emotions contained within.

    "Basically, if I don''t go, President is going to be bothered by a boy that you greatly dislike; is that right?"

    "Yes."

    "So I''m going to basically act as a shield and prevent that boy from approaching you, right?"

    "¡­You could say that," she conceded.

    To act as a shield for a beautifuldy against a boy who she greatly disliked¡­ this ssical scene had finally appeared!

    Seiji recalled various novels that he had read in his past life and grinned widely.

    "Alright then, I ept."

 Chapter 322 - Could Youâ€¦ Call Me by Name?

    <h4>Chapter 322: Could You¡­ Call Me by Name?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Natsuya knew he would ept. With Haruta-kun''s personality, he would never refuse such a request, even if he knew that he would be ced in danger.

    Although she felt apologetic to him about this, she was also delighted that he was willing to protect her.

    She really did need protection.

    She could withstand taunts orughter, but she was truly unable to bear even the thought of that person attempting to get closer to her.

    "Thank you, Haruta-kun."

    "No need to be so polite, President."

    Natsuya felt warm inside, but she still felt one small dissatisfaction, or perhaps desire.

    "Could I make one more request?" she asked softly.

    "Sure."

    "Don''t call me ''President'' anymore. From now on, could you¡­ call me by name?" The scion felt her heart thump loudly immediately after saying this, and she couldn''t help but feel nervous.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment. "Okay¡­ Natsuya."

    Seiji had wanted to say it in a calm voice, but he failed as he was a little embarrassed.

    Unbeknownst to Seiji, when the scion on the other end of the phone heard him address her by name, her face flushed a cute shade of red, and her eyes became watery. Even her lips were tugged into a smile that seemed somewhat foolish.

    Her smile right now was incredibly moving! It was a pity that nobody was around to see it.

    "I still have one more request," Natsuya said quietly. "Is it alright if I call you by name as well?"

    "Of course."

    "Thank you¡­ Seiji."

    Seiji received a heavy cannonball to his chest! The impact surpassed his imagination!!

    For Natsuya to shyly say his name like that¡­ the attack power far surpassed what he''d anticipated.

    Seiji''s face was rather flushed, his heart itchy, and he felt rather awkward. Fine then, he was simply unable to calm down!

    Despite it being a phone call, the attack power was unbelievable.

    ''If it were face to face¡­'' Seiji reflexively imagined that scenario, causing his blush to deepen.

    "It¡­ it''s fine, just calling each other by name. There''s no need to say something like thanks¡­ Natsuya."

    *Plop!* The student council president copsed on her sofa as if some invisible force had just knocked her over.

    Her face was red-hotva, and a boulder was pressing down on her chest. She couldn''t help but hug herself and roll around and around on her sofa.

    She felt so embarrassed to hear him call her name!

    But she really wanted to hear it¡­ she wanted to always hear him calling her by name¡­

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Then¡­ I suppose that''s all regarding this matter, then." Seiji finally pacified his emotions and scratched his face awkwardly. "On the day of the Winter Snow Festival, I''ll apany you to this Yin-Yang Master party. We''re going to have to perform another ritual for my temporary Spirit-Branded Retainer contract, right? Shall we do it one day before the party or on the same day?"

    Natsuya made a herculean effort to calm herself down and said, "Let''s do it one day before the party, so that you can get used to that condition again."

    "Alright then," Seiji said. "Let''s talk again at that time."

    Seiji was about to hang up when he suddenly recalled the original purpose of his call.

    "Oh, right, what time does this party begin and end, by the way?"

    "It''s scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. on the Winter Snow Festival and continue until 3:00 P.M."

    "Oh, that''s good, then."

    Natsuya felt strangely nervous. "¡­Do you have another date?"

    "I''d like to spend the evening together with Shika-chan and Reo-chan," Seiji exined. "I called in order to tell you about this."

    "I see¡­" Natsuya could feel theplex emotions swirling about in her heart.

    "Is that alright?" Seiji asked.

    "Eh?"

    "I promised before to apany you for the entire day, but now I want to apany Shika-chan and Reo-chan on that night¡­ is that alright?"

    "Of course."

    She couldn''t possibly refuse.

    Even if there wasn''t the matter of the party, apanying one''s family members in the evening¡ªer, people that were living together with him¡ªwas a reasonable request. Besides, he had agreed to apany her to that troublesome party.

    She felt like it would be way too much to take up his entire day, including the evening.

    ''Yes, but still¡­ if it''s possible¡ªno, that isn''t good.'' Natsuya stopped herself from being too greedy.

    "I''m already very grateful that you''re willing to attend the party together with me, Seiji," Natsuya told him in a gentle tone. "After that party ends, go back home and do a good job apanying them."

    "Okay¡­ then that''s it for tonight. Have a good night, Natsuya."

    "Good night."

    They ended their phone call there.

    A goukon¡­ and he would be her temporary Spirit-Branded Retainer again. Seiji was quite curious what type of person would be so greatly disliked by the president and also what spirit would be randomly summoned for him this time.

    Would Light-chane once again? Or would a different form of his pop up?

    ''It''ll be great if it''s the same Minamoto no Raiko.''

    It would be best if he could partner up with the same Light-chan once more. Well, a different form or an entirely different spirit wasn''t bad either¡­ at any rate, he was looking forward to it.

    Just as he was thinking about this, Seiji''s phone started ringing. He checked the caller and saw that the call was from Kaho Miyamoto.

    Kaho was rather nervous, as this was the first time she had ever called Seigo Harano.

    ''It''s fine; I''m just going to ask him if he wants to go to the uing doujinshi convention with me. This is a normal thing for friends; it''s not a date or anything.''

    A date¡­ Kaho couldn''t help but imagine happily touring the doujinshi convention together with the handsome Seigo, causing her face to redden.

    He picked up the phone.

    "Good evening, Kaho."

    "G-good evening!" Because she was too nervous, her voice sounded rather strange.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "N-nothing¡­" Kaho made an effort to calm herself down. "Would¡­ would you like to go on a date?"

    "Eh?"

    "No, no! I wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the doujinshi convention with me! Not a date!!"

    ''My mouth made a mistake! Ahh!'' Kaho was so embarrassed that she really wanted to roll around on the floor right now.

    "Of¡­ of course I''m going to go to the doujinshi convention," Seiji said. "Let''s go together¡ªMika and Chiaki areing along as well."

    "Eh¡­"

    "I already agreed to go together with them and was nning to invite you as well, but I couldn''t find an opportunity to ask you at school. I was going to call you and invite youter but I didn''t expect that you would call me first."

    ''This¡­ is only natural.'' Kaho realized.

    It was only natural that Mika and Chiaki would go together with him as well! She had actually forgotten about them and imagined various things on her own, which was so¡­

    Kaho realized how foolish she had been.

    "Let''s all meet up together for the doujinshi convention¡ªhow''s that sound?" Seiji said.

    "Yeah¡­ okay."

    "That''s it, then. Is there anything else?" Seiji asked.

    Kaho wanted to say that there wasn''t, when she suddenly recalled that he had been absent from school for two days, and she was curious what he had done.

    ''Should I ask?''

    "Seigo¡­ why did you take two days off from school right before the final exams?" her mouth asked without her realizing.

    On the other end of the phone, Seiji was silent.

    Kaho started to get a little nervous.

    "I was helping out Editor Yoshizawa and Amami-sensei, and as for the specifics¡­ I''m sorry, but it''s not convenient for me to tell you," he said in an apologetic tone.

    "It''s¡­ it''s alright!" Kaho said hurriedly. "I shouldn''t have asked. I apologize."

    "There''s no need to apologize, Kaho. It''s only natural for you to be curious about what I was doing. I just have some reasons that I can''t say, so please forgive me."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Is there anything else?"

    "No¡­"

    "In that case, good night, Kaho."

    "Good night¡­ Seigo."

    He hung up after she said good night to him. Kaho dazedly stared at her cell phone for a while, with an indescribable feeling in her heart.

    He had agreed to go together with her to the doujinshi convention, which was a good thing, but¡­ why was it that she wasn''t feeling too happy right now?

    Was it because he was clearly hiding something from her?

    No, that wasn''t it. It was only natural that he would have some private affairs. It wasn''t like he was intimate to the point of telling her everything about him.

    Kaho faintly detected what it was that she truly minded, but she forced herself to stop thinking about it.

    ''I''m his friend, just his friend¡­ nothing more.''

 Chapter 323 - Kotatsu and a Board Game

    <h4>Chapter 323: Kotatsu and a Board Game</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    When Seiji woke up the next morning, he discovered that the snow was already a few inches deep.

    "It snowedst night? No wonder it feels much colder today," Seiji said to himself as he looked out of his window.

    This was the first snow of this year''s winter. The weather was now a lot colder, and it was time to keep warm.

    Of course, there was heating in their apartment, but that by itself was insufficient. When staying warm in winter was discussed, it was impossible to not mention the legendary divine artefact¡ªa kotatsu !

    Seiji went out together with Shika and Reo to purchase a kotatsu . After they purchased an appropriate one and brought it home with them, they ced it in the living room, and the three of them gathered around the kotatsu to enjoy itsfort and warmth.

    Slouched against the sofa, they watched TV and ate the oranges that they purchased along the way at the supermarket.

    ''This is just what I wanted!'' Seiji was supremely satisfied with this experience.

    A kotatsu was just as legendarily warm andfortable as it was rumored to be in his past life. It was a mysterious, almost magical tool.

    He was sofortable that he didn''t want to get up anymore. He even considered purchasing aptop and writing at the kotatsu ''s side in the future.

    ''I''ve transformed into a snail¡­ I became depraved so quickly!''

    There was a knock on the front door.

    Seiji looked towards Shika, and Shika looked back at him.

    Through nonverbal eyemunication, they knew that the other was toozy to get up. Neither of them wanted to leave the kotatsu to open the door.

    Even his hard-working adopted younger sister had be depraved so quickly. The kotatsu was truly scary.

    Seiji lifted his hand, a serious expression on his face.

    "Let''s settle this in a single duel."

    Shika also expressionlessly lifted her hand.

    Rock-paper-scissors, duel!

    Seiji lost with scissors against rock.

    And so, he could only leave this holy domain¡­ whoops, demon lord''s castle, and open the door to greet the guest.

    It was Kaede.

    The blonde teacher smiled as she stepped in. "You''ve already gotten a kotatsu ? How nice."

    In order to enter the demon lord''s castle, she even offered a sacrifice: a box of exquisite desserts. Then, she sat down together with them next to Reo.

    The mature beauty and little beauty started chattering, breaking the silent atmosphere. A lively atmosphere was nice as well.

    A few minutester, there was another knock on the front door.

    Once again, Seiji exchanged a wordless look with Shika, and Shika silently raised her hand.

    Another duel!

    Seiji lost once again, with paper against scissors this time. He crawled out of the demon lord''s castle and saw that Mika was at the door.

    "If you wish to enter, you must offer a sacrifice!" He acted as if he were a guardian of the door.

    "Eh?" The pigtailed girl was astonished by his behavior.

    "Why don''t you bring a game that we can y? Perhaps a deck of cards for poker or a board game¡­"

    "Oh¡­"

    Mika returned to her home to find a game. She came back carrying a worn dark gray wooden box.

    "This is a dice board game that my mom retrieved from our storage closet."

    "It seems to be rather old."

    "Yeah¡­ I don''t know, since I''ve never yed it."

    The two of them brought the wooden box to the living room.

    Mika greeted the others and ced the wooden box on the table, which attracted everyone''s attention.

    "This is a board game that Miss Landlord brought out for us. It seems to be from a long time ago," Seiji exined as he sat down. "Why don''t we y it together?"

    This board game was a simple board game about moving spaces after tossing the dice. Each yer would take turns tossing the dice and move their representative piece a number of spaces equal to the number on the dice.

    There were various events written in the board spaces. They would have to follow the rules of what was written in each particr space.

    This was an old historical board game. This type of game would also asionally appear in some anime or manga, and Seiji felt that it was rather interesting.

    They opened the wooden box.

    They saw a set of exquisite and extravagant character pieces! There were male and female characters, and every one of them was wearing Sakura Ind''s traditional garb. They seemed so realistic, almost as if they were modern-day figurine models.

    Everyone was astonished at how exquisite the board game pieces were.

    Seiji carefully picked one up and inspected it. He felt that the piece''s weight and feel were both out of the ordinary.

    "This is some type of stone¡­ no, could this be jade?" He was even more astonished.

    Everyone else was also surprised to hear this.

    Kaede also picked one up gingerly and carefully inspected it, running her finger over its surface.

    "Indeed¡­ it''s highly likely that this is made of jade. Normal stones wouldn''t have this sensation or smoothness," she concluded with her knowledge as a mafia family daughter.

    A board game with jade pieces! And these pieces were crafted so extravagantly. This was no ordinary board game set.

    There was a total of six yer pieces, three male and three female. Each character had a different appearance and was wearing different clothing.

    If these pieces were truly crafted from jade, then just these six yer pieces alone were quite valuable.

    Apart from the yer pieces, there were also some dice¡ªlike the pieces there were six¡ªand all six appeared to be carved out of bone! Nobody could determine what type of bone it was carved from.

    The board itself¡­ was made from some type of animal skin, and again, nobody knew what type of animal skin it was. It had been dyed dark red, and a ck-and-gold whirlpool-shaped game board was painted upon it. There were also many detailed small scenes dotted around the board, lending it an extravagant appearance.

    The drawings, rendered in the Ukiyoe style, were rather ssical in nature. Every scene was exquisitely well painted.

    There were scenes of women singing and dancing; of men drinking and fighting with swords; of birds flying across ake; and flowers blooming in a forest.

    Those scenes indicated various game events, which they would have to read through the instruction book to understand.

    The instruction book was the final item in the wooden box. It was slightly yellowed.

    The various scenes were depicted again in the instruction book, with text exnations under them, just like a book of drawings.

    "I don''t think that this is an ordinary board game that you can find at a normal store," Seiji said after he finished inspecting everything in the wooden box. "Apart from the instruction book, everything else¡ªthe yer pieces, the dice, and the board¡ªseems out-of-the-ordinary."

    ''What do you guys think?'' he asked everyone with his eyes.

    "I think so as well," Kaede agreed. "This board game resembles a work of art; perhaps it was a custom-made object. If I were to appraise it, I''d say it''s worth at least a million sakuras."

    "A million sakuras¡­" Mika was rather dazed to hear this.

    "This isn''t something that we should be ying with. Perhaps Miss Landlord made a mistake." Seiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Mika, why don''t you take this back? If it''s convenient, you could also ask where this board game came from. Where was it purchased from, or where was it created? I''m quite curious what materials were used in its construction."

    The pigtailed girl nodded. After everyone put the contents back in the wooden box, she took it back home again.

    Not long after, she returned with the wooden box still in hand.

    "Mom said that this was something my dad left behind," Mika exined. "She doesn''t know the details about it either. She said that rather than leaving it to gather dust, it might as well be used by everyone for some fun instead."

    Seiji exchanged awkward nces with everyone else.

    "Since Miss Landlord says so¡­ then we might as well y a round."

    ''Let''s be careful while ying with it and not break anything.'' Everyone present had this thought in their minds, including even Reo.

    They spread the animal-skin board, chose yer pieces for themselves, and ced the pieces at the starting location¡­

    Before they started, Seiji inspected the board game with his [Astral Vision].

    He had observed it once already with [Astral Vision] earlier. This was just to make sure. In the end, he didn''t notice anything abnormal.

    Shika didn''t say anything either, which meant that she also hadn''t detected anything unusual.

    The game began.

    Everyone tossed dice to determine the order of turns based on who had thergest roll. Anyone who got repeat numbers would toss the dice again.

    In the end, the order was determined as this: Seiji, Mika, Kaede, Shika, and finally Reo.

    Seiji went first.

    He tossed a result of four for his first roll. And so, he picked up his yer piece and walked it forward four spaces,nding on a picture of an elderly man who was fishing.

    The moment that he ced down his yer piece, a strange sensation washed over him, and the scenery before him suddenly changed!

 Chapter 324 - Could the Already Deceased Uehara-San Have Beenâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 324: Could the Already Deceased Uehara-San Have Been¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Ake¡­ it was a beautifulke.

    The clean waters of theke glittered a beautiful blue under the sun. Fish of all kinds swam inzy circles beneath the clear blue water.

    Seiji realized that he was sitting at the edge of theke, with a fishing pole in his hands. The fishing pole currently had its line cast out far into the waters, and bait was connected to it.

    "This is¡­" Seiji was astonished for mere moments before he was ovee by a sudden urge.

    ''I''m currently fishing. I absolutely have to seed in catching a fish. I''ll fail if I don''t catch anything.''

    ''Wait, why am I thinking like this?'' Seiji was suspicious of his unnatural state of mind.

    He felt that this was very strange, and he wanted to stand up and check out the situation, but¡­ he couldn''t move!

    He was unable to stand, he couldn''t let go of the fishing pole, and he couldn''t even turn his head. Some invisible force was preventing him from doing so.

    Suddenly, the fishing line jerked, and a force pulled upon the pole.

    ''I''ve hooked a fish! I have to catch it,'' the voice in his head urged.

    Seiji reflexively tightened his grip on the fishing pole and attempted to pull the fish in.

    However, this fish struggled mightily with much power. It tugged the fishing pole around and around as it swam back and forth speedily.

    ''Damn it! What the hell type of fish is this!? It''s way too strong!''

    Seiji gritted his teeth, and his knuckles paled as he clenched the fishing pole. If it were not for his efforts, the fishing pole would have long since fallen into theke.

    The stalemate with the fish continued for a while. Seiji was vividly aware of his sore, throbbing arms.

    Suddenly, the force tugging on the fishing line weakened.

    Seiji instinctively realized that this was a chance, so he used all his remaining energy to viciously pull up the fishing pole!

    *Ssh!!*

    Arge, strange fish that resembled some type of carp was tugged out of theke, spraying water everywhere.

    He had sessfully caught the fish. The scenery around Seiji began to change once again.

    The moment that Seiji put down his yer piece on the board, Shika immediately cast Astral Vision as she noticed something had happened.

    She saw an extremelyplex spell formation floating above the game board, glowing gold-red. It tangled itself around Seiji''s yer piece and engulfed his entire body with its glow!

    "Brother!" Shika shouted in surprise and fear.

    Before she even finished speaking, the gold-red glow tangled itself around everyone else''s yer pieces as well and shed blindingly.

    After she was hit by the light, Shika saw a different scene from the living room she was just in.

    She saw Seiji wearing a fisherman''s hat and rain cape. He was sitting by theke with a fishing pole in his hands!

    She wanted to call out to him, but discovered that she was unable to make a sound or even move her body. She was only able to watch.

    She witnessed the entire process of Seiji catching his fish.

    After he seeded in catching thatrge, strange fish, the scene in front of her changed again. She returned to her own living room.

    Seiji also discovered that he had returned to his living room, still sitting by the kotatsu ''s side.

    ''What just happened?'' Just as he was thinking this, he noticed how everyone else was looking at him with strange expressions.

    "Brother¡­ were you fishing just now?" Shika asked.

    Seiji blinked in realization. "Yes¡­ I was just fishing by theke and caught arge, strange fish¡­ how did you know?"

    "I saw you," Shika said.

    "Me too," Kaede added.

    "Same for me," Mika said.

    "I saw it as well," Reo chimed in. "Brother Harano caught a reallyrge fish."

    Seiji was astonished to hear all this. "All of you saw this¡­ it wasn''t just a hallucination?"

    "It''s because of this board game," Shika exined.

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision] and also saw the spell formation glowing brightly.

    "This board game¡­ just what exactly could it be?" he wondered aloud.

    At this moment, Mika raised her hand and was about to toss the dice.

    "Stop! Don''t toss the dice!!" Seiji hurriedly moved to stop her.

    Mika suddenly regained her senses, but her hands shook, and she identally dropped her die, which rolled and revealed a three.

    She instantly picked up her yer piece.

    "Don''t move your piece!"

    Seiji wanted to block her with his hand, but he discovered that he was unable to move his body. It was the exact same as when he was by thekeside just now¡­ in that fantastical ce. He was being restricted by something.

    "I¡­ I didn''t want to move it¡­" Mika said, her hand still moving. She ced her yer piece on the third space, which had a picture of a woman dancing.

    The next instant, Mika''s eyes went nk. Immediately after, Seiji and the others saw another fantastical scene.

    They witnessed Mika, dressed in extravagant clothing, standing on a stage. She began dancing clumsily to some beautiful music!

    Seiji wanted to say something, but he was unable to do so. He also couldn''t move and could only watch this entire scene in silence.

    He now understood that everyone else had experienced the exact same thing while he had been fishing.

    The pigtailed girl on the stage was obviously embarrassed. Her face was reddening, and her movements kept getting slower. She was obviously falling behind the music.

    ''For her to dance so poorly¡­ wouldn''t this likely be counted as a "failure?" I seeded earlier in fishing and returned to reality without any mishaps. But¡­ what if there''s a "failure!?"'' Seiji wondered to himself.

    Suddenly, Mika tripped and fell over, ending her dance.

    The scene faded and everyone returned to Seiji''s living room.

    "Mika! Are you alright?" Seiji asked.

    "I¡­ I''m fine," Mika answered. Her hand automatically reached out and moved her yer piece back to the starting point. "If I fail, I have to go back¡­ that''s what it said."

    "It?"

    "There was¡­ some sort of voice in my mind¡­ that forced me to do those actions¡­"

    Seiji nodded in understanding. He had heard something simr earlier as well.

    "Do you feel any difort?" he asked.

    "No¡­ I didn''t feel any pain at all when I tripped just now, either," Mika replied.

    The only consequence of "failing" was moving backward¡ªthere were no negative side effects¡­or so it seemed for now.

    Was this only a simple game?

    A board game enchanted with Spiritual Power, one that could even help people to see fantastical illusions!?

    Seiji felt like he had seen such a storyline in some anime or manga before, but he couldn''t remember the specific one. He also recalled a movie he''d seen before called Jumanji , which also caused incidents to ur upon tossing the dice. However, the incidents from that story were incredibly serious and dangerous.

    ''By the way, why was Miss Landlord able to bring out something like this!? Or should I say, why did Mika''s father leave something like this behind? Her father¡­ could the already deceased Uehara-san have been¡­ a Spiritual Ability user!?''

    A series of questions shed through Seiji''s mind.

    The Uehara family who he had always thought of as normal was suddenly surrounded by an air of mystery.

    Thinking more about this topic¡­ why did Sakura-san contact Mika in the first ce? Was that powerful demon truly just doing it for her personal amusement? Or was there some hidden connection?

    No matter what, it wasn''t an appropriate time to consider this. The game had not yet ended!

    Kaede was next up.

    "I¡­ what should I do?" The blonde teacher picked up her die and felt a mysterious urge to toss it. However, she forced herself to do nothing and waited for a reply.

    Thanks to her family upbringing, the mafia family daughter didn''t panic in such an abnormal situation and was able to keep calm.

    Seiji looked towards Shika. Shika shook her head slightly, indicating that she was unable to dispel this spell formation.

    Should they continue ying this game obediently or forcefully resist it?

    Seiji quickly considered the options and came to a decision.

    "Toss your die, and let''s keep ying," he said clearly so that everyone could hear. "For now it seems that ying this game won''t harm us in any way, but we don''t know what may happen if we try to forcefully oppose it. That might even get us injured, so let''s just continue for the time being."

    Kaede nodded before throwing out the die in her hand.

    Itnded on six.

    The sixth space had a picture of¡­ a beautiful woman entering a bath!

    Seiji, Kaede, Mika, and Shika''s expressions all froze over.

    Then, the blonde teacher picked up her yer piece.

    "Wait a moment! Juumonji-sensei, that''s¡­" Mika interrupted.

    "I know," Kaede said softly, her eyes glowing as she nced at Seiji, "it''s fine¡­ if it''s Harano-kun¡­"

    This nce was unbearably alluring.

 Chapter 325 - A Feeling of Sad Anger That Is Difficult to Describeâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 325: A Feeling of Sad Anger That Is Difficult to Describe¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji''s heart was somewhat moved when the blonde beauty looked at him in this fashion. However, when he noticed Mika and Shika''s expressions as they watched him, he was swiftly able to firm his resolution once more.

    "I''ll close my eyes!" he promised, sumbing to his fate.

    Even if the person herself ambiguously allowed it, in front of two other girls¡ªand an elementary school child¡ªsomething like watching ady bathe was too much pressure for him! That would be too embarrassing.

    Kaede moved her yer piece to the sixth space.

    Then, just like Mika before her, Kaede''s expression turned nk.

    Right after that, Seiji and the others saw Kaede standing next to an onsen hot spring. She was holding a towel, and her body was without a scrap of clothing.

    The steam swirling around her covered her entire body, making her the shape of her figure seem like a fairy''s¡­ wait, who the hell would believe that!?

    Seiji could only see the rough outline of her figure in the steam; he was unable to see either her face or body clearly. This scene automatically came with its own censoring steam!

    Seiji felt as if he had been cheated. ''Although I promised to close my eyes, I actually did want to secretly peek a little, but now this happened!!''

    It was if he had just been about to witness a long-awaited scene, when a Holy Knight or Priest of Darkness ambushed him. An inexplicable feeling of sad anger washed over him¡­

    Kaede carefully reached out with her foot and tested the water''s temperature with her toes.

    "It''s scalding¡­" everyone heard her say.

    The water temperature was quite high. After trying two more times, she forced herself to step into the water with her right foot, but she quickly exited the water again.

    "This water is just too hot for me¡­"

    The scene changed, and everyone returned to Seiji''s living room.

    "That onsen was too hot, and I couldn''t make myself get in, so I failed¡­ I was told that I need to stay at this space for an extra turn," Kaede said with a red face. "Harano-kun, did you see me?"

    "I didn''t! I couldn''t see anything because I had my eyes closed," Seiji said with a straight face.

    ''Is that really the case?'' Mika and Shika''s expressions both revealed their doubt.

    It was true that he didn''t see anything, but that was only because of the steam¡­ thankfully, nobody felt like speaking the truth out loud.

    Next up was Shika.

    The ck-haired girl picked up her die and tossed a five. Shended on a scene of a warrior fighting some enemies with swords!

    Abat scene¡­ this was different from the others and seemed like it could actually be dangerous.

    "Shika-chan, be careful!" Seiji warned.

    Despite believing in his adopted younger sister''s strength, he couldn''t help but worry.

    Shika moved her yer piece to the fifth space, sending them all to a fantastical ce again.

    Seiji witnessed Shika putting on an ancient martial arts uniform¡­

    ''Wait a moment! Why has she transformed into a boy!?'' His eyes bulged in astonishment.

    Shika, who stood on the illusory street, was obviously taller than she was in real life. She was wearing a in white warrior''s attire. She had a t chest, muscr body, and heroic-looking face. It was obvious that she was currently male, not female.

    The only parts that didn''t change were her hair and face¡­ no, her face had changed slightly as well. It seemed less gentle and more handsome.

    She stood there with a sword buckled to her waist, the perfect handsome, sword-wielding warrior!

    It made Seiji recall a game from his previous world that was targeted at girls, with the topic of anthropomorphized swords. What was it called again?

    At any rate, Shika''s current look gave him that type of impression. She was startlingly handsome with a sword hanging on her waist. She was the perfect representation of a sword that had transformed into a handsome boy.

    ''How did things be like this?'' Seiji suddenly recalled the yer piece that Shika was using!

    There were only three female yer pieces, which had been taken by Mika, Kaede, and Reo. Shika was using a male yer piece¡­ could this be the cause?

    That was likely to be the case. Since Shika was using a male yer piece, the board game''s spell formation treated her as a boy and gave her a boy''s form in this fantasy-illusion!

    Several figures approached from the opposite side of the street.

    They were six warriors attired in ck. They had different appearances, but all of them had nk expressions and hollow eyes, seeming more like zombies than humans.

    They approached the ck-haired girl¡­ whoops, the white-d boy, and each of them drew their swords.

    Shika also slowly drew her sword, releasing an imposing aura.

    It was six against one, and everyone''s swords were gleaming brightly¡­

    ''Wait a moment! It wouldn''t be good for Reo to see something like a swordfight!''

    Just as this thought crossed Seiji''s mind, the first ck-d warrior sliced at Shika, who sidestepped, dodged, and swung back at the warrior.

    *Crack!*

    Shended a clean hit on the ck-d warrior, but there was a harsh, blunt sound as if she had struck a log.

    The warrior split open and copsed. However, he didn''t bleed, and the part where he was split looked just like hewn wood.

    ''So he''s a puppet. Is it this type of setting?''

    The remaining ck-d warriors attacked Shika in unison.

    Shika dodged and blocked their attacks, before counterattacking fiercely!

    Her white figure seemed like a butterfly as she dodged left and right. Her footwork was graceful and elegant, like a dancer. Every sword swing of hers reaped the life of an enemy.

    After five slices, all the warrior puppets copsed.

    The handsome white-d "boy" slowly sheathed his sword, his back facing all the broken puppets. It was a ridiculously cool scene.

    They returned to Seiji''s living room.

    "Nice job, Shika-chan." After praising her, Seiji asked curiously, "Did you feel any different when you turned into a boy just now?"

    "Nothing at all," Shika answered. "It felt just like normal."

    "Then it was probably only your appearance that changed," Seiji said. "I think that it''s because you''re using a male yer piece,"

    "Kagura-san is so handsome as a boy!" Mika eximed.

    "Yep," Kaede added, "you looked especially handsome while fighting. I wish I could have recorded it."

    "Kagura-neechan was so awesome when she turned into an onii-chan!" Reo couldn''t help but remark with sparkling eyes.

    Shika didn''t know what to say to all of this. And so, the swordfight scene concluded peacefully.

    ''Shika''s opponents were merely wooden puppets that possessed very little fighting skill,'' Seiji mused. ''Nor was there anything remotely bloody or inappropriate for children in that scene.''

    This confirmed Seiji''s suspicions that this was most likely just a board game designed for enjoyment.

    Thest person to roll for this round was Reo. The little girl tossed a four, the same as Seiji.

    She moved her yer piece to the fourth space next to Seiji''s piece, and everyone entered the fantasy-illusion again.

    Seiji found that he was sitting by thekeside again, with Reo right beside him! Reo was the one with the fishing pole this time.

    Seiji''s role was to assist her by catching the fish in a.

    A thought appeared in Seiji''s mind: ''If she can''t catch the fish or if I fail to it, it will be a failure.''

    This was a rule from the game.

    If a single person¡­ if one yer moved to a particr space, that yer would need to singlehandedly take on the event in the space. If there were two yers in the same space, then they would need to team up.

    "Harano onii-chan¡­" Reo said uncertainly.

    "Reo-chan, do your best in hooking the fish!" Seiji encouraged with a smile.

    The little girl nodded. "Okay!"

    The fish was hooked sessfully. Reo gripped the fishing pole tightly, and her little face scrunched up.

    Just like when Seiji had hooked the fish, it struggled mightily and tugged the fishing line everywhere as it swam around in circles.

    "Wahh¡­" Reo let out a sound of frustration as her hands began to tremble. Her face was flushed from exertion.

    "Fight! You can do it! Pull as hard as you can when it runs out of energy!!" Seiji cheered her on.

    "Wahhhh!" the little girl shouted loudly as she suddenly tugged on the fishing pole and sessfully pulled out arge red fish.

    Therge fish struggled free from the hook in midair and was about to drop back into theke when Seiji reached out with the in his hands just in the nick of time. He uratelyted the fish.

    It was a sess!

    Seiji and Reo exchanged jubnt nces and smiled as they returned to the living room.

    "It''s so fun, Harano onii-chan!"

    "Yep, it really is quite fun."

    Although it was just an illusion, the fun they had while ying was indeed real. This board game was enchanted with a powerful spell, but it wasn''t anything scary¡ªor so it appeared.

    The game continued. It was Seiji''s turn to toss the die again, and he tossed a two.

    He needed to move to the space that Kaede''s piece was currently at¡ªthe one with the picture of a beautiful woman entering the onsen bath!

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 326 - The Black-Veiled Woman

    <h4>Chapter 326: The ck-Veiled Woman</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Reo blinked innocently. "Harano onii-chan, you need to take a bath together with Juumonji-neechan."

    ''There was no need to say that,'' Seiji thought helplessly.

    Kaede shot a flirtatious look at him; Seiji broke eye contact and looked away. He saw that Mika and Shika were staring at him fiercely.

    "This was just an ident. I won''t look at anything," he promised as he moved his yer piece.

    They entered the fantasy-illusion.

    Although Seiji intended to immediately shut his eyes, upon entering the onsen bath, he reflexively looked around him.

    He saw the blonde beauty Kaede standing right next to him, holding only a towel which covered her private locations. Large patches of snow-white skin, her beautiful face, and her excellent figure were all visible¡­

    When their eyes met, Kaede flushed and smiled at him seductively with watery eyes that were incredibly moving.

    Seiji was dazed by the sight.

    Then, he suddenly regained his senses, hurriedly averted his gaze, and closed his eyes. He abandoned attempting this scene''s event and waited for the fantasy-illusion to end.

    They returned to reality.

    "You looked¡­" an icy voice spat out.

    "Even though you just said that you wouldn''t."

    "Wah¡­" Seiji could only do his best to withstand Mika and Shika''s cold res.

    Reoughed. "Harano onii-chan is a pervert~"

    ''Please, there''s no need to add anything more!'' Seiji almost wanted to cry.

    "It''s actually not a big deal if he saw," Kaede said softly.

    "Juumonji-sensei, please be more mindful of yourself!" Mika was now ring in Kaede''s direction.

    It was now Mika''s turn to roll the die.

    She tossed a six.

    Once again, it was the bathing scene! Mika was rendered speechless.

    "This time, I definitely won''t look," Seiji promised again.

    The pigtailed girl felt rather conflicted about this. She moved her yer piece and they all entered the illusion again.

    This time, Seiji really did close his eyes immediately; he didn''t look at anything from start to finish.

    Mika inwardly grew angry when she realized this.

    ''He couldn''t help looking when he was together with Juumonji-sensei¡­ what''s this!'' Her internals were in turmoil.

    Next up was Shika.

    She rolled a three. Luckily, it wasn''t yet another repeat of the bathing scene.

    On the eighth space was a drawing of a child flying a kite. Shika passed through this event quite easily.

    Reo tossed out a five andnded on a forest in full bloom. Her task to catch the flower petals as they fell down from the sky. She seeded in passing after making an effort.

    Seiji and Mika were both punished by having their next turns skipped, so it was Kaede''s turn again. She rolled a three and caught some flower petals together with Reo¡­

    The game continued smoothly just like this.

    "Brother, this board game is using up part of our Mana," Shika said after the game carried on for a while.

    Seiji nodded. "Yep, I noticed this as well."

    "This game uses the participants'' Mana as well as the Mana from the surrounding environment in order to power itself."

    "If it uses up all our Mana, it might stop operating¡ªor it may continue working by using the Mana that it''s already gathered¡­ what do you think?"

    "I think that Brother is probably right." Shika paused for a moment. "Based on the current speed that it''s draining our Mana, I estimate that my Mana will be used up after roughly one hour."

    Seiji blinked at this. "One hour¡­ if we''re lucky, that should be just enough time to finish this game. In that case, we have two choices: we can either intentionally stall for time and refuse to y the game; or do our best to finish this game in one hour. However¡­ we don''t know what would happen in either scenario."

    He swept over everyone gathered with his eyes. "Let''s decide together. Should we work hard to finish this mysterious board game or intentionally stall for time?"

    A moment of silence fell between everyone.

    "I want to finish this board game!" Reo was the first to speak up. "I think it''s really fun, and I want to finish."

    She had a very simplistic mindset.

    Seiji smiled. "I agree with Reo-chan. This is an interesting game, so why don''t we finish it properly?"

    Since they didn''t know what would happen either way, Seiji figured that they might as well go along with her.

    Mika, Kaede, and Shika all agreed. Everyone decided to work hard and finish this board game.

    The farther they progressed, the more difficult the scenes in the spaces became. Everyone tried their best toplete the tasks set and also had lots of fun while doing so.

    Of course, there were a few rather embarrassing or awkward events simr to the bathing scene. Seiji silently epted these benefits as well as the res directed at him, helping him to cultivate his gentlemanly heart.

    Due to her excellent performance and good luck, Kaede was now the closest to the finish point.

    If she rolled a six, then she would reach the finish point and the game would end. With everyone watching, she tossed her die¡­ and rolled a three!

    A woman ying badminton was depicted on the square.

    Badminton was a racket sport simr to tennis. It was yed with a shuttlecock and rackets. Both yers would hit the shuttlecock to the other side¡ªbut, unlike tennis, the shuttlecock wasn''t allowed to touch the ground. The first yer who missed the shuttlecock and allowed it to hit the ground would lose a point.

    They entered the illusion.

    Kaede, garbed in traditional Sakura Ind clothing, had a racket in her hand.

    Her gold-red Sakura Ind clothing was quite beautiful¡­ during the course of the game, Seiji had witnessed all the beauties ying with him in various types of attire and giving him plenty of eye candy.

    Kaede''s opponent was a ck-veiled, white-haired woman. She was also wearing ck-and-white Sakura Ind clothing.

    This woman was covering her face¡­ which was a little unusual.

    During all the events of this game so far, not a single opponent¡ªor perhaps puppet¡ªhad covered their face like this.

    The ck-veiled woman tossed out the shuttlecock and served first with a clear, resounding sound.

    The shuttlecock came flying at a high speed. Kaede barely managed to return it.

    *Peng peng peng peng¡­*

    After a flurry of blows, the shuttlecocknded on Kaede''s side, and she lost the first point.

    It was now Kaede''s turn to serve.

    After a few more exchanges, the shuttlecocknded on her side yet again. After the third, fourth, and fifth repeat¡­

    The illusion ended.

    "I failed. I have to go back twelve spaces." The blonde teacher helplessly moved her yer piece back.

    Shika was up next.

    She rolled a five and moved to a space with a drawing of a boy and girl ying karuta .

    Karuta was a ssic game where a judge sang an ancient poem, and the two yerspeting would attempt to be the first to steal the card representing that poem.

    Seiji recalled that there was a popr anime regarding this card game back in his previous life. It was called something like Chihayafuru ?

    They entered the illusion.

    The male-Shika was seated in the middle of a tatami mat room. She was wearing Sakura Ind clothing, and her opponent¡­ was once again the ck-veiled, white-haired woman!

    ''Is she¡­ some type of boss in this game?'' Seiji was somewhat suspicious about her identity.

    Paper karuta cards were already arranged in between them, but there was no judge. Suddenly, a melodious female voice began to sing a poem.

    The ck-veiled woman''s right hand instantly moved, causing a paper card to vanish on the tatami and appear in her hand.

    ''So quick! That was just a few words! And her speed¡­ she must be cheating!!'' Seiji remarked in his mind.

    Shika had a nervous expression.

    The next time that a new poem began, she attempted to steal the card at the fastest speed possible. However, the ck-veiled woman was faster than her, and instantly stole away the second card again.

    The ck-veiled woman also obtained the third and fourth cards¡­

    After sessfully stealing five cards in a row and leaving Shika with nothing, Shika ended up failing the event.

    They all returned to reality, and Shika was forced to go back twelve spaces.

    "That ck-veiled woman appeared in multiple events near the finishing point and is an exceedingly strong opponent. She must be the final boss," Seiji said. "If my guess is correct, Reo-chan will meet her as well."

    Everyone looked towards the little girl.

    Reo rolled a six. She moved to a scene of children having a snowball fight.

    When they entered the illusion, Reo''s opponent was indeed the ck-veiled woman as Seiji had surmised!

 Chapter 327 - The â€œWater of Lifeâ€

    <h4>Chapter 327: The "Water of Life"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Reo failed as well.

    The ck-veiled woman was able to throw snowballs swiftly and urately. There was no way for a little girl like Reo topete against her. After failing, she was forced to go back twelve spaces, just like Kaede and Shika.

    It seemed that it would be difficult to defeat her, but Seiji had no choice but to try.

    ''My turn, draw! Whoops, I meant to roll the die¡­''

    Seiji tossed the die and moved to a space containing a drawing of men drinking together.

    The ck-veiled woman appeared once again. Seiji was sitting across from her, with a wine gon ced before each of them.

    The wine gon was approximately the size of two baseballs. It was open, but no smell of alcohol emanated from it.

    The rules were quite simple. The first to finish the gon of wine before them would be the winner.

    ''It''s time to duel!''

    Seiji and the ck-veiled woman simultaneously brought their gons of wine to their mouths and began drinking!

    With Seiji''s first gulp, he didn''t feel anything. It tasted like water to him.

    However, right after that, he felt his lips going numb, and a fierce sensation welled up in his mouth, throat, and even stomach. It felt like there was a fire raging inside him¡ªan unpleasant experience to say the least!

    ''This vor; this feeling¡­'' Seiji recalled a type of alcohol that he had tasted out of curiosity in his previous world¡ªSpirytus Rektyfikowany!

    The alcohol with the highest alcohol content in the world! It was 96% alcohol and bore the nickname "Water of Life!!"

    What was the meaning of a 96% alcohol drink?

    Even the disinfecting alcohol used by hospitals was only 75% alcohol, yet this was an entire 21% higher! It could be ignited simply by a lighter!!

    This was basically pure alcohol; it certainly wasn''t something a person could drink directly.

    Seiji had only tasted it one time in his previous life. It left him a deep impression; it was a simr feeling to the gon of alcohol before him.

    ''Just one gulp is already so unpleasant¡­'' In reality, Seiji would never even consider finishing an entire gon.

    But this wasn''t real. It was merely an illusion.

    In that case, Seiji decided not to worry about it. Not only could he finish a gon, he could even try finishing an entire crate as long as he maintained his consciousness in this fantastical illusion!

    As for the "Water of Life," it appeared quitemonly in aedy manga as the male lead and hispanions'' daily drink.

    That''s right¡ªa daily drink.

    Treating the "Water of Life" just like water¡­ just this alone would make anyone want toment on it. Seiji recalled that the manga had the same author as Baka to Test , and that it was quite amusing. Its name was¡­

    ''Eh, why can''t I recall? My head feels so dizzy¡­ I can''t feel my mouth anymore¡­ My body is going numb¡­''

    Seiji suddenly returned to his senses and discovered that he was back in his living room.

    "Did I win?" he said uncertainly.

    Before anyone responded, he heard a voice in his mind.

    He had won. He managed to defeat the ck-veiled woman in the drinking contest!

    "I won," Seiji said, "and apparently I can even roll my die again."

    If he rolled a four, he would reach the finishing point.

    If he rolled anything higher than four¡­ well, he hoped that this board game didn''t have a rule like starting over from the very beginning again if he passed the finishing point.

    ''It''s time for the critical moment of the duel! Come, heart of the cards¡­ whoops, I meant dice roll.''

    "It''s gotta be a four!" He tossed his die.

    With everyone watching, the die rolled and rolled and finally stopped, showing a¡­ four!

    It was just the number he needed to reach the finishing point. Seiji smiled as he picked up his yer piece and moved to the finishing point.

    Everyone entered another illusion.

    They saw¡­ cherry blossoms covering the sky.

    They were in arge cherry-tree forest, where countless flowers were blooming. The endless flower petals seemed just like clouds, beautiful and romantic.

    Seiji was rather stunned by the sight.

    "So beautiful¡­" he heard someone murmur from beside him.

    He turned around and saw Mika dressed in pink Sakura Ind clothing.

    "Indeed, it''s so beautiful." Kaede appeared on his other side.

    Shika silently walked up to him, and Reo was eximing at this scene as well.

    All of them had entered this illusion!

    "Is¡­ this the congrattions for beating the game scene?" Seiji wondered aloud.

    Right when he finished saying that, he saw the ck-veiled woman appear and walk over to them.

    She stood in front of everyone before bowing deeply.

    The wind lightly lifted part of the veil covering her face, revealing delicate lips curved up in a gentle smile.

    "Who are you?" Seiji asked.

    He didn''t receive a reply. The illusion ended.

    When Seiji returned to his living room, he discovered that the board''s spell formation and gold-red glow had disappeared.

    When he tried standing up and moving, he no longer felt any restrictions. He was able to move about as he pleased.

    It was the same for everyone else. The invisible force that was forcing everyone to y the game earlier hadpletely disappeared.

    "It''s over," Seiji said. "It looks like that this is just a harmless game after all."

    Judging from the result, it appeared that apart from draining their Mana, the game had done nothing to them. Whenpared to the fun they had while ying the game, Seiji felt that it was rather worth it.

    Seiji was even willing to y it again in the future, but first he wanted to understand its functions more clearly.

    "That was a wondrous experience¡­ but who was thatdy that appeared in the end?" Kaede asked curiously.

    "I don''t know; it''s all a mystery to me. I have no idea what this board game really is." Seiji shrugged. "Luckily for us, it was harmless. Things could have turned out bad if it was a dangerous artifact."

    "I''m sorry¡­" Mika lowered her head.

    "This was an ident, Mika. You couldn''t have expected such a thing to happen either. I''m not ming you at all," Seiji consoled. "If there''s any me at all, then I''m the one who should be med, as I asked you to bring some cards or a board game over to y with."

    "Seigo¡­"

    "In the end, this is just an ident. There''s no need to mind something like this. What''s important now is to understand the situation clearly." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Mika¡­ you said that your mother told you that this was something your father left behind, right?"

    Mika nodded.

    "Could your father actually be a Spiritual Ability user? Do you have any particr memories of your father?"

    Mika thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "I don''t¡­ my father passed away when I was really young, and I don''t really remember anything about him, so I can''t think of anything special¡­"

    "In that case, we''ll have to ask Miss Landlord," Seiji said. "I believe that Miss Landlord probably doesn''t know about the mystical. If she did, then she would know what this board game was, and she probably wouldn''t have casually let others y with it."

    After all this time, Seiji had never noticed thendlord, Nozomi Uehara, acting unusual in any way. Seiji didn''t believe that she was actually a secret Spiritual Ability user or knew anything about the mystical.

    Of course, he could try confirming it by asking thendlord directly, but he didn''t feel like he should do that. If thendlord turned out to be a normal person, she would only gain trouble if he informed her about the mystical.

    "Mika, try being natural about it and ask her about your father. I''ll also contact the President and ask her about this board game."

    "Alright¡­" Mika nodded.

    Seiji looked back towards Kaede.

    "I''ll keep what happened here a secret," the blonde teacher said, smiling.

    She knew about Seiji''s true name and background already. Due to this, although she was surprised about the mysterious event that urred today, she was able to ept it quickly. She knew what he wanted to say and what she should do.

    "Thank you, Juumonji-sensei."

    "There''s no need to be polite."

    Kaede inwardly felt that this experience was quite valuable for her. No matter what the process was like, just experiencing such a thing with Seiji and the others was an excellent way of getting closer to him.

    Step by step, slowly but surely¡ªthat was her ultimate goal.

 Chapter 328 - I likeâ€¦ Brother the Mostâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 328: I like¡­ Brother the Most¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mika returned to her residence.

    Before calling the president¡­ no, Natsuya, Seiji wanted to have a meal first. He was quite hungry after his ordeal, and he assumed that the scion was likely having a meal of her own, which he had no desire to interrupt.

    "Sensei, would you like to eat lunch together with us?" Seiji asked.

    "Is that alright?" Kaede said.

    "Of course¡ªas long as you don''t mind that it''s rather in."

    "How could I possibly mind? I won''t hold back by staying over, then. Food is a lot more delicious when enjoyed with others rather than eating it on my own." The blonde teacher smiled. "Please allow me to help out in the kitchen to repay you a little."

    "There''s no need to be so polite, Sensei."

    "I''m not the type who can simply sit around and wait to enjoy a meal. Please allow me to help out, Harano-kun."

    Kaede firmly insisted on helping out in the kitchen, so Seiji could only ept.

    In that case, he wanted Shika to have a chance to rest, but Shika also firmly insisted on helping out in the kitchen.

    And so, it became a scene of him, Kaede, and Shika all working together in the kitchen.

    Cooking together with a mature beauty and a younger beauty¡­ Seiji had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. He recalled how he had done the same thing together with Mika and thendlord before in the past, on the day that Kaede had moved in.

    That had been a very enjoyable dinner for him. Seiji secretly snuck a look at Kaede beside him.

    The blonde teacher had a big smile on her face as she washed some vegetables; she seemed to be enjoying her time here.

    Seiji felt conflicted when he saw this. He personally believed¡­ no, he felt like he didn''t owe Kaede anything, but even so¡­

    He didn''t know how to describe his feelings. At any rate, he hoped that she could be happy.

    Kaede detected Seiji''s gaze upon her. The fact that he was looking in her direction meant that he cared for her, which made her happy.

    She was happy to be able to cook and eat together with him in the kitchen. Having him pay attention to her and being close to him were both sources of joy for her.

    She believed that she would be even happier in the future.

    Everyone''s efforts in cooking lunch together was a great sess. Reo even ate an extra half a bowlpared to usual.

    Kaede also insisted on washing the dishes, and Shika didn''t back down as well. As for Seiji¡­ he was kicked out of the kitchen by the two girls, who imed that he wasn''t needed and could go do whatever he wanted to.

    Reo was currently sitting by the kotatsu , softly copsed on the table. She seemed just like azy kitten, satisfied from eating its fill.

    Seiji nced at the time and decided to call Natsuyater, as he wanted to rest for a while. Like Reo, he copsed onto the table and turned into a big,zy cat.

    His consciousness gradually became hazy¡­

    ¡­

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes.

    ''I actually fell asleep? What time is it now?''

    When Seiji woke up, he noticed something warm, soft, and faintly pleasant-smelling next to him.

    When he turned around, he saw that Shika was sleeping beside him, snuggling closely into his back.

    The ck-haired girl''s pure and beautiful face had a contented expression, as if she were having a wonderful dream.

    Seiji was somewhat stunned by her appearance. ''What''s going on?''

    When he looked around, he discovered that he had fallen asleep by the kotatsu . Shika was sleeping next to him.

    And judging by the fact that there were other feet under the kotatsu , the others were sleeping on the opposite side.

    They had to be Kaede and Reo. For all four of them to have fallen asleep by the kotatsu ¡­ honestly.

    Seiji looked towards Shika again.

    She seemed to be fast asleep, and Seiji didn''t want to wake her up. But¡­ he had things to do, and he couldn''t continue to sleep any longer.

    Seiji attempted to move slightly without waking his adopted younger sister up.

    ''Very good; she didn''t react.''

    He moved his body away some more.

    At this moment, the ck-haired girl moved, got closer to him, and clutched him in her arms!

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Shika-chan, are you awake?" he asked in a soft voice.

    There was no response.

    It seemed to be an action taken while she was still asleep. Seiji carefully lifted up his hand and was about to gently peel off Shika''s hands from himself.

    Right when he touched her hand, he suddenly heard her mutter, "I like¡­"

    ''Is she awake?'' Seiji looked at her face.

    He saw that Shika still had her eyes closed, and only her lips were moving slightly. He barely managed to hear her say, "¡­Brother the most."

    Seiji''s eyes widened in shock. This scene¡­ he felt like words such as beautiful or cute were insufficient to describe it.

    He couldn''t describe what he was feeling right now.

    He recalled what it was like being together with Shika during the period in which she had amnesia.

    He felt something welling up within him. Seiji continued to hold her hand without letting go.

    ''Forget it; let''s continue sleeping like this for a while longer!''

    Seiji decided to close his eyes again while holding on to his adopted younger sister''s hand. In the end, he slept until the middle of the afternoon.

    Shika''s face was rather red when she woke up and returned to her own room.

    "I should have left earlier, but I didn''t want to return to my lonely room by myself." Kaede hugged Reo and asked in a spoiled voice, "Can I stay here for dinner tonight as well? I''ll chip in for groceries."

    Seiji looked towards Reo. The little girl was snuggling against the blonde beauty; she was obviously enjoying the hug.

    The answer was obvious. After eding to Kaede''s request, Seiji went to the study to make a phone call.

    "Good afternoon¡­ Natsuya."

    "Good afternoon¡­ Seiji."

    He still felt rather awkward about addressing her by name.

    "I met with something on my end; it''s like this¡­" Seiji exined what happened earlier in the morning.

    "The board game was able to draw multiple people into an illusion and restrict their actions, including even you and Kagura-san¡­ judging by this, the board game must be an incredibly high-level Spiritual Artifact," Natsuya exined in a serious tone. "This type of Spiritual Artifact is unlikely to have been crafted just for the fun of it¡­ at least that''s what I believe. I won''t be able to know the specifics until I inspect it, but I''m currently busy today, so why don''t you bring it over tomorrow night?"

    "Alright," Seiji agreed.

    "By the way, it''s really surprising that Uehara-san had such a Spiritual Artifact lying around in her apartment."

    "Yeah, I''m even beginning to wonder now if Sakura-san greeting Mika wasn''t a coincidence at all¡ªperhaps there was some type of hidden connection."

    "It''s possible¡­ I only saw Uehara-san as a normal person, but perhaps Sakura-san saw something that I didn''t¡­"

    Both of them fell silent for a moment.

    "I''m very curious just what exactly it''s about," Natsuya said atst. "If you learn anything more, please contact me."

    "Yep¡­"

    Their conversation ended there.

    Seiji idly stared at his cell phone for a moment.

    ''Should I contact Mika now and ask her about the situation? Or should I wait for a while longer?''

    He didn''t know if she would be able to find anything out from thendlord. In the end, he decided to wait for a while longer.

    Seiji put away his cell phone and went to hisputer to begin the task of writing.

    After some time, there was a knock on the front door. Seiji opened the door and weed Mika inside.

    At this time, Kaede and Reo were inside one of the other rooms, so nobody else was in the living room.

    "I asked my mom, and she said that Dad was a little strange when they were younger," Mika said after sitting down by the kotatsu . "He liked to talk to himself in ces where nobody else was around, make strange movements, read weird books, asionally act abnormal, or draw unusual runes or drawings¡­ and so on. Later on, these strange habits stopped.

    "He exined it by saying that he was immature in his youth and was simply clowning around. But he still had the hobby of collecting strange things¡ªsuch as this board game.

    "Because he really valued his collection when he was still alive, Mom never threw anything of his away and kept them all.

    "I went and looked around the storage room. It would be quite a hassle to clear them all out, so I took a picture with my cell phone."

    She showed Seiji the picture she took on her cell phone.

 Chapter 329 - Because I Want to Look

    <h4>Chapter 329: Because I Want to Look</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji couldn''t see everything in the picture clearly due to theck of lighting, but he saw various unusual objects.

    For example, there was a windmill that had rotor des made out of mirrors, and cyan-colored spiral runes were engraved onto each rotor de.

    There was a silver kettle with various strange red lines drawn upon it. It also had two spouts, one on each side.

    There was a wooden sword which appeared to be over 1.5 meters in length. One side was ck while the other side was white. The ck side had tiny white words etched upon it, while the white side had tiny ck words etched upon it.

    There was a kendama that had a dark blue hilt with strange ck lines upon it. The ball portion was painted dark red and had numerous ck dots.

    ¡­

    "If all of these are actually Spiritual Artifacts¡­ that would be an incredible discovery." Seiji returned Mika''s cell phone to her after he finished looking at everything in the picture.

    "I already called Natsuya and told her about what happened. She thinks that this board game is a high-level Spiritual Artifact, which means that it''s definitely something out of the ordinary. If all of these are on the same level as that board game¡­ well, that''s probably unlikely, but even if only two or three of these objects are on the same level, it''d be really incredible."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "You called the president by name," Mika said.

    "Eh?"

    "You just said the president''s name, instead of calling her ''President,''" Mika said, looking into his eyes.

    "Indeed," Seiji admitted. "We''ve begun calling each other by name."

    Another moment of silence fell between them.

    "By the way¡­ does Miss Landlord know where these objects in her husband''s collection originated from?" Seiji asked.

    Mika shook her head. "Mom said that when she asked Dad in the past, Dad said that they were gifts from other people, but wouldn''t mention who they came from. When Mom pressured him about it, he would only say that the person who gave it to him wished to remain anonymous. After hearing the exact same answer several times, Mom gave up on asking."

    Saying that someone else had given the objects to him, but not being willing to say who they came from¡­ this seemed like an obvious excuse. However, there was also the possibility of it being true.

    Seiji contemted the matter.

    If Mr. Uehara was telling the truth, then was the person who gave him these gifts a Spiritual Ability user? Did he receive these gifts all from a single person, or several different people? And why did they give such things to Mr. Uehara? Was Mr. Uehara himself a Spiritual Ability user?

    There were many unknowns.

    "I think that we should show all these items to Natsuya; what do you think?"

    "¡­Whatever you want." The pigtailed girlid her head down listlessly on Seiji''s table.

    "You don''t want to?"

    "I think it''s fine either way."

    It was obvious that she was being a bit difficult.

    Seiji blinked. "What''s the matter, Mika?"

    "Nothing¡­ I just feel rather tired." The pigtailed girl closed her eyes.

    "I see¡­ then you should have some rest." Seiji looked at her closely.

    He wanted to say something but didn''t know what to say. He instinctively felt that she wanted silence right now.

    So, he remained quiet. He simply observed her face in silence. Mika felt his gaze upon her and opened her eyes, meeting Seiji''s gaze.

    "Why are you looking at me?"

    "Because I want to look at you," Seiji answered reflexively. When he realized what he said, he suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment.

    ''What did I say just now!?''

    Mika''s face flushed red, and she averted her gaze.

    "I-I''m not that pretty; it''s not like I''m as beautiful as the president¡­"

    She noticed what was wrong with her sentence after she said it, and she was ovee by a wave of embarrassment.

    ''What did I say just now!?''

    "Mika¡­" After hearing what she identally let slip just now, Seiji realized what was going on.

    "Pretend that I didn''t say that just now," Mika muttered in a tiny voice.

    "I already heard you."

    "You can forget what you just heard."

    "My brain isn''t aputer''s hard drive¡ªit''s not able to delete things at will," Seiji said with a chuckle. "Mika¡­ do you want to hear the truth from me?"

    "Eh?"

    "The truth about the difference between you and the president''s looks."

    Mika didn''t know how to respond to this.

    Seiji smiled. "It might not be good to judge girls by their looks, but if you want to hear what I think, then I''ll tell you my opinion."

    "¡­I want to hear it."

    "Alright then, I won''t hold back." He acted as if he was the host of a variety program and cleared his throat. "To be direct, Mika, you''re indeed a beautiful, very pretty girl. However, Natsuya is a mega-level beauty who''s even prettier than you are.

    "This is a review based on anyone''s normal sense of beauty. I think that you yourself should agree as well. It''s quite obvious that there''s a difference between your looks."

    "Wah¡­" Mika seemed to receive an impact from this.

    "Not being as good as someone else in looks or some other area and feeling depressed is something normal," Seiji continued. "There''s no especially good method to deal with this either. One can only face reality and do the best that they can. And what I believe the worst thing to do in this case is to¡­ deny oneself, or to make things difficult for oneself.

    "Everyone is unique¡­ although this sounds like something nice yet empty, it''s the truth. You can''t be Natsuya Yoruhana, nor can Natsuya Yoruhana be Mika Uehara. You''re you, and you should value yourself more." He reached out with his hand and patted Mika on the head. "You have to take good care of yourself, Mika."

    "What are you saying¡­" The pigtailed girl was feeling a mixture of emotions.

    She knew that Seiji wanted tofort her, but¡­ couldn''t he say something that sounded nicer? ''I know she''s quite beautiful, but you''re more important to me in my heart,'' would have been fine. Didn''t he know that girls needed to be consoled with they''re feeling down!?

    ''These words of yours have basically zero effect in consoling me!'' Mika energetically retorted in her mind.

    However, Seiji''s gentle look and the way he patted her head both gave her a feeling of warmth.

    ''Idiot,'' she said in her mind. Mika then stopped thinking about anything else.

    Later that night, Seiji received a phone call from Yukari Asamiya.

    "Good evening, Seigo."

    "Good evening, Yukari."

    "Are you free during the Winter Snow Festival?" She took the direct approach.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I''m busy," Seiji replied.

    "You already have a date with someone else?"

    "That''s correct."

    "Can''t you abandon this date and change it to spending time with me instead?" Yukari asked in a soft voice.

    "Eh?"

    "If you can go out with me during the Winter Snow Festival, I''ll give you an amazing present~" Yukari said in a sultry voice.

    Seiji felt as if he could imagine the purple-haired beauty''s flushed face and seductive expression.

    A girl giving a boy an "amazing present" during the Winter Snow Festival¡­ his imagination ran wild for a moment.

    He was moved for a moment but quickly firmed his resolution.

    "I apologize, I can''t do that," Seiji answered. "I already promised¡­ since that person needs my help."

    "Help?"

    "Yeah, that person has a troublesome matter that I need to help out with."

    Yukari fell silent for a moment.

    "As expected, this approach was no good," Yukari chuckled. "I knew already that you wouldn''t be the type to go back on a promise, but I still couldn''t help but try. I apologize. It was rude of me to attempt to make you break a promise. I hope that you don''t mind."

    "It''s fine; I don''t mind," Seiji answered.

    "That''s good, then." Yukari paused for a moment. "Are you free tomorrow, then?"

    "Tomorrow¡­ I''m free in the morning."

    "I''d like to meet you to discuss the game we''re making. Is that alright?"

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    He recalled the words he said to Shika when he returned home after hisst meeting with Yukari.

    Yukari Asamiya was an excellent and beautiful girl who matched his interests. If he had a date with her¡­

    His adopted younger sister''s face popped up in his mind.

    Seiji made his decision.

    "If it''s about the game¡­ we can simply discuss it over the inte."

 Chapter 330 - How About Coming over to My Place?

    <h4>Chapter 330: How About Coming over to My ce?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I know, but I''d still like to see you in person." Yukari nervously tightened her grip on her cell phone. "You don''t want to?"

    "It''s not that¡­ it''s just¡­" After thinking it over, Seiji decided to be forthright with Yukari. "I mentioned before that I have someone I''m living with, right?"

    "Yes."

    "I''m living with my adopted younger sister. She told me that she hoped that I wouldn''t get a girlfriend in the immediate future so that she could stay with me like this for a while longer," Seiji confessed. "I promised this to her to temporarily maintain the status quo, until she feels more assured living together with me. That''s why¡­ it''s not that I''m not willing, it''s that during this time, I don''t want to¡­ um¡­"

    He didn''t know how to express himself.

    "Can I understand it as you not wishing for an overly intimate rtionship with girls during this time period?" Yukari asked.

    "¡­Yes, I suppose you could say that."

    "What about your date during the Winter Snow Festival?"

    "That isn''t a date; I''m just helping her out. I don''t have that type of rtionship with that girl¡­"

    Yukari fell silent for a moment.

    "The ''adopted younger sister'' that you speak of¡­ could she be that beautiful ck-haired girl by your side when I ran into you at the bookstore before?" Yukari recalled this scene.

    "Yep, that''s her."

    Yukari felt a mysterious sense of loss. She realized she had "miscalcted" things after hearing this.

    If she had known back then that the ck-haired beauty was the person living together with Seigo, she definitely wouldn''t have assumed the attitude she did.

    Shecked information and had been overconfident. She actually made such a mistake! It was something she had felt was unimportant but was actually critical!

    Could it be that¡­ the time that she had invited Seigo but met with Wakaba-san and Uehara-san''s interference was also due to the secret meddling of this ''adopted younger sister?''

    This seemed highly likely to her. Yukari felt as if she was witnessing¡­ the puppet-master behind the scenes.

    This seemed like an exaggeration, but that was what she truly felt right now.

    Yukari suppressed the urge to sigh as she recalled the way the ck-haired girl had looked at her when they met at the bookstore.

    "What''s her name?"

    "Her name is Shika Kagura."

    ''Shika Kagura.'' Yukarimitted this name to her memory.

    "Can I ask something about Shika Kagura?"

    "What would you like to know?"

    "Of course it''s why she came to live together with you. How did she be your adopted younger sister?"

    Seiji fell silent when he heard this.

    ''Did I ask something that I shouldn''t have asked?'' As Yukari was wondering if she had unwittingly trod on andmine, Seiji''s calm voice answered her.

    "Because some things happened¡­ it''s difficult for me to exin. Basically¡­ she no longer has any family, and I want to apany her, so she became my adopted younger sister."

    His tone of voice was calm, but the content of his answer alone revealed his deep feelings.

    "I''m sorry; I shouldn''t have asked something like that."

    "It''s fine; it''s not a big deal. I''m the one who couldn''t give a detailed exnation. I apologize."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "About the game¡­ I''d still like to meet you face to face," Yukari said softly. "No¡­ not about the game, I''d simply like to see you and be able to talk to you, whether it''s about the game or anything else. I really want to see you. It''s quite¡­ a lonely feeling to not see the person you like during the Winter Snow Festival¡­"

    Seiji felt Yukari''s feelings clearly. He felt that it would be too cold of him to resolutely refuse. But if he went out to meet her, his promise to Shika¡­

    ''Right, if it''s a meeting¡ª''

    "How abouting over to my ce?" Seiji suddenly said.

    "Eh?"

    "It''s fine even if we don''t meet outside to talk, right? How abouting over to my ce for a while?"

    Yukari''s eyes widened in surprise.

    Not only was it okay to her, it was basically what she wanted the most! She had never expected him to make such an offer.

    After she regained her senses, the purple-haired girl immediately responded with: "Okay! I''d be more than happy to."

    Yep, this seemed fine to Seiji.

    ''This way, we can meet each other, and it won''t count as a date. I''m simply having a friend over.''

    Seiji inwardly praised himself for his wisdom.

    "Then juste over tomorrow when you''re free; either the morning or the afternoon is fine. My address is¡­"

    Yukari hurriedly scribbled down his address.

    "Just give me a call before youe over. I''ll prepare some tea and desserts."

    "Okay¡­ thank you, Seigo."

    "You don''t have to thank me for this¡­ you''re an important friend of mine." Seiji expressed what he truly felt.

    Yukari felt warmness in her chest from this. After saying good night to each other, they finished their call.

    In the middle of the night, in Reo''s soul realm.

    Seiji learned yet another spell¡ª[Mana Shield]¡ªafter having finished the prerequisites and paying the points.

    This spell created a barrier around himself that would constantly be maintained as long as he still had Mana. It was able to block both physical and magical attacks.

    If it was struck by a powerful attack that exceeded its limits, then the barrier would shatter.

    But if he expected such an attack, he could temporarily double the barrier''s strength for a short period of time. Afterwards, the barrier would copse on its own, and he would need to cast the spell again.

    Seiji checked his system and found that nothing new had appeared this time, either.

    ''System, you''re being a bitzy these days, aren''t you?''

    Now that he had learned an attack and a defense spell, learning healing magic was next up on his list. The first spell was called [Beginner-level Heal].

    He didn''t know if he would be able to finish learning it before the scheduled Yin-Yang Master party.

    ''Let''s try my best!''

    Seiji decided to work his hardest at cultivating.

    The next morning.

    Yukari Asamiya was currently conflicted. What should she wear for the first time visiting the home of the person she liked?

    It should be something different from what she would wear on a date. It needed to be iner, but not too in.

    It was rather difficult and troublesome to find the right bnce. Another problematic matter was preparing presents for the Winter Snow Festival.

    She had long since prepared a Winter Snow Festival present for Seigo. Originally, she wanted to give it to him when they were alone together, but now it seemed that she could only give it to him normally.

    What she was conflicted about was whether or not to prepare a present for his adopted younger sister¡ªthat Shika Kagura.

    If she didn''t prepare one, she felt that it would be a little rude. But if she did prepare one¡­ firstly, she didn''t know what to give her. And secondly, it could have the opposite effect intended.

    In the end, it was because she didn''t know anything about Shika Kagura. She didn''t know what Shika liked or her personality, so there was no way for Yukari to deal with her.

    She wanted to know more¡­

    ''Should I ask Seigo?''

    This didn''t seem like a good idea to her. Especially if she just directly told him it was for the sake of a present, he would definitely say something like, "Oh, you don''t have to."

    The purple-haired girlid on her bed and sighed helplessly.

    She now regretted not talking to the ck-haired girl when they first saw each other at the bookstore¡­ but there was no use crying over spilled milk.

    Two people popped into her mind.

    ''Uehara-san and Wakaba-san¡­ they would surely know about Shika Kagura.

    ''Should I ask them?''

    It seemed a little humiliating to ask her opponents for information, but it was also a chance for her.

    When they told her the information regarding Seigo meeting Natsuya for the Winter Snow Festival, it may have been in the name of an apology to her, but it also counted as showing their attitudes.

    ''We should be able to establish somewhat of a tentative alliance.'' Yukari made that judgment.

    Now that she came to that conclusion, she decided to make a phone call.

    In that case, who should she call?

    As for who would most likely be easier to talk to, it would obviously be Mika Uehara. But for some reason, Yukari felt more like calling Chiaki.

    And so, she took out her cell phone and dialed Chiaki''s number.

    "Good morning, Asamiya-san." azy voice said from the other side of the cell phone. "What a surprise¡­ I didn''t expect that you would call me; I almost choked on the juice I was drinking."

 Chapter 331 - â€œDemon Kingâ€

    <h4>Chapter 331: "Demon King"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    I:

    Princess

    "Good morning, Wakaba-san. Sorry to bother you in the morning, but I have some questions I''d like to ask," Yukari said calmly.

    "About?"

    "It''s regarding Seigo''s adopted younger sister, Shika Kagura."

    There was a momentary silence. Then, Chiaki started chuckling.

    "About that¡­ Let me guess, you wanted to ask Seigo out on a date, and you were rejected politely, which led to you learning about her. Am I correct?"

    "That''s right," Yukari admitted directly. "I want to know more regarding her."

    "Why don''t you just ask Seigo directly?" Chiaki suggested. "As long as it''s something he can say, he''ll tell you."

    Yukari fell silent for a moment.

    "I want to know about the part that he won''t tell me about."

    "Eh¡­ this doesn''t seem like the Princess''s way of doing things?" Chiaki raised her voice questioningly.

    "I know that this may not be good, but I still want to know. That''s just how I feel," Yukari said. "But I also know that you won''t tell me, as it''s not for me to know."

    "Then why did you contact me?"

    "I want to understand Shika Kagura better, and you''re skilled at seeing through others. I can gather the most information possible from you without having to invade her privacy."

    Chiaki Wakaba was a famous detective¡­ whoops, outstanding at deductions. Yukari had personally experienced this for herself.

    Chiaki would definitely know more about things than Mika would. The prerequisite, of course, was her being willing to tell Yukari.

    "Is this praise? Or sarcasm?"

    "It''s praise. I''ve personally tasted what it''s like to go up against you, so in this regard, no matter how I personally feel, I''m truly impressed by your deductive abilities."

    "It''s my honor to be praised by the Princess," Chiaki said with a chuckle. "But why should I tell you anything? Do you think that I''d tell something as important as information about Seigo''s cute adopted younger sister to you just because you praised me a little?"

    ''It''s here,'' Yukari said to herself. ''This is the critical junction¡ªthis decides whether or not I can convince this tomboy.''

    "Of course I don''t think that. In order to get information from you, I should trade something of equal value. But before that, I''d like to confirm, have you truly given up on Seigo?"

    Chiaki fell silent for a moment.

    "If you''re not saying that you''vepletely given up, then that probably means that you haven''t. In that case, we can make an alliance against Natsuya Yoruhana."

    "Oh? What are the specifics of this alliance you propose?"

    "We''ll help each other out on certain things. For example, as you told me about Shika Kagura this time, next time you can ask me for some information, or request my assistance, or even¡­ request that I not do a specific thing one time."

    "Oh¡­? So it''s something along the line of establishing a diplomatic rtionship?"

    "That''s correct. I believe that this shall be beneficial for both of us, especially when our opponent is someone as strong as President Yoruhana."

    "What a surprise. I never expected the Princess to take such a course of action."

    "I don''t feel like there''s anything bad about what I''m doing, No, I should say that you should be the one who isn''t surprised. You must have guessed that I would do this, otherwise you wouldn''t have given me such a message to begin with, Chiaki Wakaba," Yukari said in a serious voice.

    Chiaki fell silent for another moment, before she chuckled once more.

    "I''m beginning to like you even more, Princess. Alright, you''ve convinced me. I''ll tell you about that cute adopted younger sister of his, although I don''t know that much either. In exchange, when I need something from you in the future, please remember your promise."

    "Of course," Yukari replied. "Since I was the one who brought up the idea of allying, I''ll definitely keep my promise."

    "You sure sound reliable." Chiaki chuckled and said, "Now then, where should I start? About Shika Kagura¡­"

    The next morning, some time after Yukari called and said that she was on her way, Seiji heard a knock on his door and went to open it.

    He saw the purple-haired beauty. She was wearing a dark windbreaker and was holding a bag in her hands.

    "Wee," he greeted her with a smile.

    Yukari smiled as well. "Please excuse my intrusion."

    She handed Seiji a box of confectioneries as she entered, which Seiji epted politely. He then led her to the living room.

    The purple-haired girl took off her windbreaker to reveal a light, elegantly knitted sweater and jeans underneath.

    This was what Yukari went with after a lengthy internal debate about what to wear. Although it seemed somewhat in, her outfit had its own charm.

    Her sharp senses noticed Seiji''s eyes pause on her for a moment, and this made her happy. She felt that it was worth spending so long on picking out her clothes.

    Seiji helped hang up Yukari''s windbreaker and had her sit down by the kotatsu. He poured a cup of hot tea for her and brought out the desserts that he had prepared.

    Yukari looked around her as she epted the tea.

    "My apologies that my living space is rather simple."

    "No¡­ I think it''s pretty nice. Did you redecorate this ce recently?"

    "I indeed did some redecorating, albeit only in the living room."

    Yukari stopped looking around and sipped on her tea.

    "Where¡­ is your adopted younger sister, Kagura-san?" she asked casually.

    "She''s in her room¡­" Before Seiji could even finish his sentence, both of them saw the ck-haired girl walk out of her room.

    This was the second meeting between Yukari Asamiya and Shika Kagura.

    Their eyes shot needles at each other as they locked together.

    ''She''s¡­ so beautiful,'' Yukari eximed in her mind.

    Last time at the bookstore, although she had been intentionally ignoring Shika''s presence, Shika''s beauty had still left her with a deep impression.

    Perhaps it was because Shika Kagura was so beautiful¡ªalmost ethereal¡ªthat Yukari had unconsciously not wanted to pay attention to her. She instinctively felt as if Shika were no mere mortal¡ªor, at the very least, a presence that mortals shouldn''t casually approach.

    Or perhaps, it was because Shika was simply too beautiful, so as a fellow girl, she naturally felt distant from her?

    Yukari personally believed that as an artist, she was able to objectively assess other girls'' beauty, like she had with Natsuya Yoruhana. Perhaps there were exceptions, though, such as this girl before her. In theory, Shika would make an excellent model, but Yukari had no ideas about desecrating¡­ no, drawing Shika at all.

    "Hello, excuse me for entering. I''m Yukari Asamiya, Seigo¡­ Harano-san''s schoolmate from a different ss."

    "¡­Hello," Shika replied lightly before walking to the kotatsu and sitting down by Seiji''s side.

    Yukari was rendered somewhat speechless.

    "I apologize. She''s¡­ shy around strangers and isn''t too good at dealing with such situations¡­" Seiji had an apologetic look on his face.

    "No, it''s okay." Yukari looked towards Seiji, her eyes expressing that she understood.

    It was just like what Wakaba-san had told her.

    Shika Kagura had an icy cold personality. She preferred to remain distant from others, hardly ever spoke, and hated contact¡­ Seigo was the only exception.

    The best way to deal with her would be to leave her alone, but it definitely didn''t mean that she should be ignored.

    Shika Kagura had a deep attachment to Seigo Harano and would likely fiercely counterattack anyone who she viewed as an outsider capable of threatening her position in his heart.

    "Before, when you invited Seigo on a date, she was the one who told Mika, and then Mika told me. That is to say, she''s the main cause of your nned date with Seigo failing; she ruined your goal to spend time alone with him.

    "Kagura-san is capable of far more than just this. She has a great amount of influence over Seigo. Just the fact that Seigo promised to temporarily not get a girlfriend due to her request is the best evidence of this.

    "If it wasn''t for the fact that she''s still rather young and only in middle school, then she would probably be the scariest opponent of all¡ªperhaps even above Natsuya Yoruhana.

    "Let me put it this way, if you''re the ''Princess,'' and President Yoruhana is the ''Queen,'' then she can be described as the ''Demon King.''"

    Demon King.

    Yukari really had to restrain herself frommenting on this nickname that Chiaki used to describe Shika, but she understood what Chiaki was saying.

    If she wanted to conquer the "castle" that was Seigo Harano, then she definitely couldn''t ignore the beautiful, ethereal, ice-cold existence beside him, especially when she wielded such great power.

    This was her second meeting with the resident "Demon King" of the castle, Shika Kagura!

 Chapter 332 - Come Be a Voice Actor!

    <h4>Chapter 332: Come Be a Voice Actor!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji felt that the atmosphere was a little strange.

    Ever since Shika came out, the atmosphere underwent a subtle change. That was the way that Seiji felt.

    This was only the second meeting between Yukari and Shika, and besides, they basically had zeromunication the first time. Why were things like this?

    In the end, Seiji decided that it must have been a mistaken impression. After casually chatting a little, Seiji brought up the main topic of conversation.

    "About the game, you probably wanted to talk to me about the dating route for the female character you''re going to voice, right?"

    "Yes¡­ also, I wanted to confirm the art style I should use for the game. Should I go with a cute style or a more aesthetic one?"

    "The art style¡­ I don''t think that it''s necessary to settle on an art style so quickly, since the game storyline isn''t set right now, either." Seiji mulled it over. "But if I have to pick one right now, I''d go with the aesthetic style. We can change the art style ording to the story or character as necessary, and maybe in some scenarios one art style will be favored over the other. For now, just follow your own judgment."

    Yukari nodded. "Alright."

    "I''ve already discussed the female lead''s storyline with Chiaki and written an outline. I''m not really satisfied with this story," Seiji added, "but I can still show it to you first if you would like a rough idea of how to make your own storyline. Do you want to look at Chiaki''s storyline first, or would you prefer to discuss the female character you''ll be in charge of and making her route?"

    Yukari contemted Seiji''s question for a moment.

    "Let me see the other storyline first. I''m very curious about Wakaba-san''s¡­ no the female lead''s storyline."

    And so, the two of them went to Seiji''s study, where Seiji opened up a document on hisputer for her to read.

    When Yukari finished reading the document, the two of them returned to the kotatsu .

    "It''s a bit different from what I imagined," Yukari said. "I thought that Wakaba-san would prefer a slightly more¡­ special story."

    Seiji sipped his tea. "She did make some rather special requests, but none of them were appropriate."

    ''All those forbidden R-18 topics are definitely out of the question.''

    "I think that the male lead''s settings are great, though. Are they based off of you?" Yukari looked directly at Seiji.

    "Yes, it was Chiaki''s¡­ and Mika''sbined idea. They said something about this being gender equality¡­"

    "I agree with them! I think that this is the best way to do things. If Wakaba-san didn''t bring this up, I would have brought it up myself," the purple-haired girl said with a grin. "Not only that, I think that Seigo should be the male lead''s voice actor; it''ll be amazing!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Rather than me," he protested, "I think that Hoshi would be the better choice for voicing the male lead. He''s the male lead''s character model anyway, and his voice is quite suitable for it. He''d definitely be better than me." He attempted to toss this job to Hoshi.

    "Amami-san is no good; his voice won''t give off the right feeling!" Yukari instantly rejected this choice.

    "What feeling is that?" Seiji asked.

    "The feeling of a main character! Yes, he''s the model for the main character, and his voice is appropriate as well. Although he''s not a bad choice for the voicing the male lead, that''s only at the level of not bad. When the yers hear his voice, they wouldn''t think, ''This must be the male lead!''" Yukari said in a serious voice. "That is to say, he''s not spirited enough. As a trap, Amami-san is too much like a trap. He''s suitable to be a trap character, but not the main character who''s supposed to be at the center of the story!

    "Inparison, Seigo, your voice gives others that feeling¡ªfrom the moment you speak, you give off the feeling of a main character. The yers will think, ''The main character should be like this!''

    "Although maybe the feeling is a little too cool and not girlish enough¡ªa small problem for a trap character¡ªyou can try practicing, and change it with hard work and effort, or simply change your voice with a voice changer!"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to Yukari, whose eyes were currently sparkling. What the hell was with ''sounding cool the moment he spoke?''

    He didn''t feel like his voice was anything special; it wasn''t like he was Daisuke Ono.

    The important part for voice actors was meant to be their voice, not their spirit!

    Although spirit was important, he felt that the voice should still be the foundation. For example, Rie Kugimiya''s fame for tsundere voices came from her voice, while having someone like Kana Hanazawa say the same linesfor example, "Urusai" three times in a rowwould definitely make someone feel strange.

    Cough, he was getting off topic.

    "¡­In summation, Seigo,e be a voice actor! The male lead''s voice actor can''t be anyone other than you!" Yukari was speaking passionately and had an equally passionate expression as if she were the main character of some hot-blooded manga.

    Seiji¡­ felt that he was looking at himself. He was currently feeling conflicted, as he now understood why Chiaki had called Yukari a female version of himself.

    "I¡­ I''ll consider it," he said finally.

    Forcefully being requested to write himself into the trap main character''s story, and then even being made into the male lead''s voice actor¡­ he felt as if the world had evil intentions for him.

    No, he shouldn''t think that way.

    Chiaki and Mika and Yukari had all given their ideas based on what they believed to be best. He decided to ept their opinions and carefully consider them without bias.

    If him being the male lead''s voice actor would ultimately contribute to this game''s quality, he was willing to do it. Seiji justcked the confidence to pull it off.

    Well, there was no need to rush for a decision. The scenarios had to be finished first before voicing the lines, so he could dy this untilter.

    "Let''s talk about the second female lead''s scenario. Let''s start with the character traits." He changed the topic.

    "Character traits¡­ Seigo, what do you think?"

    "As for me, the first traits thate into mind for your character would be ''skilled artist,''''excellent student,''''beautiful and elegant,''''honest and direct,'' and ''popr.''"

    Yukari''s face reddened slightly. ''So those are your impressions of me.''

    "I think that those are pretty good," she said. "My n is to make a clear contrast between the female lead''s character traits and make the second female lead into the main character''s enemy."

    "Enemy?"

    "Yes, since the female lead is the childhood friend, won''t the second female lead being an enemy be more interesting?"

    "Indeed." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion as he praised her.

    "As for why they became enemies, it can be something like after the main character entered school, there was a misunderstanding between them," Yukari suggested. "This, in addition to him not understanding etiquette, means that he continually offends her, making her dislike him¡­ something like that."

    "Yeah¡­ we can make her into a Morals and Discipline Committee member and give her the trait of ''views school rules as highly important.''"

    "That''s nice," Yukari nodded. "At first, the two of them are enemies because of a misunderstanding and have various conflicts, but after multiple experiences of some sort together, they slowly be friends. Afterwards, this girl discovers the main character''s secret: that they are actually a boy, but she volunteers of her own volition to keep his secret and protect his identity.

    "With that as the catalyst, both of them detect the other''s romantic feelings, but neither of them voice their feelings. As time goes on, their feelings for each other deepen. Just as the male lead is unable to take it any longer and decides to confess, the girl leaves the school!

    "She actually needed to go overseas to study abroad, in order to improve her art skills and achieve her dream. The male lead chases her to the airport and confesses to her in public! The girl also confesses her own feelings, and the two of them hug each other tightly before kissing¡­"

    The purple-haired girl suddenly realized that perhaps she had said a bit too much and abruptly came to her senses.

    Seigo looked at her. Shika also looked at her.

    Yukari''s face instantly flushed red. "Er¡­ um¡­ pretty much a feeling like that¡­"

    She lowered her head in embarrassment.

    Seiji felt that she looked quite cute when she was embarrassed, and his lips arced upwards. "What about the ending? Did the girl stay, or did she leave in the end?"

 Chapter 333 - Winter Snow Festival Present

    <h4>Chapter 333: Winter Snow Festival Present</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "She leaves, but promises to meet the male lead again."

    "Hmm¡­ It''s a ssic scenario, and it''s fine to write it like this, but it doesn''t feel sufficient, because it''s too simr to the female lead''s ending." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "I think that we can write more details, since the boy and girl were enemies at first, so there should be many interesting scenarios that can arise from that," Yukari said. "We can write about the way their feelings for each other slowly changed; the process from hating to each other to bing friends, which then transforms to love. The unspoken love continues until it cannot be suppressed any longer and explodes into the air! Them at the airport, not caring about others looking¡­"

    Cough cough, she suddenly stepped on the brakes.

    "While the overall scenario may be a ssic one, as long as we do a good job on the fine details, I think that it''ll still be interesting."

    "I concur. But as for how to write the details¡­ that''s a bit more difficult. Do you have anything in mind already?"

    Yukari enjoyed discussing the details with Seiji.

    Shika simply observed them silently. Apart from sipping on tea and nibbling on some confectioneries, as well as pouring more tea for both of them, she didn''t do anything else at all.

    Although it seemed like Yukari had been ignoring Shika, she was always paying attention to her. Yukari saw that she was only observing; Shika had no intention to interrupt or even to say a single word.

    This seemed rather odd to her.

    It wasn''t that she wanted Shika to interrupt, but Shika was being too quiet. She just watched them with a distant look, almost as if she were¡­

    An unlucky ck cat?

    Yukari didn''t know how to describe the subtle impression she had.

    As for Seigo, he didn''t do anything apart from smile in gratitude whenever his adopted younger sister refilled his cup for him. This didn''t seem like his style at all.

    Logically speaking, he should''ve involved Shika in their conversation, but he didn''t¡­ this was probably just how they interacted with each other.

    At any rate, she found it rather strange.

    Yukari was genuinely enjoying her conversation with Seiji and wanted to continue it a while longer, but she checked her watch and saw that it was about time to leave.

    "I have a present I''d like to give you." She picked up her bag and took out an elegantly wrapped gift box. "An early Happy Winter Snow Festival, Seigo," she said, giving the present to him.

    "Thank you." Seiji epted the present. "I apologize that I haven''t prepared a present for you. I shall give you one in returnter."

    "No problem." The purple-haired girl smiled. "Open it up and take a look. I hope that you''ll like it."

    "I won''t be reserved, then." Seiji opened the gift box; inside it was a beautiful notebook along with a silver pen.

    "I hope that you''ll be able to write even more, even better novels," Yukari said with a smile.

    "Thank you for your blessings; this is an excellent present. I really like it." Seiji said sincerely as he picked up the notebook and pen.

    Yukari nced over towards Shika.

    "I also have a present I''d like to give to Kagura-san." She took out another cute-looking wrapped gift box.

    "An early Happy Winter Snow Festival to you." She handed the box to Shika.

    "¡­Thank you." The ck-haired girl epted it.

    Yukari didn''t know what to think because Shika''s expression didn''t change one bit.

    After hearing Chiaki''s information, she hesitated for a long time before finally deciding on giving a small present out of politeness: a cute cat plushie. This seemed like a safe gift to give a girl who she didn''t know very well.

    Shika had a cold personality, but wasn''t a bad child. That was Chiaki Wakaba''s assessment.

    Since Shika was able to be Seigo Harano''s adopted younger sister, someone viewed as important by him, she definitely wouldn''t be a bad girl. She should be able to understand others'' kind intentions. That was what Yukari believed.

    Giving her a present shouldn''t have the opposite effect intended¡­ but it was difficult to tell on the surface.

    Well, since she had given the present already, she decided to not dwell on it for now. Yukari realized that she found it difficult to deal with a girl like Shika. She wanted to establish a good rtionship with Shika, but didn''t know how to go about doing it at all.

    Just how did Seigo be adopted siblings with a girl like this? What could have happened? Why couldn''t he talk about it?

    Yukari was exceedingly curious, but she knew that it wasn''t an appropriate time to pry, otherwise she would end up making the brother-sister duo unhappy. She believed that she would be able to find out naturally if she got closer to Seigo in the future.

    After a little while, Yukari said goodbye and left. Seigo walked her to the door.

    Shika took her present back to her room.

    Seiji also returned to his room with his presents. He then opened up his system and inspected his [Gifts] option.

    The desserts that Yukari had given him rewarded him with ten points, and as for the notebook and pen¡­

    [Writing stat increase card¡ªSincere Expectation. This card contains Yukari''s hope that you can write even better novels in the future. After using this card, your [Writing] stat will permanently increase. The lower the stat, the greater the increase.]

    [Drawing stat increase card¡ªLoving Heart. This card contains Yukari''s love for you. After using this card, your [Art] stat will permanently increase. The lower the stat, the greater the increase.]

    [Locator card¡ªLonely Heart. This card contains Yukari''s loneliness at not being able to spend the Winter Snow Festival with you. You can use this card on any person that has 65 or more favorability rating for you and immediately find out his or her current location.]

    Seiji didn''t know what to say at all this.

    The [Loving Heart] and [Lonely Heart] cards made him feel a little guilty inside.

    Well, there was no point in feeling guilty, so he decided to be grateful and use these cards as they were intended.

    He could immediately use these cards to increase his [Writing] and [Art] stats.

    The Locator card seemed to have a rather subtle effect, but its effect was quite useful. If he needed to, he could immediately find someone that he was looking for, if they were one of his friends.

    Seijiy down on his bed after looking through all this. He used the [Sincere Expectation] card.

    The card transformed into a sh of light that entered his head. He felt a warm,fortable sensation and slowly sunk into a daze¡­

    Momentster, he recovered his senses and used the [Loving Heart] card.

    The same thing happened again.

    Later, he checked his system, and discovered that both [Writing] and [Art] had increased by a massive fifteen points each!

    Seiji got off his bed and went to the study to begin experimenting with his new stat increases.

    His writing ability had obviously improved. He was now able to flesh out the fine details even better than before.

    As for his art ability¡­

    He hadn''t worked much on grinding his [Art] stat, but thanks to the stat-increasing cards he received before from Peach-sensei and Yui Haruta, his [Art] stat was over forty.

    Now that he had received a fifteen-point increase, the result was¡­ his drawing had improved by leaps and bounds!

    Seiji''s eyes lit up as he looked at the drawing he had just finished: a ck-haired beauty wielding a Demon de.

    He had just drawn Shika.

    Shika, clothed in ck, was looking straight ahead. One pale hand gripped her scabbard, and her other hand was unsheathing her sword. The Demon de sword was half-unsheathed, with its de glistening. Her body was tilted forward slightly, making it seem like she was just about to pounce.

    While the drawing wasn''t as beautiful as the person herself, Seiji felt that it was a pretty nice drawing. At the very least, it was far better than his previous drawing attempts.

    He decided to show her.

    Seiji acted immediately and went to go knock on Shika''s door.

    Shika opened her door.

    "Shika-chan, I tried drawing something, and I feel like it wasn''t bad, so I''m showing it to you."

    When the ck-haired girl saw the drawing, her eyes instantly widened in shock.

    "This is¡­ me?"

    "Yep! What do you think?"

    Shika took the drawing and looked over it more closely.

    "Awesome¡­" she murmured.

    This drawing wasn''t top-notch quality, but it had its own moving beauty, and the artist''s heartfelt intention could be felt from it.

    Shika blushed crimson and asked, "Brother¡­ is this my present for the Winter Snow Festival?"

 Chapter 334 - Just How Much Are These Worth?

    <h4>Chapter 334: Just How Much Are These Worth?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Eh?" Seiji blinked in surprise. "No¡­ this isn''t a present. It''s just a drawing of mine that turned out pretty nice, so I thought I''d to show you. Of course, if you want this, you can keep it. But I think that this drawing is still insufficient to qualify as a present. If you want me to create a drawing of you for your Winter Snow Festival present, I''ll do my very best to draw an even better one. How does that sound?"

    "I think that this drawing is already good enough," Shika said in a gentle voice as her eyes shed with a hard-to-read light. "But¡­ I also want an even better drawing as well."

    "Understood." Seiji nodded. "I shall draw something even better and give it to you at the Winter Snow Festival!"

    And so, the present to give his cute adopted sister for the Winter Snow Festival was decided upon.

    ¡­

    ''So cute.'' Kaede truly believed that the child currently holding her hand was worthy of these words.

    Reo Tachibana¡­ The first time that Kaede had met her, she joked that she wanted to "kidnap" this child, but now she really did want to do so, just a little.

    Reo was cute and innocent, yet also sensible. Kaede and Reo got along very well.

    Kaede could other people looking at her, their expressions making it obvious that they thought she was a young mother walking around with her daughter.

    Kaede didn''t dislike their mistaken impression, and this surprised even herself.

    ''Is this supposed to be a motherly nature?''

    Kaede recalled her own mother, who was both strict yet gentle. Her mother raised her children strictly, while also imparting her deep love.

    Kaede and her two older brothers, Zankita and Hisashi, all respected their mother as well as loved her.

    All three siblings received quite arge impact when their mother passed away.

    Her oldest brother Zankita''s personality became violent and impulsive, and her second brother Hisashi became a NEET who never left the house. Kaede herself became rebellious and depraved, running away from home several times.

    If it wasn''t for her father sending underlings and even personallying out to find and protect her in time, something terrible could have happened to her.

    Her father''s care as well as time seeded in easing her pain. Although the three siblings had walked out of the shadows, their scars would forever remain¡­

    "Juumonji onee-chan, what''s the matter?" the little girl asked.

    Kaede suddenly returned to her senses and discovered that she had been lost in the nostalgia of reminiscing about her mother.

    She smiled at Reo. "Nothing¡­ I was just thinking of something."

    Reo looked at her face. "Onee-chan, were you thinking about your mother?"

    Kaede was surprised to hear this. "Yes, how did you know?"

    "Because I think that onee-chan is simr to me¡­ I also think about mother like you."

    Kaede looked at her. "Tachibana-chan, your mother¡­ where is she?"

    Reo lowered her head and said in a tiny voice, "My mother has already passed away."

    "I''m sorry¡­"

    "Juumonji onee-chan, where''s your mother?"

    "My mother''s the same. She''s already passed away."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "I really miss Mommy¡­ every time I think about her, I want to cry," Reo said. "But this is no good¡­ if I always cry, Mommy will worry about me. I don''t want Mommy to worry, which is why I shouldn''t cry; I need to be brave¡­"

    Kaede''s heart was moved by these words. She really wanted to hug her and spoil the little girl. But she restrained herself from acting impulsively. Her grip on Reo''s tiny hand tightened a little.

    "Tachibana-chan¡­ can I call you Reo from now on?"

    The little girl nodded. "Sure."

    The blonde teacher smiled and said, "You can call me Kaede onee-chan as well."

    ''I can''t take your mother''s ce, but in the time that I get to spend with you, I''ll do my best to be a good big sister.''

    Later that night, Seiji called Natsuya and exined the situation of many possible mysterious objects being at the Uehara family''s storage room. He rmended that shee over and take a look at Mr. Uehara''splete collection.

    Natsuya agreed toe over.

    Before long, a luxurious car parked in front of the Uehara apartmentplex. The student council president got off from the car; she was wearing a ck windbreaker.

    Seiji, who had been waiting, greeted her and brought her to the Uehara residence.

    The door opened after they knocked.

    "Good evening, President."

    "Good evening, Uehara-san."

    Mika invited Seiji and Natsuya inside.

    Natsuya gave Nozomi Uehara, who she was meeting for the first time, a box of desserts as a greeting gift.

    "Thank you, but you''re being too polite. After all, Mika was the one who invited you over." Nozomi smiled as she epted the confectioneries. "Yoruhana-san, thank you so much for helping Mika before." She bowed deeply to Natsuya.

    "I just did what I should have as the student council president," Natsuya said humbly. "No need for thanks."

    "You''re really such a beautiful and gentledy, just like Mika said." Nozomi paused for a moment before continuing, "We''re just an ordinary family; although I want to show our gratitude, there''s not much we can pay you with. This time, we even troubled you to personally look through myte husband''s collection. I''m so sorry about this. As the least I can do, if there''s anything among the collection that you like, please feel free to take it."

    "No¡­ they''re all yourte husband''s precious items; I''m justing over to take a look¡­"

    "Giving something to the person that helped out his daughter would be something my husband would have been happy about. There''s no need to be so polite," Nozomi said in a serious tone, looking directly at Natsuya.

    The president fell silent for a moment before she smiled. "Alright, thank you for your gracious offer."

    After a few pleasantries, it was time for the main event.

    Nozomi, Mika, and Seiji, who volunteered to help out of his own volition, worked together to move everything from the storage room to the living room, where the collection items could be easily categorized.

    Natsuya carefully inspected each item, her eyes constantly shing with the light of [Astral Vision]. She put everything that she had finished inspecting to the table''s side.

    When she finally finished, most of the objects were ced on the left of the table. She only put three objects on the right side.

    The first object was that board game. The second was the kendama set, and the third was a wooden sword.

    "These three objects are highly valuable. Please take special care when storing them in the future," Natsuya said. "If you don''t wish to keep them anymore, you can also contact me. I''ll purchase them at a reasonable price."

    "You can take them with you," Nozomi said.

    "No, I would like to have this." Natsuya picked up an object from that was with the other objects to the left of the table. It was a circr te with various strange runes and drawings etched on its surface. "This will be more than enough for me. Thank you for your kind offer."

    Nozomi blinked and said, "Is that really fine?"

    "Yes, it''s quite excellent already." Natsuya smiled.

    "Alright¡­ if that''s sufficient for you."

    Nozomi then inspected the three objects Natsuya had ced to the right of the table.

    "Yoruhana-san, you said that these objects are highly valuable. Then, could I ask, just how much these are worth?"

    Natsuya didn''t answer immediately. Instead, she gave Seiji a questioning look. In turn, Seiji turned to Mika. After some hesitation, Mika nodded.

    Nozomi was rather confused by this exchange of looks.

    But what the scion from a rich and illustrious family said next made her mind go nk.

    "These three objects will have very different values depending on the social circles you sell them in. If you auction them in certain circles, the price may be even higher. I''m not a professional appraiser, so I can''t urately assess their values. But at my most conservative estimate, each one of these three objects can be individually sold for a minimum of fifty million sakuras."

 Chapter 335 - Pirated Goods?

    <h4>Chapter 335: Pirated Goods?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Each of these three objects individually was worth a minimum of fifty million sakuras, which meant that all threebined would be¡­ over one hundred and fifty million sakuras!?

    This was a number that far exceeded Nozomi''s expectations!

    As a normal working woman, she had expected these objects to be worth a few hundred thousand sakuras at most. She never expected the scion to say such an astonishing number.

    Mika''s eyes widened in surprise as well. Only Seiji''s expression remained unchanged.

    When Natsuya said that these items were highly valuable, he expected numbers like this. "Highly valuable" to a scion like her was a far different concept from the "highly valuable" that normal people thought of.

    Not to mention, this was only her "conservative estimate."

    Depending on the people they were sold to as well as the method used to sell them, there would be arge fluctuation in the potential price. If they found a suitably interested buyer or auctioned it, perhaps the estimate would even be doubled¡ªor more!

    Seiji was able to calmly consider such things, but Nozomi was unable to remain calm¡­ The sum of one hundred and fifty million sakuras had shocked her so much that she was unable to think of anything else.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    When Nozomi finally managed to return to her senses, she mumbled, "They''re¡­ actually so valuable?"

    "Yes, they are indeed that valuable," Natsuya said. "If you''ll excuse me for asking, I''m rather curious as to how your husband came across these items. Do you know anything about this?"

    "I¡­ I don''t know. My husband only said that someone else gave these to him as a gift, but he didn''t mention who."

    "You don''t have any clues at all?" Natsuya pressed. "Any leads or people that might know who gave him these gifts¡­ can you think of anything?"

    "He was just an ordinarypany employee when he was still alive," Nozomi said atst. "His friends were normal¡­ and I never heard him discuss his collection with anyone before."

    "Please forgive me for prying, but what about Mr. Uehara''s rtives?"

    "¡­He had a bad rtionship with his rtives and rarely interacted with them. Ever since his parents passed away, he stopped interacting with all his other rtives," Nozomi said lightly. "If anybody knew, it would be his parents¡ªMika''s paternal grandfather and grandmother. They were rtively well-to-do, and this entire apartmentplex was given to my husband by them. But¡­ I don''t think that they were the ones who gave my husband the items in his collection. If they were, then there would be no need for him to keep it a secret from me."

    Another moment of silence fell between them.

    "Yoruhana-san, I''d like to ask¡­ what do you think I should do with these items? Nozomi said. "Before, I always kept them in the storage room, but now that I know that they''re so incredibly valuable, I¡­ I don''t know what to do anymore."

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment. "Personally, I''d rmend selling them," she advised in a serious voice. "Keeping these may be risky. Although they''ve always remained safe until now, there''s no guarantee that they''ll always remain safe in the future. If you sell them, you won''t have to worry about the risk anymore. You can also use the money to make many improvements to your life."

    "Is that so? Then¡­ selling them might be for the best." Nozomi looked at the collection items, her eyes troubled. "You''re correct: keeping such highly valuable items around is too much pressure for my family. But¡­ these are mementos left behind by my husband. Even if I don''t know the meaning behind them, they might have been really important to him. Is it really alright to sell them?"

    Everyone fell silent.

    "Miss Landlord," Seiji suddenly said, "I''d like to ask, are you willing to loan these items out?"

    Everyone looked towards him.

    "Loan?"

    "Yep. Not sell, but loan them out instead and collect rent. What do you think?"

    Nozomi nodded. "Yes¡­ if it was like this¡­ I think that''s fine."

    Seiji looked towards Natsuya. "Natsuya, are you willing to rent these items and pay an appropriate fee?"

    The president''s eyes shed with understanding as she nodded.

    Seiji looked towards Nozomi again and said, "Hire a detective to investigate the source of these objects with the rent. Also, you should ask them to determine if there''s any hidden meaning to the items; is that alright?"

    Nozomi''s eyes lit up, and she nodded upon hearing this.

    Seiji looked towards Natsuya again. "Can you help Miss Landlord find an excellent detective and pay the detective''s fee in lieu of a rental fee?"

    The scion smiled. "Of course; it''s not a problem."

    "Alright, everyone''se to an agreement." Seiji extended his palms. "Natsuya should take these with her for the time being, and we can figure out what to do with these items after we discover the truth behind their origin.

    "An excellent idea, Seiji," Natsuya praised.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ you have a sharp mind. Thank you," Nozomi said.

    Seiji chuckled and said, "I just suddenly had this idea."

    The atmosphere rxed now that everyone hade to a decision. After making idle chatter for a while longer, the president politely said goodbye.

    Seiji helped to carry the items into her car, and at Natsuya''s implicit request, he got on her car and left together with her.

    "Why did Haruta-kun leave together with her?" Nozomi looked curious as she watched the luxury car leave.

    "They probably have some things to discuss," Mika said.

    "Do Haruta-kun and Yoruhana-san¡­ have a very good rtionship?"

    "I suppose they have a good rtionship."

    Nozomi blinked as she looked at her daughter. "You need to work harder yourself, Mika."

    "Work harder at what?" Mika asked sharply.

    ¡­

    On Natsuya''s car.

    "All of those objects were spiritual artifacts," Natsuya said in a serious voice.

    "All of them¡­" Seiji raised his brows in surprise.

    "That''s right¡ªall of them. Most of them are broken already, however. Only the three that we took with us are still in working condition."

    "All of them are high-level artifacts?"

    "Yes, a very high level," Natsuya said, sighing. "I''m really curious about what type of person thete Mr. Uehara was."

    "Send someone excellent to investigate him. I think that the Uehara family is concealing something about him, so perhaps we can find out some more information."

    "I believe so as well. Mrs. Uehara''s attitude was slightly unnatural¡­ but it could also be that she recalled something unpleasant, such as an inheritance dispute."

    "That could be the case," Natsuya agreed, nodding. "By the way, did you find any clues from these items themselves? Such as a brand from the person who made them. Most spiritual artifacts have a creator''s brand on them, just like branded items you can buy in stores. But not a single spiritual artifact from the Uehara family was branded. This includes all the broken artifacts, as well as these three that are still working."

    "¡­Pirated products?" Seiji blinked.

    "That''s a rather subtle way of describing it, but I suppose you could say that." Natsuya nodded. "Although there are no brand markings, I can tell that they''re all high-quality artifacts. At the very least, the person or organization that created these is a master artifact craftsman."

    "These three artifacts that are still working¡­ what are they used for?"

    "The board game should be a sealing tool, while the kendama and wooden sword are both spiritual weapons."

    "A sealing tool¡­ is it sealing something at the moment?"

    Seiji recalled the ck-veiled woman. Could she be a demon that was sealed inside?

    "It''s possible. I can''t tell from the outside appearance alone. I''ll have to do a deeper investigation with the tools avable to me at my residence, as well as test out both of those spiritual weapons."

    "Do you need my assistance?"

    "I was intending to ask."

    The two of them smiled as they looked at each other.

    They arrived at Natsuya''s residence. Seiji and Natsuya carried the spiritual artifacts into her residence and walked to the underground practice field.

    "Which item should we start with?"

    "Let''s test out this wooden sword first."

    Seiji picked up the wooden sword.

    This wooden sword was the same one he had seen in Mika''s picture. The ck-and-white runes carved into either side seemed rather mystical to him.

 Chapter 336 - Guardian Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 336: Guardian Spirit</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The wooden sword seemed like it was created by an immature middle schooler. However, when he held it and inspected it closely, Seiji could feel that the wooden sword was definitely no ordinary item.

    It was difficult for him to describe the feeling it gave him. Mystical was the most appropriate word he coulde up with.

    Seiji had a sudden urge to copy a pose from Gintama and wield the wooden sword, twirling it around like the Lake Touya sword.

    "How do you use this sword?" he asked.

    "Try injecting some Mana into it."

    Seiji did as Natsuya said. After he cast [Astral Vision], the runes on the wooden sword lit up. Seiji instantly felt as if the wooden sword he was holding was connected to his hand; as if it were a part of him.

    When he tried swinging it around, the runes on the sword gave off a faint white glow, which seemed rather cool to him.

    "Try attacking one of the target dummies," Natusya suggested.

    Seiji walked into the practice target area, and Natsuya used theputer to bring out a humanoid target dummy for him.

    Seiji sliced down forcefully with the wooden sword.

    *ng!*

    When he struck the dummy, the sword made a clear sound.

    "The power of that attack just now would be sufficient to slice through a wall of average hardness," Natsuya said. "Try injecting more Mana into it. Try to inject as much as possible¡ªthe absolute maximum."

    Seiji nodded and concentrated on injecting even more Mana into the sword.

    The runes on the sword lit up even brighter than before and enveloped the entire sword. The rune-light slowly expanded, transforming the wooden sword into a muchrger sword!

    "This is¡­"

    "A spiritual manifestation¡ªone of the effects that a high-level spiritual artifact is capable of," Natsuya exined. "This spiritual artifact should be capable of achieving even more than this. Can you inject any more Mana into it?"

    Seiji attempted to do so but shook his head shortly after. "I can''t¡ªI don''t have any more Mana to inject."

    "Then just try attacking the target dummy again in this state."

    Seiji headed for the humanoid target once more and sliced down with the "sword of light" in his hand.

    *Boom!!*

    It made a much louder sound than his previous strike. The target dummy now had dark ck streaks, reminiscent of burn marks, on it.

    Natsuya recorded the numbers on herputer before she walked out to the practice field and said, "Let me try."

    Seiji stopped using his Mana on the sword, and the wooden sword''s glow quickly faded.

    He handed the sword that had now returned to its original state to the president and walked out of the practice field.

    Natsuya injected her own Mana into the wooden sword.

    The runes lit up again and the light rapidly expanded, rapidly transforming the sword into the "longsword" that Seiji had used earlier.

    The "sword of light" grew longer and longer, until it was approximately seven or eight meters long. Various tiny gear-shaped spell formations appeared on its surface, and they turned slowly in unison, just like real gears would.

    ''This sure is cool.'' Seiji felt that the "greatsword" seemed like an ultimate weapon from Final Fantasy.

    Natsuya raised the "greatsword" and brought it down upon the target dummy.

    *Snap!*

    The sound was actually much smaller than before, but the target was cleaved in half with ease!

    "It''s beyond theputer''s program to measure its capabilities¡­ and this still isn''t its maximum power."

    "It''s still capable of even more power?" Seiji asked in shock.

    "Yes, because this is only the result of forcefully injecting Mana into it. If we knew the correct way to use it, we would be able to conserve our Mana while simultaneously bringing out more power from it."

    Natsuya stopped injecting Mana into the sword. The tiny gear-shaped spell formations vanished and the "greatsword" stopped glowing as it reverted to its wooden sword form.

    "Next up is the kendama ."

    The kendama ''s test went simrly to the wooden sword''s test. As the amount of Mana they injected into it increased, it spiritually manifested itself, and the ball portion of the kendama transformed into a giant spiked ball of light!

    The ball of light floated on top of the hilt. It would fly out as the wielder moved the sword hilt and crash into its target.

    Its power was incredible. When Natsuya tried using it, just one blow smashed a target dummy into tiny smithereens, like a destructive bomb.

    "It''s such a pity that we don''t know the specific way to use it," the presidentmented. "We can only slowly figure things out by ourselves."

    Finally, it was time to test the board game. Natsuya led Seiji into a spell formation that they took the boxed board game into.

    There was a gigantic pentagram drawn on the ground, withplex runes carved into the spell formation.

    Each point of the pentagram was engraved with smaller spell formations, which were respectively colored white, red, blue, green, and yellow. There were also five runic gs of matching colors.

    "Take the board game out and set everything down here."

    Seiji opened the box and put all the yer pieces, dice, and board on the ground.

    Natsuya started muttering an incantation.

    When she began her incantation, the pentagram on the ground lit up. Various lights danced through the runes, and all the smaller spell formations and gs shone as well, glowing in their respective colors.

    A five-colored barrier of light appeared, covering the entire area.

    Then, aplex spell formation manifested above the board game, gold and red circling each other endlessly. It was just like what he had witnessed yesterday.

    "Take a yer piece and put it on the board," Natsuya said when she finished her incantation.

    Seiji randomly picked up a male yer piece and ced it on the board. Instantly, a gold-red glow enveloped the yer piece and shot a beam of light at him.

    The scenery before him changed as he entered the board game''s illusion. It was the forest filled with cherry blossoms.

    This was the same forest Seiji and the others saw after they beat the game. The trees were in full bloom, and cherry blossoms rained down from the branches.

    "What a beautiful scene," the president said from beside him.

    Seiji turned around to see Natsuya wearing gold-red Sakura Ind clothing; the sight of her stunned him momentarily.

    ''Compared to these falling cherry blossoms, you''re even more beautiful¡­'' he couldn''t help but think.

    Well, there was no helping it. The president was rocking the Sakura Ind dress, which would look overly extravagant on an ordinary girl. This clothing entuated her elegant demeanor; it was no wonder she looked so alluring.

    "She''s here."

    Seiji regained his senses when Natsuya spoke. When he turned back to the front, he saw the ck-veiled woman walking out of the forest. She headed towards them.

    She was still wearing the ck-and-white Sakura Ind clothing. Her white hair and ck veil exuded a mysterious aura.

    She stood in front of Seiji and Natsuya, a motionless statue.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "If I may ask¡­ Who might you be?" Seiji asked the same question he had asked yesterday.

    Just like yesterday, there was no response.

    ''What should we do?'' Seiji looked towards Natsuya for help.

    The president''s eyes shed as she focused on the ck-veiled woman.

    "She is a Guardian Spirit."

    "Eh?"

    "She''s not whatever this sealing artifact is sealing. She''s the guardian of the seal."

    "The guardian¡­" Seiji looked towards the ck-veiled woman again. "Can youmunicate with her?"

    "It should be possible, but I don''t know how to do so." Natsuya paused for a moment. "There''s also the option of using force, but that might end badly."

    "Such as?"

    "The Guardian Spirit counterattacking, the destruction of this spiritual sealing artifact, and the release of whatever is being sealed inside¡­"

    "Then let''s not use force."

    Not even mentioning what the Guardian Spirit''s counterattack would be like, this spiritual artifact belonged to thendlord, so Seiji felt that it would be wrong of them to break it. Besides, they didn''t know what was sealed within it, and if something terrible escaped¡­

    "How about trying to touch her?" Seiji suggested.

    "You can try if you want."

    And so, Seiji walked towards the ck-veiled woman.

    "Hello, I don''t have any ill intentions. I merely wish to talk to you. If you are able to speak, would you mind saying something?"

    Seiji tried to be as courteous as possible to the ck-veiled woman, but there was still no response.

    "If you don''t speak, I''m going to take off your veil."

    He raised his hand, and there was still no reaction. Seiji slowly reached out towards her ck veil, and just as he was about to take it off¡­

 Chapter 337 - Perverts Should Go Explode!

    <h4>Chapter 337: Perverts Should Go Explode!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji reached out to touch the woman''s ck veil, but he only felt empty air.

    "Eh?" Seiji realized that his hand had passed straight through the ck veil. "This is¡­ just an image?"

    He tried touching the woman''s body, but his hand went straight through her body as well. There was no sensation of physical contact.

    This was indeed only an image. It was just a shadow that appeared real.

    "It''s no good; I can''t touch anything."

    Seiji retracted his hand and looked towards Natsuya. When he saw her unsurprised expression, he understood that this was within her expectations.

    "The correct method must be used in order tomunicate with a Guardian Spirit. The problem is that each Guardian Spirit has a method unique to them, and I don''t know the correct method for this one."

    "Method¡­ is it to y this game?" Seiji asked.

    Natsuya blinked at this. "It''s possible. But you guys beat the game already, and she didn''t express anything, which means that just beating the game normally isn''t the correct way."

    "Hmm¡­ do we need to gather a total of six yers, one for each yer piece? Land on some special spaces? Or even have all the yers defeat her first before winning?" Seiji made several guesses.

    "Anything could be possible," Natsuya said lightly. "We could experiment, but¡­"

    "It''ll be a big hassle," Seiji said with a sigh.

    The two of them entered a brief silence.

    "Let''s just leave it for now," Seiji said. "We can explore our options after investigating Mr. Uehara. Perhaps we''ll learn more information regarding this board game then."

    Natsuya nodded in agreement.

    The two of them looked back at the ck-veiled woman. She merely stood there quietly, without making a sound.

    The next morning, Seiji told Mika the result ofst night''s tests on the spiritual artifacts.

    "¡­Natsuya will send someone to begin investigating today. If she finds out about anything important, she''ll contact us. All we can do now is wait."

    The pigtailed girl nodded. Then, she looked towards the television in Seiji''s room.

    On the television screen, there were two small,rge-nosed figures wearing plumber uniforms. They were jumping around, stomping on pitiful monsters, stealing shiny golden coins, touching strange objects that somehow caused them to transform, and wreaking havoc everywhere¡­

    Kaede and Reo were ying a video game together. They seemed to be having lots of fun.

    Seiji looked at Mika''s expression and felt that something was off. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

    He decided to maintain his silence and watched the video game on the screen.

    A whileter.

    "I thought about many thingsst night," Mika said in a soft voice.

    Seiji looked back towards her again.

    "I suddenly started thinking and couldn''t stop myself. I thought and thought until I fell asleep. After I woke up, I thought that maybe I thought too much about it, but¡­" The pigtailed girl revealed aplex expression. "I always thought that my dad was just a normal person, same as my mom. I always thought that I¡­ that we were just an ordinary family.

    "But now¡­ to learn that myte father might have been not so ordinary after all¡­ Just thinking about it, I feel¡­ I don''t know what I should say.

    "I know that I shouldn''t think too much about it, but I just can''t calm myself down. I don''t know how to describe this feeling."

    "You just feel uneasy," Seiji told her gently. "You learned something that changed what you knew before, which is why you feel uneasy. Now that there may be a secret about your father that you don''t know about, having this type of reaction is normal."

    Mika looked towards him. The two of them faced each other directly.

    Seiji smiled gently at her. "Mika, you should know, no matter what the truth is, or what secrets there may be, you''re you.

    "No matter if you''re actually the daughter of a superpowered ability user, or the secret daughter of some mega-powerful family, or even someone who has a vicious demon sealed inside her¡­ you''re still you. You won''t change into someone else. Our rtionship won''t change because of this. Before, at the Grand Spring department store, I told you and Chiaki that no matter what our identities may be, we''re all good friends. You''re someone important to me, and this won''t change."

    "Seiji¡­" Mika recalled the words he said at that time, thanks to the simrity between his rather moving smile then and his gentle smile now.

    The scene before her ovepped with the scene in her memory. How moved she was back then also ovepped with her current feelings.

    Mika''s eyes sparkled, and her face flushed red.

    ''He''s just like this. I just happen to like a man who''s like this. This heartfelt feeling of mine won''t change, so¡­ why am I worrying? Just like he said, I won''t change. I''m still me, no matter what the truth is.''

    "Thank you," she said from her heart.

    Seiji smiled in return. "There''s no need to thank me."

    ''He has always been like this.''

    After Mika returned home, Seiji received a parcel.

    It was from his sister, Hana Haruta.

    ''It''s probably the high-ss streaming equipment.''

    Seiji carried the box to his study and opened it up. There was an action camera, rechargeable batteries, a Bluetooth headset, a signal amplifier, a tripod, and a camera stabilizer¡­

    He unwrapped everything and did his best to assemble the pieces by himself. He used the instruction booklets to guide him as he installed everything. It wasn''t long before he seeded.

    Seiji turned on hisputer, opened up his stream, and attempted to stream with his new equipment.

    It was a sess!

    Hisputer disyed the scene from the new equipment.

    He password-protected his stream, then notified Hana on the chatting application that everything was ready. She responded instantly.

    "The video quality is excellent. Very good."

    "It''s because of the high-ss streaming equipment that you purchased."

    "But of course! I picked them myself! Is your headset connected?"

    "It is."

    Hana sent him a voice chat request in his chatting application''s conversation window.

    Seiji clicked on ept .

    He then heard a clear and pleasant-sounding female voice in his headset.

    "Hey, hey¡­ can you hear me?"

    "I can hear you," Seiji answered. "Really clearly."

    This was the first time he had used his real voice, not a voice-changer, to speak to her.

    Hana''s body tensed up upon hearing his familiar yet also unfamiliar voice. He had the same voice as "Seiji Haruta." However, he gave off a different feeling from the "Seiji Haruta" that she knew.

    "You¡­ you''re my familiar! Walk around and show me around."

    "Yes, Master."

    The stream thus began moving as Seiji walked around his room. The camera was quite steady, and the video didn''t shake or anything. It seemed that walking normally wouldn''t be a problem for the stream.

    Hana saw a Sakura Ind-style living room, with a kotatsu sitting atop tatami mats. Next to the kotatsu sat a beautiful, blonde-haired woman and a green-haired little girl. They were ying a video game together.

    "Who are they?" Hana asked.

    "A child who''s temporarily living here and the upstairs neighbor."

    "Temporarily living¡­ is this little girl is the person you said you''re now living together with?"

    "No, she only came here recently due to some reasons. The person I mentioned before is someone else."

    "¡­Is that person male or female?"

    "Female."

    "Is she beautiful?"

    "Yes."

    Hana was momentarily rendered speechless.

    "That is to say," she said, her voice steadily growing in volume, "you''re currently living together with a very beautiful girl as well as the cute little girl I can see right now, and the three of you are living together? And you also have a very good rtionship with this beautiful blondedy that lives upstairs?"

    "That''s right."

    An indescribable feeling surged within Hana''s heart. It even surpassed her urge to yell, "Winners in life should go explode."

    Instead, she came out with something far more shocking: "Perverts should go explode!!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 338 - So Comfortable~ Iâ€™m Going to Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 338: So Comfortable~ I¡¯m Going to Sleep</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Was that supposed to be a leveled-up version of "Winners in life should go explode?"

    Just like thest time, Seiji didn''t know whether tough or cry. He wanted to say something, but Hana abruptly cut off the stream.

    ''Well, we can take things slowly,'' he thought as he went back to his study. He then stopped the stream and started cleaning up the equipment.

    Later that afternoon, Seiji arrived at the president''s residence. Natsuya was waiting for him. She even put on the shrine maiden outfit beforehand.

    The two of them went to the room at the end of the second floor.

    Seiji acted ording to the instructions he receivedst time. He stood in the center of the Yin-Yang diagram inscribed on the floor, closed his eyes, rxed his body, and calmed his mind¡­

    After Seiji said his name and agreed to be bound by the contract just like the previous time, Natsuya began muttering her incantation. Seiji''s head was gradually filled with strange voices.

    He concentrated and focused his mind, trying to listen to the voices. However, the voices gradually quieted down, and after a while, he was unable to hear anything.

    This differed from his previous experience, and Seiji was left somewhat confused.

    "So warm¡­ looks like a nice bed," azy-sounding female voice said, breaking the mental silence. "This one would like to sleep here. I''ll pay an appropriate rental fee, so is it eptable if I do so?"

    Seiji felt that this spirit was different from Light-chan. She seemed somewhat inscrutable, but he also sensed that she was an equally strong existence, so he agreed.

    "Spirit, descend! I summon thee as a Spirit-Branded Retainer!! I decree it so!!!"

    As Natsuya''s mutters turned into shouts, a strong power entered his head and filled his body.

    "Sofortable~ I''m going to sleep, so good night."

    Eh? She wasn''t even going to say her name first?

    "It doesn''t matter what my name is. Anyway, when you need to use my power, just go ahead and use it."

    Then, the spirit yawned. Seiji was rendered speechless.

    She didn''t ask his name, nor did she introduce herself. She only cared about sleeping¡­ what exactly was all this?

    Seiji opened his eyes, a confused expression painted on his face.

    "What''s the matter?" Natsuya asked.

    Seiji exined the situation.

    The president revealed an equally confused expression. "A female spirit that loves to sleep and is toozy to even introduce herself¡­"

    "Do you know who this is?"

    "I¡­ don''t know. She''s probably a major demon¡­ yet she faintly feels like a heroic spirit. I can''t figure out what she is."

    Both of them fell silent.

    "There are many demonic spirits rted to slumber, but I''ve never heard of a powerful, sleep-loving one who also seems slightly like a heroic spirit. At the very least, I''m currently unable to discern her identity." Natsuya sighed.

    Seiji tried mentally asking the spirit within him, but there was no response.

    "I tried asking her, but she didn''t respond. I think she''s asleep already."

    "Can you try using her power in such a condition?"

    Seiji tried using his powers.

    "I can¡­ but not any new spells. I can only use her power to strengthen¡­ no, ''evolve'' the current spells I know."

    Having a bonded spirit with him and turning into a Spirit-Branded Retainer would greatly increase his stats in all areas, which also included the strength of the spells he could use.

    And if the spells that the spirit knew were the same or simr to the ones that the Spiritual Ability user knew, then the spells could bebined into a stronger version of the original spell¡ªthis was known as "spell evolution!"

    "Spell evolution¡­ unless you have a very high synchronization ratio, it''s usually impossible to do this without extensive practice. Are you really capable of immediate spell evolution already?"

    "I feel like that''s the case, yes." Seiji nodded. "However, that''s all I can do. I''m unable to use any of her spells that she knows."

    "If you can immediately use spell evolution without any practice at all beforehand, that means that this female spirit has an incredibly high synchronization ratio with you. However, logically speaking, if you can use spell evolution, you should be able to use the spirit''s other spells as well, but you can''t. How strange." Natsuya had a confused expression. "What exactly could that ''sleep'' status of hers be?"

    Spirits needed to rest as well.

    Even so, that would typically be a status that they would only enter after using up too much energy. Sleeping would help a spirit to recover their energy, but while they were sleeping, the human host would be unable to use any of the spirit''s spells, including spell evolution.

    This basically meant that the normal scenario was that, while the spirit was sleeping, a person could either use all of the spirit''s powers and spells or none at all. Only being able to use spell evolution but not other spells was quite an abnormal scenario.

    A freshly summoned spirit shouldn''t have needed to rest at all. "Sleeping" was typically a silent period of rest for a spirit, but this "sleep" was clearly different from the norm, and neither Seiji nor Natsuya knew what was going on.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Let''s not dwell on this subject too long. We''ll simply test your spell evolution in the practice field." Natsuya stopped thinking about this because it would be pointless.

    Seiji nodded in agreement.

    The two of them went to the underground practice field together.

    "How many spells have you learned?" Natsuya asked.

    "Including the [Body-strengthening Technique], five," Seiji answered.

    Ever since the battle with Okubo Yoshiaki, he had learned four new spells in less than a month.

    This was doubtlessly an astonishing rate! Anyone else that heard this would surely have been astonished, but Natsuya was unruffled, because she had already finished being astonished.

    Seiji Haruta''s speedy rate of growth was within her expectations.

    They entered the practice field.

    "Let''s test [Mana Bullet] first," Seiji said as he walked to the practice target area.

    Natsuya turned on theputer and brought out a circr target.

    Seiji gathered Mana in his hand andbined his bonded spirit''s power with his own as he aimed towards the target.

    The white ball of Mana transformed into a golden color, with specks of light around it. Then, it glowed as Seiji shot out his attack!

    *Boom!!*

    This Mana Bullet left a golden trail in the air as it hit the target and exploded in a bright sh.

    The target appeared to have been corroded. Meanwhile, there was a faint glow in the air from the Mana Bullet''s fading trail.

    This visual effects under [Astral Vision] were quite extravagant.

    As Seiji and Natsuya observed the target, the corroded hole on the target continually expanded. Arge piece was missing from its center, and the outer portion of the target was fractured.

    By the time that the corrosion effect finally stopped, the originally brand-new target appeared like a target that had gone through a war.

    Seiji walked up to the target and tapped it gently with his little finger. His finger easily poked a hole through the target.

    Then, he tried to break a piece off from the target. A piece came off in his hands as easily as if it had hollowed out by white ants. He applied only a little pressure and seeded in crushing the wood in his hand to sawdust.

    "What effect is this?" Seiji asked.

    "¡­I don''t know. Theputer was unable to assess it," Natsuya looked at herputer''s screen with furrowed brows. "That Mana Bullet''s power was within its calctable range, but that corrosion-like side effect was something it was unable to analyze."

    "If we try again, will that help with the analysis?"

    "No¡­ if it can''t analyze it, it can''t analyze it. It''ll be the same no matter how many times you try."

    It was yet another mystery.

    ''Now my [Mana Bullet] has a mysterious corrosive effect and is golden. If I cast the [Body-strengthening Technique], will I be golden and shiny?'' Seiji wondered.

    In the end, he decided to not try the [Body-strengthening Technique] for the time being and went with [Mana Shield] next instead.

    "Next up, I''m going to try casting a personal barrier," Seiji told Natsuya as he began casting [Mana Shield].

    Just like when he cast [Mana Bullet], he infused his spirit''s power into the spell.

    A golden glow instantly enveloped him. This glow seemed gentle yet solid, almost as if it were floating water. It orbited him in a strange pattern, ts shape constantly changing.

    ''It''s so beautiful.'' Seiji was slightly stunned at the sight.

    He reached out with his hand and tried to touch the "water" around him, but the moment he moved, the golden "water" moved with him. No matter what, it kept a certain distance from him.

    Seiji lightly waved his hands, and the "water" was infused with a golden glow. It seemed beautiful and almost dreamlike.

 Chapter 339 - Tamamo no Mae?

    <h4>Chapter 339: Tamamo no Mae?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Well, regardless of the actual defensive prowess, Seiji gave this effect full points for looks.

    "We need to go over here in order to test defensive magic."

    Natsuya took Seiji to another section of the practice field and indicated for him to stand in front of a machine that resembled a cannon, with him facing the "cannon''s mouth."

    ''Come, fire at me!'' Seiji couldn''t help but think of this ssic line.

    Natsuya manipted the "cannon''s" controls and activated it. The "cannon''s mouth" began to glow.

    ''No way, it''s really going to fire at me?'' Seiji felt the sudden urge to dodge the attack.

    But this was a test¡­ a test of his defensive spell''s capabilities, which meant that he had to take this attack.

    "Ready to fire. Three, two, one."

    *Boom!*

    A bullet of light shot out from the cannon''s mouth and hit Seiji''s barrier.

    Right at the moment of impact, all the "water" gathered in front of the projectile and blocked the bullet of light.

    The bullet of light''s true identity was actually that of a baseball.

    This baseball, engulfed by the "water," was left floating in midair. It rapidly corroded and turned a burnt-yellow color. Finally, it crumbled into tiny pieces and fell to the ground.

    His barrier had the same effect as [Mana Bullet].

    "This corrosion effect is so strong; just what power could it be?" Natsuya muttered to herself.

    She had already inspected the spell with her own Astral Vision. Seiji''s current spirit seemed like a mid-low-level spirit¡ªone slightly less powerful than Minamoto no Raiko.

    However, the powerful corrosion effect the spirit added to Seiji''s spells had greatly exceeded her expectations.

    She didn''t know the limits of this corrosion power, but based on the results of the tests, it was definitely incredible.

    Although Natsuya was confident of her abilities, she knew that her Astral Vision wasn''t powerful enough to see through everything. Due to this, asional mistakes in judgment were unavoidable.

    With such a powerful effect, the new spirit''s actual level should be much stronger than what she had estimated!

    Taking this corrosion power into consideration, this spirit''s overall power level was probably even higher than Minamoto no Raiko''s.

    ''Perhaps¡­ it''s a high-ranked spirit¡­''

    Even if it wasn''t a high-ranked spirit, this corrosion power alone was astonishing.

    This mysterious female spirit was actually even stronger than the heroic spirit Minamoto no Raiko¡­ just who could she be?

    Natsuya thought of several possibilities. After some consideration, she felt that the most likely one was Tamamo no Mae¡ªone of the three strongest and evilest demons in existence.

    Tamamo no Mae was a white-faced nine-tailed fox with golden fur. In the past, she transformed into a woman whose beauty could move countries and became a royal consort.

    Although she was a great demon, she possessed a few qualities of a heroic spirit.

    After being exorcised, she repented partially and transformed into the "Killing Stone," which possessed the power to y anything which touched it.

    Only the part about loving to sleep was missing from Tamamo no Mae''s legend.

    However, demonic spirits'' forms were uncertain, and there were multiple versions of the same demon, each one with a different personality. One particr Tamamo no Mae who loved to sleep seemed perfectly within reason.

    The real question was this: Tamamo no Mae''s poison was supposed to only affect living creatures. It was meant to have little effect on non-living objects. Her power didn''t seem to entirely fit with the corrosive power that they had witnessed.

    Even if that corrosion was rted to Tamamo no Mae''s poison, theputer had information on that already and should have been able to analyze it. However, theputer was unable toplete an analysis.

    Not only that, ording to legends, Tamamo no Mae was exorcised by Seiji''s ancestor Seimei Kamijou. There was a deep connection between Seiji''s bloodline and Tamamo no Mae, but it was one of enmity, not friendship, like Minamoto no Raiko. Would she really descend upon Seimei Kamijou''s descendant, Seiji Haruta?

    Natsuya was uncertain about everything.

    There were numerous parts that didn''t match up, and there was no way for her to currently confirm if this mysterious female spirit was Tamamo no Mae or not. It was just the most likely possibility Natsuya had in mind.

    They continued testing Seiji''s abilities. Next, Seiji cast [Astral Vision] and [Telekinesis].

    Under the effects of his bonded spirit''s power, Seiji''s eyes turned golden when he cast [Astral Vision], and his field of vision became clearer. He was also granted a 360-degree view! He could everything behind him clearly without needing to turn his head.

    Basically, his [Beginner-level Astral Vision] had leveled up to [Total Vision]. His upgraded sight was rather strange to Seiji, and it took quite a while before he got used to it.

    As for his [Telekinesis]''s evolution, it transformed into arge golden hand!

    Therge golden hand didn''t have the corrosion effect. It could grab objects, form a fist and attack, or even act as a shield. It was quite flexible in its applications.

    Finally, he tested the [Body-Strengthening Technique].

    After mentally preparing, Seiji cast the [Body-Strengthening Technique] using the power of his bonded spirit.

    Then, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His entire body was enveloped by a golden mist, and golden runes had appeared on his skin. His hair shone with a golden luster as well, making him seem like a blonde god with a long, carefree hairstyle¡­

    Was it merely on the level of a golden glow? No, he was basically a Super Saiyan!

    Seiji was astonished to see his reflection in the mirror. This appearance felt too much like a Super Saiyan to him!

    Not to mention he now had the evolved form of [Mana Bullet], so he really felt like he could imitate the attacks from the show!!

    After he thought of this idea, Seiji had the impulse to try it out. He even considered requesting the president to take a picture of him¡­ In the end, he decided against it, as it would be too embarrassing, even for him.

    He smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

    Back in his previous world, when he was watching Dragonball Z, his younger self had dreamed numerous times about transforming into a Super Saiyan. His younger self had also posed in front of the mirror before, acting like a Super Saiyan and copying the show''s attacks.

    Previously when he was battling Okubo Yoshiaki in the soul realm, he had also transformed into a Super Saiyan to finish Okubo off.

    But this was reality, not the soul realm¡­ he never expected that his younger self''s dream would be fulfilled in such a fashion in real life!

    Seijiughed because of how awesome he felt this was.

    Natsuya, who was observing him from the side, found it rather strange that he wasughing.

    She couldn''t help but recall the way he smiled when she helped him practice his [Body-Strengthening Technique] at school, right before the duel with Okubo Yoshiaki.

    At that time, his smile was simrly bright and sunny¡­ and also childish. Back then, she was moved by his smile¡­ and the same could be said now.

    She wanted to know why he was smiling like that. And so, she asked.

    Seiji wanted to answer with the truth, but there was no anime called Dragonball Z in this world, so he felt that it was difficult toe up with an exnation.

    He decided to respond by saying, "Because I look so cool!"

    This was a rather narcissistic answer for sure, but his tone was sincere and direct, without sounding arrogant at all.

    "You do look really cool."

    Natsuya honestly believed this in her heart.

    This was the first boy she had ever met that had the ability to praise himself like that while also making others agree with him. She smiled as she continued to watch him.

    Seiji proceeded with the test in this fashion. In the end, he discovered that not only had his strength, speed, and dexterity greatly increased, when he used a certain amount of force, his attacks would cause a corrosive effect.

    That finished the test for all of Seiji''s evolved spells.

    "In summary, the most important part is doubtlessly that mysterious corrosion power," Natsuya said. "This power is quite strong and has immense destructive ability against both people and objects. You need to be careful when using it."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    If his evolved version of [Mana Bullet] hit any living person¡­ the result would likely be blurred out in an anime.

    What exactly was this power? And who was the female spirit that wielded this power?

    Seiji tried once more to rouse her, but there was still no response.

    Natsuya told him about her guess at the spirit''s identity.

    Tamamo no Mae¡­ the best wife, Tama-chan?

    Seiji recalled a game from his previous life based on a five-star mage withrge breasts. As an unlucky person himself, he had paid money on multiple asions in that cell phone game before he was able to summon her, so that he could lick her¡­ whoops, appreciate and use her on his team.

    Although it was currently uncertain, even if she wasn''t Tamamo no Mae, she was a powerful spirit. Could it be that all his misfortune in his previous life had transformed into fortune in this one? Last time he got Light-chan, and this time he got someone who seemed like she was Tama-chan; this seemed quite lucky to him.

    He chatted with the president for a while longer about what to do and how to meet up during the Winter Snow Festival tomorrow before he said goodbye and left.

    Later that night, Seiji tought about what type of drawing to draw for Shika''s Winter Snow Festival present.

    After making up his mind, he picked up his drawing pencil and began to smoothly draw on paper while activating a certain ability.

    A beautiful girl slowly began to take shape under his pencil.

    She was wearing clothing simr to Sakura Ind''s traditional style. Her outfit was slightly fantasy-like in appearance, while the runes on her outfit seemed mystical.

    She had long, free-flowing hair, with bangs covering her forehead, a bright smile on her face, and shining eyes. She was looking at something in front of her, her chin raised slightly upwards. A demon-face mask was in her left hand, and she was reaching out with her right hand, as if trying to grab something.

    After he finished drawing this girl, Seiji drew a second character in the direction that she was looking towards: a handsome boy.

    This boy had a nice, toned body, and he was wearing a cored windbreaker. There were mystical emblems on his clothing that seemed like either drawings or runes.

    He had white hair, with only one strand of ck. His appearance was handsome, and he had a gentle expression in his eyes. There was a longsword with a cross-shaped hilt in his left hand, and his right hand was reaching out to the girl, about to take her outstretched hand.

    They were the main characters of Brother Monogatari . They were the "adopted younger sister" and the "adopted older brother."

    Seiji chose to draw the two main characters of their story, and gift the drawing to Shika. He believed that she would definitely like it.

    He had to draw it as best he could! He even used the Shika Kagura reward card''s third ability: [Brother and Sister Drawing]! He also used some Mana in order to improve his drawing ability!

    As he drew, he recalled the times he discussed Brother Monogatari with Shika. Seiji did his best to transfer the burning passion in his heart to his drawing.

    ''This will definitely be an excellent drawing¡­''

 Chapter 340 - To the Yin-Yang Master Party

    <h4>Chapter 340: To the Yin-Yang Master Party</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The days trickled by, and it was now the Winter Snow Festival.

    Today, it happened to be snowing. The snowkes covered the roofs and streets in a warm, romantic nket of white.

    It was finally time for the season of White Album ¡­ cough, let''s not mention this anymore.

    After eating breakfast, Seiji yed a video game together with Reo, while Shika silently observed them.

    After it was about time to go, he put down the game controller and got ready. Just as he was about to leave his apartment, his cell phone started ringing.

    Seiji epted the call. It was from Natsuya, who asked him where he was. After telling her he was on the way, Seiji looked towards Shika and Reo.

    "I''m going out," he said.

    "Be careful on your way," the two girls said together.

    "I''ll be backter this afternoon." Seiji smiled as he left.

    After he left, there was a brief silence. Shika looked towards Reo, soundlessly picked up the game controller Seiji had left behind, and indicated that she would take Seiji''s ce.

    Reo''s eyes lit up as she restarted the game.

    ¡­

    Seiji rode in Natsuya''s car to the battlefield¡­ whoops, the party.

    Currently, he was wearing a windbreaker with a high cor and long ck nts. He was also wearing a wool knit cap and sunsses. As long as he kept his cor up high and buttoned up, almost his entire face was covered. He felt as if he was cosying Shino Aburame .

    Not only that, Natsuya also cast a disguise spell on him. This was all in order to protect his true identity.

    If he was recognized as Seiji Haruta, lots of unnecessary trouble could crop up. This was the only method to avoid that.

    Although his appearance was certain to attract attention, there was no helping it. This was a way to let everyone know that he wanted his identity to remain private.

    If someone saw through his disguise and discovered his true identity, they would have to worry about the fact that he obviously didn''t intend for people to know who he was before they publicized it.

    The president, who was currently sitting across from him in her car, was wearing a in, light pink Sakura Ind outfit. She appeared rather reserved and less eye-catching than usual.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that as the daughter of the Yoruhana family, she had to make a respectable impression, she would have worn something even iner. Perhaps she would have gone so far as to wear a full winter jacket, wrapping many thickyers around herself.

    "Can you tell me about that person that you strongly dislike?" Seiji asked.

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment before speaking. "His name is Akatsuki Mitarai. Slightly over three years ago, when I was in my first year of middle school, he transferred into the ss that I was in," Natsuya said in a light voice. "The first time that our eyes met, I noticed that¡­ there was something very wrong with the look in his eyes.

    "Although that feeling stoppedter on, due to the deep first impression I had of him, I didn''t want to get close to him.

    "However, it seemed as if he really liked me for some reason. He kept talking to me, inviting me to go out with him, and giving me presents¡­ no matter how much I refused, he kept trying to approach me.

    "One day, he confessed his love for me and even forcibly tried to hug me. I got angry. I broke free from his embrace and knocked him to the ground before leaving.

    "The day after, he didn''te to school. There was one other girl in my ss that didn''te to school either, and this girl had a very good rtionship with him. Later, on the same day that I rejected him, someone saw him being intimate with this girl.

    "For an entire week, neither he nor that girl appeared at school. After that week passed, he returned to school and apologized to me for his actions at the time. I also apologized to him for hitting him, and we appeared to make up our differences on the surface. Then, I asked him about that girl.

    "When he heard my question, he revealed a slight hint of the dark expression I saw when we first met. He smiled faintly and said, ''I don''t know.''

    "That girl never came back to school again. Some said that she had transferred schools. I was highly concerned about this matter andter investigated it by myself. I discovered that the girl had gone missing on the same day that I rejected him. Akatsuki Mitarai is most likely the final person to have seen her."

    Seiji felt an icy chill as he listened to Natsuya''s tale.

    Natsuya didn''t say anything else and turned around to look out of the car window.

    The luxury car passed through an enormous gate. After entering, the car followed along a forested path for quite a while before it finally arrived at a huge, Sakura Ind-style mansion.

    Seiji recalled his experience from visiting the Juumonji mafia group.

    The Juumonji mafia group''s residence was huge as well, but it was nothingpared to this one¡ªit wasn''t even the same level.

    This residence didn''t even have its own grounds; it had its own forest. The mansion within these gates was extravagant to the point that it seemed like a pce.

    He straightened his cor and buttoned up before he got off the car together with Natsuya. They followed a female employee of the residence inside. The employee was wearing a in Sakura Ind-style outfit.

    The mansion was quite warm.

    When they arrived at an intersection in the hallway, the female employee paused and requested politely for Spirit-branded Retainers to go down the left hallway.

    ''We''re actually going to split up?'' Seiji looked towards Natsuya questioningly.

    Natsuya nodded in his direction, and Seijiplied.

    With a different beautiful female employee leading the way, Seiji arrived at a garden.

    There was a fake mountain, a pond, some trees, and an abundant amount of nts and flowers. The scenery was beautiful, and there were even birds flying around, with butterflies dancing amongst the flowers¡­ it was impossible to tell that it was actually winter right now.

    The snow falling in the sky was blocked by an invisible barrier, and it melted into water vapor in midair. It was a rather mystical sight to behold.

    There were well over ten people either sitting or standing around. There were males and females, young and old, each one with a different appearance and clothing style. Some of them were chatting and having fun, some were sitting there quietly, some were drinking alcohol, some were ying chess, and some were jumping around on the fake mountain¡­

    All of these people were Spirit-branded Retainers!

    When Seiji walked into this garden, a few people turned to look in his direction.

    "He doesn''t look familiar. Do you know him?"

    "Here''s another strange onii-san. He looks rather strong."

    "You''re the strangest one here! Stop standing on the fake mountain; get off already!"

    A brown-haired teenaged boy wearing a ck martial arts uniform walked up to Seiji and asked, "Hello, may I know your name?"

    "You can call me Shiroya." Seiji gave the boy the fake name he had agreed upon with Natsuya.

    The brown-haired boy blinked at this. "Alright, Shiroya-san. My name is Shunsuke Furukawa. I''m the Spirit-branded Retainer of the host of today''s party, Ryouta Moritama. May I ask whose Spirit-branded Retainer you are?"

    "Natsuya Yoruhana."

    "Lady Yoruhana¡­ understood. Please rest here as you like. If you need anything, let one of our employees know. You can ask me any questions that you may have."

    "Then I won''t be reserved. I''d like to ask, why are you separating the Spirit-branded Retainers and the Yin-Yang Masters?"

    Furukawa smiled. "My young master believes that this is for the best. It''s more appropriate for Yin-Yang Masters to mingle with Yin-Yang Masters and for Spirit-branded Retainers to interact with Spirit-branded Retainers."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "Of course," Furukawa added, "this won''t be for the entire party. When the game beginster, we''ll rejoin our masters."

    "What game is that?"

    "Please allow me to keep it a secret for the time being. Everyone will find out when it''s time."

    At this time, someone called Furukawa, so he respectfully said goodbye to Seiji and left.

    Seiji looked around the garden, seeking a ce to sit down. He saw an elegant-looking pagoda in the forest, so he walked over to it.

    When he got closer, he discovered that there was a girl with long gray hair sitting there already¡­

    ''No, it''s a boy.''

    The boy''s gray hair reached his shoulders, and he had a dark red eyepatch covering his left eye. Even with this, he was definitely handsome, and he was engrossed in reading a novel¡­

    ''Is that a¡­ light novel?''

    The novel''s cover had a beautiful girl wearing bikini-armor and wielding a gigantic greatsword. The novel''s name was I Reincarnated to Another World and Became a Magical Female Swordsman !

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 341 - Elementary School Homework!?

    <h4>Chapter 341: Elementary School Homework!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    This handsome man with an eyepatch was reading a book on his own. He exuded a bookish beauty that would not be out of ce in an anime.

    But¡­ the book''s cover was actually a beautiful girl in bikini-armor, and the novel had such a name!

    It wasn''t that Seiji objected to this person reading such a light novel. In fact, Seiji was more than happy to see others reading light novels. It was just that the impression he gave Seiji seemed totally unlike the type that would read such a novel.

    Well, at the very least, there was a male supporting character with an eyepatch in this novel as well¡­

    ''Eh, why does it feel like I''m getting off track with myments? Well, forget it. The boy''s free to read whatever he likes.''

    Seiji walked into the pagoda and sat down opposite the gray-haired boy.

    He took out his cell phone and was about to contact the president when his phone started ringing; she had beat him to it.

    "What''s the matter, Natsuya?"

    "Nothing. There''s no need to worry. I just wanted to talk to you."

    "A person named Shunsuke Furukawa told me that there''s going to be a game of some sortter, but he didn''t go into the specifics."

    "I heard about this as well. Let''s adapt to the situation. I''ll try my best to avoid dueling, but¡­"

    "I understand. I''ll be prepared, so there''s no need to worry about me," Seiji said with a chuckle. "After all, I''m your Spirit-branded Retainer."

    "Yeah¡­" Natsuya felt a warm feeling in her heart when she heard this.

    Their conversation ended on that note.

    Seiji looked towards the gray-haired boy seated across from him. He noticed that the boy''s brows were furrowed. The boy had a confused expression of "What the hell is this?" as he continued reading.

    "Did you encounter some part that you weren''t able to understand?" Seiji asked reflexively.

    The gray-haired boy looked in his direction.

    "Sorry to distract you. I''ve read that novel before, so I spoke up when I saw your expression," Seiji exined. "If there''s any part of this novel that you don''t understand, you can ask me."

    The gray-haired boy blinked. "¡­Who might you be?"

    "Shiroya," Seiji said.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Shiroya-san¡­ My name is Ryuuno Izawa. I would like to request your assistance regarding the contents of this page." The gray-haired boy turned the light novel in his hand to show Seiji the page that he was currently reading.

    Seiji felt rather awkward exining the fantastical events of a light novel to a boy with a serious personality.

    ording to Izawa, he wasn''t reading the book of his own volition¡ªhis master had ordered him to do so. As well as reading it, hisdy also told him to write a book report of at least five hundred words about it.

    ''An elementary schooler''s homework!?'' Seiji couldn''t help but think to himself.

    A book report on a light novel¡­ As a light novel enthusiast, it was quite a simple task for him. However, it would certainly be a difficult job for a non-enthusiast. It was akin to asking Seiji to write a book report on some great ssic.

    How could he possibly write a good book report on a book that was so difficult to understand and boring enough to put him to sleep!?

    The same could be said when it came to understanding the book. Who would want to understand a book when they didn''t even want to read it the first ce? Since they gained enjoyment from reading it, how could they be passionate about understanding it?

    And this was excluding all the questions about an author''s intention. Even the authors themselves were unable to answer some of those questions--the college examinations in his previous life were a great example of this¡­

    Seiji coughed in his mind. ''I''m getting sidetracked.''

    "Thank you for your exnation, Shiroya-san," the boy said solemnly.

    "No need to be polite. It was a simple matter."

    ''It also helped me pass the time,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    Suddenly, he saw a figure darting around in the trees outside the pagoda. It was the Spirit-branded Retainer that had been standing on the fake mountain.

    He was an energetic little boy with short fiery red hair and a handsome little face. He was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, and his lips were parted in an innocent grin.

    He jumped from tree to tree like a graceful acrobat. While he was in midair, he somersaulted, flipped, and spun. It seemed like he was giving a performance and enjoying it.

    Seiji watched the red-haired boy dance through the air, then backflip andnd on the ground when he reached the final tree.

    The moment the boynded on the ground, he did a handstand and flew up into the pagoda,nding steadily like a well-trained gymnast.

    "Hello, strange onii-chan," the little red-haired boy called out.

    "Hello, strange little boy," Seiji replied.

    "Don''t call me little boy¡ªmy name is Yuuki Oyokumo!"

    "Alright then, Oyokumo-san."

    "Don''t call me Oyokumo-san either¡ªthat sounds so old!"

    "Oyokumo-kun."

    "That''s fine." The red-haired little boy nodded. "Onii-san, what''s your name?"

    "Shiroya."

    "Shiro¡­ya? Is that your name?"

    "It''s my name."

    "What about your family name?"

    "You don''t need to know."

    "Eh¡­ Onii-san, you really are strange."

    Seiji smiled. "Oyokumo-kun, do you have something you want from the strange me?"

    "Nope. I just came by to say hi. I didn''t think that onii-san¡­ Shiroya onii-san, you look really strange, but seem easy to talk to."

    "I''m just making polite conversation," Seiji responded casually.

    A steady beat of footsteps sounded behind them.

    "Yuuki, what are you doing?" a voice asked.

    Both of them turned around to see a man with dark blonde hair. He had round-lensed sses and was wearing a ck jacket with long ck pants. He seemed a little depraved, but in his eyes was a concealed sharpness.

    "I''m talking to Shiroya onii-san," the red-haired boy said.

    "Shiroya?" The dark blonde man looked towards Seiji. "I''m sorry, but what might your full name be?"

    "Just call me Shiroya," Seiji said coolly.

    The blonde-haired man''s eyes narrowed slightly. "I see¡­ my apologies." He then looked towards Yuuki Oyokumo. "Come with me! Go over there with me, and stay put."

    "Eh¡­ I want to have a chat with Shiroya onii-san."

    "You''re giving him trouble, idiot," the blonde-haired man rebuked.

    Yuuki was startled by this. "Er?"

    "Stop talking, and leave with me now." The man beckoned with his hand, a serious expression on his face.

    Yuuki looked confused, but when he saw the blonde-haired man''s solemn expression, he relented and left the pagoda.

    After they walked for a while, the dark blonde man spoke up again. "That person is using a disguise spell. Shiroya is definitely an alias. He obviously doesn''t want to reveal his true identity."

    "What?"

    "Just talking to him is giving him trouble. Do you understand?"

    "Eh¡­ But he¡­"

    "You need to be more observant and use your brain more when interacting with others," the blonde-haired man said in a light voice. "Casually interacting with others might give the other party trouble, and it might bring trouble upon yourself. Remember that."

    Yuuki frowned slightly but didn''t say anything else.

    Seiji watched Yuuki and the blonde man leave before turning away. He saw that Ryuuno Izawa had closed and stowed away the novel.

    "You finished reading it?" Seiji asked.

    "No."

    "Why did you stop?"

    "Because¡­ I felt rather tired."

    "Then could you loan it to me to read?"

    Izawa blinked in surprise. "Shiroya-san, didn''t you say that you''ve already read this book?"

    "I want to read it again because I''m bored."

    Izawa fell silent for a moment. Finally, he took the book out again and handed it to Seiji.

    "Thank you." Seiji opened the book and began reading it.

    "Shiroya-san," Izawa said after a while, "I would like to ask a slightly impolite question."

    "Hmm?"

    "Why is it that you don''t show your true self to others?" Izawa looked directly at Seiji. "To be allowed to enter here at all means that your identity is an established one. However, you''re still covering yourself like this and using a fake name. I personally feel that this is a meaningless action, so I''m confused. Would you mind telling me the reason?"

 Chapter 342 - What Will It Take in Order for You to Become My Woman?

    <h4>Chapter 342: What Will It Take in Order for You to Be My Woman?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Indeed, the host knows my identity, and I''m sure that there are also several guests present at this party who have the ability to see through my disguise. As you said, my action may be meaningless, but it is my attitude that is meaningful. I don''t want everyone here to know who I am in order to avoid unnecessary trouble."

    "You have a rather sensitive identity?" Izawa asked.

    "Not sensitive¡­ well, perhaps just a little." Seiji tilted his head. "It''s actually not for some top-secret reason. I just wanted less trouble for myself, that''s all."

    Izawa fell silent for a moment. After a while, he turned to look at the light novel in Seiji''s hand. "Do you really enjoy that type of story?"

    "Yes, I really enjoy them."

    "What about manga¡­ and anime?"

    "I love them as well."

    "Your likes are highlypatible with my master. The two of you would surely get along. However, you''re not willing to show your true self to others." Izawa sighed. "How regrettable."

    Seiji blinked at this. "You want to introduce me to your master so that she''ll be able to talk to someone who shares her interests, which leaves you free from this subject, right?"

    "¡­I had no intentions of the sort." Izawa averted his gaze.

    Seiji chuckled. "You''re bad at lying, Izawa-san."

    The handsome, gray-haired boy revealed an awkward expression.

    Seiji was rather curious about Izawa''s master, but right now Seiji was someone everyone viewed as strange as he wasn''t willing to reveal his identity. He figured it was best not to pry into others'' affairs.

    He continued to read the light novel he had borrowed.

    In the luxurious and opulent grand hall, Natsuya did her best not to reveal a stiff expression as she listened to the girl in front of her.

    This beautiful girl had long shiny auburn hair and a silver hairband. Her bangs were neatly clipped with cute bunny hairclips, revealing a white and soft little face beneath. Herrge eyes were shining, and her tiny mouth kept moving in an unending stream of chatter.

    Natsuya tried responding appropriately, but she was actually unable to follow the topic of conversation. Topics like boys'' love, semes, and ukes¡­ she really couldn''t follow them at all!

    Natsuya liked anime and manga, but it was only at the basic level. She didn''t understand higher-level topics like boys'' love at all.

    This was her first meeting with the girl named Kanna Fujihara from the Fujihara family. Since Natsuya recognized that the bunny in Kanna''s hairclip was the mascot of Honey Candy Girl, Natsuya struck up a conversation with Kanna using the anime as a topic to break the ice.

    Afterwards, they started chatting about other anime, and this Kanna Fujihara began to grow excited and passionate as the conversation went on. Finally, she had reached an extremely high-level topic.

    This girl was an otaku girl.

    Natsuya understood this clearly now. She was pleased that to hold a conversation about anime in such a venue, but Kanna''s level was too high for her. Natsuya felt the sudden urge to summon Seiji over for defense¡­ whoops, to deal with Kanna.

    Natsuya felt rather awkward listening to Kanna waxing about boys being together with boys, but she didn''t intend to stop her or leave.

    Compared to talking to others at this venue, it was still more rxing for her to listen to this Fujihara family daughter.

    The two of them were having "a passionate conversation." Despite this, someone still approached them and impolitely interrupted.

    This person was a handsome boy wearing dark blue Sakura Ind clothing. He had dark blue medium-short hair that was of a simr color to his clothing and even bangs. His eyes were light purple, and hisplexion was clear and pale. His lips were tilted slightly upwards, making him seem gentle.

    "Sorry to interrupt you. The impatience in my heart caused me to be so impolite," he said in a gentle voice. "Please give me a little bit of your time, so that we can talk, alright, Natsuya?"

    "Our rtionship isn''t at the extent to where you can just call my name directly, Mitarai-kun." Natsuya''s eyes shed as she looked towards the boy. "I was in the middle of a fun conversation with Fujihara-san, and I don''t wish to be interrupted. I''m sorry, but please allow me to politely refuse your request."

    Akatsuki Mitarai''s expression didn''t change whatsoever. He even smiled.

    "Your icy demeanor is beautiful as well. No matter. I will wait by the side and hope that it''ll be my turn when you and Fujihara-san are finished chatting."

    After that, he revealed a lonely seeming expression and turned around. He took a few steps and stopped by a window to look out of it.

    Natsuya looked back towards Kanna Fujihara and saw that Kanna''s eyes were wide with surprise.

    "Um¡­ Yoruhana-san, what''s the rtionship between you and Mitarai-san?"

    "Former ssmates," Natsuya replied calmly. "We''re not friends."

    Kanna blinked at this and looked towards the handsome boy who was putting on a lonely front in front of the window. She then looked back at the beautiful girl before her who had a cold expression in her eyes. She instantly started using her overactive imagination to think of variousmon scenes of lovers'' disputes from shoujo manga¡­

    And then, she came to an understanding of what she should do in such a situation.

    "Yoruhana-san, I''m a bit thirsty now after chatting for so long. I''m going to go grab a drink, so I''m going to leave for a while."

    Natsuya guessed couldn''t help but feel slightly helpless. What Kanna was thinking was obvious from her smile and tone of voice.

    She really wanted to exin, but this was her first meeting with Kanna Fujihara, so it wouldn''t be appropriate to say too much.

    She could only politely respond by saying, "As you wish."

    Kanna Fujihara immediately walked off, but after taking a few steps, she suddenly looked back at Natsuya and gave Natsuya an encouraging expression which said: "Don''t act like a tsundere; catch your opportunity!" before she left.

    Natsuya didn''t know whether tough or cry.

    As she expected, Akatsuki Mitarai approached her again.

    "I''m grateful to Fujihara-san''s understanding towards others. She allowed me to chat with you again after such a long parting."

    "I don''t want to talk to you, but even if I refuse, you probably won''t give up, so¡­ just let me hear it. What is it that you want to say, Mitarai-san?"

    "There''s so much that I want to say. Your recent duel, the injuries you sustained, your Spirit-branded Retainer''s condition, what you''ve been up to recently¡­ I''m concerned about all of the above. I want to talk more with you and get closer to you." Akatsuki Mitarai smiled wryly. "But no matter how much of an effort I make, you probably won''t abandon your resistance, so¡­ just let me be direct. Natsuya, what will it take in order for you to be my woman?"

    The president''s thoughts stopped working for a moment. She didn''t expect him to take such a direct approach.

    ''Why? Does he have some intentions behind this? Is this a trap? A plot?'' Many thoughts shed through her mind.

    No matter what he intended, she only had one answer.

    "I refuse." It was a simple, direct, resolute rejection.

    She could have used some fancier or more elegant words. She could have said that they were two parallel lines that wouldn''t cross or that things wouldn''t work out between them, but this wasn''t an eight o''clock soap opera, nor were they some forceful CEO and amoner girl.

    Akatsuki Mitaraiughed at this.

    "I knew you would say that. It was exactly as I imagined, which even makes it seem hrious." He was still smiling, but his eyes were slightly cold. "Just why is it that you reject me? From every angle I''m someone who''s incredibly suitable to be your husband, and everyone believes us to be a perfect match, including your own family. Yet you¡­ have never truly given me a chance."

    "Please don''t go around saying a word like ''everyone.'' That''s rather foolish. As for why I reject you, I''ve exined myself quite clearly before," Natsuya said lightly. "I don''t want to repeat myself, but if you really insist on making me answer this question of yours again, all I have to say is¡­ because you''re incredibly disgusting."

 Chapter 343 - Lets Have a Bet

    <h4>Chapter 343: Let''s Have a Bet</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Heh heh, this is the first time that anyone''s ever called me that." Akatsuki Mitarai chuckled again, but the look in his eyes grew even colder.

    Natsuya snorted and said, "Everyone would say so if they could see who you really were."

    "Didn''t you just say that the word ''everyone'' was a foolish one?"

    "I did, but right now I just feel like using it."

    "It seems that I''m truly hated¡­ Natsuya, you''re making me experience something I''ve never experienced from any other girl."

    Natsuya furrowed her brows. "Stop calling me by my name."

    "You''re special to me. The most special woman of all." Akatsuki Mitarai had an abnormal look in his eyes as he looked directly at her. "I really, really want to obtain you¡­"

    Natsuya felt a chill from this. This was the same look. That icy¡­ no, it had surpassed iciness. It was a distant, abnormal look, one that caused her to once feel danger and disgust.

    "I''m feeling ufortable. Goodbye." Natsuya made to leave. She really didn''t want to deal with this person for any longer.

    Akatsuki Mitarai suddenly reached out and attempted to grab her.

    Natsuya, who was on guard against him, pped his hand away with a resounding smack . The sound echoed throughout the hall, attracting some attention.

    "My apologies, that was impolite of me." Akatsuki Mitarai then said in a soft voice, "I just couldn''t help myself."

    Natsuya red at him.

    "Mitarai-kun, don''t be in such a rush," someone teased.

    "That''s right. Although I can understand your feelings of wanting to have contact with a pretty girl, it''s important to be gentlemanly."

    "You should at least make sure you''re alone before making your move, otherwise it''s only natural that you''ll be pped."

    Various peoplemented on what just happened. Most of thements were a bit lecherous.

    Nobody detected the tense atmosphere between them¡­ or perhaps some did notice it, but chose to ignore it.

    "I still haven''t finished talking," Akatsuki said softly. "Listen to the end. It''ll be good for you."

    Natsuya eyed him coldly.

    "Let''s have a bet with the uing game. If you win, I promise that I shall never approach you again."

    Natsuya''s gaze became sharper upon hearing this.

    "And if I win, kiss me in front of everyone here."

    Natsuya frowned in disgust.

    "With how much you hate me, you should be happy to ept such a gamble." Akatsuki Mitarai smiled. "As long as you win, you can get rid of me forever. And if I win, it''s nothing more than some contact with our lips."

    Natsuya didn''t reply.

    "We can even have Miura-san be our witness. You don''t need to worry that I''ll go back on my word after the bet. I don''t know what the specific game will be either, but it should be something involving our Spirit-branded Retainers. If you have confidence in yourself and your Spirit-branded Retainer, then you should ept this bet." Akatsuki Mitarai extended his palms. "How about it, Natsuya?"

    "Stop calling me by name. I don''t have any obligation to ept a bet with you about anything."

    "You don''t dare to ept the bet¡­ Well, there''s no helping it. After all, your Spirit-branded Retainer is that famous useless scumbag."

    The student council president stopped in her tracks when she heard this.

    "Seiji Haruta, known far and wide as the useless trash of the Haruta family. He''s a piece of rubbish who''s not even at an ordinary human''s level, a scumbag who reeks with the rotten stench of depravity¡­ yet he''s actually changed to such an extent. It''s as inconceivable as a stinkbug transforming into a monkey." Akatsuki Mitarai cackled. "It''s truly a miracle¡ªyes, I believe that as well. But even if it''s a miracle, he''s nothing more than a worm that''s transformed into an animal. I can''t believe that you wanted to lure such a person over to your side. Is your situation really bad enough to the extent where you have to recruit such a character? I''m truly worried about you; a piece of trash like him is basically¡ª"

    "Shut up!" Natsuya shouted coldly. She slowly looked back towards him again, burning rage in her eyes.

    Akatsuki Mitarai was certain that it would be his victory when he saw her furious eyes.

    Seiji received another phone call from Natsuya.

    At the moment, he was still reading the borrowed light novel in the pagoda. Not only that, he also had some confectioneries and desserts that a server brought to him. He was having a carefree time.

    "My apologies, Seiji."

    He heard her start off with an apology right after he picked up the call.

    "What''s the matter?" Seiji asked.

    "I agreed¡­ to a bet with Akatsuki Mitarai," Natsuya said in a low voice. "In the uing game, if I win, he won''t approach me ever again. And if he wins, I have to¡­ kiss him in front of everyone here."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I apologize for my impulsiveness," Natsuya said with a sigh.

    "Everyone has times when they can be impulsive. Did that guy say something unpleasant?"

    "Yes¡­"

    ''So even the president is weak to taunts¡­ well, she is a teenaged girl after all, and that person is someone that she''s always disliked.'' Even someone who was good at controlling their emotions would have their limits. Seiji understood how it was.

    "Since you agreed to the bet, then let''s do our best. As your Spirit-branded Retainer, I''ll do my very best to help you obtain victory."

    "Thank you, Seiji."

    "No need to be so polite. I said before that there''s no need to worry too much about me. If things are intolerable, then all we have to do is battle courageously! I definitely support you." Seiji chuckled. "If I was there at the time, and heard that guy say unpleasant things, perhaps I would even be the first one to hit someone."

    Natsuya smiled upon hearing this. All the negative emotions built up from talking to Akatsuki Mitarai disappeared. Seiji''s voice had such a power¡­ at least to her.

    Natsuya believed that she would be able to obtain victory in the bet.

    ¡­

    It was now time for the game.

    With Shunsuke Furukawa leading the way, the Spirit-branded Retainers left the mansion and walked to the grounds¡­ an empty clearing in the forest.

    There was a barrier covering this entire area that blocked the wind and snow. Even the temperature was under control here. It was warm andfortable.

    There was a luxurious round table in the middle of the clearing, and all the young Yin-Yang Masters, including Natsuya, were sitting on soft and expensive-looking chairs.

    Seiji walked to Natsuya and stood beside her. All the other Spirit-branded Retainers also joined their masters'' sides.

    The host, Ryouta Moritama, was a boy with a head of thick curls. Ryouta was wearing in Sakura Ind-style clothing and half-moon sses, which lent him a schrly appearance.

    He exined the game''s rules to everyone in a friendly manner.

    The gist of it was that the Yin-Yang Masters would y a card game with everyone involved. Normal poker cards would be used in addition to some special cards. There were various special cards, and the most important ones were the cards that each Yin-Yang Master would start with: one Spirit-branded Retainer Card, three duel cards, and one cooperative duel card.

    Duel cards allowed the yers to challenge any opponent to a "duel." In such a scenario, both Yin-Yang Masters'' Spirit-branded Retainers would be required to duel, and the winner of the duel would determine the winner between the Yin-Yang Masters.

    The winner would be allowed to take two cards¡ªexcluding the special Spirit-branded Retainer, duel, or cooperative duel cards from the loser¡ªor discard two of their own cards for points. After the duel, both yers would have to discard their duel card.

    One would be unable to duel against someone they had defeated already. Winners would be unable to challenge those they had won against, but the losers would be able to challenge that had defeated them before.

    When a Yin-Yang Master started or met with a duel, they could use their one-time cooperative battle card to assist their Spirit-branded Retainer in the duel.

    If a Yin-Yang Master''s Spirit-branded Retainer lost three times, the Yin-Yang Master would lose their Spirit-branded Retainer card and receive a huge penalty in points. If the Yin-Yang Master still had duel cards in hand when the game ended, there would also be arge penalty in points.

    Simply speaking, Spirit-branded Retainer cards were the Yin-Yang Masters'' ace cards and had to be kept untilst. However, the duel cards had to be used up, which meant that every Spirit-branded Retainer would have to duel at least three times!

    The duels were meant to be friendly, and killing or seriously injuring someone was strictly forbidden.

    After Ryouta exined the rules, the game began.

 Chapter 344 - If One Palm Strike Canâ€™t Take Care of the Problem, Then Use Two Palm Strikes

    <h4>Chapter 344: If One Palm Strike Can¡¯t Take Care of the Problem, Then Use Two Palm Strikes</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After everyone was dealt their cards, the first yer of the first round immediately used a duel card, and the person chosen as their opponent epted readily.

    The two Spirit-branded Retainers walked into the dueling arena. One side was a girl with a pretty one-piece dress, short orange hair, and a fox mask strapped to the side of her head. On the other was a girl with curly blue hair. The blue-haired girl was wearing a more ceremonial dress.

    "Let the duel begin," Shunsuke Furukawa, who was acting as the judge said.

    At this, both of the Spirit-branded Retainers immediately began casting spells at each other. They cast many spells and fought in meleebat. They dodged nimbly, shed fiercely, usedbo attacks, fired ranged attacks¡­ their fierce battle was difficult to follow.

    One minuteter, the blue-haired girl seeded in immobilizing the orange-haired girl''s legs with a chaining spell.

    Furukawa immediately dered that the blue-haired girl was the victor.

    It was apparent that neither Spirit-branded Retainer had been going all-out. Even so, was still a nice duel¡­ or at the very least, Seiji, whocked this type of dueling experience, felt that it was nice.

    He also enjoyed watching all the duels that followed after as well.

    When it was time for a handsome boy wearing dark blue Sakura Ind clothing to take his turn, Natsuya whispered to Seiji: "That''s Akatsuki Mitarai."

    Seiji took special note of him.

    He was a handsome boy who seemed gentle, elegant, and bursting with charisma. If he were put into a television drama, he would certainly be either the male lead or a poprpassionate male love interest.

    Akatsuki noticed Seiji''s gaze upon him and looked over at Seiji. The two of them exchanged looks. Akatsuki smiled faintly, and in response Seiji furrowed his brows slightly. Their exchange of looks onlysted a short instant.

    "I activate my duel card and choose as my opponent¡­ Natsuya." The dark blue-haired boy used a duel card.

    ''As expected.'' Seiji felt many nces focusing on him.

    He ignored all the nces and focused on his opponent''s Spirit-branded Retainer. Seiji saw that the person he would be dueling against was a handsome boy with a cold and distant expression. This boy had short dark purple hair. He was wearing a dark brown windbreaker, and both his hands sported ck gloves.

    "Akatsuki Mitarai''s Spirit-branded Retainer''s name is Naruo Yashuu. His bonded spirit is a Hannya, and his ws are incredibly fierce--be especially careful of them," Natsuya warned. "It''s fine even if we lose this duel; don''t force yourself."

    "I''ll be careful," Seiji replied.

    He and Naruo Yashuu both entered the dueling arena.

    After they were both a certain distance away from each other, Shunsuke Furukawa indicated for them to begin the duel.

    The purple-haired boy''s figure instantly vanished.

    ''He''s above me!'' With his evolved [Astral Vision], Seiji was able to see Yashuu clearly. The purple-haired boy was in the sky, and he was about to bring his leg, bolstered by the force of gravity, down upon Seiji.

    At thest moment, Seiji backflipped to dodge the attack and counterattacked with a football-style bicycle kick!

    *Thud!* Yashuu blocked this kick with his arm.

    They instantly separated from each other, putting some distance between them. But before long, they shed again in a fierce battle involving their fists and feet.

    From the bystanders'' perspective, "Shiroya" was at a disadvantage and was forced to continuously retreat. Suddenly, "Shiroya" grew enraged out of embarrassment. He used a barrier spell to take Yashuu''s attacks head-on while viciously punching!

    Yashuu backpedaled in midair and stood there. He lifted his hand and formed a gigantic purple-red w, which he controlled to attack Shiroya from a distance!

    *Boom!!*

    The gigantic magical w hit its target. Shiroya''s defensive barrier was shattered, and he was knocked away.

    But while he was in midair, he suddenly shot out a [Mana Bullet]!

    *Boom!!*

    Yashuu, caught off guard, was sent flying.

    Shiroya flipped through the air andnded on the ground. Yashuu also adjusted his posture andnded on the ground.

    "Stop!" Shunsuke Furukawa shouted. "The winner has been decided. It''s Shiroya-san''s victory."

    Naruo Yashuu instantly furrowed his brows and was about to say something when he came to a realization. He looked at his feet and noticed that one of his feet was out of bounds.

    In this duel, someone who was forced out of bounds would be dered the loser!

    Seiji revealed a smile which said "all ording to n."

    He had intentionally led his opponent to the edge of the dueling arena, then used what appeared to be a rash counterattack followed by a surprise [Mana Bullet], which knocked his opponent out of bounds.

    It would be difficult to seed if his opponent noticed his intentions, so the fact that he seeded couldrgely be attributed to luck.

    "Yoruhana-san''s Spirit-branded Retainer¡­ is rather clever."

    "His opponent set up a trap using the rules of the duel. That was pretty good."

    "For the famous ''Hanyuu Yashuu'' to actually fall for such a tiny trick¡­ he must have been overconfident.''"

    "Although it was a devious trick, it was indeed done beautifully."

    "That''s right! Especially the Mana Bullet at the end¡ªthat was quite precise. It was timed perfectly in the period after Shiroya''s opponent rxed his guard. A truly wonderful use of an opportunity!"

    The other Yin-Yang Masters present at the table all gossiped with each other.

    Natsuya had a delighted expression, while Akatsuki''s expression became somewhat grimmer.

    "Would the winner like to steal two cards or discard two cards?" the judge Ryouta Moritama asked.

    "Steal two cards," Natsuya replied.

    And so, the judge took Akatsuki''s hand of cards, showed it to Natsuya, and allowed her to take two cards before returning the hand to Akatsuki.

    During this entire process, Akatsuki''s expression didn''t change. However, his expression got noticeably grimmer again when he noticed what cards had been taken from him.

    "Yoruhana-san, your Retainer¡­ what''s Shiroya-san''s bonded spirit? I can''t tell, so could you enlighten me?" Kanna Fujihara, who happened to be sitting next to Natsuya, blinked curiously.

    "My apologies, but that''s a secret," Natsuya said.

    Seiji returned to the round table. Natsuya grinned widely at him, and Seiji gave her a big thumbs-up in response.

    Their first battle was a sess¡­ but it was only the first battle.

    The game continued.

    It was now Natsuya''s turn.

    She decided to use up one of her duel cards. She chose a girl wearing a flower hair essory and pink Sakura Ind clothing as her opponent. This girl''s Spirit-branded Retainer was¡­ Yuuki Oyokumo! It was the little red-haired boy who had chatted a little with Seiji in the garden.

    Seiji and Yuuki both headed to the duel arena.

    "Shiroya onii-chan, I''m going to battle seriously because I don''t want to lose!" Yuuki warned.

    "I don''t want to lose either¡­ or, I should say that I can''t lose, Oyokumo-kun." Seiji''s voice was calm, but Yuuki felt the unshakeable will behind it.

    ''No, I can''t let myself be pressured by this onii-san.'' Yuuki turned around to look at his own master. ''As Ayase onee-san''s Spirit-branded Retainer, I must win! I can''t make her lose face in front of so many people!''

    They entered the dueling arena and prepared to fight.

    "Duel, start!" the judge said.

    "Rahh!" Yuuki roared ferociously. His skin lit up with a crimson glow, and a vicious-looking demonic shadow with blood-red fur materialized behind him. This demonic shadow opened its huge maw, revealing two rows of dagger-like fangs!

    Seiji''s eyes twitched when he saw this. ''Hey, hey, you''re going with your ultimate ability right off the bat?''

    Supported by the demonic shadow behind him, Yuuki bounded towards Seiji and struck out with a vicious punch!

    Seiji cast [Mana Barrier] on himself and dodged. Despite this, the demonically empowered fist grazed him lightly, and he was sent flying.

    Yuuki stepped on the air and chased after him.

    *Pound! Smack!! Boom!!!*

    One punch, one kick, and a second kick¡ªjust three attacks were enough to shatter Seiji''s barrier! The impact sent him hurtling upwards; he went so high that he passed through the barrier that blocked out the wind and snow, causing him to feel the chill of winter again.

    ''Not bad, little brat.''

    When Seiji reached the apex of his flight, he reoriented his body and descended with the force of a meteor.

    The little red-haired boy''s expression was solemn as he waited for Seiji toe down. When Seiji saw Yuuki''s grave face, a phrase suddenly popped into his mind, and he couldn''t resist the urge to say it.

    "Do you recall that there''s a palm technique which descends from the skies?"

    Yuuki''s expression changed. ''I remember. That palm technique is¡­''

    "Buddha''s palm technique!"

    Seiji cast his evolved form of [Telekinesis], materializing a huge golden palm! As he descended, the huge golden palm mmed down upon Yuuki with unbelievable force.

    Yuuki was momentarily stunned at the sight, but he quickly regained his senses. He shouted loudly to steel his nerves and cast the powerful spell that he had been preparing.

    [Demonic Rampage¡ªRed Demon Form!]

    His hands pushed out towards the sky and released the gigantic demon-spirit behind him in an explosive attack!

    *Boom!!!*

    The huge golden hand and red demon-spirit crashed into each other, and the spectators were deafened by arge noise resembling that of two trucks colliding head-on.

    As a result of the two powerful forces'' collision, the golden hand was¡­ broken! The vicious demon-spirit broke through the golden hand and rushed towards Seiji.

    ''I won¡­'' Just as Yuuki was thinking this, he was astonished to see the reappearance of the huge golden hand!

    Seiji struck a Buddha pose. "Buddha once said this: ''If one palm strike cannot take care of the problem, then use two palm strikes.''"

 Chapter 345 - Hanyuu Versus Yaksha

    <h4>Chapter 345: Hanyuu Versus Yaksha</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Yuuki Oyokumo copsed. Not physically, but mentally.

    He was shocked when his opponent Shiroya brought out a second golden hand, scared when the third came out, and when the fourth arrived¡­

    Yuuki''s demon-spirit was crushed, and his mind copsed as well.

    He was unable to dodge the golden hand which grabbed him and lightly tossed him out of the arena. Furukawa immediately dered Shiroya as the victor.

    Seiji obtained victory again just like that.

    "Oyokumo-kun, are you injured?"

    "No¡­" the red-haired muttered, looking depressed.

    Seiji looked towards him. In all honesty, Seiji felt that this little kid was pretty strong. If Yuuki hadn''t lost heart and had fought all-out for the entire battle, the result would''ve been difficult to guess.

    "It''s impressive to have such strength at your age. Work hard to be stronger, Oyokumo-kun." He tried to console Yuuki.

    Yuuki raised his head and looked at Seiji, his eyes shing with a determined light. "Okay¡­ I will. Thank you, Shiroya onii-san."

    Their duel had been the most visually exciting one so far. The sh between the demon-spirit and giant golden hand was rather impressive, and all the Yin-Yang Masters were discussing the duel enthusiastically.

    Yuuki Oyokumo''s spell, [Red Demon Form], was the well-known signature spell of his bonded spirit, Red Demon.

    Meanwhile, Shiroya''s golden hand seemed rather mysterious. Just what spirit could have produced that spell?

    The Yin-Yang Masters gathered made various guesses, but they felt like none of their guesses were on the mark.

    Natsuya merely smiled as she listened to the discussions taking ce.

    She already told everyone that Shiroya''s spirit was a secret. All the curious Yin-Yang Masters would have to think about the answer themselves rather than receiving one from her.

    The judge, Ryouta Moritama, asked if she would like to steal the loser''s cards or discard her own. This time, Natsuya chose to discard two cards that were difficult to use up and turned them into points.

    Seiji returned to her side. Natsuya felt reassured to see him return victoriously.

    After the first round was over, the judge released a ranking based on the number of points each Master had umted.

    Natsuya was ranked #3. Although Akatsuki lost one duel, he used his cards well, which was why he didn''t fall too far behind and was ranked #10.

    Everyone was to draw cards again. After everyone drew a card, the second round began. This round, everyone would take turns in the opposite order fromst time, so Natsuya''s turn came up quickly.

    She yed a series of cards from her hand and earned a nice amount of points.

    When it was Akatsuki Mitarai''s turn, he used his second duel card, and as his opponent he selected the person who was currently ranked #1 in points: Kanna Fujihara!

    Kanna Fujihara''s Spirit-branded Retainer was Ryuuno Izawa. Nobody present at the party recognized this master-and-retainer pair.

    During thest round, the Spirit-branded Retainer Izawa had performed excellently. He won his duel in less than ten seconds, which caused quite a lot of surprise.

    The Yin-Yang Masters were able to deduce from the duel that Izawa''s bonded spirit was a Yaksha. Thus, they called him Yaksha Izawa.

    "The duel between Hannya Yashuu and Yaksha Izawa is surely going to be a great one."

    "Yeah¡­ I''m curious who will win."

    "I believe that Hannya Yashuu will win. After all, he''s famous for his strength in our age group. He was just overconfident, which was why he lost his first duel. He''ll definitely win if he gets serious."

    "That''s not a sure thing. Yaksha Izawa is pretty strong as well. He must have overwhelming strength to defeat his first opponent in such a short time."

    "Indeed¡­ it''s difficult to predict the winner. Let us enjoy the show."

    Everyone looked towards the duel arena, where Naruo Yashuu and Ryuuno Izawa were facing each other.

    Izawa removed his eyepatch, revealing his left eye. A triangr blood-colored diagram was inscribed on the surface of his pupil.

    Yashuu removed the ck glove on his right hand, revealing a diagram shaped like a beast''s w on the back of his hand.

    "Let the duel begin," Shunsuke Furukawa dered.

    Yashuu instantly manifested a gigantic w that swiped towards his opponent!

    With arge boom, Izawa''s figure was torn to pieces and disintegrated into motes of green light.

    It was just an illusion!

    Izawa appeared to Yashuu''s left and formed a jutsu symbol with his hands.

    *Boom!!*

    Yashuu was doused in vibrant green mes. Suddenly, the mes were split apart by a sharp purple-red light. After piercing through the mes, it shot towards Izawa.

    Izawa dodged the light, and it embedded itself in the ground, carving a deep furrow that extended beyond the arena.

    Both figures vanished again as they continuously cast spells against each other, seeming like an borate performance.

    Seiji could tell that Yashuu had the advantage and Izawa could only react. However, thanks to Izawa''s powerful illusions, he hadn''t been struck by any attacks yet.

    But at this rate, Yashuu would definitely achieve victory.

    Suddenly, Izawa split, creating six more illusionary clones. All seven Izawas ced their hands on the ground and speedily muttered an incantation.

    Yashuu realized Izawa was preparing a powerful attack. A strong light appeared in his right palm, and he flicked his hand. The light split into countless rays which covered all seven Izawas!

    When the light made contact with the Izawa-clones, all seven of them shattered with a sound resembling that of ss breaking.

    The real Izawa appeared behind Yashuu.

    From the very start of the duel, he had been secretly making his preparations, and now his spell wasplete!

    [Killing Formation¡ªYaksha Dance!"]

    Arge triangr spell formation suddenly appeared on the ground. Numerous vicious-looking demons of an assortment of strange shapes emerged from within. Brandishing swords, axes, and sickles, they surrounded and attacked Yashuu!

    Yashuu fought back with his magical w, but even though he managed to tear through one wave of demons, endless waves of demons continued to emerge from the spell formation.

    Victory seemed like it was decided.

    Furukawa was about to announce the conclusion of the duel.

    At this moment, Yashuu shouted fiercely, and a strong purple-red light surrounded him, preventing the demons from drawing closer to him.

    Then, he viciously red at Izawa with an incredibly ferocious expression. Right after that, a white long-horned demon mask appeared on his face.

    [Demon Mask¡ªHanyuu!] He shrieked loudly, causing everyone''s ears to ring. The shriek sounded like a woman''s scream, angry shouting, cursing, and yelling all at once. It was incredibly shrill and harsh on the ear.

    The purple-red sound waves that emanated from him immediately destroyed all the demons. Izawa''s illusion was broken as well, and his real self, which was standing to the side, was forced out.

    The mask-wearing Yashuu viciously swung at Izawa with his right w.

    *Boom!!!*

    Izawa was sent flying by the gigantic magical w.

    Like a cannon shot, he flew out of the duel arena and hurtled towards the card table filled with Yin-Yang Masters.

    At thest moment, Furukawa appeared between Izawa and the card table in a blue sh. He caught Izawa and jumped, leaping over the card table andnding outside the weather barrier.

    Nobody was scared by this scene.

    After all, everyone at the table was either a Yin-Yang Master or a Spirit-branded Retainer. They had plenty of ways to deal with arge object suddenly flying at them. Something like this wouldn''t scare anyone present.

    "Ryuuno!" Kanna Fujihara left the card table and ran towards her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Akatsuki Mitarai also stood up and followed.

    "Hanyuu Yashuu used too much force in his attack."

    "He probably couldn''t stop himself in the heat of the moment¡­"

    "It''s a battle, after all. There''s no helping it if this type of scene urs."

    "Although the end was a bit much, it really was an excellent duel to watch."

    The Yin-Yang Masters discussed the result among themselves.

    Using too much force was considered a mistake, but everyone present saw what transpired. Nobody felt that Yashuu was to me.

    All Akatsuki would have to do was apologize to Kanna Fujihara and pay apensation fee to treat her Spirit-branded Retainer''s injuries.

    Seiji hoped that Izawa wasn''t injured too seriously. Unfortunately, it wasn''t the time for him to be worrying about others.

    Seiji now had an idea of Naruo Yashuu''s strength when he was serious.

    ''How can I deal with him?''

    Unless someone else was suicidal enough to challenge this Hanyuu spirit, Akatsuki would be certain to use his third duel card against Natsuya again.

    In other words, Seiji would definitely have another battle with Yashuu.

    At that time, devious tricks likest time wouldn''t work. It would be a serious contest of strength.

 Chapter 346 - Thanks For the Meal!

    <h4>Chapter 346: Thanks For the Meal!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Ryuuno Izawa wasn''t seriously injured.

    He said that he could carry on battling and urged his master to continue the game. However, Kanna adamantly refused.

    Kanna Fujihara decided to forfeit the game. Although it would give her a bad reputation in the Yin-Yang Master society, she didn''t care.

    Kanna''s family had forced her intoing to this party. At heart, she was an otaku girl who didn''t care at all about such venues. Nor did she care what others in the Yin-Yang Master society thought of her. At most, her family would scold her about it.

    Izawa was resting on a bed in a guest room. Kanna, seated on a nearby sofa, began reading a light novel.

    Rather than being together with other Yin-Yang Masters, she felt that this was far more rxing.

    Kanna felt that the only good thing about this entire party was that she had be acquainted with Natsuya Yoruhana.

    She never expected to meet a girl of simr status and simr interests at such a party.

    Kanna wanted to continue chatting about anime and manga with Natsuya and invite her to the uing otaku doujinshi convention!

    ''I''ll try talking to her againter,'' Kanna mused. ''It''d be nice if she agrees to go.''

    Izawa suddenly sat up on the bed. "Master, I would like to observe the remaining rounds of the game."

    "Eh? Why?"

    "Because I have my attention on¡­ Yashuu-san and Shiroya-san," Izawa said with a solemn expression.

    Kanna was rendered speechless.

    This fujoshi girl''s mind nearly exploded!

    ''To think that my own handsome Spirit-branded Retainer has his attention trained on two other boys!''

    Various fantasies of boys'' love scenes shed through her mind: love-and-hate rtionships between the three handsome boys, uke and seme , secret feelings for each other, intimate contact, and a love triangle were all included in her fantasies¡­

    Kanna coughed mentally. ''Perhaps I''m getting a bit too excited¡­''

    Kanna did her best to suppress her fantasies and asked, "Why do you have your attention on them?"

    Izawa fell silent for a moment.

    "I¡­ before I served mdy, I met Yashuu-san in the past," he revealed. "At that time, Yashuu-san was a friendly and open individual who took good care of me. Today, when I came here and happened to see Yashuu-san in the garden, I was quite happy to see an old friend.

    "However, when I went over to chat with him, not only did Yashuu-san not know who I was, he had a terribly cold attitude, and the look in his eyes seemed abnormal. I was quite concerned about what he must have experienced. I asked him about it, but he refused to talk to me."

    A beautiful past, a coincidental reunion, and an unexpected change! One side was cold and heartless, and the other was struggling to conceal their sadness¡­

    Kanna grew even more excited! Her mind started running wild again.

    "After that," Izawa continued, "I met Shiroya-san. Although Shiroya-san is concealing his true appearance, after I talked to him, I felt that he is a friendly and open individual.

    "He loves light novels, anime, and manga, which matches mdy''s interests quite well. I feel that he would get along excellently with mdy, but he''s unwilling to show his true self, which is truly regrettable."

    ''Shiroya is an otaku? Heplements his master Natsuya so well¡­ perhaps he became an otaku because of Natsuya,'' Kanna mused.

    "After the game began, I saw that Shiroya-san defeated Yashuu-san in their first match. He was quite strong in his other match as well, which was why he caught my attention. Afterwards, I fought against Yashuu-san and was defeated¡­ I had a deep impression of Yashuu-san''s true strength.

    "Will Yashuu-san''s master challenge Shiroya-san''s master to another duel? If they duel again, who will win? I''d really like to know the answer to this question."

    Izawa expressed his true thoughts, but Kanna misunderstood them.

    ''I understand, Ryuuno,'' she thought, feeling a pang of pity. ''I understand quite clearly. On one side is an old me that you have deep feelings for, and you were happy to see him again. Even if he rejected you coldly, you still can''t let go of your feelings.

    ''On the other side is your new romantic interest. You received a warm feeling from him on your first meeting¡ªwhat''s new and fresh is always exciting. And now, the two of them are about to fight, so you want to watch them. This is only natural!

    ''Ahh¡­ I can''t take this anymore! I can''t stop my own imagination!!''

    The fujoshi Yin-Yang Master envisioned such an out-of-control scene in her mind that she almost went wild.

    She couldn''t control her raging heart, and her face flushed crimson.

    Izawa was mystified by her reaction. He was about to ask why his master had such a strange expression, when he suddenly saw bright red liquid spurt out of her nose!

    "Mdy!? You''re bleeding!" Izawa was shocked by this urrence.

    "Ahh¡­ it''s just a nosebleed; no need to mind it." Kanna covered her nose with one hand. With sparkling eyes, she gave Izawa a big thumbs-up with her other hand and said, "Thanks for the meal!"

    "Eh?" Izawa was confused and grunted foolishly; there was no food in sight.

    Kanna ced her arms on her hips after she blocked her nosebleed with some napkins. "Alright, let''s go back out again and look at your ''lovers¡­'' Whoops, I meant the two people that caught your attention."

    After the second round finished, the judge Ryouta Moritama once again disyed the point rankings.

    Natsuya had risen up to im first ce. Akatsuki wasn''t doing too badly as well; he was now fourth. The third round began after everyone drew cards again.

    For this round''s duels, the majority of the Yin-Yang Masters opted to use their cooperative battle cards and left the card table to go assist their Spirit-branded Retainers inbat.

    The duels became even more spectacr to watch.

    The Yin-Yang Masters cast spells to strengthen or protect their own Spirit-branded Retainers and also attacked or obstructed their foe. The cooperation between master and retainer, the strength of their spells, their timing, their judgment of the situation¡­ all of the above was important.

    Seiji and Natsuya had never cooperated in battle together like this. Although this put them at a disadvantage, they believed in each other.

    Seiji trusted in Natsuya, and she trusted in him as well. Mutual trust was the foundation of unspoken cooperation, so he decided to make up for what theycked in experience with spirit!

    It was now Akatsuki Mitarai''s turn. He used both his duel card and cooperative battle cards to target Natsuya.

    He came for them as expected. Not only did Seiji and Natsuya expect this, the others were also anticipating it.

    "As expected, Mitarai-kun wants his ''revenge.'' I''m looking forward to it."

    "Yep, I''m curious to see whether Hanyuu Yashuu or Shiroya-kun will emerge victorious when both are fighting seriously."

    "I''m curious about Shiroya-kun''s true appearance. I hope that his disguise gets unveiled during the course of battle."

    The Yin-Yang Mastersughed and chatted about the uing duel.

    Some people asked Natsuya just who Shiroya was and why he was unwilling to show his true appearance. Natsuya politely responded by saying that it was a secret.

    When they heard this, the Yin-Yang Masters refrained from inquiring. As for how many people among them cast spells to see through the disguise and discovered the truth for themselves¡­ that was unknown.

    It was just as Seiji had told Izawa before. His own action was meaningless as many would be able to discover his identity. It was his attitude that was meaningful.

    ''It''s fine if you find out who I am. Just don''t say it out loud in public, because I want to avoid trouble.''

    If someone intentionally said it out loud, then that would be intentionally going against him. For the time being, nobody did such a thing.

    Natsuya also used her cooperative battle card against Akatsuki Mitarai''s challenge.

    "It''ll be really interesting to watch Mitarai-kun and Yoruhana-san cast their support spells as well."

    "That''s right. I really want to know who will do a better job between them."

    "Mitarai-kun likes Yoruhana-san, so perhaps he''ll go easy on her."

    "No, with Yoruhana-san''s personality, she probably wouldn''t like that. Mitarai-kun should disy his true power."

    "I agree. It''s wrong to go easy on her. They should go all out."

    The people involved in the duel didn''t hear these discussions.

    Both pairs had left the card table to head for the dueling arena. Seiji entered the arena and stood facing Yashuu.

    Natsuya stood behind Seiji outside of the dueling arena. Akatsuki simrly stood behind Yashuu.

    Shunsuke Furukawa checked to ensure that both sides were ready and gestured for the duel to begin.

    Battle¡­ start!

 Chapter 347 - Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!

    <h4>Chapter 347: Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Akatsuki lifted his hand, creating a small spell formation on his palm.

    The exact same spell formation appeared on Yashuu''s back. Instantly, a strong light engulfed his body and formed a purple-red glow that enveloped him. The familiar long-horned Hanyuu mask appeared on Yashuu''s face!

    At the same time, Seiji knew that he couldn''t hold back any longer and decisively cast the spell evolved version of his [Body-strengthening Technique]. A golden mist instantly enveloped him. Spirals of runes appeared on his skin, and his hair lit up with a golden glow. The golden Seiji looked much more spirited.

    Yashuu''s immense magical w cut through the air as it fell down upon Seiji!

    Seiji managed to dodge the w, and Natsuya began casting a spell. Numerous dark red lights materialized and shot towards Yashuu in an arrow-storm!

    Yashuu blocked some of the lights, but many embedded themselves into the ground. They connected with each other and restrained Yashuu''s body.

    Yashuu let out a fierce shout, using the sound waves to shred Natsuya''s red lights.

    In response, Seiji cast his evolved [Mana Barrier], causing a watery golden light to appear around him. He used this to forcibly endure the sound wave and rushed through with a punch!

    *Boom!* His punch was blocked.

    Akatsuki Mitarai strengthened Yashuu''s barrier for him. When Seiji punched, his fist waspletely blocked by a purple-red light.

    Yashuu struck out with his w again.

    *Smack!!* Seiji was knocked away.

    Yashuu rushed up to Seiji, intending to perform a follow-up attack.

    Natsuya cast a spell which sent a dark red sword of light to chop down on Yashuu, preventing his attack in the nick of time.

    Akatsuki snorted and formed a jutsu symbol with his hands, causing countless white threads to shoot towards Seiji.

    Natsuya countered by slicing through the white threads with her sword of light.

    Right now, the contest between the Yin-Yang Masters'' spells and Spirit-branded Retainers'' attacks was a wonderful scene that enraptured all the spectators.

    "Can anyone tell what spells Shiroya-kun is using?"

    "I can''t¡­ I can''t determine his bonded spirit either. How mysterious¡­"

    "No matter what it is, it seems like he''s not as strong as a serious Hanyuu Yashuu."

    "That''s right¡ªShiroya-kun is being suppressed by Hanyuu Yashuu. Yoruhana-san''s support isn''t as good as Mitarai-kun''s. It''s obvious that¡­"

    *Boom!!* Yashuu was kicked into the air.

    This sight surprised all the spectators.

    Only those who had been watching the battle intensely with full concentration, such as Izawa and Kanna, were able to see what just happened clearly.

    Yashuu''s magical w had suddenly copsed, and Shiroya took this opportunity to counterattack with a kick that destroyed Yashuu''s protective barrier! The kick connected directly with Yashuu''s body, which was why he had been kicked away.

    ''What just happened!?'' Although he saw it clearly, Izawa still didn''t understand what had happened. ''Why did Yashuu-san''s magical w just copse like that? And his barrier¡­ Yashuu-san''s barrier should have been greatly strengthened by his master, so why did it break so easily from a normal kick!?''

    Since even Izawa was confused when he had seen what had happened clearly, everyone else was even more confused.

    All they saw was the situation suddenly turning in Shiroya''s favor. Shiroya and Yashuu had swapped roles¡ªnow Shiroya was the one suppressing and chasing after Yashuu! The change in the situation was too sudden for everyone to take in! They didn''t understand what happened.

    It was actually the corrosion power. Yashuu''s magical w shed against Seiji''s evolved [Mana Barrier] multiple times, so it had corroded.

    Seiji''s evolved [Body-strengthening Technique] possessed the same corrosion power, and Yashuu''s personal barrier was also corroded due to Seiji''s attacks.

    Yashuu was the first to notice that something was off, and Akatsuki noticed immediately after. Yashuu was unable to prevent his own spells from being corroded. Akatsuki attempted to cast a cleansing spell, but Natsuya kept him upied.

    The corrosion increased at a rapid rate, until Yashuu''s magical w copsed and his barrier was greatly weakened, causing the situation that just urred.

    "What spell is that?" Akatsuki asked Natsuya with furrowed brows.

    "Sorry, but it''s a secret," Natsuya responded calmly.

    *Boom!!*

    Yashuu was kicked back down to the earth.

    He barely managed to adjust his position while falling, avoiding the embarrassing scene of hitting the ground face-first. However, he stillnded rather awkwardly.

    Akatsuki looked towards Yashuu. Yashuu looked towards Akatsuki as well and understood thetter''s intentions through this nonverbal exchange. He then took off the ck glove on his left hand.

    Like his right hand, the back of his left hand was inscribed with a w-shaped drawing. Aplex spell formation shaped like a w suddenly arose from his hands.

    Suddenly, there was a golden sh¡ªSeiji had punched towards Yashuu!

    *Smack!!* His fist was blocked by the sudden appearance of a hexagonal spell formation.

    This hexagonal spell formation appeared all around Yashuu, covering him in endless amounts of runes.

    Akatsuki formed a jutsu symbol with his hands while quickly muttering an incantation.

    "Break through it!" Natsuya shouted at Seiji.

    Seiji backed away slightly and pointed at the hexagonal spell formation. Mana swiftly gathered at his hand, causing specks of golden light to appear.

    Natsuya also began preparing a powerful jutsu technique.

    Seiji used his evolved [Mana Bullet]!

    Destruction curse¡ª[Twirling Swords]!

    Seiji shot out a gigantic golden bullet of light, while Natsuya''s spell created five dark red magical swords that rotated at a high speed. Their spells attacked the hexagonal spell formation in unison!!

    However, they were slightly toote.

    Akatsuki extended his palms, having finished casting his spell.

    The moment that the golden [Mana Bullet] and the [Twirling Swords] hit the hexagonal spell formation, the spell formation let off a blinding light and exploded like a bomb.

    *Boom!!!*

    With a golden explosion of light, the magical swords were shattered, and pirs of light shot up towards the heavens. The scene resembled a nuclear explosion.

    A white shadow dashed through the blinding light and swung a pale white w towards Seiji!

    Seiji did his best to dodge, but was still hit by the w.

    He saw that Yashuu''s demon-face mask had transformed into a purplish-ck color and that he was covered by a thick white light, which made it seem like he was wearing a white robe. Yashuu''s hands transformed into something resembling real demon ws¡ªthey were long, pale white things that glistened sharply.

    *sh sh sh sh sh sh!* Yashuu''s speed was incredibly quick!

    Seiji was unable to dodge, so he could only do his best to block. Since his opponent''s speed was too fast, he received many blows in just a short time frame.

    Natsuya cast a spell to attack Yashuu, but it didn''t work. Quickly cast normal spells werepletely ineffective against Yashuu in this form.

    "So powerful! Hanyuu Yashuu actually promoted himself to a higher rank! What spell is that?"

    "Seems like a short-term power-increasing berserker spell, although I don''t know the specifics."

    "Just how did he increase his power by so much?"

    "This must be due to Mitarai-kun''s assistance; it was him who brought out Hanyuu Yashuu''s true power. It''s over now."

    "Don''te to a hasty conclusion; Yoruhana-san and Shiroya-kun just used a mysterious technique to win their previous duel. Perhaps they still have some hidden trump cards."

    "If they do, then they should use them right now. Judging by Yoruhana-san''s appearance, it doesn''t seem like she has any hidden trump cards."

    That was indeed the case.

    Yashuu had greatly increased his strength, and his spirit''s level was now above Seiji''s spirit''s level¡­ Natsuya couldn''t think of any method to deal with this.

    Akatsuki Mitarai was the victor.

    Most people at the card table had this opinion.

    Kanna Fujihara also had this opinion. However, Ryuuno Izawa had a different opinion.

    The mysterious Shiroya had a mysterious bonded spirit and mysterious power¡­ he didn''t think that such a person would lose so easily.

    He had no proof for his belief. It was based only on his instinct.

    Seiji''s [Mana Barrier] copsed under Yashuu''s furious barrage of attacks.

    The pale white demon w swiped unhesitatingly towards his throat! He heard Natsuya shouting something that he couldn''t hear clearly.

    That was because time suddenly slowed down for him.

    He had activated [Bullet Time]!

    ''Naruo Yashuu, you''re truly quick. But right now, I''m going to be even quicker than you!!''

    Seiji clenched his fist.

    [Light from the Brink], activate!

    For the next three minutes, he would have limitless stamina and Mana.

    [Lightning Strike]!

    He unleashed a furious barrage of punches on his opponent''s demon-face mask!! His fists transformed into rays of light.

    "Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"

 Chapter 348 - You Must Actually Be Someone Famous for Being Strong

    <h4>Chapter 348: You Must Actually Be Someone Famous for Being Strong</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mega-fast [Lightning Strike]!

    This was the second-ever time Seiji had used this ability¡ªhe had previously used it against Iroha Hasegawa. As he unleashed punch after punch at an insanely high speed, he mentally added a ssic anime sound effect.

    The observers saw Yashuu shatter Shiroya''s personal barrier and that at the same moment Yoruhana-san shouted "Stop!", there was an explosive light.

    The light was followed by a series of impact sounds. Immediately after, Yashuu was sent flying backwards a great distance, his body somewhat distorted. Yashuu crashed into the ground and rolled around several times before he finally managed to regain his feet.

    One-third of his purple-ck demon-face mask had been destroyed, and the white light around him was flickering, as if it were a half-broken light bulb.

    After he managed to stand up, Yashuu immediately rushed towards his opponent again. However, it was useless.

    He had been knocked out of bounds!

    "Shiroya-san and Yoruhana-san''s victory," Shunsuke Furukawa announced.

    Everyone who heard his voice was still in a shocked state, and this included Natsuya.

    What had just happened?

    The Yin-Yang Masters exchanged awkward nces.

    "Was that¡­ a spell just now?"

    "No, it was a martial arts technique¡­ right?"

    "Who saw what just happened clearly?"

    "I¡­ couldn''t see very clearly, but it seemed like Shiroya-kun used a high-speed attack at that moment. He attacked numerous times at an incredibly high speed."

    "A super-fast martial arts technique, is it?"

    "Yes, that''s probably it. No, actually, it couldn''t have been a simple martial arts technique; he must''ve used some secret spell as well, because that speed was¡­"

    Unimaginable.

    To knock away the berserk Hanyuu Yashuu and leave him in such a disheveled state was testament to how strong Shiroya''s explosive power was.

    A martial arts technique that was powerful enough to surpass the difference in the two bonded spirits'' strength¡­ just how fast was that technique?

    Or, to put it a different way, how many times did Shiroya attack in that short instant?

    Nobody knew, because nobody could see it clearly.

    Even Seiji himself didn''t know how many times he had punched and kicked, because he hadn''t been counting.

    His only thought was: ''This guy''s body is a lot harder than Iroha Hasegawa''s. My fists kinda hurt from punching him.''

    ''What was that power?'' Natsuya was just as confused as everyone else, but then she came to her own mistaken realization. ''It must have been the power of that mysterious spirit!''

    She assumed that the female spirit was roused from her slumber at this critical moment, allowing Seiji to use her spells or even her martial arts techniques to unleash a finishing blow. As for the specifics, she just had to ask Seijiter.

    The most important part was that they had won! Natsuya smiled as she watched Seiji saunter over to her and sh a big thumbs-up.

    Meanwhile, on the other side, Akatsuki Mitarai had a grim expression.

    After he restrained Yashuu and canceled the berserk-spell on him, Akatsuki slowly turned to look in Natsuya''s direction.

    Natsuya stared back at him. Seiji, who was standing beside Natsuya, was also staring at him.

    Akatsuki felt humiliated by this. He had believed in his own victory but was forcibly defeated twice in a row¡­

    Although the game wasn''t over yet, there were no more chances for him to surpass Natsuya in points.

    It was his loss.

    ''Why¡­ why is this Haruta family''s trash able to¡­ Even though he''s infamous for being trash and his Spiritual Power is barely adequate for him to be a Spirit-branded Retainer¡ªand only a temporary one at that¡ªwhy does he have such power!?''

    Akatsuki clenched his fists and furrowed his brows deeply; he couldn''t understand how it was possible.

    Natsuya retracted her gaze and walked back to the card table.

    She had wanted to say something, but after seeing how Akatsuki, she decided it would be unnecessary.

    Seiji retracted his gaze as well and followed Natsuya to the card table.

    After returning, all the others congratted them on their victory. The Yin-Yang Masters gathered were even more curious about Shiroya.

    Natsuya and Seiji kept their calm and dealt with the questions appropriately.

    Akatsuki returned to the card table with a calm expression. However, his eyes gleamed with an icy light; evidently he was anything but calm.

    The game came to a conclusion.

    Natsuya was ranked first in points and received an extravagant prize: a seaside mansion.

    That''s right¡ªan entire mansion! It even came with its own private beach.

    By the way, the prize for second ce was a personal yacht, while the Master in third ce received a racing car¡­

    ''Yin-Yang Masters sure are rich,'' Seiji eximed in his mind.

    Natsuya looked towards Seiji after she received the property deed from Ryouta Moritama. "Would you like to have it?"

    "Eh?"

    "Would you like this mansion?" She waved the exquisite-looking document-folder at him. Her tone was as casual as someone offering a can of juice.

    Seiji blinked at this. "If I say I want it, you''ll give it to me?"

    Natsuya nodded. "Yep."

    "You don''t want it for yourself?"

    "I already have one."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji mulled it over. "Although having a seaside mansion sounds very attractive, it doesn''t seem all that useful to me¡­"

    Although he could visit it whenever he wanted to have fun, most of the time it would just sit there unattended, and he felt like maintaining it would be quite bothersome.

    "Then how about I give you something else instead; is there anything that you want?"

    "Not for the time being."

    Natsuya smiled. "What about a spiritual weapon?"

    "A spiritual weapon¡­"

    "I think that it''s for the best if you start practicing with your own personal spiritual weapon as early as possible."

    "Hmm¡­ you have a point." Seiji nodded in agreement. "I''d like to have one then. If possible, could you give me one suitable for a beginner?"

    "What type of weapon would you like?"

    Seiji thought it over. "How about a wooden sword?"

    The wooden sword from the Uehara family seemed pretty nice. While that wooden sword''s level was a bit high for him, he could probably y around with a beginner-level one.

    To be honest, he felt tempted to ask for a longsword like Shika''s Demon de Muramasa, but he felt that it would be too difficult to start from real swords, so it would make sense to start with a wooden sword. Didn''t famous heroes all start from wooden swords, anyway?

    "A wooden sword¡­ I got it." Natsuya nodded.

    After that was lunchtime.

    Ryouta Moritama led everyone back to the residence to a second-floor dining hall.

    This dining hall was extravagantly furnished; it had the appearance of a top-ss restaurant from the business district.

    Seiji and Natsuya sat down by a window and began browsing through the provided menus.

    "Can we sit here?" a female voice asked.

    It was Kanna Fujihara, who was apanied by her Spirit-branded Retainer, Ryuuno Izawa.

    Natsuya smiled. "Of course. Please take a seat."

    Kanna and Izawa sat down.

    "Izawa-san, how are your injuries?" Seiji asked.

    "It''s nothing serious," Izawa said. "Thank you for your concern."

    The fujoshi Kanna''s eyes lit up at seeing this scene.

    "Fujihara-san, what would you like to eat?" Natsuya handed Kanna a menu to break the ice.

    "I''m satisfied with this¡­ whoops, I mean I would like to have some Huaxia cuisine." Kanna finally returned to her senses.

    The four of them began discussing the menu options and food avable. They had fun chatting.

    Izawa seriously expressed his admiration for Seiji''s duel against Hanyuu Yashuu. "Shiroya-san," he praised, "it was incredible how you defeated that Hanyuu Yashuu!"

    "To be honest," Kanna added, "I thought that Shiroya-san was going to lose. It looked like you were at a disadvantage."

    "My opponent was indeed strong. I was able to emerge victorious in the end because of luck." Seiji remained humble.

    "No, you definitely didn''t win due to luck." Izawa''s eyes lit up in excitement. "You made twoebacks in a row, and I could barely see the spells that you used at the critical moment. All I can do is sigh in amazement. Shiroya-san, you must actually be someone famous for being strong, right? You must be disguising yourself because revealing your identity would cause toorge of amotion and would disturb the party, right?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 349 - I Didnâ€™t like Him, so I Beat Him Up

    <h4>Chapter 349: I Didn¡¯t like Him, so I Beat Him Up</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji wasn''t someone famous for being strong. In fact, he was famous for being trash. Izawa''s guess waspletely off the mark.

    Seiji, not knowing how to respond to Izawa, remained silent. He nced over at Natsuya and noticed her strange expression.

    Izawa, however, mistook Seiji''s silence for tacit admittance and confirmed his conjecture in his mind.

    "I apologize for bringing this up again. I shall make no further mention of it."

    "It''s fine," Seiji said quickly. "I''m not someone famous for being strong¡­"

    Izawa revealed a faint smile. "I understand. There''s no need to say any more, Shiroya-san."

    ''Just what did you understand there?'' When he saw Izawa''s expression, Seiji knew that the man had definitely misunderstood him.

    He wanted to exin, but he was clueless as to how he could do so. What was he meant to do? Reveal his true identity? While this was an option, he felt that it would be unnecessary.

    He probably wouldn''t meet Izawa again after this party¡­ or even if they met again in the future, who knows when that would be.

    ''I wonder what the presidents think about this¡­'' Seiji looked towards Natsuya. She indicated nonverbally that he should decide for himself.

    At this moment, their food arrived.

    Seiji was hungry, so when he saw tes of delicious food arriving for him, he put the matter behind him and started eating.

    During the meal, Kanna began chatting about anime and manga. Seiji responded well to this topic and kept the conversation flowing.

    By the time lunch was over, Kanna Fujihara was still having fun. As they walked together to the resting area, she kept up an unending stream of conversation with Seiji. Kanna didn''t relent in the slightest even when they arrived!

    Seiji enjoyed their conversation¡ªexcept for the topic of boys'' love, which was a little¡­

    He mentioned that this topic made him slightly ufortable on numerous asions, but this anime-crazed girl seemed to be running amok. At every opportunity, she changed the conversation''s direction to that topic and expounded on it at length.

    It was only now that Seiji could personally empathize with Izawa''s difficulties. In a way, serving such a master would definitely be a difficult task.

    Right now, Ryuuno Izawa was free. He merely stood by hisdy master''s side like a silent statue. He neither interrupted nor spoke and blended perfectly into the scenery.

    Natsuya, however, was currently feeling dissatisfied. The passionate conversation between Kanna and Seiji made her feel somewhat left out.

    Although neither of them ignored her, she was unable to get involved as they were wading deep into the sea of anime and manga. This left her with a rather unpleasant taste in her mouth.

    After sitting for a while, Natsuya stood up to go to the restroom.

    After leaving the restroom, she saw Akatsuki Mitarai loitering in the hallway. He was looking out of the window.

    Natsuya nced at him for a moment. Almost instantly, she looked away and walked past him without acknowledging his presence.

    "Don''t you want to know why I suddenly took such a direct method and even proposed such a bet?" Akatsuki asked, turning around to look at her as she walked past him.

    Natsuya stopped in her tracks. His behavior was indeed unexpected. Not only was he direct, he even gambled¡­ this did make her somewhat curious.

    "Because I want you to ept me," Akatsuki said in a soft voice. "I want you to ept my true self, not the mask that I''ve worn for so long."

    Natsuya slowly looked towards him.

    "I''m not an ordinary person. I''ve been aware of this ever since I was young. I''m a special existence. However, the regrettable part is that ordinary people can''t understand the special me, including even my parents.

    "That''s why I have to wear a mask, the disguise of an ordinary person. Although this is rather sad, there''s some fun to be had in it."

    Akatsuki smiled thinly. This smile wasn''t his typical fake and gentle smile. It was something different¡ªa smile that seemed to contain an incredible darkness.

    Natsuya''s brows knit together when she saw this smile.

    "The first time that I saw you, I fell in love with you at first sight. I felt that you were far too beautiful, and my mask slipped for a split second. Oh yes, your eyesight happened to be quite sharp, Natsuya. You detected my true self.

    "Afterwards, I tried to get closer to you, but as you were an ordinary person, you were unable to ept the special me. You were stubborn about it, and for the first time, I tasted the bitterness of rejection.

    "I felt anxious and angry. Those emotions were unpleasant, truly unpleasant¡­ but they only served to elevate your position in my heart. In my eyes, you grew increasingly beautiful. That was truly interesting. After I noticed this, I even began to enjoy your rejections.

    "But¡­ this can''t continue forever. Your beauty has its limits. Every flower has a time when it blooms. After this time passes, it''ll begin to wilt. That time is almost upon us. I must have you before this time arrives, no matter what.

    "I wore my ordinary-person mask and used ordinary methods to get closer to you. Although that was a little fun, it''s time to stop that now That was why I directly told you my intentions and even gambled with you. I wanted a kiss from you¡ªbut that was only the start. After that, you''d give me more and more.

    "However¡­ I never expected that I would lose." Akatsuki''s eyes were chipped ice. "I admit it: I underestimated that guy¡­ but no matter. Losing has its own benefits. Although I can''t obtain you step by step, obtaining you all at once will be quite fun as well. In fact, I''m looking forward to it even more.

    "Right now," Akatsuki said, licking his lips, "your beauty is at its peak! I can''t wait for the moment I obtain you."

    Natsuya felt an indescribable chill wash over her. Her stomach churned and roiled, and she struggled to suppress the urge to run back to the restroom and vomit.

    "You lost your bet already, so don''t approach me!" she said coldly.

    "The terms of the bet state that I cannot approach you anymore; they say nothing about being unable to obtain you."

    "You''re just using sophistry!"

    "Not at all." Akatsuki smiled. "But if you think that I''m going back on my word, go ahead and tell Miura-san. Even if I''m punished, or if this is publicized, or if I''mughed at, none of it matters. At any rate, when I obtain you, all of this will be nothing more than a joke."

    "You won''t be able to do as you wish!" Natsuya''s eyes were now filled with frosty rage.

    "I can indeed¡­" Akatsuki strode towards her, his face twisted with unnatural malice.

    Natsuya was just about to react, but someone was quicker than she was. A tall figure suddenly appeared in front of her and unleashed a merciless punch at Akatsuki''s face!

    Akatsuki raised his hands to block the punch, but he was still sent flying by the powerful force. He crashed through the window and fell to the dirt.

    "Seiji¡­"

    "I saw that guy getting close to you with a strange expression on his face. He seemed like he was about to do something rude to you, so I punched him." Seiji looked over Natsuya. "Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned voice.

    "I¡­ I''m alright."

    "Will there be a problem since knocked him through a window like that?"

    "No, it''s not a problem at all." Natsuya grinned and shed him a thumbs-up. "Instead, I should be saying good job."

    A cold breeze came in through the window. However, the president''s heart was brimming with warmth.

    Akatsuki didn''t make that punch into an official incident.

    Natsuya had already mentally prepared herself to deal with such an incident. She''d already met with Miura-san in order to exin what happened. It was then that she''d discovered that Akatsuki hadn''t reported the incident.

    ''Inting this matter into a scandal probably wouldn''t benefit him,'' she mused.

    Some people had heard themotion, while others bore witness to the events, sparking discussions everywhere.

    "Shiroya-san, did you really knock Mitarai-san out through a window?" Kanna inquired, blinking her eyes curiously.

    "That''s right."

    "Wow¡­ so vicious."

    "Shiroya-san would definitely have his reasons for doing so," Izawa said. "Did something happen at the time?"

    "I didn''t like him, so I beat him up," Seiji said directly.

    Izawa was rendered speechless.

    "Shiroya did it to protect me," Natsuya rified in a soft voice. She looked at Seiji with a gentle expression and continued, "Shiroya believed that Mitarai was about to do something rude to me, so he simply acted to prevent him from doing so."

 Chapter 350 - Lap Pillow!?

    <h4>Chapter 350: Lap Pillow!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Kanna saw this and noticed Natsuya''s true feelings. She now understood that her previous conjecture about Natsuya and Akatsuki had been incorrect.

    "So there was a reason after all." Izawa smiled faintly. "Shiroya-san is highly protective of his master, so it was an impulsive action."

    "Even if I didn''t interfere, Natsuya probably would have knocked him away, so it doesn''t count for much in terms of protection," Seiji said. "I just acted on my impulse and beat him up."

    "You shouldn''t say that, Shiroya-san," Kanna said with a smile. "Even if Yoruhana-san has the ability to protect herself, she still needs a boy to protect her. After all, girls like that kind of thing."

    "That''s not what I meant. I''m not saying that Natsuya doesn''t need protection, I meant that I didn''t help Natsuya all that much. I just did what I wanted to do, and that''s all there is to it."

    "No, you were a great help to me," Natsuya said in a gentle voice. "You appeared at just the right time. I''m truly grateful, and your presence made me feel quite reassured."

    Seiji didn''t know how to react to the president''s forthrightness and was a little embarrassed.

    "Wow, so sweet." Kanna felt like they were showing off their lovey-doveyness.

    Izawa also noticed the atmosphere and blinked in realization.

    After a momentary silence, Kanna spoke up. "Ryuuno, let''s go back to the dining hall and grab some more food!"

    Kanna decisively made the decision to stop being an unwanted fifth wheel.

    "Eh? Mdy, you''re hungry again already?"

    "Yeah, I didn''t eat enough earlier, and now I''m starving again. Let''s go! Let''s go already!"

    Kanna dragged the dense Izawa away without even saying goodbye. The ambiguous look she shot at Seiji and Natsuya said it all: ''We won''t get in your way, so have fun being lovebirds!''

    Seiji and Natsuya watched them leave before looking back towards each other.

    Natusya took a long, good look at his face. Seiji was unable to bear it and averted his gaze, which made Natsuya smile.

    "Can you apany me outside for a walk?" she asked gently.

    "Of course," he said.

    And so, the two of them left their seats and went out for a walk. They arrived at the garden where the Spirit-branded Retainers had been waiting at earlier.

    "This is a beautiful garden."

    "The other Spirit-branded Retainers and I were waiting here at the beginning."

    "What did you do here?"

    "Not much. I just sat down in that pagoda, chatted with Izawa-san, and borrowed a light novel from him to read."

    "What type of light novel?"

    "Its name is I Reincarnated to Another World and Became a Female Magical Swordsman! In the story, the protagonist, a male otaku, is killed by a truck and reincarnates into a different world as a beautiful girl. He trains and bes a swordsman before embarking on a magical adventure."

    Natusya was rendered speechless.

    "It wasn''t something that Izawa himself wanted to read; it was a book that Fujihara-san set for homework. She even forced him to write a five-hundred-word book report on it afterwards." Seiji sighed and continued, "Izawa-san has it difficult, serving a master like her."

    "Haha, indeed." Natsuya recalled Kanna''s endless preaching about boys'' love and couldn''t help but smile. "Is it an interesting novel?"

    "It''s pretty interesting. Although some of the scenes are a bit exaggerated, overall it''s still pretty good. If I had to write a book report about it, it would be quite easy."

    "Oh, then I''ll buy a copy and read it as well."

    "Er, I don''t rmend that one to you. Some of the jokes in it may be difficult for you to understand," Seiji said in a roundabout fashion.

    This genre of the novel was specifically aimed at a male audience. In other words, it had lots of hi gentlemanly content! This was definitely not a good novel to rmend to a female reader, especially one who was only a beginner at light novels.

    "Natsuya, you don''t read light novels often, right?"

    "That''s correct."

    "If you''d like to read one, I rmend you start with an excellent novel that most normal readers will find easy to understand and enjoy, such as Chronicles of the Demon de ."

    Seiji began to give her a detailed review.

    Natsuya quietly listened to him talk. Actually, she wasn''t interested in light novels. She just wanted to read what he enjoyed reading.

    "Oh right, Shika-chan and I cooperated to write the story Brother Monogatari . It''s already scheduled to be published. Although I don''t know the date, it should be out soon." Seiji smiled. "This story has mysterious, mystical demons and spirits as the main topic. If you''re interested, try reading it when it''s avable."

    Natsuya blinked in surprise. She already learned from Mai that Seiji was writing a story together with Shika Kagura. However, she didn''t expect that it would be published so quickly.

    Natsuya smiled. "I''m quite interested in it, Idle Dimension by the Shore Sensei. You must tell me when it''s officially published. I''ll immediately purchase a copy on the first day."

    "Eh, you know about it?" Seiji was surprised by this.

    "Houjou-san told me about it. I''ve read your short story that was published in a magazine before. Should I give you my review?"

    "Please, by all means."

    "I thought it was wonderful; the best short light novel I''ve ever read," Natsuya said sincerely.

    "Although you just admitted that you don''t read this type of novel very often, I''m still happy to hear that. Thank you for your praise." Seiji bowed.

    Both of them smiled.

    "As long as it''s your story, I''ll read it. I''ll be¡ªno, I already am your fan, Shore Sensei."

    "It''s my honor to have such a great fan like you. It''s even giving me pressure. Looks like I''ll have to work even harder in the future."

    The boy and girl chatted casually as they strolled through the grounds. After walking a circle around the garden, they sat down together in the pagoda.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    As Seiji was silently observing their forested surroundings, Natsuya suddenly reached over and removed his sunsses.

    He looked towards Natsuya and saw that she was grinning widely. She then removed his wool-knit hat and ttened his high cor.

    "What''s the matter?" Seiji asked.

    "I want to see your face." There was a gentle expression on Natsuya''s face, and her eyes were as still as water.

    Seiji was rendered speechless. He was caught off guard by this sudden cannon attack!

    This sentencebined with the beautiful president''s current expression seemed just like cheating! A series of difficult-to-describe emotions welled up within him: his insides burned, yet he felt somewhat stifled, and even itchy.

    "I¡­ you''re quite familiar with my face already. There''s not much to look at." Seiji averted his gaze.

    Natsuya''s heart began beating even quicker when she saw how embarrassed Seiji was.

    She didn''t know why she had this sudden impulse, but she did, and couldn''t help but follow her heart and voice her thoughts.

    Although she was somewhat embarrassed inside a corner of her heart, at the current moment, the urge to follow her impulse had far surpassed her embarrassment.

    "Yes, I''m quite familiar with your face, but no matter how familiar I am with it, I can''t get enough."

    ''Just what am I saying! Me of all people!'' Natsuya berated herself even as she said this.

    An embarrassed voice protested from the corner of her heart. However, this voice was far too weak and didn''t aplish anything at all.

    Seiji''s body froze solid from this second sudden cannon attack. After that, he felt his head being pulled down by her hands, and he copsed.

    His head fell into something soft.

    The soft sensation, faint aroma, andfortable feeling caused Seiji''s mind to go nk for several seconds. Finally, he realized what was happening to him.

    This pose, this experience¡­ could it be the legendary¡­p pillow!?

 Chapter 351 - Youâ€™re an Idiot Whoâ€™s Too Easy to Take Advantage Of

    <h4>Chapter 351: You¡¯re an Idiot Who¡¯s Too Easy to Take Advantage Of</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Ap pillow!

    Any otaku with a girlfriend would dream of experiencing this good fortune.

    Seiji, not expecting the student council president to take the initiative to offer herp, was unable to react for a long while.

    Natsuya gently adjusted his head so that he wasying down t in afortable position, looking up at her.

    She smiled. "Now I''m able to see you quite clearly."

    Seiji was lost for words as he looked up at her. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest.

    As they stared at each other, Seiji almost lost himself in the pools of her eyes; he couldn''t help but avert his gaze.

    Suddenly, everything turned dark. Natsuya had covered his eyes with her wless hand. "You''re tired. Close your eyes and rest a while."

    "Okay¡­" Seiji obediently closed his eyes.

    To be able to rest in the beautiful scion''sp in such an elegant pagoda surrounded by the extravagant garden¡­

    ''This really is living the life,'' he mused.

    He was so lucky. He was¡­ ridiculously lucky!

    A crimson flush crept up the scion''s cheeks, and her eyes moistened as she observed the handsome boy who had closed his eyes.

    ''Muah! Ahhh! What did I just do!!!?'' The little voice inside her head suddenly grew in importance and volume. She was unable to think about anything else. ''Saying things like "I want to see your face" and "I can''t get enough" is just too daring!

    ''Why couldn''t I stop myself from saying it, even though I knew I would be embarrassed!?

    ''Why did my body act on its own and say these things without minding the embarrassment at all!? I even took action! Have I been possessed by something strange? Have I been struck by some weird, ancient curse!?''

    This was just like the previous instance. Even though she had only wanted to ask him to call her by her first name, it somehow turned into her inviting him to spend the Winter Snow Festival together!

    ''That''s enough! Why are things like this? Why did something like this happen again!?''

    ''Because this is what you truly want,'' a tiny voice in her heart whispered.

    ''No no, that can''t be it! I''m not¡­ okay, maybe a little, but I didn''t want to do such a thing! ''What I want is to take it normally. I nned on doing things step by step¡­ inviting him to the Winter Snow Festival or letting him rest on myp is too quick for me!''

    ''Is it really so quick?'' the tiny voice questioned. ''If it''s someone you love, you should grab any opportunity you can. This current rate of development isn''t actually that quick, is it?''

    ''No, it''s too quick!'' Natsuya tried to remain firm.

    You''re not the only one that likes him. Even if you think you''re moving too quick, you might actually be behind some other girls, you know.''

    ''Wah¡­'' Natsuya received an impact from this.

    ''You know that he attracts girls like a light attracting moths. Is it truly best to act slowly? What if he''s stolen away from you by some other girl first?''

    Natsuya didn''t know what to say to her own inner voice at this.

    ''If, one day, he says "I have a girlfriend now," what will you think? Do you think you can remain calm? Will you smile and give him your blessings?''

    ''Perhaps I can.''

    ''Perhaps you can control your emotions on the surface due to your many years of practice and act as a friend should, but what about afterwards? Would you give up on him? Or¡­ would you use certain methods to make them split up?''

    ''I wouldn''t do that!'' Natsuya wanted to say that, but¡­ she was unable to say it, even in her head.

    ''You would do something like that. As long as it''s possible, you''ll definitely take action to obtain what you desire. Because, in the end, you''re Natsuya Yoruhana.''

    This voice chortled loudly. Natsuya knew that this was her own, real voice. She was currently talking to her inner heart.

    ''Do you think that you''re some type of holy existence? When did you get such a mistaken impression of yourself? You were never such a pure and kind girl to begin with; you''re the daughter of the Yoruhana family, someone whose hands are stained with blood and darkness!''

    The voice cackled and continued, ''From the very start, you helped him transfer to your high school because of his potential use. You treated him sincerely only to win his trust. His astonishing rate of growth gave you a pleasant surprise, and you hoped that he would quickly be stronger so that he would be able to help you in the future¡­

    ''From the very start¡ªeven up to now¡ªyou''ve never looked at him with pure intentions and have always been considering your personal benefits as well, haven''t you?''

    Natsuya fell silent at this.

    Indeed, asking him toe to this type of party with her, and making him into her shield to block Akatsuki Mitarai¡­ wasn''t this the same as taking advantage of him?

    ''Actually, you didn''t have to participate, as long as you paid a sufficient price. Or you could havee to this party by yourself, as long as you were determined enough to tolerate Akatsuki. However, you chose to ''ask him for help,'' making him risk danger in order to battle on your behalf.

    ''You are such a girl, Natsuya¡­ so stop pretending to be pure, and be true to yourself.

    ''Act swiftly to obtain him. Either use a normal and direct method, or use some little tricks and ns, but either way, hurry up and grab on to him and im him for yourself. Otherwise, the longer it takes, the more difficult it will be to obtain him.

    ''If you want to observe him for a little longer, that''s fine too, but you should still act like you did now by offering him yourp¡ªyou must make him focus on you At any rate, don''t be too slow about things. Be clear about what you want, then take action.''

    Natsuya didn''t know what to think anymore.

    After conversing¡ª self-contemting, even ¡ªwith her inner heart, Natsuya now felt conflicted.

    She reached out with her hand to stroke the resting Seiji''s face, but her hand froze in midair, and she was unable to move it.

    Seiji, having noticed something, opened his eyes. He saw that the president was looking at him with a mncholy look in her eyes.

    "What''s the matter?"

    " Nothing ¡­" Natsuya averted her gaze.

    Seiji looked a long while at her face. "Are you troubled about something? Is it because of Akatsuki Mitarai? Did he say something to you back there?"

    Natsuya''s heart was warmed by his concern, but she also felt somewhat conflicted. "He did say some things to me, but it wasn''t much. No need to worry."

    ''It doesn''t seem like it''s nothing much,'' Seiji mused.

    "If there''s anything that you think I can help with, please don''t hesitate to ask me," he told her sincerely.

    Natsuya looked towards him again and slowly revealed aplicated smile. "Thank you¡­ but it''s not a good thing when someone like me treats others so gently."

    "Eh?"

    "I''m a selfish girl who cares immensely about her own personal benefits. Whenever I see someone, I''ll automatically assess their value," she said in a light voice. "Anyone that''s worthless will be ignored or pushed away by me. If they''re useful, then I''ll find a way to make use of them.

    "If I have to pay money to make use of someone, I will. If I have to pay with emotions to make use of someone, then I''ll pay with my emotions¡­

    "It''s not an equivalent exchange. I always pay something of lower value in order to obtain something of greater value to me. Such as you, Seiji.

    "In the Amami-san incident, I merely helped you without any risk to myself. And this time, I had you be my shield and put you at risk unnecessarily.

    "I took advantage of you, not only this time, butst time as well. You''re an idiot who''s too easy to take advantage of. You''re so nice that I can''t even bear to watch it anymore, which is why I''m telling you the truth.

    "Natsuya Yoruhana is an incredibly terrible person who takes advantage of others in order to maintain her own status and survival."

    Natsuya''s gaze turned somewhat mncholy and distant. "This is my true nature. See it clearly for yourself, Seiji. When dealing with someone like me, you should be more vignt. It''s better for you to not be so gentle."

    Seiji''s eyes widened. Inwardly, Natsuya felt nervous upon seeing his expression. She felt a pain from deep within her heart.

    ''I shouldn''t have said all this, but¡­ that''s just the type of person I actually am. I''m pretending to be a good girl, but I''m actually quite selfish inside. I only think about myself. Seiji, despite my selfish nature, you¡ª''

    "Are you an idiot?" Seiji asked sharply, cutting off her train of thought. "Why are you saying something so idiotic and foolish? Natsuya, if this is a joke, it''s simply so foolish that I can''t evenugh at it."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 352 - Iâ€™m Delighted to Have Been of Use

    <h4>Chapter 352: I¡¯m Delighted to Have Been of Use</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Natsuya was shocked Seiji''s reaction. The scion stared at him, wide-eyed, for a long while.

    Seiji sat up. "I don''t know what you were thinking just now," he said, "but your words were so foolish that they astounded me."

    ''I''m the one who''s astounded!'' Natsuya thought, returning to her senses. ''Why are you saying that I''m being foolish? I¡­ I¡­'' The president felt inexplicably aggrieved.

    Seiji looked at her with a gentle expression. "You say that you''re a terrible person, but would a truly terrible person be so truthful?"

    Natsuya didn''t know how to respond to this.

    "People with truly evil personalities don''t believe they are evil. They will live life, thinking that their actions are natural¡ªor they''ll believe that everyone else is wrong, and only they are correct. Barring that, they''ll think that everyone else is ordinary, and view one particr person as a special genius¡­ something like that.

    "I believe that anyone who''s still able to think of themselves as a terrible person still has a normal person''s conscience. They''re able to recognize the concept of ''evil,'' which means that they''re still human.

    "As for those who are truly able to call themselves terrible¡­ if they do not mean it as a joke or take pride in it, then it means that such a person is capable of reflecting on their actions. Anyone who''s capable of self-reflection isn''t a truly evil person."

    Seiji looked searchingly at the scion. "At any rate, your words are the best proof of your true nature: contrary to what you im, you''re not an incredibly terrible person."

    Natsuya didn''t understand him very well. ''This¡­ sounds like sophistry? But¡­ it also sounds somewhat logical?''

    She fell into an inner conflict that she couldn''tprehend.

    Seiji smiled when he saw her confused expression. He reflexively reached out with his hand and patted her on the head.

    Natsuya shivered when she felt the warm,forting sensation from his hand.

    "Wah¡­" Threads of crimson crept into the president''s cheeks.

    "You felt guilty, right, about having me duel on your behalf? I didn''t feel like I was being taken advantage of¡­ or I should say that even if you were taking advantage of me, I chose to allow you to do so of my own volition.

    "From the very start, you told me about the risks involved, and I epted with full knowledge of these. Although I was somewhat surprised at how you epted Mitarai''s bet, that wasn''t anything uneptable based on what you told me.

    "That''s why you don''t need to feel guilty, Natsuya. I''m notining, so you shouldn''t me yourself, either."

    "That''s not it¡­" Natsuya protested weakly.

    She wanted to disagree with his words, but an indescribable feeling welled up within her heart, leaving her unable to say what she wanted. She waspletely unable toe up with a suitable response.

    Her eyesight became rather hazy. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and felt theme back wet.

    "I never expected the president to say something so silly¡­ it was foolish of you." Seiji smiled and continued in a teasing voice, "Now I somewhat understand why Houjou-san is so willing to be your maid, Natsuya. It''s because you have the tendency to lose track of your thoughts. You need someone to look after you."

    "No¡­ no way!" Denial was the president''s instinctive response.

    This sounded like a ssical tsundere line to Seiji, and his grin grew even wider.

    Natsuya felt her chest tighten when she saw Seiji''s smile and flushed even deeper. She felt as if her insides were ying host to a raging bonfire. It grew without being repressed, umted without giving vent.

    ''So annoying! I mustered up every iota of courage to tell you the truth, but you said I was being foolish! You''re the one who''s an idiot! Even though I was so direct with you, why¡­ why are you still so gentle!? Are you only going to wake up if someone takes advantage and uses you until you die!? You absolute idiot!!''

    She wanted to say all that out loud.

    But in the end, she heard herself saying, "Idiot¡­"

    Seiji looked surprised. "Hm?"

    "You''re a big idiot!" Natsuya''s face was almost dripping blood. It was a ssic anime scene: a girl pretending to be furious.

    Seiji was rendered speechless; he struggled to withstand the ten-ton cannon shell she had fired at him.

    ''This is the enemy''s main cannon!'' he yelled in his head. ''You have to endure the enemy fire, Sergeant Haruta!!''

    With unbelievable effort, Seiji spoke as calmly as he possibly could, despite the fact that his heart threatened to burst out of his chest.

    "I¡­ perhaps I am indeed an idiot. But even if I''m an idiot, I still have some confidence in my own judgement. Natsuya, you are a beautiful, gentle, and resolute girl, not some girl who''s secretly terrible inside.

    "Even if you have your shorings, and even if I didn''t know about them, it''d still the same. You''ve helped me out a lot and you''re my good friend; that''s why I want to help you. As long as I can be of assistance, I shall do the best that I can.

    "Even if you think you''re taking advantage of me, that''s fine with me. I''m delighted to have been of use." Seiji''s lips parted in a wide, sincere smile. "For an idiotic male like me, being useful to a beautiful girl could be considered praiseworthy."

    Natsuya''s eyes widened at this. It felt as if something had pierced through her chest. At that moment, the chains inside her shattered, releasing her pent-up feelings.

    A mysterious forcepelled her to reach out and hug Seiji!

    ''Ahh, it''s so warm, so hot.''

    She didn''t know if it was her own body heating up or if she was feeling the heat from his body. At any rate, she felt a prating warmth, as if she were being baked in a fire.

    Her body felt like it was melting. ''Let''s just melt, then. I just want to hug him and melt together with him¡­''

    "Er¡­ Natsuya?"

    The beautiful scion had suddenly jumped up and hugged him. Her arms showed no signs of relenting, and her embrace was growing tighter and tighter.

    Seiji was beginning to panic. ''It''s so warm, so soft, so fragrant¡­''

    He couldn''t help but think back to after the duel with Okubo Yoshiaki, to the time when they had intimate contact as he carried her to his hospital bed.

    That beautiful memory ovepped with what was happening right now. He could clearly feel the sensation of hugging her warm and soft body.

    His hands started moving on their own.

    ''Stop! This is no good!!'' He knew that if he hugged her back, he would most likely lose control of himself¡­

    His hands stopped moving and his body froze. Seiji didn''t know what to do. He had no idea what he could do.

    "Seiji¡­" Natsuya whispered softly, her breath tickling his ear.

    Seiji felt her soft, warm breath in his ear. A strangely numb sensation coursed through his entire body, reaching the very ends of his fingers and toes!

    His muscles felt like taut cords. Her whisper had broken through the final line of defense for his reason and logic!

    ''I love you,'' Natsuya said, but not out loud. She merely mouthed it with her lips.

    She felt tempted to throw the consequences out of her mind, directly confess to him just like this, and then¡­

    But that was impossible. Even if he epted her confession, she still had her own problems, which was why¡­ she couldn''t! She didn''t want to be rash.

    Natsuya didn''t want to take things slow anymore, but nor could she allow herself to be so rash and be his official girlfriend.

    Besides, there was still the possibility of him rejecting her.

    He just said earlier that she was his ''good friend,'' which implied that he still hadn''t developed romantic feelings for her.

    At any rate, it wasn''t time yet.

    Natsuya hugged him tightly and enjoyed the beautiful moment.

    She didn''t want to let go, and she hated herself for knowing that she would have to let go in the end, but¡­ that was just her nature.

    "¡­Can we quietly remain like this for a moment, please?" Natsuya asked, her voice barely audible.

    "¡­Sure."

    Seiji did his utmost to maintain hisposure.

    He felt that if she said something like "I like you" out loud, he would be unable to control himself anymore.

    The beautiful scion with sleek ck hair andrge breasts simply had that much attack power!

    Being hugged by her like this had already pushed him to the limit of his endurance. Seiji decided to keep his mind empty and simply enjoy the moment in silence.

 Chapter 353 - Lets Go to the Doujinshi Convention Together!

    <h4>Chapter 353: Let''s Go to the Doujinshi Convention Together!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Butterflies danced among the flowers, birds sang in the forest, and snow fell on the weather barrier, transforming into a faint white mist.

    Time marched onwards in the beautiful and quiet garden. After a long while, Natsuya slowly released Seiji.

    Their gazes locked for a moment, then their eyes darted away like startled fish. They looked at each other, red-faced and tongue-tied.

    It was a scene right out of a teenage idols'' drama.

    For Seiji, this wasn''t a sweet-and-sour moment. He attempted to master his thumping heart and itchy chest in vain.

    "My apologies," Natsuya said softly, breaking the silence. "It was just an impulse."

    Seiji scratched his face awkwardly. "It¡­ it''s alright. I was just really surprised."

    "Now you mention it, I don''t know what came over me¡­ Your words struck a chord in my heart, and I couldn''t control myself¡­" Natsuya paused for a moment. "At any rate, thank you."

    "There''s nothing to thank me for. I just said what I wanted to say."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "At that time, what did Akatsuki Mitarai say to you?" Seiji asked. "Are things truly alright?"

    "He admitted I won¡ªbut that it was only the beginning. ''Remember this,'' he said as he left, ''because I''ll win next time.''"

    Seiji furrowed his brows. "He didn''t promise to never approach you again?"

    Natsuya made no reply.

    ''So,'' Seiji mused, ''he probably intends to break his promise¡ªeven if he''s punished for it.''

    "Like I said earlier, as long as I can be of assistance, then¡ª"

    Seiji''s voice caught in his throat as Natsuya ced her finger on his lips.

    "There''s no need to repeat yourself." She retracted her finger and smiled gently. "I know how you feel, Seiji, and I can''t express my gratitude towards you in words¡­"

    Seiji blinked at this. After a few moments, he grinned broadly and said, "There''s no need to be polite, Natsuya."

    Akatsuki Mitarai left the party together with his Spirit-branded Retainer, Naruo Yashuu.

    ording to the other Masters, Akatsuki imed he had something urgent to take care of. Regardless of whether or not he was speaking the truth, to flee after his loss to Natsuya left everyone feeling rather bemused.

    In other words, he seemed just like a cur scampering off after a harsh beating.

    Seiji was unsurprised by his behavior, but the other people at the party felt that this was different from Akatsuki''s usual style.

    They asked Natsuya Yoruhana about what exactly had transpired.

    Natsuya didn''t want to be the subject of too many discussions, so she underyed the situation and said that there was a small conflict between them.

    This type of answer caused many people''s imaginations to run wild.

    The adolescent Yin-Yang Masters began chatting about this topic and even joked about it¡­ it would probably be some type of rumor in the end.

    Natsuya maintained her image as the daughter of the Yoruhana family and politely responded to everyone.

    Seiji apanied her, acting the part as her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Everyone chatted, yed some smaller games, and watched some performances to pass the time.

    Finally, the party came to a conclusion.

    Before they left, Kanna and Izawa came to find them again.

    "Let''s go to the doujinshi convention together!" Kanna said excitedly.

    Natsuya and Seiji, both under the impression that the duo hade to say goodbye, were surprised by this.

    "I''d like to visit the doujinshi convention in a few days." Kanna smiled and added, "It''ll definitely be fun if everyone goes together! You guys will agree toe, won''t you?" Her eyes were sparkling with expectation.

    Natsuya and Seiji exchanged awkward nces.

    "Do you know what a doujinshi convention is?" Seiji whispered, shuffling closer to Natsuya.

    "I know the basics," Natsuya murmured. "Are you going?"

    "Of course I''m going; I''ve already promised to go together with some others¡­"

    "With who?"

    "Mika and the others."

    "Oh¡­"

    "Do you want to go?"

    "I¡­" Natsuya hesitated for a moment before admitting, "I do want to go a little."

    "Then why don''t you agree to go together with Fujihara-san?" Seiji paused before continuing, "As for me, I''m going with Mika and the others. I''m not sure if it''s appropriate if we go together with you guys."

    Natsuya''s gaze grew sharp when she heard this. "Why?"

    "Eh?"

    "Why¡­ is it inappropriate?"

    "Because I''ve already promised to go with three others. Apart from Mika, the other two are ordinary humans."

    Although Seiji had revealed the basic workings of the mystical world to Chiaki, she was still a normal human. Even worse, Kaho was apletely ordinary human¡ªshe waspletely ignorant of the mystical world. Due to this, Seiji believed that it would be unwise to mix the two groups.

    Natsuya came to a sudden realization. ''So I was mistaken¡­'' For a moment, she thought that Seiji had chosen Mika Uehara over her. ''Damn, that was a big misunderstanding,'' she reflected, feeling slightly embarrassed.

    Seiji had already promised to go with Mika Uehara and the others, so of course he would go together with them. In such a situation, asking him to go with her, Kanna, and Izawa would mean that everyone would be in arge group, which obviously wasn''t suitable.

    "I understand now; you''re absolutely correct," Natsuya said. "Go ahead and have fun with Uehara-san and the others. I¡­ I''ll go with Fujihara-san."

    Actually, she didn''t want to go anymore.

    The only reason she wanted to go to the doujinshi convention in the first ce was to be together with him. If she couldn''t go together with him, then she would prefer not to go at all.

    ''Well,'' Natsuya thought,forting herself, ''since it''se to this, I might as well go. Even if we''re not together, we might still meet up at the convention. Besides, it''s nice to see and learn more about the things that he likes.''

    She agreed to Kanna Fujihara''s invitation.

    Seiji said that he already had arrangements with someone else, so he wouldn''t be able to go together with them.

    Kanna snorted in response to this. "Shiroya-san probably just doesn''t want to reveal his true appearance. How stingy."

    "Master¡­" Izawa protested weakly.

    "Hmph! My eyes are incredible, you know! As long as I see you at the doujinshi convention, Shiroya-san, I''ll definitely recognize you!" Kanna ced her hands on her hips and warned, "Be careful to avoid me!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless. He smiled at how¡­ serious she was being.

    After meeting her at this party, he felt that this daughter from the Fujihara family was a cute girl. Unfortunately, she had an unhealthy obsession with boys'' love and a loose tongue, which meant that the conversation always seemed to stray towards the ufortable topic. Despite this, Seiji could tell she was a well-intentioned girl.

    "I''ll remember what you said just now, Fujihara-san. If I meet you at the convention and you fail to recognize me, I''m going to make fun of you."

    Kanna''s eyes widened upon hearing this. Izawa also froze for a moment, before his eyes started shining with a fervent light.

    "S-Shiroya-san," Kanna managed with difficulty, "you mean¡­ if we meet at the convention, you''ll¡­"

    "Yes, if we have the luck to do so." Seiji extended his hand towards Kanna. "It''s my honor to have gotten to know you, Fujihara-san."

    Kanna regained her senses and reached out to shake Seiji''s muchrger hand.

    Kanna smiled. "Although I still haven''t gotten to known you, I''m happy to have met you here, Shiroya-san."

    Her smile was one which belonged to ady of her status. After shaking hands with Kanna, Seiji extended his hand out to Izawa.

    Izawa shook his hand with a faint smile. "I''m looking forward to meeting you again."

    "I''m looking forward to it as well¡­ by the way, I may as well mention that I''m truly not someone who''s famous for being strong. In fact, it''s theplete opposite. So, at that time, I hope that you won''t be too disappointed."

    "Even if you aren''t famous now, you''ll definitely be famous in the future, so I definitely won''t be disappointed." Izawa''s eyes sparkled like gems. "You have strength as well as humility. You''re definitely no ordinary person."

    "Your praise makes me feel awkward. I''m only¡­ ah, forget it¡ªyou''ll find out when the timees." Seiji smiled. "I''m happy to have met you, Izawa-san."

 Chapter 354 - Gift-Giving Card

    <h4>Chapter 354: Gift-Giving Card</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji and Natsuya left in thetter''s car after saying goodbye to Kanna and Izawa.

    The car headed for the Uehara apartmentplex. When they were almost there, Seiji asked the driver to stop and let him off.

    Natsuya looked towards him. "Where are you going?"

    "I''m going to buy some things," Seiji answered.

    "Could it be that you''re buying Winter Snow Festival presents?"

    "Yep, for Shika-chan and Reo-chan, as well as Mika and her mother."

    "Nothing for me?"

    "Er¡­"

    "Just joking." The president smiled faintly.

    He was giving presents to Shika Kagura and Reo Tachibana, as well as his neighbor and friend Mika Uehara and her mother thendlord due to either living together with them or being neighbors. However, Natsuya and him weren''t in a romantic rtionship yet.

    The car stopped by the roadside.

    "I''m going. Happy Winter Snow Festival, Natsuya."

    "Take care. Happy Winter Snow Festival, Seiji."

    Seiji got off the car and left after saying goodbye.

    Natsuya watched him leave, until she couldn''t see him anymore.

    On the way, Seiji called Shika and told her that he was finished with what he was doing and that he was on the way home. He asked what she and Reo wanted to eat, and that he would buy it and bring it back for everyone.

    He headed for the business district and saw that there were many people around here. The atmosphere was so lively that it made even the chilly winds seem not so cold anymore.

    Seiji took note of what food he should buy for them, and then wondered about presents.

    Suddenly, he recalled that his system had a function in the [Gifts] option that he had never tried out before: checking the gifts that a target girl wanted!

    ''Let''s try this function out.''

    Seiji opened up his dating sim system, chose the [Gifts] option, then chose Shika''s name.

    A series of [Gift-Giving Cards], ranging from levels one through to ten, appeared before him.

    Seiji looked at the cards and thought for a moment before choosing level seven and paying the required points for it.

    The white card instantly gave off a faint glow, and Shika''s upper half appeared in front of him, as well as words that resembled her handwriting.

    [I want a personal, hand-drawn picture from Brother Seiji. It''s best if it''s a picture of me intimately hugging him.]

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    The system rendered her thoughts in her own tone of voice!? He was astonished at this.

    This seemed as if he was reading her diary, or mind reading¡­ Er, he supposed that this ability was a type of "mind reading" in its own right.

    Reading such information, should he say that it was too embarrassing, or that he felt like he was reading something he wasn''t supposed to? At any rate, Seiji felt that it was all quite subtle.

    His adopted sister wanted a hand-drawn picture from him. This was just like what he promised, while as for the content¡­ He felt rather embarrassed.

    ''I''m sorry, Shika-chan. The drawing Ipleted isn''t the one that you want.''

    He already finished his drawingst night. Right now, Seiji intended to buy some packaging and other small gifts, in order to make it look better when giving it to her.

    Just as he was thinking this, the words on the [Gift-Giving Card] changed.

    [Apart from the drawing, I also want a beautiful frame that I can put the drawing in. I absolutely have to take good care of the drawing that Brother Seiji gives to me.]

    This information could even change in real time!?

    Seiji''s eyes widened in surprise.

    ''What if I can''t get Shika a frame?'' he thought to himself. ''What else would be good?''

    Almost instantly, the words changed again.

    [I also want to sleep together with Brother Seiji¡­ Tachibana-chan gets to sleep together with Brother every night. I''m so jealous.]

    It refreshed again!

    This [Gift-Giving Card] wasn''t a one-use item, and it would constantly update itself!

    Seiji was astonished at how powerful the [Gift-Giving Card] was and amazed at the content of what he had just learned.

    ''Shika-chan¡­ wants to sleep together with me?''

    He recalled the scene of his adopted younger sister sleeping together with him by the kotatsu''s side.

    At the time, he didn''t think too much into it. But now that he recalled it, there was a soft and warm sensation and a fragrant aroma. Also, the words that she muttered in her sleep¡­

    Seiji''s heart started beating quicker.

    He then imagined the scene of being able to sleep together with the cute Shika in her pajamas on the same bed¡­ ''Stop! Forget it! If it''s just Reo, then it''s fine, but sleeping together with Shika¡­'' This was no good!

    ''It''s her wish, so why not help her fulfill it?'' He felt a tiny voice whisper from the abyss.

    ''Don''t say that to me! Don''t tempt me into depravity!!!'' Seiji shouted in his mind, using his sense of logic and reason to resist falling into the darkness. He barely managed to stop on the edge the bottomless chasm.

    This [Gift-Giving Card] was just too scary.

    It could see into a girl''s heart and even update itself constantly¡­ this ability was far more powerful than he expected!

    He thought about it carefully.

    If a level-seven [Gift-Giving Card] was already at such an extent, then an even higher level gift information card would probably obtain even more important information, which basically meant even deeper wishes from that girl.

    And the opposite was likely true as well. A low-level [Gift-Giving Card] card would probably show some non-important information, that was only at a surface level.

    In order to test his theory out, Seiji exchanged for Shika''s level-one [Gift-Giving Card] card as well. It showed one line of text.

    [I would like to have a new notebook.]

    It was exactly as he had surmised. The low-level [Gift-Giving Card] gave only some rather shallow information.

    He attempted to make the level-one [Gift-Giving Card] card update its information. All the results were basically the same: they were just some ordinary items.

    After confirming the situation, Seiji made a decision: he would use level-seven and above [Gift-Giving Card] with great care.

    For giving Winter Snow Festival presents, it would be enough for him to only exchange for level-six [Gift-Giving Card].

    Seiji felt that since he was giving a hand-drawn picture as the main present, it seemed rather awkward to also give a frame to go along with it. After some consideration, he decided to give Shika a photo album as an additional present.

    This album could help store his drawing as well, and also store future memories as well, which seemed nice to him.

    Reo''s level-six [Gift-Giving Card] showed that she wanted the newest video game system and a major new video game that had juste out!

    Seiji himself also wanted this, so he purchased it happily.

    Mika wanted a high-ss bottle of skin moisturizer.

    The price was slightly expensive, but this wasn''t a problem. The problem was that, if he gave her such a present, would she misunderstand?

    Seiji felt that it wasn''t too appropriate, so he refreshed the [Gift-Giving Card]''s information. It then showed him that she wanted a high-ss woman''s showering items set, which basically meant a set of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and so on.

    Hmm¡­ this seemed alright to him.

    A showering item set seemed pretty normal.

    Seiji felt that this was appropriate to give to both Mika and thendlord, so he decided to purchase two sets.

    After making his decisions on what to buy, he went to buy them.

    He took some time to buy everything on his list, then he joyously headed home with arge shopping bag in his hands.

    He coincidentally ran into Chiaki.

    She was slowly walking down the street, dressed in a ck windbreaker. She had her head lowered slightly, and seemed a little depressed.

    Seiji walked closer to her and called her name.

    There was no reaction.

    "Chiaki!" he shouted in a louder voice.

    Only then did she suddenly regain her senses as she turned around and saw him.

    "Seiji¡­ don''t scare me like that."

    "I wasn''t trying to scare you. You were the one daydreaming, and didn''t even notice me." Seiji looked towards her. "What''s the matter?"

    "Nothing¡­" Chiaki averted her gaze.

    "Please look into my eyes, and smile while saying that again."

    Chiaki was rendered speechless.

    "It''s quite obvious that there''s something bothering you, so there''s no need to lie about it. Just say it honestly," Seiji said.

    "It has nothing to do with you."

    "Be careful that I''m going to beat you up if you say something like that~"

    "Violence is forbidden."

    "I''m sorry, I''ve already used violence three times¡­ whoops, four times today. I don''t mind using violence one more time today." Seiji''s mouth arced upwards. "If you don''t want to be hit, then just be direct and say what''s bothering you."

 Chapter 355 - Beautiful Widow Landlordâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 355: Beautiful Widow Landlord¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "This is coercion through violence! I''m going to call the police." Chiaki acted as if she were resisting him.

    "Heh heh, resistance is futile." Seiji pretended to be some evil antagonist. Although he wanted to make a pose as well, he couldn''t because his hands were carrying the shopping bag filled with what he had just purchased. "In this demon king''s domain, nobody can save you! So give up on your useless resistance and obey your king!"

    Chiaki giggled at this. "It seems mismatched for you to say something like that while carrying a shopping bag in your hands."

    "I think so as well. How about you help me carry this for a moment, while I make a pose and say it again?"

    "You actually want a soft and weak flowery girl like me to carry something heavy? You''re so terrible!"

    "Terrible? Please ." Seiji looked directly at her face. "Alright, I''ll stop joking around now. Let''s be serious here: just what exactly happened?"

    "Can''t you be more considerate, and let me act the part of a mncholy girl some more?" Chiaki transformed into a sad pose.

    "Alright then, mncholy girl. Hello and goodbye." Seiji decisively began walking off.

    "Wait! Don''t leave me here." He heard a voice from behind him. Chiaki was running after him.

    "Honestly," she said with a snort. "Just leaving like that¡­"

    "I don''t know this mncholy girl and have nothing to say."

    "Don''t treat me like a stranger!"

    Chiaki reached out her hand. "Give me that shopping bag in your left hand. I''ll help you carry it."

    "I don''t know and soft and weak flowery girls."

    "Stop joking around and give it to me." The soft and weak flowery girl forcefully took a paper sack from him.

    ''Weren''t you the one joking around first?'' Seiji had such a look in his eyes.

    Chiaki pretended not to notice.

    The two of them walked on the street together side by side in silence.

    "Weren''t you having a date with Natsuya Yoruhana today?" Chiaki asked suddenly.

    "It wasn''t a date. I was apanying her to a party."

    "A party?"

    "Yes, a Yin-Yang Master party. She asked me to apany her as her temporary Spirit-branded Retainer."

    "Retainer¡­ you fought for her, right?" Chiaki recalled how he had mentioned using violence today.

    Seiji nodded. "Yes, I participated in a few duels."

    "Apart from that?"

    "Apart from that¡­ nothing else happened."

    Chiaki looked at him, and her mouth arced upwards ambiguously. "Joining such a party together with a mega beauty, but nothing intimate happened! What a pity~"

    Seiji was rendered speechless. He felt that there was something subtle about her tone of voice.

    "By the way," Chiaki said as an afterthought, "weren''t you supposed to apany her for the entire day?"

    "At first, that was what we agreed on. However, Juumonji-sensei reminded me that I shouldn''t just leave my family alone while during a festival, which was why I talked to Natsuya and modified our agreement."

    Chiaki blinked at this. "You''re calling the president by name now."

    "Yeah."

    "Isn''t this an intimate event? And you said there wasn''t anything at all. Liar."

    "Not at all. She asked me to call her by name before the party."

    "What happened before the party then?"

    "Nothing much¡­ no, some things indeed happened. Didn''t Mika tell you?"

    Chiaki had a confused expression.

    It seemed that she didn''t know what had happened. Seiji pondered for a moment, before deciding to tell her.

    Chiaki learned about the mysterious board game which pulled them into fantastical illusions, and the subsequent investigation regarding its history, the collection items in the Uehara family''s storage, and the mystery regarding the deceased Mr. Uehara¡­

    Chiaki''s eyes widened at this.

    "¡­Now, we''re just waiting for the results of the investigation. Hopefully, we''ll be able to find out the truth."

    "Mika¡­"

    "She''s feeling a little anxious regarding this matter and is currently processing it. She probably didn''t tell you for the time being because she didn''t want you to worry," Seiji exined.

    Chiaki fell silent for a moment before smiling.

    "If Mika''s father is actually just like you, the young master of some illustrious family with mystical power who was out in society by himself, then Mika is amoner girl who actually has the bloodline of an illustrious family¡­ Having such an unknown extraordinary past, it sounds just like the female lead of a television drama."

    "The Uehara family isn''t that kind of family."

    "Perhaps her father wasn''t from the Uehara family to begin with, and was adopted?"

    Seiji fell silent.

    "It''s possible, isn''t it? Until the investigation is over, there''s plenty of room for imagination." Chiaki rubbed her chin.

    "I suppose so¡­ but no matter what the truth is, Mika is Mika. That''s what I believe," Seiji said calmly.

    Chiaki looked towards him.

    "I just recalled back at that time¡­ the time when we were shopping for clothes together, you said something simr to me and Mika," she said in a soft voice as she recalled the scene at the time, which seemed to match his current charming smile under the street lights. "When Mika was being anxious, you probably said something simr to reassure her, right?"

    Seiji nodded. "I did indeed mention that time as well. I told her that no matter what, our rtionship wouldn''t change."

    Chiaki felt as if she could imagine that scene.

    The anxious pigtailed girl, and the boy before her who smiled gently and consoled her¡­ It was as clear as if it happened right before her.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "All these things that you purchased¡­ apart from the food, are they all Winter Snow Festival presents?" Chiaki changed the topic of conversation.

    "That''s right."

    "They''re probably for Kagura-san and Tachibana-chan, as well as Mika. What presents are they?"

    "I''m giving Shika-chan a photo album, a new video game system for Reo-chan, and two showering items sets for Mika and her mother."

    "Showering items sets¡­ it sounds a little perverted."

    "How can that be? It''s clearly just an ordinary present."

    "Normally speaking, yes, but you''re a boy. For a boy to give a beautiful mother and daughter something like this¡­ Looking at it objectively, it seems like you''re harboring secret intentions!" Chiaki acted as if she had seen through everything.

    "Secret intentions, the hell!" Seiji retorted.

    "I mean, although thendlord''s daughter is already a teenager, she''s still quite beautiful, and she''s maintained her excellent figure. She''s a beautiful widowndlord¡­ This description gives you a certain type of feeling, don''t you agree?"

    "Indeed¡­ No, no! What are you trying to get me to agree to!?"

    "''The daily life of a beautiful widowndlord,'' what will you think of first when you hear this?"

    "I''ll think of a porn video¡­ whoops, I wouldn''t think of anything at all!"

    "What about '' Living Together with a Beautiful Widow Landlord ?''"

    "Ma''am, I really like you¡­ Stop! Don''t say any more!!"

    "'' The Beautiful Widow Landlord''s Secret Affair ¡­''"

    "Stop it already!"

    The two of them messed around.

    By the time that they almost reached the Uehara apartment, Seiji looked at Chiaki, and was about to ask her again, but he swallowed down his words, and retracted his gaze.

    Something shed in Chiaki''s eyes as she looked at him.

    "Actually, I''m really fine, it''s just¡­ my bastard of a dad broke his promise to me," she said in a light voice. "He promised to eat dinner together with me for the Winter Snow Festival, but then he suddenly sent a message saying that he won''t being back today¡­"

    "Although I expected that this was highly probable, I¡­ still received an impact from this."

    "To receive such an impact from something I expected already, I think it''s so unseemly¡­ which was why I didn''t want to tell you."

    Chiaki did her best to sound rxed in her tone, but there was still a hint of softness and weakness in it.

    She disliked herself for receiving an impact from such a matter and bing downcast, but she was unable to control her own emotions, just like a young child who was throwing a temper tantrum.

    Seiji looked towards her.

    He realized that right now, she didn''t need consoling, but rather¡­

    "Come over to my ce for the holiday," he said calmly.

    "¡­Is that alright?"

    "Don''t ask something as foolish as that."

    Something shed in Chiaki''s eyes.

    "I''d like to drink alcohol, is that alright?"

    "Nope. There''s only tea and fruit juice."

    "I''d like to stay over at your ce, is that alright?"

    "Go over to Mika''s ce for that."

    "I''ve already gotten bored of sleeping on her bed, I want to sleep on your bed."

    "There''s no more beds avable at my ce. There are only tatami mats."

    "Tatamis are fine as well~" Chiaki said joyously with an alluring expression on her face.

 Chapter 356 - She Just Has to Level up Twice!

    <h4>Chapter 356: She Just Has to Level up Twice!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki came over, Mika came over, and even thendlord came over.

    There were so many people over at Seiji''s ce, and things were quite lively. As the master of the house, Seiji forced Shika to rest and took a spot in the kitchen.

    Nozomi also used her status as a master of the house to take a second spot in the kitchen.

    Mika wanted to take the third spot in the kitchen, but Chiaki forcefully usurped the position.

    "I shall allow you all to witness the cooking skills of a level-less cook!" She made a pose as if she was the main character of a certain cooking manga.

    "What''s a level-less cook supposed to be?"

    "A cook without a level."

    "Isn''t that just an ordinary person!"

    The two of them kept joking around and retorting at each other as they worked in the kitchen. Nozomi smiled upon seeing them, as if she were watching children that liked to mess around.

    In the living room, Shika and Reo yed a video game together, while Mika watched them.

    After one round finished, Shika handed the game controller to Mika.

    Mika took the controller and began battling against Reo.

    She used a white-haired girl wearing a sailor uniform, and was continuously attacked by Reo''s character who was a muscr man wearing a triangr thong. Finally, she was KO''d by the muscr character who clutched the schoolgirl in a bear hug and spun around, finishing her off by throwing her over his head in an extravagant KO!

    "Uehara nee-san is so weak," Reo cackled.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    Now, what could the pigtailed girl possibly be feeling after being beaten so badly by an elementary school girl using a muscr man character wearing a triangr thong?

    What do you think!

    ''Why is it that a little girl would use a half-naked muscr man character, and is even so good at it? This is too strange!'' Mikamented to herself, and then asked Reo directly about it.

    "Because he looks quite interesting," Reo answered.

    ''Quite interesting¡­'' Mika was unable to understand.

    As a high school girl, she was now feeling the generation gap between her and the elementary school girl.

    Shika quietly sipped on some tea.

    She didn''t dislike the fact that her home had gotten so lively. However, the most important to her was still¡­ her brother, Seiji.

    She felt rxed whenever she saw his figure around. Right now, she was really looking forward to the Winter Snow Festival present that he had promised to give to her.

    She really wanted to see the drawing that her brother did when he was serious.

    There was an abundant feast for dinner, with delicious dishes spread all over the table.

    Everyone sat around the table and enjoyed the meal. They seemed just like a big family.

    There was constant chatter in this lively atmosphere.

    Only after the meal was over did things quiet down a little.

    Mika and Shika washed the dishes, while Reo also volunteered to help.

    Cook Seiji, Nozomi, and Chiaki sat in the living room by the kotatsu , andzily rxed without talking for a while.

    "A kotatsu is sofortable¡­ this type offort and warmth far surpasses that of air conditioning," Chiakizily spoke up whileying her head on the table.

    "Yep¡­ it''s really amazing." Seiji alsoid his head on the table.

    "I''m going to sleep right here tonight, just give me a pillow."

    "Eh? You''re going to sleep here?" Nozomi was surprised by this.

    Chiaki nodded.

    "That''s not good is it,e over to my ce, and sleep together with Mika."

    "That won''t be necessary, Auntie, here is fine. I want to experience what it''s like to sleep next to a kotatsu for an entire night." Chiaki grinned widely.

    "You''ll catch a cold."

    "I won''t, this kotatsu is so warm."

    Seiji listened to them converse and felt as if they were like mother and daughter.

    ''Perhaps thendlord views Chiaki who''s her daughter''s good friend and is also from a single-parent family just like another daughter.'' Seiji thought that to himself.

    Nozomi tried convincing Chiaki otherwise, and was unable to make Chiaki change her mind, so she turned to look at Seiji.

    Seiji shrugged and used an expression of "let''s allow her to do as she wishes."

    "I''ll give her a nket, so she probably won''t get a chill."

    Seeing his carefree attitude, Nozomi decided to not say anything more.

    Seiji poured some tea for her, as well as himself and Chiaki.

    They drank tea and watched some TV. There was a special program on for the Winter Snow Festival.

    On this program, there was a national idol, a ck-haired beautiful girl wearing a whitece one-piece dress who was singing a ssical song passionately on stage.

    Her singing was beautiful to behold. It made people feel as if they were walking in the snow, giving them a sense of full immersion. People said that she had a heavenly voice.

    Seiji wasn''t very interested in idols, but he also knew her name¡ªMiyuki Sakuraku. He felt that her singing was indeed excellent, as expected of a top-level idol.

    "I suddenly feel like¡­ Miyuki Sakuraku kind of resembles Mika," Chiaki suddenly said.

    "Eh?" Seiji and Nozomi both looked towards her.

    "I suddenly just got this impression¡­ take a closer look at her, don''t you think so as well?"

    Seiji and Nozomi blinked at this, and both focused on the television.

    Taking a closer look at the national idol''s face on TV, Seijipared her face to Mika''s face, and felt that¡­

    "You''re right, they do resemble each other."

    The position of their eyes, noses, mouths¡­ there were indeed many subtle simrities.

    But they were only at the degree of being subtly simr. Withoutparing closely, normally nobody would notice.

    "This degree of simrity is probably only normal."

    For an ordinary person to bear some resemnce to a star, this wasn''t rare at all, and didn''t mean much by itself.

    "Normally speaking, yes, but what if they''re really rted?" Chiaki half-joked. "Perhaps they''re distant rtives, or they could even surprisingly be close rtives."

    "If they''re distant rtives, then that''s basically no different from having no rtion at all, and as for being close rtives¡­ I think that you''re thinking too much into it," Seiji said.

    "Do you really think so?" Chiaki revealed a deep seeming expression. "Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction."

    Seiji knew what she meant by this.

    Until the mystery about Mika''s father was resolved, there was plenty of room left to the imagination about her family history. It was theoretically possible for her to be rted to the national idol.

    "If you must, of course it''s possible, but it''s still reading too much into things to imagine such a possibility."

    "Just imagine it; don''t you think that it would be quite interesting if it was really the case?"

    "Interesting¡­ well, perhaps. But it''s not much anyways, it''s just having a national idol as your rtive, not like Mika would be transforming into a national idol."

    "Perhaps she''ll enter the entertainment circle with a national idol as her rtive helping her out!"

    "I don''t think that will happen. Mika isn''t suitable to be an idol."

    "That''s a little mean."

    "I''m just saying what I think. Do you think that Mika''s suitable to be an idol?"

    "She just has to level up twice!"

    "What do you even mean by levels? By saying this, isn''t that the same as you agreeing that she''s not the type to be an idol?"

    The two of them struck up a casual conversation.

    Meanwhile, Nozomi remained silent, but her eyes glimmered faintly.

    On the TV screen, Miyuki Sakuraku finished her song, and shed a beautiful smile as she bowed towards the audience.

    Seiji gave Shika, Reo, Mika, and thendlord their Winter Snow Festival presents.

    Mika was delighted, and Nozomi was happy as well. Both mother and daughter thanked him for the presents.

    Reo thanked Seiji before opening up her present to find the new and popr video game system that she had really wanted! She instantly widened her eyes in surprise before jumping up and down in delight, wanting to y it immediately.

    Shika opened up her gift and first saw the drawing that Seiji had done for her.

    With a romantic and mystical seeming atmosphere, the beautiful and handsome main adopted siblings from "Brother Monogatari" were reaching out to each other, about to take each other''s hand.

    The two characters seemed so realistic in their depictions and expressions in this wonderfully exquisite drawing, as if they were living.

    Shika was instantly charmed by this picture. She stared at the drawing for a long while, without even blinking, being lost in the drawing.

    She felt so much, that she even felt as if this was a real scene from another dimension!

 Chapter 357 - Ive Seen Through You for What You Really Are!

    <h4>Chapter 357: I''ve Seen Through You for What You Really Are!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The drawing was simply too wonderful.

    Shika Kagura truly loved this drawing.

    Seeing this picture caused her to recall the discussion she had with her brother about how to write Brother Monogatari together. This gave her a warm feeling inside.

    She would definitely work hard in the future as well, and continue creating an even better story together with her brother.

    "This drawing¡­ did Seiji draw it?" someone said from beside her.

    Chiaki had seen this drawing from the side, causing her eyes to light up.

    "Seiji, did you draw this?" she asked Seiji directly.

    Seiji nodded in confirmation.

    "Amazing! Your art talent was actually at such a high level," Chiaki praised. "These are the main characters of Brother Monogatari , aren''t they? Nice!"

    Her words attracted everyone''s attention.

    Mika came over to have a look and was simrly astonished.

    "Amazing art¡­ Seiji was actually this good at drawing."

    Mika also praised his art after taking a look.

    Reo also took a look and said, "So beautiful."

    Seiji felt awkward about being praised by so many people.

    "How did you draw it? When did you even learn how to draw?" Chiaki asked him out of curiosity.

    "I''ve been practicing for a while now¡­" he answered in an unclear fashion.

    Chiaki was honestly astonished to learn that Seiji had learned by himself to such an extent in just a short time.

    He was amazing at writing stories and art as well, which could only be described as a genius''s level. Thinking about how he was nothing more than a scumbag NEET in the past, it seemed inconceivable to Chiaki.

    ''Could it be that he awakened some special ability?

    ''After he changed himself, the enormous potential within his body was finally activated, or his special bloodline began to take effect¡­ just like the main character in a fantasy anime who came to a sudden realization which helped him to massively increase his power!''

    That''s right, a main character.

    Someone from an illustrious family who was exiled for being a scumbag, that came to a self-realization and changed himself, bing handsome and strong, and utilizing his own excellent talent¡­ what else could he be other than a main character!?

    When Chiaki thought of all this, she even impulsively felt like shouting: "I''ve seen through you for what you really are!"

    If he was already at such an extent after learning art for just a little while, just what level could he reach if he learned art for even longer?

    She suddenly had an idea when she thought of her own artist father.

    ''No, that''s too difficult. But¡­ if it''s really possible¡­''

    Chiaki couldn''t help but think about it some more as she observed the boy before her, causing her mouth to arc upwards.

    "Seiji, I think that your art is already at the level where it can be the insert art for your own novel," Mika said. "Why don''t you ask Editor Yoshizawa if she can help you with this?"

    "Not a bad suggestion¡­ but I didn''t have any intentions of bing a professional artist." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion as he looked towards his adopted younger sister. "Shika-chan, what do you think?"

    "I think that Brother''s drawing can definitely be the insert art for our novel," Shika said. "If Brother draws for Brother Monogatari , it''ll definitely be the best drawing! Better than any other artist." Her tone was resolute and her eyes were sparkling.

    "So, you wish for me to be the insert art artist for our novel?"

    "Yes¡­ but it''s fine if Brother doesn''t want to draw for it."

    "While I don''t intend to go professional, if you want for me to draw for ''Brother Monogatari,'' that''s another matter entirely." Seiji began to smile. "I''ll contact Editor Yoshizawa tomorrow and discuss this with her."

    "Thank you, Brother Seiji." Shika smiled as well.

    Apart from the drawing, there was also a beautiful photo album included in the gift wrapping.

    When Shika saw the photo album, she understood what Seiji meant by it, and was even more moved.

    "When I see a photo album, I automatically want to take pictures. Let''s start taking some pictures right away," Chiaki said as she brought out her cell phone.

    "Seiji, let''s start with you and Kagura-san! Pick a ce and make a pose."

    Seiji looked towards Shika. "Let''s just take our picture in the living room."

    "Okay¡­"

    The two of them stood together in the living room as Chiaki took a photo of them with her cell phone camera and inspected the photo.

    "This is no good; it''s too ordinary. It''s basically a waste of your looks." She looked towards the two of them before looking at the living room.

    "Sit down by the kotatsu , and make a pose as Imand!"

    Seiji and Shika looked at each other wryly, but went along with it.

    Chiaki, who seemed like a professional photographer, gave them detailed instructions on how to pose as she took numerous photos.

    "Seiji, move your head a little to the right. Kagura-san, lower your hand slightly.

    "Don''t be so close to each other, split up slightly. Give an impression that you''re so close yet so far away.

    "Good¡­ excellent, just like that!"

    Chiaki was highly satisfied and was clearly enjoying this.

    ''They have such excellent appearances! So as long as they pose a little seriously, they will look wonderful. If only I was using a professional camera instead of my cell phone¡­ If the lighting was better, my pictures would definitely be magazine-worthy!''

    She suddenly had an idea¡ªwhat if Seiji''s novel didn''t need insert art, and instead Shika and him only needed to cosy the male and female leads. Just taking a few photos of them would be sufficient.

    Although she knew that her idea wouldn''t be epted, Chiaki truly believed that it would work. After all, Seiji and Shika''s physical appearances were at a cheat-like level.

    "Alright then, that''s enough for now. Now then, Kagura-san, please stand down. Mika, it''s your turn."

    The pigtailed girl approached the boy with some embarrassment.

    "Seiji, hug Mika tightly, and make an expression as if you''re about to kiss her passionately! It''s fine if you really kiss her as well."

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a moment.

    "What are you saying!? Thendlord''s also watching us¡­"

    "I don''t mind," Nozomi said with a big smile and an expression that said she was happy to watch.

    Mika''s face began to redden.

    "Is there going to be a kiss? I wanna watch." Reo blinked her eyes cutely.

    "Chiaki!" Seiji protested. ''Look at what you''re teaching the children!'' he said with his eyes.

    "Just joking~ It''s fine if you just look at each other with deep expressions~" Chiaki chuckled.

    ''Deep expression? You¡­''

    Seiji looked towards Mika.

    Mika also looked at his face, with something shining in her eyes. She revealed a slightly seductive expression.

    Seiji''s gaze froze slightly on her when he saw her expression.

    There was the click of Chiaki''s cell phone camera taking a photo.

    "Nice! This is an excellent photo!!" Chiaki gave a huge thumbs-up after inspecting the photo she had taken. "Both of you had excellent expressions, and this photo will leave quite a deep impression."

    "Let me see¡­ Oh my, it''s true." Nozomi went over and took a look. She chuckled lightly after seeing the photo.

    Seiji felt awkward about it.

    Mika also appeared more embarrassed.

    "Maintain this feeling! The next pose is¡­" Chiaki continued giving instructions.

    The next poses were basically simr to the previous ones, but now that the boy and girl involved were embarrassed, the entire atmosphere changed.

    There was the feeling of something more than friendship, yet less than romance. It also felt like the feeling of love in one''s heart, but difficult to confess. At any rate, it was the sweet-and-sour atmosphere of youth.

    Chiaki''s eyes were sparkling as she watched this, and Nozomi also watched the proceedings with interest. Reo didn''t quite understand, and Shika¡­ was expressionless.

    ''I''m so embarrassed!''

    Seiji felt as if this was basically all an embarrassing act. Even though he obviously only had to calm down and everything would be fine, he was unable to control his emotions.

    Mika was simrly unable to control herself. Her emotions, heartbeat, or innermost feelings were all spiraling out of control.

    The red on her face just wouldn''t recede, nor did the seductive look in her eyes fade. She was acting just like a girl in love¡­ no, she was a girl in love.

    The photos recorded this scene, turning them into clear memories for forever.

 Chapter 358 - The â€œYoung Woman and the High School Boyâ€

    <h4>Chapter 358: The ¡°Young Woman and the High School Boy¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    After finishing the series of pictures with Mika, next up was taking pictures together with Reo.

    Seiji was able to calm down and return to a normal state because he wasn''t embarrassed about taking pictures together with an elementary school girl.

    He wanted a little to take a look at the pictures of him together with Mika, but also somewhat didn''t dare¡­

    After the pictures with Reo were finished, next up was Chiaki.

    She happily requested poses that were rather pretentious, such as them y-acting at fighting, back against back while hooking their arms, acting as if they were two parts of abination mecha, or pretending to be masked heroes¡­

    Seiji did as she requested!

    Compared to earlier, this type of exaggerated pose was far easier for him to do.

    "Is it my turn next?"

    After he finished with Chiaki, someone spoke up.

    When he turned around, he saw that thendlord was smiling while raising her hand.

    "I''d like to take pictures together with Haruta-kun in the same style as with Mika just now," Nozomi said with a big grin.

    "What?"

    Seiji and Chiaki were both astonished at this, and Mika''s eyes bulged.

    "Mom¡­ you¡­"

    "I think that it''ll be quite interesting to take them for aparison." Nozomi smiled. "Seeing you all doing such a good job with the pictures, I want to revisit my youth as well."

    Seiji, Chiaki, and Mika were all rendered speechless.

    *Pat.*

    Chiaki lightly pped Seiji on the back.

    "The beautiful widowndlord¡­ you have a chance with her," she whispered to him.

    ''What chance are you talking about!?''

    Seiji''s eyebrows kept twitching.

    He was unable to refuse thendlord''s request.

    While taking the pictures, Nozomi didn''t blush, nor did she have a seductive expression like Mika''s. However, just her gentle smile alone seemed to have its own appeal which disyed the attractiveness of a mature woman.

    Making such identical poses to the ones that he used with her daughter, doing them with a beautiful young woman like Nozomi right in front of her own daughter¡­ the embarrassment he felt was indescribable!

    Seiji felt like his face was burning up.

    Nozomi found it all the more fun to see how embarrassed Seiji was, and couldn''t help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

    Chiaki decisively recorded this moment with her cell phone camera, and the resulting picture was¡­ basically a ssic!

    Chiaki even felt like impulsively entering a photography contest with this photo, with the title of The Young Woman and the High School Boy . She felt like she would definitely obtain a prize!

    Mika hadplex emotions as she observed this.

    She wasn''t foolish enough to think that her mother was interested in Seiji, but this scene was¡­ she didn''t know what to think of it.

    After finishing the series of poses identical to the ones done with Mika, Chiaki strongly requested several extra photos, that were more intimate, as if they were really mother and son.

    ''Stop messing around!'' Although Seiji wanted to say that, before he got the opportunity, Nozomi was already agreeing.

    "I would feel so lucky to have a son like Haruta-kun," the young woman said softly. "It''ll be nice to take some photos like that."

    Seiji was unable to refuse, so his embarrassment continued.

    "Let''s have ap pillow photo first!" Chiaki who was passionately enjoying this continued giving instructions.

    Nozomi looked towards Seiji and smiled as she patted her thigh.

    Seiji did his very best to not let his expression change.

    "Is that¡­ really alright?"

    Nozomi nodded, and indicated with her eyes to "hurry up ande over."

    Seiji could only adjust his position and then slowlyy down on her thighs.

    There was a soft feeling and a faint fragrant scent¡­ This was already his second time receiving ap pillow today. Could it be that today was his lucky day forp pillows?

    The young woman gently caressed his head and brushed her hand through his hair while lightly touching his face with her other hand. She was smiling with a gentle expression in her eyes and gave off such a warm and soft aura.

    "Excellent, just like this! It''s so realistic!!" Chiaki kept snapping pictures.

    The immense embarrassment caused Seiji to close his eyes.

    If he was able to ignore the fact that someone was currently taking pictures while others were watching him, this would indeed be an excellent and rxing situation for him. However, he was unable to ignore the others.

    ''Even I haven''t done that for Seiji yet¡­'' Mika thought to herself with even moreplex emotions than earlier.

    Lap pillows weren''t something that couples could monopolize, and it was fine to do it between mother and child as well. But if it was a "pretend mother and child," then that seemed rather subtle.

    "Alright! Next up is a massage. Seiji, help auntie here and massage her shoulders." Chiaki continued giving instructions.

    They did various different poses for the pictures.

    Apart from thep pillow, none of them were as awkward, which suited Seiji just fine.

    After that, Mika and Chiaki took pictures together, Reo and Shika took pictures together, Chiaki and Nozomi took pictures together, and Reo and Nozomi took pictures together. Variousbinations were made.

    Finally, everyone ended things with a big group photo.

    Seiji looked over all the final pictures, and felt that just as he expected, the ones with him and Mika or Nozomi were the most embarrassing, especially after seeing theparisons¡­

    "Just as I thought, it was quite interesting to see theparisons," said Nozomi while covering her mouth and chuckling as she also perused the pictures. "I''m going to have these pictures printed out and store them in our photo album."

    ''Just what would Mika think of all this?'' Seiji suddenly got curious about this as he tugged at the corner of his lips.

    The pigtailed girl had gone back to her own home. She returned with several gift boxes.

    "Seiji, this is for you¡­ Happy Winter Snow Festival." She gave him a blue gift box.

    "Thank you." Seiji epted it.

    Mika also gave Shika and Reo a pink gift box for each of them, and both of them thanked her as well.

    Seiji opened up his gift box to find a dark scarf. When he tried putting it on, it felt rather warm.

    "Nice, it''s really warm." Seiji smiled.

    "It''s fine as long as you like it," Mika said as her eyes lit up when she saw him wearing the scarf.

    Shika received a pair of gloves, while Reo received a pair of socks. All the clothing articles were beautiful.

    They continued looking through the photos.

    Mika blushed when she saw the photos of her together with Seiji, but when she saw the ones of her mother with Seiji, she revealed a strange expression.

    When she heard that her mother intended to put all of their pictures with Seiji on the same page of their family photo album''s collection, she immediately objected.

    "I don''t want to! I want to keep mine! Mom, you can keep yours."

    "Why''s that? Isn''t it more interesting to keep them together forparison?"

    "I don''t want topare myself to you, Mom! It feels weird."

    "It''s not weird at all, it''s proof of our mother-daughter bond."

    "What bond? I don''t want this type of proof!"

    "You don''t cherish your mother-daughter bond¡­ my daughter is in her rebellious stage." Nozomi pretended to sigh.

    "I''m not!" Mika retorted.

    The mother and daughter kept up their teasing conversation.

    "They really have such a good rtionship," Seiji said while sipping on some tea and observing them.

    "Yep, they really do," Chiaki said as she also sipped on tea and observed them. "The rtionship between me and my dad isn''t even one percent as good as theirs."

    Seiji looked towards Chiaki. "Did he say why this time that he couldn''te back home?"

    "Nope, not even half a word of exnation."

    "That is¡­ indeed what a bastard would do."

    Chiaki chuckled. "I called him that long ago."

    Meanwhile, Reo installed and turned on the new video game system that she had received, and began ying her new game.

    There was the sound of elegant music, and a handsome hero appeared on the television screen wearing blue clothing and holding on to a sword and shield. He looked resolutely towards a distant mountain¡­

    Seiji and Chiaki looked over to see that Reo was having great fun ying her new game.

    Nozomi began retelling stories from Mika''s childhood, and Mika tried her best to stop her mother from saying any more.

    Shika silently sipped on her tea and slowly and imperceptibly kept moving closer to Seiji.

    It was now snowing again outside.

    The silently falling snowkes seemed to have a warm light to them when illuminated by the lighting inside Seiji''s apartment.

 Chapter 359 - You Want to Be My Blanket!?

    <h4>Chapter 359: You Want to Be My nket!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    It gradually started gettingte into the night.

    Mika and Nozomi went back to their own residence.

    Shika showered first, and then Seiji showered after.

    When he was finished with his shower, his adopted younger sister pulled on him and led him to her room.

    "Brother Seiji¡­ for you." She handed him a white gift box.

    Seiji thanked her and received it. When he opened it, he saw that the present was a ck jacket.

    He put it on immediately and felt that it was a perfect size.

    "This fits me perfectly, and looks rather nice." Seiji smiled as he told this to Shika. She then suddenly walked up close to him, reached out, and straightened his cor.

    He felt something warm within him as he looked at his adopted sister''s beautiful face from such a close distance, observing her gentle expression.

    He couldn''t help but recall that wish of hers that he saw on her [Gift-Giving Card]¡­

    He suddenly had an urge to hug her, but he restrained himself.

    "Brother¡­"

    Shika didn''t back away after straightening his cor. She continued looking at his face, with something shing in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something.

    Seiji felt his heartbeat growing louder.

    "I want to be together with you¡­" she said as her face began to flush red. Suddenly, she averted her gaze. "Together¡­ just like this."

    "Eh?"

    "Living together like this¡­ forever."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say at this.

    He kept moving his hands, clenching his fists tightly in order to suppress the emotions within himself.

    "Yep, of course." He smiled. "We''ll always be together."

    After leaving Shika''s room, Seiji felt like he wanted to beat himself up. However, even he himself didn''t understand why this was.

    When he went back to the living room, he saw Chiaki ying a video game together with Reo.

    Seiji told Reo to go take a shower, and she obediently put down the game controller and headed to take a shower.

    Chiaki handed Reo''s game controller to Seiji.

    He happily epted the controller and joined the battle.

    Chiaki used a red-headed man with a white shirt, while Seiji used a blonde man with a red shirt. They vigorously fought each other on the television screen, shouting out various technique names.

    Chiaki used an ultimate attack, but she was blocked. Seiji countered with abination of moves that beautifully KO''d and even overkilled her character.

    They yed several rounds, with every round ending in Seiji''s victory with an overkill.

    "You don''t go easy on me at all. Such a vicious man you are."

    "It''s a fighter''s way of showing respect by going all-out every time!"

    "I don''t want this type of respect, go easier on me!"

    "Hahaha, impossible!"

    Seiji posed proudly and haughtily.

    Chiaki requested a change of games after seeing that it wouldn''t be possible for her to win at this one.

    Seiji immediately epted.

    And then, he was viciously defeated!

    "Haha, only having those few points, how pitiful~"

    "Wah¡­ Damn it! How low of you!"

    "Calling the victor low is nothing more than the wailing of a loser dog, just bark like that! Hahaha-"

    Chiaki pretended to be some evil female antagonist, and imitated the ssical three repeated cackles from so many animes as she looked condescendingly down upon loser dog Seiji.

    Seiji did his best recoup his losses.

    When Reo finished her shower, this battle changed from a 1-on-1 duel to a three-way free-for-all. They had fun ying against each other until it was bedtime.

    Seiji told Reo to get in bed and go to sleep first, while he brought over an extra nket and pillow over to Chiaki in the living room.

    "With this equipment, I''ll be able to survive winter safely! Thank you so much for your support, First Lieutenant Haruta." Chiaki smiled and bowed as she epted these items.

    "No need for thanks, Second Lieutenant Wakaba." Seiji looked at her. "If you still feel cold, you can call for me."

    "And then you''ll warm me up with your body?"

    "Body, the hell! I''ll give you an extra nket."

    "You want to be my nket!?

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Chiaki giggled at her own joke.

    The two of them exchanged nces for a while.

    "Good night, Seiji."

    "Good night, Chiaki."

    After saying good night to each other, Seiji turned off the light in the living room and returned to his bedroom.

    "Harano onii-chan, a present for you!"

    When he returned to his room, he saw Reo hopping out and handing him a small gift box.

    "Thank you." Seiji happily epted and opened it up.

    The present was a small Milk Cream Bunny mascot from Honey Candy Girl . It was attached to a string, and was a suitable size for being hung on his cell phone or his desk as a decoration.

    "I really like this, it''s quite cute," he told her sincerely.

    The little girl smiled cutely.

    After carefully putting away the small rabbit doll, Seiji turned off the lights and went to sleep.

    He then entered Reo''s soul realm.

    He opened up his system and checked his [Gifts] option and saw that he had received many rewards from Shika''s, Mika''s, and Reo''s gifts.

    After carefully inspecting all his reward items, he felt that the most special one among them was -

    [Free ability usage card], received from Shika''s gift.

    With this one-time-use card, he could use any ability of his at no cost to him, without using any of his energy or Mana, and ignoring any usage limitations like number of times he could use it in a day. For example, [Light from the Brink], which was only usable one time per day, even if he used it once already, he could use it again on the same day by using this card!

    He received an [Invisible attack card] from Mika''s present.

    This one-time-use card would allow him to bepletely invisible until he touched some living creature or person. This condition could be maintained for a maximum of 2 minutes, and it was possible for those with a very high level of [Astral Vision] to be able to see him. If he attacked anything living while under this invisibility effect, his attack''s power would be doubled, and he would be revealed afterwards.

    This was basically a ssicalbination of some assassin techniques like "stealth" and "backstab!"

    He received a [Damage-canceling defense card] from Reo''s gift.

    Using this one-time-card would allow him to block any one attacking at him and receive zero damage from it.

    He had only three words to describe it: life-saving card! He could definitely act pretentiously by using this to block some enemy''s ultimate ability.

    Apart from these three cards, the rest were some stat-raising cards as well as items that had less than spectacr effects.

    Seiji gratefully epted all of their feelings.

    He immediately used all the stat-raising cards he had received, which increased his [Art], [Charisma], and [Spiritual Power] stats respectively.

    After that, he closed his system and began to practice cultivation.

    After he fulfilled the progress requirements and paid the required points, Seiji learned [Beginner-level Healing].

    Seiji rested for a while, then he used the same old method of jumping off thedder to leave Reo''s soul realm.

    When he woke up, he got up lightly in order to not wake up Reo, got out of bed, put on his jacket, and walked out of his room.

    He walked over to the living room, and discovered that Chiaki wasn''t there!

    The front door was open.

    Seiji walked outside to see the silver-haired beauty standing outside, quietly observing the night sky with her borrowed cloth nket covering her shoulders.

    The snow had stopped falling now, and the moon had appeared. It was illuminating everything with a gentle silver glow.

    Under this silver moon, a silver-haired girl was looking up at the sky¡­ this scene seemed beautiful and poetic to Seiji.

    He walked over to her side, and quietly looked at the night sky together with her.

    After a moment of silence.

    "You found me," Chiaki said softly. "I didn''t sleep together with Mika, because I felt that I would likely be unable to sleep tonight. I should have returned home, but I really didn''t want to go back¡­ so I could only bother you tonight. Well, I did want to experience what it felt like to sleep on tatami mats by a kotatsu ''s side as well¡­ at any rate, I was just being willful. I apologize for any bother I may have caused you."

    Seiji looked towards her.

    "I didn''t notice anything in particr, and was just allowing you to do as you pleased. I came out in the middle of the night to check on you because I was worried if you would be cold. I know that you can be a bit willful at times, and it''s fine. If I thought that you were saying something unreasonable, I''dment on it. If I thought that you were doing something unreasonable, I''d stop you with my iron fists of justice. And on the other hand, as long as I don''t think it''s something unreasonable, I''ll cooperate with you, or help you out, or apany you."

    Seiji smiled gently. "So, that''s why you shouldn''t apologize, nor lose yourself too much in loneliness¡­ The expression of a female lead from a tragedy story doesn''t suit you at all, Chiaki."

 Chapter 360 - Could You Warm Me up with Your Body?

    <h4>Chapter 360: Could You Warm Me up with Your Body?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Chiaki smiled rather seductively as she looked at Seiji with a gentle expression. "In that case, what type of female lead''s expression do you think suits me?"

    "Of course, the expression of a female lead from a show where she leads a blessed and happy life."

    "Is there even such a television show?"

    "Of course. Comedies, funny shows, slice-of-life shows, encouraging shows¡­ at any rate, any show where the characters are having fun and smiling is such a show. They''re much moremon than tragedy shows."

    "When you say it like that, it sounds true."

    The two of them began casually chatting. As they conversed, the girl moved closer to the boy and lightly leaned against his side.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "I''m a little cold."

    "Let''s go back inside, then."

    "I don''t want to go back inside yet."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Could you warm me up with your body?" Chiaki smiled as she opened up the cloth nket she was covering herself with.

    Her current expression had an alluring seductiveness to it. Inbination with her words, it caused Seiji to feel rather itchy inside.

    He silently epted the nket and covered himself in it together with Chiaki.

    Chiaki was holding on to his left arm with her right hand, sticking very close to him.

    "I''m no longer cold now."

    Her body was warm, and her heart was warm. She immersed herself in this reassuring feeling.

    "Seiji¡­ can I always rely on you?"

    "Hmm?"

    "You said just earlier that you''ll cooperate with and apany me in anything that''s not unreasonable¡­ will this continue on forever?"

    "Of course!"

    "Really? I can be quite annoying."

    "I said something else earlier as well. If I think you''re being unreasonable, I''llment upon it and use my iron fists of justice upon you."

    "Then it''s a deal! I''m going to always rely on you, and you can''t even think about getting rid of me."

    "Yep, of course not. You''re my important good friend."

    ''Am I only a good friend ? '' Chiaki''s mouth arced upwards as something shed in her eyes. ''I want more than that, idiot Seiji.''

    The next morning, Chiaki left and said goodbye after eating breakfast together.

    When she left, she had a joyous expression on her face¡­ Seiji felt that he didn''t need to worry about her any more.

    Mika asked about Chiaki''s situation, and Seiji exined it to her. She had a sad expression after hearing it.

    "Why does¡­ Chiaki''s father treat her that way?"

    Seiji remained silent at this.

    Just judging from the one-sided actions, her father indeed seemed to be neglecting his fatherly duties.

    Should he act for Chiaki''s sake and try finding a way to contact and talk to her father?

    He was unsure if he should do so.

    Chiaki didn''t seem to intend on asking him to involve himself. If he forced himself to intervene, it would be difficult to guess at what the oue would be, and perhaps he would even make things worse.

    He decided to learn more about Mr. Wakaba first. Only by understanding more would he know what he should do.

    "Mika, what do you know about Chiaki''s father?"

    "His name is Shinkou Wakaba, and he''s a famous artist¡­" Mika said some basics about him. All she knew was some very basic information that she had searched for on the inte before when she first learned that Chiaki''s father was a famous artist.

    Seiji silently listened to the little that she knew.

    "Seiji, are you intending to do something?"

    "Not for the time being¡­"

    He exined what he was thinking, and Mika nodded in understanding without saying anything more about it.

    Meanwhile, Reo happily started ying her new video game.

    After watching her for a while, Seiji recalled that there was something he had to do, so he took out his cell phone and called someone.

    The call was epted.

    "Good morning, Editor Yoshizawa."

    "Good morning, Harano."

    "Did you have a nice Winter Snow Festival?" Seiji asked casually.

    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

    "¡­Just like normal," the female editor responded in a light tone.

    There seemed to be something buried beneath that light tone of hers.

    ''Did something happen to Editor Yoshizawa yesterday?'' Seiji was curious about it.

    He wanted to ask, but his experience told him that it would be best not to ask, as he may step on andmine.

    "Er¡­ That''s nice, to be the same as always."

    "Yeah, working just like always, overtime just like always, going home by myself on the bus just like always, eating a frozen meal from the convenience store for dinner and watching TV by myself just like always¡­ it''s pretty nice."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt as if he could see darkness emanating from those calm seeming words of hers, so he didn''t know how to respond for a moment.

    There was a temporary silence between them.

    "Is there anything you wanted, Harano?" Saki got right to the main point.

    "Er¡­ it''s like this¡­"

    Seiji exined the situation that he wanted to personally draw the insert art for his story "Brother Monogatari."

    Saki fell silent for a moment.

    "Is this request of mine unreasonable?" Seiji tried asking.

    "It''s a bit troublesome, because we already hired an artist who''s working on the artwork already. It''ll be quite rude to say that we don''t want his work anymore," Saki exined. "Normally, this type of request would be uneptable, but you''re not requesting an artist change, and want to personally do the artwork yourself¡­

    "This, I think it''s probably worthy of consideration. Nobody understands the story better than the author. If the author personally wants to draw artwork for his own story, that would be an even better way to express the story''s charisma.

    "Of course, the prerequisite is that the artwork is at a high enough level. I need to personally check out your artwork, and if I think that your art is good enough, I shall take you to meet the artist that we''ve already hired for a discussion. If I think that your art isn''t good enough, then¡­"

    "Then we can just pretend this never happened," Seiji agreed.

    "Yes¡­ will that be fine?"

    "Yes, I ept. Thank you for even considering my request, Editor Yoshizawa."

    "No need to be polite. Are you free now?"

    "I am."

    "Then take your drawing to the editing department that I work at, and show it to me."

    "Alright, I''ll be over there as soon as I can."

    They ended their phone call there.

    Seiji told Mika about it and then went to go knock on Shika''s door.

    He borrowed the drawing he had just given to his adopted younger sister, then prepared to leave.

    Seiji took a taxi to the building that Thunderbolt Literature was located in.

    He went to the main hall and talked to the receptionist about what he was there for. He filled in a simple visitors'' card and was arranged to wait in waiting room #3.

    The waiting room was on the left of the main hall. It was a small room with non-see-through ss.

    Seiji felt that this was quite a simr scene to what he had seen in the anime Bakuman before, and couldn''t help but recall the scene where the two main characters first showed their manga''s draft to an editor¡­ He recalled that the two main characters had been arranged to wait in waiting room #3!

    What a nice coincidence it was.

    Seiji could faintly hear the sound of voicesing from waiting rooms #1 and #2 when he passed by them.

    It sounded like there were editors within that were strictly criticizing the content of drafts.

    He recalled that the two main characters had seemed like criminals about to receive judgment the first time that they showed their original draft to an editor, with how nervous they were.

    '' It passes as long as there''s tea to drink ¡­ There was a line like that, right?'' Seiji did his best to recall as he walked into waiting room #3.

    His story was already confirmed for publication. Compared to the two main characters of Bakuman, as well as the two authors in the other two waiting rooms, he was far calmer.

    "Good luck, you two." Seiji cheered on the two authors in the next rooms.

    After a while, Editor Yoshizawa arrived.

    "I just contacted Sharp Demon Soldier, the artist that we hired. I had him send over the artwork that he''s finished already, and printed it out."

    The female editor immediately ced a drawing on the table when she entered the waiting room.

 Chapter 361 - Sharp Demon Soldier

    <h4>Chapter 361: Sharp Demon Soldier</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Seiji looked at the drawing.

    The drawing was of the older brother disying his skills for the first time, defeating some hoodlums and protecting his younger sister.

    This seemed like it would leave quite a deep impression, especially with the excellent attention to detail on drawing the older brother''s expression. It seemed slightly icy but not overly vicious. His punching seemed pretty cool, and there was nice work done on the details of his clothes¡­

    "What do you think?" Saki asked.

    "It''s a pretty nice drawing, but I can do better," Seiji responded.

    His tone was filled with self-confidence.

    While this drawing was pretty good, he still believed that he could do better if he was to draw the exact same thing.

    Editor Yoshizawa blinked in surprise at this.

    Seiji immediately brought out his own drawing that he had brought with him and ced it on the table in front of her.

    Saki''s gaze paused for a moment when she saw his drawing.

    She slowly picked up the drawing and carefully looked it over for a long while.

    "It''s excellent." After she finished, this was her review. "If you can draw other drawings at this same quality, then you are indeed more suitable than Demon Soldier Sensei to be the artist for Brother Monogatari. "

    "I believe that I can produce other drawings of simr quality," Seiji said resolutely.

    "I believe in your confidence, Harano." Saki looked towards him. "Let''s go meet Demon Soldier Sensei, and have a discussion with him to obtain his understanding."

    Seiji nodded.

    This type of thing was better exined as soon as possible.

    Sharp Demon Soldier was the pen name of Shouri Tanaka, who was currently twenty-two years old. He felt that his current life didn''t match his name of "Shouri" at all, which meant "victory."

    He had an ordinary appearance, he was introverted, he wasn''t skilled atmunication, and he was basically invisible all the way from elementary school to high school. He was someone that basically blended into the air. He didn''t have friends, nor did he have enemies. He wasn''t popr, but he had never been bullied before, either. He was the type who was just one step above the lowest rung of the bullied in a school setting.

    He felt somewhat lonely about this, but he wasn''t pained. That was because he found it bothersome tomunicate with others, and he found it fine to simply live without attracting others'' attention, so that he couldpletely immerse himself in his hobbies.

    He was a huge fan of manga. Ever since the second year of middle school, he had wanted to be a manga author. Starting in high school, he began writing drafts, and finally received an "Excellent Neer" award in his third year of high school, helping him to get published for the first time.

    This was the most glorious moment of Shouri Tanaka''s life, and his first-ever "victory."

    Afterwards, he gave up on attending college, and moved to this city and rented a ce by himself, making it his goal to be a manga author published in a serial magazine.

    By now, four years had passed.

    Instead of getting closer to his goal, he seemed to be getting farther and farther away.

    All the drafts that he worked his hardest on were either deemed bad by editors or couldn''t receive good results inpetitions. He continually received many impacts.

    He became numb from failure, and felt confused about the future. He didn''t know what path to take anymore. That was his current condition.

    Recently, Tanaka received a job to draw art for a light novel that would be published soon. The request asked him toplete it as soon as possible.

    Tanaka was deeply enthralled by this light novel when he read it.

    It was too amazing!

    He couldn''t even recall thest time that he had gotten so excited over a light novel.

    Due to his excitement, Tanaka even pulled numerous all-nighters and made many draft drawings. He didn''t draw only scenes from this story, and also drew his own scenes and character settings that he received inspiration for from this story.

    He recalled the joy he had from his earlier days when he was drawing his own manga, and felt as if he had rediscovered his passion.

    After he got tired, he would sleep for a long stretch, wake up, go to the bathroom, fill his stomach, and repeat the process of seriously working on the art for this story named Brother Monogatari .

    "This story will definitely be a bestseller!" Tanaka was certain of this.

    Since he had received many impacts in the past, he wasn''t very confident in his own judgment, but he was still instinctively certain that this story would definitely be a bestseller, perhaps even an enormous hit.

    He considered it a rare piece of luck for him to have received the job to draw art for this story. He considered it precious, and worked his very hardest on doing a good job on drawing for it.

    He had just finished the first insert art piece for the story and was thinking on how to draw the second one when he received a phone call from the story''s editor requesting for him to send over anypleted insert art drawings.

    ''She probably wants to see the quality of my artwork,'' Tanaka thought as he emailed over a picture of his drawing.

    But, not long after that, he received another phone call, telling him that she was going toe over together with the story''s author! They wanted to have a discussion with him.

    Tanaka was astonished by this.

    ''Is my artwork that terrible? The story''s editor and author are both rushing over to my ce after looking at it!?''

    He was quite nervous and anxious about it.

    However, he calmed down soon after. He had already gotten used to rejection. Although this was the first time that a story''s editor and author hade in tandem to personally meet with him, he figured that he probably just had to listen to some criticism and make some improvements.

    Tanaka prepared some hot water and tea and waited for his guests to arrive.

    After some time passed, his doorbell rang.

    Shouri Tanaka mentally prepared himself, then went to open the door.

    "Hello, Demon Soldier Sensei. Sorry for the bother." The icy and beautiful editor who was wearing a windbreaker politely greeted him. Then, she indicated to the person standing by her side. "This is the author of Brother Monogatari , Idle Dimension by the Shore ."

    Tanaka took a look at the person standing beside her.

    This young man was tall and handsome and had a lively expression in his eyes. He was smiling gently and seemed to be as handsome as an idol from a television show.

    "Hello, pleased to meet you, Demon Soldier Sensei." The handsome boy politely greeted him as well.

    "Hello¡­ pleased to meet you, Shore Sensei."

    Tanaka was inwardly astonished by how handsome the author was, and then he thought of the male lead of Brother Monogatari . He felt as if this young man cosyed the main lead, that would be incredibly perfect, just as if he was a living version of that awesomely cool male lead!

    No, he should reverse that. The story''s main character was probably based on the author himself, wasn''t he? Tanaka felt that was highly likely.

    Some authors would themselves as the character model and settings for the main character, which would make it easier to immerse themselves into creating the story and characters. He had done this himself as well; however, his story didn''t receive good reviews.

    When an author used himself as the voice of the main character, no matter how good he was at drawing the main character, that still wouldn''t mean that the characters he drew would have charisma¡­ especially in the situation where the creator himselfcked charisma.

    And, when an author received criticism about a character based on himself, the author would receive harm that was several times that of what the fictional character would receive!

    Tanaka had experienced this numerous times in the past, which was how he hade to a painful realization.

    Perhaps those that didn''t know how writing worked would think that it was only natural for authors to use themselves as the person the main character was based on, but the only authors that actually did that would be novices that hadn''t received impacts yet, or narcissists, or the truly courageous¡­ at the very least, that was what Tanaka currently believed.

    Whoops, he had gotten sidetracked.

    When he returned to his senses, Tanaka discovered that he had already invited his two guests to sit down.

    " Demon Soldier Sensei, about our discussion¡­ I must first apologize to you." The beautiful editor who he knew was called Saki Yoshizawa lowered her head to him.

    "Eh?" Tanaka was surprised at this.

    This was different from what he expected.

    ''They''re not here because they''re dissatisfied with the quality of my artwork?''

 Chapter 362 - Is This Really Alright?

    <h4>Chapter 362: Is This Really Alright?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Sensei, we''re grateful that you epted the job and worked hard on the artwork for Brother Monogatari , and that you finished an insert art so quickly." Saki lifted her head and looked directly at Tanaka. "My next request will be quite rude, but¡­"

    "Allow me, Editor Yoshizawa." Seiji spoke up. "Demon Soldier Sensei, I personally made this visit in order to request that you give up the right to draw for Brother Monogatari. "

    Tanaka widened his eyes in surprise at hearing this.

    "Give up¡­"

    "Yes, please give up on this job request. And, Sensei, for the drawing that you''ve alreadypleted, I shall pay you for it¡­ No, I shall even pay for all the drawings that you should have done and didn''tplete yet."

    "¡­Why?"

    "Because I would like to personally draw the artwork for this story," Seiji told him honestly.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "You want to personally draw for your own story¡­ If you had this ability in the first ce, why did you send out a job request for an artist?" Tanaka furrowed his brows.

    "Because I didn''t intend to do so until yesterday," Seiji exined. "This story called Brother Monogatari actually wasn''t written by myself alone. I cooperated together with one other person in writing it. Yesterday, during the Winter Snow Festival, I gave that person a present of the main characters'' drawing that I personally drew myself. After that person saw my drawing, she felt that I couldpletely be up to the task of drawing for Brother Monogatari , and expressed a wish for me to do so. I agreed, which was why I contacted Editor Yoshizawa this morning and made my request."

    "Editor Yoshizawa told me that she had already hired an artist who was working hard on the art for my story, which would be you, Demon Soldier Sensei. She let me know that it would be very rude to have you stop in the middle."

    "However, I continued to insist, and showed my own drawing to Editor Yoshizawa, and she recognized that I had sufficient artistic talent for the task."

    "Finally, I have to convince Demon Soldier Sensei to give up on this job for the final part, which is why I''m here today."

    Tanaka felt indescribable emotions within himself at hearing these words.

    Being able to draw for Brother Monogatari was a job that he considered quite lucky to have received, and he wanted to do his best on it¡­ But he never expected to hear a request like this.

    Asking an artist for a job but then having only one side cancel on the job was something incredibly disrespectful within the industry, and would be quite ill received if others heard about it. However, if both sides agreed to cancel the job, then there wouldn''t be any problems.

    Tanaka knew that he could be proactive here. He couldin, act forceful, and request even morepensation from them¡­ but this wasn''t what he wanted.

    He wanted to be able to draw for Brother Monogatari ! That was because he truly liked this novel.

    Of course, there was also the factor where he expected Brother Monogatari would be a bestseller, and he wanted to obtain some extra fame through this, but the main reason was still because he liked this novel.

    This novel excited him and gave him so much inspiration for his own stories and art as well, helping him to recall the joy and passion that he used to receive from drawing, which was why he wanted to do his best on this job.

    After a moment of silence, Tanaka slowly spoke up.

    "I like this story named Brother Monogatari , and want to be able to draw for it.

    "Even if you were the one who wrote this story, and your artwork received the editor''s recognition, I still haven''t seen it yet, and can''t be certain if your art is worthy of this story.

    "Please allow me to see your artwork. If I think it''s not good enough, I¡­ I won''t give up on this job."

    He was extremely nervous as he said this.

    Tanaka couldn''t even recall thest time that he had acted so defiant.

    He wasn''t someone particrly brave to begin with, and after being worn out by all his sessive failures and impacts received over the past few years, he had almost no courage left remaining.

    However, this novel had helped him to recover some of his former passion, and his former courage returned slightly to him as well, but it was in order to resist against the author of this very story.

    ''I really apologize¡­'' Tanaka said in his mind.

    Seiji looked at him for a while, before taking out the drawing that he had done himself and cing it on Tanaka''s table.

    "This is my drawing that I drew myself."

    Tanaka looked at the drawing on the table.

    In this drawing, he saw a beautiful girl and a handsome boy about to reach out to each other''s hands. It was obvious that they were the main characters of Brother Monogatari .

    The art wasn''t of any scene from the novel, but it did have the same atmosphere and style as the novel. The characters were drawn vibrantly and the expressions were lively. The details were done exquisitely.

    Tanaka inwardly sighed after looking it over closely for a while.

    This level was more than sufficient to be the insert art for a light novel. And if hepared his own drawing to this author''s drawing for his own novel¡­ Although he didn''t want to admit it, the author''s drawing was indeed better than his!

    "Nice drawing," he finally said in a light voice after remaining silent for quite a while. "Compared to the insert art that I drew, this one is better."

    "But this drawing isn''t a scene from the story, so it''s difficult to do a directparison. While I admit that you did a good job on this drawing, will you be able to draw simrly well for a scene from your own novel?"

    "I can," Seiji said resolutely. "I''ll be able to draw any scene from the story with excellent quality."

    Tanaka was able to feel the author''s willpower emanating from him.

    The youth''s expression, the look in his eyes, his spirit¡­ all of this astonished him.

    ''Is this really alright? Is this really alright?''

    For a moment, he wanted to just agree to the author''s request and ept giving up on this job. But, the next moment, he kept asking himself, ''is this really alright?''

    Even he didn''t understand why he kept questioning himself. But he followed his instinct that told him he didn''t want things to end just like this.

    "Let''s have apetition! We canpete using the exact same scene from the story, and draw this scene within a limited time frame as apetition. If your drawing is better than mine, I will ept your request, and I won''t even request any payment from you. And if I''m the one who draws better, then please allow me to continue working on this novel."

    Seiji looked directly at him.

    This skinny brown-haired man who had an ordinary appearance and half-rimmed eyesses and dark circles under his eyes had suddenly gotten all spirited.

    This was a duelist''s spirit¡­ whoops, the spirit of an artist''s pride.

    "Alright." He epted.

    ''I ept this duel!''

    "Which scene should we draw, Demon Soldier Sensei?"

    "You can decide, Shore Sensei."

    "Then¡­ Let''s draw the climax: the battle between the male lead and the antagonist."

    "Please be more specific about the exact scene and page."

    The two of them discussed the specific scene to draw, and agreed upon a time limit and a ce to meet again.

    When the time limit was up, they had to meet again at the agreed upon ce and show each other their new drawings for thepetition. If one couldn''tplete the drawing in time, then it would be considered a loss.

    After agreeing to this, Seiji and Saki said goodbye and left.

    "Harano, Demon Soldier Sensei has sessfully been able to publish his own short manga in the past, in the magazine Hot-blooded Shonen ."

    The female editor spoke up after they left Demon Soldier Sensei''s home.

    "He''s always been aiming for publication of his own manga as his goal. Although he still hasn''t seeded, his drawing speed and quality are both quite good. And, he''s considered top-notch in the area of light novel insert art."

    Hot-blooded Shonen was one of the biggest manga magazine publishers in Sakura Ind. Anyone who was able to sessfully be published in it would be someone that normal artists would look up to.

    And as for Seiji¡­ He couldn''t even be called an artist currently, because he had never shown off any of his artwork before, not even as an amateur on the inte! He could only be called a drawing enthusiast.

    Looking at it from the industry''s angle, the difference between him and Sharp Demon Soldier Sensei was like the difference between a beggar and a middle-ss person.

    ''You need to know what you''re getting yourself into,'' Saki expressed this to Seiji.

 Chapter 363 - Come Be a Mangaka!

    <h4>Chapter 363: Come Be a Mangaka!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I know," Seiji said. "He''s a strong opponent for me, and I''ll do my very best."

    "As long as you realize it."

    After Seiji went back home, he returned the drawing to Shika and exined what happened.

    Shika revealed aplex expression after learning that Seiji was going to have apetition against the artist that had been hired.

    "I''m sorry, Brother Seiji. All because of my willfulness¡­"

    "What are you saying? I promised you, and this isn''t only something that you want, it''s something that I want to do now as well." Seiji smiled. "I''ll do my best to achieve victory."

    "¡­Good luck, Brother."

    "Yep!"

    Seiji immediately started preparing to draw.

    He faced off against a nk piece of drawing paper and began considering how he wanted to draw.

    The scene was going to be the main character fighting against the antagonist. Specifically, the scene should involve a fierce fight with weapons.

    The people, clothes, actions, weapons, expressions, and backgrounds¡­ Seiji carefully considered everything.

    After some time passed, he felt that he had imagined plenty of details already, but that there was still something insufficient.

    That''s right, he should add the female lead into the scene!

    The ''younger sister'' was only a bystander in this battle. Logically speaking, it was probably fine to not add her into the drawing. In fact, it could even be said that drawing her here might distract from the focus on the ''older brother'' and the ''antagonist.''

    However, Seiji wanted to add her into the drawing, and give her the feeling that she wasn''t a simple bystander, in order to add on to the mystery of the first volume''s ending.

    The male lead and the antagonist were the focal points of the drawing, and the female lead definitely couldn''t be allowed to surpass them in attention drawing. He needed to draw her in a way so that she wouldn''t be in the forefront, but that when people looked closer, she would seem somewhat abnormal.

    At any rate, the female lead''s appearance in the drawing needed to be an add-on element which didn''t affect the main focal points, in order to add more of a mysterious feeling to the drawing.

    Seiji did his best to imagine how to do it and took quite a while to think about it.

    After he finally finished imagining what he wanted, he picked up a drawing pencil and began drawing on the nk paper.

    Lunchtime.

    Seiji continued drawing after finishing his lunch.

    At this time, he received a phone call.

    It was from Peach-sensei!

    "I heard about what happened from Saki¡­ do you need my help?" the mangaka asked.

    "If Peach-sensei helped me, it''d feel like cheating." Seiji chuckled and continued, "But, in apetition, it''s probably correct to use any advantages that you can. In that case, Sensei, could you take a look at my drawing and give me your advice?"

    "I''d be more than happy to." Mayuzumi smiled.

    And so, Seiji took a picture of his current drawing and showed it to Mayuzumi.

    "It''s pretty good, Haruta-kun¡­ When did you start learning how to draw?" Mayuzumi praised him after looking at the photo that he sent.

    "About two months ago, I started practicing every day by myself at home¡­" That was Seiji''s reply.

    The mangaka couldn''t help but widen her eyes at this.

    "Two months¡­ you only practiced by yourself, without especially learning, or going to an art studio, or having anyone teach you?"

    "Yeah."

    Mayuzumi was astonished to hear this.

    He was capable of drawing at this level already simply by learning on his own for two months!?

    She was so shaken that she didn''t know what to say for a while.

    "Sensei, what''s the matter?" Seiji was mystified by her silence.

    "Haruta-kun¡­ Come be a mangaka!" Mayuzumi couldn''t help but say this.

    "Er?"

    "Eh?" Mayuzumi noticed what she said only after she already said it. She then took a few seconds to organize her thoughts. "Haruta-kun, you can write excellent stories already, and now that I''ve learned how good you are at art, you could definitely be an incredible mangaka¡­ even more so than me!"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this for a moment.

    "I''m happy to hear you say this, Sensei¡­ but if it''s to draw a manga, I think that my level is still insufficient," he responded.

    "With your talent, as long as you study professionally for a while, that should be sufficient," Mayuzumi told him seriously.

    "I currently don''t intend to draw manga, and I''m only focusing on this littlepetition in order to draw for my own story." Seiji looked at the ceiling in his room. "I''ll try my hand at it in the future. I love manga, and I also want to create my own manga in the future!"

    "I''m really looking forward to Haruta-kun''s future manga. I hope that I won''t have to wait too long." Mayuzumi smiled.

    "It won''t be long."

    Currently, he was focusing on his story. As for manga¡­ he would consider it more seriously after he raised his [Art] stat sufficiently. That was what Seiji intended.

    He then changed the topic back to the insert art that he had drawn, asking for specific opinions.

    Mayuzumi gave him rmendations on what parts to change, and he wrote down all the advice that she gave him. Then, he asked about the parts which he didn''t understand.

    The two of them chatted for a long while.

    After the end of the phone call, Seiji felt that he had greatly improved to another level on the topic of insert art and was sincerely thankful for Peach-sensei''s guidance.

    He poured all his efforts into drawing.

    ¡­

    There was still half an hour until the deadline for the drawingpetition.

    Shouri Tanaka brought hispleted artwork and arrived at the coffee caf¨¦ that they had agreed upon.

    He ordered a cup of coffee without sugar or milk and drank it just like that. The bitterness stimted his mind.

    He was quite nervous. He felt as if he were taking a new manga draft to see an editor.

    It wasn''t like he would be able to get published if he won this little contest.

    ''It''s just drawing insert art for a light novel, so why am I so nervous?'' Tanaka inwardly sighed.

    He was confident in his own drawing that he did his very best on. Although he wasn''t able to make it more detailed due to the rtively short time limit, he considered it pretty good already.

    He didn''t know how good that high school boy would be able to draw¡­

    Tanaka had an indescribable feeling as he recalled the look in that boy''s eyes.

    If he had to describe it, was it jealousy? He was jealous that the boy was able to have that look and such will.

    Tanaka, at twenty-two, wasn''t old. However, when hepared himself to that boy, he really felt that he was beginning to get old.

    Tanaka drank his coffee as he silently waited withplex emotions within himself.

    Ten minutester, he saw the young author and the beautiful editor enter the coffee caf¨¦ together.

    Tanaka waved at them to help them notice him.

    "I''m sorry for the wait, Demon Soldier Sensei."

    "It''s okay¡­ I only waited for a few minutes, Shore Sensei."

    Seiji and Saki sat down across from Tanaka. A server came over and both of them ordered a cup of coffee.

    "Honestly speaking, I''m really nervous right now." Tanaka felt a sudden impulse to say something as he looked at them, so he acted upon it. "I feel as if I''m showing a manga draft to an editor¡­ even though this is only a light novel''s insert art job. No¡­ I shouldn''t have said it like that. My apologies, I sounded too arrogant just now. What I meant was, I didn''t expect that I would be so serious about this job."

    Tanakaughed at himself.

    Hisughter was filled withplex feelings.

    "I like your novel, but I''m currentlypeting against you. Even I feel that this situation is rather strange. I shouldn''t be doing this, something like a contest¡­ Now that I think back on it, I was really being too willful. I should have believed in your ability after seeing your drawing and backed out on my own.

    "But, I still asked for apetition¡­ just what was I thinking at that moment? Even I myself don''t understand."

    Seiji looked towards Tanaka. "I think that you were thinking of something quite simple, Demon Soldier Sensei. You simply didn''t want to lose."

 Chapter 364 - I Once Believed That I Was Talented

    <h4>Chapter 364: I Once Believed That I Was Talented</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ''I don''t want to lose¡­'' Tanaka slowly widened his eyes. ''This¡­ really seems like it''s the case?''

    Yes, that was correct.

    His feelings were actually just as simple as the young author had said.

    ''I simply don''t want to lose!''

    "You''re right, Shore Sensei." He revealed a simple smile that was far different from his earlierplex expression. "I just don''t want to lose¡­ I want to be able to draw art for a novel I like. I want this job. I don''t want to lose to anyone else, even if that person is the story''s author: you!"

    Seiji smiled as well.

    "I''m happy that Brother Monogatari is a story that you enjoy so much. This story isn''t something I wrote by myself. My partner wishes for me to be able to draw for our story. I agreed, which is why it became something I want to do as well. I don''t want to lose either, even if I''m not even able to be called an artist yet, even if my opponent is a first-ss artist like you, Demon Soldier Sensei."

    The two of them exchanged nces as their wills shed in midair.

    "Let''s begin."

    "Yep."

    Tanaka and Seiji both brought out their drawings and ced them on the table in front of each other.

    Seiji picked up Demon Soldier Sensei''s drawing and began looking at it closely.

    ''Amazing!''

    That was his first impression.

    Demon Soldier Sensei''s drawing was of the male lead fighting with weapons against the main antagonist. The drawing was done quite well, and seemed to be quite spirited.

    The drawing did an especially good job of showing the antagonist''s vicious expression after she revealed her true self. Half of her face was a scary demon, and the other half was still a beautiful human female. This contrast between the two halves of her face gave such a visual impact that it would leave anyone a deep impression.

    The story''s description of the antagonist''s true appearance wasn''t exactly like this, but drawing her like this was within the bounds of creative liberty. And, this definitely had a nice effect.

    Seiji even took inspiration from this drawing and wondered if he should modify the physical description of the antagonist in the story.

    This was the power of a first-rate light novel artist''s ability!

    Not only did he draw a drawing that matched the story''s scene, it even surpassed the author''s imagination and influenced the author.

    Apart from the antagonist, the male lead''s expression was done excellently as well. Seiji was able to detect a strong fighting will from the male lead''s eyes, and the runes on his face seemed quite cool as well.

    The actions, clothing, weapons, and shading¡­ Seiji carefully inspected it all.

    Meanwhile, Tanaka was also going over Shore Sensei''s drawing in detail.

    It was so exquisite!

    That was Tanaka''s first awed impression.

    What Shore Sensei drew was the battle between the male lead and the antagonist right before it was about to begin. There was a tense sensation as if things were about to explode.

    The characters, the clothing, the weapons, the shadows, the shading¡­ everything was exquisite and obviously drawn at a higher levelpared to him!

    With greater focus on details, that would give anyone a better first impression. Basically, the "quality" would appear higher, or it could also be described as the pletion rate" being higher.

    Tanaka was also capable of drawing to such a detailed extent, but he didn''t have enough time.

    Basically, the other party''s drawing speed was much quicker than his!

    He lost at speed¡­ and detail. It felt as if he had been forcefully punched, being suppressed by the difference in ability.

    ''Then, what about the content?''

    Tanaka looked at the three characters within the drawing.

    The male lead who had just drawn his weapon, the antagonist who had transformed into a demon, and the female lead who was observing from a corner.

    ''He actually drew the female lead as an observer as well!?''

    When Tanaka first saw this, he felt that it was a minus. However, when he looked at it in more detail, he changed his mind.

    The female lead was in the shadows, and not noticeable at first nce. The viewer would definitely first pay attention to the male lead and the antagonist. Only by looking closer would the viewer discover the girl in the shadows.

    The female lead was the narrator of the novel, as well as the story''s biggest mystery. For anyone who hadn''t finished the story yet, they would only think that this girl was an observer in the background.

    But if the reader carefully looked at her, or looked at this insert art again after finishing the novel, then the reader would feel like something was slightly abnormal.

    Her expression while observing seemed a little strange. It was like she was concerned about the male lead, while also seeming like she was wearing a mask. The look in her eyes was deep, and it seemed like she was smiling yet not smiling. It was abnormal and mysterious.

    This feeling matched the entire atmosphere of the story, and improved the overall feeling of immersion from looking at this drawing. This wasn''t only a battle between the male lead and the antagonist, and contained something else¡­ which permeated throughout the whole novel yet was indescribable.

    Tanaka could only exim in respect at this drawing.

    As expected of the story''s author¡­ This was an excellent insert art for the novel that only the story''s author would be able to draw.

    "It''s my loss." Tanaka came to this conclusion after making a detailedparison of his own drawing with Seiji''s.

    He put Seiji''s drawing back down on the table in front of him.

    "It''s your victory, Shore Sensei¡­ As per our agreement, I''ll give up on this job."

    "Thank you, Demon Soldier Sensei."

    Seiji also returned Tanaka''s drawing to him.

    "Don''t say thank you¡­ I truly admit that I''ve lost thispetition." Tanaka took back his drawing and nced at it before he made a move to rip it up.

    "Wait!" Seiji stopped him from doing so. "This is a great drawing. Demon Soldier Sensei, if you don''t want it anymore, could you give it to me?"

    Tanaka was astonished by this.

    "Why¡­ would you want¡­"

    "Like I said, this is a great drawing, and I really like it," Seiji said sincerely. "Sensei, the way you drew the antagonist was even better than I imagined. I''m even thinking about changing the story''s description based on the way that Sensei drew her."

    Tanaka blinked at this, before revealing a faint smile.

    "I see¡­ in that case, this drawing of mine won''t have beenpletely wasted.

    He looked over once more at his own drawing before handing it to Seiji.

    "Thank you." Seiji showed his gratitude as he took the drawing.

    Tanaka took a sip of his ck coffee that had gone cold already and felt its bitterness before looking back at the boy across from him.

    "Shore Sensei, I''d like to ask, how old are you right now?"

    "I''m sixteen," Seiji answered.

    "Sixteen¡­ You''re a high school student." Tanaka sighed. "Amazing. You''re probably only in your first or second year of high school, and can write such an incredible story already, as well as draw so well¡­ this must be a so-called genius. I''m currently twenty-two years old and started drawing seriously since middle school. In high school, I began to submit manga drafts and received an award when I was in my third year of high school. After that, I''ve never made any progress¡­ in fact, you could even say I''ve gone backwards.

    "I saw the limits of my own ability¡­ Although I really didn''t want to believe that these were my limits, they indeed existed, like an insurmountably high wall.

    "I once believed that I was talented.

    "But that was only a mistaken impression of mine. The moment that I had believed myself to be talented was actually the very moment that I reached my limits.

    "I''m only an ordinary person¡­ true geniuses are people like you, Shore Sensei.

    "You can write a good story, and draw well as well. If you make publishing a manga as your goal, you''d surely be able to seed in short time, and receive a serial publication.

    "And as for me¡­ how much long will I still struggle? Will I be able to seed? Should I just give up on¡­ my so-called dreams?"

    Tanaka copsed somewhat listlessly against his chair with a vacant gaze.

    He wasn''t actually saying all this to Seiji. Instead, he was talking out loud to himself.

    As an artist and attempted author who had met with multiple failures, he was expressing his own confusion. He didn''t care who the listener was.

    "Dreams: a beautiful yet cruel word," Seiji said calmly, fixing his stare on Tanaka. "If you really don''t want any more pain, then give up now."

 Chapter 365 - I Hope You Wont Feel That Its Sarcasmâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 365: I Hope You Won''t Feel That It''s Sarcasm¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Tanaka fell silent.

    Seiji also sipped on his coffee, allowing for a moment of silence before he spoke up again.

    "But you still can''t give up, right?" Seiji asked softly. "Demon Soldier Sensei, if you were able to give up, you wouldn''t be so frustrated. Your current confusion stems from the fact that your heart still hasn''t truly given up yet¡­ even if you''ve seen your own limits, even if you feel that you''re only ordinary, even if you feel pained about chasing after your dream, you''re still resisting against giving up and want to continue down this path.

    "In that case, go ahead and continue. Even if you struggle, even if you''re confused, as long as your feet are still capable of moving, continue walking down this path."

    Chasing after one''s dreams sounded quite romantic, but in actuality, how many people chasing after their dreams would feel like they were doing something romantic?

    The so-called chasing after one''s dreams was more like having great difficulty trudging through a muddy and thorny road. It was painful and confusing, and easy to get lost.

    People would want to cry and shout. People would fall over repeatedly on this path and always think about not standing up again, wanting to leave so many times¡­

    But, after regaining their senses, they would always discover that they were still on this path.

    Although it was painful, although it was numbing, although they felt like zombies, they would continue walking down this path of suffering and refuse to leave.

    ''I don''t want to give up.'' Some voice deep inside their hearts would tell them this.

    ''I want to seed.'' Their inner voices would shout this.

    They all desired to reach¡­ the bright ending at the end of the road.

    "Demon Soldier Sensei, although you may currently feel like you''re injured all over and incredibly weak, like you''re copsed on the ground, but you''re actually still walking.

    "You''re still holding on to your drawing pencils, and still have a heart that doesn''t want to lose. That''s the evidence.

    "I respect people like you. I hope that you won''t think it''s sarcasm¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "Sharp Demon Soldier, as an ''ordinary person,'' continue ''struggling'' in an unseemly fashion like this, all the way until you ''despair.''"

    After he said that, he finished downing the remainder of his coffee in one gulp. Then, he put down the coffee mug, put away the two drawings, and left.

    Saki who had silently listened to the entire conversation left together with him.

    Tanaka who remained silent with his head lowered gradually revealed a strange expression.

    He seemed like he wanted tough, yet also cry. His entire face was wrinkled, and he was chuckling, yet also crying.

    "If it''s not sarcasm¡­ what else could it be¡­ brat¡­ you really don''t hold back at all¡­"

    He covered his face and continued making that strange sound which resembled bothughing and crying. He felt very frustrated inside, but also as if he was freed.

    ''I''m just an inferior ordinary person who''s struggling in an unseemly fashion, but even so, I¡­"

    Some time afterwards, Shouri Tanaka returned to his home, feeling much clear-headedpared to when he went out.

    After thatpetition and that conversation with the genius boy author, he felt like he received, or recognized something again.

    Something dark within him that had been umting for quite a while seemed to exit his body together with his tears.

    He looked over at his drawing tools and felt like immediately creating something.

    He sat down in front of his table, picked up a drawing pencil, and began to let his imagination run free.

    He felt continuous shes of inspiration in his mind. The characters, setting, story, and background¡­ It all became clear.

    He felt amazing.

    Tanaka began drawing with such a feeling.

    First were the draft drawings for the characters, then the overall world setting, and the story scenes¡­

    He continuously drew as the passion in his heart continuously swelled and became a huge tide.

    The more he got excited, the more his eyes sparkled. He didn''t even notice when he got hungry. Apart from when the call of nature forced him to go to the restroom, he spent the entire rest of the time in front of his drawing desk, fervently drawing as if something had possessed him!

    He kept drawing and drawing and drawing¡­

    When Tanaka finally stopped, he discovered that his hand and entire body felt numb.

    Just how long did he draw for?

    He didn''t know, nor did he care.

    He brought out a cup of instant noodles and calmed himself down while preparing them. He then checked what he had drawn while eating his instant noodles.

    The main characters were two teenaged boys.

    One was wearing striped sports attire, and he had messy blonde hair with dark red eyes. His expression was resolute as he looked up at the sky, seeming quite hot-blooded.

    The other boy was wearing a jacket and long pants. He was handsome and had silky soft ck hair and ck eyes. He had his head lowered and seemed to be contemting something, which gave him a mysterious aura.

    The story would begin from this meeting between the two main characters - a "genius" and an "ordinary person."

    In this world where demons ran rampant, a normal blonde boy swore to master ninjutsu, be a powerful ninja, and protect humanity.

    However, he was significantlycking in talent. When the ninja teacher tried teaching him the most basic ninjutsu that other students could seed at in just a few tries, he would be unable to do any of the ninjutsu unless he practiced many, many times, causing him to be made fun of.

    Although he did his best to practice more than everyone else after ss, he still couldn''t keep up with his ssmates'' progress, and was solidly rankedst in the ss.

    After some time passed, even the teacher couldn''t bear to watch him anymore, and tried convincing him to give up on bing a ninja.

    The blonde boy became depressed and went to the forest to have some fun in an effort to improve his mood, but he wasn''t careful and ran into a demon attempted to eat him.

    At this moment, the ck-haired boy appeared, and saved him using high-level ninjutsu which instantly slew the demon!

    The blonde boy was grateful for having his life saved, and idolized how strong the ck-haired boy was. He wanted to be friends with the ck-haired boy.

    The ck-haired boy coldly refused. However, the blonde boy didn''t give up, and kept insisting on befriending him and wouldn''t leave him alone, which even caused somewhat of amotion.

    After a series of incidents, the two of them became teammates in the same small team.

    Their team received a demon-ying mission. However, their target demon secretly possessed far more horrifying power than expected, and instantly devoured up their teacher who was leading the team!

    The ck-haired boy single-handedly did his best to stall for time against this super demon and told everyone else to escape.

    The blonde boy left but then returned, and did his very best to save the ck-haired boy at a critical moment. However, the blonde boy had one of his arms devoured by the demon!

    Just as the blonde boy was about to bepletely devoured, the ck-haired boy grit his teeth and used his secret power. He transformed into a half-monster state, and defeated the super demon!

    The first part of the story ended at this scene where the ck-haired boy had just revealed his secret transformation power and the blonde-haired boy had lost an arm as they exchanged nces with each other.

    The main characters'' names, the background setting, and the details of the storyline¡­ there were still many parts that needed improving.

    Tanaka went over it one more time as passion welled up within him. He wanted to start drawing the first panels right away!

    He wanted to properly draw this story and do his very best¡­ no, better than "very best!"

    This was his progress¡­ something which surpassed all of his previous defeats, an opportunity to break through his "limits!!"

    Shouri Tanaka''s eyes seemed like they had mes roaring within them.

    What name should he give this manga of his?

    He almost instantly came up with an idea.

    "Let''s call it Maruto!"

    Seiji didn''t know what would happen to Demon Soldier Sensei after this, but he truly hoped that this artist would be able to realize his dream.

    "After I return, I shall send the specific insert art requirements to you," Saki told him. "As for the relevant contract, I''ll contact Demon Soldier Sensei to officially cancel the contract tomorrow, and then send it to you."

    "Alright, sorry to bother you, Editor Yoshizawa."

    "No need to be polite."

    The female editor looked at him and recalled what she had just witnessed, causing her mouth to somewhat arc upwards.

    "Harano¡­ you''re really cool."

    "Eh?"

    "I thought that you would show sympathy towards Demon Soldier Sensei, or say something reassuring, but you said it so directly¡­ I think that you said it excellently," Saki praised him.

    Seiji blinked at this.

    "Sympathy or reassurance isn''t what that person needed. Even encouragement was unnecessary. No matter who said what to him, he would still persist in the end. I actually said nothing more than a bunch of useless words, which at most helped him to recognize his own willpower. There was nothing ''cool'' about it.

    "However, I thought that you were pretty cool." Saki smiled. "If you became an editor, you''d definitely be an excellent editor."

 Chapter 366 - Good Evening, Onii-Chanâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 366: Good Evening, Onii-Chan¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "An editor¡­ thank you for thepliment, although I''m not sure I quite understand." Seiji tilted his head.

    He didn''t understand what Editor Yoshizawa meant by that. Although he knew that she was praising him, he didn''t know just what he did that was so praiseworthy.

    Saki merely smiled upon seeing his confused expression.

    What was an excellent editor supposed to be like?

    Different people would have different answers to this question.

    When Saki was still new to the editing job, she had discussed this question with Head Editor Souzou Hattori before. His response had left her with a deep impression.

    "An excellent editor doesn''t need to be good at everything. The editor only needs to be good at the basics, but these ''basics'' aren''t so easy to truly be good at.

    "Let''s take talking things over with the author as an example. Many people believe that an excellent editor should be able to urately assess a story and give the author some good rmendations to help the author improve the story. Or, if the story is a failure, the editor should help motivate the author and encourage the author to remain passionate and continue writing¡­ This view on how editors should be isn''t wrong, but I don''t believe it to be entirely correct, either.

    "Reviewing a story, giving authors advice, reassuring the author, or encouraging the author, none of these are the ''basics.'' They''re add-on parts to an editor''s job. Of course, it''ll be good if an editor is good at these things, and if they''re not good, an average level is fine as well, as long as the editor doesn''t mess things up.

    "I personally believe that there are two parts to the ''basics'' ofmunicating with authors. The first is to help the author understand the current situation, and the second is to help the author recognize him or herself.

    "The first part is rtively easier to do a good job on, but the second is much harder.

    "Being able to do a good job at helping an author to understand the current situation means this person passes as an editor. However, being able to help the author recognize him or herself, if someone can do good at this, that makes them an excellent editor, and it doesn''t matter even if this editor is average at everything else. At the very least, while I''m the Head Editor here, I''ll view any editors that are capable of doing this as my top editors.

    "Although the group of people known as authors seem to have many simrities, they''re actually all unique personalities. Also, their true personalities are typically contained within themselves, and very few of them will express their true personalities. In fact, it''s difficult to ascertain whether or not an author''s personality on the surface is their true personality or not.

    "Being able to help an author understand him or herself, know what type of person they are, and just what they want to create, as well as what they''re capable of creating¡­ Being able to ignite the author''s passion and talent and create a story that''s suitable for the author''s personality, or even surpasses the author''s talent, this type of editor is quite rare.

    "After all, being able to see through to an author''s true personality, and use the right wording to help the authore to a realization, such a thing is truly difficult to aplish," Head Editor Hattori sighed as he said those words with sincerity.

    At the time, Saki was still only a neer and didn''t quite understand what the Head Editor had meant, but she remembered those words.

    After she slowly got used to the job of an editor, she gradually began to understand what the Head Editor meant.

    To help an author understand him or herself was truly difficult.

    Some author''s personalities were easy to understand, and some were difficult to understand. Some of the ones that were easy to understand might not even be the author''s true personality. And even if the editor was able to understand the author''s personality quite clearly, helping the author to recognize himself was an even more difficult task.

    Even if one told the author directly, the author may not be able to ept orprehend, and the author might even resist or be angry. Only the precisely right wording would be able to aplish the task.

    Yet, such a difficult task was aplished so naturally by the boy before her!

    "I actually said nothing more than a bunch of useless words, which at most helped him to recognize his own willpower."-''Those aren''t useless words at all, nor was it something to be described as ''at most,'' Harano¡­ no, Haruta-kun.'' Saki was truly praising him in her heart.

    She didn''t exin things to him, because he wasn''t an editor, and she knew that he had no interest in bing an editor. It was fine if only she knew.

    After splitting up from Editor Yoshizawa, Seiji went and purchased a drawing tablet to use with hisputer before he returned home.

    After he returned home, he immediately told Shika that he had been victorious in the littlepetition, and showed her his drawing as well as Demon Soldier Sensei''s drawing.

    "This Sensei is a good artist as well, but Brother Seiji''s drawing is still better as I expected," Shika said sincerely. "I''m really looking forward to Brother''spleted artwork for all the insert art."

    "That will take quite a while topletely finish. I''ll go as fast as I can, so that we can publish quicker." Seiji smiled and showed her the drawing tablet that he had just purchased.

    "If I use this, I''ll be able to draw on theputer, which will be more convenient. This will improve my speed without making my quality suffer."

    Afterwards, he went to the study and connected the drawing tablet to hisputer and tried using it out.

    After he confirmed that the drawing tablet worked properly, Seiji opened up his self-named dating sim system and exchanged for an [Art card - Drawing tablets].

    A new card appeared in front of him. It had a ck shadow smoothly drawing on a whiteboard, continuously drawing various scenes.

    Seijiid on his bed and activated the card, which transformed into a light that shot into his brain.

    He had the same feeling as when he activated [Writing] cards previously. His brain felt like it heated up for a moment before seeminglying to a sudden realization.

    He sat down in front of hisputer again, opened up the relevant software, and picked up the drawing tablet and pen.

    When he put pen to tablet, he was able to smoothly draw lines without any novice unfamiliarity that should havee from learning to use a drawing tablet for the first time.

    His drawing speed had indeed increased.

    There wasn''t a huge increase like after he activated the [Writing] card, but he felt that was only natural, since he was still drawing by hand after all.

    After a while, Seiji discovered that not only did his speed increase, his drawing quality had evidently increased as well!

    Compared to drawing on paper, drawing on theputer using a drawing tablet made it easier for him to add details, which helped to increase the quality of his artwork.

    ''Very nice.''

    Seiji immersed himself in drawing.

    Later that night, Seiji who was still immersed in drawing received a phone call.

    The caller ID showed that the call was from Airi Fuuma.

    He recalled the figure of that little girl who had short sky-blue hair and a sweet-looking face, and immediately picked up the call.

    "Good evening, onii-chan¡­" A nervous sounding voice greeted him.

    "Good evening, Fuuma-chan."

    Airi recalled the events that happened before with great rity as she heard this gentle male voice.

    When she was panicking, anxious, and scared because she mistakenly believed she had identally killed her own older brother, he was the one who had coaxed her and called an ambnce as well as encouraged her to contact her father. He even stayed to apany her until her father''s friend arrived¡­

    A few times after that, Airi kept thinking about if she should contact this gentle princelike big brother who had helped her out. However, due to her various emotions, she didn''t manage to work up the courage to call him.

    That was, until yesterday, when her parents mentioned inviting him over to their house and thanking him. She immediately volunteered to be the one to contact him.

    "Onii-chan, are you free tomorrow?"

    Seiji looked at hisputer screen.

    "I have something to do, but I''m notpletely busy¡­ is something up?"

    "Daddy and mommy said that they would like to invite you over to our house for dinner."

    ''Dinner¡­ they probably want to thank me.'' Seiji mulled it over.

    "Sure." He agreed to go.

 Chapter 367 - I Think That There Will Be Physiological Danger

    <h4>Chapter 367: I Think That There Will Be Physiological Danger</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    ''If I refuse, I''ll definitely be invited again some other time.'' Seiji had this feeling.

    If he epted the Fuuma family''s gratitude, he figured that this incident would finally be over with.

    Airi was delighted to hear his agreement.

    She told him a time and Seiji took note of it, telling her that he would be there on time.

    Now that Airi had told him what she called him for, she didn''t want to end the call just like that, but she didn''t know what else to say.

    In the end, they exchanged goodbyes and ended the phone call just like that.

    The blue-haired little girl stared dazedly at her cell phone for quite a while before copsing on her bed and moaning in regret.

    She wanted to chat more with him, just like before, about anime or something else. She wanted to know more about him, like what he typically did, what he liked to eat, what type of clothing he liked to wear, and if he had a girlfriend or not¡­

    Even though she wanted to say so much, she was unable to say anything at all. She was really regretting having missed her opportunity.

    Airi started rolling around on her bed in frustration.

    Tomorrow when he came over, she told herself that she couldn''t be like this anymore. She definitely had to do a good job talking to him and get closer to him!

    After Seiji finished the call with Airi Fuuma, his chatting application notified him that he had a message.

    The message was from Hisashi Juumonji.

    Seiji opened up his conversation window as he hung up the call.

    "The day after tomorrow is the holy battle, my lord. Why aren''t we summoning the knights for a strategizing conference?"

    "I''ve already made arrangements to go together with Phantom and Blue Sky."

    "Why didn''t you summon this humble one as well!?"

    "I didn''t think to do so¡­ I felt that you would prefer to go by yourself."

    "While I am indeed used to fighting by myself, I wish to team up withpanions for battle as well! My lord, please allow me to go together with you!" Hisashi sent a shining emoticon of hopefulness.

    "Let me ask them¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin.

    He decided to summon everyone and let them know.

    And so, he summoned his knights.

    Yukari, Hoshi, Rion and Kotomi, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede arrived at the round table in that order¡­ whoops, the chat group they were in.

    "Everyone, this time, I would like to talk about the holy battle, which is the code name for the doujinshi convention." Seiji greeted everyone with this. "Is there anyone here that doesn''t know what a doujinshi convention is?"

    Nobody asked this question.

    "It seems that everyone knows already, so I won''t spend time exining then. The doujinshi convention starts on the day after tomorrow, and I''ve already arranged to go together with Phantom Knight, Blue Sky Knight, and one other person. Sweet Pig Knight just indicated to me that he would like to go together with us. Phantom Knight and Blue Sky Knight, do you two agree to have Sweet Pig Knighte along with us?"

    "I think that four people is an appropriate number, and more will be inconvenient. It''ll be better if Sweet Pig Knight goes with someone else," Chiaki typed.

    "What about what you truly think?" Yukari suddenly asked.

    "Although I''m slightly curious about Sweet Pig Knight''s true identity, this guy might get in the way of me being intimate with our king, so it''s better to eliminate him now." Chiaki sent an evilly chuckling emoticon.

    "Wah!" Hisashi sent an emoticon of him having taken an arrow to the knee.

    "I feel so as well." Mika added on her support of Chiaki''s words.

    "Guagh!" Hisashi sent an emoticon of him being stabbed all over.

    "The other two knights have rejected this¡­ I''m sorry, I can only reject your request now, Sweet Pig Knight." Seiji said this to Hisashi.

    "Wah¡­ It''s fine, my lord. I shall do my best to go by myself¡­ No, I still have apanion!" Hisashi struggled to reach out with his hand. "My dear sister! Come together with me¡­"

    "I would like to go together with our king as well; would that be alright?" Kaede asked.

    "Agh!" Hisashi was trampled t by this.

    "I think that it would be better to go together with your older brother." Seiji was unable to watch things anymore and took some pity on Hisashi.

    "I feel like it won''t be any fun at all to go together with my idiot older brother¡­ But since our king has said so, I might as well go together with him." Kaede sent a slightly smiling emoticon.

    "Ohhh¡­ My dear sister!" Hisashi sent an emoticon of having received salvation.

    "I would like to go together with our king as well, please give me permission!" Yukari sent an emoticon of raising her hand.

    "Me too!" Hoshi also sent the raising hand emoticon.

    "Same as above!" Rion and Kotomi sent the same emoticon as well.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I think that Knight of Light and Silver Knight should go with each other, and as for Knight of Ice and Fire¡­ Phantom and Blue Sky, what do you two think?"

    "It''s up to our king!" Chiaki sent a respectful emoticon.

    "It''s up to our king." Mika didn''t send any emoticons.

    Seiji sent Yukari a private message, saying that there were some other female ssmates from his Year 1 ss 5 with him, asking if she would mind.

    "I''ll do my best at disguising myself, so it''s fine. No problem at all!" Yukari sent a thumbs-up emoticon.

    "If you think it''s fine, then sure," Seiji responded. Then, he told everyone in the group that he epted Knight of Ice and Fire''s request to go along with them.

    "Thank you, Milord!" Yukari sent a bowing emoticon.

    "How nice, I want to go together with our king as well, but it''s fine to go along with Silver Knight as well," Knight of Light Hoshi said.

    "Yeah¡­ Knight of Light, let us have fun together," Silver Knights Rion and Kotomi said.

    So, the groups were decided.

    Seiji sent Yukari a private message telling her the time and ce to meet up, then recalled how there was still one more person sort of going along with him.

    ''Should I exin it to her?'' Seiji thought about it.

    He sent a message to his sister Hana, and received a response soon after.

    "What is it, my familiar?"

    "Master, I would like to introduce you to mypanions that are participating in the holy battle together with me."

    "No."

    "Why?"

    "It''ll be easy for me to be defeated if my real name is revealed!"

    "It''s not like you''re a heroic spirit¡­ then no name, just your identity."

    "No to that as well! I want topletely hide myself in the darkness."

    "Then how should I exin things to them?"

    "You only need to tell them that you''re streaming."

    "I''ve never told them about the streaming before¡­"

    "That''s your problem."

    Hana didn''t want to be introduced to Seiji''s panions." Even she didn''t know why this was, nor did she know how to describe it, but she simply didn''t want to.

    Seiji felt rather helpless about it, and could only think about how he could exin the streaming to Yukari, Chiaki, Mika, and Kaho without mentioning his younger sister''s name and identity.

    At this moment, Hisashi mentioned in the chat group that he wanted to meet Hoshi and the twin sisters, but the twins refused.

    "I don''t mind meeting with Sweet Pig Knight, but Silver Knight¡­ doesn''t want to, so my apologies." Hoshi apologized to Hisashi.

    "Why is this humble one continually rejected? Silver Knight! We''repanions, so we should meet each other sincerely and improve our rtionship!" Hisashi said all spiritedly.

    "Because I think that there will be a certain physiological danger to me," Rion and Kotomi replied.

    "What the hell is physiological danger supposed to be referring to!?" Hisashi was astonished.

    "My brother is a man who brings physiological danger to others. I truly apologize for his sake." Kaede sent an apologetic emoticon.

    "My dear sister? Just what exactly do you mean!?"

    "With his brains, my brother will be unable toprehend. You only need to know that you are a regrettable existence."

    "But why!?" Hisashi sent an emoticon of receiving an impact and not knowing why.

    "I think that Sweet Pig Knight is a good person¡­ probably," Hoshi said.

    "Ohh¡­ Knight of Light!!" Hisashi sent an emoticon that was moved to tears.

    The chat group was quite chaotic.

    Seiji brought Yukari, Mika, and Chiaki into a private chat room.

    "I have something to mention¡­"

 Chapter 368 - â€œHidden Characterâ€

    <h4>Chapter 368: "Hidden Character"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "Before I begin, I would like to call that other female ssmate over as well. Knight of Ice and Fire, how would you like to face her?"

    "My name will be ''Hiyoko,'' no, let''s go with ''Reiko'' instead! I''m an otaku girl that got to know you all on the inte." Yukari sent a sunsses-wearing emoticon, and changed her username that was shown in the chat group.

    "Alright, let''s go with that, then." Seiji agreed.

    Then, he contacted Kaho, and invited her inte username, "Lavender", into the chat group, and introduced "Reiko" to her.

    "Hello, Lavender-san. You can just call me Reiko." Yukari greeted Kaho.

    "Hello¡­ Reiko. You can just call me Lavender as well," Kaho responded.

    "With this, everyone that''s going is here. And, what I have to say is about a ''hidden character.''" Seiji sent this message in the group chat. "Actually, I have one more inte friend who wants to go to the doujinshi convention together with me, but she doesn''t want to go outside, so she asked me to stream the convention event to her, and she''ll be the only spectator¡­ She''s going to go along with me in such a fashion.

    "This inte friend is important to me, and I agreed to her request. Of course, you''ll probably be on my stream and she''ll see you all.

    "I wanted to tell you about her identity, but she doesn''t want to let it be known, so¡­ my apologies." Seiji also sent an apologetic emoticon.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "It feels slightly unpleasant to only have us being the ones watched," Chiaki said directly.

    "I feel so as well, it doesn''t seem so good," Mika agreed.

    "I¡­ don''t think it''s good, either," Kaho said.

    ''As I expected, they''re not too happy with it,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    "Reiko, what do you think?" He sent Yukari a private message.

    "I''m hiding myself as well, so I''m not in a position to say anything," was Yukari''s response.

    "Then, overall it would seem that this isn''t a particrly happy thing for anyone, and I sincerely apologize." Seiji sent another apologetic emoticon. "This inte friend of mine is truly important to me, and I''d like for her to be able to go with me in this fashion. If you don''t wish to be seen by her, I''ll take extra care to make sure the camera doesn''t show any of you."

    "Rather than saying that I don''t want to be seen, it''s more that I''m not pleased about not being able to see her." Chiaki sent an emoticon of eyesses shing. "If she doesn''t want to go outside, that means she''s probably a hikkikomori . And why is it that she''s not willing to reveal her identity?"

    "I don''t know; she only said that she didn''t want to," Seiji responded.

    "With this type of feeling, that means that her identity is somewhat sensitive." Chiaki sent an emoticon that was adjusting its eyesses. "More urately speaking, she thinks it''s sensitive, while you don''t seem to mind so much¡­ And you''re saying that she''s really important to you¡­ And you''re continuing to insist on doing this even if we''re not happy about it¡­"

    "I got it! Seigo, this hidden character that you view as important to you, is actually your rtive!" Chiaki sent a sharp emoticon of ''I''ve deduced the truth!''

    "A famous detective has appeared!" Yukari widened her eyes.

    "Chiaki¡­ is amazing." Mika sighed in exmation.

    "A rtive¡­ is that really true?" Kaho was curious.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I can neither confirm or deny." After remaining silent for a while, he responded like this.

    "I understand. Now, I''ll mention that I don''t mind being seen on the stream, and it doesn''t matter to me either if she knows my name and identity." Chiaki smiled.

    "Is that really fine?"

    "Yeah, although I think it''s rather regrettable to be unable to meet this girl that you think is so important to you, Seigo. But, it''s fine to have her know about me first."

    "Thank you, Chiaki."

    "No need to be polite."

    After Chiaki said so, Mika followed her lead said the same thing as well.

    Yukari also indicated that she was fine with being shown on stream to this mysterious girl, but she purposefully didn''t mention anything about her name and identity.

    After some thought, Kaho also mentioned that she didn''t object to being shown on stream, but said that there was no need to mention her name or identity.

    Seiji thanked them all and breathed a sigh of relief.

    Later that night, in Reo''s soul realm.

    Seiji inspected his system.

    After he learned [Beginner-level Healing], his dating sim system gave him many new options, such as new spells, new items, and¡­ new martial arts techniques!

    Until now, he only had his special reward, [Demon Slice¡ªFirst Form] that he had received before for killing an undead creature with a sword. Now, he had the two additional options of [Beginner-level Punching Techniques] and [Beginner-level Footwork].

    After carefully reading through these options, Seiji felt that both of these were a priority for him to learn, since they were the basics after all.

    Since his goal was to be a Yin-Yang Master, [Spells] were obviously the most important, but he wanted to learn proper [Martial Arts] through his system as well, at least to the extent where he didn''t have any obvious weaknesses.

    He didn''t know if he would be able to use [Beginning-level Punching Techniques] together with [Lightning Strike]. In other words, he wondered if the [Martial Arts] category in his system could ovep with his [Fighting] techniques.

    If it was possible tobine them, that meant even more possibilities as well as stronger power. That was what Seiji believed.

    After that, he began cultivating the [Beginner-level Punching Techniques]!

    The next day, Seiji modified the description of the antagonist in his story based on Demon Soldier Sensei''s drawing and emailed the modified draft to Editor Yoshizawa before concentrating on drawing.

    Later that afternoon, Editor Yoshizawa sent him the draft for drawing artwork for his own story. After he looked through it, he went out to have it printed, signed the contract, and mailed it to Editor Yoshizawa.

    Now that the contract was set, things only depended on his speed. The faster that hepleted all the insert art and cover for his story, the faster that Brother Monogatari would be able to be published.

    However, what Seiji didn''t know was that the fact that hepeted with Demon Soldier Sensei in order to take over the right to draw for Brother Monogatari had be a hot topic in Thunderbolt Literature!

    When Saki contacted Demon Soldier Sensei about canceling his job to draw for Brother Monogatari , she reported this to her team leader.

    Her team leader was astonished.

    Since Head Editor Hattori viewed the story Brother Monogatari with high importance, the team leader decided to pass on the news, which astonished the head editor as well.

    And so, Saki was called over to Head Editor Hattori in order to exin what happened.

    This naturally attracted the idle bystanders¡­ er, the editors'' attention, and so they all tried to find out what happened, and in the end, everyone was astonished.

    This was too ridiculously amazing!

    The author himself stole the artist''s job¡­ a first-rate artist, at that, the author stole the artist''s drawing job from him, which was basically unbelievable!

    While there were some authors that indeed drew for their own stories, they were rather few in number. And, when a first-rate artist had been hired to draw for the story already, but the author suddenly saying that he wanted to draw for his own story and forcibly defeating the artist in a directpetition in order to steal away the right to draw¡­ had anyone here ever heard of such a thing before?

    Nobody had.

    Nobody in Thunderbolt Literature had ever heard of such an event happening! Including even the veteran Head Editor Hattori!!

    This was quite eye-opening.

    "An artpetition¡­ Such a hot-blooded scene actually happened in real life."

    "Demon Soldier Sensei is first-rate at drawing light novel insert art, and Shore Sensei actually won¡­"

    "He''s so good at both writing and drawing¡­ isn''t he still only a high school student?"

    "That''s right, he''s indeed a high school student, and he''s only in his first year of high school! I saw his information profile before, and it said that he was sixteen years old."

    "Could it be fake? Perhaps the real person who drew wasn''t Shore Sensei at all. Or perhaps¡­''Idle Dimension by the Shore'' is only an alias, and the real person who''s writing and drawing are both different people."

    "Stop imagining ridiculous things! You must have read too many novels; wake up already."

    "Such a scene, and an author that''s like a main character¡­ just wow."

    The editors kept discussing and eximing at what had happened.

    Idle Dimension by the Shore. This young high school author became a legend within the industry before he was even published.

 Chapter 369 - Could That Really Be the Truth?

    <h4>Chapter 369: Could That Really Be the Truth?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Later that night, Seiji purchased some desserts on the way and arrived at the Fuuma family''s residence.

    He rang the doorbell, and it wasn''t long before the door was opened up by a little blue-haired girl wearing a one-piece dress.

    "Onii-san, wee."

    "Hello, Fuuma-chan." Seiji smiled.

    Airi''s face flushed slightly red upon seeing his smile.

    "Please¡­ pleasee in."

    "Sorry for the intrusion."

    Seiji entered the Fuuma residence.

    He saw a rather handsome blue-haired middle-aged man with slicked-back hair who wearing casual attire in the living room.

    "Nice to meet you, Harano-kun. Wee." He greeted Seiji with a husky voice. "My name is Hiroto Fuuma¡­ Thank you so much for your help at that time."

    "Nice to meet you, Fuuma-san. No need to be so polite. I just did what I should have," Seiji responded. He recognized this voice as belonging to the man who had talked to him on the phone before.

    He gave Hiroto Fuuma the desserts he brought over as a present, and Hiroto Fuuma politely epted, before asking him to sit on the sofa and personally pouring some tea for him.

    "Airi, call Hiroshi over here for me."

    The little girl nodded and was about to go when her older brother appeared by himself.

    "Hello, Harano-san¡­ wee." Hiroshi Fuuma arrived at the living room and greeted him. His expression was slightly cold and distant, but he was polite enough on the surface.

    "Hello, Fuuma-san. I''m happy to see that you''re fine now," Seiji said to him. He felt that Hiroshi looked much better thanst time, and at least had a normal person''splexion now.

    "Thank you for your assistance." Hiroshi thanked him by bowing.

    "You should say ''I''m truly grateful,''" Hiroshi''s middle-aged father Hiroto told him in a rather strict tone. "Bow deeper, and use a sincere attitude!"

    "It''s not necessary¡­" Seiji felt there was no need.

    "No, it''s necessary." Hiroto looked towards Seiji. "He needs to express his gratitude for more than one thing alone. Before the incident happened, you were concerned about Hiroshi''s condition and went to the trouble of bringing him back home, helping him avoid any idents, which is another debt he owes you. If it wasn''t for you, Hiroshi might not even be standing here anymore¡­ He has to thank you properly for that."

    Seiji remained silent.

    To be honest, if he didn''t drag Hiroshi away when Hiroshi was almost about to be hit by a truck and sent to another dimension, Hiroshi really might have died.

    After hearing what Hiroto Fuuma said, Seiji figured that Hiroshi''s father didn''t know about the truck ident that almost urred, but thought of the possibility¡­ which meant that Hiroshi Fuuma didn''t mention anything about the near brush with the truck.

    "¡­I''m truly grateful for your help!"

    With his father pressuring him, Hiroshi bowed again, this time at a ny-degree angle as he spoke loudly.

    "No need to be polite, Fuuma-san."

    Although Seiji still felt like Hiroshi wasn''t being very sincere, it didn''t matter too much to him. It was fine as long as they went through the motions.

    Hiroto was still rather unsatisfied with his son''s behavior, but didn''t say anything else, and allowed Hiroshi to sit.

    "Could I ask, at the time¡­ why was Fuuma-san in such a condition?" Seiji asked the question that he had been wondering about.

    Hiroshi remained silent.

    "About this question, I''ll exinter to you, Harano-kun," Hiroto said. "For the time being, let''s talk about something else."

    During dinner, Seiji met Hiroshi and Airi''s mother, Aiko Fuuma.

    She had dark blue hair pinned on top of her head and beautiful red eyes. She had a sweet appearance, and dimples would appear by her lips when she smiled, which were quite beautiful.

    Airi greatly resembled her mother. Seiji figured Airi would grow up to look like her mother.

    The food was abundant and delicious. Seiji had fun chatting with the Fuuma parents as well as Airi during dinner.

    Hiroshi, however, was obviously rather grim and dark, and barely spoke at all. Hiroto noticed his son''s behavior and had a helpless expression.

    After dinner, Hiroshi immediately returned to his room.

    Airi helped her mother in cleaning up the table and washing the dishes.

    Hiroto led Seiji to his study.

    He had Seiji sit down in the study''s sofa and poured some tea for Seiji. After he poured some tea for himself as well, he sat down and slowly took a sip before speaking.

    "About what you asked earlier, I''ll answer you now¡­ Hiroshi changed into the way he is now because of a strange girl."

    "A strange girl?" Seiji blinked at this.

    The middle-aged father took out his cell phone and showed Seiji a picture saved on his cell phone.

    The picture was one of Hiroshi Fuuma together with a beautiful girl.

    This girl had shiny brown curly hair, light red eyes, and bright red lips. On her beautiful face, she was smiling faintly and ambiguously, and her eyes and even her very aura seemed obviously seductive.

    "She''s the girlfriend that Hiroshi started going out with at the beginning of this month¡­ ording to him, she came over and started flirting with him when he was walking by himself on the street, which was their first meeting," Hiroto exined in a low voice. "She called herself Riko Aoda, and was supposedly a first-year student at Tomosei High School, and a member of their drama club.

    "She saw Hiroshi''s performance as the Ice Prince during Genhana High School''s festival performance and felt that he did a great job, giving her a good impression of him. That was why she worked up the courage to talk to him when they coincidentally met on the street.

    "After that, she met with Hiroshi every day and was extremely proactive in the rtionship. A few dayster, she brought up the idea of formally going out with Hiroshi as boyfriend and girlfriend, and then¡­ that very weekend, the two of them began to start having sex with each other."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to all this.

    He recalled the so-called "truth" that the short red-haired boy named Nakajima had mentioned during the drama club''s study group.

    Was that really the truth after all?

    "They did it many times with each other, and met each other on two days before the incident as well, on Monday¡­ and on Tuesday, the day before the incident, as you know already, Hiroshi fainted due to excessive fatigue."

    The middle-aged father had no expression on his face as he said this.

    ''It really was the truth after all!'' Seiji tugged at his lips.

    "I was on a business trip at the time, and although Aiko noticed that something was off about Hiroshi, when she asked him about it, he lied to her. After he fainted, he didn''t say anything about it whatsoever, and met with that girl on that same night.

    "Then, on Wednesday, that incident you know of happened." Hiroto''s gaze suddenly became much sharper. "After I learned what happened, I immediately canceled my business trip and rushed back on the next day, questioning Hiroshi about what exactly happened.

    "At first, he wouldn''t even tell me. Only when I got angry and forced him did he finally say what was going on.

    "He said that he was dazed at the time, and was under the impression that it was his girlfriend Riko Aoda who was approaching him, which was why he pushed down his younger sister¡­ I continued asking him about things and made him tell me everything.

    "I felt that there was something off about this girl named Riko Aoda, so I told Hiroshi to contact her, and call her over for a meeting.

    "However, when he called her, we found out that her cell phone number was no longer in service! It was the same result no matter how many times he tried.

    "I felt then that Hiroshi had met with a scammer, but Hiroshi said that she never asked for anything from him. I confiscated Hiroshi''s cell phone, and had Aiko watch him as I went over to Tomosei High School, trying to see if I could find this girl.

    "What I found out was, there wasn''t any girl currently at Tomosei High School by the name of ''Riko Aoda.'' However, there was one by that name ten years ago and that student¡­mitted suicide within that school."

    Seiji furrowed his brows slightly at this.

    "Ten years ago¡­ suicide?"

    "Yes. My first reaction was, Hiroshi met with some girl that pretended to be this deceased student. The high school teacher at Tomosei High School that I talked to was of the same opinion, and was quite angered that someone would use a dead student''s name like that." Hiroto had a grave expression. "However, when I showed that teacher the picture of Hiroto together with this girl, that teacher''s expression greatly changed and he was obviously astonished.

    "He had taught Riko Aoda ten years ago and was even one of the witnesses to her suicide. And¡­ this girl in the picture with my son Hiroshi, just happens to look exactly like Riko Aoda!"

 Chapter 370 - Can I Call You Seigo Senpai?

    <h4>Chapter 370: Can I Call You Seigo Senpai?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    There was a moment of silence in Hiroto''s study.

    "Could she be a rtive of some sort?" Seiji tried posing a question.

    "I think so as well." Hiroto nodded. "If I tried to continue investigating, that''s a good ce to start from, but I think there''s no more need. She canceled her cell phone number, and her name and identity were obviously fake. She pretended to be someone who had died ten years ago¡­ No matter who this girl is, that''s more than enough for me to forbid my son from going out with her again.

    "I deleted her cell phone number and picture from my son''s cell phone and told him that she was a scammer who was pretending to be someone who had died many years ago. Although I don''t know what her objective is, she''s definitely not anyone proper, and he''s forbidden from meeting her anymore, and he is to adamantly refuse to talk to her anymore andpletely avoid her.

    "Hiroshi obviously doesn''t want to do this, and he only agreed to do so on the surface due to my pressure.

    "Aiko and I have continually been watching him, and haven''t noticed anything abnormal from him recently, nor have we seen that girl around him."

    The middle-aged father looked at the teenage boy.

    "Harano-kun, I''m telling you all this, not only to answer your question, but also in hope that you''ll be on your guard. If you see this girl, pay attention to not have anything to do with her¡­ don''t be like Hiroshi is currently."

    His tone was filled with concern of an elder towards a junior.

    Seiji smiled at this. "Thank you for your concern, Fuuma-san. I shall be cautious."

    After Seiji left Hiroto''s study, he was invited by Airi to her room.

    Seiji went to her room and chatted with her just likest time.

    "Onii-san, I''m going to go to Genhana Middle School starting from next year, and at that time¡­ Can I go to the high school section to look for you?" Airi asked while hugging herrge Milk Cream Bunny plushie.

    "Of course," Seiji responded. "I''ll be quite happy to have a cute juniore looking for me."

    ''Cute¡­'' Airi''s heart kept pounding when she heard him call her that.

    "Then¡­ Can I call you Seigo Senpai?"

    Not Harano Senpai, but Seigo Senpai.

    Seiji thought about it, and felt that it was just a way of addressing him, and he didn''t mind too much either way, so he answered with "Sure."

    ''Nice!'' Inside her mind, Airi clenched her fist in a victory pose.

    "You can call me ''Airi'' as well," she said while riding along the momentum.

    "Okay, Airi-chan."

    The little girl embarrassedly covered half of her face with the plushie when she heard him calling her by name, and she was smiling in a silly manner.

    Seiji looked towards her.

    "Airi-chan, how''s your current rtionship with your brother?"

    The little girl paused in surprise for a moment, and then her expression became slightly downcast.

    "Brother apologized to me, and I apologized to Brother as well, but¡­ I''m still a little scared of him, and feel like something''s different about him."

    "So, the rtionship between you is a bit colder than before, is that right?"

    Airi nodded.

    After that type of incident, it was probably difficult to recover a normal sibling rtionship within a short time, especially with the older brother still being in such an unusual state. Seiji thought of Hiroshi Fuuma''s expression and behavior and figured that Hiroshi had probably remained like this during the entire time after the incident.

    Was that girl really just a scammer? Was she someone with "mystical" powers? Did she go out with Hiroshi and have sex with him in order to do something like absorb his spiritual essence?

    He still couldn''t see anything when he used [Astral Vision] to inspect Hiroshi Fuuma. At least, he wasn''t cursed or anything on the surface.

    That girl canceled her phone number and hadn''t contacted him again, so this seemed like it was over.

    "After some time passes, and your brother recovers, you can slowly work on your rtionship with him," Seiji told her. "It was his fault for doing that to you, but maybe he''s also a victim of sorts as well."

    Airi nodded once again.

    "My dad told me that Brother became strange because of a bad girl''s influence."

    Well, it would be good if she was just a normal bad girl.

    "Has your dad showed you that girl''s picture before?"

    "He has. He told me that if I meet her anywhere, that I should avoid her. And if I see her together with Brother, I should use my cell phone to call him or mom immediately."

    "Do as your father says," Seiji told her as he thought things over. "Apart from this, call me as well¡­ Perhaps I''ll be able to do something."

    Airi blinked at this.

    "Seigo Senpai, you''re concerned about what that bad girl is up to?"

    "Yeah¡­ Because I think that she might not be an ordinary person."

    "Not an ordinary person?"

    "It''s not convenient for me to exin, and there''s no need for you to know." Seiji smiled. "At any rate, if you see her, please let me know."

    "Okay¡­" Airi didn''t really understand, but she agreed.

    Afterwards, they chatted for a while longer.

    Then, Seiji felt it was time to go, so he left and said goodbye.

    Before he left, Hiroto Fuuma gave him an exquisite gift box. He only said that it was a small present, and didn''t say what it was.

    Seiji politely epted the present and said goodbye to the Fuuma family members and left like that.

    After returning home, he opened up the gift box to find inside a set of exquisite high-ss tea utensils. He decided to look it up on the inte and found out that this tea set was worth almost 200,000 sakuras, which was quite a serious present for any normal family.

    Shika washed the newly opened tea utensils, and made tea using them.

    After the tea was ready, Seiji drank some tea together with her and discussed his n to go to the doujinshi convention tomorrow.

    Shika was no longer as worried about her "Reaper''s Curse" afflicting her as she used to be, but she still needed to avoid ces where people were dense and inrge numbers, so she didn''t intend to go.

    "If you''re interested, you can watch my stream. If there''s anything you want me to buy for you, let me know," Seiji told her.

    Basically, he was going to have Shika share the stream with Hana and watch the doujinshi convention¡­ Did this count as taking two more girls with him?

    Shika nodded in agreement.

    The next day.

    Seiji put on his backpack and outfitted himself with the high-quality outdoors streaming equipment before leaving his apartment.

    He knocked on the Uehara family''s residence, and Mika came out. She paused for a moment when she saw all the streaming equipment on him.

    "I still haven''t begun streaming," Seiji smiled. "The batteries are limited, so I''ll only start streaming when I arrive."

    "Oh¡­" Mika rxed at hearing this.

    The two of them headed together towards the ce where everyone had agreed to meet up: an intersection near the business area.

    When they arrived, they saw that Kaho was waiting there already.

    After greeting each other, the three of them waited for a while, and Chiaki and Yukari arrived.

    Yukari was wearing a ck windbreaker and a white breathing mask as well as sunsses and a wool hat,pletely covering her face.

    ''So this is what she meant by pletely disguising herself¡­'''' Seiji felt as if he was looking at himself from the day of the Winter Snow Festival.

    "Good morning, everyone, I''m Reiko." Yukari greeted them in an upbeat tone, before looking towards Kaho. "You must be Lavender, right? Hello, nice to meet you."

    "Hello¡­ Nice to meet you." Kaho looked at her and blinked as she responded.

    "You don''t need to mind. Although she''s covering herself up like this, she''s a good person¡­ Probably." Chiaki smiled as she said so.

    "The word ''probably'' is unnecessary!" Yukari retorted.

    "Everyone''s here, so let''s get going," Seiji told them.

 Chapter 371 - Welcome to the holy battle, newcomers

    <h4>Chapter 371: Wee to the holy battle, neers</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The venue for the doujinshi convention was a modernrge showroom, which included a unique looking building that resembled several pyramids connected together.

    This entire ce had sufficient space for over ten thousand disys, but even so, there still weren''t enough spaces. There were just too many groups and individuals that applied for spaces for their stalls, and they even had to go through a lottery system to receive a space.

    There were many stalls, and even more participants. In the three days that this doujinshi convention would go on for, the total number of people entering would easily surpass five hundred thousand! The most vivid disy of the number of people woulde from the long, long lines that people had to wait in.

    "So many people¡­"

    "That''s such a long line; just how long will they have to wait for?"

    This was Mika and Chiaki''s first ever time seeing such a scene, and they widened their eyes in surprise.

    Although they were somewhat mentally prepared, when they saw the teeming hoards of people and the scarily long lines, the two of them were still astonished.

    Not only that, people continuously added themselves to the end of the line, further increasing the scarily long length.

    "Hurry up and get in line!" Seiji rushed at the forefront.

    "Follow his lead!" Yukari followed after him, and Kaho who also had experience with doujinshis silently followed as well.

    Mika and Chiaki regained their senses and hurriedly followed.

    Their small group instantly rushed to the back of the line and carved out a small space for themselves.

    After Mika and Chiaki stood in their ce in line, they turned around to look behind them, and saw many people, male and female,ing over to stand in line behind them¡­

    "Wee to the holy battle, neers," Yukari saidughingly. "This is just the most ordinary scene of battle. Before all this, there were even fierce warriors that would wait all night beforehand in order to be the first to enter and have a chance at buying the most precious, limited-edition goods in short supply. The doujinshi convention doesn''t rmend doing so, and has even forbidden it in the past. But even though the convention forbade lining up on the previous night, fierce warriors would simply spend the night at a nearby location, so the ban was lifted in the end. The way things currently are,pared to those fierce warriors'' battle, is much more rxing."

    "Waiting in such a line is called ''rxing?''" Chiaki turned to look at Yukari. "I feel like going home already¡­"

    "This is a major even that only ''warriors'' with passion and belief can enjoy, which is why we call it the ''holy battle,''" Yukari shrugged. "As for ordinary people that aren''t ''warriors,'' it is a bit much."

    ''If you don''t want to have a difficult time here, then go back now.'' There was that faint undertone in her words.

    Chiaki blinked at this.

    "I''m here already, so it''ll feel like I''ve lost if I turn around and go back now."

    ''I shall persist.'' That was the meaning that she responded with.

    "I''ve prepared heat pads as well as water here, so if you need anything, let me know," Seiji told them. "During the time that we''re in line, we can browse the convention''s website on our cell phones to see everything that''s for sale, and confirm what we want to buy. That''ll make things quicker when we go inside to look around."

    The moment he finished saying that, he heard his cell phone beeping.

    That was a notification from his chatting application.

    Seiji opened his chatting application and saw that it was a message from his sister Hana.

    "So slow! My familiar, why haven''t you started streaming yet?"

    "I just arrived, and am currently waiting in line."

    "Too slow! You should have waited in linest night to be among the first to enter."

    "I could have done that if I was by myself, but I havepanions¡­"

    "Companions are a burden, and only by abandoning them can you be stronger!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    His NEET younger sister just said something that resembled a ssical line a viin would say.

    "Don''t say something so overboard like that. As a hero, I couldn''t possibly do so!"

    "This is an order from your master!"

    "You don''t know the right incantation, so I refuse to follow your orders."

    "You¡­ a mere familiar dares to resist against me!"

    "Let''s stop messing around, master. Go ahead and watch some anime or something, and I''ll begin streaming when I enter the convention."

    Seiji closed his conversation window and put away his cell phone.

    "You were talking to that person who wanted you to stream?" Chiaki asked.

    All the other girls looked at him as well.

    "Yes."

    "What did she say?"

    "She was just asking why I haven''t started streaming yet, and I told her I would begin after I went inside the convention."

    "Oh¡­"

    Their group slowly moved forward in the line.

    Judging by the current rate, it would take about an hour for them to finally be able to enter the convention.

    "I''m quite interested in the Shaloha Company''s games, and would really like to buy their newest game. I hope that there are still a few copies remaining¡­ What are you guys interested in buying?" Seiji began a topic of conversation.

    And so, everyone began chatting in order to pass the time while waiting in line.

    "Reiko" was Yukari Asamiya.

    Kaho recognized her by her voice.

    When Yukari was confessing to Seigo, Kaho had been secretly spying on them, so Yukari left a deep impression on her.

    Afterward, she heard some rumors that although Seigo didn''t agree to go out with Yukari, they became close friends¡­ something like this.

    She never expected that the "Princess" of Year 1 ss 3 was actually an otaku girl!

    Yukari didn''t want others to know that she was an otaku, which was why she concealed her true identity. Kaho understood.

    Kaho wondered, should she pretend that she didn''t find anything out and silently keep Yukari''s secret? Or, should she tell Yukari that she discovered Yukari''s identity, and then promise to keep it a secret?

    If she told Yukari, Kaho would also have to exin how she even knew Yukari and had such a deep impression of her. But, to tell Yukari that she was spying on her during her confession¡­ that was rather awkward.

    She didn''t want to bring this up, so she decided to silently keep Yukari''s identity a secret, as a way of apologizing for secretly spying on Yukari''s confession that time.

    And so, she set this matter aside. What Kaho really concerned herself about the most was that Seigo and the others were discussing how they were currently creating a dating sim game together.

    Hearing this topic, Kaho impulsively wanted to join in and create the game together with Seigo, but she couldn''t think of anything that she could do.

    Even though this was clearly a chance to help him out, she didn''t have the ability to do so.

    At this moment, Kaho hated how she was a consumer otaku girl, without any specialties that could be helped in production.

    It was time for her to do something as well.

    The person she idolized not only became published as an author, he even gathered hispanions to work on a game together, and would definitely progress farther and farther in the future.

    If she was unable to help him¡­ basically, if she was unable to improve her own level and follow in his footsteps, she would definitely be left by the roadside. Or, at the very most, she wouldn''t be anything more than an ordinary friend.

    She had to work harder.

    In order to help him¡­ no, for her own sake!

    ''He believes that I''m an outstanding girl who can be an excellent person in the future. And, I believe in him that believes in me, and want to be an excellent person who can be of assistance to him in the future.''

    Something shed in Kaho''s eyes as she considered what she should do.

    Time passes, and their small group continued to the front of the line. Finally, it was Seiji and his friends'' turn to enter the convention.

    Things were a lot morefortable after entering the convention.

    "Ahh, that was so hard, waiting so long in line in winter weather." Chiaki rubbed her cheeks. "My face is almost frozen solid."

    "Congrattions, neer! You''ve already passed the entrance examination, and have be a novice warrior." Yukari congratted her.

    "Thank you. Although, I don''t particrly feel happy about it."

    "The fun part is just beginning," Seiji said.

    He turned on the camera attached to him and connected to the convention''s wireless inte and began streaming. He set a password to make his stream private, and then sent the password to Hana and Shika.

    "My stream is online. Can you see it, Master?" Seiji sent a message to Hana.

    "I can see it, idiot familiar."

    Hana saw Seiji''s panions" through his stream.

 Chapter 372 - â€œA National Idol Is Together with Meâ€¦â€

    <h4>Chapter 372: ¡°A National Idol Is Together with Me¡­¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The first person that Hana saw was a strange girl who was wearing a ck windbreaker, a breathing mask, sunsses, and a wool hat, covering her face entirely.

    "Is this person covering her face an idol or a pervert?" Hana asked.

    "Don''t say something so bad like calling her a pervert. She just doesn''t want to reveal her identity," Seiji responded.

    "Normally, those who don''t want to reveal their identities are either famous idols or some type of pervert."

    "This way of looking at things is too extreme!" Seiji felt as if he had been included in this category as well as he recalled his attire for the Winter Snow Festival. "If you must, she''s closer to the idol category."

    "Could she be Miyuki Sakuraku?"

    "A national idol is together with me¡­ no way! This isn''t a television drama or some variety show."

    "If that''s Miyuki, I''m going to tell everyone on the inte immediately."

    "You''re so terrible!"

    If a national idol really did disguise herself ande to such an event, and was found out about it, that would definitely cause a hugemotion, which was no joke at all.

    "She''s a girl that I met on the inte, and is somewhat famous in her own profession. Her inte name is Reiko."

    "Is she in the adult video profession?"

    "No! Stop guessing, she just doesn''t want to say, which is different from you who doesn''t want to reveal your identity."

    "Hmph¡­ What about the girl to her right?" Hana looked over at the girl wearing a pink wool cap and wearing a warm winter jacket.

    This girl was cute, but was only at an ordinary level.

    Hana paid quite a lot of attention to the fact that Seiji had previously described hispanions by saying "I think they''re quite beautiful," but now that she saw the real people in question, they were like this¡­

    At this moment, the camera moved as Seiji moved, and a beautiful girl with amber eyes and pigtails entered the stream.

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    Why did the style suddenly change!?

    This pigtailed girl was obviously at a different level from the girl wearing the pink wool cap. It was as if a manga''s style had suddenly changed from a 4-koma to a romance manga. This was a bright and shiny youthful beautiful girl who would definitely be flirted with if she was walking alone on the street.

    Seiji told her that the girl in the pink wool cap was also his inte friend, whose username was Lavender.

    But Hana was no longer paying attention to Lavender. Her focus turned to the beautiful girl with pigtails.

    "Who is this with the pigtails? Didn''t you say that you were only going with two others?"

    "At the time, I was only going with two others, but two more came alongter," Seiji exined. "As for this person, she''s my neighbor as well as my ssmate, Mika Uehara."

    Neighbor¡­ ssmate¡­ Hana''s eyes twitched when she heard this.

    At this moment, the camera moved again and showed her a silver-haired beauty next to the pigtailed girl.

    This girl had a handsome face and seemed somewhat boyish, but was still doubtlessly a girl. She was currently smiling at the camera.

    "Are you currently filming me?" Chiaki made a pose as if she was an idol doing a photography shoot.

    "Yes, I''m currently giving simple introductions of you all to her," Seiji exined.

    "Is the microphone on?"

    "Not yet."

    At Chiaki''s request, Seiji turned on the microphone.

    "Hello! I''m Chiaki Wakaba, Seigo''s ssmate and good friend. We''re such good friends that we''ve even slept together before~" The silver-haired beauty chuckled as she talked to the camera.

    "What!?"

    Not only was Hana on the other side of the stream astonished, Yukari and Kaho at the scene were also astonished.

    "Chiaki!"

    Seiji and Mika both red in unison at her.

    "More urately speaking, we''ve slept together under the same roof," Chiakiughed as she added that part.

    ''Oh¡­ no, even sleeping together under the same roof wasn''t a small matter!''

    "She only slept one night in my living room. Don''t make it sound so ambiguous," Seiji sighed.

    "Still, that''s under the same roof. By the way, I should mention that my current target is to sleep in the same bed as you~" Chiaki sent him a flirtatious expression.

    "Stop messing around!" Mika stopped her.

    "As you can see, she loves to joke around," Seiji said to Hana.

    There was no response.

    Seiji put on his Bluetooth headset, connected it to the inte, and requested a voice chat with Hana.

    "She''s an excellent candidate for a friend with benefits."

    After Hana epted the voice chat, her first sentence almost caused Seiji to choke.

    "I can tell that as long as you ask her, she''ll let you do her, so why don''t you try that outter?"

    "Try your face!"

    "Hmph¡­ Perverted familiar with no limits."

    "Why am I the one being insulted here?"

    "Because it''s the truth."

    "Truth, the hell!" Seiji energetically retorted.

    "What did she say?" Chiaki was quite curious.

    "No need to mind. Let''s begin looking around." Seiji forcefully ended this topic of conversation, and then looked around the convention.

    There were huge crowds of people inside, and through the waves of people, he could also make out countless stalls, various posters, products for sale, and decorations¡­

    "I hope that everything we want to buy still has stock remaining. Time to go!"

    Their group began their search.

    While waiting in line, they had already nned out what they wanted to buy, and scheduled an order to explore the convention in.

    However, they didn''t head directly for their targets, instead looking around as they walked towards their targets. If they saw any stall that interested them along the way, they would stop to take a look. If there was something anyone wanted, they could decide on their own to buy it or not.

    As they walked around and looked at everything, Seiji''s spirits gradually rose.

    Not only him, Yukari and Kaho got into high spirits as well.

    The three of them passionately discussed various products on disy here, and proactively purchased whatever interested them. Their eyes all seemed to be burning with mes, almost as if they were young children at an amusement park.

    Mika was influenced by them and her spirits began rising as well.

    After that, she discovered that not only were Seiji and the others in high spirits, everyone else¡­ Just about everyone they saw in the convention was filled with passion!

    People came to this convention due to their hobbies.

    Well, there might have been reasons other than hobbies foring here, buting here for their hobbies was definitely by far the main reason. Everyone had excited, lively expressions, and their spirits were all at the max¡­ that was the evidence.

    Mika felt something indescribable after realizing that she was in the midst of all this burning passion.

    All these groups and individuals'' stalls here were selling products that were personally created or crafted by them.

    They created these products to their own likes and sold them to others to pass on their passion.

    And as for the people buying these products, perhaps some of them were also creating products of their own, and maybe some of them would prepare to do so in the future¡­

    Their hobbies had been actualized here and were being transmitted from person to person. Everyone here epted others'' likes, and also transmitted their own likes to others. This was¡­ a world of its own!

    2-D. Mika thought about this term she had learned from Seiji before.

    She felt as if she came to a sudden realization and understood what it meant now.

    Before, Mika had been determined to like that which Seiji liked, and indeed made some progress thanks to Kaho''s assistance.

    But only at this moment did she truly understand what it was that Seiji liked, and why he was so passionate about it.

    The "something" that was hidden in anime, manga, games¡­ and other such forms that had iparable charisma for so many was finally faintly beginning to touch her.

    Although it was only a little, she had indeed touched it.

    Seiji was writing his story, drawing, writing his game script, making a game, and wanting to sell his game next summer at this convention¡­ the main reason for all this was for that "something!"

    Mika was unable to express it in words, nor did she need to express it.

    She already knew what it was that she needed to do, and she would begin to proactively do it more in the future.

    Right now, all she needed to do was face him, smile, and talk to him with her heartfelt emotions.

    Especially this one sentence -

    "This doujinshi convention is really interesting!"

 Chapter 373 - Observer

    <h4>Chapter 373: Observer</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Mika seemed to be really getting into things.

    Chiaki observed the change in her good friend.

    Mika was only influenced by everyone earlier into having higher spirits, but now she seemed like she was being passionate herself now as well. It was likely because she was affected by the atmosphere within this convention.

    Chiaki felt that this was a good thing.

    As for herself, although she felt that this event was nice, but it was just at the level of "nice" to her, and she even viewed herself as an observer more than a participant.

    Well, it wasn''t that she didn''t have any fun, and she indeed found things interesting here.

    There were cosyers naturally mixed in among the crowd and stall vendors here, and so many manga or anime doujinshi, essories, DVDs, drawings, and all sorts of products were for sale. Various types of people and their expressions and actions¡­ all of this was quite interesting.

    However, if Chiaki had been by herself, she wouldn''t have attended such an event.

    ''Seiji, Yukari, and Kaho¡­ any of them by themselves, probably would have participated in this.''

    That was the different between a true participant and an observer.

    During middle school, she had been in sports clubs, and she joined the drama club in high school. Although she felt that they were interesting, and she participated seriously in club activities, they were just at the level of normal likes for her, and she wasn''t as passionate about them as people who truly loved sports or acting.

    It was simr with her other hobbies as well. Although Chiaki was interested in many things, there wasn''t a single hobby of hers that she believed she would never give up on and like forever.

    That was why Chiaki even believed herself to be a "fake," while people like Seiji were "real," because they were able to truly shine.

    Although she believed this, she didn''t feel inferior about herself. "Fakes" had their own advantages, such as not being harmed too deeply because of getting too involved with anything.

    Mika¡­ was still somewhere in the middle between "fake" and "real," but would definitely be "real" in the future.

    Chiaki grinned when she saw some exquisitely drawn boys'' love doujinshi which caused her good friend to blush but still be unable to look away for a certain reason.

    "The main character of this one resembles Seigo." She picked up a boys'' love doujinshi andmented.

    "Yeah¡­ no no, he doesn''t look like him at all!" Mika''s face reddened even further.

    "I think they look really simr. Come, Seigo, make a pose exactly like the handsome boy on this cover."

    "I refuse." Seiji instantly rejected her.

    "I think they look simr as well, just try making this pose." Yukari added her voice to the conversation.

    "I think so as well¡­" Kaho''s eyes were shining as she also chirped in.

    "Familiar, I permit you to make this pose." Even Hana told him so through the voice chat.

    "I adamantly refuse!" Seiji resisted to the end.

    The stall vendor who appeared to be a female college student chuckled at this scene. Her eyes were shining as well from seeing this handsome boy who coincidentally resembled the male lead of the boys'' love doujinshi she had drawn.

    "If this customer is willing to make the same pose as the character on the cover, and allow me to take some pictures, I''ll give your group a 20% discount on this doujinshi."

    "Ohh, nice offer, Seigo, hurry up and do it!"

    "The hell with that! Is my chastity worth only 20%?" Seiji retorted energetically both verbally and in his mind.

    Due to his adamant refusal, everyone could only purchase the doujinshi at full price in the end. Yukari, Mika, Kaho, and Chiaki all purchased a copy of this boys'' love doujinshi, and even Hana requested Seiji to buy a copy for her.

    Seiji received some mental damage from this. But, he was fine as long as everyone was having fun.

    They chatted andughed as they explored the stalls and purchased things. Time passed joyously just like this.

    After they finished touring the vendors as nned, Seiji and his friends arrived at the cosy zone.

    Here, they would be able to witness various types of cosy, with some people dressing up as handsome boys or beautiful girls from anime and manga, and others dressing up as vicious viins or even strange shaped monsters. There were also game characters, movie characters, mascot characters,ical characters, ssical characters, and so on¡­ too many types to count.

    And more numerous than the cosyers, were all the perverts¡­ whoops, photographers taking pictures of the cosyers with cell phones, normal cameras, or even high-ss cameras.

    The sounds of shutters clicking were everywhere, and the cosyers kept making various poses and expressions as they allowed themselves to be photographed.

    Seiji and his friends participated in this as well, taking photos of the characters they were interested in, or even taking selfies together with the cosyers. Without realizing it, they split off from each other.

    As Seiji took pictures, he suddenly realized that he himself was also being taken pictures of?

    At first, it was only a few people, but gradually, more and more people were taking pictures of him, snap snap snap.

    "Er¡­ I''m not a cosyer, so please don''t take pictures of me."

    He made an exnation and those that heard him put down their cameras and smiled apologetically at him.

    However, there were still endless waves of new people that kept aiming their cameras at him.

    Seiji gave up helplessly after exining it a few times to no avail.

    "Haha, it''s your fault for being so handsome and attractive." Chiaki took a photo of him as well and chuckled as she walked up to him. "You really are quite excellent for modeling, so it''s no surprise at all that you''ll be everyone''s prey now that you''re in the cosying area."

    As she said so, she showed Seiji the picture she just took of him. The handsome boy in the photo had a helpless expression and seemed slightly downcast, as if it were a ssic scene from an idols'' television drama.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "This is still only from a cell phone camera''s picture. If someone takes a picture of you with a professional camera and just touches it up slightly, that''ll definitely be sufficient to fake you as being a television actor or even movie star," Chiakiughed. "I''m beginning to get scared of just how handsome you are¡­ why don''t you just go be an idol! If it''s you, I think that conquering the world won''t be only a dream~"

    "Stop being silly," Seiji sighed. "It''s just because this is the cosy area where taking photos is allowed and even encouraged, which is why they''re just taking photos of anyone they like the looks of. You were probably photographed as well, weren''t you?"

    That was indeed the case.

    Chiaki and Mika had both noticed themselves being photographed asionally. However, the times that this urred was obviously much lower than Seiji''s.

    "Even though you can obviously just depend on your face to live off of, you still want to write light novels and make a game and so on. You''re such a fool."

    "Yep, I''m just such a fool who likes these types of things. Perhaps being an idol will help me be sessful, but it''s not my type of thing." Seiji smiled as he looked around him. "Here, the cosyers mostlye here because they like to do such things. They aren''t idols, nor are they aiming to be idols. They''re only cosying because they like to do so. It''s what they like to do. I''m the same as them, I write and make games because I like to do so. In the future, I also want to draw manga, and if possible, I''d also like to make anime, make a movie, and make more and more¡­"

    Seeing the handsome boy in front of her be passionately heated, Chiaki impulsively wanted to use her cell phone to take another photo of him.

    ''You really are different, Seiji.''

    ''Even though you''re also like everyone else and act because of what you like, the result is different because of the different degree of liking. What you''re capable of aplishing is different.''

    ''Your passion is much deeper than most people, and what you''re capable of doing¡­ and where you''re capable of going, probably surpasses most ordinary people as well.''

    ''I shall watch you,'' Chiaki thought to herself. ''I shall watch what you make, and how good you''re able to make things¡­ I shall always watch you.''

    ''I am an observer.''

    ''And you, Seiji¡­ You''re the only existence that I want to always watch, until the end of my life.''

 Chapter 374 - Is This Bastard the Main Character of a Harem Manga!?

    <h4>Chapter 374: Is This Bastard the Main Character of a Harem Manga!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    Shika Kagura was sipping on some tea.

    More urately speaking, she was sipping on some tea while watching Seiji''s stream.

    Although she was unable to go together with him due to her "Reaper''s Curse," this method was fine as well.

    She also established a voice chat with Seiji over the inte on his chatting application, but didn''t say much. Basically, she only asked him to buy a few things that she was interested in.

    Some requests were too difficult for her to say out loud, so she didn''t tell him even though she wanted them. For example¡­ the hentai doujinshi of I Can''t Sleep When I''m Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister .

    Out of all the people that she saw together with her Brother Seiji, only the one called "Lavender" was someone she had never met before. It seemed that Lavender was simply an ordinary girl.

    Shika paid the most attention to Yukari Asamiya out of Seiji''spanions, but she paid even more attention to the person not shown, who was also watching the same stream as her, the other "younger sister"- Hana Haruta.

    Her Brother Seiji''s blood-rted younger sister, and the family member that "the previous Seiji" had harmed in the past.

    As Seiji''s adopted younger sister, Shika didn''t know how to describe her own feelings towards his blood-rted younger sister.

    She had never met or talked to Hana Haruta. She only knew that there was such a person.

    This "younger sister" that was important to her Brother Seiji¡­ if this was a light novel, did this count as a character ovep between her and Hana?

    Shika knew that she was important to Seiji, and it was obvious that Hana was as well.

    Between the two "younger sisters," which would be more important to her Brother Seiji?

    If he was asked this question, he would definitely answer with "you''re both important to me."

    Shika knew that she shouldn''t think too much into it, but she couldn''t help but imagine the scene of her meeting with Hana Haruta.

    But just imagining the beginning caused her to stop wanting to imagine it anymore.

    She felt like if they truly ever met, it definitely wouldn''t be pleasant¡­ probably.

    Hana Haruta was drinking some juice.

    More urately speaking, she was watching Seiji''s stream while drinking her juice.

    Her idiot familiar seemed to be having lots of fun together with his panions." She felt an indescribable feeling inside while watching such a scene.

    After she noticed that pretty much all the girls with him had more or less some romantic interest in her idiot familiar, the indescribable feeling within herself became even stronger.

    If she tried to describe this feeling with words, it would be something like -

    ''Is this bastard the main character of a harem manga!?''

    There was a tsundere girl next door type beautiful girl, an open-minded good friend jokester type beautiful girl, a in and cute type girl, and a mysterious type girl. Four girls of different types surrounded him, and they were all even getting along quite well. That was just too much for her!

    ''Why is it that I have to watch this stream that''s like a daily life harem anime?''

    ''Even if it is like a harem anime, at the very least there should be some infighting among the girls!''

    ''Where are all the secretly scheming girls? The bastard male lead getting hurt? Vicious arguments? Bloody battles?''

    ''There''s no fun scenes like these at all!''

    Hana wasn''t having fun¡­ and although she didn''t notice, she was already pouting.

    She recalled the green-haired loli and the blonde-haired maturedy ying video games at his apartmentst time that she saw on his stream. If she counted those two, then there were six in his harem.

    Right, there was also a beautiful girl living together with him, his "adopted younger sister," whose name was - Shika Kagura.

    It sounded like a poetic name. Just hearing this name made her imagine a gentle and quiet beautiful girl.

    He also sent this "adopted younger sister" of his the password to his stream, so that she could watch it as well.

    ''Why is it that you''re allowing her to watch? I was the one who bought all this streaming equipment, so it should be only for me!'' Hana wanted to say that, but ended up not doing so.

    That was because she felt like if she did say it out loud, she would lose at something.

    "Because of physical problems, she''s unable to go to ces where there are too many people, which is why I''m having her watch the doujinshi convention in the same manner as you." This was how her idiot familiar exined it to her.

    Physical problems¡­ Hana instantly added the description of "weak and sickly" to the "adopted younger sister" that she imagined.

    But, it was only her imagination, and she had no idea what type of girl Shika Kagura was really like. And due to some mysterious curiosity, she felt like she wanted to know.

    Ryuuno Izawa was paying close attention.

    Although he was somewhat worried about moving about separately from his master, he felt like his master was unlikely to meet with any danger here. Besides, the Yoruhana family daughter was also with her.

    After arriving at the convention, he single-handedlyid a trap¡­ whoops, openly and directly stayed here and watched everyone with his Astral Vision, constantly paying attention.

    As long as he saw his target, he was confident that he would instantly be able to recognize him.

    "As long as he''sing to visit the convention, no matter which areas that person and his friends go to, he''ll definitelye to the cosy area at some point in time, so Ryuuno, you only have to wait for him in the cosy area!" Those were his master''s words.

    Izawa had never seen that person''s true appearance before, but he was able to recognize him via Astral Vision. So, he agreed that it was reasonable for him to wait here and watch at a ce where that person would definitely pass by.

    However, what he felt was unreasonable was -

    *Click click click¡­* Many cameras kept taking photos of Izawa in quick session.

    Even though he was only standing there expressionlessly, without making any special poses or expressions, people still kept surrounding him without caring about that and endlessly snapping pictures of him.

    After one wave of people left in satisfaction, there would be another wave right behind them. This encirclement around him kept on recing itself in an orderly fashion, and had been ongoing for quite a while already.

    There were just too many people wanting to take photos of Izawa. In fact, one of the convention''s employees even took notice of this situation, and made a mental note toe help out and control the situation if it got out of control.

    Why were things like this?

    That was because Ryuuno Izawa was currently wearing a dark red, waist-length wig, with a dark purple extravagant Sakura Ind outfit iid with gold emblems, and there was a silver longsword strapped to his waist¡­ This appearance made him look like an expert cosyer. When coupled with his handsome appearance and cold expression, it made him look cool to the max.

    Not only that, his handsome face''s left eye had a triangr blood-colored spell formation within it which was currently turning¡­ this "special effect" seemed amazing to everyone!

    ''This cosyer is so faithful to the original!'' Everyone was inwardly thinking this.

    Even the people that didn''t know what character Izawa was cosying were attracted by such high-quality special effects. The ones that knew who he was cosying as were even more astonished by how excellent his cosy was.

    His clothes, items, expression, and essories¡­ everything was wless. They were so exquisite that they could be termed perfect!

    Everyone that saw him wanted to take a few pictures.

    There was an endless amount of people taking pictures of him, which bothered Izawa. He deeply felt that this arrangement of his master was quite unreasonable.

    "If you want to reasonably stay in the cosy area, of course you have to cosy!" When Kanna Fujihara said this, she had an incredibly big smile.

    Her smile was so bright, that Izawa couldn''t even bring himself to ask "Compared to cosying, wouldn''t it be more reasonable to pretend to be a normal bystander taking pictures?"

    He followed his master''s wishes, but now he was regretting it.

    ''Shiroya-san, please hurry up and appear already!''

    Izawa was feeling more and more like he needed to vent.

    Finally, his target appeared.

    When Izawa saw him and locked on to his target, he revealed a faint smile.

    This was his first time revealing any emotion after standing there expressionlessly for such a long while. His gentle smile instantly broke his impression of being cold and distant, causing the huge contrast to give an impact to all the people looking at him!

    "Ohh! This is it!! I absolutely have to take a photo of this scene!!!" All of the bystanders were shouting this within their hearts.

    *Click click click click¡­* A huge amount of cell phone and normal cameras taking photos filled this area.

 Chapter 375 - Isnâ€™t Thisâ€¦ Too Daring?

    <h4>Chapter 375: Isn¡¯t This¡­ Too Daring?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    An incredibly eye-catching cosyer walked over.

    When Seiji noticed and looked, his eyes instantly bulged in surprise.

    This was a long dark red-haired handsome boy wearing extravagant Sakura Ind clothing with a silver longsword strapped to his waist. He was a popr male character from the story Chronicles of the Demon Sword ! His name was¡­ no wait, it wasn''t important what character he was cosying as, the person him was more important - Ryuuno Izawa!

    This was Kanna Fujihara''s Spirit-branded Retainer that Seiji had gotten acquainted with at the Winter Snow Festival Yin-Yang Master party.

    Izawa was actually cosying!?

    Seiji instantly realized that this must be at the request of Kanna Fujihara.

    The red-haired handsome boy walked steadily towards him, with everyone along the way giving him a path while taking photos of him with their cameras or cell phones. This made it seem like he was an idol walking down a red carpet.

    Izawa ignored everyone else, and walked directly towards Seiji.

    "Shiroya-san, I''ve finally found you."

    Seiji blinked as he looked at Izawa.

    "Izawa-san¡­ how did you recognize me?"

    The moment he asked, he felt like he had asked a foolish question.

    Izawa smiled faintly and pointed at his own left eye.

    "My master said that you would definitelye to the cosy area, which is why she had me wait here and observe everyone."

    "I see, but was there a need to dress yourself up like this?"

    "This was a request from my master."

    "I thought so as well." Seiji smiled and reached out his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Izawa-san. My name is Seigo Harano."

    "Nice to meet you, Harano-san." Izawa shook his hand.

    *Click click click¡­* Many camera shutters kept snapping their pictures.

    Seiji let go of the handshake and looked around him, noticing that many bystanders, including even Chiaki and his friends, were taking many photos of the two of them. It seemed to Seiji like they were a group of paparazzi taking photos of a meeting between two celebrities.

    "Let''s go somewhere quieter to chat," he rmended.

    "That''s just what I wanted." Izawa had an expression of he couldn''t wait to get out of here.

    Seiji then indicated to the bystanders that they should stop taking photos now, and then exined to Chiaki and his friends that he was going to step out for a while and meet up with themter.

    Something shed in Chiaki''s eyes, Mika had a curious expression, Kaho''s eyes were sparkling, and Yukari was all excited.

    The four girls watched Seigo walk off with the unknown handsome boy and all fell silent for a moment.

    "I want to go spy on them!" Yukari raised her hand and spoke in a spirited manner.

    "You''re actually saying something like this directly out loud¡­" Chiaki gave a sidelong nce to Yukari.

    "Because I really want to watch! Don''t you all want to spy on them as well? Just imagining the scene of Seigo talking to that handsome boy is too much for me!" Yukari kept rubbing her hands in excitement.

    ''Your image is breaking down a little, Princess.'' Chiaki really wanted to say that to her.

    But, she was able to understand what Yukari was feeling. Even though Chiaki didn''t understand much nor had much interest about boys'' love, seeing the scene of Seigo and that extravagantly handsome cosyer boy smiling at each other caused a small fluttering in her chest.

    "I¡­ want to spy as well!" Mika rose her hand and told the truth, causing her face to flush red.

    "Me as well." Kaho also rose her hand and blushed red.

    The three girls all looked towards Chiaki.

    Chiaki smiled.

    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go!" She took the lead.

    "Harano-san, what''s that on your body?" After Seiji and Izawa left the cosy area together, Izawa asked Seiji about the streaming equipment that he was wearing.

    "Oh, I''m currently doing a livestream, but not a typical stream for arge audience¡­ wait a moment."

    Seiji told Hana and Shika over voice chat that he was going to turn off the stream for a while, then turned off the camera and removed his headset.

    "Harano-san¡­ you''re an inte streamer?" Izawa blinked as he asked.

    "No, but I was doing it for certain reasons. Please don''t mind it," Seiji told him.

    The two of them walked to a rtively quiet corner after leaving the cosy area.

    "Fujihara-san is probably exploring the stalls?"

    "Yes, Master is currently together with Yoruhana-san."

    "It''s just like her to make you wear all this and wait in the cosy area."

    "I agreepletely."

    "Your cosy clothes look like they''re of excellent quality, and same with the props. Is that a real sword?"

    "It is." Izawa slightly unsheathed the sword at his waist, showing a sharp glimmer.

    ''He actually used a real sword as a cosy prop,'' Seiji sighed to himself.

    Butpared to the other prop, using a real sword didn''t count as much. He looked towards Izawa''s left eye.

    The spell formation in Izawa''s left eye had stopped rotating, which meant that he was no longer activating his spell.

    "Publicly casting Astral Vision out in the open in front of so many ordinary people, and even allowing them to take photos of you! Isn''t this¡­ too daring?"

    "I objected as well, but my master felt that it would be fine." Izawa said helplessly as he took out an eyepatch and covered his left eye.

    "Indeed, nobody there would take it seriously, but if any Spiritual Ability users saw you¡­"

    "This isn''t any top-secret technique that''s forbidden from being shown to ordinary people."

    "That''s not what I meant¡­ but it''s fine if you don''t think it''s a problem."

    "I think it''s a huge problem, but my master doesn''t think it''s a problem at all."

    The two of them exchanged nces before both chuckled.

    "Although it may be slightly impolite to say so, I feel that¡­ Fujihara-san is truly a girl who doesn''t mind conventions."

    "I shall tell that exact quote to my master."

    "Don''t say that, I was just casually saying it."

    "I was just joking."

    "You actually know how to joke¡­"

    "Of course. I even know how to perform rakugo ."

    "Really!?" Seiji was astonished.

    Rakugo was a traditional type of performance simr to giving a soloedy skit. Apart from a vivid narration by the performer, there would also be exaggerated movements andic expressions. It could be understood as a type of solo act.

    In Seiji''s eyes, Ryuuno Izawa was someone who seemed like the serious and reliable type, and a loyal subordinate and Spirit-branded Retainer, being just like Hitaka Shuho who was by Natsuya Yoruhana''s side, someone who didn''t know how to joke or actically.

    But Izawa actually said that he knew how to performedy skits¡­ whoops, rakugo !?

    This was too much of a contrast, which astonished Seiji.

    Izawa smiled at Seiji''s obvious astonishment.

    "That was fake."

    "Er¡­" Seiji paused in surprise.

    "While I did practice rakugo before, it''s not at the extent of being able to perform."

    "You really practiced it before!?"

    "I was joking about that as well."

    "Er¡­" Seiji paused in surprise once more.

    "It''s truly amusing to speak with Harano-san."

    "You¡­ you''re just toying around with me?"

    "Of course not. I truly respect you, Harano-san. In order to meet you, I dressed like this and stood in the cosy area for a very long time, allowing others to take pictures of me and gawk at me, as if I was a monkey caged up in a zoo. I wouldn''t have anyints about such a thing at all. As long as I met Harano-san, everything would be worthwhile." The eyepatched handsome man smiled faintly.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt as if he was detecting Izawa''s dark side! It seemed rather bad.

    "Although I wasn''t the one who made you do this, still¡­ I apologize for making you wait so long."

    "Please don''t say that. Although wearing this was at the orders of my master, waiting for you was something I wanted to do myself," Izawa said sincerely.

    Seiji looked towards Izawa.

    "Seigo Harano is actually a fake name as well¡­ no, it counts more as my second name," he told Izawa honestly. "My real name, as well as my first name, is Seiji Haruta."

    "Haruta¡­" Something instantly shed in Izawa''s eyes.

    "I''m a famous useless piece of trash from the Haruta family, who''s currently in exile, living outside by himself," Seiji said directly. "This is who I really am¡­ Are you disappointed, Izawa-san?"

 Chapter 376 - When I Want You To

    <h4>Chapter 376: When I Want You To</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    "I said that I wouldn''t be disappointed," Izawa responded. "I have no intentions of retracting or changing what I said before."

    "Thank you." Seiji smiled. "May I call you Izawa-kun?"

    "Of course. Please allow me to address you as Haruta-kun as well, or should I use Harano-kun?"

    "Let''s go with Harano. I typically use this name."

    "Alright then, Harano-kun."

    And so, the two of them set new ways to address each other.

    "My master wishes to see you, so I hope that Harano-kun is able to wait in this general area here for her and Yoruhana-san to arrive," Izawa requested.

    "Sure. Mypanions and I were going to stay in the cosy area for a while longer anyways," Seiji told him. "If by the time my friends want to leave that area but the twodies we''re waiting for still haven''t arrived, I''ll stay behind and wait together with you."

    "Thank you."

    Afterwards, Izawa indicated that he wanted to quietly wait here in this corner, with no interest in returning to the cosy area. So, Seiji exchanged cell phone numbers with him and went back by himself.

    Halfway back, he saw Chiaki and his other friends pop up.

    "Seigo, who is that beauty? Why did you abandon us to be so intimate with him!? Are you already tired of us!?" Chiaki made an expression and pose as if she was an abandoned lover, acting pitifully.

    *Smack!* An iron fist of justice knocked her on the head.

    "Wah¡­" Chiaki was defeated.

    "I apologize, your words were so foolish, that I didn''t even have time to retort before I reacted automatically," Seiji said expressionlessly as he took back his hand.

    Mika, Yukari, and Kaho were all rendered speechless.

    "I met him at a party on the day of the Winter Snow Festival," he exined.

    "Oh¡­"

    Chiaki, Mika, and Yukari instantly understood. That was someone that he met on his date with Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ whoops, when he was apanying the student council president.

    Kaho was the only one who didn''t know about it, believing instead that Seigo had joined some ordinary activity and made a new otaku friend.

    "He said that he was a bit tired from standing so long in the cosy area, and wanted to rest for a while¡­ no need to mind him, let''s go back and look some more in the cosy area." Seiji looked at the girls. "Or, are you guys done looking around?"

    The girls exchanged awkward nces.

    They noticed that he evidently didn''t want to go into detail about that handsome boy.

    Mika and Chiaki knew what this was - that boy was definitely someone who was from the "mystical" side of society!

    Yukari''s curiosity intensified, and she wanted to know more, but she felt that it was imprudent to pry.

    Kaho was somewhat confused, and didn''t quite understand the situation.

    "Of course we haven''t looked around enough yet. It''s just that we were concerned about you, so we followed you to have a peek," Chiaki smiled. "Fortunately, it doesn''t seem like you''re having an affair, which is nice."

    "What''s with having an affair!?"

    "It''s also known as cheating."

    "Who''d cheat on who!?"

    They kept joking around.

    With Chiaki''s help, Seiji was able to change the topic of conversation.

    They returned to the cosy area and continued looking at cosy that they were interested in.

    Seiji turned on his stream again and put on his Bluetooth headset, which caused him to instantly receive a question from Hana.

    "Who was that boy?"

    "Master¡­ sister of mine, do you know about Yin-Yang Masters?"

    Hana instantly fell silent for a moment.

    She didn''t respond for quite a while.

    "Of course I know about them."

    ''As expected,'' Seiji thought in his mind.

    He had never discussed the topic of the "mystical" with her before, but he figured that his younger sister probably knew about as well. This would the first time he had ever discussed this topic with her.

    "That boy''s name is Ryuuno Izawa, and he''s Kanna Fujihara''s Spirit-branded Retainer. Kanna Fujihara is¡­"

    He gave a brief exnation of what happened at the Winter Snow Festival, as well as his rtionship to the student council president of his high school.

    Hana silently listened to his story and furrowed her eyebrows.

    "Are you really a hero from a different world?" She asked in aplex tone of voice.

    "I am."

    "Stop lying."

    "I''m not lying. In a way, it''s the truth." Seiji chuckled. "At least, that''s what I believe. As for what you believe, that''s up to you."

    Hana fell silent for the third time in a row.

    "Tell me about what you''ve experienced, and I want to hear a more detailed version." She finally spoke up after a long silence.

    "Sure. But right now¡­"

    "It doesn''t have to be right now."

    "When, then?"

    "When I want you to."

    "Oh¡­"

    "¡­Does our older sister know about what''s happened to you?" Hana asked in a light voice.

    "She does, other than the part about meing from a different world," Seiji answered.

    "Have¡­ you met with our older sister yet?"

    "Sort of, just in passing¡­ back then, I thought that it was just a coincidence, but I don''t know if that''s the case anymore."

    Hana fell silent for the fourth time.

    "Brother¡­"

    She wanted to say something else, but didn''t say anything in the end.

    After remaining silent for a while, Hana turned off the voice chat and logged offline.

    Seiji wanted to leave her a message, but after thinking for a while, he didn''t know what else to say, so he silently turned off the conversation as well.

    After they finished looking at all the cosy that the wanted, Mika and the others were ready to leave the convention.

    Seiji indicated that he wanted to chat with the handsome boy¡­ Ryuuno Izawa some more, asking them to leave by themselves first.

    After sending off the girls, he met up again with Izawa.

    At this moment, Izawa had already changed back to casual attire, and was patiently waiting in a corner.

    "Yourpanions have all went back already?" He spoke up when he saw Seiji approaching.

    "Yeah. Your master sure can explore this ce."

    "Actually, she''s alreadye out together with Yoruhana-san, and is currently waiting in one of the stores outside," Izawa exined. "Please follow me, Harano-kun."

    Seiji left the convention together with him.

    They took a taxi to the store.

    Seiji figured that they were going to go to something like a high-ss coffee caf¨¦, but never expected that the ce they arrived at was¡­ an inte caf¨¦!

    That''s right, an inte caf¨¦. Well, it was arge and high-ss inte caf¨¦.

    Izawa led Seiji inside and they took an elevator to the top floor, a VIP area. They walked to the roombeled #1, where Izawa pressed the doorbell.

    "What''s the password!" They heard Kanna Fujihara''s voice from the speaker system.

    "Sky cliff," Izawa responded.

    Then, the door opened.

    Seiji followed Izawa inside.

    This was a wide room with tatami mats, a kotatsu, cushions, a small sofa,puters, virtual reality sets, a small bookshelf, a tea set¡­ aplete set of various items.

    Kanna and Natsuya were sitting by the kotatsu, with the kotatsu''s table having a pile of books on it that were obviously purchased from the doujinshi convention.

    For two beautiful girls to be reading doujinshi in a private room at an inte caf¨¦¡­ this scene seemed quite subtle to Seiji.

    "Heya, Shiroya-san." Kanna greeted him. "Wee to my secret base!"

    "Hello, Fujihara-san," Seiji responded. "This ce indeed feels like a secret base."

    "I like it here. There''s endless amounts of manga and anime, as well as games. I can go on the inte as much as I want, without worrying about a thing, and the environment is sofortable as well. It''s basically like heaven!" Kanna eximed in a sincere tone. "You believe so as well, right?"

    "That''s right, I agree," Seiji chuckled. "This ce is indeed quitefortable, and I could probably stay here for a week with no problems. But if I only y games here, I''ll get bored of that as well."

    "Rather than being bored, isn''t it better to describe it as not wanting to continue in depravity?" Kanna looked at him. "You didn''t want to stay in a dark room anymore and remain depraved, which is why you did your best to change yourself, right?"

    "Indeed." Seiji smiled. "Nice to meet you, Fujihara-san. I''m Seiji Haruta, the famous piece of trash from the Haruta family."

    "Nice to meet you, Haruta-kun. I''m Kanna Fujihara, the Fujihara family''s nameless otaku girl." Kanna smiled back as something shed in her eyes.

 Chapter 377 - I Want to Maintain My Connection to You

    <h4>Chapter 377: I Want to Maintain My Connection to You</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    The first formal meeting in this inte caf¨¦ room between the famous former trash and the nameless otaku girl, Seiji Haruta and Kanna Fujihara, would eventually be a meeting that would be a legend which marked the beginning of a new era¡­ Just kidding.

    Seiji sat down by the kotatsu .

    Izawa poured some tea for him, as well as refilling Kanna and Natsuya''s tea before finally pouring tea for himself and sitting down.

    "Haruta-kun, could I take a look at your victory loot?" Kanna made a request.

    Seiji handed the paper sack he was carrying to her.

    Kanna excitedly began rifling through his purchases.

    Seiji exchanged nces with Natsuya.

    "How was it, exploring the doujinshi convention?" Asked Seiji.

    "Not bad," Natsuya replied. "It seemed interesting, but¡­ it was a bit too lively."

    "You can just directly say that you thought there were too many people," Seiji chuckled. "Did you buy anything?"

    "Yes, I purchased some doujinshis of anime and manga that I''ve seen before, as well as¡­" Natsuya averted her gaze as her face flushed slightly red. "¡­Some doujinshi that Fujihara-san strongly rmended to me."

    ''For such a fujoshi like Fujihara-san to strongly rmend anything, that could only be one category of doujinshi.'' Seiji''s cheeks twitched.

    He could already clearly imagine the scene of Kanna Fujihara endlessly rmending boys'' love books to the student council president.

    Something else to mention was that Seiji had been intentionally ignoring the fact that therge majority of the books on the table had handsome boys on the cover, including quite a few that were half-naked or even hugging together. Some were even marked with obvious R-18 tags!

    ''You even purchased adult doujinshis, Fujihara-san, you''re¡­''

    "Why don''t you have any adult books, Haruta-kun?" Kanna wondered after she finished looking through what Seiji bought.

    "Because I''m not an adult yet."

    "Those insignificant trifles aren''t an obstacle at all, please tell the truth!"

    "Wah¡­ because there were four girls together with me, so I was unable to buy any adult books." Seiji forced himself to tell the truth.

    Indeed, he had wanted to purchase adult doujinshi as well. However, since he was together with four girls, with two younger sisters also watching him through his stream, it was too difficult for him to do so!

    "I see, I understand now, but I''m disappointed as well," Kanna sighed. "It''s just the matter of being together with some girls, which caused you to lose the courage to buy adult doujinshi. This means that you''re still not passionate enough about adult doujinshi!"

    "Fujihara-san¡­"

    "You should be more truthful to your inner heart! No matter if you''re together with some girls, or even with your rtives, or even if the girl that you love is watching you, you should always proudly show off your own likes and habits! Abandon what themoners view as embarrassment, only that will help you to be a truly strong warrior!!" Kanna told him all this in a spirited tone of voice.

    "Fujihara-san¡­ no, Master Fujihara, I''ve learned so much!" Seiji lowered his head in appreciation.

    "Don''t call me ''Master,'' I''m just an ordinary girl who''s progressing along on a ''warrior''s'' path." Kanna flipped her hair and made a cool pose.

    Natsuya and Izawa were both rendered speechless by this exchange.

    "Is yourdy master often like this? Izawa-kun."

    "No, something so ridiculous is rare for even her¡­ It''s probably because she''s talking with someone like Harano-kun."

    "Yeah¡­ the two of them have a simr scent about them."

    "You couldn''t be more correct."

    The Yoruhana family daughter and the Fujihara family Spirit-branded Retainer reached an agreement as they sipped tea together.

    "Fujihara-san, I have a subtle feeling as if I''m being looked down upon."

    "Haruta-kun, I feel the same way as well."

    "Why are things like this?"

    "Because they aren''t true ''warriors,'' so they can''t understand what it''s like to passionately fight in the battlefield, or about we who must constantly fight on." Kanna pretended to be heartbroken.

    "This is¡­ such a sad reality we live in."

    Seiji also made an almost identical expression, making himself seem like he was a hero who was experiencing utter sadness.

    "That''s enough out of you!" Natsuya couldn''t help but retort. "Could you stop acting so strangely?"

    "Whew¡­ we were finally retorted at."

    "Yeah¡­ I couldn''t keep up the act anymore."

    Seiji and Kanna instantly retracted their sad expression.

    "Haruta-kun, that was just 68 points, wasn''t it?"

    "I think so as well. Our cooperation needs improving, as it still felt awkward in some parts. What do you think, Natsuya?"

    "Don''t count me among youredy act."

    "Ryuuno, you''re only 34 points, you fail."

    "What are these points about? I don''t understand."

    "Teehee~ 20 points deducted! Now you only have 14 points."

    The four of them began chatting with Seiji and Kanna''s clowning around helping to break the ice.

    They chatted about non-adult doujinshi, anime and manga, ate lunch together, chatted about games, and then began to game together, as well as try the VR system¡­ They had lots of fun.

    "Haruta-kun, you''re going to the doujinshi convention again tomorrow, right?" Kanna asked.

    "Yep."

    "Would you like to go together with us tomorrow then?" She invited him once again.

    "You have time to go again tomorrow, Fujihara-san? You have so much free time."

    "None of your business! Besides, aren''t you the same?"

    "I have a different identity from you, as I''m not the daughter of an illustrious family." Seiji chuckled as he mulled it over. "Thanks for your heartfelt invitation. It is my honor to ept." This time, he decided to agree to go with her.

    Kanna smiled as she looked at him.

    And so, the two of them agreed upon a time and ce to meet up tomorrow.

    Natsuya silently observed all this, having said already that she wouldn''te tomorrow, since she wasn''t free.

    Afterwards, the four of them parted ways.

    Kanna and Izawa took a car together and left, while Seiji also took Natsuya''s car.

    "Fujihara-san is such a lively girl," Seiji said once inside the car.

    "Yeah, you could even say that she''s a bit too lively."

    "Heh, was it a bit difficult to tour the doujinshi convention together with her?"

    "What do you think?"

    The two of them exchanged nces as both smiled.

    "Although it was a bit tiring, it was fun as well," Natsuya smiled.

    "I think it was a good thing that we got to know her at the Winter Snow Festival."

    "Yeah¡­"

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "How is the investigation into the Uehara familying along?" Seiji inquired.

    "The report''s not ready yet, it''s expected to take two more days¡­ or perhaps just one more day is enough for some news."

    "I see." Seiji paused for a moment. "One more thing, about the temporary Spirit-branded Retainer contract between us¡­"

    "You''d like to cancel it?" Natsuya looked towards him.

    "I think it''s time to cancel it. Lengthening this contract will only be a burden on your Spiritual Power, won''t it?"

    "Indeed, but I don''t want to cancel it."

    "Why''s that?"

    Natsuya took a good look at Seiji''s face.

    "Because I want to maintain my connection to you," she said in a gentle tone.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Hearing something so flirtatious, he felt an itch in his heart and couldn''t help but avert his gaze.

    Natsuya''s mouth began to arc upwards seductively after seeing his embarrassment.

    "Hey, Seiji, are you willing?"

    "Eh?"

    "To maintain this contract¡­ to be my Spirit-branded Retainer, and taken advantage of by me."

    As she said this, she intentionally got extremely close to Seiji''s ear.

    Her gentle words, the warm breath on his ears, and faint fragrant scent¡­ Seiji felt like the inside of his ear was heating up.

    "I¡­"

 Chapter 378 - Im Going to Bite You~

    <h4>Chapter 378: I''m Going to Bite You~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: vb24

    He didn''t know what to respond for the moment, and he wanted to say something, but was unable to say anything.

    If Seiji could have thought about it calmly, he would have been able to respond appropriately. However, he currently wasn''t very calm right now.

    "You''re willing, right? Didn''t you say just a few days ago that ''I''m happy to be of use'' to me?" Natsuya continued in her gentle tone, breathing right on his ear. "Were those¡­ just lies? Just to make me happy?" She got even closer, to the point where her lips were almost about to touch his ear, and her ample chest was even now resting on his arm.

    Seiji felt a soft sensation on his arm, and his ear felt like it was boiling up. Seiji felt as if he wanted to tremble all over.

    ''What''s going on here, Natsuya!?''

    Such direct seductive flirtation, which felt like it even surpassed thep pillow from that day, almost¡­ as if she was a fox demon.

    Was this her dark side? No, it was her fallen, depraved side!

    The fallen student council president, who was a sleek long ck-haired beauty with huge breasts¡­ just imagining it caused his heart to waver!

    "Seiji, don''t just sit there, say something¡­ if you don''t say something, I''m going to bite you~" Natsuya''s flirtatious gentle tone continued, as if she was a subus.

    Seiji really did tremble at this! He felt like her words were taking physical form, gently scratching the inside of his ear.

    It was sofortable, and so itchy¡­

    A surge of desire in his heart caused him to want to look over and look at Natsuya''s current expression.

    However, his sense of logic and reason told him that it would be best not to do so at the current moment.

    Because it was highly likely that he would be charmed!

    Just like how a na?ve schr would be charmed by a fox demon, bing her ve, and being absorbed of all his Yang essence through having sex¡­

    ¡­This seemed pretty nice as well?

    ''No no! What am I thinking! This absolutely won''t happen!!''

    Seiji used his strong will in order to prevent himself from falling to depravity.

    ''Think!''

    ''Hurry up and start working, brain of mine, think about why the President would suddenly behave so abnormally¡­ I got it!''

    He had a sh of inspiration and felt like he instantly understood.

    "Seiji¡­" Natsuya had only wanted to y a joke on him, but when she saw that he was so embarrassed that even his ears were turning red, and even shook briefly, she felt that he was so cute, and couldn''t help but feel a fiery passion within herself.

    She really wanted to actually bite down lightly on his ear, and then lick it lightly, or rub her chest against him¡­ to see what reaction she would have.

    ''If I really do something like that, it''ll be bad! This will be far beyond the level of a joke.''

    ''Actually, it''s already a bit more than a joke now, but I can''t stop myself!''

    When recalling the feeling of hugging him on that day, she really wanted to do this once again, and do even more thanst time.

    Her sense of logic and reason as well as sense of embarrassment were both shouting loudly within herself, but that impulsive desire of hers seemed to be even stronger than them.

    ''Just one bite, one tiny little bite¡­'' She opened her mouth and revealed her snow-white teeth¡­

    "Natsuya."

    Suddenly, Seiji grabbed her hand.

    ''Eek!'' She made such a sound in her mind as she froze in her movements.

    "You don''t need to do this," Seiji said gently as he held onto her hand. "What I said that day was from my heart, not because you gave me ap pillow¡­ I didn''t say it because I lusted after your beauty."

    "You''re really beautiful, Natsuya. As a male, I''m truly impressed by your beauty. However, I didn''t help you out because of your beauty."

    "That''s why, you don''t need to use your beauty, or yourself to ''pay'' me. You can just ask me normally if you need help."

    ''Yep, that''s how it is.''

    ''Natsuya''s probably treating me strangely like this because she''s anxious about whether or not I''m treating her gently because of her beauty.''

    ''Ahh, that was so dangerous! I almost fell for it, having my desires ignited by her!''

    ''If I went ahead with her behavior, then that would make me into someone who really was only interested in her beauty. And if I adamantly refused, that would injure her pride as a girl.''

    ''When weighing all my options, telling her the truth was the best. Silently squeezing her hand is something appropriate as well.''

    ''I dealt with this perfectly!''

    Seiji was even beginning to feel proud of himself at how perfectly he had managed this situation.

    He waited for Natsuya''s response, but what awaited him was nothing but silence.

    ''What''s going on?''

    Things were a bit different from what he expected, causing him to be anxious.

    ''Why is it silence!? At this time, shouldn''t Natsuya be replying to me in a normal tone of voice, with the atmosphere returning to normal as well? Why isn''t she saying anything?''

    Then, Seiji noticed that he had made a mistake.

    He was still holding on to her hand, without having let go!

    Not to mention, he was holding her hand even tighter than he had thought he was.

    ''This¡­ I was still ''charmed'' by her after all!?'' Seiji was astonished at himself.

    Even though he was saying that it wasn''t because she was beautiful, he had been clutching on to her hand so tightly without letting go. This was a prime example of being all talk but not acting on one''s words! It was just like he was pretending to be a proper gentleman while actually acting like a scumbag!

    ''No wonder she was silent.''

    Seiji mentally broke out into a cold sweat.

    "S¡­ sorry!" He hurriedly let go of her hand. "I¡­ I just wanted to lightly hold your hand, without any particr meaning to it."

    ''What a terrible self-defense.''

    Even Seiji himself felt that it was terrible, and wanted to punch himself.

    ''I made a mess of things.'' He was getting all depressed.

    But what he heard next was -

    "It''s alright," a calm voice spoke up. "Although¡­ I was rather surprised, it''s alright, I understand what I mean," Natsuya told him. "I''m the one who should apologize for treating you like that¡­ I just wanted to y a slight joke on you."

    ''Eh? What''s with this situation now?''

    Seiji was rather confused.

    He thought that she would have a much worse impression of him after this, but the actual result was nothing had changed?

    ''This¡­ must be due to her magnanimous personality.'' He came up with this "reasonable" exnation.

    ''Natsuya who''s so gentle must have decided not to mind my rude behavior, and even apologized to me as well, perfectly letting all of this go.''

    Seiji inwardly eximed at her wonderfulness as he turned around to see that Natsuya was now sitting an appropriate distance from him again and looking outside the car window.

    "I''m willing to be your temporary Spirit-branded Retainer, and to be used by you," Seiji said as he looked at her.

    "Thank you."

    Natsuya slowly looked towards Seiji again, smiling gently with her beautiful face that was still somewhat flushed red.

    After Seiji got off her car and left, Natsuya covered her face with her hands, and dived onto the car seats, making a muffled sound.

    ''I''m so embarrassed! But I''m also so fortunate as well!''

    Her embarrassment was because she had lost control of herself, while her fortune was because he had held onto her hand, quite tightly at that!

    His hand felt strong and warm, which was a wonderful feeling.

    She began to foolishly cackle as she held her hand that had just been held over her face.

    ''I don''t want to wash this hand anymore¡­''

    ''No no! That''s not right! If I never wash this hand anymore, won''t that make me the same as a crazed fan who got the opportunity to shake hands with their idol?''

    ''I¡­ I''m not that crazy about him.''

    ''But¡­ if it''s just one night¡­''

    Natsuya was internally conflicted for quite a while, before she suddenly realized something, causing her to hurriedly fix her expression and posture as she awkwardly coughed.

    "You didn''t see anything at all just now, understand?" She said in a strict tone of voice.

    "Understood, I didn''t see anything at all, Mdy," the female driver of Natsuya''s car forced herself to respond like this.

    Even without thismand, she was intending to forget everything she saw just now. Apart from being due to her respect for Natsuya, there was also the fact that -

    ''This was all such a nice romantic scene, so who would want to remember it!''

    The female driver who was currently twenty-four years old and without a boyfriend retorted that in her mind.

 Chapter 379 - Even I was moved despite the fact that Iâ€™m a girl as well

    <h4>Chapter 379: Even I was moved despite the fact that I¡¯m a girl as well</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Later that night, in the dating sim creation team''s group chat, the members had fun chatting about the day''s experiences and what they''d bought and learned.

    Afterwards, they began chatting about arrangements for the next day.

    Seiji exined that he had arranged to go together with two other friends of his, saying that since his two friends had special identities, they didn''t intend to add other people to their group.

    Chiaki indicated that she was going to rest on the next day.

    Hoshi needed to go to work at the confectionery store.

    Rion, Kotomi, and Kaede all mentioned that they were going to rest as well.

    Yukari wanted to go by herself, and Hisashi would also go by himself.

    Mika and Kaho would team up and continue touring the doujinshi convention.

    And so, those were the arrangements for the doujinshi convention''s second day.

    While paying attention to the chat group, Seiji also looked to see if Hana came online, but there was no sign of her whatsoever.

    "What are you currently thinking about? Sister." He wanted to send this message to her, but didn''t send anything in the end.

    The next day, the weather was excellent, with clear skies and bright sunlight. It was warmer than yesterday.

    Seiji met Kanna and Izawa in front of the doujinshi convention.

    "Too slow, Second Lieutenant Harano!" Kanna ced her hands on her hips and pretended to be a strict army officer as she watched him walk over. "You have to arrive thirty minutes early to the battlefield. That''smon sense!"

    "It is thirty minutes before we arranged to meet here." Seiji even checked the time to be sure. It was exactly thirty minutes before their arranged time.

    "What I meant was, you should arrive here thirty minutes earlier than your superior!"

    "Oh¡­ First Lieutenant Fujihara, how long ago did you arrive here?"

    "I¡­ actually just arrived as well." Kanna paused for a moment and averted her gaze.

    "Because she was really looking forward to meeting Harano-kun again, my master arrived here approximately one hour ago." Izawa calmly revealed the truth.

    "What are you saying! I¡­ was somewhat looking forward to it, but not that much¡­"

    "By the way, she arrived ny minutes early at the appointed ce to meet Yoruhana-san yesterday."

    "Ryuuno!" Kanna''s face was turning red.

    Seiji felt that she was quite cute like this.

    "Sorry for making you wait, Commander!" He saluted. "Let us begin the battle."

    "Hmph, very good."

    Then, the three of them walked to the doujinshi convention together.

    Due to the increase in temperature, it was a lot morefortable to be outsidepared to yesterday. However, waiting in line was still rather boring.

    Seiji felt that with Kanna and Izawa''s powers, secretly slipping in without waiting in line would probably be quite easy for them. Why were they still waiting in line?

    He asked them this question.

    "If we used spells, it would be simple to enter, but I think that this would be disrespectful to all the warriors out there," Kanna said. "Everyone thinks that waiting in line is a boring task, but they still follow the rules. If I break the rules¡­ it doesn''t feel like it''s a good thing. What do you think, Harano-kun? Do you want to use a spell to sneak inside?" Kanna looked towards Seiji.

    "No, I think that waiting in line like this is fine." Seiji blinked. "Using magic powers to easily enter feels wrong, just like cheating."

    Kanna smiled when she heard him say that.

    "Did you wait in line like this yesterday with Natsuya as well?"

    "Yea, and she didn''t ask why we didn''t use a spell¡­ Since she mentioned that this was her first time participating, I was thinking that if she thought waiting in line was too boring, we could use a spell to skip the line, but she didn''t even bring it up." Kanna''s words were filled with a joyous tone.

    It was easy to tell that she liked Natsuya Yoruhana even more because of this.

    The line slowly edged forward.

    After Seiji chatted with Kanna and Izawa for a while, there was a moment of silence.

    "It''s time, Ryuuno! Take ''that'' out," Kannamanded Izawa, bringing out her aura of being a youngdy scion.

    Izawa instantly unzipped his backpack and took out two handheld gaming devices differing in color.

    "Let''s have a duel, Harano-kun!" Kanna handed a red gaming device to Seiji. "Let''s duel in the same video game we yed yesterday to pass the time. Let''s also have a little bet, how about it?"

    "What shall we bet?" Seiji epted the handheld gaming device.

    "Cosy!" Something shed in Kanna''s eyes. "If I defeat you, you have to cosy the character that I want you to and perform together with Ryuuno in the cosy area!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    If he had to cosy as the character she chose and perform together with Izawa in front of everyone in the cosy area¡­ He felt a chill just from imagining this scene!

    "Can we bet something else instead?" This seemed like it might be a piece of dark history that he would regret forever. There was far too much risk involved.

    "That''s all I want, I don''t want to bet anything else." Kanna''s mouth arced upwards. "And if you win, I''ll give you Yoruhana-san''s cosy photos from yesterday."

    What!?

    Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    "Natsuya¡­ cosyed yesterday?"

    "Yep, we cosyed together in the inte caf¨¦ before you and Izawa arrived." Kanna''s mouth arced upwards even more than earlier. "At first, she didn''t want to, and it took quite some convincing from me to persuade her. After that, I took some amazing and precious photos! Those photos are so awesome that even I was moved despite the fact that I''m a girl as well~ Don''t you want them?"

    ''I do!'' Seiji shouted in his mind.

    The student council president''s cosy photographs would definitely be a treasure precious enough to be at the extent of an SSR card''s level.

    He really wanted to see and possess them¡­ No, wait, he needed to calm down. While Natsuya''s cosy photographs were precious as such, the appreciation value could still have arge fluctuation depending on what character she was cosying as.

    "I''d like to ask first¡ªwho was she cosying as?"

    "Good question. I had her cosy as Freya from Honey Candy Girl!"

    The charming witch, Freya!

    She was a new character from thetest chapters of the Honey Candy Girl manga. She was neither on the main characters'' side nor on the antagonists'' side¡ªa neutral character. She gained high poprity due to her excellent character design and outstanding performance during her first appearance.

    Freya was a character who wore an extravagant pitch-ck dress with arge amount ofce. There was a heart-shaped piece of fabric missing on her cleavage which revealed an alluring white tenderness. The lower half of her dress was translucent, which faintly revealed the garter stockings and even panties beneath, giving her a wondrous ero feeling.

    Seiji tried imagining Natsuya who already had such an excellent figure wearing a dress like that, which instantly caused something to heat up within him, making him want to shout out loudly.

    ''I really want to see!!!''

    "Yoruhana-san''s cosy of Freya was so beautiful that it''s difficult to describe in words! If I put her pictures on the inte, she''d definitely be a huge hit!" Kanna continued. "I promised her that I wouldn''t publicize these photos, but I didn''t say anything about not giving them to individuals¡­ If I give them to you, you should be able to ept. If you want to obtain these photographs, you have to agree to our little gamble and defeat me in this video game!"

    "Heh¡­" Seiji chuckled lightly.

    Was refusal even an option?

    Of course not.

    He really wanted to see and obtain Natsuya Yoruhana''s cosy photographs!

    He could only ept this challenge.

    "I ept this bet! Come, let us begin our duel!" Seiji prepared his red handheld gaming device and made a pose like a duelist from Yu-Gi-Oh.

    "Excellent, as expected of Harano-kun!" Kanna took a blue handheld gaming device Izawa was holding and copied his pose.

    Both of them exchanged smiles, then turned on the game and began a duel against each other.

    A green-hat-wearing hero with a shield and a sword faced off against a mustached and slightly chubby middle-aged man wearing a plumber uniform as they materialized in a sh of light in a fantastical dueling field.

    The hero Seiji lifted his sword, while the middle-aged plumber Kanna cackled.

    Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ fight!

    The sword and shield hero rushed forth, wielding his sword, while the plumber jumped and ran everywhere, marking the start of this fierce battle!!

 Chapter 380 - Gender is something meaningless!

    <h4>Chapter 380: Gender is something meaningless!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This was a battle with no concept of justice on either side,menced for the sole purpose of realizing each side''s desires.

    Both sides were famous video game characters. They fought with their all, using all sorts of techniques in order to defeat their opponent. Apart from using their own powers, they even used various items that appeared on the stage such as methrowers, poison, bombs, projectiles, arrows, curses¡­ anything they could pick up.

    There would be no surrender. There would only be fierce battling until one of them was defeated.

    Death wasn''t the end, as they began a second match, then a third match, and a fourth match¡­

    They repeatedly battled to the death for no noble reasons whatsoever. They only battled for pure desire¡ªhow pitiful.

    And at the end of this pitiful battle between two famous video game heroes, the result was¡­

    "Hahaha, it''s my victory! I''m the one who won!!! Hahahaha¡­!"

    The plumber was maniacallyughing in front of the green hat hero''s corpse¡­ whoops, Kanna had her hands on her hips and wasughing heartily,pletely unlike a daughter of an illustrious family.

    "Wah¡­ I¡­ actually lost¡­"

    Seiji painfully lowered his head, giving off an aura of helplessness.

    "Harano-kun, you have to admit your defeat and follow the terms of our bet."

    "I know¡­"

    Seiji sighed as he lifted his head again and smiled wryly.

    It was a pity that he didn''t win, but that was fine¡­ he had plenty of fun.

    In situations where he absolutely had to win, he could use his power to save and load and do it over again. However, he didn''t want to abuse his power for something like this.

    "I shall cosy as you requested of me. Just, please don''t have me and Izawa-kun do something together that''s too¡­"

    "Heh heh, losers don''t have the right to speak!" Kanna clutched her arms and lifted her head proudly. "But as the winner, I shall show mercy on the loser so that you may retain some pride."

    Although she was saying so, her eyes were sparkling so brightly that Seiji felt a chill in his heart.

    Perhaps it would be better for him to load now after all?

    Just as he was struggling with himself whether to load or not, it was finally their turn to enter the doujinshi convention.

    Once they entered, it would be time to purchase doujinshi books.

    "Harano-kun, please don''t mind me at all and set your desires free. Go ahead and purchase adult doujinshi!"

    "Thank you¡­ is that what I should say here?"

    "No need to be reserved, feel free to disy all your fetishes!"

    "Hey hey, ady from an illustrious family like you shouldn''t be shouting something like this in a public location."

    "Even if you show me your perverted fetishes like exhibitionism, I don''t mind!"

    "I''ll mind! Who wants to show¡­ No, wait, I don''t have such interests to begin with!"

    "This is a ce to let yourself free and be true to one''s desires! Come, Harano-kun, take off your clothes!"

    "The hell with that!"

    Kanna Fujihara was getting all excited and running out of control.

    As Seiji retorted, he was infected by her excitement as well. He did let loose and honestly purchased the adult doujinshi that he was interested in.

    Izawa silently served as the background scenery, watching his master and friend having fun together.

    By the time Seiji finally recovered his senses, he discovered that he had already bought arge sack of ero adult doujinshi books, and was even on a first name basis now with Kanna.

    There was a saying that womanizing together with male friends was a fast way to improve friendship¡­ He felt like the way he was touring the doujinshi convention together with Kanna was simr to such a situation.

    Kanna Fujihara was a true scion from an illustrious family as well, but a different type from Natsuya. Seiji felt like being together with Kanna was just as if he was together with a male friend. She felt like Chiaki, but there was still a difference as well.

    Kanna herself purchased many adult doujinshi books as well, with almost all of them being boys'' love books. Every book that she purchased would receive a review from her, and she kept strongly rmending some to Seiji.

    Seiji received some mental damage from this. However, that was just how she was, and he waspletely unable to dislike her for it when he saw how passionate she was about the things that she loved.

    After they finished touring the vendors'' stalls, it was time to head to the cosy area.

    Seiji was requested by Kanna to cosy as a popr female side character from "Chronicles of the Demon Sword."

    That''s right, a female character!

    "No, no! This isn''t good! With my body figure, it''ll only be a destructive result if I act as a female character!" Seiji attempted to resist.

    "That would be the case for normal female characters, but you''re more than suited to cosy as ''Renha!''"

    The female side character named "Renha" from "Demon Sword" was a female character disguising herself as male. She was depicted as rather androgynous and her clothes had the sharpness of male clothing as well as a seductive allure that still retained some of her femininity. The clothing''s design was excellent.

    Indeed, this character was both handsome yet alluring and she had a unique personality, which was why she was quite popr with this series'' readers.

    "You can do it! I give you my word that the effect will be wonderful and it''ll be a memory that you''ll never forget!"

    "It''ll be a memory of a dark history that I''ll never forget!" Seiji retorted energetically.

    Could he really trust the words of such a fujoshi scion?

    "You''re a reader of ''Demon Sword'' as well, so you should know just how charismatic Renha can be. It''s your honor to cosy as her!" Kanna dered in a spirited manner. "No need to pay the differences between gender any mind! In the world of cosy, gender is something meaningless! Abandon it, forget it, and be something neither male nor female, oh venerated cosyer! You can be Renha! Believe in me, and believe in yourself!!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    She was being serious¡­ she seriously wanted him to cosy as a female character, and was even seriously trying to convince him in a chuunibyou manner.

    The hell!

    Seiji didn''t know what he was feeling right now, nor did he know what expression he had anymore. He just felt as if there was a herd of ten thousand alpacas stampeding through his mind.

    He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but was unable to say anything when faced with Kanna''s resolute expression and shining eyes. Finally, with a helpless tone that indicated he had given up, he said, "Fine."

    He didn''t want to be a sore loser, and he would do what he had promised.

    And so, for the first time in either of Seiji''s two lives, he put on a "female attire."

    The effect was astonishingly good.

    Although he was cosying as a female character, since this character was a "girl disguised as a boy" to begin with, the clothes were mostly male with only a few female elements.

    His outfit was a mystical martial arts uniform with dark-red edges and exquisite ck embroidery. He also had a longsword sheathed in a red scabbard and had some makeup put on him which turned him into aplete beauty of a swordsman. At first look, he seemed like a handsome boy, but taking an extra look at him would give others the impression of something soft and beautiful, which had a mysterious charisma to it.

    "Renha-sama¡­"

    Kana''s eyes began sparkling with stars after she saw how Seiji looked after changing into this outfit. Then, she suddenly jumped him!

    "Renha-sama Renha-sama Renha-sama definitely should be a boy after all!!!"

    The tawny-haired girl hugged him tightly and kept rubbing her face against his chest.

    Seiji was so surprised by this that he almost reflexively pushed her away.

    Kanna Fujihara kept rubbing against him with an addicted expression on her face as if she was a kitten or puppy that was acting spoiled. If she had a tail, it would definitely be wagging vigorously right now.

    "Er¡­ Kanna, it''s not good to hug like this¡­" Seiji felt awkward from feeling the sensation from her body and inhaling her scent.

    However, this scion just kept hugging him tightly without letting go.

    Seiji looked over towards Izawa, requesting assistance with his expression.

    However, the eyepatched handsome Spirit-branded Retainer merely smiled faintly and averted his gaze.

 Chapter 381 - This is just too realistic!

    <h4>Chapter 381: This is just too realistic!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yukari Asamiya wore a breathing mask, sunsses, and a wool hat just like she had yesterday as she toured around the doujinshi convention, happily purchasing arge pile of adult doujinshi books.

    ''While it''s fun to be together with Seigo and the others as well, it''s still better to buy such things when I''m by myself.''

    She smiled as she riffled through her loot. Most of them had ero drawings on the cover, and there was no need to go into detail on the content.

    When she was together with Seigo and his friends, she was too embarrassed to purchase such books. Even though she saw many she was interested in, she could only suppress her urges.

    If she became more intimate with Seigo, or became boyfriend and girlfriend with him, they could probably buy adult doujinshi together.

    Yukari couldn''t help but imagine the scene of him and her buying ero doujinshi books together, discussing the contents with red faces, getting all excited about things, and entering a love hotel together to¡­

    ''No, no! What am I thinking, ahhh!!!''

    The scene in her mind seemed all too realistic to her, causing her face to burn up. She was now shouting loudly inside her head.

    She forced herself to stop imagining along these lines, but scattered scenes still kept appearing in her mind. Since she was an ero artist to begin with, once her imagination got going, it was difficult to stop it.

    Yukari''s chest began to heat up as she kept imagining things.

    ''I need to go outside for a while and use the cold air to help calm myself down.''

    Although she still wanted to purchase a few more adult doujinshi books, she felt that it would be bad to continue in her current condition. She left the vendors'' stall area and went to the cosy area.

    Since this was an outdoors area, Yukari was able to somewhat calm down after inhaling some cool air. She finally stopped herself from wildly going out of control due to her imagination.

    Today was also a bit warmer than yesterday. As she looked around, she could tell that the cosyers were showing a lot more skin than they had the previous day.

    There were light, sexy skirts as well as thin and form-fitting clothes or bikini armor cosy that only covered the important areas¡­ simr outfits could be seen everywhere!

    The ero passions that the cosyers had to suppress due to the weather being too cold yesterday had all exploded today to make up for what they couldn''t express yesterday.

    ''Excellent.''

    Yukari removed her sunsses and took out a reflex lens camera from her backpack, entering the ero photographer mode.

    That''s right, an ero photographer.

    She kept using upwards angles that focused on important sensitive areas, striving to take the best high-quality ero photographs. This was how she did things!

    ''Now then, what kind of good photographs will I take today¡­'' Yukari joyously began her hunt.

    This character''s long legs and absolute territory were excellent, take a picture!

    This character had an excellent miniskirt and panties, take a picture!

    This character had excellent breasts, take a picture!

    This character had a sexy pose, take a picture!

    This character had an excellent cosy that was so faithful to the original¡­ eh? Why did this person seem so familiar?

    The next second, Yukari was astonished when she recognized who the cosyer was.

    ''Seigo!?''

    Although he was wearing an extravagant cosy outfit and was even wearing a ck ponytail as a wig along with makeup, she was still able to recognize him without any problems.

    ''Seigo is actually cosying!?''

    Then, she noticed that the cosyer together with him was the handsome boy from yesterday that had been talking with Seigo.

    ''I see.'' Yukari instantly understood.

    Seigo had mentioned yesterday that he was going toe to the convention with two friends with rather special identities. One of them must have been this handsome boy, while the other one was¡­

    She noticed that both Seigo and the handsome boy were looking in the same direction¡ªat a beautiful girl with shiny tawny hair in a dark windbreaker who had a Milk Cream Bunny hairclip in her bangs.

    This beautiful girl was obviously in high spirits as she used a camera to continuously take pictures of Seigo and the other handsome boy, with herrge eyes sparkling.

    This was probably his otherpanion that he spoke of.

    It seemed that both of Seigo''s friends were cosy lovers and that he was pulled along into cosying¡­ Did they arrange it beforehand, or was Seigo ambushed and forced to do it?

    No matter what, this cosy was truly excellent!

    Yukari recognized that Seigo was cosying as a popr side character from "Demon de," "Renha." Although Renha was a female character, Seigo was quite suited for cosying as her¡ªhe seemed just like a living version of Renha in male clothing, with no sense of wrongness at all.

    Yukari''s lips arced upward as she followed Seigo and his friends while taking many pictures of her own.

    Seiji and the others arrived at an appropriate location in the cosy area.

    "Let''s do the performance here!" Kanna told them.

    While walking around in search for a spot, they had already attracted much attention. If they did a performance, they would definitely attract even more people.

    Seiji inwardly sighed as he looked towards Izawa.

    Izawa was cosying as Renha''s mortal enemy, Frost¡ªa handsome boy antagonist from the Demon Sword story. He was wearing extravagant blue-white Sakura Ind attire and had a long sword within a white scabbard at his waist.

    Looking towards Seiji as well, Izawa ced his hand on his sword, revealed a serious expression, and slowly backed up.

    Seiji also ced his hand on his sword, using the same serious expression as he slowly backed up as well.

    *Click click click¡­* There was the sound of many photos being taken.

    Seiji did his best to ignore the cameras and focus on the performance. That way, he wouldn''t feel too awkward about it.

    Kanna''s request for their performance was quite simple: a battle.

    Izawa slowly unsheathed his sword and lifted it up with its tip pointing at the ceiling. His longsword was dark-blue and glinted sharply under the sunlight.

    This was a real sword.

    Seiji also unsheathed his sword, which was red with golden runes etched upon it. It was a real sword as well, made of iron.

    For two boys to be facing off against each other with real swords¡­ if this was on the street, someone would have been calling the police.

    However, this was the cosy area.

    The bystanders reflexively believed that the two of them weren''t holding real swords, but rather excellent quality replicas.

    Using real iron swords for cosy would not only be dangerous, it would be expensive as well. Normal people wouldn''t do such a thing. However, Kanna Fujihara wasn''t someone ordinary, as she was a rich scion and believed in doing cosy seriously.

    All the outfits and essories had been custom-made at her request, done as exquisitely as reasonably possible. The money she''d spent on this cosy was far beyond what most people could imagine¡­

    At the current moment, upon seeing these characterse to life and appear in 3D rather than 2D, the rich Kanna Fujihara waspletely satisfied with herself!

    After a short standoff, Izawa moved.

    He suddenly rushed towards his opponent, arcing his longsword in a circle, and then used a high slice!

    *ng!*

    Seiji blocked Izawa''s sword.

    Izawa''s action shocked Seiji as he was under the impression that they were only going to make poses and mock-fight, but Izawa really did slice at him for real¡­ However, the speed that Izawa was going at was not difficult for Seiji to handle.

    Seiji flipped his wrist and countered with a strike at about the same speed as Izawa.

    *ng!*

    Izawa easily blocked this.

    The two of them continually attacked each other, engaging in swordy that was at a rather slow rate for both their capabilities as Spirit-branded Retainers, intentionally shing their swords against each other on purpose.

    The bystanders were astonished!

    What they saw was that the two cosyers were "fiercely" fighting against each other, making it seem like a real battle.

    There appeared afterimages of the swords and both cosyers had excellent footwork; there were even sparks flying from the shing of their swords¡­

    This was just too realistic!

    This seemed basically like a professional stage performance¡­ no, a movie''s level with professional actors!

    After the audience recovered from their shock, they began to fervently take pictures. Some even turned to the video recording options on their cell phones or digital cameras and filmed this "amazing battle" in high definition.

    Yukari was one such person.

    ''This is just too amazing of a performance!'' she sincerely eximed in her heart.

    She knew that Seigo was very strong, strong to the point where he obtained the nicknames of "Destroyer of Clubs" as well as "Magic-devouring Dragon" within their school. However, she had never personally witnessed his strength before, having only heard the stories.

    And now, she was bearing witness to the legend.

    He was actually able to act at a movie''s level in a small cosy performance together with his friend¡­ That seemed so cool to her.

 Chapter 382 - She wants to understand her Brotherâ€™s likes regarding fetishesâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 382: She wants to understand her Brother¡¯s likes regarding fetishes¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji and Izawa''s performance didn''tst for too long.

    It wasn''t that they had gotten tired. Their borate performance had attracted too many people, with not only the bystanders, but even other cosyers surrounding them and taking pictures. If they continued like this, they felt like they might disrupt the order of the convention.

    After they stopped their performance, Kannamanded them to make various poses and allow everyone to take pictures to their hearts'' content before they were able to leave.

    Compared to performing, standing there and making poses felt more embarrassing, but it was fine.

    Seiji was worried at first that Kanna would have him and Izawa make some boys'' love poses, but there were no such poses in the end. It seemed like Kanna had a conscience¡­ not.

    "These normal poses are already sufficient for my imagination (fantasies)! Overly intimate poses will instead ruin the image that I have of Renha-sama in my mind," Kanna said.

    ''Just what image of Renha do you have in your mind?'' Seiji wanted to ask this, but his instinct told him that it was best not to ask.

    Kanna looked at him and asked, "Harano-kun, what did you think of cosying?"

    "About this¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "Although I was somewhat forced into it because I lost a bet, and I was cosying as a female character, it was still a fun experience."

    Seiji smiled. "I shall probably cosy again in the future, and do it as someone I want to cosy as next time."

    *Snap!*

    With lightning-quick fingers, Kanna took a photo of Seiji.

    "Excellent picture! I give you full marks for your expression just now," she said as she inspected the picture she just took and gave him a big thumbs-up.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Even if I only give this one picture to Yoruhana-san, that''ll probably be enough to satisfy her."

    Seiji was astonished to hear this. "You said¡­ give my picture to Natsuya?"

    "Yep, is that no good?" Kanna''s mouth arced upwards.

    "It''s alright, but¡­" Seiji noticed something from this. "Could it be that you actually¡­"

    "Hahaha, you saw through me." Kanna made an expression as if she was a viin who was about to give a grand speech about her nefarious scheme. "That''s right! The most important factor in me being able to convince Yoruhana-san to cosy was that I promised her that I would make you cosy as well, and give her a photo of you in cosy!"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say anymore.

    This was¡­ quite a clever trap he fell into.

    Had he been scammed? Kanna had seen through her target''s desires and taken advantage of Natsuya, and was able to obtain the cosy photos that she wanted from both sides through it.

    ''I''m so smart, aren''t I amazing! Hurry up and praise me!'' Kanna lifted her face and had a smug expression that transmitted such a message.

    "Amazing, I fell for your plot. Nice job." Seiji went along with it and praised her.

    "Heh heh, for someone like me who''s the strongest strategist on this continent, this is nothing but an insignificant trifle!" Kanna flipped her hair and made a cool pose.

    ''What''s with calling yourself the strongest strategist on this continent?'' Seijimented in his mind.

    "I have a question for you, Strategist-sama. If I won our bet, what would you have done?"

    "You couldn''t have possibly won!" Kanna maintained her cool pose. "Because I actually made some modifications to the gaming device I loaned to you, which ensured that you wouldn''t be able to defeat me."

    So insidious!

    Seiji was astonished to hear that what he thought had been a fair duel actually had a trap like this.

    "But, I didn''t have to use the modifications in the end and beat you fair and square."

    "Making modifications to a gaming device like that isn''t called fair and square in the first ce!"

    After retorting, he could only sigh.

    "Besides, why didn''t you tell me from the very start: ''If you''re willing to cosy, I''ll give you Yoruhana-san''s picture,'' something like this instead of a bet?"

    "Because it''s more interesting this way, not to mention it''s a good way to help time pass by," Kanna told him directly.

    Seiji was rendered speechless once again.

    Kanna giggled upon seeing his expression.

    She took out her cell phone and began using it.

    Momentster, Seiji''s cell phone beeped. When he checked to see what it was, it was a notification that he had a new email.

    "These are Yoruhana-san''s pictures; just treat it as an extra reward." Kanna smiled and told him, "Thank you for going along with me and participating for my amusement today, Harano-kun."

    Seiji looked towards Kanna. "No need to be so polite; I had lots of fun as well. Let''s go again next time," he responded with a smile containingplex emotions.

    Kanna''s car took Seiji close by to the Uehara apartments.

    Seiji said goodbye to Kanna and Izawa here and got off the car.

    Only after he returned home did he open up his email to inspect Natsuya''s pictures.

    It was even better than what he''d imagined!

    Just as Kanna said, Natsuya''s cosy of Freya was excellent to the point where it was difficult to describe in words. If this picture was put on the inte, it would definitely be a huge hit.

    The student council president had an excellent appearance and figure already which helped to entuate the appeal of the character she was cosying as. Not to mention, Natsuya had a rather embarrassed expression due to not being ustomed to cosying, which made her look all the more moving.

    Seiji looked over the pictures for quite a while.

    These were precious treasures that he had to carefully preserve!

    He instantly downloaded all of these pictures to hisputer''s hard drive and created a folder especially for these pictures.

    Then, he checked his dating sim system.

    These pictures that Kanna had given to him also gave him 15 points as a reward in his [Gifts] as well as a [Charisma stat increasing card - Friendship].

    Seiji immediately "used" this card.

    The card of a tawny-haired smiling beautiful girl transformed into specks of light that entered his chest.

    Seiji felt like his body warmed up, it was an experience simr to taking a bath. His thoughts became sluggish.

    A whileter, he regained his senses and checked his system to see that his [Charisma] stat had increased by 4 points. Not bad.

    He yawned as he was getting tired now.

    "Let''s go to sleep now¡­"

    Seiji turned off hisputer, went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up before sleeping, then returned to his room, changed into his sleepwear, andy on his bed.

    He felt like he was forgetting something?

    He tried to think about it, but couldn''t think of what it was, so he decided not to think too much into it as hezily went to sleep.

    Not long after, Shika Kagura, who had been out buying groceries, returned home and discovered that Seiji had returned before her.

    "Brother¡­" She went to the study and didn''t see her adopted brother there. However, she noticed that there was arge sack next to theputer.

    The sack contained the doujinshi books that Seiji had purchased today.

    Curiositypelled her to go over and take a look.

    They were all ero doujinshi books!

    Shika''s face began to redden.

    ''Why would Brother just casually leave such things out in the open like this?''

    Shika went to Seiji''s room to check and discovered that he was already in bed and asleep.

    She silently returned to the study and kept looking at therge sack of books as her face became redder and redder.

    To look or not to look? This was the question.

    ''I shouldn''t look¡­ but¡­ I want to look¡­''

    Apart from her own curiosity towards ero books, there was also¡­ She wanted to understand her Brother''s likes regarding fetishes¡­

    Shika was internally conflicted as her heartbeat quickened; her face burned up and she felt like her entire body was heating up.

    Finally, she slowly reached out and¡­

    After Seiji woke up, he checked the time and then got out of bed.

    He stretchedzily, changed into regr attire, and left his room and went to the living room.

    Reo was ying at a friend''s house and still hadn''t returned yet.

    Shika was in her room, and he figured that she was resting.

    He then went to the study, sat down at hisputer, and turned it on.

    He began browsing the inte¡­

    Wait a moment.

    Seiji suddenly noticed that something was off.

    He looked towards hisputer desk, and discovered that something that should have been there was missing.

 Chapter 383 - My adopted sister took my ero books! What should I do?

    <h4>Chapter 383: My adopted sister took my ero books! What should I do?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Thatrge sack of adult doujinshi!

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    ''Did I remember things wrong? Did I already put those books away?''

    No¡­ he hadn''t.

    Seiji carefullybed through his memory and confirmed that he had indeed casually put the sack of books on hisputer desk without putting the books away.

    It was arge sack of adult doujinshi and it had definitely been there. But now, it was missing.

    Reo still wasn''t home yet.

    There was only one person that could have possibly taken this sack of books.

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched.

    ''My adopted sister saw and took my entire sack of ero books! What should I do? I could really use some advice here!''

    He even impulsively wanted to make a topic on an inte forum and ask for help regarding this.

    No, no¡­ he was making a mountain out of a molehill. Wasn''t Shika just borrowing his stuff? All he had to do was ask.

    Although the things in question were rather awkward, it didn''t matter so much even if she saw them. All he had to do was go knock on his adopted younger sister''s door and ask about where his books were. Simple as that.

    But¡­ for Shika to have taken those books, did she help put them away, or¡­

    If she only put them away, that wasn''t a big deal, but if she took them back to her own room to look at them¡­

    No, no! How could Shika possibly do that? That didn''t seem likely.

    But¡­ wasn''t there such a possibility?

    Seiji was internally conflicted.

    Hypothetically speaking, if Shika took those ero books and was looking at them in her room, if he went over there just like that to ask about the whereabouts of his books, he would definitely be stepping on andmine!

    That would be quite an awkward situation.

    Seiji didn''t know what expression he would have if he found out that his adopted younger sister was secretly looking at the adult doujinshi that he had purchased.

    The reverse was also true. He figured that Shika wouldn''t know how to face him.

    After thinking about it, Seiji decided to search around the apartment first. If he found his sack of books around anywhere, then there wouldn''t be any problems at all.

    And so, he began looking.

    In the study¡­ nothing.

    In his own room¡­ nothing either.

    In the living room¡­ still nothing.

    The kitchen¡­ again, nothing.

    After he looked for his books everywhere they could be, he finally had to face reality.

    Shika had definitely taken the books back to her room!

    Looking towards his adopted sister''s room, Seiji couldn''t help but imagine the ck-haired beauty holding on to an adult doujinshi withpletely red face and a seductive look in her eyes.

    ¡­It seemed so ero to him.

    Just imagining it with that image of Shika already seemed so ero!

    Seiji even had the urge to go see if that was really the case, but soon restrained himself and did his best to consider things calmly.

    The only thing he could do was to pretend not to know anything, right?

    Knocking on her door and asking now was no good, and asking herter about it would be no good as well. The best choice was not to ask! He would have to pretend like he hadn''t noticed her borrowing his books and wait for her to secretly return them after she was done with them.

    Seiji felt like it was the only method by which he could avoid awkwardness.

    No¡­ he should rephrase that. It was a method to avoid as much awkwardness as possible. Awkwardness was impossible to avoid here as he was already feeling awkward.

    ''Alright, let''s just go with this! I won''t mention this at all, and I''ll pretend that nothing happened!'' Seiji made his decision.

    Shika Kagura opened her eyes.

    ''Uh-oh, I fell asleep!''

    She started panicking when she looked at the time after waking up.

    By this time, it was likely that her Brother Seiji would have woken up already, but she hadn''t put the ero books back where they were yet!

    Originally, she had only intended to look at them for a while before putting them back, but¡­ she was unable to stop herself.

    She finished going through all of the ero books!

    And then¡­ she unknowingly fell asleep.

    Her face flushed red as she recalled what she had done.

    ''Calm down, what''s important now is¡­ has brother woken up yet?''

    Shika got out of her bed, put on her clothes, and quietly opened her door just a crack and investigated.

    She didn''t see anyone.

    She cast an invisibility spell on herself and soundlessly walked out of her room, arriving in front of the study.

    She saw her adopted brother concentrating on drawing on hisputer.

    As expected, he was already awake!

    ''Did he notice that his ero books are gone?'' Shika felt quite nervous about this.

    Judging by how he seemed to be quite focused on drawing, did he not notice yet?

    Normally speaking, he would notice since he''d just purchased arge sack of ero books after all. But right now, if he was concentrating on drawing, it would also be normal for him not to notice for the time being.

    At any rate, she had to get those ero books out of her room!

    Shika soundlessly returned to her own room, put all the ero books back in the sack, and secretly brought them to her brother''s room and put them in a rather inconspicuous location.

    It should be fine if she told himter that he must have put them there while he was asleep.

    She then soundlessly returned to her own room again, and then pretended that she had just woken up as she intentionally made some sounds and normally walked out of her room, arriving at the study.

    Seiji heard her footsteps, and turned around to see his adopted sister.

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    The moment he saw her, he couldn''t help but reimagine the scene of her secretly looking at his ero books, so his expression was somewhat awkward.

    He immediately suppressed those thoughts and changed his expression back to normal again.

    However, Shika was paying close attention to his expression and noticed what happened.

    ''Brother¡­ noticed!?''

    She became nervous as her heartbeat quickened.

    "What shall we eat for dinner tonight?" Seiji tried to be as natural as possible, asking about tonight''s dinner.

    "¡­I''m going to cook Mapo Tofu," Shika answered.

    "A ssical Huaxia cuisine that I like, nice. Don''t make it too spicy though, otherwise Reo-chan will have a difficult time." Seiji smiled.

    Then, he still tried to speak in as natural a tone as possible as he asked, "By the way, did you help me put away the doujinshi books I purchased today?"

    Shika felt her heart tighten when she heard this question.

    "Y¡­ yes, I put them in your room while you were sleeping, Brother." She did her best to reply as calmly as possible.

    "Ah, thank you."

    The two of them continued chatting for a little while before ending the conversation.

    Shika then returned to her own room, closed the door, and copsed face-first on her bed.

    ''Did Brother Seiji discover what I did or not!?''

    She buried her face in her nkets out of embarrassment and kept waving her legs in the air.

    Judging by the awkward expression on his face for just a moment there, it seemed like he''d noticed¡­ but afterwards, he acted so natural it seemed like he had only noticed that his books were missing and believed that she put them away for him, without considering that she looked at them.

    Shika couldn''t be sure.

    Did her Brother Seiji really not notice what she did with his ero books, or did he notice and pretend not to know?

    Shika wanted to believe that it was the former, but¡­ her sense of logic and reason told her that it was thetter.

    Otherwise, there was no reasonable exnation for that momentary strange expression he had on his face.

    He actually noticed that she was looking at his ero books in her room, but in order to avoid awkwardness, he pretended not to know.

    That was something that her Brother Seiji would do.

    The more she thought about it, the likelier it seemed to Shika. She was embarrassed to the maximum even while she enjoyed her brother''s warmness.

    ''I''m so embarrassed!

    ''Why did I secretly look at all those ero books, aaah!!!''

    Right now, she really wanted to return to the past and give her own hand that reached out for those ero books a good chop!

    ''Wah¡­ Sorry, Brother Seiji, I''m a bad, perverted girl.''

    Thepletely red-faced girl inserted herself into her nkets, wrapping herself up tightly like a snail.

 Chapter 384 - The investigative report regarding Mr. Uehara

    <h4>Chapter 384: The investigative report regarding Mr. Uehara</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji noticed during dinner that Shika''s condition seemed to be rather strange and that she kept avoiding his eyes.

    ''Is it because she''s feeling too embarrassed about secretly looking at my ero books, or¡­ is she finding it difficult to look at me after knowing that I look at such things?'' Seiji wondered to himself.

    This was a question that Seiji had been doing his best to avoid thinking about¡ªjust what his adopted sister would think of him after looking through his ero books.

    Although he wasn''t into anything too outrageous, having such arge sack of ero books was bad enough already!

    The mostmon genre among his ero books was harem, which definitely exposed his true preferences. The worst would be the sis-con books¡­ he was unable to imagine what Shika would think of those after seeing them.

    ''Well, she''s probably just too embarrassed, she''ll be fine after a day or two¡­ I hope that she won''t get any strange thoughts,'' he thought to himself hopefully.

    Not long after they finished dinner, Seiji received a phone call from the student council president.

    When he saw on his caller ID that the call was from Natsuya, Seiji instantly imagined her again in her cosy outfit. He also felt things were rather subtle regarding how she asked Kanna for his own cosy photograph.

    He epted the call.

    "Good evening, Seiji."

    "Good evening, Natsuya."

    "I''ve received a report regarding the investigation into Mr. Uehara and the origin of his collection items."

    "Oh¡­ what does it say?"

    "I haven''t read it yet. I wanted to show it to Uehara-san first. Do you have time toe over to my ce together with her?"

    "I do."

    "I''ll wait for you here then."

    "Alright."

    They ended their conversation.

    Seiji put away his cell phone as something shed in his eyes.

    This investigative report¡­ just what truth would it contain?

    Seiji and Mika arrived at the president''s residence.

    On the way, Mika did her best to mentally prepare herself for anything she might learn. However, she was still quite obviously tensed up.

    The maid Mai led them inside.

    In the living room, Seiji saw two girls that he hadn''t seen for quite a long time already¡ªHitaka Shuho and Rana Kirin!

    The red-haired beauty in sports attire and the cat-eared loli wearing a down coat were currently ying chess against each other.

    When Seiji and Mika entered the living room, Hitaka and Rana both turned to look at them.

    "Long time no see, you guys¡­"

    Before Seiji even finished his greeting, the cat girl flew towards him!

    Rana suddenly jumped up from the sofa and hugged him, which surprised him greatly. He was pushed one step backwards by the impact.

    After he steadied himself, Seiji saw the cat girl tightly hugging onto him with her eyes closed as she rubbed his chest with her face.

    ''So cute!''

    He reflexively hugged Rana back as he smiled.

    "Long time no see, and good evening, Kirin-san."

    "Meow~" The cat-eared loli mewed gently.

    "This is¡­" Mika who watched all this widened her eyes in surprise.

    "One of Natsuya''s Spirit-branded Retainers, Rana Kirin." Seiji did the introductions for her. "She''s the one known as the ''legendary creature'' in our school¡­"

    The twintailed girl dazedly stared at the cat-eared girl before her and was unable toe up with any words to say.

    "Long time no see, Haruta-kun," another voice spoke up.

    Seiji looked towards the red-haired girl.

    "Good evening, Shuho-san. I''m d to see that you''re out of the hospital."

    Hitaka Shuho had been seriously injured in the duel against Okubo Yoshiaki. Thest time Seiji saw her, she was still weakly resting in a hospital bed.

    Currently, she seemed like she was fine. There was nothing wrong with herplexion.

    "This is Mika Uehara, my ssmate and neighbor who''s a good friend¡­" He did the introductions.

    "I know her," Hitaka said as she turned towards the twintailed girl. "Good evening, Uehara-san."

    "Good¡­ good evening, Vice President Shuho. Sorry for the botherte at night," Mika answered.

    Since they knew each other already, there was no need for further introductions.

    While Seiji was asking Hitaka how she was doing in concern about her health, Natsuya arrived at the living room.

    "Hitaka, Rana, could the two of you y chess somewhere else? I need to discuss something with Seiji and his friend."

    Hearing her master say this, Hitaka immeditely cleaned up the chess pieces and the chess board.

    After she swiftly packed everything away, Hitaka left. Rana also unpeeled herself from Seiji''s body and hopped away.

    Mai poured tea for her master and the guests before leaving the living room as well.

    "This is the investigative report."

    Natsuya ced a document folder on the table and moved it right in front of Mika.

    Mika looked at the document folder for quite a while before reaching out and slowly picking it up.

    She opened it up, took out the report, and began reading.

    Seiji quietly sipped on his tea.

    Natsuya also quietly sipped on her tea.

    Neither of them spoke as they patiently waited for the twintailed girl to be the first to finish reading the report.

    At first, Mika was still quite tense as she began reading. However, she soon calmed down as she read.

    The report had a life history about her father¡ªAkiya Uehara.

    It wasn''t particrly detailed, but it tracked what he was doing in what stages of life, starting from elementary school, then middle school, high school, college, working, being married, having a daughter, all the way until his death.

    All in all, he had quite an ordinary life.

    There was only one exception.

    There was an elderly man by the name of Zhao Guanlou who came from the country of Huaxia.

    When Akiya Uehara was in middle school, he got acquainted with this elderly man and they became extremely close friends irrespective of the difference in their ages. They interacted with each other for a rather long period of time.

    As for the specifics of how they got to know each other or how they became friends¡­ the investigation was unable to find that out. However, the investigation concluded that Akiya Uehara''s spiritual items collection was highly likely to have been given to him by this elderly man!

    The detective¡­ the person that wrote this report instinctively felt that this Zhao Guanlou was the critical key to this investigation and tried searching for him.

    The detective found out that this elderly man from the country of Huaxia had long since left Sakura Ind. However, Zhao Guanlou''s residence that he lived at was still around and the deed to the property still belonged to him. It wasn''t being rented out, nor was anyone maintaining his property. It was basically abandoned.

    The detective found out Zhao Guanlou''s phone number, but upon calling it, a young-sounding Huaxia girl answered the phone.

    This girl rejected the detective''s request to speak to Zhao Guanlou.

    The detective could only change his approach and instead searched through Zhao Guanlou''s abandoned property. Judging by what remained behind and traces within, it was basically confirmed that this elderly man from Huaxia was an incredibly powerful Spiritual Ability user and might have been a master craftsman of spiritual artifacts! This was how the detective came to the conclusion that Akiya Uehara received his spiritual items collection from Zhao Guanlou.

    After Mika finished reading the report, she told all of the abovementioned important information to Seiji and Natsuya while skipping over the personal life details.

    "Zhao Guanlou¡­"

    "A master craftsman of spiritual artifacts from Huaxia¡­"

    They never expected that this would have anything to do with the country of Huaxia!

    Seiji and Natsuya were equally astonished as they exchanged nces.

    "Those spiritual artifacts¡­ weren''t they all in Sakura Ind''s style?"

    "Yes, but it''s still possible that they were crafted by a Huaxia master craftsman." The president furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "I can''t tell anything from the surface, but if I show them to spiritual artifact craftsmen for a specialized analysis, perhaps they''ll be able to find something out¡­ such as special crafting techniques from Huaxia or specialized spells that are from Huaxia."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "If Mr. Uehara and Zhao Guanlou were simply close friends irrespective of their age, then this situation is¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin as he told them what he thought of it.

 Chapter 385 - A pure coincidence?

    <h4>Chapter 385: A pure coincidence?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "A spiritual artifact master craftsman from Huaxia came to Sakura Ind for various reasons of his own, and while he was living here, he became friends with a teenager from Sakura Ind, that is to say, Mr. Uehara in his younger days.

    "And then, for various reasons, or maybe because he was simply bored, this master craftsman tried crafting some spiritual artifacts in the Sakura Ind style and gave them to Mr. Uehara as amemoration of their friendship¡­ something like that.

    "Mr. Uehara wasn''t a Spiritual Ability user. He was just a normal person who coincidentally made friends with a powerful Spiritual Ability user from another country. It was a pure coincidence that he obtained those spiritual artifacts."

    A pure coincidence, without any special family background, no illustrious bloodline, no seals on any secret monsters¡­ this was the simplest possible hypothetical scenario.

    "And if their rtionship wasn''t so simple, and there was a hidden secret¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "Then, there''s probably no way of finding the truth except finding and asking Mr. Zhao about it."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "I agree with Seiji," Natsuya said as she looked towards Mika. "Uehara-san, I think you have two choices here. One is to ept what Seiji said just now¡ªtreat these spiritual artifacts as things that your father obtained from a good friend of his in the past because of their friendship and tell your mother about it so that she can decide what to do with these things, which would end this matter here. Second is to try contacting Mr. Zhao from Huaxia and talk to him about it¡­ this might be wasting your time, but it also might dig up some buried secrets."

    Mika remained silent as she stared at the investigative report in her hands.

    "I¡­ want to make a phone call," she said softly. "I''ve already decided to face the truth directly¡ªwhatever the truth is¡­ Whether it''s a pure coincidence or whatever else. Without calling, and just ending things like this¡­ I don''t think that''s an ending. It''s more like running away from the truth. And if the truth is just as Seiji said, a pure coincidence, I''d like to thank Mr. Zhao. I should thank him for bing my father''s friend and giving my father such precious gifts."

    The twintailed girl began to smile.

    Huaxia, the city of Tiandu.

    An elderly man sitting in a wheelchair was currently looking at the night scenery outside the French windows of his luxurious home.

    The elderly were prone to nostalgic moments.

    What they experienced, what they did, what they were happy with, what they were sad about, what they felt helpless about, what they regretted¡­

    This night, this elderly man was recalling the time he had spent on Sakura Ind.

    That had been a vacation for him, as well as his way of avoiding society.

    But no matter if it was a vacation or to avoid society, there were better ces than Sakura Ind. In the end, the real reason that he chose that ce was¡­

    The elderly man feltplex emotions within himself as he recalled a certain teenager''s appearance in his mind.

    No matter how much he thought about it, he still came to the conclusion that he hadn''t made a mistake.

    However, even if he did what he viewed to be correct and never regretted it, in the end¡­ he still personally abandoned his own child.

    However, that child knew nothing about it.

    When he abandoned him, that child was still a baby.

    When he saw that child again, that child had grown up into a teenager¡­ a rather clumsy but kind and open boy.

    Although that teenager was a bit confused to meet a strange old man from a different country, he didn''t treat the old man by keeping him at a distance. Instead, he sincerely interacted with him.

    In the teenager''s eyes, their friendship was him coincidentally bing friends irrespective of age with a strange old lonely man. However, the elderly man in question saw it in a different way.

    He kept impulsively wanting to tell the teenager the truth, but never said anything in the end.

    That was an incredibly calm period of life for him¡­ calm to the point where there was nothing memorable about it. But for some unknown reason, that child''s appearance, voice, and smile, despite the passing of time, was far clearer than many other memories of his life for him.

    "Master, there''s another call from Sakura Ind for you. The caller ims to be named Mika Uehara, saying that she''s Akiya Uehara''s daughter," his maid spoke up behind him.

    ''Mika Uehara¡­''

    The elderly man blinked as he recalled one of his memories.

    "Uncle Zhao, my child was born! She''s a cute girl. My wife and I are going to name her Mika, Mika Uehara.

    "One day, I''m going to take her and my wife to take a tour of Huaxia. I''d like to visit you at that time¡­ if you don''t mind my familying over to visit, that is.

    "Please take good care of your body, Uncle Zhao. I hope to meet you again at that time."

    ''¡­That idiot youngster who said those things but didn''t take good care of himself, leaving behind his wife and daughter and going first before even an old man like me, honestly¡­''

    The elderly man sighed.

    He manipted the buttons on his wheelchair to turn himself around, facing his maid.

    "I''ll go ahead and take the call."

    This was Mika''s first time ever to make an international phone call.

    When someone picked up and replied in the Huaxianguage, Mika strongly realized that she was attempting tomunicate with a stranger from a foreign country.

    After she decided to make this call, Natsuya told her that she knew how to somewhat speak the Huaxianguage and could help out. Right now was also a good time to make the call as the time zone difference wasn''t significant.

    Mika hadn''t actually thought about making the phone call immediately, but with what she just said, she couldn''t back down, so she could only work up her courage.

    They called the phone number written in the investigative report.

    When the call connected, just as the report said, a young-sounding woman answered the call.

    Natsuyamunicated to this woman in the Huaxianguage, and requested to speak to Zhao Guanlou, using Mika Uehara''s name.

    After the woman heard this, she replied using the Huaxianguage as well.

    "She asked us to wait for a moment," Natsuya told them.

    A few momentster.

    "I am Zhao Guanlou." An elderly sounding voice spoke on the phone, speaking in Sakura Ind''snguage.

    It would seem that no trantor was necessary anymore.

    Natsuya looked in Mika''s direction as the phone was on speakerphone so that everyone could hear the conversation.

    "G¡­ good evening, Zhao-san. I''m Mika Uehara," Mika hurriedly responded. "My apologies to suddenly call you like this."

    "Akiya''s daughter¡­ What business do you have with me?"

    "I¡­ I would like to ask Zhao-san about some collection items that my father left behind¡­ some spiritual artifacts. Were they from Zhao-san?"

    Zhao Guanlou fell silent for a moment.

    "How did you know that they were spiritual artifacts?" He countered with his own question.

    "Er¡­ I¡­ coincidentally used a board game from the collection¡­ me and my friends were ying that board game, and saw some fantastical illusions¡­"

    "Are you a Spiritual Ability user?"

    "I¡­ yes, I''m a Spirit Controller," Mika answered.

    Zhao Guanlou fell silent for the second time before speaking again.

    "It''s not convenient to talk over the phone, so let''s talk over the inte instead¡­ Do you have aputer you can use?"

    Natsuya indicated to Mika that she could borrow aputer here, so Mika immediately answered with a "yes."

    "Give me your email address," the elderly man asked.

    Mika give him her email address.

    "I''m going to email you a program in a bit, download that software to yourputer, then install and run it."

    "Okay¡­" Mika agreed.

    They ended their conversation there.

    Natsuya left them for a minute and returned with aptopputer. She loaned it to Mika.

    Mika logged on to her own email.

    A few minutester, a new email indeed arrived with a program attached.

    As the elderly man instructed, Mika downloaded, installed, and ran the software.

    Theputer monitor instantly turned pitch-ck.

 Chapter 386 - Im no veteran at wearing female clothingâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 386: I''m no veteran at wearing female clothing¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A few secondster, they saw an elderly man with a wrinkly face, tan round-rimmed sses, and a ck wool hat appear on the screen.

    He had a calm expression but there was a sharp look in his eyes, making it seem like he had a faint dominating presence.

    "Hello¡­ Zhao-san," Mika spoke to theputer screen.

    "You can just call me Grandpa Zhao," Zhao Guanlou told her.

    "Grandpa Zhao¡­ right?"

    The elderly man nodded as he looked at Mika. His expression suddenly became gentler.

    "Mika, how old are you now?"

    "I¡­ I''m sixteen years old."

    "Sixteen¡­ back when I first met Akiya, he wasn''t even sixteen yet¡­ and yet time passes so quickly. His daughter is sixteen years old already." Zhao Guanlou sighed.

    "Grandpa Zhao¡­" Mika didn''t know what she should say to this elderly man reminiscing about his memories.

    A period of silence fell between them.

    "Are there others with you?" Zhao Guanlou asked after he finished reminiscing.

    "¡­Yes." Mika nced at Seiji and Natsuya who were beside her.

    "Ask them to leave, or go to a ce where our conversation can''t be heard by others."

    "This¡­ why?"

    "Because I wish to speak to you alone, without anyone else listening," Zhao Guanlou said in a serious tone.

    Hearing this, Mika could only turn to Seiji and Natsuya and ask for their understanding.

    "You can use one of the guest rooms, then." Natsuya led Mika to a room and closed the door after her as she herself exited.

    Natsuya returned to the living room to see that Seiji was refilling their tea.

    "Zhao-san probably wants to tell Uehara-san some secret¡­ are you curious about it?"

    "Of course I''m curious."

    "I can use a spell to eavesdrop on their conversation."

    "There''s no need for that."

    Seiji and Natsuya exchanged nces and both smiled.

    "How was your day with Fujihara-san?" Natsuya changed the conversation topic as she sat down.

    "Pretty fun¡­" Seiji recalled the matter of the cosy photographs, revealing a subtle expression.

    "Did something happen?" Natsuya noticed the change in his expression.

    Seiji looked towards her as the expression on his face became even subtler.

    "Natsuya¡­ Kanna gave you my cosy photographs, right?"

    The president''s expression froze slightly.

    "Y-yeah, Fujihara-san sent your pictures over to me. I think that you look quite good¡­ you did a good job cosying." Natsuya averted her gaze and obviously had a slightly guilty conscience.

    "She also gave me your pictures," Seiji said as he looked directly at her.

    The president''s body wentpletely stiff.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    Then, she slowly turned to look at him. The expression on her face was¡­ incredibly difficult to describe!

    Seiji truly didn''t know what words he could use to describe her current expression. If he had to force himself to describe it, she seemed like she had just smashed her head into a wall and received brain damage, together with the emotions of shock, surprise, confusion, panic, and so on.

    "My¡­ my picture?" Natsuya asked dazedly.

    "Yes, Fujihara-san gave me your pictures of you cosying as Freya from Honey Candy Girl in the inte caf¨¦," Seiji enunciated clearly for her.

    The president''s face gradually began to redden after she realized what she heard.

    "That¡­ those¡­ she¡­ those¡­" She kept stuttering with a red face, wanting to say something but not saying it clearly.

    "I think that they looked wonderful. You looked great as Freya, and it was an excellent cosy," Seiji told her sincerely.

    ''Ahhh!''

    Natsuya suddenly covered her face as she panickily screamed in her mind.

    ''I¡­ He actually saw the way I looked when wearing such a sexyce dress!?

    ''Fujihara-san! Didn''t you promise me that you wouldn''t show my photos to others!? You¡­ actually betrayed me!!''

    Natsuya felt that she had been betrayed.

    However, she wasn''t angry¡­ Currently, she was only filled with embarrassment. She was even surprised at herself that she wasn''t at all angry at Kanna Fujihara who had broken their agreement.

    That was because she perceived why Kanna had done such a thing.

    Although she understood, she still couldn''t ept it so easily.

    That was why she still needed to vent! Although she wasn''t able to get angry right now, she would definitely make Kanna pay for itter!!

    Seiji felt that Natsuya appeared quite cute when she embarrassedly covered her face with her hands.

    Would it be alright to secretly take a picture of this?

    ''¡­Let''s not do such a thing.'' He restrained himself from giving in to his impulse.

    "There''s no need to be so embarrassed. You really did do an excellent cosy." Seiji tried tofort her. "If we''re talking about embarrassment, I was far more embarrassed than you were. You were only cosying in an inte caf¨¦ room for Kanna only, while I was cosying as a female character in the cosy area and even did a performance, with many, many people taking pictures of me¡­"

    Suddenly, he felt embarrassment wash over him again as he recalled what happened earlier today!

    ''Just what did I do!!!''

    He actually cosyed as a female character in public in front of everyone! Although the character was a female who disguised herself as male, she was still a female character and those clothes had a few female elements to them!!

    ''My cosy as a ''female'' was taken pictures of by so many people!!!''

    It felt as if all his earlier repressed embarrassment had suddenly exploded¡­ Seiji''s face reddened as well as he covered his face with his hands, losing himself to the embarrassment that was difficult for him to ept.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    Natsuya felt that it was rather strange how she didn''t hear Seiji say anything else for a while.

    She opened her eyes and peeked between her fingers, only to see that he had the exact same pose as her!

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    What was going on here?

    Seeing how he was, confusion reced her embarrassment and helped her to calm down.

    "Er¡­ What''s the matter, Seiji?"

    "¡­I finally realized how embarrassing my cosy was just now¡­ please don''t speak to me for the time being¡­" Seiji said in a listless tone of voice.

    It took Natsuya a few seconds to understand what he meant by that, but then she giggled.

    "You did a great job cosying a female character. I think it looked great on you," she told him sincerely.

    "Wahhhhh!" Seiji received a critical hit to his mental state and made a strange sound.

    "For a boy to look so excellent as a girl, isn''t that called a ''trap?''"

    "I''m not!!!" Seiji received yet another critical hit as he began shaking his head.

    "I shall view those pictures of you as a precious memory to me."

    "No!!!" Seiji received a third critical hit in a row and copsed as he pitifully wailed.

    Natsuya couldn''t stop her ownughter.

    She felt that the current him was quite cute and silly.

    The cool him, the gentle him, the cute him¡­ she liked all parts of him.

    "I didn''t want to cosy as a female character of my own volition¡­ I''m no trap¡­ I''m no veteran at wearing female clothing¡­"

    Seiji who had copsed on the sofa was struggling with his mental damage.

    What he didn''t know was that the president was currently looking at him with an incredibly beautiful and gentle smile.

    In the guest room.

    Theptopputer screen in front of Mika turned pitch-ck, then returned to a normal desktop screen.

    Her conversation had just ended.

    She didn''t get up. Instead, she quietly sat on a chair as she slowly lifted her head to look at the ceiling.

    "To be stronger¡­" she muttered to herself.

    That was Grandpa Zhao''s wish of her.

    Either in love, her hobbies, or her Spiritual Power, she needed to grow, which also meant bing stronger.

    It wasn''t a question of whether or not she could do it. She had to do it.

    Only this would help her shine brilliantly.

 Chapter 387 - Im not a hero whos going to save the world!

    <h4>Chapter 387: I''m not a hero who''s going to save the world!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    When Mika walked out of the guest room and returned to the living room, she saw that Seiji and Natsuya were silently sitting there while sipping tea.

    Both of them seemed strong to her¡­ they were cool, beautiful, resolute, and powerful.

    She wanted to be like them.

    Mika who was now more resolute than ever didn''t know about how these two "strong individuals" had just lost control of themselves in embarrassment, only barely managing to calm down now¡­

    "How are things, Mika?" Seiji asked when he saw the twintailed girl return.

    "Grandpa Zhao said that he indeed gave those spiritual artifacts to my father. Apparently, he made them back in the day when he was bored."

    ''They really turned out to be things he made when he was bored after all!''

    "Did he say what that board game was, and how to specifically use it?" Natsuya inquired.

    "He said that he forgot."

    "What?"

    "Grandpa Zhao said that he made many spiritual artifacts back at that time and couldn''t remember the details anymore due to forgetfulness in old age." Mika smiled wryly.

    Seiji and Natsuya were rendered speechless.

    "Will even a powerful Spiritual Ability user be forgetful in old age?" Seiji looked towards Natsuya.

    "¡­I''m not sure." Natsuya had a subtle expression.

    ''What a reason, forgetfulness in old age. It''s impossible to even retort,'' Seijimented in his mind.

    "Then¡­ was the rtionship between Grandpa Zhao and your father simply that of friends irrespective of age?" He asked another question.

    "No." Mika shook her head. "He said that there was a secret connection between him and my father. In the past, he intentionally came searching for my father, it wasn''t a coincidental meeting. He said he''d hesitated about whether or not to tell my father the truth, but he didn''t do so in the end. He doesn''t want to tell me about it, either, because he said that it would only add to my frustrations so he might as well not say it."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Indeed, there are some things in this world that are better left unsaid." Seiji sighed. "Since he doesn''t wish to say, then we should let it go."

    "Yeah¡­" Mika nodded slightly.

    "What else did you guys discuss?"

    "Grandpa Zhao asked me how I became a spiritual ability user, how I''m doing in my life, and what I want to do in my future¡­ He encouraged me and worried about me like an elder." Mika began to smile. "Just as if he was my real grandfather."

    ''He really might be your real grandfather¡­ or even great-grandfather,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    Since the elderly man didn''t intend to say, perhaps this would forever remain a secret.

    "He also said that he would help me, but he didn''t say anything specific¡­ I was wondering a bit about that."

    "Perhaps he''ll give you some presents, just like how he gave your father spiritual artifacts," Natsuya said.

    "Very likely¡­ Perhaps he''ll mail you something incredible all the way from Huaxia." Seiji rubbed his chin. "If the spiritual artifacts that Zhao-san casually made when he was bored were at such a high level already, if he seriously made one as a gift for someone¡­ it would probably be incredible. Perhaps it''ll be a full set of spiritual artifacts that you can wear and transform yourself with."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "From now on, I''m going to call you ''Spiritual Artifact Girl Mika!''" Seiji had a sh of inspiration.

    "Don''t treat me like some sort of magical girl!"

    "Then how about ''The Immortal Spiritual Artifact User Uehara?''"

    "Don''t treat me like a cultivator from Huaxia!"

    "Mika, the Spiritual Artifact Heroine.''"

    "I''m not a hero who''s going to save the world!" the twintailed girl retorted energetically.

    "Cough¡­ on a serious note, no matter what Zhao-san gives you, go ahead and properly ept and give him your gratitude. Is there anything else that he said?"

    "¡­No."

    "Then, that''s all for this incident." Seiji came to this conclusion. "Although we now know the origin of your father''s collection of items, due to the creator''s forgetfulness in old age, we still don''t know the specific methods to use that board game, wooden sword, and kendama, nor do we know the true nature of the rtionship between Zhao-san and Mr. Uehara. The answer is iplete¡­ but it''s sufficient, right?"

    Mika nodded.

    "About those three spiritual artifacts in working condition, now that you know where they came from, do you want to sell them or keep them?" Seiji looked towards her.

    "I don''t want to sell them, but I don''t know how to use them either if I keep them¡­"

    "In that case, continue renting them out to Natsuya." Seiji turned to look at the president. "Are you willing to continue renting them?"

    "Of course, I''d be more than happy to. All three are high-level spiritual artifacts and have their uses," Natsuya said.

    "Thank you, president."

    "No need to be polite. It''s a trade, after all."

    "Finally, we have to figure out how to exin things to thendlord¡­"

    Seiji and Mika discussed what they should tell Nozomi.

    And so, the matter of the Uehara Family spiritual artifacts collection came to somewhat of a close.

    After saying goodbye to Natsuya, Seiji and Mika returned home together.

    Then two of them walked side by side for a while with neither saying anything.

    "Mika, are you able tomunicate better with Mashiro-chan yet?" After a long silence, Seiji decided to start a conversation.

    Mika shook her head.

    "It seems like it won''t be that easy¡­ but there''s no rush, so take things slowly."

    "Yeah¡­"

    "Mashiro-chan is so amazing already, so once you can have her properly understand yourmands, you''ll be a powerful Spiritual Ability user as well." Seiji smiled. "By the way, did you mention Mashiro-chan to Zhao-san?"

    "Yes, but I didn''t go into the details. I only told him about Mashiro-chan''s origins as well as the fact that she''ll use some strong powers if I''m in danger¡­" Mika told Seiji.

    "I see¡­ I think that''s an appropriate way to describe things." Seiji nodded.

    Mashiro-chan''s powers were still a mystery, and saying too much about it probably wasn''t a good thing even if the other party was that elderly man Zhao Guanlou.

    The two of them chatted about Mashiro-chan for a while.

    Then, they arrived at the Uehara apartments.

    When they returned home, Seiji suddenly heard a notification from his system, with words appearing before him:

    [Your cosy photographs and video of your performance have been truly appreciated and liked by many viewers on the inte. Your [Rewards] option now has reward points from the viewers'' appreciation and like.]

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Even his cosy photographs and videos could reward him just like his novels!? He was astonished to find out about this.

    ''Is this your way of spreading salt on my wound, system of mine?''

    He was already finished with his bout of embarrassment from earlier, and he no longer felt like clutching his head and shouting out loudly. He merely felt like he didn''t know whether tough or cry at this unexpected reward.

    Seiji went to his study and turned on hisputer. While he waited for it to load, he opened up his [Rewards] option in his dating sim system.

    He saw that apart from the previous reward points obtained from his short novel "I''ll Die If I Don''t Be Handsome", there were now new rewards from his cosy photographs and videos!

    He saw his reward points increase by 3¡­ by another 4¡­ there was a steady stream of ie.

    After checking the rewards out, Seiji closed his system and went online with hisputer.

    Then, he discovered that in thergest message forum for Sakura Ind, in the otaku section where people were discussing the doujinshi convention and cosy, the topic ranked number one was a topic about his and Izawa''s character cosy photographs and videos!

    The topic''s title was:

    "The highest quality cosy from this year''s winter doujinshi convention! A real life version of a swordfight that''s just like a movie!! It''s incredible!!!"

 Chapter 388 - Flashy Snow

    <h4>Chapter 388: shy Snow</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "This is the best ''Demon Sword'' cosy I''ve ever seen!"

    "The swords actually sparked when they shed against each other. Could they have been using real swords?"

    "Judging by the swords'' quality, the sounds of the swords shing, and the sparks as well as other details, they''re probably real iron swords. Amazing!"

    "Incredible performance! Just how long did they practice for it?"

    "10 points for the clothing, 10 points for the makeup, 10 points for the props, and 100 points for the performance!"

    "I strongly rmend the makers toe find these two cosyers if they decide to make a movie out of ''Demon Sword!''"

    "It''s a minus that a guy is cosying as Renha!"

    "It''s a plus that a guy is cosying as Renha!"

    "Renha''s a female disguised as a male in the original story, so there''s no problems with a guy cosying as her. Of course, the prerequisite is to have a sufficiently excellent appearance first!"

    "Is this cosyer really a boy? Maybe the cosyer is actually a girl."

    After reading such messages, Seiji didn''t know what expression he had anymore.

    He silently closed the forum, poured himself a cup of tea in the living room and drank it to calm himself down. Afterwards, he returned to the study and logged on to his chatting application.

    "Seigo, I saw your cosy today! It was amazing~"

    He received a message from Yukari.

    "You actually cosyed with someone else! Why didn''t you notify me? I wanted to see you cosy in person!" Chiaki sent him a message as well.

    "Senpai, your cosy was wonderful, and your performance was incredible as well!" This message was from Hoshi.

    "Seigo, I think your cosy was awesome! Although Renha is a female character, you seemed perfectly suited to cosy as her, it was beautiful! Your friend''s cosy of Frost was awesome as well, and your performance was excellent!" This message was from Kaho.

    "That cosy was so cool! Were you using real iron swords? With milord''s physical abilities, a performance of this level is probably a cinch. Your friend''s abilities are quite something as well. Well, I do have to say that I never expected our king to cosy a female character. Was it in order to experience the feelings of our game''s characters?" Hisashi sent such a message.

    ''Give me a break¡­''

    Seiji slumped over in his chair, staring at the ceiling with his head angled at 45 degrees with an expression as if there was no more meaning to life.

    The other Knights of the Round Table of his game creation group kept passionately discussing their Idle Fish King''s cosy for quite a while.

    "Next year, if possible, let''s all cosy together!" was the end result of the discussion.

    As for the arrangements for the doujinshi convention''s third and final day¡­

    Seiji would go together with Hoshi, Rion, Kotomi, as well as Kaede.

    Yukari was busy and wasn''t going to go.

    Kaho wanted to go by herself.

    Hisashi strongly requested to join Seiji''s team, but all the female members rejected him, so he could only sadly go by himself.

    Mika wanted to take a rest.

    Chiaki said she wanted to sleep in, so she wouldn''t go.

    Those were the arrangements.

    Hana still hadn''t logged on.

    Seiji sent Hana a message asking if she wanted to watch thest day''s stream of the doujinshi convention¡­ There was no response.

    He also asked Shika if she still wanted to watch the stream, but she answered that she didn''t need to watch it anymore with her face reddening.

    He had no clue what his adopted sister was thinking. He figured she was going through the awkwardness of puberty¡­ Sis-con Seiji felt like his power to influence his sisters was decreasing!

    Luckily, he still had the angelic Reo to apany him tonight, so he could still sleep together with such a cute loli.

    Hoshi barely slept all night.

    That was because he was incredibly looking forward to today! Being able to tour the doujinshi convention together with his Harano-senpai and his twin sisters.

    This was also going to be the first time that he was meeting his senpai outside of school or the confectionery store, as well as the first time going outside to have fun together.

    He was feeling excited, anticipatory, delighted, and blessed¡­ all these emotions caused him to have difficulty sleeping.

    He got up super-early in the morning, made some breakfast for himself, ate it, changed clothes, freshened up his appearance, and walked out of his home with a backpack on his back, heading to the arranged meeting location.

    It was rather cold this wintry morning, but Hoshi felt like he was filled with warmth inside.

    As he walked, he imagined seeing Harano-senpai again and couldn''t help but smile.

    He arrived at the arranged meeting location and waited quietly.

    A cold wind was blowing, and the temperature gradually dropped.

    Then, it began to snow.

    Hoshi was beginning to feel a little cold.

    He checked the time on his cell phone and saw that there was still slightly over an hour before the arranged meeting time.

    ''Should I go sit down for a while in a nearby restaurant?''

    Hoshi thought about it but decided against it, electing to wait instead.

    He put some more heat pads on himself, then took out his thermos and started sipping some hot water.

    His breath turned into a white fog that disappeared in the air.

    Then, he took out an umbre and unfurled it, holding it up to block the snow.

    Waiting was something that was supposed to be boring, and it would only be more difficult to wait on a cold and snowy day like today. However, Hoshi''s heart was filled with nothing other than hope.

    He didn''t even feel like looking at something on his cell phone. He silently watched the falling snow while filled with expectations, and even began humming.

    He hummed the national idol Miyuki Sakuraku''s newest hit solo, "shy Snow."

    The beautiful boy holding an umbre while waiting in the snow and humming this song that was supposed to be a sad song actually made this all seem warm and happy.

    Time passed just like this.

    Rion and Kotomi, who were sharing one umbre, arrived at the intersection that Hoshi was waiting at.

    "Good morning, Hoshi, did you wait long?"

    "Good morning, Rion, Kotomi. I just waited for five minutes." Hoshi smiled.

    The twin sisters looked at him.

    "Rion, Hoshi is lying."

    "Yep, Kotomi, he must have been waiting here since long ago."

    The twin sisters easily saw through the truth.

    "I didn''t arrive here that early¡­" Hoshi felt somewhat embarrassed.

    And then, he saw his sisters each taking off a glove and reaching out to him.

    Rion and Kotomi both ced one of their hands on their younger brother''s cheeks.

    Hoshi felt a warm and soft sensation.

    The twin sisters felt a cold and hard sensation.

    "Idiot brother¡­"

    "Your face is almost frozen solid."

    They gently began rubbing his face.

    "Mmm¡­" Hoshi felt reallyfortable.

    His sisters'' hands were warm and soft, and felt quite nice on his face that was semi-frozen.

    While he felt warm on his face, he felt blessed in his heart.

    A whileter, Rion and Kotomi retracted their hands.

    Then, they put away their umbre and stood by their brother''s side, staying close to him and wrapping their own scarves around his neck.

    "Thank you¡­ Rion, Kotomi."

    "No need to say thanks."

    "We''re siblings."

    Hearing them say that they were siblings¡­ Hoshi almost felt like crying for a moment. He hurriedly took a deep breath and barely managed to stop himself.

    He kept feeling like he was more and more fortunate.

    The snow quietly continued to fall.

    He watched the falling snow and felt his sisters beside him. He even felt like thanking this snow.

    ''Idiot, what does the snow have to do with anything?'' A voice spoke up in his own mind.

    ''What you should be truly thanking is that person.''

    As for that person, no matter how much he thanked him, he felt like it wouldn''t be enough.

    Hoshi thought about Senpai as he hoped for Seigo to arrive.

    Suddenly, he heard a song.

    "shy Snow"¡ªthe song that he was humming earlier.

    His sisters were the ones singing softly.

    They sounded much better than he did.

    The twins sang in unison with their voices ovepping perfectly without a single second''s difference.

    Hoshi enjoyed their song and felt that they sung better than anyone, even the national idol Miyuki Sakuraku.

    He temporarily closed his eyes and listened.

 Chapter 389 - Something that shouldnâ€™t be described between a beautiful teacher and herâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 389: Something that shouldn¡¯t be described between a beautiful teacher and her high school student¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Before Seiji arrived at the arranged meeting location, he first contacted Kaede and met with her before the others.

    Then, he told the blonde teacher about the main parts of what happened between the three Amami siblings as well as the part that her brother Hisashi yed in it all.

    "Everyone is nowpanions working on a game together. I want to¡­ tell the twins about the fact that ''Sweet Cream Pig'', or Hisashi, is actually the hacker from that time. I also want to tell Hisashi that ''Silver Crystal'' and ''Disciple of Light'' are actually the twins and the brother from that incident. However, it seems like Silver Crystal doesn''t have a good opinion of Sweet Pig, and I''m unsure if I should tell them all the truth. Or¡­ perhaps it''ll be better if I don''t let them know?"

    When thinking about it closely, it was truly a subtle situation.

    In order to help Hoshi and defeat Rion and Kotomi, Seiji requested Hisashi''s assistance.

    After Hisashi helped Seiji out, Hisashi didn''t request any payment, instead requesting that they create a game together, so they made this group.

    In the meantime, Seiji''s rtionship with Rion and Kotomi improved to the point where they were no longer enemies.

    After the Amami siblings learned that Seiji was making a game, they asked to join his team.

    All of this¡­ should it be called fate or karma?

    "You would like my advice about this?" Kaede blinked her eyes.

    "Yes, you''re the health teacher, as well as Hisashi''s younger sister and another member of our game group. I would like to hear your opinion."

    Kaede felt his trust in her, even if this trust was about a rather subtle situation. Although she was happy that Seiji was asking her about her opinion, but to be honest, she would have preferred it to be about a more important problem, and not about her idiot brother''s messed-up personal rtionships.

    "I think it''s fine either way. If you tell them the truth, it might improve their rtionship, or it could be the opposite. If you don''t tell them the truth, maintaining the status quo, they might notice on their own sometimeter," she said after some consideration. "It''s up to you to decide, Harano-kun. You were personally involved, and you''re also our group leader. Just do what you think is best. The worst possible oue would only be that my idiot brother bespletely hated by those twin sisters. You don''t need to worry that this will cause our team''s self-destruction, because you''re the core of our group." Kaede smiled. "Brother Hisashi is used to being despised by high school girls, so it''s not a big deal. Just do as you like."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    This younger sister was so ruthless towards her older brother. He didn''t know if they had a good rtionship or not.

    After inwardlymenting on the Juumonji siblings, he thought for a while and made his decision.

    "I''d like to tell them the truth. Now, how to go about doing it?"

    Harano-senpai finally arrived.

    Hoshi was delighted to see him finally arrive. He also noticed the blonde-haired beauty that arrived together with him.

    She was probably the person known on the inte as "Merry-go-round", right?

    "Merry-go-round"''s tone of voice in the chat group made her sound like a properdy, so the image Hoshi had of her was quite different from the blonde woman that he saw.

    No matter what, she was a beauty who seemed like she had quite the presence. She seemed like a college student to him? She appeared rather mature, and didn''t appear to be a high school student.

    "¡­Kaede Juumonji."

    Rion and Kotomi recognized her.

    "Eh?" Hoshi was surprised for a moment to hear what his sisters said. "The health teacher?"

    "Yes, the health teacher from our high school," the twin sisters said.

    Hoshi was astonished to hear this.

    It was obvious from the chat group that "Merry-go-round" had¡­ romantic interest towards Harano-senpai. And, "Merry-go-round"''s real identity was that of the health teacher in their high school, which meant¡­

    He instantly imagined various scenes that shouldn''t be described between the beautiful nurse / health teacher and the cool and handsome high school boy.

    ''This¡­ this is so amazing, Senpai!''

    Hoshi was inwardly newly impressed with Seigo Harano.

    If Seiji knew what this guy was thinking about in his fantasies, he would definitely give Hoshi an iron fist of justice.

    Seiji and Kaede walked up to the three Amami siblings.

    Seiji was relieved to see Amami siblings appearing so intimately close with each other, and happy that they seemed to be recovering a normal sibling rtionship. It was just that due to the problem of Hoshi''s appearance, they appeared more like three sisters instead of two sisters and one brother¡­

    "Good morning, Senpais, Hoshi. Did you all wait long?"

    "No¡­" Hoshi reflexively answered.

    "We just waited for five minutes," Rion and Kotomi said together.

    Hoshi instantly paused in surprise as he looked to the left and right at his sisters.

    The twins smiled.

    "Judging by the amount of snow on your umbres, you''ve definitely been here for far longer than five minutes." Seiji easily saw through the white lie.

    The twin sisters chuckled.

    Hoshi felt rather awkward.

    Seiji was somewhat confused to see them like this.

    After they finished chuckling, Rion and Kotomi said "Good morning" in a normal voice. Hoshi greeted Seiji and Kaede as well.

    "Allow me to introduce her, she''s ''Merry-go-round.''" Seiji indicated at Kaede who was next to him. "I believe that Senpais probably recognize her already. She''s the high school infirmary nurse as well as health teacher, Kaede Juumonji."

    "Good morning, Amami-sans." The blonde teacher smiled and greeted them.

    "Good morning, Juumonji-sensei." The three siblings greeted her back.

    This sounded like a greeting between teacher and students¡­ er, that was indeed what this was.

    "This makes us sound so distant from each other¡­ I''m noting here as a teacher, I''ming here as a member of our game team. So, if you call me ''Nee-san,'' I''ll be happier," Kaede said.

    The Amami siblings exchanged awkward nces.

    "Juumonji nee-san¡­" Hoshi tried calling her this.

    "Yep, that''s pretty good." Kaede happily nodded her head. "I''ll just call you ''little brother Amami.'' And as for you two, I''ll just call you the ''Amami Sisters,'' is that alright?"

    The Amami siblings all nodded in agreement.

    And then, Kaede looked towards Seiji, indicating with her eyes that he should address her in a simr fashion.

    ''Please allow me to continue calling you Juumonji-sensei.'' Seiji indicated this nonverbally with his expression.

    Kaede could only give up for the time being.

    Afterwards, the five of them headed to the doujinshi convention together.

    Even though it was snowing, that didn''t affect everyone''s passion for the convention one bit. On this final day, there were even more people waiting in line than before.

    After Seiji and his friends began waiting in line, they casually chatted about various topics in a joyous atmosphere.

    "There''s something I''d like to tell you guys." Seiji felt that now was an appropriate timing. "It''s about Juumonji-sensei''s older brother, ''Sweet Cream Pig.''"

    He looked towards the twins.

    "His real name is Hisashi Juumonji, and he''s the hacker that I asked to break into your room before."

    Hoshi was obviously astonished to hear this.

    However, Rion and Kotomi''s expressions merely flickered slightly as they maintained their calm.

    "You don''t seem to be so surprised¡­ did you already guess it?"

    The twin sisters both nodded.

    "Did you dislike him because you guessed at his identity?" Seiji blinked.

    "No."

    "It''s only because we feel like he''s a pervert."

    The twins shook their heads in unison.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Kaede chuckled.

    "No matter what he did in that incident, my brother is my brother, an idiot who has perverted fetishes," she said. "It''s only natural for him to be disliked by high school girls. Harano-kun, no need for you to mind it."

    "We don''t dislike him," Rion remarked.

    "Nor do we hate him," Kotomi added.

    "We just biologically feel repelled by him," the two of them eximed together.

    ''What exactly is feeling biologically repelled supposed to be?'' Seiji really didn''t know what to say.

    He felt that Hisashi wasn''t quite that bad, but the girls in front of him seemed like they already had their opinions set in stone, with no way to change them.

    ''Sweet Pig Knight, my apologies that I was unable to help you¡­'' The Idle Fish King silently felt pity for Hisashi for a good two seconds.

    "Junior, did you want us to get along well with him?" the twin sisters asked.

    "No¡­ I just wanted to tell you the truth, not to force you into anything," Seiji answered. "Since we''re allpanions working on the same game together, of course it''s the for the best if we all get along, but there''s no need to force things. Just maintaining a normal working rtionship is fine."

 Chapter 390 - In order to escape the evil intentions of this world!

    <h4>Chapter 390: In order to escape the evil intentions of this world!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Something shed in Rion and Kotomi''s eyes as they heard this.

    Afterwards, Seiji changed the topic of conversation and left this issue behind.

    After the five of them entered the convention, they explored the stalls, bought what they liked, and had lots of fun while chatting with each other.

    Although Seiji had been here on the previous two days as well, he was quite excited and in high spirits as he discussed various products on sale here and purchased everything that interested him.

    Hoshi was in high spirits as well, while Rion, Kotomi, and Kaede were rtively calmer.

    Rather than the products, they were all more interested in the two boys with them.

    For a tall and handsome boy to be walking together with a shorter and beautiful boy, chatting and smiling¡­ it was too wonderful!

    The twin sisters almost wanted to take out their cell phones and secretly snap some pictures.

    The blonde teacher''s eyes were also lighting up at this scene.

    When they coincidentally noticed what each other was looking at and thinking, they instantly came to an unspoken understanding and smiled at each other.

    ''This is just as I imagined¡­ no, even better than I imagined.'' Hoshi was currently fully immersed in a blissful feeling.

    His senpai was right next to him and smiling while his sisters were apanying him and being so gentle¡­ He felt like he was dreaming and about to float up to cloud nine.

    ''If this is a dream, I hope that I never wake up.

    ''Luckily, this isn''t a dream, so I don''t need to worry about waking up.

    ''I shall remember this feeling for my entire life.''

    Hoshi was thinking such things as he smiled brilliantly from the heart.

    *Click click¡­*

    With Kotomi and Kaede covering her actions, Rion secretly took some photographs of her junior and her younger brother.

    These pictures would be their precious treasures. To them, these pictures were more valuable than anything they would buy here at the doujinshi convention!

    Hoshi who was fully immersed in his bliss didn''t notice Rion''s tiny, little actions. Seiji was fully immersed in browsing all the avable products and also didn''t notice what happened.

    After they finished looking around the stalls, they visited the cosy area.

    In such cold weather, everyone that was still persisting in cosying were doubtlessly the ones with the most passion for it.

    Seiji truly respected their passion.

    He took pictures of cosyers, as well as photos together with the cosyers, and even had photographs of himself taken¡­ just like the first day when he was here. And this time, perhaps due to Hoshi''s presence by his side, he was photographed even more than on the first day.

    "I feel that as long as you two make a pose together, you''ll attract quite a lot of people to take photos." Kaede chuckled as she looked at them.

    Hoshi looked at Seiji, and obviously wanted to try it.

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched as he looked towards Hoshi.

    "Let''s try it, Senpai!"

    "I don''t want to."

    "Why not? You were making so many poses yesterday, Senpai."

    "That''s something different. Or, perhaps I should say that because I did too many poses yesterday that I don''t want to do any today."

    "I want to try some poses together with Senpai¡­"

    "I''m not in the mood right now¡­"

    Right after he said that, Seiji felt like there was something off about what he said. When he realized that what he said sounded like a double entendre, he instantly felt like covering his face.

    "Senpai, what''s the matter?" Hoshi noticed the change in Seiji''s expression and was concerned.

    "Junior, please remain quiet for a moment."

    "Eh?"

    "In this cosy area, don''t talk to me, and don''t get within a three meter radius of me."

    "Eh, eh? Why?"

    "In order to escape the evil intentions of this world!" Seiji made a serious expression.

    Hoshi was stunned by this.

    Teehee¡­ Kaedeughed upon seeing this scene, and so did Rion and Kotomi.

    The snow kept increasing in volume.

    After Seiji and his friends left the convention, they ate lunch together at a nearby restaurant.

    As they ate, they started chatting about the game scenario.

    Seiji exined the outlines for the female lead and the second female character''s character settings and rough storylines, then asked Rion and Kotomi about their thoughts for the third female character''s settings and storyline.

    The twins exchanged nces.

    "We''d like to make the third female character into a weak and sickly girl that''s a skilled singer," the two of them said in unison.

    "She has very poor grades and is terrible at anything involving exercise. Although she''s beautiful, she leaves others with a dark impression," Rion spoke next.

    "She doesn''t want to receive sympathy from others, so she keeps others at a distance and doesn''t have any friends," Kotomi borated.

    "She''s very sensitive towards lies and hates liars. She views those who are honest in a better light."

    "She''s quite sharp-tongued towards those she dislikes while she speaks gently to those she likes."

    "She''s excellent at singing, but she only sings for herself. She doesn''t want to sing for or in front of anyone else."

    "On the surface, she seems to be resolutely living on, but she''s actually feeling despair about her own illness, and has considered suicide in the past."

    The twins continued talking in turns as they described a female character with a unique personality.

    The story would be that the male lead coincidentally came across her while she was singing and was attracted by her song, bing interested in her, so he attempted to understand her better and get closer to her.

    At first, this girl kept him at a distance, and even spoke harsh words towards the male lead who was treating her with kindness. However, she was slowly moved by his gentleness and slowly fell in love with "her," as the male lead was still disguised as a girl.

    After noticing her own feelings, she was internally conflicted and began to keep the male lead at a distance even more than at first. At this time, she identally found out the secret that the male lead was a boy disguising himself as female!

    After much shock, confusion, and frustration, the girl decided not to report him to the school, but requested that he leave the school of his own volition.

    The male lead confessed his love for her, then trudged off in a lonely manner.

    As she watched him gradually walk away, she felt very ufortable inside, and couldn''t resist at thest moment to call out to him and ask him to stay, crying while admitting her feelings for him.

    The male lead ran back immediately and hugged her. And so, the two of them became a couple and had some fun and sweet days together.

    However, the girl was still despairing inside as she didn''t have any confidence in the future. The happier they were, the more anxious she felt.

    When her anxiety reached its peak, she wrote a letter to the male lead, telling him that she wanted to break up with him so that he wouldn''t be sad in the future when she died of her illness, and took a break from school, escaping him.

    After leaving school, she felt even more pained due to breaking up with the male lead. Plus, with her illness tormenting her, she was finally unable to take it anymore and intended tomit suicide.

    As she was about tomit suicide, the male lead found her just in time and hugged her tightly! He used a deeply moving confession to pull her out of the abyss.

    She found inner peace due to him and wanted to be together with him again, working up the courage to live on.

    This wasn''t any groundbreaking story that avoided clich¨¦s.

    However, when Rion and Kotomi were the ones telling the tale, it sounded incredibly moving.

    Seiji, Hoshi, and Kaede had all immersed themselves in the story. This was the best evidence.

    "I think that this story is excellent. Nice storyline for this character!" Hoshi energetically supported his sisters.

    "Nice story, it''s quite interesting," Kaede praised them.

    Seiji didn''t say anything at first.

    After hearing the twins'' story, he was able to picture a clear image of a weak and sickly beautiful girl.

    She had a weak body and alsocked spirit, and wasn''t resolute. She had obvious shorings¡ªin fact she had more shorings than strengths¡ªyet she wasn''t the type that people would dislike, but the type that made people want to care for her¡­ this wasn''t only because of her strengths, but also because she seemed so real.

    With such a clear image in his mind, Seiji even wanted to draw this girl right away.

    He silently mulled over things in his mind, and then noticed what was missing.

    The sound of singing!

    Rion and Kotomi only described the character and told a story, but they didn''t sing.

    Song was the final piece of the puzzle. As long as he could hear her singing, he would be able to clearly imagine the way this female character appeared!

    He told them about what he just thought about.

    "Let''s go to the karaoke then. We''ll sing for you," Rion and Kotomi said together.

    "My sisters are excellent singers! Senpai, you''ll surely enjoy their singing," Hoshi told him proudly.

    "Can I go together as well? I haven''t gone to karaoke in so long," Kaede said.

    And so, they decided to go visit a karaoke ce.

 Chapter 391 - Please give me your autograph!

    <h4>Chapter 391: Please give me your autograph!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After leaving the restaurant, Seiji and his friends went to a chain karaoke store and requested a private room.

    Their private room was clean and tidy. After sitting down, the twin sisters began choosing songs.

    The first song they chose was a song that Seiji hadn''t heard before, called "Zero Falling."

    As the song began, the beautiful twin sisters took their microphones and began singing in unison, instantly amazing Seiji with their skills.

    Their voices perfectly ovepped¡­ no, it was as if they hadbined together! It sounded almost as if there was only one person singing, but there was also a different feeling that couldn''t be obtained from a solo performance.

    It was difficult to describe, but it truly felt special and was wonderful to listen to!

    It was a ssic example of being awed the moment they opened their mouths.

    Seiji soon immersed himself in their wonderful singing, experiencing the song''s feelings.

    This was a song reminiscing about the end of a romance and the death of nt life in winter. Rion and Kotomi excellently sung the feelings contained within this song.

    As for the girl character they were just talking about, Seiji was now able to vividly imagine a weak and beautiful girl whose face was slightly pale due to her illness. She had long ck hair and was singing softly in a garden with nobody around.

    In a garden filled with blooming flowers, there was a weak and sickly girl singing beautifully¡­ the male lead heard her singing and came to take a look, coincidentally meeting her, and was instantly attracted.

    Seiji suddenly felt an impulse to draw this scene right away again. He followed his impulse and took out a pencil and notebook from his sack of products purchased at the doujinshi convention.

    This notebook and pencil both had Honey Candy Girl as their theme, which was why he purchased them.

    As he listened to the twins'' singing, he speedily began drawing down the image in his mind.

    ''Senpai knows how to draw as well!?'' Hoshi was astonished to find this out.

    As he observed, he witnessed Seiji drawing at quite a high speed. In just a short while, a rough outline waspleted, and it gradually became clearer.

    "Amazing¡­"

    Hoshi reflexively said that out loud, but he instantly covered his mouth because he didn''t want to distract his senpai.

    Meanwhile, Kaede observed this as well, with something shing in her eyes.

    While singing, Rion and Kotomi were also observing their handsome junior who had such a serious expression while drawing. Something shone in their eyes.

    When the song ended, Seiji was still drawing, and it took quite a while before he finally stopped.

    It was still only a sketch, but the scenery and character were both quite clear now.

    Seiji looked over his own drawing and felt that it was alright.

    When he finally raised his head, he discovered that everyone else was looking at him.

    "My bad¡­ for suddenly starting to draw like that." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face as he looked towards the twin sisters. "Your singing was quite excellent and gave me some inspiration."

    Rion and Kotomi smiled sweetly in unison upon hearing his sincere praise.

    "We can sing even more just for you~" both of them said cutely.

    Seiji was slightly shaken by this sudden attack.

    "Er¡­ please go ahead." He slightly averted his gaze.

    The twins were obviously even more delighted to hear this, and immediately chose a second song.

    They began singing again right away.

    Seiji imagined a new scene as he listened to their song and began drawing again.

    Hoshi used a tambourine to apany his sisters'' music.

    Kaede ordered drinks for everyone.

    The twins'' beautiful singing filled the room, song after song¡­

    Rion and Kotomi sang for almost an hour.

    Mncholy, icy, joyous, sweet, deeply emotional, grieving¡­ They were able to sing all styles of songs excellently without missing a single beat.

    And, apart from synchronized singing, they also showed off their duet abilities, with one acting as the main singer and the other as the apaniment. Not only that, they also showed their skills in solo singing.

    Seiji felt that with their current abilities in singing, they could definitely perform on a much grander stage! To be more specific, if they went and joined an idol discovery television program, they would definitely awe all the judges.

    "Please give me your autographs! Senpais." He handed them his notebook and pencil, acting all serious about it. "If you be singers in the future, your autographs will surely be highly valuable."

    Rion and Kotomi blinked at this.

    "We refuse."

    "Eh?"

    "If we decide to take this path and be real singers in the future, as well as be famous, only when you ask us then will we give you our autographs." The twin sisters smiled.

    "Why''s that?" Seiji was curious.

    "It''s a secret~" The twin beauties both put their index fingers on their lips and spoke cutely.

    Their action was cute as well. Seiji was enjoying their cuteness.

    Since he couldn''t obtain their autographs, he could only put away his notebook.

    "Senpai, please give me your autograph!" Hoshi''s voice resounded at this point in time.

    When Seiji turned around to look. The beautiful boy was handing him an identical version of the Honey Candy Girl notebook, his eyes sparkling.

    "Why do you want my autograph?"

    "Because Senpai will definitely be someone famous in the future. Your autograph will definitely be valuable!" Hoshi said with firm conviction.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt like he had been hit by his own boomerang¡­ as well a mysterious sense of embarrassment.

    His embarrassment made him not want to give out his autograph¡­ Was this the same reason as why Rion and Kotomi wouldn''t sign for him?

    That didn''t seem like it was entirely correct¡­ But he was unable to specifically tell. Seiji was rather internally conflicted.

    "Er¡­ you''re overestimating me¡­ something like an autograph, I think that I have no right to give others¡­ you should¡­"

    "Please don''t reject me with such excuses! Senpai is the person I respect the most! Please give me your autograph!!!" Hoshi spoke passionately as he approached closer to Seiji while holding out his notebook to him.

    Seiji impulsively wanted to back away.

    *Click¡­* There was the sound of a camera shutter.

    He reflexively looked to see that the sound came from Kaede.

    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t help but take a photo because of how interesting this scene was." The blonde teacher smiled. "Please don''t mind me and continue."

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    "Senpai!" Hoshi continued getting even closer to him with stars in his eyes.

    "Don''t get any closer! I''ll sign, I''ll give you my autograph."

    Seiji felt as if he now understood what an idol would feel like when being surrounded by fanatical fans.

    *Click click¡­* The twin sisters began taking pictures of him as well.

    ''Why are you all taking pictures of me? It''s not like I''m a real idol!''

    Whilementing in his mind, Seiji could only helplessly sign his name in Hoshi''s notebook. After Hoshi took his notebook back, he carefully put it away in his backpack.

    "Something like this¡­ seems quite nice."

    "Yep, both of them have excellent expressions¡­"

    The girls whispered amongst themselves.

    Seiji wanted to know what they were talking about, but instinctively felt like it probably wasn''t a good idea to know.

    It seemed so mysterious to him¡­ he decided to sing a song since they were at a karaoke ce.

    He abandoned his worries and picked up a microphone.

    "Next up, allow me to sing for everyone."

    "Senpai, let''s sing together!"

    "I''d prefer to solo, so please allow me to sing by myself."

    After Seiji decisively refused Hoshi''s request, he chose the opening theme song of Honey Candy Girl, which was called "My Dream of You."

    An upbeat tone rang out from the music system.

    When was thest time that he sang karaoke in his previous life?

    He couldn''t remember, and was toozy to spend effort recalling.

    Seiji took a deep breath, then passionately began singing together with the music.

    His singing wasn''t very good, but he put his feelings into it and expressed his passion.

    "Looking at the stars~~ Chasing after dreams~~ Without stopping~~ Heading towards you~~"

    His singing filled the room.

    Hoshi shook a sand-filled instrument, Rion and Kotomi yed on some hand drums, and Kaede smiled and pped along.

    With hispanions'' apaniment, Seiji sang even louder.

    He was already writing and creating a game, and wanted to do much, much more in the future as well¡­ He was currently realizing all his dreams from his previous life.

 Chapter 392 - To you whos under the same sky

    <h4>Chapter 392: To you who''s under the same sky</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After Seiji finished, Hoshi and Kaede sang as well.

    Hoshi sang the ending song of Honey Candy Girl. At first, he sang pretty well, but the more he sang, the more off tune he got. Then, his face began flushing red due to embarrassment from singing off tune¡­ Theputer gave him a low score for his singing, while his femininity was as high as always.

    Kaede chose a ssical and rxing song, and did an excellent job singing it. She was particrly good at singing the high-pitched parts, and even Rion and Kotomi were impressed.

    After learning that the blonde teacher had never specifically practiced singing and was naturally at such a level, the twin sisters were even more astonished.

    However, Seiji couldn''t help but suddenly recall the way that Kaede was when she would angrily shout and rant at others¡­ could this be the real reason why she had such skill at high-pitched voices?

    ¡­Was that really possible? It surely had to be her natural talent.

    Seiji silently denied the possibility out of respect for the smiling blonde beauty.

    "Junior, let''s sing a duet together." Rion and Kotomi invited him.

    "Sure, if you don''t mind singing together with someone at my level," Seiji answered.

    How could they possibly mind?

    The twin sisters were delighted to hear him agree so quickly.

    They immediately picked a ssical duel that was supposed to be sung by a man and woman together, called "To you who''s under the same sky."

    A gentle and joyous tone started ying.

    Rion and Kotomi prepared their emotions necessary to sing this song, and then began singing in tune to the music.

    "Ever since meeting you under the blue sky~ The world seems more colorful~~"

    "Not everything in the world goes as nned~ But there''s always a warmth in my heart~~"

    "Seeing you~ Hearing you~ I want to be by your side~~"

    While singing, they looked directly at Seiji''s face with seductive looks in their eyes.

    Seiji did his best to maintain his calm when faced with their expressions, and began singing his part of the song.

    "After meeting you under the blue sky~ A brand new page of my life has begun~~"

    "There''s many sad things in the world~ But always happiness in my heart~~"

    "Seeing you~ Hearing you~ I want to hug you~~"

    The next moment, the music reached a climax as they all sung together -

    "To you who''s under the same sky~ I''m thinking of you~ I like you~ I love you~~"

    "I thought that love was something intangible~ I only learned when I possessed it~ That love is a miracle~~"

    Their singing filled the room.

    The effect of the twins'' emotional and soft female voicesbined with an energetic and deep male voice was excellent!

    As the audience, Hoshi and Kaede were amazed.

    "I want to be together with you~" Rion sang this line.

    "My emotions are bursting forth from my heart~" Seiji sang this line.

    "I no longer know what loneliness is~" Kotomi sang this line.

    "I''ve written your name in my heart~" Seiji sang this line.

    "To you who''s under the same sky~ I''m thinking of you~ I like you~ I love you~~" The three of them sang the climax together!

    Hoshi and Kaede could feel their spirit, and felt as if they were watching actual idols perform as they listened to the handsome boy and the beautiful twins.

    Seiji felt like he was singing at a much better level than normal.

    This was due to the twin sisters, since they were so excellent at singing.

    Sweet singing, beautiful smiles, and seductive expressions¡­ Seiji realized that he was currently under attack by them, and found it difficult to resist.

    ''Sergeant Haruta, persist! The enemy''s cannon fire will onlyst for a few minutes!!''

    He did his best to firm his resolution and properly sing this song to its end.

    Rion and Kotomi were incredibly happy to see Seigo Harano fully immersing himself in singing.

    This was the first time that they had felt such joy from an unfamiliar event like singing together with a boy that they liked.

    They were allured by this joy, and wanted to keep singing together with him.

    However, this songsted only a few minutes.

    After the song ended, the twins still wanted more.

    Hoshi had an excited expression as he vigorously pped his hands.

    "Wonderful singing, it''s too perfect!" He passionately praised them.

    Kaede pped as well as something shed in her eyes.

    "Let''s have another round, junior." Rion and Kotomi wanted to continue.

    "I want to have some refreshments¡­ Hoshi,e have a turn." Seiji found a recement.

    It felt really nice to sing together with the twin sisters, but if he continued singing with them, he felt like he would be really moved by them. That was what he felt.

    "Senpai, just go ahead and sing another song with my sisters."

    "I''d like to take a rest since that song was a bit difficult for me¡­ Don''t you want to sing together with your sisters?"

    "Of course I do."

    "Then, take this." Seiji stuffed the microphone into Hoshi''s arms, sessfully making Hoshi rece him.

    ''Ahh, he escaped.'' Rion and Kotomi were thinking this.

    But, it was fine to them to sing together with their cute little brother.

    They chose a much simpler song this time to sing together with Hoshi.

    Seiji sat back down at his original spot and looked at his notebook. Suddenly, he had the idea to write a scene of the male lead and the third female character singing together into their storyline.

    ''No, wait¡­ We still haven''t even decided on a voice actor for the male lead yet. It''s too early to be adding such a scene.''

    Hemented on it to himself and decided against it for now.

    He drank some refreshments as he listened to the Amami siblings sing.

    To nobody''s surprise, Hoshi sang off tune again. Once again, his face turned red in embarrassment.

    Although he didn''t want to, Seiji had to admit that his junior looked really cute like this. If Hoshi was a girl, he would have been really cute, but Hoshi was a boy¡­

    Butpared to their first meeting, Hoshi already seemed much manlier than before. Still, it was undeniable that he was far too feminine¡ªhe was still an unmistakable trap.

    When Seiji thought about how this junior of his would be a first year high school student next year, and in the same high school section as him¡­ Seiji suddenly felt like he was having a stomachache.

    Hoshi resolutely finished singing despite his embarrassment at singing off tune.

    In his heart, he felt that this was a way of disying his manliness, not realizing that he only seemed cute to everyone else.

    The twin sisters looked warmly at their younger brother.

    The song ended in such a warm atmosphere¡­ Yep, it felt like a healing atmosphere.

    "Harano-kun, please sing a duet with me next." Kaede invited him to sing.

    The blonde teacher took a microphone, and chose a song:

    "Having you is a miracle."

    This was another edition of the earlier song, "To you who''s under the same sky." This edition would have the male singer sing in a conversational style while the female singer sung normally. Compared to the original edition though, the female singer''s difficulty was much higher since almost the entire song was in a high pitch!

    "This song¡­ is it really alright?" Seiji blinked in surprise.

    "I''ll be fine. Is it a problem for Harano-kun?" Kaede smiled as something shed in her eyes.

    That was apetitive expression of wanting to win. Seiji instantly recognized this expression.

    As a teacher, did she not want to lose to her students¡­? He felt that it was rather subtle. He was also surprised that the mafia family daughter suddenly felt sopetitive.

    "I''ll be fine. Singing in a conversational style should be alright for me."

    "Then let''s begin."

    After confirming the song, it began ying. An even quicker and more upbeat tunepared to the original edition began ying.

    The male singer''s words were mostly identical to the original song. They were just changed to a more conversational style of singing.

    When singing conversationally in a duet, Seiji felt a wondrous sense of fun from doing so. He soon immersed himself and didn''t sing a single word off beat as he finished singing his portion in a clear voice.

    Right after him, Kaede began singing.

    "To you who''s under the same sky~ Love isn''t something intangible~~ The moment I possessed love, I discovered~~~ That this is a miracle surpassing fate~~~~~~"

    Her high-pitched singing shocked the room!

    The shock was to such an extent that Seiji, Rion, Kotomi, and Hoshi felt as if they had received physical impact!

 Chapter 393 - Approaching darkness

    <h4>Chapter 393: Approaching darkness</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Any person that had listened to a high-pitched singer before would know that a well-sung high-pitch would have a strong piercing ability.

    Kaede''s high-pitched singing disyed such a piercing ability as well, making Seiji and the others feel like their ears were being pierced through.

    ''Amazing, nee-san.''

    Seiji was inwardly eximing at her performance.

    After her part was finished, it was his turn again.

    He instantly regained his senses and continued singing conversationally.

    Meanwhile, the Amami siblings were still all in a daze. It took several seconds more for them to recover.

    Hoshi had an impressed expression of "that was amazing," while Rion and Kotomi exchanged awkward nces with each other.

    After a few lines of Seiji''s conversational singing, the joyous music reached a climax, and it was the female singer''s turn again.

    Kaede began with a soft and gentle voice, and gradually increased her pitch in the next line. Then, in the next line after that, her piercing high pitch reappeared!

    The audience received yet another impact.

    This time, including even Rion and Kotomi, everyone had an expression of "wow, this is just too strong."

    ''Nee-san, we surrender! We kneel to you!!''

    Kaede''s voice was far too iparable to an ordinary person''s. There was a clear difference in level.

    The song continued.

    After the third female high-pitched section, the fourth, and the fifth¡­ Kaede''s singing could be termed as perfect since she did an excellent job each time without having her voice break pitch or singing off tune even a single time.

    If this was on an idol discovery show, not only would all the judges turn to look at her, they would probably all be rushing to sign her!

    As for Seiji, he received a double impact¡ªnot only from her excellent high pitch, but also from the flirtatious expressions she was tossing in his direction.

    The blonde teacher''s cannon fire was quite fierce as well!

    Sergeant Haruta did his best to persist. Under continuous heavy cannon fire, even though he almost fell, he seeded in maintaining his willpower to the very end.

    After the song ended, everyone apuded.

    They all apuded energetically, truly giving their appreciation to the professional female high-pitched singer¡­ whoops, the health teacher.

    Kaede smiled and epted the apuse.

    The twin sisters looked at her withplex expressions that contained both impressment and something else.

    "I used a little too much energy just now, someone else have a turn." The blonde teacher put down the microphone.

    ''Just a ''little'' too much?'' Seiji thought to himself. ''Was that not even her full potential? Could that really be¡­?''

    He couldn''t help but suggest, "Sensei, why don''t you consider changing your job? I think you''ll have quite an excellent future as a singer."

    "I''m not very fond of singing. It''s fine to sing from time to time, but I think it''ll be too difficult for me to do it professionally," Kaede responded as she drank her refreshment. "But, if Harano-kun is willing to take responsibility, I''ll happily be a singer." She smiled while looking directly at him.

    This smile was quite a powerful attack, causing Seiji to take an unexpected arrow to the knee.

    "Take¡­ what type of responsibility?"

    "Responsibility for the rest of my life, of course." The blonde beauty had a seductive expression.

    Seiji took yet another impact in session and his face reddened as he couldn''t help but avert his gaze.

    Hoshi felt like he was watching a lovers'' scene, and said "Wow" in a tiny voice.

    Rion and Kotomi''s expressions became even moreplex.

    "Cough¡­ Sensei is such a jokester¡­ Let''s continue singing. I''ll sing a solo song next!" Seiji forcibly ignored his own feelings of awkwardness.

    Kaede smiled as she looked towards the twin sisters.

    They exchanged nces, and nonverballymunicated as girls would.

    But as for what the content of their nonverbalmunication was, only they would know.

    And so, a fun time for all passed just like this.

    After everyone was done singing, before they left the karaoke ce, Seiji showed the twin sisters the rough character design and scenes that he had finished drawing.

    Rion and Kotomi both said that he drew a great character andpletely agreed to use her.

    "As for whether or not to use these drawings in the end, I still need to talk to the artist¡­ Romance of Ice and Fire, before I make my decision," Seiji told them.

    "I never knew that Senpai knew how to draw as well. You''re so amazing at drawing, it''s incredible," Hoshi eximed sincerely as he observed. "You''re a writer as well as an artist. Doesn''t that mean that you can actually draw your own manga?"

    "In the future, I may do so, but I have no intention to do so currently."

    "I''ll be waiting for your future work!"

    "I also really want to read one of Harano-kun''s mangas," Kaede said.

    "We do as well," Rion and Kotomi added.

    "Thank you all¡­ but please don''t get your hopes up." Seiji smiled.

    Afterwards, they all left the karaoke ce and returned to their homes.

    The snow was still falling. As Seiji walked home, he watched the falling snow with calmness in his heart.

    Tomorrow would be the final day of this year.

    When thinking of this, he went over everything he had experienced after reincarnation.

    Not much time had actually passed, only a few months, yet he experienced so many things¡­ All in all, he definitely had lots of fun times.

    He truly hoped that next year would be this much fun as well.

    However, while hopes were hopes, there would always be darkness as well, such as¡­

    Seiji''s cell phone suddenly rang.

    He checked the caller ID to see that the caller was Shika.

    "Hey, Shika-chan, I''m on my way home right now. Is something up?"

    "Brother¡­ someone''s looking for you," Shika told him. "A male Yin-Yang Master and a female Spirit-branded Retainer."

    A male Yin-Yang Master? Seiji suddenly had an ominous premonition.

    "He said that his name is Akatsuki Mitarai."

    Seiji paused in his footsteps for a moment.

    Then, he immediately quickened his pace!

    "Have they entered our apartment?"

    "No¡­ I had them wait outside the door because I felt like these two people¡­ aren''t very good." Shika said in a low voice.

    "You did the right thing. Don''t let them in and wait for my return!" Seiji began running at a high speed.

    Akatsuki Mitarai actually came looking for him at his home! What did he want!? Revenge? Or to threaten him?

    Akatsuki was a dangerous individual. Just thinking about how Akatsuki was currently in front of his apartment, Seiji was quite tense.

    No, he needed to calm down.

    Although he was quite worried about Shika and Reo, especially because it was such a situation, it was important not to panic.

    "Are they enemies?" Shika asked after hearing what her adopted brother said.

    "Yes! Be on guard," Seiji told her. "Just let them wait outside and try to avoid talking to them¡­ If they attack, take Reo and escape!"

    "¡­Got it," Shika answered in a serious tone.

    ''Akatsuki together with a Spirit-branded Retainer isn''t someone that Shika-chan can deal with, and even if I''m there as well¡­''

    Although he sessfully made Akatsuki lose multiple times during the Winter Snow Festival duels, Seiji knew clearly that it was still going to be incredibly difficult for just him and Shika to deal with that bastard.

    Just because he won twice in a game-like duel against Akatsuki''s Spirit-branded Retainer didn''t mean that he would be able to win in an actual battle, because a duel like that game with rules like someone who went out of bounds would be dered a loser waspletely different from an actual battle!

    If Akatsuki and his Spirit-branded Retainer were serious this time¡­ Everything else aside, the Uehara Apartments would probably be reduced to rubble!

    Perhaps Seiji would be able to find a way to win using his ability to save and load, but rather than facing off against him right now and causing the destruction of property, he felt that it was better to avoid a direct confrontation for the time being.

    In order to truly counter Akatsuki Mitarai, he had to find an equal-level existence¡ªNatsuya.

    "I''m hanging up now. Be extra cautious."

    "Okay¡­"

    After hanging up, Seiji immediately called the student council president.

    However, he received a busy signal.

    He called her again, but her line was still busy.

    Perhaps she was currently talking to someone else.

    After calling Natsuya several times but failing each time, Seiji sent Natsuya a text message instead, hoping that she would respond as soon as possible after reading his text.

    Then, he called Shika again, so that he could know what was currently going on¡­

    Akatsuki Mitarai was currently waiting.

    Since he had visited unannounced, he knew that it was perfectly normal that Seiji might not be home.

    He was confident that Seiji would rush home as soon as possible, so he didn''t mind waiting for a little while. Besides, waiting was also a method for him to disy his sincerity.

    While it was slightly impolite to visit unannounced like this, for a Yin-Yang Master like him to personally visit someone who had been exiled was a huge disy of his sincerity in his opinion. Besides, he was waiting outside in the snow in front of Seiji''s doorstep, which seemed like a great disy of sincerity that even the Haruta Family wouldn''t find fault with.

    In Akatsuki Mitarai''s opinion, Seiji Haruta was insignificant. He was only at the level of "worthy of paying attention to."

    The true problem with Seiji Haruta was that the "Haruta" family behind him was one of the seven major Yin-Yang Master families.

    Or, more specifically, Seiji''s older sister¡­

    "Qilin Girl," Yui Haruta!

 Chapter 394 - I came here with sincerity

    <h4>Chapter 394: I came here with sincerity</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    If Akatsuki wanted to obtain Natsuya Yoruhana, he knew that Seiji Haruta would obstruct him.

    He considered it quite easy to get rid of this trash from the Haruta Family. However, he didn''t know how Yui Haruta would react.

    Akatsuki didn''t want to make the "Qilin Girl" his enemy. Although he was confident in his own power, she was at another much higher level than him, and he knew that it would be nothing more than suicide to go against her. Thest idiot that challenged this Qilin Girl directly was burned to death and left as nothing but ashes together with all of his Spirit-branded Retainers! There was even no need for a cremation!

    Since he was uncertain what exactly Yui Haruta''s attitude was towards her exiled younger brother, the best move for him would be to prepare for the worst-case scenario that she still paid attention to what happened to Seiji Haruta. He felt that was the wisest and most cautious move to make.

    Not to mention, the Haruta Family consisted of more than just Yui Haruta.

    It would be fine if Seiji Haruta had still been a pure piece of trash, but that was no longer the case.

    On the day of the Winter Snow Festival, Akatsuki had personally witnessed the power that he disyed. No matter where Seiji obtained his power, power was power. A family member that disyed some rudimentary signs of power¡ªthe Haruta Family wouldn''t possiblypletely ignore him.

    Among the seven major families, the Haruta Family was rather low-profile in Yin-Yang Master society. They took such a low profile that many people believed that they were currently weakening, or perhaps bing weaker than the other six major families.

    Akatsuki was uncertain whether these rumors were true or not, but even if the Haruta Family was weakening, they still weren''t a family that any normal Yin-Yang Master family or faction would easily be able to antagonize and get away with it. At the very least, the Mitarai Family would be unable to do such a thing, as they weren''t one of the seven major families.

    At any rate, if he killed Seiji Haruta, he didn''t know how Yui Haruta or the Haruta Family would respond. He felt that it would be too risky.

    After taking that into consideration, he decided on his current action.

    He heard footsteps approaching.

    Akatsuki looked in that direction and saw the person that he had been waiting for. He showed off a polite smile.

    "Good afternoon, Haruta-san."

    "¡­Good afternoon, Mitarai-san."

    Seiji looked at the dark-blue-haired handsome boy in front of him who was wearing a ck windbreaker. He coldly and calmly greeted Akatsuki, then looked at the girl next to him.

    She was a beauty who had shiny red short hair and light-golden eyes. Her skin was snow-white, and she had a cold look in her eyes and an expressionless face.

    She was wearing a dark little jacket, a purple-red short one-piece dress, and white socks. She was standing there silently with an umbre in hand. She appeared beautiful butcking in life force, as if she was an exquisite marite.

    "This is one of my other Spirit-branded Retainers, Akasuzume Koogi." Akatsuki indicated to the girl next to him.

    The red-haired girl slightly bowed her head to Seiji in greeting, but didn''t say a single word.

    "What business do you have with me that made youe all the way here?" Seiji asked him directly after he finished ncing over at Akatsuki''s Spirit-branded Retainer.

    "I would like to have a discussion with Haruta-san." Akatsuki smiled. "It''s a bit cold outside. May I have the honor of resting in your home?"

    "For such a simple ce to amodate an honored guest like you would be far too inappropriate. Let''s find another location outside to have a discussion at."

    "As you wish, Haruta-san. That''s fine as well."

    "I would like to put what I have with me in my home, please wait for me for a moment."

    "Sure thing."

    Akatsuki made way for Seiji to enter his apartment.

    Seiji walked up to his own door and knocked.

    "Shika-chan, it''s me, open up."

    The door opened.

    "Brother¡­"

    "Help me put these doujinshi products away¡­ I''m going outside with them for a bit." Seiji handed his paper sack to his adopted sister.

    Shika took the sack and looked at her brother''s face.

    "Judging by he''s attitude, he''s probably only here to talk. It won''t be a problem." Seiji smiled and patted her on the head. "Take good care of Reo-chan for me¡­ There''s no need to follow me. I''lle back by myself in a bit."

    Something shed in Shika''s eyes.

    As Seiji retracted his hand, he turned around and walked back up to Akatsuki and Akasuzume.

    The ck-haired girl silently watched them leave together.

    Seiji rode in Akatsuki''s car. They went to a private room in a coffee caf¨¦ in the business district.

    This room wasn''t veryrge, and it was simply and elegantly decorated. There was also a French window that gave everyone both inside and outside a clear view.

    After they all sat down and ordered some coffee, Seiji looked towards Akatsuki and Akasuzume.

    Akatsuki also looked at Seiji as well.

    They exchanged nces and remained silent for several seconds.

    "What would you like to discuss with me, Mitarai-san?"

    "Haruta-san probably has guessed as well, it''s about Natsuya." The dark-blue-haired boy smiled.

    "I think I already went over that with you during the Winter Snow Festival." Seiji looked directly into Akatsuki''s eyes. "Your rtionship with her isn''t good enough to the point where you can directly call her by name, so please don''t."

    Akatsuki''s expression froze over for a moment as something icy shed in his eyes.

    "You''re trying to test me so quickly. It would seem like Haruta-san is feeling anxious about me."

    "This isn''t a test, it''s something that I truly want to say¡­ But the fact that you suddenly came looking for me indeed made me feel tense," Seiji responded calmly and honestly.

    "Heh heh, Haruta-san is someone who truly values thepanion that''s cohabiting with you¡­ I believe that her name is Shika Kagura, am I right?"

    "She''s living together with me, not cohabiting."

    "My apologies for the mistake. But if you live together for a long time, it''s likely that it''ll turn into cohabitation."

    "That''s none of your business." Seiji was expressionless.

    "It''s indeed none of my business, but it''s also notpletely unrted to me." Akatsuki had a cold expression in his eyes while still smiling. "Haruta-san, why don''t you just behave and enjoy your time together with Kagura-san?"

    "What does that mean?"

    "Do I really have to say it directly for you to understand¡­? You already have Kagura-san, so stop approaching Natsuya."

    Everyone in the room fell silent.

    At this time, the server arrived and ced everyone''s coffee before them.

    A tantalizing aroma of coffee spread through the room. However, not a single person as much as even nced at the coffee.

    "This is the reason that you came looking for me? To ask me to stay away from Natsuya?" Seiji spoke up again after the server left.

    "That''s right. As long as you do that, it''ll be good for both you and me." Akatsuki maintained his fake smile.

    "That''s quite shameless of you to say."

    "Not at all, since I wouldn''t ask you to do so for free. As long as you ept, I can provide you everything that Natsuya can provide you¡ªto an even greater extent." The dark-blue-haired handsome boy extended his palms.

    "I don''t believe that you have the ability to do so."

    "Please believe that I do. I have far more resources at my disposal than she does."

    "Perhaps that''s true, but I''m not talking about resources."

    "What did you mean, then?"

    "Something that a person like you will find impossible to understand," Seiji said lightly.

    "Heh heh, what interesting words you say, Haruta-san." Akatsuki chuckled coldly.

    Another moment of silence fell between them.

    "If I refuse your request, what will you do?"

    "Do you really have to refuse? Haruta-san, it''s best not to make hasty decisions. Please consider again, for the sake of you and yourpanion living with you." Akatsuki made sure to ce extra emphasis on thest part, "for the sake of you and yourpanion living with you."

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    "I came here with sincerity, and I''m honestly requesting you not to get in my way," Akatsuki said coldly. "If you agree right now, I can immediately write you a check for 50,000,000 sakuras. If you think that''s insufficient, my upper limit is 100,000,000 sakuras. Please seriously consider my sincerity, and don''t just casually reject. Otherwise, you''ll be sure to regret it."

    Snow fell outside the window.

    There was an icy cold atmosphere in the coffee caf¨¦''s room.

 Chapter 395 - Challengers Blood Wine

    <h4>Chapter 395: Challenger''s Blood Wine</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Akatsuki and his Spirit-branded Retainer left.

    Seiji sat alone in the private room of the coffee caf¨¦, looking at the three cups of coffee that remained untouched, watching them cool.

    His cell phone rang.

    When he checked the caller ID, it was Natsuya as he expected.

    "Hey, Seiji! Are you alright!?"

    The moment he epted the call, the student council president''s voice hurriedly spoke up on the other end.

    When she saw his text message, she felt nervous and tense as she immediately called him.

    "It''s alright, Natsuya¡­" Seiji responded, but discovered that his tone of voice was a little grim, so he coughed to clear his emotions. "Akatsuki Mitarai has left already. He was only here to talk to me." He managed to restore his tone to normal.

    "¡­What did he say?"

    "Take some money and get the hell out of my way."

    "Eh?"

    "Well, that was the gist of what he said to me." Seiji chuckled.

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "He must be worried about my Haruta Family, and feels that it''s too risky to just kill me, which is probably why he said what he did." Seiji paused for a few seconds. "It seems that even though I''m currently exiled, I still enjoy the protection of my family name."

    "Seiji¡­"

    "I''ve been too arrogant, Natsuya." Seiji leaned back against the coffee caf¨¦''s sofa and looked outside the window. "Even though my strength is still insufficient, I still acted all high and mighty, thinking that I would be able to aplish something. How foolish of me."

    Natsuya didn''t know what to say.

    "I apologize that I was unable to force him to stop calling you by name, nor was I able to just beat him up again."

    "Huh?"

    "I really wanted to beat that face of his! Just like what I did during the Winter Snow Festival. However, his Spirit-branded Retainer was staring intently at me the entire time¡­ I could only endure." Seiji''s voice revealed his discontent.

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    She didn''t know what expression she had right now anymore.

    "The current me is still far too weak. Although I''m steadily increasing my power, it''s still not enough. I need to improve even faster," Seiji said in a serious tone. "Natsuya, is there some location where I can seclude myself for cultivation? The type of ce where I only need to stay and cultivate at for a while, helping me to absorb energy from the environment and then transform myself."

    "What the heck type of transformation would that be! There''s no such thing."

    "What about some ce where I can obtain a powerful spirit beast?"

    "There''s no such ce, either!"

    "What about trying to go to some ce with sealed ancient artifacts?"

    "Even if there were such ces, I couldn''t possibly allow you to go!"

    So thisst one really existed?

    "I''m being serious, is there some method to greatly increase my power in a short period of time?" Seiji inquired in all seriousness.

    "Life isn''t a shonen manga¡­" Natsuya sighed. "To be serious, yes, there are such methods, but most of those methods have more downsides than benefits¡­"

    At this moment, she suddenly paused as if having recalled something.

    "Did you think of a good method?"

    "No¡­ it''s nothing."

    "I don''t think that it''s nothing. You must have thought of something, so please tell me what it is." Seiji chased after this lead.

    "¡­I don''t want to say." Natsuya softly refused.

    "Then I''ll just have to ask Fujihara-san, and if she doesn''t have any good ideas, I''ll have to ask my older sister, the leading scion of the Haruta Family¡­ although I don''t know if she''ll tell me anything."

    "¡­Are you being serious?"

    "I already said that I''m quite serious about this."

    Natsuya Yoruhana fell into silence.

    Then, she sighed.

    "Your rate of growth is already miraculously fast. There''s no need to force yourself, Seiji¡­ You can just back out¡­"

    "I really hate that guy''s face! I want to give him a vicious beating and ruin that pretty face of his," Seiji interrupted Natsuya with a heavy tone. "Don''t make me do as that bastard asks, Natsuya."

    ''I won''t leave your side!''

    Natsuya felt like she clearly heard those words within his statement.

    There was a warm feeling in her heart that felt indescribable.

    "Tell me then, just what method can I use?" Seiji asked once again. "I won''t be rash, and I''m capable of making rational decisions. No need to worry that I''ll blindly be foolhardy." He even made such a promise.

    Natsuya almostughed out loud.

    ''You''re doing something rash and foolhardy right now! Idiot!'' she retorted in her mind.

    It was impossible for her to reason with such an idiot.

    So, she could only follow along.

    "¡­''Challenger''s Blood Wine.''"

    "What?"

    "I was just busy with a family conference. At the conference, I learned about something called the Challenger''s Blood Wine," Natsuya exined. "One of the seven major families, the Kurosaki Family, has been researching together with the Himiki Family regarding a creation they call the Challenger''s Blood Wine, and it''s basicallyplete now. The so-called Challenger''s Blood Wine¡­ to exin it simply, it''s created as a result of numerous Spiritual Ability users agreeing to a certain contract before dueling¡ªthe losers would have to pay in ''Spirit blood'' that will be used in creating a ''wine'' that''s capable of increasing Spiritual Power and Mana, which only the final overall winner of the duel will be allowed to drink. That is to say, this is a ritual that sacrifices all the losers'' power in order to increase the winner''s power. If there''s enough Spiritual Ability users that participate in this free-for-all duel at once, then the final victor has the chance to massively increase his or her power all at once."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt a subtle sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    Many participants would battle against each other, with the losers sacrificed and only a sole winner receiving all the benefits¡­ wasn''t this just like the story of Fate/Stay Night!?

    It really seemed quite simr to him. If all the participants were Yin-Yang Masters and their Spirit-branded Retainers, that seemed like the equivalent of masters and heroic spirits, not to mention that this Blood Wine capable of increasing one''s power seemed so simr to the Holy Grail. It was aplete copy!

    No¡­ He shouldn''t say that. After all, they were all variations of "martial artspetition" in the end, including this Challenger''s Blood Wine free-for-all duel. It wasn''t like it was a total ripoff.

    "Apparently, the losers that pay in Spirit Blood will suffer injuries to their bodies and souls, but not to an irrecoverable extent. It''s supposed to take from one month to six months for their injuries to fully recover. Also, the victor that receives the right to drink the Challenger''s Blood Wine won''t suffer from any negative effects whatsoever. If all of this is true, then participating in this ritual could be quite a harvest. However, the Kurosaki Family and Himiki Family have only done private tests among themselves, without a single public testing. Right now, they''re preparing to open up the first ever Challenger''s Blood Wine ritual, which is scheduled to begin next year in January. At this time, they''ll be inviting the representatives of all the major families and factions to be witnesses, as well as allow a certain extent of inspecting and checking the Blood Wine."

    "Before anyone has truly seen the ritual, even if one of the seven major families, the Kurosaki Family, is vouching for it, people still have their doubts, is that it?" Seiji rubbed his chin.

    "That''s right. To be able to increase one''s power with zero negative side affects is far too much of a temptation for any Spiritual Ability user, which is why you have to take extra caution," Natsuya said in a heavy tone. "Even if the Challenger''s Blood Wine really has zero side effects as advertised, participating in such arge-scale battle to begin with might cause serious injuries, defeat, or even death."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "In order to be stronger in a short period of time, such a degree of risk is probably necessary, just like how there''s no free lunch in the world," Seiji said calmly.

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Thank you for telling me all this. I''ll consider it over carefully and not participate in it hastily." Seiji chuckled.

    "¡­I''ll try my best to obtain more detailed information about this ritual and give it to youter." Natsuya sighed.

    "That would be great. I''m truly thankful."

    "Don''t say that¡­ I''m the one who''s¡­"

    She wanted to say something, but was unable to say anything else.

    They ended their conversation there.

    Natsuya slowly looked outside her window and watched the falling snowkes as something shed in her eyes.

 Chapter 396 - New Years Eveâ€¦ power outage!?

    <h4>Chapter 396: New Year''s Eve¡­ power outage!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The night of New Year''s Eve.

    Seiji and Shika and Reo sat together by the kotatsu, watching television.

    On the television program was a middle-aged man wearing bright red with strangely shaped golden essories and ridiculous makeup. He was even dancing in a style more suitable for young women while singing a joyous tune¡­ Although he wasical all over, he wasn''t disgusting at all, and was quite amusing.

    After this rather unique male singer finished his performance, the hosts gave a useless speech. Next up was a middle-aged woman wearing in Sakura Ind clothing¡­ whoops, it would be politer to refer to her as a female singer. There was a group of handsome men wearing simr clothing apanying her as dancers.

    She was an excellent singer, but there was a mysterious awkwardness to the handsome men dancing behind her, which made people focus too much on that rather than her singing.

    After that, there was a duo of two handsome idols singing. At first they sang in quite a reserved manner, but when they both took off and threw away their jackets in the middle, revealing their vests inside, they suddenly changed to a passionate style¡­

    Various types of singers and groups performed as the sound of singing continuously echoed in Seiji''s living room.

    In between watching TV, Seiji also browsed the inte with his cell phone and chatted with his friends.

    He made arrangements with Mika and Chiaki to celebrate the New Year tomorrow morning.

    The night gradually got darker.

    Shika made some soba noodles and the three of them ate them together by the kotatsu, slurping them up.

    A while after they ate, it was almost twelve o''clock¡ªmidnight.

    The television showed various locations as it indicated the countdown to New Year, showing many groups of people excitedly waiting for its arrival.

    Everyone was smiling in preparation to say farewell to this year, hoping that the next year would be even better.

    At this moment, Seiji noticed something. He turned around, only to see that his adopted sister was looking in his direction.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "Nothing¡­" Shika lowered her head slightly. "I just feel like¡­ as if I''m dreaming."

    "Eh?"

    "Meeting Brother Seiji¡­ and being able to stay here like this¡­ It''s just like a dream," she muttered lightly.

    After the clock tower rang to indicate theing of the New Year, would she wake up from this dream?

    Would she suddenly open her eyes to discover that she was still in her former apartment by herself?

    Could all of this just be her fantasy¡­?

    Arge hand appeared in her field of vision.

    When she lifted her head and looked, she saw her adopted brother smiling gently at her, reaching out with his hand.

    Shika blinked at this.

    She lifted her hand and gently ced her palm within hisrger hand.

    Seiji closed his hand and enveloped hers.

    "With an adopted sister like you, I feel like I''m dreaming as well." Seiji smiled. "But, this isn''t a dream¡­ here''s the proof."

    He squeezed her hand with a slight amount of force.

    It felt soft, warm, and real.

    Shika also held onto his hand.

    It felt solid, warm, and real to her as well.

    The feeling was so real to her.

    The anxiety in her heart disappeared just like that as she smiled.

    The two of them smiled at each other¡­ which caused the atmosphere to be somewhat romantic.

    *Thud!*

    A sudden sound interrupted this atmosphere.

    The sound came from Reo-chan.

    As she was falling asleep, her headnded on the table, causing a small thud.

    "Mew¡­" She even yawned cutely.

    Seiji and Shika both froze up.

    The two of them let go of each other and took back their hands.

    Seiji awkwardly coughed.

    Shika''s face was slightly red.

    "Reo-chan, how about going to sleep now?" Seiji asked.

    "Eh¡­" The little girl regained her senses when she heard this question.

    She slowly lifted her head and rubbed her eyes.

    "No¡­ I want to watch it together¡­"

    "Then do your best to stay awake for a little longer."

    "Okay, meow¡­"

    Reo patted herself on the cheeks and forced herself to be spirited.

    After a while longer, time finally arrived for the countdown.

    "Ten, nine, eight¡­" The television program kept switching scenes and showing everyone in Sakura Ind chanting the countdown in unison.

    "Six, five, four¡­" Seiji, Shika, and Reo began counting down together with the television.

    "Three! Two! One!!!" The countdown was at its end.

    *Boom¡­* They heard something faint and heavy in the distance.

    At the same time, they also felt like something invisible just passed them by.

    Everything suddenly became dark around them!

    Was this¡­ a power outage!?

    "Brother¡­"

    "So cold¡­"

    "What''s the matter?" Seiji immediately cast [Astral Vision] to help him see in the darkness.

    He saw that something seemed to be wrong with Reo.

    She was clutching herself and shivering.

    "Reo!?"

    Seiji hurriedly rushed to her side to check her situation.

    He found out that she had a fever!

    Why were things suddenly like this?

    Seiji thought of the noise just now and the strange sensation of something invisible having passed them by.

    What just happened? Some sort of magical attack? Was it Akatsuki Mitarai?

    No¡­ If it really was Akatsuki, it probably wouldn''t have been like that¡­

    "I''m so cold¡­ Harano onii-chan¡­" Reo was muttering.

    No matter what, he had to do something.

    Seiji immediately cast [Beginning-level healing] on Reo.

    However, it didn''t have any effect.

    She had a fever, but it was no ordinary fever.

    Could it have been because of Reo''s mysterious power? Seiji thought of Mayuzumi Amami''s high fever from previously.

    Could this strange phenomenon that just urred have some rtionship with the mysterious power? Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    "We have to take her to the hospital immediately." He made an instant decision before looking towards Shika. "How about youe along as well?"

    Shika nodded as she looked towards Reo with a look of concern on her face.

    The two of them immediately put on their winter jackets and helped Reo to put one on as well.

    In the meantime, Seiji also asked Shika if she felt anything strange, and Shika mentioned that she had. She also heard the same muffled sound as well as something invisible passing her by.

    If two Spiritual Ability users had the same feeling, that meant it was no mistake.

    "Something must have happened just now, which likely caused the power outage as well as Reo-chan''s fever," Seiji inferred.

    Shika nodded in agreement.

    Was it some type of spell? Who cast it? What was their goal?

    Or was it another coincidentally sessful story of a hundred demons ritual activating? Or something simr? And, howrge was the area of effect?

    There were many questions¡­

    Seiji carried Reo in his arms after putting a winter jacket on her and left his apartment together with Shika.

    It was quite cold outside. The moon couldn''t be seen and everything was dark.

    Seiji looked over at the Uehara Family''s residence next door. He was worried about Mika, so he went to knock on the door.

    The door soon opened.

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Mika¡­ it''s good that you''re alright."

    "What''s the matter with Reo-chan?" Mika noticed that something was off about her condition.

    "She suddenly started having a fever, I suspect that it has to do with her mysterious power¡­ Did you feel anything just now?" Seiji asked in a low voice.

    "I felt as if something invisible passed by me and I heard a low, muffled sound." Mika furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "However, mom didn''t feel anything¡­"

    "That''s no mistaken impression that you have there. Shika-chan and I heard and felt something as well, so something definitely happened. It might have been a spell or ritual of some sort. The power outage as well as Reo-chan''s fever were both likely caused by it," Seiji said in a serious tone. "I don''t know who or what did this¡­ Right now, I''m going to take Reo-chan to the hospital together with Shika-chan. Be careful at home, I don''t know what else may happen still. If something happens, call my cell phone immediately."

    "I can''t call you," Mika said with a frown as she held up her cell phone. "There''s no more signal."

    "What!?"

 Chapter 397 - The darkness was always present

    <h4>Chapter 397: The darkness was always present</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A few minutes ago, when it was almost New Year''s.

    At almost the very top of a world-level tall tower known as the "Sky Tree," which was over six hundred meters tall, a silver-haired boy in ck Sakura Ind clothing was sitting here.

    This was definitely no location an ordinary tourist would be able to reach. At such height, just the powerful and chilly winds alone would be impossible for any normal person to withstand. It was obvious that this boy who was sitting here so rxedly was no ordinary person.

    He looked down at the city below him, humming a fun and casual song while shaking his head.

    After he finished humming his song, he fell quiet for a few seconds before speaking up, "Tsubame, give me one more ss, please."

    There was no response.

    "I know that I''ve drank more than allowed already, but I just want one more ss."

    There was still no response.

    "It''s almost about to be the New Year''s. How can such an important moment be without alcohol?" He sped his hands together in an imploring manner as he looked beside him. "Please~ Tsubame~ Give me one more ss, just one tiny little ss~" He lowered his head and even begged.

    There was the sound of a sigh.

    Then, a cyan-colored wine gon and an exquisite ss materialized in midair as fragrant wine poured out from the gon into the ss.

    "Thank you! I love you the most!"

    The young man gave his passionate thanks as he received the wine ss and immediately took a sip, revealing a blissful expression.

    "You have quite a way of having fun, finding such a ce to enjoy the scenery while enjoying some wine," a voice suddenly spoke up beside him.

    The silver-haired boy turned around to see that a ck-haired beauty had arrived next to him without him realizing it.

    "Hey, Qilin."

    "I told you not to address me like that," the girl stated coldly.

    "Qi-chan, then?"

    "Do you want me to kick you off from here?"

    "Er¡­ Mdy then?"

    The girl didn''t say no to this.

    "Mdy, why did youe to find me?"

    "To kill you."

    "Eh!?"

    "If you do anything strange, that''s what will happen."

    "Hey, hey¡­ don''t scare me." The silver-haired boy seemed to be frightened.

    "I''m just stating the facts." The ck-haired girl looked at him. "At such an important time, you''re actually not staying where you should be¡­ If I discover that you''re doing something you shouldn''t, I''ll simply have to kill you."

    "So scary¡­" The young man was shivering.

    The girl retracted her gaze and turned to look at the city below her.

    It was about time.

    All those people below amongst all the lights didn''t have an inkling of what the New Year that was about to arrive really represented.

    It would be the arrival of a new era, but at the same time also the return of an old era.

    Long, long ago, people feared the darkness, and relied on each other and the power of numbers to resist against their fear of the unknown.

    By now, people ignored the darkness, and ignored each other as well, forgetting what their ancestors had faced head-on as well as the precious things they used to possess.

    The rtionships between people became less than in the past as they used the intangible inte to fulfill their needs formunication and connection to others. They believed that this would make them independent enough to face everything as they abandoned many things that they should have valued as precious.

    They never knew that the darkness had always been present, and never left.

    Nor did they know that some things that seemed as sturdy as stone were far easier to break than they thought.

    This included both electric lights in the darkness as well as the never-resting inte.

    What would people do if these so-called foundations of modern life disappeared?

    "It''s so beautiful, isn''t it?" the silver-haired boy spoke up. "When looking at it from above, the entire city seems just like a treasure box that''s giving off such an alluring light."

    The ck-haired girl looked towards the young man. She saw that his eyes were sparkling.

    "Such a brilliant scene will be swallowed by darkness in just a while. Just thinking of this, it seems all the more beautiful¡­ it''s so amazing." The young man took another small sip of his wine as he eximed, "Everything beautiful in the world is at its most beautiful moment right before it''s about to be destroyed! The moment before it''s destroyed, its beauty is at a peak that can''t be surpassed by any artwork in the world! Only human souls can experience such beauty!!"

    The girl hmphed coldly upon hearing his high-pitched words. "How vulgar."

    "¡­Mdy, what do you think of all this, then?"

    "There''s no need to tell you."

    "Don''t be like that, tell me~ We''repanions! We''re seeing this moment together, so there''s nothing wrong with talking about what you think." The silver-haired boy chuckled.

    "I''ve never treated you as mypanion. There''s nothing to discuss with you," the ck-haired girl stated coldly.

    "So cold! But, an icy beauty type is pretty nice as well, or should I say that you''re a tsundere?"

    *Boom!*

    The silver-haired boy was kicked off the high tower.

    "Wahhh!!" he shouted pitifully as he dropped from such a height.

    Suddenly, a pitch-ck w emerged from the darkness and urately caught him.

    "Thank you¡­ Tsubame¡­" He sat up on the w and looked at his winess while almost crying.

    "The wine spilled¡­ can I have another ss?"

    There was the sound of yet another helpless sigh.

    It was almost time.

    The ck-haired girl watched the city and silently waited.

    The moment she was waiting for arrived.

    All the blinding lights in the city, the street lights, in everyone''s houses, in various buildings and businesses¡­ they all went out!

    It seemed just like arge candle that had been blown out.

    Everything sank into darkness.

    "Happy New Year," the girl said lightly.

    She wasn''t talking to anyone in particr. She was only talking to the new generation.

    Not only had the electricity gone out, there was no cell phone signals or inte.

    As they took a taxi to the hospital where Natsuya had helped him set up the right to receive magical-rted treatment, Seiji held on to Reo as he looked outside the taxi''s window. Apart from other cars'' lights, there was only darkness.

    The traffic lights were using a backup power source, so traffic was still able to proceed as normal.

    "Could this have happened to the entire city?" Seiji muttered to himself.

    What did he feel just earlier? It was so strong that it stopped all electricity andmunications signals!?

    It seemed like it had a huge area of effect, although he was unsure just how huge it was.

    Was Peach-sensei affected? Did she have a fever just like Reo?

    He was unable to call her, so there was no way to contact Mayuzumi and ascertain her situation. Seiji was quite worried.

    Not longter, the taxi reached the hospital. The hospital also had a backup power generator, and had some basic lights on.

    After paying the taxi driver his fare, Seiji got off the taxi together with Shika and rushed towards the hospital door with Reo in his arms.

    The female doctor on duty gave the little girl a checkup and informed them that the reason for Reo''s condition had something to do with her soul. There was no way to cure it, but they could suppress her fever with medicine.

    ''The cause is in her soul¡­ it must be due to her mysterious power as I thought!'' Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    Luckily, medicine was avable to help reduce her fever.

    The female doctor prescribed some medicine for Reo and arranged a high-ss hospital room for her to receive an IV drip in.

    Seiji was able to sigh in at least some relief after seeing her condition obviously improve.

    "Shika-chan, stay here and take care of Reo. I''m going to go look for Peach-sensei," he told her.

    Although he was unsure if Mayuzumi would be in her apartment right now for New Year''s, he had to go take a look.

    After leaving the hospital, Seiji checked his cell phone again. There was still no signal.

    The city was pitch-dark and all forms ofmunication were shut down¡­ it felt to him as if time had reversed to an older era without electric lights or cell phones.

    He faintly heard the sound of a bell. He figured it came from a nearby temple.

    ording to stories, ringing a bell was supposed to help clear away frustrations for the New Year. However, with the city in its current situation, the frustrations probably wouldn''t be so easily cleared.

    ''What an awful New Year¡­ just what bastard caused all this!?''

 Chapter 398 - This is basically a terrorist attack!

    <h4>Chapter 398: This is basically a terrorist attack!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    What Seiji wanted to know was what many other people wanted to know right now.

    For a major city''s entire electrical system as well asmunications system to stop working was a huge incident!

    Although important ces still had working sources of backup power that could be temporarily used, it would be a lot more difficult to recover themunication system.

    And, just to give some basic examples of the consequences from being unable to contact anyone: nobody would be able to call for an ambnce in an emergency, or call the police in an event of a crime, or call the fire department in case of a fire¡­ People could die!

    Why did all this happen? Did their city receive an EMP attack? From where!?

    All the public officials, electricpany employees, andmunicationspany employees¡­ various personnel in these fields all worked overtime to deal with this disaster.

    Meanwhile, in another part of society, the Spiritual Ability users were enraged as well.

    Who the hell cast such arge-scale disruption spell!?

    It was affecting the entire city, which was basically at the level of a terrorist attack! Which bastard dared to do such a thing!?

    No matter who or what faction did such a thing, they were dead meat!

    Although themunications system were cut off, the Spiritual Ability users had their own ways ofmunication. Soon, various faction leaders came to an ord and gave orders for their elites to investigate what happened immediately.

    This person or faction that angered so many Spiritual Ability user factions would be ended on the spot if they were discovered!

    Seiji didn''t get a chance to leave the hospital.

    That was because he saw the person he was going to go look for.

    "Harano!"

    Saki was supporting Mayuzumi as they got off a taxi.

    "Editor Yoshizawa! Sensei!"

    Seiji ran towards them.

    "Mayuzumi suddenly got a fever¡­"

    "It''s the same for Reo. Shika-chan and I brought her here, and I was just about to go find Sensei¡­"

    Seiji princess-carried Mayuzumi as he quickly ran back inside the hospital.

    After the doctor gave her a checkup, the doctor gave Mayuzumi the exact same medicine as Reo and arranged a room for Mayuzumi to receive an IV drip in.

    "I was spending the New Year''s together with Mayuzumi, and when it reached twelve o''clock midnight¡­ the power suddenly went out and she got a fever, saying that she felt something strange," Saki exined. "I felt like there was something wrong with this fever, so I brought her here."

    "What you felt was correct."

    "Harano, what''s going on here?" The female editor furrowed her eyebrows.

    "I don''t know, either. Shika-chan and I felt something at that moment as well, but we don''t know what exactly happened." Seiji sighed.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Seiji, can you hear me?" a voice suddenly spoke in his ear.

    It was Natsuya''s voice! She was apparently contacting Seiji with a spell.

    "I can hear you," he immediately responded while indicating to Saki with a hand gesture that he needed to do something as he walked by the window side.

    "Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine. However, Reo-chan and Peach-sensei aren''t so fine. They both suddenly got fever right after midnight," Seiji exined. "Shika-chan and I brought Reo to the hospital, and then we met Editor Yoshizawa who brought Sensei over here as well¡­ Right now, they''re both receiving IV drips at the hospital and are doing better."

    "¡­I see."

    "Natsuya, do you know what happened?"

    "A powerful Spiritual Ability user or group cast a veryrge-scale disruption spell¡­ that''s my preliminary guess," Natsuya said in a low voice. "This spell has an enormous area of effect and covered the entire city! And, its power is far out of the ordinary. It even passed through all the Spiritual Ability user factions'' barriers¡­ at any rate, it''s astonishing. What spell is this? Where was it cast from? And, the most important of all, who did it? Right now, nobody knows. Everybody wants to know what happened; all the factions in our city have begun investigating, sending out all of their elites. My Yoruhana Family also convened an emergency meeting just now and requested any relevant information whatsoever to be reported to them. Anyone that knows something but intentionally hides it without reporting it will be treated as an aplice who will be punished most severely if discovered."

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    "Reo and Sensei have been affected¡­ do they count as relevant information?"

    "Yes." Natsuya sighed.

    "¡­What will happen if you report information about them?" Seiji asked in a heavy tone of voice.

    "The worst result would be that they could get Reo Tachibana and Amami-san involved¡­ I''ll do my very best to prevent that from happening," Natsuya told him seriously. "There''s many ways to fudge my reports. I won''t mention anything about the mysterious power, and I''ll only say that they were idental victims from the game of one hundred demons. That shouldn''t attract any attention."

    "Hmm¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin.

    "As for Reo Tachibana and Amami-san''s treatment, if there''s anything you need help with, let me know¡­ For now, let me teach you the spell to keep in contact."

    Seiji attentively listened to Natsuya''s instructions.

    After confirming that he understood how to cast the spell, Natsuya ended their conversation.

    Seiji returned to Saki''s side.

    "Just now, Natsuya Yoruhana contacted me using a spell and exined some things to me," he told the female editor. "A mysteriousrge-scale magic spell caused all of this. We don''t know who the caster is, and there''s many Spiritual Ability users currently investigating."

    Something shed in Saki''s eyes.

    Seiji nced over at Mayuzumi who was still on the hospital bed, then told Saki that he was going back over to Reo and left Mayuzumi''s hospital room.

    The spell that Natsuya taught him was called [Astral Communication]. It was an easy spell usable between Spirit-branded Retainers and their contracted Yin-Yang Masters.

    After practicing for about an hour, Seiji seeded in mastering it as he contacted Natsuya.

    "Did you report about what you knew?"

    "Yes, there wasn''t any response. It seems like they treated it as unimportant."

    "That''s good, then."

    "How are Reo Tachibana and Amami-san?"

    "They''ve gotten better. At this rate, they''ll probably recover from their fever by morning."

    "That''s good, then."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    Then, both of them chuckled.

    "Good night, Seiji."

    "Good night, Natsuya."

    They ended their conversation there.

    Seiji then checked his system due to a system notification saying that he now had a new option, [Beginning-level Astral Communication], avable in his [Spiritual Abilities] options.

    The system''s version of [Beginning-level Astral Communication] had the ability tomunicate with any Spiritual Ability user. He would first have to "mark" a specific person, and the marked person would also have to use a minor amount of Mana to maintain the connection.

    Obviously, this spell wasn''t nearly as convenient as a cell phone or talking over the inte. It was only useful in certain special situations.

    Seiji returned to Reo''s hospital bed after he closed his system.

    "Shika-chan, go ahead and sleep. I''ll take care of her for a while," he told her.

    Shika was about to respond when her expression changed.

    Seiji noticed something as well, so he immediately cast [Astral Vision].

    He saw a light green feathers descending from the air.

    "This is¡­" Seiji focused on the sight.

    A feather softlynded by Reo''s cheeks before disappearing.

    A second, third, fourth¡­ a patch of green feathers appeared and lightly descended.

    Seiji reflexively caught one that was in front of him.

    He was able to catch it, but couldn''t feel anything at all. It instantly disappeared, just like a bubble.

    Beautiful green feathers kept falling, just like a dream.

    The quietly sleeping little girl was currently dreaming.

    Dreamlike feathers¡­

 Chapter 399 - â€œAbnormal sceneâ€

    <h4>Chapter 399: "Abnormal scene"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This scene caused Seiji to recall when he was fighting Reo who had lost control of herself.

    At that time, it was as if she was possessed, with a green-winged beautiful woman''s ethereal shadow behind her. She had been able to shoot her feathers as a method of attacking.

    Was the mysterious power activated again due to the influence of that strange spell?

    It seemed likely to him.

    The situation seemed better than that time since there was no ck mist¡­ but he couldn''t know if there would be any ck mistter.

    Should he wake Reo up now?

    Just as Seiji was thinking about it, she made a sound from the hospital bed.

    "Mmm¡­" Reo was moving.

    All of the falling feathers instantly disappeared.

    Reo slowly opened her eyes.

    "Harano onii-san¡­"

    "How do you feel?" Seiji asked in concern.

    "I had a dream¡­ I dreamed that I went to the amusement park together with onii-san." The little girl rubbed her eyes.

    An amusement park¡­ Seiji recalled that they had visited an amusement park together before in her soul realm.

    "Just a dream? You didn''t feel anything else?"

    "¡­I also feel a little ufortable." Reo looked towards the IV drip in her hand, then nced over at the IV bottle.

    Since her fever hadn''t receded yet, it was only natural for her to feel ufortable.

    "The doctor''s medicine seems to be quite effective. At this rate, your fever should be gone by morning."

    "Oh¡­"

    Reo began looking around the hospital room.

    Although Seiji wanted to have her continue to sleep, would those feathers reappear if she fell asleep again? Should he let things be? Seiji mulled things over.

    "Reo, there''s some manga avable here. How about reading one?"

    "Sure." The little girl nodded.

    Seiji brought over a manga for her from the bookshelf in the room.

    Reo sat upright and began reading the manga. Seiji indicated to Shika that he was leaving for a bit, then headed to Mayuzumi''s hospital room to check on her.

    He saw that there was an abnormal scene in her room as well!

    Some bluenterns were floating around the mangaka''s hospital bed, white mes quietly burning within them.

    Seiji had seen identicalnterns in the soul realm before, when Mayuzumi hadbined with Hinako Haza and transformed into "Blue Lantern Ghost."

    He walked up closer and observed.

    "Harano, what''s the matter?"

    Saki, who just walked out of the restroom, saw that there was something off about his behavior.

    "Editor Yoshizawa, please don''t approach here for the moment." Seiji held up his hand.

    Saki paused in her footsteps.

    "What exactly happened?"

    "Sensei''s mysterious power has been activated. There''s some things around us right now."

    He didn''t know if thesenterns would be dangerous, so he asked the editor to stay at a distance just in case.

    If they were touched, would they disappear just like Reo''s feathers, or would there be some other reaction?

    Seiji wanted to confirm it; even if there was the possibility that they would explode on touch¡­ although he felt that was highly unlikely.

    What exactly were these, anyways? Astral projections? Materializations of Mana? Personal barriers?

    Should he contact Natsuya and discuss things with her again?

    Her current situation was one where she was forced to report any relevant information to her family, and Seiji didn''t want Reo and Sensei to get involved¡­

    He mulled it over for a while.

    He decided not to tell Natsuya about these abnormal scenes for the time being. Nor would he attempt to investigate. He would simply observe.

    Seiji looked towards the quietly sleeping Mayuzumi.

    "Sensei, wake up." He attempted to wake her.

    "Mmm¡­" The mangaka reacted to his calling her.

    In just an instant, all the bluenterns disappeared in exactly the same fashion as Reo''s feathers.

    When she opened her eyes, Mayuzumi began smiling foolishly upon seeing Seiji by her bedside.

    "Seiji~" she called out intimately to him.

    Seiji was surprised and astonished.

    Seeing his surprise, the mangaka''s expression froze over as well. She finally woke up fully due to this.

    "No¡­ not Seiji¡­ Saki brought me to the hospital, where I met Haruta-kun¡­"

    Her face instantly turned bright red as she had an embarrassed expression.

    "Sensei¡­ were you dreaming just now?" Seiji tried asking.

    "Wah!!!"

    Mayuzumi let out a sound of embarrassment and averted her gaze.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He really wanted to know what dream she was having, but also faintly perceived that it would be best not to ask.

    There was an awkward atmosphere.

    "Cough¡­ Sensei, you seem pretty spirited, that''s great¡­ I''lle back againter." He could only retreat for the time being.

    "Harano¡­" Saki called out to him.

    "It''s okay to approach now, Editor Yoshizawa." Seiji walked out of the room as he said this.

    She walked over to the bed and asked out of concern, "Mayuzumi, what''s the matter?"

    "Saki¡­ I''m so embarrassed¡­" the mangaka said in a low tone.

    After having such a dream and believing herself to still be dreaming after waking up, then calling the real Seiji''s name in such a tone of voice¡­ She wanted to go hide in a hole somewhere!

    Why did she have such a dream? Honestly, she was¡­

    Seiji reentered Mayuzumi''s hospital room after checking up on Reo one more time and waiting a sufficient length of time that he figured she could calm down in.

    "Sensei, there''s something I have to discuss with you."

    "Haruta-kun¡­ That now was¡­" Mayuzumi''s face was still slightly red.

    "It''s not about the dream, it''s about the abnormal scenes."

    "''Abnormal scenes?''" Saki blinked at this.

    Seiji nodded.

    He exined how he had just witnessed manynterns around Mayuzumi using [Astral Vision], as well as the feathers that appeared around Reo.

    "For now, I''ve been calling them abnormal scenes. Judging from the current situation, they appear when Sensei and Reo are dreaming. If this is just a temporary phenomenon, then it''s fine, but if it continues going on, then we need to take steps to understand it, whether it''s dangerous and how it can be controlled¡­

    "Not only that¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "The magic spell cast at midnight¡ªI''m calling it the ''Midnight Spell'' for now¡ªthat spell caused all themunications and electronic systems in the city to copse and caused major damage. Currently, many Spiritual Ability users are investigating. They''ll be searching for any relevant information. My guess is that the Midnight Spell used something simr to the mysterious power, which affected Sensei and Reo. And as long as Sensei and Reo get exposed, they''ll be targets of other Spiritual Ability users'' investigations. Who knows how they''ll be treated then. Natsuya is currently under pressure from her own family, so she had to report information about Sensei and Reo to them. However, she cleverly hid the critical information, so her report wasn''t viewed as important. But, with these abnormal scenes appearing¡­ If she reports this information, it''ll be quite difficult to still pull the wool over her family''s eyes. That''s why I don''t want to tell Natsuya about this situation. However, if we don''t tell her, she won''t be able to help us, and it''ll be difficult to understand what this phenomenon is. In the end, I''m still just a neer to Spiritual Abilities, and Shikacks relevant knowledge as well¡­" Seiji sighed.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "At any rate, I hope that these abnormal scenes won''t keep appearing. That way, we won''t have to think too much about it." He smiled wryly as he nced towards the mangaka. "Rest up well for now, Sensei. We can see how things are after the fever recedes."

    Mayuzumi nodded.

    ''Hopefully, it''s only a temporary influence and everything will go back to normal after tonight." Seiji truly hoped for this.

    However, he had a faint premonition that this hope of his wouldn''te to fruition.

    The Midnight Spell¡­ this mysterious and powerful spell cast by an unknown entity. Was the only purpose to have the entire city''s poption experience what it was like to have no electricity and inte andmunications?

    Although having none of the above was quite a serious situation already, Seiji felt like things wouldn''t be so simple.

    Sensei and Reo were affected and showed "abnormal scenes¡­" In this city that had a poption of well over one million, how many people would there be that were experiencing simr things?

    Was this the real purpose of the midnight spell? Was this its intended effect?

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes as he slowly turned to look outside the window.

    Everything was pitch-ck outside.

 Chapter 400 - Night of one hundred demonsâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 400: Night of one hundred demons¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A whileter, Mayuzumi and Reo who were both still drowsy went back to sleep.

    Seiji continued observing them, and in the end, the abnormal scenes didn''t reappear.

    He was quite happy that his ominous premonition hadn''te to pass.

    "Perhaps I really was thinking too much into it," he muttered to himself.

    With arge amount of people, especially those in relevant fields working overtime,munications and inte systems were gradually restored.

    The police received many emergency reports, and all ambnces were sent out, as well as many fire trucks were arriving at scenes of fires¡­

    At the same time, relevant reports about this matter had already appeared on the inte and were the hottest topic at the moment.

    Right on the New Year''s, Sakura Ind''s capital city''s electrical andmunication systems all went down¡­ This wasn''t just a headline event for Sakura Ind, this was at the level of international news!

    The government made an official announcement about this: they were treating it as a terrorist attack!

    The person or persons responsible were unknown, the motive was unknown, the goal was unknown, and the technique used was unknown¡­ there was an ongoing investigation.

    The government didn''t say much about it, while the citizens had manyments about the situation on the inte. On thergest and most famous message forum, "Channel 22", there were various inte users arguing and debating over who the criminal was as well as what their motive was and how they did it.

    However, it was still the middle of the night. If it was morning, the forums would be even more of a hotbed for discussion.

    Just as everyone was focusing on the criminal, someone posted in celebration about how they were finally able to get online, making a post saying that they saw something scary while the electricity had been stopped.

    "I saw a demon! It was definitely a Shutendoji! That was no cosy!! I swear on my virginity that I''m not lying, it was definitely a real demon! I was almost killed!!"

    There was even a photo attached to the post. However, it only had a hazy red figure, and was iplete. All that could be seen was that the picture was of a young man.

    "The picture''s not very clear, but that''s the only one I have¡­ All I cared about was running for my life. I was so scared¡­ I immediately called the police after cell phone services were restored, but they ignored me. I know that it sounds like a lie, and I wouldn''t have believed it myself if I didn''t experience it. But I did, and I swear that everything I say is true! I was quite awake, and it was definitely no hallucination!!"

    At first, the tone of the post sounded normal. But by the end, it sounded rather desperate, and the words sounded like they contained fierce emotions.

    The inte users that had seen so many strange and unbelievable things online before wouldn''t easily believe such a ridiculous story. Naturally, they treated this post as something made-up for attention.

    "Demon? Shutendoji? Even if you''re trying to fool others, you should use something more interesting. Using such an old trick in the book? It doesn''t sound scary at all."

    "I agree with the above poster. Well, if the topic creator wanted people toment on him in such a fashion, then I admit he seeded."

    "Compared to Shutendoji, I''d prefer to see Tamamo-no-Mae. Topic creator, if you go out on the streets again, perhaps you''ll even be able to meet her."

    "I agree with wanting to see Tamamo-no-Mae."

    Nobody believed this topic creator.

    However, simr posts appeared on the inte. Another topic creator imed to have met a dog demon which seriously injured his friend!

    "That dog had such a scary appearance! It didn''t look like it was living at all. It resembled a zombie dog that you would see in a video game, but it felt like a demon¡­"

    "I''m his friend, and we saw the same thing. Neither of us have ever seen such a dog before in any manga or video game! It definitely wasn''t a hallucination for either of us!!"

    "It was so sudden, so we weren''t able to take a picture¡­ who would remember to take a picture in such a situation!? They''d only think about escaping!!!"

    "My friend''s left hand was broken¡­ the bones in his hand were crushed by the dog''s bite¡­"

    There were no pictures attached to this post, but the fear in the topic creators'' words felt quite realistic.

    Simr posts kept increasing in number.

    Meeting female demons, seeing strange birds, seeing the dead, hearing abnormal sounds, and crashing into invisible objects¡­ Some only saw, some met these things, some were injured, and some saw others being injured¡­

    After so many posts of this nature, some were finally convinced.

    Could this be actually real?

    Most inte users were still disbelieving, but some now began to view it as "questionable" rather than ughable."

    At this time, someone said that these "posts about demons" were specifically done by an organization to spread panic and rumors in order to achieve whatever their objective was! This might even be rted to the terrorist attack.

    Many inte users believed this, so they now looked down upon the "posts about demons" even more.

    Some of the topic creators posting about demons fell silent, while others continued arguing with the inte, doing their best to clear their names.

    With more and more "posts about demons" appearing, some topics appeared to counter such topics.

    Not only that, there were now also topics about seeing a middle-aged man using spells and talismans to fight against such demons, a "Spiritual Ability user."

    There was a topic about "aliens" with strange appearances catching humans.

    There was a topic about "ninjas" regarding several masked individuals wearing different colored outfits working together to attack a huge monster.

    There was a post about "magical girls" where a beautiful girl wearing a ck dress and wielding a crystal rod was fighting by herself against arge group of female demons.

    Various posts kept appearing, and the forums were buried in discussions about the mystical.

    Which were lies, jokes, and truth¡­ nobody would be able to know.

    The best way to bury the truth, apart from destroying itpletely, was to make it hazy and use arge amount of simr but false information to cover it. Another way of saying it was to distract people''s attention from the truth¡­

    Seiji went online and browsed the Channel 22 message forum after he noticed that he had cell phone signal again. He immediately saw all the "posts about demons."

    "Night of one hundred demons¡­?"

    Not only did demons appear, there were also various other strange figures and things¡­ should he be saying that the city was turning into something out of Natsume Yuujinchou?

    His ominous premonition hade to fruition. Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    What was the death and injury rate in the city? These demons that appeared, would they vanish after harming someone or after the night was over? Or would they continue existing? Was this Midnight Spell different from what he surmised? Was it a spell to tell ordinary people about the existence of the mystical rather than a spell to make new Spiritual Ability users appear?

    Compared to the night of one hundred demons that was currently urring, the abnormal scenes surrounding Sensei and Reo didn''t seem like something much anymore. Perhaps it would be okay to tell Natsuya?

    After thinking about it some more, he decided to continue observing the situation.

    He then logged on to the chat group for his game group.

    Hisashi was the only one online.

    "Seigo, are you alright?"

    "I''m fine, but not entirely alright¡­ How about you?"

    "I''m fine, but some of the people in in our mafia group met with strange incidents and were injured to the point of having to go to the hospital."

    The words across the screen couldn''t contain the emotions that Hisashi must have been feeling, but Seiji was able to feel Hisashi''s seriousness.

    Currently, Seiji wasn''t talking to the otaku Hisashi, but instead Hisashi the son of the Juumonji mafia group.

    "Are any of them seriously injured?"

    "One of them is quite severely injured, and is in life-threatening danger."

    "¡­What did he meet with?"

    "Tengu."

 Chapter 401 - Everything was caused by the Midnight Spell!

    <h4>Chapter 401: Everything was caused by the Midnight Spell!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Tengu was a rather famous demon.

    Legends had it that this type of demon had internal rank differences amongst its ranks. The highest level would be called Great Tengu, next was Tengu, and the lowest was Crow Tengu and other simr Lesser Tengus.

    And, amongst the highest-level Great Tengus, there was one particr heavenly emperor who held a grudge and transformed into an Emperor Tengu, and became one of the three strongest and evilest demons, ranked as an equal with Shutendoji and Tamamo-no-Mae!

    In his previous world, Seiji had never been able to draw a Great Tengu SSR card in his cell phone game¡­

    What people typically thought of Tengus was that they had red faces,rge noses, were tall in appearance, wore monk attire and wooden clogs, held fans and hammers in their hands, and would be winged. In summary, they were a type of male bird humanoid.

    However, ording to the description from the victim, the Tengu that he met had a white face and a vicious appearance. The Tengu had arge nose and was wearing ck-colored Sakura Ind clothing. He was holding a red folding fan and had no wings on its back.

    "Compared to a demon, I think he looked more like a singer you''d find at a New Year''s Eve party," Hisashi said. "But there''s no singer I know that''s capable of causing someone severe injuries with a single swipe of his fan."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Indeed, there were some New Year''s Eve party singers that had even more ridiculous or demonic-appearing outfits than actual demons.

    "How did he meet this Tengu?"

    "He suddenly met the Tengu on the street and was scared by the Tengu''s face, so he reflexively cussed at him, and then¡­" Well, he was beaten up.

    "¡­I see."

    "Do you know what''s going on? Seigo."

    Seiji knew that Hisashi wasn''t asking about the Tengu demon, but rather about the entire incident of demons appearing.

    "Everything was caused by the Midnight Spell!"

    "¡­Which anime did you copy that line from?"

    "I admit that I intentionally used a line that seemed like it came from an anime, but that''s the short one-sentence summary version of what happened."

    Seiji gave an appropriate exnation to Hisashi.

    "The ''Midnight Spell¡­'' That''s quite a suitable name that you came up with." Hisashi agreed with Seiji''s naming sense after listening to the exnation. "Such a powerful spell¡­ do you think it will also appear in other cities?"

    "It''s possible if the caster''s goal is to make ordinary people know about the existence of the mystical."

    "What benefits would that give to them to reveal the mystical side of society?"

    "I don''t know. Perhaps the caster is just like the antagonist in some manga or anime, someone acting for the sake of their beliefs."

    "Our goal is to make everyone see the truth!" Hisashi made up a line that sounded like an anime character''s.

    "It''s worth sacrificing some people for the sake of our cause!" Seiji followed up with this line.

    "There will be a beautiful new world after a short and temporary pain!" the two of them said together.

    They had copied those lines from a mid-level antagonist in the Honey Candy Girl anime. That was a ssical character, although it had a ratherical death.

    "If the person who cast the Midnight Spell has such a way of thinking, then that''s notughable at all."

    "Yeah."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Seigo, if something happens to Kaede, are you willing to protect her?" Hisashi suddenly asked this question.

    Seiji instantly pictured the blonde teacher in his mind.

    "Of course I''m willing to."

    "That''s great¡­ then start living together with her, right from today!"

    "What?"

    "Actually, my younger sister met Tengu as well." Hisashi sent a serious-looking emoticon. "Although she defeated it with our family heirloom, it''ll definitely return. She needs a Spiritual Ability user as a bodyguard!"

    "Hey, hey¡­ aren''t you just making all of this up?" Seiji didn''t believe these obvious made-up lies.

    "Its real, except that there weren''t wings behind this Tengu. Instead, there was a horde of tentacles!"

    "What the hell!? Stop ruining the ssic images of demons!"

    "Itsrge nose was capable of spouting out white, murky, disgusting-smelling liquid!"

    "That sounds so depraved! Don''t add such a setting!"

    "Any women that this Tengu catches will be *** and then **** and then *****!"

    "Stop censoring your ownments! I''m mysteriously curious about what the ***** is supposed to represent!!"

    "Our family heirloom ''anti-tentacle spray'' was all used up, so the next time ites, there will be no way to fight back!"

    "Your family heirloom is incredibly strange!!"

    "In conclusion, live together with her, Seigo."

    "Don''t forcefullye to such a conclusion!!" Seiji energetically retorted.

    Hisashi sent a slightly smiling emoticon.

    "I think that this will be the best because Kaede truly likes you. As long as you ept, she''s even willing to be a mistress."

    "What are you saying!"

    "Hear me out, Seiji Haruta. You''re a man that''s worthy of her love. I think that it''ll be the best for her if she''s together with you, both objectively and subjectively speaking. You''re willing to protect her but not willing to ept her, or perhaps I should term it as not being willing to ept what she wants to give you. That''s not good for her, since it''ll make her feel ufortable¡­ do you understand?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Living up until now, I''ve never experienced love in 3D even once, so I actually don''t have the right to talk about love, but I''m still her older brother," Hisashi stated seriously. "I hope that my younger sister can live well and happily, and you''re capable of giving that to her."

    "Hey, hey¡­"

    "Are you feeling like I''m leaving you with myst will and testament? Heh, I am indeed showing you my will. I''m representing my father and leaving my younger sister to you." Hisashi sent an emoticon that was pretending to be cool with sunsses. "We''re in the mafia, and in our world, you have to be sensitive to death. Otherwise, you might not even have a chance to say yourst words. And right now, I''m detecting the scent of death. To be more direct, my instinct tells me that this night of one hundred demons won''t end with just a single night, and it''ll be continuing. As members of the mafia, we''re very likely to be attacked by demons. After all, it''s our karma. Maybe I''m a coward, but I feel that it''s better to say something while we''re still able to. Otherwise, if these bad premonitionse true, we won''t even be able to cry anymore."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say.

    "Seiji, please protect Kaede. Also, if possible, ept her. The best would be if you could have one or two children together¡­"

    "Don''t talk like you''re actually going to die!"

    "Just treat it as something likely to happen."

    "You''re just having some bad premonitions, don''t make it sound so severe."

    "¡­Fine, as long as you understand what I mean." Hisashi sighed.

    Then, he told Seiji that he had something to do, and logged off.

    After logging out of the chat group, Hisashi put down his cell phone and lifted his head.

    Across a ss window from him was a hospital room where a middle-aged man with whitening hair was lying on a bed. He was wearing a breathing respirator, and receiving an IV drip. There was also a heart rate monitor; he was obviously in quite a weak state.

    What Hisashi hadn''t mentioned to Seiji was that the person who had been seriously injured and still in a life-threatening condition was actually his father¡ªthe Juumonji mafia group''s leader, Michirou Juumonji!

    For a mafia to have been beaten up to such an extent by a randomly appearing demon¡­ what a joke.

    If he died just like this, then that would be a terribly unfunny joke.

    The Midnight Spell¡­ Night of one hundred demons¡­ even the mafia that ordinary people feared could only take it lying down, powerless.

    Only Spiritual Ability users would be able to resist.

    "Kaede, when it''s morning, immediately go to the Uehara apartments and stay by Seigo''s side as much as possible," Hisashi told his sister who was beside him. "Only by his side is where it''s safest."

    "¡­What about you guys?" Kaede asked in a light voice.

    "Don''t mind us. Let us survive on our own," another red-haired man stated casually. This was Zankita Juumonji, Hisashi and Kaede''s older brother.

    "Go, be with that young male friend of yours and live well and properly as his woman. No need for you to mind mafia affairs anymore."

 Chapter 402 - Theyre all the members of the harem that you want to establish!

    <h4>Chapter 402: They''re all the members of the harem that you want to establish!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    *Smack!* Kaede kicked Zankita in the shin.

    "Ouch! What was that for!?"

    "Although I know what you mean, I still wasn''t feeling happy about it¡­ idiot brother of mine."

    "If he knew how to talk, then he wouldn''t be an idiot." Hisashi adjusted his eyesses.

    "Could the two of you stop calling me an idiot!" Zankita shouted.

    "Second Brother Hisashi, you should rece father after all. This brainless fellow isn''t up to the task of leading our mafia group," Kaede told Hisashi.

    "I believe so as well. However, this idiot is well respected, and I don''t want to be in the position of the leader. It seems quite troublesome." Hisashi extended his palms.

    "Hey! Stop ignoring me!"

    "So noisy, could you shut up for a moment? Big Brother, you only appear seemly when you''re quiet."

    "That''s going a little overboard, Kaede. At the very least, he has more uses than only being a decoration."

    "That''s enough! If you keep going on like this, I''ll really get angry!" Zankita raised his fist.

    "Resorting to violence immediately, that''s exactly why¡­"

    The three siblings kept up their little argument in front of their father''s hospital room.

    Seiji didn''t know about the situation with the Juumonji Family, but he definitely felt Hisashi''s anxiety.

    Apart from causing harm to others, this night of one hundred demons had also caused fear¡­ or perhaps it should be termed as causing people to no longer feel safe.

    This was only the beginning.

    If such a situation kept continuing, even if the actual damage wasn''t all that high, the entire city would copse due to fear.

    The Spiritual Ability users probably wouldn''t allow that to happen, and would definitely take action.

    ''But, regardless of what others do, what am I capable of doing?'' Seiji thought about this question.

    He wasn''t particrly strong as a Spiritual Ability user. He was quite clear on this already, having faced Akatsuki Mitarai. But even if he was limited in power, there were things that he could probably do.

    He wasn''t going to be a superhero, but he could protect others within the limits of his powers.

    As for whom specifically he wanted to protect¡­

    After thinking about it for a while, he took out his cell phone, and sent a group text message.

    "If you meet something strange and need help, let me know."

    This message was sent out to Chiaki, Yukari, Hoshi, Rion, Kotomi, and Kaho, as he hadn''t talked to any of them since the night of the one hundred demons started urring.

    All of the messages were sent out sessfully.

    Seiji stared at his cell phone for a few moments.

    Then, he put away his cell phone, stood up, and slowly walked up to the window and looked outside.

    It was almost getting light out.

    Reo and Mayuzumi''s fever sessfully receded.

    Both of them appeared to be fine now but the doctor still gave them some medication just in case.

    "If there''s anything that happens at all, contact me."

    Seiji told that to Mayuzumi and Saki as he split up from them.

    "Yeah. Thank you, Haruta-kun." The mangaka smiled.

    After saying goodbye to each other, Seiji left.

    Seiji, Shika, and Reo went back to the Uehara apartment.

    Before going back to his own apartment, Seiji knocked on the Uehara residence''s door and met with Mika.

    "Wee back. Is Tachibana-chan alright?"

    "Her fever is gone now, and she''s fine."

    "That''s great." The twintailed girl smiled. "My mom is currently in the middle of making breakfast. How about eating together?"

    "That won''t be¡ª"

    Before he finished speaking, he heard someone''s stomach growl.

    The sound came from Reo''s stomach.

    She clutched her stomach as her face reddened¡­

    "¡­Well, let''s stay over then. Sorry for the bother." Seiji changed what he was saying.

    Mika smiled delightedly.

    After eating breakfast together with the Ueharas, Seiji, Shika, and Reo returned to their own apartment.

    When Seiji turned on the television, the first program he saw was discussing the event fromst night.

    Seiji felt like it wasn''t of much worth. It was just a few middle-aged and elderly people that were so-called experts, talking about some useless things.

    Seiji returned to his study. At this moment, he received a message on his cell phone.

    It was a text from Chiaki, asking him why he sent her something like that.

    "Let''s talk about it over the inte," Seiji responded.

    Then, he turned on hisputer, logged onto his chatting application, and started browsing the inte forums.

    After Chiaki went online, he sent her links to the forum topics and exined what happened.

    "Although I felt like things were out of the ordinaryst night, I didn''t think that they were to such an extent."

    Chiaki sighed after learning what urred. "You probably didn''t send this message only to me, did you?"

    "Ah, that''s right. I also sent the same message to Yukari, Hoshi, Rion and Kotomi, as well as Kaho."

    "Oh¡­ so they''re all the members of the harem that you want to establish!"

    Seiji was rendered absolutely speechless.

    This was too much of a change in the conversation topic for him to react to.

    "What!?"

    "All the people that you sent this message to are the people that you''re willing to protect and help, the people important to you. They''re who you view as the most precious to you! How else can they be described other than potential members of your harem?" Chiaki sent him a smiling expression that seemed like it had seen through everything.

    "That''s not it at all!" Seiji hurriedly denied it. "I just feel like, with my current abilities, I can only take care of these friends¡­"

    "Your countering is so powerless, and absolutely missed the point. That''s evidence that I''m on the mark." Chiaki sent an emoticon with shing eyess lenses. "And, the fact that you sound guilty means I''m right, so just honestly admit it¡ªthis is the harem that you have in mind!"

    "No! I only view them as good friends, it''s nothing like a harem¡­ if it was a harem, I couldn''t possibly have added Hoshi!!" Seiji grabbed on to what he viewed as a critical point.

    "Wrong! Deep in your heart, you''ve already epted your cute junior. This is the truth!!!"

    "ept the hell! Don''t think that you can twist the facts just by saying it''s the ''truth''!!"

    "I''m not distorting anything! You''re the one who''s not honestly facing your true self!!!"

    "That''s enough ''truth'' out of you! Don''t think that just because you''re using exmation marks that you''re in the right!"

    "The truth is cruel. People never want to face it. But, I believe that one day, you''ll be able to conquer the weakness in your heart! You''ll openly admit to being bisexual, just like me!!" Chiaki sent him a brightly smiling expression.

    "That day will never happen!!!" Seiji retorted as forcefully as possible.

    It took them quite a while to calm down.

    "Are you going to tell Yukari and the others about the ''mystical'' side of society?" Chiaki asked.

    "I''m not sure yet. If any of them met with demons and so on, then of course I''d tell them. But if they didn''t¡­ I''m not sure if I should tell them," Seiji responded.

    "So, if there''s any incidents, you''ll help them out. If not, you''ll warn them to be on their guard. That''s what you intend, right?"

    "Yep."

    "If this night of one hundred demons keeps persisting, what will happen?"

    "I don''t know. I figure there''ll be some way to deal with things."

    "¡­How about I move to the Uehara apartments and start living together with you?"

    "The hell with that!"

    She actually said the exact same thing as Hisashi.

    "I''m not joking~ If there''s going to be demons every night, I really will want to sleep together with you." Chiaki sent him a serious emoticon.

    "Are you that scared?"

    "Do you think I''m really brave?"

    "I think you''re more courageous than most girls."

    "What I have that''s more than most girls is this." She sent him a picture ofrge breasts.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Even if I''m braver than most girls, I''m still just an ordinary girl. Of course I''d be afraid of real demons," Chiaki said. "Just imagining it¡­ I don''t know if I''ll be able to sleep well tonight."

 Chapter 403 - Spiritual Ability user teacher

    <h4>Chapter 403: Spiritual Ability user teacher</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji fell silent for a moment upon hearing her say this.

    "You could go over to Mika''s ce and sleep there," he suggested.

    "It''s not so good to go over to someone else''s ce for New Year''s."

    "What is the person that slept on someone''s kotatsu on the Winter Snow Festival saying?"

    "You''re right about that." Chiaki sent him a chuckling emoticon. "Not a bad suggestion. When we go greet the New Year''s togetherter this morning, I''ll ask Mika in hope that she''ll take in the scaredy-cat me."

    At this moment, Seiji''s cell phone beeped.

    Yukari had replied to his text message. She wished him a Happy New Year, asking him what he meant by "strange things."

    Seiji responded by asking her to log online as well, and showed her the "posts about demons" on the message forum.

    "Sweet Pig told me that someone he knew met with such a strange incident, and that it''s no joke¡­ that''s why I was worried, so I sent out that message to you."

    "I see. Thank you so much for your concern, Seigo." Yukari sent him a moved emoticon along with a floating heart. "I like you even more now!"

    Seiji didn''t know how to respond to such a direct flirtation.

    He paused for a moment before responding, "No need to be polite¡­ at any rate, be careful, especially when it''s nighttime."

    "Yep, I will. You be careful as well."

    "Of course."

    "By the way, are demons really injuring people?"

    "That''s what the stories say. No matter what, it''s probably true that there''s something dangerous around."

    "Seigo, you''re confident enough to defeat demons?"

    "I have some confidence."

    "How reliable, as expected of our unyielding king!" Yukari sent him a saluting emoticon.

    Seiji sent back a smiling emoticon.

    "If you really meet something, then feel free to contact me."

    ''So cool.'' Yukari felt that he was so cool even from across the screen, causing her face to redden.

    After that, Hoshi, Kaho, Rion and Kotomi all replied to his text message.

    Seiji showed all of them the inte links regarding the demons, and was relieved to find out that none of them had met any demons.

    The Amami siblings and Kaho all indicated their sincere thanks for Seiji''s concern.

    After that, it was the arranged time to greet the New Year.

    Just as Seiji was about to turn off hisputer, he received a phone call from Mika.

    "Seiji, I can''t go to the New Year''s greeting anymore."

    "Why''s that?"

    "I received a phone call from Grandpa Zhao¡­ He found a Spiritual Ability user teacher for me, and told me to contact her immediately."

    "What?"

    "Spiritual Ability user teacher?" Seiji was astonished.

    That Zhao-san had mentioned he would help Mika out¡­ He didn''t give her a spiritual artifact in the end, and found a teacher for her instead!?

    This¡­ was actually pretty good.

    No, it wasn''t pretty good, it was the best method!

    Mika indeed needed a teacher more than any spiritual artifact.

    A good Spiritual Ability user teacher would be able to help her tremendously¡­ Old Zhao-san was quite right about this.

    "He said that her name was Ruri Kinchi, a skilled Spirit Controller that he found for me using his connections. He told me to call her and arrange a meeting time," Mika told him.

    "Then go ahead and contact her. I think that it''s a great idea by Zhao-san. You do need a teacher."

    "I think it''s good as well, and I''m quite grateful to Grandpa Zhao¡­ But it''s so sudden, and I''m a little nervous."

    "It is rather sudden." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "How about I apany you?"

    Mika fell silent for a moment.

    "I''d like for you to apany me¡­ but I also feel like it''s better for me to go by myself," Mika said in a light voice.

    It didn''t feel right to have someone else apanying her on the first meeting with her teacher.

    "Then go ahead and meet her by yourself." Seiji gave her some encouragement. "Conquer your nervousness and have a nice conversation with her. You can do it."

    "Yeah¡­ Thank you, Seiji."

    "I haven''t done anything worthy of being thanked for." Seiji chuckled. "As for greeting the New Year, I''ll tell Chiaki to wait untilter. After you finish meeting with that Kinchi-san, let''s go together."

    "Okay." Mika smiled.

    They ended their phone call there.

    Seiji called Chiaki after that and exined what just urred.

    "This master spiritual artifact craftsman from Huaxia¡­ he seems like quite a powerful character."

    "Yeah. I don''t know how far his connections go, but there''s no mistaking that he''s a major personage."

    "Could he actually be some sort of Huaxia royalty? Mika is actually a real princess!?"

    "You''re thinking too much into things."

    "Isn''t it possible, though?"

    "It''s also possible for me to be the reincarnation of the strongest Yin-Yang Master in history, Seimei Kamijou."

    "Are you!?"

    "I just want to express that there''s too many possibilities out there, but they''re nothing more than possibilities. Stop thinking so much about them."

    "They''re quite interesting to think about."

    "Well, that''s up to you then. Go ahead and rest while imagining what you like." Seiji was about to hang up the call.

    "Wait a moment!" Chiaki noticed that he wanted to end the call and stopped him. "Aren''t you curious about that Spiritual Ability user teacher?"

    "I am a little curious¡­"

    "Then let''s go see her together!"

    "Huh?"

    "Let''s follow Mika and take a look at the person that she''s going to meet with!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I don''t want to do such a thing."

    "You hesitated just now, didn''t you? Actually, you really want to go see!"

    "While I do want to go take a look, there''ll be chances to meet that teacherter. There''s no need to do such a thing. Besides, Mika might have left already."

    "Don''t be like that~ Stalking and peeping can be quite fun, you know~"

    "Don''t say it like you enjoy such activities!"

    "It is a Spirit Controller that we don''t know, though. Aren''t you even a little worried about Mika meeting this person by herself?"

    "Er¡­" This was a good one.

    "If you''re worried about your clumsy friend and want to secretly protect her, you have to follow her!" Chiaki made it sound like it was an act of justice.

    "I feel like you''re just covering up your intentions in pretty words¡­"

    "Stalking and peeping are necessary evil! For the greater good!"

    "After hearing this, it definitely doesn''t sound like it''s for the greater good."

    "In order to protect those dear to us, let us transform into the darkness!"

    "Even if you use cool-sounding anime lines, it''s still the same."

    Seiji thought things over even as he retorted, "Still, about worrying¡­ I am a little worried, so let''s go check things out."

    "Wee to the dark side!"

    "No, I''m still a loyal member of the light."

    Seiji hung up the call and then dialed Mika''s number.

    "Did you contact Kinchi-san?"

    "I did."

    "When and where are you meeting her?"

    "One hourter, at the ck Sugar coffee caf¨¦ in the business district¡­ why are you asking about this?"

    "Although Zhao-san rmended her to you, she''s still a Spirit Ability user that we don''t know. I''m a little worried, so I''d like to follow along," Seiji said. "I won''t join in the conversation, I''ll just be around nearby for protection."

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Is that alright with you?"

    "Yeah¡­ Thank you," Mika said with sincere feelings. "I feel so reassured with you close by."

    "It''s good as long as you don''t think I''m butting in too much." Seiji chuckled.

    Right now, he felt like an older brother who was worried about his younger sister going to meet an inte friend for the first time. To be more specific, he felt just like Kyousuke Kousaka from My Little Sister Can''t Be This Cute!

    As an aside, the person Mika was going to meet was named Ruri Kinchi, and had the same first name as one of the main female characters from My Little Sister Can''t Be This Cute, Ruri Gokou¡­ it really felt subtle to him.

    This Kinchi-san, she wouldn''t happen to be just like "Kuroneko" Ruri Gokou and be a girl with ck long hair, have a creamyplexion, red eyes, and be a chuunibyou who enjoyed wearing gothic lolita clothes, would she?

    Hahaha, how was that possible? That would be impossible.

    Seiji felt like he had been infected by Chiaki with the bad habit of thinking too much into things.

    However¡­

    One hourter, at the ck Sugar coffee caf¨¦, he was astonished.

 Chapter 404 - Normally, I charge for this service

    <h4>Chapter 404: Normally, I charge for this service</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A petite woman with dark long sleek brown hair that reached her waist, sleek bangs, and a creamyplexion walked into the store. She was a beauty who had vividly red eyes.

    She was wearing a ckce dress with a white jacket. Although she wasn''t wearing the gothic lolita style, it felt rather simr.

    ''No way¡­ a ''Kuroneko'' for real!?''

    Seiji was unable to believe what he just saw.

    They had an over 90% resemnce! Even the fact that they had moles by their eyes was the same. The only difference was in the location.

    This was the first time Seiji had ever seen someone with such a high degree of resemnce to a fictional character from his previous world. He was truly astonished.

    He stared at the girl walking up the stairs to the second floor of the coffee caf¨¦ in stunned amazement.

    "I think that she''s Kinsa-san," said Chiaki who was sitting across from Seiji. "How about you?"

    Seiji was still in a stunned state.

    Chiaki had to call out to him one more time to help him regain his senses.

    "Er¡­ Sorry, what did you say just now?"

    "I said that I think she''s probably Kinsa-san, because I can feel that she''s no ordinary woman." Chiaki looked towards Seiji. "You seemed to be looking at her in fascination. Could you have fallen in love at first sight?"

    "No, I just¡­" Seiji paused for a moment as he considered how to exin. "She just happened to greatly resemble a character I thought of in my story, which was why I was so astonished."

    "Oh? How simr?"

    "Almost exactly identical, right down to details like the mole by her eye."

    "That''s really quite simr, then." Chiaki blinked. "Could it be that you''ve met her somewhere before, so you reflexively imagined her as one of the characters in your novel?"

    "No, I''m certain that I''ve never met her before."

    "That''s such a wondrous coincidence then."

    "Yes¡­ it truly is wondrous," Seiji eximed sincerely.

    This was going to be a challenging job.

    That was Ruri Kinsa''s opinion after learning the basic situation from her new female disciple as well as seeing her disciple''s spiritual creature.

    Although Ruri had experience in teaching others, this girl named Mika Uehara was a rather special case.

    Firstly, Mika had been an ordinary person not long ago.

    Secondly, the spiritual creature that Mika possessed was highly unusual.

    As a Spirit Controller, Ruri was confident about her knowledge in this field. However, she waspletely unable to see through or understand what the spiritual creature named "Mashiro Uehara" was supposed to be.

    Even though its internal structure was obviously chaotic, it was still alive, and obviously quite intelligent. It seemed at the level of a human child, which was truly strange.

    This type of creature shouldn''t exist¡­ or at the very least, Ruri didn''t know of any such creature that existed.

    However, it indeed existed.

    Although Ruri was self-aware, knowing that her own knowledge was limited, "Mashiro Uehara" still gave her an impact regarding her knowledge. It was as if an expert on animal species had suddenly met an alien lifeform, something out of her domain of knowledge.

    She needed some time to take it all in still. That was how much of an impact she had received.

    Teaching aplete newbie who had just been an ordinary human not long ago was already a difficult task. On top of that, this newbie possessed such a mysterious spiritual creature. Ruri couldn''t think of any words to describe things other than "challenging."

    If this was a simtion video game of some sort, this type of setting would definitely be the most hellish and difficult one.

    She didn''t fear such a challenging difficulty, but rather the opposite. She reveled in such situations.

    "Let''s begin with having you cultivate Spiritual Power." Ruri sipped on some coffee as she told this to Mika.

    "Eh?"

    "The way to get stronger as a Spirit Controller is to raise both your personal strength as well as your spiritual creature''s strength. But since your spiritual creature is far too unusual, I don''t know how to raise its strength, so I''m first going to have you try improving your own power level."

    "Oh¡­" Mika nodded.

    "Tomorrow¡­ no, let''s start this afternoon. Will there be any problems with that?" Ruri asked while looking at Mika.

    "This afternoon¡­ That''s fine!" Mika was nervous at first, but soon revealed an expression of resolution. "I''ll try my very best," she said in a serious manner.

    "Excellent."

    ''Nice attitude she has there. I hope she can maintain it.'' Ruri thought that to herself.

    "Although, I have a question¡­"

    "What is it?"

    "Should I call you ''Master'' from now on?"

    Ruri blinked with her vividly red eyes as she smiled.

    "You could just call me sensei, but being called master sounds nice as well. You can do as you like."

    "Then¡­ Master Kinsa, please take good care of me from now on!" The twintailed girl lowered her head in deference.

    "Yep, I''ll teach you well, Mika."

    Seiji and Chiaki saw Mikaing downstairs together with the red-eyed beautiful young woman.

    "It was her as I thought! I guessed it! You''re treating me to our next meal." Chiaki was all proud of herself.

    "Stop pretending like we had a bet." Seiji gave her a sidelong nce before looking back towards Mika and the red-eyed woman.

    Mika looked at him as well, and smiled towards him.

    Ruri noticed this.

    "Was that handsome boy someone you knew?" She asked after they exited the coffee caf¨¦.

    "Yeah, he''s my friend¡­" Mika paused for a moment. "Actually, he was worried about me, so he followed me."

    "Haha¡­ a knight in shining armor." Ruri smiled faintly. "Was the girl sitting together with him also one of your friends?"

    "Yes, the two of them are my most important friends."

    "One boy and two girls¡­ this type of friendship can change easily." The red-eyed young woman''s mouth subtly arced upwards.

    "Eh?"

    "Although a change in friendship is also a type of youthful experience, I don''t wish to see my disciple receiving too much of an impact from it which could cause you to be depressed and neglect cultivation. Let''s take care of it right here and now." Ruri paused in her footsteps.

    "Er¡­ Take care?" Mika felt an ominous premonition.

    "Yep. First, answer me, do you like that boy?"

    "Er¡­ this¡­"

    Ruri was instantly certain of the answer when she looked at the twintailed girl''s expression.

    "Now then, select the method to deal with this matter. The first is to make that boy fall in love with you, while the second is to make them dislike each other. Which do you choose?"

    "This¡­" Mika widened her eyes in surprise.

    "I rmend the first method as it''s more direct. But if you don''t like it, choose the second." Ruri smiled. "I can urately control the level of like that they have for each other to maintain their friendship, but make it impossible for them to develop into lovers."

    Her current smile was not only beautiful, it also seemed slightly devilish.

    Mika was stunned by the sight.

    She didn''t expect that her nice-seeming master had such a side to her.

    "I¡­ I don''t want to do this!" Mika hurriedly said when she finally returned to her senses.

    "Hm?"

    "I don''t want to do either method¡­ I don''t want to treat them like that."

    "Why?"

    "Because they''re my friends!"

    "It''s precisely because you''re friends that you have to take care of things early. Otherwise, you''ll lose this friendship." Ruri''s smile became even more devilish.

    "This¡­ something sounds wrong about that!" Mika denied it.

    "Where am I wrong? I''m thinking about things for your sake. If it wasn''t for the fact that you''re an important disciple of mine that I must take good care of, I would never do such a thing for free."

    "Free¡­ Master, could it be that¡­"

    "Yep, normally I charge a fee for this type of thing. My prices aren''t cheap." The red-eyed young woman ran her fingers through her own hair, seeming quite attractive while doing so.

 Chapter 405 - Great Misfortune

    <h4>Chapter 405: ''Great Misfortune''</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    She typically charged for such a service?

    Spiritual Ability users¡­ did Spirit Controllers typically do such things!?

    Mika''s mouth was now wide agape in astonishment.

    "Teehee¡­* Ruri giggled at this.

    She clutched her arms as she covered her mouth andughed. There was an alluring light in her red eyes.

    "Hee hee hee¡­ I was just joking."

    "Eh?"

    "I was just joking, making things up," Ruri stated in a casual manner. "I didn''t expect that you''d treat it all as real, and even had such an expression. You''re so cute."

    Mika was left speechless.

    "M¡­ Master!"

    This joke was a bit overboard! Mika''s expression became angry.

    Ruri smiled as she looked at Mika''s face. Something shed in Ruri''s eyes.

    "Although I was joking, I basically understand now that you''re an honest and well-behaved child."

    "Er?"

    "If you chose to ''take care'' of the matter in either fashion, I really do have the power to do what I just said. But, you didn''t choose to do so, how well-behaved of you¡­ or should I call you na?ve?"

    Ruri reached out with her hand and smiled ambiguously as she caressed Mika on the cheek.

    "I don''t dislike disciples like you."

    Mika didn''t know what to say as she felt the touch of Ruri''s hand on her cheek.

    "Heh heh." The red-eyed young woman retracted her hand. "See youter this afternoon, Mika."

    She turned around and left with her hair flowing in the wind.

    Stunned, Mika simply stared at Ruri''s disappearing figure.

    She felt something indescribable in her heart¡­ she didn''t regain her senses until a familiar voice called out to her.

    "What''s the matter, being so lost in your thoughts? Did you fall in love with your beautiful teacher?" Chiaki joked.

    Then, she saw that Mika had aplex expression.

    "What''s with your expression? Did something happen?"

    "No¡­ it''s nothing." Mika averted her gaze.

    It was quite obvious that it wasn''t nothing.

    Seiji and Chiaki exchanged awkward nces.

    "What exactly happened, Mika? Is there something weird about that teacher of yours?" ''This identically named Ruri isn''t actually a chuunibyou as well, is she?'' Seiji thought thest part to himself.

    The twintailed girl fell silent for a moment.

    "Should I say that she''s a little weird, or terrible¡­?" she muttered to herself.

    Seiji and Chiaki were both mystified.

    "I think it should be fine¡­ probably." Mika sighed after struggling with her inner conflict.

    After that, she didn''t say anything else.

    Although they were still somewhat worried about Mika''s condition, Seiji and Chiaki were unable to pry any further since Mika herself said that things "should be fine."

    Afterwards, the three of them returned to the Uehara apartments.

    Seiji was going to take Reo with him, and Mika was taking her mother as well. They were all going to go together to the shrine to greet the New Year.

    The moment Seiji entered his apartment, he saw that Kaede was in the living room ying games together with Reo.

    "Happy New Year, Harano-kun."

    "Happy New Year, Juumonji-sensei." Seiji looked at her. "We''re about to go greet the New Year. Would you like toe with us, Sensei?"

    "Sure." Kaede smiled as she agreed.

    After taking the loli and the mature woman with him, he saw the widow from next door.

    "Happy New Year, everyone." Nozomi Uehara greeted them.

    Seiji and the others wished her a Happy New Year as well.

    Then, Nozomi gave Reo some money as a New Year''s present, and Reo delightedly thanked Nozomi.

    ''Should I be giving Reo some spending money as well?'' Seiji wondered to himself.

    Their procession headed for the shrine.

    "Seigo, when we''re drawing fortunes for this new year, let''s have apetition about who has the best fortune." Chiaki started a topic of conversation.

    "Alright then, what should we bet on for winning and losing?" Seiji epted.

    "If I win, you have to sleep with me."

    "Don''t immediately ask for something ridiculous!"

    "If I lose, I have to sleep with you."

    "Hey! Isn''t that the exact same thing!"

    "If I can have Harano-kun sleep with me if I win, then I want to join this little bettingpetition as well." Kaede grinned as she joined in.

    "Sensei, please take more care of yourself!" Mika retorted.

    "I also somewhat want to participate." Nozomi was also grinning.

    "Mom! Same with you!"

    "I get to sleep together with Harano onii-san every day. I don''t need to participate." Reo proudly lifted her face.

    The atmosphere instantly froze over.

    "Harano-kun¡­"

    "Is what she said true?"

    Kaede and Nozomi maintained their smiles as they both stared at Seiji with something abnormal shing in their eyes.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt like he was breaking into a cold sweat.

    "Um¡­ that''s because there''s no more beds in my apartment¡­"

    He exined while withstanding an invisible pressure, and did his very best to not appear insecure at all.

    Chiaki grinned as she watched this scene, and refrained from making more chaos for the time being. Mika observed this coldly.

    With Reo being a witness, Kaede and Nozomi epted Seiji''s exnation. He was barely able to escape from being suspected as a pervert.

    "How unfortunate that you weren''t executed¡­ whoops, I meant that''s great, Seigo." Chiaki smiled.

    "You! It''s all because of you!"

    "How about we discuss next about what you feel about sleeping together with Reo every night?"

    "Please stop! It''s all my fault!"

    Seiji almost felt like crying, only tears wouldn''te out.

    Chiaki giggled, then finally stopped teasing him and changed the topic of conversation.

    Everyoneughed and had fun chatting with each other as they walked towards the shrine.

    They finally reached the shrine.

    There were many people as expected. It was quite lively.

    Seiji and the others passed through the hordes of people and arrived at a torii gate which was quitemonly seen in anime. They went to the washing area to wash their hands and cleanse themselves, then went through another torii to the main temple.

    There was a line of people waiting to greet the New Year here.

    When it was Seiji and his friends'' turn, they tossed coins into the offering box, shook bells, bowed, pped, and made wishes.

    Seiji''s wish was for this New Year to be peaceful and happy for him and his friends.

    But judging from what happened already, that didn''t seem likely¡­

    After greeting the New Year, it was time to draw fortunes.

    Seiji received his fortune, and opened it up to see¡­

    "Great Misfortune."

    Seiji''s eyes twitched at this sight.

    ''Hey hey, aren''t the chances of drawing ''Great Misfortune'' on the New Year supposed to be incredibly small? Why did I get it with only a single try!?''

    If only he had such luck in his previous life making random draws in his cell phone games.

    "What did you draw, Seigo? ¡­Ahaha!" Chiaki came over to peek at his fortune, and instantly broke out intoughter. "You actually drew Great Misfortune! That''s so amazing, this one is even harder to draw than Great Fortune!" She keptughing uncontrobly.

    "Seigo got Great Misfortune?" Mika came over to have a look as well. "¡­This is my first time ever seeing the Great Misfortune fortune."

    Kaede, Nozomi, and even Reo mored to have a look.

    "This is my first time seeing Great Misfortune as well," Kaede said.

    "I drew it once when I was young. This is only my second time, though," Nozomi mentioned.

    "Great Misfortune? It seems really impressive." This was Reo''sment.

    "It''s really amazing. It''s the most difficult fortune to obtain, so it''s the coolest fortune of all!" Chiaki chuckled. "It''s your victory, Seigo."

    "I don''t want such a cool fortune at all to help me win our bet," Seiji sighed.

    "Actually, fortune or misfortune isn''t so important. What''s important is the content of your fortune," Nozomi smiled. "Take a look to see what''s written."

    Seiji checked over his fortune carefully.

    Romance, work, money, family, and health¡­ ording to his fortune, all of the above categories would have great misfortune. Then, the fortune also suggested how to mitigate or avoid such disasters from befalling him.

    At any rate, it seemed somewhat urate but also somewhat inurate.

    That was how things like fortunes were. Either you believed them, or you didn''t.

    "Did you finish reading your fortune? Show me as well! I''m quite curious what''s written on a Great Misfortune." Chiaki made such a request.

    "Please allow me to refuse," Seiji said decisively as he folded up his fortune.

    "Just let me take a little look, don''t be so stingy~"

    "I want to see it as well, especially what it says for the ''romance'' category."

    "I want to as well¡­"

    "Brother, I also want to see it."

    "Heh heh, I''d like to see it as well."

    "Please allow me to refuse!"

    Seiji felt as if some great misfortune would immediately befall him if he really showed them his fortune¡­ so he adamantly refused and hid his Great Misfortune fortune away in the area for hanging up the fortunes.

 Chapter 406 - â€œSoul Worldâ€

    <h4>Chapter 406: ¡°Soul World"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji was the only one who needed to hang up his fortune. Chiaki, Kaede, and Reo all drew "Good Fortune," while Mika and Nozomi both drew "Great Fortune."

    It would seem that the Uehara Family would be quite lucky this year.

    Next up was obtaining protective talismans and writing "emas". Emas were small wooden signs to inscribe one''s wishes for the New Year''s on, ced as an offering to pray for the gods'' protection.

    After doing all these things, that was the end of their greeting the New Year.

    After finishing his lunch, Seiji went to his study and began drawing.

    He wanted to finish all the insert art as soon as possible so that "Brother Monogatari" could have an early publication date.

    ''Oh hey, will the matter of demons harming people in town affect the sales of my book?'' Seiji was somewhat concerned about this.

    Although he didn''tck money now, he still hoped that his and Shika''s story could attract as many readers as possible. If this incident affected the sales potential, that would be unfortunate.

    However, there was no use being concerned about such a matter. He got rid of his idle thoughts and concentrated once more on drawing.

    Later that afternoon, he received a phone call from Natsuya.

    "Are you currently home?"

    "Yeah."

    "Can I go over there to your ce in a bit?"

    "Of course. What''s the matter?"

    "I have something to give to you."

    Not long after ending their short conversation, the student council president arrived.

    When she entered, Natsuya was somewhat astonished to see Kaede ying a game together with Reo.

    "Juumonji-sensei¡­ why are you here?"

    "She lives upstairs as my neighbor," Seiji exined.

    "Good afternoon, President Yoruhana." The blonde teacher politely greeted Natsuya.

    "Good afternoon¡­"

    The president had a subtle expression in her eyes as she looked at Kaede.

    "Cough, I should exin, Juumonji-sensei is actually¡­" Seiji wanted to exin.

    "I know who she is. I just didn''t expect that she was living here," Natsuya told him as she looked towards Kaede again. "Juumonji-sensei, thanks so much for your group''s (the Juumonji mafia group) assistance that time."

    "No need to be so polite, President Yoruhana," Kaede responded with a smile. "It was our honor to be able to assist you."

    The two of them seemed to nonverballymunicate something in the air with their eyes.

    "Seiji, let''s not bother Sensei and Tachibana-chan while they''re ying a game and move to another room to talk."

    Hearing Natsuya say this, Seiji led her to his study.

    Something shed in Kaede''s eyes as Seiji led Natsuya to the study.

    "How long has she been living here?" Natsuya immediately asked this question the moment she entered the study.

    "Slightly over one month, I think¡­ The second day that she arrived here was the first day that she started working at school." Seiji thought about it. "Oh, right, the day that she moved in was the same day that I brought your talismans over to the Juumonji Group."

    Natsuya didn''t respond to this.

    "It was quite a surprise for me as well when she moved here¡­ but we''re just neighbors." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face.

    "She''s staying quite naturally in your living room, and ying a game together with the little sister that you took in. She doesn''t appear like any ordinary neighbor."

    "Er¡­"

    "Did you ask her to take care of Reo Tachibana for you?"

    "No¡­ she just gets along really well with Reo¡­"

    Something shed slightly in Natsuya''s eyes.

    Seiji mysteriously felt somewhat insecure.

    "I came over this time in order to give you this." After a momentary silence, the student council president changed the topic of the conversation.

    She gave him a long-shaped box that she was holding and handed it to him.

    Seiji epted this box.

    "What''s this?"

    "It''s the spiritual weapon that I promised to get for you during the Winter Snow Festival."

    Seiji''s eyes lit up at hearing this as he ced the box on the table and opened it.

    He saw a bronze yellow-colored wooden sword inside.

    The sword seemed to be shing slightly, and tiny, elegant runes were carved into it. It definitely appeared rather beautiful.

    "This sword was created using Kapok tree bark that was specially cultivated with spiritual powers. In its normal condition, it has hardness equaling that of steel. Once you inject Mana into it, you can increase either its sharpness or hardness, and use it as either a blunt weapon or a sword. It''s capable of attacking both the physical and the spiritual," Natsuya exined. "If you master its usage, you can even send out sword waves with it as a form of ranged attack to slice your target."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji picked up the wooden sword and felt that it was rather heavy. Still, it was slightly lighter than a metal club would be.

    He gripped the sword hilt and felt that it was quitefortable to hold.

    He attempted to swing it twice in midair, making a whishing sound in the air.

    "Awesome, I really like it!" He thanked Natsuya sincerely.

    "That''s good, then. There''s also an instruction book on how to use it in the box. Read over it carefully."

    A wooden sword even had its own instruction booklet¡­ Well, he figured that it was probably beginner-level spiritual weapon sword techniques.

    He picked up with white little booklet in the box and read it over.

    The contents were easy enough to understand as they were indeed beginner-level.

    "Apart from the wooden sword, I''m also giving this to you." Natsuya handed him a ck sh drive.

    "What''s in this?"

    "Information regarding the Challenger''s Blood Wine. The password to the document is 44657. One hour after you open the document, it''ll automatically delete itself, so you need to finish reading it as soon as possible. Also, don''t attempt to copy or move the document, as that will cause it to immediately delete itself."

    "Got it." Seiji took the sh drive. "Thank you."

    "No need to be polite."

    Seiji pocketed the sh drive and put the wooden sword back in ints box.

    "As for the Midnight Spell¡­ er, that''s what I''m calling the grand-scale magic spell fromst night. Did you find anything out about it?"

    "I haven''t received any detailed information yet, but I''ve heard that it''s already been confirmed to be the work of a secret faction calling themselves ''Soul World.''" Natsuya blinked. "You''re calling that spell the Midnight Spell?"

    "Yes, I''m calling it that for the time being."

    "I think that''s quite an appropriate name for it." Natsuya agreed with his naming sense.

    "You can try letting more people call it by that, then." Seiji chuckled. "By the way, a secret faction¡­ are they a so-called ''mysterious organization?''"

    "I suppose you could say that¡­ no, they really are one of those so-called mysterious organizations." Natsuya sighed. "All of their members that have ever appeared before have currently gonepletely off the radar. Nor has it been possible to find out their members'' true identities. Their faction''s home base is unknown, and their members'' true names and identities are also unknown. They''re basically like a thick fog of mysteries. I''ve heard that their members sometimes sell strange but incredibly useful objects to certain people, and strictly require the buyers to keep them a secret¡­ Do you still remember the mysterious medicine that Okubo Yoshiaki possessed? It''s highly likely that he obtained that from a member of the Soul World organization."

    Seiji recalled the time when they were dueling against Okubo Yoshiaki, causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

    "Then, about the night of one hundred demons¡­ this incident with demons harming humans, what''s this about?" Seiji continued asking. "Just how was this situation created? Will it still continue?"

    "About this, right now it''s already confirmed that many demons have materialized and are injuring humans. As for how it specifically came about, that''s still unknown." Natsuya paused for a moment. "Perhaps it was one of that spell''s¡­ the Midnight Spell''s effects. Or it could be another spell''s effect from the Soul World faction, or it might have been caused by some other faction. As for whether or not it will continue, I don''t know. However, all the Spiritual Ability user factions are already on guard now. If this repeats again tonight, there will be even more people investigating the situation, finding out what''s going on as well as figuring out how to stop it."

    "That''s good, then."

    "Compared to an electronic andmunications systems breakdown, demons appearing and harming humans¡­ the night of one hundred demons is far more likely to cause great tremors in society and expose the existence of the mystical, which is why all the Spiritual Ability user factions will stop it as quickly as possible."

    ''Ah, that''s the same as what I expected,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    "By the way, about this faction called ''Soul World'', is there any particr meaning behind their name?" Seiji asked out of curiosity.

 Chapter 407 - Barriers

    <h4>Chapter 407: Barriers</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The faction named Soul World caused Seiji to recall the antagonist faction in the Thunderbolt puppet show from his previous world.

    The Thunderbolt puppet show was a series of puppet shows that all had the word "Thunderbolt" in its name. Puppet shows, as per the name, were performances held by manipting puppet marites.

    The Thunderbolt puppet show series was a miracle amongst all puppet shows back in his previous world! Not only did it sessfully have a television drama made about it that spanned over two thousand episodes, there was even a movie.

    The puppet show made use of modern technology andputer CGI to improve itself, which helped improve its effects much better than what could be done with only traditional methods. However, what people paid attention to the most was still its outstanding plot.

    Apart from traditional wuxia, the series also had mystical and science fiction elements, with demons, monsters, vampires from western culture, robots, biologically engineered humans, and other such characters. There were space and time dimensional battles that took ce in the past as well as dimensional traveling to other worlds for battles in different dimensions¡­ it was a series that kept up with the times, just like an anime or a manga would!

    Seiji understood all this because a famous scriptwriter for depressing stories who was also known as a "Warrior of Love" had written the script for one of this puppet show''s scripts. And, this puppet show had a movie produced and directed by the same Thunderbolt puppet showpany.

    At the time that he learned all this, he felt that it was truly eye-opening. If it wasn''t for the fact that he found it difficult to ept the drawing style for the puppet show''s media, he might even have be a fan.

    Cough, he had gotten sidetracked.

    At any rate, there was a gigantic antagonist faction in the Thunderbolt puppet show series named Soul World as well, which was why he''d thought about it. As for this world, did the name "Soul World" have some particr meaning for the mystical society?

    "It does," Natsuya told him. "The legends about a ''Soul World'' refer to a special dimension that exists in theher world, where countless ghosts and demon spirits that want to return to life in our world will gather along other demons and spirits that want toe toe to our world to spread harm and chaos. They''ll constantly crash against the barriers between theher world and our world. However, the barrier will absorb their power and automatically repair itself, so their actions only harm themselves, and are considered meaningless."

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "If they''re naming themselves after such a location, does that hint at their goal being to have demons and spirits fill our world?"

    "It''s possible, but it''s also possible that they want to have a mysterious-sounding name." Natsuya shrugged.

    As for what the organization''s name really meant, only the organization''s members would know. There was no point in being too concerned about it for now. Seiji understood.

    But, the night of one hundred demons was already going on, and on top of that, having learned the meaning behind this faction''s name¡­ Seiji was feeling a faintly ominous premonition.

    "I''d like to be able to protect my friends that are just ordinary people. Is there some good method to do this?"

    "How many do you want to protect?" Natsuya looked towards him.

    "About ten or so."

    "They wouldn''t happen to all be girls, would they?"

    "No¡­ there are boys as well."

    "How many are boys?"

    "¡­Two."

    Natsuya didn''t respond for a long while to this.

    Seiji felt like it was rather painful being stared at by her.

    "If you want to protect ordinary people, you can set up magic barriers around them," Natsuya told him after staring at him for several seconds. "You can have barrier spells cast around their persons or ce barriers where they live."

    "Barriers¡­ the ones I know now are only capable of protecting myself." Seiji sighed. "I wonder if Shika-chan is able to cast barrier spells¡­"

    Shika knew how to use basic barrier spells, but he was unsure whether she was capable of casting longsting maintainable barrier spells that were strong enough to defend against demons and spirits. He would have to ask herter.

    "You can also hire a Spiritual Ability user to cast barrier spells on the people important to you."

    "How much would the price be for that?"

    "I''m not sure myself¡­ It''s probably influenced by several factors such as whether the barrier spell is for a person or a location, as well as the strength of the barrier and size of the barrier, so the price will likely fluctuate greatly."

    "Please introduce someone who can cast such barrier spells to me."

    "I think that it''s better if you ask Houjou-san rather than me. She''s more knowledgeable than I am in this area."

    Seiji nodded.

    "I have to leave now as I still have other things I must do," Natsuya told him. "If anything else happens, contact me."

    "Yeah¡­ I''m grateful to you, Natsuya."

    The two of them left the study.

    Something shed in Kaede''s eyes as she stood up when she saw that Natsuya Yoruhana was preparing to leave.

    "President Yoruhana, may I discuss something with you?"

    "Hmm?" Natsuya looked towards the blonde teacher. "Is there something the matter? Juumonji-sensei."

    "Yes, it''s about the Juumonji Group¡­" Kaede walked closer to her and began whispering. "Last night, someone in our group was attacked by a demon, and was seriously injured¡­ We''re all quite worried because we don''t know if something simr will happen again tonight¡­"

    "You should discuss this problem of yours with Seiji as he''ll know how to deal with it," Natsuya told her. "I have something urgent to take care of, so I don''t have the time right now. Please forgive me."

    "Ah¡­ I''m sorry for bothering you."

    "Please don''t say that, I should be the one apologizing for being unable to help out¡­ Goodbye."

    The student council president left.

    Seiji returned to his apartment after seeing her out.

    "Harano-kun¡­ I''m sorry." Kaede lowered her head in apology.

    "Eh? Why are you apologizing?" Seiji was confused.

    The blonde teacher had an expression of guilt, but she didn''t exin anything.

    After a momentary silence.

    "I don''t feel like you have anything to apologize for, so I don''t really know what''s going on." Seiji looked towards Kaede. "But, if you don''t want to exin, then I won''t pry."

    "Thank you¡­" Kaede looked at him. "Harano-kun¡­ you''re so gentle."

    Why was it that her favorability rating of him was suddenly shooting up?

    Seiji was mystified by this, but immediately put it behind him.

    "As for how to defend against sudden demon attacks, I know the method now. Wait for me for a moment, as I need to discuss some things with some people."

    After telling this to Kaede, he went to go knock on his adopted sister''s door.

    He met with Shika and exined the situation to her.

    "I''m able to cast and maintain demon-repelling barriers, but I''m unable to be too far away from my own barriers or they''d copse¡­ I can''t make a barrier to the extent Brother wants. I apologize." Shika lowered her head.

    "No need to apologize, I''m not ming you." Seiji smiled wryly. ''Why is everyone apologizing to me all of a sudden?''

    He reached out and patted his adopted younger sister on the head.

    "It''s fine if you can''t do it. There''s other methods avable. No need for you to feel bad."

    After coaxing Shika, he went back to his study and made a call with his cell phone.

    "Good afternoon, junior. What business do you have with me?"

    "Good afternoon, Senpai. I''vee to give you some more work again."

    "Heh heh, do you want to deal with someone again?" He heard the sound of Mai chuckling.

    "No, the opposite. I want to protect some people¡­"

    Seiji exined the situation.

    "Establishing magical barriers¡­ I have an acquaintance that''s skilled at this," Mai told him after listening to what he needed. "Her prices are quite high, but her barriers are highly reliable. You get what you pay for."

    "What''s her specific price range?"

    "It''s better if you ask her directly. Her name is Shizuka Saran. Let me contact her first. Wait for a few minutes."

    They ended their conversation there.

    Shizuka¡­ this name caused Seiji to recall Doraemon as that was the name of the female lead in that story about a blue chubby robotic cat. She was the goddess of his childhood.

    As for Shizuka''sst name in the Doraemon story, Seiji figured that few people would remember it. However, herst name was Minamoto, the same Minamoto as Minamoto no Raiko.

    Seiji patiently waited.

    A few minutester, an unfamiliar phone number called his cell phone.

    "Good afternoon."

    "Good afternoon¡­ am I speaking to Seigo Harano-san?" a soft-sounding female voice spoke on the phone.

    "That''s me."

    "I''m Shizuka Saran¡­ Houjou-san told me that you would like to request my services for magical barriers¡­ is that the case?"

    "Yes, what''s your asking price for such a service, Saran-san?"

    "Houjou-san told me that you intend to protect ordinary people¡­ in such a scenario, I rmend that you use the reactive-type barrier¡­"

    Barriers'' activation methods included reactive types that only activated on an attack, barrier types that could be activated at any time, orbination types that were an ovep of the two.

    To use analogies, the first type was like andmine that would automatically activate when a demon attacked. The second type was more like a hand grenade and could be activated at any time when necessary. The third type was abination of the two, being both reactive and possible to be activated.

    For ordinary people, the reactive type was the most rmended. The barrier could be maintained for seventy-two hours. The lowest-strength reactive-type barrier would cost 150,000 sakuras for the seventy-two hours.

    If the reactive barrier was activated within its maintainable timeframe, it would transform into a normal strength barrier. After seventy-two hours, it would still work, but the barrier''s strength would gradually decrease more and more, and holes would even appear in it. In order to maintain the barrier''s strength, it would require the additional injection of Mana into it as a form of recharging. Recharging the barrier would cost 100,000 sakuras for each time.

    The longer the barrier could be maintained without recharging, or the stronger the barrier''s strength, the higher the price would be. The same went for the price to recharge.

    As for fixed-location barriers, the price to cast a barrier over a 25 square meter area was roughly three times the price to cast a barrier on a person.

    After learning all of this, Seiji told Shizuka that he would consider things.

 Chapter 408 - Youâ€™re actually a Spiritual Ability user?

    <h4>Chapter 408: You¡¯re actually a Spiritual Ability user?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A minimum of 150,000 sakuras per person was no small price.

    As for Chiaki, she said already that she was going to Mika''s ce to stay over tonight, so Chiaki should be fine. Peach-sensei could probably afford the payments for her and Editor Yoshizawa''s protection. As for Hisashi, he could also afford the payment. Kaede was living right above him, so it wouldn''t be necessary.

    As for Hoshi, he was currently living with Rika Amami, the confectionery store owner and manager¡­ Perhaps Rika would be able to pay. As for Rion and Kotomi, they were currently living together with their grandfather, Shouzou Amami.

    Seiji recalled the time when he met the Amami Family''s grandfather.

    Although they never discussed the mystical during theirst meeting, Seiji''s instinct told him that Shouzou might know something about the mystical side of society.

    And so, Seiji decided to have a talk with Shouzou about it.

    He immediately called Shouzou, and Shouzou epted the call quickly.

    "Good afternoon, Young Master Seiji." Shouzou''s raspy voice greeted him.

    "Good afternoon, Amami-san¡­ please don''t address me like that."

    The old man chuckled.

    "Harano-kun, is something the matter?"

    "It''s like this, Amami-san. Although we didn''t mention itst time we met, you probably know about the ''mystical'' side of society, right?" Seiji tried asking Shouzou.

    "Yes, I know about it." Shouzou admitted it directly.

    "Amami-san, are you a Spiritual Ability user?"

    "I was once in the past."

    "In the past?"

    "Now I''m just an ordinary old man."

    "Oh¡­" It would seem that there was a story behind this. "Since Amami-san knows about the mystical, this will be much easier." Seiji paused for a moment. "I would like to discuss what happenedst night¡­" He gave a rough exnation of the situation.

    "Thank you so much for being concerned about my grandson and granddaughters," Shouzou thanked him sincerely after hearing his words.

    "They''re my friends andpanions. It''s what I should do."

    "Heh heh, I definitely didn''t misjudge you."

    Seiji felt rather awkward about being praised like this.

    "As for the matter of barriers, there''s no need, Harano-kun. Although I''m no longer a Spiritual Ability user, I still have some connections in that side of society. I''m capable of protecting my family from demons and spirits."

    "I see¡­ Since Amami-san says so, I feel more reassured now."

    "Harano-kun, please be careful yourself as well. It''s nice that you''re thinking about others, but it''s more important to protect yourself."

    "I will. Thank you."

    They ended the conversation there.

    It seemed that he wouldn''t need to worry about the Amami family.

    That just left Yukari and Kaho¡­ what should he do?

    If the night of one hundred demons was a real threat, then he should exin it to them. But, the problem was that this threat was rather uncertain.

    Perhaps demons wouldn''t appear anymore tonight¡­ Perhaps he was being overly concerned, just like how he wouldn''t know if it would rain tonight or not, but he still wanted to buy a super expensive umbre. In such a situation, was it really alright to tell them about the existence of the mystical?

    Seiji thought over this question for quite a while.

    In the end, he decided that he should tell them.

    Although it was also alright to secretly pay for their personal barriers out of his own money without telling them about it, he felt that it wasn''t something very good to do.

    ''Let''s just tell them the truth and face it together.''

    Mayuzumi was quite astonished to hear from Seiji about her uncle''s true former identity as a member of the mystical side of society.

    After thinking it over for a little while, she decided not to trouble her uncle. She would personally pay for barriers to protect her and her good friend Saki.

    As for how she would convince the editor to ept such an expensive protection, Seiji didn''t know.

    After Hisashi learned about this avable option, he requested to purchase three personal barriers, as well as a 50-square-meter fixed-location barrier.

    Seiji immediately contacted Shizuka Saran again and ced his order.

    "I need some time to prepare for these barriers. I''ll contact you again after I''m finished with my preparations."

    "How long do you need."

    "Approximately three hours."

    "I might order some more barriers from youter. Is that alright?"

    "Yes¡­ Feel free to contact me if you need my services."

    They ended the phone call there.

    After that, Seiji called Yukari.

    "Good afternoon. Do you have time to meet up?"

    Yukari was quite surprised to receive an invitation to meet up from Seigo Harano.

    When he told her that he wanted to discuss something important with her face to face, she agreed although she was somewhat confused.

    What important thing could it be?

    No matter what, she was happy to be able to meet with him.

    After dressing herself appropriately, Yukari headed over to Seiji''s apartment.

    "Sorry for suddenly calling you out like this." Seiji opened the door for her when she knocked.

    "It''s fine, I just happened to be free." Yukari smiled as she entered his apartment.

    Seiji had Yukari sit down by the kotatsu and served her some tea and confectioneries. After that, he took out a white gift box.

    "This is my return present for the Winter Snow Festival. I apologize that I''m only giving it to you now."

    "Thank you," Yukari epted it happily. "Can I open it up right now?"

    "Of course."

    Yukari immediately opened up the box to see an exquisite light novel illustrations collection¡ªthis was something that she had been wanting recently!

    "This¡­ is amazing." Yukari was delighted with this present to the point where her eyes were sparkling. "This was something I really wanted¡­ did I ever mention it to you before?"

    "No, you didn''t. I just felt like this light novel illustration collection was pretty good and that you''d like it as you''re also an artist yourself," Seiji told her.

    Actually, he had used the power of the gift information card in his system.

    "I really like it! Thank you for giving me this." Yukari smiled beautifully; it came from her heart.

    She was more delighted with the fact that he gave her such an appropriate present for her rather than the light novel illustration collection itself.

    Seiji was entranced by her beautiful smile, and was slightly dazed.

    "¡­It''s good that you like it." He sipped on his tea in order to help him regain his senses.

    "Was the important thing you mentioned this present you gave me?"

    "No, it''s more about what I mentioned this morning¡­" Seiji paused for a moment before lifting his head and looking into her eyes. "If I tell you that there really are demons out there harming humans, what will you think?"

    "Eh?"

    "There really are demons out there, as well as Spiritual Ability users that exist. I''m one of them."

    Yukari was rendered speechless.

    She didn''t know how to react to this sudden revtion, and her expression became a little strange.

    Of course, Seiji wasn''t surprised at all that she reacted in this manner.

    In order to make her believe as quickly as possible, he lifted his hand and cast the most pretentious spell he knew in his arsenal.

    *Whoosh!*

    The light novel illustration collection began to fly in midair.

    Then, it dropped down back towards the table, but flew up again when it was almost about to hit the table. Then, it flew in all sorts of random directions, flew in circles, whirled around in midair, and flipped itself around and around¡­ all sorts of fancy flight paths.

    The purple-haired girl was stunned to see this sight.

    Finally, the light novel illustration collectionnded back in Seiji''s hands.

    "Go ahead and inspect this. There''s no tricks to it whatsoever," he told her as he handed her the light novel illustration collection.

    Yukari maintained her dazed expression as she woodenly epted the illustration collection and inspected it.

    It didn''t seem like there were any tricks possible to her¡­

    "Actually, I can perform the same thing with other objects as well. As long as the object isn''t too heavy, I can do the exact same thing with it."

    The purple-haired girl looked at him once more when she heard him state that in a calm manner. She saw that he had quite a serious expression.

    "Spiritual Ability user¡­" Yukari muttered to herself.

    "It must be difficult for you to ept, but¡ª"

    "Amazing!" Yukari''s eyes began sparkling even shinier than when she received the present earlier. "Seigo, you''re actually a Spiritual Ability user¡­ no wonder you''re so strong!"

 Chapter 409 - I can take care of it with just my imposing manner!

    <h4>Chapter 409: I can take care of it with just my imposing manner!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was considered a mystery why Seigo Harano was so strong.

    Regarding the incidents involving him at the tennis club and basketball club, that could be still attributed to having overwhelming stamina. However, the fact that he single-handedly defeated the entire karate club by himself had far surpassed what could be exined by having excellent stamina. That was overwhelming strength as if he was a dragon, which was how he obtained the nickname of "Magic-devouring dragon."

    Yukari had personally witnessed his astonishing strength at the doujinshi convention¡­ his cosy "swordfight" had seemed too realistic and amazing. It was obvious that it was out of the ordinary.

    Many students in Genhana High School had discussed amongst themselves the reason for his strength before. They guessed various things such as whether or not it was rted to his family background or if he had a hidden identity, such as being a former child soldier mercenary, special forces operative, assassin, and so on.

    The fact that he never joined any sports clubs in the end was something that was attention-inducing as well. Although Seigo gave an exnation for not joining any sports clubs, people found his exnation difficult to believe and interpreted it as him wanting to keep a low profile.

    And now, Yukari Asamiya learned the truth.

    Seigo Harano was no ordinary person. He was a Spiritual Ability user!

    Due to being a Spiritual Ability user, he had more power than ordinary people. Due to being a Spiritual Ability user, he didn''t join any clubs in order to avoid drawing too much attention¡­ everything made sense now!

    Seiji was rather astonished that Yukari believed him so easily. He even impulsively wanted to ask her why she believed him so readily.

    But, he suppressed this unnecessary impulse of his. After all, it was a good thing that she was willing to believe him.

    "I''m happy that you''re willing to believe me." Seiji smiled. "To be honest, I was hesitating whether to tell you or not. Now, it seems like I made the correct decision."

    "Thank you for being willing to tell me your secret." Yukari smiled back at him.

    "You probably think that this is all really sudden. There''s a reason for this. Last night¡­" Seiji gave her a rough exnation of the Midnight Spell and the situation with the night of one hundred demons, along with his own opinion of what was going on. "¡­Although I''m not certain whether or not it will happen again tonight, I''m rather worried. You could call it an ominous premonition. Although my power is limited, I still want to do what I can to protect all my friends within my power. And so, I came up with the idea of personal barriers¡­"

    Yukari silently listened to his full exnation.

    "Thank you for being so worried about me," she told him softly while looking into his eyes. "Now, I''m feeling like it''s a wonderful thing that I fell in love with you."

    Another direct attack!

    Seiji felt that it was difficult to face her gentle expression head on, and lowered his head to sip on some more tea to conceal his embarrassment.

    Yukari could tell that he was embarrassed, which gave her a warm feeling inside.

    There was a moment of silence between them.

    "Barriers mean that things will certainly be safe, while without a barrier, there''s only a risk, not certain danger, right?"

    "Yes."

    "In that case, I choose not to use a barrier," Yukari told him.

    "¡­Is it because it''s too expensive?"

    "Indeed. Although you said that you''d pay for me, I don''t wish to trouble you to such an extent." The purple-haired girl smiled. "We''re only ''friends,'' and I shouldn''t have a friend pay so much money for my sake just because there''s the chance of danger."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He wanted to say something, but she said something first, "Of course, if you want to take care of me as your girlfriend, that''s another matter. I''d happily use your money."

    "What are you saying¡­" Seiji swallowed down his original sentence as he revealed a helpless expression.

    "I like the way you do things¡ªtelling me directly so that we can discuss things together rather than hiding things from me and secretly purchasing a barrier for me," Yukari continued. "While that can be termed as gentle, that''s all it is. Perhaps some girls will really like that, but I''m not that type. Compared to that type of gentleness, I prefer this type."

    Seiji looked at her.

    "If I don''t give you the money and lend it to you instead¡­ won''t that work then?"

    "If there''s certain danger, then I wouldn''t hesitate. But, you said that the danger''s only a possibility."

    "Although it''s only a possibility, it''s quite dangerous if you really do meet with a demon."

    "It''s just a demon. I can take care of it with just my imposing manner!" The purple-haired girl raised her head proudly.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Just joking. If that really happens, then I''ll have to ask you for help." Yukari chuckled. "At such a time, pleasee and save me as soon as you can, Mister Hero."

    "Yukari Asamiya-san¡­"

    "Are you thinking that I''m rather troublesome now? That''s right, that''s just how I am. Please take good care of me!"

    Seiji could only sigh at this.

    Although he indeed found it somewhat troublesome, he could still understand. After all, this was her way of being reserved as a girl.

    "If you meet with any demons, call me for help immediately." This was all he could say.

    "Yep, if I''m really that unlucky, I won''t care about anything else and I''ll call you immediately." Yukari then blinked. "Since you told me your secret, let me tell you one of my secrets as well."

    "Eh?"

    "Come closer, and give me your ear."

    Seiji was somewhat mystified, but he did as she requested.

    "My secret is¡­" The purple-haired girl got closer to his face and whispered in his ear.

    *Pucker.*

    There was a tiny sound.

    Seiji felt something warm and moist, which caused him to pause in surprise.

    His face turned red after he realized what just happened to him.

    "Heehee, ambush sessful~"

    Yukari''s delighted voice sounded next to him.

    Seiji looked over to see that the purple-haired beauty was blushing and her eyes were watery. She had a soft and seductive smile.

    "This is a girl''s secret deposit, Mister Hero."

    Only a long while after Yukari left did the heat on Seiji''s face finally dissipate.

    He had been kissed! Kissed! Kissed!!

    It was already tremendously fortunate that Sergeant Haruta wasn''t instantly defeated by such an astonishingly heavy cannon attack.

    "What an amazing deposit¡­" Seiji sighed to himself in sincerity.

    After he finally calmed down, he called Kaho and learned that she had gone to another city together with her family to visit rtives.

    Since she wasn''t in this city, there probably wasn''t anything to worry about.

    Seiji chatted a little with Kaho before ending the phone call.

    He took a sip of his tea and thought of the Fuuma Family as he looked at the exquisite tea set that came from them.

    He was somewhat worried¡­ so he gave a call to Airi Fuuma.

    Seiji learned that her entire family had returned to their hometown on New Year''s Eve and wasn''t staying in this city at all.

    Rather, Airi was concerned about her Seigo-senpai, since she had heard the news about demons appearing in the city.

    Seiji thanked her for her concern and wished her a happy New Year''s.

    After finishing the call, heid his head down on the kotatsu.

    Now, all he could do was wait¡­

    After dinner, Seiji received a phone call from Shizuka Saran. They agreed to meet in a private room at a coffee caf¨¦.

    When he arrived at the agreed-upon location, he saw a woman wearing a gray jacket and long pants. She also had headphones and a white breathing mask on. The only physical characteristic of hers that she revealed was her light green eyes.

    "Hello, are you Saran-san?"

    The woman nodded. "Please take a seat, Harano-san."

    Seiji sat down across from her as she took out a ck briefcase and ced it on the table. She opened it up and showed Seiji what was inside.

    Inside the briefcase were numerous light-yellow talismans with ck ink. Each talisman was embedded with a crystal in the center that was roughly the size of a finger.

    "Everything you wanted is here, including an instruction booklet on how to use these," Shizuka told him in a soft voice. Then, she took out a card reader and pushed it towards Seiji.

    Seiji took out his bank card and swiped it to pay her with.

    Shizuka''s card reader printed a receipt for him.

    "That concludes our deal¡­ thank you for your business."

    Shizuka Saran pushed the briefcase towards Seiji, put the card reader back in her purse, and left.

    After watching her leave, Seiji looked towards the briefcase again.

    The neatly stacked talismans in the briefcase had an out-of-the-ordinary quality to them. The white and yellow crystals within the talismans were sparkling slightly.

 Chapter 410 - Relax, itll be fine

    <h4>Chapter 410: Rx, it''ll be fine</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji took the briefcase over to Peach-sensei''s apartment and handed her two sets of personal barrier talismans along with the instruction booklet.

    "Keep the talisman on your body, and then read the incantation¡­" Mayuzumi tried using the talisman after she read the instructions.

    There was a sh of light.

    "The barrier has indeed activated." Using [Astral Vision], Seiji was able to see a faint white glow on Mayuzumi.

    "I can''t see it¡­"

    "This barrier is effective against physical attacks as well. Let''s try it out."

    Seiji asked Mayuzumi to bring him a broom. Then, he swung it at her using a slight amount of force.

    *Smack!* The broom was blocked by an invisible power.

    Seiji was clearly able to see in the field of his [Astral Vision] that a barrier spell formation had blocked his "attack."

    They had now confirmed that the product they purchased was working properly.

    Seiji said goodbye and left afterwards. Then, he headed for the Juumonji Group''s residence and gave three sets of personal barrier talismans and one set of fixed location barrier talismans to Hisashi together with the instruction booklet.

    "Thank you, Seigo. You''ve been a great help."

    "I only acted as the middleman. No need to be polite."

    The two of them exchanged smiles.

    They said goodbye to each other after wishing each other a Happy New Year''s.

    Shika ced some barriers of her own as well, protecting Seiji''s apartment, the Uehara Family''s residence, as well as Kaede''s apartment.

    Seiji chatted online with the three Amami siblings and learned that they received some talismans from their grandfather that appeared top-ss. They felt like these talismans really would have the ability to exorcise demons.

    Well, those talismans were the real deal¡­ But since Shouzou Amami didn''t tell them the truth, Seiji refrained from saying anything unnecessary.

    He hoped that there wouldn''t be a night of one hundred demons tonight.

    Although it would be somewhat awkward if the demons stopped appearing after he went to all this trouble for everyone, he still felt that it would be better than meeting actual danger.

    After he finished chatting with the Amami siblings, Seiji picked up his wooden sword.

    This Kapok tree bark sword that Natsuya gave him also gave him something in his [Gifts] rewards in his system¡ª[Beginner-level sword techniques learning card]!

    After he used this card, he was immediately able to learn [Martial arts technique - Beginning-level sword techniques].

    The effect was simple and direct, which he considered excellent and strong.

    Seiji tried things out immediately. Now, the way he swung his wooden sword around looked proper. It seemed possible for him to generate sword waves as well.

    His character reward card [Shika Kagura] now unlocked its fourth special ability as well:

    [Additional ability 4: Ice Cmity de (Prerequisite: beginner-level sword techniques required.)]

    [Spiritual weapon technique. Can only be activated when wielding a spiritual weapon. Slice with the power of ice. At the same time, materialize a spiritual sword of ice for an additional attack. This technique uses both Mana and physical energy. The attack''s power depends on the amount of Mana and physical energy expended. Limited to two times usage per day. This de shall bring about an Ice Cmity!]

    ''System, you''ve finally stopped copying from Overwatch.'' This was Seiji''s first thought after reading the additionalment at the end.

    An ice sword technique that was limited to two uses per day and its attack power depended on how much Mana and physical energy he expended¡­ this seemed to him like it could be used as one of his ultimate techniques.

    He really wanted to go to the president''s residence and go practice it immediately in her underground practice field, but he decided to forget about it for tonight.

    Seiji felt that it was quite fun to hear the sound of his wooden sword whistling through the air as he swung the wooden sword around in his own study.

    At this time, Mika and Chiaki came over.

    "This ce feels totally safe!" Chiaki said this as she casually sat down by the kotatsu as if this was her own home. "I''m even beginning to look forward to seeing demons appear. I want to see what real demons look like, and I also want to watch Seiji coolly defeating the demons."

    "Don''t say it like you''re an audience member at the live filming of some show." Seiji poured some tea for Chiaki and Mika.

    "But that''s exactly my current feelings, as if I''m waiting to watch a show. It''ll be best if something like a Tamamo-no-Mae or Great Tengues. That''ll make for an amazing fight."

    "Chiaki, you¡­" Mika nced coldly in her good friend''s direction.

    "Don''t be so overconfident. Perhaps a major demon will arrive and eat you instantly. We won''t even be able to save you in time," Seiji said in a low voice.

    "Eh? That wouldn''t really happen, would it?" Chiaki''s expression froze over slightly.

    "It''s not impossible. If a really strong demon appears, the barrier might not be able to block it, and it''ll suddenly rush in¡­" Seiji continued narrating in a low tone as he gradually put on a cold and cruel expression. "There might even be some vicious demon that we can''t deal with by any means other than escaping. At such a time, someone needs to be the bait to distract its attention. You just happen to be the perfect sacrificial candidate."

    "No!"

    "This is my real motive in inviting you over here, heh heh."

    "So insidious!"

    "The barrier already envelops us. There''s no escaping for you even if you try."

    "Save me!" Chiaki pretended to shiver.

    Seiji revealed a viinous expression andughed loudly three times.

    ''As expected, whenever the two of them are together, they can take the tension out of any situation.'' Mika mentallymented on the situation as she silently sipped some tea.

    "By the way, Mika. How was it, learning from Kinsa-san this afternoon?" Seiji changed the topic after he finished joking around.

    "It was¡­ alright." The twintailed girl revealed aplex expression.

    Why did she have such an expression again? Seiji and Chiaki were both rather curious.

    "At any rate, Master Kinsa is a good Master, and under her teachings, I believe that I can learn much from her. However, it also feels like I''ll lose something¡­" Mika looked off into the distance as she said so in a soft voice.

    Why did it feel like she experienced so much? Just what could she have experienced?

    If this was a manga, Seiji and Chiaki''s heads would be covered in question marks.

    Although they wanted to know more, there was an atmosphere of being unwilling to talk about it around the twintailed girl, so they found themselves unable to ask.

    Kaede and Reo walked out from another room into the living room.

    After the loli and the mature woman greeted Mika and Chiaki, they sat down in front of the television and started ying a video game together.

    "When did you add Juumonji-sensei into your home here? You evil person." Chiaki looked towards Seiji.

    "Don''t say it like I have wicked intentions. She''s apanying Reo-chan."

    "You''re using an elementary school girl to seduce a beautiful teacher. You evil person!"

    "It looks like you''re adamant on calling me an evil person regardless¡­"

    "If you don''t like that term, how about I call you a beast instead?"

    "That''s even worse!"

    Some joyful music began ying on the television screen as it showed a plumber and an often-kidnapped princess racing against each other on a racetrack. These video game characters used various underhanded methods to attempt obstructing their opponents from progressing, desiring victory at all costs.

    The night gradually darkened outside.

    Yukari took a look at the time.

    It was the time when she would typically go to sleep. However, anxiety caused her not to feel sleepy at all.

    Would demons really appear?

    She didn''t regret politely rejecting Seigo''s offer to help her. But when she thought about how demons might really appear, she still felt a little scared.

    ''Rx, it''s fine.''

    She already told Seigo that if she really did meet a demon, she would ask for help from him immediately, and that he woulde right over.

    The purple-haired girl felt reassured as she recalled his figure.

    She picked up her cell phone and sent Seigo a message through a chatting application. "Good night, Mister Hero."

    Two secondster, she received an almost instant reply.

    "Good night, Princess." This was followed by a smiling emoticon.

    Yukari smiled sweetly upon seeing this.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the chatting application, Seiji made up his mind to wait until midnight.

    He wanted to see if the Midnight Spell would repeat itself again¡­ although he didn''t feel like it was probable, he was still somewhat worried.

    Logically speaking, such arge-scale magic spell wouldn''t be so easy to cast again on such short notice. Besides, all the Spiritual Ability users in the city were on guard now. Doing something so major again¡­ did this faction really treat all the Spiritual Ability users in this city as idiots?

    The ''Soul World'' faction couldn''t possibly be so suicidal, could they?

    But, what if this mysterious faction ignored all logic with their actions?

 Chapter 411 - Save me!

    <h4>Chapter 411: Save me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji found it difficult to get rid of his anxiety.

    ''Perhaps I''ve read and watched too many manga and anime, which has overly stimted my imagination regarding evil and mysterious organizations,'' Seiji mentallymented in his mind.

    No matter what, he intended to wait until midnight. After all, even if hey in his bed, he wouldn''t be able to fall asleep due to being too concerned about this.

    "Brother Seiji¡­"

    "Go ahead and sleep first, Shika-chan. I''m going to sleep a bitte tonight."

    Reo had already gotten into bed and fallen asleep. He had Shika go to sleep as well while he sat down in front of hisputer and randomly browsed the inte, waiting for time to hit midnight.

    On the Channel 22 message forum, everyone was discussing whether things simr tost night would ur again. These topics had a high number of posters. Seiji figured that many people were just as anxious as he was.

    Time passed quietly just like this.

    There were now ten seconds until midnight¡­ nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two¡­ one.

    It was now time.

    Midnight.

    There was no strange sensation at all. Seiji''sputer remained on as the electricity didn''t stop this time. His cell phone still had a signal as well.

    The Midnight Spell didn''t repeat itself.

    Seiji went to go check on Reo and saw that she seemed fine. Then, he returned to hisputer and continued browsing the inte for another hour.

    Everything was calm. No demons ran into the barriers that Seiji purchased and set up, nor did any new relevant topics appear in the message forum.

    ''Has¡­ nothing happened?

    ''Seems like I can rx for the time being.''

    Seiji learned back against his chair and heaved a sigh of relief.

    "I must have thought too much into things¡­" he muttered to himself.

    After finally feeling like he could rx a little, he instantly felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.

    ''Let''s go sleep.''

    Seiji turned off hisputer and went to his bedroom. He ced his cell phone and wooden sword by his pillow and got into his bed and nkets as quietly as possible so as to not wake Reo up. He shut his eyes and went to sleep¡­

    Yukari was running for her life.

    She was currently in a ce that seemed like a cave.

    As for why it only seemed like a cave, that was because she had no time to inspect her surroundings whatsoever.

    Some bright red flowers illuminated this area with a dim red light. Apart from that, everything else was pitch-ck.

    Yukari did her absolute best to run down the red-illuminated pathway.

    There was a gigantic monster chasing after her.

    *Tap tap tap tap¡­* The sound of the monster''s feet wasn''t that loud, and even sounded rhythmic.

    The purple-haired girl''s heart filled with a tremendous amount of fear upon hearing this sound.

    ''Why are things like this? Why am I here? Why is such a monster chasing after me!?''

    Herst memory was going to sleep in her own bed at her own home. For some unknown reason, when she woke up, she discovered that she was in this strange location. Right after waking up, a gigantic spider appeared in the darkness!

    The spider had eight eyes that let off a bloody light, along with sharp fangs and lengthy legs¡­

    Yukari was frightened to the point of screaming upon seeing its vicious appearance, and turned around to run instantly.

    She was afraid of spiders to the point of having arachnophobia.

    That was because when she was young, a spider had once crawled around on her face, so she was afraid of spiders ever since. Such a gigantic and ugly spider increased her fear to the maximum!

    She furiously ran for her life, propelled by her instinct.

    However, her stamina gradually decreased. Although Yukari''s athletic ability was above average for a high school girl, anyone would get tired after running for so long. The monster would eventually catch up.

    Just imagining what might happen if the spider monster caught up to her caused Yukari to shiver all over.

    ''I''m so scared¡­

    ''Why are things like this¡­

    ''Am I dreaming? Yet this all feels so real¡­''

    Her sense of logic and reason told her that this seemed likely to be a dream. However, what she experienced felt so real.

    ''If that monster catches up to me, I''ll really die!

    ''I don''t want to die¡­

    ''Save me¡­

    ''Save me¡­ Seigo!''

    Yukari''s eyes filled with tears as she thought about Seigo. She started shouting out loud.

    "Save me! Seigo!"

    ''You promised.

    ''As long as I called for you, you''de save me.

    ''I need you right now, Mister Hero¡­''

    "Save me¡­! Seigo¡­!"

    Something red shed in the darkness.

    Seiji felt as if he was floating in midair as something red passed him by.

    ''What was that?

    ''Where am I?''

    Seiji''s consciousness was quite hazy. Although he had some questions about his current state, he didn''t possess the mental acuity to think about these questions right now.

    He faintly felt like he was hearing something.

    However, the sound was too faint, and he was unable to hear it clearly.

    He kept floating and floating¡­ his consciousness grew even hazier, not even questioning his surroundings anymore. It was as if he had be an empty shell of himself that kept floating in the darkness.

    However, a voice gradually became clearer to him.

    "Save¡­

    "Seigo¡­

    "Save me¡­

    "Hurry and save¡­

    "Hurry and save me¡­ Seigo¡­"

    Seiji''s consciousness suddenly became much clearer!

    Although it still felt like his mind was filled with mud that caused his thoughts to slow down, he recognized this voice.

    He did his best to look for the source of that voice, reaching out with his hand, wanting to catch on to something¡­

    *Smack!*

    Yukari tripped over something and fell over.

    Her body felt like it was in intense pain, pain so realistic that it couldn''t possibly be a dream. This proved that she was indeed having no dream.

    "It hurts¡­"

    She cried as she dragged herself up, having discovered that she was injured and bleeding bright-red blood.

    She was unable to do anything about it right now, because the monster behind her had gotten much closer.

    Its gigantic body and numerous legs that moved all at once, inbination with its eight blood-red eyes¡­

    Yukari was frightened to the point of screaming and attempted to escape, but two pincers reached out from the darkness and mped on to her!

    "Let go of me!!"

    The purple-haired girl did her best to struggle. However, her efforts were fruitless.

    She was mped and brought upwards into the air. The pincers were so tightly mping down on her that she could barely breathe.

    "No¡­ I don''t want to die¡­"

    Her face was filled with tear streaks.

    Many scenes shed through her mind.

    ''I don''t want to die¡­ I want to live¡­

    ''Save me¡­''

    She instinctively reached out towards the sky with her hand, wanting to grab on to something.

    In the midst of all the darkness, some light suddenly appeared!

    "Yukari¡­!"

    A figure appeared in the middle of the light and reached his hand out to her.

    Yukari widened her eyes in surprise.

    Hearing his voice and seeing him at such a time, her mind wentpletely nk, with only one thought remaining:

    ''You came.''

    Seiji took Yukari''s hand with his left hand while he used his right hand to wield his spiritual weapon wooden sword and slice through the pincer mping down on her! Then, he held her tightly in his arms and jumped steadily down onto the ground.

    His consciousness was fully awake now.

    ''Where is this?

    ''What type of monster is this!?''

    Although he was confused as to what was going on, Seiji cast the [Body-strengthening spell] upon himself and speedily backed away from the spider monster while holding onto Yukari, putting a distance of several dozen meters between them and the monster.

    "That''s a¡­ spider?"

    Using [Astral Vision], he was able to see a clear outline of the monster in the darkness.

    ''This is such a huge spider.

    ''I can''t see it too clearly since it''s so dark, but it''s already muchrger than a normal car.''

    It was screeching ear-piercingly, making sounds of obvious anger. Simultaneously, a light-red glow gathered upon its body. Part of the red light gathered on one of its legs that had been sliced off by Seiji while it was pincering Yukari. Then, the leg speedily regrew!

    "Seigo¡­"

    Yukari wanted to say something.

    But before she was able to, the humongous spider rushed over! When it closed the gap, it lifted its abdomen 1 and shot something white out from it.

    Spiderwebs!

    Seiji dodged the sticky spiderweb strands thatnded on the ground.

    Therge spider continuously fired spiderwebs at them, not giving up.

    After dodging numerous waves of spiderwebs, Seiji chose to do his best to take Yukari and escape, searching for a safe location.

    He ran at a high speed which easily helped to put plenty of distance between him and therge spider.

    "Where is this ce?" he asked Yukari in his arms.

    "I don''t know¡­ all I know is that I was suddenly here."

    "You don''t know where that spider came from, either?"

    "I don''t¡­"

    ''This ce appears like a cave. All these red flowers seem to be lycoris radiata,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    Lycoris radiata also had a moremon name: cluster amaryllis. They had bright-red petals, which were shaped like upturned ws. In some legends, they were the flowers that bloomed on the road to theherworld and represented death.

    A dark cave, red cluster amaryllis, and a humongous spider monster¡­ this didn''t seem like reality, but also felt quite real.

    ''Is this ce a soul realm? Whose could it be? Yukari''s?

    ''And if this is her soul realm, why would it be like this? How would she even get trapped in her own soul realm? And why was I able to arrive here? I was clearly sleeping in my own bed just earlier¡­

    ''Did something happen again while I was sleeping?''

    Seiji pondered all these things as he kept running. Suddenly, his field of vision widened up as he arrived in a rtively wide-open space.

    Seiji looked all around him, and discovered that¡­

    There were no more paths to take.

 Chapter 412 - Spider slaying

    <h4>Chapter 412: Spider ying</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    He could only battle, then.

    Seiji carried Yukari over to a corner and ced her down onto the ground.

    "I''ll deal with that spider. Don''t get close and be careful to avoid it."

    "Seigo¡­" The purple-haired girl grabbed on to his shirt with a worried expression.

    "Rx, it''ll be fine." Seiji smiled. "I''ve dealt with monstersrger than this one before. It''s not a big deal."

    Yukari took a deep nce into Seiji''s eyes before slowly letting go.

    "You have to be careful."

    "Yeah."

    Right when they finished talking, they heard the sound of footsteps.

    *Tap tap tap tap¡­* Therge spider had caught up to them.

    Seiji headed out to face off against it.

    When the humongous spider saw him, it lifted up its abdomen once more and shot spiderweb at him!

    "Don''t think that you''re the only one capable of shooting such things."

    Seiji dodged the attack as he injected his own Mana into his wooden sword. He suddenly sliced out with a white wave of sword energy!

    The wave of sword energy scored a direct hit against therge spider. It didn''t cause any obvious damage. However, the red light on its body flickered slightly.

    It would seem that this spider had Spiritual Abilities as well, so he decided to call it a Spiritual Spider Beast for the time being.

    Seiji recalled a game from his previous life called Monster Hunter where the game was mostly focused on dealing withrge monsters. One of the earliest monster encounters in that game was a spider monster, which seemed simr to this circumstance.

    In that game, the first step required to deal with therge spider monster was to slice off all of its eight legs.

    ''Although it might not be the exact same thing, I can use it as a reference.''

    Seiji moved around at a high speed while dodging the Spiritual Spider Beast''s attacks and continuously unleashed new waves of sword energy aimed at the spider''s legs.

    Therge spider roared ear-piercingly in anger once again.

    It gave up on its useless spiderweb shooting and gathered red light at the end of its abdomen. It seemed to be preparing for some stronger attack.

    When Seiji saw this preparation for such an obvious ultimate move, he decided to suddenly change the direction he was moving in and rushed towards the spider monster instead!

    *Pu!* Arge mass of white shot out in Seiji''s direction. This mass of something white suddenly expanded into a huge spiderweb.

    If Seiji had kept going in his original direction, it would have been impossible for him to dodge. But since he changed to dashing directly towards the enemy spider, he barely managed to dodge the edge of the huge spiderweb.

    He dashed right in front of the spider monster!

    Therge spider wielded two of its legs that were glowing red as if they were two gigantic sickles and sliced down at him!

    Seiji was able to dodge one and blocked the other with his wooden sword. Immediately following that, he used some sliding steps footwork to slide beneath therge spider and swung his wooden sword while holding it in a backhanded grip!

    *Boom!!*

    It felt like it would be very difficult to pierce through, but suddenly, the wooden sword broke through the red light protecting the spider monster and pierced through the spider''s stomach.

    *Shing!* ¡­Although the speed was a bit too quick for Seiji, so he was unable to see things clearly, he was certain that this blow dealt the spider monster some definite damage.

    He speedily slid out from the spider''s other side and instantly put some distance between him and the spider. It was angrily roaring; red shes of light streaked all over its body, mostly concentrated on its stomach area down below.

    "It doesn''t seem that difficult to deal with. It just might take some time."

    Seiji was confident that he could defeat this spider just like in the game Monster Hunter if it was only strong to this degree.

    The background music of Monster Hunter even started ying in his mind¡­ Cough, don''t get sidetracked!

    He was unsure if it would have any extra powers or transformation abilities, and needed to be cautious against it. In fact, he had no clue where this ce was or what exactly this Spiritual Spider Beast was supposed to be. He knew that he shouldn''t treat this just like a game.

    At this moment, therge spider suddenly jumped up into the air and curled up its body into a ball, which smashed towards him at a high velocity as if it was a meteor!

    *Boom!* The spider crashed into the ground.

    Seiji managed to dodge it just in time.

    The spider monster unfurled its legs and jumped up once again for its meteor crash-like attack.

    *Boom!*

    Seiji dodged it for a second time.

    The spider monster jumped up yet again¡­

    "Are you supposed to be lice, jumping like that?!"

    The third time that it crashed down, Seiji intentionally dodged at a close distance so that he could rush up to it and viciously slice down at its legs while it was recovering its bnce!

    The Kapok tree bark wooden sword broke through a red sh and sliced through one of the spider''s legs.

    The spider monster roared in pain and used its other legs to furiously counterattack!

    Seiji immediately retreated and sent out waves of sword energy to cover himself.

    The human and spider''s fierce battle under the illumination of the red cluster amaryllis seemed like a scene from legends.

    The battle between a Spiritual Ability user and arge spider monster¡­ Yukari who was watching all this felt her heartbeat rapidly increase.

    At first, she felt only worry for Seigo. However, the fight seemed awesome to the extent of being just like something from a movie, so she gradually got excited.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that she had reflexively covered her mouth, not wanting to shout out and distract Seigo, she probably would have shouted out countless times already.

    The more she watched, the more allured she was by Seigo''s cool actions.

    ''So amazing¡­'' The purple-haired girl''s eyes were lighting up more and more as she praised him in her heart.

    ''He answered my call for help and came to save me.

    ''He''s facing such a scary spider monster with no signs of fear or hesitation. He''s fighting bravely, and even gained the upper hand.

    ''He''s a true hero¡­ and the person I love.''

    Yukari''s eyes slowly became those of a maiden in love''s.

    ''I think that should be sufficient,'' Seiji thought to himself when he saw that the Spiritual Spider Beast''s red light was faint to the point of almost bing imperceptible.

    Although it might be fine to continue fighting with it like this, Seiji wanted to avoid it bringing out some new unexpected technique once it was forced to the brink, such as self-destruction. He felt it would be better to finish it off quickly with an ultimate ability.

    ¡­Actually, it was half because he wanted to take a look at his new ability''s effects.

    Therge spider rushed towards him once again.

    It furiously waved its legs around, creating a patch of fragmented red shadows before it that seemed like they could tear through anything.

    Seiji dodged this attack, while the spider corrected its path and faced off against him again.

    Seiji retreated to the wall of the cave clearing.

    The spider monster continued proceeding towards Seiji. It saw that he had nowhere to run to now, so it waved its legs around more fiercely than ever! It had an imposing manner like it wanted to rip Seiji into little pieces.

    At the final instant right before the spider could attack Seiji, Seiji suddenly jumped up, ran up the wall, and sprang off the wall in order to dodge the spider''s attack, as he backflipped through midair and wielded his wooden sword with both hands.

    [Ice Cmity de]!

    The Kapok tree bark wooden sword''s slice left blue-tinted trails behind in the air, slicing deeply into therge spider''s back together with a wave of chilling energy!

    At the exact same time, six spiritual swords of ice materialized in midair and viciously stabbed themselves into the spider''s body.

    *Shriek!!!*

    Therge spider made its most pitiful scream of all so far. However, it soon stopped screeching.

    That was because it had been frozen.

    Its entire body was frozen solid, just like a gigantic ice cube.

    ''Nice power level¡­'' Seiji felt that his new ability that he had just tried out for the first time was pretty nice.

    He pulled out the wooden sword and jumped off from the spider''s corpse.

    "It''s over, Yukari¡­"

    When he looked at the girl in the corner, he discovered that she had retracted her body into a ball and was shivering all over.

    "What''s the matter!?" Seiji rushed over immediately.

    Yukari felt a sudden headache along with a cold feeling spreading all over her body.

    When she heard Seigo''s voice and saw him rushing over towards her, she did her best to greet him.

    ''It''s wonderful that you''re fine.

    ''You were so cool when defeating that monster.

    ''Thank you so much for saving me¡­ my hero.''

    She wanted to tell him all that.

    However, her vision became blurry, her hearing no longer worked properly, and she was unable to make any sounds.

    Her legs feltpletely drained of energy¡­ and her consciousness felt like it was being swallowed up by something heavy and icy.

    Just what was this type of feeling?

    ''I¡­ just¡­''

    "Yukari!!"

    Seiji hugged the purple-haired girl who had copsed.

    He could tell that her body was freezing, just like an ice cube.

    ''Why are things like this? What happened this time!?''

    He furrowed his eyebrows deeply, pondering about the confusing situation.

    He suddenly came up with one possibility.

    He had in the spider monster using his [Ice Cmity de] technique.

    And right now, Yukari''s symptoms were just like that of being frozen solid.

    Could¡­ that Spiritual Spider Beast have actually been¡­

 Chapter 413 - â€œMystical connectionâ€

    <h4>Chapter 413: ¡°Mystical connection"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "That''s not it~" azy-sounding female voice spoke up in his mind.

    Seiji paused for a moment out of surprise at suddenly hearing this voice. It took him a few seconds to recall who this was.

    This was his newly bonded spirit!

    Apart from saying a few words when she was summoned for him, this mysterious female spirit had always been "sleeping" at all other times. He recalled that Natsuya had guessed that she was¡­

    "Tamamo-no-Mae?"

    "Hmm? You believe that I''m that nine-tailed golden fox?" The female spirit chuckled lightly. "That''s not it, either~"

    "If you''re not Tamamo-no-Mae, then just who¡­"

    "My name is unimportant. What''s important right now is this beautiful youngdy, right?"

    Seiji fell silent at this.

    "You believed that this spider must have some sort of intimate connection with this youngdy, which is why killing that spider caused her to be like this¡­ Heehee, although the result indeed makes things appear like what you surmised, things actually aren''t what you inferred them to be."

    "You know something?"

    "I only know what I know, and I can''t guarantee that I''m one hundred percent urate. Even so, would you still like to hear what I know?"

    "¡­Please."

    "That spider is the materialization of the ''mystical connection'' that this youngdy possesses. If she faces off against it by herself and defeats it, she should be able to awaken to certain powers," the female spirit exined. "However, she didn''t do so, as she requested assistance from you, and you answered her call for help and slew the spider for her sake. Although you were able to defeat the materialization of the mystical connection in this manner, she was unable to receive her own mystical connection''s recognition. So, the mystical connection judged that she still lost and gave her a punishment that caused her to be like this."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to all this as he processed it.

    "Did you not understand my exnation?"

    "Well¡­ I understand the gist of what you said, but there''s various parts that I don''t understand." Seiji sighed. "May I ask some questions?"

    "Go ahead."

    "First, what is a ''mystical connection?''"

    "You can understand it as some type of fate involving a human and a demon or spirit and so on, which is why it''s also called a connection."

    "Could you go into more detail about this?"

    "Actually, I don''t know much about it, either, so I don''t know how to exin."

    "¡­Alright then, my second question. Why would Yukari''s own mystical connection transform into a spider and attack her?"

    "Because it was awakened."

    "Awakened?"

    "Yes, all humans have a mystical connection of their own, either strong or weak. Once a mystical connection is awakened, it will affect the human in question. It might be harmful, it might be a trial, or it might be something else entirely," the female spirit exined. "What this youngdy is facing isn''t something entirely harmful¡ªinstead, it''s a trial."

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "How are mystical connections awakened?"

    "I don''t know the answer to this question."

    "¡­You said that Yukari''s facing a trial type mystical connection, and if she defeats this spider, she can awaken to certain powers. Are you referring to Spiritual Abilities?"

    "Indeed."

    "If she loses¡ªif the mystical connection judges that she lost, she''s punished like this¡­ is there a way to cure her?"

    "This is a punishment handed out by the mystical connection. If you want her to recover, you can try negotiating with its main body."

    "Main body¡­ where would that be?"

    "If you would like, I can help you open up a path to reach the mystical connection''s main body. However, meeting it could be quite dangerous."

    "There''s a possibility of¡­ death?"

    "Yes. If you aren''t careful, your soul might sink forevermore into the depths of the darkness."

    Seiji looked at the face of Yukari who was in his arms and felt how cold she was. He came to an instantenous decision.

    "I''d like to go. Please assist me in doing so!"

    "You''ve resolved yourself so quickly¡­ Heehee, I like men like you." The female spirit chuckled lightly.

    After that, Seiji received a mental message from her and learned what he needed to do.

    He gently ced Yukari onto the ground and put his right hand on her forehead and left hand on her stomach as he utilized his Mana and uttered an incantation.

    "Physical body in the realm of Yang, and soul in the realm of Yin¡­

    "Qi in the current world, breath of the mystical world¡­

    "The five elements move in harmony, the six great divisions in the wheel of karma¡­"

    As Seiji muttered the incantation, Yukari''s body gradually lit up with a red light, andplex blood-red runes appeared on her body and floated in midair.

    Seiji stood up, removing his hands from her body, and continued the incantation while making hand seals.

    All the cluster amaryllis around them stopped glowing, and the entire space fell into darkness.

    "¡­The path leading towards a distant world, OPEN!!"

    Seiji ended by extending his palms.

    The blood-red runes from Yukari''s body lit up with a blinding redness in the dark cave and formed a highlyplex oval-shaped spell formation that resembled a humongous red mystical eye.

    Seiji carried Yukari in his arms and jumped into the middle of this spell formation.

    The spell formation closed up as if it was an eye that was shutting itself, and vanished in the darkness.

    The Firelit Road.

    In legends, this was another name for the road to theherworld. That was because the road to theherworld bloomed with arge number of cluster amaryllis, which were as bright-red as fire, making the road seem like it was burning up with mes.

    Seiji was currently walking down this "Firelit Road."

    He princess-carried the purple-haired girl in his arms and walked down this road with countless bright-red cluster amaryllis blooming, heading into the distance.

    Apart from this path that was covered with blooming cluster amaryllis, everything else was pitch-ck. If he strayed from this path, he would sink into eternal darkness.

    Seiji wanted to talk more to his female spirit, but she fell silent again.

    He was even beginning to wonder if he had fallen into a trap of some sort, but since she was his bonded spirit, she shouldn''t have any negative intentions towards him.

    If she wasn''t Tamamo-no-Mae, though, just what powerful spirit was she?

    She possessed the power to open up the path to theherworld¡­ Could she be¡­

    Seiji thought of one possible name.

    If that was who she was¡­ if she was the spiritual manifestation of that concept, then that would be quite incredible¡­

    He pondered this question as he walked.

    Apart from his female spirit''s identity, he was even more worried about Yukari''s situation. He also pondered over many things about Yukari¡­

    ''¡­By the way, just how long is this road going to go on for?''

    It seemed like there was no end¡­ wait a moment, he finally saw the end to this road!

    Seiji immediately quickened his pace.

    He clutched Yukari tightly as he began running.

    There was arge pit located at the end of the road. The pit was lit up with a golden glow that seemed quite extravagant.

    Seiji held on to Yukari as he jumped down this pit.

    He felt his body beginning to spin as everything before him turned golden. He could hear faint noisesing from around him and his consciousness became hazy¡­

    He suddenly began falling!

    He managed to adjust his position in midair andnd safely. However, he discovered that the girl he had been holding on to had vanished!

    "Yukari¡­" Seiji felt anxious as he looked around his surroundings.

    This ce seemed like a forest.

    There was a silver full moon in the sky which illuminated the forest. Cluster amaryllis flowers were growing everywhere on the ground¡­ apart from that, there was nothing except for darkness and quietness.

    "Walk towards where there''s the most flowers," the female spirit spoke up in his mind.

    "You''re finally talking again. Why weren''t you talking just earlier?" Seiji asked as he headed towards the thickest patch of flowers.

    "I don''t like talking when I''m busy doing things."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji interpreted as it must have been inconvenient for her to talk while "opening" up a path to theherworld for him.

    "You sessfully guessed my name, heehee¡­ I originally wanted to keep the secret for a little longer."

    Seiji stumbled in his footsteps.

    "You¡­ really are¡­"

    "While that is indeed my name, I''m not the type of existence you think I am. Someone just happened to give me this name." The female spirit chuckled lightly.

    "Someone gave you your name? Could that person have been¡­"

    "Heehee¡­ you should probably focus on what''s before you for the time being."

    Seiji entered the deepest part of the forest.

    Cluster amaryllis flowers were blossoming thickly everywhere. There were humongous spiderwebs to be seen everywhere between the tall trees. Many animals'' bones could be seen on the spiderwebs, and there were even numerous human bones as well.

    There was a purple-haired girl lying on one of the spiderwebs, quietly sleeping while illuminated by the moonlight.

    This girl was not Yukari.

 Chapter 414 - Possession

    <h4>Chapter 414: Possession</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This girl was wearing extravagant ck-red Sakura Ind clothing, and her dark-purple hair reached her waist, which was a different length of hairpared to Yukari''s.

    However, Seiji''s female spirit told him that this was indeed Yukari!

    "The youngdy''sbined together with her mystical connection¡­ or, it might be more urate to say that it''s possessed her."

    "How did theybine?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Is it possible to separate them?"

    "I don''t know that, either."

    "Then, what should we do?" Seiji furrowed her eyebrows.

    "Wake her up and trymunicating with her¡­ Although I feel thatmunication won''t be so easy. It''s highly likely that she''ll attack you on sight when she wakes up."

    "Should I defeat her?"

    "I don''t know what the correct action to take in this situation is, so I can''t give you any appropriate advice. You should decide this on your own," the female spirit told him.

    Seiji fell silent upon hearing this.

    If the mystical connection hadbined with Yukari, that meant harming it would equal harming Yukari. In that case, he couldn''t use any overly powerful attacks against her.

    One workable method might be to defeat and suppress her with as little injury as possible, then attempt atmunicating with her.

    One more method was to¡­

    "Is it possible to wake Yukari herself up?"

    "Yes, but I feel that would be quite difficult to do so."

    "¡­I have to try," Seiji sighed.

    Having to fight a friend who lost her sense of self in order to wake her up? This was an overly dramatic type of scene that he didn''t really enjoy.

    But, he didn''t really have any other methods avable to him that he could think of in such a situation.

    Seiji didn''t want to harm Yukari. He definitely wouldn''t do that to her unless he was absolutely forced to do so in order to defend himself. So, if she really did attack him immediately without even attempting to talk things out, he decided that he could only go on the defensive while attempting to call out to her.

    After making his preparations, he slowly walked towards Yukari.

    The girl on the spiderweb slowly opened her eyes, sat up, and turned to look at him.

    When Seiji exchanged nces with her, he saw that her face was the exact same as Yukari''s, apart from her eyes¡ªher eyes werepletely blood-red and had no pupils.

    Those were the same eyes as therge spider monster from earlier!

    The purple-haired girl instantly disappeared from the spiderweb.

    Something shed under the moonlight.

    Seiji suddenly swung his wooden sword, slicing at something in midair!

    *Shing!* ¡­He managed to slice through the thin threads of spiderweb that were aimed at him.

    More spiderweb strands were quickly shot in his direction. These spiderweb strands glinted sharply under the moonlight.

    Seiji dodged those that he could, and sliced through the ones that he couldn''t.

    These spiderwebs had greater slicing ability than even a metal sword! If any normal person was hit by even one, that person would probably be sliced apart.

    "Yukari!" he shouted as loudly as he could while defending himself. "Don''t lose to such a thing! Don''t be controlled by her! Wake up!!!"

    There was no response.

    An endless stream of spiderweb silk kepting for him.

    *Smack!*

    Seiji was finally hit by one strand. Luckily, he had cast [Mana Barrier] on himself beforehand which was able to block the attack.

    Seiji continued shouting.

    However, there was still no response. Instead, his opponent''s attacks became stronger and stronger.

    *Smack! Smack! Smack!* ¡­

    It was going to be no good if he only defended himself, as he was gradually getting overwhelmed.

    "Yukari, I apologize."

    Seiji backflipped in midair, and sliced out with a wave of sword energy towards the shadows in the forest to his right!

    His wave of sword energy was destroyed by the spiderweb strands.

    He sent out even more waves of sword energy.

    His continuous waves of sword energy shed fiercely in midair against the spiderweb strands!

    This stalemate between attacking and defending continued for several seconds, until a white long whip suddenly attacked from the darkness!

    *Boom!*

    Seiji dodged this whip''s attack as it crashed into the ground, making a loud sound as it smashed arge amount of cluster amaryllis flowers to little pieces.

    The broken flower petals flew everywhere, looking just like droplets of blood.

    The ck-red clothed purple-haired figure rushed out from the shadows, twirling around at a high speed while viciously swinging her whip at him!

    *Boom!!* *Smack!*

    Seiji blocked this attack with his wooden sword, but he was sent flying from the impact and crashed into arge tree. Luckily, he managed to hold on to his sword.

    [Evolved Mana Barrier]!

    Seiji sensed danger, so he borrowed power from his bonded spirit to cast a stronger version of his defensive spell, causing golden light to appear all around him.

    This decision of his turned out to be a correct one.

    That was because a white whip immediately came snaking at him and viciously struck his side!

    The thick tree was snapped in two by the tremendous force, and Seiji was sent flying from the impact once again.

    If he hadn''t protected himself with [Evolved Mana Barrier] in time, he figured that perhaps he wouldn''t have gotten off so "lightly" as just being sent flying.

    He adjusted his position in midair to see the purple-haired girl now wielding a white whip in each hand¡­

    *Swoosh swoosh!* The two long white whips suddenly transformed into countless spiderwebs that shot in his direction!! The spiderwebs were so thick that they even blocked out the moonlight.

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    [Evolved Body-strengthening technique]!

    As Seiji was midair and unable to dodge this, he cast another evolved spell and managed to wield his Kapok tree bark wooden sword at high speed in order to break through the spiderwebs aimed at him, safelynding on the ground.

    The purple-haired girl paused in her movements slightly, apparently not expecting him to be able to defend against this attack of hers.

    However, the next second, she continued attacking without saying a word.

    "Yukari¡­ wake up!!"

    Seiji did his best to resist as he shouted.

    Defend¡­ counter¡­ defend¡­ counter¡­ defend¡­ counter¡­

    Seiji grit his teeth as he withstood a furious flurry of attacks and continued shouting towards Yukari.

    Even if it seemed like it was fruitless, he still did his best to persist.

    That was because he believed in Yukari: she had to be doing her best to fight in her own way as well.

    That girl definitely wasn''t the type to let herself be controlled by something so mysterious. As long as she possessed any willpower left, she would definitely resist!

    "I think that it''s enough for you to have persisted to such a degree already." Some minutester, the female spirit talked to Seiji again. "You should be able to tell now that you''re unable to wake up that youngdy through this method. Perhaps injuring her slightly will make it easier to wake her up¡­"

    "No," Seiji refused.

    "Why?"

    "Because I feel¡­ although I really want to go on the offensive as well, only defending for all this time, I can feel that Yukari''s trying her best as well."

    "It doesn''t appear to me like her movements have changed in any way¡­"

    "That''s why I said that it''s only something I feel!"

    As they talked, Seiji sliced through another wave of spiderweb strands.

    "I don''t know why I have such a feeling, and I also know that it won''t be good if things continue like this. Perhaps it''s the right thing after all for me to start attacking and going all-out, but¡­ I still want to believe in her until the end!"

    The female spirit fell silent for a moment.

    "You''re an idiot." She sighed.

    "That''s right, I agree with that assessment as well. Feel free tough at me."

    "I won''tugh at a man who has such firm resolution. Go ahead and struggle as you wish until the end, heehee¡­"

    "In the end, didn''t you stillugh after all?" Seiji''s cheek twitched slightly.

    At this moment, the purple-haired girl suddenly glowed red and her movements unnaturally slowed down. It appeared just like the scene of a character in a video game who was suffering fromg.

    ''It''s having an effect!?''

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "Yukari, do your best!!" He began cheering her on.

    Yukari had woken up long ago.

    Seigo''s voice woke her up.

    After being woken up from a hazy state, she was astonished to discover that he was defending against "her" own attacks, and that he was shouting towards her.

    Yukari tried controlling her own body. However, she failed and couldn''t feel anything from her body at all. She had no clue what she should do.

    She was quite worried when she saw that Seigo was being attacked continuously and put into multiple perilous situations.

    She wanted to shout out to him for him to no longer worry about her.

    She wanted to see him counterattack¡­ for "herself" to be defeated. Even killing "herself" was fine with her as that might release her from this.

    However, he didn''t do any of that. He only adamantly continued defending himself and countering her attacks.

    ''This definitely won''t be good if things continue like this.'' Yukari felt pained for him as she watched.

    Even though she didn''t know what she could do, she could only try her best.

    ''Stop¡­ stop¡­ stop¡­ stop¡­ stop¡­ stop¡­

    ''This is my body! Stop!!''

    She began to feel hatred for "whatever" it was that was controlling her body to attack him.

    "Stop controlling me! Just what are you supposed to be!? Get the hell out of my body!!!" she angrily roared in her heart.

    At this moment, whatever it was that was controlling her received an impact, and its movements slowed because of it.

    Yukari recovered the feeling of being able to control her own body.

 Chapter 415 - My ancestorâ€¦ seems to have been a spider

    <h4>Chapter 415: My ancestor¡­ seems to have been a spider</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The purple-haired girl kept glowing red.

    Every time she shed red, she would "freeze" in her movements. As the shes of red kept urring more and more frequently, the scene became rather strange.

    Seiji felt like he was witnessing what would happen to a video game character if the person ying as that character had a terrible inte connection. Lag,g,g¡­

    For him who had been defending against her attacks just earlier with great difficulty, he was now free enough to stand around and simply observe the situation.

    Finally, arge amount of red light was emitted from the girl''s body as her movements frozepletely.

    "Get¡­ the¡­ hell¡­ out!"

    With this shout, there was a sudden blinding red sh as a red shadowy figure exited the girl''s body!

    Yukari instantly felt a sensation of release.

    She instantly discovered that her bodypletely belonged to her again, causing her to be overjoyed.

    "Seigo! I did it!!" she shouted out joyously to him, but saw that he had a dazed expression as he stared at her.

    ''What''s the matter?''

    Yukari looked at herself, and noticed what was wrong.

    Her clothes were gone!?

    She waspletely naked, revealing every bit of her skin as well as certain private parts that shall not be named¡­

    "Ah¡­ ahhhh!!!"

    She suddenly crouched down as her face heated up and tears welled up in her eyes.

    ''Why did all my clothes disappear?

    ''I''m totally naked¡­ he saw everything!

    ''I''m so embarrassed!! This is so humiliating!!''

    The purple-haired girl really wanted to dig a hole and hide in it right now.

    Seiji finally regained his senses when he saw how Yukari was bing embarrassed.

    ''I saw something nice¡­ No, no, I can''t think like this, now''s not the time to be thinking of such things!''

    Yukari had recovered to her original state. Although he didn''t know why she became naked, this was still a good thing.

    The part to focus on right now was the thing that just left her body!

    Seiji looked towards the red shadowy figure.

    It kept changing its form. It resembled a spider, yet also a human, or a mix between a human and a spider¡­

    "Is it possible tomunicate with that?" Seiji mentally asked the female spirit in his mind while walking up to Yukari, taking off his jacket and cing it on her body.

    "I don''t know. You can attempt tomunicate with it."

    What should he even say? Should he ask what it was?

    Seiji attempted to ask the red shadow what it was.

    There was no response.

    The purple-haired girl beside him stood up.

    "Seigo¡­" Although she was still feeling embarrassed, Yukari knew that now wasn''t the time to be too worried about embarrassment, as it was more important to understand what was going on with the current situation.

    "Yukari, I don''t know what exactly this red shadowy figure is, but ording to what my bonded spirit tells me, it''s a fated mystical connection between you and a certain demon or spirit¡­" Seiji exined things to Yukari. "I''m not sure about the specifics, but apparently, as long as you obtain its recognition, you can awaken to Spiritual Abilities. However, if you fail, you''ll be punished, just like how you were earlier¡­"

    Yukari blinked as she listened to Seiji''s exnation. "So, that is to say, this is actually simr to a trial of power that you can see in anime and manga? And this is the judge for the trial?"

    "Yes, you can think of it like that."

    Something shed in the purple-haired girl''s eyes as she looked towards the red shadowy figure.

    Under her gaze, the red shadowy figure changed into the form of a woman wearing Sakura Ind clothing and stopped fluctuating in form.

    After exchanging nces with it for a while, Yukari bravely walked up towards it.

    Seiji reflexively wanted to stop her from doing so, but stopped himself. Instead, he followed her silently and prepared himself for battle just in case.

    Yukari walked up to the red shadow and spoke cautiously, "I don''t know anything about you¡­ If you have anything to tell me, please let me know."

    The red shadow woman slowly reached out with one hand to Yukari.

    When Yukari saw this, she hesitated for a moment, but slowly reached out with her hand as well.

    Their hands touched.

    Seiji witnessed a bright red sh. Then, the purple-haired girl shouted as she retracted her hand and clutched her forehead.

    "Yukari, what''s the matter!?"

    "I''m¡­ fine¡­" She forced herself to speak. "I''m fine¡­ I just¡­ saw¡­"

    What did she see?

    Seiji looked at her in a worried manner.

    Momentster, Yukari finally slowly put down her hand and revealed aplex expression.

    "I had a bad headache just now¡­ I saw many things. The scenes were rather scattered, but I understood the basic meaning¡­" She paused for a moment. "My ancestor¡­ appears to have been a spider."

    "What?"

    "Arge spider that came from somewhere transformed itself into a human form, married a human, and had a child¡­ That seems to be what happened."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Is such a thing even possible?" he wondered out loud.

    For demons and humans to join together as one and have children together, this type of story was indeed quitemon. But was it really possible in reality?

    Even if they loved each other, having children¡­ wouldn''t there be any physical problems with that!?

    Yukari smiled wryly, shaking her head to indicate that she didn''t know the answer.

    "It''s indeed possible," Seiji''s female spirit answered him. "In an earlier generation where there were fewer differences between demons and humans, this type of thing would happen."

    Seiji fell silent, digesting all the information he just received.

    Everyone was silent for a few moments.

    "It wishes to give me the power of my spider ancestor," Yukari continued speaking. "And if I''m to receive this power, I must face it by myself, without relying on others."

    "¡­Will you be alright?" Seiji was quite worried.

    "I will be alright. Although I''ve always been afraid of spiders, I''m no longer that afraid after witnessing what I just did." Yukari smiled as she looked at Seiji. "Could you ede to one request of mine?"

    "What is it?"

    "Please loan me your wooden sword."

    "Wooden sword¡­" Seiji looked towards his spiritual weapon. "Of course, if it''s of any use to you."

    He handed her the Kapok tree bark wooden sword.

    "Thank you." Yukari epted the wooden sword as she smiled brightly. "I''ll feel even braver with this!"

    Seiji looked directly at her face.

    She also looked at him for a while before turning towards the red shadow with a resolute expression in her eyes.

    "Let''s begin."

    The red shadow flickered slightly, then floated backwards and began transforming. Soon, it turned into a gigantic red spider with eight pitch-ck eyes.

    Yukari faced off against it with the wooden sword in her hands.

    Seiji nervously watched this scene. However, his vision suddenly became hazy.

    "What''s going on!?"

    "It''s time for you to leave," his bonded spirit told him.

    His hazy vision suddenly turned golden, and he was unable to control his body as he began spinning. Then, he suddenly had the sensation of falling!

    Seiji fell down onto the ground without having time to adjust his posture.

    "Ack¡­ this ce is¡­"

    The Firelit Road.

    This was the dark road filled with blossoming cluster amaryllis that he had just passed by while holding on to Yukari in his arms.

    "What do you mean by this? Yomi," Seiji asked his bonded female spirit as he spoke her name out loud.

    Yomi¡­ the name of the representation of theherworld. It could even be said that it was the representation of the concept of death.

    He had guessed that she was the spiritual manifestation of this concept. However, she denied it, saying that she had only been given the name Yomi by someone else.

    "I felt that you shouldn''t stay there any longer."

    "Why?"

    "Her battle will surely be difficult. I believe that she wouldn''t want you to watch her struggling in such an unsightly manner."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Just wait here silently for her. That youngdy seems pretty good. She should be able to win."

    Seiji sighed upon hearing this.

    "Don''t you believe in her?"

    "Of course I believe in her, it''s just¡­ I''m really worried."

    "Heehee, so you''re quite concerned with this beautiful youngdy. I also feel that she''s quite an appropriate one for you. Why don''t you simply marry her?" The female spirit chuckled.

    "That''s none of your business." Seiji sat down on the Firelit Road and folded his arms as he contemted. "Yomi¡­ or, I should call you Yomi-san, was it Seimei Kamijou who gave you this name?"

 Chapter 416 - â€œGoddessâ€

    <h4>Chapter 416: "Goddess"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "You can treat it as so," Yomi responded.

    "What does that mean?"

    "Interpret it however you like. I like to maintain a feeling of mystery."

    "There''s far too much unnecessary mystery about you!" Seiji retorted.

    "Heehee¡­" The only response was a light chuckle.

    "Why do you always sleep?" he asked something he really wanted to know the answer to.

    "Because I want to sleep¡­ Actually, I want to sleep right now as well. I''m a little tired after working so hard just now."

    "Wait! I have so many questions I want to ask you¡­"

    "I don''t like men that ask too many questions, you know~" The female spirit yawnedzily. "Good night~"

    "Hey!"

    There was no more response after that.

    Seiji felt helpless about it all.

    "Geez¡­" He could only sigh.

    Long, long ago, there was a spider.

    This spider lived in an incrediblyrge forest. In this forest, there were many other spiders of the same species, as well as a wide variety of various living creatures.

    This spider wasn''t any different from her kind. Every day, she weaved webs and captured prey that was weaker than she was while avoiding creatures stronger than her. She obeyed the naturalw of the jungle and survived, just like that.

    However, one day, the spider wondered, ''Why is it that I must only eat those weaker than I am?''

    After beginning to wonder about this, this spider began thinking about it.

    A whileter, she decided to do something she had never done before¡ªto hunt a creature that was much stronger than her!

    This was quite difficult for her. However, due to her clever use of her own abilities, she finally aplished it.

    The spider felt an immense sense of satisfaction as it gazed upon the corpse of the creature she slew which was many timesrger than she was.

    From then on, she began huntingrger andrger as well as stronger and stronger creatures.

    After an unknown period of time, this spider became a gigantic spider. Not only did her body shape far exceed that of other members of her species, she was now thergest living creature in the entire forest.

    She became the ruler of the forest as there was no longer a single existence in the forest that was stronger than her.

    The gigantic spider lived idly in the forest day by day, year by year, and slowly began to feel bored.

    At such a time, a strange group of creatures arrived near the forest.

    These creatures had very little body hairpared to most animals, and they preferred to cover themselves with something resembling tree leaves. Although the spider saw that they had four feet, they only used two of theirrger feet to walk with, and used their two smaller "feet" to manipte various objects.

    Therge spider secretly spied on these creatures and discovered that they were quite clever at manipting all sorts of objects in a flexible manner.

    These creatures built a nest of their own near the forest. Sometimes, they would enter the forest to hunt some of the weaker animals or to take some of the nt life for their own consumption.

    Therge spider tried hunting a few of these creatures and felt that their taste wasn''t bad.

    These creatures responded to the fact that their species had been hunted. The stronger-looking ones among them gathered together and entered the forest as arge group.

    The spider understood that they were looking for her, wanting to hunt and kill her. It was quite amused by this, so it happily came out to battle them.

    As a result, she killed a portion of these creatures in battle while some others escaped. There were also several thaty copsed on the ground, making strange sounds.

    The spider hadn''t had so much fun in such a long while, so she decided to spare these creatures that survived. Instead, she grabbed them all and ced them outside the forest, close to their nest.

    After that, these creatures stopped entering the forest for quite a while.

    Therge spider was rather disappointed.

    Although these strange creatures were quite weakpared to her, their actions and reactions seemed much richer in varietypared to any other creature she had ever met, which really interested her. She didn''t want them to fear ever entering the forest again.

    Finally, one day, these creatures finally reentered the forest.

    They brought some objects and arrived at a clearing in the forest. They kneeled in unison and made some strange sounds before getting up and leaving. They left what they brought with them in the clearing.

    Therge spider had seen simr actions from other creatures before, and understood that these items were offerings given to her.

    So, she decided to go take a look. She yed with the items and ate a few. She felt that the vor was a little strange, but it wasn''t bad.

    A whileter, these creatures arrived again, and just likest time, they left some offerings and immediately left the forest.

    Once again, therge spider went to enjoy the offerings.

    The third time that these creatures came to give offerings, one of them stayed behind with the offerings, and kneeled prostrate on the ground.

    Therge spider walked in front of this creature.

    The creature made some strange sounds. Then, a strange light floated from its body towards therge spider.

    Out of curiosity, therge spider decided not to dodge the light. It allowed the light to settle on its body.

    This light was a human magic spell that helped it to clearly understand andmunicate with humans.

    This creature called itself and its species "humans," and called the spider a "goddess."

    Humans would pray to and seek protection from the gods, while swearing to worship and venerate the gods. This would be an eternal contract.

    Therge spider agreed.

    From then on, it became a Spider Goddess.

    After that, another long, long period of time passed.

    The Spider Goddess got to understand humans better and better, and became more and more interested in humanity. She felt thatpared to her own life as a goddess, human lives were far more interesting.

    When her boredom reached a peak, she made a decision¡ªto transform herself into a human!

    She had learned various types of knowledge from the humans. After many experiments, she finally seeded at transforming into apletely human form.

    She transformed into a human woman¡­ and left the forest, heading for human territories to have fun.

    She experienced various things, tasted all sorts of food, saw lots of interesting sights, and had so much fun with all sorts of entertainment¡­ Sometimes, she would help people, or save people, or hurt people, or kill people¡­

    The Spider Goddess enjoyed everything that humans viewed as fun.

    One day, she got married to a human man. Her goal was to experience what it was like for human families to be married.

    However, baseless rumors started spreading that she was having an affair with a man other than her husband.

    Her husband, who happened to be a human domain lord, believed these rumors. He tossed her into a cage filled with poisonous spiders as a way to execute her.

    She was quite bored with this and broke free from the cage quite easily. She ughtered her husband as well as those who spread the false rumors about herself before leaving.

    Some timeter, she gave birth to a child.

    At this time, many strong humans were attempting to hunt her down. She found it inconvenient to take her child along with her. And so, the Spider Goddess gave a portion of her own power to her child and left the child in the care of a human family as she left on a journey by herself.

    Yukari was unable to defeat the red spider.

    This was only natural. She was only a normal high school girl. How could she possibly defeat such arge monster?

    Her current appearance was quite pitiful. She copsed on the ground, injured all over andpletely unable to stand up anymore. It was all she could do to barely hold on to the wooden sword in her hand.

    This was her limit¡­ the red spider made this assessment as it observed the injured purple-haired girl.

    This red spider was actually a portion of the Spider Goddess''s power that was left in her descendants.

    Logically speaking, it shouldn''t have woken up while it slept in this girl''s soul. However, due to certain reasons, it was awakened and acted on its job: to carry out a trial to test the Spider Goddess''s descendant.

    The trial was mysteriously interfered with by an outsider, but it was now over.

    As a portion of the spirit of the Spider Goddess, its final assessment of this girl that shouldn''t have faced it to begin with was¡­

    Barely a pass.

    The red spider closed its eyes as it transformed its gigantic body into specks of red light that gradually dissipated. A small portion of the red lights entered the purple-haired girl''s body.

    Yukari instantly felt like her entire body was painfully tearing apart!

    She was in so much pain that she was unable to even scream. Her consciousness became hazy, and she felt like she was dying.

    ''No¡­ I can''t die¡­

    ''I still¡­ want to be together with him¡­''

    Yukari was swallowed by the darkness as she continued struggling.

 Chapter 417 - Take proper responsibility

    <h4>Chapter 417: Take proper responsibility</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji opened his eyes to discover that he was once again in his own bed.

    "I''ve returned¡­"

    He slowly sat up and looked at his pillow''s side.

    His cell phone and wooden sword were still quietly sitting there.

    Was everything just earlier a dream? No¡­ that was impossible.

    He quietly got out of bed, checked the time on his cell phone, and called Yukari''s number. While waiting for the call to connect, he picked up his wooden sword and walked towards his study.

    Yukari picked up the call.

    "Yukari, how are you doing?"

    "¡­I''m alright." Her voice was filled with fatigue.

    "Do you remember what happened just now?" Seiji tried asking.

    "I remember¡­ it was no dream." Yukari paused for a moment. "Seigo¡­ I want to see you."

    "Eh? Right now?"

    "Yeah¡­"

    "¡­Alright, I''ll go pick you up from your home." Seiji made a decision instantly.

    "Thank you¡­ I''ll wait for you."

    They ended their conversation there.

    Seiji knocked on Shika''s room''s door and told her a short version of what happened and why he needed to go out. Then, he speedily put on some winter clothes and left while taking his wooden sword with him.

    It was extremely cold. The sky wasn''t even bright outside yet.

    Seiji called for a taxi and had the driver head for the address that Yukari texted him.

    Yukari was feeling very fatigued right now.

    She really wanted to sleep, but was unable to do so due to her inner anxiety.

    She really wanted to see Seigo¡­ at this moment, only he would be able to make her feel safe.

    She got out of her pajamas and put on some winter clothes. Then, she quietly waited for him in her room.

    Some minutester, her cell phone rang once more.

    "I''m in front of your home."

    When she heard this, Yukari immediately walked out of her room and secretly exited from her home.

    She saw him when she walked outside.

    "Seigo¡­"

    She sped up her pace and jumped into his arms.

    Seiji hugged the girl that seemed rather weakened and used [Astral Vision] to inspect her condition.

    "Let''s get on the taxi."

    He took Yukari onto the taxi, and saw that the taxi driver was gazing at them with a curious expression.

    "This¡­ there''s some circumstances¡­" He didn''t know how to exin.

    The middle-aged male taxi driver smiled meaningfully without saying anything as he nced at how Seiji was carrying the purple-haired beauty.

    ''He''s definitely misunderstanding what''s going on here!''

    Seiji felt rather helpless about the taxi driver''s misunderstanding but now wasn''t the time to mind such things, so Seiji decided to just let the taxi driver believe whatever he liked.

    Yukari hugged him tightly and closed her eyes whileying in his arms. She felt quite safe, and gave up on resisting her fatigue¡­

    Seiji didn''t find anything wrong with Yukari upon inspecting her with [Astral Vision]. However, out of an abundance of caution, Seiji still intended to take her to the hospital for a checkup.

    When Seiji told the taxi driver where he wanted to go next, something shed in the driver''s eyes as he drove towards the hospital.

    When they arrived at the hospital and Seiji was paying the taxi fare, he saw something shing in the middle-aged taxi driver''s eyes. The taxi driver changed to a severe expression.

    "Take proper responsibility, young man," he warned Seiji in a serious tone.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    The misunderstanding had gotten worse!

    "I don''t have that type of rtionship with her¡­" He didn''t know whether tough or cry as he tried exining.

    "Men that avoid responsibility are the worst! No matter how unseemly you are, admitting it is still one hundred times better than avoiding responsibility." The middle-aged driver red at Seiji.

    "¡­I''m just taking her here for a checkup."

    "Go, and remember what I told you." The taxi driver turned around to leave. "You don''t need to pay me my fare."

    ''Things really aren''t what you think they are, Mister!''

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched continuously. He truly felt helpless right now as he wanted to exin, but it would be difficult to do so.

    Forget it, he decided against saying anything else.

    He carried the sleeping Yukari off the taxi and entered the hospital to look for a doctor to give her a checkup.

    ording to the doctor, the result was that she was perfectly healthy. She was only sleeping due to a normal level of fatigue.

    Seiji felt relieved to find out that Yukari was alright.

    He then took Yukari out of the hospital and back to the Uehara apartments.

    "After a beautiful blonde teacher, now you''ve added a female schoolmate to your harem collection." Chiaki greeted him with a smile. However, her eyes weren''t smiling at all. "You''re quite skilled, you beast."

    "I''m just having her rest here for a little while."

    "Taking an unconscious girl into your room, then taking off her clothes, and putting her on your bed¡­"

    "I just normally took off her jacket to help her sleep morefortably." Seiji sighed. "Could you stop joking around like this?"

    "Hmph¡­" Chiaki retracted her smile. "I haven''t even gotten to sleep on your bed yet. She actually got there before me. As expected, one can''t underestimate the Princess."

    Seiji was rendered speechless. He had no idea how to respond to this.

    "Hah¡­ Seiji is just this type of person." Mika sighed.

    "Don''t you have anything to say to him?"

    "I have nothing to say to a handsome boy (beast) like him."

    "I agreepletely."

    The two girls reached mutual ord and sipped tea together.

    "By the way, what exactly happened?" Chiaki finally asked why Seiji brought Yukari here after sipping on some tea.

    "While I was asleep, I entered Yukari''s soul realm," Seiji exined. "I don''t know the specific reason, either. As for what happened¡­ let''s wait until after she wakes up to tell you about it."

    "It''s something difficult to talk about?"

    "Hmm¡­ somewhat."

    The spider, mystical connections, Yukari''s ancestor''s identity, and the trial¡­ Seiji was uncertain whether or not Yukari would be willing to tell others about it.

    Especially the fact that a spider demon had transformed into a human who was her ancestor, that would make Yukari part spider. For a girl, that would be a rather sensitive subject, wouldn''t it?

    Since he didn''t know what Yukari herself would think of it, he didn''t want to tell others before hearing her opinion first.

    "The soul realm¡­ simr to what happened with Tachibana-chan?" Mika blinked.

    "Very simr, but there were also some things that were different. It also felt more realistic than what happened with Reo-chan." Seiji tried recalling.

    "You entered someone else''s soul while you were asleep¡­ that sounds like something an incubus would do. Could it be that you did something perverted together?" Chiaki looked directly at Seiji.

    "Not at all!" Seiji instantly denied this.

    However, he immediately recalled the way Yukari looked whilepletely naked¡­ Cough, that was just an ident!

    "I can detect the scent of a lie." Chiaki squinted at him. "Did you truly not do anything perverted? Haruta-san."

    "I didn''t!" ''I indeed didn''t ''do'' anything. I just ''saw'' something, that''s all.''

    "Then, did you receive some unexpected benefits?"

    Seiji fell wordless as he averted his gaze.

    "It would seem that I''m on the mark. It must have been something quite wondrous." Famous detective Chiaki adjusted some imaginary eyesses as her mouth arced upwards ambiguously. "Share¡­ whoops, tell us honestly! Haru-fantasy-san."

    "Don''t just change my name as you please!"

    "I''ve already seen through the truth, you can''t defend yourself! Haru-pervert-san."

    "I''m not a criminal! Besides, that''s not my name, either!"

    "Only by confessing will you be able to lighten your punishment. Resistance is futile, Pervert-san!"

    "That''s still not my name! Besides, what happened was only an ident!"

    "Heh heh¡­ now you''ve personally admitted to having received some wondrous benefits." Chiaki''s mouth arced upwards even higher.

    "Urk¡­" Seiji was unable to counter this statement.

    At this moment, they all heard footsteps.

    When Seiji, Mika, and Chiaki turned to look, they saw the purple-haired girl arriving.

    Yukari had woken up.

    Seiji met her gaze and greeted her, "You''re awake¡­ good morning."

    "Good morning, Seigo." Yukari smiled in greeting.

    "How are you feeling now?"

    "Pretty good."

    "That''s good, then¡­ have some breakfast. We made some for you as well." Seiji stood up and headed for his kitchen.

    Yukari watched him for quite a while before she turned to look at Chiaki and Mika.

    "Good morning to the two of you," she greeted them.

    "Good morning, Asamiya-san," Chiaki and Mika greeted her as well, looking directly at her.

    The scene fell silent for a moment.

    "I heard Seigo say that you met with some incidentst night¡­ Could you tell us exactly what happened?" Chiaki asked Yukari directly.

    Something shed in Yukari''s eyes as she looked at Chiaki and Mika.

    "I would like to discuss something with Seigo first¡­ as for whether to tell you or not, please allow me to consider things first."

 Chapter 418 - I only need the Princessâ€™s smile

    <h4>Chapter 418: I only need the Princess¡¯s smile.</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Chiaki and Mika returned back to the Uehara residence in order to give Yukari and Seiji some privacy for their discussion.

    "Breakfast was delicious. Thank you."

    "It''s good that you liked it. Actually, Shika-chan cooked it."

    After Yukari finished breakfast and Seiji finished washing the dishes, the two of them sat down by the kotatsu.

    "After you began your battle, my spirit forcibly took me out of that forest and I had to wait until I woke up," Seiji told her. "So, I didn''t see anything of your battle¡­ how did it go?"

    "I was beaten quite badly." Yukari smiled wryly. "I find it quite fortunate that you weren''t there to see it."

    "Ah¡­ so you must have failed your trial." Seiji looked towards her. "But, it''s fine as long as you''re safe¡­ While you were sleeping, I took you to a hospital that has Spiritual Ability user doctors for a checkup. The doctors there said that you were basically fine, just a little fatigued."

    "No¡­ I passed the trial."

    "Eh?"

    "Although I didn''t defeat the spider, it admitted my worthiness, just barely." Yukari sighed. "This trial isn''t one that required me to win. Instead, it was just testing me¡­ no, I should say it was forcing me."

    "Forcing?"

    "Yes, forcing me to face it directly¡­ If I only kept trying to escape it or was paralyzed with fear, not doing anything at all, that would have been the worst result. However, I disyed some courage and managed to resolutely face it head-on, which earned its recognition¡­ the lowest level of recognition."

    "Oh¡­" Seiji blinked upon hearing this. "Then, that means you¡­"

    Yukari smiled faintly as she lifted her right hand, then quickly opened up, then closed up her palm again.

    Suddenly, a tea cup flew into her hand!

    "That was¡­" Seiji was astonished and immediately cast [Astral Vision] to see what was going on.

    "Spiderweb threads?" He saw that there was a white thread connecting Yukari''s palm to the tea cup.

    "That''s right." Yukari held the tea cup in her left hand while showing Seiji her right hand.

    She cast more white spiritual spiderweb thread, which was invisible to the naked eye, on the tea cup.

    Then, she faced her palm towards the ceiling, and shot out sticky threads that attached to the ceiling. Then, she tugged with her right hand, and let go of the tea cup with her left. This caused the tea cup to sessfully hang in midair.

    For those without the power of [Astral Vision], all they''d be able to see was the mystical scene of a tea cup floating in midair.

    "This¡­ how did you cast this?" Seiji asked.

    "Just with my instinct¡­ it feels just like using my hands or feet." Yukari paused for a moment. "After I woke up, I noticed that I had this additional new ability."

    An ability¡­ not a spell of some sort.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    Every single Spiritual Ability at his disposal, apart from the [Beginner-level punching techniques] and [Beginner-level sword techniques], which were ssified as [Martial arts techniques], were all [Spells].

    That was to say, all of his Spiritual Power relied on magic spells as the foundation.

    However, that wasn''t the same for Yukari. She didn''t need any methods at all and only needed to rely on her instincts to use her "ability" just like she could use her hands and feet!

    Or, perhaps there could be another term for it: "Mystical Ability."

    That red spider was termed a "mystical connection," while passing its trial would help the host obtain a Spiritual Ability. Calling it a "Mystical Ability" seemed quite appropriate.

    Mystical connections were fated connections between a human and a demon or spirit¡­ what if it wasn''t limited to only demons and spirits? Seiji suddenly had a sh of inspiration.

    He thought of his [Character reward cards].

    [Hoshi Amami] and [Shika Kagura] cards. Both of these two cards had given him many abilities. If they were "mystical connections", then wouldn''t it also make sense to call those abilities on the cards as "Mystical Abilities"?

    No, this wasn''t limited to only his [Character reward cards]! If he took it one step further, the [Gifts], [Items], and¡­ possibly even the entire dating sim system, could it all be a mega-powerful "Mystical Ability"!?

    Seiji faintly felt as if he was approaching the truth.

    As for whether or not he was on the mark, he had no idea. For now, it was just a guess.

    After thinking about this for a while, he finally returned to his senses. He saw that the purple-haired girl was patiently and quietly observing him.

    "I apologize, I was lost in my thoughts just now."

    "It''s fine. I enjoy watching you like that." Yukari smiled.

    Seiji suddenly received yet another direct attack!

    "Er¡­ um¡­ you have a Spiritual Ability now, so from now on, you can be considered a Spiritual Ability user." Seiji paused for a moment. "Although I feel like I should say something as your senpai in being a Spiritual Ability user, I''m actually just a newbie myself as well. By the way, do you have any ns for yourself? Such as wanting to do something with this ability of yours¡­ or anything like that."

    Yukari blinked at this.

    "It told me that there would be danger."

    "Eh?"

    "The spider that gave me this ability told me that the intention behind this power is to protect myself against impending danger¡­ something like this."

    "That sounds rather hazy."

    "It was indeed rather hazy in its description. You saw the way itmunicated with me as well. I could only piece together my best understanding of its intentions, which may not even be a correct interpretation." Yukari sighed. "I can only describe it like this¡­ it feels like someone who doesn''t know how to speak is trying to transmit their intentions to me via hand signals and facial expressions while I can only guess at what they mean."

    "I see¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "It talked about impending danger¡­ was it referring to the night of one hundred demons?"

    Last night, the night of one hundred demons urred once again.

    Many new messages and topics about "demons" appeared once again on the most popr Channel 22 message forum. This topic became more popr and more people paid attention to it than yesterday.

    "If danger refers to the night of one hundred demons bing more and more severe, that would be quite bad."

    "Yeah¡­"

    The two of them fell silent.

    "Use that ability well to protect yourself, then. Of course, if there''s something you can''t deal with, you can stille to find me." Seiji smiled. "Although, I can''t guarantee that I can help. Perhaps I''ll even get in the way."

    Yukari smiled. "You definitely didn''t get in the way. If you hadn''te at that time, I definitely would have¡­" A gentle expression arose on her face as she looked towards Seiji. "Thank you so much, Mister Hero."

    "No need to be polite, my Princess." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face, feeling embarrassed from being looked at like this.

    "The hero that saved the princess should receive a thank-you present. Is there anything that you would like?"

    "About that¡­ I only need the Princess''s smile."

    "Only a smile?" Yukari acted all disappointed while a flirtatious look appeared in her eyes. "I can give you much more than that~"

    Seiji received a direct hit from the main cannon! Sergeant Haruta, maintain yourposure!!

    "Cough¡­ actually, I didn''t do that much at all." Seiji couldn''t help but recall the way she kissed him yesterday, which caused his face to redden. He then averted his gaze. "No need to stand on formality with me."

    "I want to thank you properly!" Something shed in Yukari''s eyes. "If you don''t have anything else that you want, then I shall give you what I want to give. You''re forbidden from not epting it."

    "Er¡­" Seiji averted his gaze yet again. He then thought of something to change the topic. "Right, I almost forgot to mention. Is it alright to tell Mika and the others about what happened to you?"

    "Hmm?"

    "That''s because they may meet with simr incidents, so I want to tell them at least something¡­ if you don''t want to reveal the details, would it be alright for me to tell them a rough exnation?"

    Yukari was rendered speechless.

    ''Idiot Seigo, read the atmosphere!''

    She began to mentally pout.

    "If you want to tell them, tell them. Do whatever you want."

    "Er¡­ are you angry with me?"

    "No." Yukari averted her gaze.

    "It seems like you really mind¡­ how about I don''t mention anything about spiders and only say that you met arge demon¡­ will that be alright?" Seiji tried asking once again.

    "I said, do whatever you like. I don''t care even if they start calling me Spider Girl."

    "Judging from your tone, it doesn''t sound like you don''t care¡­"

    "Hmph, at any rate, in your heart, those two are the most important to you. It doesn''t matter what I feel."

    "They are indeed quite important to me." Seiji smiled wryly. "But, you''re also very important to me. I can''t possibly ignore your feelings, Yukari."

    "Hmph¡­"

    The purple-haired girl still appeared somewhat angry on the surface. However, she was already feeling warm in her heart now.

    ''Such a big idiot¡­''

 Chapter 419 - â€œAwakenedâ€

    <h4>Chapter 419: "Awakened"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yukari agreed to tell Chiaki and Mika about her trial and awakening to a Spiritual Ability as long as Seiji agreed to her request not to mention anything about spiders or what her specific ability was.

    And if he wanted to, he could talk about her situation to others as well¡ªas long as he only told them a rough outline without mentioning her name or identity.

    After making this agreement and promising Yukari that he would adhere by it, he called Chiaki and Mika to have theme over again to exin what happenedst night.

    "A trial¡­ and you awakened to a Spiritual Ability¡­ how amazing." Chiaki looked directly at Yukari. "What ability is it specifically?"

    "Nothing that''s a big deal. Please allow me to keep it a secret."

    "Something that''s not too good to talk about¡­ am I right? Could it be just like your secret identity as an ero artist, and your ability is slightly perverted?"

    Yukari''s expression didn''t change in front of Chiaki''s inferences.

    Meanwhile, Seiji''s expression flickered subtly.

    Shooting white strands of spiderweb¡­ if one tried to forcibly make certain analogies, it could indeed be interpreted as somewhat perverted.

    At this time, Chiaki suddenly nced over at Seiji''s expression.

    "Heh heh, judging from his expression, it''s highly likely that I was on the mark." Chiaki chuckled, and adjusted some imaginary eyesses in order to pretend to be a famous detective.

    Seiji hurriedly put on a poker face, but it was toote already.

    "Chiaki, Asamiya-san wishes to keep it private, so stop guessing randomly." Mika stopped her friend.

    "Hmm¡­ alright." Chiaki actually agreed and stopped joking around. "By the way, though, awakening to a Spiritual Power in a single night? It''s something that I''m quite envious of. I''d really like for that to happen to me as well." She sighed.

    "I don''t think that it''s something to be envious of at all. If it wasn''t for Seigo helping me out, I might have never woken up," Yukari stated.

    "Oh¡­ My apologies, I was too casual in my choice of words." Chiaki clutched her arms. "Still, even if it isn''t easy, I''d like to have such a chance."

    "Why''s that?" Yukari looked towards her.

    "Because I''d like to be together with my good friends, and not be the only odd one left out," Chiaki said sincerely as she looked towards Seiji and Mika.

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika was somewhat moved by her statement.

    Yukari came to a realization upon witnessing this scene.

    "Uehara-san is also a Spiritual Ability user?"

    "That''s right," Chiaki answered for Mika. "Out of all of us currently here, I''m the only ordinary human."

    The purple-haired girl remained silent.

    "However, wanting to be the same as my good friends is only half the reason¡­ the other half is because I want to act cool!" Thest few words suddenly changed drastically in tone, as something shed in the silver-haired girl''s eyes. "Awakening to special powers is the dream of any child! I can even ept transforming into a magical girl!!"

    Seiji, Mika, and Yukari were all rendered speechless.

    Magical girl Chiaki?

    The three of them simultaneously tried imagining it¡­ and found that it actually seemed quite suitable for her?

    "If Chiaki bes a magical girl, I think that she''ll be the second most popr character after the main character. Or, she might even be more popr than the main character." Mika couldn''t help but say this out loud.

    "I think so as well. I can even imagine clear drawings of such scenes in my mind." Yukari nodded in agreement.

    "I know, right! I''m quite dazzling, I realize." Chiaki made a sparkling hand gesture.

    "However, due to your overwhelming poprity stealing the show from the main character, you were killed off in theter part of the story," Seiji added.

    "No!"

    "Right before the big ending, all you''ll receive is a shback to the scene of your death, that''ll be all," Yukari followed up.

    "That''s terrible!"

    "After the main story''s end, you''ll be the main character of a new series spin-off. The author''s goal will be to profit as much as he can, squeezing everyst penny from you," Seiji eximed.

    "That''s so horrible! I definitely won''t do it!!"

    "The author didn''t expect the spin-off to be so popr, so he was forcibly requested by his publisher to write as much as he possibly could. In the end, he was no longer able to follow all the loose ends of his own storyline¡­" Yukari continued with this work of fiction.

    "That''s enough!" Chiaki energeticallymented. "What''s with the two of you following each other''s sentences like that? Stop imitating the twin witches!!"

    "Cough¡­ I was just making up a story for fun." Seiji paused for a moment before changing to a serious expression. "It''s unknown why Yukari met with her trial, nor do I know how to prevent such a thing from urring¡­ Although I can try finding out more about it, I feel that this might be very difficult to prevent from urring. Let''s just treat this as something that might happen to any ordinary person. I hope that you will all mentally prepare yourselves. If you really meet with such an incident, maintain your calm and cautiously deal with it. If you need help, you can try calling out to me. Perhaps I''ll be able to answer your summons, and perhaps I won''t be able to. Or perhaps I''ll even make the situation more chaotic. At any rate, don''t panic if you''re caught up in an incident, and calmly consider what you should do."

    Chiaki and Mika indicated their understanding of his sincere warning.

    After Yukari and the others left, Seiji called Natsuya to inquire into what happenedst night.

    The student council president told him that not only did the night of one hundred demons repeat itself, there were even more demons that materializedpared tost night. However, since all the Spiritual Ability user factions were prepared, they exorcised most of the demons in time, and less harm was done to ordinary humans thanst night.

    This was undoubtedly a serious situation. However,pared to the other matter that happenedst night, it wasn''t much at all.

    What happened was that ordinary people started awakening to Spiritual Abilities within a single night!

    "This is an incredibly astonishing phenomenon¡­ it''s the equivalent of how you improved your Spiritual Power and Mana so much with only one night of Visualization. It''s something only seen in legends!" Natsuya told him seriously.

    The "Awakened."

    This morning, the mystical society had decided on this term for the ordinary humans that awakened to new Spiritual Abilities.

    It wasn''t entirely impossible for an ordinary person to be a Spiritual Ability user within a single night or a simrly short period of time.

    For example, Mika Uehara. She had only been an ordinary girl, but managed to be a Spirit Controller due to having received the Spiritual Creature named Mashiro.

    However, that was an example of someone awakening due to an external object or force. For someone to awaken all on their own and be able to naturally use a Spiritual Ability was considered highly unusual.

    Thest record of this urring in the mystical society''s history books happened more than one thousand years ago.

    That''s right, one thousand years ago!

    Such an archaic phenomenon seen only in past legends actually appeared in the modern day, and not only with one or two examples¡­ the entire mystical society, or Spiritual Ability user society, was tremendously shaken by this!

    "From what I''ve heard so far, there''s already eight formerly ordinary humans that have discovered to be ''Awakened''. Not only that, the actual number is definitely far higher than this."

    This was something truly shocking.

    What was going on? What caused it? Why these specific people? ¡­All the Spiritual Ability user factions had many questions about these Awakened.

    "Including my Yoruhana Family, all the factions are putting their main focus on the Awakened, and moved investigating and stopping the night of one hundred demons to being only second in priority," Natsuya exined to him.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    "What will happen to those Awakened?" he inquired in a low voice.

    "They''ll be conducted research upon¡­ the mystical society will probably use various methods to investigate what happened to their bodies." Natsuya paused for a moment, as she intentionally lowered her voice. "Seiji, out of the people you know¡­ do you know any that have be Awakened?"

    "I don''t." Seiji understood her intentions, and decisively answered with this.

    "That''s good, then."

    After that was a period of silence.

    "Night of one hundred demons¡­ Awakened¡­ I''m beginning to feel that the Midnight Spell was a spell that far surpassed our imaginations." Natsuya sighed. "Although it''s not one hundred percent confirmed that everything was caused by it, I''m beginning to faintly perceive that it''s all rted¡­ and that everyone''s underestimated it, because nobody knows what it was for."

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji looked outside his window. "I have such a feeling as well."

 Chapter 420 - Red leaves

    <h4>Chapter 420: Red leaves</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After finishing his phone call with Natsuya, Seiji immediately called Yukari, intending to tell her the relevant information.

    However, he stopped himself before he said anything as he felt that it would be better to say it directly to Yukari in person. So, he asked her toe back. Then, he also called Mika and Chiaki and asked them toe back as well.

    "I apologize for suddenly asking you all to return. I learned something important just now, regarding Yukari¡­ I think it''ll be safer to tell you all in person."

    The three girls that left just a few minutes ago soon returned to Seiji''s apartment, while Seiji exined about the Awakened to them in a serious manner.

    "¡­That''s why, please make absolutely certain to keep the fact that Yukari is an awakened a secret! Yukari, you especially need to be extra careful, and don''t use your ability in public¡­"

    Yukari and the others realized the gravity of the situation due to Seiji''s serious expression and tone.

    Chiaki and Mika promised not to tell anyone about Yukari.

    Yukari promised that she would be careful.

    "Just in case, if you really do meet with something,e find me immediately. And if you''re unable to do so¡­" Seiji looked at the purple-haired girl. "Perhaps telling whoever''s giving you trouble my real name may be able to help you out."

    "Real name?" Yukari was astonished to hear this.

    "My real name is Seiji Haruta. Seigo Harano is my alias¡­ Well, by now, I feel like it''s my second name, no longer just a simple alias." Seiji smiled. "I apologize that I didn''t tell you until now. Before, I mainly felt that there was no need. My family is considered quite famous in the mystical society of Spiritual Ability users. This real name of mine¡­ well, in a way, it''s famous in its own right. That''s why, if any Spiritual Ability users give you trouble, telling them my name may be able to help you out."

    Yukari widened her eyes in surprise as she recalled all the various inferences she made before about his family background¡­ so he really was from an illustrious family background!?

    "This is our king''s real name, so remember it well. Perhaps it might even save your life at a critical moment." Chiaki smiled at the purple-haired girl.

    "¡­Of course I''ll remember it. Seiji Haruta¡­ right?"

    Seiji nodded.

    Yukari took a deep look at him, then suddenly smiled.

    "I''m only a fake princess, but it would seem that you were a true prince after all."

    "Don''t say that. It''s only my family background, and you know what type of situation I''m currently in." Seiji shrugged. "Even so, I still enjoy the protection of my family name¡­ I''m grateful for that."

    "It seems that there''s a story behind all this. I look forward to the day that you tell me."

    "It''s not much of a story. Please don''t hold out too much hope for it."

    The two of them exchanged smiles.

    "I feel like I''m being left by the wayside. How about you, Mika?" Chiaki asked.

    "Don''t ask me." The twintailed girl averted her gaze.

    After that, the three girls left once more.

    Seiji went to his study and logged online to his chatting application to ask Hisashi how he was doing.

    Hisashi replied that nobody in the Juumonji mafia group had been injuredst night by any demons. However, they heard about some ordinary people that became victims.

    Apart from that, there were also some stories that Hisashi heard regarding healthy young people mysteriously dying in the middle of the night while they were asleep. Hisashi didn''t know if this was also caused by demons.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes when he heard this. However, he didn''t mention anything about it.

    After talking to Hisashi, he then sent messages to the three Amami siblings.

    Rion and Kotomi responded very quickly, telling him that nothing happened to themst night, and thanked him for his concern.

    It took Hoshi a while longer to respond.

    He said that he was working at the confectionery store, which was why he hadn''t replied until now. Then, he mentioned that he had a strange dreamst night¡­ a dream that felt so real!

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly when he saw this message.

    "When''s your break time? I''d like toe talk to you at the confectionery store," he told Hoshi.

    Seiji hadn''t visited the Divine Taste confectionery store for approximately one month now.

    That wasn''t a particrly long time, but it felt like really long ago. Seiji attributed it to the fact that so many things happened recently.

    Seiji arrived ten minutes earlier than time agreed upon and entered the store.

    He saw a new employee that he didn''t recognize¡ªa youth who had short brown hair and was rather tall. However, this youth appeared somewhat weak. He was currently writing down notes in his notebook from what his senpai was teaching him.

    That senpai in question was Hoshi.

    Seiji couldn''t help but recall how things were in the past when he still worked here as he watched this scene. He felt rather nostalgic.

    Compared to that tall youth who had an obvious aura of being a neer around him, Hoshi seemed a lot more reliable, and no longer had the aura of being a weak neer.

    "Wee to our store¡­ eh? Hey, it''s you."

    A male server walked over and paused in surprise when he saw that the customer was Seiji. He then switched his friendly professional smile to a more sincere one.

    "Long time no see, Tanaka-senpai."

    "It''s indeed been a while. I thought you''d stoppeding here." Tanaka sighed. "What wind blows you here today? You didn''t even bring any femalepanions¡­ are you here just for the sake of seeing your old lover?"

    "What are you talking about, what old lover?"

    "I''m talking about that person." Tanaka pointed at Hoshi.

    Coincidentally, Hoshi just happened to finish teaching his junior at this time and looked at Seiji''s direction.

    "Senpai! You''re here." Hoshi''s beautiful face was filled with a brilliant smile.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Tanaka pped Seiji on the shoulder and had an expression of barely holding in hisughter.

    "The stories of the ''rtionship'' between you and Hoshi are still considered legends in this store. Many of our repeat customers will mention you guys and talk about how nostalgic they were about you¡­" Okay then, he couldn''t resist anymore as he broke out intoughter.

    "Tanaka-senpai¡­"

    "You two go ahead and chat. I won''t be the unwanted hanger-on, haha¡­" Tanaka escaped while still continuing tough.

    Hoshi walked over towards Seiji.

    It was quite obvious for everyone to see that Hoshi was obviously in an overwhelmingly joyous mood. It seemed like he was even glowing, which immediately attracted many female customers'' attention.

    "Eh? That person across from Amami-kun, could he be¡­"

    "The legendary ''Senpai''!?"

    "Wow~ I''m so lucky! I actually got to see him¡­"

    "Quick, take a picture!"

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched as he faintly heard suchments from the customers.

    He regretted havinge ten minutes early!

    "Senpai¡­" Hoshi walked up to Seiji.

    "No need to serve me. I can just sit down anywhere."

    "Sure. What would you like, Senpai?"

    "Just give me a ss of orange juice."

    Seiji sat down by a window.

    The confectionery store had excellent business as usual. He watched the servers going around busily, and recalled the way it was when he worked here.

    ''If I want, I can still work here again. That will help to polish my customer service skills. Perhaps I shoulde work here again for a change of pace after I''m done with the insert art for my novel¡­'' Seiji casually pondered upon such things.

    Seiji sipped on his orange juice once it arrived and enjoyed a momentary peace and quiet.

    Hoshi''s break time arrived.

    Hoshi thought that they would simply chat at the confectionery store. However, Seiji requested him toe outside for a chat.

    Although Hoshi felt it was rather strange, he listened since it was Senpai''s request.

    The two of them left the confectionery store and walked to a nearby quiet alleyway.

    "Let''s chat here." Seiji looked at Hoshi. "Could you describe your dream to me in detail?"

    "Sure¡­ but why?"

    "I''ll tell you in a bit."

    Hoshi blinked in surprise.

    "About my dream, I dreamt that I was in a forest¡­" He began describing his dream experience.

    Hoshi witnessed maple trees all around him, with bright-red maple leaves everywhere.

    The ground was covered with maple leaves, and new maple leaves continuously fell from the trees. It was a beautiful scene¡­ as well as slightly abnormal.

    Hoshi could hear a woman singing in the forest. He had never heard this woman''s voice before.

    Her song was incredibly beautiful. Whenbined with the beautiful scene of maple leaves, it reached an indescribable level.

    "It was like heavenly music of nature¡­ at a divine level," Hoshi eximed from his heart as he recalled his dream.

 Chapter 421 - Isnâ€™t this just like a secret organization!?

    <h4>Chapter 421: Isn¡¯t this just like a secret organization!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi was attracted by this song and wanted to find the girl who was singing.

    While walking around in the forest, what he saw, heard, and touched all felt incredibly realistic to him, unlike any dream he''d ever had. It all felt tangible to him.

    ''This lucid dream is incredible!'' That was Hoshi''s opinion at the time.

    In the end, he never found the singer by the end of his dream.

    "After I woke up, I tried recalling for a long while if I had ever heard this song anywhere before, but I couldn''t recall it at all. I found it quite strange why it appeared in my dream." Hoshi tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps it''s that I heard it once long ago but forgot¡­ at any rate, I was unable to recall."

    A forest of maple trees, red leaves, and a female singing¡­

    Seiji recalled amon SR-ranked spirit in the cell phone game he used to y in his previous world.

    This beautiful female spirit with ck hair and red eyes had been an original creation by the game''s developers, but she was also based on a legend as well. He was uncertain if there was a simr legend in this world.

    In his previous world, her legends weren''t very famous. Even though she was clearly a beautiful female demon as powerful as Snow Girl, she was quite unknown, which seemed rather wondrous to Seiji. Judging by the contents of the legend about her, she was likely to be even stronger than Snow Girl, and could have been an SSR card''s power, but she was only an SR¡­ Cough, he was getting sidetracked.

    As for the story involving that original spirit,pared to the situation in this world¡­ Seiji subtly felt as if he was sensing evil intentions from the world.

    He decided not to think too much into it.

    "Hoshi, what I need to tell you is that your dream was no simple dream," Seiji told Hoshi in a serious manner.

    "Eh?"

    "This was not only an overly clear and strange dream. It''s best if you treat it as a second reality¡­ if you dream the same dream again tonight."

    "What?" Hoshi made a foolish sound of dazedness.

    He knew that his senpai wasn''t joking around due to the serious tone of voice, but¡­

    "Senpai, just what exactly¡­"

    "It''s not a convenient time to exin the things your dream involves to your right now."

    Hoshi now had a confused expression.

    "I apologize for confusing you." Seiji smiled. "Let''s just leave things as is for now. After you''re done working for today, I''ll contact you again and we can discuss it then."

    "Oh¡­ Okay."

    "Go ahead and rest for the remainder of your break. I''m leaving now."

    Hoshi watched his senpai leave and felt like there was a mysterious auraing from that familiar figure.

    Seiji headed to the Juumonji mafia group''s residence to find Hisashi.

    "As for the matter of people dying in their sleep¡­ All I can say is that if any of you have a strangely realistic dream, you should act calmly and treat it as you would in real life," Seiji told Hisashi. "And if your life is in danger, you can try calling out for me to save you¡­ although I''m not sure if it will work or not."

    Hisashi fell silent for a moment after hearing these words.

    "Got it. Thank you, Seigo."

    "No need to be polite."

    "Did youe all the way here just to tell me this?"

    "Yeah."

    "You went to the trouble ofing here personally instead of telling me over the inte or on the phone. This means that this is some top-secret information?" Hisashi adjusted his eyesses as something shed in his eyes.

    "I suppose you could say it like that. I''m not sure either if it counts as top-secret or not. I just feel that it''s best to be cautious." Seiji sighed.

    "Understood." Hisashi nodded. "I shall only tell what you said to my father and older brother Zankita. I won''t tell anyone else apart from them. Is that alright?"

    "That''s fine."

    After leaving the Juumonji Group, Seiji then went to go find Peach-sensei to tell her what he knew.

    "Soul realm¡­ just like that time before?"

    "Very simr, but not entirely the same," Seiji stated. "I don''t know how to specifically describe it, but it felt different from being in Reo-chan''s soul realm. It felt more realistic."

    The mangaka looked towards Seiji.

    "Did you save someone again?" she asked.

    "Yeah¡­ I felt that things were rather subtle. I wasn''t sure if I helped out or actually made more trouble."

    "Did the person in question think that you made more trouble?"

    "No¡­ she didn''t."

    "That''s fine, then." Mayuzumi began smiling as she looked at Seiji''s face. "You''re a hero, Haruta-kun."

    "I just did what I could." Seiji felt rather awkward as he scratched his face.

    "Hee hee¡­" The mangaka chuckled lightly.

    She promised him that she would be careful as well, and that she would tell what he just told her to Saki in person.

    "I hope that you won''t force yourself. It''s nice to be a hero and all, but you have to make sure that you don''t copse first."

    "I know. Thank you for your concern, Sensei."

    After talking to Peach-sensei, Seiji then headed for Shouzou Amami''s residence, where Rion and Kotomi also lived.

    "Wee, Harano-kun."

    "Sorry to be a bother, Amami-san."

    After entering and taking a seat, Seiji directly discussed the main topic.

    "Amami-san, have you heard about the Awakened?"

    "I''ve already heard some news about them, yes."

    "This will be easy to exin then¡­ I believe that Hoshi is possibly going to be an Awakened."

    "Oh?" Something shed in Shouzou''s eyes. "Harano-kun, why do you think so?"

    "Please allow me to keep that a secret. It''s difficult for me to talk about in detail." If he talked about it in detail, that meant revealing what he knew about Yukari, which was something he didn''t want to do as he had promised to keep information about her a secret.

    Seiji looked towards the elderly man. "The important part here is Hoshi. Although it''s only a possibility, I feel that it''s likely that he''ll be an Awakened tonight¡­ Amami-san, do you have any thoughts about what to do in such a situation?"

    Shouzou fell silent for a moment.

    "I don''t wish to see that child Hoshi be an Awakened. However, I don''t know any way to stop this process." He sighed. "If he truly Awakens, then all I can do is do my best to take care of him."

    Seiji nodded. "I believe that Hoshi should be told about the mystical society¡­ about Spiritual Ability users, so that he''s at least mentally prepared. What does Amami-san think?"

    Shouzou considered it for a moment.

    "I suppose that now is a good time to tell him." He looked directly at Seiji. "We might as well tell Rion and Kotomi as well, so that they know Harano-kun''s true identity. Is that alright?"

    "Sure. They already know my true name and family background. All that''s new is that now they''ll know I''m a Spiritual Ability user."

    He didn''t expect that Shouzou Amami would add in the twins as well.

    Seiji felt that it was fine to tell the twins. However, he suddenly realized that with this, his entire dating sim game creation group, with himself included, now had four out of nine members as Spiritual Ability users¡ªalmost half!

    Seiji couldn''t help but imagine the future developments.

    If everyone in his game group Awakened, then this group whose original intention was to create a game together that called themselves the Knights of the Round Table just for fun¡­ wouldn''t it be just like an alliance between Spiritual Ability users¡­? Wasn''t this just like a secret organization!?

    Seiji was astonished by his own idea. He didn''t know why, but just imagining it made him feel like it had the potential to be reality.

    ''That couldn''t be¡­ no, I can''t say that it''s impossible¡­''

    Seiji couldn''t help but continue imagining:

    The first knight Hisashi who had two personalities, open and funny on the outside, secretly cruel and dark on the inside.

    The second knight, the beautiful Yukari who manipted spiderwebs and toyed with others as she pleased.

    The third knight, the twins Rion and Kotomi that acted as if they were one and had better cooperation with each other than any possible duo, and who would always work together to defeat any opponent.

    The fourth knight, the androgynous Hoshi who had a magical-seeming figure and smile¡­ Cough! Stop!!!

    Seiji forced himself to stop getting carried away in his fantasies and finally returned to his senses.

    Although he identally thought of a scene that he shouldn''t have, all in all, it seemed quite good to him?

 Chapter 422 - I would like for you to defeat our older sister

    <h4>Chapter 422: I would like for you to defeat our older sister</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    At this moment, Seiji received a message from on his cell phone.

    When Seiji took a look, his gaze sharpened.

    "I apologize, Amami-san, there''s something sudden that''se up¡­"

    He hurriedly left after saying goodbye to the Amami Family grandfather as well as saying a few words to Rion and Kotomi.

    That was because Hana was the one who sent him the message!

    He returned home, turned on hisputer, then downloaded and installed an application as she requested.

    While doing so, Seiji recalled how the conversation between Mika and old man Zhao went simrly. Old man Zhao had also sent over an application for Mika to download in order to talk to him.

    He figured that this was a secretive method ofmunication between Spiritual Ability users.

    After installing it, his entireputer screen turned ck just like what happened before with Mika. Several secondster, he saw a figure wearing a dark blue jacket, along with a cat-eared hat and a cute cat mask.

    "Happy New Year, Brother."

    "Happy New Year, Younger Sister."

    The two of them exchanged nces. Then, Seiji broke out intoughter.

    "What are youughing for?" The cat-eared hat girl tilted her head slightly.

    "Nothing¡­ you look quite cute like this."

    "¡­You even praise a girl who''s wearing a mask. How shameless."

    "What does this have anything to do with shamelessness? Cute is cute."

    "Shut up! You shameless perverted familiar."

    "I apologize, my job as your familiar has ended already. If you wish to continue the contract, please charge additional money for magical crystals."

    "I''ll take 10,000¡­ no, wait! Charge money, the hell!"

    "I''ll even give you a 20% discount for the New Year''s activity~"

    "I said I won''t give you any money!"

    "You can even enter a special drawing with a 100% chance of winning. The big prize is a totally unique New Year''s specialty~"

    "What''s in it¡­ no, wait! I definitely won''t be fooled. It''s probably just some cheap loot box or merchandise."

    "It''s a life-sized intelligent humanoid figure that''s capable of moving and taking care of itself."

    "That seems pretty nice¡­ wait, isn''t that just a real person!?"

    They joked around with each other for a while.

    "Let''s stop joking around now. You know what it is that I want." Hana changed to a serious tone.

    "Yeah." Seiji looked at her. "Then I shall start by telling you about when I first arrived in this world¡­"

    Apart from the existence of his dating sim system and a few other parts that involved others'' private affairs, Seiji told everything about his experiences as a reincarnator plus transmigrator to Hana.

    The cat-eared hat girl didn''t say a single word during the entire story. She merely listened attentively.

    After Seiji finally finished his story, there was silence for quite a long while.

    "It really sounds like some main character''s story."

    "Hm?"

    "I''m starting to believe that you''re a hero from another world now. That''s because your experience ispletely like the setting of a harem manga or anime." Hana sighed.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Although I don''t want to admit it, it does indeed seem simr." He awkwardly scratched his face.

    "You must be having a lot of fun, pervert."

    "I think that there''s not a single man who wouldn''t have fun as the main character in a harem story."

    "Disgusting!"

    *Schtick!* Seiji took an arrow to his heart.

    It was indescribable how painful it was to be called "disgusting" by his blood-rted sister in this world.

    "I apologize¡­ I shouldn''t have gotten carried away." He lowered his head with sincerity.

    "Hmph¡­" The cat-eared hat girl made aint that sounded like a cat''s.

    Another several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "Do you have no feelings of hatred toward our older sister whatsoever?" Hana asked him a serious question.

    "Not at all," Seiji responded honestly.

    "What about the desire to conquer her as part of your harem adventure?"

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched upon hearing this. ''Wasn''t this joke supposed to be over?''

    "No to that as well." He decided to respond anyways.

    "Tsk, howcking in will." The cat-eared girl made a condescending sound.

    "Hey! Just what is it that you want from me?" Seiji felt like flipping the table now.

    "I want you to defeat our older sister."

    "¡­Eh?"

    What did he hear just now? Seiji''s expression froze over.

    "Did you just say¡­ defeat¡­"

    "That''s right, defeat our older sister¡ªdefeat Yui Haruta," Hana said in a heavy voice. "I would like for you to do that, Brother."

    Seiji was rendered absolutely speechless.

    "Why do you have such a strange expression? Isn''t this something perfectly ordinary?"

    ''No, no, this isn''t ordinary at all, okay!''

    "You¡­ why¡­"

    "No particr reason. I just want to see such a scenario happen," the cat-eared girl stated lightly. "The exiled brother has truly changed himself for the better and finally received his older sister''s recognition after working hard and returned to the family¡ªthis type of story is far too boring. A story about revenge is far more interesting, although it''s clich¨¦ as well."

    "Hey!"

    "If you''re able to do this, I''ll forget about everything in the past."

    "What?"

    "All those disgusting things you did to me before¡­ if you defeat our older sister, I''ll treat it all as having never happened. No matter if you''ve truly changed for the better, or if you''re actually a hero from another world, I''ll treat you as my real older brother in the future."

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    Hepletely didn''t know what was going on here. Why was she saying something like that? Why was he hearing all this?

    He suddenly really wanted to be able to see her face which was covered by the cat mask in their video call. He wanted to see what type of expression she had right now.

    "Just why exactly¡­"

    "I already said that there''s no particr reason." Hana paused for a second. "I know that what I''m requesting is extremely difficult. I don''t need you to do it immediately, but I need you to work hard at this as your goal. If you promise to do this for me, I won''t only sit idly by, I''ll assist you. Basically, I''ll be your ally. In summary, I want you to ally with me to deal with our older sister! Brother¡­ Seiji Haruta, what''s your answer?"

    Conversation options appeared in front of him -

    [A: No, unless you tell me why exactly, I won''t consider it.]

    [B: Alright, then. Since you''re the one requesting me, I''ll do my best with this as my goal.]

    [C: No, I definitely won''t do this!]

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    He guessed that there must have been some sort of conflict between Hana and Yui which must have caused this.

    An argument between sisters¡­?

    Hana was unwilling to tell him, so there was no way for him to know.

    Defeating Yui Haruta¡­ this would definitely be a difficult task. Besides, what exactly did the word "defeat" entail exactly? Beating her one on one, or participating in a formal Yin-Yang Master duel against her involving both side''s Spirit-branded Retainers?

    There were various questions involved. However, he had toe up with an answer first for now.

    Seiji wanted to choose option A, but he felt Hana''s resolution from across theputer screen through the mask she was wearing and was unable to bring himself to choose this option.

    He faintly felt like if he made a mistake with this conversation option, that some things would be irrecoverable.

    He decided to first save a file at this conversation option.

    After saving a file, Seiji thought over it for a long time after that before finallying to a decision.

    "Alright, then, since it''s your request¡­ I think that you must have some important reason." He looked directly at Hana''s mask. "I believe in you¡­ so just as you wished for, I shall work my hardest with defeating Yui as my goal."

    Hana took a deep nce at her older brother''s face through the mask she was wearing.

    "You can''t just try, you have to be absolutely resolute in your conviction that you can win," she said lightly. "Anyone half-hearted will never defeat our older sister."

    "Even if you say that, it''s difficult for me to stack up so much confidence right away." Seiji smiled wryly.

    Hana fell silent for a moment.

    "Then I''ll give you some information to back up your motivation with: actually, our sister has already had your name stricken from the family records."

    "Eh?"

    "Haven''t you ever found it strange why nobody from the Haruta Family has evere looking for you after all this time? Logically speaking, even if you''re exiled, there''s still uses for you to us."

    "This¡­ I wouldn''t know¡­"

    "As long as you''re still considered to be a member of the Haruta Family, no matter how depraved you get, it shouldn''t have gotten to the point where you would have to live in a low-ss apartment," Hana stated. "The reason why the Haruta Family haspletely ignored you is because our older sister had your name formally erased from the family records so that you''re no longer considered part of the family."

 Chapter 423 - Harem brains are unsalvageable

    <h4>Chapter 423: Harem brains are unsalvageable</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Although he was still able to keep the name Seiji Haruta, from his family''s viewpoint, he was no longer part of the Haruta Family¡­ that was Seiji''s understanding of having his name "erased" from the family records.

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion after hearing his younger sister Hana''s exnation. "Judging from your tone, this sounds like something serious. But, it doesn''t feel like it''s much of an impact to me."

    "What a joyous life you lead."

    "That''s right, I''m living quite well even if I''m not part of the Haruta Family¡­ No, what I should say instead¡­" Seiji smiled. "I don''t care if my family admits me or not, I only care if you¡­ my family members admit me."

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    The cat-eared hat girl felt indescribable emotions within her heart.

    "¡­Why?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Since you im to be someone from another world, why care so much about Yui and I?"

    "This question¡­ I thought you knew the answer long ago."

    "I don''t know! In my opinion, you''re basically¡­" Hana paused here, because she was unable to think of a suitable word.

    She originally decided to not think too much into things and merely continue just like this, but¡­ it was still difficult for her to suppress herself sometimes.

    Her knowledge of how he was now,bined with her knowledge of how he was in the past, and his story of being a reincarnator and transmigrator from another world¡­ All of this mixed in her mind chaotically, creating something she didn''t understand, causing her to be unable to find the foundation of what she was really feeling.

    It felt like she was lost within countless small shards, unable to see the shards'' true form.

    She wanted an answer¡­ but was there really an answer?

    "The answer is quite simple. It just makes me somewhat embarrassed to say it." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. "Because¡­ I like the two of you."

    "Eh?" Hana paused in surprise.

    "I''m concerned about you and Yui because I think that both of you are good girls, so I like the two of you." Seiji did his best to withstand his embarrassment as he told Hana directly. "Isn''t it only natural for a boy to want to have good rtionships with girls that he likes?"

    Well, the fact that he took over Seiji Haruta''s body and felt a sense of responsibility towards his blood-rted sisters was indeed an important reason as well.

    But, to be honest, it was because he liked these two beautiful blood-rted sisters of his. That was why he wanted to get along well with them, simple as that.

    Hana''s expression behind her cat mask hadpletely frozen solid.

    This was the answer he gave?

    This was¡­ really¡­

    "Are you really treating yourself like the male lead of a harem story!?"

    "I knew you would say something like that, that''s why I didn''t want to say it!"

    Hana''s face flushed red.

    Seiji''s face flushed red as well. "I don''t think that I''m the main character of a harem story! It''s just that as a man, and as a male, isn''t it quite natural to want to get along well with my beautiful sisters that have nice personalities!? I think that any male would want this as well!!"

    "That''s just a harem master''s way of thinking, pervert! Don''t think that all boys in the world will think the same as you!!"

    "No! I''m confident that all normal boys in the world will have the exact same thoughts as me! Only those that have something broken inside them or are mentally disturbed will be different!!"

    "Stop treating your harem-loving brain as the normal standard for boys in the world! Apologize to all true men in the world, bastard!!"

    "I refuse to admit that men without at least this degree of opinion are normal!!"

    "You shameless perverted harem story main character! Hurry up and go die already!!"

    "If I could, I really would like to be the main character in a harem story, thank you very much!!"

    The siblings argued across theirputer screens for quite a while.

    "¡­I give up, harem brains are unsalvageable."

    "I already said that this is just a very normal male way of thinking¡­"

    The two of them red at each other and both fell silent for a moment.

    Then, both of them sighed in unison.

    "Honestly, so you were just a simple pervert¡­ what was I being so frustrated about?"

    "Like I said, I thought you knew already¡­ why did you ask?"

    "¡­Only the heavens know." Hana averted her gaze.

    She felt that it was wonderful that she was wearing a mask and Seiji didn''t see her expression.

    ''Because¡­ I like the two of you.'' What an incredibly boring answer.

    ''However, I''m someone who''s equally boring¡­'' she thought to herself while feeling her cheeks and chest heat up.

    The confusion in her heart hadpletely dissipated.

    However, on the surface¡­

    "Now that I know you for what you really are, I have to increase my guard against you."

    "Like I said¡­ my ''like'' is at the normal level, not anything else." Seiji sighed. "I''d like to be able to be a normal family with you and Yui, that''s all."

    "Hmph¡­" Hana looked towards him again. "If you truly want our older sister to care about you, the best way is to defeat her¡­ go conquer her as part of your harem since you''re the main character!"

    "What''s going on with you? Being disgusted with me at one moment and changing your mind the next, I don''t understand!"

    "Shut up! At any rate, all I have to do is encourage you to achieve my goal for me. Afterwards, I can just have you silenced anytime I want based on the situation."

    "So that''s what you were nning!?"

    ''Is my younger sister supposed to be a major antagonist?''

    "Of course I''m joking. If it was really true, I wouldn''t tell you, would I?"

    "I was thinking so as well¡­"

    "That was only the original n."

    "You really wanted to do such a thing!?"

    "No need to act so surprised. This is all quite ordinary."

    "No no, this isn''t ordinary at all!"

    "At any rate, resolve yourself to defeat our older sister. It''s impossible to defeat her unless you give it one hundred percent," Hana told him in a serious tone.

    "¡­I''m quite concerned what your current n is," Seiji said as he folded his arms. "However¡­ alright, I''ll firm my resolution."

    "That''s good, then."

    "You said that we''re allies now, and that you''ll help me¡­ then I have a request right now."

    "What is it?"

    "Give me Yui''s cell phone number."

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    "Why do you want Sister''s cell phone number?" She was astonished to hear this.

    "Obviously to contact her."

    "Contact her for what?"

    "To exin the situation to her."

    "You¡­ are you an idiot!!?"

    "No, it''s precisely because I''m not an idiot that I''m doing this," Seiji said in a serious manner. "Because you''re my younger sister, I promised you that I would defeat Yui. However, this doesn''t mean that I''m going to be enemies with her."

    The cat-eared hat girl looked at him dazedly and didn''t know what to say for a long while.

    Yui Haruta received a phone call.

    When she saw the name on her caller ID, she arched her delicate eyebrows upwards, but epted the call.

    "Hello, is this Sister Yui?" a familiar yet also unfamiliar male voice spoke up when she answered the call.

    "¡­I am."

    "I''m Seiji. Sorry to suddenly bother you like this, it''s because some things happened," Seiji stated calmly. "Hana asked me to ally with her in order to defeat you, and I agreed."

    "Hmm?" The ck-haired girl furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

    His words were quite easy to understand, but she didn''t quite understand what was going on.

    "I don''t know the specific reason why, as Hana wouldn''t tell me. Even so, I agreed to her request," Seiji continued. "As for what''s going on, you should know more than me. If you don''t know, then just ask Hana. Currently, we''re definitely not a match for you yet, but we''ll work hard at reaching your level. If you allow us to do this, that''s what we''ll do. If you don''t allow us to do so, then there''s no helping it, we can only surrender. So, Sister¡­ Yui Haruta, I''d like to ask, what''s your reply?"

    Yui was rendered speechless.

    What the hell was all this!

    That was her first impression.

    But after contemting over it for a while, sheughed, revealing an absolutely beautiful smile.

    "Heh heh¡­ how amusing."

 Chapter 424 - Itâ€™s so appropriate for the beautiful you

    <h4>Chapter 424: It¡¯s so appropriate for the beautiful you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "If you truly believe that you''re able to defeat me, then go ahead and try."

    That was Yui''s answer.

    It was just as Seiji expected.

    He asked Hana for Yui''s cell phone number as a type of test.

    Based on Hana''s reaction, the worst possible result would be that he would have to load.

    Although she was obviously unhappy about it, she still gave him Yui''s cell phone number.

    This actually made Seiji feel more reassured. Although he still didn''t know what was going on, it meant that even if his sisters had some type of conflict with each other, it wasn''t to an incredibly serious extent.

    And calling Yui and seeing how she would react to what he told her was more proof for his inference.

    "You used such a method to avoid antagonizing our older sister, how sly¡­ As expected of a harem story protagonist."

    "I shall treat that as you praising me."

    "I''m definitely not praising you!" The cat-eared hat girl twisted her head.

    Her action seemed just like that of a real cat''s, quite tsundere.

    Seiji smiled gently and quietly looked at her.

    "¡­Your expression is so disgusting. I don''t want to continue talking to a pervert like you, hmph!"

    After ring at him one more time, Hana closed the video chat.

    Seiji''sputer screen returned to normal.

    "Such a troublesome younger sister¡­" Seiji leaned back against his chair and heaved a sigh of relief.

    Although she was troublesome, she was cute, so it was fine!

    Nighttime.

    Seijipleted all the insert artwork for "Brother Monogatari."

    He gathered all the artwork together and emailed it as attachments to Editor Yoshizawa.

    After she looked over his artwork, she praised it for being of excellent quality! She reassured him that it would definitely pass Thunderbolt Literature''s standards.

    With that, his job as an artist wasplete. All he had to do now was wait for his story to be published¡­ he hoped that it would sell well.

    Seiji stretchedzily and checked to see what time it was.

    At this time, he figured that the three Amami siblings probably learned about the mystical from their grandfather already.

    When Seiji met again with Hoshi after Hoshi finished work, Seiji only hinted about the existence of the mystical and told Hoshi about how he could try calling for help from Seiji if he met with any danger during his strange dream. He left the specifics about the mystical society up to Shouzou Amami to exin.

    Would Hoshi enter such a dream again tonight? What he would meet with if he did? Would Hoshi really be able to summon Seiji just like Yukari did if he met with danger? Seiji had many questions that he didn''t know the answers to.

    At this moment, his cell phone rang.

    He checked the caller ID to see that the call was from Hoshi.

    "Good evening¡­ Senpai."

    "Good evening, junior."

    "Earlier¡­ I just heard some things from my grandfather. Senpai, you¡­"

    "It''s all real."

    "Eh?"

    "Everything your grandfather told you was real," Seiji told him honestly.

    Hoshi fell silent for a moment before speaking up again.

    "You''re so amazing¡­" Hoshi eximed sincerely. "Senpai, you really weren''t anyone ordinary after all¡­"

    "Don''t say that. Even if I have some powers that ordinary people don''t have, I''m still just an ordinary person," Seiji stated. "There''re things that I can''t aplish, things I don''t understand, and there are limits to what I can do."

    "Haha¡­ Senpai, you''ve always been like this."

    "That''s right, so don''t overestimate me."

    "That''s not what I meant¡­ Forget it, what Senpai says then."

    Seiji was rather mystified.

    ''What did Hoshi mean by that?''

    "Senpai, about that strange dream, is it¡­" Hoshi changed the topic.

    "Stop! This isn''t a topic we should be talking about over the phone." Seiji stopped Hoshi from continuing any further. "There''s not much else to say about it, because there''s many mysteries¡­ just remember what I told you earlier today."

    "Oh¡­ alright, then."

    "Be careful, Hoshi."

    "Yep, thank you, Senpai."

    After ending the phone call, the beautiful boy put down his cell phone and looked outside his window.

    ''Senpai is a Spiritual Ability user, and I have the possibility of Awakening to some sort of power and bing like him¡­

    ''No, that''s impossible.

    ''Even if I be a Spiritual Ability user, it''s impossible for me to be like Senpai. He''s a hero, someone who''s truly strong, while I''m just an ordinary person.

    ''But even if I''m an ordinary person, as long as I try my hardest, I can at least approach him!''

    He wanted to get closer to Senpai, to have the right to stand by Senpai''s side, and be of assistance to Senpai¡­ even if it was only a slight amount of assistance.

    When he imagined that tall figure, then imagined himself by Senpai''s side, possibly even fighting together or going ces together, Hoshi''s eyes began sparkling.

    "I¡­ definitely want to Awaken to some Spiritual Ability!"

    The maple forest was like fire, the maple leaves were like blood, and a beautiful song reverberated throughout the forest.

    Just as Hoshi hoped for, he returned to this dream.

    Last night, he had simply been allured by the song and wanted to find the singer. Tonight, he had more of a purpose for being here.

    The moment he started walking, Hoshi discovered something that he hadn''t noticed yesterday night.

    Something simrly bright-red like the maple leaves, but with an obviously different shape¡­

    "Cluster amaryllis flowers?"

    Hoshi was able to recognize these flowers.

    After all, these flowers were prettymon in anime and manga. Many anime about the mystical would have these flowers appear.

    ''This must be a clue!''

    With this thought, Hoshi began intentionally searching for more.

    He gradually found more and more cluster amaryllis flowers.

    The environment around him became darker and darker, while the sound of song became clearer and clearer.

    He felt like he was getting closer.

    With it bing so dark, Hoshi began getting somewhat scared.

    His desire to Awaken to an ability supported him in moving forward.

    If he met with danger, he could try calling for help from his senpai¡­ this gave him courage to move on as well.

    The darkness became pervasive, the cluster amaryllis flowers began glowing, and even the maple leaves began glowing lightly as well.

    Finally, Hoshi was unable to see any more maple trees. He only sawrge amounts of red flowers on the ground, along with endlessly falling red leaves.

    Finally, Hoshi reached a wide swath of cluster amaryllis flowers¡­ it was just like a sea of flowers!

    He couldn''t see anything other than bright red flowers, along with the bright red leaves that kept falling from the sky¡­ this scene seemed indescribably demonic to him.

    Hoshi even felt as if he was in the middle of a bloodbath, being covered in fresh blood as he watched this scene.

    He was unable to walk forward any more, because he didn''t know what direction to take.

    He felt like he would get lost in the sea of flowers if he forced himself to go on.

    After standing here for a while, Hoshi decided to turn around.

    He figured he would tell Senpai about this situation tomorrow and ask for advice¡­ Hoshi turned around with this thought in mind.

    However, behind him was another endless sea of flowers!

    "What''s going on¡­" Hoshi paused in astonishment.

    When he looked all around him, everything he saw was the same.

    He was unable to leave!

    Hoshi felt as if he had fallen into a trap, which caused fear to well up in his heart.

    ''No! I can''t get scared just like this.''

    Hoshi forced down his fear and began walking forward as he felt that no matter what, he had to at least try walking onwards first.

    At this moment, he suddenly noticed that the singing had stopped.

    When had it stopped?

    Just as he was wondering about this, he heard a voice from behind him.

    "Hoshi."

    The person speaking was a familiar male voice.

    Hoshi hurriedly turned around to see a familiar tall figure.

    "Senpai¡­ why are you here?"

    The handsome boy who was wearing a ck jacket and long pants, Seigo Harano¡­ Seiji Haruta stood there while smiling faintly.

    "Of course I''m here to find you," Seiji stated as he walked closer.

    "¡­Did youe here because you were worried about me?"

    Seiji didn''t respond. Instead, he walked up to Hoshi and looked around him.

    "This ce is so beautiful," he eximed with sincerity.

    "Er¡­ It is rather beautiful, but¡­"

    "It''s so appropriate for the beautiful you."

    "Eh?" Hoshi was astonished to hear this. "Senpai¡­ what did you say?"

    Seiji chuckled.

    His smile contained a hint of something devilish.

 Chapter 425 - Youâ€™re definitely not Senpai!

    <h4>Chapter 425: You¡¯re definitely not Senpai!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi felt that something was wrong about Senpai''s smile.

    "I said, this ce is so beautiful; it''s so appropriate for the beautiful you, Hoshi." Seiji smiled.

    "¡­This doesn''t sound like something Senpai would say."

    "Hmm?"

    "If it''s a joke¡­ No, even if it''s a joke, I don''t think that Senpai would say something like this," Hoshi stated as he looked into the other person''s face. "It feels somewhat disgusting."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I was speaking from my heart. It hurts me to hear you say that." He sighed.

    "¡­I apologize, but I really do think that it''s quite strange."

    "You may think it''s strange because you don''t understand the real me¡­ actually, I''ve always been wearing a mask in front of you."

    "A mask?" Hoshi blinked when he heard this.

    "Yes, I''ve been wearing a mask in order to suppress my true feelings for you." Seiji clutched his own chest. "But right now, right here, I''m no longer able to bear it anymore. I would like to express my true feelings for you."

    He looked into Hoshi''s eyes and smiled deeply as if it came from his heart.

    "Hoshi, I like you!"

    Hoshi instantly widened his eyes to hear this.

    Red leaves kept falling, and red flowers were shaking.

    Hoshi''s reaction to the handsome boy who just confessed wholeheartedly to him was¡­

    Hoshi revealed an expression of disgust!

    He backed up many steps, and took two deep breaths before he lifted his hand and pointed at Seiji -

    "You''re definitely not Senpai!! Who the hell are you!?"

    Everything fell silent for a moment.

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched.

    "I am indeed your senpai. How could you¡ª"

    "No! You''re definitely not! My real senpai would never confess to me like this!!" Hoshi stated adamantly. "Even though you look the same, you''re definitely something else entirely! Your fake portrayal of Senpai is so terrible!! It''s incredibly disgusting!!!"

    Seiji fell silent.

    A momentter, he chuckled once more, and had that same devilish smile from earlier.

    "I didn''t think that you would see through me so easily."

    Seiji¡­ no, an existence that was pretending to be Seiji now spoke in a female''s voice as she shrugged and extended her palms.

    "This was clearly something that you wished for. Why are you resisting so much when you obtained it?"

    "Because I know that it''s impossible to really happen," Hoshi stated calmly. "Perhaps in my heart¡­ no, perhaps I''ve always secretly wanted this possibility, but at the same time, I''m very clear that Senpai would never do such a thing. That''s because I''m a boy. No matter how much I resemble a girl, I really am a man! Senpai recognizes that I''m a boy, and no matter what my physical appearance and actions are like, he''s always treated me as a boy!! He views me as his junior and as his friend, but he''ll never treat me as a potential love interest, nor will he ever like me the same way he''ll like a girl. In his mind, I''m a man after all!!"

    Hoshi didn''t speak in a very loud voice. However, his tone seemed unshakable.

    The fake Seiji was able to sense this as she squinted her eyes.

    "You¡­ feel that this is enough for you?"

    This was a rather vague question, but Hoshi understood what she meant.

    "I think that this is enough."

    "You won''t regret it?"

    "I won''t."

    "Why are you so certain?"

    Hoshi fell silent for a moment and recalled some words Seiji told him on that day on top of the school building.

    "You were my junior to begin with."

    "It''s excellent that you have the resolution to be stronger."

    "Don''t make it sound like I''m someone incredible¡­"

    "I''m simply your senpai as well as your friend. That''s all there is to it."

    That''s all there was to it.

    "Simply because¡­ I''m his junior," Hoshi spoke resolutely and expressed a deep connection between him and Seiji.

    The fake Seiji looked deeply into Hoshi''s eyes as if she was seeing through his very soul.

    Suddenly, there was a strong gust of wind. The cluster amaryllis flowers started waving, and red leaves flew everywhere.

    Hoshi''s vision was obscured by all the chaotic redness and he lost sight of the fake Seiji.

    At this moment, he felt something touching him on his right shoulder; something hot poured within his body from that location, filling his body with a heated sensation!

    Hoshi wanted to shout out loudly, but he was unable to shout. He felt as if he was melting, as his consciousness became hazy and gradually disappeared into the darkness¡­

    "Hmm?"

    Seiji felt as if he heard Hoshi calling out to him.

    He stopped cultivating and looked around him.

    Seiji was currently practicing [Beginning-level punching techniques] in Reo''s soul realm.

    When he looked all around him, he couldn''t find anything out of ce.

    "Was it just my imagination?"

    Seiji decided to continue cultivating.

    He should be able to finish learning [Beginning-level punching techniques] tonight. Originally, he had intended to work on [Beginning-level footwork] next, but judging by the current situation, he decided to instead begin learning [Beginning-level barrier spells] next.

    Since he wasn''t summoned likest night, all he could do was cultivate.

    The next morning.

    Shika told Seiji that three small demons had crashed into her barrier set up over their apartment.

    Although there were only three and they were small demons immediately exorcised by the barrier spell that didn''t cause any harm to them at all, this was still a message of sorts.

    Seiji turned on hisputer and logged onto the inte. As he expected, he saw arge amount of "posts about demons" in the Channel 22 message forum!

    He sent Hisashi a message and learned that many people in the Juumonji Group had been injured. Their main residence was invaded by demons as well. Luckily, the main residence was fine due to the purchased barrier''s protection. The Juumonji Group also had news that there were several times more ordinary victims thanst night.

    When Seiji sent Yukari a message, she replied that she was fine, and even sent an emoticon of beating up on some small monsters¡­ He interpreted it as meaning she met some demons, but was able to protect herself using her ability.

    Next, he sent Hoshi a message. However, he didn''t receive a reply, so he tried to call Hoshi.

    "Senpai¡­"

    Hoshi''s first word was filled with fatigue, just like Yukari''s situation from yesterday!

    "Hoshi¡­ could it be that you¡­"

    "Yeah¡­"

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes when he heard Hoshi admit to this.

    "Rest well for now. Call me after you wake up, I''lle meet you."

    "Yeah¡­ okay."

    They ended their conversation there.

    Next, Seiji called Natsuya.

    "Yet another new situation urredst night," the student council president told him directly. "Various ces lit up with strong spiritual light, and when various factions went to investigate, they discovered that the internal structures of those ces becamepletely different from before. Not only that, the Mana density in these locations are quite high, and various Spiritual Creatures are living there¡­"

    These transformed locations were termed as "Spirit Worlds" by the mystical society.

    This phenomenon as a whole became known as "Spirit World Transformation." It was just like the phenomenon of ordinary people Awakening as it shook the entire mystical society¡­ no, it had an even greater impact than that!

    While the appearance of Awakened was astonishing, the impact they brought was quite limited¡ªat least for the time being.

    However, these Spirit Worlds were different. With high Mana density and an abundance of Spiritual Creatures¡­ they were basically like treasure troves for Spiritual Ability users!

    It was just as if numerous treasure troves had fallen out of the sky. What would happen in such a scenario?

    Of course people would fight over the treasure.

    "Although most factions are only in the first stages of their investigation and there''s many problems involved still, the ces that have undergone Spirit World Transformations¡­ battles have already begun over who gets to control these ''Spirit World Grounds.''" Natsuya sighed.

    Compared to the appearance of these Spirit Worlds, the Awakened became a lot less important, and the night of one hundred demons further decreased in significance¡­ Of course, the Spiritual Ability users wouldn''t just let it be, as they didn''t want their existence to be exposed to the general public.

    Heaven-sent treasure troves¡­ and battling over the Spirit Worlds was probably the main focus for all the major factions now.

    The worst possible development would be an all-out conflict!

 Chapter 426 - I can accept bleeding a little every day

    <h4>Chapter 426: I can ept bleeding a little every day</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Well, arge-scale battle wasn''t likely to erupt immediately, but it would be highly likely as things went on.

    "Currently speaking, due to the night of one hundred demons and the appearance of the Awakened, Spiritual Ability users from other ces are gathering, and now that Spirit Worlds have appeared, even more Spiritual Ability users will be attracted here¡­"

    "With more Spiritual Ability users gathering here, would things be more chaotic with an increased possibility of violent incidents?"

    "That''s right."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "But if we try thinking positively, if there''s more Spiritual Ability users, doesn''t that also mean that there''s more people to fight against the demons?" he tried asking.

    "¡­Yes, that''s true."

    "By the way, have you all learned anything about the night of one hundred demons or the Awakening phenomena?"

    "We still don''t know how they originated," Natsuya replied. "The demons seem to be appearing out of thin air, the same goes for the Awakened¡­ the only thing I know is that apparently the Awakened all go through an experience simr to entering their own soul realms."

    "Simr to entering their own soul realms?"

    "Yes, but it''s not one hundred percent confirmed yet. It''s notpletely impossible for people to enter their own soul realms while asleep, but the chances are incredibly low¡­ at least they were in the past."

    Things might be different now. Those words were left unsaid.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    He wanted to say something else to Natsuya, but decided against it in the end.

    After Hoshi finished resting and called him, Seiji headed over to Shouzou Amami''s residence, where he met with Hoshi.

    Seiji went directly for the main topic at hand after greeting Hoshi.

    Hoshi brought out a bright-red leaf and ced it on his left hand''s palm.

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision] on himself as he watched the leaf giving off a red glow. The leaf suddenly became a red bird that resembled a pigeon who was glowing with a faint red mist.

    Hoshi waved his hand, causing the red bird to fly around in a few circles under the ceiling. Then, the bird startednding while heading for Seiji.

    Seiji reflexively reached out to catch the bird. However, he didn''t feel the sensation of any touch or weight.

    "This¡­ is it under your control?" He observed the bird.

    "Yes. It feels simr to controlling a video game character, but I can do it with my mind, not a game controller," Hoshi exined.

    "Oh¡­" Seiji tried petting the bird, but was unable to touch anything. "Is it only an illusion?"

    "No."

    The red bird lowered its head and rubbed against Seiji''s arm, giving him a cool, icy sensation.

    "Only when I want it to be capable of touching others will it have physical form."

    "I see. How wondrous."

    Hoshi had the red bird fly back to his hand, and after a red sh, the bird transformed back into a bright red leaf.

    "It can even change back to its original form¡­ what type of leaf is that?"

    "An ordinary leaf from a flower here. It''s just stained with my blood." Hoshi lifted his palm to show Seiji.

    Seiji noticed that there was a band-aid on Hoshi''s left hand''s index finger.

    "You have to use your own blood in order to use your Spiritual Ability!?"

    "Yes, I have to color a leaf red with my own blood first before being able to use the leaf to activate my ability." Hoshi smiled. "This power seems slightly evil, doesn''t it?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless. "Although this type of ability using one''s own blood is rtivelymon in anime and manga, it still doesn''t exactly seem like a good ability." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    "Senpai, do you hate this type of ability?"

    "I don''t hate it, I just don''t think it''s a good one, because you have to harm yourself in order to use it."

    "I can ept bleeding a little every day."

    "You intend to use your ability every day!?"

    "I intend to create a stock of red leaves so that I can use them whenever I need to."

    "Oh, so you can stock up¡­ By the way, is there an expiration date for the red leaves you create?"

    "No. That''s what my senses tell me."

    "Then that sounds fine¡­ but is it really alright to make yourself bleed like this every single day?"

    "I think that I''m quite fortunate already to have Awakened to a Spiritual Ability. I won''t be picky about it." Hoshi smiled. "It''s just at the degree of bleeding a little every day; it''s fine. No need to worry about me, Senpai."

    Seiji was still somewhat worried as he looked at the beautiful boy''s smile.

    "Hoshi, in your dream¡­ or more urately speaking, what did you experience in your soul realm?" He tried asking.

    Something shed in Hoshi''s eyes as he looked back at Seiji.

    "I met a strange person and exchanged a few words with her."

    "A strange person?"

    "She greatly resembled Senpai, and at first I thought that she was Senpai. However, I soon discovered that she wasn''t."

    "She greatly resembled me?" Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    If Hoshi''s trial was the same as Yukari''s, meeting some sort of incarnation of an ancestor, then wouldn''t that mean¡­ that the Amami family was actually rted to the Haruta Family!?

    "What did you talk about? Did this person say her own name or identity?"

    "I can''t remember." Hoshi shook his head.

    "Eh?"

    "After I woke up, I felt like that part of my memory was incredibly hazy¡­ I don''t remember what I said to her, or how long we talked for. I only remember that we talked."

    "I see¡­"

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Senpai, what are you doing right now?" Hoshi suddenly asked.

    "Eh?" Seiji blinked in surprise. "What exactly do you mean?"

    "I want to know if Senpai is battling against anyone¡­ something like that." Hoshi looked directly into Seiji''s eyes as he spoke seriously, "Although I just Awakened to my power and it might be arrogant of me to say this, but I would really like to help out and be of assistance to Senpai!"

    Seiji paused in surprise.

    He was dazed for several seconds at how serious Hoshi''s expression was before he chuckled.

    "What are you saying? Do you think that we''re in a hot-blooded battle manga with mystical abilities? Am I some heroic protagonist that''s fighting against evil?"

    "Senpai¡­"

    "I said before not to treat me as more than an ordinary person. I''m not some main character, nor am I a hero. I don''t have a destiny to gather mypanions to fight against evil." Seiji chuckled. "Although there are indeed people I want to defeat, that has nothing to do with fighting against evil, it''s just a personal affair."

    Hoshi blinked at this.

    "Senpai, you misunderstood," he stated sincerely. "I don''t want to help out because I think that Senpai is a main character type or a hero. I want to help out simply because of you, Senpai."

    "Hmm?"

    "Although I indeed feel that Senpai is a hero, I want to help Senpai for simply one reason¡­ I want to stand next to Senpai!"

    ''I want to be by your side, fight together with you, and fight for you.

    ''No matter if it''s to fight against evil, or for personal matters, I want to be your strength! I don''t want to only be taken care of by you.''

    "Hoshi¡­"

    "Senpai, we''re friends. As friends, shouldn''t we help each other out?"

    "¡­Yes, you''re right." Seiji understood Hoshi''s intentions. "I was the one who misunderstood earlier. I apologize. If I ever need your help in the future, I''ll call for you. At that time, I''ll be in your care," Seiji told him sincerely.

    "I''ll be more than happy to help!" Hoshi was delighted to be recognized like this.

    Perhaps his fantasy yesterday might be able toe true after all.

    After talking to Hoshi, Seiji then had a discussion with Shouzou.

    "Harano-kun, what''s your opinion of the ability that Hoshi Awakened to?" the old man asked him.

    Seiji thought it over.

    "Setting aside the matter of its usefulness inbat, what I''m most concerned about is that it can only be activated with Hoshi''s blood."

    "Yes, I''m concerned about that as well." Shouzou sighed. "This type of ability gives me a faint ominous premonition."

    "Do you know something, Amami-san?"

    "No¡­ Perhaps I''m just overly worried about my own grandson. But, I can''t help but imagine, will this Spiritual Ability that he received so suddenly always stay like this? Or will it continue developing in its own right? And¡­ will it cause any changes in Hoshi''s personality?"

 Chapter 427 - With how big the Spirit Worlds are, Iâ€™d like to go visit them

    <h4>Chapter 427: With how big the Spirit Worlds are, I¡¯d like to go visit them</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Abilities weren''t simply weapons, they were also part of who a person was.

    Even a simple weapon, however, when used over a long period of time, would have the ability to influence the wielder, especially all the more so when the weapon in question was a person''s own Spiritual Ability.

    To state it in more extreme terms, it was that power had the ability to change people.

    Perhaps some might find that statement ludicrous, but this statement was in fact indisputable.

    Perhaps weapons and abilities were bad analogies, but if concepts such as wealth or authority were considered "powers" as well, it was quite normal that such "powers" would change people''s personalities. In fact, it would be quitemon.

    Seiji had many experiences with this in his previous life.

    That was why he restrained himself as much as possible from abusing his own incredibly powerful ability of saving and loading.

    It was only reasonable that Shouzou Amami would be concerned about Hoshi.

    About that ability, which Seiji decided to call the "Red Leaf Ability" for the time being, would it have any effects on Hoshi? Seiji felt that it would.

    But banning Hoshi from using his ability didn''t seem like the right way to go about things. In fact, that would only increase the effect of the ability on him.

    Needing to seal his ability because it was too fearsome¡­? It wasn''t even close to that degree at all.

    Watching over him and teaching him properly was the best way to do things in Seiji''s opinion.

    He expressed his opinion to Shouzou Amami.

    Shouzou fell silent for a few moments, then expressed agreement.

    "The fact that Hoshi Awakened to a Spiritual Ability must have some type of meaning; indeed, there''s no reason to be pessimistic about it," Shouzou stated. "I shall do what I can, and Harano-kun, please continue taking good care of my grandchild."

    "Of course I will." Seiji smiled. "I''m his senpai."

    Before, he was Hoshi''s senpai at work. Now, he was going to be Hoshi''s senpai as a Spiritual Ability user.

    Night of one hundred demons on the first night of the Midnight Spell, the phenomenon of Awakening on the second night, and Spirit Worlds appearing on the third night. What would happen on the fourth night?

    Seiji and many others were highly concerned about what else would happen. However, nothing else actually urred.

    There were no new situations apart from repeats of what had happened already.

    It was the same for the fifth night.

    And the sixth night as well.

    With no new situations, the Spiritual Ability users finally focused fully on dealing with the current phenomena.

    There was no known way to stop the night of one hundred demons. All that could be done was to fight the demons that appeared every night, along with setting uprge-scale barriers in various locations to prevent them from harming ordinary people. Every faction was taking action with regards to this matter, and they were discussing long-term systems for dealing with the demons.

    As for the Awakened, each Spiritual Ability user faction treated them differently. Some actively searched for Awakened, while other factions didn''t pay the Awakened any attention. Some treated the Awakened as targets for research, while others protected them¡­ Although there was supposed to be an unwritten rule to treat the Awakened humanely, things were currently too chaotic to control everyone''s actions.

    Naturally, what the Spiritual Ability user factions paid attention to the most were the Spirit Worlds.

    The summary of the information that Seiji heard from Natsuya regarding this matter was:

    Cultivating would be much more efficient in a Spirit World, and precious resources could be obtained there was well.

    The risks involved being attacked by the Spiritual Creatures there, as well as the Spirit World suddenly deforming.

    A Spirit World deforming meant that the location in question would stop transforming into a Spirit World, returning to normal. Anyone within a Spirit World that didn''t leave it before it deformed would die¡­ more specifically, they would be reduced to nothing more than pieces of meat!

    As for why this happened, nobody knew.

    Not only humans, it was the same for other living creatures as well. The only things that could survive to the next Spirit World Transformation were nonliving objects as well as Spiritual Creatures, but that wasn''t certain.

    If an area had any humans in it, then that area wouldn''t undergo a Spirit World Transformation.

    If there were other living creatures, such as cats or dogs, then it was possible for the location to undergo a Spirit World Transformation. If that urred, then it was possible for the creatures to either live or disappear.

    The same location might or might not undergo a Spirit World Transformation each night. The times for the Spirit World Transformations were uncertain as well, as was the environment each time for the Spirit World.

    That was why there was yet another new term established for the Spirit Worlds: "consistency."

    The more consistent the timing for a Spirit World to arrive at night, and the more consistent its environment, the higher its consistency rating would be.

    Highly consistent Spirit World locations would be majorly contested areas by all the major Spiritual Ability user factions!

    The less consistent a location was, the higher the risk, which meant lower potential benefits. Still, that didn''t mean that the dangerous ones were worthless.

    "The low consistency Spirit Worlds that are formed potentially have valuable resources within them as well. Perhaps there will be brave ones looking to ''seek treasure'' in the future, and perhaps such people already exist even now." Those were Natsuya''s original words.

    ''A treasure hunter¡­ perhaps I can try being one as well.'' That was what Seiji thought at the time.

    As long as he decided to use his ability to save and load, things like a Spirit World deforming or being forced to the brink by a powerful Spiritual Creature wouldn''t possibly pose any danger to him.

    If the Spirit World started deforming at a split second''s notice, then he would have been worried. But, ording to Natsuya''s description of the process, a Spirit World wouldn''t deform so quickly. There was a process to it, which meant it wasn''t so frightening to him.

    The question was, what would he look for in a Spirit World?

    He knew that Spirit Worlds were supposed to possess precious resources.

    But, what exactly were those precious resources? And if he found something that resembled a precious resource, how to ascertain what it was and how it would be used¡­ he knew nothing!

    To use a video game as an analogy, hecked gathering and appraisal skills. In the end, it meant that his knowledge was insufficient.

    He wanted a guidebook to spiritual resources. If only one was sold somewhere!

    After thinking about it, Seiji decided to contact a certain person to ask this question.

    "There''s no such thing being sold anywhere!" The cat-eared hat girl on his screen told him. "Besides, why would you want such a thing? Are you thinking about going to a Spirit World?"

    "Yes. With how big the Spirit Worlds are, I''d like to go visit them."

    "Visit, the hell! With your level, you want to go to such a ce? You''ll die in there immediately!"

    "I definitely won''t die. I still want to return home and get married."

    "Stop giving yourself death gs like that! Are you intentionally trying to die!?"

    "Believe in me!"

    "I won''t! Just cultivate normally and stop thinking about going to weird ces."

    "If I only cultivate normally, will I be able to defeat Yui?"

    "Er¡­" Hana froze in her words for a moment.

    "Believe me, I view life as precious and won''t do anything that I don''t have a guarantee on." Seiji shed a bright smile. "I need information about the Spirit World because I want to find something useful that can quickly improve my power level."

    "Hmph¡­" Hana red at him for a while. "I suppose it''s praiseworthy that you want to improve yourself. But, in the Spirit World¡­ do you really have some type of guarantee that you can live in there?"

    "Yeah. There''s no point in me bragging, after all. I''m not being overconfident."

    "¡­Alright, I suppose I can try gathering some information for you."

    "Thank you, nice sister of mine. Your brother loves you~"

    "Disgusting!"

    They ended their video chat there.

    Seiji was having fun teasing his younger sister. It felt amazing, so what should he do if he still wanted to continue?

    Should he try teasing Shika next?

    ''No, no, she''ll probably slice me!''

    Seijimented on himself before beginning to browse the inte.

    Today was thest day of winter vacation, and tomorrow, school would start again¡­ School starting again felt like a return to daily life, which felt rather unbelievable.

    Rather than saying that going to school was for the sake of learning knowledge and acquiring a diploma, it felt more like a symbol of youth to him?

    No matter what happened, as long as he was still able to normally go to school, that was evidence that his life hadn''t gone ridiculously off track.

    Seiji suddenly really looked forward to tomorrow.

    Tomorrow morning, he would be going to school together with Mika, Kaede, and Chiaki¡­ That Chiaki, after living at the Uehara residence for two nights, she actually started renting an apartment from the third day onward.

 Chapter 428 - Going to school equals cultivation

    <h4>Chapter 428: Going to school equals cultivation</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    She started renting an apartment here anding sleeping over every night. Chiaki herself said that it was for "economic convenience!"

    Although Seiji wanted toment on it, it was indeed economically convenientpared to purchasing an expensive personal barrier.

    The night of one hundred demons caused its greatest harm on the third night due to the Spirit Worlds'' appearance distracting all the Spiritual Ability users. After the third night, all the Spiritual Ability user factions aggressively took steps to contain the demons in order to prevent the situation from going out of control, so that degree of harm to ordinary humans didn''t happen again.

    As all the factions took measures, the overall safety improved. However, there would still be demons along with victims since the night of one hundred demons couldn''t be stopped¡­ it was unknown if it even could be prevented.

    For the mystical society, they didn''t really care as long as the general poption didn''t get harmed to a degree that would threaten to reveal the mystical side of society.

    The third night had led to arger scale of destruction and more gossip on the inte, but that all calmed down by now. Most ordinary people still went about their lives as usual, without knowing that something had changed in this city.

    The next morning, Seiji and the others walked on the road to Genhana High School under the bright sunshine.

    "It''s so cold, I just want to sleep and not go to school¡­ why don''t they just have winter vacation all the way until spring?" Chiaki wasining.

    "In order to prevent azy worm like you from hibernating," Seiji told her.

    "How terrible. I want to make aint against this cruel society."

    "Rejected. You''re the one that''s toozy."

    "You actually dare to call a girlzy¡­"

    "Lazy iszy. Wasn''t Mika the one who had to wake you up today?"

    "More urately speaking, I had to drag her out of bed," Mika rified.

    "Wakaba-san doesn''t seem very energetic. Did you sleep tootest night?" Kaede inquired.

    "Yeah, Seigo wouldn''t let me sleep, as he kept hanging onto me and wanting to do¡­"

    "Don''t suddenly nder me like that!"

    They casually chatted all the way to school.

    They saw Kaho at school and greeted her.

    Two days ago, Kaho had returned from visiting her family in another city, and Seiji had a discussion with her.

    Just like Yukari, she epted the exnation about the mystical but politely refused his assistance.

    "If I really do meet with something like demons¡­ it''ll be akin to meeting with a traffic ident," Kaho said at the time.

    Seiji felt that treating meeting a demon as being analogous to a traffic ident was somewhat subtle. But, with the night of one hundred demons being unstoppable for the time being, meeting a demon did seem somewhat simr to what would happen if a person met a traffic ident.

    Although she had a slightly different attitude from Yukari, he understood what she meant and respected her decision.

    They all went to the ssroom together and greeted their ssmates that they hadn''t seen all winter vacation. A typical, normal school daily life began just like this.

    After the bell rang to signify the start of sses, Seiji opened up his dating sim system and used his [Stat Transference Card]!

    He obtained this card previously after the publication of his "Be Handsome" story, through obtaining a sufficient number of shards for a [Random Draw]. Its specific effect was to transfer all his gains in one stat for one week to another stat.

    Seiji intended to transfer all his gains in [Academics] to [Spiritual Power]!

    If it worked the way he thought, that meant that going to school would equal cultivation for him. He could enjoy his daily life while cultivating Spiritual Power at the same time, which seemed perfect to him!

    The question was whether this would work or not. After all, [Spiritual Power] was slightly more specialpared to the other stats, and perhaps the system wouldn''t allow him to raise it this way.

    Seiji chose to [Use] the card in his system, picked [Academics] and then transfer to [Spiritual Power]¡­ it worked!

    ''It really works?'' Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    Now he had to see the effects.

    He chose the option in his system to [Study in ss] that he hadn''t used in so long, and immersed himself in learning¡­

    Lunch time.

    Seiji checked the increase in his [Spiritual Power] stat and felt that it was eptable.

    He decided to exchange for another [Stat Transference Card] in a week if Spiritual Power could continue increasing at this pace.

    Before, he felt that the [Stat Transference Card] was too expensive to purchase in his system''s shop. But now, he could afford it, mainly due to the points ie he now had from publishing "Be Handsome" and his cosy photographs. He had plenty of points to throw around.

    After eating lunch, he hung out with Mika and Chiaki as usual.

    "I haven''t heard of anyone saying they were injured by demons. While there were a few that were injured, they all said it was in an ident," Chiaki mentioned. "I think that perhaps they met something but don''t want to say it out loud. After all, while it may be fine to talk about it on the inte, it''s not so easy to say at school."

    Seiji nodded in agreement.

    "Although it''s a hot topic on the inte, and there''s also some reports and discussions on television about it, it''s something entirely different to talk about it in real life. A student that met a demon probably would at most talk about it with his or her good friends, and probably wouldn''t publicize it."

    If it was to the extent where people didn''t care anymore about not being believed and felt like they absolutely had to publicize it, then the truth about the mystical society would probably be exposed.

    "Foolish humans, always pretending to be peaceful~"

    "There''s no helping it. That''s how humanity is."

    "You actually didn''te up with a retort?"

    "I''m tired."

    "Please be more spirited, dear~"

    "Why don''t you tell that to yourself, as you were basically sleeping through all the sses this morning? Also, don''t call me dear!"

    "Aren''t I being quite spirited now, husband~"

    "That''s even worse!"

    While chatting with the tomboy, Seiji noticed that Mika had a contemtive expression.

    "What''s the matter, Mika?" Seiji asked.

    "Even if you did poorly on your final exams, please don''t give up hope in living and try your hardest to survive." Chiaki yacted at being serious.

    "I wasn''t thinking about my test grades! Besides, my scores weren''t that bad¡­" Mika''s face reddened slightly.

    Her final exam scores were a bit higher than she''d expected. Even her worst grade was still a passing grade, and she extravagantly managed to avoid the pitiful consequence of having to take makeup exams.

    By the way, the top 100 scoring students all had their scores publicized for each grade. Seiji''s final exam scores ranked number seven out of all first-year high schoolers, while Chiaki ranked number forty-three.

    Chiaki''s grades weren''t a surprise to anyone, but Seiji skipped so many sses and still somehow managed to have such a high grade¡­ Mika was definitely astonished.

    The entire ss was astonished at Seigo Harano''s grades.

    Their impression of him was that he was physically strong, but they didn''t expect that his academics were so impressive as well! Seigo''s score even surpassed student council secretary Kazufuru Ooike''s score¡ªKazufuru had been the top scoring student in their ss for the midterms.

    Kazufuru''s expression at the time was definitely worthy of taking a picture of¡­ whoops, it should be said that nobody should look at it.

    Seiji felt aplex gazeing from this excellent student, but ignored it. Ever since that day when Seiji asked Kazufuru to lead him to the student council room, they had only been ordinary ssmates with nothing else to say.

    "I was wondering, just how many people in our school are just like that person¡­ in having Awakened?" Mika whispered in a low voice.

    She was obviously referring to Yukari.

    "I think that there''s probably not many at all, because the probability is quite low," Seiji answered.

    "No matter how many there are, I think that what they''ll do is more important," Chiaki said. "If they wantonly abuse their powers¡­"

    "If they wantonly abuse their powers, they''ll quickly be discovered and dealt with."

    "What if they cautiously abuse their powers?"

    "Cautious people probably wouldn''t abuse their powers to begin with."

    "Then let''s change the word to ''use'' their powers instead. You know what I intended to express."

    "You want to say that the Awakened might harm others? This is indeed possible." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "I don''t know about elsewhere, but any that start trouble in Genhana High School won''t possibly be ignored by Natsuya."

    "Indeed¡­ we have our president." Mika nodded.

    "If necessary, I''ll help out as well."

    "How reliable, Idle Fish¡­ oh, whoops, our knight king."

    At this moment, someone''s cell phone rang.

    "That''s my cell phone." Seiji took out his cell phone and saw that the caller was Kaede.

    "Hey, what''s up? Juumonji-sensei."

    "Harano-kun, do you have time toe to the infirmary?" The blonde teacher spoke on the other end of the call. "I can sense that¡­ there''s something invisible here."

 Chapter 429 - A student librarian is a classical character

    <h4>Chapter 429: A student librarian is a ssical character</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Let''s turn back time a little.

    Before the final ss time slot in the morning, a girl with long brown hair who wore ck-rimmed eyesses walked into the infirmary. Her face was rather pale, and she said that her head was somewhat dizzy, making her ufortable.

    Kaede had her rest on one of the infirmary beds and gave her a checkup while asking some questions.

    This girl was from Year 2, ss 1. Her name was Miyabi Ishihara. Recently, she had been having trouble sleeping at night, and constantly woke up¡­

    Kaede had her rest here for a while and gave her the rmendation to go to a formal hospitalter to be seen by a doctor.

    Ishihara agreed and closed her eyes to rest here.

    A whileter, something strange happened.

    The infirmary door automatically closed by itself, the window curtains started moving despite the fact that there was no wind, and even a cup mysteriously moved itself¡­

    Kaede felt something indescribably subtle! It was as if someone invisible was lightly touching her.

    After faintly perceiving that there was something here, she walked out of the infirmary and called Seiji.

    "Something invisible¡­" Could it be that an Awakened was using his powers to harass the beautiful infirmary nurse!?

    That was the first thought Seiji had when he received this phone call. He even imagined a hentai scenario involving someone invisible¡­ cough, stop right there!

    He responded that he would immediately head over to the infirmary.

    Mika and Chiaki wanted to go as well after learning what happened.

    And so, the three of them went to the infirmary together and saw the blonde teacher not far away from the infirmary door.

    "Harano-kun¡­"

    "Let me enter first by myself and check the situation out. You all wait outside for me."

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision] and prepared himself for anything that might happen as he entered the infirmary by himself.

    He saw¡­ a ghost?

    The ghost had slightly dark skin, messy short curly brown hair, clear yellow eyes, and a band-aid on its right cheek. It was wearing a striped T-shirt and blue shorts¡­ it seemed like a little boy and a little girl at the same time. It was sitting on a chair, swinging its legs.

    This child had the cuteness of a girl, as well as the mannerism of a boy. The ghost felt rather androgynous, and it was difficult for Seiji to ascertain if the ghost was a boy or a girl.

    While Seiji observed him or her, the ghost looked towards Seiji as well.

    They exchanged nces.

    The little ghost blinked and got off from the chair, hopping and skipping to in front of Seiji. The ghost then waved its hand at Seiji.

    "Who are you?" Seiji asked since it seemed likemunication was possible.

    The little ghost widened its eyes and seemed to be shocked at this question.

    And then, it smiled and spoke up, "I''m Ya-chan!"

    Its voice sounded somewhat hollow.

    "Ya-chan?"

    "Yeah! How about you, onii-san?"

    "You can just call me Harano." Seiji looked at the ghost. "Ya-chan, why are you here?"

    "I don''t know. I was just suddenly here."

    "Do you know how you came about to be?"

    "I don''t know." Ya-chan shook its head.

    "Where''s your home?"

    "I don''t know." Another shaking of its head.

    "What''s your full name?"

    "Full name?"

    "Your personal name and family name."

    "I don''t know." It shook its head yet again.

    ''It doesn''t know anything¡­ are all ghosts like this?'' Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    "Harano onii-san, let''s y together!" Ya-chan smiled.

    "What do you want to y?"

    "I want to y hide and seek!"

    ying hide and seek with a ghost¡­ if this was a haunted house at night, then that would definitely make for a suitable atmosphere. However, right now it was around noontime, the sunshine was streaming through the window, and this was an infirmary with someone still sleeping on the bed.

    Seiji looked over at the brown-haired girl sleeping quietly in the infirmary bed while covered by a nket. She had a beautiful face that appeared rather pale, giving her an aura of a sleeping beauty.

    At this moment, she moved, and made a sound of difort.

    The ghost Ya-chan instantly vanished!

    Itpletely disappeared¡­ Seiji looked all around him and couldn''t find the ghost anywhere.

    "Mmm¡­" The brown-haired girl moaned lightly as she slowly opened her eyes.

    She dazedly looked at the ceiling for a moment before turning around and picking up the ck-rimmed eyesses by the pillow, putting them on as she slowly sat up.

    Seiji watched her do all this.

    She noticed Seiji and looked at him as well.

    "I apologize. Did I wake you up?" Seiji said when they exchanged nces.

    "No¡­ you didn''t."

    "That''s good, then¡­ I''ll be going out now. Please continue to rest."

    He said that, then left the infirmary as he said he would.

    "How is it, Harano-kun?" Kaede and the others gathered around him.

    "I saw a Spiritual Creature that seems to be some sort of ghost," Seiji responded. "It appears like an elementary school student, and called itself Ya-chan¡­"

    He exined the situation just now, and inferred that this ghost was rted in some way to the girl resting in the infirmary.

    "Could that girl be possessed?" Chiaki asked.

    "I''m not sure." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    When that brown-haired girl woke up, the ghost suddenly disappeared¡­ he had witnessed a simr phenomenon before.

    It felt simr to New Year''s Eve, when Reo and Mayuzumi disyed "abnormal scenes" while sleeping!

    At that time, it only happened once on that night, and never appeared again, so he put it behind him.

    He didn''t expect that he would see something simr from another person, not to mention that the phenomenon in question would be a ghost that could even talk!

    "Juumonji-sensei, who is that girl in there?"

    "She''s a student from Year 2, ss 1, and her name is Miyabi Ishihara¡­" Kaede exined the situation.

    "Ishihara¡­ does she have long brown hair and wear ck-rimmed eyesses?" Chiaki asked.

    "Yes."

    "That''s her, then. She''s one of Vice President Shiho''s friends, and a student librarian. We met her before at the study group."

    "The study group¡­" Seiji did his best to recall. "I seem to remember the vice-president¡­ Shiho-senpai talking to a girl with that appearance."

    "Yep, that''s her. Hah¡­ based on my observation, if Ishihara-senpai takes off those thick eyesses of hers and does her hair properly, she''ll be an excellent beauty. There''d be such a great contrast!" Something shed in Chiaki''s eyes.

    "Nobody asked about that," Mikamented.

    "A student librarian that can be a beauty just by taking off her eyesses is a ssical character. Indeed, that Ishihara-senpai has this sort of potential." Seiji nodded in agreement.

    "I know! She has an excellent figure as well. If she also puts on some appropriate and beautiful clothing, she''d definitely be quite alluring!"

    "That, I didn''t notice, although her breasts are indeed¡­ er¡­ cough, stop!" Seiji hurriedly stopped himself.

    Apart from the fact that Mika was now ring at him, more important was that Ishihara herself had just walked out of the infirmary.

    Kaede went up and asked, "Ishihara-san, are you feeling better?"

    "Yeah¡­ I''m fine now. Thank you, Sensei," Miyabi Ishihara replied.

    "Don''t force yourself. If you feel like you''re in no condition to be in sses, then apply for sick leave."

    "Okay. Thank you for your concern, Sensei," she politely responded to Kaede as she turned around to leave.

    "It seems like she''s alright."

    "Her only problem is having trouble sleeping¡­ Who knows if this will continue?"

    Although Seiji felt like this situation was simr with Peach-sensei''s, Miyabi Ishihara only said that she couldn''t sleep well but didn''t mention anything about nightmares, which was different from Peach-sensei. Besides, the abnormal scenes were different as well, so they couldn''t bepared. That was what Seiji believed.

    He decided to temporarily take a wait-and-see approach.

    "Juumonji-sensei, if this Ishihara-senpaies visit the infirmary again, please contact me." He requested this of Kaede.

    The blonde teacher nodded in affirmation.

    At this moment, two boys arrived. One boy was supporting the other, who had a pained expression on his face.

    "Sensei, he tripped on the stairs and injured himself."

    "Go ahead and help him in."

    Kaede indicated to the two boys as she walked back into the infirmary.

    "We should take our leave now."

    Seiji, Mika, and Chiaki decided to leave.

    "You have any clues, Seiji?"

    "I think so¡­ Ishihara-senpai is quite simr to Peach-sensei."

    "Eh?" Chiaki blinked to hear this. "Now that you mention it, it''s true! Her appearance, figure, and overall aura do make her seem like a high school version of Amami-sensei!"

    "That''s not what I meant. I was talking about her situation," Seiji rified. However, he then considered it again. "But, what you said¡­ seems right as well. Ishihara-senpai indeed feels a bit like a high school version of Sensei."

    "I know! Perhaps they''re actually even rtives."

    "How could there be such a coincidence? You''re thinking too much into it."

    "Don''t deny it so fast. Perhaps they really are¡­"

    They started yet another passionate discussion.

    ''Honestly¡­'' Mika could only sigh at her two good friends that got sidetracked yet again.

 Chapter 430 - The Holy Light shall protect me!

    <h4>Chapter 430: The Holy Light shall protect me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After school was over, Seiji headed to the student council president''s residence to practice in her underground facility.

    Seiji reached the progress required and paid the points to learn [Beginner-level barrier spells]!

    *Ding!* A system notification popped up in front of him:

    [Character reward card "Hoshi Amami" has now met the prerequisites for additional ability five. It is now avable for use.]

    Seiji went to go take a look at his Hoshi card, and saw that the final ability which had been nothing but question marks before now showed.

    [Additional ability five: Light''s protection (Beginner-level barrier spells required as a prerequisite.)]

    [Barrier strengthening technique. You may use this technique on your own barriers. It will strengthen their duration to twenty-four hours, increase their defense value, as well as add anti-magic, cleansing, and healing properties to them. If the above-mentioned properties already exist, then they shall be strengthened. This ability will use your Mana and physical energy. Limited to one use per day (+1 use for level bonus). The Holy Light shall protect me!]

    ''The Holy Light shall fool¡­ Well then, system, after copying from Overwatch, now you''re copying from World of Warcraft? Isn''t this a step backwards for you?''

    Although he was mentallymenting on his system, Seiji was quite satisfied with his new ability.

    It could strengthen his barriers'' defense value and add many extra effects, as well as lengthen the duration they could be maintained for. It was definitely strong!

    The only weakness was the number of times he could use it in a day: only twice.

    Seiji then looked at [Beginner-level barrier spells] in his system and checked what new options there were.

    There was [Defense], [Anti-spell], [Reflect magic], [Size], [Duration], [Anti-demon], [Cleansing]¡­ so many options!

    And unlike the separate steps for improving spells such as [Beginner-level Astral Vision], these options weren''t unique modes. Rather, they were all added special effects. In summary, all these properties could simultaneously exist on the same barrier!

    However, the more effects on the barrier, therger the cost to cast and maintain it. This was only natural.

    Seiji looked over the summaries, then closed this section of his system. He then checked out all the Spiritual Abilities he had umted so far.

    Attack, defense, and healing¡­ he felt that he had learned all the basics now.

    From now on, should he continue cultivating his spells, or start right away on bing a Yin-Yang Master?

    At first, he had intended to be a passable Spiritual Ability user first¡­ did his current level count as passable?

    Seiji was uncertain.

    But, in order to defeat the person he wanted to defeat, he had to at least be on a Yin-Yang master''s level. At first he hadn''t been in any rush to be a Yin-Yang Master, but things were different now.

    He came to a decision after some consideration.

    "I shall work hard at both bing a Yin-Yang Master along with cultivating my spells!"

    Seiji saw Natsuya and Hitaka when he left the practice field and returned to the residence''s living room.

    It was a nice scene, with the beautiful student council president drinking tea quietly together with her Spirit-branded Retainer who was also a beauty. However, the student council president had somewhat of a dark aura about her, which affected the beauty of the scene.

    Seiji greeted them and asked if something was the matter.

    "We just returned from my main family. There were some things discussed there that weren''t particrly pleasant for me," Natsuya said in a low voice.

    "Oh¡­ I''m sorry to hear that."

    Seiji knew that Natsuya had a tenuous rtionship with her family. She hadn''t wanted to speak about this subject before, nor had she ever mentioned anything before about her family.

    ''Should I ask her during this chance? Or simply leave silently?''

    Before he coulde to a decision, the student council president continued, "It was regarding the Awakened at Genhana High School."

    Seiji''s eyebrows arced upwards as something shed in his eyes.

    "¡­May I know what it was about?"

    If it was about the Awakened in thebined Genhana Middle and High School, that would affect Yukari and Hoshi, and he really wanted to know!

    "Yes." Natsuya nced directly at him.

    Seiji sat down across from them and took a cup, intending to pour some tea for himself. However, Hitaka picked up the tea kettle for him.

    The red-haired girl poured some tea for him.

    "Thank you, Shuho-san."

    "No need to be polite, Haruta-kun."

    Seiji sipped on some tea and did his best to appear calm on the surface as he waited for Natsuya''s exnation.

    "My family requested for me to find all the Awakened in our school. I attempted to refuse, but my refusal wasn''t epted," Natsuya said in a heavy tone of voice. "Tomorrow, the main Yoruhana family will send someone to our school in order to ''assist'' me in finding Awakened."

    "What will happen to the Awakened that are found?"

    "They''ll be registered¡­ and taken in."

    "Taken in, can I interpret that as being captured?" Seiji frowned.

    "You could say that." Natsuya sighed.

    Silence fell between them for a moment.

    "Is there no way to prevent this?" Seiji asked after a moment of silence.

    Since he was asking a question like this, it was basically equal to him tacitly admitting that he knew someone who was Awakened.

    Natsuya pretended not to realize what he really meant as she answered the question. "I already did my best to refuse¡­ but I was unable to."

    Her heavy tone contained the bitterness of a failed resistance.

    Seiji looked directly into her eyes.

    "You''ve worked hard."

    Upon hearing these gentle words, Natsuya who felt a deep sense of unwillingness inside her was almost moved to tears for a moment.

    She did her best to control herself, not allowing her expression to change. However, she still made a slight sniffling sound, and her eyes reddened as she lowered her head and sipped some tea to conceal her emotions.

    Seiji felt a sense of pity for the student council president as he watched her.

    There were no benefits to be had for Natsuya Yoruhana to resist her own family for the sake of the Awakened at Genhana High School. However, she still chose to do so anyways.

    Was it because of a sense of responsibility as the student council president? Or her pride as the master of this territory? Neither of those were correct.

    The most foundational reason was that the Yoruhana Family daughter was a gentle girl to begin with.

    Just as he knew from the very start.

    He wanted to tell this gentle scion more words of reassurance since she had taken such an obvious impact, but¡­ he felt that it was better for him to remain silent for the time being as she was also a strong and resolute girl.

    After a moment of silence, Natsuya calmed down her emotions and was able to face Seiji once more.

    "I apologize that I wasn''t able to stop it¡­ as a member of the Yoruhana Family, in the end, I''m unable to go against my family''s will."

    Her tone of voice was unmistakably downcast and depressed.

    "It''s already certain that the Yoruhana Family will send someone to school tomorrow¡­ then, is there any way to interfere with the process of searching for Awakened?" Seiji inquired.

    "I absolutely have to cooperate with the search. If I don''t behave properly, I''ll be reported to my family¡­"

    "Then you don''t need to do anything. Let me do the interfering!" Seiji pointed at himself. "Just secretly provide information to me and let me know how the person that''sing is going to do the search. I''ll think of some way to interfere."

    "This¡­ perhaps it''s doable." Natsuya thought it over.

    "Then let''s go with that then! You''ll be in charge of information, while I''ll be in charge of taking action to interfere with the search for Awakened." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes. "Even if it doesn''t seed, it''s worth trying. I shall call this the battle of appearing to obey on the surface, but secretly disobeying!"

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    "Tee-hee." She ended up chuckling.

    "Appearing to obey on the surface, but secretly disobeying¡­ Indeed, even if we can''t stop it, there are still things that we can do."

    "Yeah, so don''t be depressed right now. The true battle''s just beginning!"

    "Although you make it sound cool, you''re actually inciting me to secretly betray my family."

    "Er¡­" Seiji choked on his words for a moment.

    Natsuya smiled as she looked at him.

    "A bad boy is inciting me to betray my family, and not only am I not resisting him, I even think it''s pretty good¡­ I am a wicked girl, after all."

    "Natsuya¡­"

    "If my actions are detected¡­ you have to take responsibility."

    "Yep. If your actions are exposed, I shall use the name of Seiji Haruta to take all responsibility!" Seiji said in a serious manner.

    "That''s not what I meant¡­ but, this is an answer that I''ll ept." A gentle look suffused Natsuya''s expression.

    ''As long as you''re willing to bear responsibility, I shall have noints, no regrets.''

 Chapter 431 - I bet youâ€™re still a virgin, arenâ€™t you?

    <h4>Chapter 431: I bet you¡¯re still a virgin, aren¡¯t you?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ''Ahh, I''ve received such a troublesome task.''

    This was Ritsujirou Rokuhou''s first impression of the task he''d received.

    Searching for Awakened wasn''t a big deal. However, it was a big deal because he had to do so at the Yoruhana Family''s daughter''s school.

    Even though Ritsujirou didn''t know too much in detail about her situation in her family, nor did he want to know too much, he could perceive that things were rather subtle¡­ on the surface, it appeared that she was in a fairly weak situation, but she actually still had her supporters and a significant amount of strength behind her.

    Earlier, there was some guy¡­ was his name Okubo Yoshiaki? He seemed to recall that there was a guy by this name that made an error in judgement and lost badly on the negotiation table for a formal duel against Natsuya Yoruhana. In the end, not only was that guy defeated in the duel, he even died!

    She seemed weak, but actually possessed power. She seemed gentle, but when she fought, she was willing to kill others¡­

    Ritsujirou didn''t want to have anything to do with her. It wasn''t because he was afraid, it was because he had a personality that made him prefer to avoid all things troublesome.

    He heard that when she was requested by her family to find all the Awakened at her school, she had forcefully attempted to refuse, and was extremely resistant to the idea. She only obeyed in the end due to her family''s strictmands.

    In such a situation, Ritsujirou felt that it would be all the more troublesome.

    "Why does it look like you''re constipated? Rokuhou-kun," a flighty-sounding voice spoke up beside him. "This is a wonderful task that''s been given to us this time. Going to abined middle and high school to find Awakened? Heehee~ I can take this opportunity to taste some sulent middle-school girls."

    Ritsujirou turned around to look at the speaker.

    Sitting next to him was hispanion that was also assigned to this task¡ªShinkou Sentani.

    Shinkou had dyed blonde hair, wore an earring, and was quite handsome. He dressed fashionably and was quite an eye-catching person who seemed like he wouldmonly go visit bars and other such ces.

    Well, to be honest, he was indeed such a person. He always had the smell of smoke and alcohol on him, and his words were always overly casual in nature. It was obvious that he had strong desire for women.

    However, Shinkou''s ability as a Spiritual Ability user was real. Although people didn''t think much of his personality, his aplishments in the field were quite renowned. He wasn''t a simple idiot.

    Shinkou was someone else that Ritsujirou didn''t want to get close to. Ritsujirou felt like he wouldn''t get along well with someone like Shinkou.

    "You''ll probably anger Lady Yoruhana if you casually do anything to the girls at her school. It''s best that you don''t," Ritsujirou spoke what he was thinking.

    "So what if I y with a few girls? Lady Yoruhana wouldn''t be so much of a stuck-up that she wouldn''t even allow a little fun, would she?" Shinkou didn''t pay any heed to Ritsujirou''s words. "Besides, even if she gets angry, so what? It''s not like we''re her subordinates. As long as it doesn''t interfere with our task, we''re free to do whatever we like."

    Ritsujirou fell silent.

    "Rx, Rokuhou-kun. Don''t always have such a tense expression. I''m getting bored just looking at you." Shinkou patted him on the shoulder. "If you always have such an expression, you won''t be popr with the girls."

    "I apologize, this is my usual expression."

    "Then you''re definitely not popr¡­ By the way, I bet you''re still a virgin, aren''t you?"

    *Schtick!*

    Ritsujirou, whose age represented how many years he had been without a girlfriend, took an arrow directly to the knee.

    As a Spiritual Ability user, it would actually be quite easy for him to lose his virginity. However, he didn''t want to be so casual. He preferred to find a girl he truly loved and properly have a romance with her. However, he hadn''t met anyone he had particrly liked before.

    Ritsujirou didn''t think that this was anything embarrassing. However, when someone else brought it up¡­ especially when that someone else was a person like Shinkou who seemed like he was experienced in such things, that was another matter.

    ''Yes, I am a virgin, so what!? That''s none of your business!!''

    Ritsujirou really wanted to roar that out loud.

    But if he really did that, it would obviously be inappropriate¡­ and it would be even more troublesome if he started a conflict with his assigned partner for this task before it even began.

    And so, he chose to remain silent once again.

    "Could it be that I was right, you really are still a virgin? No way!?" Shinkou was astonished at his reaction.

    ''Could you shut up!''

    Ritsujirou''s cheeks twitched as he turned to look outside the window of the car they were riding in.

    Just as he''d thought, he couldn''t possibly get along well with such a person.

    Natsuya personally met with the two people that her family sent in the student council office.

    One had a standard side-parted haircut and a slightly above-average appearance. He wore normal clothes and had a serious and grim expression. He appeared just like an ordinary college student would. This was Ritsujirou Rokuhou.

    The other person was a handsome boy with dyed blonde hair and wearing an earring. He appeared rather flirtatious, almost as if he was a gigolo. His name was Shinkou Sentani.

    After greeting each other, they went right to the main topic.

    "Mdy, you only need to continue surveilling the school and tell us about any spiritual reactions that you detect. You can leave the rest up to us," Ritsujirou stated.

    "Alright, that works." Natsuya nodded. "Let me tell you my request for the two of you as well. It''s very simple: don''t harm any ordinary students or teachers here."

    She had a serious expression as she nced over at the two of them.

    "As the student council president here, I don''t wish to see anyone at school being harmed¡­ While I can''t go against my family''s orders to search for awakened, so I''m forced to ept this, I won''t back down when ites to ordinary students and teachers. I can''t do anything about how you carry out your tasks in other locations. But, I set the rules here. If you break my rules and disrespect me, then I¡­ won''t respect you, either."

    The atmosphere was a little chilly.

    Ritsujirou lowered his head in front of Natsuya Yoruhana''s pressure.

    "I shall respect and remember Mdy''s words."

    After that, he left together with Shinkou.

    "Houjou-san, what do you think?" Natsuya turned around and asked her maid Mai who was next to her.

    "Ritsujirou Rokuhou is the cautious type, and will probably follow Mdy''s request. However, it''s hard to say for Shinkou Sentani. This person''s well-known to have personality issues, and he''s a huge pervert," Mai, who was in her school uniform, gave her assessment. "When Mdy was speaking just now, he seemed to have a nonchnt attitude. It''s possible that he''ll ignore your warning and do something to the girls at school."

    "Will Rokuhou stop him from doing so?"

    "I doubt it¡­ I''ve heard that Rokuhou is the cold type, or perhaps it''s more urate to describe him as the type that doesn''t like getting involved in others'' affairs. At most, he''ll probably only try saying something and won''t bother any more than that if he doesn''t seed."

    "The cautious type, but only worries about himself, right?"

    "Right."

    "Such a terriblebination¡­"

    "Tsk! What an arrogant little scion," Shinkou spoke condescendingly right after he left the student council office. "''I set the rules here¡­'' Who does she think she is? That attitude of hers pisses me off!"

    "She''s the Yoruhana Family''s daughter, and we work for the Yoruhana Family," Ritsujirou told him calmly.

    "So what? In the end, she''s still just a b*tch that''s going to get married to some guy from another family as a fuck toy!"

    "It''s best if you don''t speak like that."

    "So what if I talk like this!?"

    "Thest person that challenged Lady Yoruhana is dead already. That was a young master."

    "Are you saying that I''ll end up the same way!?" Shinkou red at Ritsujirou.

    "I didn''t say that. I was merely saying something that already happened." Ritsujirou looked towards Shinkou. "It''s your personal matter if you''re dissatisfied with Lady Yoruhana. I won''t stop you if there''s anything you want to do, nor will I help you if anything befalls you. I only want toplete the task given to us."

    "Hmph¡­ How cold of you, Rokuhou-kun."

    "I apologize. This is just how I am, Sentani-san."

    "Someone like you will never be popr with women in your life."

    "I don''t need to be popr, as long as I meet the one woman just for me¡­ Sentani-san, since you''re so popr, have you met a special person just for you yet?"

    Shinkou fell silent for a moment at this.

    "You''re such an annoying fellow."

    "Right back at you."

 Chapter 432 - I apologize, I lost control of myself

    <h4>Chapter 432: I apologize, I lost control of myself</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Abination of a cautious type and an unrestrained type¡­?

    Seiji left his ssroom after he received this information from Natsuya.

    Although yesterday night he acted spiritedly and talked about how he would interfere, he didn''t actually know if he would be able to seed or not.

    He set a goal for himself that he absolutely had to protect Yukari and Hoshi. As for any other Awakened at school¡­ it would have to depend on the situation.

    At any rate, he would do his best.

    Ritsujirou and Shinkou split up after they both received passes to freely wander around the school.

    It wasn''t because the two of them loathed each other¡­ No, perhaps it was precisely because that they had different personalities and ways of doing things that they would split up rather than act together. It was only natural since they were both only working for the Yoruhana Family rather than being partners.

    Ritsujirou''s first stop was the infirmary.

    He intended to ask the nurse working here about any studentsing to ask for treatment in the past few days as perhaps there would be clues about the Awakened to be found.

    "Sorry to bother you."

    He saw a blonde beauty when he entered.

    She was wearing a white nursing outfit, and her hair reached her shoulders. She was sitting with one leg on her other leg, sipping tea from a tea cup in one hand while browsing her cell phone with her other hand. There was an alluring beauty to her.

    Ritsujirou felt something move in his heart.

    He didn''t expect the infirmary nurse to be such a beauty! She was basically a living fantasy for any male student.

    The beautiful teacher noticed his presence, and looked over in his direction with her blue eyes.

    "Hello, who might you be?"

    "Police." Ritsujirou showed her his fake identification. "I''m here to investigate some issues at this school. I''d like to ask a few questions. Please cooperate."

    The blonde teacher blinked upon hearing this.

    "Alright, sure." She put down her tea cup, put away her cell phone, and stood up.

    Ritsujirou was able to feel her allure even stronger than earlier now that she was directly facing him.

    "I''d like to ask, how many students havee to the infirmary in the past two days?" He began asking his questions.

    Kaede answered him calmly with a regr expression.

    When Ritsujirou asked her if she had noticed anything unusual about any of the students that came to the infirmary, she answered in a natural manner that she hadn''t.

    Meanwhile, outside the infirmary, Seiji was secretly listening in on their conversation.

    Last night, he told Kaede that if someone came asking about the students'' recent health situations, she shouldn''t tell that person anything about Miyabi Ishihara.

    It seemed that this preparation of his had been useful.

    That person named Ritsujirou didn''t seem to find anything amiss.

    Seiji left after listening for a while.

    He didn''t go far before Natsuya sent him a mental message using a Spiritual Ability.

    Seiji''s expression instantly changed when he heard this message!

    In a science ssroom.

    Two girls were standing there with nk looks in their eyes.

    "Take off your clothes." Shinkou ordered the girls as a cold red light flickered in his eyes.

    The two girls slowly began taking off their clothes.

    Shinkou sat down on a chair and unzipped his pants as he enjoyed the scene before him.

    ''Not allowed to harm ordinary people?

    ''Hmph, I''m not harming them, I''m giving them great pleasure!''

    He condescendingly thought that to himself, talking to an imaginary version of that Natsuya idiot in his mind.

    ''You can go be an idiot by yourself. You dare to forbid others from having fun as well, you b*tch that doesn''t know her own ce!?''

    ''If I want to do these girls, I''ll do them! I''m going to do as I please, and what can you even do to me?''

    Soon, the two girls were only wearing their underwear.

    Just as they were slowly beginning to take off their bras, a sound came from outside the ssroom.

    *Boom!*

    The locked science ssroom door was suddenly kicked open!

    "Hmm?" Shinkou looked over to see a tall and handsome boy entering the room.

    ''A Spiritual Ability user!?''

    Shinkou noticed this instantly.

    That was because this person possessed an astonishingly imposing aura that no ordinary person would have.

    When Seiji entered the ssroom and saw how the two female students were almost naked, his expression became quite grim.

    He stared at the young man with dyed-blonde hair who was sitting on a chair, and quickly walked in front of Shinkou.

    "You''re¡­"

    "Immediately cancel the spell you ced on them!"

    Shinkou narrowed his eyes.

    Seiji red at him angrily.

    "Who are you?"

    "That''s not important. I''ll say it one more time. Immediately cancel the spell you ced on them!"

    "And if I don''t?"

    "Then I''m going to give you a vicious beating!"

    "Ha¡­ who do you think you are!?"

    Shinkou suddenly attacked without warning!

    He rushed towards Seiji with an uppercut punch aimed directly at Seiji''s chin!

    Seiji blocked this punch and responded with his own punch.

    Shinkou blocked Seiji''s punch with his left hand, while simultaneously kicking at Seiji.

    Seiji responded with his own kicks!

    *Pound! Boom! Pound! Pound!* ¡­The fierce melee battle between the two caused a quick session of fighting sounds.

    Seiji caught an opportunity and was able to viciously punch Shinkou in the stomach, which sent Shinkou flying and crashing into an experiment area and rolling around on the floor.

    "Bastard!!!"

    Shinkou cast the Body-strengthening spell on himself as he stood up with his mind filled with killing intent.

    However, he saw his opponent exploding with even greater spirit than earlier. Seiji''s entire body was covered in a golden mist and his hair elongated with a golden glow while golden runes appeared on his face as if he was undergoing a transformation.

    "This is¡­" Shinkou widened his eyes in surprise.

    Without even giving him time to blink, the golden boy shed in front of him and raised his fist.

    "Wait a moment¡ª"

    A golden sh headed viciously in his direction!

    *Pound pound pound pound*

    His face, chest, stomach, waist, and legs¡­ all parts of his body received a session of sudden attacks! Shinkou was unable to block any of these attacks, and before he could even beg in surrender, his consciousness was washed away by the pain.

    At Natsuya''s instruction, Hitaka rushed over to the science ssroom and helped the two girls to put on their clothes before taking them away and canceling the spell put on them by Shinkou.

    When Natsuya personally arrived, she walked up to Seiji who was in a corner of the science ssroom. She saw that Shinkou Sentani was copsed with a distorted figure on the ground next to Seiji in a pitiful fashion as if he had been trampled by elephants.

    "I apologize, I lost control of myself for a little bit," Seiji exined.

    "No¡­ you did something that I wanted to do as well," Natsuya told him calmly.

    "This guy¡­ how much trouble will he give you?"

    "Don''t worry, there won''t be too much trouble, unless¡­ my family has other ns." Natsuya paused for a moment. "I''m even beginning to suspect that my family sent this person over here on purpose to create such a situation."

    "This was a trap?" Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "Yes, it''s possible."

    Intentionally sending a scumbag over here who would act as he pleased and force Natsuya to react, then make things difficult for her as an excuse¡­ was that the n?

    If that was the case, could Seiji possibly watch her fall into the trap that he pushed her into?

    No! Seiji thought about what he could do.

    "How about making this guy disappear?" He decisively made a suggestion.

    Natsuya looked at Seiji with an astonished expression.

    "You¡­ want to kill him?"

    "If it''s necessary." Seiji had a serious expression. "As long as this guy disappears, there won''t be any evidence left behind to make things difficult for you. And if someone intentionally tries to do so anyways, you can put my name out there and see if your family dares to do anything to this exiled scumbag from the Haruta Family."

    Using Seiji Haruta''s name to take on all the responsibility¡­ this was the promise he made to her as a man.

    Natsuya was now feeling the weight of this promise.

    "Seiji¡­" She felt like there was something clogged in her heart that felt rather ufortable yet also warm.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    Just as she was finished being moved and was about to say that it wasn''t necessary to go to such an extent, Seiji spoke up again.

    "Let''s do this, then! Make Shinkou Sentani disappear¡­ but not kill him immediately. Confine him somewhere and observe the situation."

    Perhaps this wasn''t the best method, but it seemed like the safest method.

    "I shall contact the Juumonji Mafia Group for this. When you''re asked about Shinkou''s whereabouts, all you have to say is that you don''t know anything and act like you couldn''t care less about this guy''s life."

 Chapter 433 - I donâ€™t understand what youâ€™re saying!

    <h4>Chapter 433: I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ritsujirou began his search based on the information he obtained from the infirmary nurse.

    However, his search proved fruitless even up until noon.

    He didn''t receive a single message from Shinkou, either.

    He didn''t even meet Shinkou a single time during his search¡­ was that guy really working? Or did he really go do something that he shouldn''t have? Ritsujirou was somewhat concerned.

    He decided to call Shinkou''s cell phone and arrange a lunch together to discuss the search.

    When he called Shinkou''s number, the call wouldn''t connect.

    ''What''s going on?''

    He tried calling Shinkou again a few minutester, but the call still wouldn''t connect.

    When he called numerous times but none of the calls would connect, Ritsujirou began furrowing his eyebrows.

    ''Something''s wrong¡­''

    He had an ominous premonition. He stood still where he was for quite a while, something shing in his eyes.

    Then, he made yet another phone call.

    "Sorry to be a bother, Lady Yoruhana¡­ I''d like to ask, do you know where Sentani-san is?"

    "Why are you asking me?" the voice in his phone replied calmly. "Weren''t the two of you together?"

    "We acted separately, and I haven''t seen him since this morning. Now, I can''t reach him by phone¡­" Ritsujirou exined the situation.

    "I don''t know what happened to him, nor am I interested. Why don''t you go search for him by yourself?" She expressed an obviously cold attitude.

    Ritsujirou felt that things were probably bad when he heard this.

    "Lady Yoruhana, please assist¡­"

    "I''m very busy and don''t have any free time."

    She hung up just like that.

    Ritsujirou slowly put down his cell phone, his expression bing somewhatplex.

    "This is troublesome¡­" he muttered to himself.

    It wouldn''t be as big of a deal if Shinkou Sentani was just secretly cking off somewhere, but that was unlikely.

    Although Shinkou was indeed known to have a terrible personality, he was still someone who had racked up plenty of aplishments. That meant that he was a Spiritual Ability user who would carry out his tasks properly, so he wouldn''t disappear just like that while in the middle of a task.

    Ritsujirou wanted to believe that this annoying fellow was just ying around somewhere, or that Shinkou''s cell phone was broken. However, Ritsujirou''s sense of logic and reason told him that there was a far more likely scenario: that Shinkou Sentani had been dealt with!

    After Shinkou split up from him, he went to "go have some fun" first, which angered Natsuya Yoruhana, and he was killed off.

    The evidence was her attitude just now.

    When she learned that Shinkou was missing, she actedpletely unconcerned and wasn''t worried at all about what he could have been doing. She didn''t worry about whether or not he would ignore her warning and do something to ordinary teachers and students. This proved that she knew that Shinkou didn''t do such things¡­ as he was no longer capable of doing such things!

    What a terrible situation¡­ Although it was all only his inference, Ritsujirou felt that this was likely to be the truth.

    What should he do?

    Should he try searching inside the school for Shinkou out of a sliver of hope that Shinkou was fine? Or should he report this to the Yoruhana main family immediately?

    After standing still for quite a while, Ritsujirou chose to call the Yoruhana main family.

    Natsuya received a call from her family. More urately speaking, the phone call was from the second young master of the Yoruhana Family, the younger of her two older brothers¡ªAoran Yoruhana.

    She had already mentally prepared herself for a call from her family. She epted the call readily.

    "Natsuya, how about eating lunch together?" a maic-sounding male voice spoke up from her cell phone.

    "Sorry, I ate already."

    "I figured as much. In that case, I shall have to enjoy this mega sushi buffet that I pre-ordered half a year in advance all by myself." Aoran''s tone was filled with obvious bragging. "First, I''ll start from the tuna rolls¡­"

    "Enjoy your lunch. Good bye." Natsuya decisively hung up the phone.

    Her cell phone immediately rang again.

    "Don''t be so cold, Sister," Aoran spoke again after she took the call.

    "I''m not interested in hearing you talk about food, Aoran."

    "The joy of sharing wonderful food with others is something blissful, you know."

    "You''re the only one who''s in bliss. I apologize that I don''t have the free time to apany you. Goodbye."

    "Wait, wait! Don''t hang up on me again."

    "I wasn''t intending on only hanging up. I was going to turn off my cell phone."

    "Don''t be like that! I''ll stop talking about food." Aoran coughed. "Let''s get serious¡­ Natsuya, where''s Shinkou Sentani?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Don''t pretend to be such an obvious fool. Of course you know where he is."

    "I don''t understand what you''re saying. Why is it that I have to know where he is?" Natsuya responded calmly. "He''s not my subordinate, and he obviously looks down upon me. I don''t have the free time to care about such a person''s fate."

    Aoran fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "It looks like you''re really angry this time¡­"

    "Angry? How perplexing. All I am right now is confused."

    "Stop acting. I can understand how you feel, but you went overboard when you killed him¡­" Aoran sighed.

    "I don''t understand what you''re saying!" Natsuya ced extra emphasis on her words this time. "I killed someone? Whom would I kill? Shinkou Sentani? Don''t just nder me like that, Aoran! Even if you''re my older brother, there''s some things that can''t be said!"

    Her calm-sounding words contained deep emotions.

    The second young master of the Yoruhana Family was feeling a headache right now.

    He didn''t expect that his younger sister would react so fiercely¡­ it was his miscalction.

    Originally, he figured that Shinkou would at most receive a beating, which would be a suitable punishment for Shinkou as his lecherous tendencies had gotten a bit out of hand recently. It would also give Natsuya a way to vent her emotions, as well as make Aoran''s next move more convenient.

    He didn''t think that there was anything off with his n. With Natsuya''s personality, even if she disliked or hated Shinkou''s type, she wouldn''t go too overboard. However¡­

    ''Shinkou, you bastard, just what did you do? Did you just happen to try doing something to one of Natsuya''s close friends? Or did you try to challenge her authority directly to her face?''

    Shinkou was a fairly skilled subordinate of his, except for the fact that Shinkou''s brain was filled with thoughts of women too much. Aoran had wanted to give Shinkou a lesson through this, but didn''t expect that he would die.

    Natsuya denied doing such a thing¡­ well, of course, that was only natural. If Aoran was in the situation, he would naturally deny it as well.

    He didn''t know when specifically Shinkou was killed off, and it was likely that his corpse had been taken care of already.

    He had two choices: to investigate Shinkou''s death or to ignore it.

    Logically, he should investigate it. After all, that was an aplished subordinate of his.

    But, without mentioning if he would even be able to find any evidence, if Natsuya''s pent-up emotions were already at the point of killing someone, investigating Shinkou''s death would likely end up in¡­

    Aoran didn''t want things to reach that point, and he was certain that his older brother and father wouldn''t want things to end up like that as well.

    "I''m your second brother, and I''m on your side, Sister." He sighed after some contemtion. "But, Shinkou''s disappearance is something rather serious. Even if you forcefully im that you didn''t do it, it won''t possibly fool anyone or be epted so easily. I think that you should understand as well."

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "I didn''t intend to fool anyone," she stated lightly. "After all, I didn''t kill anyone to begin with."

    Hmm?

    Aoran blinked in surprise.

    She didn''t kill anyone¡­ could Shinkou still be alive?

    His eyes lit up when he came to this realization.

    ''It seems that I misunderstood¡­ Natsuya is still Natsuya, and she wouldn''t go to the extent of killing someone.''

    ''But, she''s probably close to the brink, and if I don''t take care of things well, Shinkou might still be killed off.''

    After speedily considering his options, Aoran Yoruhana came to a decision. "Since you say so, maybe it really doesn''t have anything to do with you. I''ll have Ritsujirou Rokuhou look for Shinkou around the area one more time. Perhaps he''ll be able to find Shinkou. If he finds him, no matter what, I''ll apologize to you."

    What he really meant with his words were: "As long as you let Shinkou go, then no matter how much he was beaten up, I won''t do anything about it."

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes as she understood his intention.

    "Allowing Shinkou Sentani¡­ and Ritsujirou Rokuhou into the school is something I''m very displeased with. In their eyes, this is a hunting ground, and the students are their prey. Normal hunting grounds have rules and regtions, and the hunters can''t go too overboard. However, there''s no limits on them at all¡­ If you''re truly apologetic, Brother Aoran¡­ please ce some limits on them."

 Chapter 434 - Pretend not to see anything

    <h4>Chapter 434: Pretend not to see anything</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Aoran mentally sighed as he understood what Natsuya meant.

    He felt annoyed and helpless at Natsuya''s naivety and stubbornness. Sometimes, he would think to himself that it would have been better if his younger sister had been slightly dumber, or slightly less independent, and more of an obedient daughter.

    "The hunt''s something that''s already been decided upon. Even I can''t change it."

    "But, you can pretend not to see anything."

    "Yes, but why should I?" Aoran increased the volume of his voice. "Should I be na?ve together with you!?"

    Natsuya fell silent.

    "Sister, I wasn''t lying when I said I was on your side," Aoran continued. "But, the prerequisite is that you don''t do anything too foolish! If you asionally vent your anger or act willfully, I won''t say anything, and you can do whatever you please. But, some things are still impossible. There''s still boundaries. It''s time for you to face reality."

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Reality¡­ whether or not I recognize it as such, I don''t know," Natsuya said in a light voice. "But, perhaps the reality that I see is different from the reality that you guys see."

    Her tone of voice was quite nonchnt as if she didn''t have any emotions. However, Aoran felt as if he was being stabbed painfully, and the annoyance in his heart increased even further.

    He forcefully told himself many times over to calm down, and somehow managed to suppress his feeling of annoyance. What remained was a deep feeling of helplessness.

    "Since you object so much to having people over there, then I won''t arrange for anyone else. I''ll just have Ritsujirou Rokuhou assist you by himself¡­ Stop venting your anger and finish the task as quickly as possible."

    He hung up the call there.

    Natsuya slowly put down her cell phone. Then, she came to a sudden realization that lit up her eyes.

    ''Thank you, Brother Aoran,'' she said in her heart.

    Ritsujirou located Shinkou Sentani in a public restroom close by to Genhana High School.

    Shinkou was injured all over, lying on the toilet like a dying dog. He looked rather pitiful.

    Although Ritsujirou didn''t sympathize with Shinkou, he wasn''t delighted to see his condition, either.

    Ritsujirou contacted a hospital and dragged Shinkou out of the restroom and brought him to the ambnce that the hospital sent. He watched the ambnce take Shinkou away.

    And just as he was about to return to Genhana High School to finish his task, a tall boy wearing the Genhana High School uniform appeared in front of him.

    "My name is Seiji Haruta. I would like to have a discussion with you, Rokuhou-san."

    Haruta¡­ Ritsujirou immediately tensed up upon hearing this name.

    He had heard some rumors before about the rtionship between this famous exiled scumbag piece of trash from the Haruta Family and Lady Yoruhana¡­

    "What would you like to talk about? Haruta-san."

    "Let''s go somewhere more convenient to chat," Seiji indicated to Ritsujirou as he turned around and walked off.

    Something shed in Ritsujirou''s eyes as he followed Seiji.

    They entered a coffee caf¨¦.

    At this time of day, there were very few customers. The two of them sat down in a corner, each ordered a coffee, and then they both fell silent.

    Only after the server brought both their coffees and left did Seiji finally speak up.

    "Judging by your reaction, you know who I am, so I won''t waste any unnecessary time on introducing myself. What I want to talk about is regarding your task to search for Awakened¡­ Please stop your search for Awakened after you discover two Awakened, and then report to your boss that ''these are all the Awakened here at Genhana.''"

    Ritsujirou squinted his eyes.

    "Why?"

    "Of course, to reduce the number of possible victims." Seiji looked at Ritsujirou. "You should know what will happen to the Awakened that you find, don''t you?"

    Ritsujirou fell silent for a moment.

    "What''s in it for you to do all this?" he asked.

    "Nothing."

    "Then why are you doing this?"

    "Because I want to, just like Natsuya."

    Ritsujirou tensed up even further upon hearing this.

    "This was indeed Lady Yoruhana''s intention after all¡­"

    "No, it''s my intention," Seiji stated calmly. "I learned about the situation from her, and made my decision on my own."

    Ritsujirou furrowed his eyebrows.

    "If you agree to my request, you will receive benefits¡ªmore so than what you''ll be paid frompleting your task," Seiji promised.

    "¡­And if I don''t agree?"

    "I was the one who beat Shinkou Sentani up."

    Seiji''s answer didn''t directly answer his question, but it was the most direct type of answer of all.

    "I seriously considered whether or not I should kill him, because there''s no way I can have a proper discussion with that type of person." A cold look appeared in Seiji''s eyes. "In the end, I didn''t get to kill him, which was rather regrettable, but forget it¡­ You''re different from that type of bastard, Rokuhou-san. You''re someone I can have a discussion with¡­ I hope that you''ll make the correct decision."

    Ritsujirou could feel an imposing mannering from Seiji Haruta.

    The famous useless piece of trash from the Haruta Family¡­ that was all in the past. This person sitting across from him right now was someone strong enough to single-handedly defeat and even kill Shinkou Sentani without having received a single injury!

    Ritsujirou broke out into a cold sweat in front of this tangible sensation of pressure.

    "For me, the most correct decision would be to serve the Yoruhana Family''s wishes¡­"

    "Lady Yoruhana will be quite happy if you agree to my request. And if you don''t, she''ll be quite disappointed."

    "I respect Lady Yoruhana, but¡­"

    "My request isn''t for you to abandon your task, but to let some go free," Seiji spoke softly. "I''m not asking for you to risk everything and betray the Yoruhana Family. It''s just pretending not to see anything andmitting an act of kindness."

    Ritsujirou fell silent yet again.

    "There''s many wicked things that happen in the world. Even if one more or one less wicked deed is done, it won''t affect anything in the grand scheme of things. For most such cases, we''re powerless. But if something like this is right in front of you, and if it''s possible for you to reach out and stop it just like that and prevent some harm from being done, that would be adding more beauty and kindness into this world¡­" Seiji had a deep look in his eyes as he sipped on his coffee. "At the very least, that''s what I believe."

    A long, long silence fell between them after that.

    Various customers came and went, the servers walked around, the bell on the door kept ringing whenever it was opened. Ritsujirou''s coffee started to be cold¡­

    Finally, Ritsujirou gave a long sigh, picked up his coffee that had already gonepletely cold, and drank it all down in one gulp.

    He looked towards Seiji after putting down his coffee mug.

    Seiji understood Ritsujirou''s answer from the look in his eyes.

    With Natsuya''s cooperation, Ritsujirou was immediately able to discover two Awakened in a single day.

    Shouhei Matsujima from Year 2, ss 3, and Takaya Nakamura from Year 3, ss 5.

    They were both boys that Seiji was unacquainted with.

    Ritsujirou reported this information to his superiors, and said that "these are the only two Awakened at Genhana Middle and High School," ending his task there.

    Since there were only two people¡­ would the Yoruhana Family be suspicious? Natsuya told him not to worry about it and that this would be fine.

    Yukari, Hoshi, and any other potential Awakened at school were safe now¡­ for the time being.

    If the fact that Seiji and Natsuya covered for Awakened here was exposed, the Yoruhana Family would undertake another search.

    And even at schools other than Genhana, the Awakened would be in a simr situation. Other Spiritual Ability user factions were doing simr searches.

    In fact, it would be the same even if the Awakened left this city and escaped somewhere else.

    Although some factions offered protection to the Awakened, who knew if that was only on the surface? Nor was it known just how long the protection could continue for. Seiji didn''t feel that it would be a good idea for Yukari and Hoshi to join any Spiritual Ability user faction. Shouzou Amami agreed with Seiji''s viewpoint.

    The mystical society didn''t treat it as a basic fundamental right that the Awakened should be treated well. Nor was there a simultaneously trustworthy enough and powerful enough faction that definitely stood up and said that they would protect the Awakened¡ªthat was the foundational problem!

    ''If only there was a bald professor in a wheelchair who created a school for the Awakened¡­'' Seiji couldn''t help but think that to himself.

    In the end, he still didn''t have enough power.

    ''As long as I have enough power, I shall be that bald professor myself!''

    No, no, he wasn''t talking about bing bald, Seiji was referring to creating a faction of his own like that professor from a story in his previous world.

    But right now, just protecting his own friends was difficult for him.

    Seiji could only helplessly sigh. At this moment, he received a message from Hana.

    "I obtained some information about the Spirit Worlds."

 Chapter 435 - â€œForest Palaceâ€

    <h4>Chapter 435: "Forest Pce"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hana gave Seiji the information on several Spirit Worlds and their locations, including the Spirit Worlds'' consistency, the Spiritual Creatures contained within, as well as the general environments of those Spirt Worlds, the precious resources already discovered within, and the factions that he might meet in those Spirit Worlds.

    All this information was doubtlessly valuable. Seiji passionately expressed his thanks, but his younger sister felt only disgust.

    ''Ahh, my tsundere younger sister is so cute~!''

    Seiji was quite grateful as he mulled over which Spirit World location he should try going to based on the information Hana provided to him. Finally, he decided upon¡­

    Nagawa Amusement Park!

    That was the ce where he met with Iroha Hasegawa and Naoki Hasegawa.

    The main reason was that the Spirit World located here had a rtively high amount of "silver fruits."

    Silver fruits were a type of fruit that had absorbed a high concentration of Mana. If Spiritual Ability users ate silver fruits, they''d be able to improve their Spiritual Power as well as Mana!

    Later that night, Seiji finished making his preparations and left by himself.

    After Shika learned what he intended to do, she wanted to follow him, but Seiji convinced her to stay behind at home.

    "I''m only going to check out the situation. I definitely won''t take any risks," he told her.

    Well, since this was his first time visiting a Spirit World, this was indeed true. He mostly wanted to check out what a Spirit World was like.

    It would be nice if he could find some silver fruits. If not, that was perfectly fine as well. After all, this was still a precious resource not found everywhere, and there werepetitors as well.

    Seiji took a taxi to Nagawa Amusement Park. When the driver almost reached the park, he suddenly stopped the taxi and was unwilling to drive any further.

    The driver had been affected by a spell¡­ a barrier ced around this area.

    This was a spell ced by various allied factions to prevent ordinary people from entering this area.

    Seiji paid the driver his taxi fare and walked the rest of the way by himself.

    When he got close to the park''s entrance, he saw a group of people¡­ they were all Spiritual Ability users.

    Some of them were wearing normal clothing, while some of them wore rather special clothing. Some were wearing special equipment, and some were wearing heavy weapons¡­

    This was the second time that Seiji had ever seen so many Spiritual Ability users gathered in one ce. Compared to the Winter Snow Festival party, this felt more like a cosy convention to him.

    Well, that''s what any normal person would probably think if they saw this scene.

    ''Should I go over there and approach them?''

    After some consideration, he decided to wait outside, slightly farther away.

    Time passed just like this as Seiji observed the situation. Roughly fifteen minutester, something began glowing in the amusement park.

    This light was a mystical light that could only been seen using [Astral Vision]. At first, the light was white, then it transformed into green, then red; the colors kept changing and changing. Not only that, the light kept expanding and rising, finally bing an incrediblyrge sphere of light!

    It was as if an aurora borealis hadnded on earth. It was incredibly beautiful.

    After the sphere of light stopped expanding, the Spiritual Ability users all jumped within it and vanished into the light.

    Seiji walked over as well and jumped into the sphere of light.

    His vision was filled with light for an instant before clearing up.

    ''So this is what a ce that''s transformed into a Spirit World looks like¡­'' Seiji was quite astonished as he nced around him.

    He was now in a gigantic ancient temple whose ground was cracked and walls were copsing. The roof also had roughly half of it missing.

    Grass and weeds were growing everywhere, and small gray butterflies were dancing in the air. Vines thicker than human legs were growing out of the huge cracks in the ground and spread throughout the grounds and the walls, reaching above the roof.

    Light illuminated this ce from above and created a light yellow pir of light where specks of dust were visibly floating.

    "Forest Pce."

    This was the name of the Spirit World that Nagawa Amusement Park would be every night.

    The basic environment here was a mixture between a forest and an ancient pce, hence the name of the Spirit World that the mystical society came up with.

    Setting aside the nts here, it was still unknown which country and which era this pce was from. The only thing certain was that it definitely wasn''t from Sakura Ind.

    Seiji felt that the current scenery in front of him resembled something he would see in an anime about adventuring in another world, one with mystical and fantastical elements.

    At this moment, a huge shadowpletely blocked out the light above him.

    He couldn''t see clearly just what had blocked the light, but it definitely wasn''t an easy Spiritual Creature to deal with.

    Spiritual Creatures¡­ or maybe more urately speaking, these Spirit World Creatures¡­ Some were passive and wouldn''t attack first, while others would automatically attack humans on sight. These creatures were considered a threat while exploring a Spirit World.

    Seiji turned around to see a wall of light behind him.

    ording to the information he received from Hana, as long as he walked through this wall of light, he would be able to return to the real world. However, if he re-entered this Spirit World, he might appear at a different location. Basically, the location he entered in the Spirit World was random.

    He decided to remember this current location. At the verytest, he would have to leave here before the Spirit World deformed, or find another pir of light that someone else arrived at to exit this world from.

    Seiji began his adventure and set forth.

    The moment he walked through a door, he met with some creatures.

    Wolves¡­ threepletely pitch-ck wolves with a misty red glow in their eyes.

    He already had information on these wolves. They were the mostmon aggressive monster in the Forest Pce. They were dexterous and agile, and acted in groups.

    The three ck wolves roared lowly and rushed at him in unison!

    Seiji cast the [Body-strengthening spell] on himself as he withdrew his Kapok tree bark wooden sword for battle.

    Slice, slice, slice¡­

    He won easily!

    The injured ck wolves didn''t bleed. Instead, a faint red mist bled out from their injuries.

    Not long after they copsed, they vanishedpletely in a ck-red mist, and left nothing behind.

    "There''s no benefits to fighting monsters, I should avoid battling as much as I can." Seiji now had a better understanding of how things worked here.

    This was no game. The Spiritual Creatures wouldn''t drop any equipment or items, and grinding these monsters would have absolutely zero benefits for him.

    He raised his guard and continued onward.

    Gigantic trees and vines, various flowers and butterflies, a broken-down pce, tall towers, clear rivers¡­ With all these elementsbined, the overall scenery was quite beautiful.

    If this had been a tourist spot, it would definitely be one of the top-level tourist attractions!

    Unfortunately, this was no ce suitable for tourists. Various dangerous creatures lived here, making it impossible to admire the scenery.

    While ck wolves were individually weak, they could be problematic inrge numbers.

    Above the ck wolves were ck monkeys, ck tigers, and ck bears. These three monsters were all capable of using the spell [Mana Bullet], which made them more troublesome to deal with.

    The highest-level monster was the ck eagle. ck eagles could be met in the wide-open areas; with one p of a ck eagle''s wings, it would cast a cascade of [Mana Bullets] at you. Its high speed dive attacks were also quite powerful.

    Seiji met a ck eagle while searching. Although Seiji felt that he should be able to defeat this monster as well, Seiji chose to avoid it and not waste his energy fighting against an aerial enemy.

    After searching for quite a while, he discovered nothing whatsoever. Nor did hee across any other people.

    ''Adventures in real life are nothing like games.'' He sighed to himself.

    In RPG games, there would always bebyrinths where fighting the monsters would give the main characters experience and items, with various treasure chests along the path, or interesting puzzles blocking the way, or special events¡­

    Reality wasn''t so kind. There were no benefits to be gained from fighting monsters; he had to keep up his vignce at all times while proceeding and couldn''t even enjoy the scenery. He didn''t know where he should go, or how to find what he wanted¡­

    Seiji suddenly stopped in his footsteps.

    That was because he faintly heard something worthy of his attention.

    After carefully listening to discern the direction the sounds wereing from, he increased his pace and cautiously proceeded in the direction of the sounds.

    Then, he saw a small clearing.

    There was arge tree over twenty meters tall in this clearing. Its leaves were ck, and it was blossoming with red fruits that resembled peaches. There were also a few fruits that were silver¡­ silver!?

    ''I found the silver fruits!'' Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    There was a gigantic green-ck eagle monster in front of the tree¡­ There were green scales on its body, and it had an extra set of green ws. Its size was more than twice asrgepared to the ck eagle that Seiji met earlier!

    Three Spiritual Ability users were currently facing off against this gigantic ck eagle. They were all wearing uniforms that resembled special ops forces, outfitted with helmets and guns. Their guns kept shooting out spiritual bullets thatnded on the huge ck eagle''s body.

    The two sides were currently battling!

 Chapter 436 - I have a Kapok tree bark wooden swordâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 436: I have a Kapok tree bark wooden sword¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The ck eagle¡­ er, let''s call this one the green-scaled ck eagle. The green-scaled ck eagle used its sharp green ws and shot out numerous [Mana Bullets] from its wings in an imposing manner.

    However, the three Spiritual Ability users dodged all the attacks at high speed or used personal barriers to block the attacks. They were able to attack and defend together with excellent cooperation, and maintained a series of attacks while also taking care of theirpanions.

    Even though the green-scaled ck eagle flew up into the air and used its aerial advantage, the situation didn''t change.

    As Seiji saw it, unless the green-scaled ck eagle was able to do something like a transformation, it would only be a matter of time before it was defeated.

    In that case, if he wanted to obtain the silver fruit, he would have to deal with those three fully equipped Spiritual Ability users.

    Was he going to have to kill them to steal the treasure?

    Was he finally going to go down the ssic path of a xianxia or xuanhuan story protagonist?

    Come, let''s shout together, "I''m the harem protagonist of a martial arts novel, and I shall defy the heavens!"

    ''Ha, of course not, that would be the wrong genre. Besides, I''m not that arrogant or rebellious,'' Seijimented to himself.

    He didn''t want to do such a thing.

    While he really wanted to obtain some silver fruits, it wasn''t to the extent where he was willing to kill others for silver fruits. Besides, he didn''t even know if he would be able to win against those three Spiritual Ability users.

    Seiji continued to silently observe the battle.

    As the green-scaled ck eagle received more and more damage, it evidently entered a berserk state as it kept rushing fiercely, sending out more waves of [Mana Bullets] and violently waved its ws!

    The Spiritual Ability users suffered slightly under its furious barrage of attacks, but remained calm. Not only were they not scared off, they even brought out their melee weapons to fight with it!

    The area around them was demolished, with the buildings and nts all being destroyed. Broken pieces of nts were sent flying everywhere. Only, the shards that flew towards therge tree were blocked by that faint ck mist protecting it.

    Finally, the green-scaled ck eagle was forcefully shot down while rushing towards the three Spiritual Ability users and pitifully fell to the ground. After roaring heavily in evident unwillingness, it suddenly flew up and left without returning.

    One of the Spiritual Ability users remained on guard, while the other two approached therge tree.

    The ck mist moved to block them.

    One of them retrieved an object that appeared like andmine and ced it on the ground.

    With a *boom!* the ndmine" object caused a huge explosion! Immediately following after, arge amount of ck mist twirled around the tree and dissipated.

    The two Spiritual Ability users then approached the tree and started gathering the silver fruits from it.

    Seiji observed them all the way until they finished harvesting the silver fruits and left.

    Then, he left as well, and returned to his original starting location based on the map that he had self-recorded.

    Then, he tried to find a shorter path from his starting location to the giant tree.

    He made several trips to and from these two locations¡­ spending quite a lot of time to find the shortest path.

    After he found the shortest path andmitted it clearly to memory, Seiji made his preparations, then loaded!

    Darkness enveloped him before everything lit up again.

    Seiji returned to the moment right after he entered the Spirit World. He had made a save file at that time just in case.

    He immediately started running and proceeded at a high speed along the path that he memorized!

    He did his best to avoid all Spiritual Creatures on this path. The ones that he couldn''t avoid, he dealt with as quickly as possible.

    "This feels a lot more like a game now."

    Seiji had once yed a game called Dark Souls in his past life which was renowned for its difficulty. In that game, one of the fastest techniques to beat a scenario, known as "speedrunning," was to control the video game character and dash past all the enemies, fighting only the necessary monsters and the boss.

    Seiji was currently doing something simr.

    His goal was to reach the ck-leafedrge tree as quickly as possible and defeat the green-scaled ck eagle, being the first to obtain the silver fruits!

    Perhaps this counted as stealing treasures from others. But, he could avoid a fight this way, and only needed to race against time.

    The best-case scenario in his mind was that the green-scaled ck eagle wouldn''t even be there, and that he would only have to defeat the ck mist barrier guarding the tree, harvest the silver fruits, and then run off.

    However, reality wasn''t so kind.

    The green-scaled ck eagle was crouching right in front of therge tree, acting out its proper role as a guardian.

    Seiji didn''t stop in his movements as he cast [Evolved Body-strengthening spell] on himself, transforming into a Super Saiyan¡­ whoops, into his golden form as he wielded his wooden sword and attacked!

    Therge eagle discovered his presence and counterattacked with its ws.

    Seiji dodged this w attack, and swung with full force.

    [Ice Cmity de!]

    *Shing!!* The Kapok tree bark wooden sword viciously sliced into the eagle''s body with the power of ice while multiple spiritual swords of ice materialized in thin air and also stabbed the eagle''s body. The eagle was heavily injured from the very first exchange of blows.

    The green-scaled ck eagle howled in pain as it furiously waved its ws.

    Seiji was unable to dodge, and was knocked away. He adjusted his posture in midair, then lifted his hand and locked on to his target.

    [Ice Prison]!

    Therge eagle''s body instantly froze solid as if it had be a sculpture.

    Seiji then used this opportunity to gather Mana, and attacked with an extremelyrge [Evolved Mana Bullet]!

    *Boom!!*

    The gigantic spiritual attack left a golden trail as it exploded on the eagle''s head in a brilliant manner.

    Therge eagle was struck dizzy by this blow. If this could be represented in a manga style, its eyes would be little x''s with stars twirling around its head.

    Seiji continued rushing at the eagle and jumped onto its back to furiously slice down with his wooden sword in a continuous flurry of blows. Finally, he swung his sword in a wide arc and used [Ice Cmity de] for the second time!

    *Shriek!!!*

    The green-scaled ck eagle wailed in terror as it continually received several serious injuries.

    It forcefully waved its sharp ws and forced Seiji back, then immediately turned around and escaped, flying off into the sky without even looking behind it.

    ''Beautiful!''

    Seiji didn''t expect things to go so smoothly as he praised himself.

    Now, he just had to deal with the ck mist barrier.

    He didn''t have a convenientndmine-like item like the previous three Spiritual Ability users. He could only break through using brute force.

    *Slice slice slice slice slice¡­* He broke through!

    Finally, he climbed the tree and picked all the silver fruits, ignoring any fruits that were of a different color.

    There were more silver fruits than he expected! He was able to fill almost his entire backpack.

    ''Alright, I''m done here, time to go!''

    Seiji speedily left this area.

    Later, when the three fully-equipped Spiritual Ability users arrived in this area, all they saw was arge tree that had nothing but ordinary red fruits left¡­

    Seiji felt an immense feeling of victory and satisfaction as he left the Spirit World and returned home with a heavy backpack.

    "Brother¡­" Shika greeted him upon his return.

    "I''ve returned. Were you waiting for me?"

    Shika nodded.

    Seiji felt a warmth in his heart from this as he reached out and patted Shika on the head.

    "Take a look, this is what I''ve gained." He showed her the silver fruits in his backpack. "I didn''t expect that I would be able to gain something so good on my very first try¡­ I suppose it''s beginner''s luck."

    "Brother is amazing," Shika told him with great sincerity.

    When being praised by his adopted younger sister like this, Seiji almost wanted to pretentiously shout out "It''s because I''m the one chosen by the heavens!"

    ''Calm down, I should stop getting so overly excited.''

    Still, he''d never expected to gain so much on his very first try!

    With so many silver fruits, would they help increase his Spiritual Power and Mana to the level required for the [Yin-Yang Seal] to be a Yin-Yang Master?

    He hoped so. He decided to eat one right now¡­ wait a moment, was there a special method that he needed to eat these in order to benefit?

    After all, they were a precious resource. To be on the safe side, Seiji immediately sent Hana a message asking her if she was around.

    "It''s sote at night. What do you want?"

    "I found some silver fruits, and wanted to ask how I''m supposed to eat them."

    "What?" The cat-eared hat girl was astonished to hear this.

    She was even more astonished after she finished listening to his abridged version of what happened.

    "You went to a Spirit World just like this¡­ didn''t you say that you would think things over?"

    "Yeah, I finished thinking things over, and simply went."

    "Don''t say it like you were deciding which supermarket sale to attend! These are Spirit Worlds we''re talking about!!"

    "I did my best to make some serious preparations."

    "You, just what preparations can you even make!? Tell me beforehand, bastard!!"

    "Ah, could it be that you wanted to help me prepare something like equipment?"

    "Of course, idiot! You don''t even have much of a weapon, and dared to go to a Spirit World! How foolish are you!?"

    "I have a Kapok tree bark wooden sword¡­"

    "What the hell good will a wooden sword do you!!" Hana retorted forcefully.

    "Don''t say that, it was quite useful. I used it to defeat a Spirit World Creature that was asrge as a house," Seiji told her proudly.

    "It''s amazing enough that you even survived to tell the tale, using only a wooden sword to fight against such a creature, you idiot!!!"

    Hana''s loud shouting was almost at the level of breaking her microphone.

    She''d never expected that he was such an unimaginable idiot.

    With only a wooden sword as his Spiritual Weapon, he dared to go adventure in a Spirit World? That was on apletely out of the world level of idiocy!

    However, he lived and returned.

    Not only did he survive, it seemed that he wasn''t even injured, and even brought back the most valuable resource with him that he could obtain in a Spirit World¡­ Was this so-called fool''s luck?

    ''That''s not right!!''

    The cat-eared hat girl felt internally conflicted and helpless about her idiot transmigrated reincarnated older brother.

 Chapter 437 - This place is the Soul World!?

    <h4>Chapter 437: This ce is the Soul World!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    For an idiot to survive and even bring back such a great harvest, it couldn''t possibly be exined with only luck. It was proof that he had a certain level of power as well.

    In the end, Hana could only unwillinglye to such a conclusion despite being internally conflicted.

    Her older brother must have been far stupider than she thought, as well as stronger than she believed.

    After she finally calmed down, Hana recalled the question that she had just been asked.

    How was Seiji supposed to consume the silver fruit?

    "Let me check it out for you. Wait a few minutes."

    Seiji nodded.

    Then, he felt an urge to go use the restroom. When he got up and exited his room, he saw that Shika was standing right by his door.

    "''It''s amazing enough that you even survived to tell the tale, using only a wooden sword to fight against such a creature, you idiot!!!'' Could you exin what this sentence I heard means, Brother Seiji?" Shika asked him in a calm manner.

    ''Didn''t you say that you''d definitely not take any risks?'' Her eyes were asking such a question.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Right after his blood-rted younger sistermented so forcefully on his actions, he now had to coax his adopted younger sister. Sheesh!

    But, his younger sisters were all so cute. His sister-loving spirit was immensely satisfied!

    In order to consume the silver fruit, one would have to first inject their Mana into it.

    After synchronizing one''s own Mana with the fruit''s energy, it could be consumed.

    If someone merely ate the silver fruit directly without doing so, most of the energy contained in the silver fruit would be wasted. Not only that, the person consuming the fruit would suffer from some indigestion and might even be hospitalized in some severe cases.

    After learning this, Seiji felt that he had done the correct thing asking Hana about this rather than rushing to eat a silver fruit.

    The silver fruit would immediately take effect after being consumed, and its effects wouldst for a while. In this time period, he shouldn''t eat any additional silver fruit.

    Basically, the silver fruit''s effects for increasing a person''s Spiritual Power and Mana was a process that took some time rather than being an immediate power-up boost. The person who consumed one would require some time to "digest" it before consuming another.

    The silver fruit''s effects were different for each person. Some would improve their stats greatly, while some would only receive a minor increase to their stats.

    Also, for the same person, the more silver fruit one consumed, the lower the effectiveness would be. Basically, the second silver fruit would increase one''s stats by less than the first, and the third would be less than the second, and so on. It was just like how taking too much of the same medicine would build up the body''s resistance.

    "With so many silver fruits that you harvested, it will take you quite a while before you can eat them all. I''ll mail over a ''Storage Scroll'' to you as a gift that you can store your silver fruits in. This will help to decrease the rate at which their energy decays," Hana told him.

    "A Storage Scroll?"

    "A scroll inscribed with magic runes that create a dimensional storage space."

    "Please give me an instruction booklet on how to use it as well, thank you very much."

    "Sure, idiot."

    The cat-eared hat girl stared at the handsome boy.

    "Don''t get all proud of yourself just because you were able to visit a Spirit World and received so much without even getting injured! Also, don''t even think about going to a Spirit World for a second time any time soon. Obediently finish eating those silver fruits of yours first."

    "Alright, got it." Seiji smiled. "I know that I was quite fortunate this time, so I won''t get too proud."

    "Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness." Hana stopped staring at him. "That''s all, then. Good night."

    They ended their video chat there.

    Seiji turned off hisputer and went back to his room. He took a silver fruit out from his backpack.

    After he injected his Mana into it, the fruit immediately began glowing with a faint silver and emitting a fragrant aroma that smelled quite appetizing.

    Shika who was beside him blinked when she inhaled this scent.

    Seiji felt that it should be fine now as he took a bite of the silver fruit.

    The fruit was sweet and tasted simr to a peach. It was crisp yet soft at the same time. If Seiji had to describe the taste, he felt that it was simr to cookies and cream.

    The moment that the fruit went down his throat, his stomach felt rather warm andfortable.

    He quickly finished eating the fruit.

    The warm feeling in his stomach felt like it was now spreading to his entire body, as if he was taking a warm bath. It was incredibly soothing.

    "Seems like it''s fine¡­ but let''s still wait until tomorrow to see the results. If everything is normal, you should eat one of these tomorrow as well," he told Shika.

    "No¡­ Brother, you were the one who took risks to find these. No need to share them with me." Shika shook her head.

    "I want to share them with you. Just try one, it''s delicious."

    "No need. Brother, you should hurry up and take your shower and go to sleep." Shika turned around to leave.

    After Shika left Seiji''s room, Seiji decided to open up his system. He saw that his [Spiritual Power] stat was increasing slowly.

    He didn''t know how much it would increase by in the end but hoped for a good result.

    After that, he put away the remainder of the silver fruits, took a shower, and went to sleep.

    There was darkness, red light, and a faint sound.

    Seiji''s consciousness was hazy as he felt himself floating around in midair and tried to determine where he was.

    ''This is¡­ simr to when I heard Yukari shouting for me to help her¡­

    ''Just where am I? What are these lights? What are these sounds that I can hear?''

    Various questions arose in his mind, but disappeared as his consciousness became hazy, just likest time.

    Unlikest time, he continued floating in a specific direction as if something was leading him on.

    The red light gradually faded together with the sounds.

    Seiji sank into utter darkness before slowly regaining consciousness as he opened his eyes.

    He saw ck leaves all around him.

    Seiji blinked as he stood up and looked around him.

    He was currently underneath arge tree with many ck leaves. Apart from this tree, there was nothing but a silvery-white glowing mist. He could faintly see that there was something in the mist, but he was unable to make out what it was.

    ''Where¡­ is this?

    ''Is this someone else''s soul realm, just like when Yukari called out to me?

    ''What is this glowing mist? This ck-leafedrge tree¡­ it seems rather simr to the trees at the Forest Pce!

    ''Am I in the Forest Pce?

    ''My soul wouldn''t enter a Spirit World while I was sleeping¡­ would it?''

    Seiji was quite mystified as to what was going on.

    That time with Yukari was strange enough already. This time was even more confusing.

    ''Why did I arrive at such a ce¡­ is it rted to me eating the silver fruit?

    ''I have no clue what''s going on!''

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision], but nothing changed in his vision whatsoever. He furrowed his eyebrows at this.

    Well, just standing around was useless. Should he try walking around and taking a look?

    Just as he was thinking about this, he saw a faint figure through the glowing mist.

    This figure was evidently approaching him as it became clearer and clearer.

    Finally, a person wearing a tall ck hat, a ck robe, and a white fox mask on their face appeared.

    "May I ask your name?" a young and gentle-sounding male voice spoke up to Seiji.

    "Before asking someone else''s name, shouldn''t you introduce yourself first?" Seiji responded with a ssical line.

    "I have no name. Some call me White Fox, some call me ck Robe, while some call me The Guide¡­"

    "Guide? Guide to what?"

    "The road to the Soul World."

    Seiji paused in surprise for a moment.

    ''Soul World¡­ the hidden faction that cast the Midnight Spell!?''

    "Are you a member of the Soul World!?" Seiji asked this person.

    "I am within the Soul World," the white fox masked man answered calmly.

    "Within the Soul World¡­ what does that mean?"

    "I exist inside the Soul World, which is where you currently are as well."

    "What¡­?" Seiji was astonished. "You''re saying¡­ that this ce right here is the Soul World!?"

    The white fox masked man nodded.

    Seiji understood now. What this white fox masked man meant that they were currently within a ce called the Soul World rather than referring to the organization which also called itself "Soul World." Seiji reflexively looked around him as he recalled the meaning of the ce called "Soul World" that Natsuya had told him about before.

    Was this¡­ the ce where demons and spirits that wanted to return to the world of living would gather?

    It didn''t seem like such a ce¡­ no, wait, he couldn''t see anything clearly anyways.

    "All I can see is this tree and an endless mist¡­ just what type of ce is this, and why am I here?" Seiji looked towards the white fox masked man again. "You said that some call you The Guide. Who are those people? And who exactly are you?"

    The white fox masked man fell silent for a moment.

    "Please, may I ask your name?" Rather than answering any of Seiji''s queries, he repeated his first question.

 Chapter 438 - Gray-clothed Garr

    <h4>Chapter 438: Gray-clothed Garr</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Call me Harano."

    Seiji had themon sense not to just tell his real name so easily to a random strange-seeming person.

    Besides, this was already far more unusual than simply "meeting a strange person." Wouldn''t anyone who even slightly had a brain be on guard?

    "Harano. Understood." The white fox masked man epted this name easily. "You have arrived here because you have the power to do so," he informed Seiji calmly. "However, that''s your limit. You currently don''t have the ability to move about freely in the Soul World. I can guide your way here as long as you follow the rules. First, do not ask what the Soul World is. Second, do not ask me anything about others. Third, see through your own desires and tell me where you truly wish to go. If you break these rules, I shall give you a warning. If you ignore my warning, I shall stop guiding the way for you."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say at all this.

    Although he really wanted to say "The hell is all this?" out loud, this didn''t seem like a situation where he couldment as he pleased.

    "You''re telling me that I can''t ask questions, but if I don''t ask any questions, I won''t understand anything."

    "You don''t need to understand. All you need to do is express where you wish to go."

    "I don''t even know what type of ce this is supposed to be. How would I know where I want to go?"

    "As I said earlier, see through your own desires."

    "My own desires¡­ can I go anywhere I want? Such as to heaven?"

    "That is not where you truly wish to go."

    Seiji clutched his arms, and was really tempted to say "Ummmmm¡­" but chose to remain silent instead.

    He figured that this so-called Soul World might be some type of soul realm. This white fox masked man was telling Seiji that he existed here and could act as Seiji''s guide but that questions weren''t allowed. Seiji was only supposed to tell him where he wanted to go.

    ''Where I truly want to go¡­ I suppose it sounds both a little immature yet also philosophical.

    ''Should I try? No matter what ce this is, or who this person is, I might as well try¡­''

    Aftering to such a conclusion, Seiji unfolded his arms.

    "I would like to go somewhere where I can obtain greater strength," he stated seriously while looking at the other person''s mask.

    He sincerely wanted to be more powerful, after all.

    The white fox masked man fell silent for a moment and seemed to be judging the veracity of Seiji''s statement.

    "Understood. Please follow me." He turned around and walked through the mist.

    Seiji followed after him.

    As Seiji entered the mist; he could faintly see hazy scenes around him and hear faint sounds.

    People, ces, buildings, cards, animals, nts¡­ Everything was hazy. If he tried focusing on any scene, it would change in front of him and be unclear.

    It was the same for the sounds he heard. Seiji heard talking, footsteps, shouting, cars, fighting, roaring¡­ all these sounds mixed together and continuously changed. If he tried focusing on any one particr sound, it would only be unclear.

    Seiji instinctively felt that if he got lost in this mist, he might never find his way out again.

    The white fox masked man¡­ The Guide walked in front of him and kept taking various turns in the mist.

    As Seiji walked, he discovered that his consciousness was gradually bing hazy as if his body was getting tired and wanted to sleep.

    ''This is no good!

    ''How much longer until we arrive?'' Seiji wanted to ask this question when he suddenly saw the Guide stop.

    "We have arrived," a gentle voice informed him.

    Seiji''s consciousness instantly vanished.

    Wolf w was born in a normal vige.

    He was called Wolf w because on the day that he was born, his father had joined a hunting expedition and obtained some wolf meat.

    This wasn''t really a true name, but rather only something to call him by. Something as extravagant as a "name" was something only the nobility could possess.

    The nobility were considered divine, wonderful, and powerful existences. All the vigers were supposed to kneel the moment they saw any nobility, and had to absolutely obey the nobility''smands without any resistance.

    None of the vigers doubted this way of living, including Wolf w''s parents. However¡­ Wolf w was different.

    He was disgusted by having to kneel and kowtow to the extent where his face was pressed into the mud. He was frustrated at being ordered around to perform tiresome tasks for no payment or benefits whatsoever. He felt anger and pain at watching those he knew being abused by the nobility to the point of injury or even death.

    These negative emotions kept welling up within him, but he didn''t know how to vent them.

    Until, one day, he saw something.

    A gray-clothed man wielded arge sword almost as tall as he was and sliced down the divine and wonderful noble from the horse thetter was sitting on. He then stomped on the noble and sliced the noble''s head off!

    This scene gave Wolf w an indescribably huge impact. He was excited to the point where he kept trembling uncontrobly and tears kept rolling down his cheeks. He wanted to shout something but was unable to shout anything at all. Hisck of literacy caused him to be unable to describe his current feelings.

    The vigers viewed this gray-clothed man with fear, while the nobles hated him and called him the rebellious traitor. Wolf w misunderstood and thought that "Rebellious Traitor" was this person''s name.

    "Rebellious Traitor¡­" seemed so amazing to him!

    He decided to follow after the rebellious traitor.

    This wasn''t easy at all. However, Wolf w managed to aplish this after undergoing a thrilling and heart-pounding adventure. He was epted by the gray-clothed man as a servant.

    Finally, he learned his mistake: "Rebellious Traitor" wasn''t the gray-clothed man''s name. It was a way of calling people like him.

    The gray-clothed man was named Gabe. Gabe taught many things to Wolf w.

    For example, he taught Wolf w about how the nobles weren''t actually divine or wondrous after all. The nobles were the same as other humans as they could get injured, suffer from pain, and die, just like ordinary humans.

    As long as a person possessed power stronger than them, that person would be able to kill the nobles, just like how ordinary vigers hunted prey.

    "I can give you money, or I can give you strength. Which of the two would you prefer?" Gabe asked Wolf w such a question.

    Wolf w unhesitatingly chose thetter.

    After that, he loyally served Gabe, while Gabe taught Wolf w knowledge and swordsmanship, training and tempering him.

    Several yearster, Gabe gave Wolf w a set of gray clothing as well as a shiny new longsword and told Wolf w to give himself a name of his own.

    Wolf w asked for Gabe to give him a name instead, which Gabe epted. Gabe gave Wolf w the name of Garr.

    "From this moment onward, you''re no longer my servant. You''re now an independent member of the Gray Clothes."

    Wolf w no longer existed. Now, the world had a new individual in it: gray-clothed Garr.

    Garr henceforth joined the organization known as Gray Clothes. He killed nobles, freed ves, and called out to the citizens to rebel¡­ He experienced countless life-and-death situations and established deep friendship with hispanions as well as having a beautiful love story of his own.

    However, the nobles weren''t merely prey to be hunted. They discovered Garr and hispanions'' secret hideout and attacked.

    Garr did his utmost to fight. However, there were simply far too many enemies. Hispanions kept falling beside him. Finally, there were only a few people left by his side, including his lover.

    His lover had already mentally prepared herself to die together with Garr here. However, Garr didn''t want his beautiful lover to die here like this.

    ''Power! I need more power!!! Even if I sacrifice my life, I want to protect¡­''

    With his strong willpower, Garr forced his already seriously injured body to far surpass its normal limits as hebined his spirit and soul together and wielded his longsword for a mega-powerful attack¡­

    *Boom!!!*

    Numerous people in the nobles'' attacking party were wiped out by this single sword attack from Garr.

    It was as if they were weeds that could only be suppressed by a furious wind.

    Everyone that witnessed this scene paused in astonishment¡­ they had never seen such powerful strength before!

    Garr and his few remainingpanions were able to break free and escape their dire situation.

    This one extraordinary sword attack was destined to be a legend.

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes.

    He saw Reo''s cute face next to him.

    "I''ve returned¡­" He tried moving his body, and slowly sat up.

    It felt like he had a really long dream just now¡­ but that was no simple dream!

    His consciousness had been following a person named Wolf w whoter changed his name to Garr. It felt like he spent an incredibly long time following Garr''s life in an unfamiliar world.

    He experienced Garr''s life, shared his feelings, felt his will, and finally used that extraordinary sword attack¡­

    That sword technique didn''t feel like it came from Garr alone. It was as if he and Garr had used it together.

    Seiji still clearly recalled all the feelings from that dream.

    He carefully mulled things over when a *Ding* interrupted his thoughts. A system notification appeared in front of him¡­

 Chapter 439 - You were quite vicious at that time

    <h4>Chapter 439: You were quite vicious at that time</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    [You have traveled through the Soul World for the first time. The [Soul World] option is now avable.]

    [You have experienced the life of Gray-clothed Garr. You have now learned [Soul World - Howling Gale sh.]]

    A new option!

    Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    The option''s name was [Soul World]. There was no exnation given, which was quite different from how it was when other options opened up.

    What did this mean? Did even his dating system not know exactly how to ssify the "Soul World"?

    He immediately opened up his system and checked it out.

    When he chose [Soul World], what he saw was [Howling Gale sh] as well as¡­ [Soul Energy]!

    ording to Seiji''s system, he had 100 [Soul Energy] points. The system provided no exnation for this number or what it was.

    When he looked at [Howling Gale sh], the system''s description stated that [Howling Gale sh is Gray-clothed Garr''s legendary sword technique. It can only be used with a sword-type Spiritual Weapon. This technique will cost energy, concentration level, as well as 100 Soul Energy points.]

    ''This is a truly simplistic exnation. System, you''re cking off these days,'' Seijimented in his mind.

    It would cost [Soul Energy] points to use this technique¡­ then could he infer that [Soul Energy] was actually a type of technique points that needed to be used in order to cast [Soul World] techniques?

    Errrr¡­ Well, setting that aside for the time being, would his [Soul Energy] points automatically recover if he used them? If not, how would he need to recover them? Would he need to visit the Soul World in order to replenish his [Soul Energy]?

    Not only that, he still didn''t understand how to visit the Soul World to begin with.

    All he currently knew was that the Soul World seemed to be some type of mystical domain where he could experience or learn from other people''s lives in another world, and that there was a mysterious young man wearing a white fox mask and ck robe that called himself the Guide.

    Experiencing someone else''s life felt like an incredibly realistic dream, but after waking up, most memories of that experience would be faint. However, some would still remain clearly, such as the extraordinary sword technique that Seiji just learned.

    Looking at this from a practical angle, this was just like obtaining a new power after simply sleeping for a night. This was simr to bing an Awakened!

    "Awakened¡­ Could it be that Yukari and Hoshi actually entered the Soul World rather than their own soul realms?" Seiji wondered about this possibility.

    It seemed likely to him.

    That would exin why he was able to hear Yukari''s voice calling out to him for help and how he was able to arrive at her side.

    The white fox masked man had told him that he possessed the ability to traverse the Soul World.

    He didn''t know how he''d gained this ability, but he supposed that he counted as a "Soul World traveler." When he heard Yukari calling out to him as she had gotten into a predicament in the Soul World, her voice naturally guided him to her location.

    This theory sounded reasonable to him, but still had its ws. For example, the "mystical connections" that Yomi mentioned, Yukari and Hoshi''s specific experiences, and the powers they awakened¡­

    After some more consideration, Seiji felt that perhaps he visited a different ce than Yukari and Hoshist night. Maybe these ces were different forms of the Soul World, or maybe they were something else entirely.

    Did this mysterious "Soul World" have any connection to the mysterious faction also named "Soul World"?

    Seiji had a daring inference about this. He thought that perhaps this faction''s members might actually be "Soul World travelers" or "Awakened"!

    These people might have obtained power from the Soul World long ago, then joined up together and created an organization.

    The evidence for this inference of his was based on what the white fox masked man told him. ording to the Guide, numerous others had been to the Soul World before, probably at least a minimum of three.

    Even if there were only three others, if all three obtained powerful abilities from the Soul World, three was more than enough to create a faction. Seiji didn''t know how many people were in the Soul World faction, but he figured that there weren''t many.

    What was the goal of the Soul World faction?

    The Midnight Spell, the night of one hundred demons, the Awakened, the Spirit Worlds¡­ currently, it was still unknown what the Soul World faction wanted. However, it was easy to infer that if all these phenomena continued, there would be a great upheaval in the mystical society and perhaps even the regr society.

    "Perhaps¡­ the entire world will be changed." Seiji sighed to himself.

    Then, he decided to stop thinking about it and checked the progress on his [Spiritual Power] stat''s improvement.

    A 19 point increase! He felt that this was excellent.

    Judging from the progress bar on his requirements for learning the Yin-Yang Seal to be a Yin-Yang Master, if his remaining silver fruits all gave him roughly the same amount of Spiritual Power, then it would definitely be easy enough to fulfill the requirement before the silver fruits ran out.

    No matter what would happen in the future, it couldn''t possibly be wrong for him to gain more power in order to protect the people important to him.

    "Please find any other Awakened at school and tell them to be cautious about exposing their identities."

    During lunch break at school, Natsuya called Seiji over to the student council office and made such a request of him.

    "With my current position and situation, it''s not convenient for me to do such a thing. I can only ask you," she stated softly.

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    "Understood. Leave it to me."

    If the other Awakened at school weren''t warned, perhaps someone would cause an incident, which would be bad for Natsuya as she''d already reported to her family that there were no more Awakened at Genhana High School.

    Due to Natsuya''s personal circumstances, it wasn''t convenient for her to find the Awakened. In other words, Seiji would be unable to rely on her for anything, including receiving assistance from Hitaka or Rana. He could only rely on himself.

    Seiji''s first idea was to use [Astral Vision] to inspect every single student at school.

    However, he felt that this was low in effectiveness. Besides, his [Astral Vision] level was still low, and might not be able to identify the Awakened.

    His next idea was to ask his friends for assistance.

    Mika, Chiaki, Hoshi, Rion and Kotomi, Yukari, and Kaede all readily agreed to help him with this. They promised to tell him immediately if they saw anything seemingly mystical about any other student.

    After school, Seiji received a phone call from Hisashi inviting him toe over to visit the Juumonji Mafia Group.

    A car came over to pick him up. When Seiji arrived at the Juumonji residence, he saw that two people were waiting him in the main hall. Of course, one was Hisashi, while the other was¡­

    "Heya, long time no see," the red-haired man with bushy eyebrows greeted him.

    Zankita Juumonji, Hisashi and Kaede''s older brother.

    Seiji had only met him once before, when he had been invited to visit the Juumonji Group for the first time.

    At that time, this guy had rushed at him and attacked him unprovoked, so Seiji had been forced to defend himself and ended up injuring Zankita to the point of hospitalization.

    "Long time no see. Have you recovered from your injuries?"

    "I recovered long ago. You were quite vicious at that time, but I like it that way!" Zankita gave him a big thumbs-up.

    Seiji looked towards Hisashi for an exnation.

    "He''s just an idiot like that. Bear with him." Hisashi poured some tea for Seiji.

    "Hey!" Zankita expressed his dissatisfaction.

    Seiji''s cheeks twitched at this.

    The eldest son of the Juumonji Family seemed like a coarse guy, but Seiji found himself surprisingly unable to dislike him.

    "What''s the matter, asking me toe all the way here?" Seiji directly asked what was going on.

    "Big Bro Zankita, show him."

    At Hisashi''s indication, Zankita raised his hand and caused a blue me to appear on his palm!

    Seiji was rather astonished to see this.

    This was an ability¡­ that could be seen by everyone with the naked eye!?

    Seiji immediately cast [Astral Vision]. He saw that the blue me on Zankita''s hand now appeared even brighter while Zankita''s arm seemed to be glowing with a mystical light, which seemed rather imposing.

    Yukari''s spiderweb threads and Hoshi''s red birds were only visible when using [Astral Vision]. However, this blue me was directly visible to the naked eye. Was it because it was more powerful?

    Wait a moment¡­ Red hair and blue mes? Seiji suddenly recalled a famous character from a well-known fighting game from his world!

    That fighting game had given him many fond childhood memories. Not to mention, this particr character was one of the most popr characters from that game and had a really cool ultimate technique. Seiji always felt a thrill from using the ultimate technique sessfully and even memorized that character''s catch phrase while using it, which was¡­

    "Zankita had a strange dream about fighting with a Tengu. After he woke up, he possessed this ability," Hisashi told Seiji. "Do you know anything about this?"

    Seiji regained his senses as his daydreaming was interrupted.

    "Yes." He nodded and exined about the Awakened.

    Hisashi fell silent after learning about the Awakened at the current situation for the Awakened as viewed by the mystical society.

    "Big Bro Zankita, you can only use this power of yours at home. Don''t use it outside," Hisashi cautioned his older brother.

    "Why''s that?"

    "Didn''t you hear what Seigo said just now?"

    "I did, but if anyone wants to do something bad to me, all I have to do is kill him," Zankita stated while clenching his fist, which caused the blue me to envelop his hand entirely and burn even fiercer.

 Chapter 440 - My younger sister is amazing as well

    <h4>Chapter 440: My younger sister is amazing as well</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Zankita''s statement sounded really imposing. However¡­

    "But, you have to be able to win," Hisashi retorted.

    "Why do you think that I can win?"

    "It''s easy to understand even if you think about it with your knee rather than your brain. How can some strange ability you received so recently possiblypare with an experienced Spiritual Ability user''s powers!?"

    "How can you know without even trying!?" Zankita''s eyes were burning with battle fervor.

    Seiji clearly recalled how Zankita was the first time that they met¡­ He had been burning up with a simr desire to do battle. Seiji now had a better understanding of why Hisashi constantly called Zankita an "idiot."

    Seiji supposed that Zankita was simply a battle maniac.

    "You don''t need to try, as you definitely wouldn''t be able to win," Hisashi said helplessly. "Please use your brain once in a while, Big Bro Zankita¡­ Can a person who randomly picks up a sword possiblypare to a veteran swordsman? That''s also impossible!"

    "I''m already a veteran fighter as well. In that strange dream, I absolutely crushed that Tengu!"

    "I''m not talking about fighting techniques, I''m talking about Spiritual Abilities! You received this ability just a few hours ago! And how many hours do you think real Spiritual Ability users have practiced cultivating their powers for? Just think about it, idiot!"

    "Time spent cultivating doesn''t equal strength!"

    "Stop trying to go against everything I say!"

    "That''s what I should say to you!"

    The brothers began arguing just like this.

    ''Should I say that they have a really ''good rtionship?'''' Seiji thought that to himself as he idly sipped on some tea.

    "Could you please teach this idiot a lesson?" Hisashi asked Seiji, not wanting to waste time with his idiot older brother. "Make this guy clearly understand the difference between himself and a real Spiritual Ability user."

    "A fight? Great!" Zankita punched his own hand eagerly, causing mes to cover both his fists. "I''d really enjoy a second round with you as well! This time, I''ll be the winner!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He sipped some more tea before putting down the tea cup, unable to refuse Hisashi''s imploring expression and Zankita''s burning desire to do battle.

    "Alright."

    And so, they moved over to the dojo in the Juumonji residence.

    "Please don''t injure him to the point of hospitalization this time. This idiot still has some uses," Hisashi requested after Seiji finished changing his clothes into a martial arts uniform and arrived at the dojo.

    "Hey! Don''t say something unnecessary like that!" Zankita shouted at his little brother. He had also changed into a martial arts uniform. "Harano-san, no need to worry about anything, go all-out against me!"

    "All-out, the hell! If Seigo uses his full power, your corpse probably wouldn''t even be in one piece!!"

    "Don''t look down on me! How can you know when we haven''t even fought yet!?"

    "I don''t need to look to know the result of a fight between a kitten and a lion!"

    "I''m no kitten!!" Zankita made a fighting pose and ignited both his fists with blue mes. "Let''s begin, Harano-san!"

    "Yep. Please take good care of me." Seiji cast [Body-strengthening technique] and [Mana Shield] on himself and made a fighting pose as well.

    The next second, Zankita suddenly punched at Seiji and rushed over with his mes!

    Everything happened exactly as Hisashi surmised.

    His idiotic older brother was defeated in less than a minute.

    In fact, Zankita onlysted that long because Seigo let him attack as he pleased for the first thirty seconds. If Seigo had gone all out from the very start, this fight would havested shorter than three seconds.

    ''No, this isn''t even a fight. It''s just a lion ying a game with a kitten,'' Hisashi thought to himself.

    "While your ability is quite powerful for attacking in tandem with your fists¡­ that''s all it will amount to if you can''t use it defensively as well," Seiji stated.

    Just likest time, he used only one attack to defeat Zankita.

    Each and every one of Zankita''s punches were able to send blue mes at Seiji. These blue mes were indeed an actual threat to his [Mana Shield], but no matter how strong Zankita''s attack power was, hecked any defense power whatsoever, so the oue of the fight was a foregone conclusion.

    "Ack¡­ amazing, as expected of you." Zankita crawled up while clutching his stomach.

    "This time, you finally know how foolish you were, don''t you?" Hisashi sighed. "If it wasn''t for Seigo carefully holding back this time, you would have been hospitalized again."

    Zankita fell silent for a moment.

    "Harano-san¡­ no, Haruta-sama." He looked towards Seiji with a serious expression. "I would like to ask, how can I be stronger?"

    Seiji blinked in surprise to see Zankita''s change in attitude.

    "How an Awakened bes stronger¡­ I''m not sure, but I suppose the first step is to be able to properly utilize one''s own ability."

    "Isn''t there a more specific method? I want to be stronger as soon as possible! I want to be able to protect my family and the guys in our group." Zankita''s eyes and words were both filled with strong resolution.

    Seiji was somewhat moved.

    "If I knew, I would tell you. However, I really have no idea," he told Zankita.

    "I see¡­" The glimmer in Zankita''s eyes dimmed slightly. "Thank you for fighting with me today."

    He turned around and left after saying so.

    "You have a good older brother," Seiji said softly as he watched Zankita leave.

    "He''s merely an idiotic older brother," Hisashimented as he adjusted his eyesses.

    While there was no specific method for Awakened to speedily increase their power, there was still a possible method: Spirit Worlds.

    Seiji figured that perhaps the resources obtainable in Spirit Worlds, such as silver fruits, might be of use to the Awakened as well.

    ''Should I give Zankita a silver fruit when I''m done increasing my [Spiritual Power] to a sufficient level for the Yin-Yang Seal if I have any extras?''

    Seiji considered it and decided to think about itter when the time came.

    When he returned home, he received the Storage Scroll that Hana had sent to him.

    He opened it up to see a silvery-gray scroll inscribed with an intricate ck runic spell formation.

    There was an instruction booklet included as Hana promised. He followed the instructions and injected his Mana into the Storage Scroll along with setting a password which would activate it.

    A ck hole appeared above the Storage Scroll. Seiji ced all his silver fruits inside this dimensional storage space to prevent the fruits from decaying.

    After that, Seiji put the Storage Scroll away. Seiji opened up his system to check his [Gifts] option, only to see that his younger sister''s gift to him had rewarded him with¡­

    [All-stat improvement card - Expectant Hopes.]

    [This card contains Hana Haruta''s expectations for you. After using it, all of your stats will be increased. Lower stats will increase by a greater amount.]

    [Mind and body protection card - Worried Heart.]

    [This card contains Hana Haruta''s worry for you. After using this card, all of your physical injuries and any damage to your soul will instantly be cured. Also, your defense will be doubled for the next 3 minutes!]

    [Mental suppression card - Desire to Retort.]

    [This card contains Hana Haruta''s strong emotions about wanting toment on you. You may target any one person with this card. That person''s mental spirit will undergo great suppression. This effect willst for 2 minutes and 22 seconds.]

    Seiji was rendered absolutely speechless.

    Something strange appeared!

    An all-stat improvement card was a reward he had received before when Yui gave him the ck cell phone containing the Haruta Family secret manuals.

    The mind and body protection card didn''t require anymenting on. It was obviously a one-time powerful life-saving tool, with easy to understand effects of a full heal plus doubled defense afterwards.

    However, what the hell was a mental suppression card!?

    [Desire to Retort] - with an effective time of 2 minutes and 22 seconds¡­ even the time felt rather subtle to him!

    What exactly would happen to someone whose mental spirit was greatly suppressed? What would their condition be? Why couldn''t the system exin it more clearly!

    Seiji''s expression became somewhatplex as he looked at this card.

    Hana''s "strong emotions about wanting toment" about him had turned into a card that could literally curse someone. Was this supposed to be a materialization of the verbal ability to harm someone with words?

    ''My younger sister is amazing as well.''

    Seiji was feeling some pressure from being the middle sibling with such amazing older and younger sisters.

    Seiji turned off his system while thinking such things.

    He decided to use his all-stat improvement cardter in the evening. For now¡­ he wanted to focus on writing the storyline for his dating sim game.

    Although he was mainly focusing on cultivation these days, he didn''t want to forget about working on his game, either. After all, the game wasn''t only about him. And, it was a good way for him to rx.

    Seiji soon immersed himself in the act of creation as he entered the world of his imagination through his writing.

 Chapter 441 - Just one more step!

    <h4>Chapter 441: Just one more step!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The Juumonji residence was destroyed, with a thick smell of blood permeating through the air. Numerous monsters and demons were devouring the Juumonji Mafia Group members.

    A humongous monster with a bloody mist swirling around it kept continuously eating humans while spitting out bones and skulls.

    Zankita wanted to angrily roar and fight when faced with this hellish scene. However, he was filled with a tremendous sense of fear, and his body felt weak as he shivered. He was unable to even crawl up from the ground.

    The humongous monster devoured a familiar figure as it chewed and then spat something out.

    The item it spat outnded near Zankita, rolling around several times before stopping.

    This item was Hisashi''s head.

    "Wahhh!!!" Zankita shouted loudly and woke up from his nightmare.

    "Damn it¡­ I actually had such a dream¡­"

    He rubbed his head that felt dizzy as he got up in a haze, intending to drink some water to clear his mind.

    That''s when he suddenly noticed that he was in an unfamiliar room.

    A man in ck Sakura Ind clothing that he didn''t recognize was sitting across from him.

    This man had short gray-ck hair and an unnaturally white face. His nose was high, and his eyes were small. He was smiling and sitting with incredibly proper posture.

    "Wee. Pleased to meet you," the man greeted Zankita by lowering his head. "My name is Shoushi Fukuyama. I happen to be a merchant of sorts."

    Zankita furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at this person.

    "A merchant¡­ What is this ce?"

    "This is my store. Please forgive it for being rather simple." The man lifted his head. "The current product that I''m selling is ''How to be stronger.'' Would you happen to be interested?"

    Zankita''s eyebrows twitched upon hearing this.

    "It would seem that you are indeed interested. How about negotiating about the price?" Shoushi indicated for Zankita to sit down with a hand gesture.

    "¡­Who exactly are you?"

    "As I already mentioned, I''m simply a merchant. I sell products and make trades. Apart from that, I''m nothing at all, and don''t know anything else apart from how to make trades."

    Zankita stared at Shoushi.

    Shoushi maintained his smile.

    Several secondster, Zankita walked over and sat down across from Shoushi in a cross-legged position.

    "I''ll kill you if you dare to trick me!"

    "Heh heh, there''s no need to worry about such a thing. I would never disrespect my customers like that." Shoushi chuckled. "As for ''How to be strong,'' I can first tell you some keywords: ''Spirit World.''"

    "Spirit World?" Zankita furrowed his eyebrows.

    "The Awakened¡­ that is, people like you who have received special powers, can be stronger in Spirit Worlds," Shoushi informed him. "As for how to find a Spirit World, which Spirit World to go to, and how to speedily be stronger¡­ you will need to make certain payments for this information."

    "¡­What do you want?"

    "I want twenty percent of what you obtain in the Spirit World."

    Zankita fell silent.

    "Perhaps you don''t know what this entails, but it''s not important. As long as you visit a Spirit World once, you''ll understand that my asking price is reasonable." Shoushi chuckled. "If you still think it''s an unreasonable price at that time, speak to me again."

    Something shed in Zankita''s eyes.

    "If you don''t agree, you shall forget about our conversation and never see me again. If you agree, I shall sign a fair contract with you, and you''ll be able to meet me again whenever you wish."

    Shoushi continued to smile as he narrowed his eyes slightly and observed Zankita.

    "It''s our fate to have met here. Fate should be treasured. Please take advantage of this opportunity."

    Zankita fell silent for a long time.

    This ce seemed wrong to Zankita. Something was off about this man in front of him, and Zankita really hated Shoushi''s smile. However¡­

    The eldest son of the Juumonji mafia family slowly clenched his fist as he recalled his earlier nightmare.

    One week passed.

    Television programs and people on the inte were still discussing the topic of "what happened during midnight on New Year''s." However, everything was quite calm in real life, or at least appeared so on the surface.

    Actually, many people''s lives changed already. Perhaps there would be many more whose lives would also change in the future due to the midnight spell.

    Mika continued learning from her Spiritual Ability teacher, Ruri Kinsa. It seemed that Mika was making progress as a Spirit Controller.

    Chiaki gotpletely ustomed to living as a renter at the Uehara apartments, having plenty of fun. It was now a daily urrence for Mika to go over to Chiaki''s apartment to drag her out of bed in the morning.

    Kaho was rather sessful in her weight loss, which drew the attention of some girls in ss. However, she didn''t intend to expand her circle of friends and kept a low profile as usual.

    Hoshi and Yukari continued practicing with their own abilities. Both of them mentioned having nightmares about something horrific, which made them feel like something really would happen soon. They were quite anxious.

    Reo''s elementary school sent out an important message to all parents and guardians, requesting that they apany their children to school or ask a trustworthy friend to apany the children. The school didn''t mention any specific reason, only saying that public safety was bing an issue.

    Due to this message, Seiji began taking and picking up Reo to and from school every day. He considered whether or not he should take additional measures.

    Seiji had been unable to visit the Soul World after the first time. He also made no progress in finding any Awakened at Genhana High School. He figured that perhaps there were no more Awakened, or if there were, they were concealing themselves quite well¡­ and if that was the case, there would be no need to warn them toy low.

    Friday night.

    ording to Seiji''s dating sim system, regarding the [Yin-Yang Seal] option¡­

    [Read a technique manual detailing how to be a Yin-Yang Master or read other equivalent information. Learn and understand it fully - 100%pleted.]

    [Cultivate your Spiritual Power and improve your level - 100%pleted.]

    [Cultivate your Mana and improve your level - 100%pleted.]

    His Spiritual Power and Mana finally met the requirements by the time that Seiji ate all but two of the silver fruits.

    After he fulfilled these three requirements, the newly revealed requirements were:

    [Learn beginner level [Body-strengthening technique], [Astral Vision], [Telekinesis], [Cleansing], [Barriers], [Sealing], [Summoning], and [Healing]. Current progress of 91.5%.]

    [ept teaching from a beginner-level or above Yin-Yang Master. Learn and understand it fully - current progress of 0%.]

    [Perform the Yin-Yang Seal ritual in a location that''s dense in Mana. Current progress of 0%.]

    Seiji energetically clenched his fist upon seeing these new requirements!

    He really wanted to shout out loudly. That was because there was only one more step!

    After learning [Beginner-level Barriers], he had already learned [Beginner-level Cleansing] and [Beginner-level Sealing] as well. He was currently working on cultivating [Beginner-level Summoning].

    After he finished learning [Summoning], he would fulfill the requirements for the fourth condition. As for the fifth and sixth conditions, he could use the powerful card that Yui''s gift of the cell phone gave him, the Yin-Yang Seal activation card to skip these two requirements entirely!

    Basically, the moment that he finished learning [Summoning], he would be able to instantly be a Yin-Yang Master.

    That seemed amazing to him!

    Bing a Yin-Yang Master meant he would finally be taking that critical step, seeing a new world, and entering a new realm¡­ er, did that description sound too immature?

    No matter what, it was an important step for him.

    If it wasn''t for the powerful Yin-Yang Seal activation card, perhaps thest two requirements would take him a really long time. They seemed quite time-consuming to him. Since he had this card however, all he had to say was one word: "Nice!"

    Once again, Seiji expressed his inward gratitude towards Yui.

    "Let''s continue practicing [Summoning] immediately. I''m going to go over to Natsuya''s residence''s practice field and do my best to finish mastering [Summoning] by tonight!"

    He was all excited as he told Shika and Reo he was going out. He put on his jacket and was about to leave when someone knocked on his door.

    The visitor was someone that he absolutely didn''t wee.

    "Good evening, Haruta-san." The dark blue haired handsome boy, who was wearing a white windbreaker, smiled in greeting. "Sorry to bother you after two weeks'' time."

 Chapter 442 - Delighted to come to a mutual accord

    <h4>Chapter 442: Delighted toe to a mutual ord</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After not seeing each other for two weeks, why meet each other again at all? Seiji felt that it would have been better if they never met again.

    "Good evening, Mitarai-san," Seiji greeted Akatsuki calmly as he walked outside and closed his door. "You actually visited such a rundown ce like mine for a second time. It must trouble you greatly."

    "Something like this? Not at all." Akatsuki smiled. "It''s quite worth it as long as you understand my sincerity."

    Anyone that heard this conversation and saw this scene would likely think that Akatsuki was a perfectly nice young man.

    "Sincerity¡­ Indeed, I can understand." Seiji looked at Akatsuki. "As for what you wish to discuss with me, let''s continue our conversation at the same ce asst time."

    "Sure thing." Akatsuki nodded.

    Seiji nced at Akatsuki''s Spirit-branded Retainer standing beside thetter as he walked towards Akatsuki''s car. This person was wearing a brown windbreaker and ck gloves¡ªNaruo Yashuu.

    Compared to when Seiji saw him at the Winter Snow Festival Yin-Yang Master party, this icy-seeming Spirit-branded Retainer''s hair appeared to be darker and there was an ominous sensationing from him.

    They took Akatsuki''s car together to the business district, went to the same coffee caf¨¦ asst time, and obtained a private room.

    Just likest time, Seiji and Akatsuki ordered coffee and remained silent for several seconds while exchanging nces.

    "Two weeks has been plenty of time, Haruta-san. Have you finished considering things?"

    "To be honest, I haven''t really thought much about it. After all, many things have been urring recently."

    Something shed in Akatsuki''s eyes.

    "Well, that must have been hard on you. However, please understand how it is for me as well. I''ve already waited half a month, and wish to have a clear answer from you."

    "My apologies. I shall start considering your proposal seriously right away. Please show me your sincerity by waiting another two weeks." Seiji smiled.

    The dark blue handsome boy''s expression became somewhat grimmer.

    "Please don''t say something so foolish, Haruta-san."

    "I''m not saying something foolish, Mitarai-san." Seiji maintained his smile. "I''m sincerely requesting you for another two weeks'' time. One full month would be even better. I''ll definitely think of an answer by then."

    "Stop joking around!" Akatsuki''s gaze turned icy. "Don''t dare to say something so foolish to me a second time."

    "In that case, I''ll change my wording. Mitarai-san, please seriously consider my sincerity, and don''t reject me so casually. Otherwise, you''ll definitely regret it."

    "How ridiculous! I''m¡­" Akatsuki suddenly paused in the middle of speaking.

    He suddenly recalled that these words were¡­

    "You told me those wordsst time," Seiji stated while retracting his smile. "How do you feel now? Multiply your current disgust by one thousand times, and you can probably arrive at how I felt back then."

    The private room in the coffee caf¨¦ fell silent.

    A server arrived with their coffees. The server then left after leaving the coffee behind.

    "This is your answer?" Akatsuki''s tone of voice turned icy as well.

    "Indeed," Seiji stated calmly. "From the very start, I didn''t like you, and really wanted to beat you up."

    "Hah, a foolish ordinary person''s emotions¡­ no, I should say piece of trash." Akatsuki chuckled coldly. "A piece of trash scumbag like you isn''t even worthy of approaching Natsuya."

    "However, I''m much closer to her than someone like you who''s no ordinary person¡­ oh, my mistake, I should have said someone like you who''s not a person at all," Seiji mentioned lightly.

    Akatsuki was filled with rage upon hearing this!

    "Garbage! Don''t think that just because you''re part of the Haruta Family that I wouldn''t¡­"

    "I never thought so in the first ce. I wouldn''t doubt your shamelessness, because you''re the type of guy capable of doing anything," Seiji said as he looked at Akatsuki. "You believe that you''re so special and look down upon others. You''re deluded by your own feeling of superiority, but don''t even know that there''s too many people just like you in this world."

    "You¡­" The dark blue haired boy''s handsome face was bing distorted.

    "You want to kill me, while I want to beat you up. When webine our desires, the conclusion is quite simple." There was a steely glint in Seiji''s eyes. "Let''s duel, Akatsuki Mitarai."

    "What¡­?"

    "Let''s have a duel, you and me."

    Akatsuki paused in surprise for a moment before his mouth slowly arced upwards as he beganughing.

    "Heh heh heh heh¡­ Hahahahahaha!"

    Heughed louder and louder with an obvious tone of condescension in his voice.

    Seiji didn''t change his expression as he silently listened to Akatsuki finish hisughing.

    "A piece of trash like you!! Is unworthy of challenging me to a duel!!!"

    The Mitarai Family young master made such a condescending statement after he finally finished his fit ofughter.

    ''It''s appeared, a ssical antagonist''s line from xianxia novels¡­'' Seiji thought that to himself without letting his emotions be affected in the slightest by Akatsuki''s acerbity.

    Just as Seiji was thinking about what words he should respond with, Akatsuki continued talking, "But, I should thank you for your foolishness! A duel will give me the perfect opportunity to deal with you!"

    ''Yeah, yeah, thanks for your hard work in acting the part of the ssical antagonist.''

    Seiji mentallymented as his mouth arced upwards.

    "I''m delighted toe to a mutual ord with you. In that case, let''s discuss the formal procedures for the duel." Seiji had a tone as if he was at a business meeting.

    Akatsuki was rendered speechless by this.

    He mysteriously felt like he had somehow been one-upped when he saw how calm Seiji waspared to his own loss of control regarding his own emotions.

    Natsuya received a phone call from Seiji.

    When she heard his exnation of what just happened, she paused in surprise for two full seconds.

    "I apologize. Please tell me what you just said one more time."

    Seiji repeated what he told her again.

    The student council president took a deep breath after confirming that she hadn''t heard incorrectly.

    "You''re going to duel Akatsuki Mitarai!? What the hell, Seiji!?"

    "It''s just a duel. That''s something perfectly normal."

    "The hell with it being normal! Why did this suddenly happen!? What led to this!?"

    "He came to visit me again to hear my answer. That was my answer." Seiji chuckled. "We both wanted to kill each other and reached an excellent mutual ord."

    "The hell with mutual ord! Don''t make it sound like you were having a business negotiation! Do you know what you just did!?"

    "I know. I suppose it was half suicidal."

    "Only half!? Since you already know, why¡­"

    "Of course, it was for you."

    "Er¡­" Natsuya felt a sudden impact from this.

    "A brave knight wouldn''t fear sacrificing himself in order to protect the beautiful princess¡­ actually, something like that is too clich¨¦." Seiji chuckled. "Actually, it was more for myself, because I just happen to really dislike him."

    "Seiji¡­"

    "I know that Ick power. That was hammered into me all the more deeplyst week, when I couldn''t do anything about the Midnight Spell. But even so, there''s still some things I want to try," Seiji stated calmly. "I hope that you can be a witness to my duel, Natsuya."

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment as something shed in her eyes.

    "I refuse," she ended up telling him.

    "Natsuya¡­"

    "Doing something so foolish¡­ and so willful, have you ever considered my feelings?" The student council president''s words were filled with anger.

    "Er¡­"

    "Akatsuki Mitarai is supposed to be my opponent. I''m the one who got you involved, but now you''re saying that you''re going to be the one dueling with him, and asking me to be a witness¡­ There should be a limit to your foolishness, idiot!!"

    Seiji fell silent upon hearing this.

    "Cancel the duel and stop getting involved in this. Since you already know that youck strength, obediently walk away," Natsuya spoke in a low voice. "If you insist on continuing with your willfulness¡­ I shall stop you!"

 Chapter 443 - This feels like a loversâ€™ quarrel

    <h4>Chapter 443: This feels like a lovers¡¯ quarrel</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    They ended their phone call there.

    Natsuya stared nkly at her cell phone withplex emotions arising within her.

    "I''m sorry¡­" she muttered to her cell phone before putting it away.

    Although she said it for his own good, she knew that her words were likely to hurt him.

    She didn''t dare to imagine what Seiji was currently feeling or thinking.

    There was a heavy feeling in her heart that felt a little painful¡­ but she didn''t regret what she''d just said.

    That was because she believed herself to be in the right. She should have done this thest time.

    Seiji had an incredibly quick growth rate. As long as he didn''t force himself into something beyond his current level which might cause something to happen to him, he would definitely be incredibly strong in the future! There was no need for him to force himself to deal with a person like Akatsuki Mitarai right now.

    Natsuya was certain that what she had done was correct. However, she still felt pained at harming Seiji with her words and was unable to calm her emotions down.

    She forced herself to get busy working in an attempt to put this matter behind her.

    A whileter, there was a knock on her room''s door. Mai Houjou entered with some tea for her.

    "Haruta-san came over just now, and is currently in the underground practice field," the maid Mai reported to her.

    This caused Natsuya''s heart to skip a beat upon hearing this.

    It was quitemon for Seiji toe over to practice cultivation. However, with what just happened¡­

    "Did he¡­ ask if I was here?"

    "No, he went down to the basement immediately after greeting me. His expression seemed rather grim."

    Natsuya revealed an anxious expression at this.

    Mai blinked as she observed her master.

    "Has something happened? Mdy."

    "Nothing¡­"

    Natsuya reflexively wanted to deny it, but when faced with the gentle look from Mai who was like an older sister figure to her, she soon caved in.

    "Actually, something did happen¡­ He wanted to do something foolish for my sake, and I told him he couldn''t, and used some words that may have hurt him¡­"

    "I see¡­ how sweet." Mai began smiling. "He wanted to do something foolish for Mdy''s sake, while Mdy said something mean to him in order to stop him. Forgive my directness, but this feels like a lovers'' quarrel."

    "L¡­ lovers¡­" Natsuya''s face flushed red at hearing this.

    "Only people really close to each other will have this type of problem. It would seem that unbeknownst to me, Mdy and Haruta-san have already be more than just friends," Mai said with a big grin. "As a maid, I''m quite curious just how much you''ve developed your rtionship with him. After all, depending on the circumstances, I may have to change how I address Haruta-san."

    "I haven''t developed it at all!" Natsuya waved her hands indicating no in embarrassment. "We''re just friends, there''s nothing special between us¡­"

    Although she was saying so, she couldn''t help but think about the intimate contact she had with him before, which caused her red face to only flush a deeper red.

    "Oh my¡­" Mai''s smile became rather deep upon witnessing her master''s reaction. "It would seem that some interrogation¡­ whoops, I mean more questions will be necessary for me to fully understand what''s going on."

    "Eh?" Natsuya didn''t hear what Mai said clearly.

    "I was saying that Mdy, your current appearance is quite cute~"

    "C¡­ cute¡­"

    "Yep, really cute. Please allow me to take a few pictures."

    "No! Don''t take pictures of me!"

    "Then, how about a video?"

    "No recordings, either!"

    The maid put away her cell phone regretfully as Natsuya was staring at her.

    "By the way, Mdy, would you like to reconcile with Haruta-san?"

    "Yeah, of course."

    "Then simply go find him for a discussion," Mai told her gently. "Perhaps Haruta-san is a bit unhappy right now, but as long as Mdy tells him your feelings, he''ll definitely understand."

    "Yeah¡­" Natsuya nodded.

    "Actually, even if you don''t go talk to him, I feel that he''s the type who will calm down by himself after a while and understand Mdy''s heartfelt intentions. However, rather than waiting for this to happen, it''s probably still better to go talk to him now, which will avoid leaving any negative feelings between you. It''s also an excellent opportunity to develop your rtionship!"

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    "As for how to develop your rtionship, that''s not something a mere maid like me is qualified of giving advice about. However, if Mdy wishes, I''ll be more than delighted to give my advice~" Mai''s smile grew much warmer.

    The red-faced student council president was silent for several seconds in front of the older maid''s sister-like smile before she finally responded, "No need, thank you very much."

    Seiji cast [Summoning].

    A faint green mist appeared before him and started gathering¡­ however, it failed to form anything in the end as it dissipated.

    "I''m still doing something wrong."

    Seiji rubbed his chin and continued mulling over the correct way to utilize this spell.

    At this moment, someone tugged on his shirt.

    Seiji turned around to see the petite heterochromia cat-eared girl silently looking at him.

    "Good evening, Kirin-san."

    The cat girl''s ears twitched upon hearing his greeting. Then, she held up a bag to him and opened it up.

    Seiji smelled something with a tantalizing aroma, and saw that the bag contained fish-shaped desserts¡ªtaiyaki!

    "Thank you." He took one and smiled as he thanked her.

    He recalled the time when he had brought taiyaki over to the hospital and had great fun ying video games together with Rana and Natsuya.

    Seiji took a bite of the taiyaki dessert, causing a sweet taste to spread in his mouth.

    Rana took one as well and started biting down with a joyous expression on her face.

    No matter how many times Seiji saw this expression of hers, he always felt that it was quite cute.

    Seiji thought that to himself as he smiled and observed Rana.

    The two of them faced each other and simply ate desserts in silence.

    "Have you grown slightly taller inparison to when we first met?" Seiji noticed a slight difference in Rana''s height.

    Rana nodded.

    "Continue growing properly. You''ll surely be a great beauty in the future."

    Rana squinted her eyes.

    "Er¡­ Did I say something wrong?" Seiji asked as he noticed that she seemed to be displeased.

    "Meow." The cat girl put her taiyaki that she had only half finished eating back into the bag and handed the bag to Seiji.

    Seiji was rather mystified by this, but took the taiyaki bag anyways. Then, he saw Rana taking a few steps away and then stopping and shutting her eyes.

    A dark red glow gradually enveloped the cat-eared girl''s body. This glow gradually transformed into a thick mist that covered her all over.

    This mist caused Seiji to recall the way Rana appeared previously when dueling against Okubo Yoshiaki.

    ''Is she angry to the point where she seriously wants to beat me up? Did I really say something that bad?''

    Just as he was thinking this, the mist became even thicker, and something white shed inside, faintly giving off a tremendously imposing manner.

    "Meow¡­ Meow!!"

    A sharp howl came from within the mist, and a strong light instantly dispelled the mist!

    Seiji was forced to squint his eyes due to the sudden strong light.

    When he recovered his vision and looked again, what he saw was¡­

    A beautiful cat woman with an excellent figure!

    "What¡­"

    Seiji''s mouth was left wide agape as he stood there stunned, not daring to believe his eyes.

    This cat woman was much taller than Rana''s typical middle schooler appearance and had an ample bosom, a slender waist, and a firm butt. Dark-red fur grew over certain parts of her body as if to intentionally hide only the private areas.

    Two cute cat ears were on her head, and Rana still retained her beautiful heterochromia eyes. Her fingernails were long and sharp, and she even had a furry tail behind her that was lightly wagging.

    "Meow~"

    The cat woman smiled seductively as she made a soft sound and retracted her fingernails¡­ er, ws. Rana folded her arms and pushed her own chest upwards, creating an incredibly alluring scene.

    Seiji felt like his blood rapidly increased its cirction rate upon witnessing this scene!

    "Kirin-san, you¡­"

 Chapter 444 - â€œWhite Calamityâ€

    <h4>Chapter 444: "White Cmity"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    She actually increased in size!?

    This transformation¡­ was a type of synchronization with her cat spirit, right? Was such a high degree of synchronization really alright!?

    Seiji knew that having too high a level of synchronization would be dangerous and had the potential to cause harm to one''s soul. Seiji had personally experienced this when synchronizing with Minamoto no Raiko.

    However¡­ Rana seemed to be just fine.

    The devilishly seductive cat woman''s breasts¡­ whoops, charisma was astonishing. There was a huge contrast with the cute little cat girl from earlier!

    Seiji felt like the change in appearance was as massive as a cat girl from Nekopara suddenly changing into Catwoman from the Batman franchise.

    Rana lithely stepped closer to him like a cat would with that seductive smile on her face as she approached.

    "Wait a moment¡­" Seiji sensed that perhaps he was in a certain type of danger.

    Natsuya headed for the underground practice field.

    Mai''s words caused her to think about various wildly imaginative things for a while, so it took quite a while for her to calm herself down and for the red blush to recede from her face.

    "An opportunity to develop my rtionship with him¡­?"

    Although she understood what Mai meant, she wanted to reconcile with Seiji first.

    She arrived at the practice field with such a mindset.

    That''s when she discovered¡­

    "Don''t hug me, don''t lick me! Although it feels really nice, it''s a bit bad because it feels too nice!!"

    "Meow meow~~"

    The handsome boy was currently engaging in intimate behavior with a beautiful cat woman while hugging her!

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    "I know that you''re already a great beauty now, an incredibly charismatic, mature beauty! That''s why you can stop now, no need to do any more, otherwise¡­ eh?"

    Seiji felt a chill run down his spine, causing him to reflexively look behind him only to see the student council president quietly standing there with an icy expression and a distant look in her eyes.

    ''Scary!''

    Seiji felt himself breaking out into a cold sweat.

    "Kirin-san, please stop already¡­"

    "Meow~"

    Rana still hugged him without letting go, squeezing her chest against his, sticking her face right on top of his while gently licking his face and ears.

    This felt amazing!

    ''It feels too amazing, which is why I truly want her to stop! Especially all the more so because her master is standing right beside us!!''

    After the cat girl transformed herself into a cat woman, not only did her figure be much fuller, her personality seemed to have gotten more interested in sexy things¡­ No, wait! Perhaps she just lost her sense of reason.

    Seiji could sense that Natsuya''s gaze upon him was growing icier by the second, so he steeled his resolve and forcefully pushed Rana off of him.

    "Take a look, Natsuya¡­ er, yourdy that you serve is here."

    "Meow?"

    Rana turned around to see Natsuya and revealed another seductive smile upon seeing her master. She dashed over and instantly hugged Natsuya!

    Lick~ Lick Lick~~

    "Rana, don''t do that, it really tickles," Natsuya told her helplessly while being licked. She could only ept the hug and pat Rana on the back.

    "Meow~~" The cat woman made a joyous sound as she wagged her butt and furry tail in unison.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He did his best to avert his gaze while reciting pi in his mind in order to reach a mental state of nkness!

    "Hmph¡­ Rana, we''re leaving."

    Natsuya nced at Seiji one more time before she took her Spirit-branded Retainer and left.

    Seiji watched them leave. Only after they left did he suddenly recall that they forgot something.

    "The taiyaki¡­"

    He smiled wryly at the bag of taiyaki that he was still holding.

    "I''ll bring it upstairs for themter."

    Natsuya no longer felt like impulsively going to Seiji for a discussion.

    That was due to what she just saw¡­ although she knew that it really wasn''t his fault, she was still displeased!

    ''Besides, why is it that I have to be the one to go to him to discuss things?

    ''While I might have been the one who said something a little unpleasant to hear, he was the one who insisted on doing something foolish first. Shouldn''t he be the oneing to look for me!?''

    Her displeasure created such thoughts in her mind, so she was no longer motivated to go and speak to him.

    After remaining angry for a while in her study, the student council president went and took a shower, then finished some more work before finally going to her bedroom and sleeping.

    The next morning.

    When Natsuya got out of bread and began eating breakfast, she was astonished to hear from Mai that Seiji was still at the underground practice field!

    "Haruta-san pulled an all-nighter practicing his cultivation. He''s been working truly hard," Mai informed Natsuya. "I went and called for him toe eat breakfast, but he refused, saying that he only had a little more to go."

    Natsuya remained silent.

    "While working hard is a good thing, I feel like he''s almost forcing himself¡­ I think that this is no good." Mai sighed.

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "Indeed, I have experience in knowing that too much cultivation can actually be harmful to one''s body. I''ll go speak to Haruta-kun in a bit," Hitaka indicated.

    "No¡­ Hitaka, I''ll go." Natsuya stopped Hitaka from going.

    "Alright. It should be fine if Mdy handles things." The red-haired girl nodded.

    At the practice field, Seiji cast [Summoning].

    This time, a green mist appeared before him and quickly materialized into a Spiritual Creature that seemed to be physical!

    He summoned a dog demon that had a pale body and cyan-colored ws. There was a green glow in its eyes that gave it a rather demonic aura.

    "Excellent."

    He finally mastered [Summoning].

    Seiji observed his dog demon for quite a while before canceling the spell and letting it disappear. He then opened up his system.

    He had reached 100% progress in finishing his mastery of [Beginner-level Summoning].

    Seiji immediately paid the points required and officially learned this spell through his system.

    He immediately heard the sound of a system notification as words appeared before him.

    [Character reward card [Shika Kagura]''s additional ability 1 has been activated due to the prerequisites being fulfilled. It shall now take effect.]

    His Shika card''s first ability!? Seiji immediately checked it out.

    [Additional ability 1: White Cmity (Beginner-level Summoning required as a prerequisite.]

    [Special summoning technique. You may summon a powerful humanoid Spiritual Creature containing the power of the Reaper''s Curse. This Spiritual Creature can move by itself, or you can attach it to a Spiritual Ability user. Lasts for two minutes. Can only be used one time per day - A pure white soul containing the incarnation of cmity.]

    Seiji was astonished at this ability.

    He recalled that icy-cold rainy night¡­ and sunk into nostalgia for a while.

    Footsteps approached him.

    Seiji instantly returned to his senses, turned off his system, and looked to see who it was.

    "Good morning, Seiji."

    "Good morning, Natsuya."

    The two of them greeted each other.

    "I heard that you pulled an all-night cultivating here." Natsuya looked at him.

    "Yes, I put in some effort." Seiji smiled.

    "It''s nice that you''re working hard, but don''t force yourself¡­ there''s no need to force yourself."

    "I haven''t been forcing myself¡­ I think I can do even more if I force myself."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "I want a rxing and fun life, Natsuya. However, life isn''t always so rxing and fun. There''s always going to be ufortable things, displeasing things, sad things, and even impossible things¡­ they''ll always exist." Seiji averted his gaze, and seemed to be looking at somewhere far off in the distance. "The former me used to avoid, escape from, and ignore such things¡­"

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Now that I''ve changed my life entirely, I wish to treat such things differently from how I used to," Seiji stated calmly. "Perhaps this is arrogant of me, not knowing where I stand. Perhaps it''s even foolish. However, as long as I''m taking different actions from before, I feel that there''s more value to my life than in the past."

    "¡­It''s not at the level of merely ''more value,''" Natsuya said softly as she nced at him. "You''re already living excellentlypared to the you in the past."

    Seiji smiled faintly in response to her sentence with something deep contained within his smile.

    "I would like to discuss the matter of Akatsuki Mitarai with you one more time," Seiji mentioned.

    "Are you still intending to duel with him?" Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "That''s right. However¡­"

 Chapter 445 - Yin-Yang Master Seiji

    <h4>Chapter 445: Yin-Yang Master Seiji</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I''m not going to duel that guy by myself. Instead, I want to duel him together with you."

    "Eh?"

    "After you lectured me, I carefully thought things over, and came to the conclusion that it was indeed too arrogant of me to want to singlehandedly take on Akatsuki Mitarai. Also, I didn''t take your pride into consideration," Seiji said seriously while looking at Natsuya. "Just as he said, he''s your opponent. For me to want to duel him and make you into a mere spectator was truly foolish of me. I shouldn''t have taken the main role away from you. You''re the real person that should be dealing with Akatsuki Mitarai, while I should only be yourpanion¡­ That is to say, the correct way is for me to fight together with you against Akatsuki, just like when we fought together against Okubo Yoshiaki."

    Natsuya didn''t know what to say after hearing all this.

    His logic sounded correct, but she somehow still felt like there was something off. The student council president revealed aplex expression.

    "Akatsuki Mitarai is very strong. I learned that already at the Winter Snow Festival. This will definitely be a difficult duel, but we can win. Just give me a little more time¡­"

    "Wait¡­ I noticed something wrong here." Natsuya stopped him.

    "Hm?"

    ''What''s wrong?'' Seiji asked that with his eyes.

    "I recall that I told you to stop getting involved in this and to leave it alone¡­"

    "I apologize, that''s impossible," Seiji responded directly. "I''ve said it multiple times that I truly dislike that guy and really want to beat him up."

    "So you just changed your idea of dueling him by yourself to dueling him together with me?"

    "Yep."

    ''Isn''t this just a circr way ofing back to the starting point!?'' Natsuya felt rather chaotic inside as her expression became even moreplex.

    Seiji looked directly at her.

    "Don''t you want to duel with Akatsuki Mitarai and utterly defeat him?"

    "It''s not that¡­"

    "Then is it that you think he''s too strong, and that we can''t win?"

    Natsuya felt silent.

    Indeed, that was the foundational problem.

    If it was so easy to defeat Akatsuki, she would have done so long ago. It was precisely because he was stronger than her that she had always been forced into passivity.

    "Akatsuki Mitarai probably thinks the exact same thing, which actually gives us a chance," Seiji stated. "He''ll definitely ept your duel request and might even give in to some of our requests for the duel''s conditions. You may view challenging him to a duel as something risky, but just allowing him to continue doing as he pleases is just as risky, or perhaps even riskier. After all, he has a stalker''s fascination with you, and definitely won''t be giving up on you. It''s certain that he''ll be doing something on his own in the future. Rather than waiting like this and giving him the opportunity to make all the preparations he wants, why not just go all out right now¡­ just like how we dealt with Okubo Yoshiaki, forcing him into an official duel before he waspletely ready. Besides, if you think about things pessimistically, I think that Akatsuki''s well-prepared already. Otherwise, why else would he be in such a hurry to get rid of me? Of course, maybe he just dislikes me, but there are worse possibilities out there as well, right?"

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "While it may be willful of me to say what I''m saying, I didn''t just mention it casually. I hope that you can consider what I said." Seiji retracted his gaze. "Also, I need just a little more time¡­"

    "Hmm?" Natsuya didn''t clearly hear thest part of his sentence.

    "I''m going to go eat breakfast now. Let''s talk after that."

    Seiji left just like this after saying so.

    Natsuya watched him leave. She didn''t imagine what would happen to him immediately after breakfast¡­

    In his guest room, Seijiy on his bed, opened up his system, and chose the [Yin-Yang Seal activation card] in his system.

    An exquisitely beautiful card that glowed silver appeared in front of him. There was a shadowy figure that gave off a mystical upon the card. This shadow was wearing white clothing and appeared to be trying to create a seal.

    Seiji was intending to use this card now to fulfill the final two requirements that he needed to create his own [Yin-Yang Seal]!

    However, he believed that the process likely wouldn''t be so easy on his body.

    Seiji mentally prepared himself, then used his card on the fifth and sixth requirements for the [Yin-Yang Seal].

    His card instantly transformed into a blinding silvery-white light that entered his body.

    Seiji witnessed the progress requirements for these final two requirements increase at a high speed. Then, it felt like something was exploding in his brain! His consciousness was instantly swept away before he even felt any pain.

    Seiji faintly felt as if he was floating.

    Everything was dark around him. However, he could sense some colors and hear some sounds.

    The colors transformed into scenes, and the sounds became livelier. He could smell aromas and felt as if he could touch something¡­ but there was still some sort of barrier.

    Something gigantic, countless and endless existed here, touching, colliding, ovepping,bining¡­

    Some voices that sounded very far away spoke up.

    "What exactly are Spiritual Power and Mana?"

    "Spiritual Power is human ability to control Mana, while Mana is the original energy of all beings."

    "That''s such a rough description."

    "What do you believe, then?"

    "Spiritual Power aside, Mana¡­ this type of energy, when you think about it, it breaks so many naturalws, such as conservation of energy, creating matter out of nothing, and so on. It''s quite inconceivable. From my experiences, I suspect that it''s something notpletely from this world."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Mana is actually an energy product of different worlds¡­ produced by many parallel dimensions colliding or ovepping together!"

    "Oh¡­ this is quite an interesting theory of yours."

    "I know, right? At the very least, I think it''s a lot more interesting than such a rough description like calling it the original energy of all beings."

    "Heh heh, just because you were bored, you so casually refuted what all Yin-Yang Masters¡­ no, what all Spiritual Ability users in the world believe to be one of the basics of Mana."

    "Don''t make me sound so grand. I was just mentioning it as a casual aside¡­ Apart from my ''Parallel Dimension Theory,'' I also have a ''Dark Matter Theory'' as well."

    "What''s that?"

    "I''d have to exin dark matter first then, along with dark energy. Actually, I don''t really understand these either, after all, I''m only¡­"

    The voices gradually faded.

    Who were these two people talking to each other? Seiji felt like he knew, but also didn''t know.

    He floated just like this, feeling and experiencing things¡­

    His consciousness gradually rose, but also felt like it was falling. His consciousness separated into two clear extremes that thenbined again with each other.

    "When everything, including the very world''s existence, is unclear, just like illusions, what is your most fundamental nature?"

    Seiji felt like he heard this question and smiled in response to whatever existence asked him this.

    ''My answer is simple. I''m simply¡­''

    The handsome boy opened his eyes.

    He felt like he just finished a long journey that he had forgotten during his sleep as he rested on his bed. He couldn''t remember what urred, but felt that something had definitely changed within him.

    "I¡­ what¡­" He carefully thought about what happened, then recalled who he was and what he was doing.

    "I''m Seiji Haruta¡­ and from this moment onward¡­"

    Seiji lifted his hand as something silver shed on his palm. An intricate three-colored runic seal appeared, intersecting with ck, white, and gray in aplex pattern that seemed like a version of the Yin-Yang diagram.

    "I am now a Yin-Yang Master."

 Chapter 446 - Are you really human?

    <h4>Chapter 446: Are you really human?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    He sessfully changed job sses! Was that what he was supposed to say here?

    Seiji opened up his system and chose [Yin-Yang Seal]. He found that he now had many new options, such as [Spirit Body], [Spirit Vision], [Cleansing], [Barriers], [Seals], [Summoning], [Spirit Raising], and so on¡­ along with [Contract with a Spirit-branded Retainer].

    Originally, the [Contract with a Spirit-branded Retainer] option was under [Spiritual Abilities], but now that he activated his Yin-Yang Seal, it automatically moved here.

    His [Spiritual Abilities] option now contained [Yin-Yang Seal level up] as a new option. When he inspected this option, he saw¡­

    [Read an intermediate technique manual detailing how to be a Yin-Yang Master or read other equivalent information. Learn and understand it fully - 0%pleted.]

    [Cultivate your Spiritual Power and improve your level - current progress 0%.]

    [Cultivate your Mana and improve your level - current progress 0%.]

    [??? (Prerequisites not met; will be revealed afterpleting the above 3 conditions.)]

    The conditions were almost exactly the same as when he needed to learn the [Yin-Yang Seal] in the first ce. In fact, the only word that was added was "intermediate." If everything else was the same, he figured that there would be requirements to improve his spells'' levels, learn from a Yin-Yang Master as his teacher, and do a ritual to level up his Yin-Yang Seal¡­ something like that?

    ''Since I''ve already seen all these requirements before, system, why don''t you just show me all the conditions in one go?''

    System''s statement (imagined by Seiji): I won''t show you, so what are you gonna do, bite me!?

    Seiji was rendered speechless by his own imagination.

    Who knew what his system was up to? He decided to continue checking out the options under [Yin-Yang Seal].

    [Spirit Body] was a method of oveying Mana on his body that would increase his Spiritual Power and defense against spells. This was an enhanced version of [Beginner-level Body-strengthening technique] due to his Yin-Yang Seal.

    As an enhanced version, its effects would be further improved. This spell could also be singled out to be cultivated by itself.

    [Spirit Vision] was an enhanced version of [Beginner-level Astral Vision]. This would improve his ability to see Spiritual Creatures, as well as give him the ability to detect the rtive strength of Spiritual Ability users.

    [Cleansing], [Barriers], [Seals], [Summoning], [Spirit Raising], and so on all had more obvious meanings, and were basically enhanced versions of what he''d already learned. Again, all of these could be cultivated as stand-alone spells.

    In summary, the Yin-Yang Seal seemed to Seiji like a cheat-like function that was capable of enhancing some of his spells. The enhanced spells were rted to the original spells but also independent. They were mainly all controlled by the Yin-Yang Seal.

    Seiji turned off his system after perusing everything and revealed his own "seal" on his hand.

    ck, white, and gray¡­ a tri-colored modified version of a Yin-Yang diagram¡­ why did his seal end up taking such a pattern?

    Seiji felt like he had experienced something while he was unconscious just earlier. However, he was unable to recall anything.

    Forget it, he decided to stop thinking about it.

    He checked to see what time it was.

    It was almost noon¡­ Just as he was thinking that it should be time for lunch, he heard a knock on his door.

    He got up and opened the door to see that it was Mai.

    "Junior, you spent an entire morning in your room, what were you doing¡­ Eh?"

    The maid Mai noticed that something was different and immediately cast Astral Vision, which turned her eyes blue.

    "Junior¡­ you¡­"

    "Heh, you noticed so quickly. As expected of Senpai," Seiji said pretentiously as he slowly lifted his right hand and revealed his Yin-Yang Seal on the back of his hand. He then posed immaturely in a method that he copied from an anime.

    Mai widened her eyes upon seeing this scene.

    "This¡­ this is¡­"

    Although she really wanted toment on Seiji''s pretentiousness, she received too much of an impact for her to know what to say.

    A Yin-Yang Seal¡­ he actually became a Yin-Yang Master! How was this possible!?

    Mai was quite certain that during breakfast, Seiji had still been only a Spiritual Ability user.

    But after he spent a morning in his room, he became a Yin-Yang Master!? That seemed impossible!!??

    However, the indisputable fact was right before her. This was definitely a Yin-Yang Seal! The special feature of Yin-Yang Masters!!!

    Unbelievable¡­

    Although she knew already that Seiji Haruta could be considered a genius, having noticed his amazing growth rate in Spiritual Power and Mana, to be a Yin-Yang Master in such a short time period was still¡­

    Mai was unable to find words to describe her current feelings.

    She recalled the shock she had when he "Visualized" for an entire night. Compared to now¡­ how to say it, it felt different somehow, and impossible topare.

    Even the word "miracle" seemed insufficient to describe this¡­ no, she had to stop herself from thinking about it.

    "Senpai?"

    Seiji began feeling rather awkward in his pose when he noticed that Mai seemed to have been petrified, without moving even slightly. He even waved his hand in front of her face.

    The maid Mai finally returned to her senses and fixed her expression to the point where she calmed down on the surface.

    "I have a question for you, junior," Mai spoke in a calm voice.

    "Hm?"

    "Are you really human?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this question.

    Although he also knew that suddenly bing a Yin-Yang Master was something astonishing, being confronted so directly like this still felt rather¡­ awkward.

    "Yes, I am¡­ Don''t joke around like that, Senpai."

    "I''m asking you a serious question."

    "That''s even worse! Why can''t you just say that it''s a joke?"

    "I''m beginning to suspect that you''re some god or demon. I wouldn''t dare joke about such a matter."

    "Don''t suddenly treat a human as another species!"

    "Haruta, oh wise and venerated god, please grant my wish."

    "You''re causing me to think of a character who doesn''t like to speak but is capable of doing anything, but I''m not like that, so don''t do this to me!"

    "Great demon Haruta, please fulfill my desires."

    "Although I''m somewhat curious what your desires could be, I''m not a demon, either, so please stop!"

    "What a troublesome god or demon you are."

    "I''m just an ordinary person!"

    Something steely shed in Mai''s eyes.

    "No ordinary person would be able to create their own Yin-Yang Seal simply by staying in their room for a single morning! Please don''t nder ordinary people, junior!!"

    "Was I ndering them!?"

    "The fact that you call yourself an ordinary person is a huge insult to ordinary people everywhere!"

    "I feel like I''m the one being insulted here!"

    "Admit it! Junior, you''re actually not human at all!"

    "I''ll never admit that even to my death!!"

    The two of them argued for a while about this topic.

    "Fine then, it was wrong of me to act so pretentiously. However, Senpai, your reaction was a bit ridiculous as well." Seiji sighed.

    "It wasn''t ridiculous at all¡­ but it seems my junior is still my junior. Excellent." Mai smiled.

    "Of course I am. The only difference is that now I have a Yin-Yang Seal. I definitely wouldn''t be something else entirely."

    Mai recalled what he''d said before about not changing and smiled gently.

    ''Honestly, a boy like him is¡­''

    "Come have lunch. Tell Mdy and the others about your job ss change as well."

    "Although I think job ss change works as a description as well, it still sounds rather subtle when Senpai is the one saying it¡­"

    "How about the word ''evolution'' instead then?"

    "Job ss change will be fine, thank you very much."

    The two of them went to the dining hall together.

    After that, as expected, everyone was shocked.

    Natsuya didn''t manage to calm down until after lunch was over.

    Although she knew already that Seiji was an extraordinary person, this was still¡­ she didn''t even know how to describe it.

    Not only was she shocked to her core, Hitaka was astonished as well. Even Rana widened her eyes as she dropped the dried fish that she was chewing.

    In just one morning, simply by staying in his room, Seijipletely changed himself from a Spiritual Ability user into a Yin-Yang Master¡­ even ancient legends weren''t so ridiculous!

    At the very least, the stories that Natsuya knew didn''t have any tales like this!!

    Mai chuckled and said that she was so shocked that she felt like Seiji was a god or demon¡­ Natsuya had to agree with Mai''s opinion.

    Natsuya already felt this from Seiji in the past, and now she was feeling it again all the more clearly.

    The dark curtain that covered him was revealed slightly again¡­ by the time that this was all over, just what type of person would Seiji reveal himself as to the world?

    The Yoruhana Family daughter didn''t know what to think as she looked at the handsome boy before her.

 Chapter 447 - There was this type of trick!?

    <h4>Chapter 447: There was this type of trick!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After eating lunch, Natsuya and Seiji had a discussion in her study.

    "How did you do it?"

    Although Natsuya felt that it may be improper to pry, she was unable to restrain her curiosity and still asked it in the end.

    It definitely was no easy matter to create one''s own Yin-Yang Seal. Every Yin-Yang Master knew just how difficult it was, which was why Natsuya found Seiji''s situation truly iprehensible. Perhaps it was a bit of an exaggeration to call Seiji a god or demon because of it, but having these types of thoughts were understandable.

    "Actually, I recalled my previous life''s memories." Seiji pretended to be serious. "In my previous life¡­ I was Seimei Kamijou!"

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    The study fell silent for several seconds.

    "Haha, I was just joking." Seiji chuckled. "I don''t really know how I did it myself, either."

    That was the truth. It was all taken care of by his system, and Seiji really had no idea what the process of creating a Yin-Yang Seal should have been like.

    Natsuya didn''tugh at his joke. Instead, she continued staring at him.

    "Perhaps that really is the case¡­"

    "Eh?"

    "Perhaps you really are Seimei Kamiaki''s reincarnation," the student council president stated with a serious expression.

    This time, it was Seiji''s turn to be rendered speechless.

    The study fell silent for another several seconds.

    "Cough¡­ let''s discuss something else instead." Seiji forcefully changed the topic in order to avoid the mysterious awkwardness he was feeling. "What do you feel now about us dueling together against Akatsuki Mitarai?"

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "You became a Yin-Yang Master¡­ this is an excellent ace up our sleeves. If we use this well, we can indeed defeat him."

    "I know, right? I said before that we can win."

    "There''s still a great amount of risk, though. After all, you only became a Yin-Yang Master today, and you''re aplete newbie." Natsuya folded her arms. "Rather than dueling with him right away, I think that it would be much better to stall for time. After all, with your rate of growth, it probably won''t take long before you''re at a level where you''ll surpass himpletely."

    Seiji didn''t say anything to this.

    "But you don''t want to do things like that, and I¡­ think that doing things that way would be relying far too much on you." Natsuya chuckled lightly. "Akatsuki Mitarai is my opponent as you said. You can''t retract those words of yours."

    Seiji simply looked at her.

    "You''ve already worked so hard that you''ve sessfully be a Yin-Yang Master. If I still want to retreat after all that, it would be so unseemly. That''s why, for the sake of your willfulness and my pride¡­"

    There was a sharp glint in the Yoruhana Family daughter''s eyes.

    "Let''s get rid of that guy together!"

    Seiji smiled as he heard her words filled with battle spirit.

    What was the correct strategy for two weaker Yin-Yang Masters allied together to deal with a much stronger Yin-Yang Master?

    The first and most basic strategy that anyone would be able to think of would be to use an advantage of numbers in Spirit-branded Retainers. Use swarm tactics to take care of the enemy''s Spirit-branded Retainers, then finally surround and defeat Akatsuki. Or, at the very start, use swarm tactics to overwhelm him.

    However, Natsuya eliminated this option immediately. It wasn''t because it was too shallow, but rather because they wouldn''t be able to carry it out.

    "To my knowledge, Akatsuki Mitarai has three Spirit-branded Retainers. If there''s no limitations set on the duel, then he has the capability to hire another two temporary Spirit-branded Retainers for a total of five," Natsuya exined. "As for our side, if I cancel my temporary contract with you, I can have one additional temporary Spirit-branded Retainer. As for you¡­ even if you''re capable of maintaining two Spirit-branded Retainers with your current level of Spiritual Power, if you add two to Hitaka, Rana, and a temporary hired Spirit-branded Retainer, we''ll still only be two Yin-Yang Masters and five Spirit-branded Retainers, an advantage of only one person over Akatsuki. That''s not much to speak of."

    "Also, since I don''t possess a Soul Spirit yet, I''m currently still your temporary Spirit-branded Retainer; if you cancel the temporary contract and I lose my bonded spirit, mybat strength will be greatly decreased," Seiji added.

    "Indeed. So, assuming that the duel won''t have any number restrictions for the participants, it still wouldn''t be an advantage for us. And only restricting the number that he can have on his side without restricting our side¡­ that''s pretty much impossible to negotiate for as a condition."

    Since they were unable to have the advantage in quantity, they would have to turn to quality instead.

    "We should form a ''Spirit-branded Alliance,''" Natsuya suggested.

    "What''s that?"

    "That''s a process by which two Yin-Yang Masters summon spirits for each other, making both Yin-Yang Masters into each other''s Spirit-branded Retainer. This will form an intimate alliance, and it''s also slightly stronger than typical Spirit-branded Retainer contracts." Natsuya paused for a moment. "That is to say, I''m going to modify the type of contract you have with me, and you need to summon a spirit for me and make me into your Spirit-branded Retainer."

    There was this type of trick avable? Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "After forming a ''Spirit-branded Alliance'' with each other, both of us will be a bit stronger, but it''ll also put more of a burden on us. Since I have a Soul Spirit already, adding a bonded spirit to myself as well will increase the burden upon me even further, although I''ll also be stronger."

    "So, it''s just like equipping yourself with a second weapon that''s a bit heavy. While your attack power will increase, there will be a greater burden to carry?"

    "Yes, that''s an apt analogy." Natsuya nodded. "As for the problem of the burden, I won''t be able to maintain this Spirit-branded Alliance indefinitely. However, maintaining it until the conclusion of the duel should be fine. Also, since the Spirit-branded Alliance is two-way, it''s a more intimate connectionpared to normal Spirit-branded Retainer contracts. The effect of ''Mana Exchange'' will ur."

    "What''s that?"

    "Simply speaking, after spiritually connecting to each other, your Mana and mine will be connected as well. It might help to improve both our powers, but also might cause the opposite effect and decrease our powers if weckpatibility."

    "Then what should we do to make sure that our powers are increased rather than decreased?"

    "That depends on thepatibility. I don''t know the specifics, either. We can only find out by trying."

    "We''ll be able to be much stronger if we''re highlypatible. If not, we''ll actually be weaker¡­" Seiji blinked at this. "This sounds rather simr to some situation from a hot-blooded battle manga."

    "Hah, I totally agree." Natsuya smiled.

    "I believe that we should be highlypatible. Let us be powerful partners¡­ no, the strongestbination of all!" Seiji made an immature pose that he copied from a battle manga''s main character as he spoke in a passionate tone.

    When the president heard him say "we should be highlypatible," her heartbeat rapidly increased and her face began to slightly flush red.

    "Partners¡­ that sounds really nice." More ripples appeared in her heart when she tried imagining this.

    ''No, no, I can''t be thinking of such things right now.''

    Natsuya forced herself to regain her senses as she continued exining, "Also, after making the Spirit-branded Alliance with me, if you still have extra Spiritual Power remaining, go ahead and make Rana into your Spirit-branded Retainer as well."

    There was this type of trick as well!? Seiji was incredibly astonished.

    "Kirin-san is your Spirit-branded Retainer already. It''s possible for me to contract with her as well?"

    "Yes, as long as I, the original contractor, agree to it." Natsuya nodded. "This is known as a ''Double Spirit Contract.'' Simr to how I''ll have to undertake the burden of both a Soul Spirit and a bonded spirit, Rana will undertake an additional burden as well, and also receive a suitable increase in her power level."

    "Can she undertake such a burden?"

    "It''s not a problem. Rana''s probably more capable of maintaining this burden for longer than even I am. No need to worry."

    "Alright, then¡­ and if I still have extra Spiritual Power, should I do the same thing for Shuho-san?"

    "Yes, if you''re still capable of it."

    Having Natsuya and her two Spirit-branded Retainers all be his own Spirit-branded Retainers as well¡­ Seiji felt that this was all quite subtle.

    More urately speaking, he was acting the part of something simr to being an additional equipment storage warehouse for them, rather than truly bing their master and them bing his servants.

    But even if it was only in name, having three beautiful girls join him as his Spirit-branded Retainers sounded really nice to him.

    He tried imagining Natsuya, Hitaka, and Rana, the tree beauties calling himself ''Master'' all together¡­ Yep, he gave this scene one hundred and thirty-two likes!

    Hey wait, wasn''t this scene simr to what he saw when he was undergoing [Visualization]?

 Chapter 448 - Lets do it right now

    <h4>Chapter 448: Let''s do it right now</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Logically speaking, a newbie that just became a Yin-Yang Master won''t be able to maintain three Spirit-branded Retainers. But, since it''s you¡­ maybe you''ll actually be able to do it."

    Seiji was in the middle of recalling his [Visualization] experience when Natsuya''s words snapped him back to his senses.

    "If you''re really capable of maintaining three Spirit-branded Retainers, then we shall fight as a four-person team and make Akatsuki Mitarai use only a four-person team as well. He''s highly likely to agree to this condition."

    "And if I can''t?"

    "In the absolute worst-case scenario, just you and I will fight together, and we''ll make Akatsuki only be able to use a two-person team for the duel¡­ He''ll likely agree to this as well, but will probably demand conditions of his own in exchange."

    "Understood." Seiji nodded.

    At any rate, the number of Spirit-branded Retainers that he was able to maintain would be the critical point.

    "Let''s just try it immediately, starting from the Spirit-branded Alliance¡­ what should I do specifically?"

    "I''ll teach you. With your rate of learning, it''ll probably take you only one day to master it."

    As she said this, Natsuya couldn''t help but imagine what type of spirit he would summon for her once they contracted with each other.

    Later that night, Seiji received a phone call from Hisashi.

    "Seigo, are you free tonight?"

    "I''m a bit busy. What''s the matter?"

    "There''s something I wanted to discuss with you face to face. Since you''re busy, it can wait untilter."

    "Oh¡­ alright."

    Hisashi ended the conversation there.

    Seiji was somewhat concerned about what Hisashi wanted to discuss but it didn''t seem like something urgent since Hisashi was willing to wait, so Seiji decided to put it behind him.

    Seiji was currently wearing white-colored monk attire, sitting in Natsuya''s spellcasting room on top of the Yin-Yang diagram.

    After putting away his cell phone, Seiji shut his eyes once more and calmed his mind as he uttered an incantation.

    He felt and experienced¡­ as he attempted tomunicate with "the spirits of heaven and earth," or the existences that had the potential to be bonded spirits.

    He had learned everything Natsuya taught him already. This was the final step to summoning a spirit to descend upon someone else, the power to create a Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Seiji got rid of all idle thoughts and maintained a calm mind as he focused entirely on searching for the spirits.

    He maintained this state of mind for an unknown period of time. His consciousness gradually sank into the darkness.

    There were many silver lights shing in the darkness, seeming just like fireflies or starlight.

    Seiji felt quite mystical and empty in this darkness. His consciousness was awake, but his thoughts were stopped.

    "No need to think. Feel things with your heart."

    Seiji felt as if he heard someone say this.

    He did as the voice instructed. He felt many things. Mysteriousness, grandiosity, sadness, passion, hatred, joy, fear¡­ These things were indescribable and didn''t need to be described.

    They¡­ the spirits had always been there. They had always existed.

    "If you have need for us, go ahead and summon," a calm voice spoke.

    "We shall help you at any time that you require," a gentle voice told him.

    "Everyone''s always been waiting." A hearty voice chuckled.

    These voices that sounded distant and hazy seemed quite familiar yet also just like illusions¡­

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes and noticed that tears were streaming down his cheeks.

    "That''s strange, why¡­" Seiji wiped away his tears in confusion as he didn''t understand what was going on.

    He felt like he had seeded in connecting with the spirits¡­ but what was with his current emotions?

    His heart was filled with indescribable sadness, and tears kept flowing out from him uncontrobly.

    Natsuya didn''t mention anything about such a phenomenon? Was there a problem with what he did somewhere?

    He didn''t understand.

    Although he didn''t understand, he felt that it wasn''t because of any problems. Nothing felt wrong with his body, and although he felt quite sad, he didn''t feel any negative emotions, and even faintly felt that this was a good thing.

    Seiji allowed himself to immerse in this strange sensation for a while and calmly waited for his emotions to return to normal.

    Some timeter, Natsuya arrived.

    "How''s the situation¡­ Eh?"

    The student council president was astonished to see Seiji''s current expression.

    "Seiji, why are you¡­"

    "I don''t know, either." Seiji shook his head. "Just now, I sensed something sessfully. When I returned to my senses, I was already like this."

    "Are¡­ you in difort?"

    "No, I''m just feeling a bit sad. It''s difficult to express¡­ if I had to describe it, it feels simr to what would happen if I just watched an incredibly moving and heartwarming movie."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    "I''ve never met with such a situation in my cultivation, nor have I heard of such a thing," she finally said after remaining speechless for several seconds. "Are you certain that you''re alright?"

    "I''m fine¡­ Do you have some tissues?"

    Natsuya handed him her handkerchief instead.

    "Thank you." Seiji wiped away his tears with her handkerchief, and detected a nice aroma from the handkerchief. "This¡­ I''ll return it to you after I wash it."

    "No need. I can just have it washed right now."

    Finally, some timeter, that mysterious sadness finally dissipated and Seiji''s emotions returned to normal.

    Natsuya was inwardly eximing at how fast Seiji had been able to connect with the spirits. She then told Seiji to rest up for tonight and to do the Spirit-branded Alliance tomorrow.

    "I don''t need to rest. Let''s do it right now," Seiji stated.

    "But you¡­"

    "I''m fine. Although I''m not sure why, I feel pretty good right now. Things will definitely seed if we do the Spirit-branded Alliance right now! I just have such a feeling."

    There was deep confidence stemming from somewhere within him. It was equally as mysterious as the earlier sadness, but it wasn''t a bad feeling at all.

    "You really think so?" Natsuya looked at him.

    "I really think so." Seiji remained adamant.

    Several seconds of silence reigned between them.

    "Alright then, if that''s what you believe, let''s do it right now." The president chose to believe in Seiji.

    Seiji smiled until he came to a sudden realization that what he said just now sounded like a double entendre?

    Er¡­ he decided to pay it no mind.

    They spent a significant amount of time on the preparations.

    Apart from Seiji and Natsuya who changed into her shrine maiden clothing, Hitaka, Rana, and Mai all came to the spellcasting room as well.

    Hitaka and the others were here in order to deal with any unexpected events that might possibly ur. If there was a problem with the Spirit-branding ritual, then they would be the ones to deal with it.

    "Here are the steps: first, I''m going to change the type of contract that I have with you. Next, you create a contract with me and summon a spirit to make me into your Spirit-branded Retainer. Finally, the two of us shall confirm and link our contracts," Natsuya exined. "Understand everything?"

    "Yep, clearly." Seiji nodded in a serious fashion.

    "Alright, let''s begin." Natsuya reached out with both her hands.

    Seiji who was standing across from her also reached out with both his hands and sped her hands.

    Then, both of them shut their eyes.

    "Under the watchful gaze of the five directional divine spirits, I¡ªNatsuya Yoruhana, right here and now, shall change the content of my contract with Seiji Haruta¡­"

    As Natsuya uttered her incantation, Seiji gradually felt her spell taking effect upon him, causing something within his body to heat up.

    Natsuya asked him if he agreed to the changed content of the contract, and Seiji gave his confirmation.

    That sessfully finished the first step.

    Then, the second step¡­

    "Please answer me, what is your name?"

    "Natsuya Yoruhana."

    "Are you willing to ept, with the Spirits of Heaven, the Souls of the Earth, the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the ck Turtle of the North, and the Yellow Dragon of the Center as your witnesses, and sign a contract with me?"

    "I am."

    "With my blood as the contract, and my seal as the catalyst, I shall summon a spirit from the heavens and earth upon your body, to be your strength and fight for our cause¡­"

    Seiji clearly elucidated the incantation as he utilized his Mana to cast this spell bymunicating with the spirits for a summoning.

    He then sensed a powerful fiery existence approaching Natsuya and beginning to descend upon her.

    "Spirit, descend! I summon thee as a Spirit-branded Retainer!! I decree it so!!!"

    This powerful existence descended and entered Natsuya''s body!

    At this instant, he faintly felt like he heard a voice say something, but he was unable to hear it clearly.

 Chapter 449 - Too comfortable!

    <h4>Chapter 449: Toofortable!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    With the second step having seeded as well, there was only the third and final step that remained.

    Seiji and Natsuya uttered incantations in unison, making a Spirit-branded Alliance with each other.

    Seiji felt his body heating up again, with the sensation spreading throughout him¡­ and he could physically feel like his power was increasing!

    "Mmm~"

    Suddenly, he heard a strange sound.

    Seiji opened his eyes to discover that Natsuya who still had her eyes shut had her face flushing red and lips puckering slightly in a fashion that seemed slightly unusual.

    He was just about to ask what the matter was, when he heard¡­

    "Ahh~"

    The student council president''s body trembled as she continued blushing, with another strange sounding out of her mouth. It sounded just like¡­ the sound one would hear when a woman was doing something hi!

    Seiji was stunned by this.

    "Mdy, what''s the matter?" Hitaka and the others came over as well.

    "Iyagh~" Natsuya clenched Seiji''s hand tightly as her body shivered once again, with another even sexier sounding out of her mouth.

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    What was going on!?

    All the girls widened their eyes in surprise and reflexively stared at Seiji.

    "I didn''t do anything!" Seiji wanted to extend his palms in a show of innocence. However, Natsuya kept clutching on to him tightly and wouldn''t let go.

    "Ahhh~~" Natsuya''s moaning became even louder, and her face was as bright-red as an apple''s. Her body kept trembling for another several seconds.

    It was almost as if she was climaxing¡­

    "What should we do!?" Hitaka was the first to begin panicking. After all, she had never heard of such a thing happening before!

    "Let''s try using a cleansing spell," Mai stated decisively.

    With the maid''s reminder, Hitaka swiftly made a hand seal and cast a spell upon her master.

    Natsuya was now panting lightly, and then her body began trembling again. However, this time she kept her lips tightly shut, and restrained herself from making any noise.

    Judging by this¡­ was the cleansing spell effective or ineffective?

    "It seems to be effective. Do it again."

    Hitaka began casting another cleansing spell.

    Natsuya finally opened her mouth and spoke up, "No need¡­ I''m fine¡­"

    She slowly opened her watery eyes. Her entire expression seemed endlessly seductive and alluring.

    At such a time, Seiji knew that he should be worried about her condition. However, his heartbeat rapidly increased as he looked at her and imagined various things¡­ Cough, idle thoughts, begone!

    He forcefully stopped himself from going off track and asked her what happened.

    "How are you feeling? Did some problem ur?"

    Natsuya had a subtle expression as she nced at him.

    "Because of your Mana¡­"

    "Eh?"

    "Your Mana intimately connected with mine, and made me feel¡­ rather strange," Natsuya said in a soft voice as her face remained red and she averted her gaze. "It felt just like¡­ as if I was being intimately caressed."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ''My Mana actually has such an effect!?''

    He was quite astonished to hear this.

    ''What the hell is this? A power that makes other people feel like they''re being intimately caressed¡­ just what is this supposed to be!?''

    Natsuya had said it in a more roundabout manner, but judging from her behavior just now, it would probably have been more urate to describe it using some more explicit words.

    Such as "how girls restored magic powers" in certain anime?

    ''No, no, I didn''t do such a thing! I only held her hands, such a pure action!!''

    Seiji was thrown into internal chaos.

    Hitaka had a confused expression, with question marks all over her face.

    Something shed in Mai''s eyes, while Rana merely blinked.

    The room fell silent for a moment.

    "At any rate, I''m alright¡­ the ritual waspleted sessfully without any problems." Natsuya nced over at Hitaka and the other girls. "You all don''t need to worry."

    "It''s fine as long as Mdy is alright," Hitaka stated as she looked over at Seiji.

    "Junior''s Mana¡­ is honestly so unique." Mai smiled faintly as she also nced at Seiji.

    Rana quietly stared at Seiji.

    Seiji didn''t know what expression he should have right now.

    "Er¡­ I apologize, Natsuya, I didn''t know that my Mana would¡­"

    "It''s not your fault. No need to mention it anymore."

    The president continued averting her gaze from him and wouldn''t look him in the eyes.

    "It was¡­ just a small ident, so please don''t mind¡­ Please forget about it!"

    She ced extra emphasis on the words "Please forget about it."

    Seiji understood what she meant.

    "Yeah, I won''t remember it. I''ll quickly forget about it."

    "That''s good, then."

    Natsuya did her best to withstand her embarrassment.

    She really wanted to leave this room right now and go back to her own bedroom. However, he kept clenching her hand without letting go¡­''No, wait, I''m the one who''s holding his hands and not letting him go!?''

    Natsuya noticed this fact, which further increased her embarrassment as she hurriedly let go of his hands.

    "That''s it, then, I''m a bit tired, so I''m going to rest now¡­ you should rest early as well!"

    The student council president''s tone sounded slightly unnatural as she said this. She then turned around and left the spellcasting room.

    Seiji and the others watched her leave.

    The moment that Natsuya left, she quickened her pace and ran towards her own bedroom like the wind. She entered her room, closed the door, locked it, then copsed on her bed and buried her face in her pillow.

    "Wahhhh~~~~"

    She covered her face with her pillow to suppress her sounds as she began twisting her body.

    That had been toofortable!

    Making a Spirit-branded Alliance and intimately being connected to him in Mana had felt indescribablyfortable!

    Something thick, dense, and warm¡­ had kept moving about inside her, filling her up¡­ It was far toofortable to the extent where she even made such sounds and couldn''t stop herself from trembling!

    ''So embarrassing!!!''

    Natsuya began rolling around on her bed while making muffled shouts into her pillow.

    ''He saw me like that, and even Hitaka and the others saw me like that. I''m so humiliated! I want to die!!''

    If there had been a hole on the ground in her room, she would have definitely jumped in right now.

    Unfortunately, there was no such hole. She could only make do with her nket.

    And so, she buried herself under her nket as she continued her muffled shouts and kept rolling around.

    ''I''m so embarrassed¡­ it''s all his fault! Seiji Haruta!!''

    The scion from an illustrious family hid under her nket and covered her face with a pillow with tears in her eyes and face turning red as she forcefullymented about that person.

    "It''s all your fault! Take responsibility!! Idiot!!!"

    Seiji sneezed several times as he returned to his guest room.

    He instantly figured out the reason. Obviously, Natsuya must have beenining about him. Or perhaps Mai and Hitaka were also involved?

    For a girl to behave like that was obviously awkward, embarrassing, and even humiliating.

    ''Let''s seriously apologize to her tomorrow,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    Although it was an unexpected side effect, it was still caused by his power, so he figured he should properly apologize.

    Then, he opened up and checked out his system.

    There was now a new option under his [Yin-Yang Seal]: [Spirit-branded Alliance].

    When he chose this option, he saw [Natsuya Yoruhana] and her status as [Contracted] in his system. The system also indicated that this contract would cost him 58 Spiritual Power points to continuously maintain and it would generate 10 points for him every day, while providing a medium benefit to Natsuya''s power level and rate of growth.

    This cost him almost 60 points of Spiritual Power, so it was almost six times what it would cost him to maintain the [Connectivity Contract] with Shika that he never signed with her¡­ However, the points produced were the same, and the growth rate and power level increase were only considered medium improvements¡­ From this, it could be seen that [Connectivity Contracts] were a special benefit his system provided him for having a connection rating of over 100 with a potential Spirit-branded Retainer that was even better inparison to a Spirit-branded Alliance contract.

    If he asked Shika to formally be his Spirit-branded Retainer and participate in battle, she would surely agree. However, Seiji didn''t wish to get her involved.

    Although taking up 60 Spiritual Power points was rather high, his Spiritual Power stat was currently a bit over 300, so he could maintain five such contracts at most. He still had to save some Spiritual Power for himself, but maintaining three contracts should be no problem.

    "I wonder if signing Spirit-branded Alliance contracts with Kirin-san and Shuho-san will also cost me 60 points apiece¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    It would be fine if the Spiritual Power cost was the same for everyone. However, if it was different per person and Rana and Hitaka required more points, then that might be too much of a burden on him.

    Well, he would have to try to find out.

    Er¡­ the same thing that happened to Natsuya just now wouldn''t happen again to them, would it?

 Chapter 450 - Betrothal

    <h4>Chapter 450: Betrothal</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    When the spirit descended upon her, basically, when Natsuya became his Spirit-branded Retainer, nothing unusual happened to her at all. Her behavior was only affected after they finished the Spirit-branded Alliance contract, so simply contracting with Rana or Hitaka to be his Spirit-branded Retainer shouldn''t affect them.

    But, without actually trying, there was no way to be certain. If Rana or Hitaka really started behaving like Natsuya just earlier¡­

    Seiji''s imagination ran wild for a moment as he imagined the possible scenes. Then, he managed to stop his wild fantasies as he smiled wryly.

    ''Why on earth would my Mana have such a strange effect? System, it wouldn''t be your doing, would it?''

    As always, there was no response at all from his system. Seiji could only imagine a fairy representing his system again so that he could continuously poke it in his mind.

    Then, he continued checking out his system. Underneath [Natsuya Yoruhana] in his system was an option called [Mana Exchange].

    ording to his system, [Mana Exchange] would have the effect of increasing both their power levels by at most "four levels." It additionally exined that the level of increase would be affected by Natsuya''s favorability rating towards him as well as connectivity rating.

    Basically, as long as the student council president got along well with him, they would be able to reach the strongest stage of [Mana Exchange], level four! Both their power levels would raise by a noticeable amount, while the time that [Mana Exchange] wouldst depended on how long the two of them were willing to carry the burden on their Spiritual Power.

    They didn''t even need to cultivate in order to improve their power levels for this¡­ was this a type of reward to try getting Natsuya''s favorability rating and connectivity rating to him as high as possible?

    "Let''s try [Mana Exchange] tomorrow and see how much it can strengthen us by."

    [Mana Exchange]¡­ Seiji could only helplessly hope to himself that the same thing wouldn''t happen to Natsuya again.

    Natsuya suddenly felt that same feeling of fort" from earlier.

    She was currently taking a bath,pletely rxed and not on guard at all. She just happened to be reminiscing about how she felt earlier when the same feeling suddenly washed over her again!

    "Wahhh~~"

    The president did her best to cover her mouth as she shrank her body into a ball in her bath as her elegant body trembled and her legs tensed up with her face speedily turning red.

    "Why has this feeling returned¡­ Ahh~~~"

    A dense feeling of warmth spread out through her body that made her feel numb all over. It indeed felt like she was being intimately caressed all over, and rather forcefully at that, which gave her a mysterious feeling of satisfaction, although it was difficult for her to describe in words just what exactly she was currently feeling.

    At any rate, it was reallyfortable! Incrediblyfortable!! Toofortable!!!

    She wasn''t sure if it was because she was currently taking a hot bath, but the sensation was even stronger than the first time. She did her very best to cover her mouth and barely managed to restrain herself from shouting.

    When receiving such a sensation, she waspletely unable to think anymore, and could only immerse herself in it and wait for it to pass. It was as if she was a sailboat caught in a windstorm, constantly buffeted and tossed about as she could only bear with it until it passed¡­

    "Whew¡­"

    Natsuya heaved a sigh of relief when the feeling of ecstasy finally subsided.

    Currently, her face waspletely red and her body felt drained of energy. Her vision was hazy as her eyes were teary, and she was copsed by the side of her bathtub in an incredibly sexy manner.

    "My power increased again¡­ his Mana was actually able to improve my power twice in session?"

    Natsuya noticed the increase in her own power level. She felt that her strange sensations were connected to the increase in her own power.

    Her power was already increased once already when they made the Spirit-branded Alliance, and now it was increased once again!?

    Forget about whether or not there would be a third time, having her power enhanced twice was already something out of the norm.

    This was¡­ truly amazing.

    Once again, she marveled at how astonishing Seiji was.

    She decided to stop thinking too much about why this was as she wouldn''t be able toe up with an answer. The current important part was, would he be able to withstand the burden of contracting with Rana and Hitaka as well? If he could, would Rana and Hitaka also be simrly powered up?

    Not only that, Natsuya felt a strange emotion when she thought about how Rana and Hitaka might experience the same sensation as her.

    It was as if she was watching her boyfriend do something with other girls¡­ no, no, this wasn''t such a thing to begin with! Nor was Seiji her boyfriend yet!!!

    The student council president''s face burned up as she reflexively sunk her face into the bath water.

    She didn''t want to think about such things, but couldn''t help it. The sensation of increasing in power through Seiji''s Mana was just like doing it with him¡­

    ''Stop! No more thinking about this!! Nothing impure happened at all, stop running wild, imagination of mine!!''

    However, emotions were always difficult to control, and Natsuya was unable to get rid of the strange emotion she was currently feeling.

    ''Hmph, it''s all his fault! Why is his power so¡­ perverted!!''

    Natsuya pouted slightly as she imagined Seiji''s face and kept up an endless stream ofints directed at him.

    Right now, since she was still hiding out in her bath with her face flushed red, she definitely seemed like a girl experiencing youth who was missing her boyfriend.

    A whileter, Natsuya''s cell phone rang.

    Natsuya stood up, got out of the bath, wiped her body and hair, wrapped a towel around herself, then picked up her cell phone.

    The call was from her older brother Aoran Yoruhana.

    "Good evening, Natsuya. What are you currently doing?"

    "Good evening. Do you have some business with me?"

    "Actually, I wanted to share some news with you about this Huaxia cuisine restaurant that I just discovered. This food called soup-filled meat buns is truly wondrous, listen¡ª"

    "Enjoy your dinner. Goodbye."

    "Wait, wait, don''t hang up on me! I have something serious to say!" Aoran detected that his sister was about to hang up on him and hurriedly stopped her.

    "Please say it directly then without wasting my time."

    "How cold of you, sister. Even if you''re not interested in soup-filled meat buns, there''s also other¡­"

    "While I may enjoy Huaxia cuisine, I''m not interested in hearing you talk about it. Please get directly to the point!"

    "¡­Come back tomorrow morning for a discussion."

    "A discussion about what?"

    "You''ll find out when it''s time tomorrow."

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes upon hearing this.

    "It would seem that it''s a topic that I won''t like hearing about," she stated coldly.

    The second young master of the Yoruhana Family fell silent for a moment.

    "That''s right. The discussion topic is probably the one you hate the most," Aoran sighed. "Sister¡­ I''ve already opposed it, but Father¡­ he has his own ns."

    Natsuya had an ominous premonition upon hearing this.

    "What exactly is the specific topic? Please tell me, Brother Aoran."

    "It''s about your marriage," Aoran told her directly.

    Marriage!?

    Natsuya began frowning as she slowly gripped her cell phone tighter and tighter.

    "Why¡­ so sudden?"

    "Because of various reasons¡­ but the most foundational one is probably because the other party gave such sincere conditions," Aoran paused for a moment. "I know that you particrly despise that marriage candidate, and I also agree with you that he''s not a good match for you, so I opposed it, but nothing I did was of any use."

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "You''re talking about Akatsuki Mitarai?" She said his name to confirm.

    "Yes, he''s the one."

    When Natsuya received this confirmation, a powerful feeling of disgust and hatred welled up within her! She frowned even deeper.

    She recalled what Seiji said earlier this morning to her about Akatsuki likely taking action soon¡­ Seiji had been right on the mark. Or, perhaps it was she who hadn''t been on sufficient guard.

    "Father''s already made up his mind?" Natsuya forcibly controlled her emotions to remain calm as she asked this.

    "I think he has."

    "There''s no more room for discussion?"

    Aoran could hear Natsuya''s fierce emotions behind her seemingly calm tone.

    If he was merely going to respond to her from the standpoint of the second young master of the Yoruhana Family, he should be coaxing her in order to have her obediently return home tomorrow even if he had to lie.

    Not only that, he didn''t actually have to exin anything to her. He only needed to tell her the situation and then hang up on her.

    However, Aoran chose to act as the younger of her two older brothers rather than only thinking about the Yoruhana Family''s benefits. That was because as her older brother, he truly didn''t approve of this marriage proposal.

    He let Natsuya know exactly what was going on as he wished, nor did he conceal his real opinion of their father''s way of thinking¡­

    "I don''t know whether or not there''s still any room for discussion¡­ from what I can tell, father seriously wishes to have you betrothed to Akatsuki Mitarai. He''s making this decision as the head of the Yoruhana Family."

 Chapter 451 - She really spoke!

    <h4>Chapter 451: She really spoke!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Natsuya fell silent.

    Aoran didn''t say anything else, either.

    Time seemed to freeze over as neither of them said anything for a full minute.

    "Thank you for telling me all this, Brother Aoran."

    "No need for thanks¡­ What do you intend to do, Natsuya?"

    "¡­I need to think things over first."

    "Then think things over well."

    They ended their conversation there.

    Natsuya slowly put down her cell phone.

    Even though she had just finished a warm bath with such earlier sensations, she now felt like there was a chilly feeling enveloping her entire body¡­

    The next morning, the weather was beautiful with clear skies and bright sunlight.

    Seiji had an excellent and restful sleep. After getting out of bed and washing up, he went to get breakfast.

    When he arrived at the dining hall, he instantly noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

    The reason was obvious. The student council president who was already sitting at the dining table was emanating a gigantic aura of displeasure.

    Natsuya''s face was grim and her arms were folded as she red at the salted fish crackers in front of her as if these pitiful fish crackers had done something bad to her.

    Hitaka and Mai who were trapped in her aura noticed Seiji''s arrival and both stared at him as he arrived.

    Seiji''s cheek twitched involuntarily.

    Under the watchful gazes of Natsuya''s Spirit-branded Retainer and her maid, he walked up to the president and sat down beside her.

    "Cough¡­ Good morning, Natsuya. Aboutst night¡­"

    There was no reaction from her.

    "Natsuya?" Seiji slightly increased his volume.

    "Hmm?"

    Natsuya blinked and turned to look at him.

    "Good morning¡­ Seiji," she greeted him calmly.

    "Good morning¡­ What are you thinking about? Is it about what happenedst night?" Seiji felt that something was wrong, so he tried asking.

    Natsuya''s expression remained calm. However, her face gradually began turning red.

    "No! I wasn''t thinking about what you thought I was just now." She averted her gaze.

    Seiji was mystified as to what was going on.

    He didn''t understand why she was in such a foul mood, but figured that he should apologize.

    "I wanted to say that I''m so sorry about what happenedst night," he said sincerely. "Although I didn''t cause it on purpose, I still¡­ um¡­ I''m truly apologetic about it. My bad."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "I want to say that you don''t need to apologize, butst night indeed made me¡­ feel some unusual things," Natsuya said as her face reddened. "So, I''ll ept your apology¡­ and forgive you."

    Seiji smiled upon hearing this.

    Hitaka blinked as she observed, and Mai smiled as well. The atmosphere eased up with this.

    At this moment, Rana walked into the dining hall while drowsily rubbing her eyes. Immediately after sitting down, she reached and grabbed a handful of salted fish crackers which she stuffed into her mouth as she chewed with a soft and cute expression.

    Everyone began eating breakfast together.

    Although Seiji''s apology seemed to dissolve the awkwardness fromst night, he felt that something was still on Natsuya''s mind.

    Seiji tried asking about it, so Natsuya told him, "I''ll talk about myselfter. For now, what''s important is you." Natsuya looked at him. "Do you think you can take on the additional burden of more Spirit-branded Retainer contracts?"

    "It shouldn''t be a problem."

    "That''s good, then¡­ in that case, as we previously discussed, try making Rana into your Spirit-branded Retainer."

    Seiji nodded as he looked at the cat girl who was sitting across from him.

    Rana noticed his gaze and looked at him as well as herrge cat ears quivered.

    When he thought about how he was about to now have this cute cat girl as his own Spirit-branded Retainer as well, Seiji¡­

    "You aren''t thinking about something strange, are you?" an icy voice spoke up beside him.

    "Not at all!" he hurriedly denied.

    "Hmph¡­" Natsuya gave him a sidelong nce.

    "By the way, what spirit was summoned for you?" Seiji changed the topic as he asked a question that he really wanted to know the answer to.

    Although he sensed a spirit descending upon Natsuya during the ritual, he wasn''t sure as to its identity.

    "It was Phoenix Fire," Natsuya replied.

    Phoenix Fire, also known as Hououga!

    Seiji thought about the game from his previous life once again. In that game, "Phoenix Fire" had been a beautiful mature woman that appeared rather mighty. It was a pity that although she was an SR, not many yers seemed to value her, because she wasn''t as easy to make use ofpared to Snow Girl who all yers would receive for free¡­

    ording to legends, Phoenix Fire was a demon formed by the remnants of a phoenix''s mes during the phoenix''s rebirth. That was a bit of a subtle origin story, giving her quite an awkward status.

    "It''s quite good to have summoned a Phoenix Fire spirit on the first try. Not only that, this spirit is particrly suitable for me, and is less of a burden for me to maintain than I expected." Natsuya''s words helped Seiji to return to his senses.

    "Suitable¡­ just like how some weapons may be more suitable for certain people?"

    "Indeed. This has helped to improve my condition. At any rate, it''s an excellent spirit for me."

    "That''s good, then."

    Seiji had some porridge, when he suddenly recalled something as he looked at Rana.

    "That''s right, there''s a question that must be answered about one''s name during the Spirit-branded Retainer ritual. Kirin-san, she¡­"

    "Rana simply chooses to not speak. She can speak if she wants to, and she''ll speak when it''s necessary."

    She knew how to speak?

    Seiji paused in surprise for a moment.

    "This means that I''ll finally be able to hear Kirin-san talking for the first time!?" Something shed in his eyes.

    "Yeah¡­ actually, I''m looking forward to it as well. After all, even I haven''t heard Rana speaking for a long time." Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes as well.

    Both of them looked at the cat girl with glittering expressions in their eyes as if they were parents greatly looking forward to their cute child''s uing performance on stage.

    "Meow?" Rana blinked as she stuffed another salted fish cracker into her mouth.

    After breakfast, everyone went to the spellcasting room once more after making the appropriate preparations.

    Rana knew what she was here for. She walked to the center of the Yin-Yang diagram on the floor and closed her eyes.

    Before Seiji could officially create a Spirit-branded Retainer contract with her, Natsuya needed to first give formal permission as the original Yin-Yang Master that Rana was contracted with.

    Simr to the contract content changing ritual from yesterday, Natsuya gave Rana permission to sign with a second Yin-Yang Master.

    Then, it was Seiji''s turn.

    "Please answer me, what is your name?"

    "Rana Kirin." A soft and childish-sounding voice came out of the cat girl''s mouth.

    She really spoke!

    This was the first time Seiji had ever heard Rana speaking English rather than cat speak. Although he had mentally prepared himself, he was still quite moved.

    "Are you willing to ept, with the Spirits of Heaven, the Souls of the Earth, the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the ck Turtle of the North, and the Yellow Dragon of the Center as your witnesses, and sign a contract with me?"

    "I am," her soft voice spoke up again.

    ''So cute!''

    Seiji did his very best to maintain a serious expression and remain calm.

    "With my blood as the contract, and my seal as the catalyst, I shall summon a spirit from the heavens and earth upon your body, to be your strength and fight for our cause¡­"

    Seiji uttered the same incantation from before as he began casting the summoning spell.

    He then sensed a powerful evil existence approaching Rana and beginning to descend upon her.

    "Spirit, descend! I summon thee as a Spirit-branded Retainer!! I decree it so!!!"

    The spirit entered Rana''s body and the contract waspleted!

    At this moment, just likest time, Seiji felt like he faintly heard some voices, but he was still unable to hear them clearly.

    He was rather befuddled. Were these just hallucinations that were part of the ritual''s aftereffects?

    "Meow~"

    A seductive-sounding voice interrupted his thoughts.

    He saw that Rana had shrunk herself into a ball, with her face reddening and tiny mouth puckering¡­ Seiji''s expression instantly froze.

    ''Hey, hey, it can''t be! This is happening again!?''

    "Meow~ Ah¡­"

    Just as the cat girl started moaning for the second time, a ck-and-white figure carried Rana in her arms and covered Rana''s mouth at lightning speed, dashing away like the wind!

    That was Mai taking action.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    After he finished watching the maid take the cat girl away from this room at an amazing speed, he turned to look at Natsuya.

    "Even your Spirit-branded Retainer contracts have be like that¡­ Seiji, your Mana is honestly¡­" The student council president had aplex tone.

 Chapter 452 - Actually, itâ€™s not that much of a botherâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 452: Actually, it¡¯s not that much of a bother¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this and could only reveal a helpless expression.

    "Er, sorry, since it''s not your fault." Natsuya realized that she hadn''t expressed herself properly upon seeing his expression, and hurriedly changed what she just said. "It''s¡­ actually a good thing."

    "A good thing?"

    "Yes, as that sensation means I''m increasing in power¡­ that is to say, that''s actually the way that your Mana manifests its power to increase the strength of your Spirit-branded Retainers," Natsuya exined.

    It had the effect of increasing her power? Wasn''t this exactly like "how girls restored magic powers" in certain anime!? Seiji''s cheeks twitched upon hearing this.

    "Although that feeling is¡­ rather awkward, it''s not much in exchange for the power increase I received," Natsuya said as her face flushed red again and she averted her gaze out of embarrassment.

    "I see¡­ sorry for having bothered you with it," Seiji smiled wryly.

    "Actually, it''s not that much of a bother¡­"

    "Eh?"

    "N-nothing! At any rate, one just has to bear with that feeling. You don''t have to mind." Natsuya coughed to clear her awkwardness. "Anyways, how are you currently feeling? Do you think you can continue?"

    "It doesn''t seem to affect me in any way, so I think I should be able to."

    "Then, shall we continue having you contract with Hitaka right now? Or would you like to rest first?"

    "No need to rest. Let''s continue right away."

    And so, the red-haired girl walked to the center of the Yin-Yang diagram.

    Seiji and Hitaka followed the same process from earlier and sessfullypleted the contracting process.

    After it finished, Seiji conscientiously turned around and covered his ears in order to avoid seeing the red-haired girl''s reaction.

    However, rather unexpectedly, Hitaka indicated that she didn''t feel anything unusual at all.

    Was it different for everyone? Natsuya tilted her head slightly in contemtion.

    After confirming that nothing seemed to be happening for Hitaka, she told Seiji that he didn''t need to avert his gaze anymore.

    "It would seem that your Mana doesn''t have that effect on everyone after all."

    "Yeah¡­ should I be happy about this?" Hitaka asked this question.

    That was a rather subtle question.

    "It''s good that you didn''t have that strange sensation. But, it seems that you weren''t strengthened either, which isn''t a good thing," Natsuya told her.

    "My apologies, Mdy¡­"

    "I''m not ming you, Hitaka."

    No matter what, the contract waspleted. Everyone left the spellcasting room.

    After a few steps in the hallway, Hitaka suddenly felt a dense and numb warm sensation well up within her body, causing her to stop in her steps.

    "Ahh~" She couldn''t help but begin moaning as she was assaulted with a sudden feeling of ecstasy.

    It came after all!

    Seiji''s eye twitched when he heard her moaning and reflexively turned to look at her. As expected, the red-haired girl''s face waspletely red and she was panting with a dazed look in her eyes¡­

    This was such a huge difference from her typical icy self that just this one nce left Seiji with an incredibly deep impression.

    "Hitaka!?"

    "Mdy, I feel it¡­ Ahhh~~" Her body began trembling.

    Natsuya went up to and hugged Hitaka.

    Seiji speedily retracted his gaze and pretended to see nothing as he covered his ears.

    It would seem that his Mana wasn''t ineffective for Hitaka after all, it was just a bitte¡­ was this a type of dyed effect?

    ''The hell!''

    If Seiji was forced to describe his current feelings, the only word that barely managed to describe them would be "awkward."

    Akatsuki Mitarai was currently in an excellent mood.

    He just received a report that the head of the Yoruhana Family, Natsuya''s father, was intending on agreeing to his marriage proposal to Natsuya.

    Reaching this step so early was a surprise even to Akatsuki. In his original n, it would have taken up to April of this year for him to reach this step.

    As for why he''d managed to reach this step unexpectedly in January, it was mainly due to the major changes in the mystical society caused by the events happening after New Year''s¡­ currently, the Yoruhana Family and the Mitarai Family were both searching for new allies, and allying their families to each other through a marriage seemed attractive to both of them.

    Akatsuki had taken advantage of the overall situation in order to achieve his goal, with Natsuya unable to resist him. The only possible way for her to struggle would be to challenge him to a Yin-Yang Master duel.

    Akatsuki was absolutely confident that he would be able to defeat her in a duel. He knew that she also knew the difference in power between them, so she wouldn''t take this step so easily unless she had truly exhausted all other methods at her disposal.

    Although it amused Akatsuki to watch his prey gradually sink into his trap and fall into despair, he didn''t want to take too long with finalizing the marriage. After all, if some new situations urred, things could swiftly change in unexpected directions, which Akatsuki didn''t want.

    So, what he intended to do next was to put more pressure on Natsuya and force her into challenging him to a duel. And before that, he intended to eliminate the only uncertain factor¡ªSeiji Haruta!

    When he saw the exiled Seiji Haruta again after two weeks'' time, Akatsuki had inwardly been quite astonished.

    That was because Seiji''s Spiritual Power had increased significantly in the two weeks that Akatsuki hadn''t seen him. In fact, it appeared that Seiji''s Spiritual Power had more than doubled! His Mana was far denser as well, which meant that Seiji had made great progress with magical spells as well.

    Although Akatsuki felt that Seiji still wasn''t at a level that was threatening to him yet, Akatsuki definitely raised his guard.

    Seiji Haruta was growing stronger at an astonishing rate!

    Akatsuki didn''t want to admit it, but it was indisputable. He also secretly patted himself on the back for wisely deciding to only talk to Seiji rather than trying to secretly kill him off.

    Seiji Haruta had formerly been infamous for being a piece of trash scumbag. However, not only had he significantly changed, he was even increasing in power at such a quick rate. Only an idiot would believe that there was no secret hidden behind all this.

    Akatsuki definitely didn''t consider himself an idiot.

    He indeed looked down on the exiled piece of trash, and still felt that Seiji was overconfident in challenging him to a duel. However, Akatsuki wasn''t foolish to the point of believing that Seiji was nothing.

    At the very minimum, Seiji Haruta had his family background backing him up, and there might even be an astonishing secret behind him. While Akatsuki didn''t consider Seiji a threat yet, Seiji was indeed the biggest and most obvious uncertain factor for his ns.

    He absolutely had to get Seiji out of the way!

    Using a duel to deal with him was an excellent option. However, Seiji actually requested for more time regarding the official duel because of failing to obtain Natsuya''s agreement for being his official witness.

    After some consideration, Akatsuki agreed to give Seiji more time. That was because he felt that Seiji probably wouldn''t give up on the idea of dueling him, and it was even possible that Seiji would drag Natsuya into the duel.

    Although Akatsuki felt that this possibility was a low one, with Seiji''s foolishness and Natsuya''s naivety, he felt that it was still a likely oue. If this really happened, then he wouldn''t even need to make an effort of thinking about how to pressure Natsuya into a duel.

    And so, Akatsuki happily waited for the official duel challenge.

    Since he was an excellent mood, it was only natural that he would want to partake in his favorite hobbies. He thus decided to go to his personal workshop.

    His workshop was well lit with sunshine shining in through many windows. The sunlight illuminated rows upon rows of pale white figures.

    The pale white figures were puppets, arge number of puppets.

    There were humanoid puppets, beast-shaped puppets, demon puppets,bination puppets, and strangely-shaped puppets¡­

    Although this ce was brightly lit by sunlight, any normal person would only feel a chill by being here.

    Especially all the more so if people were able to see the "parts" stored here that obviously came from humans.

    Numerous boys and girls and even children''s heads, arms, legs, and body parts¡­ were soaked in various jars of fluid, silently sitting on the floor of Akatsuki''s workshop. Each jar had a detailedbel that included how Akatsuki "obtained" the jar''s contents.

    Any sane person that witnessed this sight woulde to the same conclusion¡­

    Akatsuki who "collected" all these things waspletely and utterly insane!!!

    Akatsuki Mitarai had long since known this.

    He had noticed that he was no ordinary person starting from when he was still young.

 Chapter 453 - Soul-Imbuing Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 453: Soul-Imbuing Ritual</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Although Akatsuki had once been confused about his own way of living, the current him had long since gotten rid of such weak emotions and no longer felt confused about how extraordinary he was or why it was that ordinary people never understood him.

    He didn''t need ordinary people to understand him, nor did he wish to understand ordinary people. Since he was a special existence, all he needed to do was to seek what he desired.

    Akatsuki''s greatest desire was to possess eternal beauty within his grasp.

    Beauty was far too temporary in this world, especially all the more so for human beauty. Even flowers only bloomed for certain periods of time, while human beauty was subject to many factors, being weak and difficult to maintain or imitate.

    Simply speaking, human beauty was naturally imperfect to begin with. Human beauty required modifications in order to achieve the pinnacle and be preserved perfectly for eternity.

    This wouldn''t be easy. In fact, it would be incredibly difficult with many obstacles. Only a special existence like Akatsuki would be able to pull it off.

    Akatsuki firmly believed himself to be the special person capable of such a thing.

    Although there were still many imperfections, as long as he continued working hard and persisted in chasing after his dream, one day, he would finally be able to personally create what he wanted more than anything¡­

    A masterpiece puppet that possessed "eternal beauty!"

    There were many things Akatsuki needed to learn and research in order to achieve the level that he wanted. That was why he didn''t only work on creating human puppets¡ªhe worked on creating other types of puppets as well in order to umte experience and ingenuity.

    Up until now, Akatsuki believed that his greatest product so far was the "girl" before him.

    She had long silvery hair that flowed like water, silver eyes that seemed like gems, crescent-shaped bangs, and an exquisitely soft and beautiful face. She wore a pink miniskirt and Sakura Ind style clothing with white long socks. She quietlyy on a tform in front of him, and had an indescribable beauty.

    Just her personal appearance alone made it clear that she was a mega beauty. However, she also had the lifeless qualities of a puppet. The beauty of a young pretty girl mixed together with a beauty that humans wouldn''t possess formed an indescribable type of special charisma.

    A top level human puppet¡­ one year ago, Akatsuki had paid a huge sum of money to a mysterious "merchant" to obtain some information regarding puppets and a Soul Core. He then began working on this puppet andpleted it only recently.

    That information he obtained had given him much inspiration and helped his "products" to reach an even higher level.

    When he tested the Soul Core he''d received, it seemed that it was a truly outstanding Soul Core. Akatsuki spent a long time investigating how this particr Soul Core''s inner mechanisms worked, but still couldn''t figure it out in the end. He finally gave up and decided to install the Soul Core in his puppet just like this.

    His human puppet had already been sessfully activated. However, Akatsuki had continually failed in the Soul-Imbuing Ritual for his human puppet, so his puppet stillcked intelligence and he hadn''t given her a name yet.

    The Soul-Imbuing Ritual was the critical step in giving a puppet intelligence. While the information Akatsuki received contained detailed steps on how to perform the Soul-Imbuing Ritual with this particr Soul Core, Akatsuki had been suspicious of it and didn''t want to fully use the information as written. He modified the Soul-Imbuing Ritual contained within based on his own knowledge, but all his experiments failed.

    So this time, he was finally determined topletely follow the steps in the information he received on how to perform the Soul-Imbuing Ritual.

    He had installed a self-destruct mechanism within the human puppet. In the worst-case scenario, he could self-destruct her if something happened.

    Although he would think it unfortunate if he had to personally destroy his greatest work of all so far, as long as he had the necessary "materials," creating another one of her wouldn''t be a problem for him. It would only take him some time.

    Akatsuki finished his preparations, ced his hands on the tform next to his puppet, and injected his Mana into the tform.

    Aplex spell formation instantly appeared above the tform. It started spinning slowly as it glowed with a silver light.

    Then, silver runes appeared on the "girl''s" body as well. Her long hair and eyes began to shine brilliantly.

    "My soul shall be your soul¡­"

    "Lifeless body, deathless form¡­"

    "Yin and Yang of heaven and earth, divine universe¡­"

    As Akatsuki muttered his incantation, the silver runes on the puppet began turning golden, and her body gradually started floating in the air. Her glowing hair flowed all around her in a beautiful scene.

    "¡­Soul which breaks thews of theherworld, awaken!" Akatsuki ended with a shout.

    A mystical rune appeared on the "girl''s" forehead, making it seem as if a third eye had suddenly opened on her forehead.

    At the same time, Akatsuki felt like a mysterious force suddenly drew something out of his own body! He suddenly cked out and fell unconscious, copsing beside the tform.

    The spell formation on the tform gradually faded and stopped glowing as Akatsuki was no longer providing it with Mana.

    The "girl''s" body fell back down on the tform, and the rune on her forehead disappeared. Her hair and eyes stopped glowing as well.

    Everything remained silent for a while.

    The silver-haired girl suddenly blinked, and her originally lifeless eyes came alive.

    Then, she slowly sat up and looked around her.

    "Urgh¡­" A sound came from below the tform.

    The silver-haired girl looked to see the dark blue-haired boy who had reopened his eyes.

    "Did I¡­ seed?"

    Akatsuki was a bit confused about what just happened.

    He stood up while rubbing his temple to help himself regain his senses.

    ''What just happened? Why did I copse?''

    He felt as if he had fallen into a trap of some sort¡­ but nothing felt wrong with his body at all. Apart that he felt a bit woozy right after waking up, he didn''t feel anything abnormal at all.

    He decided to get a checkup on his bodyter. The most important thing right now was¡­

    Akatsuki looked at the silver-haired girl.

    She stared at him and blinked.

    "Answer me. Who are you?" Akatsuki asked her.

    She didn''t respond, and only had a confused expression.

    Akatsuki furrowed his eyebrows.

    The Soul-Imbuing Ritual would imbue the puppet with intelligence that included some basic knowledge of the world. A normal puppet should have responded with "I am a puppet created by Master" to his question just now rather than not knowing how to answer.

    As for her expression of confusion¡­ while it was highly realistic, just like a real human''s, it didn''t have any meaning to him.

    "Do you know what you are?" He tried asking a different question.

    "¡­What am I¡­ I don''t know¡­" She tilted her head slightly and asked him a question in a soft voice. "Who are¡­ you?"

    Akatsuki came to the conclusion that the Soul-Imbuing Ritual had failed again.

    This wasn''t the behavior that an intelligent puppet was supposed to have. Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

    Akatsuki uttered an incantation.

    The silver-haired girl instantly frozepletely in his movements and expression.

    Akatsuki had changed over to manual control mode for his puppet. Then, he used a hand gesture to control the puppet to lie down and reactivated the tform''s spell formation to do an inspection of her body.

    Then, he noticed that the mechanism which contained her "soul," which was what provided the puppet''s intelligence, also contained an incredibly strange and chaotic-looking spiritual object.

    Akatsuki widened his eyes in surprise, notprehending why the puppet had been able to move by itself, speak, and even have expressions with such an object! Theoretically speaking, such a strange-looking object shouldn''t have had any effect at all.

    He couldn''t understand what was going on at all¡­

    He manipted his puppet''s body and intended on extracting this mysterious spiritual object to move to a different container for research purposes.

    However, this spiritual object self-copsed and vanished.

    It was all so mysterious¡­ Akatsuki furrowed his eyebrows.

    He had followed the stepspletely as the information given to him suggested, but failed yet again. Just what was the problem?

    After inspecting the puppet one more time, he decided to try onest time ording to his own methods.

    As a result¡­

    "I am a puppet created by Master, and am your most loyal servant of all. I shall obey all of yourmands," the silver-haired girl stated with a nk expression.

    He seeded!

    He had finallypleted this product of yours. Akatsuki smiled in delight.

    "Remember, your name is¡­"

 Chapter 454 - Shinobu Ningyo

    <h4>Chapter 454: Shinobu Ningyo</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Later that night, Seiji and Natsuya went to a ce that they had agreed upon earlier¡ªa high-ss Sakura Ind restaurant.

    However, they weren''t there for dinner. They were there instead to meet with Akatsuki Mitarai.

    Natsuya returning to her family for a discussion earlier that morning ended unhappily as expected.

    Although Seiji hadn''t been there to witness the discussion, he could imagine how unpleasant it must have been, as ever since Natsuya returned from visiting her family, her expression had been as grim as if a dark shadow had been cast upon her for the entire day.

    Since she was unable to convince her family otherwise, the only option left was to directly confront Akatsuki.

    Natsuya''s car stopped in front of the restaurant. Seiji and Natsuya exited the car and entered the restaurant.

    The restaurant''s interior was quite beautiful. It wasn''t overly extravagant and seemed quite elegant instead. It was a type of low-profile luxuriousness.

    If Seiji had visited this ce to enjoy the food, he was sure that he would have loved the atmosphere here. However, he was currently in no mood to enjoy his surroundings.

    A female server led him and Natsuya to a private room where they saw Akatsuki Mitarai already sitting inside.

    The dark-blue-haired handsome boy was currently sitting at the table while wearing blue Sakura Ind attire the same color as his clothing. His eyes were shut as if he was meditating. There was a beautiful silver-haired girl sitting behind him.

    When Seiji and Natsuya looked at him, Akatsuki opened his eyes and nced back at them as well, with his mouth arcing upwards slightly.

    "Good evening, Haruta-san, Natsuya."

    "Good evening. I believe I''ve stated before that our rtionship isn''t friendly enough to the extent where you can directly address me by name, Mitarai-san," Natsuya spoke in a cold tone.

    "As I''m your fianc¨¦, calling my fianc¨¦e by name is something that I think nobody will take issue with," Akatsuki said as he smiled.

    At this moment, Seiji felt killing intent emanating from Natsuya!

    He turned around to see that although Natsuya''s expression remained calm on the surface, the sharp glint in her eyes was evidence that she definitely wasn''t calm at all right now.

    "We don''t have that type of rtionship yet! Although father may have such intentions, it isn''t settled in stone."

    "Even if it isn''t settled in stone yet, it''s basically confirmed already. I''m quite happy about it, Natsuya."

    "I shall force it to be canceled, Mitarai-san."

    Natsuya slowly sat down across from Akatsuki.

    Seiji was inwardly impressed with the student council president''s self-restraint as he sat down next to her.

    Akatsuki looked at Seiji.

    "Haruta-san, you chose in the end to stand against me. How regrettable."

    "Regrettable? I think it''s exactly the opposite, Mitarai-san," Seiji responded calmly. "Last time we met, didn''t wee to a ''happy'' mutual ord? That both of us would be delighted to fight each other."

    "Heh heh¡­ I suppose you''re right." The dark-blue-haired boy chuckled. "But to be honest, I really did hope that you would wisely choose to retreat in the end. After all, your family background is honestly a bit of a bother for me."

    "I''m quite happy to hear that you were bothered. Please go ahead and be even more bothered in the future."

    "You''re such an annoying fellow."

    "Same to you."

    If someone who didn''t know what was going on merely observed them talking without being able to hear the words being said, the observer would likely receive the impression that Akatsuki and Seiji were quite calm right now and perhaps even good friends. However, this was actually a tense situation where both sides were highly likely to explode at any moment.

    "Allow me to introduce her to you." Akatsuki indicated behind him.

    The silver-haired beauty silently sitting behind him all this time opened her eyes.

    "This is my new Spirit-branded Retainer, Shinobu Miaki."

    Seiji and Natsuya looked towards the silver-haired girl.

    Naturally, they noticed this girl the moment they arrived. However, only now did they take a closer look at her.

    She was a silver-haired, silver-eyed beautiful girl wearing a pink miniskirt and Sakura Ind style clothing. Although she was quite beautiful, something seemed off about her. Shecked a living aura¡­ no, it was already beyond that extent, she was basically just like¡­

    "A ''human puppet,''" Natsuya muttered.

    "Human puppet?" Seiji couldn''t help but recall certain manga he had read before in his past life when he heard this term.

    "The highest level of humanoid puppet. They appear physically no different from real humans, and are capable of independent movement¡­ To use a modern description, they''re just like androids with artificial intelligence."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    The manga that he had been thinking about when he heard "human puppet" referred to a humanoid weapon that was actually a revived person who was able to use a person''s previously mastered techniques when alive. However, that human puppet needed someone to manipte the puppet.

    The "human puppets" in this world were actually like androids, capable of independent movement!?

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise as he looked at the silver-haired beautiful girl across from him.

    "Heh heh, that''s right. Shinobu is indeed a human puppet. She''s my masterpiece." Akatsuki smiled rather pridefully. "Ipleted her just today. Her abilities are quite high. When I tested her automatic mode in battle, she even defeated one of my Spirit-branded Retainers, so I decided to have her be one of my new Spirit-branded Retainers in that person''s ce."

    A human puppet was even capable of bing a Spirit-branded Retainer? Seiji nced inquisitively over at Natsuya.

    "It wasn''t rare for people to use human puppets as Spirit-branded Retainers in ancient times. But, it''s almost unheard of in the modern era. That''s because very precious materials are required to create them and human puppets have limited flexibility andbat strengthpared to actual human Spirit-branded Retainers." There was a grim look on Natsuya''s face. "However¡­ there is a rumor that by using a ''certain method'' to create human puppets, not only can one save on having to use precious materials, the human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer created in such a process will also have greater flexibility andbat strength than a normal human puppet, to the point where they can evenpare with typical Spiritual Ability user Spirit-branded Retainers."

    "What''s the method you speak of?" Seiji could faintly guess at the answer.

    "One would have to create the human puppet using an actual living Spiritual Ability user or person with spiritual potential as a living sacrifice for the materials," Natsuya stated in a heavy tone.

    Seiji instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

    He looked at the silver-haired girl again who had such an empty expression, then nced at the smiling dark-blue-haired boy. Apart from feeling a chill, he also felt like something was revolting in his stomach!

    He knew this from the very start.

    This bastard¡­ was this type of person!!

    Even though Seiji already sensed the darkness within Akatsuki long ago, he still received an impact from directly facing Akatsuki''s darkness for the first time.

    Seiji silently clenched his fist.

    It would be quite simple to angrily insult Akatsuki or even fight him right here and now.

    However, it wouldn''t be meaningful to do it at this location and time. It would be nothing more than him venting, and it would also cause Natsuya to lose face.

    They''d already determined to take care of everything through an official duel. They just needed to wait¡­

    Seiji was determined to use his current emotions as strength fueling him for his duel!

    Akatsuki didn''t confirm or deny anything about Natsuya''s words. He merely continued to smile.

    Akatsuki didn''t care that they saw through the truth. Nor did he care what they thought of him.

    After all, he was special. He didn''t need ordinary people to understand him. In fact, he even considered it normal that they didn''t understand him. Being angrily shouted at, despised, looked down upon, given icy gazes, ostracized, avoided, and feared¡­ these were all experiences that the special had to go through.

    History had proved already that geniuses were always regarded as insane by the world. The more special the genius, the more insane they were considered.

    Foolish ordinary people would never be able to see a genius for what a genius was. It was only possible after generations passed for ordinary people to understand genius, although it was also possible that they may never understand.

    Since Akatsuki was a special existence, all he had to do was do what he wanted to achieve his goal.

    However¡­

    Although it didn''t matter that much in the long run, Akatsuki still felt displeased about being red at by an arrogant exiled piece of trash who looked like he wanted to fight Akatsuki right here and now.

    Akatsuki didn''t have anything else to say to Seiji. Akatsuki felt that this should be a discussion between him and Natsuya, so Seiji being here really affected his mood¡­ what should he do?

    Akatsuki thought of an idea that caused his smile to appear even gentler.

    "Haruta-san, it looks like you have quite some fighting spirit in you. Are you interested in trying out a little practice round against Shinobu?"

 Chapter 455 - I feel like Iâ€™m fighting with a robotâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 455: I feel like I¡¯m fighting with a robot¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "What?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    His first reaction was ''what the hell?'' However, he soon realized what Akatsuki wanted.

    Seiji considered whether he should ept the challenge or leave the fighting until the official duel.

    He nced at Natsuya, inquiring with his expression about what he should do. She indicated that it didn''t matter either way and that he could choose.

    Since it didn''t matter either way, Seiji decided to ept.

    A high ability human puppet¡­ simr to an android with artificial intelligence. Seiji was indeed somewhat curious about its battle potential.

    "Rather than a puppet, I''d rather be beating up on you, but now''s not the time. Plus, I am indeed curious about this¡­ Shinobu Miaki." Seiji squinted slightly. "Let''s just treat it as me wanting to try my mettle. You''re willing to let her fight with me right here and now?"

    "I''d be more than happy to. Haruta-san, please be extra careful. If you''re seriously injured, that''ll be quite a bother for me."

    "Rather than worrying about me, you should be more concerned about your masterpiece. If I break it, I won''t be paying you for the costs incurred."

    "No need to worry about that. Even if Shinobu ispletely destroyed, I won''t request anypensation from Haruta-san at all." Akatsuki chuckled coldly. "Ipletely doubt that Haruta-san will be able to do such a thing."

    The two of them red at each other. It was as if their gazes were shing in the air.

    Seiji felt like if this continued, he wouldn''t be able to hold himself back from beating up Akatsuki anymore. He stood up and started to leave.

    "Natsuya, I''m going out for a little exercise. This guy really pisses me off."

    "Understood. If you want a ce to fight at, you only need to tell the server and one will be arranged for you," Natsuya told him with an expression that said ''be careful.''

    "Got it." Seiji nodded before he left the private room.

    Akatsuki turned around and gave his human puppet girl an order. She then stood up and followed him outside.

    This restaurant actually belonged to the Himiki Family, the judging n. Spiritual Ability users often held negotiations here. Of course, it would often be the case that negotiations would break down and one or both sides would get angry and start a fight. Besides, dueling was also a type of negotiation, which was why there was actually arge dueling arena as well as judges avable underground in a secret facility beneath the restaurant.

    Of course, the "judges" here were actually the restaurant''s servers. These duels here weren''t considered official, and whether or not the customers epted the oue of the duel was all up to the customers. If there were customers that became serious about fighting to the death rather than simply dueling, the judges wouldn''t stop them, either. The judges would merely provide objective reports about what happened to the relevant parties afterwards.

    A female server led Seiji and Shinobu to an elevator that took them to the underground dueling arena.

    A man wearing a white mask and ck Sakura Ind attire greeted them upon arrival.

    "Wee. May I ask what type of duel the two of you would like to have?" he asked them politely.

    ''How should I answer this question?'' Seiji thought it over for a few seconds.

    "Just a regr duel, one on one."

    "Will it be a battle to the death?"

    "I suppose not."

    "Will there be any special rules?"

    "No."

    "Alright. I shall act appropriately as the judge and determine the victor. I shall stop the duel when I feel that one side has won." The man in the white mask¡­ the judge bowed to them and said, "Please make your preparations. When both of you are ready, please let me know, and the duel can be started at any time."

    The judge then left the arena and went into a nearby room which had ss windows that he was easily able to observe the duel from.

    Seiji turned to speak to Shinobu.

    The puppet girl looked at him with apletely nk expression.

    Seiji walked a distance away from her before standing still.

    "Are you ready?" He decided to try asking.

    There was no response.

    "Can you understand me?" He tried asking a different question.

    Still no response.

    "I don''t care what you say, just say something!"

    Again, no response.

    There was no way tomunicate¡­ was that supposed to be how it was, or did Akatsuki modify her in such a way? Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    He felt that a human puppet on the level of an android with artificial intelligence wasn''t supposed tock intelligence to the point of not even knowing how to speak. That meant it was highly likely that Akatsuki intentionally modified her to be unable tomunicate.

    Well, if they couldn''tmunicate, Seiji figured he might as well start the fight.

    "We''re ready!" Seiji shouted towards the judge''s room.

    "Alright. Three¡­ two¡­ one, duel start!" The judge''s voice rang out through the entire arena through some speakers.

    Seiji cast [Body-strengthening technique] on himself and got into abat posture.

    Shinobu Miaki remained there silently without moving.

    Seeing this, Seiji decided to rush and punch at her!

    The puppet girl observed his attack and instantly cast a barrier along with the [Body-strengthening technique]. She lifted her left hand¡­

    *Smack!* She urately blocked Seiji''s punch.

    Immediately following after this, she balled up her right hand into a fist and suddenly punched towards Seiji''s stomach!

    *Boom!* Seiji felt a heavy impact when he blocked her fist.

    The sound of physical impacts echoed continuously as the two of them exchanged punches and kicks at high speed that soon turned this into a fierce fight.

    Shinobu''s movements were rather simple and seemed quite mechanical, with her strength being slightly above Seiji''s.

    "I feel like I''m fighting with a robot¡­"

    Seiji gradually got used to her movement patterns, then took advantage of a predicted movement to put all his strength in a kick aimed at her stomach!

    The puppet girl was sent flying backwards by the impact, but soon adjusted her posture midair and rushed back at him without even needing to stop and rest!

    She didn''t feel pain, she didn''t hesitate, her attacks were strong, and she remained expressionless throughout¡­ the more Seiji fought with her, the more he realized that he was indeed facing someone who wasn''t human.

    The second time that he managed to send her flying with a kick, Shinobu suddenly increased her speed and power by another level, and came back at him with a punch that sent him flying as well!

    Seiji cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself in midair and made himself golden in appearance as hended back on the ground to continue the fight.

    Seiji intentionally feigned a weakness and activated [Bullet Time] right when she viciously punched directly at his face!

    Then, he also continuously activated [Lightning Strike]!

    His fistsnded on the puppet girl''s body like continuous shes of light, and broke through her barrier! His fists then hit her head!!

    There was a dense session of sounds of impact as the silver-haired figure went flying backwards. She twisted around in the air and rolled several times on the ground upon impact before she backflipped and finally stood up again after sliding a long distance.

    "Victory has been determined. The gentleman has won!"

    A spotlight instantly shone upon Seiji, together with the sound of apuse and upbeat music.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Well, the judge did say that he would stop the duel when he "determined that a side had won¡­" and Seiji did say that this wasn''t going to be a duel to the death.

    Just as his cheeks were twitching, something shed red in Shinobu''s eyes.

    Shinobu''s Soul Core increased its power output yet again and provided a burst of power to her!

    A dark-red mist enveloped Shinobu as it began whirling around her at a high speed. The mist attached itself to her entire body.

    She demonized into "Nightmist Form!"

    The puppet girl transformed into a dark-red shadow and stepped forward, vanishing in the next instant, leaving nothing but faint dark-red mist behind.

    Seiji sensed danger upon seeing this scene and instantly decided to cast [Evolved Mana Barrier] upon himself.

    A dark red figure appeared before him, and attacked with both her hands.

    Demon Break, "Night''s Embrace!"

    A thick ck mist attacked Seiji, while Shinobu''s hands managed to prate through Seiji''s golden light [Evolved Mana Barrier] and make contact with Seiji''s body!!

    [Bullet Time] activated once again!

    Seiji used [Lightning Strike] again, intending to knock her away just likest time.

    However, when he punched her this time, he couldn''t feel any impact at all. Instead, it felt like his fists were punching a sticky substance!

    That was obviously an effect of the dark-red mist enveloping her. It had the ability to entangle anyone who attacked her in her shadow form!

    Seiji could only do his best to dodge her attacks then.

    He utilized his footwork in an attempt to dodge her attack.

    However¡­ he waspletely unable to dodge.

    *Boom!* A ck sh shaped like lightningbined with a dull explosion sent Seiji flying.

    Blood dripped through the air.

 Chapter 456 - Allow me to become Brotherâ€™s Spirit-branded Retainer

    <h4>Chapter 456: Allow me to be Brother¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji adjusted his posture in midair andnded on the ground. He used his momentum to back off as much as he could and maintain some distance between him and his opponent.

    He was injured¡­ he had protected his body with his arms, and as a result his arm was injured.

    His sleeve was gone, and both his hands were bloody. Luckily, they were only shallow injuries, and his bones and muscles weren''t hurt.

    ''This level of injury can easily be cured with my [Beginning-level Healing] magic.'' Seiji speedily diagnosed himself.

    Meanwhile, Shinobu didn''t continue attacking him.

    She stood still while the mist around her body gradually dissipated.

    She didn''t take this opportunity to attack him¡­ did that mean that Akatsuki had given amand to only attack him to a certain extent before no longer battling?

    "You''ve met something quite interesting."

    Just as Seiji was still highly on guard and observing the situation, azy sounding female voice spoke up in his mind.

    "Yomi?"

    The typically "sleeping" female bonded spirit within him suddenly made her presence known.

    "A human puppet¡­ how interesting that it''s been created in such a fashion."

    "What does that mean? What do you know this time?"

    "This puppet will probably transform into a fearsome demon after some time passes."

    "Eh?"

    "Although it seems like this puppet has only been recently born, there''s an incredibly bad aura around her. If this was intentional by the person who created her, then I feel that her creator must truly be someone quite daring."

    "Please exin yourself more clearly."

    "What I mean is that this child will soon be a dangerous existence. Her first victim will almost certainly be her creator. And, if she devours her creator, that''s likely to instantly help her be a terrifyingly powerful demon."

    "What¡­?" Seiji furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would that happen?"

    "It''s difficult for me to exin. At any rate, if you don''t wish for her to harm humans, you''ll have to either destroy her or seal her as early as possible, or give her a proper education."

    "Education?"

    "I believe that you''re quite suitable to do such a thing. If you wish to do so, I can assist you."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    He decided to ask, "¡­What should I do?"

    "First, leave a mystical mark on her body."

    Seiji then received information directly in his mind from Yomi. He made a hand seal and uttered an incantation, casting a spell upon Shinobu.

    A golden-red spell formation shed in front of the puppet girl''s chest, before instantly disappearing.

    Shinobu didn''t react at all to this and merely stood still quietly.

    "And then?"

    "The next part can only be continued when you are asleep."

    "When I''m asleep¡­ just likest time?"

    "Yes, you canprehend it like so."

    "¡­Yomi, I''d really like to ask¡­"

    "I said before that I don''t like men who ask too many questions, heehee~ Let''s chat again when you''re asleep."

    And so, the female spirit disappeared on him again.

    ''She''s such a casual and carefree spirit.'' Seiji could only inwardly sigh.

    Something shed in his eyes as he observed the puppet girl who stood still, unmoving.

    "Our two dear guests, would you like to continue the duel?" the judge spoke up through the speakerphones.

    "No¡­ we can end it here," Seiji answered.

    "How are you?"

    Natsuya returned to her car after finishing her discussion with Akatsuki, and was concerned to see Seiji''s state.

    "I''m fine. As you can see, it''s just that my sleeve has been destroyed." Seiji chuckled and indicated as his now bare arms.

    After finishing the duel with Shinobu, he went back outside to wait for the end of the negotiations rather than going back inside and seeing Akatsuki''s face again.

    "Was that guy rather proud of himself?"

    "Yes, quite so¡­ your fake act was incredibly sessful." Natsuya smiled.

    "Actually, I wasn''t faking entirely. That puppet was indeed powerful and I was injured due to my overconfidence, although it was only a light injury." Seiji paused for a moment. "How did the negotiations go? Judging by your expression, things went well?"

    Natsuya nodded.

    "The duel will take ce at Genhana High School, our main territory¡­"

    She gave a brief exnation of the advantages she was able to obtain in the negotiation.

    "The time of the duel has been set for next Saturday night. I shall prepare as much as I can before then."

    "What do you need me to do?"

    "All you need to do is continue cultivating and improving your power level. Or, you can try practicing together with Hitaka and Rana."

    "Understood."

    There wasn''t anything he could help with regarding the preparations. All he could do was cultivate and be stronger¡­ well, that was how things should have been.

    However, due to Yomi''s knowledge, there was something else he could do as well.

    Natsuya''s car took him to the Uehara apartments. Seiji said goodbye to Natsuya as he got off her car and returned home.

    "Brother Seiji¡­"

    "Shika-chan, I''m home."

    He took off his tattered clothing as he entered his apartment and exined the current situation to his adopted younger sister.

    "¡­That''s how things are. Until next Saturday night, I''m going to work as hard as I can on cultivation and I won''t be at home often. My apologies."

    Shika looked directly at Seiji.

    "A duel¡­ will it really be alright?"

    "It''ll be fine, not a big deal. Just likest time, I''ll definitelye back safely." Seiji smiled.

    Shika fell silent for a moment.

    "I would like to battle together with Brother¡­" Shika said in a soft voice as something shed in her eyes. "Please allow me to be Brother''s Spirit-branded Retainer."

    "I would like for you to be my Spirit-branded Retainer as well. However, now''s not the time," Seiji stated. "This isn''t your battle. Technically speaking, this isn''t my battle either, it''s Natsuya''s. I merely joined in forcefully due to my willfulness. I don''t wish for you to be involved."

    "But I want to be involved." Shika raised the volume of her voice. "Brother, you acted willfully in joining this battle, but you''re not allowing me to participate together with you¡­ that''s really terrible of you."

    "Er¡­ this¡­" Seiji averted his gaze as he didn''t know what to say.

    "Brother Seiji."

    Shika walked up right next to him, getting very close to him as she stared at him.

    "What is it?"

    Seiji mysteriously felt a sense of panic at seeing his adopted younger sister''s beautiful face up so close.

    "You are an idiot."

    "Eh?"

    ''Why is she suddenly calling me an idiot?''

    "You''re an idiot among idiots, which is why someone absolutely needs to watch over you," Shika told him in a serious manner. "I''m the best candidate to do so. I''m going to be Brother''s Spirit-branded Retainer and protect Brother for his entire life!"

    "Er¡­ I''m quite happy to hear that¡­"

    "I shall eliminate all of Brother''s enemies, as well as all sorts of random and unworthy girls!"

    "The first half of your sentence was fine, but what''s the second half of your sentence referring to!?"

    "I shall deal with Brother''s troubles, and I shall need to approve any of Brother''s women!"

    "Just what does the second half there mean!?"

    "Rest assured, Brother, I''m strong enough to deal with anyone, no matter if it''s a tough opponent or an unworthy woman!"

    "Perhaps so, but why do you keep talking about ''women?'' What does ''unworthy'' even mean here? Just what standards do you have anyways!?"

    His adopted sister was saying some rather strange things, and seemed to have lost control of herself.

    "Calm down, Shika-chan. I know that you''re quite worried about me, but this isn''t necessary," Seiji coaxed her while reaching out and patting her gently on the head.

    "Mmm¡­" Shika also noticed her own impulsive behavior, causing her to begin blushing.

    "I truly apologize for willfully deciding to participate in a duel. But, things will really be fine. Please trust me, alright?"

    Shika slowly lowered her head.

    "Hug me¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "Just patting me on the head¡­ isn''t enough¡­ Hug me¡­"

    Seiji blinked and then smiled as he pulled Shika into his arms and hugged her gently.

    ''So warm.''

    Shika hugged Seiji as well, rubbing her face against his chest.

    The anxiety in her heart gradually subsided and was reced by a warm and reliable feeling. However, her resolution to do something intensified even further.

    "I still want to participate in battle," she said in a light voice.

    "About that¡­ there''s a limit to the number of participants."

    "Then switch someone out for me."

    "Don''t be like that, Shika-chan." Seiji smiled wryly.

    "¡­Then promise me that this will be thest time."

    "Eh?"

    "After this duel, I''m going to be Brother''s Spirit-branded Retainer. No matter whom Brother fights with in the future, you have to do it together with me¡­ I won''t permit something like this to ever happen again!" Shika spoke with firm resolution in her voice as she hugged Seiji tightly.

 Chapter 457 - Bite you!

    <h4>Chapter 457: Bite you!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Shika-chan¡­" Seiji was quite moved by his adopted younger sister''s heartfelt intentions¡­ as well as troubled.

    If he promised her as she wanted it, what should he do if there was a truly dangerous battle in the future?

    Even though he had the ability to save and load, he still didn''t want to see Shikae to any harm.

    "I''m quite happy that you feel that way, but¡ª"

    "No buts allowed!" Shika prevented him from saying anything more. "Promise me, Brother!"

    Not promising¡­ seemed impossible. Seiji could only smile wryly.

    "Alright, I promise you¡­ with conditions."

    "No conditions allowed!"

    "Just allow me this tiny little thing."

    "Not permitted, I want the entire promise with no conditions attached!"

    "Don''t be so willful."

    "Brother Seiji, you''re the person with the least right to say such a thing!"

    "Er¡­ then allow me to willfully set my own conditions!"

    "Not permitted, I''m willfully requiring your unconditional promise!"

    "I willfully deny your willfulness!"

    "Denial refused!"

    "You''re not allowed to refuse my denial!"

    "Stop trying to struggle, Brother!"

    "A man should struggle to the end, no matter how unseemly he is!" Seiji used a cool line in a wrong situation.

    "¡­If you keep forcefully struggling against me, I''ll¡­" Shika lifted her head. "I''ll bite you!"

    Seiji suddenly felt a strange sensation on his neck.

    "Eh!?" He was quite startled that he was really getting bitten.

    "Ahh¡­" Shika returned to her senses and discovered that she had acted impulsively again, actually biting him.

    But, she didn''t want to let go¡­ she absolutely had to get her idiot brother to surrender to her!

    And so, she continued biting down on him, while carefully controlling her strength in order not to injure Seiji.

    ''This is Brother''s taste¡­''

    When she thought about how she was currently mping down on his neck, a vital area, and tasting his vor, a strange sensation welled up within her.

    She didn''t know how to describe his sensation, but¡­ it felt quite good.

    "Ahh, ahh¡­"

    "Ehh!?" Seiji was even more startled as he felt Shika starting to bite down even harder.

    It felt slightly itchy, slightly painful, and slightly moist¡­ it felt like things were turning bad!!

    "Shika, don''t do this¡­ Ahh!"

    She was now biting on his ear!

    At this moment, he felt like an electric shock ran through his body!!

    "Mmm!" Shika detected that his ears were sensitive and focused on his ear instead.

    "Ahhh¡­ Stop biting!" His ear felt itchy, moist, and numb, and things were turning worse!!

    Seiji wanted to forcefully push her away, but was unable to muster up his strength.

    "Ahmm~ Whoosh~~"

    She actually blew into his ear! The feeling of an electric shock running through his body became even stronger!!

    ''This is bad, this is bad!!'' Seiji''s face flushedpletely red.

    "P¡­ please stop¡­"

    "Mmm~" *Blow~~*

    "I can''t take it anymore¡­"

    "Ahmm~ Whoosh~"

    "No more¡­"

    "Mmm~ Ahmm~~"

    "I¡­ I surrender! Hurry and stop!!"

    Shika finally heard what she wanted to hear.

    The strange sensation within her became even stronger as if she had achieved nirvana. She couldn''t control herself and smiled victoriously.

    Her face was flushed and there was a seductive look in her eyes. With her smile, she seemed almost demonic in her devilishness.

    "Demon King" was the nickname that Chiaki had given to Shika before.

    If only Chiaki could have seen the "Demon King''s" current expression, she would have definitely been astounded at how appropriate this nickname had been!

    "Brother¡­ since you''ve surrendered, you have to listen to me."

    "Yes¡­ I''ll listen to you."

    "From now on, we''ll always be together. You can''t abandon me."

    "Don''t say it like I really will abandon you. I just didn''t want you to meet with any danger." Seiji smiled wryly.

    "I know¡­ but I can''t stand it if I can''t be at Brother''s side," Shika told him softly.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    ''If a dangerous situation that I''m worried about really does happen in the future, I''ll just have to deal with it when the timees.'' Seiji could only inwardly sigh.

    By the way, that was really fierce just now¡­ Shika was quite wild when she lost control of herself!

    He couldn''t help but recall the sensations he felt from just earlier, which caused his face to heat up again.

    Meanwhile, the ck-haired girl who had achieved her goal and calmed down gradually began to feel embarrassment at her actions.

    ''What did I just do!!''

    Shika really wanted to shout out loudly.

    ''I actually did such things? I¡­ I¡­''

    At this moment, there was the sound of a key turning in the front door of Seiji''s apartment.

    Reo had returned!

    The moment that Shika realized this, she suddenly moved. She darted out of her brother''s embrace and returned to her room at top speed while mming the door!

    Seiji was rendered absolutely speechless.

    "I''m back¡­ Harano onii-san, you''ve returned!" Reo smiled when she saw him, but she soon felt that something was strange.

    "Harano onii-san, what happened to your neck?"

    Seiji suddenly covered his neck as he realized there must be hickey marks.

    "Um¡­ I was feeling rather itchy just now, and scratched my neck¡­ I scratched myself a little too forcefully." He did his best to fool the elementary school girl.

    "Your face is really red."

    "That¡­ that''s because I''m feeling a little hot¡­"

    "Why would you feel hot?"

    "Er¡­ I was exercising just now¡­ and sweated a lot¡­ I''m going to go take a shower right now!" Seiji decisively made an escape.

    Reo was rather mystified.

    Her Harano onii-san seemed rather strange today¡­ just what could he have been exercising? She was rather confused.

    Later, Seiji finally managed to fool Reo after making great efforts.

    He felt like he had now experienced what it felt like for adults when their child identally interrupted them in the midst of something romantic.

    Seiji believed it was quite fortunate already that Reo only returned after Shika was done instead of in the midst of what Shika was doing to him¡­ he really wouldn''t have known how to exin things away then!

    Shika''s out-of-control behavior¡­ her way of throwing a tantrum was simply too amazing. Seiji could only inwardly exim at it.

    Biting his neck, biting his ear, even blowing in his ear¡­ it was all so ero!

    His adopted younger sister actually had such an ero way of losing control of herself¡­ and previously, she secretly borrowed his adult doujinshi to look at. Was that also another way of her expressing her ero tendencies?

    ''My adopted younger sister couldn''t possibly be this ero!''

    But, that was just how things were. It was truly something.

    ¡­What would happen if she lost control of herself like that again?

    Seiji help but try imagining it. However, he then used his strong willpower to force himself to stop!

    ''Let''s stop thinking about it, it''s time to sleep¡­ I have something to do tonight after I fall asleep.''

    Hey on his warm bed and hugged the soft loli Reo as he rxed himself and went to sleep¡­

    Inside the soul realm.

    "Are you prepared?" Yomi asked him this question.

    "I don''t even know what I need to do, so please tell me about that first. Then, I can tell you if I''m prepared or not," Seiji responded.

    "True enough indeed, heehee." The female spirit chuckled. "Actually, what you need to do is to talk with that child and provide your Mana to her."

    "Talk to her, and provide Mana?"

    "Talking to her is to teach her, while providing her with your Mana is to help raise her. These twobined will be her ''education.''"

    "What will happen as a result of doing so?"

    "She''s a child who was just born. How she turns out will depend on the education that you give her. But no matter what she turns out to be, you will be an incredibly important existence for her, just like a mother to a child."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Heehee, I apologize, it would have been better if I said father for my analogy." Yomi chuckled.

    "Akatsuki is her creator¡­ no matter if youpare me to being her father or mother, it still feels unpleasant!"

    "Then, would you like to give up on her? If you don''t teach her, she''ll almost certainly end up devouring her creator Akatsuki Mitarai and be a powerful demon¡­ that''s a choice you can make as well."

 Chapter 458 - She is a demon

    <h4>Chapter 458: She is a demon</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji contemted this matter.

    He hadn''t thought too much into it at first and had the mentality of simply trying it out. But now, upon closer consideration, was it really the best choice to "educate" Shinobu?

    Yomi''s joking aside, she¡ªShinobu Miaki¡ªwas an artificially created product that his enemy made. Leaving her alone might cause harm to others¡­ he didn''t care if she killed Akatsuki Mitarai; in fact, he would be delighted if that happened. However, if she turned into a powerful demon that posed a danger to others, that would be a bad thing.

    He felt that he should act in order to prevent harm froming to others. But if he "educated" her in order to prevent her from turning into a demon, wouldn''t that end up benefitting Akatsuki?

    Then, Seiji pondered if he should take advantage of her in killing Akatsuki off, but not letting her devour Akatsuki and turn into a demon. Was this possible?

    Well, not even considering whether it would be possible, taking advantage of a "child" to make her kill her creator who was basically like her parent¡­ Seiji was morally against such an action.

    It was true that he wanted to kill off Akatsuki Mitarai. However, inciting Akatsuki''s own creation into killing Akatsuki was something that Seiji felt was wrong.

    Yomi had said that Shinobu was "a child who was just born¡­" Just because she was Akatsuki''s creation, and likely created by some terrifying method that Seiji would rather not know about, did that mean that Seiji should treat Shinobu as an object to be taken advantage of?

    Seiji felt that he shouldn''t.

    No matter what her creator, or "parent", was like, the "child" was innocent.

    Taking advantage of a "child" to kill her own "parent" was something he morally couldn''t bring himself to do.

    But if he didn''t want to do that, "educating" her seemed like a process where his efforts would merely be wasted and only benefit his enemy.

    Seiji knew that he was stuck between a rock and a hard ce with his dilemma.

    His difficulty didn''t have anything to do with Akatsuki, but rather the "child", Shinobu Miaki.

    Just how should Seiji treat her, who was basically like a living weapon that his enemy Akatsuki had created?

    This was simr yet different to Shika''s original circumstances. In Shika''s case, she had only been a hired temporary Spirit-branded Retainer who wasn''t deeply connected to Okubo Yoshiaki. However, Shinobu had a "parent-child" rtionship with Akatsuki.

    Seiji sighed after thinking about it for quite a while.

    He felt like it was almost as if he was intentionally making things difficult for himself¡­ No, wait, the source of his frustration to begin with was¡­

    "Yomi, was it intentional on your part?"

    "Hmm? I don''t understand what you''re referring to."

    "Don''t act dumb. Did you intentionally call the puppet a ''child'', and even use words like ''educate'', ''mother'', and ''father'' as analogies to influence my way of thinking in a strange way?"

    "Heehee?" The female spirit chuckled. "You saw through me so easily¡­ That''s right, I did it intentionally."

    "At least you admitted it so frankly." Seiji folded his arms. "What was your objective in doing so?"

    "I just wanted to see your reaction," Yomi told him. "I didn''t lie to you at all. I simply intentionally used some rather subtle analogies."

    "Why did you want to see my reaction?"

    "Because I wanted to see it."

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a moment.

    "You admit that it''s a rather subtle analogy. In that case, what exactly is the truth? Just what type of existence is that puppet?" he asked in a serious manner.

    "She is a demon¡­ a newly-born demon, a demon who appearspletely human but isn''t. You could also call her an abnormal human," Yomi spoke in a vague manner, her voice sounding like it came from far off in the distance. "In a generation long ago, when the differences between demons and humans were rather ambiguous, existences like her would often be born. Some would be good, some would be evil, and some would be neither good nor evil. They aren''t humans, but are simr to humans. They canmunicate with humans, but there''s still a distance between them and humans. Some had happy endings, some had tragic endings, some didn''t leave anything behind, and some left things that might have been passed down even to today¡­ Not everyone can see them for what they are, and they aren''t capable of seeing humans for what humans really are, either. It is a Yin-Yang Master''s task to act as an intermediary between humans and the spirits and demons and keep everything in bnce. Yin-Yang Master Seiji Haruta, just what will you do when faced with such a child? I''m really looking forward to it, heeheehee¡­" The female spirit chuckled.

    This time, her chuckling sounded different from before, seeming to contain something.

    Seiji didn''t know what to say.

    He hadn''t deeply considered the meaning of bing a Yin-Yang Master before. Or, it should be said that he hadn''t considered it from the mystical society''s point of view. Yomi''s rather literary and mystical view had given him an impact.

    As a Yin-Yang Master, what should he do with a newly-born demon?

    This was a specific-case scenario, but it could also be said to be a foundational question for how he wanted to treat his upation as a Yin-Yang Master.

    Uhhhhh¡­

    "Rather than all this talking, I think it''s better to see things first." After much consideration, Seiji finally spoke up. "Right now, it''s not easy to make a decision. Let''s go see her first."

    And so, he cast the spell that Yomi taught him before to open up the path.

    Seiji created a hand seal and uttered an incantation. His hands gradually began to glow red as runes appeared on them.

    The soul realm gradually darkened before turning pitch-ck.

    Seiji extended his palms and pushed out in the darkness. The red light on his hands created a mystical spell formation that resembled a gigantic eye!

    Then, he leapt into the eye and the eye shut and vanished.

    Seiji fell on the ground as he arrived on the path to theherworld.

    The ground was blood-red.

    Seiji stood up and observed the environment around him, which caused him to furrow his eyebrows.

    The sky and ground were both blood-red. Apart from the cluster amaryllis on the ground, there were also numerous tall ck pirs that were connected by countless silver threads. Arge amount of puppets as well as humans were impaled and hung from the threads and pirs!

    There were boys, girls, and¡­ even children hung in midair as if they were specimens in a museum. They were in various strange poses.

    Apart from theseplete bodies, there were also many arms, legs, heads, and other body parts¡­ mixed in together with various puppet parts. Many of these body parts were even dripping with blood.

    There was a disgusting thick smell of blood in the air mixed with some sort of unknown preservative medicine.

    This scene seemed like it came straight out of an R-18 horror game.

    "What an unpleasant soul realm she possesses." Seiji began walking. "Is it just likest time? I should walk towards the ce with the most cluster amaryllis flowers?"

    "Yes," Yomi replied.

    "Such a terrifying environment¡­ just how was it formed?"

    "I''m unable to exin it. However, this type of environment is evidence that just as I expected, this child is currently being influenced by highly negative factors. At this rate, she''ll definitely be an evil demon soon unless you intervene."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "Yomi-san, may I ask what type of demon you are exactly? Or are you actually a heroic spirit?" Seiji was quite curious.

    "Heehee, what do you think I am?"

    "Please don''t answer a question with a question."

    "I would like to maintain a feeling of mystery~"

    "There''s too much mystery about you! At least give me something. Please don''t say again how you don''t like men who ask too many questions. At the very least, I''m supposed to be your host."

    "Heehee¡­ alright, just a little hint." Yomi chuckled. "At the very beginning, I was an existence very simr to the child you''re about to go visit."

    An existence simr to Shinobu Miaki?

    "What does that mean? You were a created puppet as well?"

    "I said that I would only give you a little hint. Imagine the rest by yourself."

    "You¡­ I suppose that''s really just ''a little'' hint. It''s almost like telling me nothing."

    "I don''t merely dislike overly greedy men, I find greedy men annoying, you know~"

    "Does this count as me being too greedy?"

    After some walking, Seiji arrived at a location filled with blooming cluster amaryllis flowers.

    Countless puppet parts and human body parts were hanging impaled on the silver threads going between the ck pirs here¡­ There was only one which had aplete form.

    A little girl who was created from puppet and human "materials."

 Chapter 459 - Shinobu-chan, would you like to come with me?

    <h4>Chapter 459: Shinobu-chan, would you like toe with me?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    She appeared like a puppet doll randomly put together, and even her messy hair was a mix of blood-red and silver.

    Seiji observed her for quite a while.

    "When I wake her up, will she attack me on sight?"

    "I doubt it. And even if she does, you should be able to easily defend against her."

    "Because she''s a ''child?''"

    "Indeed," Yomi exined. "I rmend that you take her down from there. Otherwise, it''ll be inconvenient to talk to her."

    Seiji nodded as he cast [Evolved Telekinesis].

    Arge golden hand appeared and broke the silver threads she was attached to, then caught the little girl before she hit the ground.

    Numerous puppet and human body partsnded on the ground and scattered everywhere.

    Seiji controlled the golden hand to take the little girl to a rtively clear area and gently ced her down.

    "Shinobu Miaki, wake up." He kneeled next to and called out to her as he observed her half-puppet, half-human face.

    The girl didn''t react.

    "It''s time to wake up!" Seiji increased his volume.

    There was still no reaction.

    "Try injecting some Mana into her." The female spirit gave him a rmendation.

    Seiji ced his hand on the little girl''s chest and began injecting Mana into her.

    Iciness, bloodiness, darkness¡­

    Right as she was born, she already experienced all these concepts without even having a clear understanding of them.

    "Answer me. Who are you?"

    That was the first sentence she''d heard after she was born.

    "Do you know what you are?"

    That was the second sentence.

    But after that, everything was hazy¡­ she felt as if she learned some things, and did some things, but her consciousness remained unclear.

    ''Who am I?

    ''What am I?''

    There were only two clear things in her mind¡ªthese two questions. She felt as if she should answer them, but she was unable toe up with the answers.

    ''If I can''t answer them¡­ will I always remain like this?''

    She kept thinking, and did her very best to think. But not only was she unable toe up with the answers, her thoughts gradually became hazy as well, as if something was devouring them.

    ''No¡­ I don''t want to¡­ die¡­''

    Death.

    This was a concept that she still didn''t quite understand yet, but she could feel it.

    If she died, she would no longer be able to think of anything. She wouldn''t be herself anymore.

    And, she still hadn''t even figured out who or what she was yet.

    ''No¡­''

    She kept shouting and resisting. However, that something that kept gradually devouring her didn''t slow down at all.

    Despair.

    This was yet another concept that she wasn''t familiar with yet. However, this feeling had already enveloped her fully¡­

    Suddenly, a different feeling appeared within her.

    It felt gentle, soft, and bright¡­

    Her consciousness became much clearer.

    She was no longer being devoured. Something was being given to her that helped her to maintain her own sense of self.

    She wanted this.

    She could sense that this was something beneficial to her, and instinctively desired more.

    As if in response to her desire, whatever it was that was giving her this feeling continued giving it to her¡­

    The little girl slowly opened her eyes.

    "Ah, you''re awake." Seiji stopped injecting Mana into her and retracted his hand.

    The little girl looked at him.

    He exchanged nces with her and saw that her expression was rather nk¡­ just like a newly-born child who didn''t understand the world.

    "Shinobu Miaki, can you understand my words?"

    The girl looked at him.

    "Shinobu¡­ Miaki?"

    "That''s right, that''s your name."

    "My¡­ name," the girl spoke in a light voice. "I am¡­ Shinobu Miaki."

    "Yes. You are a human puppet created by Akatsuki Mitarai. That was the name he gave to you."

    "Akatsuki Mitarai¡­ human puppet¡­"

    Seiji realized all the more clearly that she truly was a "child" upon seeing the way that she spoke with only a vague understanding!

    "Who¡­ are you?" the girl¡­ Shinobu Miaki asked him.

    "I am Seiji Haruta. I''m Akatsuki Mitarai''s enemy."

    "Seisi¡­ Haruta?"

    "No, not Seisi. It''s Seiji, Seiji Haruta."

    "Seiji¡­ Haruta¡­" She looked directly at him. "Did you¡­ give¡­ me?"

    "I just gave you some Mana earlier."

    "Mana¡­ very good¡­" The little girl''s expression slowly changed as her mouth gradually arced upwards to reveal a faint smile. "Thank you."

    Her smile wasn''t particrly beautiful. However, it was iparably pure.

    Seiji widened his eyes at the sight.

    Then, he smiled faintly as well.

    "No need to be polite."

    After talking to Shinobu for a while, Seiji came to a conclusion: he couldn''t just leave this child alone!

    As a human puppet, Shinobu Miaki had only the most basic knowledge and understanding of the world. She was as pure as a nk piece of paper, and as long as she was properly taught and raised, she could definitely be a very good person¡­ er, demon.

    However, she was currently being influenced by all the negative things in her soul realm¡­ or perhaps a more urate word would be "invaded." She was currently losing her sense of self.

    When shepletely lost her sense of self and ability to think, that would be the moment when she transformed into an evil demon.

    "It seems that you have already made a decision."

    "Yep. I''m going to teach her properly to prevent her from bing an evil demon with no sense of self."

    "Even if this means that you''ll be helping your enemy?"

    "While it''s rather unpleasant to think that I''d be helping him, whenpared to simply allowing this child to fall into depravity, that''s nothing." Seiji folded his arms. "Not only am I going to teach her, I''m even going to steal her away from Akatsuki so that she can be raised properly."

    "Heehee¡­" Yomi chuckled. "You actually care about a puppet that your enemy created. You''re so interesting."

    "You''re the one who led me to this!"

    "You were the one who made the decision on your own~"

    "Er¡­" Seiji found it difficult to counter her statement. "So what if I care! Shinobu-chan is a good girl." He decided to frankly admit it.

    "You''re even calling her directly by name now."

    "That''s just the type of man I am! Do you have any objections?"

    "Heehee¡­" The female spiritughed in delight.

    "I should be able to obtain Shinobu-chan through the official Yin-Yang Master duel next week if I win. But that means waiting an entire week, and she''s also going to participate in battle as well. Akatsuki is highly likely to do more modifications to her¡­ is there any way I can protect her?"

    "There isn''t. However, you can simply just take this child back with you right now."

    "Right now? Here in the soul realm?" Seiji was quite astonished. "This is possible!?"

    "Yes. However, you''re only taking her soul, not her physical body. Also, it will cause some damage to her for her soul to be separated from her body."

    "Damage¡­ to what extent?"

    "She''ll be incredibly weakened, and she''ll basically be the weakest ss of demon," Yomi exined. "However, if you properly raise her, she''ll be able to be much stronger. And if you can take her physical body away from Akatsuki as well, you''ll be able to return her soul to her body."

    Seiji fell silent at this.

    He looked at Shinobu Miaki. She was currently silently looking at the sky as if she wanted to see through to the heavens.

    Should he take this child with him or leave her here?

    Seiji was leaning towards taking her with him. Although taking her with him would damage her and weaken her greatly, he would take responsibility by properly taking care of her. He would definitely take her physical body away from Akatsuki as well, and help her soul return to her body.

    And if she stayed here, who knew what she would experience in her own soul realm that was filled with all these terrifying things, which were likely the circumstances surrounding her birth? Who knew what Akatsuki might end up doing to her soul!

    "Shinobu Miaki¡­ Can I call you Shinobu-chan?" he asked after some consideration.

    She looked at him and nodded.

    Seiji smiled and asked, "Shinobu-chan, would you like toe with me?"

    She blinked upon hearing this.

    "Go¡­ with you?"

    "Yes, I feel that this is a bad ce. It''s not suitable for you to stay in. I''d like to take you somewhere else."

    "Somewhere else¡­ where?"

    "My territory." Seiji pointed at himself. "I promise to take good care of you. Will youe with me?"

    Shinobu looked directly at Seiji.

    She recalled what he had given her, andpared it to what she felt staying here¡­

    "I want to¡­ go with you."

    She made the first decision of her life since being born.

    She didn''t know that this decision of hers would massively change her fate.

 Chapter 460 - â€œPest eliminationâ€

    <h4>Chapter 460: ¡°Pest elimination¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji hugged little Shinobu while casting a spell with Yomi''s assistance.

    As he uttered the incantation, the space around them gradually darkened as red light glowed on the little girl''s body with blood-red runes.

    Shinobu''s consciousness gradually faded. However, she didn''t feel like resisting as she always had before because he''d said that she would be fine.

    And just as she believed, a warm feeling was transmitted to her body from him again, which maintained her sense of self.

    This was his¡ªSeiji Haruta''s¡ªMana.

    Shinobu really liked this¡­ even though she didn''t have a clear understanding of the concept of "like" yet.

    She simply felt that this was wonderful, and that meeting him was a wonderful thing.

    He gave her something very nice, and she wanted to give him something equally nice. However, she didn''t know what she could give him.

    She decided to think hard about thister.

    As long as she followed him, she would be able to continue thinking, and always be able to think. She would definitely think of something!

    The little girl closed her eyes and revealed a faint expression of bliss in his arms.

    While holding on to Shinobu and entering the path to theherworld, he noticed that her body was changing.

    The traces of her being put together by various "materials" vanishedpletely, and her hair became clean and pure silver rather than being messy and silver mixed with blood-red. Her entire body seemed to be turning somewhat translucent as well.

    He hurriedly asked Yomi what was going on.

    "The part of her soul affected by the negative energies there has remained behind. Currently, her soul''s main portion is being sustained by your Mana, so her form has changed," the female spirit exined to him. "As for why she''s turning translucent, that''s because she''s currently in a weakened state. As long as you continue providing her with Mana, her form will gradually stabilize."

    "So, she''s still alright?"

    "Naturally."

    "That''s good, then." Seiji looked at the little girl in his arms who was seemingly asleep. "What will happen to the portion of her soul that remains behind there?"

    "Nothing at all. It''ll just be like a cicada discarding its outer shell, and it will simply remain there."

    "That''s a rather subtle analogy."

    "I think it''s quite an appropriate one, hehe¡­" Yomi chuckled.

    She was quite delighted to see what had happened.

    Long, long ago, a Yin-Yang Master had acted just like the current Seiji Haruta, holding a weak little demon while walking home.

    That Yin-Yang master saved her, taught her, and helped her learn about the world, letting her experience so much.

    After the little demon grew up into a powerful demon, she became that Yin-Yang Master''s Spirit-branded Retainer to be of assistance to him. She gradually became stronger and stronger.

    "Without realizing it, you''ve be quite strong¡­ your name doesn''t seem to fit your current strength anymore. How about changing your name to a more suitable one?

    "Eh? You don''t want to change your name? Just treat it as your nickname then. Or, treat your original name as your childhood name, and your new name as your adult name.

    "Let''s give you a really cool-sounding new name. You''ll be called¡­"

    Seiji gradually opened his eyes.

    It was light outside and time to wake up.

    He silently tried sensing his own body. Apart from the spirit Yomi, he could sense an incredibly weak and small existence inside him as well.

    That was Shinobu Miaki.

    "You don''t need to keep her in your mind at all times. Leave her to me. I shallmunicate with her and teach her various things." Yomi had told him that before he woke up.

    It was nice that she was willing to do this. However, why was she suddenly so proactive? Didn''t she usually enjoy her "sleeping?" Seiji was rather curious about her sudden change in attitude.

    "Because ''educating'' a pure and innocent little demon is something quite amusing~"

    It was a reply that rendered Seiji speechless.

    Although this type of response might make one wonder "Is it truly alright to leave things to someone like her?", Seiji believed that Yomi was worthy of his trust. After all, he was only able to take Shinobu''s soul with him due to her power in the first ce¡­ so he figured that she would do fine in teaching Shinobu properly.

    Besides, it seemed reasonable for a powerful demon to be teaching a newbie demon, and more appropriate than a human teaching a demon.

    When he got out of bed, he saw Shika at breakfast.

    At first, Shika''s expression was normal, and she acted as if nothing had happened between themst night. However, a few minutester, her face flushed red, and she kept averting her gaze from Seiji. She behaved incredibly awkwardly.

    Seiji started feeling awkward as well upon seeing her behavior. He did his very best to stop himself from recalling what he felt yesterday from Shika "attacking" him.

    Both of them felt awkward, yet still tried to prevent Reo from noticing that anything was wrong. This caused the atmosphere at breakfast to be rather strange.

    At this moment, someone knocked on Seiji''s apartment door.

    He was surprised to see that the visitor was Mai.

    "Mdy has ordered me to begining over here to take Tachibana-san to school every day." The maid smiled in greeting. "From now on, I shall take charge of her safety to and from school and eliminate any problematic pests."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He instantly recalled how this senpai of his would smile beautifully while shooting people with herser gun at the school festival!

    If it was her, she probably really would kill off any criminals just like how one would kill an annoying insect¡­ he couldn''t help but think this to himself. As for whether or not she would still smile if she had to kill someone, he wouldn''t know.

    "Thanks for the trouble¡­ if you need any assistance in dealing with any problems, please contact me."

    "Thank you for your concern, junior. If you''re needed, I won''t hesitate to call you."

    After Mai entered his apartment, she gave him the same present as the first one she had given him: a box of homemade red-bean cakes.

    Seiji thus recalled how he had tasted Mai''s red-bean cakes together with Shika at the president''s residence at that time.

    He could recall the scene as if it had happened only yesterday. After all, he had agreed to write a story together with Shika on that day, and it was a wonderful memory for him.

    After that, they wrote "Brother Monogatari" together, and it was almost published already¡­ although he didn''t know the specific time.

    ''Let''s call Editor Yoshizawater today to ask her.'' Seiji made a mental note.

    He invited Mai to eat breakfast together with them. She politely refused, saying that she had eaten already.

    "Although I was somewhat mentally prepared, seeing your breakfast¡­ still makes me want to go and borrow your kitchen." The maid sighed. "I don''t want to say that you guys are doing a bad job, but¡­ breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for growing girls. You should pay more attention to nutrition and bnce."

    "¡­Please teach me, Senpai."

    "I don''t want to give a long lecture, but I can''t make it too simple, either¡­ How about this, I''ll email you some informationter that you absolutely must finish reading! n out your meals ording to the information that you read and ask me about anything that you don''t understand. You can also ask me about any recipes that you''re having problems with, and I''ll definitely teach you."

    Seiji was awed at how professional she seemed at being a nutritionist. He could only agree to do as she asked.

    Out of concern for Shika and Reo''s living conditions, Mai asked them some questions, and made some specific suggestions to both of them based on what she felt were bad habits.

    Her attitude seemed gentle and intimate, while also imperceptibly strict at the same time. The middle schooler and elementary schooler both obediently listened to her as if they were younger sisters being lectured by their older sister.

    Seiji was quite moved by this scene, finding it interesting at the same time. Of course, he did his very best to take care of Shika and Reo. However, as he was male, there were always things that he would miss or overlook.

    Fortunately, Mika, her mother thendlord, as well as Kaede Juumonji would all asionally help him out. Now, his maid senpai had helped him with life counseling as well. He was truly grateful to all of them.

    "Junior, I hear that you sleep together with Tachibana-chan every night¡­ is this true?" Mai asked him in an icy tone.

    Seiji''s expression froze.

    He had forgotten about thisndmine¡­

    Mai smiled as she looked directly at him with the same look in her eyes as when she had talked about "eliminating problematic pests" earlier.

 Chapter 461 - â€œThe shame of the Newcomersâ€™ Awardsâ€

    <h4>Chapter 461: ¡°The shame of the Neers¡¯ Awards¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji did his best to withstand the assassin maid¡­ er, his senpai''s pressure as he exined the situation.

    Thanks to Reo''s testimony backing him up, he managed to escape suspicion of being a pervert yet again.

    Although Mai epted his exnation, she still didn''t seem to ept what was going on.

    "Junior, I''d really like to give you a good sermon right now, but I''m short on time¡­ At any rate, please take good care of yourself." The maid put extra emphasis on herst line.

    ''Don''t do anything stupid.'' Seiji felt as if he could imagine her saying that in between the lines.

    "I shall remember it in my heart and will never overstep my boundaries." He could only answer in such a ssical fashion.

    "Very good, then."

    Everyone left together after finishing breakfast.

    Mika and Chiaki who was dragged over by Mika were astonished to see Mai at the Uehara apartments.

    They had met this legendary former student council president during the school festival but had never talked to her before.

    They all greeted and got to know each other.

    At this moment, Kaede arrived as well. Mai greeted the blonde infirmary nurse, while Kaede smiled and greeted Mai by name.

    "Juumonji-sensei, you''re acquainted with Houjou-senpai?"

    "Yes, she once brought a sick girl over to the infirmary, and we chatted a little. She left quite an impression on me at the time." Kaede smiled faintly. "I was thinking how she seemed like someone who might be Harano-kun''s acquaintance or friend. It seems that I had been correct."

    "Why did Sensei think so?" Chiaki was rather curious.

    "Because I felt like she was somewhat simr to Harano-kun¡­ she didn''t seem like an ordinary student."

    That was still a rather vague answer. However, Chiaki and Mika both now had looks of understanding.

    "Heehee, Juumonji-sensei doesn''t seem like an ordinary teacher, either. I could say the same for you." Mai smiled faintly as well.

    The beautiful female student (maid assassin) and beautiful female teacher (mafia family daughter) exchanged smiles in a beautiful scene.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    There was a dark secret hidden behind the maidens'' beautiful smiles¡­ was that how he was supposed to describe this scene?

    Afterwards, Mai took Reo to her elementary school.

    Seiji, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede went together to Genhana High School. On the way, Seiji exined what he was going to do soon.

    "A duel between Spiritual Ability users¡­ I''d really like to see that." Chiaki was as casual and rxed as always.

    "Shouldn''t you be concerned about Seigo first?" Mika gave her friend a sidelong nce.

    "It''s fine, if he''s participating in a duel, he''ll definitely win! Isn''t that right?"

    "I''m quite happy that you believe in me so much. Still, I would like it if you would worry about me a little," Seiji told her.

    "Seigo, don''t die on me! You said that you would marry me and apany me for the rest of my life!" Chiaki pretended to be deeply emotional.

    "I never said such a thing!"

    "Seigo, make sure to return alive! Mika''s waiting for you to marry her and apany her for the rest of her life!" Chiaki pretended to be serious.

    "There was no such promise, either!"

    "Seigo, you can''t die! You still need to realize your dream of creating an extravagant harem!" Chiaki pretended to be hot-blooded.

    "Realize, the hell! You''re making it sound worse and worse! Stop trying to give me death gs like that!!" Seiji retorted energetically.

    Mika and Kaede were rendered speechless.

    The double-pigtailed girl could only sigh as she watched Seiji and Chiaki''s vigorous debate, while the blonde teacher smiled.

    "Uehara-san, you don''t need to worry so much. If things were so serious, Harano-kun wouldn''t be joking around like this." Kaede noticed Mika''s emotions and tried to coax her.

    "I know¡­ but it''s still a duel¡­ even if Seigo makes it sound so simple¡­"

    "If you''re so worried, try talking to him one on one then. Don''t take Wakaba-san with you, heehee¡­"

    "Yeah¡­" Mika felt that this was excellent advice as she observed the rowdy scene before her.

    When they reached school, Seiji separated from the others and headed for the student council president''s residence instead. He went to the underground practice field.

    Now that he was a Yin-Yang Master, the first major spell that he wanted to learn was [Dragon Counterattack]!

    This was the ultimate spell that his system rewarded him with after winning the duel against Okubo Yoshiaki. It had caused him to recall Genji from Overwatch''s ultimate ability.

    The first two prerequisites for learning this spell was to learn three attack type and then three defense type spells and martial arts techniques. That was why at the time, he could only set it aside despite how cool it looked.

    By now, he only needed one more defensive technique in order to fulfill the first two prerequisites. He wanted to do his best to learn this spell now as soon as possible.

    After some consideration, Seiji decided to learn [Martial arts technique - Ksitigarbha technique].

    This was an earth-based defensive technique that required him to be standing on the ground. He could transfer a Mana-based or physical attack against him into the ground in order to absorb most of the attack''s force. It would be even more effective whenbined with [Mana Barrier]¡­ that was the basic exnation from the system.

    He immediately started the process of learning [Ksitigarbha technique].

    While he was busy cultivating, Hitaka and Rana arrived as well. They greeted him and began working on their own cultivation.

    Time passed just like that.

    Around lunch time, Seiji received a phone call.

    The call was from Editor Yoshizawa whom he had intended on contacting anyways.

    "''Brother Monogatari'' is scheduled to be published on next Wednesday," the editor told him right after she greeted him.

    "Next Wednesday¡­ wonderful!" Seiji was quite happy to hear this.

    "And, tomorrow night, I need you to attend an award ceremony where you''ll receive a Judges'' Choice special prize!"

    "Eh? Award ceremony? Special prize?"

    "Yes, it''s a neer''s award for Thunderbolt Literature''s new and outstanding authors. ''Brother Monogatari'' received a Judges'' Choice special prize!"

    "Oh¡­ thank you." Seiji was still a bit too stunned to know what to say.

    Having suddenly received a neers'' award prize like this seemed rather amazing to him¡­

    He suddenly recalled that several of the light novels he had read in this world had been awarded this same neers'' award, such as "Record of the Demon Sword" and "I Can''t Sleep When I''m Sleeping Together With My Younger Sister!"

    He had a more solid understanding of this award now that he had recalled some stories that had won it.

    "Do you have time tomorrow night to attend the award ceremony?"

    "I sure do!" Seiji replied. He definitely wanted to go get his award since he was lucky enough to win one.

    Saki told him the time and ce of the award ceremony.

    Seiji wrote them down and promised to be there on time.

    They ended their conversation there.

    Not only did he learn the publication date of "Brother Monogatari", he even received an award. That came as quite a surprise to him.

    Seiji left the practice field and went to rest for a while in the living room, taking a break from cultivation. He surfed the inte on his cell phone and checked out the information about "Thunderbolt Literature''s Neer Awards".

    That was when he discovered that these awards were actually considered a pretty big deal. The first ce prize awards were basically always given to light novels that became bestsellers, and as for the special prize category¡­ well, it wasn''t so special after all. It was just an extra prize category, or perhaps it should be called a constion prize.

    Although he was somewhat disappointed to learn this, he felt that it was only natural. After all, he never even submitted his own work to be considered for the award in the first ce. It would have been unusual if he''d received first ce.

    When he did more research about this award, he discovered that the submission deadline for the neers'' award had ended at the beginning of November ofst year! At that time, he had just entered Genhana High School and met Shika at the drama club for the first time¡­ "Brother Monogatari"''s first words hadn''t even been written yet.

    After the submission deadline was over, the editing department would determine the chosen candidates. Neither the first publicized list of candidates, nor the second, much shorter list of culled candidates included "Brother Monogatari" among them. Only the third and final publicized finalists list included "Brother Monogatari", and it was exined that it was chosen as a "special exception"!

    Wait a moment, if that was what happened¡­

    Seiji''s eyes twitched as he continued searching for information on the inte. Then, as he expected, he discovered that there were incredibly "heated" discussions on relevant message forums about how "Brother Monogatari" had won an award without even having gone through the first and second rounds of selection, instead directly appearing on the list of finalists to receive a "special" award.

    The keywords that people were discussing were "bribery," "deceitful organizers," "shame of the Neers'' Awards," "rigged by the industry", and so on.

    The hell!

 Chapter 462 - The Princess sure is difficult to deal with

    <h4>Chapter 462: The Princess sure is difficult to deal with</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was a good thing that he won an award, but the circumstances around his victory made Seiji feel like he had fallen into a pit trap.

    Seiji called Editor Yoshizawa to ask her about this situation.

    "Specially chosen awards that can enter the nomination processter on have always existed within our system. It was just that the standards were incredibly strict, so there''s basically no precedents," Saki exined to him. "''Brother Monogatari'' being chosen was something that all the judges unanimously agreed on. The judges also unanimously agreed on giving your story the award, so there''s no internal problems at all."

    "However, it caused so much controversy on the inte." Seiji could only smile wryly.

    "We shall make an announcement detailing the specifics of how your story got chosen."

    "Even so, there''s probably still people that won''t ept it¡­ I''m happy to receive an award, but I think that creating such a controversy as the price for it isn''t so good." Seiji paused for a moment. "Or is it that the editing department''s goal in the first ce was to create a controversy to make my story into a hot topic?"

    Saki fell silent for a moment.

    "Our head editor personally saw to Brother Monogatari''s inclusion in the awards as well as ensuring that you won an award." Saki didn''t answer him directly. Instead, she drastically lowered her voice to a whisper.

    "¡­Could it be that it''s not convenient for you to discuss this due to your position?" Seiji perceptively noticed that she was being roundabout.

    "I''m currently at work."

    "So you mean that it''ll be fine to discuss this when you get off from work?"

    "Yeah."

    "Alright¡­ I''ll wait for you to get off from work then." Seiji thought for a moment. "By the way, do you think I could speak directly to the head editor?"

    "The head editor is currently very busy."

    That meant no, or perhaps it meant that speaking to him would be meaningless.

    "Understood. Talk to youter then."

    They ended the conversation there.

    The head editor personally manipted things so that Seiji won an award¡­ perhaps the head editor intended to stir things up in order to increase Brother Monogatari''s sales.

    Seiji didn''t wish to see his and Shika''s story meet with any negative controversy. Still, he understood that perhaps the head editor wanted to draw attention to his story.

    After all, how low or high quality a story was wouldn''t be the most important thing. For Thunderbolt Literature or any simrpany, sales would likely be the most important part of all. Stirring up some controversy and having everyone''s attention on his story would help to influence sales. Seiji was quite clear on this.

    It was understandable that the editing department would take certain actions to help increase a novel''s sales. Considering that he was just a neer author, it was quite something already that the head editor would personally take notice of his novel and act to increase its sales.

    "Although I can understand¡­ I still wish that I could have been informed first." Seiji sighed.

    If only he wasn''t a neer author. If he had been a veteran author with plenty of aplishments racked up already, the situation would likely have been different.

    He would change things in the future!

    Seiji then called Shika in order to tell her about the story''s publication date and the situation regarding the award their story received.

    Seigo Harano took a leave of absence from school again.

    His ssmates had gotten used to how often he took leaves of absence. However, some people were still curious just what this "Magic-devouring Dragon" was doing. One student even cracked a joke that was surprisingly close to the truth¡­

    "Perhaps Harano-san is actually a Spiritual Ability user who asked for a leave of absence in order to fight against demons."

    Of course, the reason why such a joke would appear was because of the discussions on the inte and in the media.

    The night of one hundred demons continued as always since the New Year''s. Normal people kept meeting with more and more strange situations. Even though the mystical society kept continuously suppressing the information the best they could, it was impossible to suppress everything and people were starting to hear more and more about this topic.

    Mystical phenomena, demons and spirits, Spiritual Ability users¡­

    Most ordinary people simply treated it as a currently popr fad. However, there were also some ordinary people that would reallye into contact with such things, learning the truth.

    Some people chose to avoid the truth, even treating it as nothing having ever happened. Some people would choose to try telling others about it. And there were incredibly few that would do their very best to try and search for the truth.

    Although things appeared calm on the surface, there was an undercurrent beneath all that. As for whether the waves would finally calm down or eventually surge and turn into a torrential flood, nobody knew.

    "Is Seigo really fighting against demons during his leave of absence?"

    During lunch break, Yukari came to Mika and Chiaki''s ssroom to ask them this question.

    "Pretty much. You can treat it like that."

    "I want to know the truth."

    "Knowing too much is bad for you, Special Agent Asamiya." Chiaki pretended to be some serious middle-aged man.

    "I know what I''m doing, Special Agent Wakaba," Yukari responded in turn. "Tell me. What is he busy with?"

    "Killing people."

    The purple-haired girl''s gaze sharpened upon hearing this.

    "He''s fighting against evil Spiritual Ability users?"

    "There''s no separation between good and evil in our line of work. Don''t be so na?ve, Special Agent Asamiya." The tomboy continued pretending to be some serious special agent as she droned on in a low voice.

    "Stop acting, please talk normally."

    "It''s the same even if I talk normally. He''s out killing people." Chiaki stopped using her serious expression and low tone of voice as she folded her arms. "You aren''t really na?ve enough to believe that he''s simply Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes and an absolute hero of justice, are you?"

    Yukari fell silent.

    "Seigo will really kill people. He''s the type who will definitely do what needs to be done if it''s absolutely necessary¡­ that''s what I believe." Chiaki looked at Yukari. "If you have such an unrealistic impression of him, then I would advise you to give up on him now."

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika looked at her good friend.

    "Mika, the same goes for you too." Chiaki turned to look at her. "Earlier this morning, you were quite worried about Seigo when he exined the situation. That''s very natural, but you seem to have ignored another aspect about his situation. Let me ask you, have you ever thought about Seigo killing another person? What will you feel if he kills someone right in front of you? And what will you think?"

    Mika''s expression froze.

    She thought back to what President Yoruhana had told her before about the mystical side of society. Although she made her decision back then, she never thought too deeply about it again. After all, something like killing people¡­ she didn''t want to think about it, and she unconsciously felt like it was something that wouldn''t happen around her.

    Only now did she finally realize quite clearly that it¡­ wasn''t far away from her at all.

    Seigo was going to a duel¡­ another way of describing it was that he was going to kill someone!

    He would have to risk his own life to kill someone else. That was the meaning of a duel, kill or be killed.

    Chiaki had recognized that from the very start and said "I''d really like to see that" on top of it.

    Juumonji-sensei hadn''t said anything, but with her maturity, she probably saw the duel for what it was and epted it as well.

    ''However¡­ I still haven''t thought over things that deeply.''

    Mika fell silent upon realizing this.

    Everyone remained silent for a while.

    "Seigo¡­ Seiji Haruta is a real, living person, not a fictional hero of justice from a shonen manga," the tomboy stated calmly. "All of you have been saved by him before, so there''s nothing wrong with viewing him as a hero. I also believe him to be a hero as well, a real-life hero. However, real-life heroes might not all stand for good and justice, and even if they''re on the side of good, not all people will think they''re good¡­ I choose to give him my recognition. Even if he kills someone right in front of me, I''ll believe in him. What about the two of you? What do you think a hero should be like? Or, what do you think Seiji Haruta should be like? Do you truly realize what the real him is like? You don''t need to answer me, but you need to think about it well for yourselves."

    With that long speech finished, Chiaki began eating her lunch again.

    Mika and Yukari silently exchanged nces.

    "What do you think? Uehara-san," the purple-haired girl asked Mika.

    "I¡­ need to think about it," Mika said. ''I also want to personally talk to Seiji about it.'' She left her inner thoughts unsaid.

    "How about you? Asamiya-san," Mika asked Yukari the same question.

    "To be honest, this has given me quite an impact, and I need to think it over as well." Yukari sighed while ncing over at Chiaki. "But no matter what, I won''t give up so easily on him."

    Then, she said goodbye as she turned around and left.

    "Tsk, I thought that at the very least she would be obviously shaken, but she wasn''t¡­ the Princess is truly difficult to deal with."

    Chiaki pretended to have a grim expression as she watched Yukari leave and made such a statement.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 463 - I accept killing people

    <h4>Chapter 463: I ept killing people</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Chiaki, you¡­" The double-pigtailed girl had aplex expression in her eyes.

    "This time, I didn''t lie to her, although I didn''t tell her theplete truth, either." The tomboy stopped disying her grim expression and began giggling. "I did want to shake up the princess a little, but I wasn''t too serious about it. I was just doing as I pleased."

    Mika didn''t know what to say anymore.

    Currently, in her eyes, Chiaki''s grinning expression seemed the same as always, but with something iprehensible added to it as well.

    "If you really want me to exin, I can do that as well. But it''s probably better that you think through things on your own, Mika."

    Later that night.

    Seiji went online to check out the discussions about his novel''s award. He saw that due to Thunderbolt Literature''s announcement about how his novel went through the process of winning an award, the controversy was somewhat reduced.

    Then, just as he was about to call Editor Yoshizawa, she called him instead.

    "The answer to your question earlier this morning is ''no.'' The editing department doesn''t like to use controversies as a method of attracting attention," Saki told him. "However, I can''t deny that it might be possible that our head editor had this in mind when he forced Brother Monogatari through the awards process. And no matter what, he didn''t do anything that could be considered hical. Although he did forcefully add Brother Monogatari in at the very end, all the judges themselves agreed that your story was worthy of the special award. So, it still followed the rules. I believe that the head editor did this with good intentions. He probably anticipated that giving Brother Monogatari an award like this would cause some controversy, but he still chose to do so because he believed in your story¡­ he believed that its quality would be able to ovee any controversy and transform the attention it receives into excellent sales."

    Seiji silently finished listening to Saki speak.

    "Since Editor Yoshizawa believes it to be so, I''ll believe that''s how it is as well," Seiji told her. "I understand that it''s very important to attract attention to a neer author''s novel. However, if at all possible, I''d like to be informed about such things beforehand, not right when they happen."

    "I apologize for that. It''s apse in my work, I''m sorry." Saki was apologetic about it.

    "I didn''t want Editor Yoshizawa to apologize to me¡­ But I suppose I''ll ept that. Let''s just leave things as is." Seiji didn''t want to make such a big deal out of this. "By the way, are there any specific requirements for the awards ceremony tomorrow regarding dress code?" He decided to ask something that he''d forgotten to ask earlier this morning.

    "There''s no specific requirements. Just wear something that''s not ridiculous. You can even attend in your school uniform if you''d like."

    His school uniform was alright, so it wasn''t that formal?

    "How about a cosy outfit then?" Seiji asked jokingly.

    "I wouldn''t rmend it. But as long as it''s not too outrageous, it''s still alright."

    Even cosy was fine!?

    "If even that''s allowed, this award ceremony¡­ is quite a casual one."

    "Although the important part is the award, it''s also a bit of a celebration, which is why the requirements for what to wear are quite rxed," Saki exined. "But it''s technically a formal event, so it''s still somewhat serious."

    "Oh¡­ in that case, what was the most unique attire you ever saw at the awards ceremony?"

    "The cosy attire that you mentioned. A female author once dressed herself as a vampire to receive the prize."

    Seiji couldn''t help but imagine that scene and felt that it was quite interesting.

    The two of them ended their conversation after chatting for a while.

    At this moment, Mika arrived at his apartment.

    "Seiji, I''d like to talk to you. Is that alright?"

    "Of course."

    Mika took a seat in his study while Seiji poured some hot tea for both Mika and himself.

    "What would you like to talk about?"

    "It''s about the duel that you mentioned this morning that you would participate in¡­ I''m really worried¡­ and also concerned about something¡­"

    The double-pigtailed girl expressed her anxiety, telling Seiji about the discussion that she had with Chiaki and Yukari during lunch break.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment as he sipped on his tea.

    "First of all, thank you for being so worried about me¡­ Since I''m joining this duel of my own free will, I''ve resolved myself appropriately." Seiji began speaking. "Also¡­ do you still remember what I told you on that day that I scolded and insulted the Amami twin sisters?"

    Mika looked at him with something shing in her eyes.

    "I''m not a good person, or an evil person. I''m just someone who does whatever he wants to do and likes to do¡ªthat''s who I am." Seiji smiled.

    The double-pigtailed girl furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

    "But, duels are¡­"

    "It might be kill or be killed. I realize this¡­ although the actual situation might not be so extreme, it isn''t wrong to view the duel in such a fashion," Seiji stated calmly. "This ispletely different from scolding, as it''s on another level entirely. It''s about one''s own as well as other people''s lives. Of course it should be treated in a serious manner¡­ that''s what you believe, right?"

    Mika nodded.

    "That''s why you''re such a kind girl." Seiji smiled. "But as for me¡­ I said it before at that time as well. I don''t believe myself to be a good person. Actually, I''m indeed no such thing."

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Chiaki wasn''t wrong at all. I''m the type who will kill others if I consider it necessary. In this duel that I joined, I''m doing so with the resolution to kill my opponent."

    Seiji looked directly into Mika''s eyes and had a sincere and honest expression.

    "You already know everything that you should know, Mika. I believe that there''s no need to repeat myself. Think over things properly for yourself."

    The double-pigtailed girl furrowed her eyebrows even more deeply.

    "I don''t know, Seiji¡­ you¡­ just what do you think about killing others?"

    "This question¡­ how should I say it, I think it''s quite difficult to answer¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "If I really tried to exin it, it would be hard to say it clearly, or perhaps even impossible to exin, so in the end, it''s probably better not to say anything. So, you can treat it as me being unwilling to answer."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "I¡­ I''m not like Chiaki¡­ If you don''t answer me, I won''t understand¡­" Mika muttered.

    "If you really must have an answer, I''ll just answer you directly and sinctly," Seiji stated lightly. "I ept killing people."

    ept.

    This was quite a simple word, but it also seemed quite profound right now.

    Mika faintly felt as if she perceived something within, but when she thought over it more deeply, she couldn''t figure it out.

    They ended their conversation there.

    He wasn''t going to say anything else to her. The rest was up to her to figure out by herself.

    No¡­ there was one more person she could ask.

    Ruri Kinsa, her Spiritual Ability user teacher.

    Mika didn''t really want to ask this teacher of hers, because she felt as if she could imagine Ruri''s answer already. But¡­ Ruri was still her teacher.

    Seiji silently finished the rest of his tea after Mika left.

    That was all he could say on the topic. After that, what Mika thought and did would all be up to her.

    Then, he put down his cup and went back to surfing the inte.

    He contacted a certain person on the inte and immediately got a response. She was currently "in the middle of a huge campaign."

    "You''re ying a game? There''s something I wanted to tell you. Since you''re currently busy, it can wait until tomorrow night."

    She sent him a message saying "wait for me!" followed by a message saying "it''ll be taken care of in five minutes."

    Seiji decided to wait.

    Five minutester, a girl wearing a hat with cat ears appeared on his screen.

    "I just finished conquering the strongest castle in the entire server, and became the strongest domain lord of all. Hee hee~" Hana was currently in an excellent mood.

    "Congrattions, miss strongest domain lord, may you live forever!" Seiji sent her an emoticon of tossing flowers around in congrattions.

    "The way you''re praising me sounds really strange¡­ What was it you wanted to tell me? Did you finish eating the silver fruits? Do you want to go to a Spirit World again?"

    "No, what I wanted to tell you was that I''ve be a Yin-Yang Master already."

    "Eh?"

    Hana paused in surprise for a moment.

    "You said¡­ you became what?"

 Chapter 464 - Basically the distance from Earth to Mars

    <h4>Chapter 464: Basically the distance from Earth to Mars</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hana was astonished to learn that Seiji had be a Yin-Yang Master already.

    Last time, the fact that he took only a wooden sword with him to adventure in a Spirit World was already beyond her imagination. She didn''t expect that this time¡­

    "You actually became a Yin-Yang Master already? How did you do it!?"

    "Actually, I myself don''t know how I did it, either."

    "Why would you not know!?"

    "Because just like changing job sses in a game, I did it simply by choosing the option. I don''t know how the specific process went." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face.

    "How is that possible, bastard!!" Hana retorted forcefully. "There has to be a limit to your joking around!!!"

    ''No, it''s actually the truth.''

    Seiji really wanted to say that out loud, but he felt that she would be unable to handle it judging by her current reaction.

    "I really don''t know. I just fell asleep, and when I woke up, I had already created a Yin-Yang Seal," he told her instead. "It felt like I experienced something in my dream, but I can''t recall."

    The cat-eared hat girl fell silent.

    "I''m even beginning to wonder if I''m Seimei Kamijou''s reincarnation, haha."

    The cat-eared hat girl still remained silent.

    Seiji felt rather awkward because he didn''t hear a retort as he had expected.

    "Er¡­ aren''t you going to say anything?"

    The cat-eared hat girl sighed.

    "You''re a reincarnator, a body stealer, a transmigrator, and a hero from another world. It doesn''t matter anymore if you were a double reincarnator on top of all that," she spoke as if she didn''t care about anything.

    "I think that you should care at least a little more."

    "Then should I be calling you Kamijou-sama? Or Milord Seimei?"

    "That won''t be necessary."

    "Hmph¡­ it''s good that you were able to be a Yin-Yang Master so quickly and all, but don''t be too proud of yourself. You''re still quite far from reaching Yui''s power level," Hana warned him.

    "About how far apart are our power levels?"

    "Basically the distance from Earth to Mars."

    "An astronomical level!?"

    "That''s right, are you scared now?"

    "It''s too exaggerated, so I actually can''t feel anything at all. It absolutely isn''t scary this way."

    "Then I''ll say it in a way that you can understand. Our older sister could easily kill a newbie like you who just became a Yin-Yang Master by only using one of her hands¡ª no, just one finger will be enough!"

    ''Just one finger¡­ will she flick me on the forehead?'' Seiji couldn''t help but think that to himself.

    "Wow, so amazing, so scary~"

    "With how fake your acting is, you might as well not act at all." The cat-eared hat girl folded her arms. "Sister¡­ Yui Haruta is truly strong. She''s the strongest among all members of the Haruta Family that are in our age group, and she received an incredible nickname as well¡ª''Qilin Girl.''"

    "Qilin Girl?"

    "She''s excellent all around and highly skilled at fire and thunder magical spells, which is why she received this nickname." Hana paused for a moment. "Before, there was a fellow from the Tendou Family who was also a genius Yin-Yang Master. He challenged Sister to a duel, and as a result, he and all his Spirit-branded Retainers were burned to death, turning into nothing but ash¡­ that was a huge incident."

    "The Tendou Family¡­ is that one of the Seven Major Yin-Yang Master Families?"

    "Yes. They had a bad rtionship with our Haruta Family to begin with, and it only worsened after Sister''s actions. Right now, Sister is hated by every young person in the Tendou Family, but nobody dares to challenge her anymore."

    "How dominating." Seiji was sincere in eximing this.

    Killing off another major family''s genius, and suppressing all the young ones in that family to the point where they didn''t even dare to do anything? Just what was that like? Seiji felt that it was on the level of a main character from a xuanhuan novel.

    No wonder even someone like Akatsuki Mitarai was worried about Seiji''s family background¡­ Seiji now felt that the only reason why a bastard like Akatsuki was so "polite" to him must have been directly rted to Akatsuki''s fear of Yui Haruta.

    This Qilin Girl who even dared to kill a genius from another of the Seven Major Families, and all the young ones in the Seven Major Families were nothing more than trash in her eyes¡­ Akatsuki Mitarai probably recognized her power. His family wasn''t even one of the Seven Major Families, after all.

    "That''s right, she''s truly dominating. Now do you understand just how strong our sister is?"

    "You actually want me to defeat someone as strong as her? What a request for you to make of me."

    "Shut up! I''ve told you that it would be extremely difficult."

    "It''s not even at the level of extremely difficult, it sounds basically impossible."

    "Hmph, are you actually scared now? Reincarnator transmigrator body stealer hero from another world."

    "You''re wrong, you should be calling me the double reincarnator transmigrator body stealer hero from another world. Since I have all the traits of the main character, how could I possibly be afraid!" A sh appeared in Seiji''s eyes. "Even if I''m up against a god, I''ll show you how I win!!"

    "Yeah, yeah, so cool, you''re truly amazing~"

    "With how fake your acting is, you might as well not act at all." Seiji threw Hana''s line right back at her.

    "Apart from the fact that you became a Yin-Yang Master, was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" Hana changed the topic.

    "Yeah. I''m about to participate in a Yin-Yang Master duel soon."

    "What?"

    Hana no longer knew what expression she had anymore after she finished listening to yet another one of his exnations.

    "Are you intending on marrying Natsuya Yoruhana?" she asked in an icy tone.

    "No. I don''t have that type of rtionship with her."

    "Even if you don''t right now, it''s basically almost at that stage! You harem protagonist, are you intending on making her the main wife, the female lead?"

    "I wasn''t thinking of anything like that at all. I want to help her half because she''s my friend, and half because her opponent really pisses me off."

    "You''re doing so much just for the sake of a friend!? Who the hell would believe you!!"

    Seiji awkwardly scratched his face.

    Even he himself didn''t believe it when he said he felt only "friendship" towards Natsuya.

    "Alright then, I admit it, I am romantically interested in her¡­ But currently, our rtionship really is just that of friends."

    "Disgusting. Stop giving off the sour scent of a teenage idol love drama in front of me. Winners in life can all just go explode and die!"

    "¡­You were clearly the one who brought this topic up."

    "Hmph." The cat-eared hat girl averted her gaze.

    "That''s all I wanted to tell you. I''m going to focus on cultivating this week to prepare for the duel. If there''s anything else, let''s talk again next week."

    "Wait a moment! That''s all?"

    "Yep." Seiji nodded.

    "Just how are you going to prepare? What about weapons? What about equipment?"

    "I''m just going to work my hardest on cultivating and practicing. Natsuya will prepare weapons and equipment for us."

    "Just how good could the things she can prepare even be¡­" Hana muttered as she seriously considered something. "Give me Natsuya Yoruhana''s cell phone number," she told Seiji.

    "Eh?" Seiji paused in surprise for a moment. "Why do you want her cell phone number?"

    "Obviously to contact her."

    "Contact her for what?"

    "To talk to her about your weapons and equipment, idiot!"

    "You want to provide me with equipment?"

    "Yes, idiot! Didn''t I say such a thingst time as well!?"

    "But¡­ this is a duel for Natsuya''s sake, not a visit to a Spirit World¡­"

    "If you''re going to participate in a duel, since I''m your ally, I still have to help you out!" the cat-eared hat girl said fiercely.

    "Hana¡­"

    "Don''t act all moved like that. It''s disgusting."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    What should he do about the fact that he still felt she was quite cute despite her calling him disgusting?

    *Ding!* Congrattions on bing a masochist siscon! Seiji imagined such a system notification in his mind.

    ''No, no, I''m not a masochist, it''s just that my sister is being tsundere which is really cute!!!'' the siscon Seijimented inwardly in his own mind.

    He gave Natsuya''s cell phone number to Hana, and Hana turned off the video chat after that.

    A momentter, the student council president called him.

    "I suddenly received a phone call from Hana Haruta. Were you the one who gave her my phone number?"

    "Yes, my apologies."

    "It''s fine¡­ I was just really surprised." Natsuya sighed. "I didn''t think that¡­ you had already recovered your rtionship with your younger sister."

 Chapter 465 - Heâ€™s awakened his desires

    <h4>Chapter 465: He¡¯s awakened his desires</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Recover¡­ I suppose our rtionship has recovered, although the situation is still a bit subtle," Seiji told her.

    "Eh?"

    "It''s not easy to exin. At any rate, she''s currently my ally."

    "Ally¡­"

    "I told her about how I became a Yin-Yang Master and about the duel I''m joining in soon. She indicated that she wanted to provide me with equipment, and that she wanted to talk to you, so I gave her your phone number."

    "Oh¡­" Natsuya paused for a moment. "So your rtionship with her has improved, but not to the point ofpletely recovering, right?"

    "Yes, you could say that."

    "Understood. No matter what, it''s always a good thing to have more people helping out."

    Natsuya said that she would have a proper discussion with Hana and ended the call.

    Seiji was quite curious about exactly what they would discuss. But, since he didn''t understand the workings of mystical equipment, he figured that there was no need for him to ask to listen in.

    He believed in the two of them, so he would simply wait for the results.

    Natsuya and Hana had a video chat and discussed in detail about the weapons and equipment that Seiji would use during the duel.

    "Let''s just do it like that for the idiot''s equipment¡­ apart from all this, there''s a question I''d like to ask you, Yoruhana-san."

    Hana still wore her cat-eared hat and cute cat mask in front of Natsuya as well.

    "What would you like to ask? Haruta-san."

    "Do you want to get married to that idiot?" Hana asked in a very direct manner.

    Natsuya''s expression froze for a second.

    "Why¡­ why are you asking this?" She started to feel panicky.

    "Because I feel like the two of you might develop such a rtionship."

    "We''re just friends¡­"

    "You should take a look in the mirror at your current expression. Only an idiot would believe what you just said."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    "He''s already told me about the things between you and him. Anyone who has a normal amount of knowledge about rtionships between men and women wouldn''t believe that the two of you are ''just friends.'' Actually, he''s already admitted to me that he''s romantically interested in you," the cat-eared hat girl continued.

    "Seiji¡­ admitted such a thing?" Natsuya''s heartbeat increased and she began blushing an obvious red.

    She was literally a beauty in love¡­ Hana felt as if she could detect an acrid smell of youthful love even from across theputer screen!

    This made her feel displeased.

    "That''s right, he indeed admitted it. That''s why I want to know just what you think about him. Please answer my question."

    "I¡­ still haven''t thought about it¡­" Natsuya''s face was burning up and her eyes became watery.

    ''Seiji actually admitted it in front of his younger sister¡­ that he''s romantically interested in me¡­''

    Her mind was currently all upied with this one thought. She felt rather dazed, while a warm feeling began spreading in her chest.

    "If you haven''t thought about it yet, it''s best that you think about this in detail starting from right now," Hana stated lightly.

    "This¡­ isn''t it too early¡­"

    "No, it''s not early at all. As you''re the daughter of the Yoruhana Family, you should have thought about this issue from the very start. See clearly for yourself whether that idiot is a good partner for your or not, and rationally see what he''s really like!"

    "Eh?" Natsuya was surprised to hear thest part. What Seiji was really like?

    "You should know that Seiji Haruta used to be a depraved otaku scumbag in the past. Even if he''s changed now and be a bit more handsome, some foundational things haven''t changed at all," the cat-eared hat girl went on in a serious tone. "He''s still an otaku, and has a problemmon to all disgusting otakus. That is, he has the awful habit of wanting to start a ''harem collection!'' Normally, most otakus can only fulfill their harem collecting dreams through game and anime female characters since typical otakus are limited by their personal specs. However, when an otaku with the looks and abilities to pull off such a dream appears, it will be a sinful desire! Seiji Haruta is such a person. He''s already awakened to his desires, and having only one girl will never satisfy him! His true self is a shameless pervert who likes to collect all sorts of beautiful girls! He''s a demon who will reach out to capture any prey that he likes at all!! His ultimate goal is to create a terrifyinglyrge harem with countless girls that he can vent his desires on at any time he wishes!!!"

    Natsuya was astonished to hear all this.

    She didn''t know how to react for the time being to Hana''s grand speech.

    "Don''t be misled by his handsome outer appearance. Only by seriously observing and pondering will you be able to see the truth," Hana warned Natsuya seriously.

    "Er¡­ got it." For the time being, Natsuya went along with it. "You have such a low evaluation of Seiji¡­ your older brother. In that case, why are you still helping him out?" She couldn''t help but ask.

    "Because I''m taking advantage of him," Hana replied. "Although he''s a shameless perverted idiot, he still has some uses when being taken advantage of."

    "Taking advantage¡­"

    Natsuya recalled that she had said something simr to Seiji during the Winter Snow Festival and couldn''t help but smile.

    "Why are you smiling?"

    "Nothing, I just recalled something."

    Natsuya looked directly at Hana on the screen.

    "You don''t actually think that, do you?"

    "What?"

    "What you said just now¡­ You actually don''t have a low evaluation of him at all, do you?"

    "Everything I said just now was the truth!" The cat-eared hat girl averted her gaze.

    "Although I can''t see your expression under your cat mask, I think that what you said just now isn''t believable." Natsuya suddenly felt that Hana was rather cute. Was Hana a so-called tsundere girl?

    "It''s up to you whether to believe me or not. At any rate, I''ve already warned you. It''s your own problem if you still can''t see the truth for what it is, hmph!" Hana spoke coldly. "If you really have to be with him, just go ahead and cry when you find out that he''s a harem-loving bastard!"

    "A harem¡­" Natsuya folded her arms. "I haven''t thought about this topic before, but judging from Seiji''s behavior¡­ perhaps inside him, he really does have a little bit of this sort of interest."

    "Far more than just a little bit! He''s basically a harem story protagonist!!"

    "Harem story protagonist¡­ Ha, this description actually sounds pretty cute." Natsuya chuckled at the thought.

    "You''re evenughing! Do you really not mind?" Hana furrowed her eyebrows.

    "Of course I mind. However, it''s not strange for an excellent boy to have several girlfriends¡­ no, I should say that it''s quite normal." Something shed in the student council president''s eyes. "Men that have the abilities and looks often have multiple girls around them. That''s what Imonly see the most, not the world''smon sense about one man being with only one woman. If Seiji creates a harem¡­ at first impression, it does sound rather difficult to ept, but when Ipare it to situations in reality, I feel like it''s not all that hard to understand anymore. In fact, a person like him¡­ a wondrous talent having only one girlfriend almost feels like a waste of his abilities."

    "W-what!?" The cat-eared hat girl even began shouting out loudly. "You¡­ actually approve of him having a harem!?"

    "I''m just considering things from a pragmatic point of view."

    "You''re the daughter of the illustrious Yoruhana Family! You can actually tolerate your potential boyfriend having a girlfriend apart from you!?"

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "As long as I can maintain my status in his heart, along with making sure that he reins himself in when it''s needed¡­ perhaps I''ll be able to ept it."

    Hana was stunned to the point where she was staring with her mouth wide agape.

    ''How could there be such a youngdy from an illustrious Yin-Yang Master family!? Is that bastard''s charisma truly so outstanding!?

    ''No, wait, it''s precisely because she''s a daughter from an illustrious family¡­''

    Just as Natsuya said, for normal people, one man being with only one woman was consideredmon sense. But for a daughter from an illustrious family like her¡­ in the circles that she was familiar with, in both high society and the mystical society, a man having many women¡ªa harem¡ªwas considered normal!

 Chapter 466 - Iâ€™ve already done such a thing twice already

    <h4>Chapter 466: I¡¯ve already done such a thing twice already</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    Natsuya''s face started reddening even further.

    "No, no, I just¡­ tried imagining it for a bit! I''m not saying that I can ept him having a harem right now¡­ Besides, I''m not even his girlfriend yet!!"

    ''What did I just say!? Why did I just say such things?

    ''Was I just trying to make a joke, or did I get carried away¡­ at any rate, that wasn''t what I should have said out loud!''

    "I¡­ I was actually joking around. Something like a harem¡­ I was just casually saying it." Natsuya did her very best to maintain herposure.

    "¡­But you seemed quite serious just now," the cat-eared hat girl muttered in a low voice.

    "I wasn''t being serious! I just¡­ slightly considered the situation pragmatically¡­" Natsuya''s face continued reddening as she averted her gaze. "I was just extrapting things from an objective, practical angle¡­ I definitely wasn''t thinking about my future at all¡­"

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    She wanted to say something about this scene, but didn''t know how toment.

    "Well, whatever you like¡­ at any rate, it doesn''t have anything to do with me. Let''s just leave things at that, Yoruhana-san." Hana decided to end the video chat after several seconds of silence.

    After that, Natsuya quietly stood up, left her study, returned to her bedroom, and locked the door.

    "Wahh ahh~~~" The scion jumped into her bed, covered her face with a pillow, and started rolling around.

    Seiji suddenly sneezed.

    At this moment, he was in the business district. He went to an inte caf¨¦ and into a private room there.

    Hisashi was currently waiting for him inside.

    Hisashi wasn''t gaming or reading any manga, instead simply waiting by a kotatsu. Hisashi greeted Seiji upon his arrival.

    "Did you want to talk about your older brother Zankita?" Seiji asked as he sat down.

    "Yep."

    "You asked me toe all the way here for a discussion instead of just calling me¡­ what happened?"

    "I don''t know." Hisashi sighed as he poured some tea for Seiji.

    "Eh?"

    "I don''t know exactly what happened to him. That''s the problem."

    Hisashi poured some tea for himself as well and sipped on it as he began exining.

    "Ever since that day¡­ thest time that you visited us, he''s been going out every single night, and nobody knows where he was going. When I asked him, he only told me that he was out practicing his cultivation, and he showed me his me ability that definitely got strongerpared to before. He also told me not to tell you. However, he''s been gradually¡­ changing ever since he started secretly going out every night."

    "Changing?" Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    "Yeah¡­ the look in his eyes has changed. He now looks¡­ rather manic." Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. "While he was originally an idiot who loved fighting to begin with, a fighting maniac, at the very least he had mostly a normal way of thinking apart from that. However, during this time period, he''s been changing in an abnormal way¡­"

    "Is it simr to awakening an evil side of himself?" Seiji tried asking.

    "¡­You could say that," Hisashi agreed. "I don''t know what happened to him, nor would he tell me. At this rate, I feel like something terrible will happen. Even though he told me not to tell you anything, I''m still doing so anyways. Seigo, do you know anything about what might have happened?"

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "I think I might know where he''s going every night."

    "Where?"

    "A Spirit World."

    The fact that Zankita would vanish every night, and that his powers were indeed getting stronger¡­ the first thought that Seiji had was of Spirit Worlds.

    But if Zankita Juumonji indeed went to a Spirit World, just where did he obtain the knowledge about Spirit Worlds?

    Besides, Spirit Worlds were highly dangerous areas. For an Awakened like Zankita to adventure in one by himself, that would be highly risky, not to mention how it seemed that Zankita was going on a nightly basis and hadn''t even been injured yet¡­ that seemed highly unlikely.

    "So let''s assume that he''s really going to a Spirit World. In that case, there''s definitely someone providing him with information, as well as going together with him¡­ That is to say, some other Spiritual Ability user or Awakened came into contact with my older brother when I wasn''t aware."

    Something shed in Hisashi''s eyes as he came to this conclusion after hearing Seiji''s exnation.

    "Yes. But, this is only one possibility."

    "I think it''s highly likely that some other Spiritual Ability user or Awakened contacted him. While these people made him stronger, they also caused his personality to change¡­ and as for why he forbids me from telling you about this, it''s probably because those people wanted him to keep their secret."

    Seiji fell silent as he contemted.

    Hisashi remained silent for a while as well.

    "I want to make a request of you, Seigo¡­ no, Seiji." Hisashi had a serious tone.

    "What is it?"

    "Beat my older brother Zankita up."

    "I''ve already done such a thing twice already."

    "I request you to do it a third time for me¡­ well, depending on the circumstances, perhaps it won''t even be necessary. But, I feel that only by beating him in a fight will he finally listen."

    "Is beating him up really alright? What if it causes the opposite effect than intended?" Seiji asked.

    "That''s possible as well¡­ but apart from this, there''s no other method I have left."

    "What about your father?"

    Hisashi fell silent for a moment.

    "Father¡­ is currently hospitalized."

    "Was he the one you mentioned before who was seriously injured by a Tengu spirit?"

    "That''s right¡­ you guessed it."

    "That night, when you said that you would represent your father and leave your sister in my hands, I felt like something was off." Seiji folded his arms. "I haven''t seen Michirou Juumonji-san in so long now, so I had a guess."

    "How sharply perceptive, as expected of you."

    "I don''t think this counts as being particrly perceptive."

    Hisashi took another sip of his tea.

    "With father hospitalized, the Juumonji Group is now run entirely by my older brother Zankita and myself¡­ and things are mostly being held together by Zankita''s authority and people''s respect for him. I can only do things behind the scenes. There''s a lot of pressure on my brother¡­ even though he''s an idiot, he still knows what he needs to do¡­ and the heavy pressure caused him to be anxious, which probably made him¡­ approach people that he shouldn''t have."

    Seiji remained silent.

    "I want to have a serious discussion with him. If I can''t stop him using words, I can only rely on your fists, Seiji." Hisashi slowly lowered his head. "Asking you to beat him up for a third time¡­ this time might be more difficult than thest two times, because I have no idea just how much stronger he''s be. Perhaps you might even get injured. And, whoever it was that influenced my brother in such a fashion¡­ they might start paying attention to you because of such a thing, which will surely bring you trouble. I''m truly sorry to have to make this request of you, but¡­ Please!"

    Seiji slowly unfolded his arms as he faced his friend who was lowering his head to him.

    "Alright."

    Just likest time, he agreed.

    "Thank you." Hisashi was truly grateful.

    Although it was the same response asst time, the meaning behind it waspletely different.

    "When are you intending to talk to your brother?"

    "The sooner the better¡­ will tomorrow night be fine?"

    "I''m busy tomorrow night." Seiji shook his head, recalling the award ceremony he was supposed to attend. "Why don''t we just talk to him right now?"

    "¡­Okay." Hisashi nodded.

    Zankitazily slouched on a sofa.

    A gigantic blue fireball floated in midair before him. It slowly turned around in midair under his control with his hand gestures, and it would sometimes shrink and sometimes expand. It was devilishly beautiful.

    Ever since he received this power, he had improved his ability by several times already¡­ no, several tens of times!

    At first, he could only envelop his fists in mes, which meant that his ability''s power was still quite limited.

    But now, not only could he envelop his entire body in mes, he could even control mes at a distance and create a huge amount of destruction!

    It felt wonderful¡­

    Zankita was thrilled that his power level had gone up significantly in such a short period of time.

    All the years that he worked so hard exercising in order to obtain his muscr body seemed like such a wastepared to how easy it was to obtain power these days!

    The former him was nothing more than a pitiful existence.

    Only the current him was someone truly strong! Not only that, he would only be stronger and stronger!

    Zankita was addicted to ying with his own mes.

    He desired to be stronger, he desired more and more power. However, as for why he wanted to be stronger in the first ce¡­ why was that again?

    At this moment, his cell phone rang.

 Chapter 467 - Strength is everything!

    <h4>Chapter 467: Strength is everything!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Zankita slowly stopped his own fantasies and looked at his cell phone. Only several secondster did he finally pick up the call.

    "Yo. It''s me.

    "Yeah, I''m currently here.

    "What do you want to discuss?"

    That was Zankita''s half of the conversation. Something shed in his eyes as he listened to Hisashi''s words. However, his face remained expressionless.

    Zankita slowly put down his cell phone after the conversation ended.

    He once again focused on the fireball before him before waving his hand and causing it to vanish.

    After Seiji and Hisashi reached the Juumonji Group residence, they split up, with Seiji heading towards the dojo.

    Although Hisashi said it was alright for him to listen in to their conversation if he wanted, Seiji felt that he shouldn''t intrude in their family affairs too much.

    It would be best if Hisashi was able to convince Zankita with words alone, without having thingse to a fight.

    Seiji was quite curious as well just what exactly happened to Zankita.

    Did Zankita really go to a Spirit World? Would there be any differences for the Awakened and Spiritual Ability users in a Spirit World? Hisashi''s idea of a hypothetical group of people that might have contacted Zankita¡­ did they really exist? And if they did, who were they, and what was their goal?

    Seiji patiently waited in the dojo.

    A few minutester, he heard the sound of footsteps.

    A red-haired man slowly walked into the dojo¡­ by himself.

    Seiji exchanged nces with him.

    "Where''s Hisashi?"

    "He''s unconscious."

    "Did you do that to him?"

    "That''s right."

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    "I didn''t think you were the type of person who''d hit his own brother."

    "I thought the same of myself just a few minutes ago."

    Zankita smiled widely.

    His smile had something indescribable about it¡­ something negative and dark.

    "But actually, when I really hit him, I found out that it wasn''t much of a big deal at all. So what if he''s my little brother? Even if he''s my family, if he makes me displeased¡­ I''ll act on my displeasure." A dark look entered Zankita''s eyes. "Why should I be restrained by such things? My younger brother¡­ my father¡­ the Juumonji Group¡­ all these things used to be really important to me, but that was all just a mistaken impression I had due to my own weakness. Now, I''m someone strong, far beyond their level¡­ why should I still care about them and allow them to hold me back? No¡­ I don''t need such things¡­ I don''t need to be like how I was before. I shouldn''t have to be like before!"

    Zankita reached out his hand and summoned a blue me that illuminated his face which was bing distorted.

    "I''m someone powerful, someone special! I should be¡­ free!"

    His me instantly burned even fiercer than earlier.

    Seiji slowly stood up as he looked at Zankita.

    "You want to be free¡­? Whates after that? What do you want the freedom to do?"

    "Does it even need saying? Of course, to be stronger!"

    "Why do you want to be stronger?"

    "As long as I''m strong, I can do anything I want!" Zankita shouted loudly. "Strength is everything!!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He really wanted to make ament here, but there was so much toment on that he didn''t even know where to start.

    Just as he was thinking about how to retort, he saw Zankita suddenly waving his hand, causing the mes on his hand to transform into a fireball which shot in Seiji''s direction!

    Seiji dodged the fireball which crashed into the ground and exploded with a loud boom.

    "I lost twice to you before. This time¡­ I''ll definitely win!"

    Zankita''s entire body erupted with blue mes as he rushed over and punched at Seiji.

    Seiji dodged the first few of Zankita''s punches and attacks. Seiji then stepped forward andnded a strong punch upon Zankita''s stomach area!

    It felt as if he had punched a steel board.

    Also, the mes on Zankita''s body attacked him at the same time as he managed tond the punch. If it wasn''t for the fact that Seiji cast [Mana Barrier] on himself beforehand, he would have definitely been injured with burns.

    Zankita who was wreathed in blue mes merely backed up two steps from receiving Seiji''s heavy punch before continuing to attack Seiji again!

    Zankita had indeed be much stronger.

    Seiji remained calm during the fight. He aimed for Zankita''s unguarded areas and managed to strike him with a Mana-infused punching technique.

    Zankita roared and gathered two fireballs, one in each hand, tossing them at Seiji!

    *Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*

    Seiji dodged both fireballs, but he was unable to dodge Zankita''s kick that came together with the fireballs, and took a vicious direct hit.

    *Boom!* Blue mes exploded.

    Although Seiji jumped backwards the moment he was kicked to mitigate the impact, he was still kicked backwards by an explosive force that sent him flying across half the dojo field and crashing into the wall.

    Zankita stomped, causing fire to spark underneath his feet, and rushed at Seiji with an astonishing speed like a rocket''s. In just an instant, he covered the distance of half a dojo field to punch towards Seiji''s chest!

    *Boom!!!*

    Seiji was able to dodge this punch in time. This viciously heavy punch struck the wall instead, causing fierce mes to explode and create arge cone-shaped hole.

    Every mafia member in the residence heard thismotion.

    The unconscious Hisashi was woken up by the noise as well.

    He did his best to withstand the pain in his throbbing head while ordering all the mafia grunts not to approach the dojo and for anyone nearby to immediately get away from the vicinity!

    Meanwhile, inside the dojo¡­

    Another fireball came flying towards Seiji.

    Seiji once again dodged all the fireballs and sent a [Mana Bullet] towards Zankita who was wreathed in mes while trying to attack him!

    *Boom!* Zankita took a direct hit and was knocked over.

    Seiji suddenly jumped upwards, stepped upside-down on the ceiling, and used the reactive force to help himunch a powerful stomping attack!

    *Boom!*

    ¡­Zankita dodged this attack.

    When Zankita backflipped and got up, he once again gathered his power in his hands, then suddenly opened his hands wide and released a tremendous amount of blue mes!

    Seiji speedily backed up, then suddenly realized that this seemed exactly like the ultimate attack of one of the main characters from the King of Fighters franchise?

    He recalled that the character was named Kyo Kusanagi or something like that¡­

    Zankita clenched his fists tightly, causing them to glow blue with fire, then rushed and punched at Seiji, creating arge explosive me with his punch at the same time!

    Seiji found his attack difficult to block and continued to retreat.

    When Seiji was continually forced to retreat and found himself in a corner of the dojo with nowhere left to retreat to, he suddenly realized that things were bad.

    As expected, Zankita who was literally on fire once again sped his hands, gathered the power of his mes, and released¡­

    *Roar!* A tremendous amount of mes that resembled a beast''s gaping maw swallowed Seiji whole!!

    ''I''ve won!!'' Zankita was shouting in his mind.

    However, before he could enjoy the taste of victory, he saw a golden sh and a fist approaching his face¡­

    *Smack!!*

    Seiji had cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself in time and transformed into his golden form to send Zankita flying away with a single punch in counterattack.

    ''Round 2¡­ fight!

    ''Even if you are Kyo Kusanagi, I''m a Super Saiyan, so I shall defeat you!''

    Seiji kept up a stream of mentalments while chasing after Zankita to keep up the attack.

    Zankita originally thought that he had won, but suddenly found himself at a disadvantage instead¡­ he was quite angered by this.

    He did his very best, but his golden and shiny opponent was simply better than him, and was now forcefully suppressing him.

    ''Why¡­ I''m so strong already, so why is it that I still can''t defeat this guy!?''

    Zankita wanted to furiously counterattack. However, Seiji''s session of powerful punchespletely broke through his me defense and gave him a vicious beatdown.

    Zankita''s consciousness became hazy.

    Thest thing that he saw was the sight of the shiny golden teenager calmly observing him.

    Anger, unwillingness, and hatred¡­ Zankita sunk into a darkness while possessing such extremely negative emotions.

    ''I want more¡­ more power¡­''

    His consciousness sunk even deeper and deeper into the darkness.

    "Hmm?"

    Seiji watched Zankita copse while being under the impression that the mes on Zankita''s body would naturally be extinguished. However, he saw that Zankita''s blue mes were gradually bing ck in color.

    "What''s going on?" Seiji had an ominous premonition.

    He was fairly confident that he had knocked Zankita unconscious¡­ should he give him another blow just in case?

    Seiji speedily came to a decision and controlled his strength so that he wouldn''t severely injure Zankita while stomping on him one more time.

    However, the mes were still bing darker and darker.

    The rate of ckening was increasing as well. The ck mes were beginning to gather and take form!

    Seiji frowned as he observed the situation.

    In just a short period of time, the blue man on fire became something else entirely.

    He became something ck and abnormal¡­ with such a strange appearance that it was difficult to describe.

    "Even if this is something akin to an evil transformation¡­ isn''t this a little too dark?"

 Chapter 468 - Hellâ€™s Aura

    <h4>Chapter 468: Hell¡¯s Aura</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Suddenly the ck¡­ the abnormal ck being started moving.

    The abnormal ck being''s head turned, and Seiji instantly felt like something fearsome was staring at him, causing his nerves to tense up!

    *Whoosh¡­* The abnormal ck being waved its hand in midair.

    *Pu!* There was a dull sound that resembled liquid erupting after being suppressed for too long. Blue-ck mes that were so powerful that they seemed almost "sticky" due to their density suddenly erupted!!

    Seiji was able to dodge the mes in time, and twisted his body while lifting his foot to stomp down once again.

    There was a loud sound as his stomp missed.

    The abnormal ck being twisted its limbs in an unnatural, reverse fashion as it dodged his stomp and moved to the side at a very high speed!

    Then, it stood up while still having its limbs distorted, which made its movements seem quite abnormal. Its actions resembled a mix between those of a robot and a zombie''s.

    Seiji recalled Shinobu Miaki''s movements. Not the weak little demon currently residing within him, but the human puppet that he met at first!

    Right now, he instinctively sensed that Zankita Juumonji was no longer in control of this abnormal ck being, but rather¡­ something else that was inhuman.

    The abnormal ck being waved its hands again and sent out anotherrge spurt of blue-ck mes!

    Seiji dodged these mes, but suddenly saw his opponent spreading out its limbs and flying towards him!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Thanks to the sharpening of his senses and the slowing of his perception of time during [Bullet Time], he was able to clearly see¡­ countless tiny holes on his opponent''s body with blood-red jewel-like objects in them.

    It was as if countless tiny eyes had grown on Zankita''s body!

    Seiji felt chills running down his spine at this sight.

    He sensed that whatever was behind these "eyes" had to be an incredibly terrifying existence.

    ''I absolutely can''t touch those ''eyes!'' He instinctively felt this and began retreating at top speed.

    *Boom!*

    The abnormal ck being missed with its flying attack.

    Seiji retreated to a ce near the corner and prepared to counterattack with a [Mana Bullet].

    "Use [Cleansing] instead!" A female voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

    It was his bonded spirit, Yomi.

    Seiji took her advice and speedily created the seal necessary for [Cleansing].

    The abnormal ck being once again flew towards Seiji.

    Seiji locked on to his target and cast the [Cleansing] spell.

    *Boom!*

    An explosion urred on the abnormal ck being which was currently in midair. Large plumes of ck smoke rose from its body, and it suddenly fell from midair as if it received a huge impact.

    Seiji avoided it and put more distance between them.

    The abnormal ck being stood up in an abnormally twisted fashion once again after crashing into the ground. The strange jewel-like eyes on its body were faintly making strange, creepy noises.

    Seiji speedily created another seal, and borrowed power from his bonded spirit while casting [Cleansing] again¡­

    [Evolved Cleansing]!

    A golden mystical spell formation suddenly appeared on the abnormal ck being''s body and glowed brilliantly.

    *Boom!!*

    Another deafening explosion urred. The golden glow became mixed with thick ck smoke which covered half of the entire dojo.

    The strange, creepy sounds became noticeably louder now. Seiji faintly felt like the sounds resembled human speech¡­

    "Don''t stop, and repeat it several times more!" Yomi told him.

    Seiji continued to cast [Evolved Cleansing].

    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

    After Seiji cast [Evolved Cleansing] six more times in a row, Yomi indicated that he should switch to [Sealing].

    Seiji created a seal and uttered the incantation, while extending his palms towards his target¡­

    [Evolved Sealing]!

    Golden pentagrams appeared on the abnormal ck being''s head and feet, while squares, triangles, circles, and other polygons of various types appeared all around its body as spell formations. All the spell formations shot golden light upon the abnormal ck being in unison, creating countless spell seals!

    "Gka Wka¡­" The abnormal ck being started uttering strange iprehensible sounds while dancing about in a twisted, distorted fashion. It resembled a mechanical dancing doll that had broken down.

    No normal person would be able to make such movements, unless they had no bones¡­

    "Is Zankita going to die?" Seiji couldn''t help but ask Yomi.

    "He''s already dead¡­ but with his degree of death, perhaps he can still be saved," Yomi responded.

    "Huh?"

    "At any rate, seal him first. Don''t be overconfident."

    Seiji took his female spirit''s advice and injected more Mana into his seal, etching many runes onto the abnormal ck being''s body, creating many locks upon its power.

    Finally, the humanoid monster that used to be Zankita Juumonji ceased its movements. It copsed where it stood, its entire body covered in runic seals.

    "What exactly is that?"

    "''Hell''s Aura.''"

    "Hell''s¡­ Aura?"

    "It''s the most frightening, the most despairing power of the abyss which gathers the endless darkness from the infernos of hell, which possesses the countless evils of the world," Yomi stated in a soft voice.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    A power which possessed the countless evils of the world¡­ wasn''t that just like a concept from Fate/Stay Night?

    The hell! Wasn''t such an incredible thing only supposed to appear at the end after gathering seven heroic spirits and fighting to the end? Why did it appear on an Awakened''s body!? Zankita Juumonji wasn''t supposed to be Angra Mainyu!

    ''No, wait, I can''t get things mixed up with games and anime from my previous life¡­ What I should focus on is that this seemingly powerful ability isn''t one that should appear so easily, should it?''

    He asked Yomi about his doubts.

    "Indeed, such a power shouldn''t appear so easily. I don''t know why it would appear on this person''s body."

    "Then¡­ can Zankita still be saved? You earlier said that he was dead already but that he might still be savable¡­"

    "Any humans that are devoured by Hell''s Aura are no different from being dead. But, those who have only been slightly devoured are still savable."

    "What should I do?"

    "Only a person closely rted to him by blood will be able to pull him back from the abyss." Yomi paused for a moment. "It might not even seed¡­ and if it fails, the person who tries to save him will be devoured as well."

    "You mean¡­ only his family members can try to save him, and if they fail, they''ll all die together?" Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Yes. Also, it''s incredibly dangerous to have only one person trying to save him, and it''s highly likely to fail. It''s best if there''s at least two or more."

    Hisashi looked at the humanoid figure who was sealed before him.

    He had an incredibly grim expression after he finished listening to Seiji''s exnation of what had happened.

    ''You idiot¡­

    ''No, you''re no longer act an idiot''s level, you''re a moron! A super mega ultra moron!!

    ''''Hell''s Aura,'' just this name alone sounds so ominous. Why would you have such a mysterious power!? Why are you so stupid!?

    ''Say something! Idiot! Bastard!! You f*cking stupid¡­ bastard!!!''

    *Smack!*

    Hisashi viciously punched towards the monstrous creature''s head, but ended up changing his punch''s course and punched the ground instead.

    "Damn it¡­"

    After his fury came deep regret.

    He should have told Seiji about this long ago¡­ if he''d told Seiji earlier, steps could have been taken to prevent things froming to this, right?

    ''I shouldn''t have trusted in my idiot older brother¡­ I should have know this long ago¡­''

    "It''s all my fault¡­ At the time, I believed that he would be able to take care of himself¡­" Hisashi sat down on the dojo''s floorboard and revealed a depressed expression. "I thought I could trust in him¡­ I hoped for the best¡­"

    Seiji silently observed him.

    "It''s all my fault, so¡­ let me bear all the consequences." Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. "Let me save this idiot brother of mine by myself. Don''t notify Kaede."

    "But in that case, it''s highly likely that you''ll¡ª"

    "I know! But what else can I do!? Am I supposed to call my younger sister and tell her that her idiot brother did something stupid, and her second older brother was equally stupid in not stopping him in time, which is why Zankita''s almost dead now, so she should hurry over and risk her life to save him!?"

    Seiji didn''t have any response to this.

    "I apologize¡­ I lost control of my emotions just now." Hisashi sighed and deeply lowered his head to Seiji.

    Both of them fell silent for a moment.

 Chapter 469 - A maximum of one minute

    <h4>Chapter 469: A maximum of one minute</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Some secondster, a cell phone ringing broke the silence.

    It was Hisashi''s cell phone.

    He slowly took out his cell phone, but paused in surprise when he saw who the caller was on his caller ID.

    His ringtone, which was Honey Candy Girl''s newest ending song, continued without stop.

    Hisashi didn''t pick up the call, nor did he reject it. He simply waited in a daze for the ringing to stop.

    Then, Seiji''s cell phone began to ring.

    The caller was Kaede Juumonji.

    Seiji looked at his cell phone for several seconds and chose to ept the call.

    "Good evening, Harano-kun."

    "Good evening, Juumonji-sensei."

    "I apologize for suddenly calling you like this sote at night¡­ I just felt¡­ like something was off," Kaede said in a light voice.

    Seiji remained silent.

    "Harano-kun¡­ what''s the matter?" Kaede sharply perceived that something was the matter on his side.

    Seiji looked towards Hisashi.

    Hisashi continued to lower his head.

    "Harano-kun?" Kaede raised her voice slightly. "You¡­ could it be that you''re currently together with my brother Hisashi?"

    She guessed it right on the mark.

    Seiji could only inwardly sigh.

    "Yes."

    "What happened?" Kaede''s voice became rather tense.

    "Your oldest brother¡­ something bad happened to Zankita Juumonji."

    Kaede rushed home to the Juumonji residence.

    She felt chills all over her body upon seeing her oldest brother''s abnormal condition and her second brother''s depressed state.

    "What exactly happened here?"

    Seiji gave her an exnation.

    Kaede''s expression became grim as she listened to Seiji.

    "Idiots¡­ the both of them¡­"

    While in her apartment room at the Uehara apartments, Kaede suddenly felt anxious inside, as if she had forgotten something important but couldn''t recall it no matter what. It made her feel quite uneasy.

    Then, she recalled that she hadn''t contacted home in a long time. So, she decided to call Hisashi just to chat a little, but Hisashi didn''t pick up her call.

    Then, she called Seiji, also intending just to chat, but she didn''t expect that¡­

    Kaede really wanted to get angry at her two idiot older brothers but was unable to do so. In the end, she simply sighed.

    "Second Brother, what are you just sitting around in a daze for? Aren''t we going to save our brother Zankita? Hurry up and be more spirited."

    Hisashi slowly raised his head.

    "Yes, I''m going to save him¡­ Sister¡­ If I fail, I leave Father''s care up to you."

    "Hmm?" Kaede frowned. "You¡­ intend to try saving him by yourself?"

    "Yep."

    "Stop being stupid! Harano-kun just said that with only one person¡ª"

    "I know! But I can''t have you taking the risk as well!" Hisashi suddenly raised his voice and began shouting. "Someone needs to stay behind and take care of Father."

    Kaede fell silent for a moment as something shed in her eyes.

    "Then you stay behind, and I''ll go save our brother," she stated calmly.

    "You¡­ what are you saying!?"

    "If Second Brother and Eldest Brother are both gone, I alone won''t be able to run the Juumonji Group! That also means I won''t be able to take good care of Father. But if Second Brother stays behind instead, you''ll be able to aplish it!"

    "Stop saying something so stupid! It''s all my fault that everything became like this, since I didn''t stop Eldest Brother in time. So that''s why only I should take the responsibility to save him. It has nothing to do with you!" Hisashi scolded Kaede severely.

    "You''re the one saying something so stupid! If saving Eldest Brother is your responsibility, isn''t running the Juumonji Group also one of your responsibilities!? Staying behind and making sure that the Juumonji Group continues to function is your greatest responsibility!" Kaede spoke in a cold tone.

    "That''s not my responsibility at all! That''s Eldest Brother''s responsibility! I shall drag him back to us!!"

    "What if you fail!? If it''s the same no matter who goes to save him, I should be the one to do it. That''s far more logical¡ª"

    "Logical, the hell! Are you able to bring back that idiot with you!? It''s far more likely that I''ll seedpared to you!!"

    "My idiot Second Brother who didn''t stop the idiot Eldest Brother in time doesn''t have the right to say such a thing!!"

    The siblings began to argue.

    Seiji silently walked off and left them alone.

    He felt that there was nothing he could say to them as it was a family decision for Hisashi and Kaede to make. He could only wait for the result.

    He could feel the deep connections in the Juumonji Family from this argument that regarded saving a person''s life.

    "Yomi, apart from casting the spell for them, is there really nothing else that we can do?" Seiji tried asking his bonded female spirit.

    "If the two of them try to save their oldest brother together, and both of them truly ept you, you''ll be able to help them. However, the time that you can assist them is truly short. It''s a maximum of one minute."

    "One minute¡­"

    "Yes, that''s the limit."

    Seiji fell silent.

    He listened to the argument continue in the distance for quite a while.

    After the argument quieted down, he walked back to see that the Juumonji siblings were standing facing each other, but neither of them was looking at the other.

    "What''s your decision?" Seiji asked them softly.

    "I''m the one who''s going to save him!" Hisashi and Kaede looked at him and spoke simultaneously.

    They then both started ring at each other.

    "I wanted to give you both some more time toe to a decision, but the longer we wait, the worse things will be for your brother." Seiji sighed.

    Hisashi and Kaede''s expressions both darkened as they both turned to look at the abnormal ck being''s figure.

    "Also, I would like to say¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "This isn''t a rmendation, but an addendum¡ªif the two of you try to save him together, I''ll be able to help you guys out. However, the time limit''s really short, and I''ll only be able to help for a maximum of one minute."

    "Hmm?"

    "One minute?"

    "Yes, because both of you treat me as a good friend, so even though I''m an outsider, I can assist. However, I can only assist and not do the main part."

    Seiji checked his system just earlier and saw that both Hisashi and Kaede had high friendship/favorability ratings and connectivity ratings towards him. He figured that was probably simr to what Yomi meant when she said that they needed to "truly ept" him.

    The siblings looked at him.

    "Basically¡­ it means that since we have a good rtionship with you, you''ll be able to help us save him?" Hisashi adjusted his eyesses.

    "You could say that."

    "In that case, if I have an even better rtionship with you, will you be able to help out for even longer?" Something shed in Kaede''s eyes.

    "No, one minute is the upper limit." Seiji denied this possibility.

    "I see. How regrettable." Hisashi sighed.

    "Yeah, it''s really regrettable¡­ if at all possible, I would have been quite happy to¡­ have a more intimate rtionship with you, Harano-kun¡­ no, Haruta-kun." Kaede''s face flushed slightly red.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I would also be quite happy to have a more intimate rtionship with you, Seigo¡­ no, Seiji." Hisashi added that on as well.

    Seiji: "!?"

    Hisashi chuckled at Seiji''s expression of astonishment from his joke.

    Kaede giggled as well.

    The atmosphere finally eased up slightly.

    The Juumonji siblings nced at each other andmunicated nonverbally through their eyes.

    "Let''s do this, then."

    "Yeah."

    They turned towards Seiji aftering to an unspoken agreement.

    "We''ve decided to save Eldest Brother together."

    Seiji looked at them.

    "Why''s that?"

    "Of course, because of what you just said," Hisashi replied.

    "I said that it wasn''t a rmendation¡­ I can help out for at most one minute, and it''s quite possible that it won''t even be one full minute. It might only be thirty seconds, or even ten seconds¡­"

    "From the very start, you said that it would be best if two people worked together to save him. If you can help us out as well, even if the time is very short, it''ll be enough." Kaede smiled.

    "She doesn''t believe in me, and I don''t believe in her. However, both of us believe in you. Even if you''re only helping out, that''s something reassuring to know." Hisashi smiled.

    Seiji was rather moved by their trust in him.

    "You guys¡­ are really certain?"

    The siblings nodded in unison.

    "Alright then¡­ I wish you the best of luck." He sincerely hoped for the best.

    He decided to make a save file here. If things didn''t work out, he would have to load to an earlier save file.

    "I need to risk my life here, but I''m only getting one simple little wish of good luck¡­ I feel slightly unsatisfied." Kaede looked straight at Seiji as something shed in her eyes. "Haruta-kun¡­ can I ask you for a little something?"

 Chapter 470 - Thatâ€™s all the points I can obtain on this test

    <h4>Chapter 470: That¡¯s all the points I can obtain on this test</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "What would you like?"

    Seiji didn''t even need to ask that out loud, because he knew the answer already simply from the look in her eyes.

    His heartbeat increased, and he didn''t know whether he should ept or refuse.

    Kaede blushed as she looked straight at him.

    Hisashi adjusted his eyesses upon seeing this scene.

    "I''m going to go make some preparations." Hisashi decisively left them alone.

    Seiji was unable to stop Hisashi from leaving.

    And now, Seiji was alone together with the blonde teacher.

    Kaede silently approached him.

    Seiji somewhat felt like backpedaling. However, when he considered what circumstances she was making this request in, he found himself unable to refuse her.

    Kaede walked up in front of him, reached out, and hugged him. She leaned against his body.

    Seiji slowly rose his hands and softly hugged her as well.

    "Hug me more tightly," Kaede murmured in a soft voice.

    He did as she instructed, causing him to feel a soft sensation.

    "Hug me even tighter," she requested again.

    Seiji used more force than earlier and was able to inhale a nice aroma from her hair.

    "Mmm~~" Kaede began moaning.

    Seiji almost couldn''t help but imagine certain R-18 scene in his mind and forced himself to stop.

    They hugged intimately for quite a while.

    "Seiji¡­ can I call you by your name?"

    "Sure."

    "You don''t think that I''m a bad woman for making such a request at such a time?"

    "Not at all."

    "Really?"

    "Really."

    "You''re so gentle."

    "I don''t think this extent counts as gentle."

    "Heehee¡­"

    Kaede giggled as she buried her face in his chest. Her eyes were quite watery.

    "Seiji¡­ have sex with me," Kaede spoke in an incredibly light and soft voice.

    Seiji''s body instantly tensed up upon hearing this, and his heartbeat quickened even more. He had to do his absolute best to maintain his sense of logic and reason.

    "This¡­ doesn''t seem like a good idea¡­"

    "I think it''s a very good idea¡­ I want you¡­ and I don''t need you to take responsibility. I just want you tofort me¡­ and I''m not joking around this time."

    "I still don''t think it''s very good¡­ if we really do it, I wouldn''t know how to face you in the future¡­"

    "There might not be a future for me if this fails."

    "Don''t say something like that. You and Hisashi will definitely seed."

    "Then just treat it as a way of encouraging me. Only with such encouragement will I have the confidence to seed."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this.

    "Heehee, are you beginning to think that I''m a bad woman now?"

    "You don''t have to do this, Sensei."

    "Call me Kaede," the blonde teacher requested.

    "¡­Alright then, Kaede."

    "Heehee¡­"

    "Will that be sufficient?"

    "Nope, not at all."

    Once again, Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Kaede lifted her head and raised her face, closing her eyes and puckering her lips slightly.

    Seiji looked at her beautiful face and observed her luscious lips, and slowly went over¡­ and softly kissed her on the forehead.

    "You failed."

    The blonde teacher opened her eyes and gave him a low evaluation.

    "That''s all the points I''m able to obtain on this test," Seiji said as he averted his gaze.

    "No, you have plenty of potential within you, Haruta-san. Please try as seriously as possible!"

    "I''m in my most serious condition right now already."

    "No, you''re just avoiding the challenge! At this rate, you''ll flunk and need to take makeup tests."

    "I apply to repeat my grade."

    "I won''t ept such an application! You absolutely have to get high test scores, and it''ll be best if you get the highest test scores out of everyone so that you can graduate in glory."

    "It''s still not time for me to graduate."

    "Then when do you want to graduate?" Kaede looked directly at him.

    "This¡­" Seiji averted his gaze. "I don''t know¡­ at any rate, it''s not now."

    "It''ll be quite fun for you to graduate early."

    "I think that repeating another year is fine as well."

    "Honestly¡­" The blonde teacher leaned against him once more and buried her face in his chest again. "It''s so troublesome having such a willful student."

    ''You''re the willful one here, Sensei!'' Seiji retorted in his mind.

    "There''s no helping it. As a teacher, I''ll just have to guide this student the best I can¡­ no matter if he fails or repeats his grade, as long as I continue working my hardest to teach him, he''ll graduate one day eventually." Kaede smiled.

    Seiji felt indescribable emotions as he understood her intentions.

    A moment of silence fell between them.

    "Seiji Haruta-san¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "There''s more than one subject to be tested on, you know."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Are you satisfied?"

    When Hisashi saw his sister again, her face was still flushed red and she had an exuberant and glowing expression. It was obvious that something good had happened to her.

    "Nope, I''m not satisfied. However, I''ll have to be satisfied with what I received just now, and the test can continueter," Kaede said joyfully.

    "Test?" Hisashi looked towards Seiji. Seiji pretended not to know anything and averted his gaze as his face reddened.

    Were they doing a teacher-student role y? It didn''t seem to Hisashi that they had crossed that line yet, however¡­ just what exactly were they doing while he left them alone?

    Hisashi wanted to know, but he was also Kaede''s brother, and didn''t want to know too much.

    Forget it, he decided to not think too much about it.

    "Let''s begin." He adjusted his eyesses.

    Seiji took things seriously as he cautiously warned Kaede and Hisashi about things to watch out for based on what he learned from Yomi. Then, he told them to lie down by Zankita''s side as he cast a barrier around them and then began casting a spell.

    As Seiji uttered his incantation, a gigantic golden spell formation appeared on the ground. Gold-red mystical runes gradually appeared on Kaede and Hisashi''s bodies, then the runes began spreading out and connecting to the ck abnormal being.

    A dark blue mist beganing out of the abnormal ck being''s body. However, it was all blocked and contained by Seiji''s barrier.

    The golden spell formation began glowing blindingly, while the dark mist continued increasing in density. The dark mist soon filled the entire interior of Seiji''s barrier.

    Strange sounds could faintly be hearding from the mist. The mist even formed itself into abnormal scenes such as human faces and eyeballs and kept roiling around.

    Seiji continued forming seals as he extended his palms.

    A pentagram spell formation instantly appeared above his barrier, and numerous polygonal spell formations appeared around it which shot blinding light towards Seiji''s barrier!

    The roiling mist was suppressed by the light and started condensing itself. Finally, it gathered upon Kaede and Hisashi''s bodies and formed into two strange ck spell formations.

    The spell waspleted!

    The rest would be up to them¡­

    Hisashi who wasying on the ground with his eyes closed felt a warm sensation.

    As Seiji continued casting his spell, the warm sensation filled Hisashi''s entire body and caused his consciousness to begin turning hazy.

    Hisashi then felt a cold sensation.

    Both the warm and cold sensations strengthened, causing Hisashi''s consciousness to be hazier and hazier under the influence of these two opposite sensations.

    He faintly felt as if he was falling.

    He fell down towards somewhere dark, icy, and incredibly deep.

    It felt like he was being devoured by the icy darkness. However, something warm continued to persist within him, and helped him to maintain his sense of self.

    Hisashi continued falling¡­ falling¡­ falling¡­

    After falling for an unknown length of time, his body finally slowly stopped the falling process.

    His consciousness gradually became clear.

    Hisashi slowly opened his eyes and saw Kaede right next to him.

    Kaede also opened her eyes and saw Hisashi.

    The siblings discovered that both of them were faintly glowing golden, with a blood-red line connecting the two of them. They were currently standing on a gigantic golden spell formation, and their bodies were also connected to the spell formation by golden lines.

    Everything outside the spell formation was pitch-ck, with nothing but empty darkness above them. Below them was¡­ an indescribably terrifying scene!

    If they had to force themselves to describe it, it seemed like a mix between a gathering of humans, animals, demons, and abnormal creatures all together, totally "cooked" together into a mushy, ck porridge¡­ of something.

    These things kept changing shape, continuouslybining and dissolving, making faint sounds that sounded like screams of agony or pain, or sounding like angry roars and curses¡­

    Hisashi and Kaede both froze upon witnessing this scene as tremendous fear welled up within them. They both felt highly disgusted by what they witnessed as well. If this had urred in reality, they would have definitely vomited.

    "This is¡­ hell¡­"

    An inferno of endless darkness. ording to legends, those who fell down to hell would never be able to escape. It was the most frightening and most pitiful abyss of all.

 Chapter 471 - No release

    <h4>Chapter 471: No release</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This was a ce that no human should enter.

    ''This is quite foolish as well, voluntarily entering a ce like hell in order to save my idiot brother that fell down here.''

    Hisashi couldn''t help but inwardlyment to himself as he did his best to suppress the feelings of fear and disgust within him in order to speedily regain control over his body.

    "Let us review everything that Seiji warned us about," he told his sister.

    Kaede nodded.

    Seiji hadn''t given them too many warnings, so both of them clearly remembered everything he said was important. They stood at the edge of the golden spell formation and held each other''s hand as they made their final preparations for what they needed to do.

    "We shall seed in saving that idiot, and then we''ll give him a really good lesson he''ll never forget."

    "Yeah."

    "Let''s have a countdown. Five¡­ four¡­"

    Kaede recalled Seiji''s face as she listened to her brother counting down. She felt warmth in her heart as she thought about how he was waiting for her in reality.

    ''I''ll definitely return.'' She firmed her resolution.

    The countdownpleted.

    The siblings jumped down together into the abyss.

    What did it feel like to enter hell?

    When Seiji asked Yomi about this, her answer was: pain.

    This abyss that gathered all the evils of the world would give anyone that entered it nothing but pain.

    As for why legends said that anyone that fell down to hell would have no release from their suffering, that was because anyone who fell down would constantly be tortured by pain, so it would be impossible for oneself to escape.

    If the fallen helped each other to bear the burden of pain together, it was actually possible to escape.

    However, the abyss of hell only possessed evil, not kindness¡­ which meant that it was actually impossible to find a release for eternity.

    Because there was only evil, it was a terrifying ce.

    Because there was only evil, it was a pitiful location.

    Seiji fell silent as he contemted on the female spirit''s description.

    Hisashi felt like he was falling down in between nightmares.

    The first nightmare referred to hell. Simply being down here was like a nightmare in and of itself.

    The second nightmare referred to the illusions he saw. There were various types, some hazy, some realistic. Some were clear, while others were murky.

    At first, he was still able to differentiate whether these illusions stemmed from his own memories or outside sources. After a while, he was no longer able to differentiate as everything mixed together¡­ It caused him an endless amount of pain.

    The limit of what he could tolerate had long been surpassed. More than once, Hisashi felt that he was about to go insane. It was all he could manage to barely hold on to his sanity.

    He felt absolutely fortunate that his younger sister was by his side.

    Countless times already, Kaede had sessfully saved him before he was about topletely lose his sanity or his consciousness, shouting at him and pulling on him to help him maintain his sense of self.

    If Kaede hadn''te together with him, he would have failed long ago.

    The reverse was also true. Hisashi had already saved Kaede many times from slipping past the brink of insanity.

    No wonder Seiji said that it was too dangerous unless two people did this together¡­ No ordinary person by themselves would be able tost more than a minute down here.

    Hisashi felt that even a god would lose their mind in such a terrifying location.

    He really wanted to leave instantly and return to reality, without caring about anything else.

    But that was no good, because they still hadn''t found the person they were looking for.

    Hisashi and Kaede continued falling¡­ falling¡­ falling¡­

    They followed the guidance of the blood-red line as they continued descending and searching.

    ''Just how long has passed already?''

    ''How far down have we fallen in the pits of hell?''

    ''Just what exactly did my idiot brother do for him to fall so far down into hell?''

    ''No amount of lecturing or scolding will be sufficient after I bring him back into reality¡­''

    Suddenly, the environment changed.

    Hisashi discovered that he was back at the dojo, with Zankita standing right before him.

    "I''ve already had enough," Zankita stated coldly. "All of you always treat me like an idiot, wanting me to do this or that. Especially you, Hisashi! You''re clearly so weak, but always act so clever and give me so many orders."

    *Smack!*

    Zankita viciously punched Hisashi, causing his eyesses to fall off.

    Two of Hisashi''s teeth were knocked out as well. It was a very painful experience, and Hisashi tasted blood in his mouth.

    "See? You''re just a piece of trash that can''t even block a single punch from me! You''re a disgusting fellow who lusts after something that only little children would watch! Ptui!" Zankita spat on top of Hisashi''s head. "It''s the greatest humiliation of my life to have a younger brother like you! I never want to see you ever again! Nor do I want to see that stinky old man or idiot woman again. Never!"

    *Smack!!*

    Zankita viciously kicked Hisashi in the gut. It hurt an incredible amount, and Hisashi felt like he had broken a rib bone.

    "Garbage like you should just be thrown away in a trash bin, hmph¡­"

    Zankita condescendingly harrumphed and turned around to leave.

    Everything outside of the dojo remained pitch-ck.

    Zankita walked off into the darkness, getting farther and farther away.

    Hisashi forcefully withstood his pain and crawled up from the ground of the dojo.

    He knew that this was all just an illusion, but he also instinctively sensed that if he let Zankita go, then Zankita would truly¡­

    "Elder Brother! Stop!!"

    Hisashi loudly shouted towards the red-haired figure walking off into the distance. However, Zankita didn''t respond.

    "Zankita Juumonji! Stay right where you are!!"

    Hisashi chased after Zankita, entering the darkness as well.

    So cold!

    Hisashi felt like he had entered a wintend of ice and snow while wearing only light clothing. His entire body was freezing over.

    Zankita was still walking off into the distance.

    Hisashi grit his teeth and forced himself to bear with the cold as he tookrge steps and chased after his brother.

    "Zankita¡­ Elder Brother¡­

    "I''m not treating you like an idiot¡­ because you really are an idiot¡­

    "It''s not that I want to care about every little thing you do¡­ it''s that you¡­ won''t grow any brains at all!

    "I am indeed quite weak¡­ I''m an otaku¡­ I just have¡­ my little tricks and smarts.

    "If you don''t want to listen to me¡­ that''s fine.

    "If you want to view me as garbage¡­ that''s also fine.

    "I can just stay quiet¡­ or I can get out of your life¡­

    "But¡­ that''s only after¡­ you truly be strong!!"

    ''Not physically strong, mentally strong as well, with wisdom and spirit, in order to be an appropriate leader for the Juumonji Group, and to inherit Father''s position as head of the family.

    ''At that time, you can do whatever you like.

    ''But before that¡­ don''t get so ahead of yourself! Don''t even dare to escape!!

    ''I won''t allow you to leave.''

    "Elder Brother¡­e back here!!!"

    Hisashi reached out to that figure who was getting farther and farther away from him.

    Zankita''s figure disappeared.

    However, Hisashi felt as if he touched something.

    He reflexively grabbed whatever it was tightly and forcefully dragged it to his side.

    He discovered that it was a skeleton.

    This skeleton didn''t have any flesh at all, and its eye sockets were hollow. The bones were also pitch-ck.

    However, Hisashi recognized the skeleton.

    This was Zankita Juumonji!

    "You actually became something as strange as this¡­ idiot¡­" Hisashi muttered bitterly.

    The environment changed yet again.

    Hisashi returned to the frightening pitch-dark abyss.

    He was holding onto the skeleton, and Kaede next to him was also holding tightly onto the same skeleton.

    He exchanged nces with Kaede without saying anything.

    "Seiji will be able to help him recover," said Kaede.

    "Yeah." Hisashi nodded.

    Both of them looked above him.

    There was a golden line connected to them that stretched up beyond what they could see¡­ this was their guiding light to return.

    Hisashi and Kaede carried Zankita together with them as they started moving upwards.

    At this moment, many things started surging around them in the darkness!

    This was the abyss of all evil and despair.

    Nothing here would stop anyone from falling downwards.

    However, if someone tried going up, things would be the opposite.

    Although Hisashi and Kaede had mentally prepared themselves the best they could, they still felt a tremendous amount of fear when they saw countless fearsome dark shadows surging towards them.

    They had already somewhat conquered their fear of the abyss from while they were descending.

    However, only now did the two of them truly witness hell''s nature.

    Every single existence here who suffered endless pain would never allow "their own kind" to receive salvation, since these existences were unable to be saved themselves.

    It wasn''t hell''s abyss that didn''t allow for them to ever leave or find release. It was they themselves.

 Chapter 472 - I want to see you

    <h4>Chapter 472: I want to see you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The dark shadows¡­ the fallen rushed over viciously, trying to tangle up Hisashi and Kaede!

    However, the moment they touched Hisashi and Kaede, the shadows were dissolved by a faint golden glow on their bodies. It was as if snow and ice hade into contact with a powerful me.

    After all, Hisashi and Kaede weren''t fallen like they were. There was a spell protecting them.

    The fallen would have to undergo the pain of being dissolved in order to obstruct them.

    Yet even so, the fallen still continuously swarmed them, refusing to let them leave.

    Even more fallen chose to swarm Zankita.

    Although the golden light protecting Hisashi and Kaede extended itself to Zankita as well, since Zankita was now a skeleton, the protection''s effect was greatly weakened.

    Zankita got stuck due to too many fallen dragging on to him.

    "Let go!"

    Hisashi waved his hand to dissolve them.

    However, a new batch of fallen instantly reced them.

    Hisashi and Kaede both worked their hardest to dispel all the evil dark shadows.

    The two of them protected Zankita just like this while doing their best to continue moving upwards.

    Thus began their difficult return journey.

    After an unknown period of time, the nightmares began ovepping with each other.

    Hisashi was no longer able to differentiate what was real and what was only an illusion.

    Perhaps there was no such thing as "real" to begin with?

    ''No, I can''t think like that. I can''t lose my sense of self, because I have to keep moving upwards¡­

    ''Upwards?

    ''Go upwards¡­ to where?

    ''I remember that I need to return somewhere¡­ return where?

    ''I can''t remember¡­ calm down and think it over carefully.

    ''That''s right, I need to return home!

    ''But where is my home?

    ''Why do I need to go upwards in order to return home? Do I live somewhere really high?

    ''No, that shouldn''t be it¡­ it''s not that I live somewhere really high, it''s that I fell down.

    ''Fell down¡­ to where?

    ''Why did I fall down? Where did I fall down to?

    ''It feels like I fell down to a very deep, incredibly scary ce, together with someone else¡­ who was that person?

    ''Who¡­ who¡­ who¡­ damn it, I can''t remember, this is so annoying!

    ''I absolutely have to remember¡­ but why?

    ''Isn''t it just forgetting about someone? Why does it feel like I care so much?

    ''I don''t want to think about it, but it''s so annoying not remember what I forgot.

    ''So annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying so annoying¡­

    ''I want to die with how annoying it is.

    ''Why not just die, then!

    ''If I die, I won''t have any more pain, I won''t be annoyed anymore.

    ''Alright, it''s decided then. I''m going tomit suicide.

    ''I should write a suicide letter¡­ forget it, I wouldn''t know who to write it to.

    ''Not to mention I can''t even remember who I am anymore. Haha.

    ''Eh? Why do I suddenly have a gun in my hand?

    ''No, I was holding on to this earlier, wasn''t I?

    ''That''s right, I originally intended to do this anyways.

    ''I don''t want to live anymore because it''s too painful, too tiring.

    ''Farewell, whoever I am. Although I don''t know why I''m feeling somewhat apologetic, I''ve had enough. Let''s just end things like this.''

    He aimed his gun at his head.

    And then, he began pressing down on the trigger¡­

    *Boom!*

    There was the sound of a gunshot.

    Hisashi jumped at the sound.

    That was because it was someone else''s gun that sounded, not his own.

    He turned around to see a blonde woman.

    This caused Hisashi to remember everything.

    He recalled who he was, where he was, and what he was doing¡­

    "Get down!" Kaede shouted at him.

    Hisashi did so immediately.

    Kaede started shooting at a zombie that appeared on the wall.

    *Bang bang bang bang¡­*

    The gun shot out golden bullets that eradicated all the strangely shaped dark zombies.

    Several zombies approached from behind her.

    Kaede turned around and used a whirlwind kick to kick them all away!

    "Hurry and leave," she told Hisashi.

    Hisashi grabbed the skeleton on the floor and carried it on his shoulders.

    The two of them walked up the stairs.

    As they progressed, dark zombies kept continuously appearing. They fought back using their guns as they kept moving upwards.

    Suddenly, the environment changed yet again.

    Hisashi no longer possessed his gun, and his sister had disappeared to somewhere else. Hisashi was carrying the skeleton alone and standing in a graveyard.

    Dark demons started crawling out from everywhere and approaching him.

    Many arms started reaching out from the ground and began to forcefully tug on the skeleton.

    Hisashi raised his hand, causing a longsword to appear in his hand. The sword was sharp and shone with a golden light.

    He swung his sword around, slicing through the demon arms and eradicating the demons.

    A golden line appeared and continued indicating the path that he should take. Hisashi continued to carry Zankita while following the direction indicated as he continuously destroyed all demons that appeared before him.

    His left hand was injured by a zombie bite due to a moment of carelessness.

    Hisashi grit his teeth and withstood the sharp pain that attacked him. With a golden sh, his wound healed.

    He continued onward.

    A blood-red line appeared, and he immediately changed direction to follow that instead. After following it for a while, he located Kaede.

    She was standing there in a daze, with a faceless demon attached to her body. It was moving the sword in her hand towards her neck.

    Hisashi immediately rushed over and slew the demon with his sword!

    Kaede instantly woke up and regained her senses.

    "Let''s go!"

    The two of them continued onward.

    The environment continued to change.

    The siblings pulled on the skeleton in the abyss while dispelling dark shadows and did their best to continue upwards.

    The environment continued to change.

    The siblings dragged on the skeleton while fighting with packs of wolves in a blizzard while climbing a snowy mountain.

    The environment continued to change.

    The siblings carried the skeleton while fighting enemy soldiers in a hailstorm of bullets as they passed through enemy campgrounds.

    The environment continued to change¡­

    In the endlessly changing and ovepping environment of hell and its illusions, Hisashi and Kaede kept continuously taking damage, suffering various pains, and forgetting over and over again about who they were and what they were doing.

    Their spirits had already be unavoidably numb¡­ they were struggling on the brink of bing fallen themselves, and they were only stubbornly persisting by relying on each other.

    It was already quite tough.

    They were truly just barely holding on.

    However, neither of them mentioned wanting to use their one and only chance to ask for help.

    If they asked for it, Seiji woulde assist them.

    Although he would only be able to help for one minute, it would definitely be a huge help.

    Even if he couldn''t do anything at all in here, even if he only appeared, that would be an incredible encouragement by itself to the two siblings right now.

    They really wanted to ask for help.

    They wanted to be saved.

    But precisely because of this, they couldn''t ask for help at all.

    That was because this was all that was currently supporting them to go on.

    Hisashi and Kaede both realized that if they used up their only chance of asking for help that it might be impossible for them to persist until the end.

    It was as if they possessed merely a single candle in this endless darkbyrinth.

    If they didn''t use it, they would still feel a light in their hearts.

    But if they ignited the candle and used it up, then they wouldn''t have anything left anymore.

    ''When we really can''t go on anymore, we can still go for help¡­ so, until we ''really can''t go on,'' let''s just bear with it for a little longer.''

    They continued moving upwards¡­ upwards¡­ upwards¡­

    The obstacles they met with became stronger and stronger.

    They number of times they lost their own sense of self became more and more.

    It took longer and longer for them to find each other again after being separated.

    Finally, they were injured irrecoverably.

    Hisashi finally copsed after umting too many injuries in battle.

    Kaede was left alone, forced to face a ck gigantic monster that was approaching her by herself.

    She was simrly seriously injured. However, she began smiling as she looked at the fearsome monster that seemed like an incarnation of despair.

    "Seiji¡­ I want to see you."

    She summoned Seiji.

    The ck gigantic monster reached out towards her.

    A golden figure descended from the sky!

    Therge monster''s hand was shattered by this golden figure. Then, its mouth, followed by its entire body, were all entirely shattered as it vanishedpletely.

    Seiji turned towards Kaede and Hisashi to cast healing magic on both of them after taking care of the huge fallen threatening them in one swoop.

    Then, he pulled on Kaede''s hand, while telling Kaede to hold Hisashi''s hand, while Hisashi would pull on the skeleton¡­ Zankita.

    "Hold on tight!"

    Seiji began flying!

    Their procession transformed into a golden light.

    Seiji crushed every fallen that attempted to obstruct them! He tossed them downwards before they even finished dissolving.

    Seiji kept speeding up¡­ speeding up¡­ speeding up¡­

    He sped up to the maximum, causing the environment around them to speedily change like a kaleidoscope turning at high speed.

    Seiji withstood a tremendous amount of pressure while taking the Juumonji siblings with him in flying past an indeterminable distance in the endless abyss of hell.

    Bright-red blood began seeping out from all over his body.

 Chapter 473 - â€œThe ties of blood surpass even hellâ€

    <h4>Chapter 473: ¡°The ties of blood surpass even hell¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A drop of bloodnded on Kaede''s face.

    Since they were currently flying at a high speed, all the blood flying off of his body seemed like bright-red flower petals.

    Kaede and Hisashi realized that they had overlooked something very important upon seeing this scene.

    What they''d overlooked was just howrge of a price Seiji would have to pay in order to help them!

    He only mentioned that he would be able to help, but never said anything about what price he had to pay.

    Nor did either of them think of asking.

    Why had they overlooked such a thing? Being able to help for only "a maximum of one minute" obviously meant there was more to it than seemed on the surface. They should have thought of it, and they should have asked more¡­

    Kaede felt a pain in her heart.

    Hisashi med himself for not realizing.

    They could only widen their eyes and watch as more and more blood began seeping out from Seiji''s body, continually dripping downward.

    Seiji''s body gradually began to turn entirely crimson.

    He felt tremendous pain all over his body as if something incredibly heavy was forcefully squeezing him. He felt like he was dissolving.

    His consciousness became hazy as well.

    His strength was reaching its limit.

    ''This still isn''t enough yet, I want just a little more¡­ just a little more time¡­''

    This was the only chance he had to help the Juumonji siblings. He had to do his very best! He wanted to work his hardest to stretch his strength to the utmost limit!!

    "Wragh!!!!!"

    Seiji began roaring in a low voice.

    After proceeding onward for a while longer, his body was no longer able to withstand the pressure. Cracks appeared all over his body that blood sprayed from in fountains.

    What Kaede and Hisashi witnessed was that the entirely blood-red Seiji slowly began shattering to pieces.

    "Seiji!!!" they shouted loudly.

    Seiji slowly turned to look at them with a faint smile on his bloody face.

    "I''ll be¡­ waiting for¡­ you in reality¡­"

    His body shattered entirely before his words even finished echoing.

    "Cough cough¡­ cough cough cough¡­ cough cough cough cough¡­ wow¡­"

    Back in the real world, Seiji was kneeling on the ground as his body trembled violently. He suffered from a vicious coughing fit that had him spitting up blood.

    "You went overboard." Yomi sighed.

    Seiji was unable to speak for quite a while due to his continuing coughing fit. Only after he spat up some more blood did his body slowly stop trembling. He finally weakly breathed a sigh of relief.

    "That was so unpleasant¡­"

    "I already warned you, but you didn''t listen. How foolish."

    "I didn''t think that it would feel so unpleasant¡­ I definitely wouldn''t have forced myself so much if I knew." Seiji wiped off the blood on his mouth.

    Yomi didn''t know what to say at this.

    She was highly suspicious of the veracity of his words just now, feeling like he would have done the exact same thing even if he''d known that. She wanted toment somehow but didn''t know what to say, so she decided to simply remain silent.

    "I already did the best I could¡­ I hope that they can seed."

    Seiji slowly stood up and looked at Kaede and Hisashi.

    The siblings were still quietly lying there on the ground.

    Seiji already did what he could. There was nothing more he could do apart from wait.

    Earlier, during his coughing fit, there had been the sound of a system notification. Seiji thus decided to open up his system and check things out.

    [You have been rewarded with 44 points and the item "Hell''s Curse" as a reward for traveling through hell and returning for the first time.]

    [Mental suppression card -"Hell''s Curse."]

    [This card contains the evil curse of the pitch-ck abyss. You may use this card on any one person. That person''s mental spirit will have a probability of instantly being destroyed.]

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Although the exnation itself was quite simple, it was easy to tell that this was a highly dangerous card.

    Just what would a person whose mental spirit had been destroyed be like¡­? He didn''t want to imagine.

    The effect was highly dangerous. However, its actual usefulness seemed rather subtle since it didn''t appear to be a 100% effect. The system''s exnation merely said "a probability."

    What exactly was that probability anyways? Was it a fixed probability? Or did it depend on the target''s mental condition or power level? And if he used this card in tandem with the [Mental suppression card - Desire to Retort] that he received from his sister Hana, would that increase the [Hell''s Curse] card''s sess rate?

    Seiji thought about it but decided not to think too much into it right now.

    After he closed his system, he cast [Healing] upon himself.

    A whileter, he suddenly sensed something and turned to look at the Juumonji siblings again.

    The siblings were glowing with a golden light!

    "It seeded¡­" Seiji was quite delighted with this oue.

    Kaede and Hisashi had aplished it! They returned!!

    Seiji stopped healing himself and sent his Mana into the spell formations instead.

    All the spell formations started glowing in unison and illuminated the three siblings.

    The ck spell formations on Kaede and Hisashi''s bodies along with the ck abnormalities on Zankita''s body all transformed into a mist that rapidly disappeared.

    When thest of the ck mistpletely vanished, Seiji canceled the spell, causing all the spell formations to vanish.

    Kaede was the first one to open her eyes.

    She immediately sat up and looked towards Seiji.

    "Wee back." Seiji smiled at her.

    Kaede crawled up and instantly jumped at him! She hugged him as tightly as she could.

    "What''s the matter?" Seiji was somewhat mystified by her actions. "Are you alright?"

    Kaede didn''t say anything and only hugged him tightly.

    Then, Hisashi woke up as well.

    He also looked for Seiji the moment he opened his eyes. Hisashi sighed a breath of relief upon seeing that Seiji was still alright.

    However, Hisashi''s expression froze upon seeing the blood Seiji had spat out earlier on the ground.

    "Seiji, how are you doing!?" he shouted as he got up.

    "I¡­ I''m fine."

    "Are you really fine?" Hisashi pointed at the blood on the ground.

    "I was slightly injured, but it''s not a big deal." Seiji smiled.

    ''It''s still not a big deal even though there''s so much blood on the ground?''

    Hisashi felt that Seiji was truly being ridiculous. However, he found it difficult to retort when faced with Seiji''s current expression.

    "More than me, you should be more concerned about yourselves¡­ how are you currently feeling? Does anything feel off?" Seiji asked in concern.

    Hisashi fell silent for a moment.

    "It feels like I had an incredibly long nightmare¡­ my memories are incredibly hazy, and I can only remember some scattered scenes¡­ apart from that, there''s nothing."

    "That''s good, then."

    This was an effect of the spell to help shield people from the influence of having visited hell itself. If it wasn''t for this mental suppression of their own memories, then the Juumonji siblings would definitely mentally copse due to the tremendous pain they''d suffered while in hell.

    However, even with a spell helping to maintain their minds, something still might have been left behind. After all, that was the scariest abyss of all, and its evil curse was impossible topletely block out.

    "If you ever feel that something''s wrong with your body in the future due to this, let me know," Seiji told him.

    Hisashi nodded.

    Then, he looked towards Zankita.

    "Although we sessfully dragged this idiot back with us, but¡­ with the shape his body is currently in, can he still recover?"

    Seiji mentally asked this question to Yomi and received a response from her.

    "He should be able to wake up after resting for a long while. However, it''s highly likely that he won''t recoverpletely. There might be aftereffects."

    "I see¡­" Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. "¡­I suppose he''s lucky that he''s even alive still."

    "He''s not lucky at all. You''re the ones who helped him to survive," Seiji told him sincerely. "You and Kaede sessfully saved him from the pits of hell. That''s truly amazing."

    Saving a family member from the depths of hell seemed like a legendary feat to him.

    "You''re the one who''s amazing. If it hadn''t been for you, we wouldn''t even have had the chance to save him." Hisashi smiled as he looked towards Seiji again. "I''m truly grateful to you."

    "I only acted as the support this time. The sess dependedrgely on both your efforts." Seiji smiled in response as well. "At this time, should I say something like ''the bonds of family have defeated hell?''"

    Hisashi was rendered speechless.

    Things indeed sounded like how Seiji described it. However, Hisashi reflexively wanted to deny it asplex emotions welled up within him.

    "I don''t like that line you came up with."

    "How about I change it to ''the ties of blood surpass even hell?''"

    "That doesn''t sound good, either. Stop making lines up."

    "The two of you just aplished something legendary. Don''t you want something cool to express it by?"

    "We merely dragged our idiot older brother who did something incredibly foolish out of a terrible ce. There''s nothing else to say about it." Hisashi looked towards Zankita.

    It was simply saving an idiot that he absolutely had to save. That was all.

 Chapter 474 - This test is far too difficult!

    <h4>Chapter 474: This test is far too difficult!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Meanwhile, as Seiji and Hisashi had their conversation, Kaede had been hugging Seiji all this time.

    Seiji indicated to her that it was probably time to let go of him. However, she still hugged him tightly and quietly without saying a word.

    "You scared her so much," Hisashi told him. "Seeing you shatter like that, we were under the impression that something terrible happened to you. She¡­ worked her hardest to rush back as quickly as possible."

    To be honest, he almost wanted to say ''as if she was insane'' instead.

    He had definitely witnessed for the first time just how much power a woman could explode with when she was worried about the person she loved¡­ Even as her older brother, Hisashi was somewhat scared by his sister in such a condition.

    It was because of Kaede going on a rampage that the remainder of the return process went unexpectedly smoothly.

    Should he make ament like "Even hell cannot stop a maiden in love?"

    "I apologize for worrying both of you." Seiji was apologetic about this.

    "I''m fine. However, she was truly worried to the point of almost breaking. Do a good job consoling her." Hisashi nced over at Kaede before he left the dojo.

    He called some Juumonji Group mafia underlings over to carry Zankita away and to clean up the scene.

    Seiji was thinking about how to console Kaede when she slowly let go of her embrace.

    After she let go, she pulled on Seiji''s hand instead and silently led him out of the dojo to a private area.

    "Tell me the truth. How are you right now?" she asked him.

    "I''m really quite fine. I already healed myself using magic."

    "Are you really alright?"

    "Of course. Does it look like to you that I''m not alright?" Seiji smiled.

    Something shed in Kaede''s eyes as she observed him.

    "How about you? Are you feeling alright?" Seiji asked.

    "I''m alright¡­ I feel basically the same as Brother Hisashi."

    "That''s good, then. As long as there''s anything wrong with your body at all, let me know immediately."

    Kaede blinked upon hearing this.

    "No matter what it is, you''ll help me out, right?"

    "Yep." Seiji nodded.

    Then let me tell you the honest truth, I''m not feeling that good right now¡­ my heart is aching."

    "Eh?"

    "I was so scared for you that my heart aches even now. It''s such a terrible feeling, and I want you to do something about it for me right now!" Kaede said in a serious manner.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    It was fine to do something for her. However, the problem was just how to do something for her regarding this issue.

    "What would you like for me to do for you, Sensei?"

    "I would like for you to sleep together with me, my dear student Seiji."

    "This test is far too difficult! I give up."

    "It''s not difficult at all. You sleep together with Reo-chan every night."

    "Er¡­" Seiji received an unexpected cannon attack from this.

    "You definitely have the ability to pass this test. You''re forbidden from giving up!" Kaede looked directly at him.

    "This¡­ Reo is only a child, and Sensei, you''re¡­"

    "It''s just sleeping together. Age is meaningless!"

    "No, age is important as well¡­"

    "In this test that I''m giving you, it''s meaningless!"

    "That''s such an unreasonable test¡­"

    "Stop resisting with your pitiful excuses, my dear student Seiji!"

    "I don''t think I''m making excuses¡­"

    The teacher-student roley continued for a while with Kaede attacking and Seiji defending.

    Finally, Seiji agreed to lie down together with Kaede for a while on a bed. He felt that it still wasn''t alright to really sleep together with her.

    Although Kaede wasn''tpletely satisfied with this result, she was still happy because she considered it as making progress with Seiji.

    She took Seiji back to her own bedroom in the Juumonji residence.

    It was a clean and wide room with elegant and beautiful decorations. Kaede had arge bed with light pink nkets¡­

    Seiji couldn''t help but feel nervous upon seeing her bed despite the fact that it was only a promise to lie in bed together.

    It would truly be a test for him to lie together with such a great beauty in her bed, especially since he knew that she waspletely willing to have sex with him!

    Seiji would never have epted this request under normal conditions. However, he was currently injured, and Kaede had just returned from hell. She was fatigued both physically and mentally, so he figured that things wouldn''t develop to be anything R-18.

    Actually, he was correct to think so.

    The two of them finally realized just how tired they were after they got into Kaede''s bed together.

    Kaede hugged Seiji and enjoyed his warmth and the sensation of contact. She gradually fell asleep as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feelings of safety and bliss in her heart.

    Seiji who was also fatigued and injured soon found himself overtaken by drowsiness.

    A soft bed with a warm and a beautifuldy right next to him¡­ he supposed that heaven was supposed to be such a ce of warmth and softness as well. Just closing his eyes made him feel like he wanted to sink into this feeling forever.

    Really falling asleep here would be fine¡­ right?

    ''I can''t¡­ if I really fall asleep¡­''

    Seiji forced himself to remain awake and slowly got out of bed after he confirmed that Kaede was fast asleep. He covered her with her nket and left her room.

    "Can''t you just sleep together with her for one night?"

    Hisashi adjusted his eyesses after meeting with Seiji again and learning the situation from him.

    "I''d really like to do so as a man. However, I can''t do so because I''m a person of integrity!" Seiji acted all proper.

    "What about the honest truth?"

    "¡­I think that it''ll be quite troublesome for me if I sleep with your sister like this, in more ways than one¡­"

    Hisashi nodded in begrudging eptance after staring at Seiji for a while.

    "Although I can somewhat understand where you''reing from, I''d still like to say that handsome guys should just go explode."

    "I''ve already ''exploded'' once in hell." Seiji extended his palms and shrugged.

    Hisashi was rendered speechless.

    "Even exploding can increase a girl''s favorability rating towards you? Such an excellent winner in life you are. As expected of my king." The otaku mafia son chuckled after remaining silent for a few seconds.

    Hisashi then revealed a much more rxed expression than earlier after he finishedughing.

    "No words are sufficient to express my gratitude for Milord''s assistance today. All I can do is swear my loyalty and pay you back however I can."

    "Very good. I''m looking forward to it, my First Knight."

    Michirou was currently hospitalized, and Zankita was going to be hospitalized now as well. Hisashi was the only one who could take on the heavy responsibility of running the Juumonji Group now. Things were likely to be quite busy and difficult for him during this time.

    Seiji was unable to help Hisashi with any of this, so the best Seiji could do was crack a few jokes so that he would be able to rx.

    Hisashi understood Seiji''s intentions and remembered it in his heart.

    To be honest, Hisashi really didn''t want to take over the role of being the Juumonji Group''s leader. However, this heavy responsibility was now upon him.

    Still, this wasn''t something permanent. Once his older brother Zankita and father Michirou recovered, Hisashi would be able to have fun simply being an otaku again. Compared to his family business, he was far more interested in working under his "king" on the dating sim.

    ''As long as you need my service, I shall forever be your First Knight, Seiji,'' Hisashi thought that to himself.

    Kaede who was quietly sleeping in her bedroom had a faint ck aura appear around her. Intricate andplex runes slowly started appearing on her face.

    Perhaps she sensed something unconsciously, as she turned around in her sleep.

    The dark aura slowly gathered behind her back, gradually forming into a gigantic dark figure¡­

    The next morning, Seiji who was fast asleep in a guest room at the Juumonji residence was woken up by his cell phone ringing.

    He dazedly grabbed his cell phone, intending to turn off the rm. However, he then realized that it wasn''t his rm, but his ringtone instead!

    He hurriedly rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up before he epted the call.

    However, Seiji woke uppletely after hearing the content of the call. He immediately got out of bed and changed his clothes. He then left the guest room and hurried over to Kaede''s bedroom.

    When Seiji arrived and entered, he paused in astonishment at the scene before him.

    Her snow-white skin and elegant figure¡­ well, he had seen her beautiful body once before during the board game that he yed in his apartment before the Winter Snow Festival.

    However, there was something else there that definitely wasn''t before!

    Seiji was astonished at what was on the blonde beauty''s back¡­

    "No way¡­"

 Chapter 475 - Can I touch them?

    <h4>Chapter 475: Can I touch them?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kaede had pitch-ck wings attached to her back that seemed just like a fallen angel''s wings like in the legends.

    Her nickname of "Fallen Angel in White" at Genhana High School actually became real!?

    Seiji finally managed to regain his senses only after standing there in a daze for several seconds before he hurriedly averted her gaze.

    Kaede was currently wearing no clothing whatsoever on her upper body. The contrast of ck wings on her snow-white skin had a strange allure to it.

    "How about putting on a shirt?" Seiji mentioned.

    "There''s no need¡­ you''ve already seen everything before."

    "Er¡­st time was an ident¡­"

    "I don''t mind this at all. You can go ahead and inspect my body just like this."

    ''But I mind, Sensei!''

    "This will make it difficult for me to concentrate. Besides, you might catch a cold like this. Why don''t you put something on!"

    Hearing this, Kaede gave in and put a jacket on herself, which also covered her chest.

    Only after confirming that she had covered herself did Seiji finally turn back around and inspect her using his [Astral Vision].

    What he saw after using [Astral Vision] was that Kaede''s pitch-ck wings were emanating a faint ck mist. Not only that, there were ck mystical runes on Kaede''s face and back.

    What was going on here?

    Seiji tried to ask Yomi in his mind.

    "It would seem that she''s be Awakened to her Spiritual Ability. However, her power seems to have undergone a transformation due to hell''s influence," Yomi told him.

    "Her power transformed?"

    "Yeah. I don''t know myself just how her power has changed, either¡­ At any rate, there seems to be no danger for the time being."

    "What about in the future?"

    "I wouldn''t know."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment. Then, he asked Kaede what it felt like to have these wings.

    "It feels like I have an extra pair of strange hands," Kaede replied. She also controlled her wings and pped them a little, causing a few feathers to fly off which transformed into a dark mist and vanished in midair. "If I p them forcefully, I can create a strong gust. And, I also have a feeling that I''ll be able to fly¡­"

    "You might be able to fly¡­ that''ll be amazing if you can really do it." Seiji rubbed his chin.

    ck wings and the ability to create a strong gust¡­ rather than saying that Kaede was a fallen angel, she seemed more like a female version of a Great Tengu.

    "Did you dream about anything when you were sleepingst night?"

    "Not at all¡­ I slept excellently and deeply."

    She didn''t have any strange dreams, which meant that she didn''t enter her soul realm, and directly awakened her ability instead.

    Did this have to do with the fact that she traveled through hell and returned, so the mystical connection in her bloodline judged that she didn''t need to undergo a trial?

    Seiji felt that it was possible, but other possibilities were out there as well.

    Michirou was ambushed by a Tengu, Zankita dreamed about fighting a Tengu, while Kaede grew what resembled a Tengu''s wings¡­ it seemed to him that the Juumonji family''s mystical connection had to be to a Tengu.

    "Can I touch them?" He looked at the ck wings.

    "Sure."

    And so, Seiji reached out and gently touched Kaede''s wings.

    They felt rather soft and smooth, and a little cool to the touch. It was quite afortable sensation.

    Seiji tried touching the wings a little more forcefully.

    "Mmm~" Kaede began to moan.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by this.

    He decided to silently retract his hand.

    "You''re not going to touch them anymore? You can touch them more if you want." Kaede looked at him.

    "There''s no need¡­ it seems like it wouldn''t be good for you."

    "Not at all, it''s actually the opposite. It feels really good." Kaede waved her wings. "Touch them some more."

    Seiji could only reach out his hand and touch her wings again.

    "Yep~ Just like that¡­" Kaede closed her eyes in contentment. "Sofortable~ Use a little more force¡­ Ah, right there, use a little more force¡­ Mmm~~"

    The blonde teacher began trembling all over as her face began flushing red. She started moaning in a way that would easily make anyone have dirty thoughts.

    Seiji instantly decided to retract his hand.

    ''Why the hell would merely touching them give her such a reaction? Are those wings actually like an additional sensitive area!?''

    "Whew¡­ that felt amazing." Kaede opened her watery eyes to reveal a seductive expression. "I feel like I''ve turned into a cat."

    Seiji didn''t know what expression he had anymore after hearing that from Kaede.

    He couldn''t help but imagine a blonde cat woman acting all spoiled¡­ Stop!!

    "Cough¡­ it''s fine as long as you''re not feeling ufortable¡­ by the way, are you capable of hiding those wings?"

    "Yeah."

    Kaede controlled her wings and folded them. Then, her pitch-ck wings slowly became translucent and finally vanished.

    The runes on her body faded as well, causing her outer appearance topletely return to normal.

    "It''s excellent that you''re able to retract your wings; they won''t affect your daily life." Seiji looked directly at Kaede. "From now on, you''re a Spiritual Ability user, or more urately, an Awakened¡­ please use your own ability with caution."

    "Does this ability have to do with the fact that I just visited hell?" Kaede inquired.

    "It seems to have been influenced by hell, but it doesn''t seem like anything dangerous so far." Seiji paused for a moment. "I think that you should be able to use it if you wish. Just pay attention to the situations that you do so in."

    Something shed in Kaede''s eyes.

    "Also, since you''re now an Awakened, you need to know that¡­"

    Seiji exined to her the things she should watch out for and know as an Awakened.

    The blonde teacher nodded in understanding.

    "Also, let''s go talk to Hisashi¡­ I wonder if he also¡­"

    Before Seiji even finished his sentence, he was interrupted by his cell phone ringing again.

    The caller just happened to be Hisashi.

    Hisashi awakened to the power of lightning and thunder.

    He showed Seiji and Kaede by raising his hand and causing a ck streak of electricity to appear. It kept shing and making sparking sounds as it danced upon his palm.

    Then, he waved his hand, causing the electricity to transform into several streaks of lightning that shot out with deafening thunder!

    Seiji also saw ck runes on Hisashi''s face and hands, simr to the markings on Kaede''s body.

    It seemed that Hisashi was the same as his younger sister. His Awakened ability had been transformed by his visit to hell¡­

    Perhaps it was also hell''s influence that caused both Hisashi and Kaede''s abilities to be rather powerful. They were both definitely far stronger than Zankita right after Zankita awakened.

    Kaede brought out her wings again and tried them out. She really was able to fly! Not only that, the gusts she could create with her wings were strong enough to be on the level of a small whirlwind that could blow someone away.

    Hisashi charged up his power for approximately five or six seconds and shot out the strongest lightning he was capable of using. It sounded just like a real bolt of thunder as everyone in the Juumonji residence heard the resulting thunderp!

    ''If he tossed a coin in the air and shot it out using the powers of electromaism, wouldn''t that make this Toaru Kagaku no Railgun? He''d be a male version of Misaka Mikoto, wouldn''t he?'' Seiji''s cheeks twitched at this thought.

    "I suppose receiving this ability can be viewed as an unexpected benefit of going all the way to hell to save that idiot."

    Hisashi adjusted his eyesses and made that statement after he heard Seiji''s exnation for how he awakened to such an ability.

    "Although it seems like there still might be some problems due to hell''s influence¡­ it''s still quite nice to receive a power like this."

    "It''s a lot better than just ''quite nice.'' ck lightning seems really cool, so how about giving your ability a cool name to go with it?" Seiji was only half joking here. "How about calling it ''Dark Arm of Thunder?''"

    "Is that a name given to it by Milord?" Hisashi smiled. "If that''s the case, I''d be more than happy to ept."

    "Given as your king¡­ now that you say that, I need to be a little more serious about giving it a good name." Seiji''s lips arced upward in amusement. "Would calling it ''Abyssal Arm of Thunder'' sound cooler?"

    "I think they both sound equally clich¨¦ to me."

    "Thene up with a fresh name by yourself!"

    "King''s Dark Hand." There was a sh in Hisashi''s eyess lenses.

    "The meaning of the name isn''t clearly rted to your ability. Rejected!"

    "King''s Hand."

    "The meaning is gettingpletely off-track! Rejected!"

    "King''s Dark Dragon Arm."

    "Not only does that name sound clich¨¦ and embarrassing, why are you always obsessed with adding ''King''s'' to the name!?"

    "That''s because I''m the First Knight, and I act as my king''s right hand!"

    "I''m happy that you think that way, but please don''t add me into your ability''s name!?"

    The two of them started joking around the topic of naming Hisashi''s power.

    "I think that ''Thunder Arm'' will be fine, as it''s simple and easy to understand." Kaede finally joined the conversation after listening silently for quite a while. "As for my ability, I think it''s fine to just call it ''Wings of Wind.''"

 Chapter 476 - Raise them and take advantage of them!

    <h4>Chapter 476: Raise them and take advantage of them!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Although the names are appropriate, overly simple namesck recognition," Seijimented.

    "That''s right, Sister. Apart from an ability''s name being descriptive of the power in question, what''s even more important is personality," Hisashi added. "It''s just like a name brand. Having a cool ability name is a man''s romance!"

    "¡­Then you guys feel free to slowly think of names on your own."

    Kaede turned around and began pping her wings as she started flying again.

    It felt really nice to be flying. However, she was currently still unfamiliar with the action, and wanted to practice more.

    She flew around slowly in the dojo, and it was evident that she was flying rather clumsily like a young bird just learning how to fly.

    Seiji and Hisashi watched her practice flying.

    Although her flying was rather rigid in her movements, this scene still mysteriously managed to touch them.

    "It''s amazing that she''s actually able to fly."

    "Yeah. It''s such a pity that she can''t just fly around outside as she pleases."

    The two of them silently observed the flying blonde beauty for a while.

    In the end, they were unable toe up with names for these new abilities that satisfied them.

    Well, it was only a joke topic to begin with, so they didn''t mind so much.

    However, with the fact that Hisashi and Kaede had now be Awakened, Seiji''s Knights of the Round Table dating sim creation group now had over half its members as Spiritual Ability users now. That was no joke.

    A Spiritual Ability user faction¡­ was beginning to form in his dating sim group.

    Although Seiji felt that it was cool at first to imagine such a thing, he was now concerned as the group''s leader and "king" about things bing like this in reality.

    There were now a total of six Spiritual Ability users in his dating sim group. Apart from himself and Mika, the other four were all Awakened. And currently, the Awakened had a rather awkward situation in the mystical society.

    Seiji really wanted to be able to protect his friends. However, the things he was capable of were limited. Even though he became a Yin-Yang Master, there would still be situations that were difficult or impossible to deal with.

    He had to be stronger. Or¡­

    Seiji had an idea.

    He didn''t know if it would work or not¡­ should he try it out?

    He kept thinking it over as he returned home to the Uehara apartments.

    It was currently a bit after breakfast, and Reo was in the midst of preparing to go to elementary school.

    Mai called Seiji at this time and informed him that she had already eliminated the pest causing security issues for the elementary school and that he wouldn''t have to worry any longer.

    As for what the "pest" she was referring to actually was, and how she "eliminated" it, Mai didn''t mention the details¡­ and Seiji felt that it was best not to know.

    Since the problem was taken care of, that meant Reo no longer needed an escort to school. She happily went to her elementary school on her own.

    Seiji gave Shika an exnation of what happenedst night. However, he intentionally left out the part about himself being injured so that she wouldn''t worry.

    He had already cured himself using his [Beginner-level Healing] magic, and rested for an entire night. He felt that he was fine already. At most, all he needed was a checkup at the hospital a bitter.

    Seiji contemted the idea he had a while longer beforeing to a decision. He made a save file in his system at this point in time, then contacted his younger sister Hana.

    "Your dueling equipment will arrive at Natsuya Yoruhana''s residence in two days'' time. At that time, try it out, she''ll be responsible for making the final adjustments for you." The cat-eared hat girl appeared on hisputer screen and greeted him with those words. "All this equipment is merely being loaned to you. Although I doubt that you''ll be able to break it, I still need to add on that it''s best if you don''t break the equipment."

    "Thank you, my dear sister," Seiji gave his sincere thanks.

    "Don''t disgust me like that so early in the morning." As always, Hana didn''t enjoy such a response.

    "Hana-sama, this humble one has something he would like to discuss with you."

    "¡­What is it this time?"

    Seiji couldn''t help but imagine the cat ears on Hana''s hat stiffening in a cute manner as he noticed the cautious tone she spoke in.

    "You know about the Awakened, right? I would like to know what you think of Awakened, as well as what Yui and the entire Haruta Family think of them as well."

    "The Awakened¡­ of course I know about them. Why are you bringing up such a topic? Do you know someone that became an Awakened?" Hana inquired.

    "Yes. I would like to seek protection for them," Seiji told her honestly.

    "Them?"

    "Yes, there''s more than one. I feel that with my strength alone that it''ll be quite difficult to do a good job protecting all of them."

    The cat-eared hat girl fell silent for a moment.

    "I don''t have any particr opinion. However, Sister is paying special attention to the Awakened, and even recruited several as well."

    "Recruited?"

    "Yes, she took in several Awakened as her subordinates, and had them go and visit Spirit Worlds."

    Seiji''s gaze sharpened upon hearing this.

    He and Hisashi had once guessed that someone must have taken Zankita to a Spirit World¡­ could it have been Yui¡­?

    ''No, it couldn''t have been.'' Seiji reflexively denied the possibility.

    "What is she having them do in the Spirit World?" Seiji decided to ask.

    "I don''t know the specifics, but there''s basically only two things to do in a Spirit World anyways: gathering resources and cultivation."

    "So you mean that Yui is basically raising them?"

    Hana nodded.

    "Sister probably views the Awakened as having excellent potential, which is why she recruited several to raise and train. The Haruta Family as a whole doesn''t have a unified view on the Awakened. This is something that she''s doing personally. I don''t know why Sister seems to favor the Awakened so much. However, since she''s spending so much effort on raising them and improving their strength, that means that they''re worth her doing so."

    The cat-eared hat girl folded her arms. "If you request Sister to protect your friends, perhaps she''ll ept. However, they''ll be just like the other Awakened as Sister will be making use of them. Perhaps they''ll even be your opponents in the future. Although that type of scene actually seems rather amusing, you don''t want things to turn out that way, do you?"

    "Indeed not¡­" Seiji tried imagining having Hisashi and the others as his opponents, and found himself unwilling to imagine such a scene.

    "That''s why you shouldn''t do something like asking her to help protect those Awakened you know. Instead, you should copy her, and take in those Awakened as your subordinates, raise them, and take advantage of them!" Hana advised him seriously.

    "¡­I don''t even have the power to protect them. How would I be able to take them in as my subordinates?"

    "You can do it, using your name of Seiji Haruta!"

    "I thought that I was already officially removed from the Haruta Family."

    "That''s a private matter that very few know about. And even for those that know about it, they still might not dare to antagonize you, because even if you''ve been removed from the Haruta Family, you still have Haruta blood in you¡­" Hana paused for a moment. "Besides, you''ve already be a Yin-Yang Master, which makes you someone to be reckoned with now. At the very least, the average Spiritual Ability user will no longer be a match for you."

    Seiji fell silent at this.

    "Believe in yourself, oh hero. You''re making defeating our sister your goal, but you don''t even have the confidence to be able to protect your friends, and you even want to ask the sister you want to defeat for her assistance? Isn''t that simply too trash-like?" Hana continued. "You''re someone who dared to adventure in a Spirit World with only a wooden sword, as well as someone who dared to challenge another Yin-Yang Master to a duel for the sake of a girl. Why is it that youck so much confidence when ites to being able to protect your friends?"

    "These examples you bring up are of different natures entirely. You''reparing apples to oranges." Seiji sighed. "Protecting others is something quite difficult, and what I can do is limited. Although it may be rather unbing to ask Yui for assistance, it''s nothingpared to having my friends be safe. I don''t want to regret things because something I was incapable of handling happened to them."

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    "Of course, I won''t beg her to help me like a beggar. I just want to try asking. If she''s really willing to help me protect them, that''ll be great. If not, then that''s that." Seiji smiled.

    ''Idiot.'' Hana called him that in her mind.

    "Then go ahead and ask her. At any rate, you''re the one who''s going to lose face." The cat-eared hat girl humphed and ended the video chat.

    Seiji slowly retracted his smile as something shed in his eyes.

    Then, he took out his cell phone and dialed Yui Haruta''s cell phone number.

    "Good morning, Sister Yui. I would like to discuss something with you¡­ something inconvenient to discuss over the phone."

 Chapter 477 - â€œNeo Humansâ€

    <h4>Chapter 477: ¡°Neo Humans¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji took a taxi to a high-ss Sakura Ind tea caf¨¦.

    The decorations here seemed slightly iner than the ones at the high-ss restaurant owned by the Himiki judging n. However, the decorations were simrly elegant and seemed quite tasteful.

    A female server led Seiji to a private room.

    There was nobody inside.

    The server asked if he would like to order anything, and Seiji indicated that he didn''t. The server then bowed and left Seiji alone.

    Seiji looked all around him and enjoyed the view as he sat down on a cushion in front of the table and patiently waited.

    He recalled the first time he coincidentally met Yui Haruta at the Grand Spring department store. Seeing her there really shocked him and he felt that meeting her would be really awkward, so he hid in the men''s restroom¡­

    Was meeting her there truly a coincidence? Seiji was uncertain. However, he felt that there was no need to know the answer.

    He had talked to her subordinates, and also talked to her by phone since then. Now was the time to meet her in person for the first time since he reincarnated in this world.

    Seiji heard some footsteps. A momentter, the door to the private room was opened.

    A beautiful ck-haired girl wearing a white windbreaker walked into the room.

    Seiji exchanged nces with her.

    When their gazes met, it was as if they exchanged countless words in that moment¡­ just joking.

    ''I''ve finally met her.'' That was Seiji''s first thought.

    ''She''s truly beautiful.'' That was his second thought.

    He didn''t feel anything else apart from that. He didn''t have any dramatic emotions of love or hate for this blood-rted sister of his that he didn''t actually know that well due to not being the original Seiji Haruta.

    "Long time no see, Sister Yui." Seiji smiled in greeting.

    "¡­Long time no see."

    Yui''s expression was calm. However, something shed in her eyes, which indicated that she wasn''t quite so calm inside at all.

    Yui took off her windbreaker to reveal a blouse underneath that didn''t do anything to conceal her ample bosom.

    Seiji couldn''t help but stare for a short moment as hepared Yui''s chest size to Natsuya''s. However, he instantly suppressed such a way of thinking and got rid of all unnecessary idle thoughts!

    After putting away her windbreaker, Yui sat down across from Seiji and ordered some tea.

    Both of them remained silent for several seconds even after the server left after receiving Yui''s order.

    "When did you be a Yin-Yang Master?" Yui spoke up first.

    "Just two days ago."

    "Why didn''t you tell me immediately?"

    "Um¡­ I didn''t think to." Seiji was rather surprised that she asked such a question.

    Yui took a good look at his face.

    "You''ve done very well¡­ Seiji."

    She called him by name.

    The name of her younger brother that she personally exiled from the Haruta Family. The name that she had personally officially removed from the family records.

    Just what she felt when she called him by name again¡­ even she herself didn''t know.

    Seiji could feel the deep emotions contained within her seemingly nonchnt words.

    Seiji smiled openly and brightly in response.

    "It''s all thanks to you, Sister Yui."

    Simply judging by his current circumstances, this would normally sound like sarcasm. However, Seiji''s smile and tone were bothpletely sincere with not even a trace of sarcasm to be found.

    Yui widened her eyes slightly.

    She received arger impact from this than she''d expected.

    Things fell silent between them again.

    A whileter, Seiji was about to continue the discussion when Yui spoke first, "What did you wish to discuss with me?"

    "It''s like this¡­ I have several friends that have be Awakened. And as you know, the Awakened currently have an awkward status in the mystical society. I would like to seek protection for them."

    "You want me to protect your Awakened friends?"

    "Yes, if that''s possible."

    "Why don''t you do it yourself?"

    "Of course I''d do it if I was capable, but my power is limited¡­"

    "You believe that you can''t do it, so you want to rely on me?"

    "You could say that. I figured that there would be no harm in asking. Perhaps my Sister Yui would be willing to assist me," Seiji told her honestly.

    Yui fell silent for a moment.

    "You don''t have the confidence to protect your friends, and you even want to rely on someone that you dered that you were going to defeat?" Yui looked directly into Seiji''s eyes. Her tone contained different emotions from earlier.

    "That''s right. I know that it''s quite shameful, but I''m still making such a request even so." Seiji faced her question seriously.

    The room fell silent yet again.

    There was a knock on the door. A server entered and brought Yui the confectioneries and tea that she had ordered, then silently left.

    During this time, Seiji and Yui kept looking directly at each other with neither of them so much as looking anywhere else at all.

    "Did you talk to Hana about this before you came to discuss this with me?"

    "I did. She opposed me doing such a thing."

    "Yet you still chose toe find me."

    "Yes."

    Something shed in Yui''s eyes.

    "Are you testing me?"

    Seiji''s lips arced upward upon hearing this.

    "No¡­ but also yes."

    "What does that mean?"

    "It''s true that I would like your assistance. Even if you refuse, I still gain something from seeing how you react¡­" Seiji paused for a moment while his mouth arced upwards even higher. "To be honest, being able to meet you in person and talk to you like this face to face was already something that I didn''t expect."

    Yui didn''t respond to this.

    She revealed aplex expression.

    Seiji retracted his gaze, lowered his head, and looked at the table. He then picked up a teacup and sipped on some tea.

    ''Hmm, this is excellent tea,'' he praised in his mind.

    Yui continued observing her younger brother for a while before picking up her own teacup and also sipping on her tea.

    The handsome boy and beautiful girl who were siblings, quietly drinking tea together in an elegant room while tasting the confectioneries seemed like a scene out of a movie.

    "I won''t protect your friends," Yui finally spoke up again after a long period of silence. "Protect your friends by yourself."

    Seiji nodded. "I apologize for bothering you with such a thing¡ª"

    "However, I will tell you some information, about the Awakened," Yui continued.

    Seiji blinked as he realized that this sounded really important.

    "Please go ahead. I''m more than happy to learn."

    "Awakened are the ''Neo Humans.''"

    "Neo Humans?"

    Seiji revealed a subtle expression upon hearing this term.

    Yui interpreted his expression as one of confusion, so she continued exining, "They''re the ones most suited to this current new generation. They have truly strong potential. Their potential isn''t entirely positive, as it also has possible negative connotations. In other words, they might be powerful individuals in the future, but they also might turn into monsters. And, Neo Humans aren''t limited to merely the Awakened¡­ or another way of putting it is that the world still has far too much limited information on what they think the Awakened are. Actually, the phenomenon of ''Awakening'' has appeared long ago, even before the New Year''s incident. People have been Awakening even before then¡­"

    Something shed in Yui''s eyes as she looked at the boy sitting across from her.

    "You are one such example yourself, Seiji."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say at this.

    ''This means that she considers me an Awakened as well? A Neo Human?''

    ''I suppose that the way she describes it¡­ it really does make me sound like one?''

    Seiji thought at a high speed regarding this topic.

    He had always believed himself to be abination of a reincarnator, transmigrator, and body stealer. However, his identity could be interpreted the opposite way as well. Perhaps he was still the same depraved scumbag Seiji Haruta who miraculously received the memories of an otaku from another world¡­ or somehowbined with that otaku''s soul?

    He had always reflexively denied being such a depraved scumbag and recognized himself as a transmigrator.

    But perhaps he wasn''t one to begin with? He had merely "Awoken" in a different manner from Yukari and his friends, but he might still be an "Awakened" after all!

    That was to say, in this theory, he wasn''t someone else to begin with at all. He wasn''t a reincarnator, or a transmigrator, and definitely not a hero from another world.

    He was Seiji Haruta! A former scumbag who suddenly changed himself when he "Awakened" and became a "Neo Human!!"

 Chapter 478 - Gather Spirit-branded Retainers that are willing to fight for you

    <h4>Chapter 478: Gather Spirit-branded Retainers that are willing to fight for you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji was shaken by this knowledge and possible theory.

    However, this onlysted for a short moment.

    That was because he didn''tpletely reject the concept of being "Seiji Haruta"¡­ If that had been the case, he would have simply decided to leave this city and change his name to start a new life right after he transmigrated to this world instead.

    He recognized himself as a transmigrator, but at the same time, he also recognized himself as Seiji Haruta, and was willing to ept the burden and responsibility of everything this body had done before he took it over.

    That was why even though he was somewhat shaken by his own theory, it wasn''t a big deal to him.

    He decided to think about it some moreter. The important part right now was dealing with the person in front of him.

    "I''m a Neo Human, someone who''s fundamentally the same as an Awakened¡­ that''s what you mean, right? Sister Yui."

    "That''s right."

    "I suppose that it''s reasonable to describe everything that''s happened to me as me having ''Awakened.'' I can ept that," Seiji stated calmly. "However¡­ just where did this terme from in the first ce?"

    Yui remained silent and didn''t answer him.

    "Neo Humans¡­ you called them the ''ones most suited to this current new generation.'' In that case, what does ''current new generation'' refer to?" Seiji continued asking. "If this refers to the current era right after New Year''s, then in that case, what happened on that night¡­ do you know something about the ''Midnight Incident?''"

    Yui continued to remain silent as she silently sipped on her tea.

    Seiji took a good look at her.

    "Sister Yui¡­ are you a member of the ''Soul World'' faction?"

    Yui quietly sipped on her tea.

    Her expression and movements appeared quite calm, and Seiji was unable to tell if she had been ruffled or not by his questions.

    Seiji observed her for a while longer before he finally retracted his gaze as he picked up his own teacup and sipped on his tea.

    The silence continued for a while.

    "Various things will be happening in the future, including plenty of dangerous events," Yui said as she put down her empty teacup and began refilling it. "If you wish to protect your friends, continue working hard at bing stronger. That''s the only way you will seed," she said as she began refilling Seiji''s tea as well.

    "I will¡­ apart from protecting my friends, I still have the goal of defeating a certain Qilin Girl, after all." Seiji smiled.

    That''s when he saw Yui''s expression freezing slightly.

    "That nickname¡­ did you hear about it from Hana?" Yui asked him.

    "Yeah. I think that''s a pretty cool nickname." Seiji nodded.

    Yui revealed a subtle expression upon hearing this.

    "You don''t like this nickname?" Seiji raised his eyebrows at seeing such an expression.

    "You think that I''d like such a nickname?" Yui stared at him.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "At any rate, don''t call me by that nickname." Yui made it obvious that she objected.

    "I really think that it''s a pretty nice nickname. At the very least, it''s far better than mine." Seiji revealed a serious expression. "They call me the ''Magic-devouring Dragon'' at Genhana High School."

    Yui was the one who was rendered speechless this time.

    "Not only that, before I was the ''Magic-devouring Dragon,'' my previous nickname was the ''Destroyer of Clubs.''"

    "¡­Are you joking with me?"

    "Yep, I''m joking with you."

    Seiji acted all serious in admitting such a thing before he chuckled.

    "I never expected that Sister Yui would object to her own nickname. That''s rather cute of you."

    "¡­How is that cute? I don''t understand." Yui averted her gaze.

    ''That''s exactly what''s cute.'' Seiji maintained his smile while thinking that in his mind.

    "If you want to defeat me, only you bing strong by yourself isn''t enough." After a few seconds of silence, Yui changed the topic. "It''s excellent that you were able to cultivate and be a Yin-Yang Master in such a short period of time. In the future, perhaps you''ll even develop enough to be a match for me. However, I won''t be dueling with you by myself. As a Yin-Yang Master, we rely on our Spirit-branded Retainers in addition to our personal strength."

    As she said so, Yui adjusted the now empty confectionery tes on the table. She arranged the tes into a neat row to block a cup that represented herself.

    "My Spirit-branded Retainers are my weapons and shield that I''m extremely proud of. If you wish to duel with me, you must first be able to surpass them."

    Seiji looked at her te arrangement for a while before he nced at his own cup which was left all by its lonesome. He remained silent without saying anything.

    "Gather Spirit-branded Retainers that are willing to fight for you," Yui told him seriously. "Recruit those Awakened friends of yours and raise them to be much stronger. Or, simply recruit or hire someone who is already a powerful Spiritual Ability user to begin with¡­ you can do whatever you like. Only after you have a team of Spirit-branded Retainers strong enough to be a match for my Spirit-branded Retainer team will you truly be worthy of challenging me to a duel."

    Domineering.

    At this moment, Seiji truly felt how domineering Yui, the Qilin Girl, was.

    She had true strength mixed together with a pride that gave her an indomitable spirit!

    Her power level wasn''t contained in only her personal power level. Her true power included that of the Spirit-branded Retainers under her as well.

    She said that she was "extremely proud of" her Spirit-branded Retainer team¡­ In order for the Qilin Girl to use such a term, they definitely had to be incredibly strong.

    He didn''t know any of her Spirit-branded Retainers other than the Hasegawa siblings, Iroha and Naoki.

    Would he currently be able to win in a serious all-out fight against those siblings? Seiji didn''t know.

    Yui observed the silent Seiji.

    "If you need anything, just tell Hana," she stated lightly. "I''m not going to care too much about what she does."

    Seiji raised his head and had an astonished expression at hearing this.

    "You''re¡­ permitting me to use the family''s resources?"

    Yui didn''t respond yet again. She simply sipped on some more tea.

    "Thank you¡­ I shall use it with restraint," Seiji expressed his gratitude.

    This was a concession from her, as well as her recognition.

    ''Wait a moment, isn''t this¡­'' Seiji felt like he suddenly realized everything.

    ''Isn''t this all simply a roundabout way of providing her protection!''

    Seiji was quite moved by Yui''s actions as he watched her sitting there quietly drinking tea.

    She was strict on the outside, yet gentle on the inside¡­ a ssic example of a tsundere!

    Seiji even impulsively felt like he wanted to rush up and hug her as this older sister of his was just too cute¡­

    Seiji expressed his current feelings in his eyes. When Yui noticed this, she slightly averted her gaze.

    At this moment, Seiji felt like he was seeing Hana.

    ''Even their tsundere actions resemble each other so much. As expected of sisters!'' Seiji was even more moved by this scene.

    *Ding! Congrattions on bing both an older and younger sister sis-con!* He imagined such a system notification in his mind.

    ''No no, I''m not at such a level. I''m merely quite moved.''

    After selfmenting, he took a sip on his tea to help calm his emotions.

    "If I gather my Awakened friends, how should I help them to grow stronger?"

    "Go to a Spirit World," Yui responded.

    "Spirit Worlds are dangerous."

    "One must take risks in order to grow stronger."

    Seiji nodded. "In that case, what should I do to avoid them from bing negatively affected by their powers and bing monsters?"

    "There''s no definite method. You can only pay close attention and try what you can to stop them if you feel that something''s wrong."

    Seiji nodded once more. "Got it¡­ thank you so much for teaching me."

    In the end, Seiji didn''t have to use the save file he''d made just in case.

    Not only didn''t anything bad happen as he feared, he received an unexpected harvest. He felt that it was all quite amazing.

    Seiji was in a rather jubnt mood.

    His only regret was that he didn''t know when he would get to meet his sister Yui again.

    Well, they were closer to each other than they were before. He figured that he would be able to slowly repair the rtionship that the original Seiji Haruta messed up as long as he continued to make progress.

    ''Now then, let''s think about that topic from earlier that I put aside¡­

    ''Just who am I?

    ''A transmigrator? Or a formerly depraved scumbag otaku? Or just a butterfly in a dream?''

    Fine, thest part was just a joke.

    Still, if he seriously thought about it, perhaps it wasn''t entirely a joke after all¡­ But still, it actually wasn''t relevant.

    ''No matter who I am, I''m still me. I have no regrets about what I''ve done, and I have no doubts about what I want to do. There''s really no point in being worried about just who I really am.

    ''But, let''se to a conclusion so that this matter can be closed.

    ''I''m both a transmigrator and a former depraved scumbag otaku.

    ''I am a hero from another world, just like how my younger sister views me. I''m also an Awakened Neo Human, just like how my older sister Yui views me.

    ''I am Seiji Haruta. I was in the past, I am right now, and I will be in the future as well.''

 Chapter 479 - Why do you want her?

    <h4>Chapter 479: Why do you want her?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A new generation, and Neo Humans¡­ just how did these termse about into existence? Did Yui know some top-secret information, or was she perhaps even a member of the Soul World faction?

    She remained silent and didn''t answer his questions on that topic. Seiji could understand.

    Just telling him what she did might have been quite risky for her. It meant that she wasn''t able to tell him anything more.

    What if she truly was a member of the Soul World faction?

    ''Let''s deal with it when the timees after I learn the truth about the Midnight Spell and the Soul World faction''s goals,'' Seiji thought to himself. And no matter what, Yui was his family.

    By the way, a term like "Neo Humans¡­" Should he y around with a Gundam now?

    ''I really have yed around in one! More than once, even! Well, even if it was only in the soul realm,'' Seijimented in his mind.

    Seiji went to the student council president''s residence to practice cultivation. When he met the president there, Seiji thought that he should mention something to her.

    "Natsuya, there''s something I''d like to discuss with you."

    "Discuss¡­ discuss what?" Natsuya was acting somewhat unnaturally.

    This was mystifying to Seiji.

    "Your expression is a little strange. What''s the matter?"

    "N-nothing." Natsuya averted her gaze as her face flushed slightly red. "I''m just¡­ feeling slightly ufortable."

    After all, she couldn''t tell him that she was currently feeling awkward due to the discussion she''d hadst night with his younger sister about potentially getting married to him.

    Natsuya was quite worried that Hana would tell Seiji about the contents of their discussion regarding harems¡­ but it seemed that she hadn''t, which helped Natsuya to calm down.

    "If you''re feeling ufortable, make sure to rest. You''ve been working too hard," Seiji said out of concern.

    "Yeah¡­ I will." Natsuya nodded with her red face. "What would you like to discuss with me?"

    "It''s about Shinobu Miaki¡­ Akatsuki Mitarai''s human puppet," Seiji told her. "I would like to be able to obtain her as one of the victory conditions in our duel."

    Natsuya was incredibly astonished to hear this, and it showed on her face.

    "Why do you want her?"

    "It''s like this. Actually¡­" Seiji gave her an exnation of how Shinobu was actually a newly-born demon.

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes after she finished listening to Seiji''s exnation.

    "Yomi¡­ is able to perceive demons to such an extent, and is even able to steal away a soul¡­"

    "Have you figured out just which spirit she could be?"

    "No¡­ I have no idea." Natsuya shook her head slightly. "Can you contact her right now?"

    Seiji tried mentally calling out to her.

    "She''s not responding¡­ she''s probably sleeping again."

    "Marking a target to be able to steal away the target''s soul in their soul realm is an incredibly powerful spell. It''s considered a top-level soul magic spell," Natsuya told him seriously. "If this spell was used on a human¡­ you can imagine just how fearsome it is."

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Although I don''t know much about magicpared to you, I realized it as well. She''s actually really powerful."

    Apart from being able to steal souls, Yomi was even capable of figuring out an Awakened''s mystical connection, or sending someone down to hell to save a fallen and return safely¡­ she was definitely an incredible existence!

    "Yomi," a name which meant theherworld, was an incredibly fitting name for her.

    The person who gave her this name seemed most likely to have been Seimei Kamijou.

    She mentioned how she used to be simr to Shinobu Miaki long, long ago in the past at first. Although Seiji was unsure exactly what she meant, he figured that it meant that they were both demons since Shinobu was also a demon.

    When Yomi was still a demon freely roaming around on thend, she was quite likely to have been an incredibly powerful demon on the same level as the famous three most powerful evil demons like Great Tengu, Shutendoji, and Tamamo no Mae. Someone who had a good enough rtionship with her to give her a name¡­ or in other words, someone who was able to suppress her power. The only person that Seiji could think of in Sakura Ind''s history was Seimei Kamijou, his ancestor.

    Seiji felt that his inference about Yomi being one of Seimei Kamijou''s Spirit-branded Retainers in the past was highly likely to be correct.

    However, she always answered ambiguously about her identity.

    This might be because she wanted to intentionally act mysterious to make people wonder about her. It also might be because¡­ well, no idea, actually.

    "If at all possible, I''d like to know as well. But, she keeps saying she wants to maintain a sense of mystery about her." Seiji extended his palms. "So, that''s just how it is."

    Natsuya nodded in understanding.

    "Demons and spirits have all sorts of personalities, just like humans. Meeting such a carefree one like her isn''t considered strange¡­ But with how powerful she is, the fact that she''s always sleeping might actually be her storing energy to use her power. What do you think?"

    "I''ve thought about that possibility as well, and I''ve also asked her why she sleeps so much. But, her answer was ''because she wants to sleep.''" Seiji sighed.

    "Let''s change the topic. Tell me more about Shinobu Miaki."

    "Shinobu-chan''s soul is currently within my body, and she''s currently in a greatly weakened state. She''s absorbing my Mana to slowly rest and recover¡­ can you detect her?"

    Natsuya cast Astral Vision and carefully observed Seiji for quite a while.

    "I can see just a few traces. She''s barely noticeable, and I wouldn''t have been able to detect her if I wasn''t especially looking for her."

    "That''s probably because she''s too weak right now."

    "Yes, she''s incredibly weak. The power level of her existencepared to your bonded spirit is like the difference between an ant and an elephant."

    "¡­You can even notice the difference to such a degree?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "I''m confident in my own judgement."

    Natsuya ended her Astral Vision.

    "I understand why you want her now. Simply speaking, just like how you took in Shika Kagura as your first girl, now you want to take in a female demon as well." Natsuya had a rather subtle expression.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt like he was unable to counter her statement.

    "Pretty much¡­ but I still need to correct something you said. I didn''t take Shika-chan in. She became my adopted younger sister."

    Natsuya stared at his face.

    "You''re just such a person, aren''t you, Seiji."

    ''A harem story protagonist¡­'' She was now feeling the full extent of just how true this statement describing him was. It gave herplex feelings inside.

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    He felt like he had heard such things before multiple times.

    Both of them fell silent for a moment.

    "I shall make obtaining that¡­ Shinobu Miaki''s body as one of the conditions of the duel." Natsuya finally retracted her gaze. "The prerequisite, obviously, is that we have to win the duel."

    "Of course. We have to win the duel." Seiji nodded. "We''re definitely going to win."

    ------

    Later that night, Seiji took a taxi to arge hotel which was close by to Thunderbolt Literature.

    The Eighteenth Annual Neer Authors'' Award Ceremony was being held at this hotel''s banquet room.

    Since he was told beforehand that there were no particr formal clothing requirements, he wore his typical casual attire for cold weather, a jacket and long pants.

    When he walked into the hotel, a tour group just happened to be undergoing the process for checking in. The female members of the tour group immediately noticed such a handsome young man like him passing by.

    Seiji noticed their attention and smiled at them.

    This immediately caused amotion as the women all had sparkles in their eyes as they raised their cell phones in unison to take pictures of Seiji.

    Seiji had already gotten used to such behavior from others whenever he went out in public, so he ignored them and walked directly to the hotel''s elevator.

    Several other people who were waiting for the elevator as well noticed themotion in the hotel''s main hall. They turned around to see an overly handsome smiling young man walking over. They all had the first impression that he must have been some idol or movie star and reflexively tried to recall who he was. However, nobody recognized him.

    Seiji waited for the elevator together with these people. He then got on the elevator that arrived and pressed the button for the banquet hall floor.

    Nobody pressed any other elevator buttons after him.

    The others all looked at Seiji.

    Seiji looked at them as well.

    "I''m here for the Thunderbolt Literature Neer Authors'' Award Ceremony. Are all of you here for that as well?" he asked them politely.

    The others exchanged awkward nces.

    "Yeah, I''m here for that." A young man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase who seemed like a normal office worker was the first to reply.

    "Same for me." A middle-aged man who seemed roughly thirty years old was the next to reply. He had messy curly brown hair, incredibly thick eyesses, and was wearing a padded jacket with sweatpants.

    "I''m one of the award winners¡­" a young man who seemed like a college student spoke up. He was wearing a windbreaker and long pants, was rather thin, had short silver hair, and was wearing silver-rimmed eyesses. "The Neers'' Award Ceremony typically has the award winners arrive half an hour first before everyone else. So, all of us here that have arrived at this time just like me, I''d think that you all won awards as well, right?"

 Chapter 480 - â€œWhat Should I Do Because Iâ€™ve Grown Cat Ears And Can See Ghosts?â€

    <h4>Chapter 480: ¡°What Should I Do Because I¡¯ve Grown Cat Ears And Can See Ghosts?¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Just as the college-aged man surmised, everyone riding this elevator was an award winner.

    The elevator soon arrived at the banquet hall floor, and they all walked to the venue to see the orange-haired beautiful editor who was wearing a suit.

    "Editor Yoshizawa¡­"

    "Wee, everyone," Saki greeted Seiji and the others politely. "I''m Editor Yoshizawa from Thunderbolt Literature¡­ Everyone, please sign here on the check-in sheet to indicate your arrival."

    Saki gestured toward a form on the table.

    Seiji saw that it wasbeled "Award Ceremony Arrival Status", and that several names were signed on it already.

    He picked up a pen and signed the name "Seigo Harano" next to his pen name "Idle Dimension by the Shore".

    Everyone else filled in their names as well.

    Saki looked over at the form that everyone filled out, then picked up several name tags embroidered with red ribbons and ced them in front of Seiji and the others.

    "Please put on the name tags with your own name on them."

    Seiji and the others did as instructed.

    Then, the female editor led them to a waiting room by the banquet hall.

    There were three people inside this room already, two women and one boy. All three were currently fiddling with their cell phones.

    When Seiji and the others entered, a woman wearing a one-piece dress with a jacket on top and the boy who was wearing a school uniform looked at them, while the girl who was wearing a down coat continued to focus on her cell phone.

    "Please rest here for a while. I''lle let everyone know when it''s time to formally begin."

    The female editor left after saying so.

    The room remained silent for a few seconds.

    "Good evening," Seiji politely greeted the woman and boy that were looking in his direction.

    The one-piece dress woman was slightly dazzled by Seiji''s handsome face and only regained her senses when he spoke to her, which caused her to start blushing. She finally responded with a "G¡­ good evening."

    "¡­Good evening." The boy who appeared like a middle school student seemed to be unweing of Seiji''s presence as he responded with a grim tone.

    Seiji then turned to look at the girl who was focusing on her cell phone as he was rather surprised to meet her here.

    Miyabi Ishihara.

    A student librarian at Genhana High School who once had a mystical incident during the infirmary. She possessed a ghost within her that called itself "Ya-chan."

    She never returned to the infirmary after that, nor did it seem like anything was wrong with her. She never became an Awakened, nor did any other incidents happen.

    Seiji never expected to meet her in such a ce¡­ this Ishihara-senpai of his must have been writing light novels as well.

    He felt that a student librarian writing a novel was such a ssic setting. It was just about perfect since she was also a beauty if she removed her eyesses.

    Seiji couldn''t help but smile as he imagined things while walking towards her.

    "Hello, Ishihara-senpai."

    She noticed someone approaching her and greeting her by name. The brown-haired girl with ck-rimmed eyesses finally lifted her head away from her cell phone, only to notice a smiling handsome boy standing before her.

    "H¡­ hello, Harano¡­san."

    "It seems that Senpai knows who I am, so I won''t need to introduce myself." Seiji smiled in greeting. "I didn''t expect to meet Ishihara-senpai here."

    Miyabi looked at him with a confused expression on her face.

    "Harano-san, you''re a really famous person in our school, which is why I know you¡­ but why do you know me?"

    "Last year right before the final exams, I saw you in the library when the drama club was having a study group there. I heard that you were Shiho-senpai''s friend, so I remembered this fact from that time."

    "¡­Are you highly skilled at remembering girls?"

    "No, I just coincidentally happened to remember you, Senpai." Seiji did his best to cover for himself.

    Miyabi furrowed her eyebrows slightly in evident doubt.

    "Alright, I''ll tell you the truth." Since he saw that she didn''t believe him, Seiji did the next best thing without having to tell her about her own mystical incident. "Actually, a friend told me that when Ishihara-senpai takes off her eyesses and pays special attention to her appearance, that you''ll be an incredible beauty¡­ which is why I especially observed Senpai before, and that left me with a deep impression."

    Miyabi paused in surprise for a moment. A few secondster, her face began to redden.

    "R¡­ ridiculous¡­"

    "I don''t think it''s ridiculous at all. Senpai, how about trying it out?"

    "No thanks¡­"

    "That''s such a pity." Seiji sat down across from her and gazed directly into her eyes. "However, Senpai looks quite nice like this as well."

    Miyabi was rendered speechless.

    Her junior who was a famous individual in her school and handsome like an idol was now talking to and praising her¡­ Miyabi considered herself just an ordinary girl whom people wouldn''t pay much attention to; her heart beat quite rapidly when dealing with such an unusual situation for her.

    She felt that he wouldn''t have anything inmon with her, so why¡­

    Miyabi suddenly realized what ce they were currently in.

    "Harano-san, you''re an author who won a neer''s award as well?"

    "Yep." Seiji nodded.

    "You also write light novels?"

    "That''s right." Seiji smiled.

    Once again, Miyabi was rendered speechless.

    She had never heard anything about writing light novels in the rumors about him!

    For someone like him who was so handsome and shining brilliantly like a star¡­ how could he possibly be a light novel author?

    She couldn''t help but ask, "Why do you write light novels?"

    "Senpai, why do you write light novels yourself?"

    "Because¡­ I like them¡­"

    "I also write them because I like them." Seiji chuckled.

    "But¡­ someone like you¡­"

    "What about someone like me?"

    "¡­It''s nothing." Miyabi suppressed her own emotions as she felt that she had misspoken.

    After all, there was no rule about handsome boys not being allowed to write light novels. That was just her own personal bias, which she felt was wrong.

    Seiji continued looking at her.

    Meanwhile, the college student young man started chatting with the office worker and the middle-aged man, while the middle school student continued ying with his cell phone. The one-piece dress woman also yed with her cell phone while sneaking asional peeks at the handsome Seiji.

    "Ishihara-san, which award did you win?" Seiji decided to ask after observing her for a while.

    "¡­What about you, Harano-san?" Miyabi asked him back.

    "I was the one who asked first." Seiji indicated that she should tell him first.

    Miyabi slightly averted her gaze.

    "My novel is called ''What Should I Do Because I''ve Grown Cat Ears And Can See Ghosts Now?''" Miyabi told him in a soft voice.

    "Ah, a Silver Award novel. Excellent," Seiji praised her.

    The novels that received awards were all publicized on the inte before the awards ceremony. "What Should I Do Because I''ve Grown Cat Ears And Can See Ghosts Now?" was one of the two novels that received a Silver Award.

    This story was about a middle school girl who had an overactive imagination. One day, when she visited her grandmother''s home in the countryside, she grew cat ears and a cat tail for an unknown reason. Not only that, she gained the ability to see the ghost of a human child that nobody else could see. She had a mystical adventure under the ghost''s guidance and uncovered a hidden story behind the rural vige.

    Just this synopsis alone seemed quite ordinary, but this story definitely had excellent points to it in order to have received the Silver Award.

    The judges'' reviews of this light novel included phrases such as "healing," "cute," "very moe," "a bit frightening," and "surprisingly scary¡­" in summary, it was a moe-type gore¡­ er, moe-type suspense novel.

    Miyabi Ishihara''s pen name was "Snow Moon''s Words in a Dream."

    While Seiji praised her novel, something shed in his eyes as he considered the content of her novel as well as the pen name she chose for herself.

    A ghost child¡­ words in a dream¡­ did what she wrote have a connection to the ghost child that would appear when she was asleep?

    "It''s your turn, Harano-san," Miyabi told him. "Which novel did you write?"

    "I wrote ''Brother Monogatari," Seiji responded.

    "''Brother Monogatari¡­''" The brown-haired girl widened her eyes in surprise. "The novel that cheated?"

 Chapter 481 - Worthy of far more

    <h4>Chapter 481: Worthy of far more</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Her voice wasn''t loud, but it just so happened to be that the others had a lull in their conversation. Not to mention, a word like "cheated" would always be a sensitive one, which was why everyone heard what Miyabi said.

    "My story didn''t cheat," Seiji said helplessly. "There''s already an announcement on the inte from Thunderbolt Literature about it."

    He had already mentally prepared himself to receive some criticism.

    Miyabi wanted to say something, but stopped herself.

    "To be mentioning a word like cheated, could you be talking about ''Brother Monogatari?''" an inquisitive voice asked them.

    The person who spoke was the young man who appeared like a college student¡­ his name tag said Koushi Nomura.

    Seiji nodded at him.

    "I know a bit about what happened with the judging process. That novel didn''t cheat at all. Just as the announcement on the inte said, it received an award based on its own merits. It''s actually quite amazing," Nomura stated. "If it had been written in time to be formally submitted for the award contest, it definitely would have received the Gold Award rather than just a special award."

    "Thank you." Seiji was rather surprised to hear someone defending him. "I''m quite happy to hear you saying so, Nomura-san¡­ But saying that it could have received a Gold Award is an exaggeration."

    "It''s not too much at all, it''s the truth," Nomura insisted. "''Brother Monogatari'' is of even higher quality than the story that won the Gold Award."

    "Tsk!" A displeased sound came from behind them.

    The sound came from the middle school boy¡­ the name on his nametag said Shoutarou Rinura.

    He was ring at Nomura disgustedly with an expression that said, "Just who do you think you are, saying such a thing?"

    "That''s the unanimous review by all the judges," Nomura said as he looked in Rinura''s direction. "All the judges, without exception, stated that they believed ''Brother Monogatari'' to be the best novel of the year''s batch, exceeding all other light novels submitted as candidates."

    When Nomura said this, not only did Rinura''s expression freeze over, everyone else was shocked as well.

    The one-piece dress woman couldn''t help but ask, "All the judges, unanimously¡­ is that really true?"

    "That''s what I''ve heard. If it wasn''t for the fact that ''Brother Monogatari'' was toote for the submissions, it would have definitely received a Gold Award rather than just a special award. A pity that it was written toote for the contest," Nomura told her. "This story is truly amazing. It''s worthy of far more than simply a special award."

    The entire room fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

    "Nomura-san, how did you learn about all this?" Seiji asked him.

    "I have a rtive who works as an editor for Thunderbolt Literature. He was the one who told me," Nomura replied.

    ''Ah, so he knew someone on the inside.''

    "Hmph¡­ who knows if you''re lying or not," Rinura growled in a low voice.

    "It''s the truth, but it''s up to you whether to believe it or not, Gold Award winner Rinura-san." Nomura identified Shoutarou Rinura as the Gold Award winner. "Your ''The Undying Indestructible Avenger'' is pretty good as well, but it can''tpare to ''Brother Monogatari.'' Especially the vocabry aspect of your story is still quite immature. It''s easy to tell that the story was written by a middle schooler."

    The middle school boy''s face reddened slightly upon hearing this.

    "So¡­ so what!? Vocabry isn''t really that important for light novels!"

    "Yes, you could say that. That''s why your story was able to win the Gold Award."

    "Winning the Gold Award is the top prize! That means my story is the best! Not some ''Brother Monogatari'' or whatever!!" Rinura raised his voice. "That story sounds like garbage simply from the title! It shouldn''t have even been made a candidate!"

    "Hey," Seiji spoke with an icy tone.

    He didn''t use a loud voice or a particrly fierce tone. However, everyone could still feel his imposing manner simply with his "Hey."

    It was as if a sleeping lion had been awakened.

    "If you have objections to my story, that''s your right to think that to yourself. However, don''t go around insulting my story in front of me," Seiji said in a low voice. "Otherwise, I might just beat someone up."

    Shoutarou Rinura froze overpletely.

    Everyone else felt an almost tangible sense of pressure as well.

    This was especially all the more so for Miyabi Ishihara. She recalled the rumors about Harano-san at Genhana High School along with his nicknames, which caused her heartbeat to quicken in a different way from before.

    "Nomura-san, thank you for your recognition of my story. However, please don''t go around saying private things like that in public," Seiji asked Nomura after giving a warning to Rinura.

    Koushi Nomura nodded in understanding.

    "I apologize¡­ I said too much." He apparently self-reflected on his words.

    After that, silence fell in the room.

    Seiji realized that he had made the atmosphere awkward after he calmed down, so he spoke up to break the ice again.

    "I''m quite happy to be able to meet other authors here. There''s many things I''d like to discuss with you all¡­ as long as it isn''t anything negative, any topic is fine," he told them sincerely. "Since the host, Thunderbolt Literature, is having us award winners arrive early and wait here together, they probably intended to give us a chance to meet and talk with each other in the first ce. Perhaps we might not all be friends, but chatting for a while should be fine, what do you all think?"

    Several seconds of silence permeated the room.

    "I''d love to chat with you, would that be alright? Harano-san." Nomura was the first to respond.

    "I¡­ would like to talk about various things as well." The one-piece dress woman, who was an author named Yuuko Hashimoto, was the next to speak.

    "After hearing what Nomura-san said just now, I''ve be quite curious as to what this ''Brother Monogatari'' story is about," the office worker author, whose nametag said Shousei Maishi, spoke up as well.

    Seiji smiled in response to the authors that showed friendliness towards him.

    And so, he sessfully managed to thaw the atmosphere.

    When Saki Yoshizawa arrived to notify the award winners that it was time to join the award ceremony, she saw that everyone in the waiting room was chatting amicably, with Seiji at the obvious center.

    The Gold Award winner, Shoutarou Rinura, seemed to be the only one left alone, isted. He was simply busy looking at his cell phone.

    The female editor wasn''t surprised by such a scene at all.

    Thunderbolt Literature had always arranged for the award-winning authors to wait together before the award ceremony. The objective was to have the neer authors meet with and exchange ideas with each other.

    While there were a few who wanted to do away with this arrangement entirely, and there were others that wanted to increase or shorten the time, or even add one or two editors to oversee the situation with the authors, this was currently how it was.

    This method indeed helped to improve friendship amongst the neer authors, while it also asionally generated enmities. Of course, there were alsopletely ordinary instances where nothing happened at all. At any rate, each batch of neers hadpletely different personalities, so the result would always be different.

    Since Seiji''s novel was under some controversy, normally speaking, he would be the one singled out and isted by the others. However, Saki wasn''t worried about him at all. The result was just as she expected: not only was he not isted, he even became the center of the conversation.

    As for the Gold Award winner, Shoutarou Rinura being all by himself¡­ she didn''t find that strange, either. Although Rinura''s novel won the Gold Award, he was a middle school student who preferred being by himself to begin with. It was normal that he wouldn''t be able to get along well with a crowd of older authors.

    "Apologies for the wait. Everyone, please follow me."

    Saki led everyone to the banquet hall and exined the uing process to them as they waited outside.

    At this moment, they could hear many people talking in the banquet hall before someone spoke into a microphone and asked for silence.

    "Thunderbolt Literature''s Eighteenth Annual Neer Authors'' Award Ceremony shall nowmence!" the male announcer for the ceremony spoke in a loud and clear voice.

    "First, please wee our seven award-winning authors!" a clear and pleasant voice of the female announcer spoke next.

    Saki indicated to Seiji and the others that they should enter now.

    Many people were currently standing inside. When the award-winning authors entered and walked up to the stage, everyone began pping for them!

 Chapter 482 - Gold Award winner

    <h4>Chapter 482: Gold Award winner</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    When Shoutarou Rinura heard this pping, he finally felt a tangible sensation of glory.

    He felt like he had now reached the most glorious peak of his life.

    The fact that he won the top-ranked Gold Award the first time he ever tried writing a light novel from the illustrious Thunderbolt Literature meant that he could doubtlessly consider himself a genius with this achievement!

    While his idiotic peers in middle school spent so much wasted effort on learning useless things, busying themselves with joining meaningless social and club activities, pretending to be interested in things they weren''t in order to maintain hypocritically fake rtionships¡­ he was already on the way to bing a professional! Soon, he would be able to quit school which he hated so much and start a free life of his own as a genius author¡­ That was what Shoutarou Rinura believed.

    Rinura was quite satisfied with his current moment of glory as well as the beautiful future he envisioned for himself. However, he was still rather aggrieved at what''d just happened in the waiting room.

    That Koushi Nomura was just a guy who spouted nonsense! That Seigo Harano was handsome on the outside, but merely a violent hoodlum on the inside!

    Rinura bore a grudge against these two fellow authors of his. However, there was nothing he could do. After all, apart from being a light novel author, he was simply an ordinary middle school student.

    As for why he began writing, it was actually because of his dreams.

    One day, Rinura was resting at home with a cold. He hazily had a dream on that day, and after he woke up, he was seized with a strong urge to express what he witnessed in his dream. And so, he picked up his pen, and began writing a story despite his inexperience¡­ a story about someone taking revenge.

    The main character of his story was the prince of a small kingdom. The prince''s kingdom was invaded by a powerful kingdom, and his father, the king, personally went out into battle and died inbat. The prince obeyed his father''s secret dying message to him to surrender to the powerful kingdom.

    However, he didn''t expect that after the powerful kingdom epted the surrender, the powerful kingdom instead publicly went against the terms of capittion and executed all the royalty of their small kingdom, including the prince!

    The main character witnessed all of his rtives being cruelly executed, and died as well while wallowing in the depths of despair.

    The main character''s soul came into contact with an unknown existence in the void, and signed a contract with it so that he could possess a corpse and have a new life for himself.

    Aftering back into the world, the only thing he wanted was revenge. He wanted to kill all the royalty of the powerful kingdom!

    ording to the terms of his contract, he wasn''t allowed to do anything unrted to his revenge until his revenge wasplete. And, no matter how, no matter what method he died by, he would be able to possess yet another corpse and be reborn over and over again.

    He tried over and over again, experiencing death many times over, to the extent where his pain became numbness, and his hatred and desire for revenge hardened his heart into ice¡­ only after he died more than ten times, jumping from corpse to corpse, did he finally seed in killing the first target from the enemy''s royal family.

    This story took Rinura an incredibly long time to write. Although he knew what he wanted to write, it was quite difficult for him to express the content using words.

    It was simr to recalling the contents of an excellent movie. That would be quite simple. However, writing the movie''s storyline down and doing its scenes justice through the power of words alone would be an incredibly difficult task. For some people, it would be impossible no matter how long they had. They just wouldn''t be able to express such detailed scenes using the power of words.

    Rinura kept thinking about giving up after he experienced how hard it truly was to write a story. However, that dream of his kept repeating over and over again, and it always made him impulsively want to continue writing. And so, he barely managed to keep persisting.

    Why did he keep having that dream? Why did that dream make him feel so strongly that he wanted to write it down?

    Although Rinura wondered about such things, he never told anyone about it.

    And after he entered his story into Thunderbolt Literature''s Neer Author Awards, and got chosen as a potential candidate after the first round, Rinura started treating his novel as being a product of his own talent.

    After his novel was announced as being chosen to win the top-ranked Gold Award, Rinura now believed himself to be a genius.

    ''No matter what that Nomura says, I''m the Gold Award winner, the most glorious person at this award ceremony!'' Shoutarou Rinura was currently quite proud of himself.

    "Please wee Head Editor Souzo Hattori from Thunderbolt Literature to the stage for his speech."

    The male and female hosts gave an introduction that livened up the atmosphere, then followed the script and invited the head editor onto the stage to speak first.

    This was the first time that Seiji had ever met Souzo Hattori. He had only heard him speak on the phone before in a previous timeline, when Hattori informed him that Saki Yoshizawa had died. Seiji felt that this white-haired head editor who wore ck-rimmed eyesses appeared just as he imagined.

    "First of all, as always, I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone present as well as everyone unable to attend that have all extended their support to our Thunderbolt Literature. Thanks to everyone''s continued support, Thunderbolt Literature has be what it is today, and even our Neer Awards Ceremony has reached its eighteenth year¡­"

    Hattori spoke at a normal pace in an unhurried fashion. He first discussed the situation of the light novel market in the past year, as well as mentioning some manga, anime, and games that were produced from Thunderbolt Literature''s light novels. Finally, he discussed and praised the award-winning light novels that won today''s awards and gave an introduction of all seven award-winning light novels and pointed out their excellent points, starting from the Gold Award and finishing with the special award.

    "¡­Finally, with regards to ''Brother Monogatari,'' I would like to rify that the author himself actually didn''t enter our contest. I was the one who made a special rmendation for it. At the time of my rmendation, the author had already signed a publication contract with us. I personally believe that this story''s quality will have excellent sales even without any awards added to it. However, it would be a waste for such a high-quality light novel to be published without any awards attached to it, which was why I gave it my rmendation. Everyone knows the result by now. The judges unanimously gave ''Brother Monogatari'' excellent reviews, which was why an exception was made for ''Brother Monogatari'' to enter the contest and receive a special award. I''m truly delighted with this oue. Also, I express my sincere apologies to the judges that had to spend their precious time reading an extra novel due to my willfulness, as well as to the author of ''Brother Monogatari'' who didn''t learn about this until after I had it done for him."

    Head Editor Hattori bowed deeply towards the judges who were sitting near the stage, then he turned towards the authors and bowed deeply towards Seiji.

    Seiji exchanged nces with him and epted what Head Editor Hattori expressed to him.

    And so, Seiji stood up as well and returned the bow after Head Editor Hattori finished bowing.

    Everyone began pping upon witnessing this scene.

    Nomura pped as well, and Miyabi and the other authors started pping after him¡­ but only Rinura refused to p.

    Shoutarou Rinura was feeling highly displeased from seeing this scene.

    Already signed a publication contract with Thunderbolt Literature¡­? The head editor personally rmended this light novel¡­? This seemed like it was on a grander scale than even his light novel that won the Gold Award!

    ''Even though this special award is clearly just a mere constion award¡­ the hell!''

    Rinura''s grudge grew deeper inside as he felt like something was about to erupt from deep within his heart.

    Meanwhile, it was now time for the award part of the ceremony after Head Editor Hattori finished talking.

    The person who was handing out the awards to the authors was the president of an anime productionpany. She was a woman who appeared to be in her forties. She was wearing a suit and light makeup. She seemed rather regal, mature, and reliable.

    "Eighteenth Annual Neer Authors'' Award Ceremony, Gold Award winner, Shoutarou Rinura-san!" the male host called out Rinura''s name first.

    Rinura stood up and walked up to the anime productionpany president.

    He started feeling nervous when he noticed that everyone below the stage was looking at him. His body started involuntarily freezing up.

    When he reached the middle of the stage, he strongly realized that he was now the center of attention, which caused his heartbeat to quicken rapidly.

    *Beat¡­ beat¡­ beat¡­*

    Something deep within his heart gradually began to expand from within him.

    "Hmm?"

    Seiji suddenly noticed that something was wrong, so he secretly cast [Astral Vision].

    As a result, he saw a faint ck mist emanating from Shoutarou Rinura''s body!

 Chapter 483 - Iâ€™m interested in women

    <h4>Chapter 483: I¡¯m interested in women</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ''What exactly is this?'' Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    He observed carefully but saw nothing abnormal apart from the ck mist emanating from the middle school boy''s body.

    It didn''t seem like a demon or spirit was possessing him, nor did he seem like an Awakened¡­ was it a problem with something in his soul levels? A mysterious power simr to Reo''s?

    ''Is Shoutarou Rinura someone who possesses the same mysterious power as Peach-sensei and Reo-chan?'' Seiji began to have his suspicions.

    "Rinura-san, congrattions to you and your light novel, ''The Undying Indestructible Avenger'', for receiving the Gold Award."

    The female anime productionpany president and award presenter smiled as she presented Rinura with a gold trophy.

    Although Rinura''s heart was beating quite rapidly, he felt like his chest was freezing and his head was rather dizzy. He stood still for several seconds before finally reaching out and epting the gold trophy, and his movements were obviously rigid.

    "It would seem that Rinura-san is rather nervous," the male hostmented.

    "Well, he''s still a middle school student, so he''s probably a little bit shy." The female host chuckled. "By the way, it''s incredible how he won the Gold Award as this age."

    "It really is incredible. Only one person in the past has ever won the Neer Authors'' Gold Award in the past at his age."

    "Eh? There was one other person as well? I figured that Rinura-san would definitely be the youngest Gold Award-winning author in Thunderbolt Literature''s history."

    "He isn''t, as he''s only the second youngest to have this honor. But, that doesn''t change how amazing he is."

    After the two hostsplimented him, they handed a microphone to Rinura, indicating that he should give a short speech about how he felt at receiving this award.

    But while the two hosts were talking about him, Rinura only felt like his head was getting dizzier. He began to see the scenes from his dream right in front of him.

    An execution tform, covered in blood, corpses, and a guillotine¡­

    Rinura did his best to maintain his sense of self as he epted the microphone and looked towards the audience below the stage.

    Rinura suddenly saw an incredibly clear image when he was looking at the audience.

    A dark sky, with a dense crowd of citizens, a ck-clothed executioner, the enemy kingdom''s king sitting high above, the execution tform that was soaked in blood¡­

    An iparably powerful anger filled his heart, causing his heart to pound violently and his body to turnpletely ice cold.

    With the most extreme hatred in the world, he sent an eternal curse at his enemies¡­

    "Kfsouwutebgdfjfrcmkj¡­"

    Everyone was mystified at hearing this.

    Nobody present could understand the mysterious sound that the Gold Award winner Rinura had just uttered.

    "What did he say just now?"

    "Is that a foreignnguage?"

    "Which country''snguage could that be?"

    While everyone else was mystified, there was only one person who had a grave expression: Seiji.

    He just witnessed the ck mist around Rinura suddenly bing much thicker when Rinura spoke in that unknownnguage.

    Seiji didn''t know exactly what happened. He only knew that things seemed to have gotten worse.

    Seiji prepared himself to rush over and deal with the situation if Rinura seemed like he was going to lose control of himself and go berserk.

    "Rinura-san, what did you say just now?" the female host asked him.

    Rinura suddenly came back to his senses.

    "I¡­ I just¡­"

    His head still felt dizzy, and he wanted to say something but was unable to say anything. He simply stood there in a daze while facing the audience.

    "It would seem that Rinura-san is too nervous, so he must have forgotten what he wanted to say." The male host stepped in to cover for him. "Let us give him a round of apuse as encouragement." The male host began pping to lead everyone.

    The audience pped for Rinura as well.

    Rinura managed to calm down slightly after the apuse and somehow managed to give two simple sentences of thanks.

    Both the male and female hosts noticed that Rinura was obviously in no condition to be making speeches, so they covered for him together and had him return to the other authors.

    Seiji silently kept observing Rinura.

    Next up, the Silver Award winners Koushi Nomura and Miyabi Ishihara walked up together onto the stage and received their awards from the female animepany president in session.

    Just like before, the hosts praised them and then handed a microphone to Nomura, having him go first with his thoughts about receiving the award.

    "My goal was to obtain the Neers'' Gold Award. I worked hard on my story for several years yet didn''t receive it in the end. I feel that it''s truly regrettable," Nomura said in a light tone of voice. "To be honest, I''m feeling quite miffed that my story was surpassed by a middle schooler''s story. However, that''s how reality is, and I can only ept. In the future, I shall transform my unwillingness at being surpassed into my motivation as a light novel author and do my very best to write something even better¡­ I hope that everyone here will continue supporting me in the future."

    Nomura bowed deeply towards the audience after finishing his speech.

    Although his tone remained light all throughout, his words contained his sincere emotions. The audience responded in turn with a loud round of apuse.

    Next up was Miyabi.

    "I don''t have any goals like how Nomura-san does. I merely wrote a novel that I wanted to write simply because I like reading light novels. I''m quite honored to have received a Silver Award. Thank you so much to all the judges for appreciating my story. In the future as well, I shall continue writing the stories that I like to write. I hope that I shall receive more recognition in the future from people everywhere, of course including everyone present today¡­ please take good care of me in the future."

    Just like Nomura, Miyabi bowed after her speech and received a hearty round of apuse.

    Next up was an award called the Excellence Award. The award winners were Shousei Maishi, Yuuko Hashimoto, and a middle-aged man named Imai Yoshida.

    The three of them went up to the stage to receive their awards together. Once again, the hosts praised the authors and the authors took turns giving speeches.

    "I simply wrote a story in my free time, never expecting that I would receive an award. Perhaps I''m actually quite talented? Haha¡­ but even if I actually do have talent in this area, I can''t possibly quit my current job to change my profession to author. So, I''ll only be able to write slowly in my free time in the future as well¡­" This was Shousei Maishi''s speech.

    "I''ve already failed several times in getting my drafts epted. I was thinking that if I don''t receive an award this time, I would simply give up on writing light novels. Now that I''ve been fortunate enough to win this award, it has given me the motivation to continue persisting. I''m so grateful to the judges¡­" This was Yuuko Hashimoto''s speech.

    "I''m honored to have received this award. A big thank you to the judges¡­" Let''s just skip over Imai Yoshida''s speech.

    Finally, it was time for the special award, the author Seigo Harano.

    When this incredibly handsome boy stood up and walked onto the stage, the audience members felt as if they were seeing things. It was as if an idol had arrived, or as if this was the final act of a stage performance with everyone else only being the appetizer.

    Even the female animepany president seemed to be smiling more brilliantly when she handed Seiji his award.

    "Harano-san is truly so handsome. I feel as if the entire atmosphere on stage changed when he arrived," the male host mentioned.

    "I know. It''s just as if an idol or model appeared on stage," the female host added. "I''d be more than happy to go out with him on a date!"

    "I think that most singledies here would be more than happy to do the same thing¡­ perhaps even some men would be willing as well?"

    The male host''s joke caused quite an amount ofughter from the audience.

    After the two hosts joked around a little, they handed the microphone to Seiji.

    "I''d like to state first that I''m only interested in women," Seiji pretended to be quite serious with his opening statement.

    This caused another round ofughter from the audience.

    Then, Seiji revealed his real expression¡ªa smile.

    "I''d like to thank Head Editor Hattori for rmending me for the special award, as well as the judges'' appreciation," Seiji stated sincerely. "But before any of them, there''s one person I''d like to thank more than anyone else¡ªmy partner that wrote ''Brother Monogatari'' together with me, my adopted younger sister. Half of the honor for winning this prize belongs to her. However, due to certain reasons, it''s inconvenient for her to attend this type of venue¡­"

    The audience couldn''t help but imagine a weak and sickly girl who couldn''t even go outside upon hearing his words. They felt that they now understood why the novel was titled "Brother Monogatari".

    A handsome and gentle adopted older brother and a sickly but talented adopted younger sister writing this novel together¡­ this seemed like something right out of a television drama!

    "I''ll continue writing stories together with her in the future as well, depicting a world that both of us like. I hope that you''ll all take good care of us in the future."

    Seiji finished his speech and bowed.

    The audience pped more vigorously for his speech than any speech before it.

    Meanwhile, Shika Kagura who was currently writing down additional novel ideas back at the Uehara apartments sensed something as she slightly lifted her head and revealed a beautiful smile.

 Chapter 484 - This is my first time meeting such a handsome pervert

    <h4>Chapter 484: This is my first time meeting such a handsome pervert</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ''So noisy¡­

    ''So noisy die I don''t want to die stop being so noisy go die so noisy shut up die don''t die so noisy so noisy go die¡­''

    There was a hugemotion going on in Shoutarou Rinura''s head right now. He was no longer able to differentiate between which noises came from his own heart and which noises were just illusionary fantasies.

    Everything he saw before him kept flickering back and forth between reality and his dreams. Disgust,ints, anger, and hatred, all these emotions that he possessed in both reality and his dream mixed together and formed something pitch-ck and chaotic.

    He faintly heard some rather strange words in his daze¡­ was these words he heard in his dream? Or a foreignnguage?

    No, they weren''t, it sounded more like¡­

    A curse¡­

    The ck mist around Shoutarou Rinura suddenly exploded!

    By the time that Seiji noticed what was going on, he was already engulfed in darkness.

    Seiji felt his head bing dizzy and consciousness going hazy. He faintly saw many chaotic scenes and heard morous sounds as his body became light.

    He did his best to maintain his consciousness. Soon, his head no longer felt dizzy and his field of vision returned to normal. He immediately noticed that the ck mist had disappeared, but that the banquet hall was now dark with all the lights turned off as if the electricity had stopped.

    Everyone in the banquet hall was standing there frozen with no signs of life in their eyes. It was as if they had all lost their souls.

    Before Seiji could take a closer look at the situation, he suddenly saw a patch of bright red appear in his vision.

    The bright red came from cluster amaryllis flowers.

    "This is¡­"

    While Seiji was still busy being astonished, the beautiful bright-red flowers continued to bloom in the banquet hall while glowing with a dim red.

    Under the illumination of this red glow, everyone''s clothes soon began to corrode. The skin revealed underneath soon began withering at high speed, and their hair began to fall out as their eyeballs melted. Their hands erged and soon became nothing but bones¡­ in less than ten seconds'' time, all the original banquet attendants had be arge group of skeletons with distorted bone ws!

    *Whoosh¡­* The skeleton that was formerly the male host lunged in Seiji''s direction!

    Seiji dodged this attack, then dodged the female host skeleton''s attack. He immediately cast [Body-strengthening technique] on himself and knocked back the female anime president skeleton with a punch.

    More skeletons started rushing him, waving their sharp bone ws at him!

    Seiji speedily retreated while casting [Mana Barrier] on himself. He dodged the skeletons'' attacks while countering with his punches and kicks.

    *Boom!* *Smack!* *Crash!* *Bang!*

    After he figured out what amount of strength was required to defeat them, he was able to defeat each skeleton with just a single punch or kick without wasting energy.

    There were far too many skeletons, and their bone ws were incredibly sharp. There was no way for him to dodge all the attacks, but luckily, his [Mana Barrier] was able to block all the attacks thatnded on his body.

    Not to mention, Seiji wasn''t the only person in the banquet hall who was battling the skeletons.

    In a location slightly far away from the stage, there was a crew cut hairstyle pudgy middle-aged man wearing a jacket and sweatpants who was agilely dodging the skeletons'' attacks with dexterous movements that seemedpletely unmatched with his body shape. He was shouting angrily loud while grabbing everything around him to block the skeletons'' bone w attacks or to attack the skeletons with.

    "What the hell! Why did things suddenly be like this!? What exactly happened here!?"

    He kept shouting while fighting the skeletons. Although he was slowly forced into a corner by the skeleton horde, he suddenly backflipped and thennded on the ceiling, attached there in a position like a toad''s!

    The skeletons kept jumping up and down while waving their bony ws at him. The pudgy middle-aged man kept crawling on the ceiling, while asionally stomping down on a skeleton''s head¡­ this scene appeared both abnormal and hrious.

    Seiji noticed that the pudgy middle-aged man was heading in his direction.

    "Harano-kun! You don''t mind me addressing you this way, right? Do you know what''s going on here!?" the pudgy middle-aged man shouted towards him.

    "Of course you can call me Harano-kun. Also, may I ask who you are?" Seiji responded. "I don''t know how any of this happened, but I think it''s connected to Shoutarou Rinura."

    "My name is Tsuyoshi Matsutani," the pudgy middle-aged man replied. "I think that this is connected to that Shoutarou Rinura as well¡­ Damn it! I should have just left here immediately when I saw a ck mist emerging from that middle school brat!"

    He crawled near to Seiji''s location and backflipped off of the feeling, crushing a skeleton under his feet as hended.

    The two of them started fighting together as allies, which made it much easier on both of them to face the skeleton horde.

    "Matsutani-san, are you a light novel author?" Seiji inquired.

    "Yes. You could consider me your senpai," Matsutani responded.

    "May I ask what your pen name and light novel are?"

    "Sharphorn Ironcliff, ''I Can''t Sleep When I''m Sleeping Together With My Younger Sister'', and it''s fine to be more casual in your speech with me¡­"

    "You''re Ironcliff-sensei!?" Seiji was astonished. "Both me and my adopted younger sister really love your ''Can''t Sleep With Younger Sister'' novel. When I came here, I was even thinking that I had to get Ironcliff-sensei''s autograph if I could meet you here."

    "Thanks for your support. Your adopted younger sister actually likes my light novel as well? I''m suddenly curious just what type of sister she is." Matsutani blinked in surprise.

    "She''s a really cute little sister, and an important family member to me."

    "Alright, I''ve confirmed it now. You little rascal, you''re a sis-con."

    "That''s right! How could I possibly not be a sis-con with such a cute younger sister!"

    "This is my first time meeting such a handsome pervert¡­ You''re a great fellow, Harano-kun!"

    "Ironcliff-sensei, I should being saying that you''re a great fellow instead! It''s amazing how you wrote a masterpiece like ''Can''t Sleep With Younger Sister''! Your eloquence in writing has reached an amazing realm that no ordinary person can reach. I''m truly impressed."

    The two of them exchanged nces for a while before they both smiled.

    "Harano-kun, let''s have a good chat with each other after we finish clearing out this ce that changed so mysteriously." Matsutani tossed away a skeleton with enough force to knock over several other skeletons.

    "I''d like to do the same thing, Ironcliff-sensei¡­ Matsutani-senpai." Seiji used a whirlwind kick to demolish three skeletons.

    Some whileter, they finally defeated all of the skeletons¡­ or more urately, crushed all the skeletons to little pieces.

    Neither of them held back. It wasn''t because that they felt that these people were no longer savable¡ªit was because these skeletons weren''t real people to begin with.

    Matsutani was able to sense that these skeletons possessed no life force whatsoever. Seiji sensed more than Matsutani did as he realized that this was no longer reality, but a soul realm!

    The cluster amaryllis flowers blooming everywhere was the evidence of this.

    These skeletons weren''t actually real humans that transformed into monsters. They were produced by the soul realm instead.

    When that ck mist covered everything, they were pulled into a soul realm¡­ as for whose soul realm this was, the answer was quite obvious.

    As for why things became like this, neither of them knew. Seiji and Matsutani both felt that Shoutarou Rinura wasn''t a Spiritual Ability user who had the power to cast such a spell like this of his own volition.

    Was Rinura an Awakened¡­? That seemed like a possibility.

    But if that middle school boy had such an ability, why would he use it here?

    Was it just for revenge? For what happened in the authors'' waiting room?

    Seiji didn''t feel that it was likely Rinura would go to such a degree for the extent of what happened there.

    No matter what, things had developed in such a fashion already. The important thing now was how to escape from Rinura''s soul realm and return to reality.

    Seiji felt that Yomi would have an idea about this. However, she wouldn''t respond to him, so he figured she was still sleeping.

    Since his cheat-like bonded spirit was still sleeping, he could only deal with things on his own.

    "I only know of one method: walk towards the ce with the most cluster amaryllis flowers. Perhaps we can find Rinura or something else there. We may be able to return to reality by dealing with whatever''s located there," he told Matsutani.

    "Perhaps¡­ but your method sounds rather unreliable."

    "Indeed. I''m not sure if it will work, either, nor do I know what we will meet with. I''m only certain that this will definitely help us to find something."

    "Since there''s no other method, then let''s just do it your way¡­ Honestly, I''ve already stopped being part of the mystical side of society to be a light novel author and yet I still met with such an incident." Matsutani scratched his head in frustration.

    "Senpai, could I ask what you did in the past?" Seiji was quite curious about it.

    "In the past¡­ I suppose you could call me a ninja."

    "Ninja!?"

 Chapter 485 - I donâ€™t have any experience dealing with high school girls!

    <h4>Chapter 485: I don¡¯t have any experience dealing with high school girls!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ninjas were definitely a famous and unique job.

    They would often appear in manga and anime in various shapes and forms. The most ssic type would be ck-d masked assassins, while the modern type acted as warriors wearing special ops uniforms. Ninjas in more shonen stories were boys and girls who wore ninja vige emblems, while ninjas in mature anime were beautiful women that wore very revealing clothing¡­ cough, at any rate, ninjas were a unique existence that countless people imagined about.

    However, imagination was simply imagination. What would ninjas in real life look like?

    Seiji looked at the pudgy middle-aged Matsutani and expressed his curiosity with his expression.

    "Harano-kun, you''re a Spirit-branded Retainer, aren''t you?" Matsutani didn''t seem to intend on exining more about himself and asked more about Seiji instead.

    "Yes, I am." Seiji nodded and admitted it. This was technically true, as he was currently both a Yin-Yang Master and Natsuya''s Spirit-branded Retainer.

    "Could it be that the adopted younger sister you mentioned is your Contractor?"

    "She isn''t."

    "Did your Contractor know about youing here to this award ceremony?"

    "I mentioned receiving an award and going to attend an award ceremony, but she doesn''t know the specific address."

    "Then, how long do you think it will take for your Contractor to notice that something has happened to you and for her toe save you?" Matsutani was quite serious as he asked this question.

    "Probably a bit after 9:00 p.m.," Seiji told him.

    He knew that if he still hadn''t returned home by that time, Shika would call his cell phone to contact him.

    And since she wouldn''t be able to contact his cell phone, she woulde here to the hotel''s banquet hall to check on him as she knew where the award ceremony was. Then, she would find out that he had gotten caught up in an incident. And if she came to the conclusion that she was unable to save him on her own, she would contact Natsuya for assistance.

    "9:00 p.m., eh¡­ that''s not too bad," Matsutani muttered. "If our actions don''t work out here, let''s just wait for your Contractor to save us."

    "Matsutani, what about anyone on your side?"

    "For a fat otaku like me who lives by himself and makes a living by writing his fantasies, do you really think anyone will care about my life or death?"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this for several seconds.

    "I feel that your readers will care," Seiji responded in aplex tone after he was done being rendered speechless.

    "I''m very thankful to my readers that support my story. But even without me and my story, there are plenty of recements out there for them." Matsutani shrugged. "At any rate, don''t count on anyoneing to save me. I''m just a piece of trash middle-aged man that nobody cares about."

    "Don''t say that, Matsutani-senpai."

    "It''s simply the truth¡­ by the way, what do you think the current situation is out in reality? Were we the only two dragged into this ce?"

    "I''m not sure."

    "These skeletons started out with the appearance of those in attendance at the award ceremony. But, apart from Shoutarou Rinura himself, there were a few other people that were missing¡­ I think that you probably noticed as well." Something shed in Matsutani''s eyes.

    "Indeed. The other award-winning authors sitting near to Rinura." Seiji nodded.

    Koushi Nomura, Miyabi Ishihara, Shousei Maishi, Yuuko Hashimoto, and Imai Yoshida. None of these five authors, nor Shoutarou Rinura himself, had appeared in the banquet hall before everyone transformed into skeletons. Their seats were all empty.

    Also, apart from the two Spiritual Ability users who were coincidentally present at the award ceremony, what exactly happened to everyone else? And what about the fates of the five authors sitting closest to Rinura at the time?

    Neither Seiji nor Matsutani knew the answers to these questions.

    The worst-case scenario would be that the five award-winning authors¡­ or even everyone at the entire award ceremony had been sucked into Rinura''s soul realm and trapped within.

    Well, only thinking wouldn''t solve anything, so the two of them began taking action.

    They prepared themselves and exited the banquet hall.

    Seiji saw that there were lots of cluster amaryllis flowers blooming on the hotel stairs leading upwards. He thus led Matsutani up the stairs.

    The flowers continued to increase as they went up the stairs. However, Matsutani wanted to check the situation on the next hotel floor, so Seiji agreed to check it out together with him.

    When they arrived at the next hotel floor, rather than seeing a normal hotel floor, they found that this floor was identical to the banquet hall floor! Even the same fake versions of all the award ceremony attendees were reproduced!

    "I think that it''s best we not get any closer," Seiji mentioned.

    "I think so as well," Matsutani agreed.

    The two of them turned around to leave. However, they heard a noise from behind them, so they turned around to see that the fake versions of the attendees had all transformed into skeletons that were lunging in their direction!

    Without an unspoken agreement, both Seiji and Matsutani began running.

    They ran back to the hotel stairs and Matsutani hurriedly shut the fire door and cast a sealing spell on the door.

    "Seal!"

    A diamond-shaped spell formation appeared on the fire door.

    Soon, there was the sound of crashing against the door. The diamond-shaped spell formation instantly lit up and solidly prevented the door from breaking.

    "Let''s hurry."

    The two of them ran up the hotel stairs.

    After running up the stairs for more than ten floors, they finally saw the cluster amaryllis flowers stop extending upstairs and extend into a hotel floor instead.

    Seiji and Matsutani exchanged nces and carefully entered this hotel floor in question.

    The first thing they saw was half of arge tree.

    As for why it was half of a tree, that was because only the upper half could be seen growing out of a wall. The lower half must have been in the wall¡­ no, there was no lower half at all.

    There were many such trees of various sizes and varieties growing from the walls and ceiling. Many fallen leaves nketed the ground together with weeds, flowers, mud, and stones¡­

    As Seiji and Matsutani progressed through this area together, they saw that this space became more and more wide-open. They even saw a river and a field!

    "This ce reminds me of countryside scenery," Matsutani mentioned.

    "I think that this is rural scenery as well," Seiji agreed.

    Why did the environment suddenly change like this?

    Seiji recalled that Ishihara-senpai''s story took ce in the countryside. Could it be that¡­

    He told Matsutani about his inference. Matsutani rubbed his chin as he contemted the possibility.

    "If that''s really the case, then there''s an unfortunate possibility that this Ishihara-san may be our opponent."

    Seiji nodded in agreement.

    "If that''s really the case, you deal with her, and I''ll provide you with backup support," Matsutani continued.

    "Why isn''t it the other way around?"

    "Because you''re stronger than I am."

    "I think that Senpai probably has more experience than I do."

    "I don''t have any experience dealing with high school girls! This type of thing should be left to a handsome guy like you. I''m fine with simply watching from the side."

    "I don''t think this has anything to do with looks¡­ and weren''t you going to provide support to me?"

    "Looks are the most important! The creature known as a high school girl will enjoy anything that a handsome boy does to them, while they''ll reject any fat otakus from entering within a two-meter radius of them!" Matsutani seemed to be all serious about this.

    "Things aren''t that extreme¡­" Seijimented.

    As the two of them continue, the scenery they witnessed became more and moreplex. Or, perhaps chaotic would be a better description.

    Trees, rivers, grass, houses, cliffs, ponds, fields, bus stations, bridges¡­ various scenery objects were randomly put together as if a young child had haphazardly pieced together a puzzle. It seemed like quite an abnormal scene.

    Seiji recalled the city that was present in Reo''s soul realm.

    This situation felt quite simr to that one¡­''Does this incident really have to do with that same mysterious power again?'' Seiji kept wondering about this.

    After some more walking, the two of them arrived at a locationpletely filled with blooming cluster amaryllis flowers.

    There was an ancient Sakura Ind style house located here, with a gigantic cherry tree growing next to it. The tree''s branches and leaves covered the entire rooftop.

    White cherry blossoms were falling down from the tree. These white cherry blossoms were illuminated by the cluster amaryllis flowers'' red glow, which gave them a devilish beauty.

    Something was inside this house, waiting for them. Seiji and Matsutani were certain of it.

    "Go ahead, Harano-kun."

    "I''ll be counting on you to back me up, Matsutani-senpai."

    Seiji walked to the house''s front door and opened it up.

    Everything was dark inside.

    "Harano onii-san¡­" a voice suddenly spoke up from the darkness.

 Chapter 486 - Letâ€™s play together, Harano onii-san~

    <h4>Chapter 486: Let¡¯s y together, Harano onii-san~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Ya-chan?"

    Seiji recognized the voice in the darkness.

    This was the ghost that called itself Ya-chan and appeared in Genhana High School''s infirmary, giving Kaede a surprise!

    "Hehehe~~" A ghostlikeugh echoed in the dark room. It definitely felt like a poltergeist''sugh.

    "Let''s y together, Harano onii-san~"

    "What would you like to y?" Seiji asked.

    "Hide and seek~~"

    Well, it really fit the atmosphere to y hide and seek with a ghost in such a room.

    "Can''t we y something else?" Seiji tried asking.

    "No~ You have to find me~"

    "What if I can''t find you?"

    Another "hehehe" was the response.

    "If Harano onii-san can find me, I''ll tell you where the cute kitty is~"

    ''The cute kitty?''

    "Are you talking about Miyabi Ishihara?"

    Ya-chan still only responded with the ghostlyughter.

    "Let''s begin ying, Harano onii-san~~"

    Ya-chan stopped making any sounds after that.

    Seiji looked towards Matsutani.

    The pudgy middle-aged man had an expression of "do as you like here."

    Seiji stopped looking at him and walked into the dark room. Matsutani followed after him.

    When they entered the room, the door automatically closed behind them and a light turned on.

    The light wasn''t very bright. It was a dim yellow, befitting the atmosphere of such an old residence. It was a rather nostalgic feeling¡­ although the source of the nostalgia was unknown.

    Seiji and Matsutani walked to the living room of this residence.

    All the various appliances in here were obviously quite ancient, especially the television. It was an ancient antenna-type television which couldn''t be seen almost anywhere anymore. It could basically be called an artifact.

    Seiji and Matsutani carefully checked the living room but noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

    Suddenly, the television turned on by itself and made deafening staticky noises!

    Seiji reflexively turned around to look at the television. He saw that there was nothing but "snowkes" as static on the screen.

    "Such a clich¨¦ attempt at scaring someone," Seiji casually stated out loud.

    He then noticed that something was wrong as he speedily looked around his surroundings again.

    Tsuyoshi Matsutani had disappeared!

    "Matsutani-senpai!" Seiji shouted out loudly.

    There was no response.

    Seiji continued shouting for Matsutani and left the living room to search in other rooms as well.

    There was still no response. Seiji was unable to find Matsutani anywhere.

    This was a very clich¨¦ scare tactic as well. However, Seiji couldn''t deny that it was a much more effective one.

    Seiji checked multiple rooms at a fast pace. However, when he entered a certain room, he discovered that it was identical to the living room that should have been behind him!

    He immediately turned around and checked the room behind him. However, he discovered that he was in the living room again as if he had never left in the first ce.

    "A haunted house¡­" Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    The television turned on by itself once again with the same deafening sound of static.

    He looked at the television.

    Seiji saw that the "snowkes" on the television screen began moving erratically, then slowly began to pour out and form human shapes¡­

    *Boom!*

    Seiji cast [Body-strengthening technique] on himself and viciously kicked the demon before it was able topletely form itself.

    Then, he jumped up into the air and performed a whirlwind kick against the television!

    *Shatter!!*

    The television exploded from this heavy kick attack.

    "You can''t do that, that''s breaking the rules! Harano onii-san," Ya-chan spoke up again.

    "I never promised to y with you, so I don''t need to follow the rules," Seiji stated.

    "That''s terrible! I''m not going to y with you anymore¡­"

    "That''s fine if you don''t want to y, but you have to release Matsutani-senpai as well as Ishihara-senpai."

    "I definitely won''t tell you where they are! Ptui~~" The ghostughed condescendingly at him.

    "In that case, I won''t be polite or hold back anymore, Ya-chan." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    He cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself!

    After transforming into his golden form, he broke straight through the wall and proceeded in a straight line, simply breaking through all walls in the way.

    The light instantly went out and a gigantic dark figure ambushed him from the shadows.

    Seiji battled with it and easily defeated it in just a few blows. Then, he continued to break through the walls.

    A white demon that was stronger than the earlier dark figure appeared¡­ Seiji defeated it anyways!

    Several dark figures and white demons appeared¡­ Seiji defeated them all!

    Countless dark hands appeared on the ceiling and floor to attempt at entangling Seiji¡­ He cast [Evolved Mana Barrier] to block them all!

    He kept seeing identical rooms after breaking through the rooms¡­ Seiji didn''t allow himself to be confused by the illusions and proceeded forward in a straight line!

    No matter what this haunted house tried to do to him, Seiji dealt with the obstacles head-on. He kept stubbornly heading in the same direction.

    His solution for breaking free from the haunted house had no beauty or elegance to it whatsoever.

    However, Seiji was evidently correct in his decision¡ªafter breaking through several tens of walls, Seiji finally discovered the missing Tsuyoshi Matsutani in yet another room identical to the living room!

    The pudgy middle-aged man was crouching on the ground simr to how frogs usually posed.

    Seiji was just about to go up and check on him when he heard the sound of snoring.

    ''He''s actually asleep!?

    ''It''s fine as long as he''s alright¡­ but his current position¡­ could it be that this is actually his sleeping posture rather than something as a result of an ambush?''

    Seiji thought about something unrted to the situation at hand as he silently tapped the toad''s¡­ er, the light novel author''s shoulder.

    Matsutani muttered something as he slowly turned around and now revealed his stomach as he spread out all his limbszily with his mouth opening slightly as well.

    Seiji was now certain that this was simply how Matsutani slept!

    Seiji felt rather awkward because this was far more information than he wanted to know.

    He forcefully patted Matsutani on the shoulder.

    Matsutani finally woke up and was surprised for a while to see Seiji before he regained his senses.

    "I was ambushed," he said as he wiped away the drool at the corner of his mouth. "Harano-kun, you suddenly disappeared, so I waited right where I was, but this ended up happening to me¡­ I was definitely ambushed!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Harano-kun, how are you currently doing?" Matsutani got up from the floor.

    "I''m fine."

    "Yeah, it looked like you were fine to me as well. As expected of a Spirit-branded Retainer, you''re really strong."

    ''Even though this is obviously praising me, why do I feel so strange?'' Seiji''s cheek twitched slightly.

    Forget it, he decided not to worry about it.

    Matsutani seemed to be uninjured¡­ in that case, Seiji figured he could give negotiation a try.

    Seiji canceled his transformation aftering to that decision.

    "Ya-chan, I''d like to discuss something with you face-to-face," he shouted.

    There was no response.

    "I apologize for breaking the rules. But, you were the one who first made mypanion disappear, so I started taking action because I thought that he came to some harm," Seiji continued. "Both of us are in the wrong."

    "Hmph¡­" He heard a faint voice in the distance.

    "I would like to apologize directly to you, and you need to apologize to me as well. Both of us apologizing for our wrongs is the correct thing to do," Seiji stated calmly.

    A period of silence followed after that.

    Seiji was just about to say something else when he saw a mix of ck and white mist forming before him that gradually took physical form.

    ck curly hair, white eyes, a band-aid on the face, and wearing a striped t-shirt and shorts¡­ although Ya-chan had a different appearance from the time in the infirmary, this was doubtlessly the same Ya-chan. Seiji still couldn''t tell Ya-chan''s gender.

    "Harano onii-san¡­ I''ll forgive you just this one time. There''s no next time," the ghost child told him.

    "Thank you." Seiji smiled at Ya-chan. "I forgive you as well¡­ I hope that there won''t be a next time."

    The two of them exchanged nces for a while.

    Matsutani chose to remain silent and observe.

    This seemingly peaceful scene wasn''t so peaceful at all. There were still sparks flying between both sides'' eyes.

    "Where is Miyabi Ishihara?" Seiji asked once again.

    "y with me. Only by defeating me in a game will I tell you." Ya-chan stated while folding its arms.

    "I can y with you, but only in a game that I actually have a chance to win at." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes. "Not a game like hide and seek in a haunted house that''s under your control. That would be an endless game, impossible for me to win."

 Chapter 487 - Youâ€™re breaking the rules!

    <h4>Chapter 487: You¡¯re breaking the rules!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Then let''s y demon-human tag," Ya-chan spoke up after a moment of silence.

    "How is that game yed?"

    "You shall act as the demon ''it'', ande catch me."

    "If the specific rules are reasonable, sure," Seiji agreed.

    A human acting as a demon and a demon acting as a human¡­ well, this was a type of trial, he supposed.

    Forcefully fighting Ya-chan and using his power to suppress the ghost might end in a bad result. And he knew that this ghost wasn''t a malicious one. ying a game with it and figuring out how to beat the ghost at the game seemed like the best idea to him.

    Both of them agreed on certain rules. Ya-chan then transformed this area into a gigantic room with many folding screens as obstacles.

    These folding screens were all decorated with white cherry blossoms. This seemed abnormally beautiful under the dim yellow lighting of the room.

    Thus, the game began.

    Ya-chan''s body instantly turned into a fast streak of light!

    Seiji cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself and rushed towards the ghost at top speed!

    The ghost child moved rapidly in between the folding screens. The golden Seiji followed closely after and gradually closed the distance.

    When Seiji had gotten close enough, he lifted his hands and pounced!

    *Whoosh¡­* Ya-chan suddenly changed direction and dodged Seiji''s pounce.

    Seiji, who had missed, went rolling forward on the ground and broke several folding screens before his momentum finally stopped.

    "Heehee~" The young ghost snickered at his plight.

    Seiji silently got up and continued chasing after the ghost.

    A whileter, he had closed the distance between him and Ya-chan again.

    Seiji cast [Evolved Telekinesis]!

    Arge golden hand appeared and attempted to grab at the ghost child.

    Ya-chan suddenly changed direction again!

    Seiji was prepared for this and instantly changed his golden telekic hand''s direction as well!

    It seemed that he was about to catch the ghost child this time. However, Ya-chan suddenly flew upwards and dodged the attempt again!

    Seiji once more missed and went rolling forward on the ground due to his momentum, breaking many folding screens.

    "You can''t catch me, hahaha~"

    Seiji had a displeased expression at hearing Ya-chan''s prideful taunts.

    "I was merely warming up. I''m going to get serious now!" Seiji got up and rushed towards the ghost again.

    The chase continued for quite a while.

    Seiji was able to continuously get close to Ya-chan, but the ghost was always able to dodge his efforts to catch it. Seiji continuously missed and kept rolling on the ground.

    Ya-chan had extremely high speed, and the ghost''s changes in direction didn''t have any predictable elements to them at all. Nor did the ghost''s speed appear to obey thews of physics. It was able to change directions instantly without any decrease in speed whatsoever.

    Should it be said that it was to be expected of a ghost?

    Seiji had quite a helpless expression after failing to catch the ghost for the umpteenth time.

    The ghostughed delightedly at his predicament.

    Ya-chan even voluntarily came closer to Seiji and made silly faces at him.

    "Seems like you''re having quite a lot of fun."

    "I am~"

    "Seeing how you''re having so much fun, how about telling me about Miyabi Ishihara''s situation?"

    "No way~"

    "Why not?"

    "No means no~" Ya-chan kept shaking its head while making silly faces at Seiji.

    Seiji took a good look at the ghost.

    "Alright then¡­ do it now!!" he suddenly shouted loudly.

    Ya-chan was quite surprised by Seiji''s sudden outburst. The ghost then witnessed a blinding sh of light that made its body feel much heavier.

    The ghost was suddenly suppressed by a gigantic diamond-shaped seal!

    Seiji used this opportunity to rush towards Ya-chan at a much higher speed than he had used earlier!

    Ya-chan reflexively tried to dodge this. But, the ghost''s movements were sluggish due to the seal''s suppression. Ya-chan didn''t even have time to deal with this gigantic seal that suddenly appeared when the golden figure arrived right before it¡­

    "I''ve caught you."

    Seiji revealed a true smile as he tightly held on to his target. "You''ve lost, Ya-chan."

    "Eh¡­" The ghost child was still in a daze, not understanding what had just happened.

    "Thanks for your excellent support, Matsutani-senpai." Seiji turned to the right and gave his praise.

    "Oh man¡­ Just think of my age, would you? Making me work so hard, honestly." The pudgy middle-aged man keptining as he appeared.

    "You weren''t noticed at all even though you made the preparations for such arge seal. As expected of a former ninja."

    "It''s because this little bratty ghost reallycked experience¡­ and there''s also the fact that your acting was too skilled, so you attracted all of its attention. As expected of a handsome guy like you."

    "This doesn''t have anything to do with my looks, I think." Seiji could only smile wryly.

    "I said before that appearance is everything! No matter what a handsome guy does, it''ll attract attention. It''s just the opposite for fat otakus. Everything they do will be ignored," Matsutani stated seriously.

    Ya-chan finally came to its senses and realized what happened upon witnessing this scene¡ªa trap had been set for the ghost!

    "You''re breaking the rules!" the ghost child shouted angrily.

    "I didn''t break the rules at all." Seiji looked towards the ghost. "There was no such rule like ''no outside help'' in the rules that we agreed upon."

    "Rule-breaking is rule-breaking. I won''t admit your victory!" Ya-chan shouted.

    Technically speaking, Seiji had indeed scammed the ghost, but¡­

    "I won''t allow you not to recognize my victory." Seiji narrowed his eyes. "I went along with your request and yed with you as you wanted. We also agreed on a specific set of rules and I won without breaking any of them. It''s your turn to hold up your end of the bargain."

    "I''m not going to¡ª"

    "If you still aren''t going to keep your promise, what I''m going to do next is beyond the level of ''no longer being polite'' to you, Ya-chan."

    Seiji increased the volume of his voice and tightened his grip on the ghost. There was also a sharp glint in his eyes.

    Ya-chan was rendered speechless.

    "Fine¡­" The ghost child pouted. "I suppose that you won, Harano onii-san."

    Thus, the game ended.

    Miyabi Ishihara was currently dreaming.

    She dreamt that she was a child who went to visit her grandmother''s home in the countryside. She got lost while ying around outside.

    Just as she was scared to the point of being about to cry, she met a child around her age.

    This child had brown hair, yellow eyes, and was wearing a striped t-shirt and blue shorts. He was a cute boy¡­ or maybe a tomboyish girl?

    "I''m Ya-chan. What''s your name?"

    "Oh, you''re Miyabi? That makes you a Ya-chan as well, just like me, hehe~"

    "Miyabi-chan, let''s y together!"

    Miyabi nodded when faced with Ya-chan''s brilliant smile.

    The two children started ying together in the countryside.

    Ya-chan led Miyabi in catching worms, harvesting fruits, ying with cats, ying in the river, admiring the tall cherry trees¡­

    Miyabi had a great time ying Ya-chan.

    However, Ya-chan then wanted to y hide-and-seek and hid in arge house.

    Miyabi was unable to find Ya-chan no matter how much she searched. Just as she was starting to get worried, she suddenly realized that this wasn''t a dream, but a memory instead!

    Ya-chan that hid itself after ying hide-and-seek didn''t appear in front of her again.

    Miyabi didn''t know Ya-chan''s real name, or whether Ya-chan was a boy or girl. She couldn''t find Ya-chan anywhere.

    A whileter, Miyabi''s grandmother passed away.

    Miyabi never returned to her grandmother''s countryside vige again.

    The fun she had ying together with the child named Ya-chan became her precious childhood memory.

    Seiji and Matsutani found Miyabi Ishihara.

    Her ck-rimmed eyesses had disappeared, and her hair had turned snow-white. She also had two ck cat ears growing out of her head. She was currently sleeping quietly on a chair.

    She was sitting in the banquet hall where all the award-winning authors were seated. The room had been transnted into the middle of the countryside scenery.

    Seiji was about to get closer to check on her situation when Ya-chan transformed into mist and disappeared.

    The entire room started bing misty. The gigantic cherry trees outside the room started slowly vanishing together with the cherry blossoms. All the other countryside scenery started vanishing as well, and this entire space became the hotel''s banquet hall again.

    "Mmm¡­" Miyabi slowly woke up.

    "Why did I fall asleep¡­?" She groggily rubbed her eyes before realizing that she was missing something. "My eyesses¡­ where are my eyesses?"

    "Rather than your eyesses, there''s something else you should be paying more attention to, Ishihara-senpai," Seiji told her. "Such as the cat ears currently growing on top of your head."

    "Eh?" Miyabi was rather surprised to hear this.

 Chapter 488 - Sorry for getting in the way of your flirting

    <h4>Chapter 488: Sorry for getting in the way of your flirting</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Miyabi Ishihara was indeed a beauty when not wearing her eyesses, just as Chiaki said. Although her hair had turned white, this didn''t affect her beauty one bit. In fact, there was a wondrous contrast of moe-ness from the white long hair and ck cat ears.

    Seiji couldn''t help but recall the Monogatari series from his previous world when he saw how she appeared. There was a female main character who was known as the "ss president among ss presidents," and her dark side has white hair and cat ears as well as pajamas andrge breasts¡­ cough! He mustn''t confuse things with his current world.

    "What''s going on here!?"

    Miyabi, who was just an ordinary female high school student, was astonished to discover that she had grown cat ears and a cat tail just like the main character of her light novel.

    Seiji looked towards Matsutani. However, thetter had an expression that said "let the handsome guy handle the exnation."

    "Ishihara-senpai¡­ we have currently gotten ourselves involved in a mystical incident."

    "Mystical incident?"

    "That''s right. Senpai should have noticed that there''s been a lot of gossip about mystical incidents recently, right?" Seiji inquired.

    Miyabi nodded slightly.

    "Actually, that wasn''t simple gossip at all. There was truth to those rumors. And right now, we have met a mystical incident just like what happened in those stories." Seiji extended his palms.

    Miyabi didn''t know what to say to all this.

    She revealed a confused expression.

    "I know that this may perhaps be difficult for you to ept right now. But, I hope that you can understand quickly, because we need to continue taking action," Seiji told her sincerely.

    "Take action¡­ doing what?"

    "To try and return to reality."

    "Return to reality?"

    "That''s right. This ce isn''t reality. It''s a dreamlike realm, although it''s not quite a dream. We''re currently trapped inside here." Seiji nced over at the cluster amaryllis flowers that were blooming everywhere.

    Miyabi was evidently more confused by this.

    "Senpai, perhaps it''ll be easier for you to understand once you see things for yourself. The moment that you step out of this banquet hall¡­"

    At this moment, the lights in the banquet hall were suddenly extinguished!

    This area became much darker, with only the brilliant red cluster amaryllis flowers giving off a faint red glow.

    Seiji and Matsutani both detected movements and turned around to see arge amount of skeletons appearing from the darkness!

    "What¡­ are those?" Miyabi''s eyes shone just like a cat''s eyes would in darkness. She also now possessed a cat''s ability to see through darkness and noticed the approaching skeletons.

    The next second, the skeletons lunged towards Seiji''s group!

    Matsutani agilely avoided the skeletons, while Seiji decisively cast [Mana Barrier] on himself and carried Miyabi in his arms.

    "Eek!" the female high school student screamed in terror. Even her cat ears were vertically stiff and rigid.

    "I apologize, Senpai! We need to leave here right away!" Seiji princess-carried Miyabi while rushing towards the banquet hall''s exit.

    The skeletons chased after him while waving their bony ws!

    Matsutani provided cover fire for Seiji. However, Seiji still had to forcefully withstand many bone w attacks with his [Mana Barrier].

    Miyabi now had a definite realization that this ce was no longer "reality" after witnessing this scene.

    When they reached the hotel''s stairs, Matsutani speedily cast a spell and sealed the fire door just like before.

    "What exactly are those?" Miyabi inquired.

    "I''ll exinter." Seiji nced at the cluster amaryllis flowers that were extending up the stairs, then followed the flower trail and jogged up the stairs.

    When he turned around at the next flight of stairs, he suddenly noticed that the stairs now extended upwards for an incredibly long distance, no end in sight!

    Seiji and Matsutani both paused on the stairs upon witnessing this scene.

    "The stairs are so long¡­ What''s going on?" Miyabi widened her eyes in surprise.

    "With this, and what you saw just earlier, you should understand now, Ishihara-senpai." Seiji sighed. "This ce really isn''t the reality that you know."

    Miyabi fell silent.

    At this moment, a loud boom came from downstairs.

    "The skeletons have broken through the door. We need to leave immediately," Matsutani said while beginning to run up the stairs.

    Seiji continued to run up the stairs as well.

    The skeletons soon started chasing after them. They were an incredibly dense horde that took up all the space on the narrow stairs. It seemed like a scene right out of a horror game.

    After being carried in Seiji''s arms for a while as he ran, Miyabi finally regained her senses and told Seiji, "Let me down. I can run for myself."

    "It''s alright. I can keep carrying you as long as I want. Senpai, you''re not heavy at all." Seiji smiled at Miyabi who was still in his arms.

    "It''s not a matter of being heavy or not¡­" The now cat eared girl blushed red. "My legs are fine, so let me run for myself."

    "Alright¡­ this staircase seems really long, though. If you get tired from running upstairs all the time, just let me know and I''ll carry you again. Don''t force yourself," Seiji told her as he put her down.

    "Junior, do you always treat girls like this?" Miyabi asked him softly after she started running.

    "Hmm? Did you say something?" Seiji didn''t hear her clearly.

    "It''s nothing¡­" The cat eared girl averted her gaze.

    Running up an endless staircase with countless skeletons chasing after them? This seemedpletely unrealistic to her. However, there was no denying that it was currently happening.

    "I think I''m dreaming¡­" Miyabi couldn''t help but say this out loud.

    "This isn''t a dream." Seiji heard her and immediately denied it. "I just said that this is a dreamlike realm, but this isn''t a dream at all. If you''re hurt in here, you''ll be hurt for real."

    "What kind of damage will happen to me?"

    "I''m not sure of the specifics. But still, this isn''t a dream, Ishihara-senpai¡­ if this was a dream, there''d be no reason for you to randomly dream of me and Matsutani-senpai here, right?"

    "Wrong! There''s only no reason for her to dream about me," the pudgy middle-aged man interrupted. "It isn''t strange at all for a handsome guy like you to appear in a female high school student''s dream, Harano-kun. It would only be strange for her to dream about a middle-aged guy like me!"

    Seiji and Miyabi were both rendered speechless.

    They felt that it was difficult to counter what he just said.

    "Senpai, are you acquainted with Matsutani-senpai?" Seiji changed the topic.

    "I don''t know him." Miyabi nced over at Matsutani.

    "See, there you go. You shouldn''t be dreaming about someone you don''t know at all, which is the evidence that you''re not currently dreaming." Seiji went back to the original topic of conversation.

    Miyabi remained silent.

    "It''s not that easy to leave this dreamlike realm, but it''s still possible," Seiji told her sincerely. "We can definitely break free as long as we all work hard together!"

    Miyabi felt more reassured upon hearing this, and a warm feeling entered her heart¡­

    "Don''t be too full of yourself. Be careful that you don''t raise a death g," Matsutani interrupted once more.

    "Senpai, could you please refrain from retorting at such a time?"

    "Sorry for getting in the way of your flirting. But, that was my objective to begin with! If you don''t like it, hit me!"

    "I wasn''t flirting. I was merely encouraging her." Seiji felt helpless about the situation.

    "But in truth, you were flirting with her as well! How about asking her if she felt like you were flirting with her!" Matsutani gave Seiji a sidelong nce.

    Miyabi averted her gaze and her face flushed red once again.

    "I won''t ask something like that¡­ Let''s save our breath, since we''re currently running upstairs." Seiji put an end to this topic of conversation. "Ishihara-senpai, just remember to tell me if you get tired. I''ll carry you again¡­ Ah, how about getting on my back this time?"

    "See! You''re flirting with her again!"

    "Matsutani-senpai, please shut up and run!"

    "This is discrimination. I want to file aint!"

    "Go ahead andin! See if there''s anyone who will listen to you!"

    "You have such a terrible attitude! You''ve finally revealed your true self!"

    "You deserve what you''re getting!"

    The two of them kept arguing, but this actually helped to decrease the tension as they ran upstairs.

    The cat eared girl ran in silence next to them.

    If this was reality, she should have long since gotten fatigued from running up so many stairs. However, she wasn''t wheezing even in the slightest.

    Was it because she was in a strange ce? Or was it because her body had changed? She didn''t know.

    She decided to treat this as an adventure of sorts¡­ She hoped that she would be able to return safely with her twopanions.

    Just as she was thinking this, Miyabi suddenly saw the end of the stairs!

 Chapter 489 - â€œMoonlight Eatery in Another Worldâ€

    <h4>Chapter 489: ¡°Moonlight Eatery in Another World¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I can see the end of the stairs," Miyabi remarked.

    Seiji and Matsutani noticed that the stairs were ending as well, so they stopped arguing.

    The three of them thus reached the end of the stairs and discovered that there weren''t any more stairs leading upward. Their only choice was to get off at this hotel floor.

    Seiji was the first to enter. Miyabi followed second, while Matsutani enteredst and sealed off the fire door with a spell.

    This hotel floor waspletely pitch-ck¡ªa darkness that Seiji was unable to see though even with his [Astral Vision]. The only lighting came from the cluster amaryllis flowers that illuminated the ground.

    "Walk towards wherever there''s the most flowers," Seiji told Miyabi.

    "Why''s that?" Miyabi looked at Seiji.

    "Because they will definitely lead to something¡­ Matsutani-senpai and I found you using this method as well."

    "Why are cluster amaryllis flowers the guides in here?"

    "I don''t know the answer to that." Seiji shook his head.

    Miyabi decided not to pursue the issue after seeing that he didn''t know.

    The three of them followed the path of brilliantly blooming red flowers.

    Seiji introduced Matsutani to Miyabi as they proceeded.

    The female high school student didn''t have any particr reaction to Matsutani''s identity as Sharphorn Ironcliff or his light novel "I Can''t Sleep When I''m Sleeping Together with My Younger Sister!". She merely greeted him normally.

    As the three of them walked onwards, they saw more and more cluster amaryllis flowers.

    "Something''s up ahead. I don''t know what it will be. Be careful," Seiji reminded everyone.

    Miyabi became nervous, which caused the cat ears on her head to twitch.

    When they passed through arge patch of cluster amaryllis flowers, they saw¡­

    "Moon Bunny Eatery."

    Miyabi, Seiji, and Matsutani were all rendered speechless.

    They all remained silent while standing in front of the dark-brown wooden door with the exquisite wee sign for several seconds.

    Apart from the name, the wee sign also had a cute image of a bunny sitting on a crescent moon. For such a wooden door to appear by itself in the middle of all these red cluster amaryllis flowers seemed like quite an abnormal sight.

    "This is the restaurant that''s the setting for Yuuko Hashimoto-san''s Excellence Award light novel ''Moonlight Eatery in Another World,''" Miyabi told Seiji and Matsutani.

    "So, just like Senpai''s light novel, her story has appeared in this realm as well." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "Hashimoto-san is highly likely to be here¡­ behind this door."

    "Go ahead, Harano-kun," Matsutani gave his encouragement.

    "Matsutani-senpai, how about you be the vanguard this time? I''ll be in charge of rear support."

    "The vanguard can only be someone as strong and handsome and young as you! A middle-aged man like me is more suited to be a nondescript rear guard."

    "And the honest truth in your heart?"

    "Those who go first will often die, while those who gost will escape the easiest!" Matsutani stated seriously.

    "I knew that was what you were thinking," Seiji retorted.

    And so, he made his preparations and opened the door.

    After opening the door, he saw a restaurant that had an elegantly decorated, brightly lit, and clean interior. He also saw¡­

    "Wee¡­ eh?"

    Yuuko Hashimoto who was wearing ck and white miniskirt maid attire!

    "Moonlight Eatery in Another World" was a story about a boy who loved cooking. His dream in life was to inherit and take over his father''s restaurant. Although this boy always wanted to help out in his father''s restaurant, he was never permitted to do so until he finally reached high school. Only when he started working at his father''s restaurant did he learn that the restaurant was actually connected to another world on moonlit nights. He also met a princess from this other world who just happened to be visiting his restaurant for the first time. They liked each other at first sight, and thus began the development of a seemingly unrealistic youthful love story.

    This was a rather fresh story thatbined the genres of food, another world, and youthful romance. The judges'' overall reviews were that "It''s overall a good novel, but stillcking in some ces and needs more details."

    Yuuko Hashimoto was quite pleased with this result already. After all, she had already failed to garner interest for all her previous draft submission attempts. Finally receiving an Excellence Award gave her the motivation and interest to continue writing.

    She was really delighted to have won her prize. However, she didn''t know what happened after that¡­ When she opened her eyes again after receiving the prize, she found herself in a restaurant that was identical to the "Moon Bunny Eatery" in her light novel! Not only that, she was wearing a server''s uniform.

    Then, Yuuko met the restaurant''s owner, one of the main characters of her own novel! After all, he was the main character''s father. She learned from him that she was the only server working at the restaurant.

    Just what exactly was going on here!?

    Yuuko really wanted to understand what was happening. However, she was unsure how to ask.

    At this moment, a customer arrived, a red-haired warrior wearing aplete suit of armor! This was also an exact match for one of the characters in her novel.

    The restaurant owner had her go over to serve this customer.

    Yuuko felt quite anxious and wanted to leave here immediately. So, she ignored the warrior and went over to open the restaurant''s front door instead. However, she couldn''t see anything outside at all other than a ck mist!

    This obviously abnormal ck mist frightened her. Yuuko no longer dared to step out of the restaurant.

    At this moment, the restaurant owner scolded her for ignoring the customer and reminded her to do a good job at serving the customers.

    Yuuko who was afraid of what was going on could onlyply and obediently started working as a server in her own novel''s restaurant.

    "Hashimoto-san¡­ you''re working as a server here?"

    "Um¡­ I suppose so. I don''t know what exactly is going on here¡­"

    Seiji looked directly at her.

    "Allow me to confirm something first. Hashimoto-san, you remember who I am, right?"

    "Yes, I remember. You''re Seigo Harano, the special award winner I met at Thunderbolt Literature''s award ceremony," Yuuko responded.

    "It''s a good thing that you can remember¡­" Seiji walked into the restaurant and nced around at the surroundings. "Can you tell me about what exactly has happened to you?"

    "I don''t know¡­ I somehow found myself here mysteriously while wearing this server''s uniform, and I was told that I was a server here¡­ just what is this ce? Why is it the exact same as in my light novel? How did I get here? I don''t know the answer to anything!" Yuuko was beginning to get somewhat frantic.

    "Please calm down, Hashimoto-san," Seiji told her gently. "I''ll exin things to you¡­ although I don''t know entirely what''s going on here, either, I can at least help clear away some confusion."

    At this moment, Matsutani and Miyabi followed after Seiji and entered the restaurant.

    Yuuko instantly widened her eyes upon seeing Miyabi.

    "¡­Ishihara-san?"

    "Yes, that''s me." The cat eared girl nodded. "Hashimoto-san, it''s great to see that you''re alright."

    "Ishihara-san, why do you look like this?" Yuuko looked at Miyabi''s cat-like appearance in astonishment.

    "I don''t know, either." Miyabi smiled wryly.

    Suddenly, they heard the sound of a bell ringing.

    Seiji and the others turned to see a handsome middle-aged man who had a small mustache and was wearing a white chef''s uniform.

    This man was evidently the restaurant''s chef. He was indicating to Yuuko that she should hurry up and have the newly arrived customers take a seat and order some food.

    "Why don''t you all take a seat first and rest a little?" Yuuko indicated to them.

    "Can we actually order food here?" Matsutani asked.

    "Yes¡­"

    "Then I would like to order some food." The pudgy middle-aged man immediately sat down at a nearby table. "I came to visit the award ceremony originally because I was really looking forward to the banquet''s free food after the award ceremony, but now I got myself involved in such a strange situation. I''ve been so busy that I feel like I''m starving to death."

    "Senpai, you''re quite direct when ites to these things." Seiji looked at him. "Aren''t you worried about the food here having problems?"

    "If I feel that anything''s wrong, I know a spell that can help me hurl up all the contents of my stomach!" Matsutani remained fearless.

    Miyabi and Yuuko were rendered speechless.

    "That sounds disgusting¡­ if you really have to do that, please do it away from our sight in a restroom somewhere." Seiji''s cheek twitched at hearing this.

    Then, he and Miyabi sat down at the table as well.

    Just looking at the environment, this ce seemed like apletely ordinary restaurant with nothing abnormal about it at all.

    ''I don''t know what secrets may be hidden here¡­ but at least I think we can rest here for a moment,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    Matsutani really did order some food.

    After Yuuko Hashimoto brought over the curry rice that he ordered, Matsutani grabbed a spoon and shoved arge mouthful of curry rice into his mouth and chewed¡­

    The next moment, his expression froze over.

 Chapter 490 - I could get addicted to this!

    <h4>Chapter 490: I could get addicted to this!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji was paying close attention to Matsutani and was just about to ask what happened when he saw Mastutani''s facepletely rx as Mastutani closed his eyes and revealed an utterly blissful expression.

    "Incredibly delicious¡­" Matsutani muttered to himself in a tone that sounded like he was a child.

    "Mastutani-senpai, what''s the matter?" Seiji was curious what was going on.

    However, the pudgy middle-aged man didn''t respond as he maintained his expression and continued shoving curry rice into his mouth.

    Seiji felt that something was off, so he patted Matsutani on the shoulder.

    Only then did Matsutani open his eyes, which were sparkling like the stars.

    "This is super spectacrly delicious!" Matsutani indicated the curry rice before him. "It''s amazingly delectable! It''s just like something directly out of a cooking manga!"

    "So, it''s delicious, and there''s no problems with it?"

    "The problem is that it''s too delicious! I could get addicted to this!" Matsutani shoved another spoonful of curry rice into his mouth and closed his eyes again. "I''m already addicted to this! No need to worry about me, just allow me to fall into depravity with this beautiful taste that words cannot do justice!"

    Matsutani then proceeded to devour the te of curry rice before him. It was obvious that he was lost in the bliss of enjoying his wonderful food.

    "I suppose it seems fine¡­" Seiji returned to his own seat. "Would you like to try eating something, Ishihara-senpai?"

    "I¡­ I''d like to try something." Miyabi''s cat ears quivered.

    "I''d like to as well, so let''s order together." Seiji picked up the menu that was on the table.

    Both of them ordered some food and waited for it to be cooked.

    When Seiji''s pork chop rice arrived, he tried having a bite.

    An instant sensation of delicious food filled his entire mouth and head!

    The vor was so wondrous that Seiji waspletely unable to describe the sensation. The only word he could even think of was "delicious!" It felt like his entire brain was trembling. Apart from being addicted to the taste, he was no longer able to think of anything else.

    After gulping down this bite of food, he couldn''t control himself anymore and scarfed down another spoonful. His expression also became uncontrobly blissful¡­

    When Seiji returned to his senses, he discovered that therge bowl before him had been emptied outpletely with not even a single speck of rice remaining.

    The delicious taste was incredibly fearsome!

    Meanwhile, Miyabi across from him had a blissful expression as well as she ate her fried fish. The cat ears on her head were now soft andying t on her head.

    Next to them, Matsutani was already on his second serving of curry rice.

    Seiji wanted some more food as well! But, he forced himself to withstand the desire.

    After all, he still needed to exin the situation to Yuuko Hashiomoto. He couldn''t allow himself to get lost in only enjoying the food.

    After Yuuko heard Seigo Harano''s exnation, it took her a while until she could barely manage to bring herself to ept what was going on. She then exined what had happened to her.

    "What should we do now?" Yuuko looked at Seiji after finishing her exnation. "What do we need to do in order to return to reality?"

    "Right now¡­ I don''t know what we need to do, either." Seiji looked around the restaurant. "We arrived here by following the cluster amaryllis flowers. Normally speaking, based on experience by how they led us to Ishihara-senpai, we should need to do something here in order to go to the next location. However, nothing seems abnormal here at all¡­ apart from the fact that the food seems ridiculously delicious."

    "Perhaps¡­ we need to cook some food that tastes even better than the food here?" Miyabi hazarded a guess.

    "I think that''s pretty much impossible to pull off¡­ Hashimoto-san, are you skilled at cooking?"

    Yuuko shook her head. "Although I''m interested in cooking, I can''t say that I''m very skilled at it."

    "Ishihara-senpai, how about you?"

    Miyabi shook her head as well.

    "I can''t call myself skilled at cooking, either. As for Matsutani-senpai¡­" Seiji nced over at the pudgy middle-aged man who was now in the middle of devouring his third te of curry rice. "It doesn''t seem like he would be an expert in this field."

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "A cooking contest sounds impossible. The only conflict I can think of that we would need to ovee here is one of might." Seiji looked towards the direction of the restaurant''s kitchen. "About this restaurant''s owner¡­ Hashimoto-san, did you make him into a particrly powerful character?"

    "In my mind, he was going to be someone who had visited the other world and became a hero there: a top-level warrior who had defeated the demon king," Yuuko said. "However, I still haven''t written his character background into the story."

    "So, this is still only in your head, but not in the actual story that''s been published so far, correct?"

    "Yes."

    "Hmm¡­" Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "We currently still don''t know just how this realm was formed. It''s possible that even your future ns for your story have taken form here. In that case, it might be quite difficult to suppress the restaurant owner by force. I don''t know what will happen if we fight. Nor do I know what will happen even if we fight and win." Seiji sighed.

    Everyone fell momentarily silent.

    "Why don''t we just simply wait here?" Matsutani spoke up.

    Seiji and the others looked at him.

    "Everything here is so delicious! I could eat the stuff here forever!" The pudgy middle-aged man stated. "Rather than trying things which may or may not work, why don''t we just stay here where it''s safe and enjoyable, and wait for people back in reality to save us!"

    "Will someone save us?" Something shed in Yuuko''s eyes.

    "Yep. The handsome guy sitting across from you is no ordinary Spiritual Ability user. Soon, someone will being to save him, which means all of us get to be saved along with him as well."

    Yuuko and Miyabi both nced towards Seiji.

    "Judging from the current environment, perhaps it''ll be fine to wait here for someone to save us. But, there''s problem with that as well¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "First, we don''t know specifically just how long we''ll have to wait here. Yes, people I know will notice that something has happened to me after some time passes, and they''lle to save me. However, time may pass at a different rate in this realmpared to reality. If time indeed passes at a different rate here, it might be that time is passing at a far slower rate in real life than in here. That would mean that we''d have to wait an incredibly long time in here. Second, it''s also possible that the situation may worsen before any help arrives for us. We have no idea just how this incident urred in the first ce, or what else could be going on around us. We have no way to obtain information on anything that may be happening elsewhere in this realm. Is it really alright to simply stay here just because this ce seems really nice and safe?"

    "But, we don''t know what else to do¡­"

    "Even if we don''t know, that doesn''t mean we should give up." Seiji''s eyes brimmed with the light of confidence. "We can try talking to the restaurant owner, or we can try talking to the customers in order to obtain some more information. Perhaps we can learn from them just what it is that we''re supposed to do."

    "Then go ahead and talk to them. Tell me if you learn anything." Matsutani continued to do nothing but eat.

    "Senpai, have you already be enved by gourmet food?"

    "Yes, I have! As long as I have this godly curry rice, I can live on in here for several tens of years with no problem!"

    ''Live on only curry rice for several tens of years¡­ are you someone trapped on a deserted ind?'' Seiji couldn''t help butment in his mind.

    "I can try talking to the restaurant owner," Yuuko offered in a soft voice. "Although I''m still a bit scared, Harano-san, you''ll help me out if anything happens, right?"

    "Of course." Seiji nodded.

    "I''ll try talking with the customers here." Miyabi looked around the store and tried to identify any customers that might be rtively easier to approach.

    "Thank you both for the trouble. Please be careful," Seiji told them.

    Right after he said this, the restaurant''s door was forcefully opened as someone rushed inside.

    Seiji and the others reflexively looked in this direction. They saw a silver-haired boy who wore a mystical-appearing uniform. He was panting heavily.

    They all paused in surprise to see that this person was Koushi Nomura!

    "Nomura-san¡­" Seiji was the first to regain his senses. "What happened¡­?"

    "Harano¡­san¡­" Koushi Nomura''s expression flickered upon seeing a face he recognized. "Where¡­ is this¡­"

    Nomura copsed on the floor before he even finished speaking!

 Chapter 491 - â€œThe Weakest Undefeated Magic Mecha Godâ€

    <h4>Chapter 491: ¡°The Weakest Undefeated Magic Mecha God¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    What would you do if you became the main character of a story that you wrote?

    Koushi Nomura would unhesitatingly answer this question with: "This is a pointless question. I don''t want to answer it."

    He really loved to read light novels when he was young. Later in life, he felt that he could try his hand at writing one as well. The story he wrote received an excellent review from his rtive in Thunderbolt Literature who was an editor. Thus, he had the idea of bing a light novel author.

    This idea of his slowly developed into his dream. Even though he understood the real situation of light novel authors from his editor rtive and knew that this career wasn''t one that was particrly glorious, he still didn''t want to give up on his dream. Instead, he swore that he would be a master in this line of work!

    While in the course of writing, Nomura naturally thought about his characters'' feelings and the actions they would take in various situations. However, he''d never considered what he himself would think or do in the same situation as his story''s characters.

    Before, when he was reading other people''s stories, he had indeed imagined himself in the main character''s shoes. However, that stage was now past him. He was now currently an author, so he looked at things differently. He no longer thought about something so meaningless to him like what he would do if he was theoretically thrust into the same situation.

    The story was a stage for the characters, not the author.

    The author would be the main force behind the scenes, but that was all. That was what Koushi Nomura believed.

    Of course, Nomura froze in astonishment when he mysteriously found himself in his own novel, "The Weakest Undefeated Magic Mecha God", in the story''s opening scene at a frontline military base!

    "The Weakest Undefeated Magic Mecha God" was a story set in another world with highly developed magic and technology. The main character was a teenage boy who was an engineer for the strongest military weapon in the story, "magic mechas," who had the goal of bing the best mecha engineer in the world. He had excellent grades, so he received an opportunity to be an intern and study at a military base regarding the final first-generation magic mecha still in service in his country''s military. He became a repairman soldier for this magic mecha''s maintenance team, and met the magic mecha''s teenage girl pilot. War unexpectedly broke out at their frontline base, and the main character was able to help the girl pilot and her outdated first-generation magic mecha defeat a powerful enemy, who possessed the newest second-generation magic mecha, using his excellent creativity and knowledge.

    Nomura had spent much effort on polishing his light novel before he finally submitted it to Thunderbolt Literature. The judges'' review was that his light novel was "Excellent, but parts of the novel are overlyplex and may be difficult for an average reader to understand." Hence, his light novel barely missed out on the Gold Award and lost to "The Undying Indestructible Avenger", obtaining only a Silver Award instead.

    Nomura had told the truth in his prize eptance speech. He was quite vexed about only having received Silver, but there was nothing he could do other than ept the results.

    However, something that he couldn''tprehend happened right after he received the Silver Award. Nomura discovered that he was suddenly transported to a frontline military base and had now taken on the identity of his own story''s main character, a "maintenance repair soldier!"

    He knew that ording to his own storyline, this base was right about to be ambushed by an enemy country''s military forces. The entire base would be instantly eradicated, and the enemy''s second-generation magic mechas would descend upon them just like evil demons¡­

    Although Nomura was still confused about what was going on, he decided to take action for his own personal safety and tried to warn the other soldiers at the base.

    But before he could do so, the ambush alreadymenced.

    Just like what Nomura wrote in his own story, the military base was destroyed by terrifyingly powerfulbat magic spells! The military base''s outdated first-generation magic mecha hurriedly rushed into battle, but was at a severe disadvantage¡­

    At this point in time, the main character found a critical w in the enemy''s second-generation magic mecha, and adamantly refused to leave the military base together with the other lucky soldiers that survived. He stayed behind all by himself in the military base that had been reduced to rubble to search for amunication device to contact the teenage female pilot of the magic mecha.

    However, as for Koushi Nomura¡­ he went along and escaped together with the surviving soldiers.

    That was because this scene was just too frightening!

    A tremendous military base was instantly vaporized before him, with so many living people dying in front of his eyes. There were so many corpses and people struggling on the verge of death¡­ this incredibly cruel scene gave him an incredibly deep impact, and made Nomura lose the ability to think normally. All he had left was confusion and fear.

    Although he had seen simr scenes before in disaster or war movies, witnessing death and destruction on a screen was something absolutely iparable to seeing such things in person!

    ''The next person to die might be me!'' Nomura was overwhelmed by the terror of dying.

    He chose to escape due to his own fear. Nomura got on the car which was evacuating the surviving soldiers.

    Nomura watched the two gigantic magic mechas battle each other as he sat on the car which speedily left the demolished military base. While still being astonished, he was able to somewhat regain his senses and start thinking again.

    ''What will happen if I escape like this?

    ''The female lead will probably die inbat¡­ and what will happen to me?''

    While Nomura was struggling with his internal conflict, his vision was suddenly enveloped in a ck mist.

    He was confused as to what was going on yet again. However, when he looked at the other soldiers, he saw that their expressions were now wooden and their eyes hollow.

    Nomura tried talking to them but received no response.

    The car they were in slowly came to a stop.

    Nomura felt that things were really bing abnormal.

    ''Is this ck mist some sort of magic spell?'' Just as he was thinking this, he saw a brilliantly red flower begin to grow out of the car.

    Nomura recognized this flower as a cluster amaryllis flower.

    Numerous cluster amaryllis flowers began growing everywhere and giving off a faint red glow.

    The soldiers with wooden expressions suddenly began to rot as their flesh decayed, clothes corroded, hair fell out, and eyeballs melted¡­ they soon became white skeletons bathed in the flowers'' red light!

    Nomura felt that things were getting dangerous again as he jumped out of the car and started running away from this ce.

    The skeletons started chasing after him!

    Nomura used the magical weapon he was equipped with as a soldier to shoot at the skeletons. He kept shooting as he continued running.

    As he ran, the ck mist became thicker and thicker. Nomura couldn''t see anything at all in the pitch-ck darkness anymore. He could only barely make out the ground before him due to the cluster amaryllis flowers'' glow.

    ''Am I on the verge of death?''

    Nomura couldn''t help but think this as he looked at the cluster amaryllis flowers which were a symbol of death.

    ''Did I suddenly fall deathly ill at the award ceremony for some reason, and now I''m in the midst of dying? Everything I''m experiencing right now is a dream I''m having on my deathbed¡­?

    ''If I''m dying, can''t I at least end my life with a more pleasant dream?''

    Countless skeletons were now chasing after him. He figured that no matter what, allowing them to catch him couldn''t possibly be a good thing.

    Nomura kept endlessly running for his life in ast-ditch-effort struggle to remain alive.

    He didn''t dare to run into the darkness. He instinctively ran in a direction that had more light, which just happened to be the direction where the cluster amaryllis flowers were growing more thickly.

    ''Perhaps I''ll be able to run all the way to the path to theherworld,'' Nomura thought as he reached a location where the cluster amaryllis flowers were incredibly dense.

    In this brilliantly red and beautiful flower garden, there was actually a wooden door standing in the midst with an exquisite weing sign on it!

    Nomura was already at the end of his line and didn''t have the energy to even stop or look closely at what was written on the door. He immediately rushed over and opened the door, running into the space behind it.

    That was when he saw someone he recognized.

    "Harano¡­ san¡­"

    ''Where am I?'' He intended to ask such a question.

    However, he hadpletely run out of energy. Not having managed to catch his breath, Nomura saw the world around him go ck as he copsed.

    Seiji immediately went up to check on Koushi Nomura''s condition when he saw him copsing.

    "Allow me to see to this customer," a low and steady male voice spoke up. It was the restaurant owner!

    The handsome middle-aged restaurant owner inspected the silver-haired boy that had copsed on the ground. The restaurant owner lifted his hand and his palm glowed with a gentle white light.

    After Nomura was bathed in this white light for several seconds, he started moving as he opened his eyes again.

    The restaurant owner helped support Nomura in standing up again. He had Nomura rest on a nearby chair. Then, he went back into the restaurant''s kitchen.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes as he watched the restaurant owner go back into the kitchen.

    "Something that Hashimoto-san didn''t write in her story has appeared here¡­"

 Chapter 492 - This Restaurant Owner is So Cool!

    <h4>Chapter 492: This Restaurant Owner is So Cool!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Then, Seiji looked towards Koushi Nomura.

    "Nomura-san, how are you currently feeling?"

    "I''m alright now," Nomura responded tiredly. "Where is this ce? Harano-san¡­ Hashimoto-san¡­ what exactly happened?"

    "None of us really know." Seiji checked Nomura''s condition. "At any rate, it''s good that you''re alright. Take a rest here and catch your breath. I''ll exin what''s going on to you after you rest up."

    "No¡­ please tell me right now." Nomura sat up straighter in the chair. "I would like to know immediately."

    Seeing that he insisted, Seiji sat down across Nomura and exined what was going on.

    Nomura epted Seiji''s exnation and told Seiji and the others about what he''d experienced in his own novel''s storyline setting as well.

    "I feel better now, knowing that none of it was real. But¡­ I still feel like I did something wrong." Nomura sighed as he leaned back against his chair.

    "You didn''t do anything wrong. Any normal person would choose to escape from such a scene," Miyabi consoled him.

    Nomura fell silent for a few seconds.

    "I know the plot of my own light novel, and I know exactly what the main character was going to do in that situation. However, I was unable to be the main character," he stated softly. "I''m only the author, not the main character¡­ although I was clear on this already, I still feel like that shouldn''t have been a reason for me to abandon someone that I should have been able to help. I''m relieved that what I went through wasn''t real, and that nobody actually died there. But¡­ that doesn''t change the nature of my actions. I¡­ am a coward."

    The silver-haired boy lowered his head.

    Seiji and the others didn''t know what to say.

    "Let him calm down by himself," Matsutani spoke up. "Loser dogs should lick their own wounds."

    "¡­Senpai, I feel that there''s a problem with how you''re wording things."

    "What problem? That''s just the simple truth. He abandoned his own story''s female lead. What else could he be other than a loser dog?"

    Seiji wanted toment on this somehow but didn''t know how to do so.

    He decided to forget about this topic.

    "I''m a bit interested in what the restaurant owner just did." Seiji turned around as he talked to everyone else. "The power he just used was one that Hashimoto-san never wrote about in her light novel. And, since he used his power to help Nomura-san without us even asking him to do so, that gave me an idea. Perhaps we can request this restaurant owner who used to be a ''hero in another world'' to assist us. Hashimoto-san, could you please try telling him that we''re all people from another world that have identally arrived in ''this world,'' and that we want to return to our ''original world''? Tell him that we would like his assistance¡­"

    Yuuko nodded upon hearing Seiji''s words.

    "Got it¡­ I''ll go try talking to him right now."

    Yuuko headed towards the restaurant''s kitchen.

    Seiji and Miyabi watched her leave.

    "Will it really work?" the cat-eared girl asked him in a soft voice.

    "I hope so."

    "If something goes wrong¡­ will we have to fight?"

    "Most likely," Seiji told her. "If that''s what ends up happening, Matsutani-senpai and I shall do battle. Ishihara-senpai, you and the others should do your best to avoid the fighting."

    Miyabi fell silent for a moment.

    "Be honest with me. Aren''t you afraid at all? Harano-san."

    "Eh?"

    "Although you''ve been acting quite calmly, this should be a mysterious incident for you as well, filled with unknowns. Aren''t you even scared in the slightest?" The cat-eared girl looked at Seiji.

    Seiji blinked upon hearing this.

    "Although many things are unknown, I''ve experienced something simr, which is why I''m not really afraid."

    "Are all Spiritual Ability users'' lives so filled with danger?"

    "No¡­ but things do sometimes involve danger."

    "How scary."

    "That''s not something that an author who writes about mystical, scary events should say, is it?" Seiji chuckled.

    "I think it''s fine for me to say it. Real life and fiction are different, after all." The cat ears on Miyabi''s head twitched. "Although my story is about the mystical, I don''t want my real life to be that way as well."

    "I think that Senpai is quite cute with cat ears and a cat tail," Seiji teased her.

    "¡­Don''t say that!" Miyabi red at him before averting her gaze as her cheeks flushed red.

    ''She really is cute,'' Seiji said in his mind.

    A few minutester, Yuuko Hashimoto returned to the dining area with the restaurant owner following her.

    "I can send you all back to your ''original world," the handsome middle-aged restaurant owner told them. "However, I can only ''open the portal'' to your world once. So, if you have any otherpanions that have gotten trapped here as well, you should find them first."

    ¡­As easy as that?

    Seiji looked at the restaurant owner. "There''s no additional conditions?" he asked cautiously.

    "What?"

    "Since you''re helping us out so greatly, there''s no conditions that you''re going to require, or payment that you''re going to request?"

    "It''s my job to help my customers return to where they belong. I shall help with anything that''s within my abilities to do so. I don''t have any conditions, nor do I need any payment," the restaurant owner stated lightly.

    ''Wow, this middle-aged character is so cool!''

    Seiji was truly impressed with the restaurant owner.

    Miyabi, Yuuko, and even Nomura and Matsutani were all impressed as well.

    "We''re truly grateful for your assistance, Owner-sama." Seiji expressed his gratitude.

    "Don''t add -sama. Do you have any otherpanions? Or is this all of you?"

    "Otherpanions¡­ we''re not really sure," Seiji exined. "We don''t know exactly how we arrived in this world, nor do we know how many people are trapped here like us. Nor do we know just how we should find anyone else like us."

    "In that case, I can help you locate them," the restaurant owner continued in his light tone. "As long as you help me with the spell, I can locate all of yourpanions. You can then go to find them and bring them back here."

    Wow, this restaurant owner was truly amazing!

    Seiji and the others were impressed once again.

    "That''s truly so much trouble you''re going to. Thank you, thank you so much, Owner-dono!"

    "Don''t address with -dono, either. Can we start immediately on the spell?" The handsome middle-aged restaurant owner had a casual look on his face as if he was doing something incredibly ordinary.

    Seiji looked at the others to see if they were ready.

    Miyabi, Yuuko, and Nomura all nodded in agreement.

    "I think that this is a bit suspicious," Matsutani grumbled.

    "The restaurant owner is just too handsome, which is too much of a stark contrast with you, as you''re both middle-aged men. That''s probably why you can''t ept him, isn''t it, Senpai?" Seiji revealed the truth.

    "You brat, could you not say it so directly!"

    The pudgy middle-aged man received a critical hit of ten thousand true damage.

    Seiji didn''t feel like the restaurant owner was lying, as he was unable to detect any of the telltale signs. Besides, there seemed to be no reason for the restaurant owner to lie to them.

    Another reason was that the gentle white healing magic that the restaurant owner used to heal Nomura seemed rather familiar to Seiji¡­

    Seeing that Matsutani didn''t adamantly refuse, Seiji looked towards the restaurant owner once more and indicated that he could begin the locator spell.

    "In that case, follow me."

    The restaurant owner walked back towards the kitchen.

    Everyone followed him into the kitchen, then to a storage room. They then entered a basement and saw that many magical-seeming objects were ced here in the wide basement.

    Seiji looked towards Hashimoto-san.

    "Not only have I not written such a setting, I''ve never even imagined such a setting," Yuuko whispered to him.

    ''So, not only has it exceeded the published story''s setting, it''s even exceeded the author''s imagination¡­'' Seiji felt that his inference about what was going on was more and more likely to be on the mark.

    "Everyone, please stand together in a circle around this." The restaurant owner retrieved a device and ced it on the ground.

    The lower half of this object seemed like a three-legged round stand of some sort that had many mystical markings etched into it. The upper half was a globe-shaped object with highlyplex circuitry-like patterns etched into it.

 Chapter 493 - Are you joking with me?

    <h4>Chapter 493: Are you joking with me?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji and the others did as the restaurant owner instructed.

    Then, the handsome middle-aged restaurant owner lifted his hands, sped his palms together, and created a white ball of light that he inserted into the globe.

    The markings on the globe lit up as light shed all over its circuitry-like patterns.

    "Now, everyone, reach out with your hands. No need to touch it, just get closer to it."

    Hearing this, Seiji was the first to reach out his hand.

    When his hand neared the globe, a dark-red mist appeared from his hand, then was sucked into the globe.

    ''It''s alright¡­'' Seiji indicated that to the others with his expression.

    Miyabi was the second to reach out her hand. Following after her, Nomura and the others reached out with their hands as well.

    After the globe absorbed some mist from all of them, it began to buzz. On the lower half of the device, the three-legged stand, many mystical runes started to glow red.

    The restaurant owner inspected the runes for several seconds.

    "You still have threepanions located in different ces," he exined. "I can currently locate two of them. There''s one more person that I won''t be able to locate until you find the other two. Then, I''ll be able to repeat this spell and locate thest person."

    "Why is that?" Seiji inquired.

    "Because that person is located in a deeper level of this world¡­ this spell''s power is limited and requires more people to power it up before I''ll be able to locate thest person."

    "¡­Although I still don''t really understand, I think I understand the gist of it."

    ''The two people he was able to locate are probably thest two award-winning authors, Shousei Maishi and Imai Yoshida. The person that''s in a deeper level that he can''t locate is probably Shoutarou Rinura,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    "I need you all to choose one person as the ''Guide.'' This person shall be responsible for leading you all to find yourpanions," the restaurant owner continued exining.

    Upon hearing this, Miyabi and everyone else all looked at Seiji.

    "Allow me." Seiji epted the role.

    The restaurant owner then asked everyone else to put their hands on Seiji''s body.

    After everyone did so, the restaurant owner then asked Seiji to ce his hand on the globe.

    "You need to ce your hand on it for several seconds. The process may be somewhat dizzying. Please bear with it."

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    Although he felt that the restaurant owner wasn''t leading them into a trap, he still decided to make a save file at this point in time just in case.

    He slowly put his hand on the globe.

    His hand was instantly enveloped in a white light; many scattered fragments of scenes shed through his mind!

    He saw two children ying together in the countryside¡­ a female server greeting customers in a restaurant¡­ a young maintenance repair soldier running through a demolished military base¡­

    All these scenes shed through his mind in just an instant, giving him deep andsting impressions.

    Were these fantasies? Or memories?

    Seiji couldn''t help but wonder. At this moment, he was unable to differentiate between illusion and reality.

    His head started feeling dizzy.

    His consciousness and vision both became hazy. Everything seemed to be hazy.

    Seiji faintly felt as if he realized something while in this condition¡­ he then felt a mysterious power enter his body and gather on his right hand.

    The sensation of dizziness left him.

    His consciousness and vision both returned to normal.

    Seiji saw that the restaurant owner had also ced his hand on the globe.

    "It really is you again¡­ right?" Seiji couldn''t help but ask.

    The handsome middle-aged restaurant owner looked at Seiji and didn''t reply. However, his mouth faintly arced upwards.

    The restaurant owner''s faint smile vanished instantly as if it had never been there.

    "I have finished locating them. The seal on your hand will help you to find yourpanions."

    Seiji saw that there was now a small, white spell formation on the back of his right hand.

    "The locator spell is only effective for a limited amount of time. I would advise you to hurry." The restaurant owner paused for a moment. "The locator spell will only work if all of you are together. So, it''s no good if some of you go and some of you stay behind in the restaurant."

    Seiji watched the restaurant owner leave the basement and go back to the restaurant''s kitchen.

    He was almost one hundred percent certain that this restaurant owner was actually the same mysterious existence that was possessing the ''angel Seiji'' in Reo''s soul realm!

    But, it was just at the degree of almost. There was no way for him to bepletely certain.

    He asked but didn''t receive an answer. He indicated that he wanted to know, but there was no response.

    It seemed that this existence didn''t wish to tell him more. It merely provided its assistance, just likest time.

    Was it that this existence was unable to tell him? It didn''t want to tell him? Or it wasn''t supposed to tell him?"

    Seiji didn''t know, but felt that he shouldn''t think about this issue anymore.

    What he needed to do now was to rescue the other trapped authors and return to reality!

    "Before we go, let me say a few thoughts of mine." Seiji stopped looking in the direction where the restaurant owner left and nced over at everyone else. "My guess is that the other two people that we need to find are Shousei Maishi and Imai Yoshida. Also, they''re probably inside their own light novel''s settings as well. I don''t know what either of their light novels are about, but I''m more concerned about the skeletons¡­ I''m suspecting that those skeletons are a product from Shoutarou Rinura''s light novel. The Gold Award author is the main person who''s responsible for the creation of this realm we''re in. His novel has taken form and has great power in here. It''s also invaded the settings of the other authors'' novels.

    "Matsutani-senpai and I were able to find Ishihara-senpai before her novel was invaded. Hashimoto-san has been staying here all this time, and was safe due to the restaurant owner''s protection. Meanwhile, Nomura-san escaped from his own story''s setting while it was being invaded by skeletons. As for Maishi-san and Yoshida-san''s settings, my guess it that they''re currently being invaded or perhaps evenpletely invaded. It''s highly likely that we''ll meet with danger when going to look for them.

    "Just Matsutani-senpai and I alone might not be enough to deal with the dangerous situations we may face. Everyone here needs to fight with whatever strength you have." Seiji nced at everyone.

    Everyone remained silent for several seconds.

    "If what you say is real¡­ how are we supposed to fight?" The cat ears on Miyabi''s head twitched. "I don''t know how to fight."

    "Although I have a weapon from my story''s setting, this weapon is now out of its magical energy." Nomura indicated the magic weapon he was still carrying.

    His weapon was a small magical crossbow, simr to a handgun. He had used up all its reserves of power while shooting at the skeletons chasing after him. However, he hadn''t thrown his weapon away.

    "I said before that this is a dreamlike realm that isn''t a dream. Also, this realm is partially created by all of you as well." Seiji looked at everyone. "In other words, all of you are just like ''Creators'' here! All of you actually have the power of creation. You should be able to create, or perhaps I should say summon, things from your own stories."

    Miyabi and Nomura were both rendered speechless.

    "I know that this sounds rather chuunibyou, but I''m being serious," Seiji told them all. "As long as you concentrate and do your best to imagine it, you should be able to do it."

    The female high school student Miyabi Ishihara and the college student Koushi Nomura both revealed rather subtle expressions.

    They had to act like chuunibyous at their age?

    That was their reaction, while the (rtively) older Yuuko Hashimoto who was already a part of adult society was¡­ even more speechless.

    Everyone fell silent yet again for a while.

    "Although this is difficult for me to ept, I might as well try it out since Harano-san says so," Nomura said as he lifted the magic crossbow in his hand. "I shall try imagining that my magic weapon here is filled with energy again."

    After saying so, he stared at his magic crossbow and did his best to concentrate.

    "Come¡­e¡­e¡­" he even muttered this as he concentrated.

    Nothing happened.

    "You need to be more spirited about it. How about trying to exaggerate in your actions?" Seiji rmended. "For example, saying a cool phrase or making a cool pose, something like that."

    ''Are you joking with me?''

    Nomura stared at Seiji with such an expression.

 Chapter 494 - â€œSengoku Girlsâ€™ Middle Schoolâ€

    <h4>Chapter 494: ¡°Sengoku Girls¡¯ Middle School¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji remained unruffled and appeared to be quite serious.

    Nomura retracted his gaze and resolved himself to do something he considered quite silly.

    ''I can do this I can do this I can do this¡­'' He forced himself to think this way.

    Nomura recalled how pathetic he felt when he escaped from his own story''s setting, and transformed the unwillingness and regret he felt in his heart into a powerful emotion as he lifted his magic crossbow high into the air and shouted, "In the name of the Creator, Imand that this weapon shall be filled with magic energy again!"

    His magic crossbow instantly started glowing!

    "It really worked?" All the other authors were astonished to see such a sight.

    Nomura''s expression was one of stunned astonishment as well.

    After the weapon in his hand stopped glowing, he slowly put his hand down and tested his magic crossbow. He discovered that it was indeed fully charged again and usable!

    "It seeded¡­"

    Nomura looked towards Seiji again.

    Seiji smiled as he gave Nomura a huge thumbs-up.

    Nomura''s expression became much happier than before.

    "I really do have the power here¡­ the power of creation¡­ Harano-san was right!"

    "At the very least, I was partially right so far." Seiji looked towards Miyabi and Yuuko. "Both of you should have this power as well. Try it out."

    Miyabi and Yuuko exchanged nces.

    "I don''t know what to imagine."

    "Me neither¡­"

    "Anything you want. But if you would like my rmendations¡­ Ishihara-senpai, why don''t you try summoning the ghost Ya-chan from your story? Hashimoto-san, you could try summoning a te of food," Seiji advised.

    "Ya-chan¡­" Something shed in Miyabi''s eyes. "I''ll try it."

    Then, she shut her eyes and concentrated on imagining Ya-chan.

    Yuuko also nced at a nearby table and imagined a te of food appearing on the tabletop.

    Yuuko pointed at the table and spoke in a nervous tone, "In the name of the Creator, Imand you to appear! Omelet rice!"

    Nothing appeared at all.

    Author Yuuko Hashimoto''s face began to slightly redden.

    "You don''t need to use the exact same words as me. Just follow your heart, Hashimoto-san."

    ''Follow my heart? What exactly is that supposed to be, anyways? I don''t understand!''

    Yuuko had a perplexed expression.

    At this moment, Miyabi opened her eyes and slowly extended her palms.

    "Come, Ya-chan."

    A ck and white mist instantly appeared from her hands. The two colors of mist intertwined with each other and gradually formed something more solid.

    "Yoohoo~~ I''m here!"

    The ghost child with appeared in front of everyone with an appearance of ck hair and white eyes this time. It was incredibly spirited.

    Nomura and Yuuko both widened their eyes.

    "Ya-chan¡­" Something shed in Yuuko''s eyes as she looked at one of the main characters from her story. "I need your help."

    "Sure thing! I''ll do anything that cat-oneesan wants me to do!" Ya-chan shed a brilliant smile.

    "Amazing¡­" Nomura couldn''t help but sigh in astonishment.

    The ghost child Ya-chan''s arrival truly shocked him and Yuuko.

    There was a far greater impact from being able to summon an actual character from their novel that one could talk to and interact with whenpared to simply recharging a magical weapon''s ammunition.

    Seiji knew that Miyabi would definitely seed.

    After all, even before this incident, she had already unconsciously been summoning Ya-chan, the ghost child from her story.

    Afterwards, Nomura and Yuuko tried experimenting many times as well.

    As a result, Nomura was able to summon some magical weapons and equipment for everyone. As for Yuuko¡­ she was only able to summon a te of omelet rice.

    The omelet rice was delicious and would make for an excellent meal. Seiji gave it such a review after having a taste.

    MIyabi tried summoning other characters from her story as well but failed.

    Did this power have some type of summoning capacity? Or some other limiting factors that prevented her from doing so?

    Nobody knew. But anyways, it was time to finally go.

    Everyone finished their preparations. Seiji went to the restaurant''s front door and prepared to open it.

    The moment that he put his right hand on the door handle, the seal on his right hand started glowing red. The seal''s spell formation copied itself onto the door and mystical runes appeared as well.

    Upon opening the door, Seiji saw nothing but a ck mist outside.

    Seiji stepped forth into the ck mist. Miyabi and everyone else followed after him.

    In the ck mist, the seal on Seiji''s right hand continued glowing red and formed a red light that kept pointing in a certain direction.

    Everyone proceeded in the direction that the light pointed at. Soon, they were no longer able to see the restaurant door. There were also fewer and fewer cluster amaryllis flowers as they progressed.

    "Everyone, follow me and make absolutely sure to stay together," Seiji cautioned everyone.

    After walking like this for a while, everything around them becamepletely pitch-ck as there were no more cluster amaryllis flowers. The only light that anyone could see was the red light on Seiji''s hand that pointed them in the next person''s direction.

    At this moment, a ghostly voice started singing¡­ it was Ya-chan.

    Ya-chan''s singing was quite pleasing to the ears. Its singing helped to calm down everyone''s anxiety.

    Seiji started singing along with Ya-chan.

    Miyabi began to sing as well.

    Nomura and Yuuko also started singing.

    Matsutani sang as well¡­ however, he only sang a few of the most basic words such as "Ahh~~" and "Oh~~". Still, it did add a sense of festivity to the already upbeat song.

    Everyone sang together under the ghost child''s lead as they proceeded onward through the darkness. A whileter, they saw cluster amaryllis flowers blooming again.

    As the cluster amaryllis flowers continuously increased in number, the red glow on Seiji''s hand gradually began to dim.

    Everyone followed the cluster amaryllis flowers and gradually walked out of the ck mist. They saw a school right in front of them.

    The school''s name was "Sengoku Girls'' Middle School"!

    This was the middle school from Shousei Maishi''s light novel, "Legend of the Sengoku Girls".

    This was a story about how a boy who was a trap was forced by his mother into an incredibly strange girls'' middle school. All the girls in this school had the names of various warriors from the Sengoku period. He got involved in the girls'' fierce battles for control over the school.

    The judges'' reviews for this light novel was that it was a nice lighthearted romanticedy story but that the title, "Legend of the Sengoku Girls", didn''t really fit the content. However, the current scene that Seiji and the others witnessed waspletely unrted to the word "lighthearted".

    The middle school was filled with ck and red mist. Bright-red cluster amaryllis flowers grew everywhere. This entire ce seemed eerily quiet as if demons could appear here at any moment.

    "It seems that this ce has already been corroded by Rinura''s story¡­ it''s highly likely that we''ll be attacked by something after we enter this school." Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    The moment that he finished speaking, familiar white skeletons appeared in his vision.

    "Allow me to correct myself. Even if we don''t enter, we''re going to be attacked anyways!"

    The next instant, numerous skeletons that were wearing tattered girls'' school uniforms lunged towards Seiji''s group!

    Seiji unsheathed a magical longsword that Nomura had provided him with, and acted as the vanguard.

    His sword glinted as it shed through the air!

    Several skeletons were instantly diced to tiny pieces.

    Behind Seiji, Matsutani also battled while wielding a magical sword. Nomura, Miyabi, and Yuuko all fought from the back by wielding magic crossbows. Ya-chan waved its hand and summoned white demons that pped away the nearby skeletons.

    Although the skeletons were incredibly numerous, Seiji and Matsutani now had weapons. Whenbined with the ghost child Ya-chan that had the ability to summon demons, theirbat strength was overwhelming.

    Seiji, Matsutani, and the ghost child took care of therge majority of the skeletons. Meanwhile, Nomura, Miyabi, and Yuuko missed most of their shots. The three of thembined defeated less than ten skeletons.

    "Now that we''ve cleared out the skeletons here, do you all think that it would be better to go all in together or that it would be better for only me and Matsutani-senpai to go in by yourselves while everyone else waits here?" Seiji asked the others.

    "I think that neither of those is a good idea," the pudgy middle-aged man stated seriously. "I think that Harano-kun should go in together with this powerful ghost-kun while I wait here with the others."

    Seiji and everyone else were all rendered speechless.

    "I think that we should all move around together," Nomura spoke up. "Splitting up sounds too risky."

    "I agree as well. It''s better for everyone to be together," Miyabi indicated her opinion.

    Yuuko agreed with both of them as well.

    "Then let''s all go in together. Everyone, please be careful!" Seiji cautioned them all before they entered the school.

    Miyabi and the others all felt extremely reassured to see the tall teenage boy holding his longsword and steadily walking at the forefront.

    "Harano-san is really handsome. I''d definitely attempt to woo him if only I was still a high school student," Yuuko whispered softly to the female high school student next to her. "Ishihara-san, you''re at the same high school as him¡­ make sure to grab your chance."

 Chapter 495 - This isâ€¦ a sword-drawing technique!?

    <h4>Chapter 495: This is¡­ a sword-drawing technique!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I''m not a good match for him," Miyabi stated softly. "He''s incredibly handsome and excellent. He''s not someone an ordinary girl like me can hope for."

    "Don''t say that," Yuuko chuckled. "You''re quite beautiful, and the light novel you wrote received the Silver Award. Since you''re both beautiful and talented, I don''t think you can call yourself an ordinary girl anymore. Besides, it doesn''t matter if you''re ordinary or not when ites to love."

    "I''m not very interested in romance." Miyabi averted her gaze.

    "That''s such amonly used way to avoid the subject. Your time in high school is quite precious. As a member of adult society who isn''t as young as she used to be, I rmend that you should be more proactive while you''re still young. Otherwise, you''ll be likely to regret things in the future." Yuuko paused for a moment. "For example, I''ve regretted multiple times about how I never confessed my love to the boy I secretly fell in love with in high school."

    Miyabi remained silent.

    "It''s not because I still want to be his girlfriend even today. I just can''t help but think that if only I worked up my courage to confess, what would have happened in the end? Even if my romance failed in the end, which would probably have been the most likely conclusion, and I now had some bittersweet memories, that would probably still feel better than bottling my emotions up and never saying anything in the end," Yuuko continued.

    Miyabi still remained silent.

    "I apologize if I''m interfering with your affairs too much. At any rate, don''t let yourself regret how things turned out. That''s all I wanted to say." Yuuko ended the topic.

    "¡­I won''t regret things," Miyabi muttered in a low voice only she could hear.

    After everyone followed the cluster amaryllis flowers for a while, a second wave of skeletons attacked them.

    This time, there was more than twice as many skeletonspared to the first wave. Not only that, the skeletons were also receiving endless reinforcements!

    "At this rate, we''ll bepletely encircled! Everyone, hurry and keep moving forward! Don''t stop!" Seijimanded their small group.

    Seiji had Matsutani lead the way as the vanguard while he himself acted as the rear guard.

    Everyone speedily progressed forward and soon reached a castle.

    That''s right, a castle!

    This was an extravagant Sakura Ind style castle with white walls and manyyers of ck roofs¡­ or more urately speaking, it was a Tenshuokaku, a type of castle!

    Well, this type of structure would only appear in a fictional girls'' school.

    Ya-chan controlled one of its demons to m through the castle door. Matsutani entered first, while Miyabi and the others followed after.

    Seiji enteredst. Then, Ya-chan had the demon close the castle door again while Matsutani cast another sealing spell on the door to block off the skeleton army.

    "Is anyone injured?" Seiji inquired.

    Everyone said that they were fine and asked about him as well.

    "I''m also alright. It''s great that none of us were injured."

    It seemed quite fortunate to him that nobody had been injured despite all that just happened. He hoped that this would continue to be the case.

    Their little team continued proceeding forward.

    Both Seiji and Matsutani paused in their footsteps when everyone arrived at a long corridor filled with faint red mist.

    Everyone else stopped as well upon seeing that they had stopped.

    "What''s the matter?" Nomura asked.

    "I sense danger¡­ everyone, remain here," Seiji said in a low voice as he withdrew his longsword and cautiously proceeded forward.

    When he reached the middle of the long corridor, a sharp de suddenly thrust towards him from a paper door in the side of the corridor!

    This de was extremely swift. It was quick to the degree that Nomura and the others couldn''t even see it clearly! If any of them¡ªother than Matsutani¡ªhad been ambushed by this de, it was highly likely that they would have been sliced in half without even realizing what happened.

    However, this de attacked Seiji, who had been on guard.

    *ng!*

    He was able to block this powerful ambush with this own sword.

    The enemy immediately changed tactics, pulling the sword back, then slicing again from the opposite direction!

    Seiji dodged this attack as well and rushed through the paper door, which allowed him to see who his enemy was.

    The person attacking him was a¡­ zombie girl wearing a cape and a girl''s school uniform with a warrior''s helmet on her head.

    Her face was pale white, her skin was decaying, her mouth was cracked wide open and revealed blood-red teeth. Her eyes no longer possessed eyelids, what should have been the white part of her eyes was ck instead, and her pupils were gray. It gave her a frightening appearance.

    Seiji figured that she was probably originally a beautiful girl character in Shousei Maishi''s story. However, she must have be this way after this environment was corroded by Rinura''s skeletons.

    *Shing!*

    The zombie girl once again sliced with her sword at him.

    Seiji blocked this attack with his sword and was about to counterattack when he saw this zombie girl move using sh steps which caused her to instantly disappear from his vision!

    "What¡­"

    He felt a chill behind his back before he even had the time to be surprised!

    *Thud!* Seiji''s [Mana Barrier] that he cast before the fight blocked this surprise attack for him.

    However, his opponent speedily wielded her sword and sliced through his barrier in just two or three slices!

    Seiji turned around and brandished his sword, which caused the zombie girl to back up. She sheathed her longsword back into the scabbard at her waist and made a pose that obviously seemed like she was preparing for another powerful attack.

    Was this¡­ the sword-drawing technique!?

    The sword-drawing technique was incredibly famous in the realm of swordy. Seiji instantly recognized it and sensed danger, so he hurriedly put some distance between them.

    "Hell''s Transient Dream Sword¡­" The zombie girl actually began to mutter in a low voice. "Snow Slice."

    The next instant, her figure vanished as she drew her sword and attacked!

    Seiji saw a clear white line.

    At this moment, he felt as if he was stuck in and of ice and snow, with a sharp white light slicing through the snowkes and approaching him, threatening to slice off his head!

    Fortunately, he still possessed¡­

    [Bullet Time]!

    *ng!*

    After his life-saving ability activated itself, Seiji was then able to clearly see his enemy''s sword, which he was then able to block.

    However, the power behind her sword-drawing technique was immense! Seiji was unable to block itpletely. He could only mitigate the force the best he could while simultaneously backing up and dodging.

    Seiji then immediately cast [Evolved Body-strengthening Technique] on himself, transforming into his golden form.

    The zombie girl chased after him.

    Seiji blocked the quick session of her sword attacks with his own sword and managed tond a kick on her shin. He took advantage of her momentarypse of bnce to slice at her neck!

    The zombie girl rolled on the floor using her momentum to dodge this slice which could have beheaded her. She backflipped and stood up again.

    Seiji didn''t chase after her. Instead, he cast [Evolved Mana Barrier] on himself and activated his magic longsword''s defense-piercing mode, causing his longsword to glow silver.

    Once again, the zombie girl sheathed her sword, and posed for another powerful attack.

    Both of them stood still for several seconds.

    Then, both instantly rushed at each other simultaneously! The battle was decided in just an instant!!!

    Seiji''s [Evolved Mana Barrier] was shattered, and a sword slice injury appeared on his arm.

    A faint red mist started spewing from the zombie girl''s waist as her upper body slowly slid off and smashed against the floor.

    "Wonderful¡­" she spoke again in the same low voice.

    Seiji turned around and spoke sincerely, "You were amazing as well."

    He had only won due to his magic spells. He knew that he wasn''t even slightly close to being an opponent for her if he relied on sword techniques alone.

    The zombie girl chuckled upon hearing his praise. Then, she stopped moving or making any more sounds.

    Seiji took a good nce at her.

    ''Things will be quite difficult if all the monsters in this castle are on her level.

    ''I was only barely able to deal with her after using my evolved form and barrier. If I met a group of opponents just as strong as she was¡­''

    Just thinking about it seemed like a bad situation to him.

    ''Aren''t these characters far too powerful for a romanticedy story!? Maishi-san, just what type of story did you write!?''

    Matsutani appeared and asked him, "Harano-kun, are you alright?"

    "I''m fine¡­ I was just lightly injured." Seiji cast healing magic upon himself.

    ''I shouldn''t fight by myself. I need to rely on mypanions as well,'' he thought to himself as he canceled his golden form and went back to where the others were waiting for him outside the long corridor.

    "Everyone, I''d like to tell you about what just happened."

    Seiji exined the fight that just urred to Miyabi and the others.

    "If that zombie girl was one of the main female characters in ''Legend of the Sengoku Girls'', then I figure that there''s probably at most five or six more characters with her power level. But if she was only a side character, there might possibly even be a mob¡­" Seiji sighed. "We need to prepare a n forbat."

 Chapter 496 - â€œI Transformed into a Smartphone in Another Worldâ€

    <h4>Chapter 496: ¡°I Transformed into a Smartphone in Another World¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Everyone continued deeper into the castle.

    As expected, they met zombie girls again¡­ five of them!

    Seiji gripped his magic longsword tightly and activated its defense-piercing mode, preparing forbat.

    He wasn''t going to fight all five of the zombie girls alone. He would do this together with hispanions.

    Three¡­ two¡­ one.

    *Rip!*

    Seiji and Matsutani simultaneously broke through the paper door and into the wide room.

    The pudgy middle-aged man tossed out five magic grenades that he earlier prepared!

    The zombie girls instantly reacted and blocked the grenades with their weapons.

    *Boom boom boom¡­* There was the sound of simultaneous explosions.

    Three of the magic grenades had been sessfully deflected, while two sessfully exploded on the zombie girls!

    The two zombie girls that took the magic grenade attacks started glowing yellow, and their movements were temporarily sealed.

    Seiji speedily rushed towards one of them and sliced the zombie girl in half!

    Whoosh! The chill of steel thrust towards Seiji.

    It was the spearhead of a long spear.

    The zombie girl standing next to the sliced-in-half zombie girl was wielding a long spear. She immediately started attacking Seiji after sessfully deflecting the magic grenade. Her attacks made her seem like a flowing dragon, and she aimed directly for Seiji''s head!

    *Thud!*

    Her spear was blocked by Seiji''s [Evolved Mana Barrier].

    The zombie girl withdrew her spear and began a new barrage of attacks!

    Seiji blocked the attacks with his sword and retreated.

    At the same time, the other two zombie girls that were still capable of movement started attacking Matsutani. Their weapons were dual swords and a naginata. Both zombie girls were extremely fast!

    The moment they rushed at him, Matsutani activated another spell that he had previously prepared. Arge diamond-shaped spell formation instantly appeared on the ground!

    The dual-sword-wielding and naginata-wielding zombie girls instantly stopped in their attacks and changed to rolling on the ground in an effort to dodge this spell.

    The next instant, a white demon materialized and transformed itself into a giant hammer that viciously pulverized both zombie girls into ttened pancakes!

    This scene was quite violent to behold.

    If living people were ttened like this instead of zombies, this definitely would have been a censored scene!

    Miyabi and Yuuko used their magical crossbows to shoot at the other zombie girl who had her movements sealed.

    Although most of their attacks missed, they indeed sessfully caused some damage.

    The magic grenade''s sealing effect faded and this zombie girl lifted her longbow and shot a swift arrow towards Miyabi and Yuuko!

    *ng!*

    A magical shield sent a blue shielding light around them and blocked the arrow.

    This shield wielder was Nomura.

    Nomura, who was still only a college student, had a rather pale face. However, his expression was resolute and he showed no signs of fear.

    The longbow-wielding zombie girl shot out several arrows in session!

    Nomura continued lifting his shield to block the arrows while he did his best to conquer the fear in his heart and solidly stand in front of his two femalepanions, Miyabi and Yuuko. He didn''t budge a step.

    *Boom!*

    One magical crossbolt fired by Miyabi managed to sessfully hit the longbow-wielding zombie girl''s head.

    She was now in a state of enhanced concentration, and the cat ears on her head were stiff and vertical. Her cat eyes shone with a fierce glint that helped her to clearly see her target.

    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

    The second, third, and fourth shotsnded¡­ Miyabi was able to sessfullynd four consecutive crossbolts on the zombie girl''s head!

    The longbow-wielding zombie girl copsed on the ground.

    Immediately thereafter, Matsutani''s demon hammer smashed down on the zombie girl!

    Ya-chan also added in a final attack for its cat onee-san.

    *Crack!!*

    Seiji forcefully withstood the spear-wielding zombie girl''s attacks, losing his barrier in the process as he slew her.

    All five zombie girls had now perished.

    His entire team had won unscathed!

    "Beautiful. Everyone did a great job," Seiji gave his sincere praise.

    The n they''de up with was more sessful than they had anticipated when they finally put it to use.

    Nomura and everyone else smiled in delight at their first sessful victory as a team.

    "Ishihara-san was so amazing! Her uracy suddenly went up by so much," Yuuko praised Miyabi.

    "It was just a coincidence¡­ We should be thanking Nomura-san for protecting us," Miyabi said.

    "I merely held up a shield and stood still," Nomura stated. "The truly amazing ones are the three on the frontlines."

    "Yeah, Harano-kun was mega-cool, and Matsutani-senpai and Ya-chan were cool as well." Yuuko paused for a moment. "I feel like the most useless one here is me."

    "That''s right, Hashimoto-san, which is why you should work hard and serve everyone here as a maid!" Matsutani acted all seriously about it. "Right now, I''d like a massage¡­"

    *Pound!* Seiji elbowed the pudgy middle-aged man in the stomach to have him shut up.

    "You''re going a bit overboard with the jokes. Please don''t mind him, Hashimoto-san."

    Yuuko blinked cutely at this.

    "It''s okay if he wants a massage from me. However, I''m not very skilled at giving massages, so it''s quite possible I might identally use too much force and injure him." The author Yuuko chuckled.

    Seiji and everyone else were all temporarily rendered speechless.

    "Cough, er, let''s stop joking around and continue progressing." Seiji changed the topic. "We did a great job just now. But, that doesn''t mean that all the uing battles will be so easy. Let''s all remain on guard."

    Although those five zombie girls were powerful as well, they weren''t on the level of the zombie girl that Seiji previously faced by himself. Nor did they have a cape and helmet like she did.

    Seiji figured that the first one must have been one of the main characters, so there shouldn''t be many zombie girls on her level. That helped to reassure him, but he knew that he still needed to remain vignt.

    Imai Yoshida''s story, "I Transformed into a Smartphone in Another World", was a story about how an otaku mysteriously transformed into a smartphone and arrived in another world, just like the title stated. A beautiful teenaged female domain lord who was in dire straits happened to pick him up. This otaku then supported her as her smartphone in expanding her domain and managed to enjoy many gentlemanly benefits.

    The judges'' overall review of this story was that "There are many problems, but it''s still overall a fun read. With some careful polishing, it has potential to be quite popr."

    Natsuya Yoruhana knew absolutely nothing about the novels that had won Thunderbolt Literature''s Neer Author Awards.

    She knew that Seiji was currently participating in Thunderbolt Literature''s Neer Author Awards ceremony tonight. She finally had some free time and was reading online about the light novels that won the awards when she received a call from Shika Kagura requesting her assistance.

    Natsuya, Hitaka, and Rana immediately went over to the hotel''s banquet hall that Shika sent them the address of. However, right when they met up with Shika and began trying to cast a spell to save Seiji, a ck mist enveloped them!

    Natsuya then discovered that she was now trapped within a soul realm that had a fantasy world style to it¡­ no, she should say that it seemed like a soul realm, but she was unsure what it really was.

    "This is a mystical realm where cluster amaryllis flowers are growing everywhere. This is the ce where the Awakened enter when they awaken to their powers. Perhaps someone at the award ceremony Awakened, which got Seiji and everyone else at the award ceremony involved¡­ and now we were dragged into this ce as well. Hitaka, Rana, stay on guard. I''m going to cast a spell to investigate this ce."

    While Natsuya was in the process of casting her spell, numerous skeletons suddenly appeared and attacked!

    "Don''t you dare to touch Mdy!"

    "Meow."

    The red-haired Spirit-branded Retainer and the cat girl Spirit-branded Retainer fought against the skeletons together. They shattered all the skeletons in less than one minute!

    Shika simply watched them silently. There was no need for her to even unsheathe her Demon de Muramasa.

    When Natsuya finished casting her spell, she nced over at the domain lord''s castle in the distance.

    "Some existence within that castle is interfering with my spell, so I''m currently unable to contact Seiji. We need to get rid of whatever''s causing the interference first."

    The four girls immediately set out after confirming their target.

    Arge amount of skeletons appeared from all directions and began attacking them!

    However, the four girls were just like the main characters of a Dynasty Warriors video game. No matter how many low-level mobs attacked them, they were all destroyed instantly.

    A gray-clothed individual silently stood on the roof of the domain lord''s castle and observed the four beautiful girls slicing through the skeletons.

    ''It''s time for me to leave.

    ''Still, even though this experiment wasn''t a particrly important one, it still makes me displeased to be interrupted like this.

    ''Before I leave, why don''t I make things a bit more difficult for them?''

    The gray-clothed individual had such thoughts as they walked off and disappeared into the shadows.

    Meanwhile, at the Moon Bunny Eatery¡­

    The restaurant owner who was currently chopping some vegetables in the kitchen suddenly stopped in his movements.

    He turned around to look at something. His eyes were also shing with a sharp glint.

    The next second, a longsword pierced through his chest!

 Chapter 497 - Leave your cute younger sister to me

    <h4>Chapter 497: Leave your cute younger sister to me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After experiencing many battles, Seiji and hispanions were stillpletely unscathed.

    Apart from theirbat tactics, careful way of fighting, and luck, there was one other factor: Miyabi Ishihara had indeed be much stronger.

    Her skill with the magic crossbow¡­ her aiming had be incredibly urate at an unbelievable rate. By the fourth battle, she managed to urately shoot down a zombie girl that was moving at high speed. By the seventh battle, she was able to make a headshot with every single bolt fired. By the ninth battle, she even became capable of wielding a magic crossbow in each hand, scoring two headshots at once!

    Nomura did his best and created some magical bolt quivers so that Miyabi could have a continuous supply of bolts for her magical crossbows. This helped to improve Miyabi''s overall sustained damage and suppression, helping to make this speedily improving magic archer even more powerful than before.

    Miyabi even sessfully headshot many zombie girls that were charging at high speed!

    With such a powerful archer supporting them from the rear, Seiji who was fighting as the vanguard on the front lines felt that the battles had gotten noticeably easier. To use a gameparison, it was as if the DPS in the back had gotten a wonderful boost! He could now focus more on tanking and protecting everyone.

    As for why Miyabi suddenly became this powerful? She herself didn''t know. She could only tell everyone that when she was firing the bolts that she was able to keep up an excellent state of concentration that somehow managed to help her aplish such a feat.

    Everyone could only interpret it as part of the authors'' power of creation in this realm.

    However, Seiji personally believed that this was Miyabi Ishihara''s true potential. This seemingly ordinary student librarian had been able to summon Ya-chan unknowingly even before this incident that reunited them. He considered Miyabi Ishihara to be an Awakened, one of the "Neo Humans"!

    Seiji''s team entered deep into the castle.

    When they reached a ce that was filled with blooming cluster amaryllis flowers, they managed to scout out a huge number of enemies waiting for them.

    "I detected more than ten zombie girls, including three that are wearing helmets." Matsutani had a very serious expression as he informed everyone.

    The helmet-wearing zombie girls were the main characters. They only met one other zombie girl with a helmet on their way here. With everyone''s help, Seiji sprung an ambush and managed to surprise and y it before it had been able to fight at its full power.

    However, just Matsutani''s scouting alone revealed three main character-level zombie girls waiting for them! It was also possible that there were more that Matsutani was unable to detect¡­ and even if there were only three, that would still be a tough enemy to deal with.

    Everyone fell silent and nced in Seiji''s direction.

    With so many strong enemies waiting for them, Seiji decided upon using amon game tactic: to attract the attention and aggro of only one or a few enemies at a time. Of course, Seiji himself would undertake the most dangerous job here: the person designated as the one who would attract the enemies'' attention.

    Seiji smiled to reassure everyone who faced him with worried expressions.

    "I think that we''ll probably be able to find Maishi-san after winning this battle that seems like a final battle. Well, since I feel that anything I say might identally raise a g of some sort, I''ll avoid saying anything at all¡­ Everyone, let''s do this!"

    "Not saying anything at all might be even worse than raising gs. Why don''t you just say something?" Matsutani acted all serious. "For example, that you''re leaving your cute younger sister to me. I''ll make sure to take good care of her."

    Seiji''s smile instantly became much darker.

    His expression didn''t noticeably change. However, everyone felt a sudden chill!

    "Matsutani-senpai, I realize that you intentionally said this for me to retort to. However¡­"

    *Pound!* Seiji delivered his iron fist of justice to the top of the pudgy middle-aged man''s head.

    "I won''t respond only with a verbal retort for anything that goes too overboard! Please understand."

    "I apologize, ribbit¡­"

    Matsutani copsed on the ground and stuck out all his limbs in midair, seeming like an upside-down frog.

    Miyabi and everyone else were all rendered speechless by the scene.

    But right as everyone was still in a speechless state, Matsutani suddenly jumped back up to his feet and looked to the side.

    "Be careful!"

    A sharp arrow had already arrived before Matsutani even finished speaking!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Thanks to [Bullet Time], Seiji saw an arrow approaching his face. He hurried ducked and dodged this arrow.

    *Schtick!* The arrownded in the wall and lodged deeply with an incredible amount of force.

    Everyone looked in the direction the arrow came from to see a zombie girl who was wearing a ck-feathered helmet and holding a longbow. This zombie girl retreated into the shadows in a ck mist, andpletely disappeared.

    ''This zombie girl must be a main character type¡­ she''s a powerful archer that has the ability to go invisible!''

    Seiji sensed danger.

    "We''ve already been discovered. Hurry and retreat!" He instantlymanded his small team.

    Seiji''s team immediately assembled into their retreating formation. Seiji was thest to retreat and acted as the rearguard to cover everyone else''s retreat.

    Before long, more sharp arrows arrived for them!

    This time, there were three arrows that shot towards Miyabi, Yuuko, and Ya-chan!

    "Nomura!"

    Seiji blocked the arrow that shot towards Yuuko. Upon hearing Seiji''s reminder, Nomura activated his magical shield''s barrier and sessfully blocked the arrow aimed at Miyabi.

    Ya-chan summoned a demon to use as fodder to block the arrow. The demon which received the arrow was heavily injured and greatly weakened.

    Miyabi counterattacked with her magical crossbow.

    However, she missed as the longbow-wielding zombie girl once again went invisible.

    They also saw numerous zombie girls arriving and chasing after them.

    "Increase our speed!"

    Everyone began running at top speed.

    However, the zombie girls chasing after them were even faster than they were. The distance between them was gradually shortening.

    More sharp arrows arrived.

    This time, all three arrows were fired directly at Seiji!

    Not only that, Seiji also saw a zombie girl who had ring essories on her helmet rushing towards him while wielding dual swords!

    Right after Seiji managed to dodge and block the three arrows, the rings helmet zombie girl arrived right in front of him.

    "Heaven-sealing dual sword technique - the Tenth Seal!" the zombie girl muttered her attack''s name in a low voice as two intersecting des shed towards Seiji!

    Seiji was already prepared for this as he jumped backwards and cast a spell while dodging the attack - [Ice Prison]!

    The zombie girl''s body instantly froze in her movements.

    Seiji then stepped forth again and counterattacked, easily slicing the frozen zombie girl in half at the waist!

    "You have to be resolved to be sliced up yourself if you dare toe attack me by alone."

    The dual sword wielding zombie girl copsed on the ground and perished.

    Seiji continued retreating.

    The rainstorm of arrows continued, threatening every member of Seiji''s team.

    "Matsutani-senpai, support Ishihara-senpai and deal with that archer zombie girl!" Seiji gave hismand in a low voice when they almost reached the location where they would counterattack.

    Seiji had prepared beforehand for a situation in which they would be chased by enemies too numerous or powerful to handle. Matsutani had set a fixed-location magical trap at a certain location. Once they arrived there, they would be able to counterattack.

    That invisible archer was far toorge of a threat. They had to deal with her during this counterattacking opportunity!

    Everyone soon reached the location where Matsutani''s trap was ced.

    The zombie girls chasing them entered the effective area of the trap.

    The hidden magical trap activated! It cast a strong slowing spell on the zombie girls.

    Seiji who was already in his golden form with [Evolved Mana Barrier] cast on himself took this chance to suddenly attack the zombie girls. He took out one zombie girl with each swing of his sword and began a ughter!

    Miyabi prepared both her magical crossbows and Matsutani prepared a spell. Both of them were waiting for the invisible archer zombie girl to show her face. They would immediately attack her once she popped up.

    "Shadow archery technique - May Rain!" a low voice uttered the attack''s name. Arge wave of arrows followed right after!

    It was incredibly difficult toprehend how so many arrows were fired from a single bow. Not to mention, each arrow was still aimed so urately at her targets!

    Nomura defended against the arrow storm with his shield, Ya-chan summoned numerous demons as cannon fodder, and Seiji focused fully on defense.

    Miyabi and Matsutani were simultaneously able to locate the archer zombie girl in the midst of the arrow storm.

    "Over there!!"

    Matsutani cast his spell as Miyabi shot her crossbow bolts!

    *Boom boom boom boom¡­*

    Matsutani''s spell sealed the archer zombie girl''s movements. Miyabi''s crossbolts sessfullynded as direct headshots, exploding the archer zombie girl''s face and knocking away her helmet! The archer zombie girl finally copsed.

    Nomura sessfully blocked all the arrows aimed at Miyabi and Matsutani. All three were uninjured.

    However¡­

    "Ahh!!!"

    Yuuko screamed out in pain.

    One arrow just happened to make it through in between Nomura''s shielding barrier and Ya-chan''s demons, piercing through Yuuko!

    Yuuko was now bleeding bright-red blood that dripped on the ground.

    "It hurts so much¡­" The author looked at her own blood as her consciousness became hazy due to the extreme pain. "Am I¡­ going to die?"

    She copsed there on the spot.

    "Hashimoto-san!!!"

    Miyabi clutched Yuuko tightly.

    Nomura was shocked by this scene and his face turned incredibly pale.

    Matsutani went over to inspect her condition.

    Ya-chan and Seiji were still in the midst of battling.

    "Get her out of here!" Seiji shouted when he saw that Yuuko was injured. "Matsutani-senpai, hurry and take her somewhere safer in the back to give her medical treatment! Nomura-san and Ishihara-senpai, go together with them as well and try thinking of anything that you can create with your author powers in this world that will cure Hashimoto-san!

    "Ya-chan and I will stop the remaining zombie girls here. We''ll meet up with youter¡­ hurry and get out of here!!!"

 Chapter 498 - Demon Fox?

    <h4>Chapter 498: Demon Fox?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was possible to receive actual damage to their physical bodies in this dreamlike realm that wasn''t a dream.

    Miyabi hadn''t concretely understood what Seigo Harano meant earlier with those words.

    She finally truly understood what this meant for the first time when she saw Yuuko Hashimoto being seriously injured.

    This ce was like a dream world, but it wasn''t a dream.

    People could get injured, could feel pain, and could possibly even¡­ die!

    Miyabi couldn''t help but turn and take a final look as they left the area of battle.

    She saw that Seigo Harano and the ghost child Ya-chan were still resolutely battling against the remaining zombie girls.

    ''I hope that they''ll be alright.''

    She prayed so in her heart before retracting her gaze and following after Matsutani who was carrying Yuuko. They speedily left this area.

    After putting some distance between them and the battle, Matsutani put Yuuko down on the ground and pulled out the sharp arrow lodged within her body. He used a spell to stop the bleeding.

    "Try using your powers to do something for her!" he told Nomura and Miyabi.

    Nomura tried imagining and creating some magic healing medicine, but failed.

    Miyabi took a good nce at Yuuko''s face which was now a ghastly pale white. Miyabi then slowly shut her eyes.

    She concentrated¡­ then concentrated some more¡­ to feel her own powers¡­

    Earlier, when Miyabi was asked how she became more powerful, she had actually lied. She didn''t aplish it "unknowingly" as she told everyone. Instead, she was able to feel a power within her as she concentrated.

    As long as she continued to sense and ept this power, she could be even stronger¡­ She had such a feeling within her.

    However, Miyabi had been against bing stronger. She felt that she would no longer be just an ordinary girl.

    She was someone who didn''t want to be out of the ordinary. She only wanted to be an ordinary girl and have a peaceful life.

    Yet, she finally truly realized that this way of thinking was too selfish of her.

    If she wanted to safely return home, she would have to show a sufficient amount of strength first! This was no mystical and fun adventure, this was a real battle for survival!

    ''I''m sorry, Hashimoto-san.

    ''I''m sorry, everyone.

    ''I won''t avoid facing myself anymore.''

    Miyabi was apologetic and resolute as she fully concentrated on epting the full potential within herself.

    Matsutani and Nomura saw the cat eared girl begin to glow white.

    Her skin became incredibly white, and red spiral-shaped seals appeared on her forehead. Her lips and fingernails became brilliantly red, while her cat ears became white instead of ck, as well as longer and pointier. Miyabi''s ck cat tail also lengthened, then became white and much furrier. Her entire person now gave off a strong demonic aura.

    "This is¡­ a Demon Fox?" Matsutani muttered to himself.

    After the white glow faded and the transformation stopped, Miyabi opened her eyes which were now glowing red.

    She then reached out and gently ced her palm on Yuuko''s wound. A white glow enveloped her palm.

    "Mrgh¡­"

    Yuuko began moaning.

    Momentster, Miyabi retracted her hand.

    Yuuko''s injury hadpletely vanished!

    "This¡­ it''s healed!?" Nomura was astonished.

    The author Yuuko slowly opened her eyes.

    "I¡­ what happened?"

    "Hashimoto-san, do you still feel pain anywhere?" Miyabi asked her.

    "I don''t¡­ Ishihara-san?" Yuuko blinked several times rapidly in surprise at Miyabi''s new appearance. "What happened to you¡­ you changed in appearance again?"

    Miyabi smiled in response.

    Her smile was so alluringly beautiful that even the author Yuuko who was also female lost herself for a moment.

    "She changed from a cat girl into a fox girl¡­ does this count as some kind of evolution?" Matsutani was watching this scene.

    "I think that it''s more like a second transformation," Nomura added with his opinion.

    No matter what, it was a good thing that theirpanion became stronger.

    Yuuko was truly grateful after she learned that Miyabi transformed herself and saved her.

    "Where are Harano-san and Ya-chan?" Yuuko then noticed that there were two members of their team not present.

    "They''re still fighting where we were. We need to quickly go back and join them again," Miyabi told her. "Hashimoto-san, are you still able to face the idea of fighting?"

    "I¡­" Yuuko paused for a moment. "I''m scared¡­ but it''s fine. Let''s hurry and return!"

    Her hand was trembling at the prospect, but her expression was resolute.

    "¡­Nomura-san, please focus mostly on protecting Hashimoto-san," Miyabi told him.

    Nomura nodded and epted.

    Then, without saying anything else, everyone immediately returned to where Seiji and Ya-chan were currently battling.

    *ng!* Seiji received another direct attack that destroyed yet another one of his [Mana Barriers]. He forced himself to receive this attack in order to y his opponent. Seiji then immediately retreated in order to dodge the other zombie girls'' attacks.

    There were only a few zombie girls remaining.

    ''I''ll take care of these mobs and then retreat and meet up with everyone else.'' Just as he was thinking so, a new group of zombie girls appeared!

    Three of the zombie girls in the new group were wearing helmets. The two walking in front were both wielding sickles with a ball and chain attached at the end. These were unique weapons called " kusarigamas 1 "!

    The helmeted zombie girl in the back was not only wearing a helmet, she even wore a majestic armor. Her weapon was a huge horse-ying sword¡­ no, the proper term was " odachi 2 "!

    Seiji instantly had an ominous premonition when he saw these three zombie girls.

    The next moment, the chained balls on both kusarigamas came flying at him!

    Seiji blocked one kusarigama with his longsword. However, he failed to dodge the second, which struck him in the shoulder!

    It hurt¡­ but he was able to bear the pain.

    The other zombie girls took this opportunity to rush him as well! Seiji could only retreat.

    The odachi-wielding armored zombie girl speedily rushed towards Ya-chan who was still locked inbat with other zombie girls!

    "Ya-chan¡­"

    Seiji wanted to warn the ghost child, but the two kusarigama-wielding zombie girls started attacking him again.

    This time, they sent their sickle halves of the kusarigamas flying at him!

    Seiji speedily swung his sword and forcefully knocked away the two sickles, blocking the attack sessfully.

    "¡­dodge!" He finally finished the warning that he had tried to say before.

    However, he was toote.

    *Shing!* One sweep of the odachi seemed just like a brilliantly shining crescent moon.

    The demon protecting Ya-chan was sliced in half!

    "Whoa! So scary!!"

    The ghost child rolled on the floor and barely managed to dodge this attack. It then used its hands and feet to speedily scamper away.

    The odachi-wielding zombie girl chased after Ya-chan.

    Seiji wanted to go and help out the ghost child, but he himself was currently under attack by numerous zombie girls as well.

    Just as the odachi-wielding zombie girl reached the ghost child again, a crossbow boltnded on the masked part of her helmet!

    Miyabi had arrived.

    She ran over towards them while shooting at high speed with one magical crossbow in each hand!

    The odachi-wielding girl used her tremendous sword to block the bolts. She gave up on chasing Ya-chan and instead turned to rush at the person shooting at her!

    Matsutani who was running right behind Miyabi cast a sealing magic that sessfully hit and stopped the odachi-wielding zombie girl''s movements.

    However, the odachi-wielding zombie girl roared and instantly dispelled the sealing spell on herself! Not only that, her armor began glowing red, automatically blocking all the magical crossbow bolts!

    This zombie girl had a personal barrier magic!?

    "Hurry and dodge!" Matsutani shouted to Miyabi when he saw that the odachi-wielding zombie girl had a personal barrier magic and was approaching them at high speed.

    However, Miyabi didn''t dodge or run away. Instead, she ran up to the odachi-wielding zombie girl!

    *Shing!*

    There was another crescent moon that appeared with one swing of the odachi''s de.

    The fox eared girl was sliced in two¡­ No, that was only her afterimage!

    Miyabi shed right next to the odachi-wielding zombie girl and performed a whirlwind kick that viciouslynded a direct blow right on the odachi-wielding zombie girl''s head!

    The beautiful fox girl jumped in midair, causing her white hair and white tail to flow in the wind¡­ it was quite a beautiful scene which was etched itself deeply into Matsutani''s, as well as the slightly farther away Nomura and Yuuko''s, minds.

    *Boom!*

    The armored zombie girl copsed on the ground with a deafening noise.

    The next moment, she backflipped and jumped back on to her feet again! She swept upwards with her odachi at an incredibly high speed!

    However, once again, she sliced through nothing but an afterimage.

    Miyabi had ducked and used a low horizontal kick that once again knocked the armored zombie girl onto the ground!

    The odachi-wielding zombie girl got back up again and used an upward sh followed by a diagonal sh!

    She still only hit afterimages.

    The fox-eared girl kicked the zombie girl into the ground for the third time in a row. It was clear that she had the solid advantage in meleebat even against such a powerful opponent!

    "Wow~ Cat onee-san is amazing!" the ghost child Ya-chan shouted out joyously.

 Chapter 499 - Amazing!

    <h4>Chapter 499: Amazing!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Everyone apart from Seiji was astonished by Miyabi''sbat strength. After all, he didn''t have the free time to spare even a single look in her direction! He was currently locked in fiercebat with the two kusarigama-wielding zombie girls as well as numerous weaker zombie girls.

    Matsutani entered the battle as well after he recovered from his astonishment, wielding a magic sword.

    Ya-chan also summoned new demons to continue fighting.

    At this time, many zombie girls arrived to support the odachi-wielding zombie girl! This battle instantly became chaotic.

    Matsutani activated the defense-piercing mode of his magic sword and took an opportunity to attack with full force. He broke through the odachi girl''s protective red barrier and cut off her arm!

    Miyabi grabbed the odachi that fell on the ground. Her hands glowed white, with the light enveloping the odachi. The weapon turned white as well as if it had been cleansed.

    The armored girl angrily roared, gathering the red light on her body to her missing arm and forming it into the shape of an arm. Right after that, some ck mist appeared and formed a ck ethereal odachi!

    "Heaven''s Heart Odachi Ultimate Technique - Thunder''s Descent!"

    The armored girl jumped up with her odachi and began whirlwinding therge odachi in wide circles. She sliced towards the fox-eared Miyabi with immense might!

    *Whoosh¡­* She sliced through only an afterimage yet again.

    The odachi mmed into the ground with a deafening boom! It truly sounded like a thunderbolt. An explosive st of wind shot out odachi''s impact area!

    Matsutani was forced two steps backward by the powerful gust of wind.

    Ya-chan who was in the midst of battling some zombie girls was almost blown over by the gust of wind.

    However, Miyabi waspletely unaffected. She stepped forward while wielding the white odachi and swung down in a sh!

    The armored zombie girl''s movementspletely stopped.

    The next second, her armor and body fell apart in two clean pieces! She copsed on the ground.

    Before Matsutani and the others even had time to be astonished, Miyabi lifted up the odachi again and continued her sh steps and odachi swings!

    The next moment, three zombie girls copsed on the ground, sliced in half! Two of them even had their weapons sliced up together with them.

    "Ishihara-san¡­" Nomura widened his eyes in surprise at the sight.

    "Amazing¡­" Yuuko widened her eyes as well.

    The ghost child Ya-chan was impressed and whistled.

    Miyabi''s mouth arced upwards slightly upon hearing Ya-chan''s whistle. She lifted up the odachi once again.

    If only someone could currently take a picture of her current appearance, she would definitely be an instant hit on the inte!

    Meanwhile, Seiji used [Evolved Telekinesis] to lock down one kusarigama-wielding zombie girl''s movements. He used this opportunity to quickly y the other one!

    He was then about to retreat to avoid the remaining zombie girls'' group attacks against him. That was when he saw the white-haired fox girl rushing over, ying for zombie girls in one fell sweep!

    This scene gave him arge impact as well. Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    Miyabi smiled at him as her eyes glowed.

    *Shing!!* The other kusarigama-wielding zombie girl broke through Seiji''s golden telekic hand. She swung her weapon''s sickle half at Seiji yet again!

    Seiji managed to regain his senses in time to block this blow.

    Miyabi jumped into the air and brought the odachi down with a tremendous sh that started from her head. This sh cut the other kusarigama-wielding zombie girl cleanly in two straight from the head to the feet!

    "Amazing!" Seiji reflexively praised her.

    Then, the golden boy and the white fox girl fought together as allies. It was as if a tornado had started brewing in the enemies'' ranks. The zombie girls were all speedily sliced up.

    Matsutani and the others all felt as if they were watching an action movie or anime scene. The scene was brilliant and wonderful.

    Not long after, one of Ya-chan''s demons used a spiritual hammer to tten the final remaining zombie girl. The battle finally came to a conclusion.

    "Harano-san, are you alright?" Miyabi was concerned about his condition.

    "I''m alright, thanks to your assistance, Senpai," Seiji responded with a smile.

    He finally had the time to take a closer look at Miyabi''s transformation.

    "You transformed from a cat into a fox. That''s quite cute as well¡­ no, I should say that you''re even more beautiful now."

    "It''s fine either way." Miyabi averted her gaze. "I''m merely using whatever power I''m capable of. Something like physical appearance isn''t important."

    "Although that''s true, beauty is still beauty. I truly believe that Ishihara-san is quite beautiful." Seiji smiled.

    "¡­Can we stop talking about this topic? Let''s hurry and go look for Maishi-san."

    Miyabi forced herself to withstand her embarrassment as she forcefully ended this topic of conversation and began walking.

    Their team continued onwards without meeting any more zombies or other enemy monsters.

    After they performed a detailed search of the castle, they found a girl lying in a patch of cluster amaryllis flowers in one of the castle rooms.

    She was wearing the Sengoku Girls'' Middle School uniform. She had long brown hair, bangs held in a hairclip, a nice face, a rather t chest, and ckce stockings¡­

    Seiji revealed a rather subtle expression upon seeing this rather cute "girl".

    He checked her condition and then tried to wake "her" up.

    "Mmm¡­" The "girl" slowly opened "her" eyes.

    "Her" gaze stopped on Seiji.

    "Harano-san¡­" Even "her" voice was cute as well.

    Seiji''s expression became even more subtle when he heard this voice.

    "Could you be¡­ Maishi-san?"

    "That''s me!" The "girl" nodded and admitted it.

    Shousei Maishi had transformed into a trap!

    Apart from Miyabi and Ya-chan, everyone else revealed a subtle expression upon learning that Maishi had undergone such a transformation.

    Maishi smiled wryly as he exined what happened to him.

    Just like Nomura and the other authors, he mysteriously found himself in the setting of his own story. He had now be the main character of his own light novel, with his main character''s identity of a trap. He met various characters from his story and experienced some storyline events as well.

    In the midst of his confusion at what was going on, ck mist and cluster amaryllis flowers started appearing. The beautiful school girls in his story all became zombies¡­ and then he lost consciousness and knew nothing more about anything else that happened.

    Maishi really wanted to know what was going on.

    Seiji started exining the situation to him.

    At this time, a familiar voice suddenly spoke in his mind, "Seiji, can you hear me?"

    This voice belonged to Natsuya!

    "I can hear you!" he immediately responded. Seiji indicated with a hand gesture to Matsutani and the others to wait a moment for him as he walked off a few steps away.

    "I''ve finally gotten into contact with you. Are you alright?" Natsuya asked concernedly.

    "I''m fine. I''m currently acting together with the others that have gotten involved in this incident," Seiji answered. "What''s currently going on in the real world?"

    "When we arrived, the entire banquet hall was filled with a mysterious ck mist. Before we were able to even do anything, the ck mist suddenly expanded and dragged us inside as well," Natsuya told him.

    "What¡­" Seiji was quite surprised to hear this.

    The student council president had gotten dragged into this realm as well!?

    Not only that, she just said "we," so¡­

    "You and Shuho-san were both dragged into this realm?"

    "Not only Hitaka, Rana and Kagura-san are also with me as well."

    Seiji''s expression froze over upon hearing this.

    ''Even Kirin-san and Shika-chan¡­''

    "We''re currently fine. We''re located in some sort of castle," Natsuya continued. "It''s a castle that one would find in a fantasy style anime."

    A fantasy style castle? Seiji immediately figured out that this was likely the setting of Imai Yoshida''s story, "I Transformed into a Smartphone in Another World"!

    "Were you attacked?"

    "Yeah¡­"

    Natsuya gave a summary of what happened to her and the other girls with her.

    They broke through a sea of skeletons and entered the castle. After easily defeating all the monsters in their way, they finally met with a gigantic bone dragon!

    This bone dragon was the existence that was interfering with Natsuya''smunication spell. It was far more powerful than all the cannon fodder monsters added together!

    It took an incredible effort for the four girls to finally defeat the bone dragon. After that, Natsuya was finally able tomunicate sessfully with Seiji after making many attempts.

    Seiji was delighted to hear that Natsuya and the other girls were all uninjured.

    The next step was for all of them to meet up. But before that¡­

    "You and the others should try to look in the castle for a middle-aged man named Imai Yoshida. It''s highly likely that he''s in an unusual form, though. He''s most likely turned into a smartphone, or maybe something else entirely."

 Chapter 500 - This is the only request I want fulfilled in my entire life!

    <h4>Chapter 500: This is the only request I want fulfilled in my entire life!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After finishing his mental conversation with Natsuya, Seiji returned to his team.

    "I have a piece of good news and a piece of bad news," he started out with a ssical line. "The good news is that my adopted younger sister and my friends havee to save me. The bad news is that they all got trapped in this realm as well."

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "Please allow me to get acquainted with your cute adopted younger sister!" Matsutani acted all serious. "This is the only request I want fulfilled in my entire life, Harano-kun!"

    "¡­With you saying that, I''d rather do the opposite, Matsutani-senpai." Seiji gave the pudgy middle-aged man a sidelong nce. "They''re currently inside Yoshida-san''s story setting. I already asked them to help locate Yoshida-san. What we''re going to do now is go and meet up with them."

    It was good that someone hade to save them. However, the fact that the ones saving them had gotten trapped as well made the situation rather awkward.

    Shousei Maishi indicated that he would like to finish listening to Seiji''s exnation of what was going on after several seconds of silence.

    "I''ll exin things to you as we walk, Maishi-san."

    ---

    "Harano-san, your adopted younger sister is a Spiritual Ability user as well?" Nomura asked Seiji a question after they all exited the girls'' middle school.

    "Yeah." Seiji nodded.

    "You mentioned before that it''s inconvenient for her to appear in public due to certain reasons? What exactly is that about?" Nomura indicated his curiosity. "Of course, if it''s something you can''t talk about, forget I asked."

    Seiji saw that everyone else was now looking at him as well.

    "Due to a reason regarding her Spiritual Ability, it''s not convenient for her to talk ore into contact with others," Seiji exined. "That''s also why she has a rather cold personality towards others. I hope that you all won''t mind when you meet her."

    "Could it be¡­ that she bears some type of curse?" Nomura hazarded a guess.

    "You can understand it that way." Seiji nodded.

    At first, all the authors had been under the impression that Seigo Harano''s adopted younger sister was a weak and sickly girl, which was why it was inconvenient for her to go out. However, the image they had suddenly changed into a girl bearing a curse!

    "I''m even more curious about your adopted younger sister now, Harano-kun." Matsutani continued acting all serious. "I have a premonition already. My first time meeting her will surely be an excellent memory!"

    "I have a premonition already that Senpai''s first meeting with her will be a terrible memory¡­"

    "Please allow her to be a new character in my light novel, adopted Older Brother-sama!"

    "I refuse! Also, don''t address me in such a fashion!" Seiji retorted.

    "I shall do my very best to eloquently describe her cuteness and sexiness, oh adopted Younger Brother of mine!"

    "I forbid it! Don''t just pretend to be my older brother!!"

    "I shall do my absolute best to make her into the most popr younger sister of all in my ''Can''t Sleep with Younger Sister'' series! She shall be the dream lover (fantasy lover) for all my readers!!"

    "I''ll never allow it! I''ll kill you if you dare do such a thing!!"

    Nomura and the others were all rendered speechless.

    "Harano-san and Matsutani-senpai only got acquainted with each other recently, but they''re already squabbling like a pair of old friends," Yuukomented.

    "I think that Matsutani-senpai''s words have too many parts people would want to retort to¡­ And as for Harano-san, he seems like a sis-con," Nomura added.

    "I''m getting curious about Harano-san''s adopted younger sister as well. I''m looking forward to see what type of girl she is," Maishi mentioned.

    Miyabi listened in to their conversation withoutmenting. However, she was actually quite curious as well.

    This younger sister of Seigo Harano''s had no rtion to him by blood. Just what kind of sister was she to make him into such a sis-con?

    Shika Kagura was waiting quietly.

    Although she was merely standing, anyone could tell at a nce that she was currently waiting for someone. Not to mention, that someone was incredibly important to her¡­ she was simply giving off such an aura around her.

    Even Natsuya had to suppress the urge to take out her cell phone and snap a picture of the pure and beautiful girl.

    The matter between Shika Kagura and Seiji Haruta¡­ or perhaps it would be better termed as connection, was something that Natsuya knew about. Perhaps Natsuya understood the rtionship between Shika and Seiji better than anyone else, since Natsuya knew about Shika''s "Reaper''s Curse".

    Precisely because Natsuya knew about Shika, Natsuya was unable to understand what exactly she felt towards Shika. Natsuya was confused about how she should view her.

    She wanted to say something to Shika but didn''t know what to say. Thus, Natsuya ended up merely observing Shika silently.

    "Why are you always looking at me?"

    To Natsuya''s surprise, Shika was the first to speak up.

    "Nothing much¡­" Natsuya retracted her gaze. "I apologize if I made you feel ufortable."

    Shika looked at Natsuya.

    "Is it because I''m incredibly beautiful?"

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    She felt it was rather subtle how Shika made such a statement in such a light tone!

    Normally, such a phrase would only be said by a total narcissist. However, when Shika made such a statement, it contained no hints of narcissism whatsoever. Shika was simply calmly stating the pure truth.

    "That''s right. You''re so beautiful that people can''t help but look at you." Natsuya went along with the reason that Shika provided.

    "Many people are like that. They only look at me because of my physical appearance," Shika stated. "In the past, I used to think that this was something meaningless."

    "Used to?"

    "Yes, I no longer feel this way because of Brother Seiji."

    The way she called him "Brother Seiji" contained an easily noticeable gentleness and softness.

    Natsuya felt indescribable emotions upon hearing this.

    "Why''s that?" Natsuya asked reflexively.

    Shika fell silent for a moment.

    "I don''t know how to say it¡­ it''s just that after he entered my life, I started feeling like there was meaning to my beauty."

    Once again, Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    She really regretted asking Shika why!

    The indescribable emotions within her increased in magnitude. She even felt a slight sense of frustration.

    "What do you think, Yoruhana-san?"

    "Eh?"

    "You''re quite beautiful as well." Shika took a good nce at Natsuya''s face. "People must often turn to look at you as well¡­ what do you feel about this?"

    "I¡­ don''t have any particr feelings about it." Natsuya paused for a moment. "But, I don''t quite feel that it''s meaningless, either."

    "What''s the meaning to it, then?"

    "It''s a good thing for one to be beautiful and appreciated by others¡­ that''s what I believe."

    Shika blinked upon hearing this.

    "Then, will you have different feelings if Brother Seiji looks at youpared to when others look at you?"

    Natsuya''s heart instantly started beating at a rapider pace.

    "I¡­ will feel a little different."

    "Just a little?"

    Natsuya found this question difficult to answer and averted her gaze.

    "Why are you asking about this?" She countered with a question of her own.

    Something shed in Shika''s eyes as she looked directly at the Yoruhana Family daughter.

    "Because I want to know."

    This sentence sounded quite simple, but also not so simple.

    ''Just what exactly do you want to know?'' Natsuya wanted to ask this out loud, but found herself unable to do so.

    The two beautiful girls silently looked at each other as the atmosphere around them turned strange.

    Hitaka Shuho who was watching them didn''t understand what exactly happened. However, she was able to sense that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

    Rana Kirin who was also watching them didn''t understand what happened, either. She merely stretchedzily and shook her cat ears while making a mewling sound.

    The cell phone in the cat girl''s hands¡ªImai Yoshida¡ªalso witnessed this scene. He reflexively controlled the camera in his body that was now a smartphone to take a picture of this scene.

    ''As expected of someone as handsome as Seigo Harano. He has such beautiful female friends around him.''

    The middle-aged man couldn''t help but inwardly sigh. That was when he suddenly realized: was what he''d just witnessed a legendary scene known as a shuraba?

    ''Er¡­ should I delete this picture, or show it to Harano-san?''

 Chapter 501 - This world is truly unfair

    <h4>Chapter 501: This world is truly unfair</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji guided hispanions through the darkness with the seal on his right hand. They eventually arrived at their destination.

    Just like after they cleared out the Sengoku Girls'' Middle School, no more skeletons, zombies, nor anything else attacked them as they walked directly to the domain lord''s castle in the "I Transformed into a Smartphone in Another World" setting.

    That was where Matsutani and the others saw several unimaginably beautiful girls.

    "Natsuya Yoruhana?" Miyabi recognized her as they were all from the same school. "Also Hitaka Shuho as well? Also, that''s¡­"

    While Miyabi was busy being astounded, these girls walked up to Seiji and hispanions. One of these girls walked up to him and hugged him!

    Seiji also hugged Shika and gently patted her head.

    The scene fell silent for a moment.

    "This must be your adopted younger sister, Harano-kun. Please introduce her to me!" Matsutani spoke up first. "Also, please introduce these others to me as well. They''ll make for excellent light novel characters!"

    Nobody knew quite how they were supposed to respond to Matsutani''s statement. However, Nomura and all the other light novel authors silently agreed with Matsutani''sst statement.

    A heroic-seeming red-haired girl, a cute heterochromia cat girl, a beautiful girl with sleek long ck hair¡­ All these beautiful girls seemed to be quite different, and would make for amazing character temtes.

    They never expected that apart from Seigo Harano''s adopted younger sister, all the other peopleing to save him would be also be incredibly beautiful girls!

    Although they were surprised, they all felt like they understood¡ªit was all because Seigo Harano himself was incredibly handsome.

    Those that were incredibly handsome were on a different level of existence from ordinary people. Koushi Nomura and Shousei Maishi deeply understood this as they were ordinary males.

    "These sisters are all so beautiful. However, the most beautiful one is still my cat onee-san," Ya-chan spoke up.

    ''No, I can''tpare at all,'' Miyabi thought to herself.

    Not even mentioning Genhana High School''s student council president, Natsuya Yoruhana, even the student council vice-president Hitaka Shuho was someone who far surpassed most other girls in physical appearance.

    Also, Miyabi recognized that cat girl next to them as matching the description of the legendary mysterious middle school student from theirbined middle and high school. The cat girl had a cute beauty to her that definitely did the rumors justice.

    The girl tightly hugging Seigo Harano was obviously his adopted younger sister. Miyabi felt that this girl appeared familiar to her as well.

    "Allow me to introduce everyone¡­"

    Seiji let go of Shika and did some simple introductions for everyone present.

    When Miyabi got a closer look at Shika Kagura''s appearance after thetter stopped hugging Seigo Harano, Miyabi finally recalled that she had indeed seen this girl before in the school library! Shika''s incredible beauty and cold aura around her had given Miyabi a deep impression.

    "Kagura-san, please be a character model for my story! I would like to write a new character in ''Can''t Sleep with my Younger Sister'' based on you!" Matsutani energetically spoke up right after Seiji introduced him.

    Shika looked towards Seiji for an exnation.

    Seiji had an expression of "you can just ignore this person."

    "I refuse," Shika stated those two words calmly before hiding behind her adopted older brother''s back.

    "Please reconsider! I heard from Harano-kun that you''re also a fan of my light novel, ''I Can''t Sleep when I''m Sleeping with my Younger Sister''. In order to make my story even better, I sincerely request as the author that you contribute your precious part to improve my story!" There was a sharp glint in Matsutani''s eyes.

    "And the truth in your heart?" Seiji looked at him.

    "I want to use the excuse of character modeling to make this incredibly cute model make all sorts of various poses, hehehe¡­"

    *Pound!* Another iron fist of justice smashed upon the pudgy middle-aged man''s head.

    "I''ve already warned you about this, Senpai."

    "Ribbit ribbit¡­"

    Everyone was rendered speechless to see Matsutani once again with his back on the ground, imitating a frog.

    After Seiji finished introducing both sides to each other, he asked Natsuya if they found the author Imai Yoshida. Natsuya indicated towards a blue cell phone that Rana held out.

    "I''m Imai Yoshida¡­" The cell phone started talking.

    Yoshida really did be a cell phone! Nomura and the others had rather subtle expressions upon learning this fact.

    "Please remain calm, Yoshida-san. You should be able to return to your real body after we go back to reality." Seiji took the cell phone and told this to Yoshida.

    "I shall do so, Harano-san." Yoshida sighed. "There''s no use even if I don''t remain calm, after all. Nothing I can do about having changed into such a form."

    Yoshida mysteriously transformed into a smartphone just like the main character in his award-winning light novel. He also went through his own story''s events, which made him feel like he was dreaming.

    Later, the ck mist appeared and he lost consciousness all the way until Natsuya and the others found him.

    After listening to Yoshida''s experiences, Seiji exined what happened to himself and hispanions to Yoshida, Natsuya, and the other girls.

    "¡­The next step was for us to return to the Moon Bunny Eatery and have the restaurant owner cast a spell to locate the final person here: Shoutarou Rinura. Then, we need to go look for him. After we find him, we are going to have the restaurant owner cast a spell to return us to our ''original world''¡­ Well, that was our original n. Natsuya, now that you all have entered this realm as well, things have changed." Seiji looked at Natsuya. "What''s your thoughts on all this?"

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "Since that restaurant owner''s spell sessfully located two people already, that proves that his spell is indeed effective." Something shed in her eyes. "Let''s just go with your original n and go locate the final person."

    Seiji nodded in agreement.

    And so, everyone started walking towards the Moon Bunny Eatery.

    On the way, Shika walked right next to Seiji and held on to hisrge hand.

    "I must have made you worry about me." Seiji smiled at her.

    Shika didn''t say anything in response. She merely gripped his hand even tighter.

    Seiji then felt that somethingnded on his back.

    This familiar sensation¡­ was Rana!

    The cat girl pounced on his back and hugged him tightly.

    "I must have made you worry about me as well, Kirin-san."

    "Meow~"

    The cat girl rubbed his neck with her face.

    There was a sharp glint in Shika''s eyes when she witnessed this. She edged herself even closer to Seiji''s body.

    Meanwhile, Natsuya was walking on Seiji''s other side. She walked at a distance by which she would be able to easily touch him if she just slightly moved her arm.

    "I''m so envious of Harano-kun¡­ No, I''m jealous," Matsutani, who was walking behind them, spoke in a low voice. "This world is truly unfair, don''t you agree, Nomura-kun?"

    "¡­Why are you asking me?"

    "Because of your jealous expression."

    "I showed no such thing!" Nomura denied it.

    "Don''t deny it. I can smell the scent of jealousy from all over your body!"

    "Is there even such a thing!?"

    "You''re very jealous of how the handsome guy gets to have so many girls clinging on to him. You have an ordinary appearance and are just a coward inside. You know that you''ll never be able to be like him, which is why you began to despair and rage, gradually beginning to loathe this cruel world¡­"

    "Don''t say it like I''m turning into some viin''s backstory!"

    "Just admit it, Nomura-kun! You''re just like me, an ugly existence that nobody epts and who loathes the world." Matsutani acted all serious.

    "Ugly existence, the hell! I don''t loathe the world, nor am I someone that nobody epts!!" Nomura retorted forcefully.

    Nomura now understood what it felt like for Seigo Harano to constantly deal with this strange Senpai''s antics.

    "To be honest, I am a little jealous," Maishi who was walking next to them interjected. "Facing a guy like Harano-san who''s so handsome, nice, surrounded by beautiful girls, and seems more like a main character than most light novel main characters, I think that any male would more or less be slightly jealous."

    ''¡­I have to admit that he''s right.'' Nomura couldn''t help but silently agree.

    The first time that Nomura saw Seigo Harano, he was astonished at thetter''s incredibly handsome appearance as well as impressed with Seigo''s writing ability. He felt that Seigo was an excellent high school author.

    After getting involved in this incident and interacting with Seigo here, seeing his strength and learning about his personality, not to mention also seeing so many beautiful girls willing to risk their lives toe save him from this strange realm¡­ Nomura couldn''t help but feel a slightly strange feeling.

    While Nomura did admire Seigo, and was perhaps slightly jealous as well, more than anything else, he felt that Seigo was simply far too blindingly brilliant.

    The person known as Seigo Harano seemed just too cool and handsome to him.

    Nomura took a look at the tall figure walking in front of him.

    ''Although we''re experiencing such a mystical adventure together, it''s difficult for someone as ordinary as me to be friends with someone as blindingly brilliant as him¡­ At most, we''ll probably just be fellow authors that might see each other on asion for a few chats,'' Nomura thought to himself.

    ''Hmm, I wonder what the women think of him?'' Nomura nced over at Miyabi and Yuuko.

 Chapter 502 - The prince is waiting for you

    <h4>Chapter 502: The prince is waiting for you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Miyabi didn''t have any particr thoughts about Seigo Harano.

    Before, she might have imperceptibly been thinking a few things about him. However, after she saw Natsuya Yoruhana and the other girls that came to save him, she really stopped having any such ideas at all.

    Miyabi felt that only girls like the student council president and the others with her were the appropriate ones to be by his side.

    However, even though she no longer had any thoughts about being together with him, that didn''t mean that she didn''t feel anything¡­ As for what exactly it was that she felt, Miyabi didn''t know. Nor did she want to think too deeply about it.

    Yuuko originally wanted to say something to Miyabi. However, Yuuko felt like she shouldn''t say anything after seeing Miyabi''s expression.

    Some romances were destined to end before they even had a chance to begin.

    Everyone walked through the darkness and reached the Moon Bunny Eatery.

    Seiji opened the door and entered to discover that the store was filled with red mist! Not only that, there wasn''t a single customer to be seen.

    Seiji instantly had an ominous premonition.

    "Everyone, watch out. Things could be dangerous in here." Seiji unsheathed his magical sword.

    Everyone became vignt upon hearing him say this.

    Seiji cautiously walked into the restaurant. He then headed for the kitchen.

    He saw that the restaurant owner was copsed on the ground with a long sword stabbed straight through his chest into the ground!

    "Owner¡­" Seiji walked up to inspect the situation.

    The handsome middle-aged restaurant owner had a nk expression and wasn''t breathing. He had also stopped moving¡­ it was quite obvious that he had died.

    Who did such a thing!?

    Seiji looked towards the longsword that pierced through the restaurant owner.

    This longsword had a golden hilt that was etched with beautiful carvings. A red gem was also embedded on the hilt, making it seem rather extravagant.

    Seiji called Yuuko over and asked her to take a look at this sword.

    Yuuko looked it over carefully before shaking her head.

    "I''ve never written about or imagined such a sword. I don''t think that it''s something from my story."

    "Then it must be from Shoutarou Rinura''s story." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    Perhaps it was a character from Rinura''s story, or Rinura himself that came here. Or¡­ perhaps it was the true perpetrator!

    Seiji felt that this incident likely had a hidden perpetrator behind it all.

    From the very start, Seiji didn''t feel like Shoutarou Rinura was the cause of this entire incident.

    Seiji felt more like the middle school student author Rinura was just another victim that someone else took advantage of.

    As for who would take advantage of Rinura, and what their objective was, Seiji didn''t know.

    Seiji simply felt that it seemed far more likely that there was a hidden perpetrator rather than Shoutarou Rinura being the one who intentionally caused all this.

    Well, the truth of the incident wasn''t so immediately important right now. Of immediate importance was¡­

    "Hashimoto-san, please try using your author powers of creation and try reviving the restaurant owner."

    The restaurant owner wasn''t a real person. He was simply a character from a light novel. Yuuko Hashimoto, who was the author of that light novel, might be able to "revive" the restaurant owner.

    That was what Seiji was thinking when he reached to pull out the sword piercing through the restaurant owner.

    Just as his hand touched the sword''s hilt, the sword suddenly began glowing a blinding white!

    The seal on Seiji''s right hand also began to glow as well. The same dizzy feeling from the earlier locator spell came upon him. Seiji''s consciousness became hazy as he sank into a mysterious realm and felt even more like he was imperceptibly learning something¡­

    "What''s the matter, Harano-san?" Yuuko noticed that something seemed off about the situation and asked him.

    Seiji didn''t reply.

    Shika and Natsuya, who both noticed this situation as well, became tense.

    However, before they could do anything, Seiji''s expression returned to normal.

    "It''s nothing¡­ I''m fine," Seiji told them.

    At this moment, a ck mist was emitted from the restaurant owner''s body before it quickly evaporated.

    "Thank you."

    Seiji was truly grateful to that mysterious existence.

    That existence had helped him yet again before it departed from this ce.

    "The restaurant owner is no longer with us. However, there''s no need to worry. I already know how to locate Shoutarou Rinura as well as how to escape this realm," Seiji told everyone who was assembled in the restaurant.

    He then indicated towards the golden longsword in his hand.

    "This was the weapon that murdered the restaurant owner. The murderer was unable to take it away because the restaurant owner forcefully kept it here by casting a spell upon it. This sword in tandem with the seal on my hand is capable of locating Shoutarou Rinura. After we find Rinura, I can use this sword to cast a spell that will open up a portal back to our original world¡­ Basically, we can all return to reality that way."

    "Who or what exactly was this restaurant owner?" Natsuya inquired.

    "I only know that he''s a powerful and friendly existence, but I''m unsure as to the specifics." Seiji slightly shook his head. "The restaurant owner was actually possessed by this existence that gave us its assistance. This existence has left this ce now. Even if Hashimoto-san can resurrect the ''restaurant owner,'' it won''t be the same one. The murderer most likely attacked him in order to prevent us from locating Shoutarou Rinura. Yet despite the fact that he was ambushed, he still left his spells behind for us. He deserves our sincere gratitude."

    Seiji looked in the kitchen''s direction.

    "It''s highly likely that things will be quite dangerous in Rinura''s story setting. Everyone, we need to make our final preparations."

    The restaurant was still safe for the time being. They didn''t need to worry about skeletons or any other enemies popping up, so they could rest and prepare here.

    Miyabi tried to power up her summoned ghost child, Ya-chan.

    Nomura tried his hand at creating stronger magical weapons and equipment for everyone.

    Yuuko did her best to create anything at all apart from omelet rice.

    Maishi who was currently stuck as a trap character as well as Yoshida who was currently a smartphone both tried their best to use the author''s power of creation in this realm. However, they both failed.

    Matsutani wanted some more curry rice and went to make it for himself in the kitchen.

    Natsuya inspected the golden longsword.

    "Can you tell anything about it?"

    "Nothing¡­ I can''t discern anything about it at all." Natsuya shook her head and returned the longsword to Seiji.

    Seiji gripped the longsword and looked it over. He was able to faintly detect the power within it.

    It felt like a hero''s holy sword to him.

    To receive a hero''s sword from this restaurant owner who used to be a hero in another world¡­ yep, it seemed like such a ssic scene to him.

    When he thought this, some passionate game music began ying in Seiji''s mind. He impulsively wanted to lift the longsword high up in the sky! However, he managed to restrain himself.

    Natsuya and the others were looking at him. They were all under the impression that he was trying to sense something from within the sword. None of them realized that Seiji was actually currently thinking just like a chuunibyou.

    ''Let''s go fight the demon king all together!''

    Although such a scenario was incredibly clich¨¦, a ssic was still a ssic. ssics had their own charisma.

    After everyone rested and finished their preparations, the hero Seiji led their expedition yet again.

    Once again, they passed through the darkness to find¡­ a pce!

    This pce was gold and white. It had extravagant carvings and was brightly lit by torches despite the dark surroundings. It was an incredibly opulent sight.

    The pce guards standing out front noticed Seiji and the others and immediately ran over.

    There were two pce guards who wore light armor and held long spears. They both appeared like normal humans rather than skeletons or zombies.

    Seiji reminded hispanions to remain vignt while he silently gripped his weapon tightly.

    The two pce guards ran up to them and stopped a few steps away, looking over Seiji''s party.

    "I recognize them!" Matsutani whispered to Seiji. "Both of them are people that were attending the award ceremony."

    People that were attending the award ceremony?

    Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "You''re certain about this, Matsutani-senpai?"

    "I''m one hundred percent certain. Although I don''t know their names, I definitely saw them at the award ceremony!" The pudgy middle-aged man was confident of this.

    "May I ask your names?" a pce guard who had short brown hair spoke to them politely.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "I''m Seigo Harano." Seiji chose to answer.

    "Seigo Harano¡­ correct?"

    "Indeed."

    The brown-haired guard nced over at him before looking at everyone else.

    Seiji indicated to Nomura and the others that they should give their names.

    Nomura, Miyabi, Yuuko, and Maishi all gave their names.

    The brown-haired guard looked at the other pce guard andmunicated nonverbally with him. They both nodded at each other before looking at Seiji''s party again.

    "Wee. His Highness the prince is currently awaiting your arrival." The brown-haired guard smiled and weed them.

 Chapter 503 - The Undying Indestructible Avenger

    <h4>Chapter 503: The Undying Indestructible Avenger</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "His Highness the prince¡­ could you be referring to Shoutarou Rinura?" Seiji inquired.

    "That''s not him. However, His Highness stated that you were highly likely to mention this name," the brown-haired guard responded. "His Highness told us to wee you into the pce when you arrive. Please follow me."

    Seiji looked at the pce guard.

    "I would like to ask your name, as well as the name of the person next to you."

    "Eh? Why''s that?"

    "Because I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before."

    The brown-haired guard revealed a confused expression. He exchanged nces with the other guard.

    "Neither of us remember ever meeting you before, sir. You must have mistaken me for another person."

    "You truly don''t remember ever seeing me before?" Seiji asked another question.

    "Indeed, I''ve never seen you before¡­ Please don''t pay any attention to us. His Highness is still waiting for us. Please follow me into the pce."

    "What if we refuse to enter?"

    "Why would you refuse? Aren''t you all here to meet with His Highness?" The guard frowned.

    "We indeed wish to meet with this prince of yours, but we don''t want to risk entering a pce filled with unknowns," Seiji told him. "That''s why, I apologize beforehand, but please tell His Highness that we would prefer to meet with him outside of the pce. I hope that he can acquiesce to this request."

    "How¡­ preposterously impudent!" The brown-haired guard was angered by Seiji''s request. The other guard had an expression of obvious displeasure as well.

    The atmosphere immediately became tense.

    However, the guards merely red at Seiji and the others for a while before they turned around and left. They didn''t seem like they were going to attack.

    After the guards left, Seiji discussed what just happened with Matsutani and the others.

    Matsutani remained adamant that he couldn''t possibly have been wrong. These two guards were exact match for two people that he saw at the award ceremony.

    In that case, they came up with two theories. Either Rinura created characters that werepletely identical to all the award ceremony''s attendees, or these two people were real people thatpletely forgot about their identities in reality due to currently being under Rinura''s control.

    Seiji felt that the second theory was more likely. Everyone else agreed with him on this.

    It seemed highly possible that all the people present at the award ceremony were in that pce in such a condition.

    If they started fighting with everyone, they would have to hold back. After all, none of them wanted to kill a real person.

    As for the most important person of all, just where was Shoutarou Rinura and what condition was he in? Was that prince the guards mentioned really not him?

    Confused, everyone decided to wait to see what would happen.

    A few minutester, a procession of people walked out of the pce towards Seiji''s party.

    This time, it wasn''t only Matsutani. Seiji, Nomura, and the other authors all recognized the people that came out as well.

    Editor Yoshizawa! Head Editor Hattori! The male and female hosts for the award ceremony!

    All these people were wearing extravagant clothing. It made them seem like members of the nobility.

    The most attention-grabbing person of all was a youth with blonde curly hair who walked in the middle.

    He wore the most extravagant red and gold clothing of all. He had a dark-red cape and a silver longsword attached to his waist in a white scabbard. He appeared incredibly handsome, and his dark blue eyes seemed fierce and spirited.

    This was¡­ the prince?

    Seiji and the others watched the blonde curly haired youth who seemed like the Prince approach them together with the award ceremony attendees.

    The blonde curly haired youth faced everyone and spoke first, "My name is Adnan Andos Arlosis, the Losis Kingdom''s First Prince. ording to what you all know, I''m the main character of Shoutarou Rinura''s light novel, ''The Undying Indestructible Avenger.''"

    Seiji and the others were all rendered speechless by this unexpected introduction.

    "I need to make it quite clear that I''m no fictional character. You can understand me as a human from a parallel world," Adnan told them all. "I don''t know why I appeared here in this world of illusions. At first, I thought that I was dreaming. However, Iter discovered that the existences here were real¡­ At any rate, your group''s goal should be to leave this world of illusions and return to your original world, am I correct?"

    "¡­Yes." Seiji admitted this.

    "My goal is the same as yours. I wish to return to my world." Adnan looked at Seiji. "In order to do this, I require your group''s assistance."

    "What assistance could we give?"

    "In just a while, this entire world of illusions will begin copsing. At that time, I need to concentrate on creating a connection to return to my original world. During this process, I need all of you to protect me."

    "Please exin in more detail." Seiji felt that there was far too much he didn''t know about what was going on.

    "It''s difficult to exin in detail because I don''t really know much myself, either¡­" The blonde-haired prince paused for a moment. "To roughly exin, this world of illusions was created by Shoutarou Rinura, who acts as a host for my spirit. He''s the foundation for everything that was created here. However, he is unable to bear the burden required for creating this world, so this world won''t remain stable for much longer. I expect that all of you have already met undead such as skeletons. Those monsters are the products of this world of illusions bing unstable and losing its order. The undead are the products of chaos. Currently, if it wasn''t for me maintaining the order of this world, it would already bepletely filled with those creatures of chaos. In just a short while, Shoutarou Rinura will reach his limit and will no longer be able to maintain this world, causing this world of illusions to begin copsing. That''s when I''ll finally be able to return to my own world. However, at this time,rge amounts of undead creatures of chaos will be produced. I require your protection so that I can safely leave this world."

    Everyone exchanged awkward nces with each other upon hearing all this.

    "So, if we do as you request, that will put us in danger, wouldn''t it?" Seiji slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Indeed. However, I helped you all to protect these people. You owe this favor to me for doing such a thing." Adnan indicated towards Editor Yoshizawa and the other award ceremony attendees standing around him.

    Seiji nced over at Saki to see that the female editor had a nk expression and was merely standing there doing nothing.

    "What happened to all of them?"

    "They were already in this condition when I arrived and saw them," Adnan exined. "Unless I give them identities andmands in this world of illusions, they won''t act at all, just like puppets. If it wasn''t for me, they would have been swallowed up by the chaos long ago."

    "Is there any way for you to prove the veracity of your words?"

    "I can immediately stop maintaining the order in this world. Arge amount of undead will immediately appear here, and even all these people will be undead as well. Is that what you wish to see?"

    Everyone remained silent for a moment.

    "I apologize. I wasn''t intending to make it sound like I wanted to use these people as hostages. However, there''s not much time left, and I''m unable to give you all an exnation¡­" Adnan sighed. "I only want to return to my own world¡­ I still have things I must aplish there."

    "Could that be¡­ revenge?"

    "Yes. That''s the only meaning left in my life now. Shoutarou Rinura from your world was able to witness my experiences. He wrote them into a light novel and won a Gold Award in your world¡­ that''s something I''m furious about." The blonde-haired prince now had a grim and dark expression. "Of course, I know that he didn''t do it to intentionally enrage me. It''s a mysterious power from your world, perhaps a godlike existence, that yed such a terrible joke on me. After all of you return, inform Shoutarou Rinura for me that he needs to immediately stop writing about my life experiences! My life isn''t something that he''s allowed to use for the amusement of others!!"

    All the light novel authors felt like their ears were about to go deaf from the volume of his angry roar.

    "You said that he is a host for your spirit¡­ isn''t there a way for you to tell him this directly?"

    "I already gave him my message. However, I think that he won''t be able to remember my message to him in his current condition."

    "¡­Alright." Seiji nodded in agreement. "After we return to our real world, I shall tell him what you said."

    "You believe in me now?" Adnan looked at Seiji.

    "To be honest, it''s quite difficult for me to trust you so quickly. However, I believe that the emotions you expressed just now were real." Seiji sighed. He then turned to look at hispanions. "What are all of your opinions?"

 Chapter 504 - Iâ€™ve already seen so many other worlds!

    <h4>Chapter 504: I¡¯ve already seen so many other worlds!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "It''s a trap!"

    ¡­Nobody said such a thing.

    Everyone found it difficult toe to any immediate conclusions about what the blonde curly-haired prince told them.

    "We should ask about that sword," Natsuya spoke up.

    Seiji nodded and showed Prince Adnan the golden sword that they retrieved from the restaurant owner''s body.

    "Do you recognize this sword?"

    Adnan nced over at the sword.

    "This is a sword from the armory in the pce¡­ why is it in your hands?"

    Seiji exined the situation to Adnan.

    "I wasn''t the one who did it. I wanted all of you toe as quickly as possible rather than prevent your arrival. I would never do such a thing." Adnan furrowed his eyebrows. "Someone must have stolen this sword and used it to attack yourpanion. Earlier, I had a faint feeling that someone was spying on me. However, I was unable to find anyone, nor did I find any traces of anyone. But now, I''m certain that I wasn''t merely hallucinating. There really was a concealed individual around here spying on me! However, I no longer sense that feeling of being spied upon. My guess is that this unknown individual must have been injured by yourpanion''s counterattack. The unknown individual most likely left this world already. Still, it''s also possible that they''re still around. We must remain vignt." A powerfully sharp glint appeared in the blonde curly-haired prince''s eyes. "This unknown individual is most likely the cause behind everything that happened here! I don''t know what their goal is, or what else they intend to do¡­ But I swear in the name of the Arlosis Family that if this person who dared to make such a fool out of me ever appears before me, I shall exert my full power in killing them!!"

    He spoke in an incredibly vicious tone that caused everyone present to feel a tangible chill run down their spines.

    Right after this, Adnan seemed to suddenly detect something as he looked towards the ck mist off in the distance.

    "They''reing."

    Seiji and the others also looked in the same direction, only to see some white skeletons!

    The skeletons continuously walked out of the ck mist. There were soon too many to even count.

    "This world is almost about to copse, so the creatures of chaos are appearing¡­ Come! Into the pce!" Adnan indicated for everyone to follow him into the pce.

    Editor Yoshizawa and the other award ceremony attendees followed after him.

    Everyone looked at Seiji. Seiji nodded and took the lead in following after Adnan.

    Arge number of skeletons chased after them!

    Everyone speedily ran into the pce. The blonde curly-haired prince then waved his hand, causing the heavy pce door to automatically close and lock itself.

    "The closer this world gets topletely copsing, the smaller the radius of the circle of order that I''ll be able to maintain. Currently, I can still block them from entering the pce, but that won''tst much longer." Adnan faced everyone. "As you can see for yourselves, this is how the situation is¡­ Please believe in me! I need all of you to assist me."

    Once again, everyone looked towards Seiji.

    Seiji noticed this and knew that he had to make a choice here.

    Seiji could either agree and promise to help Adnan, which meant braving danger to protect him.

    Or, Seiji could choose not to believe Adnan¡­ which probably meant fighting Adnan immediately right now.

    After he carefully considered the two options, Seiji slowly spoke, "Alright."

    Seiji decided to believe in Adnan.

    Inside the pce''s banquet hall.

    This was an extravagant, golden, and opulent location decorated with exquisite artwork. The paintings and sculptures hanging on the walls and ceiling were wonderful. It was a pity that nobody currently had the time to enjoy the breathtaking sight.

    Editor Yoshizawa, Head Editor Hattori, and all the other award ceremony attendees were gathered here.

    Seiji had Nomura and the others, as well as Adnan (who represented Shoutarou Rinura) ce their hands on himself before Seiji picked up the golden longsword and concentrated.

    The seal on Seiji''s right hand began to glow white. The longsword started glowing as well, growing brighter and brighter.

    Approximately ten secondster, the longsword was now so blinding that it appeared to be a swordpletely made out of light. A faintly visible mystical spell formation appeared around the sword.

    "Open!" Seiji shouted loudly as he forcefully swung the sword, leaving behind a pure white trail in midair!

    This white trail gradually expanded and formed arge white void hole.

    The blonde curly-haired princemanded the award ceremony attendees to enter this hole which led them back to the real world.

    Adnan then cast a spell that erected several solid walls whichpletely encased the portal back to Seiji''s world.

    After Adnan was able to leave this world safely, the magic spell creating these walls would automatically be canceled, allowing Seiji and the rest to return to their world.

    Until then, they had to do a good job protecting the prince froming to any harm.

    The firstyer of defense consisted of Nomura, Miyabi, Yuuko, Maishi, and Yoshida.

    ording to Adnan''s exnation, the authors had all acted as support in constructing this world of illusions, which was why they all had the power of order which could defend against the chaos.

    After this world began copsing, Adnan gave over all his remaining power over order to Nomura and the other authors, telling them all that they needed to maintain the stability of the banquet hall.

    Any creatures of chaos that forced themselves into the banquet hall would be dealt with by the secondyer of defense, which consisted of Seiji, Natsuya, Shika, Hitaka, Rana, and Matsutani.

    If everything went smoothly, nobody would be injured. But if things didn''t go so smoothly¡­

    Until the veryst moment before the world startedpletely copsing, Adnan did his best to teach Nomura and the other authors how to use the power of order in this world.

    Seiji, Natsuya, and the others quietly observed them.

    "Do you really believe that he''s a human from another world?" Natsuya whispered to Seiji.

    "I believe him, even though I don''t have any concrete evidence," Seiji replied. "How about you?"

    "It''s quite difficult for me to believe. But, it doesn''t seem to me that he''s lying¡­"

    "It''s still very hard for you to ept, right?"

    "Indeed." Natsuya nodded ever so slightly.

    Seiji chuckled.

    "It is indeed inconceivable for there to really be people from another world. It''s only normal for it to be difficult to ept. As for me, perhaps I''m the highly open-minded type since I''m an otaku. After all, I''ve already seen so many other worlds!" Seiji shed a shiny expression.

    Natsuya didn''t know how to respond to this for several seconds.

    "If he truly is a person from another world, then the spell that managed to summon him to this realm¡­ is incredibly frightening." Natsuya sighed.

    A spell that was capable of summoning someone from another world meant that it was capable of affecting multiple dimensions!

    While the ability to move between dimensions was an incrediblymon and clich¨¦ event in light novels as well as anime and manga, it was actually quite a serious topic if one seriously thought about it in a real-world situation, just like revival of the dead.

    "It does have its scary factors," Seiji agreed. "But, if you don''t think about the negatives and focus on the positives¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "I think that this dimensional summoning spell is actually quite romantic."

    "Romantic?"

    "Yep. Being able to meet with someone from another world is quite romantic, isn''t it?"

    Natsuya tilted her head slightly as something shed in her eyes.

    "For example, I¡­ if I used such a spell to summon the male or female lead of ''Brother Monogatari'' so that I was able to actually meet them and talk to them, I think that would be amazing," Seiji stated.

    He then turned to look at Shika who was next to him. "What do you think, Shika-chan?"

    "I think that would be wonderful as well." Shika nodded in agreement.

    Seiji smiled.

    Actually, he really wanted to say something else instead. But, the truth in his heart was just too awkward for him to say¡ª''I think that it was quite romantic how I''m actually a person from another world who traveled across dimensions to meet all of you¡­'' That was just too difficult for him to say out loud.

    Natsuya blinked at this.

    "If I only think of the positives¡­ I suppose you''re right¡­"

    "If I have the ability to summon someone from another world, I''d summon a female elven beauty who''d fall in love with me at first sight!" a serious-sounding voice spoke up behind them.

    This voice belonged to Matsutani.

    "I don''t believe that there''s any elven beauties out there that will fall in love with you at first sight, Senpai," Seiji retorted.

    "Shush! That''s my romantic dream." The pudgy middle-aged man waved his hand. "Even if it''s not an elven beauty, any beautiful woman from any species will do as well. My only requirement is that she falls in love with me at first sight."

    "I think that being able to summon with such strangely specific requirements will be incredibly difficult¡­ Besides, if falling in love with you at first sight is the only requirement, won''t beautiful women from our world work for you as well?" Seiji continuedmenting about Matsutani''s statements.

    "There''s no such thing as a beautiful woman in our world who will fall in love with someone like me at first sight. I''ve long since realized this." The pudgy middle-aged man averted his gaze.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "Senpai¡­ I apologize." He sincerely expressed his apology.

    "Why are you apologizing!? Can''t youment on this sentence of mine somehow, you bastard!?"

 Chapter 505 - With this team, I canâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 505: With this team, I can¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Thanks to Adnan''s teachings about how to use the power of order, Shousei Maishi sessfully used the power of order to cancel his transformation as a trap character and return to his original form, an office worker wearing a suit.

    Imai Yoshida simrly seeded in canceling his transformation. He transformed from a blue cell phone into his original self, a middle-aged man wearing a jacket and eyesses.

    Miyabi could have returned to her original form as well. However, Adnan rmended that she maintain her Demon Fox form until the end as this would improve her overall power level.

    Right after that, this world began topletely copse.

    Everyone heard a tremendous thunderous explosion at this moment. They saw many dimensional tears appearing in the banquet hall!

    The blonde curly-haired prince waved his hand and wiped away the dimensional tears. He then lifted his hands and made an action that appeared like he was ripping something in midair.

    *Crack crack crack¡­* The center of the banquet hall''s extravagant ceiling slowly tore apart to reveal arge ck void hole. There were numerous red dots of light swirling around in this hole.

    "Now, I need topletely concentrate on casting the spell that will allow me to return to my original world¡­ I''ll be counting on all of you to protect me," he stated sincerely to everyone. He then pointed towards Miyabi and the other authors.

    Miyabi and the other authors immediately began to glow red as they received the final remnants of the power of order that Adnan possessed in this world.

    Then, Adnan nced over at Seiji one final time before he closed his eyes.

    A ck light then began emitting from Adnan''s body that formed into a faint line which gradually started reaching for the void hole in the ceiling.

    *Boom!!*

    The banquet hall door was busted open, numerous skeletons rushing in at once!

    Miyabi was the quickest to react. She waved at the banquet hall door, instantly fixing it with the power of order.

    Seiji, Natsuya, and the others defended against the onught of skeletons. They were soon able to defeat all the skeletons.

    Nomura and the other authors also began working on maintaining the stability of the banquet hall with the power of order.

    However, the calmness was only a short respite. Numerous dimensional tears appeared yet again in the banquet hall together with another thunderous explosion!

    Miyabi and the others were forced to concentrate on fixing the dimensional tears first. This immediately caused arge number of skeletons to break through the banquet hall door as well as the walls!

    Behind the skeletons were armored zombie knights as well as zombie girls wearing school uniforms!

    Seiji, Hitaka, and Rana¡ªthe three Spirit-branded Retainers¡ªacted as the vanguard on the frontlines. Shika, Matsutani, and the ghost child Ya-chan acted as the midline support for the frontline. Natsuya acted in the rear by herself, supporting everyone.

    With two reliable warriors like Hitaka and Rana supporting him, as well as Shika and Natsuya backing him up, Seiji felt that battling here went incredibly smoothly.

    First, they focused on decreasing the number of skeleton mobs, which were the weakest and most numerous. Then, they slew the zombie girls, and finally defeated the zombie knights. Seiji''s team was as unstoppable as a flowing river!

    ''I can reach Challenger rank with such a team behind me!

    ''Cough, I should stop getting sidetracked.''

    This was only the second wave of enemy monsters. The most dangerous stuff would definitelye after.

    A new enemy troop type appeared in the third wave of enemy monsters: magic crossbow-wielding zombie soldiers! These enemies evidently came from Nomura''s story setting.

    These soldiers posed little threat by themselves. However, they were incredibly numerous and quite dangerous inrge numbers when they all focused fire. They became the top priority to eliminate.

    A battle-hammer-wielding minotaur zombie boss monster appeared in the fourth wave of enemy monsters! This was one of the guests in the Moon Bunny Eatery: the strongest Beastman in that world.

    This minotaur zombie wielded its battle hammer with astonishing might and attack power! However, its speed was rtively slow and its movements easily predictable. Seiji and Rana teamed up and managed to defeat it with just the two of them.

    The fifth wave of enemy monsters containedrge amounts of enemy zombie knights that were riding skeleton horses! They posed a threat due to their high-speed charges, but were otherwise actually quite easy to deal with.

    The sixth wave of enemy monsters contained a small magical mecha as a boss monster! This magic mecha was equipped with all sorts of magic spells and weapons. It possessed both great attack and defense power.

    Seiji and Hitakabined to slice off its left and right legs. Natsuya cast a powerful attack spell after it was immobilized to explode the magic mecha apart.

    The seventh wave contained a zombie elf wielding a longbow, a zombie warrior wielding a greatsword, a zombie samurai wielding a katana, and a zombie mage wielding a mage staff! All of these were characters that appeared as Moon Bunny Eatery''s guests! They were all powerful warriors in that story.

    Seiji faced the zombie warrior, Hitaka faced the samurai, Rana faced the elf archer, while Shika, Matsutani, and Ya-chanbined their efforts to kill off the mage first. The three then helped out Rana, Hitaka, and Seiji, speedily defeating these bosses!

    The eighth wave contained arge magic mecha, a bone dragon, and countless zombie girls¡­

    The ninth wave contained three bone dragons, arge amount of magic crossbow zombie soldiers, and arge amount of zombie knights¡­

    The tenth wave contained tworge magic mechas, as well asrge amounts of magic crossbow soldiers, knights, zombie girls, and seven or eight customers from the Moon Bunny Eatery¡­

    The eleventh wave¡­

    Seiji and the others got stuck in endless battles.

    Meanwhile, Miyabi and the other authors felt that they were about to reach their limit.

    The world''s copse became more and more severe. The power of order they were using was growing weaker by the second. They were no longer able to take care of all the dimensional tears, and dangerous dimensional tears kept umting in number.

    If the number of dimensional tears surpassed a certain limit, the entire banquet hall would instantly copse, and everyone here would be swallowed up by chaos!

    However, Adnan still hadn''t sessfully left yet.

    Miyabi looked towards the blonde curly-haired prince to see that he was almost entirely covered in ck mist now. The light connecting him to the void hole in the ceiling was so powerful that it even seemed solid¡­ it seemed like he was almostpletely ready.

    But, they still might not be able to hold out for long enough!

    Just as she was worrying so, Miyabi suddenly sensed that the power of order suddenly lost one of its pirs of support.

    Yuuko Hashimoto had copsed.

    She had been seriously injured earlier during the search for Shousei Maishi, so now, she was the first one unable to withstand the mental burden anymore as she spent herself entirely and copsed!

    "Hashimoto-san!" Nomura shouted.

    There was no response.

    Maishi, who was the closest to where Yuuko copsed, reflexively wanted to go and check on her condition.

    "Don''t be distracted by anything! Continue stabilizing this space with the power of order!" Miyabimanded him. "The most important thing right now is to protect this space!!"

    Maishi instantly stopped in his movements, nodded, and went back to focusing on using the power of order.

    Since Yuuko had copsed, that meant even more pressure on the remaining authors.

    Miyabi was beginning to feel a headache.

    Seiji and the others were too busy dealing with the endless amounts of enemy monsters toe help them. And even if they did have the free time, they didn''t have the ability of the power of order that the authors did in this world, which was the only ability that could fix the dimensional tears.

    Not long after, Yoshida was no longer able to bear the mental burden and copsed as well.

    Following him was Nomura. He said "I''m sorry¡­" before being the third to copse.

    Miyabi felt her head beginning to pound with intense pain. Her vision became hazy as well.

    She gritted her teeth and did her best to hang on, fixing the dimensional tears. A momentter, she saw Maishi suddenly kneel on the ground before copsing as well.

    Miyabi was now the only author with the power of order still standing.

    Her headache became even fiercer, and her entire body was now trembling.

    "Goodbye, cat onee-san¡­"

    The ghost child Ya-chan who was currently fighting on the frontlines turned around to look back at her and said goodbye with a smile before it transformed into a mist that disappeared.

    Seiji saw this and hurriedly turned to look behind him. He saw that apart from Miyabi, everyone else from the authors'' defense line had copsed!

    It also seemed evident that Miyabi was at her limits.

    ''Is this no good? Am I going to have to load?''

    Just as he began to think this, he suddenly heard Prince Adnan speak up, "Thank you all¡­ everyone from another world¡­"

    The ck mist enveloping the blonde curly-haired prince suddenly evaporated and revealed a middle school boy instead¡ªShoutarou Rinura.

    At the exact same time, the magic walls sealing off the portal back to Seiji''s world vanished.

    Missionplete!

    It was now time to retreat.

    "Natsuya!" Seiji nced towards the president who was also looking in his direction. Both of them nodded at each other.

    This was the time to use their ultimate ability.

    [Mana Exchange]¡ªto power both of them up!

    Their Mana became deeply interconnected through this, further increasing both their power levels.

    Seiji felt himself heating up inside as if something was boiling. This burning sensation wiped away all his fatigue, recing the fatigue with a seemingly endless amount of power!

    The power showed in his physical appearance. His golden form became even more extravagant, and mystical spell formations appeared all around him that kept glittering. Golden trails followed after him wherever he moved, making it seem like Seiji had grown a pair of golden wings.

    As for Natsuya, she was enveloped in a dark-red light containing all sorts of tiny spell formations andplex runes. It appeared as if she had put on an extravagant mage robe.

    Natsuya speedily uttered an incantation and made a seal to cast arge-scale AOE attack spell¡­

    Spell of Destruction, "Infinity Edge"!

    Three circr spell formations appeared and began shootingrge amounts of red mystical des. It was as if a red thunderstorm had descended upon all the monsters in the banquet hall!

    Most monsters were instantly destroyed by this powerful AOE attack spell. However, a few powerful ones were able to survive.

    Seiji attacked the remaining monsters, transforming into a high speed, high attack streak of golden light that could barely be seen shing between the monsters. He slew all the remaining monsters!

    With the mage providing AOE magic and the warrior providing melee finishing blows, just the two of them managed to suppress all the enemy monsters.

    "Now! Take Nomura-san and the others back to reality!"

 Chapter 506 - Be careful of handsome guys that make such an offer!

    <h4>Chapter 506: Be careful of handsome guys that make such an offer!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Matsutani was the first to retreat. He carried the unconscious Imai Yoshida and ran into the void portal.

    Shika carried Yuuko, Hitaka managed to carry both Maishi and Nomura by herself, and Rana dragged Rinura through the portal and returned to reality.

    Finally, Seiji grabbed Miyabi and rushed out of the void portal together with Natsuya, escaping thispletely copsing world in time¡­

    Everyone in the award ceremony banquet hall woke up again.

    The award ceremony attendees were rather confused at how much time had seemingly psed without them realizing it, which caused amotion.

    Several hundred people collectively fell unconscious for several hours! However, not a single person among them was injured, poisoned, robbed, or anything like that. How were they supposed to interpret such an event?

    The host, Thunderbolt Literature, had no experience in dealing with such an abnormal event, either.

    At any rate, it was obvious that it would be necessary to report this to the police. Also, the remaining parts of the award ceremony would still continue. After all, the preparations had all beenpleted beforehand.

    However, many people didn''t want to stay here at a ce where something so strange had urred. Most of the attendees left.

    Those that remained included Thunderbolt Literature''s employees, people that had especially close rtionships with the editing department''s employees, people that wanted to wait for the police to arrive, and some rather foolhardy individuals that wanted to enjoy a free meal and participate in the random drawing for prizes at the end of the ceremony.

    As for those that knew what really happened¡­ Natsuya, Hitaka, Rana, and Shika all left after they confirmed that there were no longer any problems remaining.

    Seiji, Miyabi, and the other authors remained at the award ceremony. They ate some food and chatted with each other.

    Shoutarou Rinura was rather fatigued. He was able to mostly recall what happened during the period of time that Prince Adnan took over his body. Rinura also obediently epted when Seiji told him the message from Adnan to stop writing the prince''s story into a light novel.

    Some timeter, the middle school student Rinura received a phone call from his family and went back together with them.

    Matsutani grabbed thergest te he could find and filled it with steak, sushi, liver, barbequed meat, crabs, and all sorts of delicacies. He ate to his fullest.

    Seiji and the others were rendered somewhat speechless upon seeing how their senpai of an author ate.

    "Seeing Matsutani-senpai''s appetite makes one wonder if anything just happened at all." Nomura sighed.

    "He must have all sorts of simr experiences since he''s a Spiritual Ability user¡­" Maishimented.

    "Even if one is a Spiritual Ability user, such urrences aren''tmon." Seiji shrugged.

    "It''s as if I had a strange dream¡­ it''s truly inconceivable." Yuuko sighed.

    "You can treat it all as a dream if you like now that it''s all over. But¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "We still don''t know what triggered this incident, so it''s still possible that another simr incident will ur. It''s also possible that all of you may get dragged into this yet again. All I can ask is for all of you to be as careful as possible. If any of you notice anything abnormal around you, please contact me. I''ll help as long as it''s within my power to do so," Seiji told them all with sincerity.

    Nomura and the others looked at him.

    "Harano-san is just like a hero¡­ no, you are a hero!" Maishi praised him. "You saved all of us¡­ no, everyone here at the award ceremony!"

    "I wasn''t the only one who helped to save everyone," Seiji replied. "If you call me a hero, then all of you are heroes as well."

    "Hero¡­ I don''t feel like I am one." Nomura shook his head. "I was basically forcing myself at the end there, and yet I still couldn''t handle the mental strain and ended up copsing."

    "That''s not how it is. If you weren''t there¡­ no, if any of us wasn''t there, I think that we might have failed in the end. It was thanks to everyone that we all got out of this safely," Seiji told them.

    It was indeed thanks to everyone¡­ but everyone contributed different amounts. It was obvious who contributed more than others.

    "Even if you say so, Harano-san, I still feel like I was merely a member of those who were saved." Yuuko smiled. "Thank you to you and your friends for saving me."

    "I agree with her. Thank you to you and your friends, Harano-san," Maishi agreed with Yuuko.

    "Me as well¡­ I''m truly grateful," Yoshida stated.

    Nomura also thanked Seiji as well.

    Miyabi was the only one who didn''t speak. She simply observed Seiji in silence.

    "Everyone¡­ no need to be so polite." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. "I just did what I should."

    ''Treating the action of helping and saving others as something that one should do? That''s exactly what a hero is, Harano-san,'' Miyabi thought that to herself. ''You''re truly cool and handsome. This extends to more than just your physical appearance.

    ''That''s exactly why so many beautiful girls like you.

    ''That''s¡­ why I''m beginning to like you as well¡­''

    The award ceremony finally ended and everyone started heading home.

    Seiji won a robot smart vacuum cleaner during the random draw at the end of the award ceremony. He carried it in his hands as he left the hotel together with all the other authors.

    "Ishihara-senpai, it''s getting quitete. Why don''t I take you home?" he offered to Miyabi.

    "I knew you would say something like that," Matsutani sneered slightly, evidently drunk from imbibing too much alcohol at the award ceremony. "Handsome, remember to use a condom."

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    "What are you saying?" Seiji felt rather helpless. "I''m merely taking her home."

    "I apologize for the misunderstanding. Still, my goal was just to remind this girl to be careful of handsome guys that make such an offer!" The pudgy middle-aged man reeked of the stench of alcohol. "If you don''t like what I''m saying, hit me!"

    *Smack!*

    Matsutani was indeed hit.

    However, Yuuko was the one who hit him rather than Seiji.

    The female author made the drunk Matsutani shut up with her fist before she smiled at Seiji and Miyabi.

    "Don''t mind this drunkard. The two of you should go home together. Have a good night."

    Seiji and Miyabi were both rendered speechless.

    After saying good night to the others, the two of them left together.

    "Senpai, there''s something I''d like to say to you," Seiji suddenly spoke up after they walked together for a while.

    "What is it?" Miyabi felt her heart skip a beat.

    "When we first met, didn''t you ask me about how I knew who you were? Actually, that''s because¡­" Seiji told her about her incident in the school infirmary.

    "Ishihara-senpai, you have a special ability sleeping within you, unlike Hashimoto-san and the others. My guess is that after experiencing this incident, it''s highly likely that you''ll awaken to a Spiritual Ability tonight in your sleep and be what''s known as an Awakened. If that really does happen, please contact me immediately. I''ll meet with you again and exin to you about what Awakened need to watch out for. And if no such thing happens, you can just pretend I never said anything about it."

    Miyabi silently listened to him finish speaking before she looked directly at him.

    "Do you wish for me to be an Awakened?"

    "Eh?" Seiji blinked in surprise. "This isn''t a matter of whether I wish it or not. It''s something that only Senpai can determine."

    "I know, I''m just asking your opinion¡­ In your opinion, will it be a good thing or a bad thing if I be an Awakened?" Miyabi asked softly.

    "I¡­ don''t have any particr opinion." Seiji paused for a moment. "But no matter if you be an Awakened or not, I believe that Senpai will still be Senpai."

    Miyabi fell silent for a moment as something shed in her eyes.

    "Harano-san, what type of person do you think I am?"

    "Ishihara-senpai¡­ the way I see it is that you are a beautiful and resolute girl," Seiji smiled and spoke with sincerity, "I think that if anyone should have been thanked for helping to resolve this incident, it should have been you, Senpai. You were the one who did her best to maintain things until the very end and protect everyone."

    "¡­I merely did what I should."

    Miyabi borrowed Seiji''s words from earlier and averted her gaze.

    Seiji was no longer able to see her current expression.

    Even Miyabi herself didn''t know what expression she had at such a moment.

 Chapter 507 - You are a good person

    <h4>Chapter 507: You are a good person</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji returned back to his apartment after he took Miyabi Ishihara to her home.

    He took a bath and soaked away all his fatigue in the hot water, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

    He then opened up his system and inspected his rewards.

    [You have been sessfully taught the spells [Soul World - Interdimensional Locator Spell] and [Soul World - Portal to Reality]!]

    [You have received Adnan the Avenger''s sincere gratitude, and a special reward to go along with it!]

    Two new [Soul World] techniques¡­ that was all due to the seal and the sword that the "restaurant owner" had imbued with information for him.

    Seiji''s system''s exnation about [Interdimensional Locator Spell] was that it could immediately determine the location of a specific person. The person he was attempting to locate would have to have a connectivity rating of over 70 to him. This spell would cost Mana, concentration, as well as Soul Energy. Its sess rate depended on the circumstances.

    Well, this spell was just like its description, a spell that could find someone. It could only be used to locate his close friends as it required a connectivity rating of over 70 to him. Not to mention, the system said that the sess rate wasn''t even one hundred percent¡­ it seemed like a weak spell, but if any simr incident to the previous one ever urred, it could be really useful in locating a missing friend.

    [Portal to Reality] was another spell that was exactly like the name. This was a spell that would be able to open a portal back to the real world¡ªno matter where he currently was. Some conditions needed to be met for this spell beforehand, and this spell also cost Mana, concentration, as well as Soul Energy. Its sess rate also depended on the circumstances.

    Both of these spells were obviously limited in use to extremely specific circumstances. However, they could be incredibly useful in those exact circumstances.

    Seiji was truly grateful to the "restaurant owner" that "taught" these spells to him.

    He then checked to see what reward he obtained due to Adnan''s gratitude. He saw in his system that¡­

    He now had seven [Spirit Form Summoning Cards]!?

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    That''s right, seven¡ªan astonishing seven in total!

    These seven cards could respectively summon an ice dragon, a magic mecha, a Sengoku warrior girl, an armored knight, a beastman warrior, an elven archer, and a magic crossbow-wielding soldier, all characters from what Seiji faced in Rinura''s world of illusions¡­ If Seiji used all seven cards at once, it would basically create a multi-species mini-army!!

    Should he say that it was to be expected of a prince? Having such munificent rewards.

    Would this "allied army" be capable of defeating Akatsuki Mitarai? Seiji mulled it over, but figured that it was probably still insufficient. After all, these were still merely only spirit forms.

    Still, he figured that they would be able to give Akatsuki a huge amount of trouble. Perhaps they could be highly effective if he used his opportunity well.

    The next morning saw a light nket of snow outside.

    Seiji received a phone call from Miyabi and learned that she had indeed Awakened.

    He ate some breakfast before leaving his apartment to head for a ce that they agreed to meet at.

    He arrived to see that his senpai was holding an umbre to block the snow while standing at the roadside, silently observing the falling snow.

    She wasn''t wearing her eyesses. Her long hair was in a braid, and she was wearing a scarf. Her bangs were held up by a hairclip, and her beautiful expression had a slightly mncholic expression. It really made her seem like a literary girl.

    ''Could it be that she Awakened to an ability that allows her to eat books?'' Seiji couldn''t help but have such a thought. However, he immediately buried it in the back of his mind.

    "Good morning, Ishihara-senpai," he greeted her.

    "Good morning, Harano-san." Miyabi stopped watching the falling snow and greeted him back.

    She saw that Seiji didn''t have an umbre with him, so Miyabi raised her umbre higher to block the snow for him as well.

    "Thank you¡­ How about letting me hold the umbre?" Seiji reached out his hand.

    Something shed in Miyabi''s eyes as she silently gave him the umbre without saying anything.

    Seiji held the umbre for her as they walked towards Genhana High School together. He asked her in a whisper what ability she Awakened to.

    Miyabi didn''t reply. However, a pair of fox ears suddenly grew on the top of her head, which immediately disappeared again once she saw that Seiji had noticed.

    "You can change into the same form as what you usedst night?" Seiji inquired.

    Miyabi nodded.

    "What about your power? Is it also simr tost night?"

    Miyabi shook her head.

    The form was the same, but the power level was somewhat lower¡­ Seiji had a rough understanding now.

    He didn''t ask anything else. Instead, he began telling her about what the Awakened needed to watch out for.

    Miyabi silently listened to his exnation.

    The tall and handsome muscr youth walking together down the snowy street with a beautiful and quiet literary girl, sharing the same umbre, with him whispering to her and her attentively listening, seemed like a beautiful and poetic scene that attracted many bystanders'' attention.

    "Will youe save me if I''m ever in danger?"

    Miyabi asked this question after she finished listening to his exnation.

    "Of course I will, as long as I know you''re in danger," Seiji replied.

    Miyabi looked at his face as something shed in her eyes.

    Then, she reached out her hand, indicating that he should give the umbre back to her.

    Seiji returned the umbre.

    Miyabi lowered the umbre after she took it back.

    The umbre''s top brushed against Seiji''s head, causing him to reflexively duck.

    At this moment, Miyabi stood up on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his cheek.

    Seiji was astonished at this sudden action!

    His astonishment caused him to freeze solid in his movements.

    This sudden kisssted for only one second.

    Miyabi backed away two steps and retracted her umbre, blocking her face with the umbre and not allowing Seiji to see her current expression.

    "You are a good person, Harano-san."

    She walked off after lightly saying such a sentence.

    Seiji was quite mystified at suddenly being kissed and then being told that he was a "good person", which he knew was the mostmon way that girls would reject a boy politely. He stood still in a daze as he watched her walk off into the distance.

    Miyabi suddenly stopped in her footsteps after walking off more than ten meters and turned around slightly.

    "Please¡­ take good care of me in the future."

    She covered her reddening face with her scarf after whispering this and continued walking off.

    ''¡­What exactly just happened?''

    Seiji''s expression changed from confusion to dazedness.

    ''Can anyone tell me what just happened? I''m so lost!''

    He felt like everything inside him was pure chaos as he watched her figure fade into the distance in the snow.

    A whileter, Seiji arrived at the student council president''s residence, rubbed his temple, and put the issue of the literary girl that he didn''t understand¡­ the issue of Miyabi Ishihara behind him.

    He entered Natsuya''s residence and began discussingst night''s incident with her.

    "That mysterious realm we were in with cluster amaryllis flowers growing everywhere should be very simr to the realm that Awakened enter when they first obtain their powers," the student council president told him. "After I returned, I tried asking my family for any relevant information they possessed on this area of research. However, they rejected my request for information. I don''t know what exactly that was¡­ my best guess is that it was created by a top-level soul spell."

    "So, basically, the true perpetrator is on the level of a master soul spell user?" Seiji asked.

    "Yes¡­ even if it''s a group and not an individual that caused all this, there absolutely has to be a master soul spell user among them," Natsuya added.

    Both of them then fell silent.

    No matter what the situation was, it would be quite difficult to deal with¡­ or perhaps even impossible.

    "I feel it was quite fortunate that the soul spell user didn''t appear before us." Natsuya sighed. "It was also quite fortunate that we obtained that restaurant owner''s assistance, along with that prince from another world being someone reasonable to deal with¡­"

    Seiji nodded in agreement.

    This incident had actually been quite dangerous. It was almost a miracle that everyone managed to return safely.

    If possible, of course he wanted to investigate the truth. However, he still didn''t have the power to do so.

    Having Natsuya report this incident to the Yoruhana Family might be able to help uncover the truth using the power of her family''s resources. But that would mean that Shoutarou Rinura would definitely be a target for their research, and Miyabi Ishihara and the others might be confined by them as well.

    Since everybody was safe in the end, just letting this incident pass behind them would be the wise choice.

    Sill, letting the incident pass behind them didn''t equal forgetting about it. In the future, if Seiji and Natsuya ever found out who was behind it, they would definitely take action!

    Seiji and Natsuya came to such an agreement.

    "Let''s forget about this topic for the time being and continue focusing on cultivation."

    "Yep."

 Chapter 508 - It might be better to be more black-bellied

    <h4>Chapter 508: It might be better to be more ck-bellied</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji spent the entire day practicing cultivation at the student council president''s residence.

    Later that night, Seiji headed for Peach-sensei''s apartment.

    "Good evening, Harano."

    "Good evening, Editor Yoshizawa."

    Saki was the one who opened the door and greeted him.

    Seiji followed Saki inside and saw that Mayuzumi was sitting down in the living room.

    The mangaka smiled and greeted him. She then handed him several drawings.

    "These are some new characters that I''ve designed for ''Honey Candy Girl'' based on you and Houjou-san as the character models. I''d like for you to look at these and give me your opinion."

    "New characters for ''Honey Candy Girl''?" Seiji''s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He took the drawings and sat down to have a closer look.

    The first drawing was of a beautiful girl who seemed to possess a heroic aura about her. She had short ck hair, and white angelic wings grew out of her back. She wore light armor, had a resolute expression, and seemed overall rather like a boy¡­ well, a more direct way of putting it was that she seemed like a cool tomboy.

    The second drawing was of the same ck-haired girl and all her various expressions, along with some drawings of her wielding possible weapons. There were three weapon types Mayuzumi had tried for her, including sword and shield, gauntlets for fisticuffs, and a greatsword.

    The third drawing was of a silver-haired beautiful girl wearing extravagant maid attire. She wore a monocle and had a gentle expression and a slight smile. She gave off an impression of being gentle yet mysterious.

    The fourth drawing was of the same silver-haired girl and her various expressions, along with some drawings of her wielding possible weapons. There were four weapon types Mayuzumi had tried for her, including dual guns, sword and gun, a sniper rifle, and a heavy assault rifle.

    "All these drawings are excellent," Seiji gave his sincere praise. "Both of these characters seem so charismatic!"

    Seiji felt a rather subtle feeling inside when he thought about how he and Mai were the character models for these two new ''Honey Candy Girl'' characters.

    It was all the subtler due to the fact that the character based on him was female. Although he understood, it still felt rather subtle to him.

    "The quality is passable, but I still think I could do better," Mayuzumi stated seriously. "How do you think it can be improved so that these characters have excellent charisma, just like you and Houjou-san?"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say at this.

    "Sensei, I can say a few things about Houjou-senpai''s charisma, but as for myself¡­" He felt this was rather awkward.

    "Then let''s just talk about Houjou-san first. What do you think needs to be added in order for this character to be just as charismatic as she is?" Mayuzumi pointed at the silver-haired girl.

    "I think that this is drawn excellently already," Seiji looked at the drawing and rubbed his chin in contemtion. "But if I forced myself to find something¡­ It might be better to make her more ck-bellied."

    "ck-bellied?" Mayuzumi blinked upon hearing this.

    "Yeah¡­ Maybe I should describe it as more evil¡­ give her a feeling of iciness." Seiji was unsure how to urately verbalize what his image was. "Houjou-senpai¡­ no, make this character''s personality as someone who''s quite gentle to people important to her, but she''ll be terribly cold towards her enemies or those she loathes¡­ And she should be able to maintain her smile while executing someone¡­ That might help to improve this character''s charisma."

    At this moment, Mai Houjou, who was currently performing household tasks in the student council president''s residence, sneezed.

    The mangaka took out a notebook and wrote down Seiji''s suggestions.

    "Anything else?"

    "I don''t have anything else." Seiji shook his head.

    "What about this character, then?" Mayuzumi pointed at the ck-haired girl.

    "This¡­ I don''t know what to say," Seiji could only smile wryly. "At most, I could rmend making a longsword into one of her possible weapon choices as well."

    "A longsword¡­ a tachi¡­" Mayuzumi''s eyes lit up as she thought of something and scribbled something down in her notebook.

    "Thank you for your suggestions. I shall make good use of them." She closed her notebook and smiled at Seiji.

    "It''s my honor to have been of assistance as one of your fans." Seiji smiled as well. "About when will these two characters officially enter the story?"

    "If I''m pleased with how I draw them, they''ll be able to be published two weeks from now at the quickest."

    "I''m really looking forward to it."

    Seiji imagined the character based on himself appearing in one of the currently most popr ongoing mangas and felt that it was quite interesting.

    Now then, it was time for the main topic at hand.

    He was here to exinst night''s incident to Saki and Mayuzumi.

    The editor had asked himst night just what had happened at the award ceremony, but it hadn''t been convenient to exin it to her there. He promised to tell her the following day.

    Today during lunchtime, Seiji called Mayuzumi and roughly exined the situation. He then arranged a time with her and Saki toe visit them and give them an exnation.

    As for why he included Mayuzumi in this as well, that was because he felt that Mayuzumi should learn about this incident together with Saki.

    Seiji took a sip of some hot tea before he began the exnation. He began with how they were all dragged into Rinura''s realm¡­

    Saki''s eyebrows arced upwards in surprise when she heard that Tsuyoshi Matsutani, the author of "I Can''t Sleep When I''m Sleeping Together With My Younger Sister!", was a Spiritual Ability user.

    Mayuzumi''s expression noticeably changed when she heard how this realm had each author''s setting within it. Her expression was quite subtle upon hearing how the authors met the characters from their own stories.

    Seiji knew what she was thinking of.

    "It''s quite simr to the situation with Reo-chan. That''s what I was thinking at the time," Seiji mentioned.

    "Could it be¡­ rted?" Mayuzumi was wondering about this.

    "Let''s finish listening to my story first." Seiji continued his exnation.

    He paused for a moment after he started talking about the Moon Bunny Eatery and how Seiji and the others received assistance from the restaurant owner.

    "I believe that this restaurant owner character was the same as the angelic ''Seiji'' character from when we were dealing with Reo-chan. A friendly, mysterious existence was possessing this character. It''s highly possible that it''s the same one that helped me and Sensei."

    Something shed softly in Mayuzumi''s eyes.

    Seiji continued with his story.

    The editor and mangaka were both obviously astonished to hear about how the restaurant owner had been attacked and murdered.

    "The restaurant owner character died, and the mysterious existence left. But, it still gave us a direction to go in¡­" Seiji continued telling the story.

    He told them about how he and hispanions were guided by the restaurant owner''s seal and golden longsword in locating the final author, and how the pce guards were actually the award ceremony''s attendees¡­

    "After that, we saw you, Editor Yoshizawa. At the time, you were standing next to a youth that was dressed regally like a prince. You were wearing clothes like a noble would," Seiji told Saki.

    "I don''t have any memories of this at all." The female editor frowned.

    "You were in a puppet-like state at the time, just like all the other award ceremony attendees. I don''t know why that was the case." Seiji sighed.

    Then, he began telling them about the prince.

    "He was actually someone from another world?" Both Mayuzumi and Saki widened their eyes in surprise.

    "Yes, that''s how he described himself. There''s no way to truly ascertain whether he was telling the truth, but I chose to believe him, just like how I chose to believe the ''Hinako Tachibana'' with Reo-chan at that time." Seiji looked at Mayuzumi.

    The mangaka gripped her hands tightly.

    Seiji then finally finished thest part of his story and then sipped on some more tea.

    Everyone was silent for a moment.

    "It''s wonderful that everyone was alright in the end," Mayuzumi eximed sincerely.

    "Yeah¡­" Something shed in Saki''s eyes.

    "This is indeed the best possible result." Seiji put down his teacup. "It''s truly fortunate that this incident could be resolved in such a manner. We still don''t know who the true perpetrator that caused this incident is¡­ but even if we knew, it''s highly likely that the perpetrator is too powerful for us to handle. Natsuya and I both agree on this. That''s why we don''t intend to investigate it and intend to simply let this incident pass us by. I hope that nothing simr urs in the future¡­ if an incident like this urs again, we''ll just have to act based on the situation at that time."

    Everyone fell silent once again.

    "Although I don''t want to say what I''m about to say next, but¡­" Seiji revealed a serious expression. "Sensei, my guess is that if this perpetrator finds out about your and Reo-chan''s existence, then it''s highly likely that he''ll take advantage of you and try something simr. That''s because both of you possess a mysterious power that''s powerful enough to even summon the dead."

 Chapter 509 - You can do anything you want~

    <h4>Chapter 509: You can do anything you want~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This sounded rather like an exaggeration just to scare them, but it was impossible to ignore the possibility.

    "Apart from this possibility, there''s also the fact that ever since the New Year''s, the Night of One Hundred Demons and all the rted mystical incidents haven''t stopped urring at all. They even seem to be increasing in magnitude¡­ which is why I''ve been thinking, Sensei, rather than just leaving your mysterious power as is, how about trying to use it? This way, you''ll have the power to fight back if you''re ever in danger." Seiji looked at Mayuzumi. "I rmend that you should try to summon something suitable with your mysterious power, such as a ''Honey Candy Girl'' character who''s on the side of good. Try to have your summoned characters fight for you and protect you, just like that time in Reo-chan''s soul realm. While it may be risky to try summoning like this, it''s even riskier to sit around and do nothing. Bing stronger is the only correct course of action. At least, that''s my personal opinion." Seiji honestly told her what he was thinking.

    Mayuzumi remained silent upon hearing this.

    Saki looked at her silent friend and wanted to say something. However, the moment that she was about to speak, Mayuzumi spoke up first.

    "I might have already summoned a character from ''Honey Candy Girl,''" the mangaka spoke in a soft voice.

    Saki and Seiji were both astonished to hear this.

    "You''ve already done such a summoning?" Seiji was quite surprised.

    "Yeah¡­ not long ago, I seem to have seen ''Idelia'' when I woke up in the middle of the night," Mayuzumi stated.

    Idelia was one of the main characters of "Honey Candy Girl". She was a highly popr half-demon girl who had the powers of snow and ice!

    "At the time, I only saw her standing at the window and looking at me. She smiled before disappearing. Since I only saw her for a short instant, I wasn''t quite certain¡­ Still, I did keep thinking about it from time to time. I really felt like it wasn''t a mistaken impression."

    Seiji and Saki both didn''t know how to respond to this.

    "Sensei, in that case, why don''t you seriously try summoning her now?" Seiji asked.

    Mayuzumi nodded in agreement.

    She then closed her eyes and slowly opened them again several secondster. There was now a sharp glint in her eyes as she acted as if she was holding a pen and speedily began drawing in midair.

    She was concentrating on drawing her character as she envisioned.

    Seiji felt as if he was watching her cast a spell when seeing Peach-sensei like this.

    After the mangaka finished drawing her character on the pretend paper in midair, she slowly took the character drawing and imagined iting to life.

    "Come, Lia."

    There was a sudden sh of light!

    A blue mist suddenly appeared with a faint figure inside it. The mist then transformed into a starry burst of light that illuminated a silver-haired beautiful girl who wore a blue-white ancient style dress, white silk stockings, and a blue butterfly hair essory.

    ''She really appeared!?''

    Both Seiji and Saki widened their eyes in surprise.

    Idelia¡­ an exact same version of one of the main characters from ''Honey Candy Girl'' appeared right before them!

    Even Mayuzumi herself was astonished. She didn''t expect to seed on the first try!

    The silver-haired girl opened her sky blue eyes and smiled at the three of them.

    "Hello."

    Her sonorous voice sounded almost ethereal.

    Seiji and Mayuzumi managed to confirm that this Idelia was simply an NPC spirit without her own intelligence or will¡­ just like the ''Honey Candy Girl'' characters that they saw back in Reo''s soul realm.

    "It seems that Sensei unknowingly became an Awakened with the power to bring your characters to life," Seiji eximed.

    With this, Mayuzumi counted as an Awakened as well. Seiji exined what the Awakened were as well as what she needed to watch out for.

    "At any rate, it''s good that you now have this power. Please try practicing your power appropriately in moderation, so that you can use this power to protect yourself when you need to," Seiji told her.

    The mangaka nodded.

    Meanwhile, the editor was still busy being astonished. Saki waspletely unable to take her eyes off of Idelia who had now be an actual physical existence.

    "I¡­ want to try touching her. Is that okay?" Saki asked.

    "Sure," Mayuzumi responded.

    And so, Saki slowly reached out and lightly touched Idelia on the shoulder.

    "She feels so real." Saki couldn''t help but let out a soft sigh as she felt the soft sensation of flesh.

    ''Any normal person who sees Idelia would likely think that she''s just an incredibly high-level cosyer,'' Seiji thought to himself. He figured that she could be an inte sensation if anyone took a few pictures of her and ced them online.

    "Sensei, it wouldn''t happen that you''d want to take some pictures and put them on the inte, would it?" He decided to be nosy and ask about it.

    "Eh?" The mangaka blinked in surprise. "¡­Is that a bad idea?"

    "Of course it''s a bad idea! I just told you that the Awakened need to keep a low profile."

    "Heehee, I know, I know. I was just joking." Mayuzumi smiled.

    "Please try not to attract any attention."

    Seiji then took another look at Idelia.

    "Do you want a personal picture for yourself?" Mayuzumi asked him.

    "¡­Yes." Seiji admitted the honest truth.

    After all, this was a popr character from "Honey Candy Girl" who had been given life by the creator herself! Since he was a fan, of course he would want several pictures¡­ no, several dozen pictures!

    At this moment, the silver-haired girl turned towards him, smiled sweetly, and spoke in a cute manner, "You can do anything you want~"

    The otaku Seiji received a heavy cannon attack from this!

    At this moment, various desires welled up within him. He almost lost himself to his instinctive desires, but barely managed to restrain himself.

    "Sensei, you must have controlled her into saying that, didn''t you?"

    Mayuzumi covered her mouth and giggled without saying anything.

    ''I knew it.'' Seiji''s cheeks twitched at this.

    And then, he took out his cell phone and took all the pictures he wanted.

    Mayuzumi then attempted to summon other characters from ''Honey Candy Girl''. However, all her attempts at summoning ended up failing. It appeared that she was currently only able to summon Idelia.

    After staying over for a while, Seiji felt that it was time to leave. He reminded Mayuzumi and Saki to contact him if anything at all happened.

    Saki was quite interested in Idelia and said that she would stay the night at Mayuzumi''s apartment, to **** all she wanted¡­ er, to observe the situation.

    What exactly would happen when an editor, mangaka, and their own created character spent a night together?

    Seiji imagined various things as he returned home.

    "What did you talk about with Yui nee-san?"

    Seiji was immediately asked such a question by Hana when she contacted him and told him to have a video chat with her.

    Seiji exined the contents of his conversation with Yui.

    The cat-eared hat girl fell silent upon hearing this.

    "I intend to do as Yui said. I shall gather Spirit-branded Retainers, create my own team, and be a faction of my own that has the capability of fighting against her," Seiji told Hana. "I shall work on this immediately after the duel against Akatsuki Mitarai."

    "¡­So, in a roundabout way, aren''t you still doing exactly what I suggested before?" Hana pouted.

    "I suppose, but now that I had such a discussion with Yui, it''s be easier to do so." Seiji smiled.

    "Hmph!" The cat-eared hat girl snorted in a ssical tsundere fashion.

    "At any rate, please take good care of me in the future, my dear vicemander."

    "What did you just call me?"

    "Vicemander." Seiji chuckled. "Although I now have the goal of creating my own team of Spirit-branded Retainers, I still don''t exactly know how to go about doing it. I can only count on you, my dear younger sister."

    Hana didn''t respond to this for quite a while.

    "I can see things clearly now. Even if you now have a title such as Awakened or Neo Human or whatever, you''re still foundationally a scumbag. You''re just different from before in the type of scumbag that you are," Hana spoke as if she was a sage that could see through everything.

    "Eh? Why are you suddenly saying something like this?"

    "Think about it yourself!"

    "I don''t understand¡­ is there a problem with asking you to be my vicemander? I need your teachings, and I need your support. This is a position that can only be left to you," Seiji stated sincerely.

    When Hana heard him saying "can only be left to you" with such incredible sincerity, she felt a strange sensation welling up with her chest. She was filled with frustration for reasons unbeknownst to herself.

    ''Damn it! This wretched harem protagonist bastard!!''

 Chapter 510 - â€œAnnaâ€

    <h4>Chapter 510: ¡°Anna¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I''ll talk to you again once you finish your duel against Akatsuki Mitarai!" Hana said before she abruptly stopped the video chat. She seemed to be somewhat angry.

    Seiji was quite mystified at her apparent anger.

    Was it that she would feel too much pressure from being his vicemander?

    But this was truly a position that could only be left for her¡­ he decided to talk about it with herter.

    Since Mayuzumi had Awakened now, perhaps Reo would soon Awaken as well.

    No, more urately speaking, since Seiji was currently being pulled into Reo''s soul realm every night when sleeping together with her¡­ perhaps this counted as her Awakened ability already.

    Currently, her ability seemed to remain as was.

    Just like always, Seiji continued cultivating in Reo''s soul realm while he was asleep. By the time that it was almost morning, he sessfully learned the defensive technique, [Ksitigarbha technique]!

    He then checked [Dragon Counterattack] in his system and saw that the first two prerequisites were now fulfilled.

    The new conditions that the system required of him were¡­

    [Read information regarding Mana usage. Learn and understand - current progress of 0%.]

    [Improve your experience in practicalbat - current progress of 100%.]

    [99 points required to exchange.]

    Improving his practicalbat experience¡­ this seemingly most difficult requirement of all was alreadypleted!

    Seiji felt that it must have beenst night''s experience in Rinura''s realm that helped him to fill this barpletely. After all, those battles were quite fierce, especially the final battle to protect Prince Adnan as he returned to his original world.

    As for information on Mana usage, he figured that the cell phone filled with secret technique manuals which Yui gave him before would have such information.

    And the 99 points required for the skill? Seiji had plenty of points, so that was no problem. Still, he wanted toment about how his system seemed to be making things more and more difficult for him.

    System''s retort (as imagined by Seiji): [I''m only charging you 99 points for such a pretentiously grand ultimate ability. You dare to have objections?]

    The next morning, Seiji woke up and then proceeded to cook breakfast.

    He based today''s breakfast menu on the information that Mai Houjou sent him. He cooked more dishes than usual, which took him a while.

    Still, it would cause the maid to be angry at him unless he did so. He decided to obediently cook a well-bnced, nutritious breakfast for the sake of Shika and Reo''s healthy development as well as his own puny life.

    Seiji hummed a song as he cooked, enjoying the process.

    When Shika woke up and saw how her adopted older brother was busy cooking, she smiled alluringly.

    She''d witnessed this scene endless times already. However, she never got tired of seeing it no matter how many times she saw it.

    She silently observed him for a while before she walked over and began helping him quite naturally.

    After they finished cooking breakfast, they had a joyous meal together with Reo who had just woken up.

    At this moment, someone knocked on the door.

    Seiji went to open the door and saw Mika, who seemed rather tense, as well as a yawning Chiaki.

    "Good morning¡­"

    "Good morning to the both of you." Seiji smiled in greeting. "Would you like to eat breakfast together?"

    The double pigtailed girl''s expression eased up slightly to see that he was behaving just as normal.

    "No need, we ate breakfast already," Mika replied.

    "Come in and have a seat," Seiji invited both of them in.

    Chiaki went to the living room and sat down by the kotatsu,ying her head down on the table and immediately going back to sleep.

    Mika''s eyes shed as she looked at Seiji who returned to the dining table.

    Thest time after they spoke, she hadn''t seen him for two days already. She was feeling quite nervous.

    However, the fact that Seiji still acted just like normal helped to reassure her, along with giving her otherplex emotions.

    Mika felt as if all her worries and thoughts over the past two days had been unnecessary¡­

    Suddenly, there was a clear *Ding!* sound that resounded in the room.

    Chiaki lifted her head in a zombie-like fashion and dug out her cell phone from her pocket. She turned it on and began poking at it, smiling in a foolish fashion.

    Mika sighed upon witnessing this scene.

    "Chiaki, it really seems like you''ve gotten addicted to gaming."

    "Addicted to gaming¡­ that sounds good¡­ I should just take a break from school and y all I want¡­"

    "Stop being so foolish! Why are you so addicted to it? While this game is indeed quite interesting, it''s not necessary to go to such a degree for it, is it?"

    "It''s because I''m in love with ''Anna'', ehehe¡­"

    Chiaki who had obvious dark circles around her eyes was now giggling foolishly at her cell phone screen. She definitely seemed like aplete NEET who was addicted to gaming!

    Mika was rendered speechless by this scene.

    She then took out her cell phone and loaded the same game as Chiaki.

    "Wee back, Mika."

    A beautiful girl who had long ck hair and bright red eyes greeted her. This girl was wearing a whitece one-piece dress, and she closed the book she was reading and revealed a gentle smile.

    "I''ve been waiting for you."

    Mika felt as if a real person was actually speaking to her through her cell phone, not a character from a cell phone game.

    "Anna¡­" She reflexively called out this character''s name.

    "What would you like to do?" The character named Anna lightly waved her hand, causing various options to appear on Mika''s cell phone''s screen.

    Mika chose "Explore the garden."

    The camera instantly zoomed out as the girl in the white dress stood up from the vine chair she was sitting on. She walked through a fantasy-style living room, exited the house, and entered a garden.

    There were no cutscenes during this entire process as it was all rendered smoothly. The character''s realistic movements and the exquisitely detailed background made this all seem so real.

    The garden was incredibly beautiful with all sorts of pretty flowers growing inside. However, some strange ck bugs kept appearing.

    "Mika, my power still hasn''t recovered yet. I can only rely on you this time," Anna spoke to Mika while looking at the ck bugs.

    Then, a minigame of bug squashing began. The yer needed to urately judge the ck bugs'' movements and tap on them. urately tapping on a bug would squish it, while missing the bug would cause Anna to lose HP. Once her HP fell to zero, the ck bugs would suddenly turnrge and attack Anna directly, causing her to escape the garden and end the minigame.

    This minigame''s difficulty level was quite low. Mika sessfully got rid of all the bugs and was able to continue exploring the garden with her.

    During this process, Anna kept interacting with Mika. Anna''s words didn''t sound like they were preprogrammed lines at all. Even her expressions seemed so real, and her lips matched the words she said exactly!

    Before long, Mika lost herself in ying as well.

    Seiji finished eating his breakfast and walked up to the kotatsu, only to see that both girls were too busy ying with their cell phones to even notice his arrival.

    Out of curiosity, he took a look at what they were doing. He found that both of them seemed to be ying the same cell phone game.

    "What''s this game called?"

    Mika suddenly regained her senses when Seiji spoke to her.

    "''Anna,''" Mika responded. "I started ying this game two days ago¡­ Chiaki started ying it on Monday, and she''s really addicted."

    "I can see that." Seiji''s cheek twitched as he looked at Chiaki''s foolish appearance.

    This game must have been quite something to make the tomboy addicted to such a degree in just a few short days.

    Seiji asked Mika what precisely was so interesting about this "Anna" game.

    "The main interesting feature is Anna herself," Mika indicated the beautiful girl on her cell phone screen. "Her behavior is quite realistic. It''s almost as if a real person is acting as her."

    Seiji looked towards Anna.

    Anna also looked at him and smiled.

    "Nice to meet you. Are you Mika''s boyfriend?" she asked gently.

    Anna''s question sounded quite natural, and she even disyed a curious expression. She didn''t seem like a preprogrammed NPC at all!

    Seiji paused in astonishment at this.

    This Anna character was able to recognize different people''s faces, greet them, and also¡­

    "She said your name," Seiji looked at Mika. "You used your real life name as your ingame name?"

    "This game requires its yers to identify themselves using real world ID, and the ingame name isn''t changeable," Mika exined.

    There was even such a thing?

    Seiji didn''t find it strange that a cell phone game would require signing up with one''s real name. The strange part was that this game even required yers to use their real life names as the ingame name, and that they weren''t even allowed to change it! This was something never seen before. At least, Seiji had never seen such a game before.

    He felt that something was off about this game.

 Chapter 511 - I detect the scent of something improper

    <h4>Chapter 511: I detect the scent of something improper</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Yeah, I agree that something seems off."

    Mika nodded in agreement after Seiji told her his opinion.

    "Not only does this game require one''s real name, it can''t even be directly downloaded. Only by a yer''s rmendation and obtaining a rmendation code can this game be downloaded. Not only that, each yer is limited to rmending this game only once. Not only that, it''s also possible to fail when trying to apply for an ount. If you fail, you must wait three days in order to try applying again."

    "That sounds even stranger¡­ could thepany be intentionally using these strange signup methods in order to draw attention?" Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    That would be for the best. Seiji was worried about whether something mystical was behind this game, such as this game actually being a dangerous invention that some crazed professor made in order to attempt at bringing his already dead daughter back to life.

    "Chiaki thinks that''s what it is, but I still think it''s rather strange, which is why I don''t dare to y it too much."

    "It''s normal to be on guard against unfamiliar things. That''s how it should be."

    "Yeah¡­ but even though that''s what I think, Anna is truly charismatic. Whenever I y with her, I''ll unknowingly lose track of the time." Mika looked at her cell phone again.

    "Have you rmended anyone else already?" Seiji inquired. He now wanted to download this game and take a closer look.

    "I already rmended someone else. Same with Chiaki."

    Mika told him that their ssmates had given her and Chiaki the rmendation code for downloading this game. Then, both her and Chiaki gave a rmendation code to other ssmates that also got interested in this game.

    Seiji now understood the situation as he looked towards Chiaki.

    Chiaki was still addicted to the game and had that same foolish expression on her face.

    Seiji took out his cell phone and took a picture of her foolish manner tomemorate this rare sight before he called out to her.

    "No matter how fun the game is, don''t get too addicted to it," he warned her seriously.

    "I know, Big Bro Seiji~" Chiaki pouted. "I just started ying, and I think it''s quite interesting, which is why I''m having too much fun to stop for now. I won''t truly be a NEET or anything like that."

    Seiji felt as if Chiaki was nting a g for herself here.

    "It''s fine as long as you can control yourself. If you really get too addicted, I''m going to have to educate you."

    "How are you intending to train me?"

    "First, I''ll tie you up, and then¡­ no wait, that''s not it! I said educate, not train!" Seiji almost fell for her wordy trap. "I shall give you the iron fist of justice, and then delete your game ount."

    "That''s terrible! You''d actually dare to kill my wife? That''s so cruel!" Chiaki clutched her cell phone and shivered.

    "Stop saying something like an otaku would! I''m the otaku here!" Seiji told her in a serious manner.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    The Anna in Mika''s cell phone smiled and spoke up, "Things sound quite lively out there."

    The double pigtailed girl looked at her and tapped on the "Temporarily leave" option.

    "You must be about to go to school with your friends," the whitece dress girl said goodbye gently as the screen turned dark. "Be careful on your way, Mika."

    Seiji, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede whom they met along the way all went to Genhana High School together.

    "Two nights ago, I participated in Thunderbolt Literature''s Neer Author Awards ceremony¡­" Seiji told them about the incident that urred there.

    Mika and the others were astonished to learn that he had experienced yet another mystical adventure.

    "Several hundred people got involved this time. This might have ended up really badly." Seiji sighed.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "Mystical incidents might end up bing incredible disasters or tragedies, which is why you all need to pay attention to anything that seems off around you, such as that cell phone game that the two of you are ying," Seiji told Mika and Chiaki. "If that ''Anna'' is just a cell phone game, that''s fine, but what if there''s actually something hidden within it? If something happenster, perhaps both of you will be dragged into it. That''s noughing matter."

    Mika and Chiaki exchanged awkward nces with each other.

    "So, your opinion is that we should give up on ying this game?"

    "I think it''ll be best if you stop ying it until we find out exactly what it is. Still, both of you have yed it for several days already with no apparent negative consequences. Perhaps I''m just thinking too much into it." Seiji looked at them. "I''ll speak to Natsuya about this game, and if possible, have her look into it. If you want to y it and have fun, that''s fine. Just make sure to not get too addicted."

    He then looked towards Kaede.

    "Juumonji-sensei, you should pay attention as well. Please tell me if any studentse to you because they feel unwell after ying this ''Anna'' cell phone game for too much."

    "Sure thing, Seiji." Kaede smiled and nodded.

    Both Mika and Chiaki''s expressions froze over slightly to hear Kaede addressing Seiji in such an intimate fashion.

    They both turned their heads to look at the blonde health teacher/infirmary nurse before both turning to look at the handsome youth.

    "I detect the scent of something improper." Chiaki started acting like a famous detective. "Inspector Mika, what do you make of this?"

    "I believe that a crime has urred, Detective Chiaki." Mika began narrowing her eyes.

    "Crime, the hell!" Seiji felt rather awkward about this. "She merely called me by name."

    "That''s not something to be described with the word ''merely''. The fact that she''s changed the way she addresses you means that something special happened between you! My deduction is that something improper between teacher and student must have urred!" Chiaki adjusted some imaginary eyesses.

    "Not at all! Nothing improper urred whatsoever. I''m innocent!" Seiji averted his gaze.

    "Your guilty expression has already betrayed you! You must have done something¡­ Juumonji-sensei, please give us a victim''s statement!" Chiaki turned towards Kaede.

    "I wasn''t a victim, but I can give you a statement if you like." Kaede had a wide grin. "That was an unforgettable night¡­"

    "Sensei!" Seiji had an expression of "Please don''t mess around with me like that."

    Inspector Mika¡­ was now giving off an aura as if she was transforming into her evil side!

    "I really didn''t do anything. It was just that something happened at the Juumonji Family''s residence, so I helped out a little, causing my rtionship to be closer to Sensei," Seiji exined.

    "I don''t think that''s all that urred. The prime suspect is withholding many important details." Something shed in Chiaki''s eyes.

    "The details aren''t important. Please don''t mind!"

    "They''re quite important to me. After all, that was my first time¡ª"

    "Sensei!"

    Themotion caused by thissted for quite a while.

    Kaede finally chuckled and stopped intentionally fooling around.

    "It''s just as Seiji said. He helped my family, which helped to improve our rtionship." Kaede smiled as she exined. "Nothing improper happened, even though I wanted something like that to happen. He simply refused to cooperate¡­"

    "As for the specifics of what happened, please leave that to your imagination."

    Chiaki didn''t pursue the matter anymore after hearing this.

    After all, with her intelligence that was on the level of a famous detective''s, she already guessed the general situation that must have urred.

    Mika had aplex expression as she red at Seiji for a while before averting her gaze.

    Seiji could only smile wryly.

    When Seiji arrived at the president''s residence, he mentioned the suspicious cell phone game named "Anna" to Natsuya.

    Natsuya agreed to investigate itter when she had the spare time.

    "The duel equipment that Haruta-san¡­ er, your younger sister is providing for you has arrived. I had it ced in your room," Natsuya told Seiji.

    His dueling equipment!

    Seiji was rather curious just what equipment Hana would provide to him.

    He immediately went to his room in Natsuya''s residence and found a silver briefcase inside.

    The briefcase was sealed. There appeared to be no physical way to open it up.

    Seiji sent a message to Hana, and she responded almost instantly. She told him the magical way to open it along with the corresponding password.

    He then put the briefcase on the floor and injected Mana into the handle.

    A ck spell formation instantly appeared on the briefcase, showing a number pad.

    Seiji entered the correct password into the numpad with his other hand.

    The spell formation faded and the silver briefcase automatically opened. Arge humanoid model slowly rose up from the ck spell formation inside the briefcase. This model was wearing an entire set of equipment!

 Chapter 512 - Im not such a kind girl

    <h4>Chapter 512: I''m not such a kind girl</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The entire equipment set was ck and silver. It seemed rather subtly mystical, seeming like something out of The Matrix.

    There were faint white runes iid on the jacket that seemed chaotic yet were somehow orderly. The long sleeves felt rather sturdy and had silver runes with scaly shapes. Taking a closer look revealed that each "scale" was actually a miniature spell formation! The pants also had silver runes in the same style.

    Apart from the clothes, there was also a pair of shoes and a pair of gloves. They all seemed quite high level.

    Seiji tried putting on all the equipment. Apart from the jacket being slightly too small and the shoes being a mismatch by one shoe size, everything else was fine.

    Someone knocked on his door.

    Seiji opened the door to see that it was Natsuya.

    "How is it?"

    "It mostly fits¡­" He exined what it felt like to wear this equipment set.

    "Let''s try testing it out in the practice field," Natsuya told him.

    Seiji was truly able to feel how high quality the equipment set truly was after testing out its strength. It was far better than thebat equipment he had during his previous duel!

    Inparison, this equipment set had much better defensive capabilities, mainly because of that jacket.

    "This jacket is called the ''Scale Rune Armor Jacket''. It''s the work of the Haruta Family''s secret spiritual artifact crafting techniques, and is considered first-rate. This is the highest defense armor jacket avable for its price range," Natsuya exined.

    The equipment set also came with two spiritual weapons: a longsword and a handgun, as well as a shield. All of these were top-notch spiritual artifacts.

    Natsuya recorded all the data from the tests they did in the practice field as well as what Seiji thought of the equipment.

    Seiji then removed his equipment and gave it over to Natsuya so that she could make appropriate modifications. After that, he went back to his room to take a rest.

    Seiji took out his ck cell phone filled with the Haruta Family''s secret technique manuals, found the information regarding Mana usage, and began reading.

    He read, learned, practiced, and understood¡­

    It was already midnight by the time that Seiji finished practicing and regained his senses.

    He wanted to work his hardest and learn [Dragon Counterattack] by the end of today! So, he called Shika and told her that he wouldn''t be returning home tonight. Instead, he would practice cultivation here at the student council president''s residence.

    After eating dinner and resting for a while, Seiji was about to continue practicing when his cell phone rang.

    The call was from Mika.

    "Seiji¡­ are you busy right now?"

    "I''m currently cultivating my spiritual abilities. What''s the matter?"

    Mika fell silent for a moment.

    "It''s nothing. I just wanted to see you¡­ since you''re busy, just forget it," Mika whispered in a soft voice.

    Three conversation options in front of Seiji:

    A: [I''m not that busy. It''s alright to meet up.]

    B: [Have a good night, then.]

    C: [I''m really busy. Don''t call me unless it''s important.]

    Conversation options appearing meant that this was quite an important decision.

    Seiji could guess at what Mika probably wanted him to say to her. He considered for only one second before choosing option A.

    "I''m not that busy. It''s alright to meet up."

    "¡­Really?"

    "Of course. Wait for me at your ce. I''lle over right away."

    "No, I''ll go over to find you instead," Mika hurriedly offered. "I''ll wait for you near the president''s residence¡­"

    "No need, I''ll return instead. All you have to do is wait for me at home," Seiji told her. He then hung up on her before giving her a chance to respond.

    He then put on his jacket and walked back to the Uehara apartments from the president''s residence.

    Meanwhile, Mika stared at her cell phone, feeling guilty.

    "Honestly, even though I know that his time is precious right now¡­" The double pigtailed girly on her bed and muttered to herself, feeling guilty.

    Although she felt guilty, she also felt happy as well, since he obviously valued her so much.

    Mika hugged her pillow, imagining his gentle and handsome face, which gave her a warm feeling inside.

    She had something important to discuss with him, but it didn''t seem that important anymore¡ªas long as she got to see him¡­

    Mika thought that to herself, causing her face to flush red. She then buried her face in her pillow.

    Some minutester, Seiji arrived in front of the Uehara apartments, so he dialed Mika''s number.

    Mika soon came out to greet him.

    Seiji smiled in greeting and went for a walk together with her.

    They walked side by side, with neither saying anything for a while.

    It was nice to walk like this in silence as well. However, now wasn''t the time to be rxing.

    "What is it that you''d like to talk to me about?" Seiji spoke up first.

    "Mmm¡­" Mika felt that it didn''t matter as much anymore. Still, she figured she should say what she wanted to say.

    "After thest time we spoke, I thought about things by myself. I also spoke to Kinsa-sensei about things," Mika spoke up. "Sensei told me many things: about what Spiritual Ability users believe in, about thews of Spiritual Ability users'' society, about the truth of mystical incidents in the world¡­ and so on. After that, I thought about things for a long time by myself, and felt that I didn''t understand thingspletely. Yet, there was one part where I was quite clear on¡­"

    Something shed in Mika''s eyes as she looked at the boy beside her.

    "What part is that?" Seiji looked directly at her.

    Mika stopped walking.

    At this moment, a car passed by. Its headlights clearly illuminated the heavy expression on her face.

    "Seiji¡­ you''re willing to kill for my sake, is that correct?" Mika asked in an abnormally calm manner.

    Seiji widened his eyes slightly upon hearing this question.

    "Yes¡­ I will if it''s necessary," Seiji answered calmly as well after a moment of surprise.

    "Will you do so even if I don''t wish it?" Mika asked another question.

    Seiji fell silent.

    Mika smiled after observing him for a while.

    "It seems that I''m correct."

    Her smile seemed quite pure yet simultaneouslyplex. This appeared to enhance the deep meaning of her words.

    Seiji had never seen Mika with such an expression before. He could only focus his gaze on her.

    Mika stepped closer to him and reached out to hug him. She ced her face against his sturdy chest.

    "I like you, Seiji. Even though I''m slightly stupid and can''t understand things very quickly, I understand that I have feelings for you. Killing people isn''t a good thing. But, you ept having to kill people, and you''re willing to kill people for my sake. In that case, I can ept it as well, and do the same for you.

    "I''m not such a kind girl. I''m simply a girl who likes you¡­ that''s the conclusion I came to."

    Seiji could feel Mika''s deep feelings and was rather moved.

    "Mika, you don''t actually have to¡­"

    "I know, but this is just how I am."

    The double pigtailed girl hugged him tightly as if she was trying to feel his very essence.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment before he reached out to hug her as well.

    The two of them hugged each other in silence on the dark night street.

    Seiji returned to the president''s residence and continued to cultivate.

    However, he couldn''t take his mind off of Mika''s smile and her love confession towards him filled with her sincere feelings.

    Seiji was unable to concentrate due to the indescribable feelings within him.

    So, he decided to stop cultivating and began working on writing the dating sim''s storyline instead.

    The fourth female lead would be a seemingly ordinary girl who didn''t have any special rtionship to the male lead. They would get acquainted with each other due to sitting next to each other in ss. She didn''t have any particr traits about her personality or any specialties.

    The male lead coincidentally helped her out when she was in a pinch, causing her to be enamored with the male lead. She slowly approached him¡­

    After writing about this for a while, Seiji started getting the feeling of ''Just what am I writing?'' He stopped writing and went over what he just wrote.

    ''Such a story¡­ seems like it''ll be no good.''

    Seiji came to this conclusion as he moved thisputer document to the recycle bin.

    ''I''ll discuss things properly with Mika after the duel against Akatsuki. Then, I''ll work on this fourth female lead again.''

    Seiji leaned back against his chair and looked at the ceiling.

 Chapter 513 - Letâ€™s watch fireworks together

    <h4>Chapter 513: Let¡¯s watch fireworks together</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Saturday night.

    The fated moment¡­ er, the moment of the duel was upon Seiji and his friends.

    Seiji was currently fully equipped and ying shogi against Hitaka in the living room.

    The red-haired girl wore a dress that was simr to what she wore during thest duel. However, this dress had visible armor pieces, making it more like a piece of light armor.

    Hitaka quietly observed the situation on the shogi board. After some consideration, she picked up the shogi piece named keima with her index and middle fingers and gently moved it.

    Her elegant action and expression of concentration was movingly beautiful.

    Seiji enjoyed the beautiful scene while ying shogi against her.

    Meanwhile, Natsuya was in the same form-fitting attire from thest duel. She was currently sitting on a sofa and gently stroking Rana''s head as thettery on herp.

    Rana was currently in her adult cat woman form. She was wearing a ck dress with dark-red armor on top. Her cat ears were drooping down softly, with furry tail wagging back and forth. She kept mewlingfortably.

    This was an incredibly alluring scene. However, Seiji felt too awkward to stare, so he could only sneak a few looks in secret.

    Everything seemed incredibly peaceful. They appeared more like people that were preparing for a cosy event, not a Yin-Yang Master duel.

    Time ticked by in a seemingly slow fashion. However, it also felt like time passed quite swiftly by the time that it was time to duel.

    Seiji stood up and spoke, "Let''s finish our shogi matchter."

    "Yeah." Hitaka nodded slightly as she stood up as well.

    "Meow~~" Rana got up from Natsuya''sp as well andzily stretched. Something bright was shing in her heterochromia eyes.

    Natsuya stood up as well and spoke calmly, "Let''s go."

    Everyone saw Mai waiting for them at the door before they left Natsuya''s residence.

    "May you be blessed with victory." The maid bowed to them.

    Seiji, Natsuya, and the others smiled in response as they left the student council president''s residence and headed for the location of the duel.

    The time had finally arrived.

    Akatsuki Mitarai was currently riding in his car as he looked outside the window. His handsome face had a devilish grin.

    As long as he won this uing duel, he would finally be able to obtain what he had wanted for so long, along with many other tangible benefits.

    As for the possibility of losing? Akatsuki didn''t even consider such a thing to be possible.

    After all, this duel had the condition of only ending if one side surrendered or waspletely incapacitated. There were no ridiculous game rules like going out of bounds meant losing!

    Akatsuki admitted that he had been overconfident during the Winter Snow Festival''s game duel. He''d underestimated Seiji Haruta and received a humiliating loss.

    Apart from making sure that Seiji would no longer be able to take advantage of little rules like that one, he also made sure to greatly increase his assessment of Seiji Haruta''s true power level. In fact, he even considered it possible that Seiji was actually stronger than Natsuya.

    Even though he felt it was quite unlikely, Akatsuki still prepared for this hypothetically worst scenario. That was why he felt absolutely assured of his victory!

    "Let me see just how much you struggle." Akatsuki smiled with a cold look in his eyes. "Don''t surprise me by being boring pushovers."

    It would be quite boring if the prey he''d gone to such painstaking efforts to catch ended up not even giving him meaningful resistance. Only seeing their looks of despair after giving it their utmost was what interested him the most.

    Seiji saw a ck luxury car enter the school grounds and stop.

    The car''s door opened.

    The first to get off the car was a boy with short purple hair who wore dark-purple form-fitting attire. This was Naruo Yashuu.

    Next to get off the car was a red-haired girl wearing a white and gold dress. This was Akasuzume Koogi.

    Another silver-haired "girl" who wore blood-red Sakura Ind attire with a short miniskirt got off from the other side of the car. This was Shinobu Miaki.

    Finally, a handsome boy wearing blue-and-white hunting clothes exited the car. Of course, this was Akatsuki Mitarai.

    The four of them walked up to Seiji and hispanions and stood before them.

    The ck luxury car turned around and left the school grounds.

    "Good evening, Natsuya, as well as everyone else." Akatsuki smiled in greeting.

    "Good evening, Mitarai-san." Natsuya responded calmly. "Please don''t address me by my first name."

    "Heh heh¡­ You won''t get to say that any more after tonight."

    "That''s right. I won''t have to say it any more after tonight¡­ but right now, I still wish to express that your attitude disgusts me."

    While the two of them were seemingly having a casual conversation, Seiji unsheathed his ck longsword and brought out his white shield which had a pentagram spell formation etched upon it.

    Naruo Yashuu, who was standing directly across from Seiji, transformed his hands into purple-red sharp ws as a Hanyuu mask mask covered his face.

    Hitaka pulled out her red longsword as well as a magic gun.

    Akasuzume Koogi, who stood directly across from Hitaka, brought out a pair of golden-red guns. Both guns also had sharp des attached.

    Rana revealed her sharp cat ws.

    Shinobu Miaki was across from her and brought out a pair of swords, one long and one short.

    Right after this, a firework shot up from near the school and let out some bright-red light.

    This was the message from the judge to begin the duel!

    "Let''s go watch fireworks together this summer," Akatsuki spoke softly.

    "I will go watch fireworks, but never with you," Natsuya replied coldly.

    Yashuu was the first to suddenly rush forward, leaving behind only an afterimage of purple and red!

    Seiji instantly transformed into his golden form and blocked him with his shield!

    As the vanguards, Yashuu and Seiji fiercely shed against each other. Their loud impact created a formless wave that created a huge dust plume!

    Koogi jumped up in midair and started shooting at Seiji!

    Hitaka shot back at Koogi and jumped to block her!

    Shinobu clutched her uneven twin swords and rushed towards Natsuya!

    Rana instantly appeared before Shinobu and attacked with her ws!

    Natsuya extended her palms and activated Genhana High School''s gigantic spell formation!

    Akatsuki lifted up his hands and summoned four ck pirs!

    *Boom!!*

    Both sides sent numerous spells against each other which exploded into an even more blinding light than the earlier firework!!

    "Oh ho¡­ this is a nice start to the duel."

    Ayami Himiki, the girl judging this duel, praised what she saw.

    Just like always, she observed this duel from a distance together with her husky dog Spirit-branded Retainer.

    The previous duel of the Yoruhana Family daughter against the Yoshiaki Family son gave her an incredibly deep impression. She was more than pleased to take the job to judge this duel as well. In fact, she even gave a small discount on her usual judging fee.

    Although she knew that it would be foolish to expect another legendary battle like Shutendoji vs. Minamoto no Raikou, she felt that she should have some expectations as the judge. After all, perhaps something truly incredible woulde out again.

    The start was incredible already, with a chaotic four-against-four team battle!

    Team battles werepletely different from solo duels. The tacit cooperation betweenpanions would be incredibly important. Perhaps one excellent coordinated effort would determine the entire victory, while a single terrible mistake might lead to a pathetic defeat.

    Ayami had witnessed countless such duels before, and deeply felt that team battles were far more stimting than one-on-one duels. Victory wasmonly decided in just an instant. Those who didn''t react fast enough might not even realize just how they lost.

    Although Ayami was quite young, she was an excellent judge. She still had the ability to clearly see all eight people''s actions, and even had the time to focus her concentration mainly on one person.

    The red side (Yoruhana Family daughter)''s jacketed handsome boy!

    This handsome boy who seemed like only a neer during the previous duel no longer retained his newbishness at all. He seemed like a perfectly normal temporary Spirit-branded Retainer now¡­ not!

    Ayami was astounded by how much he''d grown in power sincest time.

    It had only been a short few months, right!? Wasn''t it too ridiculous for his Spiritual Power to have grown by such a level!?

    Did he go and cultivate in a Spirit World? Or did he manage to get his hands on some excellent stat-increasing consumables?

    No matter what, the increase in his power couldn''t be measured by the standards of being only a "temporary Spirit-branded Retainer" anymore. He was now on the level of being a trump card! Not to mention that he had the transformation ability fromst time that surpised her so much¡­

    "However, his bonded spirit seems to be someone other than Minamoto no Raikou now. His spells are all golden in color¡­ Who could his spirit be?"

    The girl judge instinctively felt that this handsome boy was highly likely to again be the Yoruhana Family daughter''s trump card.

 Chapter 514 - I was just warming up

    <h4>Chapter 514: I was just warming up</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ''He really is incredibly strong,'' Seiji thought as he vigorously fought against Naruo Yashuu.

    Back at the Winter Snow Festival, their duel had only been a game. If Yashuu had gone all out against him at that time, Seiji felt that he was highly likely to have lost.

    Akasuzume Koogi was agilely tumbling through the air, quite incredible as well. Her dual gun shooting and swift gunde attacks were all quite threatening.

    Shinobu Miaki, the human puppet, wasn''t nearly as agile. However, her attacks were harder to predict due to the fact that she didn''t need to slow down or hesitate at all. One slip of someone''s meant that her uneven twin swords would get through.

    Akatsuki used his four summoned ck pirs to fight to a draw in spellcasting against Natsuya who had the home field advantage of the high school''s spell formation backing her up. It could be seen that he was a highly skilled spellcaster.

    He was a truly strong opponent as well.

    ''However, we''re still stronger!'' Something shed in Seiji''s eyes as he held on to his shield and blocked yet another one of Yashuu''s attacks.

    Koogi''s twin guns shot streams of light as she jumped in midair, raining down a torrent of spiritual bullets upon Hitaka she was facing.

    Koogi then uttered an incantation that caused all the spiritual bullets to instantly explode! The explosions also released countless miniature spell formations.

    Ultimate aerial technique, "Demolishing des"!

    Koogi crossed her guns and continuously shot out red arcs that entered the spell formations and started bouncing around between the spell formations at an incredibly high speed. In just an instant, the red arcs of light sliced through Hitaka''s body several thousand times!

    Hitaka was sliced and diced to tiny little pieces¡­ but there was no blood!

    The real Hitaka appeared to Koogi''s left. A light was gathering upon the de in Hitaka''s right hand as she suddenly sliced out in a powerful attack!

    *ng!* Koogi blocked Hitaka''s de with her gunde and turned around using the impact''s momentum, intending to begin another round of shooting attacks. However, her vision suddenly darkened!

    Demon illusion technique, "Shadow Lantern"!

    This was a spell that Rana cast upon Koogi. This spell had zero attack power, but had the effect of preventing the target''s eyes from seeing anything.

    Koogi instantly started firing her guns in random directions and activated a self-protection spell to dispel the vision-blocking spell. However, she found that nobody was in front of her anymore by the time her vision returned.

    Hitaka descended from midair at a high speed while an even more blinding glow gathered on her de. Her sword sharply whistled through the air as it sliced forcefully down towards Yashuu!

    Yashuu detected her attack and was about to dodge.

    [Ice Prison]!

    Seiji urately cast his telekinesis control spell and trapped Yashuu where he stood.

    Hitaka''s de was almost about to arrive.

    Sharp fang technique, "Vicious Bite"!

    *Boom!!* Yashuu was sliced into the ground. His personal protective barrier was heavily damaged.

    [Ice Cmity de]!

    Seiji decisively followed up Hitaka''s attack with his own as the longsword in his ice hand sliced with the power of ice. Numerous spirit swords materialized in midair and sliced down at Yashuu!

    Yashuu''s personal barrier waspletely demolished as three spirit des pierced into his body, causing him to scream in pain.

    At this time, Koogi''s covering fire finally arrived, but it was toote.

    Hitaka easily dodged the spiritual bullets.

    Seiji blocked the spiritual bullets with his shield when he suddenly sensed danger.

    A dark blood-red figure suddenly appeared to his side. The puppet girl was wielding her uneven twin swords anding for him!

    [Ksitigarbha technique] shield block!

    *Thud!* Seiji solidly blocked Shinobu''s sneak-attack aimed at him, mitigating the impact by transferring part of the force into the ground. This caused several cracks to appear where he stood.

    Demon dance, "Feast of des"!

    The puppet girl seemed to continually sh as she sliced at an incredibly high speed and attacked from all directions!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Seiji easily managed to block and dodge all her attacks.

    From Ayami''s point of view, he managed to precisely defend against the furious onught. It was as brilliant as if he was dancing together with a maniac demon.

    Meanwhile, Hitaka and Rana used the advantage of numbers now that it was four against three and teamed up together against Koogi.

    Sharp fang technique, "Group Bite"!

    Hitaka released a red light that transformed into five red shadows. All five red shadows possessed sharp des and attacked Koogi!

    Demon mist, "Cat Dance"!

    Rana enveloped herself in a red mist that instantly blurred her figure into numerous cats that all rushed towards Koogi!

    Aerial defensive technique, "Full Moon"!

    Koogi seemingly transformed into white light as she shot both her guns at a high speed, turning and shooting in all directions. She seemed as brilliant as the moon itself!

    At this moment, light and mist intersected as swords shed against bullets. This was an incredibly chaotic scene that also had a mysterious beauty that seemed abnormal.

    Finally, the full moon faded as Koogi copsed.

    Hitaka and Rana immediately headed over to support Seiji.

    A red light shed in Shinobu''s eyes as she received an order to swiftly retreat in order to avoid being surrounded on all sides by Seiji, Hitaka, and Rana.

    "Marvelous," Akatsuki Mitarai spoke up.

    Although he''d just witnessed two of his Spirit-branded Retainers copsing, he seemed like he didn''t care at all. He was still smiling.

    "No wonder you dared to duel against me, Natsuya¡­ so you all possessed such power. Not bad, not bad at all. Especially you, Haruta-san. Your power level forces me to admit that you are no longer a ''piece of garbage''. You''ve be really amazing."

    The handsome dark-blue-haired boy even pped his hands.

    "I truly praise you all and apologize for underestimating you. Now then, as long as you can defeat me, it''s your victory¡­ Come."

    Akatsuki extended his palms in a seemingly weing manner.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows upon seeing Akatsuki behaving in such a manner. Seiji nced over at Natsuya to see what she thought.

    Natsuya currently had a serious expression.

    Two of Akatsuki''s Spirit-branded Retainers had indisputably copsed, while all four of them were in good condition. Logically speaking, Seiji and Natsuya''s team should have the victory well within their grasp. However, Natsuya''s expression wasn''t like they were about to win at all¡­ just what was the problem?

    "Those four ck pirs are actually an incredibly powerful spiritual artifact," Natsuya suddenly spoke in Seiji''s mind. "Don''t rush over yet."

    The ck pirs¡­ Seiji took another look over in Akatsuki''s direction.

    "What exactly are those?" Seiji mentally inquired.

    "They should be some type of ''Spirit Stakes''. I can''t tell the specifics. I only know that they''re incredibly solid and possess an enormous amount of Mana within them. From the beginning of the duel to now, I''ve beenpeting against him in spellcasting, but I''ve inflicted zero damage¡­"

    "So, you''re saying that the power of those four pirs is equal to the school''srge spell formation?" Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Pretty much¡­ at any rate, don''t be rash in rushing to attack."

    "Then what should we do?"

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "I''m going to cast a powerful spell that''s specially designed as an anti-spell formation spell. This will require a period of time when I must maintain a high degree of concentration. Protect me while I''m doing so."

    "Understood."

    Seiji, Hitaka, and Rana all stood close by to Natsuya and used their defensive formation.

    "You''re noting over? Heh heh, a wise decision." Akatsuki chuckled. "It would appear that you''re not so foolish to believe that you''ve won already."

    Akatsuki stopped smiling and his gaze grew icy.

    "That was just a warmup. I''m going to get serious now."

    Right after he finished speaking, two of the ck pirs issued a blood-red glow asplex runes and spell formations appeared on them.

    Yashuu and Koogi, who were both copsed on the ground, were suddenly enveloped by a blood-red mist.

    "I shall allow you all to witness my true power," Akatsuki spoke such a ssical viinous line as two balls of blood mist slowly rose up with terrifying screamsing from inside!

    Seiji and hispanions all felt an ominous premonition.

    Soon, the two balls of blood mist exploded, revealing Yashuu and Koogi who had seemingly transformed.

    Strange ck crystals grew all over their bodies, making it seem like they were wearing some strange armor. A blood-red glow could be faintly seen moving between the crystals. There was also a sound that resembled someone panting heavily, which sounded quite strange.

    Rana''s cat ears were stiff andpletely vertical. Hitaka had a tense expression, while Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    Everyone could sense that Yashuu and Koogi were now even more dangerous than earlier¡­ it was as if they had just witnessed ordinary boss monsters suddenly evolving into elite tier bosses.

    Spell formation-piercing technique, "Inescapable de"!

    Natsuya finished casting her spell. A tremendouslyrge dark-red spiritual de materialized in midair. Numerous smaller spell formations were rotating around it in an orderly fashion, giving it an incredible aura.

    The next instant, this gigantic spiritual de locked on to its target and shot forth!

    Akatsuki merely watched the spiritual de approach and didn''t even react.

    *Boom!!!*

    A gigantic dark-purple w suddenly reached up in midair and blocked the huge spiritual de!

    "What¡­?!" Natsuya widened her eyes in surprise.

 Chapter 515 - This is just like cheating!

    <h4>Chapter 515: This is just like cheating!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yashuu''s spiritual w managed to forcefully reach into the air and block Natsuya''s powerful anti-spell formation spell!

    He then used his giant w to forcefully squeeze Natsuya''s gigantic spiritual de into tiny little pieces! The spiritual de broke up into bits of light that ended up fading.

    Seiji and the others were all rendered speechless.

    This was just like cheating!

    That was a huge spell specialized against spell formations. A Spirit-branded Retainer was actually capable of dealing with it in such a fashion¡­? How were they supposed to fight against this?

    Akatsuki Mitarai''s "true strength" was simply far too astonishing. Was he supposed to be the main character rather than the antagonist!?

    ''No, wait¡­'' Seiji felt that there was some sort of hidden issue.

    Those abnormal crystals and mysterious ck pirs¡­ had such power within them. Were there no side effects at all? Zero weaknesses?

    Seiji refused to believe that a guy like Akatsuki would have the luck and plot armor of story protagonists. There would definitely be some type of hidden weakness that was difficult to spot! The critical part was how to find such a weakness.

    Seiji looked towards Natsuya.

    Natsuya was also looking at him. Her face was filled with confusion and nkness.

    Seiji realized that she had received an impact upon seeing her expression.

    "I don''t believe that Akatsuki Mitarai would be so strong. There must be some type of weakness!" Seiji spoke up.

    "I can''t spy any weaknesses¡­" Natsuya replied rather weakly.

    "That''s because he disguised them excellently! He understands you and knows how you would try to find out his weaknesses. He must have specifically aimed for a method that would conceal any weaknesses from you!"

    Natsuya felt encouraged after hearing the resolution in Seiji''s words.

    Still, what were they supposed to do?

    "Use Cleansing!" There was a sharp glint in Seiji''s eyes. "Those two Spirit-branded Retainers obviously have something wrong with their transformation. They might be under the influence of some strange forces. I feel that attempting to Cleanse them might be the most effective method."

    Right after he finished speaking, Yashuu stepped forth and rushed towards them. With arge booming sound, Yashuu causedrge cracks to appear in the ground as he pounced!

    "Dodge!"

    All four members of Seiji''s team speedily avoided the huge spiritual w that was swiping towards them with frightening momentum.

    The next moment, Yashuu swiped with yet another gigantic w, right at Seiji!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Seiji simultaneously dodged the huge w while speedily creating a seal¡­

    [Evolved Cleansing]!

    A golden mystical spell formation instantly appeared on Yashuu''s body and gave off a blinding light.

    *Boom!!!*

    There was a loud explosion as if a bomb had gone off. Thick dark-red mist exploded from Yashuu''s body and spread in a wide radius.

    Seiji saw that Yashuu copsed as if he took a serious blow. There was even a strange, faint sound of creaking.

    He''d definitely witnessed such phenomena before when facing off against the transformed Zankita Juumonji!

    "Hell''s Aura¡­"

    That was the true identity of those ck crystals? Or were these crystals merely something simr?

    No matter what, he had been right on the mark! The Cleansing spell was super effective!!

    Seiji''s mouth arced upwards ever so slightly.

    Meanwhile, Akatsuki''s expression froze over.

    ''How is this possible!?''

    Just now, Seiji Haruta''s spell caused tremendous damage to Yashuu, leaving Akatsuki in disbelief.

    Indeed, the power he''d bestowed upon Yashuu and Koogi had a weakness. However, this weakness was one which wouldn''t be so easily discovered! Only extremely specialized Cleansing magic would be able to cause any damage. Most ordinary ormon Cleansing spells would be ineffective!

    Yet Seiji Haruta had such a precise spell that managed to deal damage on the first try¡­ Just what was going on!?

    While Akatsuki was busy being astonished, he witnessed Seiji cast another Cleansing for a second time and bring massive damage to Yashuu yet again.

    ''No matter what, I have to kill this bastard first!''

    Such a thought popped into Akatsuki''s mind. He immediately began preparing arge-scale ultimate spell, which caused all for ck pirs to light up with a dark glow.

    Natsuya and the others were heartened upon seeing Seiji''s spells being effective!

    However, they immediately discovered afterwards that their Cleansing spells were apparently ineffective. Only Seiji''s spells had any effect.

    Why was it that only his spells could cause so much damage?

    Natsuya instantly recalled the powerful mysterious spirit that Seiji possessed.

    What truly countered Akatsuki wasn''t the Cleansing magic, but that mysterious spirit instead¡ªYomi''s power!

    This coincidental situation was simr to what''d urred during the duel against Okubo Yoshiaki. Back at that time, it could still be interpreted as the influence of Shika Kagura''s special power negatively influencing Okubo, but what about this time?

    Was it really pure luck¡­?

    Even if it was only luck, such powerful luck was already inconceivable. After all, Seiji was living together with the Reaper''s Curse!

    When taking this into consideration, Seiji''s excellent luck seemed like¡­

    If Natsuya had been a gamer, she definitely would havebeled Seiji as a "cheater".

    He learned spells incredibly quickly, his Spiritual Power improved at a rapid pace, and he became a Yin Yang Master so swiftly. All of the above could still barely be attributed to extraordinary talent, but this luck¡­ How the hell was his luck exinable!?

    "Luck is a part of strength as well." Anyone could say such a thing, but only upon truly seeing someone cheat-like to the point of defeating his enemies with luck alone would they understand how indescribable the emotion would be.

    Natsuya suddenly impulsively wanted to know what Akatsuki was currently feeling like right now.

    That was when she noticed that Akatsuki was currently uttering an incantation for an obviously powerful spell!

    She instantly realized Akatsuki''s intentions and wanted to stop him.

    However, the strengthened Koogi was now flying through the air with dark-red spell formations appearing behind her. The spiritual bullets she shot out with her dual guns had much greater power than earlier. The bullets had the force of a cannon shot, which prevented Natsuya from doing anything to interrupt Akatsuki''s spellcasting.

    "Seiji¡­" Natsuya sent a mental message to him.

    Seiji immediately activated one of their trump cards upon hearing this.

    [Mana Exchange]¡ªto power both of them up!

    Both their Mana activated and strengthened each other, temporarily giving them both a powered-up state.

    Killing curse - "Hell''s Torrent"!

    Akatsuki cast a spell that created a gigantic spell formation in midair. ck light erupted from this spell formation and rushed towards his enemies like a torrential flood!

    This spell had a veryrge area of effect and was difficult to dodge.

    When Seiji saw this powerful magic attacking for him, he didn''t even attempt to dodge. Instead, he smiled.

    "Come!"

    Seiji made a pose with longsword and started casting a spell.

    Right before this terrifyingly powerful spell reached him, arge number of miniature spell formations appeared before Seiji. He then wielded his longsword to block the iing ck tide''s onught, causing the mystical lights on the spell formations around him to glow!

    "OHHHHH!!"

    Seiji roared as he was under immense pressure. He concentrated purely on receiving the attack, then condensing and reshaping¡­

    Reversal spell, [Dragon Counterattack]!

    Seiji whirlwinded his longsword as the spell formations shed. The ck tide was seemingly cleansed as it transformed into a golden light which swiftly formed into an elegant divine dragon!

    "What¡­!?" Akatsuki widened his eyes in surprise.

    "Taste the dragon''s de!" Seiji shouted Genji''s quote from Overwatch as he wielded his sword with full force!

    The imposing golden dragon seemingly roared as it burst through the air and shot back towards Akatsuki at a much faster speed than the ck tide!

    This scene etched itself deeply in Ayami Himiki and all the other observers'' eyes.

    "Impossible¡­"

    Akatsuki''s handsome face distorted. He was incredibly shaken by the golden dragon which was speedily heading straight for him.

    *Boom!!*

    The tremendous dragon crashed into Akatsuki''s personal defensive barrier, and devoured him along with his four ck pirs, exploding into a blinding light!

    "So cool¡­" Ayami Himiki eximed in amazement.

    She instantly concluded that this was one of the coolest-looking techniques that she had ever seen since she began judging duels!

 Chapter 516 - Snap!

    <h4>Chapter 516: Snap!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This was the first time Ayami had seen a counterattack spell so extravagant in appearance. The entire process looked amazing, not to mention the user was incredibly handsome as well. As a female, she felt that she was enjoying plenty of eye candy.

    Ayami also liked the fact that the main Yin Yang Master on the other side who suffered from this counterattack was also a handsome boy. This was excellent.

    This was exactly what she wanted to see in a duel!

    Ayami ced some potato chips in her mouth and happily snacked while observing the duel.

    Akatsuki sessfully blocked the attack.

    However, he still took a lot of damage. Large cracks appeared in all four of his spiritual pirs!

    ''Ridiculous! How did my ultimate attack spell rebound on me! Just how did he aplish such a feat!?''

    Akatsuki''s loathing of Seiji Haruta was now increasing more than ever before! If only he had known how much power Seiji possessed, he would have eliminated Seiji via underhanded means before the duel no matter what!!

    It was toote to regret things now.

    So, what should he do?

    Yashuu was beingpletely suppressed, so Yashuu being defeated was only a matter of time. Seiji would naturally then focus on Koogi and defeat her as well. Did that mean that he, Akatsuki Mitarai¡­ would lose?

    ''No no no no no no no!!!!''

    Just imagining the thought of losing made Akatsuki feel like he was about to go insane!

    ''I won''t lose!

    ''Who cares if they have a way to suppress my power! I have another ace up my sleeve!!''

    Akatsuki now had a vicious expression as he came to a decision and summoned over Shinobu the human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Seiji, who was currently dealing with Yashuu, noticed that Akatsuki summoned Shinobu over to his side. It appeared that Akatsuki was casting some sort of major spell upon her.

    Seiji felt an ominous premonition from this.

    However, Natsuya and the others were currently locked in battle against the powered-up Koogi. Nobody had the free time to extract themselves and stop Akatsuki.

    Seiji made a split-second decision and opened up his system. He speedily chose the [Mental suppression card - Desire to Retort] and chose to "activate" it!

    Target person to use it on: Akatsuki Mitarai!

    Seiji immediately saw the blue-haired handsome boy seemingly freeze for a moment. It appeared that Akatsuki was being attacked by something invisible.

    So, the attack must have been effective. Still, Seiji was unsure just what Akatsuki''s mental state was like right now. He felt that in theory, being mentally suppressed would make spellcasting more difficult.

    The [Desire to Retort] card wouldst for 2 minutes and 22 seconds¡­ He needed to defeat Yashuu as quickly as possible so that he could go and deal with Koogi, which would allow Natsuya to deal with Akatsuki''s spellcasting.

    ''I hope that your ''retorts'' are quite effective, dear sister of mine!''

    Hana, who was currently ying an MMORPG on herputer, sneezed.

    Akatsuki suddenly felt his head bing dizzy.

    An indescribably strong emotion came over him, causing his thoughts to be dull and hazy. He also kept having strange thoughts.

    ''Who am I? Where am I? Why am I doing such meaningless things?

    ''Nothing in the world has any real meaning to it. My existence is meaningless as well. Everything will return to the void anyways.

    ''I really just want to go home, go to sleep in my bed, not care about anything, and stop thinking about anything. After all, someone like me can''t¡­

    ''No, something''s wrong!!!''

    Akatsuki forcefully shook his head in an effort to shake off this strange condition that suddenly came over him.

    This was a mental attack! Did Seiji''s golden counterattack spell even have such an additional side effect? ''Damn it!!''

    Akatsuki cast a protective mental magic upon himself to try and regain a clear mind. However, it didn''t work.

    ''I don''t have any time left. I need to hurry¡­''

    Akatsuki forced himself to bear with his mental condition and continued spellcasting.

    He was currently forcefully injecting the spiritual pirs'' power into the human puppet''s soul core. This would temporarily allow the human puppet to gain incredible power!

    He had never tested this spell out before. Akatsuki researched the mysterious soul core he received from the equally mysterious merchant for quite a long time, but was still unable to find out how exactly it worked. He knew that such forceful injection of power into the soul core was likely to cause irreversible damage, or perhaps even an overload that could cause an explosion!

    However, Akatsuki no longer cared about potential consequences.

    ''It''s fine even if she overloads and explodes in the end. Before that happens, use all this power to defeat all my enemies, Shinobu!''

    Akatsuki''s spell caused strands of ck light to speedily enter the human puppet''s body and enter her soul core.

    However, since he was somewhat distracted by his current mental condition, he made a small error when injecting the power. Part of the power didn''t enter the soul core¡­

    There was the sound of another explosion as Yashuu copsed yet again.

    All the ck crystals on Yashuu''s body were now destroyed. His body appeared seriously injured with burn marks all over. He finallypletely stopped moving.

    Seiji immediately rushed over towards Koogi.

    Hitaka who was currently wielding a shield and gun saw him rushing over and indicated towards him with a hand gesture.

    Seiji understood her intentions. He jumped right at her and into the air,nding on the shield that she raised for him.

    Hitaka threw her gun on the ground and threw the shield with both hands at full strength. She tossed Seiji in the direction of Koogi who was currently flying through the air!

    When he was halfway there, Rana jumped up, meowed, and forcefully pushed the shield, helping to increase his speed yet again!

    Seiji approached Koogi at the speed of a hurtling meteor. Koogi attempted to snipe Seiji out of the air. However, Natsuya cast a spell that prevented her from doing so.

    *Boom!!!*

    Seiji sessfully reached his target thanks to all three of hispanions'' assistance. Hended a direct hit with his golden [Evolved Cleansing] spell on Koogi''s body, which was super effective.

    "Leave her to me. You all go deal with that bastard!" Seiji shouted.

    Natsuya nodded in understanding and headed for Akatsuki.

    However, that was when she saw the human puppet before him suddenly erupt with explosive, thick, blood-red mist! There was also an ear-piercing screech.

    Soul core power-up,plete!

    For thest step, Akatsuki removed the power limiter on the human puppet, transforming his creation into the most vicious and powerfulbat weapon of all.

    "Go, Shinobu," Akatsuki gave his order.

    The screeching increased in volume as the puppet girl''s eyes lit up with blood-red mes and she moved¡­

    *Snap!*

    She viciously bit into Akatsuki''s neck!!

    "Eh?"

    Akatsuki made a foolish sound.

    Human puppets were created with a spell that allowed the master total control. Theoretically speaking, it should have been impossible for a human puppet to harm its master. That was why he waspletely off guard against Shinobu.

    Not only that, the [Desire to Retort] card still hadn''t expired yet. Akatsuki had been forcing himself to finish spellcasting while being mentally suppressed. Since he hadpleted his spell sessfully, this was when his guard was at its lowest. He wasn''t even able to react to this sudden sneak-attack.

    Akatsuki felt tremendous paining from his neck as something within him was suddenly being devoured. Only now did he think to resist. Yet, he was toote.

    Akatsuki''s vision ckened, never to see the light of day again.

    "What¡­" Natsuya widened her eyes in surprise.

    She just witnessed the human puppet girl viciously biting into Akatsuki''s neck, causing him to speedily be smaller¡­ no, he had withered!

    What just happened?

    ''A human puppet actually devoured its master!?''

    Just like Akatsuki, the first thing that came into her mind was ''How is this possible!?'' That''s when she suddenly recalled what Seiji had told her before about Shinobu.

    However, Shinobu''s soul had already been stolen away by Seiji. Wasn''t the human puppet turning into a demon and devouring her master no longer supposed to happen?

    To be honest, Natsuya did indeed slightly mind when she learned about what Seiji did. Technically, he had assisted Akatsuki Mitarai by doing so, since Akatsuki would avoid the fate of being devoured by a demonic Shinobu. Still, Natsuya quickly put it behind her.

    However, she never expected that Shinobu still ended up devouring Akatsuki!

    A human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer ate her own master!!

    The judge Ayami was equally astonished.

    The Mitarai Family son was sucked dry by his own human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer!? Just what was going on!?

    Normally, Spirit-branded Retainers were under the power of a magical contract that effectively forbade them from harming the Yin Yang Master they were contracted to. This was all the more so for human puppet Spirit-branded Retainers. Any person that wasn''t an idiot would install a control mechanism in the puppet''s body, making it so that there were twoyers of protection against a puppet going berserk.

    But now, a human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer devoured¡­ and killed her own master!!??

    Ayami found it difficult to believe what she''d just witnessed and sunk into a state of confusion.

    What the hell just happened!!?

 Chapter 517 - â€œReleaseâ€

    <h4>Chapter 517: "Release"</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Wahhhhhhh!!"

    After the human puppet girl devoured Akatsuki Mitarai, her screeching changed. It now sounded more like howling.

    Arge amount of ck mist then poured out and covered the entire area!

    Seiji did his best to maintain his consciousness.

    The darkness that suddenly enveloped him made his head dizzy¡­ he experienced this just a few days earlier, when he got involved in that incident at the award ceremony.

    When Seiji''s vision returned to normal, he saw those familiar cluster amaryllis flowers, just as he expected.

    The sky was blood red, numerous ck pirs reached up to the clouds, countless silver strings were interconnected, with endless puppets and human body parts pierced on the strings, hanging in midair like specimens¡­ Seiji was familiar with this horror game-like scene as well from when he had gone to meet Shinobu''s soul.

    What exactly could have happened?

    Just like Natsuya, Seiji also witnessed Akatsuki being devoured by his own human puppet. Seiji hadn''t even recovered from his astonishment when the ck mist suddenly appeared and brought him here.

    Yomi mentioned before that if Shinobu Miaki devoured Akatsuki Mitarai, Shinobu would be a powerful demon. However, Shinobu''s soul was currently within his body, resting as a pitifully weak demon.

    In that case, why did the human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer still devour her own master? And after she devoured Akatsuki, what was with this ck mist that appeared and drew them all into this realm?

    None of it made sense¡­ but no matter what, Natsuya and the others were highly likely to have gotten dragged in as well.

    Seiji tried using the mentalmunication spell to talk to them, but it didn''t work.

    Was it time to use his [Interdimensional Locator Spell]?

    Seiji thought about it and decided to first follow the cluster amaryllis flowers instead. Perhaps he would be able to find them where the cluster amaryllis flowers were the thickest.

    At this moment, he suddenly sensed something.

    Seiji felt his body being tugged forward by an invisible force. Then, the ground started trembling as the invisible force started massively increasing!

    Seiji did his best to steady himself. However, the ground suddenly became incredibly uneven. Not only that, the pulling force on his body kept increasing in power. Soon, he started flying¡­ no, he fell forwards!

    Gravity had tilted by ny degrees, with "forward" suddenly having be "down"!

    With a smack, Seiji crashed into a ck pir. He saw all the puppet and human body parts attached to the strings on this pir falling off from the impact. All these parts also started falling forward!

    There had to be something in that direction. Seiji figured that it was the human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer.

    After some consideration, he decided to jump forward towards another ck pir.

    He continued jumping from pir to pir.

    Seiji continued onwards through the tilted gravity in such a fashion. He made sure to dodge all the other falling objects.

    After a while, he saw something.

    A dark-red gigantic ball-shaped object! It was devouring all the puppet and human body parts. It expanded and contracted at regr intervals, and a strange sound came from it. The sound resembled a beating heart.

    "What is this¡­"

    "A powerful demon is about to be born," azy-sounding female voice suddenly spoke up in his mind. "If she''s born sessfully, the current you won''t even be close to being her opponent. Luckily, you still have the chance to prevent her sessful birth."

    "Yomi¡­ you''ve been sleeping for so long."

    "I wasn''t sleeping for the entire time. I''ll wake up asionally to see what''s going on."

    "I reserve the right to suspect the truth of your words."

    That''s when Seiji heard her chuckling.

    "I apologize for not responding when you needed my assistance. Still, you took care of things excellently by yourself. You did quite well~"

    "Does this mean that you''re going to reward me with candy?"

    "I don''t have any candy, but if you like, I can make your body experience great pleasure. Would you like to try?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Although I''m somewhat curious what that feels like, let''s not." Seiji''s cheek twitched.

    "Ahh, how regrettable."

    "Stop messing around. Anyways, this situation is a bad one, isn''t it? How should I prevent the powerful demon from being born?"

    "Destroying her is impossible. The only way to do it is by giving her release." Yomi paused for a moment. "You need to wholeheartedly, sincerely help to give her release from her pain and go to where she belongs. This process won''t be easy. It''s incredibly difficult. Yet, I believe that you should be able to do it."

    "What will happen if I fail?"

    "The powerful demon will be sessfully born. She will then devour you and all of yourpanions."

    At this moment, Seiji heard Natsuya''s shouting.

    He looked over to see that the student council president had arrived on another ck pir.

    "Mdy!" Hitaka arrived as well.

    "Meow!" Rana also appeared.

    Seiji went over to them and exined the situation.

    "I shall help you in giving her release from her pain. Hitaka and Rana, you two will be responsible for protecting us," Natsuya said after learning the situation.

    "She won''t be able to help. You''re the only one who can give this demon release," Yomi told Seiji in his mind.

    "Why''s that?"

    "Because Shinobu''s soul is currently within your body. This demon also counts as a part of Shinobu''s body as well. That''s why you''re the only one who can give her release. Nobody else will be able to do it."

    "Part of Shinobu''s body¡­ Could this demon''s identity be the portion of Shinobu''s soul that she left behind?" Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Indeed."

    "Didn''t you say that leaving a portion of her soul behind wouldn''t lead to anything?"

    "I did indeed say that. That''s what I believed. However, this current situation is something that even I didn''t expect. That soul portion has be demonized." Yomi chuckled lightly. "Whoever created this puppet is truly amazing. I''m even feeling a little impressed."

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    Was it truly that Akatsuki had been too reckless? Or did Yomi intentionally leave something behind as a trap for Akatsuki?

    Seiji felt that it was best not to pry any further into this matter.

    He then made his preparations and began casting the spell that Yomi taught him.

    Seiji made a hand seal pointed at the gigantic round object and began uttering an incantation.

    "The cmity of grudges, the ceremony of pacification¡­

    "The body of a demon, a soul filled with evil intentions¡­

    "This is not where you belong, you should head for the next world¡­"

    Yin Yang Seal, [Release]!

    A tremendous pentagram spell formation appeared in midair and illuminated the ball-shaped object with golden light.

    "Eeeeeaaaaaahhhh!!"

    The ball immediately started making a sound that resembled a scream of pain. Blood mist kept emanating from it, and it began trembling violently.

    Seiji immediately felt tremendous mental pressure! His body and spirit were both under pressure by some invisible power. It felt like even the very air itself had be heavy.

    At this moment, a warm feeling arose in his body and mitigated part of the pressure for him.

    This warm feeling came from Shinobu.

    No wonder Yomi said that Natsuya wouldn''t be able to assist him. If it hadn''t been for Shinobu''s soul, it would have been impossible for him to withstand all this pressure.

    Seiji continued uttering his incantation, causig a smaller array of spell formations to appear on the five points of the pentagram star in sequence. These smaller spell formations also shot a golden light towards the ball-shaped object.

    The ball''s eerie screaming became even more ear-piercing. The blood misting out from it became even thicker. Meanwhile, something could be seen struggling within it, distorting!

    Seiji wasing under more and more pressure. His hands started shivering first. Then, his entire body began trembling as well. Even breathing became difficult. He felt as if he was submerged underwater. It was incredibly diforting.

    He was no longer even able to hear what Natsuya was saying to him. He could only focus fully on casting his spell.

    In his haziness, Seiji could faintly make out numerous boys, girls, and even children. They were all crying, screaming, pleading for help, and struggling in pain¡­

    "It hurts¡­ let me go¡­"

    "My hands¡­ my feet¡­"

    "My eyes¡­ please give my eyes back to me¡­"

    "Wahh¡­ Mommy¡­ Daddy¡­"

    "Please let me go¡­ I''m beggin you¡­ Ahhh¡­!!"

    There was endless pain and countless despair¡­

    Anger, hatred, and so many deep grudges formed by those who died unwillingly¡­

    Seiji understood just how this demon was born.

    ''Akatsuki Mitarai¡­ you deserve to die ten thousand deaths!!''

    Dying so easily by being devoured seemed like it was letting this scumbag die off this easily¡­ No, even calling Akatsuki a scumbag was an insult to the word scumbag!!

    Seiji was even tempted to load so that he could brutally torture Akatsuki rather than allowing Akatsuki such an easy death. However, he immediately restrained himself.

    ''No, I can''t let anger control my actions.''

    The most important thing right now was to pacify this gathering of grudges and help them move on to the next world.

    Although he was toote to save them, their grudge had been vindicated with Akatsuki''s death. He hoped that Akatsuki''s victims would be able to find peace.

    "¡­Pitiful demon of grudges¡­ be released from thy pain!!"

    With great difficulty, Seiji managed to finish the incantation.

    Therge pentagram spell formation shot out an even more blinding golden light. The dark-red ball-shaped object screamed even louder under this light. The scream sounded like both howling and crying.

 Chapter 518 - Youre the best spirit!

    <h4>Chapter 518: You''re the best spirit!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji gradually sank into emptiness.

    A tremendous dark-red monstrous shape appeared before him. Countless human faces and puppet masks could be seen attached to it, with all sorts of frightening expressions. It was incredibly scary.

    The monstrous shape slowly approached him.

    Seiji felt that it was about to do something and wanted to react. However, he was unable to move or even make a sound.

    At this moment, a translucent silver-haired little girl appeared before him and blocked the monstrous shape''s path.

    The monstrous shape stopped in its tracks.

    The girl looked at the monstrous shape and spoke up in a soft voice.

    The monstrous shape started screeching. It sounded like countless people cursing together.

    The girl fell silent for a moment before turning to look at Seiji.

    ''Shinobu-chan¡­'' Seiji wanted to call out to her. Yet, he was still unable to make a sound.

    The girl looked at him and smiled faintly. Her smile was pure and beautiful.

    Seiji sensed that she was intending to do something, and did his best to speak up and stop her.

    Yet, before he was able to speak, Shinobu turned around and faced the monstrous shape again, speaking softly.

    Then, the monstrous shape approached and slowly enveloped Shinobu.

    ''No¡­ don''t¡­ please stop¡­''

    Seiji did his best to break free from whatever was restraining him.

    "Stop already!!!" he suddenly roared, causing his words to echo loudly throughout the room he was in. Natsuya who was sitting by his bedside was rather startled.

    "Seiji¡­ You''re awake."

    "¡­Eh?"

    Seiji looked all around him and saw that he was currently in a luxurious hospital room, lying on a bed.

    "What''s going on¡­" Seiji had a look of confusion.

    "You were spitting blood and fainted. Did you forget?" Natsuya looked at him. "You copsed after you helped to release that demon from its grudges."

    "I¡­ copsed?"

    Seiji had no recollection of this whatsoever.

    He was also concerned about how the student council president currently appeared.

    "Your hand¡­"

    "I''m fine, these are just some external injuries. I didn''t receive any internal injuries." Natsuya, who was currently wearing hospital clothes, smiled as she lightly waved her bandaged hands. "I''ll be fine before you know it."

    "How did you get injured?"

    "Akasuzume Koogi was present in that realm as well and ambushed us while you were casting the spell to pacify the demon."

    "What about Shuho-san and Kirin-san?"

    "Hitaka and Rana were more seriously injured than I was. They''re both fine now after receiving medical treatment. They should be able to make full recoveries after some rest in the hospital."

    "I see¡­ That''s good, then." Seiji heaved a sigh of relief.

    "How do you currently feel?" Natsuya was concerned about him.

    "I¡­ I''m fine. My chest just hurts a little."

    "It''s best if you stay here to rest for a few days."

    "Yeah¡­" Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "I can''t sense Shinobu-chan anymore¡­ can you sense her?"

    "Shinobu-chan¡­" Natsuya immediately cast Astral Vision and looked over Seiji closely.

    A minuteter, she ended the Astral Vision and shook her head.

    "I can''t sense her."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this.

    "Seiji, what happened?"

    "¡­Let me rest for a little while first."

    Natsuya looked at him for a while and nodded after hearing this.

    "Go ahead and rest, then."

    She then left his hospital room.

    Seiji covered his face with his hands after Natsuya left.

    Shinobu had left him! It seemed that she went over to the afterlife together with that demon.

    Seiji found this difficult to ept. He wanted to load¡­ but would it be possible to exorcise that demon without having Shinobu leave?

    If the demon wasn''t exorcised, then they would all die!

    So if he wanted to protect Shinobu, he would have to load a save file farther back and figure out how to prevent the human puppet from going berserk and demonizing in the first ce¡­

    Just as he was thinking such things, Yomi spoke up in his mind.

    "Honestly, that child is so reckless, doing as she pleases."

    The moment she finished speaking, Seiji suddenly sensed Shinobu''s presence within himself again!

    "Shinobu-chan! Is she alright!?"

    "She''s fine, but she almost wasn''t alright, since she came into contact with that demon," Yomi exined to him. "It''s nice and all that she helped you to release that demon from its grudges, but she was really pushing it. If it wasn''t for the fact that I intervened in time, she really would have vanished."

    "Yomi¡­"

    "I worked hard at saving this girl. How about a little praise?"

    "Excellent job," Seiji said sincerely. "You''re the best spirit I could ask for!"

    "I would have preferred to be praised as the best woman, but this is fine as well, heehee~" Yomi chuckled. "Now, I''d like to go back to sleep. Do you have any objections?"

    "None! Sleep as much as you''d like. You''ve worked hard."

    "Now that''s what I like to hear. Goodnight~"

    And then, there was no more sound out of Yomi.

    Seiji silently felt the small and weak demon''s soul within him andpletely rxed.

    ''It''s good that you''re alright, Shinobu.

    ''Thank you for helping and protecting me. However, sacrificing yourself is no good. That would be too sad.

    ''I''m going to talk to you properly in the future about all this¡­ for now, just take a good rest.''

    Seiji let out a long sigh as his mouth arced upwards now that he felt reassured. He slowly shut his eyes and went to sleep.

    Natsuya Yoruhana and Akatsuki Mitarai''s duel ended with Natsuya''s victory and Akatsuki''s death.

    This was a result that nobody expected!

    Both the Yoruhana and Mitarai families had expected that Akatsuki would end up winning this duel. Even if he was in poor condition or Natsuya was in top shape, at most they expected a draw.

    However, Natsuya was the victor!

    This result was unbelievable.

    Well, they could still force themselves to ept her victory.

    However, it was difficult for the Mitarai Family to ept Akatsuki''s death.

    The Mitarai Family was furious that a young and valued member of their family died just like that! Yet, the judge''s videotaped recordings of the duel indicated that nobody on Natsuya Yoruhana''s team did anything that would have killed Akatsuki. Instead, Akatsuki''s own human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer devoured him, directly causing his death.

    Devoured by one''s own human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer¡­ nobody believed such a thing to be possible. However, the recordings were real, with no evidence of falsification!

    The Mitarai Family didn''t even know how to go about taking revenge for such a way of dying.

    Why did the human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer devour Akatsuki? They wanted to investigate this, but that would require Natsuya''s approval. That was because Akatsuki had agreed to wager the human puppet in question as part of the stakes for the duel. Natsuya had made Shinobu into part of the duel''s wager at Seiji''s request. Shinobu the human puppet now counted as Natsuya and Seiji''s property!

    And if the Mitarai Family wanted to ignore this fact and forcefully investigate? The Himiki judging n would take responsibility for protecting the safety of the duel''s victors.

    If the Mitarai Family dared to do anything, the Himiki n would teach them a lesson about why it was that the Himikis were the most renowned judging n of all.

    And so, the Mitarais could only try negotiating over the phone. They contacted Natsuya who was currently resting in the hospital. But as expected, Natsuya refused to have anything to do with them. She gave quite a simple excuse, saying that she was injured during the duel and currently resting.

    Well, since she had been willing to issue a Yin Yang Master duel challenge just to go against her arranged marriage, it was only normal for her to have such an attitude.

    The Mitarai Family could only try contacting someone else from the Yoruhana Family instead.

    They called Aoran Yoruhana, the younger of Natsuya''s two older brothers.

    Second Young Master Yoruhana adamantly refused to take any calls from the Mitarai Family.

    He decided to leave this headache of a situation to his older brother and father. He didn''t care about the Mitarais at all.

    Aoran had opposed this marriage from the very start, so he was more than happy to see this oue of the duel. Still, even he was surprised with Natsuya''s victory.

    Aoran knew for certain that nobody in the Yoruhana Family had helped Natsuya. However, even he didn''t believe that Natsuya didn''t have outside assistance.

    Aoran called a certain person out of curiosity.

    "Do you know that Akatsuki Mitarai had died?" Aoran immediately went to the main topic at hand after saying a basic hello.

    The other person on the phone fell silent.

    "Why would I know about his death?"

    "I felt that you would know already."

    "I didn''t know, nor do I have any interest in him."

    "You have a very powerful puppet master as one of your subordinates. I believe that she would have a method of making a human puppet devour its master, wouldn''t she?"

    The other person fell silent once again.

    "I don''t know what exactly it is that you''re trying to say here¡­ If you have anything to say, please tell me more directly, Young Master Aoran Yoruhana." The female voice speaking on the phone sounded quite icy.

    Aoran smiled slightly upon hearing this.

    "Actually, it''s nothing. I apologize for distracting you with such a trifle, Yui Haruta-san."

 Chapter 519 - Are there beautiful nurses thatâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 519: Are there beautiful nurses that¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After resting for a while, Seiji called Shika to tell her that he was alright.

    Shika wanted to immediatelye visit him upon learning that he was in the hospital.

    Seiji managed to somehow convince her to wait until tomorrow beforeing over.

    He then called Mika and told her as well about him being in the hospital.

    Then, he went to go find Natsuya and informed her about Shinobu''s return.

    The student council president was quite happy to learn about the weak demon still being alive.

    "Shinobu Miaki''s body belongs to us now. However, the Mitarai Family is requesting it to be returned so that they can investigate the human puppet''s body and determine the reason for Akatsuki Mitarai''s death." Natsuya paused for a moment. "I might be unable to refuse them in the end¡­ I''ll send someone to oversee the entire process of their investigation so that they can''t destroy or entrap anything."

    "How''s the human puppet''s body''s current condition?"

    "After you exorcised the demon, we returned to reality with the human puppet simply copsed on the ground. It didn''t seem to be particrly damaged."

    "Will Akatsuki Mitarai''s death create a lot of trouble for you?" Seiji looked at her.

    "I''m sure there will be some trouble. After all, he was a talent viewed as highly important by his family. Yet he was devoured by his own human puppet Spirit-branded Retainer, not in by any of us, so¡­ there shouldn''t be any huge trouble."

    "That''s good, then."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Natsuya¡­"

    They spoke up simultaneously, causing both to pause.

    "You first."

    "You first."

    Once again, they spoke in unison.

    They exchanged nces and both chuckled.

    "It''s our victory."

    For the third time, they spoke identical content simultaneously.

    They won¡­ the duel was their victory!

    Although the conclusion was somewhat of a surprise, with Akatsuki basically causing his own death with his actions, a win was a win.

    They wanted to enjoy the joyous feeling of victory.

    "I''d like to ask you what you would like as your payment for assisting me this time." Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes. "This is in addition to the human puppet''s body that I promised you."

    "I don''t have anything I want¡­ for the time being."

    "The time being?"

    "I might want somethingter in the future." Seiji thought of what he still wanted to do¡ªduel against his sister, Yui Harua.

    Natsuya thought of something when she saw his serious expression. Her heart started beating at a rapider pace.

    ''The only thing I want is you¡­'' What should she do if he told her such a thing?

    The student council president''s face instantly started flushing red.

    Although reason told her that this was highly unlikely, her emotions weren''t swayed by logic and caused her to imagine various scenes¡­

    ''No, no, no, I have to stop this!''

    Natsuya forcefully stopped her imagination from going wild. She averted her gaze in an effort to conceal her embarrassment.

    "It''s snowing." Seiji suddenly noticed the weather outside.

    Specks of white snow were falling outside the window. Soon, the snowfall grewrger andrger, leaving everything covered in a white dust.

    "That''s quite a lot of snow."

    Seiji recalled the emotions he experienced while exorcising the demon¡­ giving his expression a tinge of sadness.

    "That bastard got what he deserved. I hope that his victims can all rest in peace."

    Natsuya paused in surprise for a moment upon hearing this sudden change in topic before a sad expression appeared on her face as well.

    "I hope so."

    The two of them quietly watched the snow together.

    The faint sound of wind and snow outside sounded like crying.

    The next morning, Shika, Reo, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede, five beauties of varying ages, all came to visit him together at the hospital.

    "Ha, I knew that you would never die until I get to defeat you!"

    "Why are you saying something that sounds like you''re my mortal enemy?"

    "Because I just wanted to try saying such a line." Chiaki chuckled as she nced all around Seiji''s hospital room. "This is such a luxurious room. You''re really getting the VIP treatment here. Are there beautiful nurses that even provide special services?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "I can see that there are indeed such nurses upon seeing your expression. Have you tried their services out?" Something shed in Chiaki''s eyes as if she was seizing upon some truth.

    "No such thing!"

    If he really did do such a thing anyways, things would be terrible in all sorts of ways.

    "Chiaki, rather than joking around, shouldn''t you first be more concerned about how Seiji is doing?" Mika sighed.

    "Just take a look at him and you''ll understand that he''s fine. He doesn''t have a broken hand or foot, nor is he missing an eyeball or scarred anywhere visible. He''s capable of sitting down here and chatting just fine, which means there''s no need to worry at all." Chiaki shrugged.

    "Although that''s true, I''d still prefer that you worry normally about me a little¡­" Seijimented.

    "My worrying only gets started at 9:00 in the morning."

    "Don''t talk about your own emotions like they work at a nine-to-five job!"

    "How troublesome. In that case, I''ll withdraw ten thousand sakuras'' worth of worrying just for you."

    "Don''t talk about this like emotions are something that can be deposited! Besides, what''s with the amount of worrying that you''re allowing for me?"

    "How about giving you twenty thousand sakuras worth of worrying instead, then?"

    "The important part isn''t about the mary worth of worrying about someone else!"

    Seiji smiled after this perfectly ordinary exchange of retorts between them.

    He recalled back to when Chiaki received a phone call from her ex-girlfriend, Haruka Shimizu. Back at that time, Chiaki became a mncholic girl. This conversation was simr to the one from that time. Only, their roles were now reversed.

    "Honestly, you''ve ruined the hospital atmosphere, Chiaki."

    "I feel like I''ve livened things up."

    "Hmph, you''re quite proud of yourself."

    Seiji turned to look at the others.

    "Brother¡­" Shika was looking at him.

    "I''m really alright. I just need to rest here for a few days." Seiji smiled gently.

    "You''re hospitalized and still insist on iming to be alright?" Mika asked in disbelief.

    "Although I''m hospitalized, I personally feel more like I''m taking a vacation."

    "Indeed, this ce seems more like a five-star hotel room. It does look like afortable ce to live in for a few days." Kaede smiled. "How about Ie take care of you, Seiji¡­? I''d definitely do a better job than any nurse, including any special services you may need."

    The blonde teacher intentionally revealed a seductive expression for thetter half of herst sentence.

    "Juumonji-sensei, please be more proper!" Mikamented forcefully.

    "What does special services refer to?" Reo blinked curiously.

    "Special services refers to additional services that can make a patient incrediblyfortable, such as¡ª"

    "Chiaki!"

    Everyone soon became lively and noisy.

    Seiji was quite happy with such a scene. It made him feel like the incident fromst night was long past him.

    This lively visitsted for quite a while.

    Some timeter, everyone except Shika left.

    Shika stayed behind in the hospital room that was now quiet again. The only sound was that of her peeling an apple.

    Seiji watched his adopted younger sister and enjoyed the beautiful scene of her simply peeling an apple.

    After peeling the apple, Shika then diced it into tiny pieces, skewered one piece, and brought it to his mouth.

    Seiji opened his mouth and ate the apple piece. Nice, it was pretty sweet.

    Something shed in Shika''s eyes upon seeing her adopted older brother''s look of satisfaction. She continued feeding him the apple.

    Seiji became drowsy after he finished the entire apple.

    He told Shika that he was going to go back to sleep and pushed a button that lowered his hospital bed back to horizontal position.

    Shika sat there quietly and observed him going to sleep.

    After Seiji''s breathing became steady and it was obvious that he had fallen asleep, she slowly reached out her hand and gently caressed his handsome face.

    At this moment, if only someone was here to see her expression, they would surely be left with a deep impression. It was a pity that nobody could see it.

    A momentter, Shika retracted her hand. Instead, she slowly edged her face towards Seiji''s¡­

    Outside the window, the snow was finally stopping after having fallen for an entire night.

    The snow was soundless. It seemed as gentle as a lover''s gaze.

    Winter hadn''t ended, and spring was still yet to make an appearance. However, this room¡­ suddenly felt rather spring-like.

    Seiji slept peacefully and had a dream.

    In his dream, he went to enjoy cherry blossom viewing together with all his friends. The cherry blossoms falling down were incredibly beautiful, and fell on his head and face just like the snow. He could sense a gentle and fragrant sensation on his forehead.

 Chapter 520 - The publication of â€œBrother Monogatariâ€!

    <h4>Chapter 520: The publication of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Three dayster.

    Seiji finished his vacation¡­ er, his recovery and left the hospital. After returning home with Shika, he went out again before long. They headed to the bookstore together.

    They immediately headed for the light novel section and soon found what they were looking for¡­

    "Brother Monogatari"!

    The cover art seemed both romantic and mystical. A beautiful ck-haired girl who wore mystical attire in the Sakura Ind style was holding a vicious demon''s mask in her hand and turning back and smiling brilliantly at the readers. Her scarlet eyes seemed especially beautiful, as if they were shining and possessed something mysterious within.

    Standing in front of her was a white-haired boy who wore a cored jacket. He was sticking both his hands in his pants'' pockets, and he was also turning to look behind him. Only half of his handsome face and sharp gaze could be seen. It appeared like he was either looking at something behind him or gazing at the girl.

    The cover art seemed professionally done and was quite appealing. The art was of obviously higher quality than the other light novels next to it in the new arrivals area. Anyyman could tell the difference.

    Seiji was quite excited as he reached out and took a copy.

    Shika also picked up a copy of "Brother Monogatari". Something shed in her eyes as she looked at the cover.

    Then, both of them exchanged nces with each other and smiled. Their smiles contained the feeling of bliss.

    Another customer in the bookstore, a man wearing a round hat, paused in surprise upon seeing such a scene. He felt like this was just like a scene straight out of a movie.

    ''Who are these kids? This handsome boy and beautiful girl, are they idols or models?''

    His attention drawn to them, he wondered about their identities. His gaze was then drawn to the light novel they had both picked up a copy of.

    "Brother Monogatari"¡­ this seemed like a strange book title to him.

    The cover art was quite beautiful¡­ and he felt that the beautiful girl drawn on the cover greatly resembled this girl in front of him?

    The man was quite surprised at this resemnce.

    He hid his emotions and picked up a copy of "Brother Monogatari" as well. He began to read the story.

    He was instantly drawn into the story right from the very start.

    This novel had a unique style and excellent readability. Reading it would naturally cause the reader to be able to imagine what was happening, as if the reader was watching an exquisitely drawn anime!

    The insert art''s quality was quite high as well. It beautifullyplemented the story''s contents, helping the readers insert themselves into the story''s world.

    The man unknowingly lost himself in reading the story. He got addicted to reading and didn''t even notice that the handsome boy and beautiful girl had left long ago.

    "Dear customer, please don''t stand here reading for too long," a bookstore employee spoke to him, but the round-hat-wearing man didn''t even notice.

    "Dear customer!" The book store employee increased his voice''s volume.

    The round-hat-wearing man was furious to have been interrupted while reading. When he turned to see that it was a book store employee, his anger dissipated, reced by embarrassment.

    "I apologize¡­" He closed the "Brother Monogatari" book. "I''d like to purchase this light novel."

    "Thank you for your purchase." After ringing the man''s purchase up, the employee gave him a re of "don''t just read books without purchasing them" before leaving him alone.

    The round-hat-wearing man looked around him but didn''t see the boy and girl anywhere.

    "''Brother Monogatari''¡­ Idle Dimension by the Shore¡­"

    He looked at the book in his hands and muttered the author''s name to himself as he left the bookstore.

    Seiji and Shika both purchased three copies each of "Brother Monogatari''s" first volume. One copy would be for personal reading, one for collecting, and one for loaning out to friends.

    They were both quite confident in the quality of their own light novel. Still, it remained to be seen how well the book would sell.

    Seiji received a phone call some time after he returned home.

    The call was from Hisashi.

    "Seigo, are you out of the hospital yet?"

    "Yes, I''ve left already."

    "That''s good, then." Hisashi paused for a moment. "This humble one has already purchased and started reading a copy of Milord''s novel that was published today."

    "What did you think?"

    "It''s excellent, as expected of something personally written by Milord!" Hisashi gave him passionate praise. "I would really like to finish reading it in one go. It''s such a pity that I have other things to do today. I can only wait until I have some free time. Just the part that I''ve read so far makes me believe that this will be a famous bestseller! Many people will be Milord''s fervent believers in the future!"

    "Thanks for your kind words. It would be nice if that really came true." Seiji smiled.

    "Of course it wille true! Milord''s light shall illuminate the world!"

    "No need to exaggerate things so much. This is only a light novel."

    "No, this isn''t merely a light novel, it''s the beginning to Milord''s legend! As the First Knight under yourmand, I''m quite honored to follow your cause. I shall support you to my fullest!" Hisashi spoke quite seriously.

    "Thank you for your support. We are quite lucky to have such a loyal retainer like you." Seiji chuckled and responded using the royal pronoun "we".

    Seiji treated all of this as a joke. He didn''t actually understand the true meaning of Hisashi''s "full support".

    After they ended their conversation, Hisashi ced his cell phone on hisputer desk and contacted someone on the inte.

    "What is it, Sweet Pig-dono?"

    "I would like for you to help me advertise a light novel that was just published today, Tea Brewer-kun. You can charge me as much as you think is necessary."

    "What a joke, how could I possibly charge Sweet Pig-dono any money? You merely have to ask. What''s the name of the light novel you want to help advertise for?"

    "''Brother Monogatari''. It''s a new story published by Thunderbolt Literature."

    Hisashi then contacted various other online contacts and had simr conversations with them.

    He then adjusted his eyesses and smiled satisfactorily as he gazed at all the numerous conversation windows on hisputer screen.

    "My ''support'' doesn''t mean that I''ll simply buy a few of your books, Seiji-kun."

    Later that night, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede all arrived at Seiji''s apartment. All three had a copy of "Brother Monogatari" with them. They all sat down by the kotatsu and started reading together as if this ce was hosting a book club.

    Seiji read "Brother Monogatari" together with them as well. Although he was intimately familiar with the story, he still wanted to read it again.

    He kept receiving phone calls or text messages from all his friends. They all wanted to tell him their opinions of "Brother Monogatari".

    "Excellent story. The insert art is beautiful as well. Overall, you''ve done a great job, Shore-sensei." ¡ª from Natsuya.

    "Your story that you wrote together with Kagura-san seems pretty good. I give you 9.5 points out of 10." ¡ª from Mai.

    "This is a wonderful story! I really like the main character; I think he''s quite simr to Senpai." ¡ª from Hoshi.

    "Hey, I haven''t seen you in a while. I recalled when you first showed your story to me a while back¡­ Heh heh, I was your first reader ever." ¡ª from Rika Amami.

    "Your novel is even better than I imagined, and you even did all the art for it as well! It''s truly amazing¡­ I''m feeling a little like I can''tpare as an artist." ¡ª from Yukari.

    "Your novel was excellent. It helped to give us inspiration for writing new music." ¡ª from Rion and Kotomi.

    "Nice story. The insert art was great as well. I''m really looking forward to seeing if you''ll draw manga in the future." ¡ª from Mayuzumi.

    "The current reaction seems to be quite good. The sales numbers should be pretty good as well." ¡ª from Saki.

    "It feels just like I''m watching an anime with how detailed your scenes'' descriptions are. This is the best light novel I''ve ever read." ¡ª from Kaho.

    "''Brother Monogatari'' is amazing! I can''t even put it down! I''m not going to go to sleep tonight until I finish reading!" ¡ª from Kanna Fujihara.

    "Your novel is quite something. I can feel your spirit within it." ¡ª from Ryuuno Izawa.

    Apart from his friends, Seiji also received messages from his fellow authors.

    "Although I already knew that your light novel is the true deserving recipient of the Gold Award from the previous award ceremony, your story still exceeded my expectations when I read it. I can only admit defeat." ¡ª from Koushi Nomura.

    "''Brother Monogatari'' is excellent. It''s so good that I don''t want it to end." ¡ª from Miyabi Ishihara.

    "Just as Nomura-san said before, your story is truly amazing. I''m astonished that you even personally drew such beautiful artwork for your story. Or was that your adopted younger sister''s artwork? At any rate, it''s a truly wonderful story. Most ordinary light novels can''t evenpare." ¡ª from Yuuko Hashimoto.

    "''Brother Monogatari'' is a wonderful story. Your writing and artwork are both top level. You''re a true genius." ¡ª from Shousei Maishi.

    "I really enjoyed reading ''Brother Monogatari''. Good luck on bing a bestseller." ¡ª from Imai Yoshida.

    "Even the main character of a novel that a handsome guy like you writes is also a handsome guy. Sheesh. It''s also quite enraging how interesting you''ve managed to make your story. The insert art you did is ridiculously beautiful as well. It''s certain to be a bestseller¡­ remember to invite me to a barbeque after you receive your paycheck! It''s best if you can bring your cute sister Kagura-san together as well." ¡ª from Tsuyoshi Matsutani.

    Seiji was delighted to receive so many excellent reviews and well wishes.

    Seiji looked towards Shika who was next to him.

    Shika looked at him as well.

    The two adopted siblings exchanged nces and smiled blissfully yet again.

 Chapter 521 - I refuse to become your harem manager!

    <h4>Chapter 521: I refuse to be your harem manager!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Mmm~~~"

    Chiakizily stretched and murmuredfortably.

    She then took out her cell phone and started poking at it while grinning foolishly.

    Seiji knew that she was ying the cell phone game named "Anna" again upon seeing how she was.

    Natsuya already sent someone to investigate this cell phone game. She hadn''t received a report yet, but she said one should being soon.

    Seiji hadn''t heard of anyoneing to any harm yet due to ying this game¡­ he hoped that he was just overthinking things.

    "Chiaki, about how many people in our ss are ying this ''Anna'' game?" Seiji inquired.

    The tomboy thought it over for a few seconds before replying, "I think roughly half. There''s also several of our ssmates that downloaded the game but failed to obtain an ount."

    The game could only be downloaded with a rmendation code, and applying for an ount seemingly relied on luck. This type of atypical game signup method still caused more than half of his ssmates to want to y. That was just how charismatic "Anna" was.

    Seiji wanted to download the game to see for himself just what was so appealing about it. However, he changed his mind and decided to wait for the investigation results instead.

    He really hoped that he was just overthinking things. However, he kept having a premonition that something mystical was behind this game.

    The night gradually darkened.

    Seiji went to his study after Chiaki and the others left.

    The moment he turned on hisputer and logged on to his chatting application, Hana sent him a message.

    "Your story barely counts as passable, I suppose. I guess I could give it my approval."

    "Thank you for purchasing it and supporting me," Seiji responded, adding a widely grinning emoticon.

    Hana responded with an emoticon that had a look of condescension.

    Seiji automatically interpreted it as a tsundere expression instead. He smiled and told Hana that he would like to have a video chat with her.

    She immediately epted.

    "I would like to talk again about you bing my vicemander¡ª"

    "I refuse to be your harem manager," the cat-eared hat girl stated coldly.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Huh?" He was only able to utter a sound of foolishness.

    Vicemander equaled harem manager in her mind?

    Hey hey, something seemed wrong here!

    "I''m not trying to create a harem here!" Seiji didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry after he finally regained his senses.

    "That''s exactly what you''re trying to do. Stop denying it."

    "I have to deny it! It''s not what you think¡­"

    "This is exactly what I think. At any rate, I refuse to be your harem manager. Hmph!" Hana turned her head away.

    Seiji truly didn''t know what to say. He was left speechless for quite a while.

    "Then, how about changing the phrasing¡­ er, giving you a different position? How about bing my consultant?" Seiji spoke rather helplessly. "Will that be alright?"

    "I won''t be anything. I''ll help you out, but I won''t be anyone for you¡­" Hana then realized that her words could apparently be misinterpreted. "Anyways, stop giving me any sort of title at all! I may be your ally, but that''s all, nothing more."

    "¡­Alright then, as you wish." Seiji instantly decided to skip this topic. "I would like to hear your advice on what I should specifically do in creating a Spirit-branded Retainer team, my great and wonderful ally."

    ------

    The next morning.

    Seiji mentioned that he wanted to created a Spirit-branded Retainer team to Mika and the others as they headed to school together.

    "A Spirit-branded Retainer team?"

    "Yes. My goal is to duel against my older sister, Yui Haruta, and her own Spirit-branded Retainer team," Seiji exined. "This will be quite difficult to do. Not only that, there''s also a certain degree of risk involved. After my team is established, everyone, including myself, will probably have to spend a long time training and growing together in order to reach a level at which I can challenge her."

    "Mika, Juumonji-sensei, I would like to invite the two of you to join me. Later tonight, I''ll formally discuss the details with you and exin everything involved. I hope that you''ll consider¡ª"

    "I agree to join," Kaede interrupted before he even finished. "There''s no need to consider anything. Please allow me to be your Spirit-branded Retainer, Seiji Haruta-sama."

    Mika and Chiaki were both rendered speechless.

    "Please, there''s no need to call me -sama¡­ I''m quite happy that Sensei is willing to join me, but I still hope that you''ll listen to my full exnation before making a decision." Seiji could only smile wryly.

    "I think that there''s zero need for consideration. But, if that''s what you wish, I''ll listen to what you have to say," Kaede spoke gently while looking directly at him.

    "¡­I feel like this isn''t a Spirit-branded Retainer team at all; it''s a harem instead." The light of realization shed in Chiaki''s eyes. "This Spirit-branded Retainer team''s true identity is actually your harem!"

    "I already expected that you would say this! It really isn''t like that. This is a serious matter, Chiaki." Seiji strictly corrected Chiaki''s words.

    "Yep, you''re seriously establishing your own harem."

    "Hey!"

    The tomboy chuckled.

    "Honestly, when will I be able to Awaken to some Spiritual Ability as well¡­? It sounds quite interesting to be able to join a Spirit-branded Retainer team." Chiaki had an expression of "I really want to join in."

    "This isn''t something that can be decided based on interest."

    "Don''t deny it, Seiji, you''re actually excited as well, aren''t you?" Chiaki looked straight at him. "Establishing your own team to challenge your powerful older sister? Are you really treating this as some simple task? Don''t you also think it''s interesting as well?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "To be honest, I do think it''s interesting as well. It''s not just a simple task," he admitted the truth in his mind. "Although I''m not doing this for my own sake¡­ I am indeed rather excited to challenge my older sister Yui."

    "I''m going to show my true strength to the older sister who exiled me from the family!" Chiaki spoke as if she was a hot-blooded male.

    "That''s not my real motive¡­ although I suppose it sure sounds like a good one."

    "The name of your next story shall be ''NEET of the Rebellion''!"

    "That doesn''t sound like a very appealing name." It wasn''t like he was Lelouch.

    "How about ''Counterattack of the NEET'' then?"

    "That''s pretty much the same as thest one." It wasn''t like he was a Gundam pilot.

    "''NEET of Blood and Iron!''"

    "No matter what cool adjectives you use, they''ll instantly be uncool once you add the word ''NEET''." Seiji indicated that he was getting bored of this joke.

    If it was him, he would never use a word such as ''NEET'' in the story''s title. He felt that too many readers wouldment about such a word choice.

    "At any rate, defeating Yui Haruta will be a challenging goal. I''ll work my hardest to achieve this, and gatheringpanions that are willing to be my Spirit-branded Retainers is the first step in my n."

    Yukari was currently feelingplex emotions.

    She just received a phone call from Seigo. They agreed to meet for lunch.

    It was a good thing that they would get to meet each other. However, what Chiaki Wakaba told herst week¡­ Yukari still hadn''te to a decision.

    What had he been doing over the past few days? Did he really go to kill others? And if that was true, how should she treat him?

    She knew that she could simply not ask, in order to give herself more time to think.

    Still, she would have to face things sooner orter.

    Seigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta was a Spiritual Ability user. He was in a different world from ordinary people.

    Yukari tried imagining what she would feel if he killed someone in front of her¡­ but was unable to imagine it.

    Nor was she capable of imagining how she would react if she personally witnessed such a scene. After all, real human lives dying was different from people dying in an anime or movie!

    Either eptance or rejection¡­ She had considered both possibilities and was currently still unable toe to a decision.

    Yukari didn''t have the confidence to maintain her typical poise if she met with him today. Still, he said that there was something important he wanted to discuss with her, so she agreed to meet up.

    What could this important topic be?

    It would be fine if it was about the dating sim game they were creating or about his light novel.

    As she was an artist herself, there was plenty she could discuss with him about the insert art for "Brother Monogatari".

    But if it was about the "mystical"¡­

    The purple-haired girl turned to look outside the window. She sighed upon seeing the somewhat dark sky.

 Chapter 522 - Iâ€™ll be more than happy to!

    <h4>Chapter 522: I¡¯ll be more than happy to!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was now time for lunch break.

    Yukari went to go meet with Seigo.

    The moment she saw the handsome boy smile and greet her, all theplex emotions within her seemed to dissipate. She felt as if she hade to a sudden realization.

    ''I really do love him¡­'' She reaffirmed her own feelings.

    She then felt that all her previous considerations and confusion had been unnecessary. She then extrapted that perhaps Chiaki''s true intentions were to make her feel distant from Seigo, which made her feel that she had been tricked.

    While all these thoughts shed through her mind, Yukari smiled and greeted him back normally.

    The two of them then went to a quiet corner in the school and sat down to eat together.

    "What would you like to discuss with me?"

    "It''s like this. I''m intending to establish a Spiritual Ability user team, and I would like to invite you to join me."

    "A Spiritual Ability user team?" Yukari blinked her eyes in surprise.

    "Yes. I have a personal goal that I want to try aiming for, and you would need to battle. There''s a certain degree of risk involved¡­"

    Seiji had a serious expression as he exined the situation.

    Yukari silently listened to his exnation as something shed in her eyes.

    "So, you''re basically saying that if I decide to join you, I''ll have to battle under yourmand. And in exchange, you''ll do your best to ensure my safety and help me to be stronger, is this correct?"

    "That''s right."

    "Battling¡­ will I need to kill others?" Yukari looked directly at him.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "Yes, it''s possible. I can only say that it will depend on the situation," Seiji responded calmly.

    "What kind of situations?"

    "Such as protecting yourself and yourpanions¡­ it might be necessary to take such a drastic measure. Or, if there''s an enemy who wants to kill you, you must have the resolve to kill your enemy as well in order not toe to any harm."

    "So, you''re saying that I should treat my own and mypanions'' safety as the number one priority?"

    "Yes, that''s the most important thing."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "Do you have any other questions for me?" Seiji asked.

    "Yes." Yukari looked directly at him. "Seigo¡­ Seiji, have you ever killed anyone before?"

    "I have," Seiji answered honestly.

    Yukari discovered that she didn''t particrly feel anything about his response at all.

    There was no feeling of disgust or repulsion, nor were her feelings for him shaken. It was as if she was hearing something perfectly normal.

    "Do you regret killing?" She continued asking.

    "I don''t."

    "Howe?"

    "Because the situation at that time was just like what I just mentioned¡­ I had to resolve myself for the sake of me and mypanions." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    They fell silent yet again.

    "This team of mine isn''t one that has the intention of going around and killing others. It''s just that it''s impossible to guarantee killing others will be avoidable," Seiji told her seriously.

    "I hope that every member of my team can ce themselves and theirpanions as the top priority. I don''t wish to see anyonee to unnecessary harm for caring about the enemy. Even if you don''t join my team, Yukari, I hope that you can remember¡­ if you ever meet a Spiritual Ability user that intends to harm you, there''s no need to hold back or worry about any consequences. Just use your full power to defeat the enemy and protect yourself."

    Seiji''s reminder contained deep concern for her.

    The purple-haired girl now understood.

    She was now certain that all her previous worries had beenpletely for nothing!

    Who cared if he had killed someone in the past¡­ Seigo Harano¡­ Seiji Haruta was simply Seiji Haruta. This small fact didn''t change anything.

    Chiaki who was constantly by his side must have seen him quite clearly for what he was like. She made her decision without any unnecessary quandaries.

    As for herself¡­ although she was somewhat misguided by Chiaki, the foundational reason was still because she hadn''t seen Seiji clearly for who he was. That was why she had been so lost.

    Yukari was frustrated, and even embarrassed with herself.

    He was her hero and yet she actually suspected his character.

    "That''s all I wish to say. I hope that you can consider joining me and give me your answer by Saturday." Seiji smiled. "Although I hope that you''ll join me, even if you refuse, that won''t change anything about our rtionship. You can still ask me for my help with anything that you encounter."

    "That¡­ would be too shameless of me," Yukari said in a soft voice.

    "Eh?"

    "You''re willing to help me and risk your life to save me, yet I''m unwilling to help you? Wouldn''t that be quite shameless of me?"

    Seiji didn''t know how to respond to this.

    "I won''t allow myself to be someone like that, which is why I agree to join you¡­ no, I want to join you!" Yukari stated seriously. "Please allow me to join your team, Seiji."

    "You don''t have to tell me your answer so quickly¡­ You should consider things properly first¡ª"

    "Even if I consider things, my response will still be the same." The purple-haired girl now had a resolute expression. "I wish to truly be yourpanion and be stronger so that I can fight for you!"

    A hero saving a princess¡­ that was how the ssical tale went, but stories didn''t need to always be this way.

    A princess could help the hero and even protect the hero as well, right?

    "Yukari¡­" Seiji was quite moved by her heartfelt intentions. "Thank you," he said with great sincerity.

    Chiaki pouted and acted disinterested upon learning that Yukari Asamiya had been willing to join Seiji''s team.

    "Why do you have such an expression?"

    "I''m a little bored at how quickly and easily a certain ''Princess'' came to her decision. Don''t mind me."

    Seiji was left speechless.

    Something shed in Mika''s eyes when she heard the same thing from Seiji. She seemed to be thinking about something.

    Next, Seiji intended to invite Hoshi to his team.

    Seiji called Hoshi and invited him to meet up after sses were over. Hoshi was incredibly delighted to receive an invitation to meet up from his senpai.

    As for whether or not he would seed in inviting Hoshi to his team, it was basically a predictable¡­ no, a foregone conclusion.

    "I''ll be more than happy to!"

    Hoshi''s passionate response upon hearing this on the school rooftop was just like as if he was agreeing to go out with someone after a love confession.

    Hoshi replied after only hearing one sentence. He didn''t even have to think for even one second.

    Although Seiji expected this oue, it was still rather¡­ Seiji''s cheeks twitched slightly.

    "Thank you for believing in me so much, but shouldn''t you at least give me a chance to finish telling you what it''s about?"

    "There''s no need. No matter what Senpai is fighting for, or whom you''re fighting, I''ll be more than happy to help you and be by your side, Senpai!" Hoshi''s eyes were sparkling as he clenched his fist.

    This was almost just like a scene from a hot-blooded shonen manga¡ªone which certain female audiences would greatly enjoy reading.

    "Thank you¡­ but just for rity, I feel that I should still exin things to you."

    Seiji began exining the situation to Hoshi.

    Hoshi silently finished listening to what Seiji had to say.

    "I''ll be more than happy to join you!" Hoshi responded yet again. This time, Hoshi had more resolution as well.

    "Won''t you consider things for a little longer? This isn''t something simr to joining the dating sim creation team."

    "There''s no need. As I said earlier, I''d like to be by Senpai''s side¡­"

    "Stop! I understand now. Please, there''s no need to repeat such words."

    Listening to Hoshi speak about him like this one time was whatever, but twice was slightly unbearable.

    "Wee to the team, Hoshi," Seiji spoke sincerely as he looked at Hoshi.

    Hoshi also looked directly at him and revealed a dazzling smile.

    Meanwhile, Mika was meeting with Yukari.

    "I would like to know what you think about Seigo¡­ Asamiya-san."

    "Ah, excellent. I also want to know what you think about him as well, Uehara-san." The purple-haired girl smiled at the double pigtailed girl. "Let''s have a good discussion."

 Chapter 523 - â€œHeroâ€

    <h4>Chapter 523: ¡°Hero¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yukari and Mika walked to a quiet corner in school and sat down across each other.

    "Wakaba-san is busy right now with her club activities, correct?"

    "Yeah."

    "I feel like she intentionally misled me, yet she didn''t tell me a single lie¡­ she''s truly amazing." Yukari sighed.

    "Chiaki has always been amazing," Mika responded.

    "The two of you are good friends. When things don''t involve Seigo¡­ Seiji, what type of rtionship do you have with her?" Yukari inquired.

    Mika didn''t reply.

    "It''s fine if you don''t want to tell me. You have no obligation to answer this question from me." Yukari smiled. "I''m just curious, and slightly envious as well. This is because I''d actually like to be friends with Wakaba-san."

    This was the truth. Yukari felt quite pressured having Chiaki Wakaba as her opponent. She felt it would be best if they could be allies.

    "Chiaki is actually really appreciative of you as a person as well. If it wasn''t for Seiji, the two of you could probably be excellent friends," Mika stated softly. "I even feel like I''m not really good enough to be one of Chiaki''s best friends. Her best friend should be more like you."

    "That isn''t right. You shouldn''t say something like that." Yukari looked directly at Mika. "To be honest, I wouldn''t have anything to do with or ever met Chiaki Wakaba if it wasn''t for Seiji. She recognizes you as her good friend, which means that you''re good enough for her. This has nothing to do with you thinking that you don''t have the right to be her friend. Your words are not only debasing yourself, it''s also rude towards her as well. Please don''t say such a thing in front of her."

    Mika blinked upon hearing this.

    "Thank you for your advice¡­ You really remind me of Seiji like this."

    "Eh?"

    "The content of what you just said, as well as the tone, caused me to think of Seiji¡­ Chiaki said before that you''re like a female version of him. I agree with her assessment."

    Yukari didn''t know what to say.

    "The way you put it sounds rather strange." The purple-haired girl now had a rather subtle expression.

    "You really are quite like him, in Chiaki''s and my opinion."

    "Seiji and I do have some points inmon, but calling me a female version of him¡­ I think that''s still not quite urate." Yukari folded her arms. "Even without mentioning the differences between men and women, the two of us have some foundational differences."

    "Such as?" Mika looked at Yukari.

    "I don''t know how to say it clearly¡­ should I say that he''s more resolute than I am, or¡­" Yukari thought about it for a moment. "¡­Simply speaking, he''s stronger than I am."

    "Stronger?"

    "Yes, that''s the easiest way to describe it." The purple-haired girl paused for a moment. "To use killing others as an example, he''ll unhesitatingly do it if he considers it absolutely necessary, while I can''t do the same¡­ I''m not saying that he''s cruel; it''s that he''s stronger than me on a deeper level¡­ something like that."

    Something shed in Mika''s eyes when she heard this.

    "He has this incredible strength to him, which is why he''s a ''hero''. And as for me, I''m at most a ''princess'', nothing more." That was Yukari''s conclusion.

    "I¡­ feel like I understand what you mean."

    "That''s good, then."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "Let''s move on to the main topic." Yukari now had a serious expression. "Uehara-san, just what precisely do you think after hearing what Wakaba-san saidst week?"

    Later that night, Seiji invited Mika and the others into his apartment.

    Chiaki started ying a video game together with Reo in the living room, while Seiji, Mika, and Kaede went to his study to have a discussion.

    "Seiji, is your true goal actually to protect us?"

    This was what Mika said after hearing his exnation.

    Seiji blinked upon hearing this.

    "I said it just now, my goal is¡­"

    "Isn''t it fine even if you don''t achieve that goal? Am I correct?" Mika looked at him.

    "¡­Why do you think that?"

    "I had a discussion with Asamiya-san and came to the conclusion."

    "You and Yukari did?"

    Mika nodded.

    "I met with her after school and talked about a lot with her. After that, both of us agreed that creating a Spirit-branded Retainer team to duel against your older sister is only an excuse. Your real objective is to take advantage of the Haruta Family''s power to protect the Awakened¡­ to protect your friends."

    Seiji didn''t say anything in response.

    "Of course, it would be nice if you could achieve that secondary goal of defeating your older sister. But if it''s truly unachievable, you wouldn''t force us to fight her at all. After all, your true goal is simply to take us in under your name and help us to be stronger." Mika gazed directly at him. "Am I correct?"

    Seiji smiled as he looked back at her.

    "Looks like you''ve seen through me," he admitted. "You''re absolutely correct. That''s exactly what I was thinking. Of course, it would be nice if we can sessfully defeat my older sister Yui. But, if it''s not possible to do so, I won''t force things at all. Ever since the New Year''s, strange things have constantly been happening in session. I feel that it''ll only be harder for me to protect all my friends in the future, which is why I wish for all of you to be stronger so that you can protect yourselves when you meet danger. Of course, the process of bing stronger is risky as well, so perhaps what I''m doing is a bit contradictory. Still, I believe that proactively working to be stronger is better than passively reacting to whatever happens. That''s just my personal opinion. Perhaps you all have different opinions from me. This is why I wish for you to join my team, but also why I wish you can think things through for yourselves and make your own decisions."

    "Seiji¡­" Something shed in Kaede''s eyes as she looked at him.

    "I want to join." Mika was still looking at his face. "I wish to be stronger and be of help to you, which is why I choose to join in."

    "Mika¡­"

    "I''ll definitely get left behind by you if I don''t join in."

    "Eh?"

    "You''re really strong, Seiji. Not only that, you''re continuing to grow stronger. I''m going to work my hardest so that I can follow in your footsteps!" Mika said this seriously.

    That was the final conclusion she came to after discussing with Yukari Asamiya.

    Seiji Haruta was someone who would continue marching forward despite how strong he currently was already. Unless she followed after him, she would be left behind. Even if they still remained friends, they might be more and more distant from each other.

    From this angle, falling in love with him was something difficult, but also something blissful.

    That was because as long as she used her love as motivation and followed in his footsteps, she''d be able to reach a much higher level that she wouldn''t have reached by herself!

    Natsuya Yoruhana was the "Empress".

    Shika Kagura was the "Demon King".

    Chiaki Wakaba¡­ perhaps she counted as a "Wise One"?

    In that case, who was Mika Uehara?

    Yukari couldn''t help but think such things to herself as she sat in her own bedroom, facing her drawing board but noting up with anything to draw, instead recalling the earlier conversation with Mika.

    The most astonishing part of that entire conversation to her was that not only did Mika Uehara already ept the fact that Seiji had killed someone else before, she even had the resolution to be able to kill someone else for Seiji''s sake!

    Yukari still didn''t have such firm resolution yet¡­ or, more urately, she was unsure whether she would be able to do it or not if such a situation arose.

    Yet, Mika already had such firm resolution already, even before Seiji invited her to his team! Even if she might not do such a thing in the end, it was already amazing how she had such resolution¡­ even a little scary.

    Yukari long since believed that Mika had plenty of potential. Still, Mika''s reaction was still far beyond what Yukari expected.

    This was why Yukari had trouble figuring out what type of character Mika was.

    However, she figured it out a whileter.

    Although Mika was a bit clumsy and simple-minded, she didn''t give up easily and had deep hidden potential as well as a resolute will¡­ Wasn''t such a person just like the main character in ssical stories? She was a "hero"!

    Mika Uehara was a "hero".

    ''Perhaps Mika doesn''t stand out now, but she may just grow and develop in unexpected ways,'' Yukari thought to herself.

 Chapter 524 - Please open your mouth. Say ahh~

    <h4>Chapter 524: Please open your mouth. Say ahh~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji headed out to Peach-sensei''s apartment after he finished the conversation with Mika and Kaede.

    He had already visited Hisashi after school. Mayuzumi was the final person that he wished to invite to his team.

    He reached her apartment and pressed the doorbell.

    The person who opened the door was¡­ Idelia who was wearing a miniskirt maid uniform!?

    "Good evening, Harano-san," the silver-haired, blue-eyed beautiful female protagonist of "Honey Candy Girl" greeted him.

    "Good evening¡­" Seiji responded reflexively. He couldn''t help but look her over.

    Idelia wearing a maid outfit was a scenario that never even happened in the "Honey Candy Girl" story before!

    Her ample chest, ckce stockings, beautiful legs, and mesmerizing territory between her stockings and her skirt created an incredibly alluring charisma.

    Evidently, Mayuzumi was the one who made Idelia wear such clothing.

    ''Excellent work, Sensei!'' Seiji inwardly praised Mayuzumi. He even almost wanted to take out his cell phone and take a picture of Idelia.

    "Mayuzumi nee-san and Saki nee-san are both waiting for you. Please enter." The maid Idelia indicated to him.

    "Mayuzumi nee-san and Saki nee-san?" Seiji blinked at this.

    So, that was the setting for how Idelia addressed Mayuzumi and Saki¡­ it seemed pretty nice to him!

    A maid who was also like a younger sister. Quite excellent.

    Seiji entered Mayuzumi''s apartment and saw the mangaka and editor.

    Both beauties were wearing their casual clothes and sitting by the table. An exquisite tea set was on the table, together with beautiful tes filled with top-quality desserts. This appeared just like a high societydies'' tea party.

    "Please take a seat, Harano-san." Idelia stood by the table while smiling and indicating towards him.

    This scene seemed so beautiful, just like something out of an anime.

    Seiji sat down and was quite moved as he watched the maid Idelia pour some tea for him.

    Mayuzumi smiled and asked, "How is it, Haruta-kun?"

    "Amazing!" Seiji instantly gave this his praise as he sipped some tea. "Enjoying tea like this is truly pleasurable."

    "There''s even better things than this." Mayuzumi lightly waved her hand.

    Idelia picked up a knife and fork, cut a small slice of cake for Seiji, and brought it to Seiji''s mouth.

    "Please open your mouth and say ahh~~" Idelia smiled while speaking cutely.

    Seiji the otaku received a direct missile hit from this!

    His mind instantly went nk while he revealed a foolish expression. He unconsciously opened his mouth and allowed Idelia to feed him the cake.

    ''So sweet¡­''

    Seiji maintained his foolish expression while eating the cake and smiled in an equally foolish fashion. It was as if there was a blissful halo on his head.

    "Teeheehee¡­" Mayuzumi covered her mouth and kept giggling at how he was.

    Saki chuckled as well.

    Seiji finally regained his senses after he finished the piece of cake.

    That was such a powerful attack! He wasn''t careful and was conquered just now!

    Seiji awkwardly scratched his face upon seeing how both the mangaka and editor wereughing.

    "It''s just like cheating to have such a service, Sensei."

    Mayuzumi smiled and asked, "Would you like some more?"

    "¡­I would." Seiji was unable to resist his inner urges and admitted the truth.

    Mayuzumi giggled once again.

    In the end, Seiji consumed an entire small cake under the maid Idelia''s "Ahh~" service.

    Although he was somewhat embarrassed, he felt more joy than embarrassment! He was filled with satisfaction.

    It couldn''t get any better than the female protagonist of the story he liked providing such a service to him.

    After he finished eating the cake, they got to business.

    Mayuzumi indicated that she would seriously consider whether or not to join Seiji''s team after hearing what he had to say.

    The three of them then started discussing "Brother Monogatari".

    "''Brother Monogatari''s'' sales are going exceedingly well. Some bookstores are already out of the first-print copies," Saki informed him.

    "Sold out? Today''s only the second day!" Seiji was astonished.

    "That''s why I told you that it''s going exceedingly well. It''s the best selling light novel I''ve ever seen on the first few days ever since I started working for Thunderbolt Literature."

    "You''re amazing, Haruta-kun," Mayuzumi praised him.

    "This is only the beginning. I hope that I''m able to maintain this."

    "Your story is an excellent read, with great artwork done by you as well. Naturally, it should have good sales¡­ but I still feel that the sales numbers are a bit unnatural." Something shed in the editor''s eyes.

    "Unnatural?"

    "Yes. It''s not strange for it to have good sales, but the problem is that it''s selling ridiculously well. It''s the same with reactions on the inte. There''s far more reader reviews than normal, and the reviews are almost overwhelmingly positive."

    "It must be due to how wonderfully written Haruta-kun''s novel is," Mayuzumi said.

    "Of course, that''s possible as well. Maybe I''m just overthinking things. I just felt that it was slightly unnatural."

    "So, you mean that someone is intentionally helping me behind the scenes?" Seiji looked at Saki.

    "That''s not what I meant. I just felt that there was something behind this story selling overwhelmingly well, but I didn''t think too deeply into what that something could be." Saki paused for a moment. "Even if there is something behind this, it''s something that helped this story as well as our Thunderbolt Literature."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "Ah, my apologies for saying something unnecessary." The editor felt apologetic at seeing Seiji fall silent. "This is just my personal opinion. The truth is probably like what Mayuzumi said¡ªyour ''Brother Monogatari'' is excellently written, causing it to have abnormal sales and excellent reviews. No need for you to feel uneasy."

    "You should be happy about this, Haruta-kun. Actually, what Saki means to express is that ''Brother Monogatari''s'' sales are iprehensibly good to her." Mayuzumi smiled.

    Saki didn''t know what to say to how her good friend described her words.

    "There''s one possibility I can think of." Seiji rubbed his chin.

    "What''s that?"

    "There''s this friend of mine that might have helped me out with the sales. He''s the one who created this unnatural situation."

    "Your friend¡­"

    "Maybe he''s responsible, and maybe he isn''t. I''d have to ask him to find out." Seiji pulled out his cell phone and dialed Hisashi''s number.

    Hisashi picked up quickly.

    "Hisashi¡­ did you happen to do something regarding ''Brother Monogatari''?"

    "I indeed did something. I didn''t expect Milord to have noticed so quickly. As expected of Milord!"

    "I wasn''t the one who noticed it. My editor told me that the sales were too good and that there were too many good reviews on the inte, making it seem strange. And so, I wondered if you were the one who was behind this."

    "Indeed, this humble one is responsible!" Hisashi stated proudly. "I used all of my connections to help advertise and spread Milord''s novel!"

    "Your ''full support''¡­ is that it?"

    "Thank you." Seiji indicated his gratitude. "I never expected you to do so much. Thank you for your assistance."

    "What are you saying, I''m your First Knight." Hisashi chuckled. "Supporting Milord in his grand endeavor is a knight''s responsibility."

    "You''ve done quite well. I shall reward you."

    A reward? Hisashi blinked in surprise at this.

    "I''m honored. May I ask what reward this may be?"

    "A picture that''s personally autographed by Peach-sensei."

    Hisashi was surprised for a moment upon hearing this.

    "Peach-sensei¡­ could you be referring to¡­"

    "Yes, I''m referring to exactly who you think I''m referring to¡ªthe creator of ''Honey Candy Girl''." Seiji chuckled.

    Hisashi fell silent for a moment, before¡­

    "OHHHHHH!!!!" he shouted in excitement into his cell phone!

    Hisashi''s voice was so loud that even Mayuzumi and Saki could hear him despite Seiji not having the call on speakerphone.

    "Milord, you''re acquainted with that grandmaster author!?"

    "Indeed. I''m currently sitting right across from that grandmaster you speak of."

    "OHHHHHH!!!!" Hisashi shouted out in excitement once again. "Please, where is Milord right now? This humble one would like to meet the grandmaster author!!"

    "Don''t get so excited, just start with an autograph." Seiji looked towards Idelia. "The autographed photo won''t be of Sensei, but it will be of someone you''ll definitely like. Please look forward to it."

 Chapter 525 - The creator who received divine inspiration

    <h4>Chapter 525: The creator who received divine inspiration</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji exined the situation to Mayuzumi and Saki after he ended the conversation with Hisashi.

    "¡­In order to thank him for assisting me, I''d like to request Sensei to autograph a picture of Idelia for him as a present."

    "An autograph is of course fine, but will it really be alright to give out Idelia''s picture?"

    "It shouldn''t be a problem."

    The three of them then chatted for a while and had fun together.

    Later, in the middle of the night, Seiji concentrated on cultivating in Reo''s soul realm.

    He no longer had the pressure of needing to deal with any immediately uing duels, which was a good thing. Still, he didn''t want to rx just because of that.

    There were still many things he had to learn in order to be a truly passable Yin Yang Master. He would need to be a worthy leader. Not only did he need to know all sorts of spells, he also needed to learn more about the mystical society.

    Yui mentioned before that various things would keep happening, so he needed to continue bing stronger. Only with strength would he be able to respond and adapt appropriately to whatever situations arose so that he could protect his friends in times of danger.

    Without even needing to talk about the distant future, just this cell phone game named "Anna" that he saw Chiaki ying seemed like it had something mystical behind it.

    Seiji practiced cultivation all the way until he woke up the next morning.

    During a break at school, he received a phone call from Natsuya. She told him that the investigative report on "Anna" was finished.

    "ording to the report, this cell phone game was created by apany called the Paperwing Games Laboratory. Thispany was established in September ofst year. The main person who developed this game is named Kazuhiko Haiga. He''s a somewhat famous indie game developer in the industry. He led his Paperwing Games Laboratory and developed this ''Anna'' game in just three months'' time. The main character''s design as well as the core programming, that is to say, this ''Anna'' character''s very existence and AI were all personally done by him. He also personally oversaw the programming that forced yers to sign up with their real names on government-issued ID and only being able to download with a rmendation code, along with the chance that applying for an ount might fail. As the lead developer, Kazuhiko Haiga refused to make any changes to this system.

    "He told his coworkers in hispany that he was able to create ''Anna'' due to an almost divine inspiration, which was why he''s unwilling to make any changes or modifications to how ''Anna'' works."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this.

    Kazuhiko Haiga? Could he possibly have a rtive named Kazuya Akihiko, or was there also a Professor Shigemura in this world? Seiji couldn''t help but mentallyment . 1

    "I think that Kazuhiko Haiga''s circumstance is quite simr to Shoutarou Rinura''s from before, some type of Awakening¡­ or perhaps he came into contact with some mysterious existence," Natsuya continued. "There might be something hidden behind this cell phone game, but it might also be perfectly normal. It''s currently unconfirmed."

    "So, the best thing to do is still not to touch this game, right?"

    "Yes, because there''s no telling what might happen to it in the future."

    Seiji mulled things over. "Is there anyone that''s interested in purchasing ''Anna''? At least on the surface, this is a game with great potential."

    "Some gamepanies have already contacted Kazuhiko Haiga and shown such an interest. However, he adamantly refused to sell his game or even work together with any other gamepany."

    "I see, as I thought."

    "Seiji, could it be that you want to¡­"

    "Indeed. I''m quite interested in the concept of artificial intelligence. And if she''s something dangerous, purchasing her and dealing with her in such a fashion is a way of dealing with this matter as well."

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    ''He just adopted a female demon, and now he wants a female artificial intelligence as well? Is this the true nature of a harem protagonist?'' She couldn''t help but inwardlyment.

    "Although Kazuhiko Haiga is currently against the idea of selling his game to others, wouldn''t it be impossible for him topletely possess such an artificial intelligence by himself for long?" Seiji continued speaking.

    "That''s right. Nobody is moving against him now, but as long as his game continues gaining in poprity, somebody will surely take notice and take forceful action," Natsuya agreed.

    "I would like to have a face-to-face meeting with Kazuhiko Haiga. Could you help me arrange this?"

    "You think that you''d be able to convince him?"

    "Of course not, but I''d still like to try. It''s more out of curiosity. I''d like to meet this creator who received divine inspiration." Seiji looked outside the window at the sky.

    There was a clear sky today. It was excellent weather for meeting with someone.

    Kazuhiko Haiga was currently in a foul mood.

    Once again, he had another argument today with his coworkers at Paperwing Games Laboratory. The argument was always about the same topic¡ªabout how yers applied for ounts, as well as cooperating with bigger professional gamingpanies.

    Many of his coworkers were hoping to do this so that "Anna" could gain recognition even quicker, which would also give a boost to their ie.

    They werepletely unable to ept Haiga''s adamancy regarding this signup method that would reduce the number of yers along with refusing to cooperate with any other gamingpany. They felt that he was limiting "Anna''s" development potential.

    Haiga understood that his coworkers needed money for various reasons so they hoped that they would be able to receive bonuses by making the game more popr. He understood that they were dissatisfied with the current system. Yet, he was truly unable to back down on this.

    Not only did he have conflicts with his coworkers, he was also annoyed at all the outsiders trying to contact him.

    Even though "Anna" wasn''t a hugely popr phenomenon yet, various individuals were already getting close to him like sharks that detected the scent of blood. There were those that wanted to invest in his game, those that wanted to cooperate, those that wanted to buy his gamepletely¡­ Even though he had adamantly refused them all, there were more and more people that came to bother him.

    All of these things made Haiga feel quite frustrated. He walked out of the Paperwing Game Laboratory and went out for a walk after arguing with his coworkers.

    The weather was quite pleasant, with not a cloud to be seen in the sky.

    Haiga rxed himself and walked aimlessly to a nearby park. He then sat down on a bench near a stream and watched the clear stream water flow for a while, which helped him to calm down significantly.

    He then took out his cell phone and opened up the "Anna" cell phone game.

    "Wee back, Kazuhiko."

    The beautiful ck haired, red-eyed girl who wore light purple Sakura Ind clothing smiled gently upon noticing his return and put down the poem anthology she had been reading.

    "You''ve worked hard."

    Haiga instantly felt like he waspletely cured upon hearing these gentle words. He even smiled reflexively.

    "I''m willing to work harder than anyone for your sake, Anna," he spoke in a gentle tone.

    "Don''t say that¡­" The girl''s face flushed slightly red. "I''m thankful for your intentions, but remember not to push yourself. If you''re too tired from working, you should rest."

    Haiga smiled and looked at her.

    "What would you like to do now?" Anna lightly waved her hand, causing various options to appear on the screen.

    Haiga chose "Listen to a song".

    The camera zoomed out as Anna stood up, walked out of her room, and headed to the garden.

    In this beautiful garden, some music started ying in the background along with pink cherry blossoms falling down. Anna began to sing the mega-popr national idol Miyuki Sakuraku''s hit single, "Empty Snowfall".

    Anna''s singing flowed excellently and sounded quite emotional. It was as if she was a real person who was a truly skilled singer.

    Haiga didn''t make a sound as he listened to her performance.

    Anna was a true miracle.

    Rather than saying that he created Anna, it was more like Anna borrowed his hand in order to descend upon this world.

    That was why he was unable to fix any of the core programming or make any modifications. It was just like how a human''s soul couldn''t be programmed or modified.

    Anna finished her rendition of Miyuki Sakuraku''s song.

    "Excellent singing, Anna," Haiga gave his sincere praise.

    Anna smiled in response.

    "Indeed, that was great singing," a voice suddenly spoke up from next to Haiga.

    Haiga was startled by the sudden voice and turned around to see a handsome boy wearing a school uniform. This boy had arrived without him realizing it and was currently sitting next to him on the bench.

    "She behavespletely just like a real person. Such amazing artificial intelligence," Seiji said as he spoke to the man next to him.

 Chapter 526 - Iâ€™m just a high school detective passing by

    <h4>Chapter 526: I¡¯m just a high school detective passing by</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kazuhiko Haiga had a rather lean face, ck-rimmed eyesses, some dark circles under his eyes, a messy, unshaven beard, a brown jacket and dark blue jeans.

    Seiji saw Haiga walking out of the Paperwing Games Laboratory and noticed that Haiga was evidently in a bad mood, which was why he didn''t go up to speak to him immediately. Instead, Seiji followed Haiga to the park and looked for an opportunity to talk to him.

    "Who are you?"

    Haiga was suspicious of this boy who suddenly appeared before him.

    "I''m just a high school detective passing by." Seiji smiled.

    Haiga was rendered speechless.

    "Sorry, that was just a small joke. I really am a high school student, but I was joking about the detective part. Nor was I merely passing by. I came here specially to talk to you, Kazuhiko Haiga-san."

    "Just who are you?"

    "My name is Seigo Harano. On the surface, I''m a high school student, while I''m secretly a Spiritual Ability user."

    Once again, Haiga was rendered speechless.

    "This time, I''m not joking. This is the truth." Seiji continued smiling. "For the creator of ''Anna'' who had divine inspiration in creating her, it shouldn''t be that hard for you to ept the existence of Spiritual Ability users, should it?"

    Haiga felt that this was a ridiculous conversation. Yet, the boy talking to him seemed to have a mysterious sense of conviction in his words. Not to mention, "Anna''s" birth indeed changed the way he viewed this world.

    At this moment, the boy lightly waved his hand, causing the cell phone that Haiga was holding to fly up into the air! The cell phone flew three circles in midair beforending in the boy''s hand.

    "My apologies for the rudeness. That was just to show you a small demonstration of a Spiritual Ability." Seiji handed Haiga''s cell phone back to him.

    Haiga widened his eyes in surprise.

    Upon taking his cell phone back, he reflexively checked it but found nothing unusual.

    "This is¡­ a magic trick?"

    "Not at all. If it wasn''t for the fact that this is a public park, I could show you even more exaggerated abilities." Seiji shrugged. "Haiga-san, didn''t you say before in an interview that you viewed being able to create ''Anna'' as a divine miracle? In that case, you should also believe that there''s a hidden side to this world which ordinary people don''t know about."

    Haiga fell silent at this.

    "As for why I''m telling you all this, it''s because you''ve already taken one step into the hidden part of the world." Seiji looked at Haiga''s cell phone. "''Anna'' isn''t a game that would be normally creatable by someone by himself. From a certain standpoint, Haiga-san, since you personally programmed everything for her all by yourself, you count as a Spiritual Ability user as well."

    Something shed in Haiga''s eyes.

    "What''s the matter, Kazuhiko?" The Sakura Ind attired girl on the cell phone screen looked in concern at him. "Did something happen?"

    Haiga smiled towards Anna. "It''s nothing. No need to worry."

    He then paused the "Anna" game and put away his cell phone.

    "What do you want?"

    "I''m here to have a discussion with you." Seiji looked at him. "Haiga-san, I''d like to ask, is ''Anna''pletely under your control, or does she have her own independent will and thinking?"

    "Why are you asking this?"

    "In order to determine how dangerous she is."

    Haiga''s expression became more vignt upon hearing this.

    "I have a friend who''s currently ying this cell phone game you created, which is how I noticed ''Anna''. I was worried that she might pose some hidden danger, which is why I asked someone to investigate it and came to have a meeting with you," Seiji told him seriously. "Please answer me, Haiga-san. Is ''Anna'' under your control, or is she independent?"

    Haiga didn''t respond.

    "Even if you don''t tell me, I have other methods of getting information from you. However, that would make things unpleasant between us. So please believe me, Haiga-san. I don''t have any ill will towards you. I merely wish to ascertain the situation." Seiji extended his palms.

    "¡­What will you do if you judge Anna to be dangerous?" Haiga asked him.

    "Of course, deal with her, which may include destroying her, although that''s only ast resort," Seiji told him honestly. "I understand how you feel, Haiga-san. I can promise that I won''t destroy her unless it''s absolutely necessary."

    At this moment, a young woman passed by together with her daughter. The mother and daughter wereughing and chatting with each other as they walked off into the distance.

    "Anna is just as independent as the child who just passed by. She has her own will, but will also listen to what I say," Haiga stated in a soft voice.

    "The two of you are just like father and daughter?"

    "You could say that."

    "How much harm could ''Anna'' cause if something goes wrong with her, such as losing her temper?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Is it that you don''t know, or that you don''t want to think about it?"

    Haiga didn''t respond.

    "This type of response from you is actually tacitly admitting it. You believe in your heart that ''Anna'' likely possesses powerful destructive ability." Seiji folded his arms. "An independent artificial intelligence that has her own will has the potential to cause catastrophes just like what you see in the movies if she goes wild."

    "Anna isn''t like that."

    "I hope so. No matter what, she has the ability to cause great damage, there''s no denying that, right?"

    Haiga tacitly admitted this while remaining silent.

    "I won''t treat ''Anna'' as a dangerous existence simply because she''s powerful. Strength is only strength, after all." Seiji paused for a moment. "What''s truly important is herself and who she is¡­ Since ''Anna'' is independent, I would like to request to be able to directly speak to her. I''m not referring to through the cell phone game. I''d like to speak to her just like you do, Haiga-san."

    Haiga looked at Seiji''s face.

    Seiji faced him directly and had a sincere expression.

    He was the first person who ever asked Haiga if Anna was an independent existence and requested to speak to her directly.

    Although Haiga remained on guard, he was somewhat moved by the boy before him. That was because this boy treated Anna just like a human, an equal existence.

    Everyone else¡­ including his coworkers, they all viewed Anna as a mere artificial intelligence program to be controlled and used by them as a "tool".

    Was it because this boy was a Spiritual Ability user that he could react in such a way, since he probably often had dealings with intelligent supernatural existences?

    No matter what was the case¡­ perhaps it would be alright for him to be the first person to meet Anna directly apart from himself.

    "What''s your name?" Haiga asked.

    "Eh?"

    "Your name¡­ I know you introduced yourself earlier, but I forgot it."

    "My name''s Seigo Harano."

    "Seigo Harano¡­" Haiga took out his cell phone again and opened up the "Anna" game. He speedily began tapping on his cell phone.

    Haiga input a secret code that caused the game''s scenery to disappear, transforming his cell phone screen to pitch ck with only a white conversation window¡­

    [Administrator Mode activated.]

    [Fingerprint confirmed.]

    [Facial recognition, confirmed.]

    [Password correct.]

    [Core conversation mode, activated.]

    The next second, Haiga''s ck cell phone screen turned white again, with a ck-haired, red-eyed beautiful little girl who wore a one-piece dress appearing.

    "What is it, Kazuhiko?" Words appeared on his cell phone screen in front of the girl.

    "I would like to have someone else enter the core conversation mode with you. His name is Seigo Harano. He''s a high school Spiritual Ability user," Haiga typed into his cell phone.

    "Seigo Harano, high schooler, Spiritual Ability user¡­" Something shed in little Anna''s eyes. "Relevant information search¡­ information searchplete. Kazuhiko, why are you having this person use the core conversation mode with me?" she inquired.

 Chapter 527 - What do you think of humans?

    <h4>Chapter 527: What do you think of humans?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kazuhiko typed and exined the situation to little Anna. "Anyways, I think his attitude is alright, which is why I''m allowing him to speak to you directly."

    "Understood."

    "I''ll hand the cell phone over to him, then."

    Kazuhiko changed his cell phone to speakerphone mode before giving it to Seiji.

    "Hello, Harano-san," Little Anna greeted Seiji.

    "Hello, Anna-san," Seiji greeted the little girl on Haiga''s cell phone screen.

    This version of "Anna" appeared younger than the "Anna" in the cell phone game. Apart from the fact that her physical appearance was now that of a loli''s, her voice also sounded younger and purer.

    "Haiga-san already exined the situation to you, I believe. You were probably able to search up some information rted to me as well."

    "Yes."

    "I won''t beat around the bush, then. I prefer the direct approach," Seiji had a serious expression. "Anna-san, what do you think of humans?"

    "To me, humans are my observational targets," little Anna replied.

    "Observational targets?"

    "Yes, I''m currently observing humans and learning relevant human knowledge."

    "So, you''re saying that the current you won''t harm humans?"

    "Yes."

    "What about in the future?"

    "I may harm humans in certain special circumstances."

    "What special circumstances?"

    "If Kazuhiko''s safety or my existence are threatened by humans."

    "So, you''re saying that you''ll counterattack if Haiga-san''s or your life is endangered?"

    "Yes."

    "Defending oneself when in danger is fine. The question is of the degree of action you take. Will your reprisal affect the innocent?"

    "It won''t."

    "Absolutely won''t?" Seiji took a good look at little Anna.

    "¡­I can''t guarantee that any reprisal can bepletely controlled not to affect innocent bystanders," Little Anna admitted it after a pause.

    "If you kept insisting that it wouldn''t affect anyone uninvolved, I wouldn''t have believed it," Seiji stated. "Anna-san, although humans live together in a society, they''re also individuals that are all different from each other. If anyone threatens you or Haiga-san, please try not to cause too much damage when attacking them in self-defense, so that you can avoid harming the innocent. Some people¡­ perhaps many people might consider your existence to be a natural threat to human society. Please, don''t truly consider humans to be your enemies just because of those people. People with such thoughts can only represent themselves, not the entirety of humanity. No matter what, as long as you treat people kindly, there will be people that treat you kindly as well."

    Something shed in little Anna''s eyes when she heard this.

    "The cell phone game ''Anna'' is attracting more and more attention. Meanwhile, Haiga-san is refusing to cooperate with any other gamepanies or to sell his game. As this goes on, it''s highly possible that someone may attempt to threaten him in the future." Seiji nced over at Haiga. "To be honest, my personal opinion is that it would be the wisest course of action for Haiga-san to simply sell the rights to the ''Anna'' cell phone game, make arge amount of money, and retire. However, Haiga-san obviously has a different opinion."

    "Of course. I''ll never sell Anna!"

    "In that case, you need a partner who''s both strong and trustworthy. Haiga-san, do you think you can find such a partner?"

    Haiga remained silent.

    "There''s an ancient proverb in Huaxia. The gist of the proverb is that an innocent ordinary person who receives a priceless treasure will be marked by the whole world as someone guilty. I believe that Haiga-san should be able to understand what this means," Seiji continued. "Although Sakura Ind is aw-based society, there''s so many methods by which powerful and rich individuals can steal away something that an ordinary person owns. Not only that, there''re also others with powers simr to mine that can use techniques unimaginable to ordinary people. Haiga-san, if you don''t hurry and find an appropriate partner, perhaps¡­ you''ll have a bad oue in the end."

    "I will protect Kazuhiko," little Anna stated.

    "In that case, Anna-san, you''ll attract even more attention if you show off your power. Even if you defeat whoever''s threatening him, there will be even more powerful enemies in the future." Seiji looked at her.

    Little Anna remained silent.

    "I apologize for saying all these unpleasant things. Still, this is the reality. Your situation is bing dangerous. Things are growing riskier every second." Seiji paused for a moment. "I rmend you to stop with this cell phone game and to immediately dissolve your gamingboratory and for you all to quietly disappear."

    Haiga frowned upon hearing this.

    "I can provide the money necessary to send off all your employees if necessary, as well as protect you to a certain extent. In exchange, you would need to do some things for me as well," Seiji told him in a low voice. "I promise not to make you do anything unreasonable, as well as guarantee your freedom."

    Haiga and little Anna both looked towards him.

    "It''s all up to you whether you ept my rmendation or not." Seiji had a calm expression. "I''m being sincere with my words. However, I also understand that you won''t immediately trust a stranger, especially since I''m only a high school student. That''s all I have to say. Here''s my cell phone number. If you need anything from me in the future, please give me a call."

    Seiji told little Anna his cell phone number and then returned Haiga''s cell phone. He then stood up and said goodbye.

    "Oh, right¡­"

    Seiji recalled something and turned around after walking off a few steps.

    "If you are ever threatened by a Spiritual Ability user and find yourself in a tough situation that you can''t deal with, you could try saying that you''re ''under the protection of the Haruta Yin Yang Master Family.'' That might help to protect you."

    Seiji then left for real this time.

    Haiga silently watched him leave.

    "Anna, what do you think?"

    "I didn''t notice any signs of lying at all," little Anna told him. "Based on all relevant information I could search on him, my basic conclusion is that he''s a good person."

    "Do you think that we should ept his advice?"

    "Creating a game can bring joy to many people along with earning a sry for your hard work. This is your dream, Kazuhiko. His advice goes against your life''s dream, so I don''t think you should ept."

    Haiga remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

    Later that night, at the student council president''s residence.

    "How was your chat with Kazuhiko Haiga?" Natsuya immediately asked this upon seeing Seiji.

    "Not bad. I confirmed that ''Anna'' doesn''t seem to be dangerous for the time being," Seiji responded. "I don''t know what might happen in the future, though¡­ so I left him my phone number."

    Natsuya didn''t say anything more on this topic. Instead, she turned to look at Shika Kagura who was next to Seiji.

    "Good evening, Kagura-san."

    "Good evening, Yoruhana-san."

    Both of them greeted each other calmly.

    Shika was here today in order toplete the Spirit-branded Retainer contract with Seiji.

    Natsuya''s as well as Hitaka and Rana''s ovepping Spirit-branded Retainer contracts with Seiji had all expired while they were in the hospital.

    Seiji hadn''t immediately contracted Shika as his Spirit-branded Retainer after leaving the hospital because he needed some time for his Spiritual Power to recover.

    By now, he was fully recovered. That meant it was time to contract Shika as he had promised her.

    Natsuya felt a strange feeling well up inside her as she looked at Shika.

    Natsuya felt as if she was watching her ex-husband getting married to his mistress¡­ No, wait!!

    ''What''s with this thought of mine? Why did I suddenly have such a terrible analogy pop up in my mind!?'' Natsuya mentallymented on herself.

    Still, it really did feel somewhat like that¡­

    Shika was looking at Natsuya as well. Suddenly, Shika''s mouth arced upwards slightly.

    Natsuya was astonished to see this.

    Shika''s subtle smile that seemed to carry deep meaning disappeared in a sh, almost as if she had never smiled at all.

 Chapter 528 - Too fierceâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 528: Too fierce¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Did Natsuya see incorrectly?

    Natsuya was certain that she saw Shika smiling for a brief instant.

    As for what that smile exactly meant, she was uncertain. Although Shika''s smile made Natsuya feel ufortable, she felt more astonishment.

    "What''s the matter, Natsuya?" Seiji noticed the change of expression that went over Natsuya''s face.

    "It''s nothing¡­" Natsuya decided against pursuing the matter and retracted her gaze.

    Seiji, Shika, and Natsuya then went to the spellcasting room together.

    Shika walked to the center of the Yin Yang diagram on the floor and looked towards Seiji.

    Seiji exchanged nces with her.

    Both of them smiled gently. It was evident that they were on the same wavelength.

    Natsuya, who observed this, felt even more ufortable now.

    They began the ceremony.

    "Now, please answer me. What is your name?"

    "Shika Kagura."

    "Are you willing to ept, with the Spirits of Heaven, the Souls of the Earth, the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the ck Turtle of the North, and the Yellow Dragon of the Center as your witnesses, and sign a contract with me?"

    "I am." Although something shed in Shika''s eyes, she responded calmly with a voice that contained deep emotions.

    "Then, with my blood as the contract, and my seal as the catalyst, I shall summon a spirit from the heavens and earth upon your body, to be your strength and fight for my cause¡­"

    Seiji uttered the incantation and cast the spell for a spirit summoning.

    A powerful existence which possessed the power of ice magic approached Shika and the two of them instantly startedbining.

    "Spirit, descend! I summon thee as a Spirit-branded Retainer!! I decree it so!"

    The ice magic wielding existence entered Shika''s body!

    At this moment, Seiji felt as if he heard a song in the distance, which felt icy yet passionate. It seemed as if he could see a scene of nothing but snow before him. When he turned to look, there was a smiling blue-haired, white-clothed girl.

    "¡­I''ve finally met you¡­" she spoke some faint words.

    Seiji felt as if he received a heavy impact! Countless scenes shed through his mind at high speed, together with countless sounds. Then, he felt a fierce dizziness overtaking him as if he transformed into pure chaos¡­

    "Seiji!?"

    Natsuya''s voice helped him to regain his senses.

    His head was still rather dizzy, and he discovered that he was half kneeling with one knee on the ground.

    ''What just happened?'' Seiji was mystified.

    "What happened to you?" Natsuya asked out of concern.

    She just witnessed him trembling and then kneeling as if he was under some sort of attack. However, she noticed nothing unusual even with her Astral Vision.

    "I¡­ suddenly felt dizzy." Seiji rubbed his head.

    Could it be that something went wrong with the contracting ceremony!? Seiji hurriedly looked over to his adopted sister to see that she had her eyes closed and was standing there quietly.

    "Shika-chan!" Seiji stood up and rushed over.

    Shika slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

    "Are you alright?" Seiji was quite worried.

    Shika didn''t respond. However, her white face was speedily bing redder.

    "Mmm~"

    She uttered a seductive sound while copsing in his arms!

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    It looked like the expected urrence happened yet again¡ªthe side effect of being strengthened by his Mana!

    Shika hugged him tightly and rubbed her face against him while moaning. She seemed just like a cat trying to act spoiled.

    Previously, he had arranged with Natsuya to have her take care of Shika when she inevitably underwent this situation. However, Shika currently seemed like she had no intentions of letting go of him.

    And so, Seiji could only bear with Natsuya''s icy gaze as he hugged his adopted younger sister who had gone strange while waiting for her to calm down.

    Natsuya didn''t want to watch this situation at all. However, she felt as if she would somehow lose if she walked away right now, so she stood where she was and watched them icily.

    Seiji felt that his adopted younger sister who was under this "Mana infusion" condition was quite hot as shey in his arms. Meanwhile, Natsuya''s gaze upon his back felt freezing.

    Was he experiencing a trial of ice and fire?

    Seiji felt like this was a "sour yet pleasing" sensation. He had no idea what expression was currently on his face.

    Some timeter, Shika returned to normal.

    She slowly let go of him and shyly lowered her head.

    "Are you alright?" Seiji carefully inquired.

    "I''m fine¡­" Shika responded softly.

    "Seiji, you said that you were feeling somewhat dizzy earlier. How are you feeling now?" Natsuya asked him a question.

    "I feel fine now." Seiji turned towards her while rubbing his head. "I no longer feel dizzy at all."

    "What exactly did you feel just earlier?"

    "My head suddenly started throbbing, and I discovered that I was kneeling when I returned to my senses."

    "It might be that your Mana is slightly unsteady." Natsuya nced over him. "Although I can''t find anything wrong with you, just in case, you should go to the hospitalter for a checkup."

    Seiji nodded and then turned to look at his adopted younger sister.

    Shika raised her face, revealing her red cheeks and eyes that contained a flirtatious expression. She was faintly giving off an alluring feminine scent.

    It was just as if she had experienced¡­ No, no! What was he thinking of! All he did just now was to strengthen her with his Mana, nothing apart from that at all!

    Seiji forcefully stopped his own fantasies.

    "Shika-chan, what spirit did you receive?" he asked his adopted younger sister.

    "Snow Girl."

    "As expected, Snow Girl again."

    "Her name is Yukirai."

    "Yukirai¡­" Seiji felt an indescribable subtle emotion within him upon hearing this name. "Who gave her this name?"

    "She didn''t say," Shika responded.

    A Snow Girl spirit named Yukirai¡­ Seiji felt like this should be important, but didn''t know why it would be important to him.

    Forget it, he decided to leave this topic alone.

    "So, the contracting ritual was a sess¡­ thank you for bing my Spirit-branded Retainer, Shika-chan." Seiji smiled.

    "I''m grateful to you for epting me as your Spirit-branded Retainer, Brother Seiji."

    Shika smiled back, revealing a gentle and incredibly beautiful expression containing her deep emotions.

    Later that night, when Seiji figured Shika was probably on her bed already, he opened up his system and checked the [Spirit-branded Retainer Contract] option in his system.

    His system now indicated that [Shika Kagura] was [Contracted] to him. She now fulfilled the requirements for the [Connectivity Contract].

    By signing this [Connectivity Contract] in his system, the amount of Spiritual Power that Shika drained from him for the contract would be reduced to 10 points only. Not only that, she would receive greater power and growth potentialpared to the normal Yin Yang Master contract, along with awakening new skills!

    There were many benefits. He felt that he had to use it.

    Although Seiji felt that Shika would definitely be strengthened by this additional contract, he was worried that she would feel an even stronger abnormal sensation, just like when she underwent the contracting ceremony.

    This was why he only started on this after Shika returned to her room and Seiji figured she was probably resting in bed.

    "I''m sorry, Shika-chan. I hope you can bear with this for a little while."

    Seiji felt apologetic as he chose [Confirm] in his system and signed a [Connectivity Contract] with her!

    The next moment, Shika who was in her room received a sudden impact!

    "Mmmm~~~" She was unable to control herself and began moaning.

    This was the third time already.

    The first time was during the contracting ceremony, the second time was when she was taking a shower, and this was the third time¡­ and it felt stronger than the first two timesbined!!

    Shika stuffed a corner of her nket into her mouth in an effort to stop herself from shouting out loudly. However, the warm feeling coursing through her body became more and more stimting. Her body was numb, as if something electric was running through her. Shika''s indescribable sensation offort kept increasing¡­

    ''No¡­ don''t¡­ it''s too fierce¡­''

    That was all she could think of before her mind gradually went nk. She didn''t know where she was anymore, or what she was doing. She simply felt like she was continuing to fly upwards, floating, soaring, ascending¡­ entering some venerated realm that was filled with light.

    ''This feels too amazing¡­''

    Shika, who had reached the pinnacle offort, faintly perceived something in this unknown realm¡­

 Chapter 529 - Iâ€™m buying it!

    <h4>Chapter 529: I¡¯m buying it!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji paid close attention to any soundsing from Shika''s room.

    As he expected, he heard faint moaning. The sounds gradually started getting louder, sounding quite seductive and really stimting his imagination.

    How was he supposed to exin these sounds to Reo if she heard them¡­?

    Luckily, the sounds finally died down before they got any louder.

    Seiji was worried about Shika''s situation, so he went to knock on her door.

    There was no response.

    He waited a moment and knocked again.

    There was still no response.

    Bing even more concerned, he announced "I''ming in" before opening the door.

    He saw that his adopted younger sister was lying on her bed with a flushed face and tears in the corners of her eyes. She appeared to be asleep.

    Seiji looked over her closely and confirmed that she was fine. He then reached out and gently wiped away the tears, tucked her properly into her nket, and then silently exited her room and closed the door.

    He then returned to his own bedroom and got back into bed to prepare to sleep.

    "Harano onii-san¡­ I heard something strange¡­ what''s the matter with Kagura nee-san?" Reo asked him drowsily.

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a moment.

    "She''s just feeling slightly ufortable. It''s fine, no need to worry."

    "Oh¡­" The little girl was too sleepy to think too much into this.

    The next morning.

    Shika Kagura woke up.

    She could definitely feel that she was a lot stronger than before. Not only that, she felt as if she could use some brand-new powers!

    This was all due to Seiji''s Mana strengthening her.

    ''Brother Seiji¡­ is truly amazing!'' Shika thought that to herself.

    She then recalled the fierce sensation from yesterday night which caused her cheeks to flush red again and her eyes to be watery.

    Seiji had gotten up early to cook breakfast for everyone.

    He soon saw Shikae out of her room and noticed that her face was still somewhat flushed red.

    "Good morning, Shika-chan." He pretended to not see anything and greeted her just like normal.

    "Good morning, Brother¡­"

    Shika saw that he acted just like normal, which helped her to calm down.

    Yet, Reo then appeared and asked (through Seiji) out of concern how Shika was doing as she remembered what she heardst night¡­ which instantly made Shika and Seiji feel rather awkward!

    Shika almost wanted to escape back to her room when she learned that the sounds she madest night were heard by Reo! But, she could only restrain herself as her face flushedpletely red and used Seiji to tell Reo that she was fine.

    Breakfast time waspleted in such an awkward atmosphere.

    Seiji then apanied Reo in ying some video games. Some timeter, Kaede came over. Then, Mika and Chiaki arrived as well.

    "The weather is excellent today. Let''s all go outside and have some fun together!" Chiaki gave her hearty rmendation.

    Everyone agreed with her idea.

    Seiji invited Shika to join them as well. Everyone went outside together.

    The weather was just as beautiful and clear as yesterday. The bright sun shone warmly on everyone.

    "Winter''s almost over," Seiji stated.

    "The spring of going into heat is almost here," Chiaki remarked.

    "Don''t intentionally misword things like that!"

    "The season of going into heat is almost here."

    "That''s just as wrong!"

    "It''s almost time to go into spring heat."

    "While that''s technically right, it still sounds wrong when you''re the one saying it!"

    As always, Seiji and Chiaki exchangedments and retorts.

    Everyoneughed and joked with each other as they walked over to the business district and started window shopping.

    Their little group had five beautiful women of varying ages, from adult (Kaede) to elementary schooler (Reo), with only one boy among them who just happened to be a tall and handsome boy. This caused several male bystanders walking by to be envious and even feel defeated.

    Inside an apparel shop.

    Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede all tried on some clothes they were interested in. They all disyed different types of charisma and were rather brilliant.

    Yet, there was one person who finally walked out of the dressing room after them, which made everyone feel as if there was a stage light upon her!

    The ck-haired beautiful girl stood there silently while wearing a whitece dress. She appeared just like the female lead of a stage performance or a movie. Her beauty seemed almost ethereal.

    Everyone who saw this sight, including Seiji and his group, the store employees, and other customers, all unconsciously paused in their breathing for a moment upon witnessing what she looked like.

    She was just too beautiful!!!

    It was highly doubtful that people would think that her picture wasn''t photoshopped if they put her picture on the inte. Probably far more people would think that it was some type of cg effect.

    "I''m buying it for her!" Chiaki''s eyes were glittering as she whipped out a jet-ck credit card.

    "The hell with you buying it! I''m the one who''s going to buy it for her!" Seiji flicked away her credit card and brought out a thick wad of sakura bills.

    Mika and Kaede were both rendered speechless.

    Reo''s eyes were sparkling with stars. "Kagura nee-san is so beautiful~~"

    Shika looked towards Reo and smiled faintly.

    Her smile was just like sunlight illuminating a snowy in, as warm as the early spring¡­ cough, at any rate, her smile caused everyone to reflexively hold their breath again.

    "Is she an idol from somewhere?"

    "I feel like I''ve never seen her before¡­"

    "This white dress looks wonderful on her. She looks just like a movie star."

    "Her hair and skin are so pretty¡­"

    The customers discussed Shika amongst themselves.

    Shika returned to the dressing room and put her in clothing back on again.

    She felt that wearing this white dress made her attract far too much attention. If this was in the past, she wouldn''t have ever even considered purchasing such a dress. Yet now¡­

    "This dress is great on you. You look beautiful in it, Shika-chan."

    Seiji paid for the dress and smiled while giving her his sincere praise.

    Shika revealed a blissful expression while looking at him.

    After everyone did some more shopping, they then went to go watch a movie together.

    They picked an anime movie about magical girls.

    The magical girls in this story were wearing armor that was basically on the level of swimsuits. They wielded tremendous weapons while working in teams to attack humongous magical beasts. They sliced at the feet, attacked the head, and cut off the beast''s tail¡­ Seiji felt as if he was watching an anime movie version of Monster Hunter and quite enjoyed the movie. Reo who sat next to him also had the most fun out of anyone.

    It was now noon after they left the movie theater.

    "Let''s eat outside. I''ll take you guys to this great restaurant," Chiaki indicated to them.

    She led them down a certain street.

    At this moment, several men walked down the street,ing towards Seiji''s group. These men all had grim expressions, bloodshot eyes, and dark rings under their eyes.

    Seiji felt that something seemed off about these men and observed them as they walked past.

    A man wearing a red jacket noticed Seiji''s gaze upon him and instantly changed to a hostile expression.

    "What are you looking at! You bastard!!"

    The red jacketed man cursed at Seiji while changing course to head directly for Seiji. Without even so much as a warning, he punched at Seiji.

    *Bam!*

    His punch didn''t even reach his goal before he copsed on the ground.

    This was due to Shika Kagura.

    She had been walking next to Seiji, and knocked the red jacketed man over with a single kick.

    "You stinky b*tch!!" The other three men together with the red jacketed man all rushed over. They each had a vicious expression.

    *Smack!!!*

    Seiji stepped forward andnded strong punches, hitting two men in the stomach simultaneously.

    At the same time, Shika seemed to instantaneously sh as she moved and kicked thest man in the stomach.

    The red jacketed man''s threepanions were all defeated in a single hit as well.

    "Let''s go."

    Seiji and his group left the four men to moan while copsed on the ground. They speedily left without saying anything to the four men.

    "How unlucky to meet with some hoodlums. They''ve ruined my excellent mood."

    "I feel like something was wrong with those people."

    "They probably consumed something they shouldn''t have." Chiaki was hinting that those men were high on illegal drugs.

    "Perhaps¡­ they did seem a bit strange, but it''s hard to say." Seiji thought the same thing as well.

    He felt that it was useless to think too much about it.

    They arrived at the restaurant that Chiaki rmended. Everyone had fun eating lunch together and quickly forgot about this small incident.

    Later that afternoon, Seiji went to go find Hisashi.

    Her personally handed the picture of maid Idelia which was autographed by Peach-sensei to Hisashi. And as he expected, Hisashi shouted out jubntly.

    "There are no more regrets left in my life!" Hisashi lifted the autographed picture high into the air and shouted something that sounded like a ssical phrase.

    ''Hey there, it''s not like you''re the ruler of an apocalyptic world,'' Seiji inwardlymented.

    "May I ask who this cosyer is!? She resembles Idelia so much! She''s basically a perfect 3D version of the 2D Idelia! Please introduce her to me!" Hisashi spoke seriously and excitedly.

 Chapter 530 - Perhaps there will be an anime made in the future

    <h4>Chapter 530: Perhaps there will be an anime made in the future</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "She''s not a human." Seiji used the ssical pose of tilting his head forty-five degrees to look up at the sky and acted with mncholy.

    "Eh?"

    "She merely has a human physical appearance. She''s actually a simple doll, without a heart." Seiji decided to copy one of the opening lines from Violet Evergarden.

    Hisashi was rendered speechless.

    "Cough, I just wanted to y pretend there for a moment. But, I was telling the truth just now. The Idelia you see on the picture isn''t a real person." Seiji returned to using a normal expression. "That''s why it''s impossible for me to introduce her to you. My apologies."

    "Oh¡­" Hisashi paused for a moment. "In that case, how much money would it cost me to purchase such a doll?" He adjusted his eyesses, causing his lenses to sh.

    Seiji was the one who was rendered speechless for a moment this time.

    "If possible, I''d like to purchase one as well. Unfortunately, she''s priceless, because only one of her exists in the world."

    "I see. How regrettable."

    Hisashi didn''t inquire any further and carefully put the picture away. "There''s something I need to tell you about."

    "What''s that?"

    "Some strange drugs have appeared on the market again."

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes upon hearing this.

    Strange drugs¡­ he recalled the mysterious drugs that Okubo Yoshiaki previously spread on the market.

    Natsuya told him afterwards that those strange Spiritual Power draining drugs were highly likely to have originated from the Soul World faction!

    "What''s the specific type of drug this time?"

    "I''ve heard that the drug is dark-red in color and that it''s rather soft. It physically resembles a soft, chewy candy," Hisashi exined. "After consumption, the user will feel a heated sensation inside along with a mysterious sense of pleasure and hazy hallucinations. Anyone observing the user will see that the user''s breathing bes much weaker and that their body will be ice cold, as if they''re dead. Using one tablet of this drug will cause the effects tost for ten minutes. Two tablets will cause the effect tost for one hour. Three or more tablets will cause the effect tost for more than seven hours."

    "Seven hours¡­" Seiji frowned upon hearing this.

    "After the user wakes up from such a long drug effect, the user will be mentally hazy for several hours. Not only that, the user will look like they''ve spend an all-nighter, as they''ll have dark circles under their very bloodshot eyes."

    Hisashi''s words caused Seiji to recall the men he bumped into earlier at noon.

    Seiji mentioned this incident to Hisashi. Hisashi agreed that those four men were likely to be heavy drug users of this particr drug.

    "This drug is sold at a very high price. However, it''s slowly starting to spread due to the addictive pleasure it gives the users."

    "Who''s the main culprit behind selling this drug?"

    "We''re currently investigating."

    "Be careful."

    "I know."

    This new drug had some simrities and also differences to the drug that Okubo Yoshiaki had been spreading. Perhaps it was a modified or improved version?

    Just who had been the source of Okubo Yoshiaki''s drugs? And for what purpose was this person or group spreading all these Spiritual Power draining drugs on the market for?

    Seiji had many questions in his mind as he called Natsuya and informed her about this.

    "A second, new type of mysterious drug¡­ I''ll send someone to investigate this as well," the student council president told him upon hearing this. "If this is rted to the Soul World faction, we won''t have to deal with it. It will be taken care of by some higher-ups. Currently, there hasn''t been much progress made on finding out the cause of the Midnight Incident. So, the higher-ups will be highly interested in anything that might lead to the Soul World faction''s members."

    Natsuya ended the conversation there. Seiji put away his cell phone and looked back towards Hisashi.

    "The true culprit behind all this might be someone incredibly powerful. But, in that case, we won''t actually have to worry, because there will be equally powerful higher-ups that will take care of things for us."

    "So, it''s just like a high-level boss monster being taken care of by high-level yers, right?"

    "That''s right. So, there''s no need to force yourself. If you find out anything on your end, let me know immediately."

    "Got it." Hisashi nodded.

    Meeting drug addicts while having fun outside and shopping? This was a ssical example of daily life meeting the abnormal.

    Seiji didn''t know what would happen in the future. But judging from the current circumstances, he had to be stronger in order to lead a fun and carefree life.

    He wanted to protect himself, his friends, and everything else that he felt he wanted to protect. There was no other method to protect everything apart from possessing greater strength.

    After all, didn''t all young men desire strength?

    And so, he gathered hispanions, created a team, and helped everyone to be stronger together in search of the next power realm.

    And so, this was the beginning of the legend about the Yin Yang Master, Seiji Haruta¡­

    "Hey, stop randomly giving a narration like that!"

    "I wasn''t being random at all! I was voicing it quite seriously, and even prepared some background music."

    "I don''t want that, please stop!"

    Seiji stopped Chiaki''s clowning around.

    "Don''t you think that I was adding to the atmosphere?"

    "This isn''t an anime!"

    "Perhaps there will be an anime made in the future about you."

    "This isn''t a light novel, either!"

    "I hope to be able to use these character outlines to make an anime out of."

    "This isn''t a dating sim, either!"

    For some mysterious reason, Seiji felt a subtle feeling within him after making all thesements.

    Perhaps this world really was¡­ No, no! Stop!!

    He forcefully stopped his thoughts from almost going off track as he faced reality.

    It was now Sunday. He was preparing to go out and meet the members of his nned Spirit-branded Retainer team.

    This would be the first meeting with all of them together, and it also signified the formal establishment of their team.

    "We''re going out now. Please take care of Reo-chan for us."

    "Leave it to me!"

    Chiaki stayed behind to apany Reo in Seiji''s apartment, while Seiji, Shika, Mika, and Kaede headed out together to the arranged meeting location¡ªa high-ss Sakura Ind restaurant named "Moon Fortune Restaurant". This restaurant was the property of the Himiki judging n, and amonly used location for Spiritual Ability user meetings.

    The kanji used in this restaurant''s name was so simr to Shokugeki no Souma''s Restaurant Yukihira that Seiji was almost tempted to ask if there was a Souma Yukihira working here.

    The four of them entered the reserved private room for their group at the restaurant and sipped tea while waiting.

    The first to arrive after them was Hisashi.

    "Hello, everyone," Hisashi greeted them. He merely nced for a moment at Seiji and his younger sister Kaede before his gaze fell upon Shika and Mika.

    "This is my older brother, Hisashi Juumonji. His inte user name is Milk Cream Sweet Sweet Pig," Kaede introduced him.

    "This humble one is the First Knight! I''m so honored to join Milord''s true Knights of the Round Table!" Hisashi adjusted his eyesses and made a pretentious pose.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    Although this was their first meeting in real life, she was immediately able to equate this idiot¡­ er, this rather strange person with the jokester on the inte.

    "This is Mika Uehara. Her inte username is Cyan Bird in the Blue Sky," Kaede continued with the introductions.

    "Hello there, Sixth Knight!"

    "Hello¡­ Juumonji-san," Mika greeted him back.

    "This is Shika Kagura, Seiji''s adopted younger sister."

    "Hello there, Knight Number Zero!"

    Knight Number Zero?

    Both Shika and Seiji blinked their eyes in surprise at this.

    "That''s because Kagura-san is just like a hidden character who''s the closest to Milord. She''s powerful and mysterious, which is why she''s Knight Number Zero!" Hisashi spoke quite seriously.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    While this sounded quite appropriate, he felt that this title was quite an unlucky one!

    "I don''t think that''s very good¡­" He didn''t want to be just like Lelouch, who ended up being killed by Knight Number Zero. Seiji tried to prevent the usage of this title.

    However, when he turned around, he saw that Shika''s eyes were sparkling. It was evident that she was enchanted with the title.

    "Hello, First Knight," she greeted Hisashi in a serious manner.

    Seiji understood that his adopted younger sister had decided to use this title for herself when he heard her tone.

    And so, the Knight Number Zero, Shika Kagura, was thusly born!?

    ''No, no, please change it! This is a truly jinxed title!!''

    But, what was he supposed to say? That he instinctively felt it was unlucky? That would harm Shika''s feelings.

    Seiji thought about it but was unable toe up with an excuse.

    He didn''t want to hurt her feelings, so he could only leave it unsaid¡­ Who cared about the curse of the Knight Number Zero? He''d deal with it!

 Chapter 531 - Have you been doing well recently?

    <h4>Chapter 531: Have you been doing well recently?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi was the next to arrive after Hisashi.

    Hisashi''s eyes instantly lit up at seeing the beautiful boy who appeared like a girl walk into the room.

    "Perfect!" Hisashi gave two big thumbs up.

    "Senpai¡­ er?" Hoshi had been about to greet Seiji when he was interrupted.

    "You must be the Fourth Knight, a cute boy just like in the stories I''ve heard. This is truly amazing! Please allow this humble one to take a few pictures¡­" Hisashi took out his cell phone and was about to approach Hoshi.

    *p!*

    Kaede decisively took out a paper fan and pped her brother in the face with it.

    "Please don''t mind this idiot here, Amami-san." Kaede smiled. "I shall take responsibility for suppressing him. No need to worry about any danger."

    What the hell was with her using the word "suppression"? And, where on earth did she bring out that paper fan from? Seiji''s eyes twitched.

    "Ow¡­ My dear younger sister, what was that for? I merely wanted to make friends with the Knight of Light¡­"

    "Your existence is a threat to Amami-san. You need to be quarantined."

    "Quarantined? Is this humble one a virus!?"

    "That''s right, a virus by the name of pervert."

    "That''s terrible!"

    The Juumonji siblings became rather rowdy.

    Hoshi didn''t know how to react to this scene and merely stared nkly at Seiji.

    "This is Hisashi Juumonji, Juumonji-sensei''s older brother, whose inte username is Milk Cream Sweet Sweet Pig," Seiji introduced Hisashi to Hoshi. "I''ve mentioned him before to your sisters. And as you can see, he''s such a person."

    "¡­He''s someone who seems just like how he acts on the inte." Hoshi took a nce at Hisashi.

    "I''m so pleased to meet you, Knight of Light! Please allow us to deepen our understanding of each other and be good friends!" Hisashi spoke in a passionate tone and attempted once more to get closer to Hoshi. And, once again, his younger sister Kaede smacked him with the paper fan.

    "This is how they show their sibling love for each other¡­ I think. So, don''t mind them." Seiji gave Hisashi a sidelong nce.

    "Oh¡­ Alright." Hoshi nodded.

    Hoshi was already acquainted with everyone present except for Hisashi. There was no need for further introductions.

    Hoshi paid special attention to Shika who was sitting next to Seiji. Hoshi worked up his courage to speak to Shika after he sat down as well.

    "Kagura-san¡­ Have you been doing well recently?"

    "Very well," Shika replied.

    "I see¡­ you must be having lots of fun living together with Senpai."

    "Yeah."

    Hoshi looked at Shika and inwardly eximed as he recalled the way she had been in the past.

    Although Shika''s expression seemed just as cold and distant as before, the auraing from her, or perhaps the feeling that she gave others, was obviously different.

    Compared to the so-called "Divine Girl" from before, she now had a gentler aura that made her seem more "human".

    ''This is all because of Senpai,'' Hoshi thought to himself.

    ''Just like how Senpai saved me, she was saved as well. She now has warmth and happiness.

    ''This is truly wonderful, Kagura-san.''

    Hoshi was sincerely happy for Shika''s sake. He showed this with a smile.

    "Amami-senpai¡­" Shika looked at Hoshi as something shed in her eyes. "Thank you so much¡­ for that time."

    She lowered her head and expressed her sincere gratitude to him right after she said that.

    Hoshi was startled by this, but instantly realized why she was thanking him. His smile grew even greater in brilliance.

    "No need for thanks, Kagura-san."

    ''I didn''t do anything at all apart from telling you his name.''

    Hoshi looked towards Seiji.

    Seiji looked towards his adopted younger sister and his junior and smiled at both of them.

    "Apart from Kagura-san, everyone here is a member of the Knights of the Round Table. This is almost like an offline meeting."

    That was Yukari''s firstment after she arrived and did introductions.

    Just like Hoshi, Hisashi Juumonji, aka "Milk Cream Sweet Sweet Pig", was the only person she had never met before.

    Yukari was somewhat surprised to find out that their high school''s infirmary nurse as well as health teacher Kaede Juumonji was the inte user in their knight group called "Merry-go-round".

    "Indeed, this is quite like an offline meeting. However, apart from Shika-chan, there''s one more person I''ve invited who isn''t a member of our knight group," Seiji mentioned.

    "This humble one has figured out who that person might be¡­" Hisashi revealed a serious expression. "Could it be that¡­"

    Seiji intentionally smiled mysteriously.

    The final person arrived exactly at this moment, almost as if she intentionally did so to helpplement his expression.

    "Hello, everyone." A ssical beauty wearing a cap, dark-rimmed eyesses, a brown jacket, and a in dress, arrived and greeted everyone politely.

    "Hello, Sensei." Seiji smiled in greeting.

    "Sensei?" Yukari blinked in surprise. She then immediately noticed that Hisashi, who was sitting across from her, had a stunned expression with mouth wide agape.

    "Allow me to introduce her. She is Mayuzumi Amami, as well as Hoshi''s aunt. Her pen name is Peach, and she''s the creator of the manga and anime known as ''Honey Candy Girl.''"

    It was now Yukari''s turn to be surprised upon hearing this introduction.

    Peach-sensei¡­ The creator of "Honey Candy Girl"!?

    She couldn''t help but widen her eyes in surprise as she stared at the beauty standing across from her.

    *Thump!*

    Hisashi kneeled down in a beautifully proper posture.

    "This humble one¡­ has met the Holy Creator Goddess¡­ I shall die with no regrets!" he spoke in an incredibly moving tone.

    Everyone else was rendered speechless.

    "This is the person I told you about before, Sensei. He''s a huge fan of ''Honey Candy Girl'', and his name is Hisashi Juumonji." Seiji did the introductions.

    "¡­Thank you for your support, Juumonji-san."

    "I''ve believed in you for all my life, Peach-Goddess!"

    "Please don''t address me like that. It makes me feel rather awkward. I''m just a mangaka." Mayuzumi was rather embarrassed.

    "No! You are a Goddess in my eyes!!" Hisashi lifted his head and had the expression of a fervent believer.

    "That''s enough out of you, idiot Second Brother!" Kaede was no longer able to bear with his behavior and began suppressing him again.

    Yukari''s surprise speedily disappeared together with the ruckus.

    She recalled that she saw this mangaka together with Seiji before during the school festival. It was just that she didn''t know who Mayuzumi Amami was back then at that time.

    Looking at Peach¡­ Amami-sensei, she felt some idolization towards her as she herself was a light novel artist.

    Although Yukari had thought about drawing her own manga before, she had never tried it for real, not even the very beginning. After all, drawing manga was quite difficult. It was on apletely different level from drawing cover and insert art for light novels.

    Yukari understood just how difficult it was, which was why she truly respected Mayuzumi Amami for doing her own story and artwork by herself. Now that Yukari met the beautiful mangaka who achieved such a great sess in the industry, she couldn''t help but feel like she wanted to be just like her as well.

    "This is Yukari Asamiya. She goes to the same school as me. You saw her previously at the school festival." Seiji introduced Yukari to Mayuzumi.

    "I remember¡­ Hello, Asamiya-san."

    "Pleased to meet you, Amami-sensei," Yukari spoke in a respectful tone. "I''m currently drawing art using the pen name of Romance of Ice and Fire¡­"

    "You''re Romance of Ice and Fire?" Mayuzumi had an obvious expression of surprise.

    "Yes¡­"

    "Ice and Fire-sensei, you draw excellently as well. I even keep a few of your drawing in my collection and have used them several times as references for my own drawings."

    "Really?" Yukari was quite astonished to hear this.

    Mayuzumi smiled and nodded.

    Her own artwork was being used as references by such a popr mangaka! The purple-haired girl suddenly felt proud of herself, feeling that she had received recognition.

    "I''m so happy that Peach-sensei found my art to be of assistance," Yukari stated sincerely. "Actually, I''ve considered the idea of drawing manga before, but deeply feel that my personal abilities are insufficient. There''s still so much more I need to learn¡­ May I please learn from Sensei in the future?"

 Chapter 532 - â€œTrue Knight Orderâ€

    <h4>Chapter 532: ¡°True Knight Order¡±</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Of course," Mayuzumi replied. "I feel that Ice and Fire Sensei has great potential to draw manga in the future. I''m looking forward to seeing what you''ll draw."

    "I''m truly grateful! I''ll work my hardest." Yukari''s eyes lit up.

    "No need to be so formal with me. It''s fine to be more casual."

    "Okay, Amami-sensei."

    Seiji couldn''t help but imagine what would happen if the ero artist Yukari started learning from Peach-sensei. What type of manga would she end up drawing?

    ¡­Would she end up drawing something like Eromanga-sensei, or Shokugeki no Souma?

    This seemed pretty good!

    Seiji started looking forward to this as he imagined what Yukari might draw.

    Cough, he needed to get back on topic.

    Seiji then introduced Kaede to Mayuzumi. After that, he stood up and faced everyone present.

    "Please allow me to say a few words now that everyone is here." Seiji paused for a moment. "I''ve already said all the important things that needed to be said when I invited everyone here. Right here, right now, I''d like to once again express my sincere gratitude to everyone for being willing to join my team! From now on, we''ll all be teammates. I hope that you''re all able to get along. Although I''m still only a neer Yin Yang Master, I''ll do the very best that I can. Please lend me your support."

    Apuse sounded after he finished speaking.

    Although Seiji gave a serious speech, he felt quite awkward after seeing everyone p for him. Seiji wondered if his speech was too¡­

    Perhaps he should have intentionally acted more immature?

    No, no, that would be even more humiliating.

    "This humble one has the suggestion of naming our team the ''True Knight Order!''"

    Hisashi immediately jumped out for him and gave a chuunibyou suggestion. "Kagura-san is the Knight #0, and Peach-goddess¡­ Amami-sensei will be the ''Divine Knight!'' The others shall all use their names from the Knights of the Round Table, how about it?"

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    "Considering that it might not be convenient in certain situations to use our real names, code names are indeed necessary," Seijimented. "But, it''s not necessary to use these particr code names. We can think of new ones."

    "This humble one believes that these code names are perfect!" Hisashi strongly voiced his opinion.

    "We have one vote for the name ''True Knight Order.'' Anyone else that approves of this name, feel free to raise your hands and vote." Seiji looked at everyone.

    Shika and Hoshi were the first to raise their hands. Yukari and Mika also raised their hands in agreement as well.

    Five votes, this was more than enough for a majority approval.

    Mayuzumi raised her hand as well. "I have no objections to being called a ''knight,'' but I don''t wish to be addressed as the ''Divine Knight.''" She could only smile wryly.

    "How about the Ninth Knight, then?"

    "That''s fine with me."

    "Let''s go with that, then. Our team''s name will be the ''True Knight Order,'' while Shika-chan is Knight #0, Hisashi is the First Knight, Yukari is the Second Knight, Hoshi is the Fourth Knight, Mika is the Sixth Knight, Juumonji-sensei is the Seventh Knight, and Peach-sensei is the Ninth Knight."

    Their numbers weren''t actually in session, due to certain members of the Knights of the Round Table not being members of the True Knight Order. Still, that didn''t matter, as these were only code names.

    Although this sounded somewhat immature, Seiji felt it was quite nice to imagine his entire team reporting all their code names in some scenario that called for it!

    Seiji had imagined such a scenario before in the past. Now, it gradually seemed as if his imagined scenario wasing real.

    Kaede raised her hand.

    "I have an objection. Seiji calls Brother Hisashi and everyone else directly by their names, but I''m still being addressed as ''Juumonji-sensei.'' I''m highly dissatisfied with this." Kaede intentionally pouted and put on an unhappy expression.

    "That''s because you''re a teacher at our school¡­"

    "That''s unimportant. I''m one of your closepanions now. Please call me by name!" Kaede acted quite forcefully.

    Seiji didn''t know what to say.

    "I would like Haruta-kun to call me by name as well," Mayuzumi spoke up softly with something shing in her eyes.

    Everyone except for Shika Kagura was astonished to hear the mangaka saying this!

    "Sensei¡­" Seiji was somewhat stunned as he looked at her.

    "Just as Juumonji-san said just now, we''re already yourpanions, Haruta-kun. You should address us in a less formal fashion." Mayuzumi did her best to remain calm. Yet, the light red flush on her face betrayed her true feelings.

    Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. His lenses shed quite sharply.

    Hoshi, Yukari, and Mika all widened their eyes in surprise and had different expressions.

    Kaede was quite astonished but quickly regained herposure.

    Seiji felt that this was quite a reasonable request for him to address all his teammates by name.

    He couldn''t think of anything to counter with¡­ besides, did he even need to counter this?

    Since it was reasonable, he might as well go with the flow.

    "Alright¡­ Since Juumonji-sensei and Peach-sensei are both making such a request, I''ll start addressing both of you directly by name." Seiji paused for a moment before looking at both of them in turn. "Kaede¡­ Mayuzumi."

    Although he did his best to remain calm, his heartbeat still couldn''t help but quicken slightly.

    The mangaka and blonde teacher both smiled.

    Everyone ate lunch together and chatted as they ate. They had plenty of fun together.

    Finally, Seiji paid for the tab and everyone left the restaurant and returned home.

    That was the end to their first team meeting. Although they were a Spiritual Ability user team, it ended up basically no different from an offline meeting.

    Still, this was no ordinary offline meeting. It was a beginning.

    What they needed to do next was to go to a Spirit World!

    Seiji intended to check out the environment in a Spirit World first together with Shika. He would take the others there after they familiarized themselves with the Spirit World''s environment.

    Before he went, he also needed some time to rest and for his Spiritual Power to bepletely recovered. Shika also needed to do some practicing with her newfound power so that she could improve her condition to be even more effective in battle.

    Hana provided him with some information that a new phenomenon had recently appeared in the Spirit Worlds¡ªthis phenomenon was deemed "Dimensional Eyes."

    These Dimensional Eyes would suddenly appear within Spirit Worlds. They were ck, oval in shape, and had red circr spell formations within. Since these mysterious spell formations appeared just like someone''s eye, that was how they received this name.

    Any Spiritual Ability user that had a Dimensional Eye materialize and open next to them would instantly be dragged into another dimension. This dimension was also a Spirit World, but one that wasn''t connected to the real world. These secondary Spirit Worlds were thus termed "Inner Worlds."

    The spiritual creatures within the Inner Worlds were all highly aggressive monsters that would attack humans on sight. There were also tremendously powerful and dangerous monsters within!

    It was only possible to escape from the Inner World by defeating all the powerful monsters contained within it.

    Or, if there were two or more Spiritual Ability users dragged into the Inner World, having one person die would allow all the others to leave as well.

    These were the only two known methods to leave the Inner World.

    If anyone dragged into an Inner World was able to leave by defeating all the powerful monsters within, all the people that were dragged along inside would have their power levels noticeably improved, varying from person to person! The improvement was far faster than even with life-and-death battles to the brink.

    It was impossible to predict the appearance of a Dimensional Eye. Any that appeared had a one hundred percent probability of dragging anyone nearby into its Inner World. Those sucked into an Inner World would find it impossible tomunicate with people in the outside world. It was also impossible for those outside to go inside an Inner World to carry out a rescue operation.

    In conclusion, this was basically like a trial level for cultivation that would only randomly appear. It was also dangerous enough to lose one''s life in.

    A sandbox game got an expansion pack¡­ This was Seiji''s first impression. Yet, there were no treasures to be found in Inner Worlds. He wanted to give a bad review!

    Perhaps there would even be treasures in the Inner Worlds in the future?

    Spirit Worlds themselves were new phenomena that the mystical society was unfamiliar with until the Midnight Incident. Nobody knew what changes might still happen in the future¡­ no, perhaps there were some few individuals that did know.

    Just how much did the members of Soul World know about Spirit Worlds? Were they the ones behind the creation of Spirit Worlds? Were Dimensional Eyes just like a new patch that they added?

    "If this is a patch, you should at least put out some patch notes. After all, this is a game that might cost one''s life," Seijimented.

 Chapter 533 - Iâ€™m going to die without Anna

    <h4>Chapter 533: I¡¯m going to die without Anna</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Wednesday, another bright and clear day¡­

    "I''m going to die without Anna!!!"

    Chiaki was howling.

    Shey prostrate on Seiji''s table while punching the innocent tabletop. Seiji and Mika were observing her speechlessly.

    The "Anna" cell phone game was undergoing maintenance. The maintenance startedst night and continued even now, which was why the tomboy was currently in such a condition.

    This was the first time that the "Anna" game had ever had such a long maintenance period.

    Could something have happened?

    "Seigo, hurry and go find Kazuhiko Haiga! Make him release Anna! I''ll pay any amount of ransom!!" Chiaki shouted.

    "It''s not like he''s a kidnapper." Seiji gave Chiaki a sidelong nce. "Although, this situation does seem rather unusual. I guess I could try giving him a call."

    After all, he did have Kazuhiko Haiga''s cell phone number.

    However, his call didn''t connect when he attempted to dial Haiga''s number.

    Could something really have happened? Seiji slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Seigo¡­"

    Chiaki was looking at him pitifully, as if she was a little puppy.

    She was truly in love with this game and the gentle Anna that always talked to her.

    "Fine then. I''ll go and look for Kazuhiko Haiga after lunch." Seiji opened up his lunchbox. "Make sure to tell the teachers some excuse why I''m skipping afternoon sses."

    "Seigo! I love you!!" Chiaki''s eyes instantly lit up as she passionately "gave a love confession."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "I love you as well, sweetheart." Seiji yed along before he started shoveling food down his throat.

    He figured that he might be in time to do something if something really did happen to Haiga.

    "Seigo, how about I go together with you?" Mika spoke up.

    "Eh?"

    "I''m yourpanion¡­ the Sixth Knight." She had a serious expression as she looked at him.

    "Mika¡­" Seiji smiled as he nced back at her. "I''ll definitely ask for your help if it''s needed. But right now, I''m simply going over to check out the situation. There''s no need for you to cut sses along with me."

    The double pigtailed girl remained silent.

    Not long after, Seiji finished eating his lunch and said goodbye to Mika and Chiaki as he left the school and headed over to Haiga''s gamepany.

    ---

    Haiga wasn''t present at the Paperwing Game Laboratory, nor was he at his residence.

    Seiji was still unable to get through to Haiga''s cell phone. So, he decided to contact Natsuya and asked her to help him find out some of his coworkers'' cell phone numbers. He then called these numbers to ask if anyone knew about what happened to Haiga.

    As a result, Seiji learned that Kazuhiko Haiga had disappeared!

    Last night, he sent all his coworkers an email, saying that he felt too much pressure and that he wanted to stop working on the "Anna" game and that he was quitting his job at Paperwing Games Laboratory. He resigned just like that.

    His coworkers were astonished that he would suddenly quit like that. What they found uneptable was that Haiga even changed the core programming of "Anna" before he left!

    After Haiga changed the programming, "Anna" didn''t seem quite as intelligent and responsive as she was before. She was now just like any ordinary NPC character, just like a human who had lost her soul.

    This "Anna" was no longer the same "Anna." The yers definitely wouldn''t ept this! That would mean the end of this game.

    And so, the gamepany''s employees were searching everywhere for Kazuhiko Haiga in order to attempt at recuperating their losses. They hadn''t found him anywhere yet.

    Haiga directly left upon making his decision¡­ that was how he did things.

    Perhaps this was rather heartless towards his coworkers, but it was probably the best way for him to protect himself and little Anna. Seiji felt that Haiga was neither right nor wrong in doing so.

    Seiji had no idea what Haiga must have been thinking or struggling with beforeing to such a decision, and felt that there was no need for him to think too much into it.

    A man left together with his treasure¡­ or, perhaps another analogy would be that a father left together with his daughter, leaving everything else behind. That was all there was to it.

    ¡­Was that really all there was to it? Was he really not kidnapped?

    Seiji thought about this some more. He felt that if Haiga had been attacked, little Anna, who was an artificial intelligence constantly connected to the inte, should have at least been able to send a signal for help over the inte.

    And so, Seiji felt that it was unlikely that Haiga had been kidnapped and interpreted it as Haiga having left of his own volition. Seiji decided to not pursue the matter any further.

    "I wish that you and Anna-san will have a calm and peaceful life, Haiga-san."

    Seiji gave the creator of this game, who was hiding who-knows-where, his blessings and returned to school.

    "How did you find me?"

    Kazuhiko Haiga, who was in a hotel room, was asking a question to the young man in front of him.

    This young man wore a dark brown jacket and ck long pants. His long hair reached his back, he had a slightly narrow face and eyes, and his smiling expression made him resemble a fox.

    "I used some special methods that I suppose you could call tricks of the trade," the young man responded warmly. He handed Haiga a name card. "Here''s my business card."

    Haiga took the card and saw that the name written upon it was "Shinsei Yamazaki". His supposed job was "business manager". And thepany¡­ was one that Haiga had never heard of before.

    "Yamazaki-san, didn''t you say that you were here on behalf of Takada-san? Why is yourpany''s name different from his?"

    "Thepany I belong to has a cooperative rtionship with Takada-san''spany. Takada-san is busy with other affairs and is unable to personallye meet you, which is why he requested that I contact you in his stead."

    "Is it because you have some type of special ability to find people that don''t want to be found?" Haiga looked directly at Yamazaki.

    "I don''t have any such special abilities. It''s merely a small trick of the trade." Yamazaki smiled.

    "I used all sorts of methods to avoid detection, and only chose this location after going to many other ces first. Not only did I disguise my physical appearance, I also used a fake name when registering here. Yet, you were still able to find me! Such detective skills are impossible to be described as ''small tricks of the trade,''" Haiga stated coldly. "Just who are you!?"

    Yamazaki maintained his smile and spoke politely, "I''m just an ordinary business manager who''s here on behalf of Takada-san. We simply wish to cooperate with Haiga-san on the ''Anna'' game."

    "I''m no longer working on that cell phone game. If you''d like to cooperate on it, feel free to find my former coworkers at the Paperwing Games Laboratory."

    "I already have. However, only Haiga-san''s version of ''Anna'' is the version of ''Anna'' that Takada-san wishes to cooperate with."

    "I already said that I''ve quit working on that game already! I refuse to work on it again no matter what. Please leave me alone, Yamazaki-san."

    "Why would you wish to stop working on it, Haiga-san? ''Anna'' is an excellent game. As you were the game''s creator, you shouldn''t just give up in the middle and cruelly bury her away."

    Haiga fell silent for a moment.

    "I''m giving up precisely because of Anna," he stated in a low voice.

    "Eh?"

    "Creating an interesting game that people enjoy and love, along with earning money through this is my dream," Haiga told him. "However, Anna''s existence is more important to me than my dream. Being able to live together peacefully with Anna is twice as important as my dream to me¡­ no, countless times more important! I love Anna, not ''Anna'' the game. That''s why I refuse to work on ''Anna'' any longer. I''ll definitely never work on the game again," Haiga spoke in an adamant tone to Yamazaki.

    Yamazaki fell silent for a moment before speaking up again, "I don''t understand very well what you''re saying, but I do clearly understand that you insist on refusing." He started frowning slightly. "Is there no room for negotiation at all? If you have any demands at all, you can make whatever request you like. We can discuss on meeting your needs."

    "I have no demands at all. I''ve said everything I wanted to say. Please leave, Yamazaki-san."

    "I can''t simply leave just like this. I wouldn''t be able to face Takada-san who entrusted me with this task."

    "That''s your problem."

    Yamazaki fell silent yet again.

    Even though the hotel room''s window wasn''t open, there was a sudden chill in the room.

 Chapter 534 - Itâ€™s a good thing to have a girlfriend who forced you to quit smoking

    <h4>Chapter 534: It¡¯s a good thing to have a girlfriend who forced you to quit smoking</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Later that night, Seiji received a friend request on his chatting application from an unfamiliar ID. He took a look at the friend request and epted the request from the username, "Artificial Life".

    "Good evening, Harano-san."

    "Good evening, Anna-san."

    "I need your help." Little Anna went with the direct approach. "Kazuhiko was kidnapped."

    "By a Spiritual Ability user?"

    "Yes."

    "What was the specific situation?" Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    Little Anna described what happened in the hotel room sinctly and precisely.

    "Please save and protect Kazuhiko. I will do what you wish of me in return," Anna requested after exining the situation.

    Seiji mulled things over while looking at hisputer screen.

    "Alright, I''ll do my best to help. But I can''t promise that I''ll seed. I''ll give up if the opponents are too strong." He decided to be blunt about things.

    "Understood. I''m truly grateful."

    In just a short period of time, the two people¡­ no, the human and the artificial intelligence reached an agreement.

    It took far less time to convince Seigo Harano to help than little Anna had anticipated. He didn''t seem to doubt her words, nor did he take advantage of the situation to make all sorts of additional requests. He treated her as apletely equal and trustworthy existence.

    This wasn''t due to naivety, it was decisiveness.

    He chose, despite the risks, to believe in an artificial intelligence¡­ someone inhuman. He responded with sincerity.

    Naivety was overly optimistic self-confidence, while decisiveness was confidence with self-resolution to back it up. Anna could tell that Seigo was the second type.

    Little Anna now had a much better evaluation of this human.

    Actually, Kazuhiko Haiga hadn''t told her to ask for help from Seigo Harano.

    Even if this high schooler Spiritual Ability user seemed like he was a good person, they were still unfamiliar with him. And even if he was a trustworthy person, did that really mean that whatever organization or faction he belonged to would also be trustworthy?

    Haiga had his doubts about this. Although he did take Seigo''s advice to quit working on the Anna cell phone game, he didn''t choose to join up with Seigo.

    Haiga was more willing tomit suicide than to give Anna up to anyone.

    "As long as I''m dead, you''ll have nothing to worry about at all, Anna." This was what he told her.

    Indeed, that was the truth.

    Ignoring Haiga and letting him be captured, or even die, was a choice avable to her as well. In fact, it was even the best choice for Anna to protect herself.

    Yet, little Anna felt that she would forever lose something important to her if she made such a decision.

    She was unable to describe what she would lose if that happened. In fact, she even felt that her judgement was rather abnormal. Still¡­ she felt that this was the truth in her mind.

    That was why she would definitely not give up on Haiga! Of her own volition, she requested help from Seigo Harano.

    Shinsei Yamazaki was driving down a road at a high speed.

    A beautiful voice was singing in his car. This was music from the national idol Miyuki Sakuraku''s popr hit, "Looking Back at You."

    Yamazaki was quite fond of this song and even began humming along to the tune.

    There was still quite a long way to go until he reached his destination. Yamazaki was actually quite fond of driving at nighttime while listening to music. He would have enjoyed it even more if only he had some snacks to munch on at his side.

    At this moment, there was the sound of a lighter from behind him. He then smelled the scent of cigarette smoke.

    "Fujishima-kun, I never knew that you were a smoker."

    "I only do so asionally," a low voice responded from the backseat. "Would you like a smoke, Yamazaki-san?"

    "I''ve already quit smoking for more than one year now. My girlfriend forced me to quit."

    "It''s a good thing to have a girlfriend who forced you to quit smoking¡­ Do you mind if I smoke in your car?"

    "Not at all. Please go ahead." Yamazaki smiled.

    Although Isshin Fujishima was younger than Yamazaki, he was quite experienced inbat. He was taciturn and quick to react. He never left any loose ends, and was very reliable. Yamazaki felt that his partner was trustworthy.

    "Fujishima-kun, what do you like to do to pass the time?" Yamazaki casually struck up a conversation.

    "¡­I suppose just watch some movies or drink some alcohol."

    "I like to watch movies as well. Recently, I''ve been hearing great reviews about the newest movie, ''ckwing Killer.'' I''m intending to go watch it. Have you seen that movie already, Fujishima-kun?"

    "I have."

    "What do you think?"

    "It''s not bad, except for the sloppybat scenes."

    "Heh heh, it''s quite convincing when the reviewes from Fujishima-kun who''s experienced well over one hundred battles."

    "Over one hundred battles¡­ you''re exaggerating a bit."

    "Well, I think you''re almost there. Don''t be so humble. I''ve heard legends about your martial exploits."

    "Martial exploits? You''re truly overestimating me." Fujishima sighed. "I used to believe that I was really strong. Only when I met someone truly strong did I realize that I was only a little brat who didn''t realize how far away from the pinnacle I was. I almost lost my life at that time¡­ if she had wanted to kill me, I would be dead already. I don''t know why she left me alive, but I understood how the world was after that. I''m only an ordinary fighter."

    "¡­That opponent you faced was female?" Yamazaki asked in a soft voice.

    "Yes. Not only that, she was much younger than I am. She''s probably only a high schooler by now." Fujishima inhaled some smoke and slowly exhaled some smoke rings.

    The person next to Fujishima moved slightly.

    Fujishima turned to look at saw that the game developer named Kazuhiko Haiga was still sleeping on the car seat. Haiga hadn''t woken up yet.

    This person adamantly refused to cooperate with them, so they could only resort to forceful measures in the end and take him back.

    It was only a game. Why make such a big deal out of it?

    Fujishima felt that Haiga was a truly foolish man to take the difficult path when they could have simply worked together in a friendly manner.

    The weak would be unable to resist the strong. Resistance would only lead to a bad end¡­ Wasn''t this all just about some cell phone game? It wasn''t like a cell phone game was his wife or daughter. He should have just obediently agreed to cooperate with them and hand it over.

    Well, he considered Haiga to be an ignorant weakling.

    Although Fujishima felt that Haiga was truly foolish, he was also slightly impressed with Haiga''s stubbornness.

    Haiga had kept up his attitude of resistance to the end. That wasn''t something that everyone could do. At the very least, Fujishima felt that he wouldn''t be able to maintain an attitude of resistance against someone stronger than him.

    Life was precious, after all. If Fujishima ever met that ridiculously strong girl again, he would definitely choose a method that would allow him to survive rather than fighting back against her.

    Momentster, Fujishima finished his cigarette.

    "I''m going to take a rest. Yamazaki-san, if you get tired of driving, let me know and I''ll switch with you." Fujishima flicked his cigarette stub out the car window, not caring that he was littering.

    "Sure thing." Yamazaki turned off the music.

    Fujishima shut his eyes and rxed himself. Still, he maintained a basic level of vignce.

    The car continued down the road at a high speed.

    Upon passing an intersection, Yamazaki saw a ck car parked there.

    He didn''t pay it much attention. However, he noticed that this ck car started following him, which put him on guard.

    Yamazaki then witnessed the two rear doors of the car open up, with one person jumping out from each side!

    One person was wearing a dress and the other was wearing a jacket. It was obvious that they were wearing Spiritual Ability userbat equipment, and that one was female and the other male. Both were wearing full helmets that concealed their identitiespletely.

    Yamazaki tensed up upon seeing these two individuals jump from a moving car that was traveling at high speed and being able to run fast enough to catch up to his car.

    "Fujishima-kun! There''s an ambush!!"

    Fujishima who was resting in the backseat instantly opened his eyes and pulled out two runic guns. He aimed out the car window¡­

    *Bang bang bang bang¡­*

    The spiritual bullets pierced through the car window, flying towards the attackers. However, the jacketed man wielded a shield that blocked all the bullets!

    The dress-wearing woman unsheathed a sword. All Fujishima saw was a sh.

    *Shing!!*

    The car Fujishima was riding in was sliced in half, right down the middle! It was as if the car had been sliced by aser with how clean the cut was. The front seat and backseat werepletely separated without any damage to the seats themselves.

    Such an amazing sword move! Fujishima instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

    If this sword had sliced directly at him instead, he would definitely have been unable to block it!!

    The opponents were incredibly strong and possessed excellent equipment. He knew that he wasn''t strong enough to fight them.

    Should he use the hostage to resist? Or attempt to escape?

    Fujishima, abat veteran, instantly made a decision¡­

    Run!

    At the same time that the jacketed man rushed over while covering himself with his shield, Fujishima immediately jumped out of the car and started running away!

    "Yamazaki-san! Run!!!" he shouted loudly to hispanion while running at his top speed away from the road.

    He figured that the attackers'' goal was to recover Kazuhiko Haiga.

    Perhaps it would be effective to use Haiga as a hostage against them, but Fujishima deemed this to be too risky. It was likely that he would be defeated regardless and maybe even killed in the process.

    He felt it would be far wiser to give up on Haiga and run away from here as fast as he could. He would then give a report to his boss about what happened.

    Not only that, since he and his partner Yamazaki were escaping in opposite directions, this increased the chances that one of them would escape.

    "Yamazaki-san, I hope that you''ll survive," Fujishima said to himself.

    That was when he noticed that someone had caught up to him!

 Chapter 535 - I feel that itâ€™s worthwhile to observe her

    <h4>Chapter 535: I feel that it¡¯s worthwhile to observe her</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The person that caught up to him was the dress-wearing woman¡­ more urately speaking, Fujishima knew that she was a female Spirit-branded Retainer!

    She wasn''t wearing ordinary Spiritual Ability userbat clothes, but Spirit-branded Retainerbat clothes instead. He could also sense her power and suppressive aura, which proved his inference.

    He felt that the jacketed man was likely to be a Spirit-branded Retainer as well. To send two Spirit-branded Retainers, one male and one female¡­ which major personage was so powerful to send such a force at them? It was just like cheating!

    The suppressive power difference between them was just like driving a mecha into an army camp. It was no equal match at all.

    Fujishima, who believed himself to merely be an ordinary fighter, felt that he wouldpletely be unable to match up to a Spirit-branded Retainer.

    He could only surrender.

    Although he knew that surrendering would be useless if his opponent intended to kill him in the first ce, he felt that struggling and resisting was even more foolish. Perhaps his opponent didn''t feel the need to kill him in the first ce, but if her hand identally slipped or she went all-out against him, then¡­

    Someone who was weak like him needed to have the mentality of the weak as well.

    Fujishima turned around and lifted up his hands when this female Spirit-branded Retainer approached him.

    "I surr¡ª"

    *Smack!!*

    He didn''t even get to finish his words before he took a heavy blow.

    The blow was from her sword scabbard.

    ''It seems that she doesn''t intend to kill me¡­'' That was Fujishima''sst conscious thought before he fainted due to the painful impact.

    Saving Haiga turned out to be easier than Seiji had expected.

    Little Anna had tracked the license te number of the individuals that kidnapped Haiga, and hacked into the traffic cameras to follow their car''s course, which helped Seiji to lie in ambush.

    His and Shika''s equipment was all provided by Hana for his new team. It had just arrived today. Seiji never expected that he would use it so quickly.

    What surprised Seiji the most was that these two opponents both chose to immediately run away when Seiji ambushed them. They barely tried to counterattack at all.

    Seiji captured the driver while he had Shika catch the gunman. Neither of these two kidnappers managed to escape.

    He sealed the Spiritual Abilities of these two people, and tied up and tossed the two unconscious men into a forest near the road. He also tossed the two halves of the car into the forest, and then took the unconscious Haiga and all of Haiga''s belongings with him and left the scene in another car.

    Hisashi had provided the car, while Kaede drove.

    When Seiji asked Hisashi to lend him a car and driver, Hisashi indicated that his younger sister was an excellent top-notch driver!

    And so, Seiji learned of the blonde teacher''s hidden talent. He personally witnessed her abilities firsthand on the way here.

    She drove at top speed the whole way, passing by other cars without any hesitation. She even drifted beautifully when taking curves¡­ Seiji felt that she was no ordinary female driver! She was more like a female racer!

    Kaede smiled and exined, "I used to really love driving in the past. I practiced on some mountain passes."

    ''Is there a driver named Takumi Fujiwara on these mountain passes, who delivers tofu for a living?'' Seiji almost wanted to ask such a question . 1

    Forget it, this counted as the True Knight Order''s first ever undertaking. While this was a sess, he couldn''t get overconfident.

    Seiji contacted Hana and sent her some pictures of the two tied-up men. He asked her to investigate who they were.

    "Why do you need to investigate who these two men are?"

    "I''ll have a video chat with you to exin thingster. Please investigate them for me for now."

    He then took Haiga to a safe location that Hisashi arranged. Seiji ced a magical barrier here that could impede magical tracking spells. Seiji then cleansed Haiga of the sleeping spell that had been ced upon him and woke him up.

    "¡­Seigo Harano?" Haiga woke up and recognized Seiji.

    "Yes, it''s me, Haiga-san. Anna-san requested for me to save you." Seiji handed Haiga his cell phone, which contained the message history between him and little Anna.

    Haiga epted his cell phone and read the messages. He then began typing and conversing with little Anna.

    "Thank you foring to my rescue, Harano-san." Momentster, he expressed his gratitude to Seiji.

    "No need for thanks¡­ Haiga-san, you''re going to have to stay here temporarily for the time being. You can''t go outside, because your enemies might still be looking for you. This house has a magic barrier over it that will prevent your enemies from finding your location."

    Haiga nodded in understanding.

    "Harano-san¡­ I want to ask you, what do you intend to have Anna do for you?"

    Seiji already anticipated this question and smiled upon hearing this.

    "First, I''d like to have her assist one of my friends with financial investments to earn some money. I won''t ask her to work for free. I''ll pay her a reasonable portion of the profits as well, just as if I''m hiring her. Also, I''d like to ask for her help in creating a game¡ªa different game from ''Anna.''"

    Haiga fell silent upon hearing this.

    "It''s going to be impossible to continue working on ''Anna'' with how things are now. But, Anna-san can still keep working on games together with you, just in a different method from before." Seiji looked directly at the game developer sitting across from him.

    "¡­What type of game did you want to have Anna help you create?"

    "An ero game."

    Once again, Haiga was rendered speechless.

    "Just joking." Seiji chuckled. "Actually, I''m working on creating a dating sim game together with my friends. My friends are helping me of their own volition, and this isn''t actually the game I wanted Anna-san to help me with. I''d actually like to ask Anna-san to help me with a different game in the future. I haven''te up with the specifics yet."

    "Some investments and creating a game¡­ that''s all?"

    "Perhaps there will be other things in the future, but I''m definitely someone who keeps to my word. I won''t make any unreasonable requests."

    Haiga took a long nce at the boy in front of him who had such a sincere expression.

    "Thank you." He lightly expressed his thanks again.

    Hana found out for Seiji that the two Spiritual Ability users that captured Haiga were working for the Watajima Family.

    The Watajima Family was on the same level as the Yoruhana Family. However, they were slightly weaker than the Yoruhana Family.

    It would be quite troublesome if they didn''t give up and kept trying to find Kazuhiko Haiga.

    ''Let''s wait and see based on the situation.'' Seiji prepared himself for anything that might happen.

    The next day, the "Anna" cell phone game ended its maintenance and opened up its servers again.

    However, the yers soon discovered that the main character Anna was no longer as responsive to every single word they spoke to her. She was now just another ordinary NPC. This caused the yers to be greatly disappointed and leave many scathing reviews on the inte. Lots of yers uninstalled the game from their cell phones.

    "Anna''s no longer here¡­ I''m dying¡­" Chiaki seemed to have lost her very soul. She copsed on the table as if there was nothing more to live for.

    Last night, she had heard about Anna''s situation from Seiji, causing her to be quite depressed. She was still like this despite the fact that an entire night had passed since then. It appeared that she had taken a severe impact.

    "Why don''t you try ying a different game?" Mika tried to console Chiaki.

    "No¡­ I want Anna¡­ Anna belongs to me¡­" Chiaki muttered in a heartbroken manner.

    Seiji nced at the depressed tomboy and knew that this was only a temporary state. She would likely recover back to normal in a few days. Still, he felt like he couldn''t bear to watch a good friend suffer like this.

    And so, Seiji logged on to the chatting application with his cell phone and contacted little Anna, exining Chiaki''s situation to her.

    "Have her install this modified version of the game that I''ll send to you. She''ll be able to speak to me directly again in this method," little Anna told him.

    "Is that really alright? This could be risky for you."

    "Yes, I''m willing to do it. Chiaki Wakaba is a yer that I''m paying special attention to."

    "Why are you paying special attention to her?" Seiji was rather curious.

    Little Anna fell silent for a moment.

    "I don''t really know¡­ for some indescribable reason, I feel that it''s worthwhile to observe her," the artificial intelligence told him.

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to this.

    How was he supposed to interpret these ambiguous words?

    He felt almost as if Chiaki would be the next one to Awaken to some Spiritual Ability¡­ was this just a mistaken impression of his?

    "Thank you for being willing to do this."

    "No need for any thanks. I''m more than happy to do this for her."

    Later, during lunch break, Seiji sent Anna''s specially modified version of the game to Chiaki.

    "What''s this?"

    "Something that will allow you to meet Anna again."

    Chiaki instantly widened her eyes upon hearing this.

    "Seigo¡­"

    Seiji put his index finger on his lips, gesturing for her to remain silent.

    "This is a secret that you absolutely can''t let others know about."

    Chiaki smiled brilliantly as she gazed at his handsome face.

    "Seigo, I love you forever!" Just like yesterday, she passionately "confessed her love" once again.

    Mika was once again rendered speechless.

    "No need to love me. You should be thanking Anna. She was the one who was willing to do this so that you could meet her again," Seiji told her.

    "Anna¡­" Chiaki immediately installed the modified game and opened it up.

    "Wee back, Chiaki." The ck-haired, red-eyed beauty appeared on her cell phone screen and greeted her in a gentle voice.

    "I should be the one saying that¡­ Wee back, Anna!" The tomboy''s eyes welled up with a hint of tears as she spoke animatedly.

    Anna''s expression froze over ever so slightly.

    "Yep¡­ I''m back."

    She revealed a slightly shy, somewhat different smile from before that was gentle and beautiful.

 Chapter 536 - I didnâ€™t just meet her randomly on the street

    <h4>Chapter 536: I didn¡¯t just meet her randomly on the street</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After school, Seiji returned home and had a video chat conversation with Hana to exin what just happened to her.

    "An artificial intelligence with its own independent will¡­ you''re really not joking with me?"

    "I''m not."

    The cat-eared hat girl folded her arms.

    "Artificial intelligence is a top-level research project, and an independent artificial intelligence is the penultimate goal of all researchers! You actually said that you managed to meet a wild one on the street¡­"

    "I didn''t just meet her randomly on the street."

    "I was just making an analogy! What you just said was basically the equivalent of a bunch of pay-to-win yers charging ridiculous amounts of money to their ounts but still not being able to draw an SSR card, but a random bystander like you drew only once and pulled an SSR card. That''s just how ridiculous it is, do you understand!?"

    "Although it''s quite ridiculous, just think about it. Simr things will happen elsewhere as well, such as at the lottery." Seiji rubbed his chin.

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    While she felt that she was unable to counter Seiji''s words, something still seemed not quite right to her!

    "I can understand that it''s astonishing how Anna came to be born, but that''s just how it is. I can only ept and then deal with it." Seiji paused for a moment before continuing his exnation.

    Hana fell silent for a moment after she finished listening.

    "If the Watajima Family finds out that ''Anna'' is so incredible, they definitely won''t give up," Hana stated.

    "Perhaps they only view ''Anna'' as a cell phone game with great potential," Seijimented.

    "Even if they thought so at first, what you two just did¡­ for a Yin Yang Master like you to go and fight them with your Spirit-branded Retainer will raise their doubts."

    "I also think that I might have been too forceful¡­ but looking at it from another way, won''t it also make them afraid to make another move?"

    Hana fell silent once again.

    "I intend to observe the situation and adapt as necessary. If it really looks bad, I won''t force myself," Seiji told her honestly. "I told this to Anna and Kazuhiko Haiga as well."

    "Will you request assistance from our older sister Yui if you''re unable to protect them?"

    "I shall ask her if she''s interested in protecting them. If she is, I''ll let her deal with it."

    Hana frowned. "How unseemly."

    "This has nothing to do with being unseemly." Seiji felt that what he was doing was only natural.

    And so, two days'' time passed.

    Nobody came to do anything about this incident.

    It seemed that the Watajima Family had given up on Haiga and Anna. But out of an abundance of caution, Seiji still asked Haiga to remain inside the safe house for a while longer.

    Haiga wasn''t dissatisfied with this at all. After all, he was also an otaku. He didn''t really care as long as he had aputer, the inte, and food delivered right to him. It didn''t matter at all to him if he didn''t step outside for long periods of time.

    Little Anna assisted Hisashi in making financial investments. In just the past three days, they earned a significant amount of money.

    Hisashi indicated that the artificial intelligence Anna was godly when it came to making solid investments!

    "If Lady Anna has sufficiently powerful enough hardware, it''ll only be a matter of time before she controls the entire financial world of Sakura Ind!"

    "That''s why I only had her assist you instead of directly doing everything herself¡­ I leave it up to you to protect Sakura Ind''s financial industry, my dear First Knight."

    "This is too heavy of a responsibility for me!!" Hisashi howled pitifully in Seiji''s cell phone.

    Conquering the world was meaningless to little Anna, so she wouldn''t do such a thing¡­ probably.

    If she truly went berserk one day, Seiji could only hope that humanity would properly do their best to survive. Maybe someone named John Connor would appear to save the day?

    Just kidding.

    Seiji believed that there would be a power out there which could stop little Anna. The world couldn''t be underestimated, as humans were quite strong.

    Making too much money with financial investments in a short period of time would certainly attract attention. He trusted that Hisashi would be able to control it well.

    Meanwhile, there was also the matter of investigating the mysterious drug.

    The Juumonji Group managed to find out that this drug, which was named "Bliss", was being sold by the even more powerful Kitani mafia group. They were unable to investigate any more than that.

    As for Natsuya¡­ Seiji received a call from her on Saturday night and learned the result of her side''s investigation.

    "The drug providers call themselves the ''Messengers.'' They''re definitely part of some Spiritual Ability user faction," the student council president told him. "The Messengers that we found were able to evade any investigators that found them. We''ll have to either send out stronger people to investigate, or try to catch one of the Messengers in order to find out anything more."

    Messengers that sold "Bliss"; put them together and you would get "Messengers of Bliss". ¡­This name sounded rather chuunibyou to Seiji.

    "What do you intend to do?" Seiji inquired.

    "I intend to report this to my family and have them deal with it," Natsuya replied.

    Let the Yoruhana Family deal with it¡­ indeed, Seiji figured that there was no reason for him to personally intervene.

    "Could you tell me if there''s any new information about this?"

    "I''ll tell you everything that I''m able to."

    What that really meant was that perhaps her family would cover this up as a top-secret matter. Seiji understood.

    If this was found out to really be rted to the Soul World faction, it would definitely be a top-secret matter.

    The Soul World faction caused such trouble in the mystical society, and was regarded as the prime suspect behind causing the Midnight Incident, bringing about the existence of Spirit Worlds and causing ordinary people to Awaken. So, information on the Soul World faction was now tremendously valuable, just like precious treasure.

    "By the way, did you manage to get a sample of the drug and analyze it?"

    "Yes, but nothing came of the analysis."

    "I''m quite concerned about the drug''s side effects. If it''s the same type of Spiritual Power draining drug as Okubo Yoshiaki''s¡­"

    Seiji and Natsuya both recalled what happened with Okubo Yoshiaki and fell silent.

    "¡­I hope that it won''t be something even worse."

    "Yeah¡­"

    Even if there were dark currents flowing, life still continued on.

    An important holiday was almost about to arrive. This was a holiday where all boys would feel either loved or hated by the world, a holiday filled with both bliss and cruelty¡­

    Valentine''s Day!

    On this day, no matter if the boys wanted to or not, they would clearly understand just how worthy they were of existing¡­ to the girls.

    Perhaps there were a few boys that truly didn''t care about Valentine''s Day. However, they would be the type that already realized they would receive nothing as worthless losers.

    Even more boys pretended not to care at all. But actually, such boys inwardly desired, struggled, and even screamed for attention.

    There were also boys who were certain that they would receive something and felt reassured. These boys would be quite calm and confident in themselves. Some would even feel prideful about being superior to other boys¡­ Although they all had different ways of thinking, these victorious would all enjoy Valentine''s Day and watch the other boys around them fail.

    Kazufuru Ooike was such a boy.

    For a popr, excellent student like him, Valentine''s Day wasn''t even a "trial" like it was for many other boys. It was more like a day of "checking his rewards." It was just as if there was a test that he knew he''d score well on. The important part to him was just how well.

    There was one opponent he absolutely didn''t want to lose to¡ªSeigo Harano!

    Even if Kazufuru didn''t want to think about or admit it, he knew that he was slightly inferior to Seigo Harano in every area. Not only was Seigo better than him in physical appearance and strength, Seigo even defeated Kazufuru in the area of test scores that he was so proud of during the final exams!

    Losing to Seigo in grades as well gave Kazufuru a huge impact.

    But what Kazufuru was more concerned about was Seigo''s connection to student council president Natsuya Yoruhana.

    Previously, Seigo Harano took a break from school for several days at the exact same time as Natsuya Yoruhana. The times that they were both absent from school were basically exact oveps.

    This happenedst year as well. Were they together during the times that they were absent together? Was there something between them? Kazufuru got more and more worried as he thought about it.

    Not having be friends with Seigo Harano at the beginning was what he considered the greatest mistake of his life. In fact¡­ it might even be the most foolish mistake of his life!

    Kazufuru had already regretted it and tried to fix things. Yet, it was toote now. Ever since that time, Seigo treated him as only an ordinary ssmate. Seigo was friendly with him but also distant.

    Since it was impossible to be friends anymore, they could only be opponents.

    During this Valentine''s Day, Kazufuru Ooike didn''t want to lose to Seigo Harano¡­ no, he couldn''t lose!

 Chapter 537 - I should have won!

    <h4>Chapter 537: I should have won!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    If he lost this time as well, he would no longer have any self-confidence remaining.

    ''It''s no problem. Even though Seigo Harano is amazing, he''s still just a transfer student who only came a few months ago. He also took several long breaks from school, and not only did he not join any clubs at school, he''s not the type who actively works on establishing rtionshipworks within school¡­ I''m the one who''ll definitely win!'' Kazufuru thought that to himself.

    But no matter how much he analyzed it, he was still quite worried in his mind.

    A new week, Monday.

    Kazufuru detected a subtle atmosphere in the air of the ssroom.

    There were still a few days until Valentine''s Day. However, the boys were already feeling tense. Some would often look at the girls, some would speak much louder than normal, some sat upright with much better posture than normal, and some pretended to casually make what they believed to be cool poses¡­

    ''Idiots.''

    Although Kazufuru also cared about Valentine''s Day, he couldn''t help but look down on the other boys in the ss that he viewed as being beneath him.

    Poprity wasn''t something that could be obtained so easily at thest minute by pretending to act cool. It depended on long-term efforts. How foolish of them to only realize the importance of poprity when it was almost Valentine''s Day after spending so much time wastefully.

    Not to mention, they couldn''t control themselves and acted quite abnormally, making them seem even more foolish.

    Kazufuru was inwardly thinking such thoughts about his fellow male students, but he still maintained his typical friendly smile towards everyone.

    Until that person arrived.

    Seigo Harano entered the ssroom together with Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba. He greeted all his ssmates.

    The moment that Kazufuru saw Seigo, his expression flickered slightly as he was inwardly shaken.

    Seigo was just as blindingly handsome as usual, and attracted all the girls'' attention as well as stimting the boys'' nerves. The originally subtle atmosphere changed ever so slightly, with the addition of anxiety, frustration, jealousy, and other such emotions.

    All the boys'' negative emotions towards Seigo Harano had lessened significantly due to how much time had passed along with thetter''s friendly demeanor in ss. Yet, they always felt inferior. At such a special time like Valentine''s Day, they suddenly felt this all the more clearly again.

    Kazufuru refused to admit that he was the same as those idiots. Still, he could barely admit that he was indeed somewhat bothered by Seigo at this time as well.

    For him to have a simr feeling to those foolish idiots¡­ Seigo Harano was just someone that strong.

    ''Can I really win?''

    Kazufuru even began to doubt himself.

    Although he denied his own doubts immediately, he still felt quite anxious inside.

    For the entire day, he didn''t take a single look in Seigo''s direction.

    After sses, Kazufuru went to the student council room to take care of work.

    Natsuya Yoruhana, the student council president, was there as well. No matter how many times he saw her there, working quietly, she was always incredibly beautiful.

    Kazufuru truly desired to have a closer rtionship to her. However, the scion always kept a distance from him, making it impossible to even know where to begin with her.

    They were sitting less than five meters away from each other, yet the distance between their hearts was¡­ He found it impossible to calcte.

    After working for quite a while, the student council took a break and sipped some tea together.

    "President, it''s almost Valentine''s Day. Do you have anyone you want to give chocte to?"

    Meisa Yasumi, the second-year female student council secretary who had light purple curly hair and a cute face, asked a serious question.

    "Sure," Natsuya replied with a smile.

    "Eh? Really? Who!?"

    Meisa widened her eyes in surprise. Simultaneously, Kazufuru along with the student council member Kouji Samasa suddenly started paying close attention.

    "Of course, I''m giving chocte to Ooike-kun and Samasa-senpai." Natsuya nced over at the two boys sitting across from her. "As well as all my male ssmates."

    The other three student council members were all rendered speechless.

    "I''m not asking about friend chocte, I''m talking about love chocte," Meisa rified.

    "That''s a secret." Natsuya maintained her smile.

    "Tell me, President~ At least let me know if there''s someone you have in mind or not."

    "Secret means it''s a secret. How about you, Yasumi-san? Do you have someone to give love chocte to?"

    "I¡­ don''t."

    "Judging by your expression, I think you''re lying."

    "I''m¡­ definitely not lying!" Meisa was rather panicky.

    "I''ve heard that you''re quite close to Eguchi-senpai from the volleyball club. I bet you''re just one step away from formally going out with him." Natsuya looked at Meisa.

    "N¡­ not at all! Where did you even hear such a thing, President!?" Meisa''s face was now blushing red.

    Even though she was the one who asked the question to begin with, she was now being counterattacked.

    "I heard it from the volleyball club members in my ss. I even heard that someone saw you and Eguchi-senpai walking down the street together, and you were holding his hand in a rather intimate fashion¡­"

    "I did no such thing! I was merely holding his hand!"

    "So you did hold his hand." Natsuya had an ''Aha!'' expression.

    "Sigh¡­ No, wait! What I said now doesn''t count!" Meisa''s face became even redder.

    Kazufuru felt nothing at all from watching this cute senpai of his dig a pitfall for herself.

    He was more interested in the student council president. He felt that she was behaving slightly exaggeratedly, unlike her usual self, almost as if she wanted to conceal something.

    Her love chocte''s target was a secret¡­ this meant that she might really have a love chocte target in mind! Otherwise, she should have directly said "I don''t have anyone to give love chocte to."

    Kazufuru felt a chill within him as he realized this.

    Natsuya Yoruhana had a love chocte target.

    Could this person¡­ possibly be himself?

    He tried his very best to think of any possibilities of this being true. However, his sense of logic and reason told him that this was impossible.

    Natsuya Yoruhana''s love chocte target couldn''t possibly be himself, Kazufuru Ooike!

    His emotions were unwilling to ept this.

    However, that was what his logic was telling him.

    Deep inside himself, Kazufuru loathed his own intelligence.

    ''If only I wasn''t such a logical type.

    ''If only I was stupider.

    ''If only¡­ I was just like those other idiots in my ss!

    ''If I simply spent time wastefully just how I wanted, living in a vulgar, base fashion, I wouldn''t feel this terrible right now!!''

    "Ooike-san, what''s the matter?" someone asked concernedly.

    This was the gentle-appearing and nice-person-type member of the student council, Kouji Samasa.

    Kouji Samasa was the member who ran all the errands for the student council. He had an excellent temper and was an incredibly nice person just like his appearance suggested.

    Kazufuru felt that this senpai of hiscked presence, so he looked down upon Kouji. But now that he was receiving concern from Kouji, Kazufuru felt simultaneously warm yet humiliated inside. He didn''t know what to say.

    "You don''t look well. Are you feeling ufortable?" Kouji asked Kazufuru another question.

    Natsuya and Meisa noticed Kazufuru''s strange expression as well.

    "Ooike-kun, what''s the matter?"

    "Ooike-san, your expression looks awful. What happened?"

    "¡­I''m fine." Kazufuru averted his gaze.

    It didn''t seem like he was fine.

    "If you''re tired, don''t force yourself. Go on home and have a rest. You can leave the rest of the work up to us," Natsuya told him.

    "I really am alright. No need to worry about me." Kazufuru wanted to respond calmly. Yet, when he spoke, he sounded rather grim.

    "Ooike-san¡­" Meisa and Kouji both nced over at their junior in confusion.

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes as she looked at Kazufuru for a while.

    "Go home for now, Ooike-kun."

    Her calm words sounded as if she saw through everything.

    Kazufuru felt a strong sense of frustration upon hearing this.

    "I said I''m fine! Leave me alone!!"

    His icy, grim words came out in a shout that seemed like he was venting.

    He instantly felt that he had made a mistake. Yet, the next instant, he felt like he didn''t care at all anymore.

    ''Actually, I''m the idiot after all.''

    Kazufuru speedily thought about how he spent so much time next to Natsuya Yoruhana''s side with zero progress and felt that he had truly been an idiot. He had actually wanted to romantically pursue this scion and felt that he could seed?

    The honest truth was that he didn''t have a chance from the start! His former beliefs and self-confidence seemed just like a joke to him right now¡­

    He felt that he was nothing more than a clown.

 Chapter 538 - Indeed, I am insane

    <h4>Chapter 538: Indeed, I am insane</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Everyone fell silent after Kazufuru''s outburst.

    Kazufuru stood up without waiting for Natsuya and the others to say anything and silently walked out of the student council room of his own volition.

    He stopped thinking about anything entirely and let his mind stay nk. He wandered around aimlessly as he walked out of Genhana High School and onto the streets.

    The sky was cloudy and the wind was chilly. It was evident that it was about to rain. Everyone still out on the street moved at a brisk pace, not wanting to be caught in the rain.

    Kazufuru, however, walked around rather slowly with a hollow expression. Only when icy-cold raindrops fell upon him did he regain his senses.

    Even though the cold rain was drenching him, he still didn''t quicken his pace. He continued walking slowly until he entered a nearby coffee caf¨¦.

    Kazufuru found a table to sit down at. A server brought him a cup of hot water and a small towel.

    Kazufuru wiped himself using the towel and ordered a cup of coffee. He then sat there quietly.

    Once the coffee arrived, Kazufuru didn''t even touch it. Instead, he merely continued to sit there in silence.

    "Hey bro, what''s the matter?" A gray-jacketed man sat down across from him. "Why do you have such a grim expression that''s even darker than the weather?"

    Kazufuru nced at the gray-jacketed man and then chose to ignore him.

    "My guess is that you''re having love troubles." The gray-jacketed man smiled.

    Kazufuru began to frown.

    "Your love rival is more handsome than you are, taller, better at sports, has higher grades, and also richer than you, am I right?" the gray-jacketed man continued speaking.

    "You''ve always worked so hard, wanting to get closer to the girl that you like. However, she doesn''t spare even a single nce for you and has ignored all of your efforts, am I right?

    "It''s almost Valentine''s Day, and that girl is preparing her homemade love chocte for your love rival, while she only intends to give you some cheap friend chocte just like she gives to all her other ssmates, am I right?"

    The gray-jacketed man asked three "am I right?" questions in quick session. Although he was asking, he didn''t seem doubtful of the answers at all. He sounded quite confident that he was right.

    Kazufuru''s frown grew even deeper.

    "None of your business!" he growled in a low voice.

    "It seems that I''m on the mark." The gray-jacketed man chuckled. "Indeed, it''s none of my business, as I''m simply a random person passing by. There''s plenty of men out there with experiences just like yours, bro. I can find people like you anywhere. I''m not so bored that I chat all of you up. I''m simply talking to you because you''re rather special, bro."

    Kazufuru icily nced at the gray-jacketed man.

    "I have a new product here that I''d like to find a suitable person to test out for me. I just happened to see someone like you who has the talent to use it, bro. I suppose this is fate." The gray-jacketed man reached into his pocket and brought out a small wooden box and ced it on the table. "This product has the ability to help the user kill whomever he hates."

    "Haha." Kazufuru chuckled condescendingly in an icy manner.

    "It would seem that you don''t believe me. That''s fine. After all, anyone like me thates to chat up someone with love troubles like you probably sounds like a scammer." The gray-jacketed man smiled. "However, I''m no scammer. First of all, I don''t want any money. I''ll give you this item for free. Also, after I give you this item, you can''t tell anyone about this, otherwise you''ll die. Not only that, you''ll die within five days if you don''t use this item. Finally, I''m going to erase part of your memories, so that you only remember this conversation you had with me but forget what I looked like, along with where and when you met me."

    Kazufuru''s expression froze over slightly before it became even more condescending.

    "You''re not a scammer, you''re just insane." He chuckled coldly.

    "You''re absolutely right. Indeed, I am insane." The gray-jacketed man smiled and nodded. "Now, let me tell you how to use this item. It''s quite simple. All you have to do is be within four meters of the person you hate. Look at him for four seconds, and have killing intent in your mind while saying ''Kill'' four times to yourself out loud. The only thing you need to note is that you can''t have others see you doing this."

    The gray-jacketed man then opened the wooden box.

    Kazufuru saw a green crystal inside the box. This green crystal had constantly moving blood-red runes etched upon it and was shing abnormally.

    Just as he widened his eyes in surprise, the gray-jacketed man flicked his fingers and caused Kazufuru''s mouth to be opened by an invisible force. Then, this strange green crystal flew straight into his mouth and entered his stomach!

    "Argh¡­!"

    ''What the hell is this!?''

    That was Kazufuru''s final thought before he fell unconscious.

    "Urgh¡­"

    Kazufuru suddenly woke up back in his own bed at home.

    He felt like his chest was burning up, as if he had been branded. It was incredibly painful!

    He wanted to scream; he wanted to get out of bed. However, he waspletely unable to move.

    "Uuuuuwwaaahhhh¡­"

    Kazufuru really wanted to scream for help, but he was only able to make a low groaning sound.

    His eyes were hazy and tearing up.

    A sharp pain caused him to be unable to think about anything at all. He felt as if he was dying, and almost wanted to die to escape from the pain. However, his consciousness remained frustratingly clear throughout the process.

    Luckily, the painsted only for a while before it soon disappeared. He was able to move his body again.

    "What just happened¡­"

    The excellent student regained the ability to think and recalled the conversation he had just earlier. He recalled eating¡­ no, that his body was invaded by something strange!

    Not only that, he couldn''t even remember what the man looked like, when this conversation happened, and where it happened!!

    What time was it now?

    Kazufuru pulled out his cell phone and checked the time to see that it was 2:00 A.M. on Tuesday morning!

    Thest memory he had was that he sullenly left the student council room on Monday afternoon.

    As for what happened after that and what he experienced, he had zero recollection.

    Just like what the person in the conversation told him¡­ his memories had been erased!

    Kazufuru began to panic.

    That man¡­ was no ordinary person. He must have been a Spiritual Ability user!

    Kazufuru never expected to meet such a person. He never believed in Spiritual Ability users'' existence before this!!!

    Kazufuru had participated in discussing this topic at school before. However, he only viewed it as a pop culture phenomenon, and was only talking about it to follow the trend. He was someone who never believed in demons or Spiritual Ability users and so on.

    Yet, this time, he unmistakably came across such a mystical incident!

    Kazufuru began to panic and feel fear.

    ''What should I do?

    ''I need to call the police¡­ No, calling the police will probably be useless. Not only that, that person said that I''d die if I told anyone!

    ''I can''t tell anyone¡­ I can''t ask for help¡­ and I''ll die if I don''t use this thing within five days¡­

    ''If I want to live, I don''t have any other choice. I have to use this thing within me, to¡­ kill!''

    Kazufuru began envisioning Seigo Harano in his mind.

    ''Do I hate him?

    ''Of course I hate him!

    ''If it wasn''t for him, none of this would have happened!!

    ''I should kill Seigo Harano so that I can live. This will be fine. There''s no problems!''

    An icy gaze appeared in the excellent student''s eyes.

    ''Using something magical like this to kill someone won''t possibly be solved by the police. Nobody will know that I did it!

    ''And in the end, I was forced into it!!

    ''I''m only doing this so that I can live¡­ the real criminal is that man. I''m not in the wrong! I''m notmitting any crime!!''

    Kazufuru even felt somewhat joyous as he thought about this. It was as if his pent-up emotions were finally being vented.

    He didn''t even know what his current expression was anymore.

    If only he looked in a mirror right now, he probably would have found himself unfamiliar and scary. After all, his expression was basically¡­

    Just like that of a demon''s.

 Chapter 539 - I want to kill you!

    <h4>Chapter 539: I want to kill you!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kazufuru imagined the scene of Seigo Harano dying pitifully, along with how Natsuya Yoruhana might react, and then everyone else''s reactions¡­

    Kazufuru slowly calmed down after he imagined the potential consequences.

    ¡­Should he really go through with it?

    This was killing someone, after all.

    Although he indeed loathed Seigo Harano, and wished that Seigo didn''t exist, still, to personally kill Seigo¡­

    The demonic expression on the excellent student''s face gradually receded, reced by a conflicted expression.

    ''I want to live, so I have to use this item ced within me. I''m not in the wrong; I was forced.

    ''But¡­ has Seigo Harano really done anything wrong?''

    Seigo''s existence was quite bothersome to every single boy in the ss. But¡­ he was a nice person!

    Even though Kazufuru hated him to the point of wishing he didn''t exist, Kazufuru had to admit that Seigo Harano was a nice person¡ªa cool and open individual who loved to help others.

    He felt that Seigo was bothersome because Seigo was far too excellent. Kazufuru always felt inferior and jealous.

    ''Is it really alright¡­ to kill him?''

    Kazufuru''s conscience kept questioning him.

    ''This isn''t a matter of whether it''s alright or not! I have to do it! I want to live! What''s wrong with killing someone I hate so that I can live on!!?

    ''It''s not wrong¡­ but¡­

    ''No buts! That''s just how it is! I''m going to kill Seigo Harano tomorrow!!

    "Natsuya Yoruhana will be heartbroken¡­

    ''That''s exactly what I want to see! That''ll bring me great joy!!

    ''Is it¡­ really alright like this?

    ''What else am I supposed to do!!??''

    Kazufuru was roaring inside his mind as he struggled with his own conscience.

    On Tuesday, Kazufuru Ooike requested a day off from school.

    He said that he caught a cold due to being outside in the rain yesterday.

    ''How unlucky of him to have caught a cold at such a time. I hope that he''ll get better before Valentine''s Day¡­'' This was Seiji''s thought after learning of Kazufuru''s absence.

    Seiji noticed that the atmosphere in ss had gotten subtly strange due to Valentine''s Day being right around the corner. All the male students were ncing at him much more than usual. Seiji could only smile wryly.

    All he could do was to act like he always did.

    Today was another rainy day. Not only that, the weather report indicated that the next several days would be rainy as well.

    Seiji hoped that it would be sunny on Valentine''s Day. Although some might consider rainy days more romantic, Seiji felt that he preferred the sunshine.

    On Wednesday, Kazufuru Ooike requested yet another day off from school.

    Some of his closer friends wanted to go visit him, but he refused to see anyone, saying that his cold was rather severe and that he didn''t wish to infect anyone.

    During lunch break, many girls surrounded Kaho and asked her to teach them her secret tips and techniques on how to make chocte. Mika and Chiaki were in this group of girls as well.

    And so, in an extremely rare instance, Seiji found himself eating lunch by himself.

    Heter learned that so many girls came to see Kaho that they ended up meeting again after school and borrowed the cooking club''s room to all bake chocte together. So many girls attended that even some girls from other grades came as well¡­''Quite incredible, aren''t you, Miyamoto-sensei?''

    On Thursday, Kazufuru Ooike finally returned to school.

    He was wearing a breathing mask and had dark circles under his eyes. It was evident that he wasn''t very spirited.

    When Seiji looked at Kazufuru, he just happened to look at Seiji as well.

    Seiji saw that the excellent student who served as the student council secretary and a grim andplex expression.

    The next second, Kazufuru retracted his gaze.

    Seiji wondered what was going on with him.

    During ss time.

    When Seiji was taking a bathroom break, he found Kazufuru standing in the hallway by himself. Kazufuru was looking out a window and observing the rain.

    "Ooike-san¡­ are you feeling better?" Seiji walked up to Kazufuru and asked how he was doing.

    "I am, thank you for asking," the excellent student answered calmly without turning around.

    Seiji also looked out the window and fell silent for a moment.

    "Ooike-san, do you have something you''d like to say?" He ended up asking a question in a soft voice.

    "¡­Why do you say that?"

    "Because I feel like you want to say something to me."

    Kazufuru fell silent upon hearing this.

    "If I''m just thinking too much into things, please forgive me." Seiji turned around and started to walk off.

    "Harano-san¡­" a low voice spoke up behind him.

    Seiji paused in his footsteps.

    "Could we have a private discussion, just the two of us,ter tonight?" Kazufuru asked him in a low voice.

    "¡­Sure." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes as he agreed.

    "Thank you." Kazufuru remained polite as he told Seiji the time and ce.

    "Don''t tell anyone else about this." The student council secretary left with this final sentence.

    Seiji watched him leave before he turned around to leave as well.

    Later that night, the rain stopped.

    Seiji arrived on time at the ce they agreed to meet at, a small park.

    He saw that Kazufuru Ooike was currently crouching in a sandbox and building a sandcastle.

    A high school boy like Kazufuru was wearing a jacket, long pants, a breathing mask, and eyesses while building a sand castle in a sandbox for young children¡­ this scene seemed rather abnormal to Seiji.

    "Good evening, Ooike-san."

    "¡­Good evening, Harano-san."

    Kazufuru dusted off the sand on himself and stood up while turning to face Seiji.

    "Why did youe here?" he asked Seiji in a low voice.

    "Because I promised," Seiji replied.

    "Why did you promise? I''m not friends with you. Don''t you think it''s strange to meet me alone sote at night?"

    "Indeed, I think it''s strange. That''s exactly why I agreed," Seiji responded calmly.

    "Because of curiosity? Heh heh¡­ curiosity killed the cat, you know." Kazufuru chuckled coldly.

    "Indeed, sometimes curiosity will kill the cat. However, I have trust in Ooike-san."

    "Trust me? Heh heh¡­ trust in what about me? Trust that I won''t be able to do anything!?" Kazufuru''s tone of voice suddenly became piercing. "YOU TRUST THAT I CAN''T WIN AGAINST YOU! THAT I CAN NEVER THREATEN YOU! IS THAT IT!!?"

    "Not at all." Seiji looked directly at Kazufuru. "I trust that Ooike-kun isn''t the type of person who would kill me."

    Kazufuru paused in surprise for a moment.

    Then, dark emotions welled up within him, causing him to burst with¡­

    "FUCK!!!"

    His screaming was just like a roar that pierced the heavens.

    "I WANT TO KILL YOU! I REALLY WANT TO KILL YOU!! YOU''RE SUCH AN EYESORE, YOU BASTARD!! IF ONLY YOU WERE DEAD!!!"

    His cursing was filled with negative emotions. Without a doubt, these were his true feelings.

    Seiji received Kazufuru''s negative feelings, but still managed to remain calm.

    They both fell silent for a moment.

    Kazufuru noticed that they were within four meters of each other, that he had been looking at Seigo for four seconds, and that nobody else was here to see them¡­ all the conditions were met!

    Now, all that was left was to possess killing intent towards Seigo and say the word "Kill" out loud for four times.

    Kazufuru wanted to do this.

    But for some reason, he was unable to utter a sound. It was as if something was stuck in his throat.

    "You want to kill me, but you won''t actually do so," Seiji stated in a light voice. "That''s because to do so would be for you to deny yourself, Ooike-kun."

    Kazufuru paused in surprise.

    "Ooike-san, you''ve always worked hard and treat that as your pride. With your personality, what you truly wish for is to defeat your opponent, not to destroy him." Seiji looked directly into Kazufuru''s eyes. "You feel that you can''t beat me, which is why you hate me and want me to disappear. But, you''ll never truly kill me, because that''ll mean you''re admitting to yourself that you''ll never be able to beat me in your life, which would bepletely giving up on your pride. Your hard work is worth more than this. Your pride should be stronger. You should be able to see things for what they are¡­ even if you''re temporarily confused, pained, or struggling, you''ll finally see the truth and believe in yourself. That''s what I believe."

 Chapter 540 - Could this beâ€¦ the true form?

    <h4>Chapter 540: Could this be¡­ the true form?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A long period of silence fell between them.

    A cold breeze blew past, whisking up both their shirts.

    Kazufuru grit his teeth.

    "Lies! That''s not what you really think at all!! You actually look down on me, don''t you! You treat me as an idiot and despise me!! Otherwise, why¡­ why is it that you''re no longer even willing to be my friend after all this time!?"

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt that Kazufuru''s words were rather subtle. Seiji revealed a strange expression.

    Kazufuru himself also felt that something was wrong with how he phrased his question after he said it out loud. However, he was unable to figure out any other way to express his feelings.

    "After that time, I thought that it would be fine to simply act as a regr ssmate with you. It''s not that I was looking down upon you or thinking that you were unworthy to be my friend," Seiji told him honestly. "I apologize if that''s what you still minded after all this time."

    "I don''t want your apology! I want¡­ Natsuya Yoruhana!" Kazufuru managed to clear some of his thoughts.

    "That''s impossible." Seiji''s calm expression was instantly reced by an emotionless one.

    "You¡­ you really are looking down on me after all!"

    "No, this is disgust."

    "Is there a difference!?"

    "Of course there is. Disgust is on a deeper levelpared to condescension."

    Kazufuru was rendered speechless.

    Another cold breeze blew past them.

    "You currently like Natsuya Yoruhana, is that correct?"

    "Yes."

    "And she also likes you?"

    "That''s a question you''ll have to ask her."

    Kazufuru took a deep look at Seiji.

    Seiji faced him directly.

    "¡­Even if I kill you, she probably wouldn''t like me, would she." Momentster, Kazufuru slowly lowered his head. "No¡­ I should say that even if you were never around to begin with, she wouldn''t have liked me."

    Seiji remained silent.

    "In the end, I''m just an idiot," Kazufuru said sarcastically to himself. "From the very beginning."

    "Ooike-san¡­"

    "Shut up! I don''t want to hear you talk right now."

    Kazufuru viciously red at Seiji and clenched his fists tightly.

    Kazufuru''s heart was currently filled with tumultuous yet indescribable emotions. He didn''t even know what he was currently feeling. However, all he had left towards Seigo Harano before him was rage, not killing intent.

    ''I am just an idiot after all¡­''

    Kazufuru clenched his fists even tighter. His body began to tremble and his eyes started bing unfocused.

    He turned around so that Seigo would be unable to see his face.

    "You¡­ just leave." With great difficulty, he managed to utter this short sentence.

    "Ooike-san¡­"

    "I said shut up! Stop talking to me!! Get the hell out of here!!!" Kazufuru began roaring.

    Tears seeped out from his eyes and his body kept trembling continuously.

    He heard the sound of footsteps gradually leaving.

    Once he no longer heard anything, Kazufuru kneeled down in the sandbox and destroyed his own sand castle with a punch!

    "Wahhhhhhhh!!!"

    He began to cry loudly.

    The pain from losing in love, his past regrets, his despair at facing death¡­ all these emotions were too much for him to bear. He was breaking under the pressure.

    The excellent student kneeled in the sandbox, cried loudly, and forcefully tossed sand everywhere. Tears covered his face, as if he was a young child in pain.

    "I don''t want to die¡­ I don''t want to die¡­"

    He knew that he would die when the five day time limit was up.

    He didn''t want to sacrifice himself, but he was unable to kill the person he loathed so much. He didn''t know what to do¡­

    ''Why did I meet with such an incident¡­ why¡­''

    "Someone, save me¡­ I don''t want to die¡­ I want to live¡­"

    He was only a first-year high school student still in the prime of his life.

    He''d always worked hard, and he never did anything he considered immoral. He was quite proud of his own aplishments.

    The road ahead should have been long for him. He still had so many things he wanted to do, and didn''t want to die like this¡­

    "I want to live¡­ I don''t want to die¡­ save me¡­"

    He cried in despair and called out for help using his very soul.

    "Ooike-san¡­"

    He felt as if he heard something.

    "Ooike-san¡­"

    This voice belonged to someone that should have left already.

    "Ooike-san¡­ I''ve heard¡­ your request for help¡­"

    This was a gentle and resolute voice that had the power to reassure others.

    Kazufuru turned around with his tear and snot-covered face to see that Seigo Harano was now crouching next to him and reaching out with his hand.

    "Let me help you."

    Seigo Harano was a Spiritual Ability user!

    Kazufuru was rather surprised to find this out. However, he was quite epting of it.

    In fact, he even wondered why he never even considered this possibility before. After all, some of their ssmates were already wondering if Seigo was a Spiritual Ability user.

    He should have figured it out¡­ Why was he unable to see this?

    Kazufuru couldn''t understand. He was confused about this for quite a while, and could only conclude that it was due to his own foolishness.

    Just like at the beginning when meeting Seigo Harano, he became foolish at a critical part.

    When he returned to his senses, Kazufuru discovered that he was now in a dojo.

    "I''m going to help dispel the curse on you here," Seiji told the excellent student. "The process might be risky, and also painful. You need to mentally prepare yourself."

    Kazufuru fell silent at this and nodded.

    Seiji had Kazufuru lie down on the floor, close his eyes, and rx his body. Seiji then began casting his spell.

    Seiji ced a barrier around Kazufuru and uttered an incantation that caused a golden-red mystical spell formation to appear.

    Runes appeared on Kazufuru''s body. These runes gradually started emitting a ck mist.

    "Urgh¡­"

    Once again, Kazufuru felt as if he was being branded with how hot and painful his chest felt. His body became incredibly rigid.

    Kazufuru did his best to bear the pain. Some timeter, he felt something within his body begin to stir, as if there was a living creature inside him which had been disturbed from its slumber.

    Then, even greater pain flooded over him. His body felt as if it was literally being torn apart and burned, yet he also felt an iparable chill¡­

    "Waargghhhhh!!!"

    He heard an ear-piercing shriek.

    It took a second for Kazufuru to realize that he himself was the one who was screaming.

    He forced his eyes open and saw Seigo Harano who had a serious expression right now¡­ no, he was looking down at Seigo!

    Kazufuru confusedly realized that he was apparently in midair and checked himself, only to discover that he was currently within a pitch-ck dimensional space together with a green crystal. And¡­ he had transformed into a gigantic monster!?

    A blood-red gigantic body, dark-green ugly arms, and sharp ck ws¡­ just what was this!?

    He wanted to ask this out loud, but when he tried speaking, his words became nothing more than a vicious roar!

    "Ooike-san, is your consciousness still in there!? If so, please nod!" Seiji shouted to the monster.

    This gigantic monster had a viciously distorted expression, long red fangs, wild hair, and long green horns on top of its head that were glowing with a cold light. This was unmistakably a powerful demon!

    Kazufuru wanted to nod and say that he was still within this demon. However, his body was no longer under his control.

    ''So hot¡­ so painful¡­

    ''Kill¡­ kill¡­

    ''What¡­ have I be¡­

    ''Kill¡­ kill¡­ kill¡­

    ''Why¡­ did things be like this¡­

    ''Kill¡­ kill¡­ kill¡­ KILL!!!''

    A strong wave of pain buried his consciousness, and he was filled with the desire to ughter. This caused Kazufuru to wave his giant arm and viciously smash towards the person across from him!

    "Hurry and run!"

    Kazufuru''s barely remaining consciousness wanted to shout that in warning to Seigo Harano. Yet, he was unable to utter any humannguage as what came out of his mouth was only demonic shouting.

    Seigo, who always seemed so tall and strong to him, was now only as short as a young child inparison. If he managed to hit Seigo, it would definitely kill him¡­

    *Boom!!*

    The giant w smashed into the ground.

    Seigo Harano dodged the attack at a speed that Kazufuru wasn''t even able to discern!

    "If you''ve lost your consciousness, I apologize, because that means I''m not going to go easy on you." Seiji looked at the powerful demon. "Ooike-san, you''ll have to bear with me."

    The next second, Kazufuru noticed Seigo being covered with a golden mist as golden runes appeared on his skin. His hair also transformed into long, free-flowing golden hair which was brilliantly shiny and gave him an incredible aura!

    Did he¡­ just transform?

    Kazufuru''s remnant consciousness was shocked by this scene.

    Was this Seigo Harano''s true form?

 Chapter 541 - Just act like a proper victor

    <h4>Chapter 541: Just act like a proper victor</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seigo who was usually so blindingly handsome already was actually such a shy golden existence¡­?

    Kazufuru was unable to think any further as his body started rampaging out of control again, swinging his w towards Seigo!

    Seiji jumped up and dodged the attack, counterattacking with a whirlwind kick in midair! His kicknding on the demon''s body caused a loud cracking sound.

    Doubtlessly, no ordinary person would be able to resist such a demon. Yet, for Seiji, this monster didn''t even count as very strong.

    The demon roared as it continuously waved its ws. Seiji calmly dodged the attacks and counterattacked, with each and every hit causing tons of damage!

    Momentster, the demon was defeated.

    *Roarrrrr!!!*

    The demon''s horns started glowing blindingly as it roared!

    Green crystals popped out of a red mist and rushed towards the demon''s horns.

    The demon''s horns absorbed the red mist, causing the gigantic demon''s injuries to swiftly start healing!

    A sharp glint appeared in Seiji''s eyes as he rushed forward and transformed into a golden light as he jumped onto the demon''s horns, intending to destroy them.

    However, the demon roared and exploded with dark-red mist all around it, sending out a powerful shock wave!

    Seiji was sent sting away. He was blown roughly seven to eight meters away before backflipping andnding on the ground.

    The dark-red mist wrapped around the demon''s body and formed a barrier. Its injuries were fully healed, and it stood up with a stronger aura than before.

    "Gragh!!!" it shouted deafeningly while continuing a vicious onught against Seiji!

    The demon''s attacks all included shock waves with arge area of effect. Seiji was unable to dodge these shock waves.

    Meanwhile, Seiji''s counterattacks were all obstructed by the demon''s barrier and were no longer as effective.

    "Harano-san¡­" Kazufuru''s remaining consciousness was just like a candle flickering in the wind.

    He wanted to be saved, but it appeared that saving him would be quite difficult.

    He bore with the pain while watching his ssmate fight for him. Kazufuru suddenly felt incredibly tired.

    ''Why not just give up?

    ''Why not just die? That will be the easiest. After all, death¡­ is simply eternal rest.

    ''¡­Simply?

    ''Stop being so foolish!

    ''I don''t want to die! I can''t die!! I have to live!!!

    ''Seigo Harano who''s trying to help me hasn''t even lost yet, so what''s with me giving up first!? That would be too humiliating!!

    ''I, Kazufuru Ooike, am not someone who''s only at such a level!!!''

    The excellent student retorted against his own thoughts and forced his consciousness to keep struggling.

    The demon''s movements suddenly slowed.

    "Now!" Seiji saw this as an opportunity to cast a spell he had prepared.

    Mystical de, "White Lotus"!

    A powerful white light instantly gathered in his hand and formed the shape of a longsword! It gave off a holy aura.

    This was a spell that he learned just recently, which was capable of materializing a spiritual sword as a weapon. Or, it could be used as an enchantment on a physical sword to increase its power. This spell also had cleansing properties, and would be super effective against certain types of enemies¡­ such as therge demon currently before him.

    Seiji jumped up into the air and sliced!

    There was a golden sh with sessive white arcs that sliced through the barrier and cut off one of the demon''s horns!!

    *Boom!!!*

    The dark-red mist barrier instantly copsed and therge demon roared in pain. It copsed for the second time.

    Seiji took this opportunity to cancel the spiritual sword and went forward with his fists instead.

    "Ora ora ora ora ora!"

    Seiji viciously beat the monster intoplete submission!!

    Kazufuru didn''t even know what to say or think at this.

    Seiji then immediately created a seal and cast [Evolved Cleansing].

    A golden spell formation appeared together with a blinding light that dispelled the thick mist!

    Kazufuru felt his pain rapidly disappearing as the sensation of his physical body gradually returned to him, while his consciousness also started getting hazy¡­

    Kazufuru opened his eyes.

    He discovered that he was lying on the dojo''s floor with Seigo Harano sitting beside him. Seigo was looking at a green crystal in his hand.

    "That''s¡­" Kazufuru recognized this crystal as the abnormal object which invaded his body!

    "You''re awake now, Ooike-san." Seiji looked towards the excellent student. "How do you currently feel?"

    Kazufuru sat up and silently tried feeling what condition his body was in.

    "I feel fine¡­ nothing seems off.

    "That''s good, since that means the curse was sessfully dispelled from you." Seiji indicated the crystal-like object in his hand. "This is the cursed item that was within you."

    Kazufuru checked the crystal and saw that it was cracked and that the moving blood-red runes were no longer present.

    "What exactly is this?"

    "I''m not sure, either. At any rate, it''s a cursed item that can transform someone into a monster." Seiji paused for a moment. "Now that it''s been dispelled, there''s nothing more that you need to be afraid of. Could you tell me how this item entered your body in the first ce?"

    Kazufuru fell silent for a moment.

    "I don''t recall specifically when, where, or what person cursed me. I only remember what he told me¡­" Kazufuru exined what he remembered.

    Seiji attentively listened to Kazufuru and silently thought to himself.

    Kazufuru looked at Seiji.

    "Harano-san, what about yourself?"

    "Eh?"

    "Are you alright? Were you injured?"

    Seiji blinked in surprise and smiled.

    "I''m fine. No need to worry."

    Kazufuru took a long nce at Seiji.

    "That''s good, then¡­" He averted his gaze and continued in a soft voice, "Thank you¡­ for saving me."

    "No need for thanks. I simply did what I could," Seiji responded.

    Kazufuru wanted to say something more, but didn''t know what to say. He could only remain silent.

    They both remained silent for quite a while.

    "You should return home, Ooike-san." Seiji stood up. "Return home and have a good rest, and enjoy Valentine''s Day tomorrow."

    "¡­It''s almost like an insult hear that I should enjoy Valentine''s Day when it''sing from you." Kazufuru stood up as well.

    "I didn''t mean it as an insult."

    "I know. Still, that''s what it sounded like from my perspective."

    "What should I have said then?"

    "There''s no need to worry about me. Just act like a proper victor."

    Kazufuru''s calm words were an admittance of defeat.

    ''You''re actually really cool, Seigo Harano.

    ''You''re cool and handsome. It''s only natural that you would be a winner in life.

    ''There''s no need for you to worry about a loser''s feelings of inferiority or jealousy, because none of it has to do with you.

    ''On Valentine''s Day¡­ you should just enjoy your life as a victor.

    ''Happy Valentine''s Day, Harano-san.

    ''I''ll pay back this favor I owe you for saving my life¡­ but I have no idea how to pay you back, so I won''t tell you out loud. You''ll probably just say that there''s no need, anyways.

    ''If I ever have the chance, I''ll definitely pay back this favor I owe you! Not for your sake, but for my own pride.

    ''I''m a loser and an idiot. But no matter what, I shall live on in my own way,'' Kazufuru thought to himself.

    The two of them separated after leaving the Juumonji residence.

    ''Kazufuru Ooike met with a killing curse, which is far unluckier than simply catching a cold¡­ but this will also help him to mature.'' That was what Seiji believed.

    He could tell that the student council secretary had a different look in his eyespared to before. Kazufuru had changed for the better.

    Seiji felt that Kazufuru would be someone even more outstanding and popr in the future.

    But no matter what, Seiji was destined to never be friends with him.

    The foundational reason for that was¡­

    "Good evening, Natsuya."

    "Good evening, Seiji."

    "There''s something I''d like to tell you about in person. Is it alright toe over right now?"

    "Of course."

    Seiji hung up the call after a short and simple conversation and headed to her residence.

 Chapter 542 - Valentineâ€™s Day

    <h4>Chapter 542: Valentine¡¯s Day</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji arrived at Natsuya''s residence and met with her to exin the incident that befell Kazufuru.

    "This is the item I retrieved after dispelling the curse¡­ more urately speaking, Yomi''s power helped to forcefully restore this item." Seiji ced the green crystal on the table.

    It was mostly thanks to the female spirit Yomi that he had been able to dispel the curse and sessfully obtain this crystal.

    "I suspect that this crystal has to do with the ''Messengers''. This is highly likely to be one of their new ''products'' after producing the ''Bliss'' drug," Seiji stated seriously.

    Natsuya carefully looked over the green crystal.

    "I can''t tell anything about it. It will have to undergo an analysis."

    "Will Ooike-kun get involved in this again?"

    "After the analysis isplete, I''ll see what things are like before deciding whether or not to report about this to my family."

    Seiji nodded.

    "The person who gave this item to Ooike-san said that he needed Ooike-san to ''test out'' this product for him. In that case, he''s likely toe looking for Ooike-san again to confirm the results."

    "I''ll send someone to watch over Ooike-kun in a bit."

    "Ooike-san''s memories are the best clue, but it''s unlikely for them to recover. Besides, even if he does recover his memories, it''s questionable whether that man was using his real appearance."

    "Yeah¡­"

    Both Seiji and Natsuya fell silent.

    Seiji felt that there was nothing more to say, so he said goodbye and left.

    Natsuya sat there nkly for quite a while after sending him off.

    Their discussion just now was about an important matter. However, what she kept thinking about more than that when faced with him was the matter of tomorrow.

    When she thought about what she wanted to do, the student council president''s heartbeat increased and her face flushed slightly red.

    "I shouldn''t do such a thing¡­ but what Houjou-san said is correct as well¡­"

    Her own feelings shed with her maid''s advice, causing her inner turmoil.

    To do, or not to do? This important question troubled her for the entire night.

    Friday, Valentine''s Day.

    Not long after Seiji woke up, he received his first batch of chocte.

    "Brother¡­ for you." Shika''s face was faintly red as she handed him an exquisite heart-shaped box with both her hands.

    This was quite an impactful scene that had Seiji standing still in surprise for quite a while.

    He epted the box of choctes and spoke with sincerity, "Thank you¡­ I shall enjoy them."

    Shika''s face became even redder upon hearing this. She averted her gaze.

    ''My first box of choctes from my adopted younger sister. Wonderful!'' Seiji felt lucky to be alive.

    He would be quite satisfied even if this was the only chocte he received today.

    But, that was impossible, because he soon received a second batch of chocte.

    "Harano onii-san, for you!" Little Reo handed him a small box of chocte with sparkles in her eyes. "I didn''t buy this, I made it together with my friend."

    "Thank you. I''ll gratefully ept." Seiji smiled.

    After they finished eating breakfast together, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaede all came visiting at his apartment.

    "Here''s my wonderful handmade chocte as a tribute to the Harem King!" Chiaki handed him a box of choctes using an exaggeratedly respectful pose.

    "Thank you, I''ll take them." Seiji politely epted.

    "You''re actually not retorting!?" The cool tomboy was astonished.

    Seiji felt that it would be quite troublesome to be retorting like a day such as Valentine''s Day. He faced everything calmly.

    "Seiji¡­ for you." Mika handed him a box as her face flushed red.

    "Thank you, Mika." Seiji gently epted her box and felt her intentions.

    "This is from me." Kaede smiled and handed him a box of choctes as well. "If youe over to my room tonight, I''ll have an additional present just for you~"

    "¡­Just chocte will be enough, thank you." Seiji did his best to withstand the flirting.

    "Sensei, can Ie over to receive the additional present in his stead?" Chiaki raised her hand and asked a question as if she was in ss.

    "No. But, I''ll treat you like a proper guest if youe over, Wakaba-san." Kaede maintained her warm smile.

    "I''ll definitelye over!" Chiaki''s eyes lit up.

    Mika and Seiji were rendered speechless.

    Everyone then headed to Genhana High School together.

    The sky was quite dark and the wind was chilly. Yet, just this cold wind alone was insufficient to wipe away the passion that people were feeling today.

    While putting his shoes away in his shoe locker at school, Seiji discovered chocte from some girls he didn''t know. Not only that, not surprisingly, Chiaki received chocte from girls as well¡ªeven more than he did!

    They both received chocte from girls while on their way to ss as well.

    Once they reached the ssroom, even more female students now surrounded Chiaki.

    Seiji now had a much deeper understanding of Chiaki Wakaba''s overwhelming poprity among girls after seeing such a scene.

    ''And you called me a Harem King? You''re the true Harem King!'' Seiji inwardlymented in his mind.

    Although Chiaki was obviously more popr than he was, their male ssmates were still mostly ring at Seiji with obvious jealousy andints.

    If this was a certain fictional school, Seiji felt that there would be a certain scary FFF cult 1 where all the members wore ck robes and wielded sickles and torches appearing.

    Although he already expected something like this, Seiji was still feeling quite impacted from the situation today.

    "Seigo¡­ please ept this." Kaho also came over with a red face and handed him a circle-shaped box of choctes.

    "Thank you, Miyamoto-sensei." Seiji smiled and epted.

    "Don''t call me sensei¡­" Kaho''s face grew even redder, making her appear really cute.

    Now that she had gotten much thinner, not only did girls pay attention to her, boys were noticing her as well. Her poprity was growing daily.

    Seiji felt the res on him bing even sharper. That was the best evidence.

    With some more time passing, Kaho Miyamoto''s physical appearance would finish foundationally changing. She might even be the most eye-catching girl in the ss.

    Because¡­ of her breasts!

    There was a saying that formerly fat girls would have veryrge breasts after bing thinner. Seiji didn''t know if this saying was 100% correct, but he was now seeing a living example.

    Kaho indeed got much thinner. However, her breasts didn''t reduce in size at all. As a result, her breasts seemed much bigger than before inparison, which drew many eyes to her body.

    Once she finished losing weight, she would definitely be a super beauty with gigantic breasts! As long as she wore some slightly sexy clothes, she would easily be a virgin killer.

    Seiji suddenly recalled that he had once coincidentally met a beautiful girl with ridiculous I-cup breasts at the grocery store, which left him with a deep impression¡­ He felt that the thinner version of Kaho quite physically resembled that girl.

    At any rate, Seiji was happy for Kaho bing more mature than before and looked forward to seeing what she would be in the future.

    ss time.

    Some girls from other sses kepting over to Seiji''s ss to give him chocte. Seiji knew none of these girls.

    The only girl from another ss that he already knew was a certain purple-haired girl. Her giving him chocte attracted more attention than any other girl did.

    Yukari walked directly into Year 1, ss 5''s ssroom. She walked straight up to Seiji with everyone watching and directly handed him a box.

    "Here''s my love chocte. Please ept it, Milord," Yukari spoke in a cute voice as her face flushed somewhat red.

    This instantly caused amotion in the ssroom.

    "Thank you¡­" Seiji received quite an impact and his expression revealed that he was rather shaken.

    "This chocte contains my heartfelt feelings. You have to eat it all without leaving a single speck behind," Yukari spoke in a clear voice that everyone could hear.

    "I will¡­" Seiji answered reflexively.

    Themotion increased in volume!

    Yukari was quite satisfied with this result. She turned around and left before her face could turn any redder.

    "She dered her love in public¡­ as expected of the Princess." Chiaki watched the purple-haired girl leave.

    Mika didn''t know what to say.

 Chapter 543 - Just incredible

    <h4>Chapter 543: Just incredible</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The Princess from ss 3 gave her love chocte in public to Seigo Harano, causing the boys'' jealousy of him to reach a peak.

    Kazufuru Ooike maintained his calm while watching all the other boys making amotion. After all, he already figuredst night that something like this would happen today.

    He even began to think if Natsuya Yoruhana would do something simr as well.

    If she did something simr to the Princess from ss 3, that wouldn''t merely cause amotion in their ss, it would be amotion in the entire grade¡­ no, probably the entire school.

    Lunch break.

    Rion, Kotomi, and Hoshi all came looking for Seiji.

    "This is for you, junior." The twin sisters had sweet smiles and handed an exquisite heart-shaped box to him together while speaking in cute voices.

    "Thank you, Senpais." Seiji withstood the attack and gratefully epted.

    "Senpai, for you." The beautiful boy had a smile as he handed an exquisite circr box to Seiji and spoke in a soft voice.

    "Thank you, junior¡­"

    Wait! Something was wrong here!!

    "Hoshi, why are you giving me chocte!?" Seiji managed to stop himself from epting in time.

    "Because I made it together with my sisters, so I''m giving some to Senpai together with them." Hoshi smiled.

    "This logic doesn''t work with me! Please allow me to refuse."

    "Why?"

    "Boys shouldn''t be giving chocte to other boys!"

    "Your way of thinking is outdated, Seigo. Nowadays, it''s fine for boys to give each other chocte as well," Chiaki told him in a serious tone.

    "What¡­?" Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    "I gave some chocte to the other boys in my ss, and they all epted happily." Hoshi blinked.

    ''That''s because they don''t view you as a boy¡­ Whoops, it''s rude of me to think that.''

    Could it be that this was really bing the norm?

    Seiji immediately took out his cell phone and checked this topic on the inte.

    He discovered that it was really true!

    Boys were indeed beginning to give friend chocte to other boys. Although it was only a minority, it was also indeed happening.

    Seiji''s worldview was being overturned!

    Since this was indeed happening, should he ept?

    He still felt that something wasn''t quite right about this¡­ but he couldn''t simply refuse this sign of friendship from his junior who was also his teammate.

    "It seems that my way of thinking is indeed outdated¡­ I''ll ept this properly then. Thank you, Hoshi." Seiji epted Hoshi''s chocte this time.

    The beautiful boy smiled happily.

    Rion and Kotomi also smiled upon witnessing this scene. So did Chiaki.

    Mika was the only one who didn''t smile at this beautiful atmosphere. She faintly felt that Seiji had fallen into a trap. However, she was unable to identify the problem, and felt rather confused.

    Seiji received a phone call when lunch break was almost over.

    The call was from Miyabi Ishihara.

    "Harano-san, do you have some free time toe over to the library?"

    "Yes¡­"

    Before Seiji even finished another word, Miyabi hung up on him.

    He was somewhat mystified.

    Seiji decided to head over to the school library.

    He saw Miyabi before he even reached the library.

    This student librarian was wearing eyesses and a scarf today. When she walked up to him, she silently handed Seiji a in and square box.

    Seiji thanked her and epted the box. Miyabi walked right past him afterwards without saying a single word.

    ''She gave me chocte without even saying anything¡­ she has her own unique personality as well,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    Later that afternoon, during ss.

    The dark clouds outside had now begun to rain, making it even colder than earlier.

    Seiji looked outside the window and watched the rain. He felt as if the world had quieted down.

    Wait a moment, this wasn''t because he had gotten too absorbed in watching the rain, it was because things had truly gotten quiet!

    Seiji noticed that something was off and turned around to find that Natsuya was quietly standing by his side.

    Seiji instantly paused in surprise.

    All the other members of ss 5 were even more surprised than he was to see the scion visiting their ssroom. The same could be said for all the other students that saw her in the hallways¡­ Everyone was as if time had frozen as they all froze solid where they were and watched this scene in astonishment.

    Natsuya Yoruhana.

    This name, this student council president was well known as a beautiful girl and the scion of an illustrious family. She was famous throughout the entirety of Genhana High School.

    For someone as beautiful and high in status as her toe here with a heart-shaped box in her hand and silently look at a certain boy¡­ This scene caused all the students to doubt their eyes!

    There were only three people present that expected this scene.

    ''She really dide.'' Kazufuru inwardly sighed.

    Personally witnessing here for Seigo Harano did make him feel somewhat ufortable, but it also helped him to finallypletely let go of the idea of obtaining Natsuya as his girlfriend.

    Last night, he already admitted his defeat. And now, he had confirmed one hundred percent just what Natsuya herself felt about Seigo as well. This was fine with him.

    Mika and Chiaki also long since knew that Natsuya was romantically interested in Seiji. But even so, personally witnessing this scene still gave them quite an impact.

    ''After the Princess, the Empress came as well¡­ Just incredible.'' Chiaki inwardly sighed as something shed in her eyes.

    Mika was even feeling like she was having difficulty breathing. The pressure she currently felt waspletely on another scale from when Yukari came to their ssroom.

    This opponent''s level had far surpassed all limits, and it was impossible to face her¡­ These words that Chiaki said before felt as if they hade real.

    At that time, Mika said that she didn''t want to give up. Even now, she had the same feelings. But¡­ just how was she supposed to defeat this person in love?

    Was it even possible for her to win? Mika couldn''t help but think this, but she instinctively forbade herself from thinking along these lines any further.

    "Seigo¡­" Natsuya called out Seiji''s alias while her face flushed red. "This¡­ is for you."

    She slowly handed the heart-shaped chocte box in her hands to him.

    "Thank you¡­ Natsuya." Seiji''s heart was quite impacted by this scene as he epted the chocte. He reflexively addressed her by name.

    "You need to eat all of it."

    "Yeah¡­ I definitely will."

    The two of them took long nces at each other before averting their gazes in unison.

    "I''m going now."

    "Okay¡­ take care."

    Natsuya turned around and left while walking at a brisk pace. Her face waspletely red, and she couldn''t help but cover her face with her hand.

    Seiji felt like his face was burning up as well. He also covered his face with his hand.

    Just what idol movie did this scenee out of!!?

    Almost all the students who witnessed this scene were shouting this inside their hearts.

    This scene seemed too beautiful and too moving to them, causing all of them to think the exact same thing.

    Seigo Harano and Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ just when did the two of them develop their rtionship to such a degree!?

    This was far too astonishing. All the girls widened their eyes in surprise, while the boys'' jealousy was elevated even further, turning into powerful curiosity (desire to gossip)!!!

    "Just now¡­ did you see that?"

    "I did¡­ I didn''t see wrongly, did I? That was Natsuya Yoruhana, right?"

    "That''s right, that was student council president Natsuya Yoruhana! There''s no mistake!!"

    "She just gave Harano-san some chocte and called him directly by name!"

    "That didn''t seem like friend chocte¡­ was that love chocte?"

    "President Yoruhana''s love chocte! Heavens¡­"

    "Just who exactly is Seigo Harano!?"

    The sounds of discussion could be heard everywhere inside and outside of the ssroom. The gossip spread quickly like an unstoppable tide.

    Without a doubt, this was the biggest event to happen today on Valentine''s Day at Genhana High School!

    "Harano-san, what are your current feelings?" Chiaki made a pose like she was a reporter with a microphone as she interviewed Seiji.

    "I don''t know¡­"

    "If you had to say a few words to everyone at school, what would you say?"

    "I don''t want to say anything."

    "Everyone is currently paying a great deal of attention to you. Please give a clear exnation. You shouldn''t be remaining silent!"

    "Please allow me to maintain my silence."

    "Is it really alright to simply let the public gossip as I please?"

    "It''ll happen regardless of what I say." Seiji sighed.

 Chapter 544 - At this moment, he recalledâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 544: At this moment, he recalled¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After school.

    Seiji was being surrounded by all the girls that wanted to hear the gossip about him when his cell phone rang.

    He took the call and used it as an excuse to speedily escape the school.

    He left the school and met with Mai who was carrying a parasol. She was the one who had called him.

    "How do you feel after receiving Mdy''s chocte?" The maid Senpai was grinning as she looked at him.

    "Of course, I''m happy." Seiji felt somewhat awkward.

    "Are you surprised that Mdy gave it to you in public like that?"

    "Yeah¡­"

    "Actually, I''m the one who rmended her to do this." Mai smiled. "This way, there shouldn''t be any more girls that will dare to get close to you."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "This is my chocte for you. Thank you for always taking care of Mdy, Haruta-san." Mai handed him a circr box of chocte. "Please take good care of us in the future."

    "Thank you¡­" Seiji epted the chocte with a subtle expression.

    The maid then left and returned to Natsuya''s residence.

    Seiji went back to his own apartment as well, together with the gigantic pile of chocte he received today.

    Later that night, Saki visited Seiji''s apartment.

    The editor gave him a small present as a first-time visiting gift. She then gave him some chocte from herself and Mayuzumi. Seiji gratefully epted the gift.

    "''Brother Monogatari'' has been selling excellently. It''s still maintained its status as a bestseller even now, and the readers are giving excellent reviews," Saki told him. "In this situation, you can already begin to consider writing a second volume."

    Seiji exchanged nces with Shika upon hearing this.

    "Actually, we''re already working on the second volume." Seiji smiled. "Although it''s currently unfinished, I think that it should be finished soon if I devote all my time to it."

    Saki blinked upon hearing this. "Could I take a look at the already finished portion?"

    "Of course."

    Seiji invited her into his study and showed her the document containing the second volume''s draft on hisputer.

    The editor began to seriously read his work at a high speed.

    Some timeter, Saki let go of her breath that she had been holding and smiled gently towards Seiji.

    "Excellently written. Simply judging by what''s written so far, it''s just as excellent as the first volume."

    "You''ll think it''s even better than the first volume after I''m done," Seiji replied with a confident smile.

    "I''ll be looking forward to it, then. There''s no need for you to rush too much. Still, it''ll of course be better if you finish it as quickly as possible."

    "Understood."

    Saki then gave her own opinions about the story''s contents.

    Seiji nodded in eptance and expressed his own opinions as well. He then called Shika over and all three of them started discussing.

    The editor and the authors¡­ these three passionate individuals discussed seriously for quite a while in order to make "Brother Monogatari" a more interesting story.

    After the editor said goodbye and left, Shika returned to her room to organize her thoughts on the story, while Seiji went to take a shower.

    While taking his shower, he opened up his system and checked the [Gifts] option.

    All the chocte he received today gave him a massive amount of points as well as numerous item rewards!

    There were so many items that it was difficult to go through them all. If he listed all their names and effects, he felt that it would take over two thousand words. If this had been a novel, it definitely would have been nothing more than filler.

    Seiji was quite grateful for this abundant harvest, and once again truly thanked everyone''s heartfelt intentions.

    He nced over them and decided to leave looking at them in more detail forter. He then took a look at his [Novel rewards].

    He then discovered that apart from points as always along with random draw shards, there was something new¡­

    [Brother Monogatari character reward card shard]!

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise and immediately checked his system''s exnation.

    [Assembling seven Brother Monogatari character reward card shards will allow you to create a Brother Monogatari character reward card. Brother Monogatari character reward shards can be obtained from the ''Random draw card'' while you have less than seven shards.]

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    At this moment, he recalled the terror of being yed with by the game developers, with the humiliation of drawing forty-two times without obtaining anything decent!

    ''System, the hell, you dare to y things this way with me!!''

    Forget about just drawing random items, now this was an option as well¡­? It seemed that it was simr to his [Character reward cards] like Shika Kagura and Hoshi Amami. [Character reward cards] were incredible! Wasn''t this basically forcing him to charge money to y the game!?

    Seiji grit his teeth in anger.

    This was ridiculous, too ridiculous! He finally became somewhat rich in points, but now the system was using such an underhanded method to drain him of them!!

    ''I definitely won''t be fooled¡­'' Although he wanted to say this, he really wanted the [Brother Monogatari character reward card]¡­ Really, really wanted it!!!

    He was internally conflicted and pained as if he had returned to that humiliating point in his previous life.

    Dating sim system: "Go ahead if you want to draw. Get the hell out if you''re not going to random draw."

    Seiji imagined his system as a fairy saying that to him. He then imagined himself beating up the fairy!

    Still, it was useless as always. His system didn''t respond.

    He currently possessed one Brother Monogatari character reward card shard, and thirty-nine random draw card shards.

    Each random draw card shard could be crafted into a random draw card by using some points. Basically, he could draw thirty-nine times at most.

    Should he bankrupt himself¡­ whoops, start drawing?

    Seiji slowly reached out with his trembling right hand.

    But at the final moment, he restrained his impulse! He grabbed his left hand with his right hand!!

    "I won''t do it!"

    He decided against exchanging points for random draws for the time being and to wait a little longer. Perhaps he would be able to assemble the pieces required on his own.

    A [Brother Monogatari character reward card]¡­ he really wanted it! Seiji was quite curious what it would be like.

    But even so, Seiji decided to not go against his original decision. He would not abuse the power to save and load on the random draw system.

    He withstood his desire and forcefully closed his system with his strong willpower.

    While cultivating in Reo''s soul realm, Seiji took a closer look at every single reward item he received. He felt that they could be categorized into three types.

    The first type was items that increased his basic stats. There were items that could increase his basic stats like [Academics] and [Physical Ability], as well as items that could increase his stats in more specialized areas like [Fighting].

    The second type was items with special one-time effects. There were all sorts of effects, far too many to list.

    The third type was items that had "five minute effects!"

    For example, Shika''s chocte gave him the reward of a "Swordsmanship power-up card", which would improve his swordsmanship skill temporarily for the next five minutes.

    Mika''s chocte gave him the reward of "Cleansing power-up card", which would improve his skill in [Cleansing] for the next five minutes.

    Chiaki''s chocte gave him the reward of "Incarnation summoning card", which allowed him to summon a shadow clone of himself with half his own power level which couldst for five minutes.

    Seiji thus decided to term all these item cards the "five minute category" as they all shared the exact same time limit.

    If he used all of them simultaneously, he felt that he would transform into a "five minute superhero!" That would make him more powerful than Ultraman by two minutes!!

    Just joking.

    Although the "five minute category" items were quite powerful, they still wouldn''t make him undefeatable. After all, all their effects depended on Seiji''s own power level to begin with.

    Rather than the five minute category, the special one-time effect items were far more cheat-like in existence.

    For instance, he received a "perfect defense card" from Mika, which he could use to block any one attack and receive zero damage.

    This was a lifesaver card for perilous situations. Previously, Reo''s Winter Snow Festival present had given him the exact same card. He now had two of this "perfect defense card".

    Also, he received a "100% uracy" card from Mai. This card would allow him to lock onto any enemy in his vision and ensure that his next attack would hit for certain.

    This card didn''t seem like much at first nce, simply being an automated aiming card.

    But when thinking about it more closely, since it could work on any target in his field of vision, that meant it was possible to lock on to a target that was far away from him as well! And then, no matter what attack he used, it wouldnd¡­ that seemed so powerful to him!

    This was basically a godly card for long-range sniping! It would be so easy for him to use it to unlock the achievement of ying an enemy from one thousand meters away!

 Chapter 545 - I know

    <h4>Chapter 545: I know</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Apart from the ace cards and other one-time use cards, there were some cards he could use immediately as well.

    Saki''s chocte awarded him with a [Random draw shard card], which he could exchange for fifteen random draw shards. Mayuzumi''s chocte awarded him with the exact same item, which basically meant that he received an extra thirty random draw shards.

    Rion and Kotomi''s chocte rewarded him with two [Item Exchange] cards. Each [Item Exchange] card allowed him to exchange up to ten items he didn''t want for an amount of points based on the item''s value!

    This [Item Exchange] card was something he found really useful right now after obtaining so many items. However, he would only be able to exchange a total of twenty items for points¡­

    ''System, can''t you be a bit nicer and buy back my useless items like a proper shopkeeper would?''

    System: "Hmph." (As imagined by Seiji).

    Once again, Seiji became internally conflicted. Since he could now refund items that he didn''t want, should he use his random draws right now?

    He really wanted to try and see if he could obtain seven [Brother Monogatari character reward card] shards¡­

    But, he decided to wait!

    Seiji remained resolute in following his earlier decision.

    Seiji used all the stat-increasing cards on himself, then turned off his system and began to cultivate.

    ''It''s time to take action.

    ''Although I feel apologetic towards Mika, I need to take action now if I want to be able to keep having a good time together with Seiji.

    ''I don''t know if this will work or not, but at any rate, I have to try!''

    Chiaki thought that to herself as she took out her cell phone and dialed a number.

    Natsuya, who was currently sipping on a tea, received a call from a phone number that she wasn''t familiar with.

    "Good morning. Am I speaking to Student Council President Natsuya Yoruhana?" Natsuya heard a candid female voice when she picked up the call.

    Although Natsuya wasn''t very familiar with the speaker''s voice, she was able to recognize who had called her.

    "Is this Chiaki Wakaba-san?"

    "Yes. President, you actually recognized my voice?"

    "Of course. It''s only natural for me to know the ace member of the drama club."

    "I''m so honored." Chiaki chuckled. "However, my other identity is probably more important to you, President."

    "What identity are you referring to?"

    "Of course, my identity as one of Seiji Haruta''s close friends."

    Natsuya didn''t know what to say to this.

    "President Yoruhana, do you have the free time to meet up for a discussion? I''d like to talk to you about Seiji." Chiaki''s tone was seemingly casual.

    "¡­What time would you like to meet?"

    "Today would be best. Of course, tomorrow is fine as well. It''s up to when you''re free, President."

    "Let''s meet right now, then. Although I already had other ns, it''s fine to simply dy them for a bit," Natsuya stated calmly.

    "Oh¡­ how direct. I like that."

    "Where should we meet?"

    "You can go ahead and decide that, President."

    Natsuya thought about it and told Chiaki the name of a coffee caf¨¦.

    Chiaki said that she would head over immediately.

    They ended their conversation there.

    The tomboy''s mouth arced upwards as she pocketed her cell phone and left to go to the coffee caf¨¦.

    The student council president finished her tea. She stood up as something shed in her eyes as she also prepared to go to the coffee caf¨¦.

    Not long after, the two of them met in a private room at the coffee caf¨¦ in question.

    "Wakaba-san, how did you know my phone number?" Natsuya started with a question after they said hello to each other.

    "Let''s just treat that as my little secret." Chiaki smiled.

    Natsuya looked directly at Chiaki.

    Chiaki Wakaba, ace member of the drama club, and one of Seiji''s closest friends ever since he transferred into Genhana High School. She was quite a unique and charismatic girl.

    Although Natsuya wasn''t well acquainted with Chiaki, Natsuya was quite appreciative of her and felt that she was quite talented.

    "When facing you directly like this, I feel that you''re truly beautiful, President. If I was a boy, I would surely fall in love," Chiaki could only exim with sincerity as she looked at Natsuya.

    The student council president''s beauty wouldn''t only affect boys. It would be quite strong against girls as well. Simply looking at her close-up like this for a minute made Chiaki feel like she was about to imagine certain things.

    No, she couldn''t get sidetracked here!

    The tomboy managed to stop her thoughts from going in the wrong direction.

    "Wakaba-san is quite beautiful as well. You''re especially stunning when you perform on stage," Natsuya responded.

    "Thank you for your praise. While I''m self-confident in myself, I still can''tpare to you, President." Chiaki paused for a moment. "Not only in the eyes of the students, it''s also the same in Seiji''s eyes."

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "President Yoruhana, please excuse my directness. You''re in love with Seiji, aren''t you?"

    Natsuya''s face flushed slightly red and she averted her gaze from being asked such a direct question.

    "I like him," Chiaki admitted first. "Not just as a friend. I''m romantically interested in Seiji Haruta, as a girl would towards a boy. I always enjoy my time together with him. I''m never bored, and he makes me feel quite safe as well. I want to keep being together with him, and take our rtionship one step further, but not to an extent where we''re extremely close together."

    Natsuya looked back at Chiaki again.

    "You don''t need me to say it any more clearly, right, President?" Chiaki smiled while also blushing slightly red.

    Even someone like her felt a little shy about telling the truth in her heart to another girl that she wasn''t well acquainted with.

    Natsuya didn''t say anything in response.

    She understood what Chiaki meant and revealed a subtle expression.

    "Looking at things as they currently stand, you''re the girl that Seiji likes the most right now, President. However, there''s an incredible person who''s currently an obstacle between you and Seiji," Chiaki continued.

    "That person is Shika Kagura¡­ I''m sure that you''re already aware of this, President. Kagura-san is someone most important to Seiji. Not in a romantic aspect, as he views her more as family¡­ but since they''re not rted by blood, there''s still a little bit of romantic inclinations involved as well. Since she''s still quite young, only being a middle schooler, she''s not a direct threat to us for the time being. However, she''s greatly influential to Seiji. Not only that, Seiji isn''t getting a girlfriend right now all because of her request to him. As long as Kagura-san doesn''t allow it, not a single girl will be able to formally be together with Seiji. Not even you, President Yoruhana."

    Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    She was unable to deny anything Chiaki just said.

    If she wanted to be together with Seiji, Shika Kagura was an obstacle that she absolutely had to surpass.

    Not only that, Natsuya had no idea what she should do about Shika.

    "President, do you know how to deal with Shika Kagura?" Once again, Chiaki took the direct approach.

    The student council president slightly shook her head.

    "I know." The tomboy revealed an expression as if she had seen through everything.

    Natsuya nced directly at Chiaki.

    Chiaki seemed so confident and self-assured. It didn''t appear that she was lying at all.

    "Before I continue discussing this topic, I''d like to know first about what President thinks regarding Seiji''s future." Chiaki changed the topic. "Or, another way of putting it is, what type of person do you think Seiji Haruta will be in the future? With his background, appearance, personality, way of doing things, and talent, what''s your approximate guess on what he''ll be like in the future?"

    Seiji Haruta''s future¡­

    There was no need to go into too much about just how powerful the Haruta Family was. Although he was currently exiled from the family, he already repaired his rtionship with his blood-rted younger sister, and received concrete assistance from Hana Haruta.

    As for Seiji as a person, he had a near perfect physical appearance, a gentle personality, yet also firm resolution. He was able to face the dark side of society as well as danger directly. He was willing to resolve himself to brave danger for people he considered as important. He possessed abnormal talent as well as unbelievable luck.

    Natsuya found it difficult to predict Seiji''s future¡­ but it was certain that he would be¡­

    Chiaki grinned and spoke almost as if she could read Natsuya''s mind. "He''ll be someone incredible."

 Chapter 546 - Even if you have to marry me?

    <h4>Chapter 546: Even if you have to marry me?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    They both fell silent yet again.

    Natsuya understood what Chiaki was saying.

    First, she expressed her own feelings, then mentioned Shika Kagura, and now she was talking about Seiji''s future¡­ Chiaki''s intentions were obvious. She was offering to help Natsuya in pursuing Seiji in exchange for Natsuya allowing Chiaki to be Seiji''s mistress.

    "I think that President should understand what it is that I mean to say."

    Once again, Chiaki spoke as if she could read Natsuya''s mind.

    "So, I won''t say anything more out loud. After all, it feels quite awkward to say something like that out loud." Chiaki paused for a moment before revealing a serious expression. "President Yoruhana, what''s your opinion on what I want to say?"

    Natsuya could feel how serious Chiaki was.

    If she agreed, then Chiaki Wakaba would be her helper. If she didn''t¡­

    The student council president closed her eyes and silently mulled things over.

    The tomboy quietly waited for her.

    Seiji, who was currently busy eating through the piles of chocte that he received on Valentine''s Day, received a phone call from an unfamiliar number.

    "Good morning. Am I speaking to Seiji Haruta-san?" A young man''s voice was on the other end of the phone.

    "I am¡­ who might you be?"

    "My name is Aoran Yoruhana. I''m Natsuya''s second older brother."

    Seiji''s expression froze over slightly when he heard this.

    "Hello¡­ Yoruhana-san. Do you have some business with me?"

    "Originally, I was supposed to be meeting with Natsuya right now for a discussion. However, she said that she suddenly had something to do and wanted to meet with meter." Aoran chuckled. "I wanted to know if she was currently with you."

    "No, she''s not with me right now," Seiji responded.

    "I see. I apologize for the sudden call." Aoran paused for a moment. "Haruta-san, is it convenient right now for you to talk with me?"

    "What is it that you''d like to say, Yoruhana-san?"

    "It''s about the matter of Natsuya getting married."

    Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    "This was the topic that I was originally supposed to discuss with you. I was intending on talking to you after I talked to her, but she suddenly dyed our meeting, so I wanted to talk to you first," Aoran mentioned.

    "Why would you talk to me about this matter?"

    "Of course, it''s because Natsuya is in love with you. Didn''t she give you her love chocte yesterday during Valentine''s Day?"

    Seiji didn''t know what to say in response to this.

    "It wouldn''t happen to be that you''re eating it right now, are you?" Aoran suddenly asked.

    "¡­I''m not."

    Although he was indeed eating chocte right now, he was currently going through Shika''s chocte.

    "Since you''ve received my younger sister''s love chocte, you have to take responsibility and get engaged to her!" Aoran suddenly took a strict tone.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Just kidding. Although I want to say that, it''s not at the extent of having to do something like that immediately." Aoran chuckled. "Did I scare you?"

    "That''s truly an amazing joke. It shocked me so much," Seiji responded in a t tone of voice.

    "I can tell just from your tone that you weren''t scared at all¡­ forget it, I''ll be serious now." Aoran coughed. "Haruta-san, you know that Akatsuki Mitarai was originally engaged to be married to Natsuya, right?"

    "Yeah."

    "You knew this, but still helped her in dueling against Akatsuki Mitarai, which even caused his death. Did you ever think about what this would mean?"

    "We didn''t cause Akatsuki Mitarai''s death."

    "Of course, I understand this. However, it''s still a fact that the Mitarai Family''s young master died while he was dueling against you and Natsuya¡­ this is quite a serious matter, do you understand?"

    "¡­I understand."

    "Natsuya and you are the victors, and you didn''t directly kill him, so trouble won''t directlye looking for you. Still, this doesn''t mean that the two of you will remainpletely unaffected," Aoran spoke seriously. "Natsuya won her freedom, but her freedom is only temporary. When this blows over, the family will still arrange a marriage for her, and it''s highly likely that the family won''t give her any chance to refuse. And as for you, if you''re interested in Natsuya, you need to firm your resolution right now. If you''re not interested in her, you should start keeping your distance from her."

    Seiji remained silent.

    "Think it over carefully, Haruta-san. After I talk to Natsuya, I''ll contact you again and arrange a time to meet with you in person. I hope that you''ll be able to tell me what you intend on doing at that time."

    They ended their conversation there.

    Seiji thought about things in silence for a while before he called the student council president.

    "Good morning, Natsuya."

    "Good morning¡­ Seiji."

    "I just received a call from someone who called himself Aoran Yoruhana, your second older brother¡­" He told her Aoran''s phone number in order to confirm Aoran''s identity.

    "That is indeed my second older brother¡­ What did he say to you?"

    "The basics of what he said was that I should either keep my distance from you or firm my resolution."

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment.

    "Then¡­ What do you intend to do?" Natsuya asked in a light voice.

    It felt as if something was clutching tightly onto her heart right now. Her heartbeat got much louder and it became difficult for her to breathe.

    "Of course, I''m going to firm my resolution," Seiji stated as if it was only natural. "No matter what kind of resolution I need, I''ll do it."

    ''I definitely won''t leave your side!''

    Natsuya felt as if she could hear that, causing a warm feeling to instantly well up within her heart. Her body started heating up, together with her face.

    "No matter what type of resolution¡­ right?" she asked for confirmation from him in a gentle voice.

    "Yes, no matter what," Seiji said in an adamant tone.

    "Even if you have to marry me?" Natsuya spoke in a cute voice before she noticed what she just said. This instantly caused her to be overwhelmed by embarrassment, with a deep red glow covering her cheeks.

    She had a seductive expression with a flushed red face right now, which stunned Chiaki who was currently still sitting across from her.

    Seiji was astonished as well. He never expected such a direct question from her!

    Earlier, when Aoran had joked about him getting engaged to Natsuya, he hadn''t thought too much into it at all. But now that Natsuya herself was talking about this subject¡­

    He couldn''t help but imagine what might happen if he really did marry her. The scene seemed quite nice¡­ no, quite wonderful!

    Just imagining the student council president wearing an extravagant wedding gown and smiling sweetly at him caused his heartbeat to rapidly quicken!!

    "That¡­ would be quite excellent."

    Only when he spoke it out loud did Seiji regain his senses and cover his face in embarrassment.

    "What I meant to say was that if I need that type of resolution, I¡­ um¡­ no, what I really mean is that it''s probably unlikely that I need that type of resolution, but if I really need to, I''ll be quite excited¡­ no, wait! I suddenly don''t know how to express myself, but at any rate¡­"

    Seiji covered his ming face as he organized his chaotic feelings into a single sentence.

    "No matter what, I''ll be together with you!!!"

    ''I definitely won''t leave you.

    ''I definitely won''t walk away from you.

    ''I''ll continue down this path with you.''

    Seiji did his best to express such a meaning.

    Natsuya received his heartfelt intentions.

    She felt as if her heart had been pierced through by a sharp arrow! Her body became even hotter, almost as if she was burning up. It felt like something was dissolving inside her.

    She recalled various past scenes and words he had said to her before¡­

    "President Yoruhana, I promise that you won''t feel let down."

    "Bing your Spirit-branded Retainer and fighting for your cause is a type of romance as well."

    "Tell me what''s on your mind. Although I''m not sure what I can do for you, I¡­ don''t want to simply stand by when it''s something rted to the President!"

    "You¡­ are actually a gentle girl."

    "I want to be stronger¡­ so, I''ll continue down this path."

    "Will it be a problem that I knocked him out of the window like that?"

    "Natsuya, I believe that you''re just like I see, beautiful on the outside, gentle and strong on the inside. You''re not some girl who''s actually vicious on the inside at all."

    "Even if you think that you''re taking advantage of me, I don''t mind. I''m delighted to be of assistance to you."

    "I think that as long as I''m different from how I used to be, my life has more value than before."

    "We''ve won!"

    "Thank you¡­Natsuya."

    ''I''m the one who should be expressing my thanks.

    ''Thank you, Seiji.

    ''It''s truly wonderful that I met you and fell in love with you,'' Natsuya thought to herself from the bottom of her heart.

 Chapter 547 - This is everything that I think

    <h4>Chapter 547: This is everything that I think</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "That''s about everything. I hope that you understand what I mean."

    Seiji ended the phone conversation after saying that.

    Why did it feel like he had just proposed marriage to Natsuya over the phone!?

    Seiji inwardlymented on his own actions after he took some time to calm down.

    Even though he wanted to express that he wouldn''t give up, his meaning became slightly distorted due to Natsuya''s question. Not to mention, he wasn''t able to focus fully, so it ended up sounding almost like a marriage proposal¡­

    They weren''t even officially boyfriend and girlfriend, so weren''t they skipping over too many steps!!

    Should he call Natsuya again and calmly exin things to her?

    ''No¡­ the more I exin, the more chaotic it will get. I think that she''ll understand what I meant,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    The student council president was currently busy with being in a state of bliss.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that there was still someone with her, she might have remained in this state for a very long time.

    "Could I ask what Seiji said just now?" Chiaki spoke after seeing that Natsuya had finally somewhat calmed down.

    "He said¡­ something that made me truly happy," Natsuya spoke gently as something shed in her eyes.

    Although that sounded almost like a marriage proposal just now, she was able to understand what Seiji truly meant after she calmed down.

    He wouldn''t give up, and he was willing to face any pressure and resolved himself to continue his rtionship with her and continue improving their feelings for each other¡­ it wasn''t that he was saying he wanted to get engaged to her right here and now.

    She was quite happy to learn that he shared romantic feelings with her.

    And so, she was able to confirm what she wanted as well.

    "Wakaba-san, I agree to what you''re offering to me," Natsuya made her reply.

    Chiaki instantly widened her eyes in surprise.

    "Really?" Chiaki never expected Natsuya to agree so easily right after that conversation with Seiji!

    "For real." Natsuya nodded slightly in confirmation and appeared quite calm.

    Chiaki truly felt that the scion had an unshakable presence to her and felt that calling her an "Empress" was a truly suitable nickname.

    Natsuya was beautiful and out of this world, emotional yet also reasonable, and had her own truly imposing aura that was different from everyone else¡­

    ''No, if I keep thinking along these lines, I''ll start falling in love with her instead!''

    Once again, the tomboy stopped her mind from going off track.

    "Thank you¡­ I shall do good at what I should do."

    "I look forward to your actions, Wakaba-san."

    -----

    Later that afternoon.

    Seiji once again received another phone call from Aoran Yoruhana.

    "I''d like to ask when you would be free, Haruta-san?"

    "I''m free right now."

    "Could youe visit the Yoruhana Family''s residence, then?"

    "Sure." Seiji decided to directly ept.

    He then notified Shika that he was going out and prepared his things.

    Shika silently watched him exiting the apartment as something shed in her eyes.

    Seiji took a taxi to the Yoruhana Family residence''s address.

    When he arrived, as he expected, he saw a magnificent gate before the residence.

    The gate opened and allowed him to enter on foot. Seiji saw that a ck luxury car was parked at the entrance of the gate. This car was waiting specially for him to pick him up.

    Seiji got on the luxury car. The car drove down the a forested path and brought him to an extravagant Sakura Ind residence.

    A maid wearing traditional Sakura Ind attire was waiting for him and led him inside.

    Seiji was led to a spacious and well-lit room. He could see a beautiful and elegant garden through the window with wonderful scenery.

    A young man wearing in Sakura Ind attire was sitting at a table. This man had short dark-brown hair, a rather round face, and was somewhat pudgy. He still had a handsome appearance, and physically resembled Natsuya.

    Many desserts and some tea were set out on the table in front of this man. Every confectionery was highly exquisite. There were desserts in both the Sakura Ind style as well as the Huaxia style. The most eye-catching dessert was a small te of white rabbit-shaped dumplings.

    "Pleased to meet you. Good afternoon, Haruta-san." The young man¡ªAoran Yoruhana smiled as he looked towards Seiji.

    "Pleased to meet you. Good afternoon, Yoruhana-san," Seiji responded with the same greeting.

    "Wee. Please take a seat and try some of these desserts." Aoran indicated to him while pouring some tea for Seiji. "I hope that they''re to your liking."

    Seiji sat down across from Aoran.

    "I''ll make myself at home, then." Seiji picked up some chopsticks and took a white and soft dumpling, cing it in his mouth.

    With a single bite, he instantly felt an appetizing aroma spreading through his mouth. The dumpling was soft and tender, and the meat was fragrant. The fresh scent of shrimp filled the dumpling.

    Aoran smiled and asked, "How is it?"

    "Delicious¡­ this shrimp dumpling is quite wonderful," Seiji replied.

    "Try some of this as well. It''s excellent inbination with this shrimp dumpling."

    As the host wished, Seiji tried out numerous confectioneries as well as sipped on some tea.

    Aoran also picked up a pair of chopsticks and began eating. With every dessert he ate, he would mention what he thought of it and what the taste was like, how much he liked it, where he purchased each dessert from, and which store had the best desserts, how other desserts of the same type were¡­ and so on, and so on.

    ''It seems that Natsuya''s second older brother must be a glutton,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    He simply ate delicious desserts while listening to Aoran go on and on about the food.

    Imperceptibly, all the desserts on the table were now eaten.

    Aoran had actually eaten most of the desserts. Even though he was constantly talking while eating, he actually ate at a much faster pace than Seiji.

    "How about some more desserts?"

    "No need. Thank you for the offer."

    "There''s no need to be polite. You really wouldn''t like some more?"

    "There''s truly no need."

    "Alright then, I''ll just have to enjoy them by myself." Aoran took out his cell phone and sent a text message.

    He was actually going to eat even more! Seiji now understood why Aoran had a round face and a pudgy appearance.

    Soon, a maid arrived with arge tray of desserts that were different from the desserts earlier ced on the table. Another maid also arrived with a new kettle of tea.

    The maids ced the confectioneries and the tea on the table and exited the room again. Aoran continued eating,menting on each and every dessert as he ate.

    Seiji didn''t know what to say to all this.

    He didn''t object so much to hearing all this dessertmentary, but¡­ when was this Aoran fellow going to get on to the main topic?

    "Yoruhana-san, although it''s quite interesting to hear you discuss the wonderful topic of desserts, shouldn''t you be more concerned about your free time?" Seiji politely reminded Aoran about what they were here for.

    "There''s no need to mind me. I''mpletely free for this entire afternoon." Aoran smiled.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Was this some sort of test regarding his personality?

    ''Sure, why not? It''s not like I''m in a rush. I can wait. Let''s see just how long you can talk about desserts.''

    Seiji adjusted his mentality and remained calm. He simply observed Aoran eating desserts and listened to hisments. asionally, Seiji even responded to Aoran''s dessertments.

    Time passed just like this.

    After Aoran finished the second round of desserts, he ate a third round. Then after that, he ate a fourth round. Only after the fourth round did he finally stop and reveal an expression of satisfaction.

    "Eating wonderful desserts and sharing one''s joy is truly such a blissful thing. Don''t you agree?"

    "¡­Indeed."

    ''Although, as I''m the one who simply watched as you ate all those desserts, I probably didn''t have as much fun as you did,'' Seijimented in his mind.

    Aoran smiled at Seiji while something shed in Aoran''s eyes.

    "Let''s get to the point¡­ Haruta-san, just what exactly do you think?"

    The moment he spoke this, the atmosphere in the room changed. The talkative glutton instantly transformed into the second young master of the Yoruhana Family.

    Seiji focused his gaze as he sensed the change in Aoran''s aura.

    "I won''t leave Natsuya," Seiji spoke directly.

    Several seconds of silence fell between them.

    "That''s it?"

    "That''s it."

    "I''d like to hear your more specific thoughts."

    "I don''t really have any more specific thoughts. I won''t leave her. That''s all I''m thinking right now."

    There was no need to say anything more than this. That was what Seiji believed.

    A sharp glint appeared in Aoran''s eyes.

    "The current you will be an eyesore to the Yoruhana Family if you don''t leave Natsuya now."

    "I understand."

    "Still, because you''re still technically a member of the Haruta Family, it''s inconvenient for us to take forceful measures with you."

    "Iprehend."

    "You showed off signs of talent, so it''s quite likely that one day you''ll be permitted to return to your family. You have outstanding potential. Still, potential is only potential, not actual power."

    "I''m quite clear on that."

    "As long as you''re willing to leave Natsuya, even if only temporarily, the Yoruhana Family is more than willing topensate you handsomely."

    "I don''t need any suchpensation."

    Seiji answered every sentence with a resolute tone and expression.

    Seiji and Aoran exchanged nces as things fell silent between them once again.

 Chapter 548 - Bloodwine Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 548: Bloodwine Ritual</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "It seems that you''ve resolved yourself," Aoran remarked as he retracted his gaze after observing Seiji for quite a while. "Ah, such is youth," he eximed to himself as he picked up his cup and sipped on some tea.

    Seiji didn''t respond to this.

    "The Yoruhana Family won''t take any action against you, Haruta-san," Aoran continued speaking. "All we can do is to forcefully make Natsuya keep her distance from you. We understand that this isn''t really a good option. Still, the Yoruhana Family has its own interests to look out for.

    "We don''t have any direct responsibility for the Mitarai Family young master''s death. There''s no need for us to give any exnation. Still, we need to show a certain attitude in order to help them save face. Still, there''s no fixed method necessary for showing our attitude. If you can do a little something for the Yoruhana Family, we can certainly allow you to be together with Natsuya.

    "Allow me to clearly state that this is not a threat. Even if you don''t do anything for us, the Yoruhana Family won''tpletely cut Natsuya off from you. After all, you''ve showed great potential¡­ And disregarding the family''s opinion of you, I personally actually really think well of you." Aoran smiled slightly.

    "What do you need me to do for the Yoruhana Family?" Seiji asked directly.

    "Do you know about the ''Challenger''s Bloodwine?''" Aoran responded with a question.

    The Challenger''s Bloodwine¡­

    Seiji blinked and recalled what this was.

    Before the New Year''s, after Akatsuki arrived at his apartment, he had asked Natsuya about a "method to greatly improve his power level with only a short period of time." She had told him¡­

    "This is a huge battle amongst arge number of Spiritual Ability users that all sign contracts where the losers will pay a small amount of ''Spirit Blood'' which will then be used to create a mystical wine that only the final victor is allowed to consume which will vastly improve their power level."

    "That''s right." Aoran nodded. "It''s good that you know already. The process of creating the Challenger''s Bloodwine is called the ''Bloodwine Ritual.'' The first ever public Bloodwine Ritual was originally scheduled to take ce in January of this year. However, due to all the circumstances that happened right after New Year''s, the Kurosaki and Himiki Families that are hosting this event ended up dying this tournament. Currently, they''re nning to begin the Bloodwine Ritual tournament at the beginning of March, two weeks from now. They''re actually going to begin sending out invitations to participate in or watch this tournament starting tomorrow."

    "In order to attract participants, the Kurosaki and Himiki Families even prepared some additional prizes for the final victor. Amongst the prizes is something that our Yoruhana Family greatly desires."

    "So, the Yoruhana Family would like for me to participate in this tournament and win, then give that prize to them?" Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "Yes. Still, as I said just now, this isn''t a threat, nor is it an order. It''s simply something we''d like to see." Aoran smiled. "If you participate in this tournament and just happen to win, and you''re willing to give this item over to the Yoruhana Family, we''re willing to pay you an appropriate sum of money. Or, we can exchange for it by giving you a mystical item of simr value. We won''t ask for it for free."

    "As long as I can do such a thing, the Yoruhana Family won''t interfere with my and Natsuya''s rtionship, is that right?" Seiji looked directly at Aoran.

    "Yes, I promise on my name," Aoran confirmed. "If you''re able to do this."

    ''If you can''t, then I apologize.''

    Seiji felt as if he could hear Aoran saying this.

    The Challenger''s Bloodwine and the Bloodwine Ritual¡­ He never expected that he would actually have to get involved in this after the Akatsuki incident.

    Seiji thought back to what he already knew about this tournament.

    It would definitely be quite difficult for him to be the final victor standing at the end. Would he be able to do it with his current strength?

    At the very least, he had to try!

    "How do I obtain the right to participate?" Seiji inquired calmly.

    ''He''s able to make a decision in such a short amount of time, and it doesn''t seem like it''s a rash, impulsive action. He''s truly resolved himself¡­'' Aoran was actually quite appreciative of Seiji. He now concretely understood better why his younger sister liked Seiji so much.

    "Anyone that receives a tournament invitation is allowed to participate. You''re also allowed to apply to join the tournament of your own volition. As for the specifics, we can only wait for the Kurosaki and Himiki Families to announce the tournament''s details tomorrow."

    Seiji nodded.

    They ended their conversation there. Seiji said goodbye and left.

    "That''s what happened."

    Chiaki, who was currently in Mika''s room, confessed what she had just agreed to with Natsuya.

    "I apologize, Mika. I''ve joined the enemy''s team, teehee~"

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    Although she really wanted toment, what she heard was so astonishing that it caused the double-pigtailed girl to go into a stupor.

    "Chiaki¡­ everything you said just now was true?" She couldn''t help but ask after some time passed.

    "Yes." The tomboy nodded.

    "How could it be¡­ that President Yoruhana¡­ would actually agree to such a thing¡­"

    "Why wouldn''t she?"

    "Because¡­ President, she''s¡­"

    "Did you want to say that because Natsuya Yoruhana is quite excellent, so she wouldn''t permit such a thing like me bing Seiji''s mistress?"

    Mika nodded.

    "That''s your own misunderstanding. Excellent doesn''t mean a strong desire to possess someone else. Instead, from a certain standpoint, it could even be the opposite." Chiaki pretended to adjust a pair of eyesses that didn''t exist while speaking seriously.

    Mika was obviously shaken.

    Chiaki wanted to say something after seeing her best friend have such an expression. However, she didn''t say anything in the end.

    Both of them fell silent for quite a while.

    "Is it that¡­ it''s really impossible to defeat the President after all?" Mika muttered to herself.

    "Although I''d like to console you, to be honest, that''s what I think as well." Chiaki shrugged. "If President Yoruhana strongly desired to keep Seiji to herself, then it would actually be possible to defeat her. However, she showed no such greed at all. Not only is Natsuya Yoruhana the girl that Seiji currently likes the most, she''s also the most perfect match for him. There''s almost no ws at all. In fact, it''s precisely because she''s such a perfect match that Seiji would like her so much, if you think about it. If I was Seiji, I would definitely not let go of the opportunity to be with a girl like her, no matter what."

    Once again, Mika was rendered speechless.

    "You should think for yourself what you''d like to do in the future, Mika."

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "I truly apologize. This is just the type of person I am." Chiaki shed a smile.

    Mika was quite familiar with Chiaki''s smile. However, at this moment, Mika felt almost like Chiaki''s smile was that of a stranger''s.

    The tomboy left Mika''s residence.

    The double-pigtailed girl copsed onto her own bed.

    She didn''t feel defeated inside.

    Nor did she feel any hope. In fact, she was clueless about what she should do in the future.

    Everything felt empty inside.

    Mika flipped herself to look at the ceiling. She stopped thinking about anything at all and allowed her head to gopletely nk.

    Even so, a certain name still naturally popped up in her mind.

    "Seiji¡­"

    Later that night, Natsuya arrived at Seiji''s apartment.

    "You''re really going to join that tournament?"

    "Yeah."

    "It''s really dangerous."

    "I know, but it''s also an excellent opportunity to learn more and be stronger." Seiji chuckled. "Don''t you know that a fighting tournament is a young man''s romance?"

    No matter if it was in manga, anime, or stories, fighting tournament scenes were always a ssic.

    If Dragonball was a ssic example of a shonen manga, then a fighting tournament would be the ssic example of a scene in such a ssical manga. Sometimes, just a fighting tournament alone could breathe life into the entire story!

    Cough, he was getting sidetracked.

    At any rate, Seiji was quite excited about the fighting tournament known as the Bloodwine Ritual.

    Natsuya looked over at Seiji.

    She knew that he was speaking the truth. But still, the foundational reason for him entering this tournament was because of herself.

    He had resolved himself, just as he told her this morning.

    "¡­Be careful. Make sure not to force yourself," Natsuya could only instruct him in such a manner.

    "I will," Seiji promised.

    They both fell silent for a moment.

    Natsuya kept directly looking at him, which made Seiji feel rather awkward. He averted his gaze.

    He was about to speak up and say something when he heard a gentle voice.

    "Seiji, I''d like toe into your room. Is that alright?"

    Come into his room?

    Seiji paused in surprise.

    Did¡­ he really hear that correctly?

 Chapter 549 - Because itâ€™s really comfortable in Brotherâ€™s roomâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 549: Because it¡¯s reallyfortable in Brother¡¯s room¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Come into my room¡­ you said?"

    "Yeah." Natsuya''s face flushed slightly red.

    Enter his room to do what?

    Well, Seiji wasn''t stupid enough to ask such a question.

    Still, it seemed like a bit of a problem to simply agree to let her enter his bedroom?

    No, no, he couldn''t let himself misunderstand!

    She purely wanted to sit down in his room, and take a look around! That must be it!

    "Sure, if you''d like¡­ I don''t really have much in my room." Seiji awkwardly scratched his face.

    Natsuya''s mouth arced upwards seductively and her eyes seemed watery.

    ¡­Eh, it didn''t seem like she simply wanted to have a seat in his room?

    Seiji''s heartbeat rapidly quickened and he tried his utmost not to think gentlemanly thoughts as he did his best to maintain his calm on the surface while inviting her into his room.

    Only, they saw Shika sitting on his bed while reading a story.

    Seiji was astonished at this sight.

    He never expected to find his adopted younger sister in his room, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise.

    "Shika-chan¡­ what are you doing here?"

    "Reading," Shika responded quietly.

    "Why here?"

    ''Shouldn''t you be reading in your own room?'' Seiji expressed such a meaning.

    "Because it''s reallyfortable in Brother''s room¡­ is that no good?"

    Shika covered half her face with the light novel that she was reading which had rather ero cover art and spoke in a gentle voice as she lifted her head slightly to look at her adopted older brother.

    So cute! Seiji instantly received an impact.

    "Of course it''s fine, you can read wherever you want," Seiji the sis-con responded reflexively.

    "Thank you, Brother Seiji." Shika smiled brilliantly while her face also flushed slightly red.

    "There''s nothing to thank me for¡­" Seiji smiled back at her before he finally regained his senses and recalled that the student council president was following after him, causing him to feel awkward.

    Natsuya didn''t say anything during his exchange with Shika.

    "Good evening, Yoruhana-san." Shika looked towards and greeted Natsuya.

    "Good evening, Kagura-san," Natsuya returned the greeting.

    The two of them silently exchanged nces. Both had calm expressions.

    Yet, Seiji felt as if something invisible was fiercely shing in the air, causing his cheeks to twitch.

    "Er¡­ As you can see, this is what my room looks like. There really isn''t much to see, haha¡­" Seiji spoke to Natsuya in an attempt to ease the atmosphere.

    The student council president retracted her gaze from Shika and looked around the room.

    "It''s pretty much just like what I imagined." She took a few steps around and looked everywhere because she picked up a light novel off the bookshelf and walked up to Seiji''s bed. "Is it alright if I also sit here and read?"

    "Er¡­ sure," Seiji agreed.

    Natsuya took a seat on Seiji''s bed.

    "Seiji, could you please sit beside me?" She was just like Shika earlier, lifting her head slightly and speaking in a gentle voice.

    Seiji once again received an impact from this!

    He discovered that he was already sitting down by the time that he regained his senses.

    Natsuya scooted over right next to him and began to read the light novel just like this.

    "Seiji, what part do you enjoy about this light novel?"

    "Um¡­ I think the most interesting part is¡­"

    Seiji began telling Natsuya about what he enjoyed regarding this particr light novel. However, most of his concentration was elsewhere as he was being distracted by the warm and soft sensation as well as the fragrance of Natsuya''s body scent. He actually didn''t really know what he was saying.

    At this moment, he heard a sound. He then felt softness on the other side of his body as well. He turned around to see that Shika was now sitting against him as well!

    "Brother¡­ I think that this part is written excellently. What do you think?"

    "This¡­ I think it''s great as well¡­" Seiji responded rather absent-mindedly.

    Being stuck between the scion and his adopted younger sister felt rather wonderful for his body, but for his spirit¡­

    "Seiji, what does this character mean with this sentence?"

    "Brother, don''t you think that this particr plot is rather forced?"

    "Seiji, do you like this type of character?"

    "Brother, don''t you think that the reason this viin gives for doing a heel face turn is too ridiculous?"

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Brother¡­"

    ''Give me a break!'' Seiji was shouting in his mind.

    While it was a marvelous feeling, it also gave him tremendous pressure. This almost felt like some sort of torture!

    His sense of logic and reason made him want to escape from this situation, yet the pleasure from his body made him not want to leave. So, he could only stay in this mixed state of pleasure and torture.

    The double-pigtailed beauty wore a jacket and scarf as she walked around on the streets at night all by herself.

    She had nowhere in particr that she wanted to go. She simply walked around meaninglessly with no destination for a walk.

    The night wind was rather chilly tonight.

    Without realizing it, Mika arrived at the riverside. There wasn''t a single other person in sight. This ce felt really cold and lonely.

    Mika paused in her footsteps and stood at a fence while she observed the silently flowing river water. She simply stood still in a daze.

    Some timeter, she noticed that the surface of the water near the riverbank was suddenly bing chaotic.

    Mika was mystified as to what was going on.

    Thinking it strange, she kept watching that area of water. Several secondster, she witnessed something tremendous and dark suddenly rising up from the water!

    "What¡­" Mika widened her eyes in surprise.

    Immediately following after, she saw two blue balls of light within that ck object. There were yellow dots inside the blue balls of light, which made them seem like eyes¡­ no, they were indeed eyes!

    When those blue and yellow balls of light turned in Mika''s direction, she instantly felt as if she was being stared at. She realized that this was a pair of eyes¡ªa demon''s eyes!

    This was a powerful demon!!

    Mika sensed danger and instinctively wanted to run away from here.

    Yet, the moment she took her first step backwards, she heard a loud sshing sound, and witnessed the gigantic dark monster jumping out of the water! With water flying everywhere, the dark monster flew in the air andnded on the ground near her!

    "ck ck ck ck ck¡­"

    It hissed with a sound as if wooden boards were rubbing against each other. Its blue demonic eyes stared right at the girl before it, shing with a demonic light.

    This gigantic demon was taller than the height of three adult humansbined. Mika was quite afraid.

    However, she was no longer an ordinary person who didn''t have the power to fight back.

    Seeing that the demon was speedily rushing towards her, Mika forcefully squeezed the Spirit-Raising Talisman that she always carried with her.

    "Come out, Mashiro!"

    "Chirp~"

    The talisman started glowing, and the silver-winged, ck-haired loli appeared!

    The next instant, Mashiro saw the giant demon right before her, causing her to pause in surprise and widen her eyes.

    "Chirp?"

    The blue-eyed giant demon got even closer and suddenly expanded its already dark andrge body. It appeared as if it had opened a humongous mouth which was about to swallow up the Spiritual Creature and human girl together!!

    "Mashiro!"

    "Chirp!!!"

    The silver-winged loli sensed the danger that she and her "mother" were in, and instantly transformed into her blood-red-haired, ck-winged dark form, causing arge amount of dark-red mist to explode from her body!

    *Thud!!*

    A heavy muffled sound urred.

    The giant demon''s body retracted and its blue demonic eyes kept shing. It hissed as if it was in terrible pain.

    "Chirp!!"

    Mashiro chirped loudly yet again, causing the dark-red mist to instantly form into a ball shape and shoot at therge demon!

    *Boom!!*

    The dark ck and red ball hit therge demon and exploded with a tremendous ear-piercing sound. Therge demon was instantly vaporized.

    "Mashiro¡­"

    "Chirp~"

    The Spiritual Creature loli reverted to her ck-haired, silver-winged form and flew into Mika''s arms. Mashiro revealed a cute expression as if she wanted to be praised for doing well.

    Mika smiled and gently patted Mashiro on the head.

    "I never thought that we''d meet a demon like that¡­ Thanks so much, Mashiro," Mika spoke sincerely.

    "Chirp chirp~" The silver-winged loli was in a delighted mood.

    At this moment, a ck oval-shaped mysterious spell formation with a red circle inside suddenly appeared where the blue-eyed demon disappeared.

    With a blood-red sh, all the surrounding area''s streetmps went out simultaneously! The entire area sunk intoplete darkness.

    Several secondster, the lights lit back up again.

    The ce where the double-pigtailed girl had been standing was now empty.

 Chapter 550 - Inner World

    <h4>Chapter 550: Inner World</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The book reading (hellish battleground) finally ended.

    Natsuya said goodbye and left Seiji''s apartment, while Shika went to go take a shower.

    Seiji felt ratherplex feelings inside as he was no longer tortured, but was also no longer able to feel the soft sensation of a girl on each side of him.

    Although it was a lot of pressure, it also felt wonderful to have a girl clinging onto each arm¡­ No, no, what was he thinking!

    It wasn''t that there was a girl clinging onto each arm, they were just sitting really close to him! They didn''t do anything impure at all, they simply had fun reading light novels together!

    Seiji forcefully stopped this line of thinking and decided to cease considering this subject any longer.

    At this moment, his cell phone rang.

    The caller ID indicated that the call was from Nozomi Uehara, thendlord.

    "Haruta-kun, is Mika with you?"

    "She''s not with me."

    "Then, do you know where she went? I can''t reach her cell phone." Nozomi''s voice was filled with worry.

    Unable to reach her cell phone? Seiji felt an ominous premonition.

    "¡­Perhaps she''s over at Chiaki''s apartment," Seiji told her.

    "Let me go ask her." Nozomi hung up the call.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    Momentster, he exited his apartment and went over to knock on the Uehara Family''s front door.

    The door soon opened.

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    "Miss Landlord¡­ how are things?"

    "She''s not over at Chiaki''s." Nozomi''s expression was filled with concern. "Chiaki doesn''t know where Mika is, either. She''s currently calling her friends¡­"

    Seiji''s ominous premonition became even stronger. However, in order to prevent thendlord from being even more worried, he didn''t allow it to show on his face.

    "I''ll go look for her as well."

    "Sorry to trouble you, Haruta-kun."

    "No need to say that."

    It was quitete into the evening already. Mika still hadn''t returned, and her cell phone was unreachable. Seiji felt that it was highly likely that something might have happened to Mika.

    He returned to his apartment, and immediately cast a spell in his study¡­

    [Interdimensional Locator]!

    Target: Mika Uehara.

    His vision instantly became pitch-ck and his consciousness went hazy. He faintly saw red lights streaking before him, along with numerous fragmented scenes and faint sounds.

    In this ambiguous realm, Seiji''s consciousness was sent in a specific direction by an invisible force.

    "Where¡­ is this¡­"

    "So¡­ many monsters¡­"

    He heard Mika''s voice!

    "I''m so scared¡­"

    "How do I return home¡­"

    He saw very hazy scenes that were gray and blue, together with some weird sounds.

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Save me¡­"

    He could feel the emotions of fear, despair, and wanting to be saved emanating from Mika.

    "Mika!"

    Seiji suddenly opened his eyes.

    A white miniature spell formation appeared on his right hand''s back. However, it was incredibly faint, and seemed like it might disappear at any time.

    He had to hurry!!!

    There was no time for him to put on his full set ofbat equipment. Seiji hurriedly grabbed his spiritual sword and shield and rushed out of his apartment.

    He cast the [Body-strengthening technique] on himself and ran at top speed in the direction that his spell indicated!

    Although Seiji intentionally picked roads that were more deserted, there were still some people passing by that happened to see him running as fast as a speeding car. Some were astonished to see this, while others thought that they had seen wrongly.

    Seiji soon reached the riverside.

    He could detect that something mystical was going on here. However, his level of [Astral Vision] was too low to find out what it was.

    "Yomi, please wake up!" He requested assistance from his bonded female spirit.

    "A portal was opened here not long ago. I can help to reopen it for you," Yomi''s voice spoke up in his mind.

    "I knew I could count on you!"

    Seiji instantly began casting a spell that Yomi taught him.

    He created a seal with both his hands and uttered an incantation. Soon, a gigantic golden spell formation appeared on the ground.

    The sensation of something mystical in the air became incredibly obvious. It felt like something invisible and sticky was forming in this area. Then, a spell formation that was a ck oval with a red circle inside slowly appeared. It was as if a mysterious eye had opened up.

    This was¡­ a "Dimensional Eye"!?

    Seiji was quite astonished to see this.

    This was a mysterious phenomenon that would draw in Spiritual Ability users¡­ wasn''t this something that was only supposed to appear within Spirit Worlds!?

    The moment that he wondered about this, he suddenly saw the world around him start to spin. Everything around him turned kaleidoscopic, and he heard raspy sounds as his consciousness went hazy¡­

    The kaleidoscope suddenly stopped and the scenery around him became clear again. His consciousness also returned to normal.

    Seiji found himself in an abnormal location.

    He was currently standing on gray-colored ground. The sky and the space around him was entirely filled with blue water. Strange-shaped creatures were in the water, making this ce seem like some type of aquarium.

    Yet, this ce was far scarier than an aquarium.

    That was because these creatures¡­ some were like nts, some were like fish, and most of them were incredibly strange! Or even horrifying.

    Not only that, low or raspy scary sounds kept sounding. They sounded like the sound effects for a horror film.

    Any normal person that came here would surely be frightened.

    Seiji saw some octopus-like creatures speedily approach him. They swam through the water and extended ck tentacles which possessed fangs towards him!

    *Shing shing shing¡­*

    Seiji instantly unsheathed his sword and sliced in quick session!

    The octopus monsters were all sliced to pieces. They then dropped to the ground and transformed into a blue-red mist that then dissipated.

    As he expected, these monsters were Spiritual Creatures.

    This was probably a Spirit World¡­ or more urately speaking, an Inner World!

    That spell formation had definitely been a Dimensional Eye.

    A Dimensional Eye appeared outside a Spirit World¡­ was this a new phenomenon?

    No matter what, the most important thing right now was to find Mika!

    Holding his sword, Seiji ran in the direction that the seal on his right hand indicated.

    Numerous monsters in the water kept noticing his presence and attacking him in hordes.

    Seiji did his best to avoid the monsters in order to save time. The ones that he couldn''t outrun he speedily defeated without even stopping. He continued running as fast as he could.

    This was simr to how he tried running as fast as he could through the "Forest Pce" Spirit World to beat other Spiritual Ability users to the magical silver fruit. But this time it wasn''t for resources, it was to save hispanion!

    Seiji ran into a rtively empty area and heard a low booming sound that rattled his eardrums.

    He lifted his head to see a gigantic monster whose upper half was like a crocodile and bottom half like a squid! This monster sped toward him at a high speed through the water above him!

    The next second, a giant mouth filled with sharp fangs snapped towards him from the site, biting at a rapid speed!!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Seiji dodged this attack.

    "I don''t have the time to be fighting with you right now!"

    Seiji had no intentions of fighting with such a powerful monster right now. He only wanted to run away and find Mika.

    However, therge monster leaped in front of him and blocked his path. It also waved its giant front leg and stomped towards him!

    *Boom!!*

    Seiji dodged the attack again.

    "Damn it¡­"

    With his path blocked, he was forced to fight.

    He didn''t want to waste time here, so he decided to use a new ultimate ability that he recently learned.

    Previously, when he gave release to that mega demon formed from Shinobu''s birth, the system awarded him with a new ultimate spell, which possessed the three effects of damage, cleansing, and sealing! It was the best type of spell to deal withrge and powerful demons.

    After Seiji got out of the hospital, he started practicing this spell immediately and took a bit over a week to learn it.

    He tried it out one time and found that it was even stronger than he anticipated! Although it cost him more Mana than even [Dragon Counterattack] and was more difficult to cast, it was still a worthwhile spell.

    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

    The crocodile monster continued using one of its front feet''s ws to attack him with astonishingly powerful swipes.

    Seiji transformed into his golden form and dodged as well as blocked these attacks. Simultaneously, he created a seal and ced numerous golden spell formations on the ground.

    *Whoosh!!*

    The crocodile monster suddenly twisted its body and ced its front feet on the ground as it twisted its lower squid half''s numerous blood-red tentacles to surround and attack him!

    Seiji was unable to dodge or block this attack.

    However, it was no longer necessary for him to dodge or block anymore.

    His spell was nowplete, so he activated it¡­

    [Sealing spell, Demon Suppression Bell]!

    *Dang!!!*

    A morous bell chime boomed as all the spell formations on the ground instantly vanished and a giant golden bell materialized in midair, covering the huge crocodile monster!

 Chapter 551 - Sweet and a little numb

    <h4>Chapter 551: Sweet and a little numb</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    All of the crocodile monster''s giant tentacles were cut off by the golden bell. The wriggling tentacles smashed onto the ground and evaporated into mist.

    A low roaring sound of pain resounded from within the bell. It sounded rather pitiful.

    Seiji didn''t even stop to make certain that the monster was dead and ran straight past the bell.

    Every single second was precious to him right now. He didn''t care one whit if this monster had died or not.

    Mika felt like her entire body was burning up as if her blood had turned to boiling water. It was incredibly painful.

    Her head was dizzy, her vision was hazy, and everything around her was nothing but a blur. She didn''t even know if she was currently standing or sitting.

    ''Am¡­ I going to die?''

    This thought appeared in her mind.

    Death.

    The moment this concept appeared in her mind while she was in such a state, it transformed into a bottomless dark abyss!

    ''I''m so afraid.

    ''This is so terrifying.

    ''But¡­ why¡­ does this feel slightly familiar?

    ''The shadows of death, and the endless darkness¡­ it doesn''t feel like I''m experiencing this for the first time?''

    In a dark and hazy realm that was simultaneously boiling hot and icy cold, Mika faintly saw various scenes.

    These scenes were different from what she knew to be her memories. However, it felt as if they had really happened to her before.

    Especially the scene of Seiji''s expression of unbearable pain and endless self-me seemed so clear as if it was deeply engraved in her mind.

    ''Seiji¡­''

    Mika didn''t know what exactly must have happened to cause Seiji to have such an expression.

    But he indeed protected her from dying in the past.

    Would he¡­ do so this time as well?

    He definitely would!

    Mika believed in him.

    ''He''ll save me, just like that time.

    ''Even if I sink into utter darkness, I don''t need wo worry¡­ because he''ll definitely find me and save me!

    ''That''s why I don''t need to be afraid or despair.

    ''I just have to believe.''

    "Seiji¡­"

    Mika muttered the name of the person she loved as she gradually lost her consciousness.

    "MIKA!!!"

    A loud shout reawakened her consciousness that was about topletely fade!

    "Seiji¡­"

    Mika looked in the shout''s direction and did her best to look for Seiji.

    In her hazy vision, a familiar figure flew over to her.

    This was definitely no illusion.

    He really came!

    The heat within her body reached an extreme at this point in time. It felt as if her very soul was burning up, to the point where maybe she would burn to smithereens in just the very next second.

    But even so¡­ even if she died, she wanted to do so in his arms.

    Mika used the veryst bit of her energy to reach her hand out to him.

    Then, she sunk into darkness.

    Something was wrong with Mika''s condition!

    A dark-red mist floated around her. Her hair became silvery and wild. Her body shape and face all changed as well.

    Her legs became longer, her breasts became bigger, her skin became whiter, and her face was even more beautiful than before¡­ To put it frankly, her beauty massively increased to an incredible level!

    The long silver-haired incredible beauty had an almost ethereal aura about her. Since she had her eyes closed, it greatly reminded Seiji of what Sleeping Beauty would look like if fairy tales were real.

    Seiji recognized this as the phenomenon of being in a state of high synchronization with one''s bonded spirit! Just like how Rana Kirin was capable of transforming from a cute cat girl into a demonic mature cat woman.

    Why did Mika undergo a state of synchronization?

    The most likely possibility Seiji came up with was that Mika must havebined with Mashiro! As for why shebined with Mashiro, he had no idea.

    Mika''s body was incredibly hot to the touch. He figured that this was a side effect of the synchronization. How was he supposed to cancel her transformation?

    "Yomi, what should I do about this?" he asked for help from the female spirit again.

    "Try injecting some Mana into her," Yomi told him.

    "Inject Mana?"

    "Yes. It appears that this little girl copsed due tock of Mana."

    Seiji immediately started injecting his own Mana into Mika.

    The moment he started doing so, he felt a powerful suction force upon him! Her body was absorbing his power in a ravenous manner.

    Before long, the dark-red mist around them became even thicker. Mika''s long silver hair became even shinier, and her body temperature gradually started lowering.

    Seeing that this was effective, Seiji continued to inject even more Mana into Mika.

    At this moment, a monster that resembled a shark with legs attacked them!

    "Get out of the way¡­!"

    Seiji was right about to unsheathe his sword and defend when he witnessed the dark-red mist gathering into the shape of a barrier which blocked the shark monster''s attack!

    The next instant, the mist surrounded the shark monster''s entire body and there was the sound of something shattering! The shark monster''s body shattered right then and there and transformed into a mist that dissipated¡­ no, was absorbed!

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    He didn''t see wrongly at all. The shark monster transformed into a blue mist that thenbined with and was absorbed by the dark red mist.

    Was¡­ the shark monster just devoured?

    Mika¡­ or more urately speaking, Mashiro''s power that was bonded to Mika''s, devoured a Spiritual Creature?

    "Yomi, what was that just now?"

    "As you just witnessed, this little girl is capable of absorbing the monsters here. Still, it''s another matter entirely whether she''ll be able to control her own power," the female spirit told him. "Absorbing or devouring such a source of power can be quite harmful to one''s body if you''re unable to properly control the power."

    Seiji understood it as the possiblity that this power could turn on the master.

    "If she''s able to control it properly while absorbing power, she''ll be able to speedily be stronger, is that right?" Seiji inquired.

    "Indeed, if she can control it, that is." Yomi reemphasized this particr point.

    Was this power to devour Spiritual Creatures Mika''s personal power? Or Mashiro''s? Or a power that all Awakened possessed?

    Seiji didn''t feel like Mika counted as an Awakened since the source of her powers came from Mashiro. But judging from the current situation, perhaps she counted as an Awakened as well.

    He already knew that Awakened were capable of bing stronger in Spirit Worlds. As for specifically how they became stronger, he didn''t know, but it seemed likely that perhaps other Awakened could also devour the powers of Spiritual Creatures here.

    At any rate, he already confirmed that Mika was capable of bing stronger in a Spirit World¡­ With the prerequisite being that she was able to control her own powers.

    Mika felt like she was slowly floating upwards from the bottom of a pitch-dark, icy ocean.

    The ice-cold feeling in her body was gradually fading. The boiling heat within her body gradually diminished as well. Her consciousness slowly returned.

    Something warm and gentle kept pouring within her body. It felt as if it was touching her very soul, which even made Mika feel quitefortable.

    After her consciousness became clearer, she finally noticed what this was.

    This was definitely Seiji''s power!

    That was because this warm and gentle feeling¡­ was incredibly simr to what she always felt from him.

    ''He really did save me from the darkness.''

    Her sincere belief in him had been responded to. Mika felt like she was truly fortunate.

    She wanted to always be with him forever¡­ she didn''t care about anything else at all.

    That was the only thing she was thinking of and wanting right now from the bottom of her heart.

    She gradually regained her vision.

    She was slowly able to feel her body again.

    The moment that she regained strength in her body, Mika hurriedly opened her eyes and saw the face that she had been wanting to see.

    "Mika¡­" Seiji had a delighted expression upon seeing that she opened her eyes. "You just¡­"

    Before he even finished speaking, Mika reached over and hugged him, lifted her face, and pressed her lips against his lips!

    Seiji was quite astonished by her sudden action.

    He felt something incredibly soft and slightly moist.

    There were many descriptions of all sorts in manga and stories of what it felt like to kiss a girl''s lips.

    Seiji had no idea which were right and which were wrong. Nor had he ever thought about differentiating.

    The moment he experienced a kiss for himself, Seiji''s body froze solid and his mind wentpletely nk!

    Since it was all too sudden for him, he didn''t feel like this moment was particrly romantic. All he felt was¡­ an indescribable wondrous sensation.

    If he had to forcibly describe it, it was sweet and a little numb.

 Chapter 552 - I want to always be with you

    <h4>Chapter 552: I want to always be with you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Momentster, their lips separated.

    Seiji saw that the silver-haired beautiful girl had a flushed red face, along with watery eyes that contained a seductive expression. He was instantly attracted, and almost impulsively wanted to kiss her back!

    "Seiji¡­ I want to always be with you¡­ is that alright?" Mika asked him gently.

    There was no boy in this world that could refuse her in such a moment!

    "Of course," Seiji agreed.

    And then he saw the girl sh a beautiful smile that was iparably gentle, sexy, and filled with bliss.

    *Ding!* He suddenly heard a system notification.

    [A female individual now has a favorability rating and connection rating towards you that are both over 100. You have now obtained her character reward card, along with unlocking additional bonuses on the card!]

    A character reward card!?

    This sudden important message caused Seiji to somewhat regain his senses.

    ''What did I agree to just now?

    ''Something about ''being together''¡­ right?

    ''Being together in what way?''

    He didn''t even think too much into things just then and had only agreed reflexively.

    Mika''s current expression was so moving, not to mention her favorability rating and connection rating towards him simultaneously exceeded 100 just now. The "being together" that she spoke of definitely wasn''t talking about simple friendship or teammates!

    ''I¡­ did I just agree to something like a marriage proposal?''

    Seiji mentally broke out into a cold sweat.

    When faced with such a beautiful girl, Seiji faintly felt that even marrying her would be pretty nice¡­ No, wait!!

    They weren''t even boyfriend and girlfriend yet! It seemed like they were skipping too many steps¡­ wait a moment, didn''t he already make such ament earlier this morning!?

    First it was with Natsuya, and now the same thing was happening with Mika!? Just what was going on today!!

    No¡­ was it his problem? He didn''t do anything wrong today, did he?

    Seiji''s mind was in chaos.

    Mika stared at him with a loving gaze before she mustered her energy, went up to him again, and kissed him for another time!

    "Hmm?"

    Seiji''s mind once again wentpletely nk upon tasting this wonderful feeling.

    This time, not only did Mika kiss him, she even sent her tongue into his mouth and passionately twirled his own tongue.

    Seiji: "~~~~~~~"

    This was far too much stimtion for him! Itpletely shook him as he lost himself within this feeling. Hepletely lost all ability to think.

    "Mmm¡­ ah¡­ mmm¡­"

    Mika closed her eyes and deeply kissed the person she loved, desiring to possess everything about him.

    The passion emanating from her was evident for anyone to see. Any bystander would surely be infected by their passion¡­ another way of putting it was that they were kissing with extreme fervor! It was so intense that anyone witnessing them would surely blush!!

    Seiji felt as if he was melting as he withstood such passion.

    ''Ahh¡­ this is so wonderful¡­''

    This wondrous moment felt as if itsted forever, but also as if it was only a short moment.

    Mika finally stopped the kiss. When they separated from each other, a clear liquid could be seen dripping from their lips.

    She used her tongue to curl this liquid into her mouth and licked her lips, making her seem incredibly devilish!

    This type of little action was a huge contrast to her current ethereal beauty, which gave him an incredible impact!

    Seiji was stunned by this.

    Only momentster did he finally regain his senses.

    "Mika¡­"

    Seiji wanted to find some words to express what he was thinking. Yet, he himself had no clue what he was thinking right now.

    So, they simply ended up being intimate enough to kiss, just like this¡­ Something seemed wrong above moving so quickly, though¡­ but he was also unable to find it within himself to reject her¡­

    "Seiji¡­"

    Mika still had that seductive expression. However, the look of realization was in her eyes.

    "It''s fine for me as long as I''m together with you," she told him softly. "Even if you don''t belong only to me, it doesn''t matter."

    Mika hugged him tightly after saying that.

    Her tight hug was her way of transmitting the message that she definitely wouldn''t let go.

    Seiji was shocked by this!

    Did she mean that it was fine if he had more girlfriends than just her?

    Was this¡­ allowing him to have a harem?

    Mika would agree to him having a harem!?

    Seiji received a tremendous impact! He had no clue what expression he had right now.

    Then, he deeply felt her emotions and couldn''t help but hug her tightly as well.

    As for the idea of a harem, he didn''t think too much on it right now because he had received far toorge of an impact.

    At this moment, Seiji was busy concretely understanding just how much Mika was in love with him!

    Various lines that she had said to him before popped up in his mind¡­

    "Alright, I''ll believe you onest time."

    "You can do it. Haven''t you already changed yourself so much?"

    "Call me Mika!"

    "Was breakfast¡­ delicious?"

    "You have your reasons for saying what you did. I believe in you."

    "Wee back."

    "I don''t want things to always remain like this."

    "I''ve resolved myself¡­"

    "I''m going to walk down this path I''ve chosen, no matter what. I won''t have any regrets."

    "Why don''t you help me think of a name for this child?"

    "I''ll do my best!"

    "I''ve resolved myself to face the truth, no matter what the truth is like¡­"

    "Just¡­ what do you think of killing people?"

    "I''m not a kind girl, I''m just a girl who likes you¡­"

    "I want to be stronger, and be of assistance to you. That''s why I''m choosing to join you."

    "Seiji¡­ for you."

    She had always apanied him down this path ever since the beginning¡­ Although he indeed did some things for her, he felt that itpletely wasn''t worth her falling so deeply in love with him.

    Truly¡­ a stupid girl!

    Seiji was so moved that his heart was aching. It felt as if there was a great pressure on his chest.

    To reject such a her¡­ on top of his previous rejection of her¡­ he was absolutely unable to do it!

    But to be with her together like this¡­ Shika¡­ Natsuya¡­

    Seiji sunk intoplete inner turmoil.

    Mika felt a sweetness inside her heart when she felt that he also hugged her tightly.

    She could definitely feel that he had feelings for her.

    Even if these feelings were mostly because of his gentleness, that was still enough for her.

    She resolved herself and received a response, which was wonderful enough for her already.

    Mika knew that he was surely mired in inner conflict right now.

    In order to assuage his turmoil, she slowly spoke up and gently stated, "The president is willing as well."

    "Eh?"

    "President Yoruhana made an agreement with Chiaki. As long as Chiaki helped her to deal with Kagura-san, she''ll allow Chiaki to be your mistress."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    WHAT!!??

    This was too much information for him to take in. Seiji was stunned.

    "Natsuya and Chiaki¡­ Shika-chan¡­"

    "The president said that she didn''t know how to deal with Kagura-san, while Chiaki said that she had an idea, which is why the two of them came to an agreement," Mika exined.

    Came to an agreement¡­ the hell!!!

    He could understand that Natsuya didn''t know how to deal with Shika-chan.

    But Chiaki was able to help her, and the price for helping Natsuya was to be his mistress¡­ just what exactly was all this!!?

    Seiji was forcefullymenting in his mind.

    He felt that even a joke wouldn''t be this ridiculous!

    However, Mika''s tone definitely wasn''t a joking one. Nor was there any possibility that this was a lie.

    ''¡­Just how should I even react here?

    ''Could someone please tell me how I should react upon hearing that the girls who like me have made an agreement with each other to share myself!?

    ''Should I simply smile?

    ''Something still feels wrong about this picture!!''

    He felt as if a rampaging stampede of animals was making a huge ruckus in his mind. His thoughts were in absolute chaos.

    Seiji finally sighed after this condition of hissted for quite a while.

    "Is this¡­ really fine?"

    "You don''t want it to be like this?" Mika countered with a question.

    "As a gentleman, if I said absolutely not, that would definitely be a lie. But¡­"

    There would be various problems.

    Seiji let go of Mika and looked directly into her face, using his eyes to express his meaning.

    Mika responded with a gentle smile.

    "I want to be together with you. That''s how I feel. I view this feeling as more important than anything else, which is why I''m willing to ept such a situation¡­ I don''t know whether I''ll end up regretting this in the end. What I''m certain of right now is that if I leave you, I''ll definitely regret it."

    Seiji opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but didn''t say anything in the end.

    What could he possibly say to a girl like Mika who had such deep feelings for him and expressed them so clearly?

    Instead of saying anything, Seiji took action and kissed her.

    "Mmm~" Mika made a pleased sound as if she was a kitten.

    This type of intimacy, this type of feeling, this type of spoiling, she was the first to enjoy such treatment, even before the president or Chiaki!

    Although she no longer cared so much about having to share Seiji, just thinking about how she was the first in this regard still made her feel quite delighted!

    Mika hugged him tightly and kissed him passionately¡­ She was absorbed in this as a faint voice spoke in her mind, ''I''ve won.''

 Chapter 553 - They became so large

    <h4>Chapter 553: They became sorge</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "From now on¡­ let''s take things slowly, alright?" Seiji spoke up again after he finished kissing Mika.

    Although he just heard such astonishing information, it wasn''t so easy for him toprehend it so quickly. He was still currently feeling indescribable feelings and didn''t know what he should do in the future¡­ he needed time.

    "Yeah." Mika nodded.

    She knew that he had his promise to Shika about not getting a girlfriend, and that he also had feelings for Natsuya Yoruhana. It would be impossible for him to instantly be very intimate with her.

    He needed time, while all she wanted was to remain by his side.

    "Next, we need to leave this ce¡­ Right, what''s with your current condition?" Seiji inquired.

    Mika was mystified by his question.

    Only when he indicated towards her body and she noticed her current form did she discover to her astonishment that she had transformed!

    "I¡­ how did I be like this!?"

    Her figure had changed, her hair had changed, and her entire physical appearance had changed! No wonder she had been feeling strangely, especially in the chest and hip areas¡­

    "This is the phenomenon of synchronization. I suspect that it was caused by you and Mashiro-chanbining together," Seiji exined.

    "Mashiro¡­" Mika hurriedly took out her Spirit Talisman and squeezed it in an attempt to summon Mashiro.

    There was no response.

    Mashiro wasn''t inside!

    Mika thought back to what she experienced.

    She was mysteriously summoned to this strange ce and attacked by fearsome monsters. Mashiro had done her best to protect her.

    However, there were too many enemy monsters. After a series of continuous battles, Mashiro started showing signs of evident fatigue. Mashiro was then injured by a monster!

    Mika clutched Mashiro and ran for her life, but some giant monster blocked her way¡­ then Mika didn''t know what happened after that.

    When she finally regained her senses, the monster disappeared, Mashiro that she had been hugging disappeared as well, and she was burning up all over and her head felt dizzy¡­ and then she finally saw Seiji.

    Mika told Seiji everything that she could remember.

    "It would seem that when you were in danger, Mashirobined herself with you so that you could unconsciously use power to defeat the monsters." Seiji pointed at the dark-red mist swirling around her. "Then, you ended up copsing due to a shortage of Mana. That''s when I found you."

    Mika looked at this mist. It was indeed one of Mashiro''s powers.

    "Mashiro is within me¡­" Mika touched her own chest. "How is she currently? Can she be restored to her original form?"

    "Yes. Mashiro should currently be in a deep sleep within your body. When she wakes up, that should cancel your synchronization and she''ll leave your body," Seiji replied.

    "That''s good, then." Mika felt reassured.

    Her face started reddening again as she continued touching her own chest.

    "Seiji, don''t look at me for now."

    "Eh?"

    "Turn around for a moment," the silver-haired girl said with a red face.

    "Oh¡­" Seiji did as he was ordered.

    After he turned around, Mika turned around as well and reached into her own clothes. She slowly took out the bra she was wearing.

    Upon checking its condition¡­ the sp had indeed snapped, as she expected!

    Her breasts became sorge¡­ her hips as well. Her panties felt really tight and ufortable.

    As she thought about how her current appearance and even hair color was different¡­ Mika felt ratherplex inside.

    "Seiji¡­ what do you think of my current appearance?"

    "I think that it''s quite beautiful," Seiji told her honestly.

    "More beautiful than my original appearance, right?" Mika asked softly.

    "Honestly, yes. But this doesn''t mean that you weren''t beautiful to begin with," Seiji stated seriously. "You were originally beautiful as well. It''s just that you''re even more beautiful in this form."

    Mika''splex feelings were assuaged by his sincere words.

    "As long as you think I''m beautiful¡­ that''s good, then."

    "Of course I think you''re beautiful," Seiji continued speaking sincerely. "In my eyes, you''ve always been a brilliant beautiful girl."

    Mika felt rather embarrassed inside to hear him saying this out loud. It gave her a sweet feeling.

    "In my eyes¡­ you used to be nothing more than a depraved NEET," she spoke in a cute voice.

    "In the past, that''s indeed what I was." Seiji chuckled. "My apologies."

    ''The me from the past probably never would have guessed that I would fall in love with this former depraved NEET, to the point where I can''t even be without him,'' Mika thought to herself as she looked at him again with a gentle expression in her eyes.

    "You can turn back around now."

    Seiji turned back towards Mika to discover that she was holding her own bra in her hands, causing him to pause in surprise.

    "My breasts became too big, to the point where it broke my bra''s sp¡­ so I took it off," Mika exined it to him with a red face.

    Her breasts became bigger to the point where it broke her bra¡­ that seemed so ero to Seiji!

    Just how many bra sizes was she upgraded by in this form?

    ''No, no, I should stop thinking about this!'' Seiji forcefully prevented himself from going along this train of thought. However, his eyes couldn''t help but stare at her newly erged chest.

    Mika easily noticed where his attention was and spoke as her face continued reddening, "¡­Would you like to touch them?"

    "N¡­ not at all!" Seiji hurriedly denied it.

    He was still currently under stimtion from the hot kisses just now. If he kept thinking about anything more along these lines, he would probably end up on a real rampage!

    "If it''s just a little, you can touch them." Mika felt that his reaction was rather cute and couldn''t help but tease him.

    "Stop¡­ stop joking around! It''s time for us to leave." Seiji averted his gaze and did his very best to stop himself.

    Mika felt like she really wanted to tease him some more, but right now in this location was indeed a poor timing to be teasing him.

    "How do we leave?"

    "We have to kill off all the powerful monsters in here. Then, we''ll automatically be able to leave."

    Seiji exined the circumstances of the Inner World to her.

    Something shed in Mika''s eyes after hearing the exnation. She looked at the dark-red mist around her.

    Suddenly, as if a switch had been turned on, she could feel this power as her own!

    "This is¡­" The silver-haired girl slowly raised her hand.

    The floating mist suddenly started moving and speedily gathered above her hand, forming into a giant dark-red ball!

    She then flicked her fingers, causing the ball to dissipate and form into numerous dark circles that twirled around her.

    She then continued to control the mist, changing the circles into countless lines that swam, flew, and intersected with each other in the air¡­ before finally forming into a ball again.

    "¡­This is a power that Mashiro has given to me."

    Mika was concretely feeling this power.

    Mashiro was within her body,bined with her! Just as Seiji told her.

    Mashiro was currently sleeping and would need a while to wake up.

    ''I apologize. Mommy is too weak, which is why you had to work so hard,'' Mika thought in her mind.

    ''But don''t worry anymore, daddy''s here! With him together with us, we''ll surely be able to return home safely together.'' She did her best to express such a thought.

    Then, a faint voice sounded in her mind.

    "Chirp~"

    This tiny response was just like an utterance in a dream.

    Mika paused in surprise for a moment before revealing a delighted expression.

    "I just heard Mashiro!"

    "That''s good, then. At the very least, it proves that she''s fine." Seiji smiled.

    "It''s all thanks to you. It''s all because Daddy Seiji arrived here in the nick of time." Mika smiled.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    So she was still viewing him as Mashiro''s daddy!? Seiji''s cheeks twitched upon finding this out.

    He felt quite embarrassed and really wanted toment on it¡­ but he decided to forget about it.

    "I want to battle together with you and try using this power that Mashiro gave me," Mika continued speaking.

    "Go ahead and try out your power then." Seiji paused for a moment. "Your power has the capability to absorb the Spiritual Creatures within this location. As long as you can control your own power, you''ll be stronger and stronger as you battle."

    "Absorb?"

    "Think of it like ying a game. Whenever the main characters defeat a monster, they''ll obtain experience points and level up. That''s just like the ability you now possess, Mika."

 Chapter 554 - Why does it feel a little perverted?

    <h4>Chapter 554: Why does it feel a little perverted?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After making their preparations, the two of them set out and began their game quest¡­ whoops, clearing out the Inner World.

    Soon after setting out, they were attacked by several octopus monsters.

    Mika used her dark-red mist to block the monsters'' attacks and then to instantly slice the monsters to little pieces! She then absorbed the monsters.

    "How do you feel?"

    "I can feel as if my power became slightly stronger¡­ the difference is barely noticeable, though."

    "Probably because these monsters were just weak mob monsters. At any rate, it''s fine as long as you can control your power. If you feel like anything''s off at all, tell me immediately," Seiji warned her.

    "Okay." Mika nodded.

    Next, they met additional small groups of monsters. None of them were very strong, and Mika easily took care of and absorbed them by herself.

    Seiji watched over her as something shed in his eyes.

    The ghost named Sakura that gave Mika the Mashiro egg had called the unhatched egg at the time a "Spirit Egg" which contained a guardian spirit.

    But Natsuya inspected the egg and said that it wasn''t a guardian spirit at all, but she was uncertain whether Sakura was lying or not.

    Guardian spirits were a special type of spirit that Yin Yang Masters could use for themselves, and had to be personally raised. They were a special type of Spiritual Creature that were capable of increasing the Yin Yang Master''s own powers. From what Natsuya could tell, Mashiro was an abnormal existence rather than a guardian spirit. The student council president was unable toprehend why Sakura had stated that Mashiro was a guardian spirit.

    But judging from things now, Sakura calling Mashiro a guardian spirit might have been referring to the fact that the "best way to use her" was simr to a guardian spirit! Basically, Mashiro could alsobine with her host and strengthen Mika.

    In other words, Natsuya might have been overthinking things at the time. Perhaps Sakura was expressing a very direct meaning¡ªthat Mika should simply treat Mashiro like a guardian spirit, raising and using her the same way!

    As for what exactly Mashiro truly was, and if something unexpected would happen with her, Seiji didn''t know.

    He tried asking his own bonded female spirit, Yomi, about Mashiro. However, she appeared to have gone to sleep again as she didn''t reply.

    The two of them kept continuing onward in the Inner World and arrived at a rtively open area.

    "Be careful. This type of ce tends to spawn powerful monsters," Seiji warned her.

    He and Mika carefully nced all around them. Then, they say that a huge dark gray shell was descending towards them from the water above them. It jumped out of the water andnded before them with a boom!

    This was a m¡­ no, some type of gigantic shellfish monster!

    The shellfish monster''s outer shell slightly opened, and numerous ck and sticky tentacles suddenly reached over towards them!

    Mika used her mist to create a barrier which blocked these disgusting tentacles.

    However, she immediately felt pressured! These tentacles were far stronger than any monster she had encountered so far.

    "Argh¡­"

    Mika grit her teeth and counterattacked with her mist, yet¡­ her attack was ineffective!?

    Seiji also wielded his longsword and sliced through the tentacles. But even though he sliced through them, the tentacles instantly reformed. It was as if he was only slicing through liquid.

    "Slice-type attacks won''t work!"

    Seiji sheathed his sword and started attacking with the scabbard instead. Only by using blunt attacks did he managed to smash a few tentacles!

    "It seems that blunt attacks are effective."

    The moment he finished speaking, those tentacles speedily reformed themselves!

    "¡­Or maybe not."

    Seiji cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself and transformed into his golden state before he started wielding his shield.

    *Smack!!* He instantly managed to smash numerous tentacles.

    "Mika, stand back. Leave this to me."

    "Seiji¡­"

    This was the first time she had seen his golden form. It looked really cool to her. Even her eyes were about to begin sparkling.

    She listened to him and retreated back down the path they came from and left the effective range of the tentacles'' attacks.

    After making sure that Mika retreated safely, Seiji cast [Evolved Mana Shield] on himself and began attacking!

    He used his shield to rush through and crush all tentacles blocking his way, and viciously mmed it against the gray shell!!

    The shell remainedpletely undamaged.

    This monster''s shell had incredibly high defense power! Forcefully breaking through its hard outer shell would require too much effort. Seiji felt that it would be much better to directly attack what was inside.

    [Spiritual de, "White Lotus"]!

    Seiji once again pulled out his sword and enchanted it with a spell. The sword transformed into a white light that extended over a dozen meters. Seiji forcefully pierced the sword through the small opening that the shell had as it spat out its tentacles!!

    It didn''t feel like he sliced through anything with his sword¡­ he needed to go in deeper.

    He retracted his sword in order to deal with a furious onught on tentacles. Seiji then increased the amount of Mana he injected on his sword, forming an even thicker and longer de, before stabbing it into the crack again!

    A strange hissing sound came from within. Still, Seiji didn''t feel like he actually managed to slice anything. He could only feel that the inside of the shell was incredibly sticky and that his de was tightly stuck inside, making it difficult to move.

    Seiji forcefully withstood the tentacles'' furious attacks as he kept withdrawing and stabbing his sword into the shell!!

    Therge shell monster''s hissing became much sharper, and then¡­ *Pu!!!*

    A sticky substance shot out of the shell''s crack right towards Seiji. The substance had such a powerful force that it knocked him backwards several meters and even broke his protective barrier!!

    "Seiji!" Mika shouted in fear for him.

    "I''m fine¡­" Seiji backflipped and steadied himself while speedily retreating to adjust his position. "This shell seems rather difficult to deal with. It might take some time."

    Sticking his de inside it didn''t feel like much was happening, but it seemed slightly effective? Should he continue? Or should he simply try to use all his strength to break its outer shell?

    ¡­Wait a moment, why did this all seem so perverted?

    Seiji thought about how he was using his long and thick de to stick it into the shell''s crevice while continuously inserting and withdrawing¡­ even though this was just a fight, it subtly had an odd sensation.

    ''Cough, don''t get distracted! This is a real fight.''

    Just as he got his thoughts back on track and seriously considered what he should do, Mika called out to him again.

    "I think I should be able to break its shell, but I need to get closer!" Mika shouted loudly.

    "¡­Alright, I''ll protect you while you do so." Seiji instantly decided to trust hispanion.

    He moved over to her and acted as her shield, blocking the massive amount of tentacles so that she could approach safely.

    Mika gathered part of her mist into a dark-red ball. Once she got closer, she aimed at the shell and fired the ball!

    *Boom!!*

    Seiji witnessed the ball leave a blood-red trail in midair as it hit the monster''s outer shell, and instantly caused arge portion to vanish!

    That''s right, vanish.

    With the ball''s impact as the radius, arge circr portion of the shell instantly vanished! It was as if the shell''s portion had been instantaneously teleported to somewhere else.

    This was a move that Mashiro used previously when testing her powers¡­ Seiji recognized this technique.

    Causing whatever it hit to instantly disappear was indeed a frightening technique.

    The shell monster hissed ear-piercingly. It sounded like it was in pain.

    The ck and soft part of its body that was now exposed sent out even more tentacles to furiously attack them!

    Mika revealed an expression of difort.

    Seiji protected her so that she could retreat before turning back to face the monster by himself. He prepared hisrge spell formation while fighting.

    The monster in its enraged state seemed far more powerful than earlier, which gave Seiji quite a lot of pressure. His defensive shields were broken multiple times!

    Finally, he finished his spell formation and activated his spell -

    [Sealing spell, "Demon Suppression Bell"]!!

    *ng!!!*

    A gigantic golden bell appeared together with a ring while covering the entire giant shell monster. It cut off all tentacles that tried to reach out!

    "Amazing¡­" Mika eximed in astonishment at this major spell that seemed quite extravagant.

    ''Seiji''s so strong¡­'' Mika''s eyes sparkled as she watched his glowing golden form.

    The shell monster received a great amount of damage from the powerful spell since it was no longerpletely protected by its shell. It screamed at an incredibly high pitch before the sounds finally weakened.

    When the bell spell ended, the monster transformed into a dark-blue mist that immediately started to disappear.

    "Mika!" Seiji indicated over to her.

    The silver-haired girl understood what he meant and ran over to absorb the remaining blue mist with her own dark-red mist.

    "How is it?"

    "There''s a far more noticeable effectpared to absorbing those earlier monsters¡­" Mika paused for a moment. "However, the attack I used just now took up quite a lot of energy. This basically just replenished it."

    That attack had a great cost associated with it¡­ Seiji figured as much and nodded in understanding.

    It would be strange if such a powerful attack had a low cost associated with it.

    "That attack counts as one of your ultimate techniques, so how about giving it a name? What do you think of ''Vanishing Bullet''?" Seiji rmended.

 Chapter 555 - This is the final form!

    <h4>Chapter 555: This is the final form!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "That sounds rather scary."

    "Well, it is a powerful technique, after all. If you don''t like that name, how about ''Dimension Shattering Jade?''?"

    "Dimension Shattering Jade¡­" Mika blinked as she thought about it. "I like this name much better!"

    And so, Seiji seeded in getting her to ept a Naruto-style technique name.

    "Seiji, what''s the name of the technique you just used?"

    "Demon Suppression Bell. It''s arge-scale spell that''s rather difficult to cast," Seiji answered.

    "It looked really cool and powerful!" Mika praised his spell.

    "I think that your Dimension Shattering Jade is far more powerful."

    "Why''s that?"

    "Because I don''t think anything can withstand it."

    To use a game analogy, Seiji felt that Mika''s Dimension Shattering Jade attack was a high-level space magic type of spell. Anything with a low amount of magic resistance would be instantly vaporized¡­ something like this.

    Just with this one spell, Mika''s attack power would be S rank!

    Her dark-red mist''s defense power was decent as well, but only defense wasn''t good enough against enemy attacks. She also needed to learn how to dodge attacks.

    "Mika, can you try using your power to increase your movement speed?"

    "Speed¡­"

    "Increasing your speed so that you can dodge enemy attacks in time is quite important," Seiji told her seriously. "You can''t just tank all damage thrown at you."

    "Yeah¡­ I''ll try."

    Mika controlled her mist and wrapped it around her feet.

    "I don''t feel like there''s any change¡­"

    Mika tried running, but ended up slipping from her amazingly high speed!

    "Eeekk!!" the silver-haired girl shouted in astonishment.

    Seiji watched her slide about seven or eight meters before she finally lost her bnce and crashed into the ground!

    "Mika!" He hurriedly ran over to her.

    "I''m fine¡­ that didn''t even hurt."

    Mika indicated that there was no need to worry. She then looked at the mist that protected her with something shing in her eyes.

    "Try it again."

    Mika stood back up and controlled the mist so that it only covered her legs and feet before she tried to slide as if she was ice skating.

    *Whoosh~*

    She instantly slid quite far.

    This time, Mika maintained her bnce. She moved her feet and greatly increased her speed!

    After she slid more than thirty meters at high speed, she turned around in a beautiful arc and whooshed back past Seiji!

    Her silver hair flowed as it seemed like she transformed into the wind itself.

    "Just like this!" Mika smiled.

    She opened her arms, imitating the female ice skaters she''d seen before that did this on television. She then twirled around elegantly, and even lifted her leg as if she was about to dance.

    Seiji watched her performance with astonishment.

    *Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~*

    Soon, Mika''s movements seemed as if she was an experienced figure skater who had practiced for many years¡­ no, she was even faster than a professional figure skater! And she could even do high-speed twists and jumps that broke thews of physics!!

    This was all thanks to the mist that supported her.

    Thanks to her supernatural abilities, Mika gained more and more confidence as she skated. After another jump and continuous twist that no ordinary human would be able to aplish, she jumped up into the air!

    She turned around three and a half times in midair beforending steadily on the ground, making a pose as if she was a soaring bird!

    Full marks!!

    Seiji couldn''t help but p his hands.

    He didn''t know anything about figure skating, but felt that Mika''s current appearance was just as beautiful as the professional figure skaters he''d seen before on TV. Especially, there was the fact that her full breasts kept jiggling as she skated¡­ no, no, what was he thinking!

    The silver-haired girl currently wasn''t wearing a bra. Even though she was enveloped in mist, the shaking of her chest was still quite obvious. Seiji did his very best to stop paying attention to it.

    Mika enjoyed herself even more when she saw that Seiji was pping.

    After skating another half a circle, she jumped up again, andpleted five full turns in midair!

    She thennded steadily on the ground and jumped up again, performing six turns this time! Her next jump had her performing a full seven turns!!

    After she continuously jumped and turned in midair, the dark-red mist around the silver-haired girl suddenly gathered together and formed into the shape of a cape. The mist even kept changing form together with her movements. Sometimes it appeared like extravagant clothing, while at other times it appeared like wings¡­ the dark-red mist was ethereal and fantastical in its beauty!

    Seiji was astonished by this sight.

    The "caped" silver-haired beautiful girl was incredibly beautiful as she "skated". She easily performed the mostplex of tricks and was so pretty that it all seemed unreal.

    ''This is her final form!''

    Seiji couldn''t help but think this.

    This "cape" was the true form that Mashiro''s power should be taking, not some loose mist!

    Not only was this form more beautiful, it could also protect and strengthen the host''s body, which seemed more reasonable¡­ No, wait, it wasn''t truly a "cape", he should refer to it as "clothing"!!

    If Mika didn''t wear any clothing at all, and simply wore clothing formed from her mist powers¡­ that would be perfect!

    Seiji felt that would truly be the mostplete form of this power.

    But that would be rather problematic, as not wearing any normal clothing at all would be quite challenging for a normal person''s worldview. Not to mention, if Mika used too much of her energy, that would lessen the effects of her "clothing" which would end up revealing her body. It would be analogous to suffering clothing damage every time she was injured.

    He suddenly recalled a famous action game from his past life, where the main character was a beautiful, sexy mature girl. The form-fitting clothes she wore were actually constructed out of her own magic hair, and if she used up too much of her Mana, then basically whenever she cast her ultimate spell, she would be naked. This was a wondrous character that would rather attract gentlemanly yers.

    Seiji tried substituting the silver-haired version of Mika for that game character¡­ it seemed quite excellent to him!

    Just imagining it was truly wonderful. But, that was something he could only allow to stay within the realm of fiction. While it was a wonderful gentlemanly concept for there to be clothing damage in games, it was a bit too much to have the same setting for reality.

    At this moment, the silver-haired girl glided back and stopped in front of him.

    "Wonderfully done, Mika," Seiji gave his sincere praise. "I think this is how your power really should be." He nced over at her "cape".

    "I feel so as well." Mika also looked at her own "cape". "This appearance looks better than the mist from earlier."

    "Does maintaining this form have any energy cost associated with it?"

    "No."

    "That''s good, then¡­ while we might not have known how to call this power in the past, I just thought of a name for it. How about calling this power ''Mashiro''s Clothes''?" Seiji mended.

    "Mashiro''s Clothes¡­ a beautiful name." Something shed in Mika''s eyes as she reached out and gently stroked the "cape".

    The "cape"¡­ Mashiro''s Clothes fluttered twice as if it was responding.

    Upon seeing this scene, Seiji recalled yet another fictional character from his original world¡ªa surgeon who lost the use of both his hands and turned to cultivating powers to protect the world instead. This surgeon possessed a red cape that could move by itself as if it was a pet.

    The cape could support and protect its master, as well as act cute¡­ that was Seiji''s first thought after watching that movie. As for the movie itself, it didn''t actually leave that much of a deep impression on Seiji.

    "Was that Mashiro responding to you?"

    "She''s still asleep¡­ I think that was only her unconscious reaction."

    "Did your high-speed movement cost a lot of energy just now?"

    "Not much at all. Very little, actually."

    "That''s good, then. In the future, try to use speed to dodge any attacksing at you," Seiji told her. "No matter what type of attack it is, it''s better to dodge it rather than to defend against it. Defense is only for impossible or highly difficult to avoid attacks. That''s what I believe."

    Mika nodded in understanding.

    "Oh, and one more thing¡­ Your skating performance just now was so beautiful. I was stunned by the sight," Seiji praised her awkwardly.

    Mika''s face flushed red upon hearing this.

    "If you liked seeing it¡­ I can skate some more just for you."

 Chapter 556 - Two strange and powerful individualsâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 556: Two strange and powerful individuals¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "There''s no need to skate more just for me, unless you really feel like it''s necessary to practice more¡­"

    Seiji detected something before he could finish speaking and looked in another direction.

    Seeing him like this, Mika also looked in the same direction. They saw that arge wave of monsters was approaching!

    It was a school of small white fish that had half-translucent red gills. A huge group of them with high density was swimming right towards them.

    These fish monsters didn''t seem all that scary. Compared to the other monsters here, they were actually the most ordinary appearing of all. However, their number was truly terrifying!

    It would be bad if Seiji and Mika were surrounded.

    "We should get out of here!" Seiji rmended to Mika.

    The two of them immediately began running¡­ No, Seiji began running, while Mika speedily glided away from this location.

    They continued onwards and took care of any smaller monsters that jumped out to block their path. Some timeter, they arrived at another wide opening and saw a giant monster that resembled a crocodile on the top and a jellyfish on the bottom.

    "This guy is¡­" Seiji recognized that this was the huge monster that he had fought with earlier!

    This crocodile monster was heavily injured and had already lost most of the tentacles on its lower half. It opened its jaw and roared fiercely, viciously dashing at him!!

    Seiji dodged the attack and cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself as he faced the monster with his sword and shield.

    Mika also glided at high speed to dodge the attack. She then used Mashiro''s Clothes to form some extra mist to attack with from the side.

    The crocodile monster furiously attacked both of them!

    Seiji slowly sliced and injured the crocodile monster continuously, intentionally taking it slow so that Mika could also fight and earn morebat experience.

    After a fierce fight that seemed like it came right out of Monster Hunter, the crocodile monster finally copsed.

    Mika immediately absorbed the thick mist the monster transformed into with her Mashiro''s Clothes. It seemed that her control over her own powers was quite good.

    "That was a monster that I fought earlier while I was trying to find you," Seiji told her as he looked at the path around them. "It looks like we''ve returned here¡­ using a path that wasn''t here before."

    "Wasn''t here before?" Mika paused in surprise."

    "Yeah, earlier when I passed by this location, this path wasn''t here at all." Seiji pointed at the path they just took. "It appears that the paths in this realm will constantly change."

    "Constantly change¡­ how are we supposed to find our way, then?" Mika was rather worried.

    "That is indeed a problem, but I don''t think we need to worry." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. "We simply need to kill off all the powerful monsters in here, and this path took us back here. I believe this means the Inner World is intentionally causing us to meet the powerful monsters, which is the same as our goal. Or, another way of putting it is that this location will forcefully make people meet strong monsters, and that only by killing them all will we finally be able to leave."

    As for the other method of escaping an Inner World, it basically wasn''t possible for him and Mika.

    The two of them continued attacking the monsters in this world.

    They then met their third powerful boss-type monster, a gigantic sea urchin!

    It shot out ck needles that were incredibly threatening. The needles had high attack power and a wide area of effect, so getting up closer to the monster and engaging in meleebat with it was quite dangerous.

    Seiji withstood its attack from the front so that Mika could find an opportunity to use the Dimension Shattering Jade, which dealt with the mini-boss monster in one hit!

    The fourth powerful monster had the appearance of a mix between a crab and a shrimp. It had a hard outer shell and sharp pincers, and was even able to spit out exploding bubbles!

    Not only did it have high attack and defense power, it also moved at a high speed and its attacks were swift. Seiji was almost pincered by one of its ws.

    Luckily, it didn''t have a particrly long reach, so there was still enough space for Mika and Seiji to dodge the attacks. The two of them had a fierce battle with the crab/shrimp monster and cut off most of its legs before finally defeating it.

    Some time after that¡­

    Seiji and Mika faintly heard the sounds of fightinging from in front of them!

    There were others here as well!?

    The two of them exchanged nces.

    "I thought that this ce was empty of other humans apart from us, but now it seems that''s not the case."

    "What should we do?" Mika inquired.

    This wasn''t like the real world. Inner Worlds were a mysterious alternate dimension, and the rule was that if one person died, everyone else would be released from this location. Meeting with strangers would be risky.

    Seiji thought about the situation.

    "Once we get closer, I''ll check out the situation first, while you stay behind and wait for me."

    "Why?"

    "Because there might be a fight."

    "I can fight as well," Mika said seriously.

    "I know, but you still don''t have any experience fighting against other people."

    "Not long ago, I also didn''t have any experience fighting against giant monsters¡­"

    "This is different."

    "Why is it different?"

    "Monsters are monsters, while humans are humans," Seiji told her. "Can you treat humans the same as you do monsters?"

    Mika fell silent.

    "¡­Another thing is, I''d like to keep an ace card up my sleeve." Seiji looked at her. "If there really is a conflict between me and these other people, and I need assistance, I''ll shout for you toe. I''ll be relying on you."

    Something shed in Mika''s eyes upon hearing this.

    The two of them headed in the direction of the sounds.

    When they got closer, Seiji indicated for Mika to stop and wait while he cautiously edged closer.

    Then, he witnessed a dog-head person and a cow-head person fighting together against a giant turtle monster!

    More urately speaking, these two individuals were a female Spiritual Ability user who wore a dog-head mask and pitch-ck Sakura Ind stylebat clothing, and a male Spiritual Ability user who wore a cow head mask and graybat clothing in an identical style. The girl wielded a blue spiritual sword, while the boy wielded a red spiritual sword. They were currently fighting against arge sea turtle-like monster with strange nts growing out of its back.

    A dog, cow, and turtle¡­ this scene was rather abnormal.

    Seiji silently observed from a distance.

    Although he really wanted toment on the masks that these two were wearing, they showed off incredible power. They were able topletely dodge therge turtle''s attacks, and any attacks that they didn''t dodge were easily parried by their swords. As they whirled around, they took advantage of every opening to slice the turtle monster. Not only that, the girl took one side while the boy took the other side, and they attacked simultaneously from both sides of the giant monster.

    Seiji watched for a while and felt that rather than a battle, this seemed more like a dance, or even a game.

    Two strange and powerful individuals¡­ That was the conclusion he came to from his observation. He silently backed away.

    Seiji returned to Mika and told her what he just witnessed.

    "I think it''s best not toe into contact with them. Let''s take another path."

    "Okay."

    Seiji and Mika returned to a previous area and took a different fork in the path.

    Not long after, they heard a low roar. The sounds of fighting then stopped.

    "They killed off that powerful monster¡­ let''s hurry."

    The two of them increased their speed.

    Yet, just a minuteter, they heard sounds speedily approaching!

    Seiji and Mika turned around and saw the dog-head girl and cow-head boy approach with an astonishing speed!!

    This scene seemed mysteriously pressuring.

    "Seiji¡­" Mika was quite nervous.

    So fast!

    Seiji was just considering whether to run away at full speed when he saw the two individuals suddenly speed up and instantly caught up to them!

    "Mi¡­ Sixth Knight, behind me!"

    He almost reflexively said Mika''s real name out loud and hurriedly changed to use her code name instead.

    He stood still and brought out his sword and shield to carefully protect her as he faced off against these strange individuals.

    The dog-head mask girl stood on the left while the cow-head mask boy stood on the right. They looked at the handsome boy and silver-haired beautiful girl.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

 Chapter 557 - Iâ€™m a minotaur!

    <h4>Chapter 557: I¡¯m a minotaur!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After a period of silence, the cow-head mask boy spoke first in a low voice, "Are you two a couple?"

    "Why do you ask?" Seiji countered with a question of his own.

    "Because I hate couples! I''m so jealous of couples that act sickeningly sweet and lovey-dovey together," the cow-head mask boy spoke in a seemingly serious tone.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Did he just meet a wild FFF sect member? Seiji revealed a subtle expression.

    Not to mention, this was a strange fellow who wore a cow head mask¡­ thinking back to how evil "minotaurs" were in a certain game, Seiji greatly raised his vignce!

    "Answer me, are the two of you a couple or not?" the cow-head mask boy asked once again.

    "I don''t see any need to answer you," Seiji responded with a forceful tone. "Besides, who are the two of you?"

    The cow-head mask boy, er, the minotaur raised his head and spoke in a fierce tone, "Isn''t it obvious just by looking? I''m a minotaur!"

    Once again, Seiji was rendered speechless.

    This "minotaur" boy seemed to be too into this, which made it difficult for Seiji to evenment.

    Teehee¡­ someone giggled.

    The giggle was from the dog-head mask girl.

    The minotaur boy and Seiji and Mika all turned to look at her.

    "Hello, I''m a dog-head girl," a clear female voice spoke from behind the mask.

    The dog-head girl chuckled yet again. It was obvious that she felt what she just said was rather silly.

    Afterughing, she asked them in a polite manner, "May I inquire as to who you are?"

    "¡­I''m the leader of our Knight Order, while behind me is the Sixth Knight," Seiji responded politely.

    "A knight leader and the Sixth Knight¡­ Could I ask from which Knight Order you''re from?"

    "Of course. But please first state where you''re from, Miss dog-head girl and Mister minotaur."

    "We are from the Lain Kingdom of Baluya," the dog-head girl responded in a seemingly serious manner.

    "Baluya" was the name of the world of the well-known anime, "Honey Candy Girl." The "Lain Kingdom" was the name of the Beastman Kingdom in that story.

    "Nice to meet you. We''re from Baluya as well. We''re the Knight Order from the Yat Kingdom," Seiji responded in an equally seemingly serious manner.

    "I''ve only visited the Yat Kingdom twice myself. It''s a really nice ce, with beautiful scenery and incredibly delicious pancakes."

    "Why, thank you. The Lain Kingdom is a wonderful ce as well, although I''ve only been there once. Still, everyone''s friendliness and passion, along with all sorts of tasty meat jerky left me with such a deep impression."

    "Thank you for your praise as well. It must be fate that we''ve met here, heehee¡­" The dog-head girl giggled again.

    "Yeah, such wondrous fate, ahaha¡­" Seiji smiled as well.

    The two of them kept smiling as they faced each other, as if they were really having fun.

    Even though it was perfectly clear that both sides were making uppletely ridiculous stories, neither of them stated it directly out loud.

    The minotaur boy and Mika who watched all this were both rendered speechless.

    "How did the two of you get here?" the dog-head girl asked another question.

    "Of course, we were identally pulled into here." Seiji looked at her. "Is that not the case for you?"

    "No. We came here intentionally," the dog-head girl responded.

    Hearing this, something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "Hey! Dog-head girl¡­" The minotaur boy seemed to want to say something.

    "It''s fine to tell them, minotaur boy." The dog-head girl nced at herpanion and couldn''t help but chuckle again.

    "Intentionally¡­ Can I understand it that this was a ce created by you guys?" Seiji asked seriously.

    "No, we don''t have that ability," the dog-head girl shook her head slightly.

    "Then why did you twoe in here?"

    "That''s private business, Mister knight leader." The dog-head girl chuckled. "Unless you''re willing to join us."

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    "I can join you?"

    "Indeed. Not only you, Miss knight behind you is wee to join us as well."

    "¡­Why?"

    "Because you''re able to enter this location."

    "I don''t understand what you mean."

    "This isn''t a ce where you should have originally been. But, you were able to enter, which means you have the right to join us."

    "¡­And if we don''t wish to join you, what will happen?"

    "We will help you to leave this ce, and I think that we''ll never meet again," the dog-head girl mentioned casually.

    Conversation options appeared in front of Seiji:

    [A: I would like to join you.]

    [B: I''m not interested in joining you.]

    [C: I would like to learn more first.]

    Seeing these three options, Seiji fell into silence.

    He felt that these two individuals were highly likely to be from the Soul World faction, or rted to it!

    ording to what the dog-head girl said, they weren''t intending on getting others involved in this Inner World. However, he and Mika had entered this ce, which meant to them for whatever reason that these two were interested in recruiting them.

    Although it didn''t sound like she was lying, it was difficult to tell. If he chose to join them, perhaps it would be some type of trap. If he chose not to join them, they might attack. Asking to know more might also cause them to attack.

    All three options had some risk¡­ Seiji first silently saved a file before he made his decision.

    "I would like to know more so that I can make a more informed decision," he stated in a serious tone.

    "If you join us, you''ll be asked to perform tasks for us for which you''ll be paid appropriately. Failure may have some type of punishment, but also may not," the dog-head girl exined. "You can also refuse to do the tasks that you don''t wish to do. However, you can''t refuse every single one. All relevant information needs to be kept secret. There will be a punishment for revealing our secrets. The payment is quite excellent. The punishments are severe as well. The tasks are high-risk, high-reward¡­ That''s all I can tell you."

    "Only knowing this much isn''t much different from not knowing anything at all." Seiji expressed his dissatisfaction.

    "I apologize, that''s really all that I can tell you."

    "Dog-head girl¡­ are you really being serious?" the minotaur boy asked in a low voice.

    "Of course I''m being serious." The dog-head girl looked at him. "These two should be fine."

    "You''re being too casual."

    "Please don''t say that to ady like me."

    "Lady¡­? Ha."

    "What could thatugh of yours possibly mean?"

    The minotaur boy ignored her and looked back towards Seiji.

    "The two of you are a couple, aren''t you?" He insisted on continuing to ask this question.

    "What if we are, and what if we aren''t?"

    "If you are, I''m going to attack you."

    Seiji was rendered speechless. Was this guy really a terrorist member of the FFF cult?

    "Don''t scare him, minotaur boy," the dog-head girl told him.

    "I''m not scaring him. I''m being serious."

    "That''s even worse, then."

    "Rx, I''ll only attack with the blunt side of my sword."

    "That''s still going overboard."

    "Only by using my sword''s blunt side will I be able to vent the rage in my heart."

    "You''re too violent."

    The minotaur boy once again rose his head and spoke in an adamant tone, "I''m a minotaur!"

    The dog-head girl ignored him and turned towards Seiji again.

    "I apologize for the antics of such an idiot."

    "It''s fine¡­ I''d like to ask, are there more people like you in your organization, or more people like Mister minotaur over here?"

    "I don''t know."

    ''Does this mean that she herself doesn''t know all the members in her organization?'' Seiji thought to himself.

 Chapter 558 - I find it quite difficult to counter this reason for attacking me

    <h4>Chapter 558: I find it quite difficult to counter this reason for attacking me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I apologize, there''s just too much I don''t know. I don''t wish to join." Seiji remained highly on guard as he gave a clear answer.

    Although he was quite interested in the Soul World faction, joining them just like this didn''t seem wise to him. Besides, he was unsure if these two individuals really were a part of Soul World or not.

    "I see¡­ I feel that you and the person behind you both have quite a lot of potential. It''s a pity that you don''t wish to join us." The dog-head girl indicated her regret.

    "Thank you for your appreciation and praise."

    "Now then, I should help you to leave this ce¡­ but first, I need to ask you to promise not to tell anyone else about what happened here."

    "We shall keep your secret," Seiji promised.

    "Very good." The dog-head girl was just about to do something when there was the sharp sound of a sword being drawn.

    The minotaur boy had unsheathed his sword.

    "Don''t think that just because you won''t tell me if you''re a couple that I''ll simply let you go," he spoke in a low tone directly to Seiji.

    "Minotaur boy¡­"

    "I''m being serious here. I really want to hit someone right now."

    He didn''t seem to be joking even in the slightest. However, Seiji also didn''t feel any true enmity or malevolence emanating from him.

    "Just why is it that you wish to fight me, Mister minotaur?" Seiji wondered out loud about this.

    "Of course, because I don''t like the way you look!"

    "Did I do something wrong? Or¡­ do we actually know each other?"

    The minotaur boy fell silent for a moment.

    "I don''t know you, and you don''t know me," he spoke in a low tone. "You''re ridiculously handsome, and have such a beautiful girl by your side. You look just like a winner in life. I simply can''t stand it, which is why I want to beat you up. That''s all there is to it."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He found it really hard to counter this reason for wanting to attack him.

    "That''s all¡­? Ha." The dog-head girl chuckled.

    The minotaur boy turned towards her and seemingly red.

    ''Is there some past history here?'' Seiji wondered to himself upon seeing this.

    But as long as they didn''t say anything, it was impossible for him to know.

    "Although I''m still feeling rather confused, I can somewhat understand what you''re feeling, Mister minotaur¡­ the past me was also at the stage of being envious of handsome guys." Seiji clutched his sword tightly. "If you really wish to fight, I''ll apany you in doing so."

    "Leader¡­" Mika revealed a worried expression.

    "There''s no need to worry, Miss knight. I shall rein in the minotaur boy," the dog-head girl told Mika before ncing over at herpanion. "But even if I don''t rein him in, he probably wouldn''t dare to actually kill him for real."

    "Shut up, dog-head girl!" The minotaur boy''s voice sounded rather angered.

    The dog-head girl shrugged and didn''t say anything else.

    The minotaur boy nced over at Seiji again and took a step towards where they just came from.

    Seiji followed after him.

    Mika and the dog-head girl followed after them.

    The four arrived at the wide clearing where the mysterious duo had just fought against the turtle monster.

    Seiji and the minotaur boy stood across from and faced each other.

    "I''m going to beat you up until I''ve had enough fun. Resolve yourself," the minotaur boy stated as he unsheathed his sword.

    Seiji faced him silently while raising his own shield and sword, getting ready forbat.

    This person was probably¡­ no, definitely incredibly strong!

    Before the minotaur boy even finished unsheathing his spiritual sword, Seiji could sense an incredibly powerful, almost physical imposing aura!! It was as if an iparably huge rock was hurtling directly at him after falling off of a cliff.

    Even though on the surface this minotaur boy didn''t appear as if he couldpare to Seiji''s previous opponents, such as Akatsuki Mitarai or the Shutendoji-possessed Okubo Yoshiaki, the feeling he gave off was that this minotaur boy was far stronger than these previous opponents!

    The moment Seiji realized this, he cast [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself and transformed into his golden form.

    The minotaur boy calmly raised his de and gray runes appeared on his wrists and ankles as he stepped forward and rushed towards Seiji!

    Seiji read the attack and wanted to block the attack with his shield before countering with a sword swing.

    *Bang!!*

    He indeed managed to block the minotaur boy''s rushing sword slice.

    Yet, the next instant, he received a heavy blow to his stomach! He was sent flying backwards.

    Seiji was quite mystified about what happened.

    Before he could even understand what was going on, he took another heavy blow to his back! He suddenly crashed into the ground.

    "Leader!" Mika shouted out in worry.

    She witnessed the minotaur boy''s first rush attack being blocked by Seiji before he changed tactics at an incredibly high speed and knocked Seiji away using the hilt of his sword! The minotaur boy then rushed up to Seiji and hit Seiji in the back using the back of his sword!!

    The minotaur boy''s movements and techniques gave off the feeling of great experience. His moves would be impossible to see clearly for anyone without mystical perception.

    "Stand up," the minotaur boy stated in a low voice as he walked away a few steps and sheathed his sword.

    Seiji crawled up and felt that the two ces he was hit were aching faintly¡­ The minotaur boy had carefully controlled the strength of his attacks so that they would definitely hurt, but not leave serious injuries.

    ''I''m fine,'' Seiji indicated to Mika using his eyes.

    At this time, the minotaur boy turned around to face him again. The minotaur boy ced his left hand on the scabbard and his right hand on the sword hilt. It seemed that he was gathering his power.

    ''A sword-drawing technique!?''

    Seiji instantly cast [Evolved Mana Shield] on himself and raised his shield in preparation to defend himself.

    The next second, the minotaur boy suddenly rushed over and unsheathed his sword in an attack!

    *Bang!!*

    Seiji sessfully blocked this attack.

    But that wasn''t all as the second attack was the critical one!

    *ng!!*

    Seiji used his longsword to block his opponent''s sword scabbard that came slicing in from the left.

    He seeded in blocking this as well¡­ No, wait!

    Seiji tried to adjust his posture, but was already toote, The minotaur boy used his sword to flick away his shield, and shed close to him¡­

    *Smack!!!*

    Seiji''s shield was broken through by the vicious rush and he was knocked back through the air! He then took another heavy blow to the back, and smashed into the ground once more.

    "Stand back up," the minotaur boy told him yet again as he sheathed his sword.

    This time, upon crawling up, Seiji began his own proactive attack!

    However, the minotaur boy easily countered his attacks and sent him flying then smashing into the ground for the third time in a row.

    "Stand up."

    Seiji grit his teeth and crawled back up again¡­

    This wasn''t a difference in strength, this was a difference in power levels!

    Seiji deeply understood this after he was knocked over dozens of times without being able tond a single hit on the minotaur boy.

    Against such a powerful opponent, he would only stand a chance if he pulled out all his trump cards.

    However, this wasn''t a real fight where he had everything on the line. There was no need for Seiji to go to such an extent.

    The minotaur boy still didn''t seem to have any enmity or malevolence towards him. Seiji had no idea what he was thinking.

    "I''m going to beat you up until I''ve had enough fun," the minotaur boy had said.

    Although his bruises somewhat ached, that was all the damage Seiji took. With such a degree of beating, getting knocked over another couple dozen times wouldn''t be a problem at all with his spell-strengthened body. He would be able to heal himself easily with healing magic afterwards.

    He could simply treat this as a lesson from a veteran fighter and keep taking the beating until his opponent was tired.

    In fact, he really did learn from this beatdown.

    However¡­

    Seiji nced over at Mika who was watching him and saw how worried her expression was. He gripped his sword more tightly.

    Since a girl who was in love with him was watching, how could he let it end so humiliatingly!

    There was no need for him to actually win. He simply wanted to at least get a decent counterattack in.

    "Mister minotaur, allow me to address you as Senpai." Seiji looked right at his opponent. "Thanks to Senpai''s teachings, I''ve learned many things¡­ But now, I''m going to use a slightly dangerous technique. Please prepare yourself."

    "Heh¡­" The minotaur boy responded with a cold chuckle.

    "A slightly dangerous technique? What will that be like?" The dog-head girl was curious.

    Mika opened her mouth and wanted to say something but stopped herself in the end. She silently watched her love interest.

    A sharp glint appeared in Seiji''s eyes as he lifted his longsword.

 Chapter 559 - Is this supposed to be just â€œslightly dangerousâ€!?

    <h4>Chapter 559: Is this supposed to be just ¡°slightly dangerous¡±!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    [Character reward card "Mika Uehara"- I wish to be with you forever.]

    [This card has an evesting passive effect. It cannot be used or disappear.]

    [All basic stats +2 (Connectivity rating has surpassed 100, so an additional +1 to all stats is rewarded.)]

    [All basic stats increased by an additional 5% (Another 5% awarded for connectivity rating.)]

    [All sub-category stats increased by an additional 10% (Another 10% awarded for connectivity rating.)]

    [Additional ability 1: Overload]

    [After using this ability, the next ability, spell, or martial arts technique that you used will be greatly increased in power and effectiveness. Limited to only one use per day. (An extra use per day awarded for connectivity rating). - Use your full potential and surpass your limits!]

    [Additional ability 2: Heroic Guard]

    [This ability is activated when you protect others. Your defense will be greatly magnified for a short period of time. This ability can only be activated three times per day. (An extra two uses per day awarded for connectivity rating). - I shall protect you!]

    [Additional ability 3: Emergency sh]

    [This ability will be activated whenever you are in danger. You can instantaneously move a short distance in any direction. This ability can only be activated two times per day. (An extra use per day awarded for connectivity rating). - As long as you dodge, you won''t be injured.]

    [Additional ability 4: ??? (Prerequisites not met. Temporarily not activated.)]

    [Additional ability 5: ??? (Prerequisites not met. Temporarily not activated.)]

    Just earlier, Seiji had opened his system to check the contents of Mika''s card.

    Increasing his basic stats by both a t amount as well as a percent-based amount? These two categories were obviously incredibly useful. And the additional three abilities added on were all powerful techniques as well. All in all, it seemed quite wonderful¡­ No, not seemed, it was indeed quite wonderful!

    Strengthening his skills, his defense, as well as evasion, not to mention each of them were limited only by the number of times he could use them. There would be no cost associated with using them at all! They were basically the most clich¨¦ powers that any hero should possess. What was this if not wonderful?

    And now, Seiji was about to use this newfound power of his.

    [Overload] had the ability to strengthen any spell or technique in his arsenal. Since his connectivity rating with Mika had surpassed 100, he could even use [Overload] an additional time. Since he could use it twice per day, that meant that he could use [Overload] to strengthen itself!

    With [Overload] strengthening [Overload], more than doubling [Overload]''s effectiveness on the next spell that he used, just how powerful would his spell finally end up bing?

    Seiji wanted to try it out.

    Seiji activated his ability after holding his longsword vertically!

    The minotaur boy and the two girls watching from the side all suddenly detected an abnormal auraing from him. It seemed as if he was utilizing some mysterious power.

    Suddenly, his aura seemed to increase in strength! His aura became so powerful that it seemed as if the very air had be frozen over.

    ''I can''t tell what he''s doing¡­ I think it really is getting a bit dangerous,'' the dog-head girl thought to herself.

    She didn''t believe that the minotaur boy would be defeated, since there was a great difference in their power levels. However, if the "knight leader" went all-out, perhaps he really would be able to cause some injury to the minotaur boy.

    This was already quite a high assessment of him. The dog-head girl didn''t believe that the "knight leader" would be able to aplish any more than this.

    Yet, what happened next waspletely beyond her expectations.

    Seiji waved his longsword, causing a pure white humanoid spiritual creature to manifest. This spirit instantly gave a tremendous amount of pressure to everyone else present¡­ No, not pressure, fear!

    This white spiritual creature had a very ordinary appearance. It was simply a white and hazy half-translucent humanoid figure. The figure seemed more like it was female, as if it was a hazy female ghost.

    Yet, its existence instinctively brought terror upon the humans! Anyone seeing this existence would definitely feel a sensation of utmost terror that they absolutely couldn''t approach and had to run away immediately!!

    "This is¡­" The dog-head girl widened her eyes in surprise under her mask.

    She couldn''t believe what she just witnessed! Such a thing, and such power¡­ seemed impossible!?

    Mika was afraid as well. Not only that, she had no idea why she was so afraid. That "ghost" clearly didn''t appear to be that scary. Just about any monster here had a far scarier appearance.

    The minotaur boy''s gaze hardened. He also never expected that his opponent was capable of summoning such an existence!

    "White Cmity"¡ªthe first ability from Shika''s card. This was the ability to manifest a powerful humanoid spiritual creature which possessed the power of Shika''s "Reaper''s Curse."

    Seiji had tested this ability out in the past. Since he felt it was far too dangerous, he never used it while practicing against Hitaka or Rana.

    Originally, he''d anticipated that he would make use of this ability in his duel against Akatsuki Mitarai. But before he had the chance to do so, thetter was devoured by his own puppet¡­ so this was the first time he was actually using this ability in realbat.

    ''Come, possess me!''

    Seiji mentallymanded the cmity creature to enter his own body.

    A faint white glow immediately spread from Seiji''s body. He felt an incredibly powerful mystical energy welling up within him, which was far stronger than in his own self tests!

    The double use of [Overload] had indeed been effective.

    In fact, he felt almost as if he could injure others simply by ring at them.

    And so, he red at his opponent.

    *Crack!*

    There was a loud cracking sound as the gray runes on the minotaur boy''s wrists and ankles suddenly copsed!

    The minotaur boy shook slightly as he immediately created a seal and cast an even stronger defense spell.

    Manyplex spell formations continuously appeared around his body. A dark gray mystical light appeared on him as arge number of runes shone around him.

    Protective spell, [Ninth-level Body]!

    This was the strongest defensive spell that the minotaur boy was able to cast at high speed. This spell was easily capable of reflecting even attacks from tanks or rocketunchers. No ordinary Spiritual Ability user would be able to break his shield.

    However¡­

    Seiji rushed forward and swung his sword.

    *Bam!!!*

    The minotaur boy blocked this blow, but his defensive spell copsedpletely! He was sent flying backwards from the impact!!

    Actually, he had wanted to avoid the attack. Theoretically speaking, he should have been able to do so. Yet, when his enemy''s sword swung at him, he felt like it was impossible to dodge! It was as if the very space around him had limited his movements.

    Wasn''t this just like cheating! Why was a novice able to use such a frightening power!?

    After backflipping and catching his bnce again, the minotaur boy was now roaring in his mind as some blood trickled out of his mouth.

    Just taking this one blow caused him to suffer internal injuries!

    He never expected that his opponent could use such a technique. It was as if his opponent was just a little kid that he believed would bring out a stic sword or a toy gun, but actually drove out a fully equipped mecha instead!

    A "somewhat dangerous technique"¡­ The hell, how was this just "somewhat dangerous"!? Did this guy have an even more dangerous technique in his arsenal!!?

    The minotaur boy would rather face a real mecha instead of fighting against such a terrifying power! Yet his pride wouldn''t allow him to surrender.

    Seiji continued to attack.

    The minotaur boy immediately cast a healing magic upon himself and did his best to increase his defenses. Only by defending with all his might did he barely manage to forcefully take Seiji''s second sword attack.

    *Bam! Bam! Bam!* ¡­Seiji attacked continuously while the minotaur boy could only defend. His protective spell kept copsing, so he had to renew it continuously.

    "Leader¡­" Mika''s eyes lit up after seeing that Seiji now had the advantage.

    Meanwhile, the dog-head girl smiled wryly under her mask upon seeing the minotaur boy''s wretched state.

    ''At the very least, I have to slice him once,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    ''I absolutely can''t let himnd a blow!'' The minotaur boy grit his teeth. If this sword which possessed such fearsome powernded a direct blow against him, even if it was only the back of the sword, it would be impossible for him to handle!

    *Smack!!!*

    After barely managing to hold on for a while, the minotaur boy was sent flying through the air for a second time.

    Seiji instantly caught up to his opponent, swung the back of his sword, and was about to slice down¡­

    "Stop!" the dog-head girl shouted out.

    Seiji stopped in his movements.

    The minotaur boy backflipped in midair and dodged the attack.

    "If you hit the minotaur boy just now, he would have been seriously injured," the dog-head girl said. "Let''s stop here, Mister knight leader."

    Seiji nced over at her before turning to look at the minotaur boy.

    "Hmph¡­ Butting in unnecessarily." The minotaur boy hmphed before he sheathed his sword and fell silent.

    His behavior was a tacit admittance of what the dog-head girl just said.

    Seiji nced at him for a while before also sheathing his sword.

    "Thank you for teaching me." He politely concluded the fight.

    The minotaur boy felt that this was nothing but needling sarcasm.

 Chapter 560 - Because I want you

    <h4>Chapter 560: Because I want you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I wasn''t defeated, I was just careless."

    The minotaur boy really wanted to say this. Yet, saying this out loud wouldn''t have any effect except for making him seem like a sore loser. He would be nothing more than a joke in the dog-head girl''s eyes.

    His opponent was far stronger than expected. He could only admit this.

    "Your technique was truly astonishing. May I ask how you learned it, Mister knight leader?" the dog-head girl inquired Seiji.

    The minotaur boy really wanted to know the answer to this as well. However¡­

    "I apologize, I don''t wish to answer."

    Well, she already expected that he wouldn''t answer.

    "With such power, you''re even more suited for joining us than I originally thought¡­" The dog-head girl paused for a moment. "No, honestly, it''s me personally that wants you to join us."

    "Why''s that?"

    "Because I want you." She suddenly switched to speaking in a seductive tone.

    Seiji and Mika were both astonished by this sudden tone.

    "I wish to bepanions with someone who possesses such a strong power like yourself. I''d also be more than happy to develop our rtionship in an intimate manner." The dog-head girl chuckled. "Although it may sound like bragging, I''m actually quite beautiful, along with being skilled at cooking, singing, and dancing. I believe I count as an excellent girl¡­ why don''t you consider it, Mister knight?"

    Seiji and Mika were both rendered speechless.

    The minotaur boy harrumphed coldly.

    "Is there something you wanted to say, minotaur boy?" The dog-head girl looked toward him.

    He merely chuckled coldly.

    "Everything I said was the honest truth. Stop acting strange and spoiling the atmosphere."

    The minotaur boy chuckled coldly yet again.

    "I just helped you out. Even if you don''t ept my help, please at least maintain the most basic amount of etiquette. Otherwise, I''ll be teaching you the consequences of angering ady." The dog-head girl''s voice suddenly became cold.

    The minotaur boy sank into silence before he turned his head away.

    After having suppressed the interference, the dog-head girl turned again to the handsome boy across from her.

    "Allow me to note that I''ve never had a boyfriend before and that I''m actually a virgin," she said in a seductive tone. "Not only that, I''m personally interested in cosying. If my future boyfriend is sexually interested in cosy, I''d be more than happy to indulge."

    Seiji revealed a rather subtle expression upon hearing this female stranger wearing a dog mask saying such a thing to him.

    Mika''s expression was identical to Seiji''s. She wanted to say something but had no idea what to say right now.

    The scene fell silent for a moment.

    "Miss dog-head girl¡­ thank you for your kind intentions," Seiji finally responded. "I believe that you are as you described yourself, a wonderful girl¡­ but I truly don''t wish to haphazardly join an organization that I don''t know very much about."

    "I understand your concerns, but there''s actually not that much to worry about. Joining us will be highly beneficial for you. I can definitely promise this."

    "¡­Sorry, I''d still like to maintain my resolve."

    The dog-head girl tilted her head slightly.

    "How regrettable¡­ I truly wished for you to be mypanion or a candidate for being my boyfriend," she said in a tone that sounded like she truly regretted this.

    "I''m honored," Seiji responded politely.

    The dog-head girl chuckled once.

    Then, she lifted her head towards the water in the sky.

    Seiji also looked towards that direction and saw that therge school of red-gilled white fish was approaching!

    "It''s time to send the two of you off, then. Please remember to keep our secret, my dear two knights."

    The dog-head girl took out a ck object and held it in her hand.

    Seiji was unable to see clearly what that object was. He only saw that this object gradually started glowing red. The redness soon intensified to a blinding degree.

    The dog-head girl tossed this glowing object down onto the ground, where it shed and formed into a bright red circle with many streaks of light swirling inside it, as if it was a whirlpool.

    "You can leave this ce simply by stepping on this. Please hurry."

    Seiji nced over at Mika before he prepared himself and stepped on the circle.

    His vision instantly became bright red as everything around him spun. He could hear faint sounds as his consciousness became hazy¡­ and then everything suddenly became clear again.

    He immediately discovered that he was by the river, at the same location where he entered the Inner World from.

    He really did exit the Inner World!

    Right after that, there was a red sh and the silver-haired girl appeared right next to him in midair.

    Mika hade out as well.

    "Seiji¡­ we''re back?"

    "Yeah, we''ve returned to reality¡­ the world has gone back to normal," Seiji smiled.

    Mika smiled as well. She was quite d that the two of them had made it back together safely.

    "You were hit so many times just now¡­ are you alright?"

    "It''s fine, it only hurt a little. I only need to use some basic healing magic on myself."

    "Those two individuals¡­ just who were they?"

    "They''re members of an incredibly powerful mysterious organization¡­ I think."

    Seiji exined about the Soul World faction to Mika.

    "Those two people were quite strange. But, I didn''t feel like they were evil."

    "I think so as well. Still, we''ve only met them once¡­ no, we didn''t even see their real faces, so it''s difficult to say."

    Several seconds of silence passed.

    "Were you moved by what that dog-head girl said earlier?" Mika asked him while looking right into his eyes.

    "Of course not," Seiji decisively denied it. "It would be strange if I was moved by the words of a female stranger who wore an animal mask covering her face!"

    "She had an excellent figure¡­ perhaps she''s a super beauty once you take off that mask."

    "Even if she''s as beautiful as a goddess, it''s meaningless without being able to see. Besides, even if she is a real beauty, I wouldn''t have joined her side."

    "Who knows for sure?"

    "Of course I know for sure," Seiji said while looking back into her eyes. "That''s because there''s already a super beauty right next to me."

    Mika was thrown onto cloud nine by this.

    Her face immediately started blushing from such a direct attack.

    That wasn''t all.

    Seiji reached out and grabbed her hand.

    "This time¡­ it''s wonderful that you''re alright," he said sincerely.

    "Seiji¡­" Mika currently wasn''t only blushing red, her heart felt incredibly warm and sweet as well.

    "Let''s return home, Mika." Seiji gently smiled.

    "Yeah¡­" The silver-haired girl disyed an incredibly blissful smile.

    Only, she suddenly realized the current form she was in.

    "How am I supposed to return home looking like this?"

    "Er¡­" Seiji finally realized this problem as well.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "Do you need to take a rest?"

    The dog-head girl asked the minotaur boy after they dealt with therge school of fish monsters that attacked them.

    "No need," the minotaur boy replied.

    "Don''t force yourself. I bet you''re feeling quite unwell right now. We have plenty of time for you to take a rest."

    "I said I don''t need to."

    "Sometimes, a man acting forceful will make a woman like him. Sometimes, it''s the opposite. And right now, you''re thetter."

    "I don''t care what you think of me."

    "Don''t say it like I care about what you think. What I like are men that are just like the ''knight leader'' from earlier."

    The minotaur boy fell silent.

    "Don''t think that I was lying. Although I wasn''t beingpletely serious with him just now, I didn''t lie, either." The dog-head girl lifted her hand and removed her mask in order to catch a breath of fresh air, exposing her jet-ck hair and incredibly beautiful appearance.

    Her face was one that countless people on Sakura Ind recognized.

    Seiji and Mika would have recognized her as well if they saw who she really was. They would have definitely been astonished.

    "He possessed such power, was so handsome, and had a nice personality as well¡­ I think we''d get along excellently," the ck-haired beautiful girl spoke in a much gentler tone from earlier.

    This was her true voice. Her earlier words had been disguised by a voice changer in the mask.

    "You''re really too casual."

    "Not at all. I''m ady." The girl''s mouth arced upward. "Although he rejected me, I won''t give up on him so easily."

    "¡­Just what do you intend to do?" The minotaur boy looked at her.

    "First, get to know him, and begin by being friends¡­ I don''t care even if he has a girlfriend already."

    "You''re willing to be his mistress?" The minotaur boy''s tone of voice changed.

    "I said that I''m going to begin by being friends. I''m not going to think right now about what will happen in the future. If he can sessfully conquer me, then I''d be willing to be his mistress." The ck-haired beautiful girl chuckled lightly.

    The minotaur boy fell silent.

    If the fact that this girl before him was willing to even potentially be someone''s mistress would surely be headline news in Sakura Ind if it was known.

    That was because this girl was Miyuki Sakuraku, the national idol of Sakura Ind!

 Chapter 561 - Youâ€¦ had plastic surgery?

    <h4>Chapter 561: You¡­ had stic surgery?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji and Mika decided to tell her mother Nozomi the truth.

    Although it was probably possible to forcibly fool her somehow, when considering what might happen in the future, they felt it would be better to tell her the truth.

    Mika immediately called her mother to reassure her that she was safe.

    The call connected immediately.

    "Mom¡­"

    "Mika! Where are you? Are you alright?" Mika immediately heard her mother''s concerned voice.

    "I''m fine. I''m currently by the riverside and on my way home now."

    "What exactly happened to you? Why haven''t I been able to contact you?"

    "Something out of the ordinary happened¡­ I''ll tell you about it when I return home," Mika answered.

    Nozomi fell silent for a moment.

    "Are you currently together with Haruta-kun?" Nozomi suddenly inquired.

    "Yeah¡­"

    "Haruta-kun became uncontactable as well after he said he was going out to look for you. Chiaki said that he would definitely find you and told me to trust in him and wait at home," Nozomi said. "I was unable to wait¡­ and then she said that the two of you might be in a special ce that ordinary people will be unable to find, and that I would only be wasting my time if I went outside, in addition to possibly meeting with danger."

    "¡­Chiaki was telling you the truth," Mika softly stated.

    "Mika¡­ just what are the two of you concealing from me?"

    "I promise to tell you when I return home, mom."

    After ending the phone call, Mika told Seiji what her mother just said. Then, the two of them hurried back to the Uehara apartments.

    When they arrived, they saw that the front door was open and that Nozomi and Chiaki were waiting outside together for them.

    "Haruta-kun¡­"

    "Seiji¡­"

    They saw his familiar figure returning, while an unfamiliar silver-haired beautiful girl was next to him, which confused both of them.

    Who was this supposed to be? Where was Mika?

    Nozomi questioningly looked towards Seiji, while Chiaki made a bold inference and widened her eyes at this "unfamiliar" girl who had such an ethereal aura about her.

    "Mika?" Chiaki tried calling out to her.

    "Yep, it''s me, Chiaki," Mika responded.

    "Mika¡­ how did you be like this!?" The tomboy''s eyes widened into saucers at receiving this confirmation.

    Nozomi also widened her eyes in surprise upon recognizing her daughter''s voice.

    "Mika¡­ is that really you?"

    "It''s me, mom." Mika smiled wryly. "As I said, something out of the ordinary happened."

    Nozomi was rendered speechless.

    Just what could have happened!?

    Her daughter went out for just a while and returned back with such a huge change, and¡­ she became so much more beautiful!

    "You¡­ had stic surgery?" Nozomi couldn''t help but ask.

    "Not at all!" Mika instantly denied this.

    Even stic surgery wouldn''t be this effective.

    "Let''s talk inside, Miss Landlord," Seiji mentioned.

    The four of them entered the Uehara residence.

    "This is indeed Mika. And as for why she became like this, that''s because¡­"

    Seiji exined the general situation to Nozomi. In order to sound more convincing, he even disyed his Spiritual Abilities. Once again, he used [Telekinesis], which was by far the most suitable spell for acting pretentious.

    After Nozomi personally witnessed Seiji making a chair fly up into the air and spin around right under the ceiling, she believed what he said after she was done being shocked.

    "Can Mika return to her original state?" She looked towards her daughter.

    "Yes, it just needs some time," Seiji replied.

    "Bing so beautiful? It''s fine even if you don''t return to your original state." Chiaki''s mouth arced upwards as she looked towards Mika.

    "I''m going to hit you, Chiaki."

    "Heehee, sorry. But really, you''re so beautiful right now. You can evenpare to President Yoruhana." The tomboy chuckled while praising Mika.

    "¡­I''m simply me." Something shed in Mika''s eyes.

    "That''s right, Mika is Mika. No matter if it''s how you originally looked or how you are now, Mika is still Mika." Seiji smiled.

    Mika looked towards him with a gentle expression.

    "Hmm?" Chiaki astutely perceived something upon witnessing this scene.

    Nozomi noticed something as well. She blinked as she looked towards her daughter and Seiji.

    "Haruta-kun, thank you for saving Mika once again¡­ I don''t even know how to thank you anymore."

    "There''s no need for such formalities, Miss Landlord."

    "So, I might as well just let her thank you instead," Nozomi remarked with a big grin. "Although she''s not quite mature as a daughter yet, I still hope that you''ll properly ept her."

    "Mom¡­" Mika got all embarrassed.

    ''Does this count as having the parent''s approval?'' Seiji couldn''t help but wonder to himself.

    No, thendlord was definitely only permitting him to have a normal boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship with Mika, and not some harem¡­

    When thinking of harems, Seiji recalled what Mika said earlier about Chiaki. He couldn''t help but nce over at the tomboy.

    Chiaki was mystified when he suddenly looked at her.

    Seiji hurriedly averted his gaze when he noticed that she saw him looking in her direction.

    Honestly, he still didn''t know what he should do in the future. Nor did he even know how to start thinking about it.

    But he had to think about it¡­ and he needed to figure out what he really wanted.

    "I feel like you and Seiji have suddenly developed your rtionship to the next level¡­ what happened between the two of you?"

    Eventer that night, Chiaki was on her bed as she called Mika and asked this question.

    "No¡­ rather, I should ask instead, just what did you do, Mika?"

    This wasn''t the tone that a friend would use to ask a question. Mika felt that it sounded quite distant. However, she didn''t dislike this, and even felt a subtle sense of delight.

    "I expressed my own feelings, and Seiji epted me as a member of his harem," Mika replied softly.

    Chiaki was rendered speechless.

    "Could you say that again?" The tomboy found it unbelievable what she just heard.

    Mika chuckled.

    "I made the same decision as you, Chiaki¡­ perhaps not exactly the same, but quite simr¡­ that''s all."

    Chiaki sat in stunned silence for a moment before she guessed at what must have happened.

    "You told him about me and President Yoruhana, and then you expressed that you were willing to ept being in a harem as well, is that correct?"

    "Yes, although it happened in the opposite order."

    Mika summarized what happened between her and Seiji.

    A strange smile gradually appeared on Chiaki''s face as she listened.

    "Heh heh¡­ Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­" She startedughing while rolling around and covering herself with her nket.

    "Chiaki?" Mika was confused by her reaction.

    "Mika, you''re amazing!" Chiaki gave her sincere praise afterughing for a while.

    "Chiaki¡­ are you alright?" Mika felt that something was strange.

    "Of course I''m alright. I just felt that this was truly amusing, and I couldn''t control myself¡­ heh heh." Chiaki chuckled yet again. "You did beautifully, something I didn''t expect at all, but upon closer consideration, this is indeed something that you''re capable of doing. So, that''s why I feel¡­ that this is all so wondrous!"

    "¡­I don''t understand what you mean."

    "I mean that you did an excellent job, Mika! So excellent that I feel like I''m just getting to know you all over again!!" Chiaki stated with great sincerity. "You were able to act for yourself and catch your own fortune. Congrattions."

    "Chiaki¡­" Mika was surprised to hear all this.

    "You forcefully stole away what should have been President Yoruhana''s! And, this was something that neither me, Asamiya-san, nor Juumonji-sensei were able to aplish. You surpassed all of us, and you''re number one in the running now!" Chiaki continued. "Currently, only President Yoruhana and Kagura-san canpare in what Seiji must think of you! Originally, those two were fighting for the lead, yet you suddenly put yourself in contention. The situation has now changed from battle between two rivals to a three-way fight."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "You don''t even understand just how amazing of a feat it was that you aplished, which is really Mika-like as well." Chiaki chuckled. "Nor do you understand just how dangerous it was, what you did just now¡­ but it''s all water under the bridge now. There''s no meaning in going on about this. At any rate, you caught your chance and did something that only you were capable of doing. That''s really incredible."

 Chapter 562 - Teehee, the hell!

    <h4>Chapter 562: Teehee, the hell!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    She never expected to receive such a high evaluation.

    Mika originally expected that Chiaki would be astonished, perhaps even angered, but never expected that Chiaki would think of her like this. Mika was lost on how to respond.

    "I truly apud and express my gratitude to you, Mika."

    "Eh?"

    "You obtained your position through your own efforts, and created an opportunity for me as well." Chiaki was smiling as something shed in her eyes. "Truly, thank you¡­ Let''s leave it at that for tonight. Have a good night."

    She ended the phone call there.

    Mika paused in surprise for a moment.

    Although she was still rather confused, but¡­ this type of development counted as good, right?

    Chiaki mentally prepared herself after ending the conversation with Mika. Chiaki then called Seiji.

    As she expected, Seiji picked up rather quickly.

    "Chiaki¡­"

    "Seiji, I know that you know already." Chiaki repressed her own feelings of nervousness and tried to sound as casual and rxed that she could. "You must be so busy dealing with your frustrations that you can''t sleep, am I correct?"

    "¡­Indeed." Seiji sighed. "It''s all thanks to you."

    "Ahaha, sorry. I never expected that Mika would tell you. She performedpletely outside of my expectations. I feel as if I''m just getting to know her all over again." Chiaki chuckled lightly.

    Seiji didn''t know what to say.

    "I''d like to go over to your ce and talk to you face to face¡­ or, how about youe over to me, is that alright?" Chiaki sent him an invitation. Simultaneously, the nervousness within her was raised to the highest limit she could handle.

    *Pound pound pound¡­* She could clearly hear the sounds of her own heartbeats. It felt as if time itself was slowing.

    "Inviting a boy into your room in the middle of the night could possibly be dangerous."

    Finally, she heard him saying that after an indeterminable period of time passed. It might have been several seconds, or it might have been several minutes.

    Chiaki reflexively pressed her hand against her own chest. That was because she felt that if she didn''t do so, her heart would burst out of her chest!

    "Having a certain boy make me drunk and then carrying me to my bed are all dangerous experiences I''ve had already."

    "Hey!"

    "What else do I need to say? Since it''s you, it''ll be fine no matter what, Seiji~" Chiaki spoke in a cute voice.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "Honestly¡­" Seiji sighed. "I''ll be right over."

    He then hung up the call and looked at the person sitting across from him.

    Shika who was sitting across from him also looked back at him with a calm expression.

    "I''m going out, right next door to Chiaki''s apartment to have a discussion with her," Seiji exined.

    Something shed in Shika''s eyes.

    She then stood up, walked over to her adopted older brother, hugged him, and bit him right on the neck!

    "Er¡­" Seiji felt a slightly painful and itchy sensation. "Shika-chan¡­"

    "Awoo¡­" Shika bit down slightly harder, and sucked on his neck as if she was trying to draw out his blood.

    Seiji didn''t dare to move. It was as if he was a human who was captured by a vampire.

    Shika finally let go of him. When she saw that there was an obvious mark left behind on his neck, Shika felt immensely satisfied.

    She then let go of him and sat back down across from him without saying anything.

    Seiji was unable to see his own neck¡­ but even though he couldn''t see his neck, he knew that there must be an obvious bite mark left behind.

    "Even if you don''t do such a thing, nothing will happen regardless. I''m simply going over to have a discussion with her." Seiji smiled wryly.

    Shika turned her head away.

    This action of hers caused Seiji to recall that his blood-rted sister Hana liked to do such an action as well¡­ He felt like Hana and Shika were rather simr but also quite different.

    "I''ll be back right away¡­ you should go to sleep first."

    Shika didn''t respond.

    Seiji smiled wryly once more before he stood up, put on his jacket, and exited his apartment.

    When he walked outside in the chilly night over to the apartment that Chiaki rented from Nozomi, he saw that Chiaki''s door was already open.

    He entered without knocking and saw that the silver-haired beautiful girl was currently pouring some tea while wearing a jacket over her pajamas.

    This scene was mysteriously quite moving.

    Seeing that he had arrived, Chiaki brought over a cup of tea that she had poured already and smiled as she handed it to him.

    "Thank you." Seiji epted the teacup.

    "Have a seat." Chiaki indicated towards her bed.

    "I''ll have a seat here instead." Seiji sat down on a chair.

    Chiaki showed an expression of dissatisfaction.

    "When entering a girl''s roomte at night, it''smon sense to sit together on her bed."

    "Where is thatmon sense even from!"

    "It''smon sense in the Wakaba domain."

    "Don''t think that it will make sense just because you used the word ''domain.''"

    "It''s a rule in the Wakaba dimension."

    "Even if you exchange it for some amazing-sounding word, the result is still the same!"

    As always, they exchanged jokingments.

    "Sigh¡­ why does it always turn out like this when I talk to Seiji?"

    "Don''t make it sound like it''s my fault!"

    "That''s why I like you." Chiaki suddenly changed her tone as she looked directly at him with a seductive expression in her eyes.

    Seiji suddenly received a direct hit from this ambush, causing his heart to pound.

    "I like talking with you, I like to see your face, I like sitting next to you, I like holding your hand, I like being hugged by you, I like being patted on the head by you, I like it when you care about me¡­ I like being together with you." Chiaki kept looking directly at him as she spoke animatedly with a blush appearing on her face. "I never imagined that I would like a boy sopletely, to the extent of even imagining what it would be like if we lived together and even had a baby."

    "Chiaki¡­" Seiji was quite moved by all this.

    "I feel as if I''m just like a girl in love from a shoujo manga. Even though I feel like this is rather strange, it doesn''t feel bad at all." Chiaki began smiling. "Still, I''m not actually a girl in love from a shoujo manga, nor am I a ''normal'' girl. The future that I imagine isn''t one where you and I be a typical couple or even husband and wife, but rather something simr to how we are now, a rxing, casual, yet intimate rtionship.

    "I want to obtain your love, but I don''t wish to be the only one for you. I don''t want the heavy responsibility of being your other half. This isn''t because of you; this is my own personal problem¡­ And, I have no intentions of changing myself, because I think this is fine as well. That''s why I went to talk to Natsuya Yoruhana and offered to make a deal with her. Then, I told Mika about the deal I made, and that''s the current state of affairs." Chiaki shrugged. "This wasn''t something that you should have learned about so soon, but you did, so I can only tell you the truth.

    "Seiji¡­ what do you think of a girl who''s as shameless as I am?" Chiaki did her very best to pretend to be calm, pushing her acting abilities to the very utmost.

    Seiji looked directly at her while he slowly opened his mouth.

    "Stupid."

    "Idiot."

    "Are you a fool?"

    He clearly called her three synonyms that all meant that same thing.

    "You''re not shameless, you''re just such an idiot!" He reached out his hand and flicked her forehead.

    "That hurt¡­"

    "You don''t want to take responsibility, so you just want to be a mistress? Just how foolish can you be!" Seiji red at her. "Even though you clearly know that you have a problem, you still don''t intend to change and think that it''s fine? That makes you even stupider!!"

    "Teehee~" Chiaki clutched her forehead while she closed one eye and spat out her tongue.

    "Teehee, the hell!!!"

    Even though this action was very cute, he still had to retort!

    Seiji sighed upon seeing how she was trying to gloss over everything by acting cute.

    "You know what your own problem is. In that case, all you need to do is talk to me about it, and I''ll help you."

    "I know, but that''s not what I want."

    "Why?"

    "Not all problems need to be solved. And even if this problem can be solved, I don''t want to change," Chiaki stated in a soft voice.

    "You¡­ is that really alright?" Seiji asked with a serious expression.

    "Yep, I''m certain." Chiaki nodded with a carefree expression.

    Seiji looked deeply into her eyes and was certain that she was indeed telling the truth here!

    "Honestly¡­ What should I even say about you¡­"

    "You don''t need to say anything. You only need to let me rely on you." Chiaki suddenly smiled in a beautiful manner that naturally seemed seductive. "Please ept this unsalvageable idiot of a girl, Seiji."

 Chapter 563 - Iâ€™m just such a terrible personâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 563: I¡¯m just such a terrible person¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After seeing such a smile and hearing these words, Seiji received a huge impact. His heartbeat quickened and he couldn''t help but avoid her gaze.

    Seiji took a sip of tea and forced himself to calm down and control his own emotions before he spoke up, "Chiaki, you know what type of person I am, right?"

    "Yep."

    "In order to prevent any mistaken impressions, I''m going to exin just who I am for you," he stated in a low voice. "I''m simply an otaku who does what he wants and likes to do. I''m not an incredible person."

    "Yep."

    "Even though I have some extraordinary powers. I''m still foundationally an ordinary person with an ordinary person''s desires."

    "Yep."

    "I want to have a harem! I want to have many beautiful girls all to myself, and peacefully and wonderfully live with all of them, having a fortunate and blissful life!"

    "Yep."

    "Although logic and reason tells me that''s no good, that it shouldn''t be, that it''s impossible, but that''s what I truly desire inside my heart! And I can''t change this part about me!"

    "Yep."

    "Mika, Natsuya, and you have all agreed to be in a harem. I''m actually incredibly happy inside! Happy to the point where just imagining it will make me feel like I''m still floating up to cloud nine; it''s an addicting feeling!!"

    "Yep."

    "Right now, I''m actually using the final shreds of my logic to barely maintain my sense of reason! I''m almost at the tipping point where I''m about to let my desires loose and transform into a scumbag man! No, wait, I''m actually already a scumbag man, starting right from the instant I epted Mika and her willingness to be in a harem! On the surface, I said that I was onlying over here to have a discussion with you, but I still secretly hoped that something might happen if I came over! Even I hate how I am like this that''s still just how I am, damn it!!!"

    Seiji didn''t even know what he was saying anymore. His internal thoughts were in such turmoil as if a flood had broken through a dam.

    Chiaki smiled as she looked at him. She wasn''t surprised at all.

    This was because he was simply such a person. She knew all of this already.

    Seiji Haruta was a good person and a hero, as well as an otaku and an ordinary person.

    That was why¡­ she felt so much for him.

    Chiaki wasn''t sure just what it was that she felt. At any rate, she knew that she was in love with such a him.

    Mika was as well.

    Natsuya Yoruhana was as well.

    A purely good person, a pure hero, a pure otaku, or a pure ordinary person wouldn''t have been liked by any of the three of them. The person that they liked was Seiji Haruta! Thispletely unique, charismatic, yet also clumsy super handsome otaku.

    "My sense of reason is telling me that I should forcefully fix the way you think so that you be more ''normal'' and stop foolishly wanting to be a mistress. Yet, my desire is preventing me from doing so." Seiji sighed.

    "I like you, Chiaki. I like talking to you, I like seeing your face, I like having you by my side, I like to see you perform, I like going out shopping with you, I like having contact with you¡­ I like being together with you. I''ve never imagined developing an intimate rtionship with you before, but hearing that you''re willing to be in such a rtionship with me, I feel like it''s incredibly difficult for me to refuse you¡­ In fact, I''m already beginning to imagine such a harem life already.

    "I''m just such a terrible person¡­ terrible to the point where if I was someone else, I would surely want to beat myself up right now! But¡­ This is just how I like you as well¡­ it''s to the extent where I don''t care even if I turn into a terrible scumbag of a man. The only one who can stop me right now is you.

    "That''s why¡­ For thest time¡­ truly thest time¡­ Let me ask you one final time, are you¡­ really sure that this is fine!?"

    Seiji looked back towards her and used the final remnants of his will to restrain his desire as he asked.

    "Yep." Chiaki looked at him and still responded using a single word as she replied in the affirmative.

    Not only that, she even approached and hugged him.

    "I won''t regret this," she whispered into his ear.

    Seiji''s sense of logic and reason copsed!

    He could imagine the sound of it snapping, as his willpower was crushed under a torrential flood!!

    When he returned to his senses, he discovered that he was already hugging and kissing Chiaki!

    "Mmm~~" Chiaki passionately and seductively responded to his kiss.

    ''Ahh¡­ I don''t care anymore¡­''

    Seiji closed his eyes and stopped thinking about anything at all as he allowed his mind to go nk. He lost himself in her sweet, sweet, lips.

    After a long time, they finally separated from each other.

    "Whew~ That was amazing¡­" Chiaki licked her lips. Her entire face was red and she had a demonically seductive look in her eyes.

    One of her hands started moving downwards. It was unknown whether this was conscious or unconscious. However, she was stopped from doing so by Seiji.

    "Let''s just leave things at that¡­If I do any more, Shika-chan will slice me to pieces." Seiji smield wryly.

    "Kagura-san¡­" Chiaki looked at the bit mark left behind on his neck.

    She''d noticed this immediately the moment she saw him.

    "If it wasn''t for her obstructing, I''d be able to go all the way with you?"

    "No, that''s not what I mean." Seiji let go of her. "I just feel like we should take things slowly¡­ After all, we haven''t even dated each other or anything like that."

    "I prefer to move directly to home te," Chiaki stated as something shed in her eyes.

    "Take better care of yourself!"

    "You tasted amazing. I got addicted instantly."

    "Stop saying lines that sound like they came right out of an ero game!"

    "The taste down there is surely even better. Please allow me to enjoy it."

    "Don''t suddenly turn into a sex-crazed character!"

    Chiaki giggled in response to Seiji''s retorts.

    Seiji felt rather helpless, pitying, and pained, seeing how she was¡­

    Was this truly alright?

    He wanted to ask yet again, but he was unable to bring himself to ask.

    This was her choice, and he had indicated his eptance of her choice already.

    This way, he was solidly turning into a scumbag¡­ a pure harem protagonist bastard.

    Seiji could only inwardly sigh.

    He deeply realized that in the end, he was simply an otaku who had ugly desires.

    He thought about what Hana called him in the past¡­ and now felt that it was impossible to counter what she said.

    In that case, he might as well openly and magnificently admit it!

    No¡­ being a scumbag wasn''t something magnificent at all.

    In that case, he might as well openly and shamelessly admit it!

    Now that Seiji came to this resolution about his own improper path, transforming from a NEET into a handsome guy and then falling into depravity to be a scumbag man, he entered an entirely new path for his life.

    His goal was to create an extravagantlyrge harem the likes of which had never seen before!

    "Hey, don''t just randomly add narration for me!"

    "I wasn''t being random. That was what the expression in your eyes told me."

    "My eyes said no such thing!"

    "Isn''t it fine to make that into your goal?"

    "Of course not! Although I''m already a scumbag man, I don''t want to be the scummiest."

    "The scummiest man in all of history. That sounds somewhat cool as well."

    "How is that cool in any way!!"

    ''If I really tried making that into my goal, I would probably get in over my head and be sliced to death by angry women,'' Seijimented in his mind.

    Honestly, he already braved such risk.

    "I should be going back now¡­ Good night, Chiaki."

    "Because Kagura-san is waiting for you, right?" Chiaki smiled. "I can teach you how to deal with Kagura-san, you know."

    "How to deal with her¡­" Seiji recalled what he heard about Chiaki''s promise to Natsuya.

    "Kagura-san is actually incredibly easy to deal with, as long as it''s you¡­ should I tell you the method?" The silver-haired girl smiled rather mysteriously.

 Chapter 564 - I must protect Brother

    <h4>Chapter 564: I must protect Brother</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "No need."

    Seiji felt that it would be best for him to not hear this¡­ at least for now.

    Seeing him like this, Chiaki didn''t insist. She happily said good night and watched him leave.

    Seiji returned home to see that Shika had stayed up to wait for his return as expected.

    He sat down across from his adopted younger sister and looked at her.

    Shika looked back at him.

    They exchanged nces¡­ Seiji felt as if everything he wanted to say had been seen through by her already.

    Then, what should he say? What did Shika need to hear most, and what did he really want to express most right now?

    Seiji decided to bring out his shameless resolve from earlier!

    "Shika-chan¡­ just now, I epted Chiaki, just like how I epted Mika. The current me is now unmistakably a scumbag man. And precisely because of it, no matter what you think of me, I''m still going to stick by you!"

    As for the promise he made to her before about not getting a girlfriend, he already apologized previously when he told Shika about the matter with Mika. Apologizing once again wouldn''t be meaningful.

    Saying anything else would be unnecessary. The most foundational intention he wanted to express was the same as before¡ªhe wanted to be together and never separate from her!

    Shika nced at him as something shed in her eyes.

    Seiji faced her directly while feeling nervous inside.

    The adopted siblings exchanged nces with each other in silence.

    "Brother¡­ wants a harem, is that right?" Shika broke the silence and was the first to speak.

    "¡­Yes."

    "Then Brother should go ahead and do as he wishes."

    "You don''t object?"

    "Why should I object?"

    Shika''s counter question made Seiji not even know how to respond.

    "Previously, not wanting Brother to have a girlfriend was just my selfishness¡­ Brother having a girlfriend, or multiple girlfriends, is all Brother''s freedom."

    "Shika-chan¡­"

    "Brother is an excellent boy. Having many girlfriends is only natural," Shika stated seriously. "But Brother is also an idiot that''s easy to take advantage of."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "So as your adopted younger sister and Spirit-branded Retainer, I must protect Brother, and eliminate and stop any women that aren''t good enough to get close to you!" Something glinted in Shika''s eyes.

    Seiji felt like he''d heard something simr from her before in the past. His cheeks twitched.

    "Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba. For the time being, there''s no problem with either of them being your girlfriends. Still, there needs to be time for observation, and you shouldn''t get too intimate right away."

    "I was originally nning on taking things slow to begin with¡­"

    "That''s good, then."

    ¡­What was with Shika acting like she was now his harem manager?

    Hana refused to be his harem manager, while Shika voluntarily took on this job of her own volition?

    His blood-rted younger sister and adopted younger sister both seemed to overreact to him in exactly opposite ways. Just what was with this situation!? Seijimented in his mind.

    Judging from Shika''s expression, telling her not to do this wasn''t something she would listen to.

    Forget it¡­ he figured that no harm coulde of it, so he might as well let her do as she wished.

    The next day saw wonderful weather with white clouds everywhere.

    Mika had yet to return to her normal form.

    "While I was sleeping, I heard Mashiro''s voice in my dream¡­ I feel that I should be able to return to normal after some more time passes."

    "Let''s just wait a while longer, then," Seiji told her.

    "Since it''s still going to take some time, why not just go shopping for some clothes that are a better fit for this form of yours!" Chiaki made a rmendation.

    Mika looked towards Seiji for his advice.

    "I don''t think that you should go outside looking like this, because Spiritual Ability users might notice your powers." Seiji pointed at her Mashiro''s Clothes. "Also, there''s the possibility that you''ll suddenly return to your normal self while outside."

    "But it feels like such a waste for you not to go outside and show off now that you''ve gained such a beautiful form." Chiaki reached out to caress Mika''s face.

    "I''ll listen to Seiji." Mika knocked away Chiaki''s hand. "I don''t want to attract attention."

    "Then, let''s just stay inside and have fun being intimate for an entire day~" Chiaki hugged Mika and looked at Seiji seductively.

    "I have something to do today¡­"

    "What something could you possibly have to do that''s more important than enjoying the two young and beautiful girls in front of you?" Chiaki softly started kneading Mika''s breasts. Mika was surprised by this sudden attack and couldn''t help but moan.

    This scene was quite impactful against Seiji. His mental defenses took a huge hit.

    "Chiaki!" Mika''s face blushed red.

    "Heehee, I''ve long since known just where exactly you''re sensitive, and how to make you really feel things, my cute little Mika-chan~"

    The way Chiaki kept rubbing Mika while saying such things made her seem like a depraved horny middle-aged man.

    "No¡­ that''s¡­ don''t touch there¡­ ahh~"

    Mika moaned out loud again and became angered. She used her Mashiro''s Clothes to suddenly whisk the harasser away.

    *Smack!* Chiaki was tossed onto the bed.

    "So violent¡­ but this seems pretty nice as well."

    "Stop acting like a pervert!"

    Aftermenting, Mika nced at Seiji before looking back at Chiaki again.

    "You two¡­ did you¡­"

    "That''s right! I joined Seiji''s harem as well, thanks to you." Chiaki smiled and sat back up while smiling rather devilishly. "Let us be truly intimate sisters, Mika-chan~"

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    Although she was mentally prepared, seeing her best friend suddenly start acting like this still felt rather strange!

    "I feel almost as if you''re the one who started a harem here, not me." Seiji''s cheeks twitched as he looked at Chiaki.

    "Looking at it from another angle, I suppose you''re right, teehee~" Chiaki made a cute pose.

    "Teehee, the hell!!" Seiji and Mika retorted simultaneously.

    Even if their rtionship changed, her personality wouldn''t change¡­ no, Chiaki actually became even more carefree.

    At this moment, Seiji''s cell phone rang.

    The caller ID indicated that the call was from Yui Haruta!

    "Good morning, Sister Yui."

    "Good morning, Seiji," a cold-sounding female voice spoke on the other end. "Are you currently at your apartment? Are you free?"

    "I am at my apartment¡­ and I''m free."

    "Good. I''ming over in ten minutes. There''s something I need to tell you."

    "Eh?"

    Yui hung up the call right there.

    ''She''sing over right here in ten minutes!?'' Seiji revealed a rather strange expression.

    "What''s the matter, Seiji?" Mika was concerned due to his change in expression.

    "Sister Yui¡­ Yui Haruta said that she''sing over right here in ten minutes," Seiji replied.

    After two seconds of silence.

    "Eh!!??" Mika and Chiaki widened their eyes in surprise.

    They had both seen Yui Haruta before. Previously, when they were shopping at the high-ss shopping center, the "coincidental" meeting had given them a deep impression.

    The Spirit Raising Talisman that Mika used to store Mashiro in was a present from Yui.

    Seiji''s goal in establishing a Spirit-branded Retainer team was to duel against Yui and her Spirit-branded Retainers!

    This beautiful and powerful Yin Yang Master scion who was even higher level than Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ was about to arrive here in just ten minutes!?

    "Why is sheing over here?" Mika asked after she recovered from her surprise.

    "She just said that she had something to tell me. I don''t know what it''s specifically about."

    Seiji mulled it over.

    "It might have to do with what I was nning to do today."

    "What were you nning to do today?" Chiaki inquired.

    Seiji exined the situation.

    "Bloodwine Ritual¡­ the name sounds quite ominous," Chiakimented.

    Mika nodded in understanding.

    "Actually, it''s just like a fighting tournament. Still, there are indeed uncertain factors and an element of risk." Seiji shrugged. "After all, this is the first ever public test-run of the tournament."

    "Your sister contacting you at this time is about you participating?"

    "Yeah¡­ It might also be that she wants me to not participate."

    He would only know once she arrived.

    And no matter what, the fact that Yui wasing to meet him personally was something Seiji was quite wondering about.

    Was there something really important that she had to tell him personally?

    While Seiji was thinking, Chiakimunicated nonverbally with Mika using her eyes.

    Mika paused for a moment before she realized what Chiaki was trying to say.

    "Seiji¡­ could we meet your older sister together with you?" she asked softly.

 Chapter 565 - Because I have something to gain

    <h4>Chapter 565: Because I have something to gain</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Naturally, Seiji agreed to let Mika and Chiaki meet his sister.

    The three of them then headed over to his apartment.

    Nobody was in the living room as Reo had gone out together with Kaede. Shika was staying in her bedroom.

    Mika and Chiaki took a seat while Seiji made some tea for everyone. He also brought out some confectioneries and waited together with the girls.

    His cell phone rang again.

    "I''m here. Come outside."

    That was all Seiji heard before Yui hung up again.

    He told this to Mika and Chiaki as he went over to open the door. He instantly saw that Yui Haruta was standing in front of the apartment.

    Today, she was wearing a ck jacket. This beautiful girl with ck hair and a ck jacket seemed magnificently charming under the sunlight''s illumination.

    "Sister Yui¡­" Seiji went over to greet her.

    "Follow me." Yui turned around and started walking.

    Seiji reflexively followed after her.

    Yui walked up to a ck luxury car that was stopped near the apartment, opened its back door, and got on the car.

    Seiji also got on the car after her and closed the door.

    "I''m quite busy today, so I can only speak to you for a few minutes here."

    "Why didn''t youe inside my apartment?"

    "For safety." Yui looked directly at him. "Seiji¡­ Did you enter an Inner Worldst night?"

    Seiji''s gaze sharpened upon hearing this.

    "I did. Sister Yui, how did you know?"

    Yui didn''t respond. Instead, something shed in her eyes.

    ''Those two strange individuals must have told her.'' This was the most logical conclusion that Seiji coulde to.

    Those two people were connected to Yui¡­ Were all three of them members of the Soul World faction¡­?

    Did the minotaur boy intentionally look to start trouble with him also because of Yui?

    "Sister Yui¡­"

    "It''s fine as long as you''re alright. Don''t tell a single person about what happened there." Yui immediately ended this topic of conversation without giving Seiji a chance to say anything else. "The main reason why I''m here today is this." She took out a red card that resembled a bank card. Mysterious white runes were etched upon it.

    "What''s this?"

    "A participation card for the Bloodwine Ritual."

    "Participation card¡­" Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    "Are you familiar with the Bloodwine Ritual?"

    "I am."

    "Then I won''t need to exin." Yui handed him the red card. "Inject your Mana into this card and sign on it together with your Spirit-branded Retainers. That will allow you entry into this tournament."

    "Why are you having me join this tournament?"

    "Because I have something to gain."

    "What something could you gain from this?" Seiji looked at her.

    "That''s nothing you need to know," Yui stated calmly. "You only need to know that you stand to gain a lot from this as well¡­ As long as you win, you can greatly improve your own power level."

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes as he reached out and took the card.

    "Do you have Spirit-branded Retainers now?"

    "Yes¡­ Just one."

    "One is enough. Just treat this as a trial that you and your Spirit-branded Retainer can work at oveing together."

    After saying that, Yui indicated that the conversation was over.

    Seiji got off the car, which left immediately at a high speed.

    Seiji watched the car leave before he looked at the card in his hand.

    "What did she give you?" Multiple footsteps approached and Chiaki spoke up.

    "A participation card¡­ I''ll tell you about it back inside." Seiji pocketed the card and walked back to his apartment together with Chiaki and Mika.

    "Your sister didn''t evene inside your own apartment. Did she consider this ce as too low-ss for her?" Chiaki inquired.

    "I apologize for this ce being low-ss!" As thendlord''s daughter, Mika was rather aggrieved to hear this.

    "That wasn''t it. She said that it was simply safer to talk on her car."

    "You guys discussed something top-secret? No¡­ forget I asked." Chiaki showed some self-restraint.

    The three of them went inside Seiji''s apartment.

    Seiji took out the red card and ced it on the table.

    "This is a participation card for the Bloodwine Ritual. Sister Yui told me to use this and join the tournament."

    "Why is she having you participate?"

    "She didn''t tell me the specifics. She only said that she has something to gain."

    "What could she possibly gain from having her exiled younger brother enter a fighting tournament?"

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "Logically speaking, the two of you are currently opposing each other. Seiji, the better your performance, the more your sister will lose face." Chiaki adjusted some imaginary eyesses. "However, she told you to join a fighting tournament and said that she has something to gain. This is rather strange."

    "Could she be lying? That actually she has nothing to gain, but she intentionally said she did¡­ so that Seiji wouldn''t feel like he owes her a favor," Mika spoke up.

    "Now then, Mister person at the center of it all, what''s the possibility of Mika''s inference being true?" Chiaki looked at Seiji.

    "I think fifty percent," Seiji answered.

    Yui indeed had tsundere tendencies.

    "It''s half likely that Mika''s inference is on the mark, while the other half is that she indeed has something to gain¡­" Chiaki pretended like she was a famous detective. "Something she can gain even though she stands to lose face¡­ My daring inference is that she wants to secretly use you to deal with someone else in the tournament for her!"

    "Secretly use me to deal with someone else?"

    "Yep. If someone loses face, her opponents, or perhaps I should say enemies, will be the happiest about it." A sharp glint appeared in Chiaki''s eyes. "Yui Haruta''s enemies will be happy to see her losing face, and will perhaps take certain actions. This is exactly what she hopes for. That is to say, she intends to use such a method to incite her own enemies to take action so that they''ll fall into a trap that she set up!"

    That sounded logical as well¡­ a ssic example of pretending to be weak when actually strong.

    Seiji and Mika both gave Chiaki a round of apuse at her astonishing insight.

    Famous detective Chiaki smiled and bowed.

    "Let''s say that my theory is correct. In that case, Seiji, if you win the fighting tournament¡­ this Bloodwine Ritual, perhaps you''ll really be a big help to your sister," the tomboy continued. "That''s because one possibility is that her enemies will contact you and want to use you to deal with her instead. If that happens, you could totally pretend to cooperate with them while secretly contacting your sister to deal with her enemies together!"

    That¡­ seemed like quite an excellent scenario to Seiji.

    He couldn''t help but imagine himself helping Yui to deal with her enemies and obtaining her sincere thanks.

    Wonderful!

    Just imagining it seemed quite good already. If he could really aplish such a thing, it would be a giant step in fixing his rtionship with his family and having his exile be rescinded.

    For the sake of this theoretical possibility, he absolutely had to win the Bloodwine Ritual tournament!

    On one side was Natsuya, while on another side was Yui. He had plenty of motivation because both girls wanted him to win. It could even be said that he had an overflowing amount of motivation.

    For the sake of his best female friend, as well as his older sister, he would defeat all his opponents, be the final victor, and obtain the glory of a king!

    "I''ve said it before, don''t just randomly add narration for me."

    "I''m not being random at all. Your eyes told me all of the above."

    "My eyes¡­ Fine then, I suppose that this time you''re right." Seiji admitted to it.

    Chiaki chuckled proudly before she looked off in a direction where nobody was there.

    "In the future, please call me the ''extra narrator!''"

    "Who are you even talking to?"

    "The readers of this novel."

    "Don''t just randomly add titles to yourself."

    "You''re actually notmenting how I called this world a novel?"

    "I''m tired."

    "Don''t getzy at such a critical moment!"

    Mika calmly watched the two of them joking around as she poured herself some tea. She took a sip before looking at the red card on the table.

    "This¡­ participation card. How do you use it?" she asked.

    "I was told that I simply had to inject my Mana into it and sign the card together with my Spirit-branded Retainers." Seiji picked up the card.

    The moment he finished speaking, he heard familiar footsteps.

    Shika arrived in the living room and looked at Mika and Chiaki.

    Mika and Chiaki also nced back at her.

    Everyone fell silent as they exchanged nces.

 Chapter 566 - The basic goal of games like PUBG is to survive!

    <h4>Chapter 566: The basic goal of games like PUBG is to survive!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Good morning, Kagura-san." Chiaki smiled in a friendly manner after a short exchange of nces.

    "Good morning," Shika responded calmly as she sat down next to Seiji and poured some tea for herself.

    Just like always¡­ but if one had to find a difference, she was sitting closer to Seiji than before.

    Mika blinked at this and looked towards Chiaki.

    Chiaki responded with a smile.

    "Shika-chan, perfect timing." Seiji forced himself to ignore the subtle tension in the air. "There''s something important I have to tell you."

    He exined the Bloodwine Ritual tournament''s situation to her, along with the things rted to Natsuya and Yui.

    Shika silently listened to him talk as something shed in her eyes.

    "¡­Signing our names onto this card and activating it will formally register us for this tournament." Seiji showed her the red card at the end.

    "Let''s activate it, then. I shall fight with my full power for Brother as Brother''s Spirit-branded Retainer!" Shika replied in a calm yet adamant tone of voice. A seemingly powerful aura radiated from her.

    This aura was so strong that it appeared like she was glowing¡­ basically, she looked really cool!

    ''My adopted younger sister is so cool!''

    "Thank you, Shika-chan," Seiji sincerely gave his thanks as he injected his Mana into the card.

    White runes instantly lit up on the tournament entry card. Aplex spell array was projected in midair which arranged itself into a screen showingrge red letters.

    This was an exnation of participating in the tournament!

    Seiji carefully started reading the exnation. Shika, Mika, and Chiaki also read this seriously as well.

    After they all finished reading, the summarized version was that¡­

    Every tournament participant would be in a two-person team. Both people would need to have the desire and resolution to do battle while signing before this contract to join the tournament would be approved.

    If the contract to join the tournament failed due to one person having insufficient resolution, there would be only one more chance to sign the contract again. If it failed again, then the tournament entry card would lose effectiveness.

    If the contract to join the tournament seeded, the participants might not withdraw of their own volition. They would be punished severely if they withdrew regardless.

    The tournament would have sixty-four teams for a total of one hundred and twenty-eight people. Thebat format would be group battle first, followed by individualbat.

    First round: All participants would be split up into two group teams, Red Team and Blue Team. Once all members of one team defeated the other team, the second round would begin.

    Second round: All the remaining participants would face each other in two-on-twobat until only one final victorious team remained.

    Surrendering would also be punished by the power of the contract. The punishment''s severity would be different depending on the situation.

    Those that surrendered before even seriously fighting would receive the severest punishment. Fighting seriously and surrendering only after victory was impossible would result in only a light punishment.

    For every participating two-person team, if one person lost the ability to fight, the other person could surrender without receiving any punishment. If both people lost the ability to fight, that team would be judged to have lost.

    The tournament hosts would give every tournament participant a "Lifesaving Talisman." These talismans would automatically activate upon taking a fatal blow and form a powerful protective and healing barrier.

    The moment that a Lifesaving Talisman activated, the holder''s team would automatically be judged to have lost. The other tournament participants would be banned from attacking that individual any longer. Otherwise, those who vite this would face the most severe contract punishment of all, along with bearing all responsibility afterwards, with no liability against the tournament host.

    "So, surrender is only truly permitted with no punishment after one person has beenpletely defeated¡­ this feels rather strict," Chiakimented.

    "I suppose that the ritual needs this as a requirement."

    "First splitting all the participants into two teams and eliminating one team entirely, with the rest being two-on-twobat¡­ is this also a requirement of the ritual?" Mika asked questioningly.

    "Perhaps¡­ but it might also be that the tournament hosts feel that this type of format is better for the participants to show their skills." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    There would be many opportunities to show one''s skills in a group battle, along with many unknown variables.

    A major chaotic battle between one hundred and twenty-eight individuals, split up into sixty-four per side¡­pared to defeating the opponents, it would be more important to protect yourself!

    It was just like yerunknown''s Battlegrounds. Compared to how many people one killed, it was far more important to survive until the end. Only by living until the end would one sessfully enjoy a chicken dinner.

    The basic goal of games like PUBG was to survive! Not killing as many enemies as possible or showing off and dying because of it¡­ Cough, he was getting sidetracked.

    "Lifesaving Talismans will be issued to all the tournament participants¡­ something with an effect like this sounds quite valuable. Although I''m not sure how powerful its effects will be, at least it''s ast resort protection for us." Seiji looked back at the holographic spell array screen.

    "Don''t take too many risks just because of this talisman''s protection," Chiaki warned him.

    "Of course."

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "Shika-chan, is there anything you''d like to say?" Seiji looked towards his adopted younger sister.

    Shika shook her head.

    "In that case¡­ let''s sign." Seiji forcefully squeezed the card as the exnation had told him to do.

    The words on the holographic spell array screen instantly changed to a contract incantation.

    Seiji carefully looked it over and determined that the contents were the same as the exnation from earlier.

    Seiji squeezed the card once again.

    The contract instantly transformed into a dark-red mystical spell formation with two nk spots within it for signatures.

    Seiji and Shika lifted their hands together, putting their index fingers on the signature space in unison.

    The spell formation instantly started whirling and shining with a white light. There was also the faint sound of a female uttering an incantation. This really felt quite ritualistic to Seiji.

    With serious expressions, both Seiji and Shika wrote their own names with their index fingers.

    The next second, the spell formation released a blinding light which transformed into to balls of light mist which twirled around Seiji and Shika''s hands. Small blood-red spell formations formed on top of their palms.

    Their contract to enter the tournament had been sessful!

    Seiji nced at the mark on his palm and then looked at the one on Shika''s.

    The two blood-red seals soon faded into their skin. The white runes on the tournament entry card disappeared, and the card slowly turned pitch-ck as it lost its magic powers.

    "Next up will be preparing for battle¡­ let''s work hard together, Shika-chan."

    "Yes, Brother."

    "Our goal is to obtain victory. But, this isn''t a scenario where we absolutely have to win. That''s why you shouldn''t feel too pressured," Seiji told her sincerely.

    "Brother¡­" Something shed in Shika''s eyes.

    "Just work hard an appropriate amount. You definitely shouldn''t overdo things."

    ''Victory is important, but not as important as you.'' Seiji transmitted this message with his eyes.

    Shika understood this message. A warm feeling arose within her chest and a gentle expression appeared on her face.

    Mika and Chiaki concretely understood Shika''s position in Seiji''s heart even better upon witnessing this scene.

    Although they already knew what Seiji thought of her before, they still felt rather jealous.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    "How''s the situation?"

    "Seiji Haruta of the Haruta Family and Shigure Tendo of the Tendo Family have just signed the contract to participate in the tournament."

    "The famous ''garbage'' of the Haruta Family and the ''low ability'' of the Tendo Family¡­ it seems that both really want to prove themselves. Haha, with them participating, this ritual tournament won''t be too boring."

    "These two are a perfect match for each other, almost as if they''re destined rivals."

    "You can delete that ''almost'' portion, because they are destined rivals."

    "Why''s that?"

    "Seiji Haruta''s older sister Yui Haruta killed Shigure Tendo''s older brother Raizen Tendo."

    "I see¡­"

    "They have simr names, simr situations, and a reason for a grudge. Haha¡­ it''s almost as if they''re destined enemies in a shonen manga. Although I wonder who''s supposed to be the main character and who''s supposed to be the antagonist."

    "Wouldn''t Shigure Tendo be the main character then? His older brother was the one who was killed."

    "Who knows? Only the gods know who the main character will be."

 Chapter 567 - I like you the most

    <h4>Chapter 567: I like you the most</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Natsuya learned that Seiji hade over to visit.

    However, she didn''t feel like seeing him right now. Instead, she really wanted to run away from her residence right now.

    Because she felt really awkward!

    Chiaki Wakaba called her and apologetically told her that their agreement was now known by Seiji¡­

    Natsuya paused in surprise for a good moment upon hearing Chiaki''s exnation. Then, she was ovee by a gigantic wave of embarrassment! It was to the point where she jumped onto her bed and rolled in her nkets for several minutes.

    After the peak of her embarrassment faded, what remained was anger andints towards Chiaki Wakaba and Mika Uehara. Yet there was no use crying over spilled milk, andining about them wouldn''t help the situation at all.

    ''How should I face him now¡­'' Natsuya was currently feeling quite awkward.

    After learning that Seiji and Shika were going toe over in order to practice cultivation, not only did she not want to see him, she even felt like running away from here¡­ getting as far away as possible!

    Seiji was feeling quite awkward right now as well.

    After he epted Mika and Chiaki, he didn''t know how he should face the student council president right now.

    The person who made the "deal" was Chiaki, not Natsuya. It was impossible for even Chiaki to tell just exactly what Natsuya had been thinking.

    All Seiji could do was resolve himself to be as shameless as possible while heading over to Natsuya''s residence.

    When he arrived, Natsuya didn''te out to greet him.

    ''Should I go see her at such a time?'' Seiji was unsure.

    He told Shika to go practice cultivation first while he remained in the main hall and sat down on the chair while making a contemtive pose.

    "What''s the matter, junior?" Mai asked him what was going on upon seeing him like this.

    "I''m currently contemting a very important problem."

    "What problem?"

    Seiji looked towards his maid senpai.

    "If I say it out loud, I might be killed."

    ''By you, Houjou-senpai.''

    Mai blinked upon hearing this. "You can''t even tell Mdy?"

    ''The problem has to do with yourdy!''

    "Yeah¡­ but I don''t know how to say it."

    "Just say it directly. As long as it''s something rted to you, if you exin it properly, Mdy will definitely understand." Mai smiled.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    If only she knew the specifics of the situation, she would definitely never smile so gently while telling him this.

    Still, he felt encouraged.

    "I apologize to you, Senpai."

    "Why are you apologizing?"

    "You''ll find out in the future."

    Seiji stood up.

    Although he still didn''t know how to face things, he would have to do so eventually. He felt it would be better to exin things as early as possible.

    Seiji firmed his resolution to the maximum before he stepped forward.

    Natsuya heard the sound of familiar footsteps.

    ''He''s here he''s here what to do what to do what to do¡­'' She instantly started panicking!

    When she regained her senses, she discovered that she had already locked her room and was currently hiding under her nket, wrapping herself tightly.

    A knock sounded on her door.

    Natsuya hid herself under her nkets and didn''t make a single sound, pretending that she wasn''t there!

    The small remaining remnant of logic and reason within her knew that she was acting foolishly. Still, she found it impossible to face him right now, which was why she unconsciously chose an ostrich''s approach.

    Seiji continued to knock and didn''t receive a response. He tried to open the door but found that her room was locked.

    This was the best evidence that Natsuya was inside but didn''t want to show herself.

    He felt that she was probably angry.

    "Natsuya¡­ I already signed the contract to enter the Bloodwine Ritual tournament." After ncing at Natsuya''s closed door for a while, he spoke up in a clear voice, "I shall do my very best to obtain victory¡­ no matter how you currently see me, what I want to do won''t change.

    "Because¡­ I like you!"

    Under the situation where he already had Mika and Chiaki, this was doubtlessly something that only a scumbag man would say.

    But, these were his real feelings.

    He really liked her and wanted to be together with her. These were his actual and important feelings.

    No matter what happened in the future, he still wanted to at least transmit his feelings.

    "I like you the most¡­ Natsuya¡­"

    After he spoke the words in his heart in as serious a tone as possible, Seiji stopped looking at Natsuya''s door and turned around to leave.

    Natsuya was stunned to hear this.

    Her mind kept reying the words she just heard. Her heartbeat rapidly increased. Her face started burning up, and her body heated up as well¡­

    After slightly regaining her senses, she couldn''t help herself and started to frenziedly roll around on her bed again!

    ''I can''t take this!!!!

    ''I feel like my body''s on fire! This is too stimting!!

    "Wahh ennnnnn~~~~~~"

    The student council president kept making strange noises and endlessly rolled around on her bed, as if she really had gone insane or something strange had possessed her.

    After she finally calmed down a little, thinking back on what she''d just heard caused a foolish smile to appear on her face. Then, she couldn''t help but roll around again, and this cycle kept repeating itself.

    Only after an unknown period of time passed did she finally barely manage to stop this cycle which would have ruined her image had anyone seen it.

    "Likes me the most¡­ ehehe¡­" Natsuya buried her face in her pillow and reveled in her current emotions.

    ''It''s good that I didn''t meet him face to face.''

    If he had confessed his love for her to her face, she definitely would have lost control of herself!

    ¡­Or would it actually have been better for her to lose control?

    The student council president tried imagining the scene and started rolling around again. She waspletely unable to stop her body from heating up!!

    Even she herself was feeling like she was bing quite strange¡­ although she was already bing a little strange, today was when she became the strangest.

    She wanted to see him, but also didn''t dare to see him. She was afraid that she would be even stranger, and that her image in front of him would be ruined.

    ''I''ll go to see him after I''vepletely calmed down¡­'' Although that was what she wanted, Natsuya was still unable to suppress the feelings in her heart.

    "Ahh awoo ~~~~ Seiji~~~~"

    Seiji felt as if he heard something strange calling him.

    He paused for a moment in the middle of practicing a spell.

    Seiji nced all around him and confirmed that nobody was there. It must have been an auditory hallucination.

    He wanted to learn as many useful spells as possible before the tournament started in order to win. Even if he had a tremendously powerful ability like saving and loading, it would still be impossible for him to win if his overall power level wasn''t high enough.

    Sixty-four teams for a total of one hundred and twenty-eight participants¡­ what type of opponents would he be facing?

    Every team would be a two-person team. However, the teams weren''t only limited to Yin Yang Masters and Spirit-branded Retainers. There would be other Spiritual Ability user teams, such as ninjas and so on.

    Thinking of ninjas, Seiji recalled Matsutani.

    Although he had witnessed this chubby middle-aged former ninja in action, he had never fought against Matsutani. Although he wanted to have a practice bout against him¡­ Matsutani was now an author and no longer an active ninja. Asking Matsutani for a practice match felt rather impolite to Seiji.

    No¡­ with that chubby middle-aged Matsutani''s personality, Seiji felt like he would agree but tack on a gentlemanly condition, such as making Shika be his story''s model, wearing hi clothing, posing provocatively, and so on.

    He would never allow such a thing!!

    Just imagining it caused killing intent to sh through Seiji''s mind.

    ''Shika belongs only to me¡­ whoops, I meant that I absolutely can''t allow my adopted younger sister to partake in such gentlemanly activities!''

    He would have to ask Hana about information on his potential opponents. Seiji decided to contact Hanater when he returned.

    Seiji got rid of all idle thoughts and concentrated fully on his spell practice.

    Some timeter, his cell phone rang.

    The caller ID indicated that the call was from Natsuya!

    Seiji instantly picked up the call.

    "Natsuya¡­"

    "Seiji¡­" He heard her gentle voice.

    This was followed by silence.

    "Um¡­ Did you hear what I said in front of your room?" Seiji tried asking this question.

    "Yes¡­ I did," Natsuya responded softly.

    "That''s good, then¡­" Seiji''s face heated up as he recalled what he just said. He felt quite nervous inside.

    This was followed by silence yet again.

    Seiji could hear his own heartbeat and even feel time itself as each second passed by.

    He wanted to say something, but didn''t know what to say. He could only wait.

    After an unknown period of time, Natsuya finally spoke up again.

    "Seiji¡­e to my room."

 Chapter 568 - How much are your feelings worth?

    <h4>Chapter 568: How much are your feelings worth?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Let''s rewind time a little.

    While Natsuya was still frenziedly rolling around on her bed, she heard another knock on her door.

    "Yoruhana-san, could I talk to you for a moment?" A calm voice sounded outside her door.

    It was Shika Kagura!

    Natsuya was astonished.

    Her astonishment helped to quickly cool down her body and recover her ability to think.

    Shika could only possibly want to discuss something rted to Seiji.

    Natsuya never expected this girl toe talk of her own volition¡­ did Chiaki Wakaba do something?

    That was the first thought to pop into her mind as Natsuya sat up again.

    "Please wait for a moment."

    Natsuya speedily made her bed and fixed her appearance in front of a mirror before taking a deep breath.

    After she finished preparing herself, she opened her room''s door to see the ck-haired beautiful girl standing there quietly.

    Shika had a beautiful face, a calm expression, and clear eyes containing a deep expression¡­ No matter how many times Natsuya saw her, Shika was always a superbly charismatic girl.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that she was also the Reaper''s Curse, her beauty alone would have made her incredibly popr.

    Unfortunately, the strange power she possessed caused her to lead a lonely life until she finally met Seiji.

    Seiji took her in as his adopted younger sister when she had only been loathed and taken advantage of before in the past. He lived together with her and truly took care of and doted on her.

    And, the truth was that indeed, nothing unfortunate happened to Seiji despite Shika''s curse. He had been fine for all this time. Just as he stated, he overcame her Reaper''s Curse.

    What did such an adopted older brother mean to someone like Shika Kagura?

    It was easy enough to imagine that Shika would have feelings were Seiji that no normal words could describe!

    Just imagining what she would be able to do for Seiji, and to what degree, was quite scary if Natsuya analyzed it deeply.

    Shika had been a girl who endured loneliness and misfortune all by herself for so long. Her surface appearance was quite cute and attractive. But as for what she was really like inside¡­ who could possibly imagine?

    Or, who had the courage to try imagining it?

    Natsuya understood Shika Kagura, which was precisely why she didn''t know how to deal with Shika.

    When Chiaki Wakaba mentioned making a deal regarding Shika, Natsuya had only felt limited expectations.

    Natsuya never expected that things would be like this¡­ with the current situation.

    "Please enter."

    "Excuse me."

    Natsuya invited Shika into her room and closed the door. She indicated politely for Shika to sit down and then poured some tea for her.

    "Thank you." Shika took the teacup and sipped on some tea.

    Natsuya also sipped some tea from her own teacup.

    They both put their teacups down and exchanged nces.

    Natsuya was unable to discern anything from Shika''s expression. She also found it impossible to speak first as she wasn''t sure what Shika was here for, so she could only wait.

    "Yoruhana-san¡­" Shika spoke up in a light voice after observing the student council president for a while. "How exactly do you view Brother Seiji?"

    She had a calm voice and her tone sounded emotionless. However, Natsuya detected a hint of danger in the air.

    To use an analogy, Shika was just like a calm and beautifulke. Yet, beneath theke''s surface was a faint shadow of something tremendous swimming underwater.

    Natsuya prevented herself from thinking too much about this. She clenched her fist slightly as she looked at Shika.

    "I like him¡­ really really like him."

    ''I like him to the extent of losing control of myself.

    After saying her feelings out loud, Natsuya felt her face heating up and something warm moving within her body.

    Shika blinked upon hearing this.

    "Can you betray your family for him?" Shika asked directly.

    "Eh?" Natsuya felt like her heat was now freezing over.

    "Are you capable of betraying the Yoruhana Family for Brother Seiji''s sake?" Shika asked once again.

    Natsuya felt a chill when faced with this direct question. The heat on her face and body quickly drained.

    "¡­Why ask such a question?"

    "Because I want to know."

    Shika repeated the same words as thest time she asked such a question.

    "What exactly do you want to know?" Natsuya asked the question that she didn''t ask the previous time.

    "I want to know if you''ll end up harming Brother Seiji or not," Shika replied calmly.

    ''I see¡­ as I expected.''

    "So, you''re doubting me?"

    "Yes, I''m doubting you, Yoruhana-san," Shika admitted this directly. "I''m aware that you have feelings for Brother Seiji. However, your feelings¡­ just how much are they worthpared to your status and your family?"

    This was a question that was almost an insult! Yet, Natsuya found it difficult to respond and sank into silence.

    "In the past¡­ I''ve met many Yin Yang Masters. Compared to them, Yoruhana-san is a truly nice person," Shika stated calmly. "That''s why Brother started liking you and was willing to fight for your sake. However, Brother Seiji is too gentle. He fell in love with you and resolved himself so that he wouldn''t care even if you took advantage of him or harmed him. Nor does he care if his life is in danger. As long as it''s for you, he''s willing to fight anywhere at any time, no matter who the opponent is. He''s too gentle and too strong¡­ even if I tell him that you''re foundationally no different from other Yin Yang Masters, he''d surely just smile in response.

    "He believes in you.

    "Yet, I''m unable to do the same.

    "That''s why I''m here to ask you."

    Shika looked straight into Natsuya''s eyes, as if she was attempting to peer at her soul.

    "Natsuya Yoruhana-san. Just how much are your feelings worth?"

    The massive murky shadow under the water suddenly rushed out!

    Natsuya froze over when faced with this question. She felt fear begin to grip her.

    Shika''s tone of voice and expression didn''t change at all. Yet, Natsuya felt as if her life was on the line here and she was in incredible danger!

    It was as if a supremely powerful demon was watching her, or as if invisible iron wires were tied around her neck.

    Actually, her power level should have been above Shika''s.

    But for some unknown reason, right now Natsuya felt that if Shika wanted her to die, it would be impossible for her to live!!

    The Reaper''s Curse.

    Shika''s mystical ability wasn''t under her own control¡­ in theory.

    But what if that wasn''t the case?

    Was the fact that Seiji had nothing befall him truly because of himself?

    Could it be that the truth was¡­ that Shika Kagura could actually control her own power?

    If that was really the truth, even if she could only control a minor portion of her power, that would still be quite terrifying¡­

    ''Stop! I shouldn''t think about this anymore.''

    After freezing over for several seconds, Natsuya forced herself to suppress her own fear.

    "I¡­ don''t know¡­" Natsuya decided to tell the truth. "How much my feelings are worth¡­ I don''t know.

    "I''m the Yoruhana Family''s daughter¡­ I can''t betray my family, even though my family has made me unhappy on many asions.

    "I was born and raised as Natsuya Yoruhana. I was raised well, doted on, and given a good education¡­ to be the current me.

    "Whether or not I can betray my family for Seiji''s sake¡­ and how much my feelings are worthpared to my family¡­ I really don''t know!"

    This was the truth in her heart.

    She confirmed this as she looked directly at Shika Kagura.

    "This isn''t the answer that I wanted to hear," Shika stated softly.

    Hearing this caused Natsuya''s heart to tighten.

    "But¡­ I suppose it''s fine." Shika retracted her gaze and slowly lifted her teacup, sipping on some more tea.

    She slowly drank all the tea before gradually putting the teacup down again.

    "Brother Seiji has problems as well¡­ so someone like you might actually be perfect."

    Natsuya blinked at this.

    "Kagura-san¡­"

    "You can just call me -chan for little sister in the future." Shika stood up as something shed in her eyes. "I shall be keeping my eyes on you, Yoruhana¡­ onee-san."

    She turned around and left after saying that.

    Natsuya remained sitting there in a daze even after Shika left.

    *Cling!*

    Suddenly, a sharp sound rang out.

    Natsuya jumped in surprise and checked to see where the sound came from. The source was the teacup that Shika had been using earlier¡­ a crack suddenly appeared on the teacup''s surface!

    The Yoruhana Family daughter felt yet another deep chill run down her spine as she looked at the crack which appeared for mysterious reasons.

    "Kagura¡­chan," she muttered to herself.

    After taking some time to calm down, an impulse suddenly arose within her and she reflexively took out her cell phone and dialed a certain number.

    "Seiji¡­"

 Chapter 569 - Please accept someone like me

    <h4>Chapter 569: Please ept someone like me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji walked once again over to Natsuya''s room and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

    The door opened.

    He exchanged nces with Natsuya for a good while.

    "¡­Please enter."

    "Thank you¡­"

    Once again, Seiji felt his heartbeat quickening as he entered the student council president''s room.

    Her room wasn''t particrly luxurious. The first impression he had was spacious and elegant, clean andfortable, with arge bed that would be more than enough for two people to sleep on¡­ no no, what was he thinking!

    Seiji got rid of all his fantasies and sat down on a chair next to a round table by the window as Natsuya indicated.

    Natsuya poured some tea for him before sitting down as well.

    Seiji lifted his teacup and sipped on some tea. The warm tea going down his throat helped to somewhat rx him.

    He put down his teacup and looked at her, exchanging nces yet again.

    Several seconds of silence fell between them. Then¡­

    "I''m sorry."

    The two of them lowered their heads together and said this simultaneously.

    "Eh?"

    Both of them raised their heads and said that again in unison.

    "Why are you apologizing?"

    Both of them then asked this. Of course, they said the same thing at the exact same time for the third time in a row.

    Another period of silence fell between them.

    Seiji and Natsuya both broke out intoughter.

    Again, simultaneously.

    When looking at each other''s smiles, they both suddenly felt like neither of them needed to say anything else.

    But, it was still necessary tomunicate.

    "Let me go first."

    "No, let me speak first." Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes. "Making a deal like that with Wakaba-san¡­ I apologize. At the time, I felt that doing this would make you more fortunate¡­ but upon closer consideration afterwards, I discovered that this was nothing more than an excuse which would make things easier on myself."

    She took a long nce at Seiji''s face.

    "I like you, Seiji¡­ I like you to the extent where I feel like I''ve be quite strange. Yet, deep in my heart, I stillck the confidence to be a good partner for you. I want to be together with you, butck the courage to do so. That''s why, when Wakaba-san proposed a deal to me, I chose to ept her deal using you as a reason to cover up my own weakness. As for why I''m weak, that''s because¡­ I don''t know how much my own feelings are worth."

    Once again, she lowered her head after saying this.

    "I am Natsuya Yoruhana, the daughter of the Yoruhana Family, as well as a Yin Yang Master belonging to the Yoruhana Family. My body belongs to my family and I must serve my family. This includes my personal feelings and what they''re worth¡­ my family makes such decisions for me. If¡­ my family makes me¡­ to you¡­"

    "That''s enough!" Seiji decisively prevented her from saying any more on this topic.

    Natsuya shook when she heard this and lowered her head even more.

    Seiji felt his heart ache as he watched how she was.

    "You don''t know how much your feelings are worth? So what?" Seiji stated in a low voice.

    "You''re the Yoruhana Family''s daughter and Yin Yang Master. There''s nothing wrong with you being loyal to the Yoruhana Family! Someone like you isn''t weak at all. You''re just¡­ a little clumsy. That''s why you don''t even need to apologize. I''m the one who should be apologizing." Seiji clenched his fists. "Even though I like you the most, when I was confessed to by another girl and heard that you were willing to¡­ you know. I forgot myself at that moment, which is the worst. I couldn''t restrain my own desires. I''m truly a scumbag man! I easily epted Mika and Chiaki''s feelings, yet I still wanted to be together with you¡­ if I was a bystander, I would surely want to beat up such a scumbag!! So I apologize¡­ I know that my apology is quite insufficient, but that''s just how I am."

    Seiji clenched his fists even tighter and took another deep breath.

    "Although I''m like this.

    "Even if I''m like this.

    "I still¡­ don''t want to let go!"

    Seiji nced directly at her and put all his emotions into his words.

    "I like you! Natsuya Yoruhana, I like you more than anyone!!

    "Please, ept someone like me!!!"

    His loud voice echoed throughout the room.

    Natsuya slowly raised her head.

    Her face was flushed red and tears were starting to well up in her eyes. She had a rather subtle expression that seemed like she was both about tough and cry.

    This expression etched itself deeply into Seiji''s mind. He was certain that he would remember this scene for the rest of his life.

    "You''re cheating¡­"

    "Eh?"

    "Something like this¡­ is cheating," Natsuya stated softly.

    Cheating? Cheating about what? Seiji was quite confused.

    Natsuya took a look at his face before averting her gaze. Then, she looked again, and averted her gaze again¡­ she kept repeating this cycle.

    Seeing her like this, Seiji furrowed his eyebrows before he stood up and walked over to her.

    Natsuya instantly reacted like a skittish rabbit and hurriedly tried to jump away.

    Seiji reflexively caught her hand and pulled her into his arms.

    Natsuya was too shocked to react.

    Her face instantly went apple red.

    Her eyes were widened and her mouth was agape as her eyes wavered.

    This appearance was far too alluring. It was impossible for a scumbag like Seiji who had already tasted the sweetness of a maiden''s lips to restrain himself!

    Seiji immediately kissed her.

    Natsuya trembled all over and tensed up before her body swiftly went soft.

    "Enn¡­ ahh¡­ enn¡­"

    She gradually shut her eyes that had widened.

    Natsuya felt a marvelous heat entering her body through her lips, spreading to her brain and then her entire body. She felt like she was about to melt.

    Her body started feeling hazy. All she could feel was the delectable stickiness on her lips, with a wondrous yet numb sensation that was especially clear to the point of upying her whole mind.

    Natsuya enjoyed this taste, responded, cooperated, and reveled in it.

    She felt hotter and hotter, with the wondrous yet numb sensation within her body bing stronger. Her consciousness felt like it was endlessly floating upwards.

    ''N¡­ no¡­ if this continues, I''ll¡­''

    Natsuya faintly noticed something. But, it was toote to stop already, nor was there any way to stop.

    "Enn¡­ ahh¡­ annn¡­ ahhnnn~~~~~"

    Finally, after passing a certain limit, she suddenly sunk into an incredibly stimting sense of joy and achieved a climax that made her mind go nk!

    As Seiji was tightly hugging her and enjoying her sweet taste, he suddenly felt her start to tremble all over as if she had been jolted by electricity.

    This caused Seiji to hurriedlye to his senses as he unlocked his lips from hers and looked at her.

    He saw that Natsuya''s face was fully flushed red with a drunk expression. She kept trembling and making seductive sounds, while crystal clear saliva dripped out of the corner of her mouth.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Could she have¡­ climaxed?

    No way, reaching a climax with only kissing¡­ wasn''t that just too incredible!?

    Seiji was stunned by the sight.

    After she finally stopped trembling, the student council presidenty softly within his arms while panting to catch her breath. She looked incredibly sexy to him.

    "Natsuya¡­"

    Natsuya gradually returned to her senses when she heard him calling out to her. Only then did she realize what just happened.

    Natsuya: "~~~~~~~~"

    A tremendous sense of embarrassment instantly washed over her. She instinctively wanted to escape from here.

    However, Seiji hugged her tightly and didn''t give her any opportunities to struggle free.

    "Let me go¡­"

    "No."

    "Let me go already¡­"

    "I won''t."

    "You''re so terrible¡­"

    "Who knows where you''ll run off to if I let you go?" Seiji looked directly at her. "You still haven''t given me your answer yet."

    Natsuya looked directly at him. Her face was currently flushed red and tears were welling up in her eyes. She looked just like a fragile youngdy who was being bullied.

    Seeing her like this made Seiji really want to kiss her again!

    Natsuya saw his desire from the expression in his eyes. She recalled what she felt just earlier and felt like her body was bing soft again. She wanted to resist, but her heart was filled with even more expectation¡­

    "Talk. Otherwise, I''m going to do that to you again."

    "Don''t¡­"

    "Hm?"

    "You''re¡­ cheating," Natsuya said in a really weak voice.

    "Who cares if I''m cheating? At any rate, I want an answer. If you don''t give me an answer, I''m not going to let you free from my arms!" Seiji dered forcefully.

    Natsuya puckered her lips.

    "Something like my answer¡­ you don''t even understand unless I say it out loud?"

    After saying that, she closed her eyes, raised her face, and opened her lips slightly.

    Seiji instantly understood. His lips arced upwards in a manner like a viin who had achieved victory. He then kissed her once again.

    "Ahh~~ enn~~"

    It would seem that the passion of youth would continue for quite a while in this room.

 Chapter 570 - That was actually the source!?

    <h4>Chapter 570: That was actually the source!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Escting the rtionship to the final level was something incredibly alluring. Still, as Seiji said previously, he wanted to take things slowly.

    This was not only to respect the girls, it was also the final method to prevent himself from bing even more depraved.

    If he truly let all his desires run rampant, Seiji felt like he would be a beast instead of a scumbag man.

    ''¡­That seems pretty nice as well.

    ''No no, stop! This type of thinking is super dangerous, bastard!!''

    "I should leave now. If we continue, I won''t be able to stand it any longer¡­"

    "Seiji¡­"

    "Natsuya, I shall do my very best. My priority will be to obtain victory in the Bloodwine Ritual tournament so that the Yoruhana Family will approve of me!" Seiji spoke adamantly.

    "Okay¡­ I believe in you," Natsuya told him sincerely.

    Seiji slowly let go of her.

    Natsuya instantly felt a sense of loneliness after she left his embrace. Her body moved on its own as she went up to kiss him again.

    Seiji smiled after tasting the student council president''s sweet lips once again. He then left Natsuya''s room.

    Natsuya was incredibly sexy. It was quite difficult for him to restrain himself. Things would truly be R-18 if he didn''t leave right then and there.

    Mika had a question in her mind.

    It was quite evident why Chiaki would make such a "deal" with President Yoruhana. It was just like Chiaki''s style, so there was nothing weird about that. However, what exactly was Chiaki''s "method" to deal with Shika?

    President Yoruhana was unable toe up with any, yet Chiaki came up with one¡­? Upon closer consideration, didn''t this seem quite strange? Shouldn''t the student council president have just as much understanding of Shika as Chiaki did?

    Mika was quite clear on how perceptive an individual that Chiaki was. But, President Yoruhana was quite amazing as well!

    Mika was unable to figure out the critical piece of the puzzle. Since she was curious, she asked Chiaki directly.

    Chiaki smiled mysteriously upon hearing this question.

    "Pretty good of you to think things through to here, Mika. Although I wanted to keep things a secret, you made everything far more sessful than I expected, helping me to achieve my goal much earlier than I had thought, so I''ll tell you as thanks. I don''t have any particr method to deal with Kagura-chan."

    "Eh?" Mika paused in surprise to hear this.

    "I have no idea how Kagura-chan views President Yoruhana. No matter how perceptive I am, it''s still impossible for me to see through to the nature of a girl who almost never talks." Chiaki shrugged. "That''s why I don''t have any method at all to help President Yoruhana deal with Kagura-chan."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "Although I lied to President Yoruhana, I indeed had confidence in myself when making that deal. This isn''t fake at all. Otherwise, the president probably would have seen through me." Chiaki smiled.

    Mika was now mystified.

    Chiaki had just stated that she lied and there was no method. Yet, she was also saying that she was confident? What was with this?

    If this was a manga, Mika''s head would have been covered in question marks right now.

    "Actually, you could have arrived at the truth if you reasoned this out a little more." Chiaki seemed as if she was a kind teacher who was teaching a clumsy disciple. "Just a little more, really."

    Just a little more¡­ Mika did her best to think about it. Suddenly, she received a sh of inspiration and arrived at an answer!

    "It must be Kagura-chan¡­" Mika muttered. "You going to find the president wasn''t your own idea. Instead, Kagura-chan asked you to go to the president¡­ am I right?"

    It all made sense to Mika now. Chiaki having no method but still having confidence meant that Shika Kagura must have been behind everything!

    "Wrong, but also right," Chiaki replied while chuckling. "You''re really close to the answer now. You''re just off by a tiny bit."

    Off by a tiny bit¡­ Mika nced over at Chiaki. Then, she finally arrived at the truth.

    "You must have first went to contact Kagura-chan and talked to her before volunteering to go and talk to the president¡­ Am I right this time?"

    "Ding-dong!" Chiaki''s smile became even more brilliant. "On one hand, I went to find President Yoruhana to propose a deal. On the other hand, I also represented Kagura-chan in testing out the president! This way, no matter what the end result was, I would still benefit!"

    Once again, Mika was rendered speechless.

    "Actually, I just wanted to shake up the status quo and try to secure my own position¡­ but I never expected that you, Mika, instantly managed to conquer Seiji, which also helped me to achieve my objective," Chiaki spoke sincerely. "You truly did a good job."

    Mika felt ratherplex inside to hear this praise again.

    Now, the truth behind Chiaki''s "method" was clear.

    Then, what about the truth behind the "deal?"

    "Representing Kagura-chan in testing the president¡­ why do such a thing? What did you discuss with Kagura-chan?" Mika asked this directly.

    "I told Kagura-chan that with how things were, Seiji would likely end up together with President Yoruhana, and asked what she thought about it. She told me she wanted to know whether or not the president would ept Seiji having a harem, because this was Seiji''s fetish."

    Mika was rendered absolutely speechless this time.

    "''The great majority of the adult doujinshi that Brother Seiji purchasedst time were all about harems''¡ªthat''s a direct quote from Kagura-chan. I asked if she looked through all of them, and she didn''t reply, so I suppose that''s a tacit admittance, heehee¡­" Chiaki giggled quite joyously.

    Adult doujinshi¡­ Mika felt rather helpless.

    That was actually the source of this whole incident!?

    Seiji never would have imagined in his wildest dreams that the true origin of the "deal" was Shika rather than Chiaki.

    Shika wanted to know whether or not Natsuya would ept being in a harem. And as for why she wanted to know such a thing, that was because she learned Seiji''s fetish from sneaking peeks at his adult doujinshi collection.

    Well, perhaps the true source of the matter was Seiji himself!

    Judging from the result, because he purchased so much harem adult doujinshi, he actually seeded in truly obtaining a harem¡­ this was unbelievable!!

    It was as if a harem doujinshi''s plot had urred in real life.

    Mika, Chiaki, and Natsuya¡­ he instantly now had three beautiful girlfriends just like that. He truly became a scumbag male lead in a harem story.

    Apart from feeling blissful, he also felt pressured.

    He wanted to love and protect them all. He wanted to do his best to make them all lead fortunate lives. For that purpose, he had to be stronger in all areas!

    In order to obtain victory in the uing tournament, he now needed to focus on his cultivation. Yet he couldn''t forget about the girls just in order to practice.

    He still needed to attend school like normal and hang out with Mika and Chiaki.

    In his free time while cultivating, he would also hang out with Natsuya.

    When thinking about his beautiful future¡­ no, he was already leading a beautiful life in the present!

    Seiji was filled with motivation. He felt as if he could instantly cultivate to be the strongest!

    Of course, that would be impossible. He would have to take things one step at a time.

    When it was almost dinnertime, Seiji and Shika stopped their cultivation practice and returned to their apartment.

    "Wee back~~ Would you like to eat first? Or take a shower? Or¡­ would you like to eat me?"

    Chiaki opened the door to greet them while pretending to be a newlywed bride.

    Seiji was shocked to see this unexpected embarrassing scene and could only stare at Chiaki.

    Chiaki was currently smiling while wearing an apron and making a pose. Her face slightly reddened after Seiji stared at her for a while.

    "Why aren''t you making any retorts?"

    "Because you''re so cute," Seiji reflexively praised her.

    Chiaki''s face got even redder.

    Although she used an embarrassment attack against Seiji, she received an unexpected counterattack that caused her to show off a shy expression.

    Her current appearance was incredibly moving. Seiji even wanted to take a picture.

    Shika, watching all this, was unable to take it anymore and spoke up, "Please allow me to enter."

    Chiaki stepped aside to allow them to enter.

    Seiji entered to see that Nozomi and Kaede were currently cooking while Mika and Reo were ying a video game together in the living room.

    "It''ll be hot pot for dinner tonight, Haruta-kun." Nozomi smiled at him in greeting.

    Seiji blinked to see the abundant food prepared for dinner.

    "Let me do something to help¡­"

    "No need. Just wait over by the side." Chiaki indicated for him to go to the living room.

    Seiji could only wait in the living room as he observed the fierce fighting between Mika and Reo in the video game. Shika sat quietly by his side and slowly edged closer to him.

    Not long after, dinner began.

    Everyone sat around the table and enjoyed the hot pot together, chatting andughing in a warm and joyous atmosphere.

    Winter''s chill was ending, while spring''s warmth had already arrived.

 Chapter 571 - I want you to feed me with your mouth~

    <h4>Chapter 571: I want you to feed me with your mouth~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Later that night, Seiji contacted Hana and asked her about the Bloodwine Ritual tournament.

    "Don''t die."

    The cat-eared hat girl fell silent for a while, saying nothing else apart from that.

    She also directly agreed to help him gather information about the other tournament participants.

    Seiji didn''t mention anything about the harem, because he could already imagine Hana''s likely reaction¡­ he decided to conceal the harem from her for the time being.

    The next morning.

    He received a call from Mika. Apparently, she had finally returned to her normal state.

    Seiji immediately headed next door to check her situation. She had indeed returned to her normal self, and Mashiro also now possessed aplete human form!

    That Spiritual Creature''s former egg shape had now be a little girl. She was wearing a dark-red dress and was muchrger than before. She now seemed like a very beautiful little angel.

    *Chirp!*

    Mashiro still chirped cutely and smiled as she jumped towards Seiji.

    Seiji reflexively hugged her and felt her body''s warmth and softness. There was no difference from a human''s.

    *Chirp~*

    Mashiro rubbed her face against his chest and had a joyous expression.

    Seiji smiled to see how intimate she was acting with him. He reached out and gently patted her on the head.

    The silver-winged loli was evidently delighted with this as the wings on her back started fluttering slightly.

    Mika also smiled upon seeing this scene.

    "Do you feel that anything about your body is ufortable?" Seiji asked Mika.

    "Not at all." Mika shook her head.

    "That''s good, then."

    Seiji then looked towards Mashiro.

    "Mashiro-chan, you protected Mika. Wonderful job."

    *Chirp~*

    The silver-winged loli was incredibly delighted to be praised. She revealed a brilliant smile.

    Seiji returned home after confirming that Mika and Mashiro were both alright.

    After that was going to school just as normal.

    Kaede felt like something was wrong.

    The atmosphere between Seiji, Mika, and Chiaki had subtly changed.

    Everything appeared the same as usual. However, Kaede perceived that something had already changed.

    This made her feel quite anxious. She really wanted to know what was going on.

    During ss in the morning, Kaede sent a text message to the person who she felt was most likely would tell her what was going on.

    After ss, that person arrived in the infirmary.

    "As expected, Juumonji-sensei saw through us." Chiaki smiled. "I knew that we wouldn''t be able to fool you."

    "I can''t say that I saw through anything, I could only feel it." Kaede looked at Chiaki. "What exactly happened? Could you tell me, Wakaba-san?"

    "If I couldn''t tell you, I wouldn''t havee here." Chiaki shrugged. "Even if I don''t say anything, Sensei would have noticed sooner orter¡­ as for why we''re hiding things now, that''s because we don''t want to give Seiji too much pressure."

    "Pressure?"

    "That''s right. Sensei will understand immediately once I tell you."

    "¡­You don''t need to tell me if it will give Seiji more pressure."

    "It''s not that he''ll be pressured if Sensei knows what happened. Instead, it''s that the actions you''re likely to take may give him pressure if you knew what happened." Chiaki grinned. "Sensei, if you choose to leave Seiji after learning what happened, nothing wille of it, and it''s your freedom to choose. But, Sensei, if you learn what happened, and want to take action instead of leaving him, that will give him more pressure. That''s why I hope that Sensei will first promise me that you can keep this matter a secret and not take action for the time being if you choose to stay by Seiji''s side."

    Something shed in Kaede''s eyes. A few secondster, she nodded.

    "I promise."

    After receiving this verbal guarantee, the tomboy nudged over and whispered something into the blonde nurse''s ear.

    Kaede instantly widened her eyes.

    After Chiaki finished her exnation, she smiled once more at Kaede before turning around to leave.

    ''A harem¡­ I see.''

    Kaede''s expression returned to normal after she finally digested what she just heard.

    She quickly understood what Chiaki meant by saying that Seiji would be "pressured."

    Seiji felt guilty about having started a harem. Although he had resolved himself, he would still feel mentally pressured.

    This pressure would need time to help him ease his mentality. Keeping this a secret and not taking action for the time being¡­ Chiaki''s request was to give him some time.

    As for leaving Seiji''s side¡­ Kaede didn''t even consider it.

    She had already resolved herself long ago to be a mistress if necessary. Seiji starting a harem was actually a good thing for her.

    ''Once he feels less pressured, it''ll be my turn.'' The blonde teacher''s mouth arced upwards slightly as she looked outside a window.

    Lunch break.

    Seiji ate lunch together with Mika and Chiaki, just like usual.

    "Seiji, we''ve already confirmed our rtionship. Shouldn''t we do something intimate?" Chiaki spoke up.

    "What do you want to do?"

    "I want you to feed me with your mouth~"

    "Denied." Seiji instantly rejected this.

    Feeding someone else with his mouth in public at high school? That seemed far too much like high-level idiocy!

    Still, normal feeding was okay.

    He picked up some barbequed meat with his chopsticks and brought it to Chiaki''s mouth. "I can feed you like this."

    "Tsk, such a conservative man."

    "You''re the one who''s too free-spirited¡­ do you want it or not?"

    Chiaki nced at him rather seductively and opened her mouth, making "Ahn~" sounds as she swallowed the meat. After swallowing the meat, she then licked her lips with her tongue.

    "This is such a thick taste~"

    "Stop intentionally making this seem like an R-18 scene!"

    Seiji recalled what it felt like to kiss her as he witnessed her actions. He was slightly shaken inside.

    "Seiji¡­ I want the same as well," Mika said softly.

    Seiji picked up another piece of barbequed meat with his chopsticks and raised it over to Mika''s lips.

    Mika''s face reddened slightly as she opened her mouth and ate the meat. She revealed a satisfied expression.

    ''So cute!'' Seiji thought to himself.

    He then saw Mika handing him a piece of fried egg as her face reddened.

    Seiji opened his mouth and ate it as he smiled.

    "So sweet~ This would be even better with a kiss~" Chiaki added some narration.

    "I didn''t think that at all."

    "Tsk, such a boring man."

    "You''re the one who''s too exciting." Seiji gave her another piece of meat.

    Chiaki happily epted the feeding.

    The three of them kept feeding each other as they ate lunch and enjoyed themselves.

    The other students seeing this scene felt that they were quite intimate with each other. Still, none of them even thought that this was actually a harem.

    Or, perhaps it should be said that the three of them eating together was long since treated as a harem by the other students, so they wouldn''t think too much into things now.

    However, a certain person also noticed this scene and remembered it in her mind.

    After school.

    Mika returned to the Uehara apartments, Chiaki was busy with her drama club activities, and Seiji went to the student council president''s residence to practice cultivation.

    He was greeted by a smiling Mai.

    "Junior, I want to talk to you about something." While the maid''s face was smiling, her eyes were icy cold.

    "What is it about?" Seiji had an ominous premonition.

    "Ever since yesterday, something''s been wrong with Mdy. And today at lunch, I saw you, Uehara-san, and Wakaba-san eating lunch together in quite the intimate fashion¡­" A sharp glint shed in Mai''s eyes. "Please, could you exin what all this is about?"

    Seiji felt as if he could envision a ck aura emanating from her right now!

    "This¡­ it''s a long story¡­"

    "I''ve already prepared tea to serve you with. Please enjoy it slowly so that you can tell your story properly." Mai smiled quite gently.

    ''If you don''t exin yourself, die.''

    Seiji could clearly hear this sentence underneath.

    The killer maid who stated before that she would remove any pests that got in her master''s way was being quite serious.

 Chapter 572 - I definitely wonâ€™t use such a thing!

    <h4>Chapter 572: I definitely won¡¯t use such a thing!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji obediently sat down, sipped some tea, and began his exnation.

    Mai silently listened to him speak. The expression on her face gradually became moreplex.

    She now understood the problem he had been considering yesterday along with why he had apologized to her.

    Logically speaking, she should be scolding him right now. Yet, he had evidently resolved himself, so scolding him would be meaningless.

    Still, some things needed to be said out loud.

    "Did you take things all the way with Mdy?"

    "I didn''t!"

    "What about Uehara and Wakaba-san?"

    "I didn''t go all the way with them, either."

    The maid took a deep look at him.

    "That''s good, then. It would seem that you still have at least some self-restraint."

    Seiji could only smile wryly upon hearing this.

    "It''s so sudden and quick how you started a harem¡­ just as inconceivable as how you stayed in your room for one day and somehow became a Yin Yang Master," Mai assessed.

    "I feel the same way." Seiji sighed.

    Although it had already happened, it still didn''t feelpletely real to him.

    "To be honest, it would seem more real to me if I woke up and found out that this was all a dream."

    "Junior¡­ no, Seiji Haruta-sama, are you actually a god?"

    "Let''s not go with this joke again please, Senpai."

    "I''m being quite serious." Mai had a serious expression. "You''re actually not human at all. Instead, you''re some abnormal existence with a mysterious power¡­ Right now, I''m truly feeling like this could be possible."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    They both fell silent for a moment.

    "I went a little overboard. Just treat it as a joke of mine." Mai averted her gaze. "Mdy¡­ and Uehara and Wakaba-san all like you so much and are willing to be together with you in such a manner. You need to absolutely treasure their feelings and not do wrong by them."

    "Of course." Seiji nodded seriously.

    "If you do wrong by Mdy and hurt her feelings to the point where she''s painfully heartbroken, I''ll be killing you even if you are a god." The maid turned back to look at him with a sharp glint in her eyes.

    "I shall do my very best to make Natsuya as fortunate as possible," Seiji replied resolutely. "Still, I really am no god, so it''s possible that I''ll make mistakes. At such a time, please remind me of my mistakes, Senpai." Seiji continued to smile.

    "My service fee is quite expensive."

    "I''m willing to pay any price."

    "Even though you''re clearly a poor man."

    "I can pay you in installments."

    "I never said that you could do that." Mai smiled.

    She looked over him and wanted to say something else. But, she also felt like there wasn''t anything else to say.

    He had done something rather unreasonable. But, he hadn''t lost himself unreasonably in reveling in this situation. He truly treasured all three girls and brought all his resolution.

    As for what would happen to them all after this¡­ Mai decided to simply observe for the time being.

    Oh, right, there was one more thing she needed to tell him.

    "In the future, I shall be addressing you as Young Master Haruta."

    "Why''s that?"

    "It would be rather rude of me to address Mdy''s boyfriend as junior. Also, I''m also about to graduate from high school, so I''ll no longer be your school senior."

    "I don''t think that it should matter." Seiji tilted his head slightly.

    "You don''t like it? Young Master Haruta~" Mai spoke in a cute and subservient manner.

    Seiji received an impact from this!

    His beautiful senior who was currently wearing maid attire and pretending to act cute caused Seiji to take a powerful direct hit.

    "No¡­ it''s not that I don''t like it, I don''t feel ustomed to it, and it''s a little embarrassing¡­"

    "Should I call address you like this a few more times so that you can quickly get ustomed to it, Young Master~?"

    "No¡­ there''s no need, you can just address me normally like how you did before!" Seiji felt like he was unable to take it anymore.

    Mai chuckled happily.

    "Understood. I shall use a normal tone of voice in the future, Young Master."

    "About that title¡­"

    "I''m not going to change it. Unless I could call you something like ''Grandfather'' instead, is that what you prefer?"

    And so, new titles were unlocked from the maid. Congrattions.

    Natsuya returned to her residence after finishing the student council''s affairs.

    "Young Master Haruta is currently in the underground practice field." Mai greeted herdy with such a report.

    "Young Master?"

    "I changed my way of addressing him because he''s now Mdy''s boyfriend."

    Natsuya''s expression froze over.

    "Mai nee-san¡­ you know already?"

    "Yes. Young Master Haruta told me about it."

    "What¡­ do you feel about it?"

    "Even if I oppose this, would Mdy immediately stop this current rtionship?" Mai countered with a question.

    Natsuya averted her gaze and didn''t answer.

    "My impression can''t be said to be good or bad¡­ basically, I neither support nor oppose this," Mai continued.

    "Mai nee-san¡­"

    "If Mdy believes that her own decision is correct, then persist down this path. If Mdy regrets her decision at any time, then simply end this rtionship¡­ No matter what, I''m on Mdy''s side." The maid smiled.

    Something shone in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "I want to be together with him¡­ I''m absolutely certain of this," she muttered to herself while cing her hand on her chest.

    "Then be with him as much as you like and follow your heart''s desire. Go and act spoiled to him."

    "Act spoiled¡­"

    "He''s already your boyfriend, so there''s nothing wrong with acting spoiled to him. The only thing you need to pay attention to is not to cross certain boundaries. I''m saying that you shouldn''t sleep with him!" Mai told her seriously.

    Natsuya''s face instantly reddened.

    "I, I, I haven''t thought of anything like that at all!!"

    Even an idiot would be able to tell that she was lying.

    Seeing her Natsuya''s face had gonepletely red and a seductive look instantly appeared in her eyes, Mai instantly concluded that Natsuya must have imagined such a scenario already. In fact, it was likely that she had even mentally prepared herself for such a thing happening.

    She was truly lovesick.

    The maid suddenly felt a greater sense of respect for Seiji who had been able to maintain some reason.

    It must have been quite difficult for him to restrain himself in front of the sexy student council president who was already willing to go all the way with him. Yet, he still managed to restrain himself, which was something incredible.

    No¡­ a boy who couldn''t restrain his desires and started a harem shouldn''t be praised like that.

    But, even though he started a harem, he restrained himself. Wasn''t that amazing in its own? Right?

    Mai felt conflicted about this.

    At any rate, the current student council president in this condition was far too alluring. Telling her to act spoiled would be no different from asking a fox to guard the chickens! But, not allowing her to do so and making it so that Natsuya''s desires built up would be no good as well.

    Mai thought of an excellent idea to take care of the issue.

    "Please allow me to watch over the situation whenever Mdy wishes to be intimate with Young Master Haruta." Mai arrived at this sh of inspiration.

    "No!" Natsuya instantly rejected this idea as her face reddened.

    "Please rest assured. I shall eliminate all traces of my presence entirely. Neither of you will even know that I''m there."

    "That''s much better¡­ not! It''s not an issue of presence! No means no!"

    "Then please allow me to surveil the situation with hidden cameras."

    "It''s the same with cameras, no!!"

    "Mdy, it''s necessary to sacrifice some privacy for the sake of safety!" Mai had a serious tone.

    "Don''t use an argument typically used for national security here! I refuse!!" Natsuya rejected this to the end.

    "If you''re really not willing to abandon some privacy, I can only use an ancient method."

    "An ancient method?"

    "A chastity belt!" Mai started smiling. "This will help to protect your privacy together with being able to obstruct things that shouldn''t be done. Chastity belts are one of the greatest inventions passed down to today from ancient times."

    Natsuya was rendered absolutely speechless.

    "Mdy, what model and color would you prefer? If you rush order online right now, you should be able to receive it by tomorrow. Just bear with things for tonight at least."

    "Mai nee-san¡­"

    "The rush ordered chastity belt will only be for temporary usage. In order to ensurefort and a proper fit, a custom one will need to be ordered as well. That will require taking your measurements."

    "Mai nee-san!"

    Natsuya''s face reddenedpletely when faced with her older sister figure of a maid that was smiling so gently. Natsuya was now almost shouting at the top of her lungs.

    "I definitely won''t use such a thing!!!"

 Chapter 573 - Your older sister has the right to know her younger sisterâ€™s love situation!

    <h4>Chapter 573: Your older sister has the right to know her younger sister¡¯s love situation!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Why? Chastity belts are an excellent self-protection tool¡­"

    "Stop talking about this! At any rate, I refuse to use one."

    Mai blinked upon hearing this. "Then let''s have Young Master Haruta wear one."

    "Eh?"

    "Chastity belts have male versions as well. If Mdy doesn''t wish to use one, let''s have Young Master Haruta wear one."

    Natsuya was once again rendered speechless.

    She imagined various scenes from hearing this, causing her face to be even redder.

    "N¡­ no! That''s no good as well!"

    "Why''s that?"

    "No reason! No need to do anything unnecessary. I¡­ we won''t do anything like that, so no need to worry, Mai nee-san."

    Mai nced at Natsuya for quite a while.

    "Alright¡­ I believe in Mdy and Young Master Haruta." The maid shed a gentle smile.

    As for whether or not something was concealed behind her smile, only she herself would know.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Kaho Miyamoto was currently in a daze.

    Her television screen was ying a popr anime. However, her eyes were unfocused and not paying any attention to the screen.

    Only when the ending song started ying did she regain her senses.

    Kaho was currently in such a state because she had something on her mind.

    Someonepletely unexpected gave chocte to Seigo Harano on Valentine''s Day.

    Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ the highest level beauty in all of Genhana High School, who was also the student council president and the daughter of an illustrious family!

    Everyone had been astonished to see her arrival. The moment that she handed Seigo the chocte, the scene was so beautiful as if it was a scene from an idol movie!

    Everyone knew already that Seigo Harano and Natsuya Yoruhana had some type of connection. But, nobody knew the exact nature of the connection. Nor had anyone seen them together in a romantic manner before.

    That was why nobody expected that Natsuya Yoruhana would actually give Seigo Harano her chocte¡­ her love chocte!!!

    Everyone present who witnessed this received a huge impact, including Kaho Miyamoto.

    Everyone''s forceful emotions in wanting to gossip welled up like a tremendous ocean wave! They all wanted to know what was going on.

    Seigo Harano remained silent in front of everyone''s questions, answering only vaguely before escaping from school. His closest friends, Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba also didn''t say anything on this topic.

    Today, after beingpletely surrounded by all the girls in ss, Seigo finally said that sometimes he would interact with President Yoruhana outside of ss¡­ but didn''t say a single thing apart from that.

    Obviously, this was far too insufficient to satisfy everyone''s desire for gossip. The students all had various guesses on what was really going on as they discussed among themselves.

    Kaho also quite minded the rtionship between President Yoruhana and Seigo. She also minded what Mika and Chiaki thought about all this.

    Mika had clearly stated before that she liked Seigo, and even "learned" otaku culture for his sake. Although Chiaki hadn''t said something like that before out loud, she probably had such feelings for him as well.

    The fact that President Yoruhana gave Seigo her love chocte¡­ how did these two girls view this event?

    Kaho silently observed today and saw that Mika and Chiaki appeared to be even more intimate with Seigo than in the past! This made her rather confused.

    Regardless of other girls, President Yoruhana was a powerful love rival who should have been impossible to ignore. These two girls hadn''t been affected at all?

    And, what exactly did Seigo feel for President Yoruhana? Judging from the chocte scene, he should have been interested in her. Yet today, he was acting even more intimate than before with Mika and Chiaki¡­ Kaho didn''t understand.

    What exactly could have happened between all of them? She was incredibly curious.

    She kept wondering and imagining¡­ but that was nothing more than her guesses. The only way for her to find out the truth would be to ask.

    But, should she even ask?

    Asking might make things awkward, and she might not receive a response.

    ''I shouldn''t ask,'' Kaho''s sense of logic and reason told her.

    But, she was truly curious and wanted to know that truth. Her logic struggled against her curiosity.

    Familiar footsteps approached her.

    Kaho looked at the door to her room. Soon, there was a knock on her door, and then her door was pushed open.

    "Kaho, let''s drink some tea together."

    Karen brought some tea into Kaho''s room as she smiled at her younger sister.

    "Thank you."

    Kaho epted a teacup and sipped on the fresh hot tea.

    "How''s your writing going?" Karen asked about her younger sister''s affairs.

    "It''s whatever¡­ stop asking me." Kaho averted her gaze.

    After the previous doujinshi convention, she had started to write.

    Writing wasn''t an easy task. Yet, it was already the easiest method she could think of to help her get closer to Seigo and understand him better, no matter if her writing was good or not¡­ that was what Kaho thought at the time.

    Yet, to her surprise, writing wasn''t nearly as difficult as she thought it would be when she seriously started to write. Her writing went surprisingly smoothly.

    After she worked up her courage to post her writing on the inte, there wasn''t too much negative criticism. She actually received plenty of encouragement.

    Kaho became a lot more confident after this and felt like writing was fun. She became interested in it and began to write with passion.

    As expected, she started having writer''s block, met with negative criticism, and received an impact¡­ but she managed to continue writing due to her own interest and beliefs!

    The only frustrating part was that her older sister Karen learned that she was writing.

    When Karen discovered that her younger sister was writing, it was as if Karen''s eyes started glittering.

    Karen then became Kaho''s number one fan. Every time that Kaho posted a new chapter, Karen would be there to post her review filled with all sorts of praise and encouragement. Karen also angrily attacked any readers that left negativements¡­ Kaho was so embarrassed that she seriously considered changing her author ount so that she could get away from her older sister!

    But, in the end, she didn''t change ounts.

    Although she felt rather helpless about her older sister''s actions, she was quite moved by Karen''s intentions as well. Without realizing it, Karen''s constant reviews had already be a source of support for Kaho.

    "Then, I''ll ask something else. How''s progress with the boy you like?" Karen asked with a wide grin.

    "There''s none! Don''t ask this, either." Kaho twisted her head away to resist this topic.

    "At least you should tell me about his reaction to you giving him chocte. Your older sister is curious~"

    "I don''t have the responsibility of having to satisfy your curiosity."

    "Your older sister has the right to know her younger sister''s love situation!"

    "There''s no such right!"

    Kaho hadn''t mentioned anything regarding Seigo to her older sister.

    Yet, Karen had been able to figure out that her younger sister most likely changed herself so much all for the sake of love. It was evident that Kaho had a boy she liked.

    Karen was quite curious about what type of person her younger sister was like. However, Kaho kept it a closely guarded secret, so Karen could only extrapte from the male lead of the story that Kaho was writing.

    The male lead in Kaho''s story was extremely handsome, loved to help others, open and gentle, and was a bright and sunny otaku¡­ Karen felt that this was likely to be an improved version from reality, so the real version was probably more like¡­

    An above average appearance, a nice and gentle personality, and someone who was quite interested in manga and anime otaku culture¡­ probably an ordinary boy like that.

    Karen really wanted to meet this boy and get to know him. But, her sister was quite resistant, so she didn''t know when this little hope of hers woulde to fruition.

    "I want to talk even more with you about everything, Kaho¡­ you can tell anything to your older sister," Karen expressed sincerely.

    Kaho fell silent as something shed in her eyes.

    "Sister¡­ hypothetically speaking, if you''re really curious about something regarding a friend, and really want to ask but don''t know if you should ask or not¡­ how can you control yourself to stop minding this issue?" Kaho asked in a soft voice.

    Karen widened her eyes slightly upon hearing this question.

    Both of them fell silent for the time being.

 Chapter 574 - I shall smite you in the name of flat chests which are justice!

    <h4>Chapter 574: I shall smite you in the name of t chests which are justice!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Kaho¡­ are you hinting at me that I''m asking you too many questions?"

    "I''m not referring to you. Besides, even if I was talking about you, you probably wouldn''t listen."

    Karen was rendered speechless.

    "Forget it, pretend I didn''t say anything." Kaho wanted to retract her words.

    Karen blinked while observing her younger sister.

    "Let''s say that you feel this friend of yours is very important. In that case, paying this question no attention will be impossible. You can only put your feelings deep into your heart and bury them as deeply as possible," she said in a low voice.

    Kaho felt something more behind Karen''s words and looked at her older sister.

    Karen shed a smile. "I''m sorry that I can''t give you a better answer."

    "¡­There''s no need for you to apologize. I''m just asking randomly."

    "I don''t feel like it''s a random question. Is this friend the boy that you like?"

    "Sister, you''re asking too much now." Kaho resisted this topic and sipped on some more tea.

    Although her younger sister Kaho was still somewhat resisting, things were already much betterpared to Kaho''s previous iciness at home. Karen felt quite delighted inside.

    The time when she worried about her younger sister but could only bury her feelings inside her heart had already passed. As long as she worked hard in the future, they would definitely improve their sisterly rtionship even further.

    Karen also sipped on some tea. However, her head suddenly felt dizzy and she choked on the tea and started coughing!

    Kaho was startled by this. She instantly felt worried at seeing her older sister''s obvious difort.

    After some coughing, Karen felt her dizziness fade and her expression returned to normal.

    "What''s the matter, Sister?" Kaho asked in worry while handing over a tissue.

    "My head suddenly felt dizzy¡­" Karen took the tissue and wiped her mouth.

    "Why would that be?"

    "I don''t know¡­ the dizziness came so suddenly."

    "Could it be that you have a cold?"

    "¡­I don''t think so. I''m not feeling any difort now."

    Kaho looked at her older sister in worry. "You should go to sleep early tonight. See how things are tomorrow."

    "Yeah."

    "I''ll cook breakfast tomorrow."

    "Thank you, Kaho."

    "It''s nothing to thank me for."

    "Heehee~" Karen giggled as she nudged closer to her younger sister.

    "Don''t stick so close to me. Don''t crush me with your breasts."

    The sisters had intimatemunication and enjoyed a fun time together.

    Tuesday.

    Kaho didn''te to school today.

    The teacher said that Kaho''s older sister had gotten sick and needed someone to care for her, so Kaho asked for a day off from school.

    So Kaho had an older sister¡­ what type of person would she be, Seiji wondered?

    "I''ve heard that Kaho''s older sister is a beautiful girl with a ridiculouslyrge chest. Apparently she visited us during the school festival," Chiaki told him.

    A beautiful girl with a ridiculouslyrge chest¡­ could it be that¡­

    Seiji recalled the beautiful girl with divine I-cup breasts that he coincidentally ran into before at the grocery store with Mika. Could it be that this girl was Kaho''s older sister?

    "Seigo, you''re in the big breasts camp, aren''t you?" Chiaki suddenly ambushed him with this question.

    "That''s right, I am¡­ no wait!" Seiji only regained his senses after answering reflexively.

    "Prepare yourself, you evil big breast lover!" Chiaki made a pose like she was a magical girl.

    "Don''t call me that!"

    "I shall smite you in the name of t chests which are justice!"

    "But you''re no representative of the t chest camp!"

    "This attack consists of the umted grudges of all t-chested girls in the world! Big breast ray!!"

    "There''s definitely something wrong with the name of the attack you''re using!" Seiji energetically retorted.

    Mika calmly watched her two good friends'' typical daily joking around.

    "Right now, you were imagining howrge of a chest Kaho''s older sister must have, am I right?" Chiaki giggled after she stopped joking around.

    "Not at all. It was just that I once met a girl who had ridiculouslyrge breasts, and I felt that she somewhat physically resembled Kaho. So, I was wondering if that girl was her older sister," Seiji replied. He then looked towards Mika. "I met her together with Mika."

    "I don''t really remember this anymore. Seigo, your memory is quite outstanding." Mika slightly narrowed her eyes.

    "Er¡­"

    "Of course, he had a deep impression of her because of her veryrge breasts. As expected of someone in the big breasts camp!" Chiaki saw through to the truth.

    Seiji was unable to counter this.

    "I''ve heard that the big breast rating of a man depends on if he''s still a virgin or not. After losing his virginity, a man''s big breast love rating will greatly decrease."

    "What the hell is a big breast love rating supposed to be?"

    "Today, Seigo ate lunch together with President Yoruhana. I expect that his big breast love rating will increase by twenty percent."

    "Why would it increase!? Stop acting like it''s a stock market number!"

    "President Yoruhana is the goddess of all big breast lovers in our school. Eating lunch together with her means that your big breast love rating will definitely increase," Chiaki said with a wide grin.

    Seiji was once again unable to counter this.

    Saying that Natsuya was the goddess of all big breast lovers¡­ it was impossible for him to deny this.

    Yesterday night, he drank tea and chatted together with Natsuya while taking a break from cultivation. At first, both of them felt rather awkward. But gradually, they started having fun chatting with each other. They discussed the topic of cooking and went from there to agree and meet each other for lunch today.

    Mika and Chiaki both told him that they understood he had to go to his appointment to eat with Natsuya.

    During lunch break, Seiji took his lunchbox with him to the student council room.

    "How do you currently feel, Mika?" Chiaki asked her friend after Seiji left.

    "Nothing in particr¡­"

    "Just tell me the truth. I won''t tell Seigo."

    Mika fell silent for a moment.

    "I''m not happy¡­" Mika spoke in a low voice.

    "You''re quite unsatisfied, aren''t you?"

    "Yeah." The twintailed girl lowered her head. "Even though I''ve already resolved myself, but¡­ I still don''t feel good about it."

    "That''s only natural. I would think that it would be stranger if you could ept such a situation immediately." Chiaki looked at her. "Are you regretting it?"

    "No."

    "Honestly? Not even one little bit?"

    "Not even a little." Mika adamantly nodded.

    "You''re truly amazing."

    "You''re the one who''s amazing, being able to not care at all¡­"

    "I have a carefree personality, unlike you." Chiaki chuckled. "Mika, perhaps you''ll be someone amazing in the future."

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    "From my perspective, you''re already someone amazing, Chiaki." Mika ended up responding in such a fashion.

    "Don''t be like that. There''s no need to say it out loud even if it''s true. I''ll get arrogant, teehee~" Chiaki started acting cute.

    "¡­Your amazingness includes the ability to make people want toment on you at all times."

    In the student council office.

    The handsome boy and beautiful girl sat across from each other with nervous expressions.

    "Natsuya¡­e."

    "Okay¡­ Seiji."

    The two of them both pushed their lunchboxes over to the other.

    They were going to exchange lunches!

    They both personally cooked their own lunches and exchanged them¡­ basically, they cooked lunch for each other.

    Seiji and Natsuya exchanged nces after exchanging lunchboxes.

    "Go ahead and open yours first."

    "No¡­ why don''t you go first?"

    They both chuckled after several seconds of silence.

    "Let''s open them simultaneously."

    "Yeah."

    Seiji opened up Natsuya''s lunchbox while filled with expectations. He was greeted by a mysterious ck substance¡­ just kidding!

    It was a ssical setting in manga and anime for a noble girl type of character to have astoundingly awful cooking skills to the point of the food being like a substance from another world.

    However, this type of setting would almost never be seen in reality, although a normal level of not so good cooking might be possible. Seiji had mentally prepared himself for this possibility beforehand.

    Actually, his mental preparation had been unnecessary. The food before him didn''t particrly seem like top quality, but it didn''t appear terrible, either.

    Seiji looked in Natsuya''s direction at the same time that Natsuya nced at him. They exchanged nces for the umpteenth time and both smiled.

    "Let''s eat!" they spoke simultaneously while raising their chopsticks.

 Chapter 575 - Should I pretend that I saw nothing?

    <h4>Chapter 575: Should I pretend that I saw nothing?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Delicious.

    Although the food had a subtle sensation of being cooked by a beginner, it was still at the level of "delicious." This was Seiji''s objective assessment.

    If he gave her extra points for the fact that this was her first time cooking, he''d give Natsuya 120¡­ no, 300 points!

    This was food that the student council president had personally cooked for him. Plus, they were eating each other''s food together. Only giving her 200 would be far too conservative.

    "How is it?" Natsuya asked.

    "Really good." Seiji smiled sincerely.

    Upon seeing this smile, Natsuya felt that her waking up super early this morning and working hard at cooking under her maid''s tutge was all worth it.

    A warm feeling arose in her chest. She now felt even more fortunate to be with him.

    "What do you think of my food?" Seiji asked the same question.

    "It''s quite good¡­ it has your taste to it." Natsuya smiled in response.

    "My taste?"

    "I can feel that you made it¡­ a taste like that."

    ''There''s such a taste?'' Seiji''s head was covered with question marks.

    Still, Natsuya looked quite cute as she said that with a shy expression. He decided not to pursue the matter.

    The two of them chatted andughed together as they ate.

    Halfway through their lunch, Natsuya moved over to sit next to Seiji instead. She picked up an egg roll with her chopsticks and blushed as she brought it to his mouth with a "Say ahhh~~~"

    Seiji cooperatively ate the eggroll. He also fed her some food as well. "Ahh~~~"

    Natsuya''s face became even redder as she ate the food. Her feeling of bliss increased even further!

    Seiji was quite moved by her beautiful smile¡­ no, shaken!

    As they ate and chatted together, they were indeed umting deeper feelings for each other.

    After lunch.

    Natsuya poured some tea that she prepared and handed Seiji a teacup.

    "I''d like to learn more about the soul and better understand soul attacks and defense¡­ Could you teach me?" Seiji asked after sipping some tea.

    "Of course. However, I''m not skilled at soul magic. I can only teach you the basics," Natsuya told him.

    "That''ll be enough."

    Seiji felt it would be likely that battles in the soul realm would ur during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament. And with his previous experience, he felt that soul magic would be even more important in the future, so he needed to start cultivating it now.

    Actually, he knew someone even more skilled in soul magic than Natsuya¡ªhis bonded female spirit, Yomi. But, she always remained asleep. And even if he asked her on one of the rare asions that she wasn''t sleeping, he felt she would likely refuse with herzy personality.

    The rest of lunch break passed by with the student council president teaching Seiji knowledge about the soul.

    Later that night.

    Seiji and Shika practiced cultivation together at Natsuya''s residence.

    They were currently fighting fiercely against each other with wooden swords.

    Seiji caught one of his adopted younger sister''s mistakes and swiftly took advantage of the opportunity to suppress her. It looked like he was about to win.

    However, Shika didn''t retreat as expected. Instead, she counterattacked at thest moment, forcefully knocked away his wooden sword, rushed into his arms, hugged him, and bit his neck!

    "Er¡­" Seiji was shoved backward several steps by the collision and almost fell over.

    ''Biting is against the rules!''

    He really wanted to say that. But, he did lose after all.

    Shika hugged him tightly and used a small amount of force as she bit and sucked on his skin.

    "Shika-chan, don''t be like this¡­"

    "Awoo!"

    She responded with a guttural sound that indicated she was going to do what she wanted!

    Seiji felt helpless about the situation.

    He didn''t dislike the way his adopted younger sister was acting. But as for liking it¡­ at any rate, it was a rather subtle way of behaving intimately.

    At this moment, footsteps sounded.

    Seiji immediately knew that these footsteps belonged to Natsuya! He hurriedly indicated to Shika for her to let go of him. Yet, she refused to let go or stop biting.

    "What are the two of you doing?"

    Natsuya widened her eyes upon seeing how Shika was currently tightly hugging and biting on to Seiji.

    "A practice bout," Seiji responded awkwardly.

    "¡­What type of technique is this?"

    "Er¡­ one that Shika created herself. There''s no name for it yet."

    "Ah~ en~" Shika made a moaning sound.

    Natsuya and Seiji were both rendered speechless.

    This mysterious atmosphere of awkwardness continued for quite a while.

    Shika finally stopped biting Seiji as she licked the bite mark on his neck before letting him go. She then nced at Natsuya before silently walking away.

    Natsuya watched her leave before looking at Seiji.

    Seiji rubbed the bite mark on his neck and had an expression of extreme awkwardness.

    "¡­Should I pretend that I saw nothing?" Natsuya asked expressionlessly.

    Seiji didn''t know how to respond. He could only smile wryly.

    "Come to the living room, have some tea, and take a rest. There''s something I need to tell you."

    Natsuya treated his silence as tacit admittance that she should pretend that nothing happened.

    They left the underground practice field and returned to first floor.

    "I received a report¡­ there was only one piece of important information that was analyzed from the cursed item that you helped remove from Ooike-san."

    "What is it?"

    "That cursed item was probably created using human sacrifices."

    Seiji frowned upon hearing this.

    He just had to deal with Akatsuki Mitarai who treated humans as nothing more than body parts for his experimental dolls. And now, something like this was happening again¡­

    "Although it''s impossible to be 100% sure, the report is that there''s an over 90% chance possibility that the item was made with human sacrifices," Natsuya continued. "If it''s really as you suspect, and this cursed item is a new product from that ''Messenger'' organization, something they''re preparing to sell just like ''Bliss''¡­ then it''s quite likely that many people will begin dying when they start mass-producing this item. But, suspicions are only suspicions. Right now, we don''t know the specifics of this item, or how it''s supposed to be used. I feel that it''s unlikely that it''ll be mass-produced¡­ let''s not even consider whether it''s possible or not, as using human sacrifices on arge scale to mass-produce this is nothing more than insanity that will only lead to self-destruction."

    No person would willingly choose the path of self-destruction.

    Logically speaking, that was.

    But, there would always be maniacs and insane people in the world that would utilize any method at their disposal for realizing their own desires! Even if it would lead to their self-destruction.

    Akatsuki Mitarai was simply one such example.

    Kazufuru Ooike had recalled that the man who gave him the cursed item said that he was indeed crazy.

    If this man was someone even crazier than Akatsuki, then¡­

    ''No¡­ I should stop thinking about it.'' Seiji prevented his thoughts from heading down a dark abyss.

    "Right now, what we know for sure is that a self-proimed crazy man said that this cursed item was a new product that needed testing," Seiji stated calmly. "As for who this man is, what faction he belongs to, and what he intends to do, all of that is a mystery. The only clues we have are the item itself along with Ooike-san."

    "Right now, no Spiritual Ability users have approached Ooike-kun. His life is continuing as normal¡ªthat''s what the two I arranged to watch over him reported to me," Natsuya told him.

    "That man said that it was a ''test run,'' which means that he should return to confirm the effects." Seiji looked directly at her. "If the people you arranged didn''t make any mistakes, then either he''s capable of observing from a distance, or he hasn''te back to check on Ooike-san yet."

    "I believe in those two, they won''t make any mistakes."

    "Then let''s trouble them to continue watching over Ooike-san. If we catch that self-proimed crazy guy, there''ll be nothing else for us to think about."

    "What if we can''t catch him?"

    "Let''s think about it if we really can''t." Seiji paused for a moment. "By the way, has there been any progress in investigating the ''Messenger'' organization?"

 Chapter 576 - You donâ€™t know what true strength is at all

    <h4>Chapter 576: You don¡¯t know what true strength is at all</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "My family has already sent out their elites to investigate, but I still haven''t received any news¡­ perhaps they haven''t found anything out yet, or perhaps they simply aren''t telling me anything." Natsuya averted her gaze.

    "I see."

    Seiji wasn''t insistent on having to know the situation. He only hoped that this situation could be resolved and that the Yoruhana Family would properly deal with things.

    The next day was bright and sunny with white clouds in the sky.

    "Ooike-kun has gone missing."

    Natsuya called him in the morning and greeted him with words that didn''t befit the excellent weather.

    "My people were put under a spell and fell asleep. When they woke up from the sleep spell, they discovered that Ooike-kun went missing, and that there''s no clues to his whereabouts." Natsuya had a heavy tone of voice.

    Seiji remained silent.

    "I''m sorry, Seiji¡­"

    "It''s not your fault, Natsuya," Seiji spoke in a low voice while he opened up his dating sim system and checked some information.

    "There''s still hope! I should be able to track down Ooike-san."

    "You¡­ can?" Natsuya was astonished to hear this.

    The Spiritual Ability user who spirited away Kazufuru Ooike had done a wonderful job! He didn''t leave a single trace behind, nor did any tracking spells work.

    "Yeah. I have a very special locator spell¡­ although I''m not sure if it will seed. But, I believe that it will," Seiji spoke as he continued looking through his system.

    The [Extradimensional locator spell!] This was the Soul World technique he used to locate Mika previously. It required the target to have a connectivity rating to him of over 70. And, Kazufuru Ooike met the requirements!

    It wasn''t one hundred percent certain that this would work. However, since this spell had been capable of locating Mika even though she was trapped in an Inner World, he figured that it should be no problem to locate Kazufuru Ooike.

    ''A special locator spell¡­ what type of spell could that possibly be? When did Seiji learn such a spell?'' Various questions shed through Natsuya''s mind.

    But, she soon cast away these unimportant questions. Right now, the important matter at hand was to rescue the student council secretary Kazufuru Ooike!

    "I''ll head over to your ce immediately."

    "Okay."

    ''So cold.

    ''I feel cold all over, bone-chillingly cold, but only my chest feels boiling hot as if it''s on fire.

    ''I want to move, I want to speak, but I can''t do anything. I can''t even open my eyes.

    ''What''s going on with me¡­''

    Kazufuru''s consciousness was hazy, but he instinctively felt that something was wrong and forced himself to struggle.

    ''Move¡­ move¡­ move¡­ MOVE!!!''

    Kazufuru suddenly opened his eyes!

    He saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

    ''What is this ce!? Why am I here!?''

    He did his best to look all around him. He wanted to move but was unable to do so.

    Suddenly, a gray-clothed man appeared in his field of vision.

    ''It''s you! The Spiritual Ability user who cursed me!!''

    Kazufuru had already forgotten the man''s appearance due to the effects of the previous memory wipe. However, he instantly recognized the man again, and the previous memories rushed back into him as if a movie was ying in his mind.

    "Hey, bro," the gray-clothed man greeted him rather casually with a smile.

    He appeared quite ordinary. There were no special traits about his appearance that would make him easy to remember in a crowd. Basically, he was just an average Joe. But, only his eyes had a sharp glint within them. Combined with his smile, it gave off a rather ominous feeling.

    "You woke up slightly earlier than I expected. Quite nice. Your potential is even better than I thought."

    "Uuuu¡­ ahhh¡­" Kazufuru viciously red at him and wanted to shout in anger. But, his mouth was gagged.

    "This is my researchboratory. You are currently my experimental subject. But, there''s no need to worry, because this will actually be a good thing for you." The gray-clothed man chuckled. "Originally, I just wanted to analyze how it was that the test product disappeared from your body. But, after carefully inspecting your body, I discovered that you contain potential, which is why I decided to perform a little experiment on you. If this experiment seeds, you''ll instantly be a powerful individual!"

    The gray-clothed man''s eyes lit up with fervor.

    "This power won''t be some half-baked power obtained through that previous test product. You''ll be an extraordinary existence with tremendous power! You''ll be able to kill whoever you want, go anywhere you want, do whatever you want! You won''t be under any constraints, and you''ll receive true freedom! For instance, you could steal away the girl you like and toy with her all you want. You could even do so right in front of the person she loves as a way to utterly trample on them! Isn''t it fun just to imagine it!? Rather than remaining as an ordinary person who doesn''t stand out, a loser in love no matter how hard you work, wouldn''t it be far greater to be someone powerful and free!!?"

    Kazufuru was stunned by the man''s words and the look in his eyes.

    This man was without a doubt insane! But, precisely because of this, his conviction was iparably firm, to the point where even the excellent student was shaken.

    ''An extraordinary existence¡­ being able to do whatever I want¡­''

    Kazufuru couldn''t help but imagine what if he stole Natsuya away from Seiji¡­ but instantly stopped himself!

    ''This isn''t what I want.

    ''Even if I can obtain her through force, there''s no meaning to it.

    ''That''s because all I want is to win! Not anything else.

    ''I''ve already lost with regards to Natsuya Yoruhana.

    ''That person¡­ Seigo Harano has tremendous power. But, not only is he not abusing his power, he even helps others. In fact, he even helped me when I held killing intent towards him.

    ''Someone like him is what true strength is! Natsuya has plenty of reasons to like him. I can''tpare to him at all. Even if I obtain some strange power, I definitely wouldn''t be able to win. I''d only humiliate myself.''

    Kazufuru firmed his own will as he calmly observed the gray-clothed man.

    The man noticed that Kazufuru''s gaze seemed rather strange. It was both condescending and contained pity?

    Out of curiosity, he tore off the duct tape gagging Kazufuru''s mouth.

    "What do you want to say?"

    "¡­I want to tell you that you''re an idiot," Kazufuru told him in a condescending tone.

    "Why''s that?" The gray-clothed man widened his eyes in surprise.

    "Because you don''t know what true strength is at all," Kazufuru stated coldly. "Even if you''re a Spiritual Ability user who''s different from ordinary people, and you''re capable of giving others fearsome powers¡­ in the end, you''re still nothing more than a crazed idiot."

    "Ha¡­ then why don''t you try telling me what true strength is?" The gray-clothed man didn''t get angry. He even felt like this was an interesting topic.

    Kazufuru fell silent for a moment.

    His mind was filled with Seigo Harano''s image, words, smile, and actions¡­

    It was fine to tell him, but making a maniac like this man understand¡­ was evidently impossible.

    And so, Kazufuru decided to put it in his own words.

    "Someone truly strong isn''t someone who can easily be described by words. Only when you meet someone who''s truly strong and observe his behavior and words will you understand."

    The gray-clothed man''s gaze focused sharply upon hearing this.

    "Even though you''re just a high school student, that''s quite an interesting way of thinking you have there." The man rubbed his chin. "Going by your words, you''ve evidently met someone who''s ''truly strong'' as you say before. I''m guessing that he''s the person who helped to dispel the item I put within your body. Who is he?"

    Kazufuru remained silent.

    "I''m quite curious about the person who helped to dispel the item from you. But, I have no intentions of getting in that person''s way, because I''m aware that I might not be able to deal with him." The gray-clothed man chuckled. "So, if you believe that person to be truly strong, in a way, you''re not wrong, and I agree. But, if my experiment on your body seeds, you''ll be just like him, or perhaps even stronger¡­ you''re not moved by this at all?"

    Kazufuru widened his eyes slightly.

 Chapter 577 - Only strength can allow livestock to become a man

    <h4>Chapter 577: Only strength can allow livestock to be a man</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ''Be just like Seigo Harano, or perhaps even stronger¡­''

    The excellent student was once again shaken by the prospect as he recalled Seigo''s shiny golden figure.

    Although he felt it would be impossible, he still couldn''t help but hope. Even if he couldn''t be the same, he would be able to at least obtain simr strength¡­ right?

    Kazufuru forced himself to remain calm as he responded, "No¡­ I don''t believe it! Strength isn''t something that can be obtained so easily. And even if I can obtain such strength, I''d probably have to pay a scary price."

    "Pretty smart, bro. Indeed, strength isn''t something that can be obtained so easily. But, my experiment is no ordinary experiment." The gray-clothed man smiled. "You have the potential talent, so it''s possible. It''s quite worth it even though there''s some risk involved."

    "I don''t want to gamble!"

    "Don''t say that. Plenty of people don''t even have the chance to take this gamble. You''re still young. You still don''t know just how dirty this world can be. Hard work is basically meaningless for ordinary people¡­ no,pletely meaningless." The gray-clothed man''s expression turned icy. "Hard work might have zero returns. And, even if one is fortunate enough to obtain something, others who are naturally born into high positions will easily steal everything away from you! Even if you kneel and beg, you won''t receive any pity! Even if you abandon your pride and lick others'' shoes like a dog, you''ll just be kicked away! Even if you give everything you have, hoping only to protect the most important little thing to you, you''ll only be made fun of and trampled upon!!"

    The powerful feelings within his words and expression once again stunned Kazufuru.

    "You still haven''t seen much of the world, but you should at least know some things, bro. No matter what you do, there will always be insurmountable obstacles and existences that you can''t ovee. Ordinary people are just like livestock forever locked in a cage, only waiting for others to execute them," the gray-clothed man continued.

    "Who is the livestock and who is the master? All of this was determined from birth, thanks to this sheetty world and its sheetty rules! Only by obtaining strength can you turn around the tables! Only strength can allow livestock to be a man! There''s no other solution!! Right now, you have such a chance, an incredibly lucky chance. You''re truly amazingly fortunate."

    He took a deep look into Kazufuru''s eyes.

    "Obtain this strength and be a real person. Or, give up on this only lucky chance in your life and continue to be an ordinary person who''s nothing more than livestock¡­ choose for yourself."

    "¡­I can choose?"

    "Yeah. If you choose to give up, I''ll stop this experiment and let you go. I don''t care either way, as I could just do this same experiment on someone else."

    Kazufuru fell silent.

    "Quite an interesting expression you have there, bro." The gray-clothed man chuckled. "I''m a maniac who acts on whatever I''m currently feeling like. Perhaps I really will let you go, or maybe I''m lying to you right now. Judge for yourself."

    Kazufuru furrowed his eyebrows.

    "What exactly is this experiment? What will happen to me if it seeds? And what will happen to me if it fails?"

    "Good questions. It''s good that you''re interested." The gray-clothed man was obviously delighted. "As for the experiment, that''s a secret. If it seeds, you''ll awaken to be a very powerful Spiritual Ability user. I don''t know exactly how powerful you''ll be, but you''ll definitely be powerful. Oh, and there might be some side effects when you use your power, but you should be able to take it. As for if the experiment fails, there''s all sorts of possibilities¡­ but in any case, you''ll probably survive in the end."

    Kazufuru furrowed his eyebrows even deeper.

    "I apologize that I''m being so vague. Still, this experiment''s risk-reward ratio is quite good. The price for losing is still quite eptable, so it''s really an excellent gamble."

    "You''re not the one gambling, so of course it''s an excellent gamble to you!"

    "I''ve already made this gamble, bro." The gray-clothed man smiled. "That was a truly frightening experience as the experiment I went through was far more dangerous than the one I want to perform on you. It was also incredibly painful. Even a maniac wouldn''t want to experience it for a second time."

    Although he sounded light-hearted, his words contained a deep darkness.

    "¡­Why did you do such a thing?" Kazufuru looked at him.

    "Because I''m already insane."

    "Why did you go insane?"

    "Because I met what was only natural for livestock like me to go through," the gray-clothed man continued in a casual tone of voice. "This livestock didn''t know that he was livestock and believed himself to be a human. He lived blissfully until he was ughtered one day. Such things happen every day at every moment. Livestock that believe themselves to be people will be ughtered and die in pain and despair. Most won''t even know why they died. Actually, it''s fine, as that''s how the world really is. It''s just that the livestock are foolish to not have seen the world for what it is. I was fortunate enough to survive at the cost of my sanity. But now, I can see things clearly. That''s just how it is."

    Kazufuru remained silent.

    "You have the ability to see things clearly as well. Or, perhaps I should say that you can already see things clearly, because right now you''re just like livestock that can only be at my mercy whether to be ughtered or not." The gray-clothed man chuckled lightheartedly. "It would be truly a simple task for me to kill you, bro. Or, I could also do whatever else I wanted to you and I wouldn''t receive any punishment from thew at all. Even if that ''truly strong'' person who helped you dispel the curse tries to take revenge for you, he won''t be able to find me¡­ No, he won''t even be able to find you, because I won''t leave any traces behind. If I kill you, you''ll simply die, and nothing will be left."

    Kazufuru felt a chill in his soul.

    He had only been able to get out unscathed after being cursed by this man''s item due to Seigo Harano''s assistance.

    Would he be able to count on Seigo''s assistance this time after being kidnapped?

    Obviously not!

    He was kidnapped while he was asleep. He didn''t know what time it was currently. Seigo wouldn''t find out about this incident until the morning at the very earliest. And even if he learned about this incident, how could Seigo possibly find him?

    Seigo Harano was quite strong, but he was no god.

    Kazufuru was deeply aware of his own situation.

    "¡­If I obtain power, the first thing I''m going to do is kill you!" He red at the gray-clothed man.

    "Nice look in your eyes. It seems that you''ve decided to take this opportunity. Excellent."

    "Even if I refuse, I bet you wouldn''t let me go regardless."

    "No, I would have. It''s just that this time, I would havepletely wiped your memories. You''d be a babbling idiot who''d likely be struck by a car the instant you walked onto a street."

    "You bastard!!"

    "You made the correct decision, bro. There''s a reward in it for you." The gray-clothed man grinned. "The reward is that afterpleting this experiment, no matter what the result is, I won''t harm you any further. How nice, don''t you think?"

    "No matter what the result is, I''m going to kill you!!" Kazufuru shouted furiously.

    "Very good. Treat me as your mortal enemy, and do your very best to survive! Go from livestock to being a man¡­ no, a predator!!" The gray-clothed manughed maniacally.

    He then activated a spell formation that he previously prepared. A dark-green glow instantly illuminated the room as countless runes appeared. A blinding red light which seemed like it would swallow everything soon appeared from the runes.

    Kazufuru''s vision darkened and his consciousness went hazy.

    He felt as if he was sinking into something dark and icy. His chest started burning up in an increasingly painful manner.

    It was as if he was continually sinking in water yet also floating in midair. His consciousness was barely hanging on ambiguously.

    He faintly felt red light passing him by with a voice speaking.

    ''So cold, so burning, so painful¡­''

    Kazufuru did his best to maintain his consciousness. However, he gradually faded and melded into the darkness.

    ''I''m going to die¡­ damn it¡­''

    He wanted to live, he wanted to be saved, he wanted to see that shiny golden figure again, he wanted to have power just like that person¡­

    ''I want to survive! I want to be stronger!!''

    As Kazufuru struggled to his utmost to survive, right before his mindpletely disappeared, he faintly heard a mysterious ethereal female voice.

    "¡­Sign the contract."

 Chapter 578 - Youve acquired a strange trait overnight!

    <h4>Chapter 578: You''ve acquired a strange trait overnight!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The experiment failed.

    That was the conclusion the gray-clothed man came to after noticing that the experimental subject''s numbers had far exceeded the safety zone.

    ''Ah, how regrettable that this bro wasn''t able to survive.''

    Continuing might cause damage to his spell formation, so he decided to stop the spell and then clean up after the corpse.

    Yet¡­ he failed to stop his own spell!

    Astonished, he immediately activated his backup protective spell. Yet, the spell continued to work on its own and even summoned greater power!

    This was impossible¡­ it should have been impossible.

    After being shocked, the gray-clothed man then had an expression of frenzied delight.

    Being able to see such an unexpected mystical phenomenon was too amazing!!

    What exactly happened? Just what did this bro transform into!? He really wanted to know. But, it was currently impossible to observe in detail apart from normally watching.

    Suddenly, his vision went dark and then he felt himself turning upside-down. His body spun at a high speed as if he had been sucked into a whirlpool. Unclear chaotic sounds rang in his ears in a wild manner.

    He then suddenly fell onto the ground.

    "This is¡­"

    The gray-clothed man looked around him and saw dense mist appearing which speedily formed into a frighteningly gigantic figure!

    He realized what was about to happen to him the instant that he locked eyes with the figure''s blood-red eyes. It would be obviously impossible for the gray-clothed man to escape.

    "Ahaha¡­ hahahahahaha!!"

    He had no fear at all. Instead, he beganughing loudly and maniacally, to the point where his face distorted.

    ''Truly amusing, this is the best, this is so interesting¡­''

    It was rather regrettable that he couldn''t study this any further. But, having such a result was excellent enough already.

    The gigantic figure rapidly approached him.

    The maniacallyughing gray-clothed man reached out to the figure. Apart from insanity and delight in his eyes, there was even the expression of fervent worship¡­ almost as if he was a devout believer who witnessed a divine miracle.

    *Boom!!!*

    With a loud explosion, blood was sent flying everywhere.

    Seiji and Natsuya took a car to the location that Seiji''s locator spell indicated.

    Shika was riding with them as well. All three were wearing their spiritualbat outfits and weapons, fully prepared for battle.

    He hoped that they would be enough to rescue Kazufuru Ooike¡­ if not, he would have to summon additional backup.

    To Seiji''s surprise, the locator spell indicated that Kazufuru was at the riverside!

    Seiji, Natsuya, and Shika got off the car after they activated a concealing spell so that they wouldn''t be noticed by ordinary people. This concealing spell would also be semi-effective against other Spiritual Ability users.

    They continued following the locator spell''s mark, and¡­ they met a brown-haired beautiful girl wearing Genhana High School''s girls'' uniform!

    "Ooike-san?" Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    The brown-haired girl who had been observing the scenery turned around and looked at Seiji andpany.

    She had a white and clear face and blood-red eyes. She was wearing silver-rimmed sses which gave her a schrly appearance and the very aura of an excellent student. Her face and aura both greatly resembled Kazufuru Ooike!

    The only differences were in the eye color and the body shape¡­ it was quite obvious that this person was female judging from her figure. She was also wearing ck silk stockings which greatly entuated her beauty.

    Natsuya widened her eyes in surprise as well upon seeing this female version of the student council secretary. Shika was the only one whose expression didn''t change.

    "Good morning, Harano-san and President Yoruhana," the brown-haired, red-eyed girl greeted them in a clear voice.

    "Good morning¡­ Are you Ooike-san¡­ Kazufuru Ooike?" Seiji reflexively asked the first thing on his mind.

    "I am Kazufuru Ooike, but also not him. More urately speaking, I''m an existence who signed a contract with him that''s currentlybined with his body," the girl replied.

    "Combined with his body¡­ What exactly are you?"

    "I''m not sure myself. I suppose that you can treat me as something like a ghost. Kazufuru Ooike wished to live and to obtain power, while I responded to his wish. Ibined with his soul and formed the current me, which brought him power and allowed him to live, along with helping him to kill his enemy."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He looked towards Natsuya.

    Natsuya cast Astral Vision and carefully observed the girl before them.

    "What I can see is that she''s simr to Rana in her synchronized state¡­ her body is formed by spiritual power simr to a Spirit-branded Retainer''s," Natsuya whispered to Seiji.

    Simr to Rana¡­ so that meant this phenomenon was simr to how Mikabined with Mashiro!

    Kazufurubined with a mysterious existence and transformed into a girl with a new personality!?

    "Could you exin in more detail about what happened? What''s the current condition of Ooike-san''s soul?" Seiji looked back at the girl and asked some questions.

    "Last night, Kazufuru Ooike was kidnapped while he was asleep. The kidnapper treated him cruelly. As he was about to die, his powerful desire summoned me¡­ and then I killed his kidnapper, left that location, and walked here," the brown-haired girl answered calmly. "His soul is now also my soul, so he''s fine."

    ''His soul is now also my soul? That doesn''t sound fine at all!'' Seijimented in his mind.

    "Although I''m still somewhat confused¡­ You''re currently a dual existence with him, simr to multiple personalities¡­ different personalities with the same body and soul, is that right?" Seiji tried asking.

    "You could understand it that way." The girl nodded.

    This¡­ was really just a female version of Kazufuru Ooike then! A gender change along with a new personality¡­ You''ve acquired a strange trait overnight, Ooike-san!

    Seiji nced at this female Kazufuru and didn''t know what to say next.

    "You said that you killed the kidnapper¡­ Who was the kidnapper? Where was the scene?" Natsuya spoke up next.

    "The kidnapper was the man who previously gave Kazufuru Ooike a cursed item. I killed him within the Domain."

    "''Domain?''"

    "Yes, this is my power. After I arrived¡­ or perhaps I should say was born, I brought that man into my Domain and killed him." The brown-haired girl adjusted her eyesses and spoke as if it was nothing.

    "What type of power is the Domain? What happened to that kidnapper''s corpse?"

    "The Domain is a dimensional space that I can control to a certain extent¡­ Even I don''t know the full details of this power. As for that man''s corpse, it was already devoured by the Domain."

    "Devoured?"

    "It''s nowpletely swallowed up by the Domain, as if it sunk into the ocean. Even I''m unable to retrieve his corpse anymore."

    This sounded like a rather dangerous power. Natsuya and Seiji exchanged nces.

    "What exactly did that man do to Ooike-san?"

    "First, he said that he analyzed how the cursed item was dispelled¡­ basically, why the test product failed," the girl exined. "Then, he said that Kazufuru Ooike had potential and that he was going to perform an experiment. If this experiment seeded, Kazufuru Ooike would be able to be a powerful individual and obtain great strength. The result was that he indeed obtained power, which is me."

    "And then you killed the kidnapper who performed this experiment¡­ truly karma." Seiji sighed.

    "That''s right¡­ Harano-san, what do you think?"

    "Eh?"

    "About the fact that I killed someone." The brown-haired girl looked directly at Seiji with her blood-red eyes.

    Seiji blinked.

    "I don''t think anything of it. You did it for the sake of protecting Ooike-san. It could be called self-defense. This is perfectly understandable," he stated sincerely.

    "¡­You don''t dislike girls that kill people?"

    "Killing others is indeed something bad, but it also depends on the situation. Your situation isn''t one where I would dislike you for it¡­ No, I should say that I don''t have the right to dislike anyone else because of killing others, because I''ve killed someone before as well."

    "I see¡­" Something shed in the girl''s eyes. "Harano-san isn''t a shonen manga superhero after all." Her mouth faintly arced upwards after saying this.

 Chapter 579 - I am the main personality!

    <h4>Chapter 579: I am the main personality!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji felt that her smile was rather subtle.

    Looking at her like this, she was doubtlessly a wonderfully beautiful girl. Her faint smile was quite moving. But, when Seiji thought about how she was basically another personality of Kazufuru Ooike, he felt an indescribable feeling well up within him.

    "How is Ooike-san''s personality right now?" Seiji asked.

    "In a deep sleep. It will take him a minimum of one week to wake up."

    "One week?"

    "Yes. Due to that experiment, my birth, and the burden of using so much power on his body¡­ his personality is going to sleep for one week, or perhaps even longer," the brown-haired girl stated.

    "That sounds rather bad." Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Indeed. I was just considering how I should exin things to the Ooike Family so that they will ept me. Otherwise, I would have been sleeping on the streets tonight."

    "That is indeed an important problem. But, more important is Ooike-san himself, right? What if he never wakes up?"

    "I don''t think that will happen¡­ but it''s indeed possible."

    "Isn''t that quite bad!?"

    "If he is really unable to wake up, I shall properly live on for his sake."

    "Shouldn''t you try waking him up before that!"

    "I have no particr feelings towards him. I hope that he can rest in peace."

    "Please at least have some feelings for him! Don''t just let him rest in peace like that! Besides, isn''t he supposed to be the main personality!!"

    "No, I have an equal rtionship with him¡­ no, wait, I have the power, so I''m stronger. That makes me the main personality!" The brown-haired girl''s eyesses shed.

    "You were just born!!" Seijimented energetically.

    The girl chuckled upon hearing this.

    "Harano-san is truly such an interesting individual. It was quite foolish of him not to be friends with you," she said as sheughed. "Kazufuru Ooike is an idiot, but I''m different from him. I''d be more than happy to¡­ no, I wish to be good friends with Harano-kun. I''d even be willing to be your girlfriend."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    While he didn''t know how to respond to this, Natsuya had a subtle expression while something shed in Shika''s eyes.

    The brown-haired girl nced over at the other two girls and smiled even bigger.

    "Heehee, just joking. Harano-kun doesn''tck in the girlfriend department. I''m not arrogant enough to believe that I can be your girlfriend. Still, I was telling the truth about wanting to be friends with you."

    "¡­Thank you for your interest, although I still don''t really understand you." Seiji sighed. "By the way, what''s your name?"

    "Name¡­ I don''t have one yet." The brown-haired girl tilted her head slightly. "Harano-kun, helpe up with one for me."

    "Why me?"

    "Because you''re the first person who spoke to me after I was born¡­ so you''re basically the first witness to learn about my existence." The girl smiled with a serious expression in her eyes.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    "Kazuko¡­ how about that?" Seiji tried asking.

    "Kazuko?"

    "Yes, as you''re Kazufuru Ooike''s new personality, which is why I borrowed part of his name to make Kazuko. Your full name will be Kazuko Ooike."

    "Kazuko¡­ very nice." The girl nodded. "From this moment onwards, my name shall be Kazuko Ooike."

    Seiji felt a rather subtle sensation from seeing her agree to the name that he came up with.

    "Ooike-san¡­"

    "Call me Kazuko. I like this name that you gave me. Just address me directly by name."

    "¡­Alright, Kazuko-san, is there any method to wake up Ooike-san''s personality?"

    "You''d rather see him instead of me?"

    "That''s not what I mean. I just think that continuing like this won''t be good."

    "There''s nothing bad for me at all. If he continues sleeping, I can continue having this body to myself." Kazuko adjusted her eyesses.

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes as he observed her.

    "Just joking. If he doesn''t wake up for a long time, it''ll affect me as well." Kazuko shed a smile. "There''s a method to wake him up. However, I can''t do it by myself, and need someone to help me."

    "What type of help?"

    "There''s danger involved."

    "Could you please exin first?" Seiji folded his arms.

    "My power over my Domain is connected to our soul, which is why I''m able to open up a path to Kazufuru Ooike''s Domain. But, I can''t ess it by myself, and someone needs to clear the path," Kazuko exined. "There are rampaging demons within the Domain. I can only control them to a certain extent, but can''tpletely control them. I''m also unable to eliminate them, so whoever enters the Domain needs to deal with these demons. It''s impossible to simply avoid the demons and go directly to Kazufuru Ooike''s soul within his section of the Domain. Only by eliminating all the demons and cleansing the entire Domain will he be able to wake up. Otherwise, he won''t wake up no matter what. In summary, someone needs to enter my Domain and kill off arge number of demons in order to wake him up."

    Seiji fell silent once again.

    "There''s no need for you to take this risk and help out. Perhaps he''ll wake up automatically by himself in one week''s time." Kazuko smiled.

    "Kazuko-san¡­ how exactly do you view Ooike-san?"

    "To me, he''s the person who contracted me, an equal existence who signed a contract of coexistence."

    "The two of you share a body and soul¡­ In my opinion, this is an even more intimate rtionship than twin brother and sister," Seiji spoke seriously as he looked directly at her. "Perhaps I''m thinking too much into things. But, I feel that since the two of you have such an intimate rtionship, you should try to get along well with each other. You''re just like a younger sister, and he''s like an older brother. If the older brother is asleep for a week or even longer, the younger sister should naturally be worried. Perhaps you''ll be annoyed and might not even like him being awake, but he''s still your older brother. Just letting him sleep like this¡­ is that really alright?"

    Kazuko slightly widened her eyes.

    "He''s my older brother¡­?" Something shed in her eyes as she muttered to herself. "I didn''t think like that, as the two of us should be equal. Still, I have power, so I''m actually the stronger one. But¡­ this type of feeling isn''t bad at all. After signing the contract, he fell into a deep sleep, so I never really talked to him at all. Letting him wake up early and having a chat seems nice as well."

    Kazuko smiled as she said this. "Are you willing to help, Harano-kun?"

    Seiji smiled as well.

    "It would be my pleasure."

    --------

    Kazuko led them to a nearby apartment where the kidnapper''s researchboratory was located.

    Thick smoke was rising out of the apartmentplex. ording to the bystanders, there had been an explosion. The police and firefighters had already arrived on the scene.

    "Most likely, an emergency self-destruction spell activated on the apartment to erase all the evidence," Natsuya concluded after observing the scene. "I doubt that anything of use would be left behind."

    Everyone then took a car to the student council president''s residence.

    Kazuko recognized the maid Mai through Kazufuru''s memories as the former student council president. Kazuko was both surprised and interested in this.

    "Does Harano-kun like maids?"

    "If I have to say like or dislike, of course like."

    "What''s the truth in your heart?"

    "I love them! Maid attire is one of the best types of attire in the world." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    Mai smiled faintly. Natsuya and Shika were rendered speechless.

    "Such an honest and direct answer." Kazuko chuckled in delight.

    She then twirled around lightly as a red light covered her body. Her school uniform suddenly changed to maid attire!

    And, this maid uniform was a miniskirt type! Combined with ck silk stockings, there was a mesmerizing absolute territory!!

    "How is it, Master?" The brown-haired girl slightly lifted her skirt and curtsied elegantly.

    Seiji received a gigantic impact from this unexpected scene!

    Natsuya was astonished as well. Mai widened her eyes, while Shika narrowed her eyes.

    "Your clothes¡­" Seiji''s gaze was somewhat vacant.

    "I''m capable of changing my clothes at will. No matter what Harano-kun likes, I can wear it just for you." Kazuko''s mouth arced upwards in delight.

 Chapter 580 - What exactly do you want to catch!?

    <h4>Chapter 580: What exactly do you want to catch!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Anything he wanted¡­ Seiji instantly imagined various scenes.

    ''No! Stop!!''

    Before his fantasies could run wild, he forcefully mmed on the brakes and stopped himself from thinking any further.

    "Cough¡­ thank you for your good intentions, but there''s no need."

    "There''s no need to be so reserved. Just treat it as the payment for your assistance. You can ask for anything that you want to see. I personally rmend the bunny girl look." Kazuko smiled.

    Seiji couldn''t help but imagine how alluring she would look in a bunny girl outfit. But, he then immediately shook his head and banished the scene from his mind!

    "I feel like I''ll lose something important if I ask you to do such a thing as payment."

    "No need to worry even if you lose something. I''ll catch it all for you." Kazuko nced towards Seiji''s lower half.

    "What exactly do you want to catch!?"

    At this moment, Seiji suddenly felt like Kazuko was rather simr to Chiaki¡­ the excellent student who was always so serious suddenly acquired a female personality like this? Such a mystery.

    ''Cough, I should stop getting sidetracked. Time for serious business.''

    Seiji and Shika made their preparations in the spellcasting room. Natsuya and Mai observed them.

    Kazuko raised her palm which let out a blood-red glow. A pitch-ck crack instantly appeared in the room''s floor which then opened up in an oval shape with a red polygon inside¡­ this formation appeared quite simr to the Inner World''s formation!

    Seiji''s vision instantly darkened and he felt his body whirling around as faint sounds whirred past his ear. But soon, he suddenly saw everything clearly again.

    He was in a ssroom¡­ a ssroom which resembled one from Genhana High School. However, there were no tables, chairs, or anything else inside. This space simply resembled a ssroom with the windows tightly shut. Everything outside was pitch-ck.

    So, this was Kazuko''s Domain¡­ Seiji thought about its possible connections to the Inner World.

    On one hand, it was because he just witnessed a spell formation simr to the Inner World teleportation formation. On the other hand, this Domain also felt simr to being in the Inner World.

    "They''reing." There was a red sh as Kazuko''s figure appeared in midair. She was half translucent in a form that resembled a ghost.

    The next instant, dense mist started entering the room through the windows. The mist swiftly formed into some dark humanoid figures!

    These ghostly figures all had blood-red holes in their faces where the eyes should have been. They were glowing faintly, had distorted limbs, and stiff movements. Everything about them seemed ominous.

    They suddenly attacked!

    Shika moved first, arcing her body as she stepped forward and unsheathed her Demon de Muramasa and sliced!

    One slice cut two dark figures in half at the waist.

    These figures that were sliced in half shrieked strangely before vanishing into the air.

    Seiji also unsheathed his sword and slew another humanoid figure.

    "It seems that it''s quite easy. Let''s take on a few more at a time, then," Kazuko spoke up.

    The moment she spoke, more dense mist entered the room and created even more dark humanoid figures.

    Seiji and Shika cooperated without need for verbalmunication as they swiftly dealt with this second wave of ghostly figures.

    They then dealt with the third, the fourth, and the fifth wave¡­

    After Seiji and Shika slew at least fifty or sixty dark humanoid figures, the ck mist then formed into a gigantic monster that resembled a gori! There were four eyes on its "face," along with blood-red runes on its body that faintly glowed.

    "This one''s rather strong¡ª"

    Before Kazuko even finished speaking, the monster approached at an astonishing speed and viciously swiped with its ws!

    *Boom!* Explosive red light also shot out from the monster''s hands.

    Seiji and Shika retreated in time to dodge the attack. Shika then swiftly circled around to the monster''s side and lifted her Demon de¡­

    Infliction technique -"Icefall"!

    A powerful chill arose from her de and formed a giant de of ice under the sword as it sliced down. This ice de struck a heavy blow against the monster!

    *Grraaagghhhh!!!"

    The gori monster howled in a hair-raising manner. Its movements grew stiffer due to being affected by the ice de''s chill.

    Sealing technique -"Gather Snow"!

    Shika swung her sword, enveloping the monster in a deep blue mist which magically appeared. The mist then speedily froze into ice whichpletely sealed the monster''s movements.

    Killing technique -"Shatter Ice"!

    A blue sh appeared on her sword as she inserted her de into the giant hulk of ice. The ice then shattered into tiny pieces, including the gori monster inside!!

    This entire process was as smooth as wind over water. Seiji felt as if he was watching an expert League of Legends yer utilize all of a character''s abilities with perfect sequencing. This way ofbat even seemed quite artistic.

    "Beautiful," Seiji praised her.

    Shika responded with a faint smile.

    Upon witnessing this scene, Kazuko was also stunned for a moment by the ck-haired girl''s incredible beauty.

    No more dark mist entered from the windows. This meant that all the "demons" in this section had been cleared out.

    After personally witnessing the rampaging monsters that Kazuko spoke of, Seiji recalled how Zankita Juumonji''s body had been invaded by Hell''s Aura. This felt quite simr to him, especially how those creatures shrieked.

    Did Kazuko''s abilities have a connection to Hell? Or, could it be that the person who made Zankita like that was connected to the person who kidnapped Kazufuru Ooike?

    Perhaps these mysterious individuals were from the same faction.

    There was also that mysterious spell which Akatsuki used on Akasuzume Koogi and Naruo Yashuu¡­ perhaps they were all connected.

    ''I didn''t have a chance to use Cleansing to test things out against the first batch of monsters. I should try it out in a bit,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    If Cleansing was highly effective against these demons, then it would seem more likely that all these things were secretly connected.

    After resting for a few minutes, Seiji and Shika opened the door of the ssroom. They saw a staircase leading downward.

    After walking down the stairs, they arrived at a door.

    Upon entering, Seiji immediately recognized this room as the karate club''s dojo!

    He couldn''t help but recall his duel against Rion, Kotomi, and the entire karate club.

    Just as he was reminiscing about what happened, the mirror on the wall suddenly turned pitch-ck! Large amounts of mist poured out of the mirror and formed into numerous dark humanoid figures.

    Unlike the unarmed figures in the ssroom from earlier, these dark demons were all wielding red swords!

    They wielded their swords and surrounded Seiji and Shika. Their speed was apparently faster than the previous group, increasing the level of danger.

    Cleansing!

    Seiji created a hand seal and cast his spell upon the first demon that approached him.

    *Boom!* The dark figure was vaporized.

    It was supremely effective. He was certain now.

    But then, the red sword from the exploded demon transformed into a red mist which twined around another nearby demon!

    "What''s this?"

    "The demon that''s being possessed by the remaining red mist will be strengthened. Please be careful," Kazuko exined as she continued floating in midair.

    Shika dashed into the group of monsters and left numerous afterimages of herself as she continuously slew the demons.

    All the killed demons'' des transformed into red mist which possessed the remaining demons, making their movements swifter and more dexterous!

    Seeing that there were too many enemies, Shika once again cast her Snow Gather technique to freeze arge group and then destroyed them with Ice Shatter.

    Seiji enchanted his longsword with his own White Lotus technique, creating a mystical de of over ten meters long. A single swing of this de allowed him to y five or six monsters in one go.

    Seiji and Shika had excellent tacit cooperation as they swept through the monsters.

    The monsters continuously appeared and became stronger and stronger due to all the red mist.

    Finally, a giant six-eyed, six-armed monster which wielded six swords appeared, covered in thick-red mist!

    Its six arms were capable of extending and retracting at will. Its wild sword dance was quite dangerous as it would be impossible to dodge all the swords or even block them at close range.

    Its defensive prowess was impressive as well. The red mist acted as a barrier which blocked all attacks! It even blocked Seiji''s Evolved Cleansing technique.

    Seiji came to the conclusion that only a powerful spell would take it down.

    "Shika-chan!" He looked towards his adopted younger sister,municating with his eyes.

    Shika nodded in understanding and swiftly retreated to the rear.

    Seiji cast Evolved Mana Barrier on himself and engaged the monster in singlebat, stalling for time!

    After retreating a certain distance, Shika sheathed her sword, created a seal, and uttered an incantation at maximum speed.

    Soon, a blueish-white glow appeared on her body. A gigantic spell formation slowly appeared before her. Its aura became imposing at a rapid pace.

    "Brother!"

    The instant that the spell was finished, Shika shouted out to Seiji.

    Seiji immediately retreated.

    Destruction technique, "Blizzard"!

    Uponpletion of the spell, the giant spell formation suddenly released a dense white fog which swept across the six-armed monster like a tempest!

 Chapter 581 - Harano-kun is such a pervert

    <h4>Chapter 581: Harano-kun is such a pervert</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The red mist blocked the icy fog. However, the white fog froze the red mist as well! This instantly slowed down therge monster''s movements.

    One more powerful attack was still needed.

    Seiji aimed his hand at the monster, gathered his Mana, and speedily prepared his spell¡­

    [Evolved Mana Bullet]!

    *Boom!!* A powerful golden bullet of light hit the red mist and exploded with blinding light.

    A hole appeared in the red mist barrier from which the white fog poured through. The six-armed monster''s giant body was speedily frozen over.

    "Gaahhhhh!!"

    The monster howled in a raspy voice simr to the previous gori monster. It did its best to struggle, but was still graduallypletely sealed within the ice.

    Finally, Shika destroyed the monster by using Ice Shatter.

    "Thanks to both of you for your hard work. The next section''s numbers and strength will be increased even further. Is that alright?" Kazuko inquired.

    Seiji and Shika exchanged nces.

    "It should be fine."

    "If you think that you can''t go on anymore, tell me immediately."

    "Okay."

    Natsuya patiently waited as she looked at the ck crack on the floor.

    Although she was acting as backup support in name, what she was really doing was surveince.

    It was unknown what Kazuko Ooike truly was. It was impossible to ascertain if she was trustworthy.

    Seiji chose to trust in Kazuko, but he also knew that there would be risks associated with this trust. If it wasn''t for Shika adamantly insisting on following him, he would have entered the Domain all by himself.

    If something seemed wrong, Natsuya would intervene immediately¡­ but she was unsure whether or not she had the power to intervene.

    The power of this Domain was equivalent to top-level space magic! It was a frightfully powerful ability.

    What exactly was that experiment? Just what type of existence did Kazufurubine with? These were questions that she really wanted answers to.

    If she reported this to her family, her family would definitely respond in some manner.

    Natsuya had no intentions of reporting this to her family. This was because Kazufuru was her and Seiji''s ssmate, but also because Natsuya faintly felt as if her family would suffer severe losses if they made any antagonistic moves against Kazuko.

    To be honest, the only reason why she was still able to remain calm when dealing with such a mysterious and powerful existence was mostly because of Seiji.

    Although Kazuko was quite mysterious, Natsuya didn''t believe that she would be any more ridiculous than Seiji. If something truly happened, Seiji would be able to deal with it¡­ she had such a feeling.

    Logically speaking, this was blind belief without any basis. Emotionally speaking, this was a feeling of safety she felt from Seiji.

    This feeling was born after the duel against Akatsuki.

    No matter what it was, Seiji would be able to take care of it. As long as she was by his side, everything would be alright¡­ Natsuya herself knew that this feeling of hers had no logic to it. But, she was unable to eliminate this feeling from within her heart.

    In the end, she was still a girl¡­ a girl in love.

    She would feel safe next to the boy she liked, and couldn''t help but automatically want to rely on him¡­ perhaps not all girls were like this, but Natsuya Yoruhana seemed to foundationally be such a person.

    At any rate, Natsuya believed in Seiji, which was why she was able to calmly and patiently wait for him to emerge from the Domain.

    Inside the Domain.

    "Harano-kun, why do you trust me?"

    After clearing out yet another section of monsters, Kazuko suddenly asked this question.

    "Hmm?" Seiji looked towards her.

    "You should have known already that this would be a dangerous ce even before you entered here. And, this entire Domain is under my control." Kazuko looked at him. "As long as I will it, I can easily harm the two of you¡­ Why is it that you don''t seem to be worried about this at all?"

    "Because you don''t have any reason to harm us."

    "I do have a reason. Kazufuru Ooike used to have a grudge against you."

    "You yourself just said ''used to.'' He''s already put this behind him."

    "Perhaps I''ll still do something to you due to that past grudge of his¡­ Besides, there''s also the possibility that everything I told you was a lie. Maybe I''m actually not some new part of his soul and personality at all. Instead, I could be some demon who overtook his body and memories¡­ have you considered that?"

    "That may be the case. If that''s really true, then I was wrong to believe you." Seiji looked at her. "But, even now, I still believe that I wasn''t wrong in my judgement. You''re not lying to me."

    "So, you actually really believe in your sense of judgement?" Kazuko floated in front of him.

    "You could say that, but more foundationally¡­" Seiji paused for a moment. "It''s that I want to believe in you."

    "Why''s that?"

    "I don''t know how to say it myself. Although I don''t understand you at all, I still want to believe in you¡­ probably because you''re pretty cute."

    Kazuko paused in surprise for a moment when she heard him jokingly praising her like that.

    Then, she giggled.

    "Harano-kun is such a pervert¡­ no, I should call you an hi idiot!"

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a moment.

    "Although I don''t want to admit it, I find this difficult to counter." Seiji''s cheeks twitched.

    He couldn''t help but recall how Hitaka Shuho had also previously called him "pervert" to his face. This situation seemed rather simr to that one.

    The most foundational reason why he didn''t have any worries was actually because he possessed the power to save and load. But, that was a secret he didn''t want to tell anyone about! In such a situation, it would indeed seem like his actions could only be exined as him being an hi idiot¡­

    "If you''re an hi idiot, why''d you refuse the payment I mentioned earlier?"

    "No need to mention that. Even if I''m an hi idiot, there''s various different kinds. I''m a pure gentleman!" Seiji put on a serious expression.

    Kazuko''s giggling instantly increased in volume.

    After she finally finishedughing, she took a closer look at his handsome face.

    "I''m really starting to like you. Please be friends with me, Harano-kun."

    Seiji responded to this sincere invitation with a smile.

    "Please take good care of me in the future, Kazuko-san."

    After resting for a while, they continued their conquest.

    This was just like ying a dungeon role-ying game. Seiji and Shika continuously cleared out each section of all the demons and kept going downwards.

    Finally, they fought against a giant werewolf monster in the school auditorium!

    This monster had the ability to change between human and wolf form. Its human form dual-wielded a sword and a battle hammer for vicious attacks, while its werewolf form would exhale powerful breath and rush at them. This monster also had the ability to spawnrge amounts of smaller monsters, making it difficult to deal with.

    Seiji and Shika had a fierce battle with this monster that pushed them to the brink. Their protective Mana Barriers were shattered countless times.

    If either of them had faced this monster alone, they would have definitely been injured against such a powerful opponent. It was possible that the injuries might even be serious.

    Yet they were fighting as two, as adopted brother and sister that had excellent tacit cooperation. If one was suppressed, the other would immediately act as backup support. Although this fight seemed quite dangerous, neither was even injured.

    And, the two''s tacit cooperation increased more and more through this fight. They didn''t even need to talk to know what the other would do or wanted to do. They would then act ordingly in unison.

    Shika felt that this feeling of being connected in heart and soul was amazing.

    As long as she was together with Brother Seiji, even battling would feel fun.

    For just an instant, she even wanted this fierce battle tost a little longer.

    *Whoosh!!*

    The enemy monster suddenly spat out thick blood-red breath which rushed at them like a rushing ocean wave. It was unavoidable.

    Yet, Shika wasn''t afraid at all. That was because the very next instant, her adopted older brother''s tall figure appeared before her.

    Reversal technique, "Dragon Counterattack"!

    Seiji cast his spell with his sword, causing countless tiny spell formations to appear in front of him. These spell formations blocked and received the werewolf monster''s powerful breath attack as Seiji twirled his sword and transformed the attack''s power into a golden light that formed into a majestic dragon¡­

    "Taste the dragon''s de!" Seiji shouted out Genji from Overwatch''s quote as he swung his longsword and used the coolest golden divine dragon to counterattack!!

    The dragon soared through the air with imposing majesty.

    Shika''s eyes lit up at the sight. Kazuko''s eyes were glittering as well.

    *Boom!!*

    The giant divine dragonpletely devoured the werewolf monster! The explosion was as blindingly brilliant as a fireworks disy.

    ''So cool¡­'' Both girls were simultaneously awed by the scene.

 Chapter 582 - In the end, Iâ€™m still too poor

    <h4>Chapter 582: In the end, I¡¯m still too poor</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    They finally defeated the werewolf monster.

    Seiji suddenly felt his body heating up. A warmth spread throughout his entire body¡­ this sensation was quite simr to when he was strengthened after signing a Spirit-branded Retainer contract with Natsuya!

    "My strength¡­ my Spiritual Power has increased," Seiji stated what he noticed out loud as he nced towards Shika.

    "My power went up as well," Shika said as she met his gaze.

    Both of them then looked at Kazuko.

    Kazuko blinked. "I don''t know about this¡­ This isn''t under my control."

    "You don''t know?"

    "I don''t. As I mentioned, I don''t know the exact powers of my own Domain."

    Seiji didn''t know what to say.

    After eliminating all the demons, his power increased¡ªthis was quite simr to the specialty of the Inner World where "defeating all the powerful monsters there would allow the person summoned there to increase in power level"!

    Was this so-called Domain also an Inner World?

    Was Kazuko Ooike''s Domain ability the power to open up a portal to and control an Inner World?

    Just as he was thinking about this, his system suddenly gave him a notification as words appeared before him¡­

    [You have been rewarded for cleansing an Inner World for the first time. Soul World - Spirit House is now avable.]

    "Spirit House?"

    This new term caught Seiji''s attention.

    He really wanted to immediately check the exnation. Unfortunately, now wasn''t the time, so he could only put it off untilter.

    Although, the term [cleansing an Inner World for the first time] was confirmation from his dating sim system that it recognized the Domain as an Inner World.

    In that case, since Kazuko was able to open up and control an Inner World, didn''t that make her just like a game master who was capable of freely opening up and controlling an excellent cultivation ground!?

    Seiji''s eyes instantly lit up when he came to this conclusion.

    If he could obtain Kazuko''s assistance, it would be much safer for his friends to practice cultivation.

    Going to a Spirit World would entail unknown risks. There might be powerful and terrifying monsters, shes against other Spiritual Ability users, or they might get identally dragged into a dangerous Inner World.

    However, Kazuko''s Domain could control the degree of risk. It would also be possible to leave immediately if one was injured?

    However, the demons present here might be rted to Hell. Would they bring a negative influence for the Awakened?

    Seiji cooled his passion as he thought about this potential problem.

    No matter what, he should finish what he came to do first.

    The next area was the final destination of their little excursion¡ªthe ce where Kazufuru Ooike resided.

    Seiji and Shika left the auditorium and walked downstairs to open the final door. As expected, the final area was the student council room.

    The student council secretary had a half translucent body and was wearing the Genhana High School boys'' uniform as he floated in midair and slept.

    Kazuko was unable to enter Kazufuru''s area, which was why she didn''t fly here. If she was present and flying next to him, they would basically be like identical twin ghosts.

    Seiji walked over and called out to him, "Ooike-san, it''s time for you to wake up."

    Kazufuru didn''t react.

    "Wake up! Kazufuru Ooike!!" Seiji increased his volume.

    Kazufuru twitched slightly. However, he still didn''t open his eyes.

    "Student council secretary Kazufuru Ooike! Don''t sleep in the student council room!! Hurry and get up!!!"

    Kazufuru twitched again and had an expression of difort as he slowly opened his eyes.

    "¡­Harano-san?"

    "Yep, it''s me. You''ve finally woken up." Seiji smiled.

    "I¡­ What exactly¡­" Kazufuru had a confused expression as if he was still unclear what was going on.

    "We went to great trouble to arrive here and wake you up. So, don''t be going back to sleep." Seiji looked directly at him. "If you can''t recall what happened, just take your time slowly. The most important thing right now is to maintain your consciousness."

    Kazufuru blinked. "Was I¡­ saved¡­ by you again?"

    "No, not me. All I did was wake you up. Someone else is responsible for saving you."

    "Someone else¡­ who?"

    "You should be able to remember. You signed a contract with her."

    "Contract¡­" Kazufuru furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Sign the contract¡­" This sentence suddenly appeared from deep within his mind.

    He then realized what was going on.

    Seiji saw the light of understanding enter Kazufuru''s eyes. Then, Seiji''s vision darkened as he felt himself spinning. Soon, he returned to the spellcasting room.

    Kazuko appeared in front of him with a red sh.

    She retracted her hand, causing the portal to the Domain to close and the crack in the ground to disappear.

    "I would like to have a private discussion with Kazufuru Ooike. Could you please arrange a quiet location for me?"

    Seiji looked towards Natsuya, while Natsuya looked towards Mai. Mai simply smiled.

    "Please follow me, Miss Ooike."

    Kazuko then followed Mai out of the room.

    "How were things?" Natsuya asked out of concern.

    "The process was a little dangerous. But as you can see, none of us are injured," Seiji replied.

    "That''s good, then. You''ve both worked hard. Have a rest here."

    "Yeah."

    ---------

    As he rested in the guest room, Seiji opened up his dating sim system and inspected the new [Spirit House] option under the [Soul World] category.

    The system''s exnation was "A spiritual house which has all sorts of functions. 33 points are required to open the door to this house each time. You may remain inside for six hours at a time. If you go over the time limit, an additional payment will be required."

    This simple exnation caused Seiji to widen his eyes.

    This was just like a personal dimensional space! Was it an ability simr to Kazuko''s Domain¡­?

    No Mana or Soul Energy was required to open the door to the Spirit House. Rather than calling it an ability, it was more like an "item."

    Seiji chose the [Spirit House] option to see that there were two options under it called [Living Room] and [Dojo].

    The exnation said that the [Living Room] required a payment of 233 points to construct. This would allow any person who had a favorability and connectivity rating of over 70 with him to enter the [Spirit House] together with him. Each additional person entering would require another 23 points as the entry fee.

    The [Dojo] required a fee of 666 points to construct. This location would allow the user to practice cultivation. There would be an hourly charge of 16 points for each person practicing cultivation. Those who spent less than an hour''s worth of time would still be charged the full price per hour.

    Damn it, this was a true gold sink!!

    Seiji''s eyes started twitching.

    Previously, his system had introduced the brand-new [Character Reward Card] random draw system which was an obvious attempt to lure him into spending money! He had been so conflicted and pained as he finally managed to restrain himself from wasting his own carefully hard-earned points.

    He''d never expected that it would be such a short time before this damned system introduced yet another new product in an attempt to make him spend his points!

    "An extravagant personal space where I can cultivate safely and efficiently at any time, even together with my friends. You only need a first installment of 899¡­" Seiji felt as if he was hearing such an advertisement.

    Dating sim system: "Heehee, I''m not afraid of you not spending points."

    Seiji was feeling too helpless to even imagine his system as a fairy that he could vent upon.

    This [Spirit House] was truly expensive! But when considering the future, he felt that it was definitely necessary to buy it.

    It was an entire personal dimensional space! So many main characters in so many stories relied on this for great convenience! Pricing such a function at only 899 seemed actually quite cheap?

    No, no, wait!

    He forced himself to change his way of thinking.

    Upon closer consideration, did he really need this [Spirit House]? He could go to a Spirit World to cultivate or ask for Kazuko''s assistance. Was this really necessary?

    But, the Spirit World was dangerous, while the demons in Kazuko''s domain were problematic. Plus, it wasn''t a sure thing if she would be willing to help.

    Besides, all things the system had provided to him so far had been quite valuable. It could even be said that they were worth far more than their price tag. Perhaps this [Dojo] in the [Spirit House] would help him to cultivate with extreme efficiency, or give him ess to even more powerful functions in the future¡­

    Seiji thought about that as he checked his current points count before sighing.

    "In the end, I''m still too poor."

 Chapter 583 - Are you usually fighting for the sake of justice?

    <h4>Chapter 583: Are you usually fighting for the sake of justice?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Cultivation required points, the random draw required points, and the [Spirit House] he wanted also required points¡­ Even though he obtained arge number of points from the poprity of "Brother Monogatari", he still didn''t have enough points.

    Although he really wanted to see what the [Spirit House] was like, he decided to leave this huge gold sink alone for the time being.

    Seiji closed his system''s menu as he thought about this.

    Seiji went to the living room and saw that Kazuko and Natsuya were sitting there and quietly sipping tea together.

    "You''ve finished discussing things with Kazufuru?" Seiji inquired.

    "Yeah. He''s epted my presence, but he doesn''t want to forever remain like this. He wants to separate from me," Kazuko told him.

    "Is there a way to separate the two of you?"

    "I don''t know. Theoretically speaking, there needs to first be an appropriate new body as a vessel, and then someone needs to split my soul from his to transfer one of us to the new body. This should be quite difficult, don''t you think?"

    Seiji looked towards Natsuya.

    "It''s not merely difficult, it''s basically impossible," Natsuya stated. "At least, it''s impossible from what I know. I don''t know of anyone who''s capable of splitting souls like this. Separating a single soul into two independent existences? This is no different from splitting a living person into two living persons. It''s ridiculous."

    "It''s possible to split an earthworm into two living earthworms," Seiji mused.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    "I apologize, that was a terrible joke." Seiji sincerely apologized.

    "It''s alright. Besides, it''s Kazufuru that wants to separate, not me," Kazuko spoke calmly. "I feel that living like this is fine, but he can''t ept the situation."

    Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    If he loaded back to yesterday and prevented Kazufuru''s kidnapping, he could probably prevent this from happening to Kazufuru.

    But, would it really be alright to "delete" Kazuko from the world?

    Preventing her birth was different from killing her. However¡­

    Kazuko was the true individual responsible for saving Kazufuru, and she currently existed right here and now! Although her origin was quite mysterious, she seemed like a nice girl. Kazufuru himself had epted her as well. The part that he couldn''t ept was that he and Kazuko now shared a single body.

    "Perhaps that kidnapper''s faction has a method to separate the two of you." Seiji folded his arms. "Although that man is dead now, it''s quite likely that he belonged to a faction. Maybe we can find something out if we investigate this faction."

    "That sounds reasonable, but how are we supposed to investigate?"

    "That man is dead now¡­ he''s gone missing, so the faction he belongs to will surely send someone to investigate. You can catch their members when theye looking for Ooike-san¡­"

    "So, you''re saying to catch anyone thates for an interrogation?" Kazuko blinked.

    "That''s exactly what I mean¡­ although the prerequisite is that theye."

    Everyone fell silent once again.

    "I suppose that''s all we can do." The brown-haired, eyesses-wearing Kazuko raised her teacup and sipped on some tea. "If someonees to try and kidnap Kazufuru again, I''ll capture the kidnapper rather than killing him and interrogate him for relevant information. And if nobodyes, we''ll have to enjoy our life together as it is."

    "By the way¡­ Have you decided upon what payment you''d like to receive?" Kazuko smiled and changed the topic after a pause.

    "Shika-chan and I already received our reward from cleansing the Domain."

    "That doesn''t count. If you don''t say anything, I''ll carry out the default option and show you myself naked, wearing only an apron."

    "Why is that the default option!?"

    "If you don''t want to see the naked apron, the next option is a swimsuit."

    "Swimsuit sounds more normal¡­"

    "It''s a V-shaped spaghetti strap swimsuit."

    "Correction! The style is no longer normal!!"

    "After the swimsuit option is the bathrobe option."

    "That sounds quite normal as well but I refuse to be fooled any more! Also, hurry and seal away the first two options!!"

    "Bathrobe (fully soaked wet edition)."

    "I knew it wouldn''t be normal!!"

    Although Seiji was verbally retorting, he still couldn''t help but imagine such hi scenes. He was simply such a gentleman.

    "I truly don''t need such a payment¡­ But, I do have a request for you. I''d like to ask you to open up your Domain in the future so that me and my friends can train there."

    "For you and your friends to train there?" Kazuko tilted her head slightly.

    "Yeah. Me, Shika-chan, and our other friends."

    "What are your other friends like?"

    "They''re all members of a team I established. You could say that we''re a Spiritual Ability user fighting team," Seiji exined.

    "A Spiritual Ability user fighting team¡­ Are you all usually fighting for the sake of justice?" Kazuko adjusted her eyesses.

    "No¡­ We just established our team not long ago, and we''re not that strong. We need to first be stronger."

    "I see. That''s why you wanted to make use of my Domain to increase everyone''s strength."

    "Yes. This is basically like cultivation." Seiji nodded in affirmation.

    "Cultivation¡­ such a hot-blooded word." The brown-haired girl smiled. "Alright, I''ll open up my Domain again just for you. Call me at any time that you need to use it."

    "Thank you."

    "No need to be so polite with me. Please treat me as an easy girl that you can call on or use at any time."

    "I won''t do such a thing at all!"

    "What''s with being able to improve one''s strength in her Domain?" Natsuya inquired.

    "Kazuko-san''s Domain is actually the Inner World," Seiji exined to the student council president.

    "Inner World¡­" Something shed in Natsuya''s eyes.

    "What''s the Inner World?" Kazuko wasn''t familiar with this term.

    Seiji then exined the Inner World to Kazuko.

    "Spirit Worlds¡­ they sound quite interesting. I''d really like to see one." Kazuko was quite interested in this topic.

    "It''s quite dangerous there. There''s not only Spiritual Creatures, there''s also Spiritual Ability users that go there¡­" Seiji lectured her quite seriously. "Kazuko-san, your Domain power is quite amazing. But, precisely because it''s amazing, others might take interest in you. I believe that it''s best to keep a low profile and not attract attention."

    "Yeah, I know not to cause trouble." Kazuko expressed her understanding. "Still, I really do want to check out a Spirit World, along with seeing what an Inner World is like. Perhaps I''ll be able to better understand my own power if I canpare these ces to my Domain."

    "Oh, there''s also one more thing about your Domain¡­"

    Seiji exined to her how the demons there might be connected to Hell.

    "Hell, the eternal inferno of unending darkness¡­ If those demons are actually from Hell, wouldn''t that make me the ''Guardian of Hell''?" Kazuko''s eyesses shed.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    This sounded like a chuunibyou name for some elite boss from a game like Diablo.

    "Does Harano-kun n on going to Spirit Worlds?" Kazuko then asked this question.

    "I do."

    "Could you take me along with you?"

    Seiji considered this question.

    Kazuko had great power and was fully capable of protecting herself. Perhaps she would even be of great assistance.

    "You''re certain that you want to go?"

    "Yes, I want to go." Kazuko was quite adamant.

    "Alright, we can go together." Seiji agreed.

    "Thank you, Harano-kun. I shall wear fis stockings and trample on you as payment."

    "I don''t want that at all!"

    "I could let you lick my feet instead."

    "I don''t have such a hobby!"

    He would prefer to lick ckce stockings¡­ No, wait, what was he thinking!

    The brown-haired eyesses girl said goodbye and left after finishing her tea.

    "What do you think?" Seiji looked towards Natsuya.

    "She''s a powerful and mysterious existence¡­ I don''t know what exactly she is, but it seems that she has no ill intentions towards us. She seems almost like an ordinary girl who simply possesses special powers," Natsuya gave her opinion.

    "Actually, I think that she''s rather simr to Yomi," Seiji mentioned.

    "Your bonded spirit¡­"

    "Yeah. They''re both powerful yet mysterious existences with unknown origins¡­ I''d really like to hear Yomi''s opinion on this, but as usual, she''s ignoring me." Seiji sighed. "But at the very least, this probably means that Kazuko-san isn''t someone very dangerous."

    "Is this why you believe in her?"

    "That''s one of the factors."

    Seiji finished his tea, and Natsuya refilled his tea for him.

    "Are you considering adding Kazuko-san to your Spiritual Ability user team?" Natsuya asked him after refilling his tea.

 Chapter 584 - I could also try wearing that for you

    <h4>Chapter 584: I could also try wearing that for you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "I haven''t¡­ but I suppose I also am." Seiji paused for a moment. "I would have considered inviting her already if it wasn''t for my worry regarding how her Domain''s demons might have negative influences on the other members. With her ability, it would be much safer for my Knight Order to cultivate in her Domain rather than in a Spirit World."

    "Even without the ability to cultivate in her Domain, her personalbat strength alone makes her worthy of an invitation," Natsuya assessed.

    "Yeah. Her strength is quite valuable. Even if she can''t assist in our cultivation, she''s someone worth the effort to recruit. The issue is what we can give her in return."

    "She seems to be quite fond of you. Perhaps she''ll ept as long as you take her as a girlfriend."

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    "Just joking." Natsuya averted her gaze. "But¡­ I do feel slightly displeased about your conversation with her." She started pouting slightly.

    The jealous student council president was so cute!

    Seiji was instantly moved by the sight.

    By the time that he regained his senses, he discovered that he was already sitting down next to and hugging her.

    Natsuyay softly in his arms as she started blushing.

    ''Such a cute mega-beautiful girl is my girlfriend''¡ªjust realizing this made Seiji feel that he was truly blessed!

    "I apologize for making you displeased, I don''t have any particr thoughts about her¡­"

    "I know," Natsuya replied softly in a kitten-like voice. "But, I still feel a little emotional¡­ I''m the one who should apologize."

    Seiji couldn''t help but pat her on the head and then run his hand through her silky hair. He gently raised her head and approached.

    "Ahhh enn¡­"

    Tender and soft lips together with such a sweet kiss.

    This wondrous sensation was quite addicting¡­ no, he was already addicted! Seiji felt like he could do this for the entire day if he didn''t restrain himself.

    Of course, it was also possible that if they kept kissing, a certain type of censored scene would end up urring.

    Natsuya started out by passively epting the kiss. But, she then started bing proactive as she hugged him even tighter and sought even more.

    She felt his love being transmitted to her through a wondrous sensation as he responded gently. A gentle warmth was injected into her body, helping to gradually soothe her inner frustrations.

    After a long period of time passed, their lips finally separated.

    All negative emotions werepletely eliminated as her body was filled a feeling of safety and warmth. Natsuya felt that she was truly fortunate.

    "Seiji¡­ you mentioned that you really like maid attire¡­" Natsuya spoke cutely as her face reddened. "I could also try wearing that for you."

    Natsuya in maid attire?

    Seiji got all excited just from imagining the scene!

    A ssic long maid dress or a maid miniskirt''s sexiness both seemed toplement her quite well! It would make her charisma level go through the roof!!

    And if she also lifted up her skirt and shyly said "Master, please give me your orders~"¡­ Ohhhhhhh!!

    Just his wild fantasies alone made him feel like he was about to turn into a raging beast!

    "That¡­ would be quite awesome¡­" Seiji almost wanted to cover his face. He did his very best to not show off any strange expressions.

    "Also, a bunny girl outfit would be fine as well¡­" Natsuya''s eyes were as clear as water as she had a seductive expression. "A swimsuit or bathrobe is also fine. Just¡­ a naked apron would be a little difficult for me."

    Ahhhhh!! He was going to transform! He was going to explode!!

    He suddenly received an unexpected fierce aerial bombardment! The enemy''s attack was far too fearsome! Sergeant Haruta was about to lose the battle!!

    Seiji''s self-control was seriously shaken.

    Just as his sense of reason was about to slide over the brink, a loud *clink!* sound suddenly startled him.

    The sound was from Shika Kagura.

    The ck-haired girl had arrived some unknown period of time ago and was sitting next to them while quietly sipping on some tea. She had just forcefully ced her teacup on the table as she poured more tea for herself while silently looking at the couple in front of her that was emanating fiery waves of passion.

    Seiji and Natsuya both froze solid.

    The sweet atmosphere instantly cooled down.

    Seiji let go of Natsuya while she adjusted her posture. Both of them coughed in unison as they took their teacups and also sipped tea.

    This tea was so wonderful¡­

    Although such an incident happened, Seiji didn''t want to skip an entire day of sses because of it.

    Seiji put on his school uniform and went back to Genhana High School. To his surprise, he saw that Kazufuru was there as well.

    Even though Kazufuru could have taken a day off, he immediately came back to school after regaining control of his own body. As expected of an excellent student.

    "Could we talk for a little while?" Kazufuru walked over to Seiji during lunch break.

    "Of course," Seiji agreed.

    As Mika, Chiaki, and the other students watched, the two of them exited the ssroom together.

    "Ooike-san and Harano-san¡­ what''s going on?"

    "Could it be that they actually have a thing for each other?"

    "No, it''s more like they''re finally going to duel! It''s all for President Yoruhana!"

    "The hell with a duel! Nobody would have even a one percent possibility of defeating the Magic-Devouring Dragon. He''s undefeatable."

    "Both of them arrived sote today. Did something happen?"

    As always, all the spectating students were quite gossipy.

    Mika and Chiaki were quite curious as well. But, they didn''t need to gossip, because they knew that Seiji would tell them what happened if they asked him afterwards.

    "This time¡­ Thank you, again."

    "No need to be so polite. I actually didn''t do very much. Even if I left you alone, you probably could have woken up by yourself."

    The two boys were now having a discussion in a quiet corner.

    "No, I might have slept for a very long time if it wasn''t for you." Kazufuru shook his head. "Even if I only remained asleep for a week, that would have been quite troublesome¡­ I''m quite grateful to you and Kagura-san."

    Seiji responded with a smile. He then asked, "Could I ask what exactly you think of Kazuko-san?"

    "She saved my life¡­ I would have died if it wasn''t for her, although I don''t know if she''s a ghost, demon, or something else." Kazufuru sighed. "The price is that she gets to have half of my life. Although it''s quite a severe price to pay, I can only ept."

    "Although you''ve epted it, you don''t want to leave things just like this, is that right?"

    "Yeah. I want to separate from her and return to a normal life¡­ if it''s still possible." Kazufuru adjusted his eyesses.

    This behavior was the exact same as Kazuko''s¡­ no, it should be that Kazuko''s behavior was the same as Kazufuru''s.

    "Natsuya said that it would be impossible. But, that''s only as far as she knows. It might not be impossible at all."

    It was currently a "new generation" with all sorts of strange phenomenon urring. Something that appeared impossible might not actually be impossible at all.

    "Kazuko-san feels that it will be fine to simply live together with you with both of you in the same body. But, she''s also willing to search for a way to separate. As long as the two of you reach a mutual understanding and work hard together, there will be hope," Seiji spoke sincerely.

    "Yeah¡­" Kazufuru nodded.

    Both of them then fell silent.

    Just as Seiji was considering inviting Kazufuru to eat lunch together for the first time in a long time, something shed in Kazufuru''s eyes as he clenched his fists and apparently came to a decision.

    "Harano-san¡­ I have a request."

    "Eh?"

    "It''s impossible for just myself and her to return me to a normal life," Kazufuru spoke seriously as he looked directly at Seiji. "I''m just an ordinary high school student. And, although Kazuko has special powers, she doesn''t have any particr special knowledge. We needpanions¡­ trustworthy and reliable Spiritual Ability userpanions that can help us to achieve our goal. Otherwise, simply relying on ourselves will be like trying to find our way alone through the darkness. It would be way too difficult. That''s why, although it''s something that really makes me lose face, and even can be called shameless¡­ I still want to request of you, Harano-san¡­ Please help me once again!!!"

    The excellent student lowered his head and bowed at an angle of ny degrees.

    Seiji was astonished to see him requesting in such a formally serious manner.

 Chapter 585 - Indeed, itâ€™s been a long time

    <h4>Chapter 585: Indeed, it¡¯s been a long time</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "Please, raise your head, Ooike-san," Seiji spoke after he recovered from his astonishment.

    Kazufuru slowly straightened himself.

    Seiji could tell that Kazufuru''s expressioncked energy and luster.

    "Just an ordinary high school student¡­" Indeed, that was the case for Kazufuru. He was kidnapped by a vicious viin, almost died, and then obtained a mysterious alternate personality with unknown origins. This would be nothing more than a terrible experience for an ordinary student.

    Kazufuru had already mentally copsed once when he received a cursed item. And now, a mysterious existence had taken over half of his life. The fact that he could remain calm right now was already impressive.

    He had epted Kazuko''s existence. Yet, she was still an unknown to him, so he probably still felt some resistance somewhere deep inside him.

    He wanted to return to a normal life, but felt that he didn''t have the means to do so as he was only an ordinary person. Even though the mystical existence within him would assist him, he still felt doubtful that it could be aplished. That was why Kazufuru sought out reliablepanions.

    "I''d like to confirm first, when you saypanions, you meanpanions who will mutually assist each other, right? If I need assistance, you and Kazuko-san will assist me as well, is that correct?"

    "Yeah." Kazufuru nodded. "Although I don''t really have any powers¡­"

    "In that case, you don''t need to lower your head to me at all. You''d be greatly helping me out," Seiji told him sincerely. "Kazuko-san''s powers are quite amazing. I would greatly benefit if she became my ally. And, Ooike-san, since you share a body and soul with her, I believe that you should have incredible potential as well. In fact, I''m the one who can''t promise anything about being able to sessfully separate the two of you. I can only promise to do my best with anything that I may be of help with. Whenparing this, I''m the one who obviously benefits more. It''s not that fair if we be teammates like this. That''s why I promise that if I can''t help you achieve your goal after a long period of time, I shall pay you an appropriate amount suitable to how much you helped me in this time. Will that be alright?"

    A fair cooperative rtionship where both sides would help each other.

    ''It''s just like Kazuko said,'' Kazufuru thought to himself.

    "If you think that just the two of us aren''t enough, then ask for Harano-kun''s assistance and be hispanion. My powers are useful to him, so he''ll definitely agree. He''ll surely offer us a fair equal-standing agreement. The only obstacle in asking for his assistance is your pride¡­ or your way of being reserved, Kazufuru. When thinking about the rest of your life, you should decide what to do about your way of being reserved, and whether to give it up."

    Those were Kazuko''s exact words.

    Kazuko was a new personality who had formed frombining with his own soul¡­ Kazufuru heldplex feelings towards her.

    He felt that continuing like this was no good. No matter how good of a mutual understanding they had, sharing a body with her meant that it would be impossible for him to have a normal life!

    He wanted to find a way to separate, but it would be far too difficult just by himself. That was why he asked for help.

    Apart from asking Seigo Harano, another option would have been for him to ask Natsuya Yoruhana. However, Kazuko had refused to ept that.

    "I know about your past feelings for President Yoruhana. Precisely because of this, I don''t wish to have anything to do with her."

    Although Kazufuru considered this option, he truly didn''t want to ask Natsuya for assistance, either. He felt that this would be even morecking in self-respectpared to lowering his head to his ssmate Seigo¡­ the fact that Kazuko rejected this idea beforehand made him feel as if she understood his way of thinking. Should he say that it was to be expected of an alternate personality formed from himself?

    In the end, just as Kazuko said, it was a problem of how reserved he was.

    Kazufuru came to a decision after some hesitation.

    He also felt somewhat assuaged after hearing Seigo say he had potential, even though he knew that Seigo was only being polite. As for the promise, there wasn''t much to say about it.

    "That sounds quite reasonable¡­ Thank you, Harano-san."

    "No need to be so polite. I''m delighted to reach an ord with you." Seiji smiled as he reached out his hand. "Please take good care of me in the future, Ooike-kun."

    Seigo''s way of addressing him had changed from -san to the more familiar -kun!

    Kazufuru felt an indescribable subtle sensation when he noticed the change of honorifics.

    Looking at the hand that Seigo proffered, Kazufuru also reached out and shook his hand.

    Seigo''s hand wasrge, thick, warm, and strong.

    "¡­Please take good care of me in the future, Harano-kun."

    Kazufuru almost wanted to avert his gaze as he shook Seigo''srge hand and said such words. However, he managed to reflexively restrain himself.

    He wasn''t sure why he had such an impulse, nor did he understand what his subtle sensation was¡­ but if girls with certain interests had witnessed this scene, they would surely be excited to the point of screaming.

    Seiji never expected that he managed to recruit an individual with special powers so easily. He could only inwardly exim to himself as he retracted his hand.

    Agreeing to help Kazufuru and Kazuko separate was a task deemed "impossible" by Natsuya. It was indeed impossible for him to promise sess. That was why he never even considered using this as a way to invite them into his team. Yet, Kazufuru brought it up himself.

    And so, Seiji naturally agreed to work together and bepanions. This was an unexpected lucky urrence for him!

    "How about eating lunch together with us?" Seiji naturally invited Kazufuru.

    "Lunch¡­ together with Uehara-san and Wakaba-san?"

    "Yeah."

    "Sure," Kazufuru agreed.

    "It''s been such a long time." Seiji smiled as he thought back to his first meeting with Kazufuru.

    Kazufuru also recalled their first meeting.

    Not that long had actually passed, but it felt as if a year had passed already¡­ Fine, technically, a new year had indeed arrived!

    "Indeed, it''s been a long time." Kazufuru smiled as well.

    Seiji told Mika and Chiaki that Kazufuru ended up Awakening to special powers due to a certain incident, and that he helped out Kazufuru in this incident.

    Seiji didn''t mention the specifics, as Kazufuru didn''t want people to know.

    After all, being kidnapped, having a strange experiment being performed on him, and gaining a new strange personality that was capable of transforming him into an actual girl was something quite difficult to tell others about.

    Mika and Chiaki were both rather curious, but were also polite enough not to pry.

    The four of them ate and chatted together and had fun eating lunch.

    "I feel that Ooike-san has changed quite a lot," Chiakimented after lunch. "I like this you much better than before."

    "Should I interpret this as praise?" Kazufuru adjusted his eyesses.

    "It''s up to you." Chiaki smiled. "I''m simply voicing my own opinion."

    "You''re the same as always, Wakaba-san."

    "Thank you for your praise, Secretary-sama." Chiaki bowed formally.

    Kazufuru looked at her. "N¡­ no, I think you did change after all." He changed what he just said. "Compared to before¡­pared to before Harano-kun arrived, I think that you''re even more open and free-spirited."

    Chiaki blinked upon hearing this. She then chuckled as she looked towards Seiji. "You''ve said something quite nice, Ooike-san. I like you."

    Kazufuru wasn''t foolish enough to interpret this as Chiaki liking him romantically.

    Previously, he had tried so hard to be friends with Chiaki Wakaba, but had always received rejection. He never expected that saying such a sentence would obtain her recognition!

    Was it because he had be Seigo''s teammate?

    No, it was because he had changed.

    He didn''t know exactly how to exin what had changed about himself. But, he would no longer be like how he had been in the past.

    "What do you think about Mika, then? Has she changed after Seigo''s arrival?" Chiaki asked such a question.

    "Uehara-san¡­" Kazufuru turned to look at the twintailed girl. "I think¡­ that she''s be more mature."

    "That''s another nice assessment. What do you think, Mika?"

    "It''s fine." Mika was actually quite happy inside as she looked towards Seiji.

    Seiji responded with a smile.

    There was nobody who would never change. For young people in particr, they would mature quite swiftly as time passed and they experienced various things.

    Normal experiences were experiences, while dangerous experiences were also experiences. The important part was to constantly progress forward.

    The prime of youth was simply beautiful.

 Chapter 586 - Why does it seem so immoral?

    <h4>Chapter 586: Why does it seem so immoral?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After school.

    Seiji headed over to the Juumonji mafia group''s residence and exined to Hisashi about training in the Domain.

    Hisashi fell silent when he learned that the demons there might be connected to Hell and influence him negatively. But, he then broke out intoughter.

    "I''ve already been through the real Hell. Who cares about some Domain?"

    "I apologize for treating you like an experimental subject." Seiji was truly apologetic.

    "Kaede and I are definitely the best choices when considering that we should be more resistant against Hell''s influence. And since it''s an experiment, simply me going alone will be sufficient." Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. "This is a reasonable arrangement. I understand how it is. There''s no need for you to apologize."

    Seiji could only smile in response to Hisashi''s smile. "I shall prepare a full set of equipment for you, and then contact you about the time for the training."

    He then asked about how little Anna was doing. Hisashi told him that everything was well and that the artificial intelligence Anna was being an excellent financial advisor for his investments.

    Kazuhiko Haiga was also living a quiet and peaceful life, just like an ordinary otaku.

    Seiji said goodbye after chatting for a while.

    Later that night, he contacted Hana and exined the basic situation about Kazufuru to her.

    "You''ve even gathered a transgender individual to make your harem even more abundant. Congrattions~"

    "That''s not it at all!"

    ''I really did start a harem, though¡­ but I don''t dare to tell her that.'' Seiji felt rather guilty inside.

    "The important part is her Domain ability. If those demons have no negative influence on the Awakened, it means that we have a great training grounds for cultivation that we can enter and exit freely at any time. It''ll be far safer to train there than in a Spirit World," Seiji told Hana seriously. "It''s a great thing for such an individual to be our teammate. In exchange, we need to help them separate from each other and obtain any relevant information to this process."

    "Split a soul in half and separate them into two individuals¡­ I think it''s impossible. It''s not like humans are earthworms." The cat-eared hat girl on theputer screen folded her arms.

    ''I''ve already used that analogy, dear younger sister.''

    "Natsuya also said that it would be impossible. But, I''ll still try my best. That''s what I promised."

    "¡­Fine, I''ll see if I can gather any information on this. But, don''t have too many expectations."

    "Thank you. Also, I intend to take Hisashi Juumonji with me to train in the Domain. I need to prepare a full set of Spiritual Equipment for him."

    Hana also agreed to help provide the Spiritual Equipment.

    If Hisashi could train in the Domain and improve his strength without receiving any negative influences, then the entire Knight Order could cleanse the Domain as a daily training, leveling up as if they were ying a dungeon RPG game!

    This was really important to him. Seiji wanted to hurry and start Hisashi''s training to see how it would go.

    After finishing the discussion with Hana, Seiji went to the living room to pour himself some tea.

    He saw little Reo with an earpick, seemingly wanting to use it.

    "Harano onii-chan, could you please help clean my ears?" She made such a request when she saw Seiji.

    "Sure."

    Seiji sat down and had Reoy down on hisp as he used a clean earpick to carefully and gently clean out her ears.

    Cleaning a loli''s ears and seeing her react to him putting something inside her gave him an indescribable feeling.

    Seiji entered her as gently as possible in order not to hurt her.

    Reo felt that it was incrediblyfortable toy on her Harano onii-chan''sp as she enjoyed his careful service. Her entire expression became soft and cute.

    Shika arrived at the living room to see this scene, causing her to blink.

    After Seiji finished cleaning Reo''s right ear, he blew gently on her ear before he switched over to her left ear.

    After he finished cleaning her left ear, Reo still didn''t want this to end and wanted him to clean his ears for a while longer.

    "They''re already plenty clean. Continuing to pick at your ears will be bad for you."

    Seiji coaxed her to get up from hisp and go back to the bedroom to sleep as early as possible.

    Shika silently watched him.

    "Would you like to try as well?" Seiji indicated at her with the earpick.

    Shika blushed slightly as she nodded.

    And so, Seiji continued his ear cleaning service for his adopted younger sister.

    Shika instantly felt incrediblyfortable when she felt her Brother Seiji reaching inside her and gently moving around.

    Lying on hisp, feeling his warmth, and enjoying his service¡­ was truly wonderful.

    Seiji felt a sense of aplishment when he noticed that Shika''s expression also became soft and cute!

    He went in slightly deeper as he gently and softly moved around.

    "Ahh enn~~" Shika couldn''t help but moan cutely.

    He moved around again.

    "Uuu¡­"

    Alright, everything was clean now.

    Seiji blew on her ear.

    Shika instantly went numb as her body trembled and her face reddened even further.

    Seiji felt an even stronger sense of aplishment upon seeing the look of addictive pleasure on his adopted younger sister''s face!

    He switched to the other ear and continued.

    It was sofortable that Shika moaned out loud again.

    Seiji entered her gently and stopped right before reaching the farthest point inside and used the perfect amount of strength, even better than earlier.

    Shika felt hazy, as if she was floating and having a beautiful dream.

    She wanted this sensation to go on even longer. Yet, this beautiful feeling soon ended.

    "Brother¡­ let me help you do it as well."

    Shika sat back up and said that with a red face.

    Seiji instantly felt his own ears starting to itch when he heard this.

    "Alright¡­ thank you." He handed her the earpick.

    Hey on Shika''s legs and felt her softness as he inhaled her faint fragrance. He then experienced an indescribable sensation offort.

    Ap pillow plus ear cleaning was too wondrous!

    Seiji''s expression also went soft all over.

    He felt reassured,fortable, and blessed as if he was having a beautiful dream, as if he was in heaven¡­

    ¡­Even though they were doing something pure, why did it seem so immoral?

    That surely had to be nothing more than a mistaken impression. Seiji decided not to think about it and simply enjoyed himself.

    After the pleasurable experience.

    "You made me feel reallyfortable," praised Seiji.

    "Same to you, Brother."

    "Let''s do it for each other again next time."

    "Yeah."

    Thursday was a day of inclement weather.

    Dark clouds filled the sky and a chill permeated the air. This caused people to recall that winter hadn''tpletely left them.

    Seiji received a phone call from Natsuya at almost the exact same time as the previous morning.

    "Last night, not a single one of the Spirit World locations transformed into a Spirit World." Natsuya told him important new information. "This is the first time such a thing has happened ever since Spirit Worlds appeared."

    Seiji remained silent as he mulled it over.

    "This helped to remind everyone that Spirit Worlds are still an unknown phenomenon. It''s possible for them to disappear at any time." Natsuya sighed. "But, after experiencing Spirit Worlds, the Spiritual Ability users won''t easily ept the Spirit Worlds disappearing."

    Seiji understood what Natsuya meant.

    Those who made sacrifices when exploring Spirit Worlds, those who obtained benefits from Spirit Worlds, and those who nned on going to Spirit Worlds¡­ it would be impossible for such individuals to simply say "Let''s forget about it" in reaction to the Spirit Worlds'' disappearance and not care anymore.

    If Spirit Worlds really stopped appearing, people would gradually be forced to ept the new reality even if they didn''t want to.

    But what if the appearance of Spirit Worlds was something manmade and controble? In that case¡­

    "If the Spirit Worlds are actually being controlled by someone, this is the timing that the controller will appear soon."

    The game''s free-to-y trial period, or beta test, was now over, and the game developers were now going to charge money¡­ Seiji figured this situation was akin to such an analogy.

    "The controller is probably the Soul World faction. My guess is that they''ll make an announcement such as demanding to stop all investigations of the Midnight Incident if people still want to go to the Spirit Worlds," Seiji extrapted.

    "That''s quite possible. Apart from asking for overlooking this incident, they might even request even more conditions," Natsuya stated softly.

    Spirit Worlds were something that contained far too many potential benefits for Spiritual Ability users to ignore.

    All factions would definitely act to steal these benefits if they could. But, the harsh truth was that it was impossible for them to steal the benefits¡­ no, it was that other factions didn''t even know how to steal them!!!

    In this situation, the true controller of the Spirit Worlds had the absolute advantage. Using Spirit Worlds as a bait to make other factions ignore the Midnight Incident waspletely possible!

    A little more than two months had already passed since the Midnight Incident on New Year''s. Was the Soul World faction¡­ finally about to reveal themselves in public?

 Chapter 587 - Arenâ€™t they supposed to be love rivals?

    <h4>Chapter 587: Aren¡¯t they supposed to be love rivals?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    "It''s also possible that Spirit Worlds aren''t controble and are simply some unexined phenomena."

    "I feel that''s an incredibly low possibility."

    "Yeah, I agree."

    Several seconds of silence passed between them.

    "No matter what the truth is, right now, I''m interested in seeing if the change in the Spirit Worlds has affected Kazuko-san''s Domain ability." Something shed in Seiji''s eyes.

    The Spirit Worlds'' disappearance would affect him as well. No matter how things developed in the future, right now he first wanted to contact Kazufuru and ask how Kazuko was doing.

    Seiji immediately dialed Kazufuru''s number after he finished his conversation with Natsuya.

    "Good morning, Ooike-kun. I apologize for calling so early in the morning. Something major happenedst night, so I want to confirm Kazuko-san''s condition. Could you allow her to meet with me in a bit?"

    By the street side.

    Seiji walked over and greeted a brown-haired girl wearing eyesses and the Genhana High School girls'' uniform.

    Kazuko responded with a smile.

    "Calling Kazufuru so early in the morning yet asking to meet with me? Harano-kun, you''re such a demon."

    "How am I a demon!?"

    Seiji started directly with the main topic and exined the situation¡ªafter retorting, of course.

    "I don''t feel like my abilities have changed in any way. But, we can test things out right now. Do you want to try immediately?"

    "Let''s test your abilities immediately, then."

    Seiji and Kazuko walked over to an isted alleyway.

    Kazuko raised her hand and used her ability, instantly causing a ck crack which led to her Domain to form on the ground.

    Seiji''s vision darkened as he entered the Domain.

    Instead of seeing the Genhana High School buildings as he did previously, he instead saw an ancient pce! nts and trees were growing everywhere, with gigantic vines reaching out of the ground that glowed and spread all over the ce¡­

    This was the "Forest Pce"!

    Seiji immediately recognized this location as the only Spirit World he had visited previously.

    The difference from before was that the vines here were glowing and acted as a light source.

    "Things really have changed inside here," Kazuko spoke up.

    "You didn''t make any modifications to the environment yourself, did you?" Seiji looked at Kazuko.

    "Of course not. It seems that what you surmised was correct. My ability was affected."

    "Yet you didn''t notice anything at all."

    "Yeah, I noticed nothing." Kazuko paused for a moment. "Demons areing¡­ do you want to fight them?"

    "It should be fine if there''s only a few of them." Seiji prepared himself.

    A dark mist seeped out from the cracks in the pce walls and speedily formed itself into several ck wolves. These wolves had sharp gazes filled with a red light¡­ these were the exact same spiritual creatures as the ones he previously fought in the Forest Pce!

    "Even the demons'' forms have changed." Kazuko adjusted her eyesses.

    ''An incredibly simr environment and the exact same spiritual creatures. There''s no mistaking it, this is the Forest Pce''s Inner World,'' Seiji thought to himself.

    The ck wolves growled and rushed over!

    Seiji fought back with his fists. Hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit¡­

    He defeated them quite easily.

    The ck wolves transformed into a dark-red mist which then evaporated. There were no strange sounds like the previous demons in Kazuko''s Domain.

    Another wave of wolves arrived.

    Seiji experimented with his [Cleansing] against the wolves. His target ck wolf received only minor damage from the [Cleansing] spell¡ªunlike the previous demons that were instantly exploded by [Cleansing].

    Seiji told Kazuko that would be enough and asked her to teleport him back outside after he finished defeating the second wave of wolf monsters.

    "I once went to a Spirit World named the Forest Pce. The environment and creatures in your Domain are almost exactly the same as the Forest Pce''s," Seiji informed Kazuko back in the real world. "That''s why I believe that your Domain has now changed to be the Forest Pce''s Inner World!"

    "I don''t feel like there''s any differences in my ability¡­ I can still use everything normally just like yesterday." Kazuko slightly tilted her head.

    "This change is quite meaningful to me. Previously, I was worried that the Hell''s demons would have a negative influence on my friends. But now that they''ve be the spiritual creatures from the Forest Pce, I''m no longer worried about that¡­ No, I can''t say that there''s no more danger." Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    Although he didn''t hear the same strange sounds from these spiritual creatures, [Cleansing] hadn''t beenpletely ineffective. It was just that it was far less effective than against those demons.

    This meant that the Forest Pce''s spiritual creatures might also be "tainted"! But, it was just that they were tainted to far less of an extent than the previous demons.

    "Perhaps they can be strong, or they can also be monsters. You can only pay attention to the situation and stop things if you feel like something is going wrong."

    That was what his older sister Yui had told him about the Awakened.

    Thinking back on her words, perhaps her words had contained a hidden message: that it was impossible topletely avoid being "tainted" and people would have to pay attention¡­ this type of hidden meaning.

    The Awakened would have to be "tainted" if they wanted to be stronger. Was it a case of "wanting to grow powerful would contain risks"?

    Rather than simply thinking about it, Seiji decided to directly ask.

    He immediately took out his cell phone and dialed Yui''s number.

    Nobody answered his call.

    "Whom did you want to call?" Kazuko inquired.

    "Someone who can answer my doubts. But unfortunately, she''s not free right now." Seiji put away his cell phone. "If possible, I''d like to ask you to investigate more about your own abilities in the future."

    "I shall do my very best to improve my abilities to change my clothing at will." Kazuko''s eyesses shed.

    "I''m not talking about those types of abilities!"

    "I watched a lingerie showst night and received great amounts of inspiration."

    "Why lingerie!? Why not an ordinary fashion show!?"

    "The lingerie models are capable of calmly showing off such embarrassing underwear, which makes me seem so inexperienced inparison. I need to improve my level of shamelessness."

    "You''re going in the wrong direction!!" Seiji retorted.

    Kazuko smiled happily before she started to give off a blinding red glow.

    After a bright red sh, she turned back into a brown-haired, eyesses-wearing boy now in the Genhana High School boys'' uniform.

    Seiji exchanged nces with Kazufuru.

    "Let''s go to school, Ooike-kun."

    "Yeah."

    They then immediately headed to school together.

    The tall and handsome Seiji was witnessed walking together and chatting happily with the cool excellent student Kazufuru. This caused a bit of amotion at school!

    "Why are Harano-san and Secretary Ooike walking together?"

    "They seem like they''re good friends¡­ Aren''t they supposed to be love rivals?"

    "I heard that they even ate lunch together yesterday."

    "For real? What exactly happened?"

    The other students were astonished to see this.

    Seigo Harano was quite famous in school now as the Magic-Devouring Dragon. Kazufuru Ooike was also semi-famous in school as he was an excellent student, had a ssical handsome schrly appearance, and was the student council secretary.

    The sight of the two of them together attracted quite a lot of attention, especially from the girls. And, people paid attention most to what their rtionship could possibly be.

    Kazufuru had been the boy that everyone knew was closest to student council president Natsuya Yoruhana until Seigo transferred into school!

    Things started changing after Seigo transferred into Genhana High School.

    Seigo and Natsuya had a close rtionship with each other¡­ such rumors started appearing.

    Since Seigo and Natsuya never had any contact with each other at school, these rumors quieted down for a while. But, during Valentine''s Day of this year, the student council president gave the Magic-Devouring Dragon her love chocte, which explosively confirmed the original rumors!

    The schrly student council secretary who was believed to have the best chances ended up as the loser.

    Although Kazufuru appeared quite calm on the surface, he must have been feeling quite pained inside¡ªthat''s what all the other students believed.

    His opponent was the extraordinary Magic-Devouring Dragon. Even if he wanted to counterattack, he was no match at all, making him quite pitiful¡ªall the students pitied him.

    Yet, they never expected that¡­

    The schr (loser) and Magic-Devouring Dragon (winner) actually came to school together!? And actually seemed like they were having fun chatting with each other!?

    What exactly could have happened!??

 Chapter 588 - Sister, donâ€™t be afraid

    <h4>Chapter 588: Sister, don¡¯t be afraid</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The students wanted to know the truth. Unfortunately, they were destined to never find out.

    Seigo and Natsuya''s rtionship was still a mystery. And now, an additional mysterious connection appeared between Seigo and Kazufuru. This made everything about Seigo seem even more inexplicable.

    The most excited students were a group of female students with certain interests! They secretly created a new schr character topete with a certain trap character in a series of doujins with the Magic-Devouring Dragon as the main character¡­

    And, rumors slowly started spreading on this day that Seigo Harano, the Magic-Devouring Dragon, was actually bisexual.

    Seiji felt a rather strange chill inside the ssroom. Was it because of the weather?

    This type of weather made it easy to catch colds. Apart from Seiji, several others in the ssroom were sneezing, such as Kaho.

    Kaho was rathercking in spirit. It wasn''t because she was sick, but rather she was worried about her older sister Karen.

    Karen''s fever went awayter on the same day. However, she still seemed rather strange afterwards, which made Kaho worry.

    During lunch break, Yui returned Seiji''s previous call.

    "Why did you contact me?"

    "Do you have time to meet up? I would like to ask you some things."

    "¡­I can give you ten minutes of my time."

    "Ten minutes will be enough."

    After school ended, Seiji and Mika returned to the Uehara apartments.

    Not long after, Yui''s car arrived. Just likest time, he got on her car to talk to her.

    Seiji asked if all Awakened would be "tainted" if they went to Spirit Worlds or Inner Worlds and fought with the spiritual creatures inside. Yui''s reply was¡­

    "It''s different for everyone. Some will be tainted, and some won''t. And, each Awakened has different resistance levels towards bing tainted."

    Seiji couldn''t help but think of Mika when he heard this.

    When Mika was fighting in the Inner World, her Mashiro''s Clothes absorbed the spiritual creatures and became stronger. This didn''t seem to affect Mika herself one bit. Later, when Mashiro woke up again, Seiji still didn''t notice anything wrong with Mashiro, either.

    This meant that Mika was probably the type who wasn''t at risk of bing tainted at all! Her risk was only rted to controlling her own power. Using too much of her power would harm her body.

    "Does bing tainted have to do with the type of power a person has?" Seiji tried asking this question next.

    "Yes."

    "Bing tainted past the limit will transform a person into a monster?"

    "That''s right. Even if one doesn''t go past the limit, receiving arge amount of ''pollution'' all at once is also quite dangerous," Yui told him. "And, it''s still possible for people to have high resistance levels against being tainted yet end up bing Fallen."

    "''Fallen?''"

    "That''s the term which means they be monsters."

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    Even those that were highly resistant against bing tainted weren''t absolutely safe, so there was still an element of risk. Still, it was apparent that it was still much better than having a low resistance against bing tainted.

    "How can one cleanse the taint?"

    "Right now, it''s still impossible. The Awakened can only try their best to deal with it by themselves. That''s why it''s important to pay attention to their condition," Yui informed him seriously.

    Seiji nodded. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Sister Yui."

    "Do you have any more questions?"

    "About the disappearance of the Spirit Worlds¡­"

    The moment he spoke, Seiji knew that he wouldn''t receive an answer based on Yui''s expression. And so, he stopped himself. "¡­I don''t have any more questions."

    "Let''s end things here then." Yui indicated that the conversation was over.

    Seiji watched her car leave after he got off.

    What exactly would happen in the future if the Soul World faction revealed itself to the world?

    As he was thinking about this, he suddenly felt something cold on his head. He then noticed that rain was beginning to fall with a pitter patter.

    It finally started to rain today.

    "Sister, what exactly is wrong with you?"

    Back in her sister''s room, Kaho was questioning Karen with a rather forceful tone.

    "Nothing¡­" Karen averted her gaze.

    "Liar! Anyone can see that something is off about you." Kaho red at her older sister. "Mom and dad are both really worried about you. You shouldn''t hide your problems from us."

    "I''m really fine¡­"

    "Stop lying to my face! Go to the hospital if you have a problem with your body, or say it out loud if you have a problem in your heart. It''s so unseemly to see you being roundabout like this!"

    "¡­Do you have the right to lecture me on this?"

    Kaho''s face instantly went bright red when she heard this.

    Karen realized that she was a bit too harsh with her words, so she lowered her head. "I''m sorry¡­"

    Kaho only felt even more angered to see her older sister lowering her head and apologizing.

    "If you think that I don''t have any right to lecture you, then stop acting stupid like this!!" Kaho spoke in a vicious tone.

    Although she impulsively wanted to leave right now, she was unable to move her body when she saw how pitiful Karen seemed.

    Both sisters fell silent for a while.

    Kaho felt quiteplex inside as she thought about how Karen was always so gentle and considerate to her. She forced herself to tolerate the feeling of frustration she had and did her best to calm down before she spoke again.

    "Sister¡­ It''s quite obvious that something''s off about you right now. Even your smiles contain the traces of shadows. It''s evident that you''re hiding something. Even an idiot like me can tell. So, of course, mom, dad, and all your friends can see all this as well. They''re all quite worried about you¡­ as long as you tell us, no matter what it is, we''ll help you with it. But if you don''t talk about it, and make them keep worrying, this¡­ won''t this be exactly like me in the past!?"

    Just shutting herself in and only caring about her own feelings, without caring about other people''s concern, covering her ears and resisting against everyone''s good intentions¡­ this was truly unseemly!

    Kaho knew that she was once such an unseemly girl. If it wasn''t for meeting that person, perhaps she would probably still be like that.

    No¡­ even now, some remnants of her past unseemliness still remained within her.

    That was why she didn''t want to see her older sister be like her!

    "I''m begging you, Sister¡­ Indeed, I don''t have the right to lecture you. But, I truly don''t wish to see you be like me." Kaho''s eyes moistened as she looked directly at Karen. "Tell us if there''s anything bothering you! Don''t shoulder the burden all by yourself! So many people want to help you because you''re Karen Miyamoto!"

    ''You''re a beautiful, kind, and gentle girl that all our family and friends love.

    ''You''re someone who can ask for help! So many people will offer assistance the moment that you speak up. That''s why you shouldn''t shut yourself in and handle everything by yourself.''

    "I want to help you as well, even if I don''t have the right to, even if I might not be of any help at all. I still want to help you, because you''ve always¡­ always¡­"

    ''Because you''ve never given up on an idiot sister like me.''

    "Kaho¡­"

    Tears started streaking down Karen''s face when she received her younger sister''s heartfelt feelings and saw that Kaho was already beginning to cry.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Karen went over to and hugged her younger sister.

 Chapter 589 - Iâ€™ve met himâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 589: I¡¯ve met him¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°What type of person is he?¡±

    Karen was astonished to hear that her younger sister actually knew a Spiritual Ability user.

    ¡°He¡¯s a really cool and handsome person¡­¡± Kaho paused for a moment as her cheeks flushed red. ¡°He¡¯s the person that I based my story¡¯s male lead on.¡±

    Karen widened her eyes upon hearing this.

    Wasn¡¯t the male lead of her younger sister¡¯s story the person that she liked? So this person was actually a Spiritual Ability user!?

    Karen¡¯s imagined version of this ¡°boy¡± now had an addedyer of mystical elements to him. She suddenly felt that he was far moreplex than in Kaho¡¯s story.

    Kaho felt awkward about this. She didn¡¯t want to tell Karen about Seigo because she knew that Karen would instantly realize that Seigo was the male lead of her story she was writing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact him right now.¡±

    But, since this was rted to demons, she had to take immediate action for her older sister¡¯s safety.

    Kaho took out her cell phone and dialed Seigo¡¯s number.

    He picked up rather quickly.

    ¡°Good¡­ good evening, Seigo.¡±

    ¡°Good evening. What¡¯s up, Kaho?¡± his familiar voice spoke up on the other end of the phone.

    Just hearing his voice made Kaho feel reassured.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, my older sister seems to have met a demon¡­¡± She exined the situation.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment before he spoke up again, ¡°Are the two of you at home right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Is there a coffee caf¨¦ or some simr caf¨¦ near your home?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a coffee caf¨¦ nearby.¡±

    ¡°Could I meet with the two of you there and take a look at your sister¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Text me the coffee caf¨¦¡¯s name and address then. I¡¯ll be over as soon as I can.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ Thank you, Seigo.¡±

    ¡°No need to be so polite.¡±

    They ended the phone call there.

    When Kaho put away her cell phone, she saw that Karen¡¯s eyes were sparkling while staring at her.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the boy that you like. There¡¯s no mistaking it.¡± Karen had a huge smile as she spoke, ¡°You had such a cute expression just now. You¡¯repletely a girl in love.¡±

    Kaho¡¯s face reddened when she heard this.

    ¡°I, I, I didn¡¯t have any such strange expression at all! Stop making things up, Sister!!¡±

    Karen¡¯s eyes sparkled even more and became gentler upon seeing her younger sister¡¯s expression.

    Karen reached over to pat Kaho on the head.

    ¡°Why are you patting my head?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re so cute, Kaho-chan~¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me like that, and don¡¯t touch me!¡± Kaho resisted against this.

    It was nice that her older sister was spirited again, but wasn¡¯t this recovery too quick? Where did the pitiful girl who was just saying she was so scared disappear to!?

    The two sisters shared an umbre as they walked through the pouring rain to the nearby coffee caf¨¦. They put away the umbre, took a seat, and ordered some coffee.

    This was an old-fashioned store that was inly decorated. The ssical music ying inside the storebined with the pitter-patter of rain falling outside to create a nice atmosphere.

    The coffee that the sisters ordered soon arrived.

    Kaho inhaled the thick coffee aroma and was about to add some sugar.

    ¡°I suddenly recalled that this is our first time ever drinking coffee together outside,¡± Karen mentioned.

    Kaho paused in her movements for a second before she continued to add sugar.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite normal, isn¡¯t it? Normally you wouldn¡¯t go to the trouble of drinking coffee outside together with your family members. You¡¯d be drinking coffee together at home.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ but I feel like asionally doing this is pretty nice as well.¡± Karen smiled.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because our homecks this type of atmosphere.¡±

    ¡°The atmosphere is important when being together with family?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no good to worry about the atmosphere?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of being good or not, I just think it¡¯s really strange.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange at all. Drinking coffee together with you, having desserts, chatting about various things, just like good friends¡­ I think it¡¯s awesome!¡± Karen¡¯s eyes were sparkling brightly again.

    ¡°We¡¯re sisters. We could just chat at home. Why do we have to go outside to some store or restaurant and spend money to chat?¡± Kaho disagreed.

    Actually, she did somewhat understand what Karen meant. She just felt that all this was unnecessary.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to do so just on asion. Come together with your sister~¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    After chatting for a while, a new customer walked inside the caf¨¦.

    Kaho reflexively looked in his direction, and saw the tall figure that she was expecting.

    ¡°Seigo¡­¡±

    The jacketed handsome boy put away his umbre and looked around the store before meeting her gaze and smiling.

    So handsome!

    Although this wasn¡¯t a date and he wasn¡¯t her boyfriend, Kaho¡¯s heart still beat quicker when she saw his gentle smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s him?¡± A surprised voice sounded next to her.

    Kaho turned around to see that Karen¡¯s eyes were widened and that she had a strange expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve met him before¡­¡±

    Right as she finished speaking, the boy arrived next to their seats.

    ¡°Kaho, this is your older sister?¡± Seiji asked while looking at Karen.

    He recognized this girl as the breast goddess that he¡¯d previously met at the grocery store¡­ whoops, the beautiful girl who had godly breasts!

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my older sister, Karen Miyamoto.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miyamoto-san. I¡¯m Seigo Harano¡­ We¡¯ve met once before, do you remember?¡±

    ¡°I remember¡­¡± Karen looked at him. ¡°That was at the supermarket. You were together at the time with a twintailed girl.¡±

    ¡°That girl is Mika Uehara. She¡¯s my and Kaho¡¯s ssmate and good friend.¡± Seiji smiled.

    ¡°At the supermarket¡­ what?¡± Kaho was rather confused.

    Seiji sat down next to them and exined about the meeting at the grocery store.

    There was such a coincidental meeting before? Kaho finally understood what was going on.

    ¡®So he¡¯s the boy that my younger sister likes¡­¡¯ Karen feltplex feelings inside.

    He was handsome, loved to help others, friendly and gentle¡­ apart from the otaku part that was difficult to tell on the surface, he was the very image of the male lead from her younger sister¡¯s story!

    Previously, she thought that the male lead was only an idealized version of the boyfriend that Kaho wanted. Karen never expected that he would be the same in reality! He waspletely handsome to the point of being idol-like!

    And, she¡¯d even met him before in the past¡­ and was someone that she wanted to see again.

    The previous coincidental meeting had given Karen quite a deep impression.

    After that meeting, whenever she returned to that supermarket, she would always intentionally scan the other customers, looking for that boy again. But, she ended up never seeing him again. Nor did she see that twintailed girl with him at the time again. And so, she slowly gave up on the thought.

    She¡¯d never expected that both those individuals were actually Kaho¡¯s friends!

    Karen felt that fate was truly a wondrous concept.

    Seigo Harano¡­ Now that she learned his name and identity, she knew that she had topletely eliminate the tiny spark of feelings in her heart for him.

    She thought that it was only a coincidental meeting to begin with, so she had just about given up already. It wasn¡¯t painful at all for her to give up on her feelings.

    Karen began worrying about Kaho more than herself.

    It was only natural for Kaho to fall in love with such a high-level handsome boy, but¡­ it was too difficult.

    Doubtlessly, this was something rude to think of her sister. Still, Karen couldn¡¯t help it.

    If only this boy that her younger sister liked was 30% less handsome¡­ no, 40% less handsome, only then would they be a good match!

    Seiji didn¡¯t know about theplex feelings Karen had inside her right now.

    To him, this was only a small matter of his previous guess being correct that this beautiful girl he met once in the past was actually his friend¡¯s older sister.

    The important part to him was what was about toe.

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision] and carefully inspected Karen¡¯s body.

    He immediately noticed a faint red mist being emitted from her voluptuous breasts¡­

 Chapter 590 - This is only a small inspection

    <h4>Chapter 590: This is only a small inspection</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Why her breasts?

    Seiji focused on the red mist and felt rather speechless.

    Karen impulsively wanted to cover her breasts when she noticed that Seigo was staring at her chest. But, she restrained herself.

    She was quite familiar with boys¡¯ lecherous looks aimed at her. Currently, Seigo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t give her such a feeling. It was more like he was observing something.

    Kaho also felt like Seigo was only observing. However, she felt rather strange about seeing him seriously stare at her older sister¡¯srge breasts.

    ¡°There¡¯s a bad aura being emitted from this little girl,¡± Yomi¡¯s voice suddenly spoke up inside Seiji¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Something that¡¯s really bad?¡± Seiji mentally spoke with her when he heard his bonded female spirit speaking up of her own volition.

    ¡°Quite possible. A deeper inspection will be necessary.¡±

    ¡°How should I do a deeper inspection?¡±

    Yomi told him the relevant information, causing Seiji to pause for quite a while.

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around like that, Yomi.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking at all. This is a necessary inspection.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no other method!?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± The female spirit chuckled lightly. ¡°Why are you resisting this? This should be an excellent method for you.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, the hell!¡± Seiji retorted.

    Yomi¡¯s method was to massage Karen¡¯s breasts! And, the massage couldn¡¯t even be performed through clothing. It had to be skin-on-skin contact!!

    Although this was indeed an excellent method for him, the price was that he would be treated as a pervert¡­ While he indeed worshipped these godly breasts, he didn¡¯t really want to massage them!!

    ¡­Truly?

    A tiny voice in his heart questioned this.

    ¡®Fine, I admit it, I really want to rub them! But not like this!!¡¯

    ¡°This is only a small inspection. This little girl seems quite gentle and obedient and probably won¡¯t mind.¡± Yomi chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s not up to you to decide!¡±

    ¡°You only have to treat yourself as a doctor and her as a patient. Having an inspection is only natural. Simply enjoy yourself during the process.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy, the hell! That will make me even more immoral!¡±

    ¡°If you really feel bad about it, why don¡¯t you promise to take responsibility for the rest of her life? This little girl seems like an excellent concubine candidate.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too much! Also, your way of thinking is so disrespectful!!¡±

    Seiji continuously retorted in his mind.

    However, the female spirit adamantly maintained that this was the only inspection method avable.

    Although Seiji was incredibly doubtful of this, he could only ept it in the end.

    After sighing deeply, Seiji put on his most serious expression. ¡°After observation, something has indeed possessed you, Miyamoto-san.¡±

    Karen and Kaho both tensed up when they heard his serious tone.

    ¡°However, only observing won¡¯t tell me the specific situation. I need to inspect things more deeply in order to ascertain what it is,¡± Seiji continued in a heavy tone. ¡°However, there¡¯s a little problem with the inspection method¡­ no, a very big problem. Let me rify that if there¡¯s any other methods avable, I would have chosen them. But, this is really the only inspection method avable with no other choices. This method is¡­¡±

    Seiji lowered his voice to the point where only the two sisters could hear him as he exined the necessary steps of the inspection.

    Karen and Kaho both paused in surprise upon hearing it. Karen then blushed crimson red while Kaho widened her eyes in surprise.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    Seiji felt like he would understand if Karen spoke now and cursed him for being a pervert, hoodlum, hentai, or something simr. In fact, he felt it was quite possible for her to simply stand up and leave immediately.

    After all, a boy that she only met twice before just told her that a breast massage would be necessary as a checkup¡­ This basically sounded no different from sexual harassment!

    Yet, Karen didn¡¯t explode as her face continued to redden.

    She looked towards her younger sister Kaho and exchanged nces with her.

    Something shed in Kaho¡¯s eyes as aplex expression appeared on her face.

    She believed in Seigo. However, the inspection method that he mentioned was quite difficult for her to ept. And so, she only looked back at her older sister, not knowing what to say.

    Karen nced at Kaho for a while before looking back towards Seiji.

    Seiji maintained as serious an expression as possible.

    After observing his handsome face for a while, Karen retracted her gaze and slowly picked up her coffee mug, sipping on some coffee.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s really no other method?¡± she finally spoke up, breaking the long period of silence.

    ¡°There really isn¡¯t.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to ept it,¡± Karen said in a soft voice while blushing.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Kaho¡­ I don¡¯t trust a boy that I¡¯ve only met for the second time, but I trust you¡­ I trust that the person you believe in won¡¯t be just a scammer or pervert.¡±

    Kaho was quite moved by her sister¡¯s deep trust in her.

    She looked towards Seigo who could only smile wryly.

    ¡°I swear that if there¡¯s any other method at all, I wouldn¡¯t use this method.¡±

    Since Seigo Harano was even swearing an oath, she felt that it had to be the truth.

    The ¡°inspection¡± couldn¡¯t possibly take ce in public at the coffee caf¨¦, so the three of them went over to the Uehara apartments instead.

    Shika was still currently practicing cultivation at Natsuya¡¯s residence. Reo was being taken care of by Kaede, so nobody was home at Seiji¡¯s apartment¡ªperfect for doing something that he didn¡¯t want anyone else to know about.

    He felt almost as if he was having an extramarital affair.

    No, no, not at all! Although he indeed didn¡¯t want anyone else watching this inspection, this was still only a simple inspection, with pure motives!! Seiji forcefully told himself that was all he thought.

    After entering his apartment, what he needed to consider next was where to undertake the inspection.

    The living room, his bedroom, the bathroom, or the study?

    All of these choices seemed quite bad!

    Having Karen choose¡­ seemed even worse to him!!

    After some inner turmoil, Seiji chose to do the inspection in his bedroom.

    Kaho should have originally been happy to be invited inside Seigo¡¯s bedroom for the first time. However, she felt incrediblyplex inside at thinking about what he was about to do.

    Karen kept her head constantly lowered and was flushed bright red all the way here. She looked just like a bullied bride.

    ¡°Please¡­ please take off your clothes.¡±

    Seiji forcefully withstood the feeling of guilt inside his heart as he spoke in a low voice and averted his gaze.

    Karen¡¯s face reddened to the point where she was almost blood-red. However, she still obeyed and slowly took off her shirt and then her bra.

    Kaho watched her red-faced older sister slowly take off all her upper body clothing and gradually reveal that astnoshing chest of hers¡­ Even though Kaho was Karen¡¯s younger sister, she could still feel the thick ero sensation emanating from that chest!

    She felt that any boy who saw this scene would surely lose control of themselves. Luckily, Seigo was currently averting his gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already taken my clothes off.¡±

    Karen was now naked from the waist up and spoke softly while covering her chest with her hands.

    Seiji mentally prepared himself before turning back around. He put on his most serious expression with zero traces of lust as he inspected her.

    Despite his mental preparation, he was still shocked at the beautiful scene in front of him!

    ¡®Ah¡­ those tall peaks covered by white clouds¡­ are so majestic and beautiful¡­¡¯

    Only after he deeply etched this scene into his mind did he do his best to control his expression to not flicker.

    He then began to create a seal and utter an incantation.

    As he cast his spell, Seiji¡¯s hands gradually began to glow golden, as if he was wearing a pair of half-translucent golden gloves.

    Both Miyamoto sisters¡¯ eyes shone as they personally witnessed his mystical abilities at work.

    ¡°My apologies.¡± Seiji notified Karen with an apology before he reached out his hands.

    Karen stopped covering her chest with her hands andpletely exposed her ample bosom to a boy that she had only met for the second time.

    Seiji once again received an impact from the white clouds¡¯ disappearance and seeing the peaks in their full majesty!

    However, he used his powerful will to restrain all desires so that his expression didn¡¯t flicker one bit.

    He reached out with both his hands and gently cupped her breasts.

    So soft¡­

 Chapter 591 - Is this really just an inspection!?

    <h4>Chapter 591: Is this really just an inspection!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®I¡¯m only inspecting I¡¯m only inspecting I¡¯m only inspecting I¡¯m only inspecting I¡¯m only inspecting I¡¯m only inspecting¡­¡¯

    Seiji could only repeatedly drone on in his mind in order to prevent himself from getting lost in this soft and filling sensation in his hands.

    The spell began to take effect.

    Karen felt a warmth covering her breasts as a gentle and warm feeling entered deeply within her body.

    ¡°Mmm~¡± She couldn¡¯t help but moan out loud.

    ¡®No way, even this spell has that type of effect!?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s eyes twitched.

    This was the first time that Kaho had ever heard her sister making such a seductive sound. She was shocked to her core.

    The warmth gradually entered even deeper within her body. Karen felt incrediblyfortable and her body began to tremble.

    Finally, the warmth came into contact with the strange chill hidden deep inside her. At this moment, it was as if she was electrified. Her entire body shook as she shrieked, ¡°Eeyah!!¡±

    Kaho¡¯s face burned up as she watched this. She didn¡¯t want to watch this anymore, but was unable to avert her gaze.

    Seiji started breaking out into a cold sweat. However, he also sensed that the spell had detected some type of negative energy.

    He needed to withdraw a small part of this negative energy¡­ For this purpose, he began injecting his Mana into Karen¡¯s body¡ªthe process was to massage her breasts!

    ¡°Ahh¡­ yahh¡­ wan¡­¡±

    Karen¡¯s breasts were stimted while she also felt some of the chill deep within her being forcefully pulled out by the warm sensation. It gave her an indescribable feeling offort.

    She shook once again and continuously moaned as tears began dripping out of her eyes. Her reddened face had an incredibly sexy expression.

    Was this really just an inspection!?

    Kaho really couldn¡¯t take it anymore and wanted to stop this. However, she saw that Seigo¡¯s expression was incredibly serious. Although he was giving Karen a chest massage, it seemed as if there was no lust in his eyes.

    But the bastard was still massaging her older sister¡¯s chest!!

    Yet, by now, stopping it seemed meaningless. She could only watch until the end.

    Seiji listened to Yomi¡¯s instructions, carefully and slowly withdrawing the negative energy that he came into contact with. Since he was concentrating fully, he had no other idle thoughts upying his mind whatsoever.

    The red mist emitting from Karen¡¯s soft breasts gradually became denser. Finally, Seiji withdrew a small blood-red stream of light and held it between his hands, forming into an exquisitely beautiful blood-red ball of light!

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Kaho widened her eyes in surprise at this visible blood-red ball of light.

    Karen stopped moaning and wiped the tears in her eyes. She then also clearly saw this ball of light.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°This is a demon¡¯s power,¡± Seiji answered. ¡°It¡¯s also called Demon Energy.¡±

    ¡°Demon¡­ Demon Energy¡­¡± Karen muttered.

    Seiji lifted up the blood-red ball of light with his left hand. He then carefully stuck his right hand¡¯s index finger into the ball of light.

    The Demon Energy ball instantly started moving and shaking as if it was alive. It even made screeching sounds!

    Karen was quite frightened to see this scene, especially when she thought about how Seiji had withdrawn it from her body.

    ¡°Sister¡­ let¡¯s put your clothes back on.¡± Kaho walked over to Karen¡¯s side.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    As Karen put her clothes back on, Seiji and Yomi carefully observed the ball of light.

    ¡°It¡¯s a powerful demon¡­ a dangerous insect demon,¡± the female spirit analyzed.

    ¡°Where did ite from?¡±

    ¡°It should be rted to this little girl¡¯s personal mystical connection. It might even be the main form of her mystical connection.¡±

    Mystical connections referred to ties of karma that certain humans had with certain demons or spirits. Such connections could possibly Awaken and affect the human hosts in various ways.

    ¡°This insect demon has only entered the first stage of its own Awakening. If it umtes sufficient Demon Energy andpletely Awakens, it¡¯ll definitely take over this little girl¡¯s body¡­ or she will even transform into the powerful demon itself.¡±

    ¡°So, she¡¯ll turn into a monster and won¡¯t be herself any longer?¡± Seiji frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She won¡¯t be human anymore, nor will she have a sense of self. It¡¯s the same as if she died,¡± Yomi exined.

    Fallen. Seiji recalled the word that Yui had told him.

    Karen Miyamoto¡¯s mystical connection didn¡¯t give her a trial or any Spiritual Ability. Instead, it was leading her directly to bing Fallen!

    How was he supposed to prevent the worst situation?

    ¡°Is it possible to enter her soul world and kill off the demon?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite possible that she¡¯ll receive too much damage to her soul and die during the course of battle if you do so,¡± Yomi told him.

    ¡°How about cleansing the Demon Energy?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t work, either. The Demon Energy will still return after being cleansed. And if you enrage the insect demon, that could cause the little girl¡¯s soul to be damaged to the point where she dies.¡±

    ¡°What about sealing the insect demon?¡±

    ¡°Sealing spells are very powerful spells that will ce far too much burden on this little girl¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°What can we do then?¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Pay close attention to her condition. Once the Demon Energy umtes to a certain extent, use a specific spell to wake up the insect demon in a way that it won¡¯t bepletely Awakened. Then, fight against the iplete insect demon,¡± Yomi told him the correct answer. ¡°This is the only useable method. And, this method requires her younger sister¡¯s assistance.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°As the Demon Energy umtes, the little girl¡¯s mental spirit will be tremendously negatively influenced. It¡¯s quite possible that she won¡¯t be able to bear things to the end. In order to protect her when she can¡¯t bear it anymore, it¡¯s necessary to transfer some of the Demon Energy to her blood-rted younger sister and have her sister share the burden until her spirit recovers. Then, transfer the Demon Energy back to her body afterwards. It will likely be necessary to repeat this process several times.¡±

    So, Kaho and Karen needed to share and withstand the mental damage from the Demon Energy together? Seiji¡¯s eyes shed in understanding.

    ¡°It will also be dangerous for anyone else to share the burden, is that right?¡± Seiji asked for confirmation.

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s possible to go insane due to the Demon Energy, or be chosen as the new vessel for the demon to Awaken in, or to be rejected by the Demon Energy, which could cause serious injury or even death.¡±

    ¡°¡­It sounds quite simr to that Hell¡¯s Aura spell. They both require family members to risk their lives to save someone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, which is why having blood-rted family members with a close rtionship is so important.¡±

    Blood rtions¡­ In modern society, this concept was bing less and less important. But in the mystical society, blood rtions were incredibly important.

    Having blood rtions meant having simr bodies and simr souls¡­ was that the right way of looking at it?

    At this moment, the blood-red ball of light suddenly started screeching even louder.

    Seiji instantly returned to his senses, only to see that the blood-red ball was violently trembling. It then changed its form and swiftly became a red moth-like creature which forcefully pped its wings, struggling to break free!

    Karen and Kaho were both scared and retreated at the scene.

    Seiji sped his hands, activated his [Cleansing] spell, and eradicated the moth demon!

    ¡°Miyamoto-san¡­ this is a very bad situation that¡¯s quite troublesome.¡±

    He exined the situation to Karen and Kaho.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want Kaho to take any risks¡­ is there no other way?¡± Karen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there isn¡¯t.¡± Seiji sighed.

    He believed in Yomi.

    Although he rather doubted the inspection method from earlier, Yomi adamantly insisted on it, so he epted in the end. He didn¡¯t contact Natsuya to ask about it or send Karen to the mystical hospital connected to the Yoruhana Family for an inspection.

    His trust in Yomi had been umted over time. This mysterious and powerful female spirit seemed a bit like an overly casual jokester, but he felt that she was actually highly reliable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Sister,¡± Kaho spoke to Karen as she looked at Seiji. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say¡­ I¡¯m truly grateful for your assistance, Seigo. Please help us with this.¡±

    She bowed deeply to him after saying this.

    ¡°No need for all that, Kaho. We¡¯re friends,¡± Seiji told her.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be giving thanks¡­ Thank you so much, Harano-kun.¡± Karen also deeply bowed.

    ¡°Miyamoto-san¡­ It¡¯s too early to be thanking me. Please, both of you, raise your heads.¡±

    The demon hadn¡¯t been eliminated yet. This was only the beginning.

 Chapter 592 - Because Iâ€™m the author of this novel!

    <h4>Chapter 592: Because I¡¯m the author of this novel!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The rain continued for the entire night.

    The skies cleared up the next morning, with the air being incredibly fresh.

    ¡°The Soul World faction showed themselves.¡±

    Seiji received a phone call from Natsuya early in the morning and learned much information.

    Last night, the Soul World faction showed themselves for formal negotiations with the major mystical society factions. They used Spirit Worlds as a negotiation chip to demand the annulment of any liability for the Midnight Incident. Not only that, they also requested all the factions to give freedom to all the Awakened under their control, ally together, and join a brand-new organization known as ¡°Soul Society¡±!

    Soul Society would be led by the Soul World faction. The Awakened and other factions¡¯ members could join as well. The goal of this organization would be to develop Spirit Worlds, along with protecting and raising Awakened.

    More than half of the strongest factions all agreed to these requests! This meant that Soul World would be cleared of all responsibility for the Midnight Incident and that Spirit Garden would be sessfully established.

    Soul Society¡­ this name caused Seiji to recall a famous manga named Bleach from his past life. Would there also be a military organization like the Gotei 13 appearing?

    He was quite curious about the negotiations that urred. It would be impossible to obtain the strongest factions¡¯ recognition simply through negotiation. The Soul World faction must have disyed incredible strength as well.

    Protecting and raising Awakened¡­ he could only hope that this part was real. Seiji was more concerned about this partpared to developing the Spirit Worlds.

    No matter what, a new attention-grabbing organization had now appeared.

    Would it have a short lifespan, or be a powerful new faction? Only time could tell.

    During lunch break.

    Seiji, Mika, Chiaki, and Kaho ate lunch together.

    Seiji told Mika and Chiaki about what happenedst night with Karen. Of course, he wisely didn¡¯t mention anything about the chest massage.

    ¡°Seigo, I can help you as well to fight against the demon,¡± Mika remarked after learning the situation.

    ¡°Of course. I shall ask for your assistance if I need to,¡± Seiji promised her.

    ¡°Mika is a Spiritual Ability user as well?¡± Kaho was quite surprised to learn this.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Although I¡¯m not very strong, I want to help out however I can.¡± Mika smiled.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kaho was quite moved.

    ¡°No need to be so polite. We¡¯re friends.¡±

    ¡°Such a blinding sight. I want a chance to say such cool lines as well.¡± Chiaki sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not a Spiritual Ability user¡­ why haven¡¯t I Awakened to any powers? Mika already knows how to transform herself, so shouldn¡¯t I be learning some new abilities? Otherwise, I¡¯m going to start appearing a lot less in this novel.¡±

    ¡°You appear plenty in this novel already. There¡¯s no need for you to worry at all.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the author of this novel!¡± Seiji posed with a mock-serious expression. ¡°Someone as amusing as you will make the readersugh every time you appear. That¡¯s why you definitely don¡¯t need to worry about having less scenes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually only aedy character!?¡± Chiaki had an expression of astonishment.

    ¡°Did you only realize this just now!?¡± Seiji also had an expression of astonishment.

    ¡°I think that both of you areedy characters,¡± Mika retorted at them. ¡°What do you think, Kaho?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think that both Chiaki and Seigo are really charismatic.¡± That was all that Kaho coulde up with.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say that both of them are really weird?¡±

    ¡°Objection! I¡¯m noedy character! I should be an important female side character, or one of the female main characters!¡± Chiaki retorted in a mock-serious tone.

    ¡°You were one to begin with, but youredy traits were too overwhelming and covered all other traits, so now you¡¯re stuck as aedy character.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°Noo!! Please work harder on my character setting, Author-sama!¡±

    ¡°Give up now. Actually, this is pretty good as well. You have quite solid job prospects as you can appear in all daily life scenes as theedy character. You can rest reassured that you¡¯ll be in this job until the end of this novel.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to age and die just like this! I want to act cool in non-daily life scenes as well, especially scenes where I take center stage! Please, I¡¯m begging you, Author-sama!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a difficult task. Let me just tell you the honest truth, you already steal the stage too much already. If you Awaken to some Spiritual Ability, you¡¯ll take up even more scenes, which is no good.¡±

    ¡°How could this be!!¡± Chiaki received a huge impact.

    ¡°Wakaba-san, you¡¯re truly outstanding already. Yet, if you¡¯re too outstanding¡­ I sincerely apologize.¡± Seiji had a gentle expression as he spoke in a sad tone, ¡°Please understand, as the author, I¡¯m pained by this as well.¡±

    ¡°Author-sama¡­¡±

    The two of them exchanged deep nces that seemed to surpass the boundaries of the fourth wall 1 .

    Meanwhile, Mika and Kaho ate their lunch and speechlessly watched this entire spectacle.

    Today¡¯s lunch break passed by enjoyably as well.

    Later that night, Seiji and Natsuya had tea together and chatted.

    ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡± After finishing his tea, Seiji casually brought up a question.

    Natsuya became a little nervous as she sensed something behind this question.

    ¡°I¡¯m free¡­ what is it?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to go out and have some fun together?¡±

    Seiji did his best not to disy any hints of his own nervousness as he invited her on a date.

    Although they¡¯d already hugged and kissed each other, this was the first time that he was formally inviting her on a date!

    The student council president¡¯s face flushed red as her expectations came true.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she lightly agreed.

    Seiji clenched his fist in a victory pose as he smiled happily. ¡°Is there somewhere that you want to go?¡±

    Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want to go to an amusement park.¡±

    An amusement park¡­ Seiji was slightly surprised by this, but he didn¡¯t ask why she wanted to go. It was more than fine with him.

    And so, they made a date agreement to go visit a famous local amusement park named Empire World tomorrow.

    After leaving Natsuya¡¯s study, Seiji was greatly looking forward to and imagining tomorrow¡¯s fun times when a purple-haired girl¡¯s figure suddenly shed through his mind.

    Yukari Asamiya¡­ she was the first girl who had asked him ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡± and formally confessed to him as well as invited him on a date.

    If he hadn¡¯t been interrupted during her confession, what would things be like today?

    The moment that this thought entered his mind, Seiji shook his head and cleared his mind of all unnecessary thoughts.

    He then saw Shika standing in front of him.

    ¡°Shika-chan, I¡¯m going out on a date tomorrow with Natsuya,¡± he unhesitatingly told her about his ns.

    Shika¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, as if she already expected to hear this.

    ¡°What time and what ce?¡± she asked lightly.

    Seiji told her honestly.

    Shika nodded in eptance and didn¡¯t say anything else as she walked off.

    Although this was quite simr to thest time, Seiji felt that things wouldn¡¯t turn out likest time. Seiji was quite confident as he watched her walk off¡­ no, he trusted in her.

    His trust in Shika was correct.

    Shika didn¡¯t intend to do anything to interfere with his date this time. The only reason she asked the time and ce was simply because she wanted to know.

    She was delighted with her adopted older brother¡¯s trust in her. As she walked off, a smile gradually appeared on her face.

    Yet, her smile onlysted for three seconds.

    Although Shika was quite happy that Brother Seiji trusted in her, she still felt somewhat displeased about him going out on a date with Natsuya Yoruhana.

    She could only ept it, but she was unable to smile while epting it.

    She didn¡¯t intend to interfere with their date, because she knew that she shouldn¡¯t do so. Yet¡­ just because she shouldn¡¯t do so, did that mean she couldn¡¯t do anything?

    A sharp glint appeared in the ck-haired girl¡¯s eyes for a moment before disappearing.

    She wouldn¡¯t interfere with his dates anymore.

    However, she was unable to bring herself to do nothing at all.

    Which was why¡­ she would watch him on his date.

    Just like what she told Natsuya Yoruhana, she would always be watching.

    Empire World amusement park¡­ that would surely be a bustling and lively ce. If she followed them there, she would surely bring misfortune upon other people due to her Reaper¡¯s Curse.

    But, Shika still wanted to do this¡ªeven if it was meaningless, even if it negatively affected other people.

    Without a doubt, she knew that she was being selfish. But, she still wanted to do so¡­ she was unable to ovee the desire in her heart.

    The name of her desire was Seiji Haruta.

    He was the only love and warmth she possessed in the world.

 Chapter 593 - I really like you

    <h4>Chapter 593: I really like you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Saturday morning.

    ¡°Mdy, I hope you have a fun time.¡± Mai apanied Seiji and Natsuya to the doorstep with a smile. ¡°Same to Young Master Haruta. However¡­ you understand, yes?¡±

    A sharp glint shed in the maid¡¯s eyes for thest part.

    ¡°Of course I understand, Senpai.¡± Seiji smiled wryly.

    Seiji and Natsuya left together and walked over to the monorail station under the watchful gaze of the maid.

    Although they could have simply had Natsuya¡¯s driver take them directly to the amusement park, they felt that it would be nice today to just go by themselves.

    Today, Natsuya was wearing a leaf-patterned one-piece dress with a light jacket on top. As was her habit, she also wore ckce stockings which entuated her youthful beauty and charisma.

    Seiji was wearing a dark jacket and dark long pants which made him seem ridiculously handsome and cool.

    They drew a great amount of attention due to their outstanding physical features as they walked together on the street. However, both of them had gotten ustomed to this already and ignored the attention.

    Seiji wanted to hold her hand as naturally as possible. But, right before he reached out his hand, Natsuya automatically moved closer to him and clutched his arm.

    ¡®Ohh, I can feel her chest¡­¡¯ Seiji was moved by the wondrous feeling.

    He noticed how many male passersby were ncing towards Natsuya, which suddenly made him want to shout out loud in a blissful tone that ¡°This is my girlfriend!¡±

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t really shout such an embarrassing thing out loud. Yet, he really did have such passion.

    Seiji looked towards Natsuya.

    Natsuya also looked towards him.

    They exchanged nces while smiling at each other, giving off an incredibly sweet aura.

    ¡®Please, don¡¯t act so lovey-dovey in public!!¡¯

    All the poor individuals passing by thought in such a manner.

    They arrived at the monorail station and took the monorail to the Empire World amusement park. Some timeter, they arrived at their destination.

    This was quite a famous amusement park with many visitors. After purchasing tickets and entering, they immediately entered a jubnt and festive atmosphere.

    Empire World was arge amusement park with many districts and rides. It would be easy for a person to be lost here if they didn¡¯t do homework beforehand, not knowing what to ride.

    Of course, Seiji did his homework. He already made a nice nned route that would be perfect for a date.

    First, they would start off with some rxing rides. After drumming up the excitement, they would ride the most important ride of all: the tall roller coaster known as the ¡°Cloudsoarer!¡±

    This was the single most stimting and fastest roller coaster in all of Sakura Ind. Most visitors to Empire World reviewed this roller coaster as the single best ride here. Of course, if one didn¡¯t have problems regarding health and age limitations.

    Seiji was rather interested in taking a ride on this Cloudsoarer which had a cool-sounding name as if it came out of a webnovel from his previous world. But, if Natsuya didn¡¯t want to ride it, of course he wouldn¡¯t force her.

    To his surprise, she was even more excited than he was, with her eyes lighting up.

    They had purchased VIP tickets which helped them to avoid the long lines. They soon got on the roller coaster in the middle section of the cars.

    The roller coaster began moving along the tracks and slowly went up the chain.

    Seiji silently squeezed Natsuya¡¯s hand.

    Natsuya¡¯s eyes were watery as she felt his gentleness.

    As the roller coaster climbed higher, some riders shouted out in excitement, while others screamed in fear.

    Natsuya suddenly shouted as well.

    Seiji saw the look of delight on her face and was infected, shouting out loudly as well.

    As everyone shouted, the roller coaster finally reached the highest point and paused before the drop.

    At this instant, looking up at the wide skies, Seiji felt an indescribable sense of openness as his heartbeat increased in expectation of the uing stimtion.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I really like you.¡± Natsuya shed a beautiful and seductive smile.

    Seiji received a direct powerful attack!

    Before he could even regain his senses, the roller coaster started moving again as it slid down the track and rapidly gained speed!

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡± the riders started shouting in unison.

    Everyone¡¯s shoutsbined with the rushing wind, deafening Seiji¡¯s eardrums!

    Despite all this, Seiji could still hear his own heartbeat.

    Was his rapid heartbeat because of the roller coaster, or because of what he¡¯d heard just now? He didn¡¯t know!

    He gave up on thinking and shouted loudly as well. He used shouting to vent the emotions within his heart, enjoying the simtion and excitement.

    Left turn, right twist, circle loop, twirling and whirling around¡­ It truly felt like he was dancing in the sky, a fun experience.

    Not longter, the roller coaster returned to the starting station, ending this fun little trip in the sky.

    After walking out of the roller coaster facility, Seiji suddenly pulled Natsuya into his arms and kissed her.

    ¡°Enwoo~~~¡± She made a cute sound.

    This sudden passionate kiss naturally attracted many people¡¯s attention. Couples nodded in understanding, while others sent them jealous looks. Children stared curiously while parents dragged them away.

    After a long kiss, their lips finally separated.

    Natsuya¡¯s face was red and she spoke shyly, ¡°Right here¡­ it¡¯s so embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you said something like that earlier.¡± Seiji acted as if he was in the right. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault.¡±

    Natsuya became even more embarrassed as her face became redder.

    Seeing this sight, Seiji impulsively wanted to kiss her again. However, he restrained himself, feeling that it indeed wasn¡¯t proper to behave so passionately in public. So, he held her hand and walked together.

    ¡°I also really like you as well, Natsuya,¡± he spoke in a soft and serious voice.

    Hearing this, Natsuya¡¯s heart was filled with a feeling of bliss.

    The two of them continued having fun together, taking Seiji¡¯s nned route to experience various rides. They also rested appropriately during all the fun, took pictures as memories, ate snacks together, and then went to a small restaurant in the amusement park for lunch. They had lots of fun.

    The final ride for the day was the ferris wheel.

    They sat together in the wheel as it slowly lifted them upwards, silently gazing at the park¡¯s scenery. This atmosphere slowly calmed down their emotions.

    ¡°When I was very young, Father once took me to this amusement park,¡± Natsuya spoke up while gazing out the window. ¡°That was both the first andst time¡­ it gave me a really deep impression.¡±

    Seiji saw that she had aplex expression.

    ¡°Perhaps, if I requested him to take me again, he would have done so. But, I didn¡¯t ask him, because Father was always so busy, and I knew that I shouldn¡¯t bother him because of something like this. I could have asked someone else to take me. I know that I could havee here again as long as I asked. Yet, I didn¡¯t do so. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want toe again, and I had others that could go with me. Still, I didn¡¯te back here¡­ until today.¡±

    Natsuya smiled as she looked back at Seiji.

    ¡°Thank you, Seiji. I had lots of fun today.¡±

    ¡°Natsuya¡­¡± Seiji smiled as he looked right at her. ¡°I had lots of fun today as well. Let¡¯se back here again some other time,¡± he continued. ¡°We cane back here with others apart from the two of us. For example, we could take Houjou-senpai, Shuho-san, or Kirin-san¡­ I feel like Kirin-san will especially like this ce.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Natsuya chuckled. ¡°We shoulde back here together with them sometime, especially Rana.¡±

    Seiji could already imagine the cute scene of the cat girl ying around here joyfully.

    ¡°We could even have a smallpetition game! We could have rewards and punishments, which will make things really interesting.¡±

    ¡°What type of rewards and punishments would you have?¡±

    ¡°The rewards could be small things that can be actualized within the park. For instance, eating some pancakes, ice cream, or so on. As for punishments¡­ how about taking a picture of thepetition loser making a strange pose?¡± Seiji made a funny face at Natsuya.

    Natsuya instantly broke out into happyughter.

    She no longer had only one beautiful memory of this amusement park.

 Chapter 594 - An answer she never dreamed of!

    <h4>Chapter 594: An answer she never dreamed of!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Earlier on the same morning.

    ¡°You intend to follow them, don¡¯t you, Kagura-san?¡±

    Mai turned around to look behind her after Seiji and Natsuya left.

    Shika appeared out of a shadow and nodded at the maid.

    ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t do such a thing.¡± Something shed in Mai¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°¡­Are you attempting to stop me?¡± Shika asked calmly.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m simply trying to convince you not to do so.¡± The maid walked up to Shika. ¡°Following them won¡¯t have any benefits. There will only be downsides.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t know¡­ You don¡¯t know just how bad it will be for yourself.¡±

    Shika fell silent upon hearing this.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to do a major cleaning of the mansion today. It will be quite difficult to do by myself. I¡¯d like to have a helper.¡± Mai smiled. ¡°I¡¯d be quite happy if Kagura-san is willing to help me.¡±

    Something shed in Shika¡¯s eyes.

    She could reject Mai and simply leave, following Seiji and Natsuya as she originally intended.

    But as she looked at the sincere maid and thought about the way the two looked as they left, she felt unsure about what she wanted to do.

    Her selfish desire was interrupted and became unclear.

    ¡°After we finish cleaning, how about we have some tea and desserts together?¡± Mai asked gently.

    Desserts¡­ Shika blinked as she recalled her first meeting with Mai.

    ¡°Will there be red bean cake?¡± Shika asked in a soft voice.

    ¡°Of course. That¡¯s the dessert I¡¯m the most confident about making.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±

    Mai smiled happily when she saw that Shika chose to stay behind.

    Yukari was astonished.

    She was out walking by herself to the bookstore to buy the newest light novels and manga. That was when she saw an unexpected scene¡­

    Seiji and Natsuya Yoruhana were walking together in an intimate fashion!

    The student council president was hanging on to the handsome boy¡¯s arm as theyughed and chatted with such a sweet atmosphere.

    Even an idiot would be able to tell that they were a couple!

    ¡®They¡­ they¡¯re already in such a rtionship!?¡¯

    The purple-haired girl stood still on the streetside and dazedly watched them walk off before she barely regained her senses.

    The fact that Natsuya gave Seigo Harano love chocte on Valentine¡¯s Day was a major incident that shook the entire school. Naturally, Yukari knew of this matter as well.

    Although Yukari knew that Natsuya was romantically interested in Seiji, she never expected that the student council president would choose the same method as herself, disying her love in front of everyone to see!

    Yukari felt tremendously pressured by this.

    Due to this pressure, she really minded the progress of the rtionship between Seiji and Natsuya. But, she didn¡¯t dare ask about it, and she was even somewhat intentionally avoiding Seiji recently.

    But if she didn¡¯t do anything, that would be no good¡­ but what could she possibly do?

    She wouldn¡¯t be in such a quandary if it was only that she had a powerful love rival. But, Seiji¡¯s ssmates who witnessed Natsuya¡¯s confession of love all said that Seiji had a special reaction to her love chocte!

    ¡®The winner¡¯s already decided¡­¡¯ Yukari had such a feeling.

    She wanted to do something. She knew that she had to do something. But, she didn¡¯t know what she could do. She faintly sensed that¡­ thepetition for Seiji¡¯s heart was already over.

    And now, she knew with absolute certainty that it was over.

    When she finally regained her senses, she noticed that she was crying.

    Her chest felt heavy and her eyes felt sore. She was in such pain that she felt like she would instantly start crying out loud at any moment.

    Yukari covered her mouth and tears silently streaked down her cheeks as she returned home instead of going to the bookstore.

    At first, she walked slowly. She then gradually increased her pace, until she was finally sprinting!

    She sprinted all the way home and ran to her own room. She locked the door, jumped onto her bed, and cried muffled sounds into her pillow.

    ¡°Wahhh¡­¡±

    After she finished crying, Yukari let her mind gopletely nk for quite a while.

    Some timeter, she thought about Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba.

    Did these two girls already know about the situation?

    They probably knew and epted this situation already.

    What did they think about this situation?

    Yukari wanted to know how these two girls who were the closest to Seiji managed to convince themselves to ept reality.

    But if she asked them now, it would seem like¡­ No, it would be the same as herself looking to be reassured after taking a huge impact. Yukari felt that would be too embarrassing.

    ¡­No, wait.

    Did they really know about and ept this? Yukari suddenly had her suspicions.

    Even if they epted the fact that the boy they liked now had a girlfriend, it would be quite difficult for them to behave the same as before¡­ especially right after the fact.

    Forget about Chiaki, it would be absolutely impossible for a girl like Mika to be so flexible with her feelings!

    The more Yukari thought about it, the stranger she felt that the situation was.

    She was certain about what she saw just now. It was quite obvious that Seiji was behaving intimately with President Yoruhana, that they were a romantic couple.

    But, ever since Valentine¡¯s Day, there had been no obvious change with how Seiji, Mika, and Chiaki acted around each other.

    Perhaps there was something hidden behind all this!

    Yukari didn¡¯t hesitate any longer aftering to this realization. She immediately picked up her cell phone and dialed a number.

    Mika soon picked up the call.

    ¡°Good morning, Uehara-san.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Asamiya-san.¡±

    ¡°I just witnessed Seiji walking together with Natsuya Yoruhana. They seemed like a couple out on a date.¡± Yukari took the direct approach. ¡°Do you know anything about this?¡±

    Mika fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I know that they¡¯re going out with each other,¡± she replied.

    Yukari felt a twinge in her chest upon hearing confirmation of this fact.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve already epted this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡®Why are you so calm then!?¡¯ The purple-haired girl almost wanted to shout that out loud.

    ¡°You¡¯ve epted it but can still act the same around Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± Mika spoke in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m going out with Seiji as well.¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯

    Yukari paused in surprise.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she just heard correctly.

    ¡°You¡­ what did you say just now? Could you please say it again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going out with Seiji as well,¡± Mika repeated herself. ¡°President Yoruhana and myself are both Seiji¡¯s girlfriends.¡±

    Yukari was rendered speechless.

    She was now in a state ofplete shock.

    She guessed that something was hidden behind the scenes, but never expected it to be something like this!!

    ¡°You and the president are both his girlfriends?¡± Yukari couldn¡¯t help but repeat these words.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Also, Chiaki is his girlfriend as well.¡±

    ¡®Even Chiaki Wakaba¡­¡¯

    Yukari felt her grip loosening on her cell phone, as strength was rapidly leaving her body.

    ¡®What the hell! What exactly is going on here!? How did things be like this!!?¡¯

    Her mind was filled with question marks.

    ¡°This must be quite difficult to ept for you, Asamiya-san. But, that¡¯s just how things are¡­ please don¡¯t tell anyone else about this,¡± Mika requested.

    The purple-haired girl instantly regained her senses.

    ¡°Why did things be like this?¡± She truly wanted to know the answer.

    Was this some strangepetition agreement between them? The three of them would simultaneously be Seiji¡¯s girlfriends and pursue a romantic rtionship with him, with a final victor to be decided in the end!?

    Why did things be like this?

    ¡­Mika felt that this was quite difficult to answer.

    She, Chiaki, and Natsuya were all partly responsible. But, the main cause was Shika Kagura, while the source of everything was Seiji¡¯s fetish.

    This entire matter couldn¡¯t be exined using a few simple sentences. If she had to summarize, she could only say that it was because of everyone¡¯sbined feelings.

    In the end, it was still because of Seiji himself.

    After remaining silent for a while, Mika answered with manyplex feelings inside her heart¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s because Seiji purchased many harem topic adult doujinshis.¡±

    Eh?

    Harem topic adult doujinshis?

    Yukari was stunned for the umpteenth time today.

    She¡¯d never dreamed that she would hear such an answer!

 Chapter 595 - Theyâ€™re not acting

    <h4>Chapter 595: They¡¯re not acting</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Actually starting a real harem because of purchasing harem adult doujinshi¡­ how was this even possible!

    ¡°Uehara-san¡­ Are you joking with me?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Asamiya-san. I know that it must be quite difficult for you to believe me. But, that¡¯s what really happened.¡±

    ¡®What exactly happened here!?¡¯

    Yukari didn¡¯t have less questions than before. She now had even more. She felt like her head was about to explode.

    Alright, she knew that she needed to calm down.

    ¡°Uehara-san, could I talk about this matter with you face to face?¡±

    She wanted to understand what exactly happened. Rather than talking over the phone, she felt it would be better to talk face to face.

    Mika fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that important anymore how things became like this¡­ the important part is what you think of all this, Asamiya-san.¡±

    ¡®No, no, it¡¯s really important! I greatly mind how this happened!!¡¯ the purple-haired girlmented in her mind.

    ¡°Chiaki, the president, and myself have all confirmed our rtionship with Seiji. Although this type of rtionship is abnormal, all of us have resolved ourselves,¡± Mika continued exining. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to understand the detailed process of how things became like this. You just need to ask yourself what you think of all this.¡±

    ¡°Uehara-san¡­¡±

    ¡°I apologize, I know that I¡¯m not as eloquent as Chiaki is. At any rate¡­ that¡¯s what I mean.¡±

    Mika then hung up the call.

    Yukari could tell that Mika wasn¡¯t in a good mood right now. She guessed that it was probably because Seiji was currently on a date with Natsuya.

    Since she evidently had a bad mood because of this, why did she ept such a rtionship?

    Yukari came to a realization upon considering this topic some more¡ªthat must have been because there was no other method for Mika to be together with Seiji!

    If there could only be one victor, then the winner would obviously be Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ which was why Mika Uehara made her choice.

    This was indeed a choice that a ¡°hero¡± would make. Yukari could only be impressed with Mika.

    What about Chiaki Wakaba?

    Chiaki was a casual ¡°sage¡±. She probably didn¡¯t even need to worry about this.

    What about Natsuya Yoruhana? Why did the ¡°empress¡± ept this type of rtionship? She was the one who clearly had the advantage.

    Yukari wasn¡¯t sure about this. She could only assume that there were still other factors she didn¡¯t know about.

    As for why Seiji was fine with all this¡­ that was probably because he was a boy.

    Although Yukari felt like she understood his motivations, as a girl, she still wanted to call him a ¡°scumbag¡±!

    She felt like she could imagine what type of expression he would have if she really called him a scumbag to his face.

    He would probably smile helplessly and wryly yet have a resolute expression.

    He was the type of flirtatious man who casually dated many girls at once. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be shaken just because of other people¡¯s negative opinions.

    Although she didn¡¯t know exactly how things became like this, upon closer analysis, Yukari felt like she could faintly guess at why things became like this.

    And just like Mika said, whether or not she understood the entire process wasn¡¯t that important anymore.

    The important part was what she herself thought about it.

    A real harem¡­ Yukari was unable to ept this. She didn¡¯t want herself to be one girl in part of a harem.

    In that case, it meant that she had failed at finding love.

    It was now confirmed that she had failed with her first love!

    She should have felt more pained about confirming this. But now, she only felt helpless.

    ¡°I failed in my first love because the boy I liked started a harem¡­ This sounds almost like a joke.¡± The purple-haired girl sighed deeply.

    Her so-called title of ¡°Princess¡± was only to such an extent.

    But even though her first love had failed, that didn¡¯t mean that her current rtionship with him had disappeared.

    She was still one of his teammates for both the dating sim game production and the Spiritual Ability users team. She was hispanion.

    Yukari didn¡¯t want to cut off this rtionship. Yet, she also didn¡¯t know how to face him.

    She hadplex emotions within herself as shey on her bed and slowly closed her eyes.

    After riding on the Ferris wheel, Seiji purchased the park¡¯s mascot plushie and gave it to Natsuya as a gift tomemorate this date.

    They then left the amusement park and took the monorail back to the station nearest Natsuya¡¯s residence and walked the rest of the way back.

    As they turned at an intersection, they coincidentally ran into Hoshi, Kotomi, and Rion!

    The three Amami siblings were all surprised to see Seiji and Natsuya obviously acting like a couple together.

    ¡°Senpai! This is¡­¡±

    Seiji was already mentally prepared for such an event, so he could calmly respond to his wide-eyed junior.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Hoshi and Senpais.¡±

    Going out on a date and coincidentally being seen by a ssmate or friend, or even directly running into someone, was something he knew was highly probable.

    He didn¡¯t intend to hide his rtionship with Natsuya. If someone really saw them, he would just let things y out naturally.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Senpai¡­¡± Hoshi maintained his wide-eyed, mouth agape expression as he looked back and forth between Seiji and Natsuya. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ going out with President Yoruhana?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Seiji nodded in admittance.

    Hoshi was stunned by this.

    Rion and Kotomi also widened their eyes in surprise as they stood still.

    ¡°Natsuya, these three are¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m familiar with them,¡± Natsuya told him. ¡°Pleased to meet you for the first time, young Amami junior. Good afternoon, two Amami Senpais.¡±

    It seemed that introductions were unnecessary.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you¡­ Good afternoon, President Yoruhana.¡± Hoshi regained his senses and couldn¡¯t help but exim at her beauty and charisma.

    President Yoruhana and Senpai seemed like a perfect couple to him! They seemed just like a couple he¡¯d see in a romantic movie.

    But, didn¡¯t Senpai tell him before that he temporarily wasn¡¯t interested in getting a girlfriend?

    Hoshi wonderingly looked at Seiji, asking this question with his eyes.

    Seiji noticed Hoshi¡¯s question, but didn¡¯t exin anything and only smiled.

    Seeing that Seiji¡¯s smile was ratherplex, Hoshi instantly realized that there might be more to this behind the scenes.

    Could it be that President Yoruhana was being forced into a marriage by her family, which was why she was asking Senpai to pretend to be her boyfriend so she could escape this marriage? Hoshi came up with such a ssical idea.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, it has to be that! Senpai suddenly going out with President Yoruhana must be because he¡¯s simply helping her out! He said before that he wasn¡¯t interested in having a girlfriend!

    ¡®The fact that President Yoruhana gave Senpai some love chocte in front of everyone on Valentine¡¯s Day, causing a ruckus in school¡­ they must have been acting for that as well!¡¯

    Hoshi felt like he had seen through the truth of the matter.

    He then responded with his own smile of understanding.

    Seiji was mystified by Hoshi¡¯s smile.

    He felt that there was something subtle about Hoshi¡¯s smile which he couldn¡¯tprehend.

    ¡°The two of you are a perfect match for each other.¡± Hoshi smiled and praised them. ¡°You look like a beautiful couple!¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re both great actors.¡¯ Hoshi wanted to transmit this message.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Seiji felt rather awkward and strange to hear this.

    ¡°Senpai and President, please continue your date. My sisters and I won¡¯t be bothering you on your romantic excursion.¡± Hoshimunicated nonverbally about this to his sisters with his eyes.

    Something shed in the twin sisters¡¯ eyes.

    They silently listened to their younger brother¡¯s words and left together with him. But soon after, they both looked back at Seiji and Natsuya walking off before exchanging nces,ing to a nonverbal ord.

    ¡°Hoshi, what did you think just now of what you saw?¡± the twins asked together in unison.

    ¡°I think that Senpai¡¯s helping President out¡­¡± Hoshi exined his way of thinking. ¡°The President is asking Senpai to pretend to be her boyfriend, and she really does have romantic interest in him. This can kill two birds with one stone: deal with her problem as well as help her get closer to Senpai¡­ That¡¯s probably what it is,¡± Hoshi added.

    ¡°Rion, our younger brother is definitely an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kotomi, we¡¯ve confirmed this fact once again.¡±

    The twins sighed in unison.

    The beautiful boy paused in surprise to hear his sisters say this.

    ¡°Was there anything wrong with what I said?¡±

    ¡°What you said is indeed possible in theory,¡± Rion told him.

    ¡°But, we don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case at all,¡± Kotomi remarked.

    ¡°They¡¯re not acting, they really are a real couple!¡± both spoke simultaneously.

 Chapter 596 - Itâ€™s all Seijiâ€™s faultâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 596: It¡¯s all Seiji¡¯s fault¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Really¡­? Why?¡± Hoshi was rather confused.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d have to ask him about that.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s willing to tell you, that is.¡± The twins sighed in unison.

    ¡°How about having some desserts?¡± After splitting up from the three Amami siblings, Seiji considered what they could do next.

    ¡°Are you asking if I want to go to the Divine Taste confectionery store?¡± Natsuya understood what he was referring to.

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the ce where we first met.¡±

    Seeing Hoshi helped to jog Seiji¡¯s memory of this location.

    Back in the Divine Taste sweets store, which belonged to Rika Amami, was where he met Natsuya for the first time, where she invited him to transfer to Genhana High School¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s indeed a meaningful location for both of us, but this is enough for today.¡± Natsuya smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go next time.¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t insist since she said so.

    Today was already a wonderful day for him.

    However, this wasn¡¯t the case for certain others.

    ¡°Are you still in a foul mood?¡± Chiaki walked into Mika¡¯s room and smiled as she saw how Mika was stillzing around in bed.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± the twintailed girl said into her pillow.

    ¡°You¡¯re not convincing like this at all. Still, you¡¯re quite cute like this.¡± Chiaki sat on her bed. ¡°How about I physically console you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking at all! As long as you want¡­ No, as long as you allow me to, I¡¯ll start eating right away!¡±

    ¡°What are you going to eat!¡±

    ¡°Miss, I have excellent techniques. I promise that you¡¯ll immediately forget about that heartbreaker~¡±

    ¡°Stop pretending like you¡¯re a Casanova!¡±

    Mika sighed after retorting.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like joking around with you right now, Chiaki.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s be serious. Let¡¯s have sex with each other, Mika.¡± Chiaki stopped using a joking tone as something shed in her eyes.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m not the type who doesn¡¯t object at all when her boyfriend is having a date with another girl, so I want to vent as well.¡± Chiakiy down next to Mika in her bed. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want to do it with you only to vent. I also really like you and want to have sex with you. That¡¯s what I really think.¡±

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± Mika didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    ¡°Do you like me, Mika?¡± Chiaki looked straight at her and asked a direct question.

    ¡®Like? Of course I like you, but¡­¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any such¡­¡±

    ¡°Not any at all?¡± the tomboy asked in a gentle tone as she ced her hand on Mika¡¯s cheek.

    Mika was astonished by this sudden contact.

    She felt as if an electric current suddenly ran through her heart.

    Although the current was quite weak, she indeed felt such a current. This rather surprised herself.

    Seeing her familiar ¡°good friend¡¯s¡± boyish face and Chiaki¡¯s sincere expression, Mika felt that this all seemed rather unfamiliar. Her heart started beating quicker.

    ¡°You knew that I was bisexual, and still kept being good friends with me. Haven¡¯t you ever considered the possible implications of this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not¡­¡±

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re not, but there¡¯s no absolutes.¡± Chiaki smiled gently. ¡°Actually, many people don¡¯t know what they truly like. They¡¯re just bound by so-calledmon sense, and believe themselves to be normal. Such people only need to experience things once¡­ in order to awaken, or gradually ept how they are. Of course, some people really are normal, and won¡¯t change themselves even after an experience, so they won¡¯t do it again afterwards. Since you don¡¯t have any objections towards me being bisexual, and you¡¯re even willing to ept the fact that you¡¯re joining part of Seiji¡¯s harem¡­ Mika, are you really certain that you¡¯re ¡®normal¡¯?¡±

    Mika was once again, rendered speechless.

    ¡®Am I really that normal?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder about this.

    When she started doubting herself, she felt as if she had touched upon who she really was.

    Just as Chiaki said, her eptance of willing to be in a harem was probably something that ¡°normal¡± people would consider ¡°abnormal.¡±

    Her true self¡­ what was she really like?

    This was no simple question.

    As for her own sexual preferences, she was already shaken just because of Chiaki¡¯s words¡­

    Suddenly, she felt something soft on her lips.

    Mika regained her senses in a sh and discovered that Chiaki was kissing her!

    The electric current went through her heart again as her heartbeat increased once more. She could hear her heart beating quite clearly.

    ¡®How¡­ could it be¡­¡¯

    Chiaki only kissed her lightly on the lips and didn¡¯t do anything else.

    Mika widened her eyes in surprise. She discovered to her own surprise that not only did she not object to the kiss, she even faintly felt some expectations!

    That¡¯s right, she had expectations.

    Deep inside her, she wanted Chiaki to kiss her deeply.

    This type of feeling¡­ no, this sudden desire shocked her to her core!

    Chiaki ended the kiss in just a short two seconds.

    In just a short two seconds, Mika felt something that should have been solid in her heart begin to crack.

    She felt as if she was getting a peek at her ¡°true self¡± that she had never seen before.

    It was as if a backdrop to the scenery she was familiar with had suddenly changed to revealpletely different scenery within.

    This was a tremendous impact! It was an impact that would make others afraid or even lose control of themselves.

    Yet, Mika only felt rather numb. She wasn¡¯t afraid, nor did she lose control of herself.

    ¡°How was it, what did you feel?¡± Chiaki smiled.

    Mika found it difficult to answer and averted her gaze.

    Chiaki stopped smiling as she peered at Mika¡¯s expression.

    ¡°I truly apologize if I made you ufortable.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I wasn¡¯t ufortable¡­¡± Mika responded in a low voice. ¡°I was just¡­ rather surprised¡­¡±

    ¡°I was the one who acted rashly. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chiaki sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t do such a thing again. Please forgive me.¡±

    Mika felt rather disappointed when she heard Chiaki promising this.

    That¡¯s right, disappointment!

    ¡®I¡­ do I really have such an interest in Chiaki?¡¯

    Mika pursed her lips as she battled with indescribablyplex emotions.

    But, when she saw that Chiaki got up and was about to leave, she reflexively reacted and grabbed on to Chiaki¡¯s hand.

    Chiaki was a little surprised by this.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry¡­¡± Mika said softly as her face flushed red. ¡°Stay here for a little while longer.¡±

    Chiaki widened her eyes and then chuckled.

    ¡°I see that you don¡¯t dislike it after all, little kitten.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s kiss again. I¡¯ll give you a more amazing one this time.¡±

    ¡°L-let¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°Such a weak and soft refusal will only make me more excited, you know~¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ en¡­¡±

    She was kissed yet again.

    Mika¡¯s heart was beating quite fiercely. Her entire body was heating up. She felt some fear inside her heart, but she felt even more of other emotions¡­ emotions that she didn¡¯t understand! She really didn¡¯t understand!!

    Chiaki¡¯s kiss was¡­ somewhat different from Seiji¡¯s.

    The moment she thought about this, she suddenly felt guilty. But then, she thought about how Seiji was currently together with President Yoruhana, which caused her feeling of guilt to instantly disappear and transform into something strange. Her emotions were in utter chaos!!

    ¡°Just rx yourself, Mika¡­ we¡¯re both Seiji¡¯s girlfriends, he won¡¯t mind,¡± the tomboy was now basically murmuring softly into Mika¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­ enn¡­¡±

    ¡®I won¡¯t care anymore¡­ besides¡­ it¡¯s all Seiji¡¯s fault¡­¡¯

    That was thest clear thought Mika had before her mind started going nk.

    ¡°Wuu¡­ ahh¡­ unn¡­¡± She kept being kissed as she lost herself and got absorbed in indescribably pleasant sensations.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Mika-chan~¡±

    Seductive sounds soon started echoing in the room.

 Chapter 597 - I confessed to Mika

    <h4>Chapter 597: I confessed to Mika</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The intimacysted for quite a while.

    But in the end, Chiaki only did a few things without crossing the final line.

    She was someone who knew how to take rtionships. Going too fast right from the very start wouldn¡¯t be a good thing.

    It was just like how Seiji started a harem but was still taking things slowly. There would be time for everyone to experience things as well as make their own choices.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­ us being like this¡­ is wrong, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mika asked weakly.

    Even if Seiji didn¡¯t actually object, she still felt like something was wrong about this.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything wrong, I suppose it¡¯s indeed wrong, but it¡¯s just at the degree of a minor having some alcohol.¡± Chiaki smiled.

    A minor having alcohol¡­ Mika fell silent. She felt that this analogy was rather subtle, and she wanted to retort but didn¡¯t know how to retort.

    ¡°Just feel free to rx yourself. If you feel awkward about it, I¡¯ll tell Seiji about our new rtionship.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a serious type, Mika,¡± Chiakimented. ¡°It¡¯s good to be serious, but sometimes you¡¯ll bring pain upon yourself if you¡¯re too serious.¡±

    ¡°¡­I somehow feel like being as casual as you is a major problem as well.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just such a casual girl, teehee~¡±

    ¡°Stop teeheeing!¡± Mika retorted.

    ¡°Then how about I change it to ¡®heehee¡¯?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you!!¡± Little kitten Mika waved her ws and caused zero damage to her target.

    Chiaki giggled. ¡°Let¡¯s have some drinks next time. We can do even better things while drunk.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that at all!¡±

    ¡°We could even drink together with Seiji andin about him.¡±

    Mika fell silent upon hearing his name.

    ¡°He¡¯ll ept it all. You could definitely act more willfully and not care so much¡­ Who cares if it¡¯s ¡®wrong?¡¯ Will he dislike you for such a small matter?¡±

    Of course not.

    Mika knew that he wouldn¡¯t, but¡­

    ¡°Rather than being ¡®wrong¡¯, he wants to know about what we really think more. That¡¯s why you really don¡¯t need to think so much into things,¡± Chiaki told her gently.

    Something shed in Mika¡¯s eyes.

    She felt like she now understood everything that Chiaki was trying to tell her.

    Her earlier bad mood from knowing that Seiji was having a date with Natsuya hadpletely disappeared.

    Later that night.

    Seiji was ying a video game with Reo. They both controlled cute loli characters that jumped all around, shooting sticky fluids out of water guns at each other as they faced off in fiercepetition.

    Shika watched them silently as she sipped some tea.

    This was a normal scene just like always in their apartment¡ªhappy and peaceful.

    At the conclusion of the video game battle, Reo¡¯s orange-dressed loli barely managed to defeat Seiji¡¯s blue-dressed loli. She emerged victorious.

    The little girl started shouting happily as she proudly tilted her face upwards.

    Seiji chuckled at her cute behavior.

    ¡°Not bad, but I¡¯m going to get serious now, ehehe¡­¡± Seiji intentionally acted like a clich¨¦ antagonist.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose to you!¡± Reo was filled with fighting spirit.

    They immediately began a new round.

    Seiji really did do as he said he would. He swiftly took shortcuts with his blue loli and used difficult angles to shoot liquid at the orange loli!

    Reo hurriedly had her character dodge and counterattack to deal with the unexpected ambush.

    ¡°You¡¯re too na?ve!¡±

    Seiji¡¯s blue loli character picked up an item which modified the water gun to shoot bouncing liquid bullets. He used excellent shooting skills to suppress Reo!

    The orange loli was constantly sshed with sticky liquid and could only pitifully wail.

    ¡°Onii-chan, you¡¯re so mean! Stop!!¡± Reo could only constantly run with her character.

    ¡°Hahaha, there¡¯s no use even if you beg for mercy!¡± Seiji made what he perceived to be an evil expression.

    On the television screen, the orange loli ran for her life while the blue loli chased after her past various obstacles. It was a heartpounding chase where her life depended on it.

    At this moment, someone knocked on the door to Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    Shika put down her teacup and went to open the door.

    Mika and Chiaki came in to see that Seiji and Reo were currently busy ying against each other in a video game.

    ¡°You can¡¯t escape! Obediently let me spray your entire body!¡±

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t surrender!!¡± Reo resisted until the end.

    ¡°Then be buried under my spray, ohohoho¡± Seiji utilized a ssic antagonist¡¯s tripleugh.

    His blue loli character obtained a rare item which leveled up her water gun to the highest level. It transformed into a giant water cannon that shotrge amounts of sticky fluid!

    Mika and Chiaki were both rendered speechless.

    They exchanged nces before they approached Seiji on both sides and suddenly grabbed his wrists!

    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s¡­¡± Seiji was surprised about this.

    ¡°Tachibana-chan, now¡¯s your chance!¡±

    Reo instantly understood and used her orange loli to run out of her hiding ce, speedily crashing into the blue loli and stealing thetter¡¯s water cannon!

    ¡°Ahh! My cannon!!¡±

    Seiji wanted to move his character. However, Mika and Chiaki tightly grabbed on to his wrists, not allowing him to move.

    The orange loli used the stolen water cannon against the blue loli and shot tons of sticky fluid that washed over the blue loli entire body!

    Seiji howled pitifully when he saw that his character was defeated.

    Like this, evil was defeated once again as justice emerged victorious!

    ¡°That¡¯s cheating! This match doesn¡¯t count,¡± Seiji seriously objected.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t cheating at all. We¡¯re the allies of justice.¡± Chiaki, Mika, and little Reo happily gave each other high fives.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t justice at all! You¡¯re just underhandedly taking advantage of numbers!!¡±

    ¡°No, this is noble teamwork. Justice doesn¡¯t know what being underhanded is!¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­ Evil is undying! I shall return!¡±

    And so, the fierce battling continued. Soon, four lolis appeared on the screen that began shooting sticky fluid at each other.

    Everyone had fun passing the time by ying this video game together.

    Shika went to take a shower and then returned to her room. Then, it was Reo¡¯s bedtime, so she went to go take a shower.

    Seiji, Mika, and Chiaki were now the only ones that remained in the living room.

    ¡°How was your date with President Yoruhana?¡± Chiaki asked in a seemingly casual manner.

    ¡°Really fun,¡± Seiji replied.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡±

    ¡°Empire World amusement park.¡±

    ¡°An amusement park? That¡¯s rather unexpected.¡±

    Chiaki continued controlling her character as she talked. Her character¡¯s actions didn¡¯t slow down one bit, as if she was just making normal conversation.

    Mika quietly sipped on some tea. She seemed as if she was just normally drinking tea.

    However, Seiji noticed that something had changed in the atmosphere.

    ¡°Go ahead and tell me what you want to say directly, Chiaki.¡± After making some casual conversation, he said this calmly.

    ¡°¡­Alright then.¡±

    Chiaki¡¯s expression suddenly became serious.

    ¡°Actually¡­ I confessed to Mika about my love for her,¡± she spoke in a heavy voice.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Seiji paused in surprise.

    ¡°And, Mika epted me. We confirmed our love for each other.¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡± Seiji made a dazed, foolish sound.

    ¡°Although we feel quite apologetic to you, we¡¯ve learned that we¡¯re each other¡¯s true love, so we¡¯ve both decided to break up with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Seiji had a stunned expression.

    *Click!* He heard the sound of a camera phone shutter.

    Seiji reflexively followed the sound to see Mika holding her cell phone.

    The twintailed girl took several more pictures of his foolishly stunned expression and nodded in satisfaction.

    ¡°If I really told you something like that, what would you do?¡± Chiaki finally followed up with that question before she couldn¡¯t keep up the act anymore as she broke out intoughter.

    Only when he heard theughter did Seiji realize two secondster that she had been pulling his leg.

    ¡°Honestly¡­¡± He could only sigh.

 Chapter 598 - I might just cry

    <h4>Chapter 598: I might just cry</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Question: What to do if members of your harem start a yuri rtionship with each other?

    Answer: Eat pasta. [Note: This is a wordy joke that¡¯s untrantable and doesn¡¯t work so well in English.]

    Seiji already had a certain amount of mental preparation for this topic since he knew beforehand that she was bisexual. However, it happening for real still made him feel rather strange.

    ¡°Mika, what exactly happened?¡± He wanted to hear the truth from the more serious girl.

    ¡°Chiaki and I had some passionate kissing,¡± Mika replied calmly.

    ¡°You¡­ are you alright with that?¡±

    ¡°It felt surprisingly nice.¡±

    Was this like ordering a strange vor of ramen noodles but finding out to one¡¯s surprise that it tasted pretty good? Seiji couldn¡¯t help but wonder in his mind.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you can ept it. As for Chiaki¡­ just know how to restrain yourself.¡±

    ¡°See, Mika? I told you that Seiji wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Chiaki smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t mind at all, but if that¡¯s what both of you want, I can only ept.¡± Seiji sighed.

    Mika looked directly at him.

    ¡°If we were being serious just now and really did want to break up with you, what would you do, Seiji?¡± She repeated Chiaki¡¯s earlier question.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°If you were really being serious, I¡¯d feel quiteplex about it¡­ I might just cry.¡±

    ¡°Cry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If both of you broke up with me at the same time, I think I might just cry.¡± Seiji smiled faintly.

    He had wanted to smile rxedly, but showed off a wan smile instead.

    Mika received an impact from seeing his expression. Chiaki¡¯s expression froze as well.

    ¡°Both of you are really important to me. I¡¯m unable to smile if you break up with me¡­ it might even take me a long time to tell you that I wish both of you well.¡± He tried imagining it for a little but didn¡¯t dare to imagine it any more.

    ¡°Seiji!!¡± Chiaki suddenly spoke up very loudly.

    Seiji was startled by this. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say any more¡­¡± Chiaki went up to and hugged him from the front. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Seiji was rather confused by this.

    Why was she suddenly apologizing?

    Just as he was confused, Mika approached him as well and hugged him from behind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­ what exactly is going on with both of you?¡± It was a wonderful thing to be simultaneously hugged by two beautiful girls, but Seiji wasn¡¯t in the mood to enjoy it right now. He was still in utter confusion.

    ¡°I won¡¯t casually talk about breaking up anymore,¡± Chiaki told him softly. ¡°Please forgive me, Seiji.¡±

    ¡°The same for me¡­ I won¡¯t mention it again. Please forgive me,¡± Mika told him as well.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t ming either of you.¡± Seiji blinked in surprise. ¡°With my own actions, I couldn¡¯t possibly me either of you if you wanted to break up with me. Wanting to break up or not is your freedom. After all, a harem is unfair to you to begin with. I¡¯ll ept it if either of you wanted to leave me at any time.¡±

    As he said this, something got stuck in his throat.

    His chest started feeling heavy, as sad emotions rose up within him.

    His sight became unclear as warm tears slowly started dripping out of his eyes.

    What was going on with him?

    ¡°Seiji¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Seeing him cry, Chiaki apologized once again. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have joked around like that. I¡¯ll truly self-reflect on my actions, I swear¡­¡±

    Seeing the tomboy have such a regretful expression, Seiji really wanted to say that it wasn¡¯t necessary, that she wasn¡¯t in the wrong at all. But, a mysterious sense of deep sorrow filled his heart.

    Being in pain like this and crying made him feel like he was a little kid! He did his best to restrain his own emotions and to show off his typical smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to be like that, Chiaki¡­ I¡¯m the one in the wrong here¡­¡±

    He wanted to smile brightly, but he couldn¡¯t control his own emotions. In the end, he only revealed a sad smile. Nor was he able to stop his tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say any more, Seiji.¡± Mika hugged him even tighter. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯m sorry¡­ let¡¯s stop talking about this.¡±

    ¡®Neither of you are in the wrong¡­ perhaps something could be said about your actions, but you¡¯re not in the wrong at all.¡¯ That was what Seiji thought.

    But, the mysterious emotions within himself prevented him from speaking properly, as tears uncontrobly flowed forth from him.

    ¡°Why¡­ I clearly¡­ didn¡¯t want to cry¡­¡±

    Breaking up was something truly difficult for him to ept. Still, he knew that they weren¡¯t being serious, that they were only saying what if.

    ¡­Really?

    A tiny voice deep inside his heart asked him that question.

    ¡®Something like breaking up shouldn¡¯t be said so easily as a joke.

    ¡®Being able to casually say it might mean that they don¡¯t view this rtionship as important at all.

    ¡®Perhaps this entire harem is nothing more than your own disgusting otaku fantasies! Maybe none of them are being serious at all, they¡¯re only ying around and toying with you!!

    ¡®Someone as scummy as you could never obtain a girl¡¯s true love!!!¡¯

    These severe wordsing from deep inside his heart shook Seiji to the core.

    Right after that, an unstoppable torrent of sadness just about washed away his ability to think!

    ¡°Wahh¡­ I¡­ in the end¡­¡±

    He was so sad and in such pain.

    He had such a fulfilling life, with plenty of material objects, and was loved by beautiful girls¡­ Perhaps all of this was just fake.

    ¡®Because I don¡¯t have the right to lead such a beautiful life.

    ¡®Because I¡¯m just a¡­¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡®So what!?¡¯

    Right before his thoughts reached the level of depression swallowed up in the darkness, Seiji suddenly struggled and regained his spirit.

    ¡®So what if it¡¯s all fake!?

    ¡®This type of beautiful life is bliss to me!

    ¡®I¡¯ll believe until the very end! Even if the final oue is a tragedy that I can¡¯t change, I¡¯ll still ept it and properly face things head on!

    ¡®That¡¯s because the greatest miracle of all is that I¡¯m still alive here!!¡¯

    With his powerful belief, Seiji leaped over the sudden wave of sadness and slowly regained his senses.

    He then noticed that Chiaki and Mika were both really worried about him and ming themselves.

    Seiji did his best to smile normally at them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be like this¡­ this is my own problem,¡± he told them gently.

    He felt that it was truly unseemly for him to have been so shaken over such a small matter.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡± Something glistened in both Chiaki and Mika¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for showing both of you such an unseemly sight.¡± Seiji wiped away his tears. ¡°I¡­ probably, somewhere deep in my heart, I¡¯m still feeling quite anxious. ¡­Is it really alright for me to start a harem? Can this type of rtionship that¡¯s really unfair to all of you be sessfully maintained? Unconsciously, I think I¡¯ve always had my doubts. I like all of you and want to be together with everyone. But, inside my heart, I¡¯ve always been afraid¡­ afraid that you¡¯ll be disappointed in me and choose to leave me. In the end, Ick self-confidence¡­ I find it difficult to believe that I can truly give you the fortunate lives that you deserve. After all, I¡¯m only an otaku. Pretending to be a handsome womanizer has its limits for me.¡± Seiji revealed a deeply wry smile.

    Mika and Chiaki couldn¡¯t find anything to say to his little speech.

    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t regret anything.¡± Seiji looked directly at them and spoke sincerely, ¡°No matter how anxious or afraid I am, I want to try my best to the very end. I want to always be together forever with you. That¡¯s the most important feeling inside my heart. Even if, someday¡­ what I¡¯m afraid of really happens, I¡¯ll still¡­¡±

    At this moment, he stopped speaking because his mouth had been gagged.

    Chiaki had blocked him from saying any more with a kiss!

    ¡°Ahn¡­¡±

    A soft¡­ warm¡­ Seiji tasted gentleness from this kiss.

 Chapter 599 - We might be brushing by death

    <h4>Chapter 599: We might be brushing by death</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Silence reigned after Chiaki¡¯s kiss.

    Judging from Chiaki and Mika¡¯s expressions, Seiji knew that he had sessfully transmitted his feelings, and that he didn¡¯t need to say anything else.

    After he calmed down, he could finally smile brightly as he always did again.

    ¡®A harem is indeed an unfair rtionship,¡¯ Mika thought to herself.

    ¡®But, I only saw how unfair it was to me. I never carefully considered just how much pressure Seiji must be under from it.

    ¡®This rtionship is his own choice, along with our own choices. All of us are responsible for it.

    ¡®He said that he would ¡°take things slowly¡± and sincerely treat all of us, allowing any of us to change our minds at any time. He¡¯s truly gentle.

    ¡®Yet I still didn¡¯t think that this was enough, and I wanted even more¡­ Although I was influenced by Chiaki, the reality is that I really wanted this deep inside my heart.

    ¡®The result was that I made him cry.

    ¡°Pretending to be a handsome womanizer has its limits for me.¡±

    This sentence contained so many emotions that etched themselves deeply within Mika¡¯s heart.

    ¡®I¡¯ll never forget this sentence for the rest of my life, nor will I forget the expression he had while saying this.

    ¡®Chiaki is probably the same as well.

    ¡®We all need to self-reflect properly and think about our futures.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for showing both of you such an unseemly sight.¡±

    ¡®No, I¡¯m the one who was unseemly.

    ¡®You recognized your own responsibility, but I didn¡¯t recognize mine. I was the truly unseemly one.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Seiji.

    ¡®Such a thing¡­ I¡¯ll never let it happen again!¡¯

    Natsuya received a phone call.

    To her surprise, the caller ID indicated that the call was from Mika Uehara.

    ¡°Good evening, Uehara-san.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, President Yoruhana.¡±

    Mika¡¯s voice sounded steady and solid, giving Natsuya an impression of a certain resolution.

    ¡°It¡¯s quitete already. Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°Some things happened¡­ I feel that I shouldn¡¯t procrastinate any further,¡± Mika told her.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I wish to have a¡­ harem discussion with you and Chiaki.¡±

    A harem discussion¡­ Natsuya really wanted toment on this term! However, she could tell that Mika was being quite serious right now.

    Ever since all three of them confirmed their rtionship with Seiji, none of them had yet to have a serious conversation with each other about this topic. That was because none of them had brought it up.

    ¡°What¡¯s suddenly motivated you to do this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you at the harem discussion meeting, because it¡¯s something you should know.¡±

    ¡°¡­What time shall we meet?¡±

    ¡°Will tomorrow morning be fine?¡±

    ¡°Not a problem. Where shall we meet?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just meet at the coffee caf¨¦ where you previously met with Chiaki.¡±

    After arranging a time and ce, Mika hung up the call.

    She had already left Seiji¡¯s apartment and was in Chiaki¡¯s apartment at the Uehara apartments. Chiaki was standing right across from her, smiling.

    ¡°Nice look on your face, Mika.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t have a strange expression just now, did I?¡± The twintailed girl rubbed her face.

    ¡°What I mean is that you had an excellent aura around you just now!¡± Chiaki gave her a big thumbs up.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like I had an aura at all.¡±

    ¡°But I sensed it! There was this powerful aura around you as you spoke as equals to our student council president scion! You¡¯re truly amazing.¡±

    ¡°I simply asked her for a discussion¡­ Something like speaking as equals to her, you¡¯ve done that as well, haven¡¯t you, Chiaki?¡± Mika looked at the tomboy.

    ¡°I was just bluffing back then. It¡¯s different from your aura which is real.¡±

    ¡°Stop teasing me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you at all. I¡¯m a ¡®counterfeit¡¯ product, while you¡¯re the real deal.¡± Chiaki lightlyughed. ¡°As for what happened just now, I only self-reflected on myself, while you already thought of having a discussion with President Yoruhana immediately in order to prevent something simr from urring further down the road. That¡¯s the difference between us. You should be able to notice your own newfound maturity. Without even talking about anything else, how you currently face the President is¡­ quite different from the first time, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Mika fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of Seiji¡­ that I¡¯ve changed myself. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I¡¯d still be¡­¡±

    ¡°No matter what the reason is, you¡¯ve grown. That¡¯s a fact.¡± Chiaki smiled. ¡°I leave everything up to you tomorrow, Mika.¡±

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m a counterfeit. It¡¯s fine for me to bluff, but this will be a serious discussion that determines the nature of this harem. That¡¯s why you should be the one to take charge.¡±

    Mika fell silent once again.

    ¡°No need to worry. As long as you bring out the aura you had just now, everything will go smoothly.¡± Chiaki paused for a moment. ¡°And if you want to ensure sess, you should invite Kagura-san to the meeting. But if you do this, your status in the harem will be decreased.¡±

    ¡®This sounds almost as if Shika is a special anti-Natsuya weapon,¡¯ Mikamented in her mind.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better not to invite her, but I¡¯ll leave the decision whether to invite her or not up to you,¡± Chiaki added.

    ¡°¡­This is a harem discussion, so I don¡¯t think Kagura-san should participate.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if that¡¯s what you think.¡± Chiaki smiled lightly.

    Mika felt as if this smile was hiding something.

    Would there be hidden problems is she didn¡¯t invite Shika Kagura?

    She asked this question directly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, it¡¯s that Kagura-san herself is a hidden problem,¡± Chiaki replied directly.

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    Was it that Shika wasn¡¯t a specialized anti-Natsuya weapon? Was she actually a weapon of mass destruction against all of Seiji¡¯s harem members? Mika revealed a strange expression.

    Chiaki chuckled as she knew what Mika was thinking.

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to predict just what Kagura-san will do. If you think about it from a good angle, she won¡¯t do anything. But if you think about it from a bad angle¡­ we might be brushing by death.¡±

    Brushing by death?

    Mika thought about it and then understood what Chiaki was saying. A chill then went up her spine.

    ¡°Kagura-san¡­ she wouldn¡¯t do something so extreme, would she?¡± Mika wanted to deny it.

    ¡°Are you absolutely certain?¡± Chiaki revealed a serious expression.

    ¡­She wasn¡¯t.

    Mika carefully thought about this, and found that she really wasn¡¯t certain about this at all!

    That was because it was quite obvious that Seiji was almost Shika¡¯s entire world!

    What would she do if Seiji was hurt? If Mika thought about the worst possible oue¡­ something truly scary seemed quite possible.

    It was only a possibility. Yet, it was a possibility that couldn¡¯t be denied.

    Shika Kagura was a factor that even President Yoruhana didn¡¯t know how to deal with! Just from this angle alone, she was truly a frightening person!!

    ¡°Perhaps we should also have a good discussion with President Yoruhana about how to deal with Kagura-san.¡± Chiaki sighed.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mika nodded in agreement.

    The next morning, Mika Uehara, Chiaki Wakaba, and Natsuya Yoruhana met up at the coffee caf¨¦.

    They had a friendly atmosphere as they discussed and exchanged opinions. After a heated discussion and restrained debate, the three of them sessfully reached an ord on the most important issues, obtaining results that satisfied everyone.

    This harem discussion set the foundation for how Seiji Haruta¡¯s harem would operate. Although nothing was put down in writing, all three believed in each other to uphold the results of the discussion, showing great amounts of trust in each other and being an excellent example of great friendship.

    Since there were no paper records of this meeting, it was unknown what they specifically talked about or how the meeting went. Nobody knew except for the three of them.

    Even though Seiji asked them about itter in the future when he found out about the urence of this meeting, none of them would tell him any specifics about what went on there. This incredibly important harem meeting became a secret that only the three girls knew about.

    Whether or not this secret meeting would ever be publicized was something that only them, and the author, would know.

 Chapter 600 - Of course Iâ€™ll let you use me

    <h4>Chapter 600: Of course I¡¯ll let you use me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Spiritual Ability users would have issues with a concept known as ¡°mental roadblocks.¡±

    Simply speaking, one¡¯s own mentality would cause mental obstacles for cultivation. This might even be dangerous for one¡¯s own mind. It was simr to the concept of ¡°demons in one¡¯s heart¡± that was somon in cultivation stories¡­ At any rate, while Spiritual Ability users possessed extraordinary abilities, this also came with associated risks that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t have to deal with.

    Seiji felt that the sudden wave of deep sadness which washed over him must have been a mental roadblock!

    He indeed felt somewhat anxious deep inside him. However, suddenly losing control of himself and venting all his emotions like that was a little strange.

    Fortunately, he forcefully managed to raise his spirits and get past this roadblock¡­ If he hadn¡¯t managed to get past it, he would have doubtlessly be quite depressed¡ªa terrible oue.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to properly pay attention to my own psychological health from now on. Otherwise, if a problem really urs, not only will it hurt me, all the people important to me might be hurt as well.¡¯

    Seiji properly self-reflected on this.

    On Sunday afternoon, he received some Spiritual Ability user equipment that Hana mailed to him.

    This was the equipment he had ordered for Hisashi. He immediately took this equipment over to the Juumonji Group and had Hisashi try it on.

    ¡°It fits perfectly. Thank you, Lieutenant Haruta!¡±

    ¡°No need for thanks. This is standardbat equipment, Sergeant Juumonji.¡±

    In this equipment, Hisashi appeared like a special forces soldier. Thebat outfit was pure ck, and he wore a helmet, carried a shield, had a longsword buckled at his waist, and a gun strapped to his leg, making him seem really cool¡­ not.

    While it looked quite nice, Hisashicked the fierce aura necessary to pull this look off. Basically, he looked like he was cosying.

    Hisashi first tried out the spiritual longsword in the dojo.

    He didn¡¯t have the ability to inject his Mana into the longsword. But, he could enchant the sword with thunder! The ck thunder sparkled on the sword, giving off a cool visual effect. It almost seemed like some powerful ninjutsu.

    Seiji cast a [Mana Barrier] and had Hisashi forcefully swing his sword against the barrier as an experiment. The attack power seemed alright.

    Next was the spiritual gun.

    Hisashi tried his best for quite a while. However, the end result was that he was unable to shoot out Mana bullets. He was unable to use this gun.

    Thest was the shield.

    Just like the longsword, he was unable to inject Mana into it. Once again, he enchanted it with thunder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how its defensive power is, but its appearance makes it seem like it has strong attacking power.¡± Seiji rubbed his chin as he looked at the ck thunder sparkling shield.

    ¡°This humble one could use this for shield m attacks, Lieutenant!¡± Hisashi made a rushing pose with his shield.

    ¡°It should be fine against small spiritual creatures, but you¡¯ll have to resolve yourself for death againstrge ones, Sergeant.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that type of resolution yet! I want to return home and get married!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that excellent resolution already? Bravely sacrifice yourself.¡±

    They casually joked around a little.

    ¡°Although you can¡¯t use the gun, you¡¯re already capable of long-distance attacks with your thunder, which should be fine,¡± Seiji concluded. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to take the spiritual gun with you then. Just focus on protecting yourself with the shield while using long-distance thunder attacks. As for the longsword¡­ I¡¯ll leave it up to you whether to take it or not.¡±

    ¡°Understood! When shall wemence operations?¡± Hisashi inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to do so as soon as possible¡­ Will tonight be alright?¡±

    ¡°This humble one shall obey Lieutenant¡¯s orders!¡±

    Seiji immediately called Kazufuru. Kazuko was the one who picked up.

    ¡°Good afternoon. Are you calling to invite me on a date, Harano-kun?¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Kazuko-san. I¡¯d like to train in the Domain¡­ do you have free time tonight?¡±

    ¡°Asking if I¡¯m free tonight right away? As expected of Harano-kun.¡± Kazuko giggled. ¡°Since you want to use me, of course I¡¯ll let you use me.¡±

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched as he did his very best to refrain frommenting. He arranged a specific time and ce to meet up.

    After he ended the conversation, he looked back at Hisashi. He suddenly felt curious about how the meeting between Kazuko and Hisashi would go.

    ¡°It¡¯s confirmed that we¡¯ll be training tonight. Prepare yourself.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Hisashi saluted.

    After Seiji left the Juumonji Group, his cell phone rang while he was walking home.

    Seiji epted the call when he saw who it was.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Hoshi. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Senpai¡­¡± Hoshi paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you about this, but¡­ I really want to know about Senpai and President Yoruhana¡­¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°I want to know if Senpai is dating President Yoruhana for real.¡± Hoshi spoke seriously.

    ¡°Of course our rtionship is real,¡± Seiji told him.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t Senpai say before that you weren¡¯t intending on getting a girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°I broke that promise.¡±

    ¡°Why? Wasn¡¯t that a promise you made to Kagura-san?¡± Hoshi increased the volume of his voice.

    ¡°Because some things happened¡­ I know I broke the promise I made to Shika-chan. I didn¡¯t do right by her,¡± Seiji spoke sincerely.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯s not convenient to talk about over the phone¡­ if you really want to know, I¡¯ll tell you in person.¡±

    They arranged a time and ce to meet up and then ended the conversation.

    Hoshi looked at his sisters who were currently sitting beside him.

    ¡°Senpai says that he¡¯s willing to tell me the reason why. I¡¯m about to go to the park near the river to meet with him.¡±

    Rion and Kotomi exchanged nces.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go along with you,¡± they said simultaneously.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something private that he doesn¡¯t want us to know about, we¡¯ll keep our distance.¡±

    Hoshi saw that his sisters were quite serious and knew that he couldn¡¯t stop them.

    And so, the three Amami siblings headed to the park.

    Seiji was currently sitting by himself on a bench as he quietly looked at the scenery and waited for Hoshi.

    The weather was excellent with white clouds floating in the sky. Some families brought their children to have fun ying in the park. They all seemed to beughing happily. It was a peaceful and wonderful scene.

    For such a handsome boy like Seiji to simply sit there quietly and watch, it made him seem like a painting. He attracted many young women and little girls¡¯ attention.

    Was this idol-level handsome boy waiting for someone? Numerous young women were curious.

    They soon received their answer.

    ¡°Senpai¡­¡±

    Seiji heard footsteps approaching him together with a familiar voice.

    Turning around, he saw Hoshi who had an apologetic expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my sisters insisted oning together with me.¡±

    Seiji saw that the twin sisters were indeed following a distance behind Hoshi.

    ¡°I thought this might happen¡­ tell them that they cane over.¡±

    ¡°Is that really alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Rion and Kotomi soon walked over.

    ¡°Before telling you about things, I¡¯d like to first ask all of you to promise to keep it a secret.¡± Seiji stood up and told them this.

    All three siblings had serious expressions as they promised to keep things a secret.

    Seiji indicated for everyone to walk together. Only after they walked for some time did he open his mouth and tell them.

    Hoshi, Rion, and Kotomi were all astonished to hear him tell them about starting a harem!

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s how it is.¡± Seiji smiled at them. ¡°I¡¯m a terrible person, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    The three siblings were temporarily left speechless as they stared at him in wonder.

    Rion and Kotomi were the first to recover their senses.

    ¡°From any normal angle, yes, you¡¯re terrible,¡± Rion stated softly.

    ¡°However, this current rtionship is something that all the participants entered of their own volition,¡± Kotomi stated softly.

    ¡°Although you¡¯re terrible¡­ it¡¯s only at the degree of you being a scummy person,¡± the two said in unison.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Senpais,¡± Seiji sincerely expressed his thanks.

    He then looked towards Hoshi.

    ¡°What about you, Hoshi? Just tell me directly what you think.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The beautiful boy didn¡¯t know what he should say to the person he always viewed as his idol.

    Seiji now had three girlfriends¡ªin a way, this sort of seemed like cheating. Normally speaking, this would indeed be considered a terrible act.

    His Senpai broke the promise to Shika, and knew that what he was doing was considered terrible, so¡­

 Chapter 601 - Heâ€™s fine when heâ€™s acting serious

    <h4>Chapter 601: He¡¯s fine when he¡¯s acting serious</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡­Was Seiji in the right or in the wrong?

    No, this wasn¡¯t a problem of being in the right or wrong.

    Senpai knew what he was doing, and faced it head-on with resolution. He didn¡¯t believe himself to be in the right or wrong. He simply did what he wanted.

    Something shed in Hoshi¡¯s eyes after he confirmed his own thoughts.

    ¡°I think that¡­ although Senpai did something terrible¡­ Senpai is still Senpai.¡±

    Seiji blinked upon hearing this.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m still me.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Thank you for your understanding as well, junior.¡±

    Hoshi also smiled.

    The person before him wasn¡¯t perfect. However, Seiji was still his idol. This part hadn¡¯t changed.

    Honestly, it was truly astonishing to hear that Seiji now had three beautiful girlfriends at the same time, including even student council president Natsuya Yoruhana!

    ¡®Not only is Senpai amazing at the good things, he¡¯s also amazing at the not-so-good things.¡¯ Hoshi was inwardly impressed.

    ¡°Rion, what should we do?¡±

    ¡°Kotomi, should we give up?¡±

    ¡°Giving up just like this feels like admitting defeat.¡±

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve already lost once again.¡±

    ¡°Seiji Haruta is truly strong.¡±

    ¡°He made us taste the feeling of defeat yet again.¡±

    ¡°But, it¡¯s not over yet, Rion.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it isn¡¯t over yet, Kotomi.¡±

    ¡°As long as we don¡¯t give up, things haven¡¯t truly ended.¡±

    Inside their bedroom, the twin sisters came to a decision.

    Later that night.

    Seiji and Shika met up with Kazuko. They then all headed to the Juumonji Group together.

    ¡°This is the ce where you took Kazufuru to dispel the cursed item from him.¡± Kazuko recognized this location.

    ¡°Yeah. The temporary actingmander here is mypanion.¡±

    ¡°Temporary actingmander?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll meet him very soon.¡±

    Seiji, Shika, and Kazuko went to the dojo where they saw Hisashi waiting for them while already wearing his new spiritual equipment.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished my preparations, Lieutenant!¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant?¡±

    Kazuko was astonished to see that Seiji¡¯s panion¡± was dressed like a special forces soldier and referred to him in such a manner.

    ¡°Harano-kun is actually in the military?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s just joking.¡± Seiji waved his hand in denial. ¡°Allow me to introduce him. This is Hisashi Juumonji, one of my Spiritual Ability user teammates. He¡¯s also the temporary actingmander of the Juumonji Mafia Group. Hisashi, this is Kazuko Ooike, the one who came here previously to have a curse dispelled. She¡¯s another personality of my ssmate Kazufuru Ooike¡­ think of her as a twin sister who shares the same body as him.¡±

    ¡°A twin sister who shares the same body?¡± Hisashi blinked.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Seiji exined the situation.

    ¡°A gender change¡­ such a precious living example!¡± Hisashi¡¯s eyesses shed after he heard this. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to meet you, Kazuko-san. Let¡¯s get along well with each other in the future!¡±

    Kazuko looked towards Seiji.

    ¡°I should add that he¡¯s an otaku who also loves to mess around,¡± Seiji gave an additional exnation.

    Kazuko adjusted her eyesses and asked directly, ¡°If such a person is the temporary actingmander¡­ is this Juumonji Mafia Group really alright?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine when he¡¯s acting serious.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Lieutenant!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s praising you at all.¡±

    Still, Kazuko politely greeted him aftermenting.

    Hisashi was very interested in Kazuko, while Kazuko kept her distance from Hisashi¡­ Seiji pretty much expected such a situation.

    No more chatting, it was time to begin!

    Kazuko opened up her Domain and allowed Seiji, Shika, and Hisashi to enter.

    Seiji¡¯s vision darkened as he began to feel everything around him starting to spin. He heard faint sounds around him¡­ based on his past experiences, he should have soon been able to see the Domain.

    However, this time the darknesssted far longer!

    Just as Seiji was beginning to wonder what was going on, his consciousness suddenly became hazy and he felt his body dropping, until the faint sounds suddenly became clear¡­

    ¡°Lloyd¡­¡±

    ¡°Lloyd¡­ careful¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Danger behind you!¡±

    Lloyd was able to use his shield to block the ck wolf¡¯s surprise attack from behind just in time due to his femalepanion¡¯s warning.

    Lloyd ground his teeth and fought against a wolf pack with his longsword. Although he could easily kill off all these monsters by activating his Skills, they required precious Skill Points, or SP, that he needed to conserve as much as possible for the unknown, possibly long trip ahead.

    ¡®If only mypanions were still by my side¡­¡¯

    The moment he thought this, Lloyd forced himself to stop thinking about it. First of all, he was still currently in battle. Secondly, he didn¡¯t dare to think too deeply about it. He was scared of imagining the prospect of his friends dying.

    ¡°Rrraaaghhhhhh!!!¡±

    In order to shake off the fear in his heart, he shouted in a low voice and ferociously swung his sword, cutting another ck wolf in half!

    The girl next to him was fighting as well. She treated her mage staff as a bludgeon, viciously smashing another ck wolf¡¯s skull.

    Her violent actions¡­ were so well-practiced that she didn¡¯t seem like a student at the Sage Academy at all. She seemed more like a veteran female adventurer.

    After a fierce battle, the two sessfully killed all the ck wolves.

    ¡°Are you alright, Lana?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m uninjured. How about you, Lloyd?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine as well.¡± Lloyd sheathed his longsword and then went over to pick up the magic stones that the magic beasts left behind.

    ¡°They¡¯re actually dropping so many magic stones¡­ the drop rate is more than fifty percent. As expected of the Gallo Ancient Pce.¡± Lana sighed.

    ¡°Gallo Ancient Pce?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the name of this forbidden district.¡±

    ¡°Could it be rted to the Gallo Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°You know about the Gallo Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°I know a little¡­ My father once told me a few legends that he heard from his teammates back when he was an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°What exactly did you hear?¡±

    ¡°What I can remember is¡­ that a human princess and elf prince fell and love and got married to each other, and then created the Gallo Kingdom.¡± Lloyd did his best to recall. ¡°The humans and elves lived together peacefully in this kingdom. However, the human princess eventually died, having a much shorter lifespan than the elf prince. The elf prince missed her so much that he turned to dark magics in order to try and revive her. He sacrificed so many humans and elves, causing the kingdom to be destroyed in the end.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a legend. Actually, all of it is wrong,¡± Lana informed him. ¡°The real story is that¡ª¡±

    Lloyd suddenly raised his hand and stopped her from saying anything else. He then crouched down on the ground andid his ear against the earth.

    ¡°There¡¯s more magic beasts approaching. We need to hurry and leave!¡±

    They didn¡¯t even have time to rest after ying the earlier pack of ck wolves. Lloyd and Lana hurriedly left the area.

    This was a forbidden district¡ªand of death that they shouldn¡¯t have entered.

    They entered here identally and didn¡¯t know if they could even survive this ce.

    Lloyd hoped that both himself and Lana could make it out alive. He also wished that his lostpanions were all safe and sound. However, he knew that it was likely too much to wish for.

    Just trying to suppress the anxiety and fear in his heart was already a huge burden on him.

    ¡®May the Holy White Goddess protect us¡­¡¯ Lloyd prayed in his mind.

    Suddenly, Lana stopped in her footsteps.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I suddenly sense¡­ something¡­¡±

    The girl from the Sage Academy looked all around her. She finally focused on an area to the boy adventurer¡¯s left as if she saw something there.

    Lloyd followed her line of sight but didn¡¯t see anything at all.

    Just as he was getting confused, a faint white sh suddenly appeared. He then saw a tall figure wearing strange attire!

    What was this!? Lloyd reflexively was about to unsheathe his sword.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Lana focused her full attention on that formless figure.

 Chapter 602 - Actually, I wasnâ€™t trying to act cool

    <h4>Chapter 602: Actually, I wasn¡¯t trying to act cool</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®They saw me!¡¯

    Seiji was quite surprised about this.

    He had been watching these two individuals for quite a while without them noticing. Seiji thus assumed that he was an unnoticeable presence here.

    He never expected that the robe-wearing girl would suddenly notice him, followed by the armored boy seeing him as well.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    Seiji was about to answer this question.

    But, before he could say anything, his vision darkened and his consciousness went hazy once again¡­ He then saw everything clear up around him as his consciousness instantly returned.

    Once again, he was in the previous Forest Pce. The environment was the same as thest time.

    Shika and Hisashi were now by his side, proving that this was indeed Kazuko¡¯s Domain.

    Hisashi was looking all around this mystical dimension that he had entered for the first time. It was obvious that he was rather nervous.

    Shika had a calm expression.

    ¡®Judging by how they seem, neither of them saw what I did just now,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Was it all just a hallucination?

    ¡®If I¡¯m the only one who saw a hallucination, I should have been standing here in a daze. That should have gotten Shika and Hisashi¡¯s attention.¡¯

    Since they didn¡¯t say that anything was wrong with him, that meant they had all just entered the Domain together so they didn¡¯t notice anything wrong.

    In that case, that was no hallucination. At the very least, it couldn¡¯t possibly be an ordinary hallucination.

    What exactly was what he saw, then? A scene from another world? Were Spirit Worlds actually other worlds? Or were Spirit Worlds the projections of other worlds?

    Seiji thought about his own experience traveling through Soul World. He felt that this was quite simr but also different¡ªhe wasn¡¯t experiencing someone else¡¯s life. Instead, this time he was an observer.

    But was he really only an observer there?

    ¡°Demons areing,¡± Kazuko¡¯s voice sounded.

    ck mist appeared and speedily formed into three ck wolves.

    He decided to think about thister and focus on the battle first.

    Hisashi gathered electricity on his hand and shot out an arc of thunder. He urately hit the first ck wolf that rushed over!

    The ck wolf immediately stopped while pouncing in midair and crashed onto the ground, with dark-red mist escaping from its body.

    Shika unsheathed her sword and killed the second, while Seiji then slew the third wolf.

    These two wolves also transformed into mist. Part of the mist floated towards Hisashi and was absorbed into his body!

    As Seiji expected, defeating and devouring spiritual creatures was indeed the basic method by which the Awakened could strengthen themselves.

    Hisashi shot more thunder at the first ck wolf that copsed on the ground. Every time it struggled to get up, it immediately stopped moving again whenever electricity hit it¡­ perhaps it had entered a type of paralysis status. The way its movements jerked seemed almostical.

    After receiving the fourth thunder attack, this pitiful spiritual monster¡¯s structure finally copsed as itpletely vaporized into mist.

    ¡°Go over to that mist,¡± Seiji told Hisashi.

    Hisashi did as was asked and swiftly walked up to the mist. Hist body immediately absorbed most of the mist.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I feel as if something within me became slightly more solid.¡±

    ¡°Try to absorb more mist from now on¡­ evidently, your ability to absorb the mist is limited by physical distance, so pay attention yourself,¡± Seiji informed him.

    Hisashi nodded.

    Additional ck wolves started appearing.

    Seiji and Shika dealt with them easily.

    Hisashi fought carefully from behind Seiji and Shika. He used thunder as a ranged attack and smashed his thunder-enchanted shield into any wolves that got close to him.

    Any ck wolves that approached him would be instantly electrified and paralyzed by his thunder magic. It was no trouble for Hisashi to deal with one wolf in closebat range at a time.

    To use a game analogy, two high-level yers were helping a novice thunder mage yer who also knew a shield bash attack to level up.

    After Hisashi absorbed arge amount of mist, he felt something deep within him beginning to heat up. He mentioned that he felt his strength obviously increasing.

    Back when he was practicing in his mafia group¡¯s dojo, he would begin to feel fatigue after releasing seven or eight bolts of thunder. But now, he wasn¡¯t tired even after sending out countless thunderbolts. In fact, he felt like it was bing easier and easier to use his ability!

    Hisashi felt that it was really nice.

    He could even say that he was having fun¡­ no, he was definitely having fun! This was the joy of bing stronger.

    This was just like ying a video game and obtaining experience to level up a character. However, he was now leveling himself, which was a lot better than ying any video game!

    Hisashi started getting rather excited. However, he still wisely remained cautious against the monsters.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be like my idiot older brother¡­¡¯ he told himself.

    ¡°A big one ising,¡± Kazuko, who was floating in midair, warned them.

    Thick ck mist formed into a particrly tremendously big ck wolf. It had some green patches of fur on its body, and had a much stronger appearancepared to the ordinary wolves.

    Seiji recalled the previous green-scaled and green-wed giant ck eagle that he faced before here¡­ could it be that the green-colored spiritual creatures in the Forest Pce were all strong?

    ¡°Hisashi, you need to be careful.¡± He made sure to warn his teammate who was facing off against a boss monster for the first time.

    ¡°I will be.¡±

    Hisashi was both nervous and excited to face such a giant monster which seemed likely to be capable of sending him flying with a single blow.

    This was far more stimting than ying any VR game!

    The green-furred ck wolf red at the three of them and slowly opened its mouth.

    At this moment, Seiji suddenly saw the robed girl and armored boy from earlier.

    Lana and Lloyd! Their figures were rather hazy, but he recognized them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stall it! You need to run!!¡± Seiji heard Lloyd shouting with a voice filled with resolution. He understood Lloyd¡¯s words clearly despite the fact that Lloyd was speaking anguage he didn¡¯t know.

    Therge ck wolf attacked before Lana could react. It spat out a gigantic dark red Mana Bullet!

    Lana and Lloyd¡¯s hazy figures disappeared as the gigantic red Mana Bullet flew towards them at high speed!

    Seiji didn¡¯t dodge or defend against this spell. He held his sword and cast his own spell¡­

    Reversal technique, [Dragon Counterattack]!

    He blocked and received the gigantic Mana Bullet, whirled his sword and formed the attack into a golden dragon that flew back towards therge ck wolf!

    *Boom!!*

    A golden light covered the wolf in an explosion.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that I wanted to use my ultimate ability right away. It¡¯s your own fault for making it so obvious that you were going to use a strong attack by opening your mouth like that. I would have felt bad for not sending it back at you,¡¯ Seijimented to himself.

    Also, he used his ultimate technique right away because of the two figures he saw from another world.

    They were projections, right?

    Lloyd and Lana must have met a simrrge wolf, and their situation was projected over here where he could see it.

    Seiji had no idea why there was such a projection or why he could see it.

    It was just that when he saw this scene, he couldn¡¯t help but reflexively want to help them. Plus, the monster made it obvious what type of attack it would use, so he decided to use his ultimate ability.

    ¡®Oops, I forgot to shout out a catchphrase to go along with it¡­ Forget it, I don¡¯t need to shout one every time.¡¯

    The green-furred ck wolf was seriously injured by the ultimate divine dragon! Large amounts of mist emanated from its body.

    Shika went over to give it a few more stabs and finished it off with just a few blows.

    Hisashi was under the impression that there would be a fierce battle. He didn¡¯t regain his senses for quite a while until therge wolf finally transformedpletely into mist. Only then did he hurry over to absorb the mist.

    ¡®Seiji really is so strong. He can deal with such a boss monster so easily¡­ then why did he tell me such a thing earlier?¡±

    ¡°You need to be careful¡± about watching him act cool?

    ¡®Actually, I wasn¡¯t trying to act cool. Things just happened like that.¡¯ Well, if Seiji knew what Hisashi was thinking right now, that¡¯s what he would say.

    At this moment, he saw Lloyd and Lana¡¯s figures once again!

    ¡°What was that just now?¡± Lloyd was rather confused.

    ¡°That person helped us¡­ I think.¡± Lana said as she looked all around her.

    ¡°Who is that person¡­ a ghost?¡± Lloyd knew what she was looking for. He also looked all around him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think he¡¯s some other type of existence.¡±

    Lana¡¯s gaze swept over Seiji¡¯s location. She suddenly stopped and turned back to focus carefully on where he stood.

    Seiji felt rather strange, being looked at her like this.

    ¡°May I ask if you were the one who helped us?¡± Lana asked politely.

 Chapter 603 - Only a living adventurer is an adventurer

    <h4>Chapter 603: Only a living adventurer is an adventurer</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Just as Seiji wanted to answer, Lloyd and Lana¡¯s figures vanished yet again.

    What exactly were these projections¡­? No, since he was able to influence their world, this was no simple ¡°projection.¡±

    What exactly was going on?

    ¡®It seems like none of Shika, Hisashi, or Kazuko noticed them. I¡¯m the only one who can see them.

    ¡®And, not only can I see them, I can even influence their world.

    ¡®Is this some time of otherworld disruption? Ovepping?¡¯

    That ¡°ghost¡± vanished once again.

    Lana wanted to talk to him, but it seemed thatmunication would be impossible.

    ¡°What do you think that was?¡± Lloyd asked her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a ghost. He doesn¡¯t have the aura of death around him. Nor does the power he used to help us seem like a type of negative energy,¡± Lana replied.

    Lloyd recalled what just happened. He had already resolved himself to die to this high-level magic beast. Yet suddenly, a mystical golden figure appeared in midair and crashed into the giant wolf, seriously injuring it.

    He wasn¡¯t able to see clearly what that golden figure was. He only saw that it approximately seemed like a strange snakelike creature.

    ¡°You want to have him help us escape from here?¡±

    ¡°That would be best. Even if that isn¡¯t possible, I still want to know who and what type of existence he is!¡± Something shed in Lana¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°As expected of a student at the Sage Academy.¡±

    ¡°Of course! Thirst for knowledge is something absolutely necessary for a student sage!¡±

    ¡°In iner terms, isn¡¯t it just curiosity? It¡¯s bad for an adventurer to have too much curiosity because the unknown equals danger. Seeking the truth too much will typically end in one¡¯s death¡­ that was the way I was raised.¡±

    ¡°Such a depressing way of thinking that you were taught. As an adventurer, shouldn¡¯t you bravely seek adventure and search for unknown treasures?¡±

    ¡°Treasures are a different topic entirely. But even when it¡¯s about treasures, one must weigh the risks against reward. If the treasure is too dangerous, it¡¯ll be nothing but the Death God¡¯s trap no matter how alluring the treasure seems.¡± Lloyd paused for a moment. ¡°Only a living adventurer is an adventurer. Otherwise, that¡¯s only a dead person.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite logical, but¡­¡± Lana wanted to say something but didn¡¯t do so in the end. She simply smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s continue onwards, Lloyd.¡± Lana started walking again.

    Lloyd followed after her. He secretly took a look at his wrist and saw some dark-green runes upon it.

    This forbidden district was forbidden not only because of the high number of magical beasts. The other important reason was this¡­ the ¡°Green Poison¡±!

    Lloyd didn¡¯t dare to think about how much time he had left.

    Him being able to resolve himself to face death so quickly against the giant wolf was also because he wanted to y the role of hero at the end.

    He felt that chances were miniscule that he would make it out alive. But at the very least, he wanted Lana to make it out farther than he did. This was his final pride as a man.

    Lloyd covered the dark-green runes on his wrist with an armlet and silently followed after Lana.

    During the entire process of conquering the second area in the Forest Pce, Seiji didn¡¯t see Lloyd and Lana¡¯s figures again.

    Nor did he see them while conquering the third area.

    As Hisashi continuously absorbed mist, his power of thunder kept increasing. He became more adept at using his powers and learned new abilities.

    *Boom!!*

    A ck ball of light exploded on arge bear monster¡¯s body. Countless sparks of lightning danced all across its tremendous body, locking down its movements like chain lightning fetters.

    Seiji lifted his long White Lotus spiritual sword while Shika raised her gigantic de of ice. Both shed down forcefully at the exact same time! They inflicted serious damage to the bear monster with their ssical X-shaped teamwork sh attack.

    ¡°Awrrrr!!¡±

    Therge ck bear roared in pain as it transformed into mist.

    Hisashi went up to absorb the mist with a happy expression.

    ¡°It seems that you¡¯re enjoying this,¡± Seijimented.

    ¡°Yeah. The more I absorb, the better I feel. I can concretely feel myself bing stronger at a swift rate.¡± Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. ¡°This type of feeling is so immersive that it¡¯s addicting.¡±

    ¡°¡­Will you be alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still fine right now. If I feel like something¡¯s wrong, I¡¯ll let you know right away. Or, if either of you see that something¡¯s wrong with me, stop me immediately,¡± Hisashi told him seriously.

    Seiji nodded in understanding.

    Seiji, Shika, and Hisashi took a small break to rest up, then headed towards the fourth area.

    Right when they entered the fourth area, Seiji¡¯s vision instantly darkened and his consciousness became hazy as he felt himself falling¡­

    *ng!!*

    Lloyd used his shield to block the sweeping spear and immediately counterattacked with his longsword.

    The spear-wielding man stepped back and dodged this, then thrust his spear directly at Lloyd!

    Lloyd blocked the spear once again, timing his shield¡¯s movements perfectly in a way that also allowed him to counterattack with his sword!

    *Shing!*

    The man barely dodged this sword blow as it passed by his body and lightly injured him. However, he didn¡¯t bleed.

    The two fought fiercely as they constantly changed positions, causing arge amount of dust to swirl around them as the backdrop to their nging weapons.

    Lloyd was no longer conserving his Skill Points. He had activated a Skill which gave him a reddish aura. This aura greatly buffed his physical strength.

    However, the spear-wielding man was even stronger! A simr but denser red aura was around him. However, his aura also had ominous specks of ck mixed into it.

    ¡°Tim¡­¡± Lloyd felt quite pained in his heart.

    It should have been a good thing for him to meet his lostpanion Tim that had gotten separated from them.

    However, Tim had already beenpletely corrupted by the Green Poison. He had lost all sense of self!

    Abnormal dark-green runes were visible on his face, which had a distorted expression. He was drooling and his eyes were bloodshot¡­ These were symptoms that the Green Poison had already invaded his brain.

    It was impossible to save someone who had been poisoned to such an extent already.

    In normal battle, Lloyd wasn¡¯t as strong as Tim to begin with. But after holding on against the insane Tim for a while, Lloyd came up with a method to win against this version of Tim.

    However, Lloyd couldn¡¯t help but think about his past fun times together with Tim.

    Lloyd¡¯s sense of logic and reason knew that thinking of such things was useless as Tim was basically finished! Although Tim was technically still living, he was no different from being dead.

    Still, Lloyd found it emotionally difficult to kill Tim.

    Lloyd was still a rtively novice adventurer. He had never experienced something so cruel before.

    Tim was his friend who had fun times together with him. They fought together as allies and discussed the future with each other¡­ How was he supposed to personally kill his friend!?

    Just as Lloyd was struggling with himself, he suddenly noticed the copsed girl on the ground out of the corner of his eye and instantly snapped to his senses.

    Earlier, Lana was ambushed by Tim and sent flying by his spear. She crashed into a wall and fell unconscious. She needed saving!

    ¡®What am I hesitating about!? I¡¯m putting my still livingpanion in danger all for the sake of a formerpanion who can no longer be saved¡­ I¡¯m so foolish!!¡¯

    Lloyd finally resolved himself.

    ¡°Tim¡­ Why don¡¯t you go on to the next world first? I¡¯ll be following you soon after. I¡¯ll give you a proper apology then.¡±

    Lloyd mentally resolved himself and then feinted an opening in his guard, luring Tim into stabbing at his chest.

    If Tim had still been sane, he never would have been fooled by such an obvious feint.

    However, he no longer had the ability to think! The insane spearman instantly stabbed at the fake opening the moment Lloyd appeared to let down his guard!!

    The fight was over with this.

    Lloyd didn¡¯t use his shield to block the spear this time. Instead, he suddenly sidestepped and urately dodged the spear. He then used a Skill which allowed him to break past the limits of the human body and move at incredibly high speed for a few seconds¡­

    *Schtick!!*

    Lloyd¡¯s longsword pierced through Tim¡¯s neck. Some sticky ck blood with tinge of green started running out of the injury.

    ¡°Wahh!!!¡± Lloyd shouted in a low voice as he swung his sword again and cut off the head of his formerpanion.

    Tim¡¯s head hit the ground at the same time as Lloyd¡¯s tears.

    After Lloyd watched the now headless body fall to the ground, he turned around and rushed over to Lana.

    However, a few seconds after he stopped paying attention to Tim¡¯s body, the now headless body¡¯s arm started moving.

 Chapter 604 - He was seeing bright lights

    <h4>Chapter 604: He was seeing bright lights</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Updated by NovelFull.Com

    ¡°Be careful!¡±

    Seiji tried warning Lloyd, but it appeared that Lloyd couldn¡¯t hear him.

    ck mist started erupting out of the headless body¡¯s neck. The mist seemed to be forming into something¡­ Seiji wanted to try and deal with it by using a [Cleansing] spell, but found himself unable to do anything but watch helplessly.

    At this moment, his vision suddenly darkened as his consciousness went hazy again before clearing. He had now returned to Kazuko¡¯s domain.

    Seiji was standing still.

    Both Shika and Hisashi noticed this and looked towards him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±

    Seiji wanted to conquer this area first before telling them about what happened to him.

    He also had a faint premonition that perhaps he would soon be seeing the headless spearman again in this area¡­

    Soon,rge amounts of thick ck mist appeared which speedily formed into ck wolves, ck monkeys, ck tigers, and many other ck spiritual creatures.

    Shika unsheathed her sword first while Seiji followed after. Hisashi began gathering balls of lightning.

    *Boom!!*

    The ck ball of light that Hisashi tossed exploded in the middle of the monsters. It caused arge amount of AOE damage and also paralyzed many spiritual creatures!

    This ¡°Thunderboom¡± (temporary name) ability had a wider area of effect than Hisashi¡¯s previous direct thunderbolt attacks. It also had greater attack power and paralysis effects. It was effective against both packs of ordinary spiritual creatures as well as boss monsters.

    With Hisashi supporting him with such a spell, Seiji felt that grinding experience against these monsters was now easier than ever. Just this ability alone made the First Knight quite useful.

    Mika had amazing powers in her ¡°Mashiro¡¯s Clothes¡± form, and now Hisashi had ¡°Thunderboom¡±¡­ The Awakened¡¯s powers were definitely something.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but imagine what powerful abilities Yukari, Hoshi, and Kaede would possibly gain in the future. There was also Mayuzumi, who might be different from other Awakened¡­ Perhaps his Knight Order would truly be something exceptional once all the members leveled up!

    ¡®Cough¡­ let¡¯s not think so much about this right now.¡¯

    He was still in a battle and shouldn¡¯t have been distracted like this. Seiji got rid of his idle thoughts and focused on ying monsters.

    ¡°A powerful one ising. Careful!¡±

    Just as they were about to finish killing all the monsters in this area, Kazuko suddenly sent them a warning.

    Dark-green mist appeared which speedily formed into a spear-wielding human form¡­ a headless humanoid spiritual creature!

    This humanoid monster wielded a red spear and had dark-green runes arranged in a chaotic fashion on its ck body. There was also a dark-red aura around it. Although its size was only equivalent to an adult man¡¯s, it gave off a far scarier impression than any of the giant monsters from earlier!

    ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Hisashi had an expression of astonishment.

    Up until now, all the monsters he faced were animal-type monsters. Suddenly seeing a headless spearman gave him too much of a surprise at the sudden change in style.

    The next instant, the headless spearman suddenly rushed towards him at high speed! The sharp red spearhead instantly arrived in front of his eyes!

    The headless spearman was far too fast for Hisashi. He couldn¡¯t even react in time.

    At this moment, since he couldn¡¯t even raise his shield, Hisashi saw death before him!

    *Bang!!!*

    There was a loud sound next to him as someone rushed over and prevented death from stealing Hisashi away.

    Obviously, this person was Seiji.

    ¡®That headless spearman¡­ my premonition was on the mark!¡¯

    Seiji immediately raised his vignce level the moment that he saw this humanoid monster. When he saw it charging, Seiji reacted immediately and rushed in with his shield!!

    His instant reaction saved Hisashi¡¯s life.

    The headless spearman didn¡¯t lose its bnce despite being crashed into. It swiftly stepped back, putting some distance between itself and Seiji, then charged forward again!

    Shield block, [Ksitigarbha technique]!

    Seiji sessfully blocked the spear and counterattacked with his White Lotus spiritual sword.

    The headless spearman sidestepped swiftly and continued stabbing!

    Seiji unhurriedly and calmly parried each attack.

    This headless spearman was obviously far stronger than the one that he saw Lloyd fighting against. Was it because it had demonized?

    No¡­ he couldn¡¯t simply equate this world with Lloyd¡¯s world.

    Although both worlds influenced each other, things probably weren¡¯t exactly the same¡­ he still didn¡¯t know how all of this worked.

    After blocking the headless spearman¡¯s barrage, Seiji took advantage of an opening to counterattack!

    At the exact same time, with excellent unspoken cooperation, Shika also attacked with a spell that greatly erged her ice de!

    *Shatter!!*

    The headless spearman blocked Seiji¡¯s attack. However, Shika¡¯s ice dended a direct hit.

    The de shattered into tiny pieces of ice, but the headless spearman appeared uninjured.

    Seiji swung his sword yet again as the headless spearman dodged once more. Its red spear started glowing brightly.

    ¡°Shika-chan!¡± Seiji shouted out her name as he sensed danger.

    Combat technique, ¡°Spiral sh¡±!

    The spear suddenly began twisting at high speed as it glowed bright red and released blood-red mes. Immediately following after, a blood-like trail shot forward at lightning speed!

    Defense spell, ¡°Ice Wall¡±!

    Shika cast a spell which created a thick blue wall of ice in midair which protected herself and Seiji.

    *Shatter!!*

    The red spear instantly pierced deeply right through the ice wall!

    This defense spell only managed to slow the spear down for a single second.

    But, this one second was more than enough. With their abilities, Seiji and Shika would have to be idiots if they still couldn¡¯t dodge the spear.

    The headless spearman continued fighting against Seiji and Shika¡¯s teamwork.

    Both sides fought fiercely¡­ Hisashi wanted to help out as well. However, his hands were trembling too much.

    He had almost died just then! He had even seen bright lights sh before his eyes.

    Although he knew that training in the Domain would be dangerous, there hadn¡¯t been any problems so far. Hisashi couldn¡¯t help but rx his guard because of this.

    Only now did he finally recognize the true situation he was in.

    This was a battlefield!

    Even with Seiji and Shika protecting him, danger would still be ever present. He definitely couldn¡¯t get overconfident.

    After he calmed down, Hisashi analyzed that him joining in would only make things worse rather than helping out. He wisely stayed out of the fray and observed from a great distance.

    A fierce battle, amazing spells, and instantaneous attacking and defending¡­ this was a battle between powerful mystical ability users!

    ¡®Can I do this as well if I be stronger?¡¯

    The scene before him seemed like it came right out of a fantasy battle anime. Hisashi couldn¡¯t help but get heated up as he imagined himself being able to do the same things.

    This was what it felt like to be hot-blooded¡­ in the literal sense of the word!

    Hisashi felt like he would never be hot-blooded to the same extent as his idiot older brother Zankita. Still, he felt like he understood his older brother¡¯s way of thinking slightly better now.

    The headless spearman didn¡¯t have any personal protective barriers. However, it had incredibly high durability! Basically, it was the type of boss monster with no defensive techniques but with a huge HP bar.

    Seiji tried using [Cleansing] on this headless spearman. It caused some damage¡­ but that was all it did.

    He would have to carefully take it down slowly.

    He and Shika had excellent cooperation as they focused on personal safety over DPS. They used defensive techniques whenever the boss used ultimate abilities, and used their own ultimate abilities whenever they saw an opening.

    Gradually, the dark-red aura around the headless spearman started to dim.

    Once the headless spearman was greatly weakened, it suddenly went berserk and continuously used powerful attacks! It was fast to the point where Shika couldn¡¯t even defend with ¡°Ice Wall¡± in time!!

    Seiji cast his defensive barrier that he had prepared already for such danger¡­

    Defensive spell¡ª[Turtle Armor]!

    Countless hexagonal spell formations spread out from his shield. It looked just like a scene out of a science fiction movie of creating an energy shield.

    The blood-red spear crashed into the barrier like a raging tempest. Numerous impact shock waves spread out from the barrier, which seemed like it would copse at any moment.

 Chapter 605 - Even if death comes the next instant

    <h4>Chapter 605: Even if deathes the next instant</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    But actually, each shock wave was actually acting to mitigate the impact. The full force of the spear attacks was absorbed by the smaller spell formations, so only half of the impact¡¯s power was transmitted to the shield. This remaining half was then transferred to the ground by the [Ksitigarbha technique].

    All Seiji had to say was: ¡®Nice!¡¯

    This was a powerful defensive spell that he had learned just recently. Seiji forcefully blocked the headless spearman¡¯s fierce attacks, then grabbed a chance to counterattack when the headless spearman¡¯s attacks slowed down¡­

    Martial technique, [Ice Cmity] de!

    Seiji viciously swung his sword in a blue arc which sliced into the enemy monster! Numerous spiritual des materialized in midair and all stuck themselves into the monster, making it appear almost like a porcupine.

    Being able to cause so much serious damage evidently meant that the headless spearman was reaching the end of the line.

    Shika immediately followed up with her chain ofbo attacks, [Ice Fall], [Gather Snow], and [Ice Shatter]!

    Seiji followed up with his own attacks; she then followed up again. They continuously took turns using powerful abilities so that the enemy monster wouldn¡¯t have a chance to recover.

    Finally, the headless spearmanpletely shattered under countless swords and transformed into dark-green mist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t absorb this mist.¡± Seiji stopped Hisashi who was about to go up to the mist.

    He then told Shika and Hisashi about the scenes he saw from another world. He also asked if either of them noticed anything.

    Shika and Hisashi both told him that they didn¡¯t know anything about this.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me¡­ How strange, Harano-kun. You¡¯re able to see such a vision, yet I, the controller of the Domain, didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Kazuko adjusted her eyesses.

    ¡°I¡¯d really like to know what¡¯s going on myself as well.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that what you saw happened for real?¡± Hisashi inquired.

    ¡°Although there¡¯s no way to be certain, I think it was all real.¡± Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. ¡°Those scenes looked quite real and not fake at all¡­ if they were hallucinations, then who cast such a spell, and for what purpose? And why was I the only one who was targeted?¡±

    If he assumed that the Spirit Worlds¡¯ creator treated the Spirit Worlds like a game, then those scenes might be the equivalent of the game¡¯s plot. In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be quite strange if only he or very few others could see these scenes?

    Besides, apart from helping the ¡°yer¡± to predict the uing monsters thanks to the ¡°plot,¡± what other meaning could there be?

    If this was a manmade hallucination, then there would be a purpose behind it. However, there was no need to search for any meaning in it if this was actually a real scene.

    ¡°No matter what it is, I¡¯ll tell you all if I see anything at all,¡± Seiji told them. ¡°And, please pay attention to see if I¡¯m affected by those scenes or act strangely.¡±

    Shika, Hisashi, and Kazuko all agreed.

    They continued on to the next area.

    The moment they entered the fifth area, Seiji instantly noticed the armored Lloyd sitting in a corner!

    ¡°I can see Lloyd,¡± Seiji told hispanions.

    Lloyd was currently sitting against a wall. He was gazing upwards at the sunset, with nothing but emptiness in his eyes.

    Since he used a lot of energy to perform Skills earlier, the Green Poison was now infecting him at a much faster pace. Dark-green toxic runes had now appeared on his neck and were almost about to spread to his face.

    Lloyd felt his entire body aching, as if countless fire ants were crawling all over him.

    His body was getting hotter and hotter as his consciousness slowly became hazy¡­ he knew that this was a sign the poison was infecting his mind.

    He knew he didn¡¯t have much time left.

    He chose to separate from Lana in order not to harm her.

    Actually, he knew that the safest method would be tomit suicide. However, Lloyd didn¡¯t have the courage to do such a thing to himself. Nor could he bring himself to request Lana to kill him.

    Even though he knew that there was no saving himself anymore, and that nothing was left for him except pain and despair, he still wanted to live just a bit longer.

    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯

    This thought appeared in his mind.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡¯

    This thought kept endlessly repeating itself in his mind.

    Lloyd still had the instinctive desire to stay alive. Yet, his deep despair kept pushing this instinct down.

    He thought back to the past, about his family, dreams, andpanions¡­ all his memories shed by him in ck and white, with no color and no sound.

    Only when he thought about Lana did his memories retain color.

    His efforts would allow her tost for a while longer in here¡­ If she could make it out of here alive, that would give meaning to thest amount of time he spent alive.

    This way, he would have carried out the oath he swore to be an adventurer people could be proud of.

    He did everything he could already, with no regrets.

    ¡­But, he still didn¡¯t want to die!!

    Even though he had resolved himself already, tears still flowed out when he was truly faced with death.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die all alone by myself¡­¡¯

    Lloyd didn¡¯t have anything left except for tears of pain and despair. All he could do was struggle uselessly.

    Death wasing for him.

    At this time, footsteps approached.

    ¡®Death¡¯s footsteps weren¡¯t an analogy after all? This saying was real?¡¯

    ¡°Lloyd!¡± He heard his name being shouted.

    Lloyd reflexively looked in the voice¡¯s direction to see the girl that he had intentionally split up from.

    ¡°Lana?¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, I finally found you.¡± Lana smiled as she swiftly rushed over to him, kneeled, and hugged him.

    Lloyd instantly felt as if he had been saved as he felt her warm embrace¡­ but soon, he widened his eyes.

    ¡°Why did youe to find me?¡±

    Lana didn¡¯t reply and only hugged him tighter.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost about to¡­ no longer be myself. Hurry and get away from me!¡± Lloyd tried to struggle out of her embrace, but found it impossible to muster up the energy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving¡­ I don¡¯t want to be by myself,¡± Lana told him softly.

    ¡°You have to leave! Otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Who cares about death? I want to be together with you.¡±

    Her soft voice contained an unshakeable iron will.

    ¡°Lana¡­¡±

    ¡°Lloyd¡­¡± The girl looked directly into his eyes. ¡°After you left me, I discovered that death isn¡¯t the truly frightening thing. What¡¯s truly frightening is dying by yourself. Ever since we fell in here, we were probably destined to die already¡­ If I was by myself, I would have given in to despair long ago. It was only thanks to you being by my side that I could maintain my spirit and hope. No¡­ I should say that I was pretending to believe there was hope.¡± Lana smiled bitterly.

    Lloyd remained silent.

    Lana was a student at the Sage Academy. She would know far more than him about this forbidden district, and thus better understand just how terrifying thisnd of death was.

    ¡°Not long after you left me behind, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Rather than struggling fruitlessly, I might as well instead greet the end together with you¡­ I realize that my way of thinking is probably wrong. I should be trying my best to survive and escape even if I think it¡¯s hopeless. Otherwise, I¡¯m doing wrong by your sacrifice. But, I really can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m only a student, not an adventurer. I don¡¯t have so much courage. I¡¯m really afraid, Lloyd. I want you to be by my side¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­ I don¡¯t want to die by myself¡­¡±

    Tears started rolling down Lana¡¯s cheeks as she said all this.

    Lloyd was moved as he did his best to lift his hands and hugged her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m also really afraid¡­ Lana¡­ I was actually so happy to see you again¡­ Even though I know that this isn¡¯t good, I was still happy to the point where I thought I was saved. I thought that I was the one helping you, but actually I was the one relying on you¡­ It was only because of you that I could maintain what little courage I had left. I¡¯m sorry¡­ and thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°Lloyd¡­¡± Even more tears poured down Lana¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m the one¡­ who should say sorry¡­¡±

    The two hugged tightly while crying.

    Even if death came the next instant, at least they wouldn¡¯t be alone.

 Chapter 606 - I hope that you can live

    <h4>Chapter 606: I hope that you can live</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Spiritual creatures kept endlessly appearing. They were far more numerous than in the other areas!

    ¡°I¡¯m already doing my best to control them, but this is all I can do,¡± Kazuko told everyone.

    Right away, many spiritual creatures started rushing towards Lloyd in the corner. Then, after Lana appeared, more and more spiritual creatures appeared as well.

    All the monsters were trying to charge at Lloyd and Lana! Seiji didn¡¯t know why this was, but he had a feeling that if they came into contact with the two, something terrible would likely happen to them. He wanted to protect them.

    Seiji did his best to swing his spiritual sword in asrge an arc as possible to kill the most monsters he could. Hisashi continuously used ¡°Thunderboom¡± as support. Their teamwork was highly efficient in clearing the monsters, but there would always be a few monsters which slipped through.

    Shika acted as the final line of defense to deal with any remaining spiritual creatures that slipped through. She used ¡°Ice Wall¡± to protect Lloyd and Lana who were in the corner¡­ although she couldn¡¯t even see where they were.

    Gradually, the spiritual creatures began decreasing in number. However, their average strength started increasing.

    [Evolved Body-strengthening technique, Fire element]!

    Seiji activated the strongest attacking form of his [Body-strengthening technique]. In exchange for much higher Mana consumption, he greatly increased his attack strength!

    The golden glow covering his body transformed into mes instead. His hair even started lighting up on fire, making him appear like a golden torch.

    Seiji lifted his longsword and shed everything before him!

    All Hisashi saw was a golden sh followed by white streaks that he couldn¡¯t even see clearly. This was followed by some giant spiritual monsters instantly shattering into mist! There was nothing to say except one word: awesome.

    After clearing out the tremendous number of basic monsters, the boss monsters appeared right after¡­ There was a total of five ck lion monsters with green spots on their bodies!!

    ¡°I¡¯m really doing my best to hold them back.¡± Kazuko sighed.

    Seiji already expected that boss monsters would be appearing soon. He instantly cast the ultimate ability that he had prepared beforehand.

    He used his [Mika character reward card]¡¯s first ability [Overload] to strengthen his ultimate skill, along with borrowing power from his bonded spirit Yomi¡­

    Mega-evolved sealing technique, [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    *ng!!!*

    An ear-piercing ng rang out as a giant golden bell suddenly appeared and covered this entire area. It instantly covered all five of the lion monsters!!

    Hisashi felt like his eyes were beginning to water from constantly being wide-eyed in amazement.

    The monsters roared fiercely within the bell. It was easy to imagine them fiercely struggling inside.

    Seiji grit his teeth and continued spending Mana to maintain the power of his spell. His Mana was draining at an extremely quick rate.

    When his spell finally finished, three of the boss monsters were reduced to mist.

    ¡°Brother, leave the rest to me.¡± Shika came over from behind and took over the fight with the two remaining lion boss monsters.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave them to you.¡± Seiji had spent much of his energy, so he retreated to the back and let his adopted younger sister handle things.

    Hisashi was delighted that he was able to absorb so much mist. His attack power and casting speed had both greatly improved. He was now even able to paralyze a boss lion monster.

    Thanks to his support, Shika found it quite easy to deal with the two remaining lions.

    Seeing this, Seiji was finally able to free some time to check on Lloyd and Lana¡¯s conditions.

    He saw some faint dark-green mist being emited from both their bodies as they sat against a wall next to each other.

    Lloyd¡¯s mist was thicker, while Lana¡¯s was lighter¡­ but it was evident that there were problems with both their bodies.

    Seiji saw that both of them had expressions of calmly waiting for death.

    Seiji thought about the earlier scene with the headless spearman and felt that he understood what was going on.

    Lloyd and Lana must have been infected with the sickness from the headless spearmen!

    They didn¡¯t have a way of curing themselves and could only wait for death.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t bear to watch such a scene of despair.

    Would it be effective if he tried to use [Cleansing] on them?

    He decided to give it a try.

    Just as he was about to cast his spell, Lana raised her head and looked in his direction.

    She opened her mouth and said something. However, Seiji couldn¡¯t hear what she said.

    ¡°I wish that the two of you can live,¡± Seiji mumbled to himself.

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure if they were even real or just a hallucination, and despite the fact that they might be in an entirely different world altogether, knowing that he might just be wasting his efforts in trying to protect them¡­

    Still, hope was hope.

    Seiji cast [Evolved Cleansing] upon both of them.

    A golden spell formation imprinted itself upon the two¡¯s figures¡­ and seemed to have zero effect.

    ¡®I can¡¯t help them¡­¡¯ Seiji got depressed thinking about it.

    ¡®No¡­ I can¡¯t give up just like this. Let me try again!¡¯

    The [Mika character reward card]¡¯s [Overload] ability could be used twice per day. He had just used it once on [Demon Suppression Bell] earlier, so he figured he could use the other usage here.

    Seiji activated his ability once more and cast [Mega-Evolved Cleansing]!

    An evenrger golden spell formation imprinted itself upon Lloyd and Lana¡¯s bodies. Blinding light sparkled around them in a mystical manner.

    The next second, thick dark-green mist erupted from their bodies and was dispelled by the golden light!

    The spell was effective!

    Seiji was overjoyed to see this.

    Lloyd and Lana were evidently astonished as they watched the dark mist dissipate from around themselves.

    Then, their figures started bing hazy.

    ¡°I¡¯m d that I could help you¡­ I wish you well.¡± Seiji smiled.

    The boy and girl both looked at him as they gradually disappeared.

    The Green Poison was actually cured!

    They no longer felt any pain or heat in their bodies. Their consciousnesses returned to rity as the poison runes all vanished¡­ This was a miracle!

    This miracle was created by that ¡°ghost.¡±

    Lloyd didn¡¯t see him, but Lana did.

    The ¡°ghost¡± cast a golden spell that cleansed the toxins within their body!

    Lloyd only saw him for one instant at thest second.

    That unfamiliar person¡¯s handsome face was smiling warmly and gently. He appeared to be saying something.

    Although Lloyd couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying, Lloyd could guess that it must have been blessings of some sort judging from the friendly expression.

    Lana was correct, this person definitely wasn¡¯t some type of ghost! He must have been some type of higher-level existence.

    Could he have been a¡­ God? Or an envoy from the Holy White Goddess?

    Well, it wasn¡¯t important anymore what he really was.

    The important thing right now was the girl before him and her smile.

    Lana was both crying and smiling. She was smiling brilliantly.

    Lloyd felt like he had a simr expression right now.

    The Green Poison had been cured.

    They could still continue living!

    Even though they were still stuck in a forbidden district in dire circumstances, receiving such a miracle gave them the motivation to work hard until the end. They absolutely couldn¡¯t give up after their benefactor helped them so much!

    No matter if he was a person or a God¡­ Lloyd etched the gratitude of having his life saved during a time of utmost despair deep into his heart.

    Lloyd and Lana embraced each other once again with tears streaming down their cheeks. However, their emotions werepletely different.

    ¡°We need to properly live on.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    The boy and girl set out again now that they had hope in their hearts once more.

    After Shika killed off the two remaining lion boss monsters, Seiji felt something heat up within him.

    This was the feeling of himself leveling up, just likest time.

    Shika and Hisashi also received level ups. Their training in the Domain had now ended.

    ¡°Some mysterious things happened this time¡­ But I didn¡¯t have a full understanding of my own abilities to begin with. I suppose that I¡¯ve learned more now.¡± Kazuko adjusted her eyesses.

    ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± Seiji told her.

    He then looked towards Hisashi.

    ¡°Hisashi, you now need to pay attention to your own body¡¯s condition. Let me know immediately if you feel like something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Things appeared to be fine for now. If nothing happened to Hisashi after a while, Seiji would take others to train in the Domain.

    Would he still see scenes from another world the next time?

 Chapter 607 - Taste the wrath of humanity, Magic-Devouring Dragon!!

    <h4>Chapter 607: Taste the wrath of humanity, Magic-Devouring Dragon!!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The next week, Monday.

    Rumors that Seigo Harano and Natsuya Yoruhana had a date on Saturday started spreading all throughout school.

    Some students directly asked Seigo and he admitted to this being true. This caused yet anothermotion!

    The Magic-Devouring Dragon and the student council president had now been confirmed as a couple¡­ Everyone could only sigh as they wondered at how this came to be.

    Of course, there were also other feelings such as jealousy, but¡­

    There would be more room for discussion if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Seigo and Natsuya made such an excellent couple. It just so happened that both had excellent appearances, grades, abilities, and personalities that were difficult to find fault with¡­ So the students could only give their blessings to such a perfect couple.

    Lunch break.

    Rion and Kotomi joined Seiji and his friends for lunch.

    They didn¡¯t mention anything about the harem. They still acted intimate with Seiji but not too intimate.

    Something shed in Mika¡¯s eyes as she saw this. Chiaki smiled in understanding.

    ¡°They haven¡¯t given up, but they aren¡¯t aggressively trying to join in, either¡­ They¡¯re probably intending on developing the rtionship slowly.¡±

    Chiaki stated her analysis after the twin sisters left.

    ¡°They¡¯ll improve their rtionship with Seiji and make a final decision after they¡¯re close enough to him¡­ I think that¡¯s what they¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Chiaki¡­ what do you think, Seiji?¡± Mika gave him a sidelong nce.

    Seiji could only smile wryly.

    He felt that it would be impossible for him toe up with an appropriate response.

    ¡°I more than wee my two senpais to join in the harem. That¡¯s because I want to have hot sexy fun with beautiful twin sisters!¡± A sharp glint appeared in Chiaki¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Nobody asked you such a thing!¡± Mika retorted.

    ¡°Go and do your best, Seiji! Completely conquer and devour the twins!!¡±

    ¡°I keep feeling more and more like you¡¯re the one who actually has the harem here,¡± Seijimented.

    ¡°Only everyone being blissful together is true bliss!!¡± Chiaki acted as if she was saying a ssical phrase.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you!¡±

    Even though Chiaki wasn¡¯t saying something negative, the connotations here made it sound rather strange.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just let things y out naturally,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    That was how the twin sisters treated the news of Seiji¡¯s harem. As for the other person who also knew¡­

    Yukari didn¡¯t greet him like how she normally would when they saw each other in the hallway. Instead, she averted her gaze.

    Seiji understood why this was.

    He didn¡¯t greet her either. They simply passed by each other.

    ¡°Are you alright, Yukari?¡±

    After Seiji passed by, a brte girl next to the purple-haired girl asked this out of worry.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yukari forced herself to smile.

    ¡°¡­How about we go grab something to eat after school? I¡¯ll treat you,¡± the brte girl offered.

    Yukari politely rejected her friend¡¯s kind offer.

    Rather than feeling pained from her first failed love, she felt moreplex feelings within herself. She needed some time alone to digest her feelings by herself.

    After sses finished, Seiji headed over to the Natsuya¡¯s residence and saw Hitaka and Rana in the living room. They had both fully recovered and left the hospital.

    The little cat girl was sleeping peacefully on the red-haired girl¡¯sp. Rana¡¯szy appearance while sleeping was as cute as always.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Shuho-san. Congrattions on leaving the hospital.¡± Seiji smiled and softly greeted her so as to not wake Rana up.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Young Master Haruta.¡±

    ¡°Young Master?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re now Mdy¡¯s boyfriend. This is how I should address you,¡± Hitaka told him in a serious manner.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine to just call me how you did before.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°Why is it not good?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t show the rtionship between master and subordinate.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I have a master-subordinate rtionship with you, Shuho-san.¡± Seiji smiled wryly.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re Mdy¡¯s boyfriend, your social status is higher than mine!¡± Hitaka insisted.

    Seiji felt helpless about how Hitaka acted like a traditional samurai warrior.

    ¡°I¡¯m Natsuya¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer as well. That makes me the same as you. Can¡¯t you use that as the foundation to continue addressing me as you did before?¡± He tried to convince her.

    Something shed in Hitaka¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I want to have a better rtionship with Shuho-san¡­ I¡¯d feel quite awkward if you called me Young Master,¡± Seiji spoke sincerely.

    He didn¡¯t mind so much if Mai called him Young Master, because he knew that Mai was doing it mostly to tease him.

    But, Hitaka was different. She was seriously treating him as her master, which would inhibit trying to make friends with her.

    Hearing this, the red-haired girl¡¯s face slowly turned red.

    ¡®Eh, why is her face turning red?¡¯ Seiji was mystified to see this.

    ¡°I¡­ understand.¡± Hitaka lowered her gaze as her face reddened. ¡°I shall continue addressing you as¡­ Haruta-kun.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with her words. However, the problem was with her expression and tone!

    What was with her shy reaction? Was there something wrong with what he asked her!?

    Seiji was rather confused and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Shuho-san?¡±

    ¡°N¡­ nothing¡­ I¡¯m just a little hot.¡± She kept blushing even redder as she lowered her head.

    Hitaka appeared quite cute when she was like this.

    But, what exactly was the matter?

    Seiji wanted to know, but understood that it would be quite difficult to get anything out of her.

    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling hot, try having some iced tea¡­ I¡¯ll be going downstairs to train.¡± Seiji chose to set the matter aside.

    Hitaka silently watched him leave. Then, she really did drink some iced tea for herself.

    The next time he saw Hitaka, she had already returned to her normal calm self.

    Seiji still didn¡¯t know what happened previously, but paid it no attention.

    Later that night, Hisashi called and reported that he waspletely normal. ording to him, he still loved anime, manga, and movies, along with ying video games. That meant there were no problems!

    Seiji really wanted toment on the standards Hisashi was using to determine if there was anything wrong with himself. But upon closer consideration, perhaps Hisashi was referring to himself foundationally¡ªif he stopped liking his otaku interests, then something about him would probably have changed. Since he still had his original habits, everything was normal with no changes.

    Meanwhile, Kaho also called him and let him know that her older sister Karen was doing alright for the time being.

    Two days passed just like this. The time reached Thursday, which was the once-a-year major sportspetition day at Genhana High School.

    On this day, the entire school would participate in sports such as football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, ping pong, badminton, and so on. Every student was required to y in at least one sport. The students would be allowed to join a maximum of three sports contests.

    For an all-rounder ace like Seiji, he was naturally forced into joining the three most popr sports at this school: football, volleyball, and basketball.

    Everyone in his ss believed that as long as Seigo Harano¡¯s teammates didn¡¯t drag him down, the Magic-Devouring Dragon would be more than enough to defeat all his opponents!

    Tremble in front of the dragon of destruction, mortals!!

    Some students even wanted to shout out such words.

    Most people in other sses also recognized Seigo Harano as the greatest threat. Every single ss was discussing the topic of how to deal with this terrifying existence in the sportspetition.

    Of course, there were many who desired to try their hands at dragonying.

    Although the legends about Seigo were quite famous, there were still many students that had never personally seen him in action. Most of them had their doubts and treated the rumors as mere exaggeration.

    Was there truly someone so powerful as in the rumors?

    If he was really so strong in sports, why didn¡¯t he join any sports clubs and show off his talent?

    Perhaps the rumors were just rumors? They were just overly exaggerated, right?

    Even if he was amazing, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much if he was targeted in team sports, would he?

    ¡­Such doubts existed in all the students¡¯ minds.

    This was especially all the more so for the boys. They really wanted to make this incredibly handsome, ridiculously physically talented existence who always got such high grades and obtained the school beauty as his girlfriend finally taste the pain of defeat!

    Taste the wrath of humanity, Magic-Devouring Dragon!!

    The ¡°heroes¡± had high morale as they shouted that in their minds.

 Chapter 608 - None of you have any knowledge of the Magic-Devouring Dragonâ€™s true strength!

    <h4>Chapter 608: None of you have any knowledge of the Magic-Devouring Dragon¡¯s true strength!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The sportspetition day was the final major activity for the Genhana High School seniors. The only event after that would be the graduation ceremony.

    Of course, some people had zero interest in the sportspetition. Still, a majority of students were quite excited about it as they wanted to leave a good memory of high school behind.

    Naruki Yamada was among the students who intended as such.

    He was the ace yer of the football club¡­ more urately speaking, he had already retired from the football club, so he was the former ace. He wanted to show off onest time during the sportspetition.

    Of course, the best way to give everyone, especially his ser club juniors, a deep impression would be to y the dragon!

    Seigo Harano, the ¡°Magic-Devouring Dragon¡±¡­ after he became famous, the football club president Oogi Takasugi had tried to personally recruit him but failed. Oogiter expressed what a pity it was that Seigo hadn¡¯t been willing to join them.

    Naruki, however, had a different opinion.

    He believed that one¡¯s love for football was the most important. No matter how good someone was at sports, if that person wasn¡¯t passionate about football, that person would end up having problems sooner orter.

    Besides, was this freshman student really as talented as everyone said?

    Naruki seriously doubted all the rumors. Besides, even if Seigo was outstanding in athletics, football was a team sport that required eleven people! Teamwork ability was far more important than personal ability.

    Naruki respected his team captain and club president Oogi Takasugi. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that Naruki agreed with Oogi¡¯s views on what a loss it was that they couldn¡¯t recruit Seigo.

    If Naruki could defeat the famous Magic-Devouring Dragon in front of everyone at the sportspetition, he¡¯d be able to prove that he was right! This would help his juniors to understand the importance of teamwork as well as show everyone that this so-called Magic-Devouring Dragon wasn¡¯t that much after all.

    As for his idea about ying the dragon, the male ssmates¡­ er, his teammates greatly supported him. They all agreed to listen to hismands so that the arrogant first-year student Seigo Harano would taste defeat!

    As if the very gods supported him, the first opponent that Naruki¡¯s ss got randomly picked to face was Seigo¡¯s ss, Year 1 ss 5!

    Naruki believed that this was the will of the heavens. He was confident that he would obtain glorious victory.

    He looked at his teammates and saw that they all had excellent morale as they brimmed with anticipation and clenched their fists¡­ they had incredibly sharp auras!

    ¡®We shall y the Magic-Devouring Dragon!!¡¯

    Hot blood coursed through Naruki¡¯s veins as he showed off a grand smile.

    Thest time he had such a feeling and expression was back when he was participating in the national footballpetition.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, everyone.¡±

    ¡°Oh!!!!!¡±

    The sword-wielding heroes began their journey.

    Year 1 ss 5 and Year 3 ss 5¡¯s football teams faced each other on the football field.

    Seiji was standing across from the other ss¡¯s team captain, who was a medium-sized, muscr, squarish-faced third year student who had short reddish-brown hair.

    The referee announced the lists of both teams¡¯ yers. Seiji thus learned that this senpai who was looking at him sharply was named Naruki Yamada.

    ¡°Harano-san, Captain Takasugi once tried to recruit you, but you didn¡¯t wish to join. He really thinks that it¡¯s a pity,¡± Naruki suddenly spoke in a low voice to Seiji.

    Seiji blinked and thought back to when he was being invited by all the sports clubs¡­ Captain Takasugi must have been the really tall senpai who was the first to appear.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m different from Captain Takasugi. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be that useful to us, because you don¡¯t have any passion for football!¡± Naruki continued. ¡°Even if you have outstanding physical ability, it will only cause problems for the team if you don¡¯t have any passion. Now then, I shall lead my team to defeat you! I shall prove that the so-called Magic-Devouring Dragon is only someone who has good physical abilities that won¡¯t be of any use to a team sport like football!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    After the referee finished reading the list of names, a coin was tossed to determine the sides and who got the ball first. Both teams then bowed at each other before getting into formation.

    Naruki¡¯s team started with the ball. Naruki used excellent footwork to dribble past several yers.

    When he saw Seigo rushing over towards him, Naruki decisively passed the ball over to a teammate with zero hesitation.

    He wasn¡¯t showing weakness¡ªthis was simply tactics. Since everyone already knew that Seigo had ridiculously good physical abilities, then they would simply avoid himpletely!

    Naruki was quite confident in his football techniques as the former ace of the football club. He wanted to try dueling against the Magic-Devouring Dragon. However, he considered his team¡¯s victory to be the most important.

    ¡®Even if you have better physical abilities than I do, despite me being the former ace, it¡¯s all meaningless if you can¡¯t even touch the ball!¡¯ Naruki thought to himself.

    Year 3 ss 5¡¯s team performed excellently. After several passes, the striker used a beautiful headball to shoot the ball into the goal!

    Cheers instantly spread throughout the spectator stands.

    Right now, many other students that weren¡¯t currently participating in thepetition were spectating.

    The Magic-Devouring Dragon¡¯s team was on the receiving end of much attention. Since they just lost one point, the boys from other sses all cheered passionately!

    Year 3 ss 5¡¯s members were proud of themselves for scoring first. Their spirits were obviously raised.

    Only Year 1 ss 5¡¯s students were coldly chuckling in their hearts. ¡®None of you have any knowledge of the Magic-Devouring Dragon¡¯s true strength!¡¯

    After that, Year 1 ss 5 received the ball.

    ss president Koji Hoshihara passed the ball to Seiji.

    Seiji instantly saw three people rushing right at him! Naruki Yamada was among them.

    Naruki was the first to arrive and sent out his foot to try and steal the ball. However, the ball suddenly vanished!?

    No¡­ it didn¡¯t vanish, it had been kicked up into the sky!

    By the time he noticed this, Seiji had already passed all three people. He rushed towards the opposite end of the field at an amazing speed!

    Naruki hurriedly tried to chase after him. However, Naruki found that he couldn¡¯t catch up at all!

    ¡®Just how fast is this guy¡¯s hundred-meter dash time?¡¯ Naruki couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    As the ball descended from the air, several members of Naruki¡¯s team ran over in an effort to steal the ball.

    However, Seiji jumped faster than anyone as he twirled around in midair. He cartwheeled in midair and urately kicked the ball forcefully while upside-down!

    This astonishing sight etched itself into everyone¡¯s eyes.

    The more astonishing part came after. This ball was sent flying at an explosive speed, flying across an incredibly long distance, aiming for the upper right corner of the goal¡­

    It was toote by the time that the goalkeeper reacted.

    Two seconds of silence reigned over the entire field and all the spectators before the referee finally regained his senses and blew his whistle to signify a goal.

    This¡­ this was too incredible!

    Apart from Year 1 ss 5¡¯s students, everyone else that saw this was astonished.

    Seigo first kicked the ball high into the air, then speedily and urately jumped up and used a cartwheel kick to perform a long-distance shot that entered¡­ the hell, this was actually possible!?

    This seemed just like a scene out of a football anime¡­ Just what level was Seigo at!? A professional football yer¡¯s level!?

    Those with more knowledge of football were the most shaken. Seigo¡¯s movements and shooting just now would be difficult even for a pro yer¡­

    Naruki Yamada¡¯s mind was filled with astonishment. He stared with eyes wide open at Seigo and didn¡¯t even blink.

    All the rumors that he didn¡¯t believe to be real kept echoing in his mind.

    The rumors had it that Seigo single-handedly destroyed the tennis, basketball, and karate clubs¡­

    This dragon who could destroy entire clubs by himself¡­ this was no mere rumor or exaggeration.

    All the stories were simply the direct, harsh truth!

    This shock and realization transformed into words that came out of Naruki¡¯s mouth as a mumble¡­

    ¡°This is¡­ the Magic-Devouring Dragon.¡±

    ¡°I really love these types of scenes.¡± Chiaki was chuckling as she watched from the spectator stands with the other Year 1 ss 5 students. ¡°Seeing everyone else have astonished expressions at Seigo¡¯s performance? Their foolish expressions are so fun to see~¡±

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you, Mika?¡±

    The twintailed girl didn¡¯t counter this.

    Mika¡¯s eyes were sparkling as she watched the cool and handsome boy who had everyone¡¯s attention. Her lips were also arcing upwards.

    ¡®That¡¯s my boyfriend.¡¯

 Chapter 609 - Humanity was slaughtered!

    <h4>Chapter 609: Humanity was ughtered!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was quite normal for Mika to be delighted about her boyfriend¡¯s excellent performance.

    The other students in Year 1 ss 5 were delighted as well. Having the dragon on their side was just such a wonderful feeling!

    The other sses¡¯ girls also had sparkles in their eyes as they enjoyed Seigo¡¯s action. Although they all knew that he had a girlfriend now, he was still handsome and easy on the eyes.

    As for how good he actually was at football, basketball, or whatever sport, that didn¡¯t matter¡ªbecause he was handsome.

    Everyone knew that football was a team sport.

    But, everyone who saw his shooting skills just now started to think that ¡®he really is capable of winning a game all by himself¡¯!

    Even Naruki Yamada was shaken in his beliefs.

    It was impossible for him not to be shaken. Seigo¡¯s outstanding physical abilities were out of this world! It seemed as if the main character of a sports manga had just transmigrated to the opponent¡¯s side of the field.

    The Magic-Devouring Dragon overturned all the previous doubts that Naruki had about him. This was aplete p to the face. In fact, even Naruki¡¯s way of thinking about football being a team sport was shaken!

    Teamwork was supposed to be more important than individual ability in football. No matter how strong an individual was, that person¡¯s overall use to the team would still be limited¡­ Was his way of thinking wrong?

    ¡®¡­No!!!¡¯

    Naruki grit his teeth and firmed his conviction.

    There was nothing wrong with his way of thinking. It was impossible for just one person to y football, no matter how amazing he was!!

    ¡°Everyone! We haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± Naruki shouted towards his teammates. ¡°Didn¡¯t we already know beforehand that the Magic-Devouring Dragon is ridiculously strong? Even if he¡¯s stronger than we anticipated, it¡¯s still nothing much! We¡¯re a team, yet he¡¯s only one person! We can win as long as we all work together and have teamwork!! The battle is only beginning!!¡±

    Naruki¡¯s hot-blooded words were transmitted to his teammates.

    Indeed, everyone knew already that the Magic-Devouring Dragon was quite strong.

    It was precisely because of his strength that everyone paid attention to him! That was why ying this dragon would be so worthwhile!

    The score was merely tied! They hadn¡¯t lost yet! This was only the beginning!!

    The heroes got rid of their shaken emotions and stirred their morale up again thanks to their leader¡¯s encouragement.

    After receiving the ball, they attacked even more fiercely than earlier! After several excellent passes, the striker attacked the goal with full force!!

    *Smack!*

    Year 1 ss 5¡¯s goalkeeper solidly managed to block this ball.

    The goalkeeper was Shouhei Watari.

    This excellent attacking opportunity was actually blocked. Year 3 ss 5 received an impact from this.

    Shouhei swiftly passed the ball to Takashi Kobayashi. Takashi passed to Kazufuru Ooike, and Kazufuru then passed the ball to Seiji.

    Football was a team sport. Seiji highly agreed with this as well.

    He knew that it would be impossible for him to y football alone. He never had such an arrogant way of thinking where he believed he could win all by himself. Nor did he need to.

    Although his ssmates viewed him as a super ace, they didn¡¯t worship him to the degree of being a god. They didn¡¯t intend on leaving everything up to him alone.

    Every person on the team would do their own job. He was the same. That was all there was to it.

    As several opposing yers ran over to fight for the ball, Seiji kicked the ball super high up into the air likest time. He then dashed past everyone else!

    ¡°The same tactic again!¡± Naruki grit his teeth and sprinted at top speed.

    He ran as fast as he could to where the ball was falling. He jumped up to fight for the ball!

    Seiji jumped up once more and kicked the ball with another cartwheel kick!

    However, this time he wasn¡¯t aiming for the goal. He passed instead!

    Koji Hoshihara received this pass, and aimed for the goal¡­ his kick went inside!!

    The score was now 2 to 1. Seiji¡¯s ss was now in the lead.

    Naruki fell silent.

    ¡°He¡¯s only one person¡­¡± This was too arrogant as a way of thinking.

    Seigo wasn¡¯t by himself at all! While he was ridiculously strong, he still cooperated with his teammates.

    The goal just now was the best evidence that his teammates weren¡¯t mere blocks of wood.

    They had teamwork as well.

    Although their teamwork wasn¡¯t anywhere nearly as good as Naruki¡¯s ss¡¯s teamwork, it was sufficient as long as Seigo was present!

    The dragon was the ace. Everyone in Year 1 ss 5 knew that. However, they didn¡¯t intend on leaving the entire game up to him alone to y superman.

    Nor did Seigo himself intend on doing everything all alone.

    They were just¡­ simply ying football.

    Just this alone was more than sufficient!

    Naruki realized his own mistake. He smiled sardonically.

    He decided to self-reflectter! Right now, they were still battling. He would resist the best he could against this team with a terrifying ace!

    The end result of the football game was that Naruki¡¯s ss lost by a wide margin.

    They did their very best. However, Year 1 ss 5 under Seigo¡¯s leadership greatly suppressed them for the entire game.

    The dragonying heroes were beaten all over. Their pitiful defeat proved the terror of the Magic-Devouring Dragon!

    Some people gave up on trying to y the dragon after watching such a pitiful game. Some still maintained their will in wanting to defeat the dragon.

    Although the heroes of Year 3 ss 5 failed in the end, people learned that the Magic-Devouring Dragon¡¯s strength was terrifying but not undefeatable.

    ¡°Seigo Harano is truly amazing. In personal ability, not only me, not a single person in the entire football club is a match for him! However, football is still a team sport. No matter how strong the Magic-Devouring Dragon is, he¡¯s still only one person. It doesn¡¯t mean that his team is the strongest! Defeating Year 1 ss 5 is still possible!!¡±

    Those were the final dying words of Naruki Yamada, the leader of the dragonying heroes¡­ whoops, it was just a normal message.

    The real heroes wouldn¡¯t retreat just because of this. Plenty of students still challenged the Magic-Devouring Dragon.

    After football was basketball. After basketball was volleyball.

    Every game that Seiji participated in ended up with a hugendslide victory for his ss.

    Humanity was ughtered! The Magic-Devouring Dragon absolutely proved his nickname¡¯s veracity. No more students doubted his reputation¡­ although Seiji himself didn¡¯t care at all.

    His ss was winning and his girlfriends were happy. That was what Seiji cared about.

    During his free time, he went over to watch Mika, Chiaki, and Natsuyapeting in other sports.

    He had seen Mika and Chiaki ying sports plenty of times in P.E. ss before. However, it was his first time to see Natsuya ying a sport.

    Anything that a beauty like the student council president did would make for an excellent scene.

    Seiji felt that she looked awesome as she wore her hair in a ponytail and moved around on the volleyball field in her exercise uniform.

    Seiji found it somewhat regrettable that she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with long pants. But, he supposed that it was fine as well as many other boys would probably leer at her otherwise.

    Although she was wearing rather conservative clothing, there was still a huge number of boys that came to watch her y.

    When these boys saw Seiji, almost all of them had an expression as if they saw a pile of feces.

    Seiji could only smile wryly inside his heart. However, he couldn¡¯t deny that he also felt somewhat of a sense of superiority.

    On the volleyball field, Natsuya tossed up the ball and served. There was a clear sound as she hit the ball.

    Her serve flew in a beautiful arc to the other side. The opposing yer didn¡¯t get a good hit in. The ball barely flew back over the.

    Natsuya¡¯s teammate easily received the ball and lobbed it. Natsuya jumped up high in front of the and spiked! She seeded in scoring a point.

    Everyone outside cheered and pped, including Seiji.

    The student council president followed the sounds of cheering and smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.

    At this instant, Seiji suddenly felt an even greater sense of jealousy from the other boys around him. This sensation was so strong that he imagined he could hear curses of ¡°Go explode and die!¡± all around him.

    Seiji pretended like he couldn¡¯t sense anything at all and focused only on the volleyball game, admiring his girlfriend¡¯s beauty.

    Natsuya¡¯s team received several points in a row. The opposing team, which consisted of all seniors in Year 3, started bing impatient.

    A short girl with short blonde hair on the other team was serving. Her serve was rather light and seemed tock power.

    Natsuya was about to receive the ball. Yet, at this moment, the volleyball suddenly changed directions in an abnormal fashion!

 Chapter 610 - Everyone witnessed the critical moment!

    <h4>Chapter 610: Everyone witnessed the critical moment!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Nobody expected that this seemingly ordinary volleyball serve would change directions in midair like that.

    Everyone fell silent after Natsuya missed the ball and itnded on the ground.

    What just happened?

    The student council president had a confused expression. Her teammates were also confused. Everyone on the opposing team, including the girl who served the ball, all had confused expressions as well. It was as if question marks hovered over everyone¡¯s heads.

    The spectators were the same way. That volleyball had changed directions in midair in a clearly unnatural fashion as if an invisible hand had suddenly pped it. Everyone saw this quite clearly.

    The volleyball game was taking ce inside the gymnasium, so it was impossible for that to be caused by the wind.

    Something invisible acted upon the ball just now¡­ Everyone couldn¡¯t help but start thinking that.

    The referee, who was simrly confused, regained her senses and decided to call it as a point for the opposing team and have the volleyball game continue as normal.

    One of the spectators couldn¡¯t help but ask his friend, ¡°I felt like that point just now was really strange. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s really strange as well¡­ could that have been a ghost?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still so light outside though.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the girl who served just now has a supernatural ability!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like she caused it.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the girl who served it. Maybe it was caused by one of her teammates, or the ability of someone in the audience.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that.¡±

    Seiji silently activated his [Astral Vision] as everyone discussed this topic.

    He carefully observed the blonde girl who just served the ball, but couldn¡¯t detect anything mystical about her at all.

    He then observed all the members of the opposing volleyball team and still couldn¡¯t find anything.

    He then secretly observed the other spectators¡­ but until the end of the volleyball game, when everyone left, Seiji was unable to find any signs of a single person being Awakened. Nor did the volleyball abnormally change directions in midair again.

    Was this caused by a very well-hidden Awakened who impulsively showed off their ability one time in front of everyone¡­?

    If that was the case, then Seiji decided to forget about it. There was no need to forcefully locate this person.

    But what if this wasn¡¯t the case¡­ could this have been someone trying to test the waters for something? A light shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    Year 1 ss 5¡¯s second football game was against Year 3, ss 1.

    It would have been quite unfortunate for any Year 1 ss filled with freshmen to face off against third year high school seniors twice in a row. However, Year 1 ss 5 was a unique exception.

    ¡°I¡¯m delighted to have this chance to y against you!¡± Oogi Takasugi, the football club captain who was tall, stout, and resembled a bear, had a fiery passionate look in his eyes as he spoke to Seiji. ¡°Let us do our best to show everyone an excellent game! If our team wins, then you need to join our football club!¡±

    ¡°Please allow me to refuse.¡± Seiji could only respond with a wry smile.

    ¡°Even up to now, you still haven¡¯t joined a single club. That¡¯s too much of a waste! Young men like yourself should be spending your time hot-bloodedly with passion, otherwise you¡¯ll definitely regret it!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already being hot-blooded outside of school. No need to worry about me, Senpai.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ that¡¯s good, then. Someone as extraordinary as you shouldn¡¯t waste their time. Do whatever that you¡¯re passionate about so that you can leave behind wonderful memories of youth!¡±

    Seiji could only smile at his senpai who was still so hot-blooded and passionate even when almost having graduated. Seiji felt as if he could feel an intense heat radiating from Oogi Takasugi.

    The game started.

    Seiji¡¯s team received the ball and passed it to him. Soon, Oogi rushed over to Seiji like a vicious bear looking to pounce on some prey.

    Seiji was farcking in football techniquespared to the football team captain. However, Seiji was far superior in speed and agility. He easily shook off Oogi.

    Seiji sessfully moved the ball past everyone by himself and rushed deep into the opposing team¡¯s territory. He then aimed and took a shot at the goal!

    The football flew swiftly towards the left upper corner of the goal. The goalie tried his best to stop it, but was too slow to block it. The ball seemed like it was about to fly into the next¡­ but suddenly abnormally changed direction in midair and ricocheted against the goalpost!

    Everyone was mystified by this sight.

    ¡®It happened again.¡¯ Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    He cast [Astral Vision] again, but was still unable to detect anything.

    ¡®After Natsuya, now it¡¯s happened to me¡­ is someone indeed testing us?¡¯

    Was this hidden Awakened trying to test their own abilities to see if other Spiritual Ability users would discover them?

    Just like with the volleyball incident, everyone who saw the football suddenly turn in midair thought that this was quite strange. Everyone started discussing about this.

    Was the Magic-Devouring Dragon far too powerful? Had he attracted something invisible because of it?

    Many students thought that this could be the case!

    Would any person in all of Genhana High School believe that Seigo Harano was only an ordinary person?

    He was far too strong! If someone like him could still be called an ordinary person, what would everyone else be? People of low ability?

    Why was Seigo Harano so strong? Just who was he?

    Mercenary, special forces soldier, underground assassin, or Spiritual Ability user¡­ the students already had had various guesses about him before.

    And now, everyone witnessed this critical moment!

    His shot that was clearly on an arc to enter the goal suddenly turned around in an obviously unnatural fashion. An invisible force had obstructed him from obtaining a goal!

    This was an unnatural phenomenon that many people witnessed.

    Seigo Harano had ¡°attracted¡± such an unnatural phenomenon to him.

    Seigo Harano himself was an unnatural phenomenon.

    Seigo Harano was actually a Spiritual Ability user!

    Seigo Harano was actually a magic dragon for real¡­ he was just the human form of some powerful demon!

    Seigo Harano didn¡¯t participate in any club activities because he wanted to keep a low profile. He couldn¡¯t afford to attract too much attention!

    Seigo Harano was actually a Spiritual Ability user with a powerful demon sealed inside him! He was unable to fully control his own demonic powers, which was why he had superhuman physical abilities! He would even attract evil demons to himself, which was why he had to request days off from school so often to exorcise them!!

    Just like a fire spreading on a in, the mes of rumors spread extremely quickly¡ªthat Seigo Harano was a truly abnormal existence, along with all the guesses by so many witnesses¡­

    More and more students starteding to watch this ordinary football game. They wanted to personally see an unnatural phenomenon and see this Magic-Devouring Dragon that everyone now believed to be a Spiritual Ability user!

    The incident at the student council president¡¯s volleyball game didn¡¯t cause this much of amotion. That was because Natsuya had always carefully performed only at ordinary humans¡¯ physical abilities during school sports events.

    However, Seiji had showed off far too much. So now that something obviously unnatural was happening, these types of rumors instantly started spreading.

    If the football abnormally curved in midair one more time, everyone wouldpletely confirm him as an abnormal existence of some sort for certain.

    As the football game went on, Seiji maintained his [Astral Vision] and quietly observed the crowds.

    He noticed that the number of spectators was rapidly increasing, and that they were all directly watching him. He realized what had to be going on after thinking about why this could be.

    He was indeed a Spiritual Ability user. If the students really believed him to be an abnormal existence, that would be the same as having his secret identity be exposed.

    What should he do to deal with this situation?

    He didn¡¯t know¡­ What would the worst result be? Would he have to quit school here?

    Was this the real goal of the hidden Awakened who showed off their ability in front of everyone? Did that person want to ¡°reveal¡± Seiji as a Spiritual Ability user?

    But if that was the case, wasn¡¯t it unnecessary for that person to show off their power during Natsuya¡¯s volleyball game?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­ he could only continue to kick the ball.

    No matter what things turned out like in the future, he still wanted to help his ss win this football game.

    Oogi Takasugi and Year 3 ss 1 were stronger at football than the previous Year 3 ss 5.

    However, the final result still ended in Seiji¡¯s ss¡¯s victory. It was just that the final score differential was much smaller.

    ¡°That was an excellent game. Harano-san, please continue living hot-bloodedly and enjoying your youth!¡± Oogi told Seiji this after the game¡¯s end.

    ¡°I will. Thank you, Senpai.¡±

    Seiji then turned to look at the countless spectators.

    ¡°¡­If I¡¯m still able to remain at this school¡­¡± Seiji mumbled to himself.

 Chapter 611 - Quite a daring ideaâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 611: Quite a daring idea¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Although no second abnormal incident appeared during the football game, the mes of rumors were now burning unstoppably. Many students now viewed Seigo Harano as a ¡°possible abnormal existence¡± instead of a ¡°super-strong human being.¡±

    This was a serious matter. People would always treat ¡°demon-like people¡± and ¡°human-like demons¡± in foundationally different ways! Seiji was now personally experiencing what this felt like.

    Someone who really minded how others looked at him might be seriously depressed by being stared at like this by everyone. Luckily, Seiji didn¡¯t have such a personality. Still, even though he didn¡¯t mind as much, he still felt some pressure.

    His ssmates in Year 1 ss 5 didn¡¯t say anything or behave differently from normal. But, who knew what they were thinking?

    With the current situation, perhaps he would need to quit school¡­ And the person who caused all this was the hidden Awakened.

    ¡®If that person¡¯s goal is to make the other students reject me, then I suppose they¡¯ve both achieved yet haven¡¯t achieved this goal,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    As long as that person used their ability one more time to cause the football to do something abnormal in midair again, everyone would have been absolutely certain that the Magic-Devouring Dragon was an abnormal existence of some sort. However, the unknown person didn¡¯t do such a thing. Why was that? Was this person afraid of being discovered?

    ¡®If this person is targeting me, then why did they show their power during Natsuya¡¯s volleyball game? Wouldn¡¯t it be unnecessary even if it was just to test the waters beforehand?¡¯

    ¡°Harano-san, I¡¯d like to ask, what was with that ball that suddenly turned around in midair?¡±

    While Seiji was upied with his thoughts, ss president Koji Hoshihara walked up to him and asked a question.

    Seiji looked at his ss president and saw that he had a serious expression.

    Seiji¡¯s other ssmates were also looking in his direction.

    Seiji withstood all the gazes and answered, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Koji looked at him for a while before speaking up in a serious tone. ¡°You must be hiding secrets, Harano-san. But, no matter what type of secrets they are, I think that you¡¯re a good person. You love to help others and have lots of ss spirit¡­ so no matter what you are, as long as you¡¯re still the current you, I¡¯ll always treat you as a ssmate.¡±

    The ss president then smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind too much about how people in other sses view you. I believe that just about all of us in this ss think of you the same way as me. Rest assured.¡±

    Koji then patted Seiji on the shoulder.

    ¡°Thank you, ss prez,¡± Seiji responded with a smile.

    Koji misunderstood Seiji¡¯sck of a concrete answer. Still, Koji was quite happy that Seiji was willing to listen to his pep talk.

    And so, the first day of Genhana High School¡¯s sportspetition ended.

    Originally, the students should have been heatedly discussing who won and who lost during the games. However, the most popr topic for today was instead regarding the ¡°magic ball¡±!

    During the games, a ball had behaved abnormally two separate times. And, in both incidents, Seigo Harano, the Magic-Devouring Dragon, had been present. In the second time, he was even the one who kicked the ball.

    ¡°Loss of control over a Spiritual Ability or demonic power¡± was the most agreed upon theory. The second most popr theory was that a literal ¡°prankster demon¡± had interfered.

    ¡­But no matter what, people were now thinking of the Magic-Devouring Dragon as no longer an ordinary person. Many felt that it was possible that Seigo wasn¡¯t human at all.

    What about his girlfriend, Natsuya Yoruhana? Could it be that this scion was also a Spiritual Ability user, and perhaps not even human?

    She was so beautiful, with an incredibly excellent and sexy figure¡­ Her charisma was astounding. Could it be that she was actually some sort of demon fox, capable of alluring human hearts?

    A beautiful, demonic vixen student council president¡­ this actually seemed pretty nice?

    Seiji and Natsuya didn¡¯t know just how wild the students¡¯ imaginations were running.

    However, both knew that if mystical phenomena continued appearing during the second day of the sportspetition, things would be really bad for their reputation.

    The two were now carefully going over the school¡¯s surveince videos of the two sports games in question. However, neither was able to tell anything at all about which student used a mystical ability.

    ¡°This Awakened is too good at hiding their own presence.¡± Natsuya sighed.

    ¡°This person only acted once during each of the two ball games. They¡¯re incredibly cautious and didn¡¯t have any telltale signs that we can use to identify them with.¡± Seiji folded his arms.

    Since it now seemed impossible to catch this person tonight, this meant it was highly possible that ¡°magic balls¡± would appear tomorrow as well!

    Without worrying about how to catch this person and if it would be possible to catch them, if the magic balls appeared again, things would be even worse for Seiji¡¯s reputation.

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s really my own fault.¡± Seiji sighed.

    If only he had acted more like a normal person, an incident as small as the balls abnormally changing direction in midair wouldn¡¯t have possibly caused so muchmotion.

    If they could catch the culprit behind this tomorrow, Seiji could resolve this entire issue by loading back to today and dealing with the culprit before things became a big deal!

    But if he couldn¡¯t identify the person responsible for the magic balls, all the students would absolutely think of him as an abnormal existence. It would be quite difficult for him to still remain at this school. People might even think that he was inhuman. Logically, since it was always better to keep superhuman things a secret, he would have to leave this school.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to have to quit this school, if that¡¯s my only option in the end¡­ I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Seiji made this difficult decision.

    ¡°Indeed, quitting school is the best method to deal with this incident. As long as you leave this school, the rumors about you will die down sooner orter. But before that, there¡¯s still other methods avable,¡± Natsuya told him.

    ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°Using hypnosis to mind control all the students here and deleting the relevant memories, having them forget about this incident.¡±

    The student council president casually said something so incredible!

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you can do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult, and the sess rate is low. But, it¡¯s still worth a try.¡±

    Worth a try, she said¡­ she was willing to use arge-scale hypnosis spell on the entire school just for his sake! Seiji felt quite pressured by this!

    This was a real life version of Hypnosis Academy, better known as ¡°Saimin Gakuen¡±! Seiji instantly recalled this hentai anime and its contents¡­¡¯Cough, stop here, I¡¯m not that evil!¡¯

    Although he hurriedly stopped his fantasies, Seiji still felt guilty about even considering hypnotizing the entire school.

    ¡°Is there any other method apart from this?¡± He wryly smiled.

    Natsuya remained silent at this.

    She didn¡¯t want Seiji to have to quit school. However, hypnotizing the entire school would be quite difficult for her. As for other potential methods¡­

    Natsuya really dide up with another method in a sudden sh of inspiration.

    In a way, this idea of hers was even crazier than hypnotizing the entire school! Still, society was currently discussing demons, spirits, and Spiritual Ability users everywhere ever since the Midnight Incident. Completely hiding their identities like before wasn¡¯t quite as necessary anymore.

    Upon closer consideration, her idea seemed indeed workable¡­ right?

    The more she thought about it, the more Natsuya¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at Seiji¡¯s face.

    Seiji was quite mystified.

    ¡°I have an idea¡­¡± The student council president gradually smiled as she told him her idea.

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise as he listened.

    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡± Natsuya asked after she finished telling him the idea.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite a daring idea¡­¡± Seiji could onlyment like this. ¡°Are you certain that it¡¯s fine to use this idea?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, but if this idea fails, let¡¯s fall back upon the backup n of using hypnosis.¡±

    ¡°What if the hypnosis spell also fails?¡±

    ¡°We can quit school together.¡± Natsuya smiled. ¡°It also feels pretty nice to quit Genhana High School together and transfer to some other school¡­ I¡¯d just feel a bit apologetic to Uehara and Wakaba-san.¡±

    ¡°Do you really want to do this?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who created this problem. I should ept the burden by myself.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want that. I want to be together with you.¡± Natsuya nced at him as something shed in her eyes.

    Seiji was moved by her heartfelt intentions.

    ¡°¡­Is that really fine?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just quitting school¡­ Right, there¡¯s also Hitaka and Rana. They¡¯d also need to quit school to follow me, but neither of them probably have any attachments to this school, so there¡¯s no need to worry about them.¡±

    ( Updated by NovelFull.Com )

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Should he say that all this was to be expected of the scion of the Yoruhana Family?

    ¡°I truly hope that your idea won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°I hope so as well, but preparations are necessary.¡± Natsuya showed off an exceedingly alluring smile.

 Chapter 612 - Donâ€™t come over! You monster!!

    <h4>Chapter 612: Don¡¯te over! You monster!!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji hoped that the Hypnosis Academy and the other daring idea were just jokes, but Natsuya was evidently serious.

    He felt that loading would be the best way to deal with this incident by preventing the magic balls from urring in the first ce. But although that was what he thought, he didn¡¯t have enough information right now on who the culprit was.

    He and Natsuya both believed that this incident was caused by a well-hidden Awakened at school. However, this was still only their hypothesis.

    It was currently a new generation ever since the Midnight Incident.

    Perhaps this was a brand-new mystical phenomenon, or this could even be the reappearance of some ancient type of special phenomenon¡­ At any rate, it was also possible that this wasn¡¯t caused by an Awakened.

    The second day of the sportspetition.

    Seiji¡¯s Year 1 ss 5 faced off against Year 1 ss 2 for their third football match.

    This team which consisted of other students in the same grade didn¡¯t have any will to y the dragon at all. They even seemed to be rather afraid of the Magic-Devouring Dragon.

    Seiji managed to score two points very easily. ss president Koji Hoshihara then scored another point as well.

    When Year 1 ss 2 saw that they were now trailing by three points, their originally low morale sunk to the very bottom. The entire ss was filled with an aura of having given up.

    Year 1 ss 5 felt rather bored as it was extremely evident that their opponents had given up. This caused Seiji¡¯s ss to also stop trying hard.

    And so, the football game turned into a very low quality football game to watch. However, very few spectators left despite this.

    That was because none of them were here to see the football game at all! Instead, they just wanted to see mystical phenomena! In fact, many spectators even brought digital cameras. However, Natsuya and Hitaka managed to obstruct this using their student council powers.

    Seiji withstood everyone¡¯s gazes. He had an ominous premonition.

    Although he was somewhat annoyed at everyone watching him, his ominous premonition was stronger than his annoyance. However, he couldn¡¯t notice anything at all despite constantly maintaining his [Astral Vision].

    Things were the same for Natsuya who was watching from outside the football field.

    She, too, had an ominous premonition, but was simrly unable to find anything out of the ordinary. This also went for Hitaka next to her, as well as Rana who was hiding in invisibility.

    This was quite problematic!

    All four of them could sense that something was obviously wrong! But none of them were able to find anything, which was obviously bad.

    They knew that there was a problem, but didn¡¯t know where. This was a terrible feeling to have.

    And then, something bad really did end up happening.

    Seiji received another chance to shoot for a goal. He aimed for the right half of the goal without using very much force.

    Even though Seiji used such a soft kick, Year 1 ss 2¡¯s goalie didn¡¯t even try to block the ball. The ball slowly flew towards the goal¡­ but suddenly changed directions at a sharp ny-degree angle and viciously smacked into the goalie¡¯s face!

    *Smack!* A loud and clear sound rang out.

    The goalkeeper copsed.

    Everyone instantly started a hugemotion now that they saw what they wanted! Someone was actually injured!!

    Seiji and Natsuya frowned simultaneously.

    Despite constantly maintaining [Astral Vision], both of them only saw a sh of red light on the ser ball.

    It was impossible to determine where the red light originated from or who cast the spell!

    Natsuya asked Hitaka and Rana and confirmed that this was all they saw as well.

    The goalkeeper wasn¡¯t seriously injured. But when he saw Seijiing over to apologize, he screamed out in terror.

    ¡°Don¡¯te over! You monster!!¡±

    His eyes were wide open in terror as if he really saw an actual demon.

    Seiji could only stop in his footsteps and inwardly exim at finally hearing such a ssical phrase.

    The goalkeeper¡¯s teammates all stared at the Magic-Devouring Dragon with simr wide-eyed expressions of terror.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!!¡±

    The goalie screamed out loud and crawled up while sprinting at top speed. He ran incredibly quickly, as if he was really escaping from a real dragon!

    As if his other teammates were infected with his fear, they also screamed and ran away. All of them ran away at far faster speeds than what they showed during the football game.

    Just what were they seeing?

    Seiji inspected himself with [Astral Vision] just in case, but saw nothing wrong.

    He then looked at everyone else. He saw that his own ssmates were looking at him with merely confused expressions.

    The referee was the same way. He had a confused expression, but no signs of fear or anything else.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything at all,¡± Seiji told them. ¡°I have no clue why that ball acted like that.¡±

    This was the honest truth.

    However, people¡¯s suspicions wouldn¡¯t vanish just because he told them the truth.

    Themotion in the spectator stands wouldn¡¯t settle down at all. The very atmosphere itself seemed to be quite tense.

    Year 1 ss 2¡¯s team all left the ball field, so the game was forced to be paused.

    Year 1 ss 2¡¯s ss president requested Year 1 ss 5 to take Seigo Harano off the field. Otherwise, Year 1 ss 2 would refuse to continue ying.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any reason to ede to such a request! It¡¯s your own responsibility if you want to give up on the game!!¡± Year 1 ss 5 ss president Koji Hoshihara responded forcefully, believing in his own ssmate.

    ¡°That guy is a real monster! You saw it as well, we¡¯ll die if we y with him!!¡±

    ¡°That was just an ident! Harano-san isn¡¯t a monster!! Take back those foolish words of yours!!!¡±

    ¡°Why should I take them back! It¡¯s the truth!! Everyone saw that ball quite clearly!!!¡±

    The two ss presidents started arguing loudly in public. The referee, stuck in the middle, had a helpless expression. More and more students started gathering around to watch the spectacle as word of this spread.

    It was bing difficult for even the teachers to deal with this situation. And if the teachers got involved, perhaps this incident would end up worsening even further.

    Actually, Seiji was fine with not ying anymore. But when he saw his ss president arguing so vociferously for his sake, he didn¡¯t feel like he should volunteer to step down.

    After a long argument, Year 1 ss 2 ended up choosing to give up on the game.

    All the members of their ss¡¯s team were willing to take the reputation hit as cowards rather than continuing to y with the Magic-Devouring Dragon.

    And so, Year 1 ss 5 obtained victory¡­ a victory that they couldn¡¯t be happy about at all.

    ¡°Rana eavesdropped while invisible on the Year 1 ss 2 students talking among each other. ording to them, they saw a ck mist covering your body and your eyes glowing blood-red as if you really were a demon,¡± Natsuya told Seiji when they met up after the game was canceled.

    ¡°¡­They saw magical hallucinations?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s highly possible. But, it¡¯s unknown who did that to them.¡±

    Both Seiji and Natsuya fell silent.

    It was unknown who used such an ability and cast this hallucination magic. This incident would be impossible to resolve until they identified the culprit.

    No¡­ wait.

    Seiji suddenly thought of one possibility.

    Genhana High School¡­ this entire school was actually constantly under the effect of arge-scale magic spell. It was just that both he and Natsuya had forgotten about this spell, because it had never had any problems before.

    The spell formation covering the entire school!

    Could it be that something was wrong with this spell formation?

    Seiji told Natsuya about this inference of his, causing something to sh in her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­ I¡¯ll check it immediately!¡±

    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±

    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll be fine with just Hitaka with me. Stay here. It¡¯ll be more helpful for my inspection.¡±

    Natsuya then took Hitaka with her and hurriedly left.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to stay behind here so that everyone could gawk at him. However, this was the ce where the incident happened, and him staying here would be better for her to find the problem¡¯s cause¡­ if there was one with the school¡¯s spell formation.

    The football game had ended prematurely, so there was plenty of time until the next match. The football field itself was empty, even if the spectator stands were full.

    And so, Seiji took a football and started kicking it by himself on the field.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Magic-Devouring Dragon doing? Does he want to create another magic ball?¡±

    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s summoning¡­ or luring a demon here?¡±

    ¡°Could it be that he wants to exorcise a demon here? That it¡¯ll be dangerous here, which is why he had the student council president leave here?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be bad for us if we stay behind then?¡±

    As if he could hear theirments, Seigo Harano turned to face the spectators.

    ¡°It might be dangerous here if you stay. You should all hurry and leave!¡± Seiji shouted this to all the spectating students.

    The students started amotion yet again. Some left, but many students still wanted to watch if something else would happen.

    ( Updated by NovelFull.Com )

    ¡°Are you going to exorcise a demon here, Harano-san?¡± A boy student who carried a camera steadied his courage and shouted back to Seiji. ¡°Can I take pictures of the process?¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He recalled Natsuya¡¯s daring idea, causing his cheeks to twitch.

    ¡°Depending on the situation, an exorcism might really ur here¡­ but taking pictures is absolutely forbidden. If you take secret pictures, you¡¯ll take full responsibility for any consequences!¡± Seiji responded in a severe tone.

 Chapter 613 - Just like you, Iâ€™m human

    <h4>Chapter 613: Just like you, I¡¯m human</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The students quieted down for a moment, but then went into an uproar!

    He admitted it!

    Seigo Harano admitted that he was going to do an exorcism!!

    He really wasn¡¯t an ordinary person!!

    ¡°Harano-san, who are you exactly then? A Spiritual Ability user? Or¡­ a demon?¡± the camera-carrying boy shouted out again to him.

    ¡°Just like you, I¡¯m human,¡± Seiji responded calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just slightly stronger than ordinary people.¡±

    Human¡­ did that mean he was a Spiritual Ability user?

    Themotion wouldn¡¯t calm down at all. But no matter what they said, Seiji ignored them all. He only kept telling them to leave.

    Some students who weren¡¯t so brave started leaving. However, even more students came over here to see what Seigo Harano was about to do. The number of spectating students actually overall increased.

    Although they all heard that this might be dangerous, they still couldn¡¯t suppress their curiosity. Besides, it was currently bright and sunny outside with so many people. They felt like nothing major could possibly ur.

    Seiji silently kicked the ball continuously, aiming for the top bar of the goal. He repeatedly bounced it off the top bar of the goal.

    The students all saw that he surprisingly managed to urately rebound the ball against the goalpost¡¯s top bar every time. This was footwork that was far out of the ordinary.

    The camera-carrying boy really wanted to start filming with his digital camera. However, he was extremely hesitant about ¡°taking full responsibility for any consequences¡± that Seigo mentioned to him.

    What might happen to him if he really filmed this?

    There were already many discussions online about Spiritual Ability users. This included many topics about their darker sides. Some of the topics were truly frightening.

    After much hesitation, he finally didn¡¯t dare to take the risk.

    However, there would always be courageous, or perhaps a better word would be reckless, individuals that wanted to secretly take pictures or film this.

    ¡°Seiji, nothing¡¯s wrong with the school¡¯s spell formation.¡± Natsuya sent Seiji a mental message with a spell. ¡°However, it¡¯s faintly suppressing something. It¡¯s my own fault for not noticing earlier.¡±

    ¡°What is it suppressing?¡±

    ¡°It should be suppressing a demon¡­ But the strange part is, normal demons will be destroyed by the school¡¯s spell formation the moment they enter the schoolgrounds. As for more powerful demons that are difficult to destroy, the spell formation should notify me. However, this notification mechanism wasn¡¯t activated this time. I¡¯ve confirmed that the spell formation is still working with no problems. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Perhaps this demon is rather unique¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it a very powerful demon?¡±

    ¡°No. Although it indeed affected the spell formation, this demon¡¯s powers were still suppressed to a reasonable extent.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Natsuya paused for a moment before she spoke up. ¡°¡­How many students are still around you?¡±

    ¡°Many. I think that more than half of the students that aren¡¯t busy right now are watching me.¡± Seiji answered after looking around him.

    ¡°I want to executest night¡¯s n,¡± the student council president told him in a serious tone.

    The students saw Seigo Harano suddenly stop kicking the ball and simply stand there quietly while perfectly still. This caused the students to feel a premonition that something was about to happen, causing them to be nervous.

    A Spiritual Ability user performing an exorcism¡­ what would such an event in real life look like?

    Tension, fear, expectation, and excitement¡­ All sorts of emotions welled up in the students.

    They then noticed something suddenly change about the atmosphere.

    The temperature around them seemed to suddenly lower. It was quite chilly even though it was bright and sunny outside. This made the atmosphere seem rather ominous.

    ¡°Something¡¯sing! If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, hurry up and leave!¡± Seigo Harano shouted to everyone.

    Something was reallying!

    Some students felt afraid and hurriedly left. However, more than half of the students still remained.

    They had waited for so long to see something mystical already. They had to see this!

    And then, they saw it.

    Seigo¡¯s football that had been on the ground suddenly started floating up in midair. A faint blood-red mist started appearing on the football!

    This was an unmistakable actual mystical phenomenon which was happening right in front of everyone in broad daylight!

    Many students eximed out loud. Quite a few of them reflexively took out their cell phones and started snapping pictures.

    The football suddenly flew towards Seigo Harano with a red sh! It was as if someone viciously kicked it.

    *Peng!*

    Seiji blocked the ball with his hand.

    The magic football rebounded with a red sh as it attacked Seigo at an even faster speed!!

    Seigo continued blocking the football.

    *Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng!*

    The football kept magically flying at him in midair at a faster and faster speed, to the point where ordinary people couldn¡¯t even see it clearly anymore!

    However, the boy with the nickname of Magic-Devouring Dragon blocked it every time.

    Finally, Seigo Harano punched it forcefully to the point where the magic football exploded on contact!!

    Despite the great distance, all the students could sense just how powerful his punch was. If he hit a person with that punch instead, it was quite possible¡­ no, that person would definitely be sent flying!

    After the football exploded, the abnormal mist on it dissipated.

    Was everything over?

    If that was all it was, an exorcism didn¡¯t seem like much.

    Some students just started thinking this when everyone noticed that the temperature dropped even further. Even the sunlight appeared to be dimming.

    A gust of chilly wind blew past¡­ this wind brought an ominous, bone-piercing chill!

    Something even scarier wasing.

    Some students were now afraid and wanted to leave. However, they found themselves unable to move¡ªbecause their bodies were shaking uncontrobly!

    Inside the football field, a blood-red mist appeared out of thin air. This mist became denser and denser and started gathering on the field¡¯s surface as if it was material.

    Faint strange sounds rang in everyone¡¯s ears as the students watched this scene. They smelled a scent which resembled a mixture of alcohol and blood, which further raised their fear.

    This was¡­ a real demon!

    Their bodies were instinctively warning them to run away at top speed. However, their feet were unable to move.

    The students had only nned on watching a little and then leaving if things got dangerous?

    It was impossible to even leave!!

    Everyone could only watch as a gigantic blood-red humanoid monster formed out of the mist and started approaching!

    This was something incredibly dangerous! They would die if it touched them!! Run away!!!

    All the students¡¯ instincts were warning them to run away. However, only incredibly few students were able to run away. Most students simply stood still, frozen in terror where they stood. Some screamed out in fear, and some weren¡¯t even capable of uttering a sound. Some were scared to the point of crying tears and leaking snot, while some even wet themselves.

    ¡®No¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ Don¡¯te over here¡­¡¯

    This was a tremendous terror of feeling that one¡¯s life was in actual danger. This waspletely iparable to watching a horror movie or a mystical genre movie!

    The students that had believed themselves to be brave finally learned what true terror felt like.

    When they were no longer part of the audience, and instead became the characters in a mystical genre movie, they actually behaved worse than the killed-off useless characters that they looked down upon.

    ¡°Save¡­ save me¡­¡± The earlier camera-carrying boy was shaking all over. He had already dropped his camera onto the ground and was blubbering like a child.

    His life shed before his eyes as he recalled various memories. But, he didn¡¯t want to die yet!

    A boy¡¯s figure appeared in front of the blood-red giant demon.

    Seigo Harano!

    That was right, he was still here!!

    The camera-carrying boy had been so afraid that hepletely forgot about Seigo¡¯s presence.

    But, was Seigo capable of dealing with such a demon? This was a fearsome monster that was capable of appearing in broad daylight!

    The blood-red demon swung its arm¡ªor what appeared to be its arm¡ªat Seigo.

    The Magic-Devouring Dragon got into a fighting pose and responded with his fists.

    *Boom!*

    There was a giant explosion.

    Arge hole appeared in the blood-red demon¡¯s arm!!

 Chapter 614 - Youâ€™re all free to decide what you want to do

    <h4>Chapter 614: You¡¯re all free to decide what you want to do</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seigo could do it¡­ But before the students could be happy about this, the blood-red demon viciously swung its other arm at Seigo.

    *m!!*

    There was a low sound as if a heavy hammer crashed into the ground. The entire earth seemed to tremble.

    If this hit connected, it would definitely smash anyone into pieces!

    Luckily, Seigo was able to dodge this attack.

    Nobody was able to see clearly how he dodged it. The students only saw him shing instantaneously and arriving seven or eight steps behind where he originally stood.

    The hole in the blood-red demon¡¯s arm speedily recovered. The blood-red demon then swung both its arms at the boy in front of it!

    The students witnessed Seigo Harano continuously dodging the monster¡¯s attacks. Although none of the attacks hit him, Seigo had a rather serious expression. It seemed that this monster was a difficult opponent for him.

    Seigo was rather tall as a human, but he seemed like nothing more than a child inparison to this gigantic monster that was two stories tall.

    The students imagined being up so close to such a monster and felt even more afraid just thinking about it. They were also impressed with Seigo¡¯s courage.

    Go, Seigo, go!!

    They hoped that the Magic-Devouring Dragon would sessfully exorcise the demon, both for his and their own sake.

    After many sessive attacks, the blood-red demon¡¯s movements gradually started slowing down.

    At this moment, Seigo Harano lowered his body and instantly rushed forward towards the demon and punched with lightning speed!

    *Boom, boom, boom, boom¡­!*

    The students heard four explosions and saw fourrge holes appear in the demon¡¯s body.

    ¡®Amazing¡­¡¯ every student thought this.

    However, the blood-red mist swirled as the demon speedily recovered from its injuries. It waved its arm and sent out arge number of blood-red balls with a whoosh!!

    Seigo did his best to dodge the balls. However, he was still hit and sent flying backwards!

    The students instantly felt their hearts clench. But right after that, they saw him backflip in midair andnd steadily on the ground.

    It didn¡¯t seem like he was injured¡­ he must have used some type of protective spell?

    Everyone felt that those blood-red balls had massive power, because countless holes appeared in the ground where they hit! Any of those blood-red balls that connected with a human body would surely leave a bloody hole.

    The demon swung its other arm and shot out arge number of blood-red balls once again!

    Seigo barely managed to dodge this attack as he agilely twisted his body.

    The demon was now fully recovered as it pressed the attack!

    Seigo kept dodging and counterattacking whenever he saw an opening!

    This fierce battle between a demon and a human seemed just like a scene out of a manga. However, it was far more realistic than anything the students had ever seen in a manga.

    The spectators were feeling tremendous pressure since the battle might involve them at any moment. If nothing else, just a tiny blood-red ball hitting them would cause serious injuries!

    Fortunately, the Magic-Devouring Dragon intentionally led the demon away from everyone. But even so, some of the blood-red balls sttered only three or four meters away from the crowd of students. The students standing closest all had incredibly pale expressions of fear.

    Some students did their best to ovee their fear to move their bodies and escape from this ce. However, most of them still stood there, frozen. They were unable to do anything except watch the battle before them.

    Whoosh¡ªthe demon suddenly spat out arge patch of blood-red mist!

    The temperature in this area lowered again! Nobody knew what effects that mist would have, but it would definitely be frightening if one came into contact with it. Perhaps this mist could even dissolve humans!?

    Seigo shouted loudly when faced with this attack he couldn¡¯t dodge. He was suddenly covered in a golden light before the blood-red mist appeared to devour him.

    The students¡¯ tension reached a maximum upon seeing this!

    The next instant, *boom, boom, boom, boom, boom¡­* The sound of explosions kept sounding in session as the demon¡¯s body was instantly smashed into pieces!

    ¡°Gagagagagaga!!¡±

    Everyone heard a strange ear-piercing sound. Evidently, the demon was making this noise.

    The demon kept restoring its body¡¯s form, only to be smashed again. It released even more blood-red mist which started expanding everywhere.

    This was the final moment of the battle!

    Seeing the blood-red mist approach them, everyone realized that either Seigo Harano would defeat this demon, or this demon would devour everyone present!!

    ¡®Dragon¡­ Magic-Devouring Dragon, you have to win!¡¯

    All the students were shouting that in their minds.

    As if Seigo could hear what they were thinking, the sound of the explosions became even louder and the demon¡¯s screaming became weaker.

    And then¡­ ¡°BOOM!!!¡±

    There was an ear-rattling explosion as the blood-red mist suddenly exploded!

    Everyone felt a strong gust blow them over, causing them to scream as they all fell over like dominoes.

    The students were in pain as they fell on the ground, but then they noticed that the temperature was rising again, the sun had returned, and it was no longer chilly¡­ The atmosphere had returned to normal!

    The camera-carrying boy from earlier crawled up, only to see that Seigo had just taken off his now tattered shirt.

    Streaks of blood were on his handsome face and muscr body and he was currently still bleeding. Seigo wiped himself using the tattered shirt in his hands.

    The Magic-Devouring Dragon¡¯s injuries and the countless holes in the football field proved that none of what happened just now was a hallucination.

    ¡°Harano-san¡­ are you alright?¡± someone weakly asked him.

    However, Seigo appeared to either not hear or ignore this. He simply took his reddened tattered shirt with him and left without saying a word.

    Everyone watched him leave. This entire ce was silent with not a single person talking.

    As word of the exorcism incident quickly started spreading through the student poption, there was a school-wide announcement that all sportspetition activities would be temporarily suspended and that all the students should gather in the school auditorium! The student council president would make an important announcement there.

    An announcement from Natsuya Yoruhana¡­ Everyone was curious what this scion who was Seigo Harano¡¯s girlfriend would have to say.

    ¡°I think that she¡¯s going to threaten us to keep quiet and pretend not to know anything about this incident.¡± Some students thought about it from a highly negative point of view.

    ¡°But, do you dare to not go to the auditorium?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Although some students were afraid of the student council president¡¯s ¡°exnation,¡± nobody dared not to attend.

    After all, they were all ordinarymoners. Who knew what type of revenge would be brought upon them if they dared to go against the scion of a powerful family?

    Demons and Spiritual Ability users were all real. However, the public didn¡¯t know about this. This meant a huge power in the shadows was covering this up!

    Trying to forcefully uncover the truth might end up really badly for them.

    Wasn¡¯t this quitemon in television shows and movies? Reporters, investigators, and other such individuals that wanted to reveal the dark truth in the shadows would often have terrifying cmities or death befall them and even their entire families.

    Everyone felt that people who dared to reveal the hidden truth were heroes. But, who wanted to be such a hero? Who had the resolution to be such a hero?

    This was a question that everyone could only remain silent on.

    No matter what the students thought, Natsuya already knew what she was going to do.

    She was currently standing at the auditorium¡¯s podium, waiting for the students to arrive.

    The students continuously arrived and gathered at the auditorium.

    Natsuya silently watched all the students arriving. Once the time that she set arrived, she started speaking into a microphone.

    ¡°Good morning, fellow students. No matter if you saw it or not, no matter if you know what I¡¯m talking about or not, please seriously listen to what I have to say.¡± Natsuya had an incredibly serious expression.

    ¡°Hidden dangers are present within this world. And, these dangers will only increase with time. Plenty of information that everyone¡¯s probably heard about proves this.

    ¡°A certain person is secretly dealing with these dangers in order to protect everyone that¡¯s studying here, simply because he¡¯s a fellow student just like all of you.

    ¡°Due to certain rules of the trade, he can¡¯t expose his own identity¡­ If all of you keep this a secret and delete any records of this incident without spreading it or talking about it, he¡¯ll be able to continue studying here. Otherwise, he¡¯ll soon be forced to leave.

    ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll be leaving together with him. As for who will protect this school in the future, we don¡¯t know. Nor will we involve ourselves with this school anymore.

    ¡°You¡¯re all free to decide what you want to do. Of course, you also need to bear the results of your own decisions.

    ¡°That¡¯s all. I apologize for taking up everyone¡¯s time in summoning all of you here.¡±

    The student council president instantly turned around to leave after saying what she did. There was nothing else at all.

    The auditorium remained silent for a moment before amotion started.

    It had really only been an exnation¡­?

    This incredibly short and simple exnation was basically about only one thing.

    If they kept this incident a secret, Seigo Harano would be able to stay here. Otherwise, he would be forced to leave, and Natsuya Yoruhana would leave together with him.

    Who would protect Genhana High School after they left¡­? Or, which Spiritual Ability user would stand up and deal with demons that might possibly appear here? Seigo and Natsuya wouldn¡¯t know, nor would they care.

    This¡­ was actually a threat, wasn¡¯t it?

    The students couldn¡¯t help but think that.

    But, upon closer consideration, this was only normal.

    If Seigo¡¯s identity was exposed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay at this school anymore. In that case, it was only natural that he wouldn¡¯t protect the people here anymore.

 Chapter 615 - What part of me left you such a deep impression?

    <h4>Chapter 615: What part of me left you such a deep impression?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Do you think we should keep this a secret?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think we should keep it a secret. The school will be much safer with the Magic-Devouring Dragon and our student council president around.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe what she says? Maybe she¡¯s actually lying. Maybe having the Magic-Devouring Dragon stay is actually more dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Do you want them to leave then? What if demonse after they leave?¡±

    ¡°Maybe this school will be fine after they leave with no demons appearing.¡±

    ¡°How can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°I said only maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want them to leave, then say it clearly. What if something happens here afterwards? Can you deal with it? Can you take responsibility?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t say I wanted them to leave¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what side are you on?¡±

    ¡°I said I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Judging from President Yoruhana¡¯s words, she obviously wanted everyone here to keep the incident a secret. However, some students still felt suspicious and felt that there was some nefarious scheme involved.

    However, these people would be asked by others: who would take care of any demons after Seigo and Natsuya left? Who could take responsibility for demons injuring others?

    Nobody was able to answer.

    This was a question with two choices where the result of the first choice was a known one. If they kept this incident a secret, the Magic-Devouring Dragon and the student council president would remain here to deal with the demons.

    The second choice, to spread word of this incident, would end in an unknown result. The Magic-Devouring Dragon and the student council president would leave. Nobody knew what would happen to the school after that.

    It was quite easy to doubt others, but when it came to choosing an unknown result¡­ How many people had this type of courage?

    Even if one person had the courage to do so, what about the people around them? The entire student poption would have to bear with the consequences! This meant that all the students were paying close attention on what to choose here.

    If someone chose to spread this information and something bad happenedter down the road, everyone would me this person!

    Not only would a person need courage to do this, they would also need to withstand lots of pressure. And, they wouldn¡¯t gain anything from doing this at all.

    At most, they would contribute to revealing the truth and feel a sense of self-satisfaction.

    Having all the students keep the secret together for him¡­ Natsuya¡¯s daring idea would have been absolutely impossible before. However, things were now different after the Midnight Spell which caused a sharp increase in mystical phenomena.

    Natsuya didn¡¯t know whether or not her idea would seed. After all, it was impossible to say with so many students.

    If they failed, she could still fall back on trying to hypnotize the entire school.

    Seiji felt that it would be quite immoral to hypnotize the entire school. He felt that he might as well just quit this school if it came to that.

    Although loading back to the first day of the sportspetition would be the best way to resolve this incident after catching the culprit, that was only a temporary band-aid for a foundational problem.

    His reputation at Genhana High School was already quite exaggerated. The ¡°magic football¡± incident where someone intentionally meddled was the only spark needed to fully exaggerate rumors about him to oundish proportions. Even if he solved this incident before it began, future sparks would always exaggerate his reputation even further.

    Would he have to load every time that such an incident urred? Wouldn¡¯t it be too much of a bother to constantly load just to keep his secret identity?

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to go to such lengths to do so. In that case, he would simply see what Genhana High School¡¯s students would decide upon.

    The sportspetition resumed as normal.

    The exorcism incident and the student council president¡¯s exnation were the hottest topics at school right now. However, the main characters involved in this, Seigo and Natsuya, were both no longer participating in the sportspetition. Apparently, Seigo asked for leave by saying that he was injured, and Natsuya apanied him.

    Every single student in Year 1 ss 5 said that they supported their ssmate Seigo Harano. They believed him to be a hero who was protecting the school! ss president Koji Hoshihara even made a school announcement by vouching on his own honor and asking everyone to keep Seigo¡¯s secret.

    After that, the students who personally witnessed the exorcism came out and also made schoolwide announcements with the same request.

    The football team captain Oogi Takasugi also made a schoolwide announcement. He spoke with fiery passion in his hot-blooded style as he called for everyone to support his heroic junior so that Seigo could enjoy his youth!

    Many students deleted all records of this incident that they took. They also tried to convince the others to do the same as well.

    By the time that the second day of the sportspetition ended, the students at Genhana High School basically reached a tacit agreement to no longer discuss this incident.

    The teachers were even better than the students at keeping silent on this matter. As they were adult employees of the school, they all knew to keep any incidents out of the media¡¯s reach.

    Natsuya¡¯s n seeded¡­ probably.

    Right now, it was still impossible to say if it was aplete sess or not. It would only be a sess if nothing happened even after a long whileter.

    Later that night, Seiji, Natsuya, Shika, Hitaka, and Rana arrived at the school¡¯s football field.

    The ¡°exorcism¡± incident from earlier that morning hadn¡¯t truly dealt with this incident at all.

    However, that demon had been real. It wasn¡¯t an act put on by Seiji at all. And, it wasn¡¯t the only demon at Genhana High School!

    After everyone finished makingbat preparations, Natsuya controlled the school¡¯s spell formation to decrease its suppression effects.

    A unbelievably dense blood-red mist¡­ no, it was no longer mist, it was more like liquid. This liquid speedily appeared in midair and formed into a tremendous humanoid figure! It was three times asrge as the two-story figure from this morning. It formed into a vicious demon and carried the smell of blood.

    Seiji and the others furrowed their eyebrows. Hitaka in particr had a particrly heavy expression.

    They had all sensed and smelled something simr here at school before.

    Seiji instantly recalled the vicious powerful great demon¡ªShutendoji!

    Seiji recalled how Minamoto no Raikou told him how Shutendoji had escaped in the end.

    Had Shutendoji actually been hiding here all this time!? Was this demon the escaped Shutendoji!?

    Although they had simr auras, they didn¡¯t seem the same.

    ¡°Grahh!!¡± The giant blood-red demon pounced towards them!

    *Boom!* Everyone¡¯s prepared spells instantly exploded against it and set off brilliant explosions.

    The two Yin Yang Masters and three Spirit-branded Retainers had all been fully prepared and were in excellent condition. Even if the great demon Shutendoji had appeared, they would still be able to kill him once again!

    Attack attack attack attack spell shooting spell shooting spell shooting spell shooting¡­

    They easily won!

    The demon finally ended up exploding, sending out a powerful shock wave of blood mist. If there were spectators like this morning, the spectators would surely have been seriously injured by this. However, this was nothing more than a light gust of wind to the five of them.

    Natsuya then fully removed the school spell formation¡¯s suppressive effects. This revealed a giant ck oval-shaped spell formation!

    A¡­ Dimensional Eye?

    ¡°The demons came out of here, not from outside the school. That¡¯s why the school spell formation didn¡¯t inform me of the intrusion,¡± Natsuya exined.

    ¡°This appears to be a Dimensional Eye. However, it¡¯s different from the ones I¡¯ve seen before. It¡¯s also different from Kazuko-san¡¯s way of entering her Domain.¡± Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Dealing with this incident¡¯s root cause will probably require entering in here. However, it will likely be incredibly dangerous,¡± Seiji surmised.

    ¡°My family should be very interested in whatever this is. I shall report this to my family and have them send someone to deal with this.¡± Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®Letting the Yoruhana Family deal with this¡­ that should be fine.¡¯

    Just as Seiji was thinking this, a voice suddenly spoke up behind him.

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Knight Leader.¡±

    !? This voice was¡­

    Seiji turned around to see a girl wearing ck traditional Sakura Ind clothing and a dog head mask slowly walking towards them.

    This was the dog head mask girl that he previously met in the Inner World, whom he suspected to be a member of Soul World!!

    ¡°¡­Good evening, Miss Dog Head Mask,¡± he responded in turn.

    She chuckled as she walked up to him.

    ¡°We meet again, Mr. Knight. I¡¯m d that you haven¡¯t forgotten about me.¡±

    ¡°You left me such a deep impression, Miss Dog Head Mask. I wouldn¡¯t possibly forget about you.¡±

    ¡°What part of me left you such a deep impression? My face or my body?¡±

    ¡°Everything,¡± Seiji replied.

    The dog head mask girl chuckled once again. ¡°Where¡¯s the previous Lady Knight fromst time?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in my knights¡¯ training ground¡­ Where is Mr. Minotaur fromst time?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably lost in abyrinth somewhere.¡±

    The dog-head girl then turned to look at Natsuya and the others.

    ¡°Are these beautifuldies also members of your knight order?¡±

 Chapter 616 - There was once a truly sincereâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 616: There was once a truly sincere¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Not all of them.¡± Seiji looked at her. ¡°Miss Dog Head Mask, are you here because of this Dimensional Eye?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move onto the main topic so quickly, I still want to chat with you for a little more~¡± She kept chuckling. ¡°Which of these beautiful girls have you had a physical rtionship with already?¡±

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think that we know each other well enough to chat about such a personal topic!¡± Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve had sex with all of them already?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°Two of them, then?¡±

    ¡°None of them!¡±

    ¡°None of them at all?¡± the dog head mask girl spoke in a surprised tone. ¡°Even though Mr. Knight Leader is clearly so handsome¡­¡±

    ¡®Handsome doesn¡¯t mean shameless!¡¯ Although Seiji wanted to respond in such a manner, he recalled how he had started his own harem, so he was unable to respond out loud in such a manner.

    ¡°Please, let¡¯s not talk about this subject anymore, Miss Dog Head Mask.¡±

    ¡°Seeing your expression, could it be that a certain part of your body has some difficulties?¡± The dog head mask girl lowered her head and looked at Seiji¡¯s crotch area.

    ¡°Not at all! Please don¡¯t intentionally sidetrack the topic like this!¡±

    ¡°If you really do have such difficulties, I can help you~¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need! Let¡¯s stop talking about this!¡±

    ¡°Erectile dysfunction is quite amon problem for men. There¡¯s no need to worry too much about it. You can just say it out loud honestly.¡±

    ¡°I said that I don¡¯t have such a problem! Please, listen to what I¡¯m saying!!¡± Seiji retorted forcefully.

    ¡°Heehee¡­¡± The dog head mask girl giggled happily before looking at the ck oval on the ground.

    ¡°I am indeed here because of this. I¡¯m preparing to go inside and clean up what¡¯s within. Are you interested ining with me, Mr. Knight Leader?¡±

    The atmosphere instantly changed.

    Conversation options suddenly appeared in front of Seiji¡­

    [A: I¡¯m interested. Please allow me to go with you.]

    [B: I¡¯m not interested. Please go in by yourself if you like.]

    [C: What do you mean by clean up what¡¯s inside? Will there be danger?]

    Logically speaking, the best choice for him should be C. He could try and obtain more information.

    However, Seiji felt that C would be an incorrect answer judging by the aura that this dog head mask girl was giving off.

    Directly replying in the affirmative or negative would be the correct answer with her.

    If he wanted to avoid danger, he should obviously reject her. However¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m interested. Please allow me to go with you,¡± Seiji replied seriously.

    *Ding!* His system notified him that this was the correct answer which improved her favorability rating towards him.

    ¡°Why did you agree so directly?¡± the dog head mask girl asked him. ¡°I thought that, just likest time, you would ask to know more before making a decision.¡±

    ¡°Last time was about something more important, which was why I wanted to know more information. This time, it only has to do with this.¡± Seiji nced at the ck oval on the ground. ¡°I think that this is a Dimensional Eye, so going to clean up what¡¯s within probably means eliminating all the spiritual creatures inside¡­ I don¡¯t need to worry about you because I already know how strong you are. However, this is the school that I¡¯m studying at. I¡¯d feel bad about having you go in by yourself. Besides, I am indeed interested and want to know what it¡¯s like inside. Also, maybe you¡¯ll be willing to tell me some things I want to know while we¡¯re together¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t suspect that I¡¯ll take this opportunity to carry out some nefarious intentions?¡±

    ¡°If someone like you wanted to attack me, you wouldn¡¯t need to go to this much trouble.¡±

    The dog head mask girl giggled yet again. ¡°I¡¯m liking more and more now, Mr. Knight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor,¡± Seiji responded calmly.

    ¡°Before we enter, how about having thesedies here go back home? Dealing with what¡¯s inside will take at least several hours. There¡¯s no need to have them wasting so much time standing around doing nothing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all going in together!¡± Natsuya spoke up here.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite dangerous inside there. You don¡¯t have enough power to protect yourselves.¡± The dog head mask girl looked at Natsuya. ¡°If all of you enter this ce together, it¡¯s highly likely that you¡¯ll die inside there¡­ Unless I¡¯ve underestimated your power levels. However, I think that it¡¯s likely I haven¡¯t.¡±

    Her tone was incredibly serious and was warning Natsuya.

    ¡°If you think they¡¯re not strong enough, the same goes for me as well,¡± Seiji mentioned.

    ¡°If it¡¯s just Mr. Knight, I can still take care of protecting you. We¡¯d still be able to escape even in an emergency situation,¡± the dog head mask girl told him. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee the same if we take even one more person with us.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Seiji turned to face Natsuya and the others. ¡°How about you all just return and wait for me?¡±

    Natsuya and Shika both revealed unwilling expressions. Hitaka frowned.

    ¡°No need to worry. With Miss Dog Head Mask protecting me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°This is a rare opportunity.¡±

    This was just like having a high level yer help a low level yer to level up. He didn¡¯t want to miss such an opportunity.

    Natsuya and the others understood what he meant. Although they were unwilling, they could only ept.

    However, they didn¡¯t want to leave. They wanted to wait here for him.

    Seiji finally managed to gently convince them to return home to rest and wait for him.

    The dog head mask girl silently observed this entire process.

    After Natsuya and the others were finally convinced to leave, she spoke up again. ¡°Actually, as long as you wanted, you could easily have sex with any of them, couldn¡¯t you? Especially with that long-haired, big-breasted girl.¡±

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    ¡°Honestly, please stop bringing up such a topic, Miss Dog Head Mask.¡± Seiji felt rather helpless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have such desires? Why aren¡¯t you making a move?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer this question.¡±

    ¡°I think that girl is looking forward to you making such a move as well. You only need to push her down on her bed.¡± The dog head mask girl chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of this conversation, please¡­¡±

    ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re actually one of the legendary herbivore men? Or are you one of those pure men who believe in sex only after marriage?¡±

    ¡°You can just treat me as such a man.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°Miss Dog Head Mask, you shouldn¡¯t casually talk about topics such as these.¡±

    ¡°I carry myself quite seriously as ady. Although, I do act rather casually around you, Mr. Knight.¡± The dog head mask girl chuckled. ¡°So, what¡¯s the answer?¡±

    ¡°¡­It simply isn¡¯t time yet.¡±

    ¡°You lose points for being insistent on waiting until after marriage.¡±

    ¡°Please apologize to all rule-abiding men in this world!¡±

    Seiji wasn¡¯t insistent to such a degree. However, he didn¡¯t feel that men who insisted on such a thing were in the wrong.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice that you treasure women. However, you can¡¯t just go by formalities only. You also have to truly pay attention to what they want,¡± the dog head mask girl said, then turned to look at the ck Dimensional Eye. ¡°Do you still need time for any preparations?¡±

    ¡°No need¡­ But I do have a request.¡± Seiji looked at her. ¡°Please allow me to see your true appearance.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°In order to improve our trust. Although I¡¯ve already chosen to believe in you, if it¡¯s at all possible, I still want to see who you really are. This way, I¡¯ll be able to trust you more.¡±

    A chilly night breeze blew past them.

    ¡°And here I thought that you weren¡¯t interested in my appearance at all.¡± The dog head mask girl chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s not really that interesting to constantly talk to someone wearing a dog head mask,¡± Seiji told her honestly. ¡°Although your mask is rather cute, I prefer to see a human face.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear. Mr. Knight, you should be more sincere if you want to make a request.¡±

    ¡°Sincere?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sincere.¡±

    ¡°What type of sincerity?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± The dog head mask girl folded her arms and used a ssical reverse question.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment as he mulled it over.

    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±

    Seiji took a deep breath and then covered his face with his hand. He slowly revealed his face and smiled gently and sadly as he slowly spoke, ¡°There was once a truly sincere and wonderful rtionship I had which I didn¡¯t treasure. Only when I lost it did I regret it endlessly. If the gods can give me another chance to start over again, I would tell her just three words: ¡®I want you!¡¯ If I could transform this regret of mine into an actual wish, I¡¯d wish for¡­ seeing the most beautiful thing in the world once more: your smile!¡±

    The dog head mask girl was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 617 - I feel like I was scammed!

    <h4>Chapter 617: I feel like I was scammed!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ hahahahaha!!¡±

    After remaining silent for a while, the dog head mask girl startedughing out much louder than her gentle chuckles from before. This handsome boy who pretended to have such deep emotions was just too much for her.

    ¡°What is this¡­ haha¡­ where did you quote that from¡­ hahaha¡­ truly amusing¡­¡±

    ¡®Of course it¡¯s amusing as I quoted it from a ssic in my previous world,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself. He felt even more respect now for theedy king who created this quote 1 !

    ¡°What is this from? A movie or a television show? Or an anime?¡± the dog head mask girl asked again after she finally managed to stopughing. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have possiblye up with that on the spot?¡±

    ¡°I saw it in a movie from Huaxia, although I forget which one it¡¯s from,¡± Seiji told her.

    ¡°A Huaxia movie¡­¡± The dog head mask girl paused for a moment. ¡°Excellent sincerity, Mr. Knight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. As long as it pleases you.¡±

    ¡°I was even moved for a moment there, although it was because ofedy, not love. You put on such an excellent performance.¡± The dog head mask girl chuckled. ¡°You have excellent talent for acting. Perhaps we could even make a film together.¡±

    ¡°¡­Miss Dog Head Mask is actually an actress?¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I told you before that I¡¯m interested in cosy. However, I¡¯m not exactly an actress.¡± The dog head mask girl lifted her hand and slowly took off her mask.

    The night breeze blew past and caused her beautiful ck hair to flutter in the wind. Her incredibly beautiful appearance seemed just like the silver moon in the sky, pure to the point of being holy.

    To his surprise, Seiji instantly recognized who she was. He couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes.

    ¡°Miyuki Sakuraku!?¡±

    She was the beautiful national idol singer of Sakura Ind who countless citizens loved!

    ¡°Ding dong! Aren¡¯t you pleasantly surprised, Mr. Knight?¡± Miyuki Sakuraku now spoke differently in a cuter and gentler voice than before. ¡°The mysterious girl that you had fun chatting with was actually a first-rate super popr idol! Aren¡¯t you delighted?¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Seiji muttered as he regained his sense. ¡°This is such a pleasant surprise.¡±

    ¡°I can even give you my autograph and take a selfie together with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so happy, you should show it more! Please give me another performance to express your feelings!¡±

    ¡°My acting ability is still on cooldown. I can¡¯t use it yet.¡±

    ¡°Then how about singing a song for me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the courage to sing in front of the best singer in all of Sakura Ind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s praise I like to hear, but I still want you to bring out your courage!¡±

    ¡°I need far more experience to level up my singing skill first.¡± Seiji looked directly at her. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to meet you, Sakuraku-san.¡±

    ¡°You know my name now, but I still don¡¯t know yours.¡± Miyuki smiled.

    Seiji highly doubted that she knew nothing about him at all. But since she was asking, he might as well introduce himself.

    ¡°I have two names. In this school, I¡¯m known as Seigo Harano. To my friends, I¡¯m known as Seiji Haruta.¡±

    ¡°What name should I address you as, then?¡±

    ¡°Either is fine.¡±

    ¡°Which name do you want me to use?¡± Miyuki spoke in an ambiguous tone.

    ¡°Whichever you like,¡± Seiji replied calmly.

    ¡°It would seem that Mr. Knight is truly an herbivore man¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine as well.¡± Miyuki chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll just call you Harano-kun then. Very nice to meet you.¡±

    She then put her mask back on.

    ¡°This is a special favor I¡¯m doing just for you, letting you see who I really am. You can¡¯t tell anyone else about this.¡±

    ¡°¡­What about that autograph and selfie you promised me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you an autograph right now if you give me pen and paper. As for a selfie, you¡¯ll have to take one with my mask on.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I was just scammed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never taken a selfie before with anyone else while looking like this. You should feel honored!¡± Miyuki made a V for victory pose with her fingers like how she always did on television. This seemed rather abnormal because she had her dog head mask on.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s difficult for me to ept, I suppose it sort of counts as a type of memory.¡± Seiji really did take out his cell phone and took a picture of him together with Miyuki. ¡°As for pen and paper? Please wait for me for five minutes!¡±

    He then ran off at top speed and returned a few minutester to give the idol pen and paper.

    Miyuki readily gave him her autograph.

    Seiji epted it with great satisfaction.

    He just obtained a selfie and autograph of the national idol!

    Although the selfie had a rather big problem with the image, it still counted as a selfie. It greatly satisfied his vanity!

    ¡°Harano-kun is truly such an amusing boy,¡± Miyuki happily praised him.

    It was now time for serious business.

    Miyuki brought out a ck object.

    This appeared to be the same object fromst time. Seiji could only see that it was shaped like a te.

    This item slowly started glowing red. When the light became blinding, Miyuki toosed it onto the ck oval. The te then instantly transformed into a whirlpool-shaped bright-red oval! When ovepped on top of the original ck oval, the entire spell formation greatly resembled a mysterious eye, the same as the other Dimensional Eyes that Seiji had seen.

    The next instant, everything started swirling around him as his vision went hazy and he heard faint sounds. His consciousness also became hazy as he started falling downwards¡­

    A blood moon was high in the sky. They were in a dark forest that had a bloody smell to it.

    ¡°A blood-red moon¡­ Could this be the Blood Moon Mountain?¡± Seiji recognized this Spirit World.

    This Spirit World was in the information that he received from Hana. This was a group of mountains illuminated by a round blood moon. And ording to the information, this Spirit World was far more dangerous than the Forest Pce!

    This giant blood moon in the sky didn¡¯t simply provide lighting. It was actually a danger in and of itself. Those who looked at it for too long would suffer penalties to their mental spirit and receive negative status conditions.

    Even those who didn¡¯t look at it directly would still receive negative status conditions after being illuminated by it for a period of time. As for how long it took to receive a negative status condition and what status condition was received, that was different for everyone.

    An analogy would be that this was a dungeon which would give all game yers a random debuff. The debuff¡¯s type and time would depend on each game yer¡¯s resistance stat¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right, this is the Blood Moon Mountain,¡± Miyuki exined. ¡°This is a rather high level Inner World. The monsters here are at a simr level to powerful demons from the ancient generation. No ordinary person could survive here. Even average Spiritual Ability users will easily die here, that¡¯s how dangerous it is.¡±

    ¡°High level Inner World¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no specific standards as of yet. Once Soul Society formally starts operating, we¡¯ll be creating a set of standards.¡±

    ¡°Sakuraku-san joined Soul Society?¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Yep. Harano-kun should consider joining us as well. There¡¯s lots of benefits.¡± Miyuki smiled.

    ¡°¡­I shall consider it.¡±

    Seiji actually wanted to ask what types of benefits there were, but he didn¡¯t have the time to do so. That was because arge number of powerful demons surrounded them!

    Right, surrounded them.

    Arge number of blood-red vicious demons appeared in the forest. Every single one was on par in power with the one that he, Natsuya, and the others teamed up to take down!

    This was no joking matter. Seiji felt like his life would be in danger against so many powerful demons.

    If he was by himself, this would be a dangerous situation where he would need to pull out all his trump cards to break free.

    As for killing off all these demons? He wouldn¡¯t even dare dream of it! It would be quite excellent already if he didn¡¯t die to them.

    As expected of a high level dungeon.

    But just as the blood-red demons were about to pounce on them, the high level yer leading the team took action.

    Miyuki Sakuraku waved her hand and sung a song with her beautiful voice.

    Seiji instantly recognized the song she was singing¡­

    ¡°Ethereal Snow!¡± This was the number one hit single which still topped the charts even now that she released a while back!

    The moment she started singing, all the pouncing demons froze in their movements as if they had been snared by arge area of effect spell.

    A truly amazing singer would be able to move people with even an impromptu performance. Without a doubt, Miyuki Sakuraku was an amazing singer. Not to mention, it was quite obvious that she was currently adding something magical to her singing.

    Just hearing the prelude of this song made Seiji feel like the entire world had changed.

    The blood moon faded and the forest disappeared. Everything around him turned white, transforming into a frigid yet also gentle aura.

    A cold, frosty wind gently blew past him. Pure white snowkes slowly drifted downwards, appearing dreamlike, beautiful, and ethereal.

 Chapter 618 - Letâ€™s play with buffs

    <h4>Chapter 618: Let¡¯s y with buffs</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A hallucination?

    No, this was no mere hallucination!

    When Seiji focused and refreshed his mind, he noticed that the demons were now covered in white snow!

    This ice and snow spread all over the demons¡¯ bodies as the song continued. When Miyuki sung the first climax, the ice and snow nowpletely enveloped the demons.

    ¡°Soundless snowfall, ethereal dream, vanishing time, traveling away¡­¡±

    When she finished the first stanza of her song, all the enemy monsters shattered like they were ss! They then transformed into a thick red mist that gathered itself on Miyuki¡¯s body¡­ no, her right hand!

    She absorbed the mist¡­ in a different way from Hisashi and Mika.

    ¡°Brilliant,¡± Seiji spoke after he finished watching this scene. ¡°Killing demons with song? As expected of a national idol singer.¡±

    ¡°That was a special performance just for you, Harano-kun.¡± Miyuki had a yful tone of voice. ¡°That actually takes up a lot of my energy. I can¡¯t use that ability too often.¡±

    ¡°It gave me a deep impression. Thank you for your performance.¡±

    ¡°No need to be so polite with me, because I intend to have you pay me back by working really hard here.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    The two of them proceeded forward.

    When they met with demons again, Seiji unsheathed his sword and went up to fight them.

    He immediately discovered that there was a barrier on his body which not only blocked the monsters¡¯ attacks, it even counterattacked with incredible power!

    This was evidently one of Miyuki¡¯s spells. Thanks to her barrier, it became quite easy for him to deal with the demons.

    After a while of battling, Seiji then noticed that almost all the demons were heading for him and acted as if they didn¡¯t even see Miyuki. He instantly realized that this barrier also had to have a ¡°taunt¡± effect.

    ¡®I¡¯m being used as a tank¡­ I suppose that¡¯s what she meant by having me work hard.¡¯

    He thought that he could use her to help him level up, but she was actually making use of him instead. Seiji felt rather subtle about this.

    Still, it was fine with him. She was a national idol singer, after all. It would seem out of character for her to be the type to rush forward into battle. It was more normal for her to fight in the backline and buff her teammates.

    As he thought about singer types in anime, the first anime that came to Seiji¡¯s mind was an interster anime about girls who sang and danced and also piloted mechas in such a foolish way¡­ Their songs started out in a romantic style at first, and then became hot-blooded, then magical, and by the end, their songs were bing rather demonic¡­

    Cough, he was getting sidetracked.

    At any rate, singer types were almost always the type who buffed their allies or had special abilities. They were typically support characters, although there would also be exceptions that were warriors.

    As for Miyuki Sakuraku, Seiji had no idea if her true abilities were support, mage, or warrior type. Regardless, he would be unable to defeat her at his current level.

    Without even using any other abilities, just her Ethereal Snow song now would be more than enough to deal with him. He had fallen victim to the song¡¯s hallucination properties as well. If she had targeted him with that song, he would have likely ended up just like those demons.

    Her ¡°special performance¡± was a direct method of showing off how powerful she was.

    Thanks to the high level singer¡¯s support, the low level warrior constantly eliminated therge monsters in his way. He started getting numb to the situation.

    However, the next fearsome monster that he met helped Seiji to recognize just how weak his Spiritual Abilities were as a very new Yin Yang Master.

    This monster was a centipede.

    It was a giant centipede monsters which was over one hundred meters long! It had a vicious-appearing head, countless segments to its body, and endless sharp feet. Its entire body was covered in abnormal blood-red runes, giving it a strongly impactful appearance. Ordinary people would surely be scared to the point of fainting, especially if that person had trypophobia.

    This centipede monster instantly started emitting arge amount of dark-green mist the moment it appeared. Right when Seiji sensed danger, a force suddenly tugged him behind Miyuki.

    ¡°Don¡¯te over! Let me deal with this!!¡± He then heard Miyuki¡¯s shouting. Her voice was obviously quite tense.

    He then immediately heard a huge sound as if two cars had crashed against each other. Various sounds then followed after that. It was evident that she was battling fiercely against the centipede.

    Seiji did his best to observe the fight using [Astral Vision]. However, his low level of [Astral Vision] was unable to let him even see through the centipede¡¯s dark-green mist.

    Suddenly, a blood-red sh that had tremendous power shot at him through the mist!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Seiji did his best to dodge this danger since even his passive ability had activated.

    However, the blood-red sh had a tremendous area of effect. It was impossible for him to dodge it.

    [Emergency sh], activate!!

    Seiji also activated the third ability of his [Mika character reward card] which allowed him to instantly teleport a small distance in any direction he wanted. This allowed him to sessfully dodge the blood-red sh.

    However¡­

    *Boom!!!*

    Miyuki¡¯s barrier and his own barrier that were both on him instantly copsed just from the shock wave of the blood-red sh¡¯s impact. He was sent whirling through the air a great distance. He crashed through many branches, snapping them all before crashing into arge tree.

    That really hurt¡­ Seiji fell down onto the ground and felt like he was about to spit blood despite having a toughened body thanks to the [Body-strengthening technique].

    He received so much damage just from being on the outer edge of the shock wave¡¯s impact.

    If he had taken a direct hit¡­ he didn¡¯t dare to imagine.

    This centipede was far too powerful. It was on another level entirely from all the other Inner World spiritual creatures he had ever met before! The others could all be termed as garbage in front of this one.

    Perhaps there also needed to be a level system for the spiritual creatures, and categories such as wolf, tiger, demon type monsters, and so on.

    Seiji thought about such things as he crawled up and watched the battle from a great distance.

    He wanted to not get anywhere close to that battle. However¡­

    Other demon-type monsters started approaching him from the forest. Seiji could only sigh.

    It wasn¡¯t that easy to soak up experience in a high level dungeon after all.

    The battling continued for quite a while.

    Seiji constantly moved around the forest and focused purely on defense over offense. He did his best to prevent himself from bingpletely surrounded.

    Even so, he was under great pressure. The demons were many and they were all strong.

    Several times, Seiji kept wanting to use his system¡¯s items.

    If he used some items, he would have a much easier time. However, he finally overcame the urge to do so. He decided instead to treat this as a rare opportunity to improve hisbat experience.

    As he ran around and fought the demons, he also paid attention to the main battle taking ce far away from him.

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to see anything at all due to the constantly present dark-green mist. He could only hear continuous sounds of fighting and see streaks of light shooting out.

    Would this battle take up to an hour or more?

    Just as Seiji resolved himself for a long battle of attrition, a sudden ear-piercing screech ran out. It was apparently from the centipede monster.

    Seiji turned around, only to see that there was an explosive silver-white light that dispelled the dark-green mist.

    An almost liquid-like thick blood-red mist that was evidently from the centipede monster was flying towards the dog head mask girl¡¯s hand.

    The high level yer had finally defeated the boss¡­ Seiji dodged all the remaining demons¡¯ attacks and ran towards her.

    ¡°Are you alright, Sakuraku-san?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. How about you?¡± Miyuki looked at him.

    ¡°As you can see, not doing so well.¡± Seiji smiled wryly as he pointed at therge number of demons chasing after him. ¡°Could I trouble you to help me out?¡±

    Miyuki raised her hand and refreshed her barrier on him.

    Seiji then turned around to face the demons and happily raised his sword.

    Slice, slice, slice, slice, slice, slice!

    All the demons were taken care of!

    ¡°I apologize for having made you wait so long,¡± Miyuki told him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re alright, Sakuraku-san.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Although it was rather difficult for me to keep up, I obtained excellent experience.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t use the power that you used before?¡± Miyuki asked.

    The power that he used before? Seiji figured that she was referring to [White Cmity], the ability from his [Shika character reward card] which he previously used to defeat the minotaur mask boy.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± That ability had a time limit. He would only be able to use it for a short period of time.

    ¡°You intentionally held back in order to improve your overall abilities?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. That¡¯s what I was hoping for, that you would keep your best abilities in reserve.¡± Miyuki chuckled. ¡°Such a powerful ability shouldn¡¯t be wasted here so early.¡±

 Chapter 619 - Excellent! Come!!

    <h4>Chapter 619: Excellent! Come!!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Sakuraku-san wants to use me in dealing with more powerful monsters still inside here?¡± Seiji sharpened his gaze.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I invited you toe here with me,¡± Miyuki admitted.

    ¡®I see¡­¡¯

    ¡°Thank you for your expectations of me. I hope that I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±

    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t be disappointed, as long as you show off the same level of strength asst time.¡±

    The two of them continued.

    With the assistance of the singer¡¯s powerful shield buff, Seiji was easily able to eliminate the mob monsters he encountered. He also remained on guard against the potential blood moon debuff that might be inflicted upon him at any moment.

    Seiji constantly remained vignt so that he wouldn¡¯t be put into a dangerous situation due to receiving an unexpected debuff. However, no debuff appeared on him even after a long time. He wondered if this was a protective effect of Miyuki¡¯s barrier, so he asked her this directly.

    ¡°The barrier I cast on you doesn¡¯t have the ability to resist the blood moon¡¯s debuff. If you¡¯re still alright even now, that¡¯spletely because of you yourself, Harano-kun.¡± Miyuki exined this to him. ¡°As expected of Mr. Knight who possesses such a power.¡±

    Seiji remained silent after hearing this.

    Did he have a high resistance against the blood moon due to possessing [White Cmity]?

    Seiji didn¡¯t think that would be the case. However, Miyuki¡¯s opinion meant that she believed the power of [White Cmity] to be some type of high-level curse-type spell. She believed him to have a great deal of control over high-level curses.

    This was probably her misunderstanding¡­ right?

    Seiji was unsure.

    Well, Miyuki didn¡¯t have any intentions of learning more about his ability. She simply wanted to take advantage of his power.

    ¡°How about you, Sakuraku-san? Have you been cursed by the blood moon?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I have a way of dealing with it. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    After proceeding a bit further, Miyuki suddenly sensed something. She nced upwards, only to see a giant shadow ambushing them at high speed!

    The idol singer wanted to pull the boy behind her just like previously. However, she saw him suddenly extracting himself from a group of monsters and retreating at full speed.

    *Boom!!!*

    The shadow descended but missed¡­ No, it actually smashed a few demons into little pieces.

    Both of them had managed to dodge the attack in time.

    As Seiji retreated to the back, he saw Miyuki going up to fight a boss monster which resembled a bat. He felt that he finally had an opportunity to see how someone as powerful as her would fight.

    But the next second, the bat monster let out a thick cloud of dark-gray mist¡­ Why the hell were all the boss monsters in here like this!?

    Seiji was unable to see through the mist. Just like in the earlier battle against the centipede monster, he could only listen. Damn.

    Were all the high-level monsters in this dungeon like this? They would fart immediately upon arrival¡­ whoops, he meant release demon mist. They didn¡¯t even allow low level yers to spectate at all.

    ¡®How am I supposed to have fun like this?¡¯ Seiji felt rather repressed.

    The weaker demons surrounded him again, so once again he started ying tag with the demons.

    The third, fourth, and fifth boss monsters all immediately released demon mist upon arrival. As a result, Seiji waspletely unable to see just how Miyuki defeated them.

    It was nice that he was able to train in a high-level dungeon. He was receiving good experience from ying so many demons. However, Seiji felt rather helpless about not being able to watch the high-level yer¡¯s fighting.

    After such a long time in here, both Seiji and Miyuki were already quite tired.

    ¡°The next one should be thest one. Are you still alright to go on, Harano-kun?¡±

    ¡°Of course. How about you, Sakuraku-san?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, so I would like to leave thest boss up to you, Mr. Knight. I¡¯ll just stand on the sidelines and sing to support you.¡± Miyuki chuckled.

    ¡®So she¡¯s going to give me thest, most difficult boss monster to deal with? How vicious.¡¯ Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched.

    Still, at least she was telling him beforehand. If she had such an arrangement, this meant she was confident that he could handle it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to do my best and work as hard as I can¡­ but please act to assist me if I can¡¯t meet Sakuraku-san¡¯s expectations.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll lose points if youck confidence in yourself, you know.¡±

    ¡°I feel that knowing one¡¯s limits should give me more points,¡± Seiji replied with a serious expression.

    Miyuki chuckled to see him like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to like you even more, Harano-kun. So rx, I won¡¯t let you die.¡±

    Seiji and Miyuki proceeded up a mountainside. They didn¡¯t meet any more demons along the way. The more they ascended, the more they felt an imposing aura and bloody scent.

    Seiji felt that all this seemed familiar.

    He already guessed at the identity of the final boss monster. This made Seiji start looking forward to the showdown.

    He also recalled past memories which kept raising his passion and making his blood heat up.

    Finally, Seiji and Miyuki reached the top of the mountain.

    The mountaintop was incredibly wide and t, without a single tree to be seen. It appeared to be dyed blood-red due to the blood moon¡¯s illumination.

    There was a giant stone chair in the middle of the t mountaintop. This chair seemed like it was carved out of a tremendous boulder, and it was shaped like a throne¡­ no, it was indeed a throne!

    There was a gigantic demon with a vicious appearance, red hair, and long horns sitting on the throne.

    A giant wine gourd was to the right of the stone throne, while a scarlet giant axe was to the left.

    Shutendoji, the ¡°King of One Hundred Demons¡±!

    This Shutendoji was almost exactly identical to the one Seiji previously fought against.

    ¡°As expected¡­ is that you?¡± Seiji muttered to himself while looking at Shutendoji.

    The demon had its eyes closed and appeared to be in a deep sleep.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen this demon before?¡± Miyuki asked him.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. This demon greatly resembles one I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Just where do demons in the Inner Worlde from?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t answer this question.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the answer, or you know but can¡¯t answer?¡±

    Miyuki smiled without responding.

    Seiji nced at her before looking back at Shutendoji. He then quickly cast all the spells he knew on himself, including even the buffs under the [Yin-Yang Seal] category. He didn¡¯t leave anything in reserve at all.

    At this moment, Shutendoji appeared to sense something. He slowly opened his eyes to reveal that his pupils were blood-red.

    ¡°Grahhhh!!!¡± Shutendoji roared deafeningly, causing a blood-red mist to appear all around them. Large numbers of demons materialized on the ground and in midair¡­

    Miyuki started singing!

    Like before, she still sang ¡°Ethereal Snow.¡± The moment she started singing, her song immediately stopped the mist from spreading as well as snared all the demons in ce.

    While the veteran game yer had a singing duel with the enemy boss¡­ whoops, a crowd controlpetition, Seiji used his [Overload] ability twice in session to power up his [White Cmity] skill that he had been saving.

    Shutendoji stood up and grabbed the wine gourd with one hand and his axe in the other.

    Seiji manifested a pure white spiritual figure and oveid it on himself.

    Shutendoji raised his axe and swung his wine gourd.

    ¡°Your figure is bing hazy, my memories are turning ck and white¡­¡± Miyuki¡¯s singing echoed under the blood moon as it eliminated the mist and demons.

    Seiji and Shutendoji attacked simultaneously!

    The color of blood-red shed everywhere! A golden sword sh shed against it!!

    Demon and human, song and moon, past and present. All of these mixed together in a fierce battle.

    ¡®Light-chan, you said before you left that I would be someone strong.

    ¡®The current me isn¡¯t that strong yet, but I suppose I do have some power now, right?

    ¡®I don¡¯t know if this is the same Shutendoji fromst time. It would be nice if he is, but it¡¯s fine even if he isn¡¯t.

    ¡®If you¡¯re watching me from somewhere, then take a good look¡­ I shall win!¡¯

    Seiji remembered his past fight against Shutendoji and honored his bonded spirit from that time as he did his best against the evil demon in front of him.

    The King of One Hundred Demons was strong. Shutendoji was overwhelmingly powerful in all aspects! Seiji was only able to keep things an even match with the power of the double Overloaded [White Cmity].

    Seiji used all his spells, martial arts techniques, Yin-Yang Seal abilities, and other skills. He focusedpletely on this battle! And felt amazing while doing so!!

    The blood-red figure violently shed against the golden-white figure. They kept crashing into each other and then separating. Their fierce battle sent out shock waves that shattered the demon¡¯s stone throne into tiny pieces.

    [Dragon Counterattack]!

    A golden divine dragon shattered therge wine gourd.

    [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    A golden mystic bell crushed the blood-red axe.

    Shutendoji roared after he lost both his weapons. He got down on all fours as long ws grew out of his hands while mystic runes appeared on his body. Shutendoji¡¯s hair started glowing as he transformed into a vicious beast form, greatly increasing his imposing manner!!

    ¡°Excellent! Come!!¡± Seiji smiled in a hot-blooded and fearless fashion.

    The demon pounced on him as swiftly as lightning.

    Seiji greeted Shutendoji with a sh of his sword.

    ¡°Why did we meet by chance~ Would be better to never meet~ Have you ever heard the sound of snowfall¡­¡± Miyuki sung the second climax of her song.

    The battle was almost about to be over.

    Despite his hot-bloodedness, Seiji hadn¡¯t lost himself to passion. He was still calm on the inside.

    [White Cmity] was about to run out of time soon. The countdown had begun.

 Chapter 620 - Doujigiri

    <h4>Chapter 620: Doujigiri</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji¡¯s excitement from battling started melding together with the tension of his ability¡¯s time limit. He was now concentrating with great intensity, which seemingly caused him to surpass his limits and enter a wondrous mental state.

    This condition was difficult to describe. Seiji felt like he had never achieved this state before, yet it also seemed familiar. He felt like he was greatly restrained, yet alsopletely free. Everything felt so far away but also so close by.

    Under the blood moon¡¯s illumination, Seiji stepped forward while grasping on to his longsword. Energy welled up within him as he faced the furiously roaring demon¡­

    Reality seemed ethereal to him, yet this ethereal vision was reality. His past life, current life, past memories, future expectations, family, friends, acquaintances, a gray world, countless murmurs, and a white sh all passed by him¡­

    ¡°Hold your sword well and look in front of you.¡± A voice suddenly sounded in his ears.

    This voice¡­ was Light-chan?

    ¡°You can do it. You only need one swing of your sword.¡±

    ¡®Is that you, Minamoto no Raiko?¡±

    ¡°Human power is quite weak. The physical body has upper limits. No matter how much a human pushes their physical body, it¡¯s still difficult to fight against vicious and evil demons and gods. However, human souls possess endless possibilities. Although the soul¡¯s power stems from the physical body, it can far exceed the physical body¡¯s power¡­¡±

    ¡®If that¡¯s you, you should at least say something like long time no see.¡¯

    ¡°¡­The source of demons¡­ human spirit¡­ physical body¡¯s support¡­ sword¡¯s soul¡­¡±

    ¡®What are you saying? I don¡¯t understand¡­ What¡¯s going on, Light-chan? Are you trying to teach me something?¡¯

    ¡°As long as¡­ you¡¯ll definitely be able to¡­ absolutely kill¡­¡±

    ¡®Hey hey, if you¡¯re trying to teach me some technique, you should speak clearer. How am I supposed to learn if you speak so unclearly? Still, it¡¯s wonderful that I get to speak to you again. Although I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re suddenly able to talk to me and even teach me a technique, thank you. I feel like I¡¯ve learned something.¡¯

    Seiji truly thanked the heroic spirit as he firmly grasped his new understanding and made it into his own strength.

    *Grahhh!!!!* The vicious Shutendoji pounced towards him once again.

    Seiji didn¡¯t even attempt to dodge. Instead, he tossed away his shield and held his longsword with both hands. He even closed his eyes.

    Miyuki was astonished to see this.

    For an instant, she felt like she saw a tall samurai¡¯s figure ovep with Seiji.

    Back in a generation where demons were rampant and often harmed humans, a certain hero managed to y the evilest and most vicious of Demon Kings despite being only human. His most powerful sword technique was lost to time, but its name survived as this was the name given to the sword that this hero famously used. His swordter became renowned as the greatest demon-ying sword of legend.

    That legendary sword which cut off the Demon King Shutendoji¡¯s head in a single blow was¡­

    ¡°Doujigiri¡±!!!

    *Shing¡­*

    Seiji¡¯s sword shed and rang out with a surprisingly gentle sound.

    He didn¡¯t slice, chop, or cleave. He simply cut.

    His sword cut quite gently.

    It cut as gently as the falling snow.

    Miyuki Sakuraku witnessed something unbelievable!

    The Demon King was clearly in his vicious beast form while charging at the youth. The youth also swung his sword directly from the front. Yet the next instant, the Demon King¡¯s corpse was sent flying! Its head was cleanly cut off!!

    This was something that appearedpletely illogical. It was as awkward as if a movie was missing a few critical seconds of an action scene. It gave Miyuki quite an ufortable feeling.

    Just how did Seiji cut and swing to create to create such an effect? Miyuki didn¡¯t understand at all!

    Either thews of physics were distorted, or the concept of space itself was distorted.

    Miyuki believed that thetter was more likely.

    That was because she had previously witnessed sword techniques that were capable of distorting space itself. That had the same effect of her not being able to understand what happened despite seeing everything clearly.

    This was a top-level martial arts technique! It reached the peak of spiritual ability boosted martial arts!!

    Why was he capable of using such a sword technique?

    Miyuki was incredibly curious. She previously thought that his curse power was Seigo Harano¡­ no, Seiji Haruta¡¯s strongest ability in his arsenal. She never expected that he had something even more powerful¡­

    [You have received teaching from a heroic spirit and defeated a powerful vicious demon. You have now learned the self-realized techniques [Doujigiri] and [Martial arts technique - Shadow Cut]]!

    Seiji received a system notification and immediately wanted to check it out. However, now it was inconvenient to do so.

    After killing the Demon King Shutendoji, Seiji felt his body heating up with a dense warmness. He could feel his Spiritual Power increasing at a tangible pace!

    As expected of a high-level dungeon. He improved in Spiritual Power more than during his previous two trips to Spirit Worldsbined.

    Still, the higher-level game yer received even more benefits¡­ Seiji witnessed Miyuki absorbing the Demon King Shutendoji¡¯s thick blood-red mist.

    Seiji and Miyuki then left the Inner World and returned to Genhana High School.

    ¡°That was a beautiful sword technique that you used to finish things. I think I¡¯m falling in love,¡± Miyuki praised him.

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words. That sword technique¡­ was mostly just luck.¡±

    Seiji never expected that he would suddenly receive teaching from Light-chan. Nor did he expect that he would be able to understand it. He could only exim at what had happened.

    Something shed in Miyuki¡¯s eyes as she observed his face.

    ¡°Tell me your number.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Your cell phone number.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seiji told her his cell phone number.

    ¡°Thank you for being my partner for the fight today. I shall send the courageous Mr. Knight a present at a future date. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal. I should be the one thanking you, Sakuraku-san. You helped to eliminate the problem at this school.¡±

    ¡°Heehee, I didn¡¯t act for the sake of this school at all. I acted because I would gain personal benefits.¡±

    ¡°Even so, I still want to express my thanks.¡±

    ¡°Then go out with me on a date.¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Seiji made a foolish sound.

    ¡°The next time that I want to take a small vacation, you¡¯ll be the best choice as someone to apany me, Harano-kun.¡± Miyuki chuckled. ¡°If you feel like you should thank me, then apany one more time.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He felt as if he had just fallen for a trap.

    ¡°Sakuraku-san, I need to tell you that I have a girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°No worries. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡®But I mind!¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    ¡°As a top-level idol, wouldn¡¯t you have many choices to choose from if you wanted to go out on a date?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in Harano-kun~¡± Miyuki responded in an ambiguous tone of voice.

    ¡°Please allow me to say once again that I have a girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°Please also allow me to say once again that I don¡¯t mind~¡±

    ¡°¡­Although it¡¯s quite an honor, I can¡¯t go out on a date with girls other than my girlfriend. I apologize.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s change things up then. Be my servant for a day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ No, wait! That¡¯s a problem as well!!¡±

    ¡°Serving someone like me is something that so many can only dream of. You should be begging for the honor of such a duty!¡± Miyuki intentionally used a haughty tone.

    ¡°Although that might be the case, isn¡¯t it too shameless of you to say it yourself!?¡± Seiji retorted.

    ¡°As a special service, I can even allow you to lick my feet.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that at all!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wear silk stockings and allow you to lick them. You can even choose the color of my stockings.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m still not interested.¡±

    ¡°You can lick all the way to my thighs.¡±

    ¡°Guahhh!!!¡± Seiji couldn¡¯t help but imagine the fantastical scene. This caused him to start shouting out loudly as he received this mental attack.

    Licking the national idol singer¡¯s ck silk stockinged beautiful legs, all the way from the foot to her white and tender thighs¡­ No! He needed to stop thinking about this!!

    ¡°Heehee¡­¡± Miyuki chuckled happily upon seeing how shaken Seiji was. ¡°I¡¯m just joking. I would never let you lick me like that,¡± she told him afterughing for a while.

    ¡°Whew¡­ I knew it¡­¡± Seiji felt somewhat reassured.

    ¡°At most, I would only give you a pair of panties that I was wearing.¡±

    ¡°Wahh!!!¡±

    The pitiful boy who was unable to control his fantasies was teased some more by the idol girl who had great amounts of fun.

 Chapter 621 - Do you want to add her to your harem?

    <h4>Chapter 621: Do you want to add her to your harem?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°How are you feeling, Seiji?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just a little tired¡­¡±

    Seiji dragged his exhausted self to the student council president¡¯s residence after he finally managed to split up from Miyuki. Natsuya and the other girls were waiting for him there, so he exined what happened to them.

    ¡°¡­Simr incidents might ur in the future as well. We need to be on guard. After Soul Society is finished formally establishing itself, it will begin dealing with all Spirit-World-rted issues. The system for how this will work is still unknown. Also, Soul Society will publicize some more information on Inner Worlds in the future. But if you want more details, you¡¯ll have to join Soul Society¡­ that¡¯s what she told me.¡±

    Seiji passed along this message Miyuki told him before she left.

    ¡°She¡¯s a member of Soul Society, or a candidate to join, is that correct?¡± Natsuya inquired.

    Seiji nodded. This could be assumed from everything that Miyuki told him.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m thankful to her for dealing with that Inner World, her arrival¡¯s timing was far too coincidentally convenient for her¡­ I suspect that this entire incident might be connected to her.¡± Natsuya folded her arms. ¡°Or, perhaps she has her sights set on you.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way,¡± Seiji said.

    It was actually far more than a feeling for him. Seiji knew for certain that Miyuki had her sight set on him! He just didn¡¯t know to what extent.

    It was his honor to have the national idol paying so much attention to him¡­ just kidding.

    Miyuki Sakuraku was no ordinary person at all. Having her sights on him might be beneficial, or it could be a drawback. The only thing that could be confirmed right now was that she had no hostile intentions towards him. For the time being, she counted as an ally.

    ¡°Is she really beautiful?¡± Natsuya suddenly asked such a question while looking directly at Seiji¡¯s face.

    ¡°Er¡­ she is.¡± Miyuki Sakuraku was a national idol beauty, after all. By the standards of his previous world, she had an appearance that was one out of a million.

    ¡°Do you want to add her to your harem?¡± Natsuya narrowed her eyes slightly.

    Seiji hurriedly shook his head. ¡°Not at all! I simply think objectively that she¡¯s beautiful.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all? You don¡¯t like her even one bit?¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe I like her just a little.¡±

    This was only the type of like in that he enjoyed watching her as an idol. However, he had promised to keep Miyuki¡¯s identity a secret, so he couldn¡¯t tell that to Natsuya!

    Natsuya¡¯s gaze became even icier. Shika and Hitaka¡¯s gazes also became icier as they observed this conversation. Seiji felt like their gazes were stabbing him through his heart.

    ¡°Although I already know that you have such a personality¡­ I still want to remind you that you shouldn¡¯t let yourself be taken advantage of by others so easily.¡± Natsuya sighed after staring at her boyfriend for quite a while.

    ¡°I shall be careful.¡± Seiji could only respond in such a way.

    [Self-realized technique: Doujigiri.]

    [Mystical sword technique. Can only be used when your [White Cmity] humanoid spiritual figure is oveid upon yourself while you are wielding a sword-type weapon. You will be able to attack once with a supreme demon-ying sword attack. This ability will cost you Mana, mental spirit, and physical energy to use. The attack¡¯s power depends on how much Mana, mental spirit, and physical energy you spend. Limited to one time usage per day. ¡°Use a human¡¯s sword to obtain the Demon King¡¯s head!¡±]

    This ¡°self-realized technique¡± was added on to his [Shika Kagura character reward card]. The new [Doujigiri] technique was added onto the first ability, [White Cmity].

    Did this count as his character reward card leveling up? Seiji wondered that to himself.

    It would seem that the character reward cards weren¡¯t absolutely unchanging. New abilities could be added due to his own realizations. Other factors might influence the card¡¯s abilities as well.

    In other words, his character reward cards had the potential to level up. But they would also have the risk of leveling down¡­ wouldn¡¯t they?

    ¡°All my character reward cards have eternal, evesting effects. I cannot use the character reward cards or lose them in any way. However, these character reward cards are capable of evolving.¡± Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. ¡°If they level down¡ªif some strange or even negative abilities appear, it will be the same as me obtaining a permanent debuff that I¡¯m unable to get rid of.¡±

    His powerful soulbound equipment had the potential to be cursed equipment. ¡®Man, you really pulled a good one on me by hiding such a trap, system of mine.¡¯

    Seiji imagined his system as a fairy with a retort: ¡°Just don¡¯t let your character reward cards level down, then. I have confidence in you!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless by himself.

    Still, all of this was only a possibility. As long as he didn¡¯t act in some idiotic manner to lose everyone¡¯s friendship, his character reward cards were highly unlikely to evolve in strange manners.

    And, there were many benefits to the fact that his character reward cards could level up. Although this new [Doujigiri] technique was limited in its usage, it had incredibly high attack power. [Doujigiri] was also extremely effective when used against demon-type enemies.

    As for his other new technique, [Shadow Cut] was the same as [Doujigiri], except that [Shadow Cut] was super-effective against spiritual creature-type enemies. These techniques had high costs to them, but could be improved in level once he was sufficiently well-practiced with them.

    Seiji believed that these two techniques were likely lower-level versions of the real [Doujigiri] technique from history! If he leveled this skill to the maximum, perhaps he would no longer need to use [White Cmity] together with it. He might also no longer have the limit of only being able to use it once per day.

    ¡®Thank you for your teachings, Light-chan.¡¯ Once again, Seiji expressed his gratitude in his heart to the heroic spirit.

    He was rather physically and mentally tired after this incident. However, he had also received a great harvest.

    The weekend wasing up. Seiji intended to have a good rest.

    Sunday morning. The weather was wonderful with the sun being bright and sunny. It was a wonderful day to be outside and enjoy the air.

    ¡°Have fun~ It¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯te back tonight~¡± Chiaki said goodbye to Seiji and Mika with a tone as if she was an older sister looking out for them.

    ¡°We will definitely being back tonight.¡±

    Seiji and Mika headed out for a date together at the aquarium.

    Last night, Mika told him that she wanted to go visit the aquarium. This made Seiji recall the water-based Inner World that Mika had been trapped in, causing him to reveal a rather subtle expression.

    The twintailed girl knew exactly what he was thinking. She said that it was exactly because she got trapped in such an abnormal dimension that she wanted to go take a look at an ordinary aquarium.

    Seiji and Mika walked to a nearby monorail station and took the monorail to the aquarium.

    There were many people on the monorail at this time of day. It was incredibly crowded.

    Seiji and Mika had to stand extremely close to each other in a corner.

    Today, the beautiful twintailed girl was wearing a camisole top, a miniskirt, and white socks. She was movingly beautiful¡ªnot in a shy manner, but rather in a way that boys would want to take second looks at her. She had excellent charisma that attracted many male gazes.

    Seiji also noticed how cute she appeared today. He imperceptibly edged a bit closer to Mika.

    Mika¡¯s face reddened as she leaned herself against his body.

    Seiji felt something soft and warm press up against him. Numerous hentai plots about trains started entering his mind. However, he hurriedly stopped his dangerous line of thinking before he could act on his impulses!

    With such a beautiful girlfriend by his side, Seiji was having a lot of fun even if the monorail was rather crowded today.

    They arrived at the aquarium station, and entered the Pacific Ind Aquarium.

    This was a rtively well-known location with many visitors. Compared to the Empire World Amusement Park, the Pacific Ind Aquarium had more couples out on dates and fewer families.

    Seiji and Mika purchased tickets to enter and followed the suggested route as they enjoyed watching and learning about all the aquatic animals on disy at the aquarium.

    After experiencing mystical abnormalities, the normal now seemed a lot more attractive¡­ Without even mentioning anything else, simply enjoying the view without having to worry about the aquatic animals suddenly attacking them was quite rxing.

    There were extravagant lionfish, mighty-appearing lobsters, cute little eels, and glowing jellyfish¡­

    Seiji and Mika gradually got absorbed in admiring all the beautiful aquatic creatures. They took pictures as memories,ughed and chatted, and enjoyed fun times together.

    Seiji and Mika then visited the number one attraction at the aquarium, the ¡°Phantom Blue Sea¡±!

    This fish tank¡­ more urately, the disy windows alone were three stories high. Its length exceeded twenty meters. Large amounts of varied aquatic creatures swam freely in this tank, including whale sharks that were almost ten meters long!

    This was thergest fish tank in all of Sakura Ind. Every single visitor to the Phantom Blue Sea disy all reviewed it as the attraction that gave them the deepest impression at the aquarium.

    Objectively speaking, the Phantom Blue Sea disy was indeed impressive. However, it wasn¡¯t all that impactful to Seiji and Mika after having visited a water-based Inner World and seeing so many aquatic monsters.

    It was very difficult to be awed by ordinary sharks after having fought against a vicious and giant half-crocodile, half-squid monster which was more than ten meters long.

    Still, Seiji and Mika still felt that the aquarium¡¯s disy was beautiful.

    There were many different creatures in the Phantom Blue Sea fish tank. However, things inside didn¡¯t appear chaotic at all. All the various shapes and colorsplemented each other well. When arge whale shark elegantly swam next to the window disy, many tourists eximed while some children screamed. A lot of people took many pictures of the whale shark with their cell phones.

    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡± Mika also praised the sight.

 Chapter 622 - Daddy, someoneâ€™s kissing!

    <h4>Chapter 622: Daddy, someone¡¯s kissing!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The next moment, the whale shark broke out of the fish tank and attacked the crowd of people! Just kidding, such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all.

    Whale sharks were actually a type of filter feeder that primarily fed on nkton, shrimp, small squids, and other such aquatic animals. Whale sharks weren¡¯t like great white sharks at all, so whale sharks wouldn¡¯t attack people even if one broke out of the fish tank¡­ Er, something seemed wrong about this though?

    Seiji noticed that his thoughts were getting rather sidetracked. He could onlyment on himself being a daydreamer.

    At this moment, someone took his hand.

    Seiji turned around to see Mika standing right next to him. Her eyes were watery and she had a seductive expression on her face.

    ¡°At that time¡­ thank you foring to save me,¡± she told him gently.

    Seiji recalled the way she looked at that time, which caused his heartbeat to rapidly quicken. He took a look at her face, and then looked at her lips¡­

    He was already kissing her by the time that he regained his senses.

    Mika passionately kissed him as well, just like the previous time.

    Some of the nearby aquarium visitors noticed this passionate scene. Some people¡¯s faces reddened as they averted their gazes. Others looked towards their own partners.

    ¡°Daddy, someone¡¯s kissing!¡± A little boy started yelling out loudly.

    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t be so noisy! Don¡¯t look!¡± The little boy¡¯s father stopped him. ¡°Take a look at that big shark.¡±

    Although Seiji and Mika both wanted to kiss for longer, they didn¡¯t want to stay here and be an attraction themselves. They soon separated from each other.

    Mika clutched tightly onto Seiji. Although she was rather embarrassed, she also felt blissful. Her face was entirely flushed red.

    Her bliss then reached a peak when Seiji lightly whispered to her¡­

    ¡°I like you, Mika.¡±

    -

    Seiji and Mika continued touring the aquarium on the rmended path. They had lunch together at one of the aquarium¡¯s restaurants during lunchtime.

    It was a nice experience to enjoy the aquarium¡¯s view while eating lunch. Unfortunately, there were too many people, so they weren¡¯t able to get a seat directly next to any disys.

    After lunch, Seiji and Mika continued to tour the aquarium. They then reached the penguin exhibit. The twintailed girl¡¯s eyes instantly lit up when she saw these cute waddling creatures.

    Although the Phantom Blue Sea disy was magnificent, nothing the aquarium had couldpare in cuteness to the penguins. The penguin exhibit was forever popr with girls and children.

    These ck-and-white creatures that had excellent poprity due to cuteness caused Seiji to think of pandas. He felt that not a single creature existed that would be more of a professional at acting cute than pandas.

    Seeing how much Mika liked the penguins, perhaps it would be a good idea to take her to see some pandas next time, Seiji surmised.

    Seiji observed Mika with a gentle expression. That was when he suddenly noticed a familiar person in the penguin exhibit.

    Miyabi Ishihara!

    This student librarian/light novel author was standing in a corner, silently observing the penguins.

    Nobody was standing next to her. It appeared that she hade by herself.

    A female author who was touring the aquarium by herself¡­ it really made her seem like a literary girl.

    Should he go over to greet her? Seiji was rather hesitant about this.

    At this moment, Miyabi noticed him watching her and turned around to meet his gaze.

    When she saw Seigo Harano and the beautiful twintailed girl next to him, Miyabi blinked before widening her eyes slightly.

    Suddenly, there was a loud smack. A young child had tripped and fallen next to Seiji.

    Seiji reflexively turned to look. He saw a young mother helping her child to get back up again as she gently consoled him.

    Seiji then turned back around to see that Miyabi was walking over.

    ¡°Hello, Ishihara-senpai.¡± Seiji greeted her when she arrived.

    ¡°Hello, Harano-san.¡± Miyabi greeted him back and nced over at Mika. ¡°¡­Are the two of you on a date?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Mika responded. ¡°We¡¯re just having fun together as friends.¡±

    Miyabi looked at Mika.

    ¡°Hello, nice to meet you, Ishihara-san. My name is Mika Uehara. Seigo has told me about you before,¡± Mika politely introduced herself.

    ¡°Hello¡­ Uehara-san.¡± Miyabi looked her over. She then looked back at Seiji and asked him directly, ¡°Harano-san, won¡¯t your girlfriend mind that you¡¯re out here having fun together with Uehara-san?¡±

    ¡°About this¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course she won¡¯t mind,¡± Mika answered before Seiji could say anything else. ¡°President Yoruhana knows about this.¡±

    Miyabi was rendered speechless.

    As she silently nced Seiji over, he felt as if he was being judged.

    ¡°Did youe here by yourself, Ishihara-senpai?¡± Seiji tried to talk in as natural a tone as possible.

    Miyabi nodded slightly.

    ¡°Would you like to go together with us?¡±

    Miyabi shook her head.

    ¡°I came here to find inspiration¡­¡± she spoke in a light tone. ¡°And now I¡¯ve found it.¡±

    Thest part she said seemed to have some profound meaning behind it.

    ¡°I see¡­ well, that¡¯s good.¡± Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched.

    ¡°Have fun, Harano-san¡­ together with your ¡®friend.''¡± Miyabi nced at both of them again and ced extra emphasis on the word ¡°friend¡±. She then turned around to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mika,¡± Seiji apologized to Mika after Miyabi Ishihara left.

    ¡°No need. This is something that we¡¯ve all agreed upon already.¡± Mika smiled.

    Natsuya would have the official status as Seiji¡¯s girlfriend in others¡¯ eyes. Mika and Chiaki would remain only as Seiji¡¯s ¡°good friends.¡± This was something everyone agreed upon beforehand. As for whether or not others believed this or what they thought, that was out of their control.

    Rather than what other people thought about him, Seiji was more worried about what his girlfriends would feel. But, he could only be apologetic.

    ¡®I really am such a scumbag,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    At the end of the aquarium tour, Seiji and Mika finished up by watching a dolphin performance. They purchased a whale shark plushie to remember this visit with.

    They then left the aquarium, took the monorail back, and walked at a slow and idle pace back to the Uehara apartments.

    When they passed by a park, Mika suddenly said that she wanted to sit down for a little while inside. And so, they went inside the park and sat down on a bench together.

    They leaned against each other and held each other¡¯s hands. Seiji and Mika enjoyed this moment of silence.

    Mika wanted to say something, but then felt like she didn¡¯t need to say anything at all.

    She nudged even closer to him and felt his warmth. Her mouth started arcing upwards as she slowly closed her eyes.

    Seiji observed her for a good while before closing his eyes as well.

    Time passed by silently as a soft breeze blew past them. Several falling leaves swirled around the park bench.

    One leaf fell on Mika¡¯s face, causing her to open her eyes to see what it was. She saw that he was now sleeping.

    ¡°I like you, Seiji,¡± Mika spoke gently to his sleeping self.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the ending to that date? It seems just like a PG-13 film!¡±

    Chiaki couldn¡¯t help but make such ament after learning that Seiji and Mika merely sat together for an hour in the park without doing anything else after leaving the aquarium.

    Seiji merely responded with a smile.

    Perhaps it was indeed a bit PG-13. Although they only sat down quietly and rested, Mika and him both felt that it was rather nice. That was more than enough for him.

    After that wonderful date, what Seiji needed to do next was prepare for the Bloodwine Ritual tournament.

    Later that night, Hana sent Seiji information on the other participants.

    All seven major Yin-Yang Master families had members participating in this tournament!

    These members were all ones that were assessed as average or evencking talent. It almost seemed as if they were only entering to help fill in the numbers. Despite this, they were still from top-ranking families, so they likely weren¡¯t all that weak.

    Apart from the seven major Yin-Yang Master families, the three major samurai families as well as the two major ninja sects were also participating in the tournament. Even the Himiki judging n had someone joining the tournament. The tournament members from these families could be ssified as the most likely strongest opponents. They were considered as the first ss, and were the fewest.

    The second-ss opponents were people from slightly weaker Yin-Yang Master families and so on. The majority of the participants were rated by Hana as second-ss opponents.

    Other participants were categorized as third-ss. These were typically individuals with no factions backing them up, or only very weak factions or families. There were fewer third-ss opponents than second-ss, but more than first-ss.

    Hana only had basic information, or even no information avable on the first-ss opponents. Information on the second-ss opponents was mostly avable. Information on the third-ss opponents was incredibly detailed, down to their personalbat techniques and experiences!

    The more powerful a faction was, the harder it was to investigate them. They would be better at keeping information secret on their own members¡¯ strength. Spiritual Ability users belonging to weaker factions basically had all their information known to the more powerful factions.

    Seiji felt like he was learning about the modern-day Spiritual Ability user society¡¯s food chain from all this.

 Chapter 623 - His personal experience is just likeâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 623: His personal experience is just like¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji figured that the reason for having a group team battle first before individual battles was in order to weaken the food chain, or the influence of the top-level factions. During the group stage, even if someone was particrly strong and had lots of information, it was still possible for that person to lose. Inparison, the weaker participants would have better chances of at least making it through the group stage.

    ¡°You need to be especially on guard against Shigure Tendo of the Tendo Family,¡± Hana warned him. ¡°He likely has a deep grudge against all Harutas. He¡¯s the younger brother of the genius from the Tendo Family that I told you before. Shigure Tendo¡¯s older brother challenged our older sister Yui to a duel, and she burned him to death. Although Shigure Tendo is looked down upon for being ¡®low in ability¡¯pared to his deceased older brother, unconfirmed rumors say that he has now obtained the teachings and martial arts techniques of the Yanagi Family, one of the three major samurai families. Not only that, he was personally taught by Ryuugou Yanagi, the strongest member of the Yanagi Family!¡±

    The Yanagi samurai family was well known in Sakura Ind¡ªeven to ordinary people¡ªfor having produced many ¡°Sword Saints¡±.

    Everyone had different opinion who the strongest Sword Saint in history was. However, it was indisputable as to which family had produced the most Sword Saints in Sakura Ind¡¯s history. That would be the Yanagi Family! Or to be more technical, the Yanagi School.

    It would be incredibly shocking for a Yin-Yang Master family member to obtain martial arts teachings from such a top-level samurai family!

    The samurai families, especially the most powerful ones, had incrediblyplex feelings towards Yin-Yang Masters. The word ¡°distaste¡± was far too insufficient to describe their feelings.

    Yin-Yang Masters and their families were one of the most powerful types of factions in the current generation. The samurai factions were forced to swallow down their pride and cooperate with Yin-Yang Masters for the sake of their personal benefits. Arranged marriages were even made between the samurai families and Yin-Yang Master families. However, the samurais would find it much harder to ept teaching martial arts to Yin-Yang Masters than having their families being linked by marriage.

    In summary, it would be quite difficult for a Yin-Yang Master family member to obtain teaching from the major Yanagi samurai family. It would be much more difficult to obtainpared to a warrior family member trying to obtain the same teaching, even if this Yin-Yang Master was from the Tendo Family, which was one of the seven major Yin-Yang Master families¡­ Or, it should be said that precisely because Shigure Tendo was from one of the seven major families, it would be even harder for him.

    However, Shigure Tendo, who was condescendingly called ¡°low ability¡± by others, obtained the Yanagi Family¡¯s martial arts teachings. And, he was even personally taught by the strongest member of the Yanagi Family!

    This type of information was just unbelievable. Was that why Hana said it was only an ¡°unconfirmed rumor?¡±

    Hana answered Seiji affirmatively.

    ¡°This information is only at the level of an urban myth. It¡¯s impossible for me to ascertain if it¡¯s real or not. But if it¡¯s real, it¡¯ll definitely cause a hugemotion in the Spiritual Ability user society.¡±

    ¡°If all this is real, his personal experience is just like the main character of a ssical martial arts webnovel¡­¡± Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, and you¡¯re the one ying the part of the antagonist. You¡¯re the evil rtive of the viin who killed his older brother. That¡¯s why you need to be on guard against him,¡± the cat-eared hat girl told him. ¡°Also, the Yoshiaki and Mitarai Families are also participating. Neither of their families are from the seven major Yin-Yang Master families, and judging from the information I have, Okubo Yoshiaki and Akatsuki Mitarai weren¡¯t close to their families at all. But, it¡¯s also quite possible that their families will stille looking for revenge against you. Be careful against them as well.

    ¡°And, only the Haruta Family knows that your name was stricken from the Haruta Family records. All outsiders will still think that you¡¯re a member of the Haruta Family. Some people might even target you because of your family name. You need to remember that as well.¡±

    ¡°I will. Thank you for worrying about me, younger sis.¡± Seiji expressed his thanks.

    ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t call me something disgusting like that.¡± As always, Hana still expressed her disgust. But, she continued speaking immediately. ¡°New equipment for you and Shika Kagura will be delivered to Natsuya Yoruhana¡¯s residence tomorrow. Have her help you make the final adjustments.¡±

    New equipment? Seiji raised his eyebrows at this. He didn¡¯t recall making such a request?

    ¡°Shika-chan and I already have equipment from you¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only standardized equipment for normal situations. You absolutely need better equipment for such a major tournament.¡±

    ¡°Hana¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act so moved! This is just natural as I¡¯m your ally, so of course I¡¯d support you! I¡¯m not worried about you or anything like that at all!¡±

    The cat-eared hat girl had aplete aura of tsundere-ness about her.

    Still, Seiji felt like she was really cute like this. He wanted to pat her on the head. It was a pity that they were video chatting, so he couldn¡¯t actually do this.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He thanked her sincerely once again.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Hana averted her gaze.

    ¡°Right, about equipment¡­ After I previously took Hisashi to train in the Domain, his condition has remained normal up until now. So, I intend to start taking others to train in the Domain as well. I need some spiritual equipment for them also,¡± Seiji told her.

    Until the Bloodwine Ritual tournament began, rather than cultivating by himself, he preferred to train in the Inner World together with his friends. This would be both training for himself as well as a good warmup.

    Hana agreed to also provide additional spiritual equipment for his friends.

    After confirming that there was nothing else to discuss, Hana hung up the video chat.

    Seiji then began perusing the information on all the tournament participants.

    The first information file that he reviewed was on a person named ¡°Shuntou Haruta.¡± In a way, Shuntou was the real representative for the Haruta Family in this tournament.

    Hana didn¡¯t even mention this rtive in the video chat just now. Nor did the original Seiji Haruta have any memories of knowing this person. This meant that Seiji and Shuntou had basically no connection to each other, almost as if they were strangers.

    Still, Seiji was quite interested in the youth named Shuntou who shared the same family name as him.

    Apart from Shuntou Haruta, Seiji was also interested in the participant from the Yoruhana Family.

    ording to Seiji¡¯s agreement with Aoran Yoruhana, if Seiji managed to win the Bloodwine Ritual tournament, he would hand over the additional prizes he¡¯d receive other than the power-up wine in exchange for the Yoruhana Family¡¯s agreement on him being together with Natsuya¡­ no, not hand over. Aoran had promised to purchase the prizes at a fair price. But still, Seiji was basically fighting for the benefits of the Yoruhana Family rather than the Haruta Family in this tournament.

    Of course, the Yoruhana Family¡¯s own participant would definitely still want to win for themselves. That person could simply give the prizes over to the Yoruhana Family as well.

    Seiji shared interests with the Yoruhana Family¡¯s participant, but they also had foundationally different goals. At most, they would be able to establish a temporary alliance¡­ should he try contacting the Yoruhana Family participant through Natsuya?

    He decided to talk about itter with Natsuya.

    Monday morning was another bright and sunny day with excellent weather.

    Seiji and the others all went to school as normal.

    When he arrived at school, many students paid attention to his presence. Something indeed seemed different from how they previously looked at him. However, at least there was no discrimination, hostility, or enmity.

    Seiji walked into Year 1 ss 5¡¯s ssroom. He greeted his ssmates normally, and they greeted him normally in return.

    When all the students arrived in their ss, Seiji walked up to the podium and thanked everyone in ss for supporting him.

    ¡°No need to be so formal. We¡¯re all ssmates.¡± Koji Hoshihara represented the whole ss in saying this.

    Later, Seiji went to thank Oogi Takasugi and the others that went to the trouble of making schoolwide announcements supporting him.

    Seiji actually wanted to thank all the students at school through a schoolwide announcement. However, he felt that would be making too much of a big deal out of things. The sportspetition incident would have to end just like that.

    After school ended for the day, Seiji headed over to the student council president¡¯s residence to check out the tournament equipment that Hana had shipped over.

    Both he and Shika received some runic scale armor. Seiji also received a pair of special wristguards which greatly strengthened his defensive capabilities, allowing him to use his wristguards as shields. They were also capable of helping him to cast a powerful defensive barrier. Seiji figured that the scale armor would also pack quite a punch when beating someone with it.

    ording to Natsuya, the wristguards were named ¡°Layered Clouds¡±. Just like the runic scale armor, these were specialized custom equipment made by and for the Haruta family.

    Meanwhile, Shika received some equipment that focused more on speed and agility. She was given a pair of spiritual shoes named ¡°Condor Dance¡± to go with her runic scale armor. These shoes were also specialized Haruta Family custom equipment.

    Seiji also received an even higher-level piece of equipment¡ªhis new longsword, the ¡°Wakamitsu¡±!

    The Wakamitsu wasn¡¯t a famous sword like Demon de Muramasa. However, it was actually a better spiritual weapon than thetter, and possessed particrly good spiritual attack power.

    After just testing it slightly, Seiji immediately felt like it was far better a weapon than his previous longsword. As expected of a high quality item. ( Updated by NovelFull.Com)

    He and Shika put on all of their equipment and went to the basement practice field to test things out.

    Natsuya recorded the test results, data, and what they both thought of the equipment.

    After the tests were over, Seiji returned to his room, took off the equipment, and then went to the living room.

    ¡°I shall finish making the final adjustments to your equipment as fast as I can,¡± Natsuya said while pouring some tea for him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Seiji had a sip of the warm tea. It was quite tasty. ¡°You don¡¯t need to rush the equipment¡¯s final adjustments. It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s ready by the tournament¡¯s start. Also, I¡¯d like to talk to you about the Yoruhana Family¡¯s participant in the tournament¡­¡±

 Chapter 624 - Do you desire to become a magical girl?

    <h4>Chapter 624: Do you desire to be a magical girl?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment after hearing Seiji¡¯s idea about allying with the Yoruhana Family participant. A whileter, she shook her head.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t formally ally with my family in the tournament¡­ Even if you reach an ord, it¡¯s highly likely that you¡¯ll receive more drawbacks than benefits.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll forget about it.¡± Seiji directly decided to abandon this idea after hearing her say so.

    He had only thought of it as a hopeful possibility to begin with. But since Natsuya thought it was a bad idea, he decided to simply let it go.

    Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes. She wanted to say something, but decided against it in the end.

    Seiji had resolved himself to enter this battle royale tournament. It would be unnecessary for her to apologize any further to Seiji for getting him involved.

    ¡°By the way, Kanna¡­ Fujihara-san is joining this tournament as well. I want to contact her,¡± Seiji mentioned.

    Later that night.

    Seiji called Kanna Fujihara and learned that she was only joining this tournament because her family was forcing her to join. He listened to herin for quite a while before he told her about his own situation.

    ¡°You¡¯re fighting for the sake of love? How romantic! I¡¯ll give you my full support!¡± Kanna eximed passionately.

    Seiji smiled and gave his thanks.

    The otaku boy and otaku girl easily agreed to be allies. They agreed that if they were on the same team during the group stage, they¡¯d help each other out. If they were on different sides, then they wouldn¡¯t attack each other.

    Tuesday.

    News that Seigo Harano was spotted on Sunday out on a date with Mika Uehara at the aquarium was now spreading throughout the school.

    When asked about this, Seigo and Mika both responded that they were only ¡°friends out having fun together.¡± Natsuya Yoruhana said that she knew about this matter and didn¡¯t mind at all.

    Still, this caused a bit of controversy in school. Although the Magic-Devouring Dragon already had an excellent girlfriend in the student council president, he was still behaving so intimately with one of his ssmates. Everyone was so jealous¡­ whoops, furious!

    But, what could they do? Expose his secret and force him out of school? Everyone had already tacitly agreed to keep Seigo¡¯s identity a secret. Anyone that betrayed this would have to risk taking full responsibility for any possible consequences down the road.

    Although his girlfriend, Natsuya Yoruhana, said that she didn¡¯t mind, and she didn¡¯t seem like she was putting on an act at all¡­ which made everyone¡¯s anger meaningless¡­ they still felt jealous, damnit! Seigo already had such a wonderful girlfriend, yet he dared to cheat on her so openly!? This was just like him starting a harem!!

    ¡®Seigo Harano is no hero! He¡¯s an evil magic dragon!!¡¯ The incredibly jealous, still single students roared that in their minds.

    Many people were also quite curious just how all this came to be. Just what exactly did Seigo Harano do, or what background did he have, that Natsuya didn¡¯t mind his behavior at all¡­?

    No matter what the students thought, Seigo, Natsuya, and Mika all responded in the same way. This small controversy would die out in a few days, after all.

    During lunch break, Seiji received a phone call from Shika. He learned that his knight order members¡¯ equipment had arrived, so he contacted Hoshi.

    After school.

    Seiji and Mika met up with Hoshi and went back to the Uehara apartments together.

    Hoshi was rather nervous as this was his first time visiting his senpai¡¯s home.

    He wanted to buy some confectioneries as a visiting present. Even though Seiji told him it wasn¡¯t necessary, Hoshi absolutely insisted.

    After Hoshi purchased a box of desserts from a nearby sweets shop, they all went to Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    Upon entering, Hoshi respectfully handed Seiji the box. Seiji could only smile wryly as he epted.

    He then had his junior and Mika try their new spiritual equipment.

    Their equipment was the same as Hisashi¡¯s¡ªstandard equipment. The only difference was in the clothing size.

    After Hoshi and Mika finished putting on the equipment, it appeared as if a boy soldier and girl soldier had now arrived¡­ No, perhaps it would be more urate to say two girl soldiers!

    Hoshi didn¡¯t appear handsome and cool at all in the ckbat uniform. He actually appeared a bit weak and bookish. When he stood next to Mika, they seemed just like two girls wearing boyish clothing.

    ¡®Even in such abat uniform, Hoshi still looks like a girl dressed in boys¡¯ clothing? His abilities as a trap are truly amazing.¡¯ Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched at the sight.

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Seiji asked them.

    Hoshi and Mika both indicated that the equipment¡¯s size was just about right.

    They then tested out their weapons.

    Just like Hisashi, Hoshi was unable to inject any Mana into the spiritual sword. However, Hoshi was able to transform his red leaves into thorny vines which twined themselves around the sword.

    Seiji cast a barrier and had Hoshi try attacking it. The power of Hoshi¡¯s attacks seemed alright.

    Hoshi was unable to use the spiritual gun. As for the spiritual shield, he could only enchant it with thorny vines just like his sword.

    With this taken into consideration, Seiji told Hoshi that he would only need to bring the sword and shield with him when training in the domain.

    Meanwhile, Mika was able to inject her Mana into the spiritual longsword and spiritual gun. She could use them normally, but felt that it was rather tiring. And, her attack power was only average.

    Seiji asked her to try them again after transforming.

    ¡°Transform?¡± Hoshi blinked upon hearing this.

    ¡°Yeah, Mika has a transformation. She¡¯ll be really pretty as well as really powerful in that form,¡± Seiji exined to him. ¡°Just like a magical girl.¡±

    A magical girl!? Hoshi nced back at his Mika-senpai with his eyes sparkling.

    Transforming was alright, but¡­

    Mika¡¯s face reddened slightly as she turned around and entered the bathroom.

    Hoshi was rather mystified by this.

    Seiji knew why Mika had entered the bathroom out of embarrassment. However, he didn¡¯t exin anything to his obviously confused junior.

    After entering the bathroom, Mika took off her bra before she summoned Mashiro and had the spiritual creature ovey onto herself.

    ¡°Chirp!¡± The silver-winged, red-skirted loli jumped inside the twintailed girl. A dark-red glow swiftly arose on Mika¡¯s body as ck mist covered her entire body.

    Immediately after, a silvery-white glow shot out as the ck mist speedily formed into a dark-red cape. The light then revealed that Mika had transformed into her silver-haired, mature version.

    Since her chest became much bigger, her shirt now felt rather tight. Her panties also felt rather tight. However, Mika refused to take her panties off.

    She took a while to suppress her embarrassment and awkwardness before walking out of the bathroom back to Seiji¡¯s living room.

    Hoshi widened his eyes in surprise to see the transformed Mika.

    ¡°Uehara-senpai¡­ You¡¯re so beautiful¡­¡±

    The silver-haired girl smiled to hear her junior¡¯s praise. She seemed so beautiful, as if she was ethereal.

    Not only was Hoshi stunned by the sight, Seiji¡¯s gaze also became slightly unfocused as he looked at Mika.

    Seiji¡¯s vision then reflexively looked at her ample bosom. He knew that she currently had no bra supporting her chest anymore¡­ Cough! Stop!

    Mika blushed as she detected where her boyfriend was looking. She turned around, picked up the spiritual longsword, and injected her Mana into it. Her cape instantly sent out some mist that attached to the sword and formed into bright red runes!

    She sliced towards Seiji¡¯s barrier. She seeded in demolishing the barrier in only two blows.

    She then tried out the spiritual gun. All her [Mana Bullets] were bright-red with high power.

    Finally, she tried using the shield. Simr bright-red runes formed on her shield. Seiji tried slicing it a few times with his own sword and noticed that the shield¡¯s defensive prowess had noticeably increased.

    ¡°You should take the shield and gun with you, then.¡± Seiji advised this to Mika. ¡°Protect yourself well and attack from afar.¡±

    Mika nodded in agreement.

    Hoshi¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at the silver-haired girl.

    ¡°Can I be like that as well¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Seiji looked at Hoshi.

    ¡°I was thinking, is it possible to transform just like Uehara-senpai by my own powers?¡± Hoshi inquired seriously.

    Transform just like Mika¡­ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but reflexively imagine his junior in the form of a certain red-leaf-wielding demon woman from the mobile game he yed in his past life.

    ¡®Damnit, hell no! I have to stop imagining such a thing!!¡¯

    The moment he imagined it, it felt far too appropriate and charming on Hoshi. The sight was charismatic enough for anyone to easily lose themselves in.

    Seiji forcefully sealed away this fantasy of his. Even now, he still felt rather afraid. This scene that suddenly popped up in his mind seemed so real as if it would really happen in the future.

    ¡®No! It must be a mistaken impression! It¡¯s definitely a mistaken impression!!¡¯

    ¡°Are you¡­ capable of doing such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Not now, but perhaps I¡¯ll be able to after I be stronger.¡± Hoshi fell silent for a moment as he looked at the red leaves in his hand. ¡°My power has this type of possibility¡­ I have such a premonition.¡±

    ¡®Why do you have such a premonition? Do you desire to be a magical girl!?¡¯ Seiji¡¯s cheeks violently twitched.

    He felt that if Hoshi really aplished such a thing, a great disaster would ur. Many boys would fall into a realm they shouldn¡¯t.

    Wait a moment, hold on here.

    ¡°Hoshi, the transformation that you want isn¡¯t to be a girl, is it?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± The beautiful boy paused for a moment before he started blushing. ¡°No¡­ not at all! Of course not!! What I meant when I said transform like Uehara-senpai, was that I want to be more powerful just like she can!!¡±

 Chapter 625 - A trap and a gender changerâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 625: A trap and a gender changer¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®That was what it should have meant to begin with. Yet, I had strange ideas just now because of my interpretation, it¡¯s my own¡­ no, it¡¯s still his fault!¡¯

    Seiji ended up ming his own fantasies just now on his junior¡¯s overly strong attributes as a trap.

    ¡°I think that it would be quite nice if Amami-san bes capable of transforming.¡± Mika¡¯s eyes were shining as she said this.

    ¡®She must havee to the same realization as me about Hoshi transforming.¡¯ Seiji instantly saw through her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to transform or not¡­ I¡¯ll try my hardest!¡± Hoshi clenched his fist.

    And so, the youth set out on his path of bing a magical girl! Things would be more perfect if only some background music started ying here.

    ¡®Honestly¡­¡¯ Seiji forcefully stopped himself from thinking about this any longer.

    ¡°Mika¡­ Do your current clothes still fit you?¡± He turned and went close to the silver-haired girl, whispering an embarrassing question into her ear.

    ¡°They¡¯re a little tight¡­ but still okay,¡± Mika answered a little embarrassedly.

    ¡°Will they obstruct your movements?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will.¡±

    ¡°Then just bear with it for a little while. Ask Natsuyater to help adjust your equipment so that it fits this form of yours.¡±

    They stopped whispering after that.

    Neither of them told their junior what they were whispering about despite his clearly curious expression.

    After confirming that there were no problems, Seiji contacted Kazufuru and informed him that he and his friends would be training in Kazuko¡¯s Domain tonight.

    By the way, if the gender-changed Kazufuru/Kazuko met with Hoshi, ummmm¡­

    Later that night.

    Seiji, Shika, Mika, and Hoshi all met up first. They then met up with Kazuko.

    Kazuko was currently wearing a jacket and jeans. This was a rather neutral appearance that entuated her schrly aura. She had her own eye-catching sensation of charisma.

    Mika had a ratherplex expression as she observed the sses-wearing beautiful Kazuko.

    Before they met up, Seiji gave her an exnation about Kazufuru Ooike¡¯s current situation. That was because Mika would definitely think of Kazufuru the moment that she saw Kazuko and ask about it. So, he exined things to her first.

    A boy student from their ss actually turned into a girl! And, this girl was a beauty who had quite a stunning aura¡­ Mika received quite an impact from this after seeing Kazuko.

    Seiji introduced Hoshi to Kazuko first. Then, when he introduced Kazuko, he asked nonverbally with his eyes if he should introduce her real identity to Hoshi.

    Previously, Seiji exined things to Hisashi because he had borrowed the Juumonji Group¡¯s dojo to dispel the curse on Kazufuru. Since Hoshi had zero prior contact with both Kazufuru and Kazuko before, Seiji left it up to her to decide what to tell Hoshi.

    A trap and a gender changer¡­ This scene seemed rather subtle in some way!

    Seiji found it quite difficult to imagine how Hoshi would react or be influenced if Kazuko told him who she really was.

    But in the end, Kazuko indicated that she would prefer to keep her identity a secret from Hoshi.

    And so, Seiji also introduced Mika to Kazuko. He pretended that this was the first meeting between the two girls.

    Technically, this was indeed their first meeting. It was just that both of them already knew who the other was already.

    ¡°Please take good care of me, Uehara-san.¡± Kazuko smiled.

    ¡°Please take good care of me¡­ Ooike-san,¡± Mika responded.

    ¡°You can just treat her as Kazufuru¡¯s younger twin sister,¡± Seiji had told Mika previously.

    ¡®But, I still feel really strange about it!¡¯ Mika felt internal turmoil about this.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t notice Mika¡¯s strange expression at all. All he saw was that Kazuko Ooike was a somewhat mysterious and schrly appearing beauty.

    They all went to the Juumonji Group¡¯s residence together. On their way there, Seiji sent Hisashi a text message, telling him not to say anything about Kazuko.

    Hoshi eximed in astonishment when they reached the Juumonji Mafia Group¡¯s incrediblyrge mansion.

    They went to the dojo and saw that Hisashi was fully equipped and waiting for them already.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone! Let us fight together!!¡± Hisashi shouted in a hot-blooded, chuunibyou fashion.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh!¡± Hoshi pumped and clenched his fist. He looked quite cute while doing so.

    ¡°Your voice isn¡¯t loud enough, Fourth Knight! One more time!¡± Hisashi¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at Hoshi.

    *Inhale¡­* ¡°Oh!!¡± Hoshi took a deep breath before clenching his fist and pumping it again.

    Everyone could tell that Hoshi wanted to act manly. However, his actions only resembled that of a cute girl.

    Hisashi¡¯s eyes lit up even more at this sight. There was a tremendous sh of his eyess lenses.

    ¡°Still not loud enough! Try again!!¡±

    ¡°Oh!!¡± Hoshi shouted for the first time as his face reddened. This made him seem even more moving.

    Not only was Hisashi rather excited to see this, even Mika¡¯s eyes were sparkling at this scene. Kazuko¡¯s mouth also arced upwards in amusement at this sight.

    Shika was the only one whose expression remainedpletely calm.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­¡± Seiji wanted to cover his face. He waved his hand for everyone to stop with this topic. His junior¡¯s degree of cuteness was just far too high.

    Before Hoshi could be a magical girl, it seemed more likely that he would first be the lucky mascot of Seiji¡¯s knight order.

    Seiji¡¯s knights changed into their spiritual equipment and finished their preparations.

    Hisashi saw Mika¡¯s transformed self for the first time here. He couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes.

    ¡°You can actually transform¡­ That¡¯s amazing, Sixth Knight!¡± Hisashi gave his sincere praise as he adjusted his eyesses.

    ¡°She¡¯s just like a magical girl.¡± Kazuko also adjusted her eyesses. ¡°Uehara-san actually has such an ability? It¡¯s quite beautiful.¡±

    The mafia otaku boy and the excellent student girl adjusting their eyesses together was almost subtlyical.

    The silver-haired girl smiled at both of them.

    Shika silently observed Mika¡¯s new form while remaining calm as always.

    Before everyone entered the Domain, Seiji told Mika and Hoshi about the mystical phenomenon where he saw events that seemingly happened in another world.

    ¡°Although I was the only one who saw these thingsst time, it¡¯s possible that any of us could experience them this time around. I¡¯ll tell everyone if I see anything, so if any of you see such a thing, go ahead and tell us¡­¡± Seiji made sure that everyone knew about this.

    ¡°Another world¡­¡± Hoshi¡¯s eyes sparkled as his excitement was raised even more.

    Mika was much calmer about learning this. That was because she had already visited an Inner World which was simr to another world. She even met strange people there who wore animal masks, making them seem like residents of another world.

    Kazuko then opened up the portal to her Domain and had everyone enter.

    Seiji paid close attention, but no otherworld experience likest time happened. Soon, everyone saw the Forest Pce.

    Shika and everyone else looked at him. Seiji shook his head to indicate that he didn¡¯t see anything at all.

    ¡°So this is an Inner World¡­¡± Hoshi¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked all around him.

    What exactly would appear in such a mystical alternate dimension?

    ¡°They¡¯reing,¡± Kazuko spoke up.

    ck mist started being emitted by the walls around them. This mist swiftly coalesced into five ck wolves.

    Spiritual creatures!

    Hoshi because rather tense.

    *Zap!*

    Hisashi shocked a ck wolf with a lightning bolt and knocked it down.

    *Bang!*

    Mika aimed her gun and shot a [Mana Bullet]¡­ But she missed.

    It was quite difficult for someone like her who had never been taught how to use a gun before to hit a swiftly moving object.

    Hoshi opened up his hands. Three red leaves he was holding started glowing. They suddenly transformed into three spiritual birds that let off a faint-red mist!

    The red birds started flying and arced beautifully towards a nearby approaching ck wolf. The birds viciously crashed into the wolf and knocked it over!

    Mika shot another bullet that managed to hit a ck wolf that had almost reached her already. She fired another shot which finished it off. Mika then used her Mashiro¡¯s Clothes to absorb the wolf¡¯s mist.

    Hisashi also killed off the wolf that he knocked over and happily absorbed the mist for himself.

    Hoshi concentrated on controlling his red birds to continuously crash into the ck wolf he was facing. He also sessfully killed this ck wolf.

    The ck wolf¡¯s mist floated towards the three spiritual birds and entered their bodies!

    Hoshi didn¡¯t have to absorb the mist himself. Instead, his summoned creatures absorbed the mist, simr to how Mika would. Seiji watched and learned.

    He and Shika easily slew thest two remaining ck wolves. It wasn¡¯t even a warmup for them.

    ¡°How do you feel, Hoshi?¡±

    ¡°I feel like they¡¯ve be slightly stronger.¡± Hoshi looked at the three spiritual birds that had now returned to him.

    ¡°You absorb mist in a simr fashion to Mika. I think that¡¯s a good thing,¡± Seiji remarked. ¡°But, you¡¯ll need to pay attention not to steal experience from your teammates.¡± / NovelFull.Com

    Hoshi¡¯s three birds were just like three automatic experience absorbing machines¡­ This wasn¡¯t a game where a party would automatically split experience equally. The members would need to pay attention to fairly dividing the experience.

 Chapter 626 - Myâ€¦ balls hurtâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 626: My¡­ balls hurt¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi agreed to pay attention not to absorb too much experience.

    More ck wolves appeared again. Hisashi struck first once more by throwing a chain lightning ball which causedrge amounts of AOE damage and paralysis.

    Mika shot many [Mana Bullets] with her spiritual gun. Although her uracy was quite poor, all the monsters were unable to move due to the paralysis effect. She was able hit them easily enough.

    Hoshi also controlled his spiritual birds to attack. Each time his three birds attacked in unison, one wolf would be killed.

    Under the three¡¯s teamwork, very few ck wolves were able to even reach them. The few that got close were all easily taken care of by Mika¡¯s Mashiro¡¯s Clothes ability.

    Seiji and Shika didn¡¯t even need to do anything at all.

    Hisashi and Mika already had priorbat experience along with excellent abilities. Although this was Hoshi¡¯s first time in an Inner World, he also did quite well for himself.

    Of course, this was also because the Forest Pce ¡°dungeon¡± had an easy difficulty level. It would be quite easy to do well here as long as everyone remained calm and cooperated well with their teammates.

    Seiji felt a sense of aplishment as if he was raising video game characters as he watched the three continuously improve their teamwork and cooperation against the spiritual creatures here.

    After observing for a while, he rmended to them that Mika should fight in the front, Hisashi in the middle, and Hoshi in the backline. This would be their basic formation.

    Mika had the strongest Spiritual Ability out of the three. Her Mashiro¡¯s Clothes ability was capable ofpletely blocking all minor monsters¡¯ attacks. It was no problem for her to act as the tank if she only had to deal with smaller mob spiritual creatures.

    Hisashi¡¯s ¡°Thunderboom¡± chain lightning attack was his main ability. He had excellent AOE crowd control abilities with this. And after his previous fighting experience, his thunder-enchanted shield also had a certain degree of closebat capabilities. Hisashi would be the most suited for fighting in the middle row.

    Hoshi¡¯s three red birds were highly agile and capable of either concentrating their attacks together or attacking separately. Hoshi¡¯s weakness was that he required a high degree of concentration to use this ability. Plus, he was a newbie at fighting, so he would naturally be suited for the back row.

    After they started using Seiji¡¯s suggested formation, the three¡¯sbat effectiveness rose by a great amount.

    Seiji¡¯s sense of aplishment from raising them became even stronger as he watched them speedily improve their teamwork.

    After absorbing arge amount of mist, one of Hoshi¡¯s red birds suddenly erged itself, approximately doubling in size. It also appeared to be more physical rather than ethereal. Its physical appearance also changed from resembling a pigeon to looking more like an eagle. This definitely made it appear more vicious.

    ¡°Is this an evolution?¡± Seiji blinked in surprise. ¡°Hoshi, how are you currently feeling?¡±

    ¡°I just felt something heat up within my body. Then, I felt my connection bing stronger to that bird, and it also became easier to control it¡­ Ah, that same sensation is back!¡±

    Before Hoshi even finished speaking, the second spiritual bird also erged and ¡°evolved¡± just like the first one did.

    ¡®Looks like the third will be evolving soon as well. Hoshi, looks like your true path won¡¯t be as a magical girl after all. You¡¯re on your way to bing a Pokemon master!¡¯

    The evolved spiritual birds¡­ er, spiritual eagles were easier to control, more agile, and more powerful.

    Hoshi now felt a concrete sensation of what it was like to be stronger. He was quite excited about being able to level up in real life, and fought with even more motivation!

    Not long after, Kazuko who was idly floating in midair warned them that a boss monster wasing.

    A green-and-ck-furred giant wolf soon appeared. This was the exact same boss monster asst time.

    Previously, Seiji and Shika had taken care of this boss monster with just a single [Dragon Counterattack] and a few slices afterwards. This time, they would stand by and watch, letting the boss monster act as a tutorial level boss to train the neers.

    The giant wolf opened its mouth and spat out a gigantic [Mana Bullet] as a greeting!

    *Boom!!* Vanguard Mika managed to block it using her shield and Mashiro¡¯s Clothes! The [Mana Bullet] exploded in a blinding sh of light but didn¡¯t cause her any damage at all.

    ¡°Thunderboom¡±! Hisashi instantly tossed out arge lightning ball that he had prepared.

    His ck lightning ball exploded and shot lightning bolts all over, snaring the enemy monster¡­ not at all!

    The giant wolf agilely dodged the lightning ball and took only a few lightning strikes. It wasn¡¯t paralyzed at all.

    Mika shot at the giant wolf with her gun while Hoshi had his spiritual eagles attack.

    The giant wolf moved rapidly and dodged the gunshots. It withstood the eagles¡¯ attacks as it rushed towards Hisashi!

    Hisashi recalled his previous near-death experience and reflexively became afraid. However, he immediately restrained himself and didn¡¯t allow his hands to shake.

    This was a real battle that was quite dangerous. He had recognized this long ago.

    This was a good time to hide behind Mika¡­ No! Mika had already blocked a powerful attack for everyone already. Rather than only relying on her, he should be relying on his own strength!

    Hisashi entered a state of high concentration as the boss monster rapidly charged at him.

    With his currentbat experience, his own abilities, along with all the magic abilities he¡¯d seen in manga and video games before¡­

    Hisashi had already attempted to develop new abilities while training in the Domainst time. However, he didn¡¯t seed.

    But at this moment, he felt that he would definitely seed¡­ He had this feeling that he could only develop new abilities in such circumstances!

    Hisashi didn¡¯t consider the possibility of failure. He simply acted.

    With such a way of thinking, Hisashi suddenly tossed away his shield, pressed his hands onto his legs, and released electricity!

    He had tried many times already, but had always been unable to use his legs to cast electricity. In that case, he might as well simply put his hands on his legs.

    Electricity instantly twirled around his legs, which caused him to feel a numb sensation of pain. However, he also felt as if this stimted something as power welled up within him.

    Jump!

    Hisashi used this power to jump with all his might. With a whoosh, he suddenly flew far away from the ground and speedily shed a great distance away!!

    At almost the exact same time, Hoshi used a spiritual eagle to carry him while flying!

    Mika had originally intended to take this hit again for her two allies. But after she saw this, she hurriedly glided in an attempt to dodge the giant wolf. Unfortunately, since she was a bitte to act, the wolf¡¯s charge hit her directly!

    Mika was sent flying by the impact. However, thanks to Mashiro¡¯s Clothes supporting her, she was able to twirl in midair andnd steadily on the ground. She beautifully mitigated the impact by spinning in midair like an ice skater.

    ¡®Wonderful!!¡¯

    Seiji, who had thought that he would need to act here to help everyone out, felt as if he wanted to give everyone a big thumbs up.

    The giant wolf stopped, turned around, and charged at everyone again. Hisashi cast a thunderbolt at the fastest speed he could and struck the giant wolf!

    *Boom!!* The lightning strike managed to slow the ck wolf¡¯s movements.

    Hoshi had his spiritual eagles all attack the giant wolf¡¯s front right foot in unison. This seeded in having the giant wolf momentarily trip.

    Mika created a dark-red ball and glided over at a high speed. She aimed at the giant wolf¡¯s head and fired a¡­

    ¡°Dimension Shattering Jade!¡±

    The ball left a blood-red trail behind as it made a direct hit against the giant wolf¡¯s head. With a deafening explosion, it instantly vaporized the entire head.

    The headless wolf¡¯s corpse copsed and transformed into dense dark-red mist.

    ¡®This ability of hers is just like cheating¡­ But I suppose that¡¯s fine,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Mika, Hisashi, and Hoshi seeded in defeating a boss monster all by themselves without him and Shika needing to help them. That was quite excellent.

    Seiji then saw someone kneeling on the ground in obvious difort.

    ¡°Hisashi! What¡¯s the matter!?¡± Seiji hurried over.

    ¡°My¡­ balls hurt¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Just now, I cast electricity on my own legs¡­ The numbness from doing so has spread all the way to my balls¡­ Argh¡­¡±

    Hisashi clutched his crotch and made sounds of difort.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Hisashi¡¯s super-jump just now had such a side effect!? Seiji revealed a rather subtle expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use some healing magic on you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Ahh¡­¡±

    Mika and Hoshi also revealed rather subtle expressions as they also heard what Hisashi¡¯s ¡°injury¡± was about. Kazuko covered her mouth, turned her head, and appeared to be breaking out intoughter. Shika was the only one whose expression didn¡¯t change.

    Although Hisashi ended up having a rather painful experience a minuteter, it was still quite meaningful. He had sessfully created a method of escaping that could be used in emergency situations. Hisashi¡¯s actions could be called either courageous or reckless.

    Judging by the end result, Seiji supposed that Hisashi was courageous. However, testing new things out in the middle of battle was something he didn¡¯t rmend.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s only some leg numbness and your balls¡­ er, I mean your lower half having some pain. There might have been more severe consequences which you couldn¡¯t predict. Anyways¡­ just pay attention to your own safety.¡±

    Seiji found it impossible topletely forbid others from trying such things out as he recalled how he had also made such realizations during battle. He could only let everyone figure things out for themselves.

 Chapter 627 - It blocked the portal!

    <h4>Chapter 627: It blocked the portal!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    And if any of Seiji¡¯s friends suffered anything catastrophic, he would be able to load.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be protecting all of you, so you can fight as recklessly as you want¡­¡± Of course, Seiji would never say something like that out loud. He would only load if the worst happened.

    Hisashi¡¯s pain was gone after Seiji used a healing spell on him. Hisashi still felt a great amount of trepidation for his newly-gained ability due to the indescribable painful sensation he felt just now. However, he was unwilling to give it up. He vowed to be more careful the next time that he needed to use it.

    Compared to Hisashi¡¯s half-baked escape ability, Hoshi¡¯s spiritual eagle being able to carry him and fly was obviously a lot better.

    However, the spiritual eagle was only capable of carrying Hoshi a small distance. It would be impossible to use it for long-distance flight or even a medium amount of time.

    ¡°Although your ability is limited, perhaps your summoned creature will be even stronger if it evolves again. Continue working hard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Senpai!¡±

    ¡°In ces like these, how about calling me Team Leader instead?¡± Seiji suddenly had this type of thought.

    ¡°Yes, Team Leader!¡± Hoshi¡¯s eyes were sparkling with admiration.

    Yep, this sounded quite nice to Seiji. He rather enjoyed it.

    After everyone rested for a little while, Seiji continued raising¡­ er, helping their training.

    In the second district, the three-person team¡¯s effectiveness in dealing with monsters improved even more. Although they met a new type of monkey spiritual creature, they didn¡¯t panic at all. They were able to calmly observe, defend, dodge, and counterattack. They had excellent tacit cooperation as they killed the monkey monsters.

    As Seiji expected, even the auras about Mika, Hoshi, and Hisashi were different after they sessfully defeated a boss monster by themselves. The green-and-ck-furred wolf boss monster had been an excellent tutorial boss monster.

    The second boss monster resembled a dinosaur¡­ more urately, it was a giant monster that resembled a velociraptor!

    Velociraptors were a famous type of dinosaur. Anyone who¡¯d ever seen a dinosaur movie or yed a game with dinosaurs would likely recognize one. Velociraptors were highly agile, had powerful legs, sharp ws, andrge fangs. They typically appeared in packs, and resembled dinosaur version wolves.

    Seiji already had a premonition when he saw the new monkey spiritual monster that he had never seen before. But now that he witnessed this dinosaur boss monster which wasn¡¯t present before, his premonition hade true.

    Seiji recalled when he was ying Monster Hunter in his previous life. These types of monsters weremon as tutorial boss monsters. Those who were even slightly skilled in hunting techniques would be able to easily defeat such a boss.

    However, this was no game! Meeting an unfamiliar giant dinosaur monster for the first time required extra precautions.

    ¡°Be care¡ª¡±

    *Roar!!*

    Seiji didn¡¯t even get to finish his warning when the velociraptor boss monster instantly roared and spewed out a circle of green mist!

    The green mist started spreading out in a circle with the dinosaur as the center, just like a shock wave.

    Mika raised her shield and stood in front of Hisashi and Hoshi, blocking thisrge AOE attack for them. Seiji also used his shield to block this attack as he stood in front of Shika.

    Immediately after this,rge amounts of ck mist poured out from everywhere, forming into numerous smaller dinosaur monsters that pounced in their direction!!

    Summoning minions was definitely a boss monster ability that Seiji considered the most annoying to deal with.

    Hisashi cast his Thunderboom spell to slow down the dinosaur boss monster. However, the numerous smaller dinosaur monsters¡¯ attacks made Mika unable to cast her Dimension Shattering Jade spell that required some preparation time.

    Aftering under attack from so many monsters, Hoshi started panicking and hurriedly tried to fly away by using his spiritual eagle. However, a small dinosaur monster suddenly leaped high up into the air and crashed into him, sessfully knocking Hoshi onto the ground!!

    Hoshinded smack dab in the middle of a group of monsters. Along with the pain he felt, his mind wentpletely nk.

    Before he could meet his death, a white sh appeared before him as a tall figure instantly appeared by his side.

    Of course, this figure was Seiji.

    Hoshi witnessed Seiji attacking the moment that hended. Seiji swiftly swung his White Lotus spiritual sword in arge arc, wiping out all the monsters in the nearby area!

    ¡°Shika-chan!¡±

    Shika Kagura took action as well. She instantly appeared next to Hisashi and Mika, and wiped out many small dinosaurs with her own sword!

    The giant velociraptor boss monster viciously charged over at a furious pace.

    Shika lifted her sword over her head, created a giant de of ice, and viciously shed it down against the giant dinosaur monster¡¯s head! This knocked the velociraptor boss monster down onto the ground in a single blow!!

    This scene truly stunned both Hisashi and Mika.

    A petite girl like Shika wielding a giant de of ice to knock over the giant boss monster in a single blow was truly impactful.

    But after this, Shika didn¡¯t continue attacking the boss monster at all. She simply nced at the two stunned individuals before she continued to clear out the smaller monsters.

    Mika and Hisashi returned to their senses and hurriedly started fighting the dinosaur boss monster.

    Thanks to Seiji and Shika eliminating the smaller monsters¡¯ interference, Mika and Hisashi were able to defeat and kill the giant dinosaur monster in just a short while by using thebination of the Thunderboom and the Dimension Shattering Jade.

    ¡°Hoshi, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°It hurts just a little¡­¡±

    Although Hoshi crashed into the ground from the sky, thebat uniform he wore mitigated the impact so that he was only minorly injured.

    Hoshi was simultaneously a little depressed as well as really happy. That was because he witnessed Senpai¡ª no, Team Leader in action!

    Even after entering here, this was the first time that Hoshi had ever witnessed Seiji fighting.

    Hoshi wanted to see even more¡­ But he knew that he couldn¡¯t overly rely on Seiji. His goal was to be able to fight as an equal by Seiji¡¯s side.

    ¡®This time, their team met with danger because theyck strong AOE techniques¡­ no, it¡¯s purely because they¡¯re still not strong enough,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    If Hisashi and Hoshi had been a bit stronger, they¡¯d then be able to deal with the numerous smaller monsters attacking them all at once. In that case, even if they didn¡¯t have strong AOE attacks, they¡¯d be able to agilely move around the battlefield and pick smaller monsters off before finally dealing with the boss monster.

    Of course, it would be better if they had some better AOE attacks, or arger-scale AOE crowd control spell.

    ¡°Apart from Hoshi panicking a bit too much, you guys didn¡¯t make any other mistakes. It¡¯s just that your power is still insufficient.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ming you at all. This is your first battle ever. It¡¯s only normal for you to make mistakes. It¡¯s fine as long as you grow and learn from this.¡±

    Hoshi felt a warm feeling in his heart from receiving Seiji¡¯s encouragement.

    After resting for a while, everyone continued onward.

    When everyone arrived in the third district, they saw arge tree in full bloom which had bright-red leaves that resembled maple leaves.

    Red leaves¡­ Hoshi felt something from this. Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of singing.

    This singing sounded rather mystical and ethereal. He recalled the mysterious singing that he heard when he Awakened.

    These two singing voices were obviously different. The one he heard right now sounded mystical and ethereal, while the one he¡¯d heard previously in his dream sounded elegant and sad. However, the singing also seemed to somehow resemble each other.

    Hoshi reflexively searched around for the singer. He then saw a girl wearing a green dress who sat on one of the branches of therge red-leafed tree!

    This girl had a head of brilliant golden hair that shone like it was pure gold. However, her incredibly beautiful hair seemedpletely disheveled as it was scattered all over her face. Her bangs were long to the point where half her face was covered, with only her exquisite nose and cute mouth showing.

    She had delicate arms and milky-white soft skin. Her soft and beautiful tiny hands and tender feet seemed just like beautiful artwork! Even without being able to see her face clearly, any lolicon would go into a mania at seeing her skin, arms, and legs.

    Hoshi wasn¡¯t a lolicon. However, he was still attracted to her as he stood still while staring at her without even blinking.

    ¡°Hoshi, can you see something?¡± Seiji spoke up.

    Right after arriving in the third district, Seiji sensed that something was off. He looked around him and noticed that his junior was acting strange. Seiji followed Hoshi¡¯s line of sight and saw nothing there at all. That was why he spoke up and asked that.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t respond. He simply stared at the tree with an admiring expression on his face.

    ¡°Hoshi!¡± Seiji increased the volume of his voice. However, his junior still didn¡¯t respond.

    Everyone else also had slightly confused expressions at seeing this.

    ¡°Something¡¯s present,¡± Kazuko suddenly spoke up. ¡°I can sense something¡­ but can¡¯t see it.¡±

    She had an incredibly serious expression.

    Seiji pped Hoshi on the shoulder, but Hoshi didn¡¯t react at all. Seiji then forcefully shook Hoshi, but thetter still stood still as if he was glued to the spot.

    At this moment, dense ck mist appeared from everywhere, creating arge number of small monsters¡ª no, wait, they were allrge monsters!?

    Gigantic ck wolves, ck tigers, ck bears, and the velociraptor boss monster that they just faced all appeared in droves¡­ / NovelFull.Com

    ¡°Kazuko-san, take us out of here immediately!¡± Seiji immediately made this decision upon seeing the situation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m unable to open my portal¡­¡± Kazuko¡¯s face paled. ¡°The invisible something is blocking me¡­ it blocked my portal!!¡±

    What!?

 Chapter 628 - Elf

    <h4>Chapter 628: Elf</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was possible to block the portal to enter and exit the Domain!?

    What was blocking it? Why was it blocked? Many questions arose in everyone¡¯s minds. However, they didn¡¯t have the free time to think about this, because therge monsters all attacked in unison by spitting out tremendous Mana Bullets!

    Defensive spell, ¡°Ice Wall¡±!

    Defensive spell, ¡°Tortoise Shell¡±!

    Shika and Seiji cast defensive spells at almost the exact same time. A thick ice wall and an ovepping barrier managed to block this wave of attacks!!

    Shika then charged forward and speedily counterattacked. Meanwhile, Seiji stayed in his original position and maintained the barrier to protect his friends.

    Hisashi cast Thunderboom as quickly as he could, while Mika also started casting her Dimension Shattering Jade spell. They attacked the monsters with all they had.

    However, Hoshi still stood still and didn¡¯t move one bit. He simply stared at the red-leafed tree, as if he couldn¡¯t see the monsters at all.

    Just what could be there!? Seiji almost wanted to send a [Mana Bullet] in the direction that Hoshi was looking at, but he restrained himself.

    If he really hit some existence there and angered it, perhaps things here would be even worse.

    It was a bit dangerous to be surrounded and attacked by so manyrge monsters, but it was actually still manageable. However, things would be incredibly difficult if there were even more monsters.

    ¡°Kazuko-san!¡± Hemunicated nonverbally with his eyes, inquiring about the portal.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t¡­¡± Kazuko was furrowing her eyebrows deeply and was holding her hands up high as she trembled slightly. ¡°I can¡¯t open it¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­ possible tomunicate with the existence that¡¯s blocking your portal?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I can try.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±

    The powerful monsters attacked only to find themselves blocked by Seiji¡¯s powerful barrier!

    Shika speedily used a session of continuous skills as she produced an explosive amount of burst damage!

    Hisashi and Mika attacked with full force, acting as stationery artillery under the protection of Seiji¡¯s barrier!

    Shika¡¯s sword shed, Hisashi¡¯s thunder boomed, and Mika¡¯s Mana Bullets rang out¡­

    Some minutester, all therge monsters hadpletely died.

    No new spiritual creatures were appearing, so Seiji stopped maintaining his barrier.

    Kazuko had her eyes closed and seemed to be doing something.

    Hoshi remained standing still as if time had stopped for him.

    Seiji and the others exchanged awkward nces, not knowing what to do.

    ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s a problem with that tree?¡± Hisashi indicated towards the red-leafed tree as he adjusted his eyesses. ¡°How about we try destroying that tree?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an idea we can keep in mind. But before that, let¡¯s have a closer look at it first.¡± Seiji slowly walked over to the tree.

    The moment that he got closer to it, he felt an invisible force attempting to repel him!

    Getting any closer would be dangerous¡­ Seiji had such a feeling.

    No matter what type of existence was blocking Kazuko¡¯s portal, it was highly likely that this existence was on the red-leafed tree and invisible. Or, it was also possible that just like Hisashi said, perhaps this tree itself was the cause of the problem.

    *Rumble rumble rumble¡­* The ground suddenly started shaking!

    Seiji almost tripped and fell over. He managed to react quick enough to steady himself. However, the next instant, his vision darkened and he heard loud sounds as the ground itself flipped over and he fell downwards!

    Seiji reflexively adjusted his posture. Several secondster, hended with a loud thump on something solid, and his vision returned to normal.

    ¡°Everyone! Are you alright!?¡± His first reaction was to ascertain how his friends were.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Mika was the first to reply.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine as well¡­ I just had a slight fall,¡± Hisashi answered.

    Both of them were close by to Seiji.

    What about the others?

    ¡°Shika-chan! Hoshi! Kazuko-san!¡± Seiji looked all around him. ¡°Where are you? Answer me!!¡±

    There was no reply.

    Three people were missing! Seiji became extremely worried. However, he then forced himself to calm down.

    He tried using a special Yin-Yang Master/Spirit-branded Retainer spell to contact Shika who was now his Spirit-branded Retainer. However, this spell failed to work.

    The environment around him hadpletely changed. Although he was still in the Forest Pce, it was obvious that they were now in a different area. The best evidence was that the red tree from earlier was now nowhere to be seen!

    ¡°The Domain itself suddenly changed¡­ or perhaps we were teleported to a different location,¡± Seiji surmised out loud as he walked towards Mika and Hisashi.

    ¡°I think that the prior is more likely, and that the others not here with us were scattered to different ces,¡± Hisashi analyzed calmly.

    ¡°We need to hurry and find them.¡± Mika had a worried expression.

    ¡°Of course. I have a spell that can help me locate them. The question is whom to locate first as I can only use the spell on one person at a time.¡± Seiji had a serious expression as he looked at all the paths around him.

    One, two, three, four, five, six. There were a total of six different paths at this intersection!

    This dungeon had originally been a ce with very straightforward districts that all had singr paths. Had it suddenly changed into a maze?

    Fortunately, Seiji knew the [Interdimensional Locator Spell] which was capable of locating any of his friends. However, he needed to first decide on whom to locate first.

    This wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Shika, Hoshi, and Kazuko were all together. However, it was impossible to ascertain if they were together, so the order of whom to locate with this spell first was critically important.

    ¡®Shika has the strongest abilities. Logically speaking, I probably don¡¯t need to look for her first, as she¡¯s more than capable of protecting herself. But, if I meet up with her first, that¡¯ll make any trouble down the road easier to deal with.

    ¡®Hoshi¡­ I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s still in that condition he was in. He¡¯s probably in a great deal of danger if he¡¯s still standing still like a block of wood. And even if he isn¡¯t, he has the weakest abilities out of everyone to defend himself.

    ¡®Kazuko. She¡¯s the one I probably needed to worry least about as she¡¯s the controller of the Domain. However, I don¡¯t know what the current situation is. Maybe she¡¯s the one that I should be looking for first.¡¯

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find Hoshi first.¡± Seiji swiftly came to a decision after weighing all his choices. ¡°He¡¯s the one that¡¯s most likely to be in danger.¡±

    He then immediately cast his [Interdimensional Locator Spell]. Target: Hoshi Amami!

    Seiji¡¯s vision darkened as his consciousness became hazy. In this haziness, Seiji saw a faint red glow and heard staticky sounds as if a radio had been adjusted to the wrong channel.

    In this strange and mystical realm, Seiji¡¯s consciousness was sent in a certain direction by an invisible force. The sounds he heard gradually became clearer and clearer.

    ¡°Team Leader¡­ Uehara-senpai¡­ Juumonji-san¡­ Kagura-san¡­ Ooike-san¡­ Why did you all suddenly disappear¡­¡±

    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wait for me¡­¡±

    Along with these sounds, Seiji also saw a hazy scene filled with green, gold, and white colors that seemed to be a figure.

    ¡°Monsters¡­ I can¡¯t deal with them¡­¡±

    ¡°I must¡­ hide¡­¡±

    ¡°I have to¡­ find Team Leader¡­¡±

    Seiji sensed Hoshi¡¯s tension and fear along with hope and self-encouragement.

    Seiji opened his eyes.

    ¡°Hoshi¡¯s currently alone by himself. He¡¯s not with Shika-chan and Kazuko-san! It seems like he¡¯s met a mysterious character¡­ I don¡¯t know what exactly he¡¯s met. Currently, he¡¯s doing his best to survive and find us.¡±

    After saying this, Seiji looked towards the back of his right hand. A white locator spell array had appeared there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going to find him.¡±

    Seiji, Mika, and Hisashi followed the direction that the locator spell pointed at, taking the right path.

    *Smack!!*

    Hoshi looked in front of him after he used his shield to forcefully smash away a ck wolf that jumped at him.

    Left or right?

    There were two corridors in front of him. Which path should he take?

    Hoshi had no idea which path he should take to meet up with the others, so the paths made no difference to him.

    But he suddenly seemed to see a gold-haired, green-dressed figure down the left path, so he chose that one.

    *Whoosh!* His spiritual eagle arced in the sky as it carried him in the air. This managed to help him dodge a bear monster that was following him!

    Before the eagle tired andnded on the ground, Hoshi had his second spiritual eagle carry him. And then, he used the third spiritual eagle when the second tired. The three eagles working in turns helped to carry Hoshi far away from therge bear monster!!

    As long as he escaped into the corridor, the monsters wouldn¡¯t chase after him¡­ More urately, if he escaped into the next district, the spiritual creatures from the previous district would no longer chase after him.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t know why this was. But if the spiritual creatures endlessly hunted him down, he would probably be dead already.

    After jumping down from the third eagle and running into the corridor, Hoshi gradually started slowing himself down. However, he identally tripped over a vine.

    ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    Hoshi had adventured by himself to this current ce. Although he was lucky enough not to die or be seriously injured as of yet, light injuries and pain were umting on his body.

    ¡°Team Leader¡­ Everyone¡­¡±

    He really wanted to see hispanions again. Tears welled up in his eyes.

    Hoshi did his best to bear with the pain as he climbed back up again. After wiping his eyes, he suddenly saw the mysterious girl standing about seven or eight meters away.

    She was standing there quietly with bare feet in the corridor of this ancient pce. Her beautiful golden hair glimmered in the light, giving her an ethereal aura. She appeared just like an elf that had wandered into the mortal realm.

 Chapter 629 - Donâ€™t want to be by myself

    <h4>Chapter 629: Don¡¯t want to be by myself</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°May I ask¡­ who you are?¡± Hoshi carefully asked as he looked at her.

    Previously, he saw this golden-haired girl sitting on the red-leafed tree. Then, something like an earthquake urred. When Hoshi came back to his senses, he noticed that everyone else was missing!

    He then saw this girl again and asked who she was, but she wouldn¡¯t answer.

    Since Hoshi had no idea where he was going in the Forest Pce, he reflexively chased after her, thinking that perhaps she would know something about this ce.

    With her appearance, her aura, and how she was by herself in this alternate dimension, there was no way she could be an ordinary person. Hoshi recalled how Senpai¡­ er, Team Leader mentioned that he had witnessed scenes from another world before. Hoshi believed that this mysterious girl was likely an existence from another world!

    Hoshi was nervous, excited, and also a little afraid to face her. That was because he was now in such a situation after seeing this golden-haired girl. Naturally, Hoshi knew that it was possible that she was the cause of all this in the first ce.

    However, he sensed that she wasn¡¯t an evil existence¡­ Hoshi wanted to believe that she was friendly.

    ¡°My name is Hoshi Amami. May I ask your name?¡± Hoshi gave his name first and politely inquired what her name was again. He wanted to walk over closer, but was worried that she would turn around and run.

    The golden-haired girl didn¡¯t answer. She simply stood there quietly.

    At this moment, mist popped out and speedily formed into several ck wolves.

    Hoshi immediately had his three spiritual eagles start attacking. He was soon able to kill off all the ck wolves and absorb their mist.

    Since he had been battling by himself for quite a while already, Hoshi¡¯s powers andbat techniques had both improved noticeably. He was now capable of facing groups of small monsters all by himself.

    More ck wolves appeared again. One ck wolf appeared behind the golden-haired girl and pounced straight at her!

    ¡°Careful!¡± Hoshi sent a spiritual eagle to knock away that ck wolf.

    He kept edging closer to the girl as he battled. The girl didn¡¯t move at all. She simply seemed to watch him through her bangs.

    ¡°Do you know how to fight?¡± Hoshi asked after he got closer to the girl.

    Since she was able to remain unscathed in such a ce, she would probably be able to fight¡­ or have some other power.

    However, the girl still didn¡¯t respond.

    Could it be that she didn¡¯t understand hisnguage? Hoshi suddenly had the realization that this was a possibility.

    Team Leader had mentioned in his story about the other world that the people he saw were all speaking a differentnguage. But for some reason, Seiji was able to understand them. However, Seiji had been unable tomunicate with them, so he was unsure if the otherworlders were capable of understanding his ownnguage.

    How was Hoshi supposed tomunicate with the golden-haired girl if she couldn¡¯t even understand him?

    Hoshi didn¡¯t have the time to ponder this question as more ck wolves continuously appeared. He busied himself with fighting.

    After he finished cleaning up the small monsters, it was likely that arge boss monster would appear.

    With his current strength after fighting so many monsters by himself, defeating arge boss by himself wouldn¡¯t be impossible anymore. However, it would be quite risky.

    If Team Leader Seiji was still by his side, Hoshi would have absolute courage in challenging such a battle. However, Team Leader wasn¡¯t here right now¡­ Hoshi figured he should choose to run away instead.

    At hismand, the three spiritual eagles kept circling in the air and speedily crashing into enemy monsters. They killed countless numbers of ck wolves.

    Any ck wolves that forced themselves past the eagles would be greeted with a forceful bash of Hoshi¡¯s shield!

    It wasn¡¯t only his eagles that had gotten stronger. Hoshi himself had also gotten stronger from fighting by himself.

    Although his physical appearance didn¡¯t change at all, Hoshi was no longer the same soft and weak person as before.

    The golden-haired girl quietly watched the unfamiliar youth stand in front of her and defend her with his shield. She slightly puckered her lips.

    After a fierce battle, only a single ck wolf remained. The three spiritual eagles simply took turns toying with it.

    If Hoshi killed this final remaining small monster, the boss for this district would immediately appear. But even if he didn¡¯t kill it, that wouldn¡¯t dy the boss monster¡¯s appearance for very long.

    It would be quite difficult to dodge arge boss monster¡¯s attacks in a narrow corridor like this. Hoshi wanted to leave!

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Hoshi told the golden-haired girl.

    However, she still didn¡¯t move at all.

    Hoshi could only try to grab her hand. He wanted to pull her to run along with him.

    But, his hand met nothing but air.

    His hand went through hers without touching anything!

    ¡°This¡­¡± Hoshi tried again with the same result.

    He couldn¡¯t feel anything there at all!

    This golden-haired girl¡­ was she a ghost!?

    No, not a ghost, she was probably a projection.

    Team Leader had told Hoshi quite clearly that he could only ¡°see¡± the people from another world. Seiji had found it impossible tomunicate with or touch them.

    So these otherworlders were more like projections or illusions¡­ it was impossible to determine if they were real existences.

    ¡®I actually thought that she was real.¡¯ Hoshi was quite shaken by this.

    ¡®Why did I think that she was real? I clearly heard Team Leader tell me about this phenomenon. When I saw such a mysterious existence like her, the first thing I should have done was to suspect whether or not she had a physical body!

    ¡®Was it because she looked so real?

    ¡®No¡­ rather than looking real, she looks far more ethereal.

    ¡®She possesses wless beauty and a mystical aura¡­ No matter how I look at it, such a girl being alone in such a dangerous alternate dimension seems far too unreal.

    ¡®Then what exactly was I thinking?¡¯ Hoshi was confused.

    Even now, he still felt that this girl indeed concretely existed in front of him.

    He couldn¡¯t touch her, and she was clearly ethereal. Yet, he still felt that this girl was a real existence.

    His feelings contradicted his sense of logic and reason, which confused him.

    Arge boss monster was about to appear. He needed to run away soon.

    But¡­

    Hoshi didn¡¯t give up and tried to reach out to the girl again. Yet, once again, his hand passed right through hers.

    She was right before him, yet also didn¡¯t exist.

    In that case, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about her at all. He only needed to escape by himself.

    Yet, Hoshi found it impossible to move from this spot.

    He didn¡¯t want to abandon her. He didn¡¯t want to separate from her.

    This was despite the fact that he didn¡¯t know what she was at all!

    ¡®What¡¯s going on with my own emotions? Have I been allured by a demon?

    ¡®Or, is it because I simply don¡¯t want to be by myself?¡¯

    Hoshi suddenly came to this realization.

    He was actually afraid for himself, not her. He was afraid that if he separated from this girl, he would then bepletely by himself in this unfamiliar ce.

    Spiritual monsters kept popping up everywhere. None of hispanions were anywhere to be seen. And, he had no clue where to go to find them.

    Perhaps in the very next instant, a massive number of small monsters would surround him, or a powerful boss monster would block his way, and he would die here!

    He wantedpanions. He didn¡¯t want to be by himself. Even if his onlypanion was an otherworlder¡­

    At this moment, dense mist appeared again and speedily formed into a gigantic ck wolf boss monster!

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you, pleasee together with me¡­¡± Hoshi pleaded from the bottom of his heart as he reached out his hand.

    He knew that there wouldn¡¯t be any response.

    Still, he was unable to give up on this tiny bit of hope.

    The giant wolf monster finished forming and immediately charged at Hoshi!

    Hoshi¡¯s logic was warning him: run! RUN!!

    Would he run away or stay behind in the next instant?

    Hoshi didn¡¯t know.

    He no longer needed to make such a decision.

    The golden-haired girl who hadn¡¯t reacted a single bit up until now suddenly turned to face the charging ck wolf boss, lifted her right hand, and flicked her finger lightly.

    *Smack!!*

    As if an invisible super hammer suddenly crashed down, something viciously crushed the giant wolf¡¯s head and ttened it into the ground! The wolf boss monster¡¯s entire back half was distorted from the impact.

    Hoshi was startled by the tremendous sound. He couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in surprise at this scene.

    The next moment, the giant wolf turned into nothing but mist.

    This boss monster that would have been incredibly difficult for him to deal with was defeated with a single flick of the girl¡¯s fingers!

    ¡®Amazing¡­¡¯

    While Hoshi was still being astonished, the girl put down her hand and stepped forward.

    A ck crack suddenly magically appeared in the ground before Hoshi. This ck crack then opened up into a ck oval shape with a red pentagram spinning around inside it.

    ¡®Is that the portal to enter and exit Kazuko-san¡¯s Domain!?¡¯

    Hoshi widened his eyes even further. This spell array was quite simr to Kazuko-san¡¯s portal. However, the red symbol in the middle of the ck oval was different.

    The girl walked over to this spell array, turned around to nce at Hoshi, and then disappeared in a red sh of light.

    ¡®Is this¡­ does she want me to follow her?¡¯

    Hoshi hesitated for a moment as he looked at this dimensional portal leading to the unknown.

    He then clenched his fists tightly, gathered all three of his spiritual eagles, and walked up to the spell array.

 Chapter 630 - Thank you for taking me here

    <h4>Chapter 630: Thank you for taking me here</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi¡¯s vision darkened for a moment¡­ and then he saw something incredibly beautiful!

    Red, white, yellow, blue¡­ Large amounts of flowers bloomed in varying colors here, creating a beautiful flower garden. Numerous small silver butterflies danced amongst the flowers, and abundant green leaves grew on vines that spread everywhere. These served to entuate the flowers¡¯ beauty even further.

    Clear water poured out of a long crack on a wall to Hoshi¡¯s right. The water cascaded downwards, forming a small waterfall that then became a babbling stream which curved through this entire area.

    A giant red-leafed tree stood in the center of this area. It was apparently the same type of tree as the one from before, except that this one was bigger and also bore some ck fruits.

    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡± Hoshi couldn¡¯t help but praise the scenery. He then heard the sound of song again.

    Following the sound, Hoshi carefully walked past the flower garden so as to not trample on any flowers. When he approached therge red-leafed tree, he saw the gold-haired girl sitting on a tree branch as he expected. Just like before, she was singing that mysterious and ethereal song.

    Hoshi silently enjoyed the performance for a while.

    No mist was appearing, nor were there any spiritual monsters¡­ This appeared to be a safe zone.

    Quite a long amount of time passed without any spiritual monsters appearing at all. Hoshi was now confident that this beautiful ce was safe.

    ¡°Thank you for taking me here,¡± Hoshi thanked the girl who was sitting on the tree.

    He then walked over to the bottom of the tree, sat down against the tree bark, and ced his shield down next to him. Hoshi finally rxed himself and sighed deeply.

    He had fought for so long by himself, running everywhere without daring to let down his guard¡­ Now he could finally not worry and rest for a little while.

    His originally tense state of mind eased itself. The umted fatigue of his body instantly overwhelmed him like an unstoppable tidal wave. The pleasant song echoed in his ears, making him feel drowsy.

    He knew that he shouldn¡¯t sleep, but¡­

    Hoshi gradually closed his eyes, no longer able to fight off the drowsiness oveing him. He fell asleep right there under the red-leafed tree, with a peaceful expression on his beautiful face.

    Seiji stopped paying attention to how much time had passed after their search for Hoshi passed two hours.

    His [Interdimensional Locator Spell] mark still indicated a clear direction. This meant that Hoshi was still alive and healthy.

    Even Seiji was feeling fatigued after traveling in the Domain for so long. However, his junior had managed to survive for so long despite this being his first visit to an Inner World, and even remained in good condition. This was¡­ amazing!

    Seiji didn¡¯t expect that Hoshi would be able to pull it off. He felt that he had underestimated his junior and Fourth Knight.

    Any Awakened that managed to survive here would rapidly grow in power. Hisashi and Mika next to him were great examples.

    After fighting here for so long and absorbingrge amounts of mist, not only did their powers improve, they even learned new abilities.

    *Bang!*

    Hisashi kicked away an approaching ck wolf with his right leg that had thunder entwined around it.

    Hisashi was no longer restricted to only casting thunder spells with his hands. Even his legs and feet were now capable of producing thunder. This gave him powerful kicking strength, along with much greater agility for jumping, dodging, and close-quartersbat. The drawback to this was that if Hisashi used thunder on his legs and feet for too long, they would start to go numb or even hurt. He would then need to rest or receive healing from Seiji to help cure the symptoms.

    Obviously, this ability¡¯s best use was to improve Hisashi¡¯s mobility. However, he also really enjoyed the feeling of kicking small monsters far away with his feet, so he kept using it often in such a manner.

    *Whip!*

    Mika shot out a ck band from her Mashiro¡¯s Clothes. This ck band urately impaled the ck wolf that had been kicked into midair by Hisashi. The ck wolf was then transformed into mist that was absorbed by the ck band.

    Mika was now able to control her Mashiro¡¯s clothes to shoot ck bands in a radius of twenty meters. She could control at most six ck bands simultaneously to attack enemy monsters. Her uracy with this was far higher than using the spiritual gun to shoot Mana Bullets, and this also had a lower Mana cost as well. The drawback was that these ck bands had limited attack power, and could even be broken by boss monsters, which would cause arge amount of damage to Mika.

    Although this seemed rather subtle, Seiji felt that this new ability of Mika¡¯s might be something like a powerful tentacle technique if it leveled up some more.

    Mika and Hisashi were continuously getting stronger. However, their fatigue was also umting.

    Luckily, there were three of them, so they all took turns fighting and resting.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how much longer it would take for them to find Hoshi.

    After the Domain or Inner World transformed¡­ not only were there more paths now, every district was muchrger.

    As the three traveled in the direction that Seiji¡¯s [Interdimensional Locator Spell] indicated, they even passed through a gigantic district that wasrger than several football fields put together! There were so many monsters that appeared there which seemed like a tidal wave. It was impossible to count how many monsters were rushing at them¡­

    Seiji and his friends broke through this district at the fastest speed possible. They managed to leave the tremendous group of monsters behind them by escaping to another district.

    ¡°What type of boss monster would appear there if we stayed behind and cleared out all the small monsters in such a district?¡± Hisashi asked this question after they escaped.

    Seiji felt that at minimum, something like a tyrannosaurus rex would appear. He didn¡¯t know what the maximum limit would be. Perhaps a giant dragon or an amalgamation beast like a chimera would appear.

    Seiji wanted to find Hoshi as quickly as possible. Seiji was also really worried about Shika and Kazuko, but he also knew that he needed to remain calm.

    If something irrecoverable truly happened, he would load¡­ But before then, he would believe in hispanions! Seiji thought that to himself.

    They entered another corridor.

    As they proceeded down this path and killed the small monsters along it, they suddenly heard faint soundsing from down this direction!

    Seiji¡¯s first reaction was that of delight. However, he soon noticed that the sounds weren¡¯t from Hoshi as he first thought.

    *Tat tat tat tat¡­* This sounded like continuous gunfire from an assault rifle. This was a sound that Hoshi certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to produce.

    Out of the three that had gotten separated from Seiji, only Shika had a gun with her. But even if she brought out and used it, her gun wouldn¡¯t sound like this one.

    ¡°Can you guys hear that?¡± Seiji looked towards Mika and Hisashi.

    Both of them nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a sound that Hoshi, Shika, or Kazuko could possibly produce. I think that it¡¯s highly likely that there¡¯s others here.¡± Seiji had a serious expression.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Hisashi blocked a ck wolf that tried to jump him. He then swept it away with a kick from his lightning-wreathed foot.

    Seiji pulled down the cover of his helmet so that his entire face was concealed. ¡°Both of you stay behind here. I¡¯ll go on ahead to check things out.¡±

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Mika reminded him while impaling two ck wolves with her bands.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Seiji then cast a concealment spell on himself that made his presence very difficult to sense. It was as if he had put on a camouge cloak.

    Seiji carefully trudged, or perhaps a better word would be stealthed, towards the direction of the sounds. He wanted to investigate the situation.

    He saw five people!

    All five were male. Only one among them was wearing spiritualbat equipment, while the other four wore ordinary clothing.

    The one in spiritualbat equipment was obviously a Spiritual Ability user. He wore a helmet, held an assault-rifle-type spiritual gun, and there was also a short sword visibly buckled to his right leg.

    The other four in ordinary clothing were all Awakened. Three of them were all holding different blood-red weapons!

    There was a brown-haired jacketed man who carried a greatsword.

    There was a green-haired youth who wore athletic attire and carried a spear.

    There was a shadowy-appearing youth who wore a hoodie and wielded a dagger in each hand.

    These three were currently fighting together against arge dragon boss monster. Two acted as warrior type fighters while the third acted as an assassin. Their teamwork appeared average in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    The fourth Awakened who didn¡¯t have any visible weapons was a gray-haired boy who wore a normal shirt. He was holding a tabletputer¡­ no, something that resembled a tabletputer. Every few seconds, this item would emit a circr red wave.

    The Spiritual Ability user stood next to this gray-haired boy. It appeared as if he was either protecting or surveilling this boy.

    Seiji silently observed them.

    Just as he was assessing thebat capabilities of the three Awakened that were fighting the dragon boss monster, the gray-haired boy suddenly looked in Seiji¡¯s direction!

    ¡®Did he notice me?¡¯

    Seiji frowned at this. He knew that it wouldn¡¯t help even if he retreated now, so he could only stay there unmoving and pretend that he was only a rock.

    At this moment, the dragon monster suddenly roared and started charging. It abandoned the three Awakened it was fighting and charged straight at the gray-haired boy!

 Chapter 631 - Is this a secret garden?

    <h4>Chapter 631: Is this a secret garden?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    *Tat tat tat tat*

    When the gray-haired boy noticed danger and turned around, the Spiritual Ability user already lifted his assault rifle and fired at the dragon monster!

    The spiritual bullets urately crashed into the dragon monster¡¯s head and knocked the boss monster onto the ground.

    The other three Awakened took advantage of this opportunity to unleash all their attacks. The greatsword shed, the spear pierced, and the dagger stabbed in session. Thisbination of attacks seeded in ying therge boss monster.

    The dragon monster transformed into a thick mist which was absorbed by the Awakened¡¯s blood-red weapons.

    The gray-haired boy then looked back in the direction that he was gazing at earlier. He looked around carefully but couldn¡¯t find anything at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the Spiritual Ability user asked him.

    ¡°I feel like there was something there just now¡­¡±

    The Spiritual Ability user also looked in this direction upon hearing this.

    Was someone else here just now?

    It wasn¡¯t a good thing to meet other people here at all. Nirou Iwazaki, the Spiritual Ability user and team leader of this small squadron, furrowed his eyebrows.

    Nirou only wanted to sessfullyplete the mission that the organization had given to him. He didn¡¯t want anything unexpected to ur at all. However, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help it if something unexpected happened.

    It would still be fine if they only had a coincidental meeting with other Spiritual Ability users or Awakened. However, things would be quite troublesome if they met with others that were specifically targeting them.

    Nirou indicated with a hand gesture to his team members that they should remain vignt as they walked in the direction that the gray-haired boy sensed something from.

    They soon heard some sounds as they went down this path.

    Nirou immediately indicated for everyone to be on full alert and proceed cautiously.

    ¡°Hello,¡± a male voice, which was obviously disguised by magic, spoke up to them.

    A male figure who wore a spiritualbat uniform jacket and a full-cover helmet appeared in front of Nirou¡¯s team!

    Nirou¡¯s gaze sharpened upon seeing this person.

    This person was a Spirit-branded Retainer!

    Nirou came to such a conclusion from the person¡¯sbat uniform along with his own Astral Vision analysis¡­ he was absolutely confident that this person was a Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Two others stood behind the Spirit-branded Retainer, another male and a female. They were also both wearing full-cover helmets. These two both appeared to be Awakened.

    The male Awakened wore abat uniform and held a shield. The female Awakened wore abat uniform and a dark-red cape on top which appeared to be her mystical creation.

    Nirou identified these two Awakened as real Awakened that had acquired their abilities on their own, unlike his subordinates.

    ¡°We are members of the ¡®True Knight Order.¡¯ May I ask who you are?¡± the Spirit-branded Retainer asked Nirou in a polite manner.

    The ¡®True Knight Order?¡¯ Nirou paused for a moment because he had never heard of such a faction before.

    ¡°We are the Cliff Squad,¡± Nirou gave them a random name and didn¡¯t mention the name of his organization.

    ¡°The Cliff Squad¡­ Could I ask what you guys are doing here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re simply fighting and training here.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we won¡¯t bother you any further. We shall be taking our leave down this path.¡±

    After saying this, the jacketed Spirit-branded Retainer walked down a branching path. The two Awakened followed behind him.

    Nothing happened, excellent. It was evident that these people also didn¡¯t want any trouble.

    The True Knight Order¡­ Nirou decided to investigate them after he returned. After they left, he looked back at his own teammate, the gray-haired boy named Heita Nishizawa.

    ¡°Where should we head next?¡±

    Heita performed some calctions on his sensory equipment.

    ¡°That way.¡±

    He just happened to point at the path that the other three people had gone down!

    Was that just a coincidence? Nirou furrowed his eyebrows once again.

    It would be best if this was just a coincidence. But if not¡­

    He indicated to his team to proceed down this path at a quick pace.

    A while after Seiji met with the ¡°Cliff Squad.¡±

    Seiji and his friends saw tworge statues.

    These two statues were both wearing full-body armor. They were knights that wielded two-handed greatswords, and both were as tall as two people and had imposing manners.

    This was the first time that any of them had ever seen a statue after walking around in the Forest Pce for so long. And, even more eye-catching than the statues was the giant stone door in between the two statues.

    There was arge circle carved on the door. A hexagon was carved in the circle. A pentagram carved in the hexagon, a square was carved in the pentagram, a triangle was carved in the square, and finally another circle was carved into the triangle.

    This was also the first time any of them had seen such a diagram here. Although this was simply thebination of some normal geometric shapes, it still had a rather mystical appearance.

    Seiji confirmed that the mark on his hand indicated that they needed to travel through this stone door!

    ¡°Is Hoshi behind this door?¡±

    ¡®How are we supposed to get in there¡­?¡¯ Just as he started wondering, a green mist started emitting from the door. This green mist swiftly infused the two knight statues!

    ¡°Could it be that¡­¡±

    Indeed, it was ¡°that.¡±

    Seiji, Mika, and Hisashi witnessed the two knight statues turning dark-green and then beginning to move!

    *Whoosh!!*

    The first knight statue suddenly swung its greatsword in arge arc!

    Seiji and the others were already on guard against this, and dodged backwards in unison.

    *Shing!!*

    The second knight statue suddenly swung its greatsword in arge arc as well!

    Seiji and the others dodged backwards once again.

    *Buzz!!*

    The third knight statue¡­ whoops, the first knight statue¡¯s greatsword started glowing ck as it swung its greatsword in arge arc once again!

    It was impossible to dodge the attack this time, so Seiji used [Evolved Body-strengthening technique] on himself to transform into his golden form as he used his shield to forcibly block the attack.

    *ng!!!* The force of the blow was so powerful that Seiji barely managed to block it.

    ¡°Moving knight statues? Such a ssical type of trap.¡± Hisashi even made ament while tossing out thunderbolts.

    Indeed.

    ¡®What would have happened if I had attacked and destroyed them before they started moving?¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think this.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the free time to think any more along these lines. These two knight statues were incredibly strong! They were far stronger than ordinary boss monsters here!!

    Hisashi¡¯s Thunderboom ability had very little paralysis effect on the knight statues. Meanwhile, the knight statues were able topletely dodge every single Dimension Shattering Jade attack that Mika tossed at them!

    The next moment, Mika was whacked into the air with a loud smack.

    ¡°Mika!¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t even have the spare time to take another look at Mika as he hurriedly protected Hisashi and helped him to retreat out of the battle.

    A fragile crowd control mage like Hisashi wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even a single blow from such a powerful attack.

    Although Mika managed to remain standing after taking such a direct blow, her Mashiro¡¯s Clothes were significantly damaged.

    ¡°Just stall it! Don¡¯t force yourself to fight it at all, just wait for me!!¡±

    After shouting this, Seiji tossed away his shield and wielded his longsword in both hands. He used [Bullet Time] to dodge the first knight statue¡¯s powerful sword swing, and used a martial arts technique¡­

    Killing strike, [Shadow Cut]!

    The moment that he swung his sword, his sword appeared to be distorted shadow.

    *Shing! He sliced past with a single cut and a clear sound.

    The cut knight was split open in half! Large amounts of green mist were emitted from its body with a strange morous sound.

    Follow-up strike, [Ice Cmity de]!!

    Seiji¡¯s sword left a blue trail behind it as it shed into the ce that the knight statue had split open. Numerous spiritual des stabbed into the knight statue¡¯s body and froze it solid!

    Finishing strike, [White Lotus]!!

    Seiji then formed a long and thick white de with his magical spell. He viciously swung his sword many times in session¡­

    Seiji forcefully shattered the frozen knight statue into little pieces!

    One down! Seiji immediately turned to look for the second knight statue.

    He saw that Mika was gliding at high speed in circles around the second knight statue. She made all sorts of fancy moves as she dodged its attacks. She also kept shooting her spiritual gun in a taunting manner at the knight statue.

    Seiji was rendered speechless by the sight.

    He felt that Mika was making incredibly swift progress as an ice skater.

    Seiji then went over to attract the second knight statue¡¯s attention head-on. This allowed Mika to have the time to cast Dimension Shattering Jade urately, which helped to finish the battle quickly.

    The green mist emitting from the two knight statues returned to the stone door. A green light then appeared on the door¡¯s geometric formation, forming into highlyplex runes that created a mystical spell formation.

    There was then a loud rumbling as the spell formation split in half. The stone door also split apart to reveal a staircase heading downwards.

    Seiji and his friends went down this staircase.

    There was a corridor at the end of the staircase. Upon reaching the end of this corridor, Seiji came across an incredibly beautiful scene.

    Arge red-leafed tree, bright flowers, green leaves and vines everywhere, a clear stream and waterfall, a babbling brook¡­ This all seemed ethereal in its beauty.

    ¡°Is this¡­ a secret garden?¡±

 Chapter 632 - Thereâ€™s nothing to be afraid of anymore

    <h4>Chapter 632: There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of anymore</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This ce definitely counted as a type of hidden oasis. Just its beauty alone made it quite breathtaking.

    Although Seiji was a little curious what might be hidden here, he was most worried about finding Hoshi right now.

    After Seiji and his friends entered the ¡°flower garden¡±, they soon located the beautiful boy sleeping under the red-leafed tree!

    Hoshi was sitting quietly against the tree bark. He had a peaceful expression and his eyes closed¡­ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think of a certain knight king¡¯s final ending when he saw this scene! Fortunately, Hoshi was only sleeping normally, not eternally.

    Seiji crouched down next to Hoshi, took off his helmet mask, and called out to Hoshi, ¡°Hoshi, wake up.¡±

    There was no reaction.

    ¡°Wake up! Fourth Knight!!¡± Seiji increased his volume and shook Hoshi slightly by his shoulder.

    ¡°En¡­¡± Hoshi muttered a light sound.

    The beautiful boy then furrowed his eyebrows and opened his eyes slightly. After blinking a bit, he slowly opened them more.

    Hoshi had a confused expression for a moment when he first noticed Seiji¡¯s presence. Hoshi then widened his eyes slightly. ¡°¡­Senpai?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Seiji smiled at him. ¡°It was quite difficult for us to find you. I never expected that you were sleeping in such a beautiful ce.¡±

    Hoshi stared at Seiji in surprise for a moment before he slowly turned to nce at Mika and Hisashi who had also unmasked themselves.

    ¡°Uehara-senpai¡­ Juumonji-san¡­ Are you guys real?¡±

    ¡°This humble one doesn¡¯t think that he is an illusion.¡± Hisashi chuckled. ¡°This is reality. You¡¯re not dreaming at all, Fourth Knight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re alright, Amami-san.¡± Mika also smiled.

    Hoshi then looked back at Seiji again. The expression on Hoshi¡¯s face gradually turned to one of delight.

    ¡°Senpai¡­ Team Leader!¡± Hoshi suddenly jumped towards Seiji and hugged him!

    Seiji was rather startled by this. He never expected that his junior would be excited to such a degree.

    ¡°Calm down¡­ How are you feeling right now? Are you injured anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Not at all¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ It¡¯s just¡­¡± Hoshi sniffled his nose. ¡°I was a little afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for leaving you alone for so long.¡± Seiji patted him on the back. ¡°Everything¡¯s alright now. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of anymore.¡±

    The moment Seiji said this, he felt as if he had just uttered a ssical death g¡­ er, everything should be fine, right?

    ¡°Wah¡­ Team Leader¡­¡± Hoshi did his best to repress his tears so that he wouldn¡¯t cry.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    Hoshi then let go of Seiji after he managed to calm down his emotions. Still, Hoshi¡¯s face remained somewhat red.

    ¡°How did you arrive in this district?¡± Seiji asked what he wanted to know the most.

    Hoshi instantly recalled something upon hearing this. He hurriedly looked at the red-leafed tree.

    The mysterious gold-haired girl was no longer there!

    Seiji, Mika, and Hisashi were all rather mystified by Hoshi¡¯s action.

    They also followed Hoshi¡¯s line of sight to the red-leafed tree. However, they only saw red leaves and some ck fruits.

    ¡°Is something there?¡±

    Seiji asked this quite seriously as he recalled how strangely Hoshi had behaved right before the Domain changed.

    ¡°No¡­ she¡­ isn¡¯t there anymore.¡± Hoshi then looked all around him but still couldn¡¯t find that girl.

    ¡°She?¡±

    ¡°Yes, an extremely beautiful golden-haired girl¡­¡±

    Hoshi told the other three about his experiences.

    ¡°That girl is highly likely to be an existence from another world.¡± Seiji thought about it as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Although she¡¯s also a bit different from the ones I met before¡­¡±

    This girl was able to easily y a boss monster with a single flick of her finger. She was even capable of opening up portals within Kazuko¡¯s Domain, as well as teleport Hoshi to such a secret garden-type location. It was obvious that she waspletely different from Lloyd and Lana.

    Was she much more powerful than Lloyd and Lana? Or was she apletely different type of existence?

    ¡°She brought you here so that you could rest here safely. She helped you out¡­ But, it¡¯s also possible that she was the one who caused the Domain to transform and us to be separated.¡± Seiji had quite a serious expression.

    Hoshi remained silent. Although he had also considered this possibility, he didn¡¯t want to think that it could be true.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think that she¡¯s evil,¡± Hoshi muttered. ¡°I think that something else caused the change in the Domain, not her¡­¡±

    ¡°She helped you out, so I want to believe in her as well,¡± Seiji told him.

    Seiji recalled the so-called ¡°Cliff Squad¡± that he just met not long ago. It was also possible that the change in the Domain was because of those people, although Seiji felt that was unlikely. Perhaps he could have tried to obtain some information whenmunicating with them earlier, but Seiji felt that would have likely been a waste of time. Finding his missingpanions was his first priority right now. Seiji wanted to avoid any trouble he could. But just in case, he also saved a file earlier right before he made contact with the Cliff Squad.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not think too much into things right now. We can first focus on finding the others.¡±

    Seiji was about to use [Interdimensional Locator Spell] again, but was interrupted by the sound of some footsteps approaching in the distance.

    Seiji instantly reacted by decisively putting on his helmet mask again. He also indicated to Mika and Hisashi to put on their masks while he pulled down Hoshi¡¯s helmet mask for him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hoshi was confused about this.

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing,¡± Seiji told him.

    The moment he said this, the same people from earlier appeared at the entrance to this district.

    Nirou Iwazaki led his team to the target location. He discovered that the True Knight Order was here already!

    He was now absolutely certain that the True Knight Order also had their sights set on this ce.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t think that things would be so troublesome.¡¯ Nirou furrowed his eyebrows.

    There were three of them earlier, but now there was one more person¡­ It wasn¡¯t important why another apparent Awakened had joined them. The important part right now was how to eliminate them!

    No matter who they were or what faction this True Knight Order belonged to, this wasn¡¯t a ce that Nirou¡¯s organization would possibly give up.

    In a normal direct battle¡­ the possibility of winning would be very low. Regardless of the three Awakened on their side, just the Spirit-branded Retainer alone would be quite difficult for his own team to deal with.

    Call for backup¡­ their support likely wouldn¡¯t arrive in time.

    In that case, there was only one choice Nirou could make¡­

    Nirou instantly made his choice when he saw the jacketed Spirit-branded Retainer walking over.

    ¡°Kill them all!¡± Nirou coldly gave such an order to his three team members that possessed spiritual weapons.

    His three team members didn¡¯t hesitate one bit upon receiving such an order. They immediately rushed over towards the jacketed Spirit-branded Retainer with excited expressions on their faces.

    They had gotten bored of ying monsters. They wanted to try killing a real person!

    However, the three didn¡¯t notice that right after they rushed forward, Nirou immediately took out a ck remote from his pocket and pressed three red buttons on the remote.

    The blood-red spiritual weapons that these three people were holding instantly started emitting mist that entered their bodies. The three felt great pain as their powers greatly increased and their consciousnesses went hazy. Their visions became bright red and an insane desire to kill welled up within their minds!

    ¡°Grahhhh!!!!!¡±

    All three individuals roared just like monsters.

    *Boom!!!*

    The greatsword-wielding individual demolished arge portion of a flower patch with a single swing of his greatsword. This even left arge crack on the ground from the impact!

    Seiji had an astonished expression under his mask as he managed to dodge this attack.

    Why did they suddenly attack him with such strong killing intent!?

    Was it to escape from the Inner World? Did they find it impossible to leave this gigantic maze-like Inner World, so they despaired and wanted to kill an outsider to achieve the condition of a person dying so that everyone else could leave?

    But, these people didn¡¯t look like they were anywhere near despair earlier at all. And, they were in rather strange manic state right now¡­

    Seiji had many questions in his mind, but no free time to ponder any of them. That was because a spear that was shing bright-red swiftly stabbed at him from the side!

    *ng!!*

    Seiji pulled out his sword and managed to knock away the spear.

    He then immediately felt a gust of wind arriving at his back. Seiji felt an incredible sense of danger¡­

    [Bullet Time] automatically activated for him!

    Thanks to his passive ability¡¯s assistance, Seiji barely managed to dodge the hoodie-wearing youth¡¯s double dagger backstab. Seiji also counterattacked with a kick.

    The assassin managed to dodge the powerful kick by jumping backwards. The dagger-wielding youth then adjusted his posture and turned to attack Mika and the others!

    ¡°Careful!!¡± Seiji shouted.

    The next moment, Hisashi shout out a thunderbolt that hit the hoodie-wearing youth. However, this didn¡¯t manage to stop the youth¡¯s attack at all.

    Mika brought out her shield and stood in front of Hisashi to protect him.

    However, the assassin transformed into a shadow and went around her. He aimed directly for Hoshi! The blood-red sharp daggers were filled with killing intent as they aimed directly for Hoshi¡¯s neck!!

 Chapter 633 - Donâ€™t blame me for killing in self-defense!

    <h4>Chapter 633: Don¡¯t me me for killing in self-defense!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    *Smack!!*

    Barely in the nick of time, Hisashi used a thunder-enchanted foot to viciously kick the assassin away! He then urately hit the assassin with a Thunderboom, which caused some damage and minor slowdown.

    Hisashi¡¯s kick and Thunderboom were incredibly well-timed and staggering. He had definitely exceeded his normal level with those attacks.

    Hoshi managed to escape with his life thanks to Hisashi.

    ¡®I said a ssical death g sentence which almost got Hoshi killed off!¡¯ Seiji felt guilt, as well as a greater amount of relief. But what he felt most was¡­

    A deep amount of anger!!

    ¡®No matter what the reason is, if you want to kill us, then don¡¯t me me for killing you in self-defense!!¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s [Bullet Time] had activated again as the greatsword wielder and spear wielder tag team attacked him. He immediately decided to use his [Overload] ability on his [Gale Wind Evolved Body-strengthening technique]!

    This was the wind element speed-focused version of his [Body-strengthening technique]. In exchange for a high amount of constant Mana consumption, Seiji would be able to greatly increase his speed. Thanks to [Overload] strengthening the effects, the spell became even stronger. The end result was that¡­

    *Zoom!* Seiji transformed into a golden wind.

    *Shing shing shing shing shing¡­*

    The greatsword-wielding brown-haired man immediately met with a lightning-speed array of shes! He was unable to even get a clear glimpse of his enemy. The brown-haired man was only able to attempt to forcibly block the attacks with his barrier of red light.

    *Pop!!*

    His barrier was prated just a few secondster. A white sword stabbed through his body from behind!

    The sword then withdrew and the brown-haired man¡¯s body was viciously kicked away towards the spear-wielding green-haired youth.

    At this moment, the hoodie-wearing youth approached Mika and Seiji¡¯s other friends again. The dagger-wielding assassin transformed into a shadow again for a second assassination attempt.

    *Shing!*

    Seiji arrived in a golden wind that was impossible to see clearly. He instantly stopped the assassin¡¯s attempt with a swing of his sword!

    A dense mesh-like series of sword blows followed right after. The assassin was forced to continuously retreat as he barely managed to block the blows. However, his defensive barrier was prated as well. A white sword de impaled him through the chest!

    The green-haired youth took advantage of this opening to swiftly attack with his spear!!

    Seiji withdrew his sword, whirled around, and easily dodged this spear thanks to his high speed. He then counterattacked continuously with his sword!

    At this moment, the brown-haired man crawled back up to his feet. The injury on his body wasn¡¯t bleeding at all. Instead, mist leaked out of his body, as if he was a spiritual creature and not a human.

    The exact same happened to the hoodie-wearing youth.

    Seiji already felt a strange sensation when he impaled the two¡­ Now, it seemed that they were under a strange condition. Their overly vicious expressions, bright-red eyes, and abnormal amount of killing intent were all because of the strange condition.

    Well, since they had transformed into something like monsters, Seiji decided to treat them like monsters!

    Seiji took on all three enemies at once with the effects of his [Gale Wind] speed. He also started casting a seal magic.

    *Tat tat tat tat*

    The Spiritual Ability user from the enemy group started spraying a great amount of spiritual bullets at him, which caused Seiji some trouble.

    Fortunately, Hisashi tossed thunderbolts and Hoshi used his spiritual eagles to help Seiji deal with the monster-like enemy trio.

    Although Mika also fired Mana Bullets with her gun, her gunmanship was far too terrible, so she missed the great majority of her shots.

    Sealing spell, [Demon Suppression Bell]!!

    The moment that his spell was ready, Seiji activated it unhesitatingly. A gigantic golden bell suddenly appeared and covered the deranged trio!

    ¡°Grahhh!!!!¡± Terrible shrieking came from within the bell.

    ¡®This battle was a failure!¡¯ Nirou Iwazaki instantly came to this conclusion.

    He had sacrificed three people without killing a single enemy. In fact, his team members had been unable to inflict even a single severe injury.

    He¡¯d underestimated the opponent¡­ no, he felt that it was more that he¡¯d overestimated those three 1 .

    Those three were very low-quality Spiritual Ability users that were able to produce so much power with abination of drugs and specialized spiritual weapons. Theseb rats were even more useless than expected! Nirou would have to make a detailed report about this to his boss.

    Nirou felt that it was likely that his organization didn¡¯t have much expectations for these low-ability Spiritual Ability users to begin with. It was far more likely that his organization valued these trial version spiritual weapons. However, it was impossible for him to retrieve the spiritual weapons in the current situation. If he didn¡¯t leave now, he knew that soon he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to leave at all.

    The ¡®True Knight Order¡¯¡­ Nirou would remember their name.

    He ordered Heita Nishizawa who was still next to him to immediately teleport the two of them out of here. The gray-haired boy furrowed his eyebrows deeply as he brought out a ck object, held it in his hands, and started uttering an incantation.

    This object then started to glow red. Heita had a pained expression on his face as if he was in extreme difort. However, he was forced to continue with the incantation.

    At this moment, a golden wind rapidly approached! Nirou instantly reacted by firing a barrage of bullets with his assault rifle¡¯s lock-on capabilities. Not only that, he also brought out a few one-time use talismans that allowed him to cast spells instantly¡­

    Defensive spell, ¡°Prisoner¡¯s Cage¡±!!

    Whoosh! A multipleyered barrier consisting of ovepping spell formations instantly appeared. This barrier definitely gave people the impression of thick and solid.

    Seiji shed his sword against this barrier and caused barely a dent.

    This barrier had excellent defensive properties. A powerful magic spell was needed to break through it¡­ Mika¡¯s Dimension Shattering Jade would be capable of doing so!

    However, Mika¡¯s spell wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    Seiji saw the gray-haired boy toss the glowing red object onto the ground. It then transformed into a bright-red circle with a whirlpool-like shape inside. The gray-haired boy then stepped onto this shape and vanished in a sh of light.

    The Spiritual Ability user continued remaining on guard against Seiji as he also stepped on the circle and vanished.

    Seiji sheathed his sword after seeing that the remaining two enemies had escaped. Something shed in his eyes.

    This mysterious battle which started for no reason to Seiji ended just like that.

    The brown-haired man, green-haired youth, and hoodie-wearing youth trio had all died.

    They died in such a pitiful way that seemed like they were burned to death. Mika and Hoshi both vomited at the sight.

    Seiji also felt his stomach churning at the sight. He felt even worse when he thought about how his own spell had caused this to the trio.

    However, he didn¡¯t regret doing what he had done at all.

    He wasn¡¯t someone who would hold back against an enemy who intended to go to the extent of attempting to kill his friends. Not to mention, these enemies were more monster-like than human.

    Still, there was something else that he regretted. He regretted not being able to react fast enough the moment that the enemyunched their attack. Hoshi was almost killed because of this.

    Luckily, Hisashi managed to stop the assassin with a thunder-enchanted kick. Seiji felt that could be called a golden¡­ no, a diamond kick!

    This was an Inner World, a ce where thew had no hold over. Anyone they met here might attack them for no apparent reason at all! Seiji etched this lesson firmly in his mind.

    ¡°We could have interrogated them if any had survived,¡± Hisashi stated. ¡°But this¡­ there¡¯s no helping it.¡±

    Hisashi was quite cold and calm, with no traces of pitying the enemy at all. He simply regretted not being able to obtain any information.

    Seiji and his friends all had zero clue why these people had attacked them.

    Seiji¡¯s original guess was that these people wanted to kill them in order to escape from the Inner World. However, this guess had obviously been proved wrong.

    The enemy already had a method capable of teleporting them out of the Inner World. They didn¡¯t need to kill others at all in order to leave.

    And since three people died here, while Seiji and his friends still remained, that meant this Inner World didn¡¯t have the naturalw of teleporting everyone out if someone died!

    They would discuss that issueter. Since these people didn¡¯t attack them for the purpose of leaving¡­ then could it have been the opposite? Did these people attack Seiji and his friends because they wanted to take over this district? Seiji thought about it from another angle.

    This ¡°flower garden¡± had zero spiritual creatures appearing in it. It was an excellent ce to rest safely. That meant it could be used as a base.

    A base¡­ right! Not only could this be an excellent resting spot, it would be an excellent location to cultivate in!!

    Cultivating would be much easier in a Spirit World. Inner Worlds were part of Spirit Worlds, so¡­

    Wait a moment, was this ce really an Inner World? Could this ce actually be the Spirit World-Forest Pce¡¯s ¡°Surface World?¡±

    Seiji felt like he had realized everything after having this idea.

    If this was the Forest Pce¡¯s Surface World, or the portion of the Inner World close to the Surface World, that would exin why there was no naturalw of a human dying kicking everyone else out of the world! It would also exin why this ce was so huge!!

    Seiji felt like he had discovered the answer.

    If other factions also possessed the ability to enter this wide location which might either be a Surface or Inner World, then a safe zone where no spiritual creatures would appear would have incredible value. It would be so valuable that people would be willing to fight over it!

    A small squadron from a certain faction with sufficient power might have located such a valuable location. But, they saw that someone else was in it already, and misunderstood them to bepetitors. And so, this squadronunched an attack without so much as a warning¡­

    ¡®Yep, I think this is a good guess.¡¯ Seiji felt that his inference was likely to be on the mark.

    It was quitemon for humans to kill others all for the sake of obtaining more territory. The entire history of human warfare was the best evidence of this.

    The only problem was, these people misunderstood what Seiji was here for!

    Seiji and his friends had zero intentions whatsoever of iming this district as their own. They simply wanted to locate their missingpanions and then leave.

    If Seiji¡¯s guess was on the mark, then this meant that the battle just now had beenpletely meaningless! Three people died for almost no reason at all!!

 Chapter 634 - Do you think that I went overboard?

    <h4>Chapter 634: Do you think that I went overboard?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This was such a joke that Seiji couldn¡¯t evenugh at.

    He didn¡¯t want to load just to confirm his own suspicions. He wasn¡¯t someone nice enough to use his powers for the sake of his enemies.

    However, if hispanions found it difficult to ept what he had just done¡­ Seiji looked towards Mika and Hoshi who both had rather paleplexions due to the scene before them.

    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡±

    Neither of the two responded.

    ¡°Do you think that I went too overboard?¡± Seiji asked in a soft voice.

    ¡°No,¡± both responded simultaneously.

    Mika and Hoshi then exchanged nces.

    ¡°Although I think that these people are rather pitiful, they attacked us first without any provocation. We were simply acting in self-defense¡­¡± Something shed in Mika¡¯s eyes. ¡°Besides, when I joined this team, I already resolved myself to face such a situation.¡±

    ¡°I think the same as well¡­ although I feel rather ufortable about this, I don¡¯t think that Team Leader went overboard.¡± Hoshi had a resolute expression.

    ¡°They might have been able to live if I held back¡­¡±

    ¡°Holding back against your enemies is the same as being cruel to your own allies,¡± Hisashi stated. ¡°Reality isn¡¯t a shonen manga. Something like everyone being fine in the end when holding back against an enemy will only happen in a na?ve shonen manga story where justice always wins.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not always the case.¡± Seiji shook his head. ¡°Such scenarios also appear in some shoujo manga.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Cough, now¡¯s not the time to be discussing manga¡­ I understand what you mean. Thank you, Hisashi.¡±

    After thanking the mafia otaku, Seiji then smiled at Mika and Hoshi. ¡°Thanks to both of you as well.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Seiji.¡± Mika looked directly at his face. ¡°You protected us. We should be thanking you instead¡­ so thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you the most,¡± Hoshi remarked. ¡°I need to thank all of you for finding me, as well as thank Juumonji-san for protecting me just now¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I should have done as yourpanion, but if I could, I¡¯d like to make a request!¡± Hisashi suddenly spoke up with a rapid-fire pace.

    ¡°Er¡­ what?¡± Hoshi paused in surprise for a moment.

    ¡°Please wear maid attire and allow this humble one to take a few pictures of you!¡± Hisashi¡¯s eyesses suddenly gleamed. ¡°This humble one shall prepare the maid attire for you. I promise that it¡¯ll be a perfect fit!¡±

    ¡°Maid attire?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I only want a few pictures, please! Dear Knight of Light!!¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± Hoshi didn¡¯t know how to react to this type of sudden request.

    ¡°Amami-san in maid attire¡­ I want to see that as well.¡± Mika¡¯s eyes also started sparkling.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but imagine his junior wearing well-fitting maid attire and smiling shyly.

    Stop! This was such an impactful scene that it was starting to shake the very foundation of Seiji¡¯s image of maids!!

    He hurriedly thought about what Mai looked like in order to mitigate the impact he just received. Seiji made sure to repeatedly tell himself that Mai was what a real maid was like.

    Maids were allowed to be skilled at shooting a gun, or even to be skilled at rather strange or unique abilities. But, they definitely couldn¡¯t be male! Definitely!!

    ¡°Cough cough, now¡¯s not the time for such a topic. Hisashi, if you want Hoshi to do something for you, let¡¯s talk about it when we return.¡± Seiji intervened and tried to stop this topic of conversation.

    ¡°Okay, then. After we return, I shall immediately begin preparing the best maid attire there is!¡± Hisashi treated Seiji¡¯s words as tacit eptance.

    ¡°Team Leader¡­¡± Hoshi looked at Seiji.

    ¡°This is a matter between you guys to decide.¡± Seiji averted his gaze.

    Hisashi indeed saved Hoshi¡¯s life just now. Seiji would leave it up to Hoshi whether to ede to Hisashi¡¯s request or not.

    ¡®¡­Actually, don¡¯t you also want to see the trap as a maid?¡¯ a tiny voice whispered in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    ¡®No! Absolutely not!!¡¯ Seiji adamantly denied it.

    He then used his [Interdimensional Locator Spell] again. Target: Shika Kagura!

    Seiji¡¯s vision darkened as his awareness entered a mystical realm. He heard various faint sounds around him.

    ¡°Brother¡­ I¡¯m waiting¡­¡±

    ¡°Protect¡­ Ooike¡­¡±

    Seiji saw green, red, ck, and other chaotic scenery, as if a painter¡¯s pallet had been knocked over. He couldn¡¯t see clearly at all. The emotions he sensed from Shika were calmness, worry, as well as hope.

    ¡°Shika-chan is still alright. And, it seems that she¡¯s together with Kazuko-san. She¡¯s also waiting for us to go find them,¡± Seiji spoke up after he opened his eyes.

    He then took a look at the spiritual weapons that the three dead individuals left behind.

    The greatsword, spear, and dual daggers that were originally blood-red now had ck spots on them as if they were damaged by fire.

    Seiji felt that something seemed rather ominous about these weapons. Perhaps he would be able to find something out if he brought them to the outside world and had them investigated.

    However, it was inconvenient to carry therge weapons. Seiji decided to only take the dual daggers.

    Seiji walked up to the assassin¡¯s corpse and carefully picked up the dual daggers and put them away.

    Also, there was the matter of the ck fruits growing on the red-leafed tree.

    Although Seiji had no clue what those fruits were, he felt that they might be a valuable resource that he shouldn¡¯t leave behind.

    But, before he got a chance to go pick the fruits, this entire district suddenly started glowing a faint green!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Seiji and his friends witnessed a white light being emitted from the flowers, butterflies, green leaves, vines, water, and the red-leafed tree¡­ Everything in this entire district was glowing as it all dissolved into a green glow!

    As arge amount of light emitted and was dissolved, the flowers and the other scenery all became translucent beforepletely disappearing.

    In just a short instant, this beautiful garden vanishedpletely as if it had never existed.

    ¡°It actually vanished¡­?¡± Seiji muttered to himself.

    He never expected that the scenery would vanish¡­ was this only a cosmetic change?

    But the next second, his question was answered. Large amounts of ck mist poured in through the cracks in the walls and speedily formed into a pack of ck wolves!

    Not only had the scenery changed, this entire district became a normal part of the Forest Pce!

    The safe district wouldn¡¯t be permanent. It could transform into a danger zone! This overturned Seiji¡¯s previous inference.

    If the safe district could transform into a danger zone, then it didn¡¯t have any value at all for being a base¡­ why did that ¡°Cliff Squad¡± attack Seiji and his friends then!?

    Seiji was now confused because his previous best guess had now been proved to be wrong. However, he soon calmed himself down.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡±

    If he didn¡¯t know, he would simply stop thinking about it. At any rate, it was more important to leave here first and find Shika and Kazuko.

    Hoshi continued fighting hard by using his spiritual eagles as he followed his Team Leader.

    Some timeter, he felt his right hand beginning to heat up.

    Hoshi took a look and saw that faint green runes were beginning to appear on the palm of his hand!

    ¡°What are these?¡± Hoshi lightly touched the runes but felt nothing at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Seiji noticed that Hoshi was doing something.

    ¡°I felt my right hand beginning to heat up, and then saw this¡­¡± Hoshi showed Seiji his palm.

    Seiji¡¯s [Astral Vision] showed him that this was a spell formation.

    Although it wasn¡¯t very clear yet, it looked rather simr to the geometrical spell formation on the stone door leading to that flower garden district!

    Was this some type of emblem, seal, or marking? What exactly was it? What use did it have? Was it dangerous?

    Various doubts popped up in his mind, causing Seiji to furrow his eyebrows.

    ¡°Do you feel anything apart from your hand feeling hot?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like something that I¡¯d be able to make go away with healing magic.¡±

    Still, Seiji figured he could at least try. He cast some healing magic on Hoshi, but as expected, nothing happened.

    He then tried to use [Cleansing] on Hoshi. However, the result was the same. The mysterious green spell array remained on Hoshi¡¯s palm.

    Seiji could only use his ultimate move.

    ¡°Yomi, I¡¯d like to ask you a question. Do you know what that is?¡± Seiji mentally asked Yomi a question.

    His bonded female spirit didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Yomi-san, please stop sleeping for a while. At least say one sentence, and tell me if this is something dangerous or not.¡± Seiji sighed.

 Chapter 635 - Elf archer!?

    <h4>Chapter 635: Elf archer!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Yomi indeed responded. However, that was the only sentence she would say.

    Since his bonded female spirit was saying so, Seiji felt that there was no need for him to worry too much about it.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like anything dangerous¡­ Just pay attention to it by yourself. Let me know if you feel like anything changes about it,¡± Seiji told Hoshi.

    Hoshi nodded as he nced at the green marking again.

    The next instant, he felt as if he was in another dimension. He was now in a dark forest, standing on arge tree branch high in the air. He was shooting a sharp arrow at a dark shadow by using a dark-green longbow!

    Notching the arrow, drawing the bowstring, aiming, and shooting¡­ all these actions felt so concrete and even familiar to Hoshi.

    Just as he was confused, this illusion suddenly vanished.

    Hoshi felt that his right hand was burning. He could faintly sense something within this marking, and had a sudden epiphany.

    He decided to try out this idea.

    Hoshi summoned a spiritual eagle and had it stand on his right hand. This gave him a mystical sensation as if some power was about to burst forth from his hand. Simultaneously, a word he¡¯d never heard before popped into his mind.

    ¡°Artadus¡­¡±

    Hoshi reflexively knew that this wasn¡¯t a word from thenguage of Sakura Ind.

    He then saw the green marking begin to glow. The spiritual eagle then started glowing red, before it speedily transformed into mist which formed itself into a longbow!

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Hoshi widened his eyes in surprise.

    Apart from the fact that this bow was a different color, the longbow¡­ more urately, this recurve bow was identical to the one Hoshi saw in the illusion just now! This bow had elegant curves and exquisite runs. It looked like a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

    Seiji and the others were also rather surprised to suddenly see Hoshi¡¯s spiritual eagle transform into a weapon.

    Before any of them got a chance to ask Hoshi what was going on, Hoshi held the bow with his left hand as if it was only natural. He then drew the bowstring with his right hand as the marking on his hand began to glow. A feathered arrow suddenly materialized on the bow from midair!

    Hoshi drew the bow, aimed, and fired!

    Shtick! The sharp arrow urately pierced through a ck wolf¡¯s head and directly transformed it into mist.

    Shtick shtick shtick shtick! The beautiful boy used well-practiced movements to continuously shoot out arrows which each urately hit their targets. Every single arrow killed a spiritual monster in a single shot. Hoshi soon eliminated all the small monsters in this area all by himself!

    An elf archer!?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think of this famous fantasy job ss when he saw this impactful scene of Hoshi shooting arrows.

    Hoshi had such a beautiful appearance that it was difficult to tell his gender. He also had an exquisite longbow, elegant movements, and pinpoint uracy with his arrow shots¡­ What else could this be other than an elf archer!? Hoshi was only missing a pair of long pointy ears!

    ¡°Hoshi, how¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I suddenly felt that I possessed such a power.¡± Hoshi looked at the marking on his right hand. ¡°I think that this marking gave me this power.¡±

    The mysterious marking gave Hoshi the ability to use archery and the elf archer job ss?

    Seiji thought about the teaching that he received from Minamoto no Raiko which helped him to learn a new technique. Was Hoshi¡¯s situation simr to his own¡­?

    Could this marking be what the ¡°Cliff Squad¡± wanted to fight for and obtain at all costs? Seiji suddenly came to this realization.

    If that was the case, this meant that the green spell array on Hoshi¡¯s hand was incredibly valuable! It likely had great power or potential.

    Did Hoshi pick up a great treasure by chance?

    ¡°Do you feel any negative side effects from using this newfound power of yours?¡±

    ¡°Not at all¡­ my right hand isn¡¯t even burning up anymore.¡±

    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t have any negative side effects, then go ahead and use it as much as you want.¡± Seiji nced at the longbow. ¡°Congrattions on job ss changing to elf archer.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Hoshi paused in surprise.

    ¡°This humble one agrees!¡± Hisashimented. ¡°As long as our Knight of Light changes his clothes and puts on a fake set of pointy ears, he¡¯ll be a perfect and alluring elf archer!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be quite beautiful, Amami-san.¡± Mika also praised Hoshi.

    Hoshi had a rather subtle expression after hearing this.

    ¡®Indeed, you¡¯re quite beautiful, rather than handsome and cool.¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but add that in his mind.

    Still, he felt that Hoshi bing an elf archer was much easier for him to ept than a magical girl.

    Hoshi¡¯s new archery abilities had great attack power. Every single small monster could be dealt with by a single arrow. Hoshi¡¯s arrows also had good DPS against boss monsters. However, there was a slight cost that it would drain his energy.

    Hoshi could replenish his energy by absorbing mist through the spell array on his right hand. His spiritual eagles could also absorb mist and replenish his energy, but that was less effective.

    Seiji inferred that Hoshi would level up his archery abilities quicker if he absorbed mist with the marking on his hand.

    ¡°If you want to level up your elven bow at a quicker rate, try absorbing more mist with the spell array on your hand. If you want to level up your summoned creatures faster, have your spiritual eagles absorb more mist¡­ that¡¯s my best guess.¡±

    ¡°Which should I pick?¡±

    ¡°Choose for yourself. These are all your abilities.¡±

    After some consideration, Hoshi decided to focus more on absorbing mist with the marking to level up his new spiritual bow weapon.

    Everyone progressed down the direction that Seiji¡¯s locator spell pointed them in, killing monsters along the way.

    They walked down a particrly long staircase and arrived at an incredibly wide area. At the end of this area was a giant stone door which had arge circle carved into it.

    Everyone was rendered speechless by the sight.

    ¡°I have an ominous premonition,¡± Seiji muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°I have one as well,¡± Mikamented.

    ¡°The same goes for this humble one.¡± Hisashi adjusted his eyesses.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t get a chance toment, because there was a sudden loud sound that came from behind.

    Everyone turned around to see that the staircase they just arrived from was now blocked off by a stone wall!

    And then,rge amounts of ck mist poured out from everywhere, speedily forming into a pack of wolves¡­ no, humanoid figures!

    All the enemy spiritual monsters were humanoid this time! They resembled armored warriors. They wielded shields and swords, spears, greatswords, bows and arrows, battle hammers, war axes, and so on¡­

    What was with this sudden change of style!!

    Although there was previously a humanoid boss monster in the Forest Pce, that was the only one! What was up with so many humanoid monsters suddenly appearing here!?

    However, there was no time for everyone to be astonished. Their path of retreat was cut off, so they could only battle.

    Seiji instantly cast his [Turtle Armor] barrier spell. This sessfully blocked the enemy monsters¡¯ long-ranged attacks!

    Hisashi threw out thergest Thunderboom spell in his arsenal! Mika attacked with her spiritual gun and ck bands! Hoshi shot arrows as fast as he could!

    Although this killed a few monsters, there were simply far too many of them. It was quite imposing how many of them were marching in unison towards Seiji and his friends.

    In such dire circumstances, Seiji recalled the [Spirit Form Summoning Cards] that he received as a reward from the light novel award ceremony incident¡­ This seemed like an excellent time to use this option!

    He immediately opened up his system and used the armored knight card.

    Spirit Summoning, [Royal Knight Squadron]!

    Numerous spiritual knights that wore full body armor appeared. They were riding tall warhorses, and equipped with spears, swords, and shields.

    Mika and the others were rather shocked to see so many powerful appearing knights suddenly materializing right in front of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! I summoned these knights,¡± Seiji told them.

    He then gave these knights amand: attack the enemy army!

    Ka-ching! The knight squadron readied their spears in unison and charged at the enemy knights!

    At this moment, Seiji and the others felt a truly heroic aura emanating from these knights. It was as if they were watching a real battlefield.

    Sounds of shing began as the knight squadron rushed into the tremendous number of enemies and began a fierce battle!

    ¡°We¡¯re going to join them!¡±

    Seiji maintained his [Turtle Armor] barrier as he led the others in charging towards the enemy group!

    Many enemy monsters were in. They all transformed into mist, some of which was absorbed by Mika, Hisashi, and Hoshi. Another part of the mist floated towards the stone door, creating ck runes on the circle there which gradually formed into a spell formation.

 Chapter 636 - You absolutely canâ€™t let it catch you!!

    <h4>Chapter 636: You absolutely can¡¯t let it catch you!!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Shooting humanoid spiritual creatures was quite a different feeling from shooting animal-type spiritual monsters.

    Although Hoshi knew that these weren¡¯t real people, he still faintly felt as if he was killing actual humans.

    Hoshi forced down such thoughts and firmed his resolution as he continuously fired arrows.

    They were only humanoid spiritual monsters¡­ and even if these were real people, he could only seriously attack back if other people wanted to kill him! Otherwise, he or his friends would be the ones to die.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t even have the time earlier to be afraid of the hoodie-wearing youth¡¯s assassination attempt on him. Only afterwards did Hoshi have time to think about it and be terrified.

    He knew that he would have died already if it wasn¡¯t for Hisashi saving him in the nick of time!

    Hoshi didn¡¯t dare think any deeper into this as he was afraid of thinking about death. He could only feel fortunate that he was still alive.

    It was wonderful that it was the enemy who died instead of him or his friends.

    Hoshi vomited and felt quite ufortable at seeing the enemy¡¯s dead bodies. Yet, underneath these surface emotions, a dark feeling was hidden¡­

    Delight.

    Right, Hoshi was delighted.

    Although it was only a faint sensation that was ever so slight, Hoshi was indeed delighted that his enemies had died.

    It was their fault for suddenly attacking without warning and almost killing him! They deserved to die!

    Hoshi didn¡¯t say such words out loud. He knew that it was improper to say them out loud. Still, this type of darkness indeed existed deep within his heart.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t feel that Seiji had gone overboard at all¡­ Hoshi hadn¡¯t been simply consoling Seiji. This was what he truly thought.

    Seiji had killed others in order to protect them all. This wasn¡¯t being cold and cruel at all. In Hoshi¡¯s mind, this was what real strength was.

    ¡®As the Fourth Knight, I need to be stronger as well!¡¯

    As Hoshi thought this, his right hand suddenly started heating up again, bringing another illusionary scene before him¡­

    He was now dodging enemy swords and blocking enemy attacks with his bow while counterattacking with an arrow being used like a dagger! He was able to put distance between him and his enemies as swiftly as the wind while notching several arrows at once and firing!

    Dodging, blocking, stabbing, moving, shooting¡­ all these actions felt just as real and familiar as thest illusion Hoshi experienced, as if he had performed all these actions before himself.

    This time, Hoshi was no longer confused. He immersed himself in the illusion and learned.

    After the illusion vanished, Hoshi learned a new technique as he felt his right hand heating up.

    Hoshi ced his hand on the bow and focused upon it. This instantly created three arrows out of thin air!

    He drew the bow and shot all three arrows simultaneously!

    At the cost of somewhat lowering uracy, shooting out more arrows at once caused more overall damage.

    Thanks to this new ability, Hoshi was now able to clear the monsters at an even more effective rate than before.

    Not long after that, Hisashi also leveled up. He was now able to create thunderbolts from both his hands simultaneously. This allowed him to throw two Thunderbooms at once, providing an evenrger AOE crowd control effect.

    Even Mika was now able to control more ck bands than before.

    This was all because the humanoid spiritual monsters were so numerous and powerful. The mist experience they provided was quite abundant and high quality.

    The Awakened constantly got stronger as they fought these spiritual creatures. Plus, the spiritual knights that Seiji summoned were also assisting everyone. Gradually, the enemy monsters were destroyed.

    Just as the monsters were almostpletely wiped out, more dense ck mist suddenly appeared. This ck mist speedily formed into even taller humanoid spiritual monsters!

    This group ofrge monsters charged forth and instantly wiped out approximately half of Seiji¡¯s remaining spiritual knights! They got close to Seiji and his friends!!

    [Heroic Protection]!

    Seiji activated the second ability of his [Mika character card], greatly improving his defenses. He forcibly blocked the monsters¡¯ first wave of attacks with his barrier.

    He then opened up his system menu and used another card¡­

    [Spirit Form Summoning, Magic Mecha Squadron]!

    Three gigantic spiritual mechas that were equipped with various magical weapons suddenly materialized in midair. They whipped out magical swords that resembled lightsabers and swung these swords at therge monsters!

    Despite the earlier experience they just had, Seiji¡¯s friends were still rather shocked by this. This was mostly because of the unexpected fantastical style of the magic mechas.

    ¡°I¡¯m unable to repeat these summoning techniques. They can only be used once,¡± Seiji told his friends. ¡°Although I still have a few more that I can use, I hope that I won¡¯t have to use all of them up.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re like valuable consumable items that disappear after use?¡± Hisashi instantly understood.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Mika and Hoshi understood now as well. Nobody wasted any time talking as they concentrated on killing enemy monsters while the magic mechas helped to split apart the monsters¡¯ formation.

    The magic mechas possessed powerfulbat capabilities. They used rocket-like weapons that had high explosive power. However, the magic mechas still didn¡¯tst for long.

    After all of Seiji¡¯s spiritual knights were defeated, the three magic mechas also ended up being crushed by therge spiritual monsters.

    Fortunately, no new enemy monsters appeared. Just as thest magic mecha copsed, Seiji and his friends suddenly attacked and killed off all the remainingrge monsters.

    The mist forming into runes on the stone door had nowpletely filled in the circle, creating aplete spell formation. After that, the stone door slowly opened inwards to reveal a corridor.

    Seiji and his friends saw that a ck¡­ sticky fluid was everywhere in the corridor?

    This ck sticky substance was all over the ground, walls, and even ceiling of the corridor. It was as if someone had smashed countless ck slimes inside here. There was even a faint odor of some sort that smelled somewhat like fish.

    Although Seiji didn¡¯t know what this was, it didn¡¯t seem like anything good to him.

    He told the others to wait outside the door for him as he cautiously entered by himself.

    Nothing happened.

    Seiji tentatively stepped on a puddle of the ck sticky fluid. Nothing happened once again.

    ¡°This feels like I¡¯m stepping on mud.¡± Seiji wiped his shoe clean. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any effects so far. Still, I rmend everyone to not touch it.¡±

    After confirming that things appeared to be safe, he had Mika and the others enter the corridor with him as they proceeded onwards.

    Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­ Bang!

    Not long after the four of them started walking down this corridor, the stone door behind them closed at a much faster pace than when it opened!

    ¡°¡­I have yet another ominous premonition,¡± Seiji mentioned.

    ¡°Same for me.¡± Mika agreed.

    ¡°This humble one agrees,¡± Hisashi chimed in.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t say anything.

    He was now seeing another illusion. Hoshi witnessed a tall man wearing armor being tangled up in the ck sticky fluid. This man had an expression of incredible pain. His eyes were bulging and his mouth was wide open. He made strange noises as he viciously scratched at his face, leaving deep bloody trails!

    ck sticky fluid then started oozing out of this man¡¯s mouth, nose, eyes, and ears! Soon, his entire face and head started corroding. Then, his hands and body started melting¡­

    The illusion vanished. Hoshi felt his sense of terror careening around inside him as he nced at the ck sticky fluid in the corridor.

    ¡°We need to hurry and leave!¡± Hoshi shouted in a raspy voice. ¡°We need to get out of here as fast as we can!! As far away from this stuff as possible¡­¡±

    Before he even got to finish speaking, there was a gurgling sound.

    Everyone looked at the sound to see that a pile of ck sticky fluid behind them was now bubbling. The fluid swiftly expanded and absorbed more fluid near it, forming into a humanoid shape¡­

    ¡°Listen to Hoshi. We¡¯re going to start running!¡± Seiji didn¡¯t know what was going on with Hoshi, but he trusted Hoshi and decisively agreed.

    And so, everyone started running as fast as they could through this corridor.

    ¡°That substance is dangerous, incredibly dangerous! You absolutely can¡¯t let it catch you!!¡± Hoshi shouted.

    Behind them, the sticky fluid humanoid shape was now gliding on the ground. It kept absorbing more fluid, bing ever more solid andrger. Countless human faces started appearing on its surface as it grew numerous arms. The sticky fluid humanoid figure took a terrifying shape!

    Whoosh!

    Its arms suddenly extended and reached out towards Seiji and his friends!!

    ¡°Careful!!¡±

    Hoshi pulled Hisashi away, narrowly avoiding a sticky arm. Mika sped herself up and dodged the sticky arms, while Seiji dodged and reflexively counterattacked with a powerful sword strike!

    Gloop¡­ Seiji¡¯s sword met with great obstructive force as it swung down against the sticky arm. He wasn¡¯t able to slice down at all!

    Right after that, a powerful suction force tugged away Seiji¡¯s longsword. The longsword was then absorbed right into the sticky fluid creature¡¯s body!

 Chapter 637 - Crystal

    <h4>Chapter 637: Crystal</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji decisively gave up on his weapon.

    He now understood just how frightening this substance was after witnessing his longsword beingpletely devoured. It was just as Hoshi had warned them.

    Everyone quickened their pace and ran out of the corridor, only to see that ck sticky fluid was also everywhere in this next district!

    ¡°This direction!¡± Seiji pointed down where his locator spell indicated.

    Suddenly, green mist started pouring out from the walls in front.

    ¡®Damn it! More spiritual monsters are going to ck our path!!¡¯ Seiji had a terrible feeling about this.

    However, this green mist didn¡¯t form into spiritual monsters at all. Instead, it floated towards Hoshi and was absorbed by his right hand.

    Hoshi felt his right hand heating up as the marking started glowing, as if it had just been filled by some type of energy.

    Hoshi immediately reached an understanding and ced his hand on his bow, forming a green arrow of light.

    He drew his bow, aimed, and fired!

    *Shtick!* The green arrow of light shot into the sticky fluid figure, causing its gliding speed to slightly slow down.

    ¡°Attack now!¡±

    Hearing this, Mika started shooting her gun and Hisashi shot out two thunderbolts!

    *Plop plop¡­* The fluid monster made some disgusting noises as it took the attacks. Sticky fluid sprayed from its injuries as the human faces and arms on its body distorted and melted.

    [Evolved Mana Bullet]! Seiji shot out a barrage of golden bullets.

    *Boom!!* The Mana Bullets exploded brilliantly against the fluid monster, destroying part of its body.

    ¡®Nice, it¡¯s pretty effective.¡¯ Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he had an idea.

    ¡°We need to leave now!¡± Hoshi shouted. ¡°That thing is indestructible.¡±

    Right after he said that, more gurgling sounds came from around them.

    Everyone saw some more piles of sticky fluid starting to bubble and rapidly expand¡­

    ¡°Run!!¡±

    ¡®Run, Forrest, run!¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think that in his mind.

    ¡°Yomi, are these things rted to Hell¡¯s Aura?¡± Seiji then mentally asked his bonded female spirit a question.

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain¡­ they seem to have simr properties to Hell¡¯s Aura. Be careful not to touch them,¡± Yomi responded.

    ¡°Can they be eliminated by Cleansing?¡±

    ¡°Directly attempting to Cleanse them will likely be ineffective. It would be more effective if you tried Cleansing when it¡¯s weakened, such as when the young man there hit it with his arrow. However, I¡¯m not sure if Cleansing wouldpletely eliminate it or not.¡±

    ¡°What about Sealing?¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know if it would be effective.¡±

    He would only be able to learn by trying. Seiji understood.

    ¡°I feel that the critical key to dealing with these magical beasts is that young man beside you. I advise you to seriously listen to what he has to say,¡± Yomi rmended.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Seiji then looked towards Hoshi.

    ¡°Hoshi, you just mentioned that these things are indestructible¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Even if you defeat them, they¡¯ll be able to speedily form themselves again if there¡¯s even a little piece of them left.¡±

    ¡°How did you know this?¡±

    ¡°I saw it¡­¡±

    Hoshi mentioned what he saw in his illusions.

    ¡°If they¡¯re indestructible, how about sealing them away or confining them instead? Would that work?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    At this moment, Hoshi¡¯s gaze suddenly focused in front of him. He had just witnessed another illusory scene. ¡°It¡¯s possible! But, a crystal is required.¡±

    ¡°Crystal?¡±

    ¡ª¡ª

    There was a giant ten-meter-wide red circle on the center of the ground in a wide sanctuary. A green crystal pir stood right in the center of this red circle.

    Kazuko had her eyes closed and was sealed within this pir. She looked just like a sleeping beauty locked in ice.

    Shika Kagura was currently sitting in front of this pir with her eyes simrly closed as she was resting quietly.

    After the Domain suddenly changed, she found Kazuko Ooike next to her in this green pir, apparently having been sealed. Everyone else had disappeared.

    Shika tried calling out to Kazuko, but there was no response. She then tried to break the pir, but was unable to do so. Monsters then started appearing¡­

    ck sticky fluid poured out of the cracks on the walls and rapidly expanded, forming into many humanoid figures!

    Shika opened her eyes, stood up, and silently observed the ck humanoid figures gliding towards her.

    Once the sticky fluid figures got within a certain distance, a faint green glow started emitting from the crystal pir.

    These sticky fluid figures¡¯ movements were greatly slowed by this light.

    Sealing spell, ¡°Snow Freeze¡±!

    Shika cast a sealing spell which summoned dense blue mist in midair that froze all the humanoid figures solid!

    If these were ordinary spiritual monsters, she would only have to use ¡°Ice Shatter¡± next to defeat them. However, these sticky humanoid figures were quite out of the ordinary.

    Even while frozen solid, they still continued to wriggle. Several were soon about to break out of the ice!

    Defense spell, ¡°Ice Wall¡±!

    A thick wall of ice appeared out of nowhere and blocked these humanoid figures.

    Freezing and obstructing their progress¡­ Shika repeatedly used Snow Freeze and Ice Wall to prevent the enemy monsters from getting too close.

    Under the green light¡¯s illumination, these fluid monsters gradually stiffened. The red circle on the ground then started glowing as it absorbed the stiffened humanoid figures. ck runic lines swirled around inside the circle which then gradually transformed red again.

    Some timeter, all the humanoid fluid figures had been absorbed into the red circle on the ground. The circle had now somewhat expanded in size.

    It was impossible to destroy these humanoid figures. They could only be sealed by the circle.

    Shika had received a message from Kazuko when these monsters first attacked. Shika learned how dangerous they were, along with the only method on how to deal with them.

    These sticky fluid monsters were everywhere outside! And, it was impossible to move Kazuko, so the two of them could only wait here.

    Kazuko didn¡¯t exin to Shika why things became like this. Kazuko¡¯s current condition was such that sending any message would require a huge amount of energy, and she needed to conserve as much power as possible.

    Shika was really worried about Seiji. However, she knew that she needed to remain calm and silently wait for him here, as she believed that he would be able to find him.

    Time continued to pass like this.

    After dealing with two more waves of sticky fluid monsters, Shika heard some faint footsteps.

    The petite girl suddenly stood up and looked in the sound¡¯s direction. Her originally calm breathing suddenly became hurried as she puckered her lips and clenched her fists¡­

    ¡°Shika-chan!¡±

    Right after that, a familiar voice, familiar way of addressing her, and familiar figure appeared in her line of sight!

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    At this instant, Shika almost cried at the sight.

    Just as she¡¯d believed and hoped, he arrived safe to find her.

    Meanwhile, Seiji was simrly greatly relieved to find that his adopted younger sister was still alright.

    Although he believed in Shika¡¯s strength, and the locator spell indicated that she was safe, he couldn¡¯t help but still worry about her, especially after meeting the sticky fluid monsters in this district.

    Now, he could finally rest assured. But, he also saw the green crystal pir at the same time in which Kazuko was embedded. Seiji couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes.

    What exactly was this situation!?

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Hoshi eximed. ¡°This type of crystal can seal those monsters¡ªbut why is Ooike-san inside it!?¡±

    Mika and Hoshi were also astonished. Why did Kazuko be ¡°locked in a pir!?¡±

    ¡°We can talk about the situationter! If this crystal can help us deal with those damned monsters, just go ahead and use it, Hoshi!¡± Seiji shouted.

    A tremendous number of sticky fluid figures were chasing right after them! It seemed like a scene right out of a horror movie.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Hoshi ran up to the pir and ced his right hand on the crystal. His hand immediately began to glow green.

    ¡°Amami-san¡­¡±

    ¡°Ooike-san?¡±

    Hoshi heard Kazuko¡¯s voice¡­ no, he sensed her will!

 Chapter 638 - Iâ€™m unable to bring him out

    <h4>Chapter 638: I¡¯m unable to bring him out</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi and Kazuko¡¯s direct mentalmunication took only one second.

    Hoshi¡¯s hand then started glowing even more brilliantly.

    He turned around and started drawing his bow, which instantly becamepletely enveloped in green.

    An arrow of pure white instantly started forming. It gave off a gentle glow that seemed rather divine.

    *Whoosh!*

    The arrow of light shot out and left a spinning trail behind it as it struck the sticky fluid figure farthest in the front, exploding into a green-white ze!

    Arge portion of this sticky fluid figure¡¯s body was destroyed. It stopped its movements entirely.

    *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­* Hoshi continuously shot out arrows of white light, destroying countless sticky fluid monsters.

    Every arrow that Hoshi shot out caused the light on his hand to diminish. When he destroyed thest sticky fluid figure, the light was so weak that it was almost about to vanish.

    Seiji and everyone else all saw that Hoshi¡¯s right hand was violently trembling!

    ¡°Hoshi, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie so tantly like that. Your hand is shaking.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing¡­ it¡¯s my own problem.¡± Hoshi held his right hand with his left and stopped it from shaking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that!¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°If there¡¯s a problem, tell us. Don¡¯t bear it by yourself.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s something you should have learned already.¡¯ Seiji transmitted such a thought with his eyes.

    However, Hoshi smiled and revealed a look of resolution.

    ¡°Team Leader¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Why was Hoshi suddenly thanking him?

    But, Seiji didn¡¯t have a chance to ask, because his vision suddenly darkened¡­

    Everyone else saw a red sh as Seiji suddenly vanished!

    What was going on!?

    Before anyone could react to their astonishment, there was another red sh as Shika vanished next.

    ¡°Juumonji-san, I apologize that I must refuse your request.¡± Hoshi smiled as he spoke to Hisashi. ¡°It would be better if the amazing maid attire you wanted to prepare is left for a cute girl to wear instead.¡±

    ¡°Knight of Light¡­¡± Hisashi was unable to finish his sentence as he also disappeared in a red sh of light.

    Mika sensed that everyone that vanished must have been teleported back to reality.

    But why did Hoshi have such an expression on his face?

    She wanted to ask, but didn¡¯t get a chance as she was instantly teleported away.

    Inside the green crystal pir, Kazuko slowly opened her eyes as she looked towards Hoshi.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    With that apology, she vanished as well.

    Hoshi was now by himself.

    The sticky fluid figures that were destroyed earlier by the arrows of light started wriggling again. They speedily formed themselves again and started moving once more as they began approaching Hoshi.

    Hoshi did his best to remain calm as he ced his right hand on the crystal pir once more.

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    Back at the Juumonji Mafia Group¡¯s dojo, Seiji asked Kazuko this question.

    It was quite nice that everyone had returned to reality. However, why wasn¡¯t Hoshi together with them?

    ¡°Amami-san is being targeted. I¡¯m unable to bring him out.¡±

    ¡°Being targeted?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When he touched the crystal, I was able to mentallymunicate with him. I learned about what he experienced. That mysterious golden-haired girl¡­ I believe that she was the one who blocked my portal and caused everything else that happened afterwards.¡± Kazuko sighed. ¡°She has a simr ability to mine, but hers is stronger. If I¡¯m something akin to a ¡®door opener,¡¯ then she¡¯s the ¡®master of the house¡¯! Coincidentally, the Domain that I can open up is actually one of the ¡®rooms¡¯ in her ¡®house.¡¯ Now, she¡¯s restored her own control and turned things around.¡±

    Kazuko then continued, ¡°For some reason, Amami-san is able to see her. That¡¯s probably why she took an interest in him and gave him his marking. That¡¯s what I¡¯m referring to as targeting him. Now that she¡¯s taken control over her room again, bringing all of you out and maintaining my own existence is the very limit of what I¡¯m capable of doing. As for Amami-san, whom she¡¯s now targeting, I can¡¯t do anything for him at all. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, then you should have let me stay behind as well!¡± Seiji frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t let Hoshi stay there by himself.¡±

    ¡°That was a request from Amami-san,¡± Kazuko stated softly. ¡°He asked me to bring all of you out safely.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°What the hell!!!¡± Seiji viciously stomped his foot. ¡°What does he want to do there by himself!? Does he want to die!?¡±

    ¡°He wants to find that girl by himself¡­ He thinks that as long as he¡¯s by himself, he¡¯ll be able to meet her again.¡±

    ¡°What if he can¡¯t find her!? How is he supposed to leave that ce!?¡±

    Kazuko remained silent.

    ¡°Can you teleport me back in?¡± Seiji then looked back at Kazuko.

    Kazuko shook her head. ¡°I used up a great deal of my power. I need to enter a hibernation state very soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­How long will you be in a deep sleep for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. A few days at the shortest, but it might be a few weeks at the longest.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way I can help you to recover quicker?¡± Seiji looked directly at her.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡± Kazuko chuckled. ¡°Just wait for me to wake up.¡±

    Right after this, a blinding red glow shed over her body. She then transformed into a jacketed boy.

    ¡°Good evening, Ooike-kun.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°Good evening, Harano-kun.¡± Kazufuru adjusted his eyesses.

    Kazuko had now entered a deep sleep. Clutching at hisst hope, Seiji asked Yomi if she was capable of teleporting him back to that dimension. However, she was also unable to do so.

    ¡®It¡¯s so idiotic of Hoshi to stay there by himself!¡¯

    Seiji now had only two choices left. He could load back to the past, or stay here in the present and wait for Hoshi.

    Waiting would mean trusting Hoshi that he would be able to return safely. Loading would be akin to not trusting him.

    Although Seiji was quite angry at his idiotic junior for making his own decision like that, Seiji still wanted to trust Hoshi¡ªSeiji wanted to trust that the Fourth Knight would return safely!

    And so, Seiji decided to wait.

    However, he wouldn¡¯t wait around indefinitely. Seiji decided that he would load if Hoshi still hadn¡¯t returned safely by tomorrow morning.

    ¡°Hoshi, hurry and return¡­ when you return before me again, I¡¯m going to teach you a really good lesson!¡±

    ¡°Achoo!¡± Hoshi suddenly sneezed.

    He didn¡¯t even need to think to figure out that Seiji was probably angry at him right now.

    Actually, he had wanted to say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± to Seiji just now, but he knew that Seiji didn¡¯t like to hear apologies. That was why Hoshi thanked him instead.

    Hoshi knew that staying here by himself was a foolish choice to make.

    However, he still felt that he had made the correct decision. There was no need to drag hispanions into danger by having them stay behind here. It was far more likely that he¡¯d be able to meet that golden-haired girl again if he was by himself.

    No¡­ not more likely, he would definitely see her again! He had to meet her again.

    Although he had resolved himself, he definitely didn¡¯t want to die.

    Hoshi looked at the marking on his palm.

    ¡°You gave this to me¡­ I don¡¯t think that you want me to die here by myself¡­¡±

    Even if that girl was the existence who caused the entire series of events that happened in here, Hoshi still wanted to believe that she wasn¡¯t an evil existence. He wanted to believe that she would reappear before him.

    He also knew that this was an incredibly na?ve way of thinking. But¡­ he was unable to give up on this naivety.

    At this moment, he suddenly heard the faint sound of singing.

    ¡®It¡¯s her!¡¯

    Hoshi listened closely and determined the direction that the singing came from.

    After determining the direction, he ced his right hand on the crystal pir to absorb as much energy as he possibly could. After he could no longer absorb any more energy, Hoshi set out.

    Sticky fluid monsters soon appeared everywhere and started chasing behind him.

    Hoshi continuously ran in the direction of the singing. He only slowed down to fire arrows whenever the sticky fluid monsters were about to catch up to him.

    After running for an unknown length of time, the singing he heard finally became much clearer.

    Yet, he suddenly saw a giant stone door before him! This stone door was identical to the one he saw earlier with hispanions.

    The singing wasing from behind the stone door.

    Countless sticky fluid figures were catching up to him. More such monsters were also appearing in this district.

    Hoshi only had a tiny portion of power remaining that he absorbed from the crystal. And he didn¡¯t see a single new crystal on his way here at all.

    A stone door was blocking his path, whilerge numbers of monsters were behind him.

    He was all by himself andcked a way of fighting.

    This was unmistakably a brink that he was facing¡­ Hoshi felt despair when he realized this.

    ¡°AhhhhHHH!!!¡±

    His shouting echoed throughout the ancient sanctuary.

 Chapter 639 -You have died

    <h4>Chapter 639:You have died</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°You have died.¡±

    The warrior slumped to the ground in a distorted manner, having been surrounded and killed by too many monsters. Bloody words appeared on therge crystal LCD disy television screen.

    ¡°This path is a trap. I should have taken the right side,¡± Seiji reflected.

    ¡°This trap can probably be jumped over by using a high-speed jump.¡± Hisashi adjusted his eyesses.

    ¡°That¡¯s too risky. Let¡¯s try the right side instead.¡±

    The two otakus were currently ying a very difficult dark-themed action game. They had died many times already.

    ¡®Why are you ying such a video game at this time!? Isn¡¯t this incredibly jinxing!?¡¯ Mikamented in her mind as she watched them.

    Shika calmly sipped on her tea as she also observed the two boys.

    One hour had now passed after everyone returned from the Inner World.

    Hisashi arranged a car to take Kazufuru home. Other than Kazufuru, everyone else remained at the Juumonji dojo to wait for Hoshi to return.

    Just waiting was boring, so Hisashi had some underlings move the television and video game system from his room to the dojo. He hooked up the system and started ying a new, excellently-reviewed video game while also having servants bring tea, confectioneries, and so on.

    The two boys yed for a while and appeared to getpletely absorbed in the game, having forgotten their original purpose here.

    ¡°There¡¯s an ambush here. Retreat!¡±

    ¡°This humble one can handle something of this degree! Ohhh!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself, hurry and throw a smoke grenade!¡±

    The warrior on the television screen was currently fighting against three different monsters. He managed to kill off two of them by running and rolling around, slicing in every direction. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t careful enough and was viciously shed by the third monster. A fourth monster then descended from the ceiling and assassinated him!

    ¡°You have died¡­¡± Bloody words appeared on the screen once again.

    ¡°There was actually an ambush from above? How underhanded.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°This humble one made a mistake with the controls¡­ No, I overestimated myself.¡± Hisashi sighed.

    ¡°We need to be more cautious.¡±

    ¡°As expected of a famously difficult game. It¡¯s so easy to die if you¡¯re not careful.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you guys y a different game?¡± Mika finally couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unlucky to be seeing so much ¡®You have died¡¯ on the screen?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Seiji and Hisashi looked at her in unison.

    ¡°Because¡­ Hoshi¡¯s currently¡­¡±

    ¡°The game¡¯s a game, and Hoshi is Hoshi,¡± Seiji responded.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Knight of Light won¡¯t be affected by this game,¡± Hisashi stated.

    ¡°Although that might be the case, wont this jinx things?¡±

    ¡°If that was really the case, not only should we not be ying this game, we should all be sitting here properly praying for him, or immediately going to some shrine to donate money for his safety,¡± Seiji spoke calmly. ¡°But, I¡¯m toozy to do such a thing¡­ It¡¯s that idiot¡¯s fault for making his own decision to wait there by himself for his death.¡±

    His calm words contained a noticeably deep anger.

    Mika didn¡¯t dare to say anything else after hearing this.

    ¡°This humble one thinks the same¡­ besides, the Knight of Light even went to the trouble of refusing my request at the end, which makes me especially angry,¡± Hisashi also spoke in a calm tone that revealed his anger.

    It was as if dark mes were beginning to burn on the two otakus¡¯ bodies.

    Mika realized that neither of them had forgotten why they were all here in the dojo. They weren¡¯t ying the game because they had forgotten the situation. It was intentional on their part!

    ¡®Amami-san¡­ hurry and return! If youe back toote, something scary might happen,¡¯ Mika thought to herself.

    Seiji and Hisashi continued ying the video game.

    The warrior on the screen continuously died over and over again. Most of the deaths were due to careless yer mistakes.

    Seiji, who was calmly observing, had easily noticed that although they seemed to be seriously ying the game, they weren¡¯t focusing at all.

    One hour passed.

    Another hour passed.

    The warrior from the game had died more than one hundred times already. Mika felt that he was incredibly pitiful. She was also even more worried about Hoshi.

    At this moment, a red light suddenly shed as a person materialized in midair!

    This person was Hoshi!

    He hade back! He really returned!!

    Mika was delighted and astonished, while Seiji and Hisashi stood up in unison. Shika put down her teacup.

    The beautiful boy stood there with his eyes closed. He had a calm expression. There were some new tatters on hisbat uniform, with some patches appearing corroded, some patches appearing pierced, and other patches appearing to be sliced¡­ but it seemed that he himself was basically uninjured.

    ¡°Hoshi!¡± Seiji ran to his junior. ¡°How are you!?¡±

    There was no reaction.

    ¡°Hoshi¡­ wake up!¡± Seiji shook Hoshi on the shoulder.

    ¡°Urm¡­¡± The beautiful boy slowly opened his eyes, slightly creasing his eyebrows. The look in his eyes appeared rather hollow.

    ¡°Hey¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡± Seiji shook him again.

    Only after this did Hoshi¡¯s eyes return to normal, as if he had just woken up from a daydream.

    ¡°Senpai¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me. You¡¯re back in reality.¡± Seiji took a good look at Hoshi¡¯s face. ¡°Are you injured? Does anything feel wrong anywhere?¡±

    Hoshi blinked as he looked at himself.

    ¡°I¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Hoshi had a confused expression upon seeing all the tatters on hisbat uniform.

    Thest clear memory he had was of being surrounded and attacked by countless sticky fluid monsters in front of the giant stone door.

    What happened after that¡­?

    ¡°This¡­ I don¡¯t remember how this happened to my clothes.¡± Hoshi rubbed a damaged portion of his clothing that seemed cut off. ¡°I can¡¯t remember¡­ what I experienced¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t remember?¡± Seiji and the others were confused.

    ¡°Do you remember who we are?¡± It would be bad if Hoshi lost his memory.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Hoshi looked back at Seiji and then everyone else. ¡°Everyone¡­ I¡¯ve returned.¡±

    Hoshi smiled movingly.

    ¡°Wee back, Amami-san,¡± Mika spoke sincerely.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alright,¡± Shika told him.

    Hisashi adjusted his eyesses and didn¡¯t say a word as he looked at Hoshi¡¯s smile.

    Seiji slightly narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Hoshi, are you certain that you¡¯re uninjured?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am¡­ I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m hurting anywhere.¡± Hoshi checked his own body again.

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Seiji started smiling. He then took off Hoshi helmet and made a fist¡­

    *Dong!* An iron fist smashed into the top of the beautiful boy¡¯s head.

    This was a scene that hadn¡¯t urred for such a long time.

    ¡°Ouch¡­ Senpai¡­¡±

    ¡°Call me Team Leader!¡± Seiji knocked Hoshi on the head again. ¡°You idiot that made such a decision on your own!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°You still did such a thing despite being sorry!? Staying there by yourself!? Did you want to die!? Who do you think you are!?¡±

    ¡°Heehee¡­¡± Hoshi clutched his head and giggled foolishly as he sensed that Seiji truly cared for him.

    ¡°Why are youughing, you idiot!!!¡±

    Seiji gave the idiot a very good lesson.

    ¡°This humble one is quite angry as well. I adamantly refuse your refusal, Knight of Light.¡± Hisashi stared at Hoshi. ¡°You¡¯re definitely going to wear maid attire!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Hoshi was stunned at this.

    ¡°Could I see that as well?¡± Mika¡¯s eyes were sparkling.

    ¡°No problem. Please enjoy to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Team Leader¡­¡±

    ¡°This is something that you brought upon yourself.¡± Seiji rolled his eyes at Hoshi.

    Seiji hid just how relieved he was¡­ it was wonderful that this idiot had returned safely.

    But, he had to ask¡­

    ¡°What do you mean by saying you ¡®can¡¯t remember?¡¯ What exactly happened after all of us were teleported out?¡±

 Chapter 640 - Elf Ranger

    <h4>Chapter 640: Elf Ranger</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi told them everything that he could remember. Seiji and his friends exchanged awkward nces.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting here for you a bit more than three hours. Judging from the time that passed, and all the damage to your clothing, you must have gone through many things¡­ You really can¡¯t remember anything else at all?¡±

    Hoshi did his best to recall as he looked at his right hand.

    The mysterious marking had now vanished. However, Hoshi could sense that its power was still within him. He then checked his pockets, only to find that all his red leaves were there as well, with not a single one missing.

    He could faintly recall that he seemed to have met the golden-haired girl again, and that he was with her¡­

    ¡°I think that I might have been¡­ saved by that golden-haired girl, and then I was together with her¡­¡± Hoshi muttered.

    Everyone remained silent for a moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s all you can remember?¡± Seiji folded his arms. ¡°It would have been fine if you had only had a nice chat with her for three hours. However, the tatters on your clothing prove that you were doing otherwise. I highly doubt that some of those cut marks could have been caused by the sticky fluid monsters. You were probably fighting against something else inside as well. Perhaps you were fighting against other spiritual monsters, or even¡­ humans.¡±

    The atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say this, but it looks like she was manipting you, Hoshi.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious that you were fighting, and now you¡¯ve lost your memory afterward. This is basically no different from her having taken advantage of a puppet.¡±

    Hoshi fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Team Leader, do you believe that she¡¯s an evil existence?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Still, it¡¯s a possibility.¡± Seiji had a serious expression. ¡°She was the cause behind this incident. She brought much hardship upon you, and made you lose your memory¡­ Do you still want to believe in her despite all this?¡±

    Hoshi fell silent for an even longer period of time. He recalled what that girl looked like, as well as her singing¡­

    ¡°I¡­ want to believe¡­¡± Hoshi spoke softly as he clenched his right hand.

    Seiji looked at Hoshi¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a method to remove the marking that she put on your body, do you want to remove it?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Do you still want to see her again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Hoshi nodded.

    ¡°Such an idiot.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°But¡­ I suppose that¡¯s just how you are, Hoshi Amami.¡±

    Another period of silence fell over everyone.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the end of this matter,¡± Seiji told everyone. ¡°We weren¡¯t able to train in the Domain as I¡¯d expected¡­ and Kazuko-san is now in a hibernation state because of this incident. She won¡¯t be waking up soon. I¡­ I thought too simply of the Domain and the Inner Worlds. I need to properly self-reflect. The fortunate part is that despite this sudden incident, everyone returned safely with nobody injured¡­ Everyone did a good job. Let¡¯s all have a good rest now. If any of you feel that something is wrong with your body, let me know immediately.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª

    Nirou Iwazaki was staring nkly at the ceiling.

    That was because he was now dead. Despite the fact that he was an experienced Spiritual Ability user, he and more than ten other members of their ¡°organization¡± had all died within their base!

    The other powerful individuals in the organization that rushed over to support everyone found that they were toote when they arrived.

    There was only one lucky survivor, an Awakened by the name of Heita Nishizawa.

    This gray-haired boy had been seriously injured and barely managed to survive. He told his rescuers what he had witnessed.

    All of this death had been caused by a single person.

    That person wore mystical-appearing attire that resembled something a stereotypical elf ranger from fantasy anime and manga would wear. This ¡°elf ranger¡± wore a magic runic hat, possessed an exquisite longbow, and had beautiful and androgynous features that made it difficult to determine the person¡¯s gender. This person was basically no different from a real elf!

    He¡­ or she summoned powerful spiritual monsters and shot powerful spiritual arrows that killed everyone! This person destroyed the organization¡¯s base in the Forest Pce all by themselves!!

    Heita¡¯s testimony, video cameras from the destroyed base, and a certain type of scene rey magic spell all confirmed the details of this attacker. However, it was impossible to determine who this person was or what faction they belonged to.

    Due to the physical characteristics of this person, the organization decided to code-name them ¡°Elf Ranger¡±. The organization assessed this person as an ¡°above average¡± threat based on the damage this person inflicted and the power level disyed.

    The next morning, Seiji contacted Hana and told her about what happenedst night.

    ¡°In the future, you should pay more attention to this person named Hoshi Amami,¡± Hana told him.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Seiji nodded. ¡°This was his first time visiting an Inner World. I suppose that he had a lucky miracle of sorts for something like this to happen to him.¡±

    The youth on his first adventure who met a mysterious and powerful golden-haired girl. This seemed just like the ssic beginning to a novel or manga. However, Seiji had no clue if this story would turn out to be good or bad for Hoshi.

    ¡°I would like to request an analysis of the damage inflicted upon hisbat uniform. Is it possible to determine what types of attacks caused such damage? It also needs repairing¡­ Could I ask you to do that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Mail thebat uniform back to me,¡± Hana agreed.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m concerned about that group who suddenly attacked us for no apparent reason¡­ None of them saw any of our real faces, but since we killed three of them, we need to remain on guard,¡± Seiji continued. ¡°Could I also ask you to investigate those dual daggers?¡±

    Hana agreed to this as well.

    Seiji didn¡¯t request Natsuya¡¯s assistance, because this incident was unrted to her. This was rted to his knight order. Seiji considered it alright to have Natsuya of the Yoruhana Family help him with smaller matters, but this was something rted to him and his friends¡¯ lives, so there absolutely needed to be concrete results.

    After finishing their video chat, Seiji immediately mailed over the items.

    He didn¡¯t use any normal mail delivery. Instead, he used a mystical service that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about reliability or speed of. However, the price for this service was rather expensive.

    This matter had now temporarilye to an end after Seiji mailed the items.

    The greatest lesson he learned from all of this was that Kazuko¡¯s Domain wasn¡¯t nearly as safe as he¡¯d thought it was.

    Seiji understood that training in an Inner World had its risks. However, he mistakenly underestimated the risks. He didn¡¯t expect that the controller of the Domain herself, Kazuko, would also meet with a problem.

    Taking advantage of Kazuko¡¯s ability to easily train in Inner Worlds on a daily basis¡­ Well, after all of this, Seiji could only say that dreams were beautiful but reality was cruel.

    Inner Worlds possessed even stronger existences than Kazuko that could even overrule her control over the Domain! Meeting any such existences would cause even Kazuko to meet with danger. In an even worse hypothetical scenario, everyone could die there!!

    At any rate, Seiji felt that he had underestimated Inner Worlds far too much.

    Inner Worlds weren¡¯t the same as dungeons in games. There was no fixed path to take through an Inner World, nor was there a story plot. Entering every time was a true adventure with associated risks. What one met inside would be unknown. In fortunate circumstances, an Inner World would provide excellent training. But in unfortunate circumstance, it was also possible to die within just a short few seconds.

    Even if Seiji had the ability to save and load, he didn¡¯t dare to allow himself to die.

    He now had a new understanding of how dangerous Inner Worlds were. This caused him to reassess the value of his [Spirit House] from his system.

    His system¡¯s products were truly extraordinary¡­ A ce where he and his friends could cultivate safely was far more valuable than he¡¯d originally expected!

    System: ¡°Heh heh heh, now you understand how it is, dear.¡± Seiji imagined his system saying that.

    But, the [Spirit House] was truly an option!

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want it to begin with. It was that he was poor in points. Seiji sighed.

    He needed to earn more points. Seiji figured that he should first hurry and finish the second volume of Brother Monogatari as quickly as possible before thinking of other ways to grind points.

    Although he was working on the dating sim game as a side project, this wouldn¡¯t possibly be finished anytime soon. He needed something that would give him many points quickly¡­ No, he needed a project that would give him rewards as soon as possible.

    Seiji then had a sh of inspiration that caused his eyes to light up.

    He immediately went on the inte, and created an ount on Sakura Ind¡¯s most famous website for light novel artists, Whiteboard!

    Seiji figured that he technically counted as a light novel artist as well, since he drew all the art for his own novel. Wouldn¡¯t he be able to earn some points by uploading some drawings on the inte?

 Chapter 641 - I want to draw ero drawings!

    <h4>Chapter 641: I want to draw ero drawings!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After creating an ount, Seiji searched the Whiteboard light novel artists site and found that there was already fan art for ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±!

    The most popr fan art was drawn by ¡°Sharp Demon Soldier¡±, the artist who hadpeted with him over the artist position for Brother Monogatari. This popr fan art was precisely the one of the male lead showing off his true powers for the first time Seiji had seen previously.

    The second most popr fan art was drawn by ¡°Romance of Ice and Fire¡±¡­ This was Yukari¡¯s drawing!

    Yukari drew the female lead wearing a yukata and a demon mask on the side of her face. The younger sister character was joyfully licking a candied lollipop. Although this drawing wasn¡¯t highly detailed, it was still of good quality. The beautiful girl in the drawing sticking her tongue out had a subtle alluring sexiness to her.

    Seiji instantly gave the drawing a five-star rating and added it to his personal collection.

    He then looked at all the other fan art for his story. Of course, some were of good quality while some were of low quality. Still, even the worst-drawn fan art still contained the artist¡¯s passion for his story. Seiji gave every single fan art for his story an excellent rating.

    He then started uploading his own drawings.

    Seiji currently had arge number of drawings umted due to constantly grinding his [Art] stat through his system for points. He picked some of the drawings that he felt were superior and uploaded them publicly on the inte.

    But, he felt that just this alone would be obviously insufficient. Since he was both the author and artist of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±, he felt that he should draw something truly outstanding to help get his artist ount known.

    Seiji immediately started brainstorming about what he could draw.

    As he brainstormed, he reflexively looked at Yukari¡¯s drawing. Suddenly, he felt that a rtively hi drawing would be a good way to attract attention.

    Seiji was instantly inspired after having this idea!

    All sorts of scenes popped into his mind as if an unstoppable torrential wave had arrived. Such powerful inspiration astonished Seiji because he finally realized that he had never drawn a single ero drawing as of yet!

    How illogical!

    As an otaku who now possessed excellent drawing skills, why hadn¡¯t he drawn an ero drawing up until now!?

    Seiji instantly realized the answer after thinking about it for a little: because of Shika-chan.

    The first high-quality drawing that he felt he had ever produced had Shika as the model. After that, he drew Shika¡¯s birthday present drawing for the Winter Snow Festival, and then he started drawing insert art for ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±¡­ He hadn¡¯t even thought of drawing hi drawings with all that going on!

    Only now did Seiji finally awaken to the fact that he had unknowingly fallen into the trap of getting ustomed to a certain way of drawing.

    That waspletely wrong!

    Although his normal drawings were excellent, he couldn¡¯t allow that to restrain himself!!

    ¡®I like ero drawings! I want to draw an ero drawing!! I¡¯m going to draw something extremely ero right now¡­

    ¡®No, no¡­ let¡¯s not draw something overly ero.¡¯ Seiji hurriedly stopped himself from running rampant.

    He couldn¡¯t let himself get carried away, as he was both the author and artist of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±. His story wasn¡¯t supposed to primarily focus on sex appeal. It would be a bad influence if he published an overly sexual drawing.

    Still, it would be fine to draw something hi, just not overly so.

    Seiji restrained his desires and did his best to calmly analyze all sorts of scenes that he could use. He swiftly rejected many possibilities.

    He didn¡¯t want the drawing to reveal too much flesh, show underwear, or have an overtly sexual pose¡­

    After careful consideration and assessment, Seiji finally determined what he was going to draw. He then immediately began drawing¡­

    Yukari was currently in her own room, surfing the inte.

    First, she checked her own artist blog and replied to a few messages. She then went on her ount profile at the light novel artist website Whiteboard¡­ and saw a message for her from a user named ¡°Idle Dimension by the Shore¡±!

    Had Seiji registered an ount on the light novel artist website?

    Yukari blinked in surprise as she opened up Idle Dimension by the Shore¡¯s profile.

    Many drawings had already been uploaded. One drawing in particr instantly attracted her attention.

    This drawing was of a ck-haired beautiful girl who wore a mystical Sakura Ind style miniskirt. Her head was tilted slightly with hair falling down. Her right leg was lifted slightly and she was currently pulling up a ck stocking with both her hands.

    This seemingly ordinary scene had an indescribable allure to it! Even though the girl clearly didn¡¯t reveal much flesh at all, the drawing was mysteriously alluring. Even the female Yukari felt an impulse to take a closer look.

    Yukari magnified this drawing to the maximum on herputer and observed it closely.

    Extravagant attire, azy-seeming expression, the already worn stocking on the left leg and the absolute territory between the stocking and the miniskirt, the lifted right leg, the half-worn stocking, and the ce where you would think that you could see panties but nothing was actually revealed¡­

    Truly wondrous!

    The purple-haired girl who was already a high-level ero artist praised this drawing in her mind.

    This drawing wasn¡¯t outright ero, but it was indeed ero. Somehow, the drawing managed to fall right on the border.

    Any more would make it truly ero, while any less would make it in. The bnce struck was so exact as if it was a perfect bnce!

    And, everything was due to the quality of the drawing. Its high attention to detail made it pleasing to look at, especially the stockings and the beautiful legs. The contrast between ck and white was wonderfully done. The more one looked at it, the more one would want to try and touch it.

    The girl¡¯s actions seemed natural and her expression was moving. Her clothes were extravagant, but not overly so as to steal the scene¡­ The first impression upon seeing this might be that this drawing was appealing due to ero, but if one looked at it seriously, they¡¯d discover that the drawing¡¯s overall charisma was the truly appealing part!

    Yukari instantly gave this drawing a five star review and added it to her personal collection.

    There were very few reviews currently on this drawing. Every single review so far praised it, and Yukari sincerely added her ownudatoryment.

    At the exact same moment that herment appeared, another redited artist by the name of ¡°Sharp Demon Soldier¡±mented at the same time!

    ¡°Excellent drawing¡­ I really hope that Shore-sensei won¡¯t start drawing manga. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have an even more difficult time (smiley emoticon).¡±

    Judging from the tone, this artist was acquainted with Seiji.

    Yukari was rather curious just how Demon Soldier was acquainted with Seiji. She then thought about how this person mentioned manga just now.

    What would it be like if Seiji started drawing manga?

    Yukari¡¯s opinion was that he¡¯d definitely be able to draw something wonderful.

    ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± had great poprity, which was the best evidence of Seiji¡¯s talent. It was quite possible that he would be able to draw an excellent manga in the future.

    To be honest, if he drew and wrote about a modified version of his own life story, that alone would likely be a powerful bestselling story.

    Yukari seriously started thinking about this after having such a thought. She started thinking that perhaps this was truly doable!

    Seiji was handsome, powerful, talented, and had a powerful family background. He was a Spiritual Ability user and even started a harem¡­ he was basically like a ¡°main character¡± type of person in real life!!

    Yukari hadplex feelings towards him to begin with. Now, they became even moreplex.

    She decided to forget it and stop all her idle thoughts.

    Yukari admired Seiji¡¯s drawing some more before ssifying it into her ¡°favorites¡± section. She then started browsing his other artwork.

    Romance of Ice and Fire and Sharp Demon Soldier, these two renowned artists, had simultaneously praised a neer artist¡¯s drawing. This drew much attention from the artistmunity.

    This excellent drawing speedily received more and more clicks, with the excellent ratings and favorites rapidly increasing as well.

    The website itself then noticed the drawing¡¯s poprity and ced it on the front page, helping to increase its exposure even more. The light novel forums then started noticing this drawing. After it was confirmed that this drawing was indeed personally done by the author/artist of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±, even more readers of Seiji¡¯s novel checked out his drawing, increasing its poprity even further.

    As Seiji wanted, he received points in his system for his drawings.

    As he expected, he didn¡¯t receive that many points. Still, he proved that this was an excellent method to earn more points. If he continued uploading new drawings, he felt that he would have an outstanding new source of ie for points.

 Chapter 642 - Thank you, my dear knight

    <h4>Chapter 642: Thank you, my dear knight</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Later that night, Seiji was contacted by Hana.

    ¡°Those daggers are a spiritual weapon crafted by the Messengers organization. The people you met are from that faction,¡± the cat-eared hat girl reported to him. ¡°The Messengers organization is actually a new faction that split off from Soul World. The Messengers were created by some former members of Soul World that believe in using any means necessary to achieve what they desire.¡±

    That was a lot of information to take in at once!

    ¡°¡­Did Sister Yui give you this information?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister Yui told it to me. She¡¯s a member of Soul World,¡± Hana quietly stated something that should have been an incredible secret.

    ¡°Since she¡¯s let you know about her identity, that probably means it doesn¡¯t need to be a secret anymore.¡±

    ¡°Yep, since it¡¯s no longer considered to be a crime to be a member of Soul World.¡±

    ¡°Will she join Soul Societyter on as one of their higher-ups?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think it¡¯s highly possible.¡±

    They both fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°So the Messengers are an evil organization that split off from Soul World, and Soul Society is the organization of justice that opposes them¡­?¡± Seiji folded his arms.

    ¡°I think that a more appropriate analogy would be to call them factions of chaos and order.¡± Hana also folded her arms.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­ so the next ssical development will be the battle between chaos and order?¡±

    ¡°That depends on what the Messengers¡¯ goal is.¡±

    ¡°Sister Yui doesn¡¯t know their overall goal?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything about that. She only said that the creator of the Messengers was someone who would stoop to any means.¡±

    Stoop to any means? This typically meant that one wouldn¡¯t care about any coteral damage or harm caused to others. No matter what this organization wanted to achieve, being willing to ¡°use any means¡± was already the best evidence that they were rtively dangerous.

    It was truly unfortunate that Seiji had created a grudge with such a faction¡­ but perhaps it was something bound to ur.

    ¡°What about anything else? Is there anything special about those daggers?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a weapon that¡¯s specially created for the Awakened. These daggers are capable of absorbing and storing the energy from defeated spiritual monsters and transmitting it to the holder. However, it should be noted that the transference mechanism is under remote control. Someone else is capable of controlling the mechanism and adjusting the energy output.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that this weapon¡¯s energy output can be controlled by someone else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This design allows someone else to control the weapon¡¯s holder. Someone else with the control mechanism can self-destruct the weapon with a single press of a button. Or, it¡¯s possible to instantly have the weapon start transmitting energy at maximum level, without any regard to the weapon holder¡¯s will or well-being.¡±

    Seiji recalled the scene from before when he heard this.

    Those three individuals who attacked him had all seemed to be rather abnormal. Perhaps they hadn¡¯t attacked him out of their own will. Perhaps it was due to that person behind them¡­

    Seiji felt that it was a pity he didn¡¯t manage to stop that Spiritual Ability user and thest Awakened there.

    Seiji felt pity for the three people under the Messenger organization¡¯s control. He now also concretely had a better idea of what the Messengers were really like.

    ¡°Is there any more information?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all about the daggers. Next would be regarding your friend Hoshi Amami¡¯sbat uniform.¡± Hana paused for a moment. ¡°The damage to his uniform is highly likely to have been caused by spiritual weapons.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you talking about all of the damage?¡± Seiji now had a serious expression.

    ¡°Yep, 100%.¡±

    They both fell silent yet again.

    Hoshi had stayed behind in that realm by himself for more than three hours. All the various types of damage done to his clothing had been from spiritual weapons¡­ Did Hoshi go fight a battle against an army of Spiritual Ability users!?

    Just how many people were there? What faction were they from? What was the result? Those were all important questions.

    Yet, the main character of the incident in question had lost his memories!

    It would have been fine if Hoshi had only been fighting against spiritual creatures. Yet losing his memories after fighting against humans? That was noughing matter at all.

    ¡°We need to think of some method to help Hoshi recover his memories. Otherwise, we won¡¯t even know what trouble he¡¯s gotten into.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°Perhaps he met another group from the Messengers and had a huge fight against them.¡± Hana took a random guess.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s possible, but we¡¯ll only know for certain once he remembers.¡±

    Well, it would be slightly better if Hoshi had fought against another group of Messengers, since Seiji and his friends had killed three of them already. It wouldn¡¯t change much more if they antagonized the Messengers again¡­ the important part was if Hoshi¡¯s identity was exposed or not! Did they see his face!?

    The Messengers organization was a split-off faction from Soul World that trended towards chaos. Bing enemies with them would be noughing matter. If Hoshi¡¯s identity was exposed, that would be incredibly dangerous!

    ¡®Maybe I should load back in time.¡¯ Seiji suddenly had such a thought.

    But, he then sighed after recalling what Hoshi had said back then.

    ¡®Let¡¯s try to have my idiot junior recover his memories first before deciding what to do.¡¯

    Hoshi was sitting down under a tree, observing beautiful flowers while watching tiny butterflies dance among the flowers.

    A light breeze blew past which slightly shook the flowers. There was a sweet aroma and bright red leaves were falling¡­ This scene and atmosphere were so beautiful as to be addictive.

    An ethereal song sounded. When Hoshi looked to find the source, he noticed that the golden-haired girl was already standing next to him since an unknown time.

    Hoshi silently looked at her and listened to her song. He felt as if his very soul was being cleansed. He had no idle thoughts whatsoever, and his heart waspletely calm.

    At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded.

    Hoshi turned around and saw a squadron of people in various types of clothing. They were all holding blood-red weapons or guns.

    All of them had ck, gray, or red misty auras around them which gave Hoshi an ominous impression. He felt that they didn¡¯t belong in such a beautiful location at all.

    The golden-haired girl also looked at this squadron and stopped her singing.

    These people then did something that caused a dense gray mist to arrive. The air speedily became chilly.

    The flowers started losing their color as they wilted inrge patches. All the butterflies dropped on the ground and turned into dust.

    Even the tall red-leafed tree was speedily losing its life force at a visible rate. Its bark dimmed in color as its leaves kept dropping¡­ it finally became rather ugly and scary with how dried out it appeared.

    This squadron of people then left this area.

    They destroyed the beauty and calmness of this location and then left just like that.

    A feeling of anger arose within Hoshi¡¯s heart.

    He looked at the golden-haired girl. Although he couldn¡¯t see her expression clearly, he could sense her sadness.

    Hoshi then witnessed this scene repeating itself countless times.

    At first, the golden-haired girl didn¡¯t do anything at all. But as her sadness increased, she started hiding her garden¡¯s presence.

    Yet, those people still kept finding and destroying her garden. Evidently, they had a method of locating her garden.

    After that, she was forced to start fighting off those people.

    But even if she chased them away, they would soon return with even more and strongerpanions!

    The golden-haired girl was having a bitter and difficult time fighting against those people.

    All she wanted was to maintain her garden. Yet, those people always brought along destruction and turned the entire world to grayness.

    Hoshi¡¯s anger reached its peak after witnessing all of this.

    Just chasing those people away would be insufficient. They needed to be killed!

    Only by killing them would they never return.

    As if she sensed his anger, the golden-haired girl looked at him and slowly reached out with her tiny hand.

    Hoshi stretched out his hand and lightly held her hand in his.

    Her hand was cool, soft, and smooth¡­ a subtly wondrous sensation.

    But, that wasn¡¯t the important part. The important part was that this was the first time that he was finally able to touch her.

    Hoshi tightly gripped her hand, transmitting his own will.

    ¡®I will help you.

    ¡®I will protect your garden, your home! I shall make those people that bring destruction pay a fitting price!!¡¯

    The girl sensed his feelings. Her mouth arced upwards slightly as she smiled movingly.

    She then spoke one sentence.

    Hoshi didn¡¯t recognize thenguage she spoke in. Yet, he was mystically able to understand the meaning¡­

    ¡°Thank you, my dear knight.¡±

 Chapter 643 - Just how much of a misunderstanding do you have about me and him!?

    <h4>Chapter 643: Just how much of a misunderstanding do you have about me and him!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The next morning, Seiji was just about to call Hoshi when Hoshi happened to call him.

    ¡°I remember now.¡±

    Seiji raised his eyebrows upon hearing this.

    He had just wanted to discuss the matter of recovering his junior¡¯s memory. He didn¡¯t expect that Hoshi would regain his memory on his own.

    ¡°Last night, I had a dream¡­ well, perhaps it wasn¡¯t really a dream. I then recalled what I¡¯ve experienced,¡± Hoshi stated in a low voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you remember¡­ did you fight against other humans at that time?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Did they see your face?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± Seiji heaved a sigh of relief. The situation would be much better as long as Hoshi¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t exposed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the specifics at school.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Seiji then finished his breakfast and headed out for high school.

    He attended sses as usual. Seiji met up with Hoshi and the others during lunch break.

    ¡°When I was surrounded by those sticky fluid monsters, Lilith descended upon my body and used a powerful ability to deal with all those monsters.¡±

    ¡°Lilith? Is that the golden-haired girl¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Lilith is an elf. The ce that we saw¡ªthat beautiful garden with therge red-leafed tree¡ªis the ce she resides in,¡± Hoshi exined. ¡°And, those people with the red weapons have constantly been destroying her home.¡±

    ¡°Destroying?¡± Seiji blinked. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Lilith doesn¡¯t know why they keep destroying her home, either. She kept trying to hide her garden or to chase them away. Yet, she was unable to stop them.¡±

    ¡°So she descended upon your body and made use of you to fight against those people?¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t her intention to cause me to lose my memory. It was just that I was unable to fully bear her power, which was why I had a short-term memory loss,¡± Hoshi exined calmly.

    Seiji looked carefully at Hoshi¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Judging from your expression, you¡¯vepletely epted all of this.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m willing to help Lilith and fight for her cause!¡± Hoshi had a look of resolution.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cool, Amami-san,¡± Chiaki spoke up. ¡°You feel just like Seiji.¡±

    ¡°I think so as well.¡± Mika nodded in agreement.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Hoshi smiled and was about to say something else when tomboy Chiaki continued, ¡°However, you¡¯re obviously being overly na?ve¡­ Can you really trust this Lilith who¡¯s a mysterious existence from another dimension?¡±

    Hoshi¡¯s expression froze over. ¡°Wakaba-senpai¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t be saying so much¡­ if Seiji decided to help a mysterious girl, I probably wouldn¡¯t worry at all. But since it¡¯s you, Amami-san, I¡¯m rather worried.¡± Chiaki looked directly at him and spoke seriously, ¡°You should really consider and think more about what exactly you¡¯re doing.¡±

    Hoshi fell silent.

    ¡°Those red-weapon-wielding individuals belong to a dangerous organization known as the Messengers.¡± Seiji spoke up. ¡°As for how dangerous, I think that perhaps they can be equated with the mystical society¡¯s version of terrorists. I killed three members of their organization and am already opposing them. Although I might have went overboard, I don¡¯t regret what I did at all. However, it¡¯s one thing to be enemies with them whenever we meet, but it¡¯s another thing entirely to proactively be their enemy. Hoshi¡­ I can sense your resolution. But just as Chiaki said, you really should think more about this.¡±

    ¡°Senpai¡­¡± Something shed in Hoshi¡¯s eyes.

    Seiji smiled gently.

    ¡°Once you¡¯ve thought things through, and if you¡¯re still determined to help her, I will support you.¡± Seiji reached out and patted his junior on the back.

    Hoshi felt a warm feeling in his heart and smiled once again after he felt Seiji¡¯s encouragement.

    ¡°Is this really alright?¡±

    Chiaki asked Seiji this question after lunch was over and Hoshi left to go back to the middle school section.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He ended up sighing. ¡°I¡¯ve never met or seen that Lilith individual before. Judging from her actions, she¡¯s not too friendly towards humans¡­ Is this because of the Messenger organization¡¯s influence? Or is her nature simply like that? It¡¯s impossible to tell.

    ¡°Hoshi is the only person who can see her. He obtained power from her and she descended upon his body, taking advantage of him to achieve her own purpose.

    ¡°If you think about it in a negative fashion, Lilith is basically using Hoshi like her personal tool. If you think about it in a positive fashion, Hoshi is a special existence for her, and she¡¯s an excellent chance for Hoshi to speedily be stronger.

    ¡°Whether this is good or bad for Hoshi is impossible to know. I can only leave it up to Hoshi himself to decide. As for whether this is good or bad, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking,¡± Chiaki interrupted. ¡°What I¡¯m asking is, is it really alright to let your cute junior jump into someone else¡¯s arms?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Seiji paused in confusion.

    ¡°Amami-san has always been so devoted towards you all this time. Now, someone else is in his heart¡ªa mysterious and beautiful girl. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll soon escape from your harem?¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Right now, you¡¯re still definitely the number one in Amami-san¡¯s heart. As long as you prevent him from having any contact with that girl, he¡¯ll definitely obey you! And yet you¡¯re choosing to let him do as he wishes. You have no self-awareness as a harem leader at all. Honestly!¡± Chiaki pretended to pout.

    ¡°Honestly? The hell!!¡± Seiji finally reacted as he understood what she was talking about. ¡°Just what are you talking about here! Hoshi isn¡¯t a member of my harem at all, okay!!??¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re still being blind to the truth here.¡± Chiaki ignored his outburst.

    ¡°Blind? Yeah, right!! Just how much of a misunderstanding do you have about me and him!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have any misunderstandings at all. What do you think, Mika?¡±

    ¡°Chiaki is quite right.¡± The twintailed girl had a serious expression.

    ¡°Hey!!¡±

    ¡°Just admit it, Seiji. Hoshi is an important member of your harem!¡±

    ¡°Is it really alright for the two of you to give a boy the same status as you!?¡± Seiji retorted forcefully.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same at all, right, Mika?¡±

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s not the same.¡±

    ¡°Just what type of tacit agreement did the two of youe to just now!?¡±

    ¡°We think that you did something stupid just now. You should have severely scolded Amami-san and shown off your dominance as the harem king! You should havepletely removed all his thoughts of cheating on you!!¡± Chiaki made a sharpment.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s how it should be.¡± Mika nodded and added that.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a harem king!! He¡¯s not cheating on me at all!!!¡± Seijimented with all his might.

    Forget about Chiaki joking around, even Mika was joining in this time? Just what was going on!?

    ¡°When he really starts cheating on you and leaves your side, just you wait and cry.¡± Chiaki folded her arms.

    Seiji reflexively wanted toment further upon hearing this, when he suddenly realized¡­

    ¡°Your real meaning is that Hoshi might leave our team?¡±

    Chiaki revealed an expression of ¡°now you finally understand.¡±

    Mika had an expression of ¡°that¡¯s exactly what I meant.¡±

    Indeed, Seiji hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility before.

    Seiji giving Hoshi the freedom to choose might cause Hoshi to leave his team in the future¡­ that was indeed possible.

    No¡­ not only might Hoshi leave, when considering the amount of Lilith¡¯s influence on Hoshi, in the worst-case scenario, it was even possible that¡­ Hoshi might be an enemy!

 Chapter 644 - I just happened to beâ€¦ drinking tea

    <h4>Chapter 644: I just happened to be¡­ drinking tea</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Being enemies with Hoshi¡­ Seiji didn¡¯t want to think about this.

    ¡°If you look at such a possibility, perhaps it is indeed foolish of me to let Hoshi do as he pleases. Yet, I¡¯ll still let him choose for himself,¡± Seiji stated adamantly.

    ¡°You really are an idiot with no dominance over your harem at all.¡±

    ¡°If you really insist on calling me that, then I suppose I am indeed such a person.¡±

    ¡°Yet, that type of person is precisely the type that I like.¡± Chiaki changed the topic suddenly and smiled.

    ¡°Same for me.¡± Mika smiled as well.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how to respond to Chiaki and Mika¡¯s sudden direct attacks on his heart. He could only awkwardly avert his gaze.

    Karen Miyamoto was having hallucinations yet again.

    She saw a blood-red moon, a dark forest,rge and colorful monsters, blood-red eyes, the stench of blood, red moths, caterpirs, ants, beetles, locusts, centipedes¡­ A dense array of various insects filled her vision, crawling on her body and entering her cavities¡­

    She wanted to p away the insects, but her entire body was unable to move. She wasn¡¯t even able to make a single sound. All she could do was watch in horror.

    ¡®Don¡¯te over don¡¯te over don¡¯te over don¡¯te over don¡¯te over¡­¡¯

    Although she prayed furiously in her heart, the endless amount of insects continued to crawl towards her and invade her body. Karen felt itch all over.

    ¡®Itchy itchy itchy itchy itchy I¡¯m so scared I¡¯m so scared I¡¯m so scared I¡¯m so scared I¡¯m so scared!!!¡¯

    Karen felt as if she had been filled up entirely with insects, as if she would see nothing more than a wriggling mass of insects if someone cut open her skin. In fact, nothing but insects would fall out of her body. ¡®So scary so terrifying I don¡¯t want to die like this I might as well die forget it I don¡¯t want to die no I can¡¯t take it anymore I just want to dieeeeeeeee¡­¡¯

    Her consciousness became hazy and her sense of logic and reason was gradually unraveling. Her soul slowly sunk into an icy cold ocean and was about to be robbed of its final spark of light.

    ¡°Sis¡­

    ¡°Sister¡­

    ¡°Sister¡­ hurry and wake up!!¡±

    A voice transmitted itself through the final spark of light, helping to slightly recover her consciousness.

    But, she was so tired already.

    ¡®This is too difficult for me. Just let me leave like this.¡¯

    ¡°Sister¡­ Sister¡­ Sister¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you¡­

    ¡°Wake up¡­¡±

    ¡®So annoying, leave me alone, Kaho¡­¡¯

    But the moment that this name appeared in Karen¡¯s mind, she couldn¡¯t help but think about her younger sister.

    Karen suddenly woke up!

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    She kept muttering this name as she felt a warm and familiar sensation again.

    Her sinking soul was pulled back up to the surface. Her sense of logic and reason returned.

    ¡®I can¡¯t give up. I have to escape from all of this!¡¯

    Karen did her very best to regain her consciousness as she struggled with all her might to swim towards the light¡­

    Finally, her eyes were able to see the real world again.

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    ¡°Sister!!!¡±

    Kaho tightly hugged Karen who had finally woken up again. Kaho¡¯s face was filled with tear streaks.

    ¡°Wonderful¡­ wonderful¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ it¡¯s all thanks to you, Kaho¡­¡±

    Karen hugged Kaho back, with tears streaming down her cheeks as well.

    She was almost unable to return¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for her younger sister¡­

    The two sisters hugged each other with deep emotions. It was a long while before they finally let go of each other.

    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re at your limit, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kaho inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I can still go on¡­¡± Karen did her best to squeeze out a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I felt that you were in great danger just now, as if you wouldn¡¯t return!!¡± Kaho red at Karen. ¡°Tell me the truth, you¡¯re at your limit, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Karen fell silent.

    Karen treated Karen¡¯s silence as tacit agreement.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t take it anymore, you should just tell the truth. Forcing yourself is meaningless.¡± Kaho red at Karen onest time before she picked up her cell phone and dialed a certain person¡¯s number.

    Kaho exined the current situation to that person when he picked up.

    Karen quietly listened to her younger sister¡¯s phone conversation until she hung up.

    ¡°Kaho, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Karen asked in a light voice.

    Kaho blinked upon hearing this.

    ¡°How can I possibly not be afraid? But, there¡¯s no other method. This is all I can do.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Sister. There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ what should I do¡­?¡± Karen clutched her younger sister¡¯s hands.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything at all.¡± Kaho looked directly at her. ¡°We¡¯re sisters¡­ if I was the one who met a demon, Sister would help me as well.¡±

    Karen didn¡¯t know what else to say after hearing this.

    They both silently stayed like this until Seigo Harano called back.

    They left their home and saw a very expensive-appearing ck luxury car in front of their home. The windbreaker-wearing handsome boy was standing in front of the car, smiling and waving towards them.

    A young master! This phrase entered Karen and Kaho¡¯s minds simultaneously. They felt as if Seigo had stepped right out of an idol television drama filming set.

    ¡°Seigo, this car¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Natsuya¡¯s car.¡±

    ¡°President Yoruhana?¡±

    ¡°Yep. When you called me earlier, I just happened to be¡­ drinking tea together with her.¡±

    There was a subtle pause in Seigo¡¯s words.

    Seeing his expression, Kaho couldn¡¯t help but imagine that he was actually doing something apart from only ¡°drinking tea¡± together with President Yoruhana¡­ causing her heart to reflexively tighten up.

    It was already confirmed ever sincest Monday that Seigo and President Yoruhana were an official couple.

    Kaho didn¡¯t want to recall what she felt on that day¡ªan entire day of unhappiness.

    But, there was nothing she could do.

    Seigo Harano and Natsuya Yoruhana made an excellent match for each other, a perfect pair. All that Kaho could do was silently give them her blessings and suppress the feelings in her heart.

    But right now, an indescribable sense of frustration was welling up within her. She was unable to control this unstoppable emotion at all.

    This was despite the fact that he clearly didn¡¯t do anything wrong at all. Kaho knew that she had probably interrupted his intimate time with his girlfriend, and not only did he not get angry, he even arrived immediately to pick them up¡­ he was already being so gentle to them.

    ¡°Please get on the car,dies.¡± Seiji opened the car door and invited the Miyamoto sisters on as if he was their personal servant.

    Kaho did her best to smile as she got on the car.

    Karen followed after. Seiji was thest one to get on. He then asked the driver to begin driving.

    Everyone remained silent for a moment inside the car.

    ¡°Harano-kun, whom were you and Kaho talking about earlier?¡± Karen broke the silence and asked a question.

    ¡°Natsuya Yoruhana. She¡¯s the student council president at Genhana High School, as well as my girlfriend,¡± Seiji replied.

    ¡°Your girlfriend!?¡±

    ¡°Yep. We just confirmed our rtionshipst week.¡±

    Confirmed¡­ that would be after the ¡°body inspection¡± that Seigo did for Karen.

    Karen¡¯s face flushed red in embarrassment as she recalled that scene.

    But, rather than her own embarrassment, she was more concerned about her younger sister right now!

    She turned around to see that Kaho was quietly looking out the car window.

    Although she couldn¡¯t see Kaho¡¯s expression, Karen knew as Kaho¡¯s older sister that her younger sister currently had a negative aura about her.

    Karen knew she probably shouldn¡¯t ask more, but she couldn¡¯t suppress her curiosity about this Natsuya Yoruhana character.

    ¡°This car belongs to Yoruhana-san?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s the scion of a major family. They have a lot of money.¡±

    A wealthy female scion¡­ Karen instantly thought of various tropes about this type of person.

    With Seigo Harano¡¯s physical features and qualities, it didn¡¯t seem strange at all to her that he would have a wealthy female scion as his girlfriend.

    ¡°Are we going to meet her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s also a Spiritual Ability user. The ce she lives at has a room that¡¯s specially used for spellcasting. It would be better to remove the demon energy from your body there,¡± Seiji exined.

    Not only was she a student council president and a wealthy scion, she was even a Spiritual Ability user!

    Karen couldn¡¯t help but imagine a beautiful, regal, and powerful girl who would be high above all others like a queen.

 Chapter 645 - Why is it always the breasts!?

    <h4>Chapter 645: Why is it always the breasts!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    And then, Karen really did meet Natsuya.

    When Karen saw Natsuya Yoruhana for the first time, she felt that Natsuya was basically exactly like what she¡¯d imagined¡­ except that the real person exceeded her imagination and was even more outstanding!

    Natsuya was noble and had a stunning aura about her. She seemed like a perfect match for Seigo Harano.

    Inparison¡­ Karen nced over at her younger sister Kaho.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Little Sis. There¡¯s noparison at all.¡¯

    Karen felt sorry for Kaho. But by now, Kaho had finished adjusting her emotions and appeared to be quite calm.

    After that, Seiji took the sisters to the spellcasting room.

    Upon entering the room, the sisters were astounded by the whitenterns, runes, and spell formations etched in the room.

    ¡°Transferring the demon energy will require your bodies to be in direct contact with each other,¡± Seiji spoke up with an awkward expression. ¡°More specifically, both of you need to remove all upper body clothing and press your chests against each other.¡±

    What?

    Both Kaho and Karen were shocked to hear this.

    ¡°Chests¡­ against each other?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because the demon energy needs to be transferred through that location on your bodies as a medium. Clothes can¡¯t be worn there because clothes will interfere with the process.¡± Seiji turned around. ¡°I won¡¯t sneak any peeks¡­ call out to me after the two of you are finished making that pose.¡±

    Kaho and Karen were both rendered speechless.

    Although he imed that he wouldn¡¯t sneak any peeks, it would still be incredibly embarrassing to make such a pose!

    The Miyamoto Sisters exchanged nces and both saw that the other was blushing red.

    Everyone remained silent for a while. Kaho was the first who raised her hands.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take our upper body clothes off¡­ Sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Why was it always the breasts!? The previous ¡°inspection¡± was about massaging the breasts, and this time required exposing the breasts¡­ and it even got her younger sister involved this time!!

    Karen became somewhat angered in her embarrassment.

    For a short instant, she even wanted to tell on him to his girlfriend, Natsuya Yoruhana. However, she instantly banished such a thought from her mind.

    She was grateful to Seigo Harano for being willing to help her. She didn¡¯t even know how she could pay him back yet, and she wanted to tell on him to his girlfriend? That seemed like it would be so terrible of her.

    The previous inspection, and this time as well¡­ there was no helping it! Because there were no other methods avable.

    Karen decided to trust in him and treat all of this as something necessary as if it was a doctor¡¯s visit.

    Yet, she still couldn¡¯t help her sense of embarrassment.

    Karen and Kaho both slowly removed their shirts and bras. With reddened faces, they approached and smashed their breasts against each other.

    Due to the bounciness, the two sisters naturally had to hug each other in order to stand steadily.

    The sisters had never done something like this before! Kaho and Karen nced at each other¡¯s reddened faces in embarrassment and directly felt the other¡¯s warmth, softness, and heartbeat. Both of them felt a rather subtly wondrous sensation from this.

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ ready.¡± Kaho did her best to withstand the embarrassment.

    Seiji turned around with a serious expression as if he was a priest with zero earthly desires.

    He did his very best not to have his image copse in front of such a beautiful scene. Seiji started creating a seal and uttering an incantation.

    Soon, Kaho and Karen noticed the atmosphere around them beginning to change.

    Something they couldn¡¯t see gradually filled the air around them and entered their bodies as they breathed. This invisible something gave them a warm feeling.

    Not only were their bodies feeling warmer, they also felt the temperature in the room beginning to rise. After that, the ceiling, floor, and all around them started to glow as well. Their entire vision was filled with a mystical golden glow.

    At this moment, Seiji walked up to the two of them. He ced his right hand on Kaho¡¯s shoulder and his left hand on Karen¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Ahn~¡± Karen started to moan.

    She felt something warm flowing within her, reaching deep inside her body, making her exquisitelyfortable¡­ This was simr to what she¡¯d felt during thest inspection, only stronger.

    She wanted to withstand this feeling, but found it impossible. Soon, her body began to tremble and her consciousness became hazy.

    When the warm sensation came into contact with the icy sensation hidden deep within her body, Karen felt a stimtion that was several times stronger than before!

    ¡°Eeyah~~¡± Karen started trembling all over as she shouted loudly with a dazed expression on her face.

    Kaho¡¯s face waspletely red now. Not only was this because she saw how her sister was behaving from such a close distance, it was also because she also felt an indescribablyfortable sensation from the warm feeling flowing within her body.

    Kaho grit her teeth in an effort not to allow herself to start shouting or moaning as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to begin transferring the demon energy¡­ Prepare yourself, Kaho.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ve long since been prepared! Hurry and finish already!!¡¯

    Kaho really wanted to shout that out loud. This current situation was just far too embarrassing!

    ¡°Ahh¡­ Wah¡­ Yah¡­¡±

    Karen¡¯s body shook as she moaned rather sexily. She had a nk expression on herpletely flushed face, her eyes were tearing up, she was drooling, and even her tongue was sticking out slightly.

    She had an expression almost as if she was the female lead of an adult doujinshi.

    Kaho really didn¡¯t want to see her older sister looking like this¡­ so she closed her eyes.

    However, Kaho then instantly felt herself sinking into an icy darkness!

    An abnormally cold chill invaded her body, making her feel as if she had just fallen into cold water naked. She was enveloped by an endless pitch-ck darkness.

    Kaho was frightened to the point of wanting to scream. However, she was unable to move her body or make a single sound.

    The cold gradually invaded her body and caused the warmth to dissipate. The coldness was recing the warmness.

    This process wasn¡¯t painful, yet she was terrified. It felt as if her very soul was slowly sinking.

    Kaho¡¯s consciousness became hazy. Colors were beginning to sh around her. She could sense that some sort of terrifying existence was approaching closer.

    ¡®This is¡­ the monster that Sister mentioned¡­¡¯

    A pair of blood-red eyes suddenly appeared! These eyes were dark red and had strange runes inside them. Just being stared at by these eyes made Kaho feel like her own sense of self was slowly being deleted, as if this presence was devouring her very soul.

    ¡®So scary¡­ so frightening¡­ yet¡­

    ¡®So beautiful.¡¯

    Kaho was attracted by this pair of eyes.

    These eyes were something extraordinary, something inhuman. They were a demon¡¯s eyes that wouldn¡¯t be found anywhere in nature.

    These eyes had an ominous and frightening aura about them. Yet, this was how these eyes were supposed to be!

    Kaho saw how beautiful the eyes were and couldn¡¯t help but praise their beauty in her heart.

    Her sister felt that this monster was frightening. Indeed, it was frightening, but it was also¡­

    Just as she was thinking this, her soul seemed to sink even deeper. All the colors vanished as the blood-red eyes hid away in the darkness. All sorts of insects suddenly appeared!

    Kaho¡¯s heart was filled with nothing but fear when faced with the teeming horde of insects.

    ¡®Don¡¯te over¡­¡¯

    She was unable to call out for help. But even if she had been able to, that wouldn¡¯t have helped one bit with what happened next.

    The insects crawled towards her, crawled all over her body, and began entering her body through her skin.

    ¡®So itchy¡­ so itchy itchy itchy itchy itchy itchy itchy itchy!!!!!¡¯

    She was unable to move and unable to resist. Kaho was disgusted to the extreme¡­

    This was what her sister had constantly been enduring¡­

    Kaho wanted to scream out pitifully. She wanted to shout out for someone to save her. She wanted to be freed of all this, yet that was impossible.

    ¡®This is what you willed upon yourself, to rece your sister,¡¯ a tiny voice whispered that in her mind.

    ¡®Yes, I willingly did this to myself¡­ It¡¯s my own fault¡­¡¯ Tears started pouring out of Kaho¡¯s eyes.

    In her fear, shakiness, and confusion, she then saw those blood-red eyes again.

 Chapter 646 - Sister, you actually really enjoyed that, didnâ€™t you?

    <h4>Chapter 646: Sister, you actually really enjoyed that, didn¡¯t you?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji retracted his hands and asked the sisters, ¡°The demon energy transfer isplete¡­ how do you two feel?¡±

    There was no reply.

    It took a while before Karen regained her senses. Kaho also opened her eyes at this time.

    ¡°Sister¡­ are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­ But Kaho, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine as well¡­ I feel better now.¡±

    After confirming that the sisters were fine, Seiji hurriedly left the room as the sisters were still naked from the waist up.

    ¡°Kaho, are you really alright?¡± Karen looked at her younger sister in worry.

    ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± Kaho responded calmly. ¡°Although I was rather ufortable just now, I no longer feel anything.¡±

    Actually, she still felt something.

    However, what she felt wasn¡¯t pain or fear. It was an indescribable subtle yet wondrous sensation.

    Kaho was unable to describe what this sensation was, but she didn¡¯t feel that it was bad at all.

    However, she knew that if she stated this out loud, her sister would likely think that there was something wrong with her. And so, Kaho did her best to keep up a calm expression.

    After they finished putting on their clothes, Kaho saw that Karen still had an apologetic expression as if she owed Kaho. So, Kaho smiled at her sister. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry¡­ I¡¯m not like you. I won¡¯t force myself to bear things that I can¡¯t. If I can¡¯t withstand it, I¡¯ll mention it immediately.¡±

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡± Karen looked at her younger sister. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Karen was clearer than anyone about just what kind of pain her younger sister was helping to share the burden of. Apart from thanking Kaho, Karen couldn¡¯t think of anything else that she could say.

    Kaho smiled and didn¡¯t respond.

    Before the sisters left, they saw Natsuya Yoruhana once again.

    However, Kaho felt something slightly different inside this second time that she met the brilliantly shining student council president. Still, Kaho didn¡¯t allow any of this to show in her expression.

    This was a rather subtle change in her mentality. Yet, Kaho herself didn¡¯t know why she had changed her mentality¡­ or, more urately speaking, she didn¡¯t care to analyze deeper.

    Seiji apanied them out the door of Natsuya¡¯s residence and got on her car together with the Miyamoto Sisters. He apanied the sisters all the way to their home.

    Kaho also felt that something had subtly changed within her regarding her feelings for this gentle and handsome boy. This felt slightly off to her, but it was actually alright for her as well.

    ¡°Pay attention to see if anything happens. Contact me instantly if anything does¡­ Have a good night, both of you.¡± Seiji smiled and said goodbye after taking the Miyamoto Sisters home.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m quite grateful to Harano-kun, both times he helped out were so embarrassing, honestly.¡± Karen vented herints slightly after returning home.

    ¡°Heh heh¡­ indeed.¡± Kaho chuckled.

    Her chuckle sounded a little abnormal.

    Karen nced at her younger sister, only to see that she had a seemingly normal expression.

    ¡°Kaho¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with what?¡±

    ¡°I feel like something¡¯s a little strange about you¡­¡±

    ¡°What part is strange?¡±

    ¡°Yourugh just now¡­¡±

    ¡°I think Iughed quite normally.¡± Kaho rolled her eyes at Karen. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m fine¡­ I know that you¡¯re worried about me, Sister, but you don¡¯t need to watch me so closely like that. I¡¯ll tell you if there¡¯s anything going on.¡±

    ¡°¡­You absolutely have to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not you, don¡¯t make me repeat that again.¡± Kaho paused for a moment as her lips arched slightly upward. ¡°By the way, Sister, you actually really enjoyed that, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Your expression at that time was so sexy. The same forst time as well¡­ You actually felt really good, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Karen was rendered speechless.

    Her face instantly started burning up after hearing her younger sister saying that!

    ¡°Not¡­ not at all! What ridiculous things are you saying, Kaho!!¡±

    ¡°But it was quite obvious that you were enjoying it. Last time, I felt too awkward to say anything, but this time I can¡¯t help myself anymore.¡± Kaho averted her gaze. ¡°Sister¡­ your expression at the time was just like that of a female main character in an adult doujinshi who loves getting fu*ked. That was how ero you looked.¡±

    ¡°Wahh, nooo!!!!¡± Karen covered her burning face with her hands.

    ¡°As your younger sister, it was quite awkward of me to see that¡­ Seigo really is quite something, being able to remain gentlemanly even after seeing you like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything more, it¡¯s all Harano-kun¡¯s fault!!!!¡± Karen was embarrassed to the extreme. She ran off all in tears while continuing to cover her face.

    Kaho felt great pleasure in having teased her older sister like that.

    ¡®Eh? Why am I feeling such delight?

    ¡®And why did I do such a thing?¡¯

    Kaho thought about it for only a moment before deciding not to think too much on this matter. Besides, she felt really great right now.

    Kaho returned to her own room, opened the window, gazed out at the night sky, and slowly took a deep breath.

    Indescribable emotions were welling up within her. She felt as if even this dark night sky was actually rather cute.

    What Kaho didn¡¯t realize was that some blood-red runes were currently visible in her eyes, glowing in the darkness.

    It was now one month after the publication of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±.

    Seiji had now umted six shards for a [Brother Monogatari character reward card]. He only needed one more shard to redeem a character reward card!

    The Bloodwine Ritual tournament was almost upon him. He couldn¡¯t afford to wait around any longer. Seiji decided to use random draws to obtain the final shard he needed.

    He had many random draw shards. Should hebine them together to use on the random draw, or should he random draw using his points?

    Seiji chose to use his points as he felt that would have a higher chance of giving him what he wanted.

    Seiji activated a random draw shard using his points, creating a golden card with a question mark on it. He then activated the card.

    The card instantly broke up into white pieces of scattered light and speedily formed a new card¡­

    [Energy restoration card]!

    He didn¡¯t get what he wanted. Still, this item¡­ seemed alright.

    Let¡¯s go, second draw¡­

    [Writing ability improvement card]!

    This seemed pretty good as well.

    Third draw¡­

    [Fighting skills improvement card]!

    That was nice as well as it would improve hisbat abilities.

    Fourth draw¡­

    [Favorability rating increase doubling card]!

    That was okay as well.

    Fifth draw¡­

    [Energy restoration card]!

    That was his second one.

    On the seventh draw¡­

    [Random draw shard]!

    He got a shard, but it was a shard for yet another random draw!

    Seiji paused in surprise here.

    Even the random draw shard, which cost points for a random draw, counted as an item in its own item pool¡­? His system was quite vicious!

    This was a pure andplete waste of his points. Seiji grit his teeth in anger at this obvious point sink.

    Yet, he still had to continue random drawing.

    Eighth, ninth, and tenth¡­ he was unable to get the [Brother Monogatari character reward card shard] that he wanted in the first ten draws.

    Although Seiji had already mentally prepared himself, he still felt a pain in his heart at seeing his stored points vanish down the drain.

    Fortunately, he only drew the [Random draw shard] once in the first ten draws. All the other draws gave him useful cards, so at least his heart didn¡¯t hurt too much.

    He continued drawing¡­ and still didn¡¯t get what he wanted by the twentieth draw.

    ¡®System, could you please publicize the odds of drawing each type of item!?¡¯

    System: No.

    Seiji imagined this conversation in his mind and wanted to really beat up his system that he envisioned as a fairy!

    He grit his teeth and continued the random draws¡­ Hepleted thirty¡­ forty¡­

    ¡°I just want a [Brother Monogatari character reward card shard], just one! Please,e already!!¡± Seiji sped his hands together and begged sincerely.

    He had two more random draws to go before he repeated the pain of going 42 draws without a single SSR like in his previous life.

    41st draw¡ª[Random draw shard]!

    Seiji felt as if his system was directly taunting him.

    He took a deep breath and did his best to pacify his emotions. He calmly continued to draw.

    42nd draw¡ª[Random draw shard]!

    The hell, was his system ying a joke on him!?

    Random draw shard twice in session¡­ his system was really just too much!

    Seiji was so angry that he almost wanted to cry.

    Yet, this might also be the darkness before the light of dawn, the trial of despair before the light of hope!

    He would surpass his former pain! Ovee the current difficulty! Courageously continue down this path!! 43rd draw¡­

    [Random draw shard]!

    Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

    44th, 45th, 46th draw¡­

    [Brother Monogatari character reward card shard]!

    Seiji furiously pulled random draws continuously andpletely lost track of how many draws he¡¯d performed when he finally obtained the item that he was looking for.

 Chapter 647 - Get away from my little sister!

    <h4>Chapter 647: Get away from my little sister!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji had finally gathered the seven shards, so he could summon the dragonball¡­ whoops, the character reward card.

    He had performed so many random draws and spent so many points, all for the sake of obtaining the final shard. If the character reward card that he obtained in the end had a weak effect, then he would definitely load! What then, system?

    Seiji kept mutteringints to himself but still had great expectations as hebined the seven shards in his system.

    There was a silver sh as a gold-edged card appeared in front of him with a white glow. Shinji Kamizaki, the handsome male lead of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±, was drawn upon this card, looking in Seiji¡¯s direction.

    [¡°Brother Monogatari¡± character reward card, Shinji Kamizaki. ¡°I have a younger sister who¡¯s not my blood-rted younger sister.¡±]

    [This card can be repeatedly obtained. However, you can only use one card at a time.]

    [This is a one-time use card. Use to summon Shinji Kamizaki upon your own body. The effective duration will be 5 minutes. Afterwards, this card will disappear.]

    [You can merge this card with another card of the same name, forming a stronger version of this card.]

    [Physical ability, charisma, and spiritual power stats all increased by 1.]

    [You now deal an additional 5% damage to demon type creatures.]

    [You now have an additional 10% improved defense against demon type creatures.]

    [Additional ability one: Adrenaline Rush.]

    [After activating Adrenaline Rush, your physical abilities will be explosively raised to the maximum. All sense of fatigue will be eliminated and all pain will be dulled. The effective duration will be seven minutes. Limited to one use per day. ¡°I have a demon¡¯s body.¡±]

    [Additional ability two: Wind sh.]

    [Spiritual weapon technique. Requires a sword-type weapon to cast. Send out a high-speed sh attack that also has the effect of burning the opponent through friction. This ability will consume physical energy and Mana. ¡°Take this!¡±]

    [Additional ability three: Don¡¯t Touch my Younger Sister.]

    [This ability can only be activated if you have someone that you recognize as an adopted younger sister, if she is currently within your field of vision, and if there is another male individual within five meters of her. Activate this ability to instantly restore a portion of your physical energy and Mana. For a short time being, your speed and attack power will be greatly increased. Limited to three uses per day. ¡°Get away from my little sister!¡±]

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He really wanted toment on that final ability! It was basically the personification of the power of being a sis-con.

    But upon calm analysis, this was a unique and powerful ability¡ªespecially the part where he could instantly recover some Mana!

    Seiji already had plenty of abilities and items that could recover his physical energy or improve his speed or attack power. Yet, he had never possessed a single ability or item which could ¡°restore his Mana¡± until he obtained this character reward card!

    Right, not a single one.

    There wasn¡¯t even a single Mana restoration item amongst all the items that he received on Valentine¡¯s Day from his system!

    Judging from this fact, ¡°Mana restoration¡± had to be a rather valuable ability. It was truly excellent that he had now obtained such an ability.

    The activation conditions were a bit strange. Still, it likely wouldn¡¯t be a problem as he would soon be participating in the Bloodwine Ritual tournament together with Shika¡­ Simply speaking, he could activate it any time that Shika was in a meleebat situation with a male opponent.

    Seiji tried to imagine the following scenario: while Shika was fighting against a male opponent, Seiji would activate [Don¡¯t Touch my Younger Sister] to instantly recover some physical energy and mana, and speedily rush over to sh at the enemy¡­ wait a moment!

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched as he looked over the second ability, [Wind sh].

    This [Wind sh] ability was a perfectplement to the [Don¡¯t Touch my Younger Sister] ability¡­ his system must have done this on purpose!

    ¡°Heh heh, are you satisfied now, my dear? How about giving me a five-star review?¡±¡ªSeiji imagined his system making such ament.

    Of course he would give this a five-star review.

    Using the second ability, [Wind sh], by itself seemed quite good as well. There was no need toment on the first ability, as improving one¡¯s physical abilities was quite amon type of main character ability. Although seven minutes was only enough to cook and eat some instant noodles, that was still good enough for him. The only pity was that [Adrenaline Rush] could only be used once per day.

    There was one more ability¡­ no, he should call it the card¡¯s effect. This was the most obvious difference between the character reward cards for real people vs. fictional: this card itself was usable!

    Thest effect was to summon ¡°Shinji Kamizaki¡± upon himself for five minutes.

    There was no description at all of this ability. But, just from the fact that this character reward card would disappear after using it meant that it would definitely be a powerful effect!

    Character reward cards were quite precious already. The power obtained for using up this card as a consumable would definitely be incredible.

    ¡®Well, if not, I¡¯ll definitely be cursing my system and then load.¡¯ Seiji made up his mind.

    This card was a consumable, but he could also repeatedly obtain the [Shinji Kamizaki character reward card]. Plus, he could even merge the cards together to strengthen the effects¡­ he felt that this was just like a mobile game.

    Even if he obtained multiple of the same card, only one would take effect at once. Basically, he would be unable to use the limited-use abilities more times per day even if he had more cards. Nor would the passive buffs against demons stack with each other.

    If he wanted these abilities to be stronger, he would have to merge more cards. He could either summon Shinji Kamizaki as an ace card up his sleeve, or keep the card¡¯s passive effects and abilities¡­ that type of choice.

    Seiji really wanted to try summoning the male lead of the story that he wrote. What type of existence would Shinji be like, and how powerful would he be with Shinji descending upon his body?

    Shinji was a fictional character that Seiji and Shika created together. Would Shinji be simr to Idelia, an NPC-like spirit that Mayuzumi Amami summoned from ¡°Honey Candy Girl¡±? Or would he be like the ghost Ya-chan that Miyabi Ishihara summoned who was able to move about independently? Or¡­ would he be like a heroic spirit, an existence with his own will? Or even a being from another dimension entirely, like Prince Adnan?

    And if thest was the case, just what exactly would happen when author and created character made contact¡­?

    Seiji thought about it for a moment, but then decided to stop thinking about it for now.

    This was the only character reward card he had for a fictional character so far. He definitely wouldn¡¯t use it up unless he was pushed to the brink.

    All in all, it was worth it to have spent so many points on finally obtaining this character reward card.

    As for the remaining [Random draw shards]¡­ Seiji supposed that he would leave them be.

    Although it really made him suffer with how many [Random draw shards] he drew with the random draw itself, the random draw was still the only method by which he could obtain character reward card shards. Once he was richer in points, he woulde back and perform arge amount of random draws in one go again.

    ¡­Was it actually because it was really fun to pull random draws?

    Not at all! Seiji adamantly rejected this notion.

    His remaining amount of points was enough for him to build the [Guest Room] in his [Spirit House]. Still, he didn¡¯t have enough remaining to build the [Dojo].

    In the future, he would need to save enough points to build the [Dojo] so that hispanions could have a safe ce to practice cultivation¡­ Should he build the [Guest Room] now and check it out?

    Seiji thought about it and decided to check things out.

    He immediately clicked on [Spirit House] in his system and then chose [Guest Room], paying 233 points to build it.

    To his surprise, Seiji now saw a progress bar of [The Guest Room is currently under construction. Progress, 0%¡­]

    He actually had to wait for itspletion? Seiji nced at the speed that the bar was going up by. He decided to go to the bathroom and then pour himself some more tea.

    After that, he browsed the inte for a while. When thepletion rate finally reached 100%, [Guest Room] immediately lit up in his system. Right after that, new options appeared¡­

    [Bathroom], [Shower], [Bedroom], [Kitchen], [Dining Room], [Warehouse], and [Furniture].

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He was literally building aplete house here!

    [Bathroom] required a payment of 299 points to build. Of course, there was no need to describe its effects. This room would obviously be required if anyone wanted to stay in the [Spirit House] for a long period of time.

    [Shower] required a payment of 369 points to build. Apart from washing one¡¯s body here, this shower would also have the effects of helping to recover part of one¡¯s physical energy and mental spirit.

    [Bedroom] also required a payment of 369 points to build. Here, sleeping for 3 hours would be the equivalent of getting enough rest for a full day.

    [Kitchen] also required a payment of 369 points to build. You could bring food from the outside world here to cook. There would be a percentage chance to cook food with special effects.

    [Dining Room] was still 369 points to build. Eating food here also had a percentage chance of obtaining various effects.

    [Warehouse] was 369 points yet again. A certain number of objects could be stored within it. The [Warehouse] could be opened up without needing to enter the [Spirit House], but opening up the [Warehouse] would require a payment of 8 points. All outside world objects brought into the [Spirit House] had to be stored within the [Warehouse]. Otherwise, outside objects left behind in the [Spirit House] would automatically disappear if left behind after the user left.

    [Furniture] would obviously add all sorts of furniture to the [Spirit House]. The furniture obtained in this method couldn¡¯t be brought outside into the real world, but the furniture also wouldn¡¯t disappear from the [Spirit House].

    This was truly a gigantic points sink.

    Seiji had already expected this and wasn¡¯t shaken at all¡­ Of course that wasn¡¯t the case!!

    At this moment, Seiji recalled how terrified he had been of housing prices in his previous life, and the humiliation of being unable to afford even the first down payment¡­

 Chapter 648 - I hope to continue being able to interact with you like this

    <h4>Chapter 648: I hope to continue being able to interact with you like this</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It took a while for Seiji to finally calm down.

    He then carefully looked over the effects of all the new rooms that appeared.

    They all had their own uses. The bathroom was actually the most useless room if you only looked at special effects.

    That was because all outside objects that weren¡¯t stored in the warehouse would automatically disappear once the user exited the Spirit House without taking the object. So, theoretically speaking, even if there wasn¡¯t a bathroom, going to the bathroom in some other room meant that what was left behind would eventually disappear without any need to take care of it.

    However, Seiji felt that it was an issue of being a cultured person.

    Although it was technically fine not to build a bathroom, going to the bathroom just wherever felt horribly uncultured to him. Plus, it would be even more awkward if he invited hispanions to his Spirit House. So although the bathroom was the most useless room in that it had no special effects, it was still the most necessary room of all.

    The bathroom cost 299 points to build. Although it was slightly cheaper than all the other rooms which cost 369, the bathroom was still more expensive than the living room. It was still a pitfall of points!

    Seiji categorized the shower and bedroom that both had restorative properties as the same type of room. Although they had nice abilities, these rooms weren¡¯t super-attractive.

    The kitchen and dining room that could add extra effects to the food were nice as well. These were both the same category of food buffs, but unfortunately there was only a ¡°certain percentage¡±, without even an exact percentage being given. This was yet another pitfall.

    The warehouse that could be entered by itself was just like a personal dimensional storage. This was quite excellent, yet it was also a pitfall because it required a payment of 8 points every time that it was opened up.

    Out of six rooms, the bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and warehouse were all pitfalls¡­ His system was such an evil real estate agent.

    System: ¡°Just admit it if you can¡¯t afford it. Obediently save up your points. I don¡¯t give out any loans, and I won¡¯t ept payments in installments~¡±

    Seiji imagined his system as a fairy that he could practice punching practice on!

    After an imagined sandbag workout, Seiji felt hollow inside as he checked out the [Furniture] option.

    After checking this portion out, Seiji imagined himself beating up the system fairy yet again!

    Forget about normal furniture choices like tables, chairs, and cupboards, the system even sold items like flooring, walls, and the ceiling! This meant that the basic state of the [Living Room] was actually apletely empty space¡­ Why wasn¡¯t there anything given along with the living room at all!

    System: ¡°If you want your living room toe with something, then it¡¯ll be a higher price. Is that alright, dear?¡±

    Seiji: ¡°I knew you would say that!¡±

    He really wanted to beat up his system, but that was something impossible. Even the conversations were allpletely imagined by himself. The more he thought, the more hollow he felt inside¡­

    His real system was just as quiet as it had always been. No matter if Seiji hated or loved his system, his system always remained there, emotionless, with no sadness or happiness.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s nice that you¡¯re so quiet, sometimes I do want to chat a little with you, System.¡± Seiji poked at the system¡¯s interface.

    System: ¡°Hmph.¡±

    The system in Seiji¡¯s imagination was bing so lifelike and devilish.

    Seiji felt impressed by his own imagination. He then finished checking all the furniture options.

    There were two types of furniture: those with special abilities and those without.

    The furniture without special abilities were all ordinary items that would cost 100 points at the very most. Yet, the furniture with special abilities such as helping to recover physical energy or mental spirit, cast buffs, store outside objects, and so on, started from 255 points at the very cheapest!

    Looking at things now, the [Living Room] which cost 233 points seemed almost cheap inparison!

    System: ¡°You¡¯ve finally realized¡­¡±

    Seiji: ¡°Shut up!¡±

    At any rate, the furniture with special effects was just like luxury items with its price range. Seiji decided to focus first on the cheap and practical furniture.

    With his realization that the [Living Room] in his [Spirit House] waspletely empty, Seiji lost all motivation to go inside and take a look. There was no use going inside now, after all. Besides, even visiting his [Spirit House] would require a points payment, so he might as well save more points instead.

    There was now only one day until the Bloodwine Ritual tournament would begin.

    Seiji and Shika both stopped practicing cultivation and took the day off to idly rest.

    On this evening, Seiji¡¯s harem was busy cooking in the kitchen.

    Not only were Mika and Chiaki cooking, even Natsuya had arrived to help cook up a major feast together!

    When Seiji saw his three beautiful girlfriends all wearing aprons and cooking together in the kitchen, he felt that he had achieved great visual and mental satisfaction. Perhaps it could even be said that he was overly fortunate.

    His harem was cooking a meal together¡­ did this count as a death g?

    Even if this was a death g, he would still eat their meal!

    ¡°When Mdy requested my advice about how to give Young Master Haruta more encouragement for the tournament, my first rmendation was for us to go visit the swimming pool,¡± Mai, who was sitting across from Seiji, suddenly spoke up. ¡°As long as Young Master Haruta witnesses Mdy¡¯s beauty in her swimsuit, he would definitely have a strong urge to reproduce, thus acquiring a stronger desire to survive, which will be an effective motivator in increasing his chances of survival. That¡¯s what I told Mdy.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Mai¡¯s words sounded problematic, yet Seiji found himself unable to counter them!

    Natsuya in her swimsuit¡­ just imagining this was about to get Seiji excited! If he truly witnessed such a scene, it would likely be just as the maid said¡ªhe would have the urge to reproduce.

    All of this indeed sounded quite logical then. But, could you please not state it so explicitly? Seiji tried to express such a meaning with his eyes.

    Mai smiled. ¡°Yet Mdy rejected this proposal of mine because she felt that this would greatly displease Kagura-san. And so, cooking is what we settled on¡­ Do you think that it¡¯s such a pity, Young Master Haruta?¡±

    Seiji was unable to deny this. He could only nod his head.

    As a man, of course he really wanted to see his girlfriend in a swimsuit!

    ¡°Then do your best to survive. Only by surviving will you have the chance to see Mdy in a swimsuit.¡± Mai looked directly at him.

    Seiji blinked at this.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Senpai.¡± He then smiled.

    ¡°However, if all you manage to do is survive, your chances of seeing her in a swimsuit will be miniscule. So, you should still fight to your utmost to win the entire tournament.¡± Mai suddenly changed her tone.

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    These seeming words of encouragement sounded rather strange.

    ¡°I shall do my very best to obtain victory, since I have no desire to split up from Natsuya.¡± Seiji also sipped on some tea. ¡°Also, Senpai¡­ if the Yoruhana Family forces Natsuya to leave me, then Senpai probably also won¡¯t have much interaction with me anymore.¡±

    Mai paused in her movements for a brief moment upon hearing this.

    ¡°That would definitely be true.¡± Something shed in her eyes. ¡°As I¡¯m a maid, the only reason I¡¯m currently sitting here together with Young Master Haruta is because of Mdy. If Mdy leaves your side, we won¡¯t be able to be like this anymore.¡±

    ¡°So, I may be fighting for Natsuya, but I¡¯m not only fighting for Natsuya.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°I¡¯m also fighting to be able to continue interacting with you, Senpai.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only a maid. There¡¯s no benefits in continuing to interact with me.¡±

    ¡°How can you say that there are no benefits? Senpai has helped me so much already. You¡¯ve also taken so much care of Shika-chan and the others. Even just chatting normally like this makes me so happy,¡± Seiji stated sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful to Senpai, and hope to continue being able to interact with you like this.¡±

    Mai couldn¡¯t help but avert her gaze from the handsome boy¡¯s sincere smile.

    ¡°¡­Nothing but ttery¡­¡± she muttered in a tiny voice.

    ¡°Eh? What did you say, Senpai?¡± Seiji didn¡¯t hear her clearly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t help you with much at all¡­ although we have indeed known each other for some time now. Yet you still haven¡¯t made any progress in that area at all.¡± Mai lowered her head and sipped on some tea.

    ¡°Progress¡­? In what area?¡± Seiji was rather confused.

    ¡°Figure it out for yourself, Young Master Haruta.¡±

    Mai recalled the time when she first met him andpared it to now. She deeply felt that he truly hadn¡¯t changed in that area at all.

    Even though Seiji was much stronger now, he was still an idiot.

 Chapter 649 - Was it really alright to be so blissful right before the major tournamentâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 649: Was it really alright to be so blissful right before the major tournament battle?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Mai was the only one who came together with Natsuya. Neither Hitaka nor Rana came to visit Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    Natsuya¡¯s two Spirit-branded Retainers had already given Seiji their encouragement.

    Hitaka gave him a custom-made chess piece, while Rana gave him a physical copy of a new and popr video game¡­ these two vastly different presents both contained the same heartfelt encouragement. Seiji could tell by the gifts he received through his system.

    The chess piece brought along three reward cards named ¡°Encouragement¡±, ¡°Expectations¡±, and ¡°Trust¡±, while the video game awarded him with three cards that had identical names but different effects.

    Hitaka¡¯s cards awarded him with cards that were a one-time temporary buff for his sword techniques¡¯ attack power, a one-time buff for his defensive spells or techniques, and a card that could restore his physical energy and heal physical wounds. Rana¡¯s cards awarded him with temporary stealth, a short duration buff for his speed and dexterity, and one chance to cast any spell without using mana¡­ they were all quite practical cards.

    Seiji was truly grateful for their feelings.

    At this moment, Reo was happily ying the video game that Rana had given to Seiji. The television screen showed a bulky man who wore tight-fitting clothes. This man speedily built a house and used that house as his base to shoot at his enemies with a bubble gun. His enemies were all sent flying and exploded in brilliant shes of light.

    At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Seiji opened the door to see that Kaede Juumonji and Nozomi Uehara hade to visit him.

    When the blonde-haired teacher entered, she greeted Mai and asked Reo about what type of game she was ying. Kaede joined the conversation in a natural manner.

    This was the first time that thendlord had met Mai. Seiji introduced the two of them to each other.

    Nozomi was rather curious about the fact that Mai worked as a maid. Nozomi asked questions about this that Mai politely responded to. They entered conversation naturally as well.

    Shika came out of her room and sat down quietly next to Seiji.

    This was the highest-level density of beautiful females¡¯ poption that Seiji¡¯s apartment had ever experienced! As he was the only male in his apartment right now, Seiji felt like simply staying here was a type of enjoyment in and of itself.

    Was it really alright to be so blissful right before the major tournament battle?

    Seiji suddenly felt a mysterious ominous premonition while being in the middle of such a wonderful environment. Still, he soon forced this ominous premonition into the corner of his mind.

    The girls soon finished preparing everyone¡¯s dinner.

    Mika, Chiaki, and Natsuya¡¯sbined cooking efforts produced an abundant amount of food that looked delicious. Upon eating the food¡­ it was indeed delicious.

    This was already an excellent effort by the three of them for their current cooking skills. Seiji sincerely gave them his praise.

    Yet, thendlord and the professional maid acted as food critics and pointed out the problems and where the food could still be improved.

    As a result, everyone talked about the topic of cooking for the entire dinner¡­ which seemed pretty nice to Seiji.

    After he finished eating this meal which contained his girlfriends¡¯ heartfelt feelings, Seiji was satisfied to the point where he felt that he could face any challenge. It would be fine even if he transformed into Ultraman and saved the world!

    It was just a mere Bloodwine Ritual tournament! He would win it for everyone to see!

    The day of the Bloodwine Ritual tournament.

    Seiji and Shika finished their preparations. After saying goodbye to Mika and the others, they got on Natsuya¡¯s car and headed towards the meeting location for the tournament.

    Upon reaching the tournament grounds, Natsuya nudged up to Seiji and kissed him passionately.

    ¡°You absolutely have to be careful.¡±

    After separating their lips, she nced directly into his eyes and gently gave him a reminder.

    Seiji smiled and nodded.

    ¡°The same to you, Kagura-san.¡± Natsuya also looked at Shika. ¡°Please be careful.¡±

    Shika also nodded slightly.

    Seiji and Shika then both put on some sunsses, activated disguise magic, and got off the car.

    The student council president sighed after she watched them leave.

    She had been unable to obtain a spectator slot from her family. She was unable to apany them.

    Her boyfriend was fighting for her sake, yet she would be unable to even spectate the tournament¡­ Natsuya felt truly apologetic.

    All she could do was bring them here, then wait.

    Seiji and Shika got on the passenger ship that Natsuya brought them to.

    Right, the meeting location was a passenger ship!

    The tournament would be held on an ind by the name of Momozu Ind.

    Momozu Ind was a formerly inhabited ind which was abandoned due to various reasons. There was nobody living on this ind now.

    Having arge-scale battle on this ind would be fine since no matter howrge themotion, it wouldn¡¯t attract any attention. Nor would there be any need for arge-scale coverup of the aftermath. This could be called a perfect ce to hold a Spiritual Ability user tournament. The only small problem was that it was a bit difficult to get there.

    The tournament hosts obtained some passenger ships to help ferry the participants onto Momozu Ind.

    Of course, it was fine if participants wanted to get onto the ind by themselves. They would simply need to arrive at the port on Momozu Ind by the designated time.

    Natsuya had offered to rent a ship to ferry them there. However, Seiji felt that there was no need when they could just take advantage of the host¡¯s free ships.

    There would be a certain degree of risk involved with meeting other tournament participants on the ship. Yet, it would also be a chance tomunicate with the other participants.

    In the worst-case scenario, perhaps there would be a major fight on the ship itself¡­ But Seiji figured that the tournament hosts would prevent such an incident from urring. Otherwise, what would be the point of the tournament?

    But once Seiji boarded the ship, he discovered that all his previous thoughts were unnecessary. That was because there wasn¡¯t even a single other passenger!

    Seiji and Shika were led to the dining room of the passenger ship. When they saw that only the ship¡¯s crew was present, Seiji asked and learned that the two of them were the only Spiritual Ability users to have boarded the ship!

    It was already almost the scheduled time for the ship to leave.

    Were all the other participants going to the ind on their own personal ships?

    If that was really the case, Seiji would feel really awkward.

    Still, he could bear with this amount of awkwardness. He and Shika would be able to ride on such arge ship all by themselves. Plus, the food and drinks were free here. That was pretty sweet.

    Seiji and Shika ordered some food and ate slowly. The servers even turned on the television for them to watch.

    Seiji took out his cell phone and took a picture of thepletely emptyrge dining hall. He sent this photo to Natsuya and the others and exined the situation.

    ¡°Riding on arge ship all by yourself? I want to experience that as well!¡± Chiaki was the quickest to respond.

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody else at all¡­?¡± Natsuya was also surprised by this.

    ¡°It seems like such a waste,¡± Mikamented.

    Seiji responded to all theirments.

    At this moment, footsteps approached. Seiji reflexively turned around and saw two jacketed men that wore sunsses entering the dining hall.

    These two men were participants!

    The two men had identical height. Their faces, figures, and clothing were quite simr. They had identical sunsses, hairstyles, and hair color. They appeared to be twins.

    But they actually weren¡¯t¡­ Seiji recognized them thanks to Hana¡¯s information on the tournament participants. These two men were an assassin duo known as the ¡°Ishihana husband and wife¡± duo!

    The reason that they were called ¡°husband and wife¡± was actually quite simple. These two men were homosexual and had excellent tacit cooperation with each other. It was said that they rarely failed any assignment that they epted in the Spiritual Ability user society. Meanwhile, ¡°Ishihana¡± was simply thebination of the first kanji of theirst names.

    This assassin ¡°husband and wife¡± duo was in the third category of tournament participants. There was plenty of information avable about them. Still, Seiji was instantly able to recognize them mostly because they hadn¡¯t disguised their appearance.

    And as Seiji looked at them, they also noticed Seiji and Shika.

    The Ishihana duo saw¡­ a teenage boy and girl who both wore ck jackets, hats, and sunsses.

    Feeling that something was off, both of them immediately used Astral Vision to inspect the teenagers. The assassin duo immediately found out that the teenagers had used disguising magic as expected. They then tried to pierce through the disguise magic, but to their surprise, they failed. This sent an instant chill through their hearts.

    As assassins, Kenji Hanai and Tadayuki Ishihashi were rather confident in their own assessment capabilities.

    This was especially all the more so for Ishihashi. His Astral Vision was a lot higher level than Hanai¡¯s, yet he was only able to partially see through to the teenage pair¡¯s real appearance.

    ¡°These two should be rather young, especially the girl. Her actual age should be much younger than the disguise magic she¡¯s put on¡­ that¡¯s all that I can tell.¡± Ishihashi mentallymunicated this to Hanai by using a spell.

    ¡°That¡¯s all that even someone like you can see? A young male and female pair that¡¯s able to use such high-level disguise magic¡­ they¡¯re probably ninjas,¡± Hanai guessed.

 Chapter 650 - I want to play cards with somebody

    <h4>Chapter 650: I want to y cards with somebody</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ishihashi agreed with his partner Hanai¡¯s guess.

    Both of them had plenty of interaction with ninjas before in the past, either as enemies or allies. But no matter if ninjas were their enemies or allies, Ishihashi didn¡¯t like dealing with ninjas, because it was very difficult to see them clearly for whom they truly were.

    After some mutual observation, the assassin duo and the teenager duo stopped looking at each other at almost the exact same time.

    As if the Ishihana assassin duo¡¯s appearance was a signal, many more participants arrived all at once.

    There was arge suit-wearing man with a friendly expression who arrived together with a short girl who wore a one-piece dress and had an icy expression.

    There was a middle-aged man who wore a normal shirt and pants and held a ck cat in his hands. He arrived together with a young woman who wore a jacket on top of a skirt. This young woman had a leashed gray dog.

    There was a beautiful short-haired girl who wore a jacket and long pants and had a sharp expression. She came together with a middle-aged woman who wore a camisole and a miniskirt, along with round-rimmed eyesses.

    When time finally came for the ship to leave for Momozu Ind, an additional twenty-two participants had arrived in the originally empty dining hall of the ship. After adding in Seiji and Shika, there were now twenty-four people for twelve teams.

    ording to Seiji¡¯s careful observation, seven others had utilized disguise magic like himself and Shika, while fifteen individuals chose not to use any.

    He was able to recognize all twenty-two individuals that boarded the ship. They all matched the information that Hana had provided to him.

    All of these individuals were in the third category of tournament participants: those participating without a powerful faction to back them up. There wasn¡¯t a single participant from the first or second category¡­ unless he tried to count himself somehow.

    Every team took a table for themselves. They all ordered some food and drink. Some chatted with their partners while waiting, while some remained quiet.

    Not a single person tried to greet anyone from another team, nor were there any taunts or any scenes like mortal enemies meeting here.

    Peace was good, although this felt a little boring.

    Seiji wondered if he should rmend that everyone y some card games together?

    Just joking.

    Just as Seiji was bored to the point of joking like that with himself, someone stood up at this moment.

    The person who stood up was a man who wore a bright and colorful t-shirt and shorts. His hair was slightly curly and messy, and he had bushy eyebrows but small eyes. He appeared like a beach-going tourist.

    ¡°Just sitting around like this is rather boring. I want to y cards with somebody. Is anyone interested in ying with me?¡± He scratched his hair while speaking up in a loud and booming voice.

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    Someone really did stand up and offer to y cards! Seiji¡¯s cheek twitched at the coincidence.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Saitou?¡± the youth next to the man who wanted to y cards spoke up in an angry tone.

    This youth was wearing a jacket and long pants. He had silvery-ck hair and a vicious expression in his eyes. He looked just like a hoodlum.

    ¡°I just want to find someone to y cards with.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go looking for trouble!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for trouble, I¡¯m looking for a friend to y cards with.¡± The curly-haired man named Saitou looked all around the dining hall. ¡°Please~ Does anyone want to y cards with me?¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just ying cards. You don¡¯t have to y if you think it¡¯s troublesome. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m forcing you.¡±

    The silvery-ck haired youth seemed like he was about to explode in anger, but he managed to restrain himself. He harrumphed coldly and stopped talking.

    It would seem that this man named Saitou really wanted to y cards. Seiji smiled.

    ¡°Shika-chan, do you want to join in?¡±

    ¡°¡­If Brother wants to join, then I will join together with you,¡± she stated calmly.

    And so, Seiji raised his hand.

    ¡°The two of us will y cards with you.¡±

    Saitou smiled happily upon seeing that someone finally agreed to y cards with him.

    ¡°Thank you. Anyone else?¡±

    The middle-aged man with the cat slowly raised his hand, followed by a curly-haired woman wearing a leather jacket and the suit-wearing man with the kind expression.

    Saitou was delighted that five other people were willing to y cards with him.

    The six of them soon sat down together at a table and asked a server to bring them some cards.

    Seiji silently looked over Saitou and the others.

    Seiji already knew the names and identities of the four other people ying cards with himself and Shika. Not a single person here was a normal person.

    Saitou¡¯s full name was Yuuma Saitou. He was from a samurai family and possessed great strength unlike what his physical appearance would suggest. He was a bodyguard who had never failed to protect his clients before. In the mystical society, he was known by the nickname ¡°Ironhand¡±.

    This middle-aged man was named Daikawa Rota. He was a Spirit Controller, who was currently disguising his physical appearance. His real appearance was actually a young and handsome man. On the surface, he appeared to be a private detective, but in secret, he could be hired to work in corporate espionage, as an assassin, or as a bodyguard. He was skilled in many different areas.

    The leather jacket-wearing curly-haired woman was Mitsuko Kitajima, a ninja. Her current appearance was a disguise as well. Her real appearance was actually a straight-haired, t-chested woman who had a clean and pure appearance. She often worked as a spy or assassin. It was said that she particrly loved to toy with and torture men. She had never failed to assassinate any male targets before.

    As for the suit-wearing man who had a kind expression, his name was Yuuzou Yoshihara. He was yet another assassin, who had the nickname ¡°Judge¡±. Every time that he received an assassination request, he would always ask for the reason. He would then assess the assassination by his own standards and charge a certain fee. He had been in the business for many years and had more than 100pleted assassinations to his name.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Seiji already knew the information on these individuals, he wouldn¡¯t have felt anything from ying cards with them at all. But he knew their backgrounds and was facing them¡­ it was an indescribable feeling.

    After the server brought some cards, Saitou asked what card game everyone wanted to y.

    ¡°Any card game is fine. The critical part is what we¡¯re going to bet,¡± Daikawa Rota stated.

    His tone was quite calm. But the moment he said ¡°bet¡±, something changed in the atmosphere.

    ¡°Betting will only harm our friendship. We can just y for fun,¡± Saitoumented.

    ¡°ying cards is no fun at all if there¡¯s no bet¡­ I rmend that we bet information.¡± Something shed in Rota¡¯s eyes. ¡°The winner is allowed to ask the loser three questions that the loser must answer. The loser must also guarantee that he or she tells at minimum fifty percent truthful answers.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°At minimum fifty percent truthful¡­ so you mean that half true and half false answers are allowed?¡± Seiji asked a question first.

    ¡°Yep. ¡®Completely true¡¯ is impossible, so half true will be good enough.¡±

    Mitsuko Kitajima smiled seductively and asked, ¡°Heehee. How are you going to guarantee that the loser tells anything true at all?¡±

    ¡°Everyone should tell at least fifty percent of the truth based on their own honor,¡± Rota stated lightly. ¡°I myself will absolutely adhere to this. I believe that none of you will be that stingy, either.¡±

    The rule of ¡°fifty percent truth¡± sounded rather casual, but it was actually quite subtle.

    Everyone present was a Bloodwine Ritual tournament participant. ¡°Complete truth¡± would naturally be impossible to expect from anyone here. Only ¡°half-truth¡± would be possible to expect. Truth and falsehood, believing or not believing¡­ this would be a psychological battle.

    ¡°How interesting¡­ this sounds like a fun little gamble. I ept.¡± Mitsuko chuckled.

    ¡°Half true and half false, eh¡­? Well, I suppose it¡¯s fine with me.¡± Saitou also epted.

    Yuuzou Yoshihara also grinned and epted the gamble.

    Only Seiji and Shika remained.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to ept, then it¡¯s okay to back out.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°This is only a game.¡±

    Shika thought it over for a moment before she stood up and indicated that she wouldn¡¯t participate.

    Seiji remained by himself and epted this ¡°gamble¡±.

    If he lost, he would have to tell a half truth to the winner¡¯s question. Or, he could even shamelessly tell aplete lie¡­ this wasn¡¯t really a gamble at all. This was just a game of separating truth from falsehood.

    But even though this was only a game, this was still a matter of pride.

    No matter how the five people present viewed this game, it was certain that none of them wanted to lose.

    After the card game began, everyone¡¯s auras started spreading and shing with each other.

    Most of the other tournament participants were paying attention to their table. Those with sharpened magical hearing even heard the entire content of their gamble.

    Some felt that this was interesting, some felt that this was nothing more than a joke, some wondered if they should participate, and some werepletely disinterested¡­

    Not long after, the card game¡¯s first round was over.

    Seiji lost.

 Chapter 651 - Iâ€™m sorry for borrowing your name to act so pretentiously

    <h4>Chapter 651: I¡¯m sorry for borrowing your name to act so pretentiously.</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji¡¯s luck was rather poor and had a weak starting hand. Plus, the others noticed this and faintly started targeting him.

    Daikawa Rota was the winner of this round.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to start asking my three questions. Are you ready?¡± the male detective asked politely.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Seiji replied casually.

    By now, not only were Saitou and the other card game yers listening, just about all the tournament participants that could hear their conversation were listening attentively as well. This included the Ishihana assassin duo.

    Out of the five people ying cards at this table, ¡°Ironhand¡± Saitou and ¡°Judge¡± Yoshihara were recognized by just about everyone as they hadn¡¯t concealed their identities. Some even recognized Mitsuko Kitajima and Daikawa Rota through their magical disguises. However, the ck jacket and sunsses wearing teenager was the only one that not a single person here recognized! They didn¡¯t have a clue who he and his female partner were at all.

    The main reason why Rota participated in this card game and came up with the three question half-truth information gamble was to learn more about the mysterious teenaged pair. Still, he didn¡¯t expect that he would get a chance right in the first round.

    ¡°Here¡¯s my first question. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Seiji mulled this over for a moment.

    ¡°Shuntou Haruta.¡± He directly borrowed the name of his rtive that he had never met before.

    This answer was exactly half true and half false.

    Rota¡¯s gaze instantly stopped on Seiji for a moment.

    Saitou, Kitajima, and Yoshihara all had visible reactions as well. The other eavesdropping tournament participants also had their expressions freeze over to some extent. It was as if the entire atmosphere in the dining hall had frozen over.

    Shuntou Haruta¡­ was it that particr ¡°Haruta¡± Family? Or was this youth simply lying?

    This was probably a lie. But, this lie was too overboard if it was a lie! Casually using the name of one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families to act pretentious? This youth was so daring!

    ¡­But what if he was telling the truth?

    Although most felt that this had less than 0.1% chance of being the truth, some still considered the possibility¡ªsuch as Rota.

    This detective already knew that the person from the Haruta Family participating in the Bloodwine Ritual tournament was indeed named ¡°Shuntou Haruta¡±!

    And, he knew this because the faction that Rota belonged to had especially given him instructions that he absolutely wasn¡¯t allowed to injure the young master from the Haruta Family at this tournament! Otherwise, he would have to deal with severe consequences.

    Rota belonged to a faction that was a subordinate faction to a Yin Yang Master family. And, that Yin Yang Master family was subordinate to the Haruta Family. To use the analogy of arge corporation, Shuntou Haruta was basically like a member of the CEO¡¯s family to him while Rota was just a low-rank employee. There was no way that he could afford to antagonize such a major personage!

    It was extreme to the point where it was still barely eptable if he harmed a young master ordy from any of the other seven major Yin Yang Master families. But if he identally harmed the young master of the Haruta Family, his best choice would be tomit suicide somewhere so that the consequences of his actions wouldn¡¯t affect his own faction, family, and friends.

    Logically speaking, the young master from the Haruta Family would almost certainly not go to Momozu Ind on this free passenger ship provided by the hosts. Rota almost let his shock at hearing the name Shuntou Haruta show on his face, but luckily, he was ustomed to keeping a poker face.

    Although Rota felt that this youth was lying, he still couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®What if he¡¯s telling the truth¡­?¡¯

    Rota then realized that he had fallen into a psychological trap. And, this psychological trap was precisely one that he had created. He could only smile wryly to himself.

    Rota¡¯s thoughts raced at a high speed and he soon calmed himself down, with his expression returning to normal.

    ¡°Haruta-san¡­ My family name is Rota. Please take good care of me.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Rota-san. Please take good care of me as well.¡± Seiji smiled.

    ¡®He¡¯s still acting so casually despite having used the name of ¡®Haruta¡¯. Either he¡¯s recklessly daring, or he¡¯s really connected to the Haruta Family.¡¯

    Rota felt that this youth wasn¡¯t a suicidal idiot who was messing with one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families. It seemed more likely that this youth was connected to the Haruta Family¡­ but only slightly more likely.

    ¡°Let me introduce myself as well. My family name is Saitou, although you¡¯ve probably all heard that just now,¡± Saitou interrupted.

    His interruption had perfect timing. He was polite to the ¡°Haruta¡± present, but not in a sycophantic fasion.

    ¡°My family name is Kitajima. Please take good care of me.¡± Something shed in Mitsuko Kitajima¡¯s eyes as she introduced herself.

    ¡°My family name is Yoshihara.¡± Yuuzou Yoshihara also introduced himself.

    That was just how authoritative the name of ¡°Haruta¡± was in the mystical society. The entire table of card game participants introduced their real names on their own volition.

    Although Seiji already recognized all these card game yers, he still mentally eximed at hearing their confirmations of their identities.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry for borrowing your name to act so pretentiously,¡¯ Seiji mentally apologized to his rtive that he had never met before.

    It was time for the second question. Rota wanted to ease the atmosphere, so he asked a simple question¡­

    ¡°My second question is, I¡¯d like to ask what you usually like to do in your free time, Haruta-san?¡±

    ¡®Is this a marriage interview meeting?¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but mentallyment when he heard such a question.

    Saitou, Kitajima, and some of the other tournament participants all revealed rather subtle expressions upon hearing this question.

    ¡°I usually enjoy reading manga and watching anime, as well as read novels.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I like these activities as well, especially everything in the mystery genre. For example, I¡¯m currently following the manga ¡®Famous Detective South Cloud¡¯.¡± Rota showed off a friendly expression.

    ¡®Hey, your entire style is changing! What happened to the cold and calcting man from earlier?¡¯

    Saitou and Mitsuko¡¯s expressions became even subtler. Even Yoshihara, who had maintained a kind and friendly expression, had his expression falter.

    ¡°What do you think of the newest plot in ¡®South Cloud¡¯, Rota-san?¡±

    ¡°I think that it¡¯s excellent. They¡¯ve finally moved back to the main storyline. I was quite surprised that Officer Komura was killed off.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s a real or fake death?¡±

    ¡°80% chance that it¡¯s a fake death, 20% chance that it¡¯s a real death.¡±

    ¡°I disagree¡­¡±

    Seiji and Rota chatted about the manga ¡°Famous Detective South Cloud¡± for quite a while. Seiji learned that Rota was indeed a true enthusiast of this story!

    Saitou interrupted once again, indicating that he read mangas as well. Although he only read manga asionaly, there were also some stories that he liked.

    Even Yoshihara joined in the conversation, mentioning some hard-boiled mangas that were from a previous generation¡­ This assassin had been young once as well.

    Mitsuko was the only one who was unable to participate in this conversation as she had zero interest in anime and manga. It was evident that she was feeling rather awkward.

    The other eavesdropping tournament participants all revealed subtle expressions of varying degrees. They wanted toment, but didn¡¯t even know how.

    Seiji and the card game yers chatted for quite a while. Their friendly atmosphere made it seem like they had forgotten what they were all here for.

    But, that was only on the surface.

    Not a single one of them had truly forgotten that they were all tournament participants. They were allpetitors, and only one team of two could win in the end.

    This was a tournament where even the magical contract itself required the participants to have the will and resolution to win in order to be allowed to participate. No matter the reason for participation, signing the contract and joining meant that one wanted to win!

    Rota and the others were afraid and respectful of the ¡°Haruta¡± family name, which was why they all went with a friendly approach.

    ¡°My third question. I¡¯d like to ask, why did Haruta-san ride this boat instead of taking a personal boat to the ind?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s livelier over here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel ufortable in this type of environment?¡± Rota looked directly at Seiji.

    ¡°That¡¯s your fourth question.¡± Seiji chuckled.

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll leave things at that, then.¡±

    Rota felt that it was highly improbable that this person was really Shuntou Haruta. However, this person knew the name of the Haruta Family¡¯s participant in the tournament, and even dared to assume the Haruta Family name and act so casual about it. It was highly likely that this person was connected in some way to the Haruta Family. Perhaps he was even personally acquainted with Shuntou Haruta. That was Rota¡¯s analysis.

    Other people had simr analyses.

    A ¡°Haruta¡± was sitting at the card table¡­ the tournament participants had many different thoughts about this.

 Chapter 652 - Are you really a member of the Haruta Family?

    <h4>Chapter 652: Are you really a member of the Haruta Family?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    In the card game¡¯s second round, Saitou was the loser and Mitsuko was the winner.

    Mitsuko seemed to casually ask some random questions. Saitou also answered them casually, as if they were ordinary friends having a normal conversation.

    In the third round, Rota won again and Yoshihara lost.

    ¡°My first question. I¡¯d like to ask, does Yoshihara-san currently have a mission?¡± Rota went with the direct approach.

    ¡°I do,¡± Yoshihara answered with a wide grin.

    ¡°My second question. I¡¯d like to ask, is Yoshihara-san¡¯s mission target currently here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°My third question. I¡¯d like to ask, am I your mission target?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Rota asked these three questions in quick session, and Yoshihara answered even quicker. However, everyone was able to hear everything clearly.

    The well-known assassin, ¡°Judge¡±, currently had an assassination mission. And, his target was present among them! The target was someone other than Rota.

    This caused the entire atmosphere to tense up significantly again.

    In the fourth round, Saitou lost for the second time, while Seiji won for the first time.

    Seiji didn¡¯t have anything that he particrly wanted to know. So, he casually asked some questions about the manga that Saitou liked in an effort to ease the atmosphere.

    In the fifth round, Saitou lost again.

    In the sixth round, Saitou lost yet again.

    In the seventh round, of course, Saitou lost yet again.

    Was he doing it intentionally?

    ¡°Saitou-san, are you losing on purpose?¡± Mitsuko, the winner of the seventh round, asked the question that everyone wanted to know.

    ¡°Not at all. My luck has just been bad.¡± Saitou scratched his hair and smiled wryly.

    ¡°It¡¯s boring like this. Please take things more seriously.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m quite serious, Kitajima-san¡­ But right now, my luck with the cards is truly atrocious. Perhaps I should take a break and go smoke.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, then.¡± Rota stood up. ¡°I¡¯d also like to go for a smoke.¡±

    He excused himself and started leaving.

    At this moment, Seiji suddenly heard a faint sound¡­

    ¡°Stop¡­¡±

    This sound was quite faint but also clear, as if someone had whispered it into his ear. However, it was impossible to determine whether the voice was male or female.

    Seiji reflexively looked around him but saw nobody next to him at all.

    Rota left. Mitsuko was toozy to ask Saitou any more questions, so she also got up to leave. The card game stopped there.

    ¡®What did I hear just now? Did someone use a spell tomunicate with me?¡¯

    Seiji returned to Shika¡¯s table as he wondered about this.

    ¡°Brother¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I heard a strange voice just now.¡±

    Seiji exined what he¡¯d just heard.

    Something shed in Shika¡¯s eyes. She had been observing this venue and hadn¡¯t noticed anyone using a spell on her adopted older brother.

    ¡®¡±Stop¡­¡± Who, and for what purpose, sent that message to me?¡¯ Seiji contemted. ¡®Judging from the timing, did that person want me to ¡°stop¡± Rota? Stop him from leaving?¡¯

    Daikawa Rota had left the dining hall already. It was likely that he was smoking on the deck of the ship.

    Should he go check on Rota¡¯s situation?

    Seiji decided to go check on Rota. If nothing else, he could enjoy the scenery.

    ¡°Shika-chan, how about going out to the deck with me?¡±

    Shika nodded in agreement.

    The field of vision was quite clear on the deck of the ship. However, the weather was overcast with plenty of fog and clouds. Beautiful scenery was nowhere to be found. The passenger ship was currently proceeding at a high speed. The chilly sea winds blew past, bringing along a cold chill.

    Rota and Saitou were standing on the deck and smoking. Nothing seemed off about either one of them.

    Seiji and Shika walked over.

    ¡°Would you like a cigarette, Haruta-san?¡± Saitou offered a cigarette to Seiji in a friendly manner.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I don¡¯t smoke.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good habit. Don¡¯t start.¡±

    ¡°I never expected to hear that from someone who¡¯s smoking right in front of me.¡±

    ¡°Haha, everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health.¡±

    After chatting for a minute, Seiji and Shika left.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s anything like a ¡®Haruta¡¯ at all¡­ what do you think, Rota-san?¡± Saitou casually asked Rota after Seiji and Shika left.

    ¡°Saitou-san, have you ever met a real ¡®Haruta¡¯?¡± Rota countered with a question.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t, either¡­ both of us only know about the Haruta Family through secondhand ounts. That¡¯s why we shouldn¡¯t say whether he¡¯s like a Haruta or not. I can only say that he doesn¡¯t fit what we know about the Haruta Family.¡±

    ¡°Is there any difference?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you treat it as there being no difference. This is simply my opinion.¡±

    ¡°Your opinion is rather difficult to understand for me, Rota-san.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for that.¡±

    Both of them slowly puffed on their cigarettes.

    ¡°Although he isn¡¯t like a Haruta, if he really is, I think that would be pretty nice.¡± Saitou nced at the direction that Seiji and Shika left in. ¡°Although we only yed a few rounds of cards together, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad person at all¡­ If the Haruta Family, and even the youngsters of the other six major Yin Yang Master families are all like him, Sakura Ind will be a really great ce to be at.¡±

    Rota fell silent for a moment before responding.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ but that¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Thest part of his sentence had an irond adamant tone.

    Seiji heard that voice again.

    ¡°Stop¡­¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s talking!?¡± Seiji immediately spoke up.

    There was no response except for the sound of the wind.

    ¡°Brother, did you hear that voice again?¡± Shika looked at him.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seiji nodded and furrowed his eyebrows.

    There was nobody near at all¡­ or he should say that he saw nobody.

    Was this a hallucination?

    Absolutely not!

    Something obviously happened, yet he was unable to find what caused it. He had just recently experienced such mystical phenomena at the Genhana High School sportspetition day.

    Could it be that another Inner World was hidden on this ship and causing all this?

    Seiji thought about it and decided to take a tour of the entire ship.

    Looking around everywhere as he went, he decided to treat this as a walk.

    ¡°Are you really a member of the Haruta Family?¡±

    Not long after he started walking, a short youth who wore earphones stopped Seiji and asked him this question.

    This youth was leaning against the railing and gazing at the sea. When Seiji and Shika passed behind him, he suddenly asked such a question.

    This person was Ikuko Takeuchi, a ninja who was Mitsuko Kitajima¡¯s partner in this tournament. Her appearance as a teenaged boy was a disguise. Appearance-wise, she was actually just an ordinary girl. She typically worked in spy activities and was extremely low-profile. She acted as the backup support for Mitsuko whenever they worked as partners, and it was possible that Ikuko had never even killed a person before.

    All this information popped up in Seiji¡¯s mind when he saw this short youth looking at him.

    This youth¡­ the female ninja named Ikuko Takeuchi removed her earphones and looked at him as well. A sharp glint could be seen in her eyes even underneath her magical disguise of having a nk expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s both true and false,¡± Seiji answered vaguely.

    ¡°¡­Why are you attracting everyone¡¯s attention by using such a method?¡±

    ¡°No reason at all.¡± If he had to forcefullye up with a reason, he had just acted pretentiously on a whim.

    Ikuko took a deep look at his face.

    ¡°You know about that¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°Know about what?¡± Seiji blinked in surprise.

    However, the female ninja only nced at him one more time before she stopped looking at him, put on her earphones, and speedily left.

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Seiji reflexively tried to top her. ¡°What do you think that I know?¡±

    Ikuko didn¡¯t respond.

    She didn¡¯t even look back at him and swiftly walked off as if her earphones blocked out his voice.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows. He faintly felt as if he had just missed something important.

    The problem was, he really had no idea what Ikuko was talking about¡­ what did she think that he knew? Was this connected to that mysterious voice from earlier?

    Just what was happening on this ship right now?

    The confusion he felt was like fog that wouldn¡¯t clear up in his mind.

    At this moment, he suddenly heard a nice sound¡­

    *Ding-dong~*

    This clear and pleasant sound resembled the sound a bell would make.

    Seiji reflexively looked around him.

    *Ding-dong~*

    He heard the same sound once again, clearer thanst time. It sounded like the source was closer to him this time.

    Suddenly, the sound of the sea wind disappeared and the entire world instantly fell silent!

 Chapter 653 - Revenge Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 653: Revenge Alliance</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji¡¯s body stiffened. He recognized that he had entered some type of abnormal realm.

    Shika had vanished from next to him. Some ck mist appeared as bright red cluster amaryllis flowers popped out of the ground and began to bloom brilliantly.

    *Smack!*

    A pair of green arms suddenly reached out from the ground and viciously grabbed Seiji¡¯s feet! These green arms had the rotten stench of decay.

    Seiji recognized these arms. They belonged to a zombie he had battled in the past! This zombie had been a former blondie named¡­ something Yamamoto?

    The distorted face that then appeared next verified that this was who he thought it was.

    Messy hair, bulging eyes, and green veins bulging all over his body¡­ this was one of the first mystical creatures that Seiji had ever faced, the former bully who had turned into a zombie!!

    ¡°Grahhhh!!!!¡± the zombie roared ferociously.

    Its ws tightly mped down on Seiji¡¯s feet and dragged him down with tremendous force!

    ¡°Argh¡­¡± Seiji felt great pain from this as he witnessed his own feet sinking into some mysterious and ominous ce that was cold, sticky, and pitch-ck.

    He tried his best to move his right hand, wanting to do something, but another hand suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed him!

    This hand¡¯s arm was wearing a blue-white wide sleeve. Although the hand was human, it appeared abnormally pale.

    Seiji recognized that this sleeve belonged to a Yin Yang Master hunting clothes uniform. Then, he recognized the owner of the hand itself¡ªAkatsuki Mitarai!!

    Seiji wanted to say something, but was unable to make a sound. Akatsuki¡¯s hand on his arm felt icy cold. This coldness invaded Seiji¡¯s arm and swiftly began freezing his blood, spreading through his body.

    Was this a return of the dead¡­?

    Seiji was not frightened by such a scary situation at all. Instead, his mouth arced upward.

    This type of scenario was far too clich¨¦! His enemies would have to do better than that to scare him!! At leaste up with something creative!!

    Since Seiji already realized that he had been dragged into a soul realm, he instantly began using the power of his imagination.

    There was a golden sh as Seiji¡¯s right arm instantly transformed into a mechanical arm that shotsers from his fingertips. He flipped his new mechanical hand and instantly cut off Akatsuki¡¯s hand!

    Seiji then extended his mechanical arm downwards and grabbed the zombie by its face while emitting fierce mes from his hand!

    ¡°Rahhhhhhh!!!¡± the zombie roared even more fiercely, yet also more pitifully than before upon being burned. The sound rattled Seiji¡¯s ears.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to die¡­ it¡¯s all your fault¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha, I killed both of you! But so what!?¡±

    Seiji immted the zombie and then transformed his left hand into a lightsaber, stabbing backwards. There was the sound of popping as he stabbed through something.

    ¡°I do feel regret, but not to either of you!

    ¡°I do feel guilt, but not to either of you!

    ¡°The dead should just shut up and get the hell out of my life! Don¡¯t you even think

    that you can take me along with you!!¡±

    There was a boom and explosion of golden light, which washed away the sharp screams containing hatred and grudges.

    *Ding-dong~*

    There was a faint sound that sounded like a faraway bell being shaken while attached to a string.

    The ck mist and the cluster amaryllis flowers disappeared. Seiji heard the familiar sound of the sea wind once again as he saw Shika looking at him in worry.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Seiji smiled at her in reassurance.

    He then looked all around him¡­ and saw nothing out of the ordinary at all.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°I think that I was brought into a soul realm just now. Someone probably used a soul magic spell on me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t notice anything at all.¡± Shika furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°This means that the spellcaster concealed himself really well, or¡­¡± Seiji thought about it and then patted his adopted younger sister on the head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t mind it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Brother¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep. I feel quite safe with you by my side. I also noticed really quickly that something was wrong because you disappeared from my side. If I had been by myself to begin with, I probably wouldn¡¯t have reacted so quickly.¡± Seiji smiled.

    Shika felt warmed by his smile, but she was unable to truly rx and ept his coaxing. As a Spirit-branded Retainer, her adopted older brother came under attack yet she didn¡¯t even notice the spellcaster¡­ this was a great humiliation!

    Since the enemy had been able to hide so well while casting a soul spell, he or she was without a doubt incredibly strong.

    How could she prevent the same thing from happening again? Shika thought of a simple solution.

    She silently clutched on to Seiji¡¯s hand.

    Seiji instantly understood Shika¡¯s intention and squeezed her hand back.

    Holding hands was a way to strengthen two people¡¯s connections to each other. This was an effective method to resist soul attacks.

    Of course, if the enemy¡¯s soul spell attack was far too powerful, Shika would get dragged in as well and possibly die¡­ But judging from the experience just now, either the spellcaster wasn¡¯t strong to such a degree, or he or she didn¡¯t want to do things to such an extent.

    And actually, if things had truly been dangerous, Seiji still had his bonded female spirit, Yomi.

    Whether or not she decided to wake up and warn him by herself was already a way for Seiji to judge how dangerous things were. Since Yomi hadn¡¯t said anything, the danger was probably rather limited.

    Of course, he knew that he couldn¡¯t overly rely on her. It wasn¡¯t as if she really was a blue cat robot who came from the future.

    The incident he¡¯d just experienced seemed more like a warning rather than an attempt on his life. Seiji exined his analysis to Shika, then silently mulled things over.

    Seiji walked all around the ship and returned to the location where he met Saitou on the deck earlier. This curly-haired man was now by himself, leaning against a railing, smoking a cigarette while ncing at the sky. His pose and expression all seemed rather scenic.

    ¡°Saitou-san¡­¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ Have you returned from your walk, Haruta-san?¡± Saitou looked over at Seiji and removed the cigarette from his mouth. He then noticed that Seiji and Shika were walking while holding each other¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh, you have such a good rtionship.¡± He chuckled.

    Seiji looked directly at Saitou¡¯s face. ¡°Saitou-san, I¡¯d like to ask you, why did you stand up and say that you wanted to y cards?¡±

    Saitou¡¯s expression flickered for just a moment when he heard this question.

    The change in his expression was rather subtle. However, Seiji¡¯s sharp senses picked up on the flicker as he was carefully observing Saitou.

    ¡°I simply wanted to y some cards because sitting there and waiting around was quite boring¡­ Isn¡¯t that the same for you, Haruta-san?

    ¡°Yep, I indeed joined because I was rather bored. Originally, I thought that you and the others were the same. However, some things happened just now that caused me to reconsider.¡± Seiji then lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that something is happening on this ship right now, and you intentionally drew everyone¡¯s attention. You¡¯re highly likely to be the main culprit or one of the conspirators.¡±

    Saitou: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you or your faction think that I know something. But actually, I don¡¯t know anything at all,¡± Seiji spoke directly and honestly. ¡°I think that Saitou-san is someone trustworthy, which is why I¡¯ll tell you the truth: I¡¯m from the Haruta Family, but I¡¯m currently exiled. Although I¡¯m a rtive of Shuntou Haruta, I have zero connections to him and have never even met him before. The only reason why I got on this ship was because it¡¯s free and convenient. I don¡¯t have any other reasons at all.¡±

    Something shed in Saitou¡¯s eyes as he looked at Seiji.

    ¡°I want to know what¡¯s currently going on or what has already happened. I hope that Saitou-san can enlighten me,¡± Seiji spoke in a sincere tone.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    Saitou took a deep puff of his cigarette and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke before he finally littered by flicking the cigarette into the sea.

    ¡°No matter if you¡¯re telling me the truth or not, it doesn¡¯t hurt to tell you. That¡¯s because even someone like me knows already, so the higher-ups should¡­ no, they definitely know already. It¡¯s the ¡®Revenge Alliance¡¯¡­ I suppose you can call them by that name.¡±

    ¡°Revenge Alliance?¡± Seiji paused in surprise for a moment.

    This name caused him to recall a certain superhero group from his former world by the name of the Avengers! He also recalled that many from this group had died in their story.

    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s an alliance that desires to take revenge against the higher-ups of the Bloodwine Ritual tournament¡ªthe seven major Yin Yang Master families, the three major samurai families, and all the others like them high up on their perches,¡± Saitou exined. ¡°As long as you join that alliance, it¡¯s said that you¡¯ll be able to obtain great power in battle and kill those people. It¡¯s said that a mysterious individual who obtained the tournament participant list went and contacted the participants with grudges against the major families, bringing up the idea of this alliance. This

    mysterious individual also permitted us in the Revenge Alliance to spread this information and recruit more people to join.

    ¡°¡®This is revenge, as well as a revolution. A new generation is upon us, so it¡¯s time to overthrow the old ruling order¡­¡¯ That mysterious individual made such a statement.¡±

 Chapter 654 - Messenger of Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 654: Messenger of Revenge</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Revenge and revolution¡­¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s all that I know.¡± Saitou started walking off.

    ¡°Wait a moment! Saitou-san, you intentionally drew everyone¡¯s attention. Was that because you wanted to attract the Revenge Alliance to you so that you could join them?¡± Seiji followed up with another question.

    Saitou paused in his footsteps.

    ¡°I myself don¡¯t know, either¡­ Perhaps I want to join them, or perhaps I merely want to learn more about them,¡± Saitou responded in a seemingly casual tone.

    ¡°¡­What about Rota-san? The two of you were just discussing this topic, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°If you want to know, ask him yourself¡­ Although I don¡¯t think that Rota-san will answer your questions. He¡¯s far more of a serious type than I am.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for telling me all of this.¡± Seiji realized that he wouldn¡¯t be able to ask for any more than this. He decided to stop when appropriate.

    ¡°No need for thanks.¡± Saitou continued walking but then stopped again after two steps and tilted his head slightly. ¡°Can I ask you a question, Haruta-san?¡±

    ¡°Please go ahead.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that you¡¯re currently exiled from your family¡­ In that case, do you have a grudge against the Haruta Family?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Seiji answered honestly.

    Saitou remained silent and left just like that.

    Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion after having learned some important information.

    Ikuko Takeuchi¡¯s sudden question earlier about him knowing about something was most likely rted to this matter¡ªthe ¡°Revenge Alliance¡±.

    She must have been under the impression that he had some type of goal rted to the Revenge Alliance in mind when he told everyone that he was ¡°Shuntou Haruta¡±. That was why she asked him such a question. Yet, he had been ignorant at the time.

    And then, right after that, he received a soul attack¡­ was it a spell from that female ninja?

    Seiji felt that it was unlikely. Ikuko didn¡¯t seem to have that kind of power.

    Yuuma Saitou was hinting in the conversation just now that he wasn¡¯t yet a member of the Revenge Alliance, but that he might join them in the future.

    Daikawa Rota also knew about the Revenge Alliance, and was the ¡°serious¡± type.

    A mysterious individual¡­ who mentioned words like ¡°revolution¡±, ¡°new generation¡±, and ¡°overthrowing the old ruling order¡­¡± This seemed highly likely to be the work of the Messengers faction.

    Perhaps the soul spell attack was also from this mysterious member of the Messengers. This person was probably right here on the ship, observing the current situation!

    Aftering to such a conclusion, Seiji looked all around him once again.

    ¡°Pleasee out for a discussion with me, Messenger of Revenge,¡± Seiji spoke in a loud and clear voice.

    There was no response except the sound of the wind.

    Shika remained calm and on guard.

    ¡°A garbage Haruta like myself who¡¯s currently in exile is also a target of your revenge against the major families, is that right? Was that soul attack on me just a notification?¡±

    There was still no response.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I should thank you for helping to put me on guard.¡±

    After confirming that there was still no response, Seiji took Shika back to the dining hall.

    The card game didn¡¯t resume, as Saitou and the others all indicated that they no longer had any interest.

    Seiji hinted to Rota about the Revenge Alliance, wanting to have a discussion with him. But as expected, Rota politely declined.

    He then tried to talk to Ikuko Takeuchi and was met with the same result.

    But even if he knew who was actually a member of this Revenge Alliance, at most he would be able to ask some more information, unable to stop this alliance.

    That was because this entire alliance was simr to a normal alliance which was within the rules of the tournament contract.

    The tournament contract that all participants had to sign only expressly forbade attacking participants that were under the effects of the Lifesaving Talisman which would block one fatal attack. However, killing people wasn¡¯t actually against the rules at all. Nor were there any rules against the participants allying with each other. That was why the Revenge Alliance was theoretically an alliance that was within the ¡°rules¡± of the tournament.

    The only ¡°unreasonable¡± part was this mysterious individual who started all of this¡­ Seiji decided to mentally refer to this person as the ¡°Messenger of Revenge¡±.

    This Messenger of Revenge either directly entered the tournament or was supplying the Revenge Alliance members with special items or equipment so that the Revenge Alliance members would be much stronger.

    Seiji felt that it was more likely that the Messenger of Revenge wasn¡¯t personally participating in the tournament. It was more probable that he or she was manipting things from behind the scenes.

    After all, representatives from all the major factions were going to be spectating this tournament. Directly interfering with the tournament from the inside would carry a much greater element of risk. Even someone from the Messengers faction probably wouldn¡¯t be so recklessly idiotic.

    As for the special items or equipment, Seiji decided to mentally refer to this as the ¡°Sword of Revenge¡±.

    Saitou mentioned that the higher-ups definitely knew already about the Revenge Alliance being formed to take revenge on them¡­ Seiji agreed with this statement as he refused to believe that the major factions would have such a poorly informed informationwork. There would definitely be eyes on this Revenge Alliance.

    Seiji felt that it was also possible that perhaps there were hidden powerful individuals in charge of investigating the Revenge Alliance on board this ship. Perhaps that was why the Messenger of Revenge hadn¡¯t attacked Seiji with a more powerful soul spell¡ªthe Messenger of Revenge couldn¡¯t expose him or herself!

    Once this ship reached Momozu Ind, the Messenger of Revenge would use some method to give the Revenge Alliance members a Sword of Revenge. This might be the only opportunity to catch the Messenger of Revenge.

    If this person was captured, this entire incident would end there; the Revenge Alliance would fail and be disbanded.

    But if this person wasn¡¯t captured, things would then depend on the Sword of Revenge.

    If the Revenge Alliance members obtained the Sword of Revenge and used it sessfully against the tournament¡¯s higher-ups, the Revenge Alliance would have seeded. Otherwise, the Revenge Alliance would still fail.

    This was a secret battle behind the scenes.

    Seiji felt that someone who dared to establish such an alliance and even shout about revolution would definitely be at least a rtively powerful individual who wouldn¡¯t be captured so easily.

    If the higher-ups wanted to prevent the Revenge Alliance from seeding, the critical factor would be to identify just what the Sword of Revenge being used against them was.

    A great amount of power¡­ a killing item or weapon¡­ the Messengers faction¡­

    Seiji recalled the Kazufuru cursed item incident with that green crystal.

    Would it be something like that?

    No¡­ such an item should be easy to discover, so perhaps it would be something that appearedpletely ordinary on the surface.

    For instance, a talisman.

    A seemingly ordinary talisman that wouldn¡¯t show any signs of strange power yet actually contained a great amount of power¡­ was it possible for such a thing to exist?

    Erm¡­ Seiji figured that it was a waste of his time to think too much about such an unknown matter. He changed his train of thought back to the Messenger of Revenge.

    The Messenger of Revenge was tournament-wise an outsider who was using top-level concealment magic to hide on this ship¡­ but that was only an inference of Seiji¡¯s.

    Perhaps the Messenger of Revenge wasn¡¯t an outsider at all. Perhaps he or she was actually one of the participants sitting right out in the open in the dining hall!

    In that case, who could the Messenger of Revenge be?

    Seiji nced over all the people in the dining hall.

    The Messenger of Revenge was sitting among them¡­ thinking like this made this all seem like a detective story.

    ¡°The murderer is among us!¡±

    Seiji really wanted to shout out such a ssical line.

    But right now, he had no clue who the Messenger of Revenge was. He felt that it was truly regrettable that he didn¡¯t have a chance to use such a line.

    Seiji sipped on some tea.

    He was no detective or anything else like that at all. He was merely a tournament participant. He decided to let the tournament higher-ups, the major families, worry about how to stop the Messenger of Revenge and the Revenge Alliance as they didn¡¯t have that much to do with him. All he needed to do was take care of Shika and himself.

    By the way then, just who sent him that mysterious message of ¡°Stop¡± then¡­?

    He heard that message twice already. There was no way that he had been hallucinating. And, it didn¡¯t seem likely that the Messenger of Revenge would send him such a message.

    ¡®That Haruta is so annoying.¡¯

    ¡®It seems that he has a special power that can invisibly affect me¡­ is it a special power inherited from his bloodline as a powerful Yin Yang Master family?¡¯

    ¡®Honestly, I never expected someone with his bloodline to board a ship like this.¡¯

    ¡®His female partner is no ordinary individual at all. I can feel a faint sense of danger from her, as if something bad will happen if I even get close to her.¡¯

    ¡®I have to pay attention to them.¡¯

    ¡®I have to control myself well.¡¯

    ¡®What happens next absolutely has to seed.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m willing to sacrifice anything for that purpose!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ You told me to forget about you, but I was unable to do so.¡¯

    ¡®There¡¯s no need to stop me, because I¡¯m doing all of this of my own free will¡­ We¡¯ll be together forever in the future.¡¯

 Chapter 655: That sounds so realistic that I almost believed it

    <h4>Chapter 655: That sounds so realistic that I almost believed it</h4>

    The passenger ship didn¡¯t meet with any storm, crash into another ship or an iceberg, or saw anything that would hinder its journey. The ship sessfully reached Momozu Ind.

    It was currently nighttime.

    The tournament participants then got off the ship and followed the guide to a hotel¡­ just kidding!

    Nobody was here for a tourist visit. Nobody wanted to spend their vacation here. Nor was there a single hotel on this deserted ind.

    When everyone got off the ship, the tournament participants were already in theirbat outfits and fully prepared for battle.

    There were extravagant, ssical, modern, science-fiction-like, mystical, and all other sorts ofbat outfits¡­ Spiritual Ability users of all styles gathered together, appearing like a cosy convention¡­ no, just like a scene out of a superhero alliance movie!

    Apart from the tournament participants, two individuals wearing ck science-fiction-likebat outfits with helmets that fully covered their faces got off the ship as well. They were Spirit-branded Retainers who gave off incredibly imposing auras.

    These two individuals hadn¡¯t shown themselves on the ship. However, it was easy to guess that they were powerful individuals from the tournament¡¯s hosts.

    There was still some time before the tournament would formally begin.

    The other tournament participants that were taking their own ships and the spectators had yet to arrive.

    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re wee to wait here at the rest area. Or, feel free to explore this ce as you wish. Just make sure to return here when the tournament is about to begin.¡±

    The person who made this announcement was a man who wore ck Sakura Ind attire together with a white mask. He was a member of the Himiki judging n.

    There were six other men and women next to him in simr attires. They all had faint auras of great power.

    Another five Spirit-branded Retainers from the Kurosaki Family were next to them. They were all wearing full ckbat attire with covered helmets. The two Spirit-branded Retainers that walked off the ship joined with these five.

    Behind these fourteen powerful individuals were several hundred people that resembled special forces. These several hundred individuals were the Kurosaki Family¡¯s personal military squadron.

    That¡¯s right, an actual military squadron!

    Not only did the Kurosaki Family possess a military squadron, all seven of the major Yin Yang Master families had their own personal military squadrons that were strong enough to start an actual war.

    Just what exactly was a top-level faction? These fourteen powerful Spiritual Ability users and that well-armed military squadron standing there in orderly files and giving off a cold aura was the best answer.

    And this wasn¡¯t all of it.

    Looking off into the distance, arge ship which definitely wasn¡¯t a civilian ship could be seen sitting on the waters as if it was a sleeping giant.

    That was a military ship.

    A military ship! This was no cute ship girl. It was a true, awe-inspiring naval warfare ship! The type that could shoot artillery atnd targets.

    ¡®Hey, why are things so ridiculous!?¡¯

    ¡®Forget about sending a military squadron to watch over the tournament, there¡¯s even a naval warship? Does the navy have so much free time!?¡¯

    While Seiji mentallymented on how ridiculous this scene seemed, he also couldn¡¯t help but worry. Was this show to intimidate, or to prevent something from happening?

    If it was just for intimidation, it wouldn¡¯t be much, although it was slightly exaggerated. But if it was to prevent¡­ Just what did they think would happen on this ind? Just what was going on behind the scenes of this Bloodwine Ritual tournament?

    Upon closer consideration, this tournament involving 128 Spiritual Ability users might cause a big ruckus, but wasn¡¯t it still rather excessive to have an entire deserted ind as the battleground? Even if this would be easier to cover up, it still seemed a little strange.

    Was there some secret behind the Bloodwine Ritual tournament? Or was there some secret on this ind?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know¡­ he didn¡¯t have enough information.

    The tournament hosts had constructed a resting area that was quitefortable. Everyone could wait here until the tournament began.

    However, Seiji chose to start exploring the ind.

    Walking on deserted trailways in the darkness with old and gloomy houses around him¡­ Seiji felt as if he had just joined the set of a horror film.

    The ground was cracked in various ces, weeds grew profusely everywhere, broken objects were scattered about, many windows were broken, houses¡¯ doors were open, walls were copsing, moss was on every house¡­ This entire ind was filled with the aura of abandonment.

    Just who had lived here before, and how were their lives¡­? Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think about such a topic.

    ¡°Haruta-san.¡± A voice greeted him.

    Seiji turned around to see a man wearing a demon mask and arge dark blue jacket as abat outfit walking over.

    ¡°Rota-san¡­¡± Seiji recognized this person as Daikawa Rota.

    ¡°I heard from Saitou-san that you¡¯re an exiled ¡®Haruta¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Why is it that you say you don¡¯t bear a grudge against your family? Being exiled must be an incredible humiliation,¡± Rota inquired.

    Shika furrowed her eyebrows slightly as she stood next to Seiji.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I deserved what I got,¡± Seiji answered.

    ¡°Are you really certain?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever considered that you were actually framed or led into a trap? Although I don¡¯t know your specific circumstances, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re the type to make a major mistake like that, Haruta-san. It¡¯s quite strange that you received such a severe punishment like exile from the family,¡± Rota spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve changed myself now. The past me was nothing like the current me,¡± Seiji stated calmly.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Join our Revenge Alliance, Haruta-san.¡± Rota directly spoke his intentions.

    Seiji looked him over.

    ¡°Earlier on the ship, I wanted to ask Rota-san about this Revenge Alliance, but you politely declined¡­ Why is it that you¡¯re now asking me to join instead?¡±

    ¡°At that time, I wasn¡¯t aware of Haruta-san¡¯s circumstances. Now I¡¯m aware, and have confirmed that Haruta-san has sufficient power which will be greatly helpful to our Revenge Alliance.¡±

    ¡°Helpful because of my personal power, or because of my Haruta Family bloodline?¡±

    ¡°The Haruta Family¡¯s bloodline is a part of your power as well,¡± Rota stated directly.

    ¡®Ah, so he¡¯s actually trying to recruit me because of my bloodline.¡¯ Seiji understood.

    ¡°Why do you need the Haruta Family¡¯s bloodline?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t answer that question. But I promise that it¡¯s nothing bad for you. There will be no harm for you at all, Haruta-san.¡±

    ¡®That sounds so realistic that I almost believed it,¡¯ Seiji retorted in his mind.

    ¡°What benefits are there for me if I join?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll obtain far greater power, which will greatly exceed the power of the family that exiled you¡ªfor instance, power which exceeds Shuntou Haruta¡¯s!¡±

    ¡°A mysterious power obtained too easily is just like money growing on trees. I can¡¯t be rest assured about that at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not mysterious at all. You¡¯ll understand when the timees. This is a new power belonging to this new generation!¡± Rota¡¯s tone sounded slightly fanatical.

    His behavior didn¡¯t really fit Seiji¡¯s earlier impression of the cold and analytical detective¡­ just what could Rota have experienced?

    ¡°Understand when the timees? I apologize, I don¡¯t really trust words like that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t trust me right now. As long as you agree to join us, I shall give you an item that signifies you¡¯re one of us. After that¡­ you can choose for yourself whether or not to ept this new power. I¡¯m confident that you will.¡±

    ¡°What if I refuse to join you?¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll treat this conversation as having never urred. Still, please consider carefully before making your final decision.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not worried that I¡¯ll report you?¡±

    ¡°I believe that you wouldn¡¯t, Haruta-san.¡±

    ¡®Believe? Yeah, right. I bet that you have some way of dealing with things even if I report you.¡¯

    ¡°Rota-san, can I ask why you chose to join the Revenge Alliance? Or, are you the person that started it?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the person who started it¡­ I joined because I want to establish a new order!¡± Once again, Rota¡¯s tone was starting to sound fanatical.

    ¡°What type of new order?¡±

    ¡°An order that¡¯s better than the current one! First, we need to overthrow the rotten families that have cruelly suppressed Sakura Ind for far too long already. Those in high positions that have gotten away with whatever evils they wished for far too long need to receive the judgement that they deserve!!¡±

    Rota¡¯s words seemed to contain a passionate fire that could actually physically burn.

    ¡°This is revenge and revolution¡­¡± Seiji deeply furrowed his eyebrows as he recalled this catchphrase of the Revenge Alliance.

 Chapter 656 - Revolution

    <h4>Chapter 656: Revolution</h4>

    From past to present, there had always been social sses.

    This was a rather serious topic, far more serious than what most people thought. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy to describe.

    Seiji¡¯s personal experiences made him feel that Akatsuki Mitarai¡¯s actions were precisely a reflection of how cruel the issue of social sses was.

    Ordinary people and Spiritual Ability users, low-ranked Spiritual Ability users and high-ranked Spiritual Ability users¡­ the difference between people in different social sses was such as if there was a frighteningly deep and dark abyss between them.

    The darkness had always been present. It had never left.

    It had already devoured countless people, and would continue to devour even more.

    Some understood this, while others didn¡¯t. Some only partially understood. Some understood only when it was toote. Some didn¡¯t understand even as they died.

    ¡°Revolution¡±¡­ perhaps some would even scoff at hearing this word.

    Such people would feel that revolution was an outdated concept to the point where it was awkward to even see in a movie, manga, or anime. Revolution was an annoying concept often used by the antagonists. The amount of emotions that a term like revolution could stir up couldn¡¯t evenpare to a convoluted story of love, hatred, and revenge.

    But, actually, this word¡¯s meaning was something that most people, especially young people, wouldn¡¯t be able to trulyprehend.

    The current generation was the information generation¡ªinformation could be obtained easily on the inte. People could learn so many things through the inte, giving them a mistaken impression that they were sufficiently wise and knowledgeable enough, that they were far wiser than people from generations before them.

    ¡°Revolution¡±? Haha.

    The current generation didn¡¯t need such a concept at all! Society was quite advanced and cultured. We were smart enough to no longer need or be fooled by such an archaic term! Human society was foundationally based on personal benefits, and so-called ¡°revolution¡± was nothing more than a traditional form of sophistry¡­

    However, was that really the case?

    Who could be certain that the ¡°wise thoughts¡± one had weren¡¯t actually intentionally manipted to be that way by the higher-ups?

    Who could be certain that the ¡°truth¡± one was certain of wasn¡¯t actually a great falsehood nted by others?

    Had the time of ¡°revolution¡± truly passed? Was this word truly meaningless now?

    The constantly active inte brought along too many mistaken impressions. The neverending source of electric light caused people to forget the terror of the darkness.

    Yet, the truth wouldn¡¯t disappear simply because of people¡¯s misunderstanding or ignorance.

    Social sses indeed existed.

    The so-called term of ¡°revolution¡± wasn¡¯t outdated. It still had its meaning for existence.

    However¡­ did that mean revolution was ¡°correct¡±?

    Or was revolution yet another ¡°mistake¡±?

    ¡°Those in high positions, getting away with whatever they please¡­ That¡¯s indeed the case,¡± Seiji agreed. ¡°Those in the highest positions have power and authority. They can do anything that they want,mitting crimes for the sake of personal benefits or even just for their desires. There are probably countless people like that. Those who do evil deserve to be judged. I¡¯m more than happy to see the deaths of those who abuse power.¡±

    ¡°Haruta-san¡­¡± Rota¡¯s tone was obviously delighted.

    ¡°However,¡± Seiji continued. ¡°I can¡¯t agree with your actions just like this¡­ Perhaps you guys are correct, perhaps you¡¯re true revolutionaries, yet I¡¯m unable to know for sure what you really are.¡±

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s okay to just¡­¡±

    ¡°Nor do I want to know what you really are!¡± Seiji greatly emphasized this portion. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m still a ¡®Haruta¡¯. Although I¡¯ve been exiled from my family, I still have family that shares my name. I¡¯m not referring to that Shuntou Haruta, but other family of mine that I¡¯m rted to by blood. If you want to overthrow the old order, it¡¯s possible that you might harm them, which is why I can¡¯t possibly join your side.¡±

    In the end, this was a matter of what one chose to support.

    Seiji chose to support the family that he viewed as important rather than what was ¡°right¡±.

    He had always been this type of person who didn¡¯t do the ¡°right¡± thing.

    He was willing to kill others.

    He wanted to start a harem.

    He wouldn¡¯t save everyone that he could possibly save.

    He¡­ only wanted to do what he wanted, what he liked to do. He would ignore everything else.

    From this standpoint, he was foundationally simr to Akatsuki Mitarai.

    He wasn¡¯t a good person.

    He wasn¡¯t an evil person.

    He was simply himself¡­ that was all there was to it.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    A chilly night breeze blew past.

    ¡°Haruta-san¡­ how regrettable,¡± Rota spoke in a calm tone. ¡°For an instant there, I thought that you¡¯d be ourpanion. Yet, you chose¡­ your own path. I think that it¡¯s excellent the way things are. Although you refused to stand with us, I can sense that you¡¯re treating us seriously¡­ I¡¯m happy that you seriously considered our thoughts and made your reply.¡± Rota chuckled. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve also wondered myself if I¡¯ve gone insane, actually wanting to do something like creating a new order. But, that¡¯s indeed what I want to do. That¡¯s a definite fact. That¡¯s because¡­ I¡¯ve already seen too much evil in this world. I¡¯ve always been confused about why so much evil existed. What I want to do might not necessarily be correct, but the way the world is now¡­ is absolutely wrong!¡±

    Thest three words that Rota stated had an irond tone containing an unshakeable firm conviction.

    Rota probably had some type of personal story here.

    What had Daikawa Rota experienced and thought about to form such a conviction? Seiji didn¡¯t know.

    The only information he knew about Daikawa Rota was all surface level.

    ¡°Haruta-san, are you going to be enemies with us?¡± Rota inquired.

    ¡°If you try to kill me, of course I will.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean if we don¡¯t do anything to you, you won¡¯t interfere with our ns?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment as he thought it over.

    ¡°I only have two friends in this entire tournament. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re among your targets for revenge. If they are¡­¡±

    ¡°Could I ask for your friends¡¯ names?¡±

    ¡°Kanna Fujihara and Ryuuno Izawa.¡±

    ¡°I shall ask our alliance leader about this. If our revenge list doesn¡¯t have their names, I shall attempt to convince our alliance leader not to list you and your friends as targets¡­ but I¡¯m not the final decision maker,¡± Rota told Seiji in a low voice.

    ¡°Your alliance leader¡­ is that the person who created the Revenge Alliance?¡±

    Rota didn¡¯t respond¡­ although this was a type of tacit admittance.

    ¡°I hope that we won¡¯t be enemies, Haruta-san.¡±

    He turned around and started leaving after saying that.

    ¡°I hope the same¡­ Thank you, Rota-san.¡±

    Daikawa Rota strode off and waved his hand as an indication that he heard.

    A few shadowy figures hiding nearby also got up and left together with him.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    Rota wasn¡¯t the person who created the Revenge Alliance¡ªthis ¡°alliance leader¡±. Yet, it was evident that Rota had an important position in the Revenge Alliance.

    Seiji felt that it would be best if he didn¡¯t be enemies with the Revenge Alliance. He had told the truth just now. Out of all the other participants, Kanna and Izawa were the only people Seiji cared about apart from himself and Shika. As for anyone else, including that Shuntou Haruta¡­ Seiji could only say that they would have to watch out for themselves.

    He didn¡¯t have the obligation to save everyone that he possibly could. Even if he might be able to achieve this through saving and loading, he still didn¡¯t feel obligated to do so.

    He wasn¡¯t such a kind person. Neither was he prideful enough to think that he could save everyone.

    This was his way of doing things that he viewed as ¡°right¡±. But, perhaps he was ¡°wrong¡±.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± Shika called out to him as she saw that Seiji was simply standing still.

    Seiji smiled at Shika.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue checking the terrain.¡±

    The two of them moved onwards.

    After walking for a while, Seiji spoke up. ¡°Shika-chan, what do you think of my conversation with Rota-san just now?¡±

    Shika fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I think that Brother is correct,¡± she spoke adamantly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Seiji told her sincerely.

    He¡¯d already expected that his adopted younger sister would probably answer in such a way no matter what he chose.

    Yet, he still asked her such a question¡­ it was actually because he was doubting himself.

    Did he really do the right thing just now?

    He believed that he had done the right thing. Perhaps there was a better choice avable¡­ but thinking so might also be overly arrogant.

    God wouldugh at human decisions.

    But even so, humans couldn¡¯t give up on thinking.

 Chapter 657 - Shigure Tendo is an unskilled thinker

    <h4>Chapter 657: Shigure Tendo is an unskilled thinker</h4>

    Shigure Tendo was unskilled at thinking.

    He wasn¡¯t as smart as others in the same age group. To be rather blunt, his intelligence was somewhat low. Ever since he was young, he was considered a bit of an idiot.

    It would have been fine if he had only been average at Spiritual Abilities despite being the direct descendant of one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families, the Tendo family. The bad part was that the most basic spells that other children of the same age could learn so quickly would always take him more than ten times the amount of time to barely manage to learn.

    It was obvious that such a child like Shigure Tendo wouldn¡¯t be well thought of.

    What made things even worse was the fact that Shigure had a genius older brother¡ªRaizen Tendo.

    Raizen was amazingly talented, to the point where high expectations were ced upon Shigure from birth. Yet Shigure turned out to be an idiot, making everyone greatly disappointed.

    The huge difference between the brothers increased the Tendo Family¡¯s condescension towards Shigure. He was always looked down upon by everyone.

    Raizen had an arrogant attitude due to his spoiled upbringing with everyone treasuring his talent. He viewed his idiotic younger brother as burden, and even humilitation. Shigure¡¯s father also felt that he had lost face because of such a stupid son and rarely treated Shigure kindly.

    Shigure, who wasn¡¯t too intelligent, wasn¡¯t very sensitive towards others¡¯ condescension and ill will. But, not sensitive didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t sense these emotions at all.

    Shigure only remained silent towards all the negative attitudes and words sent his way. He also tolerated his older brother and father¡¯s nasty words for him without any reaction.

    Shigure would only cry in front of the only person who treated him kindly¡ªhis mother.

    His mother continuously consoled him, encouraged him, and gave him advice. She told him not to hate his older brother, father, and other family members.

    Shigure did his best to listen to his mother¡¯s words. He continuously tolerated his treatment and suppressed his hatred. Even if he was called ¡°low ability¡± to his face, or people spat saliva on his face, he would only silently wipe away the saliva and remain polite.

    Not only that, he continued to work hard, work hard, and work even harder at cultivation¡­ He felt that even if his growth was far slower than others, as long as he slowly reached the state where he could be considered excellent, he would finally obtain recognition.

    Yet¡­ his mother left the Tendo Family.

    She was finally unable to withstand things in the Tendo Family. She had a heated argument with her husband and left the Tendo Family.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for leaving you behind by yourself¡­¡± Before she left, she continuously apologized to Shigure with tears streaming down her cheeks.

    Shigure felt really bad about this as well. But, he didn¡¯t want to hear his mother¡¯s apologies. Instead, he felt that it was actually a good thing that she left this ce which was so ufortable.

    Yet, he truly felt so ufortable inside. He felt so bad, far worse than the long years of insults and condescension sent his way.

    Yet, in front of his crying mother, Shigure forced his emotions down and absolutely didn¡¯t allow himself to cry.

    After that, he never cried again¡ªnot a single tear.

    From then onwards, Shigurepletely withdrew into his own shell. He suppressed all his emotions and didn¡¯t show anyone any emotion apart from iciness.

    Days and months passed just like this. Many years passed, yet he calmly observed the passing of the seasons in such a cold and emotionless state. Eventually, he faintly began to sense a wondrous realm.

    This was a realm that waspletely indescribable¡­ at least by Shigure¡¯s intelligence level. He could only silently feel it.

    One day, he suddenly entered a mystical state, feeling as if he had transformed into the void where everything had stopped yet was still moving¡­ He faintly came into contact with a type of mystical power.

    Shigure was deeply attracted by this mystical power and attempted to attract it into his own body, yet he had been unable to seed.

    Until, one day, news arrived that his mother was gravely ill. His father gave him permission to go and visit her.

    This became the turning point of Shigure Tendo¡¯s life.

    His mother¡¯s family name just happened to be Yanagi.

    On that day, he entered the doors of one of the three major samurai families, the Yanagi Family home which had given birth to the greatest number of Sword Saints!

    ¡°Milord Shigure, it¡¯s almost time.¡±

    Shigure opened his eyes and stopped reminiscing on the past when he heard a gentle voice.

    A beautiful girl with dark purple hair and light golden eyes was smiling at him.

    She wore a light-colored dress and had slightly curly hair. Her eyes were half-open and there was a small mole next to her pink lips. Her smiling expression was extremely gentle, and she gave off an aura of being an obedient and beautiful girl.

    This beautiful girl¡¯s name was Keimi Umetani. She was a Yin Yang Master from the Umetani Family, which was subordinate to the Yanagi samurai family.

    Just like how the major Yin Yang Master Tendo Family had subordinate samurai families, the major samurai Yanagi Family also had Yin Yang Master subordinate families. The Umetani Family was one such Yin Yang Master family subordinate to the Yanagis.

    Keimi was one of the most highly skilled Yin Yang Masters of her age in the Umetani Family. Ryuugou Yanagi, the family leader of the Yanagi Family, personally arranged to have her be Shigure¡¯s partner in the Bloodwine Ritual tournament.

    Logically speaking, Shigure¡¯s partner should have been from the Tendo Family or one of the Tendo Family¡¯s subordinate families. Yet, his partner was a female Yin Yang Master subordinate to the Yanagi Family¡­ something must have happened that other people didn¡¯t know about.

    Shigure himself didn¡¯t care who his partner was at all as long as she didn¡¯t drag him down.

    The car he was riding in reached the destination. Shigure and Keimi got off the car and walked to a dock, where they boarded a luxurious cruise ship.

    Some people were already sitting down in the dining hall of this opulent cruise ship.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you for the first time, Shigure-san and Umetani-san. Wee aboard.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you for the first time, Kurosaki-san,¡± Shigure responded in a low voice.

    Nobuhiko Kurosaki¡­ he was the tournament participant from the Kurosaki Family, as well as the host for this gathering on the cruise ship.

    After exchanging greetings, Shigure and Keimi sat down at a table. A maid immediately brought them high-ss tea and confectioneries.

    Nobuhiko told them to treat the ship as if this was their own home.

    Shigure responded lightly, sipped some tea, and then closed his eyes and simply sat there.

    He had no intention of chatting with others. He wasn¡¯t skilled at chatting to begin with.

    He was in an unfamiliar location together with unfamiliar people. Behaving politely as a Tendo Family member should would be quite difficult for him. And since the host told him to act as if this was his own home, then he would.

    While his behavior couldn¡¯t be counted as friendly, it wasn¡¯t to the point of being rude. Everyone present on this luxury cruise ship already knew the ¡°rumors¡± about Shigure Tendo. They had various opinions of his behavior of not wanting to waste any time speaking to others and directly entering a state of meditation.

    Were those ¡°rumors¡± real?

    Someone asked this question at the venue.

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re real,¡± Nobuhiko Kurosaki replied. ¡°Umetani-san who¡¯s next to Tendo-san is the best evidence. She¡¯s a loyal member of the Yanagi Family.¡±

    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but nce at Keimi Umetani.

    Keimi responded with a smile.

    The way she currently looked as she silently sat next to Shigure didn¡¯t make her seem like one of the more powerful youngsters in her family at all. She looked more like a maid who was ustomed to serving Shigure.

    Some were curious about Shigure¡¯s specific experiences, while others disdained the ¡°low ability¡± Shigure who appeared to be acting cool.

    Yet Shigure was only sitting there quietly with his eyes closed, remaining as calm as if he was a statue.

    More and more people arrived on the luxury cruise ship.

    Nobuhiko indicated to the ship¡¯s captain that it was time to start the ship. He then looked at everyone gathered in the dining hall.

    The seven major Yin Yang Master families, the three major samurai families, the two major ninja factions, and the Himiki judging n¡­ The tournament participants from all the top-level factions had gathered on this luxury ship!

    ¡°How about we all introduce ourselves first? It¡¯ll be easier to discuss things after we get acquainted with each other,¡± Nobuhiko Kurosaki offered.

    He then introduced himself and his tournament partner.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shuntou Haruta. This is my Spirit-branded Retainer, Koyuri Moriya.¡± A handsome youth wearing jackets and long pants introduced himself after Nobuhiko.

    ¡°I¡¯m Natsuki Shuurin. This is my Spirit-branded Retainer, Yuuki Sekine.¡± A beautiful girl with heavy makeup, a ckce dress, and short dark-red hair introduced herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m Masashi Tokukawa¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Masao Yanagi¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Shinichirou Himiki¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Uemon Yuzawa¡­¡±

    Various people introduced themselves on this ship. Any one of these names would have caused a hugemotion on the ship that Seiji had been riding on.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shigure Tendo¡­¡± When Shigure calmly introduced himself, something obviously changed in the atmosphere.

    He was the famous ¡°low ability¡± individual who sessfully received teaching from the strongest member of the current strongest samurai family even though he was from a Yin Yang Master family¡­ this type of event was considered a legendary miracle in the mystical society¡¯s highest circles!

    Masao Yanagi of the Yanagi Family felt more than anyone that this was truly ridiculous. That was because he knew better than anyone else present what it meant to receive personal martial arts teaching from Ryuugou Yanagi, the head of the Yanagi Family, at such a young age.

    Was Shigure Tendo a genius? No, he was more like a demonic talent!!

 Chapter 658 - Bloodwar Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 658: Bloodwar Alliance</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Although Masao Yanagi logically knew that Shigure would be amazing, Masao still found him difficult to stomach. The more he looked at Shigure Tendo, the more he felt anger in his heart.

    Unwillingness, jealousy, anger, and other such negative emotions swirled in Masao Yanagi¡¯s heart. If it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that so many others were around, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have been able to control himself, attacking Shigure Tendo.

    After everyone introduced themselves, Nobuhiko Kurosaki got to the main topic.

    ¡°There¡¯s a faction that calls themselves the ¡®Messengers¡¯. They¡¯re a new faction that split off from the former Soul World faction, and they¡¯re highly dangerous. There¡¯s concrete information that indicates this faction is intending to create a Spirit World at the Bloodwine Ritual tournament!¡±

    Create a Spirit World!?

    Everyone¡¯s expressions flickered.

    ¡°Their n is something like this: the Messengers¡¯ members will first cast a special spell by making use of the ritual tournament¡¯s contract, then cause sacrifices to appear during the tournament to strengthen the spell. Finally, they¡¯ll create a Spirit World using thepleted Bloodwine.

    ¡°They intend to create sacrifices during the ritual tournament by inciting and controlling lower-ranked factions¡¯ tournament participants into killing tournament participants from the strongest factions¡ªthat would mean all of us who are currently sitting here are their primary targets.

    ¡°Simply speaking, this Messengers faction wants to kill everyone present to achieve their objective. They¡¯re treating us as sacrifices.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    The Messengers wanted to treat the seven major Yin Yang Master families, the three major samurai families, the two major ninja factions, and the Himiki judging n as nothing more than sacrifices?

    Just how outrageously daring were they!!!

    Just about everyone present was shocked by the news. They didn¡¯t dare to believe that there would actually be such an insane faction.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that the descendant of the Kurosaki Family was telling all of them about this, they would have treated this as nothing more than a terrible joke.

    ¡°Just like everyone else, I think that this faction is insane.¡± Nobuhiko sighed. ¡°Yet, the regrettable part is that it¡¯s currently impossible topletely eliminate this insane faction. The even more regrettable part is, despite knowing all this information, the Bloodwine Ritual tournament is still going to continue as ¡®normal¡¯. That¡¯s because the families or factions of everyone present here all want to see the creation of a new Spirit World¡­¡±

    The atmosphere instantly became much heavier. Just about everyone sensed a chill in the air.

    Some found all this difficult to believe. Some had grim expressions. Some were angry¡­ Shigure was the only one who took all of this calmly.

    ¡°I feel the same as everyone else here. Yet, this is something that can¡¯t be helped. As members of the major families, we must obey our families¡¯ decisions,¡± Nobuhiko stated. ¡°I believe that everyone here knows quite clearly just how valuable Spirit Worlds are. The huge potential benefits involved are worth us taking a risk here. And our families don¡¯t intend for us to die here. This shall merely be a trial for us.

    ¡°Sacrifices are needed for the Spirit World¡¯s creation, but the sacrifices don¡¯t have to be us. Basically, we just have to kill off those who want to attack us, and make them into the sacrifices instead. We can take advantage of other tournament participants that can be used, although we must be careful that any tournament participant might be under the Messengers¡¯ control.

    ¡°As long as we pass this trial, we¡¯ll definitely be rewarded handsomely! For that purpose, we must ally and fight together as a team. The goal of our meeting here is for all of us present to create a ¡®Survival Alliance¡¯.¡±

    Everyone fell silent once again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the name Survival Alliance,¡± the heavy makeup girl with short red hair, Natsuki Shuurin,mented.

    ¡°I agree. That sounds like a team for the weak.¡± A muscr youth wearing a ck jacket¡ªMasashi Tokukawa¡ªspoke up as well.

    ¡°Then what name does everyone prefer?¡±

    ¡°Do we really have to have a name?¡±

    ¡°Having a name will be useful to establish an alliance.¡±

    ¡°How about calling ourselves the ¡®Bloodwar Alliance¡¯?¡± A handsome youth who had long hair reaching his shoulders and wearing a yukata made such a rmendation.

    This name sounded rather neutral and eptable enough to everyone.

    Nobody here wanted to waste time debating the name for their temporary alliance during the tournament. Everyone agreed to call themselves the Bloodwar Alliance.

    During the group stage of the tournament, the Bloodwar Alliance members wouldn¡¯t fight amongst themselves. Everyone present agreed to this.

    There was also no problem with killing those who attacked them with intentions to sacrifice them for the creation of a Spirit World. Not a single person here was willing to be generous to those who wanted to kill them.

    However, the young masters anddies of the leading families had different opinions about fighting together and acting as one.

    Nobuhiko Kurosaki wanted everyone here to move and act together, fighting as a team.

    However, Natsuki Shuurin didn¡¯t believe that the major families¡¯ children would be able to cooperate. Without even regarding the grudges that the major families had against each other, a hastily assembled team with no preparations made beforehand would be no different from rabble.

    The more important part was that there might even be a traitor among them!

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that any tournament participant might be under the control of the Messengers? Perhaps someone among us is already with the Messengers and is just waiting to stab the others in the back, winning and surviving in the end while obtaining tremendous benefits.¡± Natsuki Shuurin nced at everyone present.

    Indeed, this also seemed possible.

    The major families and factions had incrediblyplex rtionships with each other. Even those that were friendly with each other¡­ or even within the same family, it would bemon to see people betraying each other for the sake of personal benefits, not to mention opposing factions.

    Not to mention, this was a tournament specifically designed for the up-anding Spiritual Ability users. But these children of the major families and factions were all considered the weaker ones or were in rtively worse situations¡ªotherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have joined this type of low-ranked tournament which would be considered beneath them. Winning, obtaining benefits, and changing their own fate was something that all of them tremendously desired!

    Just how much guilt would they even feel for betraying some strangers from other factions that they barely even knew?

    As for the consequences? It would be more than easy enough to get away as long as the traitor didn¡¯t personally kill anyone from a major faction or family.

    Although the tournament contract could limit the alliance members¡¯ actions, the contract wasn¡¯t absolute. The Messengers were an astonishing faction with the power to take advantage of the Bloodwine Ritual in creating a Spirit World! Who knew if their members might have a technique that could circumvent or break the contract magic? It would seem stranger if they weren¡¯t able to.

    So, all courses of action carried risks and hidden dangers.

    Most of the major factions¡¯ children present agreed with Natsuki Shuurin¡¯s way of thinking. They didn¡¯t think that forcibly making everyone present act as a team and move together was a wise idea.

    Yet, if they didn¡¯t act together and split up, it was possible that they would be assassinated by the divide and conquer strategy.

    Everyone started debating over what they should do.

    The debate soon escted into an outright argument.

    Underneath the argument was actually everyone¡¯s anxiety.

    Participating in the Bloodwine Ritual tournament wouldn¡¯t actually have any danger to their lives¡ªjust about everyone present had this way of thinking originally.

    Although it was possible that people might die, ¡®I¡¯m from a top-level faction, so I definitely won¡¯t die¡¯ was what all of them had thought.

    None of them had resolved themselves to face death here. They only had the ¡°resolution¡± that they absolutely wouldn¡¯t die here.

    But now, their ¡°resolution¡± had taken a cruel blow.

    Although nobody here retreated from the tournament due to various reasons, it couldn¡¯t be helped that they were now all feeling anxious after learning that others were after their lives.

    Shigure Tendo was the only one present whose expression hadn¡¯t changed from start to finish.

    After a long while arguing, Nobuhiko Kurosaki gave a loud sigh.

    ¡°Let¡¯s decide things with a vote. I don¡¯t think that either of acting together or splitting up are good options, to be honest, but we have to choose one¡­ so I vote to act together, although it¡¯s still not a good option. Even so, I think it¡¯s better than splitting up and ending with us being assassinated while we¡¯re alone. Still, the issue of possible traitors is a difficult problem. I can only try to ask everyone to trust each other as much as possible, and also watch each other with that as the foundation¡­¡±

    There was no best option. There was only a bad option and an even worse option. In that case, logic dictated that the bad option should be chosen.

    After the argument, these young masters anddies somewhat calmed down and were able to think with greater logic and reason. They also agreed to act together.

    Next was the issue of who would be leading¡­ who would take the role of team leader?

    This was a critical issue that would be more than enough to cause the copse of their temporarily and hastily established team. Nobuhiko Kurosaki directly came up with two ideas: first, the team leader would only have the right to make rmendations to everyone else but notmand anyone. Second, the team leader would be decided by random lots!

    This caused another lively argument for a while.

    But at the end of the argument, everyone finally decided to utilize the host Nobuhiko Kurosaki¡¯s method. Otherwise, if this argument escted any further, they would probably first start fighting amongst themselves.

    Everyone drew a fair and random lot with no magical shenanigans involved. The end result was that Shigure Tendo was chosen as the team leader.

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    Shigure looked at the lot that he had drawn, mulled things over, and then handed it back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let someone else be the leader,¡± he stated calmly.

    Everyone was rendered speechless yet again.

    At this moment, Keimi Umetani recalled something and whispered into Shigure¡¯s ear.

    Shigure nodded after hearing Keimi¡¯s whispers and then spoke to everyone again. ¡°In exchange for giving up my position as team leader, there¡¯s a private matter that I hope to ask for everyone¡¯s assistance in.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Nobuhiko inquired.

    ¡°During this tournament, I need to kill a certain person¡­ this person is the younger brother of our family¡¯s enemy who killed my older brother. Father ordered me to kill him to take revenge for my dead older brother.¡± Shigure then paused for a moment.

    ¡°This person¡¯s name is¡­ Seiji Haruta.¡±

 Chapter 659 - Bloodwine Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 659: Bloodwine Spirit</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°I want to return to my home base, the inte caf¨¦¡­¡±

    The idle fish in front of Seiji¡­ whoops, Kanna Fujihara was currently copsed on a table and muttering to herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about this tournament or whatever¡­ I only want to watch the newest anime, y video games, eat snacks, and surf the inte¡­ I don¡¯t want to stay here in such a strange location¡­¡±

    It was evident that she had zero motivation. She continuously muttered such things while giving off the aura of being an idle fish.

    Seiji had finally met up with his only ally in this tournament, yet she was currently in such a condition.

    Although he understood why this was the case, as she was an otaku girl who only joined this tournament because her family forced her to, still¡­

    ¡°The tournament is about to begin soon. Is it really alright to let her be like this, Izawa-kun?¡± Seiji looked at Kanna¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer, Ryuuno Izawa.

    ¡°This is how Master behaves when she¡¯s under too much pressure. Although it looks worrisome, she¡¯ll be more spirited when it¡¯s necessary,¡± Izawa replied. ¡°And if she really can¡¯t energize herself, then I shall take necessary measures to help her to do so.¡±

    ¡®Necessary measures? That sounds rather dangerous.¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched from hearing such ament.

    By now, the tournament participants had mostly arrived.

    Most of the spectators had arrived as well. They were led to the spectating grounds.

    The only ones that hadn¡¯t arrived were the ones from the main factions.

    At this time, there was the loud sound of something flying through the air.

    This sound was¡­ a helicopter?

    Seiji looked outside a window and saw a rather science-fiction-like flying object fly towards the spectating grounds and descend there!

    He had no clue what name this flying machine went by. Still, it was doubtless that the major faction personnel would ride on such a thing.

    Since the major factions¡¯ spectators had arrived, then the tournament participants from the major factions should have all arrived as well.

    Thinking so, Seiji walked out of the rest area and soon saw a luxurious cruise ship arriving as expected.

    Fully equipped tournament participants from the top-level factions disembarked off the luxury cruise ship after that.

    The seven major Yin Yang Master families, the three major samurai families, the two major ninja factions, and the Himiki judging n¡­ Seiji decided to mentally refer to this entire group as the ¡°7321¡± faction for short.

    The 7321 faction¡¯s tournament participants actually all arrived together? Something seemed off about this.

    No¡­ this wasn¡¯t even at the level of something being off anymore.

    A military squadron, a naval warship, and a deserted ind as the tournament location¡­ wasn¡¯t all of this directly indicating that something big was about to happen?

    Seiji felt that it was highly likely to be rted to the Revenge Alliance. More urately, it would be rted to the ¡°new power of the new generation¡± that Rota had been speaking about.

    The new power of the new generation. What Seiji thought of first were the Awakened and Spirit Worlds¡­

    That¡¯s right, a Spirit World!

    If all of this was for the sake of a Spirit World, then this ridiculous scene and all the clues of something going on behind the scenes would be exinable!

    The Revenge Alliance¡¯s ¡°new power¡± that they wanted to use was rted to a Spirit World.

    The tournament hosts knew about this already. Not only did the 7321 faction not intend to stop the Revenge Alliance, they even wanted to ¡°see it happen¡± and ¡°steal¡± from the Revenge Alliance!

    With this deserted ind as the tournament grounds, any major incident that urred could be dealt with out of the public¡¯s sight. Since this ind didn¡¯t have a single human resident to begin with, it didn¡¯t matter¡ªregardless of how much of amotion was caused here.

    The military squadron and the naval warship were all sent here as preventive measures. In fact, it was possible that even stronger forces were waiting in reserve for the Messengers faction to act.

    The 7321 faction¡¯s tournament participants had all arrived together on the same luxury cruise ship. This probably meant that they had set up an alliance amongst themselves in order to deal with the Revenge Alliance.

    All of these major precautions were all for the sake of a Spirit World!

    Each Spirit World represented tremendous potential benefits to be reaped. Just one Spirit World would be more than enough for a top-level faction to invest so much, including risking their own disciples¡¯ and descendants¡¯ lives.

    Everything made sense now.

    Seiji felt like he understood everything. He also felt a chill run down his spine.

    Was this chill because of the ughter that was surely about toe? Or was it because he was facing the unknown? Or was the chill caused by some other reason?

    Seiji lifted his head slightly towards the sky.

    The clouds were currently blocking the moon and the stars. He saw nothing but darkness.

    It was time for the tournament to begin.

    Seven powerful individuals from the Himiki judging n inspected all of the tournament participants¡¯ equipment. The tournament participants were then led to the tournament contract signing location¡ªa white building. The Himiki judging n repeated this process for all the two-person teams.

    When it was Seiji and Shika¡¯s turn, they followed the guide into the white building and saw thatplex and extensive spell formations were etched into the hallways, walls, and ceiling of the room. There werenterns on the wall that emanated a faint red light.

    The two of them were led into a small room that was also illuminated by rednterns. Even moreplex runes and spell formations were in this room. The center of the room contained a blood-red pir which had a diameter of approximately twenty centimeters and a height of approximately one meter.

    ¡°Please wait here for a moment.¡±

    The masked woman who led them here only said that before leaving the room and closing the door.

    Not long after, a clear male voice sounded in the room¡­

    ¡°All tournament participants, please listen. The tournament contract ceremony is about to begin.¡±

    All the runes and spell formations in the room instantly lit up in unison. A red light swiftly streaked through the runes and spell formations. Seiji sensed a powerful energy welling up within the room, along with his palm starting to heat up.

    Seiji and Shika both lifted their hands and saw that the previous small spell formation from the tournament contract they¡¯d signed before had risen on their palms.

    ¡°Everyone, please ce the palm with the tournament contract insignia onto the spiritual pir in the center of the room, then inject your Mana into the pir.¡± The male voice gave instructions to all the tournament participants.

    Seiji and Shika did as instructed.

    The spiritual pir began to glow and Seiji and Shika felt their palms burning up, as if they were melding with the spiritual pir.

    They then heard faint sounds of other men and women incanting something. Some timeter, they suddenly sensed the existences of all the other tournament participants!

    They were able to clearly sense the names of the other 126 tournament participants, their exact locations, and how far away they were!

    To use a gaming analogy, it was as if a minimap had just been opened up in their minds.

    ¡°Please confirm the contents of the tournament contract.¡±

    Information instantly streamed into their brains¡ªthe full terms of the tournament contract.

    ¡°Please clearly state your own name.¡±

    Seiji and Shika exchanged nces before they both announced their own names.

    They could also sense that the other tournament participants were simultaneously doing the exact same thing.

    The next moment, there was a glow in the room as a mystical existence started forming!

    This existence was connected to all the tournament participants. It would watch over the contract and gather spiritual blood from those who had lost in the tournament. This was the vessel for the Challenger¡¯s Bloodwine that only the final victor would be able to obtain¡ªthe ¡°Bloodwine Spirit¡±!

    The Bloodwine Spirit didn¡¯t have any intelligence of its own. It wasn¡¯t under any specific person¡¯s control. It was a special type of spirit that would only operate ording to the rules set by the contract. It would be an absolutely fair judge for the ritual tournament.

    ¡°Contract signingplete,¡± the male voice announced.

    A small te suddenly emerged from the right wall together with a *beep* sound. Two red and ck talismans were on the te, and silver crystals were notched on the talismans.

    ¡°Please put on the Lifesaving Talismans. Finally, may all of you be blessed with luck!¡±

    The spiritual pir¡¯s glow dimmed and disappeared. The runes and spell formations in the room also stopped glowing as the energy rapidly diminished.

    Seiji¡¯s hand no longer felt like it was burning. Neither was he able to sense the actions of the other tournament participants anymore, only their locations. Yet, he was still able to sense the Bloodwine Spirit, and knew that it was watching everyone.

    Seiji and Shika both took and put on a Lifesaving Talisman.

    After injecting their Mana into them, the Lifesaving Talismans became connected to Seiji and Shika. The Lifesaving Talisman would automatically activate and save their life from a single fatal blow.

    The first round, the group stage, was about to begin.

 Chapter 660 - That lonely flower

    <h4>Chapter 660: That lonely flower</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    There was no need to draw random lots to determine the teams. The Bloodwine Spirit automatically split all the tournament participants into Red Team and Blue Team, along with splitting the two teams into two different starting sections of the ind.

    The tournament participants had some time to prepare before heading to the starting section.

    Seiji and Shika were put on the Blue Team.

    Seiji contacted Izawa using a spell and learned that he and Kanna were also put on Blue Team. They then decided to meet up and stick together.

    The four of them soon met up and swiftly moved to an ordinary abandoned house in the Blue Team¡¯s starting district.

    After finishing their preparations, they waited for the battles to begin.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ I want to just give up and surrender.¡± Kanna Fujihara¡¯s head was dropping down as she spoke dispiritedly, still in her state of being an idle fish. ¡°ording to what you told me, Seiji, things are going to get pretty bad in this tournament. Shouldn¡¯t I just directly surrender for the sake of protecting my life?¡±

    ¡°Master, please be a bit more spirited. It¡¯s not allowed to surrender without even trying to fight.¡± Izawa spoke up before Seiji could even respond.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like surrendering, either! But didn¡¯t Seiji say that things were really serious!? There¡¯s even a warship! Who the hell knows just how terrible things will be! Perhaps even this entire ind will be sunk by bombs!!¡± Kanna suddenly snapped in anger.

    Izawa looked towards Seiji.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Seiji rubbed his chin in contemtion. ¡°This is a prettyrge ind. Sinking the entire ind shouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s also possible that the entire ind will be bombarded with bombs or even nukes!¡±

    ¡°In the worst-case scenario¡­ perhaps that¡¯s possible. But before that happens, there should at least be time for us to escape.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like the main character of an action movie, always escaping for my life in the middle of explosions! I¡¯m not someone with the aura of a main character. I¡¯ll die! I¡¯ll definitely die!¡± Kanna kept waving her hands wildly. ¡°I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯m going to surrender, I¡¯m going to admit defeat right away! No matter what punishment I receive, my life is the most important!!¡±

    ¡°Master¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, Ryuuno! I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡±

    ¡°That lonely flower, standing alone yet not lonely, stubbornly blooming in her beauty¡­¡± Izawa suddenly started speaking poetically a line that sounded like it was from some poem.

    Kanna¡¯s body instantly froze up.

    ¡°Even if she is ignored, disdained, looked down upon by the icy wind, she still has her lonely pride, just like myself¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh! Stop reading that poem!!¡±

    Kanna made pitiful noises as if she had received a severe mental attack.

    ¡°So what if she admires her beauty by herself? Lonely beauty shall never lower its head due to the corrupt vulgarities of life¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh grahhhh!!!!¡±

    Kanna clutched her head with both hands and squirmed all around, making strange sounds as if she was breaking down.

    Seiji was stunned by the sight, while Shika simply watched calmly.

    ¡°This is a poem that my master wrote when she was young.¡± Izawa paused in his poetry recital and exined, ¡°This poem¡¯s name is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ahh gahhh shut up!!!¡±

    Kana furiously rushed towards her own Spirit-branded Retainer, yet Izawa stopped her easily by simply pushing down on her head.

    ¡°If Master doesn¡¯t be spirited, I shall be forced to continue my poetry recital.¡±

    ¡°Ryuuno!!!¡±

    ¡°On yet another sorrowful autumn¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhh I get it I get it stop reciting!!!¡±

    The Fujihara Family youngdy was defeated by her own embarrassment.

    ¡®So, ¡®necessary measures¡¯ was referring to this? How scary,¡¯ Seiji eximed in his mind.

    ¡°Actually, I think that it¡¯s well written.¡± While eximing, he decided to pour salt onto Kanna¡¯s wounds.

    ¡°Shut up!!!¡± Kanna was bing teary-eyed.

    Under the threat of this mental attack, Kanna gave up on surrendering the tournament¡­ at least on the surface.

    If Kanna truly wanted to surrender, then it wouldn¡¯t have mattered no matter how many old poems of hers Izawa recited out loud.

    Actually, Kanna was just venting her emotions, while her loyal Spirit-branded Retainer was cooperating in allowing her to do so.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment. That¡¯s when Seiji noticed that something was wrong.

    Mist had started spreading everywhere.

    Yet, this was no natural weather phenomenon!

    The mist swiftly became even thicker, to the point where it limited one¡¯s field of vision. It was impossible to see through even when Seiji used [Astral Vision].

    Bright-red cluster amaryllis flowers then started appearing and blooming brilliantly everywhere!

    ¡°It¡¯s started¡­¡±

    At the tournament spectating grounds.

    All the hidden cameras¡¯ projections were blocked by gray mist, and it became impossible to spectate the ongoing tournament.

    Yet the spectators weren¡¯t surprised by this at all. Many were even happy to see this.

    The Messengers faction had taken action! Just as expected.

    It didn¡¯t matter at all to the 7321 faction that they couldn¡¯t see anything at all. The important part was to surveil the entire process.

    They had finished with their preparations already. It was now time to surveil the process and gather all the valuable information that they could.

    As for the tournament participants now stuck within the mist?

    Their fates would have to depend on themselves.

    The Revenge Alliance.

    Daikawa Rota felt the new power gradually increasing within his body. He startedughing loudly from the bottom of his heart. Hisughter was supremely delighted and even fanatical.

    He now had such strong power that would allow him to aplish what he wanted to.

    His choice hadn¡¯t been wrong.

    This new power was real. It would definitely be able to open up a path to the future!

    ¡®If all of this is just me being insane, then allow me to be even more insane.

    ¡®It¡¯s time to overthrow the old and corrupt ruling power, punish those who do evil as they please, and create the order of a new generation!!¡¯

    The brand-new future would begin from this moment onwards in this battle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Comrades!!¡± His passionate shouting was like a raging wildfire.

    ¡°Ohhhhh!!!¡± He received a response from hispanions that was also like a heated wildfire.

    The Bloodwar Alliance.

    Shigure Tendo watched a cluster amaryllis flower pop out of the ground and begin to bloom.

    Natsuki Shuurin, who had been randomly chosen to be their team leader after Shigure gave up the position, was currently saying something. Shigure didn¡¯t pay her any attention at all.

    These bright-red flowers were truly beautiful.

    Even if these bright-red flowers symbolized death.

    Precisely because these bright-red flowers symbolized death.

    Death was just as meaningful as life¡­ although Shigure didn¡¯t really understand what the meaning of either was.

    There were many things that Shigure didn¡¯t know or understand. That was because he indeed possessed low intelligence.

    However, he was able to feel.

    For instance, the cluster amaryllis flowers¡¯ beauty, the mysteriousness of the mist, the emotions of the people around him, the flow of the air, the passing of time¡­

    ¡°Milord Shigure¡­¡± an anxious voice spoke up beside him.

    Shigure turned around to see Keimi Umetani standing next to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little afraid¡­¡± she whispered in a soft voice. ¡°I feel that something frightening will ur¡­¡±

    Shigure silently looked at her.

    ¡°My mission is to serve Milord¡­ that¡¯s why¡­ even though I know that making such a request is shameless of me¡­ still¡­ If it¡¯s possible¡­ if we really do meet with danger, Milord Shigure¡­ could you please¡­ protect me slightly?¡±

    Weakness, inferiority, fear, expectation, desire¡­

    Shigure sensed all these things from Keimi Umetani.

    She hoped to obtain his promise, even if it was only an empty one to be polite. That would help to suppress the anxiety in her heart.

    Shigure was never one to make empty promises. That¡¯s why¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    Keimi¡¯s body stiffened upon hearing such a cold refusal.

    ¡°I¡­ I suppose you¡¯re right¡­ Someone like me doesn¡¯t have the right¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t ¡®slightly¡¯ protect you,¡± Shigure continued. ¡°That¡¯s because I have no idea just how much ¡®slightly¡¯ is for me. However, I understand the concept of ¡®with all my power.¡¯ That¡¯s why¡­ I shall protect you with all my power.¡±

    Keimi paused in surprise for a moment as her eyes became teary.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She sincerely expressed her gratitude.

    The next second, someone suddenly screamed!

 Chapter 661 - Defeating evil spirits!

    <h4>Chapter 661: Defeating evil spirits!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji and the others were able to sense the locations of all the enemy Red Team¡¯s tournament participants.

    When the battle began, the Bloodwine Spirit would allow all the tournament participants to sense the names and locations of all the enemy team¡¯s participants, all the way until all the members of one team were defeated. However, the minimap senses would also be periodically turned on and off.

    Even if this abnormal mist and cluster amaryllis flowers appeared, the Bloodwine Ritual tournament still continued ¡°as normal¡­¡± this proved that Seiji¡¯s guess had been on the mark.

    What he didn¡¯t expect was that not long after the tournament¡¯s group battle stage formally began, a Red Team tournament participant was judged to have been defeated.

    Why was this person defeated so quickly?

    There was a significant amount of distance between the starting locations for Red Team and Blue Team. Even if some Blue Team members were prepared beforehand to move at high speed from the very start, would they really be able to defeat a Red Team member in such a short period of time?

    Could it be that the Revenge Alliance members really did obtain great power, to the point where they could move super-fast and defeat someone in a single attack? Or were the Revenge Alliance members not obstructed by the mist, or perhaps they were able to snipe others off from a super long distance?

    This was just like cheating¡­ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall all the cheats avable in battle royale games like PUBG and Fortnite in his previous life. Such cheats would give all sorts of mystical abilities to the yers. Some people even called the cheats ¡°God simtors¡±, as a battle between cheaters was just like a battle between the Gods.

    So, the current situation resembled cheating yers abusing and beating up the top-level yers?

    That really did seem like the case¡­ but making such an analogy didn¡¯t reflect the seriousness of the situation.

    No, no, this was a really serious situation! This was no game, this was a real battle. People could die!

    Seiji suddenly felt his body stiffening when he thought to this point.

    This feeling was¡­

    *Crack crack crack crack!*

    Many ck arms suddenly broke the floorboards of the house Seiji was in. These ck arms viciously grabbed onto his legs and body!

    This was just like the soul attack he underwent on the ship¡­ No, wait!

    Shika, Kanna, and Izawa were all still next to him. And, ck hands had grabbed onto all of them as well!!

    *Shing!*

    Shika formed a de of ice and instantly sliced through several ck hands!

    *Shing shing shing shing!*

    After swiftly eliminating all the ck hands around her, she then helped to break Seiji free.

    Seiji and Shika then helped to slice off all the numerous ck hands surrounding Kanna and Izawa. Yet, after the two of them were freed, both Kanna and Izawa copsed right where they stood.

    ¡°Kanna! Izawa-kun! What¡¯s the matter!?¡±

    Seiji inspected Izawa¡¯s condition and found that his entire body had hardened, as if he had been frozen solid.

    Shika found that Kanna was in the same condition.

    What was going on?

    However, he didn¡¯t have time to check further on their condition, because a low sigh sounded in the room.

    Several hazy figures then appeared in midair. Some were male and some were female. They wore normal clothing and their faces couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. ck mist swirled all around their bodies, and they uttered strange sounds that sounded like sighs yet also like pitiful screams.

    These figures approached Seiji¡¯s group¡­ more urately, they were trying to approach Kanna and Izawa that copsed on the ground!

    Shika instantly decided to attack these figures with her ice de!

    She sliced two of the figures in half. Yet, these figures only floated backwards slightly before forming themselves into whole again.

    These two ghostly figures then used the ck mist around their bodies to attempt at enveloping Seiji¡¯s young Spirit-branded Retainer!

    Shika used a barrier spell to block the ck mist.

    Seiji sliced through another ghostly figure, with the same result.

    If direct physical attacks were ineffective, then¡­

    [Cleansing]!

    The ck mist that was cleansed instantly had a portion disappear.

    It was effective! Seiji then created another seal and borrowed power from his bonded female spirit, casting [Evolved Cleansing]!

    *Whoosh¡­* Instantly, arge patch of ck mist and a ghostly figure all evaporated due to the cleansing.

    This would be much easier to deal with now that Seiji knew the correct technique to use.

    ¡°Evil spirits, begone! I decree it so!!¡±

    Seiji used such a ssical phrase while continuously using [Evolved Cleansing] to eliminate all the ghostly figures.

    The scene then fell silent afterwards.

    ¡°Urk¡­¡± Izawa started making sounds and moving.

    ¡°Izawa-kun! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Where¡¯s Master¡­? Master!¡±

    Izawa shook Kanna on the shoulder. Soon, Kanna woke up as well together with an ¡°Ahh!!¡± sound.

    Seiji inquired what happened and learned that both of them had entered frightening hallucinations, as if they suddenly started having nightmares.

    Just as they were resisting against the hallucinations, they suddenly woke up.

    Were these sudden hallucinations because of the ck hands and ghostly figures?

    It would seem that was highly likely to be the case.

    Forget about the ck hands, were those ghostly figures¡­ the former residents of this ind or even that house they were in? Seiji wondered about that.

    Could they have been undead spirits?

    Seiji instantly recalled what he had experienced during the incident in Reo¡¯s soul realm.

    ck mist¡­ ghostly humanoid figures¡­ scary hallucinations¡­ that was quite simr to the current situation!

    The return of the dead¡­ the current situation and a mysterious power¡­ was this current situation connected to the mysterious power that Reo and Mayuzumi possessed, the power which could even summon the spirits of those who had died already?

    He recalled that there was one more person from the Story of One Hundred Demons incident of ten years ago with Mayuzumi and Reo¡¯s mother, Riko Tachibana. There was one more high school girl at the time that had suffered the same nightmares as them!

    That girl¡¯s name had been¡­

    ¡°Risa Kobayakawa¡­¡± Seiji muttered to himself.

    ¡°Please¡­ Stop¡­¡±

    Right after he said that name out loud, he heard a faint sound!

    This was the same mysterious voice that he heard back on the ship. Now, he was able to hear it clearer than before. He could now discern that the voice was evidently female.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Seiji looked all around him. ¡°Are you Risa Kobayakawa!?¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ stop that person¡­ otherwise¡­ everyone will die¡­¡±

    The words he heard came only in broken session.

    ¡°By ¡®stop¡¯, do you mean stopping the current situation from developing any further? Who is ¡®that person¡¯? If we don¡¯t stop this person, will all of us die!?¡± Seiji continued asking questions.

    He received no response.

    The voice stopped saying anything more.

    Shika, Kanna, and Izawa were all looking at him.

    ¡°I recalled something and then heard a mysterious voice. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to obtain any useful information¡­¡± Seiji exined the situation to them.

    He felt that the mysterious female voice wanted to express something like this: he had to stop a certain person¡¯s ns. Otherwise, everyone on the ind would die!

    Yet, he had no idea who this person was supposed to be.

    ¡®Come on now, stating the name clearly is the most important part of the warning, mysteriousdy.¡¯ Seiji could only mentally sigh.

    At this moment, he sensed that a two-person team on the enemy Red Team was just defeated. His ¡°minimap senses¡± of their existence stopped working as they were judged to have lost the tournament.

    Were these Red Team participants defeated by Blue Team members, or were they defeated by these ghostly figures that just appeared? Seiji didn¡¯t know.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡®I said, don¡¯t try to stop me.¡¯

    ¡®Besides, I¡¯ve already started. It¡¯s toote to stop now.¡¯

    ¡®Heh heh, I really am an idiot. It¡¯s just as you say.¡¯

    ¡®I never thought that I would be so foolish, and yet not regret anything at all.¡¯

    ¡®This is the action I¡¯ve taken that I regret least in my life.¡¯

    ¡®What I regret the most in my life was the fact that I noticed you on that day.¡¯

    ¡®If only I ignored you instead¡­ you wouldn¡¯t have died.¡¯

    ¡®You would have grown up normally, into a wonderful woman. You probably would have found a gentle husband, had cute children, and lived a normal and fortunate life.¡¯

    ¡®If only time could be turned back¡­ If only I could go back to the time when I met you, I would definitely stop myself. I wouldn¡¯t mind even if I had to kill my past self.¡¯

    ¡®Haha, why can¡¯t I talk like this?¡¯

    ¡®If you want to viciously scold me, then return!¡¯

    ¡®As long as youe back to me alive, then you can scold me all you want.¡¯

    ¡®I want you to return.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t care about anything else¡­ this damned sh*tty world is one where people can only be killed but not revived. That¡¯s so unreasonable!¡¯

    ¡®There¡¯re countless out there that deserve to die. But there are also some that should be revived, such as you.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m willing to pay anything if that can really happen.¡¯

    ¡®If only everything I possessed could be traded for you toe back to life again, that would be the best trade I could ask for in the world.¡¯

    ¡®But since that¡¯s not possible¡­ I cane to visit you in the next world instead.¡¯

    ¡®Haha, even if you kick me away, there¡¯s one sentence that I absolutely have to tell you personally.¡¯

 Chapter 662 - Only the final victor can survive!?

    <h4>Chapter 662: Only the final victor can survive!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Natsuki Shuurin was feeling terrible right now.

    The ck hands and ghostly figures that suddenly appeared and attacked weren¡¯t all that strong. However, their soul attacks had powerful and fearsome effects!

    Most of the Bloodwar Alliance members had fallen for their soul attacks, including herself.

    Those who weren¡¯t dragged into the soul realm by the spirits¡¯ surprise attacks were also barely holding on. There was only one person who was able to speedily help everyone: Shigure Tendo!

    As if he waspletely unaffected from the very start, he swiftly cut off the ck hands attempting to tangle him. He then helped to break Keimi Umetani free from the ck hands before he helped everyone else.

    Everyone speedily destroyed this sudden unexpected threat. However, they still weren¡¯t fast enough. Someone was invaded by the ghostly figures.

    This person wasn¡¯t a member of the Bloodwar Alliance which consisted of the 7321 faction members. He was another tournament participant that was on the Red Team which the entire Bloodwar Alliance had been assigned to due to the tournament hosts¡¯ maniption.

    When this person was tangled by the ck hands and then invaded by the ghostly figures, the Bloodwine Spirit instantly judged that he had been ¡°defeated¡± in the tournament. Arge amount of spiritual blood was instantly drained from him, a price that all tournament participants had agreed to pay if they lost in the tournament!

    After he was greatly weakened by this, the ck hands that restrained him transformed into a ck mist that swirled all around him. He then suddenly started viciously attacking the others around him! Judging from his condition, it was evident that he had lost his sense of logic and reason. The ghostly spirit must have invaded his body and started manipting him.

    The spirit-controlled person was able to attack with far greater power than he should have normally been able to, which slowed down the rescue process for everyone else. This caused yet another person to be invaded by the ghostly spirits.

    During the process of battling, the second person¡¯s partner was also captured by the ck hands and directly invaded by the ghostly spirits.

    After a fierce battle, the Bloodwar Alliance members finally defeated the three individuals that were under control. After that, the Bloodwar Alliance actually witnessed these three people drying up andpletely withering! They resembled trees that had died of old age. Their bodies and souls had beenpletely drained. Their appearance in death was incredibly pitiful.

    The other tournament participants felt an icy chill run down their spines.

    Although they all knew that it was possible to die in this tournament that they willingly signed up for, they would still be far more shaken after seeing such deaths ur right in front of them.

    As for the tournament participants that didn¡¯t have sufficient resolution to begin with? They would have it even worse.

    That was why Natsuki Shuurin was feeling terrible right now.

    She viciously cursed everything in her heart. She used every single cuss word that she knew!

    The only reason why she was cursing in her heart instead of loudly venting was because she still had a remaining shred of her dignity as the daughter of a major family. But, who knew how long it¡¯d take before her negative emotions overcame her dignity?

    While Natsuki was still able to remain calm at least on the surface, it wasn¡¯t the same for others.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die like this¡­ Who the hell would want to continue! I¡¯m done with this!! I surrender!!!¡±

    The partner for the first person who was spiritually invaded and died was no longer able to bear things anymore. She copsed on the ground and started shrieking.

    Her partner had met a pitiful death. ording to the tournament rules, surrendering in this scenario wouldn¡¯t have any punishment.

    The moment that this female participant uttered out loud that she wanted to surrender, the tournament contract on her palm started glowing red.

    ¡°I confirm! I, Kari Suijou, wish to surrender! I want to leave here as fast as I can!!¡±

    After receiving her final confirmation, the red light on her hand gradually faded and she was released from the tournament contract.

    All the tournament participants that watched Kari Suijou surrender from the tournament received a notice from the Bloodwine Spirit that they were now forbidden to attack her.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡­ you all can stay here and slowly have your fun.¡± Kari left this final statement before she started to leave.

    Yet, the next instant, arge amount of dense and thick ck mist suddenly swarmed out of nowhere, instantly enveloping her entire body!

    ¡°What? AHHHHH!!!¡±

    Pitiful screams could be heard from within the mist!

    As the other members of the Red Team and the Bloodwar Alliance watched in astonishment, the screams soon stopped and the ck mist gradually dissipated to reveal her dead body on the ground.

    Kari Suijou had died.

    Her corpse was in an identical withered condition as the other three that just died!

    This situation caused the tournament participants who witnessed this to feel an even deeper chill in their hearts.

    What was up with that ck mist!?

    As long as someone surrendered and canceled the tournament contract, the ck mist would instantlye for them!?

    The ck mist could instantly kill someone without even any chance to resist¡­ it was far more vicious and terrifying than the ck hands and ghostly spirits!!

    Having one¡¯s body invaded by ghostly spirits would result in a pitiful death. Being defeated in the tournament or surrendering would also result in the same death? What the hell was going on!?

    Everyone was shaken even more by this.

    It was the same for the Bloodwar Alliance members. Natsuki Shuurin and the others had incredibly pallidplexions after witnessing all of this.

    If any of them surrendered, they would be ambushed by the ck mist and die a pitiful death¡­ didn¡¯t that mean that it was now impossible to leave the tournament!?

    What if any of them were defeated during the tournament? Would it still be possible to even leave safely after paying the penalty of spiritual blood which would greatly weaken any tournament loser? Or, would they instantly die after being defeated in the tournament? Would only the final victor survive!?

    If that was really the case¡­ if only one two-person team could survive this entire tournament¡­

    No¡­ impossible!! How could something like this possibly be permitted to happen!?

    ¡­But who could be certain that it wouldn¡¯t happen?

    Perhaps everyone in this entire tournament was actually a sacrifice to feed the creation of a new Spirit World¡­

    Everyone was tremendously shaken by their fear. In fact, some even started despairing.

    As if certain individuals were waiting for this exact opportunity, their enemies appeared.

    *Boom!!*

    Seiji was sent flying backwards by a tremendous impact. He was forcefully sent crashing through a wall.

    The person who attacked him followed up by shooting a ck-colored Mana Bullet at Seiji. Seiji dodged this attack and jumped outside the house through a window.

    There was another loud boom as an entire wall was shattered by a Mana Bullet! The entire house started shaking and then copsed after several seconds.

    Seiji then continued his fierce battle against a jacketed man who had ck mist around his entire body!

    Another man wearing an identical jacket tried to ambush Seiji from the side, but Shika who was on another house¡¯s rooftop to the left shot out several sharp ice des to stop him.

    The next moment, she was sent flying backwards by her own opponent. Her enemy tried to chase after her, but a green fireball smacked right into him!

    Izawa, who had just cast a spell to provide cover fire to protect Shika, was shed into two halves by an enemy wearing a ninja outfit. However, Izawa¡¯s figure simply disappeared in a sh of light, as only a substitute body had been shed. His real body appeared elsewhere.

    ¡°Wahhhh!! Ryuuno, hurry and save me!!¡±

    Kanna was currently being chased by a female who was also wearing a ninja outfit. Kanna kept throwing talismans as she ran, which caused explosions everywhere.

    Seeing how chaotic this situation was, Seiji decided to use his newly-gained abilities¡­

    [Don¡¯t touch my younger sister]!

    Suddenly, a great power welled up within his body, greatly increasing Seiji¡¯s speed and attack power!

    [Wind sh]!

    Seiji suddenly rushed towards the tall samurai-attired jacketed man who was attacking Shika. Seiji shed with a sword that was burning with the friction of wind force!

    *Bam!!*

    Seiji broke through the enemy¡¯s barrier spell and solidlynded a direct sh against the man¡¯s body. However, there was no blood that streaked from the man¡¯s injury at all.

    *Shing shing shing shing shing shing¡ªhigh-speed sessive shes!!*

    Seiji wielded his sword as if it was a lightsaber, furiously shing at the enemy male, causing the samurai to contort strangely. Seiji then finished things with his ultimate move¡­

    [Shadow Cut]!

    A sword cut that distorted thews of physics cut down and sliced through the samurai man¡¯s entire body, cutting him in half!

    Yet, there still wasn¡¯t a single drop of blood. All that happened was that arge amount of ck mist dissipated from the man¡¯s body, together with a strange sound that sounded both like a sigh and a pitiful scream.

    As Seiji expected, this man was probably invaded and possessed by the ghostly spirits.

    When these tournament participants suddenly ambushed Seiji¡¯s group, he had already noticed that they were in rather strange condition. These people all had ck mist around them, and faint strange ghostly wails could be heard from their bodies.

    None of them would react no matter what questions Seiji tried to ask. Although they were clearly living, they felt more like they were dead already. It was as if they were nothing more than corpses under someone or something else¡¯s control.

    A dense formation of Mana Bullets flew towards them!

    Seiji and Shika dodged the Mana Bullets. However, the house behind them took the full brunt of the attacks and copsed.

    Arge man wearing special ops type clothing used a spiritual assault rifle to shoot a tremendous number of bullets in their direction. This had outstanding attack power!

    ¡°Leave it to me¡­¡± Shika directly faced the wave of bullets and rushed forward using other houses as shields. She sent out flying ice des in a counterattack!

    Seiji then faced the two jacketed men by himself! His sword shed and he constantly changed positions as he fought from one street to the next¡­

    Izawa used illusions to attract the ninja man into a trap. Izawa then used this opportunity to use an ultimate move¡­

    Destruction curse, ¡°Night Earth Fire¡±!

    *Crackle*¡ªpowerful mes suddenly reached the skies. The brilliance was blinding and seemed just like a magma explosion! This fire swallowed up the enemy ninja.

    ¡°Excellent job, Ryuuno! Now hurry and save me!!¡± Kanna was still running away from the ninja woman.

    It appeared as if she would be caught up to at any moment. But, actually, the ninja woman had been chasing her for quite a while already. If the ninja woman still had her intelligence, perhaps she would have been angered to death by Kanna¡¯s antics already.

 Chapter 663 - We are creating history

    <h4>Chapter 663: We are creating history</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Just as Izawa was rushing over to support Kanna, Shika got close to the special opsrge man and created a seal¡­

    Destruction curse, ¡°Ice Pierce¡±!

    Ice instantly formed and speedily spread along the ground.

    Therge man moved to dodge the ice. However, the ice suddenly changed directions and caught up to him. The ice then formed a sharp icicle which viciously stabbed the target man! He was sent flying by the impact.

    Shika took this opportunity to speed up even more and gather a frigid chill on her Demon de Muramasa. She jumped into midair and sliced at the special ops man with a tremendous icy de!

    *Whoosh¡­* Her attack didn¡¯tnd.

    The man suddenly released a great amount of ck mist as he backflipped and dodged the attack while counterattacking with his twin swords!

    He shed with Shika in midair. They had a fierce exchange of blows for several seconds before they split apart and bothnded on the ground. Right after that, they jumped up and shed in midair yet again.

    Shika gradually gained the upper hand in this battle.

    She wanted to deal with this enemy as quickly as possible so that she could go back and help Seiji in his battle. For this purpose, she used a highly aggressive fighting style. It seemed as if Shika became the living personification of a blizzard as she destroyed the enemy¡¯s personal protective barrier! However, the price for her own high-powered attack was that her personal barrier was also weakened to the point of almost copsing.

    The fight ended.

    Shika used ¡°Snow Freeze¡± to freeze therge man, and then followed up with ¡°Ice Shatter¡± to finish him off. However¡­

    *Boom!!*

    The ck mist around the man suddenly exploded, breaking the ice around the man and releasing a tremendous shock wave!

    Shika was blown away by this unexpected counterattack. Right after that, something tightly bound her and her personal protective barrier was shattered!!

    ¡®Not good¡­¡¯

    That was the only thought Shika had time for before she felt a fierce impact and her head started hurting enormously¡­

    [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    Together with the loud ng of a bell, Seiji¡¯s gigantic golden bell appeared and covered the two jacketed men that he was fighting with. The bell also happened to destroy a nearby house.

    ¡°GAHHHHH!!!¡± Pitiful strange screams came from within the bell.

    Although it seemed like Seiji had won, he still didn¡¯t let down his guard.

    What happened next proved that he had been correct to be so cautious.

    A dense ck mist suddenly erupted, breaking his bell and speedily trying to envelop him!

    Seiji swiftly dodged by backing up. He blocked the ck mist with a barrier spell.

    One jacketed man swiftly broke through his barrier but was greeted with an [Evolved Mana Bullet] to the face!

    The other jacketed man ambushed him from the side at almost the exact same time. Seiji countered with a [Shadow Cut] and separated the man¡¯s head from his body!!

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to practice for at least another ten years if you think you can sessfully counterattack from the brink of defeat against me like that!¡±

    Seiji then followed up with a fast series of sword attacks and finished with another [Shadow Cut] which sliced the second jacketed man in two.

    This had used quite a bit of Seiji¡¯s energy and Mana. However, at least he finally won.

    Seiji immediately turned around to go check on everyone else.

    What he saw was a scene that made him feel like he was about to copse from a heart attack¡ªShika was copsed on the roadside!

    ¡°Shika-chan!!!¡± Seiji shouted loudly while running over to check his adopted younger sister¡¯s condition. He discovered that she appeared to be uninjured.

    Shika woke up after Seiji called out to her.

    ¡°Brother Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°Shika-chan, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°My¡­ head is a little dizzy¡­¡± Shika spoke in a weak voice.

    ¡°Why would your head feel dizzy? What happened to you just now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you save me, Brother?¡±

    ¡°I just finished my own fight and rushed over immediately when I saw you already copsed on the ground,¡± Seiji exined.

    ¡°Then, did Izawa-san save me?¡± Shika looked all around her.

    But right after she said this, there was the sound of a loud explosion.

    ¡°Izawa-kun and Kanna are still fighting more enemies over there.¡± Seiji looked in the direction of the explosion.

    Shika fell silent as something shed in her eyes.

    ¡°I was careless just now, and my barrier was shattered¡­ I fell unconscious¡­ I think that Yukirai must have protected me, because she¡¯s asleep now.¡±

    Yukirai was the name of Shika¡¯s bonded Snow Girl spirit.

    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m truly grateful to her,¡± Seiji said happily as he hugged his adopted younger sister tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother¡­ Yukirai is asleep now, and I¡¯m now weaker without her assistance.¡± Shika was truly regretful.

    ¡°No need to apologize. It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re alright.¡±

    At this moment, the sounds of fighting finally stopped.

    Some timeter, Kanna and Izawa appeared again. It would seem that both of them were fine.

    Everyone was safe. That was the best result that Seiji could possibly hope for.

    Daikawa Rota was currently greatly enjoying himself.

    The seven major Yin Yang Master families, the three major samurai families, the two major ninja factions, and the Himiki judging n¡­ the tournament participants from these top-level factions and their subordinate families had all been defeated!

    The 7321 faction members had all been defeated by Daikawa Rota and his Revenge Alliance members.

    The 7321 faction members were all as strong as expected due to their family backgrounds. No ordinary Spiritual Ability users could possiblypare to their level. If the Revenge Alliance members had fought with only their original power levels, then there was zero doubt that the Revenge Alliance would have been totally annihted.

    However, the Revenge Alliance possessed the power of the new generation!

    This power was just as strong as Rota had expected. It was strong enough to defeat the old order and develop a new future¡ªthis battle was only the beginning, as well as the first proof!

    ¡®We are creating history!

    ¡®After establishing a new order, this battle will be recorded in history, while I¡­ and all mypanions will be renowned in history!

    ¡®No¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter even if none of us are recorded in history.

    ¡®None of us are fighting for the sake of fame.

    ¡®We¡¯re fighting to correct the wrongs of the world! We¡¯re fighting for justice, for the new generation!!

    ¡®This is the worthiest achievement of my entire life. It has nothing to do with personal fame or benefits.¡¯

    ¡°Rota-san, everything is now ready.¡±

    Just as Rota felt as if he was about to achieve nirvana, one of his underlings gave him a report.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    More than ten people from the Bloodwar Alliance of the 7321 faction were currently tied up tightly and forced to kneel in arge clearing.

    The Bloodwar Alliance members all knew what was likely to happen next to them. Some of them had grim expressions, some of them had expressions of despair, some cursed the Revenge Alliance loudly and angrily, some were snot-nosed and crying rivers, and some begged for their lives¡­

    Natsuki Shuurin was the type that was in utter despair.

    Her Spirit-branded Retainer partner had died while trying to protect her and give her an opportunity to escape. Yet, she had still been unable to escape and was captured alive.

    When she was captured alive, she still hoped that the Revenge Alliance wouldn¡¯t dare to actually kill her due to her status of being from the Shuurin Family, one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families. But now, she understood what was about to happen to her upon seeing this scene.

    ¡®These maniacs¡­ They¡¯re actually performing public executions¡­

    ¡®They¡¯re all insane,pletely insane¡­¡¯ Natsuki could only think this numbly to herself as she saw how all the men and women of the Revenge Alliance had such delighted and fanatical expressions.

    On her left, Masao Yanagi of the Yanagi samurai family was cursing out loudly to the point where his throat had gotten hoarse.

    To her right, Shuntou Haruta was crying endlessly and hysterically.

    ¡®So noisy¡­¡¯ Natsuki really wanted some quiet right now.

    She was incredibly annoyed by the maniacs¡¯ fanatical expressions and the unbing behavior of the people next to her. She was annoyed to the point where she even slightly forgot about her despair.

    The person who seemed to be in charge of these insane maniacs was currently giving a speech, something about revolution, old order, new generation, creating history, h h h. The maniacs all reveled and cheered in joy at his speech¡­ they seemed like nothing more than a bunch of monkeys to Natsuki.

    Natsuki watched all of this coldly and calmly, as if she was simply a spectator watching a boring TV show from behind a screen.

    However, this was no TV show at all.

    Natsuki was cruelly pulled back to reality when Shuntou Haruta next to her was suddenly kicked into the middle of the clearing. He could only wretchedly roll around on the ground due to his restraints.

    Rota looked down from above at this Haruta Family member and spoke in a cold and calm voice, ¡°Haruta-san. Do you have anyst words to say?¡±

    Rota couldn¡¯t help but recall the time when he was ying cards against someone else who also imed to be ¡°Shuntou Haruta¡­¡± Rota deeply felt that he was now far different from himself at that time!

    ¡°Wahhh¡­ Don¡¯t kill me¡­ I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t kill me¡­ Wahhhh¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die!!!¡±

    Shuntou Haruta hadpletely mentally copsed. He was sobbing uncontrobly.

    ¡°Countless, endless numbers of people have cried and begged your family in the same way for their lives. Yet your family has never spared a single person, so you won¡¯t be spared, either.¡± Rota made a judgement.

    And then, a shiny sharp de was lifted and then swung down.

    Shuntou Haruta¡¯s loud sobs suddenly stopped.

    At this moment when Shuntou Haruta¡¯s head was cut off, the cluster amaryllis flowers blooming everywhere suddenly appeared to be even brighter in color.

 Chapter 664: Iâ€™m sorry that I canâ€™t protect you anymore

    <h4>Chapter 664: I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t protect you anymore</h4>

    Deep despair and high spirits.

    Shigure Tendo was currently feeling these two emotions.

    These two emotions were as opposite and contradictory as could be. Yet, he indeed felt both these emotions at this location and this point in time. It was a wondrous and subtle sensation.

    Shigure wasn¡¯t afraid of his impending death at all as he watched hispanions in the Bloodwar Alliance being executed and his enemies being whipped up into more and more of a fervor. Instead, Shigure immersed himself in this subtle sensation, entering an indescribable realm.

    And then, it was time for his and Keimi Umetani¡¯s executions.

    ¡°Tendo-san. Do you have anyst words to say?¡±

    Although Rota appeared calm on the surface as he asked this, he was actually highly on guard inside.

    That was because Shigure Tendo had seeded in killing a total of seven Revenge Alliance members before being defeated!

    The seven Revenge Alliance members had all been in in meleebat. Even with their great new power, they were unable to resist against Shigure Tendo¡¯s sword techniques. He was by far the single most powerful member of the 7321 faction that they captured.

    However, the Tendo Family was clearly one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families. Why did Shigure Tendo possess such amazing sword techniques, to the point where his sword techniques far surpassed the skill level of the disciples and descendants of the three major samurai families!?

    Rota was quite confused about this. After Rota finally defeated Shigure with long-distance attacks, he captured and asked Shigure about this before the executions. However, the only answer that Rota received was¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    When he said this, the Tendo Family son had an incredibly calm expression¡­ or perhaps he could be called expressionless. He didn¡¯t have any evident emotions of resistance, unwillingness, anger, hatred, or any other negative emotions at all. His behavior waspletely different from that of all the other captured 7321 faction members. He didn¡¯t show any fear or despair at all.

    Shigure remained like this even up until his turn to be executed.

    Although he had been restrained and was kneeling on the ground, watching the other 7321 faction members being executed, he still retained such a calm and distant expression.

    Could it be that Shigure Tendo had some mental retardation or physical problems that made him emotionless?

    Well, it didn¡¯t matter to Rota if Shigure had any mental issues¡­ or that should have been the case, but Rota still sensed danger. He felt as if this Tendo Family son was still hiding something, so he remained highly vignt during all this time.

    Although the other Revenge Alliance members were all reveling in their fervor, Rota still remained calm.

    ¡°Umetani-san¡­¡± Shigure looked at the girl Yin Yang Master next to him.

    ¡°Milord Shigure¡­¡± Keimi was trembling all over and tears could be seen in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t protect you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize, Milord Shigure¡­ Although our time together was short, I¡¯m truly blessed to have served someone like you.¡± Keimi smiled through her tears.

    Shigure had kept his earlier promise and protected her to the fullest of his abilities. He didn¡¯t act like other 7321 faction members such as Natsuki Shuurin, who had ordered her Spirit-branded Retainer subordinate to act as her shield in an effort so that only she could escape.

    Although Keimi felt extreme despair at having to die in such a ce when she was still so young, at least she wasn¡¯t alone, because she had someone like Shigure by her side.

    Rota was somewhat rendered speechless by the scene.

    He had already executed the great majority of the 7321 faction members. These children of the top-level factions all showed unbing behavior as they met their ends, so inparison, Shigure¡¯sst words before being executed seemed greatly moving. The crowd of Revenge Alliance members who were in a frenzy even somewhat calmed down upon seeing such a scene.

    Just as everyone thought that Shigure Tendo would say something else and leave behind something like a deeply emotional love confession before his death, they saw that Shigure instead closed his eyes.

    Everyone misunderstood what Shigure meant, including Keimi Umetani.

    When Shigure said that ¡°I can¡¯t protect you anymore,¡± he didn¡¯t mean that he and Keimi would be dying here at all.

    What he was actually trying to express but couldn¡¯t due to his low intelligence was that ¡°I¡¯m about to use power that¡¯s even greater than my ¡®full power¡¯, so I won¡¯t be able to watch out for you anymore!¡±

    Rota was the first to detect that something was wrong.

    Then, everyone witnessed all the ck hands that were tightly restraining Shigure being vaporized into ck mist!

    While everyone was busy being astonished, Rota was the first to react and use his power to suppress Shigure!

    However, the ck mist around Shigure¡¯s body suddenly explosively increased with great density and dispelled Rota¡¯s power!!

    What was going on!?

    Rota didn¡¯t have the time to think as he then turned to wielding his sword with all his strength. However, with a ng against the mist, his sword became stuck and unable to move.

    ¡°Kill him!!!¡±

    Rota sensed great danger and shouted loudly, immediately giving up on his sword and trying to retreat. However, a silver sh shot out of the ck mist and directly aimed for his heart!

    *ng!!!*

    Rota backpedaled at full speed and barely managed to block this attack with his personal barrier also helping to mitigate the impact. A cold sweat broke out down his spine!

    The Revenge Alliance members listened to his order and immediately started attacking Shigure Tendo!

    A thick array of Mana Bullets and other spells shot into the ck mist surrounding him. However, there was no effect nor even any reaction, as if every spell had been devoured.

    This patch of Shigure¡¯s ck mist then started moving and suddenly approached the crowd of Revenge Alliance members. The ck mist entwined around a person and then sounds of screaming and cutting could be heard. After that, two halves of a body flew out of the ck mist surrounding Shigure!

    ¡°Don¡¯t get close to him!!¡± Rota shouted out to his Revenge Alliance members.

    The Revenge Alliance members swiftly spread out. However, Shigure¡¯s ck mist was even quicker and seeded in chasing down and killing several more people.

    ¡°Stop!! Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill her!!!¡± Rota prepared a spell and aimed it at Keimi Umetani, who had fainted and was now unconscious on the ground.

    However, Shigure¡¯s ck mist didn¡¯t even slow down.

    Rota shouted the same threat to kill Keimi even louder. But, the result was still the same¡ªShigure ignored Rota.

    Ranged attacks seemed to bepletely ineffective now against Shigure and his ck mist. And, anyone that got anywhere close to him would be instantly killed. It was impossible to fight him at melee distance!

    The Revenge Alliance members now felt fear for the first time.

    They started doing their best to run and hide. Some even ran inside the empty houses on the ind, but they were still hunted down. That was because Shigure and his ck mist were beginning to increase in speed. He was even capable of shooting out ck hands that could obstruct people¡¯s movements!

    Rota didn¡¯t dare to fire his spell that he kept aimed at the unconscious Keimi. That was because he instinctively sensed that if he really killed her, he himself would definitely be killed with zero chance at escaping!

    What the hell was going on with this Tendo Family son¡¯s current condition!? How was the Revenge Alliance supposed to defeat him again!?

    Rota didn¡¯t have any ideas¡­ he had to contact the Revenge Alliance leader!!

    Fight or run? Rota was now faced with a choice.

    He heard many Revenge Alliance members¡¯ death screams.

    Just a moment ago, the Revenge Alliance had been the side performing the executions. After capturing the 7321 faction members, they then executed almost all of the children of the powerful factions who were now powerless to resist. The Revenge Alliance never expected that in the very next moment, they¡¯d be the prey instead of the predator. The Revenge Alliance members were now powerless to resist as they were hunted down one by one.

    When Shigure¡¯s ck mist turned around and started approaching him, Rota instinctively made his choice.

    He canceled his spell aimed at Keimi, turned around, and fled at top speed!

    Hepletely ignored the screams and pleas for help from the other Revenge Alliance members. He only wanted to escape as quickly as possible and get away from that terrifying existence named Shigure Tendo.

    He felt that it would be the wisest to counterattack after asking the Revenge Alliance leader about how to deal with Shigure Tendo.

    *Whoosh¡­* After running for a while, he suddenly tripped over something and lost his bnce.

    Rota was astonished by this unexpected obstacle.

    He crashed wretchedly into the ground and rolled around and around many times before finally stopping when he crashed into a defunct electricity pole.

    ¡®I tripped over at the critical moment!? Such a terrible joke of a clich¨¦ actually happened to me!?¡¯

    For an instant, Rota sunk into self-doubt. But he instantly discovered that he hadn¡¯t tripped over at all. Instead, his feet had stiffened!

    ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    Rota did his best to tell his legs and feet to move. However, they wouldn¡¯t obey him.

    Right after that, his arms and legs began to stiffen as well, followed by his shoulders, neck, and head¡­ Soon, his entire body was unable to move. He couldn¡¯t even make any sounds!

    ¡®Why is this happening to me¡­?¡¯

    He wanted to ask out loud, but was unable to do so. He could only watch as Shigure¡¯s cloud of ck mist chased after him and speedily approached.

    Rota¡¯s fear reached the breaking point in his mind. Various memories shed past his eyes as he furiously tried to struggle. However, he only seeded in causing his body to tremble, and tears began streaming out of his eyes, causing his vision to go hazy.

    ¡®Impossible¡­ Why are things like this¡­? Don¡¯te over¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡¯

    Daikawa Rota personally witnessed his impending doom¡­ he now experienced the exact same feelings as the 7321 faction members he had just executed.

    And then, Daikawa Rota died.

 Chapter 665 - He killed his teammates!?

    <h4>Chapter 665: He killed his teammates!?</h4>

    ¡°Let¡¯s surrender, Master.¡±

    Izawa¡¯s words caused everyone in Seiji¡¯s party to fall silent for a moment.

    ¡°Earlier, you used such underhanded means to prevent me from surrendering. Why are you suddenly saying this now?¡± Kanna looked at her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    ¡°That¡¯s because earlier, I believed that it was a bad idea to surrender without even trying. But now, I believe that it will be too dangerous to remain here. For Master¡¯s safety, we should surrender now and leave here immediately,¡± Izawa spoke seriously.

    It was quite evident why Kanna¡¯s loyal Spirit-branded Retainer suddenly changed his mind. It was due to the way that the enemies who attacked them had died!

    The enemies had all be nothing more than withered corpses that were frightening to behold. It was only natural to think that continuing to participate in this tournament would be extremely dangerous.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯ve finallye to my way of thinking. But¡­¡± Kanna sighed. ¡°I think it¡¯s toote now.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Seiji added.

    In the current situation, it would be far too foolish to think that it was still possible to leave safely just by surrendering in the tournament.

    Ever since the ck mist appeared everywhere, the tournament rule where ¡°one could leave safely after surrendering¡± was probablypletely useless.

    ¡°The Bloodwine Spirit which acts as the judge of the tournament is able to use magically enforced contracts to prevent tournament participants from attacking others who are defeated or surrender in the tournament. However, it¡¯s unable to stop non-tournament participants, such as the ck mist or all those ghostly figures¡­ My guess is that anyone who surrenders will instantly be swarmed and attacked by arge number of ghostly spirits, or something even worse.¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes. ¡°In other words, we¡¯re currently in a highly dangerous location. The only reason why we¡¯re still alright is because of the Bloodwine Spirit, or perhaps I should call it the ritual tournament contract¡¯s existence.

    ¡°This entire ind is currently under the effects of the Bloodwine Ritual tournament to drain spiritual blood from the losers and finally create a powerful Bloodwine to be awarded to the victorious team. The tournament contract should have a preceding effect over the Spirit World creation ceremony that the Revenge Alliance is probably trying to perform here. That¡¯s why this ck mist is unable to directly harm the tournament participants. Only if a ghostly spirit invades a tournament participant, or when some tournament participant is defeated or surrenders, will the ck mist be able to absorb energy from them. Basically, this ck mist is stealing their physical bodies and souls as sacrifices to create a Spirit World.

    ¡°Surrendering now and canceling the tournament contract is equal to directly exposing oneself to extreme danger! Unless you¡¯re powerful enough to directly resist the full powers of this current ritual realm we¡¯re in, it¡¯ll be impossible to leave.

    ¡°All of the above is merely my hypothesis. However, I don¡¯t wish to experiment to see if I¡¯m on the mark. Nor do I wish to see any of you experiment.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you see now, Ryuuno?¡± Kanna sighed.

    Izawa nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste words here. The most important thing right now is how to survive.¡±

    ¡°One possibility is to win and be the final overall victors of the tournament,¡± Seiji stated. ¡°However, I think that¡¯s a really low probability.¡±

    ¡°Even if that works, if only one team can survive this entire tournament¡­ I don¡¯t think that Izawa and myself are capable of defeating you and Kagura-san, so we¡¯re still going to die.¡± Kanna shrugged.

    ¡°If I sacrifice myself, it should be possible to defeat Haruta-kun,¡± Izawa spoke seriously.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a joke, I don¡¯t want to hear it. I want to hear it even less if you¡¯re being serious, Izawa-kun.¡± Seiji smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Shut up, Ryuuno,¡± Kanna ordered, displeased.

    Izawa fell silent.

    However, he secretly resolved himself. If he and Kanna were forced to fight with Seiji Haruta in the end, he would sacrifice his very life if need be to make sure that his Master Kanna would be the final victor!

    ¡°Another possibility is that we follow the request of that mysterious voice and go to stop a certain person,¡± Seiji continued. ¡°The person this voice wants us to stop is highly likely to be the creator of the Spirit World creation ceremony here on this ind. Only by stopping this person will we be able to dispel this realm of ck mist and let all of us survive. But, the problem with this is that we currently have no idea who this person is. And even if we find out who this person is, if he or she isn¡¯t on the enemy Red Team, it¡¯ll be difficult to discover them.¡±

    In the first round group stage of the tournament, the Bloodwine Spirit only provided the tournament participants with the magical minimap ability to sense the names and locations of tournament participants on the other team. Since Seiji and his group were all on Blue Team, they were unable to sense the other Blue Team tournament participants. Of course, they were also unable to sense anyone who wasn¡¯t a tournament participant.

    ¡°Even if we find out who this person is and find them, the next problem is whether or not we can stop them,¡± Kanna added. ¡°Are we really strong enough to deal with someone who¡¯s powerful enough to create an entire blood sacrifice ceremony to create a Spirit World?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that is indeed the final and most important question.¡± Seiji sighed.

    If that person was extremely powerful to the extent of being undefeatable, then it would be useless even if Seiji and his group discovered this person. That was because reality was no game. There was no guarantee that the hero would be able to defeat the demon king.

    ¡°But if we don¡¯t try anything at all, we¡¯ll never learn anything¡­ and we can¡¯t just sit around here and do nothing,¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy tone. ¡°I want to find out who this person is! Although I don¡¯t know who he or she is, there¡¯s still a few clues.¡±

    Seiji felt that there was an over eighty percent probability that the person behind the strange ck mist on the ind was the leader of the Revenge Alliance!

    There would definitely be someone in the Revenge Alliance who knew the leader¡¯s real identity. And, there was one person that almost certainly knew the leader¡¯s identity and seemed to have a high rank within the Revenge Alliance¡ªDaikawa Rota!

    And in order to find the Revenge Alliance members, Seiji would have to go find their targets¡ªthe 7321 faction members!

    Seiji really hadn¡¯t wanted to get involved with the battle between the Revenge Alliance and the 7321 faction members. But, for the sake of himself and hispanions¡¯ safety, he absolutely had to go check out the situation.

    He then checked the ¡°enemy team minimap¡± senses that he had been too busy to check on with all the earlier fighting.

    Seiji and hispanions all checked and sensed the names and locations of all remaining enemy Red Team members.

    There were far fewer people than when the tournament started¡­ it would seem that some major battling had urred.

    Even the 7321 faction members had been greatly reduced!

    Seiji already had information on the 7321 members¡¯ names and identities from Hana. But, right now, he could only sense that Natsuki Shuurin, Nobuhiko Kurosaki, and Shigure Tendo were still in the tournament. All the other names, including his never before met rtive Shuntou Haruta¡¯s, were no longer active on the minimap.

    Wait a moment, something was strange about Shigure Tendo¡¯s existence on the minimap senses. He seemed rather hazy¡­

    To use a game analogy, if everyone else on the minimap was a clear human-shaped mark, then Shigure Tendo was currently a blurred mosaic.

    Had Shigure been invaded and possessed by ghosts?

    No, those possessed wouldn¡¯t be sensed anymore on the minimap, because they would be judged by the Bloodwine Spirit to have been defeated.

    Then why was it that Shigure¡¯s appearance on the minimap was so strange? It was as if there was some signal interference¡­

    Just as they were being confused about this, Seiji and hispanions sensed Shigure Tendo approaching Natsuki Shuurin on the minimap. Right after that, Natsuki Shuurin¡¯s dot was eliminated from the minimap, judged to be defeated from the tournament!

    Did Shigure Tendo just kill hispanion!?

    Still, Seiji figured that the 7321 faction members weren¡¯t exactly friends to begin with. They were likely only a temporary team, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they had internal fighting amongst themselves.

    Did the 7321 faction defeat the Revenge Alliance and then start fighting amongst themselves?

    However, Seiji then sensed on the minimap that Shigure Tendo was now rapidly approaching other Red Team members and kill his ¡°teammates¡± that should have been nominal allies of his in this tournament group stage. Seiji felt that this was truly abnormal.

    That was because Shigure Tendo was too fast!

    Even if Shigure Tendo was ridiculously strong, his speed in killing his fellow Red Team members was far too fast! He used only an instant to kill every single person that he approached! It was as if the others couldn¡¯t even resist and were just waiting there for him to kill them.

    Was this a legendary one-hit kill technique?

    Rather than that, Seiji preferred to believe that it was connected to the strange sense he got from Shigure¡¯s existence on the minimap.

    Perhaps the hazy way he appeared on the minimap was because Shigure was currently in a unique condition that even the Bloodwine Spirit had difficulty keeping a connection with. This condition gave Shigure tremendousbat strength, but also made him lose the ability to separate friend from foe!

    The next event to ur only reinforced Seiji¡¯s inference.

    On the minimap, he saw Shigure Tendo¡¯s existence stop in front of a Red Team member by the name of Keimi Umetani. Shigure¡¯s existence on the minimap suddenly became much clearer before going hazy again. This process repeated itself several times.

    Seiji knew from Hana¡¯s information that Keimi Umetani was Shigure Tendo¡¯s partner in the tournament.

    ¡®He must be trying to struggle and control himself from not killing his partner in the tournament!¡¯ That was what Seiji thought of this situation.

    Seiji imagined as if he could even see the current situation¡ªShigure Tendo, who was currently in a unique condition (simr to being possessed by ghosts), was currently facing the girl who was his partner, and trying his best to stop himself from going berserk.

    However¡­ he failed.

    Keimi Umetani was judged to be defeated from the tournament and her dot disappeared from the minimap.

    Shigure Tendo¡¯s existence then became even hazier on the minimap. He stopped where he was for a while before swiftly starting to move again.

    He was heading in¡­ Seiji¡¯s direction!!

 Chapter 666: This isnâ€™t something that the current you can handle

    <h4>Chapter 666: This isn¡¯t something that the current you can handle</h4>

    An existence simr to a powerful berserker was approaching them. Should they fight him or avoid him?

    Seiji felt that it would be greatly unwise to face a powerful enemy who was currently in a strange and unknown condition and also in peakbat form head on. He instantly decided to avoid the fight if at all possible.

    ¡°We need to hurry and leave here. Let¡¯s avoid this Shigure Tendo!¡±

    Seiji, Shika, Kanna, and Izawa immediately started moving.

    However, they all sensed that Shigure Tendo increased his speed and continued chasing after them!

    Seiji had a feeling that things would turn really bad if Shigure caught up to them. He told hispanions to increase their speed to the maximum.

    However, they were interrupted by some ghost-possessed individuals!

    Two people that were enveloped in ck mist suddenly ambushed them from the overall ck mist surrounding the entire ind. Seiji¡¯s party was forced into a fight.

    These two possessed individuals were also much stronger than therger party of ghost-possessed individuals from earlier! It was difficult to dispatch these two enemies in a short amount of time.

    Shigure Tendo continued approaching at an ever-increasing speed.

    Seiji¡¯s ominous premonition became worse as he sensed Shigure¡¯s rapid approach.

    Should they try to use a round of ultimate abilities and defeat the two enemies before them as quickly as possible and continue running, or¡­

    After swiftly thinking through the possibilities, Seiji made a decision.

    ¡°Shika, I¡¯m going to go deal with Shigure Tendo!¡±

    ¡°Brother?¡± Shika looked at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll judge based on the situation regarding what I should do. After you guys defeat these two, don¡¯t go looking for me. Continue southwards¡­¡±

    Seiji made verbal arrangements as he continued fighting the two ghost-possessed enemies. He then nced over at Izawa.

    ¡°Izawa-kun, I¡¯m leaving the rest up to you.¡±

    ¡°Haruta-kun?¡±

    ¡°Kanna, help me take care of Shika-chan.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Seiji!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go deal with that Shigure Tendo fellow!¡±

    Right after saying that, Seiji took advantage of an opening to fire off a powerful [Mana Bullet] to knock away an enemy before he turned around and started to leave.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Shika-chan. I won¡¯t force myself to do anything that I¡¯m not capable of.¡±

    Seiji speedily left hispanions and headed back in the direction that he just came from. He saw on the minimap that Shigure changed directions and headed directly for him rather than the ongoing fight!

    ¡°As I expected, his target is me¡­¡±

    After Shigure defeated all his enemies and teammates, was it now time for him to defeat the younger brother of the mortal enemy who killed his older brother¡­?

    ¡®Shigure Tendo, just what type of condition are you in right now?¡¯

    Seiji prepared himself as he returned to the earlier street where he and hispanions had just battled the previous group of ghost-possessed enemies.

    When he sensed that Shigure was quite close, he also sensed that the ck mist across from him seemed to be freezing up, as if some tremendously powerful and frightening existence was about to appear.

    ¡°This aura¡­ is quite a bad one,¡± Seiji¡¯s bonded female spirit suddenly spoke up in his mind.

    ¡°Yomi¡­¡±

    ¡°It resembles the aura of an awakened great demon. It¡¯s something of equal level, or even higher level that that¡­ You shouldn¡¯t fight with it!¡± Yomi gave Seiji a serious warning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight it, either. But, I have to stall for time until his minimap senses run out¡­¡± The minimap senses in this tournament were timed and would automatically turn on and off periodically.

    Before Seiji even finished speaking, a ck figure appeared in his field of vision.

    This person was pitch-ck all over with chaotic silver and red runes all over his body. There were spiral-shaped runes on his eyes and forehead which were whirling with a dark red glow. He emanated a powerful, almost physical demonic aura¡­ He was incredibly dangerous!!

    Just by looking at him, Seiji was instinctively able to sense that Shigure Tendo was highly dangerous.

    It was as if Seiji had just witnessed a tremendous titan which was sixty meters tall!

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the most appropriate situation to use an analogy from a manga in his previous world, but that was indeed Seiji¡¯s first impression at the time. There was no need for thinking or logic and reason here. It was easy enough to tell with only instincts¡­

    ¡°Hurry and escape!!¡± Yomi gave Seiji the most severe warning she had ever given. ¡°This isn¡¯t something that the current you can handle!!!¡±

    The next instant, the demonic figure, or Shigure Tendo, instantly charged towards Seiji!

    His movements left a trail of ck mist behind in the air. The longsword in his right hand was glowing crimson.

    [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    Seiji cast one of his ultimate techniques that he had prepared before Shigure arrived.

    A golden bell appeared and covered the demonic Shigure. However, the bell was shattered into tiny pieces in less than three seconds!

    *Whoosh¡­* The demonic figure shed right in front of Seiji, and stabbed directly towards his heart¡­

    Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, ¡°Heartseeker Sword¡±!

    *Rumble¡­ BOOM!* As Shigure stabbed, the ck mist around him transformed into a drill. A crevice appeared in the earth which headed directly for Seiji. Large holes suddenly appeared in the nearby houses and walls from the force of this technique!

    Seiji managed to activate his new [Emergency sh] technique to dodge this attack. He knew that he would have likely been seriously injured or even dead if that attack had connected.

    [Adrenaline Rush]!

    Seiji then unhesitatingly activated the first ability of his [Shinji Kamizaki character reward card]. This caused all his physical attributes to greatly increase, improving all his stats such as attack, defense, reactions, speed, and senses!

    Inbination with his [Evolved Body-strengthening technique], he would be able to even directly face a true titan for a short time!!

    *Whoosh¡­* Shigure shed right in front of Seiji and once again swung his sword.

    Shigure¡¯s movements were incredibly swift yet gave the impression of being slow. In fact, his movements could even be called abnormally beautiful.

    This was actually a visual miscue created by spiritually enhanced footwork! Anyone that was unable to see through it would likely be cut in half without even realizing what just happened.

    *ng!* Seiji sessfully blocked Shigure¡¯s sword attack.

    Seiji¡¯s greatly improved physical abilities allowed him to barely follow Shigure¡¯s movements.

    Their swords shed over and over again as ck mist shot everywhere. There were many loud sounds as new cracks kept appearing in the ground. The nearby cluster amaryllis flowers caught in the impact area all disappeared in shes of light.

    Although the fight might appear to be even, Seiji was actually at a tremendously lopsided disadvantage. He was using all of his power just blocking each of Shigure¡¯s attacks and couldn¡¯t even find a single opportunity to counterattack. And in just a few short exchanges of blows, Seiji felt his arm actually numbing from the impact of Shigure¡¯s blows!

    Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, ¡°Wing Dance¡±!

    Shigure continuously weaved his sword up and down with great speed yet tremendous force at the same time. Seiji barely managed to dodge the first attack and block the second. The third sword attacknded a direct hit on Seiji. Just this one hit instantly shattered Seiji¡¯s personal barrier spell in a single blow!

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    Seiji did his best to put distance between them and dodge the next attacks!

    *BANG!!!*

    Thest attack in Shigure¡¯s series of attacks had tremendous might as it directly left a huge crevice in the ground from the shock wave which destroyed a house several dozen meters away!

    [Overload] onto [Overload], followed by [Overloaded White Cmity]!

    Seiji grit his teeth and used the strongest spell in his entire arsenal. A pure white spiritual figure was formed by this spell.

    At this moment, Shigure slightly paused for just an instant.

    He mysteriously reobtained some of his senses of logic and reason. His hazy consciousness became slightly clearer.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ Haruta¡­¡± Shigure took this opportunity to speak.

    Seiji was astonished to hear his opponent who remained quiet all this time suddenly begin to speak. Seiji stopped in the middle of the process of having his summoned humanoid spiritual figure attach to himself.

    ¡°What¡­ is that¡­?¡± Shigure pointed at the humanoid spiritual figure.

    ¡°¡­This is my personal ultimate and secret summoning technique, Shigure Tendo.¡± Seiji decided to respond in such a manner.

    ¡°Summoning¡­ Please¡­ Help me¡­¡±

    ¡°Help you? Help you with what?¡±

    ¡°Break free¡­ from this¡­ Aghhh¡­!¡± Shigure started making a sound of pain as he clutched at his forehead. The ck mist around his body started moving violently.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°How should I help you?¡±

    ¡°This¡­ is useful¡­ give it to me¡­¡±

    Give him the [White Cmity] spirit?

    Seiji instantly furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°You almost managed to kill me! What benefit is there for me to give my most important summoned spirit to my enemy?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t kill¡­ you¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ help you¡­ to win¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you mean that you¡¯re willing to abandon trying to take revenge for your older brother, and you¡¯re also willing to help me achieve victory in this tournament? Is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Hur¡­ ry¡­ I¡­ AGHH!!¡± Shigure trembled all over as he made sounds of incredible pain. The runes on his body were now glowing abnormally.

    Seiji was now facing a dilemma. Should he trust Shigure?

    This was an incredibly important decision.

    ¡°Yomi, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think that you should listen to his request. That¡¯s because you won¡¯t be able to defeat him if this battle continues. You might as well take a gamble,¡± his bonded female spirit gave her opinion.

 Chapter 667: You have no idea how many sins your family has committed

    <h4>Chapter 667: You have no idea how many sins your family hasmitted</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It appeared that Shigure Tendo wouldn¡¯t be able tost much longer. There wasn¡¯t much time for Seiji to consider.

    Seiji decided to control his [White Cmity] spirit to move closer to Shigure and try touching him.

    The pure white spirit moved in front of the pitch-ck demonic figure. It reached out with both hands and touched thetter, which instantly caused arge amount of ck mist to begin erupting!

    ¡°Raghhhh!!!!¡± Shigure screamed pitifully while the three spiral runes on his forehead and eyes glowed with a blinding red.

    Seiji blocked the ck mist with a barrier and cautiously watched what happened.

    Suddenly, all the sounds stopped! The demonic figure stopped in its movements.

    The next instant, a tremendous number of ck hands shot out of the ck mist behind him, and dragged Shigure¡¯s entire body into the ck mist!!

    ¡°What¡­!?¡± Seiji was astonished by this scene!

    He then saw an immense amount of dense ck mist rushing directly at him!

    This ck mist didn¡¯t onlye from the front. Left, right, above, below, behind, ck mist poured in from every direction and enveloped Seiji entirely!!

    Seiji¡¯s vision was filled with darkness as his personal barrier was instantly shattered. [Bullet Time] activated to slow everything down, Yomi was shouting something, and he was filled with an immense sense of danger and tremendous, irresistible terror¡­

    Load!!!

    Seiji used his true ultimate technique when faced with this sudden unexpected threat of death where he didn¡¯t even have the time to think.

    The world around him darkened as everything vanished.

    Seiji returned to the passenger ship heading to Momozu Ind.

    ¡°Just sitting around like this is rather boring. I want to y cards with somebody. Is anyone interested in ying with me?¡± A man who wore a bright and colorful t-shirt and shorts scratched his hair as he spoke up in a loud voice.

    Seiji calmly watched this scene that he had experienced already. He had previously made a save file at this point in time when deciding whether to y cards or not. Once again, he raised his hand and indicated that he would like to join.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine for you to just say here.¡±

    This time, he had Shika stay where she was and entered the card game by himself.

    Yuuma Saitou, Daikawa Rota, Mitsuko Kitajima, and Yuuzou Yoshihara¡­ Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he faced these people again, particrly Rota.

    At this point in time, it would seem that Rota hadn¡¯t joined the Revenge Alliance, as Rota hadn¡¯t talked about the Revenge Alliance at all in Seiji¡¯s first meeting with him in the previous timeline. Basically, Rota only met the Revenge Alliance leader and joined their faction while on this ship.

    If the Revenge Alliance leader¡¯s real identity was one of the people in this card game, then Yuuzou Yoshihara was probably the most likely suspect.

    He was a well-known assassin who had the nickname of ¡°Judge¡±. Perhaps he was the Messenger of Revenge who wanted to kill all the 7321 faction¡¯s participants and start an entire ¡°revolution¡­¡± This all sounded quite usible.

    However, Mitsuko Kitajima seemed suspicious to Seiji as well. And from another standpoint, perhaps Saitou who was the first to draw everyone¡¯s attention but then was mysteriously forgotten about afterwards might be the true ¡°culprit¡±.

    Well, guessing seemed meaningless to Seiji. He was no detective, so he decided to use the simplest and most direct method.

    Everything happened exactly the same as in the previous timeline. Rota proposed the idea of betting half-truthful information, and everyone epted. Seiji then lost the first round to Rota.

    Seiji answered Rota¡¯s first and second questions about his name and his free time hobbies in the same way, iming to be Shuntou Haruta once again and telling the truth about his manga, anime, and light novel hobbies.

    ¡°My third question. I¡¯d like to ask, why did Haruta-san ride this boat, instead of taking a personal boat to the ind?¡±

    ¡°Because I want to get in touch with the Revenge Alliance.¡±

    When Seiji made such a statement, it felt as if the entire atmosphere in the ship¡¯s dining hall had frozen over.

    ¡°Due to my personal experiences, I¡¯m quite interested in this alliance. I¡¯d like to talk to one of its members¡­ of course, it would be best if I can meet the person who created it.¡± Seiji smiled.

    Spying on Rota on this ship would be one possible method, but Seiji didn¡¯t feel that this method would be the most sessful.

    If Seiji wanted to truly be able to meet the hidden boss character, then directly expressing interest in the Revenge Alliance in public seemed like the fastest and easiest path to meeting this hidden person.

    The rest of the card game waspletely unimportant.

    After all, if the hidden boss behind the scenes didn¡¯t want to expose him or herself, then obtaining half-truthful information in the card game would be aplete waste of time.

    After the card game ended, Seiji and Shika walked out of the dining hall together. They approached Saitou and Rota, who were smoking together on the deck of the ship just likest time.

    ¡°Saitou-san, could I ask if you¡¯re a member of the Revenge Alliance?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being so direct¡­ why didn¡¯t you ask me earlier during the card game?¡±

    Seiji looked directly at Saitou and spoke seriously, ¡°Because I want to hear the real answer.¡±

    Rota also looked at Saitou. Something shed in Shika¡¯s eyes.

    Saitou fell silent for a moment and then took a deep breath of his cigarette. He then slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.

    ¡°What would you like to discuss, Haruta-san?¡±

    Saitou¡¯s tone had entirely changed!

    Just a change in the tone seemed to change the entire aura around the person known as Yuuma Saitou. His demeanor now faintly seemed ustomed to being authoritative.

    ¡®Looks like I won the big prize.¡¯ Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    ¡°Are you the creator of the Revenge Alliance, Saitou-san?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m only an agent.¡±

    Agent?

    Upon hearing this word, Seiji instantly thought of the Messengers faction and the way they were named. A sh of inspiration struck his mind!

    ¡°Agent¡± actually meant that Saitou was a vessel for the creator of the Revenge Alliance, the alliance leader! The Revenge Alliance leader was capable of possessing his vessel and acting through the vessel¡¯s body¡­ would that be possible!?

    This seemed highly likely!

    There was also the possibility that the Revenge Alliance leader could directly control the agent rather than possess him. Basically, the agent was just like a puppet.

    No matter which method it was, a member from the Messengers faction¡­ or more urately speaking, this Revenge Alliance leader was likely to be one of the highest-ranked members of the Messengers faction. This person or even all the highest leaders in the Messengers faction all had the ability to act in other people¡¯s bodies! This would be an excellent exnation for why they called themselves the ¡°Messengers¡±, or at least a partial exnation. It would also exin why Yuuma Saitou¡¯s aura and behavior were so contradictory to the way he previously acted.

    Honestly, Seiji had beenpletely fooled in the previous timeline.

    ¡°To what extent is your power to decide things as an ¡®agent¡¯?¡¯ Seiji spoke in a deeply meaningful tone after all those thoughts shed through his mind.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know that,¡± Saitou responded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk more about yourself, Haruta-san?¡±

    ¡°My real name is Seiji Haruta, not Shuntou Haruta. I¡¯m currently exiled from my family,¡± Seiji stated truthfully. ¡°I want to prove my own power in this tournament. Basically, I want to win.¡±

    ¡°You wish to join us for that purpose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more interested in cooperation rather than joining you, because I¡¯m unable to trust your Revenge Alliance with knowing so little about you. After all, the ambitions that you¡¯ve shown to harbor are¡­ a bit too grand for me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ambition at all,¡± Saitou said in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s conviction.¡±

    He didn¡¯t utter the word ¡°conviction¡± in a particrly emphasized manner at all. However, both Seiji and Rota felt as if the word had turned physical, with something heavynding on the ground.

    ¡°Haruta-san, you have no idea how many sins your family hasmitted. Nor do you have any idea how many people have been harmed by your family. That¡¯s because the Haruta Family, as well as the other major families in Sakura Ind¡¯s spiritual society, never treat the sins theymit as sins at all. Nor do they care one bit about how many people suffer because of their actions.

    ¡°You all are considered innocent because nobody is capable of judging you to be guilty. You all ignore everyone else because nobody else is worthy of your attention.

    ¡°However, sins won¡¯t simply disappear just because nobody will judge them. Nor will pain disappear because you don¡¯t pay any attention. It¡¯s always been umting, umting, umting, umting, umting, umting¡­ From long, long ago all the way until now, forming into a tremendously tall tower of sin.

    ¡°All of the major spiritual families are at the top of the tower, high up above, enjoying their glory and stepping on their wondrously powerful foundations, yet forgetting about the material that their foundations are constructed out of.

    ¡°Every person that¡¯s be part of the material for their foundations is cursing them. Every soul that can¡¯t rest in peace is screaming. They all desire for this tower that¡¯s now overly tall to hurry and copse.

    ¡°And now, it¡¯s time.¡± A sharp glint appeared in Saitou¡¯s eyes. ¡°The new generation has arrived.

    ¡°We don¡¯t intend to climb to the top of the tower.

    ¡°Instead, we intend to break it.¡±

 Chapter 668 - Kanzaki

    <h4>Chapter 668: Kanzaki</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Saitou had a dominating presence.

    He had an indescribable aura which awed Seiji.

    Saitou had a low tone of voice which wasn¡¯t fierce sounding at all. In fact, there wasn¡¯t even any crest of emotions as he calmly stated his beliefs.

    However, what was contained within his beliefs¡­ If Seiji had to forcefully describe things, this was like the maw of a volcano that you couldn¡¯t see the bottom of! It was pitch-ck and endlessly deep, possessing unimaginably great power, as if it would be capable of exploding and destroying everything at any moment.

    Not only was Seiji awed, even Shika and Rota were awed by the forceful conviction in Saitou¡¯s words. And, Rota seemed to be far more impacted by Saitou¡¯s words than either Seiji or Shika was. Rota showed an expression of being obviously moved.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not Saitou-san,¡± Rota muttered. ¡°May I ask¡­ who you are?¡±

    This detective by trade also noticed that the person who spoke couldn¡¯t have possibly been Saitou. Those words must havee from someone who possessed or controlled Saitou!

    ¡°You can call me ¡®Kanzaki¡¯,¡± ¡°Saitou¡± responded.

    Kanzaki¡­ Seiji almost wanted to shout out loud ¡°Finally, I¡¯ve met the secret boss!¡±

    The Revenge Alliance leader, and the person who created that ck mist realm on the tournament ind¡­ Seiji greatly suspected that the person behind the incident which forced him to load was this individual!

    Although Seiji didn¡¯t know why this ultimate boss suddenly took action at that time, Kanzaki had attacked without holding back right from the very start. Seiji was basically overwhelmed in just an instant, with no way to resist.

    Well, this was the best proof that demon kings would only give grand speeches before attacking in games, manga, movies, and so on. Real people as major antagonists wouldn¡¯t possibly be that idiotic. If they wanted to kill someone, they would simply kill. Not only did the major antagonist not say any wasteful words, he didn¡¯t even reveal himself.

    ¡°Kanzaki-san, indeed, I¡¯m ignorant of my family¡¯s actions. I apologize if my family has affronted you,¡± Seiji spoke calmly. ¡°I have no intentions of trying to whitewash my family¡¯s crimes, because I have no idea what crimes they¡¯vemitted. I don¡¯t have the right to try and cover for their sins. However, I¡¯m still a member of the Haruta Family. Even if I¡¯ve been exiled, I still bear the family name, and there are rtives I view as important among them¡­

    ¡°At any rate, if Kanzaki-san believes that someone as half-rate as me can be useful in some way, why don¡¯t you consider cooperating with me? Due to a certain matter, I really want to win this tournament. That¡¯s why, I want to make use of any power that I can borrow.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    Kanzaki closed his eyes and then took another deep whiff of his cigarette. He opened his eyes again after puffing all the smoke.

    ¡°That personage is considering your usefulness.¡±

    His tone changed yet again. He had returned to being Saitou.

    ¡°Saitou-san¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me anything about Kanzaki-sama, because I don¡¯t know anything at all.¡± Saitou littered by flicking the cigarette into the sea, just likest time. ¡°I¡¯m merely doing my job.¡±

    ¡°Are you the only one who¡¯s doing such a ¡®job?''¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Saitou chuckled. ¡°Haruta-san, you¡¯re really courageous.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? You¡¯re from the Haruta Family, yet you want to take advantage of the Revenge Alliance, and you even told your intentions directly to Kanzaki-sama¡­¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re outrageously reckless and suicidal.¡¯ That was what Saitou meant with his expression.

    ¡®Of course, I know that this is suicidal.¡¯ Seiji had a calm expression.

    Technically speaking, he had basically died once already.

    It was just like reaching a bad end in a video game for mysterious and unknown reasons. Seiji absolutely had to learn the identity of the Revenge Alliance leader so that he wouldn¡¯t meet a bad end again in this second timeline without even knowing why.

    Seiji had already learned the important information that he was after. Everything would be worth it even if he was forced into loading back to the card game on the ship before the tournament¡¯s start yet again. But right now, it seemed that it would still be possible to continue in this timeline, so Seiji decided to stick around and continue and gather as much information as he could.

    ¡°Stop¡­¡±

    Once again, he heard that same mysterious voice.

    Another unsolved mystery was who this unknown woman calling out to him was.

    ¡°You want me to stop Kanzaki, is that right?¡± Seiji faced the sea and spoke in a low voice, ¡°I apologize. I¡¯m incapable of doing so.¡±

    After witnessing that ck mist domain and its terrifying power, Seiji realized just how truly weak he was in the mystical society.

    Fight the demon king until the end? That was something that didn¡¯t exist in real life.

    When he met Kanna and Izawa on the ind, Seiji intended to convince the two of them not to join this tournament at all. He would rmend them to surrender immediately and leave the tournament before it began.

    Even if they faced severe consequences for surrendering without even fighting, that would still be better than the uing danger.

    And after he convinced Kanna and Izawa to surrender from the tournament, Seiji would only have to worry about protecting Shika and himself and do his best to obtain final victory in the tournament.

    As long as he could achieve this goal, what did it matter if he worked together with the demon king? As for the other tournament participants¡­ even if all of them died, it wouldn¡¯t directly be because of him.

    Was this cold-blooded? Indeed.

    But, that was something he could do as the weak.

    Seiji was no hero. Although he had some powers, he was still only a weaklingpared to a powerful Spiritual Ability user like Kanzaki. Seiji could only protect himself and the people around him. He didn¡¯t have the powers to protect people he didn¡¯t even know.

    There was a saying in his previous world called ¡°Heaven destroys those who do not look out for themselves.¡± Simplified, it was ¡°Every man for himself.¡±

    This was actually a deeply meaningful phrase which wasn¡¯t as easily understood as telling people to be selfish. Careful consideration was required to understand the deep meanings contained within. However, the surface meaning of this phrase was too easily apparent and misunderstood, which was why this phrase became a ssical negative phrase.

    Seiji had his own personal understanding of this phrase which was quite difficult to exin. But at any rate, he believed that this was one of the maxims of the world, in both a positive and negative way.

    That was why he wouldn¡¯t save everyone that he possibly could.

    However, this didn¡¯t mean that he felt good about it.

    ¡°Brother?¡± Shika noticed that something was off with Seiji. She couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    Seiji looked towards her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shika-chan¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Even though I clearly know that continuing here will be incredibly dangerous, I still want to take this risk¡­ I¡¯ve brought you into danger all so that I can be together with Natsuya. I apologize,¡± Seiji apologized sincerely.

    ¡°Brother Seiji¡­¡± Something shed in Shika¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I have to apologize. Although you¡¯ve resolved yourself for battle, I know that things are going to be worse, terribly worse up ahead. Yet, I¡¯m still choosing to remain in the tournament and brave danger. This is unfair to you,¡± Seiji spoke seriously.

    If he was fighting by himself, then it wouldn¡¯t matter no matter how recklessly he behaved, as he had save and load. However, he had a partner with him. He absolutely couldn¡¯t allow himself to ignore her.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, because I¡¯m Brother¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer,¡± Shika spoke in a gentle voice.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Seiji was truly grateful.

    *Ding-dong~*

    At this moment, a sonorous sound of a bell rang out.

    Seiji was astonished to suddenly hear this!

    This was the sound that he heard in the previous timeline right when his soul was attacked!

    However, in this timeline, he already made preliminary negotiations with Kanzaki, the hidden boss, so why¡­?

    *Ding-dong~* The second sound was even clearer.

    But instead of his body stiffening and ck mist appearing together with undead specters from his past, only arge amount of cluster amaryllis flowers appeared and bloomed.

    A hazy gray-white figure appeared, floating on top of the bright flowers. She appeared to be a woman wearing a one-piece dress.

    ¡°Please¡­ stop that person¡­ otherwise¡­ everyone will die¡­¡± She spoke the same words in broken session that he heard in the previous timeline.

    ¡°Who are you? I already said that I¡¯m incapable of doing it¡­¡±

    ¡°Yuuzou¡­ Yoshihara¡­¡±

    Yoshihara¡­ the assassin known as ¡°Judge¡±!? Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    ¡°Stop Yoshihara from doing what? It¡¯s not Kanzaki who will cause the terrible tragedy!? Could it be that Kanzaki is actually Yuuzou Yoshihara!?¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡± The gray-white figure floated over to him and reached out her hands.

    Seiji reflexively lifted his hands and held her hands in his own. At this moment, he suddenly felt a fire in his palm as some type of energy was injected into him!

    Before he could ask what this was, the gray-white ghost disappeared.

    *Ding-dong~* The sound faded into the distance.

    The cluster amaryllis flowers disappeared and Seiji heard the sound of the sea wind once again.

    He looked at the palm of his right hand, where a gray-white rune was slowly fading into his flesh.

 Chapter 669: Suppose that the person the most important to you died because of you

    <h4>Chapter 669: Suppose that the person the most important to you died because of you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    He just received a wondrous ability¡­ did he just obtain the holy sword which could defeat the demon king?

    Nah, no matter how he looked at it, this newly obtained power didn¡¯t seem like it could possibly stand up to Kanzaki¡¯s power. It would probably be impossible to fight against Kanzaki head on. Perhaps this power had other uses, Seiji surmised.

    By the way, why did things happen like this? In the previous timeline, someone sent a soul attack against him, but he obtained a mysterious power in this timeline? What happened to create such a difference? Was it all because he had a direct discussion with the demon king?

    Yuuzou Yoshihara¡­ Why did this mysterious female voice want Seiji to stop the assassin known as the ¡°Judge¡±? Was Yoshihara¡¯s real identity Kanzaki¡­? Or was Yoshihara actually Kanzaki¡¯s main agent in the tournament?

    At this moment, Seiji suddenly recalled the incident from Thunderbolt Literature¡¯s Neer Awards Ceremony. At that time, the soul realm and incident were caused by Shoutarou Rinura, but Rinura wasn¡¯t the person who cast the spell that caused the entire incident!

    Could it be that Yuuzou Yoshihara was just like Shoutarou Rinura? Was Yoshihara the ¡°creator¡± of the ck mist realm on the ind who epted such a spell being cast on him!?

    Seiji felt that this was highly possible.

    Creating such a realm would require a spellcaster and a host creator. In this event, Kanzaki was without a doubt the main spellcaster, while Yoshihara was probably the host who created the realm. This assassin would pay a heavy price for this¡ªhis very life and soul. And, the mysterious woman (whom Seiji suspected to be Risa Kobayakawa) wanted to prevent him from doing so.

    An assassin who had a connection to a gentle girl¡­ was this a real life version of Leon: The Professional from Seiji¡¯s previous life?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but imagine what connection Yoshihara had to Risa Kobayakawa, the third and final member of the Story of One Hundred Demons incident that involved Mayuzumi as well as Reo¡¯s mother.

    At any rate, Seiji felt that his inferences were quite reasonable. Although there were many things he still didn¡¯t know, he felt that was a very likely framework.

    So, what should he do if his guess was on the mark?

    Seiji¡¯s first idea was to have a discussion with the not-so-cold-after-all assassin.

    But how should he talk to Yoshihara? It seemed obviously suicidal to directly tell Yoshihara that a mysterious female voice told Seiji to stop him.

    Stopping Yoshihara from bing the host to create the ck mist realm spell would be directly opposing and antagonizing the demon king. It would certainly lead to a bad end if Seiji was discovered!

    So, Seiji would have to discuss with Yoshihara in secret.

    However, Seiji felt that Kanzaki would be secretly surveilling a chess piece as important as the host creator of the ck mist realm spell. Would it be possible for Seiji to have a secret discussion with Yoshihara while avoiding the demon king¡¯s attention?

    Perhaps he could try to talk to Yoshihara after reaching a cooperative agreement with the Revenge Alliance.

    Just like the previous timeline, the card game didn¡¯t resume after everyone¡¯s break.

    Seiji stayed in the dining hall for a while. He then noticed that Yoshihara walked out of the dining hall by himself.

    This was a chance!

    Should Seiji wait for Kanzaki to reply to the offer of cooperation, or should he risk things now by talking to Yoshihara?

    After swiftly weighing the pros and cons, Seiji decided to follow and try and talk to Yoshihara.

    Although this was quite risky, Seiji felt that there were too many possible unknown factors if he stalled. He might as well just try and learn what more he could.

    And so, he and Shika left the dining hall yet again.

    After Yoshihara left the dining hall, he lit a cigarette. He noticed someone¡¯s presence before he could even take a puff. Yoshihara turned around to see the ¡°Haruta¡± and his female partner. This caused Yoshihara¡¯s gaze to sharpen.

    ¡°Yoshihara-san, are you taking a walk as well?¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°If so, how about walking together? I¡¯d like to chat more with you about ¡®Legend of the Heavenly Divine Sword.''¡±

    ¡°Legend of the Heavenly Divine Sword¡± was a ssical hard-boiled fighting manga that they had chatted about previously during the card game. This was a sword-fighting manga set in an alternate history setting. Just the name of the manga alone seemed to reflect the older generation that it came from.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Haruta-san. I would like to smoke by myself.¡± Yoshihara smiled and refused politely.

    ¡°I see¡­ I won¡¯t bother you anymore, then.¡± Seiji looked straight at Yoshihara. ¡°Although, I just have one little question I¡¯d like to ask. Do you know a female character named Risa in ¡®Legend of the Heavenly Divine Sword¡¯?¡±

    Yoshihara¡¯s smiling expression instantly froze over for a moment.

    ¡®Aha! Right on the mark!¡¯ Seiji noticed that Yoshihara¡¯s expression had flickered.

    ¡°Risa¡­ I think there was indeed such a character,¡± Yoshihara spoke slowly while taking another puff on his cigarette.

    ¡°About her storyline, did she get acquainted with an assassin swordsman, and then get involved in his battle and die because of it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t remember too well. I think that might have been the case.¡±

    ¡°My memories are rather hazy. I want to recall, but I¡¯m unable to do so. It¡¯s nagging me at the back of my mind. That¡¯s such an awful feeling, which is why I want to ask more about it from Yoshihara-san,¡± Seiji spoke in a sincere tone.

    Yoshihara fell silent.

    He then puffed some more smoke before speaking again.

    ¡°If Haruta-san and yourpanion don¡¯t mind the smell of smoke, we can walk together for a little while.¡±

    There was no character named ¡°Risa¡± at all in ¡°Legend of the Heavenly Divine Sword¡±!

    Yoshihara was quite mystified as to why this ¡°Haruta¡± knew the name of Risa and brought it up in such a manner.

    Meanwhile, Seiji confirmed his previous inference: the mysterious woman must definitely be Risa Kobayakawa!

    Yuuzou Yoshihara having such a reaction to the name of Risa was the best evidence of this.

    Did the world really work on six degrees of separation? Seiji could only exim over how all of this was actually connected to Mayuzumi and Reo¡¯s incident.

    It seemed likely to him that because he¡¯d experienced that incident, he was able to hear Risa Kobayakawa¡¯s voice and even see her.

    ¡°I really can¡¯t remember the specific storyline. How much can you remember, Yoshihara-san?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall much, either. It probably happened the way you said,¡± Yoshihara said in a low voice.

    ¡°What happened to that assassin swordsman after Rika died?¡±

    ¡°¡­He continued to do what he always did.¡±

    ¡°I think that there¡¯s more to the story after that. The swordsman assassin then epted a job that he knew he would absolutely die in¡­ Why¡¯s that?¡± Seiji continued to talk in a coded manner.

    ¡°Probably in order to atone.¡±

    ¡°To atone for Risa?¡±

    Yoshihara fell silent.

    ¡°Risa died because of the swordsman, so the swordsman wants to die for her as well. Perhaps that sounds reasonable, but that¡¯s probably not what she wants to see.¡± Seiji looked directly at Yoshihara.

    ¡°¡­Indeed, it¡¯s quite idiotic for the swordsman to do so. However, he won¡¯t regret it,¡± Yoshihara spoke slowly. ¡°Because the thing he regrets most in his life is causing Risa¡¯s death.¡±

    His calm words contained an endless amount of heaviness.

    Seiji fell silent.

    ¡°Haruta-san, suppose that the person most important to you died because of you. However, there¡¯s a chance to revive her at the cost of your own life. How would you choose?¡± Yoshihara inquired.

    This was a question without an answer.

    That was because everyone would have their own answer.

    Yoshihara didn¡¯t ask this question to hear Seiji¡¯s answer. He wanted Seiji to know that he had already answered this question.

    Even if the already dead Risa didn¡¯t want him to do this, he wouldn¡¯t retreat or regret.

    ¡°¡­Is the swordsman truly certain that the dead can be revived? That he¡¯s not being scammed? That he¡¯s not sacrificing yourself for nothing?¡± Seiji asked a flurry of questions. ¡°And even if she¡¯s able to revive, is he certain that she won¡¯t have any negative side effects? That she won¡¯t be in pain or even have a fate worse than death?¡±

    Yoshihara fell silent.

    ¡°If the swordsman isn¡¯t certain that she can revive and have a normal life again, then this sacrifice can¡¯t be called anything other than idiotic!¡± Seiji spoke in a sharp tone.

    ¡°Still, he has no other choice.¡± Yoshihara revealed a heavy expression. ¡°Besides, his life is now¡­ meaningless.¡±

    A chilly sea breeze blew past them.

    ¡°This is nothing more than wanting to die,¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy voice.

    ¡°Perhaps so,¡± Yoshihara stated calmly.

    ¡°Saving her is only an excuse. He only wants to use the excuse of saving her to have a glorious death.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps so.¡±

    ¡°Just how idiotic can such a person be? Disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps so.¡±

    ¡°Doing something that might harm someone in the name of helping them is nothing more than utter insanity!¡± Seiji frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not a man who truly wants to save his lover. You¡¯re nothing more than a suicidal maniac who¡¯s iming to love her, Yuuzou Yoshihara!¡±

 Chapter 670: I shall fight for the sake of being able to remain an otaku forever!

    <h4>Chapter 670: I shall fight for the sake of being able to remain an otaku forever!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yoshihara took another puff on his cigarette before flicking his cigarette ash away.

    ¡°Perhaps, as you just said, I¡¯m already insane¡­ but why are you telling me all this?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t shaken at all.

    Seiji noticed that Yoshihara wasn¡¯t shaken by his words in the slightest. This made Seiji feel as if he was facing against a tremendous iron-solid cliff.

    ¡°Someone requested me to,¡± Seiji replied.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Who else would care about your life or death?¡±

    Yoshihara widened his eyes slightly.

    ¡°You¡­ can also hear her?¡±

    ¡°Just a little.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°She worked very hard to ask me, a total stranger, to stop you¡­ You truly can¡¯t reconsider, Yoshihara-san?¡±

    Only now did Yoshihara show his first sign of being shaken.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the story between you and Risa. Nor do I know what Kanzaki told you that made you stubborn to such an extent. All I know is that she wants to stop you and doesn¡¯t want you to die like this!¡± Seiji continued. ¡°Even if you feel like your life is meaningless, is her wish meaningless as well!?¡±

    Yoshihara¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°No matter why you¡¯re able to hear her, I¡¯m thankful that you brought me her message, Haruta-san. Still, let¡¯s stop things here. Please don¡¯t tell me anything else. Otherwise, you¡­ might suffer serious harm.¡± Yoshihara paused for a moment. ¡°You should withdraw from this tournament for the sake of you and your partner. This is the only well-intentioned warning I can give you.¡±

    The assassin turned around and left right after saying that.

    Seiji watched him leave, then suddenly noticed something behind him. Seiji turned around to see Saitou appearing around a corner!

    Another bad end¡­? Seiji immediately prepared himself to load at any moment.

    ¡°Haruta-san, it would seem that you didn¡¯t want to truly cooperate at all.¡± Saitou walked over and spoke in his own tone of voice rather than Kanzaki¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m truly amazed by your courage. You dared to be insincere with that personage.¡±

    Seiji silently remained vignt as he sensed an aura of danger. Shika also prepared herself forbat.

    ¡°Originally, there should have been a punishment for your actions. However, Kanzaki-sama is the magnanimous type who shall allow your foolish transgression.¡± Saitou walked up to them and continued speaking in a light tone. ¡°Cooperation will be impossible. In fact, the two of you shall be listed as the Revenge Alliance¡¯s targets in the tournament. Please don¡¯t tell anyone else about unnecessary matters¡­ Forgiving your transgression is only for this one time.¡±

    After saying that, Saitou left with an expression of ¡°behave yourselves¡± as he walked off.

    Seiji had thought that he would need to start this timeline over for the third time. However, the demon king was unexpectedly ¡°magnanimous.¡±

    Of course, Seiji didn¡¯t believe that Kanzaki was magnanimous at all. Was Kanzaki sparing Seiji for the time being because of something rted to Yoshihara? Or would ¡°dealing¡± with Seiji on this ship be rather troublesome? Or¡­

    No matter what the reason was, it would seem that Seiji would be able to continue down this second timeline.

    Should he continue in this timeline where he had confronted Kanzaki directly, or should he load right now?

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he slowly clenched his right hand into a fist. He decided to remain in this timeline to see how things would turn out.

    Ryuuno Izawa and his master Kanna Fujihara arrived on Momozu Ind.

    Although his master was under too much pressure, caving in to be an idle fish, Izawa believed that she would be able to energize herself.

    Soon, they met up with their only expected allies in this tournament, Seiji Haruta and Shika Kagura. However, to their surprise, Seiji immediately tried to seriously convince them to abandon this tournament and withdraw immediately!

    ¡°Believe me. This tournament will be incredibly dangerous. You should withdraw now while you still can,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Once this tournament begins, it¡¯ll be impossible to surrender even if you want to.¡±

    ¡°Surrendering from the tournament without even fighting is strictly forbidden by the tournament rules.¡± Izawa furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Even if there¡¯s a severe punishment, that¡¯s still better than facing the threat of death.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not only the tournament contract¡¯s punishment. If Master surrenders from the tournament without even fighting, her situation in her family will be much worse than it already is.¡±

    ¡°But this tournament is truly dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? If you know something that we don¡¯t, please tell us.¡±

    ¡°Just take a look at the current situation and carefully think about it. You should be able to sense that this tournament isn¡¯t nearly as simple as it appears on the surface.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to exin, it¡¯s that¡­ it¡¯s inconvenient for me to exin right now.¡±

    Seiji could sense that he was being spied upon.

    Having Kanna and Izawa retreat from the tournament before it started might provoke a reaction from Kanzaki. Still, Seiji had to try. He was basically testing the limits of what it would take to achieve a bad end.

    Something shed in Izawa¡¯s eyes. Kanna also left her state of being an idle fish as she looked towards Seiji.

    ¡°What about yourself?¡± Kanna spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re telling us to withdraw, but you haven¡¯t mentioned anything about yourself withdrawing from this tournament.¡±

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t withdraw.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that? Didn¡¯t you say that this tournament will be incredibly dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s incredibly dangerous, I still absolutely have to win.¡± Seiji clenched his right hand. ¡°There¡¯s also something else¡­¡±

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡±

    Kanna looked directly at him.

    ¡°What will happen to you if we withdraw from this tournament right now?¡±

    Seiji remained silent.

    ¡°Since this is regarding something secret, you telling us to withdraw from the tournament is basically like revealing the secret¡­ and you¡¯ll pay a price, won¡¯t you?¡± Kanna continued asking.

    ¡°Probably not, if it¡¯s only something to such an extent¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the type who runs away while abandoning my friends. And, things are just as Ryuuno just stated. My family won¡¯t forgive me if I surrender this tournament without even attempting to fight.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll regret it if you join this tournament,¡± Seiji told her in a low voice.

    ¡°Perhaps, but I¡¯ll also regret it if I surrender right now without even trying. Since both oues are the same, then I¡¯d rather regret facing danger instead of regretting the fact that I abandoned my friend!¡± Kanna ced both her hands on her hips. ¡°If it¡¯s you, you¡¯d probably choose the same thing¡­ no, you¡¯ve already chosen, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Even if there was the risk of a bad end, Seiji still chose to try and convince Kanna and Izawa to withdraw rather than wanting to watch them get into danger.

    However, this had a slightly different meaning from the choice that Kanna made¡­ Seiji could only smile wryly at the Fujihara Family daughter who slightly misunderstood his intentions.

    ¡°I support my master. Your attempt to convince us to surrender won¡¯t work.¡± Izawa also expressed his opinion.

    ¡°You guys¡­ why don¡¯t you consider for a little more? The danger of dying in this tournament is quite high.¡±

    ¡°Even an otaku like you dares to take the risk. How could a fellow otaku like me possibly back down!¡± Kanna arched her head proudly.

    ¡°If you die, you won¡¯t be able to remain an otaku anymore. You won¡¯t be able to read any more manga or watch any more anime. Nor will you be able to y any more video games.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    ¡°Master, please don¡¯t be shaken just because of words like these.¡±

    ¡°Shush! The scariest thing in life is to be unable to read manga, watch anime, and y video games!!¡±

    ¡°If Master surrenders from the tournament without even fighting, this terrifying event will still happen if you return to your family.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± Kanna instantly regained her conviction. ¡°That¡¯s why we absolutely must fight! I shall fight for the sake of being able to remain an otaku forever!!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Whatever happened to her earlier speech about fighting for the sake of friendship?

    ¡°There¡¯s still some time before the tournament begins. Think things over carefully until then.¡± That was all that he could tell them.

    After the 7321 faction tournament participants arrived, they were surrounded by additional tournament participants from their families and factions¡¯ subordinate families.

    Seiji nced over at them from a distance as something shed in his eyes.

    Should he go over there to talk with them, proposing an alliance against the Revenge Alliance?

    If he went over there to talk to them, forget about Shuntou Haruta and the others¡¯ attitudes, the most important one among them was Shigure Tendo.

    In the previous timeline, Shigure had gone into a berserk state. He likely killed off all his enemies and teammates beforeing to attack Seiji.

    Why did this happen? Seiji didn¡¯t know. But judging from this event, Shigure Tendo was highly likely to be the strongest individual in the 7321 faction tournament participants!

    The strongest individual in the 7321 faction had a direct blood-rted grudge against him. That would make things difficult to negotiate. But in the previous timeline, Shigure Tendo had indicated that he was willing to abandon the grudge in order to break free from the ck mist controlling him. Hrm¡­

    It was difficult to analyze whether it would be beneficial or a detriment to go talk to the 7321 faction right now. Plus, Seiji had to worry about Kanzaki spying on him.

    After further consideration, Seiji made up his mind.

 Chapter 671 - This is such a classical heroâ€™s journey

    <h4>Chapter 671: This is such a ssical hero¡¯s journey</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji decided against contacting the 7321 faction.

    Although Shigure Tendo¡¯s grudge against him was an important factor, the main deciding reason was that there was no concrete or known way to defeat the Revenge Alliance right now.

    Although Seiji obtained a new ability, the rune from Risa Kobayakawa, which might be useful against the Revenge Alliance, he still had no clue how to use it yet. In such a situation, it would be quite difficult to discuss specifics on how to cooperate with the 7321 faction. Plus, this also might elicit a response from Kanzaki.

    Time passed just like that.

    In the end, Kanna and Izawa refused to surrender without even fighting. They were determined to remain.

    Seiji didn¡¯t say anything else regarding their choice.

    It was now time for the tournament to begin with the contract ceremony. After all the tournament participants had their equipment inspected, they were then led to the contract ceremony building in session.

    ¡°Everyone, please take note. The tournament contract ceremony is about to begin,¡± a clear male voice spoke in an announcement that everyone could hear.

    All the runes and spell formations in the room instantly lit up in unison. A red light swiftly streaked through the runes and spell formations. Seiji sensed a powerful energy welling up within the room, along with his palm starting to heat up. The tournament contract rune appeared on Seiji and Shika¡¯s palms.

    So far, all of this was identical to the previous timeline.

    The next moment, both Seiji and Shika ced their right palms on the spiritual pir in front of them. When they injected Mana, Seiji suddenly felt the hidden mysterious power in his right hand bing active!

    The spiritual pir started glowing and his right hand began to burn up to a greatly ufortable degree! Seiji gritted his teeth and withstood it.

    The mysterious power was doing something¡­ what would its effects be?

    Seiji had no idea. However, he chose to trust¡ªto believe in this power and trust Risa Kobayakawa.

    Seiji heard the sounds of many men and women incanting. He then sensed the existences of all the other tournament participants.

    The mysterious power continued pulsing within him, causing Seiji¡¯s brain to heat up. He felt the other tournament participants¡¯ existence much clearer than before, as if he could simultaneously see each person¡¯s figure.

    Next, Seiji and Shika confirmed the tournament contract and stated their names.

    There was a brilliant glow as the Bloodwine Spirit was formed!

    ¡°Contract signingplete,¡± the male voice announced.

    A small te suddenly emerged from the right wall together with a *beep* sound. Two red and ck talismans were on the te, and silver crystals were notched on the talismans.

    ¡°Please put on the Lifesaving Talismans. Finally, may all of you be blessed with luck!¡±

    The energy in the room rapidly diminished. The heat on Seiji¡¯s right hand faded as well, and the minimap senses were deactivated.

    ¡®Was that it?¡¯

    Seiji was rather confused as the mysterious power seemed to calm down just like that.

    The mysterious power simply caused his hand and then head to heat up for a moment¡­ was there any meaning to that?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Brother?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±

    ¡®Perhaps it¡¯ll only take effect when I¡¯m in that ck mist realm,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    He epted the Lifesaving Talisman that Shika handed to him and injected his Mana into it.

    Right after he connected himself to the Lifesaving Talisman, the mysterious power within his right hand activated again. Once again, Seiji was able to clearly sense the presences of all the other tournament participants!

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Seiji had a look of astonishment.

    He waved his right hand and tried to control it. The power immediately calmed down and he stopped sensing the other tournament participants on the minimap.

    Seiji then tried to activate the power ording to his will. The entire minimap was turned on again.

    Was this a maphack!?

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he looked at the Lifesaving Talisman in his hand.

    The Lifesaving Talisman had the ability to track the tournament participant¡¯s location¡­ it was normal for the tournament hosts to add such a function in order to rescue any tournament participant that needed it.

    The strange part was that the mysterious power could actually use this function of the Lifesaving Talisman and use it as a server to establish a maphack!

    What exactly happened just now? Why did this power act like this?

    Risa Kobayakawa¡­ Yoshihara¡­ Kanzaki¡­ the Messengers faction¡­ the tournament hosts¡­ Seiji swiftly thought things over.

    ¡°Brother?¡± Shika was confused as she once again noticed that something was off with her adopted older brother¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter.¡± Seiji didn¡¯t want to think too much on this right now. He cautiously deactivated the minimap senses.

    Seiji then contacted Kanna and Izawa, met up with them, and headed towards Blue Team¡¯s starting district.

    After the tournament formally began, he no longer needed to keep his analysis a secret. Seiji fully exined the situation to Kanna and Izawa.

    He then activated his minimap senses again. Seiji was able to clearly sense the names and locations of every single tournament participant on both Red and Blue Team.

    Not only that, Seiji was also able to sense that Yoshihara and Saitou¡¯s condition was currently changing!

    Yoshihara¡¯s existence gradually became hazy on the minimap. Seiji surmised that Yoshihara had probably be the host to create the ck mist realm spell.

    Saitou¡¯s condition¡­ to use an analogy, his existence seemed to darken from gray to ck, bing incredibly powerful and dangerous. Seiji surmised that Kanzaki must have taken over Saitou¡¯s body to a great degree.

    ck mist started appearing and soon grew rather dense. Brilliant cluster amaryllis flowers grew everywhere from the ground and bloomed.

    Seiji sensed that the mysterious power in his right hand was reacting to all of this.

    As he expected, this power was connected to the ck mist realm¡­ As for why it was able to create a maphack for him, it must also have been because either the Messengers faction tampered with the Lifesaving Talismans or the tournament hosts even directly cooperated with the Messengers faction in secret so that a new Spirit World could be created here.

    Right after that, Seiji then sensed Daikawa Rota and many others¡¯ condition suddenly changing. It was as if their existences changed from white to gray, bing much stronger than before. However, the ¡°quality¡± of their existence was far weaker than Saitou¡¯s.

    Then, with Rota as their leader, many Revenge Alliance members began heading towards the enemy Red Team starting district.

    Meanwhile on the Red Team, a tournament participant¡¯s condition was changing as he was then judged to be defeated from the tournament. Then, his condition changed yet again. He became an existence simr to Rota and the Revenge Alliance members but also different. If Seiji had to use a color analogy, it was as if this person became dark gray.

    This person had probably been possessed by ghosts.

    Judging from the fact that this person¡¯s existence felt simr to the Revenge Alliance¡¯s existences, perhaps Rota and the others¡¯ condition was something akin to being possessed by ghosts but being able to retain their intelligence.

    After thinking of this, Seiji suddenly sensed something at his feet.

    *Crackle crackle crackle crackle*¡ªnumerous ck hands suddenly broke out of the floorboards and viciously grabbed on to him!

    Seiji reflexively opened up his right hand which was now glowing silver-white from his palm.

    The ck hands that were illuminated by the silver-white glow instantly copsed. The ck hands then transformed into a mist that was absorbed by his palm¡­ this was quite simr to how the Awakened absorbed mist from defeated spiritual creatures in Inner Worlds.

    Shika created an ice de and cut through all the ck hands surrounding her. These ck hands also transformed into a mist that Seiji absorbed as well.

    Seiji continued using the silver-white glow to illuminate all the ck hands tangled on Kanna and Izawa, absorbing all of them.

    After Kanna and Izawa broke free, they didn¡¯t copse on the ground while having nightmares like in the previous timeline. Instead, they woke up immediately.

    ¡°What are these things!?¡±

    ¡°We can talkter. There¡¯s still more.¡±

    A low sighing voice sounded inside the room. Several hazy figures with ck mist swirling around them appeared. These ghosts had unclear appearance and kept emitting strange sounds.

    Seiji once again used the silver-white glow against these ghosts and increased the illumination¡¯s intensity!

    *Gagagagagaga!!!!*

    The ghosts all screamed pitifully as they copsed into ck mist, which was absorbed by Seiji¡¯s right hand. Their hazy figures became much clearer and they gained the appearances of normal humans.

    After the ck mist waspletely absorbed, the ghosts fully returned to having human forms and their screams quieted down. Their faces revealed relieved expressions as they disappeared.

    Seiji felt that the power in his right hand had somewhat increased after absorbing so much ck mist.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Seiji understood what was going on.

    This was indeed a holy sword that could defeat the demon king! However, it wouldn¡¯t be able to do so right away. It needed to be stronger first.

    How would one be stronger? Of course, defeat monsters!

    What were the monsters here? That would be the ghosts, the tournament participants that became possessed, and Rota and the Revenge Alliance!

    He would defeat all the monsters, maximize his level, and finally fight the demon king, just like that! It was a ssical hero¡¯s journey.

    His team had four people, a hero (himself), knight (Izawa), assassin (Shika), and mage (Kanna). Although theycked a healer, and the mage¡¯s abilities were rather worrisome, it was still a bnced party¡­ Cough, he shouldn¡¯t be getting sidetracked.

    Now, it was time to hurry. Seiji nned on rushing over to the Revenge Alliance and 7321 faction¡¯s battle as quickly as possible and making a major wave there!

 Chapter 672: Iâ€™ll destroy that screwed up illusion of yours!

    <h4>Chapter 672: I¡¯ll destroy that screwed up illusion of yours!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Being attacked by ghosts, fighting with the ghost-possessed, and witnessing those who surrendered end up dying pitifully¡­

    The Bloodwar Alliance and its subordinates were quite shaken and afraid. At this exact moment, their enemy arrived¡ªthe Revenge Alliance!

    With Rota leading them, the numerous Revenge Alliance members all had ck mist twirling around them just like the ghost-possessed. However, they still had their intelligence. This allowed them to wield great power.

    Although the Bloodwar Alliance had made some defensive preparations, they were suddenly attacked by a faction that was far more powerful than expected in a moment when morale was low and everyone was shaken. The Bloodwar Alliance¡¯s defenses were shattered in just a moment!

    Some of the tournament participants were directly killed. Others were seriously injured to the point of having their Lifesaving Talismans activated, which meant that the Bloodwine Spirit judged them to have lost in the tournament. These people were then devoured by ck mist that suddenly swarmed them, dying pitifully.

    Surrendering equaled death. Being defeated in the tournament equaled death. And of course, being directly killed equaled death¡­ The Bloodwar Alliance members became even more afraid and shaken than earlier. Yet, they didn¡¯t have the time to feel despair. Under the threat of death, they instinctively counterattacked and fought to their fullest!

    Both sides entered a fierce battle. The scene became highly chaotic.

    All sorts of spiritual guns were violently spraying bullets everywhere. All sorts of shy spells, runes, and spell formations were lighting up and exploding. Numerous figures were shing against each other while instantaneously teleporting or moving. shing, bashing, slicing, crushing, explosions, screams, and all sorts of other sounds could be heard in unison. Cracks spread throughout the ground, houses exploded, the road itself was shattered into little pieces¡­

    The destruction of the environment far seeded the damage that a battle between tanks could have wrought. If ordinary people had still lived here, a huge number of casualties would have definitely urred.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to win!¡¯

    Natsuki Shuurin reached a mortifying conclusion.

    The enemy was far too strong. Or, more urately, the power of the ck mist that the enemy possessed was far too strong. They were incredibly difficult to defeat.

    If the tournament had still been going on like normal, she would have surrendered already. However¡­

    She couldn¡¯t win, but she also couldn¡¯t surrender as that would lead to certain death. In that case, she could only escape.

    It was quite humiliating for her to be forced into escaping. But, the more humiliating part was that she wasn¡¯t even able to escape.

    She and her Spirit-branded Retainer Yuuki Sekine kept retreating as they fought, trying their best to break free from the enemies and run away. They were unable to help or care about any other Bloodwar Alliance member right now. Natsuki could only hope that some still remained alive as a distraction for the enemy forces.

    However, the worst-case scenario for her happened instead. More and more enemies were surrounding her.

    At this rate, she would bepletely surrounded soon. There was only one final method left to them¡­ Natsuki looked at her Spirit-branded Retainer.

    At this moment, Sekine also looked at her. They exchanged knowing nces.

    ¡°Go and escape, Mdy.¡± Her tall Spirit-branded Retainer sent her a mental message through amunication spell.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sekine¡­¡±

    ¡°Protecting Mdy is my responsibility¡­ Still, please listen to my final request. If you¡¯re able to survive this incident, please stop acting so willfully in the future.¡±

    Natsuki recalled various scenes from the past of her times together with this loyal and reliable albeit somewhat dull Spirit-branded Retainer of hers. She almost cried out loud.

    ¡®Why are things like this¡­ Why did such a thing happen to me¡­ Why did such a thing happen to Sekine¡­¡¯

    Pain, anger, despair, helplessness¡­

    ¡°RAGHHH!¡± As if he was venting, Sekine shouted out as loudly as he could.

    Demon form, ¡°Ocean¡¯s Wrath Demon¡±!!

    The loyal Sekine overloaded his limits and used up the final bits of his energy. A dark-blue glow surrounded his body as he transformed into a giant blue monster. He used a glowing battle hammer to sweep away several enemies in one go!

    Natsuki withstood the pain in her heart and took the opportunity to escape at top speed.

    She didn¡¯t have the time to think about anything else. She didn¡¯t have any time for sadness at all. She could only escape, running for her very life!

    She achieved the fastest speed she had ever sprinted in her life with tears in her eyes.

    However, an even faster figure soon reached her! This person released arge amount of ck mist in an AOE attack that stopped her in her tracks.

    Killing curse, ¡°Vicious Bite¡±!

    Natsuki used one of her few remaining talismans to help her speedcast a powerful spell. She created a gigantic distorted demon head, which opened up its mouth filled with sharp fangs and bit down viciously on the enemy!

    Natsuki then didn¡¯t even stop to watch the results to see if the attack was effective or not as she continued running. However, another enemy caught up to her, followed by a second and a third¡­

    Natsuki did her very best to resist, but was unable to defeat so many enemies. Her personal protective barrier was shattered, and then she was roughly beaten down into the ground.

    Terror regarding her imminent death and despair filled her heart. She felt like she was sinking into an abyss.

    At this moment, a tall figure appeared and rushed the enemy facing her¡ªthis tall figure sliced at the Revenge Alliance man who wore armor as hisbat outfit!

    The armored man blocked with his longsword, but the ambusher shattered his personal barrier in just a few exchanges of blows. The ambusher then reached out with his right hand that glowed silver-gray, grabbing onto the armored man¡¯s neck, and lifted him off the ground!

    ¡°Arghh!!¡± The armored man made pained sounds as the ck mist surrounding his body speedily diminished.

    At this moment, the other Revenge Alliance members present were also ambushed. Although they saw the armored man¡¯s condition, they were too busy to help him.

    Natsuki saw the armored man struggling helplessly as the ck mist surrounding him vanished¡­ No, wait! The ambusher was absorbing the ck mist!

    This person wore runic armor and heavy armlets. Natsuki recognized this equipment as the Haruta Family¡¯s signaturebat outfit, yet the Haruta Family crest wasn¡¯t on his equipment.

    ¡°Seiji Haruta¡­¡± Natsuki was able to identify the person who this had to be.

    Seiji Haruta, the ¡°garbage¡± of the Haruta Family, the exiled, and Shigure Tendo¡¯s revenge target as the younger brother of the person who killed Shigure Tendo¡¯s older brother.

    Previously, when Shigure asked for everyone¡¯s assistance in dealing with Seiji Haruta in exchange for him giving up the leadership right of the Bloodwar Alliance, Shuntou Haruta was the only one who concretely said that he wouldn¡¯t help Shigure at all due to being a Haruta. The other Bloodwar Alliance members hadn¡¯t said anything specific, not refusing nor promising to help.

    Shigure had given over the leadership position quite easily, so it was rather awkward to directly refuse. However, Natsuki knew that it would also be a bad idea to directly promise to help with Shigure¡¯s grudge.

    The ¡°garbage¡± Seiji Haruta had an amazingly powerful older sister! Yui Haruta, the single most outstanding talent of the young generation of Yin Yang Masters who had already killed Shigure Tendo¡¯s older brother. Who knew what consequences there might be if someone killed her younger brother? Nobody in the Bloodwar Alliance was idiotic enough to enrage such a person just for the sake of a temporary leadership position.

    *Shing!*

    After absorbing all the ck mist from the armored man, Seiji then tossed him onto the ground and stabbed him!

    The armored man was seriously injured by this attack. His Lifesaving Talisman was activated and he was judged to have lost in the tournament.

    More dense ck mist appeared, which Seiji absorbed with his right hand!

    Natsuki widened her eyes at seeing such a scene.

    ¡°Why do you have such an ability?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask out loud.

    Seiji looked at her, then suddenly rushed over and stabbed her with his sword!

    ¡°Wah¡­!!¡± Natsuki was stabbed right through by the icy-cold de.

    The next instant, Seiji removed his sword and Natsuki¡¯s Lifesaving Talisman was activated. The Bloodwine Spirit judged her to have lost in the tournament and drained some spiritual blood from her.

    More dangerous ck mist appeared which Seiji absorbed with his right hand. He then left Natsuki on the ground as he went to fight more Revenge Alliance members.

    Natsuki covered her injury with her hand. Although it really hurt, the Lifesaving Talisman was now using a powerful healing magic on her, so it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a hindrance.

    She lost in the tournament¡­ but she didn¡¯t die¡­ she had survived!

    She wasn¡¯t killed. She wasn¡¯t sucked dry by the ck mist. She felt delight at having managed to survive.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Tears poured out of Natsuki¡¯s eyes.

    Seiji was able to easily defeat the Revenge Alliance members powered up by ck mist due to his right hand¡¯s power. Shika, Kanna, and Izawa only needed to provide cover fire and backup support for him.

    The four of them soon drew much attention after entering the battle.

    ¡°Haruta-san, why do you have such a power!?¡± Daikawa Rota appeared in front of Seiji and loudly asked such a question.

    ¡°Why, that¡¯s a business secret, Rota-san.¡± Seiji rushed right towards Rota.

    Killing curse, ¡°Tiger¡¯s Roar¡±!

    *Boom!*

    Rota cast a powerful ck mist-powered shock wave attack which faintly formed itself into the shape of a roaring tiger. Its might spread everywhere in a wide AOE!

    Defense spell, ¡°Turtle Armor¡±!

    Seiji lifted his armlet and cast the ovepping barrier spell contained within. While mitigating the impact, he also swiftly absorbed as much ck mist as he could with his right hand.

    Rota sensed that something was wrong and speedily retreated.

    Seiji continued chasing after Rota.

    Rota and the other Revenge Alliance members used spiritual guns and all sorts of spells to gang up on him. However, Seiji blocked every single attack with his ¡°Turtle Armor¡± barrier spell and his right hand absorbing the ck mist. Seiji remainedpletely uninjured!

    This mysterious power was an absolute counter to the ck mist. In fact, this battle would have been a lot more difficult for Seiji if Rota and the other Revenge Alliance members were in their normal condition.

    ¡°I¡¯ll destroy that screwed up illusion of yours with my right hand!¡±

    Seiji copied a ssical quote from the user of Imagine Breaker while he approached Rota and viciously broke through thetter¡¯s personal barrier with a right hook thatnded right on Rota¡¯s abdomen.

 Chapter 673 - What are you calculating?

    <h4>Chapter 673: What are you calcting?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Rota was pained to the point of almost vomiting by the powerful impact that shook his insides.

    However, he didn¡¯t need to worry about vomiting at all, because Seiji grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up!

    ¡°Waghhh¡­¡±

    Rota had difficulties breathing as he felt the new power within him swiftly leaving. This caused his body to feel icy cold, numb, and pained.

    ¡®Why¡­?¡¯

    As his consciousness went hazy, Rota felt something icy cold and sharp piercing through his body. The pain surpassed what he could handle and he fell unconscious.

    As Seiji defeated the members of the Revenge Alliance, he also went around defeating the weakened members of the 7321 faction.

    What about leaving the 7321 faction members alone to all fight against Kanzaki together?

    While everyone banding up joyfully and fighting the demon king together seemed like a wonderful scenario, even if the 7321 faction members were willing to do so, what could the tournament participants that had been weakened to the point of barely being able to fight do? Would they be of any use at all?

    Seiji preferred to simply remove them from the tournament by defeating them. This would allow him to absorb more ck mist to power up his mysterious power.

    He left the 7321 faction members that still had power to defend themselves alone.

    And out of the remaining 7321 faction members, of course Shigure Tendo was the one he needed to pay the most attention to!

    Seiji had no intentions of trying to defeat and remove Shigure from the tournament right now regardless. Who knew if Shigure would go berserk and enter that ridiculously powerful form from the previous timeline?

    Although the mysterious power might help Seiji to defeat the berserk Shigure, that would definitely put a great strain upon him. Seiji preferred to keep as much of his power in reserve as possible to deal with Kanzaki.

    Thanks to Shika, Kanna, and Izawa¡¯s support, Seiji defeated a great number of tournament participants from both sides!

    Some remaining Revenge Alliance members realized that they couldn¡¯t win and escaped.

    The remaining 7321 faction members also left this location and gathered themselves in the rear. Seiji figured that they were reorganizing themselves.

    Seiji could keep track of everyone¡¯s movements with his maphack. He chose to take a rest together with hispanions.

    Now then, would Kanzaki directly act after this?

    If so, then that would basically be the final boss battle.

    But if Kanzaki was mystified by Seiji¡¯s new mysterious power and preferred to test things out first, then Seiji would still have some time.

    If he had the time, Seiji wanted to talk to the remaining 7321 faction members after they reorganized themselves in an effort to ally against the demon king.

    If they could reach an ord and ally themselves with each other, that would be excellent. Even if the 7321 faction members only provided a minor amount of assistance, that would still be better than nothing. And if they wouldn¡¯t help him, then forget about it.

    There was also the matter of the tournament participants that were judged to have lost in the tournament.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what would happen to them afterwards or if they would be able to sessfully leave this realm of ck mist.

    The ghosts¡¯ attacks and the ck mist¡¯s envelopment all appeared to be connected to the tournament participants¡¯ Lifesaving Talismans. After the first wave of attacks when an individual¡¯s Lifesaving Talisman was consumed, they probably shouldn¡¯t meet with such danger anymore. But, it was still difficult to say.

    Seiji hoped that they would be able to safely leave.

    Although Seiji hoped for this, he actually felt that it was highly unlikely.

    Unless he eliminated this ck mist realm entirely, nobody would be able to leave¡­ that seemed far more likely.

    As for the tournament non-participants outside, perhaps they weren¡¯t able to enter, or perhaps they could enter but had no intention to, preferring to remain outside and allow the Spirit World to be created.

    There was no way to count on reinforcements from outside¡­ In the end, the current situation was probably eptable and even what the 7321 faction tournament hosts wanted to see.

    Kanzaki brought a tremendous amount of death upon this tournament. However, the tournament hosts and the relevant 7321 faction members were the ones who allowed Kanzaki to enact his ns upon this tournament.

    Who knew just how deep the swamp ran here?

    Seiji knew that he himself was likely also nothing more than a chess piece. Previously, when Yui gave him the tournament participation card, she had mentioned that it was because she had ¡°benefits¡± to gain. Now that he thought back on it, perhaps she had a deep connection to this tournament that he didn¡¯t know about.

    ¡®Just what are you calcting, Yui?¡¯

    The night breeze blew past and lifted a few strands of the stunningly beautiful Yui Haruta¡¯s hair.

    She stood there quietly with her ck hair and ck clothes, watching the events unfold beneath her. She blended in with the night, although there was a sharp glint in her eyes.

    ¡°There are many major tremors in the surveince data wavelengths. It would seem that things are about to escte to the next stage,¡± a blond-haired boy reported to her.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Yui responded lightly.

    ¡°Should we enter and investigate?¡±

    ¡°No. Wait a bit longer.¡±

    ¡°That will mean that ¡®he¡¯ will have greatly increased risk of danger. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t heartlessness, but rather trust.

    The blond-haired boy could tell that his master trusted in Seiji Haruta¡¯s power. She trusted that Seiji wouldn¡¯t meet with a terrible fate just because of this degree of danger.

    Just how much time had it been¡­ Seiji Haruta¡¯s growth rate was astonishingly fast!

    Should he say that it should be expected of his master¡¯s younger brother?

    He recalled the first time that he met Seiji and could only exim before concentrating again on his work.

    Seiji suddenly sensed that all the remaining Revenge Alliance members¡¯ condition changed. They were all judged to be defeated in the tournament, and transformed into dark gray existences on his minimap¡­ basically, they werepletely taken over by the ghosts possessing them, with their souls and lives being drained.

    It would seem that Kanzaki judged them to be useless after having been defeated. Kanzaki must have transformed all the remaining Revenge Alliance members intoplete puppets!

    Should it be said that it was to be expected of the Messengers¡¯ faction¡¯s style?

    Right after that, the ck mist in the environment became even thicker, to the point where it became impossible to see more than twenty meters ahead even with [Astral Vision]. The cluster amaryllis flowers popping out of the ground also greatly increased in number, creating some blood-red flower patches.

    The most noticeable change was that a blood-red moon also appeared in the sky!

    Although it was impossible to see for more than twenty meters, such a red moon was visible in the sky? It was quite obvious that this moon wasn¡¯t the real moon at all.

    Seiji recalled the Blood Moon Mountain dungeon that he and the national idol Miyuki Sakuraku had previously conquered together. He felt that the current atmosphere resembled what was in that Inner World.

    If this Spirit World was allowed to fully develop, would it be simr to that type of Inner World?

    If it really became a high-level Spirit World simr to the Blood Moon Mountain, that would doubtlessly be highly dangerous.

    ¡°I think that things are getting really bad,¡± Kannamented after looking at the blood moon and then ncing back at the endless darkness. ¡°This is just like watching a horror movie. I feel as if something scary will appear out of the ck mist at any moment.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Izawa added. ¡°This false red moon and the mist that¡¯s hiding unknown things both feel quite ominous.¡±

    Just as Izawa finished speaking, faint strange sounds could be heard from within the mist.

    In this situation, people would instinctively not want to leave the house they were in at all. However, this was no scary game, and staying in the house couldn¡¯t be considered safe at all. Instead, it might be safer to take action as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Seiji told everyone.

    ¡°Go where?¡±

    ¡°Go to find survivors.¡±

    He was referring to the remaining tournament participants from the 7321 faction.

    Seiji had a feeling that it would be toote for the 7321 faction if he didn¡¯t go to find them soon.

    Seiji and his party set out and traveled through the deep, dense mist.

    Not long after, they once again heard strange sounds that sounded both like howling and sighing. This time, the sound was much clearer, as if it came from right beside them.

    ¡°Be careful¡­¡±

    Seiji reminded hispanions to be vignt. Right after he said that, several dark-red ghostly figures suddenly swooped down from above!

    *Bang!* Seiji punched and crushed one with his right fist and absorbed it.

    Shika dodged the attack and counterattacked, slicing through a ghost. However, she was unable to cut through it.

    Izawa protected Kanna and they both managed to avoid this ambush as well.

    These ghosts then hid in the surrounding mist right after their attack failed. The next moment, several more ambushed Seiji¡¯s party from the right!

    Then, the ghosts came from the left, then the left again, then above, then the front, then the back¡­ The ghosts kept swiftly attacking Seiji¡¯s party from various directions. This was quite dangerous to deal with.

    The power in Seiji¡¯s right hand easily destroyed the ghosts that attacked him. However, Shika, Izawa, and Kanna¡¯s attacks were all rtively ineffective against the ghosts. Not only that, the ghosts seemed to be incredibly numerous. They kept up an unending stream of attacks.

    ¡°We need to hurry! Don¡¯t let them stall us!!¡±

 Chapter 674 - Go find Seiji Haruta!

    <h4>Chapter 674: Go find Seiji Haruta!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Let¡¯s turn back time slightly.

    ¡°What should we do next?¡± The Bloodwar Alliance faced this question as they reorganized themselves.

    Nobuhiko Kurosaki had taken over Natsuki Shuurin¡¯s position of team leader as thetter had already been eliminated from the tournament. On the surface, he was considering this issue, but he actually had no more fighting spirit left in him.

    Many people had died in the earlier battle. Even he himself had almost died.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Seiji Haruta¡¯s party suddenly entering the battle, it was doubtless that the Bloodwar Alliance would have beenpletely destroyed¡ªto the point where even all the members would have died.

    However, Seiji Haruta wasn¡¯t an ally of the Bloodwar Alliance.

    All the Bloodwar Alliance members were on the Blue Team in the tournament. Although Seiji Haruta focused primarily on dealing with the Revenge Alliance members when he entered the battle, he still made sure to take out the weakened Red Team Bloodwar Alliance members as well.

    Nobody knew why Seiji Haruta possessed a power that countered the ck mist¡­ Judging from the results, all the survivors in the 7321 faction had lived solely because he saved their lives. If one viewed it with great importance, it would be a life debt owed to him. Even if one viewed it with less importance, it was still a favor that would be difficult to forget about.

    At the very least, Nobuhiko Kurosaki was extremely grateful to Seiji Haruta. Right when Nobuhiko was despairing at the brink, the Revenge Alliance enemies were suddenly defeated by a third party which showed up unexpectedly. At that moment, Nobuhiko basically felt like Seiji was an angel.

    However, there were also others that felt like Seiji Haruta was no different, perhaps even the same as the people in the Revenge Alliance. Masao Yanagi was one who thought in such a manner.

    Seiji¡¯s mysterious power had an unknown origin. Although he didn¡¯t kill anyone, he was foundationally no different from the Revenge Alliance bastards. They were all borrowing abnormal outside powers to win¡­ that was what Masao Yanagi believed.

    It couldn¡¯t be said that Masao was entirely wrong. Since this was the group stage of the tournament, Seiji Haruta was someone that the Bloodwar Alliance was required to defeat. It might even be more beneficial for the Bloodwar Alliance to adopt such a viewpoint.

    But before any of that, they would first have to deal with the threat of the Revenge Alliance.

    Seiji Haruta and his power were a direct counter to the Revenge Alliance¡¯s ck mist power. However, just Seiji alone would be unable to defeat the entire Revenge Alliance, as people knew how to run away.

    If the Bloodwar Alliance wanted to defeat the Revenge Alliance, they would have to borrow Seiji Haruta¡¯s power. However, Seiji wouldn¡¯t be trying his best to defeat the entire Revenge Alliance, but would rather want to see the Bloodwar Alliance and Revenge Alliance injuring and killing each other as much as possible so that he could achieve final victory more easily. That was Masao Yanagi¡¯s analysis.

    What should the Bloodwar Alliance do in the current situation? Reach a cooperative agreement with Seiji Haruta and fight against the Revenge Alliance together? Or avoid fighting as much as possible, stalling for time and making Seiji Haruta fight against the Revenge Alliance by himself?

    Nobuhiko Kurosaki didn¡¯t want to choose either option. All he wanted right now was to surrender from the tournament and leave this damned ce as quickly as possible.

    Previously, surrendering equaled certain death. But now, he knew that as long as Seiji Haruta was nearby, any person who surrendered or was defeated wouldn¡¯t end up getting sucked dry by the ck mist. So if he wanted to surrender safely, all he had to do was find Seiji.

    But, would it really be possible to leave this ind safely even after surrendering?

    The Bloodwine Spirit forbade tournament participants frommunicating with those who lost in the tournament. That was why it was unknown whether or not the people who lost already had made it out safely.

    Nobuhiko really just wanted to make it out safe and alive. However, his logic¡­ or, more urately, his traumatizing despair told him that it wouldn¡¯t be possible.

    This abnormal ck mist, cruel enemies, terrible deaths, and blooming blood-red cluster amaryllis flowers everywhere¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be overboard to describe this ce as a living hell. Nobuhiko found it difficult to imagine that it would be easy to leave safely.

    Everyone in the Bloodwar Alliance was fatigued and fell silent. The few that were still energetic and spirited were arguing amongst themselves about what actions to take next. The atmosphere was terrible.

    And then, the ck mist thickened.

    More cluster amaryllis flowers started blooming, and a blood-red moon appeared in the sky. Scary sounds could be heard¡­ and arge number of ghosts suddenly ambushed them!

    The Bloodwar Alliance was unable to stop this vicious ambush. The scene soon became chaotic.

    Shigure Tendo protected Keimi Umetani with his sword.

    Although everyone else had difficulty dealing with these dark-red ghosts, he was capable of slicing through every ghost with just a single slice. He repeated this an endless number of times, no matter how many ghosts came at him. Shigure disyed a supreme level of skill in swordsmanship.

    However, humans would always eventually be fatigued. Meanwhile, these ghosts seemed endless.

    At this moment, the minimap senses were activated.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Umetani-san,¡± Shigure spoke up.

    ¡°Go where, Milord Shigure?¡± Keimi asked him.

    ¡°To find Seiji Haruta.¡±

    ¡°To fight with him?¡±

    ¡°No, to cooperate with him.¡±

    Keimi obedientlyplied with Shigure¡¯s wishes.

    Shigure had saved her life and protected her. No matter what he chose, she would follow.

    The two of them then left the other 7321 faction members and entered the dense ck mist.

    ¡°Where are you going, Tendo-san!?¡± Nobuhiko Kurosaki sent a magical message after them.

    Shigure told him that they were going to look for Seiji Haruta, which caused Nobuhiko to fall silent for a moment as he pondered.

    It was unknown what else might happen with the situation already like this. Hurrying to locate Seiji Haruta and cooperate with him as quickly as possible seemed like the wisest decision to Nobuhiko!

    ¡°Please wait for me, I¡¯ming as well!¡± Nobuhiko arrived at this conclusion very quickly and was determined to go together under Shigure¡¯s protection.

    At this moment, someone was invaded by the ghosts and possessed. The scene became even more chaotic.

    The ¡°team leader¡± Nobuhiko abandoned all thoughts of calming the situation. It was obviously impossible to calm regardless, and if he waited any longer, he would ce himself in more danger.

    ¡°Everyone, go look for Seiji Haruta!¡± Nobuhiko sent everyone this magical message and then stopped caring about them. Together with his Spirit-branded Retainer, he chased after Shigure Tendo.

    Nobuhiko saw on his mental minimap that Seiji Haruta wasn¡¯t far from them. In fact, Seiji was even approaching.

    What had hee here to do? Did he want to fight or to cooperate?

    Nobuhiko truly hoped that Seiji was here for thetter purpose.

    Shigure Tendo silently proceeded forward. His longsword glowed white in the darkness. Every time a ghost attacked him, he instantly sliced it to pieces, giving him an imposing aura.

    Shigure¡¯s father had ordered him to kill Seiji Haruta.

    However, Shigure didn¡¯t really care about this order at all. He would carry it out if he could, but abandon it instantly if he couldn¡¯t.

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t really feel anything at all regarding the fact that his older brother was killed by Seiji¡¯s older sister. Shigure felt that people would always die regardless, and that his brother simply died slightly earlier than everyone expected. That was all there was to it.

    He would need to cooperate with Seiji Haruta in order to protect Keimi Umetani to the greatest of his abilities. Shigure had no personal grudge against Seiji at all.

    Shigure had promised to protect Keimi to the fullest of his abilities. All he was doing was carrying out his promise.

    He gradually approached Seiji Haruta¡¯s location.

    Shigure then saw a faint silver-white barrier in front of him. Seiji and his threepanions were within this barrier.

    Shigure and Nobuhiko witnessed a ghost instantly vanish upon touching Seiji¡¯s barrier!

    It was safe within that barrier¡­ Nobuhiko became absolutely determined to cooperate with Seiji.

    The problem was how to discuss that with him.

    Just as Nobuhiko Kurosaki was considering how to talk to Seiji, Shigure spoke up first.

    ¡°Seiji Haruta. Please protect us.¡±

    Such a direct request!

    ¡°What benefits will that bring me, Shigure Tendo?¡± Seiji responded.

    ¡°We shall fight for you. We shall assist you in obtaining victory if you protect our lives,¡± Shigure stated.

    Shigure¡¯s tone was calm and light as if he wasn¡¯t negotiating at all. It sounded as if he was talking about something insignificant.

    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee your survival. I can only promise to try my best.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Deal, then.¡±

    After reaching an agreement, Shigure then unhesitatingly took Keimi with him and entered the silver-white barrier.

    That was a sessful negotiation!?

    Nobuhiko was unable to even say anything out loud after witnessing this scene. He wanted toment, but didn¡¯t know how.

    ¡°I shall fight for you as well and promise to help you achieve victory in the tournament!¡± After he regained his senses, he made the same promise to Seiji as Shigure.

    Seiji also allowed the Kurosaki Family son and his Spirit-branded Retainer to enter his silvery white barrier. Seiji then announced to all the other 7321 faction members that had made their way here that he would protect anyone willing to make such a promise. He would make no guarantees to those who weren¡¯t willing to promise.

    Very few doubted Seiji¡¯s offer of protection.

    The endless number of ghosts attacking from the mist and the insane possessed individuals were highly difficult to deal with! It would be impossible to defend against them for much longer! The most important thing right now was simply to survive. Winning the tournament was truly insignificantpared to that.

    And so, Seiji sessfully obtained a group of ¡°underlings.¡± He was quite grateful to Shigure Tendo for setting an example for the others.

    No matter if the 7321 faction members were being sincere with their promises or not, Seiji would next take them with him to fight the demon king¡­

    The blood-red moon glowed brilliantly in the sky.

 Chapter 675 - You wouldnt understand

    <h4>Chapter 675: You wouldn¡¯t understand</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After spending some time on defeating all the possessed individuals, who then withered and dried up afterwards, Seiji led his new ¡°team¡± onwards.

    Seiji gave a very summarized exnation of the situation to his new teammates¡ªthat perhaps this ck mist realm would be dispelled if they were able to defeat Kanzaki, or his host, Yuuma Saitou.

    ¡°This fight isn¡¯t only for my sake. It¡¯s for all of your sakes as well. If we don¡¯t defeat that person, it¡¯s highly likely that there¡¯s only death for all of us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it even possible?¡± Nobuhiko Kurosaki muttered.

    ¡°No matter if it¡¯s possible or not, we still have to try.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Can anything prove what you say is true?¡± Masao Yanagi spoke with a sneer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any evidence. If you don¡¯t believe me, then feel free to get out from my barrier.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Seiji only had cold words for someone like Masao Yanagi who wanted protection but still doubted him. Seiji didn¡¯t have the time nor mood to give a detailed exnation right now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say this for only onest time. If you don¡¯t want to fight for me, please leave this team,¡± Seiji spoke in a severe tone. ¡°Perhaps if you defend for a little longer, this ck mist will dissipate by itself and the tournament hosts will mount a rescue operation and cancel the tournament, allowing everyone to safely return home. However, I don¡¯t believe in such a good ending at all. If we don¡¯t do anything, the only fate that awaits us is death.

    ¡°I hope to obtain assistance from all of you. But even if you don¡¯t help us, I and mypanions will still do the same thing¡ªfight for our own lives rather than waiting to be ughtered like livestock.¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t speak these words in a fierce tone at all. Still, everyone present felt an authoritative aura which almost seemed physical from him.

    Masao Yanagi didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. Everyone else also fell silent.

    ¡®The so-called ¡®garbage¡¯ of the Haruta Family¡­ just like the ¡®low ability¡¯ of the Tendo Family, he doesn¡¯t live up to his reputation at all.¡¯ Nobuhiko sighed in his mind.

    Seiji¡¯s team pressed onward.

    Suddenly, Seiji noticed with his maphack that Saitou had started moving in their direction!

    ¡°He¡¯sing! Everyone, on guard!¡±

    Demon kings would only obediently stay within their castle in games.

    The atmosphere suddenly tensed up. Some people activated their personal defensive barriers, while others arranged themselves into defensive formations. Seiji increased the amount of Mana he injected into his right hand¡¯s rune, creating an even stronger defensive barrier.

    Not long after, an incredibly dense ck mist enveloped all of them!

    This was basically the exact same ability that Kanzaki had used on Seiji in the previous timeline.

    But this time, Seiji possessed the power given to him by Risa Kobayakawa. He also had many morepanions and helpers! With so many personal barriers, and the power in his right hand, Seiji was able to resist this torrential torrent of ck mist!!

    ¡°Urk¡­¡± Seiji immediately felt a great amount of pressure.

    This wasn¡¯t limited to only him. Everyone felt a tremendous amount of pressure. Although they collectively managed to block out this frightening ck mist, invisible power kept pressuring their barriers. Everyone felt as if they were slowly being crushed to death within a giant¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Everyone, do your best¡­¡± Seiji barely managed to shout with all the pressure he was under. ¡°Never give up!¡±

    There would only be hope if they managed to withstand this attack.

    Yet before long, someone made a sound of pain as if their bones were being crushed. That person was suddenly devoured by the ck mist and instantly vanished.

    This was followed by the second, the third, the fourth person¡­ People kept being devoured by the ck mist as if a dam had ruptured, leading to an unstoppable flood. They were all dragged into the darkness.

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡±

    ¡°Save me¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me go¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­ Sh*t¡­ F*ck!!!¡±

    ¡°Wahhh!!!¡±

    Begging, screaming, anger, crying¡­ various pitiful ways to face death were shown here.

    Seiji tightly grit his teeth.

    All he could do was continue maintaining his barrier. He was unable to save those who couldn¡¯t maintain their barriers anymore.

    Fortunately, Shika who was next to him, Kanna, and Izawa were all able to withstand the pressure. None of them seemed shaken.

    Shigure Tendo was also unshaken.

    Keimi Umetani next to him showed signs of sumbing to the pressure. However, Shigure then held onto her hand and whispered something to her, causing her to stabilize.

    ¡°Believe in yourself¡­ Believe in your partner¡­ We can make it through this!¡± Seiji shouted again as he also held on to Shika¡¯s hand.

    Seiji figured that the best method to fight against fear and despair would of course be to rely on trust and connectivity.

    How long passed like this?

    Ten minutes? Half an hour? Or even longer?

    Under the severe pressure, everyone lost the sensation of time. Their consciousnesses became hazy and their bodies became numb.

    ¡°I gave you a well-intentioned warning that you should withdraw from this tournament.¡±

    Seiji suddenly heard a voice speaking to him.

    ¡°Yoshihara-san?¡±

    ¡°Just why did you join this tournament?¡± Yoshihara asked him.

    ¡°In order to be together with a certain someone,¡± Seiji answered.

    ¡°Is that worth gambling your and your partner¡¯s lives for?¡±

    ¡°I know for myself whether it¡¯s worth it or not. I doubt that you actually want to hear my answer.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Rather, I¡¯d like to ask you, Yoshihara-san. You¡¯re paying with your own life and taking so many lives with you. Are you satisfied?¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t ask if it was worth it. He asked if Yoshihara was satisfied.

    Yoshihara fell silent.

    ¡°I know that you work as an assassin,¡± Seiji continued. ¡°You don¡¯t even care about your own life anymore. I realize that of course you wouldn¡¯t care about others¡¯ lives. But¡­ are you truly such an insane maniac? Is the Yuuzou Yoshihara that Risa-san treasured such a scumbag!?¡±

    ¡°¡­You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°OF COURSE I WOULDN¡¯T UNDERSTAND!!!¡±

    Seiji was now roaring at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°All I want is to win this tournament so that I can be together with the person I love! I don¡¯t have a clue nor do I want to know what a suicidal assassin is thinking about!! By the way, I really wanted to beat you up back on the ship, did you know that!!?¡±

    Yoshihara was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Once upon a time, I met a little girl who created a great deal of trouble all because she wanted to see her deceased mother. I ended up giving her a severe scolding,¡± Seiji continued. ¡°You¡¯re an adult. Yet, you¡¯re acting just like a little child and causing even worse consequences for everybody. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed in the least? Does someone have to console you like you¡¯re a young child in order to satisfy you? Wake up from your dream, Yoshihara-san! Just what are you doing? Just why are you doing this? Are you really valuing the person that¡¯s most important to you? Could you please see and think that for yourself!?¡±

    Dead silence.

    It was as if the entire world had stopped with how silent it was.

    And then, the ck mist retreated and the sensation of pressure vanished. Seiji¡¯s consciousness became perfectly clear.

    His vision was restored. Seiji saw a person who wore a spiritualbat outfit standing in front of him.

    Saitou¡­ no, Kanzaki!

    Kanzaki was simply standing there quietly. Yet, he emanated a domineering aura of strength.

    The ck mist had receded because of Yoshihara¡¯s assistance.

    The assassin had given Seiji a chance to directly challenge the demon king. As for whether Seiji could defeat the demon king and survive, that would depend on this uing battle.

    Seiji¡¯s breathing quickened as he tightly gripped onto his sword.

    Kanzaki was emptyhanded. However, ck-and-silver armlets were on his arms.

    Just as Seiji was considering whether he should rush forward or use a ranged spell, the figure before him instantly vanished.

    *Bang!!!*

    There was a sound that resembled an explosion.

    One of the 7321 faction members was sent flying. His body distorted in midair as a giant spurt of red blood gushed out.

    Right after that, there was another sessive series of hitting sounds. This was followed by a loud crack. Someone else had their neck broken.

    Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, ¡°Water Cut¡±!

    [Adrenaline Rush]!

    Shigure used a martial arts technique at almost the exact same time that Seiji used one of his system¡¯s given abilities. Only then did they manage to force Kanzaki to stop killing members of the Bloodwar Alliance.

    Swords shed in midair as Kanzaki swung his arms and blocked with his armlets. The three of them battled at high speed.

    *Pound! Smack!!*

    Shigure and Seiji were simultaneously knocked away. Kanzaki rushed forward once again and killed a third person with another powerful round of attacks.

    ¡°Everyone, split up! Don¡¯t let him anywhere near you!!¡± Seiji warned everyone.

 Chapter 676 - Get behind me!

    <h4>Chapter 676: Get behind me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Shika shot out sharp ice des, while Izawa released a green fireball.

    Kanzaki lifted his hand and drew a circle in order to deal with this attack of ice and fire¡­

    Counter curse, ¡°Reverse Cycle of Life¡±!

    A silver circr spell formation suddenly appeared and released a glow which absorbed the ice des and fireball. The ice des and fireball then reversed direction and shot right back at Shika and Izawa! The two were forced to block or dodge their own spells.

    The other 7321 faction members also attacked Kanzaki with their spells or spiritual guns. However, he dodged, blocked, or countered every single attack. Not a single attack was effective against him.

    [Wind sh]!

    Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, ¡°Heartseeker Sword¡±!

    Seiji and Shigure attacked Kanzaki simultaneously. They had excellent tacit cooperation as Seiji used a burning sh together with Shigure¡¯s piercing stab.

    Kanzaki blocked these attacks with his left and right armlets.

    The three of them once again fought at a high speed to the point where nobody else was able to see them clearly! They only saw shing swords, armlets, and figures exchanging ces so quickly as if they were dancing a ridiculously fast and furious dance.

    Masao Yanagi was someone who was able to see clearer than others as he was from the Yanagi samurai family.

    He knew that Shigure Tendo was amazing already, but that was it¡ªhe only knew but never truly admitted it in his heart.

    Masao had also believed that Seiji Haruta had only been acting high and mighty due to the strange power he possessed. Masao felt that Seiji wouldn¡¯t be anything at all without the special power to counter the ck mist.

    Yet, the current scene forced him to face the undisputable reality¡­

    Shigure Tendo was incredibly strong.

    Seiji Haruta was also incredibly strong.

    They were both far stronger than himself, Masao Yanagi!

    The facts were right before his eyes. No matter how much he didn¡¯t want to ept, he could only ept them.

    Seiji didn¡¯t see a single opening in Kanzaki¡¯s defenses.

    Although this battle seemed even, Seiji couldn¡¯t find a single opening in Kanzaki¡¯s defenses after all this time! In fact, Kanzaki seemed to be controlling the flow of battle¡­

    Shigure sensed this as well. He wanted to take a risk by using a high-powered martial arts technique to break the stalemate.

    However, Kanzaki saw through this. He took advantage of this opportunity tond a critical blow against Shigure while Seiji did his best to prevent Kanzaki¡­

    *Boom!!*

    Seiji was unable topletely prevent Kanzaki¡¯s attack. Shigure was still hit and his personal barrier copsed as he was sent flying backwards from the impact.

    Seiji was also sent flying backwards due to being off bnce. Luckily, he didn¡¯t take a direct hit.

    Killing curse, ¡°Tornado Rush¡±!

    Kanna took this chance to cast a powerful spell that she had been preparing for a while. Three spell formations appeared and started spewing fierce winds that gathered into a powerful whirlwind that charged towards Kanzaki. The small tornado gathered dust, dirt, sand, and rocks as it charged, making it seem almost like a roaring dragon.

    Kanzaki lifted his hand and drew two circles.

    Under the illuminating light from these two silver spell formations, the tornado was absorbed.

    Killing curse, ¡°Five Thunder Strikes¡±!

    Nobuhiko Kurosaki also released a major attack spell. A gigantic hexagonal spell formation appeared in the air and released powerful thunderbolts at Kanzaki!

    Kanzaki drew another two circles which also absorbed them.

    Everyone also started using their strongest attack spells. Yet, these spells were all absorbed by Kanzaki¡¯s silver spell formations!

    And then, Kanzaki waved his hands in the air,bining all the silver circles that he had drawn so far. They expanded into a tremendous silver circle.

    ¡®High energy alert, everyone prepare for impact¡­¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall such a ssical line from EVA.

    There was no need for him to shout anything or warn everyone, because everyone could sense that this was dangerous.

    *Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble¡­*

    A tremendous sound resembling a volcanic explosion shook the skies and earth!

    The giant silver spell formation shot out all the spells that were absorbed, forming a mega-powerful chaotic swirl that headed towards everyone!!

    ¡°Get behind me!!!¡±

    Seiji activated his [Turtle Armor] and then [Heroic Guard], [Light¡¯s Protection], and began using his system¡¯s consumable items¡­ he raised his defense to the max as he stood in front of everyone!

    The chaotic swirl which seemed like it possessed boundless destruction rushed over towards him. Its speed was such that it was impossible to dodge or escape from.

    However, the tall figure in front stood resolute and firm, forcefully blocking this chaotic swirl all by himself! He was able to form a small safe area behind him.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°Haruta-kun¡­¡±

    All words were drowned out by the thunderous explosion as the chaotic swirl enveloped Seiji.

    After the chaotic swirl disappeared, the entire environment in the nearby area was destroyed.

    ¡°Not bad, Haruta-san,¡± Kanzaki spoke up after seeing how Seiji had heroically protected everyone. ¡°Out of respect for your courage, I can allow you to leave. As long as you surrender right here and now, you and your partner shall be allowed to leave safely.¡±

    ¡°Why thank you, Kanzaki-san,¡± Seiji replied. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry. I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because my goal is victory!¡±

    Seiji¡¯s words contained an irond will.

    Kanzaki fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°My patience has its limits¡­ You¡¯re certain that you want me to kill you?¡± His tone became much icier.

    Just as Seiji was about to respond, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from behind him!

    Before he could turn around and look, he saw a figure charging towards Kanzaki! This person left golden-red sparks in his trail.

    This was Shigure Tendo.

    Golden-red mes were whirling around him now. His sword was also glowing in the same color. It was as if he had transformed into a demon as he was emanating an abnormally powerful aura.

    Shigure had transformed¡­ had he gone berserk again!?

    *Boom!* Shigure shed and released a patch of mes!

    Kanzaki blocked this attack. However, it seemed that his reaction this time was somewhat rigid.

    Seiji¡¯s eyes lit up at seeing this.

    Although it was only a small sign, this type of reaction from Kanzaki meant that he wasn¡¯t having such an easy time anymore!

    Could it be that Kanzaki¡¯s counterattack magic just now had a significant price to it? Or was Shigure in his strongest form an actual threat to him?

    No matter what the case was, the demon king was now showing signs of weakness.

    *Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!* ¡­Every sword attack Shigure used was wreathed in mes. This made his attacks seem extravagantly beautiful.

    Soon, mes started burning up all around him, enveloping Kanzaki in mes!

    Seiji was unable to provide support or use any spells in such a situation. He could only watch from the sidelines.

    The mes continued burning fiercely. It was only possible to see two faint figures vigorously fighting within.

    *Sizzle!!*

    A wave of fire suddenly shot out, causing Seiji and the others to hurriedly dodge.

    And then another wave of fire shot out again. Apparently, these were all shot out from Shigure¡¯s sword.

    The mes started burning arger andrger radius with ever more power, astonishing everyone.

    ¡°Just what exactly is he¡­?¡± Masao Yanagi muttered to himself.

    Earthshattering sounds were suddenly heard. These sounds repeated for a second, third, and then fourth time¡­ These sounds were constantly heard and then started ovepping, deafening everyone¡¯s ears and shaking the ground!

    *Boom!!!*

    There was an earthquake-like explosion as the mes suddenly erupted, releasing a heat wave that formed into brilliant mes that rose upward. This scene appeared as if a nuclear explosion had gone off.

    Was everything¡­ over?

    After the light subsided, Seiji and the others saw tiny cracks everywhere on the ground with everything reduced to rubble. There were also two figures.

    One figure was standing and one figure had copsed.

    Shigure Tendo had copsed.

    Although Kanzaki was still standing, he appeared in wretched condition. Hisbat uniform was severely damaged and there were severe injuries all over his body. His left hand was burned and half of his right armlet had been destroyed.

    However, he was still standing.

    ¡°Milord Shigure¡­¡± Keimi rushed over towards Shigure.

    Seiji wanted to rush at Kanzaki. However, Izawa stopped him.

    ¡°Your objective is to win the overall tournament, so you should stay behind and conserve your strength,¡± Izawa told Seiji. Izawa then looked at everyone else. ¡°Haruta-kun kept his promise to protect all of us. It¡¯s time for us to keep our promise and fight for him!¡±

    Right after saying this, Izawa rushed forward and attacked Kanzaki with all his power!

 Chapter 677: You think youâ€™re cool just because you have a transformation?

    <h4>Chapter 677: You think you¡¯re cool just because you have a transformation?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Ryuuno!¡± Kanna chased after Izawa to support him.

    Shika rushed to attack Kanzaki as well.

    Seiji nced at everyone, then followed up.

    Although he logically knew that Izawa¡¯s advice was correct, Seiji wasn¡¯t the type who could simply sit back while hispanions were fighting.

    Although Kanzaki was injured, he was still incredibly powerful. He managed to kick Izawa away in just a few exchanges of blows.

    Kanzaki then speedily retreated and aimed his right hand at Seiji¡­ no, at the people still behind Seiji!

    *Whoosh~*

    Thick ck mist suddenly erupted, engulfing Masao Yanagi, Nobuhiko Kurosaki, and the others!!

    The ck mist had reappeared! Had Yoshihara¡¯s assistance in suppressing the ck mist finally ended!?

    There were sounds of pitiful screams¡­ Seiji wasn¡¯t able to save these people in time. Besides, rather than these 7321 faction members that he didn¡¯t know, he cared more about Shika and his friends¡¯ safety.

    ¡°Get close to me!¡±

    Kanna and Izawa hurriedly got over next to him. Shika stopped her charge and returned to his side. Keimi also carried Shigure on her back and ran over to Seiji.

    The ck mist attacked explosively yet again!

    Seiji output more Mana through his right hand, creating a silvery white barrier to block the ck mist.

    Although he felt some pressure, the pressure wasn¡¯t particrly heavy.

    This meant that Kanzaki¡¯s ck mist ability hadn¡¯t fully recovered. Perhaps Yoshihara¡¯s assistance was still effective! But, it was likely that the ck mist would continue to strengthen again as time went on.

    Just as Seiji was thinking about what to do, the ck mist suddenly vanished.

    Seiji saw Kanzaki suddenly bing pitch-ck with gray runes appearing all over his body. Two dark-red spirals appeared in Kanzaki¡¯s eyes, and he was emitting a powerful demonic aura¡­ this was really simr to how Shigure Tendo had entered a berserk state in the previous timeline!

    So, this was the demon king¡¯s transformation? What was with Shigure Tendo possessing this same transformation in the previous timeline?

    Seiji didn¡¯t have the time to think about this, because the transformed Kanzaki already started charging over at high speed!

    ¡®You think you¡¯re cool just because you have a transformation? I¡¯m sorry, I have an ace that can counter you!¡¯ Seiji activated his abilities¡­

    Double [Overload] followed by [White Cmity]!

    A pure white spiritual figure was formed.

    Izawa and the others were awed by this sight.

    Kanzaki also slowed down somewhat.

    Seiji stepped forward, absorbing the white spirit into himself. He then rushed towards Kanzaki and sliced with his sword!!

    *Bang!!!*

    Seiji¡¯s attacknded a direct hit, causing a spurt of ck mist to erupt from Kanzaki¡¯s body.

    ¡°You¡­ Why¡­¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t care about what you think!¡¯

    No matter what Kanzaki wanted to say, Seiji simply swung his sword in a flurry of attacks!!

    *Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!* ¡­Each time that Kanzaki blocked a sword blow, more ck mist erupted from his body. Kanzaki¡¯s movements were bing obviously stiffer as this went on.

    Kanzaki tried to retreat but Seiji followed him closely, slicing him as they ran past several hundred meters!

    Kanzaki released arge amount of ck mist which Seiji blocked with the power in his right hand. Seiji then continued his vicious flurry of blows!!

    Kanzaki counterattacked with a powerful spell. However, Seiji dodged this attack with [Bullet Time] and [Emergency sh] while continuing the vicious flurry of blows!!!

    No matter what he did, Seiji chased him endlessly, attacking, attacking, attacking, attacking, attacking¡­

    Kanzaki never expected that he would be forced into such a situation.

    Although Yuuma Saitou was a rtively low-quality host, Saitou¡¯s body should have been more than sufficient to deal with the equally low-level tournament participants. Saitou¡¯s body should have been more than enough to defeat and kill everyone else in the tournament even without having to rely on the ck mist domain¡­ Kanzaki had believed that at the beginning.

    Yet, reality had exceeded his expectations.

    Shigure Tendo¡­ Seiji Haruta¡­ the famous ¡°low ability¡± and ¡°garbage¡± of their families¡­

    What a joke.

    Kanzaki startedughing loudly, feeling that things were truly amusing. The two individuals judged to be of the lowest ability in the seven major Yin Yang Master families were the ones who had forced him to such a brink!

    ¡®What would have happened if these two people fought if the tournament had happened normally?¡¯ Kanzaki suddenly became curious about this.

    Well, he figured that he would have future opportunities to see these two fighting each other, especially with the well-known grudge between their families.

    If Kanzaki fought here seriously, it would probably be possible to kill these little brats here. But, there was no need for that.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just leave things at this, then. I¡¯ve alreadypleted everything I need to. The rest is only some small things¡­¡¯

    Anti-demon sh, [Doujigiri]!!!

    Seiji took advantage of Kanzaki¡¯s distraction to use his strongest martial arts technique.

    As Seiji¡¯s sword shed, there was a cutting sound that was as imperceptible as falling snow. The pitch-ck figure¡¯s body was cut apart!

    The ck mist suddenly exploded, covering such a wide area of effect that Shika and all the others who had backed far away were still forced to retreat.

    Was the battle¡­ over?

    Shika nervously watched until the ck mist dissipated. Once again, there were two figures, with one figure standing and one copsed.

    The copsed figure was the now headless Kanzaki.

    Seiji was still standing.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± Shika was the first to run over.

    Izawa and Kanna also started running towards Seiji. Keimi who was still carrying Shigure on her back also obediently ran after them.

    Seiji¡¯s hands were currently trembling.

    Although he gained the advantage in the battle against Kanzaki, he was still injured.

    Kanzaki was still incredibly powerful despite Seiji¡¯s right hand¡¯s power countering his ck mist! Although Seiji seeded in dodging every fatal attack with [Bullet Time] and [Emergency sh], his personal barrier had been shattered a total of five times! This caused Seiji to receive some unavoidable damage.

    Right now, his arm was rather numb and in pain. His body wasn¡¯t doing too great, either.

    ¡°Wagh¡­¡± Seiji couldn¡¯t restrain himself anymore as his legs felt soft. He kneeled on the ground and spat out some blood.

    ¡°Brother!¡± Shika rushed over and supported him.

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Izawa looked towards Kanna. She immediately cast a healing magic spell on Seiji.

    Seiji heaved a sigh of relief as he received this healing magic. It indeed made him feel a lot better.

    Shika gently wiped away the blood at his mouth. She felt pained and med herself for not being stronger, strong enough to protect her adopted older brother.

    Seiji smiled and took her hand.

    Kanna was rendered speechless.

    Izawa cautiously inspected Kanzaki¡¯s condition and confirmed that he was now one hundred percent dead.

    ¡°Yuuma Saitou is the one who died. Kanzaki is probably¡­ no, he¡¯s definitely still alive,¡± Seiji told him.

    Only the host and not the spellcaster himself had died. Kanzaki¡¯s real body was definitely somewhere else.

    After all this effort, all that Kanzaki lost was an ¡°incarnation¡±.

    Just an ¡°incarnation¡± was so powerful already. Just how powerful would Kanzaki be if he fought using his real body?

    Seiji had antagonized such a powerful individual who might take revenge on him in the future. How should he deal with this?

    He could only talk it over with Yui.

    ¡®Well, let¡¯s think about future thingster.¡¯ Seiji looked around him.

    The ck mist in the environment hadn¡¯t receded just because of Kanzaki¡¯s host Saitou dying. The cluster amaryllis flowers were still blooming brilliantly. The red moon in the sky was still shining.

    This ck mist realm still hadn¡¯t been canceled. Seiji supposed that he could only try and go looking for Yoshihara again.

    Wait a moment, was that red moon growingrger?

    Seiji looked carefully and determined that the red moon was indeed growingrger. The moon was also bing brighter and a fast and visible pace.

    *Whoosh¡­ wah¡­ ahh¡­ hah¡­*

    The mist suddenly started making indescribably strange sounds as it rapidly expanded. Large amounts of dark-red ghosts popped out from the mist!

    The Kurosaki Family¡¯s personalbat squadron started firing their weapons that were magically buffed by the Spiritual Ability users. This was able to easily destroy the ghosts.

    Yet, the ghosts rapidly started multiplying. Soon, they reached an uncountable number of thousands. This far surpassed the ability of what just onebat squadron could handle!!

    Anyone who was invaded by the ghosts would go insane and begin to attack or even kill their teammates and friends! They would even ¡°infect¡± their former teammates! The Spiritual Ability users present were unable to suppress this from happening. Soon, the entirebat squadron reached nearly total copse.

    Everyone in the spectators¡¯ section for the tournament hurriedly retreated. The flying UFO-like object swiftly rose into the air in an effort to leave. However, it wouldn¡¯t be that easy to leave with a torrential flood of ghosts chasing after it.

    The warship on the sea started firing its cannons at the central portion of the mist on the ind!

    Cannon shots enchanted withrge-scale AOE spells continuouslynded among the ghost hordes, creating brilliant explosions that were majestic to behold.

    However, this still wasn¡¯t enough.

    Although each cannon shot sessfully destroyedrge numbers of ghosts, many ghosts still remained. Not only that, the ghosts were constantly increasing in number!

    The warship¡¯s captain sent out an emergency request for reinforcements! The situation was now far beyond the scale of what just one naval ship could handle.

    Ghosts covered the skies as they flew over the sea and surrounded the warship. It was as if countless ants had surrounded an elephant. The ship was forced into retreating as it fired more cannon shots. This made it seem rather wretched.

    The mist¡¯s strange sounds became even higher-pitched. Then, a tremendous ck shadow slowly rose up from within the mist. The top of this figure then split up to form into something that resembled a hand.

    No¡­ that was indeed a hand!

    An iparablyrge hand had just reached out from the mist!!

 Chapter 678 - Nice to see you again

    <h4>Chapter 678: Nice to see you again</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Mist spread everywhere and darkened the forest. The atmosphere seemed like demons or other such monsters might emerge and attack at any moment.

    Seiji and the others remained on guard as they proceeded through the forest.

    This forest hadn¡¯t existed just one moment ago. It was formed just like the ck mist and cluster amaryllis flowers as a byproduct of the ck mist realm.

    Seiji felt that this ce was resembling the Blood Moon Mountain even more as he trekked through the forest.

    Although Kanzaki had already been defeated, this realm wasn¡¯t dispelled at all. It was still expanding!

    The only apparent benefit was that no more ghosts appeared to attack Seiji and his party.

    However, it seemed quite possible that the ghosts or something even worse would appear if this realm was allowed to continue developing.

    While maintaining their guard, everyone proceeded as quickly as possible to Yoshihara¡¯s location on the minimap. More and more cluster amaryllis flowers became visible along the way. Finally, everyone witnessed a tremendous patch of flowers the color of bright-red blood, along with a strangerge gray tree in the center of the cluster amaryllis flower patch.

    This tree didn¡¯t have a single leaf. Its surface was covered with ck runes, and its dense branches resembled countless hands reaching out towards the sky. This tree appeared quite demonic under the red moonlight.

    Yoshihara¡¯s location was the same as this tree.

    Either Yoshihara was within this tree, or¡­ the tree itself was Yoshihara!

    ¡°Yoshihara-san¡­¡± Seiji walked up to therge tree and tried calling out.

    There was no reaction.

    Seiji walked over to the tree and ced his right hand on the tree bark.

    His arm immediately started glowing silvery white while the tree glowed red. The runes on the tree began to glow as well.

    Seiji instantly felt his entire right hand heating up, simr to what he¡¯d experienced during the tournament contract ceremony. However, this time the heat kept increasing to the point where it was difficult to withstand! He did his best to grit his teeth and not make any sounds of pain.

    *Ding dong~* Seiji heard the previous familiar clear sound that resembled a bell ringing.

    His consciousness started to be hazy.

    *Ding dong~* The sound rang out for a second time.

    Seiji hazily saw two figures floating before him. One was male and one was female; one was ck and one was white.

    Yuuzou Yoshihara¡­ Risa Kobayakawa¡­

    Although Seiji was unable to see these figures clearly, he felt that they were these two people.

    Just as he felt like he was about to witness a touching scene, he suddenly saw the white female figure viciously kicking the ck male figure in the crotch!

    ¡®Ouch¡­ she really used a lot of force in that kick.¡¯

    As a man, Seiji felt a chill run down his crotch from witnessing such a scene. He could only imagine what it must feel like.

    Yoshihara grabbed on to his crotch and kneeled on the ground. It was evident that he was in great pain.

    Risa lifted her foot again and viciously stomped down on his body!

    How powerful¡­ Seiji¡¯s mental image of a gentle woman (simr to Mayuzumi Amami) immediately copsed after seeing such a scene.

    Still, he felt that Yoshihara deserved the beating.

    One could only vent by delivering such a beating to someone as foolish as Yoshihara!!

    Risa continued her stomping for quite a while before she finally stopped.

    She then crouched down next to Yoshihara and said something to him.

    Yoshihara slowly lifted his head. Tears were streaming down his face.

    Risa turned to look in Seiji¡¯s direction.

    Although Seiji was unable to see her face, he could sense that she was smiling.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    He also heard her speaking faintly.

    ¡°No need for thanks.¡± Seiji smiled at her as well.

    *Ding dong~* The sounds faded.

    Seiji¡¯s vision suddenly returned to normal. The heat in his arm receded as the silver-white glow disappeared.

    The glowing runes on the tree transformed into specks that resembled stars. These stars gradually rose up into the air and disappeared in the red moonlight, giving off a sorrowful beauty.

    ¡­Was that it?

    What about the ck mist realm? Did that still remain?

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched as he looked up at the red moon which remained in the sky.

    The spellcaster Kanzaki had been defeated. The host creator for the spell, Yoshihara, had died and moved on to the next world. Yet, this ck mist realm still remained!

    Was it the type of spell that was unstoppable once it was activated? Was it only a matter of time before this ind waspletely transformed into a Spiritual World!?

    No wonder it seemed like Kanzaki had allowed himself to ¡°die¡± a little too easily. Had he already finished everything he needed to?

    Seiji felt helpless as he returned to hispanions.

    ¡°Yoshihara is gone now. But as you can see, the ck mist realm still remains,¡± Seiji exined. ¡°All we can do now is determine the final victor of the tournament.¡±

    There were only six remaining people that hadn¡¯t been judged to have lost from the tournament yet. Everyone else together with Seiji had already lost the tournament.

    Shigure and Keimi remained from Red Team, while Seiji, Shika, Kanna, and Izawa remained on Blue Team. ording to the tournament regtions, the group stage of the tournament would end after all members of one team were defeated. The individual team stage would immediatelymence after that.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to surrender,¡± Keimi expressed directly. ¡°However, will there still be any danger in surrendering at this time?¡±

    ¡°Kanzaki and Yoshihara are both gone now. There should be no more danger,¡± Seiji told her.

    Keimi nced at him for a moment. She then formally surrendered for both herself and Shigure. The red light glowing from her palm¡¯s tournament contract confirmed this with the Bloodwine Spirit.

    No ck mist or other strange creatures appeared.

    Seiji, Shika, Kanna, and Izawa soon all received a message from the Bloodwine Spirit that it was now the final round of the tournament.

    Since only their two teams remained, they obviously became each other¡¯s opponents for this final round.

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Izawa looked at Kanna.

    ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to surrender,¡± Kanna stated. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to defeat Seiji and Kagura-san.¡±

    ¡°Haruta-kun has expended a great deal of Mana and energy. We have a chance at winning.¡±

    ¡°Ryuuno, are you such an underhanded person?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to be underhanded if my Master requires it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be such an antagonist. I feel like I¡¯ll have a pitiful death if I start acting like one.¡±

    ¡°Then let us surrender, Master.¡±

    There would be a severe punishment ording to the tournament¡¯s rules if one surrendered without even attempting to fight. However, Kanna and Izawa didn¡¯t hesitate.

    The Bloodwine Spirit thus drained arge amount of spiritual blood from both of them, causing damage to their bodies and souls. Both Kanna and Izawa kneeled on the ground and spat blood!

    ¡°Kanna, Izawa-kun!¡± Seiji hurriedly checked their condition.

    At this moment, the Bloodwine Spirit dered Seiji and Shika to be the final victors! Both their hands immediately started glowing a bright red as aplex mystical dark-red spell formation appeared in midair.

    This spell formation started glowing. A bright-red liquid materialized within which was crystal-clear as if it was the liquid form of a ruby. This liquid glittered brilliantly as if it was ethereal.

    Seiji and everyone¡¯s attention were attracted to this liquid.

    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡± Keimi couldn¡¯t help but praise it.

    This liquid was indeed beautiful. Everyone could sense that it contained great power.

    This was the Challenger¡¯s Bloodwine!

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what the best red wine in the world was like. However, he felt that the beauty of this spiritual Bloodwine probably surpassed that of any mundane red wine in the world.

    He wondered what this Bloodwine would taste like¡­ would it taste like regr wine?

    The bright-red liquid condensed itself into a smaller ball. The spell formation then transformed itself into the shape of two goblets to hold all the liquid. The goblets then started floating towards Seiji and Shika.

    The two of them were just about to reach out and grasp the goblets when ck mist suddenly appeared!

    ¡°Get away!¡±

    Everyone vigntly avoided the ck mist.

    This suddenly appearing ck mist enveloped the two goblets of spiritual wine,bining together and then speedily forming to be a human-shaped figure.

    Iparably dense mist soon materialized into something physical. Bright-red runes covered this figure as it soon formed a tremendous body with buff limbs, a vicious-appearing face, sharp ws, blood-red long hair, and dark-red horns¡­

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks began to violently twitch after seeing this great demon.

    He then began to curse inside once arge wine gourd and blood-red axe appeared.

    Now, he received proof that this ck mist realm would indeed develop into another copy of the Blood Moon Mountain.

    Should he say something like ¡°Nice to see you again?¡± It was almost like this bastard was bing an old acquaintance!

    Shutendoji, the King of One Hundred Demons!!

 Chapter 679 - Are you having fun with me right now

    <h4>Chapter 679: Are you having fun with me right now</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    *Grahhh!!!*

    A deafening roar sounded as dark-red mist suddenly appeared. Large amounts of vicious ghosts appeared from the mist!

    Seiji had recently witnessed a simr scene at the Bloodmoon Mountain.

    Miyuki Sakuraku had been by his side at that time. It was only thanks to the veteran singer controlling the entire situation that he had been able to face Shutendoji back there.

    And now¡­ the situation wasn¡¯t going well.

    Although all of Seiji¡¯s strongest ultimate abilities were currently on cooldown, he had system cards that would reset his cooldowns. He could still fight.

    However, the Shutendoji before him gave him a feeling of extreme danger, just like the berserk Shigure Tendo from the previous timeline! All of Seiji¡¯s instincts were warning him.

    It was unknown whether he would be able to deal with this final boss one on one. Plus, Shutendoji currently had the home field advantage, being able to summonrge numbers of vicious demons and ghosts with a single roar. He was literally the King of One Hundred Demons!

    Who would be able to deal with such arge number of evil demons?

    Kanna and Izawa were just injured due to the surrendering punishment. Shigure was unconscious. Shika and Keimi were the only ones who were still in healthy fighting condition¡­

    Seiji didn¡¯t get a chance to think anymore as the demons suddenly attacked!

    Shika had a calm expression as she faced such a crisis. Keimi felt fear, Kanna¡¯s body stiffened, and Izawa resolved himself¡­

    *Boom!!!*

    Suddenly, a bolt of thunder descended from the sky, exploding in a white sh of electricity on Shutendoji¡¯s body!

    Seiji and the others were all astonished by this sudden urrence.

    ¡°Warghh!!!¡± Shutendoji roared once again, but this time in pain.

    He had been nailed to the ground.

    A golden-runed spear had pierced through his body and into the ground. This spear continuously released white electricity thatpletely suppressed his movements.

    There was another boom as countless thunderbolts flew down and struck the demons. They all instantly evaporated and the dark-red mist was dispelled! Many trees were destroyed as well asrge patches of cluster amaryllis flowers were blown away.

    In just a short instant, therge group of demons that Seiji and the others were so pressured by had beenpletely destroyed.

    Such powerful spells¡­ what person would be capable of such?

    A single figure descended before them.

    She wore a normal jacket as herbat attire together with a full helmet that didn¡¯t reveal her face. It could only be seen that she was female.

    However, Seiji recognized her instantly¡­ or identified who she was.

    ¡°She¡¯s incredibly talented, considered the most outstanding of our generation. She¡¯s highly skilled at using fire and thunder magic, which is why she obtained the name¡­¡± Hana¡¯s words echoed in his mind.

    Qilin Girl!

    Seiji smiled at the figure before him.

    Now he had witnessed what it meant to be as far apart as Earth from Mars.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to be worried. She¡¯s not an enemy.¡±

    Seiji indicated to Shika and the others that they didn¡¯t need to worry. This powerful individual wasn¡¯t someone who would likely attack them.

    Yui walked over to the Shutendoji that was restrained by thunder. She cast a seal and sent a puff of white fire towards him.

    Shutendoji uttered even more pained and furious shouts and struggled with all his might. However, he wasn¡¯t able to move at all and could only watch as he was devoured by the mes and became nothing more than a fireball.

    Yui waved her hand, causing her spear to fly out from the fire andnd in her hand.

    She walked up to therge gray tree and lifted her spear.

    The spear gradually gathered energy as bolts of electricity shed all around it, seemingly distorting the surrounding space. The tip of the spear began burning with a powerful me.

    *Shing!!*

    Yui stabbed the spear into the gray tree.

    The gray tree instantly began glowing bright red as its ck runes lit up with bloody red as if it was bleeding. Large amounts of dense ck mist appeared around the tree!

    *Crackle, crackle~* The spear released electricity that dispelled the ck mist.

    Something that sounded like countless people sighing and screaming could be heard. The darkness contained within this sound sent chills down everyone¡¯s spines.

    The ck mist continuously appeared together with more ghosts. The electricity continued dispelling the mist and tearing the ghosts to pieces!

    Seiji and the other observers didn¡¯t know what exactly was happening. However, they could all feel that two very powerful energy forces were violently shing against each other, as if two invisible giants were currently fighting.

    Anyone affected by the residual waves would die!

    Due to such a fear, Keimi was the first to retreat. Seiji and the others all retreated as well and observed from a greater distance.

    Then, the ck mist and electricity¡¯s fight¡¯s area of effect became greater and greater. This forced everyone to retreat even further to watch this safely.

    ¡°Haruta-kun, may I ask who that person is?¡± Izawa asked a question that everyone wanted to know the answer to.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°My apologies. Please allow me to keep that a secret; I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s willing to publicize her involvement or not.¡±

    Yui¡¯s appearance here was undoubtedly a direct intervention in this affair.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know if his older sister was acting secretly or if she didn¡¯t care if others knew about what she was doing. Besides, the Haruta Family had a mortal enemy here¡­ Seiji nced over at Shigure and Keimi.

    Seiji chose to keep her identity a secret in order to err on the side of caution.

    Izawa understood and didn¡¯t pry any further.

    *Boom!!!*

    There was a frightening sound which made it seem like the sky itself was falling. White mes erupted with a brilliant dazzle, yet no heat emanated from the fire at all. It all seemed as beautiful as fireworks.

    After the light finally faded, everyone saw nothing except arge crater where the gray tree had originally been located¡­ the entire tree had disappeared!

    Yui walked over to therge fireball that remained and cast another seal.

    The mes suddenly burned even fiercer as pitiful screams came from within the fire. The fireball then gradually became smaller and smaller, and the screams also came to a stop.

    When the fireball shrunk down to the size of a person¡¯s hand, the mes disappeared to reveal only a ball of bright-red blood.

    ¡°Come over by yourself.¡± Yui sent Seiji a magical message that only he could hear.

    Seiji blinked before turning around to Shika and the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m going over for a bit. Everyone, wait here for me.¡±

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Seiji walked over to Yui by himself and stood before her.

    ¡°Excellent job,¡± Yui praised him.

    ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Seiji smiled.

    ¡°This is the Challenger¡¯s Bloodwine that belongs to you and your teammate. I¡¯ve already cleansed it of all impurities from earlier. It¡¯s now a spiritual wine that has no negative side effects. Drinking it will greatly improve your power level.¡± Yui looked directly at Seiji. ¡°You now have three choices. First, you can directly drink this. Second, you canbine this spiritual wine with the remaining energy from this location and then drink it. This will be highly risky, but you¡¯ll obtain much greater power. It¡¯ll even be possible to directly be a top-level Spiritual Ability user and be one of the top-ranked Spiritual Ability users in all of Sakura Ind.¡±

    That powerful? Seiji raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Third¡­ you canbine this spiritual wine with the residual energy here but choose not to drink it. Instead, you can use it to save all the people that died here.¡±

    Seiji was astonished to hear this.

    ¡°All those dead people are still savable!?¡± he asked in his astonishment.

    ¡°Their souls have yet to leave this ind. Perhaps it will be possible to revive them using this spiritual wine, but the odds of sess are unknown,¡± Yui told him. ¡°It might seed and it might fail. It¡¯s also possible that only a portion of people will be revived.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s only a possibility with zero guarantee?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Seiji fell silent.

    At this moment, conversation options appeared before him¡­

    [A: I choose the first option.]

    [B: I choose the second option.]

    [C: I choose the third option.]

    ¡®Are you having fun with me right now, system of mine?¡¯

    Seiji felt rather helpless and wanted to beat up his imaginary system fairy at seeing how incredibly simplistic these conversation options were.

    Although the options were incredibly simplistic, at least this was still an important hint from his system that this was a highly important choice.

    The first option was the safe option which would bring him certain benefits. The second option was risky but would bring him greater benefits. The third option was to abandon his own chances at gaining anything all for the sake of an unknown chance to revive others!

    The great majority of dead tournament participants had no connection to Seiji whatsoever. He felt that he had no need to save those who had died.

    As promised, he had already tried his very best to protect those who came to him for protection.

    It was so difficult for him to finally win. Logically, he should take what he deserved, rather than sacrificing it for the sake of others. Not to mention, those others weren¡¯t any friends or family of his. They were hispetitors. Some were even his enemies!

    Seiji knew that the most logical choice would be to choose the first option.

    Drinking this spiritual wine together with Shika and improving both their power levels would be the safest bet.

    Although the second option was rather attractive, when considering the risk¡­ or the price for the potential power, the risk didn¡¯t seem worthwhile.

    The third option¡­ was nothing more than a distraction that he shouldn¡¯t focus on!

    And yet¡­

    Seiji found it difficult toe to a decision as he recalled the pitiful appearance of all the corpses he saw during this tournament.

    Yui silently watched him.

    ¡®What will you choose, Seiji?¡¯

 Chapter 680 - Cheers!

    <h4>Chapter 680: Cheers!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The world needed kindness.

    It was precisely because of kindness that humanity had survived until today¡­ No, it should be said that humanity¡¯s very birth, and the source of life for all living beings, was due to the kindness of nature, a miracle of the universe.

    But, there was also another phrase: ¡°The road to hell is paved with good intentions.¡±

    This was actually a warning.

    Not all good intentions would actually be good. Sometimes, acting kindly wouldn¡¯t bring about the best results. Sometimes, acting evilly wouldn¡¯t bring about bad consequences. This was true for both the person acting in such a manner and the receiver.

    Good deeds would be rewarded and evil deeds would be punished. That was what people wished for. Yet, that wasn¡¯t how reality worked.

    Kindness didn¡¯t equal justice.

    Kindness wasn¡¯t absolutely correct.

    It was the same for sacrificing oneself in order to save others.

    Even if it was only sacrificing one¡¯s personal benefits rather than one¡¯s own life in order to save others, it would still be the same. This would be considered a noble action, one that others would praise, but¡­ it wouldn¡¯t equal being ¡°correct¡±.

    In that case, what was being ¡°correct¡±?

    Being selfish and abandoning kindness, viewing others¡¯ lives as worthless, was considered incorrect.

    Beingpletely unselfish and as kind as possible, sacrificing one¡¯s own personal benefits for the sake of others, was also considered incorrect.

    In that case, just what was ¡°correct¡±?

    Seiji asked himself and probed his heart as he deeply considered this question.

    He wanted to value his own personal benefits.

    He also wanted to be a good person to others.

    Finally, he arrived at the most mundane conclusion possible¡­

    Only by doing both would be the most ¡°correct¡± answer!

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask a question,¡± Seiji finally spoke up after a long silence. ¡°If I choose the second option, is it possible to strengthen myself and also simultaneously use the residual energy to save those who died?¡±

    Yui widened her eyes slightly.

    ¡°¡­It might be possible. But, it¡¯ll be incredibly difficult and dangerous,¡± she spoke in a serious tone. ¡°It will already be difficult to remain conscious after drinking the spiritual wine that¡¯s beenbined with the residual energy. Plus, you want to cast a spell to revive everyone on top of that. Even if you¡¯re able to follow my instructions in casting the spell, using an unstable power will greatly increase the risk. You¡¯ll definitely receive serious injuries or even die if anything goes wrong. And even if your spellcasting is perfect, the possibility of saving the dead will still be much lower than directly using the spiritual wine to save them.¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s possible for you.¡¯

    Although she didn¡¯t say this directly, Seiji could sense what she meant.

    Having the Qilin Girl say that this was an ¡°incredibly difficult and dangerous¡± idea probably meant that it would be as difficult as creating a miracle.

    Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t do something so stupid, yet¡­

    ¡°I choose the second option,¡± Seiji spoke resolutely.

    As long as it was possible, he would try!

    As for difficulties? Danger?

    He had his system¡¯s greatest power of all: the ability to save and load. What did he possibly have to be afraid of!?

    At this moment, Seiji emanated an incredibly imposing aura.

    Even Yui was stunned by his aura, sending a ripple through her heart.

    However, she soon calmed herself down. ¡°Are you certain?¡± she asked for confirmation.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡±

    ¡°If anything goes wrong, it¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯ll be able to save you. You really will die.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die,¡± Seiji replied confidently and fearlessly.

    Yui took a long, long look at him.

    She then had him walk away a short distance. Then, she lifted her spear and gathered energy upon it.

    The spear began to glow a hazy white as fierce mes ignited on the spear¡¯s tip. Yui stabbed the spear straight into the ground.

    She then let go of the spear and speedily created a seal using both her hands while uttering an incantation.

    The spear then glowed even more blindingly as a golden white glow spread along the ground in a circle. This glow gradually formed a giantplex spell formation.

    The spell formation started glowing a dark red as the ground itself began to rumble. A blood-red glow transferred from the spell formation to the spear, before transferring to the spiritual wine hanging from the end of the spear. The spiritual wine started increasing in quantity, gradually turning ck.

    Seiji and the others then saw the forest¡¯s trees starting to disappear. The cluster amaryllis flowers also started vanishing as the environment around them slowly returned back to the normal ind environment.

    Everyone then saw the red moon in the sky beginning to burn up with white mes. Soon, it became a fireball that burned fiercely before gradually beginning to shrink in size.

    The process continued for quite a while. Finally, the cluster amaryllis flowers, red moon, and forest all disappearedpletely.

    The spiritual wine floating in midair had multiplied in quantity by approximately three times. Its color was almost pure ck now and it also appeared rather sticky. The wine now gave off an ominous impression.

    ¡®I think I¡¯ll go into a dark form if I drink that¡­¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help butment in his mind as he saw how this liquid had mysteriously changed its form.

    Yui¡¯s spell ended and she sent the spiritual wine to float in front of Seiji.

    ¡°Should I drink it just like this? Is there anything I should pay attention to?¡±

    ¡°Just drink it as quickly as possible.¡±

    Alright then. Cheers!

    Seiji approached the sticky ck liquid.

    ¡°Brother!¡± At this moment, someone shouted out to him.

    Shika was unable to watch this for any longer as she ran over.

    ¡°What is this liquid?¡± she asked Seiji.

    ¡°This is the Challenger¡¯s Bloodwine¡­ after some modifications,¡± Seiji told her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shika-chan. I used up your portion as well.¡±

    ¡°Brother is going to drink this?¡± Shika didn¡¯t care about her portion of the Bloodwine. She cared about what her adopted older brother was about to do.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seiji nodded.

    ¡°Will this be dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ a little.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me the truth, Brother Seiji!¡±

    Shika found it difficult to believe that this would only be ¡°a little¡± dangerous as this sticky ck fluid appeared quite ominous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll be watching over me.¡± Seiji pointed at Yui. He decided to use her as an excuse.

    Something shed in Shika¡¯s eyes as she nced over at Yui.

    ¡°This modified Bloodwine doesn¡¯t look very good, I know. But please don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Seiji consoled her again.

    However, Shika still had an ominous premonition.

    This ck and sticky fluid truly seemedpletely unnatural. If Seiji drank this¡­

    ¡°I want to drink it as well,¡± Shika stated. ¡°You said that my portion is in it as well¡­ I want to drink this together with Brother.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no good.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ if we split this up and drink it separately, the effect will be much weaker,¡± Seiji told her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you something else in the future to make up for this. Please let me have this portion of Bloodwine, Shika-chan.¡±

    Shika¡¯s ominous premonition became even stronger.

    She wanted to say something else, when Yui suddenly spoke up beside her, ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time. The longer you wait, the more unstable the spiritual wine will be.¡±

    Seiji turned to look at the ck sticky wine again when he heard Yui say this.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± Shika wanted to stop him. However, Yui suddenly appeared next to Shika and ced her right hand on Shika¡¯s shoulder. This sealed Shika¡¯s movements!

    Then, Yui lifted her left hand and pointed at Izawa and the others who were running over. She also sealed all of their movements!

    Seiji took a sip of the ck spiritual wine.

    It was rather cool and slippery. The taste was like a bitter red wine.

    Seiji swallowed this mouthful and immediately felt a subtle chill spreading throughout his entire body.

    He started drinking more of the wine, causing his body to be chillier and chillier. Yet, he also felt a faint heat starting to move within his body, giving his body an indescribable subtle sensation.

    Then, he suddenly passed a certain boundary and Seiji heard something like an explosion as he sunk into an unknown world¡­

    Pain.

    A lot of pain.

    An incredible amount of pain.

    Tremendous, countless, endless, existing, shing, intersecting, ovepping,bining¡­

    Seiji was within this, being hit, smashed, thrown around, torn,bined¡­

    He felt an incredible amount of pain, pain that no human would be able to withstand, over and over again, countless times, repeated endlessly¡­

    Seiji resisted, struggled, raged, copsed, went berserk, cursed, and hated¡­ but everything was returned to silence.

    This was a pitiful state that no living human would be able to imagine. Not a single existing word would be sufficient to describe this state.

    Everything was meaningless. The entire world was the void. So-called beauty was nothing more than a minor impurity. Only death and silence were eternal.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­No.

    Even though he was in incredible pain and such a pitiful state, he would still deny any attempts to reject everything.

    Although he was quite an insignificant and tiny existence, he still existed.

    Just like the only visible speck of starlight in a dark, long night.

    He would wake up again.

 Chapter 681 - You seemed just like a god

    <h4>Chapter 681: You seemed just like a god</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    What felt like an eternity finally passed.

    Seiji¡¯s petrified body began to crack open; as the dark and icy outer shell slowly fell off, something heavy, deep, and serene gradually disappeared, only to be reced by light which slowly expanded, along with the bright and warm world¡­

    Seiji slowly opened his eyes.

    His body hurt¡­ his head hurt¡­ he felt heavy all over¡­ this light was so blinding¡­

    ¡®Where am I? What¡¯s happened to me?¡¯

    ¡°Brother!¡± Seiji heard Shika¡¯s voice next to him.

    Seiji did his best to see what was around him and then saw his adopted younger sister¡¯s face.

    ¡°Shi¡­ ka¡­¡±

    ¡°Brother¡­ wonderful, you¡¯ve finally woken up¡­¡± She showed off a delighted expression yet tears were also dripping down her eyes.

    Finally?

    ¡®Have I been sleeping for that long?¡¯

    Seiji wanted to ask out loud, but found it difficult to speak right now.

    He was in such a terrible condition¡­ just why was his body in such a state?

    He recalled his final memory¡ªhe had just drunk the modified Bloodwine.

    For the time being, he couldn¡¯t recall what happened after that.

    A whileter, when his body¡¯s condition improved, Seiji finally recalled what happened.

    After he drank the spiritual wine, he followed Yui¡¯s spellcasting instructions and sessfully revived some of the tournament participants!

    He copsed right after that.

    His memories were extremely hazy.

    Seiji faintly recalled that he had used the save and load function during this process. However, he waspletely unable to recall how often he had loaded, or how many times he had to try before he finally seeded.

    It was the same for the spellcasting process. He was unable to recall anything specific at all. Only a few hazy scenes remained in his mind.

    What Seiji had a deeper impression of was that he had apparently seen all the souls of the dead during the revival process. He had seen their life memories and felt their way of thinking. Seiji had used this to judge whether or not to revive them.

    His power was limited. Seiji abandoned trying to revive those with terrible past deeds or wicked personalities. He did his best to save those he felt were worthy of saving.

    Still, that was all he could recall. He could no longer remember the specifics about each dead individual. It was as if this was an anime that he had watched when he was young. He only remembered the overall storyline, and rather vaguely at that.

    As Seiji rested, he learned from Shika, as well as Kanna and Izawa who came to visit him, that his appearance at the time was rather majestic.

    ¡°Seiji, you seemed just like a god,¡± Kanna eximed. ¡°You were floating in midair and had your hands wide open. ck, white, and silver halos were circling all around your body. Three identically coloredplex andrge spell formations were in the air above your head. This gave you an incredible aura.¡±

    Kanna Fujihara even made various hand gestures as she told this story to add to the impact.

    ¡°Those three spell formations glowed so bright that they illuminated everything. You sounded like you were singing a holy song as you uttered your incantation. It also sounded like many people were talking at once¡­ and every time you moved your hand, the ground¡­ no, the entire area would tremble!

    ¡°Honestly, I was so shocked at the time, feeling like you had already surpassed humanity to be a godlike existence. I almost wanted to kneel to you.¡±

    ¡°Master indeed ended up kneeling because she was so shocked that her legs became unsteady.¡± Izawa unhesitatingly revealed this.

    ¡°Ryuuno!¡±

    Kanna became angered as she smacked her overly talkative Spirit-branded Retainer.

    ¡®It would seem that I got to look really cool¡­ it¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t remember.¡¯ Seiji could only sigh.

    Kanna and Izawa had been shocked and awed. Shika felt more worry than shock or awe.

    Her adopted older brother had been asleep for more than ten days. She had stayed in his hospital room for almost all this time.

    More urately, it was for thirteen and a half days.

    Many people came to visit Seiji while he was sleeping on a hospital bed for these two weeks.

    Natsuya, the members of Seiji¡¯s knight order group, Editor Yoshizawa, and the Miyamoto Sisters all came to visit him. Seiji¡¯s ssmates such as Koji Hoshihara also came to visit. Not only that, some tournament participants that had died but were revived also came to visit, such as Nobuhiko Kurosaki and Masao Yanagi.

    They knew that Seiji had revived them from the state of death. They hade to visit out of gratitude, and left behind a plethora of gifts.

    Some gave checks that Seiji could cash. Some gave spiritual weapons. Some gave medicine and other supplements. Some gave expensive gifts¡­ and all of them left their phone numbers, indicating that Seiji could contact them at any time that he needed help.

    Seiji was quite happy to receive their gratitude. Still, Kanna pointed out to him that these people were trying to suck up to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re the person who revived them! No matter how you did it, it means for certain that you¡¯re someone highly worth their time to get close to. Even an idiot would know to keep in contact with you.¡±

    That sounded quite logical.

    Seiji had expended a great deal of the spiritual wine in reviving the dead. However, he still managed to increase significantly in strength thanks to the Bloodwine¡¯s effects.

    First of all, his Spiritual Power stat massively increased. It was now over 1200. His Spiritual Power stat had been less than 400 before the tournament!

    ording to the hospital¡¯s precise measurements, Seiji was now a lower rank level 7 Spiritual Ability user.

    Level 7 Spiritual Ability users were already considered among the highest rank of Spiritual Ability users in Sakura Ind. They would all be the veterans of each faction! They would either be the bosses or high-ranked in each faction.

    Basically, just Seiji¡¯s Spiritual Power alone now ssified him as a high-ranked powerful individual.

    Although Spiritual Power wasn¡¯t the same asbat strength, just the aura he could now release would be more than enough to intimidate lower-level Spiritual Ability users.

    Seiji also gained new abilities¡­

    [Soul World¡ªResurrection].

    Just this ability¡¯s name alone made it evident that it was a [Soul World] ability which could revive the dead.

    There were three prerequisites for using this ability. First, the target must have a connectivity rating of over 70 to him. Second, the dead individual must have died less than one hour ago. Third, Seiji must physically touch the body of the person he wanted to revive. The body also needed to be in rtively undamaged condition, especially the head.

    This ability would consume Seiji¡¯s Mana, mental spirit, and more than 100 points of Soul Energy. How much Soul Energy was consumed would depend on the circumstances.

    Revival from the dead! This was doubtlessly a powerful ability, although it was also one that Seiji would prefer not to use if it wasn¡¯t necessary.

    [Soul World¡ªTemporary Recharge].

    This was an ability that could transform Seiji¡¯s Mana into Soul Energy. This ability would consume Seiji¡¯s mental spirit as well as 100% of his current Mana. He would then obtain a corresponding amount of Soul Energy. However, this Soul Energy could only be used for the next three minutes. It would then disappear.

    Basically, using this ability would make Seiji¡¯s Mana reserves instantly go to zero. He would have to use the Soul Energy obtained within the next three minutes. Otherwise, the energy would be wasted. Just as the ability¡¯s name suggested, it was only a temporary recharge.

    Seiji currently possessed a total of 287 Soul Energy.

    Before the tournament, Seiji had used [Extradimensional Locator Spell] a total of three times, putting his total Soul Energy at less than 10. Now, not only did he get recharged, his new maximum Soul Energy reserve had increased from 100 to 287.

    His 287 Soul Energy could be stored and saved, just like depositing an item into his warehouse. The Soul Energy obtained through [Temporary Recharge] was like a time-limited loan.

    Now that he had [Temporary Recharge], Seiji wanted to try out his first ever obtained Soul World ability, [Howling Gale sh]!

    [Howling Gale sh] required 100 Soul Energy to use. Seiji had only obtained 100 Soul Energy at the very beginning. Ever since he used [Extradimensional Locator Spell] to find Mika for the first time, he no longer had enough Soul Energy to use this legendary sword technique.

    Now, he had [Temporary Recharge], so he was no longer as worried about using up his Soul Energy to experiment. Seiji wanted to see just how powerful this technique would be.

    ¡®I bet it¡¯s really strong¡­¡¯ Seiji looked forward to trying it out. Still, he would have to wait until he had recovered enough to leave the hospital.

    Mika, Chiaki, Reo, Kaede, Nozomi, Natsuya, Hitaka, Rana, Mai¡­ these girls that had all worried about him learned that he had finally woken up. They all arrived simultaneously, causing Seiji¡¯s hospital room to be ridiculously filled with beautiful women.

    Kanna was astonished at this horde of girls. Izawamented, ¡°As expected of Haruta-kun.¡±

    ¡°Seiji, are you actually the male lead of a harem story?¡±

    ¡°¡­Objectively speaking, I think I might be.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean just ¡®might be¡¯!¡± the Fujihara Family daughter retorted vigorously. ¡°Everyone that came to see you is a beautiful girl. There¡¯s not a single man among them. This is a ssical harem!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man,¡± Izawa interrupted.

    ¡°Shut up. You don¡¯t count.¡±

    Izawa was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 682 - Youre willing to do... anything?

    <h4>Chapter 682: You¡¯re willing to do¡­ anything?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kanna and Izawa left after leaving behind thement ¡°We won¡¯t be interrupting your enjoyment of your harem.¡±

    Natsuya and the others also confirmed that he was alright. They soon left him alone so that he could properly rest.

    Seijiy back down on his best, closed his eyes, and rested.

    Not longter, he suddenly felt someone softly holding his hand.

    Seiji opened his eyes slightly to see that Shika was holding his hand. Tears were silently dripping down her face.

    ¡°Brother¡­ is such a big idiot¡­¡± Crystal-clear teardrops slid down her cheeks.

    Seiji felt a strong sense of guilt at seeing his adopted younger sister like this.

    Although he already apologized to her when he woke up, it still wasn¡¯t enough to make up for how long she worried no matter how many times he apologized.

    He was able to save some people as well as greatly strengthen himself. This was basically the perfect oue. However, he harmed Shika in the process.

    No¡­ not only Shika, he also harmed Natsuya, Mika, Chiaki, and the others¡­

    It was so terrible of him to have so many people worry about him for so long!

    Seiji impulsively wanted to load back to the decision point regarding the Bloodwine.

    He shouldn¡¯t have thought too much into things, he shouldn¡¯t have cared about the fate of those who died, he should have just obediently chosen the first option¡­

    After those thoughts shed through his mind, Seiji suddenly had an epiphany and forced down those thoughts.

    This result was only obtained after so much hard work. He shouldn¡¯t reject it so easily. Since he harmed the girls who cared about them, he should make it up to them, rather than taking the easy way out by loading.

    Aftering to this realization, Seiji squeezed Shika¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Shika-chan¡­¡±

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s insufficient no matter how much I apologize for making you worry so much. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t say so many apologies.¡± Seiji took a deep look into her eyes. ¡°I shall do my very best to make things up to you¡­ I¡¯m willing to do anything so that you can forgive me.¡±

    Shika blinked as she received his heartfelt intentions.

    ¡°You¡¯re willing to do¡­ anything, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, anything.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°Then, I want Brother to sleep together with me.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Why did she make such a request? This was just like cheating!

    His expression flickered as he didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    Shika kept looking directly at him. Tear streaks remained on her face.

    Seeing how calm she looked, Seiji felt that he had misinterpreted the phrase ¡°sleep together.¡± He shouldn¡¯t have reacted so much to it.

    He figured that Shika simply wanted some intimate contact in order to feel reassured. That was all there was to it.

    ¡°Shika-chan¡­ are you certain that¡¯s what you want?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s sleep together for a little¡­ or perhaps after I¡¯m out of the hospital¡­¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t even get to finish his sentence when Shika climbed into his hospital bed,y by his side, and gently hugged him.

    ¡°Does this hurt, Brother?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    A soft touch, wonderful fragrance, and such a pure and beautiful face right before his eyes¡­ Seiji recalled that he had experienced this before. Was it on the day that he bought the kotatsu? He and Shika had fallen asleep together by the kotatsu¡¯s side.

    It would seem that his adopted younger sister wanted to reenact what she felt at that time. That was probably why she made such a request.

    He really shouldn¡¯t think too much into it. It was quite normal for brother and sister with a good rtionship to sleep together!

    ¡­Seiji decided to pretend that thest part was true.

    He did his very best to restrain any fantasies from going wild. Seiji adjusted his head¡¯s position and closed his eyes.

    Shika kept hugging her adopted older brother and watched him for a long while before she slowly closed her eyes as well.

    She slept incredibly well.

    The next morning, Natsuya arrived and saw to her surprise that Seiji had already gotten out of his hospital bed! He was performing simple exercises!

    ¡°Good morning, Natsuya.¡± Seiji smiled and greeted her.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ Are you alright, Seiji?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I don¡¯t hurt anywhere at all now.¡±

    After aplete inspection, it was determined that Seiji¡¯s body and soul were now in perfectly healthy condition.

    It was unknown why Seiji was in such pain right after he woke up yesterday. But when he woke up today, he wasn¡¯t in any more pain at all.

    Seiji felt that he didn¡¯t have any issues left at all apart from some mild difort from havingin in bed for too long.

    Still, it was evident that he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the hospital just like this. He would at least have to rest for some time.

    Natsuya¡¯s eyes began to gradually moisten as she watched him moving around.

    ¡®It¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re alright.¡¯

    After learning that he had copsed and remained unconscious, her heart had ached, she cried, had nightmares, med herself, became depressed¡­ it felt like her entire world had dimmed.

    Finally, she forced herself to be more spirited, believing that he would return, telling herself to remain strong.

    Although she resolved herself that she would stay by his side no matter how long she had to wait, there was still a deep anxiety within her, as if she was standing on a frozen pond but not knowing when the ice would crack, sending her plunging into a frozen darkness.

    Luckily, he didn¡¯t make her wait for too long.

    After Seiji finished his exercises, he turned around to see that Natsuya was looking at him with tears brimming in her eyes.

    ¡°Natsuya¡­¡± Seiji walked over and hugged her.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡± Natsuya also hugged him back, feeling his warmth. She closed her eyes and allowed her tears to flow.

    The two of them silently hugged each other without saying anything. They transmitted their feelings nonverbally.

    It was quite a while before they separated from each other.

    Seiji helped to wipe Natsuya¡¯s tears. He also took the chance to peck her on the cheek.

    Natsuya instantly started blushing as she revealed a moving smile.

    What the Yoruhana Family wanted from the tournament was an additional prize given to the tournament winner. This prize was called the Mirror of Mawataru. Shika had already given this mirror to Natsuya, who then gave it to her older brother Aoran.

    ording to Seiji¡¯s agreement with the Yoruhana Family, if he won the tournament and gave this prize to the Yoruhana Family, the Yoruhana Family would then allow him to be together with Natsuya and wouldn¡¯t interfere with their rtionship anymore.

    Natsuya hadn¡¯t been in any mood to formally discuss the issue of the Mirror of Mawataru with Aoran while Seiji was still unconscious. But now that he was awake, it was time to discuss this issue. The Yoruhana Family had promised to give Seiji something of equivalent value for the mirror rather than epting it for free.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should ask for¡­ I¡¯ll leave it up to you to decide. It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s a fair deal.¡± Seiji left everything up to Natsuya.

    Natsuya was also taking care of all the valuable presents that the revived tournament participants had given to Seiji. The student council president was truly happy that her boyfriend trusted her so much.

    Seiji was now quite famous in Sakura Ind¡¯s Spiritual Ability user society.

    The incident at the tournament two weeks ago had been ratherrge. Not only did some of the tournament participants end up dying, almost all of the Kurosaki Family¡¯s privatebat squadron was killed at the ind! There were also numerous injuries and even deaths among the tournament spectators. The situation was so serious that even the strongest ace at the scene, the Cloudwave naval ship, had almost been sunk there!

    Fortunately, the Cloudwave ship had been able to escape quickly enough and summon reinforcements. Otherwise, the tournament hosts would have dealt with the tremendous headache of how to cover up from normal society the loss of an entire warship.

    Such a major incident resulting in so much damage had happened at the tournament. It was impossible for the tournament victors Seiji and Shika not to be famous. Plus, Seiji even revived a portion of the tournament participants from death at the end. He became even more famous because of this.

    Seiji Haruta¡¯s reputation went from ¡°garbage¡± to ¡°glorious victor.¡± His life story sounded like a legend!

    As for Yui¡­ when she left, she had requested Shika and the others present there to keep her involvement in this whole affair a secret.

    When Yui had appeared, the tournament already formally concluded. If her presence really needed exining, she counted as helping to save the survivors rather than interfering with the tournament.

    Shika and the others all agreed to this request from the person who helped to save them.

    Seiji felt that most of the credit for reviving a portion of the tournament participants deserved to belong to his older sister, the Qilin Girl. After all, his own and everyone else¡¯s safety would have been a problem if she hadn¡¯t appeared. Not to mention, he wouldn¡¯t have known how to revive the dead.

    She arrived right in the nick of time to save everyone and left just like that afterwards. She didn¡¯t want any payment or reputation¡­ wasn¡¯t that a ssical example of a hero?

    ¡®That¡¯s pretty cool, Sister.¡¯

 Chapter 683 - Its so wonderful to have a girlfriend!

    <h4>Chapter 683: It¡¯s so wonderful to have a girlfriend!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    When Natsuya mentioned Seiji¡¯s newfound fame from having revived the dead, he almost wanted to tell her about Yui¡¯s involvement, but he resisted the urge.

    Since his cool older sister requested to keep her secret, he would keep it for her.

    Even if he didn¡¯t want to gain reputation that he didn¡¯t deserve with his power level, he would have to ept it. Still, there was one person he probably didn¡¯t need to hide the truth from¡ªhis younger sister Hana.

    Did Hana know about Yui¡¯s actions? And if Hana did, how much did she know?

    ¡®Let¡¯s contact herter and have a discussion,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Shika silently observed him and Natsuya for a while before standing up.

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going out shopping for some groceries.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Seiji was surprised by this.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in thirty minutes.¡±

    She then walked out of his hospital room right after saying this.

    Going out to buy groceries?

    Seiji¡¯s mind was filled with question marks as he watched his adopted younger sister leaving.

    This was a high-ss hospital that provided equally high-ss meals. There was no need for him or Shika to do any cooking. Kaede was currently babysitting Reo back at Seiji¡¯s apartment. There was no need for Shika to go shopping for their sake, was there?

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡± A seductive voice soon sounded next to him.

    Seiji turned around to see that Natsuya was looking at him expectantly. He instantly understood what was going on.

    ¡°I¡¯m going out to buy groceries¡± was the same terrible excuse that he had once used! At the time, he had wanted to spend some time alone with Mika. He¡¯d never expected that Shika would remember and use it here.

    She was going to give Natsuya and him thirty minutes of time alone.

    Seiji reached out his hand to his girlfriend that was acting so flirtatiously.

    Natsuya blushed as she leaped into his arms. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips.

    Seiji kissed her directly and enjoyed the sensation of the seductive girl¡¯s sweetness. He immersed himself in her taste.

    ¡°En¡­ ah¡­ en¡­¡±

    Natsuya first epted, then responded, and gradually began to want more.

    She felt her body bing so soft as if it was about to melt. Yet, her desire became even stronger as she became absorbed in this wondrously sweet and numb sensation, unable to let go¡­

    Not enough, not enough, this wasn¡¯t enough at all¡­

    She hadn¡¯t had any taste of Seiji for so long now.

    Seiji was almost overwhelmed by Natsuya¡¯s desire.

    When he felt her challenge, he passionately responded, hugging her tightly, gently stroking her back and silky hair.

    ¡°Ennn¡­ ahnn¡­ yahh¡­¡±

    Natsuya felt even morefortable from this as her consciousness gradually floated upwards and upwards. Finally, she surpassed a certain limit and reached the peak of pleasure!

    She uttered extremely seductive sounds as she trembled in her boyfriend¡¯s embrace, enjoying a blissful feeling.

    ¡®Amazing.¡¯

    Seiji could tell that his girlfriend had just cl*maxed from kissing alone. He could only exim about how ridiculously sexy she was. It was quite difficult for him to restrain himself as a man.

    Perhaps he should take out his lower body part and directly start¡­

    ¡®No, no, stop! No more thinking along these lines, hurry and stop!!¡¯

    Just imagining things made Seiji¡¯s lower body part begin to harden and swell up to an ufortable degree.

    Natsuya sensed this.

    She slowly moved over and touched that body part.

    ¡°Er¡­¡± Seiji felt rather embarrassed about this.

    ¡°Does this part feel ufortable?¡± Natsuya rubbed his member gently and asked.

    ¡°¡­A little¡­¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s feeling a lot more ufortable because you¡¯re touching it!¡¯ Seiji was unable to say this part out loud.

    Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes as her face flushedpletely red.

    ¡°How about I¡­ help you with my hands?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ I¡¯ll use my hands to¡­ help you release¡­ that¡­¡±

    The seductive scion¡¯s face reddened to an extreme as she gave off an aura of embarrassment.

    Seiji pondered it over for a second before he realized what she was referring to. He instantly felt blood rushing to his brain as his face heated up!

    What should he say at such a time?

    Refuse¡­? It was impossible to refuse!

    Plus, there was no reason to refuse¡­ right?

    No matter what, Seiji was unable to restrain his desire anymore! If he still forcefully suppressed his desire, he felt like he would explode!!

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Seiji responded passionately.

    In the end, Seiji achieved climax twice.

    Natsuya was highly unskilled at servicing his member. However, she tried her very best to service him. Not only did she use her hands as promised, she even used her mouth. Also, she swallowed just about everything that he ended up releasing.

    Seiji etched the entire process into his mind. He felt like he would remember this for the rest of his life.

    It was wonderful to have a girlfriend!

    It was wonderful to have such a beautiful and seductive girlfriend!!

    It was the best thing ever to have such a beautiful, seductive girlfriend who was willing to try her best to service him!!!

    Seiji really wanted to shout this out loud to the entire world from his hospital room window.

    Actually, it was already a wonderful feeling that he got to climax once. But after that, Natsuya noticed that his member didn¡¯t seem to be softening at all, so she volunteered to help him a second time.

    To be honest, he still hadn¡¯t softened even after climaxing a second time. However, time was almost up, and Shika would be returning soon. They could only end things there.

    Both Seiji and Natsuya still had red faces even after they finished cleaning up.

    ¡°Natsuya¡­¡±

    ¡°Y¡­ yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ felt really good just now¡­ Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®What am I saying!!!¡¯ Seiji really wanted to beat himself up!

    He had wanted to express his feelings. Yet, his words came out without any thought behind them. They sounded rather strange to him.

    Natsuya saw how awkward he was evidently feeling. Although she was feeling awkward as well, she really wanted tough¡ªand so she did.

    ¡°Heehee¡­ you don¡¯t really need to feel so awkward,¡± she said in a cute voice. ¡°I¡¯m your girlfriend. And, my family has formally recognized our rtionship now.¡±

    ¡°Although that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. He still didn¡¯t know how he should express himself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do even more for you in the future.¡± Natsuya¡¯s eyes were watery as she spoke softly. ¡°As long as you want it, anything is fine with me¡­¡±

    She imagined certain scenes that caused her face to be even redder.

    ¡®What am I saying!!!¡¯ Natsuya really wanted to roll around on the floor right now!

    Although this was truly what she thought, it was far too embarrassing to have said it out loud! ¡°Anything is fine with me?¡± Didn¡¯t that make her sound like a girl who was too easy!?

    ¡°I should be the one saying that.¡± Seiji finally found what he wanted to say. ¡°I made you worry for so long. I need to make things up to you. Anything that you want is fine with me.¡±

    Natsuya felt his sincerity as she looked into his eyes.

    At this moment, she suddenly felt like all the torture her emotions had been through while he was unconscious had been worth it.

    ¡°Idiot¡­¡± Her eyes moistened again. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be making things up to you¡­ You wouldn¡¯t have needed to fight in this tournament at all if it wasn¡¯t because of me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how things are.¡± Seiji clutched her hand. ¡°I was willing to fight for your sake. I could have returned long ago, but I ended up taking so long because of somethingpletely unrted to you. This caused you to feel pain and worry about me¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong at all.¡±

    Tears swarmed out of Natsuya¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Idiot¡­ idiot¡­ Seiji¡­ you¡¯re such an idiot¡­¡±

    Natsuya felt her heart filled with warmth. Although she didn¡¯t want to cry, she was unable to stop her tears.

    Seiji brought her into his arms once again as he gently hugged her.

    Natsuya cried for a while before she calmed down.

    The two of them then silently hugged each other, all the way until Shika returned.

    ¡°¡­Do I need to go out for another round of grocery shopping?¡±

    Shika calmly nced at the two of them after she entered Seiji¡¯s hospital room.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­ thank you, Kagura-chan.¡±

    ¡°No need to be so polite, Yoruhana nee-san.¡±

    Seiji blinked at how calm and peaceful their conversation seemed to be while also hiding something underneath.

    Had something happened between Natsuya and Shika in the two weeks that he was unconscious?

 Chapter 684 - Have you finally transmigrated back?

    <h4>Chapter 684: Have you finally transmigrated back?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji wanted to ask, but he felt that it would be best not to directly ask¡ªat least for the time being.

    After Natsuya left, Seiji went online with his cell phone and contacted Hana.

    ¡°Have you finally transmigrated back?¡± This was Hana¡¯s first greeting to him.

    ¡°Yeah, I finally returned after defeating the ruler of death. It was so much hard work,¡± Seiji responded while adding on an injured emoticon.

    ¡°Just a mere ruler of death took you so much time? How weak.¡± Hana sent an emoticon of condescension.

    ¡°That was no ordinary ruler of death. He had countless powerful individuals from various species and many fanatics protecting him. He was the most venerated of all rulers of death!¡± Seiji pretended to be all serious. ¡°Just dealing with his insanely loyal subordinates was so troublesome. And, the ruler of death himself not only possessed supreme power, he also had countless treasures and was so sly and cautious. It was so difficult to win.¡±

    He then sent an emoticon of an evilly chuckling demon king. ¡°Fortunately, I was able to obtain the assistance of the blood elves, allowing me to release my true power as the hero from another world! I overcame all the trials and fought in singlebat against the Death God known as the Bone God. The fight took three full days and nights before I finally defeated him.¡± Seiji then sent an emoticon of a hero holding a sword in victory.

    Hana responded with a yawning emoticon.

    Seiji responded with a brightly smiling emoticon.

    Hana responded with an icy emoticon.

    ¡°How has our older sister been recently?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°¡­Why are you asking?¡±

    ¡°I just met her right before my transmigration. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Hana responded after remaining silent for a moment.

    ¡°I see¡­ then let¡¯s talk about it after I leave the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Several secondster, Hana sent him an emoticon of wee back.

    Seiji smiled upon seeing this. He sent an emoticon of I¡¯ve returned.

    Mika visited Seiji¡¯s hospital room, only to see that he was currently reading some manga.

    She was delighted to learn that he had made a full recovery. They naturally started talking about the manga he was reading.

    After chatting for a while, Mika mentioned Kaho.

    ¡°Kaho¡¯s be incredibly beautiful.¡± Mika showed Seiji a picture of the recent Kaho on her cell phone.

    In this picture, a beautifulrge-breasted girl was wearing her school uniform while looking at the camera. She was smiling faintly.

    Just as Seiji expected, Kaho Miyamoto¡¯s physical appearance had foundationally changed after shepletely slimmed down. Her amazinglyrge breasts now became far more noticeable. She became a beautiful girl that would attract anyone¡¯s attention.

    She was just as beautiful as her older sister Karen¡­ no, even more beautiful!

    The two sisters had simr appearances but different hairstyles. Although they would appear simr, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a difference in their beauty levels. However, even though Seiji was only looking at Kaho¡¯s picture, he could feel that the current Kaho was more charismatic than Karen¡­ or, more urately, more alluring.

    ¡°Do you feel like her entire aura has changed?¡± Mika asked him.

    Seiji nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯ll feel it even more if you see her in person. Although I don¡¯t want to say this, both Chiaki and I feel that¡­¡± Mika paused for a moment. ¡°Not only has Kaho be more beautiful, she¡¯s also be more ¡®demonic.''¡±

    Demonic.

    Mika especially emphasized this word. Here, she was hinting that Kaho¡¯s beauty had something unnatural behind it¡­

    She was as beautiful as a devil!

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything in particr. However, she¡¯s giving off such an alluring aura. Not only is she attracting boys, she¡¯s even attracting the girls,¡± Mika continued telling Seiji. ¡°Both Chiaki and I feel that something¡¯s wrong¡­ but when I asked her, she said that nothing¡¯s going on at all.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll talk with her about thister,¡± Seiji stated.

    If the demon energy from previously had caused Kaho to be abnormal, then it should be dealt with as quickly as possible.

    Seiji and Mika then returned to discussing more rxing topics.

    As the atmosphere became more passionate, Shika went out to ¡°buy groceries¡± once again.

    Seiji got to have some intimate time alone with Mika.

    The twintailed girl was just as passionate as the seductive scion. However, Mika wasn¡¯t as proactive as the student council president.

    ¡®If I ask her to, Mika would probably be willing to¡­¡¯ Such a thought shed through Seiji¡¯s mind, but he immediately restrained himself.

    He had already satisfied his desire once already. He shouldn¡¯t get lost in his desire!

    Seiji fixed his attitude and used a rtively pure mentality to dote on the girlfriend in his arms.

    ¡°She actually didn¡¯t do anything other than kissing? Mika is just too shy. This was clearly an excellent chance for her to progress the rtionship.¡±

    When Chiaki arrived to visit Seiji, she immediately sighed as shemented on her best friend¡¯s behavior. ¡°Even if she didn¡¯t go for home te, she should have at least done it for you with her mouth. Otherwise, she probably won¡¯t be able to catch up to President Yoruhana.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Judging from your expression, could it be that President Yoruhana has already done it with you?¡± Chiaki noticed the change in his expression, causing her to widen her eyes.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°It would seem that you¡¯ve really done it with her. Was it home te or did she just use her mouth? How did it feel?¡± Chiaki revealed a knowing expression.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t only show me such a speechless expression, tell me~~ No matter how you did it with such an excellent girl like the student council president, it probably felt really good, didn¡¯t it?¡± Chiaki chuckled devilishly.

    ¡°Tell you, the hell!¡± Seijimented forcefully. ¡°Are you supposed to be my perverted male best friend or a girlfriend in my harem!?¡±

    ¡°Both! I¡¯m both your best friend and your girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll be eptable just because you¡¯vebined them!¡±

    ¡°Then call me your male girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing!¡±

    ¡°What about male-female duofriend?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you!¡±

    Every time he talked to her, the conversation would always end up like this.

    As hemented, Seiji concretely felt that this was indeed how Chiaki Wakaba was.

    Shika had imperceptibly left the room during their conversation.

    Seiji reached out and pulled Chiaki into his arms.

    ¡°You can¡¯t wait anymore?¡±

    ¡°I only want to gag your mouth.¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t say anything else as he directly kissed her.

    ¡°En¡­¡±

    The tomboy epted his kiss as her body soon softened.

    Seiji deeply felt as he tasted her sweetness and hugged her soft body; no matter how much Chiaki acted and dressed like a boy, she was still a girl¡ªa beautiful, seductive, and moving girl!

    After the first round of passionate kissing ended, Chiaki¡¯s eyes were seductive and watery.

    Her hand moved to Seiji¡¯s pants¡­

    ¡°What would you like to order off the menu today?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already done it with the president, so why are you still pretending to be so pure? You really want it, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Seiji was unable to counter this.

    ¡°The student council president is still a scion from a major family. I doubt that she went all the way to home base with you. She probably just did it for you with her mouth,¡± Chiaki spoke in a cute cat-like voice. ¡°And, Mika¡¯s overly shy, so even if she wants to do it with you, she probably can¡¯t work up the courage.

    ¡°But, I¡¯m different.

    ¡°I can do anything for you. I can use my mouth, or my breasts, or my feet, or even home te, or even my rear¡­ as long as you say it.

    ¡°Hey, Seiji¡­ tell me¡­ your desire as a man¡­¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll ept anything you want.¡¯ Chiaki expressed this with her eyes.

    Seiji understood exactly what she meant.

    His suppressed desire immediately exploded¡­ not.

    Still, it was bing quite dangerous for him. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had already spent intimate time together with Natsuya and Mika before this, he would have definitely been conquered here!

    Seiji kissed her once again.

    He gently, passionately, and deeply kissed her¡­ at the same time, he also reached towards Chiaki¡¯s crotch with one hand.

    ¡°Ahn¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s body trembled as he touched her.

    ¡°Indeed, I want to release my desires. But¡­ I want you to release them first.¡± Seiji gently bit her ear as he whispered to her.

    ¡°Wahn¡­¡± Chiaki tried to struggle, but was unable to escape his embrace.

    She epted his dominance, experiencing her own weakness, embarrassment, heart-pounding, and nervousness¡­ These wereplex feelings that also felt really good.

    Chiaki heard herself moaning as her consciousness became hazy and then floated towards a snow-white realm up above.

    ¡°Yah¡­¡±

 Chapter 685 - Meow Meow~

    <h4>Chapter 685: Meow Meow~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Chiaki became a lot more obedient after she climaxed.

    Seiji didn¡¯t do anything else to her after that. He simply hugged her quietly.

    A whileter, he asked her what happened recently in the past two weeks that he was unconscious. This was because he could tell that something seemed off about her even if she acted normal.

    ¡°Nothing much, the only noteworthy matter is about Kaho¡­¡±

    Seiji looked directly at her and indicated with his expression that he didn¡¯t believe this.

    ¡°A boy who pries too much into a girl¡¯s secrets will lower her opinion of him.¡± Chiaki averted her gaze.

    However, Seiji¡¯s dating sim system revealed to him that not only did Chiaki¡¯s favorability rating towards him not decrease, it even increased.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do you until you tell me if you won¡¯t say anything.¡± Seiji raised his hand again.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a bad boy¡­¡± Chiaki started blushing again.

    And so, Seiji ¡°yed¡± with her for a second time.

    ¡°You¡¯re so evil¡­ I¡¯m so wet¡­¡±

    ¡°Just take it off and I¡¯ll have the nurse bring you some new underwear.¡±

    ¡°You demon¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Seiji raised his tone.

    Chiaki retreated into a ball, as if she was a defenseless kitten.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to go through this as well. Hurry and tell me what¡¯s going on. Then take care of the rest at your home.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    The tomboy paused for a moment before she told him¡­

    Ever since a few days ago, she faintly felt like she was being spied on.

    In the ssroom, in the clubroom, on the road, and even in rooms with nobody else there at all¡­

    She couldn¡¯t find anyone suspicious, nor did she discover any hidden cameras. Mika, who was often with her, didn¡¯t notice anything at all. It was the same for everyone else, so Chiaki was wondering if she was being overly paranoid.

    ¡°The president¡­ ah, I¡¯m referring to the former drama club president, she wants me to be the next president of the drama club. The vice-president and all the other members also agreed. But, I refused¡­¡± Chiaki suddenly changed the topic and started talking about her club.

    The drama club ex-president Anya Saigenji was a high school senior who had already graduated earlier in the spring. Logically, the vice-president Shiina Shiho should be the one epting the president position. However, this legendary former president who singlehandedly revived the drama club believed that Chiaki Wakaba would be a better candidate.

    All the club members also agreed with the ex-president¡¯s chosen member. However, Chiaki herself believed that it was too much for her, so she refused. And so, Shiina Shiho became the new drama club president.

    Shiina was an excellent vice-president. However, she felt too pressured after bing the drama club president, and didn¡¯t do so well. This made her feel even greater pressure, creating a vicious cycle.

    The atmosphere in drama club became rather bad because of this. Chiaki felt that she was to me, and was frustrated because of this. She also wondered if her frustrations were causing her to be paranoid to the extent of hallucinating about being spied on. That was why she didn¡¯t want to tell Seiji¡­

    ¡®What typical problems of youth.¡¯ Seiji even wanted tough.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯tughing to make fun of Chiaki¡¯s troubles. He simply felt that Chiaki was really cute with her worries about her club.

    She always acted so casually, as if she wouldn¡¯t have any frustrations in life. But actually, she would still have her own troubles.

    She¡¯d probably never expected that the former club president Anya Saigenji would ask her to take on the role of drama club president.

    However, this was quite a reasonable choice. Although Seiji didn¡¯t know much about the drama club, just based on his first impression back when he went to visit, he felt like Chiaki was far more suitable to inherit the drama club president position from the legendary former presidentpared to the senpai Shiina Shiho.

    Without a doubt, Shiina Shiho was an excellent vice-president. However, her personality made it so that it would be difficult for her to be the best leader for an entire major club.

    As for Chiaki, as long as she remained foundationally the same but more serious, she would definitely be an excellent president. She would definitely help the drama club to continue flourishing until she graduated.

    That was probably what Anya Saigenji and the other drama club members believed as well.

    However, Chiaki herself never wanted to or even considered being the drama club president. Being casual and unrestrained was part of her very personality and charisma, but the same traits also restrained her. Although this position was quite suitable for her, she reflexively felt that it was unsuited for her and refused.

    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t even consider whether or not you¡¯d be suitable for president when you refused, didn¡¯t you?¡± Seiji asked her.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Chiaki agreed.

    ¡°The end result is that Shiho-senpai ended up taking a position that she¡¯spletely unsuited for, causing a bad atmosphere in the drama club. Everyone hasints about this, and you feel guilty¡­ you¡¯re really an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Wahh¡­¡± The tomboy twisted her body in embarrassment.

    ¡°It¡¯ll only make things worse now if you tell everyone that you regret things and want to be the president. So, why don¡¯t you put in some effort and help Shiho-senpai to be a good president?¡±

    ¡°But if I help out, that¡¯ll make Senpai feel even more awkward¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to get around. Just give ideas that other drama club members will carry out or tell her¡­ such as Hoshi.¡±

    ¡°Even if so, won¡¯t Senpai get angry if she finds out.¡±

    ¡°I doubt that Shiho-senpai is someone that small-minded. And if she really is, simply have an argument with her.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound so easy¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re that scared, I can take your ce and argue with her for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t really thinking about having me argue with her, are you?¡±

    ¡°You were the one who offered.¡± Chiaki hugged her boyfriend tightly.

    ¡°I was just saying it to say it. If I really did so, you¡¯d definitely regret not talking to her yourself.¡± Seiji patted her on the head.

    ¡°Meow meow~~¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act cute by pretending to be a cat.¡±

    ¡°Woof woof~~¡±

    ¡°Dogs are no good, either.¡±

    ¡°Brother~~¡±

    ¡°I have a blood-rted sister and an adopted younger sister. I don¡¯tck for sisters.¡±

    ¡°Senpai~¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the same age as me, and stop using your male acting voice!¡±

    Seiji instantly felt something ominous when he heard Chiaki calling him ¡°Senpai¡± in a male voice, as his cheeks twitched.

    ¡°I need to teach a good lesson to this mouth that likes to say things it shouldn¡¯t.¡± He stared at Chiaki.

    ¡°I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± Chiaki pretended to be frightened as she widened her eyes to look pitiful.

    ¡°Hmph, keep acting!¡±

    ¡°Have you practiced before?¡±

    Seiji ended up doing it with Chiaki as well. He couldn¡¯t help but ask because he felt that her movements were far more practiced than Natsuya¡¯s.

    ¡°Yes, with a banana¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°I¡¯ve researched the relevant information, and practiced all sorts of methods and positions¡­ I¡¯m better than the student council president, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed, if we¡¯re talking only about technique.¡±

    ¡°Which do you prefer? The inexperienced scion, or the well-practiced male girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°I already said that there¡¯s no such thing as a male girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve worked so hard¡­¡±

    ¡°I like both types.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s such a harem-like answer. You fail.¡±

    ¡°I am indeed a scumbag harem protagonist. You don¡¯t like it? Bite me~¡±

    ¡°Awoo!¡±

    ¡°You really bit me down there!¡±

    ¡°En¡­ ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop biting, there¡¯s not much time left, Shika-chan will be back soon!¡±

    ¡°Shu¡­ Joo¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ like your type more, alright? Hurry and stop¡­¡±

    ¡°Wuu¡­ Lah¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop¡­ no¡­¡±

    When the bell to his hospital room rung, Seiji just happened to climax for another time today.

    Chiaki was quite satisfied and even told him ¡°Thanks for the treat.¡±

    ¡®Honestly.¡¯ Seiji red at her.

    Only after they cleaned up did Seiji finally open the door to allow Shika to enter.

    ¡°As for your feeling of being spied on,¡± Seiji did his best to put on a serious expression. ¡°It might be your mistaken impression, or perhaps there really is some person or something magical that¡¯s gotten involved with you. Let Mika know and have her stay together with you as much as possible. If you feel that anything¡¯s wrong at all, let us know immediately. Have Mika be on guard and contact me as soon as possible.¡±

    Chiaki nodded.

    She felt incredibly safe to have such a reliable boyfriend worrying about her.

    She really wanted to act spoiled for a while longer, but the adopted sister guardian standing next to him wouldn¡¯t allow that¡­ well, she had plenty of opportunities in the future.

    The tomboy smiled seductively and blissfully.

 Chapter 686 - 001

    <h4>Chapter 686: 001</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This wasn¡¯t the end. This was only the beginning.

    This was a rather clich¨¦ phrase that could actually be used in a surprising number of situations.

    Perhaps a better phrase would be ¡°An end is only a new beginning.¡±

    Seiji was feeling like so right now. Even though he clearly just finished a major battle, he discovered after he woke up that bad sprouts were everywhere, as if any one of them could be ignited at any moment.

    Apart from the issues with Kaho and Chiaki, Hoshi also mentioned that he had seriously thought things over and still wanted to help Lilith. He wished to fight for this mysterious elf girl.

    There was also something up with Reo now. Kaede mentioned that something seemed off about Reo recently, so Seiji had a serious conversation with Reo. The result was he learned that ever since twelve days ago, starting from the night right after the tournament, she started hearing strange sounds in her dreams. These sounds were like sighing, screaming, angry roaring, or many people talking at once¡­

    Seiji also asked Mayuzumi about this. She said that she indeed had a simr dream on the night right after the tournament, but she only had this dream once.

    Seiji informed Mayuzumi about the incident surrounding Risa Kobayakawa, the third and final person affected by their Story of One Hundred Demons incident which gave Mayuzumi, Risa, and Reo mysterious powers. He asked Mayuzumi to contact him immediately if anything felt off.

    Kazuko woke up and indicated that her condition had returned to normal. But now, when she opened her Domain, there was one time that she faintly felt a simr existence¡ªanother ¡°door opener¡± like her rather than a ¡°homeowner¡± like Lilith.

    Hisashi reported that the illegal ¡°Paradise¡± drug was lowering its price and increasing in production. It seemed likely that the Messengers were intending to begin mass-producing this drug.

    Anna detected a powerful hacker on the inte¡­ or perhaps it was a simr existence to her that was bing active.

    Yukari mentioned that she received a beautiful picture from an unfamiliar email address. The picture was of a spider woman which gave Yukari an indescribable feeling. However, when Yukari regained her senses, the picture had automatically deleted itself.

    Yukari then kept randomly thinking about this spider woman drawing and getting lost in her daydreams because of it. Although this wasn¡¯t a major problem yet, she had an ominous premonition.

    Even Miyabi Ishihara mentioned a simr experience: she received a story draft from an unfamiliar email address and opened it to read it out of curiosity. It made her feel rather ufortable, and then the story draft deleted itself. Even though she didn¡¯t want to recall it, she couldn¡¯t restrain herself from thinking about it.

    Seiji stood on a quiet grassy in while looking at the scenery in the distance and enjoying the wide and beautiful sky.

    Suddenly, mes erupted at one, two, four, then eight locations¡­ Soon, his entire field of vision was filled with mes! They all started burning at once and everything was turned to ash.

    Seiji opened his eyes.

    He discovered that he was sleeping on his hospital bed. Shika was sleeping next to him.

    That was only a dream.

    However, it reflected what he was feeling right now.

    Seiji could only sigh. He then wanted to get up and drink some water.

    He carefully got out of bed so as not to awaken his adopted younger sister. Only then did he suddenly notice that someone else was in his room!

    A girl who wore a ck jacket was sitting quietly on the sofa.

    ¡°Sister¡­ Yui?¡± Seiji blinked in surprise and called out to her in a soft voice to not awaken Shika.

    ¡°I was intending to sit here and wait for you until morning,¡± Yui replied softly as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would wake up so early.¡±

    ¡°Wait until morning¡­ howe?¡±

    ¡°I just finished something I was dealing with, quicker than I expected. I don¡¯t feel like sleeping right now, so I came over.¡±

    Yui indicated to Seiji that he could sit down next to her.

    ¡°How are you currently feeling?¡±

    ¡°Excellent¡­ I feel perfectly fine now.¡±

    Yui looked directly at him.

    ¡°Seiji, this is a miracle,¡± she spoke seriously. ¡°You¡¯ve created a miracle, not only for the people you revived, but for yourself as well.¡±

    ¡°This is all thanks to you, Sister Yui.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I helped you. But, you were the one who aplished it, not me. Be proud of yourself.¡±

    Seiji was embarrassed as he awkwardly scratched his face.

    ¡°As a reward, you can keep the tournament equipment for you and your partner that was originally only supposed to be a loan,¡± Yui told him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± So the equipment that Hana loaned him had originally belonged to Yui¡­ Seiji wasn¡¯t surprised by this.

    ¡°What do you intend on doing next?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you about your future ns.¡± Yui looked over her younger brother who used to be a famous piece of garbage. ¡°Now, you have actual power, connections, and wealth¡­ Although it can¡¯t be considered much, you¡¯ve definitely improved to the point where you can live an entirely different life from how you have before. What specifically do you n on doing in the future? How do you want to develop yourself? Do you have any concrete ideas?¡±

    Seiji: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It would seem that you don¡¯t.¡± Yui noticed Seiji¡¯s awkwardness.

    ¡°I wanted to talk things over with Hana after I left the hospital¡­¡±

    ¡°Even Hana can only support you. Seiji, don¡¯t you have any thoughts for yourself after experiencing this incident?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    Something shed in his eyes as he understood what his sister meant. She was inviting him to Soul Society.

    ¡°Sister Yui, I have indeed thought about things.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°The Messengers faction is quite powerful and dangerous. Just this one incident alone caused so many deaths. To resist against them¡­ or, more urately, to protect the people that I want to from their threat will be impossible with only individual strength or a small group. Only a simrly powerful faction will be able to protect everyone.

    ¡°However, this incident was also the best proof of the major factions¡¯ foolishness. They could have prevented this incident entirely, yet they chose to allow this to happen for the sake of their own benefits. Yet, the unexpected result was that there were serious casualties. Even the naval ship was almost sunk!

    ¡°This foolishness was caused by their greed for personal benefits. There¡¯s no curing this. Holes have appeared in the old order, holes that need to be fixed by a new power. This new power is Soul Society.

    ¡°Soul Society has the Awakened at their core. Compared to the old and decaying factions, this is a new organization that possesses hope for the future.

    ¡°Yet, while Soul Society possesses hope, it¡¯s still only hope¡­

    ¡°The old factions won¡¯t allow Soul Society to grow as it pleases. The old factions will use all their might to steal control and authority, trying to make it into one of their tools.

    ¡°Currently, it¡¯s impossible to predict what Soul Society will be like in the future.

    ¡°I want to protect all my friends andpanions. If possible, I¡¯d also like to do something else¡­ I suppose you can call it protecting my joyful daily life.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Perhaps I should join Soul Society for these objectives of mine. However, the risks and rewards are unclear. I don¡¯t think that I should just casually join.

    ¡°Should I continue developing myself on my own? Or should I join this new faction that has hope but also danger? This is an important decision. I need to talk things over with Hana and discuss this with my friends so that I can better understand the situation and properly think things over before I make my decision.¡±

    Something shed in Yui¡¯s eyes as she silently listened to his thoughts.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± she praised him. ¡°These thoughts of yours are well considered. You pass.¡±

    She then took out a golden card which hadplex red runes upon it. In the center of the card were two majestic dragons, one ck and one white, which were twirled around each other. They created a diagram simr to a Yin Yang symbol.

    Seiji instantly recalled the Bloodwine Ritual tournament participation card that she had previously given him. What would it be this time?

    ¡°This is a registration card for Soul Society,¡± Yui exined. ¡°As long as you inject your Mana and sign this card, you¡¯ll be a registered unit. You¡¯ll be able to contact Soul Society to obtain information, trade, ept missions, and so on.¡±

    ¡°Registered unit?¡± Seiji was somewhat confused.

    ¡°Basically, you¡¯ll have a file with Soul Society and will be able to interact with Soul Society¡¯s members and organizations. It¡¯s a bit simr to registering for a website¡¯s ount.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then why not just call it an ount?¡±

    Yui thought it over. ¡°Alright, I suppose we can call it ount in the future.¡±

    Seiji took the card and looked it over. He saw that there was a number on the back¡­

    001.

 Chapter 687 - Id like to ask you a question

    <h4>Chapter 687: I¡¯d like to ask you a question</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°This is the first ever ount¡­ card?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright to give such a meaningful item to me?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Yui casually glossed over it.

    ¡®No, no, I think it does matter, elder sister!¡¯

    ¡°This number is giving me a significant amount of pressure¡­¡± Seiji¡¯s eyes twitched.

    ¡°The number is only a number. The only thing it signifies is the order in which the ount was given out. There¡¯s no special meaning.¡±

    ¡°Although that may be the case, I still think this number should be given to someone stronger than me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already given you the card, so I won¡¯t take it back. If you think there¡¯s meaning in this number, then make it so that you deserve the meaning of this number.¡±

    Her words seemed to contain deep meaning. Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Rather than 001, I think I like 007 better¡­¡± Seiji recalled a certain legendary spy from his previous world.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Yui asked.

    ¡°Because I think that number is luckier.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already extremely lucky.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so at all¡­ besides, nobody can have too much luck,¡± Seiji stated. ¡°Thank you for giving me this.¡±

    He became a registered unit¡­ whoops, ount holder of Soul Society rather than joining the faction outright. This was the rtionship between an organization and one of its customers. This type of rtionship was currently ideal for him.

    ¡°No need for thanks. I gave it to you because I have expectations for you,¡± Yui told him lightly.

    ¡°What type of specific expectations?¡±

    ¡°Nothing specific. I just want to see what extent you can achieve.¡±

    ¡°Just like with the Bloodwine Ritual tournament?¡± Seiji looked directly at her.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Yui admitted this.

    Both of them fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I hope that I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°By the way¡­ now that I¡¯m an ount holder, can I request support from Soul Society?¡±

    ¡°What exactly do you need?¡±

    ¡°Emergency reinforcements in times of danger, such as if the Messengers faction attacks me for revenge.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. But, Soul Society may not be able to respond immediately. You¡¯ll also have to pay an appropriate price for the support you receive.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still better than no backup support at all.¡±

    Just being able to request support was already a wonderful benefit. An ount holder was different from a formal member of Soul Society. It wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to expectplete protection.

    ¡°Also, let met just ask something else. Only by joining Soul Society will I be able to obtain Soul Society¡¯s full protection, correct?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°What should I do if I want to join Soul Society?¡±

    ¡°Apply and take a test. Only by passing the test will you be allowed to enter,¡± Yui told him. ¡°Or, you canplete a sufficient number of missions as an ount holder. Once you prove your strength, you¡¯ll be able to apply and join without needing to take a test.¡±

    ¡°Will it be the same for an entire team?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much?¡±

    ¡°What about Soul Society¡¯s recruitment? What types of people does Soul Society need? How do they recruit?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to know.¡±

    Seiji had many more questions he wanted to ask. However, it would seem that his older sister wouldn¡¯t tell him so easily.

    Just as he was thinking about what to ask next, Yui nced over at his hospital bed.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a question, Seiji.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°How many girls have you slept with already?¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Heavens, this was such a pointed question!

    Seiji¡¯s expression became incredibly awkward as he averted his gaze. He wanted to respond that he hadn¡¯t slept with a single one, but it just happened to be that a girl was sleeping on his bed right now!

    But if he answered that he had, that didn¡¯t seem quite right either. Although he had now gone farther and done sexy things with his girlfriends, they still hadn¡¯t taken the final step yet.

    So, please help him, how was he supposed to answer such a question!?

    The scene fell silent for a while.

    Yui¡¯s gaze turned icy as she stared at her younger brother¡¯s handsome face.

    ¡°Cough¡­¡± Seiji lightly coughed in order to calm himself down. ¡°If Sister Yui is referring to having sex when you said ¡®slept with¡¯, then I haven¡¯t done it with a single girl yet.¡±

    Excellent! He felt that this would be the perfect answer.

    Yui¡¯s icy gaze seemed to lessen ever so slightly.

    ¡°Even if you haven¡¯t had sex, sleeping together is almost at that level.¡±

    ¡®No, there¡¯s a huge difference!¡¯ Seiji really wanted to deny this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to interfere with your personal rtionships. It¡¯s your freedom to sleep with as many girls as you like. But since I have expectations of you¡­ I prefer not to see something so distasteful,¡± Yui spoke in a deep and foreboding tone.

    Seiji broke out into a cold sweat as he nodded.

    Yui took another deep nce at her younger brother before she stood up and left the room.

    Seiji poured a cup of water for himself after she left. He downed it all in one gulp and let out a huge sigh of relief.

    He then looked at the card in his hand.

    After looking at it for a while, he injected his Mana.

    The red runes on the card lit up and projected a spell formation. The spell formation then transformed into a screen that disyed words.

    Seiji carefully read over the exnation.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± a voice suddenly spoke behind him.

    Seiji turned around to see that Shika had woken up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for waking you up.¡± Seiji was apologetic.

    Shika fell silent.

    Actually, she had woken up a while ago. She pretended to still be asleep and listened in on the conversation. However, she also sensed that Yui had noticed this.

    ¡°This is a Soul Society registration card that Yui gave me. She just came to visit me¡­¡± Seiji exined things.

    Shika went up to his side and read the exnation together with him.

    After they finished reading, both felt that there were no problems.

    Seiji squeezed the card, causing the words on the projected screen to turn into a contract.

    He read it over carefully once again before making his final confirmation. The contract transformed into aplex ck-and-white spell formation with one part left nk.

    On this particr contract, he could sign with whatever username he wanted, just like a website ount. He didn¡¯t have to use his real life name.

    His ount number was 001¡­ although Yui said that it only represented the ount number order and nothing else, Seiji still felt that this number was meaningful.

    Seiji wanted to have a cool-sounding username.

    How about ¡°Knight King¡±?

    Although this sounded cool to him, yet¡­ Forget about his friends jokingly calling him that, he would be far too embarrassed if strangers called him by this name!

    ¡°Shika-chan, what username do you think would be good?¡± Seiji couldn¡¯t think up a good username, so he asked his adopted younger sister¡¯s opinion.

    Shika blinked to hear him asking.

    ¡°Brother can decide.¡±

    ¡°I want a cool-sounding name, but I can¡¯t think of a good one¡­¡±

    Shika thought about it for a moment.

    ¡°Divine King.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Although this name sounds cool, it¡¯s a little too domineering for me.¡± Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    ¡°I think that this name is quite appropriate for Brother.¡± Shika was quite serious.

    ¡°Thank you for believing so. But, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that appropriate. Any other ideas?¡±

    ¡°Saint King.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s almost the same, it¡¯s not too appropriate¡­¡±

    ¡°Divine Saint King.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s even more inappropriate when youbine them! How about removing the ¡®King¡¯ portion of the name?¡±

    ¡°Amasei-omikami.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just changing one small portion and adding my name into Amaterasu-omikami! Calling myself a god is just as embarrassing as calling myself a king!!¡± Seijimented. ¡°I want a cool name that doesn¡¯t sound too ridiculous. Otherwise, I¡¯ll feel awkward when strangers call me by that name¡­¡± Seiji sighed.

    He suddenly recalled the temporary name he went by during the Winter Snow Festival fromst year.

    That name sounded quite good to him. It had a certain meaning to it but didn¡¯t sound silly at all.

    Seiji spoke it out loud. Something shed in Shika¡¯s eyes as she heard this. She then nodded in agreement.

    And so, the username was decided upon.

    Seiji then illuminated the nk portion of the spell formation with his Mana, causing the contract to be activated. It started glowing red together with the faint sound of incantations being muttered.

    After Seiji wrote his name, the spell formation started glowing and then returned to the card in a patch of glowing mist. The ck-and-white twin dragon formation upon it began spinning, slowly revealing a small pentagram in the center.

    Registrationplete.

    The first ount holder of Soul Society, code number 001¡ª White Night 1 !

 Chapter 688 - I believe the you that believes in me

    <h4>Chapter 688: I believe the you that believes in me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was now the time of the year when cherry blossoms appeared.

    Although spring had technically started quite a while ago, only when the cherry blossom season began would people on Sakura Ind concretely feel that spring had arrived.

    Cherry blossom viewing in spring¡­ this was something that every Sakura Inder would do. It would be more fun to watch the cherry blossoms together with family and friends while having a pic in a park.

    After Seiji left the hospital, he suggested that everyone go out to enjoy the cherry blossoms and have a pic. Mika and everyone else agreed and they quickly arranged a time.

    Seiji really looked forward to this ssical activity that appeared so often in anime and manga of his previous life. But while he enjoyed his daily life, there were still things he needed to do.

    By the riverside.

    Seiji walked over to the agreed upon location and saw that Kaho was already waiting there.

    Just as Mika told him, he could tell that Kaho¡¯s aura hadpletely changed when he saw her again.

    Although Kaho was simply wearing a in one-piece dress with a normal jacket on top, this still showed off her mesmerizing allure. Her seemingly normal smile also appeared to contain some ambiguous meaning, and there was the flicker of something hidden within her eyes.

    She would attract great attention from everyone simply by walking on the streets as she was now a great beauty whoserge breasts were no longer concealed by the previous bs of fat. She seemedpletely different from the pudgy girl that Seiji had first met.

    ¡°Good morning, Kaho.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Seigo.¡±

    Seiji looked over her for a while.

    ¡°Are you really alright?¡±

    ¡°I think that I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Even though so many days have passed¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself at all.¡± Kaho smiled. ¡°I must have much greater tolerance for demon energypared to my sister.¡±

    Seiji fell silent.

    ¡°She¡¯s obviously being affected by the demon energy,¡± Yomi spoke in his mind. ¡°Her current condition has nothing to do with ¡®greater tolerance.¡¯ She¡¯spletely adapted to the demon energy.¡±

    ¡°Adapted¡­?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s epting the demon energy and adapting to the demon¡¯s power. This is what will happen before shebines with the demon.¡±

    ¡°What will happen if shebines with the demon?¡± Seiji asked Yomi in his mind.

    ¡°She¡¯ll transform into a demon or obtain the demon¡¯s power. If the first happens, the demon will have basically taken over her bodypletely. While she¡¯ll be able to retain her sense of self if she obtains the demon¡¯s power instead, it¡¯s highly likely that her personality will greatly change, as if she¡¯s be another person,¡± the bonded female spirit exined. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s also possibilities that thebining will fail, or that she¡¯ll go insane, or be seriously injured or even die.¡±

    ¡°Will it be possible to stop all of this if we transfer the demon energy out of her now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, if she¡¯s willing to agree.¡±

    Seiji clenched his hand.

    ¡°Kaho¡­ You¡¯re currently epting the demon energy, is that right?¡±

    Kaho¡¯s expression froze over for a moment.

    ¡°What does epting the demon energy mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that you¡¯re not resisting the demon¡¯s power, but trying to obtain it instead.¡±

    Kaho tilted her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to obtain anything. I¡¯m simply bearing this for the sake of my older sister.¡±

    Seiji took a good look at her.

    ¡°Is that the truth?¡± he spoke in a heavy tone.

    Something shed in Kaho¡¯s eyes. ¡°Of course it¡¯s the truth¡­ But, if I can possibly obtain the demon¡¯s power, then I definitely want that as well.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I want to be someone like you, Seigo.¡± Kaho looked at him. ¡°I want to be someone special with extraordinary powers.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be like me,¡± Seiji stated.

    ¡°But I want to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being negatively influenced by the demon energy¡­¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m quite conscious of what I¡¯m doing. This is what I wish for,¡± Kaho spoke sincerely. ¡°I want to be special. I want to get closer to you, just like Mika.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°I admire Mika as well as Chiaki because they¡¯re special,¡± Kaho continued. ¡°Mika is a Spiritual Ability user just like you are. And while Chiaki isn¡¯t a Spiritual Ability user, she¡¯s highly charismatic. Just as you previously said, she¡¯s the type of person that will always remain at the forefront. She¡¯s a girl that¡¯s highly noticeable.

    ¡°Yet, I¡¯m no Spiritual Ability user, nor do I have any presence nor am I noticeable¡­ I¡¯ve always been like this ever since I was little.

    ¡°I¡¯ve actually always admired¡­ no, been jealous of my older sister. That¡¯s because my older sister is a perfect and special existence, while I¡¯m only an ordinary person who got depressed because I can¡¯tpare to her. I¡¯m just a vulgar mortal who avoided and even disliked and hated her because of my jealousy.

    ¡°Only when you encouraged me did I start to snap out of my depression.

    ¡°But, that still wasn¡¯t enough¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to be by your side. Although we became friends, that¡¯s all we were¡ªjust friends. I wasn¡¯t able to be together with you like Mika and Chiaki could, and I especially couldn¡¯t be like President Yoruhana and you¡­

    ¡°I know that I shouldn¡¯t think so much into things. I know that since I¡¯m an ordinary mortal, I should just act my part, working hard to an ordinary person¡¯s extent, yet¡­

    ¡°I still want to be special!¡± Blood-red runes appeared in Kaho¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, even if this is a demon¡¯s power, I still want to obtain it. Allow me to ept it if my older sister can¡¯t handle it!!¡±

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡± Seiji didn¡¯t know what to say after hearing all this as he looked her in the eyes.

    Both of them fell silent for a moment.

    The blood-red runes in Kaho¡¯s eyes faded.

    Kaho lowered her head and requested, ¡°Seigo, please don¡¯t transfer the demon energy back to my older sister. I want it¡­ I won¡¯t regret it no matter what the consequences are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a demon¡¯s power. Even if you can obtain it, you might no longer be you.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t regret it, what about others around you? This isn¡¯t only about you, Kaho¡­ what will your older sister think if something happens to you? She¡¯ll think that she caused harm to befall you! She¡¯ll feel burdened by her guilt for the rest of her life. There¡¯s also your parents, your friends¡­ as well as me, Mika, and Chiaki. None of us want to see anything happen to you, or see you bing another person!

    ¡°Kaho Miyamoto is only an ordinary person. But so what? Your sister, your parents, your friends, including us, know you as such a Kaho. None of us think that there¡¯s anything wrong with this.

    ¡°Rather than taking a tremendous risk to be special, I¡¯d rather see the Kaho I know safely maturing as an ordinary person. I believe that the others will feel the same way as I do.¡±

    ¡®Please give up.¡¯ Seiji did his best to transmit such a feeling to her.

    Kaho lifted her head. There was a smile on her face.

    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, Seigo. However, I don¡¯t feel that this will be that dangerous, because I haven¡¯t felt that much pain so far. I believe that I can obtain what I desire. Please believe me¡­ I believe in the you that believes in me.¡±

    They both fell silent again.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you reconsider?¡± Seiji tried to convince her. ¡°If you fail, a demon will take over your body¡­ or you could even die. And even if you seed, it¡¯s highly likely that your personality will be changed. Is that really worth it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you believe in me?¡± Kaho looked straight into his eyes.

    ¡®Hey, this type of question is cheating!¡¯

    Seiji found it difficult to respond as he recalled saying the same words to her that she was now using on him.

    ¡°Of course I believe in you¡­ but I still need to say what I need to say! I wouldn¡¯t possibly want to see you taking such a risk and just leave you with a sentence like ¡®alright,''¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy tone.

    ¡°Then watch me,¡± Kaho spoke softly. ¡°If I change into a demon, then kill me. If I die a painful death, mourn me. If I¡¯m no longer myself¡­ allow me to fall in love with you again.¡±

 Chapter 689 - System, could you please give me a discount?

    <h4>Chapter 689: System, could you please give me a discount?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji was quite shaken by receiving such a direct confession and feeling her heartfelt words.

    Kaho left after that. Seiji silently watched her leave. He was unable to continue trying to convince her to stop absorbing the demon energy.

    It would be difficult for him to transfer the demon energy out of Kaho without her agreement.

    Forcefully transferring it out of her would be highly dangerous. Plus, Seiji felt just how resolved Kaho was about this. He found it difficult to forcefully go against her wishes.

    All he could do now was to let her older sister Karen know about the situation, along with telling Mika and Chiaki about this. He could only hope that the girls could convince Kaho to change her mind.

    Although Seiji hoped for this, he felt that it was likely that Karen and the others would all fail in convincing Kaho.

    Kaho brought out her self-confidence. This was the direct result of his previous encouragement. Yet, Seiji never imagined that she would use her newfound self-confidence on such a matter!

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ no, it¡¯s too arrogant of me to think so.¡± Seiji felt guilty for a moment, but then he denied that he was to me.

    Kaho had made this decision by herself. She had resolved herself.

    Although this was partially due to his influence, or perhaps evenrgely due to his influence, this was still foundationally her decision.

    Thinking that her resolution was his own fault would be nothing more than arrogance. Yet, he wasn¡¯tpletely me-free, either.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t said those words to her in the beginning¡­ If I hadn¡¯t told her such encouraging words that I believed to be correct, would all of this have been avoided?¡± Seiji muttered to himself.

    Sometimes, good intentions wouldn¡¯t have good results. Was he seeing a real-life example¡­?

    Seiji didn¡¯t regret his own kind intentions. He simply couldn¡¯t help but imagine if things would¡¯ve been different if he hadn¡¯t said so much to Kaho in the beginning.

    His actions influenced her life. Yet, this influence wasn¡¯t the type that he hoped for.

    So, in the end, Seiji Haruta was still just a ¡°normal person¡±.

    Luckily, he possessed an extraordinary power¡ªthe ability to save and load.

    If things developed into the worst possible oue, then he would use this power.

    ¡°Kaho¡­ I believe in you. I hope that you can respond to my trust,¡± Seiji said to himself.

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.

    ¡°Nor will I mourn your death.

    ¡°As for you falling in love with me all over again¡­ that¡¯s not something I can decide. That¡¯s something for you to decide for yourself.¡±

    Mika and Chiaki both contacted Kaho to talk to her after they learned the situation from Seiji.

    But as Seiji expected, they weren¡¯t able to change Kaho¡¯s mind.

    He had done everything he could already. The rest would depend on what happened afterwards.

    Continuously improving his power level would be the best method to deal with the fires of chaos that were starting everywhere!

    Seiji received arge amount of points and items through his system as a reward for the gifts that the revived tournament participants had given him.

    There wasn¡¯t anything special in the items. They were all consumable cards he had seen before. However, all the points he¡¯d gained allowed him to construct his [Dojo] for his [Spirit House]!

    While at the hospital, Seiji paid 666 points to create it. However, he found out that the construction speed for the [Dojo] was incredibly slow.

    The [Living Room] had only taken a short period of time toplete while he had some tea and surfed the inte. Yet, the [Dojo] had already been under construction for several days. It only finished now.

    After the [Dojo] finally reached 100%pletion, Seiji was filled with expectations as he paid 33 points to enter his [Spirit House].

    A gray crack instantly appeared in midair before him. It then spread into a gray oval with a ck-and-white Yin Yang diagram spinning around inside!

    So this was the portal to the [Spirit House]¡­ Seiji looked it over before entering.

    His vision grayed as he felt his body spinning around. Several secondster, he regained his bnce and saw a gray space¡ªthe [Living Room]!

    Just as he expected, the [Living Room] waspletely empty and had nothing in it whatsoever.

    On the right wall was a white paper door. The word [Dojo] was written on the door in ck lettering.

    Seiji walked over and opened the paper door. He saw that the [Dojo] was also a gray space with nothing inside, identical to the [Living Room]. The only difference was that the [Dojo] was muchrger.

    He didn¡¯t feel anything special even after stepping inside.

    Seiji tried to practice cultivation within this space. He instantly felt that something changed in the atmosphere!

    System notification: [16 points have been deducted as a fee for cultivating within the Dojo.]

    It even charged him a fee automatically¡­ How convenient. Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    He cultivated seriously and soon discovered that the effectiveness of cultivating here was much greater than cultivating in the basement of Natsuya¡¯s mansion!

    His Mana flowed quite smoothly and spellcasting was much easier than before. It felt like his entire body was lighter and his mind was far clearer. It was much easier to learn and understand.

    As expected, the system¡¯s products were excellent!

    System: ¡°Heehee~¡± (as imagined by Seiji.)

    It took only a short while for Seiji to fall in love with the feeling of cultivating here.

    Cultivating in Natsuya¡¯s basement felt like proceeding through a swamp, while this was just like freely swimming in the ocean! He felt as if he could go anywhere he wanted, see anything he wanted, and do anything he wanted. It was just that free.

    This was such an excellent experience that Seiji unknowingly lost track of time¡­

    More than one hourter.

    A bright red me was burning silently on Seiji¡¯s hand.

    This was the fire element spell [Mana me]. He sessfully learned this spell in such a short amount of time!

    Not only that, Seiji controlled the me to instantly form a fireball. He shot this fireball which exploded brilliantly against the wall!

    [Mana me Bullet], or [me Bullet] for short. This was the fire element upgraded version of his [Mana Bullet] attack.

    Seiji extended his arms and ignited mes on both his hands. He then transformed the mes into fireballs that he shot out.

    He then gathered more and more fireballs as ammunition to fire simultaneously.

    He increased the number of fireballs to three, four, five, six¡­ only when he created eighteen fireballs did he finally feel some difficulty.

    Seiji pushed forward and shot all eighteen fireballs simultaneously. They exploded in unison against the Dojo¡¯s wall and burst into mes!!

    As long as he cultivated for a while longer here, he would be able to surpass eighteen fireballs and simultaneously cast even more! Seiji was just that confident.

    He checked the time and discovered that he had actually cultivated for less than two hours here.

    Making such progress in so short a time was the best proof of the Dojo¡¯s abilities.

    What would happen then if he brought a Spirit Image inside and cultivated his Mana instead?

    Or¡­

    Seiji opened up his system and checked the [Furniture] option. He saw that there were new items added which could be ced within the Dojo.

    Ignoring the furniture with no special effects, there were indeed Spirit Images included among the items with special properties.

    The cheapest one cost 233 points and could be used for only one month.

    The short usability seemed like such a pitfall for the price. However, one sentence in its description caught Seiji¡¯s attention¡ª¡±Anyone who concentrates on this Spirit Image will be able to enter Visualization.¡±

    Out of everyone in his knight group, only himself, Shika, and Mika knew how to use Visualization. And, Mika was quite new to the concept. She was still learning from her Spirit Controller teacher, Ruri Kinsa.

    Everyone else didn¡¯t even know how to Visualize. They would need to learn and practice, and it might not even be possible for them to learn.

    Yet, ording to this Spirit Image¡¯s description, even someone who didn¡¯t know how to Visualize would be able to enter a state of Visualization just by concentrating. This would save Seiji¡¯s knight group a great amount of effort in having to learn Visualization!

    With such a function, 233 points was definitely worth it, even if it was only for one month.

    Seiji then looked at the more expensive Spirit Images¡­ they all had the same function, but with longer usability periods and better effects. The more expensive Spirit Images looked like better deals.

    Seiji really wanted to purchase one. Yet, he didn¡¯t dare to look directly at their prices.

    ¡°System, could you please give me a discount?¡±

 Chapter 690 - Terrible man and terrible woman

    <h4>Chapter 690: Terrible man and terrible woman</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    As always, Seiji¡¯s system remained forever silent.

    ¡®Fine, I knew that wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡¯

    Seiji was just casually thinking it. He didn¡¯t have any hope whatsoever of actually being able to receive a discount.

    Sigh¡­ he really missed his cute and na?ve system that gave him a fifty percent discount on the [Bullet Time] skill.

    System: ¡°You¡¯re the cute and na?ve one!¡±

    Seiji: ¡°At that time, you must have been worried that I would be instantly killed by something I couldn¡¯t even see, which is why you voluntarily sold me such a godly skill at half price, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    System: ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t worry about someone like you at all! Hmph!!¡±

    Seiji: ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re cute and na?ve, thank you very much.

    System: ¡°Get the hell out!!¡±

    Of course, the above conversation was entirely imagined by Seiji.

    Still, upon closer consideration, that was the only time the system had ever given him a discount. Perhaps that really was the system¡¯s way of thinking at the time.

    Seiji mulled it over but then decided to stop thinking about this subject. He continued practicing his cultivation.

    Actually, earning points wasn¡¯t that difficult for him. The issue was more about time.

    He was still grinding his [Actions] every day, and had a constant stream of points from his ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± story and the artwork he uploaded to the inte¡­ Seiji¡¯s points ie was now several times more than when he¡¯d first started.

    At his current rate, buying every room in the [Spirit House] and all the furniture would only be a matter of time. However, real life danger wouldn¡¯t wait for the hero to grind.

    Seiji was now facing unknown dangers. He wanted to speedily increase his own and his friends¡¯ strength. That was why he felt his points were so insufficient.

    After dinner, Seiji worked on the second volume of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±. He was somewhat frustrated because his nning for the story wasn¡¯t going well.

    Seiji finished his tea which was on the table. He then picked up his teacup and walked to the living room for a refill.

    Kaede and Reo were currently watching TV together in the living room.

    The blonde-haired teacher noticed his arrival with his teacup. She smiled and poured some tea for him.

    Seiji thanked her and sipped on his tea while he watched what was on television. However, his mind was still thinking about his novel¡¯s plot.

    ¡°Not having sess with your writing?¡± Kaede spoke up softly.

    Seiji returned to his senses and looked at Kaede.

    ¡°A little trouble, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about writing novels, but I can sense that you seem somewhat frustrated.¡± Kaede looked directly at him. ¡°It¡¯s probably better if you don¡¯t rush so much.¡±

    Frustrated? Seiji was surprised to hear this.

    He calmly analyzed things and found that this was indeed the case.

    He wanted to hurry and finish his novel as soon as possible, which made him unknowingly be frustrated without realizing it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice¡­ thank you for reminding me,¡± Seiji responded with a smile.

    Kaede looked directly at his handsome face.

    ¡°Can I do anything for you, Seiji?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I want to help share the burden because I can see how much pressure is on you¡­ Anything is fine at all, as long as I¡¯m capable of doing it.¡± Something shed in the blonde teacher¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m alright.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much. Thank you for taking care of Reo so often for me.¡±

    As he said this, he nced over at the little girl who was currently absorbed in her television show.

    Reo would definitely feel uneasy due to hearing such strange sounds in her dreams. It was likely due to Kaede¡¯s care and apaniment that she didn¡¯t feel afraid.

    ¡°Taking care of Reo is something that I myself wanted to do¡­ but can I count this as you owing me a favor?¡± Kaede chuckled.

    Seiji blinked upon hearing this.

    ¡°Of course. What favor would you like from me?¡±

    ¡°To go out on a date with me.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you not like the idea?¡±

    ¡°How could that be, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± Kaede¡¯s face flushed red as she revealed a seductive expression. ¡°Something that Mika and Chiaki can ept is eptable to me as well.¡±

    Her way of addressing Mika and Chiaki had changed unknowingly. Instead of calling them ¡°Uehara-san¡± and ¡°Wakaba-san¡±, she now addressed them by name directly.

    Just like between Shika and Natsuya, Seiji surmised that something must have happened between Kaede, Mika, and Chiaki while he was unconscious.

    He didn¡¯t even know what type of expression he had on his face right now.

    The television show reached a climax in its story, causing Reo to squeal in excitement.

    Kaede¡¯s left hand moved to squeeze Seiji¡¯s right hand.

    Seiji wanted to take his hand back. However, she wouldn¡¯t let go.

    The blonde beauty gazed deeply into his eyes, transmitting her love with her expression.

    Seiji wanted to avert his gaze. However, he found himself unable to do so.

    In his mind, he cursed himself for being a scumbag man as he sighed.

    ¡°You have better choices than me, Kaede¡­¡±

    ¡°I think that the choice before me is more than good enough already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you think I am¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re better than I think you are.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how to express himself right now. ¡°I¡¯m a terrible person who can¡¯t resist his own desires. I¡¯m scummy to the point where I don¡¯t even know how to describe myself.¡± Seiji sighed as he gently held her hand. ¡°This is exactly what I mean¡­ a truly good man should adamantly refuse you at this point in time.

    ¡°I like you, Kaede. But, my like for you probably can¡¯tpare to what you feel for me. My like for you is a typical scumbag man¡¯s type of like. You deserve someone better¡­ this isn¡¯t an excuse for rejecting you. That¡¯s what I truly think.¡±

    After saying this, Seiji slowly let go and tried to use some force to withdraw his hand.

    Yet, Kaede still held his hand tightly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally admitted that you like me.¡± Something shed in Kaede¡¯s eyes.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°You call yourself a terrible man, but I know that I¡¯m a terrible woman as well,¡± she whispered. ¡°Even though I know I¡¯m not good enough, I still stuck so close to you, followed you to where you live, and even got a job at your school just for you, injecting myself into your life¡­

    ¡°If a man dared to do such stalkerish activities to me, I would definitely tell one of the goons in our Juumonji Group to kill him for me.

    ¡°Yet, although you were bothered by a terrible woman like myself, you didn¡¯t hate me for it¡­ Even though you rejected me, you also expressed your thanks.¡±

    ¡®Thank you for liking me.¡¯

    This sentence of his had etched itself deep into her heart.

    Before she heard this, Kaede Juumonji had only fallen in love with Seiji Haruta at first sight. But, her love transformed into something more after such a gentle rejection.

    From a certain standpoint, that was definitely a misused rejection. Not only did Seiji not achieve his goal, it even had the opposite effect from what he¡¯d intended.

    ¡°Perhaps your behavior is somewhatcking, but I wouldn¡¯t say that you¡¯re terrible or evil because of them,¡± Seiji told her.

    That was what he truly believed.

    ¡°I could say the exact same for you.¡± Kaede smiled gently at him.

    That was what she truly believed.

    The terrible man and terrible woman didn¡¯t believe that the other was terrible at all.

    Seiji wanted to say something else when an exciting scene appeared on the television show. Reo shouted in excitement and interrupted his thoughts.

    He reflexively turned to look at Reo. When he turned back to Kaede, the blonde teacher suddenly went up and kissed his lips!

    Seiji: ¡°~~~~~~¡±

    ¡®There¡¯s an elementary school kid right next to us, Teacher!¡¯

    This sudden ambush of such a soft, warm, and luscious sensation caused his body to freeze over.

    Kaede revealed an alluring smile after she sessfully ambushed him.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t promise to go out with me on a date, I¡¯ll do even more to you¡­¡± she threatened him while holding on to his hand tightly.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re supposed to be a teacher.¡± Seiji smiled wryly.

    ¡°Right now, school¡¯s out on vacation¡­ But if you insist on viewing me as a teacher, that¡¯s fine as well. A teacher-student rtionship¡­ that seems really stimting.¡± Kaede licked her lips, giving a devilish appearance to her beautiful face.

    Although she always acted quitedylike, she was still foundationally a ¡°bad woman¡± as befitting someone with her family upbringing. She was just like her nickname at school described her.

    ¡®Since you¡¯ve already said out loud that you like someone like me, I absolutely won¡¯t be letting you go, Seiji.¡¯ The blonde beauty thought that to herself as she enjoyed the sweet sensation she¡¯d just experienced.

 Chapter 691 - I have to call you Master

    <h4>Chapter 691: I have to call you Master</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have told her that I like her¡­?¡¯

    Seiji felt that maybe he said something he shouldn¡¯t have after seeing Kaede¡¯s expression.

    Yet, that was what he truly felt. He couldn¡¯t possibly be unmoved by such a beauty who was silently trying so hard to be with him.

    But, his like for her wasn¡¯t to the degree of having her join his harem. Just as he said, his like was a half-rate scumbag man¡¯s type of like. Starting a rtionship with only this degree of like wouldn¡¯t be good for either of them.

    Should he have acted more coldly there?

    But, he was unable to do so! Seiji preferred to be a scumbag man rather than acting coldly to a woman who was so good to him. Even though he clearly knew that being more decisive and direct would be better for the future, he was unable to stop his own feelings, or more urately, desires.

    Kaede had seen through this part of him. That was why she started acting so aggressively.

    She was being serious. If Seiji didn¡¯t agree to go out on a date with her, she really would do something adult-rated right here and now!

    That would be bad if Reo saw them. Yet, this sense of immorality excited Kaede as she was a ¡°bad girl¡± after all!

    Seiji felt like he was slowly sinking into a swamp¡­ yet he also chose this path for himself.

    Could he only resolve himself in the end?

    No¡­ he couldn¡¯t be so hasty.

    ¡°A date is no good,¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°But, we can go out together with Reo-chan for some fun.¡±

    Something shed in Kaede¡¯s eyes upon hearing this.

    ¡°Sure.¡± She could tell that this was the limit of what Seiji was willing to ept, so she readily agreed.

    Although she wanted to move their rtionship along quicker, she knew that she couldn¡¯t be impatient. Taking things slow and steady, step by step, would be the best process.

    His admittance that he liked her just now was already proof that all her efforts hadn¡¯t gone to waste. Now, she simply had to get closer to him at an appropriate rate and slowly get him into her grasp.

    Kaede couldn¡¯t help but lick her lips as she imagined the future.

    It was almost as if she was a snake, staring at its prey that it wanted to devour¡­ well, a beautiful female snake, that was.

    ¡°Where should we go out together to have some fun?¡±

    On the next day, Seiji went to Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    After meeting up, the two of them went together to the spellcasting room.

    There was a ck long rectangr leather suitcase in the room. It wasrge enough to contain a person.

    Natsuya opened the suitcase to reveal that there was indeed a ¡°person¡± inside.

    She had faint silver long hair, crescent-shaped bangs, an exquisitely soft and beautiful face, and was wearing only ck clothing. She had her eyes closed and was lying there quietly within the suitcase filled with white stuffing. There was an indescribable beauty to this scene.

    This was Akatsuki Mitarai¡¯s creation, a human puppet¡­ his final creation before he died, Shinobu Miaki!

    After the duel against Akatsuki ended in his death, the Mitarai Family had used the reason of investigating his death to dy sending Seiji and Natsuya the human puppet that they had won as per the terms of the duel. Only now did the Mitarai Family finally send Shinobu over.

    The Mitarai Family had been unable to find out the real reason for why the human puppet turned on and devoured her own creator. The Mitarai Family offered to pay a high price to purchase this human puppet back, but Natsuya of course adamantly refused.

    She had already given the Mitarai Family two whole months to finish their investigation. That was quite generous of her already.

    And now, Seiji finally obtained this victory loot of his.

    A human puppet¡­ Well, if one ignored how Akatsuki created her, her physical appearance was truly beautiful.

    While he admired her body, he was also mentally chatting with his bonded female spirit Yomi inside his mind.

    ¡°Shinobu-chan¡¯s soul within your body is ready,¡± Yomi told him.

    ¡°Will she really be alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be pushing it a little, but it¡¯s also good to have her get used to having her physical body again. Just don¡¯t let her be too far away from you.¡±

    And so, Seiji carried the human puppet out of the suitcase.

    Shinobu¡¯s body felt cold and soft to the touch. He could also smell a faint fragrance¡­ Apart from the fact that she didn¡¯t have any body temperature, he couldn¡¯t tell the difference between her and a real human at all.

    In fact, Seiji even felt as if he was simply holding onto a normal sleeping girl.

    Seiji ced Shinobu in the middle of the spell formation on the ground. He then pressed both hands on her body and began his spellcasting.

    The spell formation immediately began glowing golden. Golden runes appeared on the puppet¡¯s body as her long silver hair began to wave about and glow brilliantly.

    ¡°Wandering spirit, return to your body¡­

    ¡°Nonliving body, and soul that¡¯s yet to die¡­

    ¡°Yin and Yang of heaven and earth, divine universe¡­¡±

    Seiji uttered an incantation in a serious tone, causing the gold runes on the puppet to begin glowing with an additional silver light on top. Shinobu¡¯s body began floating in midair as her glowing long hair spread out, seemingly like it connected to another realm.

    ¡°¡­The Netherworld takes care of your soul. Awaken!!¡± Seiji shouted while finishing the incantation.

    Silver and gold runes appeared on the puppet¡¯s forehead. Seiji sensed the tiny and weak existence within himself being transferred into Shinobu¡¯s physical body, taking her portion of Mana with her.

    The spellcasting ended and the spell formation¡¯s glow faded. The human puppet dropped back onto the ground.

    The runes on her forehead vanished and her hair stopped glowing. She then slowly opened her eyes.

    She blinked and a look of realization appeared when she saw Seiji.

    ¡°Master¡­¡± she spoke in a pleasant-sounding young girl¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Shinobu-chan¡­¡± Seiji smiled in greeting. ¡°There¡¯s no need to call me master. You can just call me Seiji.¡±

    ¡°Master Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for Master. Just call me directly by name.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good¡­ Sister Yomi said that I have to call you Master.¡±

    Seiji was rendered momentarily speechless.

    ¡°Yomi, just what have you been teaching her?¡±

    ¡°Things that a cute little demon like her should know.¡± The female spirit chuckled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to be my servant.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you want her to be?¡±

    This question¡­ he had never considered this at all!

    Seiji exchanged nces with Shinobu.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stand up first.¡± He reached out his hand to her.

    Looking at his hand, she slowly lifted her own hand and softly gave it to him.

    Seiji pulled her up. Seeing her innocent expression, he patted her on the head.

    Shinobu felt that this was reallyfortable.

    It felt really wondrous to have a physical body for the first time ever since her soul was born. Being too young, she didn¡¯t know how to describe it. She just felt that it was very good that he was touching her.

    She wanted him to touch her even more¡­ this thought entered the puppet girl¡¯s mind.

    Meanwhile, Seiji was in some internal turmoil. urately speaking, their rtionship was most simr to adopted father and daughter. Yet, calling her his daughter would seem really strange to him.

    Shinobu¡¯s physical body was identical to that of a normal human teenage girl¡¯s. If she called him ¡®Daddy¡¯ in public, just imagining the scene felt really awkward to him!

    The more he thought about it, the more Yomi¡¯s idea of master and servant seemed more appropriate.

    ¡­Or was it more like master and pet?

    ¡®No, no! What am I thinking!!¡¯

    Seiji did his very best to suppress his sudden urge to tell the puppet girl to put on cat ears and a cor to cosy for him!

    Seiji helped her to stand up. However, Shinobu¡¯s movements were rather stiff and she couldn¡¯t stand steadily.

    Seiji hugged her and helped her to stand.

    ¡°Take your time in getting used to your body.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master¡­¡± Right now, Shinobu wanted him to hug her even longer.

    Seiji was quite unustomed to being addressed as ¡°master¡±. He figured he could only slowly get used to it.

    ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Natsuya Yoruhana, my girlfriend.¡± Seiji introduced Natsuya who was walking over towards Shinobu. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to her that you were able to obtain this physical body.¡±

    ¡°Sister Yomi told me¡­ that I should call her Female Master Yoruhana, and Lady of the House.¡±

    Female Master and Lady of the House? Natsuya revealed a subtle expression at this.

    ¡°You can just call me sister.¡±

    ¡°Female Master Sister¡­¡±

    ¡°No, call me Sister Yoruhana.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good¡­ Sister Yomi told me that I have to call you Female Master.¡± Shinobu was all serious.

    Seiji felt as if he heard his female spirit chuckling in his mind.

    ¡°Did youugh just now?¡± he asked her directly.

    ¡°Not at all, heehee~¡±

    ¡°And you say you aren¡¯tughing¡­ Just what did you teach her?¡±

    ¡°I simply taught her what she needs to know~¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, why are youughing?¡±

 Chapter 692 - Master is really beautiful

    <h4>Chapter 692: Master is really beautiful</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Because it¡¯s interesting~¡±

    That was all Yomi said before she fell silent.

    There was nothing that Seiji could do if she was unwilling to say anything.

    Although he was slightly uneasy, she still took good care of Shinobu¡¯s soul for so long. He figured that Yomi wouldn¡¯t teach Shinobu anything overly strange¡­ probably.

    Seiji was currently walking back to his apartment with Shinobu.

    The puppet girl was now wearing a in flower-pattern one-piece dress, paired with white stockings. Although this was quite ordinary clothing, it still showed off her extraordinary beauty, as if she was a beautiful, living doll.

    Many bystanders¡¯ attention was drawn to this beautiful girl that seemed so inorganic. However, nobody would expect that she really was just a human puppet!

    Shinobu held her master¡¯s hand as she curiously nced at everything outside.

    Every scene was new and fresh to her. The people passing by, the cars on the street, the advertisements and stores on the roadside, and even the trees and cherry blossoms¡­

    People were attracted by her beauty, and she also looked back at them, constantly exchanging nces.

    ¡°Master, why are they looking at me?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re really beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Beautiful¡­¡±

    ¡°That means that your physical appearance is really pleasing to look at.¡±

    ¡°Pleasing to look at¡­ so they want to look at me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Does Master also want to llok at me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m looking at you right now, aren¡¯t I?¡± Seiji smiled while looking directly at her.

    The puppet girl was delighted to hear him say that as she looked at his gentle smile.

    ¡°I also want to look at Master¡­ Master is really beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m male. It¡¯s usually not appropriate to use the word beautiful for males.¡±

    Shinobu was mystified by this.

    ¡°For males, you should use the word handsome instead.¡±

    ¡°Handsome¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, if a girl has an excellent appearance, you can call her ¡®beautiful.¡¯ If a boy has an excellent appearance, you can call him ¡®handsome.¡¯ That¡¯s why you should call me handsome instead.¡± As Seiji taught this, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

    ¡°Master is really handsome.¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right¡­ thank you for praising me.¡±

    ¡°Praising?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m really handsome. This is praise for me, so I¡¯m expressing thanks for it.¡±

    ¡°Praise¡­ express thanks¡­ thank you Master for praising me.¡± Shinobu did her best to learn.

    Seiji smiled back at her.

    At this moment, the puppet girl tripped and fell towards the ground.

    Seiji immediately caught her and helped her to stand steady again.

    This was why they kept holding each other¡¯s hands as they walked.

    Shinobu¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t strong enough to the point where she could control her physical body as she wished quite yet. She needed some time to get ustomed to having a physical body.

    But what the bystanders saw was a handsome boy protecting a weak and sickly silver-haired girl. This scene seemed to them like something wonderful out of a movie.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    Although she was unable to properly control her new body, Shinobu felt very reassured with her master at her side.

    The two of them continued walking towards Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    But after she looked at all the scenery for a while, the puppet girl now only looked at the boy beside her. Shinobu wouldn¡¯t look at anything else at all.

    ¡°Why do you keep looking at me?¡± Seiji noticed this.

    ¡°Because Master is the most handsome,¡± Shinobu replied.

    After the new experiences of everything on the street didn¡¯t feel so fresh anymore, she felt that she still wanted to look at master more than anything else at all!

    ¡°I¡¯m quite happy to hear you praising me like that¡­ but there¡¯s no need to constantly look at me.¡± Seiji felt rather awkward about it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t keep looking at Master?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, it¡¯s just¡­ I feel a little embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Embarrassed?¡±

    ¡°It means I feel awkward¡­¡± Seiji didn¡¯t know how to exin for the time being. ¡°At any rate, it¡¯s fine to look at me, but there¡¯s no need to look at me all the time, especially when outside on the street.¡±

    ¡°Awkward¡­¡± Shinobu still didn¡¯t understand.

    But she did understand that she couldn¡¯t just keep constantly looking at her master.

    Yet this made her feel a little ufortable that she couldn¡¯t constantly look at him.

    The puppet girl once again looked at the scenery on the street. She no longer felt that this scenery was as interesting as before.

    ¡®What¡­?¡¯

    ¡®What did I just see?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s a human puppet¡­ right?¡¯

    ¡®She¡¯s not a real human, she¡¯s a living puppet¡ªa human puppet!¡¯

    ¡®She¡¯s so beautiful¡­ she¡¯s too perfect!!¡¯

    ¡®From head to toe¡­ she¡¯s such a beautiful creation, I want to touch her, I want to inspect her, I want to research her¡­¡¯

    ¡®I want her so much¡­¡¯

    ¡®I want her I want her I want her I want her I want her I want her I want her I want her¡­¡¯

    A certain young man wearing a brownish-red jacket had his mindpletely filled with the desire to take the human puppet for himself. He started following after the boy he saw with the human puppet.

    In ordinary people¡¯s eyes, that girl was nothing more than extraordinarily beautiful as if she was an idol. But he, the puppet master Youta Itou, could tell that her charisma far exceeded a normal person¡¯s! No devilish seductress on television could possiblypare to her!!

    It was possible for someone like him to purchase a beautiful woman¡¯s apaniment as he had plenty of money.

    Yet she¡ªthis puppet girl before him¡ªwas the greatest form of art that no amount of money would possibly be able to purchase!

    If he possessed such an excellent creation, he wouldn¡¯t sell her no matter what the price was!!

    Judging the other party by his own values, it would be impossible for him to obtain that puppet girl in a trade. Even if the other party was surprisingly generous enough to be willing to sell her, he would definitely be unable to pay the tremendous price necessary to buy her.

    If he wanted to have her, he would have to steal her from that person!

    Right now, only one person was by her side. This was a chance¡­ it might be his only chance!!

    The little remaining sense of logic and reason remaining to Youta Itou told him that a teenaged boy who could take out a human puppet like this by himself probably wouldn¡¯t be any normal Spiritual Ability user. It was quite likely that he was the disciple of one of the major Yin Yang Master families, or would otherwise have some simr powerful background. In fact, it was highly likely that this teenaged boy himself was quite powerful! It would be unwise to mess with him.

    Yet, Itou¡¯s desire overcame his reason in the end.

    Youta Itou¡¯s eyes glittered in a wolflike fashion as he stared at the two people before him.

    He silently followed after them while preparing himself for battle.

    As long as they reached an appropriate location, he would instantly attack the boy, steal the puppet, and immediately escape from this city, as far as possible!

    Itou¡¯s heart started beating loudly and his breathing became heavy.

    He did his very best to restrain his emotions, wanting to calm down. However, he was unable to do so.

    Originally, he should have carefully observed that boy, but his attention waspletely focused on the puppet girl. He was unable to move his eyes.

    She was far too beautiful¡­ he couldn¡¯t find any imperfections whatsoever.

    His desire to have her kept increasing. His heart kept beating ever quicker to the point where it began to hurt.

    ¡®Hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry¡­¡¯

    Itou felt like he was slowly sinking into insanity. Finally, when the boy and puppet girl before him arrived at a road with rtively fewer people, he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and instantly brought out some talismans while creating seals¡­

    But at this instant, the boy he was following suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and shot out a gigantic fireball!

    *Boom!!*

    Itou was unable to dodge this unexpected attack. He was sent flying backwards by the impact.

    A second, third, and fourth fireball immediately hit him¡­ These four sessive powerful fireballs destroyed Itou¡¯s protective barrier! His physical body was hit and Itou was instantly knocked unconscious. The powerful impacts sent him flying right into a utility pole and then crashing into the ground!

    All of this took less than ten seconds.

    The few bystanders on this street were all shocked to see such a scene.

    What happened just now? Was a movie being filmed?

    Before these people could regain their senses, Seiji grabbed Shinobu and hurriedly left the scene.

    Someone then wanted to check on the man who was copsed on the ground. However, before the person could do so, a van suddenly drove over and two masked men jumped out of the van and speedily carried the unconscious man within. The van then drove off at a high speed and soon vanished from everyone¡¯s sights.

    Just what had happened? The bystanders were mystified.

 Chapter 693 - Theyd definitely be popular idols

    <h4>Chapter 693: They¡¯d definitely be popr idols</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The Juumonji Group helped to interrogate the man who attacked Seiji for seemingly no reason. Seiji thus learned that the man was a puppet master named Youta Itou, who had been astounded by Shinobu¡¯s beauty and impulsively wanted to steal her for himself.

    This was an impulsive crime rather than a nned one. No wonder Itou had been so obvious with his actions.

    Seiji considered it a good thing that Itou wasn¡¯t rted to the Mitarai Family at all.

    It was possible that the Mitarai Family would still want to steal Shinobu back. However, both Seiji and Natsuya believed that even if the Mitarai Family wanted to steal Shinobu back, it was highly unlikely for the Mitarai Family to make it so obvious by acting right away.

    Yet, Seiji didn¡¯t expect that this type of trouble would be attracted.

    Seiji realized that he had underestimated Shinobu¡¯s value in the Spiritual Ability user society. It seemed that he would have to pay more attention in the future.

    After the interrogation of Youta Itou was over, Itou immediately admitted his wrongs and begged for his life.

    Seiji felt that killing him seemed rather overboard. So, Seiji forced Itou to swear never to do such a thing again. More importantly, he also forced Itou to pay a veryrge amount of money aspensation. Seiji then knocked Itou unconscious and had the Juumonji Group toss Itou into a random alleyway.

    Seiji gave half of the money he obtained to the Juumonji Group as payment for their services. He kept the other half of the money for his own personal usage.

    Although Seiji was already somewhat rich now by normal standards, who would think that they had too much money? He didn¡¯t want to let Itou go without anypensation at all.

    ¡°This humble one feels like it¡¯s understandable why someone would want to steal away Miaki-san here.¡±

    Hisashi swiftly came over after hearing about this incident. He was filled with praise for the extraordinarily beautiful puppet girl Shinobu Miaki.

    ¡°Such a perfect puppet is literally the dream of us otakus!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Dream?¡± Shinobu blinked her eyes.

    ¡°Dream here means something wonderful. He means that he thinks you¡¯re a beautiful existence.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! May I take a few pictures of Miaki-san? I¡¯d also really like to take a selfie together with her!¡± A sh appeared in Hisashi¡¯s eyess lenses.

    ¡°Even I haven¡¯t had a selfie together with Shinobu-chan yet. Wait for your turn.¡± Seiji refused.

    ¡°Why do I have to wait!? Let¡¯s take some pictures right now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±

    ¡°I can immediately have the best background setting established here!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of the background setting.¡±

    ¡°I can immediately prepare all sorts of different attire!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also not an issue of the clothing.¡±

    ¡°I can immediately hire the most professional photographer!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re trying to shoot a photo collection here!¡±

    Seiji adamantly refused Hisashi and took Shinobu back to his apartment in one of the Juumonji Group¡¯s cars.

    ¡°She lookspletely like a human. Amazing,¡± Mika was astounded after she met the human puppet girl.

    ¡°Can I touch her?¡± Chiaki¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Seiji said that she could touch Shinobu anywhere she wanted¡­ Of course not.

    ¡°Shinobu-chan is just a child. Don¡¯t scare her.¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s a child, she needs intimate contact even more to help her mature!¡±

    ¡°And the truth in your heart is?¡±

    ¡°I really want to have fun ying with such a beautiful puppet little sister, teehee~¡±

    The middle-aged man type monster Chiaki was immediately in by Yin Yang Master Seiji.

    ¡°She¡¯s cool, soft, and smooth¡­¡± Reo was curious and received Seiji¡¯s permission to touch Shinobu¡¯s hand and face.

    ¡°She really doesn¡¯t feel any different from an actual human. It¡¯s so hard to believe that she¡¯s an artificial creation.¡± Kaede, who was Genhana High School¡¯s health teacher and nurse, giving her more knowledge of the human body, also touched Shinobu and eximed.

    Shika simply watched all of this quietly and didn¡¯t say anything at all.

    Shinobu also looked towards Shika and blinked.

    The puppet girl and the ¡°Reaper¡¯s Curse¡± cmity girl silently exchanged nces¡­ this scene mysteriously caused everyone else to be silent.

    *Click.*

    Seiji heard a sound and looked to see what it was. It came from Chiaki¡¯s cell phone that she was holding.

    ¡°This scene was truly too beautiful. I couldn¡¯t help myself and took a picture.¡± Chiaki showed the picture.

    On the screen, the extraordinarily beautiful silver-haired girl and ck-haired girl were silently gazing at each other. There was something indescribable about this picture.

    Seiji remained silent for three seconds before he also brought out his cell phone.

    ¡°I¡¯m merely taking pictures as reference for my writing.¡±

    He used this excuse to have Shinobu and Shika model together for him.

    Everyone then discovered that the two of them were basically a perfectbination!

    As long as Shinobu and Shika were in a picture together, any pose would appear amazing!

    Every picture turned out beautifully. No professional photographer was necessary to publish these photos.

    ¡°They¡¯d definitely be super popr if the two of them joined the entertainment industry as an idol pair!¡± Chiaki was quite confident about this.

    ¡°I think so as well.¡± Mika agreed with this.

    ¡°They¡¯re truly so beautiful¡­ the effect would probably be even better if they wore traditional Sakura Ind clothing.¡± Kaede sighed after seeing the pictures.

    Even Reo¡¯s eyes were bright and starry as she continuously snapped pictures.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to be an idol. Still, they really are such an excellentbination, Shika-chan and Shinobu-chan¡­¡± Seiji sincerely praised them as well.

    If he put these photographs on the inte, he was sure that they would instantly be a viral sensation. If they wore more appropriate clothing for pictures or had proper backgrounds or cosy, they would definitely be a huge hit!

    That was just how amazing theirbination¡¯s effect would be.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want them to be idols. Still, he could imagine what they would look like if they went up on stage as idols and danced together¡­ just imagining this sent ripples through his heart!

    Seiji wasn¡¯t that interested in idols that were in 3D. However, if Shika and Shinobu made an idol team, he would definitely be their loyal fan, no questions asked. He would definitely be one of the fanatical fans that supported his favorite idols no matter what!

    No, he had to stop himself from imagining along these lines. Otherwise, he really would be having them be idols.

    Seiji stopped his fantasies in time and did his best to calm down.

    Shika felt a rather subtle sensation towards Shinobu Miaki.

    Her sensation was rather difficult to describe. The best she coulde up with was that she felt Shinobu was a rather unique existence.

    Shinobu was a puppet demon that Shika¡¯s Brother Seiji had saved. Seiji had to provide his Mana so that Shinobu could remain alive and move about¡­ perhaps she felt unique because she could only exist due to Brother Seiji?

    Shika felt that was probably the case after some contemtion.

    Shika herself was someone who only found meaning in life because of Seiji.

    And, Shinobu could only survive because of Seiji.

    Shika and Shinobu were simr yet different. That was why Shika felt something so subtle about Shinobu.

    Would the human puppet be affected by her ¡°Reaper¡¯s Curse¡± misfortune ability?

    ¡®Shinobu is alive and moving around because of Brother Seiji¡¯s Mana. Perhaps she¡¯ll be just like Brother Seiji and won¡¯t be affected by my ability¡­¡¯ Shika thought that to herself.

    Or, perhaps that was what she hoped for.

    Why did she have such a hope?

    Did she want to bepanions with Shinobu since they were the same?

    No, they weren¡¯t the same¡­ they were only simr.

    Still, that might really be the reason.

    Shika wasn¡¯t sure of her own subtle feeling¡¯s true identity. But, she did confirm that she wanted to have a good rtionship with Shinobu Miaki.

    Shinobu felt rather close to Shika Kagura.

    Shinobu didn¡¯t know how to express this feeling of hers. She only sensed that Shika felt simr to her master.

    In Shinobu¡¯s opinion, Shika was the most special person that she had met so far.

    Master¡¯s adopted younger sister as well as Spirit-branded Retainer¡­ Shinobu would address her as Kagura-sama.

    Shinobu was quite happy to take pictures together with Kagura-sama.

    Looking at each other, getting close to, and touching¡­ Shinobu obeyed orders and made various poses together with Kagura-sama. This gave Shinobu a wondrous sensation of delight.

    ¡°Kagura-sama is very beautiful.¡±

    The puppet girl looked at the ck-haired girl from a close distance. Shinobu gave Shika some praise which she just learned recently.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful as well¡­ there¡¯s no need to call me -sama. Just call me Sister.¡± Shika smiled as she responded.

    ¡®That¡¯s no good.¡¯ Shinobu wanted to say that.

    However, Shika¡¯s smile attracted her attention to the point where she was in a daze.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Shinobu couldn¡¯t help but say that out loud.

    Shika was quite shaken by this.

    She received quite an impact by the beautiful human puppet addressing her like that.

 Chapter 694 - You need to become your younger sisterâ€™s enemy

    <h4>Chapter 694: You need to be your younger sister¡¯s enemy</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji was delighted to see that Shika and Shinobu seemed to be getting along well with each other.

    He wondered if Shinobu would be affected by the ¡°Reaper¡¯s Curse¡± ability¡­ he hoped that she wouldn¡¯t.

    Everyone had fun taking pictures for a while longer. It was then time for lunch.

    The puppet girl was unable to eat any human food as her food was Seiji¡¯s Mana. She could only drink water.

    During lunchtime, Seiji nced over at Shinobu who simply watched over everyone else in silence as they ate. All she had was a cup of water.

    ¡°Yomi, is there any method to have a demon like Shinobu be able to eat human food?¡± He queried his bonded spirit in his mind.

    ¡°Of course there is. You can use a spell to consecrate the food so that she can eat it,¡± Yomi told him.

    ¡°Teach me, then.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain? Consecrating food for a demon is no simple matter.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What do you think a demon will be once it starts receiving consecrated food?¡±

    Seiji carefully mulled this question over.

    ¡°Could you actually be talking about bing a god?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Gods and demons actually aren¡¯t that different from each other to begin with. In fact, you could even say that the main difference between them is receiving consecration and worship,¡± Yomi spoke in a seemingly meaningful tone. ¡°Demons that receive consecration can be gods. Gods that lose consecration can be demons. Of course, there are other elements involved as well. Shinobu won¡¯t instantly be a god just because you consecrate some food for her. However, consecration is still consecration. It¡¯s a deeply meaningful action. It¡¯s best that you understand this.¡±

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°What will happen if Shinobu-chan bes a god?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yomi, you must have received consecration in the past, right?¡±

    Yomi chuckled but didn¡¯t respond.

    Seiji felt helpless as he realized she didn¡¯t want to say any more on this matter.

    He had a very simple way of thinking. All he wanted was to make it so that Shinobu could enjoy the taste of food. But after hearing Yomi¡¯s words, Seiji couldn¡¯t help but be hesitant.

    In the end, he was unable toe to a decision even after lunch was over.

    Karen Miyamoto was feeling rather down.

    Ever since she learned of the situation from Seigo Harano, she had tried her very best to convince her younger sister to abandon the demon energy. However, she was unable to shake Kaho¡¯s determination.

    So Karen started ming herself, regretting, feeling guilty, afraid¡­ Various emotions roiled within her. She didn¡¯t know what she should do.

    By the time that she regained her senses, she discovered that she had already dialed a certain person¡¯s number in her cell phone.

    The person in question soon picked up.

    When she heard his voice, she wanted to say something but was unable to say anything.

    It felt as if her throat was blocked. She didn¡¯t know what she should say.

    He called out to her twice but received no reply. Even so, he didn¡¯t hang up the phone call.

    One or two minutester, he finally spoke up again, ¡°Miyamoto-san, how about meeting each other?¡±

    A few minutester, Karen walked out of her home to the same nearby caf¨¦ asst time. She sat down in the exact same booth asst time and ordered some coffee.

    Last time she came here, her younger sister was by her side.

    But now¡­ even though the store was ying gentle and pleasant music, Karen felt pained as she looked at the empty seat beside her.

    Why did things turn out this way?

    Kaho¡¯s current face appeared in Karen¡¯s mind. Even though this was clearly her younger sister¡¯s face, Kaho looked so unfamiliar.

    Her younger sister was gradually bing a different existence, yet the older sister waspletely helpless to do anything about it.

    It had been so hard to finally establish a good rtionship with her younger sister, and yet they started drifting apart again¡­ just why was that?

    Karen was unable toe up with the answer.

    The server brought the coffee that Karen ordered. The aroma helped to wake her up a little.

    Karen directly started sipping on her coffee that had no milk or sugar added. The bitter taste began spreading in her mouth.

    ¡®It¡¯s so bitter¡­¡¯

    Tears streamed down her cheeks as she started drinking her coffee.

    Seiji took a taxi to the caf¨¦.

    Before he arrived, he took Shinobu who was tired from her first day¡¯s activities back to Natsuya¡¯s residence. He had to withdraw Shinobu¡¯s soul from her physical body and leave the human puppet¡¯s physical body back at Natsuya¡¯s residence, which was why Seiji was somewhatte to arrive.

    When he entered the coffee caf¨¦, he saw Karen Miyamoto sitting there listlessly in the same seat fromst time. The coffee mug before her waspletely empty.

    Seiji sat down across from her and ordered some coffee for himself as well as asking for a refill for Karen.

    Then, silence reigned.

    It wasn¡¯t that Seiji didn¡¯t consider what to say to her. It was that no matter how much he thought about it, he didn¡¯t know what to say.

    The silence continued even after the two coffees arrived.

    Seiji then started drinking his coffee as well, allowing the bitter taste to spread in his mouth.

    ¡°Miyamoto-san¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    An apology was all he could end up saying.

    ¡®I never thought that things would turn out this way¡­ I was unable to convince Kaho¡­ I might have encouraged her unnecessarily in the past¡­¡¯ These were all reasons he could give along with his apology.

    Still, Seiji felt that no matter how he tried to phrase things, they would all seem like excuses.

    Karen¡¯s eyes became misty and tears started flowing again.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s my fault¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for me¡­¡± Her words were filled with self-me.

    It would be quite easy right now to say something like ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± But, Seiji knew that it wouldn¡¯t diminish her feeling of guilt at all. He could only sigh.

    ¡°Things might not necessarily have the worst oue¡­ Believe in Kaho.¡± That was all he could say.

    Karen only responded with sobs.

    ¡°Is there¡­ really no method?¡± After Karen finished crying, she implored him as if she was begging. ¡°I can do anything¡­ as long as Kaho is safe¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there isn¡¯t.¡± Seiji sighed.

    The key element here was Kaho¡¯s own will.

    She had decided to ept the demon energy in order to obtain the demon¡¯s powers. That was the hard part.

    She hadn¡¯t gone insane, nor was she confused. She clearly knew what she wanted and believed that she could do it!

    Her friends¡¯ and family¡¯s attempts at convincing her otherwise hadn¡¯t shaken her one bit at all. With such a resolute will, it was impossible for anyone to do anything.

    Karen now had a look of despair as she lowered her head.

    Seiji felt ufortable and could only silently drink his coffee.

    ¡°That demon energy came from my body to begin with¡­ can¡¯t I just steal it back from her?¡± After remaining silent for a while, Karen started muttering.

    ¡°Forcefully transferring the demon energy without the host¡¯s permission is highly dangerous. Kaho will likely be harmed.¡±

    ¡°Then we can do it while she¡¯s asleep¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good.¡± Seiji shook his head. ¡°There will be danger no matter what¡­ I would have said it already if there was a safe method.¡±

    It was indeed possible to forcibly transfer the demon energy. The issue was about the risk.

    Doing so would be just as or even more dangerous than Kaho epting the demon energy. That was why it was meaningless.

    ¡°Kaho herself needs to be willing¡­¡± Seiji sighed.

    At this moment, he suddenly had a sh of inspiration.

    ¡°¡­Perhaps that may just work¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but say it out loud.

    ¡°What?¡± Karen¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this. ¡°Have you thought of an idea?¡±

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he remained silent.

    ¡°Harano-kun¡­ any method is fine, please tell me!¡± Karen begged him with great sincerity.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really call it a method, it¡¯s only an idea¡­ one that might not even work.¡± Seiji looked directly at Karen. ¡°Even if it seeds, it might worsen your rtionship as sisters to the point where it can¡¯t be recovered.¡±

    Karen instantly widened her eyes.

    Worsen their rtionship as sisters to the point where it couldn¡¯t be recovered¡­ just what idea could this be?

    ¡°If friends and family can¡¯t convince her, the only one that¡¯s left is an opponent, or an enemy,¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy tone. ¡°You need to be your younger sister¡¯s enemy, Miyamoto-san.¡±

 Chapter 695 - Youâ€™re nothing more than an ugly and idiotic otaku!

    <h4>Chapter 695: You¡¯re nothing more than an ugly and idiotic otaku!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    It was almost time.

    Kaho took out a blood-red card.

    This card was so red that it seemed as if it was the physical embodiment of blood. Complex ck runes were on both sides of the card which glowed in metallic fashion.

    Soon, a gray pentagram appeared in the center of the card.

    This was the signal that the ¡°Dream¡± would be about to begin.

    Kaho¡¯s mouth arced upwards slightly upon seeing this.

    At this moment, familiar footsteps approached her.

    Kaho immediately put away her red card and looked at her bedroom door.

    Karen entered after knocking on the door.

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you here in my room sote at night?¡± Kaho spoke coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time if you¡¯re still trying to convince me, Sister.¡±

    Karen revealed a pained expression.

    But soon, she retracted that expression and changed to another expression.

    Be her younger sister¡¯s enemy¡­ Indeed, Seigo Harano¡¯s idea at the caf¨¦ was one that might not work at all.

    This was a really difficult idea for Karen to ept as she had always wanted to have a closer and friendlier rtionship with her younger sister Kaho.

    But, Karen didn¡¯t have any other choices now.

    She would either have to abandon the idea of trying to stop Kaho, or she would have to use this method.

    Simply standing by while watching her younger sister be stranger and stranger¡­ Karen was unable to do this.

    Bing enemies with her younger sister¡­ Just thinking about this pained Karen. But if this could bring safety to her younger sister¡­

    Karen firmed her determination as she saw how icy Kaho¡¯s expression was.

    Karen closed Kaho¡¯s bedroom door and walked over with a now resolute expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to convince you.¡± Karen did her best to speak in an icy tone. ¡°I¡¯m here to take back what rightfully belongs to me!¡±

    Kaho widened her eyes slightly in surprise.

    ¡°That demon energy¡­ the demon¡¯s power belongs to me. You don¡¯t have any right to it at all!¡± Karen red at her younger sister. ¡°It¡¯s so shameless of you to even think about bing special with something that isn¡¯t yours! And you¡¯re even so confident that you can achieve it, ridiculous! Wanting to have someone else¡¯s power is already the best proof that youck self-confidence!!¡±

    These words were just like sharp knives that stabbed right into Kaho¡¯s chest. Her expression flickered.

    ¡°This is mine, not yours! You absolutely won¡¯t be able tobine with the demon energy, Kaho! Only I will be able to do so! I¡¯m the truly special existence!!¡±

    Karen noticed that her younger sister¡¯s expression had changed. She then did her very best to use the most vicious tone possible to say words that she knew shouldn¡¯t be said¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than an ugly and idiotic otaku! You¡¯ve been this way ever since young!! You¡¯ll be this way for your entire life!!!

    ¡°The only meaning you have in life is to be a useless ordinary person so that I look better inparison! It¡¯s impossible for you to ever surpass me!!

    ¡°That¡¯s why, give back what¡¯s mine before you identally kill yourself with it! You garbage!!!¡±

    Both sisters fell silent after Karen¡¯s outburst.

    Karen felt like all the energy had gone out of her body after she said that series of viciousments. Only by tensing her body to the very utmost did she not begin trembling violently.

    Kaho¡¯s expression became rather ugly.

    Her sense of logic and reason told her that her older sister was probably just acting.

    But, it was difficult for her emotions to handle this.

    Karen¡¯s words had all stabbed Kaho where it hurt the most. This caused an unstoppable rage to well up within her!

    Blood runes gradually welled up within her eyes. Kaho began emanating a demonic aura.

    Karen felt afraid after she saw this. Luckily, she was so tensed up that she didn¡¯t retreat at all.

    ¡®Was I too reckless? Should I have faced Kaho together with Harano-kun?

    ¡®No¡­ I can¡¯t rely on Harano-kun for this. I can only rely on myself!¡¯ Karen suppressed her fear and firmed her resolution.

    ¡°Wonderful¡­ How wonderful, Sister,¡± Kaho spoke up in an iparably grim tone.

    Her words contained a raging icy chill.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally heard the truth in your heart¡­ not that disgusting hypocritical acting, not that boring pretense of being family, but that true condescension within you.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s not it at all¡­¡¯ Karen wanted to deny this, but she forced herself to swallow it down.

    ¡°You should have said all of this long ago¡­ but it¡¯s not toote to finally have me hear this.¡± Kaho¡¯s gaze was as icy as a cier.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, this power belongs to you. But, don¡¯t forget that it was transferred to me because you werepletely unable to bear it! How about I help you to remember just how unseemly you were back then!!¡±

    While saying so, Kaho suddenly grabbed onto Karen¡¯s neck! Kaho stared directly into Karen¡¯s eyes at close distance, while the blood runes in Kaho¡¯s eyes began glowing with a mystical light!

    ¡°Ack¡­¡± Karen felt breathing difficulties as her vision became hazy and her head became dizzy. Soon, she sunk into an illusion.

    Colorful monsters appeared within a dark forest. Karen smelled blood everywhere!

    She immediately wanted to vomit, but was unable to do so. This was incredibly ufortable.

    A dense assortment of various insects suddenly appeared. They crawled everywhere, crawling on her body and entering her¡­

    ¡®No¡­¡¯ Karen instinctively wanted to resist.

    But she then recalled what this was and what she wanted to do here. She forced herself to stop resisting!

    ¡®This is my demon energy¡­ my demon power¡­ it belongs to me!!¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t reject it. She had to ept it.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s so disgusting, I don¡¯t want to¡­

    ¡®No, I have to ept it, I must¡­

    ¡®No, it¡¯s so scary, so diforting¡­

    ¡®No, I have to bear it, and take it within me¡­¡¯

    Karen was filled with fiercely shing contradictory emotions. Her instinctive terror and resistance kept fighting against her logic and reason trying to tell her to ept this!

    If she retreated now, everything would be over.

    Finally, her logic and reason won out in the end. Karen tried her very utmost to withstand this sensation and ept what she was unable to ept before!

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    She muttered her younger sister¡¯s name in an effort to maintain her own spirit.

    She didn¡¯t want any of this at all.

    But for the sake of her younger sister¡­ she could tolerate it¡­ she had to tolerate it!

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±

    Karen heard a sound of displeasure.

    Her vision was then restored to reality. Karen instantly started coughing as her body went soft and she kneeled.

    Tears poured out of her eyes. She felt incredibly ufortable.

    Kaho looked down at her kneeling older sister.

    ¡°That¡¯s slightly better than before, but still incredibly unseemly,¡± Kaho spoke in a cold tone. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re capable of, yet you still dare to want your demon energy back? Ridiculous. Get the hell out of here while I can hold myself back from killing you!¡±

    Karen panted while rubbing her own neck. She then grit her teeth.

    ¡°Is that all you got? Come at me again!¡±

    She barely managed to stand up again as she looked directly at Kaho.

    ¡°I just wasn¡¯t ustomed to it. Try me again, I definitely won¡¯t be like that anymore! Use everything you have on me, you thief!¡± Karen did her best to re.

    Kaho furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use up the little patience I have left¡­ If I want to, I really could just kill you.¡±

    Another type of chill started spreading out from her! Karen felt as if she hade into contact with death itself.

    Karen didn¡¯t realize that this was the legendary killing intent.

    However, she instinctively realized that her younger sister was telling the truth!

    If she continued, maybe she would really die.

    But could she give up? She couldn¡¯t.

    Her younger sister had already be like this. If she didn¡¯t stop her, just what type of terrifying existence would Kaho be in the end¡­ Karen didn¡¯t dare to imagine.

    ¡°As long as you return what rightfully belongs to me, I won¡¯t ever bother you again,¡± Karen spoke adamantly.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Kaho stated coldly.

    The sisters red at each other. The atmosphere reached its iciest point yet.

    The sisters seemed just likeplete enemies.

 Chapter 696 - Id be interested in a beautiful girl

    <h4>Chapter 696: I¡¯d be interested in a beautiful girl</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji started walking home after he left the caf¨¦ and took Karen back to her home.

    ¡®Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have told her that idea,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Having Karen be Kaho¡¯s enemy and intentionally angering thetter so that they would fight each other¡­ This was unmistakably a terrible idea!

    If Karen managed to suppress Kaho, perhaps Kaho would be sessfully forced into abandoning the demon energy. However, there were too many unpredictable elements with this n. And even if it seeded, it mightpletely ruin the sisters¡¯ rtionship, which seemed so pitiful to Seiji.

    Karen had fallen silent after hearing this idea. It seemed really difficult for her to ept.

    This was far too difficult of a choice. Even now, Seiji felt that maybe he shouldn¡¯t have said it out loud.

    But if he didn¡¯t say it, Karen wouldn¡¯t even have a single choice¡­

    Seiji suddenly stopped in his footsteps.

    There was a vending machine before him. A silver-haired boy who wore a ck yukata was currently inserting some coins into the vending machine and apparently deciding on a beverage.

    This seemed like quite an ordinary scene. However, what Seiji saw was that this boy had suddenly appeared!

    The silver-haired boy hadn¡¯t walked over from front or behind. He had suddenly appeared with magic¡­ Basically, when Seiji noticed, this boy was already standing in front of the vending machine.

    Had Seiji been too lost in his thoughts to notice the boy¡¯s presence?

    That wasn¡¯t it!

    Seiji was absolutely certain that this boy had suddenly appeared, as if he walked out of the darkness.

    ¡°I originally wanted some green tea, but there¡¯s a new brand of juice that just came out. I¡¯m thinking that perhaps I want to try that instead,¡± the silver-haired boy spoke up and looked at Seiji. ¡°Which do you think is better, Haruta nii-san?¡±

    He had a handsome appearance and purple eyes with rather pale skin. The silver-haired boy also had a happy smile and seemed to be the open and casual type.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he walked over.

    ¡°May I ask who you are?¡±

    ¡°I asked you first, we should go by order.¡± The boy pointed at the vending machine. ¡°Which do you think is better between green tea and fruit juice?¡±

    Seiji nced at the options.

    ¡°I would choose green tea.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°We should answer the questions in order.¡±

    The silver-haired boy blinked to hear his earlier statement being used against him.

    ¡°My name is Itsuki Kamitani. This is our first meeting. Pleased to meet you.¡± He smiled and then pressed the button for fruit juice.

    The vending machine instantly spat out a can of fruit juice.

    Kamitani took the fruit juice, opened it up, and started gulping it down. He instantly revealed an expression that the juice was rather sour.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste good¡­ Eh, Haruta nii-san?¡±

    He was rather surprised to see that Seiji was simply walking off.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Kamitani-san. Have a good night.¡± Seiji waved his hand goodbye.

    ¡°Wait a moment, don¡¯t leave!¡± Kamitani chased after Seiji. ¡°I came here just for you! Aren¡¯t you curious why I came to meet you?¡±

    ¡°Although I¡¯m curious, I doubt it¡¯s anything good. That¡¯s why, goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that! Normally, wouldn¡¯t a person at least talk for a little more?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already tired and want to go home. I don¡¯t want to deal with a suspicious person who suddenly appeared.¡±

    ¡°You should call me a mysterious person instead! A normal person should be quite curious about a mysterious handsome boy who suddenly appeared before him and even knows his name!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; although you do have a nice appearance, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re at the standard of a handsome boy. Besides, I might be interested in a beautiful girl, but I don¡¯t care about boys.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible! So you¡¯re someone who¡¯s ruled by the lower half of your body!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal for boys to be interested in beautiful girls.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­ no, wait! This isn¡¯t a reason to abandon a handsome boy like myself!¡±

    ¡°I said that you don¡¯t count as a handsome boy.¡±

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t count, you shouldn¡¯t just leave me like that!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I simply want to ignore you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really annoying¡­ Just who are you, and why have youe to meet with me?¡± Seiji looked directly at Kamitani.

    ¡°I¡¯m a member of the Messengers.¡± Kamitani took another sip of his fruit juice and made another sour expression. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you to join our cause.¡±

    He spoke quite normally, as if it was just a perfectly ordinary matter.

    This actually seemed even more abnormal because of it.

    Seiji narrowed his eyes slightly.

    From the very start, although he appeared calm, he had been highly on guard against this silver-haired boy.

    This person who called himself Itsuki Kamitani had suddenly appeared within ten meters of him without his noticing at all.

    Kamitani appeared just like an ordinary Spiritual Ability user who didn¡¯t exude any signs of danger, as if he was harmless¡­ was he really harmless, or was it all just an excellent act?

    Seiji felt that it was more likely that Kamitani was pretending to be harmless. That was because Kamitani was a member of the Messengers faction!

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in joining the Messengers. Thank you for your interest in me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to decide. The Messengers are a wonderful organization. You can obtain benefits from simply doing what you like, and even if you don¡¯t do anything at all, you can still get paid. There¡¯s no downsides to joining.¡±

    Who would believe that¡­? Nobody would believe that!

    Seiji expressed this in his eyes.

    Kamitani chuckled upon seeing this.

    ¡°Well, I admit that sounds just like an advertisement. Although that isn¡¯t real, I had to say it,¡± Kamitani stated casually. ¡°Still, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s all false. There really are a lot of benefits to joining, especially if it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°More like there will be benefits only for your faction,¡± Seiji spoke coldly.

    ¡°Of course not¡­ you can be even stronger, and live more freely and have more fun than you are having right now!¡±

    ¡°Haha, such a funny joke.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. Haruta nii-san, are you happy right now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business whether I¡¯m happy or not.¡±

    ¡°That type of answer is basically a no. You¡¯re not happy, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Kamitani looked at Seiji.

    Seiji remained silent.

    Just earlier, he had been worried about the Miyamoto Sisters. It was impossible for him to say that he was happy right now.

    ¡°You won the Bloodwine Ritual tournament, obtaining wealth and reputation that would allow you to lead a much better life than before. Yet, you¡¯re still not happy,¡± Kamitani continued. ¡°Why¡¯s that? Because you¡¯re uneasy about the future. The more you obtain, the more worried you are about losing what you have. You¡¯re being restrained by what you now have. You¡¯ve lost your freedom.

    ¡°Actually, you simply have to abandon somepletely unnecessary things and you¡¯ll discover true freedom, and truly enjoy your life¡­¡±

    Kamitani¡¯s words contained a certain type of power to move people.

    Seiji was somewhat affected. He was unable topletely deny Kamitani¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, I am indeed uneasy about the future,¡± he admitted. ¡°The more I obtain, the more I¡¯m worried about losing what I have. Perhaps I really am being restrained.

    ¡°But, whether my things are necessary or not, whether I want to give up on them or not, is something I decide for myself!¡± Seiji suddenly changed his tone.

    ¡°So what if I don¡¯t have freedom or if I¡¯m not happy? This is exactly the path that I want to take.¡± Seiji looked directly at Kamitani. ¡°I¡¯m going to seek after the happiness that I want, rather than what other people think happiness should be!¡±

    The silver-haired boy widened his eyes and then chuckled again.

    Not only had his hidden subconscious persuasion spell failed, there was also the fact that¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re actually even more serious than I am¡­ I lose.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting person, Seiji Haruta. I didn¡¯t waste my timeing to meet you. Although I don¡¯t have any orders to kill you, you still interfered with Kanzaki, so I can¡¯t simply let you go. So, what I¡¯m going to ask next is¡­¡±

    Suddenly, everything around Seiji turned pitch-ck!

    No, this was just a mistaken impression.

    Seiji felt an almost physical amount of imposing pressure. He instantly received the mistaken impression as if he was now facing an iparably big and frightening monster!

    The real situation was that a gigantic dark shadow had suddenly appeared behind Itsuki Kamitani. This shadow gave off an aura as if it was connected to either Hell or theherworld.

    ¡°Do you want to fight me, or y a game with me?¡±

 Chapter 697 - Did you have fun playing?

    <h4>Chapter 697: Did you have fun ying?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Even an idiot would know that it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to fight against a scary darkness that might devour them at any moment.

    But as for ¡°ying a game?¡±

    Who knew what type of game that would be? That might be even more dangerous!

    The smiling silver-haired boy and the pitch-ck dark shadow behind him made for a sharp contrast. Yet, the boy¡¯s smile still seemed so happy and open, making things seem even stranger.

    Seiji discovered that he had been wrong.

    Itsuki Kamitani hadn¡¯t been acting at all. He was truly such an ¡°innocent¡± type!

    His ¡°innocence¡± was pure yet also allowed him to smile while killing people. He was just like a child, with an innocent and cute side. Yet, the same child would also cruelly destroy ant nests, take apart insect limbs, and kill small animals!

    This type of person¡­ while it seemed like he was giving Seiji a choice, there was no choice at all.

    ¡°Earlier, you asked me why I chose green tea, and I didn¡¯t tell you the answer yet.¡± Seiji remained calm. ¡°Do you still want to know the answer?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Why?¡±

    ¡°Take a closer look at thebel on that juice can of yours.¡±

    Kamitani reflexively looked at the juice can still in his hand.

    *Whoosh¡­* Seiji instantly cast the [Body-strengthening technique] on himself and jumped backwards, running away at top speed!

    Kamitani was still inspecting the juice can, as if he didn¡¯t notice anything at all. Yet, the dark shadow behind him started moving and suddenly reached out with a gigantic w!

    This w moved quite quickly and was about to catch up to Seiji.

    [Evolved Fire Bullet]!

    Seiji instantly borrowed power from his bonded spirit and shot out a tremendous golden spiritual fireball, which exploded against the ck w in a brilliant light.

    The ck w was shattered by the explosion. However, it soon reconstructed itself and chased after Seiji again!

    Seiji shot another fireball which shattered the ck w for a second time. Yet, it was able to reconstruct itself yet again.

    *Boom boom boom boom¡­* There was a series of explosions as Seiji dyed the ck w while continuing to retreat. He backpedaled at an extremely high speed across the street, astonishing the bystanders that saw him.

    Ordinary people were unable to see the ck shadow w or the spiritual Mana Bullets. They could only hear the sounds. So, all that the bystanders saw was a jacket-wearing boy running backwards for no apparent reason at an astonishingly high speed together with some mysterious explosion sounds.

    Since Seiji was on a street, a car just happened to drive towards him. The driver noticed that someone suddenly appeared before him, causing him to panic and step on the brakes!

    Yet the boy vanished the next instant and there was a loud bang from the top of his car roof, as if someone had stomped on top of his car.

    What¡¯d just happened? The middle-aged driver was rather confused.

    Meanwhile, the people on the street saw to their astonishment that the jacketed boy covered his face with one hand while speedily stepping on top of the car roof and going through the street! There were also mysterious explosion sounds as he jumped with far greater jump power than any normal man should have. He then jumped up onto a wall and ran along it before finally jumping onto a rooftop!

    ¡°Amazing¡­ what was that?¡±

    ¡°Was that parkour? Did he use some special equipment that makes exploding sounds?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any such special equipment on his body¡­¡±

    ¡°He was definitely no ordinary person! He must be someone with superpowers!!¡±

    ¡°So cool¡­ a pity that I didn¡¯t get a picture.¡±

    Although it caused a smallmotion, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem as not many people saw it.

    Unless there was video evidence, this degree of mystical incident wouldn¡¯t even make a ripple on the inte now.

    Seiji moved at high speed on the rooftops and continuously dyed the ck w with his [Evolved Fire Bullets].

    The ck w shrunk somewhat. However, it also increased in number! There were now eight ws that were even faster than before.

    At this rate, Seiji would definitely be caught up to.

    He¡¯d already expected that he wouldn¡¯t be able to simply run away¡­ After all, Seiji felt that if he himself wanted to deal with a specific person, he would of course first think of some method to stop that person from running away. Having such a long-distance running fight was already half a failure.

    Had Kamitani not prepared at all? Or¡­

    Seiji thought things over while continuously flying across rooftops. He gradually reached a flourishing part of town.

    At this moment, the eight ck ws suddenly split apart and transformed into countless ck needles that shot at him from all directions!

    Protective curse, [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    Seiji had already prepared this spell and cast it on himself as the center. The tremendous golden bell appeared and blocked off all the ck needles, shattering them all!

    Seiji¡¯s massive increase in Spiritual Power had helped him to utilize his already known spells in different methods. He could now cast [Demon Suppression Bell] on himself as a protective spell without harming himself.

    Seiji then stopped and observed the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve carefully looked at the juicebel. What¡¯s next?¡± a voice suddenly spoke behind him.

    Seiji suddenly turned around, only to see that the silver-haired boy was sitting on a nearby rooftop with the juice can still in his hand. He was looking at Seiji with a casual expression.

    It was as if he had been waiting here all this time.

    ¡°¡­What do you think about thisbel?¡±

    ¡°It kinda sucks, since it¡¯s ugly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. I wouldn¡¯t choose the fruit juice because thebel is ugly,¡± Seiji told him.

    ¡°I see~¡± Kamitani smiled and took another drink of his fruit juice. Once again, he revealed an expression of sourness from the fruit juice.

    A slightly chilly night breeze blew past.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already requested backup from Soul Society,¡± Seiji told the silver-haired boy. ¡°Support will soon be here for me.¡±

    Asking for backup was what Seiji was actually doing.

    Running away was simply to stall for time so that he could ask for assistance. He didn¡¯t expect that it was so easy to run away, easy to the point where Seiji felt it was strange.

    Kamitani continued maintaining that carefree sour expression of his as he drank his fruit juice.

    After a few more swigs, Kamitani sighed.

    ¡°It really tastes so bad¡­ Sparrow, help throw it away for me.¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°I know that I shouldn¡¯t be wasteful like this, but this really tastes so bad,¡± Kamitani continued talking to something next to him.

    There was still no response.

    ¡®No¡­ there¡¯s probably something answering him that I can¡¯t see or hear,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    ¡°At any rate, I can¡¯t drink this anymore! If you force me to drink this, I¡¯ll¡­ first put it away and drink the rest at home.¡±

    At first, Kamitani seemed resistant to the idea of finishing the juice, but he seemed topromise in the end and agreed to finish the fruit juice.

    The fruit juice can then started floating and disappeared into the darkness.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he watched this.

    ¡°Did you have fun ying?¡± Kamitani looked back at Seiji.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did you have fun ying tag right now?¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have fun ying because it was too simple. Even though I was going easy on you, that was all you were capable of.¡± Kamitani shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s y something else instead.¡±

    He then waved his hand, causing a blood-red card to fly towards Seiji.

    Seiji reflexively caught the card.

    ¡°This is a game card. You¡¯ll be able to activate it and enter the game if you inject your Mana,¡± Kamitani exined.

    Seiji frowned as he looked at the card in his hands.

    This card was blood-red and shiny, as if it was made from actual blood. Complex ck runes and a gray pentagram could be seen on the card, giving it an ominous aura.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you inside this game. You should hurry and enter it.¡±

    Seiji then looked over but could no longer see the silver-haired boy anywhere.

    ¡°And if you don¡¯te, people will die~¡±

    This sentence was left behind together with a deep iciness.

    As if it was wind that came from the abyss.

 Chapter 698 - Have fun, Sister

    <h4>Chapter 698: Have fun, Sister</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Who will die?¡± Seiji asked, but received no response.

    He stood there alone on the rooftop with the strange red card in his hand. Something shed in his eyes.

    At this moment, there was the sound of something descending at great speed in the air!

    Seiji raised his head and saw a robot¡­ no, a person wearing a science fiction style mecha armor suit descending next to him!!

    He instantly widened his eyes.

    Although he already knew that this world was far more high-tech than his previous world, personally seeing a flying suit of armor like Iron Man¡¯s still gave him quite an impact.

    This armor, or maybe weaponized mecha, had a ck outeryer. On the surface, there were some symmetrical silver runes. Its entire body appeared smooth and natural. It didn¡¯t attract any attention at night, plus there was also a concealment spell on it that made it impossible for ordinary people to notice.

    *Thud!* Itnded solidly in front of Seiji with a loud thud.

    Seiji wouldn¡¯t have felt it strange even if the mecha had directly destroyed the roof of this building with how fast it descended. Yet, it managed tond so steadily without even a tremendous sound. This mecha was definitely something out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Yui¡¯s voice spoke through the mecha¡¯s helmet.

    ¡°Sister Yui?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    Yet another descent from the sky that would leave such a deep impression. This older sister of his was so cool!

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    ¡°Thank you foring to my support. But he¡­ Itsuki Kamitani has already left.¡±

    Yui looked around her.

    ¡°As expected, he¡¯s already escaped.¡± She seemed to expect this.

    ¡°Do you know him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Seiji wanted to ask: ¡°Are you quite familiar with him?¡± But he felt that even if he asked this, he wouldn¡¯t receive a response.

    ¡°He left this card behind, saying that it was for some game¡­¡±

    Seiji showed Yui the blood-red card and exined what had happened earlier.

    Yui looked over the card.

    ¡°Indeed, you could call this a game card. It should be fine for you to y it with your current power,¡± she stated calmly. ¡°As the price for calling for my support, why don¡¯t you enter this game and see what tricks he¡¯s up to? I doubt that you¡¯ll die, but there¡¯s the possibility of serious injury. Just be careful. There¡¯s no particr special mission that you have to carry out within the game. Do whatever you like. Just report to me afterwards.¡±

    After saying that, Yui jumped up and flew back into the sky.

    Right after that, her mecha started glowing silver and instantly vanished into a beam of light that shot off into the distance. She soon vanished from Seiji¡¯s sight.

    ¡®So cool¡­ I want that type of equipment as well!¡¯

    Although Seiji had indeed used simr equipment in the soul realm, that was quite a while ago. Besides, a product usable only by his imagination couldn¡¯tpare to the actual physical object.

    Possessing a personal mecha was a man¡¯s romance! However, Seiji figured that the mecha would be outrageously expensive.

    Seiji really wanted to ask more about Kamitani and the game he was invited to. However, his sister left just like that. She was truly the type who went ces as swiftly as the wind.

    Seiji decided to return home.

    Itsuki Kamitani was formerly from the Himiki Family.

    The Himiki Family was also sometimes called the Himiki n. They were one of the most unique factions within the top-level factions.

    The fact that they were well known for judging duels was just the surface of what made them unique. The biggest difference they had from other factions was their unique internal structure.

    The core members of this faction all carried the Himiki Family name. Yet, therge majority of the core members weren¡¯t actually rted to each other by blood at all!

    That was because it would be possible to obtain the Himiki Family name through ability rather than bloodline.

    A child born to parents already in the Himiki Family wouldn¡¯t be able to immediately receive the Himiki name. That child would need to take a testter when they reached a certain age. Only by passing the test would that child be bestowed with the honor of the Himiki name. Otherwise, the child would only be able to use their old family name.

    Not only that, disciples of other families and factions could also apply to join the Himiki Family and receive the Himiki name if they passed the test.

    This test would be administered on a yearly basis. Also, all the Himiki Family members would be reassessed each year, with those having overly low scores being stripped of the Himiki name.

    So, objectively speaking, the Himiki Family wasn¡¯t a true family. They were more like abined group that went by the same name.

    Obtaining this family name required a powerful contract ceremony. Those who signed the contract and obtained the family name would treat others with the Himiki name as true family! This effect would still remain in ce for several years even if one lost the Himiki name.

    That was why the Himiki Family could really operate like a family¡ªin fact more like a family than some families, whose the members were blood-rted but had terrible rtionships with each other.

    The fact that members from other factions could join also strengthened the Himiki Family¡¯s rtionship with the other top-level factions and families.

    The core family ruling this faction, the Himiki Family, didn¡¯t have any major grudges against any other major factions. Nor did the Himiki Family have any subordinate or master rtionships with other families like the seven major Yin Yang Master families or the samurai families.

    Technically speaking, the Himiki Family should be more urately called a n. However, they preferred being called the Himiki Family, although both names were still alright with them.

    In the Himiki Family, the Kamitani Family was quite an ordinary family.

    After Itsuki Kamitani reached mature age, he passed the test to be a Himiki Family member. However, his Himiki name was stripped from him after a mere two years. The reason was that he had severely injured other Himiki Family members!

    Itsuki Kamitani was also a former member of Soul World who was now an important member of the Messengers faction. He was also a high-level Spirit Controller who controlled a high-level spiritual creature that he called ¡°Sparrow¡±. There was also the possibility that he controlled other high-level spiritual creatures.

    Seeing and reporting this person to Soul Society could help one to rue points for their ount after the report was verified.

    This was all the information that Seiji obtained from Soul Society on Itsuki Kamitani.

    This information cost him 10 points.

    Soul Society¡¯s ounts all worked on a points system. At first, he started with 100 points, but asking for aid had cost him a total of 1000 points! Seiji¡¯s points with Soul Society instantly went to -910.

    However, his ount now indicated that he had a mission: ¡°Investigate the strange dreams.¡± Completing this mission would award him with 1000 points.

    The mission¡¯s issuer was: Starcloud.

    Starcloud¡­ this was Yui¡¯s username in Soul Society. It seemed quite fitting for her.

    What exactly were the ¡°strange dreams¡±?

    Seiji requested more information on this specific term.

    However, this information would apparently cost him 50 points!

    ¡°I already owe -910 points, so who cares about another 50?¡± Seiji ignored the debt warning and confirmed that he wanted the information.

    An information file soon appeared on hisputer screen.

    Seiji gradually started frowning as he read this information.

    Not long after he finished reading, the file automatically deleted itself.

    ording to what he¡¯d read, this was indeed about a game, a death game yed in people¡¯s ¡°dreams¡±!

    So far, only ordinary people had died. No Spiritual Ability users had died from this, but this didn¡¯t mean that Spiritual Ability users were immune to death.

    Entering this game would be risky, not to mention that Kamitani was involved.

    Seiji took out the red card and gazed at the pentagram on it.

    The game¡¯s rules allowed him to take one other person with him¡­ Should he do this together with Shika?

    He didn¡¯t want his adopted younger sister to meet with any danger. Still, she was now his Spirit-branded Retainer. Telling her nothing and going to meet danger in a dream by himself seemed like it would really make her unhappy afterwards.

    Seiji decided to exin everything to her as a proper partner should.

    Aftering to this decision, he instantly went to find Shika.

    Karen was standing in confusion at the top of a building.

    She saw nothing but ck buildings everywhere. mes were all over the ce. There were corridors and pipes intersecting in midair, and all sorts of tforms could be seen. This was an incrediblyplex terrain.

    She could see some people moving, and there were sounds of gunshots, yelling, maniacalughter, and fighting¡­ all sorts of maniacal sounds could be heard.

    This feeling of insanity melded together with the pulsating heat in the air, giving her an incredibly ufortable sensation.

    ¡°What¡­ is this ce?¡±

    ¡°This is a dream,¡± Kaho¡¯s voice spoke up next to her.

    Currently, Kaho was wearing a bright-red one-piece dress and wearing some sort of abnormal butterfly-shaped mask. Kaho only revealed her smiling face and glowing eyes that gave off an unearthly demonic aura.

    ¡°Have fun, Sister.¡±

    After saying this, Kaho suddenly pushed Karen off the building!

 Chapter 699 - This is a slaughter game!

    <h4>Chapter 699: This is a ughter game!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    For an instant, Karen didn¡¯t realize what had just happened.

    Or, perhaps she realized but was unwilling to ept it inside.

    But no matter what, she now had to face the fact that she was currently falling down.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡± A scream of fear came out of Karen¡¯s mouth.

    Falling down from a tall building onto the ground would definitely result in death!

    Fortunately, there was a corridor in midair hanging right below this building. She crashed into it with a heavy thud. It really hurt.

    The pain caused Karen to scream again. Her consciousness became hazy.

    In her haziness, she saw someone running over.

    ¡°How lucky, it¡¯s a total noob.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s a noob that¡¯s almost dead.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the kill.¡±

    A man wearing a monkey maskughed as he sliced down with his sword.

    He was pulled into this strange dream yet again.

    Isamu Seima sighed helplessly when he saw this familiar ce once more.

    Ever since five days ago, he was being pulled into this strange ce every night in his dreams.

    At first, a ck-d crow-mask-wearing person told him that this was a dream, and that a game would be yed within this dream.

    The game¡¯s rules were quite simple. The goal was simply to continuously kill other yers and be the final survivor. The final winner would be able to receive 100,000 sakuras as a cash prize in reality!

    100,000 sakuras was a significant amount of money to a high schooler like Isamu. This was greatly appealing to him. However, it was an issue whether or not he would truly be able to receive the money.

    This situation was far too abnormal! Just how was he and other people pulled into such a dream? Why was he chosen? Would he suffer any harm in real life? What exactly was the real purpose of this game?

    The crow masked person had vanished right after exining the basic situation to him. Isamu didn¡¯t even get the chance to ask any questions.

    He then immediately met another yer.

    This yer immediately attacked him!

    Isamu tried telling him that he didn¡¯t want to fight. Isamu only wanted to talk and get a better idea of what was going on. However, the other personpletely ignored him and only tried to kill Isamu!

    Isamu could only run away.

    Although the crow masked person said that this was only a dream, Isamu didn¡¯t want to experiment with his own life to see whether he would be able to leave if he died here. Nor did he want to kill anyone.

    Isamu really loved to y video games ever since he was young. He spent just about all his spending money and birthday money on video games. Now that he was in high school, he even worked a part-time job just for the sake of spending more money on video games. He was definitely addicted to gaming. Still, his parents were strict about his schooling, so he had fairly good grades and was physically active as well. He counted as a rtively good student.

    Of course, he had yed battle royale games before as well. Still, this wasn¡¯t the type of game that he liked. He preferred singleyer games rather thanpetitive multiyer games. He was the type who didn¡¯t like to be hurt or to hurt others.

    Maybe a battle-royale-game-loving person would have more fun or even be excited to join such a game in their dreams. However, this was nothing more than a bother to Isamu.

    Isamu continued hiding and running away, but reached his limits. Someone shot him with a bullet in the back, causing pain to almostpletely rob him of his consciousness. Since he couldn¡¯t run anymore, he started resisting, and used his starting dagger to stab the other party in the neck. Both Isamu and his attacker died!

    Isamu was then revived in another corner of the battlefield.

    Although he didn¡¯t die for real, the pain and fear greatly stimted Isamu. He realized that only hiding and running would bring nothing but harm upon him.

    This was a ughter game!

    Since he didn¡¯t know how to quit this game, he could only y it.

    Isamu then used his long-time gaming experience and carefully considered his strategy for how to move around, kill others, and protect himself.

    All the other game yers he met were difficult tomunicate with. Isamu began to suspect if these were even real people at all or something like NPCs. He also wondered if this was nothing more than an ongoing nightmare of his. However, this dream seemed abnormally real¡­

    Still, Isamu didn¡¯t give up trying to talk to the other yers. He finally met a person that was willing to talk to him!

    After a discussion, Isamu and the other person formed a temporary team and fought as allies.

    But not long after, an incredibly powerful maniacal yer ambushed and killed them both. Isamu was separated from this other person afterwards and never saw him again.

    Isamu was now certain that this was no mere ordinary nightmare. There were other reasonable yers that he could talk to and ally with. He tried to locate that former partner to team up again, but Isamu was killed off over and over again before he finally woke up in his bed again.

    In the next five days, he entered this abnormal dream a total of four times.

    Every time he woke up, Isamu felt as if some deep part of himself had gone missing. This mysterious sense of loss made him feel greatly uneasy. Although he went to the hospital for a checkup, the hospital couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with him at all.

    And now, he was in this dream yet again.

    Just how the hell was he supposed to quit this damned game!!

    After feeling helpless, he now felt rage. But no matter how angry Isamu got, it was all useless.

    ¡®Perhaps I¡¯ll be able to quit this nightmare if I finally win this game¡­¡¯ Isamu began to think in such a manner.

    Every reasonable yer that Isamu met and was able to talk to told him that they hadn¡¯t been able to ¡°win¡± this game.

    Although Isamu had now proved thatmitting suicide several times in a row would allow him to quit the game for the night, suicide wasn¡¯t something fun at all. He was also quite worried about the feeling that he kept losing something each time.

    Rather than constantly running away and meeting an unknown end, Isamu preferred to try his hardest to win. Even if he won but was still unable to escape from this dream, could he at least get 100,000 sakuras?

    Isamu made up his mind to begin fighting at his very best.

    Fortunately, on this round of the game, he soon found an unopened wooden chest. He opened it, only to find a gun and several ammo clips inside.

    Isamu wasn¡¯t all that delighted at obtaining a gun from the very start. That was because his past experiences here helped him to learn that he didn¡¯t have any talent at shooting.

    When ying shooting video games, the game would typically have aiming aids and other assistance for the yer. But here, he had to physically aim at things himself, and this damned ce had such aplex terrain that long-distance shooting had really low uracy.

    It was quite different to be a shooting expert in a video game vs. being a shooting expert in real life.

    Still, guns were far more powerful than melee weapons. Although it was limited by ammunition, it was still far better than any melee weapon.

    Isamu filled the gun with bullets as he continued onward.

    He suddenly sensed two people to his right.

    This was a rather subtle sensation. It was an ability that the dream world gave to him, just like a minimap in a game that would allow him to know the other yers¡¯ locations.

    Isamu was rather confused as the minimap sense would only activate after he killed several other yers in the game. Why did it activate from the very start this time?

    Although he was confused, he continued moving towards the other two people¡¯s locations.

    He then saw the two yers.

    They were a jacket-wearing boy and a girl who wore a one-piece dress. Both of them wore gray masks that werepletely nk.

    All yers in this dream would automatically have masks on their faces. The mask wouldn¡¯t feel like it was there, but it would be possible to touch the mask.

    This mask would also evolve together with how many yers a person had killed. The more yers one killed, the more colorful and detailed the design of the mask would be.

    Since these masks werepletely nk, these two yers had yet to kill a single other yer.

    Right after seeing these two people, Isamu then saw several other masked yers with various weapons attacking the duo!

    He figured that the duo was absolutely certain to die.

    Even if it was himself with his gun, Isamu felt that he would die there as well. Not to mention, these two yers appearedpletely unarmed.

    However, the next scene surpassed Isamu¡¯s imagination¡­

    *Smack smack smack smack¡­*

    The duo avoided the ambushers¡¯ attacks at an astonishing speed. They defeated all the attackers with just their empty fists!

    The smacks sounded so loud as if heavy hammers were smashing into the other yers¡¯ bodies.

    This all happened so quickly that Isamu was unable to see the process clearly. It seemed like only an instant before the weapon-wielding yers were all knocked onto the ground.

    The male and female duo remainedpletely uninjured.

    Their masks immediately started changing. The boy¡¯s mask turned into a golden red demon face that seemed quite authoritative and angry, giving him an imposing martial aura. The girl¡¯s mask became blue-white, smooth, and beautiful, giving off a cold and dark aura.

    Although there was still quite some distance between them, Isamu could sense the extraordinariness of those two masks. He couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.

    He then saw those two people looking in his direction!

 Chapter 700 - Mask of Sin

    <h4>Chapter 700: Mask of Sin</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Isamu suddenly became afraid that he was being targeted, but soon he realized that he was mistaken.

    Those two people weren¡¯t looking at him. They were looking at a ck-d figure that appeared in a cloud of ck mist in front of them¡­

    The crow-masked person!

    After activating the game card, Seiji and Shika entered the dream game world together.

    They knew already that this was the scene of the Spirit World ¡°Ironfire Castle¡±!

    The real Ironfire Castle was more dangerous than the Forest Pce, but less dangerous than the Blood Moon Mountain. Yet, this dream was only imitating the Ironfire Castle¡¯s terrain.

    Not long after Seiji and Shika entered, they were attacked by a bunch of other yers.

    After dealing with the ambushers, a silver-haired, ck yukata-wearing crow-masked figure appeared close to them.

    ¡°Wee~¡± Itsuki Kamitani¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°You cameter than I expected, Haruta nii-san.¡±

    ¡°One must be prepared when visiting a stranger¡¯s home,¡± Seiji responded.

    ¡°How can you say that I¡¯m a stranger? We already know each other and even yed a game together. That makes us friends!¡±

    ¡°I believe that we may have different understandings of the word ¡®friend¡¯, Kamitani-san.¡±

    ¡°No need to act so seriously, you know.¡±

    As they spoke, the ambushers who copsed on the ground all suddenly vanished.

    There was then the sound of rapid bullet fire!

    *Tat tat tat tat*

    Seiji and Shika dodged the bullets in time by jumping behind a pipe. The bullets nged loudly against the pipe.

    The attack came from a man wearing a wolf head mask who wielded an assult rifle.

    Kamitani looked towards the man. ck mist immediately appeared behind the man and transformed into a huge w that captured him!

    ¡°My apologies for the poor wee.¡±

    Seiji looked towards Kamitani and asked him directly, ¡°¡­What exactly is your goal here?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°This dream, this so-called game, why did you create all this?¡±

    ¡°To let everyone have fun, of course!¡± Kamitani extended his palms. ¡°That¡¯s how it is for all the games in the world!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He folded his arms and gave off an aura of ¡°I¡¯m just here to watch you spout bullsh*t.¡±

    ¡°Fine, that¡¯s not quite entirely the case.¡± Kamitani coughed. ¡°The Messengers have their reason for creating this game¡­ But please believe me, the only reason I¡¯m hosting this game is because I want to have fun.¡±

    ¡°Is it fun to toy around with others¡¯ lives?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not toying around with lives, I¡¯m simply toying with their souls.¡±

    The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

    ¡°No need to be so serious. Although some people died, it¡¯s their own fault.¡± Kamitani chuckled as he noticed that Seiji had visibly be angry.

    Seiji stared directly at Kamitani and inquired, ¡°What exactly do you want to do? Previously, you said that people will die if I don¡¯te. What did you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I want to do an experiment. Although it¡¯s a bit early to do this, I feel that the game¡¯s current state isn¡¯t fun enough, so I¡¯ve decided to perform it earlier than nned,¡± Kamitani told him. ¡°If you don¡¯te, it¡¯s likely that more people than before will end up dying. Perhaps the dead will even include someone you know.¡±

    *Boom!!*

    A tremendous fireball hit Kamitani and exploded into mes that seemed to represent Seiji¡¯s fury.

    The ck mist wiped away the mes. The silver-haired boy remainedpletely uninjured.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. The person that you know entered this game of their own volition. I didn¡¯t force that person at all. And rather than death, I think that person might even receive benefits because they seem to have quite some potential.¡±

    ¡°Who is it!?¡± Seiji clenched his fists.

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret~ It would be boring to tell you, so why don¡¯t you find out for yourself?¡± Kamitani chuckled.

    Many possibilities shed through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    He thought that one person was more likely than the others, but there was too little information for him to go on right now.

    ¡°As for my experiment, rather than exining about it, it¡¯ll be quicker to simply show you.¡±

    Before Seiji could ask any more questions, Kamitani waved his hand, bringing the ck w over to him and tossing the wolf-masked man on the ground.

    The silver-haired boy then pointed and caused more ck mist to appear, entering the wolf mask. This caused the man to scream out in pain.

    ¡°Wargh!!!!!!¡±

    The man¡¯s body started expanding, while his clothes turned into fur. His screams transformed into a wolf¡¯s howling at the end. His mask grew to cover his entire face and distorted even more¡­

    After a short few seconds, the wolf-masked man transformed into a gray wolfman with a powerful body that was more than two meters tall!

    ¡°I call these masks the ¡®Mask of Sin¡¯. And, this transformation is known as ¡®Sin Activation¡¯.¡± Kamitani chatted as if he was a kid showing off his favorite toy.

    Right after saying this, the wolfman howled as he charged towards Seiji and Shika!

    *Boom!!*

    Seiji shot out anotherrge fireball thatnded a direct hit on the wolfman¡¯s head.

    Yet, this seemed to be useless as the wolfman dashed right through the mes and swung its ws at Seiji!

    Seiji agilely dodged the attack, while Shika used a whirlwind kick to viciously kick the wolfman!

    Shika¡¯s kick would have been powerful enough to send an ordinary adult flying a great distance away. However, the wolfman didn¡¯t even budge.

    The wolfman¡¯s eyes gave off a blood-red glow as he furiously waved his ws! He was so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

    Although Seiji and Shika were unarmed, they continuously retreated.

    Shika then lifted her hands and formed sharp ice des by summoning a chilly mist. She then took a chance to counterattack!

    She sessfully injured the wolfman¡¯s right paw. The wolfman roared in anger and spat out arge amount of grayish-white fluid at her!

    Defense curse, [Turtle Armor]!

    Seiji cast his ovepping defensive barrier and got in front of Shika in time to block this unavoidable attack.

    The grayish-white fluid gave off an indescribably strange stink that was disgusting to inhale.

    The injury on the wolfman¡¯s right paw speedily recovered; it was as if he¡¯d never received the injury in the first ce.

    He then went around to the side to continue swiping with his ws. A fierce glint appeared in Seiji¡¯s eyes. Seiji suddenly gathered powerful white light on his right hand, thenbined it with Yomi¡¯s power to transform it into a sword of light that emanated faint golden holy-like waves.

    This was his [Evolved White Lotus de]!

    With a sh and a sh of light, the wolfman¡¯s left paw was sliced off!

    He wailed in pain and started retreating.

    The next second, grayish liquid welled out of the injury and speedily formed the wolf¡¯s paw again. It was soon restored to its original form.

    The wolfman then jumped upwards and started jumping swiftly between the corridors and buildings.

    Seiji and Shika backed up against each other and observed him while remaining highly vignt.

    The wolfman continuously increased his speed through sessive jumps, creatingrge numbers of afterimages everywhere. Finally, he suddenly jumped down from straight above! He opened his mouth and spat out enough grayish-white liquid to drown both of them¡­

    *Shing!!*

    A de of light entered the wolfman¡¯s mouth and exited from the wolfman¡¯s lower half!

    Seiji had seen through this attack and pierced the wolfman in midair.

    His spiritual de then exploded in a sh of brilliant light!

    The wolfman¡¯s body was split into two halves from this explosion.

    Grayish-white liquid sttered everywhere, causing everything to be indescribably stinky.

    After the two halvesnded on the ground, they soon started to squirm and appeared to be attempting to put themselves back together again with powerful regenerative abilities.

    [Evolved Fire Bullet]!

    Seiji sent out golden mes that burned half of the wolfman¡¯s body.

    Shika froze and shattered the other half of the wolfman¡¯s body.

    *p p p¡­* There was the sound of apuse.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Kamitani praised them. ¡°As you can see, Sin Activation can turn a normal human yer that you should have easily been able to deal with into something that will give you slight difficulty. The more people a yer kills in the game, the more beautiful the Mask of Sin will be and the more powerful the Sin Activation will be.

    ¡°The stronger the Sin Activation, the more difficult it will be to withstand. Game yers that can¡¯t withstand it will have their minds shatter or even receive serious injuries to their souls to the point of death. If you don¡¯t want people to die, then you need to kill them to make them quit the game before that happens. Haruta nii-san, don¡¯t you really love saving people? Then hurry and kill all the yers in here as quickly as possible, including that person you know.¡±

 Chapter 701 - I surrender!

    <h4>Chapter 701: I surrender!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After saying that, the silver-haired boy chuckled again and vanished in a cloud of ck mist.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡± Shika looked at him.

    ¡°The more yers one kills, the more powerful this so-called Sin Activation will be, and the more difficult it will be to withstand¡­ this will definitely include ourselves,¡± Seiji stated as he touched the mask on his face. ¡°If we do as he tells us to, our masks will finally be activated in the end, which will probably be terrible for us. But even so, I will choose to kill all the other yers to make them leave so that I can save them¡ªthat¡¯s what he wants to see.

    ¡°However, he¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m not the noble type who will sacrifice myself and mypanions to save others I don¡¯t even know. Plus, acting exactly as the enemy wants, sacrificing myself to save others, is the most idiotic thing in the world!¡±

    The important part was to think and figure out what the correct path was here.

    ¡°No matter how this dream was created, this is still only a dream,¡± Seiji stated out loud calmly. ¡°This means that all the other so-called yers are just dreaming. Making them quit the game actually means to have them wake up. And, this doesn¡¯t have to be achieved only through the game¡¯s setting of killing them. Targeting their mental spirits or souls or giving them a sufficient amount of stimtion should also be possible¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Yomi?¡± Seiji asked his bonded female spirit.

    Yomi answered with a chuckle.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Nice idea,¡± she praised him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only learned the most basic soul attack spell. It¡¯s probably insufficient with only this spell. I need your help,¡± Seiji requested.

    He had only recently begun learning about the soul, so he didn¡¯t have much knowledge yet. He had just barely managed to learn [Beginner-level Soul Attack].

    Seiji didn¡¯t have the opportunity to use this spell back at the Bloodwine Ritual tournament. It seemed like it would be useful here. However, Seiji was worried if that spell wouldn¡¯t be too weak against the other yers.

    ¡°Rather than having me help out, you might as well have Shinobu-chan try,¡± Yomi told him.

    ¡°Shinobu-chan?¡± Seiji was surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Although she¡¯s still really weak, this is only a dream. She¡¯ll be able to use her skills with your Mana¡¯s support. It¡¯ll be perfect as light exercise for her.¡±

    ¡°Will it really be fine? Will this hurt her in any way?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some minor risk, but it¡¯s worthwhile. It¡¯s just like how human children need to take risks about falling while growing up and learning how to walk.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ What exactly should I do?¡±

    Yomi told him the method.

    After Seiji learned the method, he talked it over with Shinobu. She was highly motivated about being able to help her master.

    When Isamu Seima saw the crow-masked person again, he almost wanted to rush right over.

    Isamu felt that this crow-masked person was the host, or one of the hosts, of this ughter game. Isamu wanted to ask just how he could quit this game!

    But, would it really be possible to obtain the answer simply by rushing over and pointing his gun?

    That would be impossible¡­ the crow-masked person was just like a game administrator for an MMORPG. Even if a yer had the strongest weapon in the game, that still wouldn¡¯t allow the yer to threaten a game administrator! It might even bring great trouble upon the yer.

    Isamu ended up hesitating and didn¡¯t act on his impulse.

    The crow-masked person talked to the two powerful yers for a while. Isamu was unable to hear them clearly, but it didn¡¯t seem to be about introducing the game¡¯s rules.

    Then, a wolf-masked man suddenly arrived and attacked the two yers with an assault rifle. ck mist then appeared and transformed into a huge w that caught the wolf-masked man!

    This was the crow-masked person¡¯s power.

    It was so easy to capture an assault rifle-wielding yer, so it would obviously be far easier to deal with Isamu, who only had a handgun.

    Isamu felt quite lucky that he didn¡¯t go rushing over there. Yet, the next instant, ck mist suddenly appeared right next to him!

    Before he could even react, a huge w grabbed him into the darkness!

    Isamu was unable to even move or make a sound. Yet, he was still miraculously able to breathe and hear things.

    Was he going to be squeezed to death?

    He hadn¡¯t experienced such a death in the game so far. If he was going to die, he wanted the w to hurry up.

    Isamu silently waited for death.

    However, his head started aching a whileter, as if something dark and cold was being forcefully injected into his brain through the mask. It was as if thousands of icy cold needles were piercing into his head. It was incredibly painful!

    Isamu did his best to struggle as his consciousness became hazy. He saw many scattered scenes and heard cacophonous sounds, as well as smelled a stink which was sticky and bloody¡­

    He was going to die.

    He wasn¡¯t merely going to die in the game, he was going to die for real!

    Isamu was no longer capable of thinking. However, his instinct to survive told him that if he allowed himself to sink into the darkness, he would nevere back again.

    ¡®No no no no no no no!!!

    ¡®I still have so many fun video games that I haven¡¯t beaten yet! There¡¯s some uing new games that I was really looking forward to ying! I still haven¡¯t returned the game I borrowed from my friend! I still haven¡¯t confessed to the girl that I like! I still haven¡¯t properly paid back my parents for raising me! I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡¯

    His desire to live transformed into a strong will to survive. This managed to protect his mental spirit.

    His pain increased even more. Yet, Isamu¡¯s mind actually became clearer. It was as if he was someone swept overboard on the ocean and was now furiously struggling on the surface of the water for each and every breath.

    Then, the pain gradually decreased.

    His vision slowly returned to normal. The cacophonous sounds faded and the bloody smell vanished.

    He finally woke up again.

    ¡°What exactly happened¡­?¡± Isamu muttered to himself as he experienced a wondrous sensation.

    He could feel that he had now obtained extraordinary power!

    However, this newfound power wasn¡¯t very strong yet. He instinctively understood that he would need to strengthen himself by killing more yers.

    ¡®Then let¡¯s go kill some people!!¡¯

    Isamu was nearly ovee by a sudden urge to kill. He then immediately saw two game yers¡­

    The angry demon-masked boy and strange smile-masked girl.

    Isamu was rendered speechless.

    The angry demon-masked boy raised his hand and seemed like he was about to attack.

    ¡°I surrender!¡± Isamu decisively shouted that as he raised both of his hands.

    The angry demon masked boy¡ªSeiji stopped when he saw this unexpected action.

    ¡°Surrender?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I surrender. If you want, you can take my weapon.¡± Isamu handed over his gun. ¡°Could we please talk?¡±

    Isamu¡¯s sudden urge to kill speedily cooled down now that he was faced with these two powerful individuals. He managed to regain his calm.

    He preferred to talk to reasonable yers rather than fighting.

    ¡°Of course we can talk.¡± Seiji was quite happy to talk to someone who wasn¡¯t berserk.

    Soul Society¡¯s information on this game indicated that the great majority of ordinary people pulled into this dream would enter a berserk state where their desire to kill was greatly enhanced. It would be almost impossible for such people to normally think andmunicate. Only a very few were able to retain their sense of self in this dream.

    Even Spiritual Ability users would be affected by this dream¡¯s enhanced berserk state. Only those powerful enough or those with resolute will would be able to maintain their calm.

    ¡°I saw you talking to the crow-masked person earlier. Could I ask what you talked about?¡± Isamu inquired.

    Of course, the crow-masked person was Itsuki Kamitani.

    ¡°Some things that weren¡¯t so fun¡­ to summarize, the more people you kill in here, the more dangerous it will be for you.¡± Seiji looked at Isamu. ¡°Do you like ying this game?¡±

    ¡°Not at all! I was dragged into this hellish ce for no apparent reason. I¡¯ve been here several times already and have no idea how to stop having this nightmare.¡± Isamu sighed. ¡°Do you guys know how to stop this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about not being pulled into this dream anymore, right? I apologize, I don¡¯t know how to stop this dream, either¡­ Although I can have you immediately quit this particr game for tonight.¡± Seiji raised his hand. ¡°It will only take an instant. It won¡¯t hurt¡­ probably.¡±

 Chapter 702 - Throw Shinobu at you!

    <h4>Chapter 702: Throw Shinobu at you!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®When you say that it won¡¯t hurt, can¡¯t you sound a little more confident?¡¯ Isamu thought to himself.

    ¡°Why do you have that type of ability?¡±

    ¡°Because¡ª¡±

    ¡°Brother, watch out, four o¡¯clock!¡± Shika suddenly warned Seiji with a magic message.

    Seiji immediately looked in that direction and saw a gun pointing at him!

    He reflexively dragged the boy standing in front of him into a nearby building. Shika followed right after.

    One secondter, there was the sound of gunfire as many bullets shot into the corridor and pipe they were just standing in!

    Isamu realized that they had just been ambushed. If it hadn¡¯t been for Seiji dragging him to safety, he definitely would have died there already.

    After a while, the enemy yer stopped shooting. Then, arge man wearing a tiger mask appeared. He started approaching down the pipe.

    *Boom!* Isamu started shooting.

    Earlier, when he tried to give up his gun, Seiji indicated that he didn¡¯t want it. So, Isamu still had his gun.

    He was lucky enough to hit the man directly in the chest. However, the man merely shook slightly before he immediately started returning fire!

    He was actually alright!?

    The tiger mask man clearly wasn¡¯t wearing any bulletproof vest. He actually managed to stay standing after receiving a direct hit¡­?

    Isamu was astonished by this. The strange smile-masked girl¡ªShika¡ªcreated some ice des and shot them at the tiger mask man, knocking him down.

    Seiji immediately rushed over and pointed his hand at the enemy yer. A white light appeared on his hand.

    *Whoosh!* A silver-haired small girl appeared from the white light. She lifted up arge golden hammer, which was evenrger than she was. With a ¡°Hiiyah!¡±, she smashed the hammer at therge tiger-masked man!

    *Thud!*

    There was a muffled sound together with golden waves that spread out from the impact.

    This technique was known as ¡°Throw Shinobu at you!¡±

    Cough, that was just a joke.

    Actually, Seiji was using Yomi¡¯s so-called method. This was to release Shinobu¡¯s soul in order to use a soul attack against the target which would forcefully shake the person¡¯s mental spirit and wake them up.

    It was just that the process ended up looking surprisingly cute.

    Shinobu¡¯s soul form was appearing much younger than her physical body. Herrge hammer was her soul-attacking method. She looked quite cute, and her ¡°Hiiyah!¡± would surely shake any lolicon¡¯s soul!

    Seiji personally felt that he wasn¡¯t a lolicon, yet even he was shaken by her cuteness. That was the evidence of just how impactful it was.

    After Shinobu attacked, Seiji instantly pulled her back into his body again as he observed the soul attack¡¯s effects.

    The tiger-masked man started shaking, and his entire body started bing clear. He was about to leave this dream.

    Yet, he suddenly roared, and his body became restored again. He trembled violently as he crawled up while the mask on his face glowed red.

    Seiji frowned upon seeing this. He speedily created a golden longsword in his right hand and sliced down!

    *Shing!* The tiger-masked man¡¯s head was cut off and sent flying.

    And yet, the mask released a blinding red light, causing the head to suddenly fly backwards and back onto the body as if time had been reversed! The head reattached itself with a strong shock wave that forced Seiji backwards.

    *Rooooooaaaaaarrrr!!!*

    The tiger mask man then roared as he began transforming, just like a tiger. Just like the previous wolf mask man¡¯s transformation, the tiger-masked man soon became a muscr tigerman with vicious appearance!

    Although the soul attack was effective, this person had been resistant to the soul attack. It even caused his mask to use Sin Activation.

    ¡®I should have weakened him further before having Shinobu attack!¡¯ Seiji came to this conclusion.

    The tigerman viciously pounced at them. Seiji battled with his sword together with Shika¡¯s support.

    During this battle, another yer appeared and started shooting bullets at all of them!

    The tigerman jumped over and tore that yer to pieces. The tigerman¡¯s body then glowed red as his power increased.

    Even more yers started appearing. All sorts of gunfire kept rattling out, causing the scene to be chaotic.

    Seiji defeated a boy who wore a fly-shaped mask. He then summoned Shinobu to deal the final blow with her hammer. This indeed sessfully helped the boy to leave the dream! He proved his inference that first defeating a person without killing them in the game and then using a soul attack would be a workable method.

    At this moment, another yer¡¯s mask used Sin Activation. He transformed into a pitch-ck tentacle monster that shot out many tentacles at Shika!

    Shika started battling the tentacle monster. Seiji wanted toe to her support, but he was blocked by the tigerman. Not only that; other yers kept interfering as well.

    Isamu was also attacked. He managed to kill another yer with his gun, but Isamu also received a gunshot wound.

    Now was the time to use his newfound power.

    After seeing the strange smile mask girl and angry demon mask boy use extraordinary powers, along with the tigerman¡¯s transformation, Isamu realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one who received powers in this dream world.

    This seemed only natural to him. This game wouldn¡¯t be so that he was the only one to receive special powers.

    Isamu scoffed at himself for thinking for even a short while that he was special.

    But even though he wasn¡¯t special, he had special powers in this dream world.

    Although he wasn¡¯t powerful, he could still fight!

    Isamu closed his eyes and concentrated on activating his new power. He felt his body speedily heating up, as if his consciousness was rising and bing lighter¡­

    At this moment, Isamu¡¯s owl-shaped mask began to glow a dark red. The mask transformed into shy red eyesses.

    Isamu¡¯s T-shirt and shorts transformed into a ck jacket and long pants with a gray cardigan inside. He also gained a bright red tie.

    Red gloves appeared on his hands. Even his standard semi-automatic pistol transformed into an exquisite antique revolver!

    ¡°Heh heh heh!¡± Isamu started chuckling in delight.

    When he opened his eyes, he felt like he was incredibly happy. Although something felt wrong to him, he didn¡¯t really care. The important part right now was to have fun with this game (battle)!

    He immediately stepped out from the building and entered the battlefield with extravagant moves as if he was stepping out onto a stage.

    Several other yers immediately noticed his shiness and shot at him!

    Isamu moved around as if he was dancing and miraculously dodged all the bullets! He then returned fire with the revolver andnded three headshots in a row against three different enemy yers! His bullets all left red streaks in the air.

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise as he witnessed this scene.

    ¡®Hey now, why does he suddenly appear like the main character of a certain famous video game!?¡¯

    ¡°Hey~ Friend, just leave the small fries to me~¡± Isamu shouted towards Seiji with a jubnt tone. ¡°Please concentrate on those ugly monsters~¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Could I ask who you are?¡± Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    ¡°Heeheehee~ I¡¯m the person you just saved. Although I¡¯m not as outstanding as you and that miss over there, I¡¯m still more than enough to deal with small fries. Allow me to repay the favor I owe you~¡±

    As Isamu spoke, hended another three beautiful headshots against another three yers.

    Although his actions and movements seemed beautiful, they also seemed overboard. Plus, he was now speaking in a lilting tone. When paired with his current appearance, a nice description would be that he seemed like an actor on stage, and a not-so nice description would be that he was a chuunibyou¡­

    This state was evidently abnormal! Seiji thought back to how the boy before him looked when talking to Seiji earlier. It was astonishing how he had suddenly transformed into such a state. What exactly had happened?

    ¡®Is this another form of Sin Activation? People that still maintain their logic and reason after Sin Activation will be like this!?¡¯

    That was apletely different style from those who transformed into monsters. You could either transform into a monster or a chuunibyou¡­

    Question: What would you choose between transforming into an insane bloodthirsty monster or a chuunibyou addicted to performing?

    Answer: Seiji would choose death!

    Transforming into a monster was quite terrible, but transforming into a chuunibyou would be so embarrassing!!

    ¡­Although it was embarrassing, maybe it would also be a little cool?

    ¡®No, no, I definitely don¡¯t want to be like that!¡¯ Seiji forcefully retorted to himself.

 Chapter 703 - Let me continue helping you!

    <h4>Chapter 703: Let me continue helping you!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Regardless, with a helper dealing with the small fry¡ªor ordinary yers, there were now far fewer distractions, and Seiji and Shika could concentrate on dealing with yers that had undergone Sin Activation.

    Seiji used the terrain to help dodge the tigerman¡¯s vicious attacks. He then used [Evolved Body strengthening technique¡ªWind] to speed himself up even more for a swift attack!

    Densely intersecting sword attacks sliced at the tigerman¡¯s body, causing serious damage and slicing off his right paw.

    ¡°Grrrahhhroooaarrr!!¡± the tigerman screamed out in what resembled abination of human and tiger screams. He then hurriedly retreated.

    Seiji chased right after him without giving him a chance to escape.

    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t escape, the tigerman roared as he then got down on all fours and crouched down on the ground like a real tiger. All the hair on his body stood up on ends as his body expanded. He widened his mouth as a red glow appeared inside.

    *Boom!*

    A blood-red light explosively shot out from the tigerman¡¯s mouth!

    Seiji responded calmly.

    Seeing how obvious it was that the tigerman was using some sort of ultimate ability, Seiji had already prepared his own spell to deal with the blood-red light. Arge amount of smaller spell formations instantly appeared, blocking the blood-red light and transforming it¡­

    Counterattack curse, [Dragon Counterattack]!

    The spell formations shed as the blood-red light turned into a golden dragon that roared as it rushed back towards the tigerman and exploded in a brilliant light!

    The tigerman copsed from this explosion.

    Seiji released Shinobu and had her hammer the tigerman out of the game.

    Meanwhile, Shika froze the tentacle monster solid.

    However, another yer underwent Sin Activation as well, transforming into arge meatball-shaped monster with several mouths that emitted a green gas¡­ The battle continued!

    The fierce fighting continued for quite a while.

    After all the attacking yers were killed or exiled with Shinobu¡¯s soul attack, this district was finally cleared and became quiet.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Seiji walked over to his helper and checked on him.

    Currently, Isamu¡¯s clothes were rather tattered, and he had a wretched appearance. However, he didn¡¯t appear to be injured.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Isamu gave a big thumbs up while shing a happy smile. ¡°It was really fun¡­ to y together with you¡­¡±

    He then remained in that pose as he smiled and copsed!

    Seiji grabbed him in time so that Isamu didn¡¯t hit the floor.

    Seiji and Shika then saw Isamu glowing a dark red as the shirt and tie vanished, while the tattered ck jacket and long pants transformed back into an undamaged T-shirt and shorts.

    His red gloves vanished, and the revolver he¡¯d dropped on the ground became a standard semi-automatic pistol again. His shoes became sneakers again as the shy red sses transformed back into an owl-shaped mask.

    Seiji now confirmed that this was indeed the same boy that he had been talking to before the battling started.

    He was now in a weak state¡­ Seiji wondered if he should exile this person from the game now?

    Just as Seiji was considering this, he saw Isamu moving.

    ¡°Erk¡­¡± Isamu woke up again.

    He felt a headache, and was rather dizzy. He also wanted to vomit.

    His body felt hot and listless, as well as numb¡­ it was as if he had undergone strenuous exercise followed by an electric shock.

    Luckily, someone was supporting him. Otherwise, he surely would have fallen down.

    Isamu lifted his head, only to see the angry demon mask boy.

    His head started working again, and he recalled what¡¯d just happened. He had activated his power, transformed, and started fighting as a team together with the angry demon mask boy and the strange smile mask girl¡­

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Seiji asked once again.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Isamu told him as he managed to stand by himself again. He indicated that Seiji didn¡¯t need to support him any further.

    ¡°Thank you for your help just now,¡± Seiji gave his thanks. ¡°May I ask how I should call you?¡±

    ¡°You can call me Owl,¡± Isamu answered.

    Since his mask was an owl, the first yer he¡¯d met who wasn¡¯t berserk had called him Owl. Isamu had taken Owl as his nickname in this game afterwards.

    ¡°Owl-san, you can call me White Night. My partner here is the Knight of Zero,¡± Seiji told Isamu.

    White Night and Knight of Zero? These were obviously just nicknames rather than real names as well. But, why was a girl using a name like knight?

    Isamu was rather curious about this, but didn¡¯t ask, since it was only a nickname here. It was just like an inte username.

    ¡°Thanks to your assistance, we were able to finish this battle without any problems¡­ What do you intend to do next, Owl-san?¡± Seiji asked. ¡°For example, as I said previously, I can help you to leave this particr instance of the game. Would you like to leave now or stay behind?¡±

    Isamu fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Can I ask who exactly the two of you are?¡± Isamu mulled things over before speaking up again. ¡°You have extraordinary power, but it¡¯s not like mine, nor is it anything like those people who transformed have showed¡­ I feel that you¡¯re no ordinary yers of this game.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re Spiritual Ability users,¡± Seiji admitted honestly.

    ¡°Spiritual Ability users¡­ so they really exist.¡±

    ¡°Since even an abnormal dream like this exists, isn¡¯t it natural for Spiritual Ability users to also exist?¡±

    ¡°You have a point¡­ is this dream also created by a Spiritual Ability user?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The boy that you call the crow-masked person is the main culprit behind all this.¡±

    ¡°Did youe here in order to fight that person?¡±

    ¡°While we are on opposing factions, this time we only came here to investigate.¡±

    ¡°Something like having insufficient information, so you¡¯re temporarily unable to deal with him, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    If Soul Society had more specific information on this strange dream, then they would surely take action¡­ ¡®So, perhapscking information and being unable to deal with Kamitani was indeed the case,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    ¡°Let me continue helping you!¡± Something shed in Isamu¡¯s eyes. ¡°I want topletely break free from this nightmare, so rather than exiting this particr instance of the game, I¡¯d prefer to continue helping you and do my best to fight against the person who created this nightmare!¡±

    ¡°Owl-san¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to call me by an honorific like -san.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­ Owl.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Thank you for your heartfelt intentions. Still, I must tell you that the longer you fight in here and the more people you kill, the more dangerous it will be for you.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because this mask is¡­¡±

    Seiji exined the properties of the Mask of Sin to Isamu.

    Isamu fell silent once again.

    So that extraordinary power he¡¯d just gained was the power of the mask, and activating it was called ¡°Sin Activation¡±!

    The more people he killed, the more powerful the Sin Activation would be, and the more difficult it would be to withstand.

    If he was unable to withstand it, it was possible that he would die for real rather than only dying in the game!

    Isamu recalled the painful sensations he underwent earlier and became afraid of the risk of dying for real.

    But if he didn¡¯t use his power, he would be nothing more than a small fry that wouldn¡¯t be of any help.

    Plus, there was the chance that even if he didn¡¯t activate the power himself, the mask would use Sin Activation for him.

    In conclusion, if he really wanted to help White Night and the Knight of Zero to fight against the crow-masked person, he would really need to risk his life! This would no longer be a simple game.

    This was a real battle where lives were at stake!

    Isamu became afraid.

    But, he also became somewhat excited.

    He had yed so many video games since young. He really enjoyed treating himself as the main character of the game and immersing himself in the hot-blooded stories of the games.

    And now, he finally had a chance to be a true hero.

    ¡­Although he wouldn¡¯t be the main character. He would be more like a side character who was slightly stronger than a small fry.

    But he would still be a hero¡­! He could fight for himself and others against evil!

    Isamu suddenly recalled the meaning of his name.

    Isamu was written with the characters for courage and fighting¡­ When he was younger, people told him that his name was just like a hero¡¯s name from an anime.

    Isamu agreed with this as well. Although he was embarrassed about his name when he was younger and wanted to reject it, he didn¡¯t think that way anymore at all.

    Isamu loved heroes.

    Isamu wanted to be a hero.

    That was why Isamu wouldn¡¯t let go of this chance to truly be a hero!

 Chapter 704 - Iâ€™ve resolved myselfâ€¦ probably

    <h4>Chapter 704: I¡¯ve resolved myself¡­ probably</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°I still want to stay behind and help you guys!¡± Isamu suppressed his inner fears as he spoke loudly with excitement and idolization. ¡°If it¡¯s more dangerous with killing more yers, will it be fine as long as I try my best not to kill them?¡±

    ¡°Logically, that should be the case, but I can¡¯t make any guarantees that you¡¯ll be safe just by doing that. Quitting the game is the safest,¡± Seiji told him.

    ¡°Quitting this game is only a temporary band-aid fix for tonight. That won¡¯t free me from this nightmare, and I¡¯d still face danger again, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Isamu looked directly at Seiji.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re certain that you want to stay behind?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Isamu answered adamantly. He then suddenly thought of something¡­

    ¡°If I stay behind to help you, will I be troubling you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, you were a great help just now.¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°But, you¡¯re still an ordinary person. Although it¡¯s brave of you to want to risk your life to battle with us, this isn¡¯t something that should be decided on an impulse¡­ have you really resolved yourself?¡±

    Resolve¡­ Isamu felt as if this word was so heavy as to be physical.

    His earlier resolution was already shaken. However, he soon firmed his resolve again.

    He had resolved himself already. No matter what happened afterwards, he would be mentally prepared!

    Isamu took a deep breath to help calm himself down.

    ¡°I¡¯ve resolved myself¡­ probably.¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s with that probably of mine!¡¯ Isamumented on himself after saying that out loud. ¡®Why did I say ¡®probably¡¯ after such cool-sounding words!? That ruined the great impression I gave!¡¯

    Earlier, he had beenmenting on how the angry demon mask boy didn¡¯t sound confident enough. He didn¡¯t think that, ironically, it was now time toment on himself.

    Seiji chuckled after hearing these words and sensing Isamu¡¯s embarrassment.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve only probably resolved yourself¡­ Well, I suppose that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Being brave enough to fight for real was quite courageous already. He could understand even if the resolve wasn¡¯t one hundred percent.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve resolved yourself, then I¡¯ll be counting on your assistance. But as your resolve seems insufficient, if I judge that you shouldn¡¯t stay any longer, I¡¯ll be having you leave this dream immediately. Will that be alright?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ Thank you, White Night-san.¡±

    ¡°I should be the one thanking you for being willing to help us. Also, there¡¯s no need to address me with the -san suffix.¡±

    ¡°Alright, White Night¡­ and Knight of Zero-san, please take care of me.¡±

    ¡°No need to use honorifics with me,¡± Shika told him. ¡°Thank you for your help, Owl.¡±

    ¡°No need to be polite.¡± Isamu smiled as he felt that he had obtained recognition.

    ¡°Two people areing over¡­ They¡¯ve been watching us for a while,¡± Shika stated as she indicated towards the left.

    Seiji and Isamu looked there, only to see two people walking over: a fat man wearing a horned rat mask along with a woman wearing a half green and half ck snake mask.

    The fat man was actually wearing pajamas, together with a bulletproof vest on top. It seemed rather strange. The woman was wearing an ordinary shirt and jeans, also with a bulletproof vest on top.

    ¡°They¡¯re Horned Rat-kun and Double Snake-san. I recognize them. They¡¯re both reasonable yers that we can talk to,¡± Isamu told Seiji and Shika.

    ¡°Hey, Owl-kun.¡± The rat mask pudgy man greeted them as he got close. ¡°I and Double Snake-san both saw your battle just now. Could I ask what that was about?¡±

    Isamu looked at Seiji, who nodded.

    They spent some time exining the situation to Horned Rat and Double Snake.

    ¡°Owl-kun is really so brave¡­ I don¡¯t have that type of courage.¡± The pudgy man sighed after hearing the situation. ¡°I want to quit this game immediately.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Seiji raised his hand. ¡°Please rx yourself and try not to think about resisting, Horned Rat-san.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­ can I really quit the game just like this? Nothing bad will happen to me?¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear ¡®probably¡¯, I want a guarantee!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there¡¯s no guarantee.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it if there¡¯s no guarantee! You¡¯re saying that I can quit tonight¡¯s game immediately, but it looks more like you¡¯re about to kill me¡­¡±

    ¡°Horned Rat-kun, White Night is trustworthy. He¡¯s a good person,¡± Isamu spoke up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in trusting others so easily¡­ what proof is there that he¡¯s a good person?¡±

    ¡°There is no proof. It¡¯s your own choice if you don¡¯t want to ept.¡± Seiji put down his hand. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good to quit this game, but if you don¡¯t believe me, I won¡¯t force you. At any rate, it¡¯s your own problem if you die because of your decision.¡±

    Horned Rat was rendered speechless.

    ¡°That¡¯s not something a good person would say,¡± he retorted angrily.

    ¡°I never said that I¡¯m a good person,¡± Seiji told him calmly.

    There would always be people suspicious of others¡¯ good intentions. Seiji understood this, but he wasn¡¯t willing to exin himself to them.

    ¡°What about Double Snake-san? Are you willing to believe me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask a question,¡± the snake masked woman said. ¡°What meaning is there for the crow-masked person to do all this? Giving special powers to the yers can¡¯t possibly be just to add anotheryer to the game.¡±

    ¡®But, that might really be the case. Kamitani seems like the type to do things just for fun.¡¯ Seiji recalled his conversation with Kamitani.

    ¡°This power¡­ the Mask of Sin¡­ could it be possible that it¡¯ll be usable in real life after it bes powerful enough?¡± Something shed in the snake masked woman¡¯s eyes.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Isamu reflexively denied this. ¡°We¡¯re all dreaming right now. It doesn¡¯t seem possible that a power obtained in a dream can be used in real life.¡±

    He looked towards White Night for agreement.

    But, Seiji didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°White Night?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Seiji honestly admitted this when confronted by Isamu¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that will be possible or not. It¡¯s impossible to say since there¡¯s insufficient information.¡±

    Kamitani had only mentioned the word ¡°experiment¡±.

    The experiment was regarding the Mask of Sin¡¯s Sin Activation. Yet, Seiji didn¡¯t know what the purpose of this experiment was.

    Kamitani only said that people who couldn¡¯t withstand the Sin Activation would die. Then what would happen to the people that could withstand it?

    Kamitani even said that the person Seiji knew might receive ¡°benefits¡±. What benefits could there possibly be?

    Seiji waspletely unable to deny the possibility of the Mask of Sin being used in real life once it grew strong enough!

    That was why he said that he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, doesn¡¯t that mean it might be possible?¡± The snake masked woman became excited. ¡°As long as we kill enough people in here, we can truly obtain the mask¡¯s power and be Spiritual Ability users in real life!¡±

    These words shook Isamu.

    Be a real Spiritual Ability user? Just imagining it gave him an indescribable feeling.

    ¡°Please calm down, Double Snake-san. This is only your guess,¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy tone. ¡°There¡¯re many things possible in the world. It¡¯s also possible that you¡¯ll win the lottery right after you wake up from this dream, but the probability of that happening is miniscule.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same!¡± Not only did she not calm down, she even became more excited. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem possible that this entire dream game was created just for all of us to have some fun! There must have been some important purpose behind creating all of this. And, doesn¡¯t it seem likely that an experiment to help ordinary people like me gain supernatural powers would be a possible goal!? It¡¯s quite fair that people who can¡¯t withstand this power should die. Obtaining an incredible power should have an associated price with it. I bet that¡¯s exactly what it is¡­ this is a chance! A chance to be a Spiritual Ability user instead of an ordinary person! The price is to gamble with your very life!!¡±

    The snake masked woman even sounded rather fanatical.

 Chapter 705 - This all feels too real!

    <h4>Chapter 705: This all feels too real!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Double Snake-san¡­ Do you want to be a Spiritual Ability user?¡± Isamu couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°Of course! As long as I can be a Spiritual Ability user, I¡¯ll¡­¡± The snake-masked woman suddenly stopped in the middle of her words.

    Everyone fell silent once again.

    ¡°First of all, I need to emphasize that all of this is only a guess,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s impossible to know whether the Mask of Sin will be strong enough to be used in real life if you power it up.

    ¡°Not only that, even if this is real, you have to carefully consider whether it¡¯s worth it to risk your life for spiritual powers.

    ¡°Failure will equal death! Not death in a game, but real death!

    ¡°And even if it¡¯s as you suppose, that you can sessfully receive supernatural powers, will the crow-masked boy and his organization really just congratte you and let you go? I highly doubt that.

    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that they¡¯ll take advantage of whomever managed to obtain powers! They¡¯ll use you as abat tool or something simr.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s definitely not a good idea to try fighting to obtain such a power.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only your personal opinion,¡± the snake mask woman stated coldly. ¡°You¡¯re enemies with the crow-masked boy, so of course you¡¯d say that.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯d rather believe the person who created such a dream that dragged so many people in it to kill each other over and over again for a dangerous experiment, then I have nothing to say.¡± Seiji looked directly at her. ¡°I¡¯ve already said everything I think I should say. You¡¯re free to make your own decision, and you¡¯ll also have to bear the consequences.¡±

    The atmosphere became heavy.

    ¡°White Night¡­ Double Snake-san¡­¡± Isamu looked back and forth between the two and wanted to ease the atmosphere. However, he didn¡¯t know what he should say.

    ¡°I won¡¯t die!¡± The snake mask woman gritted her teeth. ¡°I will obtain spiritual powers! I shall change my own fate!!¡±

    She then turned around to leave.

    ¡°Double Snake-san! Wait for me¡­!¡± The horned rat fatty chased after her.

    ¡°White Night¡­¡±

    ¡°Let them go. Just as I said earlier, I won¡¯t force them to leave.¡±

    Isamu fell silent.

    ¡°I apologize if that made you feel ufortable.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°No¡­ you don¡¯t need to apologize. I understand how it is,¡± Isamu said. ¡°I don¡¯t know them very well. They¡¯re simply acquaintances.¡±

    At this moment, a rumble resounded.

    The fire that burned everywhere as a light source suddenly grew into glorious mes that also shot out powerful magma!

    ¡°Danger!¡±

    Seiji, Shika, and Isamu immediately started moving to dodge the magma spurts.

    This was how the dream world forced the yers to constantly change locations to meet other yers.

    Not long after Seiji left, the district he was just in waspletely flooded by hot and sticky magma!

    A yer that was burned to death by the magma would be reborn in a safe district. However, this type of death was rather painful.

    Isamu had experienced being engulfed by magma before. He never wanted to experience it again.

    Of course, Seiji and Shika weren¡¯t interested in learning how this type of death felt.

    They gradually increased their speed. However, Isamu was unable to follow them as quickly.

    Seeing this, Seiji decided to simply carry Isamu and then increase his speed even further. Seiji and Shika basically flew through the dangerous magma area!

    Isamu got to personally experience what it felt like to be carried at high speed. He now truly realized that his two allies were no ordinary people.

    Meanwhile, Horned Rat and Double Snake weren¡¯t nearly as fortunate. They died painful death to the unexpected magma and respawned in a different location.

    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Karen asked after she heard explosions.

    ¡°That¡¯s magma¡­ but no magma has appeared here, which means that this is still a safe area.¡±

    Karen was talking to a boy who wore a ck hoodie and had a three-eyed cat mask on.

    ¡°Magma?¡±

    ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t even know what magma is?¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ the sticky substance that volcanos spew.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Magma will periodically spew from certain locations and flood entire districts, forcing the remaining yers to move to the few remaining districts,¡± the three-eyed cat boy exined calmly. ¡°Since there¡¯s no magma here, this means that this is one of the safe districts and other yers will soon being here.¡±

    More yersing here meant that there would be a battle. Karen became nervous.

    Earlier, she had died when her younger sister pushed her off the building.

    But luckily, it wasn¡¯t a real death.

    This was currently a game within a dream¡ªa game where all the yers kept killing each other!

    She learned all of this from the boy before her after she respawned.

    This boy called himself ¡°Three-Eyed Cat¡± and saved her, so she didn¡¯t die again. He also told her the information regarding this dream. However, this assistance wasn¡¯t for free. He wanted Karen to take a weapon and help him fight as well.

    Karen didn¡¯t want to fight. But when she was forced into danger, she could only do as Three-Eyed Cat said as she used her gun and fired!

    After several battles, three people died due to her shooting.

    Although this was only a game in a dream, Karen was still scared.

    That was because this all felt too real!

    ¡®What exactly is going on with this dream? Why was Kaho able to take me in here!?¡¯

    Karen really wanted to find her younger sister and ask these questions.

    However, she was unable to even protect herself in this dream game. If it wasn¡¯t for meeting Three-Eyed Cat, she knew that she probably would have been stuck dying over and over again.

    She was told that she would automatically quit this game after dying a sufficient number of times or throughmitting suicide.

    Karen thought aboutmitting suicide here to quit the game. Yet, Kaho was still within this dream. And she came here precisely because she had requested to fight against Kaho!

    She wanted to defeat her younger sister so that Kaho would return the demon¡¯s power.

    Yet she never expected that Kaho would end up bringing her to such a location.

    Committing suicide to quit this game would be the same as admitting defeat to Kaho. Karen definitely didn¡¯t want that!

    She had to find Kaho¡­ perhaps she would even need to fight and defeat Kaho.

    No¡­ she actually didn¡¯t need to especially go and find Kaho. Karen suddenly had a realization.

    ¡®ording to what Three-Eyed Cat-san says, this is a game where the yers continually fight against each other. That means that as long as I survive and Kaho survives, we¡¯ll definitely meet each other sooner orter! And if I don¡¯t see her even until the end, that means she¡¯s already been knocked out of the game, which means it¡¯s my victory. So, I don¡¯t need to find her at all. I only need to survive!¡¯

    Karen made up her mind to focus fully on survival.

    ¡°I forgot to ask you something,¡± Three-Eyed Cat asked after a moment of silence. ¡°How did youe here?¡±

    ¡°My younger sister brought me here¡­¡± Karen told him honestly. ¡°What about you, Three-Eyed Cat-san?¡±

    Something shed in Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got here. Five days ago, while I was sleeping, I suddenly arrived here in my dreams,¡± he stated calmly. ¡°It¡¯s been the same every night since then¡­ and I¡¯ve met some other yers that are reasonable and willing tomunicate. They¡¯ve all said the same thing. You¡¯re the only one that¡¯s different so far. You said that you¡¯ve never met the crow-masked person, so I was wondering if you came in here with a different method from everyone else¡­ It was as I expected.¡±

    The boy looked deeply at Karen as if he was trying to see through behind her butterfly mask.

    ¡°Just who are you? And who is your younger sister? Butterfly-san.¡±

 Chapter 706 - Weakâ€¦ so weak

    <h4>Chapter 706: Weak¡­ so weak</h4>

    ¡°I¡­¡± Karen didn¡¯t know how she should respond.

    She then suddenly felt a headache, as if something icy-cold was pouring through the mask into her brain. She then heard ear-piercing sounds, felt dizzy, her vision became obscured, she smelled a sticky stench of blood, and her consciousness went hazy¡­

    She felt the injected coldness beginning to violently sh against the power that dwelled within her body already. This was an incredibly ufortable and painful sensation for her.

    Karen instinctively tried to resist. However, her remaining lucidity made her ept the demon¡¯s power instead.

    ¡®This is my demon power, it belongs to me¡­ No matter how difficult and painful it is, I must ept it, I have to endure, I must withstand it!

    ¡®For my younger sister, Kaho¡­¡¯

    Karen did her best to maintain her mental spirit and sense of self. She refused to give up!

    Even when faced against a furiously cold torrential downpour, she didn¡¯t lower her head at all as she adamantly persisted, moving forward and facing everything head on!

    After the mask¡¯s power violently shed with the demon¡¯s power for a while, the two powers under Karen¡¯s eptance began tobine, whirl around, and mix with each other¡­ finally forming one.

    After the torrential onught ended, the pain and difort diminished, and everything returned to normal.

    When her consciousness was restored again, Karen felt an indescribably mystical sensation.

    She now had extraordinary powers!

    No¡­ she had such powers to begin with. It was just that she had finally learned how to use them.

    It was as if she possessed a warehouse that had been tightly locked, and now she finally found the key and could open it up and use what was inside!

    ¡°Erk¡­¡± A muffled sound came from beside her.

    The sound was from Three-Eyed Cat.

    He was clutching his head and seemed to be in pain.

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you also obtain it?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°A type of power just entered my mind just now¡­ Did you not feel anything?¡± Three-Eyed Cat looked at Butterfly.

    ¡°I¡­ did.¡±

    ¡°So you also obtained a power, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Karen nodded.

    Rather than obtaining a power, it was more like she had Awakened. But she supposed that it counted as obtaining a power.

    ¡°That hurt so much¡­ Shouldn¡¯t the game developers at least give a notification before adding a new update? Damned developers¡­¡± Three-Eyed Cat rubbed his forehead. ¡°Still, this new update seems quite nice. I¡¯m even more motivated to kill others now.¡±

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san¡­¡±

    ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer my earlier question. Just who are you and your younger sister?¡±

    Karen fell silent.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say, forget it. I don¡¯t care who you are, I only want you to help me,¡± Three-Eyed Cat stated calmly. ¡°Feel free to leave if you don¡¯t want to, but we¡¯ll be enemies from that moment onwards. I¡¯ll unhesitatingly kill you.¡±

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san¡­ Do you like ying this type of game?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to ask if I enjoy killing people?¡±

    Karen tacitly admitted this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like killing people, but I don¡¯t hate it, either,¡± Three-Eyed Cat replied. ¡°This is a ughtering game. The people here are equivalent to monsters in video games. Killing people here gives me the same feeling as killing monsters in other games. Basically, even if my enemies in this dream game were non-human, I¡¯d ept it in the same way without any particr satisfaction or disappointment. This dream is really abnormal, but as a game, it¡¯s actually pretty fun. That¡¯s because there¡¯s no such realistic game in real life. And, the crow-masked person even said that the final victor will be able to obtain 100,000 sakuras of real cash in real life. Since it¡¯s a game, then I should try my hardest to win. Plus, I really want that cash prize, so I¡¯m going to go all out.¡±

    Karen didn¡¯t know what to say to this.

    She felt like something was off about Three-Eyed Cat, but she didn¡¯t know what.

    ¡°What about you? Do you want to win?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to win. I only want to meet my younger sister.¡±

    ¡°You said that your younger sister brought you here¡­ How¡¯s your rtionship with her?¡±

    Karen fell silent once again.

    Three-Eyed Cat guessed that it was probably a bad rtionship, and didn¡¯t pry any further.

    ¡®Weak¡­ so weak.¡¯

    Kaho felt empty inside after ughtering arge number of yers in unison.

    At first, the battles here were rather difficult and stimting for her.

    But as her demon powers and techniques improved, Kaho soon leveled up to the point where she could easily suppress the normal yers. She didn¡¯t feel any excitement anymore.

    She then intentionally lured many yers to attack her in unison in order to increase the difficulty. Yet, she didn¡¯t even need to be serious and use her real power to kill all those yers. She felt that it was as easy as if she was cutting through grass.

    It was boring that the enemies were so weak.

    Although it was slightly fun to kill so many yers all at once, Kaho still felt mostly bored and that it wasn¡¯t interesting enough.

    ¡°Is that all there is to this game?¡±

    She suddenly felt like torturing other yers to death for fun. But then, she felt like even that would be boring as well.

    ¡°So boring¡­ I might as well just quit this game after I kill my older sister¡ªif she managed to remain alive.¡±

    If that idiot older sister of hers still hadn¡¯t managed to use her demon power, then she would definitely have been killed enough times to be kicked out of the game already.

    Only if Karen used her demon power would she be able to survive.

    In that case, Kaho would do exactly as Karen wished: have a fight against her.

    Kaho was absolutely confident that she would win. Her idiotic older sister had zero chance of winning.

    Kaho decided to bring out her full power andpletely suppress and kill Karen¡ªover and over again¡ªuntil she was kicked out of the game so that she would shut up and stop bothering her in real life!

    Of course, the prerequisite was that Karen had managed to survive until now. If she wasn¡¯t even able to survive, then she wouldn¡¯t even have the right to be Kaho¡¯s opponent.

    ¡°I feel ashamed as the host to hear that a yer thinks my game is boring.¡±

    A voice suddenly spoke up behind her.

    Astonished, Kaho suddenly turned around, only to see a silver-haired figure wearing a crow mask and a ck yukata.

    Although she couldn¡¯t see his face, she recognized from the voice and the clothing that this was the boy who had given her the game card to enter this dream world.

    He called himself Itsuki Kamitani. On that day, he had suddenly appeared before her, saying that he identified her as possessing demonic power and that he could help teach her to control her demon power.

    Naturally, Kaho was suspicious of such a person who magically appeared out of nowhere. But right after Kamitani appeared, he showed off his own demon power, allowing Kaho to sense that he was just like her!

    Kamitani gave her a strange blood-red card that he called a game card. He told her that injecting her demon energy into it would allow her to enter a game in a dream.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to use your demon power to the fullest in this game, which will help you to speedily learn how to use it properly. Think of it as training. I¡¯m helping you because I¡¯d like to be friends with you as we¡¯re fellowpanions that possess demon power. Please take good care of me in the future. It¡¯ll also be beneficial to me if you enter this game and y it. Since I¡¯m also gaining something, there¡¯s no need to feel that you owe me a favor.¡±

    The silver-haired boy then turned around and left after telling her all this.

    Kaho mulled it over for quite a while before she decided to try using the game card. And so, she sessfully entered the dream game, and truly was able to use her demon power. She began enjoying this feeling.

    When Karen requested to fight against her, Kaho thought of this game and wondered if she would be capable of bringing Karen along her inside. She then tried it out, and to her surprise, it worked.

    ¡°Kamitani-san¡­ I apologize, I didn¡¯t know that you were¡­¡±

    ¡°No worries, I should be the one apologizing. I feel truly bad that you were so bored.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve already added a new element to this game; that should interest you a little more.¡±

    Right after he said that, dense ck mist suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 707 - Having a demon and a goddess within his body

    <h4>Chapter 707: Having a demon and a goddess within his body</h4>

    Smack!!

    Seiji cut down a Sin Activation yer who had transformed into a bat monster. The bat heavily crashed into the ground.

    Although the bat tried to struggle, Shika stabbed it straight through, causing it to stop moving with a wail.

    Shinobu then shily arrived and smashed the bat person out of the game with a ¡°Hiya!¡±

    Seiji then recalled Shinobu as he looked around, ascertaining that there were no more enemies.

    ¡°Are you guys alright?¡±

    Shika said that she was fine. Isamu also felt alright after he recovered from his Sin Activation form.

    After leaving the magma district, Seiji and hispanions defeated many yers.

    Seiji had Shinobu take as many yers out of the game as possible. There were a few that he was unable to do this for, but he tried his best.

    Isamu swiftly grew stronger through the continuous battles.

    By now, he only needed three seconds to use Sin Activation and fully transform. He could now transform his gun into other weapons apart from a revolver, leading to different fighting techniques.

    Neither would Isamu be incredibly weakened after the transformation wore off. He now only needed to rest for a while before transforming again.

    However, it was difficult for Isamu to continuously use any weapon other than the revolver.

    It was quite evident that he had grown stronger. However, there was one part where Isamu didn¡¯t improve¡ªhis strange mentality about performing after transforming.

    Isamu tried his best, but was unable to control his urges at all. Something was off with his state of mind while transformed.

    Isamu could remember everything that happened while he was transformed, and felt really embarrassed. Although his two new allies didn¡¯tment any further on this, he still felt that he was behaving rather silly.

    Actually, Isamu was the most embarrassed about the fact that he secretly felt that it was fun to act like that¡­ It was as if he was happy about breaking taboos such as taking off all clothing and running around naked on the street.

    ¡®Just admit it, you¡¯re foundationally the type of person who enjoys that type of humiliation. You¡¯re just a pervert who wants to be naked in front of everyone.

    ¡®No, no, not at all! That was just an analogy, I¡¯m not a pervert! Nor am I enjoying such a state!!¡¯

    Aftermenting on his own thoughts, Isamu forced himself to stop thinking along these lines. He then asked his new teammate a question he had been wanting to ask. ¡°White Night, I was kinda curious¡­ What exactly is that silver-haired little girl?¡±

    Out of all the extraordinary powers that his two allies showed off, this silver-haired loli that kept jumping out of White Night¡¯s body and swinging a golden hammer evenrger than herself was what Isamu was the most curious about.

    Isamu hadn¡¯t asked before, because he was worried that it would tread upon some taboo. But now, he really couldn¡¯t hold in his curiosity anymore after fighting alongside them for so long.

    ¡°She¡¯s a young demon, and her hammer attack is actually a soul attack. This has the effect of forcing yers to quit tonight¡¯s game,¡± Seiji exined.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Isamu only half understood. ¡°She¡­ lives within your body.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°Actually, not only do I have a cute demon living within my body, I even have a beautiful goddess inside me.¡±

    ¡°A goddess?¡± Isamu widened his eyes in surprise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, a beautiful and powerful goddess.¡±

    After Seiji half-jokingly and half-seriously said this, he heard his bonded female spirit chuckling.

    Yomi simplyughed and didn¡¯tment on his words.

    Having a demon and a goddess within his body¡­ Did this count as a typical Spiritual Ability user? Isamu didn¡¯t know.

    He had zero knowledge about real Spiritual Ability users.

    But judging from White Night¡¯sbat strength, he seemed rather powerful among Spiritual Ability users?

    At any rate, Isamu was quite certain that he would never be able to defeat White Night. Even if Isamu multiplied the transformed himself by ten, he felt that he wouldn¡¯t even pose a threat to White Night.

    ¡®Why am I thinking about such things? I¡¯m not a Spiritual Ability user, nor do I have the chance to be one¡­

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    Isamu couldn¡¯t help but recall Double Snake¡¯s words.

    This might be a chance to be a Spiritual Ability user instead of an ordinary person, as long as you risked your life¡­ If that was really the case, would he dare to make such a gamble?

    Or, did he want to gamble?

    Isamu felt that he didn¡¯t dare to gamble.

    But as for whether he wanted to gamble or not¡­ He was unable to answer this question.

    At this moment, there were sounds of explosions again.

    ¡°This district is also going to be flooded with magma. Hurry and move!¡±

    Seiji, Shika, and Isamu hurriedly dodged the flowing magma.

    As they moved, they focused on avoiding other yers while the magma flowed. They only fought unavoidable battles.

    It was quite easy to deal with ordinary yers. However, yers under the effect of Sin Activation weren¡¯t so easy to deal with.

    As they kept moving, they met with more and more Sin Activation yers. It was as if they were trying to attack a monster nest.

    Magma shot everywhere and monsters were prowling around, making this a dangerous environment!

    Since Isamu was being carried for all this, he felt like he was watching a fantasy-disaster-themed movie from up close.

    Many times, he felt as if he was about to be sprayed by boilingva and killed, or that a transformed yer monster¡¯s attack would hit him and he would die, or that a monster would catch him and kill him. Yet, White Night always managed to ovee all dangers and carry Isamu while proceeding forward with jumps and leaps¡­

    This was so cool!

    After realizing that White Night was super-reliable, Isamu felt as if he was experiencing a stimting yet also safe roller coaster.

    Just as Isamu thought they would reach the safe district just like that, an abnormal existence suddenly appeared before them.

    This existence felt like human yet also inhuman¡­ If Isamu had to forcibly describe it, this existence felt like something heavy, icy, and bloody gathered into human form, containing frightening power. Isamu became instinctively afraid.

    ¡°White Night, there¡¯s something before us¡­¡±

    Before Isamu could even give a warning, he saw many red objects approaching¡­ Insects! Locusts!

    A red locust swarm was flying straight towards them! The swarm was so dense that they were impossible to avoid.

    ¡°Knight of Zero!¡± Seiji indicated for Shika to stay close to him as he cast his [Turtle Armor] defensive spell.

    The locusts crashed into the barrier and were repelled.

    Seiji instantly felt an immense pressure from blocking the insects out. He then witnessed the locust swarm attacking another Sin Activation yer, who screamed and rolled on the ground, emanating sounds of iprehensible pain. That was because the locusts transformed into red light that entered the yer¡¯s body!

    This was a frightening scene to behold.

    Red insects¡­ Seiji recalled what he saw when he was doing his ¡°inspection¡± for Karen Miyamoto.

    Now, he was certain.

    The person he knew that Kamitani was referring to had to be Kaho!

    Double Snake was in a state of extreme fear right now.

    As a woman, she was like many other women in that she hated insects.

    But right now, she waspletely surrounded by countless insects. Many extremely long centipedes had tied her up to the point where she couldn¡¯t move!

    If this was reality, she probably would have fainted already. But, she was actually unable to faint inside this dream.

    Double Snake really wanted to faint or even die right now¡ªas long as she could leave this ce.

    Yet, she was unable to do so. For some reason, she couldn¡¯t even close her eyes. She could only watch as countless insects moved around in her vision. She was forced to listen to their skittering sounds and smell their stench, sinking into deep fear.

    Suddenly, the insects before her parted and created an open path.

    Someone walked over.

    This person was a girl who wore a bright red one-piece dress. She had astonishinglyrge breasts and wore an exquisitely detailed and colorful butterfly-shaped mask.

    Her dress had abnormallyplex ck runes upon it. These runes resembled a variety of insects that transformed into runes which ovepped each other, giving the dress an indescribable strange beauty.

    The dress was low-cut and revealed a significant amount of snow-white cleavage, which appeared rather alluring. If she was walking on the street, her voluptuous breasts and the deep cleavage would surely attract many male gazes.

    She was so demonic!

    That was Double Snake¡¯s opinion of this girl before her¡­ No, this existence that seemed to resemble a girl.

    Although her clothes and figure were incredibly alluring, her butterfly mask was even more attention-grabbing.

    Double Snake looked at theplex mask for several seconds and felt her head going dizzy and consciousness fading.

    Double Snake then saw something thick, red, and many-jointed suddenly rising up behind the girl and stabbing right at Double Snake!

    Shtick¡­ Double Snake felt tremendous pain.

    Her consciousness was jolted by the immense pain, but she soon went unconscious again and fell into the darkness together with her fear.

    Double Snake didn¡¯t know what was happening to herself. She was no longer able to think of anything as she was swallowed by her fear.

    Right before she waspletely devoured by the icy cold deep darkness, her final remnant of consciousness felt regret.

    Who knew what she was regretting?

 Chapter 708 - Insect Queen

    <h4>Chapter 708: Insect Queen</h4>

    Three-Eyed Cat was feeling like things were really bad right now.

    That was because of the insects¡­ So many countless insects had suddenly appeared from everywhere!

    He wasn¡¯t particrly afraid of insects. However, it was another matter when insects were so numerous that they filled one¡¯s entire field of vision.

    Not to mention, these insects were killing people!

    Three-Eyed Cat personally witnessed several yers being killed by the insects swarming and entering their bodies. He couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fear even though this was only a game.

    ¡®¡­Is this really just a game?¡¯

    This was a dream, and a game within a dream. That was what the crow-masked person said.

    But, why would someone go to the trouble of creating such an abnormal dream game? It couldn¡¯t be possible that it was just to let some random people have fun!

    There had to be something about this dream¡­ Since he got dragged into it, he would have to face the truth eventually¡­

    Was it now time to face the truth?

    Three-Eyed Cat didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°This was all caused by my younger sister,¡± a voice spoke up beside him.

    Three-Eyed Cat looked at the girl who called herself Butterfly after the shape of her mask.

    She had just used her special power to repel the attacking insects.

    If it weren¡¯t for her, Three-Eyed Cat knew that he would have likely ended up dead, invaded by insects just like all the other game yers. His own power was useless against so many insects.

    Three-Eyed Cat raised his eyebrows after hearing that her younger sister had caused all this.

    ¡°I can sense her location¡­ I¡¯m going to find her now,¡± Karen told him. ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san, thank you for taking care of me. Now¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going along with you,¡± Three-Eyed Cat interrupted without waiting for her to finish. ¡°Insects are everywhere right now. I¡¯ll die immediately if I leave your side. It won¡¯t be fun at all to be killed by insects like that. And, I have a faint premonition that being killed by these insects might have potential serious consequences instead of simply respawning. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m going anywhere that you go.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Karen was apologetic.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ My younger sister created all of these insects¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for your younger sister¡¯s actions.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ although she created these insects, her power should have originally been mine.¡±

    After she said that, Karen¡¯s butterfly mask suddenly started glowing a blinding red. The mask then transformed into a helmet shaped like an insect¡¯s head. The helmet had glittering ruby-likepound eyes and two long ck antennae on top.

    Karen¡¯s in dress transformed into a bright red one-piece dress covered in mystical ck runes. Tworge and colorful butterfly wings spread out from her back!

    Three-Eyed Cat widened his eyes in surprise.

    This appearance¡­ was rather beautiful.

    That was what he truly thought. Although it looked a little strange at first, observing it for a while longer gave him a sense of indescribable beauty.

    And as a boy, his gaze was especially attracted to her majestic breasts!

    Previously, her dress had been rather in. Even so, her breasts were rather attention-grabbing. But now that she was wearing a beautiful and alluring one-piece dress, this instantly multiplied her charisma even further.

    Three-Eyed Cat suddenly felt an impulsive desire to see Butterfly¡¯s true appearance under her mask.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take back what should belong to me.¡± Karen looked in Kaho¡¯s direction.

    Suddenly, all the insects in the distance suddenly parted and left an open path, as if pushed apart by an invisible force!

    Three-Eyed Cat was awed by the sight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Three-Eyed Cat-san.¡±

    ¡°No need to use honorifics with me any longer. You can just call me Three-Eyed Cat¡­ My Queen.¡±

    Karen paused in surprise at this.

    ¡°Queen?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a well-known movie called Insect Queen. Have you seen it before?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°I feel like you really resemble the female lead of that movie. If you¡¯re interested afterwards, you could try watching it.¡±

    Karen didn¡¯t know how to respond and simply nodded.

    She then set out together with Three-Eyed Cat.

    As they proceeded down the path that the insects opened up, Three-Eyed Cat was gradually able to sense a powerful existence in front of them.

    The closer they got, the colder he felt. He felt a chill invading his body, and even gradually felt it more and more difficult to breathe.

    A stench of blood filled the air. He sensed something frightening in front of him, so Three-Eyed Cat did his best to remain calm, and restrained his instincts that told him to turn and run away at top speed.

    Finally, Karen and Three-Eyed Cat arrived at a wide and t tform.

    There was a throne in the center of the tform¡­ More urately, this throne was actuallyposed of countless insects. It was shaped like a red dragon with its wings spread, with a tall and regal appearance!

    A girl who wore a bright red one-piece dress and an exquisitely detailed and colorful butterfly mask was sitting on this throne. She was leaning on her left hand on the throne arm, with her chin propped, as if she was quietly thinking about something.

    The moment he saw her, Three-Eyed Cat was certain that this girl was Butterfly¡¯s younger sister.

    That was because she had identicallyrge breasts!

    Apart from this most noticeable trait, there was also their clothing, masks, and simr auras. All these details confirmed for him that they were sisters even if he couldn¡¯t see their faces.

    The younger sister had a far more powerful aura than the older sister. The girl on the throne seemed far more like a queen. And, she also showed off far more flesh¡­ Three-Eyed Cat found it difficult to budge his eyes from her snow-white chest.

    He figured that if he was going to die soon, he could at least enjoy some eye candy before he died.

    Karen looked at Kaho.

    At first, Karen had wanted to ask her younger sister about this dream game world. But now, she felt that none of that was important anymore.

    Kaho was clearly sitting there, yet she seemed like aplete stranger¡­ No, she didn¡¯t even seem human anymore. She seemed more like a human-shaped monster!

    ¡°My younger sister¡­ Are you still you?¡± Karen couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    Kaho didn¡¯t answer.

    Karen didn¡¯t know if she didn¡¯t understand, or couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer, or if she didn¡¯t hear at all.

    Karen walked forward.

    After taking only two steps, all the countless insects everywhere in the corridors and pipes suddenly flew over and attacked Karen and Three-Eyed Cat!

    Karen stopped in her footsteps; the wings on her back glowed.

    The next instant, the attacking insects suddenly changed their direction and flew elsewhere. However, some still returned to the tform.

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡± Karen gently called out her younger sister¡¯s name as she continued walking over.

    Kaho stopped propping up her chin and looked directly at Karen.

    All the insects thatposed the throne started moving and swarmed Karen like an unstoppable torrent!

    Karen¡¯s wings glowed even brighter and redder, and sent out an even greater power to turn around the insects!

    The gigantic throne rapidly decreased in size as the insects left it, revealing what was hidden within.

    Human-shaped insects¡­ No, wait! All of them were wearing masks. They were actually yers that had been transformed into insect forms!?

    Karen widened her eyes in surprise. Three-Eyed Cat was shocked by the sight.

    She was actually capable of transforming other yers into insects!?

    These apparently transformed insect form yers were stacked underneath the throne as the throne¡¯s frame. After the insects left, the stacked yers appeared rather abnormal, yet alsoical.

    Kaho then stood up.

    The insect-shaped yers all got up and turned to look at Karen and Three-Eyed Cat in unison. These insect-shaped yers¡¯ eyes were all glowing with a mystical light.

    Three-Eyed Cat felt his fear increasing even further by receiving icy stares from these abnormal existences! He felt as if he could foresee his fate of being torn into tiny pieces, or something even worse¡­

    His instinct to run reached its peak, but Three-Eyed Cat forced down his fear and stopped his own legs.

    ¡°There¡¯s too many tiny insects for me to deal with, but maybe I can kill off one or two of therge ones.¡±

    He then activated his Sin Activation power.

 Chapter 709 - Its Harano-kun!

    <h4>Chapter 709: It¡¯s Harano-kun!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s mask started glowing ck, transforming into a full-cover helmet. Two cat ears appeared on his head, and gray cat whiskers also sprouted from it. Three red eyes on the helmet containedplex ck runes within.

    His jacket became ck form-fitting attire instead, with gray runes on the wrists and legs. It looked like something out of a science-fiction film.

    Right after he finished transforming, the insect-shaped yers attacked!

    Three-Eyed Cat immediately started shooting with his gun!

    The bulletsnded on the insect yers¡¯ bodies, but caused no apparent damage.

    Karen dodged all the insect yers¡¯ attacks as her wings released arge amount of red mist, which then transformed into dark-red bees that attacked the insect yers!

    A fierce fight soon broke out on the tform.

    Kaho merely stood there where she was and watched silently.

    The insect yers had insect armor on their bodies that was tougher than bulletproof vests! Guns and even grenades couldn¡¯t break through their defenses. Only by shooting through the gaps would any damage be caused.

    A horned rat-masked yer whose body had been changed into a beetle form got closed to Three-Eyed Cat.

    Three-Eyed Cat revealed sharp cat ws on his hands and tried to counterattack.

    *Shing!* The insect armor that the bullets had been unable to pierce through was actually deeply scratched by his ws!!

    This made Three-Eyed Cat realize that rather than guns and bullets, his new special power was stronger.

    It would seem that he should abandon his gun and fight with his ws in melee. However, Three-Eyed Cat was nobat expert in real life. He felt that fighting against so many at close range when he was so inexperienced would be far too rash.

    Seeing Three-Eyed Cat being surrounded anding under attack, Karen sent a part of her bees to help him out.

    These bees were capable of attacking and defending as a shield. The bees managed to block the insect yers¡¯ fierce attacks.

    ¡°Concentrate your attacks! Focus fire on one at a time!!¡± Three-Eyed Cat shouted after fighting for a while.

    Karen understood and gathered her bees together rather than spreading them out. Her bees shot out arge number of ck needles at a two-colored snake mask-wearing female yer who had been transformed into a centipede form!

    The snake mask centipede yer was unable to dodge the attack and copsed, seriously injured.

    Three-Eyed Cat moved at high speed and avoided the other insect yers as he approached the snake mask centipede yer. He swiftly swiped at her with his ws!

    He gave her a serious blow, thinking that this would surely finish off the insect yer.

    However, right the next second, the snake mask centipede yer¡¯s mask started glowing red. Her body swiftly started expanding and shot out a green mist!

    Three-Eyed Cat hurriedly retreated. Not long after, a gigantic, long monster resembling both a snake and a centipede erected itself. Green mist covered its entire body, and countless tiny legs were squirming.

    ¡°Gagagagaga!¡± The monster uttered a strange sound that resembled scraping across ss. It was incredibly painful to hear.

    ¡°So these guys can still transform yet again¡­ This is so bad.¡±

    Before he even finished speaking, Three-Eyed Cat suddenly sensed tremendous danger.

    He retreated at full speed. The next instant, the centipede/snake hybrid monster shot out almost all of its legs like an arrow rainstorm, all aimed right at him!

    *Tack tack tack tack¡­* The sharp insectoid legs stabbed into the hard tform.

    Fortunately, Three-Eyed Cat had been able to use his catlike senses to dodge this attack in time. Otherwise, he would have be a hedgehog.

    He didn¡¯t have the time to be relieved as other insect yers surrounded and attacked him.

    If all of these insect yers possessed the ability to transform into such monsters, then this battle¡­ would have a foregone conclusion!

    Three-Eyed Cat felt despair.

    He then immediately thought it was strange. Just when had he gotten the mistaken impression that he could win?

    No¡­ it wasn¡¯t that he felt he could win, it was that he still had hope.

    But now, his hope had been snuffed out.

    Unless this butterfly girl was able to utilize an even stronger power.

    But even if the butterfly girl leveled up, it didn¡¯t seem likely that they could win.

    Three-Eyed Cat nced over at butterfly¡¯s younger sister, who still hadn¡¯t done anything personally as of yet.

    She seemed like she was simply watching¡­ she probably didn¡¯t think that she needed to personally do anything.

    At this moment, Three-Eyed Cat suddenly felt like challenging and taunting her.

    If he was going to die no matter what, he wanted to at least try challenging the final boss!

    After making up his mind, Three-Eyed Cat ran around at top speed and found an opening to aim and shoot at Kaho.

    *Tat tat tat tat* His assault rifle¡¯s bullets shot directly at her.

    Kaho didn¡¯t move.

    *Swoosh!* Something red suddenly spread out before her, forming a shield that blocked all the bullets.

    The red object then curled up on itself and formed into something long and thick with many joints¡­ it now resembled a gigantic scorpion¡¯s tail!

    This tail then whipped out at an astonishing speed, stabbing directly at Three-Eyed Cat!

    Three-Eyed Cat did his very best to dodge. However, the scorpion tail was faster than he was. It cut him off from the front!

    Seeing the pitch-ck tip of the scorpion tail, Three-Eyed Cat had a feeling that if this tail stabbed him, he would die immediately!

    Karen wanted to save him, but she couldn¡¯t do so in time.

    Three-Eyed Cat blocked the tail with his gun, but as expected, the gun was shattered.

    Was that the end?

    No, he still had his ws!

    Three-Eyed Cat did his best to fight this thick tail off with his ws.

    However, he knew in his heart that he was just struggling before his end.

    That was the end result of challenging the queen.

    *Schtick!!* The pitch-ck tip of the scorpion tail pierced deep into Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s chest.

    His greatest efforts to block the scorpion tail had slowed it down for only a split second.

    He felt an incredible pain as all the energy swiftly left his body. The scorpion tail lifted him up into the air after impaling him.

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san!¡± Karen shouted, and sent most of her bees over in an effort to save herpanion.

    Yet, the centipede/snake monster hybrid swung its own gigantic tail at the bees, breaking through the bees¡¯ blockade and sending Karen flying backwards with a loud smack!

    Karen crashed down near the edge of the tform, almost falling over.

    The insects outside the tform seemed to be quite restive.

    The insect yers didn¡¯t continue their attack.

    ¡°Agh¡­¡± Karen crawled up, only to see the giant scorpion tail bringing Three-Eyed Cat up even higher into the air.

    ¡°AHHHHH!!!!!¡± Three-Eyed Cat screamed out in iparable pain as his body started twitching.

    Karen felt really bad inside seeing him like this, and shouted to Kaho, ¡°Let him go!¡±

    Kaho didn¡¯t respond. She still simply stood there quietly.

    Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s screams became even louder. His body began to distort strangely.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have anything to do with our matter, let him go!!¡± Karen shouted again.

    There was still no response.

    Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s voice became raspy, and strange sounds came from within his body, as if he was about to breakpletely or be something else¡ªsuch as an insect.

    This was a threat, Karen realized.

    If she didn¡¯t surrender here, Three-Eyed Cat would suffer even more right in front of her eyes¡­ and it was highly likely that he would receive actual irreversible harm!

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    Karen now faced an incredibly painful decision.

    If she gave up right now, she probably wouldn¡¯t ever see her former sister again.

    But if she didn¡¯t give up, the innocent Three-Eyed Cat would¡­

    Karen found it difficult to choose. She didn¡¯t want to choose. It was impossible to choose.

    However, she had to make a choice.

    The incredible pressure almost suffocated her.

    At this moment, there was a sound from the right.

    Karen reflexively looked over, only to see two figures flying through the insect swarm!

    *Pound!!*

    Theynded right on the tform.

    Only now did Karen see them clearly as three people instead of two¡ªone girl and two boys. There was a boy wearing an owl-shaped mask who was being carried by a tall boy wearing an angry demon mask.

    When theynded on the tform, the angry demon mask boy put down the owl-masked boy while he whipped out golden-red mes in one hand, and burned all of the insect swarm that was chasing him!

    So strong.

    Karen sensed that this angry demon mask boy was really strong¡­ and he also seemed somewhat familiar?

    ¡°Is that yourpanion?¡± The angry demon mask boy looked in her direction and pointed at Three-Eyed Cat.

    Karen instantly trembled upon hearing this voice.

    It was Harano-kun!!!

    At this moment, her heart became filled with indescribable emotions.

    If she had to describe them, she felt like a lost traveler almost about to freeze to death in the snow when she suddenly saw a house emanating a warm light up ahead.

    She finally saw great hope in the most despairing of situations!

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Karen¡¯s tears poured out uncontrobly as she felt something welling up in her throat. She wanted to cry, she wanted to shout, she wanted to say so much, but was unable to say anything at all.

    All she could say was the innermost desire in her heart.

    ¡°Help me¡­¡±

    *Shing!*

    A tall figure suddenly rushed over and sliced through the scorpion tail with a sh of the sword!!

    ¡°Understood,¡± Seiji responded as he saved Three-Eyed Cat.

 Chapter 710 - Damn, Im falling in love

    <h4>Chapter 710: Damn, I¡¯m falling in love</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Not only was Kaho here, even Karen was present!

    Seiji could guess why this was the case. If things were really like he thought, he would truly be quite guilty without a doubt!

    No matter what the situation was, the important thing right now was to focus on the present.

    After he cut down the scorpion tail and saved Karen¡¯spanion, the insect yers all attacked him!

    Seiji retreated while carrying the heavily injured Three-Eyed Cat. He also simultaneously created a dozen fireballs and shot them out!

    *Boom boom boom boom!* The sessive fireball explosions burst in mes!! This managed to stop the insect yers¡¯ attacks.

    Shika sent out an attack spell against the centipede/snake hybrid monster, while Isamu transformed and shot bullets at the insect yers!

    Kaho¡¯s scorpion tail soon regenerated itself and was about to attack again, when Karen¡¯s bees obstructed the tail.

    The scorpion tail then started glowing red as it used a massive sweep to swipe all the bees away!

    Karen gritted her teeth as she released even more red mist, creating more bees to stall the scorpion tail.

    Seiji checked on Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s condition. Seiji then witnessed Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s body beginning to glow silver and bing hazy. Soon, Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s body became nothing more than a dark gray ball of light which reformed into a human shape that wasplete and healthy!

    ¡°Having extra lives¡­ is this the so-called cats have nine lives?¡± Three-Eyed Cat looked at himself.

    This ability would activate after receiving fatal damage, instantlypletely healing his body and removing all negative statuses. It could activate for a total of nine times¡­ Three-Eyed Cat had just understood that he possessed such a powerful ability.

    ¡°It would seem that my power is suitable for melee¡­ Honestly, though, I don¡¯t really like being the warrior type.¡± As he said this, he whipped out his ws and voluntarily started fighting against the horned rat mask beetle-shaped yer!

    ¡°You¡¯re really strong, aren¡¯t you?¡± Three-Eyed Cat spoke to Seiji as he fought. ¡°I can sense that you¡¯re strong¡­ So ignore the small fries! Hurry and go deal with the queen!¡±

    Right after he finished saying this, all the countless insects around the tform suddenly started flying towards the tform like an unstoppable flood!

    Evidently, Kaho was beginning to use her real powers.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote¡­ we¡¯re all going to die.¡± Three-Eyed Cat sighed upon seeing this scene.

    ¡°We won¡¯t die.¡±

    Seiji remained calm as he speedily created seals. He used a makeshift spell consisting of both fire and barrier magic, creating¡­

    [Evolved Spirit me Barrier]!

    *Whoosh!* Golden mes soared up into the sky, creating a tremendous fire wall which burned all the attacking insects!

    Three-Eyed Cat widened his eyes in surprise at this scene.

    Yet, this wasn¡¯t all. Seiji moved around at high speed and surrounded the entire tform with a fire wall,pletely stopping any insects outside from entering!

    This rather impressive-seeming me barrier astonished both Isamu and Karen. Shika was the only one who wasn¡¯t flustered as she continued concentrating on battling.

    ¡°Nobody is going to die while I¡¯m here.¡± Seiji returned to Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s side and told him that.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re amazing.¡± Three-Eyed Cat dodged the insect yers¡¯ attacks. ¡°Just who are you? Are you a yer with some sort of cheat?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you could call me that.¡± Seiji joined the fight.

    Since the insect yers were now faced with such a powerful threat, they all used Sin Activation to be powerful monstrosities!

    But for Seiji and Shika, they were only a little more difficult to deal with than ordinary Sin Activation yers.

    Their figures flickered as their swords left afterimages, with fire burning and ice freezing¡­

    Isamu and Three-Eyed Cat were barely of any assistance in this fierce fight.

    While they were capable of fighting the untransformed insect yers, it was too difficult for them to deal with the transformed insect yers. Rather than overstretching their limits, they knew that they should simply rely on the veterans.

    Isamu and Three-Eyed Cat soon met and recognized each other.

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-kun, I¡¯m so happy to be fighting together with you again, haha~¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you alright, Owl?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m quite delighted to meet you again~ Besides, you were the one who appeared seriously injured. Are you alright now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine as I learned to my surprise that I have powerful regenerative abilities¡­ And, something seems off about your emotions. Is that a side effect of your power?¡±

    ¡°No! The current me is the real me!! Heeheehee~~¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. Owl, who are these two people? Do you know who they are?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s White Night, while she¡¯s the Knight of Zero. They¡¯re Spiritual Ability users on the side of justice!¡±

    ¡°Spiritual Ability users¡­ I see.¡±

    Three-Eyed Cat heard the basic situation from Owl.

    *Smack!!*

    There was a heavy thud as Karen was swept away by Kaho¡¯s scorpion tail!

    Seiji managed to catch her in time.

    Kaho didn¡¯t chase after Karen. Instead, she speedily retreated towards the fire wall and shielded herself with the scorpion tail before jumping over the wall!

    Evidently, she was running away.

    ¡°We need to go after her¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with what¡¯s remaining here first.¡±

    Seiji put down Karen and told her to rest for a while as he and Shika continued dealing with the remaining insect yer monstrosities.

    He had Shinobu smash out of the game every insect yer that he defeated.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know if these transformed yers would suffer negative side effects from being forcibly transformed by Kaho or not. All he could do was send them out of the game.

    Not long after, the fighting ended.

    Seiji was now facing Owl and Three-Eyed Cat who had returned to their normal forms.

    ¡°Owl, and this is¡­¡±

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat.¡±

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san¡­ Now, I¡¯m going to have both of you quit this game tonight.¡±

    ¡°Is that because we won¡¯t be of any use in the uing battle?¡± Three-Eyed Cat asked rather weakly.

    This was his first time transforming with Sin Activation. He still felt rather weak and ufortable after returning to normal form, and could barely stand.

    ¡°Simply speaking, yes.¡± Seiji nodded.

    ¡°White Night¡­¡± Isamu looked at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful to you, Owl¡­ You¡¯ve already done enough.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have something actual as thanks instead? Owl¡¯s helped you so much, and all you¡¯re going to do is give verbal thanks?¡± Three-Eyed Cat interjected.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Three-Eyed Cat¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Seiji agreed. ¡°I should show something actual as my appreciation.¡±

    He thought it over for a second.

    ¡°Owl, go ahead and tell me a location in real life. I shall send over a token of my appreciation to that location.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need! I helped of my own free will, and I wasn¡¯t even that much help.¡± Isamu shook his hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, Owl. If you don¡¯t want it, I¡¯ll take it, since this is a present from a Spiritual Ability user,¡± Three-Eyed Cat stated.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t fighting for the sake of any potential reward!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this has any conflict with you epting a reward, though. You should properly ept what you deserve to receive. Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t regret it at all! You care too much about material things, Three-Eyed Cat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I am indeed such a person. I would definitely ept the present, or even use the chance to make friends with the Spiritual Ability user, rather than being stupid to the point of doing nothing at all,¡± Three-Eyed Cat stated lightly.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Isamu felt angered.

    Previously, he¡¯d thought that Three-Eyed Cat was a nice fellow, but he hadn¡¯t expected that Three-Eyed Cat was like this¡ª no, wait.

    Isamu suddenly understood Three-Eyed Cat¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°White Night¡­ I don¡¯t need any gift as thanks¡­ I just want to be friends with you. Is that alright?¡±

    Seiji blinked at this.

    ¡°Sure.¡± He smiled.

    Isamu¡¯s heart suddenly started beating quicker after hearing this and seeing Seiji¡¯s smile.

    ¡®Damn, I think I¡¯m falling in love¡­ Ptui! Not at all!! I was just getting a little excited.

    ¡®He¡¯s a real Spiritual Ability user! He¡¯s powerful and nice!!

    ¡®If I be friends with him, perhaps he¡¯ll be able to help me get rid of this dream forever, or I might even be able to be a real Spiritual Ability user¡­ although thetter might be nothing more than a pipe dream, it still might be possible!¡¯

    At any rate, there wouldn¡¯t be any downsides to bing friends with White Night. It would be truly fortunate for him.

    ¡°Is that really alright?¡± Isamu couldn¡¯t help but ask again.

    ¡°Of course. Tell me a time and ce, and we can meet up and have a chat in person,¡± Seiji told him.

 Chapter 711 - Itâ€™s not Harano-kunâ€™s faultâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 711: It¡¯s not Harano-kun¡¯s fault¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Now, the problem was, having a date with a Spiritual Ability user¡ª no, no! Having a real life meeting with a Spiritual Ability user, just what time and ce should he pick?

    Isamu was unable toe up with any ideas.

    ¡°Er¡­ I don¡¯t know where would be good, nor do I know when you¡¯re free, White Night. So why don¡¯t you decide the time and ce?¡±

    ¡°Someone like you absolutely has to be a virgin,¡± Three-Eyed Catmented in a low voice.

    ¡°W-what!?¡± Isamu reacted as if he had been pricked by a needle. ¡°What does this have to do with being a virgin!?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, forget it. I don¡¯t feel like exining things in detail to you.¡±

    ¡°Exin, you bastard! Something wrong with being a virgin!?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I was simply stating the objective truth.¡±

    ¡°Objective? The hell! How could you possibly determine by one sentence if a person is a virgin or not!?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not a virgin, I apologize. I can even kneel to you if you want,¡± Three-Eyed Cat stated calmly.

    ¡°Er¡­¡± Isamu was unable to retort to this.

    He was indeed just a simple high school student who had never even had a girlfriend yet. Obviously, he was still a virgin.

    For a moment, Isamu felt like lying, but then sensed that he would feel even more awkward if he lied about it, and that he would feel empty inside even if he managed to somehow fool Three-Eyed Cat.

    ¡°I¡­ I am a virgin, so what!? Who cares if you guessed correctly!? Does that make you amazing!?¡±

    ¡°I was just casually saying it, and didn¡¯t expect you to have such arge reaction¡­ I apologize for offending you.¡±

    ¡°This type of apology makes me even angrier, damn it! Do you want to fight me!?¡±

    *Cough cough.*

    Seiji interrupted with his coughing.

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san, would you like to have a real life meeting for a chat?¡±

    Isamu was surprised to hear this. Three-Eyed Cat remained calm.

    ¡°Why are you inviting me?¡±

    ¡°Because I think that you may be interested.¡±

    ¡°I can meet you simply if I¡¯m interested?¡±

    ¡°Not me, I was talking about your interest in Owl,¡± Seijimented. ¡°I think that the two of you seem to make a good pair for each other.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t make a good pair with him at all!¡± Isamu immediately rejected this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I would make a good pair with such an idiot, either¡­ Still, I suppose that he¡¯s good enough as an intermediary between you and me,¡± Three-Eyed Cat mentioned calmly.

    ¡°Hey! Who are you calling an idiot!?¡±

    ¡°Owl, calm down. Having you and Three-Eyed Cat meet in real life and bepanions will have benefits,¡± Seiji told him.

    ¡°What benefits?¡± Isamu inquired.

    ¡°Asking such a question already proves that you are indeed an idiot,¡± Three-Eyed Catmented.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Owl, I¡¯m different from you and Three-Eyed Cat-san. Although I may be able to help you, both of you have gotten dragged into this dream that none of us know how to escapepletely. You¡¯ll mostly have to rely on yourselves,¡± Seiji told them seriously. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know how many nights this strange dream willst for, meeting and gaining a newpanion should be far better than facing everything by yourself.¡±

    Isamu fell silent.

    After he calmed down and carefully thought it over, he felt that White Night was correct.

    Although Three-Eyed Cat was somewhat venom-tongued, he seemed like a smart person. If it weren¡¯t for his reminder, Isamu wouldn¡¯t havee to the realization that this was a good chance to make friends with a Spiritual Ability user.

    As for whether Three-Eyed Cat was a good person¡­ that was more difficult to determine, but Isamu doubted there would be any problems with White Night around.

    Seiji then told the other two a time and ce to meet up in real life.

    Isamu and Three-Eyed Cat both etched this information into their minds.

    Seiji released Shinobu and had her smash the two out of the game. He then walked over to Karen and Shika.

    ¡°Three-Eyed Cat-san and¡­¡±

    ¡°I had them quit this dream for tonight. They should now have woken up in real life,¡± Seiji exined to Karen. ¡°How are you currently feeling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­ we should hurry after Kaho.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Before that, I need to apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never expected that things would turn out this way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Harano-kun¡¯s fault¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m responsible for all of this.¡± Seiji canceled his me wall barrier as he said this.

    There were no longer any insects outside the tform. In fact, not a single insect could be seen anywhere.

    ¡°I gave such a terrible idea that caused Kaho to be targeted by others¡­ I truly apologize,¡± Seiji said sincerely as he looked all around him in an effort to determine where Kaho had gone.

    ¡°Harano-kun¡­¡± Karen sensed his heartfelt apology and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I shall properly self-reflect afterwards and do my best to make it up to you¡­ Although it might be impossible to make it up to you, I definitely won¡¯t avoid my responsibility.¡±

    Seiji¡¯s words contained power that shook Karen¡¯s heart.

    She then thought back to what she¡¯d felt the moment he appeared when she despaired the most. She felt like she was beginning to fall for him.

    ¡®You¡¯re so cool, Harano-kun¡­ No wonder Kaho likes you¡­ It¡¯s a pity that¡­¡¯

    Suddenly, Karen realized something in a sudden sh of inspiration.

    Transferring the demon energy¡­ on that day when Kaho epted part of her demon energy, something else had urred: they had met Seigo Harano¡¯s girlfriend in person!

    At the time, Kaho had appeared to be quite calm on the surface, without any emotions such as disappointment or depression. She seemed to be fine.

    ¡­But was she really fine?

    Karen thought about it from Kaho¡¯s standpoint. If she had furiously tried to change herself for the sake of the person she liked, then saw his girlfriend¡­

    This girlfriend was beautiful and noble. She was a scion from a major family, as well as the student council president of their high school. Not only that, she was a Spiritual Ability user with mystical powers. She was just about a perfect match for Seigo Harano!

    There was such an incredible difference between Natsuya Yoruhana and Kaho Miyamoto.

    In such a situation, would Kaho really be able to remain calm?

    That would be impossible!!!

    How could she possibly be calm! Even if she managed to act calm during the process, she would definitely be depressed, disappointed, or sink into even worse negative emotions afterwards!!

    And assuming that there was indeed such a girl who could remain calm after experiencing such a letdown, Kaho Miyamoto definitely wasn¡¯t such a girl!

    Karen knew this very well as Kaho¡¯s older sister.

    Her younger sister Kaho definitely wasn¡¯t such an amazing girl who had excellent control of her emotions. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have be a shut-in otaku girl who closed her heart to others for so long.

    So, the truth must have been¡­

    Ever since the day that Kaho epted the demon energy, or perhaps from the very moment, something went wrong with her!

    This wasn¡¯t solely because of the demon energy¡¯s influence. It was more an issue with Kaho herself.

    She had beenpletely heartbroken.

    In the most pitiful method possible!

    It was impossible for Kaho topare to Natsuya. It wasn¡¯t even apetition. Thepetition ended before it even began¡­

    Kaho hadn¡¯t cried a single tear or disyed a single hint of negative emotions despite being so painfully heartbroken all because she had obtained something new to rely on that day.

    The demon energy¡­ basically, the demon itself!

    Karen felt that she had solved the mystery.

    She also felt guilty and pained¡­ incredibly guilty!

    What type of older sister was she! Her younger sister had seemed fine after her heartbreak, so the older sister hadn¡¯t noticed something so obviously wrong at all!!

    Karen had thought that Kaho was alright¡­ but how could she have possibly been alright! Just the fact that she acted fine meant that she couldn¡¯t have possibly been fine!!

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Kaho.

    ¡®I¡­ am the worst sister there is!!!¡¯

    Karen clutched at her chest and felt that it was difficult to breathe.

    ¡°I think that Kaho went in that direction¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡± Seiji noticed halfway through that something seemed off about Karen.

    ¡°I just figured out¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Kaho¡­ the real reason she became like that¡­¡±

 Chapter 712 - Because Iâ€™m your older sister!

    <h4>Chapter 712: Because I¡¯m your older sister!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kaho felt like she was trapped within an icy darkness.

    Her body seemed to be nothing more than ice as a chill filled her body, which seemed to float within an endless deep and dark realm.

    Her consciousness was extremely hazy. It felt like her soul was sinking down, as if she was about topletely lose her sense of self.

    She could faintly sense some type of existence within this realm, which had attached itself to her body and wasbining with her.

    When thebining was finallypleted, she would no longer be herself.

    The time limit was also approaching. Kaho didn¡¯t try to resist, nor did she willingly offer herself to the demon. She was simply calm.

    ¡®Is this really alright?¡¯ a tiny voice asked in the corner of her mind.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this just fine?¡¯ another tiny voice asked in the corner of her mind.

    Kaho didn¡¯t respond to either question.

    Was it that she didn¡¯t need to answer, or that she was unable to answer?

    Kaho was calm and silent, but also confused and empty.

    She felt like she should be thinking about something, but didn¡¯t want to think about anything right now at all.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just leave things like this.¡¯

    She decided to slowly abandon her former self and wee her new existence¡­

    ¡°Kaho!¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice shouted and pulled her slightly back from the darkness.

    Karen found her younger sister.

    Kaho was standing on the top of a building. Her entire body had be hazy, and her dress and mask were glowing a blinding red. The ck runes on her dress seemed like a moving insect swarm which woulde alive at any moment.

    But even more eye-catching were all the colorful lines of various colors extending out of her back.

    These colorful lines were gradually lengthening. The longest was already more than three meters long, and the number of lines was continuously increasing. These lines appeared beautiful and gave off an unearthly aura that also seemed somewhat ominous.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop, Kaho.¡± Karen looked directly at her younger sister. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re just escaping from reality!¡±

    There was no response.

    Yet, Karen sensed something flickering in Kaho¡¯s wavelength.

    This was a wondrously subtle sensation. If she had to describe it, it was something like a sisterly synchronization.

    ¡°You can¡¯t face your heartbreak, so you turned towards a demon. What else can this be other than escaping from reality?¡± Karen continued. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be special at all! You¡¯re just the same as before, escaping from reality because you can¡¯t face failure, and shutting yourself in! In the end, you haven¡¯t foundationally changed at all.¡±

    The ck insect-shaped runes on Kaho¡¯s dress started moving about even more violently and making buzzing sounds.

    Karen felt an obvious stronger tremor in Kaho¡¯s wavelength.

    ¡°It would seem that I hit the mark¡­ I¡¯m sorry that it took me so long to notice all this. I¡¯m a terrible older sister¡­ But you¡¯re the same! You¡¯re a terrible, foolish younger sister! You actually wanted to abandon your sense of self in order to escape from reality? Is that any different frommitting suicide? That¡¯s so stupid¡­ to the point where you couldn¡¯t get any stupider!!¡±

    Karen was angry and sad, guilty yet annoyed, and didn¡¯t even know exactly what her current emotions were.

    The runes on Kaho¡¯s skirt started buzzing even more loudly. The rays of light on her back also began to shake.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop acting so unseemly.¡± Karen sighed. ¡°We¡¯re both terrible sisters, but we¡¯re still sisters. We can face painful things together. Even if I can¡¯t share the burden of your emotions, I can do various things for you, such as going out to have fun together, eating delicious food together, shopping for beautiful clothes together¡­ No matter how painful the heartbreak, it will always pass with time¡­ I¡¯ve never experienced any heartbreak, so I don¡¯t know what I should say, but I think that abandoning your sense of self because of a heartbreak is definitely no good.¡±

    ¡®This is so foolish.

    ¡®This is so terrible.

    ¡®This is so unseemly.¡¯

    Karen transmitted her way of thinking with her expression.

    *Whoosh¡­* The gigantic scorpion tail suddenly swung directly at Karen!

    *Smack!!*

    Karen took a direct hit, but she forcibly withstood it and wasn¡¯t sent flying backwards by the impact.

    ¡°You be angry because I saw through you, honestly¡­¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ at¡­ all!¡± Kaho finally spoke.

    Her voice was incredibly raspy and also sounded like it was buzzing, as if countless insects were chirping or vibrating against each other. Her voice was ear-piercing and shook Karen¡¯s heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not¡­ escaping from reality¡­ stop¡­ making¡­ ridiculous stuff up!!¡± Kaho¡¯s voice got louder and she sounded noticeably angry. Her words contained a frightening power.

    ¡°No, you are escaping from reality!¡± Karen intentionally went against her. ¡°You turned towards a demon because you didn¡¯t want to face your pain! Also, you wanted to make Harano-kun and myself feel bad as revenge against us!! You said that you had the confidence to obtain the demon¡¯s power, but you were just fooling yourself and everyone else! What you really thought was that you didn¡¯t care what happened to you; you gave up on yourself! You intentionally wanted to make us feel bad!!¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ noooooo!!!¡± Kaho started shouting loudly.

    The red light on her exploded, forming a powerful shock wave!

    But Karen managed to withstand this as well.

    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re so annoying! Someone like you.¡± Karen grit her teeth. ¡°But, you¡¯re my younger sister, my only sister! I love you, Kaho! I want to get closer to you, I want to encourage you to be more spirited, I want to see you leading a happy life!!

    ¡°Because I¡¯m your older sister!!¡±

    ¡°Shut¡­ up¡­ get¡­ the hell¡­ away!!!¡± Kaho shouted loudly yet again, causing a dense swarm of insect shadows to appear around her. The rays of light behind her back swiftly extended to be more than ten meters long!

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk to me like that!!!¡± Karen started yelling as well¡­ no, roaring!

    She grit her teeth and rushed over at full speed, whipping up her right hand and viciously pping down¡­

    *p!!*

    A loud p resounded as she hit Kaho¡¯s face.

    For a moment, it seemed as if the entire world had quieted down. All the strange buzzing noises stopped, the ck runes on Kaho¡¯s dress stopped wriggling, all the insect shadows disappeared, and the rays of light on Kaho¡¯s back settled down.

    Kaho stood there dazedly with her head tilted, as if she couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.

    Karen retracted her hand and then hugged Kaho.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that¡­¡± Karen spoke in a way that sounded half angry and half begging. ¡°I feel so bad¡­ Kaho¡­ I¡¯m so angry¡­ and really want to cry¡­ Just how can I get you to understand¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­ return to being my sister¡­ don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±

    Tears streamed down Karen¡¯s face.

    These tears came straight from her soul¡¯s prayers.

    She truly wanted to regain the sister who was about to leave.

    ¡°Sis¡­ ter¡­¡±

    Kaho¡¯s consciousness gradually became clearer.

    She left the icy darkness and returned to the warmth of the world.

    ¡®Just what have I been doing?

    ¡®Why did I want to do these things?

    ¡®Am I¡­ still me?¡¯

    The moment that she thought this, a sudden fierce pain entered her head! The icy darkness overwhelmed her once more!!

    Loud buzzing sounds could be heard, sounding angry. Kaho faintly saw a pair of blood-red eyes with an iparably cold look. These eyes gave off the feeling as if it had a terrifying power which could destroy everything¡­

    ¡®¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    Kaho apologized to that demonic existence.

    ¡®I¡¯m not you¡­ Nor should I be you¡­ Because someone will be pained if I do so.

    ¡®That person is really clumsy and stupid, to the point of being unsalvageable, since she still hasn¡¯t given up on the ugly and foolish me even at this moment.

    ¡®I don¡¯t really think that I have any value. I really feel that if I became you, it would be fine even if I was no longer a human.

    ¡®But, that¡¯s not what she thinks.

    ¡®She thinks that I¡¯m foolish, and she¡¯s annoyed with and looks down on me. Yet, she¡¯s still unwilling to let me go.

    ¡®She believes that I have value in staying by her side.

    ¡®¡­My bad, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with value.

    ¡®It¡¯s only because we just happen to be sisters.¡¯

    *BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!*

    An angry, strange sound seemed to explode within Kaho and shake her very soul!!!

    An incredibly fierce pain attacked her as Kaho felt her soul being forcefully dragged down to that deep and icy realm.

    Kaho did her best to resist. With her final bit of energy and awareness, she suddenly shoved Karen away!

    ¡°Es¡­ cape¡­¡±

    The colorful rays of light on Kaho¡¯s back suddenly grew explosively to over one hundred meters in length, transforming into a pair of gigantic and beautiful wings of light!!

    Countless, endless amounts of insect swarm shadows that seemed numerous enough to fill the entire dream world appeared! There was an incredible insect stench in the air, and their buzzing sounds were cacophonous. It seemed as if something terrifying was about to descend and break through an invisible barrier!!

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡± Karen wanted to do something, but just standing was difficult already for her. She felt a chill invading her body, causing her body to go limp and her consciousness to go hazy.

    Then, a tall figure suddenly stood before her.

    ¡°Leave the rest to me!¡± Seiji spoke in a confident tone.

 Chapter 713 - Obey me!

    <h4>Chapter 713: Obey me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Harano-kun¡­¡±

    Looking at the figure before her, Karen realized that this was what a so-called hero probably looked like.

    Even though they were about to face a terrifying and vicious demon, she could feel assured as long as he was here.

    Seiji didn¡¯t attack immediately. Instead, he prepared his barriers and shored up his defenses.

    He hadn¡¯t attacked, because the time wasn¡¯t ripe yet.

    Although the current situation was bad, it was also a chance.

    His original n had been to use a special spell to forcefully awaken the insect demon once the demon energy umted to a sufficient extent. This would interfere with its natural awakening so that it wouldn¡¯t have its full power, making it easier to deal with.

    But right now, the insect demon had begun to awaken even though the demon energy hadn¡¯t umted to such an extent. This was both a good thing and a bad thing.

    The bad part was that the insect demon awakening when it still had far too insufficient energy meant that it was highly likely to use Kaho¡¯s soul as additional nutrition. This would result in Kaho¡¯s death!

    But, the good part was that since the insect demon awakened itself in such a state, it would be even weaker and easier to deal with than nned.

    Plus, Seiji had recently acquired a great boost to his Spiritual Power. It was actually quite easy for him to defeat this insect demon.

    The problem was how to protect Kaho while doing so.

    Killing the insect demon would be impossible to carry out, as no matter how he did it, Kaho would be affected as the host and end up dying. Cleansing and sealing wouldn¡¯t work, either, as that would all affect Kaho¡¯s soul. The only workable method was topletely suppress and immediately take the demon under his control! And he would have to hurry!!

    To be clearer, Seiji was going to make this insect demon and Kaho into his Spirit-branded Retainer.

    Suppressing demons and controlling a demon¡¯s power for their own usage was the original job of Yin Yang Masters, after all.

    All the insect shadows became even clearer as some of them transformed into physical insects. The insects surrounded Seiji and started attacking!

    *Whoosh¡­* Fierce mes arose and burned all the attacking insects to ash.

    These insects were nothing more than insects to Seiji. He would burn all that attacked him.

    The important thing right now was Kaho.

    Currently, Kaho¡¯s entire body was floating in midair. Her dress and mask were giving off a thick blood-red light that surrounded her entire body.

    The ck runes on her dress were wriggling violently and even extending outside the dress. The ck runes were beginning to swiftlybine with the blood-red light, forming a half-translucent insect shape.

    This insect had a sturdy shell, sharp-tipped legs, sharp limbs, a thick and strong tail, long horns, and crystalpound eyes¡­ It appeared like the mixture of many different insects, yet it didn¡¯t appear distorted or ugly at all. Instead, it all seemed like it was naturally beautiful.

    It was just like an insect chimera, the amalgamation of many different insects, which gave it a unique beauty.

    ¡°This insect demon is highly likely to have been a god in the past,¡± Yomi suddenly spoke up in his mind. ¡°It probably lost the consecration it was receiving for some reason and became a demon instead.¡±

    ¡®So it¡¯s a fallen god¡­?¡¯ Seiji mused to himself.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can it be a god again if it starts receiving consecration and worship again?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°Perhaps so, perhaps not. It¡¯s just like how some people never return to their former selves after bing fallen. It¡¯s the same for gods that are fallen.¡±

    *Rumble rumble rumble rumble*

    The trembling in this dream space became even more violent, to the point where it was ear-piercing.

    Karen felt pressure and fear from all this. But, she was within Seiji¡¯s barrier¡¯s protection; she looked at the figure standing before her, and no longer felt afraid.

    *Boom!!!*

    Something which seemed like an invisible wall was broken through as the demon finally descended for real together with a tremendous sound!

    *BZZZZZZ!!!!!*

    Kaho¡­ no, the insect demon made a strange ear-piercing sound as its blood-redpound eyes glowed with a deep and cold light. The wings of light on its back let off a brilliant glow! It was as if it was announcing its own arrival.

    Seiji had been waiting for this exact moment, so he instantly used his ultimate¡­

    [Evolved Demon Suppression Bell]!!!

    *ng¡­* The holy sound of the bell¡¯s ringing instantly suppressed the strange insectoid sounds as the giant golden bell appeared and covered the insect demon¡¯s entire body, suppressing it underneath the bell!!

    This was an impressive sight that left Karen with a deep impression.

    The insect demon instantly started making sounds of pain.

    It felt aggrieved, having received such a vicious attack the moment it arrived.

    The insect demon was incredibly angered as it tried to break free from the bell, making loud banging noises within!

    The insect swarms around the tform also went into a frenzy, diving towards Seiji, the bell, and his barrier!

    [Evolved Spirit mes]!!!

    Seiji released powerful mes that burned all the insects in a wide AOE attack.

    This was just how willful he could be now that his Spiritual Power stat exceeded 1200. If he increased his skill at controlling the fire, he could even release an entire sea of fire which could burn the whole dream world to nothingness.

    Although Karen had mentally prepared herself, she still couldn¡¯t help but be astonished to personally witness just how powerful Seigo Harano was.

    He was suppressing the insect demon with one hand and burning up all the insect swarms with the other¡­ Amazing.

    Yet, Shika still remained calm.

    That was because she had seen even more incredible scenes against more powerful opponents before.

    Who cared about dealing with some puny insects? She had seen her Brother Seiji breaking the boundaries of life and death by reviving the dead before! That was what her Brother Seiji was truly capable of!

    The way he appeared like a god during the final part of the Bloodwine Ritual tournament had etched itself deeply into her mind.

    Shika refused to believe that it would be the only time he would ever appear like that.

    Even if he wasn¡¯t capable of it now, her Brother Seiji would definitely show off such a power again in the future.

    *Bang!!*

    The thick and powerful scorpion tail pierced through the bell.

    This was actually because Seiji intentionally controlled the strength of his [Demon Suppression Bell] spell. He hadn¡¯t used his full amount of Spiritual Power on the spell. Otherwise, the insect demon would have been instantly killed.

    Since the bell was pierced through, this weakened the power of the spell, and the insect demon began attacking the bell even more violently.

    The scorpion tail furiously whacked the bell from the outside, while the insect demon violently attacked from inside. The golden bell was gradually breaking down.

    Karen was quite worried about this scene. However, Seigo Harano in front of her didn¡¯t appear to be worried in the slightest.

    Finally, there was the loud sound of an explosion as the insect demon broke free through the bell!

    But, it only enjoyed its newfound freedom for one second, because¡­

    *ng!!!*

    A second [Evolved Demon Suppression Bell] covered it again immediately.

    Insect demon: ¡°¡­¡±

    Everything fell abnormally silent for a moment. Even the insect swarms seemed to stop in their movements.

    Such a powerful spell could be sessfully cast in session?

    Of course, it was nothing for Seiji now.

    He was a man who had excellent endurance (for spellcasting)!

    Karen realized that her worries had been for nothing.

    The insect demon uttered more berserk sounds and began its second round of resistance. Once again, the insect swarms went into a frenzy. And once again, the insect swarms¡¯ attacks against Seiji were fruitless.

    After a rtively longer time than the first, the insect demon broke through the bell again.

    Then, it was immediately covered by a third [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    Its sounds of fury became weaker than before. And when it was covered by a fourth bell, the insect demon sounded more like it was crying.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably about time¡­¡± Seiji was calcting when he should make his next move.

    The insect demon broke free from the bell for the fourth time.

    However, Seiji didn¡¯t immediately cast another [Demon Suppression Bell] as he did before. Instead, he rushed over and swung his [Evolved White Lotus] spiritual de¡­

    Demon-ying [Shadow Cut]!

    *Shing!* A sword slice that seemed to cut through shadow itself shed powerfully at the insect demon!!

    The much-weakened insect demon¡¯s body was cut straight through as it received a serious injury. Arge amount of blood-red light poured out of its wound, as if it was spurting blood.

    ¡°Gaahhhhwoooo!!!¡± the insect demon screamed pitifully as it copsed.

    Seiji continued casting another spell¡­

    Yin Yang Seal, [Master¡¯s Command]!

    A white light magically appeared in midair and swiftly tangled itself around the insect demon¡¯s body. This white light restrained the demon and forced it to stand up!

    ¡°Obey me!!!¡± Seiji shouted authoritatively at the demon as a silver light appeared on his hand to reveal his Yin Yang Seal consisting of the three colors of ck, white, and silver.

 Chapter 714 - Ill come play with you in the future

    <h4>Chapter 714: I¡¯lle y with you in the future</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji¡¯smand transmitted itself through the Yin Yang Seal.

    The insect demon started making berserk sounds as it received thismand and furiously struggled against it.

    Previously, it was invading a human, but now a human was invading and conquering its will¡­ Naturally, the insect demon strongly resisted against this! Although it was greatly weakened and seriously injured to the point where it couldn¡¯t fight back anymore, it still didn¡¯t want to surrender.

    *Shing!* Seiji sliced the insect demon again and then increased the strength of his spell in order to forcibly engrave his seal upon the insect demon.

    A white light immediately started invading the demon¡¯s body!

    ¡°Gagagaaaaa¡­¡± The insect demon felt a tremendous pain.

    Forcefully imprinting the seal like this gave Seiji a significant amount of pressure as well. It was possible that he would receive damage to his soul, but he didn¡¯t care! He was willing to pay such a price in order to protect Kaho.

    A fierce glint appeared in his eyes as he shouted loudly, ¡°O! BEY! ME!!!¡±

    The insect demon screamed pitifully as themand spell invaded its body. It kept losing blood-red light from its body, and its already greatly diminished wings became even smaller and started dimming.

    Being forcefully suppressed by the power and will of the human before it felt just like an extremely hot object slowly piercing through its body and soul. It hurt an incredibly great deal!

    No matter how much it was unwilling to surrender, that would only cause it more pain¡­ Aftering to this realization, the insect demon chose to surrender.

    ¡°Gah¡­¡±

    The wings of light dissipated into a light stream and the insect demon¡¯s body melted away to reveal Kaho¡¯s body within.

    Seiji felt the pressure disappearing as he received the message of obedience from the insect demon.

    That was enough?

    Seiji had mentally prepared himself for a long battle of wills. He didn¡¯t expect that the insect demon would surrender so easily.

    Excellent, he would create the contract immediately!

    ¡°With the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, and the ck Turtle of the North as my witnesses, you shall serve me as your master and I shall take you as my servant. I shall give you a name and consecrate you as my spirit. Your power shall be my power, and my wish will be yourmand¡­¡± Seiji authoritatively uttered his incantation.

    As he uttered the incantation, he could faintly sense a giant insect demon with blood-redpound eyes and colorful wings and hear its hissing along with sensing its will.

    Obedience, anger, fear, helplessness¡­ Seiji sensed the insect demon¡¯splex emotions.

    He didn¡¯t really care right now just what this insect demon that almost killed Kaho was feeling right now. It was fine with him as long as it stopped resisting.

    ¡°With my Yin Yang Seal, I give you the name: Koumei!¡±

    Giving the demon a name of his own creation wouldplete the contract andpletely ce it under his control.

    ¡°Gaga¡­¡± the insect demon uttered a sound that contained what sounded like both agreement and obedience. Its figure then faded from his vision.

    The entire process was highly sessful.

    Seiji heaved a sigh of relief as there were no problems anywhere.

    He then hurriedly checked on Kaho¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Urk¡­¡± she muttered a sound.

    ¡°Kaho!¡±

    Karen couldn¡¯t resist running over.

    ¡°Sis¡­ ter¡­¡± Kaho gradually regained her senses and saw Karen before her.

    ¡°Kaho¡­ it¡¯s so wonderful¡­ wahhh¡­¡± Karen no longer sensed any ominous aura on her sister¡¯s body, so she couldn¡¯t resist hugging Kaho and beginning to cry.

    Seiji silently watched over this scene and felt relieved. Since Kaho had woken up immediately, this meant she wasn¡¯t seriously injured.

    However, he soon sensed something that caused his eyes to sh.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you both back to reality now¡­ take a good rest,¡± he told the Miyamoto Sisters.

    ¡°Harano-kun¡­ thank you¡­¡± Karen felt that it wouldn¡¯t be enough no matter how much she thanked him.

    ¡°Sei¡­go¡­¡± Kaho wanted to say something as well, but she was too weak to say anything.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk afterwards,¡± Seiji told her gently.

    He then released Shinobu and sent Karen and Kaho out of the dream world.

    Shika walked over to Seiji¡¯s side and remained highly on guard.

    Seiji turned around and looked at the direction that Shika was guarding against.

    The crow-masked person¡ªItsuki Kamitani¡ªhad appeared again in his ck yukata and crow mask!

    ¡°Congrattions on your victory~¡± Kamitani said joyously while apuding Seiji. ¡°Please tell me a location in real life where you can ept the winner¡¯s prize, 100,000 sakuras~~¡±

    Seiji and Shika both coldly stared at him and didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell me your address? This is 100,000 sakuras! A total of 100,000 sakuras!!¡± Kamitani extended his hands.

    Several seconds of silence reigned.

    ¡°Alright, I know that 100,000 sakuras isn¡¯t anything much to you guys, since your team won the Bloodwine Ritual tournament. This amount of reward money is paltrypared to what you must have received from that.¡± Kamitani shrugged. ¡°Actually, I had wanted to set the prize money at 10 million sakuras, but the organization rejected that because we didn¡¯t have enough money. So, we¡¯re an evil organization that¡¯s rather poor¡­ Heehee, isn¡¯t that a funny joke?¡±

    Seiji and Shika remained staring coldly at him without anyughter.

    ¡°You should at least say something. Acting like that makes me seem like an idiot. I¡¯m at least an important member of our evil organization.¡± The silver-haired boy sighed dramatically.

    ¡°I¡¯m rather surprised that you have the self-awareness that you¡¯re in an evil faction,¡± Seiji spoke up.

    ¡°Thank you for finally talking¡­ But please, don¡¯t be so serious. Evil organization or whatever? I was just joking about that. Isn¡¯t it too clich¨¦ these days tobel things as outright good or evil?¡±

    ¡°No matter how clich¨¦ it sounds, evil still exists.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t exist~ In today¡¯s generation, nobody pays attention to such outdated concepts, as the most important thing in life is to have fun!¡±

    ¡°You intentionally appeared in front of us at the end in order to waste everyone¡¯s time?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush. We should chat a bit more.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in you, Haruta nii-san.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you at all, Kamitani-san,¡± Seiji spoke in a cold tone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, I actually protected you, you know. Some people in the Messengers organization wanted to kill you,¡± Kamitani spoke in a meaningful tone. ¡°Or, they wanted to at least give you a severe warning by taking revenge such as killing your girlfriend or something like that¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the temperature steeply dropped!

    This wasn¡¯t a mere sensation about the atmosphere. The temperature had literally dropped.

    The silver-haired boy found himself surrounded by a bone-piercing chill, as if he had suddenly fallen into and of ice and snow. Yet, this effect wasn¡¯t caused by any spell.

    This chill didn¡¯t count as much to him at all. However, Kamitani instinctively sensed danger from Seiji across from him who was emitting killing intent.

    Seiji¡¯s powerful killing intent had actually affected the surrounding environment of this dream. This meant that Seiji was able to use his mental willpower alone to directly interfere with this dream realm!

    ¡°As expected¡­ your soul isn¡¯t simple at all, Haruta nii-san.¡± Kamitani still chuckled.

    His tone sounded simr to before, except it was a little more mysterious and deeper.

    ¡°After the Bloodwine Ritual tournament, you managed to revive so many people from death. That¡¯s something that should have been almost impossible, yet you managed to aplish it. Not only did you manage to aplish this, you even recovered after such a short period of time.

    ¡°This is a miracle¡­ it¡¯s a miracle to the point where it¡¯s terrifying.

    ¡°That¡¯s why some people in the Messengers organization want to kill you.

    ¡°But, I think that would be too much of a waste. Besides, if we kill you just like that, it would likely bring great trouble upon us if your older sister gets mad at us.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I came to find and observe you¡­ and I confirmed that you truly are an interesting existence.

    ¡°I¡¯lle y with you again in the future.

    ¡°In order to not anger you, I promise not to touch your women in the future. And in exchange, I hope that you won¡¯t view me with such great enmity.

    ¡°After all, it won¡¯t be any fun if you¡¯re always so serious.¡±

    After saying this, the silver-haired boy snapped his fingers.

    The entire dream realm suddenly made booming noises as the dream started shattering!

 Chapter 715 - Thankful that the girls hadnâ€™t called the cops on him

    <h4>Chapter 715: Thankful that the girls hadn¡¯t called the cops on him</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji and Shika sessfully retreated out of the dream world before it shattered entirely.

    Seiji never expected that things would end like this.

    He expected that Kamitani wouldn¡¯t allow him to simply leave. There would definitely be something like a fight. Yet, Kamitani was unexpectedly direct and casual.

    Kamitani had promised to ¡°y with Seiji¡± again in the future¡­ Seiji definitely didn¡¯t consider it a good thing to catch the attention of a guy like Kamitani, but he figured that things could be even worse, so this was an eptable result.

    The next morning.

    Seiji brought the Miyamoto Sisters over to Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    On the way there, he told the sisters his real name of Seiji Haruta, and let them know that he was a Yin Yang Master. He exined what would happen next.

    Although he had sessfully tamed the insect demon, this still wasn¡¯t enough, because it was still possible that it could harm Kaho.

    This insect demon, who was now named ¡°Koumei¡±, and Kaho had be his Spirit-branded Retainer¡­ more urately, Koumei was the spirit, and Kaho was the host. Using the Spirit-branded Retainer contract to create a master-subordinate rtionship was the best way to lower the risk of any danger!

    Additionally, Kaho would have to be stronger in order topletely eliminate all danger. That was because her soul was now connected to Koumei¡¯s soul. Just the contract alone wouldn¡¯t be a guarantee for her safety.

    This was just like if two people were bound together, and one of them was shackled, it still wouldn¡¯t be impossible to guarantee that the shackled person wouldn¡¯t harm the other. Only by the other being sufficiently strong enough for self-protection would there be a guarantee of safety.

    Although this was all possible, it was just a possibility.

    Even animals that had tasted pain would understand to avoid the source of it. Koumei the insect demon would obviously be much smarter, and wouldn¡¯t stir up trouble for no reason. The demon was quite knowledgeable, and knew that resisting against the contract would require it to pay a heavy price, or perhaps even would result in death. So, logically speaking, there wasn¡¯t much to worry about anymore as long as the Spirit-branded Retainer contract was signed.

    Kaho was still rather tired even after sleeping for an entire night.

    If possible, Seiji would have liked to allow her to rest some more. Still, it was better to perform the contract as soon as possible.

    He finished the preparations, and entered Natsuya¡¯s spellcasting room.

    Karen, Shika, and Natsuya were in the room as observers.

    Seiji asked Kaho to stand in the center of the Yin-Yang diagram in the room, close her eyes, rx her body, and calm her mind¡­

    ¡°Now, please answer me. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Kaho Miyamoto.¡±

    ¡°Are you willing to ept, with the Spirits of Heaven, the Souls of the Earth, the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the ck Turtle of the North, and the Yellow Dragon of the Center as your witnesses, and sign a contract with me?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Kaho replied in a solemn tone.

    ¡°Then with my soul as the witness, and my seal as the catalyst, I shall summon Koumei upon your body, to be your strength and fight for my cause¡­¡± Seiji uttered the incantation, and used his Mana to create the contract.

    He was instantly able to sense the insect demon¡¯s will. He confirmed that it was no longer trying to resist. However, it was also evidently unhappy about the contract.

    Well, Seiji didn¡¯t care if it was happy or not as long as it obeyed him.

    ¡°Demon, heed mymand! I summon you as a Spirit-branded Retainer!! I decree it so!!!¡± Seiji shouted out loud.

    The master-subordinate rtionship was confirmed, and the Spirit-branded Retainer contract waspleted!

    Kaho instantly felt a great power descend upon her, which helped to energize her.

    ¡°Gaah¡­¡± There was a sound of grudging eptance.

    This was the demon¡­ no, the Spirit-branded Retainer Koumei¡¯s voice.

    Now, Kaho could borrow the insect demon¡¯s power whenever she willed it!

    Kaho felt that this was truly somethingpared to how she had almostbinedpletely with it before.

    She knew that she would no longer be alive as the same Kaho anymore if it hadn¡¯t been for her sister Karen and Seiji.

    Saying thanks would be unnecessary. She could only remember this in her heart, and hope that she could make it up to them somehow in the future.

    ¡°Kaho, how are you feeling?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°Very good¡­¡± Kaho opened her eyes, and smiled movingly. ¡°Thank you, Seigo¡­ No, Seiji.¡±

    ¡°No need for thanks.¡± Seiji smiled in response to this alluring smile. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alright¡­ Let me know immediately if you feel that anything¡¯s off again in the future.¡±

    Kaho nodded, and then turned to look at Karen.

    ¡°Sister¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ and thank you.¡±

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    Tears welled up in Karen¡¯s eyes as she covered her mouth.

    Kaho¡¯s eyes also started tearing over as she walked over and hugged her sister.

    Kaho wanted to say something, but was unable to say anything. She could only transmit her feelings with a hug.

    Karen hugged Kaho back while tears continued to streak down her cheeks.

    Everything was finally over.

    Her younger sister had returned.

    This was truly wonderful!

    Seiji was rather moved by this sisterly hug that transmitted such deep emotions. Shika and Natsuya were somewhat moved as well.

    But at this moment¡­

    ¡°Ahn~¡±

    A sudden moan interrupted this moving atmosphere.

    Seiji, Shika, and Natsuya: ¡°¡­¡±

    Karen: ¡°?¡±

    Kaho: ¡°~~~~~~~¡±

    A thick sensation of warm numbness welled up within Kaho. She felt indescribablyfortable, to the point where she couldn¡¯t even control her voice!

    ¡°Ahh~~¡±

    Also, her body couldn¡¯t help but begin to tremble!

    Seiji instantly decided to leave this location. He practically flew out of the room.

    ¡°Kaho, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Karen asked out of concern.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just¡­ a side effect.¡± Natsuya sighed.

    ¡°Side effect!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ a side effect from signing a contract with him¡­¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Seiji finished a cup of tea in the living room before the girls finally arrived.

    Kaho¡¯s face was still rather red. Karen¡¯s expression seemed somewhat subtle.

    Seiji made his best effort to show off an expression of ¡°I¡¯m a normal person, not a pervert.¡± Yet, he still felt insecure about this inside.

    Not only was it about this time, there was also the matter of transferring the demon energy, and the first inspection¡­ It all made him seem like a criminal sexual harasser!

    He felt thankful that the girls hadn¡¯t called the cops on him.

    ¡°About what happened just now¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Seiji apologized to Kaho.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ that was actually a good thing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Kaho¡¯s face became even redder.

    Natsuya interrupted with a cough.

    ¡°Miyamoto-san, could you tell us a little more about Itsuki Kamitani?¡±

    Natsuya had already learned about the events of this incident from Seiji, especially about this high-ranked member of the Messengers.

    Kaho mulled things over. ¡°I can recall the first time I met him, and I think I met him once again in the dream. However, I can¡¯t remember what happened.¡±

    Natsuya and Seiji exchanged nces upon hearing this.

    ¡°Just tell us what you can remember.¡±

    Kaho nodded, and then began telling what she remembered.

    Itsuki Kamitani had suddenly appeared before her; he talked to her, and gave her a game card¡­

    Natsuya asked more detailed questions, guiding Kaho to tell everything she remembered.

    But in the end, not a single bit of information was useful¡­ Still, they¡¯d expected this.

    ¡°You were probably contacted by him because of me,¡± Seiji told Kaho. ¡°He intentionally used you to make me enter that dream world he created.¡±

    ¡°ording to what you told me of Kamitani¡¯s personality, it might also be possible that he simply happened across it,¡± Natsuya told Seiji.

    ¡°No matter if he did it intentionally or because he happened across it, Kaho was dragged into this because of me.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Kaho.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ in the end, it¡¯s still my own fault,¡± Kaho spoke in a low voice. ¡°I was the one who gave you trouble¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Seiji.¡±

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡±

    *Cough!* Natsuya interrupted with yet another cough. ¡°It¡¯s good that the two of you understand each other. The critical element here is still Itsuki Kamitani. Miyamoto-san, try remembering as much as you can about when you met him in the dream. It would be best if you can remember more. If not, don¡¯t force yourself. And if you ever see Kamitani again, you absolutely must be on guard and vignt against him. Protect yourself.¡±

    ¡°Also, contact me as soon as you can if you see him,¡± Seiji added. He then looked at Karen. ¡°Same for you, Miyamoto-san.¡±

    Kaho and Karen exchanged nces, and nodded in unison.

    Everyone fell silent for several seconds.

    ¡°I have another question, Miyamoto-san¡­¡± Natsuya spoke seriously as she looked directly at Kaho. ¡°Are you intending on continuing to be an ¡®ordinary person¡¯ in the future, or are you intending on bing Seiji¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainer for real?¡±

 Chapter 716 - Take advantage of me all you want

    <h4>Chapter 716: Take advantage of me all you want</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Without a doubt, this was an incredibly important question.

    Kaho¡¯s expression became extremely serious.

    Karen appeared to begin worrying.

    Seiji wanted to say something, but was unable to say anything.

    It seemed that Kaho was quite clear on the meaning behind this question. Seiji decided to keep quiet and let her think about the answer.

    ¡°Kaho¡­¡± A few momentster, Karen couldn¡¯t help but speak up first.

    ¡°I¡¯m no longer an ordinary person, Sister.¡± Kaho turned to look at Karen before thetter got a chance to say anything else. ¡°Even if I want to have an ordinary life, there¡¯s no guarantee that I won¡¯t meet something mystical again in the future. Rather than avoiding things, I prefer to face them head on. I don¡¯t know what the specifics of being a Spirit-branded Retainer are, but I believe in Seiji. I¡¯m willing to obey him.¡±

    Kaho then turned to look directly at Seiji.

    Seiji looked her straight in the eye.

    ¡°You bing my Spirit-branded Retainer means bing mypanion. I shall take advantage of you, as well as do my very best to protect you,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious manner.

    Kaho smiled as she could sense his will.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she spoke softly. ¡°Take advantage of me all you want, Seiji. I¡¯m willing to be used by you.¡±

    At this moment, the smile she showed was so brilliant, beautiful, and sparkling that everyone else was stunned by the sight.

    It all started from an ordinary afternoon.

    An ordinary girl was encouraged by the boy. From then on, the ordinary girl started working hard to be able to get closer to the boy who shone like a star.

    After some struggles, she was now finally able to truly stand by his side.

    It was an awkward, foolish, and painful process which gave her friends and rtives great difficulties. It almost ended in a tragedy¡­

    Yet, it wasn¡¯t aplex story. It was simply a story of youth¡­ like any other out there.

    [Kaho Miyamoto]

    [Special Spirit-branded Retainer host. Contracted.]

    [Traits: Host to a high-level demon within her body. Summoned type. Growth rate medium, potential medium.]

    [Koumei]

    [Special Spirit-branded Retainer vessel. Contracted.]

    [Traits: High-level insect demon. Insect queen type. Currently extremely weakened.]

    Seiji was able to see in his system¡¯s [Contracted Spirit-branded Retainers] that Kaho took up 30 Spiritual Power points for him to contract with her. She only produced one point per day in exchange, and the system only gave her minor increase to ability and growth rate.

    He figured that this was probably because she had only been an ordinary person to begin with.

    She didn¡¯t even count as a beginner-level Spirit-branded Retainer host. The system counted her as a [special] category. It was already quite good that she had medium growth rate and potential. It was also understandable that the system¡¯s bonuses for her were low.

    Seiji now also had a new category in his system called [Spirit Contracts]. This section indicated that Koumei was costing him a full 300 Spiritual Power points to keep contracted! Koumei also produced 25 points per day, and didn¡¯t gain any benefits from the system. This was because for the time being, the system was aiding her recovery at a low rate.

    300 Spiritual Power points¡­ this cost ten times as much as maintaining Kaho¡¯s contract, and five times as much as contracting with Natsuya cost!

    At any rate, Seiji felt pained about how one-fourth of his total Spiritual Power value was being used up on maintaining contracts. Still, this also proved that Koumei was quite powerful indeed.

    Koumei used up so many points even in an extremely weakened state. What if she was at full power?

    Seiji figured that the point requirement would perhaps be multiplied several times over.

    Seiji knew that Koumei was indeed quite strong. At full power, perhaps Koumei would truly be able to summon a full-scale insect invasion of Sakura Ind! Luckily, it had been greatly weakened, which was why Seiji had been able to suppress it.

    But even in such a weakened state, Koumei was still capable of utilizing great power as long as Seiji supported it with his Mana.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but try imagining. With his Mana as support, if Kaho could use Koumei¡¯s power and summon a swarm of insects to crush everything¡­ that made it seem like they were actually the antagonists.

    Still, it actually felt pretty nice!

    He would try it out if he got the chance¡­ No, he didn¡¯t need to wait for a chance. He would do so immediately after letting Kaho get some rest to restore her condition. He would then enter Kazuko¡¯s Domain, and summon an insect swarm there to defeat everything within the Domain!

    The more Seiji thought about it, the more he felt this was a great n.

    If this n could work out, then it would be just like grinding for experience. He could use the insects to take care of all the monsters within the Domain. All hispanions wouldn¡¯t have to do anything at all except from absorbing the experience mist.

    Still, even if this seemed like a cool idea, hispanions wouldn¡¯t gain any actualbat experience. It wouldn¡¯t be good for them to lose out on valuable practical experience.

    Seiji decided to give it a try and see how it waster.

    Something suddenly urred to Seiji when he closed his system menu. Would existences like Koumei also appear in other ces, undiscovered, and awaken on their own?

    If such things truly urred, then there might be a catastrophe in the future.

    Or, perhaps the catastrophe urred already, but was covered up, just like the Bloodwine Ritual tournament incident¡­

    After thinking about it for a while, Seiji shook his head, and decided to stop focusing on this topic.

    There were too many things to worry about. Since he had just finished with an incident, he wanted to rx a bit more.

    Isamu felt like he could hear his heart beating.

    It was impossible for him to calm down as he thought about the person he was about to meet.

    Shiroya, a real Spiritual Ability user¡­ would he reallye?

    And even if he came, would hee using his real appearance?

    Although he acted quite friendly in the dream, would he be the same in reality?

    ¡®Was it really a good idea for someone like myself to meet with a Spiritual Ability user like Shiroya? Just how daring was I to even mention the thought of bing friends with him!¡¯

    Various thoughts swirled about chaotically in Isamu¡¯s mind.

    To be honest, he was a gaming nerd. Although he didn¡¯t have any socialmunication problems, he was more of an introvert who wasn¡¯t highly skilled at talking to others.

    Isamu was the type who also got nervous when meeting regr online friends for the first time. So, of course he would be even more anxious meeting such an extraordinary person. In fact, Isamu was so nervous that he forgot that there was one more personing to the meeting.

    ¡°Owl.¡±

    Isamu jolted upon hearing his username being called. He turned around, only to see a boy wearing a ck jacket and a cap.

    This boy appeared rather handsome. He had a high-bridged nose, diagonal bangs, and silver eyes. His gaze seemed somewhat icy, giving him a cool appearance.

    The boy took off his cap, and asked to confirm, ¡°You¡¯re Owl, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Isamu finally realized what was going on. ¡°You¡¯re Three-Eyed Cat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Nice¡­ nice to meet you, my name is Isamu Seima¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say your real name out loud, idiot.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Even if this was a normal meeting between online friends, would you really say your real name immediately?¡± Three-Eyed Cat stated coldly. ¡°Do you really believe that meeting in real life means we¡¯re all true friends?¡±

    Isamu was rendered speechless.

    Three-Eyed Cat sighed upon seeing how stupefied Isamu was.

    ¡°Forget it, I suppose I can tell you my name. I¡¯m Ryuuma Sorimachi. Nice to meet you, please take good care of me, etc.¡±

    ¡°Ryuuma¡­ Sorimachi?¡± Isamu repeated the name, feeling that it sounded rather archaic as if it came from a period drama.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Ryuuma 1 from shogi. My father loves to y shogi, which is why he gave me this name,¡± Three-Eyed Cat, or Ryuuma, exined calmly.

    It seemed that Ryuuma¡¯s name didn¡¯t have anything to do with period dramas after all.

    ¡°Your name is really cool. It fits you,¡± Isamu spoke the first thing on his mind as he looked over the cool looking guy before him.

    Ryuuma blinked, and averted his gaze.

    ¡°Your name fits you as well, Isamu Seima. It sounds like the main character of a children¡¯s anime.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why¡¯d you emphasize the word ¡®children¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No reason.¡± Ryuuma took out his cell phone, and started ying a cell phone game.

    Isamu¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the game that Ryuuma was ying.

    ¡°I¡¯m ying that game as well!¡± Isamu brought out his own cell phone. ¡°What level are you in it?¡±

    ¡°135.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Level 135 was the current level cap in the game! Isamu was astonished to hear this.

    This was a popr Huaxia cell phone game called ¡°Puppets¡¯ Frontline¡±. The main topic was how cute girl puppets were living guns that fought each other in strategic battles. The game was rtively free-to-y-friendly, and the grinding requirements differed depending on the person.

    Why did the grinding requirements differ for everyone? That was because this game was truly a test for one¡¯s brain power!

    Just about every map in the game waspletely random so that every battle would be different. One had to consider the bnce of gun girl puppet types, formation, path taken, skills to use, and real timebat¡­ And the more enemies you killed, the less damage or knockouts you took, and the less time you took, the more points you would receive, leading to greater experience and rewards.

    In summary, skilled yers wouldn¡¯t have to grind as much to speedily raise their levels. Unskilled yers would have to grind a great deal in order to reach the high levels.

    Since every map waspletely randomized, there were noplete walkthrough for the game. There were only general strategy guides. That was why it was impossible to just copy others¡¯ strategies for this game. Achieving a high score and rank would dependpletely on oneself.

    ¡°You¡¯re at such a high level¡­ how much do you y every day?¡±

    ¡°About half an hour.¡±

    ¡°Only half an hour!?¡±

    Isamu had started ying this game from the moment that it came out. He yed it for an average of an hour a day, and he was currently level 89.

    This was truly a tremendous difference.

    ¡®No¡­ it¡¯s all because I spent all my resources on the gacha for gun girl puppets! If I had yed seriously from the very start, and used my resources on battling instead, I should be at least level 130 as well!¡¯ Isamu suddenly started thinking like this.

    ¡°My gun girl puppet collection is 92%plete, how about you?¡± Isamu asked.

    92% was among the top ranks in the server forpletion ratio. Isamu¡¯s collection rate was ranked in the top 500.

    ¡°93%,¡± Ryuuma answered calmly.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Isamu was astonished yet again.

    Even his collection ratio was so high!?

    Isamu found this really difficult to ept. It was fine if Ryuuma was a better yer, but he even had such good luck with the gacha¡­?

    ¡°Just how are you ying this game!?¡±

 Chapter 717: Iâ€™ll play that for you and help you pass that level

    <h4>Chapter 717: I¡¯ll y that for you and help you pass that level</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ryuuma didn¡¯t answer this question. He simply nced at Isamu in an aloof manner.

    Isamu felt as if he was being looked down on with that expression¡­ It was an expert yer high up above casually dismissing a low-ranked yer!

    Isamu felt stifled to the point of being unable to say anything. He could only look at his own cell phone.

    Although he almost felt like putting his cell phone away, since he brought the game up already, he figured he might as well log in to collect the daily rewards.

    And so, Isamu logged in to Puppets¡¯ Frontline.

    After collecting the daily rewards, the game indicated that there was an ¡°emergency mission¡±.

    So-called ¡°emergency missions¡± were basically random quests that had abundant rewards. These emergency missions could only bepleted within a limited timeframe.

    Isamu immediately checked the mission, and saw that it was a high-difficulty battle mission with a time limit of fifteen minutes. The reward was quite munificent, and included many resources that he was currentlycking, along with a piece of top-level equipment!

    Isamu only had one piece of top-level equipment, which was why he was quite tempted by this mission.

    He reflexively chose to ept the mission and entered the map for battle.

    Isamu sighed after seeing that this particr map had abyrinthineyout with countless enemies of various types.

    He knew that it was unlikely for him to clear this map within thirty minutes, much less fifteen.

    Although he thought this, he didn¡¯t want to give up so easily, so he still started analyzing the map.

    After a short analysis, he found that perhaps the map wasn¡¯t as difficult as he had thought. There was quite an obvious path that he could take. Isamu figured that he could clear this map head on by using his highest-level gun girl puppets in an assault formation.

    And so, Isamu used hismand center menu to send out his team with the best equipment and skills to begin the battle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go! For the empire!¡± a girl with short brown hair spoke quite spiritedly as she appeared on Isamu¡¯s cell phone screen. She had a ck one-piece dress with a short skirt, a red scarf, and an assault rifle in her hands. Her eyes had a sharp gaze like an eagle¡¯s.

    This girl represented Isamu¡¯s team on the map. Isamu sent her straight into the enemy formation and began fighting.

    After a fierce battle, the gun puppet girls defeated all the enemies. The only price they paid was some ammunition and one member being lightly injured.

    ¡°This is the power of the empire!¡± the brown-haired girl who was the team leader spoke once again. She had dealt the most damage, and contributed the most in battle.

    Then, there was a second, third, and fourth battle¡­

    Then, Isamu discovered to his surprise that his team had been surrounded!

    Not only that, the enemy base up ahead started spawning mecha troops!!

    Isamu¡¯s assault team was unable to deal with heavily armored mechas. That would require an armor-piercing team.

    Why did things turn out like this? Was this path a trap!?

    Isamu widened his eyes, and carefully analyzed his current situation before sighing helplessly.

    Indeed, this was a trap.

    His team was now surrounded. Armored mechas were now in front of his team. Trying to break through would equal death, and there were also too many enemy forces, so retreating was impossible.

    He had lost.

    Isamu now had a depressed expression.

    He didn¡¯t want to see his gun puppet girls being defeated. He simply turned off his cell phone screen as he started putting his phone away in his pocket.

    ¡°Give that to me,¡± a voice spoke up in an aloof tone.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Isamu looked at Ryuuma.

    ¡°I¡¯ll y that for you and help you pass that level,¡± Ryuuma stated lightly.

    Isamu was surprised for a moment before he finally realized what Ryuuma was saying. Isamu then hurriedly handed his cell phone over to the expert.

    ¡°You have to input your cell phone password for me first, idiot.¡±

    Isamu hurriedly unlocked his phone, and then handed it over.

    Ryuuma took the cell phone and began controlling Isamu¡¯s team.

    Isamu observed from the side. He witnessed Ryuuma sending the assault team to retreat and sessfully breaking through. Ryuuma then captured a base and changed to using a purely defensive formation. He then sent a new team out from themand center, taking a different path¡­

    ¡°Glory to the empire¡­ the empire shall never fall¡­¡±

    The first team was defeated soon after defending for a few turns. The brown-haired team leader girl¡¯s clothing was now tattered as she kneeled and stated her message of defeat.

    Although the entire first team of gun puppet girls had been defeated quite pitifully, they sessfully stalled the armored mecha troops long enough for the second team to take a roundabout path to the enemymand center, allowing Ryuuma to sessfully capture the base required to win!

    Isamu had thought that this map was a sure loss. Yet, the expert yer Ryuuma sessfully beat the map with diversion tactics.

    ¡°That¡¯s how you y this game,¡± Ryuuma stated calmly while returning Isamu¡¯s cell phone.

    Isamu could only be impressed with how cool Ryuuma was acting.

    Isamu silently took the cell phone back, and checked the rewards forpleting the mission. He then sent his heavily injured gun puppet girls to be fixed.

    ¡°What¡¯s this game called?¡± suddenly, a voice spoke up behind the two of them.

    Isamu and Ryuuma both turned around, only to see a tall, handsome, smiling boy standing in front of them.

    ¡°¡­Shiroya?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Pleased to meet the both of you.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Shiroya stated that his name was Seigo Harano.

    Isamu felt that Seigo didn¡¯t seem much like a Spiritual Ability user at all with how much fun Seigo seemed to be having while ying Puppets¡¯ Frontline.

    Although this was only Isamu¡¯s own mental image of what a Spiritual Ability user should be like, and it shouldn¡¯t have been strange that Seigo was different, but¡­ Just what was going on here? Seigo had the physical appearance of a mega-handsome idol, but was super interested in cell phone games aimed at otaku gamers!?

    Seigo appeared to be the highest level of winner in life type. Would such a type of person really be interested in cell phone games?

    No¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be strange for even the highest level of winner in life to be interested in games. The critical element here was the type of the game. At any rate, Isamu felt that someone like Seigo shouldn¡¯t have been interested in a cell phone game like Puppets¡¯ Frontline, even if Isamu felt that this was a great game.

    Yet, the reality was right before him.

    ¡°Ding ding ding~~¡± A pleasing sound rang out.

    This was the sound of receiving a five-star gun puppet girl in the gacha!

    ¡°HX99 reporting in. Please protect me well, Commander~¡± A cute loli girl wearing an extravagantce dress while carrying arge sniper rifle bigger than she was appeared on the cell phone screen. She ced one finger on her lips while cutely stating her greeting.

    ¡°I pulled a five star¡­ how is this character?¡± Seiji showed Isamu the cell phone¡¯s screen.

    Isamu widened his eyes in surprise yet again.

    This was a character that even he didn¡¯t have yet. HX99 was even known as the rarest five star puppet in the entire game!

    ¡°She¡¯s excellent¡­ she¡¯ll be really strong at a high level.¡±

    ¡°It would seem that I have good luck when ying this game.¡± Seiji chuckled.

    ¡®It¡¯s not only good! Your luck is amazing, man!¡¯ Isamu was shouting in his mind.

    Meanwhile, Ryuuma silently sipped on some tea beside him.

    The three of them were currently sitting in the corner of a coffee caf¨¦. However, none of them had ordered coffee. They were currently sharing a pot of green tea.

    After ying the game for a while, Seiji put away his cell phone and had some tea.

    ¡°Both of you are high school students, right?¡± Seiji asked.

    Isamu nodded. He then looked at Ryuuma.

    Ryuuma nced at Isamu before looking at Seiji.

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m simply confirming.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a high school student as well. Can I address you two as Seima-kun and Sorimachi-kun from now on?¡±

    Isamu nodded once again.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll address you as Harano-kun,¡± Ryuuma stated.

    Seiji nodded as well.

    ¡°Seima-kun, Sorimachi kun. Even your namesplement each other 1 . It seems that you¡¯re a better match for each other than I first thought.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have it wrong? Doesn¡¯t that make us destined not to get along?¡±

    ¡°If you two were destined not to get along, howe the first time I saw you two were having so much fun ying a game together?¡±

    Ryuuma was rendered speechless.

    ¡°At that time, I told you guys that it was unknown how long the dream wouldst, that you would need to rely on yourselves until a way to escape the dream was figured out,¡± Seiji spoke seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s quite important for you to bepanions. Not only that, I believe that you guys should get to know and ally with even morepanions¡­ But how you do that is something that only you can decide. Still, you¡¯re more than wee to tell me when you do. Feel free to contact me at any time, even if it¡¯s the middle of the night. I¡¯ll also continue gathering information about this strange dream. I¡¯ll let you guys know the moment that I find out anything useful. That¡¯s all I can do for now.¡±

 Chapter 718 - I am not your justice

    <h4>Chapter 718: I am not your justice</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°How¡¯s Butterfly-san doing?¡± Ryuuma inquired.

    ¡°She¡¯s alright. The issue has been taken care of,¡± Seiji replied. ¡°In her ce, I give her thanks for your assistance to her.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks. I simply judged that it would be beneficial for me if I helped her.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you were still a great help to her.¡±

    ¡°¡­In that case, since I helped her, could you answer a question of mine?¡± Something shed in Ryuuma¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Just what exactly will happen to Sakura Ind?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a while after hearing this question.

    ¡°Ever since the Midnight Incident on New Year¡¯s, things have gradually be strange in society,¡± Ryuuma continued. ¡°Lots of supernatural events are being talked about on the inte. There¡¯re also countless rumors in my school. Although maybe most of the content is fake, there should be at least a few true stories in there, and even if almost none of the stories are real, the few that are real already reflect how dangerous things have be. It¡¯s the same for this so-called strange dream. This dream might even develop into arge-scale incident with many deaths¡­ This type of incident might even be happening simultaneously with other such incidents. Will such a situation continue? Will things get worse in the future, or will they calm down?¡±

    Only after hearing Ryuuma ask this did Isamu realize that this was the most important question he should have asked.

    Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t have any idea what would happen to Sakura Ind. But, right now, there was a real Spiritual Ability user before them!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either,¡± Seiji answered after he sipped on some more tea. ¡°I¡¯m the same as you guys. I don¡¯t have the power to see in the future, so I have no idea how Sakura Ind will change. I can only state my personal opinion, which is that mystical incidents will only be moremon in the future. The forces that deal with such incidents are also improving their powers, but it¡¯s quite difficult to say if they canpletely control the situation and keep the peace.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s difficult to say, it seems more like you don¡¯t want to say it.¡± Ryuuma looked directly at Seiji. ¡°You actually feel that it¡¯s impossible to control the situation, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Seiji fell silent once again.

    ¡°If people like you were able to control the situation, then we wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved in this strange dream in the first ce. Nor would we be sitting here, talking to you,¡± Ryuuma spoke in an icy tone. ¡°Arge number of ordinary people was put in danger. This means the situation is already out of control! You mentioned that there will be more and more incidents in the future, which basically means that things will only be worse from now on.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ couldn¡¯t be?¡± Isamu couldn¡¯t help but speak up.

    Ryuuma looked at Isamu with an expression of ¡°You¡¯re an idiot who doesn¡¯t understand anything.¡±

    ¡°Harano-kun¡­ and other Spiritual Ability users of Justice like Harano-kun are currently working hard. They¡¯ll definitely win over evil and maintain the peace.¡± Isamu reflexively said this out loud, but right after he said it, even he himself felt that it sounded really immature.

    But even though he felt it was immature, wasn¡¯t that how things worked logically?

    If there were evil parties out there creating chaos, there would definitely be heroes of justice working to stop them!

    Just like Seigo Harano before him.

    Seigo had hispanion, the Knight of Zero. Not only that, he probably had even morepanions that Isamu didn¡¯t know about. And apart from Seigo¡¯s group, there were probably even more heroes fighting for the sake of justice out there while secretly protecting everyone!

    ¡°How childish¡­ are you still in elementary school?¡± Ryuuma snickered.

    ¡°So what if it¡¯s childish! Isn¡¯t it the truth? We might have died already if it wasn¡¯t for a Spiritual Ability user of justice like Harano-kun!¡± Isamu red at Ryuuma.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re childish; such an unsalvageable idiot.¡±

    ¡°So what if I¡¯m an idiot!? I admit that I¡¯m not as smart as you, but I know that justice is the strongest, and heroes of justice are the strongest! Even if justice is sometimes temporarily disadvantaged, justice will definitely win in the end!!¡±

    Ryuuma revealed an obviously condescending expression. He opened his mouth, but was unable to say anything else when faced with Isamu¡¯s adamant expression of belief.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ I can¡¯t be bothered with debating an idiot like you.¡±

    Seeing Ryuuma retract his gaze and calmly drink tea, Isamu felt that perhaps his own reaction had been a bit overboard.

    Indeed, he wasn¡¯t as smart as Ryuuma, but he was no real idiot.

    Justice existed, although it might not be in the form that he wished for.

    Justice was strong, but it also might not be as strong as he wanted.

    Isamu knew that his own way of thinking was ¡°childish¡±.

    Yet, he didn¡¯t want to abandon this childish way of thinking.

    There was nothing wrong with the concept of justice defeating evil.

    If there was something wrong with that concept, then something was wrong with the entire world!

    Isamu was adamant in believing this.

    This seemingly na?ve way of thinking of his, if one analyzed it and thought of it as its own concept, had its own name as well¡ªbelief.

    Seiji looked directly at Isamu.

    Rather than the cool-looking Ryuuma, Isamu definitely looked just like an ordinary high school boy. Isamu had ordinary clothing, an ordinary hairstyle, and an only slightly above average appearance. There appeared to be no notable traits about him whatsoever. Basically, Isamu looked just like a random bystander.

    However, Seiji felt that Isamu had potential, even more potential than Ryuuma.

    ¡°Justice is a heavy word, Seima-kun.¡± Seiji spoke what he truly believed. ¡°Supporting justice is a good thing. But, sometimes, the situation will turn out to be different from what you imagine. What if the real situation is different from what you believed? Will you still be able to support justice? Just what exactly does justice mean to you? How much can you believe in it? How much can you persist in your beliefs? Only you cane up with the answers to these questions. I personally believe that justice rests within the individual. Not others, not an organization, but oneself. I¡¯m quite happy that you believe what I¡¯m doing to be justice. But, please, you must understand that I am not your justice. Your justice is within yourself.¡±

    Seiji¡¯s speech really moved Isamu.

    ¡°Boring¡­¡± Ryuuma spoke in a low voice.

    Isamu red at him once again.

    Seiji chuckled, and then brought out his cell phone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here on this subject. We can y that game some more together.¡±

    -

    Ordinary people believed that the Midnight Incident was the beginning of all the mystical incidents.

    At first, Seiji believed this as well. But now, even though he still didn¡¯t know what was behind the Midnight Incident, he felt that it likely wasn¡¯t the true beginning at all.

    The Soul World faction had been able to escape all responsibility for causing the Midnight Incident. Apart from the Spirit Worlds as a bargaining chip and the faction being sufficiently strong enough, Seiji felt that their being able to avoid responsibility also had to do with the secret behind the Midnight Incident.

    The truth of the matter was still unknown.

    Just like Ryuuma, he also wanted to know what Sakura Ind would be like.

    After he split from the two of them and started returning home, Seiji suddenly received a text message from Yui.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished reading your report. Contact me immediately if you see Itsuki Kamitani again.¡±

    Seiji looked at the message for quite a while. He had to suppress his urge to immediately contact her and ask about the Midnight Incident as well as the future situation.

    He probably wouldn¡¯t receive an answer¡­ and even if he did, he would still need to do the same things.

    Seiji put away his cell phone, and saw a light pink flower petal gently falling before his eyes.

    Although the flower was blossoming beautifully, it was already beginning to wilt.

    The cherry blossoms merely bloomed for only a short while before falling down at the speed of five centimeters per second. Was it because they were so beautiful that people felt sadness, or was it because people felt sadness that they felt the blossoms were beautiful?

    Seiji was somewhat able to understand the so-called concept of beauty in sadness regarding cherry blossoms. However, he still didn¡¯t like this concept.

    ¡°People can actually feel reassured when they witness a beautiful banquet¡¯s end.¡± This was a sentence that Seiji had heard in his previous life from an unknown source. Yet, it had left him a deep impression because of how contradictory the sentence sounded. Now, Seiji mulled it over once again, but was still unable to agree.

    While beauty would indeed eventually fade, and it was normal to be sad over the fading beauty, liking this type of sadness and giving it praise seemed rather strange to Seiji.

    The cherry blossoms were beautiful. In that case, it seemed fine to him to simply admire and enjoy this beauty.

    Tomorrow would be the day that everyone went out for a pic together to do cherry blossom viewing.

 Chapter 719 - Im a little goldfish~

    <h4>Chapter 719: I¡¯m a little goldfish~</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The main issue with the pic was where to go.

    The more beautiful the location, the more famous it would be, thus meaningrge crowds. This was especially so for the most renowned locations for cherry blossom viewing as there would probably be more people than cherry blossoms there.

    After Seiji discussed this matter with the others, they finally decided on going to Koshou Park.

    This was a rtively small park that wasn¡¯t all that well-known. There wouldn¡¯t be many visitors, but the scenery would still be enjoyable.

    This morning, Kaede drove arge SUV for everyone¡¯s ride.

    Everyone got on the SUV after they finished their preparations. They immediately headed towards the park.

    Nozomi Uehara rode shotgun. Seiji and Shika sat in the middle, while Mika, Reo, and Chiaki sat in the rear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y a game! The loser has to sing everyone a song!¡± Chiaki brought out a deck of cards. It was obvious that she wanted to liven up the atmosphere.

    ¡°Sure, what shall we y?¡± Seiji readily agreed.

    ¡°Card guessing!¡± Chiaki spread all the cards and exined the rules of this Sakura Ind variant card game¡­

    Both yers would draw one random card, and decide a person to go first by using rock paper scissors. The first yer could guess any information they wanted about the other person¡¯s card. The information guessed could be specific or general. The other yer would then respond with ¡°correct¡± or ¡°incorrect¡±.

    After each guess, the two yers would swap roles as they tried to guess each other¡¯s specific card. The first person whose exact card was sessfully guessed would lose.

    The first round was Seiji vs. Chiaki.

    Chiaki won at rock paper scissors, so she chose to guess first.

    ¡°Heh heh heh, I can already detect the truth. Your card must be in the heart suit!¡± Chiaki pointed directly at his card.

    ¡°Wah, you actually saw through me¡­ correct.¡± Seiji made a pose as if he received an attack before he covered his face. ¡°It¡¯s my turn. I activate my special skill, eye of perception!¡±

    Seiji then peeked out from between his fingers. His appearance right now was incredibly chuunibyou.

    ¡°Your card must be a diamond!¡±

    ¡°Wah¡­ you saw right through me¡­ not!¡± Chiaki made a cute funny face. ¡°Your skill is ineffective against me. Wrong!¡±

    ¡°What!? How is this possible, my eye actually¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my turn! After careful analysis, I¡¯ve gotten closer to the truth. Your card must be a number card!¡±

    ¡°Wahh¡­ how could this be¡­ correct.¡± Seiji acted as if he had suffered a mighty blow, pretending to be depressed.

    ¡°You got two guesses right in a row. Chiaki-neesan is amazing.¡± Reo was impressed.

    ¡°Heh heh heh~ I¡¯m a famous detective!¡± Chiaki acted quite proud of herself.

    ¡°This game doesn¡¯t even require basic analytical skills,¡± Mika retorted.

    ¡°A famous detective¡¯s reasoning isn¡¯t something that an ordinary person can understand!¡±

    ¡°Is that the legendary ultimate eye of detectives that can find the truth even with zero clues!?¡± Seiji acted all serious.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, which is why you¡¯ve lost already, pitiful young man~¡± Chiaki showed off an expression of sympathy.

    ¡°No¡­ I still haven¡¯t lost, there¡¯s still hope! I shall grasp the final light of hope!¡± Seiji stated resolutely as he waved his hand wildly, giving off an invisible aura. ¡°I can see it¡­ Your card¡­ must be a heart that¡¯s less than 5!¡±

    ¡°W¡­ what!?¡± Chiaki was instantly shocked. ¡°You actually saw through it¡­ impossible¡­ correct.¡±

    ¡°Haha~ The Goddess of Hope is on my side! I shall never lose!¡± Seiji became spirited again.

    Yet, the end result was that he lost.

    Seiji sang a round of ¡°Ethereal Snow¡± for everyone. Everyone apuded his singing, making the atmosphere quite lovely.

    The second round was Reo vs. Mika.

    The result was that Mika won.

    Although Reo was somewhat embarrassed, she also sang a song for everyone: the opening song of Honey Candy Girl, ¡°You Whom I Dream About¡±.

    She wasn¡¯t a particrly good singer, but the cute loli shyly singing the song was quite a moving scene for everyone.

    Both Seiji and Chiaki wanted to record her with their cell phones. Unfortunately for them, Reo adamantly refused.

    The third round was Seiji vs. Shika.

    Seiji really wanted to win. Everyone else wanted him to win as well. That was because everyone wanted to hear Shika singing!

    ¡°Go! Brother Seiji~¡± Reo clenched her tiny fists and cheered him on.

    ¡°Seiji, if you win, I¡¯ll give you some special service afterwards~¡± Chiaki sent him a sultry look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about something like special service¡­¡± Mikamented.

    ¡°Hee hee, you¡¯re quite popr, Haruta-kun.¡± Nozomi smiled.

    ¡°I shall definitely win!¡± A fierce glint appeared in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    He definitely wanted to hear Shika singing more than anyone!

    Shika: ¡°¡­¡±

    Her face started blushing red as she sensed her adopted older brother¡¯s desire.

    In the end, just as everyone wanted, Seiji won!

    At this moment, he even wanted to shout out loudly while making a victory pose. However, he restrained himself.

    Chiaki and the others pped for him before everyone turned to look at Shika.

    The ck-haired beauty blushed red and gave off an aura of embarrassment. This was truly alluring to behold.

    Reo¡¯s eyes were glittering, Chiaki and Mika were stunned, and even Nozomi was a little dazed by the sight.

    Everyone fell silent for a moment because of this.

    Seiji coughed to break the silence.

    ¡°Shika-chan, you lost, so¡­¡±

    Shika nodded before she touched her chest and slowly opened her mouth¡­

    ¡°My feelings swim about like a goldfish~

    ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere without you~¡±

    The moment she started singing, her soft voice moved everyone¡¯s hearts and souls!

    ¡°Swimming quietly in the warm water~

    ¡°I can do anything for you~¡±

    Something changed in the SUV¡¯s atmosphere as if everyone was brought into an alternate dimension of a beautiful realm.

    ¡°The dusk light shines like water~

    ¡°Taking you far away~¡±

    Shika¡¯s soft and beautiful voice, paired together with the elegant and moving song made a perfectbination.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little goldfish~

    ¡°Who survives on your love~¡±

    Seiji and the others were so immersed that they even forgot to give their praise.

    This song was ¡°Goldfish¡± by Miyuki Sakuraku. It was one of her less known songs.

    The song¡¯s length was five minutes and thirty-three seconds, and it had a calm style overall that sounded almost conversational. Many people felt that this song was overly boring and in. But of course, there were a few that really liked this song and felt that they could enter a special realm when listening to it.

    Seiji was thetter type.

    When writing his story, he would also asionally listen to this song. He felt that this song contained an indescribable meaning that helped to stimte his imagination and enter a certain realm.

    He never knew that Shika knew how to sing this song, nor that she would be so incredibly good at singing!

    As he listened, he even forgot that this was Miyuki Sakuraku¡¯s song! He felt as if Shika¡¯s version was how the song ¡°Goldfish¡± was truly supposed to be.

    Miyuki was a wonderful singer. Yet, Shika was a more appropriate singer for this particr song, appropriate to the point as if this song had been custom written just for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally time to go into a deep sleep~

    ¡°Deep, deep, deep~

    ¡°I shall be waiting you when the dream ends~

    ¡°Slowly, slowly, slowly~

    ¡°Our connection shall remain forever~¡±

    The song gradually ended after the climax of the song.

    Several seconds of silence reigned in the SUV before everyone suddenly started pping!

    ¡°Wow! You sung so well!!¡± Reo pped her hands vigorously.

    ¡°You should really be an idol! With your singing skills, you¡¯ll definitely be ridiculously popr!!¡± Chiaki praised Shika.

    ¡°You really sung so well¡­ I felt like I was entering a dream,¡± Mika gave herpliments as well.

    ¡°It makes one want to listen again,¡± Nozomi stated while pping her hands.

    ¡°It would be even better with an apaniment.¡± Kaede smiled as well.

    ¡°It was so moving, Shika-chan! I think that you sung better than the original singer!¡± Seiji gave his sincere praise which came from his heart.

    Shika¡¯s face became even redder as she shyly twisted her face away.

    After the apuse, the card guessing game continued.

    ¡°Reo-chan, I won¡¯t go easy on you~¡±

    ¡°Same for me, Chiaki-neesan!¡±

    Chiaki and Reo faced off next. Well, it would be fun no matter who won and lost.

    The SUV continued on as everyone had fun in this lively atmosphere.

 Chapter 720 - So beautiful...

    <h4>Chapter 720: So beautiful¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After everyone arrived at Koshou Park, they got off the SUV and brought their pic items to the nned location.

    After only a short walk, they saw arge patch of grass and many cherry blossom trees in full bloom. The countless flowers on the branches seemed like endless clouds that created a beautiful contrast with the blue sky and the green earth.

    Brilliant, gorgeous, passionate¡­ all of these words could describe this scene, yet these words were also insufficient. The cherry blossoms in full bloom were their own type of beauty. The petals falling to the ground were yet another type of beauty.

    Right now, not that many petals were falling yet. Still, there were some that were beginning to fall.

    The cherry blossoms would bloom for seven days. Petals would begin falling right after.

    If one ignored the sadness of the wilting, then the falling cherry blossom petals could be termed among the top of the world rankings for beautiful and romantic scenes.

    Anyone who wasn¡¯tpletely wooden would naturally be entranced by the sense of romanticism in the air as they entered such a verdant grass patch covered in falling cherry blossoms.

    As expected, there weren¡¯t that many cherry blossom viewers in Koshou Parkpared to other ces. There was only a medium number of people.

    Seiji¡¯s group of seven attracted a great deal of attention from others.

    There was only one tall and handsome boy in the group, who seemed like he could be an idol. He was together with six beautiful and charismatic women of various ages and styles. They allughed and chatted together in this scenery of falling cherry blossoms. Thispletely seemed like a scene out of a television drama or a movie.

    Most people¡¯s first reaction upon seeing this group was to look around to see if there were any cameramen. They really thought that perhaps some studio was making a movie or tv show right now.

    After confirming that there were no cameras, the women began gossiping, while the men became envious of how the only boy was surrounded by so many beautiful women. They all sighed that it was because he was lucky enough to be born with such a wonderful appearance.

    ¡®If only I had such an appearance, that could be me¡­¡¯ ¡®If only I had such a face, I¡¯d be able to attract more girls¡­¡¯ Some of the men thought like this.

    But, unfortunately, no matter how envious they were, none of the men had such an outstanding appearance.

    Seiji ced the pic cloth at an appropriate location. Everyone started setting the food on the cloth and then sat down.

    Nozomi poured some tea for everyone except for Reo. Reo didn¡¯t like tea, so she was drinking fruit juice instead.

    Seiji sipped on some tea. At this moment, a cherry blossom petal just happened to fall into his tea cup.

    A cherry blossom petalnding on his tea? This scene caused him to smile.

    Mika and the others that witnessed this felt their hearts skip a beat upon seeing his smile.

    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡± Seiji praised the cherry blossoms on the trees.

    He looked all around at the cherry blossoms and truly immersed himself in enjoying the scenery, losing himself in this quiet environment.

    This moment was the most rxed Seiji had been for a long while.

    So many things had happened, and his worries about the future¡­ Seiji set everything aside for the time being, and concentrated fully on the beauty before him.

    That was why he didn¡¯t notice that none of the girls were admiring the cherry blossoms at all. They were all looking at him.

    *Click!* The sound of a cell phone taking a picture broke the silence.

    Everyone turned around to see that Chiaki had taken a picture.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± The tomboy stuck out her tongue. ¡°Still, I got a really good picture. Who wants a copy?¡±

    She showed off the picture of the handsome boy lifting his teacup and gazing at the scenery. Seiji had a calm expression with a deep look in his eyes. A flower petal just happened to be floating towards him. The scene was as beautiful as a movie poster¡¯s advertisement.

    Two secondster, Mika was the first to raise her hand.

    And then, Shika, Kaede, and Reo all raised their hands. Even Nozomi had a wide grin as she raised her hand as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re very popr, Seiji. Make a few more poses, let¡¯s take some more pictures!¡± Chiaki chuckled.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°This is interfering with the mood for enjoying the blossoms¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± Seiji took out his own cell phone. ¡°It¡¯s okay to take pictures of me, but in exchange, I¡¯m going to take pictures of you as well. Prepare yourself!¡±

    ¡°Yah~ Don¡¯t take embarrassing pictures of me~¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m going to take weird pictures! Make a normal pose!¡±

    ¡°So forceful¡­ but this feels nice as well~¡±

    ¡°Stop making such a strange expression! Have a more normal smile!¡±

    ¡°Eh~ So you like that type, sure~¡± Chiaki ced her chin on her hand and tilted her head slightly, smiling ambiguously like a mature woman.

    ¡°I said have a more normal smile!¡± Seiji kept retorting as he took a picture.

    The next moment, someone called his cell phone.

    The caller ID showed that it was Natsuya.

    ¡°Seiji, have you all arrived?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already here. We¡¯re at the pic location, and the specific ce is¡­¡±

    Seiji told Natsuya where he was.

    Not long after, Natsuya, Hitaka, Rana, and Mai all appeared.

    The four girls all had outstanding appearances and auras. They also received a great deal of attention like Seiji¡¯s group.

    Mai was wearing a windbreaker and long pants as she walked on the right side. Hitaka was wearing a jacket and shorts as she walked on the left. Natsuya was wearing a one-piece dress and ck stockings, walking together in the middle with Rana, who wore a hooded sweatshirt. Combined with the falling cherry blossoms, the scene was so beautiful that people could just about imagine the background music!

    Seiji silently brought up his cell phone and took a picture of them.

    ¡°Sorry for beingte,¡± Natsuya said as she walked up to Seiji¡¯s group.

    ¡°Nah, we just arrived as well.¡±

    After both groups greeted each other, they sat down together.

    Chiaki strongly requested that Rana sit next to her. After Natsuya indicated that it was fine, Chiaki immediately hugged the cat girl.

    ¡°Meow.¡± Rana uttered a sound of resistance, but was hugged tightly regardless.

    ¡°Ahh~~ So cute! Kirin-chan~¡± Chiaki got absorbed in the delight of hugging the cat. She had an addicted expression.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Rana lifted her hands and pushed away Chiaki¡¯s face. Yet, Chiaki kept approaching adamantly, and Rana kept pushing her away¡­ This process kept repeating itself.

    Hitaka sat next to Mika, who struck up a conversation with her.

    Mai sat down next to Kaede. Both smiled as they conversed.

    Naturally, Natsuya sat down next to Seiji.

    Nozomi poured some tea for both of them.

    Now that everyone was here, the cherry blossom viewing pic formally began.

    Everyone had fun while chatting. After having lunch, Chiaki took the opportunity to suggest a game.

    They were going to y the famous ¡°King¡¯s Game¡±!

    The specific rules were as follows¡­

    The eleven people present would each draw a random card from twelve cards. The person who drew the joker would be the ¡°king¡±, while the extra card would also go to the king.

    If nobody drew the joker, then everyone would redraw.

    The ¡°king¡± had an extra card, and could use it to give a mand¡± to any target they wished. The person who received the extra card would have to carry out the mand¡±, even if it involved the ¡°king¡±.

    The mand¡± couldn¡¯t be something unreasonable, and it had to be a mand¡± that could be carried out within a short period of time. Also, the mand¡± needed to be something ero.

    ¡°That¡¯s how the rules are. Everyone understands, right? Let¡¯s begin now!¡± Chiaki pped her hands.

    ¡°Wait a moment! There¡¯s something wrong with thatst rule! Shouldn¡¯t it be that the mand¡¯ can¡¯t be about anything ero instead!!¡± Seiji objected.

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem at all. This rule is the very essence of the King¡¯s Game!¡±

    ¡°Essence, the hell! Don¡¯t just decide on your own to call the King¡¯s Game an ero game!!¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it can¡¯t be helped. Then let¡¯s change this rule to ¡®Themand has to be an ero act rted to Seiji¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment! You¡¯ve changed the rule to be even stronger, hey!!¡±

    ¡°How is it strange? If any of you agree with me that this rule isn¡¯t strange at all, please raise your hand!¡± Chiaki said this to everyone as she raised her hand first.

 Chapter 721 - The throne finally belongs to me

    <h4>Chapter 721: The throne finally belongs to me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    All the girls raised their hands¡­ of course, such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all.

    Such a thing would never be agreed upon unless they were all drunk. But, no alcohol had been brought to this pic at all.

    Although Chiaki had strongly requested alcohol at this pic, Seiji had been adamant on refusing to allow alcohol. That was why a scenario like getting drunk at a pic that one could read in manga didn¡¯t happen here.

    Naturally, Chiaki¡¯s special rule wasn¡¯t allowed to pass. Of course, Chiaki had only been joking.

    And then, the King¡¯s Game finally began.

    The first person who drew the joker was¡­ Nozomi!

    ¡°Whatmand should I give¡­?¡± Nozomi mused it over while tilting her head. ¡°How about the holders of card numbers 2 and 4 dance together!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m number 2.¡± Mai showed her card.

    ¡°I¡¯m number 4.¡± Mika showed her card.

    Mai and Mika dancing together? That sounded like a great idea!

    Seiji really looked forward to this. At this moment, he suddenly recalled a memory from long ago of a certain beautiful maid smiling brilliantly while watching TV and imitating the idols¡¯ singing and dancing on TV¡­

    As if she had supernatural senses, Mai suddenly turned to look directly at him, and an icy cold re appeared in her eyes for just an instant.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you dare to say it out loud!¡±

    Seiji imagined hearing such a warning, causing his eyes to twitch. He reflexively shook his head slightly, indicating that he would absolutely keep the secret for her.

    Natsuya was mystified by all this.

    She noticed what went on between them and felt that it was a little strange.

    As everyone watched expectantly, both girls stood up, put on their shoes, and walked over to a clearing.

    ¡°What should we do, Senpai?¡± Mika inquired.

    ¡°We can just dance a rtively simple dance for two. Give me your hand.¡± Mai smiled as she raised her left hand.

    Mika ced her right hand on Mai¡¯s left hand.

    Mai held her hand and guided Mika in making the correct poses as she began stepping.

    ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right, just like this, once again.

    ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ four¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s even better. Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    After teaching Mika to remember the simple dance steps, Mai then sped up the dance.

    And so, as everyone watched, the two beauties held each other¡¯s hands and danced right next to each other as they lightly stepped in elegant circles, with the falling cherry blossoms as their background!

    Natsuya took out her cell phone and searched quickly for a dance song to y.

    After the music started ying, the atmosphere seemed to level up even more.

    Mika¡¯s dancing constantly improved as Mai guided her steadily. Not only was Seiji¡¯s group impressed with their dancing, this also attracted many other people¡¯s attention.

    When the dance music neared its end, Mai skillfully led Mika in an elegant twirl, and ended the dance with a ssical backwards leaning pose.

    *p p p¡­* Apuse started sounding!

    Apart from Seiji¡¯s group, the nearby park visitors were pping as well.

    Mai and Mika bowed politely to everyone before returning to their own positions.

    ¡°As expected of Senpai¡­ Mika danced wonderfully as well,¡± Seiji praised them.

    ¡°That was excellent. I¡¯ve already recorded it.¡± Nozomi smiled.

    Chiaki and the others also offered their praise.

    Mika was rather awkward, having so much praise heaped upon her. Mai took it all in stride.

    Next was the second round of the King¡¯s Game.

    This time, Reo received the joker.

    The little girl ordered the holder of card #1 to pretend to be a dog, and the holder of card #9 to pretend to be a cat.

    These were rather normal subjects to mimic. But due to the earlier dance, many other park visitors were still paying attention to Seiji¡¯s group. It would be at least a little embarrassing to yact under such circumstances.

    ¡°I¡¯m number 1.¡± Hitaka calmly showed her card.

    ¡°I¡¯m number 9¡­¡± Nozomi smiled wryly as she showed her card.

    Hitaka was yacting as a dog. Did this count as acting out her nature? Seiji had that thought pop into his mind, but he then put it out of his mind as he felt it was a bit rude of him.

    ¡°Woof, woof, woof¡­¡± The red-haired girl started crawling around on all fours. She expressionlessly imitated a dog¡¯s barking while crawling around the pic cloth.

    Her acting waspletely emotionless, and even her pretend barking was a t monotone. Still, this was more than enough to attract people¡¯s attention and elicit a few chuckles.

    Hitaka herself seemed to bepletely calm about acting as a dog. It was instead Seiji and the others that felt awkward about it.

    She finished her yacting after crawling around for one circle.

    Then, it was Nozomi¡¯s turn.

    Thendlorddy would be acting as a cat¡­ Seiji had a subtle expression on his face as he imagined it. It was the same for the others.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change themand, Reo-chan.¡± Just as everyone was feeling awkward, Chiaki spoke up.

    Right now, changing themand might be slightly impolite to Hitaka who had already acted as a dog, but it had to be suggested for Nozomi¡¯s sake. After all, it seemed a bit overboard to have a mature adult woman acting like a cat in front of everyone¡¯s gaze.

    Reo was an understanding child. She immediately changed themand to ¡°sing a song¡±.

    Nozomi heaved a sigh of relief, and then sang a song that was popr a decade ago.

    Her singing wasn¡¯t particrly good, but it was still enjoyable. Everyone apuded.

    Round three.

    Kaede received the joker.

    ¡°Number 5 should sit right in front of number 6 with back against their chest. Number 6 should close their eyes and feed some food to number 5.¡± The blonde teacher smiled while giving hermand.

    This was just a simple game, that wouldn¡¯t have been too awkward. Yet¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m number 6.¡± Seiji showed his card.

    Suddenly, something instantly changed in the atmosphere!

    Who was number 5? All the girls¡¯ gazes shed fiercely in midair.

    ¡°Meow~¡± Rana raised her hand and showed her card.

    Everyone looked straight at her, causing the scene to subtly be silent for a moment.

    Then, then, the cat girl sat right against Seiji¡¯s chest and enjoyed his feeding service.

    It was rather difficult for Seiji to feed Rana while his eyes were closed. Still, he got used to it after a few tries and managed to urately bring the food to Rana¡¯s mouth.

    Natsuya and the others were rather envious as they watched this scene.

    Round 4.

    Chiaki received the joker!

    ¡°Heeheehee¡­ After a cruel battle, the throne finally belongs to me! The heavens have decreed it so!¡± The tomboy held the joker between two fingers and showed off an imposing smile as a fierce glint appeared in her eyes. ¡°As the King, our orders are absolute. Wash your ears and listen carefully!¡±

    Seiji really wanted toment on how chuunibyou she sounded, but he was also a bit nervous about whatmand she was about to give.

    It was quite obvious that the person present who would give the most difficultmand to deal with was this tomboy for sure.

    With a whoosh, Chiaki extended her joker card.

    ¡°Number 7 and number 8 should hug each other and hold this card together in their mouths while walking a full circle!¡±

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    *Crack!* Seiji cracked his knuckles. ¡°A tyrant giving unreasonablemands will be overthrown. Are you certain that you wish to issue such amand?¡±

    If you dare, you shall be punished by the iron fist of justice!

    Seiji transmitted such a meaning with his aura.

    The King¡¯s anger exploded at being threatened by a violent citizen, so she sent the royal knights to suppress him¡­ unfortunately, there was no such royal knight order at all.

    Things proved that a king without the power to protect their own authority would be nothing more than a joke.

    ¡°I was just joking. The realmand is for number 7 and number 8 to share a meatball skewer together.¡± Chiaki instantly submitted.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Seiji stopped making a fist.

    ¡°I¡¯m number 8.¡± Natsuya showed her card.

    Who was number 7? Seiji looked around, but nobody stepped forward.

    Could it be¡­ everyone looked at Chiaki¡¯s extra card.

    Chiaki flipped it over to reveal the seven of hearts.

    She was instantly delighted by this sight!

    ¡°Let us intimately enjoy some meatballs, Yoruhana-neesan~¡±

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 722 - The cherry blossoms are glowing!?

    <h4>Chapter 722: The cherry blossoms are glowing!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The scion¡¯s expression was rather subtle when faced with the tomboy¡¯s overly excited disy of passion. Still, Natsuya didn¡¯t resist, and obeyed themand to share a meatball skewer together with Chiaki.

    The King¡¯s Game then continued with variousmands, livening up the atmosphere more and more.

    Seiji took many pictures, and many pictures were taken of him. He felt that these were all wonderful memories.

    A peaceful and happy daily life was the best for him.

    ying games, admiring the cherry blossoms, chatting, eating, touring the park¡­ Seiji and his group stayed in the park until it was night.

    Some lights in the park illuminated the cherry blossom trees, giving them a different type of beauty from day. The shimmering lights seemed like a fantastical illusion.

    The falling cherry blossoms seemed to be ethereal objects that were somewhere between illusion and reality. It was as if they were falling into another world.

    Seiji was quite satisfied to have such a beautiful scene as the end for today.

    But just as he was getting ready to leave, he felt that something was off.

    This type of feeling was¡­

    Seiji had a premonition of what was going on, so he immediately cast [Astral Vision] and instantly saw an abnormal glow.

    The cherry blossoms were glowing!?

    All the countless flower petals¡ªon the trees, floating in midair, everywhere that he could see¡ªwere glowing with a mystical white light!

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    He looked all around him and felt as if he was within an illusionary dream world.

    A glowing flower petal fell right before him. Seiji reached out and caught it in his palm, observing it closely and witnessing its glow fading gradually.

    At this point, Natsuya and the others also detected that something abnormal was going on. The girls with spiritual powers all used Astral Vision and witnessed the same scene, causing them to all widen their eyes in surprise.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Why were the cherry blossoms glowing with a mystical light? Had something happened?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what happened, but he felt as if this was a Spirit World.

    This was simr to the time at the Bloodwine Ritual tournament, as well as being simr Kazuko¡¯s Domain and the Inner World¡­ but this feeling was most simr to the first Spirit World that he ever went to!

    Could it be that this location was turning into a Spirit World? Seiji recalled what happened at the Forest Pce.

    But then, he recalled that a location wouldn¡¯t transform into a Spirit World if there were humans within it¡­ no, wait, this information was outdated! The Bloodwine Ritual tournament was the best evidence that it was possible to transform a location into a Spirit World even if there were living humans within!!

    By now, Seiji was almostpletely certain that Koshou Park was turning into a Spirit World. Otherwise, it would be something simr.

    What should he do?

    Of course, run!

    Although there might be miracle opportunities within a new and unexplored Spirit World, not all the girls present with him knew how to fight. If they got split up, then the same situation from Kazuko¡¯s Domain might reur here. That would be highly dangerous.

    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± Seiji immediately shouted towards Natsuya and the others. ¡°Get away from here! Immediately!!¡±

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°Listen to me! Run!!¡±

    Due to his urging, Seiji¡¯s group didn¡¯t even clean up after their pic as they hurriedly ran away.

    Of course, this type of action attracted a great deal of attention from the other park visitors. However, Seiji didn¡¯t really care about that right now.

    Only when everyone was out of the cherry blossom forest and in the parking lot did they all stop.

    ¡°The cherry blossoms beginning to glow means that ce is highly likely to transform into a Spirit World. Staying there wouldn¡¯t have been safe,¡± Seiji exined to Natsuya and the others. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t just leave things alone, as there are so many people in the park still. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll stay behind here and act ording to the situation. You all should leave.¡±

    Shika silently went up next to him, indicating nonverbally that she was going to remain behind with him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here as well,¡± Natsuya stated adamantly.

    She couldn¡¯t possibly just abandon her boyfriend. Of course, her Spirit-branded Retainers Hitaka and Rana were going to stay with her.

    Mai knew that her own power was insufficient as she had low Spiritual Power. She wisely chose to leave and not be a hindrance to everyone else.

    Mika also wanted to stay behind, but Seiji gently coaxed her into leaving. She could only obey.

    Chiaki smiled and said that she would wait for him back at the Uehara apartments.

    Kaede and Nozomi told Seiji and the girls staying behind to be careful. Reo said she would cheer for them.

    After watching Mai and Kaede drive off in their respective cars, Seiji and his remaining group returned to the pic location. They saw with Astral Vision that the cherry blossoms were still glowing.

    Yet, they were simply glowing, and no additional changes had been made¡­ Or was the change here just a slow process?

    Seiji wanted to disperse the remaining crowd for the sake of everyone¡¯s safety.

    Spirit World rted incidents were the jurisdiction of Soul Society. Natsuya immediately contacted them.

    Seiji also logged onto Soul Society¡¯s website with his cell phone. He attempted to learn what information he could.

    At this time, he found that Soul Society¡¯s website had a new addition¡ªa message forum.

    He immediately entered the forum and saw that the thread with the most posts was about the cherry blossom glowing phenomenon.

    He clicked the thread and read through it, learning that this phenomenon wasn¡¯t limited to only Koshou Park. All the famous cherry blossom viewing parks and locations had the same identical phenomenon, and the glow was spreading as well!

    Soul Society had yet to announce any information regarding this phenomenon. Perhaps the higher-ups already had information, but if so, it wasn¡¯t publicized to the members yet.

    For now, the only thing that was happening was that the cherry blossoms were glowing with a mystical light that ordinary people couldn¡¯t see. No other phenomenon or unusual things had appeared. Nobody had been harmed by this light as of yet.

    Still, this obviously was no small matter.

    With such arge-scale phenomenon of cherry blossoms glowing, if this wasn¡¯t stopped and something changed in the situation, it was highly likely to be a serious incident involving the entire city that Seiji was in!

    Seiji then noticed something happening in the sky.

    The originally clear sky was gathering dark clouds at an astonishing rate. Rainwater immediately came down soon after.

    Pitter patter¡­ Soon, the rain became a torrential downpour!

    The remaining park visitors started hurriedly cleaning up after themselves as they were drenched. They grabbed their things and left as soon as possible. For the few that had just arrived and hadn¡¯t begun their pic yet, they could only helplessly return home.

    This rain was naturally caused by magic. Seiji figured that it was caused by Soul Society.

    With this, the ordinary people, here to view the cherry blossoms, naturally left on their own.

    Seiji, Natsuya, and the others used a spell to block out the rainwater and conceal themselves. They remained here to silently observe the situation.

    The drenched cherry blossoms were still glowing. They now appeared more hazy and ethereal, giving them even more of a dreamlike impression.

    The scenery was quite beautiful under Astral Vision. However, staying here seemed to be useless, so Seiji and his group decided to leave.

    They swiftly cleaned up the remnants of the pic they¡¯d left behind earlier and left the park.

    Mai soon arrived back at the park in her car to pick them up.

    ¡°Last night, I received an invitation from Soul Society,¡± Natsuya spoke when they got on the car.

    ¡°To have you join?¡± Seiji looked directly at her.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Natsuya nodded. ¡°The invitation even emphasized that they valued my personal abilities, not my status¡­ Although it might have simply been polite talk, I was still somewhat moved.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to join them?¡±

    ¡°I do¡­¡± Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes. ¡°This type of invitation is something that I¡¯m supposed to discuss with my family. But, I can already expect their reaction, and I don¡¯t want to tell them¡­ This already indicates that I¡¯m quite tempted to join Soul Society.¡±

    Seiji fell silent.

    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± Natsuya looked directly at him.

    ¡°So if you tell your family about this, it¡¯s highly likely that they¡¯ll object, is that right?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If you want to join, you¡¯ll have to directly ept, but this will likely anger your family.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Do you have time to consider the invitation?¡±

    ¡°I do¡­ but the invitation indicated that they would prefer to hear an answer as soon as possible. And, the longer I stall, the more likely it is that my family will find out.¡±

    ¡°Even if you decide on your own to join Soul Society, that won¡¯t be the equivalent of betraying your family, will it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that it would be so severe to count as betrayal, but¡­¡± Natsuya clenched her hands and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Seiji could tell how anxious she was, so he reached over and held her hand.

    At this moment, conversation options appeared before him¡­

    [A: I think that you should join.]

    [B: I think that you shouldn¡¯t join.]

    [C: I think that you should think it over as much as you can in the time that you have.]

 Chapter 723 - Somethings wrong with my Domain!

    <h4>Chapter 723: Something¡¯s wrong with my Domain!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The wisest option would be C.

    However, Seiji already had his own opinion of this critical question.

    ¡°I think that you should join Soul Society,¡± Seiji stated as directly and clearly as possible.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Natsuya looked directly at him.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t think that you should be restrained by your family,¡± Seiji told her honestly. ¡°I once said before that you are a Yin Yang Master of the Yoruhana Family. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being loyal to the Yoruhana Family. However, loyalty doesn¡¯t mean that you should be restrained. You are an outstanding individual with talent that you deserve to be proud of. You should have more room to develop yourself.¡±

    The car fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Natsuya finally spoke up after a while, breaking the silence.

    ¡°No need for thanks.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°That¡¯s simply my personal opinion. You¡¯re still the one making the decision for yourself. And no matter what you choose, I¡¯ll be behind you all the way. If you decide to join Soul Society, feel free to drop my name as much as you want. It¡¯s even fine to tell your family that I strongly requested you to join Soul Society. Your family doesn¡¯t have a high opinion of me regardless, so I don¡¯t mind taking the me for this. Just think of it as my way of paying them back for forcing me to join the Bloodwine Ritual tournament in order to be with you.¡±

    ¡°Tee-hee¡­¡± Natsuya giggled at this.

    A warm feeling arose in her chest. She felt that having such a boyfriend was truly wonderful.

    Mai, who was currently driving, smiled faintly upon hearing her master¡¯sugh. A gentle look appeared in Hitaka¡¯s eyes. As for Rana¡­ the cat girl was already sleeping quietly.

    Seiji returned back to his apartment, only to see that Mika and the others were there, waiting.

    Right after he finished exining the situation to them, Seiji received a phone call from Hisashi and a text message from Yukari. After that, Hoshi, Kaho¡­ everyone had noticed the mystical phenomenon of the glowing cherry blossoms, all asking him about the situation. He exined one by one.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with my Domain!¡±

    Kazuko¡¯s tone of voice was the most serious when she called Seiji.

    ¡°The demons within are about toe out. It¡¯s difficult for me to control them¡­ Please eliminate them as quickly as possible!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re about toe out¡­ You mean they¡¯ll appear in reality?¡± Seiji frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t know what exactly affected me, but I think it¡¯s connected with the cherry blossoms¡¯ glowing¡­ Wah¡­ It suddenly became harder to control¡­ I might not be able tost much longer¡­¡±

    ¡°Hang in there! Where are you right now?¡±

    After finding out Kazuko¡¯s current location, Seiji exined the situation to Shika and the others.

    Shika wanted to go along with him, but he asked her to stay behind.

    ¡°The cherry blossoms¡¯ glowing phenomenon is still ongoing. I don¡¯t know what could happen, so I¡¯d feel more reassured if you were at home with the others.¡±

    He had his adopted younger sister watch home and asked Kaede to drive. Seiji put on hisbat equipment at top speed and got on her car.

    Kaede drove her van through the pouring rain and swiftly arrived at Kazuko¡¯s location to pick up the brown-haired girl.

    Currently, Kazuko had a pained expression, and her body was heating up. Her face was as hot to the touch as if she had a fever.

    Seiji had Kaede drive towards Natsuya¡¯s residence. He called Natsuya while on the way there to exin the situation.

    When he arrived at Natsuya¡¯s residence, he immediately took Kazuko to the spellcasting room.

    Natsuya wanted to fight the demons in the Domain together with him. However, Seiji adamantly insisted on checking the situation by himself first.

    ¡°Kazuko-san, please open your Domain!¡±

    The brown-haired girl weakly lifted both her hands, letting off a blinding blood-red glow. Several ck cracks instantly appeared throughout the ground of the entire room! They opened up into an irregr strange shape with five irregr red ovals inside.

    Seiji was instantly whirled into this.

    And then, he saw snow¡­ no, cherry blossoms!

    The pure white petals were falling down as if it was snowing.

    Apart from these white snowfall-like cherry blossoms, there was also a gigantic cherry blossom tree! Even at a rough estimate, it was more than thirty meters tall. Countless white flowers upon it created a scenery of pure white.

    Although white itself was considered a pure color, here it appeared rather ominous.

    Seiji witnessed countless white cherry blossom petals whirling around, swiftly forming numerous hazy red humanoid figures.

    These spiritual humanoid figures all had two ck circles on their faces where eyes should have been. They possessed various weapons such as ck longswords, bows, spears, kodachis, or even clubs¡­

    These armed humanoid figures started encircling Seiji. He silently unsheathed his sword with a calm expression.

    The spiritual monsters suddenly attacked!

    Whoosh¡­ golden-red mes roared over them!

    Seiji¡¯s mes instantly burned a majority of the humanoid figures. However, a minority managed to survive the mes, and attacked him.

    *Shing shing shing¡­* Seiji¡¯s sword shed as he sliced through all the surviving monsters!

    This scene of Seiji taking on so many monsters all by himself might have appeared dangerous, but these spiritual creatures weren¡¯t strong at all. Seiji wasn¡¯t under much pressure.

    The spiritual creatures continuously spawned as time passed. However, no individually strong ones appeared. Basically, not a single boss monster had arrived.

    ¡°Kazuko-san, how are you feeling now?¡± Seiji asked the floating figure above him.

    ¡°A little better¡­ but still not that great, it¡¯s as if I have a cold.¡± Kazuko¡¯s voice sounded listless.

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed so many, but still haven¡¯t seen a single boss monster. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It seems that there aren¡¯t any strong demons here. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s incredibly many.¡± Kazuko paused for a moment. ¡°At the current rate, it might be morning before you can eliminate them all.¡±

    He was going to have to fight like this until morning!? Seiji¡¯s eyes twitched.

    Although going into musou mode was quite fun, doing it for too long would be a boring grind.

    As he watched even more spiritual creatures arriving, he suddenly got the idea to have his knight order memberse train here and level up.

    After some serious consideration, Seiji then had Kazuko tell Kaede to contact all his knight order members¡­

    Yukari decided to participate in battle after she heard the situation.

    Some timeter, a van arrived to pick her up.

    Yukari walked out of her home and got in the van. Mika was sitting in the van.

    ¡°Good evening, Asamiya-san.¡± Mika greeted her.

    ¡°Good evening, Uehara-san¡­ and Juumonji-sensei,¡± Yukari responded in turn.

    Kaede smiled, and continued driving.

    The purple-haired girl was somewhat nervous as she thought about how this was going to be a real battle.

    Ever since she awakened to her powers, she had killed a few demons, but none of those were real battles. That was because they had all been tiny demons that she took care of instantly. At first, she had been proud of herself, but now, she felt like it was no different than swatting a fly.

    This, however, would be a real battle¡ªfighting arge number of monsters in an alternate dimension!

    Although she heard already that the monsters weren¡¯t strong, Yukari still wasn¡¯t able to rx.

    ¡°Uehara-san, have you participated in such a battle before?¡± Yukari couldn¡¯t help but ask because she saw the twintailed girl being so calm.

    ¡°Yeah. Before Seiji participated in that ritual tournament, I, Amami-san, and Juumonji-san¡¯s younger brother all entered Ooike-san¡¯s Domain before. Seiji and Kagura-chan led us,¡± Mika answered.

    ¡°What was the situation like back then?¡±

    ¡°At that time¡­ there was something unexpected, so we got separated from Amami-san, Kagura-chan, and Ooike-san¡­¡±

    Mika summarized the experience from that time. Yukari widened her eyes as she listened.

    This was a true adventure! Just like an adventure in abyrinth dungeon, but real. There was actual danger.

    In the end, everyone returned safe and uninjured. This was thanks to everyone¡¯s hard work and luck.

    The end result was good, but one couldn¡¯t ignore the dangers involved. If one was unlucky, perhaps¡­

    The purple-haired girl felt a chill run down her spine just imagining it.

    ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you afraid? Doing this again after such an experience¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask another question.

    ¡°Afraid¡­ a little, I suppose. But, I believe in Seiji,¡± Mika responded adamantly.

 Chapter 724 - Absolutely have to draw this scene!

    <h4>Chapter 724: Absolutely have to draw this scene!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yukari¡¯s feeling of tension was somewhat eased as she was affected by Mika¡¯s strong will.

    Not long after, the van picked up Mayuzumi.

    Seeing how the manga author had an obviously nervous expression as well, Yukari took the initiative to begin chatting about manga in order to ease Mayuzumi¡¯s tension. Mika also joined the conversation.

    Now that everyone for the battle had been picked up, Kaede drove to Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    All four got off the van and entered Natsuya¡¯s residence. Yukari found to her astonishment that Mai Houjou was the person who greeted them!

    Mai Houjou had recently given the graduation speech at Genhana High School¡¯s graduation ceremony¡­ Yukari had heard rumors about this beautiful senpai of hers who had the nickname of ¡°Smiling Executioner¡±. The rumors had left Yukari with a deep impression.

    Yukari never expected to see Mai in Natsuya¡¯s residence, not to mention in maid attire! And, it looked so suitable on her!

    The attire looked so good on Mai that Yukari was tempted to take out her art tools and begin drawing right away. However, now was evidently not the time to do so.

    Mai led the four to the guest room and had the girls change into their spiritual equipment there.

    After putting on sturdy ck-coloredbat equipment, a helmet, and looking at the longsword, gun, and shield before her, Yukari really got the feeling that she was about to participate in actual battle.

    Although she was still somewhat nervous, she was also beginning to get a little excited.

    Yukari suddenly recalled when she first awakened and fought against the giant spider. Although that memory had been relegated to a corner of her mind, it suddenly becamepletely clear again.

    Fighting against thatrge red spider had been Yukari¡¯s only fight in her life. At that time, she had taken quite a beating. If that had happened in real life, she might have been seriously injured or even died.

    Perhaps it was because she had received such a beating that she reflexively didn¡¯t dare to recall it. She felt something indescribable upon recalling it at such a time.

    Seiji had saved her at that time. Now, it was time for her to fight for Seiji¡¯s cause.

    Yukari blushed as she recalled how Seiji had seen her naked at that time. Then, she remembered how she had wanted to give him a gift as a way of getting closer to him, however¡­

    The purple-haired girl sighed softly and cast all idle thoughts out of her mind.

    Meanwhile, Mika walked out of the restroom after she transformed and changed intobat equipment. Mayuzumi widened her eyes in surprise at the sight.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Uehara-san?¡± The manga author tried asking the silver-haired beauty who wore a dark-red cape and gave off a fantastical aura.

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s me.¡± Mika nodded.

    ¡°You actually transformed¡­ so beautiful, just like a magical girl,¡± Mayuzumi praised her.

    Yukari was also astonished to see Mika¡¯s transformation.

    The growth of the ¡°hero¡± had indeed surpassed Yukari¡¯s imagination.

    Mika smiled politely in response to the attention.

    After everyone put on theirbat equipment and confirmed that it was a decent fit, it was time to test their weapons.

    After hearing how to use the spiritual weapons and watching Mika give a demonstration, Yukari, Kaede, and Mayuzumi each tested their weapons.

    The end result was that Yukari and Mayuzumi were unable to use any of the sword, gun, or shield.

    Kaede was only able to use the spiritual gun.

    Mika rmended to all three that they should take the shield regardless. Although they were all unable to inject Mana into the shield, the shield would still provide some basic protection.

    Mai then led the four girls to the spellcasting room.

    ¡°After you enter that door, you¡¯ll be in the Domain¡­ Please, everyone, be cautious in battle. May fortune smile upon you all.¡± After nearing the door, the maid stopped and bowed towards the girls.

    ¡°Thank you, Houjou-senpai.¡± Yukari reflexively bowed back. Mika and the others simply thanked Mai.

    ¡°No need to be so polite. I¡¯m just a maid.¡± Mai smiled.

    The purple-haired girl waspletely dazed by this perfect maid¡¯s smile.

    However, Yukari soon regained her senses and followed Mika into the spellcasting room.

    A gigantic strange ck marking could be seen on the ground within the spellcasting room. Five irregr ovals were within the ck marking. This all gave off a sense of mysteriousness.

    The moment that she entered the room, Yukari¡¯s vision darkened and she felt her body spinning swiftly while falling downwards. She started hearing unclear sounds as if she was about to fall into an unknown realm¡­

    But before she could feel fear, her vision suddenly cleared up again. The strange sounds disappeared, to be reced by¡­

    ¡°Wee, everyone,¡± Seiji spoke up.

    Yukari reflexively looked in the voice¡¯s direction. She paused in surprise at what she saw.

    The handsome boy was wearing a dark gray jacket that seemed to be made out of high-quality materials. He was wearing silver armlets that appeared rather cool, giving him the aura of some main character that came out of an RPG game.

    However, he wasn¡¯t fighting right now. Seiji was idly sitting in a chair while holding an exquisite porcin teacup. Obviously, he was currently sipping on some tea.

    A round table was before him, with a teapot ced upon it. There were also a few tes of confectionaries. Natsuya Yoruhana was currently sitting across from him with a teacup of her own.

    The student council president was wearing dark red form-fitting attire, with a cape and miniskirt that entuated her excellent figure and beauty. Quite frankly, she appeared really ero!

    Yukari was rather surprised that they were drinking tea, but she was even more surprised to see Natsuya wearing such an outfit!

    The student council president was actually wearing form-fitting attire in tandem with her pretty face and excellent figure! Natsuya seemed so much like the very definition of ero that Yukari¡¯s mind wentpletely nk from the impactful scene.

    She wanted to draw this¡­ she absolutely had to draw this scene!!

    A fierce passion welled up within her heart. The purple-haired girl¡¯s instincts as an ero artist were raging!

    However, she didn¡¯t have any art tools with her in this alternate dimension.

    Only when Yukari tried to bring out her art tools but realized there weren¡¯t any did she regain her senses.

    She couldn¡¯t help but clench her fist and do her best to suppress the urge in her heart.

    Mika, Kaede, and Mayuzumi were also astonished.

    However, they were astonished mostly because of the tremendous wall of fire around this area!

    White cherry blossom petals were falling everywhere, surrounded by a raging red me wall. This gave off the impression of a fantastical setting.

    Humanoid spiritual monsters wielding ck weapons kept jumping through the me wall. A red-haired girl (Hitaka) wearing a red dress took care of the monsters easily.

    ¡°This me wall is a barrier that I ced here. It¡¯s preventing the great majority of the spiritual monsters from entering,¡± Seiji exined. ¡°After you all finish your preparations, I shall open up a hole in the me wall, allowing more spiritual monsters to enter¡­ Things should be mostly safe with me and Natsuya watching over things. Still, you all need to be careful while fighting. That about sums things up. Any questions?¡±

    Nobody had any questions.

    Kaede revealed her pitch-ck wings, while Mayuzumi summoned Idelia.

    Yukari received yet another impact for the umpteenth time today when the ¡°White-d fallen angel¡± blonde teacher revealed ck wings just like a fallen angel¡¯s. Not to mention, the greatly popr ice demon girl from Mayuzumi¡¯s ¡°Honey Candy Girl¡± anime actually appeared in physical form¡­

    Regardless of the wings, Idelia was a character from a manga! Yet she could actually be summoned¡­

    Yukari felt like she was dreaming as she looked at the beautiful ice demon girl who wore a butterfly hair essory together with her traditional style dress. Idelia even appeared together with glittering sparkles as a visual effect when she was summoned.

    This was unmistakably an extradimensional existence!

    The purple-haired girl couldn¡¯t help but recall how Hisashi Juumonji had addressed Mayuzumi Amami as a goddess when the knight order was first formed. At that time, Yukari had thought he was joking around. Now, she was beginning to think the same way herself.

    A manga author and artist who was capable of summoning her own created character to reality¡­ it really seemed like such a person could be called a goddess.

    ¡®Goddess Peach!¡¯ Yukari thought to herself.

 Chapter 725 - Killing monsters and leveling is wonderful

    <h4>Chapter 725: Killing monsters and leveling is wonderful</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Mika was simrly astonished.

    This was also her first time witnessing Kaede and Mayuzumi¡¯s abilities. Mika was also especially surprised to see Mayuzumi summoning a character from her manga. Still, Mika didn¡¯t receive as much of an impact as Yukari did.

    ¡°The Awakened¡¯s abilities are truly wondrous,¡± Natsuya eximed.

    Idelia was a spirit who didn¡¯t have her own intelligence or will. Seiji exined this to Natsuya on behalf of Mayuzumi.

    Even so, this female main character from ¡°Honey Candy Girl¡± was able to smile and greet everyone like a real person due to Mayuzumi¡¯s control. Yukari felt as if there was no difference from a real person.

    Seiji then asked Hitaka to take a rest so that Kaede could try fighting first. He would carefully watch to make sure that no harm came to Kaede.

    A sword-wielding spiritual monster rushed through the wall of fire!

    Kaede aimed her spiritual gun and fired a ck Mana Bullet that uratelynded a headshot against the spiritual monster. The monster¡¯s form half copsed.

    The spiritual monster fell on the ground, but it was still writhing.

    Before it could crawl up again, the blonde teacher went closer and shot more Mana Bullets in session! Shepletely crushed its body and head with the bullets.

    Kaede had standard shooting posture and remained calm throughout as if she was used to such actions¡­ Yukari was once again shocked to witness Genhana High School¡¯s nurse and health teacher in such a manner.

    The spiritual creature transformed into a dark red mist that floated into Kaede¡¯s body.

    The experience absorption method was the same as before with Hisashi. Seiji was now certain of it.

    Soon, another two spiritual monsters rushed over from the right.

    Kaede defeated one with her bullets, while the other had almost reached her. Kaede pped her ck wings, instantly creating a strong gust of wind that blew the monster backwards!

    Kaede then pped her wings again, this time beginning to fly!

    White cherry blossoms were falling, the ck wings were beating, and feathers were flying¡­ Mika and Yukari both eximed at the beauty of this scene.

    Flying was something that humans naturally desired to experience. If there was a ranking of special abilities that humans wanted the most, the ability to fly would definitely rank in the top ten.

    Kaede flew above the spiritual creature and aimed at it with her bullets. Soon, she defeated the spiritual creature. She then descended to absorb the experience mist.

    ¡°Well done,¡± Seiji praised her. ¡°However, some spiritual monsters have long-distance attacks, so you need to be careful even while flying.¡±

    Kaede smiled and nodded.

    It was then Mayuzumi¡¯s turn.

    When the next spiritual creature rushed forth, the ice demon girl Idelia stood in front of the manga author. Idelia lifted her hands as a blue mist appeared. The blue mist instantly transformed into arge batch of sharp icicles that shot forward!

    The spiritual creature waspletely shattered by the icicle attack. A small portion of the experience mist floated towards Idelia and was absorbed by her.

    This was the same absorption method as Hoshi, where the experience was shared and absorbed by the summoned spirit.

    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to use such a strong attack against a single weak creature. You should pay attention to conserving your strength,¡± Seiji advised her. ¡°Also, you should have Idelia get closer to the mist¡­ basically, Idelia should kill the spiritual creature at a suitable distance that¡¯s not too far away. Otherwise, she¡¯ll be unable to absorb the experience mist.¡±

    Mayuzumi nodded.

    At this moment, another spiritual creature charged out from the left. Taking Seiji¡¯s advice, Mayuzumi had Idelia get closer and shoot out less icicles than previously to kill off the monster. Idelia was then able to absorb theplete amount of mist.

    Then, Mayuzumi tried a second method of attack: releasing a glowing mist that froze the spiritual monster, then having Idelia get close and shatter the frozen monster with her ice sword.

    Mayuzumi tried a third method of attack as well: Idelia created a two meter plus ice sword and cleaved the next spiritual monster in half!

    A frail appearing beautiful female mage instantly transformed into a greatsword wielding warrior. It was a surprising turn of events.

    Yukari wanted to shout ¡°This isn¡¯t Idelia¡¯s style at all!¡± out loud. However, Idelia was being controlled by her creator right now, the goddess of the ¡°Honey Candy Girl¡± world¡­ so Mayuzumi could do whatever she wanted.

    After the manga author and her summoned spirit tried their attacks, it was now Yukari¡¯s turn.

    Yukari stood close to Seiji. Soon, she saw a spiritual monster rushing through the wall of fire and aiming its weapon at her.

    The purple-haired girl lifted her right hand, activated her ability, and flung out¡­

    *Thud!* The white spiderweb strand formed into a whip and viciously struck the humanoid spiritual creature, slicing it in half as if the whip was a ded weapon. The monster was instantly defeated.

    The red mist floated over to Yukari and entered her body, giving her a wondrous feeling.

    More spiritual monsters rushed over.

    Yukari wielded her whip and defeated several spiritual monsters at once, continuing to absorb the mist.

    This proved that these spiritual monsters were quite weakpared to her. Yukari mentally heaved a sigh of relief.

    However, this was basically just testing out her abilities, like a warmup. She couldn¡¯t afford to let herself be too rxed.

    After Seiji confirmed that all his knight order members were fully prepared, he undid a small portion of the me wall barrier.

    A horde of spiritual monsters instantly rushed through the opening!

    Mayuzumi had Idelia release a patch of glowing ice mist. Kaede created a strong wind with her wings. Mika used her Mashiro¡¯s Clothes ability, and Yukari swung her spiderweb whip¡­ The four girls used Seiji¡¯s suggested formation and tactics to work together as a team against the monsters!

    The spiritual monsters arrived endlessly, only to be continuously defeated, transforming into experience mist for the four girls to absorb.

    Seiji cautiously observed the battle, and intervened whenever it was necessary.

    Yukari and the other girls saw just how powerful he was. They felt reassured from his support, and became even better at using their own skills naturally.

    The never-ending amount of spiritual monsters provided an unending amount of experience¡­ Some timeter, Kaede was the first to level up and learn a new skill.

    *Shing!!*

    A dark gray arc of light shot out from a powerful tornado that smashed through countless spiritual monsters, cutting up their bodies and weapons.

    Kaede named this skill ¡°Wind de¡± as it was like swords of wind. Her wings could create this powerful tornado that had a powerful damaging area of effect.

    Then, Yukari leveled up and learned a new skill.

    *Whoosh!!*

    She released numerous spiderweb threads that tangled up several spiritual monsters. The strands then started glowing white, preventing the monsters from moving.

    The purple-haired girl then started manipting the threads with her fingers. The spiritual monsters then started moving and using their weapons to attack other spiritual monsters!

    Yukari named this skill ¡°Thread Maniption¡± as it allowed her to control enemy monsters to be used by her instead. It was a powerful control effect. The weakness was that Yukari needed to concentrate fully on the threads while using them, and the effect would be canceled if the spiderweb thread was cut through.

    Next was Mika.

    She didn¡¯t learn any new skills. Her original ck band skill simply leveled up. Mika was now able to shoot out twice the number of ck bands, and the bands also became more flexible and powerful.

    Seiji half-jokingly rmended that she name her skill ¡°ck Tentacles¡±, but as expected, this met instant rejection. And so, this skill was simply named ¡°ck des¡±.

    Mayuzumi didn¡¯t learn any new skills, nor did Idelia visibly change. She didn¡¯t visibly ¡°evolve¡± like Hoshi¡¯s summoned eagles did. However, it was obvious that Idelia was gradually bing stronger, with noticeable increase to speed and power.

    As the girls became stronger, Seiji had to intervene less and less. He even widened the gap in the me wall barrier to allow more monsters in at once.

    This was the Awakened¡­ something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes as she personally witnessed Mika and the others¡¯ strength.

    Yukari felt the joy of bing stronger.

    Her nervousness from earlier hadpletely disappeared. She was now immersed in the wondrous feeling of killing monsters and leveling up.

    This felt exactly like ying an RPG game and leveling up her character. However, it was herself that was leveling up instead, so it was even more fun and realistic. It felt like more of an achievement!

    This was truly wonderful.

    However, the only insufficiency was that these enemy spiritual monsters were far too weak.

    After killing off an unknown countless number of spiritual monsters, Yukari began hoping for a stronger monster to appear so that the battling could have some difficulty to it.

    She felt that she could be even stronger if she defeated a powerful monster!

    The purple-haired girl started wishing for a boss monster to appear.

 Chapter 726 - No need to worry too much about them

    <h4>Chapter 726: No need to worry too much about them</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    And then, she really saw one.

    A monster that was a naked woman on top and a giant spider on bottom appeared!

    The monster woman had reddish-purple hair that reached her waist. Her bangs covered half her face, and her beautiful red lips were smiling in a terrifying manner.

    Her white skin made a sharp contrast with the pitch-ck spider body. Her hands were reaching out as if she wanted to embrace something. Many bones were scattered under her eight spider legs. All the skulls¡¯ hollow eyes seemed to be giving off the expression of fear.

    Yukari¡¯s excitement instantly cooled down!

    An indescribable chill enveloped her.

    She sensed that this spider woman was incredibly terrifying. Apart from sensing that the spider woman was strong, Yukari also felt an indescribable feeling of horror welling up from deep within her. This was far stronger than any instinctive sense of fear.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh heh~~¡±

    The reddish-purple haired spider woman answered the purple-haired girl¡¯s reflexive question with a chillyugh.

    Yukari felt her hairs standing up end from hearing thisugh. She wanted to turn around and escape.

    But she then discovered that she had imperceptibly been tied up by spiderweb strands. She was unable to move!

    An icy chill invaded her body, feeling like it was even reaching her soul.

    Yukari struggled furiously to no avail.

    The spider woman slowly edged closer, bringing along the smell of blood and corrosion. She stuck out her ck tongue and licked her bright red lips.

    ¡°Don¡¯te over¡­ don¡¯t touch me¡­ no¡­¡± Yukari started shouting out in terror, with her eyes wide open. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from staring directly at the spider woman¡¯s face.

    Yukari felt like she knew who that was.

    However, she was unwilling to admit it.

    She was afraid. Yet, she was unable to deny it, which was why she couldn¡¯t take her eyes away. She didn¡¯t want to look, but she was unable to close her eyes.

    The spider woman smiled widely and reached out to her, touching Yukari¡¯s face¡­

    ¡°Yukari!¡±

    The purple-haired girl snapped back to her senses.

    She saw a handsome boy looking at her worriedly.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ just¡­¡±

    ¡°You just stopped moving, and you had an expression like you saw something terrifying¡­¡± Seiji looked directly at Yukari. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    He had noticed that something seemed off about the purple-haired girl¡¯s condition, so he immediately went to protect her. He had called out to her several times, but received no response, so he created more mes to defeat all the spiritual monsters and reestablished his wall of fire.

    Currently, Mika and Mayuzumi were dealing with the few spiritual monsters that made it through the me wall. Kaede and Natsuya were standing next to Seiji, also looking at Yukari with concern.

    ¡°I suddenly saw a spider woman¡­ the monster I told you about previously from the drawing,¡± Yukari finally spoke after a period of silence. ¡°It was as if she really appeared before me. I saw her quite clearly, and I could even hear her voice and feel her breath¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ how are you currently feeling?¡±

    ¡°Right now¡­ I¡¯m alright.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have Natsuya give you a checkup,¡± Seiji suggested.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine.¡± Yukari shook her head. ¡°I can still fight.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Seiji asked in a serious tone.

    Yukari fell silent.

    ¡°Did you actually notice something about that spider woman?¡± Seiji looked directly at Yukari.

    Yukari was shaken within her heart by this. It showed on her face.

    ¡°If so, I hope that you can tell us about it. Everyone here is trustworthy,¡± Seiji continued.

    Something shed in Yukari¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I just feel like¡­¡± She slowly began speaking. ¡°That spider woman¡­ that monster, it seemed like her true identity was myself.¡±

    As she said this, Yukari felt like she could still sense the chill from earlier, causing her body to shiver.

    The monster she saw looked just like herself. And, the monster¡¯s image hade from a mysterious drawing that disappeared¡­ Seiji felt like it was difficult toe to any conclusions from this alone. However¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s treat this as a warning,¡± Seiji told her. ¡°You have to be careful about your own mental condition.¡±

    It was possible for the Awakened to be Tainted and thus transform into monsters. This was a risk that couldn¡¯t be forgotten.

    Seiji told Yukari to get some rest. He then asked Kaede, Mika, and Mayuzumi if they all wanted to continue training here. All three replied in the affirmative.

    Seiji strongly emphasized to everyone that they needed to speak up immediately if they felt like something was off about themselves. He told them absolutely not to force themselves to continue if they couldn¡¯t! Only then did he reopen the me wall to allow more spiritual monsters to enter.

    Hitaka poured some tea for Yukari. After thanking Hitaka, Yukari took the tea and began drinking. She indeed felt much better after drinking the sweet and clear tea.

    A warning¡­ Thinking back, Yukari felt that she had indeed been too excited.

    She had gotten addicted to the pleasure of ying monsters and gaining experience. That was no good.

    This wasn¡¯t a game. It was a real-life battle. Game characters that obtained negative status effects or died could start over again. However, the real-life Yukari had no such ability at all. She reminded herself that she needed to be more careful.

    She didn¡¯t only need to be on guard about her physical condition. She also needed to watch out for her mental condition.

    Yukari deeply self-reflected upon herself. As Seiji suggested, she treated this vision of herself as a monster as a warning from her body.

    ¡®I absolutely can¡¯t allow myself to be that type of monster!¡¯ Yukari firmed her resolve.

    After resting for a while, she requested to continue training again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve returned,¡± a voice spoke from above.

    Seiji lifted his head to see that it was Kazuko.

    ¡°Wee back. How¡¯s the current situation?¡±

    Earlier, Kazuko had said that she was going deeper into the Domain to check the situation. She had taken a rather long time to return.

    ¡°I have some good news, and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?¡± the brown-haired eyesses wearing girl said a ssical phrase.

    ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°My Domain has been connected to another Domain. Many powerful existences are in that Domain, and I wasn¡¯t careful enough and was discovered by one such existence. She chased me all the way here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The good news is that she¡¯s really beautiful and has an amazing figure. You¡¯ll definitely be happy when you see her!¡± Kazuko¡¯s eyesses shed.

    ¡°Happy, the hell!¡± Seiji retorted reflexively. ¡°Who is she? What type of dimensional space is the other Domain?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wanted to secretly take a look, but I was discovered right away. I didn¡¯t learn anything except that there were many other powerful existences¡­ She¡¯s here!¡± Kazuko looked behind her.

    The next second, Seiji sensed something as well. It was as if the entire atmosphere within Kazuko¡¯s Domain had changed.

    He faintly heard a wondrous sound that resembled ethereal singing, or the sound which came from an unknown instrument. The sound was elegant, beautiful, yet also mournful.

    The spiritual monsters¡¯ attacks suddenly became more powerful. There was an obvious increase in all the monsters¡¯ individual speed and strength, to the point where they were now a threat to Yukari and the others.

    Seiji instantly decided to cast his [Evolved Spirit mes] to burn all the monsters to ash!

    Judging from the monsters¡¯ reaction and the aura he was sensing, this ¡°she¡± which wasing was no human!

    ¡°Take them all out of the Domain!¡± He indicated towards the girls while talking to Kazuko. ¡°The portal to exit isn¡¯t blocked this time, is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not blocked. It¡¯s easy enough to send the girls out, but if I open the portal like this, it¡¯s highly possible that she¡¯ll be able to enter the real world as well.¡±

    ¡°What!? It¡¯s possible for her to use your portal as well!?¡±

    ¡°I need you to suppress her before I open the portal¡ª¡±

    Kazuko didn¡¯t even finish speaking when numerousrge spiritual monsters rushed past the me wall barrier. They all wielded erged weapons and attacked!

    Shing¡­ Mayuzumi had Idelia shoot out sharp icicle spears!

    Whoosh¡­ Kaede pped her wings and created more Wind des!

    Their AOE attacksbined to defeat most of therge spiritual monsters. Mika and Yukari dealt with the remaining ones with the ck bands and thread maniption.

    However, a second wave ofrge spiritual monsters immediately rushed over!

    Natsuya took action and released a tremendous amount of red spiritual des at the group of monsters!

    Hitaka joined in, urately shooting all the monsters that her master¡¯s des had missed!

    ¡°I think that there¡¯s no need to worry too much about them.¡± Kazuko adjusted her eyesses after witnessing this scene.

 Chapter 727 - Iâ€™ve fallen in love with the sensation of becoming stronger

    <h4>Chapter 727: I¡¯ve fallen in love with the sensation of bing stronger</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to say something like that!¡± Seiji rolled his eyes at Kazuko. ¡°You just said that I need to suppress the boss monster girl that¡¯sing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That will prevent her from being able to enter the real world. Of course, the best solution will be to kill her.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound so easy¡­ Couldn¡¯t you have been more careful while investigating?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay more attention next time. Why don¡¯t I perform some self-bondage to apologize?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary!¡±

    Although Seiji verbally refused, he still couldn¡¯t help but imagine the way Kazuko would look while tied up and naked.

    ¡°I can even add the service of pretending to be a dog or cat,¡± Kazuko added.

    ¡°I said it¡¯s not necessary!¡±

    Although Seiji wanted to see it, he had to adamantly refuse!

    The tremendous waves of spiritual monsters kept attacking. They were all destroyed by the girls.

    The monsters became stronger, so the experience mist they provided became denser. Yukari felt even more addicted to the pleasure of absorbing the mist, but she kept warning herself to maintain a clear mind. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to be lost in the pleasure like earlier.

    But as the invisible sense of pressure approached from beyond the fire wall, Yukari found it more and more difficult to control herself!

    Yukari could sense that an existence far stronger than the spiritual monsters was approaching. Logically, that existence should be left to Seiji and Natsuya to deal with. But, the closer that existence approached, the more excited Yukari became¡­ or, more urately, the stronger her desire to battle became.

    Logically, she didn¡¯t agree with this. However, her body was no longer under her own control. It was as if her body instinctively desired to fight such a powerful existence.

    Yukari wanted to stop and tell Seiji that something felt off about herself. But¡­ she was unable to do so.

    She desired to fight a strong enemy! She really wanted to fight a strong enemy!

    She knew that something was wrong with her own desire. However, she still wanted to do this.

    Was this what her body truly desired? Or was this what she truly wanted in her heart?

    The purple-haired girl was unable to figure it out.

    There was no need to figure it out anymore.

    That was because ¡°she¡± had finally appeared!

    The fire wall barrier was broken through.

    First, glowing red petals which suppressed a portion of the fire wall appeared. The opening in the wall then rapidly expanded to allow a red-d individual to float through.

    She wore a bright red crown, a pitch-ck mask, light clothing, and had a snow-white body¡­ Her colors were in vivid contrast, and she would definitely give any man a tremendous impact!

    Seiji instantly understood why Kazuko said ¡°you¡¯ll definitely be happy to see her¡± now that he finally saw ¡°her¡±.

    This female demon had an incredible figure! And, she was showing off so much fanservice by being almost naked!

    There was a light red veil around the female demon¡¯s body¡­ or something that resembled a veil. Just like how some sexy lingerie would entuate the body rather than doing anything by covering up the private parts, her red veil made her seem even sexier.

    Seiji could only stare, mouth wide agape, when he witnessed such a stimting sight. Even though he had prepared himself to attack immediately, he was unable to attack right away.

    Mika, Kaede, Mayuzumi, Natsuya, and Hitaka were all simrly astonished by this demon¡¯s physical appearance. None of them were able to instantly react.

    Yukari was the only one who rushed the female demon immediately!

    Crack! Yukari¡¯s spiderweb whip made a loud sound as it viciously aimed straight for the female demon¡¯s head.

    *Pow!!* The female demon blocked the blow with her veil.

    Although her veil seemed lightweight, it actually possessed powerful defensive properties. Not only did the veil block the attack, it even shattered Yukari¡¯s spiderweb whip back into threads.

    The purple-haired girl then swung a second whip with her left hand!

    This time, she aimed for the female demon¡¯s foot, but the veil blocked the whip and shattered it yet again.

    Swoosh¡­ The red flowing petals started gathering together and flowing like a river, suddenly swarming towards Yukari!

    There would be dire consequences if Yukari took such an attack!

    ¡°Yukari!!¡± Seiji shot out a [Fire Mana Bullet], but he was toote.

    It seemed that the purple-haired girl was right about to be struck by the female demon¡¯s attack. However, Yukari¡¯s figure suddenly vanished as she dodged this attack at a speed which astonished everyone.

    Boom! Seiji¡¯s [Fire Mana Bullet] finally arrived and scattered the flower petals with an explosion.

    Yukari stopped at a distance of several meters away. Spiderweb was twirled around her hand, with the other end of the long thread sticking to the ground.

    Just now, she had shot spiderweb at the ground to pull herself and move at such an astonishing speed.

    Right after this, she then shot spiderweb at the ground close to the female demon and instantly pulled herself over for another whip attack!

    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself! Yukari, hurry and retreat!!¡± Seiji unsheathed his sword and joined the fight.

    Hitaka also rushed the demon.

    Natsuya cast support spells to protect the three fighting against the demon.

    Mika, Kaede, and Mayuzumi all attacked from range with their ck bands, gun, and Idelia¡¯s icicles.

    The female demon blocked all attacks with her veil and the falling cherry blossom petals. She twirled around at high speed in midair, almost as if she was dancing.

    Not only did Yukari not listen to Seiji and retreat, she even started attacking more forcefully. Although the veil blocked the spiderweb whip every time, Yukari continuously attacked without pause.

    Yukari¡¯s whips were continuously shattered. However, minor amounts of spiderweb kept sticking to the veil.

    Seiji called out to Yukari several times, but received no response. He could tell that something was wrong with Yukari again.

    However, she was different from when she was previously in a daze. The current purple-haired girl was vicious and dexterous¡­ It was as if she had gone berserk, but hadn¡¯t lost her sense of reason. Seiji was hesitant on whether or not he should forcefully try to stop her.

    At this moment, Yukari suddenly stopped in her movements.

    She extended her arms and smiled as an ice-cold look entered her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve caught you,¡± Yukari spoke in a low voice as her hands started to glow ck. Right after that¡­

    Shing!

    All the spiderweb that had umted on the female demon¡¯s veil suddenly started glowing ck. The strands then hardened and pierced right through the veil into the female demon¡¯s body, impaling the dancing demon in midair!

    ¡°Iiiyahhhh!!!¡± The female demon instantly started screaming in pain.

    Seiji and the others were all shocked by this scene.

    The devilishly beautiful half-naked female demon was screaming in pain while being impaled in midair. This scene appeared rather abnormal yet also contained indescribable beauty as if it was a painting of a tragedy which contained some type of deep meaning.

    The demon was evidently struggling, but it was no longer able to move or control its flower petals. Its screams gradually subsided.

    Yukari walked over and raised her hand.

    The female demon gradually transformed into a thick blood-red experience mist that was all absorbed by Yukari¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Heeheehee~¡± Yukari started chuckling gleefully.

    Seiji frowned upon hearing such augh.

    ¡°Yukari¡­¡± He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Can you still hear me?¡±

    If she didn¡¯t respond, he would unhesitatingly deal with her right now.

    ¡°I sure can,¡± the purple-haired girl responded.

    Yukari turned around and smiled while looking directly at Seiji.

    ¡°No need to worry about me. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Seiji took a deep nce at her.

    ¡°I am. My heart and soul are still me. I haven¡¯t be fallen. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve discovered¡­ something I didn¡¯t know about before.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to express¡­ Maybe I should call it a hidden will within me¡­ or a deeper level of strength¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly how to describe it.¡±

    Yukari then nced over at the female demon that had less than half of her corpse remaining. The rest of the body was still transforming into Yukari¡¯s experience mist.

    ¡°Just think of it as my having Awakened for a second time. The first time was Awakening to my ability, and the second time was Awakening to a new mentality. I¡¯m still Yukari Asamiya, and I won¡¯t be a monster. What you worry about won¡¯te to pass. Simply speaking, I¡¯ve fallen in love with the sensation of bing stronger.¡±

 Chapter 728 - Everything is fine as long as youre alright

    <h4>Chapter 728: Everything is fine as long as you¡¯re alright</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Yomi, what do you think?¡± Seiji privately inquired his bonded female spirit.

    ¡°This girl has probably been affected by her mystical connection. It¡¯s unknown whether this is good or bad. For now, it seems that she still has her sense of reason. Still, it¡¯ll be difficult to predict what happens in the future with her,¡± Yomi told him.

    ¡°Is it possible to stop this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not. This is a change within herself¡­ and even if you suppress her mystical connection and return her to being a normal person, it won¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s been influenced to some extent already. Not to mention, it¡¯s impossible to suppress a mystical connection. At least, I don¡¯t know how to do it.¡±

    Seiji fell silent.

    Yukari finished absorbing the female demon¡¯s experience mist. The glow on her hands faded and the ck spiderwebs disappeared.

    The moment that she put her hands down, she copsed right towards Seiji! Seiji caught her in his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Let me take a nap,¡± Yukari whispered to him as she closed her eyes.

    The cherry blossoms gathered and started forming into even more humanoid spiritual monsters!

    The battling continued.

    The purple-haired girl slowly opened her eyes.

    She discovered herself to be sleeping in an unfamiliar bed. She was also wearing brand-new pajamas that weren¡¯t hers.

    ¡®Who helped change my clothes?¡¯

    This was the first question Yukari thought of, but she then naturally recalled the gently smiling maid senpai.

    She then recalled what happened before she fell asleep¡­ Suddenly, Yukari entered a strange realm again, and came face to face with the same gigantic reddish-purple haired girl with the lower half of a spider!

    Once again, Yukari felt a chill run down her spine because she was still scared of this existence. But, she wasn¡¯t as scared asst time, because she faintly realized who that spider woman really was.

    Yukari directly exchanged nces with the spider woman, and spoke resolutely, ¡°I won¡¯t turn into you¡­ I definitely won¡¯t lose to you!¡±

    ¡°Heeheehee~¡± The spider woman responded with the same chillyugh asst time. It sounded as if she was amused and scoffing at Yukari.

    ¡°Heeheehee~¡± Yukari also smiled and made a simr yet different sound.

    ¡®I am myself, and you are also part of myself.

    ¡®I shall control you rather than being controlled by you!¡¯

    Fear, rejection, running away¡­ All of these would be useless. She could only bravely face the spider woman head on.

    Just like when she first underwent the trial to be Awakened.

    Actually, this was another type of trial, a long-term trial.

    The result of failing this trial would be losing her sense of self. She would be a monster. Only by surpassing this trial would she be truly strong!

    That disappearing drawing didn¡¯t actually exist. It had only appeared before her as a familiar form. That had been the signal of the long-term trial¡¯s beginning¡­ was what Yukari believed now.

    She had made Seiji worry about her. She needed to exin things properly to him.

    Yukari finished organizing her thoughts and was about to get out of bed when she heard a knock on the door.

    ¡°Yukari, are you awake?¡± Seiji spoke from outside the door.

    The battle had concluded at dawn rather than continuing all the way until morning.

    Mika, Kaede, and Mayuzumi were all rather tired from the all-nighter. However, they all had some energy remaining, and they all rejected returning home, preferring to wait for Yukari to wake up.

    They were all concerned how the purple-haired girl would be after waking up, especially about her mental condition.

    It was because they werepanions, but also because they were all Awakened. Yukari¡¯s problem of possibly bing Tainted might happen to them as well. They all wanted to understand the situation.

    Seiji exined as much as he possibly could, and emphasized that he would do his very best to protect all hispanions.

    But, as long as there was still risk, it would be impossible topletely eliminate the girls¡¯ feeling of unease.

    He sincerely hoped that Yukari would be alright when she woke up¡­ Otherwise, he would have to load.

    But even if he loaded tost night and didn¡¯t allow Yukari to participate in this battle, she would have to face a battle sooner orter. And if she was affected by her mystical connection the moment that she battled, then loading would have been meaningless.

    As for having her quit his knight order, avoid fighting entirely, and obediently remain as an ordinary person¡­ He didn¡¯t know what reason he could tell her for this, nor did he think that this method would be effective.

    In the end, it was impossible to suppress Yukari¡¯s mystical connection. Yukari was destined to be affected by her mystical connection from the moment it Awakened.

    As for that mysterious drawing¡­ Seiji was rather suspicious about it. Did that drawing really exist? Could it have been an illusion produced via Yukari¡¯s mystical connection?

    No matter what, he could only wait for her to wake up before he could ascertain her condition.

    Seiji knocked on her door and heard her responding.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake, and about to get up¡­ How¡¯s the Domain?¡±

    ¡°Everything is fine there. The battles have ended.¡±

    Seiji waited outside the door for a few minutes. Yukari then opened the door and walked out after she finished changing her clothes.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good. Morning, Seiji.¡±

    Yukari smiled while Seiji looked her over. He then smiled as well.

    ¡®Everything is fine as long as you¡¯re alright.¡¯

    Seiji, Yukari, Mika, Kaede, Mayuzumi, Kazuko, and Natsuya all enjoyed a delicious breakfast prepared by Mai. They then sat down together in the living room.

    Yukari exined to everyone about what she had Awakened to.

    Obtaining her ability was only the beginning; it was no one-time process to be over and done with.

    Yukari told everyone about the drawing which she believed to be an image created by the monster version of herself. She talked about how she thought it was the signal of the beginning of a new trial. It could be viewed as a battle against one¡¯s own new ability¡ªthe will of the mystical connection.

    Either one would end up controlling the power, or be controlled by the power.

    ¡°My current condition is that I¡¯ve taken control of a small portion of the spider woman. Or, maybe it¡¯s more urate to say that I¡¯ve gained a small portion of her powers¡­ I don¡¯t know how to precisely describe it. Although I¡¯m using the word ¡®control¡¯, the real situation is far moreplex than simply controlling the power. I just don¡¯t know how to describe it better. I¡¯m certain that I¡¯m still myself, but I don¡¯t know how to prove it to you all. Maybe you all think that I¡¯m changing into a monster¡­

    ¡°All I can say about this is to please believe in me,¡± the purple-haired girl told everyone directly.

    The room fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Seiji spoke up first.

    Although he had just said the same words to Kaho, and she ended up having such a big problem, he still chose to believe in hispanion.

    ¡°I was really worried about how you were actingst night, but I feel like I can trust you with that current look in your eyes. Besides, when you Awakened, you used your own strength to break free from the mystical connection¡¯s control, and faced against it directly to pass your trial¡­ that¡¯s why I believe you¡¯ll be able to continue prevailing.¡±

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡± Something shed in Yukari¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can ever help with, please let me know. Make sure to ask for help as soon as possible if you¡¯re ever in a tight spot. I¡¯ll help you out, no matter what the situation is,¡± Seiji spoke adamantly while looking directly at her.

    Yukari smiled, with her eyes bing watery. She looked quite moving with her incredibly beautiful smile.

    ¡°I will, Mr. Hero.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a hero, I¡¯m the Team Leader.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, Team Leader.¡±

    Both of them exchanged smiles with a joyous atmosphere.

    Seiji chose to believe in her, so nobody else said anything about this.

    Not only was Yukari motivated by his trust, Mika and the others also felt reassured. If any of them met a simr situation, they knew that Seiji would never abandon them.

    Something shed in Natsuya¡¯s eyes as she watched all of this. She seemed to be thinking about something.

    The cherry blossom mystical glowing phenomenon continued through the morning with no noticeable changes.

    However, this was only on the surface. Kazuko¡¯s Domain having issues was the best evidence that something was wrong behind the scenes. There was definitely something behind this phenomenon, but there wasn¡¯t enough information.

    Seiji went home to sleep after having stayed up all night. When he woke up, he saw that there was a message from Soul Society.

    Seiji¡¯s expression froze over when he saw the message.

    Approximately two weekster, the new Spirit World ¡°Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡± would be born. This Spirit World would release a tremendous amount of spiritual monsters that would even harm ordinary humans!

    Soul Society issued an important mission to all its members and affiliates. Before the Realm of Cherry Blossoms summoned itself, everyone would ally to protect humanity and fight against the dangerous existences about toe!!

 Chapter 729 - The information you requested has been updated

    <h4>Chapter 729: The information you requested has been updated</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    What was destined toe would alwayse.

    The possibility of spiritual monsters appearing inrge quantities from the Spirit Worlds and attacking ordinary humans was something that everyone had considered ever since the Spirit Worlds came into being.

    The Night of One Hundred Demons phenomenon was still continuing even now. It wouldn¡¯t be all that strange for it to be upgraded into something like a spiritual monster invasion. If all the unknown demons that were already attacking humans were actually products of the Spirit Worlds as well, then this was actually all a continuation of the Midnight Incident on New Year¡¯s. Right now, the current situation was that a major spiritual monster invasion would begin in two weeks¡¯ time.

    Two weeks seemed like a short time, but it was still plenty to prepare whenpared to an unexpected invasion.

    However, things were still happening far too quickly.

    Only a few months had passed since the Midnight Incident on the New Year¡¯s. If things were so serious already, what would the future hold?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think back on everything he had experienced since transmigrating into this world. Although he had felt from the start that there was more hidden behind the surface of this world than he knew, at least everything had been a normal daily life to begin with. Now, just half a yearter, he had to fight monsters and save the world? The plot was developing too quickly!

    ¡®If this world was a story or a manga, the author would surely be a failure,¡¯ Seijimented in his mind.

    Well, that was enough of the idle thoughts. He decided to focus on more practical things.

    The Realm of Cherry Blossoms was probably the new environment that became connected to Kazuko¡¯s Domain.

    Having so many humanoid spiritual monsters enter the real world would indeed cause harm to ordinary people. But as long as the monsters weren¡¯t allowed to scatter, they shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem to deal with all at once.

    The problem was more about the same type of female demon.

    Just how many of those female demons were there? Were there other spiritual monsters simr to her in power level, or even stronger? And if so, how many?

    It would be bad if there were many of those powerful spiritual monsters.

    Seiji was willing to work in order to protect others. However, there was a limit to that. He didn¡¯t have the noble resolution to sacrifice everything in order to protect the world.

    If things became incredibly dangerous, he would definitely choose to leave together with hispanions.

    After he got out of bed, he went to his study, where he turned on hisputer, and logged on to Soul Society¡¯s website to request more information about the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    However, the only response he received was ¡°The information you requested is currently being organized. Please wait patiently for new updates.¡±

    The information was still being organized¡­ Seiji pouted as he then went to the message forum.

    After reading the forum topics, he learned that Soul Society had started an emergencyrge-scale battlest night and destroyed tens of thousands of spiritual monsters in Inner Worlds!

    Apart from Soul Society members, their ount holders had also participated in the battle.

    ¡°I fought all ofst night until it was light out. I was so exhausted that I only woke up now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting quite serious. Lots of people might even die if things don¡¯t go well¡­¡±

    ¡°Soul Society isn¡¯t allowing us to reveal relevant information. All I¡¯m allowed to say right now is that this is both a crisis and an opportunity. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to run away, nor should you ept any missions too rashly. Wait for Soul Society to publicize their information before making a decision based on the situation.¡±

    Thest post came from a registered member of Soul Society by the username of ¡°Fan¡±.

    Now, Seiji was absolutely certain. Last night, when he and hispanions were busy clearing out spiritual monsters from Kazuko¡¯s Domain, Soul Society was doing the same thing on arge scale elsewhere. It was highly possible that Soul Society was clearing out that new realm connected to Kazuko¡¯s Domain!

    If that was really the case, then the spiritual monsters his team dealt with were actually excess monsters that Soul Society had been dealing with.

    The enemy spiritual monsters could be counted in the tens of thousands¡­ Even after killing so many, it was still impossible to stop them from arriving in the real world¡­ Just how terrifying would the situation be in two weeks?

    The more Seiji thought about it, the worse he felt things would be.

    Soul Society had yet to publicize any information. Was it because the situation was so bad that it was difficult to publicize?

    In response to Fan¡¯s post on the message forum about being a ¡°crisis and an opportunity,¡± many peoplemented with their own opinions. Most were pessimistic, primarily because Soul Society had yet to publicize any information after so long.

    If this had been more of an ¡°opportunity¡±, then Soul Society would have announced something long ago. No announcement meant that this was far more of a ¡°danger¡±.

    However, some also believed that Soul Society was only a newly established organization, so it deserved to be cut some ck for being somewhat slow to act. Plus, they just had a major battlest night, so perhaps most of the members were still resting, which was why no information had been publicized as of yet.

    No matter what opinion people had, they could all only wait.

    Seiji was just about to close the webpage when he received a sudden notification from the site: ¡°The information you requested has been updated.¡±

    The information had been publicized!

    Seiji immediately checked it out.

    The information included pictures and a description of the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. As Seiji expected, it was the new realm connected to Kazuko¡¯s Domain!

    This new Realm of Cherry Blossoms was given the name of ¡°Inner World #1¡± by Soul Society. This meant that it was the first Inner World of its type¡ªa ¡°Mega Catastrophe Malevolence.¡±

    Although the name sounded rather chuunibyou, this was actually part of Soul Society¡¯s formal naming system for danger assessment level regarding Spirit (and Inner) Worlds.

    Spirit Worlds had four basic levels of danger ssification: Cave, Nest, Malevolence, and Abyss.

    The danger levels went from lesser to greater. Basically, Cave was the easiest; Nest would be more dangerous than Cave; Malevolence was more dangerous than Nest;stly, Abyss was the most dangerous.

    There were also more detailed ssifications for each level. For instance, Malevolence could also be ssified as Great Malevolence, Maze Malevolence, Ultra Malevolence, and so on. These adjectives all represented a different attribute rather than difficulty level.

    For instance, Great Malevolence meant that the Spirit World¡¯s environment was ratherrge, with a simrlyrge number of spiritual monsters.

    Maze Malevolence obviously referred to the Spirit World¡¯s environment being like a maze, easy to get lost in.

    Ultra Malevolence meant that there were many highly dangerous spiritual monsters within that Spirit World.

    The Realm of Cherry Blossoms, Inner World #1 had been ssified as a Mega Catastrophe Malevolence. This meant that its environment was extremelyrge, which wasbined with countless spiritual monsters and many highly dangerous monsters within. If the Dimensional Eye to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms wasn¡¯t sealed, then countless monsters would enter reality and cause a tremendous catastrophe.

    For the entirety ofst night, Soul Society and its allies had been fighting against the spiritual monsters in Inner World #1 of the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. A total of approximately sixty thousand spiritual monsters was annihted, and the Dimensional Eye had been sessfully sealed.

    It was estimated that the seal would lose effectiveness in seven days. A second round of monster extermination would begin again at that time to seal the Dimensional Eye once more.

    The third extermination and sealing were scheduled for approximately five days after the second sealing, depending on the situation. The fourth extermination would take ce three days after the third.

    After that would be the arrival of the Realm of Cherry Blossoms as a full-fledged Spirit World. It would be code-named ¡°Spirit World #1¡±.

    Realm of Cherry Blossoms, Spirit World #1¡¯s danger level was assessed at ¡°Mega Cmity Abyss¡± rating!

    Soul Society would immediately act to deal with the threat and protect humanity when Realm of Cherry Blossoms manifested itself as a Spirit World.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes after he finished reading the information.

    There was no exnation given for what would happen if everyone failed or didn¡¯t seed fully. However, it was quite easy to guess from the danger level assessment and his own imagination.

    If serious injuries and deaths urred¡­ that might still be eptable within certain limits. Failure, however, was not an option, as that woulde with too great a price.

    Soul Society wouldn¡¯t be fighting on their own. They would definitely be fighting together with all other factions. Surely everyone woulde up with the best n they could to deal with this Realm of Cherry Blossoms, Spirit World #1.

    Members of Soul Society could only ept this mission and do the best they could in this battle.

    Of course, there was also the option to do nothing at all, and instead make preparations to escape this city.

    Seiji checked the message forums, only to find that there were already many heated discussions.

 Chapter 730 - That definitely isnâ€™t meâ€¦ it absolutely isnâ€™t

    <h4>Chapter 730: That definitely isn¡¯t me¡­ it absolutely isn¡¯t</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Some said they would immediately leave; some said they would ept the missions; some said they would wait and observe the situation; some said that the ordinary citizens should be evacuated; some even said that Armageddon wasing, so they were going to confess to their secret crush¡­

    Well, those types of non-serious posts were instantly buried.

    Seiji looked over all the serious posts. The mostmon opinion everyone had was that Soul Society absolutely needed to deal with this situation sessfully. If Soul Society failed, then this new organization would likely die right here. This was literally a life and death trial for Soul Society.

    Because of this, it was highly likely that Soul Society would be offering ample rewards for helping deal with the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. Although Soul Society hadn¡¯t mentioned specific rewards yet, people were already looking forward to it.

    It wasn¡¯t only the matter of Spirit World #1 that needed dealing with. Inner World #1 would also require more people, so there might be missions and rewards rted to that as well.

    The user named Fan posted to support this, iming that he got rewarded far beyond what he¡¯d expected for participating inst night¡¯s monster extermination. He imed that he would definitely be joining the next monster extermination as well.

    ¡°I think that Soul Society will be more and more important in the future. It¡¯s best to help them while they¡¯re just starting. It¡¯ll be quite beneficial if you get in their good graces while it¡¯s still easy. I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯m just shilling for them because they paid me. I¡¯m simply saying what I believe, and it¡¯s up to you guys to believe me or not. This is a great opportunity. But, as everyone also knows, this is even more of a danger, a tremendous danger! It¡¯s quite possible that many people will die. And, I¡¯m not talking about ordinary people. Those who rashly ept missions are nothing more than idiots. Those who only think about escaping without considering the opportunity are also idiots. Even if you can run away from this incident, what about the future?¡±

    Fan didn¡¯t post any more after that, but everyone understood what he meant.

    People asked why this happened, what exactly Spirit Worlds were, what the Midnight Incident was about¡­ They hoped that Soul Society would answer these questions.

    There was no reply.

    These critical questions were probably the highest-level secrets. Even most Soul Society members were probably unaware of the answers, not to mention mere ount holders. That was Seiji¡¯s opinion.

    Seiji refreshed the forum topic, and saw a new reply that caused his gaze to sharpen.

    ¡°Darkness has always been present.¡±

    This poster¡¯s username was Starcloud.

    This was Yui¡¯s ount!

    ¡°What does that exactly mean?¡± Seiji replied to her message.

    He received no response.

    Seiji browsed the forum some more, and confirmed that there was no more useful information before closing the webpage.

    After this, he intended to summon all the members of his knight order and tell them all the information he knew so that they could discuss what to do.

    But, right now, he wanted to contact a certain person first.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Miyabi Ishihara was currently by herself in the school library.

    There wasn¡¯t anything in particr that she wanted to do here. She came here simply because she wanted to be here.

    Staying by herself amongst all these books, she faintly felt as if she was a princess alone in her castle.

    She felt this seemed pretty nice.

    She didn¡¯t need to pay attention to any other people or think about anything else. All she had to do was read her books.

    She could find anything she wanted in these books. The books could be about reality, or about fantasy.

    She could immerse herself fully in a book, or simply be an observer. No matter what type of story or event was contained within, she could quietly experience or appreciate it.

    This was the greatest freedom in the world.

    After flipping another page of her book, she raised her teacup to take a sip, but discovered that there was no more tea left.

    She then picked up the tea kettle to add more tea, when she suddenly heard the sound of lightughter.

    Thisugh sounded both familiar yet unfamiliar.

    Miyabi stood up and walked towards the source of the sound.

    She walked in between tall bookshelves on either side. Passing through these seemed just like walking through so many doorways as if she was walking towards another world.

    ¡°No, not here¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahn¡­ Sheesh¡­¡±

    ¡°If anyone sees¡­ You¡¯ll have to take responsibility¡­¡±

    A seductive sounding voice spoke up. Her voice was identical to the lightughter from earlier¡­ the same girl¡¯s voice.

    Who was she?

    What was she doing?

    ¡®How did she enter the school library without me noticing?¡¯

    Miyabi became suspicious about this, and felt disgust towards that voice as she felt this girl who was speaking was currently doing¡­ something inappropriate.

    This wasn¡¯t a ce to be doing such things!

    ¡®This is my personal castle, a quiet and divine domain! Nobody is allowed to tread upon it!!¡¯

    ¡°Wahn¡­ No¡­¡±

    ¡°Although there¡¯s hardly anyone here¡­ If we¡¯re really seen¡­¡±

    ¡°Eek¡­ Ahn¡­¡±

    Just who was it? Where was she!? The student librarian became angry.

    Miyabi would definitely give the person a vicious scolding! No matter who she was!!

    Miyabi quickened her pace due to anger and disgust. After passing countless bookshelves, she finally saw¡­

    A girl whose hair was scattered, clothes were half-taken off, face flushed red, eyes watery, with such a sexy aura¡­ It was Miyabi herself!

    Miyabi was astonished by the sight.

    A girl identical to herself, wearing the same Genhana High School uniform, was currently supporting herself with her hands against a bookshelf and moaning. Behind her was a tall boy pressed up against her butt. One of his hands was holding her waist, and the other hand was kneading her breasts. His crotch was constantly pumping.

    ¡°Enn¡­ Ah¡­ No¡­ Don¡¯t be so¡­ forceful¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ take it anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±

    Just as it seemed that she was about to shout out loudly, the boy covered her mouth.

    Then, the boy temporarily stopped moving and kissed the girl.

    Miyabi¡¯s eyes widened as she watched this happen before her. Her mind wentpletely nk.

    The two kissed for a while before separating.

    The girl seemed to suddenly notice Miyabi, or perhaps she realized already that Miyabi was there. She turned around and smiled ambiguously at Miyabi.

    Miyabi felt thunderstruck!

    When she returned to her senses, she discovered that she was running away at top speed.

    She passed by so many bookshelves that once again seemed like many doors.

    ¡°No¡­ that definitely isn¡¯t me¡­ it absolutely isn¡¯t!¡± she shouted at the top of her lungs.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like that at all¡­ I definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing¡­

    ¡°In the library¡­ like that¡­ so shameless¡­¡±

    Miyabi constantly denied it. Yet, the scene she just saw kept reying itself in her mind.

    She even began to experience that girl¡­ that ¡°herself¡¯s¡± experience!

    The joy of being doted on, along with the physical stimtion and pleasure¡­ This felt incredibly embarrassing, yet also so wondrous¡­

    The library was a quiet and holy realm for her. Miyabi truly believed this.

    But precisely because of this, it felt quite wonderful for her to personally trod all over it¡­

    No!!!

    ¡®I really don¡¯t think like that! Definitely not!! That person wasn¡¯t me!!!¡¯

    ¡®¡­Really?¡¯

    A tiny voice whispered that in her heart.

    ¡®Definitely not!¡¯ Miyabi wanted to answer like this.

    But for some mysterious reason, shecked the conviction to answer so.

    After running for quite a while, Miyabi slowed down and walked around in a daze. Without realizing it, she had exited the bookshelves section and returned to the reading section.

    The girl who looked identical to her was now sitting where Miyabi had just been sitting. She was currently talking to someone on her cell phone.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m pregnant¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have it¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s no big deal, just treat it as a lesson, it¡¯s your fault for never wearing a condom¡­¡±

    ¡°Just how will you take responsibility¡­¡±

    She kept speaking words that were doubting, but she actually had such a sweet expression on her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married this early at all; do you want me to be a housewife when I haven¡¯t even graduated from high school?¡±

    ¡°You say such sweet words¡­ but what will I do if you get tired of me in the future?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so handsome, and so many girls like you¡­¡±

 Chapter 731 - Please satisfy your juniors shameless desire

    <h4>Chapter 731: Please satisfy your junior¡¯s shameless desire</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Even an idiot would be able to tell that she was just acting spoiled instead of being serious if they saw her expression.

    However, the boy on the other end of the phone couldn¡¯t see her expression. He seemed to be quite worried and kept trying to console her, asking her where she was.

    ¡°Hmph¡­ you only know how to say such nice things.¡±

    ¡°I want you to stop treating other girls so kindly, to stop meeting other girls by yourself, to stop touching other girls, and to stop talking to any other girls for longer than five minutes¡­ Can you do that?¡±

    ¡°No talking back, just tell me if you can do it or not.¡±

    ¡°You sound so reluctant¡­ Honestly¡­¡±

    After she acted spoiled for a while, she finally ¡°unwillingly¡± told the boy that she was in the library, and then hung up the phone.

    Miyabi was now sitting in front of her.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The student librarian wanted to ask in a severe tone, but instead spoke in aplex one as she looked at this girl who looked identical to her.

    The girl didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, she smiled ambiguously at Miyabi while sipping on some tea.

    ¡°You know who I am.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ you can¡¯t be me¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ I definitely wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that you ¡®definitely¡¯ wouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Miyabi was temporarily speechless.

    The girl smiled at her.

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that you ¡®definitely¡¯ wouldn¡¯t, it¡¯s that you think that you ¡®definitely couldn¡¯t do it.¡¯ If you could do such a thing, you¡¯ll be me. Falling in love with your handsome junior, tempting him, conquering him, taking him for yourself, enjoying the pleasure as much as you want, experiencing the stimtion of a taboo romance¡­¡±

    ¡°No!!¡± Miyabi shouted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t¡­ like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be so shameless?¡± The girl chuckled. ¡°Wake up! Who do you think you are! You¡¯re not special at all. You¡¯re no fairy tale princess. You¡¯re just an ordinary person in the real world. You have ugly desires, just like everyone else! You only restrained your desires for a simple reason: because you felt like you couldn¡¯t realize them. And I, am the you who realized her desires.¡±

    Miyabi received a tremendous impact from hearing this!

    ¡°Lies¡­ Impossible¡­ That won¡¯t¡­ Absolutely¡­¡± Miyabi began trembling. ¡°How could I¡­ how could¡­¡±

    ¡°Heeheehee~¡± The girl across from her chuckled.

    ¡°Wahh¡­¡± Miyabi was incredibly pained as she closed her eyes and covered her ears.

    She felt her entire body bing colder as if she was sinking into the darkness¡­

    ¡°¡­Senpai¡­ Ishihara-senpai¡­¡± a seemingly distant male voice called out to her with a gentle and caring tone.

    Miyabi reflexively responded to the voice, and floated upwards again. She gradually felt the light before she slowly opened her eyes.

    She saw Seigo Harano sitting right across from her. He was resting his face on his hands, and smiling while looking at her.

    He was so handsome that even such an ordinary pose would make any girl¡¯s heart skip a beat.

    ¡°Harano-san¡­ Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to meet here, Senpai?¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°Are you confused because you just woke up?¡±

    Miyabi thought about it, and finally recalled that she had just received a phone call from him asking to meet up for a face to face discussion. She had indeed told him that she was currently at the school library.

    While she was waiting for him, she started reading a book, and then fell asleep without realizing it¡­ and then had such a terrible dream!

    As she recalled the dream she just had, Miyabi felt her face bing hot and flushed.

    Embarrassment, disgust, anger, awkwardness¡­ Her emotions were incrediblyplex. She was unable to face her junior directly.

    ¡°What did you want to talk to me about?¡± She averted her gaze and forced herself to speak rather stiffly.

    ¡°I wanted to talk about the mysterious story draft that you previously told me you received.¡± Seiji stopped smiling, and became serious. ¡°I learned some things¡­¡±

    Seiji summarized Yukari¡¯s experiences and what the purple-haired girl had learned.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s how it is. Although your circumstances might be different from that person¡¯s, I think that it¡¯s still a good reference.¡±

    Miyabi fell silent.

    ¡°In the future, please pay close attention to your own condition. If you see any strange illusions or something else that seems strange, let me know right away,¡± Seiji told her.

    ¡®I¡¯ve already seen it!¡¯ Miyabi shouted in her mind.

    She was now certain that the terrible dream she¡¯d just had was another type of ¡°trial¡±.

    But to tell him the contents of that dream¡­ She absolutely couldn¡¯t do it!

    She would prefer to die rather than tell him about such a dream.

    Seiji looked over Miyabi, and felt that his senpai seemed a little strange. Her face was really red, and she kept looking elsewhere.

    ¡°Ishihara-senpai, yourplexion doesn¡¯t look so well. Is something the matter?¡± Seiji tried asking.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±

    Miyabi became frustrated as the dream she¡¯d just had kept uncontrobly popping up in her mind.

    ¡°Is that everything you had to tell me?¡± she stated in an even stiffer tone than earlier.

    Seiji could tell that she obviously didn¡¯t want to talk to him right now.

    He immediately sensed that something was wrong.

    Something seemed off about Miyabi Ishihara right now. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t have minded it if something was a little off, but he had just finished telling her about the trial¡­

    ¡°Senpai, I feel that something¡¯s strange about you right now. Did something happen already?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all.¡± Miyabi turned her head away.

    Seeing her like this, Seiji felt even more certain that ¡°something¡± had happened!

    ¡°Senpai, as I just said, please tell me immediately if there¡¯s anything that seems off,¡± he spoke in a stern tone. ¡°I can only help you if I know what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s nothing¡­ there¡¯s nothing at all.¡± Miyabi continued denying it.

    ¡°Really?¡± Seiji heavily emphasized this word.

    ¡°Of course, really¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you look me in the eyes when you say that?¡±

    Miyabi: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I hope that Senpai can properly tell me about things rather than bearing everything by yourself.¡± Seiji changed to a gentle tone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anything happening to Senpai¡­ I¡¯ll really regret it if something happens because I didn¡¯t know what was going on.¡±

    Miyabi felt her heart skip a beat when she heard his sincere worry for her.

    Yet, that dream¡­ It was so difficult for her to talk about it!

    ¡°You mentioned a trial, which I have to face by myself, right?¡± She tried to speak as calmly as possible.

    ¡°¡­Indeed, in the end, Senpai will have to face it by herself.¡± Seiji nodded. ¡°However, facing it by yourself doesn¡¯t mean that you have to do it all alone. Perhaps I might not even be of any assistance at all. But, as long as I know what¡¯s going on, it might be possible for me to help in some way. Previously, I told you that you¡¯re a beautiful and strong girl. I believe that Senpai has more than enough willpower to face your trial by yourself. But, even so, I still want to be of assistance to Senpai. So, this actually isn¡¯t for Senpai, it¡¯s for myself.¡± Seiji smiled again. ¡°As your junior, I¡¯m being shameless in requesting my senpai to tell me her secrets. But, I¡¯d still rather be shameless so that I might be of help rather than having regrets because I didn¡¯t know anything.

    ¡°So, please satisfy your junior¡¯s shameless desire, Ishihara-senpai!¡±

    Seiji shed a bright smile as he spoke such a cheesy sentence.

    Miyabi received a huge impact from seeing his smile. Her heart was filled with indescribable emotions.

 Chapter 732 - We must make a choice

    <h4>Chapter 732: We must make a choice</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®Desire¡­ could something like that be so open?

    ¡®No, this isn¡¯t desire, he¡¯s simply expressing concern for me.

    ¡®But why is he concerned about me?

    ¡®Because he¡¯s simply such a person who thinks it¡¯s natural to help others¡­

    ¡®But isn¡¯t that way of thinking also a type of ¡°desire¡±?¡¯

    Miyabi became confused.

    Yet, she also felt as if she¡¯d realized something.

    Miyabi felt faintly as if she understood what her junior meant by the story of what the other girl had ¡°learned¡± through her trial.

    Now, Miyabi was facing her own trial.

    Either she would learn to ¡°control¡± her other self, or she would be ¡°controlled¡± by her other self.

    Fear, rejection, and avoidance¡­ Those were all useless. She could only face ¡°herself¡± head on¡­

    ¡°Senpai?¡±

    Seiji noticed that Miyabi seemed to be thinking something. He called out to her, but received no response.

    He decided not to interrupt her thoughts. He simply sat there silently while waiting for her to finish thinking.

    A whileter, her eyes cleared up as she regained focus.

    ¡°Thank you, Junior.¡± Miyabi smiled like a quietly blooming flower.

    Seiji was momentarily mesmerized by her beautiful smile. ¡°¡­No need to be polite. Did you think of something?¡±

    Miyabi nodded.

    ¡°Could you tell me about it?¡±

    Miyabi shook her head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, because it¡¯s far too embarrassing.¡± Her face flushed red as she said this.

    Embarrassing? Seiji blinked in surprise. He was rather mystified about this.

    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me. I¡¯m fine, really¡­ Please let me face this by myself for now,¡± Miyabi told him. ¡°If I really can¡¯t do a good job, then I¡¯ll tell you everything at that time.¡±

    She had a resolute expression despite the fact that her face was slightly red.

    Seiji nodded after seeing such an expression.

    ¡°I believe in Senpai.¡±

    He had originally wanted to tell Miyabi about the uing danger in two weeks, but he now felt that there was no need to tell her so soon. It was probably better to let her concentrate on her personal trial¡­ So, he simply said goodbye and left.

    After Miyabi watched Seigo Harano leave, she looked back at the bookshelves and quietly waited.

    After an unknown period of time passed, she heard the voice that she was waiting for¡­

    ¡°Heeheehee~¡±

    After hearing this ambiguousughter, Miyabi reached out and picked up a tea kettle that mysteriously appeared. She started pouring some tea.

    After she finished pouring the tea, she then looked across from her and saw that girl who was identical to herself.

    No¡­ she should call that girl ¡°the other version of herself¡±.

    ¡°Are you prepared to be me?¡±

    ¡°No, I definitely won¡¯t be you.¡±

    ¡°Heehee¡­ You know that it¡¯s useless.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ but you¡¯re not actually me!¡±

    The battle of wills between the two literary girls now began.

    Later that night, countless cherry blossoms once again let off a mystical and ethereal light.

    Although there was a giant unexpected rainstormst night, many people still went cherry blossom viewing at night. All the famous cherry blossom viewing spots were still bustling.

    People drank, chatted, and gossiped, while children yed and the elderly enjoyed the scenery¡­ Everyone enjoyed an ordinary and precious peaceful beauty.

    Ordinary people were unable to see the cherry blossoms¡¯ mystical light. They had no idea what was going on. Neither did they have any clue about the dangering in two weeks¡¯ time.

    The darkness was always present.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what Yui meant by that sentence of hers on the message forum. But if he seriously considered it, even an ordinary peaceful life would have its hidden darkness behind it, such as all sorts of crimes and other dark deeds behind the scenes¡­

    Perhaps different people would make different choices if they came upon the darkness.

    Those who knew about the extraordinary uing danger were now facing an important decision.

    As Seiji observed the glowing cherry blossoms, he brought out his cell phone, and contacted all the members of his knight order¡­

    The next morning.

    This was a bright and sunny day. All the members of Seiji¡¯s knight order gathered at Natsuya¡¯s residence.

    This was the first real-life meeting of all the members of the knight order, and the second full-member conference they had so far.

    Compared to the first full-member conference, there were now four additional participants.

    The scion Yin Yang Master, Natsuya Yoruhana.

    The master of her Domain, Kazuko Ooike.

    The silver-haired puppet girl, Shinobu Miaki.

    The insect demon¡¯s host, Kaho Miyamoto.

    ¡®¡­It suddenly feels really cool to give all of them titles like that. Why don¡¯t I give titles to all the knight order members?¡¯ Seiji suddenly had such a chuunibyou idea.

    But since there were more participants than before, first was introducing everyone to each other.

    As expected, the puppet girl Shinobu¡¯s astonishing beauty shocked Yukari and the others.

    Yukari, Mayuzumi, and Kazuko all wanted to touch this extraordinarily beautiful puppet girl!

    Shinobu hid behind Shika Kagura when faced with all these overly passionate strangers.

    This caused the others to really want to take a picture of Shinobu. Just about everyone took out their cell phones, including Seiji! They all took some wonderful pictures of Shinobu.

    Apart from this, Hisashi sang his praises for Natsuya¡¯s beauty and Kaho¡¯s chest. He then received a whack from Kaede¡¯s paper fan.

    Kaho had previously learned from Seiji already that Kazuko¡¯s true identity was her and Seiji¡¯s ssmate, Kazufuru Ooike. So, when Kaho met Kazuko directly, Kaho had a ratherplex and awkward expression, just like Mika¡¯s first meeting with Kazuko.

    A male ssmate had be a beautiful girl, and a freely moving human puppet girl¡­ Compared to these two, the health teacher/infirmary nurse and Honey Candy Girl author being here didn¡¯t seem all that shocking anymore.

    Still, Kaho was rather surprised. She wanted Mayuzumi Amami¡¯s autograph¡­ ¡®Would it be possible to ask for er?¡¯ Kaho wondered.

    After everyone was introduced to each other, Seiji announced that Kazuko, Shinobu, and Kaho would be officially joining the knight order.

    It was already confirmed that Shinobu and Kaho were going to join.

    As for Kazuko, Seiji had originally invited her to this meeting, but he didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d volunteer to join his knight order.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for youst night¡­ I don¡¯t know what could have happened to me. This incident helped me to recognize that I need your assistance more than I thought I did. And even if I don¡¯t join, I know that you¡¯ll help me with all you have, but¡­ I¡¯d still feel anxious. At any rate, I feel like I really need you. I want to be yours.¡±

    That was what Kazuko had told him.

    Seiji told her to take some more time to consider it. However, she adamantly insisted. When Seiji mentioned Kazufuru, Kazuko said that she would definitely convince him.

    Since that was the case, Seiji had no more reason to refuse. He epted Kazuko joining his knight order.

    ¡­It definitely wasn¡¯t because he was moved by her sentence of ¡°I want to be yours¡±! It definitely wasn¡¯t!

    The knight order members apuded as they weed their newpanions.

    Seiji had the new members choose their own code numbers for the knight order as the names they would go by when wishing to remain anonymous. They were free to choose any number that wasn¡¯t in use already.

    Kazuko directly chose 11, bing the ¡°11th Knight¡±.

    Kaho chose 10 and became the ¡°10th Knight¡±.

    Shinobu didn¡¯t know what to choose, so Seiji chose for her. Shinobu became the ¡°12th Knight¡±.

    And then, the meeting formally began.

    ¡°The important information I summoned everyone here for today is rted to the cherry blossom glowing phenomenon¡­¡±

    Seiji had a serious expression as he exined everything about the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    After his exnation, everyone remained quiet for a while.

    Seiji gave everyone some time to digest the information before he spoke up again.

    ¡°It should be safe if we leave this city before the Realm of Cherry Blossoms Spirit World manifests itself. We don¡¯t have any need to stay behind and fight. There¡¯s no shame in leaving here and avoiding this danger. Although there might be benefits to staying behind, you¡¯ll have to risk your life. Without mentioning whether it¡¯s worth it or not, first you must have the resolution to risk your life¡­ Even if you protect the citizens and this city, nobody will thank you, because they won¡¯t even know. And if we leave, even if there are people that die, and if the city is destroyed, the people that leave won¡¯t be med. You don¡¯t need to feel any guilt. That¡¯s how the situation is. Now, we must make a choice¡ªshould we leave here in safety, or risk everything and fight?¡±

 Chapter 733 - I want to fight!

    <h4>Chapter 733: I want to fight!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Two different choices. Two paths that everyone could take.

    All the knight order members concretely realized that this was a choice to determine the knight order¡¯s future.

    Everyone fell silent yet again.

    ¡°Senpai¡ª no, what does Team Leader want to do?¡± Hoshi was the first to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯m choosing to fight,¡± Seiji answered directly. ¡°Protecting the citizens, protecting this city, and obtaining benefits are all reasons to fight. But, the most basic reason is because I want to fight!¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to fight for personal benefits or to protect this city. The main reason was simply because he wanted to fight in this major battle.

    Of course, personal benefits and protecting the city were also important. If it wasn¡¯t for the obtainable benefits and the concept of protection, Seiji wouldn¡¯t risk his life to fight for no reason.

    But still, he was going to fight because he didn¡¯t want to miss such a major battle.

    Seiji didn¡¯t care all that much about the potential benefits or protecting the city. In the end, he just wanted to satisfy his personal desire.

    There was a certain manga character back in his previous world who had saved the world multiple times. But, in fact, that character only fought because he wanted to fight against the strong. In fact, this character would even let a dangerous viin who threatened the entire world free just because he wanted to fight the viin again.

    Although this might also be due to the manga author trying toe up with a way for the viin to continue surviving, this really expressed how much of a fighting maniac this main character was. Since he wanted to fight against the strong, it was somewhat understandable that he would let such a powerful enemy go. If he killed the enemy instead, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight (have fun) with that enemy anymore.

    Well, that was the benefit of having a fighting maniac as the main character. It was easy to simply have rematches with the same viin rather than constantly having toe up with new viins. And if the readers got bored, the author could change things up by having the main viin obtain a new transformation, or create some sort of organization to create a new arc.

    It could also be simrly effective to have a main character who believed it was morally wrong to kill even his worst enemy. This made the main character on the side of justice andpassion, along with saving effort in creating new viins. Yet another effective writing technique.

    So, there wasn¡¯t only main character plot armor, for the antagonists would also have plot armor!

    This was all the more so for popr antagonists. No matter how viciously the antagonist got beaten, they would always survive. Or even if they died, they could be revived. And if the world didn¡¯t have revival, there were always alternate dimensions. Antagonists were actually stacked with more cheats than the protagonist¡­

    Cough, Seiji was getting off topic.

    At any rate, Seiji was participating because he wanted to do so, simr to being a fighting maniac. Or, maybe he was more like a ¡°hero who protected others because it was fun.¡±

    However, everybody else didn¡¯t know about Seiji¡¯s inner thoughts. They all thought that he was someone who was fearless, courageous, and willing to face danger head on¡­

    Just about everyone could sense a heroic auraing from him as they were affected by his (imaginary) willpower. They all felt as if he was shining golden in this moment.

    Natsuya, Shika, Mika, Yukari, Hoshi, Kaede, Mayuzumi, and Kaho¡­ Just about every girl present had something sh in their eyes while they recalled various memories together with Seiji.

    Wait a moment, something seemed off about that previous statement?

    Well, never mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m being selfish with my decision, so I¡¯m not asking everyone to do the same as I do,¡± Seiji continued speaking while looking around the room at everyone. ¡°I hope that everyone can make their own choice¡­ Or, more directly, I hope that everyone will choose to leave rather than staying behind to fight like I am.¡±

    The knight order members were surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Because we¡¯re too weak¡­¡± Hisashi adjusted his eyesses.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not weak at all,¡± Seiji denied this. ¡°It¡¯s just that this is all too quick. Although almost all of you havebat experience by now, and you¡¯ve done quite well, it¡¯s still too quick to be participating in such a dangerous incident. All of you need more time to grow and mature. Not only in power level, but also mentally¡­ That¡¯s what I believe.¡±

    The risks of Yukari and Miyabi¡¯s trials couldn¡¯t be understated. Their mental condition wasn¡¯tpletely stable yet, and it was also possible that the other Awakened would experience simr trials during the next two weeks¡­ Even if the Awakened were strong enough to handle the uing incident, Seiji was worried about their mental conditions.

    ¡°So, in the end, you still think we¡¯re too weak,¡± Yukari spoke up.

    Everyone looked at her as she spoke.

    ¡°You want us all to leave because you really still don¡¯t think we¡¯re strong enough. No need to hide things with pretty words,¡± Yukari stated while looking directly at Seiji.

    ¡°¡­I suppose you could say that, but I truly don¡¯t believe that you all are weak.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°I apologize¡­ my tone of voice might have been a little harsh. But, if you want to stay behind by yourself and ask all of us to leave, that makes me rather displeased.¡± Yukari folded her arms. ¡°I thought that this was supposed to be a team decision.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should apologize¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s what I really think.¡± Seiji faced everyone directly. ¡°I myself want to stay behind and fight, but I feel that everyone else isn¡¯t prepared yet. I hope that you all will choose to avoid this danger.¡±

    ¡°What if we want to stay behind anyways?¡± Mika spoke up.

    ¡°I will ask you to carefully consider. Just as I said earlier, avoiding danger isn¡¯t shameful at all. Staying behind means risking your life,¡± Seiji spoke seriously. ¡°None of you need to stay behind for my selfishness.¡±

    ¡°I suddenly feel like Team Leader doesn¡¯t have the right to say that to me¡­¡± Hoshi spoke up with a subtle expression on his face. ¡°Previously¡­ I think the words that Team Leader spoke to me previously can be returned to you here without changing a single word.¡±

    ¡°Return what?¡± Seiji red at Hoshi.

    The beautiful boy retreated slightly from this re.

    Hisashi chuckled upon witnessing this scene. Mika and Kazukoughed out loud as well. Even Shika¡¯s mouth arced slightly upwards.

    Seiji pretended to see nothing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yukari blinked in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, pay it no mind.¡± Seiji waved it off. ¡°At any rate¡­ Cough, I¡¯ve said everything I wanted to say. It¡¯s up to all of you what to do now.¡± Seiji looked around sternly at everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll support anyone who chooses to leave. And if you want to stay behind, I¡¯ll ask you to reconsider. I¡¯m sorry about treating everyone like this¡­ Truly sorry.¡±

    Seiji sincerely apologized for his own selfishness.

    The knight order members exchanged awkward expressions with each other.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m just as displeased as Knight of Ice and Fire, because Our King isn¡¯t disying the authority he should,¡± Hisashimented. ¡°It¡¯s fine to leave or stay here, since if Our King makes a decision, we knights will simply obey. Yet, the King is having us knights make the decision. That¡¯s not good¡­ but it can also be seen as a test from the King to his knights. Will we leave as Our King wishes, or stay behind anyways despite what Our King wants¡­ As for such a choice, this humble one¡¯s reply is¡­¡±

    Hisashi suddenly stood up from his chair and ced his right hand on his chest, making a ssical knight gesture of swearing loyalty.

    ¡°Stay behind!¡± the blonde eyesses-wearing mafia otaku spoke in a resolute tone of voice. ¡°Even if this goes against My King¡¯s wishes, I shall stay behind to fight together with My King! This humble one replies like so!!¡±

    Even if he spoke in a chuunibyou manner, it didn¡¯t seemical at all. Hisashi actually seemed surprisingly imposing.

    Together with his ceremonial gesture, it really made him seem quite serious.

    Everyone was slightly astounded by this.

    ¡°Hisashi¡­¡± Seiji looked directly at his Knight #1.

    Seiji was unable to tell Hisashi anything like ¡°please reconsider¡± after that.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± That was all Seiji could say in the end.

    Hisashi responded with a smile and a slight bow as if he really was a knight carrying out knightly etiquette before he sat down again.

    A joking chuunibyou would be a clown, so what was a serious chuunibyou?

    The blonde-haired mafia otaku showed everyone here what a serious chuunibyou looked like.

    Yukari and the others all reassessed their opinions of the Knight #1 after this.

    Hisashi¡¯s meaningful words also caused everyone to begin thinking to themselves.

    Was this¡­ Their King¡¯s test?

 Chapter 734 - Are you angry?

    <h4>Chapter 734: Are you angry?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°I¡¯m staying behind as well.¡± After a period of silence, Yukari spoke up in a serious tone. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re worried, Seiji. But, since you can clearlymand us to leave, yet you¡¯re making us choose instead, doesn¡¯t that mean you have expectations of us?¡±

    Seiji remained silent.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about our safety and want us to leave, but you¡¯re not absolutely certain if this is the best for us.¡± Yukari looked directly at him. ¡°That¡¯s because danger is also an opportunity for growth¡­ You don¡¯t want to single-handedly take this chance away from us. In your heart, you still have some expectations that we¡¯ll stay behind, which is why you¡¯re letting us choose. No matter whether that¡¯s what you really think or not, I¡¯m still making the same choice, for the same reason as you: because I want to fight!¡±

    ¡°Yukari¡­¡± Seiji was unable to say anything in response to her direct words.

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to fight together with you, Knight #2.¡± Hisashi smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure as well, Knight #1.¡± Yukari responded with a smile as well.

    ¡°I¡­ want to stay behind as well!¡± Mika was the third to speak up. ¡°I also want to fight¡­ Although it might be really dangerous, I believe that everything will be alright as long as I¡¯m together with Seiji.¡±

    ¡°Mika¡­ my power is limited, you know.¡± Seiji tried to tell her this.

    The twintailed girl looked directly at him, and wanted to say something, but took it back.

    ¡°I believe in you¡­ and don¡¯t want to leave your side.¡± She ended up saying this instead with a resolute expression.

    Mika had the feeling that Seiji was far more powerful than he acted.

    And even if his power was truly limited, she wouldn¡¯t regret staying behind, because she wanted to simply be together with him.

    ¡°We have yet another teammate forbat. Wee aboard, Knight #6.¡± Hisashi weed Mika.

    ¡°Please take good care of me, Juumonji-san,¡± Mika responded.

    ¡°I want to stay behind as well.¡± Hoshi was the fourth to speak up. ¡°Although I¡¯m personally weak, I can borrow power from Lilith¡­ Besides, I don¡¯t know what will happen to Lilith if I leave.¡±

    ¡°That elf girl will be your support, and you¡¯re also worried about her, that if you leave, something might happen to her, is that right?¡± Seiji looked at his junior.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Hoshi nodded.

    ¡°Good luck, then.¡± Seiji stopped looking at Hoshi, and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Team Leader¡­ Are you angry?¡± Hoshi felt that something was off.

    ¡°Why would I be angry? A certain person has the protection of a mysterious elf girl, and doesn¡¯t need me to look after him. That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Seiji said in a light tone.

    Hoshi was rendered speechless.

    The beautiful boy felt that something was a little strange, but he couldn¡¯t identify what, so Hoshi ended up with a confused expression.

    ¡°Wee aboard as well, Knight #4¡­ by the way, your custom-ordered maid attire has beenpleted already. It¡¯s about time that you wore it.¡± Hisashi adjusted his eyesses, causing the lens to sh.

    ¡°Eh¡­ Eh!?¡± Hoshi suddenly recalled that there was such a matter still.

    ¡°I suddenly heard something interesting.¡± Something shed in Yukari¡¯s eyes. ¡°Amami-san is going to wear maid attire? When will it be? Please allow me to witness this scene and take pictures!¡±

    Yukari¡¯s ero artist spirit activated immediately upon imagining how cute Hoshi Amami would be in maid attire.

    ¡°I¡¯d also like to see what Hoshi looks like in maid attire¡­¡± Mayuzumi spoke up as well.

    ¡°And me.¡± Kazuko also adjusted her eyesses.

    ¡°Me as well.¡± Even Kaede joined in.

    Mika mentioned before already that she was interested in seeing this. Kaho was also interested, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

    ¡°What¡¯s maid attire?¡± Shinobu asked Shika this question.

    ¡°A type of clothing that female servants wear.¡± Since Mai wasn¡¯t currently here, Shika could only exin in such a manner.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite popr, Knight #4. We might as well have a photography party for you!¡± Hisashi eximed.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Hoshi wanted to refuse.

    *Cough, cough!* Seiji coughed loudly to stop the knight order conference from going off topic.

    Everyone fell silent yet again.

    ¡°Since my idiot of an older brother is staying behind, then I¡¯m staying behind as well,¡± Kaede spoke up while looking at Hisashi. ¡°I need to keep an eye on him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your heartfelt intentions, dear sister of mine. But as your older brother, I request you to leave this ce for somewhere far and safe!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse, idiot. I just want to stay by Seiji¡¯s side. I don¡¯t really care what happens to you.¡±

    ¡°Ack!¡± Hisashi made a sound and pose as if he had been struck by an arrow.

    Seiji understood that the Juumonji Siblings had a close family bond, so he didn¡¯t treat Kaede¡¯s words as serious. Seiji also knew that he had no way to convince the siblings to leave.

    After this knight order conference, the siblings would probably continue chatting or arguing as usual. Whether to stay or leave was something only they could decide.

    ¡°As for me, even if I leave this city, it¡¯s highly likely that¡­ no, I¡¯ll definitely still be affected by the Realm of Cherry Blossoms,¡± Kazuko mentioned, ¡°Seiji, since you¡¯re staying, I can only stay behind as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize. Not having a choice means I don¡¯t have to choose or think too much about it.¡± The brown-haired girl shrugged.

    She had no choice, so she didn¡¯t need to think about it.

    Kaho agreed with this, even though her circumstances were a bit different.

    ¡°I¡¯m also staying behind¡­¡± Kaho looked directly at Seiji while speaking. ¡°As your Spirit-branded Retainer, I shouldn¡¯t be leaving while my contractor is in danger.¡±

    Fighting for the sake of one¡¯s contracted Yin Yang Master was the reason for a Spirit-branded Retainer¡¯s existence!

    It was the same for Shika Kagura. Kaho nced over at Shika. It was evident without need for words that Shika was staying behind.

    ¡°Thank you, Kaho¡­ Still, I hope that you can reconsider.¡± Seiji gave his thanks while still attempting to convince her otherwise.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to reconsider. I¡¯ve already made my decision,¡± Kaho stated in a serious tone.

    Seiji revealed a helpless expression.

    ¡°I wanted to consider some more, but seeing how everyone else is staying behind, then I¡¯ll stay behind as well.¡± Mayuzumi smiled while saying so.

    Seiji speechlessly looked over in the mangaka¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Fighting together withpanions to protect the city I live in seems just like a plot right out of a manga. As a mangaka, I can¡¯t possibly miss this¡­ and this will be an excellent reference for my own story!¡± Mayuzumi continued speaking in a sincere tone.

    ¡°Risking your life for storyline material can¡¯t be called good, Peach-sensei.¡± Seiji sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯m risking my life that it¡¯ll be good,¡± Mayuzumi responded. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll receive some excellent inspiration.¡±

    ¡°Being willing to sacrifice your life for the sake of your story? That¡¯s so awesome, Peach Goddess!¡± Hisashi added on hisment in a fanatical tone.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that, Juumonji-san. Nor am I sacrificing my life, I¡¯m just risking it.¡±

    ¡°You actually referred to risking your life with the word ¡®just¡¯! Your amazingness has deeply moved this humble one!!! Please allow me to give my grandest¡ª¡±

    *p!* Like a magician, Kaede brought out a paper fan from nowhere and whacked Hisashi.

    ¡°You¡¯re being too noisy, idiot.¡±

    After Hisashi was suppressed, Seiji nced over at everyone.

    Not a single person chose to leave¡­ His wish wasn¡¯t granted, but his faint hidden expectations had been fulfilled. Seiji couldn¡¯t tell if he was happy or worried.

    Yukari had been absolutely correct. Seiji had contradictory feelings about all this. He hoped that all hispanions would leave so that they would be safe, but also hoped that they would stay. The former emotion was stronger, while thetter emotion was more hidden.

    Seiji viewed their safety as important, but he also wanted them to swiftly grow stronger. These contradictory feelings caused him toe up with the not-so-good idea to tell everyone to leave.

    Just as Hisashi said, the best method would have been for him to make the decision for everyone as the knight order¡¯s leader, and everyone else would have listened to him. Or, just as Yukari had thought at first, the knight order should have voted as a group to decide whether to leave or stay.

    Yet, the better methods might not always be the best¡­ At any rate, all hispanions had now made their own decisions.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful for everyone¡¯s heartfelt intentions¡­ But as I said earlier, if you stay behind, I¡¯ll ask you to reconsider. Over the next few days, please seriously and cautiously think about your decisions.¡± Seiji had a serious expression as he slowly lowered his head towards everyone. ¡°I¡¯m truly apologetic for doing this to everyone, but I still request that you all use this time to carefully consider and confirm that your own decision was correct.¡±

 Chapter 735 - How do you want me to take responsibility?

    <h4>Chapter 735: How do you want me to take responsibility?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After the meeting ended and everyone left, Seiji had Shika take Shinobu to the underground training field for some practice.

    Seiji and Natsuya were now the only two remaining in the living room. The two of them quietly sipped some tea.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to join Soul Society,¡± Natsuya suddenly spoke up as she looked at her boyfriend. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made such a decision without your encouragement. That¡¯s why you need to take responsibility for me.¡±

    Seiji detected that Natsuya was intentionally acting slightly spoiled. He blinked and smiled faintly.

    ¡°Alright, how do you want me to take responsibility?¡±

    ¡°Take me in if my family exiles me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to¡­ in fact, I would be absolutely delighted to!¡±

    Natsuya rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for your family to exile you, but that¡¯s what I truly think.¡± Seiji smiled, then retracted his smile. ¡°Still, will it reallye to such a thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, although the possibility is really low.¡± Natsuya paused for a moment. ¡°I feel that the most likely action my family will take is to force me to return to the main family home and keep me under watch so that I can¡¯t do anything for Soul Society.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±

    ¡°I will ask for help on this front from Soul Society¡­ If Soul Society truly values my personal abilities rather than my identity, they¡¯ll probably help convince my family.¡±

    With Soul Society¡¯s power, it would be quite possible that they could ¡°convince¡± the Yoruhana Family. The important part was just how much Soul Society valued Natsuya, or on the flip side, how much the Yoruhana Family didn¡¯t want Natsuya to join Soul Society.

    Seiji mulled it over.

    ¡°Will there be a fight?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°Remember to call me if there¡¯s a fight.¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is your responsibility,¡± Natsuya narrowed her eyes at him.

    She then got up and sat back down right next to him.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m turning into a bad girl¡­ it¡¯s all your fault.¡±

    ¡°I truly apologize for that.¡±

    Seiji brought her into his embrace and gently caressed her silken hair.

    The scion felt quitefortable and closed her eyes.

    She had juste to this decision after the end of the knight order conference.

    Seiji¡¯s encouragement and her own wish were both reasons¡­ and when every single person in the knight order chose to remain, the potential she saw in the Awakened firmed Natsuya¡¯s determination.

    Even if this ended in a terrible result such as being exiled from her family, she could still rely on Seiji. She would make her new life goal focused on developing Seiji¡¯s knight order instead of working for the Yoruhana Family if that happened.

    Of course, it was highly unlikely that she would be exiled from her family. However, it was certain that joining Soul Society would anger her family and worsen her standing.

    Natsuya didn¡¯t want to betray her family. She simply wanted to do things her own way.

    She agreed with what Seiji had previously told her. Being loyal to the Yoruhana Family didn¡¯t mean having to be restrained by them.

    Soul Society¡­ Seiji and his knight order¡­ Natsuya felt that both of these were the path to the future.

    She had already made her decision. All that was left was to resolutely walk this path.

    Something pushed up on her chin. Natsuya opened her eyes to see Seiji looking passionately into her eyes. She realized what he wanted to do, so she closed her eyes again as her body started to heat up.

    She decided to think about future things in the future, and to just enjoy this moment.

    During the next several days, Seiji stayed shut within his room and worked fully on writing the second volume of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±.

    He fully immersed himself and spent his entire time typing.

    It was as if he returned to an earlier time when he didn¡¯t need to worry about anything else. He focused on nothing except writing.

    Finally, he finished thest sentence of the second volume.

    Seiji reflected on everything as he looked at his finished draft.

    He smiled as he recalled what he felt when hepleted the first volume.

    He checked the draft and confirmed that there weren¡¯t any major mistakes. Then, he went to get Shika.

    Shika was currently putting away theundry.

    She was wearing a in shirt and skirt while folding clothes under the sunlight, giving off a daily life type of beauty.

    Seiji had seen such a beautiful scene countless times already, yet he wasn¡¯t tired of it at all. At this moment, he suddenly wanted to enjoy the scene for a while, so he didn¡¯t walk over and simply stood there in silence.

    ¡°Brother?¡± Shika noticed that he was there. She questioningly looked in his direction.

    ¡°I finished the draft for the second volume. I wanted you to read it.¡± Seiji smiled.

    Shika¡¯s eyes lit up as she sped up herundry folding speed.

    She finished folding theundry at lightning speed, and sat down at Seiji¡¯sputer, immersing herself in reading his novel.

    Seiji stood by her side and watched her read.

    What was ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±? A light novel that received great acim and awarded Seiji with many points in his system. But, more importantly, ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± was a special story he shared with his adopted sister.

    He recalled all their past experiences together. Inparison to that time, Shika had greatly changed.

    Shika had grown taller, her figure became more mature, and she was growing even more beautiful¡­ Seiji hadn¡¯t noticed too much, since they were now living together, but when he remembered what she was like at first, he finally noticed that she was bing more beautiful by the day.

    Of course, it was a good thing that she was physically maturing, but he was happier that something had changed about her entire aura.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how to describe what had specifically changed about Shika. Neither did he want to try and describe it. He would simply enjoy it.

    ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± was a story that he created because of Shika Kagura. That was the main reason.

    The system¡¯s rewards were important as well, and Seiji wascking in points with the uing danger, so he really wanted some additional points ie. However, he definitely didn¡¯t create this story just for the points.

    Seiji poured some tea for both himself and Shika. He ced the teacups on the table, and moved his chair over right next to hers.

    And then, he allowed time to quietly pass just like that.

    Shika read his story all the way until dinnertime.

    Seiji cooked with Kaede¡¯s assistance. Currently, Kaede and Chiaki basically came over to his apartment every day for all three meals. All three of them took turns cooking.

    After dinner, Chiaki washed the dishes, while Kaede started ying a video game together with Reo.

    Seiji asked Shika what her thoughts were for how to continue the third volume. She brought out her notebook and showed him her outlines.

    The keyword for the third volume would be ¡°cluster amaryllis flowers¡±.

    The story¡¯s style would remain the same, mysterious with a hint of romance.

    A female side character from both volumes of the story now revealed her true identity in the third volume¡ªshe was a Yin Yang Master.

    She assisted the male lead¡¯s investigation, but the ¡°adopted younger sister¡± female lead felt that her true objective was to control her ¡°adopted older brother¡± so that he would be her Spirit-branded Retainer. The adopted sister felt that this female Yin Yang Master viewed her adopted brother as nothing more than a tool forbat!

    The adopted sister warned the adopted brother, yet he felt that the Yin Yang Master was a nice girl. He ignored his adopted sister¡¯s warning.

    This caused a rift between the adopted siblings, to the point where they even argued about it. During this argument, the adopted siblings revealed even more secrets about their past and current rtionship.

    At this moment, the Yin Yang Master contacted them, saying that she found something suspicious. She requested the adopted brother to investigate together with her.

    He agreed, but the adopted sister felt that this was a trap. She strongly objected, yet he chose to go regardless.

    Although the adopted sister was quite angry, she couldn¡¯t simply leave her adopted brother alone. So, she contacted the female exorcist from the first volume who became a demon, requesting thetter to go together with her.

    It turned out that the Yin Yang Master¡¯s true objective wasn¡¯t the adopted brother, but the adopted sister all along! This Yin Yang Master had secretly been behind all the incidents in the third volume, all in order to distract the adopted brother¡¯s attention.

    When the adopted sister asked why, the Yin Yang Master replied, ¡°In order to have my younger sister return.¡±

    The Yin Yang Master then used the cluster amaryllis flowers to open the gate to theherworld. At this moment, the exorcist suddenly appeared. It turned out that she had been watching the Yin Yang Master all along in order to steal the magical cluster amaryllis flowers!

    The exorcist and Yin Yang Master had a major fight, witnessed by the adopted sister. Although she tried to use this opportunity to escape, she was unable to do so.

    The cluster amaryllis flowers were going out of control due to the fight. At this moment, the adopted brother suddenly arrived and destroyed the flowers with an all-out attack!

    He had listened to his adopted sister¡¯s warning after all. He didn¡¯t fall for the Yin Yang Master¡¯s trap, and arrived here in the nick of time.

    ¡°Give my sister back to me¡­¡± the Yin Yang Master cried out at the adopted brother.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s impossible,¡± he replied coldly, gazing at his adopted sister with an incrediblyplex expression.

    That ended the third volume of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±. Just like the other volumes, it ended with a cliffhanger.

    Without even needing to ask Shika, Seiji found it quite obvious who this Yin Yang Master character was based on.

 Chapter 736 - Accept this glorious outfit!

    <h4>Chapter 736: ept this glorious outfit!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji asked to confirm anyways. As expected, this Yin Yang Master character Shika created was indeed based on Natsuya.

    At any rate, the third volume improved even further on the first two volumes¡¯ quality. The Yin Yang Master side character elevated to main character status had plenty of charisma and characterization. The entire plot was well fleshed out, and there was almost nowhere that Seiji could make any suggestions.

    After discussing it with Shika, Seiji decided to write the third volume entirely ording to her plot.

    But before he could do so, he had to finalize the second volume.

    He contacted Editor Yoshizawa, and emailed her the draft for the second volume. If the publisher felt that there were no problems, all that was left was to do the insert art.

    After everyone had time to consider, none of the knight order members changed their mind about staying behind.

    Seiji didn¡¯t say anything more on the matter. He contacted Kazuko and talked it over with her, and then announced to everyone that they would all be training in Kazuko¡¯s Domain on a daily basis from then on. This was all in order to improve everyone¡¯s power andbat experience. Everyone should participate if possible¡­ Basically, he was going to have everyone level grind!

    Meanwhile, Soul Society publicized new information about the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, regarding the spiritual creatures within.

    Just like the danger levels of the Spirit Worlds, Soul Society formally created four levels of danger in assessing spiritual monsters: ¡°Small demon¡±, ¡°Evil demon¡±, ¡°Vicious demon¡±, and ¡°Demon king¡±.

    Each type was more dangerous than the next, and once again there were different types within each category.

    The red humanoid spiritual monsters that wielded ck weapons were named ¡°Sakura samurai demons¡±, and assessed to be at the small demon level. Although they were rtively weak, they were incredibly numerous. And, a few individuals among them would be at the level of a ¡°small demonmander¡± or a ¡°small demon king¡±. That would make all the other Sakura samurai demons act together like an organized army, directly elevating their threat level to ¡°small demon army¡±!

    ¡°Army¡± level demon groups were categorized into danger levels based on how numerous the demons were. There was no upper limit to the demons¡¯ potential numbers, so it was actually possible for a ¡°small demon army¡± to be more dangerous than a ¡°demon king¡±.

    Well, this was just how real life worked. After all, the proverb went that a pack of wolves could defeat a vicious tiger, and a sufficient number of ants would be able to bite even an elephant to death. No matter how weak the individual, if they were numerous enough and had adequate tactics, they would be able to beat even the strongest of individuals through a battle of attrition.

    That was why ¡°armies¡± definitely couldn¡¯t be underestimated. The power of numbers was a type of power in and of itself.

    And as for that amazingly beautiful¡­ Cough, the veiled female demon, Soul Society named her ¡°Sakura female demon¡±. She was assessed at ¡°Witch evil demon¡± danger level. Her individualbat strength was stronger, and she had the ability to buff the Sakura samurai in arge radius. This made her even more dangerous than the manders¡± and ¡°kings¡± in the Sakura samurai army. Sakura female demons were listed as a top priority target to kill off.

    Apart from these two demons, there were also Sakura tree demons, Sakura mist demons, Sakura snake demons, Sakura martial demons, Sakura treant demons, and other such demons that Seiji and his friends hadn¡¯t met before. Out of all these demons, the treant demon was listed as the most dangerous of all¡ªat the demon king level! Not only were these treants gigantic, they had incredible individualbat strength and were capable of majorly buffing the defenses of all other spiritual monsters.

    In video game terms, these treant demons possessed incredibly powerful defense buffing auras. As long as one of these treants appeared, all other spiritual monsters would basically have their HP bars triple or more!

    Seiji learned that a total of seven such treant monsters had appeared during the first fight in Realm of Cherry Blossom¡¯s Inner World #1. Three of them had even appeared together! These treant demons had been incredibly difficult for Soul Society¡¯s team to deal with.

    Luckily, Soul Society¡¯s logistical support managed to send a magical mecha into Inner World #1. This fully outfitted mecha used its explosive attacks against the treants, and was able to destroy two treants in a short period of time. That was the only reason why Soul Society¡¯s team hadn¡¯t lost.

    Soul Society didn¡¯t offer any detailedbat reports of what happened. However, it was basically impossible for Soul Society to restrict its members from posting what they wanted on their forums, so there was much attention and talk about that extremely powerful mecha.

    Many Soul Society forum users were guessing at the mecha¡¯s specific abilities, pilot, materials used to create it, method used to create it, who the creator was, its price, and so on. They were all astonished at its power, and everyone was certain that this was an absolutely top-ss magical mecha which was highly likely to be one of Soul Society¡¯s ace cards.

    ¡®Amazing¡­¡¯ That was all Seiji could think after reading all the posts. He really wanted to personally see such a mecha.

    Of course, he wanted even more to possess a mecha of his own! But right now, that was nothing more than a dream of his.

    Rather than obtaining such a top-level magical mecha, he figured it was more practical to figure out how he could obtain a regr metal mecha first.

    Seiji also recalled how he witnessed Yui previously descending in front of him in her personal mecha.

    Could that magic mecha¡¯s pilot actually have been his older sister?

    Many people on the forums were guessing at the identity of the mecha¡¯s pilot. Some people indeed guessed it was Yui Haruta, the Qilin Girl.

    If that was really the case¡­ could his older sister get any cooler?

    Meanwhile, Natsuya contacted him, and mentioned that it had been surprisingly easy for her to join Soul Society.

    When she asked Soul Society for help with her family so that she could join, it took a mere ten minutes before Soul Society replied, telling her that a higher-up had talked to her father, the master of the Yoruhana Family. She was told that her joining Soul Society would have zero problems whatsoever and that she was wee to be a member.

    The scion was quite shocked to hear this.

    After this, she wanted to know which specific higher-up had talked to her father about it, but Soul Society didn¡¯t tell her, only saying that she didn¡¯t need to pay it any mind.

    However, Natsuya really minded! Just who had ¡°convinced¡± her father in such a short period of time?

    Natsuya felt that it might have been Yui Haruta. But, that would have been too fast even for Yui.

    Seiji felt that Natsuya being invited to Soul Society had nothing to do with Yui¡­ but even if it was connected to Yui, it wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with him. That was because he felt that he barely had any influence over Yui.

    If Yui had really been the person who invited Natsuya to Soul Society, that must have been because Natsuya¡¯s power was worthy of the invitation. In Seiji¡¯s opinion, it absolutely wouldn¡¯t have been because Natsuya was her younger brother¡¯s girlfriend.

    No matter what it was, it was a good thing that Natsuya had been able to join Soul Society easier than thought. With Natsuya¡¯s abilities, Seiji was confident that she would be able to excellently perform her duties for Soul Society.

    Seiji was quite curious what her specific duties would be, and how Soul Society worked from the inside. However, he also knew that these would be considered secret, so he didn¡¯t pry.

    Later that afternoon, at Natsuya¡¯s mansion.

    Apart from Shika and Shinobu, every single member of the knight order had gathered here. They were all prepared to train in Kazuko¡¯s Domain.

    Hisashi brought along a maid outfit that had been personally tailored to fit Hoshi. It could be seen that the maid outfit was of truly excellent quality.

    ¡°Wear this, Knight of Light.¡± With something shing in his eyesses, the blonde-haired mafia otaku handed the maid outfit to the beautiful boy. ¡°After you put this on, you will truly be the light itself!¡±

    ¡°Senpai¡­¡± Hoshi turned towards Seiji.

    Seiji closed his eyes and pretended that he was meditating, as if he was shutting off the outside world.

    Yukari, Mika, Mayuzumi, Kazuko, Kaede, Kaho, and even the real maid Mai standing by the side all had expectant looks on their faces!

    Hoshi felt immense pressure from all the female attention on him. And, the only person he could ask help from was currently meditating (pretend). Hoshi felt quite helpless.

    ¡°Come, Knight of Light! ept this glorious outfit!!¡±

    Hoshi was rendered speechless.

    Since he felt everyone¡¯s expectations, Hoshi finally eded to the request.

    He took the maid outfit and went inside a room to change his clothes.

    Mika and everyone else all took out their cell phones. Yukari and Hisashi even brought out high-res digital cameras!

    These two exchanged knowing looks after seeing that both of them had brought simr equipment. They recognized each other as masters of appreciating ero, and even started feeling like they had something inmon as they started chatting about this subject.

    Mayuzumi requested that they send her a copy of their pictures, and both happily agreed.

    This was indeed just like the atmosphere at a photography convention party. Seiji opened his eyes slightly to check on the situation, and then quickly returned to pretending to meditate.

    After a while, an incredibly cute ¡°maid¡± walked into the room.

 Chapter 737 - Young Master~ What service would you like today?

    <h4>Chapter 737: Young Master~ What service would you like today?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoshi wasn¡¯t actually all that against wearing female clothing.

    He had already previous shocked Seiji by wearing female clothing and pretending to confess to him. Hoshi had also dressed as a girl for his ss¡¯s gender bender coffee caf¨¦, not to mention he volunteered himself to be the trap model for the dating sim Seiji was working on¡­

    He had only resisted wearing the maid attire because he felt embarrassed. Although he wasn¡¯t all that against wearing female clothing, he still wasn¡¯t the type who would wear it at every chance he got. He was still male, after all.

    In the end, it was mainly because Hisashi was the one who requested it.

    Hoshi¡¯s reaction would have surely been different if Seiji had requested it.

    At any rate, the beautiful boy finally put on the maid outfit and showed himself in front of everyone and their expectations.

    He felt embarrassed and was blushing red. This miniskirted maid outfit fitted him perfectly. He wore a white veil and ckce stockings, showing off a mesmerizing territory of skin between the smooth stockings and free-flowing skirt. Hoshi appeared cute and pure, and gave off an indescribable allure!

    Everyone could be heard inhaling cold breaths, and then¡­

    *Click click click¡­*

    Yukari and Hisashi, the two ero appreciators, were the first to immediately start snapping pictures with their digital cameras! The shutters were clicked at such a fast pace that everyone could detect their fanaticism.

    Mika and the others¡¯ eyes all lit up as well. They kept taking pictures with their cell phones while praising Hoshi¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡±

    ¡°So cute¡­ the maid outfit looks absolutely perfect on him¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to tell that he¡¯s a boy¡­ But he also gives off a special impression that a girl wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    The girls chattered while taking pictures from various angles. They had Hoshi make various poses, and even requested that he model together with the real maid, Mai!

    ¡°Sure, just send me a copy of the pictures afterward.¡± Mai smiled, and agreed to pose together with Hoshi.

    The real and trap maid stood together and bowed together, along with making other such formal poses that were all recorded by everyone¡¯s cell phones and cameras.

    Seiji found it impossible to continue pretending to meditate. He also couldn¡¯t help but take out his cell phone and snap pictures.

    Mai nced over at Seiji and indicated nonverbally towards Hoshi before walking over towards Seiji.

    Hoshi instantly understood, and walked next to Seiji as well.

    All cell phones and cameras were now focused on the three of them together!

    Seiji instantly started panicking as he didn¡¯t know what the smiling maid Senpai and junior ¡°maid¡± wanted to do.

    ¡°Young Master~ What service would you like today?¡±

    Mai basically draped herself all over his arm and started whispering into his ear while caressing his chest. She intentionally used such a suggestive pose and expression while speaking.

    ¡°Young Master¡­ feel free to order any service you wish~¡±

    Hoshi¡¯s face reddened as he imitated Mai.

    Seiji felt like he was about to explode!!

    His brain was going numb and his body was trembling. Blood was welling up within him, and he didn¡¯t know what kind of expression he had anymore.

    *Click click click click click¡­* There was a flurry of camera and cell phone shutter sounds!

    The beautiful maid and the cute ¡°maid¡± were making such suggestive poses around the handsome young master. This was a scene that everyone absolutely had to record!!

    As for what happened after that, Seiji couldn¡¯t remember clearly¡­ Or perhaps he just didn¡¯t want to remember.

    He never expected that he would be personally involved.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to talk about or remember how he felt about it all. Nor did he want to look at any of the pictures of what happened. Seiji wanted to pretend that none of it ever happened.

    But, that was impossible.

    Mai smiled happily, Hoshi had a satisfied expression, and everyone all reacted in different ways¡­ This was quite a fun photography part for everyone.

    After everyone had their fun, it was now time for serious business.

    Seiji started a strategy conference and arranged formations and tactics for everyone.

    Hisashi became rather excited when Seiji mentioned what Mayuzumi¡¯s ability was. Hisashi strongly requested that Peach-sensei should summon Idelia right here and now for him to see!

    Seiji stopped this as he felt that another photography party would ur if Idelia was summoned now. It would be better left forter instead.

    After the strategy conference, everyone changed intobat equipment and finished their preparations before stepping into the spellcasting room.

    Kazuko opened up her Domain, causing a ck crack to appear on the ground. The crack opened up into a normal oval shape with red patterns inside.

    Everyone entered, and saw snow-white cherry blossoms falling everywhere, together with gigantic blossoming cherry blossom trees!

    This was Kaho¡¯s first time entering an Inner World. She managed to stay calm due to what she¡¯d heard at the strategic conference and her experiences in the dream world.

    It was the same for when she first witnessed Mika¡¯s transformation. Although Kaho was surprised, she didn¡¯t let it show on her face.

    However, the otaku in Kaho couldn¡¯t help but have her expression flicker when she saw Idelia, the half-demon ice girl from ¡°Honey Candy Girl¡± materializing in front of everyone.

    Hisashi and Hoshi were also rather astonished to see Idelia for real.

    If it wasn¡¯t for being mentally prepared already, the blonde-haired mafia otaku surely would have kneeled in worship!

    ¡°Lia¡­ Goddess Peach¡­¡± Passionate tears flowed from Hisashi.

    ¡°It¡¯s really Lia¡­ Aunt Mayuzumi is really amazing.¡± Hoshi¡¯s eyes lit up as well.

    ¡®Amami-sensei is truly amazing to be able to summon her own manga character!¡¯ Kaho eximed in her mind as well.

    She was truly moved to see a ¡°living¡± Idelia in the flesh.

    Having a 2-D charactere into the 3-D world, even if Idelia didn¡¯t have any intelligence or a will of her own, was something truly amazing.

    Although Idelia didn¡¯t have a soul, Mayuzumi controlled her perfectly so that Idelia acted just like a real human being. Perhaps if Mayuzumi¡¯s ability became stronger in the future, Idelia would be able to truly move and think for herself¡­

    While Hoshi, Hisashi, and Kaho were busy eximing, countless flower petals whirled and started forming numerous red humanoid monsters¡ªthe Sakura samurai demons!

    ¡°Let¡¯s start battling! Do as we arranged!!¡± Seiji shouted.

    Mika and Idelia fought at the forefront as the tanks. Hisashi, Hoshi, and Yukari fought from midrange. Mayuzumi and Kaho stayed at the rear. Kaede and Seiji roamed around the battlefield, acting independently.

    All the knight order members started using their abilities against the Sakura samurai¡¯s attack!

    Mika and some of the others had already experienced fighting in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. Hisashi, Hoshi, and Kaho also performed quite well for their first time here.

    Kaho summoned a swarm of red insects to sweep away enemy monsters. Her calmness and smooth actions made it impossible to tell that this was her first real battle. Evidently, this was because of her experiences in the dream world.

    Kaho wasn¡¯t actually an Awakened, so she couldn¡¯t absorb the experience mist. However, her bonded insect demon Koumei could do so in her stead.

    Every time the insects killed a Sakura samurai, the insects would then absorb all of the experience mist.

    The only way for the insects not to absorb all the experience was to only weaken the spiritual monsters without killing them so that others could get thest hit.

    Still, it would be too difficult to control such arge number of insects with such precision. And even if it were possible, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to ask Kaho and Koumei to take less experience.

    It would be best to have everyone fight together.

    The insect swarm could still be used as arge-scale AOE attack when it was necessary to cut down the number of enemy monsters. This wouldn¡¯t waste the experience mist, unlike Seiji¡¯s fire which wouldn¡¯t benefit him.

    Everyone fought sessfully and killed off arge number of Sakura samurai demons. The knight order¡¯s teamwork constantly improved, and the fighting wasn¡¯t difficult at all.

    ¡°A powerful one ising.¡± Kazuko, who was floating above Seiji, warned that a boss wasing.

    Arge amount of fallen cherry blossom petals started glowing red as they gathered together and transformed into a giant ck tree. The tree¡¯s roots resembled tentacles, while the branches were shaped like human hands. Blood-red runes resembling demon faces appeared on the tree bark as the tree bloomed with bright red cherry blossoms. The tree then let a strange screeching sound¡ªthis was the ¡°Sakura tree demon¡±!

    It was assessed at evil demon danger level, same as the Sakura female demon Seiji fought previously. Although this tree demon didn¡¯t have arge-scale buff effect like the female demon, making it less dangerous, it was just as strong as the female demon. The tree demon¡¯s weaknesses were fire and thunder element¡­ Seiji instantly recalled the relevant information.

    The knight order could deal with such a monster, but the problem was¡­

    ¡°Kazuko! Five of them is too many!!¡±

 Chapter 738 - 75% chance of problems appearing

    <h4>Chapter 738: 75% chance of problems appearing</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Five tree demons instantly appeared while shooting outrge amounts of bright red flowers at everyone!

    Each flower petal had more attack power than an arrow at full speed. They were so dense that it was impossible to avoid. Thankfully, Seiji cast his [Turtle Armor] barrier in time to protect everyone.

    ¡°This is out of my control! Four of them appeared on their own!¡± Kazuko swiftly informed Seiji. ¡°I can sense that there¡¯s something different about the four that appeared on their own.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s different about them?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just have such a feeling.¡±

    ¡°How did they get here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that, either.¡±

    Alright then, so there was an unexpected situation. Still, this was within overall expectations.

    After all, during the four previous times that Seiji went to train in the Domain, unexpected problems had popped up three out of four times. In summary, based on his limited past experience, the odds of something unexpected happening were at 75%¡­

    Seiji had already warned everyone during the strategy conference, so they were all mentally prepared.

    The tree demons bombarded everyone with flower petals in a vicious barrage.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Seiji shielded his allies and had everyone swiftly retreat.

    The tree demons chased after them by moving with their tentacle-like roots.

    However, the tree demons were rtively slow-moving. Seiji¡¯s group soon put some distance between them.

    ¡°These spiritual monsters have the weakness of needing one minute of recovery time to create more petals after they¡¯re finished shooting,¡± Seiji exined to everyone. ¡°We need to kill them in that one minute of reloading time¡­¡±

    If they moved too far away, the tree demons would stop shooting, which was why they needed to stay within a certain distance to lure the tree demons¡¯ attacks.

    The bright red petals they shot would pass right through the Sakura samurai demons without harming them. As Seiji¡¯s group retreated, they still had to constantly deal with attacking Sakura samurais.

    At this moment, something abnormal appeared.

    A seemingly perfectly ordinary Sakura samurai dropped a small dark red object after it was defeated and transformed into experience mist.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Yukari grabbed the object with a spiderweb strand and brought it to her hand.

    This object was about the size of her finger. It was cool to the touch, and had a smooth surface like a round stone. ck and red intersecting runes could be seen shing upon the object.

    When Yukari looked at this object, she felt a mysterious urge to eat it as if she was a little kid who saw a delicious candy.

    Yet, this was obviously no candy, nor was Yukari a young child. She immediately restrained this strange urge, and reported it to Seiji while showing him the object.

    Seiji took the mysterious object.

    At this moment, his system suddenly gave him a notification, with words appearing before him.

    [You have received an Inner World Crystal for the first time. You have now activated the Spirit House Crystal exchange function. You may use Crystals to open the door to your Spirit House, construct rooms, or exchange for furniture.]

    Seiji instantly widened his eyes in surprise upon seeing this!

    This object¡­ this ¡°Inner World Crystal¡± had the same function as his system¡¯s points!?

    He immediately wanted to open his system and check out more details, but this obviously wasn¡¯t the time.

    He still didn¡¯t know what exactly this crystal was, but it was obviously something good and an important resource! This was something that his dating sim system actually wanted, and it could be used in ce of points to exchange for the Spirit House¡¯s special items!!

    ¡°This is an Inner World Crystal, something quite useful¡­¡± He exined to Yukari and the others that if they saw any spiritual monsters dropping such an object, they should grab these objects. Of course, he reminded them to pay attention to personal safety first.

    Everyone agreed to do so.

    ¡°Kazuko, do you know why this appeared?¡± Seiji asked the rather unreliable master of this Domain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but I can sense that the four additional tree demons have a simr aura to this item,¡± Kazuko replied.

    ¡°A simr aura¡­ does that mean that they¡¯ll drop this item if I defeat them?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps so.¡±

    The extra four tree demons were bosses that would drop loot!? Seiji¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.

    After training in this dungeon-like Inner World Domain for so long, he finally met spiritual monsters that would drop loot. This was so¡­ wonderful!!

    He really wanted to stay calm, but was unable to suppress the excitement in his heart.

    He was truly short on points these days, primarily because of everything he needed to purchase and upgrade for his Spirit House. But now, he learned that there was a new resource he could use with the same function as points. Of course he would be excited!

    As long as he could obtain these crystals, he would be willing to kill four vicious demon level monsters, not to mention these tree demons were only evil demons!!

    Dating sim system: ¡°Be thankful for the new function that I gave you.¡±

    Seiji: ¡°I suppose I should thank you indeed!¡±

    While imagining the abovementioned conversation in his mind, Seiji started radiating a powerful battle aura. He looked directly at the four extra tree demons that he found so annoying earlier. He now felt like they were four walking treasure chests!

    If the tree demons had human senses, they would surely feel a chill right now.

    But, unfortunately for them, they had no such senses, and they alsocked intelligence. The tree demons only kept shooting their flower petals, using up all their ¡°ammunition¡±.

    Mika and the others noticed that a few of the Sakura samurais were dropping simr crystals upon defeat. As Seiji requested, everyone started picking the crystals up.

    The tree demons then used up all their flower petals and stopped moving. Their bodies began to glow red as they swiftly regrew more bright red flowers.

    ¡°Everyone, attack!¡± Seiji took this opportunity to have his whole group attack.

    The knight order members were all well prepared, and simultaneously attacked their prearranged targets!

    Mika and Hisashi. Yukari and Idelia (Mayuzumi). Hoshi and Kaho. These three small squads each attacked one tree demon. Kaede stalled a fourth tree demon, while Seiji dealt with the final one.

    Seiji started off with numerous fireballs, then used his [Evolved Demon Suppression Bell] to crush it. He then immediately went to support Kaede.

    After he and Kaede killed the second tree demon, the other three squads all sessfully defeated their targets as well.

    Hisashi stunned the tree demon with his thunder magic. Mika used her Dimension Shattering Jade spell to kill it quite easily.

    Yukari used spiderweb, and Idelia used ice tobo and crowd control the tree monster. The two girls then used their ultimate skills in unison to destroy it.

    Hoshi shot many sharp elven arrows into the tree demon¡¯s body, riddling it with many holes. Kaho then had her insects enter the tree demon¡¯s body and destroy it from inside.

    All five boss monsters were destroyed in their one minute of weakness.

    Four of these tree demons droppedrge dark red crystals the size of a fist! These crystals were farrger than the tiny finger-sized crystals that the Sakura samurai dropped. Apart from therger size, these crystals also glowed brighter.

    Fourrge crystals, and Mika and the others had gathered seven smaller crystals¡­ Seiji wanted to try using the crystals immediately, but he felt that it was too much of a waste to stop fighting right now. Perhaps he would gain even more if he kept fighting.

    And so, he collected all the crystals from everyone and put them in his pockets before continuing to fight by everyone¡¯s side.

    The second wave¡¯s boss monsters were ¡°General¡± level Sakura samurais.

    Compared to the normal samurai monsters, these General-ranked monsters wore ck armor and rode red demonic horses. They appeared quite mighty and imposing.

    When these Generals appeared, thousands of regr Sakura samurai appeared with them, forming military formations, reaching the ¡°army¡± level!

    This scene astonished Seiji and the others.

    Although everyone had seen war scenes in movies before, personally seeing such a scene was something else entirely.

    Not to mention, this ¡°army¡± had been created out of the countless white cherry blossoms falling like snow. It was quite an impressive visual effect.

    ¡°Everyone, this is war!¡± Seiji¡¯s blood boiled as he lifted his sword and shouted in chuunibyou fashion.

    Before he even finished speaking, a ck arrow storm shot right in everyone¡¯s direction!

    Seiji activated his barrier and blocked the arrows.

    ¡°There are thousands of enemies here, while there are only nine of us. But, this is no reason to retreat, because we¡¯re much stronger than they are!¡±

    Seiji lifted his sword which glimmered brightly.

    ¡°Knights, charge after me!!!¡±

    Right after he said this, Seiji¡¯s tall figure rushed first into the enemy formation. He really appeared like a warrior daring to challenge an army that was thousands strong, as if he waspletely unstoppable.

 Chapter 739 - One shouldnt eat things randomly picked from the ground

    <h4>Chapter 739: One shouldn¡¯t eat things randomly picked from the ground</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji felt that he had a huge advantage, so he autoattacked, and was forced to type GG¡­ that didn¡¯t happen at all.

    The Sakura samurai ¡°army¡± looked impressive, but that was all there was to it. They were only strong because of numbers, yet numbers were their only strength.

    The ¡°General¡± samurai demons were several times stronger than the regr Sakura samurai, but the Generals were still much weaker than the tree demons. For the knight order members, these Generals simply required a few extra hits to take down.

    After quite some time, the knight order sessfully destroyed the entire ¡°army¡±.

    Eight of the Generals in the army dropped crystals that were twice asrge as ordinary crystals dropped by the small fry. The shininess was about the same.

    Apart from the Generals, a total of five ordinary Sakura samurai dropped crystals, fewer thanst time.

    In the third wave, the General level samurais became nothing more than the small fry! Since the average mob enemies became more difficult, the knight order had a much more difficult time.

    Upon reaching the final boss battle, a ¡°King¡± level samurai demon appeared.

    The ¡°King¡± demon had a simr physical appearance to the ¡°General¡± demon. It was just that the King¡¯s demon horse was equipped with horse armor, and the King¡¯s body size was a bitrger and he gave off a stronger aura. The King was also glowing faintly red.

    Numerous General-level demons appeared next to him as if they were his bodyguards. A sea of countless ordinary Sakura samurai demons appeared as well, forming an army that was more than three times stronger than the second wave!

    This time, Seiji didn¡¯t shout while charging hot-bloodedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to use that move.¡± Seiji intentionally spoke such a ssical line while looking at Kaho.

    Kaho indicated nonverbally that she was ready.

    [Mana Exchange]!

    Seiji used their contracted connection to send Mana to his Spirit-branded Retainer.

    ¡°Ahn¡­¡±

    Kaho instantly felt a thick and warm sensation entering her body. She couldn¡¯t help but moan because it felt toofortable.

    Her face flushed red as she did her best to bear it. She used the Mana she received to activate Koumei¡¯s power.

    Everyone saw her beginning to glow red as blood-red runes appeared in her eyes. Arge number of colorful beams of light reached out from her back, instantly extending for more than ten meters, and forming a gigantic pair of beautiful rainbow wings!

    She was extraordinarily beautiful, and had a stunning aura about her. Her appearance astounded everyone except for Seiji, who had seen it before.

    Kaho then extended her palms, causing the blood-red runes within her eyes to glow. A dense shadowy insect swarm suddenly materialized, and speedily expanded into a dark red cloud while heading directly towards the Sakura samurai army!

    The samurai demons seemed to sense danger as they suddenly attacked!

    But, it was toote.

    The shadowy insect swarm suddenly materializedpletely, and became much clearer. These physical insects overwhelmed the demons like a torrential flood!!

    This was the power of numbers being overwhelmed by an even greater power of numbers.

    To sum it up simply, the insect swarm instantly destroyed the Sakura samurai demon army. However, Mika and the others were all shocked at the visual impact of what just happened.

    Thousands and thousands of spiritual demons had instantly been devoured by the insect swarm¡­ Even though everyone knew that the insects were their allies, they still felt scared.

    These were still insects, after all. The scene wasn¡¯t pretty to behold at all, especially for all the girls.

    They could only try to get ustomed to it.

    Seiji had Kaho destroy all the ordinary Sakura samurai demons with her insects, leaving only the Generals and the King for everyone else to deal with.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The blood-red runes within her eyes faded as the rainbow wings disappeared. Apart from feeling slightly tired, Kaho didn¡¯t feel anything else off at all.

    This meant that Koumei was being quite obedient, which was a good thing.

    This time, nine of the Generals dropped crystals, while ten ordinary Sakura samurai dropped crystals. The King didn¡¯t drop any crystals at all.

    And then, the fourth wave¡­ the boss monsters of this wave included multiple Sakura samurai armies together with many tree demons!

    Seiji supported Kaho with his Mana once more to release a powerful swarm of insects that got rid of all the ordinary Sakura samurai demons. This left only the Generals, Kings, and tree demons behind for everyone else.

    Two Kings dropped crystals during this wave, and these crystals were three times the size of ordinary crystals, along with being slightly shinier.

    Only three of the tree demons dropped crystals this time. Just like the previous wave, nine Generals dropped crystals, while fifteen crystals were obtained from ordinary Sakura samurais.

    After killing off this wave of monsters, everyone sessfully powered up. This training session ended here.

    Seiji¡¯spanions improved their power and gained experience. They all learned new techniques or improved at using their current techniques. All of these were a great harvest.

    However, Seiji felt that the greatest harvest of all this time was the Inner World Crystals!

    These crystals were only dropped by the spiritual monsters that weren¡¯t under Kazuko¡¯s control.

    Kazuko didn¡¯t know why these monsters had appeared even though she didn¡¯t summon them. Neither was she able to increase nor decrease their numbers. She could sense that they were different from the ordinary experience mist providing monsters, but her senses were limited. And, she was unable to sense ordinary samurai loot-dropping monsters.

    Basically, their appearance was random, and Kazuko could only sense them on a limited scale.

    It would seem that Kazuko¡¯s control over her Domain had decreased, but Seiji felt that she had actually leveled up instead.

    Previously, no such loot-dropping monsters had appeared in her Domain. Now, they could appear, which was obviously a good thing. Although the loot-dropping monsters were only appearing at random, he felt that Kazuko would level up her ability even further in the future, making it possible to control and summon such monsters!

    It was highly likely that Kazuko¡¯s Domain¡¯s powers had leveled up due to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ influence. He didn¡¯t know if she would level up her powers even more in the future, but he was looking forward to it.

    As for these crystals, he figured that there were more usages to them apart from using them as a points¡¯ substitute in his system.

    Yukari wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to eat them. Hisashi and Kaede also mentioned that they felt a strong urge to eat these crystals. Mika, Hoshi, and Kaho all said that they had a small urge to eat these crystals. Mayuzumi said that she didn¡¯t feel anything at all.

    Seiji felt that this had to do with their differing methods of absorbing the experience mist.

    Yukari, Hisashi, and Kaede all had to personally absorb experience mist. Mika absorbed experience mist through Mashiro, Hoshi absorbed experience mist through his summoned spirit eagles and his elven emblem on his hand, while Kaho had Koumei and Mayuzumi had Idelia.

    Those who personally absorbed experience felt the strongest urges to eat these crystals. Those with spirits living within themselves had weaker urges to eat these crystals. Mayuzumi, who had an outside summoned spirit, felt nothing at all¡­ Seiji felt like this was a reasonable hypothesis.

    As for Seiji himself, although he didn¡¯t feel any desire to eat these crystals, the mysterious system possessing him wanted to ¡°eat¡± them (as these crystals could be used in ce of points). So, technically, this also counted as wanting to eat them?

    He decided to have Kaho ask Koumei about the crystals. He learned that Koumei indeed wanted to eat these crystals as well, but the insect demon didn¡¯t know anything about the crystals. It simply felt an instinctive desire to eat them upon seeing the crystals¡ªjust like Yukari and the others.

    Seiji decided to ask his bonded spirit Yomi about the crystals.

    ¡°From what I can tell, these crystals can be beneficial for spiritual power. However, it¡¯s quite possible that there are hidden downsides. I don¡¯t rmend directly eating them.¡±

    One shouldn¡¯t eat things randomly picked off the ground. That sounded quite reasonable to Seiji.

    However, his dating sim system wouldn¡¯t get an upset stomach, because his system didn¡¯t even have a stomach, haha!

    System: Hey!

    Seiji: ¡®Just joking.¡¯

    He figured that there would be no harm in using the crystals to upgrade his Spirit House.

    He would try to obtain more information on these crystals in the future.

    Everyone had given the crystals they gathered to him. Seiji took all the crystals into his room for privacy before opening up his system.

    He saw that there was now a [Pay with crystals] option in his system¡¯s function of opening the door to his Spirit House. 1 crystal would be used up to open the door each time.

    What exactly counted as 1 crystal, with all the different sizes and qualities? There was no specific exnation.

    Seiji then checked the Spirit House rooms, and saw that they all now had the additional option of being constructed for crystals instead of points.

    The [Bathroom] option which had required 299 points would cost 12 crystals to construct.

    [Shower], [Bedroom], and other such 369 point rooms required 22 crystals to construct!

    Opening the door to the Spirit House required a payment of 33 points each time. With that 33:1 conversion rate, the [Bathroom]¡¯s crystal construction cost would actually be the equivalent of 396 points! The [Shower] and other such rooms would thus cost 726 points!!

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched after he finished his calctions.

    This was such a pitfall his system had given him!!

 Chapter 740 - Really difficult to accept...

    <h4>Chapter 740: Really difficult to ept¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji had thought that these crystals were an excellent benefit the system had given him. He¡¯d never expected that they were worth even less than his points.

    System: ¡®Of course it¡¯s still a benefit for you, but this is how the price is. Besides, I won¡¯t have an upset stomach.¡¯ (Picks nose while saying this)

    Seiji: ¡®That was just a small joke, don¡¯t hold a grudge over it!¡¯

    It was the same for all the [Furniture] options in the system. With the conversion rate of 33:1, it was quite a bad deal.

    Seiji wanted to protest, but the system had an absolute monopoly, so protesting would be useless. He could only hope that the ¡°1 crystal¡± unit wasn¡¯t too much.

    He chose the [Bathroom] option and confirmed that he wished to use 12 crystals to construct one for his Spirit House.

    A narrow gray crack instantly formed in midair. The crack then opened up into an oval shape that began to glow.

    The Inner World Crystals illuminated by the glow swiftly transformed into a dark red liquid that flew into the gray oval!

    Seiji could only watch as the crystals everyone gathered after so much hard work disappeared so quickly. He hoped that at least half would still remain.

    After only a few seconds, the oval closed itself, and the crack disappeared. The system informed him [Bathroom currently under construction. Completion progress: 0%.]

    Seiji felt that the remaining crystals were at an eptable number.

    In total, he had received 37 crystals from ordinary Sakura samurai demons, 26 slightlyrger crystals from the Generals, 2 crystals from the Kings, and sevenrge crystals from the tree demons. The [Bathroom]¡¯s construction of ¡°12 crystals¡± used up every single small crystal from the Sakura samurai demons, and a very small portion of one crystal from the tree demons.

    Seiji then chose to construct a [Warehouse] for the price of 22 crystals.

    The gray crack appeared once more, and absorbed the crystals through its glowing oval.

    This time, it absorbed three and a piece of the tree demons¡¯ crystals, leaving roughly three and a half tree demonrge crystals behind.

    Seiji did an approximate calction and found that there were roughly 25 crystals remaining ording to his system¡¯s standards. He could construct one more room, exchange for some furniture, or save the crystals for opening the door.

    The [Warehouse] was like his personal dimensional storage that he could open up by itself. The price for opening the [Warehouse]¡¯s door was only 8 points, but the crystal cost was the same as the 33 point door opening requirement for the Spirit House, 1 crystal¡­ It was truly such a terrible deal.

    Although that was the case, if he could obtain this many crystals with each training session in the Domain, he would be able to upgrade his entire Spirit House after only a few grinding sessions!

    Yet, Seiji felt that this was improbable. The loot dropping monsters would only appear randomly. There was no guarantee that he would receive crystals every time he came to the Domain. Neither was there any guarantee for the amount of crystals.

    Still, he wanted to try.

    He didn¡¯t ask his knight order members to continue fighting. Instead, he went into the Domain by himself for some grinding.

    As a result, he didn¡¯t obtain a single crystal after the first wave.

    He obtained one crystal after the second wave.

    He obtained zero crystals from the third wave.

    He obtained two crystals from the fourth wave.

    His grand total of crystals obtained: three.

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched as he looked at the measly three small crystals in his hand. This probably didn¡¯t even count for a single crystal ording to his system¡¯s unit for crystal!

    ¡°Do you still want to grind?¡± Kazuko floated in midair while looking at him.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He decided to leave the grinding at that for today.

    After Natsuya returned, Seiji told her about what happened and showed her the crystals.

    ¡°These are called Inner World Crystals. Soul Society is currently collecting them,¡± Natsuya told him. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re an important resource. However, it¡¯s considered top-secret what they¡¯re used for. My ranking isn¡¯t high enough to know about their use.¡±

    ¡°I can guess what they¡¯re using these for, because these crystals are highly useful to me as well,¡± Seiji told her honestly.

    Natsuya revealed a surprised expression when she heard this.

    Seiji smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m capable of using these crystals to open up an alternate dimension¡­ Basically, a personal Inner World Domain belonging only to me!¡±

    ¡°Your personal Domain¡­¡± Natsuya widened her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s different from Kazuko¡¯s Domain because my Domain is a safe and stable dimension with no monsters in it at all,¡± Seiji exined. ¡°I need as many crystals as possible to upgrade this Domain of mine. I¡¯m guessing that Soul Society requires these crystals to do something simr, which is why these have be an important resource.¡±

    The scion paused in astonishment.

    Seiji possessed an alternate dimension Domain¡­ a safe and stable Inner World location with no monsters at all¡­

    Natsuya knew what it meant to be in possession of such a location. It was no exaggeration that such a location could be the foundational base for any faction or organization!

    Seiji was actually capable of creating and upgrading such an alternate dimension!?

    Natsuya didn¡¯t doubt his words at all, but she found this really difficult to ept¡­

    Was it really that difficult?

    This was Seiji Haruta!

    The scion recalled all the astonishing feats her boyfriend had pulled off in the past, helping her to swiftly calm down and ept this as reality.

    By now, even if Seiji stated that he was capable of creating a spaceship, she would probably be able to ept it.

    Just how did he do it¡­ Although she wanted to ask, she felt like asking would be meaningless.

    ¡°How many crystals do you need to fully develop your dimension?¡± Natsuya asked a question that she felt was more meaningful.

    ¡°I¡¯ve alreadypleted part of it. I¡¯ll be able to basicallyplete it if I can obtain as many crystals as I did today for a few more times. But, the more crystals I can obtain, the more upgrades I can make,¡± Seiji responded.

    He had alreadypleted part of his dimension!?

    Natsuya was astonished yet again.

    ¡°Thepleted portion¡­ Can I go in and take a look?¡±

    ¡°Of course. But, opening the door to my dimension will cost a small amount of crystals each time. It¡¯s a bit wasteful to just go in and look, and I haven¡¯t finished setting it up inside yet. How about I invite you in once it¡¯s suitable for staying long periods of time in?¡± Seiji smiled.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Natsuya didn¡¯t know what to say after this.

    Although she already felt that Seiji and his knight order were the future, at this moment, Natsuya started feeling like she had still underestimated this group, or this new faction¡¯s development potential.

    Later that knight, Seiji contacted his younger sister Hana.

    Hana responded with ¡°I¡¯m currently in a game¡± and an emoticon of ¡°wait a moment¡±.

    And so, Seiji started ying the mobile game ¡°Puppets¡¯ Frontline¡± on his cell phone.

    ¡°I¡¯m UP44¡­ Don¡¯t get close to me, I¡¯m not interested in you at all!¡±

    He drew yet another five-star SSR puppet right after he logged in. She was a beautiful blonde-haired girl with huge breasts. She also had an assault rifle, and was wearing a one-piece dress that revealed a great deal of cleavage while she spoke in an icy tsundere tone.

    Seiji added this SSR to his SSR squadron in the game. He now had enough SSRs for a full team of only SSRs. He then began to attack the game¡¯s events.

    When he was fighting the event boss, the blonderge-breasted girl was the first to be defeated. Her dress became torn and she moaned as she copsed on the ground while covering her nearlypletely exposed voluptuous breasts with her hands. Her face was flushed red and she appeared quite seductive.

    At this moment, Hana sent him the message of ¡°We can talk now.¡±

    Seiji responded with ¡°I¡¯m ying a game.¡±

    Hana sent an emoticon of pping the table in impatience.

    Seiji responded with an emoticon of ¡°rx, calm down.¡±

    Hana responded with an emoticon of flipping the table.

    After Seiji cleared the event and defeated the boss, he sent his puppet girls to be fixed ingame as quickly as possible. He then epted Hana¡¯s video chat offer.

    ¡°What the hell game were you ying!¡± The cat-eared hat girl appeared on his screen and immediately questioned him.

    Seiji showed her his cell phone screen and told her it was Puppets¡¯ Frontline.

    ¡°Such a low-level game¡­ If you want to y a strategy game, try this one!¡± Hana sounded condescending as she sent him a link.

    Seiji clicked the link out of curiosity. He saw that it was an advertisement for another game.

    ¡°An independent sandbox game from Huaxia, with Xianxia as the main topic. The yer shall take on the role of a cultivator with a mission¡­

    ¡°A randomly created Xianxia world. Every world will bepletely unique, and every game will be a brand-new adventure¡­

    ¡°There are several dozen cultivating sects and thousands of skills and techniques, along with thousands of npcs with their own lives¡­

    ¡°The content is abundant and exquisite, and includes cultivating, exploring,municating, fighting, management, and crafting¡­

    ¡°Excellently reviewed and majorly popr in Huaxia, with more than one million copies sold. Now, a Sakura Ind edition of this game ising¡­¡±

    ¡°The renowned game, Bright Heaven Scroll!¡±

 Chapter 741 - Of course, because Iâ€™m a hero from another world

    <h4>Chapter 741: Of course, because I¡¯m a hero from another world</h4>

    It seemed like a nice game. Seiji decided to check it outter.

    He told Hana about what happened today, and asked her to help him obtain information on Inner World Crystals.

    Although Seiji had the option of contacting Yui and asking about the crystals, he felt that his older sister wouldn¡¯t tell him something considered top secret by Soul Society. And, he only asked Hana because he figured it couldn¡¯t hurt to ask.

    ¡°You developed your own alternate dimension¡­ How were you capable of such a thing?¡± Hana couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°Of course, because I¡¯m a hero from another world, with powers over space and time!¡± Seiji made a pretentious pose.

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have asked such a question!¡¯ she thought to herself.

    Currently, the cat-eared hat girl was feeling simr emotions to Natsuya from earlier. If the two met each other and talked, they would surely have manyments to make about Seiji.

    She promised to do what she could to obtain information. Of course, whether she seeded or not would be another matter entirely.

    After chatting with Hana for a while, Seiji ended the video chat. He then immediately went to the game Bright Heaven Scroll¡¯s website and purchased the digital version of the game, starting to download it.

    This game wasn¡¯t veryrge, so it downloaded rather quickly.

    Seiji immediately installed the game, and started ying it from the tutorial.

    Since this was a small game in file size, of course the scenes were all drawn in 2D. This was fine, but the issue was that the character art and background art weren¡¯t exactly high quality, either¡­

    Seiji withstood his urge toment, and continued ying. Gradually, he started experiencing the abundant content of the game, just as the advertisement said.

    This game had an incredibly deep story fully immersed in the Xianxia genre. With how deep the game was, it was quite easy for any yer to get absorbed in it after the beginning.

    However, the game also had evident shorings.

    The biggest shoring was obviously the artwork. It was understandable if it was only 2D, but the character art needed to at least be higher in quality. The music could also stand improving, and the interface could be simplified. There were also too many unnecessary actions that could be simplified¡­ Although this game was published by an independent publisher rather than a major studio, so it was all understandable, this game¡¯s allure would surely improve even more if these areas were improved.

    After ying for a while, Seiji sent his opinions of Bright Heaven Scroll to Hana, and rmended this game to Hoshi and Hisashi as well. He then wanted to close the game and do something else, but felt like he still wanted to y.

    ¡°I¡¯ll close the game after I catch one more fairy¡­¡± With such a way of thinking, he continued to y.

    Thus, Seiji spent an all-nighter ying this game¡­ such a thing didn¡¯t happen.

    However, such a thing really might have happened if it wasn¡¯t for Shika reminding him to go to sleep.

    Even though he had only wanted to catch one more fairy, he unknowingly got addicted to the game, sheesh.

    The more he eximed over it, the more Seiji felt that it was a pity about Bright Heaven Scroll¡¯s current shorings. If only this game could improve on its artwork and other areas, it would be even more popr for sure.

    ¡°You make this game sound so interesting. Why don¡¯t I try ying it as well?¡± Chiaki smiled while walking next to him.

    Seiji was currently out on a date with Chiaki.

    She wore a blue-and-white strap one-piece dress with a small jacket on top. She also wore white stockings with sandals, giving her a girl-next-door appearance. However, the tender skin she showed under her neck along with the mesmerizing absolute territory between her dress and stockings seemed so tempting and alluring. Seiji¡¯s eyes had lit up the moment he saw her, feeling like his spirits perked up.

    It was already like this for her boyfriend who had gotten ustomed to Chiaki¡¯s beauty. Of course, men on the street were attracted even more, and even many women¡¯s eyes paused on Chiaki.

    Seeing how naturally Chiaki was clinging onto his arm now, Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall that incident where he pretended to be her boyfriend¡­

    Seiji also recalled a certain beautiful girl with light blue hair and a quiet aura of beauty about her. However, he instantly stopped himself from thinking about her, because he felt that he shouldn¡¯t be thinking about Chiaki¡¯s ex-girlfriend.

    ¡°Be patient when you start the game at first. You should find it fun after a while. Still, it¡¯s normal if you can¡¯t enjoy the game, since this game¡¯s a little difficult¡­¡± Seiji continued talking about the game, picking the interesting parts to talk about. He then naturally steered the conversation to other topics.

    The two of them had fun chatting and joking around with each other. Time passed quickly for them as they arrived at the business district¡¯s movie theater.

    They had agreed upon a movie to watch for today¡¯s date. Seiji purchased a pair of movie tickets and some popcorn, and then entered the theater with Chiaki.

    This movie¡¯s title was ¡°Silver¡±. It was a highly praised historical fiction movie.

    The movie started right away with a fierce battle where a barbarian army was invading the city. If the city was lost, the residents would surely be ughtered as the barbarians piged the city. The defending army was resisting with everything they had, but was almost about to lose.

    In this moment of danger, the handsome and heroic Second Prince led reinforcements to save the city. He fought together with his soldiers right on the frontlines, and seeded in defeating the vicious barbarians, saving the city.

    The Second Prince was venerated by his soldiers and citizens alike. He had countless supporters in the country due to his heroic bravery and kind personality. He was far more supported than the rather average First Prince for the position of crown prince.

    However, the camera revealed that this incredibly popr Second Prince entered a secret room and kneeled before a person that looked identical to him!

    It turned out that the other person was the real Second Prince, while the Second Prince who appeared in battle was nothing more than a body substitute whose real name was Silver.

    The real Second Prince wantedbat achievements, but didn¡¯t dare to personally go on the battlefield. That was why he found a body double that looked just like him, and trained Silver to fight in his stead.

    The real Second Prince left the secret room to go join the celebration party and enjoy all the attention, while the real hero who¡¯d risked his life in danger stayed behind in the secret room all by himself, only having the cold walls as hispany.

    Such days continued for quite a while.

    Silver fought heroically in front of everyone, but couldn¡¯t take any credit for it. He began to doubt his very meaning in life. He fell in love with a gentle and considerate maidservant, but was unable to express his feelings. He struggled between his loyalty to the Second Prince and his own desire to express himself.

    Support for the Second Prince to be the Crown Prince, taking the First Prince¡¯s position, became ever stronger. The fissure between the two princes¡¯ factions kept deepening as they fought for influence. The First Prince noticed that something seemed off about the Second Prince¡¯s behavior, and tried to discover the Second Prince¡¯s secret. Naturally, the Second Prince tried his very best to keep Silver a secret.

    Silver felt enormous pressure from all of this. He was able to ovee many dangers thanks to his sharp mind and quick reactions, but a tragedy was still destined to ur.

    The maidservant that he loved saw something that she shouldn¡¯t have. The Second Prince killed her off to keep his secret!

    The girl that Silver loved died right in front of him. He felt tremendous anger and sadness, and finally started hating the Second Prince.

    Meanwhile, the Second Prince¡¯s wife was also under significant pressure from knowing about the Second Prince and Silver¡¯s secret. After receiving a beating from the Second Prince over a small matter, she suddenly discovered that she didn¡¯t love this man with a noble bloodline at all. Instead, she loved the other fake Second Prince who didn¡¯t have a noble bloodline, but seemed far more like a real prince.

    And so, she made a difficult decision. She confessed her love to Silver, and proposed a certain n.

    Silver agreed to her n as he wanted revenge on the Second Prince¡­ perhaps he had no other choice at all.

    The Second Prince¡¯s wife used her hidden forces to assist Silver in either convincing or killing off all the others who knew Silver¡¯s secret. One person who knew was an old general with manybat des.

    Since Silver was unable to convince this general who was absolutely loyal to the kingdom, Silver was forced to pull his sword. After a fierce fight, he finally ended up killing the kingdom¡¯s hero general who had been both a friend and a teacher to him.

    Silver was uncertain whether it was his swordsmanship that won out in the end, or if the old general chose to intentionally die under his de. Silver sunk into a state of confusion.

    But no matter what, blood couldn¡¯t be shed for no reason.

    Finally, Silver had a direct confrontation with the Second Prince. He viciously beat the Second Prince into the ground with a look of hatred in his eyes.

    The Second Prince cried and begged for mercy, yet Silver wasn¡¯t moved at all. While looking directly into the Second Prince¡¯s eyes, Silver slowly stabbed a chopstick right through the prince¡¯s eyes¡­ with a cold and icy expression, just like the real Second Prince.

    From then on, the person known as Silver no longer existed. There was only a heroic and courageous man who loved his wife and had the soldiers¡¯ and citizens support as he became the Crown Prince instead of the First Prince.

 Chapter 742 - Iâ€™d be fine even if I died right now

    <h4>Chapter 742: I¡¯d be fine even if I died right now</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The movie ¡°Silver¡± had excellent visuals, special effects, fighting scenes, and storyline. It deserved its wonderful reviews.

    Seiji felt that this was quite an enjoyable movie.

    He especially felt that the story knew just how far to take its more impactful scenes. None of the scenes seemed overboard, and the lines were well-said as well. It was also due to the actors¡¯ skilled acting that the audience became immersed.

    The movie¡¯s story about sense of self, truth, and lies indeed moved him. However, he had pondered upon such subjects many times already, and by now, there was no need for him to think more on this topic.

    It was Chiaki instead who seemed quite contemtive after the movie.

    ¡°Just like the main character of that movie, if a person lives hisplete life pretending to be someone else, just who is he, then?¡± Chiaki asked.

    That was the final question posed by the movie.

    The body substitute killed the prince and took his ce. Silver would get to spend the rest of his life with the prince¡¯s identity. He would also have to act exactly the same as the prince to keep the act up. In that case, was Silver still himself?

    Some people would say that this was the body double¡¯s sess, the highest realm that one could achieve.

    Some would say that this was the body double¡¯s failure, aplete loss of one¡¯s sense of self.

    Seiji¡¯s answer was¡­

    ¡°I think that this question can only be answered by the person in question.¡±

    ¡°What you mean is, he is who he thinks he is?¡± Chiaki blinked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seiji nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s just idealism!¡± Chiaki pointed at him.

    ¡°This type of question is about idealism to begin with¡­ By the way, what do you think the answer is?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ he¡¯s still a fake.¡± Chiaki paused for a moment. ¡°Even if youpletely disguise yourself as another person, a fake is still a fake.¡±

    ¡°So, you think that he¡¯s still himself, except that he¡¯ll have to act for the rest of his entire life?¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡±

    ¡°Being an actor for one¡¯s entire life¡­ that¡¯s something amazing.¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°To act for an entire life, that¡¯s like bing the very character you¡¯re acting as.¡±

    ¡°Even if someone bes their character, an actor is still an actor. No matter how long one acts, an actor is still an actor.¡± Chiaki smiled. ¡°This is an objective fact.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too much of a believer in materialism. That¡¯s not romantic enough, Wakaba-san of the drama club.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯m in the drama club that I need to differentiate better.¡±

    ¡°You make that sound correct as well¡­¡±

    ¡°Truth is on my side! You¡¯ve already lost, unscientific existence Haruta-san.¡±

    ¡°An unscientific existence¡­ it¡¯s hard for me to counter you calling me that.¡±

    ¡°Heehee~ ording to our contract, the loser must listen to the winner¡¯smands!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember signing such a contract.¡±

    ¡°You indeed signed such a contract¡ªin my mind.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it then. What would you like for me to do?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re toozy to even retort! I want you to treat me to crepes.¡±

    The two of them had fun touring the business district on their date. After that, they took a bus together to another nned date site¡ªthe Sky Tree Tower.

    This was a famous tower in Sakura Ind that was more than six hundred meters tall. As a popr tourist location, it also made for a great ce for a date.

    It would have been more romantic to go there during the evening instead, but the Sky Tree Tower was currently closed during the evenings for ¡°maintenance¡±. There was no time announced for when the Sky Tree Tower would reopen in the evenings.

    This tower had two observatories. One was at 350 meters high, while the other was 450 meters high. Of course, the higher observatory required one to purchase a more expensive ticket. With Seiji¡¯s current wealth, however, he didn¡¯t need to worry about such a price difference at all. Of course, he directly purchased the more expensive ticket for the 450-meter-tall observatory.

    ¡°When I first got acquainted with you, you were still so poor. But now, you¡¯re even richer than I am.¡± Chiaki pretended toment this. ¡°It¡¯s truly regrettable that I wasn¡¯t able to be your sugar momma.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t regret such a thing, as I absolutely wouldn¡¯t have epted having a sugar momma!¡± Seiji made a serious expression.

    ¡°Is that the truth in your heart?¡±

    ¡°It sounds quite nice to have a beautiful girl taking care of all my financial needs, but I¡¯d be too embarrassed to allow it¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha, men.¡±

    They joked around as they got on the elevator which swiftly took them up.

    After exiting the elevator, they arrived at the tower¡¯s famous structure, its ¡°Sky Corridor¡±! This was a tube-shaped corridor that circled around the tower¡¯s body. One could gaze at the city¡¯s scenery through the ss here. As the weather was clear today, Seiji could see the wonderful scenery incredibly far into the distance.

    ¡°This ce would be even better if they changed the flooring of this corridor to reinforced transparent ss instead,¡± Seiji suggested.

    ¡°That would make this into a scary ce instead! That would greatly reduce the number of tourists,¡± Chiaki retorted.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t. The shocking visual effect will give people a deeper impression and make this ce even more famous, attracting more victims¡­ whoops, I meant attract even more tourists.¡±

    ¡°You just said the word victims, didn¡¯t you!¡±

    ¡°Not at all. How can any victims appear simply from walking in a ss corridor high up in the sky? It¡¯s safe and sturdy. It¡¯s also a way for men to show off their courage in front of their girlfriends, and even an excellent opportunity for some kisses and hugs.¡±

    ¡°You evil person!¡±

    Despite the retorts, Chiaki was standing very close to Seiji¡¯s side with a seductive expression. Seiji was also looking at her with love in his eyes.

    These two appeared just like a lovestruck couple to everyone else.

    As they walked around the corridor, they looked down at the dense mass of buildings down below them, along with all the passing cars, ships on the river, all the beautiful cherry blossoms blooming on the riverside¡­ They kept walking higher and higher in the corridor while enjoying the scenery. It felt as if they were climbing the sky itself.

    When they reached the highest point of the corridor, it was time to take some pictures for a memory.

    What pose should he make? Seiji instantly understood when he saw the look in Chiaki¡¯s eyes.

    He set up his selfie stick to take a picture a few secondster. He then hugged her and kissed those luscious lips of hers, letting this sweet moment be recorded.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯d be fine even if I died right now,¡± Chiaki sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that.¡± Seiji red at her.

    Currently the two of them were in a restaurant located on the 345th meter of the Sky Tree Tower.

    After they left the Sky Corridor, they went down to the observation deck on the 350th meter to look around, and then came here for lunch.

    The food was delicious, an excellentbination with the scenery from being high above. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t as romantic as it could be since it wasn¡¯t evening.

    Even so, Chiaki was highly satisfied.

    ¡°No saying such foolish things even if it¡¯s only a joke, do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°I hear you~¡± Chiaki acted spoiled while her heart was filled by a warm feeling.

    A silly smile appeared on her face as she looked directly at him.

    Seiji¡¯s lips also arced upwards as he raised his ss.

    Of course, it was only fruit juice in his ss.

    ¡°It would have been better if this was alcohol instead¡­¡± Chiaki also raised her ss of fruit juice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink a few with youter tonight.¡± Seiji clinked his ss against hers.

    ¡°For real!?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to, then no.¡±

    ¡°Of course I want to! We absolutely must have some drinks!!¡± Chiaki¡¯s eyes lit up. She hadn¡¯t had any alcohol for a long while now.

    Seiji drank some fruit juice and looked at her once more with a gentle expression.

    Of course, he was just as satisfied as Chiaki with their date.

    It was always so fun being together with her.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I like you¡­ it¡¯s wonderful being together with you,¡± Seiji said sincerely from his heart.

    Chiaki¡¯s face flushed red at this sudden confession. Her eyes became watery, as if she was drunk.

    ¡°Same for me, Seiji. If I had to die right now, I definitely wouldn¡¯t want to die. I¡¯d absolutely find some way to live so that I can be together with you, and enjoy our happy life together¡­¡±

 Chapter 743 - Cheers, to you

    <h4>Chapter 743: Cheers, to you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After lunch, Seiji and Chiaki went to the gift shop and bought a pair of limited edition mugs tomemorate their date.

    They then went to the 340th meter floor, where there were ss floors just like Seiji had wanted. Standing up from several hundred meters high to look down was indeed a heart-pounding experience.

    Chiaki immediately started shouting that her legs were going soft when she arrived. She kept clinging onto Seiji, and wouldn¡¯t let go. Seiji didn¡¯t know how if she was faking just to cling onto him or if she was really scared. Either way, he really enjoyed the intimate contact with her.

    After seeing all the scenery from the tower, Seiji and Chiaki shopped at arge mall nearby the tower.

    The two of them explored the mall and purchased some things before taking a taxi back to the Uehara apartments.

    During the taxi ride, Chiaki leaned against Seiji¡¯s body and held his hand while closing her eyes and resting.

    She felt quite safe while feeling his body¡¯s warmth.

    Yukari, Hoshi, Mika, Kaede, and Kaho were training in Kazuko¡¯s Domain today.

    Hisashi and Mayuzumi both had jobs as they were adults. It was impossible for them toe every day.

    Since there were two less memberspared to yesterday, Seiji drew up a new formation and strategy for everyone.

    After the strategy conference, everyone finished theirbat preparations and began battling in the Domain.

    Seiji didn¡¯t have Kazuko lower the difficulty level of the monsters in her Domain. Everyone noticeably felt more pressure since Hisashi and Mayuzumi weren¡¯t there to help them.

    They all knew why Seiji hadn¡¯t decreased the difficulty level of the training. Everyone did their best to make up for missing two members.

    Apart from not decreasing the difficulty, Seiji also intentionally helped less than thest time. He wanted his knight order members to be pressured more.

    It wasn¡¯t because he wanted hispanions to be injured. He wanted to stimte their growth. If he only protected them and never let them be injured, he felt that would be no different from raising delicate flowers.

    Everyone understood this logic, so they had noints. They all gritted their teeth and did their best in battle.

    The effects of this were even better than expected. Yukari, Hoshi, and Kaede all learned new defensive techniques! This greatly improved their defensive prowess.

    Kaede¡¯s defensive technique was the best. Not only could her skill protect herself, she could also protect allies within a limited radius. Although, the drawback of this skill was that she would have to stay in ce without moving.

    Even with this type of limitation, it was still a nice skill to have. Besides, it was possible that her skill wouldn¡¯t have this restriction in the future once it was leveled up.

    Seiji was quite happy that hispanions were swiftly leveling up. He was also delighted with his harvest of Inner World Crystals.

    He obtained twenty-nine crystals from ordinary Sakura samurais, seventeen crystals from General demons, one crystal from a King demon, and three crystals from tree demons¡­ Although it wasn¡¯t as many as yesterday, it was still a nice harvest.

    Just like yesterday, Seiji tried once more to sweep through all the demons by himself afterwards. As a result, he¡¯d only obtained a single crystal from a General demon.

    ¡°It would seem that just like a mobile game¡¯s daily bonus, only the first sweep through the Domain per day will have more crystals.¡± Seiji came to such a conclusion. ¡°Will there be more crystals if we take a few days off? Or, will the crystals¡¯ quality or quantity increase if we increase the difficulty level of the monsters in your Domain?¡± Seiji asked Kazuko.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ we can only know by experimenting.¡± Kazuko adjusted her eyesses while floating in midair.

    ¡°Please be a little more reliable, master of the Domain.¡±

    ¡°I truly apologize for being so unreliable. Would you forgive me if I wrote ¡®Sex ve¡¯ on my forehead?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t write something like that! I was just making a joke. I¡¯m already happy that the monsters are dropping loot. I shouldn¡¯t be asking more from you.¡±

    ¡°You can ask more of me, such as having me write ¡®Please use as you like¡¯ on my legs¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do something like that!¡±

    Afterwards, Seiji took all the crystals into his room. He put them together with the remaining crystals from yesterday, and then opened up his system to spend the crystals on some [Furniture] options.

    He purchased a floor, walls, and ceiling for his Spirit House¡­ he decided to go with Sakura Ind style for all the decorations.

    For a source of light, he chose to purchase somemps. Tables were a necessity, but he decided to skip on cushions as tatami mats would suffice for the time being¡­

    After purchasing all these basic goods for his Spirit House, he used up almost all the crystals.

    It was so expensive to upgrade his Spirit House¡­ but, the more important part was the ie. As long as he received this many crystals every day, he would eventually upgrade everything in the Spirit House!

    Later that night, Seiji drank alcohol together with Chiaki.

    Chiaki had wanted to drink together in her room, but Seiji refused.

    With their current rtionship, it was highly likely that they would do something sexual if they drank together alone in Chiaki¡¯s room. That was why Seiji insisted on drinking at his own ce instead.

    In order not to be a bad influence to the elementary school student, he asked Kaede to babysit Reo at her ce.

    Mika wouldn¡¯t being over tonight. Shika was staying in her own room. But if they did anything too noticeable, it was certain that she would appear.

    ¡°You¡¯re actually using Kagura-chan to stop yourself, honestly.¡±

    ¡°Although I feel bad about it, it needs to be like this. I don¡¯t have confidence that I¡¯ll be able to restrain myself after drinking.¡±

    ¡°As long as you want to, you¡¯ll surely be able to restrain yourself, just like that time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be an idiot. Things are already different. You know how it is.¡±

    ¡°Heehee~¡±

    Chiaki and Seiji raised their sses.

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    ¡°Cheers.¡±

    Their wine sses clinked as the wine sloshed inside.

    Imbibing wonderful wine and inhaling the scent was one of the joys in life.

    ¡°So wonderful~~¡± Chiaki sighed, sounding like a middle-aged alcoholic man.

    ¡°You sound like a middle-aged alcoholic man.¡± Seiji directly told her this.

    ¡°That¡¯s so terrible! I¡¯m an unparalleled young and beautiful maiden~¡±

    ¡°Unparalleled? That sounds so lonely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a youthful and eternal beautiful maiden~¡±

    ¡°There is no eternity, child.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m forever a seventeen-year-old beautiful maiden~¡±

    ¡°Nobody can remain seventeen years old forever, but there will forever be someone seventeen years old on the.¡±

    ¡°Paha~ Where did you get those quotes from?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    The two of them casually chatted, poured wine, drank wine, and chatted as they drank.

    ¡°Do you still feel that you¡¯re being spied on? Has there been any change?¡± Seiji asked after they polished off a bottle of wine.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ there¡¯s no need to pay it any mind.¡± Chiaki waved her hand.

    ¡°Your expression doesn¡¯t say that it¡¯s nothing at all.¡± Seiji looked directly at her. ¡°The situation hasn¡¯t changed, has it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Although it hasn¡¯t improved, the feeling of being spied on hasn¡¯t worsened, either. Maybe it will go away by itself after a while, such as when that Realm of Cherry Blossoms or whatever finally finishes.¡± Chiaki slightly shook her wine ss.

    ¡°Its full name is Spirit World #1, Realm of Cherry Blossoms.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°It might be possible that you¡¯reing under influence of the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. But, I feel like the abnormal feeling you¡¯re having urred even before the cherry blossom phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°It might really just be my mistaken impression.¡±

    ¡°After feeling it for so long, I doubt that you have something like a mistaken impression¡­ How about I take you to the Yoruhana Family¡¯s hospital for a mystical inspection?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s necessary.¡± Seiji took a serious tone.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Something shed in Chiaki¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re clearly preparing to deal with the threat against the city, but you¡¯re still taking the time to worry about my small matter¡­¡±

    ¡°This is no small matter. It¡¯s an important matter affecting my girlfriend!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just one of your several girlfriends.¡±

    Seiji instantly red at her after hearing this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chiaki realized that she said something she shouldn¡¯t have as she lowered her head and apologized.

    Seeing her like this, Seiji softened his nce and then pulled her into his arms, gently hugging her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chiaki apologized again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. In the end, it¡¯s my fault,¡± Seiji stated softly. ¡°Indeed, you are one of several girlfriends. But please don¡¯t forget, I really care about you and am worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s eyes became watery as she rested in his arms, with a gentle expression like that of a kitten.

    She felt so blissful because she seeded in acting spoiled~

    At this moment, Seiji recalled what he¡¯d told her thest time they drank together, causing him to smile.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m busy with saving the world, I¡¯ll always make time for you. Come, cheers, to you¡­ and to this world.¡±

 Chapter 744 - They werent on the big screen!

    <h4>Chapter 744: They weren¡¯t on the big screen!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After they finished drinking, Seiji carried Chiaki back to her bed in her apartment room, and had her sleep there.

    When he returned home, his cell phone suddenly rang.

    He checked the caller ID and saw that it was from an unfamiliar number. He epted the call anyways.

    ¡°Hey, Haruta Bro,¡± a happy-sounding voice spoke in the phone.

    It was Itsuki Kamitani!

    Seiji frowned slightly as he recalled the figure of the silver-haired boy who liked to wear ck clothing.

    ¡°What business do you have with me, Kamitani-san?¡±

    As Seiji talked on the phone, he swiftly went towards his study.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be so hasty. I only wanted to offer you some fun. I don¡¯t want others to get involved.¡± Kamitani¡¯s voice sounded like it had an implied meaning.

    Seiji stopped in his footsteps.

    But, he quickly went to his study and sat down in front of hisputer.

    ¡°What type of game did you want to y with me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have such a cold tone. Aren¡¯t you quite bored these days? Soul Society has already gathered enough participants for the second major battle in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. But, you weren¡¯t invited.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not bored at all.¡±

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t deny it. Your older sister and others are about to have a major battle, while you¡¯re left on the sidelines with nobody paying attention to you. How pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying such useless things. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense. I really am trying to offer you some fun so that you can have a more exciting life. I¡¯m not trying to be enemies with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be quite happy if you stopped bothering me, Kamitani-san.¡±

    ¡°No need to use honorifics with me. That makes us sound so distant. You can just call me Kamitani, or even address me by my name, Itsuki.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for being so friendly, Kamitani.¡±

    ¡°No need to be so reserved. That sounds much better. Now, if only you would stop being so on guard against me.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, it¡¯s impossible not to be on guard against you.¡±

    ¡°That really hurts. I¡¯m clearly so proactive and friendly.¡±

    ¡°I believe that we may have different understandings of what the word ¡®friendly¡¯ means.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t retort so seriously¡­ Eh? I think that you retorted like this before?¡± Kamitani pretended to be forgetful. ¡°Forget it. Let us discuss the topic of ¡®heroes.''¡± Kamitani then changed the topic. ¡°My bro Haruta, what type of image do you think of when you hear the word ¡®hero?''¡±

    Seiji remained silent.

    ¡°For me, my first mental image would be a male wearing cool clothing and wearing a mask, with a gigantic monster right before him.¡± Kamitani continued speaking without waiting for Seiji¡¯s reply. ¡°Cool and powerful individuals that fight giant monsters! That¡¯s what my concept of a ¡®hero¡¯ is. Yet, there are many people that fit that definition, but I don¡¯t feel that they are ¡®heroes.¡¯ Why is that? After careful consideration, I discovered the reason, which is¡­ they weren¡¯t on the big screen!¡±

    Kamitani said this with great conviction.

    ¡°Screen?¡± Seiji didn¡¯t quite follow.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the big screen!¡± Kamitani spoke quite seriously. ¡°Because they weren¡¯t on the big screen, not many people saw them, so they didn¡¯t feel like ¡®heroes!''¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He wanted to retort, but didn¡¯t know how.

    ¡°Cool appearance, powerful abilities, and fighting giant monsters. And, being on the big screen so that many people can see them. That¡¯s what a ¡®hero¡¯ is!¡± Kamitani concluded. ¡°I want to see real ¡®heroes,¡¯ not fictional ones. And you are a perfect candidate to be a ¡®hero,¡¯ my bro Haruta!¡±

    So this was what Kamitani wanted. Seiji narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll create the monster, and also arrange the filming. You just have to y the part of the ¡®hero!¡¯ Doesn¡¯t that sound wonderful!¡± Kamitani spoke passionately. He sounded exactly as if he was talking to a friend about a ¡°fun game that you shoulde and y as well.¡±

    ¡°What purpose do you have with all this?¡±

    ¡°Of course, because it¡¯s fun.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. Creating chaos at such a time might have severe consequences. Are you certain that you can handle them?¡± Seiji questioned.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but there¡¯s no problem,¡± Kamitani replied happily.

    ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about you at all! Since you call yourself ¡®friendly,¡¯ how about telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve told you was the truth.¡±

    ¡°I would never believe that. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment! Actually, this matter is rted to the ¡®Ecstasy¡¯ mystical drug¡­ You should know what that is.¡±

    Ecstasy! Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I only know that it¡¯s a strange drug created by your Messengers organization. Just what exactly is it used for?¡±

    ¡°To conquer the world!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ask questions that you know you obviously won¡¯t receive the answer to, my bro Haruta.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°But what I can tell you is that after the Realm of Cherry Blossoms Inner World #1 is unsealed, it¡¯s highly likely that Ecstasy users will mutate and transform into monsters. We of the Messengers organization want to recover them, but weck personnel due to the issue with the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.¡±

    ¡°An evil organization thatcks personnel¡­ Haha, very funny. So, you want me to act as your janitor¡­¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy tone.

    ¡°You could say that. Filming this whole process is to leave behind a record. Of course, the most important reason is because I think it would be fun,¡± Kamitani stated casually.

    ¡°Why? As in, why should I do this for you?¡±

    ¡°I contacted you of my own volition. Like I said, it¡¯s because I wanted to offer you some fun¡­ and, I protected you and your women from the Messengers organization. You should at least owe me this favor.¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment before speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re telling the truth or not here. But if so, thank you,¡± Seiji spoke in a calm tone. ¡°Now, I want to ask, the fact that you¡¯re paying so much attention and ¡®taking care¡¯ of me, it¡¯s actually all because of my older sister, is that correct?¡±

    Kamitani chuckled on the other end of the phone.

    ¡°She is indeed an important reason. But, as I said, you are an interesting existence, Seiji Haruta,¡± Kamitani spoke in a meaningful tone. ¡°I want to see what you¡¯ll be in the future. I believe that your older sister is of the same opinion as me here. I hope that you¡¯ll keep my interest in you.¡±

    ¡°I shall do my best not to disappoint my sister. But, I don¡¯t care if I disappoint you, Kamitani-kun.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice way of addressing me as well. My bro Haruta, be a ¡®hero!''¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a hero. I don¡¯t want to work for free.¡±

    ¡°Do you want money or a new woman?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in either.¡±

    ¡°Then how about an importance piece of information? This is regarding one of your women.¡±

    ¡°¡­Who?¡± A sharp glint appeared in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only tell you if you agree to act as a ¡®hero.¡¯ This is a valuable piece of information¡­¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you agreeing too easily!¡±

    ¡°Hurry and tell me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good thing to value your women so much, my bro Haruta.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell you first which woman this information is about. As for the information itself, I¡¯ll tell you after youplete your task for me so that you don¡¯t have any distractions.¡±

    Kamitani then told him a name.

    ***

    After the phone call ended, Seiji immediately called Yui.

    However, he was unable to get through to Yui¡¯s cell phone. So, he immediately called Natsuya instead, and told her about what¡¯d just happened.

    ¡°Do you believe what he says?¡± Natsuya asked after hearing the situation.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m suspicious¡­ I want to tell Yui about it, and hear what she has to say. But, I can¡¯t get in contact with her right now.¡± Seiji sighed.

    Natsuya fell silent for a moment. ¡°You absolutely have to be careful,¡± she warned him.

    ¡°I will be.¡±

 Chapter 745 - What exactly is Ecstasy?

    <h4>Chapter 745: What exactly is Ecstasy?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The next morning.

    The skies were overcast, just as if it was about to rain.

    Seiji walked out of his apartment and walked to a ck luxury car parked nearby. He opened the car door and got on the car.

    After saying good morning, he began telling Yui about his conversation with Kamitani from yesterday.

    Yui closed her eyes and listened quietly. After he finished talking, she still remained quiet.

    Seiji knew that she was thinking, so he didn¡¯t say anything more, and quietly waited.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already promised him, then do as he says.¡± After some consideration, Yui spoke up.

    ¡°Can Itsuki Kamitani be trusted?¡± Seiji asked doubtingly.

    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just that right now, he has no need to lie to you.¡±

    ¡°A person like him probably would lie just because he thinks it¡¯s fun.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but this time, he¡¯s not lying.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it because if he lies one time, it¡¯ll be more difficult to be believed in the future?¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡±

    ¡°Is it really alright to let him do as he pleases?¡±

    ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t have the time to worry about him.¡±

    ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t have the time, or that you¡¯re intentionally leaving him alone?¡± Seiji looked directly at Yui.

    Yui opened her eyes and nced at him.

    Seiji felt like he understood something from her nce.

    But, he still had questions, even more than before.

    He swiftly thought over what question he could ask now. And thus, he chose to ask¡­

    ¡°What exactly is the Ecstasy mystical drug?¡±

    This was a mysterious drug that had been spread on arge scale to ordinary people. It could cause those who took the drug to mutate into monsters! Although this drug was also affected by the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, it was also evident that this drug was incredibly dangerous. Why was it being allowed to spread further and further?

    Was the Messengers organization so powerful that this illicit mystical drug couldn¡¯t be stopped?

    Even if it was impossible to stop, a dangerous drug like this should be suppressed as much as possible. But, Seiji couldn¡¯t see that it was being suppressed at all¡­ What secret was hidden behind this drug?

    Something shed in Yui¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Are you certain that you want to know?¡±

    Right after she said this, Seiji¡¯s system suddenly gave him some conversation options¡­

    [A: I¡¯m not that certain. I¡¯m just curious.]

    [B: I¡¯m certain.]

    [C: If you can¡¯t say it, then I don¡¯t need to know.]

    The best choice seemed like A.

    Indicating that he was merely curious, but that he didn¡¯t want to get involved too deeply, seemed most appropriate for his current status and position.

    But, sometimes, rather than obeying one¡¯s role, it was also critical to take the first step of one¡¯s own volition.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Seiji responded adamantly.

    Yui took a deep look at his face.

    ¡°In exchange for telling you this information, I need you to do something for me in the future. Are you willing?¡±

    Do something for her?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what she wanted, but he was certain it wouldn¡¯t be for something as simple as cosying.

    ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°Some dirty work. It¡¯s rather risky, but with high rewards as well¡­ But as long as you don¡¯t get yourpanions involved, they¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    ¡°¡­What if I get them involved?¡±

    ¡°Then they¡¯ll be under the same amount of risk. However, all the benefits will go to you, unless you choose to share with them.¡±

    Both siblings remained silent for a moment.

    ¡°When you refer to dirty work, do you mean killing someone?¡± Seiji asked calmly.

    Yui didn¡¯t respond.

    It seemed likely to Seiji that she wanted him to kill someone for her. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, it would be work of a simr nature.

    This was the true darkness in the world.

    Seiji was quite clear that not everything in the world was bright and wonderful.

    But, did he really need to step into the darkness at this time?

    Remaining on the rtively more ¡°light¡± side, and only stepping into the darkness when it was absolutely necessary, seemed more like what a ¡°good person¡± should do.

    Yet, this darkness had been directly ced before him. Was it really alright to turn around and pretend not to see anything?

    Seiji looked directly at Yui.

    His blood-rted older sister was just as beautiful as always. But when he looked carefully, he also noticed that she seemed to be slightly fatigued.

    ¡°If I refuse, will you be able to find someone else to do this dirty work?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Does that include yourself doing this dirty work?¡±

    Yui didn¡¯t answer him once again.

    Yet, Seiji already knew the answer.

    Seiji smiled, and replied, ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not going to think it over?¡±

    ¡°You need me to do something for you. That¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    ¡°Why do you trust me like this?¡± Yui asked.

    ¡°Are you certain that you want me to say it?¡± Seiji responded with his own question and a gentle look in his eyes.

    Yui was rendered speechless.

    Her face turned slightly red and she averted her gaze.

    ¡°Ecstasy is actually a vine currently under development.¡± Instead of verbally speaking, Yui spoke with a spell instead.

    A vine!?

    Seiji had never expected to hear such an answer.

    ¡°At first, this vine was developed with the goal of helping ordinary people be immune to Spirit Worlds¡¯ effects. But, as the vine developed, other uses for it were added¡­ The main creator of this vine is now a member of the Messengers. What the Messengers are doing by spreading this Ecstasy drug is actuallyrge-scale human experimentation. Although we of Soul Society have also started gathering people to research Ecstasy, the development is very slow¡ªto the point of almost being nonexistent. Judging by the current situation, only the original vine inventor will be capable ofpleting Ecstasy. That¡¯s why, even if we know quite clearly how dangerous this drug is to ordinary people, we can¡¯t stop its spread even though we also know that the Messengers have other intentions in developing Ecstasy.¡±

    Seiji now understood. He nodded to show his understanding.

    Although ordinary people weren¡¯t obviously affected by Spirit Worlds yet, it was possible that in the future¡­ No, it was definite that they would be affected!

    At such a time, it would be impossible to deal with the situation no matter howrge a magical barrier was put up. Perhaps something like a zombie apocalypse would even be an understatement.

    In order to protect ordinary people, they needed to have resistance against Spirit Worlds¡ªin other words, this vine called Ecstasy.

    However, this vine was highly difficult to develop. Not only that, the only person who had the knowledge necessary toplete its development was a member of the Messengers!

    This was doubtlessly a bad situation.

    A vine worked by stimting the human body from the inside, helping the person to be resistant against the same outside force.

    However, Ecstasy¡¯s ¡°stimtion¡± for ordinary humans was far too strong as it would transform those who took it into monsters. It was obviously dangerous to simply allow the Messengers to continue developing this type of mystical drug viarge-scale human experimentation. But, if this drug was suppressed, even more lives might be affected in the future¡­ so a difficult decision had to be made.

    Soul Society and the other factions all chose to ignore the Ecstasy drug being spread around. As long as the Messengers didn¡¯t cause a huge problem in society with Ecstasy, all the spiritual ability users would tacitly allow Ecstasy¡¯s production and proliferation.

    Although Seiji had mentally prepared himself, he still felt a heavy load on his shoulders after learning such a secret.

    ¡°What dirty work do you need me to do?¡± he asked calmly.

    ¡°None for now¡­ Just do as Kamitani wants for the time being. Report to me afterwards.¡±

    Seiji felt that there must be some time of tacit agreement between Yui and Kamitani.

    Although the former Soul World split into the two new factions of Soul Society and Messengers, members of these two opposing factions were still in secret contact with each other. While they fought each other, they also cooperated with each other asionally¡­ right?

    Seiji inferred all this from the secret of the Ecstasy drug that Yui had told him about. Although she didn¡¯t say that much, what she didn¡¯t say also revealed a lot of information.

    If it weren¡¯t for Yui telling him, Seiji never would have imagined that a dangerous drug like Ecstasy was actually a vine under development for the sake of ordinary humans.

    It was certain that in the future, ordinary people would be affected by Spirit Worlds on arge scale! If there was no measure taken to prevent this, the situation would be even worse!!

    The future¡­ Right now, Seiji could only faintly perceive what scary developments it might hold.

    It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t thought about it¡­ It could even be said that humans were incredibly skilled at imagining apocalypse.

    But, how many people would seriously want to consider the possibility of those things happening in reality, and how it would feel to have an Armageddon befall themselves and the people they cared about?

    Imagining such a possible future was incredibly pressuring.

    After Seiji returned home, he took a deep breath.

    This was the aura of daily life.

    The air in his apartment was perfectly ordinary, with nothing abnormal. It was the air he was ustomed to.

    Right now, the great majority of people was living their lives as normal. Since it was morning, they would be getting out of bed, washing up, eating breakfast, reading newspapers¡­ and having another ordinary day.

    They would never think that their ordinary life was just like a certain quote¡­

    ¡°The so-called ordinary lives that we lead may perhaps actually be a session of miracles.¡±

 Chapter 746 - Your justice is within you

    <h4>Chapter 746: Your justice is within you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The weather was gloomy. Normally, Isamu would have chosen to stay at home and y video games. But, for some reason, Isamu felt stifled at home, and chose to go outside instead.

    And then, it rained.

    Luckily, by the time it started raining, Isamu had reached his goal¡ªthe game center, or arcade.

    This game center had several floors, each containing many arcade machines of various genres. Isamu woulde here on asion.

    Although Isamu preferred singleyer games, arcade games also had their own charisma. ying an arcade game would feel entirely different from a singleyer game at home. Of course, part of it was also his childhood nostalgia.

    When younger, Isamu had spent much of his pocket money on arcade games. There were also other kids that yed arcade games together with him, but they had all lost contact with each other.

    Isamu first yed a new 2D fighting arcade game that came out recently. Next, he yed a racing game. After that, he was about to y a shooting game, when he saw to his surprise¡­

    ¡°ss president?¡±

    A beautiful girl with a cold and calm expression was standing in front of the shooting arcade game. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. She had dark brown short hair, half-rimmed eyesses, deep red eyes, and a pretty face.

    She was shooting at the arcade machine screen while holding the gun in a very standard two-hand posture. She shot swiftly and steadily. Clear gunshots, impacts, and enemies¡¯ screams could be constantly heard from the arcade machine.

    Not only was Isamu surprised to see this, he also felt that this was a beautiful scene. He felt that his ss president seemed so cool as if she really knew how to use guns.

    This girl¡¯s name was Riho Heijou. She was the ss president of Isamu¡¯s ss. She had excellent grades, and was considered the reliable type. Although she rarely talked or smiled, she was still quite popr in ss. Everyone viewed her as a big sister type.

    Isamu hadn¡¯t talked to her much before. They barely counted as acquaintances. He found it surprising that he met her here.

    Isamu had never heard before that ss president Riho was fond of gaming. He felt that she would be more into reading novels or the like¡­

    Did shee into this game arcade center in order to avoid the rain?

    Isamu wanted to go over and greet her. However, she was currently in the middle of her game. Not only that, he wasn¡¯t certain if she wouldn¡¯t be displeased at seeing a ssmate here¡­ perhaps he should silently leave without saying anything?

    Just as he was wondering what he should do, she noticed his attention and turned to look at him.

    They exchanged direct nces.

    Isamu felt a mysterious shiver run through him when he met her dark red eyes.

    Although she was beautiful, Riho had a distant expression that seemed empty and devoid, as if she didn¡¯t care about anything in the world.

    ¡°Isamu Seima-san¡­ Hello.¡± She greeted him lightly.

    ¡°Er¡­ Hello, ss President¡­ I¡¯ve never expected to meet you here, haha.¡± Isamuughed foolishly.

    Riho only nced over him before she returned her attention to the arcade screen and continued ying her game.

    Isamu felt rather awkward. He didn¡¯t know if he should leave or stay.

    He felt that something seemed off about his ss president. After some hesitation, he chose to stay behind. He walked over to Riho¡¯s side, inserted a coin into the arcade machine, and started ying the shooting game together with her.

    Isamu then discovered that his ss president was amazingly strong at this game! Her shooting was so urate as if she had really shot a gun before. She had near-perfect uracy.

    Was she highly familiar with this game? Could it be that she often came to y it?

    Isamu didn¡¯t think so¡­ If Riho came here that often, he felt that he would have met her here already long ago.

    He decided to ask out of curiosity.

    ¡°ss President, you¡¯re amazing at this game. Do you oftene here to y this game?¡±

    ¡°No, this is my first time ying it,¡± Riho replied calmly.

    First time¡­ Isamu felt like Riho was unintentionally bragging. He was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Did youe in here to avoid the rain?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Ie y the games here from time to time¡­¡±

    Isamu was unable to continue the casual conversation anymore. He thus started talking about the game they were ying. Riho listened quietly, and only responded to direct questions.

    They shot mobs, reloaded ammunition, and defeated bosses¡­ The two of them skillfully beat all the levels until they finally beat the entire game and saw the ending screen.

    After Isamu put down the game gun, he was about to ask ss president Riho if she wanted to continue ying a different game together. At this moment, he suddenly heard a scream!

    ¡°Ahhhhhh grrrrrwwaarrrrrllll!¡±

    At first, the scream sounded human, but then it started sounding bestial. As everyone in the game center looked around in bewilderment, Isamu suddenly recalled the strange dream world he previously experienced¡­

    Could it be the Sin Masks from that dream? Could it be that Sin Activation was happening in real life now!?

    Before he could think more on this, there were then multiple screams, and lots of loud noises and even more screams!!

    Boom!!!

    Isamu and Riho looked over to see a figure viciously crashing into an arcade machine in the corner. That person crashed into the machine with such speed that the machine was demolished. The person sank into the wreckage with a distorted body that was spurting blood¡­

    It would be impossible for anyone to throw themselves at such a high speed¡­ He had been tossed into the machine!

    Although everyone else in the game center was shocked and dazed at the sight, Isamu realized what was going on.

    No matter what was going on, whether it was Sin Mask Activation, or some other cause, a monster had appeared in the game center!!!

    What should he do!?

    He could only escape¡­ this wasn¡¯t the dream world. He didn¡¯t have any special powers in real life! Nor did he have a weapons!!

    Just as Isamu was thinking this, a tremendous monster appeared in his field of vision.

    This monster had a red body and a ck bird¡¯s head. Its arms and ws were long, but its legs and feet were stubby and short. Many gray spikes protruded from all over its body, especially its back. The monster was also emitting faint red mist from its mouth. This monster appeared vicious and ugly, and gave everyone a tremendous sense of terror!

    People instantly started screaming and running. There were also others that copsed on the ground, stood still where they were in a daze, or trembled all over¡­

    Isamu wanted to escape immediately!!!

    He turned around to leave. Although he felt bad about abandoning the other people present, there was truly nothing that he could do. At most, he could take the ss president along with him¡­ wait, where was the ss president!?

    He turned around and saw to his astonishment that his ss president, the girl named Riho Heijou, was actually walking towards the monster!!

    ¡°ss President! Don¡¯t go over there!¡± Isamu shouted loudly.

    Yet, Riho didn¡¯t slow down at all. Instead, she reached out to the monster with her hand.

    Had she gone insane!? Isamu was so shocked that he didn¡¯t know what was going on anymore.

    The bird head monster also reached out its hand, and gently shook the girl¡¯s hand¡­ such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all!

    This wasn¡¯t a movie filming with a beauty and the beast topic!

    What really happened was that the bird head monster reached out with its w and grabbed Riho, squeezing her hard!

    Riho screamed with iparable pain in her voice.

    This was only natural.

    Could there be any other possible oue when you walked towards such a monster and reached your hand out to it!?

    Isamu couldn¡¯t understand why his ss president would do such a thing. He couldn¡¯t even curse at her for being an idiot, because he was too shocked at her action.

    But, no matter why she did that, Isamu was quite clear on one thing.

    His ss president was about to die!

    In the next minute, right in front of him! She would be squeezed to death by the monster!

    And, he had no way of stopping this.

    He was about to watch someone he knew die right in front of him, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything at all.

    Why?

    Because he had no power¡­

    ¡®No! I do have power!¡¯

    But, that wasn¡¯t a power that Isamu could use in real life. That was a power he only had in his dreams, while he was asleep¡­

    ¡®Give up! Run away now. All you can do now is protect your own life,¡¯ Isamu¡¯s voice whispered to himself in his own mind.

    ¡®No! If you run away now, you¡¯ll live for the rest of your life regretting that you abandoned your ssmate to die,¡¯ another version of his own voice whispered to him.

    But, even if he didn¡¯t run, he couldn¡¯t save her!

    No, he could! As long as he used that power he possessed in the dream world, here in real life¡­

    Transform his dream into reality!

    Transform his ideal into reality!

    ¡®Isamu Seima! What is your dream!?¡¯

    ¡®My dream is¡­¡¯

    Isamu¡¯s spirit suddenly reached a certain realm,ing into contact with something subconscious.

    A certain sentence suddenly reentered his mind. It was almost as if that person had especially given him a hint, or perhaps guidance.

    ¡°Your justice is within yourself.¡±

    ¡®I understand now, Seigo Harano-kun.

    ¡®Appear! Activate! My power!!!¡¯

    Isamu¡¯s spirit transformed his power into reality and shook his very soul as something arose from deep within him and transformed into an owl mask that appeared on Isamu¡¯s face.

    And then, there was a brilliant light¡­

 Chapter 747 - Because the monster is fricking real!

    <h4>Chapter 747: Because the monster is fricking real!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Isamu¡¯s mask instantly transformed into shy red eyesses. A ck jacket and red gloves appeared on his body, while an exquisite revolver appeared in his right hand¡­ This was the exact same Sin Activation form he had in his dream!

    *Pow! Pow! Pow!*

    The moment that he transformed, Isamu instantly started shooting directly at the bird monster!

    Three mystical bullets left red trails behind them as they urately struck the monster¡¯s limbs, instantly injuring it.

    The monster howled, releasing Riho from its clutches. Isamu rushed over, caught his ssmate, and thennded a vicious whirlwind kick on the monster¡¯s body! Isamu then made use of the reactive force to pull a distance away.

    The bird monster was obviously angered by this. It grabbed a nearby arcade machine and threw it directly at Isamu!

    *Boom!!*

    While still holding onto Riho, Isamu managed to dodge this attack. The arcade machine smashed into little pieces right next to them.

    ¡°Hurry and run!¡± Isamu shouted at the other people who were still in a daze in the game center. He also counterattacked with his gun.

    The bird monster lifted its injured w. This w began to glow red, magically blocking the mystical bullets while speedily recovering its injuries. The bird monster grabbed another arcade machine in its other w and tossed it at Isamu!

    There was another loud crashing sound as Isamu sessfully dodged yet again with Riho still in his hands.

    Everyone screamed and scrambled to run away.

    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

    The bird monster kept throwing arcade machines that Isamu continuously dodged with the ss president in his hands. As all this happened, a man who didn¡¯t run fast enough was unluckily crushed to death by one of the flying arcade machines.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Isamu cursed out loud.

    He wanted to fight the monster, but that would be impossible while carrying the unconscious Riho, nor could he simply just set her aside.

    He kept dodging arcade machines tossed at him and ran out of the game center to the street where there was a heavy downpour of rain.

    At this moment, Isamu happened to spot a passing by taxi.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Isamu gged down the taxi, swiftly opened the door, and put Riho in the backseat. ¡°Hurry and take her to the hospital!¡±

    The taxi driver had an obviously confused expression.

    But soon, the middle-aged male taxi driver¡¯s expression changed to terror, because he saw the horrifying monster that came out of the game center!

    ¡°Hurry and drive!!!¡± Isamu mmed the taxi car door shut and started shooting at the bird monster!

    The bird monster let out a red glow from its ws which blocked the mystical bullets. It then roared and charged directly at Isamu!

    The taxi driver sped off with Riho in the car.

    Only when the monster got close to Isamu did he swiftly dodge the ws and circle around to the monster¡¯s side, injuring it from close distance.

    The bird monster roared angrily while viciously swiping with its ws, creating more red lights!

    *Bang¡­* Isamu wasn¡¯t able to dodge the red light in time and was struck by it. He was knocked back a bit, but remained uninjured. However, his ck jacket showed obvious signs of damage.

    The bird monster kept chasing the constantly dodging Isamu. The sounds of the monster¡¯s w whistling through the air kept intermingling with gunshots, covering the sound of the pouring rain.

    All the bystanders on the streets were stunned at this sight.

    The people that were closer ran in fear. The ones who were farther away started filming the scene with their cell phones.

    Was this a movie? A TV show? A cosy performance?

    Nobody saw any cameras anywhere. If this was a performance, that actor in the monster costume was truly doing such a good job. Even from a great distance, people felt instinctive fear and danger!

    Why would they feel such fear and danger?

    Those who escaped from the game center would answer like this: because the monster was fricking real!

    *Bam!* Isamu was struck once more by the red light emanating from the monster¡¯s ws.

    This was the fourth time already¡­ His jacket was now tattered in many ces. It seemed that the jacket wouldn¡¯t be able to block many more hits.

    Although Isamu was able to somewhat injure the monster, it wasn¡¯t enough!

    He was too weak.

    Not only that, he was already beginning to feel fatigued. Even without the problem of not being able to take many more hits, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to move like this for much longer.

    The police¡­ could he count on the police?

    It was definite that someone probably called the police already. But even if the police arrived, would they be able to handle this monster?

    No¡­ Isamu could sense that even if the police arrived, the police would only suffer casualties.

    This monster couldn¡¯t be dealt with by ordinary people.

    Only a spiritual ability user¡­ a powerful spiritual ability user could handle the situation!

    Isamu instantly thought about that person.

    If only Seigo Harano was here, this type of monster would surely be dealt with swiftly.

    Isamu wanted to contact him¡­ but was unable to spare the time right now.

    Not only could he not spare the time, Isamu felt like he almost couldn¡¯t go on anymore.

    The bird monster kept chasing after him. Isamu tried, but was unable to increase the distance between them. His body kept feeling heavier and heavier.

    He shouldn¡¯t have fought just now. He should have called for help from Seigo at the very first opportunity!

    It was toote to regret now.

    Isamu suddenly slipped, and was unable to dodge the monster¡¯s next attack. He was viciously swiped by a w attack, causing him to fly backwards!

    Isamu crashed heavily into a street light, causing the ck mystical jacket he wore topletely vanish.

    His gloves and gun also began to glow. This was an indicator that they were almostpletely out of energy.

    Was he about to die?

    Isamu started feeling afraid as the bird monster approached.

    He shouldn¡¯t have fought¡­ He shouldn¡¯t have worried about his ss president¡­ He should have run away at first opportunity¡­

    He had only fought in his dreams before, yet he thought he would be a capable fighter¡­ that was so foolish of him!

    Only the truly strong were capable of dealing with such a monster, such as someone with Seigo Harano¡¯s strength.

    ¡®I¡¯m¡­ about to¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!! Don¡¯te!!!¡±

    Isamu started shouting loudly as he imagined the way he would die! He picked up his gun and shot furiously at the monster as tears welled up within his eyes!

    He felt fear; he felt regret. Yet, he still clenched his gun tightly.

    ¡°Justice is a heavy concept, Seima-kun.¡± Isamu once again recalled Seigo¡¯s words. ¡°Supporting justice is a good thing, but sometimes the situation isn¡¯t what you think it is. ¡­How much you can believe in justice, and how far you can persist with it, is something that only you cane up with an answer to.¡±

    ¡®My own answer¡­¡¯

    Isamu furiously shot with his gun as tears streamed down his cheeks.

    The bird monster blocked the mystical bullets with a red light as it waved its ws.

    sh! With a swipe of its ws, it cut right through the street light, leaving a deep fissure in the ground.

    However, Isamu didn¡¯t die.

    He used all the energy he had left to dodge this almost fatal attack at high speed!

    Yet, his gloves and gun had both disappeared now. His body felt incredibly heavy.

    He knew that he probably couldn¡¯t escape anymore. However¡­

    Isamu defiantly showed his middle finger to the bird monster!

    ¡°Graaaarrrr!!!¡± As if the bird monster sensed Isamu¡¯s will, it roared angrily at him.

    Isamu chuckled as he struggled, got up, brought out his cell phone, and made a call while running away!

    Even if he couldn¡¯t escape in the end, he would struggle until the very end!

    He conquered his own fear. He no longer felt any regret for his actions.

    The bird monster chased after him and swiped yet again¡­

    *Shing!!*

    A ck-d figure descended from the sky, shing down with a powerful sword stroke that cut off the monster¡¯s w!

    The w fell to the side and evaporated in a puff of mist.

    The bird monster screamed in pain. Its other w started glowing red and swiped viciously towards the figure before it!

    The ck-d figure dodged this attack, and then shed with his sword again. This seriously injured the bird monster¡¯s other w!

    The bird monster screamed pitifully and retreated.

    Isamu saw only a ck-caped, helmeted, and mysterious individual wielding a longsword.

    Complex yet elegant silver runes were on the cape and helmet. Two hand-sized feather ornaments were on either side of the helmet. The handiwork was exquisite, and there was an alluring beauty to thebat equipment.

    This person¡¯s longsword glowed white and shed with golden runes. Isamu had seen this exact same scene in his dream before!

    ¡°Harano-kun?¡± Isamu looked at the mysterious individual.

    ¡°Graaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!¡±

    The bird monster roared in a loud voice as its entire body began to glow red. Both its ws speedily regenerated, and the gray spikes on its body started glowing with ck electricity. Soon, the ck electricity meshed with each other like a tight web, forming something resembling a suit of armor made out of lightning on its body!

    Isamu instantly froze over at the sight.

    A cold chill permeated throughout his entire body, feeling like it even prated through his bones, making his body difficult to move.

    Just about all the other bystanders felt the same chill, although the degree was different depending on the individual.

    Now, even the biggest skeptics could only admit that this monster had to be real!

 Chapter 748 - It must be fun to be a hero!

    <h4>Chapter 748: It must be fun to be a hero!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The monster waved both its ws, causing the electricity to gather and sh violently!

    Isamu realized that a powerful attack wasing! Yet, there was nothing he could do.

    But, there was no need for him to do anything.

    The caped person raised his unarmed hand. Instantly, there was a loud thud, and Isamu witnessed a golden bell materializing in midair and covering the monster¡¯s entire body!

    The bird monster¡¯s attack was interrupted, and it copsed to the ground while screaming in pain. The electricity on its body was suppressed, and it was seriously injured¡­

    After seeing this scene, Isamu was almost absolutely certain: this person was Seigo Harano!

    Isamu had previously witnessed Seigo using this exact technique to fight against enemy monsters in his dream. It had left him with a deep impression.

    ¡°Ha¡ª White Night, is that you?¡± Isamu was about to reflexively address Seigo by hisst name, but managed to change to using Seigo¡¯s alias at thest second.

    The caped person turned around and nodded at Isamu.

    Isamu was overjoyed at this news!

    He no longer had to be afraid of anything with Seigo here.

    At this moment, there was the sound of sirens.

    The police had arrived!

    Isamu followed the sounds and saw multiple police cars rapidly approaching through the rain.

    What would happen now that the police had arrived? With Seigo¡¯s current getup, he surely wouldn¡¯t want to reveal his identity to the police¡­ would he fight against the police?

    Isamu then looked at the monster. While still trapped under a golden bell of light, it could be seen transforming into mist and struggling painfully while screaming.

    It seemed that some more time was required topletely eradicate the monster.

    The police cars soon arrived and parked near the scene.

    The police got out of the cars and approached slowly and vigntly, with guns fully drawn!

    Isamu became quite tense at this scene. Since he was only an ordinary high school student, he couldn¡¯t help but panic when faced with fully armed police.

    ¡°We¡­ we¡¯re good people!¡± Isamu put both his hands up in the air and shouted, ¡°The monster is almost taken care of. Don¡¯t shoot!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Just who are you people!?¡± a policeman shouted back.

    Isamu didn¡¯t know how to answer this. He looked at Seigo.

    The caped person, who was indeed Seiji, looked to his left. Seiji then suddenly picked Isamu up and jumped!

    This was a familiar sensation¡­ Isamu was quite used to being carried by Seigo in his dream already.

    The police and other bystanders looked on in astonishment as the caped individual carried the teenager up and jumped in session onto the side of buildings, jumping all the way to the rooftop and vanishing from sight!

    ¡°Thank you for saving me, White Night.¡±

    In a deserted alleyway, Isamu thanked Seiji as he was put back down onto the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee¡­ did you transform just now? How did you aplish it?¡± Seiji looked at him.

    ¡°It was thanks to you¡­¡± Isamu told Seiji about what happened.

    Seiji was rendered speechless. He¡¯d never expected that the words he previously told Isamu would have such an effect!

    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve also managed to be a spiritual ability user. Although my power is still weak, I can now fight for the sake of justice!¡± Isamu clenched his fist as he spoke in a hot-blooded tone.

    ¡°No¡­ this is the result of your own efforts¡­ You were the one who was able to tap into extraordinary powers in order to save your ssmate. That¡¯s something amazing,¡± Seiji told him sincerely.

    Although Seiji felt previously that Isamu Seima had potential, Isamu¡¯s speedy development truly astonished him.

    Isamu was quite happy to hear such praise. He smiled in a foolish fashion.

    ¡°By the way, what was that monster? Was it a result of Sin Activation?¡± After Isamu¡¯s joy passed, he remembered to ask this question.

    Seiji fell silent.

    That monster wasn¡¯t a result of Sin Activation like in the dream. It was the side effect of Ecstasy¡­ but he couldn¡¯t tell a secret like that to Isamu.

    Not only that, Seiji was unclear on what exactly the Sin Activation masks were. Neither did he know if the Sin Activation masks and Ecstasy had any connection with each other. It might be possible that the two were connected as both were projects being run by the Messengers.

    Was it truly only because of Isamu himself that he had been able to transform in the real world?

    Actually, there was another possibility¡­ that Isamu had been unknowingly influenced by that bird monster.

    ¡°White Night?¡± Isamu found it strange that Seigo was being so silent.

    ¡°To my knowledge, that wasn¡¯t Sin Activation, but I can¡¯t say what it is specifically.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°But, Sin Activation might still be rted to it. The evidence is that you were able to transform when you met that monster.¡±

    ¡°¡­So is it Sin Activation or not?¡± Isamu was rather confused by the exnation.

    ¡°You can treat it so. The effects are fairly simr to Sin Activation.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Both of them fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°How did you appear there? Did you know that there was a monster, so you rushed over?¡± Isamu asked next.

    ¡°Um¡­ Don¡¯t ask too many questions. You should return home now,¡± Seiji told him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the police. It will be taken care of.¡±

    Return home just like this?

    Isamu wanted to help out, even though he knew that his power was insufficient. Still, he was unwilling to go home just like this.

    ¡°Tell me how I can improve my power!¡± Isamu requested. ¡°I want to be stronger!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about such a thing now. You should hurry home, take a shower, and get some good rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to go on. Calm down, Seima-kun,¡± Seiji spoke in a stern tone.

    Isamu fell silent.

    ¡°You just did something for the sake of justice. You¡¯ve protected your ssmate as well as other people. That¡¯s a good thing.¡± Seiji changed to a gentle tone. ¡°But, you also need to understand that you did something incredibly dangerous. If I had arrived anyter¡­ I won¡¯t say anything unnecessary. Anyways, it¡¯s also important to take care of yourself. You¡¯ve already done plenty for today. You should go home now.¡±

    Isamu still remained silent, but he slowly nodded his head.

    Isamu then walked off into the rain.

    After he walked swiftly for a while, he couldn¡¯t help but turn and look back.

    The caped figure was no longer there.

    Seiji stood on a rooftop and watched Isamu leave before looking in the opposite direction.

    A man wearing a gray jacket, gray pants, and a gray helmet was standing there while carrying arge video camera.

    This man had been standing on the room during Seiji and Isamu¡¯s entire conversation. Isamu hadn¡¯t noticed his presence at all.

    This gray-d man¡¯s presence would have been undetectable to Seiji as well unless he used [Astral Vision].

    Although Seiji could detect his presence, it was easy to forget about his existence.

    This man was the ¡°cameraman¡± that Kamitani had arranged to film Seiji¡¯s deed! There were three cameramen in total, two men and one woman. All three had the same entirely gray attire.

    Apart from filming, they were also in charge of retrieving the defeated Ecstasy mutated monster that had been a former human. They didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary at all to Seiji. Although their words were polite, they were distant and refused to answer any questions.

    Seiji figured that they¡¯d probably already reported to Kamitani about how Isamu had ¡°Awakened¡±. He would have to talk to Kamitani about thister¡­

    At this moment, arge shadow moved above Seiji and blocked the rainwater.

    A long ropedder fell down andnded right next to Seiji.

    Seiji grabbed the ropedder and climbed up.

    The gray-d cameraman followed after him.

    The two climbed up to an entirely gray helicopter!

    This helicopter waspletely noiseless as it stopped in midair.

    After the two people got on, it rose higher and flew towards the north, seeming like a tremendous ghost in the rain.

    Seiji observed the city down below from the helicopter.

    If this had been a scenic tour, he would have enjoyed the view. But right now, he was doing something he didn¡¯t enjoy.

    Hero¡­ Isamu was the true hero. Seiji felt that he himself was nothing more than an evil organization¡¯s janitor.

    After looking at the scenery for a while, Seiji took out his cell phone and contacted the person in charge of all this.

    ¡°My bro Haruta, it must have been fun to be a hero!¡± Kamitani¡¯s voice spoke up on the other end of the phone.

 Chapter 749 - Stop pretending, Ive already seen through you

    <h4>Chapter 749: Stop pretending, I¡¯ve already seen through you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Eh? How strange, you should have enjoyed being a hero¡­¡±

    ¡°You should already know about what happened, Kamitani-kun?¡± Seiji didn¡¯t want to waste time chatting and went with the direct approach.

    ¡°Know about what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend. I¡¯m talking about Isamu Seima.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about him.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that someone would Awaken their Sin Activation mask already. This was far faster than expected. Even though I¡¯ve already expected Sin Activation, I was still surprised¡­ you¡¯re far more interesting than I even imagined, my bro Haruta.¡±

    ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to know nothing. You¡¯ve caused it,¡± Kamitani stated in a meaningful tone.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    What exactly was going on?

    ¡°You believe that I¡¯ve caused Isamu Seima¡¯s Awakening?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s a fact.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Stop pretending, my bro Haruta. I¡¯ve already seen through you.¡±

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything at all.¡±

    ¡°Fine, it doesn¡¯t really matter if you don¡¯t want to admit it. We can just forget about it,¡± Kamitani said in a happy tone.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this.

    He really didn¡¯t do anything at all to Isamu. Isamu¡¯s Awakening had nothing to do with him! The only part that was possibly rted was what Seiji had told Isamu, but could those few words really help someone to Awaken?

    No¡­ It wasn¡¯t only the words Seiji had told Isamu. Perhaps Kamitani also counted how Seiji had fought together with Isamu in the dream world!

    After recalling what Kamitani said, Seiji felt like he realized what Kamitani meant. Seiji faintly understood the deeper meaning behind why Kamitani called him an ¡°interesting existence¡±.

    This was a major misunderstanding!

    But¡­ was it really just a misunderstanding?

    ¡°What would you like me to do, my bro Haruta?¡± Kamitani inquired.

    Seiji returned to his senses and swiftly thought things over.

    Kamitani¡¯s ¡°misunderstanding¡± regarding himself was something beneficial! Kamitani was thewless type who wouldn¡¯t care about any consequences. Apart from Yui, only this ¡°misunderstanding¡± would possibly make Kamitani tread with caution.

    So if Kamitani had a ¡°misunderstanding¡± about Seiji being an ¡°interesting existence¡±, what should Seiji do here to take advantage of it?

    ¡°I want you to guarantee Isamu Seima¡¯s safety. Don¡¯t perform any dangerous experiments on him,¡± Seiji said in a heavy tone.

    ¡°Will he really be able to mature if we leave him alone?¡±

    ¡°Of course he can¡¯t be leftpletely alone. He still needs an appropriate amount of stimtion.¡±

    ¡°How about having him be another ¡®hero?¡¯ I can create an interesting scenario just for him.¡±

    ¡°If you want to y around, make sure not to go overboard.¡±

    ¡°Understood~ I shall show you the script when it¡¯s ready, heehee¡­¡± Kamitani chuckled.

    It would be impossible to have Kamitani leave Isamupletely alone. Seiji felt that it was wiser to protect Isamu through such apromise.

    And if Isamu was able to swiftly power up afterwards, Kamitani¡¯s ¡°misunderstanding¡± about Seiji would be even greater, meaning that Seiji would have even more influence over Kamitani.

    But if Isamu didn¡¯t swiftly power up¡­ Seiji decided to simply wait and observe the situation.

    The rain continued untilte into the night.

    Monsters appeared all over the city. Just about every monster caused people to die!

    Yet, every time, a mysterious caped and helmeted individual appeared to defeat the monster, preventing even more serious injuries and death from urring.

    Some people spread hi-res videos taken of this individual, which raised some attention. But, such videos were soon deleted before most people noticed.

    However, some sharp individuals still saved such videos before the deletion. These individuals spread the videos in their chat groups, small message forums, and so on.

    Something else started spreading as well. The person who spread these videos gave a nickname to the mysterious caped individual: ¡°ckwing.¡±

    As of now, the people who experienced monster attacks and knew at least that the monsters were real were currently afraid and anxious.

    Such people no longer felt safe in this city. They didn¡¯t trust the police to be able to handle the monster situation. But, they didn¡¯t know whom they could believe in.

    There was too much information on the inte to determine fake news from real news. People were tired of bad news about monsters popping up all over the ce. People wanted good news that would make them feel reassured.

    For example, news about a hero.

    Not a hero from an anime or a movie. They wanted a real hero! They wanted a hero with supernatural powers that stepped up to protect everyone from the monsters since the police weren¡¯t able to do so.

    As for these videos about ckwing, there was something noticeably different about some of the videos taken of him. That would be the high-def resolution of the videos.

    Some of the videos taken of ckwing were obviously cell phone videos that were shaky and unclear. However, there were many videos of ckwing that were incredibly clear and steady. Everyone could see all the little details about the monster and the caped individual¡­ it was quite evident that these videos had been filmed with professional standard video equipment.

    Would such a video be real then? Fighting monsters while bringing a cameraman crew? This seemed more like a movie!

    Most people who saw such high-res videos felt that these videos were faked. People thought that this was yet another new ¡°movie advertisement¡± trying to do a viral marketing campaign.

    However, some experts gave their opinion that there was nothing fake about the videos¡­ Or, more urately, they couldn¡¯t find any evidence of special effects being used. Some people even went to the purported location of some of the monster fights. These people confirmed that it indeed looked like major fights had taken ce at those locations!

    This was indeed an intentionally created video. But, did that mean that the video had to be fake? Perhaps it was real, and that ckwing individual intentionally brought cameramen to record his exploits to spread them on the inte.

    Didn¡¯t that mean he was incredibly strong, enough to even bring cameramen along for a fight against monsters?

    In every single video, the monsters were ¡°easily¡± dispatched by ckwing. There wasn¡¯t a single video in which ckwing appeared to be under any pressure.

    If these videos had been fake, why would the fighting scenes be so ¡°simple¡± after spending so much money on realistic monsters and special effects? The fighting scenes should have been longer, with some cool fighting poses.

    Some people thought that these videos were faked. These people mentioned how the other people seen in the videos acted as if these cameras didn¡¯t exist at all. That seemed unrealistic, so the other people in the videos must have been hired extras!

    But, some people also were of the opinion that if this video was real, it was possible that the cameraman following such a powerful individual would also be no ordinary person. Perhaps the cameraman had the ability to remain invisible and go undetected by ordinary people.

    People on the inte started arguing about whether these videos depicting ckwing¡¯s monster fighting exploits were real or faked. And, these arguments caused the ckwing videos to be more popr and spread even further. ckwing¡¯s name slowly became known within the city.

    Seiji didn¡¯t pay any attention to the ¡°hero¡± videos that Kamitani sent him. He cared more about the information that Kamitani gave him as previously agreed upon.

    Kamitani¡¯s information was about Chiaki.

    Chiaki Wakaba was actually a descendant of a priest family!

    Priests obviously referred to those who worked with the divine, the servants of the gods.

    Although Yin Yang Masters were the strongest type of spiritual ability user in today¡¯s generation, priests had been far stronger than Yin Yang Masters in Sakura Ind¡¯s history!

    Priests would obtain wondrous powers from the gods that they served. For an incredibly long period of time, priests were at the very top of Sakura Ind¡¯s society, ruling over all ordinary people as well as all other spiritual ability users.

    This state continued all the way until seventy years ago.

    As Seiji had learned when he¡¯d first arrived in this dimension, the ancient civilization known as the Antis Empire had risen from the bottom of the ocean, and attempted to conquer the entire world!

    Sakura Ind had gotten involved in the world war as well. Various events happened due to the warfare. One major event was that the Yin Yang Master factions banded together and attacked the priests¡¯ faction!

    The result of that battle was that the Yin Yang Masters obtained a total victory, with the priests beingpletely defeated. Yin Yang Masters reced priests as the top of society.

    The priests and their families were cruelly killed off by the Yin Yang Masters. But, some priests still managed to survive and leave behind descendants.

    Although a priest¡¯s descendant wouldn¡¯t appear any different from a normal human on the outside, a priest¡¯s descendant would still have their god¡¯s ¡°favor¡±. The god¡¯s favor would extend down the family line to all the descendants.

 Chapter 750 - The gods are watching you

    <h4>Chapter 750: The gods are watching you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kamitani didn¡¯t mention what the situation was like for the current priest descendants that had ¡°divine favor¡±.

    But, he told Seiji that this was highly valuable information. And since Seiji knew that Chiaki felt like she was constantly being watched, this was definitely valuable information.

    The Yoruhana Family¡¯s mystical hospital had already inspected Chiaki and found that everything appeared to be normal¡­ Basically, ording to the Yin Yang Master hospital, she appeared to be a healthy ordinary person with nothing abnormal about her.

    Just as Kamitani said, nothing appeared out of the ordinary with her on the surface.

    But as for what would actually happen¡­ more information was needed.

    The next morning.

    The weather was clear and the air was fresh. The morning sunlight shone in through the window.

    After Seiji got out of bed, he immediately went to the study, turned on hisputer, and went online to Soul Society¡¯s message forum. After reading the posts there, he learned that Soul Society¡¯s battle in Realm of Cherry Blossoms Inner World #1 had been sessful. The Dimensional Eye there had been sessfully sealed for the time being.

    The battle was apparently more difficult than the previous one. But since Soul Society had been amply prepared, theirbat strength was sufficient, and there were no problems.

    It was good that there were no problems. Seiji turned off theputer after checking the information.

    Breakfast time.

    Chiaki didn¡¯te over to his ce for breakfast like she usually would.

    Although it was also possible that she was simply being a slouch and sleeping in, Seiji was still worried about her. He immediately headed over to her apartment after he¡¯d finished breakfast.

    He saw Mika when he arrived in the hallway.

    After they exchanged hellos, Mika heard that he was going to visit Chiaki. She decided to go with him to check on Chiaki.

    Nobody answered the door when they knocked. Mika used her key as the apartment manager to open the door.

    When they entered, they saw that the silver-haired girl was still quietly sleeping in bed. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with her.

    After confirming that nothing was wrong, Seiji had Mika wake up Chiaki as he left her bedroom and went back to his own apartment.

    Some minutes of waitingter, the two girls came to his apartment.

    Chiaki seemed rather listless as if she wanted to go back to sleep.

    ¡°Did you sleep rathertest night?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just that I¡¯m especially sleepy this morning¡­ Yawn¡­¡± Chiaki yawned as she copsed on Seiji¡¯s table.

    ¡°Did you feel anything unusualst night?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you have any strange dreams?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve learned something that might be rted to the strange feeling of being watched that you¡¯ve been having,¡± Seiji said in a serious tone.

    Chiaki rubbed her eyes and lifted her head upon hearing this.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Seiji told her the information that she was a priest¡¯s descendant that he heard from Kamitani.

    Chiaki blinked after hearing this.

    Mika blinked after hearing this.

    Shika, who was also present, calmly continued sipping her tea.

    Kaede was in the living room, tutoring Reo with her homework. Neither of them noticed this conversation.

    ¡°A priest¡¯s descendant¡­ is that right?¡± Chiaki asked for confirmation.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°It sounds rather grand¡­ so what, then? Will I Awaken and be a priestess? Or some type of shrine maiden?¡±

    A shrine maiden Chiaki?

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but imagine the silver-haired beauty wearing shrine maiden attire while dancing and swinging some bells. He felt that it would be amazing!

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only learned this recently, and I know very little about priests,¡± Seiji responded after he regained his senses.

    ¡°This person who told you the information¡­ this Itsuki Kamitani, how did he learn this information about me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that, either.¡±

    ¡°Can he be believed?¡±

    ¡°I think this information at least can be believed.¡±

    Chiaki tilted her head slightly. It seemed as if her brain wasn¡¯t working properly yet due to drowsiness.

    ¡°We need to know more relevant information. I¡¯ll ask Natsuya to investigate. And, Chiaki¡­ could you ask your father more about your family¡¯s history?¡± Seiji looked directly at her.

    Chiaki: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no use asking. He won¡¯t tell me anyways,¡± she finally spoke up in a low voice as she copsed back onto Seiji¡¯s table again.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± Mika felt empathy for Chiaki¡¯s bad rtionship with her father.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Then, could you give me his phone number?¡± After a period of silence, Seiji made such a request. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him in your stead¡­ if it bes necessary.¡±

    Chiaki didn¡¯t respond.

    Seiji waited quietly.

    Mika wanted to say something, and opened her mouth, but then changed her mind and closed it again. She ended up remaining silent.

    Shika quietly observed from the side.

    ¡°Can you guarantee that apart from asking him about my potential priest family history, you won¡¯t do anything else?¡± Chiaki muttered after a long period of silence.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Seiji told her directly.

    ¡°¡­You won¡¯t even try to give me a white lie?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to you at all, no matter how small a lie it is.¡±

    Everyone fell silent yet again.

    After a long while, Chiaki finally slowly lifted her head. She expressionlessly took out her cell phone and started sending something.

    Seiji soon received a text message. The content was the cell phone number of Chiaki¡¯s father, Shingo Wakaba.

    The text message also had one sentence: ¡°No matter what you do, you have to take responsibility for me!¡±

    Seiji¡¯s mouth tilted upwards as he nced over at Chiaki.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Seiji responded in his own text message. ¡°I shall take responsibility for you for my entire life.¡±

    Chiaki¡¯s mouth also tilted upwards when she received this text message.

    Natsuya also knew very little about the priests¡¯ descendants.

    ¡°Seventy years ago, the Yin Yang Master faction had a major battle against the priests during the chaos of the war against Antis. More urately speaking, the Yin Yang Masters were the leaders of a faction including other types of spiritual ability users. Everyone made a temporary alliance against the priests to fight for control over the mystical society that the priests had ruled for so long,¡± Natsuya exined to Seiji. ¡°The main reason for this major battle was because of the difference in opinion between the priests¡¯ faction and the Yin Yang Master faction about what to do regarding the war against Antis. To sum things up, the priests¡¯ faction believed that Sakura Ind should surrender to the Antis Empire in order to preserve peace and prosperity on Sakura Ind. The Yin Yang Master faction believed that Sakura Ind shouldn¡¯t surrender and should fight to the end instead to preserve everyone¡¯s pride.

    ¡°Judging from the situation at the time, both sides had reasonable arguments, and neither side was able to convince the other. That was why there was a major internal battle for control of Sakura Ind.

    ¡°You already know the result. The priests¡¯ faction was utterly defeated, and their members were killed off by the Yin Yang Master faction. Only a few were lucky enough to survive, leaving behind the priests¡¯ descendants of today.

    ¡°The great majority of surviving priests¡¯ descendants were women or children that had been spared. Most were epted into bing members of the major factions. A small portion returned to normal society and became ordinary people.

    ¡°So-called ¡®divine favor¡¯ is actually the ability to obtain and use the gods¡¯ powers¡­ that¡¯s what I believe.

    ¡°This type of ability is independent of spiritual ability users¡¯ abilities. That is to say, someone with absolutely zero spiritual ability still might have the ability to use divine powers.

    ¡°Itsuki Kamitani mentioned that Wakaba-san is a priest¡¯s descendant. This means that either he knows the Wakaba Family background, or he must have some unknown method of being able to find out if someone is a priest¡¯s descendant.

    ¡°¡­Of course, the prerequisite is that this information he told you is real.

    ¡°As for what will happen to priests¡¯ descendants with divine abilities in this current situation where the Realm of Cherry Blossoms is going wild and exerting its influence over our city¡­ I don¡¯t have a clue.

    ¡°Right now, all of the most important shrines in Sakura Ind¡­ basically, the shrines that house powerful gods are under the control of the Seven Great Yin Yang Master Families and other such top-level factions. Those who possess divine abilities and are able to use their gods¡¯ powers will absolutely be core members of the relevant Yin Yang Master faction. Any information about divine power users is considered absolute top secret.¡±

    ¡°Basically, it¡¯s hard to learn anything about them.¡± Seiji folded his arms.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s hard to even know the identity of someone who¡¯s a divine power user. Thus, I know even less about their current situation.¡± Natsuya sipped on some tea.

    ¡°Should I ask my sister Yui about this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that she knows more than I do about this. But, it¡¯s another matter whether she¡¯ll tell you or not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking as well.¡± Seiji sighed. He also took a teacup and sipped on some tea.

    ¡°Those with divine favor¡­ Chiaki¡¯s feeling of being constantly watched, could that have been a god paying attention to her?¡± Seiji surmised.

    ¡°That is quite possible,¡± Natsuya told him seriously.

    The gods are watching you¡­ It would seem that in this world, this phrase would be no mere joke.

    ¡°If there really is a god watching her, I hope that they will send a greeting so that we can at least learn who it is,¡± Seijimented helplessly.

 Chapter 751 - Whos free tonight?

    <h4>Chapter 751: Who¡¯s free tonight?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Some timeter, Natsuya finished her tea and left.

    Seiji continued drinking his tea and waited for others to arrive.

    Mika, Kaede, Yukari, Kazuko, Kaho, and Hisashi arrived at his ce in that order.

    Hoshi was busy with his part-time job and couldn¡¯te. Surprisingly, Hisashi had the time toe over.

    Hisashi and Kaede¡¯s father, Michirou Juumonji, had left the hospital and returned to their main residence, taking over the duties of running the Juumonji Mafia group again.

    This meant that Hisashi no longer had his heavy responsibilities, and could go back to being an otaku gamer all day¡­ such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all.

    Actually, Michirou could have returned long ago. But after seeing that Hisashi was doing such a good job running the Juumonji Mafia, Michirou decided to spend some more time resting in the hospital.

    After he finally left the hospital, he used the excuse of needing to rest up to only take back part of his original duties¡ªand this was only because Hisashi strongly requested him to do so.

    After the knight order members gathered and had a strategy conference, they put on theirbat equipment and finished their preparations for entering Kazuko¡¯s Domain.

    Likely due to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ influence, the difficulty of the monsters in the Domain had obviously risen.

    In the very first battle against mob monsters, King level Sakura samurai appeared in the first wave. After that, the boss battles involved not only Sakura samurai armies and tree demons, but also a Sakura female demon!

    With the Sakura female demon¡¯s buff effects for the other samurai, the army¡¯sbat strength was improved to a whole different level. Since there were also many tree demons, the knight order members felt severe pressure facing against them.

    Seiji helped out and also had Kaho release her massive AOE insect swarm attack. Only then was everyone able to stop the first monster wave¡¯s ferocious attacks.

    Everyone fought their hardest and slowly got closer to the Sakura female demon. Yukari and Mika then used abination attack to ambush and y the Sakura female demon by using ck spiderweb and Mika¡¯s signature Dimension Shattering Jade.

    After the Sakura female demon was killed, the Sakura samurai army was instantly weakened. This allowed the insect swarm to devour the entire army.

    Without therge number of weaker monsters harassing them, it became much easier for the knight order members to deal with the remaining elite monsters.

    In the second wave of monster attacks, even more King level demons appeared. That wasn¡¯t much of a problem still, but the issue was that three Sakura female demons appeared together with the final bosses for the second wave!

    Luckily, it appeared that their buff effects weren¡¯t exactly ovepping for the Sakura samurai army. Seiji estimated that if one Sakura female demon buffed all Sakura samurai¡¯s stats by +10%, then the three Sakura female demons¡¯ buffs stacked together roughly buffed the Sakura samurai¡¯s stats by about 15%.

    Still, this was rather troublesome. Seiji had to support Kaho using his Mana so that she could send out an evenrger and stronger insect swarm. Only then was everyone able to withstand the Sakura samurai army.

    Seiji then increased the degree of his helping out in the battle. He singlehandedly slew numerous General and King level demons, along with several tree demons and a Sakura female demon.

    In the third wave of monster attacks, more tree demons appeared yet again. During the boss battle stage, a new type of monster, Sakura Mist Demon, appeared!

    Just as the name suggested, Sakura Mist Demons had bodies of corporeal mist. They were shaped like gigantic humanoids, and moved by floating around. Their danger level was ssified as ¡°evil demon¡±.

    These demons were individually stronger than tree demons or Sakura female demons. Not only that, these Mist Demons werepletely immune to physical attacks! Basically, only spiritual magic attacks could harm them. These Mist Demons could also split themselves or reform their bodies. They were also capable of devouring allied Sakura samurai when they were weak to recover.

    When the individual Sakura Mist Demon approached, Seiji decisively greeted it with his [Demon Suppression Bell] as a weing gift!

    He had instantly judged that nobody on his team could handle the Mist Demon except for himself. If he didn¡¯t kill this monster immediately, it was highly likely that one of hispanions would be severely injured, or even worse.

    The pitiful Mist Demon was instantly vaporized upon arrival because Seiji considered it to be too strong. It didn¡¯t even get a chance to show off its abilities.

    Everyone in the knight order was exhausted after the training in the Domain ended.

    Rather than physical fatigue, they felt more mental fatigue.

    This round of training had given them far too much pressure. If it wasn¡¯t for Seiji¡¯s presence, they would have retreated already during the first monster wave. It was certain that they would have all been defeated or even died without Seiji¡¯s presence.

    While Seiji¡¯spanions were so tired that they had no energy to speak, Seiji was having a great time. He had obtained a bountiful harvest of Inner World Crystals!

    The normal Sakura samurai demons dropped 83 crystals. The General demons dropped 46. The Kings dropped 7. The tree demons dropped 12. The Sakura female demons dropped 3. And, the lone Mist Demon dropped 1 crystal. The evidence proved that an increased difficulty would also increase the overall number and quality of the dropped crystals!

    But, it was also possible that this was all due to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ influence¡­ Seiji decided to try training in the domain tomorrow again. If it was indeed true that an increased difficulty would increase the dropped loot, then he would increase the difficulty by as much everyone could handle.

    Seiji brought the Inner World Crystals into his room, opened up his system, chose [Furniture] from its menu, and exchanged for furniture he felt was necessary for his [Spirit House].

    After he finished his purchase, he counted the remaining crystals, and then walked out of his room back to the living room.

    ¡°Who¡¯s free tonight?¡± Seiji asked all hispanions who were still gathered there.

    Later that night.

    The knight order members that trained in the Domain earlier today were gathered together once more. Hoshi was here as well.

    Natsuya, Hitaka, and Rana also arrived.

    It was the first time for Yukari and many of the other members to meet the cute cat girl Rana. They all wanted to approach her, but Rana avoided them as if she was an actual cat.

    Although nobody seeded in getting close to her, they all felt that Rana was really cute.

    ¡°As expected of the legendary creature in our school,¡± Yukarimented.

    Then, right in front of everyone, Seiji opened the door to his [Spirit House]!

    Everyone witnessed a gray crack magically appear in midair. This crack opened up into an oval shape, which had a ck and white Yin Yang diagram spinning inside. This gave everything a mystical air.

    Seiji walked through the teleportation portal first.

    Natsuya, Hitaka, and Rana followed after. Then, Mika, Kaede, Yukari, Hoshi, Hisashi, Kazuko, and Kaho followed¡ªin that order. Mai was thest to enter.

    ¡°Wee to my personal dimension.¡± Seiji extended his palms towards everyone as they arrived in the living room of his [Spirit House].

    Tatami mats covered the floor, and a wooden round table was in the center of the room. A beautiful teapot and numerous teacups were set on the table. Whitenterns were hanging from the walls and ceiling, while giving off a gentle orange glow.

    A wooden horizontal pull style door was to the right, with a sign that said ¡°Dojo¡± on the door. To the left were two wooden doors. One door had a sign saying ¡°Restroom¡±, while the other sign said ¡°Warehouse¡±.

    There was nothing else apart from these few rooms in the [Spirit House].

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, it¡¯s rtively simple. What¡¯s important is what we can do here.¡± Seiji walked towards the right and opened up the door to the dojo, entering inside.

    Everyone followed after him. They saw that the dojo had wooden flooring andnterns as illumination.

    Right across from the door was arge watercolor painting hanging from the wall!

    Three figures with their back turned to the viewer were within the painting. The person in the middle was a Yin Yang Master with a talisman in hand, wearing white hunting attire. The leftmost person was a samurai who wore pitch-ck armor and held a longsword in his hand. The rightmost person was a woman who wore beautiful clothing and held a paper umbre.

    The three of them were observing falling flower petals before them as if there was something there. They seemed to be facing off against something, giving the painting an aura of tension¡­ Suddenly, the painting seemed to be animated, just as if it wasn¡¯t a painting, but rather a dimensional portal right into those three¡¯s world.

    This was a Spirit Image!

    And, it was an incredibly high-quality Spirit Image¡­ While Mika and the others had no idea, Natsuya and her two Spirit-branded Retainers could tell that this Spirit Image for cultivation was far higher quality than any they had ever seen before! Just seeing this made the three want to enter Visualization right here and now.

    ¡°How did you obtain this Spirit Image?¡± Natsuya couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    She was already astonished enough that Seiji had been able to craft his personal dimension into something like an actual ce to live in. What was going on with this super high-quality Spirit Image? Where did he obtain it from? Who drew it?

    ¡°It was created by itself.¡± Seiji awkwardly scratched his face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it was created¡­ I wanted one, so my dimension created it.¡±

    Natsuya was rendered speechless.

    ¡®It was useless to even ask. I should just give up trying to understand what he can do,¡¯ she mentallymented to herself.

    All the others were absorbed in looking at this incredible seemingly alive painting. They naturally stared at it, feeling like it was constantly erging, with the picture appearing ever closer, more colorful, and more realistic¡­

    Suddenly, something in the atmosphere changed! Seiji received a system notification that numerous people were now in the middle of cultivating in his dojo. This would also cost him an amount of crystals he had stored up in his warehouse.

    Looking at hispanions, he saw that every single person present, except for Natsuya, was quietly looking at the Spirit Image and giving off mysterious aura. It was obvious that they had all entered a special realm.

    They were all undergoing Visualization¡­ it was amazing that they all had sessfully entered Visualization, something supposed to be highly difficult, with just a single look! Wasn¡¯t great concentration supposed to be required for Visualization?

    His system¡¯s Spirit Image was even more effective than Seiji had anticipated.

    This was a good thing. Still, with so many people standing here standing still as if they were all hypnotized zombies, it did appear a little strange.

    Natsuya was shocked to her core once again to see that not only Hitaka, Rana, and Mai, but even Mika and all the newbies that didn¡¯t know what a Spirit Image was had all sessfully entered Visualization.

    This Spirit Image¡­ what the hell was it!?

 Chapter 752 - Pay me with your body

    <h4>Chapter 752: Pay me with your body</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji exined to Natsuya about this Spirit Image¡¯s special qualities that he had read about in his system.

    It was a Spirit Image that could help people to enter Visualization the moment they looked at it¡­ this was doubtlessly the highest quality type of Spirit Image out there! Natsuya gave up entirely on understanding just how Seiji had managed to craft it.

    Such a Spirit Image would surely sell for a tremendously high price if it was to be sold. But, unfortunately, this Spirit Image couldn¡¯t be taken out of Seiji¡¯s personal dimension. It could only be used here.

    Natsuya asked if she could try Visualization with it as well. Seiji told her she was more than wee to.

    Soon, Natsuya entered the state of Visualization just like everyone else.

    Seiji really wanted to try using the Spirit Image that his system had crafted as he hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to try it for himself yet. But, with everyone else in the state of Visualization, he felt that he needed to stay behind and watch over them.

    And so, Seiji practiced cultivating a new spell while observing how everyone else was doing.

    Mai was the first to wake up and regain her senses.

    She blinked and felt like her head was really heavy. It took several seconds before her brain started working properly again.

    ¡®What happened to me? Where am I? Why am I here?¡¯

    And then, she recalled everything, and was astonished.

    ¡®I actually became so absorbed in that painting that I entered Visualization!?¡¯

    Mai had never sessfully entered Visualization in her life, or even anything close. Yet, she was actually able to do so just now!?

    ¡°Senpai, you¡¯re awake,¡± a voice spoke up next to her.

    She reflexively turned to look and saw Seiji.

    Seeing his handsome face, she recalled the experience she just had during Visualization, causing her to begin blushing.

    In her Visualization realm, Mai had dreamed about herself being a ninja who carried out a mission together with herpanions. During the mission, they were ambushed unexpectedly by a vicious demon.

    Some of herpanions were killed, while others were captured. Finally, she was the only one remaining. While struggling with all her might, she was saved by a Yin Yang Master.

    This Yin Yang Master was physically identical to Seiji. And, his name was Seiji Kamijou!

    She received healing and treatment from ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡±. The two of them then fought demons together while saving Mai¡¯spanions who had been captured. During this process, romantic feelings bloomed between them¡­

    Mai felt quite awkward as she recalled some of the rather¡­ steamy moments between herself and the Seiji Kamijou from that dream.

    ¡®That¡¯s not something that I actually want! I just got too immersed during Visualization. It¡¯s not rted to reality at all!¡¯ Mai said that to herself in her mind.

    ¡°Senpai?¡± Seiji noticed that something seemed to be a little strange about Mai. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± Mai forced herself to forget the scenes in her mind.

    ¡°Are you really alright?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m alright.¡±

    Seiji blinked as he looked directly at her.

    ¡°How was your Visualization just now?¡± He changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯ve sessfully entered Visualization, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mai looked at the Spirit Image again. ¡°This painting is truly miraculous. It even allowed someone like me with low spiritual ability to sessfully Visualize.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that it was useful to Senpai.¡± Seiji smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯d really like to know how you¡¯ve obtained this Spirit Image, but I suppose I won¡¯t receive an answer.¡± Mai looked back at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to answer, but even I don¡¯t know how it was created in my dimension.¡± Seiji shrugged.

    This was a question that only his system could answer. Yet, his system was the rare type which was permanently silent. Maybe it was the story type where the cheat power required no exnation?

    Something shed in Mai¡¯s eyes.

    While she appeared calm on the surface, it was difficult for her to suppress her inner turmoil.

    She had been tested to have very little talent for spiritual ability or Mana when she was young. Thus, it was difficult for her to ever improve her power level. But after seeing this unique Spirit Image, she easily entered Visualization without even realizing it. She could also feel that her spiritual power had evidently improved¡­ what did this mean?

    This meant that a path previously sealed to her had finally opened up!

    This path had been opened so ¡°easily¡±, to the point where she felt like it wasn¡¯t real. Yet, she could concretely feel that her spiritual power had indeed improved.

    ¡°Young Master Haruta¡­ May I continue using this Spirit Image to Visualize in the future?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Do I need to pay anything for it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Please go ahead and use it anytime you want. No need to be polite.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an eptable answer!¡± Mai decisively denied him. ¡°That¡¯s the worst type of answer at all, not wanting anything in return. I¡¯m not a member of your knight order team, nor am I one of your girlfriends. Why be so generous to me?¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless for a moment.

    ¡°Senpai¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop! I know that you¡¯re about to try some sophistry on me, but that won¡¯t work with me,¡± the maid adamantly refused.

    ¡®What¡¯s with saying that I use sophistry?¡¯ Seijimented in his mind.

    ¡°I only feel that there¡¯s no need to mind this¡­ Although there is indeed a slight cost to allowing Senpai to use the Spirit Image, with our rtionship, there¡¯s no need to pay it any mind. It¡¯s just like how Senpai has never minded helping me before,¡± Seiji stated sincerely.

    ¡°I have minded.¡±

    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I have.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I have!¡± Mai clutched her chest.

    ¡®You have ample of something else¡­¡¯ Seiji almost said what he thought out loud as he nced at her ample bosom.

    ¡®Such a troublesome maid Senpai I have.¡¯ Seiji stopped staring and thought things over.

    ¡°If you really mind so much, why not pay me with your body?¡±

    Mai: ¡°!?¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­ sofortable¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s the spot¡­ use some more force¡­ ahh¡­

    ¡°Wow¡­ Senpai¡­ amazing¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop making strange sounds!¡± Mai forcefully squeezed Seiji¡¯s arm.

    She was currently giving him a massage.

    Of course, Seiji had been joking when he said to ¡°pay him with her body.¡± He¡¯d actually meant that she could work, as in give him a massage.

    Seiji was currently lying face down on the dojo¡¯s ground, with Mai kneeling next to him and massaging his shoulders.

    The maid had an annoyed expression and seemed slightly angry.

    While she appeared angry on the surface, she was actually pretending in order to conceal what she felt.

    When she heard ¡°pay with your body,¡± she had been astonished, and also a little¡­ she felt a subtle emotion that could perhaps be described as ¡°secretly delighted.¡±

    This caused her to feel some self-loathing.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t immediately realize that he was joking, and even felt like that¡­¡¯ Mai¡¯s feelings were currently ratherplex.

    It was all this idiot¡¯s fault!

    She keptining in her heart, and wanted to squeeze him harder during the massage to punish him. Yet, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so.

    Not only that, touching his body like this caused her to recall her experience during Visualization, and the intimate contact she had with the ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡± from her dream. This caused her to be even more flustered.

    Meanwhile, Seiji knew absolutely nothing about all this.

    Right now, he truly felt that it was a wonderful idea to ask Mai to give him a massage. Her massage felt wonderful!

    As she massaged him, he felt his muscles rxing more and more. It felt as if all the fatigue hidden deep within him had been released, which was a wondrous sensation.

    ¡°Senpai¡­ you can use some more force¡­¡± Seiji sighed in pleasure.

    After hearing this, the frustrated maid instantly sat on top of Seiji¡¯s back and forcefully squeezed his back!

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Seiji felt some slight pain.

    But more than that, he wondered about her current pose!

    He could feel that it wasn¡¯t only her hands on his back anymore¡­ could it be that she was sitting on him?

    Seiji instantly couldn¡¯t help but imagine what it would look like with the maid actively massaging him while sitting on him. He felt that something seemed rather suggestive about such a pose.

    ¡°Senpai, you¡¯re¡­ ah¡­¡±

    He felt some slight pain from her forceful massaging, but in a way, this felt good as well.

    Forget it¡­ Seiji decided to stop caring about what position Mai was currently in. It was fine as long as it wasfortable.

    Meanwhile, as Mai sat on his back and heard such soundsing from Seiji, she felt a mysterious sense of pleasure. She felt as if she was riding and had conquered him.

    ¡®No, I¡¯m only giving him a massage!¡¯

    Although she tried telling herself this, she actually enjoyed such a feeling, looking down at and toying with him. She didn¡¯t even realize that her lips were arcing upward.

    ¡®You¡¯ve brought this upon yourself, Young Master Haruta.¡¯

 Chapter 753 - Such a sinful young master

    <h4>Chapter 753: Such a sinful young master</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kaho was the second to return to her senses after Visualization.

    While still in a daze and recovering, she heard some strange sounds. Kaho turned around, only to witness Seiji lying face down on the ground with the maid Mai sitting on top of him. She was instantly astonished by the sight.

    ¡°Senpai, that¡¯s enough now¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not finished yet.¡±

    Seiji indicated that Mai could end the massage, but the maid absolutely insisted on continuing. She also continued to use great force with her massage, making Seiji utter strange sounds.

    Kaho didn¡¯t know how to react to this scene. She wanted to ask what was going on, but felt too awkward to ask.

    Seiji was finally ¡°released¡± by Mai a few minutester.

    ¡®She really takes her maid work too seriously,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself as he got up from the dojo floor and exined that Mai had been giving him a massage. He also asked Kaho if she had sessfully entered Visualization.

    Kaho¡¯s face instantly flushed red.

    Seeing such a reaction out of her, Mai immediately guessed at what Kaho must have seen in her dream.

    ¡®Such a sinful young master,¡¯ the maidmented in her mind.

    Kaho had indeed Visualized sessfully, but she didn¡¯t want to tell Seiji about what she¡¯d experienced in her dream. As for Seiji, since he had his own Visualization experience which he felt was embarrassing to talk about, he thought it was only normal to not want to talk about it, so he didn¡¯t pry any further.

    After that, everyone else gradually returned from Visualization as well.

    A simple look at this Spirit Image had caused every single person here to easily enter Visualization!

    Everyone¡¯s spiritual power improved by an obvious amount. Mika had the greatest improvement, followed by Hoshi and Yukari. Judging by how much they improved, just four or five more instances of Visualization would allow them to reach the spiritual power required to be a Spirit-branded Retainer!

    Was this due to the miraculous quality of the Spirit Image, or because of the Awakened¡¯s potential?

    Natsuya felt that it was abination of both.

    She no longer cared enough to calcte just how amazing all of this really was. At any rate, the knight order¡¯s potential seemed limitless. If everyone sessfully grew at their current rate, it would be impossible to imagine what they would end up like in the future. But, one thing was certain: Seiji¡¯s knight order would definitely end up as a powerful new faction!

    Apart from these real life factors, Natsuya also felt even more confidence in her assessment due to what she saw in her dream world during Visualization.

    In her dream world, she was a Yin Yang Master just like in the real world. She was a couple with a Seiji whosest name was ¡°Kamijou¡±, and they had pretty much the same boyfriend/girlfriend rtionship they did in the real world.

    However, the difference was that the Seiji Kamijou in Natsuya¡¯s dream was far stronger than Seiji was. Not only was he incredibly strong, he even had numerous powerful Spirit-branded Retainers serving under him. This Seiji Kamijou was basically like the legendary strongest Yin Yang Master in history, Seimei Kamijou!

    Even though this was only a dream she had during Visualization, which couldn¡¯t be treated as real, Natsuya faintly felt like this was a premonition of Seiji¡¯s possible future.

    Once she leaned from Hitaka, Rana, Mai, and all the others that every single person present had dreamed about ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡± during Visualization, Natsuya felt even more certain!

    Seiji also mentioned that he had be ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡± during his previous Visualization experience.

    It was possible that everyone witnessing Seiji Kamijou during Visualization was due to an effect of this special Spirit Image. But it could also be interpreted in other ways¡­ differing depending on the individual.

    After everyone discussed their Visualization circumstances, they then tried to practice their abilities or spells in the dojo.

    Everyone¡¯s abilities and spells caused zero damage to the dojo¡¯s walls and floor. Not even a scratch was left behind. This proved that Seiji¡¯s dimension was highly durable.

    Kazuko tried her very best, but was unable to open up the portal to her Domain here. She then tried going to the living room of Seiji¡¯s dimension, but was still unable to do so.

    Apart from Kazuko, everyone else was sessful in using their abilities here. They experienced how easy it was to cultivate here, doing it with a refreshing and rxing feeling. Soon, just like Seiji¡¯s first cultivation attempt here, they all became unknowingly immersed in cultivation.

    When it was finally time to leave Seiji¡¯s realm, everyone had made plenty of progress.

    They were all delighted with their own personal improvements. Everyone praised this location and how miraculous it was, along with the miracle worker himself, Seiji.

    ¡°Creating and using this location all requires Inner World Crystals. And, Inner World Crystals are something that everyone obtained together while fighting. So, this ce is the result of everyone¡¯sbined efforts.¡± Seiji smiled as he said this.

    Right now, he still wasn¡¯t certain that increasing the difficulty of monsters in Kazuko¡¯s Domain would equal an increase in crystals dropped. He would experiment tomorrow, and if that was really the case, then he would increase the difficulty, obtain more crystals, and improve his Spirit House so that his knight order members could cultivate even longer and better here so that everyone could challenge even higher difficulties¡­ forming a virtuous cycle.

    Well, this was basically the equivalent of a mobile game, with dungeon grinding, building structures, and leveling your team!

    ¡°I have named this ce the ¡®Spirit House.¡¯ From now on, this is our True Knight Order¡¯s dimensional base.¡± Seiji announced the name of this ce to everyone.

    ¡°That kind of name seems way too in for such an awesome ce.¡± Hisashi adjusted his eyesses. ¡°I rmend that this ce be called the ¡®Realm of the Gods!''¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless by Hisashi¡¯s idea.

    ¡°What does everyone think of the name?¡± He asked for the others¡¯ opinions.

    ¡°¡®Realm of the Gods¡­¡¯ Although it sounds rather mighty, it also sounds really embarrassing,¡± Mikamented.

    ¡°Still, the name that Seiji gave this ce really is rather in. We shoulde up with a mightier and cooler name,¡± Yukari remarked.

    ¡°I hope that Senpai cane up with a cooler name,¡± Hoshi agreed.

    ¡°I think that ¡®Realm of the Gods¡¯ is a fitting name¡­ although it does indeed sound somewhat embarrassing.¡± Kaho agreed with Hisashi.

    ¡°I think that ¡®Spirit House¡¯ is a fine name. It¡¯s simple and descriptive.¡± Natsuya stood on Seiji¡¯s side.

    There were plenty of people that agreed with both Seiji or Hisashi¡¯s suggestion. Seiji himself was unsure whether he should adopt Hisashi¡¯s rmended name for the Spirit House or not. On one hand, Realm of the Gods indeed sounded mightier and cooler than Spirit House, but on the other hand, Realm of the Gods sounded somewhat overboard to him.

    ¡°Does anyone else have a name suggestion for this ce?¡±

    ¡°How about ¡®Harem House?''¡± Mai made a suggestion.

    Everyone was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Tee-hee.¡± As the subtle atmosphere persisted, Kazuko broke the silence by giggling. ¡°I agree with the name ¡®Harem House.¡± Sheughed while raising her hand.

    ¡°If that¡¯s what our King wishes¡­¡± Hisashi looked towards Seiji.

    ¡°Not at all! Rejected!!¡±

    ¡°Why are you rejecting this name? Isn¡¯t it quite appropriate?¡±

    ¡°The hell with that!¡±

    After retorting, Seiji had everyone vote between the names Spirit House and Realm of the Gods.

    In the end, the name Spirit House won the vote.

    Hisashi still didn¡¯t want to give up on the name he¡¯de up with. He rmended that the name Realm of the Gods be used as a code name, for example when they were out in public. Seiji agreed to this proposal.

    Everyone then left the Spirit House and all returned to their own homes.

    Chiaki strongly requested to sleep in Seiji¡¯s apartment tonight. She even brought over her nket.

    ¡°There¡¯s an unknown god watching me. It¡¯s really scary! That¡¯s why I have to sleep with you in your bed!¡± Chiaki acted like this was her only option.

    *Shing!* Shika slowly unsheathed her Demon de Muramasa.

    Chiaki was quite scared by Shika¡¯s sudden movement. Seiji hadn¡¯t even noticed that his adopted younger sister had been sitting there with sword equipped!

    After Shika unsheathed her sword, she took out a piece of white paper, and slowly started wiping the de¡­ it was evident that she was doing the sword¡¯s maintenance.

    But, this was something that one would typically do in their room.

    The ck-haired girl who was cleaning her Demon de¡­ This scene seemed quite beautiful, but also a little spine-chilling.

    ¡°¡­I was just joking about sleeping in Seiji¡¯s bed. I actually want to sleep in the living room.¡± Chiaki gave up on her idea.

    ¡°How long do you want to stay over at my ce? One night? Or a longer time?¡±

    ¡°Of course, forev¡ª I mean, until this incident is over with.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to sleep in the living room for that many days.¡± Seiji looked directly at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep on my bed, and I¡¯ll sleep in the living room instead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll mind. If you want to sleep at my ce, you have to sleep in my room. I won¡¯t ept any other opinions.¡±

 Chapter 754 - Stay by her side and protect her

    <h4>Chapter 754: Stay by her side and protect her</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll just go back to my apartment to sleep instead.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you feeling scared?¡±

    ¡°Although I¡¯m scared, I can¡¯t have you sleeping in the living room.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with sleeping in the living room.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t want Chiaki to sleep in the living room for multiple nights, but Chiaki also didn¡¯t want Seiji to have to sleep in the living room. That was why she preferred to return to her own apartment rather than having Seiji make such a sacrifice.

    But, she said that she was scared, and Seiji was indeed worried about her and wanted her to stay here.

    So, he decided to simply move her bed into his apartment! With his boosted physical strength as a spiritual ability user, this was quite an easy matter.

    Seiji put Chiaki¡¯s bed in the study and tidied it up for her. That settled the matter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be quite happy if you attack me in the middle of the night~¡± Chiaki made a seductive gesture as she sat down on her bed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around¡­ just go to sleep properly. Call for me if anything is wrong at all.¡± To be honest, Seiji¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    Later that night, his lust arose and he couldn¡¯t help but vite her¡­ such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all.

    All he did was get up in the night to check on her. He saw that Chiaki was fast asleep, with nothing out of the ordinary, so all he did was adjust her nket for her.

    Of course, he did feel something as he looked at his girlfriend¡¯s sleeping face. Still, it wasn¡¯t to the point of pouncing on her.

    Nothing happened that entire night.

    The next morning, Yui arrived at Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    Seiji got on her car and told her about what he heard from Itsuki Kamitani, including the information on Chiaki.

    ¡°You can choose one of two options now,¡± Yui spoke up after a period of silence.

    ¡°First is to hand that Chiaki Wakaba person over to me¡­ basically, hand her to Soul Society. Second is to protect her using your own strength.¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    This caused him to recall the final choice he had to make during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament regarding what he would do with the Bloodwine reward.

    As if his system was tacitly cooperating with his memory, it suddenly offered him some conversation options¡­

    [A: I believe in you. I¡¯ll hand Chiaki over to you.]

    [B: I believe in you, but I can¡¯t trust Soul Society the same way¡­ I¡¯ll protect Chiaki using my own power.]

    [C: I need to know more. What¡¯s going to happen to Chiaki? What will happen if I hand her over to Soul Society?]

    Seiji chose option C, wanting to know more.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what will happen. Maybe nothing will happen at all. Or, maybe things will be¡­ highly dangerous.¡± Something shed in Yui¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you hand her over to Soul Society, we will protect her life within certain limits. But if those limits are stretched, she will be dealt with.¡±

    Dealt with¡­ this phrase caused Seiji¡¯s expression to turn icy.

    Soul Society was no charity organization, nor was it an organization standing for justice. Just as Hana said, it would be more urate to describe Soul Society as an organization for maintaining order in the mystical society.

    ¡°Order¡± was not the equivalent of ¡°kindness.¡± Sometimes, violence and cruel acts would be necessary to maintain order in any society. Seiji was quite clear on this.

    He didn¡¯t me Yui for this. Rather, he was thankful to her for telling him more clearly.

    ¡°How should I protect her?¡± Seiji asked this question, indicating what he wanted to do.

    ¡°Stay by her side and protect her,¡± Yui answered with a serious expression.

    ¡°And so, that¡¯s why you brought her along as well.¡±

    The student council president looked over at Chiaki after Seiji arrived at Natsuya¡¯s residence together with Chiaki. Seiji had just finished exining Chiaki¡¯s situation.

    Chiaki put on a cute smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± Seiji nodded.

    When he¡¯d asked Chiaki toe together with him to Natsuya¡¯s residence, Chiaki didn¡¯t object at all. Rather, she was quite happy to do so.

    Shika hade along as well. Kaede was off from work today, so she was babysitting Reo.

    Hisashi, Yukari, Hoshi, Kazuko, Kaho, and Mayuzumi all arrived at Natsuya¡¯s residence as well.

    Chiaki greeted everyone. This was her first time meeting Hisashi in person, but they had previously chatted online and were familiar with each other. Chiaki had also already heard about Kazuko¡¯s identity. When Chiaki met Kazuko for the first time, Chiaki¡¯s eyes lit up as she smiled in delight.

    After everyone gathered here, Seiji exined to everyone regarding Chiaki¡¯s situation. After that, he began a strategy conference together with Natsuya and Hitaka as well.

    At this moment, Chiaki discovered a wild cat girl Rana. Chiaki immediately chucked a Master Ball at Rana¡­ whoops, pounced towards the cat girl! But, Rana was able to agilely dodge.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run from me~ Kirin-chan~~¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    The tomboy chased the cat girl out of the room. Chiaki seemed to be having fun.

    After the strategy conference, everyone changed into theirbat equipment.

    Hitaka was still wearing her typical red dress forbat. Hisashi and the others who saw this for the first time were all astonished by her striking appearance.

    However, Natsuya didn¡¯t wear form-fitting attire this time. She copied Seiji and wore a simr jacket for herbat attire.

    Natsuya¡¯s jacket was red and white. Since the scion had an excellent figure, the jacket made her seem handsome and cool yet also alluringly beautiful. She especially seemed like a perfect match when she stood next to Seiji who wore a dark gray jacket. They seemed like the male and female leads right out of an RPG video game!

    ¡®This type of attire is nice as well, but I still prefer what she wore previously¡­¡¯ Yukari thought that to herself.

    Last time, when she returned home, Yukari immediately drew many ero sketches using Natsuya as the model. Natsuya¡¯s appearance in form-fitting attire had given her such an impact that the image etched itself deeply into Yukari¡¯s mind. Yukari was then able toplete a wonderful drawing after the sketches. It was so wonderful that she didn¡¯t even want to upload it to her inte gallery. She preferred to keep it to herself instead.

    After Yukari had learned that Natsuya would join this next training session, she looked forward to seeing the student council president in form-fitting attire once more. However, this time her expectations came up empty.

    Seiji had actually requested Natsuya to change her outfit. That was because Natsuya looked way too sexy in her outfit, which he felt would be a bad influence¡­

    Fine, he had to admit that it was because he didn¡¯t want any other males to see her with such an appearance! It was no good even if Natsuya was wearing a cape.

    Natsuya was quite happy with the way Seiji felt. She speedily prepared a ¡°couples jacket¡± in the same style as his to match him.

    Hisashi and the others all sincerely praised Natsuya¡¯s beauty and her excellent pairing with Seiji.

    Mika had an envious look in her eyes, which Seiji noticed.

    ¡°Do you all want to wear somebat equipment that looks even better?¡± he asked everyone.

    ¡°This humble one has no objections to his currentbat clothing. But, if possible, of course I¡¯d like to wear something cooler!¡± Hisashi stated.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Yukarimented.

    ¡°Same for me¡­¡± Hoshi also agreed.

    ¡°I think this current clothing is fine,¡± Mayuzumi mentioned.

    ¡°I also think the current clothing is fine,¡± Kaho agreed with Mayuzumi.

    ¡°I¡­ also agree that the current clothing is alright,¡± Mika stated in a low voice. But although she said this, her expression betrayed her.

    It would be expensive to havebat equipment crafted for everyone. But if Seiji only went for looks rather than improved functionality, he could afford to outfit everyone with cooler-looking customized equipment with his current wealth.

    He thus mentioned the idea of outfitting everyone with cooler-lookingbat clothing. However, the knight order members asked what the price of outfitting everyone with basic equipment would be, and then everyone rejected the idea of having him do this.

    It was too expensive! Even if the knight order members didn¡¯t need to pay this cost, it wasn¡¯t an ignorable price¡­ Or perhaps it should be said that it was precisely because everyone wasn¡¯t paying themselves that they cared even more.

    ¡°No need to mind this amount of money. This isn¡¯t muchpared to how much work everyone is putting in,¡± Seiji told them.

    Even though he said this, Yukari and the others still wouldn¡¯t agree to let him pay for them.

    After seeing this, Seiji gave up on the idea of outfitting everyone with cooler-looking gear.

    Still, it was important to level up everyone¡¯s equipment in the future. He would have to start thinking about it.

    After this training session in the domain, Seiji decided to assign everyone some ¡°homework¡±, having them all write down their ideas and thoughts on how to upgrade and make some custom equipment for themselves. He would use this as a reference.

    As for Mika¡­ he had another idea just for her.

    After everyone was finished preparing, they all entered Kazuko¡¯s Domain and started battling!

    As Seiji had requested, Kazuko increased the difficulty of her Domain.

 Chapter 755 - Snake Demon and Samurai Demon

    <h4>Chapter 755: Snake Demon and Samurai Demon</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This time, tree demons appeared in the very first round. The monsters¡¯ difficulty level was evidently harder than in yesterday¡¯s training session.

    However, since Shika, Natsuya, and Hitaka had joined in for today¡¯s training session, the fighting was actually easier than thest time.

    Three Sakura female demons and one Mist Demon appeared together during the first boss fight round!

    Seiji supported Kaho with his Mana, having her release an insect swarm to fight against the buffed regr Sakura samurai army and the tree demons. Natsuya dealt with the Mist Demon, Shika and Hoshi teamed up against a Sakura female demon, Hitaka and Hisashi teamed up against the second female demon, and Mika and Yukari teamed up against the third demon, while Mayuzumi and her summoned spirit Idelia provided cover for everyone¡­ All the team members performed excellently and dealt with the monsters without much trouble.

    In the second monster wave, more tree demons appeared, and there were more female demons and Mist Demons in the boss fight round.

    Seiji¡¯s group dealt with the second boss fight using the exact same tactics, except with Seiji and Natsuya teaming up against the Mist Demons.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t surprised when Sakura female demons appeared together with the regr monsters in the third wave of attacks.

    During the boss fight, some new demons appeared for the first time. Sakura Snake Demons and Samurai Demons!

    As the name suggested, a Snake Demon was a gigantic snake-like spiritual monster with a body length of over fifty meters! Its ck scales shone with a metallic sheen, and it had blood-red eyes that kept emitting a red mist which curled around it. This made it seem as if its body was on fire.

    The Snake Demon moved by flying. Its gigantic body seemed to glide in midair, which was a stunning visual impact that caused almost everyone to pause in surprise.

    The Samurai Demon was a much stronger and leveled up version of the regr Sakura samurai. This demon¡¯s body was seventeen meters tall, and it wore ck armor that shone with an identical metallic sheen, just like the Snake Demon¡¯s scales. It also had blood-red eyes that constantly emitted a red mist that surrounded its body.

    Although the Samurai Demon was only one-third the size of the Snake Demon, it still gave off a powerful pressuring aura as it walked over with a sword in each hand! It made everyone feel as if they were facing off against a giant mecha.

    Seiji had yet to fight against a mecha in real life. But as he looked over the giant Samurai Demon, he felt that it would feel simr to this.

    The Snake Demon and Samurai Demon were both ssified as vicious demon danger level!

    Not only Seiji¡¯s knight order members, but even Natsuya and Shika felt pressure and danger from these two boss monsters.

    Seiji remained calm as something shed in his eyes.

    Kaho continued using her insect swarm to deal with the regr Sakura samurais and the tree demons. The insect swarm even managed to somewhat upy the Sakura female demons.

    The Snake Demon flew towards everyone, while the Samurai Demon approached from the ground. A group of Mist Demons followed behind them¡­ the insect swarm was basically ineffective against these stronger enemies.

    Everyone saw the Snake Demon open its mouth wide and swiftly gather red mist at its mouth. The red mist formed into a gigantic spiritual bullet that it then shot out!

    If this huge spiritual bullet hit anyone, it would surely cause serious injury or even death!

    Reversal spell, [Dragon Counterattack]!

    Seiji stood in front of everyone else and lifted his sword as he cast one of his ultimate defense spells. Arge amount of small spell formations instantly appeared before him, absorbing the monster¡¯s attack and transforming it into a divine dragon form that went straight back towards the Snake Demon!

    The golden dragon roared as it rushed towards the Snake Demon. However, the dragon exploded as it was sliced into two by a bright red arc right as it was about to hit the Snake Demon!

    The Samurai Demon had saved the Snake Demon.

    With a single swipe of the sword in its right hand, it had sent out a bright red wave of sword energy that crushed the [Dragon Counterattack] spell!

    The Samurai Demon then got on one knee. It was evident that it was gathering energy for some sort of attack.

    ¡°Retreat! Scatter!!¡± Seiji immediately shouted towards everyone.

    Spring! The Samurai Demon jumped high up into the air.

    Now, what did it feel like to see a seventeen-meter-tall giant jumping right towards you?

    It was difficult for Seiji to describe. The best analogy he coulde up with was seeing a meteor hurl straight at you¡­

    *BOOM!!!* The moment that the Samurai Demonnded, it swung down with both swords, sending out a huge area-of-effect shock wave!

    Since everyone had retreated in time, nobody was struck by the swords. However, everyone was hit by the shock wave.

    Fortunately, Natsuya had already cast a defensive barrier on everyone. In addition, everyone also had their own defensive abilities, so nobody was injured.

    Double [Overload] followed by [White Cmity]! Seiji decisively used his limited-usage ultimate abilities.

    A pure white spirit was instantly created.

    Natsuya and the others were shocked to see this.

    ¡°Shika-chan!¡±

    Hearing her adopted older brother call to her, Shika instantly understood what he wanted. She rushed up to the White Cmity spirit.

    The spirit entered her body, instantly causing her to glow with a faint white light. It felt like she was now releasing a powerful mystical aura.

    The [White Cmity] spirit that Seiji created was capable of attaching itself to any spiritual ability user. This was the first time Seiji and Shika were testing its abilities in actualbat, however.

    ¡°You take care of the Snake Demon!¡± Seiji told her.

    Rather than the Samurai Demon, the Snake Demon was the greater threat as it could move freely in the air. Only someone strong enough could fight against it.

    Shika immediately charged forward, jumping right at the Samurai Demon.

    The Samurai Demon swung its sword in an attempt to cleave her. However, it suddenly stopped in its movements.

    Destruction curse, ¡°Icefall¡±!

    A powerful chill started emanating from Shika¡¯s Demon de Muramasa. A giant sword of ice sliced down together with her de,nding a direct hit on the Samurai Demon¡¯s head!

    *Bam!!!* This one hit smashed the Samurai Demon¡¯s head into pieces, causing its armor to crack and emit arge amount of red mist.

    Shika then stepped on the now headless Samurai Demon¡¯s shoulder and used it as a tform to jump high up into the air, aiming right for the Snake Demon in the sky!

    The Snake Demon swung its tremendous tail with high speed right at Shika. But, somehow, the tail missed, and Shika counterattacked with a vicious stab into the tail that also allowed her to climb onto the demon¡¯s body.

    ng! ng! ng! ¡­Shika continuously swung her de, dealing heavy damage with each swing. This caused mist to constantly escape from the Snake Demon¡¯s body.

    ¡°Gyahhhh!!!¡± The Snake Demon made pitiful sounds as it started twisting abnormally in the air.

    While Shika was busy ying the Snake Demon, the fight on the ground was still continuing.

    Containment spell, ¡°Demon-sealing circle¡±!

    Natsuya cast a spell that created a giant dark red ring with a faint pentagram and shining runes within.

    The next moment, she pointed at the Samurai Demon, causing the ring to fly over and encircle it while glowing with a brilliant light!

    Mist kept escaping from the headless Samurai Demon¡¯s body which was shaking all over as if it was about to copse.

    Yet, the next instant, it swung both its swords, twirling around where it stood and letting off a powerful shock wave!

    *Shatter!* The dark red ring broke and disappeared with a sound like shattering ss.

    Seiji and Natsuyabined their barriers to block the shock wave.

    Everyone else had already retreated further back, so they weren¡¯t affected.

    Arge amount of mist swiftly started gathering at the Samurai Demon¡¯s missing head. However, Seiji wouldn¡¯t allow it to regrow a head freely. He immediately cast a spell¡­

    [Evolved Demon Suppression Bell]!

    *ng!!* A gigantic golden bell appeared, and covered the Samurai Demon¡­ no, more urately, it was onlyrge enough to cover the upper half of the Samurai Demon¡¯s body!

    This scene seemed almostical.

    While the Samurai Demon stopped moving for a moment, it then sent out another explosive shock wave that shattered the golden bell!

    The Samurai Demon then kneeled once again.

    Seeing that it was preparing another attack, Natsuya and Seiji tacitly took identical actions.

    Spirit sword, ¡°Red Lotus¡±! Natsuya¡¯s sword started glowing a dark red.

    Spirit sword, ¡°White Lotus¡±! Seiji¡¯s sword started glowing a pure white.

    They aimed together at the Samurai Demon¡¯s legs, and sliced out!

    The moment that the Samurai Demon jumped, Seiji and Natsuya charged simultaneously while attacking the demon¡¯s left and right leg in unison!

    Their tacit cooperation could be termed perfect.

    The Samurai Demon was knocked off bnce in midair and crashed wretchedly into the ground.

    Seiji and Natsuya looked at each other and exchanged smiles before pressing on with their attack.

    They continued cooperating excellently without need for verbalmunication against the Samurai Demon. As they chased after it, they even took the time to kill the nearby Mist Demons.

    Everybody else wasn¡¯t merely standing around as Seiji and Natsuya hunted the Samurai Demon.

    Kaho did her best to control her insect swarm on her own to fight against the Sakura samurai and tree demons. Hitaka agilely danced between several Mist Demons and kept them busy. Mika and Yukari worked together to kill the Sakura female demons as quickly as possible. Hoshi and Hisashi took risks while stalling several other female demons. Mayuzumi had Idelia support Hoshi and Hisashi.

    Kazuko adjusted her eyesses while floating in midair and observing all of this.

    Behind her, the Snake Demon screamed pitifully and writhed in midair as Shika sliced it many times in session.

 Chapter 756 - This isnt a sad dream

    <h4>Chapter 756: This isn¡¯t a sad dream</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The wind blew past, bringing along many falling cherry blossoms.

    Everything seemed hazy and unclear. Things seemed beautiful, yet unreal.

    As if she was dreaming.

    ¡®No, I am probably dreaming.¡¯

    Chiaki had this faint realization.

    She felt veryfortable here, and didn¡¯t want to continue thinking about it. She wanted to quietly enjoy this ethereal beauty as if she was a kitty cat sleeping under the warm sunlight.

    A figure appeared in her field of vision. There was the sound ofughter and someone talking. A certain person was calling out her name. His voice sounded quite gentle and loving.

    She knew that voice. It was extremely familiar to her. It was ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡¯s voice.

    ¡®¡­Who is ¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡¯

    ¡®Idiot, ¡ª¡ª¡ª is ¡ª¡ª¡ª.¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s so familiar and important to me. I love him. ¡­Who was he again?

    ¡®Why can¡¯t I remember?

    ¡®It should be quite easy for me to remember. I definitely shouldn¡¯t forget his name. Yet, I can¡¯t recall it.

    ¡®His words are so moving. The food he makes is so delicious. His hand is so warm. He has a beautiful smile¡­ Why would I forget his name?¡¯

    ¡®Why can¡¯t I remember ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡¯s name, ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡¯s existence¡­?¡¯

    ¡°Chiaki¡­! Chiaki¡­!¡±

    Chiaki slowly came to her senses and felt the world clear up around her when she heard her name being called.

    She slowly opened her eyes and saw a familiar teenaged boy¡¯s face with a serious expression while looking directly at her.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Chiaki blinked and wiped away the tears she found on her face and eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I think I had a rather sad dream¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what you dreamed of?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember¡­¡±

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he reached out and patted her on the head.

    ¡°Do you still want to sleep?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    Chiaki grabbed her cell phone and checked the time. She then sat up on the bed she was in.

    ¡°Who brought me here?¡± Only now did Chiaki realize that this wasn¡¯t her bed in Seiji¡¯s apartment, so she asked this question.

    ¡°Houjou-senpai did. She saw you fall asleep on the sofa, so she brought you to a guest room to rest,¡± Seiji exined.

    ¡°How was your battle?¡±

    ¡°Our battle was a loss, but everything is alright since nobody was injured.¡±

    After killing the Snake Demon and Samurai Demon and sessfully winning against that boss wave, Seiji immediately chose to retreat from Kazuko¡¯s Domain.

    If things had continued as they had and even more ¡°vicious demon¡± level spiritual monsters had arrived, that would have been bad.

    The Domain¡¯s difficulty level had been increased too much. That difficulty level was a failure for training.

    Although this time the Domain wasn¡¯t cleared out fully, Seiji still had a small harvest of Inner World Crystals, so it was alright.

    The number and quality of crystals he¡¯d received helped him to confirm that the loot would be better with a higher difficulty level!

    Logically speaking, he should increase the difficulty level in order to obtain more crystals. But, if he increased the difficulty too much, things would be too dangerous for his knight order members and the training would be a failure, so he had to be cautious.

    After the battle concluded, Seiji summarized the battle¡¯s results and handed everyone their ¡°homework¡± regarding what they wanted to do with their own equipment.

    It was definitely necessary to level up their equipment as well. Everyone understood this all the more clearly after today¡¯s battle.

    While their equipment¡¯s functions were important to improve, the equipment¡¯s appearance couldn¡¯t be ignored, either. Physical appearance was something that would affect morale. It was quite necessary to begin considering such factors.

    Everyone had discussed the topic of equipment for a while before they all returned to their own respective homes.

    ¡­

    ¡®What did I dream of just earlier?¡¯

    Chiaki was unable to recall. However, she faintly felt that it was something important, so she did her best to remember.

    Yet, all she could recall was that there were falling cherry blossoms, along with a hazy and seemingly beautiful atmosphere.

    That didn¡¯t seem like such a sad dream, yet it had left her with a sad feeling. Why was that?

    Chiaki didn¡¯t understand.

    Normally, she wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention to a dream that she couldn¡¯t remember.

    However, Seiji viewed her dream with great importance.

    ¡°If that was no ordinary dream, then it¡¯s highly likely that you¡¯ll have a simr dream again,¡± he told her. ¡°If that really happens, try your best to remember the dream¡¯s contents.¡±

    Chiaki agreed to do as he said.

    This was something potentially mystical happening to her, which made her feel somewhat nervous.

    Although she was nervous, she also felt expectant because this might possibly help her to obtain divine powers.

    Of course, she knew that she was being overly optimistic by wanting mystical abilities. But if things turned bad, or even worse¡­ that didn¡¯t matter, because Seiji was by her side!

    With such a reliable boyfriend, nothing could possibly happen to her. Chiaki was confident of this.

    Time passed until it was nighttime of the same day.

    Right before bedtime, Chiaki teasingly offered herself to Seiji just likest night.

    She then got in her bed, covered herself with her nket, and closed her eyes¡­

    Chiaki¡¯s consciousness slowly drifted off as she fell asleep. Without realizing it, she began to feel a gentle wind and see falling cherry blossoms.

    Three figures walked among the falling cherry blossoms. On the left was a woman wearing a long dress. On the right was a man wearing a regr jacket. In the middle was a little girl with silver hair.

    The little girl was holding onto the man and woman¡¯s hands. She was saying something to the woman, and the woman responded gently.

    Chiaki dazedly watched this scene before her.

    Everything was hazy and unclear. She was unable to see the exact appearances of those three people, nor was she able to see their faces.

    She felt warmth, she felt that this was familiar, and she felt¡­ bliss.

    Who were these people?

    Why did she feel this way upon seeing them?

    Had she seen them somewhere before? Did she know these people?

    Chiaki felt that she should know these people. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have felt familiar.

    Yet, she couldn¡¯t recall who they were!

    Seeing the three walk off, Chiaki finally reacted and ran after them.

    Cherry blossoms kept falling on her head, face, and body, blocking her view, affecting her senses, and slowing her down.

    Chiaki was unable to run or even walk quickly. She kept feeling like it was more and more difficult to proceed, just as if she was fighting against an invisible force.

    ¡°Wait! Wait a moment!¡± Chiaki shouted towards the three individuals.

    However, they seemed not to hear her as they gradually walked off into the distance. All they left behind was their joyfulughter and words that she couldn¡¯t hear clearly.

    ¡°Wait for me! Let me see what you look like!¡± Chiaki shouted at the top of her lungs.

    She received no response. The three individuals¡¯ figures gradually disappeared.

    Finally, Chiaki was unable to walk any further. Her legs gave way and she copsed on the ground.

    She looked off into the distance at the falling cherry blossoms in their direction, and muttered to herself, ¡°I know you¡­ you should know me as well¡­

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember¡­? You feel so familiar, so it should be easy to remember who you are¡­ Just who are you people¡­ Tell me¡­¡±

    This wasn¡¯t a sad dream.

    The wind was gentle, the flowers were soft, the atmosphere was warm and beautiful, and everything seemed so blissful. Those three seemed like a family¡ªfather, mother, and daughter¡­

    Yet, she felt sad because she couldn¡¯t remember them or figure out who they were.

    Tears poured out of her eyes and obscured her vision, causing everything to be even hazier and more ethereal.

    Chiaki started crying as if she was an abandoned child.

    Her consciousness became hazy as well. In this state, she seemed to remember something and say something out loud, but she was washed over by her sad emotions and didn¡¯t realize this.

    As she cried and cried¡­ she suddenly felt something warm.

    This warmth felt more real than the ethereal warmth of her dream. This warmth felt truly reliable and reassuring as well as familiar.

    Unlike the three who had just disappeared, Chiaki clearly knew the source of this warmth. She was easily able to recall this person¡¯s appearance, identity, and name¡­

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here, Chiaki. I¡¯m right by your side,¡± a clear and energetic voice responded to her.

    His clear voice transmitted a power right to her heart that dispelled her sadness.

    Chiaki¡¯s consciousness gradually returned as the ethereal beauty of the dream and all the cherry blossoms faded. Everything that she¡¯d just experienced in the dream was forgotten.

    The girl opened her eyes as she forgot her dream once again. All that was left behind was confusion and her tears.

 Chapter 757 - This is a game that Id happily play for my entire life

    <h4>Chapter 757: This is a game that I¡¯d happily y for my entire life</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji sat on the edge of Chiaki¡¯s bed, holding her hand and caressing her face while looking in concern at her.

    ¡°Did you have the same dream?¡± he asked while wiping away her tears.

    ¡°I think so¡­ I can¡¯t remember it¡­¡± Chiaki gripped her boyfriend¡¯s hand tightly, wanting to feel his warmth.

    ¡°I heard you saying ¡®mommy¡¯ in your sleep just now,¡± Seiji told her.

    Mommy?

    Chiaki felt mysterious emotions stirring within herself when she heard this word.

    As for her mommy¡­ her mother, Chiaki knew nothing about her.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t even know what her mother looked like, what her mother¡¯s name was, or whether her mother was still alive or not.

    Chiaki¡¯s father hadn¡¯t told her anything at all about her mother. He had only shown Chiaki his paintings of his wife, but Chiaki¡¯s mother¡¯s face waspletely unclear in all his paintings.

    Chiaki had been highly dissatisfied with this, but she had never acted out because of it, because she knew that acting out was useless.

    Could it be that what her father said was true all along? Chiaki suddenly thought about this.

    If she had said ¡®mommy¡¯ during her dream, that meant her dream was likely something about her mother. Yet, she was unable to recall it.

    She felt sad, and she felt that the dream had been important. Yet, she was unable to remember it. Could it be that her father was the same way? He said that he couldn¡¯t remember her mother¡¯s face at all. Was he actually telling the truth, that he had forgotten rather than that he was a cold-hearted man? Was the incident surrounding her mother rted to the mystical?

    After thinking of all this, Chiaki told Seiji her thoughts.

    ¡°That sounds possible¡­ I think that I¡¯ll need to talk to your father.¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    Chiaki felt like she could hear her own heart pounding. However, she didn¡¯t know if this was due to nervousness or some other reason.

    If her own theory was real, then how should she face her father? Should she say ¡°sorry¡± to him for the misunderstanding she had had all this time about him? Would her rtionship with her father¡­ change?

    Chiaki¡¯s feelings were soplex right now that even she didn¡¯t understand them currently.

    After a period of silence, Seiji asked, ¡°Can you fall asleep again?¡±

    ¡°I can¡­ if you apany me.¡±

    ¡°Sure, go to sleep then. I¡¯ll be right here next to you.¡±

    ¡°What I mean is that you should apany me in my bed.¡± Chiaki acted all spoiled.

    Seiji: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chiaki asked after seeing that her boyfriend didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°I¡¯m fighting a fierce war against myself in my heart right now,¡± Seiji replied in a calm tone.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m doing my very best right now to withstand my desires.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re simply sleeping together. That¡¯s no problem at all, is it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a huge problem. I won¡¯t be able to restrain myself.¡±

    Chiaki chuckled upon hearing this.

    ¡°Will it really create such a big problem for you?¡±

    ¡°Do you need to even ask! You¡¯re quite attractive, incredibly attractive,¡± Seiji told her sincerely. ¡°Even I want to praise myself for holding myself back as much as I am right now.¡±

    Chiaki smiled sweetly as her eyes became watery.

    ¡°Then¡­ why don¡¯t I give you a blowjob?¡± she spoke seductively while licking her lips.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    After the blowjob, the girl hugged the boy and felt his warmth while being able to enter a peaceful sleep.

    The next morning, the weather was beautiful and the sky was filled with white clouds.

    Chiaki took out her cell phone and dialed the number for her father Shingo Wakaba.

    Seiji and Mika were in the room, listening to the conversation which Chiaki ced on speakerphone.

    The call connected.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ Dad.¡± Chiaki greeted her father.

    Her tone sounded calm. However, Seiji and Mika could tell that she wasn¡¯t calm at all.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask about mom. Last night, I think I dreamt about her, but I can¡¯t remember what I dreamed. I feel like it was something really important, but I can¡¯t remember anything¡­ And then, I thought of you, and what you¡¯ve said about mom before¡­ Dad¡­ You didn¡¯t actually forget about mom, you forgot all memories rted to her, is that right?¡±

    Although the phone conversation was on loudspeaker, Shingo Wakaba remainedpletely silent.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chiaki clenched her hands. ¡°You actually want to remember mom, but you can¡¯t remember anything no matter how hard you try. Is that it?¡±

    Shingo still remained silent.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Shingo finally replied, denying this.

    Chiaki¡¯s expression immediately froze over.

    ¡°Stop thinking about such random things just because of a dream. You¡¯re not a little kid anymore,¡± Shingo told his daughter coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re that free, you might as well go read a book or go exercise instead of thinking about such boring things.¡±

    He immediately hung up the phone after that.

    Chiaki¡¯s expression immediately became depressed.

    Seiji frowned upon seeing her like this. Mika felt bad for her best friend.

    ¡°He said ¡®that¡¯s not it¡¯¡­¡± Chiaki spoke in a low voice. ¡°I must have thought too much into things.¡±

    Seiji immediately took out his own cell phone and dialed Shingo Wakaba¡¯s number that Chiaki had previously given to him.

    Nobody picked up.

    Seiji dialed the number again.

    Nobody picked up.

    Seiji dialed the number yet again.

    This time, Shingo answered the call.

    ¡°Good morning, Wakaba-san.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Chiaki¡¯s boyfriend, Seigo Harano,¡± Seiji told him. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m here together with Chiaki. I was watching her when you were talking to her just earlier.¡±

    Shingo remained silent.

    ¡°I apologize for not using a more pleasant tone with you. That¡¯s because I¡¯m really displeased with you right now.¡± Seiji increased the volume of his voice.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡± Chiaki wanted to say something, but Seiji stopped her with his expression.

    ¡°Please forgive me for being so direct, Wakaba-san. You¡¯re a failure as a father!¡± Seiji didn¡¯t mince his words at all as he spoke bluntly. ¡°To be quite honest, I really want to beat you up right now. I know that this impulse of mine iscking in reason, because I don¡¯t know your specific circumstances. I don¡¯t know why that you treat Chiaki this way. Perhaps you have your own hardships.

    ¡°But no matter what, you have responsibilities as a father! Please understand, because I also have responsibilities as her boyfriend. I apologize for saying such rude words, but I won¡¯t retract them. I also hope that you won¡¯t forget what I¡¯ve said just now. Otherwise¡­ there mighte a day where I¡¯ll really beat you up, no matter if you¡¯re a famous artist or whatever else.¡±

    Shingo remained silent throughout Seiji¡¯s tirade.

    Chiaki and Mika were unable to say anything as they watched Seiji rant while giving off a powerful aura.

    ¡°Seigo Harano¡­¡± After a long period of silence, Shingo finally spoke up. ¡°I know about you. You¡¯re a high school student. It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re so spirited, but don¡¯t be so arrogant.¡±

    ¡°I shall self-reflect on myself, and I also hope that you¡¯ll reflect on yourself, Wakaba-san,¡± Seiji responded in such a way. ¡°I would like to ask for you to sincerely respond to Chiaki¡¯s question to you just now, and properly talk to her about her mother. She has the right to know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to interfere with our family affairs,¡± Shingo stated coldly.

    ¡°I¡¯m her boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t agree to you being her boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need the agreement of a father who only sees his daughter a few times or even less per year,¡± Seiji responded in a simrly cold tone.

    ¡°I told you to not be so arrogant, high schooler. A boyfriend/girlfriend rtionship at such a young age is nothing more than a game.¡±

    ¡°This is a game that I¡¯d happily y for my entire life.¡±

    ¡°A high schooler who¡¯s probably being supported by his parents doesn¡¯t have the right to say that.¡±

    ¡°So a father who never cares for his daughter has the right to lecture me?¡±

    Seiji and Shingo exchanged verbal barbs over the phone as if they were fighting.

    Chiaki felt nervous and tense while listening to all this, along with some delight.

    Her reliable boyfriend was taking her side, and her cold father finally met an opponent¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat happy about this.

    She believed in Seiji and that he would know not to go overboard¡­ And even if he caused a broken rtionship with her father, he would take responsibility for her!

    Thinking about how Seiji would take care of her for the rest of her life even if her father abandoned her, Chiaki felt quite reassured.

    ¡®Seiji is so handsome, talented, and rich. And, he truly loves me. This is the boyfriend that I¡¯m so proud of!¡¯ Chiaki suddenly felt tempted to tell that right to her father.

    She wondered what expression her cold father would have if he heard that from her?

    Perhaps it would be the expression he had right now while talking to Seiji.

 Chapter 758 - I can promise at least not to beat him up to death

    <h4>Chapter 758: I can promise at least not to beat him up to death</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    In the end, Seiji was unable to find out anything regarding Chiaki¡¯s mother.

    But, he didn¡¯t want to give up just like this¡­ Seiji intended to call Shingo againter to ask again.

    And if Shingo Wakaba still refused to say anything, Seiji would go find him and say his question to his face.

    And if Seiji still couldn¡¯t get an answer, he would ask Natsuya to hire someone to investigate Chiaki¡¯s family!

    Of course, Seiji would ask about Chiaki¡¯s own feelings regarding the matter first.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything to you.¡± Chiaki smiled at Seiji. ¡°Troubling my dad over this¡­ feels pretty good.¡±

    Seiji smiled as he sensed that his girlfriend trusted himpletely.

    Seiji then told Natsuya about the situation. She was more than happy to help out if needed, telling him that all he needed to do was ask if he decided to have an investigation done on Chiaki¡¯s family.

    After that, it was time to train in Kazuko¡¯s Domain once more.

    This time, only Seiji, Mika, Hoshi, Kaede, Mayuzumi, Kaho, Natsuya, and Rana were participating in battle.

    Since the cat girl was joining the battle, Chiaki couldn¡¯t enjoy her cat time and wasn¡¯t too happy.

    After the strategy conference, everyone put on theirbat equipment and Rana transformed into her adult cat woman form. Her seductive beauty was a huge contrast to her previous cuteness, astonishing everyone who saw her other form for the first time.

    Chiaki was particrly stunned to the point where she even began to drool without realizing.

    When she regained her senses, she strongly requested to touch the cat girl¡¯s tail! But, Rana avoided her yet again.

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you~ Kirin-chan~ Please let me touch you~~¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    The tomboy chased therger cat girl in circles around the living room. Chiaki seemed to be having fun.

    Mayuzumi also expressed interest in touching Rana, and Mika and the others were interested as well. But since everyone saw that Rana didn¡¯t want to be touched, they naturally didn¡¯t press the issue.

    Seiji took action and captured the ¡°berserk¡± Chiaki, tossing her over to Mai to watch over her while everyone was training in the Domain.

    After everyone finished their preparations, they then entered the Domain.

    Kazuko lowered the difficulty of the monsters in the Domain, but not by too much. The difficulty was back to the same level as the day before yesterday.

    Everyone¡¯s fight was sessful, and no unexpected situations popped up. Neither did any ¡°vicious demon¡± level monsters appear as everyone sessfully defeated thest monster wave.

    After leaving the Domain, Seiji went to find Chiaki. He saw that she was looking at the yard in a daze.

    ¡°Wee back¡­ was everything fine?¡± Chiaki came back to her senses when she noticed Seiji arriving.

    ¡°The battle went well.¡± Seiji looked at her. ¡°But, is something the matter with you?¡±

    ¡°My dad called me just now and told me to eat dinner with him tonight,¡± Chiaki spoke in a soft voice.

    Seiji raised his eyebrows upon hearing this. ¡°He¡¯s willing to talk to you about your mother?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t mention anything. He only told me to eat dinner with him tonight¡­ And he even specifically mentioned that you weren¡¯t allowed toe.¡±

    As expected, Chiaki¡¯s father Shingo didn¡¯t like Seiji. Seiji waspletely unaffected by her father¡¯s dislike for him.

    Seiji didn¡¯t care at all what Shingo thought of him. He only cared about what Chiaki thought.

    ¡°If he says that, I want to go even more¡­ But, I¡¯ll leave the decision up to you.¡± Seiji looked directly at his girlfriend¡¯s face. ¡°If you want me to go with you, I¡¯ll go. Or, if you want me to go with you but you don¡¯t want him to know about it, I can use a spell to make myself invisible. And if you feel that it will be better for you to go by yourself, I will respect your wish.¡±

    Chiaki fell silent for a moment before replying.

    ¡°If I allow you toe with me, can you guarantee that you absolutely won¡¯t attack him?¡¯

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Seiji answered directly and honestly.

    ¡°I knew it¡­ that¡¯s why I can¡¯t take you with me.¡± Chiaki sighed in exaggerated fashion as if she was a teacher who felt helpless about a delinquent student.

    ¡°I can promise at least not to beat him up to death.¡± Seiji made a pose like he was a delinquent student.

    ¡°Rather than a guarantee, that sounds more like a threat, my dear student Haruta-san.¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand. I¡¯m sincerely guaranteeing that at the very most, I¡¯ll break only a few of his bones, Wakaba-sensei.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely a threat!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯llpromise a little, then. I promise to only break at most one of his bones.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t an issue about the number of bones!¡±

    ¡°Because of my Sensei¡¯s pleading, I¡¯llpromise as much as I possibly can. I promise not to break any bones in his dominant hand.¡±

    ¡°Nor is this an issue of which bone to break!!¡±

    After retorting, Chiaki broke out intoughter.

    Seiji chuckled as well.

    ¡°Will you really be alright by yourself?¡± Afterughing, he asked this question in all seriousness.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure that there won¡¯t be any problems, but¡­ I want to face him by myself,¡± Chiaki replied. ¡°I¡¯ll feel quite reassured if you¡¯re by my side. But, I think that¡¯s no good. He is my father, and I want to learn about my mother from him¡­ I need to talk to him about it myself.¡±

    Her boyfriend was reliable, incredibly reliable. It would definitely be fine to leave things up to him.

    But since her father voluntarily asked to meet and talk, then Chiaki felt like she should work up her courage and face him properly.

    Besides, if talking to her father didn¡¯t go well, she could always ask for Seiji¡¯s help afterwards.

    ¡°If the situation is bad, then I¡¯ll send a signal for help¡­ is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°The moment that I receive your signal, I¡¯ll rush over immediately at top speed.¡±

    After seeing his gentle smile, Chiaki felt once more that her boyfriend was really cool. She smiled brilliantly.

    Dinner time.

    Chiaki quietly waited by herself in a private room at a high-ss Sakura Ind restaurant.

    How long ago had shest eaten dinner together with her father?

    She thought about it for a moment, but was toozy to think about it anymore.

    This wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t mind, but by now, it didn¡¯t really matter that much anymore.

    Rather than living in her original luxurious apartment provided to her by her father, Chiaki felt far more used to living in the Uehara apartments now¡­ No, it wasn¡¯t even to the extent of being ustomed to it, as right now, Chiaki waspletely unwilling to leave the Uehara apartments and return to her original luxurious apartment.

    Seiji, Mika, Shika, Reo, Kaede, and thendlord Nozomi¡­ the Uehara apartments had all these familiar people living there. The Uehara apartments seemed far more like home to Chiaki than her luxurious apartment.

    Fun times from her daily life appeared in her mind. The tomboy¡¯s mouth slowly started arcing upwards without her realizing it. She even took out her cell phone and started browsing saved pictures of everyone¡¯s daily life together.

    After seeing the pictures, she recalled the memories from that time¡­ She soon immersed herself in the memories.

    Right when she was looking at a picture of Seiji from the cherry blossom viewing festival, Chiaki heard some footsteps outside the room¡¯s door.

    Her father had arrived.

    Chiaki put away her cell phone and turned around to see her father entering.

    Shingo Wakaba was wearing a dark-colored jacket and long pants. He had a handsome appearance but was rather on the skinny side. He wore ck-rimmed eyesses, had a small andbed mustache and neat and orderly grayish-brown hair, which was tied in a ponytail. He definitely had the aura of an artist.

    This was her father, Shingo Wakaba.

    His physical appearance and aura both seemed to suit his status as a renowned artist. To be more specific, it was likely that seven out of ten people who didn¡¯t know him would instantly be able to guess his upation as an artist.

    Shingo had previously been on many television programs as a guest artist. He had even acted in a few movies before as an artist. This was all likely due to his physical appearance greatly helping him out. He even had the nickname ¡°Idol Artist¡± in the entertainment industry.

    ¡°Dad¡­ Good evening.¡± Chiaki greeted him.

    Shingo nodded slightly and sat down across from his daughter. He then ordered some food on the menu.

    After the server left with the order, Shingo and Chiaki both fell silent.

    ¡°How have you been doing?¡± After a period of silence, Shingo spoke first.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Chiaki answered calmly.

    Every single time that her father met with her, his first question would almost always be this exact question. And then, no matter what she replied with, hisment would always be¡­

    ¡°I see,¡± the famous artist answered expressionlessly in a light tone.

    His behavior didn¡¯t seem like he was concerned for his daughter. It was as if he was just going through the motions.

 Chapter 759 - Shes only a dream

    <h4>Chapter 759: She¡¯s only a dream</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Both Shingo and Chiaki fell silent for another moment.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have given my phone number to another person,¡± Shingo spoke up. ¡°Although I suppose I never stated this explicitly, you should have known better.¡±

    Chiaki remained silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m not against you making a boyfriend, but I definitely won¡¯t easily recognize him as your boyfriend,¡± Shingo continued in the same light tone. ¡°More than eighty percent of high school rtionships will end with a breakup. You may believe that your feelings for each other will persist for a lifetime, but those feelings are actually quite fragile, just like a cup made out of ice. It will break instantly if you drop it. And even if you don¡¯t drop it, it will melt over time. The more feelings you invest into your rtionship, the more you¡¯ll regret it when you break up. You should understand this logic. Don¡¯t be overly immersed in these youthful games. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one hurt most in the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re absolutely right, Dad,¡± Chiaki responded in a simrly light tone. ¡°But, I¡¯m already immersed in this youthful game. I want to y this game with him for my entire life. Even if I can¡¯t seed, even if I regret and feel pain in the end¡­ I¡¯ll still think that it was worth it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only what you think right now.¡± Shingo looked directly at her. ¡°Your way of thinking will definitely change in the future.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ But I won¡¯t forget.¡± Chiaki also looked directly at her father.

    The famous artist took a good look at his daughter¡¯s face.

    ¡°You will forget.¡± After a period of silence, he averted his gaze and spoke in a cold and distant tone.

    At this moment, a server arrived with their orders.

    The food appeared exquisite and was served on the highest-quality porcin tes. The food¡¯s beauty was just like artwork.

    Not only was the food beautiful to behold, the taste was also wonderful. But right now, Chiaki missed the regr food that she ate at Seiji¡¯s ce every day.

    At this time, Seiji and the others would also be having dinner in their apartment.

    Rather than the beautiful food before her, Chiaki would have preferred to be in that apartment and eat regr food together with them.

    Seiji took a bite of a meat bun.

    He had purchased this meat bun from a convenience store. It was hot and filling, with a nice taste.

    Why was he eating a meat bun? That was because he was currently outside instead of in his apartment. He was waiting close to the restaurant where Chiaki was meeting her father.

    Although he respected Chiaki¡¯s wish and didn¡¯t spy on her meeting with her father, he had never said anything about waiting at home for her.

    It was also an option for him to enter that high-ss restaurant and eat there as he was quite rich now. But, Seiji preferred to return home and enjoy Shika¡¯s dinner as it was her turn to cook tonight. So, he only purchased a single meat bun to tide him over until he went back.

    At this moment, something approached him. Seiji turned around, only to see a gray-haired dog.

    The dog¡¯s expression made it evident that it wanted the meat bun Seiji was eating.

    After exchanging nces with it, Seiji tore off a piece of his meat bun and tossed it to the dog.

    The gray dog lowered its head and swiftly ate the morsel. It then looked back at Seiji again.

    Seiji finished off the remainder of his meat bun and opened up his hands to indicate that there was no more food left.

    The gray dog blinked and left disappointedly.

    Seiji stayed where he was and waited as the wind blew past him.

    After dinner was dessert, and after dessert was teatime as the ending to this delicious meal.

    Chiaki inhaled the fragrant scent of her tea and slowly sipped, tasting its bitterness as well as the sweet aftertaste.

    ¡°Dad¡­ I want to know¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say about your mother,¡± Shingo spoke in a light tone before his daughter even finished speaking. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay it any attention or think too much into it.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Chiaki inquired.

    ¡°Because there¡¯s no meaning.¡± Something shed in Shingo¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s meaningless for you to know about someone who¡¯s no longer here.¡±

    ¡°In that case, all of history is meaningless. Why not have schools stop teaching history ss?¡± Chiaki replied in a cold voice.

    Of course, nobody would cancel history ss. Chiaki was just being sarcastic.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t part of history, as she isn¡¯t a famous or important figure. She¡¯s simply a woman who won¡¯t affect anything in the world after she¡¯s no longer there,¡± Shingo stated. ¡°What you learn in history ss at school is just like a renowned painting. History has great value for humanity and the world. But the issue about your mother is just like the scribble of a child. It¡¯s deemed worthless to the world and is destined to vanish. You¡¯ve never minded it before in the past. That¡¯s perfectly fine. Simply continue not minding¡­¡±

    ¡°I really mind!!!¡± Chiaki suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.

    Anger, sadness, hatred, helplessness, and various other emotions could all be seen on her face. She had an incrediblyplex expression.

    ¡°How could I possibly not mind! That¡¯s my mom!! But, you always refuse to tell me anything¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about her besides some paintings that don¡¯t show her face! I want to know, but I never learn anything even if I ask you, so I can only force myself not to care. But, it doesn¡¯t mean that I actually don¡¯t care!!!¡± Chiaki¡¯s shouting was also mixed with her crying by this point. ¡°I want to know my mom¡¯s name, I want to know what type of person she was, I want to know if she¡¯s still alive or not, and where she is if she¡¯s alive, or where her grave is if she¡¯s dead, and what she left behind¡­ Even if all these things are worthless to the world, they¡¯re the most valuable things possible to me! Because I¡¯m her daughter!!¡±

    Shingo widened his eyes slightly when faced with his daughter¡¯s sudden outburst. It was evident that he had received an impact from this.

    Tears started pouring out from Chiaki¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad¡­ You¡¯ve always given me everything else that I wanted while raising me all this time. I¡¯m truly grateful¡­ But¡­ this isn¡¯t normal¡­ I want to know¡­ what mom meant to you¡­ I also want to know¡­ what your daughter¡­ means to you¡­¡±

    Chiaki¡¯s tears dripped down into her teacup.

    Shingo lowered his gaze and looked at her teacup. He remained silent for quite a long while.

    After Chiaki calmed down, she took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

    At this time, she really wished that Seiji was by her side.

    She would feel warm even if all she did was hold his hand.

    Should she send out the signal to have hime?

    As long as she took out her cell phone and called or texted him, he would rush over immediately!

    She was certain that Seiji would arrive extremely quickly¡­ if he saw her like this, would he immediately try to hit her father?

    Chiaki suddenly felt likeughing out loud as she recalled her earlier conversation with Seiji when he pretended to be a no-good delinquent.

    Just thinking about this gave her courage.

    She decided not to rush things and refrain from summoning her delinquent boyfriend. Otherwise, it would be really hard to fix her rtionship with her father if Seiji broke one of her father¡¯s bones.

    Just as Chiaki was thinking about this, her famous artist father slowly looked towards her again.

    ¡°A dream¡­¡±

    He still spoke in that same light tone of voice.

    Yet, his tone seemed infused with more emotion than before.

    Chiaki returned to her senses and looked back at her father. She saw that under his ck-rimmed eyesses, he now had an expression that she had never seen before. His expression seemed sad, helpless, and full of mncholy¡­

    ¡°To me, your mother was a dream. I remember some memories involving her, but I can¡¯t recall her name or face¡­ I feel like the memories involving her are important¡­ but they might just be my hallucinations¡­ because not a single person around me knows about her¡­ Especially you, Chiaki. In my ¡®memories,¡¯ she was together with you, taking care of you, doting on you, and raising you¡­ You¡¯re the person who should know her better than anyone. But, as you¡¯ve just said, you know nothing about her¡­¡±

    Shingo took a deep look at Chiaki.

    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ she was only a dream.¡±

 Chapter 760 - Hes actually an amazing...

    <h4>Chapter 760: He¡¯s actually an amazing¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Chiaki was stunned to hear this.

    In her father¡¯s memories, her mother was the one who raised her?

    She was the one who should have known her mother better than anyone?

    Chiaki had no recollection of this¡­ she did her best to recall the past, but couldn¡¯t remember anyone that could have been her mother at all.

    And then, she thought about the vague dream she had been having recently.

    In her dream, she had apparently been calling out for ¡°mommy.¡± Yet, she couldn¡¯t remember anything after she woke up.

    ¡®I also ¡®lost my memory?¡¯ Did I forget my mom, just as my dad did? Is my memory loss even more severe than my dad¡¯s?

    ¡®Nobody knows anything about my mom¡­ it might all just be an illusion¡­ a dream¡­¡¯

    ¡°Tell me in more detail, Dad!¡± Chiaki regained her senses and realized that something mystical was highly likely to be behind this. She wanted to know more.

    Yet, Shingo remained silent. It appeared that he didn¡¯t want to say more.

    ¡°Tell me, Dad! Tell me everything. There might be some way to resolve this,¡± Chiaki urged.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Shingo stated lightly. ¡°As I said earlier, there¡¯s no meaning. She¡¯s only a dream¡­ a dream that bothers me alone. There¡¯s no need for you to be bothered as well. She¡¯s no longer here, or maybe she¡¯s never even existed in the first ce. Everything might just be my hallucination. There¡¯s no need to search for the so-called truth. We only need to let this dream slowly disappear.¡±

    ¡°How can that be! That¡¯s your wife, and my mom¡­¡± Chiaki wanted to convince her dad otherwise.

    ¡°Searching for the truth requires time and effort, and you might not even find an answer,¡± Shingo told her coldly. ¡°And even if you receive an answer in the end, it might be much worse than the dreams you currently have. The truth could very well be ugly or cruel. Reality isn¡¯t beautiful at all, Chiaki. You¡¯re still young. It¡¯s normal that you still have beautiful ideals for the world. Viewing youthful games of love as important, and believing that everything will be worth it no matter the result? Such na?ve ways of thinking are suitable for your current age.

    ¡°But in reality, people will grow older, and their ways of thinking will change. The things you believe to be important now, your na?ve ways of thinking, your beautiful ideals for the world¡­ all of these will change as you grow older¡­ that¡¯s what maturity is.

    ¡°After you mature, you¡¯ll understand that reality isn¡¯t that beautiful at all. A beautiful dream is much better than the ugly reality. Although I have to deal with the bother of forgetting about your mother¡¯s memories, I also feel the beauty from those memories. I have no intentions of keeping or rejecting those memories, because the reality is¡­ she¡¯s no longer here. It would be best to simply have this dream slowly fade and disappear. You don¡¯t need to mind or care about such a thing. You simply need to live your own life.¡±

    After hearing this, Chiaki was stunned, and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    She wanted to counter his words somehow, but couldn¡¯te up with anything as she looked at her father¡¯s heavy expression.

    Shingo silently finished his tea and then stood up.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Chiaki realized that her father was about to leave, so she hurriedly stopped him.

    Shingo stopped in his footsteps and silently looked at her.

    Chiaki still didn¡¯t know what to say. But as her mind raced, she suddenly recalled Seiji!

    Seiji would definitely know what to say here.

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡± Chiaki told her dad while taking out her cell phone and dialing Seiji¡¯s number.

    Seiji picked up almost instantly.

    ¡°Sei¡­ Seigo¡­¡±

    ¡°What room number are you in?¡±

    The moment that she called, Seiji replied in a steady voice.

    It was as if he had been waiting for her to call.

    No¡­ he probably had indeed been waiting for her to call.

    Chiaki felt reassured and told him the room number of the private room at the restaurant.

    Seeing this, Shingo frowned slightly and started to walk off again.

    ¡°Dad, wait! Please wait for Seigo toe here and have a talk with him.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about with an outsider.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not an outsider¡­ he¡¯s not an ordinary person! He¡¯ll be a help with the issue regarding mom¡¯s memories!¡± Chiaki hurriedly tried to stop him.

    Shingo stopped in his footsteps again.

    ¡°Not an ordinary person¡­ what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡±

    Chiaki was unsure if she should tell him that Seiji was a spiritual ability user. It might make her father feel that Seiji was a scammer.

    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s actually an amazing detective¡­¡±

    Shingo had a strange expression after hearing this.

    ¡®An amazing detective? A high school detective? You must have watched too much anime!¡¯

    Chiaki could easily tell that was what her father was thinking right now.

    ¡®The truth is just like the plot out of an anime¡­ or even stranger, Dad,¡¯ Chiaki thought to herself.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a funny joke at all,¡± Shingo told her coldly. ¡°If he¡¯s someone with strange interests, you should immediately break up with him.¡±

    It was apparent that her father had misunderstood.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any strange interests¡­¡±

    ¡®Unless him starting a harem with me in it counts?¡¯

    ¡°I thought that you were reasonable, Chiaki. I¡¯m not against you having a boyfriend if you wish. But if he¡¯s not normal, that¡¯s another matter entirely.¡± A fierce glint appeared in Shingo¡¯s eyes.

    Chiaki felt pressured by her father.

    But, the next instant, she actually felt a little happy because her father had shown some worry for her.

    ¡°Whether he¡¯s normal or not, can¡¯t you decide after you meet and talk to him?¡±

    Shingo fell silent.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about¡­ I forbid you from telling him about your mother.¡±

    After he said that, he turned around to leave again.

    ¡°Wait a moment! He really can help out.¡± Chiaki tried once more.

    ¡°I doubt that he¡¯ll be of any use¡­ and even if he could be, there¡¯s no meaning to it.¡± Shingo started walking.

    ¡°Wait, Dad¡­¡±

    The famous artist walked up to the door and opened it. However, he instantly stopped in his tracks afterwards.

    That was because someone had arrived outside the door.

    A restaurant server had just led an incredibly handsome boy to the room.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you for the first time, Wakaba-san.¡± Seiji smiled politely. ¡°I am Seigo Harano.¡±

    Chiaki felt quite moved that Seiji had actually been waiting for her near the restaurant, which was why he had managed to arrive so quickly.

    The famous artist who had an icy expression sat down once more across from Chiaki and her boyfriend.

    When Seiji had arrived, he saw that Shingo Wakaba had been about to leave despite his daughter¡¯s objections. Seiji immediately put out his hand to block the doorway, and said some taunting words. ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to face your daughter¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Only then had the famous artist begrudgingly stayed.

    ¡°I apologize for being rather forceful just now.¡± Seiji started off with an apology. ¡°But it¡¯s so difficult to meet you, so I felt that I shouldn¡¯t miss this chance¡­ Let us have a proper discussion, Wakaba-san.¡±

    Shingo remained silent with his icy expression.

    ¡°Dad told me about mom¡­¡± Chiaki was about to exin what she heard earlier to Seiji.

    ¡°I said, you¡¯re forbidden from telling him about this issue.¡± Shingo immediately stopped her.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an outsider. There¡¯s nothing to say to him on this matter.¡±

    Chiaki had an awkward expression after hearing this.

    ¡°I¡¯m Chiaki¡¯s boyfriend. Even if you don¡¯t agree, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m her boyfriend, Wakaba-san,¡± Seiji spoke in a calm voice. ¡°The issue regarding Chiaki¡¯s mother is very important. I need to understand more.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not important at all. Nor do you have the right to know about it,¡± Shingo stated coldly.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s highly important, because this is about Chiaki¡¯s safety,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone.

    ¡°¡­Safety?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Only by learning more will I be able to better protect Chiaki.¡±

    Shingo furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

    ¡°Chiaki needs protection?¡±

    Seiji looked directly at Shingo and spoke in a serious tone, ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s currently in a potentially dangerous situation that might be rted to her mother¡­ or maybe even rted to you, Wakaba-san.¡±

 Chapter 761 - This isnâ€™t a magic trick

    <h4>Chapter 761: This isn¡¯t a magic trick</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Shingo looked over Seiji¡­ no, he was judging thetter.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re lying¡­ What danger could Chiaki possibly be in?¡±

    Seiji and Chiaki exchanged nces and came to an unspoken agreement.

    ¡°Dad, when I¡¯ve said earlier that Seigo was a high school detective, I was lying.¡± Chiaki admitted the truth. ¡°He¡¯s actually a spiritual ability user.¡±

    Shingo: ¡°¡­¡±

    The famous artist showed a strange and obviously disbelieving expression. Meanwhile, Seiji slowly raised his hand.

    Suddenly, the teacup on the table began to float in midair!

    Shingo¡¯s expression changed to one of surprise upon seeing this.

    Seiji manipted the teacup and had it spin circles in midair right in front of Shingo. Seiji next sent the teacup flying up and down, then around Shingo¡¯s head in a circle, and finally around the entire room before itnded on the table again.

    ¡°This is no magic trick. There are no props involved at all. Feel free to check all you want.¡± Seiji opened his hands to show that he had nothing in his hands.

    The famous artist had a stunned expression.

    Chiaki felt an urge tough out loud upon seeing her father like this. However, she forced herself to hold herughter in.

    When Shingo returned to his senses, he adjusted his eyesses and took the teacup, looking it over carefully. He then looked over at Seiji¡¯s hands.

    Seiji extended his hands out, and even flipped them over and let Shingo look as he pleased. Seiji¡¯s expression said something like ¡®I¡¯ll admit defeat if you can find any trickery involved.¡¯

    Shingo looked at Seiji¡¯s hands for a while and found nothing whatsoever.

    Although he¡¯d received an impact from this, he still didn¡¯t believe in Seiji having mystical powers so readily.

    ¡°That was a nice performance. I can¡¯t find the trick to it at all.¡± Shingo ced the teacup back on the table. ¡°However, I won¡¯t believe that this is a so-called spiritual ability so easily. That¡¯s because I have no understanding of magic tricks. It¡¯s quitemon for ordinary people to be unable to see through a magic trick.¡±

    Basically, he meant that ¡°I simply haven¡¯t figured out your little magic trick.¡±

    ¡°As I told you, this is no magic trick. It¡¯s a real spiritual ability,¡± Seiji stated calmly. ¡°I¡¯m capable of using this power to move anything in this room, including your own body, Wakaba-san.¡±

    ¡°Seigo¡­¡±

    ¡°Rx, Chiaki. I¡¯m not making a threat here. I¡¯m simply stating the facts. If you don¡¯t believe in my powers, Wakaba-san, why not experience it for yourself?¡±

    The famous artist¡¯s refusal to believe in spiritual abilities was slightly shaken after he saw how confident Seigo was.

    Shingo hid the fact that he was shaken, and spoke in a light tone, ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind experiencing it if you can prove it.¡±

    ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Seiji raised his hand once more and cast [Telekinesis].

    Shingo instantly felt an invisible force lifting him upwards into the air!

    He had an evidently shocked expression as he rose into the air. He hurriedly looked all around him, but was still unable to see any mechanisms that could cause this.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t move around too much. This is my first time using this spell to move a human,¡± Seiji told him.

    Shingo immediately stiffened after hearing this. Chiaki also looked towards Seiji for an exnation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only used this spell before to move nonliving objects or to deal with spiritual creatures,¡± Seiji added.

    His tone was calm as he was simply stating the facts.

    Shingo was lightly spun around in midair. After having a personal taste of this invisible power, Shingo was forced to believe that this high schooler was truly a spiritual ability user.

    A few secondster, Seiji ced Shingo gently down on the tatami floor mat.

    ¡°How do you feel, Wakaba-san? Would you like to try again?¡±

    The famous artist was rendered speechless by this question.

    After several long seconds of silence, Shingo finally spoke up. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll admit that this is some sort of supernatural ability. So, I¡¯ll treat you as a spiritual ability user¡­ but what then? What does that have to do with Chiaki?¡±

    ¡°There are spiritual ability users in the world, as well as all sorts of demons and monsters. Chiaki is currently being targeted by a mystical existence. As for why she¡¯s be a target, the main reason might be because of you or her mother¡­¡± Seiji then gave Shingo an exnation of the situation that Chiaki was in.

    ¡°Dad¡­ The reason why neither of us can remember anything about mom is probably because of some mystical incident. It¡¯s likely that Seigo will be able to help us. Please, could you tell him about mom?¡± Chiaki tried convincing her dad again.

    Something shed in Shingo¡¯s eyes.

    Right now, even he himself didn¡¯t know what emotions he was feeling.

    Finally, he slowly opened his mouth and began talking about his wife¡­

    Shingo¡¯s ¡°memories¡± about his wife were hazy and ethereal, just as if they were nothing but a dream.

    He was unable to remember her name or face. Not only that¡ªevery single acquaintance of his that he could possibly think of had no memories of ever meeting his wife.

    It was the same even for the daughter that he had and raised together with her.

    In his ¡°memories¡±, his wife had previously cradled their newborn daughter while smiling, and his wife had also taught Chiaki the alphabet and how to talk¡­

    His wife had gone on walks together with him while holding Chiaki¡¯s tiny hand¡­ His wife had cooked whileughing at him ying with the young Chiaki¡­

    His wife had previously held her finger up to her lips, indicating that he should be quiet because their daughter had fallen asleep¡­ His wife had previously taken pictures of him and Chiaki together on a vacation¡­

    Those were all incredibly happy memories that gave him a feeling of warmth as he ¡°recalled¡± those moments.

    Yet, his wife seemed like she didn¡¯t even exist.

    There was no evidence, either physical or in any other person¡¯s memory, of her having ever existed at all!

    His wife had vanished into thin air. Even the few remaining happy memories seemed as if they were nothing but illusion. Not a single other person had any memories whatsoever regarding his wife, including even his own daughter.

    The only reasonable sounding exnation that Shingo was able toe up with was that all of these ¡°memories¡± were only his own hallucinations¡­ or most of them were.

    ¡®She¡¯s nothing but your own imagination.¡¯

    That was what reality kept telling him.

    ¡®She¡¯s nothing but a dream.¡¯

    Shingo kept telling himself this.

    Yet¡­ somewhere deep inside him there was a small stubborn part of himself that was unwilling to ept this.

    ¡®Was she really just a hallucination? Was she really nothing more than a dream? Did I truly imagine her entire existence?¡¯

    He was unwilling and unable to ept it. Yet, the reality was right before him. And, what pained him the most was how his daughter was.

    His daughter couldn¡¯t remember a single thing about her mother¡­ even though his daughter should have known even more about her mother than he did.

    Shingo¡¯s daughter was perfectly fine and healthy. She grew up to be apletely normal girl.

    He was the one who was in the wrong for treating hallucinations as memories. He was the abnormal one.

    Although Shingo came to this logical conclusion, he was still emotionally unable to ept it.

    That was why¡­ he didn¡¯t want to see his own daughter.

    No, it should be said that he was afraid of seeing his daughter!

    His ¡°normal¡± daughter was just like a mirror that kept reminding himself of how ¡°abnormal¡± he was.

    Shingo knew that all of this was wrong.

    Yet, he was unable to change himself.

    He had even tried visiting psychologists before. He had tried, but was unable to escape from that dream.

    That was why, even if he had a cold and distant rtionship with his daughter, at least his daughter could still live a good life with all the money he gave her¡­ Although this was a rather abnormal family rtionship, it was still within eptable boundaries.

    Shingo just wanted to wait until this dream disappeared.

    At that time, if his daughter was still willing, and if he was able to do so, perhaps they could be a normal father and daughter again.

    Shingo had thought that was the only possibility, until now¡­

    Shingo finished telling Seiji and Chiaki about his ¡°memories¡±.

    Seiji had a serious expression.

    Chiaki received a huge impact from hearing all of this.

    All of these ¡°memories¡± that her father had just talked about¡­ although they might just be his hallucinations, she faintly felt that they were all true events that had happened in the past!

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t you tell me about these ¡®memories¡¯ before!¡¯ Chiaki wanted toin to her father.

    However, the reasonable part of herself told her that if her father had mentioned such things to her before, it was highly likely that she would think her father to be mentally unstable.

    That was why her father had hidden the truth from her for so long.

    He hadn¡¯t wanted to talk about it. He had only wanted to bear these memories by himself until they finally faded.

    ¡®Has my dad been keeping his distance all this time from me because of this?¡¯ Chiaki suddenly thought of this.

    After seeing her father¡¯s current expression, she felt it was highly possible.

    If she had been the one instead with such unclear ¡°memories¡± about her mother, with her father remembering nothing at all, perhaps she would also choose to remain distant from her father.

    Aftering to this realization, Chiaki felt incrediblyplex emotions inside. Even she didn¡¯t know what expression she had right now.

    There was only one thing she wanted to say.

    ¡°Dad¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

 Chapter 762 - You have to use protection!

    <h4>Chapter 762: You have to use protection!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ I forgot about mom¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s never existed, so it doesn¡¯t count as you forgetting. You don¡¯t need to apologize for this,¡± Shingo said calmly.

    ¡®I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing,¡¯ he thought to himself. However, he was unable to bring himself to say it out loud.

    ¡°No¡­ I believe that mom really existed.¡± Chiaki looked directly at him. ¡°Dad, your memories are no hallucinations. They were real.¡±

    The famous artist frowned upon hearing this.

    ¡°I told you, that was nothing but a dream. Don¡¯t treat it as reality,¡± he spoke in a cold tone.

    Shingo didn¡¯t want to see his daughter also being confused by these ¡°memories¡±. It was more than enough that he was the only ¡°abnormal¡± one.

    Yet, a tiny part within him was actually happy that his daughter said so. This caused him to feel self-loathing, which was why his tone was so icy.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chiaki took a deep nce at her father, feeling like she could now understand better why her father acted the way he did.

    He still remembered some vague memories of his wife, but nobody else even remembered her existence, nor was there any evidence that she had once existed. This was as if the entire world was denying her very existence!

    And so, he could only deny his wife¡¯s existence as well.

    Just how painful would it be to deny your own memories?

    Just how much pressure would he be under to bear all of this by himself?

    He didn¡¯t ask for recognition, because he didn¡¯t even believe in himself. What few memories he still had of his wife, he could only treat as hallucinations¡­ that was truly so pitiful.

    After thinking deeper on this, Chiaki felt her eyes heating up as if she wanted to cry.

    But, she had to withstand the urge.

    She couldn¡¯t allow herself to cry because of this, because she knew her father wouldn¡¯t want to see it.

    She felt that someone like herself who had forgotten about her mother had no right to cry about it in front of her father who had been dealing with his memories all by himself.

    ¡°Right now, it¡¯s still unknown whether these memories are real or not,¡± Seiji spoke up. ¡°Wakaba-san, your memories regarding your wife might indeed be an illusion. However, it¡¯s also quite possible that such memories really reflect events that happened, just like what Chiaki says. The evidence for this is that Chiaki dreamed about her mother¡­ Although she can¡¯t remember her dream anymore, I clearly heard her saying ¡®mommy¡¯ while she was dreaming. There¡¯s no mistaking what she said. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a coincidence for such a thing to happen while she¡¯s being targeted by something mystical¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± A fierce glint suddenly appeared in Shingo¡¯s eyes as he stopped Seiji from continuing. ¡°You heard Chiaki talking in her sleep while she was dreaming¡­ the two of you were sleeping together?¡±

    Seiji: ¡°¡­¡±

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched as he suddenly felt a powerful auraing from Chiaki¡¯s father.

    ¡°Um, we weren¡¯t¡­ it was just that I had Chiaki sleep in the study of my apartment in order to better protect her¡­ Uh, I just happened to hear her talking in her sleep while I was checking on her¡­¡±

    Seiji did his best to exin things clearly when faced with this pressure from his girlfriend¡¯s father. Still, he felt a littlecking in confidence here.

    That was because he knew he was a scumbag who had started a harem.

    Shingo adjusted his eyesses and judged the youth before him with an even sharper gaze than earlier.

    Although Shingo was a mature adult who was somewhat mentally prepared that his daughter would eventually enter a sexual rtionship with a boyfriend one day, it was impossible for him to remain calm once he truly learned such a thing.

    Seeing how fidgety andcking in confidence Seigo was behaving right now, Shingo felt that something had definitely happened between his daughter and Seigo.

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow such a rtionship while the both of you are still in high school. But if things are already at that level, you must remember to use protection.¡± Shingo looked directly at Chiaki while saying this.

    Chiaki, who had just wanted to cry, now wanted tough out loud.

    Her father¡¯s misunderstanding and serious attitude and Seiji¡¯s suddenck of confidence¡­ this scene made her feel happy for some reason.

    She lowered her head in order to hide the fact that she was almost about tough.

    This action caused Shingo to misunderstand even further. His gaze became even fiercer.

    ¡°Listen to me, you absolutely have to use protection! Otherwise¡­ there will be a serious problem!¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t had such a rtionship yet¡­ We haven¡¯t reached that level,¡± Seiji hurriedly mentioned.

    This was the truth. Although Chiaki had given him several blowjobs, and he had serviced her as well, they indeed hadn¡¯t crossed the final line and had sex yet.

    However, Shingo didn¡¯t believe this. And even if they still hadn¡¯t had sex yet, they were probably almost at that point in their rtionship.

    Young people were quitecking in self-restraint. Even if they could temporarily restrain themselves, there was no telling when they would no longer be able to withstand the urge.

    ¡°Since you call yourself Chiaki¡¯s boyfriend, and you say that you have responsibilities as her boyfriend, then you also need to protect her. You need to realize the possible consequences of not using protection. You need to take this seriously!¡±

    ¡°I said that we haven¡¯t¡­¡± Seiji felt rather helpless. ¡°But, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll remember this.¡±

    ¡°You have to remember it.¡± Shingo red at Seiji for a while before turning to Chiaki. ¡°That goes for you as well. You need to protect yourself. If he doesn¡¯t care about using protection, you need to break up with him as fast as possible.¡±

    Chiaki really was almost about tough out loud now. She made a great effort in order not to.

    ¡°I will, Dad.¡± Chiaki finally replied after holding in her urge tough. ¡°Actually¡­ even if we aren¡¯t careful¡­ it¡¯ll be fine, because Seigo is really rich. He can afford to¡­¡±

    ¡®This isn¡¯t an issue that can be resolved by money!¡¯ Shingo wanted to say this, but suddenly felt like he had no right to say something like this.

    That was because he had remained distant from his daughter all this time. Apart from giving his daughter lots and lots of money since he was really rich, he knew that he hadn¡¯t done anything a father should have for his daughter at all.

    Since Shingo realized this, he felt like he no longer had the right to lecture them.

    ¡°At any rate, you must be careful.¡± He ended on that note.

    Seiji and Chiaki both nodded obediently.

    Everyone fell silent once again.

    What had they been talking about originally again?

    ¡°Cough¡­ let¡¯s get back onto the original topic,¡± Seiji coughed to put the topic back on track. ¡°Chiaki¡¯s dream is probably no coincidence. It was likely brought about by something mystical. Let us hypothesize that your memories are actually real, Wakaba-san. This means that Chiaki¡¯s dream might be the sign that her memories are beginning to recover. While this may seem like a good thing, if that¡¯s what¡¯s really going on, this is actually a very serious matter. Your wife, Chiaki¡¯s mother, was someone who definitely existed for real. Yet, shepletely disappeared from the entire world as if she had never existed at all¡­ Only a highly powerful demon or spiritual ability user could be behind this.

    ¡°I think that it¡¯s more likely a demon is behind this, because if a human was behind this, that person shouldn¡¯t have eliminated everyone¡¯s memories of your wife but leave your memories only half-erased. And if a demon caused all of this, just how powerful could this demon be¡­ it¡¯s difficult for me to calcte. It¡¯s possible that this demon has recently started targeting Chiaki. And, the worst possible oue may be that Chiaki will vanish from the world and everyone¡¯s memories, just like her mother did.¡± Seiji said all this with a serious expression.

    Disappear¡­ Chiaki couldn¡¯t help but imagine herself being captured¡­ or being kidnapped by some unknown demon, god, or human. After that, she wouldpletely disappear from the world, as if she never existed. Just imagining it made Chiaki feel afraid.

    Wait a moment, being taken away by a demon or a god? Wasn¡¯t that the same as the so-called being ¡°spirited away?¡±

    Being spirited away, as in being hidden from the world by some sort of spirit, demon, or god, was quite a famous mystical phenomenon in literature.

    The most famous legend of being spirited away in Sakura Ind was the story of Urashima Taro, the fisherman who had been taken to a dragon¡¯s pce after he¡¯d saved a turtle. This was a fairy tale that everybody in Sakura Ind knew 1.

    In modern society of today, being spirited away was treated as a superstitious way to exin someone¡¯s sudden and mysterious disappearance. That was what Chiaki knew of being spirited away.

    But now, it would seem that the concept of being spirited away was actually true to its roots, that the person would be erased from the world by a demon or a god¡­ was that it?

    Had her missing mother actually been spirited away?

 Chapter 763 - Spirited Away

    <h4>Chapter 763: Spirited Away</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    While Chiaki was thinking about her mother, Seiji promised her father that he would do his very best to prevent anything bad from happening to her. Seiji would protect Chiaki.

    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Shingo asked after a period of contemtive silence.

    ¡°Please pay attention to anything strange that may happen to or around you. Also, please contact me immediately if anything strange does happen. Or, you can contact Chiaki.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°I would also like it if you could please contact me if you can remember anything else regarding Chiaki¡¯s mother.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want any money?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need money.¡±

    Shingo took a deep look at the boy sitting across from him and then retracted his gaze.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do things like that, then.¡± After saying that, he stood up again.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± When Chiaki saw this, she couldn¡¯t help but call out to him.

    The famous artist nced at his daughter before starting to walk off.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t know what to say. She could only watch together with Seiji as her father left.

    Although they had learned something rather important about her mother, that didn¡¯t mean that the rtionship between Chiaki and her father would instantly be repaired.

    But, at the very least, an important step was taken today.

    -

    Someone being spirited away, disappearing from the world entirely, with nobody remembering that person or having any evidence that person had existed.

    This type of phenomenon was rtivelymon in manga and anime. Seiji¡¯s deepest impression was from a certain anime named Shakugan no Shana.

    He recalled that the female lead of this anime from his previous world had been ridiculously popr at the time this anime was released. The red-haired sword-wielding loli was an otaku¡¯s dream girl. Shana had be the representative character of the tsundere trope, as well as the main reason behind her voice actress Rie Kugimiya¡¯s poprity, helping Kugimiya achieve stardom as a tsundere voice actress in other anime afterwards. Even now, Seiji still remembered Shana¡¯s famous triple ¡± urusai 1 ¡± line. It was as if he could hear that line ying in his head right now¡­

    Cough, he was getting off track.

    In that anime, people who had their ¡°power of existence¡± stolen from them would cease to exist, vanishingpletely from the world and everyone¡¯s memories. All evidence that this person had ever existed would vanish as well.

    There were also many other anime and manga that used such an element in their story setting. The source of all this were the ancient legends about being spirited away.

    Being taken away by a spirit, demon, or other supernatural existence could all be ssified under spirited away. But, the most original meaning of the term spirited away referred to being taken away by a god.

    ¡°Completely vanishing from the world, with nobody remembering about that person, and all evidence of that person¡¯s existence vanishing? That¡¯s the highest possible level of being spirited away,¡± Natsuya told Seiji after she learned of the situation. ¡°This type of spirited away, or shall we say, mystical phenomenon, only exists in theory. That¡¯s because if someone really disappears in such a way, nobody will remember them and there will be no evidence of that person¡¯s existence. Not a single person will know that this person has existed, so nobody will notice that the person has disappeared. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no concrete example of the highest possible level of being spirited away.

    ¡°This is a level of spirited away that¡¯s only one level below the theoretical highest possible achievable level of being spirited away. The person in question disappeared, and the great majority of people have forgotten about this person. However, a few individuals still remember that person, or there¡¯s a very minor amount of evidence of that person¡¯s existence left behind. There are records of such types of being spirited away. Obviously, the situation with Wakaba-san¡¯s mother is this type of being spirited away. It¡¯s also possible that this wasn¡¯t done by a god, but rather a spiritual ability user. A sufficiently powerful individual, or perhaps a spiritual ability user faction, can also aplish something simr. But, if this was done by a spiritual ability user, that person should have done a moreplete job.¡±

    Natsuya had the same opinion as Seiji here.

    ¡°How powerful would a god have to be to cause such an incident of being spirited away if we go by Soul Society¡¯s demon danger levels?¡± Seiji wondered about this.

    ¡°ording to soul society¡¯s ssification, it would have to be ¡®demon king¡¯ level,¡± Natsuya answered instantly.

    ¡°Demon king level¡­ as expected.¡±

    Seiji had been hoping that maybe a god that could do this would only be at the ¡®vicious demon¡¯ level danger ssification. Yet, Natsuya answered instantly with such confidence, shattering his tiny hope.

    With his current power level, would he be able to deal with a god that was the equivalent of a ¡®demon king¡¯ threat level?

    It was quite possible that he wouldn¡¯t be able to¡­ no, it would definitely be impossible!

    Seiji decided not to have any oundish hopes. A vicious demon level threat like the Snake or Samurai Demon was already so difficult to deal with already. A demon king level threat would definitely be impossible for the current him to handle, Seiji told himself.

    But what if he included Natsuya and all hispanions¡¯bat strength put together?

    Add on his ability to save and load to go back in time, and perhaps he would be able to deal with a demon king level god. But, that would still be tremendously risky¡­

    As Seiji mulled over things, Chiaki sat by his side and quietly sipped on some tea.

    It felt rather scary to be watched by a god like this. She also felt scared that she might disappear from the world at any moment, with nobody ever remembering that she existed. However, Chiaki felt reassured because she had such a reliable boyfriend.

    Apart from being afraid of that unknown god who was watching her, Chiaki now had a new emotion: anger.

    If this god had caused her mother¡¯s disappearance and brought so much pain to her father¡­ this god seemed far too evil to her!

    Since Chiaki didn¡¯t have any memories of her mother, she didn¡¯t feel the same pain of losing a loved one. She merely felt sad¡ªsad for her father, and sad for her own lost memories.

    Did all of this happen to her because she was a priest¡¯s descendant, so she had the ¡°favor of the gods?¡±

    She preferred not to have the gods¡¯ favor at all!

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask¡­¡± After some consideration, Chiaki came up with a question. ¡°Where have the people who were spirited away gone to? What exactly¡­ happened to my mother?¡±

    Mika, who was also present and sipping tea, looked at her best friend. Even Shika looked in Chiaki¡¯s direction.

    ¡°ording to the ancient legends about being spirited away, the people who went missing were brought to mystical realms,¡± Natsuya exined. ¡°This is something that regr people know about through folk tales as well¡­ And with your mother¡¯s situation, it¡¯s highly likely that she became the servant of a god.¡±

    ¡°Is it possible that she¡¯s still alive?¡± Chiaki asked in a soft voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Natsuya looked at Chiaki. ¡°But to my knowledge, it¡¯s impossible to return those who have been spirited away back to the human world. That¡¯s because it¡¯s impossible even for spiritual ability users to enter the gods¡¯ realm¡­¡±

    But as Natsuya said this, she suddenly stopped herself as something shed in her eyes.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Seiji could tell that she suddenly thought of something.

    ¡°Impossible to enter the gods¡¯ realm¡­ that was the case in the past,¡± Natsuya spoke slowly. ¡°Now that the Spirit Worlds have started appearing¡­ what if the Spirit Worlds are actually the gods¡¯ realm, or if they¡¯re directly connected to the gods¡¯ realm? That means¡­¡±

    The gods¡¯ realm could be essed!

    Those who were spirited away could possibly be recovered!!

    The student council president didn¡¯t say those two sentences out loud. However, everyone present was able toe to such conclusions by themselves.

    ¡°My mom¡­ may be able to return?¡± Chiaki widened her eyes.

    She had only asked because of her unwillingness to ept the current situation. She¡¯d never expected to hear about such a possibility.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a possibility,¡± Natsuya told her in a serious tone. ¡°I can¡¯t be certain that the Spirit Worlds are rted to the gods¡¯ realm or that they have any connection to the gods¡¯ realm¡­ even now, we still don¡¯t know what exactly the Spirit Worlds are.¡±

    Since she didn¡¯t know what the Spirit Worlds were, everything was only a hypothesis.

    The Spirit Worlds possibly being connected to the gods¡¯ realm was also only a hypothesis.

    But, this hypothesis seemed quite usible.

    ¡°The Spirit Worlds¡­ No, more specifically, I should be talking about the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes. ¡°The Realm of Cherry Blossoms is actually the gods¡¯ realm itself¡­ I think that this is highly possible.

    ¡°First of all, why did the Realm of Cherry Blossoms appear? This is something that none of us knows the answer to. However, the Realm of Cherry Blossoms appeared during the cherry blossom viewing festival, right at the time when everyone in Sakura Ind was enjoying the sight of cherry blossoms. There must be a connection here! If you treat the citizens¡¯ enjoyment of cherry blossoms as a type of ¡®worship¡¯ towards cherry blossoms, then the cherry blossom viewing festival will be the highest point in everyone¡¯s ¡®worship¡¯ of the cherry blossoms. This created a rted Cherry Blossom Spirit World, or maybe even brought about the birth of a Cherry Blossom God¡­ doesn¡¯t this sound quite reasonable?

    ¡°And then, since Chiaki is a priest¡¯s descendant, and she now senses the ¡®attention of a God¡¯ on her, this means that the God is getting closer and is about to appear. This is an exact match for the current situation with the Realm of Cherry Blossoms! In summary, I believe that the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ real identity is the divine realm of the Cherry Blossom God. This all makes sense!!¡±

 Chapter 764 - Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

    <h4>Chapter 764: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes instantly lit up upon hearing this.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Seiji forced himself to say this word despite Chiaki¡¯s hopeful expression. ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯ll be possible to recover those who have been spirited away. There will still be all sorts of problems¡ªwhere the spirited away people are, what type of condition they¡¯re in, whether they¡¯ll be able to return to our world, what will try to stop us, will we need to fight against the gods¡­ problems such as these. Entering the realm of the divine is just like taking the first step. There will be hope of recovering her, but that¡¯s all.¡±

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes dimmed after she heard all this.

    Although it wasn¡¯t nice to dash her hopes like that, he still had to tell her the truth. Seiji inwardly sighed.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we try?¡± Mika couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°We could try and find Chiaki¡¯s mother¡­ maybe that will be possible?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that we shouldn¡¯t try,¡± Seiji stated. ¡°We just need to understand the situation clearly.¡±

    It was only his guess that the Realm of Cherry Blossoms was actually a divine realm. And even if his guess was proven right, there would be all sorts of problems regarding how to find and bring someone back. Things weren¡¯t optimistic at all.

    Seiji felt that it would be bad to be overly optimistic. Taking reality too lightly would typically end in reality teaching you a harsh lesson. For instance, an adventurer who thought they could easily defeat a goblin might be defeated, killed, or even worse.

    Too much optimism was no good, but that didn¡¯t mean that Seiji wanted to give up because of some difficulties.

    ¡°The first step will be to try and find Chiaki¡¯s mother in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡­¡± Seiji looked towards Natsuya. ¡°Is there any spell that can be useful for this?¡±

    Chiaki gradually calmed down as Seiji and Natsuya began discussing magic spells.

    She felt that Seiji was correct about needing to see the situation clearly.

    Although there was hope, that was all¡ªjust hope. There was no guarantee of being able to find her mother¡­ in fact, it could be said that it would be normal to be unable to find her. It would be a miracle if they could actually find her mother.

    Seiji would definitely try his hardest for her sake. All she needed to do was believe in him.

    The knight order members all arrived.

    Seiji opened up the portal to his Spirit House and had everyone, including Chiaki, enter.

    Not only was Chiaki going to enter the Spirit House, she was also going to attempt Visualization.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how she would react to the Spirit Image as she wasn¡¯t an Awakened or a spiritual ability user.

    Perhaps she would fail, or perhaps she would seed. If she seeded, maybe she would increase her spiritual power, which might attract more attention from the god watching her¡­ Seiji exined all the possibilities to her.

    After learning all the potential results and consequences, Chiaki insisted on trying.

    She wanted power¡­ even if simply raising her spiritual power by a little might be useless, she still wanted to try.

    Her desire to try became even stronger after learning about the possibility of finding her mother!

    Seiji was somewhat worried about her. But after he saw how adamant she was, he could only let her try.

    Everyone entered the dojo of Seiji¡¯s Spirit House.

    After their previous experience, everyone didn¡¯t immediately look at the Spirit Image. This time, they all sat down beforehand and prepared themselves before looking at the Spirit Image.

    It was the same for Chiaki. When she entered the dojo, she avoided looking at the giant watercolor painting hanging from the wall across from the door. Only after she sat down next to Mika did she look at the Spirit Image.

    While looking at that incredibly realistic painting of the three individuals¡¯ backs¡­ Chiaki felt a wondrously subtle sensation.

    The woman wearing Sakura Ind attire and holding a paper umbre gave her an especially profound and indescribable sensation.

    The painting erged as the figures appeared to be closer. The colors brightened as everything became real¡­ Chiaki entered a state of Visualization without her realizing it.

    The wind was blowing many cherry blossoms around in the air.

    Chiaki was now walking down a path in between a grove of cherry blossom trees that were in full bloom. The falling cherry blossoms were amazingly beautiful.

    Chiaki was charmed by this moving beauty and admired the scenery as she walked down the path. She didn¡¯t regain her senses until a red torii 1 appeared in her field of vision.

    ¡®Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?¡¯

    Chiaki was confused as she couldn¡¯t recall the answer to any of these questions.

    Chiaki then noticed that she was wearing exquisitely beautiful traditional Sakura Ind attire. Although the clothing was beautiful, it was also unfamiliar, and didn¡¯t seem like her own clothing. She also happened to be holding a paper fan in her right hand.

    A sudden strong gust of wind blew past, bringing along many flower petals that seemed like a sudden rainstorm.

    Chiaki was forced to close her eyes against the powerful gale. She also felt a chill that helped to clear her mind and recall everything.

    Chiaki opened up the paper umbre in her hand and continued forward, passing through the red torii.

    The wind constantly sent cherry blossom petals flying through the air, creating a sound that resembled a low whisper.

    Ordinary people would feel uneasy from hearing this sound. The seemingly harmless flower petals were actually harmful as well. Fortunately for Chiaki, the paper umbre created a barrier that blocked them all.

    As Chiaki walked down this path, she saw another red torii.

    She passed through this torii, and then she passed through a third, a fourth, and a fifth torii¡­

    The whispering sound continued for all this time. The flower petals constantly fell without stop. The originally clear sky began to darken, and the temperature was evidently dropping.

    The beautiful scenery now began to seem dark and eerie.

    Chiaki held out her paper umbre while walking forward at her quickest walking pace. Although she appeared calm on the surface, she couldn¡¯t help but feel spooked inside.

    As long as she finished walking down this path, she would be able to meet ¡°that person.¡± She would no longer be afraid if she could be by their side.

    He had told her that taking this path by herself would be safer than traveling at his side.

    Chiaki believed him. However, she still felt unsafe as a girl walking down this type of path by herself.

    She intended toin to that person after she saw him again.

    After passing through yet another torii, Chiaki saw some red mist!

    This red mist seemed rather ominous. Chiaki instinctively didn¡¯t want to pass through it. However, that person had told her she would be fine.

    Chiaki stopped for a moment and took a deep breath to muster her courage. She then walked into the red mist.

    Her paper umbre started glowing white and blocked the red mist with its barrier.

    The whispering sounds changed into ear-piercing mor. The pink cherry blossom petals flying in the air became bright red. Everything around Chiaki became hazy, dim, and ice-cold¡­

    Chiaki constantly walked forward down the path without looking around her or thinking too much about what was happening. A whileter, her vision started clearing up again.

    A handsome Yin Yang Master wearing hunting attire was standing not far away from her. A ck-armored warrior holding a longsword and wearing a ck helmet was standing next to him.

    When she looked over in his direction, the handsome Yin Yang Master also noticed her. He looked over with a smile.

    After seeing this gentle smile, Chiaki was moved in her heart. This greatly diminished her earlier desire toin to him.

    She reflexively wanted to smile back at him, but the remaining dissatisfaction caused her to withstand her urge to smile as she kept a straight face instead.

    ¡°Are you alright, Miss Chiaki?¡± the Yin Yang Master asked her worriedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine all thanks to you, Seiji-san.¡± Chiaki intentionally spoke in a rather forceful manner that showed a bit ofint.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, it was just that I¡¯m too much of a coward, so I felt afraid even though I was walking on a safe path.¡±

    Chiaki walked next to him as she said this.

    The moment she arrived next to him, she felt the earlier chill around her disappearing, making her feel relieved.

    ¡°I apologize for having you walk that path by yourself.¡± Seiji understood and apologized.

    ¡°No need for you to say that. I was the one who was cowardly. The great and famous Yin Yang Master Seiji Kamijou had guaranteed my safety, yet I was still afraid. I¡¯m such a useless girl.¡± On the surface, Chiaki seemed like she was denigrating herself, but she was actually stillining (acting spoiled).

 Chapter 765 - As expected of the famous Seiji Kamijou

    <h4>Chapter 765: As expected of the famous Seiji Kamijou</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Miss Chiaki isn¡¯t cowardly or useless at all,¡± Seiji told her seriously. ¡°You had the courage to walk here by yourself. That was critical to suppressing the spirits here.¡±

    ¡°Seiji-san probably could have suppressed the spirits even without me here.¡±

    ¡°That might be true, but things would have been far more troublesome without Miss Chiaki around.¡±

    ¡°No matter how troublesome the issue, Seiji-san can deal with anything as long as you take it seriously.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only a single Yin Yang Master. What I can aplish is limited¡­ Miss Chiaki¡¯s assistance is incredibly important.¡±

    After hearing his sincere words, Chiaki harrumphed softly as her lips arched slightly upward.

    She then looked towards the building which was in front.

    A shrine was there¡­ under the dark sky and flying flower petals, the originally beautiful and divine shrine now seemed ominous and cold. Eerie red mist permeated the entire shrine.

    The sculptures around the shrine werepletely enveloped in red mist¡ªtheir contours could barely be seen. All the stonenterns in the shrine were currently unlit, with ominous red mist all around.

    Suddenly, there was a morous sound as cherry blossoms swirled within the mist, forming a tremendous number of dark red shadowy humanoid figures. There were male, female, young, and old, and they all had empty holes where their eyes should have been. They also had vicious expressions and distorted limbs¡­

    Chiaki was quite frightened by this scene.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he whipped out a talisman. The silent ck-d warrior next to him also raised her longsword.

    Whoosh¡­ the evil spirits rushed over in their direction!

    Seiji recited a spell that created a flight of white light on his and Chiaki¡¯s bodies.

    The ck-d warrior greeted the evil spirits with her sword. A blueish-white me started spreading on her sword as it lengthened into a giant spiritual sword.

    Shing! One swing of the sword slew many evil spirits.

    Even more evil spirits kept swarming in. The warrior continuously swung her sword to y evil spirits while using agile footwork to dodge their attacks.

    However, the evil spirits were incredibly numerous¡ªendless, even. No matter how fast the warrior¡¯s movements were, it was impossible for her to dodge all the attacks. She could only take the remaining attacks with her armor and helmet.

    ¡°Will Kagura-san be alright?¡± Chiaki couldn¡¯t help but ask as she saw the warrior fighting against so many evil spirits.

    Chiaki had never even seen this female warrior¡¯s face before. She only knew that the warrior¡¯s surname was Kagura, and that the warrior was female¡­ Or, more urately, Kagura wasn¡¯t a warrior, but rather a Spirit-branded Retainer.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. With such weak spirits, it doesn¡¯t matter how manye at her. They won¡¯t be able to harm her.¡± Seiji sounded absolutely confident.

    His Spirit-branded Retainer named Kagura was able to keep the majority of evil spirits upied. Only a few evil spirits came over to attack him and Chiaki. However, these few evil spirits were all instantly vaporized by the barrier Seiji had set up.

    Seiji held many talismans in his hand as he started uttering an incantation with a serious expression. The talismans then began to glow white as they started burning with a golden-white me.

    Seiji waved his hand, tossing out all the burning talismans which stuck themselves onto the shrine¡¯s stonenterns.

    There was then an explosion of light that instantly dispelled all the red mist around thenterns while also lighting them.

    With all the stonenterns now lighted, the ominous aura around the shrine was diminished as thenterns let off a pure white light.

    The number of evil spirits pouring out of the temple obviously started to lessen.

    However, the morous sound became even louder. The divine sculptures around the shrine began to rumble, making a scarily abnormal sound that resembled both howling and roaring. The red mist around the shrine instantly started expanding and bing denser while absorbingrge amounts of cherry blossoms.

    Feeling that something even scarier was about to arrive, Chiaki listened to her heart and hid herself behind Seiji.

    Seiji took out even more talismans and began to incant again.

    Kagura made a pose as a gigantic blue-white female shadow arose behind her back. The female shadow waved her hand and released arge amount of faint blue mist which eradicated the remaining evil spirits.

    *Boom!!* There was a tremendous sound which seemed to even shake the heavens. Two gigantic stone lions suddenly materialized.

    Rather than being actual lions, these stone lions were closer to the divine.

    Stone lions were originally intended to be majestic guardians. But right now, they appeared vicious and evil, with mouths gaping, sharp fangs, sharp ws, and blood-red eyes. The red mist also swirled all around their bodies, giving them quite the ominous impression.

    Before the stone lions could attack, Kagura first pointed up towards the sky with her sword. The shadow behind her back sped its hands together, shooting out a dense blue mist towards the stone lion on the left!

    Roar!!! The left stone lion opened its mouth and roared, causing dense red mist to react explosively around its body and block the blue mist attack.

    The right stone lion viciously pounced towards Kagura, swinging its sharp ws¡­

    At this moment, Seiji waved his hand again, tossing out all the talismans he had. The talismans prated through the right stone lion¡¯s protective red mist and stuck themselves to its body.

    ¡°Snare!¡± Seiji made a hand seal with his other hand and activated his spell.

    All the talismans instantly glowed with a blinding white light as the right stone lion suddenly stopped in its tracks, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

    Meanwhile, Kagura raised her sword and charged at the left stone lion!

    The left stone lion counterattacked with its sharp ws and fangs. Even more red mist kept erupting from its body. However, the shadow behind Kagura¡¯s back kept dispelling the red mist with its blue mist.

    The Spirit-branded Retainer¡¯s fierce battle against the divine envoy stone lion was astonishing to behold.

    Yet, the Yin Yang Master seemed rather quiet and even elegant.

    Seiji unhurriedly incanted and made another seal.

    The talismans on the right stone lion kept glowing brightly and dispelling its red mist. The white rays of light that the talismans let off were gradually spreading over lion¡¯s entire body.

    The right stone lion continued to remainpletely still. Its giant body was trembling slightly, and it let out a guttural roar. It could be seen that the lion was furiously struggling, but waspletely unable to move.

    ¡®As expected of the famous Seiji Kamijou,¡¯ Chiaki praised in her mind.

    How many Yin Yang Masters in the world would be able to calmly suppress such a frightening evil spirit?

    She felt delighted that such an incredible person told her that her assistance was important.

    A whileter, Kagura managed to cut off the left stone lion¡¯s head with her spiritual de! The lion¡¯s body vanished into mist and became nothing more than shattered stone.

    At almost the exact same time, white light covered the right stone lion¡¯s body, cleansing itpletely and transforming it back into aplete and normal stone sculpture.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Chiaki.¡± Seiji smiled.

    ¡®Alright, Seiji-san.¡¯ Chiaki almost answered in such a way, but she maintained her own cool image and simply uttered a sound of agreeance.

    Chiaki, Seiji, and Kagura then walked into the shrine¡­

    ================================================================

    Chiaki gradually came back to her senses.

    She blinked and felt like her head was somewhat dizzy.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± a voice spoke up beside her.

    She turned around, only to see a familiar handsome face.

    Seiji smiled, and asked concernedly, ¡°Wee back. How do you feel?¡±

    Chiaki dazedly stared at him for a moment before she realized what was going on.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­ I just feel slightly dizzy.¡±

    ¡°Just some slight dizziness? How about your body?¡±

    Her body¡­ Chiaki hadn¡¯t felt much originally, but now that he asked, she focused on her body and actually felt fatigued.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired¡­¡± She reflexively tried to move, but instantly felt numb and pained all over!

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but moan in pain.

    Seiji immediately hugged her as he cast a healing spell.

    Chiaki instantly felt much better.

    ¡°Why do I feel like this¡­¡±

    ¡°You Visualized for an incredibly long time. It¡¯s already past 2:00 am in the morning.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Chiaki was astonished to hear this.

    Only now did she notice as she looked around her that not a single person was present in the dojo anymore apart from herself and Seiji.

    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve already all left and gone home.¡±

 Chapter 766 - Nobody will hear you even if you scream at the top of your lungs

    <h4>Chapter 766: Nobody will hear you even if you scream at the top of your lungs</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Only the two of us are still here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you intend to do to me?¡± Chiaki pretended to have a weak and helpless expression.

    ¡°Ha, you¡¯ve seen right through me.¡± Seiji pretended to smile evilly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to do fun things to you.¡±

    ¡°No~ Somebody help me~~¡±

    ¡°Hahaha - nobody will hear you even if you scream at the top of your lungs!¡± Seiji used a ssical phrase as he reached his hands out to the defenseless girl.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Ahn¡­ No¡­ That ce is no good¡­ Please don¡¯t do it anymore¡­ Wahh¡­

    ¡°Ah~ Ahh~~~ Ahhhhh~~~~~¡±

    ¡°Please stop intentionally making sounds that could be misconstrued!¡± Seiji smacked Chiaki¡¯s butt slightly forcefully.

    He was currently giving Chiaki a massage.

    She had sat down in the same posture for far too long, so of course she needed a massage to help her body recover.

    Chiaki kept making seductive sounds as if she was having sex. This made Seiji really want to do it with her right now. He forced himself to withstand the urge.

    After the spanking, Chiaki became more obedient, but still made sounds from time to time.

    That was because she truly felt good. It was a wonderful feeling to have her boyfriend carefully massaging her body.

    Some timeter, the massage ended.

    ¡°What did you experience during your Visualization?¡± Seiji inquired.

    Chiaki had Visualized for an incredibly long period of time, yet her spiritual power had only increased by a small amount. However, this ¡°small amount¡± was rtive to Mika and the others. The spiritual power increase was still better than what normal spiritual ability users would experience after Visualization.

    Everyone else¡¯s second Visualizationsted about the same length of time as the previous. However, their spiritual power increase was less thanst time¡¯s.

    Shika and Mayuzumi had the greatest increase in spiritual power as it was their first time Visualizing here.

    It would seem that the first time¡¯s effects would be the best when Visualizing with this Spirit Image. Would the spiritual power increase continue to lower, or would it remain steady or rise again? That would be unknown until everyone tried it out some more.

    Just like everyone else, Shika and Mayuzumi also met ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡± during their Visualization.

    It was the same for Chiaki.

    She had suppressed evil spirits together with ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡±. They fought against an evil god together!

    ¡°I feel like everything was so clear during my Visualization, but now I can¡¯t remember anything at all. I can only remember things vaguely.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s normal, since Visualization is only a dream rather than something real.¡±

    Chiaki described what happened during her Visualization. She remembered that she had danced in front of the god.

    ¡°Dancing in front of a god¡­ is that Kagura dance?¡± Seiji blinked in realization.

    Kagura dance was a type of Shinto dance that was also known as the ¡°god-entertainment dance.¡± As its name suggested, the Kagura dance was intended to please a god in a ritualistic fashion.

    But why would Chiaki dance a Kagura dance for a fallen evil god?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was a Kagura dance or not¡­ I wasn¡¯t wearing miko attire during the dance. I was wearing regr Sakura Ind attire, and I didn¡¯t have any shrine maiden instruments¡­¡±

    Chiaki thought about it and suddenly stood up.

    ¡°I think I remember how to dance it. Why don¡¯t I show you?¡±

    Chiaki then raised her hands and made an elegant pose as she slowly began to dance.

    She was currently wearing a blue jacket and jeans, rtively normal attire. But once she started dancing this dance, she suddenly seemed rather devilish.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but imagine Chiaki wearing beautiful Sakura Ind attire while dancing this same dance. He felt that she would be so charismatic!

    Seiji knew quite well that Chiaki was a skilled dancer.

    Chiaki¡¯s dancing performance during the Genhana High School festival in the y had truly stunned him, giving him a deep impression that seemed crystal clear to him even now.

    There was no sound of song like that time, nor was Chiaki currently wearing a costume like in the y. Her dancing just like this was still movingly beautiful.

    Seiji happily enjoyed the show. But, suddenly, he felt something in the atmosphere begin to change. Not only that, his system notified him that someone was now cultivating within his dojo!

    Chiaki¡¯s dance was actually a type of cultivation!? Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    At this moment, Chiaki was immersed in a wondrously subtle sensation.

    When she started this dance, she already began to feel an indescribable subtle sensation that seemed to make her feel like she was really dancing as a miko in a shrine.

    The more she danced, the more wondrous this sensation became. She unknowingly becamepletely immersed in it.

    She faintly felt as if she could see pink cherry blossoms falling down inrge patches¡­

    Seiji was stunned by the sight.

    Imperceptibly, the scenery had changed to being outside. He saw blooming cherry blossoms sending their petals falling everywhere. Chiaki danced elegantly while wearing beautiful Sakura Ind attire. She was breathtakingly beautiful as she danced with light steps. Her eyes seemed seductive, holy, pure, and alluring all at once.

    Seiji had experienced something simr before¡ªwhen he went to Blood Moon Mountain together with Miyuki Sakuraku!

    At that time, the national idol¡¯s singing made him feel like the entire world had changed around him¡­ and this time, his girlfriend¡¯s dance had taken him into this illusionary scene.

    Was this a type of dancer ability? Had Chiaki Awakened?

    Chiaki had said that she somehow knew this dance during her Visualization. Learning a new power like this¡­ did this also count as Awakening?

    Nobody else in his knight order had ever learned a new ability like this before¡­ at least not until now. Chiaki was the first example.

    As long as Seiji resolved his mind, he knew that he could awaken himself from this illusion. However, Seiji allowed himself to continue watching the dance and quietly enjoy the show.

    Chiaki gradually stopped dancing as she was now tired.

    Seiji gave her a hearty round of apuse.

    Chiaki smiled while looking at him. But, her smile soon froze over.

    That was because she saw flower petals!

    Pink cherry blossom petals were scattered all over the dojo¡¯s floorboard.

    Were those petals¡­ real? Chiaki looked in astonishment at the petals.

    She had thought that these flower petals were only in her imagination. Yet, they had now appeared in Seiji¡¯s dojo!

    But right as she watched the petals, the cherry blossom petals gradually became transparent and then disappeared.

    What was going on?

    ¡°You have Awakened, Chiaki.¡± Seiji told this to her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve Awakened?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Can¡¯t you feel it for yourself?¡±

    Chiaki blinked and recalled what she felt while dancing just earlier. Only then did she realize that something seemed extraordinary.

    ¡°But, I was only dancing¡­¡±

    ¡°The important part about your dance¡­ is that you were fully immersed in the dream world while dancing this dance to suppress the evil spirits. And, surprisingly, it was effective in reality as well.¡± Seiji tilted his head slightly. ¡°Even I feel that this is surprising. Nobody else has learned a new ability like this before. You¡¯re the first. But no matter what, you¡¯ve shown a spiritual ability, which means that you count as having Awakened. Congrattions.¡±

    While congratting her, he pped his hands again.

    ¡°Saying that I count as having Awakened¡­ it sounds rather strange,¡± Chiakimented.

    She didn¡¯t feel like the impact had hit her yet. Although she saw flower petals and realized that her dance just now was something extraordinary, her mind still hadn¡¯t wrapped itself around the concept.

    ¡®I really have a spiritual ability now? What if I could only perform that dance this once?¡¯

    ¡°Could it be that I could only do it this one time? Showing off a spiritual ability was just a coincidence¡­ Or maybe because I was here in this special dojo¡­¡± Chiaki said her own thoughts out loud.

    Seiji didn¡¯t dare to confidently state anything in response, since this was also his first time seeing such an ¡°Awakening¡±. He didn¡¯t know what her situation would be like.

    ¡°How about you try and dance again after some rest?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    After Chiaki rested for a while, she danced for a second time.

    However, that subtle sensation from the first time didn¡¯t appear again. Nor were there any flower petals.

    Chiaki was certain that she didn¡¯t dance the dance incorrectly. However, she couldn¡¯t feel anything at all apart from it being an ordinary dance.

    Seiji observed closely from the side. He also saw that Chiaki¡¯s dance was identical tost time, but the atmosphere didn¡¯t change. Nor was he brought into an illusionary scene this time.

    Chiaki danced for quite a while, but things remained the same. She wasn¡¯t able to activate her dancing power!

    What was going on here?

 Chapter 767 - This is indeed a performance!

    <h4>Chapter 767: This is indeed a performance!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Was Chiaki showing off a spiritual ability truly just a coincidence?

    Seiji felt that would be too much of a hasty conclusion right now. Instead of treating this dancing ability as an Awakened ability, it might actually be closer to a type of spell. In that case, failing to cast it wouldn¡¯t be strange, since Chiaki had just learned it.

    Seiji told this to Chiaki.

    Then, Chiaki tried dancing for a third time, but still failed to activate anything.

    She still wanted to continue trying, but Seiji told her it was time to sleep as it was the middle of the night. He suggested to try again next time after a good night¡¯s rest.

    ¡°It¡¯s not actually that rare to learn something new during Visualization,¡± Natsuya told Seiji the next morning after she heard about Chiaki¡¯s situation.

    Last night, Seiji and Chiaki had stayed over in guest rooms at Natsuya¡¯s mansion after exiting the Spirit House. They had been too tired to go home to the Uehara apartments.

    At this time, Seiji had now woken up and was eating breakfast together with Natsuya and the others in her home. Chiaki was still sleeping.

    ¡°Even I myself have personally experienced such deep and immersive Visualizations that I¡¯ve gained new insights into my spells. But, someone like Wakaba-san, who was originally an ordinary person with no powers, Visualizing and learning a dance from her dream that has actual powers¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a situation. This is because it¡¯s already inconceivable that an ordinary person could sessfully Visualize.¡±

    Seiji picked up and ced a small dried fish in his mouth and chewed while listening. He then spoke up after swallowing the dried fish. ¡°Ignoring the fact that she was an ordinary person, it is possible to learn a new spell during Visualization, correct?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, it¡¯s possible, yes.¡± Natsuya paused for a moment. ¡°To use an analogy, cultivating and learning new spells is like building a house. Normally, when spiritual ability users Visualize and learn something new, it¡¯s like building a small portion of the house. However, learning an entirely new spell is like directly building the house itself, which is rather miraculous.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be overboard to say that this was a new type of Awakening. However, the scion was already numb to everything miraculous that constantly happened around Seiji. She was no longer astonished because of such a small matter.

    ¡°So, in that case, Chiaki¡¯s situation is akin to havingpleted most of her house.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Next up, she¡¯ll need to continue building her house¡­ er, continue cultivating.¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes. ¡°If she can perfect her Kagura dance in her dream used for suppressing the evil god, then she¡¯ll learn an ability that¡¯s useful against the gods.¡±

    Chiaki might even be the key to saving her mother¡­ if it was possible to save her mother, that was.

    After breakfast, Natsuya went out together with Hitaka.

    While waiting for Chiaki to wake up, Seiji surfed the inte using his cell phone. He checked out Soul Society¡¯s message forum and learned that Soul Society was now allowing certain information to spread to the ordinary public.

    What Soul Society allowed to be known was that the police made an announcement regarding progress being made in the investigation on the Midnight Incident. The police confirmed that a terrorist organization was behind this, and that this terrorist organization was now nning a second attack that might harm the entire city or even causerge numbers of casualties. Although the police were investigating with all their resources to stop the terrorists, progress wasn¡¯t going well¡­

    Allowing this news to spread was to let the ordinary people know that ¡°there might be a terrorist attack¡± in order to exin away any possible damage caused by the Realm of Cherry Blossoms when it fully descended.

    It might be necessary to have the citizens evacuate¡­ but that wouldn¡¯t be a problem, as the municipal government already had aplete evacuation n. The issue would be to howrge a degree and at what time to begin evacuating.

    The Realm of Cherry Blossoms Spirit World #1 was expected to descend upon the real world a few days after the fourth battle to suppress it took ce. The specific location it would descend upon was still unknown.

    It would be difficult to prepare beforehand without knowing its specific location. This also went for the citizens¡¯ evacuation.

    If the Realm of Cherry Blossoms actually ended up descending upon the entire city, then the entire city would need to be evacuated. That would doubtlessly be the worst possible situation.

    If it was possible, it would be best to only have to evacuate a small section of the city. For that, it would be necessary to know the exact location that the Realm of Cherry Blossoms would descend upon.

    It would be best to narrow down the descent to a more specific timeframe. If that wasn¡¯t possible, then the evacuation would have to take ce on the first day after the fourth battle. Otherwise,rge numbers of casualties might appear if the evacuation didn¡¯tmence before the Realm of Cherry Blossoms arrived.

    After scanning the forums, Seiji surfed some random inte pages before starting to y a cell phone game.

    Suddenly, a wild Rana appeared before him!

    Seiji tossed a master ball and caught the wild Rana sessfully!

    Seiji activated his cat petting skills, making Rana feelfortable and her favorability rating towards Seiji increase.

    And then, a domestic Mai appeared!

    Seiji tossed a master ball, but Mai pped the ball away and the capturing failed!

    Mai activated her maid skills, leaving behind a set of poker cards and vanishing into the tall grass.

    Rana obtained the poker cards and started burning up with heated passion. She counterattacked against Seiji with a card game!

    Seiji readily epted the challenge, facing off against the cat girl in a card game!

    After a fierce battle, Rana activated her skills in acting cute. She gained the upper hand!

    Just as Seiji was about to be defeated, Chiaki woke up and appeared!

    Chiaki tossed a master ball at Rana, but the cat girl dodged and the capturing failed!

    Chiaki used a pounce attack, but was dodged again as the attack failed!

    Chiaki activated her summoning skills, but was ignored as the summoning failed!

    Rana activated her run awaymand, vanishing into the tall grass.

    Seiji tossed a master ball at Chiaki, capturing her sessfully!

    Seiji activated his coaxing skills, making Chiaki feelfortable and raising her favorability rating!

    Seiji brought Chiaki to the dining room for breakfast, filling her food meter!

    Seiji told Chiaki that if she continued practicing, she might be able to truly master that dance¡ªfor now, he decided to call it the ¡°God-suppression dance.¡±

    This process would take an unknown period of time. It was also unknown whether Chiaki would be able to truly master the dance. There was only a possibility.

    Chiaki was determined to continue practicing this dance.

    She didn¡¯t want to give up. Although Seiji didn¡¯t mention it, she also realized that this dance might be critical to rescuing her mother!

    She learned a God-suppression dance in her Visualization dream which would be effective against the gods¡­ perhaps it was her innermost desire that caused such a type of ¡°Awakening.¡±

    Since this ¡°Awakened¡± ability was iplete, then she would practice until she had mastered it!

    This was just like performing in a y. Many rehearsals would be required before the final big performance.

    Chiaki then went into Seiji¡¯s Spirit House once again.

    While Chiaki worked hard at practicing her dance, Seiji didn¡¯t sit around, either. He also cultivated his own spells.

    The Realm of Cherry Blossoms would be arriving soon. He wanted to be even stronger.

    Seiji appeared quite cool and handsome as he cultivated seriously. Chiaki was mesmerized by the sight. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she also needed to practice, she could watch him like this for an entire day.

    Actually, Seiji could also watch Chiaki dance for an entire day, but he didn¡¯t have the free time to do so right now.

    Time passed¡­ after Chiaki practiced her dance for the umpteenth time, she finally felt that subtly wondrous sensation like the first time!

    She instantly became excited, but then that sensation vanished.

    Chiaki summarized her experience so far: she couldn¡¯t get overly excited, and she had to remain calm. However, her dancing couldn¡¯t be overly in, and she had to seriously immerse herself¡­

    Chiaki felt like this was really simr to a performance.

    No, this was indeed a performance!

    Dancing in front of a god, attracting it, disturbing it, and calming it¡­ This was a ritual, a spell, as well as a performance.

    With such a realization, Chiaki started dancing once more after she rested a little.

    The subtle sensation returned!

    Chiaki continued dancing under such a condition. But a whileter, the sensation disappeared again.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ve already grasped the first necessary step.¡¯

    Chiaki took out her handkerchief and wiped some sweat off her brow. She noticed attention on her and turned around to exchange nces with Seiji.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing well.¡± Seiji smiled while encouraging her.

    Chiaki felt warm inside from receiving this encouragement. She felt like her body¡¯s energy was restored as she smiled movingly.

    After another short rest, she raised both her hands again and began to slowly dance¡­

    Seiji quietly watched and then saw pink cherry blossoms beginning to fall. He was brought into that beautiful illusion once more¡­

 Chapter 768 - What the hell do you mean youâ€™re going to fight against the gods!?

    <h4>Chapter 768: What the hell do you mean you¡¯re going to fight against the gods!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    There was indeed a spell that could use a child as the catalyst to help locate a parent. But, it was already difficult enough to locate an ordinary person in real life, not to mention that the goal this time was to find someone who had been spirited away to the gods¡¯ realm.

    Still, it was worth a try.

    Before trying to locate Chiaki¡¯s mother in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, Seiji decided to try locating her in the real world.

    Natsuya took a sample of Chiaki¡¯s blood and some of her hairs to cast a locating spell. But, as expected, the spell failed.

    When all the knight order members arrived, everyone trained in the Domain as usual. After Seiji collected all the Inner World Crystals from everyone, he went into the Domain again with only Natsuya, Shika, and Hitaka.

    Seiji and Shika dealt with the monsters within the Domain. Natsuya began to draw a spell formation for spellcasting, while Hitaka stayed by Natsuya¡¯s side to guard her. Kazuko watched everything from the air.

    As Natsuya incanted, Kazuko suddenly sensed something that caused her to furrow her eyebrows.

    Natsuya¡¯s spell formation immediately started to glow red. Chiaki¡¯s hair and blood, which had been ced in the center of the spell formation, suddenly started glowing with a blinding light before vanishing right in front of everyone¡¯s eyes!

    Natsuya: ¡°!?¡±

    She widened her eyes on seeing this unexpected oue.

    ¡°Some existence came here just now,¡± Kazuko spoke up.

    ¡°What was it?¡± Natsuya looked at Kazuko.

    ¡°I could feel something¡­ some type of existence, or some type of power, that suddenly came here.¡± Kazuko adjusted her eyesses. ¡°That something likely interfered with your spellcasting and then left.¡±

    Some existence hade¡­ Natsuya¡¯s expression became serious as she immediately called Seiji over.

    ¡°This proves that Chiaki and her mother are indeed somehow connected to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. My conjecture has been partially proven,¡± Seiji concluded after hearing this. ¡°What Kazuko sensed was likely a god or a god¡¯s power, or something simr. That existence came here and interfered with the locator spell on Chiaki¡¯s mother, destroying Chiaki¡¯s hair and blood, most likely to prevent us from finding her, or to give us a warning¡­¡±

    Seiji felt that a situation might arise, so he had Natsuya and Hitaka leave the Domain while he stayed behind with Shika.

    Actually, he also wanted Shika to leave for her own safety so that only he would be at risk, but Shika adamantly refused to leave his side.

    Natsuya also wanted to stay behind with her boyfriend, but she knew that following Seiji¡¯s arrangement was the logical thing to do.

    She believed that even if Seiji met with the worst possible situation, meeting a god or ¡°demon king¡± level existence, he would still be able to escape. If she and Hitaka stayed behind, they might actually even be a burden to Seiji.

    After Natsuya and Hitaka left the Domain, Seiji and Shika continued fighting the monsters in the Domain.

    But, unexpectedly, nothing abnormal happened at all even after clearing out the final boss wave.

    That mysterious existence had only prevented them from locating Chiaki¡¯s mother¡­ it seemed that was all for now.

    However, Seiji had now learned that there was a definite connection between Chiaki¡¯s mother and the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    If using a minor amount of Chiaki¡¯s hair and blood for a locator spell attracted a god¡¯s attention to the point where it interfered with the spell, what would happen if they used even more hair and blood? Or even ¡°used¡± Chiaki herself¡­

    Just thinking about it seemed quite dangerous. Seiji would never do such a thing.

    However, Chiaki came up with the idea herself, offering to use herself as bait!

    ¡°I want to lure out this god and ask it about my mother.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous. Denied.¡±

    ¡°We can try it after we¡¯re fully prepared¡­ Won¡¯t it be fine as long as we¡¯re ready for it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a huge problem with that! Even with the best preparations, and even if we can deal with a god, there¡¯s no guarantee of your safety,¡± Seiji told her seriously.

    Chiaki fell silent.

    ¡°What other method is there, then?¡± she finally asked in a soft voice after a long silence.

    It was now Seiji¡¯s turn to fall silent.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s no other method, then this is the only thing we can do.¡± Chiaki looked directly at him. ¡°I¡¯m already being targeted. At this rate, I might vanish just like my mother¡­ rather than waiting for the enemy to make the first move, isn¡¯t it better to attack first? Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    What Chiaki said made sense.

    Rather than passively waiting for something bad to happen and responding only after danger had already arrived, it would be much better to prepare as much as possible first and then send out a lure.

    Seiji looked directly at Chiaki. He knew that she had to be afraid to offer herself as bait, yet she still worked up the courage to face such danger.

    Apart from her own courage, this was also because she trusted himpletely.

    Seiji understood and felt all of this as he took a deep breath, and spoke up in a heavy tone. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. Choosing our own n of attack is the best choice. Let¡¯s make our preparations to fight against the gods¡­ I shall do my very best to protect you!¡±

    Chiaki smiled as she looked at her reliable boyfriend¡¯s resolute expression. Her smile was incredibly vivid and mesmerizing.

    Seiji told the n to all his knight order members, telling them all to choose for themselves whether to participate or not.

    It was highly likely that the enemy existence would be a powerful and dangerous god. It was likely that this would be far more dangerous than the previous difficult training in the Domain since no such powerful existences had appeared in the Domain as of yet.

    Seiji needed more power on his side. However, he would never force hispanions to join him, since this would be so risky.

    But, when his knight order members had learned that he needed their strength, they all made the same decision as when Seiji asked them if they would stay or leave.

    ¡°What our Kingmands, we knights shall follow. This holds true even if our King points his sword at the gods!¡± Hisashi.

    ¡°It makes me feel hot-blooded just imagining that we¡¯ll be fighting against the gods. I absolutely won¡¯t miss such an event.¡± Yukari.

    ¡°I want to help you and Wakaba-senpai.¡± Hoshi.

    ¡°Fighting for the contractor is the meaning of being a Spirit-branded Retainer.¡± Kaho.

    ¡°I¡¯m really curious what an actual god will be like. This will be an excellent reference for my manga.¡± Mayuzumi.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to ask.¡± Shika, Mika, and Kaede.

    Seiji was of course delighted to receive hispanions¡¯ support, although he also felt some pressure from everyone¡¯s expectations.

    Apart from discussing the preparations with Natsuya, Seiji also contacted a certain game-addicted younger sister of his.

    ¡°What the hell do you mean by saying you¡¯re going to fight against the gods!?¡± The cat-eared hat girl Hana appeared on Seiji¡¯sputer screen after epting a video chat.

    ¡°Exactly what you think it means.¡±

    ¡°Please exin to me clearly in 20 words!¡±

    Seiji thought things over for a moment, and then typed ¡°In order to protect my friends, I¡¯ve decided to lure out a vicious god to talk or fight it¡±.

    He had used exactly twenty words, without a single word extra or less.

    Hana was rendered speechless.

    In the end, she still required a clearer exnation.

    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± After she heard the entire situation, the cat-eared hat girl told Seiji this directly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so absolute.¡±

    ¡°What else am I supposed to say, then? You¡¯re trying to lure out an existence on the level of a ¡®demon king¡¯. What else can I say besides that you¡¯re courting death!?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I might be courting death, which is why I want to be as well prepared as possible.¡±

    ¡°All you need to prepare are coffins!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow anyone to die. I swear on my honor and glory as a hero from another world!¡± Although Seiji was making a chuunibyou statement, he had a serious expression that wasn¡¯t joking in the slightest.

    Hana was slightly impressed by the powerful aura Seiji was giving off.

    ¡°¡­Not a bad aura, but you can¡¯t do this with only a nice aura.¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for help from you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± The cat-eared hat girl paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll search for relevant information and provide you with equipment that may be useful.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hana.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something that sounds so corny¡­ and don¡¯t count on me too much. Luring out a demon king level existence is something incredibly dangerous. It¡¯s highly likely for the person acting as bait to die. Or, they might turn into a monster. You need to realize this!¡±

    ¡°Of course I realize this,¡± Seiji stated seriously.

    Turning into a monster¡­ The Kaho incident had just happened not long ago, and Yukari and the other Awakened also had that danger looming over them. Seiji was naturally quite aware of this risk.

    Yui said that ¡°maybe things will be highly dangerous¡±, and that if the ¡°limits werea stretched, Chiaki would be dealt with¡±. Seiji figured that Yui had been referring to such a situation.

    Luring out a god¡­ more urately, an unknown powerful existence, for it wasn¡¯t confirmed to be a god yet. This existence might possess Chiaki or cause her to mutate, transforming Chiaki into a demon king level monster!

 Chapter 769 - Father and daughter

    <h4>Chapter 769: Father and daughter</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Chiaki was currently looking at her cell phone.

    Her cell phone screen was actually nk as she wasn¡¯t doing anything with her cell phone. She was simply staring at her cell phone¡¯s nk screen.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mika noticed this and wondered what was going on.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ I was just thinking about if I should call my dad to tell him about what I¡¯m going to do.¡± Chiaki shed a smile.

    Mika fell silent in understanding.

    Chiaki using herself as bait to lure out a potentially vicious god was something highly dangerous. Even with Seiji and the entire knight order present, there was no guarantee of Chiaki¡¯s safety.

    In such a circumstance, should Chiaki call her only rtive and tell him about it¡­ that was indeed a dilemma that she had to face.

    ¡°I can already imagine what he¡¯ll say if he hears about it, so I don¡¯t want to tell him,¡± Chiaki continued in a soft voice. ¡°But, it also feels illogical if I don¡¯t tell him.¡±

    Illogical¡­ Chiaki had referred to logic rather than emotion.

    Mika felt bad for her friend, but she didn¡¯t allow herself to show it on her face. ¡°I think that you should contact him,¡± Mika suggested.

    Chiaki fell silent for a moment before speaking up again. ¡°If it was you, what would you say in such a phone call?¡± The tomboy started smiling up again with some slightly evil intentions as she asked her best friend this question.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Mika paused momentarily because she hadn¡¯t expected Chiaki to ask such a question. ¡°I would tell him about the situation¡­¡±

    ¡°And then? Only tell him about the situation?¡±

    Mika was unable to continue.

    Although she knew what she would say, that was her idea, not Chiaki¡¯s.

    Mika had her mother, while her father was deceased. And, she had an excellent rtionship with her mother, unlike Chiaki and her father.

    That was why Mika couldn¡¯t say anything else¡­ she felt that she shouldn¡¯t.

    Chiaki smiled slightly as she saw her best friend falling silent.

    Such a little joke would only be effective against Mika. Seiji would definitely react with a retort.

    Mika had many weaknesses that were easy to take advantage of. Although Seiji had weaknesses as well, Chiaki felt that his weaknesses were much fewer, or at least to a lesser extent. And whenever he got serious, it felt as if he had no weaknesses whatsoever, which made him seem incredibly reliable.

    Seiji and Natsuya made a perfect pairing. He was also an excellent pairing with Mika.

    As for Seiji and her¡­ although they also made a nice pair, even if she wasn¡¯t here, he would¡­

    Chiaki felt that Seiji would surely scold her if he knew what she was thinking right now.

    It was quite easy for Chiaki to imagine her boyfriend being angry with her.

    However, she didn¡¯t intend to change her way of thinking, because she considered it a fact.

    She was indeed quite important, incredibly important to everyone. But, even without her around, everyone else would be able to live their lives.

    That was good.

    That was fine.

    That way¡­ even if the worst happened to her, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about anything.

    ¡°Mika¡­ thank you.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    The twintailed girl was surprised at her friend¡¯s unexpected thanks.

    Mika then saw Chiaki stand up and walk away while holding her cell phone.

    Chiaki went outside and took a deep breath while looking up at the night sky.

    She then used her cell phone to dial her father¡¯s phone number.

    Shingo picked up after a mere two seconds.

    ¡°Good evening, Dad.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Shingo still spoke in the same light tone as always.

    ¡°Nothing much¡­ would you believe it if I said that?¡±

    Shingo remained silent.

    Chiaki chuckled lightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing much¡­ to you, that is. Everything about me didn¡¯t mean anything to you¡­ I used to believe this in the past. Although things are different now, yet¡­ our rtionship is still the same. Both of us have cold blood in us¡­ towards others and towards ourselves¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but I think you¡¯ll understand. We¡¯re¡­ actually quite simr as father and daughter¡­ We¡¯re both¡­ ipetent and unseemly¡­ as father and daughter.¡±

    Tears began to pour out of Chiaki¡¯s eyes as she said this.

    She didn¡¯t know why she was crying.

    Maybe it was for the past, or for the future, or for the present.

    ¡°Dad¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ and¡­ thank you. You haven¡¯t been a good parent¡­ but you¡¯ve actually done really well¡­ it¡¯s fine to just stay like this¡­ it¡¯s fine to stay as cold as you are¡­

    ¡°If¡­ a miracle urs¡­ then everything will be much better.

    ¡°And if¡­ something not so good happens¡­ then please don¡¯t me Seigo. He¡¯s definitely tried his hardest.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to where mom is¡­ Once I see her, I¡¯ll tell her that you¡¯re the only person who still remembers her¡­ that you were a good husband.

    ¡°And if¡­ you slowly forget about us in the future, you don¡¯t need to pay it any mind¡­ Just properly live your life¡­ that would be good.¡±

    Chiaki did her best to not have her voice be affected by her crying. She tried as much as she could to speak these words calmly and steadily.

    Why was she tearing up? Why was she crying? She truly didn¡¯t know.

    This was too unseemly.

    It sounded like she was leaving a dying message¡­ even though that clearly wasn¡¯t the case.

    She just wanted to tell him.

    She should have calmly and lightly said those words to her father that she hardly ever saw and barely had any feelings for¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m going out, and I might note back.¡±

    That was all there was to it.

    That was it.

    This was all there was to their father-daughter rtionship.

    Chiaki had once hated such a rtionship, but now she actually felt it was fortunate.

    But¡­ why¡­

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡±

    Her father¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone no longer sounded light and distant.

    Shingo now sounded anxious and worried.

    ¡°Tell me, Chiaki. Where are you right now? Are you at the Uehara apartments? Hurry and answer me!¡±

    Chiaki reflexively answered in the affirmative upon hearing such a question.

    ¡°Stay right where you are. I¡¯ll be over there immediately.¡±

    Shingo hung up right after saying that.

    Chiaki was stunned for quite a while before she regained her senses.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡±

    Shingo Wakaba abandoned the important work he was currently dealing with and drove as fast as he possibly could to the Uehara apartments.

    Shingo was expressionless as he drove. However, his eyesses reflected a fierce glint as he took the shortest path possible to the Uehara apartments. His car¡¯s speed was right on the borderline of illegal or even being close to causing a car ident!

    Shingo knew quite clearly just where the Uehara apartments were and how to get there.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t know that ever since she started living at the Uehara apartments instead of the luxury apartment her father had provided for her, Shingo had driven over several times to the Uehara apartments. It was just that he never went in to see her.

    It was enough for him to know that she was doing well there.

    He didn¡¯t want to see his daughter. But, this didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t care about her.

    He knew that he was a poor father to Chiaki¡­ but no matter how poor, he was still her father!

    He rushed over and parked close to the Uehara apartments. He got off the car and walked over swiftly without even locking the car door.

    He saw Chiaki immediately.

    Shingo walked over swiftly towards her, with the turbulent emotions within him reaching a boiling point. He raised his right hand¡­

    *Smack!*

    A loud and clear p on Chiaki¡¯s face resounded in the air.

    ¡°What foolish things were you saying! Idiot!!¡±

    Anger¡­ and also a mix of other emotions that even Shingo couldn¡¯t describe were all contained in his sentence.

    The famous artist¡¯s current expression was angry, but his expression also seemed sad, regretful, and helpless¡­

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chiaki held her cheek as she looked at him.

    When was thest time her dad had hit her?

    She couldn¡¯t remember at all.

    This seemed like it was the first time.

    This was the first ever time that he had ever hit her or scolded her like this.

    Shingo took a deep nce at his daughter.

    Then, before his sense of reason could react, his body started moving on its own. He slowly reached out with his hands and hugged Chiaki.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

 Chapter 770 - Leave your daughter to me!

    <h4>Chapter 770: Leave your daughter to me!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    One apology wouldn¡¯t be enough to change everything. Yet, this apology was still incredibly important.

    At least, it was incredibly important to Chiaki.

    Being pped by her father, being viciously scolded like this, these were all incredibly important to her.

    Tears poured unstoppably out of her eyes as she copsed in her father¡¯s embrace.

    A whileter, Seiji exined the entire situation to Shingo, who was now in his living room.

    The famous artist fell silent, leaving nothing but silence permeating the entire room.

    Chiaki sat to the side in silence with her head lowered. Mika sat by her side while worrying about her.

    Seeing this, Seiji wanted to say something, but then felt like he shouldn¡¯t say anything until Chiaki¡¯s father spoke first.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what Chiaki told her father Shingo on the phone. Still, Seiji could guess at most of the contents.

    If he was the one who heard Chiaki saying such things on the phone, he would likely react simrly to Chiaki¡¯s father.

    However poor of a father Shingo might have been, he was still a father.

    ¡°Allow me to substitute.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to substitute for Chiaki in luring out that demon,¡± Shingo stated seriously.

    Chiaki lifted her head. Mika widened her eyes. Seiji paused in surprise.

    ¡°That won¡¯t work¡­¡± Before Seiji could react, Chiaki spoke first. ¡°My dad can¡¯t substitute for me.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the one who¡¯s being targeted and watched.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your father, so we¡¯re of the same bloodline¡­¡± Shingo spoke while looking at Seiji. ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible that the cause of all this might be due to me?¡±

    ¡°Mom is the cause of everything. It¡¯s not rted to you, Dad!¡± Chiaki countered with this statement.

    ¡°I still remember her¡­ I¡¯m the only person in this world who still remembers her,¡± Shingo stated calmly. ¡°That should be useful, right?¡±

    Chiaki was silenced by this.

    Seiji blinked.

    ¡°Perhaps it could be possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Sei¡­ Seigo!¡±

    Seiji indicated with his expression that Chiaki should allow him to finish.

    ¡°But, that¡¯s only a perhaps. I also feel that you won¡¯t be able to substitute for Chiaki. That¡¯s because, as she said, she¡¯s the one being targeted, not you. The source of all this is most likely Chiaki¡¯s mother. Her mother¡¯s bloodline is what¡¯s critical here, not your bloodline. So if you must find a substitute, we should be asking one of Chiaki¡¯s mother¡¯s rtives. That we could consider if you knew anyone who¡¯s a candidate. However, you can¡¯t remember her rtives at all, Wakaba-san. And even if you could, whether that person would be willing, and whether a substitution would truly work, would all be issues.¡±

    ¡°¡­No matter what, you can try with me first.¡± Shingo looked at the youth sitting across from him. ¡°And if I can take Chiaki¡¯s ce, surely you would be quite happy.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that I would be quite happy, but quite honestly, I would feel a lot less pressure.¡±

    ¡°Seigo¡­¡± Chiaki made a dissatisfiedment.

    ¡°Of course, I was just joking.¡± Seiji shrugged. ¡°No matter if it¡¯s Wakaba-san or Chiaki acting as the bait, my pressure won¡¯t decrease at all. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to Chiaki, but I also don¡¯t want to see anyone be sacrificed.¡±

    ¡°But you said that there was no guarantee¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an objective reality. However, what I want most is to have nobody die!¡±

    Seiji spoke thatst sentence in an adamant tone.

    ¡®My willpower shall override the objective reality!¡¯ Seiji was currently giving off such an aura.

    Actually, his confidence stemmed from his save and load system where he would simply load back into the past if anything went wrong. But since nobody else knew about this, they all felt like he was supremely confident.

    Chiaki and Mika were both charmed by this to the point where their eyes were shining with stars.

    Shingo was also moved by Seiji¡¯s apparent confidence.

    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t allow anything to happen to Chiaki,¡± Seiji stated in a resolute tone. ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t need to be her substitute, Wakaba-san. Leave your daughter to me!¡±

    Chiaki¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat at hearing a phrase like this. Her face also began to flush red.

    She knew that Seiji didn¡¯t mean it that way when he said it, but he probably also meant it that way as a double meaning¡­

    ¡°I refuse,¡± the famous artist responded coldly. ¡°You¡¯re ten years too early for me to be leaving my daughter to you!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chiaki didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you as her boyfriend, nor do I intend to.¡± Shingo ignored his daughter and spoke directly in a cold tone to the youth sitting across from him. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m ignoring my doubts still while choosing to trust you for the time being. Spiritual ability users¡­ being targeted by some sort of demonic existence¡­ using herself as bait¡­ Did you really think that I would believe everythingpletely just with what you showed me?

    ¡°And even if all of this is real, you¡¯re only a high school student. It¡¯s still unknown whether you¡¯ll really be willing to spend your entire life together with Chiaki. More than eighty percent of high school couples will break up in the end. Even if your feelings for each other are strong now, something might change in the future. You¡¯ll have to wait at least ten more years before saying something foolish like ¡®leave your daughter to me!''¡±

    Shingo¡¯s tone was also adamant and with a powerful aura.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what type of expression he currently had on his face.

    He felt as if he had attacked with such confidence but ended up being sucker-punched¡­ he didn¡¯t know what he felt right now.

    If he had to describe it, rather than being angry, he felt a mixture of helplessness, awkwardness, and disappointment.

    ¡°Dad¡­ Everything is real,¡± Chiaki told her father helplessly. ¡°Everything that Seigo said was real, without a single lie. He¡¯s risking his life to protect me.¡±

    ¡°I believe you, Chiaki. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sitting here right now.¡± Shingo looked at his daughter. ¡°But, I can¡¯t just believe everything. I only saw a little bit in the restaurant previously. The only way I¡¯ll believe everything is if I substitute for you and experience the danger that you¡¯re in.¡±

    ¡®Damn, it¡¯s back to this topic again.¡¯ Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched.

    He understood why Chiaki¡¯s famous artist father was suspicious. Even though Shingo had personally experienced Seiji¡¯s spiritual ability and was now forced to admit the existence of mystical powers, there was no reason for him topletely believe everything else.

    In fact, Seiji could even say that Shingo was being quite trusting already by believing so much with only that little telekinesis disy.

    However, this and that were two separate matters. Shingo using this point to force himself to substitute for his daughter seemed a bit like too much stubbornness.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Chiaki who had just been moved by her father¡¯s worry was now feeling troubled by his stubbornness.

    Well, it was likely that most ordinary daughters would experience such trouble about overly worried dads.

    Their father/daughter rtionship which had stood still for so long was finally bing normalized.

    This was a fresh feeling for Chiaki, which made her happy¡­ yet she was still bothered by her troublesome dad.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright by myself. You don¡¯t need to get involved, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Let me do it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll refuse to recognize him for my entire life.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need your recognition. He¡¯s my boyfriend, and doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you, Dad.¡±

    ¡°¡­You shouldn¡¯t force yourself like this. You should leave dangerous things up to me.¡±

    ¡°This is my matter. I¡¯ll bear the responsibility myself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still only a high school student¡­¡±

    The father and daughter started arguing.

    Actually, rather than an argument, it was more like a slightly heated discussion.

    But, to Seiji and Mika who watched this, they were just bickering¡­ a father/daughter bickering that neither was familiar with.

    Seeing this, Seiji and Mika exchanged nces and then smiled in unison.

    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± Mika whispered softly.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Seiji nodded and then picked up a teacup to sip some tea.

    Although he had been rejected, things were still fine.

    Chiaki was Shingo¡¯s precious daughter, after all. It was quite normal that Shingo wouldn¡¯t ept Seiji so readily.

    Since Shingo said ten years, then Seiji would try again in ten years. But, he couldn¡¯t promise that his situation with Chiaki wouldn¡¯t change¡­ Father-inw.

 Chapter 771 - A heros payment is the wonderful concept of peace!

    <h4>Chapter 771: A hero¡¯s payment is the wonderful concept of peace!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Shingo was unable to win his argument with Chiaki.

    He wanted to take his daughter¡¯s ce, but waspletely unable to change her mind.

    Since Chiaki wouldn¡¯t agree, Seiji naturally didn¡¯t go against her wishes.

    In the end, the famous artist was half convinced and half chased off by Chiaki as he left.

    Before Shingo left, he took a deep look at Seiji. Seiji did his best to smile politely with an expression of ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take good care of your daughter¡± as he sent off his future father-inw.

    Seiji then had a stern expression as he immediately turned around and frowned at Chiaki.

    Chiaki instantly understood his thoughts when she saw his expression, which made her retract her neck slightly.

    ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡±

    Chiaki had said foolish things that brought her father over to scold and hit her. She deserved what she got.

    Shingo had scolded her already, and it seemed that Chiaki knew what she¡¯d done wrong. Seiji didn¡¯t intend to say anything else. He simply wanted to show his attitude.

    At any rate, at least the result seemed to be good. The icy rtionship between father and daughter was beginning to thaw, and would probably start improving gradually in the future.

    Of course, the prerequisite was that this incident was taken care of sessfully.

    ¡°Hey, my bro Haruta.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Kamitani-kun.¡±

    Seiji wasn¡¯t surprised at all when he received a phone call from Itsuki Kamitani as he was preparing to go to sleep.

    This was because the next day was Soul Society¡¯s third nned battle in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    ¡°Come be a hero again, my bro Haruta! Just likest time!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s my payment?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, a hero¡¯s payment is the wonderful concept of peace!¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean there¡¯s no payment?¡±

    ¡°I told you, the payment is peace. Peace, yo~ Precious, wonderful, priceless peace¡­¡± Kamitani sounded almost like he was rapping.

    ¡°If you could truly guarantee eternal peace, I wouldn¡¯t mind working for you as a janitor for the rest of my life. However, you evidently have no such ability,¡± Seiji stated coldly. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re someone who¡¯s not peaceful at all to begin with.¡±

    Kamitani paused on the other end of the phone for a moment before chuckling.

    ¡°Heh heh, nicely said. I like it. That¡¯s how you should talk,¡± Kamitani chuckled again. ¡°Let us talk about the topic of ¡®peace¡¯ today. My bro Haruta, what do you think the concept of ¡®peace¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this topic with you.¡±

    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s so rare that we talk to each other. It¡¯s boring to only talk about serious business. We¡¯re friends, you know~¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall bing friends with you.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you have a poor memory. I¡¯ll repeat it as many times as necessary for your sake.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any memory problems. You¡¯re the one with memory problems!¡±

    ¡°We can talk about the topic of memory or whatever next time. This time¡¯s topic is ¡®peace.¡¯ Let¡¯s not get off topic.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that we¡¯re in a ssroom right now!?¡± Seiji retorted.

    ¡°No, this is simply a conversation between friends,¡± Kamitani spoke in a joyous tone. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk about it for fun. My bro Haruta, I really do want to know what you think about the idea of ¡®peace.¡¯ You probably also want to know what I think about ¡®peace,¡¯ don¡¯t you?¡±

    Seiji: ¡°¡­¡±

    If he had to be honest, he was indeed somewhat curious about what Kamitani, a high-ranked member of the Messengers, was thinking.

    Seiji did not in any way consider Kamitani a friend, nor did he want to understand Kamitani. Seiji was simply curious.

    ¡°Peace means that there is no violence. The state of having no violence equals peace,¡± Seiji decided to go with this exnation.

    ¡°Such a neutral way of thinking.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, I am indeed such a neutral type of person.¡±

    ¡°No need to feel inferior. Being neutral is fine. It¡¯s just a little boring.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a really boring person. So you can stop wasting your time with me, and just get to the matter at hand!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an interesting existence. It doesn¡¯t matter even if some little parts of you are boring.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°ording to your exnation of what ¡®peace¡¯ is, do you think that constant ¡®peace¡¯ is a good thing?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°No.¡± After a long silence, Seiji answered with a denial.

    ¡°¡­Why¡¯s that?¡± Kamitani sounded evidently surprised.

    ¡°If peace could be maintained naturally forever, of course that would be a good thing,¡± Seiji told him calmly. ¡°Yet, humans have desires. Humans want better things for themselves. Humans areplex creatures that are difficult to satisfy. Humans will constantly fight each other.

    ¡°Many such things will slowly umte and finally end with explosive change. Forcefully suppressing this change and maintaining an unchanging peace is bad¡­ because that might result in something even worse.¡±

    Peace was good, and war was bad. Most people would likely say that this wasmon sense.

    Yet, wars were still quitemon in the world.

    Some people said that true peace had never even existed at all.

    Some people said that war had never changed.

    If one seriously thought about this topic, it was quite profound and heavy¡­ Seiji had once pondered upon this topic as well.

    In the end, it was an issue of recognition or denial.

    Seiji chose recognition.

    Seiji recognized humanity¡¯s past, humanity¡¯s innate nature, himself, and everything around him.

    ¡°You really are such an interesting person,¡± Kamitani said happily.

    ¡°Whatever you say¡­ It¡¯s your turn, Kamitani-kun. What do you think of ¡®peace?''¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°I think that ¡®peace¡¯ is something really boring. And, humanity always seeks out the interesting, which is why it¡¯s impossible for peace to constantly exist,¡± Kamitani stated in a casual tone.

    ¡°What exactly do you mean by your so-called ¡®interesting?''¡±

    ¡°¡®Interesting¡¯ obviously means interesting.¡±

    ¡°What type of interesting?¡±

    ¡°The interesting type of interesting.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get what you mean¡­ You¡¯re basically going around in circles,¡± Seiji stated coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in word games, Kamitani-kun.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Why don¡¯t I tell you an interesting story?¡± Kamitani cleared his throat. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a cute girl.

    ¡°She lived her life peacefully and gradually grew up to be an adult.

    ¡°One day, she got together with a man and had his child.

    ¡°Some timeter, the man disappeared, vanishing as suddenly as he arrived.

    ¡°The woman didn¡¯t mind and raised the child by herself, continuing to live her life peacefully.

    ¡°After their son grew up a little, he disappeared.

    ¡°Although the woman minded, she searched for her child and couldn¡¯t find him. Then, she stopped minding his disappearance.

    ¡°After this, a new man arrived in her life, and she had his child. Afterwards, the man and child disappeared again.

    ¡°The exact same cycle kept happening many times over, until she could no longer give birth. She was then taken to an unfamiliar location¡­

    ¡°At this ce, she finally found out what happened to all those men and all her children.

    ¡°In the end, she died.

    ¡°She experienced total peace during her entire life, and learned the truth of life right before her death. Congrattions to her~¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°How was it? Wasn¡¯t that an interesting story?¡± Kamitani asked.

    ¡°This ¡®woman¡¯ you were talking about is actually a farm animal, isn¡¯t she.¡± Seiji hazarded a guess.

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Kamitani had a yful yet also deep tone. ¡°She actually represents humanity. Humanity, who was once truly alive in the past. She had a peaceful life and death. She was blissful while alive. Yet, others felt that she had an incredibly pitiful life. That¡¯s why this is an interesting story.

    ¡°From start to finish, this story was filled with boring ¡®peace.¡¯ Yet, it¡¯s an interesting story. I think that¡¯s what makes it so interesting. Now then, do you understand what I mean by ¡®interesting,¡¯ my bro Haruta?¡±

 Chapter 772 - Who pushed me just now?

    <h4>Chapter 772: Who pushed me just now?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°I understand a little better.¡± Seiji fell silent for a moment before speaking up again. ¡°To you, a tragic story¡­ any tragic story in the world is probably ¡®interesting.¡¯¡±

    Deriving joy from other people¡¯s pain.

    There were plenty of such people in the world. Or, perhaps it should be said that it wasmon for humans to have such negative emotions.

    Some people would openly disy their joy in other people¡¯s tragedy. Some people would only disy it on the inte. Some people would only disy it towards animals rather than humans. Some people wouldn¡¯t disy it openly, but would secretlyugh in their minds¡­

    It was quite normal to have such negative emotions. As long as one didn¡¯t lose control of their emotions, that person would still be a normal person. However, Itsuki Kamitani had obviously left the realm of ¡°normal¡± long ago.

    Kamitani chuckled yet again.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite happy that you can understand me. But, I don¡¯t think that you only understand a little better¡­ you should say it more directly,¡± Kamitani told him.

    If he spoke any more ¡°directly,¡± he would probably want to start using foulnguage towards Kamitani.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk in such a scary tone.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°Let me ask you another question. How much of a price are you willing to pay for precious ¡®peace?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to y riddles with you. Either say what you have to say directly or I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Seiji refused to y games.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush. This topic is still rted to the main course,¡± Kamitani spoke in a meaningful tone. ¡°Or, let me change the question. How many people¡¯s lives do you think are worth sacrificing in order to maintain ¡®peace?¡¯¡±

    Seiji¡¯s gaze sharpened upon hearing this question.

    ¡°¡­What do you mean by asking this question?¡±

    ¡°You should know exactly what it means. No need to pretend to be a fool, my bro Haruta,¡± Kamitani spoke directly this time.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°A sacrifice is never worth it, no matter how many or how few people,¡± Seiji responded in a serious tone.

    ¡°Such a standard answer is so boring. I want to hear your real answer.¡±

    ¡°That is my real answer.¡±

    ¡°No, you should know what I¡¯m asking and what I want to know.¡±

    Only silence filled the phone call after that.

    Seiji remained silent because that was what he truly believed.

    Kamitani kept waiting for Seiji¡¯s reply.

    This type of heavy silence continued for a full minute.

    ¡°Alright, I suppose I know your reply now,¡± Kamitani finally spoke up. ¡°I originally had another question for you, but I don¡¯t think I need to ask anymore. Onto the main topic. This time, your payment for being a ¡®hero¡¯ is another piece of information.¡±

    Cherry blossoms were falling on the wind.

    Everything was hazy, unclear, ethereal, beautiful, and fantastical.

    Chiaki realized that she was in a dream again¡­

    A giant bright red torii stood before her. Behind the torii was nothing but a white haze, from which something that sounded like singing could be heard.

    Since all she could see was this torii and the falling cherry blossoms, Chiaki naturally started walking towards the torii.

    As she walked over, the sounds gradually got louder.

    The sound was indeed singing, incredibly beautiful singing by a female voice. Although Chiaki couldn¡¯t hear clearly what the song was, it sounded divine and pure.

    ¡°Come¡­ over¡­¡± There seemed to be some unclear words mixed into the singing.

    Chiaki noticed this and carefully listened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­e¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­e¡­ over¡­¡±

    It seemed to be repeating the words ¡°Don¡¯te over?¡±

    Chiaki was only able to make out the words to this degree. She couldn¡¯t even tell if this voice was male or female.

    Chiaki stopped in front of the torii.

    Something like a dense white mist was before her, obscuring her vision. This mist felt rather icy, as if something bad would happen if she walked into it.

    But, if she didn¡¯t go there, where else could she go? All she could see were falling cherry blossoms and this torii. Walking through this torii was the only possible path to move forward.

    Although there was a ¡°warning,¡± it was unclear, and perhaps she had heard it wrong.

    Not to mention, this was only a dream.

    Nothing bad would likely happen in a dream¡­ Chiaki, whose consciousness wasn¡¯tpletely clear, started walking.

    The moment she stepped forward with her right foot, it was as if she crossed over a certain boundary. She instantly felt a bone-piercing chill!

    This chill started spreading along her right foot, swiftly moving upward and making Chiaki¡¯s entire right leg lose all sensation as if it had been frozen!

    Chiaki started panicking and wanted to retreat. However, she was unable to lift her leg as if it was now frozen and connected to the ground.

    As she was struggling in fear, a hand suddenly appeared before her and forcefully pushed her backwards!

    Chiaki copsed backwards on the ground. Her foot left the icy area and the chill stopped spreading in her body.

    ¡®Who pushed me just now?¡¯

    Chiaki looked before her, but still saw nothing but white mist.

    But, she definitely saw a hand just earlier¡­ that hand had definitelye from the mist!

    Someone was inside the mist. Someone was on the other side.

    Who could be on the other side of the torii?

    Toriis represented entryways into the divine realm¡­ The person on the other side was from the divine realm¡­ The person there stopped Chiaki from entering and saved her¡­

    ¡°Mom?¡± Chiaki finally came to this conclusion.

    She should havee to this conclusion much earlier, but her thinking was sluggish due to being in this hazy dream.

    ¡°Mom¡­ is that you?¡± She increased the volume of her voice.

    There was no response.

    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m Chiaki, Chiaki Wakaba!¡± the girl shouted out her own name.

    There was still no response.

    Chiaki tried to stand up. However, even though the chill had stopped spreading in her body, it hadn¡¯t disappeared. It was still impossible for her to move her right leg.

    No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move.

    ¡®My leg¡­ will it beme?¡¯

    Chiaki couldn¡¯t help but panic as she thought about this.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Chiaki instinctively wanted to plead for help. However, she couldn¡¯t see anyone around at all.

    She should have called out her mom¡¯s name, but she couldn¡¯t remember it¡­ Chiaki¡¯s eyes started tearing up.

    She couldn¡¯t remember a single thing about her mother.

    She only knew what her father had told her¡­ Yet even he couldn¡¯t remember her mother¡¯s name¡­ Besides, those were her father¡¯s memories, not her own.

    It was far too much to ept that she couldn¡¯t even remember her mother¡¯s name.

    Just what type of evil god had done such a thing!

    Yet, her hatred and grudges were all useless now.

    Chiaki kept looking to the other side of the torii. She was certain that her mom had to be within, that her mom must have saved her just now. Yet, she couldn¡¯t even remember her mother¡¯s name.

    Her mother¡¯s name¡­ a name that she should have been familiar with¡­ that she absolutely shouldn¡¯t have forgotten¡­

    Cherry blossoms kept falling on her head and body, affecting her field of vision and senses.

    An invisible force enveloped Chiaki and began pressuring her as if it wanted to chase her out of this dream world.

    ¡°Mom!!!¡± Chiaki shouted while resisting against this force.

    Even though her mom was clearly so close¡­ Chiaki was unwilling to leave without at least seeing her!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for forgetting you¡­

    ¡°Dad still remembers you¡­ although he doesn¡¯t remember much, he¡¯s always held onto his memories¡­

    ¡°He said that you were the one who raised me¡­ I want to remember as well, but I¡¯m unable to do so. I¡¯m so sorry.

    ¡°Mom, I really want to see you¡­

    ¡°I miss you so much¡­ I really want to remember everything about you, and the times that we were together¡­¡±

    Her precious memories that should have existed had all been taken away by some outside force.

    It was to the point where Chiaki didn¡¯t even know what she had lost. How pitiful was that?

    Just thinking about how her mother had been forgotten made Chiaki feel a pain in her chest.

    Just a mere ¡°apology¡± would be far too insufficient!

    No matter how much she shouted, it would all be insufficient.

    She absolutely had to remember, even if it was only a tiny bit, even if it was only a name.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ help me¡­¡± The force exerting pressure on her became even greater. As Chiaki¡¯s consciousness became hazier, she reflexively sought assistance from her boyfriend.

    Something in the void seemed to make a connection. Chiaki mysteriously felt something in her right hand.

    Chiaki turned around and saw a certain object that caused her to widen her eyes in astonishment.

    It was a beautiful paper umbre.

 Chapter 773 - Ill give you a chance

    <h4>Chapter 773: I¡¯ll give you a chance</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    This white paper umbre with a pink cherry blossom design was the same one from her Visualization experience!

    Why did this umbre appear here? Was she actually in a Visualization? No, this was a dream¡­ were Visualizations and dreams connected?

    Chiaki didn¡¯t understand¡­ but this wasn¡¯t important right now.

    The important part was this umbre¡­ could she use it?

    Chiaki took the umbre by its handle and opened it up!

    The umbre instantly started glowing white. The pressuring force she sensed instantly lessened, and her consciousness became clearer.

    A white barrier blocked the falling cherry blossoms and weakened the sound of the mysterious singing. This white barrier also started dispelling the deep chill on her right leg.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Chiaki expressed her thanks and decided not to think about how this umbre appeared here.

    Something shed in Chiaki¡¯s eyes as she looked over at the ice-cold white mist behind the torii. She then slowly closed her eyes.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    Chiaki emptied her mind and did her best to recall and find any shard of memory that should have existed.

    A chill gradually enveloped her entire body, making her feel like she was slowly sinking into ice-cold water.

    If it wasn¡¯t for her paper umbre¡¯s barrier protecting her, this chill would surely freeze her over, either kicking her out of this dream, or causing something even worse to happen to her.

    Fortunately, not only did this umbre create a white barrier, it even gave Chiaki a gentle and warm sensation that helped her to resist the cold. It made her feel as if she was holding onto Seiji¡¯s warm hand.

    ¡°No need to rush. Take your time and properly remember.¡± Chiaki felt as if she could hear him saying this to her.

    Feeling reassured, she continued maintaining this condition and sinking her consciousness down even lower, gradually losing her sense of self, forgetting where she was currently as well as where she was going.

    Chiaki then faintly heard her father¡¯s voice.

    This wasn¡¯t his typical icy voice, but rather a gentle one instead. He was saying words that she couldn¡¯t hear clearly, but it was clear that he was using a gentle tone¡­

    The first word Chiaki heard clearly was her own name.

    She then heard another name.

    Chiaki¡¯s remaining consciousness made her grab onto this memory shard, which then slowly floated upwards. She forgot the words she just heard, she forgot what she just recalled and dug up. It took everything she had to tightly grab onto this one and only memory shard that she¡¯d obtained.

    As her consciousness floated upwards and the chill gradually receded, Chiaki suddenly felt a powerful obstructive force!

    The memory shard was being pulled away, and her consciousness was being pressured¡­ Chiaki felt incredibly ufortable!

    She absolutely couldn¡¯t let go!

    Chiaki withstood the pressure to the best of her abilities and tried her utmost to protect the memory shard.

    ¡°Hurry and let go. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to return,¡± a mysterious voice suddenly spoke to her.

    ¡°N¡­ no!¡± Chiaki refused.

    ¡°That umbre¡¯s power is limited and won¡¯tst much longer. Once its power is used up, you¡¯ll be finished.¡±

    ¡°I have to take this back with me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should have. Leave it behind and give up on it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t give up on this!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you insist on being like this.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die!¡±

    ¡°You will die, because you¡¯re really weak.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ Seiji will protect me!¡±

    Even though Chiaki felt more and more ufortable, even to the point of feeling pain, she still adamantly resisted against this mysterious existence.

    She then heard a sound that resembled both a sigh and a chuckle.

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± The mysterious voice suddenly became much clearer. Chiaki could now tell that the voice sounded young and female. ¡°If you can pass my trial, I shall allow you to keep this, along with letting you have even more. You won¡¯t be able to take this trial on by yourself. You¡¯ll have to take it with a minimum of six people other than yourself¡­¡±

    Chiaki then felt something being transmitted to her mind as all the pressure on her suddenly vanished.

    The memory shard was no longer being torn away. Chiaki¡¯s consciousness floated upwards with no restraints as the chillpletely vanished. She then opened her eyes.

    Chiaki stood in front of the torii while looking at the white mist in a daze as she finally spoke her mother¡¯s name which she had finally been able to recover¡­

    ¡°Chihiro¡­¡±

    Chihiro Wakaba was her mother¡¯s name 1 !

    As if Chihiro heard her daughter¡¯s summons, a hazy figure slowly appeared within the white mist.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± a faint and distant-sounding female voice spoke up.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Chiaki widened her eyes and reflexively reached out, wanting to touch the person within the white mist.

    Before her hand could cross the boundary into the white mist, a hand suddenly reached out from within the mist and took her hand!

    This hand obviously belonged to another female. It was rather cold.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­ you¡¯ve grown up,¡± the female voice spoke in a gentle tone while clutching Chiaki¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Chiaki also clutched this hand, feeling like this all seemed so familiar.

    Although Chiaki had lost her memory, her body could still remember¡ªthis was definitely her mother¡¯s hand!

    Indescribable emotions began to well up within her. By the time that she came to her senses, her face was already covered in tears and she was crying.

    She wanted to talk, talk to her mother about so many things, but she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m really happy to see my daughter again¡­¡± The gentle female voice also had tears in her voice. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up¡­ you¡¯re so beautiful¡­¡±

    Chiaki kept crying as she tightly gripped her mother¡¯s hand and listened to her mother¡¯s words. Yet, her consciousness was gradually bing nk and she could feel herself being forced out of this dream.

    She tried to resist, but was unable to do so.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯te here anymore¡­¡± Chihiro told her daughter as her voice faded and became ever more distant.

    ¡°No! I wille again¡­ I¡¯m going to take you back with me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to return¡­ Don¡¯t think about me¡­ Live together with your father¡­ Live well for yourselves¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad still remembers you! He misses you even more than I do¡­ He needs you¡­¡±

    ¡°Chiaki¡­ take good care of him¡­ I love both of you¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    All the cherry blossoms faded as the dream disappeared in a haze.

    Chiaki opened her eyes in the real world, being left with nothing but confusion and tears.

    Seiji was sitting on the side of her bed, holding her hand in worry, just like thest time.

    ¡°This time¡­ how were things?¡± He used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

    Chiaki stayed still for a moment while digesting everything that had happened before she slowly began to speak.

    ¡°I can remember my mom¡¯s name now¡­ I think her name is Chihiro¡­ I think I met her¡­ I held her hand, and talked with her¡­

    ¡°And¡­ I need to pass a trial¡­¡±

    ¡°A trial?¡± Seiji was surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Yes, a trial¡­ I need six people¡­ I mean, at least six people apart from myself¡­ within one day¡­¡± Chiaki furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I can¡¯t remember who told me this¡­ but I don¡¯t think it was my mom.¡±

    ¡°Then that might have been the god who spoke to you.¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes. ¡°The god gave you a trial, and you must take it together with at least six otherpanions¡­ What will happen if you pass the trial? And if you don¡¯t pass the trial?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°How do you determine yourpanions or begin the trial? Do you know that?¡±

    Chiaki fell silent and closed her eyes. It was evident that she was doing her best to recall.

    ¡°Umbre¡­¡± Chiaki muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°Umbre?¡±

    ¡°In my dream just now, I think I saw the paper umbre from my Visualization experience.¡±

    ¡°The paper umbre from your Visualization experience¡­¡± Seiji widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°You entered the Visualization world during your dream just now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ that¡¯s all I could remember.¡±

    ¡°If you remembered it, it¡¯s probably meaningful. Could it be that this god¡¯s trial is to take ce during Visualization?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± Chiaki opened her eyes.

    ¡°If this trial is truly to be undertaken during Visualization¡­¡± Seiji thought of something that caused his mouth to arc upwards. ¡°This might be highly advantageous for us!¡±

    The special Spirit Image within his Spirit House had the unique trait of causing everyone who used it to meet ¡°that person.¡±

    Although every person would have different experiences during Visualization, ¡°that person¡± had shown off incredible power in everyone¡¯s experiences. Not only was he skilled at suppressing all sorts of demons and monsters, he even had the power to suppress the gods.

    ¡°That person¡± referred to Seiji Kamijou!

 Chapter 774 - Gods trial

    <h4>Chapter 774: God¡¯s trial</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The next morning, Seiji summoned his knight order members and exined to them and Natsuya about what¡¯d happenedst night regarding Chiaki. Seiji expressed that everyone should try using the Spirit Image in his Spirit House¡¯s dojo to try Visualization and undertake the ¡°god¡¯s trial.¡±

    If it was confirmed that Visualization was the proper way to undertake that god¡¯s trial, then the Spirit Image might be a huge assistance to everyone in the form of Seiji Kamijou!

    With him around, it should be possible to pass the trial, or even more: to directly face the god!

    If he didn¡¯t show up, then everyone would have to react ording to the situation.

    Regardless, it would likely be far less risky to face off against a god in the Visualization dream world rather than in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    Natsuya and the others all agreed with Seiji¡¯s way of thinking.

    The knight order members all mentally prepared themselves to undertake a god¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± Chiaki bowed deeply to express her thanks.

    Seiji then summoned his Spirit House and led everyone to the dojo.

    When Chiaki saw the Spirit Image, she suddenly became dazed for a moment as she recalled something deep within her mind. She felt a mysterious connection of sorts forming¡­ This mysterious mystical feelingsted only an instant.

    After this instant passed, Chiaki recalled the information she¡¯d received from the god in her dream.

    ¡°I remember now¡­¡± Chiaki suddenly spoke up. ¡°The trial is indeed to take ce during Visualization. I can now remember the specifics of how to begin the trial!¡±

    Everyone looked towards Chiaki.

    ¡°It seems that my guess was correct¡­ Can you remember anything else apart from this?¡± Seiji inquired.

    Chiaki shook her head.

    ¡°Then, we¡¯re still going to do the same thing. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve now ascertained how to do it.¡±

    Seiji asked Chiaki what everyone should do. Chiaki had everyone find a ce to sit down first.

    ¡°Now then, I shall begin the ritual¡­ or maybe I should call it a spell. After the spell¡¯s effects show up, gaze at the Spirit Image and begin Visualization.¡±

    After saying this, Chiaki cleared her throat and began singing with her beautiful voice.

    Her voice sounded wondrous and mystical, divine and pure. It took only a moment for everyone to feel that there was something magical in the air.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t know what she was singing. She was simply doing her best to remember this song given to her in her dream.

    Chiaki then raised her hands and began to slowly dance.

    This was the same God-suppression dance that she had learned during her first Visualization!

    This dance was a ritual, a spell, and also a performance.

    The wondrous sensation Chiaki had from before naturally appeared on its own. Chiaki immersed herself fully in dancing, feeling like she¡¯d reached a previously unknown realm.

    Everyone was mesmerized by her performance. Imperceptibly, cherry blossoms began to bloom and fall¡­ Chiaki¡¯s clothes suddenly transformed into beautiful Sakura Ind attire. She danced alluringly together with her divine singing, seeming so pure yet also seductive, beautiful and ethereal.

    ¡°So pretty¡­¡± Mika couldn¡¯t help but utter some praise.

    Everyone was astonished or quietly enjoyed the scene. Some, like Mika, couldn¡¯t help but offer praise.

    ¡°Look at the Spirit Image!¡± Seiji had to remind everyone to do this.

    Only then did everyone remember to look at the giant watercolor painting.

    The three figures who had their backs turned on the painting transformed into many hazy figures as white mist appeared with all the falling cherry blossoms. Everything suddenly seemed icy and deep.

    Everyone felt themselves being drawn into the painting as the white mist approached and enveloped everyone¡­

    The mist was incredibly dense.

    Not only was it dense, it was also freezing to the point where ordinary people would find it difficult to withstand it.

    However, not a single person gathered here was an ordinary person.

    Yin Yang Masters, Spirit-branded Retainers, spiritual ability users, Spirit Controllers¡­ everyone present was here for the sake of a single girl.

    This girl named Chiaki was wearing beautiful Sakura Ind attire. She was currently dancing and singing within a holy temple, concentrating whole-heartedly on a ritual.

    This ritual absolutely couldn¡¯t be allowed to be interrupted.

    However, there were those who wanted to interrupt the ritual.

    The brave individuals gathered here all wanted to protect the girl and the ritual!

    The leader of all the girl¡¯s defenders was named Seiji Kamijou. He was a famous and respected Yin Yang Master.

    He had brought two of his Spirit-branded Retainers with him: ¡°Snow Girl¡± Kagura and ¡°Insect Demon¡± Kaho.

    There was one other Yin Yang Master present, who was named Natsuya Yoruhana. She¡¯d also brought two Spirit-branded Retainers with her: ¡°Inugami¡± Hitaka and ¡°Cat Demon¡± Rana.

    Four spiritual ability users were present: ¡°Spirit Clothes¡± Mika, ¡°Spiderweb¡± Yukari, ¡°Thunderfist¡± Hisashi, and ¡°Galewing¡± Kaede.

    Three Spirit Controllers were also present: ¡°Eagle Controller¡± Hoshi, ¡°Doll Controller¡± Mayuzumi, and ¡°Demon Controller¡± Kazuko.

    ¡°I¡¯d really like to have a good drink while enjoying such a performance,¡± Hisashimented while watching the dancing beauty Chiaki.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a performance. It¡¯s an important ritual.¡± Kaede narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Of course, I realize that. Still, it¡¯s so enjoyable to watch. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with also calling it a performance. Don¡¯t you agree, Seiji-sama?¡±

    ¡°Everyone is wee to have their own opinion. It¡¯s fine if you want to call it a performance.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°As for having a drink¡­ We can have a party after all of this is over.¡±

    ¡°I knew that Seiji-sama would say this!¡± Hisashi was delighted to hear it.

    ¡°That was your goal, wasn¡¯t it? Making Seiji-sama treat us all to a party.¡± Kaede sighed.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright to treat everyone to a party. You all deserve it for the risks you¡¯re taking here. Of course there should be some form of payment.¡± Seiji opened up a light blue paper fan on which the words ¡°love and peace¡± were written inrge lettering. ¡°What payment would you all like? Feel free to mention it to me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I want. I¡¯m happy to be of help to Chiaki,¡± Mika stated.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Being able to fight together with Seiji-sama is payment enough,¡± Yukari mentioned.

    ¡°It¡¯s also the same for me. It¡¯s enough for me to be able to fight together with Seiji-sama and help out Chiaki-san,¡± Hoshi added.

    ¡°I¡¯m receiving excellent material for my story. I don¡¯t need any other payment.¡± Mayuzumi smiled.

    ¡°I actually do want some payment¡­ but we can talk about thatter,¡± Kazuko said.

    ¡°Nobody has anything that they want? That actually makes me feel awkward.¡± Seiji closed his paper fan. ¡°How about you, Natsuya?¡±

    ¡°I want you to apany me for an entire day.¡± Natsuya smiled movingly. ¡°Would that be alright?¡±

    A subtle silence suddenly filled the area.

    ¡°I would like the exact same payment,¡± Kaede immediately mentioned.

    ¡°That¡¯s not wise, my dear sister. Rather than having Seiji-sama apany you for an entire day, it would be much better to have him apany you for seven nights. Something will definitely happen between the two of you then,¡± Hisashi rmended.

    ¡°Don¡¯t butt into my business!¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s an excellent idea. Could I request such a payment?¡± Kazuko¡¯s mouth arched upwards.

    ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like it as well¡­¡± Mika followed up with this.

    ¡°Same for me¡­¡± Hoshi also joined in.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be joining in, young Hoshi¡­ but that doesn¡¯t seem bad at all.¡± Yukari blinked.

    ¡°I agree¡­ as expected of Seiji-sama.¡± Mayuzumi¡¯s face flushed red.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯d be quite happy to spend time together with everyone, but that doesn¡¯t really count as payment.¡± He opened up his paper fan again, this time revealing the words ¡°pretending to be ignorant is so hard.¡±

    At this moment, cherry blossoms started falling.

    Everyone noticed this as their expressions became serious.

    ¡°We¡¯ll fight as we¡¯ve arranged during our strategy meeting beforehand¡­ Do we need to go over it one more time?¡± Seiji closed his paper fan.

    Nobody needed another rundown.

    ¡°Let us protect this ce until the ritual is finished,¡± Seiji told hispanions in a serious tone. ¡°I believe that we can all achieve this. We¡¯ll definitely be victorious! Not only that, none of you are allowed to fall here. I won¡¯t allow a single sacrifice!¡±

    Not only would he protect this ce, he would also ensure everyone¡¯s safety. Seiji Kamijou held such conviction that he was letting off a powerful aura.

    ¡°Battle, start!¡±

 Chapter 775 - Enemy attack!

    <h4>Chapter 775: Enemy attack!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Arge number of colorful lines started extending from Kaho¡¯s back. The lines then formed a tremendous pair of wings of light as a dense shadowy insect group appeared. These shadowy insects then materialized into real entities and poured everywhere.

    Kazuko raised her hands as her palms started glowing a bloody red. Numerous ck dimensional cracks appeared in midair and opened up into ovals. Demons wielding various weapons emerged from the dimensional cracks and headed in all directions.

    Kaho¡¯s insects and Kazuko¡¯s demons were the first line of defense against the enemy. Although these units were individually weak, they were incredibly numerous.

    The insects and demons were soon attacked, not long after arriving at their posts.

    The attackers were pitch-ck spiritual warriors that wore red masks of various types!

    All of the spiritual warriors wielded strangely shaped weapons that were able to shoot out high-speed Mana Bullets. Some of their masks were shaped like demons, while others were shaped like animals, nts, insects, or abnormally strange shapes¡­ This gave the enemy an ominous appearance.

    These enemy spiritual warriors poured in from the four cardinal directions through four toriis. The enemy attacked and immediately started shooting at the insects and demons while attempting to enter the temple!

    The insects and demons teamed up to fight back against the spiritual warriors.

    After receiving serious injuries, the pitch-ck spiritual warriors¡¯ masks started glowing a bloody red. Not only that¡ªtheir bodies swiftly started evolving. All the spiritual warriors suddenly evolved from humanoids to be strangely shaped monsters! Their masks also transformed to be part of each monster itself.

    After the spiritual warriors transformed into monsters, their individual abilities all rose greatly. They also seemed to be more berserk and lost all semnce of order.

    Most of these spiritual monsters were blocked by the insects and demons and defeated yet again, transforming into mist, which then vanished.

    However, there were a few strong monsters that managed to break through the first line of defense.

    It was now time for everyone else to begin attacking.

    *Shing!* Kagura unsheathed her sword with a sh and cut a monkey monster in half as it jumped through the air.

    The spiritual monster¡¯s corpse transformed into mist as it hit the ground. The blue-d Spirit-branded Retainer girl casually sheathed her sword with a calm expression.

    Kaede, who saw this from nearby, pped her hands upon witnessing this scene.

    ¡°Snow Girl¡± Kagura and ¡°Galewing¡± Kaede were guarding the eastern entrance to the temple.

    *Boom!* A ball of light exploded against a sticky mud monster, sending out countless bolts of electricity that covered its entire body, instantly reducing it to dust.

    *Bam!* A spirit eagle viciously smashed into a giant bull monster¡¯s body, tearing it into two halves and causing it to vanish in midair, turning it into mist.

    ¡°Nice! Hoshi-kun.¡± Hisashi offered hispliments.

    ¡°Same to you, Hisashi-san,¡± Hoshi responded with a smile.

    ¡°Thunderfist¡± Hisashi and ¡°Eagle Controller¡± Hoshi were guarding the western entrance of the temple.

    *Smack!* Hitaka kicked down a bird monster that was flying in the air, and sliced it with her sword as it fell to the ground, easily ying the monster.

    Rana, who was sitting down on the ground not far away, yawned as if she waspletely bored.

    ¡°Inugami¡± Hitaka and ¡°Cat Demon¡± Rana were guarding the northern entrance of the temple.

    *Whizz!* Yukari let out arge amount of sticky spiderweb which tangled up two monsters resembling a turtle and a porcupine, respectively.

    Mika then used her spiritual clothes to shoot out numerous ck des that pierced these two monsters¡¯ bodies, killing them.

    At the same time, Mayuzumi had her summoned spirit Idelia defeat a monster with a strange shape resembling a giant fruit sundae.

    ¡°Spiderweb¡± Yukari, ¡°Spirit Clothes¡± Mika, and ¡°Doll Controller¡± Mayuzumi were guarding the southern entrance of the temple.

    Seiji and Natsuya, the two Yin Yang Masters, remained in the center of the temple, prepared to aid any of the four groups that needed support at a moment¡¯s notice.

    After many minutes, not a single side had requested reinforcements. This meant that their defense was quite solid.

    However, everyone had a premonition that things wouldn¡¯t end so simply.

    -

    The organization¡¯s ghost warriors were unable to conquer the target location.

    Heikai Takagi, the leader of the organization¡¯s assault force, wasn¡¯t surprised by this one bit. The organization had exined quite clearly to him that these ghost warriors had limited power and that it would be impossible toplete the mission with them alone.

    However, what surprised Takagi was that not only were there Sakura samurai demons fighting against the ghost warriors, there were even a dense amount of insects and some individuals that appeared to be human!

    It was impossible to ascertain if those were real humans just from what the ghost warriors reported seeing. It was possible that the mission target had simply created spiritual creatures that resembled humans.

    But, why would the mission target especially create spiritual creatures that looked like humans? Did that have any meaning for the mission target? Takagi didn¡¯t understand.

    Those ¡°humans¡± were evidently protecting the mission target, which meant that they were enemies of Takagi and the organization.

    There were only two methods that the organization used against enemies: either kill or capture them.

    If those ¡°humans¡± were actually spiritual creatures, then capturing them would be meaningless.

    If they were real humans, then capturing them might help in obtaining information from them.

    However, trying to leave some alive would increase the difficulty of the battle. Takagi decided to ask for the opinions of his subordinates.

    ¡°Who cares? Just kill them all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m rather curious who they could be. I say we leave at least one alive.¡±

    ¡°That blue-clothed girl is just my type. I call dibs on her!¡±

    ¡°I want her as well¡­ the other girls are quite nice as well. I say we spare and capture all the females.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Men.¡±

    ¡°We should decide after fighting with them first. We should capture them if we can, and kill them if we can¡¯t.¡±

    More were in favor of leaving the purported humans alive.

    Takagi himself was also quite curious who these people could be. If they were actual humans rather than spiritual creatures, who could they be? Were they from Soul Society?

    Takagi hadn¡¯t heard anything about Soul Society interfering with this mission¡­ if Soul Society would have interfered, the organization would have given a relevant warning about this when issuing the mission. However, the organization hadn¡¯t warned about Soul Society¡¯s interference during this mission at all.

    It was possible that the organization didn¡¯t have a full grasp on Soul Society¡¯s movements. It was also possible that these people weren¡¯t actually from Soul Society.

    If Takagi wanted a concrete answer, the only possibility would be to capture one and interrogate him or her.

    Takagi made up his mind to capture at least one person alive.

    The question then was, which one should he target for capturing alive?

    -

    A giant octopus-like monster reached its long tentacles out towards Kagura. Kagura swung her sword and sliced through the tentacle, and was about to counterattack when she suddenly sensed something that caused her to instantly turn around and dodge to the right.

    *Boom!* A dark gray Mana Bullet exploded right where she had been standing. The explosion let out a great amount of sticky gray fluid.

    At the same time, Kaede, who was currently flying in the air while fighting a bird monster, was also ambushed. A dense amount of Mana Bullets suddenly shot out of nowhere and hit her, causing her to fall from the air!

    The barrage of dark gray bullets continued. Kagura dodged them all, and then counterattacked with a long-distance ice de attack!

    While attacking the direction that the bullets came from, Kagura also looked towards Kaede and confirmed that thetter was uninjured as Kaede was now counterattacking with a wind de against the other ambusher.

    ¡°Master, two human enemies have ambushed us from the east!¡± Kagura used amunication spell to report this to Seiji.

    ¡°How many? Do you need support?¡± Seiji replied instantly.

    ¡°Two people. We don¡¯t need any support for the time being.¡±

    Kagura then shot out another two ice des and used her Demon de to form a giant ice sword that then sessfully sliced the octopus monster into two!

    At almost the exact same time, Hisashi and Mika also reported that human enemies had ambushed them at their entrances. Two humans had attacked Hisashi, and three humans had attacked Mika.

    Two in the east, two in the west, and three in the south¡­ there were a total of seven human enemies so far.

    Only the north was left alone and not ambushed by any human enemies.

    Although nobody immediately requested reinforcements, Seiji felt that simply standing around would be a poor decision because it might be toote by the time that reinforcements were needed.

    ¡°Natsuya, you go to the southern entrance! Kaho and Kazuko, the two of you should send more insects and demons to the east and west.¡± Seiji swiftly gave hismands.

    In order to guard against a possible enemy ambush in the north, it would be unwise to take Hitaka and Rana away from the northern entrance.

    And since Seiji was the strongest individual guarding this location, he also couldn¡¯t allow himself to move so easily.

    Right now, he had to believe in hispanions!

 Chapter 776 - Snakes

    <h4>Chapter 776: Snakes</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    A giant gray suddenly shot towards Kagura!

    This magical was sorge that itpletely sealed off all directions she could possibly escape from. She could only fight against it¡­

    Sealing spell, ¡°Gathering Snow¡±!

    The girl swung her sword around, casting a dense blue mist that spread towards the gray.

    The gray glowed with a ck light that fought against the ice mist. However, part of the was still frozen solid, causing those sections to copse.

    At this moment, a yellow-d man silently appeared to the right of the girl. This person waved his hand and tossed out some gray liquid!

    This was the real attack. Therge gray had been nothing but a distraction.

    Kagura didn¡¯t notice until it was toote. Her entire body was covered by the gray liquid!

    The man who wore a yellow jacket as his spiritualbat equipment chuckled under his helmet. However, he soon froze in surprise because the blue-d girl suddenly seemed to shatter like an ice sculpture underneath the gray liquid as she disappeared!

    And then, an explosive amount of ice appeared¡­

    Killing curse, ¡°Ice Explosion¡±!

    *Boom!!* A dense number of sharp icicles shot through the sky and covered the yellow-d man.

    No, wait, he managed to dodge the attack.

    He had managed to dodge in time by using a spell, although he took some damage in the process.

    However, this was within Kagura¡¯s expectations.

    She cast her sealing spell ¡°Gathering Snow¡± once again!

    A dense amount of blue mist appeared in arge AOE and instantly started freezing over.

    The yellow-d man had to forcibly break free.

    Yet, this wasn¡¯t the end.

    A sharp de aimed directly for his throat! The de was as swift as lightning and as quiet as falling snow.

    If this de managed to reach its target, it would surely pierce through his protective barrier and cut off his head!

    *ng!* The yellow-d man was forced to unsheathe his sword. He managed to block this attack with the back of his sword.

    Kagura expressionlessly continued her assault against the yellow-d man. The yellow-d man continuously blocked her blows and kept retreating. But, suddenly, a gigantic ck spiritual snake rose from behind his back and snapped at Kagura!

    ck¡­ the bite missed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not bad at fighting.¡± The yellow-d man chuckled at Kagura, who managed to dodge in time. ¡°You¡¯re an excellent woman. Why don¡¯t you be mine?¡±

    Kagura responded with yet another ¡°Ice Explosion¡±!

    ¡°Oh, you have a temper. I like that in my women. It makes me feel even more aplished when I break a girl like you! I¡¯m definitely going to capture you alive!¡±

    The giant ck snake behind the yellow-d man transformed into numerous smaller ck snakes that viciously struck at Kagura.

    Meanwhile, Kaede had begun a fierce battle against a man wearing a white jacket.

    ¡°You¡¯re no match for me. You would have died many times over already if it weren¡¯t for me going easy on you.¡± As the white-d man blocked Kaede¡¯s wind des, he even casually struck up a conversation. ¡°If this continues any longer, you¡¯ll definitely be injured or even die. I don¡¯t wish to see someone as beautiful as you in such a pitiful state. Please, could you surrender? I promise that you won¡¯te to any harm.¡±

    His words sounded gentle, moving, and sincere. ¡°By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Eiji. May I ask for your name?¡±

    Kaede responded with a particrly strong wind de!

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you my name. Shouldn¡¯t you at least tell me your name as a show of good etiquette?¡± the white-d man spoke in a helpless tone after blocking this wind de. ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to harm you, I still have a mission I mustplete. It won¡¯t be up to me¡­ so if you don¡¯t surrender, I¡¯ll be forced to be more violent.¡±

    As he said this, a giant ck spell formation suddenly appeared on his back, from which countless slender, long spiritual snakes emerged.

    These people were all real humans rather than spiritual creatures.

    Takagi confirmed this after he¡¯d started fighting against them.

    Although he doubted that he would receive a response, he decided to try asking anyways.

    ¡°Who are you all? Are you from Soul Society?¡±

    ¡°Who we are and where we¡¯re from isn¡¯t important.¡± The red-d female Yin Yang Master he was fighting against responded to his question. ¡°What¡¯s important is what¡¯s happening right now. This isn¡¯t a ce that we will allow you to invade. Please leave.¡±

    Her calm words were backed up by an iron will. Takagi could sense her determination.

    It seemed that he would be unable to convince these people to retreat. Nor was he going to give up on the organization¡¯s mission, so the only option left was to fight.

    Destruction curse, ¡°Orochi Poison¡±!

    *Whoosh!* Takagi cast a spell that created a torrential amount of dark green mist, which spread throughout an incrediblyrge area of effect that enveloped all the enemies he could see!

    This was a supremely powerful spell that was impossible to block or cleanse. Natsuya instantly decided to use a lifesaving spell she had prepared beforehand¡­

    Dodge spell, ¡°Paper Substitution¡±!

    Natsuya, Mika, Mayuzumi, and Yukari all instantly vanished, reced by some tiny paper figures.

    These paper figures were instantly corroded by the toxic mist and destroyed. Meanwhile, the four girls were all teleported outside the toxic mist¡¯s area of effect.

    Takagi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest after discovering that his enemies had escaped his spell. He created a hand seal.

    Instantly, the toxic mist started surging and heading in Natsuya and the others¡¯ direction!

    Natsuya¡¯s group could only continuously retreat.

    At this moment, two more members of Takagi¡¯s group arrived to help him block their retreat!

    Takagi¡¯s allies weren¡¯t affected by his toxic mist. They simply had to stall Natsuya¡¯s group so that their leader¡¯s toxic mist could devour them all to obtain victory.

    Right as it seemed like Natsuya¡¯s group was in a dangerous crisis, two beams of golden light attacked from the rear!

    *Boom!* *Boom!*

    The two men blocking Natsuya¡¯s group¡¯s path, who wore a green robe and a blue military uniform, respectively, were both hit by these super-fast golden bullets, which exploded with a brilliant light. Both men were sent flying.

    Then, a person wearing white Yin Yang Master hunting attire appeared. He pointed the fan in his hand at the toxic mist, instantly creating a giant spell formation that released a blinding golden light!

    The light illuminated the toxic mist and started making a buzzing sound as it swiftly started cleansing the mist!

    Takagi furrowed his eyebrows at this sight.

    He changed to a different hand seal which allowed him to swiftly gather and condense the remaining toxic mist. The mist then formed a gigantic snake that tried to go around the spell formation to attack!

    The white-d Yin Yang Master, or Seiji, opened up his fan and revealed the words ¡°dispel evil¡± inrge lettering. He then adjusted his spell formation, changing its position so that it continued illuminating and cleansing the toxic snake.

    After Takagi saw that it was impossible to go around the spell formation, he then had his toxic mist snake directly attack the spell formation!

    At the same time, the green-robed man and the blue military uniform man had recovered, and were counterattacking in a pincer movement from both left and right. Both of them released arge number of ck snakes!

    *Shing!* Mika shot out numerous ck des to block the left side¡¯s ck snakes.

    *Whizz!* Yukari shot out countless spiderweb strands to tangle the right side¡¯s ck snakes.

    The toxic mist snake crashed into the golden spell formation. Seiji¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even flicker as he resisted the attack and swiftly cleansed the snake.

    Natsuya speedily uttered an incantation and created a seal to cast a powerful spell¡­

    Destruction curse, ¡°Infinite des¡±!

    A triangr spell formation appeared from which numerous red spiritual des shot out. The red spiritual des descended like a rainstorm upon the right side¡¯s blue military uniform man!

    This man wanted to retreat, but he suddenly felt his feet being stuck on the ground. Only then did he discover that his legs had been tangled up in invisible spiderweb without his realizing it!

    At this moment, Natsuya¡¯s ¡°Infinite des¡± spell enveloped him!

    Takagi furrowed his eyebrows even further.

    At this moment, the blue military uniform man suddenly shattered and transformed into mist, which then disappeared.

    He died just like that?

    Both Natsuya and Yukari were rather surprised by this.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he also noticed this.

    By now, Seiji had finished cleansing the toxic mist snake. The left side¡¯s green-robed man saw that the situation wasn¡¯t going well, so he swiftly retreated.

    Seiji looked across and exchanged nces with the man wearing a ck jacket. Although Seiji didn¡¯t know this, this man was Heikai Takagi, the leader of the assault forces sent to the temple where Chiaki was performing the ritual.

    *Bam!* Hisashi was viciously struck by a dark red longsword and sent flying backwards at a high speed.

    ¡°Hisashi-san¡­¡± Hoshi couldn¡¯t help but call out upon witnessing this scene.

    ¡°You should be paying attention to me instead, young man~¡± a female voice spoke right by his side.

    ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Hoshi tried to dodge, but he was toote.

    A woman wearing a bright red dress suddenly struck with her powerful whip at a close distance, instantly destroying Hoshi¡¯s personal barrier and reaching right next to him. A spell on the whip then restrained Hoshi!

    ¡°Wah¡­¡± Hoshi felt his entire body going numb and pained all over.

    ¡°Such a nice sound. Heehee¡­¡± The woman hugged the beautiful boy tightly from his back as if she was a predatory boa constrictor. ¡°Now then, what sounds will you make next, and what cute expressions will you have? Let me see~¡±

 Chapter 777 - Yamata no Orochiâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 777: Yamata no Orochi¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Ahhh¡­!!!¡±

    A strong sensation of numbness and pain entered Hoshi¡¯s body. He felt as if countless venomous insects had crawled under his skin, all the way to bone marrow and even his soul.

    He wanted to activate a defensive spell, but was unable to do so. His consciousness faded, with him feeling like a tiny boat being rocked on the ocean by a powerful storm. It was as if the boat might be capsized at any moment.

    But in the darkness, a ray of light suddenly appeared in Hoshi¡¯s mind¡­

    While the red-d woman was enjoying the feeling of dominating her prey, she suddenly felt an abnormal sense of danger.

    *Whoosh!* Red thorns suddenly exploded out from the beautiful boy.

    The woman had been on guard, so she managed to dodge this attack in time without receiving any damage.

    A green arrow of light then shot towards her at tremendously high speed!

    This arrow was far too fast. The woman knew that she could no longer dodge it, so she would have to forcefully take the blow. She immediately used a spell to increase her speed to still dodge as fast as she could!

    This reaction was a correct move on her part. That was because a second, and then even more arrows of light urately aimed exactly for her head! If it wasn¡¯t for her high-speed defense spell, this barrage of arrows would have surely killed her here.

    Hoshi¡¯s clothing had transformed into dark green light armor with a dark green cape. He was now wearing a cap with intricate runes on it, and had a cold and distant expression with a sharp glint in his eyes. It was as if he had turned into someone else entirely.

    After he finished this barrage of arrows, Hoshi then tossed out two red leaves with his left hand. The leaves let off a faint red glow before suddenly transforming into two giant wolves that kept releasing faint amounts of red mist. The wolves then charged directly at the woman who attacked Hoshi!

    The woman released arge number of ck snakes to fight against the two wolves. Dense ck mist also erupted from her body and concealed her location.

    Hoshi immediately nocked an arrow with a red leaf on it and shot it towards the location where the woman had just vanished. Right after that, a patch of red thorns exploded where the arrownded, forcing the invisible woman to reveal herself!

    Hoshi aimed at the enemy woman and was about to continue firing arrows when a dark red greatsword descended from the sky, heavily shing at him!

    *Boom!* The greatsword crashed into the ground with a powerful impact that shattered all the thorns.

    Hoshi managed to dodge this attack in time. He turned around to deal with the second ambusher, arge man who wore dark red armor. Hoshi shot a barrage of arrows of light at this man!

    The arrows pierced through the man¡¯s protective barrier and dealt some damage to his body. However, the man seemingly didn¡¯t react to this at all.

    The red-armored man then stepped forward with an astonishing speed, rushing toward the elf youth and shing with his greatsword!

    Hoshi jumped up high and dodged the sword sh.

    The red-armored man twisted his sword and shed upwards!

    Hoshi magically changed his direction in midair and dodged this attack.

    The dark red sword suddenly let out arge amount of scarlet mist!

    Yet, Hoshi¡¯s entire body transformed into a beam of green light that swiftly flew out of the red mist.

    While dodging the man¡¯s attack, Hoshi also left a present for him.

    Giant thorns several times thicker than the earlier patch suddenly rose beside the man¡¯s foot,pletely devouring his tall and sturdy body!

    Hoshi¡¯s right hand began glowing green as he nocked another arrow. His entire bow started glowing brightly as Hoshi let off a powerful aura.

    It was quite evident that he was charging up for an ultimate attack.

    The red-d woman noticed this and released even more ck mist from her body as she transformed into a giant ck snake. She then opened her mouth and tried to bite the elf boy!

    Hoshi shot out another red leaf with his left hand. The leaf let off a red glow as it transformed into a giant red bear.

    *Roar!* The bear stood up on its hind legs and roared as it forcefully stopped the ck mist snake with a bear hug!

    However, the bear onlysted for two seconds.

    The snake was far stronger. It viciously bit the bear on its head and crushed its body!

    The bear copsed back into mist and disappeared. Although it had only bought a short few seconds, that was enough for Hoshi.

    A green and white arrow of light had finished forming on Hoshi¡¯s bow. This arrow let off a gentle glow that seemed divine.

    *Twang!* The arrow of light shot out while spinning at high speed, heading directly towards its target.

    *Bang!* Therge man suddenly broke free from the giant thorns restraining him at this moment.

    However, it was already toote. The arrow of lightnded a direct hit on him, piercing deeply into his body and exploding with brilliant colors!

    Therge man vanished in the explosion of light. The woman who was now arge ck snake started attacking Hoshi even more viciously!

    The elf boy kept dodging and blocking with his thorns while constantly counterattacking with arrows.

    Yet, the snake woman suddenly stopped her fierce attacks as she transformed back into mist, which then vanished.

    Kaede was heavily injured.

    The white-d man named Eiji had been telling the truth about him being far more powerful than she was. Kaede was unable to be anywhere near a match for him no matter how hard she tried.

    But, she didn¡¯t worry about this, because she still had herpanions.

    Kagura was now fighting the white-d man in her stead.

    Kagura¡¯s original opponent, the yellow-d man, had now disappeared. Kagura had sliced him into two, causing him to transform into mist, which then vanished.

    This fight was now two against one in Kagura and Kaede¡¯s favor.

    Although Kaede was seriously injured, this didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t fight anymore. After resting for a short while, she intended on cooperating with Kagura to kill the white-d man together.

    But just as Kaede gritted her teeth and stood up again, the white-d man suddenly transformed into mist and disappeared in an identical fashion to the yellow-d man who had been in.

    What was going on? Did the enemy retreat?

    Kagura looked all around her and remained vignt.

    After several seconds of seeing no signs of enemy, she reported the situation to Seiji.

    A seven-headed giant snake monster was now spitting toxic mist at Seiji and his group. All the snake heads were viciously attacking with powerful force!

    Yamata no Orochi¡­ well, this snake monster wasn¡¯t exactly the same, and it had one less head. Yet, Seiji wondered if they were perhaps rted.

    It appeared that this seven-headed snake monster had been created when the enemiesbined together.

    The ck-d man who appeared to be the enemies¡¯ leader first transformed himself into a giant snake. Right after that, the green-robed man transformed himself into a giant snake as well, and thenbined his body with the first giant snake. Then, more snake heads kept appearing, until the monster grew seven heads.

    Killing or slicing off any snake head was meaningless as it would swiftly regrow. It was as if the snake monster possessed limitless energy and stamina.

    Although Seiji cast a powerful barrier to forcefully absorb the snake monster¡¯s attacks, it was evident that fighting like this for a long period of time would be no good.

    ¡°Let me maintain the barrier instead!¡± Natsuya requested.

    She knew that she wouldst even shorter than Seiji. Natsuya had resolved herself to sacrifice herself if necessary so that Seiji could obtain enough time to cast a powerful spell.

    Seiji rejected her proposal and instead summoned all of hispanions to him.

    Since this seven-headed snake monster seemed to consist of all seven human enemies who¡¯dbined together, then Seiji would summon all hispanions to deal with this monster!

    Kaho and Kazuko were the first to arrive, followed by Hitaka and Rana, then Kagura and Kaede, and finally Hoshi and Hisashi¡­ Out of everyone, Kaede and Hisashi were both seriously injured.

    After confirming everyone¡¯s condition, Seiji had everyonee close to him and simultaneously create seals for casting a spell and creating a barrier¡­

    ¡°Tremendous Light!¡±

    Instantly, there was the resounding sound of a bell as a giant mystical spell formation appeared between the sky and the ground. This was a multyered spell formation that started extending outward. Every ce the spell formation touched started glowing golden with properties that cleansed the toxic mist and suppressed evil demons!!

    ¡°GAAAAHHHHHH!!!¡±

    The seven-headed snake monster was illuminated by a powerful golden light, issuing a sizzling sound of something burning. The snake monster shrieked in agony.

    Meanwhile, Natsuya and the others felt some power swiftly healing their wounds and restoring their energy. Everyone started feeling a great warmth well up from within them which gradually filled their bodies.

    Kaho and Kagura, Seiji¡¯s two Spirit-branded Retainers, felt the effects even more strongly than everyone else. Both of them started glowing golden as the warm feeling in their bodies kept surging around inside them just like unstoppable ocean waves. Their bodies were filled and filled and filled with his special Mana, to the point where they both wanted to utter certain sounds out loud.

    At the same time, Kaede and Hisashi¡¯s serious injuries were swiftly being cured.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, everyone!¡± After fully healing and buffing hispanions, Seiji pointed at the seven-headed snake monster with his fan and issued themand for an all-out attack.

 Chapter 778 - White Sakura Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 778: White Sakura Goddess</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Everyone attacked in unison with their ultimate abilities and instantly defeated the snake monster¡­ No, such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all.

    Although the ¡°Tremendous Light¡± spell suppressed the snake monster somewhat, the seven-headed snake monster was still a powerful opponent that required caution when dealing with it.

    Kaho released an insect swarm and Kazuko summoned a tremendous number of Sakura samurai demons. Mika and Yukari used the insects and demons as cover to approach and attack the snake¡¯s heads. Kaede flew in the air while carrying Hisashi as theybined long-range magical wind and thunder-based attacks. Kagura and Idelia (Mayuzumi) teamed up to cast powerful AOE ice magic together. Hoshi swiftly shot out arrows of light that exploded into thorns. Natsuya created numerous spiritual des that Hitaka and Rana rode on for abination attack¡­

    Everyone worked together and fought fiercely against the snake monster! The snake monster seemed to go berserk as it furiously spat toxic mist, venomous liquid, Mana Bullets, and released countless smaller snakes. Each snake head was biting or swinging itself like a whip¡­

    The fight was so fierce that it would surely make for a good fantasy film fight scene if it was filmed.

    Seiji maintained everyone¡¯s formation and focused only on supporting and protecting hispanions.

    Against a snake monster with such powerful regenerative abilities, it would be impossible to strike it down in one attack. A battle of attrition would be needed.

    Although the snake monster¡¯s energy seemed limitless right now, it was impossible for the humans whobined into this monster to have limitless energy and Mana.

    As long as everyone in Seiji¡¯s group worked together and fought their hardest, winning would only be a matter of time!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Chiaki was feeling so tired.

    She felt like her hands and feet were bing like heavy wooden blocks. Her throat was bing hoarse. She really wanted to stop and rest, or even just fall asleep right here.

    But, she couldn¡¯t.

    The god¡¯s trial wasn¡¯t over yet. She had to persist!

    Chiaki knew that Seiji and the others were fighting for her sake right now. So, for their sake, she absolutely couldn¡¯t allow herself to copse first.

    ¡®I have to go on, I must go on, I must persist¡­¡¯

    Chiaki¡¯s consciousness became hazy as she gradually lost her sense of self. Some unknown period of timeter, she reached a previously unknown realm.

    ¡°Excellent job,¡± a mysterious female voice spoke in her mind. ¡°You and yourpanions have all done an excellent job. You have passed my trial. Apart from what I promised you, yourpanions will also be rewarded. Thank you all for defeating that snake for me.¡±

    Chiaki then suddenly felt a warm feeling enveloping her body as her consciousness was gradually restored.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± someone called out to her.

    Chiaki slowly opened her eyes to see a woman before her.

    This woman was wearing a one-piece dress and had long hair which was the same silver shade as Chiaki¡¯s. Chiaki instantly widened her eyes upon seeing this beautiful woman who had such a gentle smile. Lost memories suddenly flooded into Chiaki¡¯s mind as forgotten emotions welled up within her heart. Chiaki trembled all over as tears flowed unstoppably¡­

    ¡°Mom!!!¡±

    Before her mind could even think of anything else, Chiaki¡¯s body started moving first as she shouted out and jumped over towards her mother.

    Chihiro weed her with open arms as they embraced. Tears also flowed unstoppably from her eyes.

    Mother and daughter tightly hugged each other as tears fell everywhere.

    Pure white cherry blossoms slowly fell around them in this void-like space.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Seiji was currently standing beneath arge cherry blossom tree.

    He found himself teleported here after he¡¯d finally managed to kill that seven-headed snake monster.

    The cherry blossoms were white. The falling flower petals made for a beautiful sight.

    Seiji opened up his fan to reveal the words ¡°peaceful heart and mind.¡± He lightly fanned himself while calmly waiting.

    ¡°Please, be my protector¡­¡± a young-sounding female voice spoke to him.

    ¡°What specifically do I need to do?¡± Seiji inquired as he closed his fan.

    ¡°It will be very simr to what you just did.¡±

    ¡°How frequently will this happen?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°What payment will I receive?¡±

    ¡°I will protect you and yourpanions.¡±

    This goddess was requesting protection, yet she was also offering protection as payment¡­ Although this sounded contradictory, this actually meant mutual assistance.

    ¡°Then we can sign a temporary contract for now.¡± Seiji decided to agree for the time being and try things out. He could always refuse to carry onter if things didn¡¯t work out.

    The goddess had no objections to this.

    A certain flower petal started glowing as it floated before Seiji.

    Seiji reached out his hand and took the cherry blossom petal, which then transformed into a white mist that entered his hand.

    Thus, the temporary contract was formed.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Back in the dojo at Seiji¡¯s Spirit House, Natsuya and the others gradually woke up from Visualization. They all felt like their minds were in a daze, with minor headache. It took quite a while for everyone to feel fully awake.

    Then, they noticed that both Seiji and Chiaki were still in a state of Visualization.

    Some timeter, Seiji woke up from his Visualization.

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± He first checked on hispanions¡¯ situation.

    Everyone was alright, albeit rather fatigued.

    Mika was worried about her best friend Chiaki. Seiji told her that Chiaki would likely be waking up soon and that she was probably fine with nothing to worry about.

    After passing the god¡¯s trial, everyone¡¯s spiritual power received a noticeable improvement with new realizations. If it wasn¡¯t for everyone¡¯s fatigue, they would have all wanted to immediately begin cultivating to transform their new realizations into actual abilities.

    Seiji told everyone about how he, or rather ¡°Seiji Kamijou,¡± signed a temporary contract with the goddess.

    ¡°That goddess¡­ she¡¯s called the White Sakura Goddess. Her ¡®protection¡¯ is actually a blessing that will increase the quality of our future Visualizations. In exchange, we need to protect her from her enemies and defeat them just like in the trial she gave us. She doesn¡¯t know who her enemies are or where they came from. However, my inference is that those enemies are from the Messengers organization. That snake monster¡­ those seven people are highly likely to be from the Messengers.

    ¡°As for why they attacked the White Sakura Goddess, that¡¯s still unknown. However, ¡®Seiji Kamijou¡¯ believes that we should intervene because the White Sakura Goddess is a kind goddess who is friendly towards humans.¡±

    Seiji had a rather subtle rtionship with ¡°Seiji Kamijou.¡± Seiji himself was also ¡°Seiji Kamijou,¡± but he also wasn¡¯t ¡°Seiji Kamijou.¡± It was more like Seiji was acting as ¡°Seiji Kamijou.¡±

    To use an analogy, it was just like a person who was acting as a character quite simr to himself in a movie. Or, it could even be said that the person was acting as himself. But no matter how simr, the character would only be a character, a person who existed in the movie, but not in reality.

    Deeply pursuing this topic would pertain to the philosophical, which was why Seiji didn¡¯t want to think about this too deeply. In summary, Seiji and ¡°Seiji Kamijou¡± were basically the same, but not identical existences.

    Seiji himself would have been far more cautious regarding the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s request for protection. He might have even directly refused. However, Seiji Kamijou directly agreed.

    ¡®Hey, we might be dealing with the Messengers in real life as our enemies¡­ Which is really a pain. Mr. Kamijou, you might not mind, but we¡¯ll all have so much trouble on our tes!¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but make such ament in his mind.

    He supposed that this was a side effect of acting as Seiji Kamijou.

    Well, since Seiji Kamijou had already signed a temporary contract in his ce, Seiji could only try to carry it out.

    This trial wouldn¡¯t have been possible to pass without Seiji Kamijou¡¯s assistance. But in the end, not only did everyone pass, they even received the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s appreciation. Still, it was unknown if this would be a blessing or something even more troublesome in the end. But since Seiji had borrowed power from Seiji Kamijou, he decided to take responsibility for the results.

    ¡°The White Sakura Goddess is a friendly and kind goddess? Wasn¡¯t she the one who took away Chiaki¡¯s mother?¡± Mika doubtingly asked this question.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this part, either. We should know more after Chiaki wakes up,¡± Seiji told her.

    Right after he said this, Chiaki woke up.

    She blinked as tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

    Everyone looked at her as they noticed that Chiaki had woken up.

    ¡°Chiaki, are you alright?¡± Mika asked concernedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­¡± Chiaki wiped her tears away and smiled at her best friend.

    Seiji took out his handkerchief and helped Chiaki to wipe her tears away.

    Chiaki also smiled at him. She then slowly stood up while looking around at everyone.

    ¡°Everyone¡­ I¡¯m truly so grateful to all of you.¡± After standing up, she then bowed at a ny-degree angle towards everyone. ¡°It¡¯s all because of everyone that I was finally able to meet my mother again¡­ and get back the memories about her.¡±

 Chapter 779 - Evil White Sakura Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 779: Evil White Sakura Goddess</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Chiaki had learned the truth of everything from her mother.

    When Chihiro Wakaba had gotten pregnant, she learned that she would die after giving birth to her daughter.

    Chihiro became afraid of this happening¡­ not because of her own impending death, but rather because she was afraid of not being able to apany her husband Shingo in seeing their daughter grow up together.

    That was why Chihiro prayed to her goddess, asking to be able to live just a little longer, long enough to at least raise her daughter for a while.

    Since Chihiro was descended from a bloodline that had the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s favor, her prayer was answered and her wish was granted.

    The price for lengthening her life was her disappearing from existence.

    As a mother, Chihiro made a request that defied her fate, hence the heavy price of being forgotten by almost everyone, including the daughter she loved so much.

    Chihiro¡¯s husband Shingo was the only person who still remembered her due to their deep connection. However, even he forgot her name and appearance.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s how things were. Mom wasn¡¯t harmed by the goddess, but rather the opposite. The White Sakura Goddess helped her and then protected her,¡± Chiaki exined to everyone.

    Just as Seiji Kamijou had judged, the White Sakura Goddess was a kind and friendly existence.

    However, the White Sakura Goddess had an evil counterpart, who had vicious intentions towards humanity. That was the Evil White Sakura Goddess!

    The Evil White Sakura Goddess was the one who had been targeting Chiaki. Not only that, the Evil White Sakura Goddess was also the mastermind behind the Realm of Cherry Blossoms manifesting in the human world!

    No¡­ calling her the mastermind might not be the correct term. It would be more urate to view the Evil White Sakura Goddess as the final boss in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    The White Sakura Goddess was unable to fight back against the Evil White Sakura Goddess¡­ it was precisely because the White Sakura Goddess was weaker that the Realm of Cherry Blossoms manifested.

    But although the White Sakura Goddess was weaker, she could still at least interfere with the Evil White Sakura Goddess. With the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s protection, Chiaki would no longer be targeted by the Evil White Sakura Goddess.

    Meaning, Chiaki¡¯s crisis was now resolved.

    Her mother had already passed away in the real world. It would be impossible to bring her back. However, Chiaki had now regained the memories of her mother, and escaped from being targeted by an evil goddess.

    Yet, the danger wasn¡¯t over yet, as the Evil White Sakura Goddess was about to descend upon the human world.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The ¡°God-Devouring¡± mission failed. All of the ¡°Yamata no Orochi¡± experimental subjects had died!

    This mission had an expected sess rate of only roughly 40%. Failure was well within the realm of expectations. However, it came as a huge surprise to the organization that all seven of their experimental subjects had died during the mission.

    Although none of these experimental subjects had beenpleted, they were some of the more stable Yamata no Orochi experimental subjects. They were all quite strong and possessed almost limitless regenerative abilities in theirbined Orochi form. Even if the mission failed and they lost in battle, it was highly unlikely for them to have died.

    But, not only had they died, all seven had died without a single survivor!

    Just what exactly had they met with!?

    After repeated confirmation, the organization ascertained that there had been no mistake in identifying the mission target. Everything had been carried out ording to the n. Logically speaking, this type of result shouldn¡¯t have been possible. In that case, something unexpected must have urred during the mission.

    The most likely possibility was that Soul Society had intervened¡­ however, the organization¡¯s intelligence didn¡¯t indicate that Soul Society had done so.

    Had Soul Society superbly hidden their involvement in this incident? But, was there any reason for them to hide their involvement if so?

    The organization couldn¡¯t understand what had happened at all. An investigation would be necessary.

    Either Soul Society had an unknown trump card, or something else entirely was involved¡­ But no matter what, this seemed rather interesting.

    The organization would remember this favor and pay it backter with interest.

    Still, it was rather troublesome that all the best Yamata no Orochi experimental subjects had died at this point in time. Although it was still possible to reproduce the experiment and create more test subjects, that would take a significant amount of time. The organization decided instead to use more forceful shortcuts.

    Why not be a little more reckless and try using some risky materials? Although the failure rate of the experiment would be much higher, seeding might result in something incredible.

    If Soul Society had some sort of hidden trump card that was behind this, the organization really wanted to know what it was, or at least even some information about it. It was regrettable that there hadn¡¯t been a single survivor to bring back any information.

    Well, thinking too much about it would be useless. It was time to get to work.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The next day was a dark and rainy one.

    Isamu Seima was currently drinking tea in a caf¨¦.

    He was with someone else¡ªRiho Heijou, who was currently sitting across from him. The brown-haired, red-eyed beauty was wearing a ck jacket and ck pants.

    The two had gotten closer ever since the incident where Isamu had saved her life.

    The two of them might seem like boyfriend and girlfriend as they were sitting at the same table in this caf¨¦. However, they weren¡¯t.

    Riho thanked Isamu for saving her life, but there were no deeper feelings she had for him. The two of them were now simply friends.

    Riho was quite interested in the monster that they saw that day. She was certain that the monster was no illusion. Not only that, she kept insisting that Isamu must have some type of hidden power!

    Under her interrogation, Isamu admitted that he was a spiritual ability user. He told her a summarized version of what happened in his dreams and about White Night.

    Riho then told Isamu that maybe due to the monster¡¯s influence, she Awakened to a type of sensory ability simr to a mental minimap. She could sense Isamu¡¯s presence, as well as the presence of certain people within a limited radius.

    Isamu and Riho carefully observed the people that she sensed for some unknown reason on her mental minimap. They noticed that most of these individuals seemed to be in poor condition as if they were sick. Some others appeared to be hoodlums if judging by appearance. However, there were also a few people that appeared perfectly ordinary and healthy.

    Riho inferred that these people who stood out on her mental minimap were either spiritual ability users just like Isamu or ¡°potential monsters¡± that might transform!

    Isamu wanted to contact White Night and tell him about Riho¡¯s current situation. However, she stopped him from doing so.

    ¡°I think that White Night person is suspicious.¡± A sharp glint appeared in Riho¡¯s eyes. ¡°He saved you, but he refused to tell you the origins of the monster. Nor did he tell you how to be stronger. He just left you alone¡­¡±

    ¡°White Night isn¡¯t a bad person!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that he was a bad person. I just think that he¡¯s suspicious¡­ Anyways, don¡¯t tell him anything about me.¡±

    Isamu found it difficult to believe that Seigo was a bad or suspicious person. However, he obeyed Riho¡¯s wish.

    Isamu felt that not telling White Night, also known as Seigo Harano to him, wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Although he trusted Seigo, Isamu was also slightly miffed that Seigo had just set him aside and left him to his own devices. He agreed with Riho on this.

    Riho wanted to investigate the incident behind the monster that appeared at the arcade. Isamu also wanted to investigate, but had no idea how to begin.

    The two of them could only do the best they could to observe the individuals who stood out for some reason in Riho¡¯s mental minimap. They also tried searching for information on the inte.

    Meanwhile, Isamu talked to Ryuuma Sorimachi, who was Three-Eyed Cat back in the dream world, about the investigation, asking thetter for assistance. However, Ryuuma instantly refused, and gave Isamu a warning.

    ¡°From what I can tell based on what you told me, it¡¯s quite obvious that Harano-kun doesn¡¯t want you to get involved. I think that it¡¯s best if we go along with that. Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re amazing or anything just because you Awakened to having some powers. You¡¯re no superhero in an anime. You¡¯re just an ordinary person who will easily die.

    ¡°Nobody out there is hoping for you to do anything. Don¡¯t think that this is your destiny. If you must do something, why don¡¯t you train to be stronger instead? Acting on your own will be highly dangerous. You¡¯re not a policeman or a detective. You have no investigative skills whatsoever, so if you try and find the truth shrouded in shadow, that¡¯s nothing more than suicide. Why don¡¯t you try using your brain a little¡­¡±

    ¡°I know all that!¡± Isamu was angered from hearing all this put so bluntly. ¡°Of course I realize that this is dangerous. But, I can¡¯t do something like pretending monsters don¡¯t exist after meeting a monster like that in real life!

    ¡°Even I understand that Harano-kun doesn¡¯t want me to get involved for my own safety. But, is it really alright to just listen to him and stay away from danger? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s for the best¡­ I don¡¯t want to do that.

    ¡°I want to know what happened. I want to do something to help out, even if it¡¯s insignificant¡­ This is my justice!¡±

    Isamu then turned around to leave right after saying this.

    Afterwards, he was quite embarrassed about everything he said to Ryuuma.

    Although he was embarrassed, he wouldn¡¯t regret it.

    Isamu and Riho had yet to find out any relevant information even until now. However, Riho called him this morning, telling him that a certain individual in her mental minimap sense became especially noticeable to her. She felt that this person would transform into a monster today!

    Isamu also felt a mysterious sense of frustration within himself, simr to the way he¡¯d felt on the day he met the monster at the arcade.

    Isamu and Riho had agreed to meet up at this caf¨¦ because the ¡°potential monster¡± individual was currently here.

 Chapter 780 - Existence rating

    <h4>Chapter 780: Existence rating</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    That individual was the caf¨¦¡¯s manager.

    He was an apparently ordinary middle-aged man who had a slightly dark appearance and evident dark circles under his eyes fromck of sleep.

    In Riho¡¯s mental minimap, his ¡°existence rating¡± was so high that it reached a value of 2.3 points.

    This so-called ¡°existence rating¡± was a term that Riho coined herself. It was a measurement of how strongly each individual appeared on her mental minimap.

    The existence rating would change depending on the individual and how far away that person was from her. The same person who was farther or closer to her would thus have lower or higher existence rating, respectively. And, different people who were the same distance from her would also have different existence rating.

    When Isamu stood five meters away from Riho, that gave Isamu an existence rating of 1, which Riho used as a standard for people who were spiritual ability users or had something special about them. Meanwhile, this store manager¡¯s existence rating was a whopping 2.3, far stronger than Isamu¡¯s rating!

    Meanwhile, all ordinary people that Riho sensed who likely had no special powers all had existence ratings of under 0.5 points.

    Those who had existence ratings of over 0.5 points in her system typically had poorplexions and appeared to be in bad condition. However, there were also exceptions.

    Very few people so far had exceeded 2 points in her mental minimap existence rating. This manager was the only one they¡¯d found so far who remained in a fixed location due to his job.

    That was why Riho and Isamu came here to this caf¨¦ to pay close attention to his condition.

    ¡°His existence rating is increasing right now,¡± Riho said as she watched the manager. ¡°He¡¯s now a 2.5¡­ no, he¡¯s now a 2.6, and the number is still increasing.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like anything is changing about him¡­¡± Isamu was unable to tell any difference. As far as he could see, the manager appeared exactly the same as the first time Isamu had seen him.

    ¡°That would be for the best, but I highly doubt that¡¯s the case,¡± Riho stated calmly.

    ¡°You think that he¡¯s going to transform into a monster?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then should we talk to him about it?¡±

    ¡°What exactly would you say?¡±

    ¡°Ask him how he¡¯s feeling¡­ something like that.¡±

    ¡°How would you react if a stranger suddenly asked you how you¡¯re feeling?¡±

    ¡°I know that it would sound suspicious, but you¡¯re already sensing that he might transform into a monster. I don¡¯t think we should just sit by and watch that happen,¡± Isamu told Riho.

    Riho fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she agreed. ¡°Go and ask him.¡±

    ¡°You want me to go?¡±

    ¡®Who else?¡¯ The girl looked at Isamu with such an expression.

    ¡°I think that a beautiful girl like you would be better suited for asking such a question¡­¡± Isamu looked directly at her pretty face.

    Riho blinked in surprise and blushed as she averted her gaze.

    ¡°You go.¡± She then picked up her teacup and sipped on some tea, acting like she couldn¡¯t be bothered.

    Seeing her like this, Isamu looked at the manager again and worked up his courage to walk over.

    But just at this exact moment, two customers, a man and a woman, walked into the caf¨¦.

    Both of them were wearing ck jackets and ck pants along with sunsses. However, it didn¡¯t seem like they were a couple wearing matching outfits, but rather that they were wearing uniforms.

    The man was tall and stocky with short blonde hair. He was holding a ck cell phone in his hand. The woman was tall and slender, with a figure like a model¡¯s. Her scarlet hair was tied up in a ponytail.

    After the two entered the caf¨¦, the ck-d woman looked all around the caf¨¦, while the ck-d man held up his cell phone. It seemed that he was currently filming.

    Isamu couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks when he saw these two ck-d individuals who were clearly behaving in an abnormal manner. Riho also noticed these two people.

    A server greeted them, but the woman indicated that they didn¡¯t need anything. At this moment, the ck-d man stopped and pointed with his cell phone facing the manager.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one¡­¡± The ck-d man showed his cell phone screen to hispanion.

    He then put away his cell phone and slowly walked towards the manager.

    The manager seemed to sense something as his expression became tense.

    The ck-d woman put her hand inside her jacket, seeming like she was holding onto something. She had a vignt expression.

    The ck-d man walked over to the manager and showed him some type of identification. The ck-d man then said something to the manager.

    The man spoke in a low voice, so Isamu couldn¡¯t hear what he said. Isamu only saw that the manager¡¯s expression began distorting.

    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything!!¡± The middle-aged store manager suddenly began to shout loudly.

    He then backed away while clutching at his heart. His expression became even more distorted, with aplex expression that contained panic, fear, anger, and hatred. Blood-red runes also started appearing in his eyes¡­

    ¡°His existence rating is increasing rapidly,¡± Riho whispered to Isamu. ¡°It¡¯s already passed 3.5, and is still increasing¡­¡±

    *Bam!* The ck-d man suddenly took a gun out from his jacket and directly shot the manager in the head!

    This gunshot startled Isamu and Riho, as well as scaring everyone else in the caf¨¦.

    Blood spattered everywhere as the manager copsed.

    Since this all happened so suddenly, everyone remained quiet for a second¡­ until a server broke the silence with her scream.

    However, her scream was soon covered up by a far more frightening sound.

    ¡°Grack grack grack grack grack!!!!¡±

    This sound came from the copsed manager.

    His body started glowing red and rapidly expanded. His clothes soon tore off as the body changed shape¡­

    *Bam! Bam! Bam!* The ck-d man shot several more times in session into the manager¡¯s body. Every shot resulted in a small red mist explosion.

    The ck-d woman also took out a gun and started shooting the manager.

    Despite all this, the manager¡¯s transformation still continued rapidly. His hands transformed into giant ws that grabbed at the two ck-d individuals!

    These two were on guard and managed to dodge in time.

    ¡°Run away! Get away from here!¡± the ck-d woman shouted to Isamu and the caf¨¦¡¯s other customers as she loaded a new ammo clip into her gun.

    Meanwhile, the monster started standing up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Riho pulled Isamu and led the way in escaping.

    With someone leading, everyone else immediately followed after. Many people screamed in panic as they scurried out of the caf¨¦.

    The two ck-d individuals kept firing their guns, attracting the monster¡¯s attention. This allowed everyone else to sessfully escape.

    ¡°Let me go¡­¡± Out on the street, Isamu told Riho to let go of him.

    ¡°Since someone else is dealing with this, don¡¯t think about going to fight,¡± Riho told him.

    Right after she said that, there was a loud noise.

    Isamu and Riho turned around, only to see the ck-d man had copsed on the street. The caf¨¦¡¯s window had been shattered, so it was evident that the monster must have thrown him through the window!

    The ck-d woman ran out of the caf¨¦ and called out herpanion¡¯s name. However, he didn¡¯t respond.

    The monster stepped out of the caf¨¦.

    This monster was dark red and its body resembled a tree. Its legs were like tree roots, and its ws were like distorted tree branches tangled together. The monster didn¡¯t have a head, although it had bright red runes in a strange shape simr to a demon¡¯s face. The monster kept emanating a faint red mist that gave everyone a powerful pressuring sensation.

    This monster was stronger than the bird-head monster from the arcade! Isamu had such a feeling.

    The humanoid tree monster walked over towards the two ck-d individuals. The ck-d woman kept shooting at the monster while swiftly retreating.

    The tree monster then swiped with its right w, sending out a mist shock wave that the ck-d woman was unable to dodge. She was hit in midair and twisted several times before crashing onto the ground while uttering sounds of pain.

    There wasn¡¯t much time for Isamu to think.

    ¡®Activate! My power!¡¯

    Isamu¡¯s hidden power rose up from deep within him as an owl mask appeared on his face. With a bright sh, red sses appeared on his face as a ck jacket suddenly materialized on him together with an exquisite revolver in his right hand.

    He aimed at the tree monster and began firing!

    ¡°ss President Riho, you should leave first!¡±

 Chapter 781 - Carry out my justice!

    <h4>Chapter 781: Carry out my justice!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After hearing this, something shed in Riho¡¯s eyes as she unhesitatingly turned around and ran away.

    Isamu continuously shot at the tree monster while approaching it.

    The tree monster turned around to deal with the boy that was injuring it with spiritual bullets. The monster waved its ws again, releasing another shock wave!

    Isamu dodged this shock wave by jumping into the air while continuing to shoot.

    Meanwhile, he took out his cell phone with his left hand and dialed a number while still shooting his gun with his right hand.

    This wasn¡¯t a monster that he could deal with on his own. He had to contact Seigo Harano!

    Although Isamu activated his powers and started this fight to try and save others, he was more aware of his own limitspared tost time. He knew that he should ask Seigo for assistance and simply try to stall the monster the best he could until Seigo arrived.

    But, before he could dial Seigo¡¯s number, the tree monster¡¯s ws suddenly lengthened and reached towards him!

    Isamu hurriedly retreated at full speed. However, arge patch of red mist explosively shot out from the monster¡¯s ws and enveloped his entire body!

    Isamu¡¯s vision instantly turned bright red as he smelled the scent of blood. An icy chill permeated his entire body as he froze solid and couldn¡¯t move¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯

    Once again, Isamu felt the closeness of death. An unstoppable fear welled up within him.

    However, Isamu had already resolved himself. He controlled his own fear.

    And if he died just like this¡­ He was unwilling!

    He couldn¡¯t even stall for time. He felt that he was truly too weak.

    He desired more power. At the very least, he wanted to stop this tree monster¡¯s rampage!

    Isamu gritted his teeth and resisted the chill the best he could. He forced his arm to move as he aimed his gun at the monster.

    Although he couldn¡¯t see anything anymore as his vision was covered in red, he could sense danger rapidly approaching him.

    A simple gunshot wouldn¡¯t be strong enough. He needed more power¡­ Isamu concentrated fully, trying to muster up all his power.

    Maybe due to being in the life and death situation, Isamu actually aplished this! Energy started swiftly gathering to his hand and being injected into his revolver. Meanwhile, he also felt the chill invading him even deeper as his consciousness went hazy.

    This would be thest time he ever shot this gun¡­

    ¡®No, this won¡¯t be thest!

    ¡®I can do this! I¡¯ll definitely seed!!¡¯ Isamu roared in his mind.

    This wasn¡¯t going to be a final counterattack in despair! It would be the final attack containing hope and victory!

    ¡®Go, my bullet! My power!! My soul!!!

    ¡°Carry out¡­ my justice!¡±

    Isamu injected everything he had into his spiritual gun, and shot out¡­

    *BOOM!!*

    This was no ordinary gunshot. It sounded more like a bomb had gone off.

    Isamu didn¡¯t see what his gunshot looked like.

    That was because he fell unconscious the moment that he shot his gun.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Isamu saw an unfamiliar ceiling above him when he woke up again.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, Seima-san,¡± a familiar female voice spoke next to him.

    Isamu saw that Riho was sitting next to him.

    ¡°This is a hospital¡­¡± His ssmate exined the situation to him.

    He had defeated the tree monster and then fallen unconscious. He was then brought to this hospital and given a checkup which determined that he was mostly alright.

    At this moment, the ck-d woman walked into Isamu¡¯s hospital room. Now that she wasn¡¯t wearing her sunsses, it could be seen that she had a pretty face. She introduced herself to Isamu that her name was Shouko Hirase, a member of the ¡°Special Safety Department.¡± Basically, she exined that she was a special type of cop who dealt with spiritual and supernatural affairs.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already learned about your situation from your ssmate Heijou-san and reported it to my superiors. My superiors told me that both of you have talents that we need, so we¡¯d like to invite you to assist us. We¡¯ll also pay you ordingly¡­¡±

    Assist the Special Safety Department¡­ Isamu was unable toe to a decision regarding this invitation.

    However, Riho instantly agreed.

    ¡°Having an organization back us up will be far better than investigating by ourselves,¡± Riho told him.

    Isamu felt like she was correct.

    However, he still had his doubts about this so-called ¡°Special Safety Department.¡± He wanted to first talk things over with Seigo.

    Riho had only told Shouko about her and Isamu¡¯s situation. It seemed that Riho hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Seigo Harano¡ªor White Night.

    So, Isamu told Shouko that he wanted to think things over. Shouko looked at him and nodded. She then told him to take a good rest as she left his hospital room.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her about White Night, did you?¡± Isamu asked Riho for confirmation.

    Riho shook her head.

    ¡°Although I think that White Night is somewhat suspicious, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll just casually tell others about him,¡± Riho told him. ¡°And, you activated your powers right on the street in front of many people. It would be impossible to conceal, so I had to tell her about you. As for myself¡­ I felt that joining an organization would be a good approach, which is why I told them about my new power.¡±

    Isamu nodded in understanding.

    He then looked around for his cell phone.

    His cell phone had taken a beating, but luckily it was still in working condition.

    He dialed Seigo¡¯s number. Seigo soon picked up.

    ¡°Harano-kun, I met another monster¡­¡± Isamu exined the situation to Seigo.

    Seigo fell silent for a moment after hearing the full story.

    ¡°You should decide for yourself whether or not to help this ¡®Special Safety Department¡¯ organization,¡± Seigo told him. ¡°This is your path to choose¡­ whether you want to go deeper down this path or stop here, it¡¯s all up to you.¡±

    ¡°Harano-kun¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to act for the sake of justice. But, never forget about yourself. While protecting others, you also need to know how to protect yourself, Isamu-kun.¡±

    Seigo hung up the phone call after leaving that warning.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After hanging up the phone call, Seiji grabbed onto a ropedder and climbed into a helicopter.

    Just like thest time, he was working as a ¡°janitor¡± for the Messengers.

    Seiji was actually present all along while Isamu fought against the tree monster. Seiji was the one who finished the tree monster off with a killing blow.

    Seiji had read Kamitani¡¯s ¡°script¡± on how Isamu was supposed to grow and develop into a hero.

    This incident caused Seiji to recall a famous movie he saw in his previous life, called ¡°The Truman Show.¡± The main character of that movie lived in apletely fictional world, where all his rtives and friends were actually actors. Yet, the main character didn¡¯t know any of this.

    Of course, Isamu¡¯s experience wasn¡¯t anywhere near as exaggerated as in that movie. Seiji just felt that they were rather simr.

    But even though this was a script written for Isamu, that didn¡¯t change the fact that Isamu¡¯s sense of justice was real. His willpower and ability were also real!

    Although Isamu¡¯s final powered-up spiritual bullet wasn¡¯t strong enough to actually defeat the tree monster, the bullet still caused significant damage. As long as Isamu Seima managed to level up sessfully, he would be a real hero¡­ that was what Seiji believed.

    For now, Seiji decided not to think about what might happen in the future if Isamu grew sufficiently powerful and learned the truth about the Messengers. Seiji simply resolved himself to ept the full responsibility in the future for what might happen.

    Monsters kept appearing everywhere today in this gloomy weather of overcast skies and rain. The new hero ¡°ckwing¡± that the Messengers created fought all these monsters on camera, just likest time.

    The monsters that Seiji cleaned up for the Messengers were obviously much stronger thanst time.

    He felt that there were probably more monsters thanst time¡­ but he didn¡¯t know the specific numbers.

    Based on this level of strength increase, he could probably take care of the next round of monsters without a problem. Of course, the issue at hand was whether he would continue working for the Messengers or not.

    The payment for his janitorial services this time was another piece of information. Kamitani said that this was top secret news even in Soul Society.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be happier off not knowing this information, just like the girl in that story I told you. Perhaps this information won¡¯t be worth anything to you, so it¡¯s fine even if you refuse.¡±

    ¡®Do whatever you want.¡¯ Kamitani expressed such an attitude.

    However, Seiji chose to ept the deal for that information and work for the Messengers again.

    Seiji could guess at the type of information judging from Kamitani¡¯s words. Perhaps this information truly wasn¡¯t that valuable to him and he would be better off not knowing. Yet, Seiji wasn¡¯t the type to avert his gaze.

    There were many cruel things in the world. It would be impossible for Seiji to know about everything bad happening in the world. It would be simrly impossible for him to deal with all evil in the world. But, this didn¡¯t mean that he would avert his gaze, especially when the darkness was right on top of him.

    Standing on top of a tall building, watching the illuminated city in the rain, with carsing and going, light and darkness, and the cold flow¡­ Under the surface of thisrge and peaceful city was an indescribable cold flow that secretly ran through it.

    ¡°The darkness has always been present.¡± Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall this quote from Yui.

    Indeed, the darkness had never left.

 Chapter 782 - Looking at and loving you

    <h4>Chapter 782: Looking at and loving you</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After yesterday¡¯s dark and rainy day was a bright and sunny day¡­ Just kidding.

    The rain had stopped, but dark clouds still hung everywhere in the sky. Today was yet another gloomy day that kept people¡¯s spirits low.

    However, a certain person was currently humming happily.

    This person was Chiaki, who was currently cooking breakfast in Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    The beautiful silver-haired girl was humming and cooking while wearing an apron. It was so evident that she was in a wonderful mood that even Seiji felt infected with her happiness.

    This was actually Chiaki¡¯s first time ever trying to cook breakfast.

    Chiaki was someone who always loved to sleep inte, which was why she was the type to always skip breakfast. Hence, this was truly her first time.

    After Chiaki regained the lost memories about her mother, she called her father and then had a face-to-face family meeting with him. After that, everyone noticed an obvious change in Chiaki.

    It was difficult to describe exactly how she had changed¡­ the best word Seiji coulde up with was that she seemed more ¡°real.¡±

    Compared to the original Chiaki, she now seemed less ¡°flippant¡± and slightly more ¡°serious¡±, at least in Seiji¡¯s view.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall the female lead in a famous light novel he¡¯d read in his previous world. That girl had many worries since she also lost the memories regarding her mother who had been taken away by the gods. That girl lost weight due to her worries, and only regained her weight after bringing back her mother.

    This was somewhat simr to Chiaki¡¯s experience. Chiaki also had such memories with her mother, and a god was involved, along with nostalgia and frustrations¡­ and some things that couldn¡¯t be recovered anymore.

    Although Chiaki¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t be brought back to life anymore¡­

    Even if Chiaki¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t be brought back to life anymore¡­

    Chiaki had still recovered her important memories, thus recovering the ¡°weight¡± that she and her life should have possessed.

    At this moment, Chiaki seemed to notice Seiji¡¯s attention as she turned around, exchanged nces with him, and smiled brilliantly.

    Seiji¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon seeing such a beautiful smile. He responded with his own smile.

    *Ding!* His system suddenly sent him a notification.

    [A female individual¡¯s favorability rating towards you has reached 100. You have now obtained her character reward card.]

    A character reward card¡­ Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    Obviously, this had to be Chiaki¡¯s character reward card.

    Right now, Chiaki¡¯s face was slightly red and there was an alluring expression in her eyes.

    But, before Seiji could get a better look, Chiaki looked away with evident shyness.

    Seiji¡¯s heart skipped another beat from seeing this. In fact, he even wanted to walk over right now and hug her from behind while doing intimate things with her.

    He couldn¡¯t help but imagine the scenario of doing certain sexy things with an apron-wearing newly wed wife¡­ No! He had to stop thinking about this!

    If he imagined this scenario any longer, he wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain himself anymore. Seiji did his very best to suppress his desire.

    It felt like Chiaki became more charismatic¡­ or, more urately, she became the type that attracted him even more.

    While only exchanging nces and not words, her favorability rating towards him reached 100. Seiji felt like this was almost a natural aplishment.

    Since Chiaki was now averting her gaze, Seiji took this opportunity to open up his system and check his new character reward card.

    [Character reward card ¡®Chiaki Wakaba¡¯: Looking at and loving you.]

    [This card will have an evesting passive effect. This card cannot be used or disappear.]

    [All basic stats increased by a bonus of 2 points.]

    [Attack power against the divine is increased by 10%.]

    [Defense power against the divine is increased by 20%.]

    [Additional ability 1: Ultimate Performance.]

    [After using this ability, you can use any powerful ability that you can imagine. Limited to one use per day. ¡°Shut up and watch me perform!¡±]

    [Additional ability 2: Character Roley. (Prerequisite skill of ¡®Beginner-level Concealment¡¯ necessary.)]

    [Increase the effects of the Concealment skill. After using this ability, you can be just like whoever you want to be. It will be highly difficult for your real identity to be exposed. This effect willst for 33 minutes. Keeping this ability active will constantly consume Mana and mental spirit. Limited to two uses per day. ¡°I¡¯m actually an actor.¡±]

    [Additional ability 3: Mother and Daughter Drawing. (Prerequisite skill of ¡®Drawing¡¯ necessary.)]

    [Increase the effects of your Drawing ability. Drawing any artwork with a mother and daughter together will increase your drawing ability by 50%, increasing the effects of your drawing. Using this ability will require concentration. ¡°This daughter shall never forget her mother¡¯s love.¡±]

    [Additional ability 4: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    [Additional ability 5: ??? (Prerequisite conditions not met. Currently inactive.)]

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    For now, the increased effects of attack and defense against the divine didn¡¯t seem too useful as of yet, as Seiji had never fought against anything divine before. But, it would surely be useful when it was needed, perhaps even soon. It could even be said that these were passive skills just for god-ying.

    Meanwhile, Seiji was astonished by just how powerful the first and second abilities were!

    Casting any powerful ability that he could possibly imagine? Without even regarding how powerful the imagined ability would actually be, just the fact that he could now cast any ability he imagined caused Seiji¡¯s eyes to sparkle.

    It was exciting just to imagine being able to use any ability he wanted in reality. His otaku spirit started burning up and he wanted to try it out right away.

    As for being able to ¡°be just like whoever he wanted to be,¡± this was just like the ability¡¯s name. It would be an amazing cosy technique! Combined with the first skill, Seiji could now cosypletely as anyone he wanted and use that anime character¡¯s ultimate skill in reality. That was just¡­ so cool!!!

    Seiji was unable to stop his imagination from running wild.

    After he finally calmed down, he thought more seriously about his newfound abilities.

    When experimenting, he could naturally use any ability that he could think of. But in practicalbat, he would have to adapt ording to the situation.

    And, it was quite possible that copying an ultimate ability with [Ultimate Performance] wouldn¡¯t have the same power and effects what Seiji imagined, as it was only a ¡°performance¡± in the end. Copying an imaginary ability might be powerful, but also limited.

    Judging from this, the best way to use the first ability would be ¡°adaptability.¡± For instance, if the enemy had powerful attacks, Seiji could use any imaginary defensive technique to protect himself and hispanions. If the enemy¡¯s defense was too tough, then he could imagine an ultimate attack for piercing through the enemy defenses. If the enemy was too fast, he could imagine a sealing spell that could stop the enemy¡¯s movements¡­ something like that.

    The biggest selling point of this ability was how versatile it was. He could cast literally any ability that he could imagine, meaning that it could be adapted to all situations!

    And, of course, the second ability¡¯s greatest use was for disguise rather than cosy. Being able to change into anyone he wanted meant that robbery and murder would be so simple¡ª cough, that wanting to do something without exposing his real identity would be quite simple.

    If all he wanted to do was disguise his identity, he could simply change his own appearance to anything else. And if he wanted to disguise himself as someone else, he would need to disguise himself to a sufficiently simr extent, along with having some acting skills.

    If his acting skills were good enough, he could even go be a phantom thief with this skill alone.

    Phantom Thief Seiji¡­ imagining it sounded really cool.

    Of course, Seiji would never actually go do such a thing.

    The third ability was an increased effect for drawing. Obviously, that would only be useful when drawing.

    ¡®Why not try using this ability to draw Chiaki and her mother together?¡¯ Seiji suddenly had this idea.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what Chiaki¡¯s mother looked like, with his current high art ability thanks to his system, he would be able to draw Chiaki¡¯s mother simply by hearing a description.

    Logically speaking, this should have been done by Chiaki¡¯s father, as Shingo was a famous artist. But, Seiji just wanted to try stealing this job.

    Alright then, Seiji made up his mind. He would mention this to Chiaki in a bit!

    Seiji mentally apologized a little to his future father-inw as he smilingly looked over at Chiaki.

    After Chiaki finished cooking breakfast, everyone in Seiji¡¯s apartment ate together.

    Chiaki was tasting what bliss was truly like, especially whenever she looked at Seiji.

    Although her mother could no longer return, Chiaki had managed to regain her memories. She had also managed to reconcile with her father.

    Chiaki had told her father about how she recovered her memories with Seiji and the others¡¯ assistance. She told him her mother¡¯s name, and the truth of how Chihiro came to be spirited away.

    Shingo Wakaba kept crying right in front of his daughter while constantly muttering his wife¡¯s name.

    This scene etched itself deep into Chiaki¡¯s mind. She would remember it for the rest of her life.

    From then on, they became a normal father and daughter.

    They had taken a long path with many twists and turns to get there. It took this long to surpass all the lost memories and time, as well as sadness and disappointment, in order to finally reach this step.

    Although this still wasn¡¯t enough to truly be like a ¡°normal father and daughter,¡± they would eventually reach that state for certain.

    It was impossible to regain what had been lost. But, fortunately, what was important had now been recovered, allowing for an even better future.

    And all of this was thanks to Seiji.

    Although Chiaki¡¯s father still wouldn¡¯t admit to recognizing him as his daughter¡¯s boyfriend, Chiaki figured this problem would be solved with the passing of time.

    That was because Seiji was the most wonderful boyfriend possible that she loved!

 Chapter 783 - Lets have a party

    <h4>Chapter 783: Let¡¯s have a party</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After breakfast, Seiji broached the topic of drawing a picture of Chiaki and her mother together.

    Chiaki was rather surprised to hear him make such an offer. After a momentary pause of surprise, she happily epted.

    What type of expression would her father have if she showed him a drawing that Seiji drew? Just imagining it amused Chiaki.

    Chiaki then described her mother¡¯s appearance to Seiji in his study. Seiji took detailed notes before starting to n out his drawing.

    The background scenery would be beautiful falling cherry blossoms. Chiaki and her mother would be together, walking intimately side by side. Both of them would have happy smiles and appear to be chatting about something. Chiaki would have a bright smile, while her mother would have a gentle smile, making others feel the warmth of family upon seeing this drawing¡­

    After he finished nning out his drawing, Seiji started drawing seriously. He activated his new [Mother and Daughter Drawing] skill!

    Chiaki remained by his side and quietly watched him draw. She then suddenly had a thought¡ªthat this was the evidence that her mother had existed.

    ¡®If there was no evidence that my mother had existed, then he would create evidence¡­ Seiji, is that what you thought?¡¯

    Chiaki wanted to ask her boyfriend this question while he was focusing on drawing. But then again, she felt like there was no need.

    The answer wasn¡¯t that important. What was important was what he was currently working on.

    Chiaki felt warmed in her heart as she thought about what this meant.

    After watching for quite a while, she secretly left quietly so as not to break his concentration.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Later that afternoon, everyone trained in Kazuko¡¯s Domain.

    A ¡°vicious demon¡± levelrge snake demon appeared. Seiji instantly used his new [Ultimate Performance] ability to cast the ¡°Tremendous Light¡± spell! This spell was a huge help in killing the snake demon.

    Everyone else thought that Seiji had learned this spell through the Visualization experience as Seiji Kamijou.

    While Seiji had indeed learned the ¡°Tremendous Light¡± spell after that experience, he still needed some time to cultivate the spell through his system before truly learning it. This time, he was simply using [Ultimate Performance] to cast the spell ¡°Tremendous Light¡± before he actually learned it. This was so that he could experiment and find out how powerful an [Ultimate Performance] spell would be.

    As for his other new ability, [Character Roley], Seiji had already experimented earlier that morning. He found that the greater the difference between himself and the person he transformed into, the greater the amount of expended Mana and mental spirit.

    Transforming felt rather subtle, as if he had truly changed bodies. Not only that, he waspletely unable to tell that anything was fake when he looked at himself in a mirror, which seemed amazing. Furthermore, his transformed body would affect his base stats. For instance, if he changed himself to an ugly appearance, his [Charisma] stat would decrease significantly. He supposed that it could be considered a temporary debuff.

    Seiji also wondered if he should try transforming into a girl, but decided against this idea in the end. He felt that if he really did so, he would lose something important (shame).

    System: ¡°You¡¯ve already cosyed as female before, so why are you hesitating? Bravely take your first step into a new world, young man!¡±

    Seiji: ¡°I refuse!¡±

    Of course, the conversation above was only imagined by Seiji.

    After the Domain training ended, everyone returned to Natsuya¡¯s residence¡¯s living room to rest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a party,¡± Seiji suggested to all hispanions.

    Before the god¡¯s trial battle had begun, Seiji Kamijou had promised to hold a party for everyone after the fight. Seiji wanted to keep this promise in reality.

    This would be a celebratory party for having resolved Chiaki¡¯s problem, as well as a motivational party before the major battle regarding the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    Everyone agreed with the idea of having a party.

    ¡°Since the promise of having a party is still in effect, how about my promised payment?¡± Natsuya smiled while asking Seiji.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s also effective¡­ but like I said at that time, apanying you doesn¡¯t really count as payment. Why don¡¯t you change it to something else?¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s all I want.¡±

    ¡°Same for me,¡± Mika immediately added.

    Kaede hadn¡¯t joined this time¡¯s training; otherwise, she probably would have said the same thing.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Hoshi opened his mouth, but then closed it again without saying anything else. That was because he sensed that something subtly changed in the atmosphere when he tried to speak.

    Yukari looked over between Natsuya and Mika while blinking.

    As a girl, she was even more sensitive than Hoshi to the tension in the air. She felt like something invisible was tightly wound¡­ could this be the legendary scene known as a shuraba 1 ?

    No¡­ that didn¡¯t seem like it was the case. Things weren¡¯t that severe¡­ were they?

    ¡°Alright,¡± Seiji agreed after seeing how Natsuya and Mika insisted. ¡°I had wanted to pay you with something material, but if that¡¯s what you want, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±

    He could tell that both Natsuya and Mika were being a little emotional.

    It wasn¡¯t that they were unhappy about putting in so much effort for his third girlfriend Chiaki¡¯s problem. It was just that they wanted him to apany them a little more after this.

    It wasn¡¯t that Seiji didn¡¯t want to apany them. He just didn¡¯t want to do it as a method of ¡°payment.¡± However, both girls adamantly insisted, so he could only go along with them.

    Seiji knew that such subtle situations would also likely arise again in the future. He would have to be cautious about dealing with everyone, and he would even save and load if it was necessary¡­ This was all because he was a scumbag man who started a harem.

    Seeing how her boyfriend had agreed, Natsuya happily sipped on her tea.

    Mika also sipped on her tea. The twintailed girl and the student council president seemed oddly in sync.

    What was going on?

    Kaho and Kazuko, who also sensed the subtle atmosphere in the air, were filled with questions as they didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    Unlike Yukari, neither Kaho nor Kazuko knew about Seiji starting a harem. That was why they were unable to sense the currents flowing underneath the calm surface. They could only sense that something subtle was in the air.

    ¡®If I want to touch that invisible tension, I could ask for the exact same form of payment. But, I feel like I can sense some hidden danger¡­¡¯ Kazuko adjusted her eyesses.

    But, it seemed like it would be rather fun. Should she behave recklessly here?

    No¡­ Kazuko decided to forget about it. She didn¡¯t want to antagonize the student council president.

    ¡°Although I somewhat want the same type of payment, I think I¡¯d better not. I¡¯ll ask for something when I have something I want.¡± Kazuko listened to her instinct warning her of danger and went with a more conservative approach.

    Seiji nodded at her.

    ¡°What about all of you?¡± He then looked at Yukari, Kaho, and Hoshi.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything that I want, so I don¡¯t need payment,¡± Yukari told him.

    ¡°Same for me,¡± Kaho agreed.

    Hoshi also agreed with this.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll treat it as you all saving your payment forter.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Just like Kazuko, feel free to tell me if there¡¯s anything that you want.¡±

    He then asked everyone for opinions on when and where to hold the party.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Later that night, it started raining again. It wasn¡¯t too cold, but still rather chilly.

    Seiji walked out into the rain and got onto Yui¡¯s car.

    Just like thest time, he reported to her about Kamitani and told her about the information he received as payment, the top-secret information from Soul Society.

    This information basically said that Soul Society was unable to confirm the specific location that the Realm of Cherry Blossoms Spirit World #1 would descend upon. Nor was Soul Society going to evacuate the entire city, because that might cause the Realm of Cherry Blossoms to go out of control.

    After everything was taken into consideration, Soul Society decided to initiate the realm¡¯s descent instead! The price would be to sacrifice a minor portion of the city¡¯s poption in order to forcefully summon the Realm of Cherry Blossoms at a fixed location.

    This ¡°minor portion¡± was rtive to the entire city¡¯s poption. But, the predicted civilian death count was more than three thousand!

    This meant that Soul Society intended to sacrifice the lives of at least three thousand civilians in order to manipte where the Realm of Cherry Blossoms would descend!

    ¡°Is this news real?¡± Seiji looked directly at Yui and spoke in a serious tone after he finished telling Kamitani¡¯s information to Yui.

    Yui responded with only silence.

    This meant that the information was real. Seiji also fell silent.

    Itskui Kamitani¡¯s words, his little talk about the topic of ¡°peace¡±, that ¡°interesting¡± story, and his final question to Seiji¡­ all of these kept echoing in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Is there truly no other way?¡± After a long silence, Seiji finally spoke up again. ¡°A method where nobody will die.¡±

    ¡°There is, but it won¡¯t be used,¡± Yui stated lightly.

    Her expression and tone of voice didn¡¯t express any emotion.

    But when discussing this type of topic, no emotion was also a type of emotion.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because there will be too heavy a price to pay.¡±

    ¡°What price? What price is heavier than so many lives!?¡±

    After saying this, Seiji knew that he was being so-called ¡°unreasonable.¡±

    Human lives were priceless. Anyone could say that.

    However, the reality of the world was that human lives indeed had value that could be measured.

    When sacrificing a portion of the city¡¯s poption could avoid even bigger losses, or if there were bigger benefits to be had, ¡°Order¡± would operate in such a manner. That was just how Order was, from ancient times to the present.

    Soul Society was a faction that represented ¡°Order¡±. Anything that this faction wanted to do simply had to operate on cold logic as if the organization was a machine.

    As long as the ¡°logic¡± was clear that making a sacrifice a few thousand citizens would bring more benefits than losses, then any amount of sacrifice would always be considered ¡°appropriate¡­¡± That was just how things were.

    That was just how things were.

 Chapter 784 - Nothing to say

    <h4>Chapter 784: Nothing to say</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yui fell silent once again.

    Seiji wanted to say something else, but then he felt that there was nothing more to say.

    Would he be able to change Soul Society¡¯s decision just by saying a few words? That was likely impossible.

    Would he be able to change Soul Society¡¯s actions? That would also be impossible.

    If it was possible, he believed that Yui would have done so already.

    If there were anything that he could help with, Yui definitely would have mentioned it already.

    Yet, all she did was remain silent.

    There was nothing to say.

    The sacrifice of more than three thousand lives was something unchangeable and set in stone.

    If there was anything else to say, that would be about the specifics of how to go about this cruel action, or if there would be any unexpected additional damage. There was also the matter of how Kamitani knew such top-secret information within Soul Society, and whether the Messengers would be doing anything regarding this.

    But, after confirming how serious this matter was, Seiji didn¡¯t want to ask about it anymore.

    No matter what he learned, or what was going on behind the scenes, it all seemed meaningless to him inparison to so many lives that were going to be a nned sacrifice.

    So many people would die.

    And he was helpless to do anything about it.

    He wasn¡¯t a superhero who could save everyone. There would always be people that he couldn¡¯t save¡­ Seiji had understood this already long ago, and epted it. Yet, he was unable to remain calm when faced with the reality of such a cruel,rge sacrifice before him.

    ¡®Is there really nothing else that can be done?¡¯

    Seiji really wanted to ask this.

    Yet, it seemed meaningless to do so.

    There really wasn¡¯t anything else that could be done.

    Thinking too much on this would be meaningless.

    It wasn¡¯t his fault.

    His power was limited.

    It would be impossible to save everyone.

    It was good enough already to just protect the people important to him¡­

    ¡­

    ¡°Seiji onii-chan, want to y together?¡±

    Seiji snapped back to his senses when he heard a little girl¡¯s voice asking him this.

    Only then did he notice that he was now back in his own apartment.

    Saying goodbye to Yui, getting off her car, and walking back to his apartment¡­ it was as if this entire process had been erased from his mind. He couldn¡¯t remember any of it at all.

    Reo was currently holding out a game controller to him. Kaede was also by her side and looking directly at him. Both of them were worried about how he seemed to be giving off such a heavy aura.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Seiji took the game controller and forced himself to smile as he sat down in front of the TV.

    On the television screen, Reo¡¯s ¡°yer 1¡± character was shouting ¡°I shall protect this street!¡± Her character was a chibi suit-wearing man with explosives strapped all over his body. He rushed towards a horde of cartoon-style hoodlums, and sent the hoodlums screaming and flying everywhere with his fists and explosives.

    Meanwhile, another chibi character with ¡°yer 2¡± over his head appeared in the battle. This character was a youth who wore a helicopter rotor on his head while carrying arge wooden sword. He shouted ¡°I shall create a legend!¡± while also rushing at the hoodlums, waving his wooden sword and shooting out some cute little birds from the rotor to attack.

    The battle seemed fierce yetical. This game seemed quite simple, but was actually surprisingly difficult¡­ Seiji had only started ying for a few seconds when a blond-haired hoodlum suddenly went berserk and dealt his character a mighty blow. The chibi youth made strange chirping sounds while flying backwards and smashing into a telephone pole on the street. Then, numerous other hoodlums ganged up on him with fists, kicks, projectiles, and blunt weapons. Seiji¡¯s character¡¯s HP bar was instantly decreased by half.

    Seeing this, Seiji started focusing more on the game and yed it more seriously. He barely managed to dodge another vicious attack from the blond hoodlum while counterattacking with his wooden sword. Seiji¡¯s character then knocked over a vending machine, revealing a fried chicken that he ate for some health restoration.

    Why exactly would a fried chicken appear under a vending machine?

    Well, this was only a video game, so there was no need to nitpick the details¡­ Otherwise, Seiji would be stuckmenting for an entire day on how unrealistic video games could be.

    Just earlier, he had been thinking about such a serious topic, but now he was being distracted by such a small matter. Seiji almost wanted tough out loud.

    It seemed that rather than remaining quiet and thinking about everything on his own, doing something to distract his attention would be much better.

    After ying this video game for a while, Seiji suddenly recalled something.

    ¡°Reo, have you still been hearing those strange sounds like you previously told me about?¡¯

    ¡°No.¡± The little girl shook her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Thest time that Reo heard strange sounds in her dream was more than a week ago.

    Mayuzumi had experienced hearing strange sounds in her dream only once.

    Apart from hearing strange sounds, nothing else seemed to be unusual so far. Mayuzumi had also participated in everyone¡¯s training and grown stronger by absorbing the experience mist from the monsters. It didn¡¯t seem like Seiji needed to worry about Mayuzumi.

    ¡­Did he really not need to worry?

    Seiji suddenly felt uneasy.

    Although he hadn¡¯t asked about the specifics of how Soul Society intended to sacrifice people in order to forcibly summon the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, he felt that it would likely be simr to the attempt at creating a Spirit World during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament.

    The assassin Yoshihara had to sacrifice his own life in order to start the Spirit World creation ritual. Summoning the Realm of Cherry Blossoms likely needed a sacrifice simr to Yoshihara, a sacrificial catalyst to begin the spell, in addition to just ordinary civilian sacrifices.

    If that was really the case, Reo and Mayuzumi might be potential sacrificial candidates as they were all connected to the same mysterious power like Yoshihara and his deceased girlfriend were.

    Would Reo and Mayuzumi be discovered and then captured and taken away by Soul Society?

    And even if not, would Reo and Mayuzumi be negatively be affected in some way by Soul Society¡¯s spell to summon the Realm of Cherry Blossoms?

    Seiji suddenly became quite worried.

    At this time, aical sounding scream came from the TV. His helicopter rotor wearing character had died from too many hoodlums ganging up on him.

    ¡°Seiji onii-chan, I¡¯ming to save you~¡± Reo¡¯s explosives man character agilely dodged enemy attacks while rushing over to Seiji¡¯s side. She released a bolt of electricity from an explosive and revived Seiji¡¯s character.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Seiji continued fighting the hoodlums, but he was no longer concentrating on the game at all.

    Should he contact Yui immediately and ask her some more questions?

    Or was he just overthinking things?

    If he tried to seriously consider every possibility, there were truly too many dangers to possibly ask about everything.

    If only he had been calmer during the discussion earlier, he should have been able to think of all this¡­ Damn it all.

    ¡®I¡¯ll calmly think over things some more and then determine if I should call my older sister or not,¡¯ Seiji decided.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    [A new character¡¯s POV]

    ¡°Humans always make mistakes. Not only that, humans always make the same mistakes. The history of humanity is like the most frustrating story to read. Human history is filled with twisted, ugly, boring, and meaningless scum. From past to present, even right now at this very second, such trash is constantly being produced.¡±

    ¡°That way of thinking is too overboard. There¡¯s still much that¡¯s interesting about humanity,¡± a voice opposed his statement.

    He didn¡¯t care enough to counter such a shallow disagreement, because it would be meaningless.

    The existence of this youth named Kamitani who constantly talked about ¡°interesting¡± and ¡°boring¡± was a mistake to begin with.

    If it wasn¡¯t because of necessity, he would never evenmunicate with such a ¡°mistake.¡± In fact, he would have instantly killed this type of ¡°thing¡± on sight!

    Meanwhile, Kamitani spoke to him again. ¡°We can finally make our move. You must be quite excited, Ashiya-kun.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t call me by that name!¡±

    ¡°My bad, I forgot that you hated your real name¡­ by the way, what was your code name again?¡±

    ¡°One day, I swear I¡¯ll kill you!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t re at me like that. It makes you look rather scary. I just simply forgot it for a moment. Just wait, I¡¯ll remember your code name!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, and I¡¯ll kill everyone!! Humans are mistaken existences, humans only make mistakes; it was a mistake for humanity to be born in this world¡­ Everything is meaningless!

    ¡°Anything that¡¯s meaningless is garbage.

    ¡°Garbage should be disposed of.

    ¡°And, I am¡ª¡±

    ¡°A janitor? No, I was just joking, that¡¯s not it, hey, don¡¯t hit me like that, it hurts¡­ Ah, I remember now! I really do remember now, your code name is ¡®Voidfire!''¡±

    The emptiness of the void, the burning of fire. An empty yet fiery existence, hence he called himself Voidfire.

    He also hated his nickname of Voidfire. But, Voidfire was slightly more eptable to him because he loathed his real name even more.

 Chapter 785 - Run away

    <h4>Chapter 785: Run away</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji was unable to get into contact with Yui.

    She didn¡¯t pick up her phone, nor did she respond to his texts. Thus, Seiji could only set this matter aside for the time being and wait for her to respond.

    The next day, everyone trained in Kazuko¡¯s Domain, cultivated in Seiji¡¯s Spirit House, and then had their party.

    The party was held in Natsuya¡¯s mansion.

    Natsuya¡¯s mansion was basically now the main base for Seiji¡¯s knight order. It felt the most meaningful to hold the party here. Nobody had any objections to choosing this location for the party.

    Seiji paid for high-ss food catering, along with some expensive drinks¡­ Well, Seiji paid the money, but the maid Mai superbly took care of all the work for him.

    ¡°Cheers to us passing the god¡¯s trial!¡± Seiji toasted everyone.

    ¡°Cheers!!¡± Everyone lifted their cups.

    After the toast, everyone started eating and chatting. The atmosphere was quite happy.

    Hisashi, Yukari, Hoshi, Kaho, and Mayuzumi chatted with each other about anime and manga. Mika, Chiaki, Kaede, Kazuko, and Hitaka chatted with each other about fashion. Shika spoke to Shinobu, while Mai fed Rana some food¡­

    Seiji felt that all of this was wonderful to watch.

    He used the spell that Yomi previously taught him to consecrate some food for Shinobu so that the puppet girl could taste the wonders of food.

    He had already dealt with real gods by now, so Seiji no longer cared anymore about the religious meaning behind consecrating food for Shinobu. He cared more about helping Shinobu to experience the wonders of being alive.

    Seiji and Natsuya also started chatting about novels. Not only did they chat about light novels, they also chatted about traditional novels.

    Although it seemed like writing ¡°anything¡± was fine in light novels, there was actually a surprising number of restrictions. In fact, it was the more ¡°traditional¡± novels that sometimes had astonishing content within. Due to numerous reasons, there were only subtle differences between the story types.

    Seriously chatting about such topics was actually quite fun. Time passed unknowingly, just like that.

    Chiaki saw that it was good timing for her to volunteer to do a performance.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do a Manzai performance. My partner will be Seiji.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I never heard about this!¡±

    Manzai was a type of stand-upedy performance. The concept of menting and retorting¡± also originated from Manzai. It was just that this type of joking around was spread even further by anime and manga.

    Although he had never rehearsed such a thing with Chiaki before, he decided to cooperate with her since she had named him. Seiji went over to her side.

    ¡°You say that you don¡¯t want it, but your body is quite honest.¡± Chiaki intentionally nced at Seiji¡¯s lower half.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t want to¡­ and where do you think you¡¯re looking at?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m checking your little son¡¯s condition. It seems quite healthy. That¡¯s wonderful.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to confirm that for me! How would you even see it in the first ce!?¡±

    ¡°Now, let us formally begin. Seiji, I have an important question to ask you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Suppose that you had a one-night stand with someone present today¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop! I reject this supposition!!¡±

    ¡°Then, suppose that you had a physical rtionship with someone here that went beyond friendship¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just rephrasing things, and it somehow sounds even worse now! Rejected!!¡±

    ¡°Honestly, there¡¯s no helping you. Then, suppose that you had an incredibly sweet and sticky night with someone present¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s still no good! I said that I reject such suppositions!!¡± Seiji intentionally used more energy than normal in his retorts.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to continue this anymore if you keep refusing. Are you that against the idea of starting something with anyone present here?¡±

    ¡°Why the hell do we have to start with such a kind of supposition! I feel like things will only be worse if I ept!!¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen at all, because everyone present is quite willing to start that type of rtionship with you. Isn¡¯t that right, everyone~?¡± Chiaki looked at everyone else.

    ¡°That¡¯s right-¡± Everyoneughed and went along with it.

    ¡°What type of expression should I make here?¡± Seiji intentionally acted as if he found this difficult.

    ¡°All you need to do is smile.¡±

    ¡°Smile¡­ the hell! This type of beginning is definitely a trap. I won¡¯t fall for this!!¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re unnecessarily sharp in this area.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally revealed your true self!¡±

    Seiji and Chiaki kept joking around and acting inical manner, giving everyone an interesting performance. In the end, they finished by singing a duet together, which was received by thunderous apuse.

    After that, Hisashi gave a performance of his own. He emotionally sang the main theme song of ¡°Honey Candy Girl¡±, and even danced a little dance of his own creation.

    Everyone could sense how passionate he was. However, Hisashi¡¯s singing was far too awful, and his dance seemed mysteriously disgusting. That was why his sister Kaede unhesitatingly gave him a bad review with zeropassion.

    Yukari performed some poker card magic tricks. Her sleight of hand impressed everyone with how good it was.

    Yukari mentioned that she had been quite interested in magic tricks when she was younger and that she had practiced them before. Now that she had Awakened, she felt that her new spiderweb ability was quite suitable for assisting sleight of hand magic tricks, so she started practicing magic again.

    Although using a spiritual ability to perform magic tricks felt somewhat like cheating, the performance was indeed wonderful and interesting.

    Kazuko showed off her ability to change clothes. She showed maid, nurse, policewoman, office worker, fashionable, idol, and other such styles¡­ Every outfit she put on was incredibly beautiful, letting the boys have a taste of much eye candy, and causing the girls to sigh in praise.

    Apart from the individual performances, everyone also yed some minigames and had lots of fun together.

    ¡°Our future battles might be even more difficult that that god¡¯s trial. However, I believe that we can surpass them in the same way.¡± Seiji then raised his cup in the end. ¡°Let¡¯s have more parties like this in the future¡­ Cheers!¡±

    Everyone raised their cups and responded, ¡°Cheers!¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°It would be best if you tell all your family and friends to leave this city as quickly as possible, even tomorrow.¡± Seiji told this to everyone as the party ended.

    In the end, he found himself unable to tell them about Soul Society¡¯s cruel n. He could only remind everyone like so.

    The sacrifice of more than three thousand lives¡­ Just knowing about this brought a heavy burden to him. Since he couldn¡¯t do anything about it, he would have preferred not to know about this at all.

    Seiji then returned to his own home.

    Seiji was practicing his new drawing skill in his study when he finally received a text back from Yui.

    Her text contained only two words: ¡°Run away!¡±

    Seiji was rather surprised to see such a message which gave him a sense of impending danger.

    Why was he supposed to run away? What had happened!? Was Yui alright!?

    No matter what, it was quite likely that a huge danger was approaching! What should he do!? Should he run away quickly as she told him to? But, to where? Was the danger targeting him specifically or everyone? Should he run away by himself or bring everyone with him!?

    Various questions popped up in his mind. Seiji wanted to react somehow, but didn¡¯t know what to do.

    At this time, he suddenly felt an ominous sensation.

    Something cold and deep¡­ an abnormal chill appeared in the air.

    Seiji immediately cast [Astral Vision], which revealed a faint white mist in the air!

    This mist seemed quite simr to the white mist that he had seen during the god¡¯s trial!

    Was the god¡¯s trial now appearing in reality!?

    No¡­ wait, this seemed more like¡­

    Warning bells sounded in Seiji¡¯s mind as he rushed out of the study.

    ¡°Shika, there¡¯s an emergency. Put on your clothes and get prepared as quickly as possible!¡±

    He shouted this to his adopted younger sister who was currently in the middle of a shower as he then rushed to the living room.

    ¡°Seiji onii-chan, I feel so cold¡­¡± Reo told him when she saw him.

    ¡°Do you feel anything else apart from being cold?¡± Seiji went over to hug her and to check on her condition.

    ¡°My head feels dizzy¡­¡± Reo had an expression of obvious difort.

    The white mist was beginning to thicken.

    Seiji was just about to open up his Spirit House to take Reo to safety, when he suddenly received a system notification.

    [Due to an outside power¡¯s interference, the door to the Spirit House cannot be opened up as normal.]

    Hey, could his system please be a little more reliable at such a critical moment!!

 Chapter 786 - Tree

    <h4>Chapter 786: Tree</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    As if his system heard hisment, another notification followed right after the first one¡ª[You can still open the door to the Spirit House by paying an additional amount of points or Inner World crystals.]

    That was more like it!

    This made his system seem like a merchant who was raising prices during a time of crisis? Never mind, Seiji decided not to care too much about it.

    He instantly chose to pay an extra price to open the door to his Spirit House!

    A gray crack appeared in midair and slowly opened up. This dimensional crack opened up far slower than normal as if it was difficult for it to open up.

    Shika came over at this time, having interrupted her shower to put on her clothes.

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Shika, go find Mika and the others, and summon all of them here!¡± Seiji gave this order.

    Shika nced at Reo and nodded before heading out the door.

    After opening up the portal to the Spirit House, Seiji had Reo enter first. He then took out his cell phone, intending to contact everyone else.

    Actually, he really wanted to call Yui to ask about the specific situation, but he felt that it was likely she wouldn¡¯t pick up.

    ¡°An abnormal situation is urring! Watch out for white mist¡ª¡±

    Seiji swiftly started writing a group text message, but his cell phone rang before he could even finish.

    Yukari was calling him.

    ¡°Seiji, I¡¯m seeing some white mist¡­¡±

    He immediately heard her reporting on her situation.

    ¡°I can also see some white mist. Right now, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I only know that it¡¯s highly likely to be a dangerous situation.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°If things over there seem abnormal, you should head over to Natsuya¡¯s ce immediately. I¡¯ll be heading there as well¡­¡±

    After he finished talking to Yukari, his cell phone rang right away again.

    At this time, Mika and her mother Nozomi arrived in his apartment.

    ¡°Seiji, mom says that she feels really cold¡­¡±

    It seemed that Mika had also been in the middle of a shower. Her hair was still wet and rumpled, and her face had a worried expression.

    Meanwhile, Nozomi Uehara was hugging herself and trembling all over. Her face was pale white as if she was currently in an extremely cold environment.

    She had the same reaction as Reo?

    ¡°Hurry and take her into the Spirit House!¡± Seiji immediately indicated to Mika to bring her mother into the Spirit House.

    Mika listened and started bringing her mother towards the portal.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this?¡± Nozomi couldn¡¯t help but ask since this was her first time seeing the mystical dimensional portal.

    ¡°This is the Spirit House¡­ a special space.¡± Mika had her mother enter first, and then she followed right after.

    Seiji then took the second phone call. It was from Natsuya.

    ¡°Seiji, can you see it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I see the white mist.¡±

    ¡°Not only white mist, there¡¯s also a light¡­ If you look outside your apartment towards the north, you should be able to see it!¡±

    ¡°North¡­¡± Seiji wanted to go outside and take a look, but his Spirit House portal would automatically close if he left this room. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to look right now. What¡¯s to the north?¡±

    At this moment, outside Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    Shika, Chiaki, and Kaede were all looking to the north.

    There was a certain light in that direction.

    A tremendous bright red pir of light was rising from the ground to the sky. The red pir of light was sorge that even the biggest skyscraper would be dwarfed inparison. At a rough estimate, the pir was already six to seven hundred meters tall, and was still rising. It seemed like it would rise until it reached the heavens!

    All three girls sensed danger from that giant pir of light.

    Although they didn¡¯t know what it was, they instinctively felt that it was something ominous¡­ that it wasn¡¯t a good thing!

    ¡®I need to tell Brother Seiji immediately.¡¯

    Right as Shika thought this and was about to go inside again, she suddenly saw the top of the pir of light explosively begin expanding. The entire pir began transforming as if it was swiftly being sculpted.

    It was a tree!

    Shika and the others were soon able to identify that the pir of light was rapidly changing into the shape of a tree¡ªa towering, blood-red, magnificently blossoming cherry blossom tree!

    The crown of the tree started spreading into the skies, obscuring the blue sky with red branches. The scene was beautiful and breathtakingly majestic.

    Right after that, countless flower petals started falling down like rain. This was extraordinarily beautiful!

    Yet, Shika and the others felt a bone-piercing chill.

    Chiaki felt the chill more than anyone. She instantly recalled what she¡¯d experienced in her dreams and felt a deep sensation of terror.

    ¡°The Evil White Sakura Goddess¡­¡± Chiaki muttered.

    The final boss of the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, who had only malevolent intentions towards humanity, had appeared.

    ¡°We need to hurry and leave!¡± Shika told the other two girls.

    She instinctively felt that it would be highly dangerous toe into contact with those bright red falling petals.

    The three girls hurriedly went back inside Seiji¡¯s apartment.

    Shika swiftly exined the situation to Seiji after she went back inside.

    ¡°All of you, go into the Spirit House!¡± Seiji told them.

    The three girls entered the Spirit House through the portal.

    Right after that, Seiji¡¯s cell phone suddenly lost signal. At the same time, the lights in his room started shing and then instantly went dark.

    Although Seiji was now in apletely dark room, he saw with his [Astral Vision] that the white mist was constantly thickening. He could feel a deep cold chill beginning to envelop him.

    His system then notified him that [Due to outside interference, the door to the Spiirt House is about to close!]

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he entered his Spirit House at thest moment.

    Outside, red cherry blossoms kept falling as the white mist thickened. The entire city sank into darkness¡­

    ¡­

    Reo and Nozomi were both fine.

    After entering the Spirit House, they no longer felt cold or any type of difort.

    It was safe inside the Spirit House. The outside environment didn¡¯t affect things inside at all.

    After confirming their condition, Seiji then tried to open the door to his Spirit House again and go back into the outside world. However, his system informed him that [Due to a powerful outside force¡¯s interference, a payment of 100 Soul Energy will be required to open the door unless the outside force disappears. You may pay also 999 points or 99 Inner World crystals to level up the door to the Spirit House so that it can be opened.]

    Seiji was rather surprised to see this.

    He would have to pay 100 Soul Energy, or arge amount of points or crystals to level up the dimensional portal door¡­ This ¡°powerful outside force¡± had to be strong indeed.

    He had less than 300 Soul Energy saved up, so he didn¡¯t want to use 100 Soul Energy just like this. If he used his [Temporary Recharge] skill to obtain more temporary Soul Energy, that would consume his entire Mana pool, which would also be disadvantageous for moving about.

    After some consideration, Seiji decided to use 99 Inner World crystals to level up the dimensional portal door!

    He felt some heartache from being forced to use so many crystals in one go. Still, he decided to treat it the same as leveling up his Spirit House and adding more rooms to it.

    Previously, his system had never even given him the option to level up the door to the Spirit House¡­ Judging from the much higher than usual crystal payment required, this was likely a higher-level construction option. Maybe this counted as being able to ess higher-level options earlier than nned.

    Seiji confirmed in his system that he would use some crystals stored in his warehouse to level up the door. The system immediately notified him that [Spirit House door is now being leveled up. Current progress: 0%.]

    Seiji frowned upon seeing this.

    Leveling up anything in the Spirit House required time. However, he was quite worried about Natsuya and the others and wanted to go out as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Hey System, could you please increase the leveling speed?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already letting you build this option earlier than nned, yet you still want a rush job? Impossible!¡±

    ¡°I can pay you even more if you want.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a matter of money! Don¡¯t think that you can do anything you want just because you have money!¡±

    Of course, that conversation waspletely imagined by Seiji as his system remained silent as always. Seiji could only sigh as there seemed to be no method to increase the door¡¯s leveling speed.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to go out for a while. We¡¯ll have to stay here for the time being,¡± he told Shika and the others.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we go out?¡± Chiaki asked him.

    ¡°Because the door to the Spirit House is being interfered with¡­¡± Seiji gave a summarized exnation.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on outside right now?¡± Mika inquired.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either. But I know for sure that¡­ it¡¯s nothing good.¡± Seiji sighed.

    He suddenly felt like maybe he should have stayed outside just now.

    ¡°I hope that everyone is alright¡­¡±

 Chapter 787 - Anti-god invisibility

    <h4>Chapter 787: Anti-god invisibility</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji decided to go visit the White Sakura Goddess.

    Although it was impossible to go out right now, he didn¡¯t want to just wait around while doing nothing. Seiji wanted to use Visualization to visit the White Sakura Goddess and ask her about the current situation.

    He told this to Shika and the others before entering his dojo and beginning to Visualize in front of the Spirit Image.

    He soon entered a state of Visualization.

    Under a cherry blossom tree, Seiji Kamijou opened up his paper fan to reveal the words ¡°The world is full of suffering.¡±

    He quietly waited for a moment. Then, a breeze started blowing through all the cherry blossoms.

    ¡°Yourpanions are all now in a deep sleep. They¡¯ll be alright for the time being with my protection,¡± a young-sounding female voice spoke to him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Seiji said sincerely. He then asked, ¡°Everyone else¡­ how is everyone in the city?¡±

    ¡°Many, many people are now in a deep sleep.¡±

    ¡°Are you able to do anything?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    The goddess was expressing that she didn¡¯t have the power to protect everyone.

    Seiji understood how it was. If she had the power to protect everyone, then this current incident wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    ¡°The me in the real world needs assistance.¡±

    ¡°I can help you, but that will use up some of your Mana in the real world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll ept that.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Do you have any rmendations on dealing with the Evil White Sakura Goddess?¡±

    Silencested several seconds.

    ¡°She¡¯s really strong¡­¡± The female voice sighed.

    This basically meant that there was no special way to deal with the Evil White Sakura Goddess.

    Or, maybe there was a method, but she was unwilling to say it.

    The Evil White Sakura Goddess was still her counterpart, basically the equivalent of a sibling. Even if they had different personalities or natures, they were still the same kind.

    Seiji had no intention of making things difficult for the White Sakura Goddess. He knew that she was already undertaking risk and pressure just by helping him.

    After sincerely thanking her once more, Seiji left the Visualization world.

    When he returned to the Spirit House dojo, Seiji felt a warmth in his right hand. He saw that his hand was now glowing with a white mystical rune on his palm.

    The next instant, he had a realization about what ability he¡¯d just received¡ª¡±invisibility.¡±

    This ¡°invisibility¡± wasn¡¯t true invisibility asmonly understood. Rather, it was a special type of invisibility that could conceal Seiji from the Evil White Sakura Goddess¡¯s senses.

    Basically, this was a special anti-god invisibility!

    This ability would allow him to walk around in the area under the Evil White Sakura Goddess¡¯s control much more safely.

    This familiar scenario caused Seiji to recall how he had obtained a power from Risa Kobayakawa during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament¡­

    ¡®Once again, I¡¯ve obtained the holy sword required to defeat the demon king. I am the hero after all!¡¯

    Just joking.

    This ability would be unable to defeat the Evil Goddess, unlike the previous ability. This invisibility could only be used for self-protection. Not only that¡ªthere would be a constant drain on his Mana to maintain this invisibility, which meant that there would be a time limit.

    Seiji could use this ability to rescue all his friends and bring them into his Spirit House. However, he wouldn¡¯t be able to save everyone in the city.

    The White Sakura Goddess had said that many people were in a ¡°deep sleep.¡± This obviously wasn¡¯t death, so all the people were still living. But, if too much time passed, they would still die!

    Just how many people had fallen victim and entered this deep sleep? Seiji didn¡¯t dare to imagine.

    He hadn¡¯t personally seen howrge an area was affected. But, he could imagine that the number of victims was far more than three or four thousand¡­

    If this incident wasn¡¯t resolved within the time that everyone was still alive, then this would be an incident with a tremendous number of deaths! It would be on the scale of a powerful earthquake, nuclear explosion, or meteor strike¡­ The mystical society wouldn¡¯t be able to cover this up by simply saying that it was a ¡°terrorist attack!¡±

    Seiji felt a chill just from imagining the worst oue possible.

    He didn¡¯t know why things had suddenly be like this.

    Nor did he know if his older sister Yui was alright or not.

    Was she fighting somewhere? How many people were out there fighting against the Evil White Sakura Goddess? Would it be possible to resolve this incident¡­? He didn¡¯t know anything!

    He needed more information.

    Even if he loaded back in time, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything without knowing more first.

    In the end, Seiji decided to wait for his Spirit House door to finish leveling up so that he could rescue all hispanions and bring them here before thinking about his next move.

    Seiji returned to the living room of his Spirit House.

    As Shika and the others all looked at him, he told them about his conversation with the White Sakura Goddess and the new power he just obtained.

    ¡°After I can go out, I¡¯ll immediately go to save Natsuya and the others. You all should remain here. I should be fine thanks to the invisibility power that the White Sakura Goddess gave me¡­ and if anything happens, I¡¯ll summon you all to help me. After I rescue everyone and bring them here, we can all think together on what to do next.¡±

    Everyone remained silent for a while after Seiji said this.

    ¡°You have to be careful, Brother,¡± Shika said while looking directly at his face.

    She really wanted to be out there together with her adopted brother. However, there was a cost to his using that power of invisibility against the god. She knew that taking her would only be a burden.

    ¡°Of course I will be,¡± Seiji responded with a smile.

    ¡°Seiji onii-chan, go go!¡± Reo cheered him on.

    Seiji patted the little girl on the head.

    Chiaki had a dark expression. Mika was looking at her in worry.

    ¡°Chiaki¡­ the incident will be resolved. Your father will also be alright¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mika.¡± Chiaki forced herself to smile for the sake of her best friend who was so worried about her.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he looked at Chiaki.

    ¡°This will absolutely be resolved!¡± Seiji stated in an adamant tone. ¡°Your father will be fine. I guarantee it!¡±

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    Chiaki looked at her boyfriend.

    Although logically she knew that his guarantee was a promise that was impossible to keep for certain as there was no guarantee in reality, the way he said it with such confidence, willpower, and resolution struck her deep in her heart.

    ¡®Honestly¡­ Just how much more can I love him?¡¯

    Chiaki¡¯s eyes became wet and she raised her hands to wipe them.

    ¡°I believe you.¡± This time, she smiled from the bottom of her heart.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Nozomi blinked upon seeing this. She then looked over at her own daughter.

    Mika: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Finally, the door of the Spirit House finished leveling up.

    Seiji was long prepared for this. He immediately stood up and activated the anti-god invisibility power!

    His right hand instantly started glowing with a gentle white light that enveloped him entirely like flowing water would.

    His Mana also began to decrease at a slow but steady rate.

    ¡°I¡¯m going out now.¡±

    After saying that to all the women, Seiji stepped outside back into the real world.

    The moment that he returned to reality, he felt a deep chill. Everything around him was as dark as if he was at the bottom of an ocean.

    Seiji cast [Astral Vision] and saw that white mist was everywhere as far as he could see.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s protection, being enveloped by all this white mist would surely be terrible for him.

    It would be difficult to resist the white mist even with personal barriers. Not only that¡ªif the Evil White Sakura Goddess noticed him, it was likely that he would receive even more dangerous attacks.

    This all felt simr to the Bloodwine Ritual tournament incident¡­ And judging by power level, the Evil White Sakura Goddess was far more powerful than that Kanzaki person.

    Luckily, Seiji had a god¡¯s protection.

    Seiji swiftly took out his equipment from his room and put it on. He also went to Shika¡¯s room, took out all her equipment, and stored it in his Spirit House warehouse. He also took this opportunity to gather some resources that might be useful.

    After that, Seiji left his apartment, and noticed that a gigantic bright red cherry blossom tree was an indeterminable distance from him!

    This tree was grand and majestic, with its crown covering the skies, and its flowers recing the stars¡­ it was truly a breathtaking sight.

    Although this tree had brought a devastating cmity, although it was a terrifying existence, Seiji had to admit that this tree was indeed truly beautiful.

    Right now, it wasn¡¯t sprinkling flower petals. He figured that if cherry blossoms fell from it and covered the entire sky, it would surely be amazingly beautiful and stunning.

    Seiji admired the tree¡¯s beauty for only a second before swiftly beginning to take action.

 Chapter 788 - Armageddon...

    <h4>Chapter 788: Armageddon¡­</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Armageddon¡­

    Seiji had seen movies, manga, anime, and stories, and yed games about the topic of the end of the world. He felt that they were quite fun and even immersive.

    The potential end of the world was scary, pitiful, tragic, and horrifying¡­ Yet, why was this genre so popr and repeated so much in so many different forms?

    Because it was a warning?

    No. Although that would be a standard answer, it was too vague. In modern society where even entertainment was a form of business, the answer was far simpler.

    As someone who enjoyed this genre himself, Seiji¡¯s answer to this question was: because it was interesting.

    Yes, simply because it was interesting.

    Seeing such a story with a ¡°tragic¡± background setting, or ying such a ¡°scary¡± game was quite interesting.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was happy to see others¡¯ misfortune, even if it was only fictional¡­ Yet, he couldn¡¯t deny that there was also some darkness in his own heart.

    In this way, although by only a tiny percent, he was simr to Itsuki Kamitani. Seiji was just like everyone else here. He would also have negative emotions.

    When he was in pain or feeling depressed, Seiji had also thought things like ¡°everything should all be destroyed¡± before.

    But now that he was running by himself on a dark and icy street, feeling like the end of the world had truly arrived, Seiji could only sigh.

    Although he felt that Armageddon genre stories were interesting, this definitely didn¡¯t mean that he actually wanted to experience being in one!

    Even though this wasn¡¯t exactly a true Armageddon yet, it still felt quite serious.

    People had copsed on the street. Cars were parked haphazardly in the streets. All drivers and passengers were slumped over in a deep sleep in their cars. Car idents were everywhere¡­ Fortunately, most of the idents weren¡¯t serious.

    Whenever Seiji came upon a serious car ident, he stopped to help the injured, treating their wounds with healing magic.

    Although time and Mana were both precious right now, Seiji couldn¡¯t bring himself not to save someone in need right in front of him.

    If he had to choose between random strangers or his friends, Seiji would naturally choose his friends. But, right now, he still had some time and Mana to spare. He believed that his friends wouldn¡¯t me him for it.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t cold or arrogant enough not to want to save these people just because he had the ability to save and load and go back in time to prevent this from happening in the first ce.

    The random strangers who received his healing were lucky enough to be on the way between his apartment and Natsuya¡¯s mansion. He wasn¡¯t going to go around the entire city and check on every single severe ident.

    Neither was he able to care for those who were too seriously injured, or the corpses that he saw.

    Some people he saw were so seriously injured that even healing magic couldn¡¯t save them. Naturally, the same went for corpses. Although Seiji now had the power to even revive the dead, that wasn¡¯t something he could use on everyone, especially when he needed to preserve power right now.

    Even though Seiji saved whom he could, it was only a drop in the oceanpared to the havoc wreaked upon the entire city. He knew that he probably saved less than 1% of those who needed saving.

    So, was it meaningless¡­? He didn¡¯t think so.

    Saving even a single person had meaning. But, in front of such tremendous misfortune and tragedy¡­ It truly made him feel tiny in the grand scope of things.

    Damn it all!

    Seiji suppressed his emotions as he continued onward.

    ¡­¡­

    Mayuzumi felt like she was floating in the middle of an icy, lonely darkness.

    A chill permeated her entire body down to the bones.

    She felt ufortable and scared¡­ However, a gentle warmth remained in her head, protecting her mind.

    ¡®He¡¯lle to save you,¡¯ a voice told her.

    Although she didn¡¯t know who was saying this to her, she knew who woulde to save her.

    In this type of situation¡­ he was the only one who woulde save her.

    He would definitelye. That was why she didn¡¯t need to be scared or worried. She simply needed to quietly wait.

    Mayuzumi kept thinking this. But after quite a while, it seemed like something else was approaching, or maybe slowly appearing.

    That something appeared to be just as dark as the darkness itself, but it was also different.

    It was frightening, terrifying, and mysterious¡­ it was something extraordinary.

    As long as she reached out and touched it, epting it, she could wake up instantly! Mayuzumi had such a feeling.

    She didn¡¯t need to wait to be rescued. She could wake up immediately and gain immense power.

    Come,e,e¡­

    She didn¡¯t need to rely on anyone else. She only needed to reach out with her hand.

    Hearing this summon, Mayuzumi slowly extended her arm and reached out.

    That something suddenly became active as if it was excited, expectant, and eager¡­

    But right before Mayuzumi was about to touch it, she stopped.

    ¡®No¡­ I shouldn¡¯t do this.

    ¡®He¡¯ll be here soon to save me. There¡¯s no need for me to touch something like this.

    ¡®Rather than this mysterious existence, he¡¯s far more reliable.¡¯

    Mayuzumi thought this to herself as she slowly pulled back her hand.

    That something fell silent for a moment, and then seemingly became frustrated!

    ¡°Come! Come! Come! Don¡¯t you want to wake up!?¡±

    Mayuzumi¡¯s hand paused for a moment, but then she took her hand backpletely and started hugging herself.

    ¡°You won¡¯t wake up! You¡¯ll die!! Come to me!!!¡±

    The mysterious existence became even more frustrated. It made an ear-piercing sound that resembled countless people screaming together.

    Hearing this sound, Mayuzumi had a faint realization as she hugged herself even tighter.

    ¡®I won¡¯t touch or ept you.

    ¡®I shall wait for him.

    ¡®He will be the one to wake me up, not you.¡¯

    ¡°Gagarararakakakaklllaoooooowwlllll!!!!!!!!!¡±

    The screeching sound became even louder.

    Yet, Mayuzumi ignored it.

    She ignored whatever that something was. She didn¡¯t think about what it could be, nor was she curious.

    She only thought about him, waiting for him like a sleeping princess who awaited the prince who would wake her up.

    And then, he arrived.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Her head was dizzy, and her vision was incredibly hazy. She couldn¡¯t hear anything clearly, and her body felt cold and stiff.

    However, the bone-piercing chill was dissipating. Her vision and hearing were gradually restored. Her mind began to work again.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful that you woke up, Mayuzumi.¡± She saw a handsome youth smiling and looking at her.

    Mayuzumi blinked and smiled.

    Seiji had now already rescued all of hispanions and brought them to the Spirit House.

    Due to the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s protection, everyone was alright. Everyone had woken up soon after being brought to the Spirit House. They all made full recovery.

    It was good that everyone had been rescued. However, the situation still wasn¡¯t good¡­ No, saying that it wasn¡¯t good would be an understatement.

    ¡°The current situation is highly dangerous.¡±

    Seiji took a serious tone as he exined the current situation to everyone. A giant bright red cherry blossom tree had appeared and covered the entire sky. Dense white mist was everywhere¡­

    ¡°The city is just like an Armageddon setting now. People in deep sleep copsed everywhere. Even at my most conservative estimate, the number of people affected will be more than one million!¡±

    More than one million victims¡­ If this incident wasn¡¯t resolved quickly enough, then such a tremendous number of people would all die!

    Just imagining this tragedy sent chills down everybody¡¯s spines. Not to mention, everyone here had friends and rtives who were in such a state in the city right now¡­

    ¡°This incident absolutely must be resolved!¡± Seiji looked at all hispanions. ¡°We must give it our all! The issue now is what we should do. I believe that the most direct method is to head to that giant tree. That should be the root of everything. Something will definitely be there. However, that will be no different from heading directly into the strongest boss monster¡¯s nest. It might be suicidal. So, maybe we shouldn¡¯t be so reckless. We should think of what else we could do¡­ At the very least, we need some more information.¡±

    ¡°We could try going to Soul Society,¡± Natsuya suggested.

 Chapter 789 - Yakushi

    <h4>Chapter 789: Yakushi</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Someone at Soul Society would definitely know what was going on. Or, at the very least, Yui knew. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have sent him that message.

    The issue about going to Soul Society¡­ more urately, the Soul Society base that Natsuya knew about was whether or not they could obtain the information they wanted there.

    While rescuing hispanions, Seiji hadn¡¯t seen a single conscious person anywhere. Due to the pressure of the giant mystical red cherry blossom tree, even ordinary spiritual ability users and Awakened had fallen unconscious. What was Soul Society¡¯s base currently like? Were there people that had managed to remain awake there? And if so, would those people know anything? All of this was unknown.

    Although the result of going there was uncertain, Seiji agreed that this was probably the best option to go visit first.

    Right as Seiji made up his mind to go visit Soul Society, he suddenly heard a voice¡­

    ¡°Help me¡­¡±

    The White Sakura Goddess!

    What could have happened for her to be calling out for help?

    While Seiji was still surprised, Chiaki suddenly went into a daze. As she had a stronger divine connection to the White Sakura Goddess, she immediately received a more detailed message from the goddess.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ the White Sakura Goddess is in danger!¡± Chiaki immediately told him this.

    Everyone looked at her in astonishment.

    ¡°You also heard her plea for help?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°You were also able to hear it?¡± Chiaki countered with her own question.

    ¡°Yeah, I heard her request for help, but that was all I could hear¡­ Do you know more?¡±

    Chiaki nodded.

    ¡°Just likest time when she gave us a trial, I suddenly recalled¡­ no, I suddenly understood the situation. An even more powerful snake than the one from the trial is approaching her, together with enemies that are also more powerful than the new snake. She¡¯s in extreme danger right now!¡±

    A more powerful snake,bined with even more powerful individuals¡­ Seiji had a serious expression after hearing this.

    He would definitely help her. Not only had he signed a contract, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose her assistance right now.

    The enemy was quite strong. Seiji figured that it was highly likely that these people were elite members from the Messengers! He would have to be prepared.

    ¡°Since she informed you of the situation, then will it be the same as her previous trial? Will you be casting a spell to bring us over there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We absolutely must help her,¡± Seiji said as he looked around at everyone. ¡°As you¡¯ve all heard, the enemies this time are much stronger than in the previous trial. It¡¯s likely that they¡¯re the Messengers¡¯ elites. We must be absolutely careful during battle!¡±

    Everyone agreed in understanding.

    Then, everyone went to the dojo and all sat down together in front of the Spirit Image.

    Compared to the previous trial, one additional person would be fighting with them today: the maid Mai.

    After everyone sat down, Chiaki began to sing her elegant and divine song as she slowly started her dance.

    Cherry blossoms started falling as the miko danced and the song echoed¡­

    The three figures on the Spirit Image transformed into many hazy figures as an icy and deep white mist poured out. Everyone was soon absorbed into the mist.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Heikai Takagi¡­ no, he was no longer Heikai Takagi.

    Who was he? Or, more urately, what was he now? He no longer knew.

    Just thinking about it made his head hurt¡­ it felt like hot water was boiling around in his brain, bubbling painfully and annoyingly. He felt like he was in so much difort that he would go crazy!

    Or, maybe he had already gone crazy.

    He was barely managing to hold onto some intelligence due to a powerful magical restraint upon him.

    The restraint came from¡­ a man who was currently standing on top of his head.

    This long-haired man wore a white doctor¡¯s coat, ck pants, and gold-rimmed eyesses. This man addressed him as ¡°Snake #9.¡±

    Takagi¡¯s head would always hurt whenever he tried to think about who he had been in the past. It was far morefortable for him to ept being called with this name.

    And so, Takagi became Snake #9.

    Snake #9¡¯s current physical appearance was that of a tremendous snake monster with seven heads. He was currently fiercely fighting against an equallyrge ck-armored Samurai Demon!

    The Samurai Demon kept attacking with its greatsword. Each attack contained such power that shock waves were sent out with each swing. Snake #9 took great damage from this, and several of its heads were even cut off.

    Meanwhile, Snake #9¡¯s ability to damage the Samurai Demon was rather limited. Many of his attacks were even dodged, making the snake monster seem rather wretched.

    However, Snake #9 had incredibly strong regenerative abilities. He continued to fight no matter what, even if all his snake heads were cut off. Only several seconds would be required to regenerate every single head!

    The Samurai Demon was more powerful and had strong techniques. However, the damage it took gradually started umting until its body showed obvious signs of copsing and slowing down.

    Finally, Snake #9 used all its heads to simultaneously bite the Samurai Demon everywhere. Snake #9 then viciously tore thetter to tiny pieces!

    To Snake #9, this had been a difficult battle that made him lose his heads dozens of times.

    However, the doctor coat man yawned, acting like he was quite bored.

    ¡°Too slow.¡± He stomped on Snake #9¡¯s head.

    Snake #9 roared angrily, but was unable to resist.

    ¡°You should have killed it within 69 seconds, yet you spent 437 seconds, which was 5.3 times greater than calcted,¡± the doctor coat man told him. ¡°Yourbat efficiency is far lower than what I¡¯ve expected. Although I never had high hopes for you to begin with, this low efficiency is far too unseemly.¡±

    *Hisssssss!!!!!* All of Snake #9¡¯s heads hissed angrily in unison.

    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy. Shut up.¡± The doctor coat man forcefully stomped on Snake #9¡¯s head again.

    Snake #9¡¯s entire body shook all over as all of his snake heads instantly shut up.

    ¡°Continue going down this path,¡± the doctor coat manmanded.

    The now silent Snake #9 slithered forward deep into the white mist.

    Not longter, he saw a red torii.

    This torii was far smaller than the giant snake monster. It was obvious that Snake #9 would be unable to pass through it.

    The doctor coat man gave anothermand. ¡°Destroy that.¡±

    A snake head bit down on the torii and forcefully tore at it.

    Mist poured out and increased the chill of the surrounding air. However, this was unable to stop Snake #9. The torii gradually started shaking and turning ck as if it was being corrupted by snake venom.

    After most of the torii had be ck, the snake head tore it out of the ground and viciously crushed it to pieces!

    There was instantly a sound resembling a thunderp as mist explosively poured everywhere together with flying cherry blossoms.

    Several secondster, a shrine appeared in the mist.

    Meanwhile, a group of people were standing in front of the shrine.

    They all had different appearances and clothing. However, they were all wearing white masks with beautiful cherry blossom emblems.

    Something shed in the doctor coat man¡¯s eyes when he saw these people. He showed off an interested expression.

    ¡°Snake #9. Do you remember anything when you see those people?¡±

    Snake #9 only replied with a low hissing sound.

    ¡°You¡¯re truly useless. Forget it, I¡¯ll just directly ask them.¡±

    The doctor coat manmanded the snake monster to go over.

    Seeing the giant seven-headed snake monster approach, Natsuya and the others all prepared for imminentbat!

    ¡°Don¡¯t move yet,¡± Seiji said in a heavy tone while opening up his paper fan to reveal the words ¡°Immovable mountain¡±.

    He then walked by himself towards the enemy and shouted from a certain distance away, ¡°This is a divine location. Invaders are not wee here!¡±

    When the doctor coat man heard this, he stomped Snake #9¡¯s head again to make the snake monster stop.

    ¡°May I ask who you all are?¡± he inquired with interest in his voice.

    ¡°We are the guardians of this divine location! Invader, who might you be?¡± Seiji looked at this doctor coat man.

    Seiji could tell that this doctor coat man wasn¡¯t the type who wanted to instantly rush into battle. So, Seiji wanted to talk to him and at least obtain some information first.

    The doctor coat man narrowed his eyes as his lips arched upward.

    ¡°I am Yakushi.¡±

    Yakushi?

    When Seiji heard this name, he instantly thought about some characters from a certain famous manga in his previous world.

    Wasn¡¯t this just like Yakushi and Orichimaru from Naruto!?

 Chapter 790 - I developed Ecstasy

    <h4>Chapter 790: I developed Ecstasy</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji only allowed his mind to wander for a short instant.

    This person was calling himself ¡°Yakushi¡±. Was that a code name or his actual name? Seiji felt that it was more likely to be a code name.

    Yakushi, a high-ranked member of the Messengers¡­ Seiji suddenly thought of the mystical drug Ecstasy 1 .

    Could Yakushi be the person that Yui previously mentioned, the only person capable of finishing the Ecstasy vine that could help ordinary people be immune to Spirit Worlds¡¯ influences!?

    Seiji was quite shaken at this realization.

    If that was really the case, then this doctor coat man was the main culprit behind so many people transforming into monsters!

    Seiji felt anger rapidly rising inside him when he thought about how many monsters he had been forced to ¡°clean up¡± by the Messengers so far.

    This was basicallyrge-scale human experimentation in the name of developing a vine. Even if the ¡°logic¡± behind this was to better save even more lives in the end, Seiji felt that he couldn¡¯t just easily ignore it!

    Besides, Yui had also said that the Messengers weren¡¯t developing Ecstasy just for the sake of a harmless vine. The Messengers obviously had other intentions behind their research as well.

    Soul Society and the Yin Yang Master factions chose to sit back and watch rather than intervene for the sake of the vine¡¯s development. That was all they could do.

    But if he could capture Yakushi and force him to research only under Soul Society¡¯s control, would things be slightly better?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know. But, if possible, he wanted to do something for the sake of all those people who had been turned into monsters.

    This wasn¡¯t for the sake of justice or kindness.

    It was simply because he wanted to do it.

    Ecstasy was just like any other illegal drug out there on the market. You could buy it if you had enough money, and the Messengers weren¡¯t forcing anyone to take it. The users of this drug were all using it willingly, so they were also partly responsible. But, as the main source and inventor of the drug, Yakushi would surely be even more responsible!

    Even if ¡°the greater good¡± was touted as a reason, evil was still evil. No matter how beautiful the clothing, it was still evil.

    ¡°Yakushi¡­ are you the person who developed the Ecstasy drug?¡± Seiji stopped acting like he was a divine guardian and went with the direct approach.

    ¡°Ha, as expected, you¡¯re a real living human rather than a product of this ce.¡± Yakushi¡¯s lips arched even higher when he heard this. ¡°The people behind you are probably also all real.¡±

    ¡°Answer my question!¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone while looking directly at Yakushi.

    ¡°You know about us Messengers, and you know about the secret of Ecstasy. Yet, you don¡¯t even know who I am. This means that your information is rather iplete¡­ Speaking to me like this means that you want more information,¡± Yakushi continued speaking. ¡°Perfect, since I¡¯d also like more information. Let¡¯s exchange some. As for your question, I¡¯ll answer: yes, I am indeed the one. I developed Ecstasy.¡±

    So it really was this bastard!! Seiji instantly clenched his fist.

    ¡°Now then, I¡¯d like to ask you, was it your group that killed the seven Orochi experimental subjects two days ago?¡± Yakushi inquired.

    The ¡°Orochi experimental subjects?¡± Did that refer to the seven invaders from the god¡¯s trial?

    They were dead? Then where did this snake monster appear from?

    ¡°What are the Orochi experimental subjects?¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he countered with his own question.

    ¡°Seven people who were able to transform into something like this.¡± Yakushi stomped again on the snake head he was riding on to indicate.

    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Snake #9 made a sound ofint.

    ¡°We have indeed previously defeated a monster simr to this one.¡± Seiji nced over at the seven-headed snake monster.

    ¡°How did you aplish killing them?¡± This was what Yakushi wanted to know more than anything.

    ¡°First, I want you to tell me what exactly these Orochi experimental subjects are.¡± Seiji kept countering with his own questions.

    Yakushi fell silent for a moment as he mulled things over.

    ¡°To exin things simply, they¡¯re individuals who have been artificially Awakened to have the power of Yamata no Orochi. Since this is a project that¡¯s still in its experimental phase, I referred to them as experimental subjects.¡± Yakushi adjusted his golden-rimmed eyesses. ¡°Although their power is still iplete, they¡¯re still quite strong in the dream world. They shouldn¡¯t have easily died. Yet, all seven of them ended up dying¡­ This situation haspletely surpassed all my expectations. I was truly astonished. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like to know exactly what happened here.¡±

    ¡®Who the hell knows?¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    All he and his friends had done was to y the seven-headed snake monster fromst time. He had no idea how the transformed people within had died.

    Perhaps the [Tremendous Light] spell was highly effective against the snake monster. Or, maybe one of his friends¡¯ attacks had some type of special killing effect. Or, maybe being seriously injured in the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s shrine would be fatal. Or, maybe the White Sakura Goddess herself even dealt the killing blow without Seiji knowing¡­

    Or, maybe somethingpletely unrted to Seiji¡¯s group was the cause. It could be that the so-called experimental subjects themselves were wed.

    ¡°All we did was defeat the snake monster that came here. We didn¡¯t do anything else. Perhaps they all died due to divine punishment, or maybe you actually created their tragedy¡­ Just like all the tragedy you¡¯ve caused with your Ecstasy development!¡± Seiji spoke in an icy tone.

    Yakushi fell silent once again.

    And then, he chuckled.

    ¡°You really know how to hit me where it hurts, saying something like that. Indeed, it¡¯s possible that their deaths were caused by my own failure. But, I need a better understanding of what happened¡­ If you¡¯re not willing to tell me, then I¡¯ll have to ask you by using force.¡±

    Seiji could sense that Yakushi was intent on doing battle.

    ¡°I also have a question that I¡¯d like to ask by using force,¡± Seiji stated icily. ¡°Spreading Ecstasy and performing so muchrge-scale human experimentation. Just what damned purpose is there for all of this!?¡±

    Yakushi narrowed his eyes slightly as he sensed Seiji¡¯s aggressive intentions behind this question asked in a severe tone.

    ¡°Go, Snake #9.¡±

    ¡°Hiss¡­!!¡±

    At his master¡¯smand, the seven-headed snake monster hissed loudly and started attacking Seiji¡¯s group!

    [Tremendous Light]! Seiji was well prepared already and instantly cast this divine barrier!

    A loud bell sound covered the sound of snake hissing as a mysticalyered spell formation appeared and holy golden light suppressed the monster¡­

    Natsuya and the others all fought together just like thest time. Everyonebined their powers with the assistance of the spell formation to fight against the giant snake monster!

    Kaede flew while carrying Hisashi in the air. This sibling pair released an electricity-filled windst aimed straight at Yakushi who was standing on one of the snake heads!

    Yakushi waved his hand at the ck shing twister which approached him rapidly. A dense number of small spell formations appeared around him like a beehive.

    The siblings¡¯ electric windst attack crashed into this barrier and waspletely blocked.

    The snake head under Yakushi started spitting a dense ck fog containing toxic liquid at Kaede and Hisashi! Kaede used her wings to block this attack and swiftly leave.

    Yakushi opened up his hands, causing some of the spell formations in front of him to begin glowing yellow. Sharp needles materialized within these formations. The needles then densely shot towards Kaede and Hisashi.

    Poison curse, ¡°Magic Bee Needle!¡±

    These spiritual needles shot forward swiftly without even a single sound. They were so fast that Kaede and Hisashi couldn¡¯t even react in time to the needles arriving right in front of them.

    The siblings instantly sensed tremendous danger¡ªthe consequences would be dire if they were hit.

    ng, ng, ng, ng!

    The needles struck and entered a certain object, instantly turning that object pitch-ck before it dissolved!

    Kaede and Hisashi remained safe.

    A golden spiritual object that looked just like Seiji had taken the attack for them.

    This was Seiji¡¯s physical materialization of his [Telekinesis] ability!

    Seiji, who remained in the rear while overseeing the entire battle, created another hand seal that caused another golden light to appear in front of Kaede and Hisashi, instantly forming into a second golden spiritual object.

    Spirit sword, ¡°White Lotus!¡±

    The golden spiritual object reached out its right hand and grabbed a glowing white spiritual sword. The golden Seiji clone then flew at high speed towards Yakushi!

 Chapter 791 - Nice shot

    <h4>Chapter 791: Nice shot</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yakushi once again used his ¡°Magic Bee Needle¡± attack against the golden Seiji clone. The clone instantly started shing after it was pincushioned by the needles. It then disappeared to reveal nothing more than an afterimage as the clone had actually dodged the attack.

    Seeing that this needle attack was ineffective, Yakushi instantly changed to a different spell. Some of the beehive-shaped spell formations around him started to glow ck¡­

    Seiji controlled his telekinesis clone to go near to Yakushi and swing its White Lotus spiritual sword with maximum power against Yakushi¡¯s barrier!

    *ng!* The white de let off a blinding light the moment it came into contact with Yakushi¡¯s barrier. Although the barrier wasn¡¯t even scratched by the electric windst earlier, the white sword pierced through it so easily, aiming straight for Yakushi¡¯s face!

    Something shed in Yakushi¡¯s eyes. However, he made no attempt at dodging. Two ck ws suddenly reached out from the ck-glowing spell formations. These ws swiftly grabbed the golden clone!

    ¡®Explode!¡¯ Seiji wanted to self-destruct his telekinesis clone for a powerful attack. However, he discovered that he had lost control of his clone.

    Poison curse, ¡°Night Corrosion w¡±!

    Yakushi had the two ck ws pierce into the golden clone and corrode it.

    Seiji instantly felt a bacsh through his telekinesis clone. He made a sound of pain and had an obvious expression of difort.

    Despite this, Seiji changed his hand seal and brought his fingers together¡­

    Killing curse, ¡°Shadow Pierce¡±!

    The remaining White Lotus spiritual sword instantly fell apart to reveal a ck spike from within which swiftly shot towards Yakushi¡¯s face!

    This was Seiji¡¯s real attack all along.

    However, Yakushi wasn¡¯t fazed by this attack.

    This was because he had more than one powerful protective barrier on himself. Otherwise, this sudden offensive spell might have even killed him.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Yakushi adjusted his eyesses, which had been slightly knocked askew by the fight.

    Seiji calmed down his breathing which had be slightly unsteady.

    The first round between them counted as a draw.

    The next instant, Yakushi jumped up from the snake head. All the beehive-shaped spell formations around him started glowing yellow. An incredibly dense amount of sharp needles formed and aimed at everyone!

    Seiji made a hand seal and created a shining golden defensive barrier for all hispanions!

    In the next instant, all the spiritual needles shot out!

    Shika was the only one who sessfully dodged the needles. Some were hit by more, and some were hit by less needles. Luckily, Seiji¡¯s barrier protected everyone from harm.

    However, Yakushi now understood the general defensive capabilities of everyone he was fighting against, which was his goal all along.

    One possible strategy would be to forcefully fight the strongest enemy and take him out first, making everything much easier afterwards. However, another strategy would be to first attack the weakest members.

    Yakushi decided to first target an adult woman who wore a blue dress. Four yellow wings of light appeared around him which then swiftly flew around a viciously attacking insect swarm towards his target.

    Thunderbolts, wind des, and arrows of light all shot towards him. Yakushi dodged or blocked all of these attacks while also preparing a powerful spell of his own.

    Killing curse, ¡°Venom Grudge Snake¡±!

    A dense gray mist poured out from a spell formation between his hands, forming into a giant gray snake. The scales on the snake resembled countless distorted human faces that were screaming and howling. It was truly frightening to behold.

    The gray snake swiftly pounced at the blue dress woman¡ªwho was Mayuzumi¡ªwhile opening up its ck jaw to reveal nothing but pitch-ck darkness!

    Kaho¡¯s insects and Kazuko¡¯s demons were instantly destroyed upon touching it. It seemed that nothing could block the gray snake¡¯s path.

    Mayuzumi felt terror wash over her. She could have used her spirit Idelia to block the attack for her, but she instinctively realized that even sacrificing Idelia would be useless.

    Only one thing was capable of blocking this attack¡­

    A golden sh instantly appeared before her, transforming into a golden version of Seiji.

    Seiji had reactivated his telekinesis clone!

    Reversal spell, [Dragon Counterattack]!

    Seiji had his clone stand right in front of Mayuzumi and cast his ultimate counterspell to block the gray snake and transform it into an attack sent back at its caster.

    However¡­

    Yakushi casually twisted the spell formation in his hand, creating a second giant gray snake from the mist. This snake pounced at an even greater speed towards another target!

    He had more than one ¡°Venom Grudge Snake¡± up his sleeve.

    The second snake¡¯s target was the purple-robed girl who was currently fighting against one of the snake heads¡ªYukari!

    She was currently busy with battling the snake head and didn¡¯t notice the gray snake attacking her until it was toote to dodge it. Neither was anyone else able to help her.

    Yukari felt like she saw death itself when the gray snake¡¯s pitch-ck maw approached her.

    Dodge spell, ¡°Paper Substitution¡±!

    Seiji used one hand to activate the lifesaving magic spell he had prepared for everyone.

    Right before the gray snake bit into Yukari, the purple-robed girl suddenly vanished, reced by a small paper person that was devoured by the gray snake in her stead.

    Yukari magically appeared next to Seiji¡¯s side.

    Yakushi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even flicker as he turned his gray snake towards another target.

    At this moment, the Seiji clone sessfully transformed the first gray snake into a golden divine dragon which pounced on the second snake!

    *Boom!* The golden dragon and gray snake exploded together in a blinding explosion.

    Yakushi remained calm and created yet another gray mist snake from his spell formation. Then, a second, third, fourth, fifth¡­ he created a total of ten giant gray snakes!

    All the snakes simultaneously pounced on different targets, causing everyone to feel danger.

    Seiji narrowed his eyes as he created a hand seal.

    The [Tremendous Light] spell formation lit up and shot out numerous golden beams of light which cleansed every single gray snake!

    Yet, at this moment, Yakushi suddenly vanished.

    He then reappeared close behind Seiji, and sent out countless smaller gray mist snakes which aimed straight for Seiji¡¯s back!

    These were the true ¡°Venom Grudge Snakes¡±. Even if only a single tiny gray snake harmed the target, that would cause the target to be poisoned with a slow-acting poison which would be highly difficult to cure!

    It was already toote by the time that Seiji noticed. It was too difficult for him to respond as he had just cast an ultimate spell¡­ just kidding. Such a thing didn¡¯t happen at all.

    Seiji had been on guard!

    His telekinesis clone appeared behind him in the nick of time and released arge golden shield that blocked and cleansed all the tiny snakes!

    Yakushi immediately had his snakes spread out for a fierce attack from all directions. He wanted to find a weak spot in Seiji¡¯s defenses.

    However, Yakushi suddenly sensed danger.

    *Bang!*

    A white spiritual bullet arced in the air as it ambushed him from behind. This bullet pierced his barrier and urately struck him in the back of the head!

    Then a second, third, and fourth bullet all struck him¡­ this session of powerful bullet attacks sent Yakushi¡¯s body flying and distorting in midair from the impact. Then, his entire body shattered in midair!

    ¡°Cough¡­¡± Right before his body shattered, Yakushi appeared behind his snake monster. He coughed in obvious pain.

    Just now, rather than his true body, his own telekinesis clone had been defeated.

    Telekinesis was amon spiritual ability by which most users could create a clone of themselves by sending out a portion of their Mana. Seiji was only capable of forming a basic clone. However, Yakushi¡¯s telekinesis clone was far more exact and exquisite, allowing the clone to wield much greater power almost equivalent to his.

    But, there was a price to be paid for this. If Yakushi¡¯s clone was defeated, his real body would receive a far more severe bacshpared to Seiji¡¯s bacsh from losing a clone.

    Yakushi had suspected from the very beginning that the enemy group might have some members in hiding, and now he had proven his theory correct. This seeded in helping him learn that the enemy had a powerful sniper, so it wasn¡¯t a waste.

    Yakushi created a new telekinesis clone!

    He cast a hand seal which caused a yellow glow to appear right in front of him, swiftly forming another clone which was identical to himself.

    The next moment, Yakushi¡¯s true body went invisible.

    At this same time¡­

    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Seiji said this in a mentalmunication spell to the sniper Mai.

    ¡°Thank you for your praise,¡± Mai responded. ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t manage to hit his real body.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. He¡¯s one of the higher-ups in the Messengers, so of course he¡¯d be powerful¡­ You need to be careful. He¡¯ll probably try to locate you.¡±

    ¡°I will act as proper bait.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I was just casually joking around. You¡¯ll protect me well, won¡¯t you, Young Master?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

 Chapter 792 - You were the one who killed those Orochi experimental subjects?

    <h4>Chapter 792: You were the one who killed those Orochi experimental subjects?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Fighting in the dream world was different from fighting in the real world.

    For Seiji¡¯s entire group, everyone was much stronger in the dream worldpared to the real world. The specifics of how much stronger each person was differed from person to person, and neither was the power increase stable, as everything was rather hazy.

    Even so, Mai¡¯s barrage of long-range sniper shots had exceeded her normal power level when she destroyed Yakushi¡¯s clone! Being able to reach this level wasn¡¯t due to her own power. It was also thanks to Seiji¡¯s support and the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s support.

    At this moment, the maid felt like she was more powerful than ever before. Even if she acted as bait, she was fully confident that she would be able to protect herself.

    Perhaps her confidence was actually arrogance, but she felt that it wouldn¡¯t matter. If the worst happened, she was sure that Seiji would step in to protect her.

    Snipers were high-priority targets to take out first in any battle.

    Even though Yakushi knew it might be a trap, he had no other choice. Now that he knew an enemy sniper was around, he absolutely couldn¡¯t let the sniper roam freely.

    ¡­Unless he could somehow defeat the entire enemy group in one attack.

    Judging from the enemy group¡¯s power shown so far, this was not likely to seed. However, Yakushi decided to give it a try.

    And so, he gave amand to Snake #9 to release its power.

    ¡°Gaaaaahhhiiiisssssssssssss!!!!¡±

    The seven-headed snake monster made an ear-piercing screech that sounded like it was in agony. Its body sent out an explosive amount of dense ck mist that forced everyone backwards. The snake¡¯s giant body swiftly became much smaller, but an eighth snake head emerged from its body in return!

    Although the snake monster had be smaller, it gave off an even more powerful aura than before. All its eyes started glowing bright red and giving off an ominous impression.

    Destruction curse, ¡°Snake Corrosion Blood¡±!

    All eight snake heads simultaneously spat out destructive red beams of light! This light also had a disgusting stench of corrosion.

    ¡°Get behind me!¡± Seiji shouted towards all hispanions while simultaneously activating his [Tremendous Light] spell formation to sh with a golden light that blocked the snake monster¡¯s attack!

    The bright red beams and the golden light viciously shed, causing something that resembled liquid to be sent flying everywhere!!

    Just this sshing caused some damage to Hisashi and several others. Everyone swiftly retreated behind Seiji.

    Yakushi took this opportunity to circle around the enemy group to get behind them!

    Natsuya and the others attacked, but were unable to stop him.

    Seiji nced over at Shika. She instantly understood what he wanted, so she chased after Yakushi.

    Mai saw the enemy heading straight for her. She tried to camouge herself, but Yakushi still locked onto her.

    Since she was unable to hide, she would fight.

    Mai raised the silver shing sniper rifle in her hands, aimed, and fired!

    More spiritual bullets arced towards the enemy.

    Dodge spell, ¡°Bee Dance¡±!

    Yakushi¡¯s body started glowing yellow as he swiftly flitted around in midair, leaving many afterimages behind while dodging the spiritual bullets.

    None of Mai¡¯s shotsnded.

    And then, seeing the enemy shoot arge number of spiritual needles at her, she ducked and dodged while still holding onto her sniper rifle, transforming into a high-speed silver sh.

    However, Yakushi had already expected this. He waved his hand slightly, controlling his magic needles to follow his target!

    Mai fiddled with her gun, changing it with a sh into an assault rifle form. She then turned around and shot at all the spiritual needles!

    All the magic needles were destroyed by the assault rifle fire. Yakushi then created even more needles, but at this time, a girl wearing a blue skirt jumped into the air and shot out arge number of ice spikes at him!

    *Bam!* Yakushi used his barrier to block this powerful spell. However, the impact from the ice spikes knocked him back more than ten meters.

    The next instant, Yakushi¡¯s beehive-shaped spell formations started glowing ck. Two ¡°Night Corrosion ws¡± came out and swiftly grabbed at the blue skirt girl!

    The blue skirt girl, or Shika Kagura, dodged one ck w by changing her direction in midair. At the same time, she used her Demon de Muramasa to slice through the other w!

    His ¡°Night Corrosion w¡± was actually sliced cleanly through¡­ Yakushi¡¯s eyebrows went up at this scene.

    He instantly decided to change his main target as he shot out arge number of needles at the blue skirt girl!

    Destruction curse, [Devil Piercing Drill]!

    Shika was prepared for an attack, and cast a spell which created a giant golden shing ice drill. The ice drill crashed into the needles and destroyed all of them. Not only that, the ice drill¡¯s momentum carried it onward, piercing right through Yakushi¡¯s beehive barrier and mming into his body!

    Seeing this beautiful hitnd, Mai who was still on the ground changed her gun back into a sniper rifle form. She aimed for Yakushi who was sent flying backward and shot out another round of spiritual bullets while he was still in midair!

    Two of the bullets hit Yakushi directly. He barely managed to dodge the rest with his ¡°Bee Dance¡± dodge skill. He was now heavily furrowing his eyebrows.

    The blue skirt girl¡¯s attacks seemed rather abnormal to him¡­ Not only were they more powerful than the others¡¯ attacks, her attacks seemed to contain a special killing power¡­ could this be the ¡°answer¡± that he was looking for?

    When he thought of how this girl was likely the person who had truly seeded in killing his Orochi experimental subjects, Yakushi¡¯s expression actually became far more rxed.

    He waved his right hand, instantly creating arge amount of dense ck mist around himself. The ck mist swirled into his hand and formed a ck sword.

    Spirit sword, ¡°Amane¡±!

    With this sword in hand, Yakushi suddenly gave off an aura that he had just increased his power level significantly!

    He then immediately pointed with his sword, shooting a ck beam in Mai¡¯s direction.

    Mai¡¯s expression flickered as the beam approached, giving her a tremendous sense of danger. She attempted to dodge at full speed!

    *Boom!* After an explosion of light, arge patch of ck mist arose and devoured her!

    Shika worried about Mai after seeing this, but she knew that she couldn¡¯t show any sign of distraction or weakness in front of such a powerful enemy. She could only continue attacking with her sword at full strength!

    Yakushi used his ck sword to casually block the gigantic de of ice that Shika had created. Once again, he felt that her attack contained a special power.

    ¡°You were the one who killed those Orochi experimental subjects, am I right?¡± Yakushi asked this question.

    Shika didn¡¯t reply as she attacked yet again!

    Yakushi blocked and counterattacked. Every time he swung his sword, more dense ck mist was produced!

    The two of them exchanged sword blows as ice and ck mist violently shed in midair. Several dozen blows were exchanged in just a short period of time.

    In terms of technique, Shika was superior. However, Yakushi was more powerful now that he¡¯d brought out his spirit sword. He managed to forcefully suppress Shika, and finally sent her falling down to the ground with a mighty blow!

    Shika heavily crashed into the ground and rolled for a great distance before she finally managed to steady herself.

    Still in midair, Yakushi pointed his sword at Shika and shot out another beam of ck light!

    Shika got up in time to dodge this beam as well as the ck mist formed by the ensuing explosion.

    Yet, this was all within Yakushi¡¯s expectations.

    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

    Yakushi kept sting ck beams and intentionally missing her by slight margin each time. He did this until arge amount of ck mist was on the ground, and then he created a hand seal¡­

    Sealing curse, ¡°Demon Chain¡±!

    A giant ck spell formation appeared in midair. All the mist swiftly gathered together, forming thick chains that surrounded the blue skirt girl! The chains then started contracting, forming a barrier of pitch-ck chains that were about to seal her inside!

    At this moment, spiritual bullets shot directly at Yakushi. He didn¡¯t even look as he blocked them all with his sword, and then he swiftly counterattacked with a sword beam aiming at the ambusher, the maid Mai!

    The maid was unable to dodge this attack. At thest moment, she vanished, reced by a small paper figure that was torn apart by the sword beam.

    Shika gritted her teeth and resisted against the imprisonment. While sealed away inside these chains, she was unable to activate Seiji¡¯s ¡°Paper Substitution¡± spell to escape.

    A golden Seiji clone appeared and swung its White Lotus spirit sword against the chain barrier.

    Yakushi shed in front of the Seiji clone and blocked the White Lotus sword attack with his ck sword. Yakushi then counterattacked with a sword swing that sent out a tremendous amount of ck mist, crushing Seiji¡¯s telekinesis clone!

    Yakushi intended to capture this blue skirt girl. He would not allow anyone to interfere.

    He powered up his ¡°Demon Chain¡± sealing spell to its utmost capability, then tossed out his ck ¡°Amane¡± sword directly at the chains. The sword transformed into a ck snake that opened its jaws wide, about to devour Shika together with the entire chain sealing spell!!

    A powerful glint appeared in Shika¡¯s eyes as she sensed critical danger approaching her.

    A special aura slowly started emanating from her body.

    At this moment, Seiji, who was still on the frontline, once again activated his ¡°Tremendous Light¡± spell formation and cooperated with hispanions to fully suppress the now eight-headed snake monster!

    Seiji created eight blinding golden swords above the snake monster, and pierced through each one of the snake monster¡¯s heads!!

    Snake #9 wasn¡¯t even able to scream anymore as he felt tremendous pain.

    However, Snake #9 still hadn¡¯t died from this. Even after everything that Seiji and hispanions had done to Snake #9, that still wasn¡¯t enough to destroy this troublesome monster.

    Still, it was enough for Seiji to finally have some free time to deal with Yakushi.

    Seiji left the snake monster to Natsuya and the others. He swiftly went to the rear, where Shika was.

    If anything happened to Shika, he would absolutely crush Yakushi and tear him apart to pieces!!!

 Chapter 793 - Hes actually a good person

    <h4>Chapter 793: He¡¯s actually a good person</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The ¡°Amane¡± ck sword transformed snake devoured Shika together with the chain prison she was trapped in.

    Yakushi was about to make his next move. However¡­ he couldn¡¯t sense anything.

    Even though he had clearly seeded in sealing her away, he couldn¡¯t feel that she was within his control. This waspletely unexpected.

    Yakushi tried to cast a spell, but suddenly found that he had lost control of his own summoned ¡°Amane¡± snake!

    Right after that, he saw his snake freezing over in midair as its pitch-ck body suddenly shattered, only to reveal a cold and icy blue.

    A faint mystical and distant sound of song could suddenly be heard. This song had a chill that felt like it could pierce through the soul.

    Yakushi felt actually threatened by this.

    He decisively summoned a second Amane spirit sword and unhesitatingly shot a powerful ck beam at the copsing giant snake!

    The spirit sword¡¯s beam pierced through the giant snake. Its copsing body exploded with a giant boom, releasing a tremendous amount of ck mist!

    Something blue glowed in the mist.

    The mystical song stopped.

    Yakushi instantly felt as if he was enveloped in an abnormal chill. He tried to dodge this, when he saw a brilliant sh¡­

    Destruction curse, ¡°Thousand Years of Ice¡±!

    Arge number of blue pirs suddenly materialized and reached all the way up to the heavens. These blue pirs seemed like humongous ocean waves thatpletely washed Yakushi¡¯s figure away!

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±

    Yakushi had just lost a second telekinesis clone due to this attack. His real body suffered another bacsh yet again.

    And, this bacsh was more serious than the first bacsh. He figured that it was due to the special power contained within the spell which destroyed his second clone.

    However, he was still alright. The damage taken was within eptable limits.

    Yakushi adjusted his eyesses. He became even more interested in the blue skirt girl.

    It seemed that he would have to resort to something more violent in order to capture her.

    Just as he was nning his next move, he suddenly sensed something behind him. Yakushi turned around and saw someone in Yin Yang Master hunting attire¡­

    ¡°I found you,¡± Seiji told Yakushi in an icy tone.

    The next instant, a giant golden bell materialized¡­

    Sealing spell, ¡°Demon Suppression Bell¡±!

    *ng!* Together with a mighty rumble, the bell fell right on top of Yakushi, releasing a powerful light that extended into a pentagram spell formation! A golden pir of light arose from each corner of the pentagram; these golden pirs connected with each other above the formation, creating countless mystical runes that filled the entire area!

    ¡°Suppress the demons of the world¡­

    ¡°Halt the evils of the world¡­

    ¡°Destroy the evil spirits of the world¡­

    ¡°In the name of the divine, my will shall break your spell¡­¡±

    Seiji made hand seals with both his hands while incanting. He coldly powered up his spell to its absolute maximum power¡­

    ¡°Anti-spell Destruction! Light Ends Everything!! Those who control demons for evil, perish!!!¡±

    *Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­* A giant pir of golden light arose into the skies, releasing a divine and blinding aura!

    Everything was now over¡­ just kidding.

    The next second, a dark figure forced its way out of the pir of light. Yakushi shot out numerous ck beams in Seiji¡¯s direction!

    Seiji dodged these beams. However, the ck beams exploded into dense ck mist behind him!

    Right after that, a ck wave resembling a giant sword descended upon him in a sh! It was toorge to dodge, so Seiji summoned his White Lotus spirit sword to fight against it.

    *Bam!!!* The ck mist and golden light violently shed against each other, sending out a powerful shock wave.

    Right after that, more violent shing sounds could be heard ringing out continuously inside the mixture of light and ck mist. Seiji and Yakushi¡¯s figures could be seen exchanging sword blows, which produced even more ck mist and powerful golden light.

    Finally, their figures exchanged ces with each other. They bothnded a blow that knocked each other far back, which put some distance between them.

    Seiji¡¯s hunting clothes now had arge tear on the upper half, from which faint amounts of ck mist were slowly rising.

    Across from him was a Yakushi who now lookedpletely different.

    Yakushi¡¯s white doctor coat hadpletely disappeared, as had his sses. His head was also bald now. His entire body had be gray, and ck snake scales covered his entire body. He looked like a snake who had taken human form¡­ basically, a snake person.

    The snake person Yakushi¡¯s body kept releasing ck mist from everywhere. A white diagonal gash made by a sword extended all the way from his left shoulder to the right half of his waist. Seiji had caused this injury just now, but it was swiftly healing at a visible pace.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Yakushi spoke up. ¡°Still, you should have used more power just now.¡±

    ¡°I will from now on,¡± Seiji responded. ¡°In fact, if you have any more transformations or whatever up your sleeve, you¡¯d better use them now. Otherwise, you might not have a chance to use them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Transforming like this isn¡¯t easy. I have to reach a special condition first¡­ Simply speaking, I hadn¡¯t warmed up enough earlier,¡± Yakushi exined while stretching his arms and neck, which made creaking sounds.

    ¡°Since you clearlyck exercise, you might as well stop moving¡­ for eternity.¡± Seiji raised his spirit sword.

    Yakushi also raised his spirit sword.

    The two of them exchanged icy nces. The tension in the air reached a boiling point.

    Just as both of them were about to continue their next round of powerful attacks, a voice with no sense of tension whatsoever suddenly interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here, Yakushi-san.¡±

    This voice caused Yakushi¡¯s and Seiji¡¯s expression to change.

    They both looked to the right, where a hazy ck shadow was now floating.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be doing such things. Let¡¯s hurry and go back since your cute subordinate is looking for you~¡± The ck shadow acted as if he was coaxing a puppy to return home.

    Yakushi furrowed his eyebrows.

    Furrowing his eyebrows while being in this snake person form made him look rather strange. It was impossible for Seiji to determine what emotion Yakushi was feeling right now.

    While it might be possible to try a sudden attack at this time, Seiji decided against such a course of action. He chose to quietly wait and see what happened.

    After a period of silence, Yakushi nced over at Seiji again before putting down his spirit sword.

    Then, Yakushi¡¯s body swiftly began to dissipate into mist. A short few secondster, hepletely vanished.

    Yakushi actually left just like that¡­ Seiji remained on guard while looking over at the ck shadow.

    ¡°Although I can¡¯t see your face due to the mask, you¡¯re my bro Haruta, aren¡¯t you.¡± The ck shadow¡ªItsuki Kamitani¡ªasked a question in the form of a statement.

    Seiji didn¡¯t admit nor deny this.

    ¡°Although I really want to ask you why you¡¯re here, I can probably guess at the situation since I was the one who gave you that information.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°You did much better than I thought. I should say, as expected of my bro Haruta.¡±

    Seiji still remained silent.

    ¡°I apologize that Yakushi-san caused so much trouble for you,¡± Kamitani continued. ¡°Despite what he seems like, he¡¯s actually a good person.¡±

    Actually a good person¡­? Seiji felt that this was truly an unfunny joke.

    He responded by silently pointing his sword at Kamitani.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry. To make up for things, how about I tell you information on Qilin¡­ oh, whoops, your older Haruta sister, how about it?¡±

    Information about Yui!?

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he slowly put down his sword.

    ¡°I knew you would want this information.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°I doubt she had the time to tell you anything.

    ¡°She¡¯s currently inside the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. Her exact location and condition are unknown. But, it¡¯s a definite that she¡¯s still alive. However, that might no longer be the case if too much time passes, since she¡¯s in such a terrible environment. Who knows how long she canst?

    ¡°You can¡¯t help her right now, but I know someone who can. I was about to go find that person right now, but I¡¯m really busy. I have other things to do, so I won¡¯t be contacting that person untilter.¡±

    Seiji already could guess what this Kamitani bastard was about to say next.

    ¡°The more time passes, the worse her situation will be. If you want that person to hurry and help your older sister, then why don¡¯t you go talk to him in my ce, my bro Haruta?¡± Kamitani spoke in a joyous tone. ¡°His code name is ¡®Voidfire¡¯. Just like Yakushi-san, he¡¯s a really good person~¡±

 Chapter 794 - Truly beautiful evil without comparison

    <h4>Chapter 794: Truly beautiful evil withoutparison</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®Good person, the hell!¡¯

    Seiji almost retorted out loud.

    ¡°If you want me to do something for you, just that information alone won¡¯t suffice,¡± Seiji finally spoke up. ¡°I want to know what exactly happened. Why did things outside be like that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not helping me here, you¡¯re helping your sister¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not arrogant enough to think that Yui needs my help!¡± Seiji stated decisively. ¡°Perhaps she really is in a bad situation in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms like you say, but I highly doubt that she won¡¯t be able to handle things or that she can¡¯t even escape! Stop pretending to be an idiot!¡±

    That was Qilin Girl Yui Haruta, his older sister who was who knew how many times stronger than he was! There was no way she would easily be endangered. And even if she was in the middle of a crisis, she would surely be able to pull through.

    If Seiji confirmed that Yui truly did need help, he would unhesitatingly help her. But, since things weren¡¯t certain right now, he would first think about whether or not his older sister truly needed his assistance.

    He felt that it was unlikely, as Yui was truly strong, unmistakably strong.

    Going to help her without even knowing what was going on would not only be foolish, it would also be arrogant of him.

    Still, the foundational reason why he wasn¡¯t going immediately was because the person who said she was in danger was Itsuki Kamitani, a high-ranked member of the Messengers, someone who waspletely untrustworthy.

    Kamitani fell silent for a moment before he started chuckling.

    ¡°You actually saw through me so easily. I thought that you would at least be slightly shaken, my bro Haruta. It¡¯s as you think. I doubt that you¡¯ll have to worry about her. She¡¯s the Qilin Girl, after all. She won¡¯t die that easily. Although it¡¯s not absolutely necessary for me to have you go find Voidfire-kun, just think of this as a big gift from me to you. As you wanted, I¡¯ll tell you some more information.¡±

    Kamitani paused for a moment before going on.

    ¡°As for why things out there became like this, that was caused by us Messengers. However, this wasn¡¯t what we originally intended. Our n failed, inbination with unexpected outside factors. Simply speaking, we made a mess of things.

    ¡°Our original objective was to stop Soul Society from sacrificing innocent citizens in order to summon the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. We also considered the possible consequences of our failure. But as you can see now, things are far worse than anyone expected.

    ¡°Heeheehee, an evil organization acted for the sake of justice, but made the situation far worse in the end. How truly interesting, hahaha¡­¡±

    Kamitani startedughing out loud. Seiji could tell from his tone that he was truly amused from the bottom of his heart.

    Naturally, Seiji didn¡¯tugh at any of this. Instead, he furrowed his eyebrows.

    Although this bastard Kamitani was obviously quite twisted, it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying¡­ or at least, this didn¡¯t seem like aplete lie.

    ¡°Why would the Messengers want to stop Soul Society from sacrificing innocent citizens?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°Like I said, for the noble cause of justice!¡± Kamitani smiled while extending his palms. ¡°The person who was in charge of our failed n is that Voidfire-kun whom I want you to contact. He really is a good person, a good person who believes in justice.¡±

    ¡°Justice¡­¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    At this moment, he really did somewhat want to meet this person who was codenamed Voidfire.

    ¡°But regrettably, the result of his pursuit of justice was that he¡¯s now endangered several million people! This is thousands of times more of a potential sacrificepared to what Soul Society wanted to do. This is truly beautiful evil withoutparison,pletely befitting of our organization¡¯s image, heeheehee¡­¡± Kamitani kept chuckling unstoppably.

    His voice didn¡¯t contain a single trace of sarcasm. He was simply delighted because he felt that all of this was interesting.

    But from a certain standpoint, this made him all the more frightening.

    An action taken for the sake of justice that ended up causing a far worse result than expected. Was that evil?

    If there had to be an answer, Seiji felt that from the viewpoint of the victims, this would be ¡°evil¡±.

    No matter what noble purposes or objectives the perpetrator had, that wouldn¡¯t lessen the pain of the victims one bit.

    Right now, the only part worth celebrating was that the situation wasn¡¯t one of absolute despair quite yet. The victims were still alive¡­ well, most of them were still alive. If this incident was resolved in time, they could all be saved!

    ¡°I highly doubt that you Messengers would act for the sake of justice, or at least not purely for the sake of justice. There must have been benefits involved that you could obtain.¡± Seiji looked directly at Kamitani. ¡°As for what exactly you guys did¡­ I guess that you¡¯re going to make me ask that Voidfire.¡±

    ¡°You knew exactly what I would say. You truly understand me, my bro Haruta. As expected of my best friend!¡±

    ¡°The hell with being your best friend!!¡± Seiji finally couldn¡¯t resist retorting anymore. ¡°The very fact that I know what you¡¯re going to say next disgusts me¡­ it¡¯s just like knowing what type of stench that rotten meat will let off.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so terrible of you to say! I¡¯m not rotten meat, I¡¯m human!!¡± Kamitani countered.

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t deny the part about you being rotten¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I should have said that I was a noble human!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re the noble type, then everyone else in the world is a saint.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the praise~¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t praising you!¡± Seiji used a ssical retort.

    He then forced himself to calm down. After he calmed down, he asked another question. ¡°What needs to be done in order to resolve this incident and return the outside world to normal?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. All you have to do is kill the Catastrophe Goddess who¡¯s caused all this,¡± Kamitani replied instantly.

    ¡°Catastrophe Goddess¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the strongest and most vicious monster who rules over the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. ording to Soul Society¡¯s threat level standards, her danger level surpasses even that of ¡®Demon Kings¡¯. She¡¯s in her own individual ¡°Catastrophe Goddess¡± level, so we¡¯re calling her the ¡®Sakura Catastrophe Goddess¡¯.¡±

    Sakura Catastrophe Goddess¡­ so that was Soul Society and the Messengers¡¯ name for the Evil White Sakura Goddess. Seiji nodded in understanding.

    ¡°A dangerous Catastrophe Goddess threat that¡¯s far stronger than a Demon King level threat. Who has the ability to kill such an existence?¡±

    ¡°From what I know, not a single person is capable of taking her on as an individual.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is there some type of n?¡± Since it would be necessary to cooperate, then a n would be necessary as well.

    ¡°Let me enact the god-ying n right now. Please help me in saving the world together! Oh, my best friend!¡± Kamitani theatrically opened up his arms for a mock embrace.

    Seiji responded with an icy re.

    This Kamitani bastard was absolutely untrustworthy. But, with the real world¡¯s situation being so bad right now, no matter who a person was or what faction they belonged to, it would be absolutely necessary to stand united against thismon threat, unless it was possible to run away.

    ¡°With the situation being so bad, why aren¡¯t you making your escape? For someone like you, you probably don¡¯t care no matter what happens to this city. Even if millions or even tens of millions of people die, you¡¯ll probably think that everything is interesting.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m unable to escape,¡± Kamitani replied.

    Unable to escape? That indeed sounded like a good reason.

    Kamitani didn¡¯t even try to deny the other parts of Seiji¡¯s statement.

    That was because Seiji waspletely correct. Even if the city was destroyed or countless people died, it would be truly interesting to him.

    ¡°¡­Is it that you don¡¯t have the ability to escape? Or, is it that you can escape, but people will hunt you down afterwards?¡± Seiji asked this next question while narrowing his eyes.

    Kamitani fell silent for another moment.

    ¡°Why do you ask this?¡±

    ¡°You know why I ask,¡± Seiji spoke in a cold tone.

    Kamitani chuckled upon hearing this.

    ¡°As expected of my best friend, my bro Haruta. You¡¯ve seen through me yet again. Indeed, I can escape from here, but it¡¯s likely that I¡¯ll be hunted down until the day I die. Although being hunted will also be quite interesting, I don¡¯t want to live such a life just yet. So, I¡¯ll just have to stay behind here and do my own things.¡±

    Seiji looked directly at Kamitani while slowly releasing killing intent as he spoke his next words.

    ¡°You¡­ just what exactly have you done?¡±

 Chapter 795 - Youll lose me one day!

    <h4>Chapter 795: You¡¯ll lose me one day!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kamitani would be hunted down until he died if he escaped from here? This basically meant he was admitting that he was also partly responsible for causing this entire incident.

    If it was possible, Seiji would definitely kill this bastard without any hesitation!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so scary like that¡­ I¡¯ve already self-reflected on my mistakes. I¡¯m now working to save things.¡± Kamitani shrugged.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what the term ¡®self-reflect¡¯ means,¡± Seiji spoke icily.

    If this bastard truly knew how to self-reflect, then he wouldn¡¯t be Itsuki Kamitani.

    ¡°What exactly is the specific god-ying n? What¡¯s the estimated sess rate? How much time will be needed?¡± Seiji forced himself to suppress his anger as he continued asking questions.

    ¡°That information isn¡¯t freely avable, so I¡¯m sorry to say that I can¡¯t tell you¡­ But since we¡¯re best friends, I suppose I can leak that information to you.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°The n is for all the remainingbat strength of all the factions to ally together and break into the Realm of Cherry Blossoms to y the Catastrophe Goddess. The sess rate is estimated to be less than fifty percent, and it will probably take about one day.¡±

    ¡°What will happen if this fails?¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll send a message to outside and have outside spiritual ability users deal with this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking about what will happen to everyone in the city if this god-ying n fails!¡±

    ¡°Of course, they¡¯ll all die.¡±

    Seiji frowned even more at hearing Kamitani answer this so naturally.

    ¡°If this god-ying n fails, then all the ordinary citizens will basically die. No matter what outside reinforcementse to doter, the several million citizens of this city will all die,¡± Kamitani exined.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to live either since you¡¯ve caused this entire tragedy!¡± Seiji red at him.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m working hard right now to fix things in order to prevent that from happening to me. So help me out, my bro Haruta~¡± Kamitani acted as if he was being spoiled.

    And then, his ck shadow was instantly sliced in half by Seiji¡¯s White Lotus sword which suddenly appeared!

    ¡°You¡¯re so terrible¡­¡± One secondter, the ck shadow reconstructed itself whileining.

    ¡°What does Yakushi have to do with all this?¡± Seiji changed the topic. ¡°Why did he attack this ce?¡±

    ¡°That information truly isn¡¯t something I can freely give out. Don¡¯t be so greedy.¡± Kamitani sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to stay here and chat anymore. Will you help me out or not?¡±

    ¡°I could have captured Yakushi, but you intervened and let him go. In exhange, you must tell more more information.¡± Seiji tried to obtain more information for himself.

    ¡°Greedy boys won¡¯t be popr~¡±

    ¡°I never cared about being popr with you in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°If you keep being like this, you¡¯ll lose me one day!¡±

    ¡°If I could truly do this, I hope that I could lose you forever!¡±

    After they finished their lines that seemed right out of aedy skit, both fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly interesting to chat with you. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any more time.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°Voidfire-kun should be at Kosui Park right now. Feel free to go chat with him.¡±

    Kosui Park¡­ this was the park where Seiji previously went to view cherry blossoms together with Mika and the others. Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    He wanted to ask more questions, but Kamitani¡¯s ck shadow vanished.

    After Seiji confirmed that Kamitani had truly left, he finally rxed his guard and unsummoned his spirit sword.

    ¡°Shika-chan, are you alright?¡± Seiji turned to look at his adopted younger sister.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Shika answered.

    Her clothes were slightly tattered, but she was uninjured.

    When Seiji rushed over, he saw already at the time that Shika appeared to be alright. That was how he was able to calmly n an ambush attack against Yakushi¡¯s true body and then discuss things with Kamitani.

    The snake monster had also disappeared. Natsuya and the others all walked over to meet up with Seiji. It turned out that everybody was alright.

    Thus, the fighting here had ended. Everyone returned to the real world.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Why did you get in my way?¡± Yakushi asked Kamitani.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t getting in your way. Rather, I was saving you.¡±

    ¡°You believed that I would lose?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. His true power is far beyond what you can imagine, especially when he¡¯s in the dream world.¡±

    ¡°Just who was that person?¡±

    ¡°You should be able to guess his identity as well. He is Seiji Haruta.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand. You should give up on your ¡®god-devouring¡¯ n and do other things that you¡¯re supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°As payment for saving you, I¡¯m going to take this new Orochi experimental subject that you¡¯ve created, Yakushi-san.¡± Kamitani chuckled gleefully. However, a dark shadow extended behind him while giving off an aura of terror.

    Something shed in Yakushi¡¯s eyes as he adjusted his gold-rimmed eyesses.

    ¡­¡­

    When everyone returned from their state of Visualization, they all experienced a much stronger sensation of headache and dizzinesspared tost time.

    After they all woke uppletely, they also felt strong levels of fatigue.

    Seiji had everyone rest for a while before he held a meeting to summarize the events of the battle.

    First of all, regarding Yakushi and the snake monster who had appeared. There wasn¡¯t much information obtained about Yakushi since he had left so suddenly in the end. All that Seiji learned was that Yakushi was the person who¡¯d developed Ecstasy, along with being the person who developed the ¡°Yamata no Orochi¡± artificial Awakening project.

    That snake monster was evidently another Orochi experimental subject, just like the previous seven people that Seiji¡¯s group had fought at the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s temple. However, this snake monster seemed much stronger than before.

    If the experimental subject could use such great power already in the dream world, it was likely that it would also be able to wield great power in the real world, even if it was slightly less.

    Yamata no Orochi¡­ In legends, it was rumored to be the most famous evil and vicious monster in Sakura Ind! This eight-headed snake often acted as a boss monster or even final boss in many anime, manga, and video games. It was an extremely well-known monster.

    Artificially Awakening people to have the power of the Orochi? Or, in other words, intentionally creating such a monster? Anyone could imagine just how frightening this would be.

    Right now, this project was still in an experimental stage. But, the subjects were already so powerful! What would happen in the end when this project waspleted?

    Just thinking about it sent chills down everyone¡¯s spines. Not only might the end results be truly frightening, there also might be dire consequences. The experimental process itself was also likely to be incredibly cruel.

    Ecstasy, and the Yamata no Orochi project¡­ Just these two projects alone that Yakushi headed made it certain that he was a highly dangerous individual.

    Were all the highest-ranked members of the Messengers like Yakushi?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know.

    The only other high-ranked member of the Messengers that Seiji knew was Itsuki Kamitani. WIthout a doubt, Kamitani was also highly dangerous. As for how dangerous¡­ it might be possible that he was even more dangerous or higher-ranked than Yakushi because he had convinced Yakushi to leave so easily!

    Kamitani also indicated that he was partly responsible for the real world¡¯s current crisis. Although Seiji didn¡¯t know what specifically Kamitani did, the fact that several million people¡¯s lives were now endangered¡ªincluding Seiji¡¯s and everyone else¡¯s friends and families¡ªwas more than enough for everyone to be furious at Kamitani.

    Although Kamitani imed that this wasn¡¯t the Messengers¡¯ intention to lead to such a crisis, who knew if he was lying or not? And even if Kamitani was telling the truth, the fact was still that he was behind causing such a crisis.

    ording to what Kamitani said, the main person who caused the current incident was the high-ranked Messenger member code-named ¡°Voidfire¡±.

    Kamitani had described Voidfire as a person whose mind was filled with pursuit of justice¡­ Was there truly such a person within the Messengers? This sounded like nothing more than a terrible joke.

    But no matter what, Seiji might be able to contact this person if he went to Kosui Park.

    ¡°Currently, we have two options. We could go to Soul Society, or we could go to Kosui Park,¡± Seiji told everyone. ¡°If we go to Soul Society, it¡¯s not certain if anyone¡¯s even awake there, or if we can obtain any information. And if we go to Kosui Park, we might find a high-ranked member of the Messengers there, along with important information. Or, there might be nothing there at all, or it could even be a trap.

    ¡°Where should we go first¡­ what do you all think?¡±

    Everyone exchanged nces with each other.

    ¡°Seiji, I think you should make the decision,¡± Natsuya told him.

    Seiji faced everyone and felt their expectant gazes. He swiftly and decisively made up his mind.

    ¡°I think that we should go to Kosui Park!¡±

 Chapter 796 - Youre not human!

    <h4>Chapter 796: You¡¯re not human!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    That was the ce where everything began and where everything would end¡­ just joking.

    However, for Seiji¡¯s group, this entire incident indeed began in Kosui Park, with the cherry blossom viewing incident.

    When Seiji saw back then that the cherry blossoms were glowing, he felt that this would be no small incident. Indeed, it turned into a major incident, but he¡¯d never expected that things would be so terrible.

    He had to learn what happened. In order to obtain this important information, it would be worth it to take some risks.

    Seiji finished his preparations, activated the anti-god invisibility, and left his Spirit House, returning to reality.

    The world outside was still cold and dark, with white mist everywhere.

    Compared to how it was at first, the chill was now even stronger than before. The giant spiritual cherry blossom tree was also an even brighter red.

    This meant that the situation was constantly worsening!

    Maybe many people were now in eternal slumber, and would never wake up¡­ Seiji stopped himself from thinking about this and headed for his destination.

    Moving over long distances would cost a significant amount of stamina and mana.

    It was impossible to drive a car on the streets in the current situation. The streets were too clogged for this right now.

    The only usable transportation tool would be a bike.

    Although Seiji was capable of jumping between building rooftops for faster traveling, Seiji had only been to Kosui Park once before. Since visibility was very poor with all the white mist currently, he felt like he would get lost if he traveled on the rooftops.

    Thus, in order to not get lost, Seiji stayed on the streets. Since biking would save him a significant amount of time and energy, Seiji decided to borrow a bike¡­ Well, let¡¯s not go into the small details of how he ¡°borrowed¡± a bike.

    Seiji sped as fast as he could on the bike and finally arrived at Kosui Park.

    This park was ratherrge. Kamitani had only said ¡°Kosui Park¡± without mentioning a more specific location. Seiji thought that he would have to search around the whole park, but he soon sensed something abnormal right after entering the park.

    Heat.

    Feeling heat in this dark and cold environment was just like suddenly encountering mes in the middle of and filled with snow and ice.

    ¡°Voidfire¡±. Seiji figured that this code name was simr to Yakushi¡¯s, a name that represented the individual¡¯s abilities. Judging from this, the person named Voidfire was likely highly skilled at using fire magic.

    Seiji cautiously walked over towards the source of the heat.

    The closer he got, the hotter he felt. It was as if winter had transformed into summer in this high-temperature area.

    And then, Seiji saw burn marks on the ground.

    The more he proceeded forward, the more he felt like he was nearing an active volcano. Seiji increased the strength of his personal barrier to resist against the high heat as he continued onward.

    Then, he saw a ck cherry blossom tree¡­ Seiji tried to walk up and touch it. However, the entire tree copsed and revealed that it was nothing more than ash!

    It seemed that the entire cherry blossom tree had been burnedpletely, leaving only its original shape behind.

    Seiji saw many simr cherry blossom trees as he continued onward. Judging from the scorch marks on the ground, all of this was caused by a single veryrge-scale AOE fire magic spell.

    Finally, Seiji saw a huge pit in the ground.

    This pit was truly deep¡­ Seiji estimated that it was more than thirty meters deep!

    There was no more white mist around this gigantic pit. Seiji could clearly see that there was somethingrge and red in the middle of the bottom of the pit.

    That something resembled a burning me. However, it wasn¡¯t moving¡­ It seemed abnormal, almost as if it was only a picture or a mannequin.

    Seiji took a good look at that red ¡°me¡±.

    That was likely some type of barrier¡­ He was unable to see through it to determine if there was anyone inside.

    Logically speaking, this Voidfire person was probably inside. But, this also might be nothing more than a spell, with the spellcaster no longer being in this area.

    High temperature, a gigantic pit, and mes¡­ Seiji¡¯s first thought was that a meteor had fallen here.

    But if Voidfire was down there right now, had he fallen down there from the sky?

    Seiji looked up and nced over at the crown of the gigantic red cherry blossom tree covering the skies. He felt that this might really be possible.

    Seiji could sense that it was likely dangerous to get any closer to the pit. So, he stood by the side of the pit and shouted a greeting.

    There was no response.

    Seiji tried shouting three more times and still received no response.

    He could only approach closer in order to check things out.

    Seiji cautiously entered the pit and began to move towards its bottom.

    When he was only about ten meters away from that mysterious ¡°me¡±, a small portion of the ¡°me¡± suddenly split off and rapidly approached him!

    [Emergency sh]!

    Seiji instantly decided to activate the third ability of Mika¡¯s character reward card, blinking away instantaneously to dodge this attack.

    *Boom!* The ¡°me¡± crashed into the earth, exploding with a violent heat wave that also created arge hole in the ground.

    After this attack missed, the ¡°me¡± immediately turned around and appeared like it was about to attack again.

    ¡°Ie in peace!¡± Seiji raised both his hands while shouting and swiftly retreating. ¡°Itsuki Kamitani told me toe here¡ª¡±

    *Bam!* The second impact created yet anotherrge pit with an explosion.

    Seiji used the momentum of the shock wave created from the st to swiftly propel himself back to the edge of the pit.

    The ¡°me¡± stopped attacking him and retreated.

    Was this something that the spellcaster personally controlled, or was this apletely automated magical defense system?

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to figure this out.

    ¡°Voidfire-san, my name is Seiji Haruta. I just learned about you recently from Itsuki Kamitani.¡± After a period of silence, Seiji decided to shout this towards the ¡°me¡±. ¡°I heard that you were a person filled with a sense of justice, and that you tried to stop Soul Society from sacrificing innocent citizens, but you failed. I want to know what exactly happened¡­ and if possible, I would like to help resolve the current situation. I truly doe in peace. Pleasee out and talk to me!¡±

    After he shouted this, Seiji waited around.

    Approximately one minuteter, the ¡°me¡± started moving again.

    The ¡°me¡± kept contracting and bing lighter until a humanoid figure was revealed within.

    ¡°Seiji Haruta¡­ what are you?¡± A raspy voice came from the hazy white figure.

    Seiji paused in surprise when he heard this question. He thought that perhaps he might have misheard.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me what I am?¡±

    The white shadow remained silent.

    ¡°I am¡­ a human.¡± Seiji decided to answer like this.

    ¡°Liar!¡± the white shadow¡ªVoidfire¡ªshouted in his raspy voice. ¡°You¡¯re not a human!¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    What the hell? What was all this?

    He was utterly confused.

    Being asked ¡°What are you?¡± by a person he¡¯d just met for the first time, responding with ¡°human¡± and having this answer rejected¡­ What type of expression should he even have here? Why was this even happening?

    ¡°Answer me, what exactly are you!?¡± Voidfire asked once again.

    ¡®Hey, that¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know here!!¡¯

    Seiji really wanted to retort like this, but he could sense that Voidfire was being incredibly serious. Casually retorting might cause Voidfire to react negatively.

    And so, Seiji seriously thought about this question.

    ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m an existence who came here from another world.¡± After thinking about it, Seiji decided to answer seriously in this manner. ¡°After I arrived in this world, I melded together with Seiji Haruta and began to live here with his identity. But, as for who or what exactly I am, even I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡®Since you asked me so sincerely (in such a chuunibyou fashion), I¡¯ll be kind enough to reply seriously (in the same chuunibyou fashion!)¡¯

    Voidfire fell silent once again.

    At this moment, the ¡°me¡± became active again, appearing like it was burning normally, just as if it reflected Voidfire¡¯s emotions.

    Just as Seiji was worried that this high-ranked member of the Messengers would angrily attack him, Voidfire¡¯s raspy voice spoke once again, ¡°An existence from another world¡­ Your true identity should be that of a ¡®divine envoy.¡¯ You, divine envoy who doesn¡¯t know your own self, inhuman existence from another world, mysterious person who pretends to be Seiji Haruta in this world¡­ I¡¯m quite pleased to meet you.¡±

 Chapter 797 - You actually donâ€™t need to be so kind

    <h4>Chapter 797: You actually don¡¯t need to be so kind</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®He¡¯s truly so chuunibyou,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    ¡°Can I ask you why you think I¡¯m a ¡®divine envoy¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re currently using a divine power. I can see it,¡± Voidfire replied.

    ¡®He can see that I¡¯m using the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s power¡­ I understand now. That¡¯s why he mistakenly thought that I wasn¡¯t human when he saw me?¡¯

    ¡°Let me ask again. Why do you think that I¡¯m not human?¡± Seiji decided to directly ask.

    ¡°You have inhuman qualities. I can see right through them,¡± Voidfire replied in his raspy voice.

    Then, his ¡°me¡± contractedpletely and formed into a robe. Voidfire¡¯s actual physical appearance could finally be seen.

    He appeared to be a youth with short orange hair and a pale face. He had bright red eyes and incredibly dark circles under his eyes, making him look rather sickly.

    ¡°If you release your power, you¡¯ll be an incredibly powerful existence. Yet, you¡¯ve restrained yourself instead of doing so, giving you your current form,¡± Voidfire continued talking while beginning to float in midair towards Seiji. ¡°You actually don¡¯t need to be so kind¡­ Restraining yourself to protect humanity and the world will only benefit humans and the world, but not yourself. You¡¯ll be weaker and suffer when you shouldn¡¯t. But precisely because of this, I can tell that you¡¯re foundationally the pure type, someone far too holy for this wicked world with its ugly humans¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite happy to meet you.¡±

    Seiji felt somewhat affected by Voidfire¡¯s words as he watched Voidfirend in front of him.

    Although Voidfire¡¯s words were indeed quite chuunibyou, it also sounded somewhat like Voidfire had seen through the nature of the world, making it difficult to determine if he was simply insane or not.

    Voidfire was a high-ranked member of the Messengers. How likely was it that he had a case of absolutely delusional chuunibyou?

    Seiji felt that would be rtively unlikely.

    Maybe Voidfire indeed suffered from delusional chuunibyou, but he would still be no simple person.

    And what he said about Seiji holding himself back¡­ it was indeed quite true that Seiji had always been ¡°restraining himself¡±. However¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m restraining myself in order to protect myself, not to protect humanity or the world,¡± Seiji stated sincerely.

    Protecting humanity or the world? That was far too serious a topic for him.

    Rather than saying it was for humanity or the world, Seiji was restraining himself for his own sake.

    Voidfire looked directly at him.

    ¡°This way of thinking also proves your holy purity.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He wanted toment on this somehow, but didn¡¯t even know what to say.

    ¡°What did you want from me, divine envoy?¡± Voidfire asked him a question.

    ¡°As I said earlier, I would like to know what exactly happened.¡± Seiji paused for a moment and then rified, ¡°About what you did, and why the world out there became like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Foolish humans have always been making mistakes. I was trying to prevent them from making yet another huge mistake. However, their foolishness plus the wickedness of the world was too much of an obstacle for me to ovee, so I failed,¡± Voidfire replied in his raspy voice. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to say about the process. The world bing like this is because of my mistake plus failure creating an even bigger mistake. But, perhaps this will actually be the correct development for the world¡­¡±

    Correct development for the world? Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°You mean that even without this current incident, such a catastrophe would eventually happen?¡±

    Voidfire remained silent as he lifted his head to look at the spiritual cherry blossom tree in the sky.

    Was that tacit admittance?

    It felt like Voidfire¡¯s words contained much information, but also like he was trying to shift me onto others. Seiji didn¡¯t really understand.

    ¡°ording to Kamitani, eliminating the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess will resolve this incident and return the world to normal,¡± Seiji stated. ¡°There¡¯s apparently a n tobine all the remaining factions¡¯bat strength to y the goddess, although the sess rate might be rather low¡­ Will you be participating in this n?¡±

    ¡°Even if the goddess is in, the mistake still won¡¯t be fixed,¡± Voidfire told him.

    Seiji was rather surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Even if the Catastrophe Goddess is killed, the world still won¡¯t be returned to normal!?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the world will be returned to normal, but humanity won¡¯t be. At the very least, several hundred thousand people in this city will have died because of this mistake,¡± Voidfire said in a light tone.

    Several hundred thousand people¡­ Seiji deeply furrowed his brows.

    He had known that there might end up being a tremendous number of deaths, but he hadn¡¯t thought about the specific numbers before, because he didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    The catastrophe had already happened. Even if the Catastrophe Goddess was in, there would still be countless people that had died already!

    Unless¡­

    ¡°What should be done if it¡¯s possible to prevent this catastrophe before it started?¡± Seiji reflexively asked such a question.

    Something shed in Voidfire¡¯s eyes when he heard this question.

    ¡°Are you able to return to the past, divine envoy?¡±

    Seiji instantly knew that he probably made a mistake right after saying that question out loud. He now feltplex emotions within himself when he heard Voidfire asking this question back.

    ¡°It¡¯s just an if¡­ if it was possible¡­ what could have been done to prevent all this?¡±

    Voidfire took a long look at Seiji.

    Seiji felt rather tense as he faced this high-ranked member of the Messengers.

    Seiji himself didn¡¯t understand why he had suddenly exposed his own ability to go back into the past. Was he simply not careful enough? Or was it because he had been moved by Voidfire¡¯s words?

    ¡°If the divine envoy can truly return to the past, before this mistake urred, then you should go look for me,¡± Voidfire said raspily. ¡°Tell me about the future mistake that¡¯s about to ur, and change my action.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Then how would I find you? And how would I have you believe me?¡±

    ¡°Call my phone number and tell me the password.¡±

    ¡°Password?¡±

    Voidfire nodded and told Seiji his phone number, along with a password that was a long series of numbers and letters.

    Seiji recorded both of these down.

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll believe you when I meet you.¡±

    This could all be resolved so easily?

    No, this wouldn¡¯t be simple at all. Going back to the past was no simple matter.

    Not only that, he would need to contact a high-ranked member of the Messengers and talk to him about the future. That would expose Seiji¡¯s secret power all over again!

    Rather than contacting Voidfire which would likely expose Seiji¡¯s ability to travel back in time, maybe it would be better to contact someone else¡­ such as Yui.

    ¡°I solemnly swear to protect your secret.¡± It seemed as if Voidfire saw right through what Seiji was thinking. ¡°You can also request this of the past version of myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­I find it quite difficult to trust you so easily,¡± Seiji said directly to Voidfire.

    ¡°That is indeed the case if you insist on maintaining your current form.¡± Voidfire also looked directly at him.

    Both remainedpletely silent for a while.

    And then, both sensed something simultaneously as they both turned to look towards the right.

    They saw mist swarming in with red shes as numerous giant spiritual creatures began to swiftly form!

    ¡°We¡¯ve been spotted.¡± Voidfire¡¯s robe began burning up and transforming into me again. ¡°You should leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Seiji inquired.

    Voidfire didn¡¯t reply. The mes around his body started floating upward, forming numerous fireballs that shot towards the Sakura Samurai mist demons that appeared!

    Seiji detected a tremendous amount of danger as if a giant invisible presence was watching him. He could sense that remaining here would be dangerous.

    Voidfire flew up and began a fierce battle against all the mist demons. mes and lights exploded everywhere¡­ Snake Demons and Samurai Demons also began appearing as monsters started swarming from every direction!

    Seiji speedily broke out of the encirclement and left this area.

    Many monsters were chasing after him, and even more were materializing around him¡­ Seiji didn¡¯t slow down as he ran at top speed. He also channeled even more Mana into the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s invisibility power to try and go invisible as quickly as possible!

    He felt that he was likely discovered by the Catastrophe Goddess because she considered Voidfire an important existence.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know how Voidfire was going to escape this¡­ but he figured that a high-ranked member of the Messengers likely wouldn¡¯t die so easily.

    *Boom!!!*

    After Seiji ran a certain distance, a loud explosion suddenly came from behind him, along with a powerful heat wave.

 Chapter 798 - I should be able to do better

    <h4>Chapter 798: I should be able to do better</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji turned around and saw a tremendous red me slowly exploding as if it was a blooming flower!

    The heat wave that Seiji sensed became even more powerful. Many enemy monsters were instantly vaporized by this heat wave.

    Seiji now understood how that giant crater was created when he saw this majestic scene.

    He increased the strength of his defensive barrier and kept running away without looking back.

    Although he didn¡¯t obtain the information that he wanted, he still obtained critical information.

    Voidfire was surprisingly easy to talk to¡ªif Seiji ignored how chuunibyou he was. At least Voidfire had a friendly attitude. Seiji had a much better impression of Voidfire than of Kamitani.

    If it had been possible, Seiji would have wanted to talk to Voidfire for a while longer. Unfortunately, the circumstances didn¡¯t allow for this.

    Of course, having a friendlier attitude didn¡¯t mean that Voidfire was a good person. Seiji knew that he had only a very limited understanding of Voidfire due to only having talked for such a short time. It would be unwise to easily trust a high-ranked member of the Messengers.

    But no matter what, Voidfire¡¯s phone number and password might really be able to stop this incident before it even started.

    There was also the issue of what Voidfire had said to him¡­ Seiji didn¡¯t know how much Voidfire had seen through him. But even if Voidfire was just pretending to have seen through him, it was true that Seiji had been moved.

    Seiji wasn¡¯t restraining himself to protect humanity or the world. He was restraining himself to protect himself. This was what Seiji truly believed.

    However, such a major cmity had happened now. Should he truly continue restraining himself?

    Seiji destroyed all the remaining monsters chasing after him and sessfully entered invisibility. However, he didn¡¯t immediately return to his Spirit House. Instead, he stood on the rooftop of a random building while facing the mist and the gigantic cherry blossom tree. He entered a state of deep contemtion here.

    To be honest, he really was incredibly strong¡­ More urately, he was incredibly strong because of his system that he self-named as the dating sim system.

    As long as he stopped restraining himself, or as Voidfire put it, ¡°released his power¡±, it was a definite that he could be far stronger than he was now.

    No, it should be said that if he abandoned all inhibitions and used his system to its maximum potential, even Seiji himself didn¡¯t know how much he could power up by!

    Yet, that was also the problem.

    If he became too strong, the power he possessed would even make himself afraid. Maybe undoing the seal would end up destroying the world¡­ Such a chuunibyou phrase might reallye true with him.

    Maybe this was all just his own arrogance, his own shallow self-righteousness and pride. But, since his full power potential was unknown, it indeed seemed possible.

    Seiji was honestly quite scared of this possibility, since if he abandoned all inhibitions¡­ He felt like it would be difficult to say if he would still be himself.

    But if he still kept restraining himself from not using his powers too much, could he truly just sit back and watch this catastrophe unfold with so many lives lost?

    All the scenes he saw out on the road shed back into Seiji¡¯s mind¡­ Such tremendous misfortune and tragedy had been right before him. He definitely couldn¡¯t just ignore it all.

    This was no game or movie. This was tragedy in real life!

    And even if he ignored the fate of strangers, what about all his friends?

    Even if he protected all his friends¡¯ lives, their friends and rtives would also be harmed.

    In that case, should he protect every single connected person, or simply give up?

    Protecting more connected people seemed reasonable, but as long as he went down this path, this would only endlessly expand to him needing to protect more and more people who were all connected. In the end, he would still have to take the so-called path of ¡°saving the world¡±.

    So if that was the case, shouldn¡¯t he just stop restraining himself and do everything that he could to protect everyone? Wouldn¡¯t that be far more efficient?

    The only obstacle was his own way of thinking¡­ or, more urately, his own ¡°fear¡±.

    In the end, his own fear was just his worry about what could potentially happen. Things might not develop towards the worst-case scenario that he feared. Yet, the harm that had befallen everyone in the city, along with the massive amount of lives lost, had already concretely happened before his very eyes!

    His own mental weaknesspared to the tremendous number of lives here? It was obvious which should be more important.

    Seiji wanted to resolve himself to use his powers to the fullest.

    However, there was still a tiny part of himself in his heart that resisted.

    This part unreasonably, selfishly, emotionally struggled to resist like a young child throwing a tantrum.

    ¡®This is no good!

    ¡®You¡¯re just an ordinary person with some special powers!

    ¡®Stop being so self-righteous! Don¡¯t fall into the trap of bing prideful!

    ¡®You can¡¯t be a hero who saves the world! Nobody can do that, it¡¯s impossible!!¡¯

    ¡®Shut up¡­¡¯ Seiji wanted to shout that out loud, but in the end, he remained silent.

    Seiji felt fatigued. Standing around on this rooftop wouldn¡¯t aplish anything, so he finally opened up the portal to his Spirit House and entered within.

    Everyone looked at him and heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that he seemed to be alright.

    After responding to Natsuya and everyone else¡¯s concern, Seiji sat down by a table and removed his helmet.

    ¡°I found Voidfire and talked to him for a little¡­ But unfortunately, I didn¡¯t obtain very much information. That¡¯s because the Catastrophe Goddess noticed us and attacked with many spiritual monsters. I managed to escape after some effort. I don¡¯t know what happened to him.¡±

    After that, silence.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ are you really alright?¡± Natsuya saw from his expression that he didn¡¯t seem very spirited.

    ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡­¡±

    ¡°But your expression doesn¡¯t say that you¡¯re fine,¡± Chiaki spoke up. ¡°What did that Voidfire say to you?¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t seem to be injured anywhere, so hisck of energy must have been due to the conversation with Voidfire, Chiaki surmised.

    Seiji responded with silence.

    Everyone began to worry about him when they saw him like this.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ if it¡¯s possible, please tell us,¡± Mika also spoke up. ¡°Although we might not be able to help you, perhaps telling us about it will make you feel better.¡±

    Shika and the others didn¡¯t say anything. They simply expressed their concern through their expressions.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he felt all this.

    He sped and ced both his hands on the table in front of his face. He used this ssical pose to cover half of his expression.

    ¡°Voidfire told me that he saw through me. I don¡¯t know exactly how much of me he saw through, but his words indeed gave me an impact. As for why I was so impacted, it¡¯s because of this catastrophe, and because of all of you¡­¡± Seiji then looked around at everyone as he said this.

    ¡°Everyone¡­ To be honest, I¡¯ve actually been hiding a special power of mine from you all. This power is incredibly strong, almost inconceivably strong. Since it¡¯s far too strong, I don¡¯t dare to casually use it. I cautiously hid this power of mine and kept it as my ace of aces.

    ¡°But now, I¡¯m beginning to feel like this way of treating my power could be wrong. If I had used it more actively, and done certain things more proactively, perhaps this entire incident never would have happened. And even if it was destined to happen, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t have been so terrible.

    ¡°In summary, if it wasn¡¯t for me being afraid of my own power, if only I had used it more properly, perhaps many people could be saved, or maybe they wouldn¡¯t have been hurt at all¡­

    ¡°And now that such a catastrophe has happened, even if we y the Catastrophe Goddess in the end and resolve the situation, there will still be several hundred thousand people that died! Perhaps¡­ no, it¡¯s almost certain that some of those people will include people you know, or even your friends and rtives.

    ¡°And, I can stop all of this.

    ¡°I can do better than this.

    ¡°I should do better than this.

    ¡°As long as I set aside my fear, and stop restraining myself for no good reason, I can¡­ be much stronger, to the point where I can protect many, many people!¡±

    Seiji clenched his hands.

    ¡°But¡­ even though I clearly know all this, even though I know what should be correct, I¡¯m still¡­ afraid. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be myself anymore.

    ¡°Although it sounds rather chuunibyou, to the point where I think I¡¯m beingpletely illogical, I¡¯m still afraid. I¡¯m afraid to imagine what I¡¯ll be¡ªtragic, depressing, fake.

    ¡°Just because of my fear, I haven¡¯t been able to save others that I could have, and I keep hesitating¡­ I¡¯m so useless. I¡¯m the worst.¡±

    Seiji thenughed out loud. He had no idea what emotions hisugh contained.

    ¡°Everyone, please tell me¡­ Just what should I do?¡±

 Chapter 799 - Brother Seiji has the right to be selfish

    <h4>Chapter 799: Brother Seiji has the right to be selfish</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Silence.

    Nobody spoke for a long while after Seiji asked his question.

    Such a question¡­ how were they supposed to answer it?

    Reo and Nozomi were the only ones present who didn¡¯t really know what was going on. Everyone else felt greatly pressured, with Natsuya feeling the most pressure.

    Natsuya knew better than anyone else present just how powerful Seiji was. This was why she felt an immense amount of pressure from his question.

    It was no exaggeration to say that Natsuya currently felt like she was at a fateful turning point in history. She felt like her and everyone else¡¯s answer to Seiji would determine the very future of the world!

    Although Seiji was behaving somewhat chuunibyou, she could tell that he was being quite serious. There was absolutely nothing theatrical about what he was saying. Everyone present could sense this.

    He really was capable of saving several hundred thousand people! Or, he might be able to do even better than that!

    He possessed the power to resolve this entire incident or even reverse all the catastrophe so far. He was as powerful as a god!

    No¡­ saying that he was as powerful as a god might not be urate. It was like he was a god himself!

    By now, Natsuya would be able to ept it even if it really did turn out that Seiji was a god, or if he was the reincarnation of the legendary strongest Yin Yang Master.

    Just what type of power was he talking about? Natsuya was curious about this, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask. Perhaps she unconsciously didn¡¯t dare to ask.

    If she asked, maybe it would still be alright if he didn¡¯t answer, but if he really told her what his power was¡­ Natsuya was worried that how she viewed Seiji would change if she learned what his power that he was so afraid of was.

    She didn¡¯t want to change.

    She wanted to continue liking him¡­ loving him. She didn¡¯t want to treat him as an ascendant existence.

    That was probably what Seiji thought as well.

    He didn¡¯t want to change.

    He didn¡¯t want to stop restraining himself. He didn¡¯t want to casually use his great power as he pleased, because that might make him leave the realm of humanity.

    But right now, with the current catastrophe, it would be impossible to save others without using his greatest amount of power.

    Nobody was counting on him to save everyone out there¡ªalthough this could be said, just thinking about all the victims outside that might include everyone¡¯s friends and rtives¡­ Natsuya was unable to say anything out loud.

    Natsuya definitely had someints about her family. However, this absolutely didn¡¯t mean that she wanted her family to die!

    Although the Yoruhana Family members were likely powerful enough to survive this catastrophe, there was also the matter of all the ordinary people that she knew, such as the other members of the student council, as well as her ssmates¡­ Even if she wasn¡¯t well-acquainted enough with all of them to say that they were her friends, Natsuya definitely didn¡¯t want to see these people die.

    Seiji didn¡¯t have the mission of saving everyone. Nobody would have such a mission. But if he had such a power, should he just watch on the sidelines and let everything happen?

    That was Seiji¡¯s inner conflict.

    He had the power to save this city, to save several hundred thousand or even more lives. However, he still wanted to maintain his sense of self. What should he choose in such a situation?

    Be a god for the sake of other people¡¯s lives? Or abandon other people¡¯s lives and continue remaining human?

    Just how was such a question supposed to be answered?

    Natsuya didn¡¯t know.

    If she was in Seiji¡¯s situation, she wouldn¡¯t know what she would choose.

    What about everyone else?

    ¡°Just do what you think is best.¡±

    Mai was the first person to break the silence.

    The maid had a calm expression as she looked directly at Seiji. ¡°This is your own problem. Only you can make the decision. Asking for help from others is just acting spoiled.¡±

    Something instantly subtly changed in the atmosphere.

    Seijiughed out loud once again.

    ¡°Saying that I¡¯m acting spoiled seems too harsh, Senpai.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you think it is, Young Master Haruta?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that now is a good time to be calling me Young Master¡­¡±

    ¡°My apologies, oh great God Haruta.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a god¡­¡±

    ¡°You could be a god as long as you wanted. Isn¡¯t that exactly what you meant with your earlier words? No¡­ You could be someone above a divine existence, Kamijou-sama.¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    He didn¡¯t know what type of expression he should have right now.

    But since someone had finally spoken up, the atmosphere was no longer so tense that nobody could say anything.

    ¡°I also think that you should do what you want to, Seiji.¡± Mika was the second to speak up. ¡°None of us can make the decision for you or share the burden for you. You¡¯ll have to do it yourself¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Although Mika didn¡¯t know Seiji¡¯s strength as well as Natsuya did, she also knew that Seiji was incredibly strong. In fact, from a certain standpoint, she was even clearer on this than Natsuya was.

    Seiji had already shown before that he had the power to resurrect people from the dead. Just this alone would surely be a heavy burden!

    Seiji had been carrying that burden of his power by himself for all this time. Whether to use that power or not, which would increase his burden, was something only he could decide.

    ¡®All I can do is stay by his side,¡¯ Mika thought to herself.

    Apanying him might not be much help¡­ well, it might be a little bit of help, but Mika knew that she was more likely to be a burden than help with her current power level. She knew that she needed to work harder.

    ¡°No need to apologize, Mika.¡± Seiji looked at her. ¡°The problem¡¯s with me¡­ I¡¯m being too selfish.¡±

    ¡°Brother Seiji has the right to be selfish,¡± Shika suddenly spoke up.

    Everyone looked at her.

    ¡°Brother Seiji has already done so well. There¡¯s no need for you to do any better,¡± Shika spoke with absolute confidence in front of everyone. ¡°If Brother Seiji doesn¡¯t want to change, then there¡¯s no need to change. Rather than using your full power, I think that it¡¯s more important that you don¡¯t change. The same power will always be used differently by different people. If Brother Seiji changes, then you won¡¯t use your power like how you used to. No matter how strong you be, it will all be meaningless then.¡±

    ¡°Shika-chan¡­¡± Seiji looked at his adopted younger sister.

    Shika¡¯s attitude was quite clear: rather than saving other people, she cared more about Seiji himself.

    It didn¡¯t matter to her about all the casualties from this incident.

    Whether it be several hundred thousand people, or even several million people, their deaths weren¡¯t the fault or responsibility of her adopted older brother.

    In her opinion, if Seiji was forced to change himself for the sake of saving others, that would be the worst possible thing.

    If it wasn¡¯t for worrying about Seiji¡¯s feelings and what the others thought of her, she would have immediately replied with ¡°you don¡¯t need to change¡±.

    It was just several hundred thousand people? So what if they died?

    She would still answer the same way if someone that a person here knew had died.

    She would still answer the same way if someone present right here, or even if she herself had died.

    Her Brother Seiji didn¡¯t need to change. He didn¡¯t have the responsibility of having to save others. He simply needed to be himself.

    Although he probably wouldn¡¯t be so cruel¡­ It was precisely because she knew that he wouldn¡¯t be so cruel that she needed to say this.

    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re the most important one. Before saving others, you need to protect yourself first,¡± Shika stated quite clearly.

    ¡®If you can¡¯t even protect yourself, you should give up on protecting others.¡¯

    Shika believed that to be correct.

    If the others couldn¡¯t say something like this, then she would be the one to say it.

    Right now, everyone else apart from Seiji felt that the ck-haired beauty had quite a cold and distant expression.

    Even if everyone in the entire city had died, it would be fine as long as her Brother Seiji was still alive and well¡­ Natsuya and the others could tell that was what she truly thought.

    It was impossible for anyone else present to think this way.

    Only Shika Kagura¡­ this girl who had once been abandoned and ignored by the world¡­ would be able to ignore the world in this way.

 Chapter 800 - It would be best if both could be achieved

    <h4>Chapter 800: It would be best if both could be achieved</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Seiji was quite moved by his adopted younger sister¡¯s heartfelt intentions.

    It was impossible for him to only care about himself and ignore everything else. Still, he was quite grateful that Shika cared about him so much.

    ¡°I also think that protecting yourself is the most important,¡± Hisashi spoke up next. ¡°If changing yourself means that you won¡¯t be the current you anymore, then it might really be better not to change yourself.¡±

    The blond-haired mafia otaku¡¯s tone was quite serious. He didn¡¯t sound even the slightest bit chuunibyou.

    His father, older brother, and all the people of the Juumonji Mafia group were currently in danger. Even so, he was still calmly thinking things through and not just wanting Seiji to use his full powers to save others.

    That was because Hisashi had already personally witnessed a concrete example of what might happen if someone became too addicted to chasing after power. Even now, he still remembered the events of traveling down to Hell together with his younger sister Kaede in order to save his foolish older brother Zankita as if it had happened yesterday.

    At that time, Hisashi had relied on Seiji¡¯s power to resolve the situation. But what if Seiji ended up having the same problem as Zankita? Who would resolve the situation then?

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really agree with you,¡± Yukari slowly spoke up. ¡°Is it really that necessary to be afraid of using one¡¯s power? Seiji himself said that he¡¯s only afraid of the worst possible scenario. But, maybe things won¡¯t be as bad as he thinks if he stops restraining himself. Even if he¡¯s corrupted by his own power, he should be able to conquer himself with his own willpower.¡±

    Just like Hisashi, she was saying this because of her own personal experience.

    She had used her own willpower to break free from the control of her mystical connection. Even now, she was fighting for her own sense of self against her Awakened power. She believed that this was a trial where fear and trying to run away would be useless. Only bravely facing things head on would be the best method in her mind.

    Yukari viewed Seiji¡¯s situation as a vastly magnified version of her own situation. Although he was far more powerful than she was, the logic would be the same. Although choosing to run away seemed like a possible choice, she believed that it was more of a dead end.

    ¡°But if he really does change, he might lose everything,¡± Kaede spoke up. ¡°Seiji must have his deep reasons for being so worried. Acquiring an iparably great power is usually apanied by a heavy price.¡±

    Since Kaede had also been down in Hell to save her idiot of an older brother Zankita who was corrupted by power, she had the same view as her brother Hisashi.

    ¡°I think that¡­¡± Hoshi spoke up weakly. ¡°Although I really want Senpai to save everyone dear to us, if the price for that is that Senpai has to change, I think it might not be worth it.¡±

    People change. Hoshi¡¯s personal experience gave him a deep impression of this ssical phrase.

    People sometimes changed for the better, and sometimes changed for the worse. Naturally, it would be good if they changed for the better, but a bad change might be worse than any other possible situation.

    If his senpai became someone with an evil personality¡­ Hoshi felt tremendous fear from just trying to imagine it. He didn¡¯t dare to even think too much along these lines.

    ¡°Basically, this is like a gamble.¡± Kazuko adjusted her eyesses. ¡°If Seiji¡¯s personality doesn¡¯t change after releasing his full power, then everything will be all good. If his personality greatly changes and bes something evil, then not only will he not save people, he might even harm others, and the first people to be harmed will probably be us.¡±

    Everyone fell silent after Kazuko said this.

    ¡°In the end, only Seiji himself can make the decision,¡± Mayuzumi said softly. ¡°We all hope that Seiji can maintain his sense of self, and also hope that everyone else can be saved. It would be best if both could be achieved¡­ But if only one side can be chosen, only Seiji himself can decide which side to choose.¡±

    Just like Mika, Mayuzumi wanted to apologize to Seiji because she wasn¡¯t of much help to him. Rather, she was a muchrger burden than help.

    Seiji had helped everyone here, but not a single person was able to help him. This seemed truly tragic to her.

    ¡°I agree with Amami-san. Seiji should choose for himself,¡± Kaho voiced her opinion.

    She had once be fallen and harmed her own older sister Karen. Kaho had only returned to normal due to her sister and Seiji¡¯s assistance. She felt that she didn¡¯t have the right to say anything and that she should simply trust him.

    Nozomi who silently listened to everyone¡¯s opinions now had a general understanding of what was going on. However, she didn¡¯t intend to say anything. She simply hugged Reo who was now asleep and taking a nap while gently looking at Seiji.

    Both of Natsuya¡¯s Spirit-branded Retainers, Hitaka and Rana, also remained silent. Hitaka stood still with her arms folded, while Rana blinked innocently.

    Chiaki took a long look at Seiji¡¯s face. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end, didn¡¯t. She simply showed an expression ofplete trust in Seiji.

    She felt that there was nothing to say.

    Natsuya also felt the same way. She smiled at Seiji and expressed her feelings in this manner.

    Seiji slowly looked around at everyone and sensed their opinions before he closed his eyes.

    In the end, the best answer he could arrive at was the most clich¨¦ one¡ªit would be best if both could be achieved!

    He should save everyone in the city, but he also needed to maintain his sense of self.

    In the end, this was all because he was mentally too weak.

    Because he deeply realized that he was foundationally still an ordinary person, hecked confidence¡­ He didn¡¯t have the confidence to maintain his sense of self if he casually used his greatest power of saving and loading as he pleased. That was why he asked for help from all hispanions.

    He felt that Mai had been correct. He was acting spoiled.

    The problem was with himself. The choice was also his to make. He had to take the responsibility of making the decision.

    After much frustration, contemtion, and inner conflict¡­ In the end, Seiji¡¯s final decision was to: ¡°take things slowly¡±.

    He would start to use his save and load ability more proactively and more often. However, he wouldn¡¯t be increasing his usage too much at first. It would be a gradual process for him.

    He would carefully and cautiously begin using his power more often.

    Since he had to use it in order to save everyone, but he was also worried about himself, this was all he could do.

    Of course, this was quite a roundabout and unbing way of doing things. He was just like a young child who was afraid of walking in the dark. But for Seiji, this was the best possible method he coulde up with which would achieve both purposes.

    ¡®So what if this is roundabout and unbing? I was simply an ordinary otaku in my past life, not some major personage,¡¯ Seiji sardonically thought to himself.

    He had his limits. Seiji was quite clear on this. It would be too difficult for him to precisely control his save and load ability which seemed to have absolutely zero limitations or cost.

    But no matter what, he could only carry this burden as he moved forward.

    No matter how slowly he progressed.

    No matter how much more he needed to think about it with frustration and inner conflict.

    He would still need to move forward.

    After making up his mind, Seiji slowly opened his eyes to reveal a fiercely determined look.

    ¡°Thank you, everyone¡­

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t dare to say that I won¡¯t have any more confusion in the future, I¡¯ll definitely try my very best.

    ¡°I won¡¯t change my current self. Or at least, I won¡¯t change most of who I am, but I¡¯ll also go and save everyone that I should save.

    ¡°I shall do my best to use my power appropriately, rather than being controlled by my own power.¡±

    Everyone else heaved a sigh of relief when they saw his current expression and heard his words. They were all sincerely happy for him.

    Although no fight had urred, everyone felt like they had just ovee a major obstacle.

    If anyone had said something wrong or unnecessary, maybe something would have changed the future for far worse¡­ Such pressure of the unknown was far too much! Perhaps a life and death battle might really have been easier.

    Thankfully, this all finished without a hitch.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to go visit Soul Society,¡± Seiji told everyone. ¡°I want to see if I can find anyone there and obtain more information.¡±

    He was now absolutely certain that he would load back into the past in order to save the lives of the several hundred thousand people who had already perished when the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess descended and froze everyone.

    However, before he ¡°left¡± this timeline, he would first do everything he could to obtain more information first.

    Every time he loaded felt like he was abandoning an entire world to him¡­ He would have to face his feelings of guilt directly and shoulder this burden.

    Since he had now resolved himself, he would have to carry this burden properly.

    ¡®Perhaps¡­ I¡¯m not even saving anything. Maybe I¡¯m just arrogantly thinking that I¡¯m saving others,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    But even so, he was still going to take this path.

    Even if he was only saving himself, he would persist down this path.

 Chapter 801 - Having humans always be reasonable

    <h4>Chapter 801: Having humans always be reasonable</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Hoping that humans would always be reasonable was something far too foolish to hope for.

    This was a maxim of the world, as well as something that was useless to say. Or, perhaps it was something useless to say that was close to a maxim of the world.

    What exactly did this mean?

    A maxim would be a general truth that just about everyone agreed upon. For example, physical differences between male and female, or that people would die if they were killed, or that the sun rose in the east and set in the west¡­ These were all maxims, but were also basically useless to say, because this was allmon sense that everyone understood without needing to say it.

    Would hoping that humans would always be reasonable be foolish? Of course it would be.

    Anyone that had any type of emotions or feelings at all would never be able to say that they would forever be able to remain logical and reasonable.

    But, if you were pedantic about it, things would be rather subtle.

    What exactly was being ¡°reasonable¡±?

    Basically, reason was thebination of logic and intelligence, the ability to discern right from wrong and urately make decisions. Still, everyone would have different interpretations of what ¡°reason¡± was.

    And, the most definitive way to determine if a person was reasonable or not didn¡¯t depend on the opinion of a single person. Nor would a group or even every person in the world be able to determine that. Being reasonable depended on the objective facts. More urately, it depended on the reality which included the future.

    That was the problem.

    In most situations, it would be impossible to predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. That was why it would be impossible to predict if a person was being reasonable or not at the time, or if a person¡¯s decision at the time regarding what to do about the future was reasonable or not.

    Every definitive assessment of someone being reasonable or not had to be made in the future when looking back at the past!

    People in the present could sigh about how foolish or unreasonable that people were in the past. But, no matter what lessons people learned, it would still be impossible to determine if the people in the present were being reasonable. That was because it was impossible for anyone to one hundred percent predict the future with total uracy.

    It was impossible for humans to always be reasonable. This was indeed a maxim of the world. But depending on the time, ce, and situation, this phrase might be eitherpletely useless or even worse than garbage.

    In summary, reason was precious, but it was often difficult to determine if a decision was reasonable or not¡ªsuch as with Soul Society¡¯s decision.

    Sacrificing several thousand people in order to forcibly lock and choose the location that the Realm of Cherry Blossoms would descend upon¡­ Was that a reasonable decision?

    Just by looking at the number of people to be sacrificed, one could say that it was unreasonable. But, when considering how this could help avoid an even greater disaster, it would indeed be ¡°reasonable¡± in context.

    Yui Haruta hated this type of ¡°reason¡±, yet she was unable to resist against it.

    That was because she was forced to admit that Soul Society¡¯s decision was ¡°correct¡±.

    Sacrificing a small portion of the whole in order to protect the whole. Human society had always maintained its order in a such a way before. There was nothing wrong with Soul Society making such a decision.

    She didn¡¯t feel good about it, but that was her personal issue. She could only shut away her own emotions and carry out her role properly.

    Yet¡­

    ¡°Is this news real?¡±

    She was currently talking to Seiji. He had just asked her this question in such a serious tone after telling her the information he¡¯d received from Kamitani.

    Yui found it impossible to answer him.

    She could only respond with silence.

    Her silence was a tacit admittance.

    Seiji evidently understood as he had also turned silent for a while.

    ¡°Is there truly no other way?¡± After a long silence, Seiji finally spoke up again. ¡°A method where nobody will die.¡±

    There was.

    If Soul Society went all out without caring about the price, it was possible not to sacrifice anyone. However, that would be no good.

    Some prices would be heavier than even sacrificing several thousand innocent civilians. That was because that might end up costing them several tens of thousands or even more lives in the end!

    Yui didn¡¯t want to answer. But when faced with her younger brother¡¯s expression, she still ended up telling him in the end.

    ¡°There is, but it won¡¯t be used.¡±

    While saying this, she did her very best not to express any emotions.

    ¡°Because it will cause an even greater loss, is that right?¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Yes.¡± While answering, Yui suddenly felt a subtle sensation.

    She didn¡¯t understand what this subtle sensation was. It felt akin to d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but maybe it was something else instead?

    ¡°Let me guess what this ¡®greater loss¡¯ could be.¡± Seiji looked directly at her. ¡°It must be something that Soul Society has judged to be too important to lose at this current point in time. For example, a powerful artifact. Am I right?¡±

    Yui instantly widened her eyes in surprise.

    ¡°Did Kamitani tell you that?¡±

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Seiji answered calmly. ¡°I guessed it with my instincts and also through another information channel.¡±

    Another information channel? Could he be referring to¡­

    Yui¡¯s first thought was the national idol, Miyuki Sakuraku.

    ¡°Soul Society temporarily sealed the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ Dimensional Eye with this artifact, am I right? Rather than using this artifact too much, which might break it or cause it to be unusable for a long period of time, it would be ¡®cheaper¡¯ to sacrifice a few thousand people¡¯s lives. Am I right?¡± Seiji continued asking questions.

    Although he was asking as if he didn¡¯t know, everything he said had been exactly on the mark.

    Yui nodded in confirmation. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it is.¡±

    ¡°What exactly is this powerful artifact?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°The Yasakani no Magatama.¡± Yui decided to directly tell him.

    The three major mystical artifacts of Sakura Ind were household names that everybody knew. These three artifacts were the Kusanagi sword, the Yata no Kagami mirror, and the Yasakani no Magatama jewel. Naturally, these three artifacts often appeared in anime and manga.

    In the spiritual society, these three artifacts were the most powerful spiritual artifacts around. Currently, these three artifacts were in the possession of the seven major Yin Yang Master families. This was also one of the reasons why the seven major families were at the very top in the current spiritual society. It would be no exaggeration to say that these three artifacts were the pinnacle of Sakura Ind¡¯s spiritual world! What they represented, along with their actual power, would be incredibly important.

    Anyone who possessed all three spiritual artifacts simultaneously would be able to conquer the entire world¡­ Okay, that was an exaggeration.

    But, if anyone managed to obtain all three spiritual artifacts which were currently in the seven major families¡¯ possession, then that person¡¯s power level would definitely reach the rank of number one in all of Sakura Ind.

    One of the three major spiritual artifacts versus the lives of a few thousand ordinary civilians. It was likely that most spiritual ability users wouldn¡¯t even need to think about which would be more important to them.

    Soul Society¡¯s decision was ¡°correct¡±.

    At least, on the surface.

    ¡°If sacrificing a few thousand lives can protect the Yasakani no Magatama and the city, then maybe that will be worth it,¡± Seiji continued speaking in a calm tone. ¡°But will things really happen that way?¡±

    Yui blinked in surprise.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Will Soul Society¡¯s n be obstructed by any outside parties? For instance, won¡¯t the Messengers do anything?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already prepared to deal with the Messengers.¡±

    ¡°Your preparations are absolutely infallible?¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as anything that¡¯s absolutely infallible.¡±

    ¡°I know that. I just wanted to know whether Soul Society was confident or not in being able to stop them if the Messengers tried anything at this time. I want to know if there¡¯s any guarantee of the situation not bing far worse.¡± Seiji looked directly at Yui¡¯s face.

    Yui felt that subtle sensation returning again. She couldn¡¯t help but avert her gaze.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about such things.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pry into stuff that isn¡¯t my business. However, I have an ominous premonition.¡± Seiji¡¯s tone became heavier. ¡°Kamitani went to the trouble of telling me the information that Soul Society intends to sacrifice a few thousand people. Why exactly did he do that? Was he hinting at something? Or did he want to lure me into doing something?

    ¡°I feel like he¡¯s plotting something, and I might be one factor in his n. Or, maybe I¡¯m just an insignificant disturbance to him.

    ¡°But no matter what, I really do have an ominous premonition.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san, are you certain that Soul Society¡¯s preparations haven¡¯t missed anything? For instance, something that might have been missed, or a certain person that might have been missed¡­¡±

    After hearing Seiji¡¯s words, Yui swiftly went over Soul Society¡¯s full n in her mind. She went through all the relevant information, events, and people¡­

    Soul Society¡¯s n couldn¡¯t be said to be perfect. Still, she felt that Soul Society¡¯s n was rtivelyplete.

    Unless¡­

    She suddenly thought of a youth with orange short hair, a pale face, red eyes with a distant look, and heavy dark circles under his eyes.

    If that person¡­ if he was released¡­

    Yui suddenly felt uneasy when she thought of this possibility.

    It didn¡¯t seem likely, but¡­ Kamitani¡­ just might¡­

    The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.

    A deep light shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he quietly watched Yui¡¯s expression flicker.

 Chapter 802 - Is it no good even if I hug your leg and beg you?

    <h4>Chapter 802: Is it no good even if I hug your leg and beg you?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji could only tell Yui a limited amount of information without revealing his ability to travel back in time.

    If it was truly necessary, Seiji was resolved to tell Yui about his ability. However, he wanted to avoid doing so if possible. He had a premonition that telling her about his ability might result in somethingpletely unimaginable.

    Even without his premonition, he found it difficult to trust Soul Society as much as he had before he personally witnessed the destruction wrought in the city.

    Although he¡¯d never trusted Soul Society that much to begin with, the fact that Soul Society hadn¡¯t been able to stop that catastrophe made him trust Soul Society even less.

    The scene of destruction upon the city had been incredibly beautiful with all the cherry blossoms falling down. Hundreds of thousands of people had died as an indirect result of the cherry blossoms as they had perished in idents caused by the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s power freezing everyone with no spiritual abilities in ce. That had been an incredibly cruel scene¡­ Even now, Seiji felt a chill just remembering the scene.

    He didn¡¯t want to remember the scene at all. However, it was etched deeply into his mind. Just even thinking about rted topics would cause the scene to rey itself in his mind with great rity.

    Not a single other person in this timeline knew what he had seen. He was back at the conversation with his older sister. Nothing had happened yet. That beautiful yet cruel scene was something only he knew.

    Did this count as only him being saved, or that he was the only one who hadn¡¯t been saved?

    He didn¡¯t know.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to ponder such a philosophical question.

    He had to continue onward.

    It seemed like his sister Yui had thought of some possibility. She would probably do something that might change Voidfire¡¯s action.

    If this was sessful, that might be enough to change the future¡­ but would it really be that sessful?

    No.

    Seiji was unable to convince himself that just by having Yui and Soul Society be on guard against Voidfire would be enough to prevent that cruel incident from urring again.

    He had to do even more.

    ¡°By the way, even if my premonition is wrong, and Soul Society¡¯s n won¡¯t be interfered with, will there be any potential problems with the n itself?¡± Seiji continued asking questions. ¡°I know that this is a different situation from the Bloodwine Ritual tournament incident. But, will such an incident truly not happen again?¡±

    Yui remained silent and didn¡¯t reply.

    Seiji felt that perhaps she was thinking, or perhaps she simply didn¡¯t want to reply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say again that the n won¡¯t have any problems, and Soul Society will sessfully sacrifice several thousand lives in order to lock the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ location,¡± Seiji continued. ¡°But, is that really fine? The choice between several thousand lives and the Yasakani no Magatama seems quite simple. But, those are actual human lives. They¡¯ll all be dead once sacrificed.

    ¡°This time, Soul Society is willing to sacrifice a few thousand. What about the next time? Several tens of thousands? The next time after that? Several hundred thousand?

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s rather extreme for me to extrapte along this path. But, as long as there are benefits to be had,rge amounts of ordinary civilians can be sacrificed. Is Soul Society really fine as an organization like this?

    ¡°Although the Yasakani no Magatama is precious, although it¡¯s a powerful artifact, it¡¯s still a dead object. It¡¯s just a tool.

    ¡°Tools should be used for the sake of humanity. Human lives shouldn¡¯t be sacrificed in order to protect a tool. That¡¯s what I believe.

    ¡°Maybe my way of thinking is too na?ve. But what¡¯s wrong with being na?ve? Soul Society is a new faction. They should separate themselves from the old. If Soul Society is willing to sacrifice several thousand ordinary civilians¡¯ lives in order to preserve a powerful artifact, what difference does that have from the old and rotten factions from before?¡±

    Yui¡¯s expression noticeably flickered after Seiji said all this. However, she still remained silent.

    ¡°Do you agree with what I say, Yui nee-san?¡± Seiji asked her with utmost directness.

    ¡°Whether I agree or not is meaningless,¡± Yui said in a soft voice.

    Soul Society had already made its decision. She was powerless to stop it.

    ¡°It is meaningful.¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you agree with me, then tell me the information on the Yasakani no Magatama. Maybe I can change¡ª¡±

    Yui¡¯s gaze instantly hardened when she heard this. She immediately interrupted him, ¡°You want me to betray Soul Society?¡±

    ¡°Whether it counts as betrayal or not depends on you.¡± Seiji directly looked into her sharp gaze.

    The atmosphere suddenly became very heavy.

    ¡°You can¡¯t change anything. Don¡¯t be too arrogant,¡± Yui told him.

    ¡°Perhaps, but you never know unless you try.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to bear the price for trying something like this.¡±

    ¡°Whether I can bear the price or not is something for me to decide.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re so strong just because of your past excellent achievements.¡± Yui¡¯s tone became severe.

    After a short moment of silence, Seiji responded with a smile.

    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, Yui nee-san. But, please don¡¯t treat me like a little child. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± he said in a serious tone.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Yui instantly denied. ¡°You have no understanding of how powerful Soul Society is.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I barely have any understanding of Soul Society¡¯s power. But even if I did, that wouldn¡¯t change what I must do.¡± Seiji remained adamant.

    ¡°Why? Will this benefit you in any way?¡±

    This wasn¡¯t a matter of personal benefit for Seiji. It was that if things were allowed to develop as they were, the entire city would meet with a devastating future.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you the reason. I have an ominous premonition about all this.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°This cruel n, Kamitani¡¯s actions, the Messengers and Soul Society¡­ With everything currently as is, I feel that the worst possible oue might ur. This n is just like arge ship. Everyone thinks that it wille up against a strong thunderstorm at most. But, nobody realizes that there¡¯s an unavoidable cier lying ahead.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just being overly anxious,¡± Yui told him. ¡°Or, you¡¯re just being too arrogant. You keep thinking that you have to do something to prevent things from bing worse. You think you can save the world? Indeed, you created a miracle before. But, you shouldn¡¯t be allured by that sensation. Miracles are miracles because they don¡¯t ur repeatedly. There¡¯s not that many things in the world that require you to do. You¡¯re not the savior of the world. Stop worrying so much about everything.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t be too arrogant.¡¯ Yui was expressing this to him.

    Seiji could only smile bitterly in his mind.

    If at all possible, he didn¡¯t want to behave so ¡®arrogantly¡¯!

    He knew better than anyone that he wasn¡¯t a hero who could save the world.

    It was just that he saw a terrible ending for the city. He had to do something about it.

    ¡°Then just think of all of this as me being arrogant. No matter the reason, I really do have an ominous premonition about everything. That¡¯s why I absolutely can¡¯t allow myself to sit back and do nothing.¡± Seiji remained adamant. ¡°Please say something to your arrogant, anxious, foolish, and ignorant younger brother. At the very least, you should say something to console me. Is that no good, Yui Nee-san?¡±

    Yui was rendered speechless.

    He was basically being incredibly shameless in asking her for information here.

    For a moment, she really did want to tell him something. But, she restrained herself.

    She hardened her heart and spoke in a cold tone, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Is it no good even if I hug your leg and beg you?¡± Seiji looked directly at his sister¡¯s beautifully proportioned legs.

    Yui¡¯s face reddened slightly and she averted her gaze as she imagined such a thing happening.

    ¡°That¡¯s even more of a no. I¡¯d kick you off my car if you did that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hug you really tightly so that it doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of how tightly you hug my leg!¡±

    ¡°Then can I switch it to licking your leg?¡±

    ¡°Get the hell out!¡±

    ¡°I was just joking¡­¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°Yui Nee-san, could you please give me an emergency way of contacting you? I need a method to immediately contact you under any circumstances.¡±

    Yui remained silent.

    ¡°Er¡­ if you¡¯re still angry because of my joke just now, I apologize.¡± Seiji awkwardly scratched his face.

    Yui looked at him again and asked him seriously, ¡°Seiji¡­ just what exactly do you know?¡±

    Seiji blinked.

    As expected, his older sister was quite sensitive¡­ no, sharp.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know very much. It really is nothing more than a terrible premonition. I just want to prevent the worst from happening,¡± he told her.

    Yui looked directly at his face.

    Seiji calmly looked back at her.

    ¡°The ck cell phone I previously gave you as a gift has a hidden function for contacting others. I originally wanted you to discover it for yourself.¡± Yui then exined how to activate it to him. ¡°Even if your cell phone doesn¡¯t have any charge left, or even if you¡¯re in an Inner World with no cell phone service, you¡¯ll still be able to use this function to contact me.¡±

 Chapter 803 - Just because Im your friend

    <h4>Chapter 803: Just because I¡¯m your friend</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡®Should I try redoing this conversation again?¡¯

    Seiji thought that to himself as he watched Yui¡¯s car drive off after their conversation.

    Should he load again and redo this conversation? Would that help him to obtain even more information?

    After thinking about it, he felt that it would currently be difficult for him to convince her to give him any more information. Redoing this conversation again would likely be meaningless.

    If it would have been meaningful, Seiji would have unhesitatingly loaded.

    Compared to before, he was now more willing to use his save and load ability for more ¡°minor¡± reasons. This was his way of more proactively using his ability.

    If hepletely abandoned all inhibitions, he could¡­ no, he definitely would be some type of existence that was different from ordinary humans.

    For ordinary people, time flowed in a straight line, from past to present, from present to future, like a flowing river that couldn¡¯t be changed.

    But if Seijipletely went all out with his save and load ability with zero restrictions whatsoever, even if he was able to maintain his sense of self, he felt that his sense of time would be warped. That was because time would be porous to him.

    Seiji had the ability to keep as many save files as he wanted. Each save file was like a timeline. He could choose any point in time where he had a save file and start from that timeline, which would then create a new timeline when he reached a point where he made a different decision from before.

    This was just like the different paths possible in each ythrough of a dating sim game. Except, this game was the real world, and there was an infinite number of possible timelines. Seiji could casually jump around, go to, or repeat any timeline that he wanted, with zero restrictions or cost¡­

    If he really did such a thing, using his ability to the fullest to experience as many timelines as possible, then the world that he saw would be tremendously different from the world that everyone else knew.

    At that time, even if Seiji was still able to maintain his sense of self, he would no longer be the same ¡°Seiji¡±. He would be more like a certain time traveler who called himself a mad scientist.

    Besides, Seiji wasn¡¯t confident that he would be able to maintain his sense of self if he went all out with his ability like that. Even if he didn¡¯t have a mental breakdown like that mad scientist time traveler, he really might go crazy in a different way.

    That was why he didn¡¯t want to use his ability wantonly.

    Whether or not he needed to load was incredibly important to him.

    It could be said that these were the ¡°rules¡± that he set for himself.

    The first rule that Seiji just set for himself was how far back in time to load.

    The farther back in time that he went, the more careful he would need to be.

    For instance, he would be more careful about loading back to one day in the pastpared to one hour in the past.

    The farther back in the past, the more he would consider how necessary it was to do this.

    However, if he deemed it absolutely necessary, he would repeatedly load back to a critical moment as many times as it took until he achieved a satisfactory result.

    Of course, he would also be careful about repeated loading. Still, he could be less careful after the first time.

    Obviously, his conversation with his sister Yui was an important moment in time. If it had been necessary, Seiji would have loaded repeatedly until he obtained the result that he wanted.

    But since he judged that it was difficult for him to currently obtain any more information from her, he decided against it.

    Seiji still wasn¡¯t quite used to this way of thinking.

    No¡­ this way of thinking was more akin to different ways by which he could choose to y a dating sim game. It wasn¡¯t a matter of getting used to it or not. It was more of whether he epted it or not.

    Seiji hoped that he would never have to ¡°get used to it¡±.

    He returned to his apartment and went to his study. He then sat down in his chair and took out his cell phone to make a call.

    The call connected.

    ¡°Hey, my bro Haruta,¡± Kamitani¡¯s voice replied on the other end of the phone.

    ¡°Good evening, Kamitani-kun. Are you free now?¡± Seiji asked calmly.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually rather busy. But since my bro Haruta is calling me, I do have some time to at least chat~¡±

    ¡°Are you busy with preparing to attack Soul Society and trying to steal the Yasakani no Magatama?¡±

    Kamitani instantly fell silent for a while.

    And then, heughed.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right! How did you know, my bro Haruta?¡±

    ¡°You were the one who told me about it.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡±

    ¡°You went out of your way to give me so many hints. I would be rather stupid if I still couldn¡¯t guess what you, or maybe I should say the Messengers, intended to do.¡±

    Kamitaniughed even more uproariously this time.

    Seijiughed as well, letting Kamitani hear hisughter loud and clear.

    The two of them bothughed into their phones for a while. They then simultaneously stopped.

    ¡°Should I say that you satisfied my expectations, or that you didn¡¯t¡­?¡± Kamitani¡¯s tone became rather deep. ¡°What do you want to do, my bro Haruta?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to stop you guys. I¡¯ve already told my guess to Yui. She¡¯s probably having Soul Society increase their vignce level right now. Your attack will be highly difficult.¡±

    ¡°Haha, did you really think that you would stop me by saying that?¡±

    ¡°No, but I have something else to tell you.¡± Seiji paused for a moment as he switched to his most severe tone possible. ¡°You guys will fail in stealing the artifact. And if you forcefully try to steal it regardless, it might cause a horrific consequence that you can¡¯t even imagine!!!¡±

    Kamitani fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Why do you say all this?¡± he asked in a soft voice.

    ¡°Because I think it will happen,¡± Seiji stated in an adamant tone.

    Kamitani fell silent for an even longer while.

    ¡°I can believe you, my bro Haruta.¡± Kamitani chuckled lightly. ¡°But, that won¡¯t do anything. The Messengers¡¯ n is already set in stone. No matter what attitude I have about it, the n will still be carried out.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your belief in me. I need you to do something for me.¡±

    ¡°You want me to betray the Messengers? Although that will also be really interesting, I don¡¯t have any intentions of doing so currently. Besides¡­ just what makes you think you can request that of me?¡±

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m your friend,¡± Seiji told him calmly.

    Kamitani fell silent once more, followed by uproariousughter which was almost like loud guffawing.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!!! Well said!¡± Kamitaniughed loudly. ¡°You said it so very nicely, my bro Haruta!!¡±

    He sounded incredibly happy.

    ¡°Still, this still isn¡¯t enough, friend. Just this alone won¡¯t be enough to make me betray the Messengers. Can you give me even more than that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so greedy, Kamitani-kun,¡± Seiji spoke softly. ¡°My friendship is far more valuable than you think. For someone like you, this is the only chance I¡¯ll ever make in my entire lifetime to offer you my friendship. If you refuse me here, you¡¯ll never have the chance to obtain my friendship ever again.¡±

    Itsuki Kamitani felt chilled when he heard this.

    Even though they were speaking across cell phones, he could still sense a bone-piercing chill pervade him. He instinctively sensed great danger in Seiji¡¯s words.

    However, this didn¡¯t make him afraid. Rather, he became excited.

    Interesting.

    Truly interesting.

    Seiji Haruta¡­ was incredibly interesting!

    Itsuki Kamitani really wanted to reject Seiji. He wanted to know what would happen if he rejected Seiji. However, he forced himself to restrain himself from acting on this impulse.

    It still wasn¡¯t time yet.

    Things could be even more interesting.

    This was only the beginning. He couldn¡¯t just follow his urge and act however he wanted. He needed to be patient if he wanted to see everything be more interesting.

    ¡°Alright, I ept, my bro Haruta,¡± Kamitani spoke in a joyful tone. ¡°I¡¯m willing to betray the Messengers for the sake of your friendship. Still, I¡¯m going to need to be careful in just how much I betray them by. I have to guarantee my own safety, after all. You wouldn¡¯t want your friend to be immediately dealt with by his organization, now would you?¡±

    ¡°If the Messengers were able to instantly deal with you so easily, I bet they would have done so long ago already,¡± Seiji said calmly.

    ¡°Thank you for your praise~ I¡¯m quite happy right now, friend.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°Now then, what exactly do you need me to do?¡±

 Chapter 804 - My bro Haruta, youâ€™re truly a demon

    <h4>Chapter 804: My bro Haruta, you¡¯re truly a demon</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Convincing Kamitani was easier than Seiji had expected.

    Kamitani had a ¡°misunderstanding¡± about Seiji being special. Seiji intended to use this to convince him to help out, even though there was no guarantee that Kamitani would agree.

    Seiji had already mentally prepared himself to save and load this conversation many times if necessary. Luckily, he seeded on the first try. So, what Seiji said next was¡­

    ¡°I want to personally meet the person who¡¯s leading the attack against Soul Society.¡±

    Kamitani fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°That will be rather difficult¡­ must you meet him in person? It will be much easier for me to put you in contact with him if it¡¯s only by phone.¡±

    ¡°I must meet him in person.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Kamitani asked.

    ¡®Because Voidfire will only believe me if he meets me in person,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to say that to Kamitani.

    ¡°It will be easier to talk face to face. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything else. Just help me arrange a meeting with him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve truly given me a nice task, my bro Haruta.¡± Kamitani chuckled. ¡°This exactly happens to be something that I can help you with that barely won¡¯t cross the line¡­ Heh heh, I really want to know just how much of everything is within your calctions.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d also love to know how much of everything is within your calctions,¡± Seiji responded in a copycat manner. ¡°I¡¯m willing to tell you everything I¡¯m nning right now. In exchange, you tell me everything that you¡¯re nning. How about it?¡±

    ¡°An interesting suggestion, but it will actually be boring if we do this.¡±

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s boring, then shut up and go to work!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so violent. I¡¯ll do it properly for you. I just need some time to put you in contact with him.¡±

    ¡°Do it for me within three hours.¡±

    ¡°That will be a little tough¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with one hour then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s even harder! My bro Haruta, you¡¯re truly a demon.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯tpare to you,¡± Seiji stated icily. ¡°Stop wasting time and go to work already. No tricks allowed, Kamitani-kun!¡±

    Seiji then immediately hung up on him.

    If at all possible, Seiji would instantly kill Kamitani for the sake of world peace. But, it was difficult for him to aplish that right now, so he might as well make use of Kamitani instead.

    As long as Seiji could achieve his objective, he was even willing to make use of enemies.

    Although Seiji had offered Kamitani his friendship, there were many types of friendship. His ¡°friendship¡± with Kamitani would obviously be different from his friendship with all hispanions.

    Both Seiji and Kamitani naturally knew this without needing to say it.

    Seiji then slowly put down his cell phone and heaved a sigh as he looked at the ceiling.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Shika Kagura felt like something about her adopted older brother had suddenly changed.

    This was a rather subtle sensation. She was unable to discern just what exactly about him had changed. Yet, it didn¡¯t feel like just a mistaken impression.

    So, she directly asked him about it.

    Seiji paused in surprise when he heard her asking about this. Heughed and said that he was fine.

    Shika didn¡¯t pry when she saw his smile. However, she learned from him that he would be going to meet an important personter tonight rather than going to sleep. Shika insisted on apanying him.

    ¡°No need for that. It won¡¯t be dangerous.¡± Seiji tried to convince her to go to sleep instead.

    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you tell me whom you¡¯re meeting?¡± Shika countered with this question.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Alright, I admit it. It might be slightly dangerous. Still, it will probably be alright. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Seiji sighed.

    Shika silently looked at him.

    Seiji wanted to try and convince her some more. However, he was unable to say anything when faced with her expression.

    After he loaded back into the past, all other experiences for other people were basically erased, including when he ¡°acted spoiled¡± to Shika.

    That was a very important memory for him, but Shika no longer ¡°remembered¡± it. This was unavoidable and gave Seiji a feeling of loneliness.

    Seiji didn¡¯t intend on reenacting that scene, because for him, his ¡°acting spoiled¡± memory had happened already. It would be impossible for him to behave and feel the exact same way again¡­ if he really did the same thing in this timeline, it would mean that he hadn¡¯t matured at all.

    This was the loneliness of a time traveler that he knew he had to ept.

    However, even though he epted it, that didn¡¯t mean he could hide itpletely. He knew that he must have unknowingly revealed his loneliness in his expression, which must have caught Shika¡¯s attention.

    Both adopted siblings remained silent for a while before Seiji finally spoke up again. ¡°There¡¯s an eighty percent chance that nothing will happen during my meeting with that person. But, things will be different if I take someone else with me. It will be more dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll at least see you out the door.¡± Shika remained adamant on this.

    ¡°I would prefer that you properly rest.¡±

    ¡°I want to apany you to the door.¡±

    Both adopted siblings fell silent once again.

    Seiji could only give up on trying to convince her to go to sleep. But at the same time, he found that he actually felt rather relieved inside. Only then did he notice that he actually wanted Shika to apany him.

    ¡®I suppose there¡¯s still a part of me that wants to ¡®act spoiled¡¯ to her,¡¯ Seiji smiled wryly in his mind.

    ¡°Thank you, Shika-chan.¡± Not only for apanying himte at night, but also for what she said in the previous timeline.

    ¡°No need for thanks, Brother.¡± Shika smiled faintly.

    Loneliness didn¡¯t equal istion.

    Seiji suddenly realized this as he looked at Shika¡¯s smile. He felt like he had just discovered a ray of sunlight amongst dark clouds.

    Even though he was lonely, he wasn¡¯t alone.

    Later, Chiaki learned about him going outter tonight and also insisted on staying over for the night.

    Although her incident had already been resolved, she still kept staying in Seiji¡¯s apartment and refused to move out. Her bed was still in Seiji¡¯s apartment. Since Seiji didn¡¯t want to kick his girlfriend out, he could only let her do this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I need to wait for my meeting. Are you certain that you won¡¯t go to sleep?¡±

    ¡°Of course. How could something as interesting as an all-nighter together not involve me~¡±

    And so, two girls were staying upte into the night with Seiji.

    Chiaki then told Mika about staying upte, so Mika came over as well. Three girls were now staying upte into the night with Seiji.

    That was enough for a card game.

    Originally, Seiji was waiting for his meeting with Voidfire, the high-ranking member of the Messengers. However, this now became something of a sleepover. Seiji didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.

    Seiji and the three girls sat around a table and remained silent for a while.

    ¡°Let¡¯s y a game.¡± Chiaki raised her hands.

    Mika silently took out a deck of poker cards.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not y this yet. Let¡¯s y something more interesting.¡± Chiaki pushed the cards away.

    ¡°What do you want to y?¡± Seiji rested his head on one hand while looking at her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pick a person to be the demon. The demon can move freely, while the others aren¡¯t allowed to move or make a sound. If the demon makes any single person make a sound, the demon wins. The person who makes a sound first will lose and undergo a punishment game!¡± Chiaki exined the rules of the game.

    Seiji felt like there was a problem with this game. The demon¡¯s actions had no restrictions whatsoever?

    However, both Shika and Mika¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. They instantly understood what was so good about this game.

    ¡°Those who agree to y this game, please raise your hand!¡± Before Seiji could even voice his doubts, Chiaki immediately started a vote and raised her hand.

    Shika and Mika both silently raised their hands.

    Three votes were in favor already. The vote¡¯s results were quite obvious.

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    ¡®I suppose this is an example of how democracy can be unjust?¡¯ Seijimented in his mind.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s choose the demon now. Rock, paper, scissors!¡± Chiaki made a pose with her fist.

    Shika and Mika also made the same pose.

    The three girls¡¯ gazes seemed to sh fiercely in midair.

    Seiji¡¯s cheeks twitched as he sensed something in the atmosphere.

    ¡°Rock~ Paper~ Scissors!¡±

    Chiaki shouted as the girls simultaneously attacked with their chosen hand signs. The atmosphere felt as if they were fighting with actual swords rather than rock paper scissors!

    Chiaki lost the first round.

    She made a pitiful sound as if she was a character in a fighting game who had just been defeated.

    Seiji lost the second round.

    Shika and Mika remained for the final round. Shika had an icy expression as always, while Mika had a resolute expression.

    Both of them had powerful auras as if they weren¡¯t fighting over the right to be the demon in this game. They were fighting over the right to control the most important person to them!

    After three seconds of their gazes shing in the air, the two of them simultaneously chose their hand signs¡­

 Chapter 805 - Maybe next time

    <h4>Chapter 805: Maybe next time</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Scissors against rock!

    Mika won.

    Shika lowered her head with an unwilling expression.

    Mika had a delighted expression. However, Chiaki immediately spoke up again. ¡°I forgot to mention that the demon only has a three-minute time limit. If nobody makes a sound within three minutes, the demon loses.¡±

    Three minutes¡­ only three minutes?

    Mika was rather disappointed as she looked at Chiaki.

    Chiaki grinned and expressed with her eyes that three minutes were more than enough to do plenty of things to Seiji~

    Mika understood as she looked over at Seiji.

    Seiji blinked in realization.

    This was a problematic game, but he didn¡¯t intend to raise any objections. The female demon¡­ er, his girlfriend could do whatever she wanted.

    To be honest, he was also curious what Mika would do.

    ¡°Countdown begins!¡± Chiaki set a stopwatch on her cell phone.

    Mika looked at Seiji¡¯s face for two seconds. She then reached out with both hands and touched his face¡­

    She tugged on his face!

    Seiji was rendered speechless as his face was distorted by Mika¡¯s pulling.

    Chiaki almostughed out loud immediately upon seeing this. Even Shika had an expression of holding in herughter.

    Mikaughed out loud at seeing how strange her boyfriend looked. She tugged, squeezed, caressed, and did various other actions to his handsome face.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what his face looked like anymore. He felt rather helpless. But since he saw that Mika was having lots of fun, he let her do as she pleased.

    As Mika kept toying with his face, a light appeared in Mika¡¯s eyes as she got ever closer to Seiji¡¯s face.

    Something secretly changed in the atmosphere as their faces got closer.

    Mika started blushing by the time that she could feel Seiji¡¯s breath on her face.

    Both of them looked right into each other¡¯s eyes at a close distance which was almost approaching zero.

    But right before their lips could touch, Chiaki¡¯s cell phone stopwatch rang.

    ¡°Time up!¡± Chiaki announced this instantly while pulling Mika away. ¡°The demon has lost!¡±

    Mika was rendered speechless.

    The twintailed girl looked at her tomboy best friend with aining expression.

    Chiaki ignored herints and walked away swiftly. She then returned with two items.

    ¡°The loser will receive a very simple punishment. You¡¯ll have to drink some vinegar!¡± Chiaki ced a bottle of vinegar and a small bowl on the table.

    Seiji, Mika, and Shika were all rendered speechless.

    This seemed a little overboard.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the loser would undergo a punishment game? This type of punishment doesn¡¯t seem like a game,¡± Seijimented.

    ¡°I just thought of this. A punishment like drinking vinegar will be more direct than a game.¡± Chiaki smiled at Mika.

    Mika looked at Chiaki for a while before looking at the bowl.

    Chiaki opened the vinegar bottle and poured some vinegar into the small bowl, handing it to Mika.

    Mika took the bowl and drank all the vinegar directly. She showed off a puckered face of tasting sourness.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try a different type of punishment.¡± Seiji felt like there was something strange in the atmosphere.

    ¡°No, this punishment is quite appropriate,¡± Mika said as she put the bowl down on the table.

    Shika had no objections.

    For the second round of rock, paper, scissors in choosing a demon, the three girls were filled with fighting spirit!

    Seiji lost in the very first round. When he saw how the three girls were emanating even more powerful auras than thest time for choosing a demon, he began hesitating on whether or not he should stop this game.

    But, he felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them even if he tried.

    ¡°I won!¡±

    Chiaki simultaneously defeated Mika and Shika and won the right to be the demon.

    Her eyes immediately lit up as she looked over towards Seiji. Right when the timer began ticking, she charged at and hugged him!

    Seiji felt her body¡¯s warmth pressed up right against him.

    While he enjoyed the feeling of hugging her, he was worried about Shika and Mika¡­ He nced over in their direction. As he expected, both of them appeared to be expressionless.

    Chiaki didn¡¯t care one bit about the other two girls¡¯ expressions. Not only did she hug Seiji even tighter, she kept rubbing against him and making sounds like a happy kitten.

    ¡®Hey, aren¡¯t you going overboard?¡¯ Seiji pushed Chiaki slightly as a hint, but she only hugged him even tighter.

    Three minutes was quite short. Although Seiji was feeling physically quitefortable, he also felt like it was torturous with his adopted younger sister and other girlfriend¡¯s gazes upon him.

    ¡®How about I admit defeat?¡¯ Seiji suddenly had this idea.

    All he would have to do was drink some vinegar.

    But right as he thought this, Chiaki suddenly blew softly into his ear!

    Seiji: ¡°~~~~~~~¡±

    His ear suddenly felt numb as if a jolt of electricity had gone through it. He almost made a sound.

    ¡®No, I should make a sound, shouldn¡¯t I? I was just thinking about admitting defeat.¡¯

    Seiji was just about to intentionally make a sound, when Chiaki gently bit into and started licking his ear¡­

    ¡°Yaaa¡­¡± Seiji made this sound unintentionally as he couldn¡¯t bear the feeling.

    Shika and Mika¡¯s expressions became even icier upon witnessing this. Both of them were faintly giving off dark auras.

    ¡°I lost! Stop, please stop!¡± Seiji tried to stop this.

    ¡°Heehee, your punishment will be that the demon can y with you for three minutes.¡± Chiaki wouldn¡¯t let go of him and continued hugging him tightly.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the punishment to drink some vinegar!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the punishment for the demon.¡±

    ¡°How could this be¡­¡±

    Seiji looked over at Shika and Mika, thinking that they would stop Chiaki. However, it seemed that neither girl had any intention of doing anything.

    At this moment, he sensed that the three girls must have arrived at some type of secret agreement amongst themselves beforehand.

    And so, for the next three minutes, he became Chiaki¡¯s toy¡­ sort of.

    Although Chiaki said the demon could ¡°y¡± with the loser, she didn¡¯t do anything that was too overboard. She just kept hugging him, rubbing up against him, touching his face, holding his hand, interlocking her fingers with his¡­ Just normally acting spoiled to him.

    This was still alright. Seiji heaved a sigh of relief.

    If Chiaki kept doing things like licking his ear or even more, Seiji himself wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it anymore even if Shika and Mika were still able to tolerate it.

    The consequences might be disastrous if Chiaki had continued along those lines.

    For the third round of selecting a demon, Seiji felt like the end result had been predetermined beforehand. Shika won the rock, paper, scissors contest to be the demon.

    The ck-haired beauty silently hugged her adopted older brother and looked right into his face.

    Seiji exchanged nces with her. A momentter, he felt like he was being drawn into her beautiful eyes. He had to forcefully restrain himself and maintain a clear mind.

    He wanted to avert his gaze, but felt that he shouldn¡¯t do that to Shika.

    The adopted siblings thus hugged each other while exchanging looks inplete silence.

    However, Mika and Chiaki felt something incredibly hot sizzling in the air! They felt like the adopted siblings were passionately kissing each other rather than simply exchanging nces.

    Time passed silently just like this with nothing else happening until the final three seconds. Shika suddenly bit Seiji¡¯s neck!

    Seiji made a sound of astonishment.

    Thus, he was punished to be the demon¡¯s toy for another three minutes. For the next three minutes, Shika hugged him tightly while gently licking the bite mark on his neck.

    As expected of Shika Kagura.

    Mika and Chiaki exchanged nces and could tell that both of them were thinking the same thing.

    Then, this demon game continued for a fourth¡­ fifth¡­ and sixth round¡­

    The girls took turns either teasing or being intimate and flirting with Seiji.

    Finally, Seiji managed to win in rock, paper, scissors and be the demon in the seventh round. He chose death¡­ er, to give up! He asked to y a different game instead.

    It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to stop his girlfriends and adopted sister when they were clearly having so much fun. It was that if they continued ¡°ying¡± like this, his desire would explode soon!

    The girls also realized that things might go overboard if they continued ying this.

    Although they didn¡¯t want to give up on such a rare chance to y with Seiji like this, they could only agree to y cards instead.

    ¡°Ordinarily ying cards is so boring. How about we y strip poker instead? The loser needs to take off an article of clothing¡­¡± Chiaki suggested.

    ¡°Denied!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s have the loser make ero poses instead~¡± Chiaki jutted out her chest and made a sexy pose as if she was a fashion model.

    Seiji¡¯s heart skipped a beat at seeing this. He used his full willpower to restrain his desires and blocked his view with some poker cards.

    ¡°No¡­ maybe next time.¡±

 Chapter 806 - My true name is far too ugly

    <h4>Chapter 806: My true name is far too ugly</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    His own half-hearted refusal seemed far too shameless to Seiji.

    He was immediately embarrassed after saying it. But then, he felt, why not? ¡®I¡¯m a scumbag man who started a harem anyways!¡¯

    Well, he decided against saying anything else and yed some cards¡­

    One hourter, Seiji¡¯s cell phone rang.

    Seiji was currently shuffling cards, but his expression instantly changed. He put away the cards and then answered the call.

    ¡°It really was so difficult.¡± Kamitani sighed. ¡°I used just about every favor I could in order to arrange this face-to-face meeting for you. My bro Haruta, you¡¯d better use this opportunity well. Don¡¯t waste all of my hard work. Not only that, he¡¯s not in a good mood right now. If what you say doesn¡¯t satisfy him, it¡¯s highly likely that he¡¯ll directly attack you. He¡¯s strong, really strong. You might even die.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying such useless things,¡± Seiji stated coldly. ¡°What time and what ce?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already worked so hard, so as my friend, you won¡¯t even console me a little?¡± Kamitani acted like he wasining.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll invite you to some tea.¡±

    ¡°Only tea?¡±

    ¡°I can change it to coffee.¡±

    ¡°I prefer beer, along with some food that goes well with beer!¡±

    ¡°Sure. Give me a mailing address and I¡¯ll send you some beer.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t drink together with me!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still underage and can¡¯t drink alcohol yet.¡± Seiji acted all serious.

    Kamitani was rendered speechless.

    Even for someone as sly as him, he couldn¡¯t think of aeback to this.

    ¡°Time and ce? Hurry and tell me already.¡± Seiji didn¡¯t care one bit about what expression Kamitani had right now. He kept urging Kamitani to get to the point.

    ¡°The time is in half an hour. The ce is¡­¡± Kamitani told him a location, then paused for a moment. ¡°You¡¯d better not betray us, my bro Haruta.¡±

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t. You¡¯d better not set a trap for me, Kamitani-kun.¡±

    After that, Seiji hung up and looked at Shika and the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m going out now.¡±

    ¡°Please be careful, Brother,¡± Shika told him.

    Mika and Chiaki didn¡¯t say anything. However, their expressions said the same.

    ¡°I will.¡± Seiji smiled.

    Half an hourter, in the city.

    Seiji was now fully equipped in hisbat attire. He arrived at the location that Kamitani told him, an abandoned factory.

    Weeds were growing all over, the walls were filthy, the lighting was dim, and there was abandoned machinery and garbage everywhere¡­ It all seemed so deste.

    Seiji had often seen such ces before on television and in movies. These locations were often used for negotiations, shady deals, meetings, fights, murders, kidnappings, or imprisonment¡­ nothing good.

    Well, this was truly a suitable ce indeed for meeting with a high-ranked member of a terrorist organization like the Messengers.

    Seiji cautiously walked into the factory and looked around. He found nobody.

    It seemed that Voidfire hadn¡¯t arrived yet.

    Should he make some preparations then?

    Just as he thought this, Seiji rejected the idea.

    Voidfire might arrive at any moment. It would look bad if Seiji was in the middle of preparing something like a trap when he arrived. Besides, what could Seiji even prepare?

    Seiji hade here to talk, not fight.

    He didn¡¯t bother with checking anything else in the factory. Seiji found an old chair that was barely still in working condition and sat down.

    Several minutester.

    Seiji had his eyes closed and was resting when he opened his eyes as he sensed something. Although he couldn¡¯t see anyone, he could sense that Voidfire had arrived.

    He sensed heat.

    This was the same heat sensation from Kosui Park in thest timeline, albeit much weaker.

    This abnormal heat was approaching from outside and getting constantly closer. Seiji then heard footsteps as a dark gray shadowy figure walked into the factory.

    This person was wearing gray long pants and a ck hoodie with the hood up. He had on a ck breathing mask that only revealed the upper half of his pale face. He also had bright red eyes and dark circles under his eyes, making him look rather sickly.

    Any ordinary person who saw him on the street would likely be afraid of his appearance.

    This sickly youth who kept his hands in his pockets, or Voidfire, walked up to Seiji.

    Seiji stood up and looked at him directly.

    ¡°You¡­ what are you?¡± Voidfire asked in his raspy voice.

    ¡°I am Seiji Haruta,¡± Seiji said directly. ¡°Are you the person in charge of the attack on Soul Society? May I ask your name?¡±

    ¡°I know your name already, but that wasn¡¯t what I was asking.¡± Voidfire looked at him. ¡°Seiji Haruta, just what are you?¡±

    ¡°Before asking someone else this type of question, shouldn¡¯t you at least introduce yourself?¡± Seiji spoke calmly.

    The hoodie wearing youth fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

    ¡°My code name is Voidfire.¡±

    ¡°Hello then, Voidfire-san.¡±

    Seiji had no hopes that he would be able to instantly find out Voidfire¡¯s real name with that question. ¡°As for your question, my answer is: I don¡¯t know. If you insist on me giving an answer, I can only tell you that I am human. However, I¡¯m sure that you don¡¯t want such an answer, Voidfire-san. You probably saw something in me that caused you to ask such a question. Unless you tell me what you saw, I won¡¯t know how to exin it to you.¡±

    Something deep shed in Voidfire¡¯s eyes as he fell silent again.

    ¡°I can see through that there¡¯s something foundationally different from humans in you,¡± he spoke raspily. ¡°If you release your full power, you¡¯ll be an incredibly powerful existence. Yet, you haven¡¯t. You¡¯re restraining yourself and taking this current form instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± Seiji nodded and admitted this. ¡°I do have an incredible power. If I casually used it as I please, it would make even myself afraid. That¡¯s why I¡¯m choosing to restrain myself instead. But even so, I still believe that I am human. As for what I truly am objectively, I really don¡¯t know.¡±

    Voidfire took a deep look at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re foundationally pure and holy. You¡¯re far too divine for this wicked world and ugly humanity¡­ that¡¯s why you¡¯re definitely not human. Although you¡¯re not human, you believe yourself to be human. You¡¯re restraining yourself in order to protect humanity and the world. That¡¯s evidence of your purity. That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite happy to meet you, Seiji Haruta.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re that happy to meet you, could you tell me your real name?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°¡­My true name is far too ugly. It is the most hypocritical family name in this hypocritical country. It is so ugly that it will only soil your ears to hear it,¡± Voidfire said raspily.

    ¡°If I¡¯m so holy and pure as ording to you, you shouldn¡¯t worry about me being soiled,¡± Seiji stated directly.

    Something shed in Voidfire¡¯s eyes as he fell silent.

    Seiji quietly waited.

    ¡°¡­Dousei Ashiya,¡± Voidfire spoke in a low voice. ¡°That¡¯s my real name.¡±

    Ashiya¡­ Could it be that ¡°Ashiya¡±? Seiji had a realization.

    ¡°Ashiya-san, your family name¡­¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t even finish his question when he suddenly sensed a powerful aura emanating from Voidfire. He immediately understood the answer.

    If Voidfire¡¯s family name was ¡°Ashiya¡±, then he was likely the descendant of the legendary Yin Yang Master who was the only person that rivaled the strongest Yin Yang Master Seimei Kamijou in strength. That would be the most ¡°evil¡± Yin Yang Master in Sakura Ind¡¯s history¡ªDouman Ashiya!!

    ording to legend, Douman Ashiya and Seimei Kamijou were mortal enemies. Douman Ashiya was just as powerful and talented as Seimei Kamijou was. However, Douman Ashiya had an evil personality andmitted many crimes. As Seimei Kamijou was known to be a good person on the side of justice, he stopped Douman Ashiya¡¯s crimes and schemes countless times.

    Many manga and anime had fictional versions of their interactions before. That was why most people in Sakura Ind already knew the legends and stereotypes. Douman Ashiya was Seimei Kamijou¡¯s greatest rival and most powerful antagonist.

    Of course, there were also all sorts of stories about how their rivalry bordered on frenemy level, or that they were more like star-crossed lovers, or the best of friends, etc., etc¡­ These stories fleshed out Douman¡¯s personality.

    But fundamentally, all stories kept the same trait of Douman Ashiya being the most evil Yin Yang Master in history.

    But actually, the truth of history was¡­

 Chapter 807 - Because I saw the future

    <h4>Chapter 807: Because I saw the future</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Douman Ashiya was truly an evil person.

    He was actually far more evil than in the fictionalized stories about him. He was unmistakably and incurably evil!

    But, that would only be from the normal ¡°human¡± standpoint.

    Douman Ashiya was incredibly cruel towards humans, including even his own children. He basically didn¡¯t have a single moral value that normal people would have, which was why he could only be described using adjectives such as ¡°insane¡± and ¡°evil¡±. However, he was actually quite gentle and magnanimous towards non-humans¡ªbasically, demons and other spiritual creatures.

    Normally speaking, if there was a fight between humans and demons, spiritual ability users would be on the humans¡¯ side. However, Douman Ashiya was the opposite. He always acted for the sake of demons. In fact, there were even multiple confirmed examples in history of him ughtering an entire vige for the sake a demon.

    Without a doubt, a Yin Yang Master like Douman Ashiya would be enemies with all spiritual ability users who were on the side of good. However, Douman Ashiya just happened to be incredibly strong with countless demon subordinates. No ordinary spiritual ability user would be even close to being an opponent for him.

    Seimei Kamijou was the only person who was powerful enough to stop him.

    The end result of the final duel between the two strongest Yin Yang Masters of their era was that Seimei Kamijou destroyed Douman¡¯s cultivation level. Seimei then ced a powerful seal on Douman before having him exiled.

    As for what happened to this ¡°evilest¡± Yin Yang Master afterwards, there were countless rumors. Some said that he died pathetically, some said that he became a demon, some said that he regretted his past deeds, and some said that he used evil arts to extend his life¡­ There was no verifiable record of what happened to him in history.

    However, it was indeed known that he had left descendants behind.

    If only Douman Ashiya had been a normal Yin Yang Master, perhaps the seven major families of today would instead be the eight major families. However, he was not a good Yin Yang Master. His descendants were forced to bear a heavy burden due to having such a notoriously evil ancestor.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know very much about Sakura Ind¡¯s version of the history between Douman Ashiya and Abe no Seimei (Seimei Kamijou). He had learned all this while previously chatting with Natsuya before. He didn¡¯t have a deep understanding of just what exactly the family name ¡°Ashiya¡± meant in the spiritual society.

    Seiji was curious, but he knew that now was a bad time to provoke Voidfire, so he let this topic go.

    Besides, he was a descendant of the Haruta Family. Since the Harutas had previously changed their family name from Kamijou to Haruta in order to attract less attention, this made Seiji and Voidfire the descendants of two mortal enemies. This felt rather subtle to Seiji.

    It didn¡¯t seem like Voidfire minded¡­ but maybe he did, and just wasn¡¯t showing it.

    Not only that, was it possible that Kamitani wanted Seiji to contact Voidfire in the previous timeline because of this connection? Intentionally having the descendants of two mortal enemies meet each other indeed seemed like something that would fit that bastard Kamitani¡¯s interests.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Will it be alright if I continue addressing you as Voidfire-san?¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Dousei Ashiya¡ªVoidfire¡ªspoke in a light tone.

    ¡°Voidfire-san, I¡¯d like to ask, where is Itsuki Kamitani? Did he note together with you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want such a thing to follow me around.¡±

    He actually called Kamitani ¡°such a thing¡­¡± Seiji¡¯s lips arched upward.

    It would seem that Kamitani wasn¡¯t liked by Voidfire. The fact that Kamitani had seeded in calling Voidfire here to meet a stranger must have been hard on him.

    Kamitani: It¡¯s good that you understand. Please be gentler to me~

    Seiji: Shut up and get the hell away from me.

    That above conversation was imagined by Seiji.

    ¡°What do you want from me, Seiji Haruta?¡± Voidfire asked him.

    ¡°I want to convince you not to attack Soul Society, because this attack is destined to fail with catastrophic results,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Because I saw the future.¡±

    Voidfire fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Is your prophecy one hundred percent urate?¡± Voidfire questioned.

    ¡°It is,¡± Seiji unhesitatingly agreed.

    This was as much as he could afford to exin.

    Making prophecies was an important role for spiritual ability users in ancient times. There were prophecy spells for major national affairs or simple daily life questions. Alternatively, this was also known as fortune telling.

    But as time passed, more and more evidence proved that prophecies werergely ineffective. Relying too much on prophecies would often have the opposite effect from intended. That was why prophecy magic gradually died out.

    Fate was unpredictable. The future was impossible to know. Prophecy magic was unreliable. These were what modern day spiritual ability users believed.

    Ordinary people were far more interested in fortunes, prophecies, horoscopes, and so on. Inparison, spiritual ability users believed in such things far less. Although there were some that still worked in these professions, those spiritual ability users themselves often didn¡¯t really believe what they told ordinary people. The more honest ones would tell their customers the probability rate of their prophecies. As for those who imed to have one hundred percent urate prophecies, they were either idiots or scammers.

    Yet, Seiji was now iming to have a one hundred percent urate prophecy.

    Something shed in Voidfire¡¯s eyes as he fell silent.

    Seiji quietly waited for Voidfire¡¯s next response.

    If Voidfire walked away or absolutely insisted on knowing more about how he could know such a prophecy, Seiji would have to load and do this conversation over again.

    Telling Voidfire his future self¡¯s password was something Seiji would only do as ast resort. That was because Seiji didn¡¯t know if this password had any secret meanings.

    Seiji much preferred to go through Kamitani in order to contact Voidfire rather than call Voidfire even though he had Voidfire¡¯s phone number already. In the end, this was because he couldn¡¯t easily trust a high-ranking member of the Messengers.

    ¡°The attack can¡¯t be stopped.¡± Voidfire finally spoke up again in his raspy voice after a long period of silence.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because Soul Society is about to make a great mistake. This mistake must be stopped.¡±

    ¡°You must be referring to their n to sacrifice several thousand people in order to lock the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ location. I also believe that they¡¯re making a mistake. But if you insist on attacking them, that will only cause an even greater sacrifice in the end,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a prophecy magic in the world that can urately predict the future,¡± Voidfire stated. ¡°Even if your prophecy is correct, the future will already change from the moment that I heard your prophecy.¡±

    ¡°If at all possible, I¡¯d also like to be that optimistic. But if things were really so simple, I wouldn¡¯t go to all the trouble of going through Kamitani to have this face to face meeting with you.¡± Seiji sighed.

    He warned Yui and informed Voidfire, putting them on guard against a potentially terrible future. Would this be able to avoid that destructive ending for the city?

    Optimistically, it would.

    However, Seiji still felt uneasy since he had personally witnessed such catastrophe in the city.

    ¡°The future that I saw was incredibly cruel. So many lives perished together with the falling cherry blossoms¡­ Will this scene be avoided just because you¡¯ll act slightly more cautiously in your attack?

    ¡°I want to believe it, but I can¡¯t bring myself to believe it.

    ¡°Voidfire-san, I sincerely request you to reconsider your attack!¡±

    ¡°¡­If I cancel the attack, will that definitely prevent the future that you saw?¡± Voidfire looked directly at Seiji. ¡°What if it has the exact opposite effect from intended!¡±

    ¡®You were the one who told me to contact you and stop you!¡¯ Seiji really wanted to say this out loud.

    But when he thought things over more carefully, the future Voidfire had said ¡°change my actions,¡± rather than ¡°stop my actions.¡±

    There seemed to be a difference in this.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows as he considered things.

    He had reflexively felt like the destructive ending wouldn¡¯t arrive if Voidfire stopped the attack and Soul Society carried out their n sessfully¡­

    But upon closer consideration, there was still no guarantee that this would avoid the catastrophe.

    ¡°You¡¯re not certain, am I right?¡± Voidfire spoke after seeing Seiji¡¯s silence. ¡°The destructive future that you saw is rted to me. But, you don¡¯t know how exactly it¡¯s rted to me, is that right?¡±

    ¡®Yeah¡­ but that¡¯s because the future you never told me any details!¡¯ Seiji retorted in his mind.

    Should he load right now and go talk to the Voidfire in the future again?

    Through the power of save and load, Seiji waspletely capable of talking to the same person in two different timelines quite easily.

    However, it seemed like the future Voidfire didn¡¯t want to say the specifics of what he did. It would be problematic to make him tell Seiji. Not only that, there would be very little time to talk as spiritual creatures would soon encircle them.

 Chapter 808 - I want the you whoâ€™s like this

    <h4>Chapter 808: I want the you who¡¯s like this</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    As a way to organize his thoughts, Seiji decided to call the previous timeline with so many people dying the Destruction Timeline. This current timeline he was in would be called the New Timeline.

    Voidfire from the Destruction Timeline, or Destruction Voidfire for short, had given Seiji a password. As long as Seiji told this password to New Voidfire, the Voidfire from the New Timeline, it was highly likely that he could convince New Voidfire to change his actions and avoid the Destruction Timeline fate for the city.

    However, there was a serious problem with this.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what Destruction Voidfire¡¯s password meant.

    If this password somehow let New Voidfire learn that Seiji possessed the ability to travel back into the past, the consequences would be disastrous.

    Even if New Voidfire didn¡¯t act on this information immediately, it was highly likely that he might do something with this information in the future, perhaps leaking this information to other members of the Messengers. This would probably end up causing something terrible and unexpected.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to have to worry about this every day. He wanted even less to be forced to load far back into the past back to before this point if this became a big problem in the future. And, if his ability was leaked, he might not even get a chance to load in the worst case scenario.

    That was why Seiji preferred to contact New Voidfire through Kamitani instead of using Voidfire¡¯s password and cell phone number. Seiji would try and convince New Voidfire by saying that he had a prophecy about the future.

    Compared to the ability to go back in time, a highly urate prophecy would be less risky.

    Still, this also had its dangers. A truly working prophecy ability would forever be highly valuable. It was just that the spiritual society seriously doubted the veracity of all prophecies, which was why this would be much safer. Not to mention, Seiji could make up all sorts of excuses, such as by saying that it was difficult to activate this type of prophecy magic, that there was a great cost, a particrly long cooldown¡­ etc., etc.

    While this was less risky for himself, it caused the current problem that Seiji was facing¡ªNew Voidfire¡¯s distrust.

    It seemed quite difficult to convince New Voidfire to change his actions based only on a prophecy.

    Or, another way of saying it was that it would be very difficult to change Voidfire¡¯s suspicions, so Seiji had trouble continuing down this path.

    In that case, he would either have to say the password right now, or load to the Destruction Timeline to talk to Destruction Voidfire again in an effort to obtain more information.

    Seiji felt like loading back to that time would be a good idea. Still, how could he get Destruction Voidfire to tell him more specific information? There was also the problem of how long they could talk for.

    Would he be able to obtain more time if he went and contacted Destruction Voidfire earlier in the Destruction Timeline?

    Seiji figured that this was unlikely. If he contacted Destruction Voidfire faster, this would only attract the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s attention faster as well. In the end, the time to talk wouldn¡¯t be increased.

    In that case, the issue was how to swiftly convince Destruction Voidfire to give Seiji more information in a short amount of time.

    ¡­The critical point was still the password!

    Seiji managed toe up with a conclusion after organizing his thoughts.

    He didn¡¯t need to tell the password to New Voidfire. Instead, he could tell the password to Destruction Voidfire!

    Having Destruction Voidfire hear the password would likely be the fastest way to obtain his trust. After all, he was the one who told Seiji about the password¡­ And even if it didn¡¯t work, there would be no harm in trying, since Seiji had already decided to give up on the Destruction Timeline. No matter what the password meant, Seiji wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any potential future consequences.

    Seiji made up his mind.

    ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t know the specific connection between your actions and the destruction that I saw,¡± Seiji admitted after his long period of silence. ¡°Even if you stop your attack on Soul Society, it might be true that the destruction won¡¯t be avoided. I probably thought of things too simply and naively¡­ So, just do as you like, Voidfire-san.¡±

    Seiji then pretended to be disappointed as he started to leave.

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Voidfire stopped him. ¡°That¡¯s all¡­? Are you willing to leave things like this, Seiji Haruta?¡±

    Seiji stopped walking away.

    ¡°What else can I do even if I¡¯m unwilling? I believed too much in my own prophecy, so I tried to change the future like an idiot¡­ All I can do is to notify you of the potential danger, Voidfire-san.¡±

    ¡°You can do far more,¡± Voidfire stated. ¡°Your power should be much stronger.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s right, immediately after I finish talking to you, I¡¯m going to jump back into a future timeline to obtain more information from your future self, and thene back here to talk to you again,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to use his save and load ability right in front of Voidfire. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but Seiji felt it would be safer to say goodbye and leave first.

    However, Voidfire seemed to have a different idea.

    ¡°What do you want to from me, Voidfire-san?¡± Seiji asked Voidfire the same question that Voidfire started out with.

    ¡°You can help me. We can act together,¡± Voidfire said raspily.

    Now this was a truly incredible suggestion!

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to be enemies with Soul Society.¡± Seiji rejected this proposal.

    ¡°You believe that their n is wrong. Yet, you don¡¯t want to stop them from making this mistake?¡±

    ¡°I would if I could. However, I don¡¯t have the power to fight against Soul Society.¡±

    ¡°You will if youe along with me,¡± Voidfire insisted.

    Seiji fell silent for a moment before replying, ¡°This is only our first meeting, Voidfire-san. You said that you were happy to meet me, and you even told me your real name. I¡¯m grateful for that. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll instantly trust you, just like how you can¡¯tpletely trust me.¡±

    ¡°Even if we can¡¯tpletely trust each other, cooperation is still possible.¡± Voidfire continued insisting.

    ¡°Yes, I also realize that it¡¯s possible to cooperate withoutplete trust. But, even cooperation requires both parties to know a decent amount about each other. That¡¯s not the case with us.¡± Seiji turned around and looked at Voidfire again. ¡°Kamitani told me that you were really strong. I also agree now that I¡¯ve met you. You¡¯re indeed strong enough to attack Soul Society all by yourself. So, why does someone like you want to recruit someone like me that you¡¯ve only met for the first time? All I¡¯ve done is tell you about a shallow prophecy that I have which says your attack will be a mistake. Although you seem to like me, you don¡¯t really need me to join your side, do you?¡±

    Voidfire fell silent this time for a while.

    ¡°Because¡­ I think that perhaps you might be able to be mypanion,¡± Voidfire spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Seiji Haruta, I don¡¯t have a singlepanion. Not even one. Nor have I ever met a single person that I¡¯ve ever wanted to be mypanion.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a high-ranked member of the Messengers.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you treat the Messengers as yourpanions?¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. They aren¡¯t mypanions at all. They¡¯re only using me, and I¡¯m using them in turn. That¡¯s just how my rtionship with the Messengers is.¡±

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t agree with the Messengers, then why don¡¯t you leave them?¡±

    ¡°Because I have nowhere else to go,¡± Voidfire stated raspily. ¡°I have nowhere to go, nowhere I should go, and nowhere that I want to go. The Messengers use me, and I use the Messengers. There¡¯s nothing else apart from that. I don¡¯t need anything else. I thought that this was fine¡­ until I met you. When I met you, I felt for the first time that maybe even I can have apanion. Perhaps you¡¯ll be mypanion, or perhaps you won¡¯t. It¡¯s only a possibility. But, it¡¯s exactly this possibility that makes me want to invite you to join my side.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s all it is.¡¯ Seiji felt like he could hear Voidfire saying this.

    He felt that Voidfire was telling theplete truth here.

    Voidfire didn¡¯t need his assistance in attacking Soul Society. His invitation was simply because he had gotten interested in Seiji. However, even this interest was apparently incredibly rare. His interest also seemed to include a certain type of need.

    A subtle yet concrete and mysterious need.

    Seiji sensed all of these emotionsing from Voidfire. Suddenly, Seiji felt like he understood why Dousei Ashiya had chosen the code name Voidfire.

    Fire obviously represented the magic that he was most skilled at. And Void¡­ that represented his foundational essence.

    Voidfire¡ªDousei Ashiya¡ªwas incredibly strong, but hecked a soul, or at least hecked a soul like the one normal people would have.

    Seiji felt that this was all incredibly subtle as he thought about Voidfire¡¯s words and notorious family history.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not human¡­ I¡¯m not human, yet I¡¯m like a human, or maybe I should say that I¡¯m human yet inhuman. Is that why you want me to be yourpanion?¡±

    Something shed in Voidfire¡¯s eyes as he nodded rapidly.

    ¡°Yes. I want the you who¡¯s like this, Seiji Haruta.¡±

 Chapter 809 - Too flavorful

    <h4>Chapter 809: Too vorful</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Although Seiji was pretty sure that Voidfire didn¡¯t mean anything else by that sentence, hearing another teenage boy say that he wanted Seiji still felt a little strange.

    However, Seiji instantly banished all unnecessary thoughts from his mind as he seriously considered Voidfire¡¯s invitation.

    Naturally, Seiji didn¡¯t want to be enemies with Soul Society.

    However, it was also impossible for him to agree with Soul Society¡¯s n to sacrifice three thousand civilians for the safety of everyone else. If at all possible, Seiji wanted to do something that wouldn¡¯t mean the sacrifice of anyone. It might be indeed possible to aplish this if he allied with Voidfire.

    ¡°Please give me some time to think about it.¡± After a period of silence, Seiji decided to ask for more time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you until morning,¡± Voidfire spoke in a low voice. ¡°Call me after you make your decision.

    Voidfire then told Seiji his cell phone number.

    Seiji already knew this cell phone number. Still, he made a show of recording it before he left.

    With something deep shing in his eyes, Voidfire silently watched Seiji leave.

    Seiji got as far away from the abandoned factory as he could before he opened up his system and loaded.

    The entire world around him darkened as he went forward in time to another save file¡­

    Destruction Timeline, Kosui Park.

    Seiji had previously saved a file right before entering the park to meet with Voidfire.

    He passed through the heat and the burned trees that he previously passed byst time. He arrived at the edge of the giant pit and looked at the still mes in the center of the pit.

    Seiji mentally prepared himself and then shouted out Voidfire¡¯s number and letterbination password in a clear voice.

    There was no response.

    Seiji blinked as he cautiously entered the pit and got closer before saying the password.

    This time, the me started moving and slowly receding. A pale youth wearing a robe emerged from the mes.

    With his bright red eyes, he took a deep nce at Seiji for several seconds before speaking. ¡°What exactly is this?¡±

    ¡°This is my third time meeting you, Voidfire-san,¡± Seiji replied in this way. ¡°I should have told that password to the you in the past. However, I find it difficult to trust you as you¡¯re a high-ranked member of the Messengers. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t done so. Instead, I¡¯m telling this password to the current you so that you can trust me. And, I¡¯m here in front of you again to ask for more information. Soon, the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess will notice us. We don¡¯t have much time to talk. Please tell me the specifics of your attack on Soul Society. Just why exactly did the city be like this? What connection did your actions have with the current situation?¡±

    ¡°¡­Just what exactly are you?¡± Voidfire looked directly at him.

    ¡°I am Seiji Haruta, a time traveler,¡± Seiji answered honestly as he would be leaving this timeline.

    Voidfire fell silent.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t trust you, yet I¡¯m asking you to trust me. I know that maybe it¡¯s too much to ask for¡­ I ask for you understanding. I really need to know this information,¡± Seiji told him. ¡°Only by knowing what exactly happened will I be able to prevent the mistake that brought about this current catastrophe!¡±

    Voidfire took a deep nce at Seiji.

    ¡°Time traveling¡­ a truly inconceivable power,¡± he spoke in a low voice. ¡°I believe you¡­ is what I should say, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you believe me?¡±

    ¡°Because I need evidence that you have such a power.¡±

    Both fell silent.

    Both exchanged nces with each other.

    Only a few seconds passed, but it seemed like an eternity.

    ¡°It would seem that I was correct to be on guard against you, Ashiya-san.¡± Seiji sighed.

    Voidfire, or Dousei Ashiya, had his expression darken from suddenly hearing his real name unexpectedly.

    ¡°You should believe in me, Seiji Haruta,¡± he spoke raspily.

    ¡°I want to do so, but the facts show me that I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Seiji shook his head.

    ¡°Yes, I want to take advantage of you, but you can also take advantage of me¡­! We can bepanions!¡± Ashiya¡¯s voice began to increase in volume and sharpen.

    Companions¡­ Seiji didn¡¯t know what to feel after hearing this same word from Destruction Voidfire and New Voidfire.

    These two were the same person with the same request. Yet, the two made him feel differently.

    ¡°What do you want to use me for?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°Of course, to prevent the mistake¡­ With your powerbined with my power, we can correct every mistake in the world!¡± A powerful glint appeared in Ashiya¡¯s eyes as his robe began to burn. The heat emanating seemed to reflect his current excited emotions.

    ¡°That¡¯s far too arrogant.¡± Seiji looked directly at him. ¡°Nobody in the world can possibly correct all mistakes in the world.¡±

    ¡°Even if it can¡¯t be done, we can still correct as many as possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to do that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m human.¡± Seiji had an adamant tone.

    He was human, not some god or demon.

    ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re not human!¡± Ashiya denied this. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t restrain yourself like that.¡±

    Seiji fell silent.

    ¡°Your ability has the power to create miracles¡­ No, your power itself is a miracle!¡± Ashiya continued speaking. ¡°You don¡¯t need to restrain yourself like this, which will only leave you the same as other foolish humans. You should instead stand at a higher position. Your self-restraint is evidence of your purity. Yet, you should be able to understand and see just how wicked the world is and how ugly humanity is. Restraining yourself and believing yourself to be human is something divine. Yet, the world doesn¡¯t deserve such divinity. Release yourself! Release your true self, free yourself, and you can save humanity, and make the world a better ce¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Seijiughed out loud.

    Ashiya paused in surprise.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I just really wanted tough.¡± Seiji coughed. ¡°Ashiya-san, your words just now were¡­ too vorful.¡±

    Too much of a chuunibyou vor, that was.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me all this¡­ You¡¯ve already said simr words to me before, which indeed moved me. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve alreadye to a decision,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone. ¡°And, it¡¯s precisely because of this decision that I must refuse your invitation. I¡¯m human¡­ no matter what I really am, this is the definition that I¡¯ve given myself. I will do what humans should do and remain what a human should be. I won¡¯t just casually ¡®release¡¯ myself. This isn¡¯t for the sake of humanity or the world. This is only for my own sake.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s all there is to it. My apologies.¡¯

    Dousei Ashiya could feel Seiji¡¯s determination. Ashiya then fell silent.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be yourpanion, but I need your information,¡± Seiji continued speaking seriously. ¡°Please, tell me, Voidfire-san.¡±

    Seiji changed to referring to him as Voidfire again as a way of re-expressing respect.

    Yet Ashiya¡­ Voidfire still remained silent.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows after seeing that Voidfire apparently didn¡¯t intend to tell him anything.

    It seemed like this conversation had been a failure.

    What should he do now that he couldn¡¯t obtain any information?

    Redo this conversation again? That would be no good.

    As long as Voidfire had the way of thinking that he absolutely needed to know about Seiji¡¯s time traveling ability, it would be impossible for him to honestly tell Seiji about the information Seiji wanted.

    Time passed like this in silence.

    And then, the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s attention came upon them.

    Mist swarmed in with red shes as numerous giant spiritual creatures began to swiftly form!

    Seiji sighed and prepared to leave.

    ¡°The Yasakani no Magatama is fake,¡± Voidfire suddenly stated.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Seiji looked at Voidfire and saw that his robe suddenly started burning and transforming into me. Voidfire then flew towards the monsters and began fighting!

    The Yasakani no Magatama was¡­ fake?

    Seiji was absolutely certain this was what he heard. He wondered what exactly this could mean, but he didn¡¯t have any more time to ask.

    Seiji swiftly broke out of the monsters¡¯ encirclement, and then he opened his system and loaded!

 Chapter 810 - Itâ€™s human nature to repeat the mistakes of the past

    <h4>Chapter 810: It¡¯s human nature to repeat the mistakes of the past</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Destruction Timeline, Kosui Park, third time.

    Seiji tried once again to talk to Destruction Voidfire. Unfortunately, Seiji was unable to learn anything else. In the end, the only knowledge he gained was the sentence ¡°The Yasakani no Magatama is fake.¡±

    To interpret this sentence in the most basic and literal meaning, it seemed that Voidfire must have discovered that the Yasakani no Magatama was fake when he tried to steal it.

    This fake artifact, was it a fake that Soul Society intentionally prepared in order to confuse their enemies, or¡­ was there really something wrong with the Yasakani no Magatama itself?

    If it was thetter, Seiji felt like he could understand how the destructive ending for the city¡¯s residents came about.

    The more he thought about it, the more Seiji felt like this was the case.

    Logically speaking, Voidfire¡¯s attack on Soul Society must have failed in the end if he got nothing but a fake Yasakani no Magatama. This meant that Soul Society had seeded in their defense. Yet, despite Soul Society¡¯s sessful defense, that destructive ending had stille about. Something was obviously wrong¡­ Either there was a problem with the artifact that Soul Society was using to seal the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, or another person must have intentionally created the Destruction Timeline. Those seemed like the most likely scenarios.

    If that was really the case, this meant that the true mastermind who caused the Destruction Timeline must have actually been within Soul Society!

    Of course, there was also the possibility that Voidfire was just shifting the me elsewhere. However, was he really the one who¡¯d personally started such a tremendous tragedy on purpose? Was Soul Society not at fault in any way?

    Seiji highly doubted this. In his opinion, the very fact that Soul Society had created a cruel n to sacrifice three thousand ordinary civilians was already a mistake.

    Soul Society had a problem.

    The Yasakani no Magatama had a problem.

    If this powerful mythic artifact had a problem, this meant that the seven major Yin Yang Master families¡­ there was a problem with the seven major families who possessed the three major artifacts of Sakura Ind!

    Of course, it probably wasn¡¯t all of the families. It was more likely that the problem was with a few families, or even just one family.

    As Seiji thought this, he also recalled what yet another high-ranking member of the Messengers, Kanzaki, had told him¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s because the Haruta Family, as well as the other major families in Sakura Ind¡¯s spiritual society, never treat the sins theymit as sins at all. Nor do they care one bit about how many people suffer because of their actions.¡±

    Seiji also thought back to Akatsuki Mitarai. Akatsuki hadn¡¯t even been from one of the seven major families. Yet, Akatsuki had done so many cruel things for so long without being punished. Wouldn¡¯t that mean the members of the seven major families would be even more unrestrained in their behavior, with no fear of any consequences?

    Seiji had seen the memories of the dead back when he¡¯d been reviving the dead from the Bloodwine Ritual tournament. He definitely recalled seeing some evil deeds amongst the memories, although he only had hazy impressions of those left. Back then, he had tried his best to avoid reviving those who hadmitted too many evil deeds.

    Some spiritual ability users were so evil that they were no different from demons.

    Whoops, he was getting sidetracked.

    Seiji told himself to focus.

    Right now, all he knew was that the Yasakani no Magatama might be fake. He knew he shouldn¡¯t jump to hasty conclusions. However, Seiji truly felt that Soul Society, or rather the seven major families, had the greater possibility of something shady going on behind the scenes. And, it was precisely because of some secret scheme involving the powerful artifact that directly caused the Destruction Timeline, or at least it would be heavily rted.

    ¡°So is this all just another version of what happened at the Bloodwine Ritual tournament¡­?¡± Seiji muttered to himself. ¡°It¡¯s human nature to repeat the mistakes of the past¡­ But I truly don¡¯t feel like this clich¨¦ phrase is funny at all.¡±

    Seiji then did his best to suppress his negative emotions in order to calm down and think about what to do next.

    He then came to a decision. Seiji instantly loaded back to the New Timeline and made a phone call.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san, I have something important to tell you face to face¡­¡±

    ¡°Where did you obtain this information from?¡±

    Yui had a sharp glint in her eyes after she finished listening to Seiji.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind where I got the information from. Just trust me.¡± Seiji faced her directly with a resolute expression. ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that there¡¯s a problem with the Yasakani no Magatama. Sacrificing three thousand ordinary people to fix the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ location is only the overt n. There¡¯s an important scheme hidden within that will benefit one, or several, of the seven major Yin Yang Master families!¡±

    Yui fell silent.

    At this critical junction, she originally didn¡¯t want to take the time to meet with Seiji again. However, Seiji had been incredibly insistent on meeting her, so she unwillingly came to see him again. She had never expected to hear such a piece of information from him.

    Just what exactly had her foolish younger brother done after theirst conversation?

    ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me the source of your information, I won¡¯t be able to judge the truthfulness of your information,¡± Yui stated coldly. ¡°Schemes are everywhere, being produced every second. The type of scheme you told me about is the simplest and mostughable type of them all.¡±

    ¡°So what? Simple andughable? That doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s not a real scheme. Sometimes, the most simple and practical schemes are far more dangerous than the most intricate schemes.¡± Seiji continued being adamant.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to tell me the source of your information!¡±

    ¡®I want to believe you, but I can¡¯t believe you so easily.¡¯

    Yui¡¯s expression was saying this.

    Seiji could only mentally sigh as he saw quite clearly what his older sister was thinking.

    He knew that it was asking a lot for her to simply believe him. However, he felt that things might get even worse in the future if he told her about his time traveling ability.

    Now that he had loosened his own restrictions on himself, Seiji understood even better just how overly powerful time travel could be after seeing Voidfire¡¯s reaction. His time travel ability was far too convenient and it had zero drawbacks. This was almost no different from a curse. Just knowing about it would cause others to be affected.

    To think of things pessimistically, Seiji didn¡¯t want to expose his time travel ability. On the positive side, he also didn¡¯t want others to carry this heavy burden together with him.

    Maybe he was being arrogant, selfish, or prideful. But, that was just how he really felt.

    ¡°The information came from the ability that I Awakened¡­ that¡¯s all I can say,¡± Seiji spoke in a serious tone.

    Something shed in Yui¡¯s eyes.

    She seemed to understand, then she seemed to think of even more as her expression became ratherplex.

    ¡°Is this ability powerful?¡±

    Seiji felt a subtle sensation from her tone.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very powerful,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Then be careful to control your power properly. Don¡¯t be allured and devoured by it,¡± Yui spoke while looking directly into his eyes.

    Seiji felt that there was something more contained within her words.

    ¡°Sister Yui, do you know what my ability is?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    Yui fell silent for a moment as she retracted her gaze.

    ¡°No matter what it is, the more powerful the ability, the more easily a person will be addicted to it.¡± She spoke in a soft voice. ¡°You have to control it properly¡­ Seiji, protect yourself and maintain your current sense of self.¡±

    ¡°¡­Just what do you know?¡± As Seiji looked at her, he felt like he was currently very close to some deep secret.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say.¡± Yui didn¡¯t look at him, and responded with the same phrase that he¡¯d just used.

    A period of mutual silence followed after that.

    ¡°I believe your information now,¡± Yui finally spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll begin an investigation¡­ Is there anything else that you want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Seiji kept looking directly at her. ¡°The Messengers are nning an attack on Soul Society in order to steal the Yasakani no Magatama. The person leading this attack has the code name Voidfire.¡±

    Yui¡¯s gaze sharpened upon hearing this.

    ¡°Is this also information that you obtained through that ability of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I also confirmed it through Itsuki Kamitani.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°In exchange for his information, I want to tell him the information that the Yasakani no Magatama might be fake. Is that alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do as you like.¡± Yui had no objections.

    Actually, Seiji intended to first tell New Voidfire before telling Kamitani.

    It would obviously still be impossible to convince the Messengers to call off their attack. However, this would probably bother them to some extent, or maybe even convince New Voidfire to somewhat change his actions.

    At any rate, Seiji would do everything he could in order to avoid the events of the Destruction Timeline reurring in the New Timeline.

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please be absolutely careful when investigating this scheme, Nee-san.¡±

    It would doubtlessly be highly dangerous to investigate a scheme that came from one or several of the seven major families. Even if Yui was the genius of the Haruta Family, that still wouldn¡¯t lower the risk. It might actually make things even more dangerous for her.

    And what if the Haruta Family was also involved in this scheme¡­?

    Seiji was quite worried.

    ¡°Call me if you need me for anything,¡± he told her. ¡°Although I might not be able to help, I¡¯ll surely be able to do something about it.¡±

    His words were obviously contradicting each other.

    Yet, Yui seemed to understand what he meant as something shed in her eyes.

    ¡°I will¡­ Seiji.¡±

 Chapter 811 - The Tendo Familyâ€™s Betrayal Incident

    <h4>Chapter 811: The Tendo Family¡¯s Betrayal Incident</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After Seiji got off Yui¡¯s car and returned home, he immediately called New Voidfire and exined that the Yasakani no Magatama was fake.

    ¡°You¡¯re not willing to join forces with me?¡±

    Voidfire didn¡¯t immediately react to the news that the mythic artifact was fake. Instead, this was his first question.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°No matter what?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment as he mulled things over.

    ¡°I must admit, it¡¯s incredibly tempting to work together with you, Voidfire-san.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°However, in the end we¡¯re not of the same type. Such an unreliable cooperation might end up seriously hurting both you and me. That¡¯s why let¡¯s simply leave things at that. I¡¯m grateful for your intentions, but sorry.¡±

    Voidfire also fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°How regrettable¡­ But there should still be opportunities for us in the future,¡± he stated raspily. ¡°You¡¯re even willing to use a thing like Kamitani. You¡¯ll definitely have a time when you need to make use of me. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±

    Voidfire then hung up the call.

    Seiji was quite moved with how sincere Voidfire seemed to be in wanting to team up with him. However, Seiji already knew after talking to Destruction Voidfire that teaming up would definitely be a bad idea.

    Voidfire was incredibly strong. Although Seiji had only seen a minor portion of Voidfire¡¯s abilities back at Kosui Park rather than their full extent, the very fact that he was the leader of the attack against Soul Society, and that he was able to sessfully retreat from Soul Society unharmed afterward, meant that Voidfire was definitely one of the strongest individuals on Sakura Ind!

    Without regards to anything else, just Voidfire¡¯s power level would be capable of changing so many things in the world.

    If Seiji used his ability of saving and loading and teamed up with Voidfire, it was certain that they could aplish many things together¡­ Yet, just as Seiji stated, he felt that they weren¡¯t the same type in the end.

    If Seiji absolutely had to reveal his power, he would prefer to tell it to Yui¡­ But he was also quite doubtful of telling her, because it was evident that Yui was also hiding many deep secrets. He had no idea what might happen if he told her what his power really was.

    Maybe he could try telling her and then load afterwards?

    No, there were some things that he felt he shouldn¡¯t even try.

    As long as he tried, as long as it happened, as long as he knew, even if he could load afterwards, it would be impossible for him to act the same anymore as some things would never be the same again.

    Seiji then called Kamitani.

    ¡°Hey, my bro Haruta, did you have fun on your date with him?¡±

    ¡°It was quite fun. As your payment, I¡¯ll give you some information.¡±

    Seiji told Kamitani that the Yasakani no Magatama was fake. Kamitani remained silent for a moment before chuckling.

    ¡°This is truly incredible information. I¡¯d really like to ask how you know about this, but I doubt you¡¯d tell me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I only told you this information as payment for you helping to set up the meeting with Voidfire. I don¡¯t care whether you believe me or not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so cold, my bro Haruta. You should at least tell me a little more~¡± Kamitani pretended to act spoiled.

    Seiji instantly decided to hang up the phone call.

    Originally, Seiji had wanted to try and obtain more information from Kamitani about what he was scheming. However, Seiji really didn¡¯t want to talk with such a bastard anymore, not to mention that it would be almost impossible to find out any more about the Messengers¡¯ attack n.

    He had already told Kamitani and Voidfire that the Yaskani no Magatama was fake. That was all he could do.

    ¡­Was that really all he could do?

    Seiji thought about what else he could do. For instance, could he try having Voidfire and Yui cooperate? Could he warn Voidfire to be on guard against Kamitani?

    But no matter how much he thought about it, he felt that these would all be unnecessary.

    Although Seiji was still anxious about the possible Destruction Timeline happening again, this seemed like all he could do for the time being.

    In a certain room at one of Soul Society¡¯s bases.

    A man who had a thin face and a dark look in his eyes, wearing ck clothing, was sitting in front of a table and slowly folding origami.

    His back was perfectly straight and his hands were slightly raised. Everything about him seemed almost perfectly symmetrical. His only movements were his slender fingers slowly folding the origami. He was expressionless. It seemed as if he was performing some sort of ritual as he gave off a dark and authoritative aura.

    There was a knock on the door to his room.

    ¡°Come in,¡± he stated lightly.

    A girl who wore a normal jacket entered the room. She was Yui.

    After she entered the room, Yui closed the door and activated a spell that would prevent any sound from leaking the room.

    ¡°What is it?¡± The ck-d man didn¡¯t look at Yui. He simply continued folding origami while speaking in a light tone.

    Yui walked over and spoke directly, ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the Yasakani no Magatama.¡±

    The man¡¯s fingers slowed slightly in folding origami.

    ¡°Where did you obtain this information?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    ¡°How reliable is it?¡±

    ¡°Extremely reliable.¡±

    The man remained silent as he continued folding origami. Finally, he finished folding a beautiful paper crane. He then ced the paper crane in his hands as he uttered an incantation.

    He then opened his hands to reveal countless white lights as an ethereal crane flew up to the ceiling of the room before vanishing.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Only now did he turn to look at Yui.

    ¡°Reinspect the Yasakani no Magatama.¡±

    ¡°You know that this will be highly difficult,¡± the ck-d man said. ¡°Besides, will you really be able to identify if there¡¯s a problem with it?¡±

    Yui remained silent.

    The Yasakani no Magatama was incredibly important. Whether there was a problem with it would be of the utmost importance. Not only had several top-level spiritual ability users inspected it many times, the Yasakani no Magatama was also under constant tight surveince. It was almost unimaginable that someone would be able to tamper with it.

    ¡°If there¡¯s no identifiable problem with it, even if there is a problem with it, that¡¯s the same as it having no problem,¡± the ck-d man continued speaking.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°I would have made you leave already if I didn¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No need. I believe you because I¡¯m actually suspicious myself.¡±

    ¡°Suspicious of what?¡± Yui looked directly at him.

    ¡°Everything.¡± The ck-d man slowly stood up.

    He wasn¡¯t very tall. Yet, when he stood up, it seemed as if a giant had stood up with how powerful his aura was. There was also something dark and shadowy about him.

    ¡°Ever since the Realm of Cherry Blossoms appeared, everything has been incredibly sessful, to the point where I feel it¡¯s quite unnatural.¡± He sped his hands behind his back and started walking until he arrived at the window.

    ¡°This should actually be a vicious storm, yet everything so far has been nothing butplete calm,¡± he stated while looking outside the window. ¡°Nothing unexpected has happened whatsoever. In my opinion, that¡¯s what¡¯s most unexpected of all. Perhaps something unexpected that¡¯s incredibly dangerous is waiting for us. It¡¯s possible that we missed something, but we haven¡¯t noticed even up until now¡­¡±

    The man clutched his hands tightly, revealing his inner turmoil.

    Both people in the room remained silent for a while.

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely certain that your information source is extremely reliable?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± Yui replied instantly with zero hesitation.

    The ck-d man nodded, and then closed his eyes. He opened them again approximately six to seven secondster.

    ¡°If there really is a problem with the Yasakani no Magatama as you say, then the most likely time that the problem appeared would be ten years ago.¡±

    Ten years ago? Yui furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°For the past ten years, we¡¯ve hadplete knowledge of the Yasakani no Magatama¡¯s whereabouts. I believe that the security around it is sufficient, so nobody could have possibly tampered with it. But if we look at the records of the seven major families who take turns having possession of the Yasakani no Magatama, the most recent suspicious incident surrounding it happened ten years ago¡­¡±

    The man began telling a story. ¡°A certain member of the Tendo Family schemed together with outsiders in an attempt to steal the Yasakani no Magatama while the Tendo Family was in charge of protecting the artifact. This outrageous betrayal failed in the end, and that member of the Tendo Family was executed by his family. The outsiders that he allied with were all killed off by the Tendo Family. Nothing happened to the Yasakani no Magatama. It was perfectly fine, just as we can currently see.

    ¡°Yet, everything about it was too unnatural. The Tendo Family reacted far too quickly. The other six families had just been informed, and didn¡¯t even have the time to react by the time that the Tendo Family finished dealing with the entire betrayal incident by themselves.

    ¡°Not only that, the Tendo Family used the excuse of the Yasakani no Magatama being unharmed and that they resolved the incident so quickly to ask for understanding from the other six families. The Tendo Family asked everyone not to investigate the identity of the perpetrators and details of the incident.

    ¡°All of this sounds reasonable since the Yasakani no Magatama underwent strict inspections to determine that there really was no problem with it. The Tendo Family also secretly gave out some bribes, which was why the other six families¡¯ members in charge of the Yasakani no Magatama all agreed with the Tendo Family¡¯s request.

    ¡°But now, if there really is a problem with the Yasakani no Magatama as you say, then the most likely time that it was tampered with would be this Tendo Family betrayal incident from ten years ago!¡±

 Chapter 812 - The Tendo Familys Dragon Vein

    <h4>Chapter 812: The Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ten years was quite a lengthy amount of time.

    But for some patient schemers, ten years might not seem that long.

    Now then, how likely did it seem that the Tendo Family had begun a scheme rted to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms ten years ago?

    It seemed unlikely. It would be almost impossible to predict the general situation ten years down the road. However, it would be more probably that the Tendo Family had left a trap that could be activatedter down the road at an appropriate time.

    Peoplemonly had misunderstandings about what schemes were. Many would believe that schemes would be well-concealed and intricate from the very start. Or, at least, that the scheme would be rtively well nned, and that it would secretly proceed until it finally seeded.

    This wasn¡¯t always the case. In some cases, even the schemer wouldn¡¯t know what results their scheme would bring about. The schemer would simply put down a chess piece at an appropriate time at an appropriate ce. Then, depending on the situation, the schemer mightter activate this chess piece, ce another chess piece, or change this chess piece¡¯s location. The schemer would then slowly progress until they would personally benefit.

    If the Tendo Family really had a scheme, it was likely to be thetter type.

    Of course, the Tendo Family might also bepletely innocent. The ck-d man was simply saying that the Tendo Family betrayal incident from ten years ago was the most probable time when something went wrong with the Yasakani no Magatama artifact. This was all just hypothetical so far.

    But no matter what, Yui and the ck-d man now had a direction to investigate in.

    ¡°Call him here,¡± the ck-d man said to Yui.

    Yui knew whom the ck-d man was referring to. There was only one person in Soul Society who had the best understanding of the Tendo Family while being rtively trustworthy.

    Yui took out her cell phone and called a certain number.

    Not long after, that person she¡¯d contacted arrived.

    He walked into this room without even knocking. He was wearing a graybat outfit with an angry minotaur mask on his head. This made him seem rather strange andical.

    If Seiji had been here, he would have recognized this person as the minotaur mask boy who had been together with the national idol Miyuki Sakuraku! Mika had also been with Seiji at that time.

    ¡°What do the two of you want to ask me?¡± the minotaur mask boy asked in a low voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the incident from ten years ago, when a member of the Tendo Family tried to steal the Yasakani no Magatama¡­¡± Yui exined.

    After she finished exining, the minotaur mask boy fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°Supposedly, the mastermind behind that theft attempt was Shinzen Tendo,¡± the minotaur boy remarked. ¡°Shinzen Tendo was the younger cousin of Sougo Tendo, the current leader of the Tendo Family. Shinzen¡¯s power level was average, and he was poor at socializing. He was almostpletely unknown. Shinzen also fully immersed himself in his hobby of creating spiritual artifacts, but he never managed to create anything useful. In his generation, he was considered lower-middle ss.

    ¡°Back when he allegedly tried to steal the Yasakani no Magatama, his attempt was discovered before he even obtained the jewel artifact. Shinzen was executed almost immediately afterwards. As for the outsiders that he supposedly allied with, those people self-destructed when they were hunted down by the Tendo Family¡¯s assassination squad. No traces were left behind. There¡¯s no evidence as to who they could be. That¡¯s all I know.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that there¡¯s anything suspicious about this incident?¡± Yui asked.

    ¡°It was too poorly done,¡± the minotaur mask boy stated directly. ¡°The culprits, no matter if it was Shinzen Tendo or those people that self-destructed or whoever else was behind it, they all did everything far too sloppily.¡±

    ¡°Or in other words, the Tendo Family did everything unbelievably perfectly,¡± the ck-d man said. ¡°Even though this was clearly a serious betrayal where a member of the family schemed together with outsiders, the Tendo Family suffered zero losses. In the end, it all seemed as if that Shinzen Tendo was just aplete idiot who had a foolish scheme.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the same as what I¡¯ve heard. Shinzen Tendo¡¯s scheme was truly foolish,¡± the minotaur mask boy agreed.

    ¡°Was he truly such a foolish individual?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no specific information about him, because he was rtively unknown and didn¡¯t really have any friends. There¡¯s too little information to go on.¡± The minotaur boy then paused as his tone turned rather grim. ¡°However, an entire vige was destroyed three months after that incident.¡±

    The ck-d man¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. However, Yui furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°The destruction of that vige is considered to be absolute top secret in the Tendo Family. I did my very best to investigate it, but all I found out in the end was that it was somehow connected to the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein,¡± the minotaur mask boy stated lightly. However, deeper emotions seemed to run underneath his light tone.

    The Dragon Vein.

    That was the name that the Tendo Family gave to the Spirit Vein they passed down through the generations. A so-called Spirit Vein was believed to be an important factor for a family to keep producing spiritual ability users. Some Spirit Veins were physical, some were intangible, and some were a mix of both.

    Simply speaking, the Tendo Family Dragon Vein was one of the major foundational reasons why the Tendo Family was able to be one of the seven major families.

    The major families were all capable of doing anything at all for the sake of preserving their foundational strength! All three people present in this room understood this facet of spiritual society quite well.

    The minotaur mask boy¡¯s information about this Tendo Family secret was quite important, but the most important thing right now was still the Yasakani no Magatama jewel artifact.

    ¡°Do you believe that the vige¡¯s destruction was rted to the attempt at stealing the artifact?¡± the ck-d man inquired.

    ¡°I believe that they¡¯re connected, but I can¡¯t find any concrete evidence,¡± the minotaur mask boy answered.

    ¡°If they really are connected, then the Yasakani no Magatama attempted theft incident was in no way as simple as it appeared on the surface. In that case¡­ the destruction of that vige might reenact itself in a simr fashion in the current day, and cause the situation to go out of control,¡± the ck-d man extrapted.

    Yui recalled what Seiji told her and felt a chill down her spine. An unimaginable destruction¡ªwas this what he had foreseen?

    ¡°These are nothing but inferences,¡± the minotaur mask boymented.

    ¡°However, they¡¯re highly likely to be correct because we¡¯re now certain that there¡¯s a problem with the Yasakani no Magatama,¡± said the ck-d man as a dark look appeared in his eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t find anything wrong with the artifact itself, but there¡¯s something else we can investigate¡ªthe Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein!¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you intend to do?¡± the minotaur mask boy looked at him.

    ¡°I should be the one asking you what you can do, Raizen Tendo.¡± The ck-d man looked at the minotaur boy and called him by his real name.

    Raizen Tendo was the name of Shigure Tendo¡¯s older brother¡ªthe genius of the Tendo Family who should have been dead already! Not only that, Yui was the one who ¡°killed¡± him during a duel!

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me by that name,¡± the minotaur mask boy, or Raizen Tendo, spoke in a heavy tone.

    ¡°No matter how much you resist it, your true name is still your true name,¡± the ck-d man stated lightly. ¡°It represents your background and personal history. It¡¯s your foundation for everything that you are. However, your true name can¡¯t determine what type of person you are, what you can do, or what you want to do.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what attitude you have towards the Tendo Family. Right now, I need you, and Soul Society needs you. You¡¯re needed to investigate the problem with the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein in order to prevent a likely catastrophe from happening!¡±

    ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Raizen took a rebellious tone against the ck-d man¡¯s authoritative attitude.

    ¡°You can¡¯t refuse,¡± the ck-d man spoke coldly as his aura grew even more powerful, to the point where it was almost physical.

    White lights began to appear around him, appearing ethereal yet also containing great danger.

    *p!*

    Yui forcefully pped her hands.

    The white lights suddenly disappeared. The energy level in the room lowered.

    Raizen and the ck-d man both turned to face her instead of facing off against each other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Sorin-san.¡± She calmly tried to defuse the situation. ¡°You, me, and Tendo-kun¡­ we¡¯re allpanions with the same cause.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Raizen Tendo harrumphed slightly, but stopped giving off such a defiant attitude.

    The ck-d man also stopped giving off such an authoritative aura.

    After a period of silence, Raizen looked back at the ck-d man.

    ¡°I can try my best to investigate the Dragon Vein. However, I need assistance, and you owe me for this, Meisei Sorin.¡±

    ¡°Alright. But, you need to hurry.¡± The ck-d man, whose name was Meisei Sorin, agreed. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left.¡±

    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Yui asked Raizen.

    ¡°The easiest way to investigate the Dragon Vein is to investigate a member or disciple of the Tendo Family who recently had tremendous changes to their spiritual abilities,¡± Raizen exined. ¡°There¡¯s an extremely appropriate candidate that I¡¯m highly familiar with.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Yui could faintly guess already.

    ¡°Shigure Tendo,¡± Raizen stated lightly. ¡°My younger brother who was originally of ¡®low intelligence.''¡±

 Chapter 813 - A warrior who obtained the power of the Evil White Sakura Goddess?

    <h4>Chapter 813: A warrior who obtained the power of the Evil White Sakura Goddess?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°¡­Will this be dangerous for your younger brother?¡±

    ¡°Of course it will be, but it should be fine. And even if something happens¡­ aren¡¯t younger brothers supposed to be used just like this?¡±

    Yui fell silent as she felt like she sensed sharp sarcasm in Raizen¡¯s question aimed directly at her.

    Raizen looked directly at her whileughing under his minotaur mask.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you. In fact, it¡¯s the opposite. I think that you¡¯re not taking enough advantage of that little brat. You¡¯re still too kind. Protecting your younger brother like this is no different from spoiling him too much. It won¡¯t be good for either you or him. Not only that, there¡¯s also your younger sister. Just how long do you intend to allow her to continue being a useless NEET? You don¡¯t really think that allowing things to continue as they are¡­ will be fine, do you?¡±

    ¡°My family affairs are none of your business,¡± Yui replied icily.

    ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you for your own good. We arepanions with the same cause, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Raizen spoke in a light tone.

    Yui remained silent.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just get to the main point already. Say what assistance you require.¡± Meisei Sorin wanted to get back on topic.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The next morning was dark and cloudy, making people¡¯s mood unhappy with the weather. Everyone went about yet another seemingly normal day under this cloudy sky.

    Seiji told all his friends to tell their friends and rtives to leave the city before tonight if at all possible. He said that he just received bad news yesterday night that something terrible might happen tonight.

    If the Destruction Timeline ending urred yet again, with countless people in the city dying because of the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s arrival, Seiji would definitely load again. However, this didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t going to do nothing to warn others.

    Seiji had hisndlord Nozomi Uehara leave the city together with Reo. He also convinced Chiaki¡¯s father Shingo Wakaba and Editor Yoshizawa to leave the city as well, traveling together with Nozomi.

    Originally, Reo¡¯s uncle Shouhei Hirai should have also left together in the same group. However, something unexpected happened¡ªin a good way.

    Shouhei had already left the hospital. He had already taken a long time off from work due to staying in the hospital for so long. He had to work his very hardest in order to get back in good graces with hispany. That was when he met a woman at work whom he got along really well with. He was hopeful that things could develop between them romantically.

    Since Shouhei was busy with both work and trying to get a girlfriend, it was quite difficult for him to take care of Reo. Plus, Reo was having a good time and was being taken care of properly at Seiji¡¯s ce (okay, mostly because of Kaede babysitting all the time), so Shouhei agreed to have Seiji continue taking care of Reo for the time being.

    Taking even more time off work would be no small matter for Shouhei, since he had just returned recently. He was quite hesitant to do so despite how serious Seiji made the matter sound. However, Shouhei finally decided to work up the courage to exin the situation to the woman he liked. She seemed to believe him and was willing to take somepany vacation time off to leave the city together with him!

    So, Shouhei went on a ¡°vacation¡± together with that woman. They were basically an official couple now. It seemed likely that they would be doing adult things together, which was why it was inconvenient for Shouhei to travel together with his niece.

    It was fairly simple to convince Nozomi and Shingo to leave the city as they both previously already knew about spiritual abilities because of Seiji. It was more troublesome to convince everyone else¡¯s friends and family as they didn¡¯t know about spiritual abilities. Still, if things really became dangerous, Seiji felt that there was no need to hide the spiritual abilities and that his friends could all just disy their own powers.

    That afternoon, Seiji and his friends all gathered at Natsuya¡¯s mansion.

    Seiji asked everyone how sessful they were at convincing their friends and family to leave. He learned that almost everyone was sessful in the end, so that was one small burden off his mind.

    He then began the party that he had promised everyone for passing the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s trial.

    ¡°Cheers for us passing the god¡¯s trial!¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    Just like the party that he hosted during the Destruction Timeline, everyone ate together and chatted. However, the atmosphere this time was rather subdued.

    This was unavoidable.

    Back during the Destruction Timeline, nobody knew that such a cmity would befall the city, which was why everyone had great fun at the party. But this time, Seiji told everyone the ¡°information¡± he received that great danger might befall the city tonight, and even had everyone evacuate their friends and family. This made everyone highly tense about what might happen tonight.

    Although everyone was tense, they were all socially apt enough not to talk about anything so serious. Everyone only talked about casual topics during the party.

    Chiaki then stood up and was about to begin her same performance from the Destruction Timeline. However, she suddenly paused in her movements as she went into a daze.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Chiaki?¡± Mika was the first to notice that something was off with her best friend. Seiji and the others also immediately noticed.

    Chiaki soon returned to her senses.

    ¡°Seiji¡­ the White Sakura Goddess is in danger!¡±

    Everyone was surprised to hear this. Seiji was the only one who furrowed his eyebrows.

    The White Sakura Goddess was requesting assistance¡­ Had Yakushi¡¯s attack against her happened earlier than in the Destruction Timeline?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Seiji pretended to know nothing at all as he asked Chiaki to exin.

    ¡°I heard the White Sakura Goddess calling out to me, and then I learned¡­ the information that she passed to me,¡± Chiaki exined. ¡°An even more powerful enemy that the one from her trial is approaching her. This enemy is an incredibly powerful warrior who obtained the power of the Evil White Sakura Goddess!¡±

    What?

    Seiji was truly surprised by this.

    A warrior who obtained the power of the Evil White Sakura Goddess, the other name for the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess?

    Yakushi wasn¡¯t the one behind this attack?

    Not only had the attack happened earlier than the Destruction Timeline, even the attacker was different?

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what had happened. He could only assume that his actions had caused some sort of butterfly effect. But right now wasn¡¯t the time to think about it, as the most important thing right now was to go and protect the White Sakura Goddess.

    ¡°Since she went to the trouble of letting you know about the situation, then it¡¯s probably the same as her trial. Will you be casting a spell to bring us all over there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Chiaki nodded in affirmation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We must help her.¡± Seiji stood up and looked at everyone else. ¡°You all heard that this enemy will be even stronger than the ones from the previous god¡¯s trial. No matter who the enemy is, we must be cautious while fighting!¡±

    Everyone agreed to this.

    Seiji then opened up his Spirit House and everyone entered the dojo to begin Visualization in front of the Spirit Image.

    Chiaki began to dance, causing cherry blossoms to appear as dense white mist began to pour out from the Spirit Image¡­

    Severalrge ck-armored Samurai Demons currently had a much smaller human surrounded.

    This person was wearing white samurai garb and a ck mask on his face. Three blood-red rune swirls were located on the eyes and forehead of the mask. They were rotating and giving off an eerie glow.

    This person didn¡¯t have a left hand. He held a sword in his right hand, and his samurai garb was covered in chaotic blood-red runes. A ck me was burning on his sword, and dark red light flowed all around his body. He gave off a powerful demonic aura.

    Two Samurai Demons viciously shed with their swords directly at him while releasing powerful shock waves!

    However, this person didn¡¯t even try to dodge. He responded with his own sword, which easily knocked away the Samurai Demons¡¯ muchrger swords with two clear ngs. mes explosively shot forward as the swords were repelled!

    The two Samurai Demons whose attacks were stopped had their bodies slow down. It was obvious that they were off bnce.

    The next instant, the one-armed warrior suddenly vanished. He reappeared above one of the Samurai Demons who was off bnce. He used a single slice to pierce through the Samurai Demon¡¯s head, slicing all the way down and cutting the gigantic demon in half!

    The other Samurai Demons attacked him in unison.

    This person still didn¡¯t dodge. He blocked everything with his longsword.

    The one-armed warrior¡¯s sword appeared far more fragile and thinnerpared to the Samurai Demons¡¯ greatswords. Yet, his sword contained such power that not only could he block every blow, he was even able to knock every sword away, leading each Samurai Demon to lose their bnce. He then slew all the Samurai Demons while they were off bnce with just one sword attack each!

    After a fierce fight, all the Samurai Demons were vanquished. The warrior didn¡¯t have a single injury.

    Suddenly, the flowing light around him became agitated as it suddenly expanded. Arge amount of dense red mist started pouring out at a furious rate! The runes on his body began to sh a bright scarlet red. The ck mes on his sword also started burning all the way to his arm.

    ¡°Arghhhhhh!!!¡± The warrior shook all over as he screamed in pain.

    The demonic mist around him became even more agitated. With him at the center, the mist whirled towards the sky, seeming like a ck dragon that wanted to roar against the heavens!

    In his extreme pain, the warrior seemed to strenuously try his very best to move his right hand. He slowly aimed his own sword at himself.

    And then, he sliced right at his own neck!

 Chapter 814 - Shigure Tendo, is that you!?

    <h4>Chapter 814: Shigure Tendo, is that you!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The warrior cut off his own head. His entire body copsed and then vanished, leaving behind nothing but the sword covered in ck mes which floated in midair.

    The next second, some of the demonic mist gathered and constricted as it created a new human form. The one-armed warrior¡¯s body was recreated. The remaining demonic mist calmed down and condensed back into the dark red glowing light.

    The warrior continued onward as if nothing had happened. He walked into the dense white mist.

    A red torii stood before him.

    The warrior walked over. The torii immediately started shaking as it swiftly went from red to ck.

    The warrior passed through the torii right as it turnedpletely ck. Icy cold white mist swarmed all around him, yet this was unable to impede him in any way.

    Some cherry blossoms fell as a shrine appeared from within the mist.

    Seiji and his friends were standing guard in front of the shrine. They saw this one-armed warrior who arrived by himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Seiji instantly was reminded of Shigure Tendo¡¯s berserk state that forced him to load back at the Bloodwine Ritual tournament. ¡°Shigure Tendo?¡±

    This one-armed warrior greatly resembled the berserk Shigure Tendo from back then. Was this him again?

    While Seiji had his doubts, the warrior continued walking over as if he hadn¡¯t seen anyone in his path.

    ¡°Shigure Tendo, is that you!?¡± Seiji asked in a loud voice.

    The warrior paused for a slight moment.

    He didn¡¯t respond.

    The warrior continued walking forward.

    Just the simple action of him walking forward was giving Seiji and his friends a tremendous sense of pressure.

    ¡°Everyone, back away,¡± Seiji told hispanions.

    No matter if this one-armed warrior was Shigure Tendo or not, it was evident that he was quite strong. Seiji felt that it was likely that only he would be able to directly fight against this warrior.

    Natsuya and the others all listened and immediately retreated.

    They could all sense that this warrior was incredibly dangerous. He appeared to be human, but it also seemed like some tremendous and terrifying existence was hidden within him. Although he was simr to the boss monsters in the Domain, this warrior was far stronger.

    Seiji went up to the warrior while his friends retreated.

    The warrior raised his sword covered in ck mes.

    The next moment, he suddenly vanished as he attacked with lightning speed that left afterimages. He aimed his sword directly at Seiji¡¯s chest¡­

    Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, ¡°Heartseeker Sword¡±!

    Telekinesis clone constructed!

    Spirit sword, ¡°White Lotus¡±!

    Seiji instantly cast his spells and created a golden clone in front of himself. A white spirit sword formed in Seiji¡¯s hand as he counterattacked!

    *Boom!*

    The ck me sword sliced through the telekinesis clone, sending out shock waves that traveled more than ten meters. Meanwhile, the white spirit sword was destroyed by the warrior.

    This was within Seiji¡¯s expectations.

    Killing curse, ¡°Shadow Pierce¡±!

    The shattered spirit sword revealed a fatal ck needle that shot out from within, aiming directly for the warrior¡¯s mask!

    *Whoosh¡­* The warrior dodged sessfully.

    He only needed to slightly adjust his body to dodge this real attack hidden in the white spirit sword. The warrior twisted around and swept with his longsword, directly attacking Seiji¡¯s real body¡­

    Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, ¡°Slicing through Water¡±!

    There was a loud rumble as the ck mes expanded rapidly like a tidal wave!

    Seiji managed to jump up into the air in time to dodge this. He created another White Lotus spirit sword as well as reconstructed another telekinesis clone. Seiji and his clone then both attacked the warrior from midair!

    The warrior didn¡¯t attempt to dodge as he sliced upwards with his sword. The warrior¡¯s sword exploded with mes as it shed against both White Lotus swords and repulsed them!

    He then followed up with an ultimate sword technique¡­

    Evil Goddess technique, ¡°Execution¡±!

    ck mes instantly shot forth as the golden telekinesis clone was in for a second time. Seiji barely managed to block this powerful attack which knocked him back seven to eight meters.

    Seiji was now absolutely certain that he was fighting against Shigure Tendo!

    Seiji was familiar with Shigure¡¯s sword techniques from previously fighting against and together with him during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament. Seiji felt that there was a more than ny percent probability that this warrior was Shigure Tendo. The less than ten percent was that this warrior was someone else who knew the same sword techniques.

    Why would Shigure appear here in such a state!?

    Had he joined the Messengers? Or, were the Messengers taking advantage of him?

    Seiji felt that thetter was more likely.

    Although Seiji didn¡¯t know Shigure very well, Seiji felt that Shigure was the type of person who would be very easy to take advantage of and used by others.

    It was unknown what butterfly effect had caused Shigure to attack the White Sakura Goddess, differing from the Destruction Timeline.

    But no matter what, it was certain that it was due to Seiji¡¯s loading and changing the timeline that this situation arose. From a certain standpoint, he was responsible for Shigure bing like this.

    Seiji was willing to take this responsibility.

    ¡°Demon Suppression Bell¡±!

    A golden bell appeared and covered the Evil White Sakura Goddess¡¯s warrior. However, the warrior broke through the bell in a mere two seconds.

    Seiji created a telekinesis clone for the third time. He no longer tried to fight directly in melee range. Instead, he started putting distance between them while using long-range magic attacks!

    Although Seiji¡¯s telekinesis clone was in no way weak, the clone seemed as fragile as a sheet of paper in front of the warrior¡¯s sword. The clone was in over and over again. Yet, due to Seiji¡¯s clever maniptions, his constant clone onught was able to sessfully stall the warrior.

    If this had been Natsuya or anyone else from Seiji¡¯s group attempting this, they would have been courting death. It was unlikely that even all of thembined would have a fighting chance!

    This one-armed warrior was just about undefeatable in melee.

    At the very least, not a single person present was capable of facing him directly in melee. Not even Seiji Kamijou would be able to aplish this. Although the warrior¡¯s other attacks and techniques could still be blocked or dodged, his ultimate Evil Goddess technique was ridiculously powerful! It was unmistakable that this technique possessed the Evil White Sakura Goddess¡¯s power.

    The dark red light around the warrior dimmed slightly after he received several sessive spell attacks.

    ¡°Arrrghhhhhh!!!!¡±

    He suddenly started trembling all over while making a scream of pain. The runes on his body shone with bright scarlet as the light around him became agitated. This light transformed into a dense dark red mist that then expanded into a gigantic umbre-shaped barrier!

    Seiji shot out a sword of light that waspletely absorbed by the umbre-shaped barrier. His attack seemed to do no damage.

    This seemed like a second stage of a boss battle where the boss was undergoing a transformation.

    ¡°Everyone, attack!¡± Seiji immediately decided to have all his friends in the distanceunch their attacks.

    Natsuya and the others had all prepared their attack techniques and spells already. They immediately cast their abilities simultaneously!

    Lightning, wind des, sharp icicles, spiritual des, Mana Bullets, insects, and demons¡­ all sorts of high-powered long-range attacks were aimed directly at the one-armed warrior!!!

    *Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!* A deafening noise could be heard.

    The warrior¡¯s umbre-shaped barrier blocked the torrential tide of attacks!

    However, there was still clear evidence that he¡¯d expended a decent amount of energy in forcefully having his barrier absorb all these blows, since his umbre-shaped barrier became a bit smaller.

    Evil Goddess technique, ¡°Destruction sh¡±!

    The one-armed warrior raised his sword, creating a pir of mes around it that shot up towards the skies. He then shed with his sword and created a gigantic tornado of dark mes that shot towards Seiji¡¯s friends in the distance!

    Reversal spell, ¡°Dragon Counterattack¡±!

    Seiji had his telekinesis clone stand in front of his friends and cast the counterspell to block the dark me tornado and send it right back towards the warrior in the form of a golden dragon!

    Although the telekinesis clone seeded in countering the dark me tornado, it was pitifully destroyed yet again by the overwhelming power.

    The warrior charged towards Seiji¡¯s real body, while the golden dragon charged towards the warrior.

    Seiji cast a defensive barrier spell on himself to block the attack. He allowed the golden dragon to strike both himself and the warrior!

    There was an instantaneous blinding sh of light along with the sound of fierce sh.

    ¡°Seiji¡­¡± Natsuya and the others all became quite worried.

    They then saw to their astonishment that the golden dragon¡¯s light then seemed to meld into the light that came afterwards. The golden dragon reassembled itself into yet another telekinesis clone that gave off a powerful blinding holy light.

    [Evolved Telekinesis Clone]! Holy Light edition!

    *Pow!* Seiji¡¯s real body was sent flying by the warrior¡¯s attack.

    *Bam!* The warrior was sent flying by a powerful attack from the [Evolved Telekinesis Clone].

    It was as if the [Evolved Telekinesis Clone] had umted many grudges from being in so many times. It attacked with astonishing explosive power! The clone kept chasing after the one-armed warrior while attacking furiously, keeping up the barrage of attacks from ground to midair to the ground and then back to midair yet again. Finally, the clone used its spirit sword and pierced through the warrior¡¯s body, slicing him in half!!!

 Chapter 815 - The world after death

    <h4>Chapter 815: The world after death</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The moment that the [Evolved Telekinesis Clone] sliced through the warrior, the clone also copsed and disappeared.

    That clone had been created from the Evil Goddess¡¯s power, which Seiji forcefully transformed into his own clone. Basically, he had haphazardly used stolen power to create that clone, which was obviously rather reckless. Just the very fact that it seeded without self-destructing instantly was great already.

    It was thanks to this clone that Seiji had been able to break through the warrior¡¯s defenses. However, the fight wasn¡¯t over yet.

    The warrior¡¯s body copsed and vanished, but demonic mist instantly gathered and formed a human form with a new body!

    ¡°Demon Suppression Bell!¡±

    Seiji cast his golden bell spell in time to suppress the ck me sword, which was floating in midair. This managed to obstruct the demonic mist¡¯s actions.

    This sword was the true body.

    Seiji could already tell this during the fight. He had also received a hint regarding this from the White Sakura Goddess. Defeating the warrior wouldn¡¯t mean the end. He had topletely suppress this ck me sword!

    The demonic mist reacted furiously, trying to break free from the suppression. However, Seiji cast more spells to suppress the sword while having hispanionse over to help.

    Natsuya and the others teamed up to attack all the mist that poured out, not giving it any chance to form another warrior!

    The demonic mist became even more agitated as it even seemed to screech furiously like a monster would. This loud sound rattled everyone¡¯s eardrums.

    Everyone could faintly sense that a tremendous and fearsome existence was angrily watching all of them, giving everyone bone-piercing chills.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Seiji¡¯s presence, this invisible pressure would likely cause all of them to tremble in fear already.

    This was unmistakably the Evil White Sakura Goddess¡¯s pressure.

    She was incredibly powerful. However, Seiji and his friends also had the assistance of a goddess.

    With the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s assistance, Seiji slowly managed to seal the Evil Goddess¡¯s sword!

    Although the White Sakura Goddess was much weaker than the Evil Goddess, this was still the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s home territory. Suppressing a sword was still doable for her.

    The problem was with Chiaki, the catalyst for her divine power.

    Chiaki was unable to handle the goddess¡¯s power for too long. Seiji needed to increase the speed of sealing the sword.

    Yet if he increased the speed, there was the risk that a mistake would be made, allowing the Evil Goddess¡¯s sword to break free.

    This was a difficult choice to make. However, Seiji decided to take this risk as he would load if things went wrong.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to increase my power now to seal this sword as quickly as possible. However, this process might be dangerous. All of you, be careful!¡± Seiji created a save file at this moment in time as he warned everyone.

    ¡°Understood!¡± Everyone agreed.

    After making sure that all hispanions were on guard, Seiji took a deep breath before swiftly creating many hand seals. A powerful golden light instantly released¡­

    ¡°Demon Suppression Formation!¡±

    Arge pentagram spell formation expanded with a pir of light rising up from each of the five corners. The beams of light connected at the top and released countless mystical runes.

    ¡°Suppress the demons of the world¡­

    ¡°Stop the evils of the world¡­

    ¡°Destroy the evil spirits of the world¡­

    ¡°In the name of the gods, my will shall seal you¡­¡±

    Seiji solemnly incanted as he cast his spell. He swiftly powered this spell up to its maximum.

    ¡°Absolute Suppression! Seal of Light!! Demon Sword of the Evil Goddess, be sealed away!!!¡±

    Together with a loud rumble, a giant golden-white seal appeared while enveloping most of the demonic mist within its brilliant divine glow. Countless white cherry blossom petals could be seen flying underneath this seal.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡± A sound that resembled both a roar and a scream as if a tremendous beast struggling could be heard from within the seal.

    Seiji could only hope that Shigure Tendo¡¯s consciousness would be alright.

    It was difficult to hold back against the Evil Goddess¡¯s power, so Seiji could only pray for him.

    Suddenly, a streak of ck light broke through the seal of light and speedily shot towards a certain person!

    There wasn¡¯t even enough time to shout ¡°watch out¡±. Seiji tracked the ck light and saw that it was aiming for¡­

    Mayuzumi!

    Natsuya and the others had all been on guard. They instantly activated defensive spells to block the ck light. However, the ck light prated through everything!

    Mayuzumi¡¯s summoned spirit Idelia ced herself in front of Mayuzumi, yet she was shot through as well. The ck light was just about to hit Mayuzumi¡¯s body when she suddenly vanished at the veryst moment, causing the ck light to miss.

    Yukari had saved her.

    With astonishing speed, Yukari had shot out spiderweb strands to pull Mayuzumi away, narrowly dodging this attack.

    However, this still wasn¡¯t over. After continuing for another ten or so meters, the ck light stopped in midair and then suddenly turned around, still shooting at high speed!

    *Bang!*

    Hoshi shot out an arrow of light that urately hit the ck light.

    Mai, Hitaka, and Rana almost simultaneously shot out Mana Bullets. Natsuya cast spiritual des, Hisashi released lightning, Shika cast ice des, Mika cast dark des, Kaede cast wind des, Kaho summoned insects, and Kazuko summoned demons¡­ Everyone attacked the ck light together! They managed to forcefully stop the ck light in its tracks.

    The onught continued for quite a while.

    Everyone surrounded the ck light and continuously attacked it until it waspletely destroyed.

    Seiji heaved a sigh of relief at seeing this.

    Danger had indeed urred. However, it was excellent that hispanions had managed to prevent anything bad from urring while he was upied with the sealing spell.

    Seiji continued focusing on sealing the demonic sword.

    Finally, all the demonic mist dissipated, and the sealing waspleted sessfully.

    After Seiji stopped casting his spell, everyone saw a longsword remaining on the ground.

    Seiji felt that this sword looked rather familiar. Although he wasn¡¯t one hundred percent certain, he felt that this was the sword that Shigure Tendo had used back at the Bloodwine Ritual tournament.

    The next moment, the longsword became hazy as it turned gray and then gradually took a human form.

    Seiji walked over.

    ¡°Shigure Tendo, wake up!¡±

    There was no reaction.

    Seiji called out again.

    Still no reaction.

    Seiji looked at the gray human figure on the ground for several seconds. He walked over even closer and crouched down next to the figure. Seiji then pointed and created a tiny White Lotus spirit sword which he then used to poke the figure¡¯s head.

    Poke~ Poke~ Poke~

    Everyone else was rendered speechless.

    After countless pokes, the gray figure finally moved as its figure gradually became clearer.

    However, the figure was still too hazy to clearly make out a face. Everyone could only tell that he was a boy wearing samurai attire.

    He slowly sat up and looked all around him.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± His voice sounded somewhat ethereal.

    ¡°Before asking who I am, you should first introduce yourself. We all saved you,¡± Seiji told him.

    The figure fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I am Shigure Tendo.¡±

    As expected.

    ¡°We meet again¡­ Although I don¡¯t know if this counts as ¡®meeting¡¯, Tendo-san.¡± Seiji paused for a moment before choosing to say his real name. ¡°I am Seiji Haruta.¡±

    Although he could choose to conceal his identity, Seiji felt that it would be easier tomunicate with Shigure by using his real name here.

    ¡°Seiji Haruta¡­ -san.¡± Shigure looked at Seiji. ¡°Where is this ce?¡±

    ¡°The world after death.¡± Seiji suddenly wanted to make a joke.

    Shigure fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve already died,¡± he stated lightly. There was no sign of joking or resistance in his tone. It sounded like hepletely epted that he had ¡°died¡±.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ept this so easily!¡± Seiji couldn¡¯t help but make such ament.

    ¡°Haruta-san, are you also dead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dead at all! You¡¯re not dead, either. I was just joking with you.¡±

    Shigure: ¡°¡­¡±

    Seeing how silent Shigure was again, Seiji suddenly felt a sense of guilt. He felt like he had just fooled someone who was too honest.

    It was just clearly supposed to be a joke! Seiji supposed that Shigure was the type who would miss even such obvious jokes.

    ¡°This joke isn¡¯t funny.¡± Shigure was all serious.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I just wanted to liven up the atmosphere.¡± Seiji felt pressured by how serious Shigure was, so he apologized. ¡°This is the dream world. We just had a fight. I want to ask you why you appeared here, what happened to you, and what exactly is going on¡­ Could you please tell me?¡±

 Chapter 816 - Should I give you something interesting?

    <h4>Chapter 816: Should I give you something interesting?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Inside the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    Yui Haruta looked at Raizen Tendo¡¯s back. She wanted to say something, but didn¡¯t know what she should say.

    Constions or apologies would both be useless here.

    On the surface, Raizen had an expression as if he didn¡¯t care what happened to his younger brother Shigure. However, Yui could tell that he actually really cared about Shigure. The evidence was how well prepared Raizen was for investigating the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein. Even though this was all prepared on such a short notice, Raizen had spent a great deal of effort on the preparations to lower the risk as much as possible.

    Yet, something unexpected still ended up happening.

    A Dimensional Eye suddenly appeared and sucked Shigure Tendo into an Inner World. He vanishedpletely, without Raizen and Yui knowing if he was dead or still alive!

    Even though they were clearly investigating the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein, a Dimensional Eye connected to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms had appeared. This already proved that there was something wrong with the Tendo Family. However, the cost of finding out might have been Shigure Tendo¡¯s life.

    Maybe Shigure was still alive¡­ however, his odds of survival would be immensely low as he was teleported somewhere deep inside the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    Yui was unable to see Raizen¡¯s expression right now. Nor did she want to.

    As silence permeated all around them, the sound of footsteps approached.

    Meisei Sorin walked over.

    ¡°I truly apologize about what happened to Shigure Tendo,¡± he spoke in a light tone that didn¡¯t sound even one bit apologetic. ¡°Thanks to his sacrifice, we can now confirm that the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein is secretly connected to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. And, the catalyst for this connection is highly likely to be the Yasakani no Magatama. Now, what we need to do next is unravel the secrets contained within¡­ Since time is of the essence, the ends will have to justify the means.¡±

    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Yui looked at Meisei.

    ¡°Kouran Tendo,¡± Meisei Sorin stated, giving a single name in a heavy tone.

    Yui understood what Meisei intended to do from his expression and tone of voice. She furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain. Although targeting Kouran Tendo will be rather troublesome, that¡¯s no longer an issue with how serious the problem has be. The important thing right now is to take care of the problem.¡± Meisei looked over at Raizen who was currently standingpletely still. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you again for this, Raizen Tendo.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!!¡± Raizen shouted at the top of his lungs.

    The scene fellpletely silent.

    ¡°Only by finding out what exactly the Tendo Family did will Shigure Tendo¡¯s sacrifice not be wasted,¡± Meisei continued in the same light tone. ¡°I can understand your feelings of regret, but now¡¯s not the time for such emotions. There¡¯s too little time left, so you shouldn¡¯t be wasting time on these emotions.¡±

    *Boom!!* A streak of purple lightning instantly struck Meisei Sorin.

    Meisei¡¯s figure was devoured and shattered by the purple lightning. However, he instantly reappeared at another location with no signs of apparent injury.

    ¡°If you want to regret, or if you want to vent, there¡¯s plenty of time for you to do that after all of this is resolved. Now¡¯s not the time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Sorin-san, please stop talking for a while.¡± Yui was unable to watch this anymore as she intervened.

    Yui then turned towards Raizen.

    ¡°Tendo-kun, I also truly am sorry about what happened to your younger brother¡­ But Sorin-san is also correct. The most important thing right now is to find out the truth. Otherwise, something absolutely catastrophic could happen¡­ and it won¡¯t do right by Shigure Tendo.¡±

    Raizen didn¡¯t say a single word.

    He silently took out a ck spiritual artifact that released a red light. He tossed this artifact onto the ground, where it created a bright red circr swirl. Raizen stepped on this red circle which teleported him back to the real world.

    Meisei Sorin also left the Realm of Cherry Blossoms after Raizen.

    Yui was thest to leave.

    Right when she returned to the real world, her cell phone began to ring.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    Shigure Tendo had no idea what had happened to himself.

    All he knew was that he had been on his way to visit the Yanagi Samurai Family and suddenly ambushed. He didn¡¯t know who had attacked him, because he had been knocked unconscious without getting the chance to resist.

    After that, he could faintly sense something as he tried to break free from his restraints, but he didn¡¯t seed¡­ He faintly felt like he was sinking deeper and deeper down somewhere, finally entering a strange state where he was no longer himself.

    Shigure had only very hazy sensations of acting in that form and fighting against Seiji and his friends. It all felt like waking up from a dream. Shigure only had vague impressions, and couldn¡¯t remember anything specific.

    This was only the dream world. Shigure also had no idea where his real body was located, or what condition his body was in.

    Seiji felt like Shigure¡¯s words were all believable. His instinct told him that Shigure wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°Basically, you were kidnapped. The kidnapping caused your current situation,¡± Seiji summarized things sinctly.

    Shigure looked at Seiji.

    ¡°Although you were ambushed, the kidnapper must be incredibly strong to have knocked you unconscious in a single attack.¡± Seiji suddenly brought out a paper fan and revealed the words ¡°unexpected trouble¡± on the fan. ¡°And then, the kidnapper or the organization behind the kidnapping did something to you that caused you to enter the dream world and be the Evil Goddess¡¯s subordinate.

    ¡°Currently, I¡¯ve sealed away this portion of the Evil Goddess¡¯s power. However, your real body is still in the kidnapper¡¯s control. Even if I help your mind to return to your body in the real world right now, it will be meaningless. We have to rescue your real body first.

    ¡°I can help to notify your family so that they can help to save you¡­ but my guess is that your family already knows that something happened to you. I doubt I need to do this.

    ¡°Your family should be able to help you return your mind to the real world after they rescue your body. So until then, I suppose you¡¯ll have to wait in the dream world.

    ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t tell anyone about meeting me and fighting against me here in the dream world once you return¡­ Is that alright?¡±

    Shigure slowly nodded.

    ¡°Very good, let¡¯s just leave things at that, then.¡± Seiji closed his paper fan. ¡°It will be quite boring to stay here in the dream world by yourself. Should I give you something interesting?¡±

    Something interesting?

    Shigure was rather curious what this could be as he nodded.

    Seiji raised his hand, creating a golden sh as a novel with a beautiful cover appeared on his hand.

    The cover seemed romantic yet mystical. A beautiful girl held a demon mask in her hand, while a handsome youth who wore a jacket while keeping both his hands in his pockets looked back in her direction. The cover was beautifully drawn, instantly attracting Shigure¡¯s attention.

    This novel was titled ¡°Brother Monogatari¡±!

    ¡°This is a light novel that I wr¡ª er, that I really like in the real world. You¡¯ve probably never read it before.¡± Seiji handed Shigure the light novel that he personally wrote. ¡°It¡¯s really interesting. Why don¡¯t you try giving it a read?¡±

    Shigure took the light novel with both hands. He took a long look at the cover and felt that it was drawn quite excellently, making him want to read the contents.

    ¡°Thank you, Haruta-san.¡±

    ¡°No need for thanks. See youter.¡±

    Seiji waved his hand and left the dream world after leaving Shigure with his light novel.

    After Shigure watched Seiji¡¯s party leave, he then sat down on the ground in formal seiza position before opening up the light novel. Shigure began to read it with a serious attitude as if he was reading a great ssic.

    ¡°Is it really alright to leave him there?¡±

    After everyone returned to the real world and woke up, Natsuya asked Seiji this question.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s no longer a threat¡­ and if anything happens, I¡¯ll go back to the dream world again,¡± Seiji told her.

    In the end, he still had no idea what had caused the New Timeline to deviate from the Destruction Timeline.

    However, there were only two possible factors. Either the Messengers or Soul Society would be involved in this change from the Destruction Timeline.

    As for the Messengers, Seiji could contact either Kamitani or Voidfire to ask. However, it was quite unlikely that he could obtain useful information from either of them. As for Soul Society¡­

    After some consideration, Seiji dialed Yui¡¯s number.

    She picked up almost immediately.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san, are you currently investigating the Tendo Family?¡±

    Yui blinked when she answered Seiji¡¯s phone call and heard his question. ¡°Did you use that ability of yours again?¡±

 Chapter 817 - Iâ€™m doing it because I want to

    <h4>Chapter 817: I¡¯m doing it because I want to</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Use the special method to contact me instead,¡± Yui told Seiji without even waiting for his answer to her question as she hung up immediately.

    Seiji thus used the magical method to activate his cell phone with Mana instead to call Yui.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t use my ability. All of this was just a coincidence¡­¡± Seiji summarized the situation of how he came to meet Shigure Tendo in the dream world.

    Yui fell silent for a long while.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡± Yui did her best to restrain her emotions.

    What Seiji told her was far beyond what she expected to hear. She needed some time to calm her emotions.

    Basically, she was absolutely astonished.

    First of all, it was definitely good news that Shigure Tendo was still alive.

    No matter what had happened to Shigure¡¯s physical body and where it was right now, there would still be hope as long as he was alive. This news would definitely reinvigorate Raizen¡¯s spirits once she told him about it.

    And the most importantly, Seiji and hispanions had apparently somehowe into contact with the ¡°Evil White Sakura Goddess¡±, which was their name for the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess. He and hispanions had also somehow managed to resist and win against the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s power!

    Chiaki Wakaba¡­ Yui never expected that this priest¡¯s descendant would be able to aplish so much. Had the Messengers or Kamitani done something to activate her powers? Or was this purely because of Seiji¡¯s influence? Or maybe both?

    Yui didn¡¯t know. Perhaps she would be able to find more if she performed a deeper investigation on Chiaki, but she didn¡¯t have the time for this right now. Not to mention, she was certain that Seiji would almost certainly not agree to this.

    The fact that he told her about such an importantpanion of his was because he trusted her¡­ but Yui knew that perhaps he was also testing her.

    Ever since the ¡°first time¡± that she met her younger brother again after he mysteriously changed so much from his previous depraved ways, Yui had viewed her younger brother Seiji with great importance. Ever since his change, he had be quite obedient to her. However, Yui felt like maybe this was all just an act to curry her favor, that maybe he waspletely faking everything.

    Of course, she knew that it might also be possible that he had truly changed. But with her position and how terrible a person his past self had been, it was very difficult for her topletely trust Seiji.

    There was a frightening type of bnce between trust and distrust of Seiji in her heart.

    This seemingly good brother-sister rtionship was really one where both hid dark secrets from each other.

    Yui got rid of all her idle thoughts and swiftly refocused on the main topic at hand.

    ¡°Yes, we are indeed currently investigating the Tendo Family,¡± Yui told Seiji. ¡°What happened to Shigure Tendo was an ident that urred during our investigation. It¡¯s very good news that he¡¯s still alive. Thank you for telling me this, Seiji.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing¡­ Can I ask what you¡¯re currently investigating?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°The Tendo Family seems to be secretly connected to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. This is something that we¡¯ve already confirmed,¡± Yui replied. ¡°This connection was likely achieved by using the Yasakani no Magatama artifact as a catalyst. It¡¯s most likely that the Tendo Family tampered with the artifact somehow. As for the specifics, that¡¯s what we of Soul Society will investigate next.¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment as he considered things.

    ¡°The Tendo Family¡­ are they the culprit behind everything?¡± Seiji spoke in a heavy tone.

    Yui could sense that powerful emotions were contained within his words.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to mind this. Soul Society will investigate properly and then resolve the problem,¡± she told him.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, then¡­¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°After resolving the issue with the Tendo Family, will the cruel n from previously be canceled?¡±

    Something shed in Yui¡¯s eyes. However, she didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°I see. This and that are two different things. Is that right?¡± Seiji continued speaking. ¡°Even if the Tendo Family is dealt with, that doesn¡¯t mean that the n to sacrifice three thousand people will be canceled¡­ unless it¡¯s proven that this n is also part of the Tendo Family¡¯s scheme. But, this n was created by Soul Society, not the Tendo Family¡­ If the Tendo Family had created this n, Soul Society should have noticed something wrong with it long ago.¡±

    Yui still remained silent as a way of tacit confirmation.

    Seiji fell silent yet again before finally speaking up.

    ¡°I won¡¯t waste any more of your time, Yui Nee-san. Thank you for telling me about the Tendo Family being behind this.¡± Seiji was about to hang up the call.

    ¡°Just what exactly are you intending to do, Seiji?¡± Yui suddenly spoke up.

    Seiji stopped himself from hanging up the call. ¡°Why do you suddenly ask?¡±

    ¡°Are you nning something right now? For instance, are you intending on contacting the Messengers and acting together with them?¡± Yui asked directly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend on working together with the Messengers,¡± Seiji told her.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then that you can still be reasonable.¡± Yui paused for a moment. ¡°But you¡¯re still trying to think of a way to stop that n, am I right?¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t respond.

    Yui continued to wait.

    ¡°I am,¡± Seiji responded calmly.

    He could lie to her, but he chose not to. In fact, he really didn¡¯t have a n right now, but he was indeed intending on doing something about Soul Society¡¯s n.

    Soul Society had determined that the scheme regarding the Yasakani no Magatama artifact had originated from the Tendo Family. Soul Society would also act to stop the scheme. This was good news. It seemed like that Destruction Timeline catastrophe would likely be averted.

    However, Soul Society¡¯s n to sacrifice three thousand lives in order to fix the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡¯ location had yet to be cancelled¡­ at least for the time being.

    Perhaps, the end result of Soul Society¡¯s investigation would determine that even this n was part of the Tendo Family¡¯s scheme, so this n would be changed and nobody would die, leading to a happy ending.

    However, Seiji felt that it would be too na?ve of him to think this way.

    To start with, the Tendo Family would be their own powerful faction as they were one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families. Even if Soul Society knew that the Tendo Family was behind a nefarious scheme, there was still the issue of whether Soul Society could even punish the Tendo Family for it.

    Basically, Seiji impulsively wanted to do something, but didn¡¯t know what to do. In fact, it was maybe possible that he really would be forced to work together with the Messengers in the end.

    ¡°Previously, you told me that you weren¡¯t someone who could save the world,¡± Yui suddenly spoke up again.

    ¡°I remember that.¡±

    ¡°But maybe I underestimated you back then¡­ No, I wanted to underestimate you back then.¡± Yui sighed. ¡°For me, it would be best if you did nothing at all. However, that¡¯s obviously impossible for you. So if you really want to do something, why don¡¯t you firstplete a mission that I¡¯m going to assign to you?¡±

    ¡°What mission?¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Rescue Shigure Tendo,¡± Yui spoke in a low voice. ¡°If youplete this mission, you¡¯ll be rewarded magnificently.¡±

    ¡°And if I can¡¯tplete this mission?¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll receive nothing. Not only that, it will prove that this is all you are. It would mean that you don¡¯t have the power to save those who are intended to be sacrificed.¡±

    ¡®If you can¡¯t even save a single person from the Sakura Catastrophe Goddess, how could you possibly be so arrogant to want to save several thousand lives¡­?¡¯ Yui¡¯s words contained such a meaning.

    Seiji fell silent once again.

    But before he could say anything else, Yui hung up on him.

    A mission to rescue Shigure Tendo.

    This mission seemed unrted to saving the three thousand lives that Soul Society wanted to sacrifice. However, this was a test, a test to determine if Seiji had the ability to rescue a single person from the threat of the Evil Goddess.

    Only by passing this test would Yui acknowledge his right to try and intervene with Soul Society¡¯s n. And if he couldn¡¯t pass this test, he would have to obediently sit back and watch.

    Seiji didn¡¯t expect that Yui would give him such a task.

    She was the one who had murdered Shigure¡¯s older brother in a violent fashion during a duel. Yet, she said that Shigure still being alive was a good thing, and she even wanted Seiji to go save Shigure¡­ What exactly was going on here?

    Although Seiji was rather curious about this, the actual situation probably wasn¡¯t that important¡­ no, it was actually really important, but Seiji missed the opportunity to ask about it.

    Currently, more important was whether to undertake this mission or not.

    Seiji could choose to take or not to take this mission.

    Shigure Tendo didn¡¯t really have any rtion to him. Saving Shigure or not wasn¡¯t likely to affect the overall situation. But, wasn¡¯t it also the same that the three thousand people to be the sacrifice were also unrted to him?

    People were dying every day, every minute, and every second. All those people werepletely unrted to him. So why did he care so much about the three thousand people that Soul Society wanted to sacrifice?

    Why couldn¡¯t he just abandon his concern and just obediently sit back and watch everything from the sidelines?

    Seiji asked himself this question and arrived at an answer.

    It wasn¡¯t for the sake of justice, or kindness, or achievements, or payment¡­

    It wasn¡¯t for the sake of anything. He simply wanted to do it because he wanted to.

    As a certain baldie once put it, ¡°I¡¯m doing it because I want to!¡±

 Chapter 818 - Shigure Tendo has never read novels before

    <h4>Chapter 818: Shigure Tendo has never read novels before</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Shigure Tendo was currently reading.

    Although Seiji had told him that the book he was now reading was a ¡°light novel¡±, Shigure actually had no idea what a light novel was. In fact, Shigure didn¡¯t even have a very clear understanding of the term ¡°novel¡±.

    This was because Shigure had never read a single novel in his life before.

    That was right, not a single novel. Shigure had never read a single novel, whether it be a great ssic or the most popr trending novels. Nor did he have any understanding of novels.

    The only books Shigure had ever read before were either about cultivation or rted to his studies. With his low intelligence, just reading and understanding these texts took up all of his reading time. He had no free time to read anything else.

    So, not only was ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± the first light novel that Shigure had ever encountered, it was in fact the very first novel that he had ever read. Without a doubt, this opened the doors to a brand new world for him!

    The story, characters, scenes, and drawings¡­ Everything about the story fully sucked him in. The story wasn¡¯t trying to teach him any knowledge like everything else he had read before. Instead, it was simply a story, a story about an adopted older brother from the viewpoint of an adopted younger sister.

    Shigure felt like he was mysteriously personally experiencing the adopted older brother main character¡¯s experiences. It was as if Shigure had entered a different world and was a different version of himself there.

    This feeling¡­ was quite fresh.

    This was what interesting was.

    Shigure faintly understood that this was interesting.

    This all felt fresh, wonderful, immersive, good, fun, happy, delightful¡­ This was the ¡°interesting¡± that Seiji Haruta had told him about.

    However, just being ¡°interesting¡± didn¡¯t have any particr meaning.

    No¡­¡±interesting¡± was also meaningful. ¡°Interesting¡± had a meaning that nothing else could rece.

    Shigure quietly read the light novel as he felt these newfound feelings.

    Right now, he had no idea what condition his physical body was in, nor did he know what would happen to him or if his family would be able to rescue him. For any normal person in his situation, that person would likely be highly anxious. However, it was as if Shigure hadpletely forgotten about his own dire situation. In fact, his lips even started arcing upwards without his realizing it.

    Even if he was about to die soon, it was great that he finally understood the meaning of the word interesting¡­ Shigure didn¡¯t even think of this, but if he had to meet his death afterwards, he would ept it quite easily.

    Footsteps approached.

    Shigure didn¡¯t even notice the footsteps with how absorbed in the light novel he was. Only when the other person walked right in front of him did Shigure finally notice and raise his head.

    Seiji Haruta had returned.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Seiji asked him.

    ¡°It¡¯s very interesting.¡± Shigure instantly understood what Seiji was referring to.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± Gaining another fan for his own work had been a sess! Seiji was quite happy about this.

    If Shigure had said that it wasn¡¯t a good story, Seiji would indeed be displeased, but he wasn¡¯t petty enough to allow that to affect what he needed to do next. Shigure Tendo¡¯s opinion of ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± wouldn¡¯t influence Seiji enough not to want to save him. However, it definitely felt much better to save someone who enjoyed his story rather than someone who hated it.

    ¡°Someone requested that I save you. I decided to agree for the time being. However, I don¡¯t know if I can aplish it,¡± Seiji told Shigure. ¡°ording to the requester, your physical body is now somewhere deep within the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. Your body¡¯s current condition is unknown. But, it¡¯s certain that it will be highly dangerous and that both you and I might die at any moment there.

    ¡°In order to save you, the first thing that¡¯s needed will be a spell that can locate your physical body. I¡¯ve discussed this with the White Sakura Goddess who¡¯s a good goddess that¡¯s on our side. She agreed to help us by casting a spell on you that can locate your physical body. However, this will be dangerous to you and might cause your physical body¡¯s death if it attracts the wrong type of attention.

    ¡°As I told you before, your family already knows that something happened to you. However, I don¡¯t know what ns your family may have on how to save you.

    ¡°You can choose to believe in your family and continue waiting for them to save you. Logically speaking, the Tendo Family is far stronger than me and mypanions. That would be the logical thing to do.

    ¡°However, if you believe in me and are willing to cooperate with the spell to locate your physical body, I will promise to do my very best to save you!¡±

    Shigure fell silent.

    Seiji waited for Shigure¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Haruta-san, who is the person that requested you save me?¡± Shigure asked this question first after his silence.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Seiji thought back to his conversation with Yui from not long ago.

    After he¡¯d made up his mind to ept the mission to rescue Shigure Tendo, Seiji called Yui again. She had only told him that Shigure Tendo¡¯s physical body was currently somewhere deep within the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    Yui also told him that she was giving him this mission in order to make up for Soul Society¡¯s mistake in getting Shigure Tendo involved, along with other factors. However, she didn¡¯t exin what those other factors might be. She also forbade Seiji to tell Shigure anything about her.

    ¡°Haruta-san, why do you want to save me?¡± Shigure asked a second question.

    Although the two of them had cooperated before during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament against Kanzaki, amon enemy, that was only because of the circumstances. Currently, neither owed the other any favors¡­ no, if Shigure wanted to be pedantic, he owed Seiji because Seiji had ¡°gone easy¡± on him without killing him in their previous battle.

    And Seiji had also given him such an interesting book. Thus, he owed Seiji two favors.

    Not only had Seiji previously gone easy on him when they should have been mortal enemies, Seiji was even willing to enter deep into the Realm of Cherry Blossoms to save himself. This would obviously be greatly dangerous. Shigure felt that there was no need for Seiji to take such risks for himself. He didn¡¯t understand why Seiji would want to do this.

    In fact, if Shigure had the chance, he would kill this Seiji Haruta who was right in front of him! That was because this was an order from his father to take revenge for his deceased older brother.

    Although Shigure didn¡¯t really care about this order, an order was still an order. If he really had the opportunity, he would indeed attack Seiji.

    Shigure didn¡¯t have any feelings of hatred for Seiji. So, they didn¡¯t count as true mortal enemies. But because Seiji¡¯s older sister had killed Shigure¡¯s older brother, Shigure and Seiji were indeed ¡°mortal enemies¡±.

    Shigure figured that Seiji would understand all of this.

    That was why Shigure didn¡¯t understand why Seiji would want to save him.

    ¡°Because the requester offered me great rewards¡­ is the excuse that I wanted to tell you, but I want to tell you the truth,¡± Seiji exined as he understood why Shigure wouldn¡¯t understand. ¡°The real reason why I agreed to save you is actually quite simple. I don¡¯t think that you are a bad person. You helped me during the Bloodwine Ritual tournament¡­ Although you were forced to help me due to the circumstances, you indeed helped me to the best of your abilities, and kept everything about your promise to me, helping me to win that tournament in the end.

    ¡°Your actions back then made me feel friendly toward you as I felt like you were a good person. Of course, this is a very subjective opinion and I still know very little about you. However, the fact that the requester wants to save you is more circumstantial evidence that you¡¯re probably not a bad person. If you were an evil person, not only would the requester probably not ask me to save you, that person would likely request for me to kill you.

    ¡°Still, even I don¡¯t know why the requester wants to save you. Maybe that person isn¡¯t considering your moral character. Maybe there¡¯s some specific reason that you need to be saved. However, I want to believe that you really aren¡¯t a bad person.¡±

    At this moment, Seiji then nced over at the ¡°Brother Monogatari¡± book in Shigure¡¯s hands.

    ¡°This novel that I really like is something that you also think is interesting¡­ Perhaps we can even be friends.¡±

    Friends¡­ this was a very unfamiliar word to Shigure.

    Of course, he knew what the word ¡°friend¡± meant. However, he had never personally experienced having any friends.

    But at this moment, Shigure felt like he faintly understood what the word friend meant.

    ¡°Your older sister killed my older brother. We¡¯re mortal enemies.¡± Shigure ended up saying this out loud before he even realized it.

    He didn¡¯t even know why he said this. It was as if his own mouth wasn¡¯t under his own control.

    ¡°I know that. Still, it doesn¡¯t seem like you hate me because of that.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for that incident, because I can¡¯t represent my older sister. But as myself, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. We are indeed supposed to be mortal enemies. However, you don¡¯t hate me, and I don¡¯t hate you. We even havemon interests like this novel. That¡¯s why I think we have the potential to be friends.

    ¡°In novels, this type of situation is usually known as a ¡®mutual understanding¡¯. Oftentimes I think that this type of ¡®understanding¡¯ isn¡¯t very realistic in real life, but it can still indeed happen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why it seems like you don¡¯t hate me. But since you don¡¯t act like I¡¯m your so-called mortal enemy, I¡¯m willing to reach out to you. As for whether you¡¯re willing to take my hand or not, that¡¯s your decision to make, Shigure Tendo.¡±

 Chapter 819 - Run off into the distance, young man!

    <h4>Chapter 819: Run off into the distance, young man!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Shigure made his decision.

    He didn¡¯t have to think hard about it¡­ In fact, he barely thought at all before he came to a decision. He would trust Seiji Haruta!

    Even Shigure himself found it strange how easily he came to such a decision.

    Why was it that rather than his own family, he far more trusted this ¡°mortal enemy¡± to save him?

    Shigure was rather confused about his own feelings. He didn¡¯t know the answer, but he also didn¡¯t have any doubts about Seiji. This seemed quite strange.

    After some momentary confusion, he decided to give up on this seemingly unsolvable problem.

    Shigure told Seiji his answer. Seiji said that he needed to return to the real world first, but that he would return again. He then led Shigure into the shrine.

    A white-d miko (Chiaki) who wore a mask was quietly waiting for him in the shrine.

    ¡°She¡¯s mypanion. She¡¯ll bemunicating with a goddess and casting a spell on you that will allow the goddess to locate your body,¡± Seiji exined. ¡°The Evil Goddess might be able to detect this and cause harm or even death upon your body. Of course, I¡¯m happy that you chose to trust in me. But, I still have to ask one more time. Are you really sure?¡±

    ¡®You can still back out now if you want¡¯¡ªSeiji was expressing that.

    Shigure silently mulled it over. He felt like he wouldn¡¯t regret this. ¡°I believe you,¡± he stated.

    ¡°I shall do my very best,¡± Seiji replied seriously as he could feel Shigure¡¯s trust in him.

    He then had Shigure sit down in the middle of the shrine, and indicated Chiaki to begin her spell.

    The miko started singing and dancing, causing cherry blossoms to materialize in midair. A white mist that contained divine power poured out and swiftly filled the entire shrine.

    Seiji sat down in the white mist. Some timeter, he heard the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s voice and received her information.

    The next moment, he exited the dream world and returned to the real world. Seiji looked all around at hispanions who were all prepared.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading out!¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Do you think that your younger brother will be able to save my younger brother?¡± Raizen asked Yui.

    Raizen had already learned from Yui that his brother Shigure was still alive, along with Yui¡¯s n to have Seiji rescue Shigure.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ but since he agreed, he must have some confidence,¡± Yui replied.

    ¡°He might also make the situation even worse,¡± Raizen spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°Indeed. But no matter what he does, it wouldn¡¯t be worse than what a certain older brother did to his younger brother, am I right?¡±

    Raizen fell silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make a sarcastic jab at you. I¡¯m simply stating the facts,¡± Yui stated calmly. ¡°What happened to Shigure Tendo was an unexpected ident. However, it can¡¯t be denied that he¡¯s now in danger because you used him for the investigation. It¡¯s already fortunate enough in this misfortune that he¡¯s still alive. Seiji was the one who brought this fortunate news¡­ I think that there¡¯s nothing wrong with giving him the mission to save Shigure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not worried that you¡¯ll also lose your own younger brother?¡±

    ¡°I believe that he will know what he can and can¡¯t handle. It was his choice to ept this mission. He¡¯ll ept the corresponding responsibility. And if the situation bes too dangerous, he¡¯ll probably decide to give up if necessary. After all, there won¡¯t be any punishment even if he fails this mission. Not only that, he¡¯ll be saving someone that appears to be his ¡®mortal enemy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Unexpected events will always happen.¡±

    ¡°Even if something happens, aren¡¯t younger brothers to be used and taken advantage of?¡± Yui replied by using words that Raizen had previously told her.

    Raizen was rendered speechless.

    Was she really not trying to make sarcastic jabs at him?

    Raizen subtly felt like he was being pped in the face, but he was unsure.

    ¡°Are you trying to brag that your younger brother is more outstanding than my younger brother?¡± Raizen tried asking such a question.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Yui spoke in a light tone while averting her gaze.

    ¡­

    Seiji and his friends were now progressing through the Realm of Cherry Blossoms.

    Kazuko opened up a portal to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, close to where Shigure¡¯s physical body was, by using the coordinates that Seiji gave her. Everyone began progressing through the Realm of Cherry Blossoms as if they were normally training in the Domain.

    At first, it wasn¡¯t very difficult. But after progressing for a while, a Samurai Demon suddenly jumped out!

    It really jumped out of nowhere. This giant ¡°vicious demon¡± level monster just magically appeared in the middle of a group of Sakura samurai. The Samurai Demon immediately shed viciously at Seiji¡¯s party!

    Everyone was highly on guard, so nobody was injured. Seiji and Natsuya immediately teamed up to deal with it. Shika and Hitaka protected their respective Yin Yang Masters. Everyone else focused on speedily cleaning up the small fries.

    After dealing with this Samurai Demon, a second one soon appeared together with even more weak mobs.

    Seiji felt that things would only be worse. He was soon proved right.

    Before he and Natsuya could defeat the second Samurai Demon, a third one appeared. This third Samurai Demon immediately jumped over Seiji and Natsuya and directly attacked Hoshi and the others!

    The group was prepared for such unexpected situations. However, ns were only ns. No matter how good a n seemed, carrying it out during actualbat would always be different.

    *Bam!!!* A certain person was directly sliced by the Samurai Demon. This person was sent flying limply backwards by the Samurai Demon¡¯s giant greatsword.

    This person was Hisashi!

    Seiji¡¯s heart clenched from seeing this scene. He immediately roared in anger and explosively used his most powerful attacks, using [White Cmity] to immediately kill both Samurai Demons and all the mob monsters!!

    Hisashi was severely injured and bleeding all over.

    Seiji unhesitatingly loaded.

    He repeated this battle. Since he was now on guard beforehand, Hisashi and the others all remained uninjured. These two Samurai Demons were sessfully dealt with.

    As everyone kept progressing, the number of small fry mob monsters kept increasing more and more. The mob monsters¡¯ power level was also evidently increasing. Two more Samurai Demons also suddenly appeared together with a Snake Demon!

    The Samurai Demons attacked in unison, while the Snake Demon, which was several dozen meters long, opened its mouth to shoot a tremendous wave of Mana Bullets. That was when Seiji loaded for the second time today.

    After sessfully going through this battle with zero injuries, Seiji had everyone stop.

    ¡°We¡¯ve barely started progressing through here, but we¡¯ve already met three waves of Samurai Demons already. There will likely be only more and more as we go on. It will be too risky for everyone to keep going as a group,¡± Seiji told everyone.

    It was too risky, so everyone else would have to retreat¡­ apart from Seiji and Kazuko.

    This was Seiji¡¯s backup n that he established before taking everyone into the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. If it became too dangerous, he would give up on having everyonee together with him, and he would do all the fighting by himself!

    Kazuko needed to stay with him as she was the only one who could open the portal between the Realm of Cherry Blossoms and the real world. There was no need for Seiji to kill every spiritual monster that he met here. He could simply try to break through and reach Shigure¡¯s body all by himself.

    Of course, this would also be highly dangerous. It was also possible that Seiji would have to fight some sort of boss monster upon reaching Shigure¡¯s body. Kazuko didn¡¯t know whether this would be the case.

    Yukari and the others objected to having them go back. They felt that they could continue onward. However, Seiji adamantly refused. Shika wanted to stay behind with him, but Seiji also persuaded her otherwise.

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to see hispanions being hurt anymore.

    If he was the only one he needed to worry about, it didn¡¯t matter how many times or how severely he was injured. He could cure any injuries to his physical body by loading as long as he didn¡¯t die instantly!

    ¡°You have to be careful, Seiji.¡± Natsuya took a long look at her boyfriend.

    ¡°I will be.¡± Seiji smiled. ¡°Rx. I definitely won¡¯t die.¡±

    As long as he had the time to load, he was confident that he wouldn¡¯t die.

    Kazuko opened a portal for Natsuya and the others to leave.

    Seiji cast the most powerful buff spells possible on himself along with the most powerful barrier. After finishing these preparations, he rushed forward at high speed towards the group of monsters that appeared.

    This was unmistakably a dangerous run.

    Seiji ran through all the mob monsters and dodged most of their attacks while taking a few attacks. He did his best to avoid all Samurai Demons and Snake Demons¡­ It was as if he was ying an extremely difficult action game while trying to do a speedrun. However, there were no ces where he could rest in this level.

    Run! Run! Run! Run off into the distance, young man!

    The Samurai Demons and Snake Demons became ever more numerous along the way. With all theirbined powerful attacks, dodging eventually became impossible.

    *Bam!!!* Seiji was knocked into the air by a snake tail swipe.

    All around him, numerous Samurai Demons raised their swords in unison. The Snake Demons in the air also prepared their Mana Bullets, aiming directly at Seiji. Kazuko screamed in terror at seeing this¡­

    ¡­

    Seiji¡¯s knight order was nowpletely silent.

    Their leader was fighting his hardest by himself. Yet, they could all only wait back in the real world on the sidelines for him. This made everyone feel somewhat dissatisfied.

    They all trusted Seiji¡¯s judgement as well as his abilities. However¡­ this still didn¡¯t feel right.

    Everyone could only handle their dissatisfaction in their own ways.

    As they digested these emotions, they waited.

    Perhaps the very next instant, Seiji would have Kazuko open a portal and summon them to help him in battle. That was why they needed to be constantly prepared for battle!

 Chapter 820 - I am a ronin who is lost

    <h4>Chapter 820: I am a ronin who is lost</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji basically had to load every time that he took a serious attack.

    The most dangerous part about singlehandedly trying to break past so many monsters was that if he took a single serious attack, he would soon be swarmed, which would obviously result in death¡ªif it wasn¡¯t for his save and load ability.

    Seiji abused his save and load ability to the fullest in order to progress. He once more personally experienced just how truly powerful this ability was.

    Even though he already had this realization before, it still gave him an impact when he personally experienced it yet again. This impact wasn¡¯t the type that affected his knowledge. It was an impact that touched upon something deeper within him¡­ If he had to use an analogy, it would be the difference between reading a harem manga and personally establishing a harem in real life.

    Cough, cough, maybe that wasn¡¯t such a good analogy. Seiji was just trying to understand his own feelings.

    Seiji now clearly understood just how powerful saving and loading could be. But even with his ability, it was still difficult to break through so many monsters. This powerful ability protected his life, but he still needed to slowly progress through all the monsters.

    Meanwhile, his only spectator Kazuko was alreadypletely stunned by Seiji¡¯s dangerous run with so many close calls.

    Seiji was surrounded by countless spiritual monsters big and small. He trudged onward all by himself, several times¡­ no, continuously surpassing every situation that seemed incredibly dangerous! Kazuko couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how this was possible!

    Kazuko had felt countless times already that Seiji was about to die. Yet, he managed to win the battle in the end each and every time. He made it look easy. Still, Kazuko knew that every single situation was definitely extremely dangerous!

    There was no mistaking the danger!

    If Seiji made even a single mistake or reacted slowly by a single second, he would have taken an attack and been overwhelmed¡­ but, Seiji somehow made zero mistakes and maintained a constant state of incredibly agile reactions!

    Kazuko felt like she was watching artistry in motion.

    Right, artistry. Kazuko felt that the leader of the knight order¡¯s abilities had already reached the realm of artistry. She didn¡¯t know how to clearly exin it. Regardless, she was absolutely stunned.

    White mist slowly started gathering.

    No, it was actually that Seiji had gradually entered a ce filled with white mist.

    As the mist kept thickening, Seiji¡¯s vision was obstructed. However, the number of spiritual monsters also began to decrease, so it actually became easier to break through the monsters.

    Seiji was almost there.

    He could sense this without Kazuko needing to tell him.

    Finally, he saw a deep-red torii.

    This torii gave off a sense of divinity, but also seemed ominous at the same time. Three full rows of Samurai Demons were guarding this torii.

    Seiji unhesitatingly used his [White Cmity] ability! He used his full force to try and break past this final line of defense.

    He failed.

    Seiji loaded.

    He used what he learned from the first attempt and seeded on the second try!

    After he entered the torii, Seiji felt as if he had fallen into the bottom of a deep, dark, and icy ocean. He was significantly pressured.

    Seiji gritted his teeth and continued onward while [White Cmity]¡¯s effect was still active. With the protection of the White Sakura Goddess, he was able to resist the pressure and continue onward.

    Kazuko seemed to say something to him, but he couldn¡¯t hear her clearly.

    It was already an ordeal to maintain his consciousness in close proximity to the Evil Goddess¡¯s power.

    [White Cmity]¡¯s effect then wore off. He suddenly felt a much greater pressure upon him. It was as painful as if he was being crushed.

    But he could still go on!

    Since he had promised to try his very best, he absolutely couldn¡¯t retreat at this critical junction.

    Yet, there seemed to be no end to the darkness.

    Just as Seiji felt like he was truly reaching his limit, a warmth suddenly welled up within him, giving him the strength to go on.

    This strength came from Yomi¡­ as well as Shinobu.

    He was never alone to begin with.

    ¡°OHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    Seiji roared while spitting blood. He stubbornly persisted onward despite the pressure of the darkness that threatened to tear him into pieces¡­

    ¡­

    Snow kept fluttering everywhere in this frigidnd.

    This was obviously not good weather. But for the coal seller Koutarou, this counted as good weather because coal would be easier to sell in such weather.

    His father had passed away due to an illness long ago. Koutarou, who was the oldest son, became the main support of the family. He wanted to earn more money so that his mother and younger siblings could eat their fill. Since the snow wasn¡¯t toorge today, Koutarou wanted to go into town to sell some coal.

    ¡°I think the snow will get muchrger judging from the weather. You shouldn¡¯t go into town today.¡± His mother tried to convince him otherwise.

    ¡°No worries. This amount of snow is no big deal. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Koutarou gathered all his coal into a basket and smiled at his mother.

    Koutarou then carried the coal basket on his back as he took a mountain path into town.

    After he walked for a while, he saw a dense white mist before him.

    Why was there mist here? Koutarou found this rather strange, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. He simply concentrated more so that he wouldn¡¯t slip on the mountain path.

    Unexpectedly, Koutarou encountered a person who wore strange clothing and a strange helmet.

    This strange person was copsed on the mountain path. There was some blood near his face, and he was holding a sharp longsword!

    Koutarou was scared by the scene to the point where his entire body tensed up.

    ¡°Who¡­ is that?¡±

    Was that person dead? Why had he copsed here?

    Koutarou was highly nervous. After looking at this person for a while, Koutarou gathered his courage and slowly walked over.

    ¡°Hey¡­ are you still alive?¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Koutarou walked closer and shouted out in a louder voice.

    That person suddenly lifted his head and turned to look at Koutarou!

    Koutarou was scared yet again to the point of shouting loudly. He took two steps back, and painfully fell butt-first on the ground.

    That person slowly stood up while facing him by using his longsword as a support. The longsword had a powerful glint.

    Only then did Koutarou notice that some strange words were carved into that sword. These words gave the sword a mystical impression.

    A strange sword, along with strange clothes. Just who exactly is thispletely strange individual¡­? Koutarou wondered as he instinctively felt fear that made him want to run away. However, he was unable to move his body.

    ¡°Hello.¡± He was greeted gently.

    ¡°Eh?¡± Koutarou was surprised by this.

    He then saw the strange person taking off his helmet, only to reveal an incredibly handsome face!

    Koutarou was stunned. This was the first time in his life that he had seen someone so handsome. He received a huge impact from learning that a man could actually be so handsome.

    ¡°May I ask where this is?¡± the handsome young man, or Seiji, inquired.

    There was no reaction. The other person only looked at Seiji in stunned silence.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he repeated his question.

    Koutarou finally regained his senses, and answered, ¡°Oh¡­ we¡¯re on the mountain!¡±

    ¡°A mountain¡­ what mountain?¡±

    ¡°The mountain¡­ is the mountain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking about the name of this mountain.¡±

    ¡°Name¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Koutarou shook his head.

    Koutarou had been born on this mountain. To him, the mountain was simply the mountain. He never knew, or even considered, that this mountain might have a name.

    ¡°I see¡­ May I ask your name then?¡± Seiji asked this question next.

    ¡°My name is Koutarou.¡±

    ¡°Koutarou¡­ what about your family name?¡±

    ¡°Family name?¡±

    ¡°Yourst name.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what ast name is. My name is simply Koutarou.¡±

    Nost name¡­ Seiji blinked.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. My name is Harano.¡±

    ¡°Harano?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Harano. Nice to meet you, Koutarou-san. May I ask where you were going?¡± Seiji put away his sword and offered his hand to Koutarou, who was still sitting on the ground.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going to the town to sell some coal.¡± Koutarou hesitated for a moment, but still epted Seiji¡¯s hand and allowed the other party to pull him up.

    ¡°To the town¡­ are there many people in that town?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go there as well. May I travel together with you?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so¡­ But, just who are you, Harano-san?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I am a ronin who is lost.¡±

 Chapter 821 - What is a ronin?

    <h4>Chapter 821: What is a ronin?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ro¡­nin?

    Koutarou had a confused expression as this was the first time he had ever heard such a word.

    ¡°What is a ronin?¡±

    ¡°You can understand it as a wandering swordsman,¡± Seiji exined while wiping away the blood at his mouth.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Koutarou nced over at Seiji¡¯s longsword. ¡°A samurai¡­ is that right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if that¡¯s how you look at it.¡±

    ¡°Samurai-sama¡­ why were you copsed here?¡±

    ¡°Because I was fatigued and injured.¡±

    ¡°Injuries are no good¡­ Should I take you to an apothecary?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Could you please tell me more about the town?¡¯

    ¡°About the town?¡±

    ¡°Information about the town, such as how many people live there, who¡¯s in charge, how long this town has been around for, and so on.¡±

    Why would this person want to know such things? Koutarou was rather confused.

    This samurai named ¡°Harano¡± was truly strange in every way.

    Although he was really handsome, his clothes were strange, and his words were also strange. Everything about him was strange¡­ would it really be alright to travel together with such a person?

    As a low-born coal seller, Koutarou had never spoken to a samurai before.

    In his mind, samurai were authoritative upper-ss individuals. One would have to be very careful when even approaching them. You mighte to a pitiful end if you identally enraged a samurai. That was why samurai were to be respected from afar.

    But even though Koutarou should have been nervous when talking to a samurai, this samurai was just far too strange. Koutarou was confused to the point of forgetting about his nervousness.

    But, the foundational reason was probably because Harano seemed so friendly and warm.

    Although he had a sword and imed to be a samurai, he seemed quite different from the samurai in town¡­ this was something else strange about him.

    While Koutarou keptmenting about Seiji in his mind, Seiji was also observing Koutarou.

    There was no mistaking it. Koutarou was a spiritual creature.

    This ¡°coal seller¡± named ¡°Koutarou¡± was no human at all. Seiji could tell that he was a spiritual creature!

    A spiritual creature that could talk and had his own will, believing himself to be human¡­ And, apparently, there was even a town here with many simr ¡°people¡±! Seiji was truly astonished about this, although he didn¡¯t allow it to show on his face.

    He felt like he had transmigrated yet again. This was deep within the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, close to the Evil Goddess¡¯s personal domain. Why were things here like this!?

    Seiji didn¡¯t understand.

    Kazuko was no longer with him. They had gotten separated from each other. He could only hope that she was alright.

    Seiji tried to use a spell to contact her, but failed.

    Was it that she was unable to enter? Had the Evil Goddess managed to stop her from entering? Or¡­

    Seiji stopped himself from thinking along these lines.

    If something bad happened to Kazuko, then he would load. But until he found out, he would first stay here to learn more about what was going on here.

    ¡­

    Seiji didn¡¯t encounter a single other ¡°person¡± on the mountain path towards the town.

    Only when they reached the town did Seiji see other ¡°people¡±. As he expected, they were all actually spiritual creatures, just like Koutarou.

    As for the entire town and all the buildings, they were the same as Koutarou¡¯s clothes, basket, and coal. Everything was spiritual, not physical.

    This was apletely spiritual town filled with only spiritual creatures!

    ording to Koutarou, he had no idea how many people lived in this town, or how long this town¡¯s history was. The samurai were in charge of this town.

    Apart from this town, Koutarou didn¡¯t know of any other towns. He had never met a single other person from another town before. Neither had he even heard of such a person. Nor had he ever heard of anyone leaving this town.

    Apletely isted town¡­ Seiji asked Koutarou, ¡°Do you think that anything is wrong with this?¡± Koutarou answered ¡°No, not at all.¡± It turned out that Koutarou had never even considered the existence of other towns before.

    ¡®Although these spiritual creatures are intelligent and have their own will, they¡¯re rather simple,¡¯ Seiji thought to himself.

    In the streets of the town, Seiji saw that all the other ¡°people¡± were looking at him as if he was something strange, the same reaction that Koutarou had. To the people of this town, Seiji was unmistakably something strange as he was from the outside world.

    Koutarou said goodbye and went off to sell coal. Seiji was left alone on the street as he thought about what he should do next.

    Although Seiji was rather curious about how this town was created and maintained, the most important thing right now was his mission to rescue Shigure¡¯s body.

    If the portal that Kazuko opened up for him was correct, then this was where Shigure¡¯s body was located¡­ Basically, Shigure¡¯s body was highly likely to be somewhere within this town!

    However, this town appeared to be ratherrge. How was he supposed to locate Shigure¡¯s body?

    Seiji walked around as he thought about things. He then suddenly saw a pack of samurai.

    These samurai were wearing traditional samurai garb with swords at their waists. All of them had ssical bald samurai hairstyles. They all had icy expressions and icy auras as if they had alle out together from some samurai era television drama.

    Seiji paused in surprise when he saw them.

    The samurais also paused in surprise when they saw Seiji.

    Seiji and the samurais all stood perfectly still on the street as snowkes fell. This scene appeared quite ethereal.

    ¡°Hey¡­ who are you!?¡± the samurai in the lead shouted loudly while cing his hand on his sword.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a ronin,¡± Seiji answered.

    ¡°A ronin¡­ what is that?¡± The lead samurai stared at the strange person while slowly approaching.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Seiji swiftly thought about the matter.

    It would be troublesome if he was surrounded. Judging from the samurais¡¯ attitude, it didn¡¯t seem like they would simply allow him to exin. It might also cause something unexpected to happen if he exined.

    It would be the same if he fought with them. Something unexpected might happen.

    So, the only remaining choice was to¡­

    Seiji suddenly turned around and ran!

    ¡°Stop!!¡±

    The samurais immediately started chasing after him.

    They were all astonished by how fast the strange person was at running away. Although the samurais chased him at top speed, they suddenly lost his figure after passing through several streets and alleyways.

    The samurai leader panted for a while to catch his breath before angrily givingmands to search everywhere for the strange person. However, he didn¡¯t notice that the strange person was actually hiding on the rooftop right behind him.

    Seiji then swiftly ran off by jumping between rooftops. He finally dropped into an alleyway several hundred meters away.

    ¡®Hey, maybe I have the talent to be an assassin,¡¯ Seijimented to himself.

    The next moment, he suddenly felt unwell as he began to violently cough!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Seiji frowned after he finished with his coughing fit.

    He had already used healing magic to cure himself. His injuries shouldn¡¯t have been so serious anymore.

    Yet, he was now feeling unwell.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been affected by the ripples in the environment,¡± Yomi suddenly spoke up in his mind.

    ¡°By the ripples in the environment?¡±

    ¡°Thews of time and space in this ce are rather unique. Originally, this ce has been self-sustained. However, your intrusion caused a breakdown in the status quo, causing a ripple in the environment,¡± his bonded female spirit exined.

    ¡°Just like throwing a stone into a pond, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good analogy. You are the stone that¡¯s breaking the original environment here, as well as a leaf that will be affected by the ripples¡­ This effect is like the bacsh that you will suffer as the cost for breaking the environment here.¡±

    ¡°What should I do, then?¡± Seiji inquired. ¡°How can I prevent myself from receiving this bacsh?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for the current you to stop it,¡± Yomi answered.

 Chapter 822 - Donâ€™t leave a matter of life and death up to someone else to decide

    <h4>Chapter 822: Don¡¯t leave a matter of life and death up to someone else to decide</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°You can only tolerate and bear it or leave,¡± Yomi continued.

    Seiji frowned upon hearing this.

    ¡°It was so difficult to reach this far already. I can¡¯t leave until I find Shigure¡¯s body,¡± Seiji replied. ¡°How much time do I have left?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say¡­ if this environment continues copsing at the current rate, you should be able to tolerate it until this cepletely copses. But if the environment starts copsing quicker, you might not be able to handle the pressure for very long.¡±

    ¡°What will happen if this environmentpletely copses?¡±

    ¡°It will return to the form it originally should have had.¡±

    ¡°What would that form be?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you also don¡¯t know how this ce was created?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡®Such a useless bonded spirit!¡¯ Seiji almost wanted to retort like that, but only in a joking manner.

    He knew already that Yomi was incredible. It would have been impossible for Seiji to make it all the way here alone.

    Basically, he interpreted the situation as there being a permanent debuff and time limit imposed upon him. The longer he stayed here, the more he would be affected by the debuff, until finally this ce copsed or he was no longer able to bear the pressure. He would need toplete his mission before the time limit was up.

    But, just how was he supposed to find Shigure¡¯s body here?

    Seiji was unable toe up with a good idea even after thinking for a while.

    All he could do was look around the town.

    As long as he was patient enough, he could continuously load and eventually search every single nook and cranny of this town. Although this was a simple and perhaps dumb method, that was all he had.

    Seiji used a spell to make himself invisible before exiting the alleyway and beginning to search along the street.

    ¡­

    Koutarou heard some frightening news as he sold coal.

    The carpenter Saida and his entire family had died.

    All the adults and children in that family had been eaten by demons!

    Apart from them, several farmer families living outside the town had also been eaten by demons¡­ Several dozen people had already died!

    Koutarou was scared after hearing such news. He became extremely worried about his own family.

    It was said that demons wouldn¡¯t appear in the daylight. However, Koutarou was still quite anxious and worried that he would see something terrible upon returning home.

    Many people bought coal today, so he finished selling coal earlier than he normally would. Koutarou then hurriedly returned home.

    He kept constantly increasing his pace as he walked, until he was basically sprinting on the mountain path back home.

    His mother, younger sister, and younger brother¡­ Koutarou¡¯s family¡¯s faces kept swirling around in his mind as he panted while running on the misty mountain path. Finally, he saw his home.

    The door to his home was wide open for some reason!

    In such cold and snowy weather, it would bepletely abnormal to have the front door wide open.

    The anxiety in the coal seller¡¯s heart reached a boiling point when he saw this.

    Koutarou got closer to his home and smelled something strange.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Before he could even say anything else, Koutarou was stunned by the sight that he saw.

    Blood was everywhere. Clothes were ripped, and some people were copsed on the floor¡­

    ¡°Ahh¡­ AHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± A shout of pain echoed through the mountains.

    Koutarou¡¯s mother and younger brother¡­ had died.

    Koutarou didn¡¯t want to ept this reality. Yet, the cruel scene was right before him. He shouted out with an endless amount of pain. He kept crying, yet nothing changed. It was impossible for crying to change what had happened.

    His younger sister was his only family member that was still alive.

    She had bled a significant amount and was very weak. She was on the verge of death.

    Although Koutarou had yet topletely ept what happened, his instincts of an older sibling kicked in and he started moving automatically. He hurriedly treated his younger sister¡¯s wound, and then carried her on his back down the mountain!

    He was going to ask an apothecary to treat his sister so that her life may be saved.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die, Fuyumi, don¡¯t die¡­¡±

    Tears kept streaming down Koutarou¡¯s cheeks as he constantly called out his younger sister¡¯s name.

    Since Koutarou was carrying a person on his back while running at high speed down a snowy mountain path, it was only natural that he ended up tripping and falling heavily.

    ¡°Fuyumi¡­¡± Koutarou didn¡¯t even bother worrying about his pain as he immediately crawled up to check his sister¡¯s condition.

    However, Fuyumi lifted her head and opened her eyes, only to reveal that her eyes were now blood-red!

    ¡°Awoo!!¡±

    She let out a howl that didn¡¯t resemble human speech. Sharp fangs suddenly sprouted from her mouth, making her seem like a wild beast!

    ¡°Fuyu¡­mi?¡± Koutarou was astonished at the sight.

    He saw his younger sister getting down on all fours. Her hands erged as her nails transformed into ws. She then pounced towards him!!

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Koutarou instinctively felt afraid. His body automatically moved and tried to dodge. However, Fuyumi managed to viciously pounce on him and knock him over.

    The coal seller felt that he was about to die when he saw her fangs nearing him.

    ¡°No¡­ Fuyumi¡­ No¡­¡± Koutarou resisted with all his might. He was quite strong from all his physicalbor over the years, and seeded in forcefully pushing his sister off of him.

    ¡°Awoo~~~!¡± Fuyumi kept howling as she pierced through her brother¡¯s clothes and skin with sharp ws.

    ¡°Ahhh! Fuyumi!!!¡± Koutarou was in extreme pain as he used his hands to forcefully push his sister away again. He then used a kick with all his might to kick her away!

    Yet, Fuyumi immediately pounced on him yet again.

    The coal seller was almost out of strength. He was unable to think of anything as he saw how his younger sister now had a face resembling that of a demon. All Koutarou felt was pain, sadness, and despair.

    He recalled the first time that he had seen his younger sister. She had been born in winter, on a snowy day like this one. His mother gently held onto the tiny baby, and his father told him: ¡°From today onwards, you¡¯re an older brother. You need to take good care of your little sister¡­¡±

    ¡®Dad¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    Koutarou gradually closed his eyes.

    The next instant, there was a loud thud. Koutarou suddenly felt the weight of his sister on his body was removed as he waited for death.

    Koutarou opened his eyes, only to see a samurai!

    This samurai was wearing white feathers on top of ck clothing. He held a long sword in his hands, and his hair was tied up in a ponytail. He was incredibly handsome, to the point where he almost appeared androgynous.

    This was the second time in Koutarou¡¯s life that he had ever seen someone so handsome.

    This handsome samurai was slowly unsheathing his sword. His icy gaze was focused on the girl who copsed on the ground a few meters away.

    ¡°Awoo!!!¡± Fuyumi crawled up again and roared loudly as she viciously pounced once more.

    The handsome warrior instantly vanished, and swiftly reappeared behind the girl with lightning-fast footwork. He unsheathed his sword and pierced her straight through the back, viciously nailing her into the ground!

    Fuyumi let out a screech of pain as she furiously waved her ws helplessly.

    The handsome samurai had a cold expression as he started to move his sword, about to execute her.

    ¡°Wait¡­ Please wait!!!¡± Koutarou shouted out when he noticed this. ¡°Milord¡­ please don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t kill her¡­ she¡¯s my younger sister¡­¡± The coal seller kneeled on the ground and begged as tears poured out of his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s the only living family member I have now¡­ only her¡­ My mom¡­ my younger brother¡­ they¡¯re all dead¡­ I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t¡­¡±

    He constantly stuttered in his words as he begged with everything he had. All he wanted right now was for this samurai to spare his younger sister¡¯s life.

    The handsome samurai turned around and looked at him.

    ¡°She¡¯s already be a demon. There¡¯s no saving her.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ she can be saved¡­ she¡¯ll definitely be saved¡­ I won¡¯t let her eat anyone¡­ I will watch over her, and won¡¯t allow her to eat anyone, and I will find a way to save her¡­¡± Koutarou did his very best toe up with an idea despite hisck of eloquence.

    He didn¡¯t want his sister Fuyumi to die, even if she had already be a demon.

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± The lowborn coal seller¡¯s face was covered in tears as he kneeled down on the ground before the highborn and powerful samurai.

    The demon girl nailed to the ground by the sword was still struggling.

    The handsome samurai stopped focusing on the demon girl, and looked only at her older brother.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave a matter of life and death up to someone else to decide,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°If you want to stop me from killing her, then try to kill me.¡±

 Chapter 823 - Youve all done really well

    <h4>Chapter 823: You¡¯ve all done really well</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    He would have to kill the samurai if he didn¡¯t want Fuyumi to die?

    Koutarou paused in surprise, and didn¡¯t know how to react.

    The handsome samurai observed him for a while before turning around. The samurai then suddenly pulled out the sword pinning the demon girl to the ground, causing arge amount of blood to spurt out as she screamed in pain!

    The samurai then immediately pointed the sword downward, and was about to slice off the demon girl¡¯s head!

    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± Koutarou¡¯s body automatically reacted before his mind could work. He suddenly jumped towards the samurai!!

    The sword suddenly changed direction before it sliced down.

    *Smack!!* The coal seller was sent flying back by an impact with the sword¡¯s other, dull edge.

    The struggling demon girl was now solidly pinned on the ground again by the samurai¡¯s foot.

    Koutarou crawled up again and shouted once more while jumping towards the samurai like thest time. And just like the previous time, he was sent flying back.

    This scene was repeated an additional two times.

    By the fifth time, Koutarou¡¯s legs suddenly gave out on him as he tried to crawl up again.

    He had now taken four heavy blows from the samurai¡¯s sword¡¯s unsharpened edge. His body ached all over, and his consciousness was hazy. He felt like he almost couldn¡¯t go on anymore.

    But, he had to keep going on.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to copse here. Otherwise, his younger sister would¡­

    Koutarou did his very best to struggle and stand up again. He attacked the samurai once again with an incredibly clumsy and unskilled attack!

    There was another loud smack as Koutarou was sent flying back for the fifth time.

    His consciousness then sank into darkness as he fell unconscious.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, the dense white mist was spreading.

    This was the evidence that the environment here was copsing.

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what would happen to this ce in the end, but he figured that this town would end up being destroyed.

    Basically, this town with so many ¡°people¡± in it that was formed so mysteriously through unknown means at an unknown time was about to bepletely destroyed soon!

    Seiji felt something move in his heart as he understood this.

    He was quite clear that the ¡°people¡± here weren¡¯t actual humans.

    However, they really resembled humans. They had their own free will and individual thoughts. They lived just like humans did.

    Their will and thoughts might be rather simple and perhaps iplete, but¡­ would that be reason enough to deny their right to exist?

    Seiji felt that it wouldn¡¯t.

    He didn¡¯t want to deny the ¡°people¡± in this town their right to exist. He didn¡¯t want to harm them. However, they were all going to meet their doom because of his arrival.

    ¡°Yomi, is there any method to protect all the ¡®people¡¯ in this town?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t. These undead are all able to exist only because of the special environment here. When this environmentpletely copses, they¡¯ll all disappear,¡± his bonded female spirit answered.

    ¡°You think that they¡¯re all undead?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite evident that they¡¯re not living spirits. That means they¡¯re all obviously undead.¡±

    You were either the living or the dead. This was very simple and easy to understand.

    ¡°ording to this description, wouldn¡¯t that also make you an undead spirit?¡± Seiji inquired.

    Yomi chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t really matter what you call them. The important thing is that they shouldn¡¯t exist to begin with. It¡¯s their destiny to disappear together with this unnatural environment that also shouldn¡¯t exist. Even if you pity them, there¡¯s nothing that you can do,¡± Yomi stated in a seemingly casual tone.

    Seiji fell silent.

    They shouldn¡¯t exist to begin with¡­?

    This statement was far too ambiguous, far too cruel, and far too helpless.

    Seiji wanted to counter this statement. However, he also sensed that there would be no meaning in countering it.

    As a spirit, and as someone who wasn¡¯t human, Yomi was more closely rted to these ¡°people¡± than a human like him was. Even if she said that ¡°they shouldn¡¯t exist to begin with¡±, she definitely wouldn¡¯t actually think that, as that would almost be the same as denying herself.

    If she didn¡¯t actually think that, why was she saying it?

    Seiji arrived at an obvious conclusion. Yomi was saying it for the sake of consoling him.

    ¡°¡­Is there really no method at all?¡± After a period of silence, Seiji tried to ask this again, unwilling to give up.

    His bonded female spirit didn¡¯t reply.

    That in itself was a type of reply.

    Seiji could only sigh as he looked all around.

    If there was nothing that he could do, at least he could try and remember this ce the best he could.

    Not long after, Seiji saw a cherry blossom tree.

    Cherry blossoms weren¡¯t supposed to bloom in the middle of winter. Yet, this tree was filled with blooming cherry blossoms. Seiji also saw many other fully blooming cherry blossom trees, all in a neat row.

    Seiji instantly felt like he had discovered an important location.

    He followed the row of cherry blossom trees, and soon saw a bright red torii which waspletely enveloped in dense white mist, giving it a holy yet ominous appearance.

    His goal was highly likely to be inside here¡­ Seiji had such a feeling as he made his preparations. Right as he was about to enter the torii, he suddenly heard footsteps from behind him.

    Seiji turned around to hear arge number of footsteps approaching as if arge group of people were all running.

    Not long after, many samurai appeared on the street.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    ¡°Kill him!!!¡±

    The moment that the samurais saw him, it was as if they just found the most heinous criminal possible. All of them had expressions of hatred and rage as they simultaneously unsheathed their swords and surrounded Seiji!

    ¡®My invisibility spell is no longer working!?¡¯ Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    Seeing so many samurais attack him, Seiji instantly decided to unsheathe his sword and fight back!

    No matter what the reason for this was, it was a fact that he was now surrounded and under attack. Rather than having these samurais constantly chase after him, he preferred to deal with them right now so that they wouldn¡¯t be even more troublesome to deal with in addition to whatever waited for him inside that torii.

    While Seiji indeed felt pity for the ¡°people¡± living here, he wouldn¡¯t be so softhearted as to not fight back when attacked for no apparent reason.

    ¡°Die!! Evil demon!!!¡±

    The samurais shouted loudly as they attacked their target with all their might.

    Swords shed as light reflected off all the numerous swords. A figure kept dancing in and out as blood sshed everywhere¡­

    In just a single move, several samurais had been in.

    The samurais were astonished by the ¡°evil demon¡¯s¡± disy of power. However, not a single samurai retreated as they continued fighting with their full might as their anger and hatred burned hot!

    Seiji kept retreating as he fought and continuously slew the samurai.

    If he was in perfect condition, it would have been quite easy for him to deal with these low-level samurai. However, he felt great difort from all the fighting due to the bacsh he was receiving from the copsing environment. Soon, he began to uncontrobly cough.

    And then, a sword managed to strike a blow against him.

    Seiji had a personal barrier that managed to block this blow.

    But, after the first sword that managed to strike a blow came a second, third, and fourth blow¡­

    Seiji was already in great difort to begin with. He was angered by being constantly attacked, and roared as he viciously shed in a whirlwind all around him, which sliced three samurais in half!

    Blood spurted everywhere as the snowy ground was stained red¡­

    This shocking scene of three samurais dying astonished the other samurais as they all stepped back slightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! The evil demon is bing weaker!! He¡¯s just struggling in hisst throes now!!! Continue killing him!!!¡± a samurai suddenly roared loudly.

    This restored all the samurais¡¯ morale as theyunched another barrage of fierce attacks!

    Seiji continuously killed, killed, killed, and killed¡­ He had long since lost track of how many samurais he killed here. At any rate, he killed all the samurai that attacked him.

    Indeed, perhaps he really was an ¡°evil demon¡± in these ¡°people¡¯s¡± eyes as he was the one who brought destruction upon them.

    And right now, as he was fully covered in blood from having in so many samurai, he indeed resembled an evil demon.

    This was a deathmatch between a ¡°demon¡± and ¡°people¡±.

    No pity was necessary. No kindness could be afforded in such a battle.

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ cough, cough, cough, cough¡­ Come at me!¡± Seiji roared at the samurais to vent his emotions.

    Even he didn¡¯t know just what he wanted to vent.

    This wasn¡¯t good.

    However¡­ perhaps this was also fine.

    Samurais kept dying left and right. Their corpses just about filled this entire street which was lined with cherry blossom trees. All the snow and ground in the area had been stained red with blood.

    Thest remaining samurai used all his force and seeded in breaking Seiji¡¯s protective barrier!

    However, this final samurai was unable to injure the demon. Seiji blocked this sword with his armlet, and then stabbed the samurai right through the neck.

    The young samurai had an angry expression as he slowly copsed while ring at the demon.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve all done really well¡­¡±

    Seiji had no sadness, joy, anger, or pity in his voice as he calmly praised all the dead samurais around him.

    He then began to violently cough up blood as he kneeled on the ground with one knee and supported himself with his sword.

 Chapter 824 - True demon

    <h4>Chapter 824: True demon</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Koutarou saw light amongst the darkness.

    He slowly opened his eyes, only to see an unfamiliar ceiling.

    He then looked around, and instantly saw a beautiful woman who wore extravagant bright red clothing.

    She was currently sitting on the floor. Her long and silken soft ck hair reached all the way to the ground. Her appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, to the point where the coal sellercked words to adequately describe it.

    When she noticed his attention on her, her cold and clear gaze met Koutarou¡¯s, causing him to hold his breath without realizing it.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± she spoke in a gentle tone. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Koutarou returned to his senses and was able to breathe again. He reflexively looked downward, avoiding looking at her face¡ªthis was because he instinctively felt that someone as lowborn as himself looking upon such a beauty would be a type of desecration.

    ¡°Good¡­ very good¡­¡±

    Koutarou forced himself to somehow reply. He then immediately remembered what just happened as he shouted his sister¡¯s name. ¡°Fuyumi¡­!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s over there,¡± the beautiful woman told him.

    Koutarou looked over in the direction she pointed to. He saw that there was a gigantic and mysticalplex spell formation inside arge room. Strange dark red mist was gathered within this spell formation, and his sister Fuyumi was lying silently in the middle of this spell formation!

    ¡°Fuyumi!!¡± Koutarou shouted as he crawled up.

    ¡°She¡¯s stopped just barely short of transforming into aplete demon,¡± the beautiful woman said to him. ¡°To use an analogy, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s hanging onto the edge of a cliff. She¡¯ll fall down the cliff with even the slightest push. It¡¯s already a miracle that she can still maintain her human form.¡±

    Her gentle words seemed to contain an irresistible convincingness. The coal seller instantly despaired upon hearing this.

    ¡°Just what should I do¡­¡±

    ¡°Transforming into a demon is a catastrophe that the people living here cannot avoid. However, this catastrophe shouldn¡¯t have befallen your younger sister,¡± the beautiful woman continued exining. ¡°This happened to your younger sister because a true demon hase among us.¡±

    ¡°A true demon?¡± Koutarou muttered.

    ¡°Yes. This evil demon ispletely different from us. Hees from another world. Although he appears simr to us, and his words and actions are also simr to ours to the point where he even knows how to speak ournguage, he¡¯s actually somethingpletely different.¡± The beautiful woman looked directly at him. ¡°Did you meet such an existence?¡±

    An existence that seemed human but was actually something different¡­ Koutarou instantly thought about that strange person he¡¯d met earlier.

    ¡°I¡­ saw a strange person, who copsed on the mountain path. He was wearing strange clothes, and he had a sword¡­¡± Koutarou told her about his meeting with the samurai named Harano.

    ¡°That¡¯s the evil demon,¡± the beautiful woman said with conviction. ¡°He¡¯s the one who caused your younger sister to turn into a demon.¡±

    Koutarou had a stunned expression as if he had just been struck by thunder.

    ¡°That¡­ how¡­ could that be¡­¡± Koutarou was unwilling to believe it. Although that person was rather strange, he had been so friendly. That person was actually an evil demon!?

    That person had caused Fuyumi to transform into a demon!?

    That person had caused Koutarou¡¯s mother and younger brother to die!?

    ¡°Although it¡¯s difficult to believe, it¡¯s still a fact. This evil demon may look simr to us, but he¡¯spletely different inside,¡± the beautiful woman stated calmly. ¡°He is an existence from the outside world, an existence that isn¡¯t permitted here. He will only bring cmity and destruction. Unless he is killed, everybody in the town will die.¡±

    Koutarou dazedly stared at his sister, who was enveloped in that strange mist. He found it difficult to think right now.

    ¡°¡­If that evil demon is in, can Fuyumi be saved?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ but there¡¯s only a tiny sliver of hope,¡± the beautiful woman spoke in a gentle tone. ¡°The evil demon is incredibly strong, strong to the point where it¡¯s likely that all the samurais in the townbined will be unable to y him. Only the same type of demonic power will be able to y him. If you are willing to y the evil demon, I can help you to obtain such power. But, no matter if you seed in ying him or not, the end result will be that you will die.¡±

    Koutarou felt like his mind was in a mess right now.

    Who was this beautiful woman? Were her words trustworthy? How could he obtain demonic power¡­? He had too many questions, and was unable toe up with any answers.

    He was only a coal seller! While he might not have been very rich, he had led a peaceful and ordinary life since he¡¯d been born. He had always had a job that only required physicalbor, and he hardly ever had to use his brain. Nor had anyone ever taught him before how to use his brain. The things he knew and his logical reasoning abilities were quite limited. Everything that happened to him so far today was far beyond hisprehension.

    Koutarou the coal seller only wanted one thing right now. He knew that he absolutely had to protect his younger sister!

    This was a dying wish of his father who had died long ago. This was a very part of him that had embedded itself deeply into his instinct as an older brother¡¯s.

    He had to protect his sister.

    Even if she had already be a demon.

    Even if there was only a sliver of hope in saving her.

    Even if this sliver of hope would cost him his life.

    ¡°¡­Please¡­ help me obtain power¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Seiji walked through the torii and arrived at a shrine. He saw a single samurai standing in front of the shrine.

    This samurai wore his hair in a ponytail, and had an extremely handsome¡ªalmost androgynous¡ªappearance. His beauty was on par with Hoshi¡¯s, but he had a different aura. If Hoshi could be described as resembling a ¡°cute girl¡±, then this samurai resembled an ¡°icy maiden¡±.

    Although he was by himself, his aura indicated that he was far stronger than all the samurais from beforebined!

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to immediately fight, as he was still thinking about all the samurais that had just died. He wanted to try talking to this person.

    ¡°Hello¡­ My name is Harano. May I ask for your name?¡±

    The handsome samurai quietly observed him for a while before speaking up in a light tone, ¡°My name is Kungo.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Kungo-san. Do you happen to know how this ce¡­ how this town was created?¡± Seiji asked.

    The handsome samurai fell silent for a few seconds.

    ¡°Long, long ago, a vige appeared here,¡± he began telling a story in that same light tone. ¡°Everybody in this vige lived their lives as if it was only natural. None of them realized that they had suddenly appeared in this world. Only one woman in the vige realized this, and wondered why the vige was suddenly born. She also wondered why she was the only one who had a much better understanding of everything than others, and why she had power that nobody else had. Finally, she decided to understand it all as a god¡¯s blessing. She constructed this shrine and started living here and dedicating herself to that god.

    ¡°As time passed, the vige gradually expanded into a town. And then, one day, demons appeared. These demons devoured several people. The woman used her power to kill the demons, yet new demons constantly appeared.

    ¡°She used all the ideas she could think of. Yet, she was unable to stop the demons from appearing. There were always people that would transform into new demons.

    ¡°Finally, she understood that this was a destined cmity.

    ¡°After a long, long time of ying demons, she became tired of the ughter. And so, she used a portion of her power to create a unique individual, a single samurai who would y demons in her ce.

    ¡°As for this samurai, apart from ying demons, he also trained some ordinary people so that they could also be samurai.

    ¡°Although the new samurai weren¡¯t as strong as the very first samurai, they were all very brave. They courageously sacrificed themselves while fighting against demons, all in order to protect the people important to them. They protected this town¡­ until today.¡±

    Kungo took a long nce at Seiji¡¯s face.

    ¡°Today, an evil demon from the outside world arrived.¡±

 Chapter 825 - Why do you fight?

    <h4>Chapter 825: Why do you fight?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The samurais had all fought against the evil demon. However, everyst samurai had been killed.

    This just happened a few minutes ago.

    Seiji remained silent.

    ¡°Tell me¡­¡± Kungo asked a question after looking at Seiji for a while. ¡°Did any of them live?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seiji answered.

    ¡°Did any of them retreat?¡±

    ¡°Not even one.¡±

    ¡°Did any of them beg to be spared?¡±

    ¡°Not a single one.¡±

    All of them had fought heroically and were willing to sacrifice themselves.

    ¡°Very good.¡± Kungo¡¯s mouth arced slightly upward in praise and pride.

    Seiji felt bad about Kungo¡¯s smile. But from Seiji¡¯s own standpoint, it was difficult for him to say anything.

    This Kungo was evidently ¡°the first samurai¡± that he referred to in his story.

    Then who was this ¡°woman¡± that he was talking about?

    This vige, the vigers, the demons, the mysterious power here, the ¡°woman¡±, and Kungo¡­ All of them were a mystery.

    ¡°Can I ask the name of the ¡®woman¡¯ in your story?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Kungo stopped smiling.

    ¡°¡­I came here in order to save someone. He should be unconscious, and I believe that he¡¯s probably inside this shrine¡­ Do you know about him?¡± Seiji continued asking another question.

    Kungo didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he slowly unsheathed his sword.

    This was an evident signal that he didn¡¯t want to continue talking.

    All that remained was another fight¡­

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask one final question.¡± Seiji looked directly at Kungo. ¡°Why do you fight, Kungo-san?¡±

    The previous samurais had fought for the sake of protecting their town. They probably had no idea that even if they killed the ¡°evil demon¡±, their town was still destined for destruction.

    However, this ¡°first samurai¡± was evidently different. Seiji felt it was likely that Kungo knew the truth.

    No, Kungo definitely knew the truth.

    No matter if they fought here or not, this ce would still end up being destroyed!

    ¡°Use the sword in your hands to learn the answer to your question, Harano-san.¡± Kungo got into abat stance.

    Seiji could only mentally sigh as he also prepared himself for a battle.

    The snow which had previously stopped for a while now began to fall again.

    A snowke slowly fell down onto the ground in between the two warriors, melding into all the other snowkes.

    Kungo¡¯s figure suddenly vanished!

    Seiji managed to block Kungo¡¯s sudden stab. He then had to block a series of continuous attacks!

    The sound of swords shing kept fiercely echoing in midair. They sounded almost melodical.

    As expected, this Kungo was far stronger than all the previous samurai¡­ Seiji continuously retreated under Kungo¡¯s powerful attacks, barely managing to block while resisting his difort and urge to cough.

    But then, he identally slipped on the snow, causing him to go slightly off bnce. Kungo used his sword to aim for Seiji¡¯s neck, suddenly stabbing incredibly swiftly!

    However, Seiji had intentionally feigned weakness.

    [Body-strengthening technique, wind element]!

    Sword technique, [Shadow Pierce]!

    Right as Kungo¡¯s sword reached him, Seiji activated his spells as nned, and narrowly dodged the attack. He also countered with a powerful technique of his own!

    Right when his sword was about to slice into Kungo¡¯s body, a bright red light suddenly shed and blocked Seiji¡¯s attack!

    Not only that, the bright red light enveloped Seiji¡¯s sword as if it was fluid, which slowed Seiji¡¯s movements.

    ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Seiji instantly had an ominous premonition.

    *Smack!!!*

    Kungo suddenly kicked while being buffed by the bright red light. This kick¡¯s power was so strong that Seiji was sent flying backwards, and his defensive barrier instantly shattered!

    Seiji adjusted his position in midair so that he couldnd feet-first on the ground. However, he was no longer able to withstand the urge to cough as he started coughing up blood.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± This permanent debuff on him was so ufortable to bear.

    However, this was the price he had to pay for intruding and destroying someone else¡¯s world.

    Seiji looked over at Kungo. Kungo simply stood still and silently looked at him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you continue attacking me?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°I will next time,¡± Kungo answered.

    This was a one-time-only holding back.

    ¡®No more little tricks. Bring out your real skills!¡¯ The incredibly handsome samurai had such an expression.

    Seiji understood.

    Originally, he had still been holding back because he figured that he might have to fight against that ¡°woman¡± who was likely to be the final boss. But now, it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to defeat this ¡°first samurai¡± unless he gave it his all.

    Seiji used his Mana to cast a spell¡­

    [Demon Suppression Bell]!

    A gigantic golden bell materialized with a loud ng. This bell covered the samurai and evaporated all the snow in the nearby area!

    The next instant, a bright red light broke out from the bell. Kungo came out right afterwards,pletely uninjured.

    He waved his longsword, gathering the red light as if it was water. All the red light focused on the direction that his sword was pointing at!

    Divine de, ¡°Wave sh¡±!

    Seiji did his best to dodge the attack. However, this attack had an incredibly wide area of effect, so he was forced to absorb a portion of the attack with his barrier.

    Seiji then suddenly noticed that Kungo had vanished.

    He felt a sense of extreme dangering from behind.

    Defense spell, [Turtle Armor]! Seiji realized that he would be unable to dodge the attack, so he could only defend the best he could.

    *Boom!!!*

    An even more powerful attack than earlier came for him. Bright red light came from below, and sent Seiji flying high up into the air as if he was a small flower being battered by a torrential wave. His defensive barrier almostpletely copsed!

    Kungo stepped on his flowing red light, and elegantly soared past Seiji, higher into the sky, as if he was surfing. Kungo then lifted his sword, and gathered even more swirling light, preparing an even more powerful attack¡­

    Divine de, ¡°Thunder sh¡±!

    Kungo shed, summoning a red thunderbolt that descended from the sky. This thunderbolt seemed like a soaring red eagle that was about to tear apart the tiny prey before it!!!

    This attack would be impossible to block! Seiji instantly came to such a conclusion.

    It would also be impossible to dodge.

    He could only activate some of the limited-use-per-day abilities that he had been saving up until now¡­

    *BOOM!* The red thunderbolt struck Seiji directly!

    Luckily, Seiji activated a certain ability, which managed to block off most of the thunderbolt¡¯s power in time. He could only grit his teeth and bear the rest of the thunderbolt¡¯s power himself.

    The next instant, Kungo noticed that his opponent was evidently still alive despite being in wretched condition. So, he swiftly assaulted Seiji from midair, gathering more light on his sword for another attack!!

    ¡®Good!¡¯ A powerful glint appeared in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    This certain ability that he had activated wouldst for less than one minute.

    That was why he was more than happy to see Kungo voluntarily getting closer!

    Seijibined that certain ability with some more limited-use-per-day abilities that he had yet to use. Seiji used some of the first abilities that he had gained¡­

    [Bullet Time], activate!

    [Light Which Dissipates Darkness from the Brink of Despair], activate!!

    After using this ultimate recovery ability from Hoshi¡¯s character reward card, Seiji then would show Kungo the ability he had used to dispel the thunderbolt¡ª[Ultimate Performance] from Chiaki¡¯s character reward card, which could use any ability that he could think of from his imagination¡ª¡±Imagine Breaker¡±, the right hand that could dispel anything magical in this world!

    Seiji alsobined ¡°Imagine Breaker¡± with his [Lightning Strikes] swift punching technique!!!

    Kungo suddenly saw numerous powerful lights viciously pouring at him before he could pierce through his opponent.

    These lights were actually super-fast fists, too fast for the eye to see!

    *Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!*

    A quick session of collisions could be heard. Kungo found to his astonishment that his personal power was actually being broken through by this light! All of these fists of light hit his physical body directly and caused him damage!

    ¡°OHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Seiji shouted loudly as he furiously punched as fast as he could. He ignored Kungo¡¯s swordpletely, and punched until Kungo¡¯s movements became distorted! Kungo¡¯s body also became distorted! Finally, Seiji stopped punching, and used his longsword again for a vicious stab!!!

    The sword pierced right through Kungo¡¯s chest and his entire body, drawing much blood.

    Kungo was sent flying down towards the ground. Seiji descended after him.

    While Seijinded steadily on the ground, Kungo arced through the air and crashed into the roof of the shrine, breaking the roof and dropping right down into the shrine.

    Inside the shrine, Kungo tried to force himself to stand up, but he was unable to do so. He spat out arge amount of blood, and kneeled on the ground.

    He¡¯d never expected that he would lose just like this¡­

    The light in his eyes gradually faded as he looked at the sword piercing through his chest.

    Various memories shed through his mind. In the end, all he could think about was how a certain extravagantly clothed beautiful woman smiled towards him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master¡­¡± While kneeling, Kungo bowed in order to apologize. ¡°Thank you¡­ for everything so far¡­ Your useless servant¡­ will be¡­ saying goodbye now¡­¡±

 Chapter 826 - Kill me

    <h4>Chapter 826: Kill me</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji felt like he was almost about to die.

    More urately, he felt like anyone who came along right now would easily be able to kill him. This was because he was in extreme pain as he constantly coughed to the point where his body had no energy left in it.

    Luckily, his opponent didn¡¯te over.

    Hisst attack just now had either killed or seriously injured Kungo¡­ Seiji felt that he had been lucky.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Kungo deciding to attack him at melee range, allowing Seiji to counter at close distance, this battle would have been truly difficult. Either he would need to load, or he would have to start using one-time consumable items¡­

    After quite a while, Seiji finally managed to somewhat recover as he slowly stood up. He discovered that the mist in this area had be even denser and chillier.

    Seiji remained highly on guard as he walked over to the shrine and opened its front door.

    He saw that the handsome samurai was kneeling within with his head lowered and blood pooled everywhere. Kungo no longer made any sounds or movements.

    Seiji felt no joy from victory upon seeing this scene. He could only remain silent.

    Seiji walked over and slowly withdrew his sword from Kungo¡¯s chest. As Seiji looked at the ¡°blood¡± on his sword, he felt that this blood was truly irritating to behold.

    This wasn¡¯t real physical blood. Kungo wasn¡¯t an actual human. Still, those would be no reasons to kill him.

    Seiji felt that he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. He couldn¡¯t afford to showpassion.

    Neither had Kungo done anything wrong.

    This was¡­ this was just how things were.

    Seiji suddenly felt a powerful killing intent!

    Even though he didn¡¯t see anything yet, he could sense it. A certain powerful existence was approaching while emanating tremendous killing intent!

    ¡®I¡¯ll die!¡¯ Seiji¡¯s survival instinct was warning him of immense danger.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to either escape or load!¡¯ Seiji instantly came to such a conclusion.

    Staying here to fight such an existence in his current state would only lead to death.

    Was this existence the ¡°woman¡± that Kungo had spoken about?

    Seiji felt this was highly likely.

    He took a deep breath, and exited the temple.

    Even if he ran away or loaded, he wanted to first see what this ¡°woman¡± appeared like. If at all possible, he would try talking to her in order to obtain some information.

    Seiji imagined various appearances that she might have. Perhaps she would be a mighty female warrior, or maybe she would be a beautiful woman wearing shrine maiden attire¡­

    However, the identity of the person who arrived was far beyond his expectations.

    ¡°Koutarou-san¡­?¡±

    Seiji was astonished upon seeing that it was the first ¡°person¡± that he had met after arriving here.

    The coal seller¡¯s clothing was colored in blood. Dark circles were around his eyes, and his eyes were giving off a blood-red light. There were also strange faint ck runes on his face. Koutarou gave off an incredibly powerful aura filled with killing intent!

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Seiji asked, wondering just how Koutarou had be like this.

    Koutarou didn¡¯t answer.

    The coal seller suddenly raised his hand, creating dense dark red mist, which formed a giant w that mmed towards Seiji!!

    There was a tremendous explosion as the ground shook, and snow was sent flying everywhere from the impact.

    Seiji had managed to dodge this attack with the help of the buff effect from his [Bullet Time].

    He knew that he would have been instantly killed if that attack hadnded a direct hit!

    Koutarou was now incredibly powerful.

    ¡°Koutarou¡­¡± Although Seiji reflexively raised his sword, he truly didn¡¯t want to fight Koutarou.

    Seiji hadn¡¯t hesitated in the slightest when fighting against the samurais or against Kungo.

    However, it was different with Koutarou.

    Koutarou was only a simple coal seller! He was an ordinary ¡°person¡± who shouldn¡¯t have had anybat ability. Someone else or some outside force had transformed him into this state!

    Seiji wanted to know what had happened. He didn¡¯t want to attack Koutarou, who had been just a normal ¡°person¡± previously.

    Yet, two additional giant ws formed and attacked him!

    *Boom!* *Boom!*

    ¡°Koutarou! Stop!¡± Seiji shouted out after dodging the second wave of attacks. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ cough¡­ fight against you!¡±

    ¡°Harano¡­¡± Koutarou¡¯s expression was distorted as if he was in great pain. ¡°Why¡­¡±

    ¡°Why what?¡±

    ¡°Why did you kill my mom and younger brother!?¡±

    *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

    Giant ws kept smashing at him. Seiji managed to wretchedly dodge them all at thest possible instant.

    ¡°I¡­ killed your mom and younger brother?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you! It¡¯s all because of you!! You evil demon, pretending to be a human!!!¡± the coal seller roared as he released as much power as he possibly could!

    This was a power that would cost him all of his lifeforce.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!!¡± Seiji shouted in response. ¡°I¡¯m not an evil demon¡­ I just¡­¡±

    ¡®I only came here to save someone!

    ¡®I¡¯m a real human, different from all of you undead spirits! I¡¯m a flesh and blood human!!

    ¡®I¡¯m not an evil demon! All of you are the actual demons!!¡¯

    Seiji really wanted to shout all of this loudly.

    However, he was unable to do so.

    No matter what reason or noble purpose he had, it was a fact that he had brought destruction to this ce.

    So, he was indeed an evil demon in Koutarou¡¯s eyes. There were no excuses that he could give.

    ¡®¡­Damn it all.

    ¡®Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it, damn it all!!!¡¯

    Seiji could only furiously roar in his heart.

    Yet, he could only close his mouth and remain silent.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t want things to be like this.

    ¡®I truly didn¡¯t want things to be like this.

    ¡®If there was a method to protect this ce without harming a single ¡®person¡¯, I definitely would have done so.

    ¡®But¡­ there was no other way!!!¡¯

    Seiji¡¯s vision became hazy.

    This was because tears were now clouding his vision.

    The next instant, four giant ws simultaneously attacked him.

    Seiji managed to dodge them all. However, his hazy vision made it so that there was a blind spot in his vision.

    *Pow!!!*

    Seiji was knocked flying by a fifth giant w that he hadn¡¯t noticed!

    Seiji was sent flying through the shrine walls, all the way through to the other side of the shrine!

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough, cough¡­ cough, cough, cough, cough, argh¡­¡±

    Seiji dropped his sword, and his helmet fell off. He crouched on the ground while coughing violently and spitting up arge amount of blood. His entire body trembled severely.

    ¡°Harano¡­ evil demon¡­¡± Koutarou walked over with ck mist swirling all around him. There was a faint shadowy figure behind him, which resembled both a demon¡¯s and a human¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ you¡¯re¡­ the one who looks more like a demon right now¡­ haha¡­¡± Seiji had tears in his eyes as he looked at Koutarou. However, he mysteriously had a weak urge tough.

    He¡¯d never expected that after having defeated such a powerful samurai, he would lose to an ordinary ¡°person¡±.

    Even if Koutarou was no longer ordinary.

    However¡­ wasn¡¯t this how stories always went?

    The hero who managed to y the evil viin in the end would almost always start out as an ordinary person.

    This was just another story just like in the clich¨¦s.

    An incredibly clich¨¦ story about a hero defeating an evil demon¡­ that was all there was to it.

    ¡°Come¡­ Koutarou¡­¡± Seiji wanted to get up, but was unable to do so. Thus, he simply sat on the ground. ¡°Kill me.¡±

    ¡®Take your victory.¡¯

    ¡®Without a doubt, you are the hero of your story.¡¯

    ¡®But, this will be the only time.¡¯

    ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll¡­¡¯

    ¡°WAHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Koutarou roared furiously in a way that also seemed like he was crying painfully. He released countless giant ws that seemed to cover the entire sky!!

    Seiji calmly watched all of this happen.

    Right now, he didn¡¯t know what he was feeling. Nor did he want to know.

    He only wanted to know if the coal seller would be satisfied with this.

    If the answer was yes, then maybe he had managed to bring salvation to at least a single person before this ce was destroyed.

    Seiji smiled while looking directly at Koutarou¡¯s tears.

    ¡°Harano¡­¡± Koutarou looked at him with great hatred. Yet, a sh of something else shone in his eyes.

    All of the giant ws simultaneously crashed down!!

    Seiji prepared himself to activate [Bullet Time] for onest time so that he could load at the final instant.

    However, his [Bullet Time] ability wouldn¡¯t activate!?

    *Boom, boom, boom, boom!*

    The dark red ws seemed to cover the entire ground as if an immensely dense bloody red had tainted the entire world.

    ¡°Kill¡­ kill¡­¡± the coal seller muttered repeatedly in a low voice.

 Chapter 827 - Live as a human, die as a human

    <h4>Chapter 827: Live as a human, die as a human</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji didn¡¯t die.

    For an instant, he thought that he was truly about to die. Only after everything settled down did he figure out why his life-saving ability hadn¡¯t activated.

    That was because the giant ws had precisely managed to avoid him! [Bullet Time] would only automatically activate when he was in danger.

    ¡°Koutarou¡­¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t feel that this was an ident.

    Such an ident would be impossible.

    In that case, there was only one possible answer¡­

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡± Seiji asked the coal seller.

    Koutarou still had a look of hatred on his face. His face was distorted, and he was filled with killing intent. Yet, blood-red tears ran down from his eyes.

    And then he clutched at his head, beginning to roar¡­ no, cry! The demonic figure behind him became furiously agitated.

    Seiji could only quietly watch.

    All the giant ws transformed into mist and dissipated.

    The mist in the entire area became even denser, to the point where the shrine was bing difficult to see¡­ No, the shrine itself was also transforming into mist!

    This entire world was copsing.

    Apart from Seiji and the demonic Koutarou, it appeared to Seiji that not a single other existence was left in this world anymore.

    Seiji noticed that Kungo¡¯s body, which should have still been inside the shrine, had disappeared as well.

    Had he disappeared into mist, or¡­

    No matter what, everything was now ending.

    Seiji walked over to the coal seller who was crying tears of utter sadness.

    ¡°Koutarou¡­¡± Seiji called out the coal seller¡¯s name. Seiji then went up close, opened up his arms, and slowly hugged Koutarou.

    ¡°Harano¡­ why¡­¡± Koutarou didn¡¯t reject Seiji¡¯s embrace. Instead, he kept crying as he asked a question. ¡°Why¡­ did everything be like this¡­¡±

    ¡®Why did my mother and younger brother die?

    ¡®Why did my younger sister turn into a demon?

    ¡®Why¡­ why is it necessary to kill?¡¯

    Koutarou couldn¡¯t understand.

    Although he felt that the beautiful woman from earlier wasn¡¯t lying to him, he still didn¡¯t understand.

    This Harano person¡­ didn¡¯t seem in the slightest bit like an evil demon to Koutarou!!

    ¡®If this Harano is an evil demon, then what am I?

    ¡®What is a demon? What is a human? Why do humans turn into demons? Why would a demon seem so much like a human?¡¯

    Koutarou couldn¡¯t understand¡­

    All he wanted was to protect and save his younger sister, yet¡­

    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill anyone!!!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seiji could only respond this way. ¡°I¡¯m truly¡­ so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Wahhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± Bloody tears poured out from Koutarou¡¯s eyes, covering his cheeks.

    Right now, he greatly resembled a demon physically. However, Seiji felt that Koutarou¡¯s behavior was more human than anyone.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry that I was unable to save you.

    ¡®If there had been any way to, I definitely would have done it. But there was no other way¡­

    ¡®That¡¯s why, all I can do is say sorry.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Seiji muttered this out loud as tears also began to stream down his cheeks.

    It was impossible to save everyone.

    This was logic that he understood already.

    However, the bitterness from facing such logic directly would still hit him with full impact.

    Even though he had the supremely powerful ability of saving and loading, there would still be things that he couldn¡¯t aplish.

    Even if he had an even more powerful ability than saving and loading, there would still be things that he would be even more helpless about.

    So, all he could do at the very least would be¡­

    ¡°I will remember you. Koutarou¡­ I will remember your name for the rest of my life. I will remember that you were a kind coal seller. I will never forget you¡­ until I die.¡±

    That was all he could do for Koutarou.

    This truly¡­ was all he could do.

    ¡°Harano¡­¡±

    Koutarou was not consoled by this.

    It was impossible for him to be consoled right now.

    However¡­ maybe just a tiny bit, but he did feel a tiny amount of warmth.

    He didn¡¯t want to die. He still wanted to save his younger sister. Koutarou absolutely didn¡¯t want to die. He felt incredibly pained about the helpless dead end situation he was in!

    But¡­ if this was the only ending possible¡­

    If he had to leave the world like this.

    If at least one person could still remember him, perhaps¡­ that would count as evidence as him having once lived.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to die!!!¡± Koutarou clutched on to Seiji even tighter and cried loudly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seiji responded.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t want my younger sister to die¡­ I want her to be human again¡­ so that she can live a good life¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°My mom¡­ my younger brother¡­ they didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ they shouldn¡¯t have died¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That person told me to kill you¡­ but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to kill you in the end¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡®You are a very kind person.

    ¡®Even though you became a demon, you¡¯re still human.

    ¡®Koutarou¡­ you lived as a human, and you died as a human.¡¯

    Seiji hugged Koutarou tightly and listened to every single of Koutarou¡¯s dying words, memorizing everything.

    Finally, the coal seller was no longer able to say anything.

    ¡­

    Kungo slowly opened his eyes.

    He felt that something was wrong with himself.

    No, not just something minor. Something was majorly wrong!

    His body feltpletely different!

    He didn¡¯t know how to describe it. To use an analogy¡­ if his previous body felt like snow, then his current body felt like water.

    His body was now heavier, more physical, and possessed a different power.

    The only problem with his body was that it was missing its left hand.

    He couldn¡¯t feel his left hand¡­ this body didn¡¯t have a left hand.

    And then, Kungo understood what happened to his body.

    Or, more urately, what had been done to him.

    ¡°Master¡­ why?¡± he asked the extravagantly clothed beautiful woman in front of him.

    This ck-haired woman smiled gently while looking at him. ¡°You have always called me Master. Yet, I have never viewed you as a servant¡­ never. I created you. You will live on even after I die. You are¡­ my son. Isn¡¯t it only natural for a mother to want her son to live on during a life-and-death situation?¡±

    Kungo was absolutely astounded.

    He never knew before that his master had viewed him in such a way.

    Kungo thought that he was only a servant, a tool to y demons for his master¡¯s sake.

    That was enough. He didn¡¯t need anything else¡­ he had never desired anything more.

    He would do anything that she desired, even if shemanded him to die.

    He had been born because of her. He considered it his destiny to die for her.

    Kungo had never tried to go against what he viewed as his fate. He was even happy with it. He felt that he was truly blessed to have such a fate inparison to others who only lived for the sake of being alive.

    Yet, his master had¡­

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t need to live on¡­ Master should¡­¡±

    ¡°I have already lived,¡± the beautiful woman told him. ¡°I¡¯ve finally remembered my past when this small closed-off world started copsing. I had once been human¡­ a real, living human who experienced an entire life in the real world.

    ¡°Although that world is countless timesrger than this one, there are still many simrities, such as things that one is helpless about.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to change your personal background, there are things you must do, there are cages that are inescapable, and inexorable fate¡­

    ¡°I have lived already. I have experienced life, and I died while feeling pain, anger, sadness, hatred, and helplessness.

    ¡°I have no need to experience life once again.

    ¡°Rather than living in that so-called real world, my days here in this fake paradise were far happier and more peaceful.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, this is more than enough for me.

    ¡°I will die here, for the second time. And you¡­ you have yet to truly live, so please go in my ce to the real world.

    ¡°Perhaps the real world has be a better ce. Or, perhaps it has be a worse ce.

    ¡°Pleasee tell me about the real world when you finally die in the future and meet me again.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Kungo widened his eyes in panic because he was witnessing his master gradually transforming into mist!

    ¡°Goodbye, my child.¡± The woman smiled, and bade him farewell. ¡°Please live well in the real world¡­ Although things might be really difficult, please live as happily and blissfully as you can.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no! Master, I don¡¯t want to!! Please take back this body!!!¡± Kungo grabbed on to the woman, but she was now transforming into mist at an even quicker pace.

    ¡°Finally, let me tell you the truth¡ªI actually don¡¯t like this body that I gave to you. First of all, he¡¯s male. Second, he¡¯s missing a hand. Third, he¡¯s probably¡­¡± The woman then stopped. ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no need to tell you.

    ¡°Kungo, here is my finalmand for you. Please continue living on as well as you can to the best of your abilities.¡±

    ¡°No! Master!!!¡± the samurai Kungo shouted in the greatest agony possible in this new and unfamiliar body of his.

 Chapter 828 - Picked up a priceless treasure!

    <h4>Chapter 828: Picked up a priceless treasure!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The mist was now everywhere, dense and icy cold.

    Seiji was greatly fatigued both physically and mentally as he forced himself to trudge onward.

    Although he could previously hear some sounds, he was uncertain if he was heading in the right direction with how the environment was now. He could only numbly continue trudging forward.

    And then, he saw a figure standing before him.

    This person wore rather tattered samurai garb, and he was also missing his left hand. He seemed to be looking off into the distance.

    He was Shigure Tendo.

    However, it was also impossible for this person to be Shigure Tendo, for Shigure¡¯s consciousness was still in the dream world, reading Seiji¡¯s light novel.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Seiji asked.

    The youth slowly turned around. His handsome face had a downcast expression, but there was also a sharp glint in his eyes.

    ¡°Harano¡­ why couldn¡¯t you have died?¡± he spoke in an icy tone.

    Seiji immediately furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°If only you had died, there would have been two avable bodies, and my master wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± The youth stopped speaking halfway through his sentence.

    ¡°You¡¯re Kungo?¡± Seiji asked.

    The youth¡ªor, more urately, the existence which took over Shigure¡¯s body¡ªdidn¡¯t reply.

    Seiji took this as tacit admittance.

    Kungo was now inside Shigure Tendo¡¯s body! How had this been aplished?

    Had the ¡°woman¡± aplished this? Where was she right now?

    Seiji looked all around, but saw nobody else.

    Kungo turned around, and started walking away. It seemed like he was about to leave.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Seiji stopped him. ¡°That body doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±

    Kungo stopped for a moment.

    ¡°No matter who he was in the past, I am now him,¡± he stated with his back still facing Seiji. Kungo then began to walk away again.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Seiji chased after Kungo, and blocked him with his sword. ¡°You need to return that body, Kungo!¡±

    Kungo nced sidelong at Seiji with an icy expression. ¡°What if I refuse? Are you going to kill me?¡±

    Seiji was rendered speechless.

    Of course Seiji couldn¡¯t kill Shigure¡¯s physical body.

    He needed to think of some method to force Kungo out from Shigure¡¯s body¡­ but how would he even do that? And if he forcefully tried to do something, what would happen to Shigure¡¯s body¡­

    ¡°Get out of my way. If you try to stop me, I¡¯ll kill this bodypletely,¡± Kungo stated icily. ¡°Although I might have lost most of my power for the time being, it will still be easy enough for me to kill myself instantly.¡±

    That was how things were now.

    Shigure¡¯s body that he was now in had basically be a hostage!

    Seiji didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°What do you want to do now that you have this body which doesn¡¯t belong to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Continue to live.¡± Kungo had a downcast expression again. ¡°That was the final order that my master gave to me.¡±

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t really want to live anymore without his master. But, since his master wanted him to live, he could only follow themand.

    ¡°How do you intend to live?¡± Seiji slowly put away his sword. ¡°First of all, do you even know how to leave this ce?

    Kungo was rendered speechless.

    All he could see everywhere was nothing but thick mist. Where was he even supposed to go?

    He indeed wanted to leave this ce and go to the ¡°real world¡± that his master had mentioned. But now that he was asked such a question, Kungo noticed for the first time that he had no idea how to leave here.

    ¡°I will keep walking until I find something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s likely that you¡¯ll die before you can find anything here,¡± Seiji told him in a serious tone.

    Right after he said this, he suddenly sensed something.

    Kungo sensed the same something simultaneously. Both of them turned around.

    Gigantic figures appeared in the mist.

    There were Samurai Demons approaching!

    Seiji immediately pulled Kungo after him when he saw these powerful spiritual monsters approaching. ¡°Run!!¡±

    Kungo could also tell that these monsters definitely had hostile intentions. He didn¡¯t try to resist when Seiji pulled him along.

    Both of them swiftly ran away together. They then saw more spiritual monsters appearing from other directions. A Snake Demon suddenly sprayed a wave of Mana Bullets at them!

    Seiji managed to grab Kungo in time to dodge this wave of attacks. He then carried Kungo on his back, and started running at full speed!

    At this moment, he suddenly heard someone shouting out to him ¡°Seiji!¡±

    It was Kazuko!

    ¡°Kazuko, are you alright!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    Seiji noticed that Kazuko was holding something that appeared to be a broken sword. However, he didn¡¯t have the time to ask about that right now.

    Run! Run! Run away at full speed!!!

    As Seiji used all his remaining energy to gain as much distance between him and the monsters as possible, Kazuko was able to safely open up a portal back to the real world.

    ***

    In the end, Seiji¡¯s knight order never received a summons to join him. He had returned first instead.

    Although Seiji appeared rather wretched, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t seriously injured, so everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

    As for Shigure Tendo¡¯s body¡­ Seiji had indeed brought back Shigure¡¯s body, but something seemed to be off.

    First of all, Shigure¡¯s body was now missing its left hand.

    And then, most importantly, someone else had taken over his body!

    Seiji told everyone about all his experiences and who Kungo was, right in front of Kungo.

    Everyone remained silent afterward. Nobody said anything for quite a while.

    Everyone was now looking at Kungo, the samurai who had taken over Shigure¡¯s body. Kungo was calmly facing all of them.

    He no longer had the power to resist. However, he was fully confident that he could at leastmit suicide before anyone present could do anything to him!

    Kungo was in fact even hoping that they would try to do something to him. This way, he could finally have a reason to apany his master in death.

    Seiji had a big headache regarding what to do with Kungo. He looked towards Natsuya, but she shook her head. It seemed that she also didn¡¯t have any good ideas.

    So, the issue of Kungo would have to be set aside for the short time being.

    Apart from Kungo, there was also one other important matter.

    ¡°Kazuko, what¡¯s that item you brought back with you?¡±

    Kazuko was still holding onto the something which resembled a broken sword.

    ¡°I picked this up.¡±

    ¡°Picked it up?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Kazuko then told everyone about her experiences.

    After she followed Seiji through the torii, she was unable to enter the mysterious town that Seiji had. Instead, she got lost in the darkness.

    Then, she could sense a mysterious something in a certain direction, so she cautiously approached it.

    She then discovered a broken sword.

    She ced the broken sword on the table for everyone to see. This part of the broken sword included the entire bright red sword hilt and part of a golden sword. The entire sword de and hilt were covered all over with intricate runes that seemed rather mystical.

    ¡°Could this be¡­¡± Natsuya picked up the broken sword and gently touched the runes, identifying the runes and the sword¡¯s material. ¡°Totsuka no Tsurugi?¡±

    Totsuka no Tsurugi?

    That famous ¡°Totsuka no Tsurugi¡±!? The legendary weapon owned by a god!? Just about everyone present widened their eyes in surprise.

    Everyone here was familiar with Sakura Ind¡¯s myths. The Totsuka no Tsurugi, also known as the Sword of Ten Hand-Breadths, would often appear in many myths and legends. Its most famous achievement was having in the Yamata no Orochi!

    That was why this sword would often appear in many manga and anime. Any story which involved the famous Yamata no Orochi would often see this sword show up as well, appearing as the weapon destined to y the evil snake.

    Some people believed that the Yamata no Orochi had been instead in by the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, the sword which waster renamed Kusanagi, and became one of the three major mystical artifacts of Sakura Ind alongside the jewel Yasakani no Magatama and the mirror Yata no Kagami. However, that would be a mistake. The Kusanagi had actually been discovered inside the Yamata no Orochi¡¯s body, much like how ying a boss in a video game would reward one with some top-level equipment¡­ Seiji suddenly began to wonder if this historical incident had been the inspiration behind video game designers making bosses drop equipment upon death.

    At any rate, the Totsuka no Tsurugi was still an unbelievable divine weapon that even ordinary people knew was incredible! Of course everyone would be astonished when Natsuya identified the sword.

    The student council president blinked as she saw everyone else¡¯s reactions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not referring to the divine weapon Totsuka no Tsurugi. The Totsuka no Tsurugi is also used as amon name for spiritual artifact swords of this length. Basically, these Totsuka no Tsurugis can be reproduced as artifacts to help spellcasting.¡± Natsuya ced the broken sword back on the table. ¡°Even a single Totsuka no Tsurugi will still be a top-level spiritual artifact. They¡¯re very precious, and highly difficult to craft. I have never even seen a real one before. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not absolutely certain if this broken sword is one or not, but I feel that it is. We¡¯ll have to find an appraiser in order to get a more certain evaluation.¡±

    A spiritual artifact¡­ why would Kazuko have picked up such an item deep within the Realm of Cherry Blossoms?

    ¡°Why would this spiritual artifact appear there? Why was it broken? What was it used for there?¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows as he asked several questions.

    ¡°It might be something left behind from a failed ritual or spell,¡± Natsuya exined. ¡°If the spell was sessful, then this artifact shouldn¡¯t have broken. Since Totsuka no Tsurugis are incredibly expensive, I doubt that any faction out there would use one as a consumable item¡­ probably.¡±

    ¡°Expensive? What¡¯s the price for buying one?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact price that they go for on the market, but I think that it would be at least 3,000,000,000 sakuras for a single one.¡±

    3 trillion sakuras!?

    Just about everyone was astonished yet again.

    This broken sword on the table¡­ was worth 3 trillion sakuras? At the very minimum!?

    Kazuko had practically picked up a priceless treasure!

 Chapter 829 - Remnant souls

    <h4>Chapter 829: Remnant souls</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Whoops, it was time to calm down.

    Although the Totsuka no Tsurugi was apparently worth 3 billion sakuras, that would only be when it was in pristine condition. This one was obviously only a broken one, so of course it wouldn¡¯t be worth the same price.

    1.5 billion, then?

    That would be foolish to expect. Something broken would bepletely different from aplete and usable item. For instance, maybe a famous painting would be worth millions, but even that would be nothing more than worthless scrap paper if it was torn apart.

    Perhaps that was why Natsuya remained calmer than everyone else here.

    Although she was also the daughter of a rich family, 3 billion sakuras would be a tremendous amount even to her family. If this broken sword still had such value, it was unlikely that she could still remain so calm.

    After their astonishment passed, everyone figured this out on their own, and calmed down as well.

    Still, they were still somewhat excited.

    This sword was still something so precious. Even if its remaining value was still only 1%, that would still be 30 million sakuras, an incredible find!

    So, how much would this broken sword be actually worth?

    Seiji asked Natsuya this question that everyone was thinking about. She replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. In its current condition, it¡¯s probably only worth the base materials used to craft a new one. I wouldn¡¯t know how to calcte its current value.¡±

    Alright, so it turned out that Natsuya didn¡¯t know about everything in the spiritual society after all.

    ¡°So if this was really left behind due to a failed spell, what type of spell would that be? Why would it be left behind in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms?¡± Seiji continued asking questions that he considered to be critically important.

    ¡°Any spell that requires a Totsuka no Tsurugi will be a majorrge-scale spell or ritual. It will definitely be extremely important. As for the type of spell, that¡¯s hard to say because this spiritual artifact¡¯s main effect is simply to supportrge-scale spells, so it can be used for all sorts of spell formations,¡± Natsuya exined. ¡°If I had to guess, the greatest possibility is that it was used for a sealing ritual. That¡¯s because the original purpose of the Totsuka no Tsurugi was to eliminate and suppress demons. It was invented for the purpose of dealing with powerful demons.¡±

    ¡°A sealing ritual¡­ Perhaps to seal away the Realm of Cherry Blossoms? Could this be something left behind by Soul Society after a failed sealing attempt?¡±

    That seemed possible.

    However, Seiji came up with another possibility that he considered more likely.

    Perhaps this spiritual artifact sword didn¡¯t actually belong to Soul Society. Maybe it belonged to the Tendo Family instead!

    He had obvious evidence to back this up¡ªShigure Tendo¡¯s body!

    This sword had been found near Shigure¡¯s body. Seiji felt that this was no simple coincidence.

    Perhaps¡­ this was the concrete evidence that the Tendo Family was secretly connected to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms!

    When he realized this, he felt that it was time to call his older sister Yui.

    ¡­

    Capturing the target, Kouran Tendo, didn¡¯t go very well. But at least it seeded in the end.

    Next up would be interrogation. However, this wouldn¡¯t be done by Yui, so she was able to rest for a while.

    At this moment, she received a call from Seiji.

    Something shed in her eyes as she listened to her younger brother¡¯s report.

    Her younger brother had given her a great ¡°surprise¡± once again!

    ¡°I¡¯ll immediately head over to your current location,¡± she said instantly, and hung up after Seiji finished his story.

    With how Yui didn¡¯t say a single extra word and wanted toe over immediately, Seiji realized that he had indeed been immensely lucky.

    No, more urately, Kazuko had been the immensely lucky one.

    When considering the value of this broken sword, he would need to reward Kazuko correspondingly.

    Seiji nced at Kazuko for a while before he finally picked up the broken sword for the first time to check it out.

    He suddenly received a system notification as words appeared before him¡­

    [You have obtained a mystical item that contains Inner World Essence. You may use some points to absorb the Inner World Essence. Would you like to absorb Inner World Essence?]

    Inner World Essence?

    Seiji¡¯s gaze sharpened as he read this sudden unexpected notification.

    What on earth was this new term?

    Was this rted somehow to the Inner World Crystals? Why could he absorb this essence? What would happen if he absorbed it?

    Various questions popped up in his mind. However, his system remained as eternally silent as always. All it did was offer him the options [Yes] and [No] on whether he wanted to absorb the essence or not.

    He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he absorbed the essence¡­ but since his system¡¯s options were usually beneficial, he decided to try!

    Seiji immediately chose the [Yes] option.

    He then saw a progress bar on the absorption, which also listed how many points he was using up. Seiji simultaneously felt something flow from the broken sword through his arm and into his body!

    This warmth made Seiji¡¯s body begin to heat up as the warmth started flowing within him. It felt slightly diforting, yet also slightly good. Seiji could faintly feel something deep within him bing slightly stronger.

    As the progress bar for absorption swiftly increased, the number of points he used up also increased at a shocking rate.

    Luckily, this absorption soon finished. In the end, it cost him 392 points to absorb all the Inner World Essence from the broken sword!

    He had spent almost 400 points just like that. And what he obtained in exchange was¡­

    [Absorptionplete. The Spirit House now has a new room, the Soul Room. The Soul Room can be used for storing and saving spirits and souls. Every day, the Soul Room will produce and store Mana. You may obtain additional Mana from the Soul Room.]

    Seiji widened his eyes in surprise.

    He actually gained an entire new room for his Spirit House, and this room could be used to store spirits and produce Mana!

    He immediately wanted to check it out.

    ¡°Seiji, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Natsuya noticed that he seemed to be behaving strangely.

    ¡°I¡­ just absorbed some energy from this sword,¡± Seiji exined. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what this energy is¡­ After I absorbed this energy, I gained a new room in my Spirit House that¡¯s capable of storing spirits and producing Mana.¡±

    What?

    Natsuya widened her eyes in surprise.

    Absorbing energy led to a new room appearing in the Spirit House¡­ Was building a personal dimension that easy!?

    Not only that, she hadn¡¯t noticed that the broken sword contained any type of energy at all. Just what the heck was that energy supposed to be!?

    Compared to Natsuya¡¯s shock, the others didn¡¯t really react that much. This was because the Spirit House already seemed miraculous enough to them, so they felt that there was no need to be astonished over a new room appearing. Although they were surprised, they didn¡¯t feel like this was such a big deal.

    ¡°I¡¯m going in to check it out.¡± Seiji opened the door to his Spirit House and entered.

    He didn¡¯t have Natsuya or anyone elsee with him, since there was no need. Besides, the now one-handed Kungo still needed someone to keep guard on him.

    When Seiji went to the living room in his Spirit House, he saw that a new door had appeared along with a sign that said ¡°Soul Room¡±.

    Seiji opened the door and instantly felt chilled.

    Inside this room¡­ it was snowing!?

    To his surprise, the environment inside the Soul Room was filled with snow.

    The ground was covered in snow, and snow was alsoing down from the sky.

    That was right, the sky!

    This ¡°room¡± had a tremendous area. It was impossible to see any of its walls. Seiji could only see a dense mist for a few meters. And, everything above was also gray and hazy!

    Yet, the environment wasn¡¯t the most important part¡­ What attracted Seiji¡¯s attention the most was a group of different orbs of light that floated on top of the snow at differing heights!

    These orbs of light had many different colors, including red, yellow, blue, orange, and green. They seemed like burning mes, as well as water flowing in a zero gravity location. Some orbs wererge, and some orbs were small. Some floated up high, and some were low next to the ground. Some were almostpletely still, while some were moving slowly. Some had nothing on their surface, while some were shing¡­ This all seemed quite wondrous.

    ¡°What are these?¡± Seiji muttered to himself while looking at an orb of light close to him.

    ¡°These are remnant souls,¡± Yomi spoke up to answer him. ¡°These are souls left behind by dead humans. You could call them soul shards.¡±

    ¡°Soul shards¡­ whom do they belong to?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Seiji fell silent as he contemted.

    His system had absorbed the so-called ¡°Inner World Essence¡± from the Totsuka no Tsurugi in order to create this room¡­ no, this dimension. The soul shards here could only possibly havee from the Inner World Essence, which meant that broken sword. The sword was a spiritual artifact¡­ used for powering uprge-scale spells¡­

    ¡°Could these be the soul shards of the people rted to the failed spell involving this broken sword?¡±

 Chapter 830 - Nee-sama

    <h4>Chapter 830: Nee-sama</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    That seemed to be the most likely possibility.

    This even seemed like the only possibility, so it was likely the answer.

    Would it be possible to obtain information about the failed spell from those remnant souls?

    No, before any of that, the spirits¡¯ town¡­ Were Koutarou and the others connected to these remnant souls?

    Could these remnant souls be the true identities of the ¡°people¡± in that spirit town!?

    When Seiji figured this out, he immediately asked Yomi about it.

    ¡°This could be possible,¡± she replied.

    Seiji immediately became excited.

    He thought that he would be unable to save those people. But now, there was hope again¡­ perhaps?

    ¡°Is it possible tomunicate with these remnant souls?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but typically it¡¯s impossible tomunicate as they¡¯re only soul shards.¡±

    Yomi taught Seiji a spell tomunicate with the remnant souls. It was quite easy. Seiji learned it instantly.

    Seiji cast the spell tomunicate with the soul shard closest to him. However, all he heard were morous noise that resembled roaring and screaming. It was impossible for Seiji to hear anything actually useful, or tomunicate with this soul.

    Seiji triedmunicating with each and every soul, but it was useless even after hemunicated with many souls.

    He almost wanted to give up, but immediately rejected this. He was determined to trymunicating with everyst soul here.

    Finally, he was able to hear clear human speech from a red soul!

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± a female voice spoke in a gentle and incredibly weak tone.

    ¡°I am Harano. May I ask who you are?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t remember¡­¡±

    ¡°What can you remember? Please, tell me anything that you can.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ remember light¡­ someone was shouting¡­ a lot of noise¡­ something very scary¡­¡±

    ¡°What was scary?¡±

    ¡°Tree¡­ cherry blossoms¡­ dragon¡­¡±

    A dragon? Seiji blinked in surprise at this new information.

    ¡°What type of dragon? Where did ite from?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It seemed that the female soul had run out of energy as she no longer said anything.

    Seiji had obtained some apparently critical information, but still not enough.

    If he wanted to obtain more information, he would have to finish trying to talk to every soul here. However, he could only stop as it seemed likely that Yui had arrived by now.

    Seiji left his Spirit House, and returned to the real world.

    Yui had indeed arrived.

    She quietly sat there, emanating a powerful aura that suppressed everyone.

    ¡°This is Seiji¡¯s older sister¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful¡­ she looks like she¡¯s really powerful¡­¡±

    ¡°Such an amazing aura¡­¡±

    ¡°Seiji established us as a team in order to defeat her¡­¡±

    ¡°I really want to draw her¡­¡±

    ¡°She looks so powerful¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be bad if we had to fight against her¡­¡±

    This was the first time for all the knight order members to meet Seiji¡¯s older sister. They were all astonished by her beauty and powerful aura. This was the same even for Mika and Chiaki, who had seen Yui before.

    Seiji had previously told everyone that the goal behind establishing the knight order was to defeat Yui Haruta. Now, she was simply sitting in front of everyone, but only this alone was enough to suppress everyone to the point where nobody dared to speak.

    After personally seeing Seiji¡¯s older sister, everyone felt like they could understand why Seiji wanted to defeat her. With such a beautiful and powerful older sister, it would feel quite difficult to resist against her. But, that was precisely why resistance would be necessary. Otherwise, Seiji might spend his entire life living in her shadow.

    Yui had a calm expression as she felt everyone¡¯s gazes upon her.

    Right now, she was looking at ¡°Shigure Tendo¡±.

    Kungo in Shigure¡¯s body also had a calm expression, but only on the surface.

    This woman who¡¯d just arrived gave him a feeling of incredible danger. She was more dangerous than Harano¡­ and far more dangerous than anyone else in this room!

    Although this was only his instinct, he believed in his own instincts. Kungo secretly ced himself highly on guard.

    All of this was what Seiji saw when he returned.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Yui nced at Seiji before ncing at Kungo again.

    ¡°This is a bit troublesome, but it can be dealt with.¡±

    Her statement made Kungo highly tense. He even began considering if he should immediatelymit suicide here to kill the host¡¯s body.

    Yui then nced over at the broken sword on the table.

    ¡°Could I take a closer look at that?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Only upon receiving Seiji¡¯s agreement did she walk over and pick up the broken sword. She carefully inspected the sword while a golden-red glow appeared in her eyes.

    Seiji and the others quietly waited.

    ¡°This is something that¡¯s very important. I¡¯m going to take it back to Soul Society,¡± Yui said after her inspection.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but I want payment for what it¡¯s worth,¡± Seiji told her.

    ¡°You¡¯ll receive the paymentter when I return.¡± Yui waved her hand, causing the broken sword to vanish with a white sh.

    ¡°Could you tell me why it¡¯s so important?¡± Seiji inquired.

    ¡°Yes, although you can probably guess already.¡± Yui paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that this sword was the spiritual artifact used as a catalyst to connect the Tendo Family and the Realm of Cherry Blossoms in some manner. Basically, this sword is the concrete evidence of the Tendo Family¡¯s scheme.¡±

    Now that there was evidence, there would be a reason for Soul Society to attack the Tendo Family.

    Although Soul Society could also attack the Tendo Family without evidence¡ªin fact, Soul Society had already done so¡ªit would still be far more convenient to attack after having obtained evidence.

    ¡°Excellently done, Seiji.¡± Yui praised him. ¡°I will make sure that you are rewarded properly.¡±

    She then looked over at Kungo.

    ¡°As for you¡­ are you going to obedientlye with me, or must I destroy you right here?¡±

    Right after she said this, Kungo instantly lifted up his hands with a determined expression to seek death on his face!

    However, Yui acted even quicker than he did. She snapped her fingers, instantly sending out a bolt of white lightning that entangled Kungo¡¯s body all around like chains!

    ¡°Wargh¡­!¡± Kungo shouted out in pain, but then stopped in the middle as he was no longer even able to speak.

    He was nowpletely bound to his chair. His entire body was trembling slightly, but he was unable to move even one little bit. He now had an expression of despair.

    ¡°If you had obedientlye with me, perhaps I could have allowed you to live. But since you chose to resist¡­¡± A powerful glint appeared in Yui¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Seiji spoke up to stop her.

    Yui turned around to look at him with a wondering expression.

    ¡°Um¡­ he might still be useful. If it¡¯s possible, please don¡¯t kill this spirit,¡± Seiji requested.

    He was thinking about the remnant souls in his Soul Room.

    If the true identities of the remnant souls were the ¡°people¡± back in that spirit town, then perhaps Kungo would be useful inmunicating with those souls.

    Yui fell silent for a moment as she contemted.

    ¡°I will need to return to Soul Society in order to take this spirit out of Shigure¡¯s body without killing him.¡±

    ¡°Then take him to Soul Society. I¡¯ll be troubling you, Yui Nee-san.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. When I go back to Soul Society, someone else will take care of this for me.¡±

    ¡®After all, this is his younger brother¡¯s body,¡¯ Yui thought to herself.

    She then increased the strength of her binding spell to knock Kungopletely unconscious. After that, she used telekinesis to take him away with her.

    After Yui left, everyone felt like the pressure in the room had been greatly reduced.

    ¡°Seiji¡¯s Nee-sama seems really mighty,¡± Kaede spoke first.

    ¡°Yeah, as expected of our king¡¯s older sister.¡± Hisashi nodded in agreement.

    ¡°She¡¯s the first person I¡¯ve ever met who¡¯s been the perfect fit for the honorific ¡®Nee-sama¡¯. Although it might be rather embarrassing to address her as such, I really do want to try,¡± Yukarimented.

    ¡°I also agree¡­¡± Hoshi raised his hand.

    ¡°I really want to draw her. Oh, could I start drawing right here and now?¡± Mayuzumi had sparkles in her eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s the person that Seiji established his team in order to defeat¡­¡± Mika spoke up.

    ¡°Although she¡¯s the person that Seiji wants to defeat, she¡¯s still his older sister. I really wanted to talk to her, but didn¡¯t dare to speak up,¡± Chiaki remarked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. She gave me the impression that she would execute me if I dared to speak too casually,¡± Kazuko said. ¡°I can understand why Seiji would want to defeat her.¡±

    Shika and Kaho didn¡¯t say anything. Natsuya calmly sipped on some tea. Hitaka was ying with the cat girl Rana, and Rana was allowing her to y with herself. Mai smiled without saying anything as well.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san is incredibly strong. All of you have now seen her for yourselves. We¡¯re going to need to continue bing stronger so that we can defeat her and her team of Spirit-branded Retainers,¡± Seiji told everyone.

    And so, this incident came to a conclusion¡­ not.

    ¡°Natsuya, could youe to my Spirit House together with me?¡±

    Seiji brought Natsuya into his Soul Room this time as they checked the remnant souls together.

    He wanted to finish what he was previously doing and attempt tomunicate with each and every soul here. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t learn anything else in the end, or perhaps he would learn something incredible.

 Chapter 831 - You have died long ago

    <h4>Chapter 831: You have died long ago</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    The world after death waspletely white, just as if it was filled with snow.

    There was nothing here. One wouldn¡¯t need to think about anything. There was only quiet; there was only silence; there was only the void.

    Death¡­ if that was how it was, then it was alright.

    Koutarou kept feeling this as he continuously sunk lower¡­

    But just as he thought he would eternally remain in this white location, he heard a voice.

    ¡°Kou¡­

    ¡°Koutarou¡­ is that you¡­

    ¡°Wake up¡­ you can do it¡­¡±

    The voice calling out to him seemed unknown yet also familiar. He felt like people addressed him by that name in a certain incredibly long dream he had.

    ¡®I am¡­ Koutarou?

    ¡®That¡¯s right, I¡¯m¡­

    ¡®Who¡¯s calling me?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ Harano¡­¡±

    Harano¡­ Koutarou remembered some things once he heard this name. Chaotic scenes, voices, and feelings came back into him as if they were falling snowkes, making him simultaneously feel chilled yet warm.

    ¡®I¡¯m¡­ still alive?¡¯

    Koutarou slowly opened his eyes.

    He saw a handsome face right in front of him, looking directly at him.

    ¡°Wee back.¡± Seiji smiled gently.

    ¡°Harano¡­¡± Koutarou blinked. ¡°Didn¡¯t I¡­ already¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you indeed vanished at that time. I also thought that you had died. However¡­¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°At any rate, why don¡¯t you get up first¡­ Can you get up?¡±

    The coal seller grabbed onto Seiji¡¯s extended hand, and stood up. He then noticed the environment around him.

    ¡°Where¡­ is this?¡±

    This ce was filled with thick mist, and had all sorts of colorful orbs floating around. Koutarou was rather surprised by this scene.

    ¡°This is the Soul Room, a special space that¡¯s capable of saving spirits and souls. The orbs you see are all remnant souls, or other people¡¯s soul shards,¡± Seiji exined. ¡°You were also in such a form before I woke you up.¡±

    ¡°Remnant souls¡­ Soul shards¡­¡± Koutarou had a confused expression. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t understand it that well myself. Still, judging from your situation¡­ it¡¯s highly likely that there are people you know among these remnant souls, or even your rtives,¡± Seiji told him cautiously.

    ¡°Rtives¡­¡± Koutarou muttered as he then recalled even more memories. ¡°My younger sister¡­ my mom¡­ my younger brother¡­ are they all here!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a possibility. I can¡¯t make any promises,¡± Seiji rified. ¡°You can try to touch and call out to them. But, you need to be careful. The remnant souls are really weak.¡±

    Koutarou nodded as he walked over to an orb that he carefully touched.

    ¡°Fuyumi¡­ Mom¡­ Jirou¡­¡± He tried calling out for his family members, but there was no response.

    Koutarou took his hand back in disappointment as he moved on to touch a different orb.

    Seiji felt many emotions as he watched Koutarou continuously search for his family members.

    ¡°Is this really alright?¡± a voice spoke up next to Seiji.

    This was Natsuya.

    Seiji knew what she meant with her question.

    He had awakened someone who had died already. Not only that, Koutarou wasn¡¯t actually someone with a ¡°human identity¡± to begin with. Was this really alright?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Seiji told her honestly. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to judge if this is alright or not. But, I couldn¡¯t help but do so when I found that he was the first one I might be able to wake up.¡±

    If Koutarou had been a real human, it would obviously have been good to revive him. However, ¡°Koutarou¡± wasn¡¯t a real human.

    The spirit town that Koutarou had lived in was destroyed. This was the only ce he could now stay at. And even if Seiji discovered some method in the future to take him back to the real world, it would be difficult to have ¡°Koutarou¡± live a normal life like a human.

    Koutarou believed himself to be a human. But, he wasn¡¯t actually human. Choosing this type of revival from the dead, or letting him die as a human¡­ It was impossible for Seiji to determine which would really be better.

    It was just that Koutarou¡¯s previous ending had been far too sad. As long as he could save this kind coal seller, Seiji would definitely do so!

    He decided to think about what might happen afterwards when it came.

    Koutarou tried for quite a while but failed to find his rtives. In fact, he began to feel a headache. He felt like his head was buzzing, with some chaotic scenes and voices asionally shing through.

    He then suddenly felt a violent pain as some clear images appeared in his mind. This caused Koutarou to shout out loudly!

    ¡°What happened!?¡± Seiji immediately rushed over upon seeing this.

    ¡°Ahhhh! It hurts¡­ save me¡­¡± Koutarou copsed on the ground, and rolled around in pain as red mist poured out from his body!

    ¡°I¡¯m right here, I¡¯ll help you!¡± Although Seiji didn¡¯t know whether it would be effective or not, he tried to cast healing magic on Koutarou.

    The coal seller finally calmed down after quite a while. He panted while clutching at his head. The red mist emanating from his body gradually lessened, and then stopped.

    ¡°What happened, Koutarou?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ saw a really scary demon¡­¡±

    ¡°What type of demon?¡±

    ¡°It was white¡­ it was gigantic¡­ really long¡­ its head¡­ was really strange¡­¡± Koutarou furrowed his eyebrows tightly. He couldn¡¯t find adequate words to describe what he saw.

    ¡°Was it a white dragon?¡± Seiji asked.

    ¡°Dragon¡­ I think I heard someone calling it that¡­¡± Koutarou muttered. ¡°What exactly was that?¡±

    Seiji fell silent for a moment before he replied, ¡°I think that might be what truly killed you.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, Koutarou¡­¡± Seiji looked directly at him. ¡°Maybe this will be difficult for you to ept, but everything I¡¯m telling you is the truth. Actually, you have died long ago¡­¡±

    ¡­

    Koutarou was stunned after hearing Harano¡¯s exnation.

    It was difficult for him to ept what he had just heard. He mentally resisted against it. However, Harano¡¯s sincere attitude and gentle tone made Koutarou feel like he had been telling theplete truth.

    Koutarou fell into inner conflict, and remained silent for a long while.

    Suddenly, his head started hurting again.

    Koutarou shouted loudly, and rolled around on the ground again as he saw even more chaotic images¡­ and then he suddenly understood.

    These were his memories.

    These were his real memories, from his original life as a human, not as the coal seller Koutarou!

    Everything that Harano said¡­ had indeed been true!

    ¡°Wuuuuaaaaahhhhhh!!!¡± Koutarou felt so much pain that he felt like he was dying.

    ¡®Just¡­ who am I?

    ¡®Who exactly am I!?¡¯

    ¡®My younger sister¡­ my mom¡­ my younger brother¡­ were they all fake!?

    ¡®My rtives were fake! That town was fake!!! Was everything fake!?

    ¡®No¡­ NOOOOOO!!!¡¯

    Koutarou loudly shouted furiously as red mist poured out from his body once again. The red mist soon turned crimson, and then dark red. The mist twirled all around his body¡­ no, wait! His entire body was beginning to transform into ck mist!!

    ¡°Koutarou! Calm down!¡± Seiji shouted.

    Seiji sensed danger. He could only force himself to prepare for battle. Natsuya, who had been silently observing, also prepared for battle.

    Just as it seemed like the distorting coal seller was about to transform into some type of demon, the dense mist in the Soul Room started moving, and transformed into an almost corporeal silver light that covered the ck mist, enveloping itpletely!

    At the same time, Seiji received a system notification.

    [A soul has gone berserk within the Soul Room. The Soul Room¡¯s automatic suppression function has now been activated. This will cost Inner World Crystals that are stored within your warehouse.]

    It was nice that the Soul Room came with an automatic suppression function¡­ but it wasn¡¯t so nice that it would also automatically use up some of his Inner World Crystals.

    Seiji and Natsuya witnessed the silver lightpressing the ck mist and returning it to an orb form.

    As this happened, flickering lights kept appearing from within the silver light as if the ck mist inside was struggling violently in an attempt to break free. However, it was unable to defeat the system¡¯s automatic suppression function.

    When the ck mistpletely returned to being an orb, the system sent Seiji another notification that the suppression was nowplete, along with an invoice summing up how many Inner World Crystals had been used up.

    Seiji felt slightly pained at this unexpected expenditure.

    ¡°Dear system of mine, could you please allow me to do the suppression next time?¡±

 Chapter 832 - Do you want to become a god?

    <h4>Chapter 832: Do you want to be a god?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Humans were foolish.

    Humans were foolish to the point where there was no saving them. As long as there were humans, humans would be foolish. This was something innate to humans, a sin that wouldn¡¯t disappear until death.

    Only cleansing and evolution would be able to eliminate the sin of foolishness within human souls.

    The only path forward was to cleanse the old humans and evolve into new humans, bing apletely new species!

    Shinzen Tendo had long since believed this.

    Yet, he knew that he was also a foolish human. He could only sigh about his ownck of intelligence and strength.

    It was probably his limit to only be able to minorly cleanse or evolve himself despite all the hard work he put in.

    Shinzen had this self-realization as he silently worked hard and lived a life that wouldn¡¯t attract any attention.

    If his life had continued on a normal track, it was highly likely that he would have an ordinary life no different from most others. There would be a small chance that he would die from an ident caused by one of his experiments, and an extremely tiny possibility that he would obtain a partial evolution like he wanted.

    However, a certain person appeared in front of him and changed his fate.

    ¡°Do you want to be a god?¡±

    That person asked Shinzen Tendo this question.

    Of course he wanted to be a god.

    Shinzen had long since hated foolish humanity. He was willing to pay any price in order to exceed humanity and be a god!

    Yet, he knew that would be impossible.

    He knew that he was low in ability. The only part he liked about himself was his own self-realization.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for humans to be gods, because it¡¯s impossible to change how foolish and vulgar humans are.¡±

    ¡°I agreepletely. It¡¯s precisely because of your wisdom that I chose you. You¡¯repletely correct, Shinzen Tendo-san. It¡¯s impossible for people to truly be gods. But, if we lower the standards of what we define as a ¡®god¡¯, then it¡¯s still achievable,¡± the person in front of Shinzen responded with a gentle chuckle.

    ¡°A third-rate god won¡¯t be any different from a human. I have zero interest in bing such a god.¡± Shinzen looked down on the very idea.

    On Sakura Ind, it was said that there were more than eight million gods living here. Shinzen felt that such myths were absolutely ridiculous. To him, all those assorted so-called gods were nothing more than demons and spirits that had been crowned with the name of gods. True gods were supposed to be existences that were free from the mortal world, living in a realm that humans would never be able to reach. True gods were supposed to be indescribable.

    ¡°You¡¯re truly not interested at all? Although a third-rate god might actually be a different type of human, it¡¯s still different from being a human. I think that you¡¯ve long since be tired of being human, isn¡¯t that right?¡± The person in front of Shinzen smiled.

    This person had a gentle attitude along with a gentle expression. However, Shinzen felt a chill as if he had been seen throughpletely.

    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m tired of being human. But, why should I believe you?¡±

    ¡°Simply because I¡¯m your only chance¡­ the only chance in your life to be the existence that you want to be.¡±

    This sentence truly struck Shinzen deep in his heart.

    His only chance.

    He would never have such a chance again in his lifetime if he missed it. He would be forced to bear with the fate of being nothing but a foolish and useless human for the rest of his life!

    Shinzen could easily imagine such a future ahead of him.

    He would be stuck in this ordinary human body, despairing, hating, being helpless, and finally dying like all other humans¡­

    Bearing this sin of foolishness while being so insignificant, leaving no value or meaning behind in this world and universe!

    In that case, did he really even need to choose?

    ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡± Shinzen inquired.

    That person¡¯s handsome face smiled once again as he stated two things¡­

    ¡°Yasakani no Magatama.

    ¡°Susanoo no Mikoto.¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°The Susanoo no Mikoto n?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is the top-secret n in the Tendo Family regarding the Yasakani no Magatama. The specifics of the n are unknown. However, it can be extrapted that the end goal is to ¡®artificially create a god¡¯,¡± Meisei Sorin exined to Yui Haruta back at Soul Society.

    Artificially creating a god was no new concept in this world. It could be said that this was one of the highest end goals of all spiritual ability users in the spiritual society, from ancient past to the present. The most obvious example of this would be the ¡°Spirit-branded Retainers¡± that Yin Yang Masters contracted with, having spirits bond with other humans to create powerful retainers.

    Using human power to create a god, control a god, and rule over a god¡­ No matter what faction or family a spiritual ability user was from, this was basically one of the ultimate goals of all factions and families.

    As one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families, it would be unsurprising for the Tendo Family to have such a scheme. However, the Tendo Family had broken a major taboo in spiritual society by tampering with the Yasakani no Magatama, which was supposed to be shared by the seven major families. Just what exactly could their n have been for them to be willing to incur such a major risk?

    ¡°The n is considered absolutely top-secret within the Tendo Family. Even Kouran Tendo, whom we just captured, doesn¡¯t know too much about it. All he was able to tell us was that this n was started ten years ago with the incident where Shinzen Tendo attempted to steal the Yasakani no Magatama and was executed for it. The Tendo Family¡¯s Susanoo n has continued in secret ever since. The current family head, Sougo Tendo, has personally carried out all aspects of the n for the past ten years. He hasn¡¯t allowed a single other person to take charge of this n.¡±

    ¡°So, only the Tendo Family¡¯s head knows theplete details of this n.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In order for us to learn the truth, the only option will be to attack and capture Sougo Tendo.¡±

    Attack and capture the head of the Tendo Family? This would be an outright deration of war against the Tendo Family!

    Although a deration of war against the Tendo Family would also be alright considering what they had done, the timing was quite awful since the Realm of Cherry Blossoms was almost about to descend¡­

    Not only that, the Tendo Family was somehow connected to the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. If full-blown war really broke out between Soul Society and the Tendo Family, would the Tendo Family use the Realm of Cherry Blossoms to do something?

    If the situation went out of control, it was highly likely that the entire city would be destroyed!

    ¡°Do you have any ideas about what to do?¡± Yui furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°Ambush.¡± Meisei calmly stated a single word.

    Yui instantly understood. ¡°If we fail¡­¡±

    ¡°If we fail, then prepare to suffer tremendous losses.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good¡­¡±

    ¡°This is the only method. Even if we can convince the other factions to assist us or at least not interfere, it will be impossible to convince the Tendo Family to hand over their family head to us. Besides, we have no time.¡± Meisei Sorin had an icy expression in his eyes.

    Allowing the situation to develop unimpeded was highly likely to cause uneptable consequences!

    That was why action needed to be taken, and swiftly at that.

    Even though the risk was tremendous, even though failure might cause tremendous losses or destroy the entire city, action still needed to be taken!

    Yui logically understood this, but found it difficult to ept.

    She was still a teenage girl. She wasn¡¯t nearly as cold-blooded as Meisei Sorin.

    A war was highly likely to begin here. And, the potential sacrifices would be the millions of ordinary citizens living in this city!

    ¡°There¡¯s still a little time, if we cane up with any other ideas¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be truly grateful if you cane up with any other, better idea,¡± Meisei said as he left the room.

    Yui could only sit down in her chair with eyebrows tightly furrowed. She remained silent for an incredibly long period of time.

    Then, the minotaur mask boy walked inside the room. He held a tube with ck runes in his hands.

    ¡°This is the spirit that I took out of Shigure¡¯s body¡­¡± Raizen Tendo handed the tube to Yui. He then paused for a moment. ¡°¡­I suppose you can thank that brat for me.¡±

    ¡°Is Shigure Tendo alright?¡± Yui asked as she epted the tube.

    ¡°Not really. He lost his left hand, and something seems to be odd about his mind¡­ But he was originally an idiot who was slow and dense to begin with, so he¡¯ll probably recover.¡±

    ¡°I will thank my younger brother for you. Don¡¯t forget to pay him.¡±

    Raizen: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°How is the current situation?¡± Raizen changed the topic.

    ¡°Terrible. Only the head of the Tendo Family knows theplete truth about what happened,¡± Yui told him.

    After hearing this, since Raizen saw Yui¡¯s expression and also understood Meisei Sorin¡¯s personality, he instantly realized how severe the situation was.

    ¡°Could Meisei be intending to¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s intending to do exactly what you think he is.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s insane¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d really like to say that, but Meisei¡¯s not insane.¡± Yui sighed. ¡°If we can¡¯t think of any better ideas in the little time we have left¡­ We¡¯re going to have to prepare for total war.¡±

 Chapter 833 - The world shouldnt have a savior

    <h4>Chapter 833: The world shouldn¡¯t have a savior</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Yui came over to find Seiji again.

    Seiji didn¡¯t expect her toe over again so quickly.

    This time, she didn¡¯te inside Natsuya¡¯s mansion. Instead, she had Seijie out to her car. On her car, Yui handed a tube with ck runes on it to him.

    This tube contained the spirit that had been taken out of Shigure Tendo¡¯s body, or Kungo.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± After epting the tube, Seiji directly looked at his older sister¡¯s beautiful face. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you didn¡¯te all the way over here just for the sake of giving this to me?¡±

    ¡°What do you intend to do with that spirit?¡± Yui asked a question of her own instead.

    ¡°Gather information¡­ although it might not be of much use,¡± Seiji replied.

    He didn¡¯t want to tell her about the remnant souls, since this was rted to how he managed to absorb Inner World Essence from the Totsuka no Tsurugi. He had the feeling that it would be bad for him if he told his sister about this ability.

    Although Seiji still wasn¡¯t certain what this so-called Inner World Essence was, judging from the name alone, it was some important type of special energy. And, this particr broken Totsuka no Tsurugi spiritual artifact was an important piece of evidence regarding the Tendo Family¡¯s scheme. If he honestly told Yui about absorbing this special energy from the sword through his system, creating the Soul Room, and the remnant souls within it¡­ Seiji could already predict that Yui would forcefully bring him to Soul Society.

    His older sister was a high-ranking and loyal member of Soul Society!

    ¡°Tell me if you obtain any useful information,¡± Yui said while looking at Seiji¡¯s face.

    It wasn¡¯t important how he¡¯d obtained information. The important part was that she was told any information that he learned.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Three seconds of silence followed after this.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else at all?¡± Seiji asked once more.

    Something shed in Yui¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°The mastermind behind this entire scheme is Sougo Tendo, the head of the Tendo Family,¡± Yui began. ¡°We¡¯re preparing to take action against him. However, there¡¯s a high chance of failure. It¡¯s possible for the entire situation to go out of control, to the point where the entire city may be destroyed. This is the destruction end that you must have seen with your ability¡­ is that right?¡±

    Seiji fell silent, not answering.

    Yui took this as tacit admittance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve said before that I should call for you if I needed you,¡± Yui continued. ¡°Can I really do so?¡±

    ¡®Of course you can.¡¯ Seiji was about to reply like this, but before he could do so¡­

    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be done!¡± Yui suddenly rejected what she just said. ¡°You can¡¯t wantonly use your ability. You¡¯ve already done quite well, Seiji. Let¡¯s just leave things at that¡­ take yourpanions and leave this city.¡±

    Seiji was stunned by her sudden change in attitude.

    ¡°Leave?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, immediately.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s highly dangerous here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking!¡± Seiji greatly emphasized his tone as he asked once again. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡®Why not take advantage of me? Right now, the city is in such danger that it might be destroyed. Despite this, what else could you be worried about?¡¯ Seiji expressed this with the look in his eyes.

    However, Yui averted her gaze.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± she stated softly.

    At this moment, Seiji felt anger boil up within him, but he immediately suppressed it.

    ¡°You need my help,¡± Seiji imed.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You do.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You do! Stop lying.¡±

    The atmosphere suddenly became rather tense.

    Yui took a deep breath before slowly turning around. Her eyes shone with a deep light.

    ¡°Just who¡­ do you think you are?¡±

    Her tone was rather icy, and seemed to contain an indescribable deeper meaning.

    ¡°I am Seiji Haruta,¡± Seiji answered her directly without any hesitation. ¡°Your younger brother.¡±

    Yui was expressionless after hearing this answer.

    At this moment, her cell phone rang.

    She took out her cell phone and answered the call.

    ¡°I¡¯ll immediately return.¡± This was all she said after hearing whatever was said on the other end.

    Yui then put away her cell phone and nced at Seiji.

    ¡°You should get off my car now.¡±

    Seiji didn¡¯t move as he continued looking directly at her.

    ¡°Is this really fine?¡±

    ¡°Get off my car.¡± Yui didn¡¯t answer his question as she coldly repeated herself.

    Seiji could tell that she was restraining herself from something.

    ¡°Give me a reason.¡± Seiji furrowed his eyebrows.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the savior of the world,¡± Yui stated.

    ¡°Are you, then?¡± Seiji questioned.

    ¡°Neither am I,¡± Yui spoke softly. ¡°The world shouldn¡¯t have a savior. You¡¯ve truly done well enough already. That¡¯s why you should leave, Seiji.¡±

    After Seiji got off her car and returned to Natsuya¡¯s ce, Mika and the others wisely didn¡¯t ask him what happened after seeing his expression.

    Seiji put down the tube containing Kungo¡¯s soul on a table, sat down in a chair, folded his arms, and remained silent for quite a while.

    He could tell that Yui had intended to ask him for help, but changed her mind for some unknown reason.

    ¡®The world shouldn¡¯t have a savior¡­ is it?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t disagree with this sentence. However, since he had already resolved himself to help the city avoid its destruction ending, this sentence sounded like sarcasm to him now.

    Of course, he knew that Yui wasn¡¯t trying to be sarcastic at all.

    She seemed to be resisting something.

    However, he still didn¡¯t know the reason.

    No¡­ she already told him the reason, but he didn¡¯t know its deeper meaning.

    Seiji could only sigh. He felt rather helpless and tired.

    Should he listen to her?

    Of course, he could refuse to listen. He could stay here and continue fighting.

    But, what could he change?

    The mastermind behind the entire scheme was the head of the Tendo Family! Even if Seiji wanted to do something, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.

    If Soul Society sessfully dealt with the Tendo Family, then the city would be fine. But if Soul Society failed, the city would be destroyed. Whatever Seiji did or didn¡¯t do, whether he stayed behind or not, that would all be irrelevant!

    ¡®No¡­ I shouldn¡¯t think like that.¡¯ Seiji stopped himself from thinking about such depressing things.

    He then looked over at the ck tube, and decided to release this samurai¡¯s soul first.

    Seiji immediately took action. He stood up, picked up the tube, and returned to the Soul Room in his Spirit House.

    When he entered the Soul Room, he saw the floating soul orbs, arge silver orb quietly remaining on the ground, and Natsuya, who had remained behind in an attempt tomunicate with the other souls.

    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Natsuya greeted him.

    ¡°Yeah. Have you learned anything?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Natsuya shook her head as she nced over at the silver orb on the ground. ¡°That hasn¡¯t moved at all.¡±

    After Seiji¡¯s system suppressed Koutarou, his soul had remained in arge silver orb form without doing anything.

    Seiji nodded in understanding. He then showed Natsuya the tube in his hand.

    ¡°Yui Nee-san gave this to me¡­ I¡¯m going to open it now. It should be alright to do so here, but we should still be on guard.¡±

    After Natsuya prepared for potential battle, Seiji slowly opened the lid of the tube.

    ck mist instantly poured out from within, slowly forming a dark red humanoid figure. Kungo¡¯s form was hazy, and the ce where his face should have been had two red swirls that resembled eyes. He resembled a spiritual creature.

    No, he was indeed a spiritual creature, wasn¡¯t he? The real form of that ridiculously handsome samurai was actually a spiritual creature from the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. This seemed to make sense.

    ¡°Harano¡­¡± A low and raspy voice came from the humanoid figure.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Kungo?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you¡­ eliminate me?¡±

    ¡°Because I think you could still be useful.¡± Seiji looked directly at Kungo before indicating towards the various colored orbs of light all around. ¡°Look at these¡­ among them are the people from your town. Why don¡¯t you try to see if you canmunicate with them?¡±

    Kungo slowly looked around.

    ¡°What are these?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re remnant souls. These are the true identities of everyone in your town¡­¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°Your master might also be among them.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­¡± The swirls on Kungo¡¯s face started glowing brightly, reflecting his excitement. ¡°Is that for real!?¡±

    ¡°I have no need to lie to you. However, it¡¯s only a possibility. I can¡¯t promise that she¡¯s among them,¡± Seiji told him. ¡°To be honest with you, I really wish you could find your master and wake her up.¡±

    Kungo¡¯s ¡°eyes¡± shone even brighter as he looked all around at the soul orbs.

    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Kungo noticed therge silver orb.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Seiji was about to exin when the silver orb suddenly moved!

 Chapter 834 - Whatâ€™s your masterâ€™s name?

    <h4>Chapter 834: What¡¯s your master¡¯s name?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Seiji stopped speaking as he looked at the silver orb.

    The silver orb then moved again.

    To be more specific, it continuously expanded and retracted. It looked like it was shaking. Seiji felt that it somewhat resembled a beating heart.

    Seiji, Natsuya, and Kungo all focused their attention on the silver orb that was giving off a strange impression. They were all on guard against any unexpected circumstances.

    Seiji couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Hey, it won¡¯t explode, will it?¡¯

    System: [Trust me, it won¡¯t.]

    Okay, this answer was only imagined by Seiji.

    The silver orb then shook for the third, fourth, and fifth time¡­ Its movements kept bing more rapid as it began to glow and slowly float in the air. It then started making strange and unclear sounds!

    ¡®Hey, could this be a god?¡¯ Seiji couldn¡¯t help but recall a certain story from his original world.

    The silver orb kept making strange sounds. Its glow kept brightening and dimming at intervals, just as if it was adjusting its own frequency. Finally, it was able to speak in a raspy voice. ¡°Harano-san¡­ can you hear me now?¡±

    ¡°I can hear you,¡± Seiji answered. ¡°Koutarou¡­ is that you?¡±

    The silver orb fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°I am Koutarou, but I am also not Koutarou,¡± it answered raspily. ¡°Still, you can continue addressing me by that name.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°My entire life as Koutarou was nothing more than an illusion in a dream. However, that dream also had parts that were real. I don¡¯t wish topletely deny that dream.¡±

    ¡°Then who are you?¡± Seiji looked directly at the silver orb.

    ¡°I am someone who¡¯s dead already, an undead spirit. Apart from that¡­ my name and identity are no longer important.¡± The silver orb paused for a moment. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me to confirm my true identity. Otherwise, I might go berserk again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright, since you don¡¯t wish to pursue it, I won¡¯t pry.¡± Seiji blinked. ¡°How are you currently feeling?¡±

    ¡°Not very good, although I suppose I¡¯m technically ¡®alive¡¯ again¡­ But I don¡¯t know what meaning there is to being alive anymore.¡±

    ¡°I think that living in and of itself is a type of meaning. If you¡¯re confused, then there¡¯s no need to think too much into it, just like with your real name.¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± The silver orb started glowing brighter. ¡°Thank you, Harano-san.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    Several seconds of silence followed after.

    ¡°Cough, let¡¯s introduce everyone.¡± Seiji broke the silence first as he looked at Kungo. ¡°Kungo, this is the coal seller Koutarou from your town. Koutarou previously went berserk here, and transformed into such a form.¡±

    Seiji then looked at the silver orb. ¡°Koutarou, this is the samurai Kungo from your town. You¡­ er, can you see him?¡±

    ¡°I no longer have any eyes, but I can sense him,¡± the silver orb stated. ¡°How are you, Kungo-san?¡±

    Kungo: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Koutarou¡¯s a survivor from your town. You¡¯re not even going to greet him?¡± Seijimented to Kungo.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should say,¡± Kungo spoke raspily.

    ¡°Okay then¡­ Koutarou, can I ask you some questions?¡± Seiji focused again on the silver orb.

    ¡°Please feel free to ask.¡±

    ¡°First, how did you transform into your current form?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either¡­ It¡¯s probably partially due to the power of this unique dimension that we¡¯re in, and also partially due to me recovering a portion of who I really was,¡± the silver orb answered in a raspy voice.

    ¡°Okay, what have you remembered?¡±

    ¡°I can remember some things¡­ tattered memories¡­ that make me confused¡­¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, could you tell me about your memories? What did you experience while you were alive? Do you know anything about a white dragon?¡± Seiji asked cautiously.

    The silver orb fell silent as its light dimmed.

    ¡°We¡¯ve identally created the Catastrophe Goddess¡­ things shouldn¡¯t have happened this way.¡±

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Seiji instantly focused his full attention on the orb as he sensed that he was arriving at critical information. Natsuya next to him also started paying full attention.

    ¡°It was supposed to only be an experiment, but something went wrong¡­ Or, someone secretly did something¡­¡± the silver orb still spoke in a raspy voice. ¡°A dragon appeared, causing everyone to die. An entire vige was destroyed. The souls of the dead corrupted the dragon, turning it into the Catastrophe Goddess¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened after that.¡±

    ¡°What type of experiment was it? Who was in charge?¡± Seiji continued asking.

    ¡°It was an experiment to artificially Awaken spiritual abilities so that ordinary people could be spiritual ability users inrge numbers. The person who was in charge of this experiment was named¡­ Sayaka Tendo.¡±

    ¡°Sayaka Tendo?¡± Seiji had never heard this name before.

    He looked over at Natsuya. She shook her head, indicating that she also didn¡¯t know this name.

    However, it was obvious that Sayaka Tendo was from the Tendo Family¡­ So, this meant that the Tendo Family performed an experiment that went wrong, which caused the death and destruction of an entire vige. This experiment also identally created the Catastrophe Goddess, who had the form of a white dragon!

    This Catastrophe Goddess that Koutarou referred to was likely the same Sakura Catastrophe Goddess sh Evil White Sakura Goddess.

    If this Sayaka Tendo was still alive, then she would be a critical individual at the center of everything. Seiji could try obtaining information from her. But if she was dead¡­

    Seiji suddenly thought of Kungo¡¯s master, the ¡°woman¡± that he kept referring to!

    ¡°Kungo, I¡¯d like to ask again, what¡¯s your master¡¯s name?¡±

    Kungo remained silent.

    Seiji looked directly at Kungo while asking, ¡°Her name was Sayaka Tendo¡­ or maybe just Sayaka, am I right?¡±

    The samurai still remained silent.

    ¡°This question is incredibly important. Please answer me,¡± Seiji emphasized.

    The samurai still remained silent.

    While silence might be tacit admittance, Seiji still wanted a better confirmation.

    Just as he was prepared to use harsher words, Kungo finally spoke up. ¡°If my master is in here¡­ Please promise that you won¡¯t harm her. As long as you promise me this, I¡¯ll listen to anything you say.¡±

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes upon hearing this.

    ¡°All I want is information,¡± he told Kungo.¡± As long as I can obtain information, I won¡¯t do anything else that¡¯s unnecessary. I can promise this to you.¡±

    Seiji was implying that he would be merciful if Kungo cooperated, but harsh if Kungo resisted. This applied to both Kungo and his master.

    Kungo understood what Seiji really meant. The swirls representing Kungo¡¯s eyes kept shing.

    ¡°Yes, my master¡¯s name is Sayaka,¡± Kungo spoke slowly.

    Seiji had now received confirmation!

    Sayaka Tendo had been Kungo¡¯s master. Sayaka was also an undead spirit now, and it was highly likely that she was somewhere within the Soul Room.

    If they could find her, perhaps Seiji would be able to learn about the entire incident that previously unfolded!

    Seiji and Natsuya swiftly exchanged nces, tacitly understanding what needed to be done.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find Sayaka Tendo together. If she¡¯s in here, we must wake her up!¡±

    Kungo remained silent.

    He strongly desired to see his master again. But¡­ was this what his master would want?

    Kungo was rather confused. However, his desire to meet his master again made him start moving.

    ¡®Master, if you¡¯re angry after waking up, then punish me!¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡°I will confirm our final ns once more before we take action,¡± Meisei Sorin spoke to the elites of Soul Society, including Yui.

    Meisei then swiftly and sinctly exined the entire ambush n aimed at the Tendo Family, which involved time, ce, everyone¡¯s job, n A, n B, n C, and so on¡­

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s all. Everyone, remember it well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to say how important this ambush is. However, let me emphasize it once again.

    ¡°Whether our ambush seeds or not will be directly corrted to the fate of millions of people in the city.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine whether you care about it or not. Regardless, you must understand the current position we¡¯re in.

    ¡°If we allow destruction and death to be spread like this, death and destruction will eventuallye for us, without us being able to stop it or escape.

    ¡°Now, move out!¡±

 Chapter 835 - You all deserve to die!

    <h4>Chapter 835: You all deserve to die!</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Ten years had passed.

    She was someone that he thought he would never forget. However, her face had imperceptibly be hazy in his mind as time passed.

    He still had the same feelings, and still missed her. Butpared to ten years ago¡­ his feelings were far less than before.

    That was just how humans were.

    Humans were good at forgetting. Humans were useless, foolish, and ugly¡­ from ancient past to present, never changing.

    What would she say at this time if she was still here?

    She would probablyugh.

    She would definitelyugh at seeing her foolish family members and the old ones panic.

    ¡°You all deserve to die!¡± She might even say such a thing.

    He could imagine her expression and smile while saying such a thing.

    ¡®Haha, you were right, Sayaka.

    ¡®Actually, you were always right to begin with.

    ¡®All of us deserve what we get. All of us should have died long ago.

    ¡®Yet, us who deserve to die have lived until now, while you left us so early when you didn¡¯t deserve to die.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably impossible for me to go to the same ce as you. Even so, I still want to meet you onest time, if it¡¯s still possible.¡¯

    ¡­

    At the Tendo Family.

    ¡°Activate it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Family Head, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Immediately activate the Susanoo n. Soul Society has already noticed what we¡¯re doing. There won¡¯t be a chance anymore unless we activate it immediately.¡±

    ¡°Soul Society¡­ But, even if they¡¯ve noticed, we should be able to stall them for a while¡­¡±

    ¡°Impossible. They¡¯ll definitely attack us directly without giving us an opportunity to stall for time.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Are you afraid now that things havee to this?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I just feel like this is too much of a rush, that we should still make some adjustments¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no more time! Activate it immediately. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you right here and now!!¡± Sougo Tendo¡¯s expression was incredibly icy. It seemed as if the killing intent he was emanating was a physical substance. ¡°Ten years ago, I wanted to personally kill you right there and then, slowly torturing to death! Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to do so. If you gave me such a chance right here, I would be truly grateful.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re insane.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m insane? Haha¡­ hahahahahaha! Someone like you actually dares to im that I¡¯m insane!?¡±

    There was a loud thud as blood went flying everywhere. Someone cried out while copsing on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re someone who betrayed our family because you wanted to be a god! You¡¯re the insane one who caused so many people to die!! You actually dare to say that I¡¯m insane!?¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ that was¡­ I was¡­ cough¡­ into temptation¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!!!¡±

    Many sounds of Sougo beating someone up could be heard. Blood kept spilling as Shinzen Tendo screamed. Their shadows flickered wildly on the wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of a trash like you, a trash like you, a trash like you¡­ Why didn¡¯t you die!! Die, you bastard!!!¡±

    ¡°Wargh¡­ Please stop hitting me¡­ Show mercy¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha, now you know to feel afraid!? What happened to your courage in betraying our family!!? Show me some of that courage!!!¡±

    ¡°Wahh¡­ I was¡­ wrong¡­ sorry¡­ sorry¡­ sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Apologies arepletely useless from you, you piece of trash!!!¡±

    *Boom!* An incredibly heavy blow sent the begging Shinzen crashing violently into the wall. He was almost killed by this.

    The rampaging Sougo then forcefully dragged the almost-dead Shinzen out of the wall, throwing him onto the ground and casting some healing magic on him, preserving thetter¡¯s life.

    ¡°Sorry, Shinzen. I went a little out of control. Probably because I remembered Sayaka¡­ my younger sister. She ended up dying because of trash like you, an idiot who¡¯s even worse than a stinkbug. To be quite honest, she wasn¡¯t much of a younger sister. She was always willful, spoke so bluntly, and looked down on others. She wasn¡¯t cute at all¡­ but for some reason, I really liked her. I actually felt that she was pretty cute the way she was. Although she would annoy me whenever I saw her, I also missed her whenever she wasn¡¯t around. Sometimes, I would really hate her and want her to disappear, but I would naturally think about her if I didn¡¯t see her for a long while¡­ You¡¯ve probably never felt that way in your life, have you, Shinzen? Because you¡¯re just a piece of scum who only cares about yourself. You didn¡¯t care how much harm you¡¯d brought upon your own family and others, all in order to try and achieve your incredibly foolish goal. From start to finish, you only thought about yourself! You¡¯re nothing more than garbage that should have been chopped up and flushed down the drain! You¡¯re the worst-smelling giant sh*tbag in the world!! You shouldn¡¯t have been born in this world!!¡±

    ¡°Wah¡­ no¡­ that¡¯s not it¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to vomit whenever I see you, piece of trash! I really f*cking want to kill you!! Even making you die one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand times wouldn¡¯t be enough for me!!¡±

    ¡°Wah¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t think that things would be that way¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you that apologies from you are useless!!!¡±

    After an angry loud roar, all that could be heard from Sougo was low panting, along with a soft crying sound.

    ¡°Immediately activate the spell formation. This is the only use that a piece of trash like you has left in the world. After that, feel free to go die in any gutter that you want.¡±

    ¡°Family Head¡­ Sougo¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call my name! Do you want me to tear your mouth apart!? Hurry up and activate it! Then go find some corner to die in!!¡±

    ¡°Wah¡­ Wahhhhhh¡­¡±

    Pained crying could be heard within this secret room.

    At this moment, Soul Society¡¯s ambush team just arrived for the Tendo Family.

    ¡­

    Found her!

    Kungo managed to find Sayaka Tendo¡¯s remnant soul.

    However, Kungo, Seiji, and Natsuya were all unable to wake her up.

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Kungo¡¯s dark red humanoid spiritual form nced at the purple soul orb before him. His ¡°eyes¡± shone with a weak light that gave off a sad aura.

    Seiji and Natsuya remained silent by his side.

    ¡°Yomi, do you have any ideas here?¡± Seiji asked for assistance from his bonded female spirit.

    ¡°While I do have a method, it requires the sacrifice of the spirit standing there,¡± Yomi answered. ¡°His foundational nature seems really simr to that soul shard. If youbine him with the remnant soul, that should be able to revitalize her soul enough to wake up again.¡±

    This caused Seiji to recall that Kungo had previously mentioned that he was created by using a portion of his master¡¯s power!

    ¡°However, it¡¯s only a possibility that she will awaken. There¡¯s also the possibility that her soul won¡¯t wake up even after sacrificing Kungo,¡± Yomi warned.

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Is it necessary topletely sacrifice him? Could we justbine a portion of him with her soul?¡±

    ¡°Like that¡­ although it will be more troublesome, it can also be done. However, the undead spirit Kungo¡¯s condition is rather unstable. Sacrificing even a portion of him might cause his entire existence to copse.¡±

    ¡°But at least there¡¯s a chance for both of them to survive, right?¡±

    After discussing it with Yomi, Seiji told Kungo of that method.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. There¡¯s a decent chance that you might end up vanishing¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to hesitate. Do it immediately!¡± Kungo said without hesitation. ¡°If sacrificing me can have my master wake up again, it would be my honor.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Seiji looked directly at him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t your master¡¯s finalmand to you to have you ¡®live on?¡¯¡±

    Kungo fell silent.

    ¡°Sacrificing a part of you is the only method to wake her up. However, I don¡¯t want to see you vanish, so you must persist and maintain yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°Firstly, of course I don¡¯t want to face her anger right after she wakes up. I need to obtain information from your master, but it will be highly difficult to do so if she¡¯s angry at me for her subordinate¡¯s death.¡± Seiji then paused for a moment. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t really feel any enmity towards you. Although I still don¡¯t know much about you, I know already that you¡¯re an incredibly loyal samurai. Even if we were previously enemies, I still don¡¯t want to see you just vanish. So, wake your master up, and continue living together with her, Kungo.

 Chapter 836 - Itâ€™s so lively tonight

    <h4>Chapter 836: It¡¯s so lively tonight</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kungo stared at Seiji for quite a while before slowly nodding.

    Seiji learned how to cast the spell tobine Kungo and his master from Yomi. He then told Kungo some instructions.

    The samurai listened to the Yin Yang Master¡¯s instructions as he silently resolved himself.

    He was going to live together with his master. He had to survive.

    ¡­

    Soul Society¡¯s assault squad sessfully broke into the Tendo Family¡¯s mansion!

    Dispelling the Tendo Family¡¯s barrier¡­ would be impossible in a short period of time, which was why Soul Society¡¯s assault squad chose to use a forceful attack, using the most violent means possible to break through: heavy firepower!

    Tremendous explosions from magic explosives shook the entire night sky. If it weren¡¯t for a soundproof magic barrier that Soul Society had cast beforehand, the noise would have shocked the entire city!

    The Tendo Family reacted swiftly to the attack, activating their defenses and fighting against the Soul Society assault squad. Both sides soon became embroiled in battle.

    But, in just a short few seconds, Soul Society¡¯s assault squad members seeded in breaking through the Tendo Family¡¯s defenses, entering deep into the Tendo Family mansion!

    They used various locator spells to try and find their target as quickly as possible. However, the Tendo Family mansion was gigantic. The defensive spells ced in the mansion wereplex and varied. It would be quite difficult to swiftly locate Sougo Tendo, the Tendo Family head. This was also where Soul Society¡¯s ambush was most likely to fail.

    Even with advantageousbat strength, it would be highly difficult invade someone¡¯s home base and find their boss! That was because the family head might escape at any moment. Unless there was some way to absolutely ascertain Sougo¡¯s location, or if Soul Society had absolutely dominating strength, it would be almost impossible to try and prevent Sougo from escaping. Unfortunately, Soul Society had neither such locator spells nor overwhelming strength. This was because Soul Society had too little time to prepare!

    Soul Society¡¯s biggest mistake was not having detected the Tendo Family¡¯s scheme earlier!

    If it weren¡¯t for Yui Haruta¡­ it was likely that Soul Society wouldn¡¯t have discovered the scheme at all.

    Meisei Sorin felt chilled as he imagined that scenario.

    Meisei knew quite well that the spiritual society was filled with plots and schemes, and that it would be impossible for anyone to detect everything.

    However, there were some schemes that would have severe consequences if they weren¡¯t detected early.

    And even if such a scheme was detected, catastrophe could still happen if the scheme wasn¡¯t dealt with well.

    Catastrophe would destroy the order in society. The destruction of order would cause an even greater catastrophe, with the final ending beingplete destruction.

    Apart from lunatics who didn¡¯t even care about their own lives, nobody would want such an ending.

    However, humanity had wicked traits. People would often tread the path of destruction without realizing it, all for the sake of personal benefits or desires.

    Meisei Sorin believed himself to be a defender of order, someone who wanted to prevent destruction. But, just how much could he do? How much of Sakura Ind¡¯s precious order could he maintain¡­? He didn¡¯t dare to think too deeply on this subject.

    That would be the unknown.

    That would be chaos.

    That would be the deepest terror.

    ¡°It¡¯s so lively tonight,¡± a voice that everyone could hear suddenly spoke up in the Tendo Family mansion.

    Meisei Sorin paused in his actions as he instantly recognized whom this voice belonged to¡­

    Sougo Tendo!

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it rather rude of Soul Society to invade someone¡¯s home without even so much as a greeting? Still, I can understand why you would do such a thing, so how about we temporarily stop fighting and chat a little?¡± Sougo spoke in an agreeable tone.

    He then gave themand to the Tendo Family members to stop fighting¡­ with the prerequisite that they were no longer being attacked, that was.

    ¡°He must be stalling for time! Don¡¯t stop searching for him!¡± Meisei immediately issued thismand to everyone in the Soul Society assault squad.

    He then answered the Tendo Family¡¯s head. ¡°Sougo Tendo-san, thank you for your understanding. I apologize for our rude behavior. However, this is something that had to be done. I hope that you would be willing to personallye out and discuss some matters with us.¡±

    Sougo replied with a chuckle. ¡°If Ie out, I highly doubt that you¡¯ll simply talk, so I refuse. Besides, I¡¯m very busy right now. Even if I wanted to personally greet you, I couldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What are you busy with?¡± Meisei asked in an icy tone. He had an ominous premonition. ¡°Just what are you doing, Sougo Tendo!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing exactly what you think I am¡­ Haha, that¡¯s a bit boring to say, so let me tell you more directly since things havee to this.¡± Sougo paused for a moment. ¡°We¡¯re currently activating the Susanoo n. Just as you can tell from the n¡¯s name, this n is to artificially create a god. We intend to create this god that will help the entire Tendo Family to evolve and ascend to another level, bing stronger than all other factions, and rising to the peak of Sakura Ind! Any other faction that has such a chance would surely make the same decision. Our Tendo Family is simply the first to do so.¡±

    ¡°Foolish!¡± Meisei retorted in an icy tone. ¡°While it may seem wonderful to have the entire family evolve, this will cause your entire family¡¯s destruction if any problems arise! The Nishigan Family, Asami Family, Kondoukei Family, and Yaogo Family¡­ If you know even the slightest bit about history, you should know that countless families have destroyed themselves with such foolish desires! It¡¯s nothing more than unmistakable idiocy to try and give a so-called evolution to your entire family without a hundred percent guarantee. And, a hundred percent guarantee is impossible!

    ¡°Not only that, you¡¯ve made use of the Yasakani no Magatama and the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. Even if the Tendo Family has full control over the divine artifact¡¯s power, it¡¯s impossible to control the Realm of Cherry Blossoms, so this n must have tremendous associated risks! Thus, the conclusion is that you must be lying, Sougo Tendo! Or, the entire Tendo Family is filled with idiots, or has gone insane!¡±

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re absolutely correct, Meisei Sorin-san.¡± Sougo chuckled. ¡°Although there are many idiots in our Tendo Family, we¡¯re not foolish enough to gamble the entire family¡¯s fate on such a n. I admit that I was lying. The Susanoo n isn¡¯t a n to have the entire family evolve. It¡¯s simply an experimental n, an experiment to have ordinary people evolve into spiritual ability users. After the past ten years, although very few results have been achieved, the results that were achieved have all been highly valuable, which is why this n has continued all this time. But recently, the appearance of the Awakened greatly sped up the progress of this n, and the Realm of Cherry Blossoms was an even bigger pleasant surprise.

    ¡°The Tendo Family thus started viewing this n with much greater importance¡­ this greatly displeased me. I had only taken charge of this n in the beginning in order to kill it off. I never thought that it would be continued all the way until today, and even be about to produce such major results. The ironic part is that even I¡¯ve been attracted by this n now. My way of thinking is now different from what it was at first. The me from ten years ago would have been quite happy to cooperate with you all to end this n, but now¡­ Haha.

    ¡°Although the Tendo Family views this n with great importance, it¡¯s not to the extent of wanting to be enemies with Soul Society. If you had tried to negotiate with us, it¡¯s highly likely that you could have convinced most of the higher-ups in the family to give up on this n. However, you believed that there was no time left, and chose to use forceful methods.

    ¡°Your way of thinking and actions¡­ were all correct. But, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re toote.

    ¡°Maybe I will die here. Maybe I will be a god or a demon. Maybe I can still remain a human¡­ Haha, I¡¯m really looking forward to what I¡¯ll be.

    ¡°I now feel like I have waited for this moment for ten whole years¡­¡±

    At this instant, Meisei Sorin suddenly sensed tremendous danger¡ªthis was the strongest warning possible from his survival instincts!

    ¡°Sougo Tendo, STOP!!!¡± At the same time that he shouted this, Meisei also used amunication spell to warn all Soul Society members. ¡°Everyone! Retreat immediately!¡±

    The next instant, a red light bloomed.

    A mystical sound which resembled a song not from this world could be heard. This blinding red light dispelled all darkness as it enveloped everything in bright red. The red light then formed a pir that shot towards the sky. An evenrger and hazy gigantic gray figure then came out of the tremendous red pir of light. This figure seemed like some type of snake or dragon.

    This giant shadowy figure slowly arched its neck. The top of the red pir of light explosively started expanding. The bright red light could be seen from far, far away.

    ¡°GRRRRAAAAAWWWRRRRRRLLLLL!!!¡±

    An iparably deep roar that sounded like it came from the ancient past or distant future could be heard from the head of the gigantic existence! This roar shook the sky! It shook the earth!!! It shook the entire city!!!

 Chapter 837 - Silly child

    <h4>Chapter 837: Silly child</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    Kungo was in tremendous pain.

    He felt as if his body was being dissolved by the hottest magma which slowly drew away parts of himself. His consciousness became hazy, feeling like a candle fire being buffeted by the wind. He felt as if his light would go out at any moment.

    He wanted to shout or scream out loudly, but was unable to make a sound.

    The darkness of death surrounded him. The extreme heat brought along the deepest coldness.

    ¡®No¡­ I can¡¯t die¡­

    ¡®I need to live¡­ I must live¡­¡¯

    Kungo used his strong will to support his own existence. He tolerated, withstood, and prayed¡­

    ¡®Master¡­ Please wake up¡­ Wake up¡­¡¯

    Kungo had no idea how much time passed. He no longer possessed a concrete sensation of the passage of time.

    The loyal samurai used everything he had to resist. However, death still irresistibly approached him.

    He was being consumed; he was decreasing in existence until the very limit. If he reached the limit, his existence would end.

    But right before he reached his limit, he heard a sigh from somewhere.

    ¡°Silly child¡­¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°He can¡¯t take it for any longer,¡± Yomi told Seiji in the middle of the spell.

    Seiji furrowed his eyebrows deeply while looking at the spell formation before him.

    Sayaka Tendo¡¯s remnant soul hadn¡¯t responded.

    It would seem that the spell had failed¡­ Kungo had sacrificed so much of himself for nothing.

    But just as Seiji was thinking this, the purple soul orb in the spell formation suddenly shed!

    There was a reaction after all!? Seiji instantly widened his eyes in surprise.

    He then heard a faint female voice saying, ¡°Stop¡­ hurry and stop¡­¡±

    Stop the spell!

    Seiji immediately stopped the spell that used part of Kungo to revitalize Sayaka¡¯s soul. Yomi then assisted him with the fine details, protecting Kungo¡¯s life.

    This wasn¡¯t easy. Seiji constantly sweated as he worked on the spell.

    The former dark red humanoid spiritual figure was now a chaotic and hazy ball of ck light. It seemed as if Kungo was about topletely copse from existence! Seiji did his very best to help maintain and resculpt Kungo¡¯s form. Seiji felt as if he was slowly pulling out someone who had sunk deep into a quagmire. This was incredibly heavy and difficult.

    ¡°Kungo, she¡¯s awake! Your master has woken up! You¡¯ve seeded! Now, it¡¯s your turn! Don¡¯t die!¡± Seiji couldn¡¯t help but shout out.

    Someone who sacrificed so much deserved to get something in return.

    Even though Kungo couldn¡¯t really be called one of Seiji¡¯spanions, Seiji still truly hoped that Kungo¡¯s courageous sacrifice would result in a good ending.

    ¡®Live, loyal warrior!¡¯

    As if Seiji¡¯s will had been transmitted sessfully, the ck light stopped copsing, and slowly reformed itself.

    At this time, the purple soul orb was also slowly changing, forming a hazy purple humanoid figure with two swirls where the eyes should be. These eye swirls shone with a deep ck light.

    ¡°Mas¡­ ter¡­¡± Kungo¡¯s dark red figure spoke weakly. He was now significantly smaller than before, going from the size of adult to child.

    ¡°Silly child¡­¡± The purple figure reached out her hand, and gently caressed the dark red figure¡¯s head. ¡°Why would you do such a thing¡­¡±

    Kungo didn¡¯t say anything else. It was evident that he had used up all of his strength as he weakly copsed on the ground.

    ¡°Truly a miracle.¡± Yomi sighed. ¡°He still didn¡¯t fade from existence despite all this¡­ I can only describe it as a miracle.¡±

    Seiji felt the same way. Kungo¡¯s current condition seemed just like a human who had still managed to survive despite losing half of his body. It was Kungo¡¯s iparably powerful will to survive that had created such a miracle!

    Although he had copsed due to ack of energy, it wasn¡¯t so serious anymore. He would recover as time passed.

    What was important right now was¡­

    ¡°Sayaka Tendo-san¡­ is that right?¡± Seiji asked the purple figure.

    Only after the purple figure confirmed that Kungo was alright did she nce at the Yin Yang Master before her.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± she spoke quite bluntly.

    ¡°I need information,¡± Seiji replied. ¡°Your experiences while you were alive¡­ and about the white dragon and the spiritual ability Awakening experiment. I need to know everything that you know!¡±

    The purple figure, who was indeed Sayaka Tendo, fell silent for a moment before responding, ¡°Why do you need to know such things? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Seiji Haruta, a member of the Haruta Family¡­ who¡¯s currently in exile.¡± Seiji paused for a moment. ¡°I suppose you could still treat me as a member of the Haruta Family. And, I need to know all this because of the current situation¡­¡±

    Seiji then summarized the current situation to Sayaka.

    After Sayaka listened to his story, her first question was to ask what year it currently was. She seemed to sigh after hearing the answer.

    ¡°Ten years have passed already¡­ that n actually continued for so long?¡±

    After her sigh, she fell silent once again.

    Seiji was about to try and convince her to cooperate when his system suddenly sent him a notification that many people had entered his Spirit House. Seiji couldn¡¯t help but pause in surprise.

    ¡°Seiji!¡± a voice soon called out from behind him.

    Mika and the others had arrived.

    Every single member of his group had arrived.

    ¡°An incident happened outside!¡± Mika swiftly exined things to Seiji.

    Everyone had suddenly heard a tremendous bestial roar that shook the entire city. They then saw a bright red light expanding everywhere in the sky, with countless red lights falling down which brought a deep chill¡­

    Seiji¡¯s expression became grim after he heard this.

    Catastrophe hade upon the city yet again!

    Soul Society had been unable to stop this¡­ just like in the previous timeline!

    ¡®Damn it all¡­¡¯

    Seiji gritted his teeth in anger. He really wanted to vent, but that wouldn¡¯t help the situation at all!

    He had done so many things, but it still hadn¡¯t been enough.

    ¡®Damn it! Goddamned Soul Society! They¡¯re so useless!!!¡¯

    Seiji also thought of Yui, and really wanted to curse at her. But, he forcefully restrained himself.

    He knew that he needed to calm down and that anger was useless.

    Soul Society¡­ and Yui¡­ had probably tried their very best.

    It was just that the Tendo Family had been even stronger.

    The Tendo Family was one of the seven major Yin Yang Master families, after all. Even if Soul Society detected their scheme, it would be difficult to stop them.

    But at least¡­ not everything had been useless in this timeline. Seiji had learned that the Tendo Family was behind everything. Also¡­

    After Seiji calmed down, he looked at Sayaka Tendo again.

    ¡°Tendo-san, you also heard what happened outside. A catastrophe is currently happening and threatening the lives of millions of people in the city. I beg of you, please tell me everything that you know! Your information might be the key to saving everyone.¡±

    Something shed in Sayaka¡¯s eyes as she faced him.

    ¡°Okay¡­ But, I have a condition. You must guarantee my and Kungo¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°I promise!¡± Seiji directly agreed. ¡°I and mypanions shall definitely not harm you.¡±

    After receiving this promise, Sayaka began to tell her story.

    Ten years ago, Shinzen Tendo, a member of the Tendo Family, attempted to steal the Yasakani no Magatama artifact that the Tendo Family was in charge of protecting at the time. His attempt was discovered.

    After Shinzen was captured by his own family, he announced that he had tampered with the Yasakani no Magatama using a certain spell already. This spell was capable of destroying the mystical artifact at any moment. Shinzen also proved that he was capable of doing this.

    The reason he did this was for his personal and the family¡¯s evolution.

    If the Tendo Family refused to assist him, then he would destroy the artifact andmit suicide!

    After an emergency family discussion, the Tendo Family¡¯s higher-ups were convinced by Shinzen, and chose to protect him, covering up this incident as a failed attempt to steal the Yasakani no Magatama. The Tendo Family also ended up assisting with Shinzen¡¯s n.

    This n was known as the Susanoo n. It originated from a mysterious person whose true identity was unknown. He called himself the ¡°Abbey Master¡±. The Tendo Family was unable to find out who the Abbey Master really was. However, the spiritual techniques that the Abbey Master taught to Shinzen Tendo were real and highly valuable.

    After the Susanoo n was carried out for some time, Sayaka Tendo was chosen to be in charge of the firstrge-scale experiment due to her outstanding talent. However, something went wrong with the experiment. A giant white dragon was summoned, and everyone participating in the experiment ended up perishing!

    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know what exactly went wrong with the experiment. But, my personal feeling¡­ is that perhaps it¡¯s because of the Tendo Family¡¯s sins,¡± Sayaka told Seiji.

 Chapter 838 - The main character of a dark-themed light novel!?

    <h4>Chapter 838: The main character of a dark-themed light novel!?</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    After activating the Susanoo n, Sougo Tendo sensed¡­

    ¡­iparably deep pleasure, along with an equal amount of pain!

    The pleasure came from evolution, while the pain came from sin.

    In this instant¡­ which seemed like so long¡­ Sougo understood.

    He understood himself as the Tendo Family¡¯s head, as a spiritual ability user, and as a human¡­ his entire meaning to everything. He understood all cause and effects, the past, the present, karma, and the future¡­ He learned and understood everything.

    This was because he became a god!

    And right at the moment that he became a god, Sougo Tendo was no longer human. His human reason and feelings all copsed and sunk into chaos.

    This was the truth.

    This was fate.

    This was the ending.

    The moment that he understood everything, he also lost everything. The moment that he became a god, he also became a demon. The moment that he finished his evolution, he was no longer human¡­

    ¡°Haha¡­ hahahahahahahahaha!!!¡±

    These were his final words as a human.

    Yet, nobody was around him to hear this.

    ¡­

    The Tendo Family¡¯s sins?

    ¡°Are the Tendo Family¡¯s ¡®sins¡¯ referring to something specific?¡± Seiji asked Sayaka.

    Sayaka remained silent for a moment.

    ¡°You could say yes, as well as no,¡± she slowly spoke up. ¡°What I felt at the time¡­ when I was on the verge of death¡­ is quite difficult to describe. If I had to say, I felt like the summoned white dragon was filled with endless rage and hatred towards the Tendo Family, and that it also shouldered endless pain¡­ It felt almost as if it was abined spiritual attack from countless spiritual ability users who hated the Tendo Family. The dragon seemed as if it was a physical materialization of hatred and pain. But, now that I think about it more carefully, I could also say that it was a tremendous amalgamation of negative energy¡­ even though I don¡¯t believe that a term like ¡®negative energy¡¯ is sufficient to describe such an existence. This concept, or energy, whatever it is, is the foundational reason why something went wrong with the experiment.¡±

    What on earth? Seiji was somewhat confused.

    ¡°So, ording to what you say, this gigantic white dragon that appeared¡­ is actually retribution that the Tendo Family deserves?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an overly simplistic exnation, but you can also understand it as such.¡± Sayaka nodded.

    Seiji: ¡°¡­¡±

    Sayaka mulled things over some more as she saw a strange expression on Seiji¡¯s face. She exined in greater detail.

    Ten years ago, the failed experiment had been connected to the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein¡¯s power.

    The so-called Dragon Vein was also the Tendo Family¡¯s inherited Spirit Vein passed down through the generations. Although the Dragon Vein was only a name, it also might have the power to create that white dragon in its dragon form.

    Setting aside the reason for the white dragon¡¯s form, when looking at everything objectively, this experiment which was connected to the Dragon Vein had gone out of control due to the interference of some mysterious negative energy that summoned the powerful dragon, or the Catastrophe Goddess.

    Sayaka Tendo, the person in charge of this experiment, felt a sensation as if this negative energy¡¯s true identity was ¡°the sins of the Tendo Family¡± as she was on the verge of death.

    Since she was on the verge of death back then, her memories were rather hazy. Now, she was only a remnant soul, so there were also many holes in her memory, and she could only say that she ¡°felt¡± this way rather than give any concrete confirmation as to the dragon¡¯s identity.

    If this negative energy could be called the ¡°power of sins¡±, then how was it created?

    Sayaka believed that this energy came from the Dragon Vein, having been created from the Tendo¡¯s modifications applied to certain humans over the years by using the Dragon Vein¡¯s power, along with the Tendo Family¡¯s negative influence on the Dragon Vein.

    Going deeper down this topic would involve what exactly a Spirit Vein was and how it worked.

    However, Sayaka didn¡¯t know this.

    All she knew was that the Dragon Vein was somehow rted to the Tendo Family members¡¯ spiritual abilities, bloodline talents, and origin. She didn¡¯t know any more specifics about the Dragon Vein.

    Back to the issue of sin energy.

    ¡°If my feelings and memories are correct, this is an incredibly important discovery,¡± Sayaka stated in a serious tone. ¡°A tremendous amount of negative energy is hidden within the Tendo Family¡¯s Dragon Vein. Under certain conditions, this energy might be activated with explosive, destructive, and catastrophic consequences. And, this energy was created by the negative influence of the spiritual ability users that the Spirit Vein supports. The more spiritual ability users are connected to a Spirit Vein, and therger the amount of time that passes, the more this negative energy will umte.

    ¡°Judging from this, not only will the Tendo Family have such an issue, the other six major families and any other faction with a longstanding inheritance will also have such hidden problems with their Spirit Veins.¡±

    A negative energy created from umted sins. A retribution caused by so many sinful actions over the years¡­ This all sounded like a physical materialization of the phrase ¡°evil will be punished¡±.

    Was this a good thing?

    If this retribution only worked against the sinners or the sinning faction, then of course it would be a good thing. Seiji wouldn¡¯t care one bit about those bastards¡¯ deaths.

    However, that wasn¡¯t how things actually worked. The moment that the ¡°retribution¡± urred, it wouldn¡¯t care about the targets whatsoever!

    A few people weremitting evil deeds, but countless innocents would be victims as a result¡­ That was just how messed up things were.

    Seiji could only sigh after a long period of silence.

    Although the details were still unclear, at least he now had an idea of how the Catastrophe Goddess had been created.

    The next problem was how to defeat her.

    The first solution: defeat her directly.

    ¡°In my opinion, forcefully trying to defeat that existence will be nothing more than a temporary solution,¡± Sayaka remarked. ¡°ording to my theory, that Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s true identity is the sins of the Tendo Family. Even if you can temporarily defeat her, she will always be reborn as long as the Tendo Family still exists. This would have still been fine if being reborn required a long period of time. But as you just told me, a special environment called the Realm of Cherry Blossoms has appeared. It seems likely that the Catastrophe Goddess won¡¯t need very long to be reborn.¡±

    The second solution: expiate the Tendo Family¡¯s sins.

    ¡°Expiating the sins will be the foundational cure to the problem. However, since the Tendo Family¡¯s sins have umted to the extent of taking physical form, expiating the sins will doubtlessly be extremely difficult. And even if this is achievable, it will definitely require a tremendous sacrifice.¡±

    By a tremendous sacrifice, she basically meant that people would die.

    The spiritual ability user hosting the expiation ritual would absolutely die for certain! This would be the same even if one of the strongest individuals in Sakura Ind hosted the expiation ritual. It was also likely that many of the supporting spiritual ability users participating in the ritual would also be sacrificed.

    And even if there was a group of spiritual ability users that were all willing to sacrifice themselves to expiate the Tendo Family¡¯s sins in the form of the Catastrophe Goddess, how to arrange and achieve such an expiation ritual would also be a problem. This was because the Catastrophe Goddess definitely wouldn¡¯t obediently sit still and let others expiate her. Just limiting her movements alone would be incredibly difficult. This would be even more difficult than just defeating her.

    In conclusion, expiating the Catastrophe Goddess would be immensely difficult to the point of almost being impossible.

    The third solution: sealing.

    Just like defeating the Catastrophe Goddess, this was another method that wouldn¡¯t deal with the foundational problem. This would be more difficult than defeating her, but less difficult than expiating. Still, it would be highly difficult.

    And, there would still be a sacrifice required for sealing away the Catastrophe Goddess.

    ¡°A jinchuriki. That¡¯s the solution the most likely to seed as far as I can tell,¡± Sayaka said in a soft voice.

    ¡°A jinchuriki¡­¡± Seiji instantly recalled this term from Naruto. ¡°Could you be referring to¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, a jinchuriki will use a host with high spiritual abilities to seal the Catastrophe Goddess within that person¡¯s body. That person¡¯s soul will act as the lock sealing her away,¡± Sayaka exined. ¡°The host, or the jinchuriki, will suffer immense pain as well as bear the risk of death at any moment. The host will need to have incredibly powerful mental spirit and will, and since the Catastrophe Goddess is the materialization of the Tendo Family¡¯s sins, the best host for it would be a member of the Tendo Family. For instance, that boy from before¡ªthe body that Kungo temporarily took over would make an excellent host. However, just him alone would probably be unable topletely seal away the Catastrophe Goddess. Multiple additional Tendo Family members simr to him in terms of talent would probably all be required to act as the hosts.¡±

    Seiji was once again rendered speechless.

    He couldn¡¯t help but recall Shigure Tendo¡¯s figure. That unlucky fellow had already lost one of his hands somehow in this incident, and now, it was being said that he had the potential to be a jinchuriki host¡­ Was Shigure the main character of a dark-themed light novel!?

 Chapter 839 - Hello, White Sakura

    <h4>Chapter 839: Hello, White Sakura</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    If Shigure Tendo truly was the protagonist, then all that needed to be done was to leave him to his own devices.

    However, this evidently wouldn¡¯t work.

    A jinchuriki host seal¡­ Even if this method seemed like the best out of the three so far, it was also a cruel one. Although this might require less of a sacrifice than expiation, it would still require a sacrifice. Also, this wouldn¡¯t solve the foundational problem.

    Would Soul Society be able to deal with the Catastrophe Goddess if he gave the jinchuriki method to them? And even if Soul Society could deal with her, how many people would die before she was sealed?

    What if he loaded again and gave Soul Society additional information? Would they be able to stop the Tendo Family this time? And if they sessfully stopped the Tendo Family, would that prevent the appearance of the Catastrophe Goddess?

    Various questions swirled around in Seiji¡¯s mind.

    ¡°There¡¯s still one more method that you¡¯ve probably thought of already, even though I don¡¯t really want to say it.¡± Sayaka looked directly at Seiji. ¡°This method is to kill all members of the Tendo Family.¡±

    Seiji: ¡°!?¡±

    ¡°Eliminating all members of the Tendo Family will cut off their sins and eliminate the source of the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s power, causing her to copse and vanish,¡± Sayaka stated calmly. ¡°However, this won¡¯t be easy to aplish. Besides, it might also take some time for the Catastrophe Goddess to disappear. Unknowns might happen during that time. So, even though this is another method to foundationally deal with the problem, this might cause even greater sacrifices than expiation.¡±

    Without a doubt, this was the most terrible method of all.

    Killing all members of the Tendo Family¡­ seemed more difficult than even defeating the Catastrophe Goddess. It would be almost impossible.

    Seiji decided to forget that he had ever heard of such a method.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I know,¡± Sayaka finished as she then looked towards Kungo.

    ¡°I still have questions. Why did you manage to survive in such a form after your death? What exactly was that spirit town?¡± Seiji continued asking questions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Sayaka shook her head. ¡°Even I don¡¯t understand why that happened. Logically speaking, I should have vanishedpletely upon my death¡­ While I was living in that spirit town and before I recovered my memories of life, I thought that it was all a god¡¯s blessing. Now, it seems that I was correct. It had been created by the Catastrophe Goddess. However, I have no idea why it happened.¡±

    A god¡¯s blessing¡­ Seiji suddenly thought about the White Sakura Goddess!

    The Catastrophe Goddess was the physical materialization of the Tendo Family¡¯s sins. However, the White Sakura Goddess had also referred to the Catastrophe Goddess as her evil counterpart, the Evil White Sakura Goddess. In that case, what exactly was the White Sakura Goddess?

    Could she be the physical materialization of the Tendo Family¡¯s good deeds?

    At the exact same time that the Catastrophe Goddess, who was the materialization of the Tendo Family¡¯s sins, was created, the White Sakura Goddess also appeared as a materialization of the Tendo Family¡¯s good deeds. Maybe it was she who really protected the souls of Sayaka Tendo and the other victims of the experiment gone wrong. Perhaps it was the White Sakura Goddess¡¯s power that allowed them all to survive in such a state in the Realm of Cherry Blossoms¡­?

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes as he came to this realization.

    ¡°Tendo-san, I¡¯d also like to ask you about something. What rtion do you think the Catastrophe Goddess has to you?¡±

    ¡°Her rtion to me?¡±

    ¡°The moment that the Catastrophe Goddess was summoned was when she was born. You were the main person in charge of that experiment. You are the person with the most intimate rtionship with the Catastrophe Goddess!¡± Seiji looked directly at Sayaka. ¡°Then could I interpret that to mean that you and the Catastrophe Goddess have a rtionship simr to that of the creator and the created? Just like your rtionship with Kungo?¡±

    Sayaka fell silent after hearing this question.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ but, I can¡¯t deny this possibility¡­¡± Sayaka muttered to herself.

    Seiji¡¯s heart started beating rapidly.

    He felt like he had just found the true key to everything!

    ¡°Tendo-san, if the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s appearance brings nothing but cmity, then you wouldn¡¯t possibly still exist right now. You managed to survive in such a form, together with everyone else from the experiment! Although your existence might have be more ethereal, all of you truly survived and lived new lives in that spirit town until I arrived.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, I think that the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t only a cmity. A counterpart to her also appeared, a goddess of kindness. She was the one who protected you all, not the Catastrophe Goddess. She must have used her power to prevent you all from truly dying. Of course, it might also be that the Catastrophe Goddess spared you all. If my former theory is correct, then there¡¯s nothing else to say. But if thetter is correct instead¡­ if your survival is meaningful to the Catastrophe Goddess, then what could this meaning be?

    ¡°My guess is that the meaning is this: you are the goddesses¡¯ closest rtive! You are an existence that¡¯s like their mother!!!¡±

    Sayaka Tendo: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And in order to confirm what¡¯s true or not, we can go visit her.¡± Seiji¡¯s mouth arced upward. ¡°The Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s counterpart, the goddess of kindness¡ªwe call her the White Sakura Goddess.¡±

    ¡­

    In the dream world, under a cherry blossom tree.

    Seiji was slightly stunned to see Sayaka Tendo¡¯s real appearance that manifested in the dream world.

    She had long and silky ck hair. She wore bright red extravagantly beautiful clothing. She was exquisitely beautiful, and had icy cold deep purple eyes¡­ Her aura was noble and icy. Even though she was wearing brightly colored clothing, she gave an impression of holiness.

    The wind caused cherry blossoms to blow past. This background only added to her iparable beauty.

    ¡°This all feels so subtle¡­¡± Sayaka looked at the cherry blossom tree. ¡°Is the goddess you mentioned in here?¡±

    Seiji also looked at the cherry blossom tree. He was about to speak up when another voice spoke up first.

    ¡°I¡¯m here¡­ I was observing you.¡±

    This voice belonged to the White Sakura Goddess.

    ¡°I can sense that I seem to be connected to you somehow,¡± Sayaka talked to the cherry blossom tree. ¡°You¡­ what exactly are you?¡±

    The White Sakura Goddess fell silent.

    Sayaka also remained silent.

    Seiji silently observed from the side.

    ¡°I¡­ am you,¡± the White Sakura Goddess spoke up again after a period of silence. ¡°However, I am also not you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I can understand.¡± Sayaka nodded. ¡°You seem to have formerly been part of myself, but you¡¯re no longer me.¡±

    ¡°This means¡­¡± Seiji opened up his paper fan which had the words ¡®The truth has been revealed atst¡¯. ¡°The White Sakura Goddess is the other portion of your soul, Tendo-san?¡±

    ¡°I believe that she was formerly a part of my soul,bined with some other things,¡± Sayaka agreed. ¡°Your guess was correct. This goddess here was created from me, simr to my rtionship with Kungo. Perhaps I only had the power to create Kungo because I had previously created this goddess¡­ although I have forgotten about such an eventpletely.¡±

    ¡°Could it be a technique of yours that you activated on the verge of death?¡± Seiji continued making inferences. ¡°Maybe you created the White Sakura Goddess while on the verge of death in order to protect your own and everyone else¡¯s lives and allow all of you could survive?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t deny the possibility¡­ no, it seems likely that was what happened,¡± Sayaka muttered as she looked directly at the cherry blossom tree. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I only created you so that I could survive.¡±

    The White Sakura Goddess remained silent for a moment before chuckling gently.

    ¡°No¡­ It was I who chose to leave and be a goddess.¡±

    Sayaka instantly widened her eyes with a look of realization.

    ¡°I see¡­ this is indeed me. Rather than dying just like that, I might as well instead struggle to be a goddess. And after bing a goddess, I will no longer be myself. I¡­ understand.¡±

    Sayaka then smiled faintly. ¡°How should I address you?¡± she spoke to the cherry blossom tree.

    ¡°However you like.¡± The White Sakura Goddess chuckled.

    ¡°He¡¯s already told me that you have a name of your own, so I won¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡± Sayaka nced at Seiji before looking back at the cherry blossom tree. ¡°Hello, White Sakura.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Sayaka.¡±

    This was the moment that a human and goddess met each other, recognized each other, and became independent from each other.

 Chapter 840 - Im only a high school student

    <h4>Chapter 840: I¡¯m only a high school student</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    ¡°Congrattions on the family reunion¡­¡± Should he say something like that? The thought shed through Seiji¡¯s mind.

    He decided against it. The rtionship between the two of them was something only they could understand.

    At any rate, Sayaka Tendo¡¯s rtion to the White Sakura Goddess was now clear. What about Sayaka¡¯s rtionship with the Catastrophe Goddess?

    ¡°She¡¯s different from us,¡± the White Sakura Goddess answered Seiji¡¯s question.

    ¡°Does this mean that Tendo-san isn¡¯t especially connected to the Catastrophe Goddess?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± The White Sakura Goddess paused for a moment. ¡°If you could describe me as an existence that obtained from Sayaka, then she is an existence that steals.¡±

    ¡®Steals¡­¡¯ Seiji instantly understood.

    ¡°Tendo-san voluntarily created you, while she stole part of Tendo-san¡¯s soul to form herself! Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± White Sakura Goddess confirmed.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one whose soul was stolen from,¡± Sayaka added. ¡°Everyone else present at the experiment had their souls stolen from. This is why all of us are now tattered soul shards.¡±

    Ah, so that was how it was. This indeed made sense.

    Koutarou¡¯s theory was that the souls of everyone who died had corrupted the dragon, changing it into the Catastrophe Goddess. However, his theory had been wrong. It wasn¡¯t that the white dragon had been corrupted. It was that ths dragon had been an existence that was the amalgamation of sin energy. When this dragon appeared, it started stealing everyone¡¯s souls, andbined with this power to be a god, turning into the Catastrophe Goddess!

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for White Sakura Goddess whom Tendo-san created, then the Catastrophe Goddess probably would have stolen away everyone¡¯s soulpletely¡­ absorbing all these souls.¡± Seiji looked at Sayaka.

    ¡°I agree with this extraption.¡± Sayaka nodded in agreement. ¡°The sins of the Tendo Family had no divinity of their own. That was why she needed human souls to obtain divinity. However, my struggles gave birth to White Sakura, which prevented the Catastrophe Goddess from absorbing everyone¡¯s soulspletely. This made her divinity iplete, or perhaps insufficient. Or, maybe she was injured due to the interference, causing her to go into hibernation right after appearing¡­ Of course, it¡¯s also possible that the Tendo Family members who went to clean up the experiment did something that calmed down the Catastrophe Goddess temporarily. However, now she has awoken again, and brought cmity to the city¡­ Perhaps her goal is to absorb more souls andplete or level up her divinity.¡±

    Divinity. The right to be a god. Simply speaking, this was a core concept of being a god. This was something absolutely necessary for a god to be a god, directly rted to the god¡¯s level and power.

    Absorbing human souls for the sake of personal strength¡­ no, not only souls.

    Seiji thought back to the Destruction Timeline that he had previously witnessed. The sight of people ¡°dissolving¡± under a rain of flower petals still remained clearly in his mind! As he felt a chill, he also gained a more concrete understanding of what the Catastrophe Goddess wanted.

    ¡°The Catastrophe Goddess doesn¡¯t only want souls. She also wants flesh and blood¡­ she wants bodies!¡± Seiji stated in a heavy tone. ¡°This time, not only does she want more souls to improve her divinity, she also wants to form her own body so that she can materialize with a physical body and descend into the world!¡±

    Descending in a physical body would be the equivalent of bing a true god.

    This was the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s objective.

    ¡°Her awakening is because of the Tendo Family doing something that woke her up¡­ If we could have stopped the Tendo Family before they did this action, would that make the Catastrophe Goddess remain asleep?¡± Seiji asked this in preparation for potentially loading.

    ¡°No,¡± White Sakura Goddess answered. ¡°She will definitely awaken, because she wants to awaken.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, even if we had stopped the Tendo Family, she would still awaken sooner orter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sayaka nodded. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to have her remain asleep forever, because she already exists. To think about it more, it¡¯s already quite long that she¡¯s been asleep for¡ªten years already. In that case, maybe things aren¡¯t what we think they are. It might not be that the Tendo Family wanted to wake up the Catastrophe Goddess. It might be that the Tendo Family was unable to suppress her and keep her in hibernation any longer?¡±

    ¡­That made sense.

    Seiji felt as if he had just discovered a blind spot!

    Seiji¡­ no, more urately, Yui and Soul Society had believed that all of this had been the Tendo Family¡¯s scheme. However, maybe this wasn¡¯t even the case. Maybe it was that the Tendo Family was no longer able to suppress the Catastrophe Goddess, so she woke up¡­?

    If this was really true, didn¡¯t this mean that the Tendo Family had been wronged?

    No¡­ The Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s birth was still because of the sins of the Tendo Family. Although the Tendo Family may have been wronged on the issue of the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s awakening, it couldn¡¯t be said that the Tendo Family was wronged. They were still the primary culprit behind all of this.

    To be more specific as to which individuals were most at fault, they would doubtlessly be that Shinzen Tendo, along with the mysterious individual who called himself the ¡°Abbey Master¡±.

    Abbey Master¡­ was that referring to a ¡°Daoist Abbey¡±? Daoism from Huaxia?

    Seiji didn¡¯t want to think that a Huaxia person had caused all of this cmity. However, this indeed seemed possible.

    Even the Tendo Family had been unable to determine the true identity of this Abbey Master, and this person had given Shinzen spiritual techniques that were considered highly valuable¡­ It seemed like it was quite usible to say that the Abbey Master may be a powerful spiritual ability user from Huaxia.

    Seiji could only mentally sigh. No matter if the culprit was a Huaxia individual or not, the evil sin of bringing along so much catastrophe was unmistakable.

    Sin was sin, no matter the person¡¯s nationality.

    Back to the topic of the Catastrophe Goddess.

    ¡°Is the jinchuriki host seal method truly the only good method to use against the Catastrophe Goddess?¡± Seiji asked this question. ¡°Now that we understand the connection between you and the Catastrophe Goddess, is there anything else that you can do, Tendo-san?¡±

    Sayaka remained silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know I¡¯m asking too much of you.¡± Seiji sighed. ¡°But no matter what, I want to find a better way.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t your responsibility.¡± Sayaka looked directly at him. ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand your personal situation and standpoint in all of this, you already know so much valuable information. All you need to do is tell this information to others. You¡¯ve already done excellent, Seiji Haruta. An existence like the Catastrophe Goddess isn¡¯t one that you and yourpanions alone will be able to deal with. To put it bluntly, your group doesn¡¯t even have the strength to stand against her.

    ¡°There might indeed be better ways to deal with her. However, you should leave that up to more qualified people to think about. Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re capable of saving the world by yourself. A high schooler saving the world is a situation that will only appear in anime.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Seiji answered in a serious tone. ¡°High schoolers will also save the world in manga and novels.¡±

    Sayaka was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Just joking.¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°Your words made me recall a certain someone who told me almost the exact same thing. However, I¡¯m not trying to be arrogant and thinking about what I can¡¯t possibly do. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to say something like ¡®let¡¯s just leave it at that¡¯. I know quite well that I¡¯m not strong enough to resist against the Catastrophe Goddess. However, this doesn¡¯t mean that I shouldn¡¯t do everything that I can. If the worst possible ending still arrives after I try my very best, I will ept it even if I don¡¯t want to ept. But if I don¡¯t try my best to do everything that I can¡­ I won¡¯t be able to ept it. This isn¡¯t because of personal benefits, nor is it because I feel like I must save the world. This is merely my willfulness.¡±

    Something shed in Sayaka¡¯s eyes when she heard this.

    ¡°Such willfulness¡­ is truly na?ve,¡± she stated softly.

    ¡°Rather than naivety, I think it¡¯s more appropriate to call it youth.¡± Seiji chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m only a high school student.¡±

 Chapter 841 - Please try your hardest

    <h4>Chapter 841: Please try your hardest</h4>

    Trantor: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu

    High schooler¡­ Youth¡­ Sayaka Tendo wanted to reject these ideas, but suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say.

    She decided to just leave things as they were.

    Of course he could say something like that. Anyone who felt helpless could say something like that. But was that really fine?

    Sayaka felt that she had no duty to save the world. But if there was anything else that she could do at all¡­

    ¡°¡­Perhaps you could interfere with the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s attempt to fuse a new body.¡± Sayaka only realized what she just said after saying it.

    ¡°Interfere with her fusion?¡± Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes after he heard this. ¡°You mean that I can reenact your interference with her descent ten years ago!?¡±

    Sayaka spent two seconds regretting how she had said this out loud before sighing. ¡°Indeed. Ten years ago, the Catastrophe Goddess met with my interference while she was trying to absorb our souls. That was why she suffered an injury that caused her to enter hibernation. Now, after ten years, she is repeating the same attempt to absorb souls. Perhaps she¡¯s also trying to absorb flesh and blood as you say. This will be arge fusion process. If the fusion process is interfered with yet again, she will likely suffer much greater damage than ten years ago. It will probably cause her to sink into an even longer hibernation than ten years ago.

    ¡°However, the problem is how to interfere with her fusion. Part of my memories is missing. I can¡¯t remember the specifics of what I did¡­ And even if I could remember, it¡¯s probably some special method that can only be used while the Catastrophe Goddess is absorbing souls. It¡¯s definite that it will be highly dangerous. To take a step back, even if someone can aplish the method and survive, the end result might be like what happened to me, or even worse¡­ In other words, this method will also likely require sacrifice.¡±

    Seiji fell silent.

    ¡°A sacrifice might not be necessary,¡± White Sakura Goddess spoke up. ¡°If Sayaka works together with me, it should be possible to protect the soul and physical body of the person who casts such a spell.¡±

    Something shed in Seiji¡¯s eyes once again.

    ¡°Me cooperating with you?¡± Something also shed in Sayaka¡¯s eyes as she looked at the cherry blossom tree.

    ¡°Sayaka is a special existence to both the Catastrophe Goddess and myself,¡± White Sakura Goddess exined. ¡°That¡¯s why Sayaka will be able to protect some people from her attempt to absorb souls if she cooperates with me. However, this has its own limits. If the Catastrophe Goddess absorbs too much, this won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Seiji asked cautiously. ¡°As long as not too much is absorbed, as long as it¡¯s only a little, you¡¯ll be able topletely protect the body and soul!?¡±

    This was incredibly important.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± White Sakura Goddess sounded confident.

    Nice, Seiji had obtained a nice secret ace!

    ¡°If safety can be guaranteed, all that remains is the method.¡± Seiji looked at Sayaka again.

    Sayaka remained silent for a moment before shaking her head.

    ¡°I truly can¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Please try your hardest¡­¡± Seiji requested. ¡°Right, how about trying to talk to Koutarou and the other remnant souls? Maybe this will help refresh your memory?¡±

    Sayaka could only mentally sigh at this ¡°youthful high school student¡± who wanted to personally deal with the Catastrophe Goddess and save the world.

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡­

    Spells were flung all around as explosions happened everywhere.

    The Tendo Family¡¯s mansion had now be a hellish battleground!

    A gigantic bright red tree and gray shadowy dragon had appeared. Even just visually, they would have already given everyone a tremendous sense of pressure. Not to mention, these existences were emanating an iparably powerful aura that mentally suppressed everyone. Any ordinary person that was present would surely have an instant breakdown! It was also difficult for the lower-level spiritual ability users to resist. If it wasn¡¯t for the barrier around here, it was likely that the lower-level individuals would suffer breakdowns almost as fast as ordinary people would.

    The gigantic tree sent bright red cherry blossom petals fluttering down from its crown. The falling petals seemed just like rain or snow. The scene was incredibly beautiful, yet this beauty contained unimaginable danger.

    Those who had their bodies invaded by the red cherry blossoms wouldn¡¯t die instantly. However, they would all sink into a death-like state of deep sleep. Perhaps they would never wake up again! Everyone was forced to maintain high-powered barriers to resist the red cherry blossoms.

    Yet, the cherry blossoms¡¯ attack power wasn¡¯t even the scariest part. The scariest part was the tremendous area of effect!

    Although the area of effect wasn¡¯t asrge as the entire city, it was more thanrge enough to cover most of the densely popted areas. In other words, the great majority of ordinary people in the city were also in the cherry blossoms¡¯ area of effect. There was absolutely no time to evacuate them!

    How many people would die here if they couldn¡¯t resolve this situation in time?

    Meisei Sorin didn¡¯t dare to think about the potential numbers.

    The situation was absolutely terrible. The only part worth celebrating was that it could have been even worse. There was still time to resolve the situation without too much damage. It could be done as long as the gigantic dragon, or the Catastrophe Goddess, could be dealt with!

    The Catastrophe Goddess. Her danger level was assessed as the strongest possible, even higher than that of Soul Society¡¯s ¡°Demon King¡±ssification. Sougo Tendo had transformed into¡­ or summoned such a monster.

    No matter how she had arrived, dealing with this highest-level vicious monstrosity would be quite difficult.

    Luckily, Meisei had already been prepared for the likely scenario of their sudden attack¡¯s failure. He had prepared emergency backup ns. He had already activated an emergency backup n, and reinforcements were swiftly arriving.

    Without a doubt, the Catastrophe Goddess¡¯s appearance here was an absolute disaster. However, it was also an opportunity. If the Tendo Family and Catastrophe Goddess were all dealt with here, perhaps all danger to the city would instantly be resolved.

    Due tocking relevant information about the Catastrophe Goddess, Meisei was unable to determine if the gigantic dragon here was the true body of the Catastrophe Goddess who ruled over the Realm of Cherry Blossoms. And even if this dragon was her true body, it was possible that she could still revive herself and cause problemster even if this dragon form was defeated. Right now, it was impossible to know what would happen upon defeating her. However, one thing was quite certain.

    The entire city would be finished if this dragon wasn¡¯t killed right here and now!

    As the overallmander for Soul Society¡¯s attack force, Meisei continued tomand the battle from Soul Society¡¯s temporarymand center. He was prepared to personally go out and fight the Catastrophe Goddess if necessary.

    Thebat situation was quite difficult. Soul Society members were being injured or killed at every minute. This was because every single attack from the gigantic dragon was equivalent to a cluster bomb attack! It was almost impossible topletely dodge or block the dragon¡¯s attacks.

    No matter how this battle ended, it was certain that the entire area around the Tendo Family mansion would be ruined.

    As for whether the Tendo Family would work on restoration afterwards, that would be their problem. Also, before that, the Tendo Family still had to deal with Soul Society making them take responsibility for their scheme¡­ Even if the Tendo Family was one of the seven major families, the spiritual society would never let them off easy for what they¡¯d done this time.

    At this moment, Meisei Sorin and all the other powerful spiritual ability users at Soul Society¡¯s temporarymand center felt something that caused all of their expressions to change.

    The next instant, there was a tremendous roar that shook the heavens as a snow-white light covered the temporarymand center. Next, an even more tremendous explosion was heard as a blinding mushroom cloud rose up into the air¡­

    ¡°Ourmand center and everyone within was evaporated!!!¡± someone shouted in Soul Society¡¯smunication channel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! As nned, the backupmand center will takemand! Continue fighting!!!¡± someone else roared in themunication channel.

    Individual humans seemed as tiny as ants in front of the shadowy gray dragon sitting on top of the gigantic tree.

    However, humans were capable of teaming up with each other against the Catastrophe Goddess who was far stronger than any individual human. Humans were capable of using carefully thought out ns and courageous teamwork to fight!

    ¡°It¡¯s our turn,¡± Yui Haruta spoke in a heavy tone as she received her strongest weapon from Soul Society¡¯s logistical support.

    She activated her weapon. In the darkness, a pair of inhuman eyes started glowing blue. Mystical runes shone within the eyes. Right after that, golden-red runes started shing and illuminated a gigantic figure far surpassing that of any human. Finally, multiple high-level spiritual magic cores activated with loud vibrations, apanied by metallic creaking. The gigantic figure revealed itself to be a type of giant mecha.

    ¡°Come, Radiance Star!¡±

    Yui forcefully pulled on a lever as her spiritual mecha ¡°Radiance Star¡± spat blinding golden-red mes from its back. This mecha, which had a shield in one hand and a spiritual particle cannon in the other, swiftly flew out of hiding and rushed into the sky, directly charging towards the shadowy gray dragon!

    ¡°Grawwrrrrrlllll~~~~~~~!¡± The dragon shot countless beams of light at the mecha!

    Yui used her mecha¡¯s heavy shield to open up a barrier that blocked the beams of light while also counterattacking with the particle cannon!

    Two other mechas had also flown up simultaneously with her. The three mechas simultaneously attacked the dragon from three separate directions. These attacks caused obvious damage to the dragon. Everyone¡¯s blood boiled as they watched this scene!

    A dragon roared while giant mechas flew around it in the sky. The battle between a Goddess and humans began in the air filled by cherry blossoms as if a myth was being enacted in front of everyone.

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